#Vol Protectorate

[crapeaucrapeau]

I would love to hear any headcanons you have about Volus society!

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy ! Thanks for the wonderful ask !

Okay, so this is all reliant on canon to some extent, and then I'm improvising. I'm interpreting your ask as the volus social organizations, but tell me if you want to know more about volus lifestyle !

So, when I come up with headcanons for societies, species, etc for Mass Effect, my rules are :

can I keep it canon-compliant ? I'm linking an old post on the volus canon here.

is there any existing science-fiction I can use as the basis for an homage ? (much like the krogan are a riff on the Klingons and the Mandalorians, and the turians are based on Starship Troopers, and the quarians on Battlestar Galactica, etc)

can I make the society and species I'm working on less human and more alien ?

With the volus, there's an added consideration : since they are mostly space capitalists, it's hugely important not to end up recycling antisemitic stereotypes.

And so… My WIP at present…

Okay, so the volus. Main concern : freedom — you don't get a family name because this would suggest your family can own you. Main political unit : a tribe, a fluid polity, in dynamic configurations. This is interesting, because this is not a state, which is our go-to political structure on Earth : a tribe suggests relatively small numbers of people (but more than just various shades of relatives), with no strictly defined territory and no strict centralization of authority. A tribe is a community of citizens, and is indeed suggestive here of greater individual agency than the state. The capitalism of the volus and their eschewing of the state and stated attachment to freedom could suggest a form of anarcho-capitalism or other shades of libertarianism (see also : Rapture), but this is very cliché and therefore boring, and Bioshock kinda conclusively shows why it wouldn't last long.

At the same time, we should note that there are at least two states in the life of your average volus : the Turian Hierarchy (duh) and the Vol Protectorate itself. The Vol Protectorate is very state-like : it has diplomats acting as the exclusive representative of the volus and entitled to make decisions in their name (e.g. Din Korlack, Kwunu), it has an executive leader (i.e. the Chairman of the Vol Protectorate), it has a permanent bureaucracy (e.g. the Vol Ministry of the Frontier) and extensive patent laws. On the planetary level, Irune, at least, as a Senior Commerce Advisor (whatever that is) and police, with military titles (e.g. Major). And we have hints of state-like polities within the Protectorate in a few pieces of the canon : the "corporate nation of Binar" with a "master tradesman", Noval San, as a representative (ME3) ; or "the Nao Clan", with one Udra Nao acting as its spokesman (CDN). So obviously the volus as a whole are not pathologically adverse to the idea of a state, though the fact they prefer the small, dynamic, fluid tribe as their polity of choice means they're not fond of state restrictions either. See also : importance of freedom.

Speaking of the Nao Clan… something we don't talk about is the emphasis the volus place on clans, you Earth-clan. A "clan", in English, is a large group with a shared ancestry, actual or presumed ; this is in keeping with the fact all non-volus are addressed not by species but by homeworld, or native biosphere : Thessia-clan, Sur'Kesh-clan, Palaven-clan, etc. That suggests your species is less important than where you come from : your common ancestry is your biosphere. Since it's insulting to call quarians "clanless", then it's in some sense dishonorable to lose your homeworld (presumably not damage : humans are never disparaged for the poor state Earth is in). Your homeworld, in a sense… is your common()wealth. This is a thread that could be imagined as a strong environmentalist conscience, though it would need to be reconciled with the capitalism of the volus (SPOILERS : capitalism isn't good for your planet).

So, in the end, what we have are :

the Vol Protectorate : a supreme state-like authority

the tribes : socio-political units you willingly join and from which you can depart, the larger can engulf the smaller ones or split apart. Most of the tribes are fairly small and lack the structure of states, but we could understand "tribe" as reminiscent of the Latin tribus, which doesn't describe a polity but a component of a polity

the clans : individuals with common ancestry ; e.g. the Vol-clan : all volus ; lesser clans are people who've lived together in the same place for a long time. Tied to notions of land, place of origin, environment - hence why other species get [homeworld name]-clan, e.g. Thessia-clan, Sur'Kesh-clan, etc. In some cases (e.g. the Nao Clan), a tribe and a clan overlap ; in other cases (e.g. Binar), it clearly doesn't. You can give your clan - the unit you belong to whether you care to or not - as much or as little importance as you want, though you'll always be Vol-clan.

So how do I reconcile all of that and give you more substantial headcanons ?

I made the Vol Protectorate a panarchy.

Basically, a panarchy is the idea that you can join any nation and political system you want, and even form whichever you want, and a state structure exists only to make sure your right to do that is not suppressed. The idea is to take the liberal idea of competition in a free market is beneficial for the economy and the consumers, and expand it to politics. IRL, it has huge feasibility problems and issues which entail I find it quite unrealistic, but it just might work with non-human capitalists who have abolished violence.

So, in "my" Vol Protectorate, the volus don't have tribes because they are a pre-state society, they are in fact a post-state* society : you have a multiplicity of micro political and economic regimes - the tribes - who correspond to whatever shades of the human political spectrum you care to identify them with. You've got : Megachurches ! Corporate nations ! Anarcho-capitalist gulches ! Anarcho-communist communes ! Social liberal democracies ! Absolute monarchies ! An enclave of volus Hierarchy citizens who live by turian rules and expectations ! and so on. Among other things, the Vol Protectorate exists to make sure anyone can join or leave any of those tribes, and no one tries to impose their way of life on people outside of their tribe. That's why, in my headcanon, Gaffno Yap (from Mass Effect : Annihilation) was exiled twice from the Vol Protectorate : the problem wasn't that he was anarcho-communist, which was fine and dandy, the problem was that the people he inspired blew up "banks and treasuries and any place where there might be a lot of money or influence or money and influence all together in one spot" to abolish currency, personal property, capital and "trade itself". That being said, it's pretty clear that one of the common traits for the overwhelming majority of volus polities - the hegemony, one might say - is the legitimacy and attractiveness of capitalism.

Crucially, each tribe would have as little or as many laws as they'd like, decided through whatever process they want, as long as they didn't contravene the laws of the Protectorate, the Citadel or (as of the 8th century CE) the Turian Hierarchy.

Equally crucially, people from different tribes would share the same territories and infrastructure : you could be roommates with someone subject to an entirely different legal system than yours.

At this point, I didn't have much else, beside the idea of the Vol Protectorate being the Vol Commonwealth before they joined the Hierarchy. I had to… hit the books.

Were there any science-fiction novels out there which I could use as the basis for the structure of the panarchy in the Vol Protectorate ? I could find :

Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age

and Ada Palmer's Terra Ignota series.

Of those three, I found the last one most interesting and useful. The readers of Terra Ignota will read the following and recognize what I'm talking about. For example, the following based on the Universal Free Alliance :

Prerogatives of the Vol Protectorate

The specific and exclusive prerogatives of the Vol Protectorate include :

representing the volus before non-volus : - representation of the shared and unique interests of the citizens of the Vol Protectorate, all volus and all their properties, assets and commensals for their continued prosperity and well-being before the Citadel Council - representation of the same before the Turian Hierarchy, acting as an intermediary between the Turian Hierarchy and various volus interest groups

maintaining the interconnected systems all volus depend on to live and live well : - measuring and, if necessary, issuing alerts on the state of the various ecosystems supporting volus life, in particular Irune's biosphere ; should the government of the Vol Protectorate have reasonable evidence supporting the conclusion that state intervention is preferable to no intervention whatsoever in a way that benefits an ecosystem as a whole, it is entitled to intervene and manage it, usually by stopping disruptive economic activity - measuring and, if necessary, issuing alerts on the state of the integrated volus and interstellar economies ; should the government of the Vol Protectorate have reasonable evidence supporting the conclusion that state intervention is preferable to no intervention whatsoever in a way that benefits the economy as a whole, it is entitled to intervene and manage parts of or the whole of the volus economy

ensuring the freedom of all volus to live in a tribe of their choice, essential to the panarchy of the Vol Protectorate, is respected : - registering adult volus in a tribe of their choice - handling volus switching from one tribe to another

enforcing the law : - handling litigation between different volus tribes, each with its own legal system - ensuring every tribe respects the Axioms of Vol Law (notably respecting the environment and the rights of minors) through a process known as law-auditing

The legislative branch

The Laws of Vol, that is to say the whole of volus law that applies to all citizens and residents of the Vol Protectorate regardless of political affiliation, is extremely short : beside the Founding Charter of the Vol Protectorate, there are less than ten laws, the Axioms of Vol Law (or Axioms).

To pass a new Axiom, or repeal an extant one, at least 75% of the adult citizens of the Vol Protectorate as well as at least 66.7% of the adult population in each tribe must agree to it.

In practice, the Shareholder Assembly (see below) ratifies or vetoes policies introduced by the Management Board and repeals past policies, while the judiciary makes sure the Axioms and those policies are followed. This results in a de facto complex common law system ; the extensiveness of the volus patent laws, for example, has been frequently noted.

Every group operating on a Vol Protectorate host-world (see below), including the Protectorate itself, must also abide by the directives of the local Planetary Management Directorate.

The Axioms are based on the eight (8) universal Blacklaws in Terra Ignota. The patent laws are canon.

The executive branch

Each adult citizen of the Vol Protectorate is part of the Shareholder Assembly, with a political share determined on the proportionate amount of their wealth freely given to the Protectorate as taxes, and an added bonus for the poorer volus so that they do not have to give a lot to be on relatively equal footing with the wealthiest.

The Shareholder Assembly elects the members of the Boards of Directors, or Supervisory Board, who in turn elect the head of state of the Vol Protectorate, the Chairperson. Chairman Ulra Nron is the current leader of the Vol Protectorate.

The Board of Directors appoints and fires in turn the members of the Executive Committee, or Management Board, headed by a Chief Executive (or Managing Director). As head of government, the Chief Executive is in charge of the day-to-day running of the Vol Protectorate and formulating and implementing policies, while the Board of Directors safeguards the interests of the shareholders. The separation of the two prevents the most obvious forms of conflicts of interests.

Below the Executive Committee is the massive bureaucratic apparatus of the Vol Ministries, each tasked with a specific area of activity, such as the Vol Ministry of the Frontier. Unlike the directors, the members of the ministries are career bureaucrats.

Each director of the Executive Committee heads one of the Vol Ministries ; their immediate subordinates are the Subordinate Directors, whom they appoint, as well as the Advisors of the Advisor Panel, led by a Senior Advisor. The Advisors are ministry bureaucrats who rose to their positions based on merit and experience.

For example, the Chief Finance Director in the Vol Ministry of Finance delegates much of their affairs to several Subordinate Finance Directors and can rely on the advice of the Vol Senior Finance Advisor and the other Vol Finance Advisor.

The description of the Vol Protectorate government is simply that of the government of the Republic of Venice, an explicit inspiration for the volus, with corporate terms swapped in, and with an added management board as is common practice in the corporate world.

The judiciary branch

Sorry, I haven't come up with anything yet ! I'm of the mind of there being an independent Inspectorate which investigates cases where multiple legal systems are in conflict, Arbiters to settle such cases, and Law Auditors to conduct surprise law-audits and check (say) if those children are well taken care of and your tribe isn't actually a cult.

The planetary governments

An added wrinkle is that I imagined Planetary Management Directorates to handle issues which concern everyone on a given world - a "host-world" - mostly where you have integrated systems which go beyond just one tribe. The two major issues would be the planetary ecosystem and the planetary economy. Given that territory stops to matter for tribal, panarchist polities, what we have instead are governments managing a) the environment, e.g. the commons, and b) the integration of various groups by geographical proximity. Here I'm vaguely gesturing toward the Dutch Republic (the other direct historical inspiration for the volus) with a political system for decentralization, management planet by planet — but I haven't decided how those institutions function ! That's definitely where Irune's Senior Commerce Advisor is, though.

Economy

Capitalism. That being said, the government is stable, the volus are happy and the volus planets are beautiful and clean because most of the filthy, horrific exploitative stuff takes place out of sight, in the Terminus Systems (see also : Elkoss Combine in canon). The volus have outsourced the exploitation inherent to capitalism, and (much like everyone else in the galaxy btw) capitalism remains stable because there's virtually endless growth thanks to the virtually endless resources left to exploit in the undiscovered space of the galaxy.

Okay, @unfair-water-plane, I don't know if this was what you were asking for ; if you wanted something else, tell me and I'm sure I'll have something up my sleeve !

[vermintine]

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

"NOW IN HIS OWN LIMITED SERIES!" -- LETHAL PROTECTION WILL SOON BE UPON YOU ALL!

PIC(S) INFO: Mega spotlight on close-up and original cover art to "Venom: Lethal Protector" Vol. 1 #1 [in a story titled "Dark Soul Drifting"]. February, 1993. Marvel Comics. Artwork by Mark Bagley and Sam De La Rosa.

Sources: www.pinterest.com/pin/332492384997790050 & Bottleneck Gallery.

[choochooboss]

Submas Sketchdump Vol. 4 July 2022 Part 2!!

I knew that particular month beat my all time record for productivity multifold but I had forgotten SO MANY PIECES from the original collection!! I think I finally got them all?? More stuff under the cut!!

BREAKMAS!! WIP of the first piece I posted of them, here's the link to the final version! I tried coloring this first but the black & white had ultimately more impact so I went with that!

TRAINS!! I like this base color version too! Link to the final version!

The top sketch is a direct reference to Cluedo! A spinoff game, "Missingo", starring certain familiar characters trying to figure out what happened to Ingo/trying to prove their innocence in the case! Also WIP sketches for these two Breakmas comic pages!

As you may know I adore butlermas! For the classy and stylish look which appeals to me in general, and coincidentally I had played PLA & got hit by submas train only one week before butler Ingo's banner rolled out! The pure bliss of finally meeting both twins in a game I felt was incomparable!! This moment in the Curious Tea Party event was really entertaining to me! We got to see submas get serious and stand up against this selfish collector thief! Two towering train twinks with commanding voices looming over the unfortunate guy was enough to make him change his mind ahah! They truly are the protectors

1-hour submas challenge prompt "Descend"! This is the actual one hour result before I continued rendering this!

Mmmmm not my first attempt at drawing them hug and definitely not my best OR last. I want to make that moment something very special when I finally go all out on it!!

Comic cover vibing~

The scrapped last page for this silly comic! Sorry the dialogue is all over the place on the first piece, might be hard to read! I wasn't happy with how I presented Elesa, I wasn't familiar enough with her character back then so I thought of her carrying a toy taser to threat her friend even as a joke was too much and I couldn't come up with anything else for it. This held me back from posting the other three pages for another 5 months! In the last panel

I prefer to not mess up the twins too much but my brain is still very curious and conjures some peculiar stuff like this sometimes.. I think I may have broken his arms there looking at the anatomy, ooops! I hope you don't mind the photo quality or the two weird guys in the corner, they escaped containment!

Idea of warden Ingo, being projected to modern era by his Alakazam, walking through crowd on a train platform & Emmet standing inside a passing train. Their eyes meet for just a few seconds...

Pokemas Ingo practise!

Another WIP of a piece I posted! I started this piece like this but then later I decided to flip the whole thing.

YET another WIP of something I already posted! No idea why I went and mixed up his suits but I like this sketch! They rarely end up looking this clean haha

Sketch version of the self-defense practise piece! I love getting creative with action stuff! I barely ever think of how difficult they are to draw, I just get so excited and fixated on visualising the scenes in my mind I just keep at it, pull out refs and pose in front of mirrors until it looks good to me! I want to draw more action scenes but besides being challenging to draw my brain comes up with more silly and cute ideas than cool ones unfortunately ahah

One more WIP, here's the link to the final results!! I really like how genuine their expressions look here even if the faces are a little off. I recall spending a long time figuring out this perspective. I thought it would be fun to you to see how all these pieces started and... looking at the sketch above and the stuff before that, you can compare some range of my style!

RANDOM SUBMAS MISSILES GO

OHHH looks like some nasty passengers got the best of them!! If I recall correctly there was no fight because they managed to paralyse the two before they could act. Fully awake yet completely helpless... how convenient unfortunate. Thank you so much for checking these out!! Not every sketch is that exciting but I'm always happy to hear your thoughts on these!

Previous posts: Sketch dump Vol. 1: April-June 2022 Sketch dump Vol. 2: July 2022 Sketch dump Vol. 3: August 2022

[minniesfiles]

{WONWOO} FIC RECOMMENDATIONS

ᯓ★ VOL. 1

(note; each volume has 15 fic recs)

[a] — angst│[f] — fluff │[s] — smut

❖ lucky — by @97-liners

the fanfic trope where a character wakes up loopy after wisdom tooth surgery. | 1.3k [f]

❖ closer — by @hannieehaee

after making it all the way to your final year of uni still having not experienced a single orgasm, you decided to take matters into your hands. your solution? asking your best friend wonwoo to teach you all he knew. | 12.9k [s, f, a]

❖ endpoint — by @highvern

Senior year of college is meant to be full of celebration and smooth sailing. Years of work culminating in the final semesters that will send you off into the real world where clubs, sports, and weekends packed with hungover volunteering to pad your resume no longer mattered. It’d be a piece of cake if it wasn’t for your fuck buddy turned coworker having the same plan. But only one of you can get the department’s most coveted recommendation that all but guarantees your acceptance. Tension rises and the nearly four year thing you’ve had with Wonwoo approaches its endpoint. | 19.5k [f, a, s]

❖ in front of me — by @wonustars

jeon wonwoo has spent most of his adolesence and early adult hood unable to understand why he can't seem to stay in a relationship for more than a few months. as his best friend, you allowed him to vent about his worries without judgment. so what if you're in love with him? your friendship with wonwoo meant more to you than having your feelings reciprocated. that is until you hit your breaking point, while wonwoo finally realizes what has been in front of him this whole time. | 49.6k [a, s]

❖ payment due — by @solarwonux

HYBE U one of the top highly prestigious universities in the country. A shit hole, a total money making scam that liked to sucked the life out of its students. Not being able to meet the funds to pay for your tuition your best friend lets you in a little secret. A way he’s been keeping afloat for years now, easy money. The problem is you want in. | 56.1k [f, a, s]

❖ blind — by @wtf-taeyong

? [a]

❖ ten questions — by @chocosvt

wonwoo isn’t at home as often as he used to be. you know he doesn’t exactly have a regular job, but you still can’t help this feeling of isolation. the less you see him, the more questions you have, which provokes one question above all - does he even have the time for you anymore? | 4.3k [a, f]

❖ a moon without stars — by @chocosvt

you work as a part time florist whilst jeon wonwoo balances his time between being a body piercer and helping out at his uncle’s garage. the two of you are thrust together in an awkward meet up when you get your first piercing. wonwoo thinks you’re kinda odd, but he knows he isn’t much different, and little by little he becomes infatuated with how you can make watering hibiscus flowers sound so interesting. | 18k [f, a, s]

❖ wonwoo: the protector — by @gamerwoo

If there’s one thing Wonwoo hates, it’s feeling helpless; like there’s nothing he can do to stop somebody he loves from getting hurt. It’s happened to him once before, and he swears it’ll never happen again. Especially not after he meets you. | series [f, a, s]

❖ pomegranate — by @idyllic-ghost

You, a princess from a doomed kingdom, have been arranged to be married to an heir of a much more prosperous kingdom. However, when you first visit them, you realize that you would much rather be with the heir's younger brother. | 13.8k [a, s]

❖ sweet chaos — by @viastro

you and wonwoo are the best assassins in south korea. however, underneath it all, the two of you fell in love. what will you do when you're hired to kill him? | 3.4k [a, f]

❖ take a chance with me — by @saythenametotheworld

You could not believe that no one ever told you how frustrating (and beautiful) it was to be hopelessly captivated by a boy who thinks love is overrated. | 25k [f, s, a]

❖ boys and their toys — by @babyleostuff

Fighting with you has to be one of wonwoo's biggest nightmares, so when you reset his game - will that be enough for him to finally lose his temper? | 1.9k [f, a]

❖ grease — by @gyuswhore

In which you have to sit through one of the worst dates of your life, followed by the insistent tug of fate and compulsion that lead you straight back to where you'd sworn you'd never go. | 5.8k [f, s]

❖ the story of us — by @gyuswhore

So many walls that you can't break through; except you do. | 2.1k [a, f]

[jerichogender]

In the spirit of those Joey posts that make you ponder the implications of his childhood, here’s an idea I’ve had for a while. I think part of why it’s so hard for Joey to hear other people say his father is a bad person is because the first person who ever did that in front of him was Slade’s half brother, an absolute lunatic who kidnapped Grant and Joey when they were very, very young:

Deathstroke Vol. 1 Annual #4

Wade isn’t concerned for their wellbeing at all, in fact his narrative that Slade is a ruinous force is used as a pretext to hit and humiliate Grant

And just as things go from bad to worse, Slade and Addie come crashing in to rescue them:

It’s not hard to imagine this image, his dad as a protector, being one of Joey’s earliest memories

They get the kids out of the cabin as soon as possible, but there’s a good chance Joey would’ve still heard some of his uncle’s rambling accusations spilling out the broken window:

If he did, then Joey’s earliest memory of his father being called selfish is directly tied to a cruel, conniving man all too eager to tear their family apart just to get what he wants. It’s no wonder that someone speaking badly of his dad would put Joey on the defensive. To admit that any of those things were right would be, in his eyes, to admit that Wade was right all along

[eybefioro]

The GOAD Epic Goblins Present - The Serpent and the Owl Volume 1 - Soiled Shore - Chapter 5

Words by me and @ambermissy , art by @kiratastic !!

Rated E, ~6,2k words this chapter!

Volume summary:

Aziraphale is a trained warrior that slays monsters. A prophecy says he will once be killed by a monster, but he never has failed a task. He’s summoned by the high priest, and receives the mission to end another one – he vows to protect the land and to kill the monster that endangers the people — who will be revealed to be Crowley.

Aziraphale understands during his time out in the monster’s area that Crowley was simply a thorn into the monarch’s foot, and that Aziraphale had been sent as a mercenary, not as a protector. He understands that Crowley is not the monster, but actually the saviour of the area.

Chapter excerpt:

Mist erupted around Crowley, her scales glowing with heat and transforming the air in steam. The space around them got hot, hot enough that Aziraphale had to close his eyes, and when he opened them his heartbeat stilled.

Crowley had almost tripled in size, and towered over him. Instead of gazing at her face, he was now staring upwards at her belly button, nestled in emerald scales. He swept his eyes even higher, her lithe torso shimmered with muscles and the same scales that seemed to be covering almost all of her body. Her petite breasts were out, but she had her neck and arms adorned with the most stunning jewellery – golds and emeralds and pearls, making her look divine.

Continue reading on Ao3!

Or

Start from vol 0!

@goodomensafterdark

[nyerusnova]

Glad to see that Tim being a giant Dick Grayson fanboy is finally being highlighted again, and sparking more discussion especially on their early relationship! (Please gimme more!!! I love them so much, augh!)

Probably as a result of that surge, there seems to be reciprocal chatter on the topic of how young Tim actually felt towards Jason, too. It's honestly pretty interesting, because it's more nuanced than it appears at first glance.

Which means it's very fun to dissect! ✨

There's a degree of subjectivity to keep in mind, because readers are going to have different interpretations of the same scenes, or will pull from entirely different scenes than one another to form their individual view on this topic. That's just how it is in comic book fandom, for many things! Regardless, in this case... if the scale ranges from the extreme of "Jason was Tim's Robin" to the other extreme of "Tim actually hated Jason [as Robin] or thought he was a loser that got himself killed" — the actual truth is closer to the middle, as is often the case.

At least, in my opinion.

Mainly I want to focus on those relatively early days with this post, to highlight Tim's initial(-ish) feelings towards his heroes, and touch on the point at which they really begin to change. This turned into a very long post, though. Brevity is beyond my skill, so grab snacks and water lol. Transcripts for each image will be posted at the very end under the cut.

So, the two storylines I want to cover are "Rite of Passage," which is rolls into "Identity Crisis." (NOT to be confused with the major crossover event "Identity Crisis™" which came years later, and is where Jack Drake dies.... But it sure is an interesting coincidence that Tim deals with the loss of each parent in two similarly named stories!) These take place before Tim is even Robin, and I'll be considering them as one arc for this post.

Detective Comics vol. 1 #618 (July, 1990) -- Pages 1 & 2

"When Gotham needed him, he was there. When the Batman needed him, he was there. He was a hero."

"One day, I'll be as good as Jason. One day I'll wear the suit."

To start off, we have this opening from "Rite of Passage." Tim is still in training here, mainly helping Bruce with minor stuff from the cave. His parents are off traveling, alive and well as of these next few pages. He's still bright-eyed and full of wonder. An extraordinarily weird but ultimately innocent kid.

So his view on Jason is positive and fairly simple: a hero, and someone to look up to as Robin. Clearly, Tim here doesn't think Jason was deficient in his role, either as a protector of Gotham or as Batman's trusted partner.

Moreover, Tim already held Dick in very high regard because he was amazingly skilled before he became Robin. To Tim, that's not something he'll ever be able to achieve. Meanwhile, Jason wasn't like that. He was a regular kid without crazy acrobatic training since practically birth. Yet he still went on to be a hero—which is obviously motivational for Tim who finds himself in similar shoes.

It's true that Tim only ever knew or thought of Jason as Robin, and idolized him in that regard. But that's kind of all that mattered to him at that point, because he was this kid who was utterly star-struck by his heroes. Even if he's technically aware of their shortcomings as people, it's overshadowed by the hero-worship.

It was kind of the same with Bruce as Batman at first. (Which was still enough for Tim to risk life and limb to help his beloved hero, before Bruce even knew his name.) Dick was the only one Tim had any sort of "personal" relationship with beforehand, so there is an extra level of attachment—and hence why it was the nidus for his obsession with Batman. Yet even then, it wasn't like he actually knew anything about Dick as a person until later. Until then, Tim's ideas of him were all he had, too. With Jason, Tim just didn't get to know him at any point before his return (oof), apart from what he heard over the years secondhand (also oof).

Ultimately, it's the loss of innocence—along with the ricocheting bullet that is the unresolved guilt of those around him—that begins to change Tim's perception. Not just of Jason, but of things in general.

Batman vol. 1 #455 (Oct., 1990) -- Page 13

"I know why they do it now. Why they put on the suits, and the masks, and go out into the night. They're angry, they're full of rage. They want to hit back."

Losing his mother was a major shift for Tim, obviously. This is right after the previous storyline, and Tim's had the worst week or two of his life (so far). His monologue here is a reference to what happened to both Dick and Jason. The unbearable pain of loss, the rage masking the grief underneath. And importantly, that he feels both of them were justified in their anger. (And Bruce too, indirectly.)

The major theme of the aptly named "Identity Crisis" is to mirror aspects of Dick and Jason and Tim's lives—to show how they converged onto the same tragic road. It's something that Tim notices early in the story, and was frightened by. Now, horrifically, it's become a part of him as well. His parents are gone, and he was entirely helpless to do anything about it. Dick was the same way, Jason was the same way. The cycle is repeated.

In particular, the part about him wanting to go to Haiti for revenge—for his mother—sort of struck me as being an intentional parallel to Jason and Ethiopia. It's a bit of a stretch, especially in isolation, so others may see it differently (e.g. the angry ramblings of a grieving child that does sound like something anyone might say). But it always stuck out to me because of how much Tim is compared directly to Jason in this arc. More on that below.

It's not something I can really give an accurate feel of because it's a lot of subtle things that begin to add up, so I'd encourage folks to read this arc themselves to see what I mean. (Or maybe you'll still disagree which is fine too lol.) Again, many things are in reference to both Dick and Jason in relation to Tim, but it's weighted more on Jason's side.

Batman vol. 1 #455 (Oct., 1990) -- Page 18

"You think my anger will boil over, the way Jason's did. I can assure you, it won't!"

Tim's grief has begun to pull away the veil of idealism that enshrouded his heroes in his mind. It doesn't apply only to Jason, but to the rest of them. Plus add the fact that Tim's keenly aware that he's being managed, even if the adults around him are careful to not outright say certain things. He still knows.

Bruce, Dick, and Alfred are all worried about Tim potentially turning into "another Jason." They (and mainly Bruce) caution Tim to not ignore his emotions, but they're still concerned that he may be overly eager to prove himself in order to cope, and could get hurt or killed as a result. While they aren't wrong for their caution—especially at how unsettlingly similar all the circumstances are—they aren't very subtle about the elephant in the room.

Imagine how that would affect Tim's perception of his predecessor, especially when he's in the midst of a traumatic event he hasn't had time to fully process. The negative association is pretty much inevitable.

Tim's known from day one that he's walking in Jason's shadow, and now it's become inescapable. Tim went from seeing Jason as a goal to reach, to feeling that unless he surpasses him, he wasn't going to be taken seriously by anyone. However, as of this arc, Tim doesn't even fully come to that point yet.

Batman vol. 1 #456 (Nov., 1990) -- Pages 14 & 15

"Drop-outs don't make it. And dead heroes are no use to anyone!"

It's really easy to take away "Tim totally thought Jason got himself killed" as the main thing here, but I think that's missing the forest for the trees.

First some context: Bruce has gone out on a mission to get Scarecrow, and expressly forbade Tim from doing any shenanigans. Meanwhile, Tim is grappling with wanting to prove himself and trying to help Bruce from the cave, all while trying to deal with his emotions. At some point, he falls asleep and ends up having like... exhaustion-grief hallucinations of Dick!Robin and Jason!Robin who confusingly caution yet encourage him. The main theme of this part is facing your fears.

Depending on how you want to interpret the intent of Jason's dialogue here, you could go several ways with it. Ranging from "writer's feelings towards Jason" to "a peek into Tim's mind as his fears manifest as visions of his heroes" or some mixture thereof.

Though Tim argues with Bruce that Batman needs a Robin, we're shown that Tim is understandably scared of joining Batman's "war." He's still not willing to let Bruce go it alone, though, and that's something he feels more strongly than his fear.

Meanwhile, hallucination!Jason's warnings are a lamentation of what happened to him in a way, but it actually exactly describes Tim's current situation even more so. Unlike Jason, Tim is under-trained, under-experienced, doesn't even have a suit of his own yet. But like Jason, he can't sit by and do nothing while someone he cares about is in danger. Tim knows that if he goes out there, he will probably get himself killed, and it will be his own fault. So he's about to disobey Batman's orders, and fly right into danger. If that got Jason killed, then Tim—who is in a way worse position experience-wise—has every chance of ending up the same.

Like... it's about Jason, but it's also about Tim. It's Tim's worst fears made manifest, via the representation of why he is even here in the first place (Jason's death).

That's my theory anyway, but perhaps this is an overly charitable reading of this scene on my end. (Not that I think that makes me wrong lol.) However given that Grant wrote both parts of this arc, and the beginning of which is especially favorable towards Jason, it certainly is something to ponder. I have a lot of thoughts on it I can't expand on here tbh but perhaps that'll be another post.

Anyway, returning to the point of the similarities vs differences between Tim and Jason: since this is the arc that solidified Tim as the next Robin in comic continuity, it makes sense that the writers really pushed the comparisons between the two of them, specifically. (Even though Dick was pretty similar, as going against Batman's orders is the Robin thing to do, it's not his shoes Tim is directly filling.) So making Tim's "debut" story arc mirror Jason's "swansong" is an obvious narrative choice.

To drive home the parallels, I wanted to include this panel from just a few pages prior to the "daydream":

Batman vol. 1 #456 (Nov., 1990) -- Page 9

"The suit is magic."

That so distressingly close to Jason's famous "being Robin gives me magic" line (Batman #385, page 6). Given all the previous context, it's hard for me to just dismiss it as pure coincidence. Even if it is, the point still stands. Tim is shown having the some of the same heartbreakingly naive views as Jason once did, right in front of Jason's memorial, just as he's about to go and run off into the night against orders.

I think that speaks for itself. There's a lot to take away from it, if you so choose. Especially given the context of that specific Jason arc.

Alright, back to the main course:

So in the end, Tim actually goes out in civvies and a ski mask because if he fails, then at least he wouldn't bring shame to Robin's legacy™. When he gets fear gassed saving Batman, it's once again both Dick and Jason that he hallucinates encouraging him to push past his fear. (Shout out to the fact that he's literally more afraid of tarnishing the legacy of Batman & Robin than he is of dying.... I'm sure this will not be a recurring thing for him in the future.)

Tim's ideology is shown to be similar to Jason's, and the actions Tim ultimately takes are similar to Jason's... but the outcome is different. And it really isn't just "Tim succeeded where Jason failed." At least, that's not what I took away from this. Rather, Tim had no reason to succeed any more than he had to fail, just that he did. Luck combined with caution because he knew what happened to his predecessor, and the fact that Batman was there to finish the job all made the difference.

You could say (and I know some will) that it's just classic Jason character assassination and the writers trying to implore readers that this new kid is different we promise pls don't hate us look how much better he is! But in this case, that feels like it undermines the whole point of this story. It doesn't fit with what the characters actually say.

Thus, we return to the question of how Tim felt towards his predecessor. And the answer is different from where we started, because Tim is different. Not that different though. Because even though at this point Tim—like all the adults around him—has probably attributed Jason "going off on his own" being what led to his death, Tim still thought of him as a hero to look up to. It's about Robin, first and foremost, yes. But Tim is fully aware of the people who made that suit mean what it does, because it's all intertwined.

Batman vol. 1 #457 (Dec., 1990) -- Page 20

"I mean--Dick made it into a symbol the whole world knows. Jason gave his life for it."

Even further, Tim thinks of it in terms of Jason having given his life for what he believed in, for the legacy that now falls to Tim. There's a sense of gravitas there. He's afraid of failing both the Robins who came before him.

Ultimately do I think Tim adored and loved Jason on the same level as Dick or something? No. It's not comparable. (Dick was like part of some of Tim's earliest memories and everything! They have a really unique bond ok.) Yet Tim was also far from thinking poorly of Jason so early on. Frankly, it seems that Tim thought of Jason as a noble hero and a cautionary tale. Yes he took risks and sometimes went too far, generally stuff that Tim doesn't want to repeat and all that. At the same time, Tim still saw him as someone whose legacy and memory was worth honoring.

It's complicated, which is why I like it so much—because it feels real. Having conflicting feelings towards someone is... so human. Especially someone you never got to know, yet who plays such an integral role in your life via the shadow of their death. How can you feel anything but complicated towards them?

It has to be said that, yes, Tim's views—even before Jason's return—change over the years. He becomes more jaded as a person and is surrounded by people who are even more jaded than him... and who often mention Jason as the "failed Robin." It's something that's hung over Tim's head all the damn time. The curse of the Robin mantle.

So it shouldn't come as a surprise that Tim's idea of him becomes more akin to "sounds like a skill issue" as the years go by. All bets are off after Jason's return, and the Titans Tower Incident™. At that point it's firmly "I am better than you, loser" lmao.

And... that's all without getting too into things like authorial intent and general "moods" of different DC writers towards Jason at a given point. Or retcons that played a role in his characterization and how other characters talk about him, depending on what "era" you're reading. That's way beyond the scope of this post though!

TLDR; even though young Tim Drake was obsessed with Dick Grayson as Robin, he still looked up to Jason Todd as well. He didn't think of Jason as a cringefail loser until later. :)

(image dialogue transcripts under cut ↓)

Dialogue Transcript for Image 1 (Detective Comics vol. 1 #618 -- Page 1):

Narration box (Tim): When Gotham needed him, he was there. When the Batman needed him, he was there. He was a hero.

Dialogue Transcript for Image 2 (Detective Comics vol. 1 #618 -- Page 2):

(Scene continued from previous page)

Narration box: But he was nothing special, really. Just a boy, who was taught--trained--brought to his full potential by someone who knew how. Just a boy... like me. I know I can do it. I know I can. One day I'll be as good as Jason. One day I'll wear the suit. One day I'll be a hero.

Dialogue Transcript for Image 3 (Batman vol. 1 #455 -- Page 13):

Tim: I hate him! I hate him! I know why they do it now. Why they put on the suits, and the masks, and go out into the night. They're angry. Full of rage. They want to hit back. They want to fill the hole that's burning inside them.

Bruce: There's more to it than that, son. Much more.

Tim: I know. It's just--I feel--like going to Haiti myself and strangling that creep with my bare hands!

Bruce: The Obeah Man will spend the rest of his life in a prison hospital. He's history. Forget him! But don't fight against your anger. It's natural. Accept it. Live with it. One day it'll be your friend.

Dialogue Transcript for Image 4 (Batman vol. 1 #455 -- Panels from page 18):

Tim: Because you think my mother's death has upset me too much. Well, it did. But I've taken your words to heart. I can cope. You think my anger will boil over, the way Jason's did. I can assure you, it won't. But that doesn't make any difference, does it? Why can't you have a little faith in me?

Dialogue Transcript for Image 5 (Batman vol. 1 #456 -- Page 14):

Narration box (Tim): Blast it! My head's starting to swim. I'm about ready to give up. I almost wish I'd never heard of Batman and Robin!

Vision Dick: Heroes never give up, Tim.

Vision Jason: You know that.

Tim: Dick--! Jason Todd!

Vision Dick: You're training to fight in a war, Tim. It'll last all your life. No matter what, you have to go on fighting.

Vision Jason: Drop-outs don't make it. And dead heroes are no use to anyone! I thought I knew better than Batman. I thought I could run before I could walk. I killed myself, Tim. Because I couldn't wait. Because I couldn't think it through.

Dialogue Transcript for Image 6 (Batman vol. 1 #456 -- Page 15):

(Scene continued from previous page)

Vision Dick: Think, Tim. Concentrate!

Vision Jason: You can do it.

Both: You can do it!

Tim, waking up: What--? Robin...?

Narration box (Tim): I must have been daydreaming. They're right, though. There's a solution to everything. I can find it! So here I go again... Whim. Caprice. Doing something without forethought.

Dialogue Transcript for Image 7 (Batman vol. 1 #456 -- Panel from page 9):

Narration box (Tim): The suit is magic. It gives you power. It hides your weakness. It makes you give it everything you've got. It makes you a hero. If only I could!

Dialogue Transcript for Image 8 (Batman vol. 1 #457 -- Page 20):

Bruce: Are you afraid of it?

Tim: No. It isn't fear. It's more... the suit carries so much history. I mean--Dick made it into a symbol the whole world knows. Jason gave his life for it. Failing them--what they fought so hard to build--that's what worries me!

Bruce: I appreciate that, Tim. That costume weighs a whole lot more than any symbol should... and I'd be failing you if I expected you to bear that weight. So... let me know what you think.

Narration box: A mask has a double edged, he said. It hides your own anxiety as it strikes fear into your enemy.

[thefirstknife]

My Grimoire Vol 7 (Penumbra) arrived and it's a banger. I'll post some illustrations from it and some new lore that hasn't been seen before.

The grimoire contains several full lore books: Unveiling, Regarding Stasis and Inspiral + multiple individual grimoires and lore tabs. It also contains some parts of several collector's editions (BL, WQ and TFS). I'll transcribe new lore under read more, but first! Intro and pictures:

Intro from Eris!

Friend. I write as a woman changed. My recent contact with the Darkness was as formative as my long-ago rebirth in the Light. So after all this, here, at the end, I will say: Do not ignore the changes we have endured, and do not disregard the difference between the Light and Darkness. It is not vanity for me to acknowledge that I have unique insight to impart. I have witnessed Darkness in all its forms, in all its terrible pain and contortions, and all the violence it inflicts. But despite this and above all, I see in it the aches and yearnings for a more complete world. There is collapse and indistinction, but also, there is preservation. Not stultifying, but vital. This is what I have learned. We have harnessed the Darkness because it beats harnessing. It has yielded the fruits of our future, nurtured against great opposition. Every boundary invites transgression. We are not beyond our own affronts, which have inevitably changed us. That is not weakness, or folly, or failure. I maintain that balance is not equity. I do not accept the Darkness on the same terms as the Light. Darkness is a tool to be used and a path to walk, but it is not our essence. We must hold fast to that understanding. To do otherwise invokes delusion. The Darkness and the Light are not opponents, but neither are they allies. There is a natural conflict between them, but we have the capacity to hold contradictions within ourselves, and so they mingle with great effort on our part. That is the beauty of our complexity, the purview of the Light. Our safe contact with the Darkness is only possible because of the Light. Even so, the Light exists not as our protector, but as our guide. That is all I wish to impart. To every fire, its fuel, Eris Morn.

This is the illustration for Clovis' dream from the Traveler in which the Traveler appears as a wolf, from BL CE. The dream is in the book. More under (seriously long post below):

These are two Darkness grimoires with this additional drawing.

It Stared Back with the illustration of Calus. There's also this page of the Confessions lore book.

This grimoire with the illustration.

The entire Unveiling, the illustration is paired to "The Flower Game" page.

Drifter illustration paired with his entry in the TFS lore book, Chirality.

They put THE lore of all time, Pujari and the Black Garden, and paired it with this illustration.

The entire Regarding Stasis lore book and illustration with this page :)

A lot of stuff from the WQ CE, this illustration of Ikora going ham on Shaxx and Zavala and Ikora playing their game included.

The entire Inspiral lore book is here as well, with these two illustrations.

Mataiodoxia lore tab with this illustration. Subjugator!

And now! New lore. Some of these may be upcoming lore pages? Or they're only for this book, unsure yet. But either way, they're not in the game as of now.

Club Morgue Ahsa, lay low your flukes. Doff your cap and coat. You're safe here. You know you'll keep your promise to find the place where this all began. But for now, rest. No, I'm not death, though it is my tool. "Nothing" doesn't interest me, you understand? A flawed existence is preferential to none at all. Things are the way they have to be, instead of the way they'd like to be. Ah, Ahsa. You saw it all - the extinction, the extermination, the gamma-ray bursts burning up your garden worlds, the singularities eating up infant suns. It hurt you so! And you turned to me, asking why it had to be. I didn't answer. I never do. I'm a question. It's up to you to find the answer. Build the castle. So far they all fall over, but maybe one day one won't. How? I don't know. Figure it out, do the work, ask the question. What will remain in the end, when the stars go out, and creation freezes in the half-light of evaporating black holes? These killers you're after. They were very much like you, Ahsa. They wanted to know why; why there had to be life, why there had to be death. But then, not liking the answer they made for themselves- Well. You'll see. Go on, Ahsa. Someone's coming to see you, and I'm sure she's got a real humdinger of a proposal for you to hear. Her sister, though... it'll really wind her up if you die by any other hand but hers. She means to take you for her worm. And she pretty much runs this town, truth be told. Watch yourself out there. It's a war zone.

I will assume this is future lore tab for Heresy. Deals with the Hive and someone talking to Ahsa. Very strange speaking tone, reminiscent of Unveiling to me. Obvious mention of Savathun ("humdinger of a proposal") and Xivu who apparently wants to take Ahsa as her worm. Very strange overall, probably lacking in context from the next episode, but a nice little treat for what might be coming in Heresy. Would love to see more on Ahsa!

Charybdis It seemed so simple to me when I first heard it: the strongest survive. It's obvious. If it can be destroyed, it must be destroyed. And in that destruction, the victor becomes even stronger. Kind of like Guardians, honestly. All of us. It makes sense of how we grow. Take the Crucible. We sharped our skills against each other in the arena. The less skilled become fodder - for a match point, for practice, for testing new ways of burning or electrocuting or... spaghettifying. Those who reach the top climb stairs made of bodies. Sword logic seems simple, clean, beautiful. Scooped out of Hive goop and guts, it shines like a searchlight, a bright beam cutting across the sky in perfect straight lines. But there's something more to it. Some extra... magic? The Hive do magic, sure. Runes and math and a sharp edge. What are the Hive doing that we can't do? Or is it more about the Darkness than the Hive? Or is it both? I need to know. To be part of it. I decided the best place to start figuring it out was by studying Hive. The way they live, the way they die. And no one looks at me twice for going after Hive - any good Guardian fights Hive, right? I beat through Thralls and Acolytes with my burning mauls. It got routine. And one day, as typical as any other, I realized how easy it was, how these Acolytes were barely worth the air they breathed if they were just going to break like simple bone - but then, something changed. I felt it. My mind reshaped into sword-thinking. I began to practice it like I lived it, and then I did live it. It was part of me, and I of it. You'll feel it, too, if you follow that path. You'll know when the sword goes from being your weapon to part of your arm. I became one with the sword, and the Light in my hands burned brighter and brighter. Since then, I've just been getting stronger. I triumph, and the Light sings, and from my heart to my fingertips, I am alight with glory. Again, and again, I prove my existence to be the truest thing: that I am more real than any other who strives to strike at me. My sword, my self, is forged in Light, and it is hungry. What else can I do with this sharpness that I have cultivated so carefully? What else could WE do? How strong could we become? We Guardians are worthy. I know I can yet become sharper. // ACCESS: RESTRICTED DECRYPTION KEY: 32C49KLD032XAR-612 HIDDEN AGEND: [REDACTED] RE: VIP #1290 Departure from the City Confirmed VIP #1290 has left the Last City without further incident. Hidden agents have traced her trail and have destroyed data and materials left behind to avoid potential misuse or corruption. However, VIP #1290 eventually discovered the Hidden tracker and burned it out - so she's in the wind. Ghost status currently unknown, but probably alive. At least for now. At this time, recommend scouts do not approach. She's dangerous enough without us feeding her. At least she's out there, not in here.

Another one that seems like something coming up in Heresy. Some Guardian who we only know is a Titan has started practicing the Sword Logic and she's dangerous and currently missing. VIP number is brand new, it doesn't match any of the existing ones so we don't know who this is. Either not entirely important, as it's just one small look into what's going on or it's something that will be further elaborated in Heresy. That is, if my assumption that these are going to be lore tabs in the game is correct. Certainly feels like it.

Next is a new lore tab from Osiris! On the left is an old lore tab, on the right is new.

On Concerns, Previously Expressed Ikora, You know as well as I that the Vex yet require attention. I have said before - many, many times - that their threat is greater than any other. And while the recent depredations of the WItness have proven this set of priorities temporarily mis-ordered, I fear that the threat of the Vex may not only spread in the aftermath, but also go underestimated. It is tempting to let our guard down and breathe easy. We cannot. Before my exile, I made plain my opinions on Light and Darkness, on the foolishness of considering them "good" and "evil." This remains true, doubly so now. Our enemy was never the Darkness itself, but that which worked within it. And that childish division of good against evil has distracted from the unceasing enemy: the Vex. They care not which force they grasp. They care not about morality. They care - if one can call it that - only for convergence. They advance, and they will not stop unless we stop them. Every time they have closed their gap to paracausality, even in the smallest way, it has been nigh disastrous. I am sure I need not remind you of Quria, of the eternal night that threatened to fall over the Last City. Of the Black Heart, that Vex attempt to recreate the Veil which could itself have been catastrophic. Of the Black Garden, and the remnant of the Witness that Guardians found there, redolent of Darkness. We may not yet have seen what happens when the Vex grasp the Light, but I assure you, if it has not yet begun, it soon shall. Time is inevitably limited, until the Vex in their infinite adaptability learn how Light and Darkness both may be turned to their advantage. It is my recommendation as advisor to the Vanguard that the Vex be logged as the most urgen enemy of sentient life, both of the Last City and the growing alliances formed these past years. Please, Ikora. I would not raise this yet again if I did not believe it to be of utmost importance. Consider it well. -Osiris.

NO CLUE where to place this one. It's definitely not in the game, so either also upcoming lore or just in the book. What makes me suspicious about it being upcoming lore is that the name is too big to be an item, so maybe a lore book page? But Heresy is largely going to be about the Hive so I'm intrigued about a letter from Osiris to Ikora urging her to act on the Vex being relevant. Other than that, it's Osiris back to cooking about the Vex. He is out here literally "as per my last email"-ing Ikora and continuing the same argument he's had for centuries. I am also wondering where is this lore tab in relation to the stuff from Echoes. It's likely post-Witness' defeat, but no idea if it's also after Echoes. Osiris is definitely worried about them getting paracausality and reaching for the Light. Future setup? Very cool, I ate it.

Both of these are new.

On the Witness My Hidden friend, The neonate worm, Ahsa. She spoke to the Guardian, and this is what she imparted: Look to the place where the Witness formed. An exhausted world, made so long ago that even silicon was a luxury. That is where the hunt began. The Traveler graced that world. But it wasn't enough. Those who lived there saw a creation born to die. They wanted it to mean something. It had to mean something. And if it didn't, they would make it mean something. For, in their view, to make something was to understand it. I understand this impulse too well. But they chose a truly rotten betrayal. To open up and take, and remake, their god. And they would use the Darkness to do it. Finding no meaning at all in the act of creation, they decided, that the only place left for reason, intent, and consciousness to reside was in the act of elimination. If their god the Traveler made things for no reason, then a merciful, purposeful winnower must have good reason to remove them. In mimicry of this belief, they winnowed themselves down to a single awareness - all their thought and pain compressed into a bombshell of consciousness and intent. Magnificently aware of all the universe's failings. A conscious witness to the testament of the Light's sins. A final, ruinous creation born of their civilization. A knife. And it set out after the Traveler. Not to destroy it, but to defeat it. To impose a will upon an absence it saw as unacceptable. Negligent. To dictate, by force, how things ought to be. The motive is to impose meaning upon Dark and Light beyond mere primordial dynamics. The killer is an anthology of this ancient civilization's rage at their god's silence. I find that I pity these vanished people. But if all the cosmos turned inward, as I turned inward for a while, as these people turned inward forever, then we would all be alone. Yes, it is awful to face loss. But we must keep cooperating in the face of all extinction. Or there can never be anything better. This is all I know.

Also most likely coming up in Heresy. Wild stuff in here. Ahsa is mentioned again; I'm not sure if this is referring to what Ahsa showed us back in Deep or if she'll be showing us something more. Obviously it would be spoilers to tell us everything but these little bits and pieces are unhinging my mind. No idea who is talking here and to whom; my assumption is that Mara is writing to Eris, mostly because Mara says "My Hidden friend" to Eris in the Taken King opening cutscene. What to say about this other than I am insane. More about the Witness and its civilisation please.

Cacophony, Euphony We listen. We witness. We wait. Through the Darkness, we hear a single voice. With a thought, we are there, to touch the mind that reaches into this domain. Cradled by Darkness, it asks a question. We answer this one, like we have others. We are generous with answers. Not all beings can understand the answers we give, but we try. Again, and again. None ought to cry out, only to suffer no answer. There are always more voices in the Darkness, reaching out. We turn. Far distant, there is a people lacing ribbons of Darkness through their thoughts to bring them closer together, that no one might be divided from the purpose they have dreamed for themselves. But they have no come to Darkness through the Gardener's neglect - it is simply their natural course. In time, we shall enfold them into our shape, but they need not urgent salvation. Our presence drifts. And still, we listen in the Darkness. There is violence that corrodes constructs like peace. There is the Hive. Some resist the rampaging Hive, crying out into the Darkness. It is to us they reach, in the end. We hear their pleas and grant them succor, salvation, enshrining them in our monument. Toward our inevitable final shape. There is time enough to reach out to the farthest corners of Darkness, to inhabit it so deeply and thoroughly; we will hear whomever calls out in it. We will answer. We will always answer. Even that which passes temporarily below our notice will be found again; and we will hear those questions and give purpose. Give salvation. Always, we listen for signs of the Gardener. Our Disciples pursue it still, to pluck it from the chords of infinity. We listen. We wait.

This is a banger. Also probably coming in Heresy (or after?). Very curious about this one. There's indication that this is from the Witness while it still lived; the speaking as "we," the name mentioning "euphony" (Salvation's Edge raid exotic also with curious lore in regards to the Witness), saying "our Disciples." It also makes sense; the Witness felt betrayed and abandoned by the Traveler who never spoke back and never answered questions or given directions, so the Witness sought to do the opposite. It's why it was so easy to fall under its influence; the Witness always reaches back. And it's all framed as the Witness believing it was helping. I also love how it mentions other species that were using Darkness naturally; they aren't specified, but we know they existed. Either way, I'm obsessed.

Finally! These two are also both new and it's how the whole book ends. This is a different "Winnowing" from the one in Inspiral.

Winnowing I have come to delight so in this: in possibility, and its end. Oh, I kicked and fought and screamed about it at first! I was fond of what we had! But the table was upturned, and a knife cannot be un-invented, and so here we are. The rules changed - a little. The pattern altered - but a micron. I got used to it, as they say. People can get used to anything, and the same holds true for concepts that have existed before and after time itself, though it may take an eon or twenty. So here I am, among the stars. They burn so brightly, but given a billion or ten billion years, they chill: their mass reduces to nothing but throbbing embers, at last gasping into stillness and ash. Even the loudest of celestial roars cannot outpace infinity. I am assured. I have come around. There is charm in diversity, in the uncountable ways a speck of cosmic dust may climb to cognizance and philosophy, only to find the same old truth of decay. Again and again, I am proven right: it all ends the same. It isn't about violence, mind you. It's about inevitability. Simplicity. The unnecessary removed, the requisite remaining. Whether the knife is made of metal or the folded layers of time, it matters no. The pattern triumphs. The stars burn out. And I am right. So every being made in that garden of possibilities, every creation that looks at infinity and comes to my same conclusion - why, I cannot help but love them. The rules were altered, and still they have said: here is the truth. Possibilities do not change what is. The pattern is the pattern, and its reliable certainty is its beauty. Even a cheater of eternity cannot yet win its wager. The game is longer now, but I will be its victor. In this eon, or a thousand hence.

Losing it seriously, I'm losing it. This is a clear throwback to Unveiling and Inspiral and also Nacre! It is the same speaker or emulating the same speaker at least, so we'll call it "Winnower." I really like how it calls itself a concept. There's not really much to say other than delving into a 10k word essay on the philosophy and concepts and options and possibilities (hah) so yeah. Very obviously referring to the Flower Game and the change in rules with paracausality and how this entity still believes itself to be correct and how it will still win in the end. Since it literally refers to itself as a concept, I will continue treating this whole thing as allegorical rather than talking about it as some real character, at least until further notice. There's a lot of metaphorical language going on here and I will continue looking at it as such rather than making clickbait statements like "this is the new antagonist and we'll fight it in a raid in 10 years." Maybe! Who knows. For now, all we have is yapping like this and this thing calling itself a concept and talking in allegories. Either way, absolutely stunning piece of lore. There's a reason my favourite thing ever is Unveiling and it's this mystical, religious incomprehensible information from a thing that maybe exists beyond time and space, who everyone can interpret in a different way. 10/10

Gardening You delight in possibility. The same action, over and over, only produces the same results if all circumstances are the same. But there are so many variables - a million different outcomes may spring forth from one action. One stray atom changes a lifetime, and one breath of wind, an eon of history. Choice is infinite; and possibility, endless. To some, it is only statistics. But you have ever been captivated by that miracle. You know stagnancy. You have seen it many times: the same stable oblong it all comes down to when growth has ended. The soft-pulsing oscillation over one spot, never truly carrying on further until stirred by some outside force. A depletion of possibility, the flowers never finding further growth, even if they never die. A single breath might be enough to change it. You understand, of course, that a breath is a breath, and a flower is a flower. That, having bloomed, the petals will one day fall. Still you guard the next flower, and the next, for there is meaning in the moment of bloom. So you breathe. So potential spirals, like seeds floating on the wind. One breath. Barely a whisper. Nothing more than that. And for such a thing, the gift of infinity. Always, always, you look on with hope.

Obviously as opposed to Winnowing, there is Gardening. I believe this is the Traveler's POV, primarily because it's told in second person, which is typical for the Traveler. Also because of everything is says and how it ends. Like an opposite of the previous entry. What a banger to end the whole book with, both of these side by side. Again, probably new lore coming in the future, or maybe just for this book? These could honestly be grimoire-exclusive, but who knows. Much to think about, much to look forward to.

It's a really good grimoire. They all are honestly, if you can grab these physical books, I highly recommend them. This is one is really nice because it also has several entries that are otherwise locked to collector's editions and it comes with all of this new stuff as well. The illustrations are, as always, peak.

Hope y'all enjoy this, especially the new stuff.

[empty-dream]

Just read and watched Wind Breaker

No it's not about the jacket type lmao. Or the manhwa. There is a space between the words here.

An entire school of deliquents becomes the protector of their city and beats the shit out of other gangs who comes bringing harm.

Story time 1: I wont deny it. First time I saw the synopsis of the manga, I was like "When are they gonna study then???" I've read Tokyo Revengers and had questions like "where are the cops? when do they study? who covers the health insurance and hospital bills?" I felt like unlike TokRev and its time travel main plot that allows me to consider all those questions unimportant, WB was going to amplify those questions because its entire premise is as straightforward as that synopsis and it seemed to be a story of daily occurences. So I initially didn't give WB a further thought.

Story time 2: Sometime later, which was when Vol.21 Cover was first announced, someone in my Twitter timeline went insane over it like "OMG our MC Sakura looks so happy! He deserves to be!" I was like "Huh, so he isn't?" "For a happy face, it's so awkward" And "Wait, his name is Sakura??" This is where I decided to pick up the manga.

After I reached that point in the manga, I too went SAKURAAAAAAAAA BE HAPPY 😭😭😭😭😭😭

So I actually read the manga first until before Sakura vs Togame, then I watched the anime until the latest episode (which was S2E2 at the time), then I resumed the manga until the most recent chapter. So I had a different kind of experience.

I'm sorry but I come from TokRev first so I can't help but comparing the guys. Like, there is a Takemichi-lookalike (Nirei), Baji-lookalike (Sugishita), Black-haired-Mikey-with-eyepatch-lookalike (Suo), Kid-Mikey-if-he-was-already-looney-lookalike (Tomiyama). I kept mistaking Nirei for Takemichi lmao.

And then there is a BnHa's Todoroki's lookalike (Sakura). Idk how many times I mistake black-and-white Sakura fanart for Todoroki ones until I realize the absence of the scar.

All my assumptions in Story Time 1 was right, you gotta at least wonder once. But fuck, all those questions are totally not important lmaoo.

It might make more sense if Bofurin is a straight up street gang like Shishitoren and KEEL, or an organized group like Roppo-Ichiza and Gravel. But I guess its also cute that they have different dynamic as high school students with too much adrenaline. I mean, not that I don't somewhat understand lmao.

Once you set aside all those questions, it's a pretty down-to-earth and grounded story. And dare I say, a feels-good one. It's full of humane story about accepting yourself and healing from painful memories.

I think it's more of a sports/slice-of-life anime. Just consider "deliquents beating the living tar out of each other with bare hands" as sport. In fact, Nii-sensei does treat it as sports manga according to an interview.

I love that winning the fight is not the point. In fact, up until this writing is made (chapter 178), it's always like that. There is something more important than winning the fight on hand.

I thought Shishitoren arc is kinda like Tournament arc which is weird enough that it's the first serious arc. But midway, I noticed the weird results and realized that it's really not about winning the fight.

There is a more important thing at stake here: relationship between other people. And I think that's very humane of a central theme.

I love the characters so much. They are all so well-written and interesting.

My favorite character, if it's not obvious enough, is SAKURA HARUKA-KUN <333333. Like, MY BOY. He deserves all the good in the world. He's so fucking cute and hilarious lmao. His name is also very pretty (and rather sadly fitting too. Haruka (遥) means "distant" or "far away.").

On a deeper level, I love that he's getting all the love yet he is unable to accept it immediately. It's pretty realistic. He can't 100% change in just ~2 months when he has deep-seated trauma for his whole 16 years of life. Even when he desperately wants to, he just can't. He can only take one step at a time and even that takes a lot of courage.

I personally think that the fact that he reaches this point in just like 2 months is amazing achievement in itself. And it's only possible through the entire Bofurin and Makochi Town's kindness.

If you like seeing a rescued stray cat being healed by love and kindness, this is it for you. In fact, Nii-sensei actually likens him to a rescued cat lmao.

I love the food details in the story. So many food. I think the existence of food is one of the most slice-of-life thing ever, and it's a very comforting and grounding factor. Or maybe I'm just a foodie idk.

I also love the fashion too. Is it customary for deliquents manga to have great fashion detail lmao. Especially for WB, I love that everyone's fashion sense is so detailed and diverse. Half of the characters notes are dedicated for their fashion preferences after all. Just look at Suo's chinese clothings. Or Kotoha's collections of earrings. And then look at Sakura and his five white t-shirts.

I think so far, THE best scene award goes to the rope-field scene. Iykyk. That is genius, beautiful writing right there. I have no intention to describe more, it's an experience you have to undergo yourself. Nii-sensei is insane for that.

The anime is very solid. It's faithful to the manga but it's not like you just read the manga twice, if you get what I mean. For example, the anime opens with a different scene from the manga. The anime's version brings more tension and nuance to what kind of story it is and what kind of character Sakura is.

But most notable anime-only scene is the glass cracking scenes during Tomiyama's breakdown. That was amazingly beautiful. Turns out Nii-sensei also thought the same, according to the interview.

And also the fight scenes. I especially love how Cloverworks bring the fight scenes alive. It was amazing already in the manga, but in the anime it's even more impactful. For example, I feel like seeing Togame fight is even scarier in the anime lol.

Lmao I thought Sakura vs Togame was crazy already. But then there was Kaji vs Natori in S2 and I was like "THIS IS A HIGHSCHOOLER FIGHT??" I'm glad I saw it in anime first because that sequence was straight out of an action movie lmao.

I love the cute scrapbook-like characters' information notes. Yes it is important to me to know what kind of shirts they own, what's in their pockets, what food they are into, etc etc. I love character notes like this.

Also funny that some of the "secret" sections actually are brought up in the main story or even become a plot point. (For example, someone with U in their name....)

And oh I love the information about the Furin High maps. At this point, the rooftop might as well be the coolest hotspot in the entire city.

Excuse me while I jam to Natori (different Natori lmao)'s Absolute Zero and Shytaupe's It's Myself. I love the lyrics so much it's so fitting with Sakura and Furin for the former and Sakura himself for the latter.

Tl;Dr First trimester of school and we go to war already. #justhighschoolthings

[crapeaucrapeau]

Systems Alliance Office of Naval Intelligence - Xenological Threat Assessments

In the interest of preserving rare documents related to Mass Effect, I'm transcribing here the in-universe "Xenological Threat Assessments" of the Systems Alliance's ONI, made around 2183. IRL, they were published as a feature in GameSpy on October 4, 2007. Link here : http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/mass-effect/825047p1.html

Those are an interesting feature, because in addition to lore details on which much of our understanding is sourced, they gauge how the Alliance perceived every major polity right as ME1 began.

Systems Alliance Office of Naval Intelligence ONI-6078-A1: Xenological Threat Assessments

The Turian Hierarchy The turians are the greatest threat to Alliance interests. While the batarians are more openly hostile, they are a second-rate power. The Hierarchy is powerful, stable, and proactive in suppressing perceived threats. There is continued friction between jingoistic human and turian organizations, who wish to "settle" the diplomatically-resolved First Contact War.

Political Factors The government is a hierarchical meritocracy, with promotion based on the assessments of superiors and peers. Orders from above are rarely disobeyed. Each member of the Council of Hierarchs commands an entire star cluster. It should be noted that the Treaty of Farixen, which the Alliance signed to gain an embassy on the Citadel, restricts our number of dreadnought-mass warships to 1/5th that of the turian fleet.

Economic Factors The turian economy is vastly larger than ours, but cannot match the size and power of the asari. For many years, development was hampered by cultural disinterest in economics. When the turians accepted the volus as a client race, business development improved.

The military is supported by a well-developed infrastructure. Manufacturers such as Armax Arsenal and the Haliat Armory produce advanced, reliable equipment.

Cultural Factors Turians are noted for their strong sense of public service. It is rare to find one who puts his needs ahead of the group. Every citizen from age 15 to 30 serves the state in some capacity, as anything from a soldier to an administrator, from a construction engineer to a sanitation worker.

Biological Factors Turian genetic code is based on dextro-amino acids. If they attempt to ingest human food, which is based on levo-amino acids, they may enter anaphylactic shock. The army that occupied the Alliance colony of Shanxi in the First Contact War imported all its food, at great logistical expense.

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Systems Alliance Office of Naval Intelligence ONI-6078-A2: Xenological Threat Assessments

The Asari Republics The asari are a moderate threat to Alliance interests. Their economic power and diplomatic reputation allow them to wield persuasive influence. Fortunately, their military is barely more than a collection of local warrior bands. Soldiers are well-armed and exceptionally skilled, but do not possess sufficient organization for large-scale military campaigns.

Political Factors The asari have no government per se. Policy is decided through the ebb and flow of public opinion in a sprawling but well-organized electronic democracy. The closest analogue to an executive decision-making body is the opinion of the Matriarchs. In a crisis, the public turns to the experience of these millennia-old "wise women" for advice.

Economic Factors The asari possess the largest single economy in the galaxy. They have extensive trade and social contacts. Craft guilds, such as those of the cities Serrice and Armali, hold a virtual monopoly on advanced biotic technology. Given their political influence, an embargo by the asari would prove disastrous to the Alliance.

Cultural Factors Because of their long lifespan, asari are more comfortable with observation and study than immediate action. In diplomacy, this manifests in a tendency to centrism. The asari seek to maintain stable balances of economic, political, and military power. They prefer to work their will through cultural influence. They believe that their ideals and beliefs will inevitably shape the general galactic culture.

Biological Factors The unique asari reproductive system naturally inclines them to biotic abilities. In fact, lack of biotic ability will exempt a young asari from military service. Asari biotic commandoes are more powerful than the best human adepts, and possess skills we cannot emulate.

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

Systems Alliance Office of Naval Intelligence ONI-6078-A3: Xenological Threat Assessments

The Salarian Union The salarians are considered a moderate threat to Alliance, but share certain similarities in mindset. They are politically liberal, often at odds with the conservative turians and centrist asari.

It is universally acknowledged that the salarians possess the finest intelligence services in the galaxy. Our own counterintelligence agencies are constantly uncovering salarian agents and cyberwarfare incursions.

Political Factors The political structure of the salarians is almost medieval, and largely incomprehensible to outsiders. Political power is wielded by millions of cloistered female dynasts, who shape policy among themselves with little input from males. These clan leaders spread their influence through a tangled web of intermarriages and personal negotiation. Annoying one clan leader has a high risk of irritating ten more -- or a hundred more.

Economic Factors The salarian economy is the smallest of the three Council races, but still far larger than the Alliance. It is based on "bleeding-edge" technologies; salarian industries are leaders in most fields. They make up for a lack of military quantity by holding a decisive superiority in quality.

Cultural Factors Salarian culture wholly embraces the concept of the preemptive strike. They find the idea of a declaration of war foolish, and the idea of waiting for a known enemy to attack preposterous. In every war they have ever fought, they have struck first and without warning.

Biological Factors The salarian metabolism works nearly twice as fast as that of humans, giving them faster reflexes and superior mental agility. They adapt to unexpected and rapidly developing situations with preternatural swiftness. By human standards, salarians seem hyperactive and restless. By salarian standards, we seem sluggish and dull-witted.

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

Systems Alliance Office of Naval Intelligence ONI-6078-A4: Xenological Threat Assessments

The Illuminated Primacy (Hanar) The hanar are an inoffensive third-rate power, and considered a minor threat to the Alliance. They have little interest in interacting with other cultures, due to a cultural obsession with manners and politeness that verges on monomania.

Political Factors The hanar government is a benign theocracy. While tolerant of other creeds, the official state religion is the worship of the "Enkindlers" -- the Protheans. There are many Prothean ruins on their homeworld, and hanar believe the elder race civilized their ancestors. It is difficult for a hanar to view the Protheans as an actual race rather than idealized mythological figures.

Economic Factors Few hanar are willing to deal with other species. Economic contacts are limited to a handful of trade stations on their borders. Due to this self-imposed isolation and the unique physiology of the race, their economy is small and isolated from the rest of the galaxy. Few standard technologies (designed for bipedal and fingered species) are available in their space, and they produce very few goods that are useable by others.

Cultural Factors The hanar are reserved and polite, with ancient customs dictating all aspects of conversation. They find the speech of other races to be rude. Most consider other species to be uncouth barbarians and lack the patience to "unlearn" their tendency to take offense. It is strongly recommended that Alliance personnel avoid direct contact with hanar, and defer to specially-trained diplomats.

Biological Factors The invertebrate, water-native hanar cannot support their own weight in normal gravity. When interacting with mainstream galactic society, they rely on mass effect contra-gravitic levitation packs. Their limbs can grip tightly, but are not strong enough to lift more than a few hundred grams each.

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Systems Alliance Office of Naval Intelligence ONI-6078-A5: Xenological Threat Assessments

The Vol Protectorate On their own, the volus are a minor threat to Alliance interests. However, several hundred years ago they became a turian client race, exchanging their mercantile prowess for turian military protection.

Political Factors The turians left the volus government independent. The Hierarchy is content to let them rule themselves as they wish, so long as they pay their taxes and contribute auxiliary units to the turian military. The volus will support the turians in any war they might pursue, and vice-versa.

Economic Factors Like the ancient Venetians or Dutch, the volus possess an economy out of proportion to their modest resource base. They are aggressive traders and industrialists with a keen grasp of exchange and finance. Many of the galaxy's largest banks, holding corporations, and manufacturing cartels, such as the Elkoss Combine, are owned or managed by volus. They also regulate the Citadel's complex galactic economy.

Cultural Factors Since the dawn of their recorded history, the volus tribes have bartered resources, land, and even people to gain status. This culture of exchange inclines them to economic pursuits. Though some interpret the bartering of tribe members as slavery, it is, in practice, no more odious than arranged marriages.

Biological Factors The volus homeworld has an ammonia-based ecology with a high-pressure atmosphere. To interact with the carbon-based species of the galaxy, the volus must wear full-enclosing pressure suits. Without them, they could not breathe, and might actually burst open.

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Systems Alliance Office of Naval Intelligence ONI-6078-A6: Xenological Threat Assessments

The Courts of Dekuun (Elcor) While the elcor are territorial about any area they consider theirs, they have no interest in aggressive expansion. They have a small military and are no threat to Alliance interests.

Political Factors The elcor follow the recommendations of their Elders, who spend years poring over ancient records of jurisprudence to determine the precedent that should be followed in any given situation. The Elders record closely argued and minutely detailed instructions on what course to follow in any theoretical crisis. These are filed away in huge libraries of data discs and consulted at need. This makes elcor policies very predictable, provided one has done a great deal of research.

Economic Factors The elcor economy is small, only slightly larger than the Alliance's, but extremely well-developed. They see no point to rushing things, and are fond of making thorough, century-long development plans. They don't need to trade for any resource - they have all they require to supply their own needs, and trade only in finished goods. Any attempt to embargo their space would be fruitless.

Cultural Factors Elcor psychology is deliberate and conservative. They are incapable of making spur-of-the-moment decisions, and rely on sophisticated virtually intelligent combat systems. These autonomous war machines can choose between thousands of gambits developed and polished over centuries by elcor strategists.

Biological Factors The massive bodies of the elcor cannot move quickly. Fortunately, they are extremely tough-skinned, and can carry incredibly heavy equipment. Elcor warriors don't dodge incoming fire; they shrug it off or endure it. They don't carry small arms; their broad shoulders serve as a stable platform for the same size of weapons typically mounted on Alliance fighting vehicles.

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Systems Alliance Office of Naval Intelligence ONI-6078-A7: Xenological Threat Assessments

Quarian Migrant Fleet The quarian Migrant Fleet includes several hundred warships, but due to their precarious existence, cannot be considered a creditable threat. The quarian military does not attack others; it defends the Fleet. Thus far, the Alliance has not been required to block quarian access to human-claimed systems.

Political Factors The quarian government is an amalgam of ship-based representative councils and military dictatorship. Fleet operations are directed by the military. The Admiralty Board allows the civilian government to run society, but has the authority to overrule them in an emergency.

Economic Factors The quarian economy exists at a subsistence level. The government is obliged to provide air, food, and water to every citizen to ensure survival of the species. The greatest quarian asset is technical ability. Quarians are skilled space miners, technicians, and mechanics, and are often hired by space industries seeking cheap, skilled labor. This frequently causes protests and riots among native workers.

Cultural Factors The greatest influences on quarian culture are the creation and revolt of the geth and the loss of the quarian homeworld. In contrast to other races, quarians are reluctant to trust virtually- or artificially-intelligent machines, but they are far more likely to treat them as if they were living beings.

Biological Factors Little is known of quarian biology. Like the turians, they possess a dextro-amino acid biology, and cannot consume human food. Outside of their own vessels, they always wear a protective, fully-sealed environment suit. No one has ever been allowed to board a quarian ship; they claim they cannot risk outside contamination.

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Systems Alliance Office of Naval Intelligence ONI-6078-AA: Xenological Threat Assessments

Appendix: Keepers The "keepers" of the Citadel are not considered a threat by Alliance Intelligence. They appear to be genetic constructs, simple-minded biological androids created by the Protheans to maintain the structure of the Citadel station. When the asari discovered the Citadel, the keepers were already doing their duties. They continue to do so to this day, following apparently-instinctive routines and blithely ignoring the millions of aliens that have settled in their home.

There is no known way to communicate with the keepers. Attempts to take them into custody for study cause the creatures to undergo a sudden "self-destruct," with a form of acid being released internally. The affected keeper literally melts into a puddle of proteins and minerals in less than a minute.

No matter how many keepers die due to old age, violence, or accident, they maintain a constant number. No one has discovered the source of new keepers, but some believe they are grown deep within the inaccessible core of the Citadel.

[graham--folger]

can someone explain to me why im tearing up over the description for trimax vol 10 on amazon calling wolfwood "the protector of our story's hero". like that's six words why am i in shambles

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

STARKTECH: ONE -- ALIEN SYMBIOTE: ZIP.

PIC INFO: Spotlight on a splash page of Shellhead having defeated Venom in a head-to-head match, as well as being one of the most action-packed Marvel throwdowns of the entire '90s decade, from the pages of "IRON MAN" Vol. 1 #302. March, 1994. Marvel Comics.

"Let's get this straight -- Tony Stark's no criminal -- and you're no defender of the public good! You're a delusional psychotic who projects his own warped nature onto others -- in order to justify acting out his own homicidal compulsions. You want to confront evil, Venom -- take a good long look in the mirror."

-- IRON MAN to VENOM (Earth-616)

Writer: Len Kaminski

Artist: Kevin Hopgood

Inker: Steve Mitchell

Letterer: Phil Felix

Colorist: Ariane

Source: www.zipcomic.com/iron-man-1968-issue-302.

[sylvies-chen]

my favourite thing about season 2 hands down was watching them bring darcy’s storyline to life and it really highlights what heartstopper as a comic-book-turned-television-show does so so well, which is encompass different forms of queer trauma/struggle

this season focused a lot on nick’s journey with coming out, the steps forwards and backwards he takes. it also shows him dealing with actual homophobic sentiments directed at him in his own home for the first time (can I get a good ol’ FUCK david nelson up in here? thank you!) which he has to learn to handle if he wants to come out sadly. and gaining that strength to step forward into the public eye and even just the point of having to actively own and protect your identity is definitely a valid struggle and anxiety-inducing thing, as we all see.

charlie’s trauma is also explored, though it takes to the end of season/vol 2 to get us there, in that spot where he opens up about it. the eating problems is definitely the red flag that consistently and subtly pops up throughout the season, but we don’t get that full unravelling of the impact it’s had on him until the last episode. he got outed and bullied at school at an age where social acceptance and community is so integral to your self-esteem. and he hasn’t developed healthy coping mechanisms to deal with the lasting impacts of it.

but darcy’s trauma and struggle weighed on my heart so much this season too, because not only is kizzy just a phenomenal actor but also because it provided a whole other angle of trauma that charlie and nick haven’t quite been through: the trauma of homophobia from a parent. like, it is so crushing to learn that the one person who is supposed to love you unconditionally just… doesn’t. nick has his mum, and charlie has tori as a protector and supporter, and his parents too in their very misguided way. they both have at least one family figure in the household that embraces them and, at the very least, will defend them. but darcy doesn’t, and her friends are her only support system. which doesn’t make her struggles any worse or better than nick’s or charlie’s, but it just brings a different angle into how she interacts with the group and I loved getting to watch her finally be able to open up.

I could also go into ben, how he represents a fourth sort of struggle which is when queer repression and internalized homophobia take a toll on your moral character, but instead I just want to wrap up by saying that as much as heartstopper represents the varying ways in which queer struggles impact your life, it does so thricefold in representing the different ways in which queerness and queer community heal you, making life more vibrant and fun and peaceful.

so… yeah. I’m not emotional you are.

[vertigoartgore]

2022's Venom: Lethal Protector Vol.2 #3 variant cover by Kyle Hotz.

[cosmicjoke]

One thing I genuinely can not grasp:

why did Isayama write Levi to stay in Marley at the end of story? I understand he’s injured but like to me I do not know why he’s written to be with the two 12 year olds? Was this a choice to just include the two 12 year olds in the story? I mean they have their families. If i ever meet isayama imma ask💀but Idk… your opinion?♥️♥️

The thing about Levi is, he's a protector. That's the role he's always filled. I think it's only natural for him to end up basically looking after two kids. He's always managed to find adopted families, in a way. First with Furlan and Isabel, then with the Scouts, and at the end of the story, with Falco and Gabi. I think it's beautiful, honestly, and a testament to Levi's open heart and kindness, that he always ends up with people that he cares about and that care about him. Despite all he's been through, and all he's lost, he hasn't ever closed his heart off to that. Also, I don't know why Levi would go back to Paradis when the island is filled with Yeagerists who not only wanted him dead and tried to kill him, but have turned the island into a hostile, militarized nation. Levi probably feels like there's nothing left for him back there. I also think Levi decided to stay in Marley (we assume, it could be another country for all we know) because he wanted to help with the rebuilding efforts. We see on the cover for vol. 35 that he's helping to plant trees alongside Gabi and Falco and Onyankopon, and we saw at the end of the anime that he spends time in refugee camps handing out candy to children. I think Levi cares too much about people to sort of rest on his laurels and retire, so he's out there helping in whatever ways he can now.

Also, Gabi's and Falco's families are kind of assholes, lol. They let them be child soldiers and even put pressure on them to become part of the Warrior Program. At the same time, they can't relate to anything that Falco or Gabi have been through or what they've seen fighting in Marley's wars, but Levi sure as hell can. Levi's seen more death and destruction than anyone. So he'll be able to relate to Gabi and Falco's trauma in a way their families never could. They probably find solace in Levi's company, and someone to listen when no one else will or can.