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angelsdean · 1 year

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It's funny for me that fanon Sam is, following his time at Stanford, thee greatest of ally and defensor of human rights, while canonically college turns him into a judgemental snob - frowning upon winning money as a hunter, saving the prisoners, etc, etc (snobbish s1 Sammy my beloved !!!) (PS: also his alternative self in Lebanon XD)

no literallly. sam wanted to fit in so hard at stanford he drank some of the snobby rich kid kool-aid. and like, dissecting that is infinitely more interesting to me than perfect liberal and allyTM fanon sam. like i wanna know what sam's problem is sjdkfdfk. s1 does a great job of creating this dichotomy, esp in the very early eps, where dean represents the hunting world, the fringes of society, the outcasts and Other, and sam is coming out of this perfect idealized world that was college, where he absorbed some of those snobby ideals, as a way to reject his family / lifestyle (tho mostly as a way to reject JOHN and john's ideas of what sam's life should be). But then we see sam throughout those early episodes making choices that actively lead him further down the road of hunting, choices that have him rejecting "normal society" and choosing this journey, this quest, taking up the mantle and following john's path.

(there are lot of examples and maybe i'll make a post abt them all one day but one that always stands out to me is in 1x06 Skin, where the conflict is about the isolation of hunting vs the desire for community and connection to the outside world. it seems like dean is pro-cut ties with the world, but why? well, we later learn in 1x13 he tried to let an outsider into his world and cassie rejected him for it. but sam, at the start of the ep, is trying to have the best of both worlds. he thinks he can keep his outsider friends while still hunting. then by the end of the ep, his friend now knows all about hunting and wants to stay in touch. and sam shuts her out and says she probs won't hear from him anytime soon. and it's just so bonkers to me !! but he's making that choice, he's choosing hunting and slowly rejecting and cutting ties to his idealized stanford life.)

and he wants it, is the thing. he's on a one track mind: find john, find the demon, kill it and avenge jess and mary.

this got long-winded but anyway, i think all that s1 snobbery is SO crucial to sam's journey, it's important we see it, it's important we see where he was coming from, how stanford had begun to change and shape him in different ways, how stanford was symbolic of this total opposite to hunting, it's the snobby rich who don't care about the people on the fringes, it's studying LAW while holding beliefs that all people in prison are not "innocent" and a ghost killing them off isn't the biggest deal. and then dean + the hunting lifestyle is meant to be the juxtaposition to that. he's living on the fringes of society, he's Other. That's why the shifter in Skin identifies with dean so much, aside from the queer metaphors. The shifter choosing fresh-off-of-ivy-league sam would not make for the same kind of parallel, as much as sam has his psychic kid stuff going on, that's only barely begun at this point. He doesn't yet think he's a freak for being psychic or the demon blood stuff, he doesn't even know abt any of that. But paralleling the shifter with dean highlighted the isolating, othering nature of hunting, in an episode where the "brother conflict" was isolation vs community. And through the shifter we learn that dean didn't Want to be a hunter either. He had dreams, wanted friends. And sam hears all of this, and still at the end of the episode chooses to reject his friend's offer to keep in touch. Taking another step away from the idealized stanford life and another step down the path of hunting + his revenge quest. And it's so goddamn interesting and delicious and fascinating to me !!!! fanon sam could never

#canon sam is like. i rejected my family's lifestyle in a fit of teenage rebellion but now i want back in bc my gf died and i want revenge #classic hero's journey shenanigans and all that #while fanon sam is like. noooo my brother is dragging me back into hunting against my WILL !!!!!!#sam studies #mymeta #vics spn rewatch #replies

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madhogthymaster · 6 months

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This is Not a Review of In Stars and Time

Let us set the stage.

An entity known as The King has cast a horrible curse upon the land, freezing people in time. It's up to the Chosen One and her friends to save the day. After a long journey, the party arrives at the final town right before the final battle with the final boss. He awaits the heroes at the final castle which was once the house of worship to Change Themselves.

You, the player, are the second to last party member (who joined right before the cute mascot character) and you find yourself "blessed" with the symbolically relevant ability to loop in time - which you discovered after being suddenly crushed to death by a big rock with a sense for dramatic irony. Now, admittedly, the prospect of dealing with Groundhog Day related shenanigans might seem daunting, at first. Dare I say, it might even be emotionally and psychologically taxing, in the long run. However, do not panic! A volunteering social worker has already been sent to "assist" you with your predicament. You can trust them completely.

Now that we have dispensed with the formalities, let's get down to business to defeat The King. Use your newfound powers to help your friends navigate the castle, climb the floors, overcome the obstacles. Be ready to repeat all that several more times. You know the drill. Perhaps, if you do everything right, your buff boyfriend will finally confess his feelings to you.

Wouldn't that be swell?

Wouldn't it?

It would be nice.

It sure would.

...

There will be no additional plot synopsis, at this time.

As I type these few words of appetizing anticipation, I find myself in a predicament of my own: I played In Stars and Time and now I have to talk about it. I have many emotions swirling, dancing incoherently within the very fabric of my being. Feelings that I must convey to you before The Moment passes, you see. I'm not sure I can, though. I'm not sure I can steel my trembling hands for long enough to wax poetically about this being, without hyperbole, one of the best games I played in the past decade. A masterpiece with many juicy layers waiting to be peeled back, one by one. I don't have the energy to write the monstrous essay it deserves for all I want to do is sit in a corner and weep quietly for a few hours, trying to process it all. I'm sad not because it's over but because I can't experience it for the first time ever again. Which is an ironic statement considering the nature of this game, I realize. Allow me to try this again.

Let us set the stage.

In Stars and Time is is a cleverly designed title. The time loop structure works both as a gameplay and thematic device, a means to (purposefully) emphasize the monotonous nature of the RPG grind in relation to the protagonist's deteriorating state, cycle after cycle, play after play. You have your classic meta-textual musings about video games as well as a legitimately gripping tale filled with many twists and turns, good use of symbolism, salient points to make about Trauma and its effect on one's memory, the Fear of Change versus the necessity of it, and Depression. It all comes together by the end in a subjectively satisfying manner and...

...

And...

...

...I have to stop myself.

I'm reducing this deeply personal experience to a mere "review" and that's not what I'm here to do.

I don't know what I'm here to do.

Frankly, there are themes in this game I am not equipped to discuss, such as its intensely felt (and horrifyingly topical) commentary about Diaspora, the shared trauma of cultural displacement, a people fading away from memory like stars in the sky. That kind of analysis would be too much for a simple "review." if this were to be one, I would praise the game for being the best possible version of itself, the best version of a Time Loop story. One that perfectly applies the narrative tropes of the genre to its gameplay, plot, all that jazz. I would also state that it didn't reinvent the wheel of "Indie Gaming" and I could feel inclined to make obligatory comparisons to That One Game because that's the unfair standard by which everything MUST abide! No, I shall not do that. I need to rethink my approach. I am going to take a small break. In the meantime, please enjoy these unrelated GIF files of Christopher Lloyd from Toonstruck that I have lying around on the floor.

I had dinner with the family. It was a small, daily reminder that I am loved unconditionally. That I deserve it. Something that is immensely easy to forget. The meal was tastier than usual.

...

Back to it.

This is the brutally simple truth of the matter: there is a lot to love about In Stars and Time, with its writing, design choices, characters, nuances, big feelings. It has the potential to be a massive crowd pleaser and it would be well-deserved. It's got explicitly gay lore, as well! In case I didn't make it abundantly clear, this game is 100% queer. Every aspect of it, from the characters and the world they inhabit to the culture and its history, is built from the ground up as a queer utopia. You might recall, all the way to the first paragraph of this long-winded, amorphous ramble, I mentioned something about Change with a capital C. That is because the very concept of Change has been deified, becoming the base of a whole religion: an extremely inclusive, open-minded, progressive community that celebrates life in all its multi-faceted forms. A significant portion of its foundation is the magical technique of "Body Craft" which allows the user to literally transform their physical appearance into their preferred shape, one that better reflects who they are. Children are given many names, both male and female, for the purpose of facilitating their own change, should it occur. Literal and figurative transience lies at the heart of this belief system, meaning that about half the population is trans/non-binary, and queerness is normalcy. As a side note, I want to live in this world. Change is viewed as positive, in other words. In light of that, the arrival of a hostile entity with the power to simply stop all of existence from ever progressing by freezing everyone in place might seem like an easy metaphor to read. I assure you, the game is eager for you to make that assumption.

As I mentioned earlier, this story tackles Depression and it doesn't pull its punches when it comes to portray the more "inconvenient" aspects of living with crippling self-esteem issues. That's when the game became a masterpiece to me. I resonated with Siffrin (He/They), the protagonist. That's you!

Their struggle to navigate the constant torment of the loop is paralleled with their increasing mental and emotional instability. Intrusive thoughts overpowering their head, saying he will never be loved, that he's toxic and manipulative. There's the all too familiar frustration of not being understood by others despite not having tried to explain how you really feel to them, trapped as you are in your own head. Big issues are equated to "small" issues. I relate with most of this. Through the Time Loop allegory, In Stars and Time captures the Kafkian Horror of existing as a neurodivergent person who gets in the way of their own happiness. It's isolating, drives a barrier between your loved ones, makes you lose touch with reality. Sometimes you have good days, sometimes you have bad days. Everything eventually blends together in a sickening routine until you either drown or you start swimming furiously.

Then the cycle repeats.

It's too much.

You cannot do it alone.

You are not alone.

Let them in.

Let yourself be loved.

That is, in essence, the reason why I think so highly of this title. I related with the story and characters. Yes, it all comes down to the most obvious thesis statement in the universe. Yes, I probably didn't need to write so much about it but, regardless, I'm glad I did. I poured my feelings towards an Object D'Art onto figurative paper as I was processing them, doing away with any pseudo-intellectual vernacular in order to get to the soul of the matter. I expressed my emotions and I feel better for having done so. Now, I can move on. All that is left to do is to recommend the game.

...

Go play In Stars and Time, I recommend it. It's good.

...

That's about it.

...

You're still here.

...

......

..............

Go away, stupid!

---

A/N:

Thank you for reading this rather personal piece. The article was extrapolated from a thread I wrote down on the subject. You can read that here. I also typed about the official prologue to the game, Start Again, which you can view here.

As a reminder, I have a YouTube channel.

In Stars and Time was developed by Adrienne Bazir. Follow them on Twitter, Tumblr and Itch.io.

Tell the people in your life how much they mean to you, and have a good day.

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the-irrelevant-trumpeter · 1 year

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okay 1 person wants the essay and that is enough for me.

so obviously all of the goes wrong productions are ensemble pieces. but i firmly believe that if you had to assign a main character to each goes wrong production, annie twilloil would be the main character of the play that goes wrong. why? because her story follows the basic outline of the hero's journey template. it's a simplified version, as this is a comedy show, and the development of characters is not a priority. but the framework is there, and that's what i'll go through with you today.

(disclaimer that this is mostly just a joke, so don't take this too seriously. i am also not a literary expert, so if anything here isn't correct, don't yell at me. feel free to explain anything to me nicely though.)

i am using christopher vogler's 12-step outline as my basis for this, as it is a more modern adaptation of the original 17-step outline, which suits this show better. not every single one of the steps is fulfilled properly, because as i said, annie's character arc isn't exactly a priority in the show, but also because this is usually an outline that portrays a fantasy hero going on a quest to achieve a huge feat and save the world. as this is quite different to anything in tptgw, it's never going to quite fit. as i said, this is all just for fun and is not meant to be perfect.

anyway, without more blabber, here is my interpretation of annie twilloil's story arc through the lens of the hero's journey.

the ordinary world

we are introduced to the hero's regular world. annie's ordinary world is the behind-the-scenes stage manager work. this is where she is comfortable, and she is not yet facing any challenges.

the call to adventure

the hero is called to action in some sort of way. this is obviously when sandra is knocked out and they need someone to fill in for florence. annie is asked to leave her state of normalcy and enter the unknown world (aka go on stage and act).

refusal of the call

the hero may refuse the call at first, which means they either need to be convinced or forced into taking action. annie, at first, is very reluctant to play florence. this means that she is thrust into action against her will.

meeting the mentor

the hero meets the figure who takes the role of the story's mentor. this stage is a little tricky, as there isn't any single character who stands out to me as annie's mentor. the mentor in this case could be all of the other members of cornley, as they are her "guides" through the unknown world. a more abstract mentor could be her script, as it acts like her lifeboat and literally guides her through the show.

crossing the first threshold

the point of no return, the hero finally leaves the ordinary world and enters the unknown world. annie is pushed onstage as florence, thus quite literally making her cross from backstage (ordinary world) to onstage (unknown world).

tests, allies and enemies

the hero faces obstacles, gains allies and faces enemies. while she doesn't really have any allies or enemies to deal with, annie certainly has to go through a lot of tests. this is all of the stuff that "goes wrong" — problems with lines, issues with the set, getting caught in a loop, all the general shenanigans we see in the show. this section is traditionally the longest in the story, which fits with this show, as the whole point is that there's lots of challenges to overcome.

approach to the inmost cave

the inmost cave represents a large challenge that has been looming on the horizon, and in this stage, the hero prepares for this. this is one of the stages that doesn't really apply to annie's arc, as unlike the classic hero, she isn't particularly on a quest to do something, and therefore isn't aware that she's about to face a challenge. if you wanted to make something into this stage, it'd probably be the intermission — she commits herself to playing florence and prepares herself for the rest of the show.

ordeal

this is where the hero faces their biggest challenge yet, which may be their greatest fear or their deadliest foe. for a while, i thought this was probably when annie gets knocked out (because that seems like a pretty big challenge and probably her lowest point) but she doesn't really overcome a challenge here (except for... regaining her consciousness?). it's not particularly something she has to face herself (the other characters are the ones who have to deal with it). instead, i've decided that the best candidate for annie's ordeal is when she drops her script and has to try to act alone. up to this point, she's been gaining confidence, but now she's faced with her worst fear — she doesn't know what to say anymore. she's left vulnerable. this is a challenge she actually has to face herself, and she struggles through without a script until finally she acquires another copy.

reward (seizing the sword)

the hero receives a reward as a result of their overcoming of the ordeal. this is another stage that isn't super clear, because in comedy shows, characters don't really get rewarded. in fact, most of the comedy in this show revolves around the characters suffering at the hands of their incompetence. so annie doesn't particularly receive any reward for facing the ordeal. however, i do think there's a slight element of this, as her efforts assure her that she can handle being an actor, and even being off-script. it renews her faith in herself — something that will assist her during the climax.

the road back

this is when the hero tries to return to the ordinary world — or in annie's case, this is where they attempt to simply finish the play. but the road back isn't necessarily easy, and there are more challenges (like how she is knocked out). this leads up to the final confrontation with the antagonist before the hero returns, and is the preparation for the final battle — the climax of the show.

resurrection

this is the final climax, with the hero's final and biggest challenge. it's the hero's final exam, where we see whether they learned anything from the ordeal. we see that the hero has changed from the beginning of the story — they complete their transformation that has been building since the very beginning. for annie, this is obviously her final fight with sandra, who is really the antagonist in annie's story. we see that her confidence has grown, and her experiences with the ordeal have given her enough faith in her own abilities to fight sandra for the role, even abandoning her script. and in the end, she triumphs — she ends up on stage with sandra tied up behind her.

return with the elixir

the hero returns to their ordinary world with some sort of prize (the elixir). despite having come to the end of their adventure, they have been fundamentally changed as a person. this is mostly unseen in tptgw, but we can assume it happens post-canon. annie returns to being a stage manager (for now. we know she becomes an actor for peter pan goes wrong, but i would assume that for the rest of the in-universe performances of murder at haversham manor, she continues being a stage manager). she returns to her "ordinary world" changed — she has grown as a person, faced dangers, and has become a "master of two realms". the "elixir" she brings with her is as metaphorical as her reward after the ordeal was, but she's gained new skills and confidence, and discovered that she has a taste for acting.

if you got down this far, i admire your patience and dedication. if you have anything you want to add, argue, or comment, feel free. once again, this is just some fun and is not meant to be taken seriously. thank you for reading!

#i'm tagging this because i didn't put this much effort into typing this up #just for no one to see it #mischief theatre #mischief comedy #cornley drama society #cornley polytechnic drama society #the goes wrong universe #the play that goes wrong #annie twilloil #can't believe i just wrote a whole essay on a silly comedy play #when i have an actual essay due tomorrow that i haven't started

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moebiusx9 · 1 year

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Fate/Dread

I love a lot of Fate fan AUs so I had the courage to mention my own for a bit. Don’t really have the confidence for a full fic, so I’ll just mention the main ideas.

>Story is a prequel to the main Extraverse games (Extra, CCC, Extella, Extella Link)

>It is the Extraverse’s version of the Fifth Fuyuki Grail War, called the Terminus Grail War here as it is the last possible war to exist on earth with the quickly drying up mana

>Due to this, the greater grail was meddled with further, allowing for more Master/Servant spots to open up, akin to Apocrypha. So instead of just 7 servants (8 counting Angra Mainyuu, there are now 16. A second of all the main 7 class, plus an extra class)

> The original Hakuno is the protagonist. She is the most recent of a long line of continuous Morgan le Fay reincarnations throughout the decades akin to a fairy replacing another fairy in terms of “role” in LB6.

>Her family, the Kishinamis, broke off from those in the Blackmore Cemetary decades ago, and lived peacefully away from civilization with the role of preserving artifacts from Arthurian legend. Hakuno’s parents are deceased and she is left the last of her family.

>She is one of the first unfortunate victims of the recent Amnesia Syndrome outbreak some years before the story, and gets by as a mercenary for hire, going by the name “Morgause”. Forced to kill in a worn torn world, even if she knows it’s wrong, but has no choice.

>Hakuno in general is very bitter and cynical, her laid back, optimism gone after all she went through, now focused solely on survival and preserving artifacts that disappeared from her family’s care (She’s been tracking down Avalon after it was stolen before the fourth grail war, and eventually tracks it down to Fuyuki) she’s basically made to be like a dark mirror to AI Hakuno, the person she doesn’t want to be, but still sees herself as.

>She plans to join the Fifth War to wish for her Amnesia Syndrome to be cured, since the only one who knew how to cure it, Twice, died not too long ago.

>She moves to Fuyuki and goes under the alias of “Shirano Tsunokuma” to lay low and scope out Fuyuki three years before the war starts. Here, she’d meet and become friends with some of the Stay Night cast, especially Rin

>In classic Hakuno, fashion, she starts catching feelings for Rin the closer the two get but is aware Rin the head of the Tohsakas, meaning they’ll be forced to become enemies once the war starts. This becomes one of her main conflicts as she’d accepted she’d have to kill to survive long ago, but not to kill someone she’s close with.

>This leads her to use the “Morgause” persona once the war starts in a Lelouch/Zero sort of fashion. Later in the story, she’d be forcibly unmasked by Rin, in a similar, dramatic way.

>Story would also have Shirou as a secondary protag, expanding on his relationship with Artoria, and his journey to eventually becoming Nameless once Extra rolls around.

>Hakuno would immediately realize Shirou has Avalon and his servant is basically her childhood hero in King Arthur, causing more inner turmoil.

>As for Hakuno’s own servant, I’m not sure yet. I’ve thought of multiple ideas such as Nobunaga, Billy the Kid, Enkidu, Edmond Dantes, Daji/Tamamo, Berserker Lancelot, etc. but haven’t decided yet.

>Story would end with Hakuno casting aside her own wish at the very end so Rin can win the war and hopefully, make the world a better place, as Hakuno decides a killer like her has no place. (I also like to imagine it was Rin’s doing that Hakuno was safely put in cryosleep)

>Some shenanigans with Foreigners may or may not have been involved in some concepts.

Here are some servant/master ideas as well, let me know what yall think

#hakuno kishinami #haku brainrot yippeeee #Fate AU #fate/dread

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robthegoodfellow · 2 years

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Steve/Billy vs Harry/Draco

Okay so I don’t know what degree of overlap exists between current Stranger Things/Harringrove fans and former Harry Potter/Drarry fans (I never actually called the ship that, so I’ll be referring to it as H/D henceforth), but as someone who read A LOT of H/D fic in the early to late aughts, it’s been WILD how often the Steve/Billy dynamic in fics reminds me of those heyday H/D dynamics... which is probably why Harringrove owns my soul at the moment.

So I’ve been trying to put my finger on what exactly the similarities are that keep triggering this wonderful nostalgia for the good old days, before JKR revealed herself to be such an enraging garbage human.

CANON SIMILARITIES

Obviously there’s the parallel in the characters’ canon dynamics and roles in the plot, where Harry/Steve are on a hero’s journey and Draco/Billy are relatively minor “schoolyard” antagonists, but the canon connections pile up the more I thought about it.

1. There’s the particular similarity of Draco/Billy’s outage at Harry/Steve’s social clout and determination to dethrone/humiliate the perceived “kings” of the school (plus Steve/Harry being primarily baffled/annoyed by their unrelenting harassment).

2. Both pairs face off early on athletic arenas (quidditch vs basketball), and are super invested in one-upping each other.

3. Harry/Steve are presented as sort of effortlessly likable and popular most of the time, whereas Draco/Billy are presented as bigots prone to violent outbursts.

4. There’s also the fact that while Harry/Steve are neck-deep in crazy Main Plot shenanigans, Draco/Billy remain blissfully apart from the worst of it until they later become Plot Vessels themselves (uh, literally, in Billy’s case).

FIC SIMILARITIES

It goes without saying that this canon dynamic is IDEAL for amazing enemies to lovers scenarios in fic, where the subtext of Draco/Billy’s bullying is teased out to reveal an obsession with/crush on Harry/Steve. But there are so many specific tropes that have emerged in Harringrove fics that mirror classic H/D tropes that I tried to come up with a list:

1. Character elements that are emphasized or magnified and then explored with FAR MORE compelling nuance than in canon: Harry/Steve’s backgrounds of neglect/feeling unwanted by their families; Harry/Steve’s trauma after fighting monsters and almost dying multiple times; Draco/Billy’s backgrounds of paternal abuse/the affects of being raised by vicious bigots

2. Moments where the characters’ difference in privilege is highlighted or confronted, given Draco/Steve’s extreme wealth compared to Harry/Billy’s middle/working class upbringing (in households where they were both treated like dirt).

3. Moments where Draco/Billy are made to confront and/or atone for their bigoted and/or bullying behavior.

4. Fics finding awesome ways to bring a multifaceted side antagonist (Draco/Billy) into the Main Plot in wayyy more interesting and meaningful ways than depicted in canon, resulting in delicious “bringing Draco/Billy into the loop” scenes where they are inducted into the weirdness that’s been going on beyond the scope of their minimal canon character arcs.

5. Highly descriptive emphasis on the minute and major contrasts in their physical character design (blond vs brunet, pale vs tan, lanky vs muscular).

6. The SNARK and BANTER that is sooo amped up in Draco/Billy especially, with wildly entertaining and endearing results.

7. The sneaking around to find opportunities to be together, given that society/their friends would not approve.

8. The horrified reactions from friend groups when their relationship is revealed, followed by an adjustment/reconciliation period.

Unfortunately, all of this resulted in one last similarity: feelings of intense frustration when Draco/Billy, characters so brilliantly developed in endlessly creative ways in fic, are done so dirty by canon, and all that potential is flushed down the toilet.

I dunno, is it just me?

#harringrove #harry/draco #drarry #billy/steve #harry x draco #billy x steve #fanfic

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market-spy · 4 months

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Diving into the Depths: AUV Market in Offshore Oil and Gas IRM

Ahoy, fellow Earth-dwellers! Today, we embark on a deep-sea journey to unravel the mysteries of the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) market in the realm of Offshore Oil and Gas Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance (IRM). Hold on to your hats, because it’s about to get wet and wild!

Making Waves in the Market:

Picture this: a market valued at a whopping USD 0.61 billion in 2022, riding a CAGR wave of 21% that’s set to crash into the shores of USD 3.39 billion by 2031. Yes, you heard it right — AUVs are making waves, not just in the literal sense!

Why the AUV Hype?

What’s the fuss about these underwater contraptions, you ask? Well, it turns out AUVs are the rockstars of the Offshore Oil and Gas IRM scene. With an industry clamoring for cost-friendliness, safety, and environmental compliance, AUVs have waltzed in as the heroes. Imagine a world where downtime is reduced, and the only danger is whether the AUVs prefer rock or classical music.

Going Deeper, Going Remote:

Offshore projects are taking a plunge into deeper waters, venturing into remote areas that even your most adventurous friend wouldn’t dare explore. Enter AUVs, stage left. These aquatic wonders extend beyond the mundane Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance routine, embracing tasks like environmental monitoring and data collection. It’s like turning Batman into Batman with a PhD in marine biology.

Tech Evolution:

ML, AI, and AUVs — Oh My! Hold on to your snorkels because technology is at the helm of this submarine extravaganza. AUVs are now infused with the wizardry of Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). No longer just underwater drones, they’ve become underwater Einsteins, providing data analysis so accurate it’ll make your GPS blush.

Market Geographies:

Europe, North America, APAC, and the Rising Stars Europe, North America, and the Asia Pacific (APAC) — the triumvirate of AUV supremacy. But wait, the underdogs are rising! Africa and South America are catching the AUV wave, as their oil and gas applications grow. The competitive landscape is a sea of big players like Kongsberg Maritime and Saab Group, all vying for the top spot.

Market Snapshot — 2024–2031:

Global Market Size: USD 0.61 billion

Largest Segment: Light Weight Vehicle (LWV)

Fastest Growth: Heavy Weight Vehicles (HWVs)

Growth Rate: 21% CAGR

Segmental Shenanigans:

Dive into the nitty-gritty with segments like Man-portable, Light Weight Vehicle (LWV), and Heavy Weight Vehicles (HWVs). It’s like choosing between a compact car, a speedboat, and a full-blown submarine for your underwater adventures.

Water Depth Drama:

Shallow, deep, or ultra-deep waters — the eternal struggle for supremacy. Shallow water AUVs are the popular kids on the block, versatile and compatible with every underwater shindig. Deepwater and ultra-deepwater AUVs, on the other hand, are like the niche artists, critical but overshadowed by the mainstream.

Market Dynamics:

Driving and Slamming on the Brakes Drivers like increasing offshore activities, safety concerns, and cost efficiency are propelling AUVs forward. But watch out for the road bumps — high initial investment, limited payload capacity, and technical challenges might put a dent in the AUV parade.

Competitive Landscape:

The Ocean’s Got Talent The AUV market is a fierce battleground, with heavyweights like Saab Group and Ocean Infinity flaunting their high-tech weaponry. But the real MVPs are the startups, bringing fresh ideas and innovation to the underwater arena. It’s like the tech version of Aquaman meets Shark Tank.

For More Information: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/auv-for-offshore-oil-and-gas-irm-market

Recent Developments:

AUVs Making Headlines From Saab’s mysterious customer order to Fugro’s North Sea pipeline inspection, AUVs are hogging the headlines. Oceaneering International even went shopping, acquiring Seabotix to expand its AUV wardrobe. It’s like a Hollywood blockbuster, but underwater!

Key Market Trends:

More Than Just Submarine Swag AI and ML integration, multi-mission AUVs, and hybrid AUV systems are the cool kids on the AUV block. It’s not just about inspection; it’s about data, efficiency, and versatility. AUVs are evolving faster than a school of fish chased by a hungry shark.

Conclusion:

The Deep-Sea Disco Continues As we surface from the depths of the AUV market, one thing’s clear — AUVs are not just underwater drones; they’re the maestros of the Offshore Oil and Gas IRM orchestra. With technology, innovation, and a touch of underwater pizzazz, they’re set to rule the waves for years to come. So, buckle up, fellow explorers, because the deep-sea disco is far from over!

About Us-

SkyQuest Technology Group is a Global Market Intelligence, Innovation Management & Commercialization organization that connects innovation to new markets, networks & collaborators for achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

1 Apache Way,

Westford,

Massachusetts 01886

USA (+1) 617–230–0741

Email- [email protected]

Website: https://www.skyquestt.com

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sqinsights · 4 months

Text

Diving into the Depths: AUV Market in Offshore Oil and Gas IRM

Making Waves in the Market:

Why the AUV Hype?

Going Deeper, Going Remote:

Tech Evolution:

Market Geographies:

Market Snapshot — 2024–2031:

Global Market Size: USD 0.61 billion

Largest Segment: Light Weight Vehicle (LWV)

Fastest Growth: Heavy Weight Vehicles (HWVs)

Growth Rate: 21% CAGR

Segmental Shenanigans:

Water Depth Drama:

Market Dynamics:

Competitive Landscape:

For More Information: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/auv-for-offshore-oil-and-gas-irm-market

Recent Developments:

Key Market Trends:

Conclusion:

About Us-

SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

1 Apache Way,

Westford,

Massachusetts 01886

USA (+1) 617–230–0741

Email- [email protected]

Website: https://www.skyquestt.com

0 notes

lokiondisneyplus · 3 years

Text

A review of “Journey Into Mystery,” the penultimate Loki Season One episode on Disney+, coming up just as soon as I paper cut a giant cloud to death…

Journey Into Mystery was the title of the first Marvel comic to feature either Thor or Loki. It began as an anthology series featuring monsters and aliens, but Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and Larry Lieber were so smitten with their adaptation of the characters of Norse myth that the Asgardians gradually took over the whole book, which was renamed after its hammer-wielding hero(*).

(*) The early Journey Into Mystery stories treated Thor’s alter ego, disabled Dr. Donald Blake, as the “real” character, while Thor was just someone Blake could magically transform into, while retaining his memories and personality. It wasn’t even clear whether Asgard itself was meant to exist at first, until Loki turned up on Earth in an early issue, caused trouble, and Blake/Thor somehow knew exactly how to get to Asgard to drop him off. Soon, the lines between Thor and Blake began to blur, and eventually Thor became the real guy, and Blake a fiction invented by Odin to humble his arrogant son. It’s a mark of just how instantly charismatic Loki was that the entire title quickly steered towards him and the other gods.

But once upon a time, anything was possible in Journey Into Mystery, which makes it an apt moniker for an absolutely wonderful episode of Loki where the same holds true. Our title characters are trapped in the Void, a place at the end of time where the TVA’s victims are banished to be devoured by a cloud monster named Alioth. And mostly they are surrounded by the wreckage of many dead timelines. Classic Loki insists that his group’s only goal is survival, and any kind of planning and scheming is doomed to kill the Loki who tries. But this ruined, hopeless world instead feels bursting with imagination and possibility.

There are the many Loki variants we see, with President Loki, among others, joining Classic, Kid, Boastful, and Alligator Loki. There are the metric ton of Easter Eggs just waiting to be screencapped by Marvel obsessives (I discuss a few of them down below), but which still suggest a much larger and weirder MCU even if you don’t immediately scream out “Is that… THROG?!?!?” at the appropriate moment. And all of that stuff is tons of fun, to be sure. But what makes this episode — and, increasingly, this series — feel so special is the way that it explores the untapped potential of Loki himself, in his many, many variations.

This is an episode that owes more than a small stylistic and thematic debt to Lost. It’s not just that Alioth looks and sounds so much like the Smoke Monster(*), that it makes a shared Wizard of Oz reference to “the man behind the curtain” (also the title of one of the very best Lost episodes), or even that the core group of Lokis are hiding in a bunker accessible via a hatch and a ladder that’s filled with recreational equipment (in this case, bowling alley lanes). It’s also that Loki, Sylvie, their counterparts, and Mobius have all been transported to a strange place that has disturbing echoes from their own lives, that operates according to strange new rules they have to learn while fleeing danger, and their presence there allows them to reflect on the many mistakes of their past and consider whether they want to, or can, transcend them.

(*) Yes, Alioth technically predates Smokey by a decade (see the notes below for more), but his look has been tweaked a bit here to seem more like smoke than a cloud, and the sounds he makes when he roars sound a lot like Smokey’s telltale taxi cab meter clicks. Given the other Lost hat tips in the episode, I have to believe Alioth was chosen specifically to evoke Smokey.

Classic Loki is aptly named. He wears the Sixties Jack Kirby costume, and he is a far more powerful magician than either Sylvie or our Loki have allowed themselves to be. He calls our Loki’s knives worthless compared to his sorcery, which feels like the show acknowledging that the movies depowered Loki a fair amount to make him seem cooler. But if Classic Loki can conjure up illusions bigger and more potent than his younger peers, he is a fundamentally weak and defeated man, convinced, like the others, that the only way to win the game into which he was born is not to play. “We cannot change,” he insists. “We’re broken. Every version of ourselves. Forever.” It is not only his sentiment — Kid Loki adds that any Loki who tries to improve inevitably winds up in the Void for their troubles — but it seems to have weighed on him longer and harder than most.

But Classic Loki takes inspiration from Loki and Sylvie to stand and fight rather than turn and run, magicking up a vision of their homeland to distract Alioth at a crucial moment in Sylvie’s plan, and getting eaten for his trouble. He was wrong: Lokis can change. (Though Kid Loki might once again argue that Classic Loki’s death is more evidence that the universe has no interest in any of them doing so.) And both Loki and Sylvie have been changing throughout their time together. Like most Lokis, they seem cursed to a life of loneliness. Sylvie learned as a child that a higher power believed she should not exist, and has spent a lifetime hiding out in places where any friends she might make will soon die in an apocalypse. Our Loki’s past isn’t quite so stark, but the knowledge that his birth father abandoned him, while his adoptive father never much liked him, have left permanent scars that govern a lot of his behavior. The defining element of Classic Loki’s backstory is that he spent a long time alone on a planet, and only got busted by the TVA when he attempted to reconnect with his brother and anyone else he once knew. This is a hard existence, for all of them. And while it does not forgive them their many sins(*), it helps contextualize them, and give them the knowledge to try to be better versions of themselves.

(*) Loki at one point even acknowledges that, for him, it’s probably only been a few days since he led an alien invasion of New York that left many dead, though due to TVA shenanigans, far more time may have passed.

For that matter, Mobius is not the stainless hero he once thought of himself as. While he and Sylvie are tooling around the Void in a pizza delivery car (because of course they are), he admits that he committed a lot of sins by believing that the ends justified the means, and was wrong. He doesn’t know who he is before the TVA stole and factory rebooted him, but he knows that he wants something better for himself and the universe, and takes the stolen TemPad to open up a portal to his own workplace in hopes of tearing down the TVA once and for all. Before he goes, though, he and Loki share a hug that feels a lot more poignant than it should, given that these characters have only spent parts of four episodes of TV together. It’s a testament to Hiddleston, Wilson, Waldron, and company (Tom Kauffman wrote this week’s script) that their friendship felt so alive and important in such a short amount of time.

The same can be said for Loki and Sylvie’s relationship, however we’re choosing to define it. Though they briefly cuddle together under a blanket that Loki conjures, they move no closer to romance than they were already. If anything, Mobius’ accusations of narcissism in last week’s episode seem to have made both of them pull back a bit from where they seemed to be heading back on Lamentis. But the connection between them is real, whatever exactly it is. And their ability to take down Alioth — to tap into the magic that Classic Loki always had, and to fulfill Loki’s belief that “I think we’re stronger than we realize” — by working together is inspiring and joyful. Without all this nuanced and engaging character work, Loki would still be an entertaining ride, but it’s the marriage of wild ideas with the human element that’s made it so great.

Of course, now comes the hard part. Endings have rarely been an MCU strength, give or take something like the climax of Endgame, and the finales of the two previous Disney+ shows were easily their weakest episodes. The strange, glorious, beautiful machine that Waldron and Herron have built doesn’t seem like it’s heading for another generic hero/villain slugfest, but then, neither did WandaVision before we got exactly that. This one feels different so far, though. The command of the story, the characters, and the tone are incredibly strong right now. There is a mystery to be solved about who is in the big castle beyond the Void (another Loki makes the most narrative and thematic sense to me, but we’ll see), and a lot to be resolved about what happens to the TVA and our heroes. And maybe there’s some heavy lifting that has to be done in service to the upcoming Dr. Strange or Ant-Man films.

It’s complicated, but on a show that has handled complexity well. Though even if the finale winds up keeping things simpler, that might work. As Loki notes while discussing his initial plan to take down Alioth, “Just because it’s not complicated doesn’t mean it’s bad.” Though as Kid Loki retorts, “It also doesn’t mean it’s good.”

Please be good, Loki finale. Everything up to this point deserves that.

Some other thoughts:

* Most of this week’s most interesting material happens in the Void. But the scenes back at the TVA clarify a few things. First, Ravonna is not the mastermind of all this, and she was very much suckered in by the Time-Keeper robots. But unlike Mobius or Hunter B-15, she’s so conditioned to the mission that even knowing it’s a lie hasn’t really swayed her from her mission. She has Miss Minutes (who herself is much craftier this week) looking into files about the creation of the TVA, but for the most part comes across as someone very happy with a status quo where she gets to be special and pass judgment on the rest of the multiverse.

* Alioth first appeared in 1993’s Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective, a miniseries (written by Mobius inspiration Mark Gruenwald, and with some extremely kewl Nineties art full of shoulder pads, studded collars, and the like) involving Ravonna, Kang, and the off-brand versions of Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor (aka U.S. Agent, War Machine, and Thunderstrike, the latter of whom has yet to appear in the MCU). It’s a sequel to a Nineties crossover event called Citizen Kang. And no, I still don’t buy that Kang will be the one pulling the strings here, if only because it’s really bad storytelling for the big bad of the season to have never appeared or even been mentioned prior to the finale.

* Rather than try to identify every Easter egg visible in the Void’s terrain, I’ll instead highlight three of the most interesting. Right before the Lokis arrive at the hatch, we see a helicopter with Thanos’ name on it. This is a hat tip to an infamous — and often memed — out-of-continuity story where Thanos flies this chopper while trying to steal the Cosmic Cube (aka the Tesseract) from Hellcat. (A little kid gets his hands on it instead and, of course, uses the Cube to conjure up free ice cream.) James Gunn has been agitating for years for the Thanos Copter to be in the MCU. He finally got his wish.

* The other funny one: When the camera pans down the tunnel into Kid Loki’s headquarters, we see Mjolnir buried in the ground, and right below it is a jar containing a very annoyed frog in a Thor costume. This is either Thor himself — whom Loki cursed into amphibianhood in a memorable Walt Simonson storyline — or another character named Simon Walterston (note the backwards tribute to Walt) who later assumed the tiny mantle.

* Also, in one scene you can spot Yellowjacket’s helmet littering the landscape. This might support the theory that the TVA, the Void, etc., all exist in the Quantum Realm, since that’s where the MCU version of Yellowjacket probably went when his suit shorted out and he was crushed to subatomic size. Or it might be more trolling of the fanbase from the company that had WandaVision fans convinced that Mephisto, the X-Men, and/or Reed Richards would be appearing by the season finale.

* Honestly, I would have watched an entire episode that was just Loki, Mobius, and the others arguing about whether Alligator Loki was actually a Loki, or just a gator who ended up with the crown, presumably after eating a real Loki. The suggestion that the gator might be lying — and that this actually supports, rather than undermines, the case for him being a Loki — was just delightful. And hey, if Throg exists in the MCU now, why not Alligator Loki?

* Finally, the MCU films in general are not exactly known for their visual flair, though a few directors like Taika Waititi and Ryan Coogler have been able to craft distinctive images within the franchise’s usual template. Loki, though, is so often wonderful to look at, and particularly when our heroes are stuck in strange environments like Lamentis or the Void. Director Kate Herron and the VFX team work very well together to create dynamic and weird imagery like Sylvie running from Alioth, or the chaotic Loki battle in the bowling alley. Between this show and WandaVision, it appears the Disney+ corner of the MCU has a bit more room to expand its palette. (Falcon and the Winter Soldier, much less so.)

#Loki #spoilers #episode 5 #review #Rolling Stone #Alan Sepinwall

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yourfandomfriend · 3 years

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The World of Tomorrow || Loki Meta

What makes a villain A Villain?

We all have our own private answer to the question, our own terms & conditions for villainy. But basically, the title is immutable: a villain is a character created for the sole purpose of being defeated. Someone who was born to lose so that the hero can win. The dragon born to be slain, the king born to be overthrown, the witch in the tower waiting her whole life for that fateful bucket of water to take her out.

But knowing the Why of Villainy, the thoughtful audience must ask a litany of follow-up questions that eventually always leads to one:

**SPOILERS**

For Loki (season one), “The Variant” For Spoilers for Knives Out **SPOILERS**

Well?

In my opinion, a Loki begins life as a brilliant fool. A highly intelligent but painfully naïve, faithless, manipulative underdog who -- due to tragic insecurity, an unearned sense of entitlement, and an irresistible instinct toward shenanigans -- is a constant victim of his own folly, subjected to one lonely defeat after another stretching out over forever.

But forever is an awfully long time, and eventually the fool starts to get wise, starts to learn from all his defeats. What is he doing wrong? Can he ever win? Can he ever change? Will the universe ever let him?

The answer, weirdly enough, is usually "No, because if the villain wins or stops being the villain, the whole story falls to pieces."

This is when the Loki usually whangs his head on the Fourth Wall and realizes he's fallen victim to an apparatus. A game that's rigged against him. That no matter how he struggles, or what ground he seems to gain, he can never win against the Hero. That’s just not how it’s written.

youtube

And if it's a story, there must be an author, right? Someone to bargain with or to hold accountable. When a Loki realizes the true villain of his own story is the person who wrote it, the person who condemned him to an eternity of sorrow and shame, he finally has a chance of changing things.

Which Loki Are You?

In the Void, we're presented with all manner of lokis, but while we can get hung up on labels like Kid and President and Alligator, there's more to these aspects of Loki, these variations on the theme of him. Kid Loki is the most somber and regretful of all of them, despite being the kid, because of his nexus event and the tragic finality of it. Classic Loki is the wisest by virtue of age, but he still has one last leg of his journey at the end.

But out of all the lokis we're presented within this season, our protagonist Loki is the most innocent-. Not in the sense of "never did nothin' to no one" but because he's the least broken by loss. The easiest to turn back into that boy he used to be. In ”The Variant,” our Loki wanted to meet the author of his story so he could turn on the charm and negotiate a better ending for himself.

Sylvie, meanwhile, is in possession of zero faith that there’s any such thing as a better ending. Her Glorious Purpose is to find the author of her story and chop him into messes. It's more than just about ending the tragic tale. She wants her pound of flesh. Because her pain can't be rewritten; it's hers and she can not, will not part with it. There's no turning back now.

Loki frequently wonders, "Why is Sylvie so un-Loki-like?" Well... like all Loki variants, she's made of Loki, but unlike the others, she's made of just the one dimension. She's him alone. Toxic. Scary. Formidable. Unreasonable. She's all of his anger and independence and hurt embodied in one terrifying person, but without the thousand plus years of everything else to temper her.

This part of Loki is the one on display in the first Avengers movie, the part most fans reject or come up with headcanons to rationalize. The part of him that won't listen because he believes he is the victim of a cosmic injustice, believes that no one cares about him despite evidence to the contrary, and the part that can't imagine a reality in which he's wrong. The part that's willing to hurt the people who love him just to satisfy his thirst for vengeance.

This series led our new protagonist Loki variant down a path where he could change, and change quickly, learning from Mobius that there are other things and people who matter outside of his limited experience. And that his destructive actions will obviously lead him to a bitter end.

But when Loki tries to teach this lesson to Sylvie, it's without the understanding of her that Mobius had of him -- Sylvie does not, can not see it all like he does because she really is the victim of a cosmic injustice.

As a little girl, she had her whole life and family and everything taken from her and replaced with a wide-awake nightmare where she was chased relentlessly by powerful, heartless adults bent on her destruction and never knew what she could've possibly done to deserve such pain and misery.

Being told someone cares for her isn't enough to save her because thinking she's unloved isn't her villain origin like it was for Loki. But Loki can't wrap his head around that, he can't fathom how knowing for sure that you’re worthy of love doesn't kiss all the boo-boos for her like it does for him.

In Lamentis, the show hammers you with the differences between these two variations on the Loki theme: our protag Loki is a clever, spoiled, playful, imaginative, sneaky, insecure, charming pixie.

He craves constant attention and amusement and validation and love, because he's basically a child. But for all his faults and weaknesses, when called upon, he is impressively resilient and brave and adaptable. He can start over, improvise, rethink his life. He can do anything. And he knows it.

He's "New Loki." The Loki who can change. Not just himself, but everything.

Sylvie, on the other hand, is a lot more mature than our Loki, not only because she's apparently older, but because she had her innocence taken from her, and life's been a lot less kind to her. She's tougher and stronger, more capable and methodical, and has far more conviction and confidence in herself.

But she also has a far more brittle spirit. She's less flexible and less imaginative than Loki, less capable of seeing nuance, or of picking herself back up when her plans go awry. Less trusting, less loving, less connected to any world or person, and less likely to make said connections.

She's "Runaway Loki." She got out, but she doesn't know how to come back.

Why It Matters

Right from the jump, Loki's invested in the idea of another Loki. After all, there's only one person in this world you can trust, right? Being able to find another person just like him to scheme with sounds like a brilliant idea in the beginning, so he doesn't know why the other Loki isn't on board for it.

She doesn't want power, she doesn't revel in being a loki, she isn't nice to him. Why not? What's wrong with Loki that she's so averse to the idea? Is she really the superior Loki? And does that mean he's a disappointment?

His desperation to find out leads him to actually trying to understand someone else and, in doing so, sees hidden beauty in the worst part of himself like he never could if he was merely looking into a mirror. Just like the Time Theater in the first episode, Sylvie gave him a chance to see himself from the outside and with that one degree of separation, he finds he admires Sylvie for the same reasons we might admire him.

Meanwhile, for Sylvie, Loki may embody to her all the things she’s lost, the parts of her she had to limp on without: the innocence, the joy, the rich heritage, the optimism. But especially, the tenderness. The vulnerability, the cuteness, the charm. The way he sucks and is a sandy little butthole, but only in the most endearing ways.

At first, she's disgusted -- she left all that stuff behind as a child for a reason! But she can't help but be comforted by his presence, consoled by his sweetness. She can't help smiling. Our Loki, more so than any other one in this series, is able to reach out to people and let himself be loved. not just because he needs it, but because (after the Time Theater) he still believes it can happen.

But Sylvie's been hurt too badly to risk trusting someone and having her heart properly broken all over again. She pushes him away because, in the end, they aren't the same. Not entirely.

Gravity's Rainbow

I recently rewatched Knives Out since I think of it as an "autumn movie" (and everything after the 4th of July is Halloween, fight me). And I noticed how much the character of Benoit Blanc now reminds me of Mobius -- not just because he's a delightfully folksy little blueberry of a detective, but because of his special arc as a "passive observer" turned "invested participant."

At the beginning of the movie, Blanc likens his method of detection to a force of nature which he believes will lead him to The Truth. and he thinks of himself as someone who won't allow his mind and heart to get in the way of The Truth, whatever it may be.

But over the course of the film, he begins to realize that if The Truth is that Marta Cabrera is going to prison for being a good nurse and that the horrible Thrombey family is getting her fortune, he wants nothing to do with said truth. Fuck it. It's not justice -- Marta is an uncommonly kind person and she doesn't deserve to have her life ruined, especially not when he can save it.

If you don't see the connection between Determinism and the Just World Fallacy, the similarity between Mobius and Blanc isn't readily apparent, but at the place where one's ideology and true philosophy meet, both Mobius and Blanc learn that just because something is factual doesn't mean it's right, or good, or that they can abide it.

I've heard people say that Mobius was "the only person who trusted Loki" and that is a load of bunk. He never truly trusted him, because Loki never gave anyone a reason to. But Mobius doesn't think that's all there is to Loki, or that it's anywhere near enough to condemn him.

He sees the potential for heroism in Loki, wasted in the Sacred Timeline. He sees love turned to pain, trust turned to fear. A vulnerable soul shut out in the cold, all because -- at least from a certain perspective -- no one managed to get to this kid before it was too late. And Mobius could not abide that. Not when he could do something about it.

He doesn't want to believe Loki when he says the TVA is lying to him, he tries hard not to. But the same perspicacity in him that sees through Loki's "God-King" bullshit also begins to see through the lies Ravonna tells him, allowing him to overcome the crushing weight of everything he's been brainwashed into believing without question.

And that's where people really don't give this show and its characters enough credit. Mobius doesn't think Loki's a worthwhile person because he just loves him so much. He loves him because he's a worthwhile person. Because Mobius knows him, and it turns out, to know Loki is to love him.

This magical knowing of lokis gets extended to Sylvie, and briefly, to Classic Loki, who then proves himself capable not only of great sorcery but also of great change, great heroism. Lokis can change, it's just... not easy to convince them of that without a Mobius.

R. Slayer

Finding out the truth was enough to convince Mobius and B-15 to change their worldview and alinement, but it wasn't so much for Ravonna. She's in too deep to stop now, she's poured too much money into this lemon and can't stand to junk it.

But that's vague, right? We know she's done something for the cause that she can't walk away from, but not really what it was yet. It had to be something that ran against her grain if she tried to prune Mobius a second time to protect the Time Keepers after finding out they don't even exist.

The assumption is that, like her counterpart in the comics, Ravonna is doing all this for Kang. Buuuuuut she doesn't seem to know who that is. This seems more like a Sunk Cost thing, where she's done something fucked up or given up something precious for the cause and needs to justify it retroactively. Only time will tell what that is.

Perspective

Does anyone else remember two months ago? When Loki fans were actually considering a separate tag for this new Loki to distinguish him from the "Real Loki" and talking about how they don't care what happens to him? Or the people who said Mobius was “clearly a villain” and they wanted Loki to team up with the dangerous variant to kill him and burn the TVA to the ground? Or when so many people hated B-15 and called her every name in the book for whupping up on Loki with her timey-wimey pain stick?

#loki #spoilers #meta #long post #seriously. long post.#sylvie laufeydottir #mobius #ravonna renslayer #the loki show #loki series meta

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neoyi · 3 years

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More Kingdom Hearts II talk, more light and dark, and more Disney shilling. This covers my trip to Halloween Town, Pride Lands, and TRON. Sora gets terribly Too Whimsical For His Own Good during these portions.

*I like the new Christmas costumes and music for the Final Mix add on, but Sora essentially dressed as Goth Santa Claus is an experience. On the other side, Donald’s alternate costume is probably the least cursed out of all his alternate costume.

*While I find it darling that Sora is ecstatic to meet Santa Claus, his enthusiasm sometimes borders on exaggeration. I’ve heard Sora gets more and more whimsical in each new iteration and I’m not saying the kid wouldn’t be squealing to meet Santa Claus, I’m just saying I don’t think KH1 Sora was anywhere near as cheerful as this Sora is.

*This reoccurs again during his trip to the Pride Lands where he decides he wants to be their King and that’s that. No thoughts on getting back to Destiny’s Island where Kairi is. No thoughts on Riku. He only drops this mentality when Rafiki shuts him down and just goes on as normal.

It’s just oddly detached and ratchets up both Sora’s flakiness. He wasn’t a smart cookie, but a lot of his reactions to events and characters in the first game felt realistic or appropriate for his age. Sora sometimes feels like a cookie with extra frosty on top in KHII.

*So Sora is in Santa Claus’ list, implying this particular Santa accounts for any kids who believes in him in Sora’s World. Does this mean Nightmare Before Christmas Santa Claus exists in Sora’s world? Does that mean Halloween Town does as well? Or does Santa’s work transcend the multidimensional? How does this Santa keep up with multiple dimensional Christmas trips if we’re to assume he’s in charge of ALL worlds that believe in him? What kind of Christmas magic are you pulling out of your ass, old man?

*The game seem to imply the events of The Nightmare Before Christmas already took place (least, some of the dialogue indicate familiarity between Jack and Santa Claus), yet Jack is up to his shenanigans again to accidentally fuck up Christmas and all I can think about is this Spongebob meme:

*I remember Maleficent was woefully underused in this game and had me asking what even was the point of her rejuvenation, but I never realized how under-cooked her plans are. She doesn’t seem to have an overreaching goal. One minute she’s trying to secure a new castle for herself, the next she’s gung-ho after Sora and pals. I think the implication is that she’s trying to regain her foothold after Sora and friends thoroughly trashed her Disney Villain Club back in KH1, but with bigger fish to fry and little sign of any advances from her end, she just feels like a useless sock hung off to dry.

*Look man, I know Sora’s not the brightest bulb on the island, but he can’t be that dumb to mistake hyenas for Heartless. Can he?

*The sound effect whenever the Oathkeeper strikes is kind of ear-piercing for me. I do not like it.

*Pride Lands recaps the latter half of The Lion King, but in a twist I really liked, most of it was from Nala’s perspective. It’s Nala who meets Sora and friends first and it’s Nala’s journey to find Simba and defeat Scar that we are privy to. While there isn’t anything revolutionary with the narrative or Nala’s character, it’s really nice to see things from her viewpoint before Sora meets Simba proper.

*Square Enix had to cut the “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” sequence because Disney told them Simba is a hero and they can’t have him do that or otherwise they won’t be able to sell toys.

*Christ, I forgot Mufasa’s ghost is the conduit for Sora to unlock the next gate from the Pride Lands.

*You know, props for including the TRON mainframe. Like the movie (and its sequel/spin-offs) is decently out there to the public now, but it was still a cult classic only a select few really gave a shit about back in 2005 ("Did anyone see the movie TRON?"). I won’t even pretend for a second KHII didn’t introduce TRON to a lot of folks growing up with this game.

*But my god, Sora’s TRON helmet is really doofy. Look at how his hair is sticking out. It’s like he got bald and the helmet is covering up that portion.

*Sora and pals: no idea what terms like “Users”, “mainframe”, and “processing data” means. Somehow figures out “derezzed” - literally the only made up word here - means they’re done for. ...Sure, okay.

*Really cool they went out of their way to make sure every single keyblade also glows neon blue.

*Sad the TRON bike level is...kind of lame.

*It’s not a competition given Disney’s mandate strictly forbids most Disney Worlds to interact anymore than they’re allowed to within the central plot, but TRON bucks that trend. It’s pretty neat their world (once originally part of ENCOM) has since become Ansem’s primary computer mainframe to which he used to rule and build his kingdom with, the titular character serving as his chief programmer.

Tron goes through the whole “I am data, human logic does not compute, but I wish to learn” exploration, but he already show signs of understanding that we humans are pretty contradictory creatures and that we’re just as capable of throwing the curtain back - for good or ill. (This also neatly allows him to function as his own being instead of motivating his goodwill through sheer programming.) His relationship with Ansem both function as a benevolent tool and a limiter. He believed Ansem was capable of good and was thus programmed to preserve and save Hollow Bastion, but Ansem also brought in their main culprit - the MCP - to its system, something Tron is puzzled with since he isn’t aware of Ansem’s fate.

Since we already knew Ansem was once a King who eventually succumbed to the Darkness, this is honestly, pretty neat worldbuilding (Course, the wool will be pulled over again when we find out Ansem isn’t Ansem and...I’ll deal with that particular plot point later on because yeah, doozy.)

#kingdom hearts #neoyi talks #kingdom hearts II

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metalandmagi · 5 years

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Summer 2019 Anime Worth Watching

Summer is here, and with it brings another new season of anime! In case you’re feeling lost and want to find some new shows to pass the time, here’s some of the anime I think are worth checking out...because some really good shows tend to fly under the radar. I think there’s some genuinely interesting stuff this season, so hopefully you’ll find something you like too.

I also have a Winter list and a Spring list and a fall list now!

And here’s my master list for 2020

New Shows!

Given: A *cough* BL *cough* romance anime in which tsundere highschool guitarist Ritsuka Uenoyama is on the verge of losing his passion for music when he stumbles upon the sleepy-eyed Mafuyu Sato who constantly carries a guitar around that he doesn’t know how to play. Drama and musical shenanigans ensue. This was by far my most anticipated show of the season, because I happen to have read a few chapters of this manga and liked it a lot. The only reason I stopped was because I wanted to hear the music in this music oriented story...so naturally the anime makes me very happy. Not only is it sweet and cute with great animation, but it’s also hilarious. Sato is also basically a human incarnation of a lost puppy, and you just help but fall in love with him and the other characters! AND NOW WE HAVE TWO GAY MUSIC SHOWS THIS SEASON!

Dr. STONE: An action adventure anime that takes place 3,700 years in the future after the world is struck with a mysterious phenomenon that turns the entire human race to stone. Our protagonists: the genius, scientific minded Senku Ishigami and the muscle-y comic relief Taiju Oki, must find a way to rebuild civilization and turn humanity back to normal using the POWER OF SCIENCE! It’s fun, good looking, and way more interesting than I thought it would be. I’m not very attached to the main characters yet, although it’s still early. I’m mainly sticking around for the plot, the comedy, and the answers to the crazy amount of questions I have after watching the first episode!

Fire Force: An action/drama where super powered fire fighters must protect Tokyo from people who are spontaneously combusting while our hero Shinra must find out who started the fire that killed his mother. More than anything, I’d say this show is definitely worth watching for the cinematography and action because almost every second has been high flying dynamic animation that really grips you. It reminds me a lot of Soul Eater, the story and characters have a lot of potential, and you know an anime will be good when the girls have muscles too!

If it’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord: Can you tell it’s based on a light novel? A slice of life set in a fantasy world where an adventurer named Dale stumbles upon an adorable lost little girl in the woods, who happens to be branded as a criminal. So of course Dale basically adopts her and tries to find out how she came to be with him. It’s basically fantasy School Babysitters without the tragic depth to it (but there’s room for potential). Yes, this is definitely the most wholesome show of the season, but it’s to be expected considering it’s basically Japan’s latest attempt to get people to have more babies. Personally, the most interesting aspect of this show is the fact that Dale and his “daughter” can’t speak the same language. Unfortunately, the light novel ends up pulling a Bunny Drop...so I sincerely hope the anime doesn’t try the creepy romance factor. So for now, if you feel like puking up some rainbows, give this one a try.

To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts: An action drama where, during a civil war, one side used “forbidden technology” to enhance their soldiers and basically turn them into badass monsters. The only problem: the soldiers who were turned start to lose their humanity and end up killing humans for the fun of it. Now our protagonist must hunt down his fellow soldiers and kill them before it’s too late. Honestly, this show has some pacing issues and can be a bit stilted in terms of its character interactions, but what kept me watching was the last 5 minutes of the first episode. I was so not prepared for the roller coaster that was the first episode’s ending, and now I’m extremely intrigued. Besides it’s made by MAPPA so I would at least give it a couple episodes to see if it’s for you.

Vinland Saga: The story of a young boy named Thorfinn’s journey to become a great warrior and while the adults deal with going to war. IT’S THE ONE WITH THE VIKINGS!!! It basically feels like a darker, grittier viking version of Moana. I’ve heard literally nothing but praise for this manga for so many years that my hopes skyrocketed as soon as I heard Wit was doing the adaption. And it has definitely lived up to the hype so far! It’s a great action historical drama to fill the void after Dororo. The only problem is no one will watch it because it’s on Amazon Prime.

Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga: A fun brightly colored historical anime about the famous warlord Nobunaga when he was a young teenager. I honestly don’t know what the tone of this anime is going to be from here on out, because it’s going to go from “fun thieving shenanigans with pretty boys” to leading people into battle, but it got me interested. I know putting Nobunaga in an anime isn’t exactly original, but this one seems like a fun ride...and it looks gay as fuck.

And I have to shout out some that haven’t premiered yet...just in case...

Try Knights: This one doesn’t come out until the end of July, but you bet your ass I’m going to be watching it because it’s an original anime about PRETTY BOYS PLAYING RUGBY! And I have a feeling it’s going to be very... different from the other resident rugby anime All Out.

Yokai Ningen BEM (Humanoid Monster BEM): Okay, this one’s not out yet either, but the trailer had a really cool vibe to it, so I’m including it anyway. It’s a remake of the 1968 anime in which a group of yokai who look like humans fight crime in the big city. If nothing else, the music is cool, and it’s made by Production I.G, so why not?

*UPDATE* The first episode finally dropped, and holy crap I’m so into this. It’s basically Durarara mixed with Psycho Pass mixed with Bungo Stray Dogs. The first episode has me completely hooked!

Next seasons and continuations!

As always there are some leftovers from the spring season that are continuing into the summer that I highly suggest!

Carole and Tuesday: The musical sci-fi anime directed by Shinichiro Watanabe wherein a rich runaway named Tuesday meets a streetwise girl named Carole, and the two decide to start a band together. Now Carole and Tuesday must rise to stardom in a world dominated by android created music. It was by far my favorite new show of the spring, and if you can find a way to watch it (because it’s still not available legally anywhere aside from Japanese Netflix apparently) I wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s got the best and most diverse music I’ve seen in an anime in a long time, an interesting setting (apparently it takes place in the Cowboy Bebop universe!?), and very well rounded fun characters. And I'm dying for a soundtrack release with all the songs!!!!

Fruits Basket 2019: Yes, the remake of the classic 2001 anime in which a girl moves in with a family who can turn into animals from the zodiac is getting a full run. And thank God because I just can’t say goodbye to it after only 12 episodes. It is so stunningly beautiful in both animation and story subjects that I don’t know what I would do without it. The characters feel so much more fleshed out, and I feel like I learn a lesson about life each week even though I already know most of what’s going to happen. If you never watched the original because thought you were too “cool” to watch a shoujo anime, give it a chance. Because if you think it’s just a generic love triangle romance show, you couldn’t be more wrong. The reboot is so good at portraying different kinds of love and how the presence of love and family can change lives AND IT’S JUST SO FREAKING GOOD!

Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba: In case you missed Ufotable’s newest project, this is a shounen anime that follows a young boy named Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko who has been possessed by a demon and their journey to turn Nezuko back to normal while fighting demons along the way. I still feel like this is a pretty basic shounen anime story wise, but I really like the characters, especially the villains. It has some of the coolest fighting/power mechanics I’ve seen in awhile, and the animation is very cool and different!

Ace of Diamond act 2: Our favorite shounen baseball anime is continuing into the summer. And I have very mixed feelings about this season so far. We are getting some fun new characters and some great scenes with the team, but the games are very...choppy and rushed. Apparently this is how it goes down in the manga, and we’re in for some good Sawamura development...but it’s still touch and go for me personally.

That’s it for now. Most of these are available on Crunchyroll, except Vinland Saga, Carole and Tuesday, and Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga. Since Try Knights and Yokai Ningen BEM aren’t out yet, I don’t know where they will be available legally.

See you next season!

#long post #anime recommendation #summer 2019 anime #ace of diamond #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #fruits basket #carole and tuesday #try knights #yokai ningen bem #kochouki: wakaki nobunaga #vinland saga #to the abandoned sacred beasts #katsute kami datta kemono-tachi e #if it's for my daughter i'd even defeat a demon lord #fire force #dr stone #given #given anime

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prettylittlebrownskingyal · 4 years

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Anime recs (some of my personal faves, not the public opinion, obviously):

About sports:

-Haikyuu (I am caught all the way up to season 4 and I have never been more passionate about volleyball in my life, not even when I played it)

-Run the Wind (it's about running but also...friendship? and motivation to follow your dreams?? I mostly just recall relating to some of the lazier characters and sensing the brotherhood vibes. It feels slow at first, but if you get invested you realize that you've binged the whole thing.)

-Free! & Free! Eternal Summer (you wanna get emotional attached to a bunch of teenage swimmers? I don't know why all these sports animes are about guy groups, but here's one about some divas -I mean swimmers. Quite the lil quaint group of nuggets, I gotta tell ya.)

About magic/supernatural

-Sailor Moon (need I say more? She's our queen and we are never too old to watch her steadily turn from crybaby to warrior of the people. If you know, you know. FIGHTING EVEIL BY MOONLIGHT-!!)

-Avatar: the Last Airbender (technically counts as an anime. Holds my entire childhood, every personality trait I have...for sure came from characters in this show. Iconic. Never loses its charms. Lots of magical realism that is centered on the natural elements of the planet, some spiritualism too. Appa is reason enough to watch this show.)

-Legend of Korra (technically a sequel storyline to Avatar: the Last Airbender, but...it's SO DIFFE R E NT. I was at first put off by my lack of OG characters, but there are so many references embedded in there, and you get to meet everybody's kids and grandkids. Also Korra? The embodiment of female pride and power, nothing will forsake her for long. Kinda STRESSFUL how many obstacles the writers create in a single season...let alone 4.)

-Inuyasha (on oldie but a goodie. Technically the first anime I ever saw...*sigh* ah youth...Anyway, it'sset in feudal Japan, but there's time travel so you won't feel too out of place. There are of course demons and magical priestesses and demon hunters and cranky, frankly exhausted, old women. Has a quality plot line and great characters. There is a new sequel show airing about the future of the characters and their bloodlines, I've only seen an episode or two but the nostalgia alone made me want to weep.)

-Fairy Tail (a CLASSIC. It has magic and dragons and FAERIES and found family and is so loveably chaotic, also: hype af fight scenes)

-Soul Eater (another chaotic group of teens that fight impossible battles, the intro music always hits hard for nO rEASON, a little more blood and angst but not like not enough to cancel out the immense joy/annoyance that is Excalibur)

-Noragami (a new take on the concept of how gods are created, sad boi hours have started, wholesome main characters, the graphics are beautiful, some of the monsters can be a tad creepy - but I'm a wimp so it could just be me)

-Bungou Stray Dogs (I HAVE ADOPTED ATSUSHI. HE IS MY SON NOW, THANK YOU FOR COMING. The art style is one I enjoy, very crisp lines and a good variation in character designs. The protagonist is named Atsushi and he is a golden child who must be protected yet allowed to flourish at all times. There is detective work, some great fights, lots of random character flaws, OH and honey the story line is TWISTY!!)

-My Hero Academia/Boko no Hero Academia (this is the show where my broccoli son goes THROUGH IT literally the WHOLE TIME. A great story of the underdog, and the variety of characters and powers are...*chef's kiss*, makes me want to lowkey live in this universe but the amount of villians... gurl it'stoo much for my weak heart smh)

- Cannon Busters (okay, so I know people have mixed opinions on this one. Lemme say this: the intro and outro SLAP, point blank periodtt. The characters are diverse in color and abilities, it's like wild west meets technofuture meets medieval magic war times. The plotline is very all over the place, but hey it's the journey right. If you don't love SAM and Casey by the end of episode 1 you're doing it wrong.)

-BNA: Brand New Animal (the art style is so freaking cool yet cute we luv to see it. The world building is pretty good, basically it'slike Zootopia, but there are way more issues with this island o animals that have a human form half the time. Our main character is determined and just a tad naive, there is a wolf man with a pet crow and we're all okay with that)

-Sirius the Jaegar (straight up, I have no idea how my sister and I binged the whole show in like 2 days, but we did. Great fight scenes, the is blood but... that's because there are vampire-esque creatures also. The main character's childhood got done dirty, but go off on your origin story I guess.)

About slice of life:

- My Little Monster/Tonari no Kaibustu-kun (a wholesome high school romance with oddballs left and right, but you just wanna root for 'em y'know? A good wind down show. There's a chicken in it.)

- (Kaichou wa) Maid-Sama (an unconventional and lowkey erratic main heroine, the love interest seems weird but you'll adore him by the end, just simple high school shenanigans with ridiculously dramatic conflicts)

Phew, that was kinda long 😓 but those are just some animes that I have watched thoroughly off the top off my head to give you a good variety of options. Let me know if you already have seem any of these. Hope this helps you fight off boredom and repetition. Please tell me your faves, I love hearing about new shows!! 🤩 (And btw, my sleep patterns wrecked, I've been going to sleep at like 3AM 😅 Hahaha, send help.)

love love LOVE THIS!! Thank you for sharing babe ❤️❤️❤️ i actually haven’t watched that much anime so i’m glad to get a rundown on some good recs!

also!! i feel u!! team no sleep ftw

#asks #recs #purplefairydragon7 #long post

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ficklepicklefandoms · 4 years

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in dublin’s fair city ~ t.h

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader

Requested: no

Word count: 2,537 (my longest one ever!)

Warnings: Binge drinking, swearing, Irish slang and pure Dublin shenanigans.

Hi guys! I’ve had this in my drafts since July which is highly criminal if you ask me! There’s a lot of things that I love about my fair city of Dublin (nickname comes from the song Molly Malone. Listen to this classic!) and I am so excited to be able to share lots of them with you through this one shot! Here comes the bad news... I have final exams in June and need to study hard to get the points I need for my university course. I’m hoping to get some things out to you guys before then but it may be Easter break before anything comes your way. Thank you for your constant support and love with my writing. Please make sure to request things in my ask box for the future! Love and hugs as always xx

My friends and I sat around a small table in The Temple Bar Pub nursing our third or fourth pint of the night. It was nearing 8 and I’d lost count of how many drinks I’d had. The Irish trad music lilting through the air and the harmonious laughter of my friends reminded me my pint was slowly emptying. It would fill up soon without a doubt on earth.

“Ah here now, would you fill your glass before you embarrass us!” My friend Faye called out to me with a large smile adorning her face.

“Well, my drink is nearly gone too so if you’re going you better fill mine too,” Jess called out to me. The rest of our large group agreed and knocked back their drinks.

“Only if you’re buying.” I hit back wittily, knocking back the remainder of the liquid and feeling the tiniest burn on my throat. I held out my hand and she placed a fifty euro note in my hand. I laughed knowing she was being scaldy and reached into my pocket to pull out another fifty euro note.

“Pints again there Y/N, you’ll need at least another two before you get a fella.” Emma laughed loudly and I rolled my blurry eyes. I scooted past Max and Sammy in our booth, collecting the empty glasses before Alannah followed me to help me carry the pints.

“John, we’re gonna need another round,” I called out to the barman. He sauntered over and took the money out of my hands. I placed the empty glasses on the bar and Alannah stood against it

“I assume yous all want the same again. Orchard Thieves or Heineken?” He asked with a chuckle, his accent thick and warm.

“What do you take us for, fecking eejits? Orchard Thieves, ya bollocks.” Alannah laughed and John moved to pull the pints.

Our group was quite large. We all kept in contact after school ended and it was rare that we were all together like old times.

John had pulled the first two pints and Alannah took them over to the table. I waited for the next two and did the same. Alannah collected her last two and I waited for my pint to be pulled. John handed me back far too much money for what we got but I accepted it, knowing it’d be a lost war.

I picked up my glass and began to head back to the table until my journey was disrupted by a body colliding into me.

“Ah swinging Jaysus watch where you’re heading!” I exclaimed as my pint went all over the floor. I silently cursed more in my mind as I was known in this pub for constantly spilling drinks. John never minded pouring me another on the house but I always felt guilty.

“I barely understood that but I sincerely apologise and I’ll buy you another pint.” A British accent spoke apologetically. I sipped what was left in the glass before meeting the eyes of the English man in front of me.

“Holy Mother of Mary I’m bloody locked if I think I’m seeing Tom Holland.” I choked as my drink got caught in my throat. Tom’s hand came in contact with my back gently as I coughed.

“You’re seeing Tom Holland love, don’t worry about being locked or whatever you called it. What’s your name?” Tom said with a slight chuckle in his voice. His hand left my back and I felt the remaining warmth

Just then, Faye came running over. She was drunk and probably thought I’d left in her state.

“Y/N, sweetheart you need to be more careful with your pi- OH MY GOOD JESUS IS THAT THE SPIDERMAN FELLA?” She shouted. Tom looked alarmed and he seemed to be looking for someone. I hit Faye a smack on the arm and she rubbed it gingerly.

“Faye head back to the table I’m getting a pint with Tom. I’ll be back in a minute.” I ushered her quickly towards the group and she began gossiping as soon as she sat down. The boys at the table bounced excitedly in their seats, wanted to meet the movie star.

“So, that pint?” Tom laughed as we walked to the bar beside each other. “What’re you drinking Y/N?”

“Thieves,” I said waving my hand to John. “It went on the floor John, you’re gonna need a mop.”

“Ah, it’s grand love don’t be worrying. The same for your fella as well?” He smirked.

“Um yeah, can we get three pints?” He asked politely as he shifted from one foot to the other. I looked at him sightly funny as he ordered the three. “Harrison should be here somewhere, MATE!” He shouted as he spotted him. Harrison walked through the crowded pub and greeted his friend. I could feel the alcohol taking effect and I could hardly believe that Tom Holland was buying me a pint.

“Who’s the girl Tom?” Harrison asked as our pints came and Tom paid.

“Y/N, Tom spilt my pint and he owes me one,” I said with a wave as I began to gulp down the cider. “My mates are at that table over there, do yous want to join us?” I asked feeling a bit confident. My mind was buzzing Tom Holland had just bought me a pint and I wasn’t going to lie to myself and say I wasn’t attracted to him. And I also quietly thought of Max and Sammy, the Marvel geeks who’d kill to chat to the web-slinging hero.

“Drinking with the prettiest girl in the pub? How could I say no?” Tom said as Harrison patted his back. I let out an embarrassed giggle and led them to the booth where my friends sat staring at us.

“Hey Y/N, the pretty girl with the short blonde hair, what’s her name?” Harrison asked as we made our way through the crowd carefully.

“Her name’s Alannah. She’s studying human nutrition in Queen’s up in Belfast. Slide in on her I doubt she’d mind,” I whispered quickly. I saw Alannah glance our way and Harrison waved softly.

“Tom and Harrison are drinking with us tonight, no objections. Tom and Harrison, the gang. Gang, Tom and Harrison. Play nice you wallys,” I said plopping down beside Tom after Harrison took a place beside Alannah, introducing himself quickly.

The group began chatting, Sammy and Max asking Tom about Spiderman and the sort. Alannah and Harrison seemed to be hitting it off quite well. Soon enough Tom and I started having a chat of our own. We talked about life, my law course at uni and his acting career. We had scooched closer together after the second pint, the cosy pub creating a homely atmosphere.

“So Y/N, where is one place I have to visit while I’m here? I know about the Guinness Storehouse and all that jazz but what’s your favourite place?” Tom asked me quietly as the group chatted around us. Without hesitation, I answered.

“The Iveagh Gardens without question. It’s so beautiful. We’re heading to a concert there tonight if you and Harrison want to tag along, Emma will get you tickets in minutes.” I said with a wave to Emma. She nodded her head and began texting on her phone. “She’s owed a favour by the lads at Aiken.” Tom smiled widely and placed his arm around my shoulders. I felt my body stiffen at his touch but I rapidly moulded into his body, enjoying the heat it provided.

“I’m sure it’s beautiful but I doubt anything I see will ever be as beautiful as you.” He whispered into my ear. My cheeks were already quite red from the pints I’d been drinking but I swear at that moment I was officially a tomato.

“Y/N, polish off your drink there it’s nearly 10. Gates are opening in fifteen minutes. It's not too far a walk but you know what we’re like.” Max spoke to me across the table. He completed his pint as the table began to finish up their drinks and grab their coats.

My pint remained virtually untouched, Tom’s stunning eyes distracting me from it. Me being myself, I couldn’t let a good and full pint go to waste so, I did what any good Irish girl would. I decided to neck it.

“Hey Y/N watch it!” Tom laughs as he watches me intently.

“Don’t worry about her, she’s done it more than once.” Jess laughed. The girls started playing a drumroll on the table as I continued to knock back my pint. Tom’s eyes glinted with something I couldn’t quite place but he clapped loudly with the others as I slammed my glass onto the mahogany table.

“Right darlings, let us head to the gardens of Iveagh to hear the kings play,” I announced as I tugged on my leather jacket and grabbed my bag.

“The Kings? Are they some cool Irish band or something?” Tom asked as our group began to leave the pub.

“No silly, I just call them that. It’s a benefit concert for the homeless and there are tons of great Irish artists playing the gig. Walking On Cars, Keywest, Inhaler, Kodaline and the greatest band to come out of Dublin City, Aslan.” I waved goodbye to the barmen and John as the warm July air greeted me.

Tom looked visibly confused as we followed the group out onto the cobbled streets of Temple Bar.

“I’ve never heard of them before. Are they any good?” He asked curiously as we began our walk to the park at the back of the group. I could see Harrison and Alannah chatted animatedly and smiled to myself. I was hoping things would go well with the pair.

“Well you see, they were huge in the eighties. My ma was a huge fan of them and ended up becoming mates with them. She and her friends used to get all-access passes to the gigs in The Towers in Ballymun and they’d have a mental time.” I finished quickly with a sigh. My cheeks burned as Tom’s gaze held mine as we trudged up Grafton Street, the sound of buskers and their music made my heart warm.

“If they’re any good I might become of groupie myself.” Tom laughed as we passed by the gates of St Stephen’s Green.

“Luas! Quick leg it!” I shouted as the tram began to move along the tracks. MY group of friends yelled loudly as they rushed to get the other side of the tracks in one piece. Seeing that Tom had no idea what I was on about, I grabbed his hand and pulled him across the tracks with me, the two of us laughing loudly as we broke our hands apart to have a spontaneous race to the top of Harcourt Street.

We finished our race out of breath with Tom winning by the skin of his teeth. I want to emphasis that strongly. Skin. Of. His. Teeth.

“Not bad at all. But please tell me we’re almost there, I could use a drink.” Tom laughed as his body heaved, begging for air to enter his lungs.

“It’s a two-minute walk but we’ll need to wait for Emma. She has the tickets and I’ll have to name drop so we can get barrier.” I breathed, placing my hands on my knees as I gasped for air with a smile.

“You are one of a kind aren’t you Y/N.” Tom grinned as I looked up at him from my defeated position.

“Mr Holland, what in the world do you mean by that?” I let out a schoolgirl’s giggle and silently kicked myself in the arse. I’d known this handsome man for no less than three hours and was slightly tipsy but that was beside the point. As I stared into his eyes, my heart began to burn with a feeling I hadn’t ever felt before.

“What I mean is, you don’t meet a girl like you ever Millenium. You’re unique and funny and seem to have the coolest life. I don’t want this night to end. Ever.” He replied. My cheeks flushed with an unknown feeling. My heart was fit to burst and I finally had the strength to straighten myself into an upright position.

“I’ll have you know that the night hasn’t even started yet. Our little group is on our tail so we’ll be in the gates where our night will begin in a matter of minutes.” I smiled. He stared back at me with a mixture of relief and happiness. “And this is completely off record, but when the night officially starts, I don’t think I’m going to want it to end either.”

He let out a breathy chuckle and took my hand in his as the group caught up to us. Alannah and Harrison were snuggled closely together thanks to Harrison’s arm perched around her shoulder. She sent a giddy smile my way and my heart exploded with pride. She had truly grown up now.

Our group seemed to be louder than the whole queue combined and it was no different when Emma flashed the tickets to gain us entry into the beautiful park. I had to become a storyteller to try and convince the lovely security man, Declan, to let us in to get barrier, but it turns out I didn’t have to.

“L/N? As in your mother is Y/M/N? Christy has you all sorted don’t worry. Take it as the babysitting money.” Declan smiled at me. I let out a laugh and thanked him graciously before he led us into the park for prime standing room.

“Whatever you need, just ask. Drinks are free. Christy’s orders. I’ll grab yous all some pints and I’ll be back in a few.” Declan smiled. We all shouted our thanks and stood to wait for the band to come on.

The 10 minutes came and went. Soon enough Aslan’s set began and I truly had an out of body experience. Tom kept his arm gripped around my waist as the set went on. I felt warmth and safety with his arm around me.

“Oh my god, this is my favourite song!” I let out a loud yell as the chords of their song Crazy World were heard out of the speakers. Tom laughed as I wiggled out of his grasp to down my pint and start dancing. Everyone in the park could feel the cosmic energy that the band emitted as they played their most famous song.

Tom joined me in my dance, spinning me around and acting the eejit as I screamed the lyrics at the top of my lungs. When we locked eyes through our hazy, adrenaline-induced vision I felt like home could be anywhere as long as I saw his eyes.

“What would you do if I kissed you right here, right now?” Tom shouted over the noise as my breath caught in my throat. My mind went completely blank as I let my ‘fuck it’ mentality kick in. I did what any good Irish girl would do. I kissed him. Pure. Bliss.

In that very minute, Dublin became even fairer. And I had never felt more alive.

#tom holland imagine #tom holland #tom holland x reader #harrison osterfield #harrison osterfeild imagine #harrison osterfeild x reader #dublin #writer #writing #imagine #imagines

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short-honey-badger · 4 years

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I was bored at work the other day so I just started writing down Achievement Hunter AUs. I found a few of these here on tumblr so credit where credit is due. But some of these I made myself. I might make some into little one shots, but if anyone would like to use them then have at it! ❤❤

1. Demon AU/Achievement Haunter. Jeremy accidentally summons a demon during an episode of Achievement Haunter. Ryan is the permanently exhausted demon.

2. Sea of Theives AU. The Adventures if Captain ShortBeard, First Mate Peg Pecker, Navagator Jack, Willy Two-Legs, and Gavin Sea-Sniffer. The best and worst pirate crew at sea.

3. Fake AH Crew AU. Nuff said about that one. It's a classic.

4. Minecraft/Sky Factory AU. Gods that create the Earth and such. Solar Queen Gavin and Blood Mage Jeremy and all that.

5. Game of Thrones AU. Basically the show with Achievement Hunter and less death. Lotta Shenanigans.

6. Hitman AU. Ryan, Gav, and Jeremy. Hitman who love and hate working together cause the shit they get up to.

7. King AU: Each one has a kingdom of their own. Occasionally a disagreement will happen. They settle it in a royal battle.

8. More Sea of Theives AU. Merman Gav and Ryan cause they are beautiful. Captain Jeremy and First Mate Michale. You can see where this goes.

9. Old West AU. Sheriff Geoff and Deputy Jack. Gav and Michael own an inn. Jeremy and Ryan are outlaws.

10. Creature AU. Werewolf Jeremy. He hates it cause he has to shave his head after every change. Vampire Ryan. Cant stand it cause his fangs make him flub his words constantly.

11. Hybrid AU. Animal hybrids are rare but RT and AH provide shelter for them.

12. Ender Eye AU. This is one i found on here that I fell in love with. Based on the second YdYd series. Ryan uses and ender eye to replace the one he lost. Slowly drives him crazy and takes over his mind.

13. Star Wars AU. Basically the plot of Star Wars but with AH. Gav is Luke. Michale is Han. Lindsey is Leia. The other members could be whoever but I like to thing that Geoff is a shitty Darth Vader.

14. Literal Battle Buddies AU. Exactly how it sounds. Ryan and Jeremy going on crazy missions across the globe and space.

15. Pokemon AU. Exactly as it sounds too. Could use the old and new pixelmon let's plays for the typing and starters.

16. Zombie/7 Days AU. The crew slowly comes together from across America. Tries to survive as best the they can.

17. Rainbow Six Seige AU. Alfred's job is to train a crew of talented idiots for infiltration missions. Based off the Get Gud series.

18. Modeling AU. Ryan is top model at AH International. They hire another model, Jeremy who somehow pulls off purple and orange perfectly.

19. Super Hero/Super Villain AU. Ray has left his partner Vav and now the British man has to look for another partner. Ends up joining a rag tag gang of heros with shit powers.

20. Immortality AU. AH has known each other for centuries and enjoy doing dangerous shit just because they can.

Annnd that is all for now. If you all have any more feel free to add to it!

Adding to it!

21. Fallout AU. Jeremy is the lone wanderer and he meets the crew through his journey.

22. Skyrim AU. Michael is the dragonborn who cant quiet learn how to speak normally after using his first shout.

#achievement haunter #achievement hunter #alternate universe #sea of thieves #fake Ah crew #modeling #hybrids #rooster teeth #i really like some of these #writing promt #achievement hunter au #game of thrones #fallout #gta 5 #skyrim #all things considered #all the aus

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trainsinanime · 5 years

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Gwenpool Strikes Back (2019) #5 (of 5)

I haven't yet said anything about Gwenpool strikes back, because what can you say about a comic book where the main character outright says every criticism you could level against it, goes, "yup, that's right", and then expects credit for being super clever?

But this final issue of this miniseries kind of ties it together, and makes the whole thing almost worthwhile. It does that by being more or less a retread of the last few issues of "Unbelievable Gwenpool", the awesome Hastings/Gurihiru book that is not just the best Gwenpool ever, but arguably the one and only reason why people even like her beyond character design. (Don't look at me like that, "Strikes Back" Gwenpool totally agrees with me, that's literally canon.)

This issue focuses not on the fourth-wall breaking shenanigans or all the comics inside baseball stuff (though there is still way too much of that in there), the "Pool" if you will, but on the "Gwen". Specifically what it's like to be Gwen Poole, the terror that comes with her knowledge of her limited, disjointed experience, and the elation of meeting your heroes and having them actually measure up to your expectations. In particular, there's a nice long talk between Gwen and Kamala Khan in there that works really well. They also try to retcon Gwen into an X-Man, which is obviously stupid (Gwen agrees) but kind of heartwarming when she gets assigned to Marvel's default catch-all found family.

It's nice, wholesome, emotional, bitter-sweet, and functionally identical to the time Hastings and Gurihiru did the same in their Gwenpool book. Only this one is not quite as good because it doesn't have all the emotional build-up. But still, points for trying, I guess?

The weird thing is that this book clearly understands why people like Gwenpool. Aside from this emotionally very similar ending, every issue contains explicit references (pointed out by Gwen herself) to the beloved classic original solo title. But for the most part, it refuses to actually be about those parts we love. It's a lot more "Pool" than "Gwen", a lot of stuff that seems to be in there just because the authors could rather than to tell a story. And its use of Gwen's main gimmick is generally more there to tell jokes and do scene transitions, rather than to actually drive a meaningful emotional journey.

All in all, I don't know what to think about this mini-series. It didn't bore me, so that's a plus. Also, it reminded me that Gwen exists and that I should really re-read her original solo title. I feel like that's all the series was ever trying to do to begin with, so in that regards, well done. Or maybe I'm being too kind. It certainly felt pointless a lot of the time.

#gwenpool strikes back #gwenpool #Gwen poole #marvel #comics #wednesday spoilers

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seyaryminamoto · 4 years

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Which of Gladiator's villains/antagonists could be capable of a redemption arc after part 3's final, and which would be incapable or redemption. Redemption is a weird concept since its basically just surrendering to the views and morality of others by choice and rejecting your own prior outlook, so its all subjective. Also, this question assumes all antagonists survive part 3 for the sake of the hypothetical, since I'm starting to suspect some of them will bite it in the final cough-Ozai-cough.

... See this question is difficult to answer for reasons that shall become obvious as the story progresses (... certain people on this list won’t bite it at the end of part 3 but much sooner, oops :’DDD). But,as we are where we are now, I guess I’ll answer with all our most villainous characters up to date:

Ozai: strangely, Ozai is not incapable of redemption, not completely. I just have to break him bad enough that he ends up questioning himself and the world around him and just about everything that ever happened to him (?) So it’s difficult, but not impossible. He’s a terrible person for sure, but the show itself tried (admittedly, in a half-assed way) to present that he wasn’t born this way. There’s some things that could lead Ozai to ponder if his path in life isn’t quite what he had always believed it was. Now, full-blown redemption as in “Ozai becomes a cutie-patootie who wouldn’t hurt a fly?” Hell no. But a certain degree of change and evolution... that’s not out of his grasp.

Zhao: it’s actually funny but we’re even witnessing his “redemption”, in the way you defined it even, throughout all of Part 2. He’s not being redeemed in the classic concept of going from villain to hero, but the moment he decides that maybe Sokka isn’t complete trash just because he’s Water Tribe, he’s already rejecting something that was fundamental in his way of thinking up until Part 2 begins. On his first encounter with Sokka in Part 1 he’s outright AFFRONTED that this guy would even SPEAK to him... and nowadays he sits beside Sokka on the floor of an airship, trying to help him come to terms with his internal darkness so he’ll be able to use it more effectively to protect Azula. Like... okay, I didn’t ALWAYS plan to write Zhao this way, but we’ve definitely seen him evolve over the chapters he’s been involved in the story xD is he a totally innocent guy? Once again, hell no, and he has nasty plans in mind, especially after Hahn’s revelation about the Spirit Oasis. But is he still as bad as Azula always believed he was? Actually... no. The real question is... will Zhao continue to change his views? Or will he actually take a wholly different path once Part 3 comes around...? :’D

Seethus: eh. He’s kind of a weapon more than a human being, to be honest. You can’t redeem Seethus any more than you can redeem a gun: the guy is completely attached to Ozai and does ANYTHING Ozai wants of him. He practically makes no decisions of his own, everything he does is for Ozai. He’s the most loyal character in the story in the most fucked up way possible: Ozai’s commands are all he cares about. He doesn’t take pleasure in fulfilling his commands, he doesn’t take pleasure in anything at all, he’s just there to be Ozai’s secret weapon. So, if Ozai decides to change and stop using Seethus for wicked schemes... that’s still not Seethus making the decision on his own. He takes no sides, he just obeys. Therefore... I don’t think Seethus is capable of redemption, not as you described it, nor with a simplistic change of heart, because that implies him having a set of beliefs beyond following Ozai blindly and he absolutely doesn’t have them.

Iroh: ... yikes to the max. Despite the above ones aren’t exactly easy characters to discuss redemption with, Iroh is by far the more complicated of the bunch so far, even if he feels less dangerous than the others. Gladiator’s Iroh hasn’t done his worst yet... and some people already have guessed what that will be. I can say for certain that he will come to regret his actions, many of them, and he’ll undergo a terrible “holy shit what have I done” process... but that he regrets his actions doesn’t mean he’ll be forgiven by the victims of his ploys. He won’t really go through a full-blown redemption in terms of changing his mind/goals/beliefs... he’ll just be sorry that he was shortsighted, I suppose, and he’ll regret that he clung to those things so tightly that he caused terrible harm to those around him. But will he change his views and goals completely? Eh... not really. And it’s not like his goals are completely terrible, he does want to end Ozai’s tyranny and that’s not an unworthy goal... the problem is the extremes Iroh is willing to go to in order to succeed at that. As for his views, he’ll certainly change them a couple of times in the upcoming arcs, but in the end he’ll still stand by what he has believed ever since he came back from his Spirit World journeys and shenanigans, no matter if such beliefs aren’t quite as spot-on as he has convinced himself of...

Rhone: Frankly, of all characters in the list so far, Rhone is the first one who is a classic villain of the “I do awful things because I want to” type, to the point where I can safely say that his biggest “redeeming moment” is already behind us (the Fire Lord’s Shadow arc). If anything, he’s well on his way towards cementing his fatalistic, nihilistic and Fire Nation-despising ways in the coming arcs, and it doesn’t really matter what Sokka does, says or tries with this guy, Rhone won’t change his ways. There’s a sort-of deep reason why he’s doing everything he’s doing... but this guy is simply not okay. His mind is a mess, his heart is pretty much dead, and he doesn’t really know how to care about people anymore... and doesn’t care to learn again either. Soooo... not redeemable. Nope.

Jeong Jeong: I guess most villainous characters are Fire Nation, no matter which side of the war they’re on :’D Jeong Jeong is worse than Iroh though, this guy will only be willing to open his mind to other possibilities A TEENY TINY WEENY BIT, but largely he’s unrepenting and unwilling to change his current course. My depiction of Jeong Jeong is definitely painting him in a terrible light, there’s no lie there, but this guy is just not going to adequate himself to anyone else’s ideals or views. He’s stuck on his current mindset most willingly and deliberately, and he’ll do whatever it takes/whatever he wants to defeat Ozai’s regime once he has enough resources to make a proper move again. Don’t hold your breath over him changing considerably because... yeah. Not happening.

General Shaofeng: :’DDDDD this one goes right up there with Rhone. Absolutely not qualified for redemption of any sort. Shaofeng is one of the worst people in this story, morally speaking -- I have no idea if anyone has guessed why just yet, or what he’s up to, or why he’s so twitchy over Azula, but I think the next chapter will shed enough light on who he really is. So... no redemption for him, no chance at all for that with someone like him.

Renkai: I almost feel bad about listing him here despite he’s still such a weird, complicated and sketchy spy in the midst of Azula’s old guard... but Renkai is 100% on his way to a strange redemption. Yes, strange because he hasn’t done anything too dreadful yet... though yeah, okay, he did try to reveal his suspicions about Azula and Sokka to Shaofeng and got shut down immediately x’D but Renkai has had a few moments of doubting his current course in life already, and some upcoming chapters will set in motion actions that will redefine Renkai’s role in the story for good... :’D

Aonu: so very eligible for redemptions, but in more of a “Here, have a Snickers” way rather than a “I WILL CHANGE MY MIND AND VIEWS COMPLETELY!” sense... Aonu isn’t necessarily BAD right now, let alone would I deem him as villainous, but Aonu is a complicated guy who doesn’t quite think too often about anyone’s problems other than his own. Once he comes out of his shell and starts seeing things more clearly, Aonu will prove to be a much more decent guy than anyone would expect of him. Therefore, not exactly redemption but he’ll still evolve in a good way.

Combustion Man: ... nope. I did get a few suggestions on how to make him a more compelling character but frankly I don’t think I particularly need him to be more compelling? Much like ATLA never cared to go in-depth with Ozai, I don’t really care to do it too much with Busty over here. Soooo... no redemption. He’s a bit like Seethus, a living weapon, but this guy actually thrives in blowing things up and finishing his missions for violence’s own sake... so yeah, he’s not going to change that mindset. Not eligible.

Chan: ... hahahahahahahahaha WHY WOULD CHAN BE ON THIS LIST WHEN HE HASN’T DONE ANYTHING SINCE CHAPTER 12 AHAHAHAHA......Well, true, but that wasn’t the last we’ll see of him :’D and I’m honestly just adding him here to say... this guy is unexpectedly eligible for redemption, what’d you know? :’DDDDD (and I mean the son, not the father, the father is NOT eligible, he’s doomed for good (?))

... So, that’s that :’D I don’t know if maybe I’ll come up with some new villainous character in the future, though I think it’s not very likely... this is a relatively comprehensive list as it is, other characters that come to mind are probably too mysterious still for anyone to say for sure that they’re heroes or villains, but if anyone has any other character they’d like to ask about, feel free to do it by reblogging or replying to this post! :)

#anon #gladiator #redeemable and irredeemable characters #it's funny because some classic villainous fucks #like Ozai and Zhao #are more likely to change their views than supposedly heroic lil shits #like Iroh or Jeong Jeong #... not that it says much because technically Iroh and Jeong Jeong already did change their views?#but they're not exactly great people right now either...#... and that's the real problem #they think otherwise :')#ah welp

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