#X1 Extreme

[velvet4510]

Rewatching the OG trilogy, it’s sad how many times Charles almost gets hurt because of Erik. He could’ve been seriously harmed, if not killed, by Cerebro’s sabotage in X1 and by the effort of killing every human in X2. Then of course in X3, his NDE happens because of Erik’s taunting that triggers the Phoenix.

I think we can all agree that Erik never wants to harm Charles or to see him hurt - but also that he is extremely impulsive. That’s the problem; he thinks, “it’ll just put Charles in a coma, he’ll wake up” and “Charles isn’t a human, so he won’t be affected” and “the X-Men have a teleporter, so they’ll get Charles out of the dam in time.” But he doesn’t think any of these things through.

Yet if Charles actually had died at any of those times, of course Erik would’ve been heartbroken and mortified and probably gone into a depression.

It’s easy to overlook Erik’s reaction to Charles’ apparent death in X3 since he doesn’t cry onscreen, but I think his grief is made clear by his behavior in the rest of the film. He goes into protective dad mode toward Jean because she’s the closest thing he and Charles had to a child of their own together. He dives headfirst into his stupidest and most impulsive decision yet (attacking Alcatraz) and in the middle of it, he mutters “Charles always wanted to build bridges,” which seems to me to be less of a simple joke and more of a deluded effort of denial - he tries to convince himself that Charles would be pleased by what he’s doing, because that’s the only way he can keep himself going.

Then when he loses his powers and sees that Jean is beyond hope, suddenly he has no way of distracting himself and nowhere else to turn. He can no longer run from his grief.

So then he turns to his last link to Charles, his last possible way of feeling close to Charles: a chessboard. He sits at it alone, and loses himself in thoughts of the past.

This makes their firmly loyal teamwork in the Sentinel future all the more poignant. Charles’ unexpected return prompts Erik to devote the rest of his life to making up for what he did and proving to Charles that he does still love him, and is still willing to fight for him and die for him.

But Erik probably never did forgive himself. It’s no wonder he was so eager for history to be changed.

[brain4stew]

Can I have 1x platonic/romantic headcannons? :D

Its completely ok if not! I just like ur writing style and even tho I love romantic 1x cannons I haven't seen platonic ones I dont think. :>

P.s. by reading this, x1 Crispy hii™️ has been added to your inventory (use it to beat the $h!t out of ur enemies)

Ofc, ofc! I’ll gladly take that ™️ ty, ty! 🙂‍↕️

(Reminder that the characters might be ooc, as I do not know their exact personalities and actions and all that!)

1x1x1x1 (1x4) romantic and platonic headcanons. (Separate)

Romantic. 💝

It’d take some time for 1x4 to get used to you, especially if you’re a survivor. They’re a killer, for crying out loud! They’re supposed to kill and hunt down survivors!

Overtime, he’ll get used to you, and slowly but surely get attached to you. He sees your potential. How you can predict his attacks, minions and how to actually strategize. (Unlike some fata- mb.)

She’ll watch you, watching how you act, react, and how you move whenever you’re not against her, and against a different killer.

He’ll get a bit annoyed and mad whenever you’re extremely low on hp, but you survive nonetheless. Which only fuels his fascination with you.

When it’s their turn again, they don’t kill, they just approach you, and just stay by you. You’re of course on edge. Why would a killer not attack or try to kill you? Let alone, the being of literal hatred.

Overtime she’ll ask you a few questions here and there, you answer of course, with some hesitation, whilst keeping some answers hidden.

They’ll eventually become a friend of yours, or… Friendly to you… Not the others… But you don’t mind it. You know they’re a killer still.

After a lllooonnnggg time of being friends with him, he’ll ask you out. You’re hesitant, but accept nonetheless. You both keep your relationship a secret of course. You’re still a survivor, while he’s a killer.

Safe to say that, she’s quite attached to you. She’s like some grumpy feral dog, that’s putty in your hands only. (Sorry-)

They’ll cuddle you, hug you, and, kiss your hands, with consent of course. They don’t exactly like PDA or touch a lot, even in a relationship they trust. It makes them feel vulnerable. And they hate that.

He cook’s for you as well, even if you know how to cook for yourself and all that. Let him cook for you, it brings him a strange feeling of peace, and happiness… Don’t ask why, just accept the damn food he makes for you…

Platonic. 🧑‍🧒

The same as in romantic, it’ll take some time.

They’ll eventually become your friend. They might even see you as their sibling/cousin/child/parent.

She won’t say it outright, but it’s quite obvious that she’s cautious when it comes to killing survivors. Actually scared for once, that you’ll be disappointed in her, and scold her…

He’s seen near and around you, taking care of you, and helping you with whatever you need.

They don’t trust any of the survivors, except for 007n7 surprisingly, to be near and around you. Mainly because they know that 007n7 was and still is a father. A father of a child who’s a killer.

She doesn’t care that 007n7 is near you at all, but she’ll still keep a wary eye on him. Just in case he tries anything stupid in her eyes.

He’s not the best parent/sibling/cousin/child you could have, but he’s surprisingly a decent one. Even with the bubbling hatred within him.

They hide away their swords, and any and all things that are sharp, and that can hurt you. They don’t want you to get hurt at all.

He’s a surprisingly good cook… For some reason… But you don’t question it! Food is good!

[svt-demi]

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ DATING HISTORY ୨ৎ

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ masterlist

JEON 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐊𝐎𝐎𝐊 ; BTS 𓍼˖

( jan 2017 — nov 2017 )

demi and jungkook weren’t as close with each other like the other members were with each other during the first year of seventeen’s debut. it wasn’t because they didn’t get along, or because anything had happened between them — it was just that demi always got shy around new people and she was still trying to fit in. jungkook eventually came to the conclusion that demi was a very difficult person to talk to.

when 2016 ISAC came along and the other members of bts had broken off to go speak to other idols, leaving jungkook alone, he and demi bumped into eachother. he did most of the talking at first but noticed that she wasn’t making it easy to start a conversation with how quiet she was. eventually, in a last effort to get her to say more than two words, he bribed her with a chocolate bar jin had slipped him before BTS arrived. god knows how it worked, but it did.

at the time, demi didn’t really have many friends in the industry outside of seventeen. she was still struggling to open up, and not being able to visit australia wasn’t making things any easier. but somehow, jungkook and demi became extremely close.

they confessed in early january of 2017. but a few months in, both of them began to realize that the feeling they had wasn’t really romantic. they liked eachother, but not like that. they talked about it one night and admitted that maybe they’d just gotten their feelings crossed — that they were best friends who cared so much about each other that their friendship had started to feel like something else.

so they came to a mutual agreement to break up. there was no fallout and no harsh feelings. they stayed best friends (still are), and have a hangout planned for after jungkook’s military discharge.

KIM 𝐖𝐎𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐎𝐊 ; ACTOR , formerly X1 and UP10TION 𓍼˖

( april 2018 — sept 2018 )

demi met wooseok backstage at music bank in march of 2018. it was quick. he made a stupid joke and they had a short conversation before demi was called back to her members. they ran into each other again a few days later when demi was there to support the debut of BSS, and wooseok asked for her number.

their relationship picked up fast. maybe a bit too fast. they were both under a lot of pressure at the time with alot of schedules and so much stress and it felt like they were clinging to each other just to stay afloat. they got along so well, like they’d known each other for years, and having someone that close who got it made things feel a little less draining.

but the timing was off and eventually, what they had between them started to crack.

they were both exhausted. it was like they were running on fumes, and little things turned into arguments. their personalities started clashing and instead of being eachother’s peace, they kept ending up on opposite sides of the blame.

by september 2018, things fell apart. they broke up on a bad note. it wasnt something overly dramatic, but alot was left unsaid. unfortunately, neither of them had the energy or time to fix it.

a few months later, wooseok messaged her. just a short text asking if they could talk. they apologized to each other (properly, this time) and even though it helped clear the air, they both knew things had changed. it wasn t the same. it felt awkward now.

they don’t talk much anymore, but they’re still able to keep in touch — even if its rare. every now and then, they’ll congratulate eachother but that’s about it.

XU 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐇𝐀𝐎 ; SEVENTEEN 𓍼˖

( june 2021 — present )

demi and minghao have always been in love with each other, even if it wasn’t obvious near the start. minghao became a trainee about two months after demi did. he barely knew korean back then — much like her — and he was shy, quiet, still trying to fit in.

although she was still trying to fit in too and she wasn’t the type of person to start a conversation, demi made sure to go talk to minghao. her chinese was broken and barely made sense, but just two or so words that somehow got the point across allowed them to start talking. they quickly grew extremely close in just a few weeks, closer to each other than anyone else in the group.

over the years, their bond stayed strong as best friends, but the other members could tell they had feelings for eachother.

minghao wasn’t bothered at all when demi dated jungkook — at the time, he didn’t even realize he liked her. but when demi started dating wooseok, minghao felt a little off. there was an ache in his chest that he couldn’t quite name. he wasnt devastated or jealous as he was always supportive, but knowing that the girl he was so disgustingly in love with was with someone else wasn’t a great feeling. it was strange. confusing.

demi had been blind to her feelings for minghao for years. and when the realisation of ‘fuck, im inlove with him’ finally hit her , she didn’t know what to do. controlling her emotions has never been something she’s good at, so the easiest solution then was to distance herself from minghao. she didn’t want to ruin what they had and liking her best friend like that was overwhelming.

minghao never pushed her to talk or force anything. he gave her all the space she needed, which only made it easier for her to stay away. they spent months in an awkward, distant phase, pretending everything was fine when it really wasn’t.

in june 2021, they had to share a hotel room after a photoshoot. the tension that had built up between them finally spilled over. they argued a little and said all the things they’d been holding back for so long. their bond was back to normal, except they were both finally clear about their feelings and that allowed them to become something more.

they are still dating now.

[n4mel3ss-gh0st]

Sigma Redesign

- His scar looks more like what I wanted it to look like based on that scene from MHX. However, with the damage the palm caused, Sigma becomes blind, using LiDAR technology implanted in the crystal on his forehead to see things.

- Instead of him dying and coming back every time, he just runs away in X1 and slowly comes back from X4 onwards, as a way to regroup the mavericks and cause a bigger blow with the rebirth of his empire.

- He sees X as the future of the reploid generation because of how deep he thinks compared to most. But he also sees him as a threat because of how he cares about even the most insignificant of things. This is worrying to him. He wants X to surrender once and for all, otherwise he himself will have to make a future possible for the reploids (i.e. kill him if there is no other option). And while he doesn't opt for the extreme, Sigma will destroy everything X loves or expose the rotten side he swears to protect so much so that he sees the truth of things. Even if it shakes his emotions later.

- From an early age, the commander did not feel empathy for humans. The virus only made a point of boosting this and ending up messing with his mind to the point of creating this complex in relation to X.

- Sigma is more menacing compared to his original counterpart, killing anyone he deemed a threat to his empire (the fact that he is blind adds to this paranoia), and keeping a few on his presence.

- Agile and Violen were built by Serges to serve as Sigma's heirs at his request once he was no longer able to take control of the empire, but this changes as soon as Archane takes over the scene and declares herself the leader of the group.

[oh-look-car-horns]

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ALL BOOPERS

We are halfway through the day and only 5% of the way to maxing out the global boop-o-meter. In a last-ditch effort I am releasing my automated booping script. It can run anywhere you can run python, and only requires the pyautogui and time libraries. The code is below the cut, and extremely scuffed as I am in physics not cs. Happy booping.

import pyautogui as pg

import time

def boop_spam():

    """

    Spam an account with boops. WARNING: You will not be able to use your computer while this is running, as this operates via automated mouse movements.

    Test it out with boop count of 10 to make sure you have the hang of it before picking a larger number.

    If you accidentally set it running for a very long period of time, you can either restart your computer to stop it,

    or wait for every 200th boop where there will be a 5s pause where you can click the garbage icon on your terminal

    """

    while(True):

        print("Hover mouse over the first button, then press enter")

        input()

        x1, y1 = pg.position()

        print("Hover mouse over the second button, then press enter")

        input()

        x2, y2 = pg.position()

        print("Input boop count")

        boop = int(input())

        for i in range(boop):

            pg.click(x1, y1)

            time.sleep(0.1)

            pg.click(x2,y2)

            time.sleep(0.1)

            if i%200 == 0:

                time.sleep(5)

        print("Continue? (y/n)")

        cont = input()

        if cont != 'y':

            print("Breaking")

            break

boop_spam()

[nixcraft]

me running fwupdmgr on my linux machine to update my firmware bios ;)

Also check:

Thinkpad update firmware on Linux (X1 extreme/P1 gen2)

How to update Lenovo BIOS from Linux without using Windows

[zplinterz]

you know how some famous people have fandoms and within those fandoms some creators become extremely popular to the point where the famous person notices them? like how editors have "name noticed x2" in their bios??

yeah. that with dirk and alpha dave. dirk would use his actual name and images, starting out editing himself from the only clips of him online + images and videos he posted on his main social media. he would claim to be "dirks #1 fan" and would have one of those stupid "dirkslefttoenail" usernames. it would start out as a joke just between him and roxy, to make fun of all of his brothers fan accounts, but then he blows up and people within the fandom begin to mention him not even on their account but on clips of him from interviews saying "i can already hear dirks big fat ass running to make an edit with this" or other stupid shit like that.

as he gets bigger, he starts to make mutuals and realizes how much he really likes being in this fandom. he gets to rant for hours about his special interest (his brother) and no one thinks its weird because theyre just as obsessed as he is. he begins to edit his brother too, beginning to take his editing more seriously and have fun with it. as he realizes no one knows he actually dirk strider, he slowly begins editing his brother in a more *suggestive* way and interacting with content he previously just added to favorites. he would comment stupid shit like "raw. next question" and instead of criticized for the obvious incest, he would be encouraged, with his mutuals saying stuff like "knew id find you here" and others agreeing with him.

he still edits himself and presents himself as a dirk fan account, because hes a little shit who loves the compliments. but his main focus is on dave. he spreads out and creates more socials, probably has a tumblr and ao3 where he reads and writes shitty dave x reader smuts. he begins posting 'scenepacks' and 'dave strider being my favorite celebrity for insert amount of time' videos and before he knows it. hes getting a notification from his tiktok that dave fucking strider has liked his video.

he changes his bio to "dave noticed x1" on instinct and starts fanboying at first. but holy shit. his brother saw an edit he made of him. and not just any edit but like probably one of his suggestive ones too.

and daves just chill and asking dirk what he wants for dinner and muttering to himself about stupid people at work and all that shit. cause he dont know dirk made that. he was just chilling and giggling to himself at all the 13 year old girls thirsting over him. he probably thinks dirk doesn't even know dave has a fandom.

anyways, "dirkslefttoenail" becomes "strideramp" or something like that.. and he has like 50k followers or some shit like that. his "dave noticed x1" changes to "dave noticed x8" as dave keeps liking and even commenting once (probably on a dirk edit, saying something like "holy shit little man actually has fangirls") dirk tries to calm down and just settle in the routine like other editors do, but its harder because thats his brother. they dont have to go and eat dinner with the guy after he reads about all the nasty thing they want him to do to them.

roxy still has dirks account and has been messaging him this entire time like "heyy i donr think this is a joke anmyoree?? do u actually leik, like like him??" and she teases him for it but probably wouldnt care enough to be like 'thats really gross dirk, you should not like him like that hes your brother' but only because shes been surrounded by smutty books her entire life and probably has been reading wattpadd fanfiction with this exact scenario since she was 12

( i would like to note, after dirk blows up, there would probably be a ton of new accounts obsessing over dirk. dirk would have a secret folder of all his favorite edits of him because he is a little shit who is way to inlove with himself. )

[niriaveil]

it's really interesting to me how biotic shepard jumps up a full implant level compared to the rest of the galaxy

so we know kaidan is L2 with the very lucky and rare side effect of only migraines while ME1 adept/vanguard/sentinel shepard uses the L3* implant

(*fun fact about the L3 implant is that most people who have the L3 implant had them when they were 25 or younger since once you get an implant, it can only be replaced or altered through extremely dangerous brain surgery)

at the start of project lazarus/me2, shepard has the L5x (if you're an adept) or the L5n (if you're a vanguard) so shepard is the only known human biotic with an L5x/n implant by 2185.

the L4 implant is used on children during the Ascension Project which the implant uses the biotic amps + a built-in Vi interface to enable monitoring and enhancements over the user's abilities. by contrast, grissom academy uses the L3-X1 which are experimental implants based off the L3-X which were implants installed in unsuitable candidates

anyway: my whole point is. just how much control does a biotic shepard have? for comparison:

L1 = can manipulate small objects L2 = variable, depends on the person; generally stronger than L1 and considered stronger than L3 but with severe drawbracks and instability L3 = stable and more powerful than the L1, combat-ready biotics, but weaker than L2 L4 = roughly 10-15% over L3 (which is roughly 10% stronger than L2) L5x = no data* (only data is Commander Shepard) L5n = no data* (only data is Commander Shepard)

using biotics requires intensive physical effort to biologically generate dark energy, conscious control over their nervous system (assisted with biofeedback therapy), and mental control to create their physical mnemonic and since it's so intensive on the body, biotics in the alliance also have to have more calories and maintain their blood sugar and electrolyte levels at a stable rate

ANYWAY:

do you think shepard would have issues with their biotics like in the earlier stages of the L-series since they're using experimental implants thanks to cerberus?

[doodlepede]

oh my god x1 is such a cute little face like. look at that. :1 ohhh that's cute too... like a less extreme :7 omg omg

[unstableverse-headcanons]

Major spoilers warning for Parrot's newest video even though I'm not too far into it so maybe smt else happens (something else probably happens lol)

cc! Parrot is the director nation how are we doing I'm 13 minutes and 14 seconds in the new video and WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE GOT GRAMMATICALLY PROFILED WITH THE BAT AND THERE'S PEOPLE TESTIFYING HE'S THE DIRECTOR??? Idk what is going on but cc! Parrot being the director makes SO much more sense now because 1) the grammar thing fits if Parrot's like. A self-insert idk a nicer way to put it 2) ASHSWAGG testified to him being the director?? Ashswag?? The guy who told him no one knew who the director was? Why??? What is going on?? 3) assuming we can interpret the uu!/cc! thing as the respective ccs creating their characters, it makes sense that all these things are happening to Parrot because. I ain't ever met an author who likes to torture other people's characters more than their own,,, like idk personally I feel bad when bad things happen to other characters but I can put mine in a blender and be like "they're fine" does anyone get what I'm trying to say?? 4) saw someone mention how the armor is a reference to like, how strong they are (I don't remember the exact hc :( I'm sorry) and last episode Parrot had full diamond armor and now he has full netherite armor?? + Derapchu has netherite boots now further proving the point of the hc. Coincidence? I think NOT. You could argue that it's just because it's extremely hard to survive against several players with just diamond armor but 🤨🤨🤨 he's survived against like five players with nothing but a bow he's gonna be fine. 5) the time it took the Invis to wear out did not feel to match with the video. Like those 20 seconds lasted too long. Maybe I'm too audhd for it but I personally like to believe that cc! Parrot extended his character's invis time because otherwise bro was just going to die but he couldn't extend it for TOO long because that'd be suspicious. 6) I've said it before and I'll say it again. Parrot's "sixth sense" is the director whispering in his ear about what to do because he keeps putting his character into impossible situations

Anyways do you guys think Parrot's gonna have any extra trauma now. I feel like he has to. I hope he reconciles with BAT by the end of the episode because they're too family coded come on two videos with minimal found family core scenes were NOT enough for me. I also hope it's weird because it's like, these people have protected him from two assassins (Jumper and Leo have protected him from three technically but shhh) and those two assassins were sent by the director to kill him and. The BAT just suddenly decides he has to be the director?? Which is so fair like I get their thought process even the viewers think he's the director but something about finally finding a safe space after all three of your friends die and then that safe space gets destroyed within like, 2-3 months and they start trying to kill you. Maybe Leo really DID want to talk to him about it at first or maybe he was just saying it to lure Parrot out (though I'm leaning towards the first one) but Parrot probably felt so betrayed and hurt. Like. Even if he DOES reconcile with them by the end of the episode I feel like it should never be a complete reconciliation because he's too scared to let them in again after they literally try to kill him. It's just so gut-wrenching like ough.

If it's not cc! Parrot being the director, I hope it's SOME version of Parrot (uu! Parrot being unaware of what he's doing when he does admin stuff, or maybe even a clone of the actual director/X1). No matter how you put it the grammar thing is really getting me cause sure, other people could have his writing style, but it's such a weird thing to pay attention to?? Like who the fuck figured that out??????

Bonus: Jumper and Derapchu being reluctant to believe that he's the director, whether because they know the director killed Wifies, or because they've been teamed with him in too many things to believe that he's the director, but Jumper being more willing to help him whereas Derapchu just goes "?? Wait what's going on why are we doing this" (maybe bro wasn't even told about the Parrot might be the director thing ngl) like ough... I love them. Found family BAT you have ruined me

- 🌺 Anon

!!!

[sillystrawbtism]

SYS INTRO

✦ BASIC INFO

❥ lunie₁ strawbz₂

❥ 18

❥ hx star berry

❥ transmasc nonbinary

❥ gay ++ polyam && aroace, taken x1

❥ c-did , bpd , autism, adhd

❥ headcount of 300+

❥ rentry link (made by a friend!) : https://text.is/strawberri

❥ instagram && tiktok : sillystrawbtism

❥ other blogs : oftheabsolutefabric , @lberryburg , @fizziescircus , @celestialintrojs

❥ coll. userbox master posts: 1 2 3 4

✦ BYI

❥ our sys name is strawberry constellations

❥ we aren't aware of when we've done stuff wrong, so communication is appreciated

❥ our dms are always open as we love making friends!

❥ we made this account as a sort of journal/notebook, so several alters will post :)

✦ DNI

❥ basic dni criteria

❥ israel supporters

❥ pro/com/darkshippers

❥ fakeclaimers

❥ wilbur soot/dteam/melanie martinez supporters

❥ endogenic "systems", "mixed origin" systems, endo supporters DNI, neutral is fine if you don't mention it to us.

❥ i can't think of more currently, but we do block freely

❥ THE CLIPPED WING SYS/THE CASINO, ANYONE SUPPORTING THEM OR ASSOCIATING WITH THEM, AND ANY BLOGS REGARDING THEM.

❥ TransIDs and Paras, we don't care if its one of the "non harmful" ones they make us extremely uncomfortable.

✦ BOUNDARIES

❥ frontcalls are okay!

❥ tone tags are appreciated!

❥ this is a 15+ blog for our own comfort

❥ @/mentions are okay!

✦ FREQUENT FRONTERS

❥ tommy , he they pog it , transmasc nonbinary , host && subsys host(💿)

❥ niki nihacu , she hxr they hxm , demigirl , cohost(🪷)

❥ evangelize , he it , transmasc nonbinary , subsys cohost && trauma holder(🧭)

❥ roier , he hxm , demiboy , symptom holder(🐜)

✦ HASTAG MEANINGS

❥ tommy's treehouse - tommy just rambling about literally anything

[tragicallycrispygirl]

I'm so excited about Slayer in Strive I think I'm gonna fucking explode holy shit

I genuinely love him so much he's so fucking cool

Let's talk about why he's so awesome:

Probably the coolest part about Slayer (in Xrd at least) is the fact that he is playing a completely fucking different game mechanically from the rest of the cast. He is, I believe, the only character on the roster who has links between his moves. He has absolutely AWFUL gatlings, such as c.s only cancelling into two moves that are a guaranteed hit, and also being a move that you CANNOT gatling into, unlike most of the Xrd cast. However, because of the recovery and the frame data on Slayer's moves, you can link into them, where if you press a button with good timing (anywhere between 1-4ish frames,) you'll still get a true combo.

For example, you can do c.s>f.s>c.s>f.s, which is a true combo.

Additionally, his teleport dash is quite cool because it is completely intangible for several frames, allowing you to get out of frame traps or other positions that could be dangerous with good timing. You can also cancel the dash with a jump, and then cancel the jump with a special move to get the dash invulnerability on the move, which is fucking hard but super useful. It's also a cross-up. This sounds pretty busted, and while it is powerful, it is EXTREMELY committal, as Slayer can only cancel his dashes with a jump and not special moves or normals (you can YRC the dash, I think, but it's 25 meter and is seemingly only useful occasionally.)

Even beyond his mechanical differences, though, the way he plays feels fucking incredible. You might've heard that Slayer has insane damage, which he does absolutely have it's kind of insane. K Pilebunker (a followup from his rekka movement dash thing) does a whopping 80 damage. That's nearly 20% of a healthbar on a character with no guts and x1 defense, or an insane 104 (~25%) against Chipp's glass bones and paper skin. From one move.

This is balanced, however, by the fact that throwing it out in neutral is a pretty terrible idea, because it's -20 on block and puts you in range for a nice c.s from your opponent. This is why I think Pilebunker is so good at representing how Slayer is as a character: he's generally big risk, big reward. While, yes, he has a nasty mixup out of Under Pressure, going into Under Pressure can be difficult due to a vulnerability to 6Ps, lows, and sometimes even throws. Additionally, it's 0 on block, so some characters can mash out of a low.

This leads into my favorite thing about his mixup. While it's pretty standard 4-way guessing on a knockdown, in neutral it shifts to being a mental game. "Make the wrong guess and Slayer will have a feast," declares his entry on Xrd Dustloop, which is perfect for him. Using Dandy Step to go into Under Pressure and its numerous follow-ups can be very scary for an opponent, especially because mashing on a low can lead to a counter-hit It's Late, which is very bad to get hit by. However, in neutral, players might attempt to use a low against Under Pressure, or even attack during Dandy Step, which is where the mind games come in. If you condition an opponent to attack your Under Pressure starters, you can use Pilebunker. Which combos into itself on counter-hit. And does 80 damage. It becomes a game of "do I want to block the mixup, or should I risk a low?" For the Slayer player, it becomes a game of "do I want to risk Pilebunker being blocked for more damage, or do I want to risk being shut down with a low?" This is just. So much fucking fun.

Add onto that his short range, poor mobility, and steep requirements for his highest damage combos (not necessarily execution, but how you need to start it,) and you have a character that will shatter all of your bones if he gets the right hit off, but can struggle to actually get that hit.

Playing him is like injecting yourself with pure joy and happiness. It feels good to land a K Pile, good to take a chomp out of someone for the forced counter-hit, good to call someone out on a meaty with Burst Dead On Time for 175 damage (what the fuck were they thinking with that. That's genuinely fucking insane)

Is he for everyone? No. Is he undoubtedly one of the coolest fucking characters in the whole franchise? Yes. Absolutely.

I need him in his new form in Strive so bad. I'm gonna have a heart attack. He's too cool. Give me Ups And Downs NOW. ALSO LOOK AT NEW PILEBUNKER

[jeweledstone]

Phony Sinistea (Fairy), Antique Sinistea (Fairy), Counterfeit Poltchageist (Fire/Fairy), Artisan Poltchageist (Fire/Fairy), Phony Polteageist (Fairy), Antique Polteageist (Fairy), Counterfeit Sinistcha (Fire/Fariy), and Artisan Sinistcha (Fire/Fairy)

Tipsitea (Phony Form) -(Old-Fashioned Pot)-> Tealirious (Phony Form)

Tipsitea (Antique Form) -(Fairytale Pot)-> Tealirious (Antique Form)

(Based off various characters from Alice in Wonderland)

Wiskilirious (Counterfeit Form) -(Broken Bottle)-> Tipsiskey (Counterfeit Form)

Wiskilirious (Artisan Form) -(Smashed Bottle)-> Tipsiskey (Artisan Form)

(Based on whisky/liquor flasks and bottles, as well as the Wild West era and American folklore)

Battle Info:

Tipsitea, Tealirious

^ HP

v Attack

Weak to(x4): N/A

Weak to(x2): Poison, Steel

Resistant to(x1/2): Fighting, Bug, Dark

Resistant to(x1/4): N/A

Immune to(x0): Dragon

Wiskilirious, Tipsiskey

NEW ABILITY: Liquid Courage (restores health and raises attack stat of allies when switched into battle)

^ Speed

v Sp. Defense

Weak to(x4):

Weak to(x2): Poison, Ground, Rock, Water

Resistant to(x1/2): Fighting, Fire, Grass, Ice, Dark, Fairy

Resistant to(x1/4): Bug

Immune to(x0): Dragon

Pokédex Info: Drinking the strange liquid in Tipsitea’s makes people feel extremely euphoric, but can also cause scarily realistic hallucinations that can drive them mad.

Tealirious is said to have come from the world of dreams. It will happily offer its bizarre “tea” to other pokemon and humans alike, but becomes furious if it is not immediately drank.

Wiskilirious fires bullets of pure energy from its hands at attackers. The liquid in its body bears resemblance to whiskey, but is much more potent.

Once thought to be just an old folktale, Tipsiskey is a very friendly, fun-loving pokemon. Drinking the liquid seeping from its body gives the same effects as large amounts of alcohol.

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

These calls and moments accompany Victor’s S2 CH 45-48 Karma, and feature S2 Victor and MC, but don’t contain any spoilers from the S2 storyline~

⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for contents yet to be released on the global server! ⌚

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

【Moments】

Victor’s Post: To my surprise, a certain someone actually grabbed my hand and purposely broke the sandcastle just for the sake of “reviving old memories.”

–

⊳  OPTION A:

MC: Hehe, it’s been so many years. I’ve learned not to cry anymore, you see!

Victor: Hmm, that’s really impressive.

–

⊳  OPTION B:

MC: A certain someone said he wouldn’t repeat the same mistake, but now he has broken- my- sandcastle- again——

⊳  OPTION C:

Victor: ...just state your conditions for making amends directly.

–

MC: It doesn’t matter, anyhow, Vic gēge needs to compensate me with a pudding tomorrow.

Victor: I can compensate you with more.

─

—

【1st Call】

Victor: You sent me ten angry furry cat stickers in a row… what happened again?

MC: Sob, sob, sob, I just went through an “extremely tragic social demise.”

Victor: [sounds so amused LOL]  A rare sight; even dummies have moments when they feel embarrassed.

Victor: What happened?

MC: During the meeting earlier, I was screen-sharing my phone and accidentally revealed my wallpaper. Everyone burst out laughing…

MC: AHHHHHH, thinking back on it even now, I still feel so embarrassed.

 Victor: If I remember correctly, a certain someone recently changed her wallpaper into a new photo of mine.

Victor: [you can practically collect the teasing dripping from his voice in a bucket LMAO]  I don’t think I’m that unseemly, am I?

MC: It’s not that you’re unseemly… it’s just that, I’m just feeling a little embarrassed, you know!

Victor: Who was the one that excitedly sought out Goldman for the best HD version after seeing the cover photo I took for LFG last week?

Victor: She even kept bragging about how she was the one who styled my outfit, so she needed to keep this meticulously crafted masterpiece as her personal collection.

MC: Well, what I said wasn’t untrue. The photo did have my fair share of contribution!

Victor: It was more than just a contribution. The direction of my hair grooming and the cosmetics that ended up plastered on my face was all thanks to your involvement.

MC: Hehe, well, the final result of the photo was absolutely flawless, wasn’t it?

Victor: If the photo is flawless, why do you feel embarrassed about it?

MC: Hm…? Oh… Victor, you’ve misunderstood. I actually changed my wallpaper yesterday…

Victor: [sighs helplessly] …the speed at which your heart changes is truly remarkable.

MC: The new wallpaper I switched to was your new photo. How can you blame me for having a change of heart!

Victor: I don’t remember taking any new photos recently.

MC: That’s true. You don’t remember taking any new photos because it was last night when I couldn’t resist taking a sneaky photo of you while I was putting the cat ear headband on you. 

Victor: …what did you say?

MC: Even though it was a photo of your back, everyone still seemed to have recognized you…

Victor: So, when you said you went through an “extremely tragic social demise,” the main protagonist of the incident was actually me?

MC: Well, I guess you could phrase it like that too?

Victor: [HOLY SHIT THE ALARMING SEXY TONE-DROP x1]  This issue won’t be dropped so easily. I suggest you think of a reasonable compensation proposal as soon as possible.

Victor: [x2]  If I don’t get an answer by tonight, don’t blame me for being a heartless capitalist and claiming for damages according to my own term.

─

—

【2nd Call】

Victor: What’s up?

MC: I’ll be off work soon. How about I come to LFG later, and we can grab some free food from the cafeteria?

Victor: Is the menu at Souvenir no longer able to satisfy your cravings?

MC: How could that be! CEO Victor is already so exhausted from work, I can’t bear to make you cook all the time~

Victor: If memory serves, a certain someone was clamoring about having two puddings this morning.

MC: Hehe, okay, I’ll be honest~ The braised pork you brought me from the cafeteria last week was so, so delicious. It’s constantly been on my mind ever since.

MC: I really wish I could hire this chef with a hefty salary and have them handle the catering for [MC’s Company Name]’s company meals!

MC: After all, it’s really challenging to arrange delicious and nutritious work meals for everyone when we’re filming on location.

Victor: You probably can’t afford this person.

MC: Even though you’re Victor, you cannot underestimate others casually!

MC: Our company’s financial report for the past quarter is really impressive~

Victor: Since you’re talking so big, have you made up your mind about poaching the chef with a high salary?

MC: I’m considering it. If we can have this level of braised pork on the filming set, I think everyone would be ecstatic to the point of fainting~

Victor: I think the only one who would be ecstatic to the point of fainting is you, the dummy boss.

Victor: So, how high of a salary are you planning to offer to lure him away?

MC: Hmm… we definitely need to offer a salary higher than LFG.

MC: Can you give me an approximate idea of his monthly salary? Just a rough estimate is fine. I still must respect LFG’s business confidentiality.

Victor: He receives an annual salary, and the amount varies each year. But you already know that.

MC: …!

MC: Victor, did you personally cook that braised pork yourself?!

Victor: Could your uptake be any slower?

MC: Sob, sob, sob, how I just knew that taste was so familiar!

MC: But who would’ve guessed that besides French cuisine, your home-style dishes are so-freaking-delicious too!

Victor: …you really do excel in sweet-talking. Apart from braised pork, what else would you like for dinner tonight?

MC: Do you know how to cook dishes like hot and sour fish soup, sweet and sour pork, Pecking duck, shrimp stir-fried with Dragon Well tea, Laziji, and hot dry noodles?

–

[Tidbits]: Laziji is a dish of Sichuan cuisine, a variety of spicy chicken, to be more specific. The dishes MC mentions here are actually part of different provincial cuisines in China, which is why MC asks if Victor knows how to cook them 😂🫠

–

Victor: ...I asked you to decide on tonight’s dinner, not quiz me on dish names.

MC: Hehe, I’m just really curious to know where your culinary skill reaches its zenith~

MC: But now that I think about it, these dishes can be quite troublesome. Let me think of some simpler options…

Victor: The person who is eagerly waiting to eat doesn’t need to fuss about the trouble.

Victor: It’s just that a certain dummy with big eyes but a small stomach always gets enthusiastic when ordering, but never manages to finish her food, leaving a pile for someone else to help with.

MC: Since we shouldn’t let food go to waste, why not borrow CEO Victor’s stomach for that purpose?

Victor: My stomach capacity is also limited, so out of the dishes you mentioned, choose three for tonight’s menu.

MC: Then I really need to ponder over it carefully...!

Victor: Sure, you can think it over while getting ready to come downstairs, and then we can go together to buy the ingredients.

─────

[howzitsa]

MSI H610M-E PRO Intel LGA1700 M-ATX Motherboard MSI PRO series motherboards help users work smarter by delivering an efficient and productive experience. Featuring stable functionality and high-quality assembly, PRO series motherboards provide not only optimized professional workflows but also less troubleshooting and longevity. MSI motherboards feature tons of convenient and smart designs for DIY users, and countless system tuning and troubleshooting tools are at your disposal to push your system to new heights and satisfy even the most demanding tweaker. This makes it so easy to install your own motherboard without any issues. MSI motherboards let you manage speeds and temperatures for all your system and CPU fans. Total Fan Control allows you to check your primary system characteristics in a simplified graphical interface. You can also set up to 4 temperature targets for CPU and motherboard, which will adjust the fan speeds automatically. Detecting CPU & GPU temperatures and automatically adjusting fan duty of system fans to a proper value by adopting MSI AI ENGINE. The most important thing about DIY is expandability. MSI PRO series motherboards feature plenty of possibilities for prosumers’ needs. Stable LAN, faster storage and USB transfer speeds and other expandable connectors are ready to enlarge your flexibility. Stay connected with Intel® LAN, optimized for stable internet throughput and ideal for championship-level online playing. MSI PRO series motherboards are designed to satisfy any professional workflow. Elevate your listening pleasure and enjoy the extreme sound quality. Moreover, with years of experience in creating performance-enhancing tools that are easy to use, only the highest quality applications are at your disposal. The extensive features let you fine-tune your system to deliver reliable maximum performance. MSI lightning Gen 4 PCI-E is the latest and the fastest PCI-E data transfer solution with 64GB/s of transfer bandwidth that has doubled compared to its previous generation. PCIe 4.0 maintains both backward and forward compatibility with older and newer specifications. Optimized by steel armor design, your motherboards can support the weight of heavy graphics cards. MSI conducts thorough memory testing with the most popular memory brands under extreme conditions to ensure your system runs stable no matter what. Our memory partners include brands like Corsair, Crucial, Kingston, G.Skill and many more to optimize memory modules and configurations. Core Boost technology combines MSI’s premium layout and optimized power design which allows for faster and undistorted current delivery to the CPU at pin-point precision. Not only supporting multi-core CPU, also creating the perfect conditions for your CPU overclocking. FEATURES: Supports 12th Gen Intel® Core™, Pentium® Gold and Celeron® processors for LGA 1700 socket Supports DDR4 Memory, up to 3200(MAX) MHz Core Boost : With premium layout and digital power design to support more cores and provide better performance Memory Boost: Advanced technology to deliver pure data signals for the best performance, stability and compatibility Lightning Fast Experience: PCIe 4.0 Audio Boost: Reward your ears with studio grade sound quality Steel Armor: Protecting VGA cards against bending and EMI for better performance, stability and strength. SPECIFICATIONS: Socket: 1700 CPU Support: Supports 12th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors, Pentium® Gold and Celeron® Processors up to i9 Chipset: Intel® H610 Chipset DDR4 Memory: 3200(MAX) / 3000 / 2933 / 2800 / 2666 / 2400 / 2133 MHz Memory Channel: Dual Channel DIMM Slots: 2 Max Memory (GB): 64 PCI-E x16: 1 PCI-E x1: 1 SATAIII: 4 M.2 Slot: 1 TPM (Header): 1 LAN: 1x Realtek® RTL8111H Gigabit LAN controller USB 3.2 ports (Front): 2(Gen 1, Type A) USB 3.2 ports (Rear): 2(Gen 1, Type A) USB 2.0 ports (Front): 4 USB 2.0 ports (Rear): 4 Audio ports (Rear): Realtek® ALC897 Codec VGA: 1 HDMI: 1 DirectX: 12 Form Factor: mATX Operating System: Support for Windows® 11 64-bit and Windows® 10 64-bit WHAT’S IN THE BOX: MSI PRO H610M-E DDR4 Intel 1700 mATX Motherboard – Black x1 SATA Cables x2 EZ M.2 Clip x1 I/O Shield x1 Quick Install Guide x1

[justforbooks]

Marcello Gandini’s cars were made to stop the traffic. The Italian designer, who has died aged 85, created supercars for the super-rich, and such exotic machines as Lamborghini’s Miura and Countach, Alfa Romeo’s Montreal and Maserati’s Khamsin were guaranteed to draw crowds of admirers when parked outside the grand hotels of Monaco, Rome or London.

As the chief designer of the Bertone company, he also worked at the more modest end of the market, creating the little Autobianchi A112 and the original version of the Volkswagen Polo, and restyling the British Mini for the Italian Innocenti firm. For those wanting a miniature supercar, there was Fiat’s two-seater X1/9, a striking little wedge with its four-cylinder engine mounted transversely behind the cockpit, mimicking the location of the Miura’s mighty V12.

Gandini designed for the space age, renouncing the smooth curves that defined the aesthetic principles of his predecessors. To him the Miura, which first appeared in 1966 and which many consider the most breathtakingly beautiful car ever made, was a flawed compromise. “The audacity was made acceptable by the sweetness, by the flow of the design,” he said. “Nobody rejected the Miura. There was immediate consensus. Even more than it deserved. I was at the beginning of my career and I didn’t have enough autonomy to be able to do exactly what I wanted.”

The Countach, altogether more extreme, even outlandish, was closer to his ideal on its unveiling in 1974. Sightings on the streets of London gave rise to the rumour that the width of its huge tyres made it the only car in the world that could not be wheel-clamped by parking wardens.

“For me,” Gandini said, “it represented the dream. It took years before it was totally accepted. Some people liked it straight away, but most, including journalists, took a long time. So much so that it remained in production for 17 years.”

Born in Turin, Gandini was the son of a pharmacist who, after the arrival of five children, had abandoned his first career as a classical composer and conductor. It was hoped that Marcello would become a concert pianist. There were piano lessons from the age of four, continued when he went to a Salesian boarding school at eight. But as a child he dreamed of cars and when, during his days as a student, his parents gave him the money to buy a Latin textbook, instead he spent it on a book called Motori Endotermici (Endothermic Engines) by Dante Giacosa, the great designer of the highly successful prewar Fiat 500 “Topolino”and its 1950s successor, the ubiquitous Nuova 500. His course was set.

At the age of 25, Gandini approached the celebrated Turin coachbuilder Nuccio Bertone, who gave him a job in the design studio. Soon he would take over as the firm’s chief designer from the prolific Giorgetto Giugiaro, who had drawn up the Maserati Ghibli and various handsome Alfa Romeos before leaving to start his own business.

Sometimes Gandini seemed to exist in the realm of the “concept car”, prototypes that explored new ideas without restraint, displayed at motor shows in much the way that Parisian couturiers produce extreme designs for the catwalk. The four seats of the unique Lamborghini Marzal, for instance, were upholstered in silver leather, while its bodywork and fittings made use of a hexagonal motif. The famous vertically opening “scissor doors” of the Countach were first seen at the 1968 Paris Motor Show on Alfa Romeo’s one-off Carabo.

Gandini was said to be responsible for around 200 designs. Among them were two mid-engined classics of the 1970s, Ferrari’s Dino 308 GT4 and the Lancia Stratos. The dramatically wedge-shaped Lancia won the world rally championship three years in a row between 1974-76 in the hands of Sandro Munari and Bjorn Waldegaard, while Munari also won the Monte Carlo Rally three times in a Stratos.

A car, Gandini believed, was not a work of art – “but it has in common with art the ability to generate emotions”. He played down the significance of his innovations. “I didn’t invent penicillin,” he said. “These are just ideas that came to me.” After leaving Bertone in 1980 to set up his own studio, he worked on many projects, including industrial and interior design.

The father who had wanted him to become a classical pianist finally overcame his disappointment at Marcello’s choice of profession when he was taken for his first ride in a Miura. “Only then,” his son said, “did he understand that I knew how to make other notes sound – those of engines.”

Gandini is survived by his wife, Claudia, with whom he lived in a restored abbey at the foot of Monte Musinè, outside Turin, their son and daughter, Marco and Marzia, and three grandchildren, Lucrezia, Costanza and Pietro.

🔔 Marcello Gandini, car designer, born 26 August 1938; died 13 March 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?