#he's so cool and mysterious and strong. definitely a hero

[solar-wing]

⚣ It's Not A Competition 🥇

⚣👊🏻 A/N → SURPRISE! double post today! I've been wanting to do a Clark Kent post forever but never had any good ideas. Then, this popped into my mind. Also, I'm really trying to clear out my drafts and any old requests. WARNINGS: Canon-Typical Violence | Jealousy | Established Relationship

⚣👊🏻 Summary → Dark Knight this and Dark Knight that. What about Superman?! He's also a great hero! Better than Batman, at least. The guy doesn't even have powers. But that's what makes him more interesting and cool, according to Y/N. And frankly, Clark has had quite enough and intends to show him why Superman is way better than Batman.

⚣👊🏻 Words → 4.7K

REBLOGS & replies are greatly appreciated, please! 💛

⚣ ENJOY 👊🏻

Clark just didn’t get it.

Why was it that Y/N was so obsessed with Batman and not Superman? All the young reporter ever talked about was the Dark Knight and how he was so cool and mysterious. Going on and on about his awesome gadgets and the fact that he had no powers, which made him so interesting.

Clark very much would beg to differ.

“You know, Superman can shoot lasers out of his eyes, and I heard he can move faster than the speed of sound,” Clark pointed out while walking with Y/N down the sidewalk. They decided to go out for lunch and since the Daily Planet was so close to one of Y/N's favorite restaurants downtown, he figured, why not just walk together?

“Clark, not this again,” Y/N chuckled while sipping his drink.

“I’m sorry, you just always talk about how great Batman is, and I’m not saying he’s bad, but I don’t get how he’s better than Superman?”

“You know, you’re starting to sound like Lois with all your Superman praise and comparison.”

“Well, she’s not wrong. I mean, come on. What can Batman do that Superman can’t?” Clark asked, looking down at his boyfriend while waiting for an answer.

“Batman’s quicker on his feet. He thinks of solutions faster and more creatively than what I’ve seen from Superman. Plus, he’s resourceful. The guy’s got a freaking jet. The only people I could think of that own jets and planes and all the crazy gadgets he has would probably be Lex Luthor or Bruce Wayne.”

Clark tried not to react to the irony of that statement, rather focusing on how he could combat that logic even though it was true. He had to admit that his comrade, whether in the field or in practice, was very good at analyzing a situation and using whatever he had around him to his advantage.

Still, it didn’t mean he was better than him.

“Well, Superman can also fly, and as many have witnessed, is crazy strong.”

“Yes, he is. But if Batman can afford a jet, I’m pretty sure he can afford a jetpack, too. Plus, we all know how strong Superman is, some more than others. Their insurance claims can definitely speak to how strong he is.”

That last line Y/N said was more so to himself than as a statement to Clark. However, it didn’t take away the slight sting from his words, considering how true they were.

“So you’re saying Superman is reckless and bad at his job or something?” Clark accused.

“What? No, I’m not saying that at all. Why are you getting so defensive about this? You’re acting as if you know the guy. Wait, do you know him?” Y/N asked, now looking up at his giant of a boyfriend.

Sometimes, he wondered what kind of genes ran in Clark’s family. It was a bit of a puzzle to Y/N why the six-foot-something man was in journalism rather than something that seemed more his speed, like fitness or athletics.

“No, of course not. I just don’t think it’s fair or even logical to compare Superman to someone like Batman, considering what each of them has respectfully achieved, not to mention the state of their cities and everything. I mean, have you ever been to Gotham before?” Clark asked, doing his best to not draw any more curiosity or suspicion out of the younger male.

Not that he was doing a good job of that in the first place.

Clark just wished he could’ve shown Y/N why Superman was better than Batman. They’d only been dating for a few months so it wasn’t reasonable or even smart for the Kryptonian to consider revealing his identity to him, no matter how much he wanted to.

“Clark, it’s not a competition. You know that, right?” Y/N said, placing his hand on Clark’s arm.

They paused in their steps, Clark looking down at the gentle hand lying across his forearm before looking up into the eyes that always put him under a spell. He smiled to himself, thinking of the fact that even if Y/N favored Batman over Superman, Clark was still the real winner, because he had him.

He took his hand in his own, doing his best to contain his excitement pulse at the feeling of his larger hand surrounding the smaller one in his grip. Y/N was still a male, so his hand wasn’t dainty or small by any means, but compared to Clark’s, it might as well have been.

“Yeah, I know. Sorry, I got a little bit crazy.” Clark apologized with a small kiss on the shorter man’s hand causing a slight blush to appear on the smaller male’s cheeks.

“It’s ok. Besides, I like a little bit of crazy. Keeps things interesting.” Y/N said before continuing their walk towards Clark’s place of work.

‘You have no idea,’ Clark thought to himself as he followed behind, letting himself be tugged along.

They returned to the Daily Planet to find everywhere in a buzz, chattering excitedly with each other as various individuals were either running to the bathroom with pouches of makeup and skincare and others at their desks touching up their hair and clothes.

“What’s going on?” Clark asked aloud as he strode into the office while still holding Y/N’s hand.

“Was it like this when we left?” His boyfriend asked, chuckling at the comical movements and gestures of the rushing to get re-ready for whatever was happening.

“No, it was actually the opposite,” The reporter stated before eventually spotting Lois at her desk, who was also touching up her makeup and hair. He made his way over to the desk area, narrowly avoiding multiple people rushing while pulling Y/N closer to him to keep him from getting bumped into.

“Lois, what’s going on?”

“Oh, hey, Smallville. Hello, Y/N. Didn’t you both get the emergency email Perry sent to everyone earlier?” She said in her usual fast-paced, business tone while curling her eyelashes.

“No, We were at lunch. What was the email about?”

“Oh, Clark. Must I always have to save your butt?” Lois said before handing her phone over to the man, Y/N chuckling behind him at the comment.

Clark threw him a look while Y/N did his best to keep a neutral face before reading over the email.

“Bruce Wayne is coming to the Daily Planet?”

Y/N's eyes went comically large at the mention, immediately jumping to read the email for himself, “No way!”

Lois smirked to herself before grabbing her phone back from the man, while Clark just stared at his boyfriend in jealous shock from his excited outburst. “Yep. Wayne Enterprises has announced its support of various major liberal movements and is donating large proceeds to different organizations calling for massive change in the nation. And with this being an election year, many political figures and business entities are feeling a little uneasy at this sudden new support from the tech giant. And yours truly, landed the exclusive interview with him to get all the nitty and gritty details .”

Y/N’s eyes were almost bugging out of his head, before he ran to the bathroom himself, snatching his hand from Clark’s who looked desperately after him.

“Dammit, Bruce.” The reporter growled under his breath.

“You say something?” Lois asked while powdering her nose.

“No,” Clark responded gruffly, an irritated glint in his eye before walking to his own desk.

After everyone has ridiculously made themselves extra presentable, including Y/N much to Clark’s annoyance, the pair stand outside the room with a few others, watching through the glass pane walls as the interview is broadcast live to the entire nation. Lois asked Mr. Wayne various questions, ranging from his real intentions behind his charitable donations to whether he was looking to begin any political endeavors and win the favor of the public.

Bruce answers every question with confidence and suaveness, leaving no room for questions about his actions, and denies any political motivations. Y/N watched impressed from the other end while Clark just looked around with a grim and irritated look, his arms crossed as he listened to the interview and watched his boyfriend fanboy over his secret comrade.

“Well, you certainly seem like the charming and noble benefactor, Mr. Wayne. I can see why you're known as ‘Gotham’s Favorite Son.’ I have to ask though, even if you truly have no political ambitions, aren’t you worried that these donations and announcements along with the unwavering stance you’ve taken on these political topics will inevitably place a target on you?” Lois asked, notepad and pen sitting with poise and precision, ready to take down every little thing the billionaire said.

“Wow, I can see why she’s so respected. She’s nailing this interview.” Y/N commented.

Clark nodded to that. Even if he wasn’t feeling the most agreeable at the moment, he’d always give hats off to Lois’ skills. The woman was a powerhouse when it came to this stuff.

“Well, first off, thank you for your earlier comment. I don’t think of myself as anyone’s favorite, but even I can’t control what the public says or does,” Bruce responded with his ever-so-billion-dollar smile, earning a laugh from Lois and probably every other American tuning into this broadcast, including Y/N.

Clark, however, wasn’t impressed. He’d heard funnier.

“But, to answer your question,” Bruce continued, “...any move in the business or even the political world I imagine can be considered a risky one. I’m not going to pretend that my decisions have made some very happy, and others very unhappy. That’s life. You can’t please everyone. But, to sit and accept things as the way they are for fear of retaliation or backlash is misery in itself. I believe anyone who doesn’t speak up for what they truly believe or want for fear of ‘rocking the boat’ is just content with living in their own misery. And, let me be clear before I’m canceled—I know the meaning behind that now thanks to my kids, particularly my two youngest sons—I’m not saying someone who’s genuinely content and happy with where they are is included in this. I’m specifically talking to those who want change, and want to create a better world, but are waiting for others to do it for them.”

Despite its clichéness, many in the hall gave a small clap to the CEO’s words, Y/N looking thoroughly impressed himself.

“Wow, he really is an inspiring man,” Y/N commented.

“He’s alright,” Clark said in response.

Y/N gave the taller man a suspicious side look, “Alright, what’s going on with you? You’ve been standing there pouting

since this interview started. What, do you not like Bruce Wayne or something?"

Clark sighed before looking down at his boyfriend. It was true, he wasn't really liking the guy at the moment. But, it was just because he was so jealous. He didn’t like how Y/N was looking at him, or how he was talking about him.

It wasn't fair.

The reporter wanted Y/N to be looking at him and only him like that, and he wanted his attention and affection, and he wanted him to only talk about him like that. It was petty, and it was selfish, but Clark didn’t care.

He just wanted Y/N to only admire Clark Kent. not Bruce Wayne.

Only Superman, not Batman.

Despite Y/N's earlier words about it not being a competition, Clark knew the truth. It was a competition, one he was not planning on losing.

"No, I don't not like him. I'm just not that impressed, is all. He's not a superhero." Clark said.

"Neither is Lex Luthor. But, that doesn't stop the public from making him the villain in his story. I'm sure there's a lot more to Bruce Wayne than the media is letting on."

"Oh, trust me. There's more to him than what meets the eye," Clark mumbled to himself as the interview was getting ready to wrap up.

"Well, on behalf of the Daily Planet, I'd like to thank you for joining us today. Your words are certainly ones that will not go unheard by many. I look forward to—"

Before Lois could finish speaking, the lights in the building suddenly went out, leaving the office pitch black. A few people in the hall gasp, Y/N instinctively grabbing Clark's arm, who in turn places his hand over the smaller man's own.

"What's going on?" Someone asks.

"I don't know. It's almost like a blackout, but it can't be because we have backup generators. They should've turned it on by now." Another responded.

"Clark, what's going on?" Y/N asked toward his boyfriend, who was holding the smaller male closer to him out of instinct.

"I'm not exactly sure..."

Just as he said that, the lights came back on, and everyone was looking around confused as to what the source of the blackout was.

"Oh my god!" One of the people in the hall screamed suddenly as everyone turned back towards the interview room. Inside the room, some members of the crew suddenly had masks with insignias covering their faces on them. One of them was behind Lois holding a dagger to her neck while another stood to the side, pointing a gun directly at Bruce's head.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt, Ms. Lane," The individual in the middle of the room said, "But, this interview isn't over just yet."

"Who the hell are you people?!" Lois asked, fear and anger in her eyes as the blade was held to her neck.

"Wouldn't you like to know? As for Mr. Wayne, we're going to have a little chat. I suggest you and your friends don't follow or intervene. Otherwise, this broadcast won't be the only thing getting cut" The masked individual threatened, nodding to Lois.

"Don't you dare touch her," Bruce warned, his expression serious, as he got ready to stand.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Mr. Wayne. We wouldn't want anything bad to happen, now would we? Especially with all of America watching right now."

Bruce sat back down, knowing that his opponent was right. He couldn't let them hurt Lois, and he certainly couldn't risk any lives in this room.

"Don't worry, Mr. Wayne. We'll make this quick," The leader said as one of the other masked goons went to lock the door that led inside the interview room.

"Clark, we have to do something," Y/N said, his heart racing a mile a minute.

"I know. Stay here. I'll be back." Clark said before running off, leaving the smaller male alone.

"What? Clark, wait! Where are you going?" Y/N called after him, but the taller man didn't hear him, already too far away.

'What the hell is he doing?' Y/N thought to himself before turning his attention back towards the situation in front of him.

As Clark rounded the corner and made his way down the hallway, he made sure no one was watching him before he ran as fast as he could into the supply closet. Once inside, he quickly changed into his suit before taking off through the backdoor.

"So, how does it feel knowing that you're on the side of the wrong? How does it feel knowing that no matter what you do, you'll never be able to fix the mess you made? All the lives lost because of you," The masked man asked Bruce, who was sitting calmly in his chair, his eyes not showing an ounce of fear.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't. None of you wealthy elites do. You don't know the pain and suffering your companies and your products cause to others. You don't know the misery you cause. Well, allow us to show you." The man said before signaling his partners.

One of them immediately moved and grabbed a hold of the camera, pointing it directly at the masked man in the center.

"Hello, Metropolis. And hello, America. If you're watching this, that means you're just as much a part of this as we are. if you've been sitting here listening to the lies and promises of a better world by this man and his kind, you are as much a part of his schemes as he is. It is because of people like him that we have the world we live in. It's because of people like him that so many of us suffer. It's because of people like him that the world will only continue to rot and decay until there is nothing left but a pile of ashes. But, we will not be the ones who burn. We will not be the ones who lose. We will not be the ones who suffer, not anymore. Today, we fight back. Today, we will show the world that we will not be silenced, we will not be oppressed. We will not allow the likes of him and his kind to continue to control us anymore with false promises of a better tomorrow while lining their own pockets. Today, we say enough is enough. Today, we rise. Today, we will take back what is rightfully ours. Today, we take back our freedom and our lives from the rich and corrupt." The man spoke, his words filled with conviction and determination, but also hatred and poison as he stared deep into the camera.

"And if any of you try to stop us, then you will be considered just as guilty as the rest of them. We will not be silenced. We will not be ignored. And if you think that the likes of Batman and Superman will save you, I wouldn't be too sure of that..."

As soon as the leader was done with his speech, the sound of the glass shattering was heard as Superman broke through the windows, flying into the room before stopping directly in front of the man holding the camera.

"But, I am..." The Man of Steel said, shooting a laser beam at the dagger being held by the goon threatening Lois. He immediately dropped the blade as it became too hot, giving the Daily Planet reporter the opportunity she needed to escape his hold.

"Bastards," She cursed, turning around and delivering a kick to the masked man's groin.

He groaned out in pain, falling to the floor before Lois punched him in the face, knocking him out.

Superman turned his attention back toward the masked man standing in the center, "I believe it's time for you to take a hike."

"Not yet. We still have unfinished business," The man said before signaling his other henchman. The man immediately aimed his gun at the Kryptonian, firing shot after shot into him.

Superman stood his ground as the bullets hit him, before eventually, the gun ran out.

"You're right. This is definitely the end," Superman said as he flew toward the man, knocking him out before he could reload his gun.

As Superman finished off the last of the henchmen, the leader turned back towards the camera, "Sorry, Superman. But, the damage has already been done. I hope you enjoyed this little taste of what's to come."

Before the Kryptonian could stop him, the man took out a smoke bomb, throwing it onto the ground and covering the room in a cloud of smoke.

"Crap," Superman cursed, unable to see as the man escaped.

As the smoke began to clear, Bruce took out his phone, "Alfred, I need you to track this signal."

"Understood, sir. I've also informed the police and they're on their way," Alfred responded.

"Good," Bruce said before turning back towards the room.

The actual camera crew was not out in the hall, hugging their co-workers who were all relieved at their safety. The broadcast was cut from the air, but there was no doubt every TV station from here to San Francisco was talking about it. Y/N was standing nearby, his eyes filled with awe and admiration as he stared up at Superman.

There was something oddly familiar about him.

...

Nah.

"That was incredible, Mr. Wayne," Lois said.

"I could say the same thing about you. I'm glad you're ok."

Lois smiled at him, "You were worried about me?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Bruce asked, a small smile forming on his lips.

Lois blushed slightly before turning back to look at Superman, who was now standing right in front of the two.

"Thank you for the save, Superman," Lois said, extending her hand out to the Kryptonian.

"My pleasure," Superman said, shaking the woman's hand before his attention was drawn toward Bruce who just gave him an appreciative nod. Though the look in his eyes signaled they would definitely be communicating about things later.

As Bruce and Lois moved towards the hallway, Lois spotted Y/N who was standing close to the door peeking inside.

"Oh Y/N, there you are! Thank goodness, you're alright." Lois said, walking over to him and hugging him.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Are you?" He asked, looking up at the woman.

"I'm fine. I'm tougher than I look."

"That's good to hear. And, it's good to see you’re okay as well Mr. Wayne. That was scary." Y/N said, turning his attention to the billionaire.

"Yes, I'm glad I'm alright, too," Bruce said, his attention on Y/N.

"Oh, Bruce Wayne, this is Y/N L/N. He's one of our upcoming new reporters along with Clark Kent, who you've met before." Lois said, introducing the two.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wayne," Y/N said, extending his hand out.

Bruce took it, giving the younger man a firm handshake, "The pleasure is all mine."

As the two looked at each other, Clark was standing nearby, his gaze focused on the two, his fists clenched.

'I swear to Rao...' He thought to himself, jealousy coursing through his body as he watched the two interact.

"So, Mr. Wayne, what do you think that was all about?" Y/N asked.

Bruce turned to look at the woman, an amused eyebrow raised, "He must be getting trained by you," He said, sparking a laugh from Lois and another eye roll from the Kryptonian before flying off, "And please, call me Bruce. Mr. Wayne makes me feel old."

"Bruce, then. What do you think that was all about?" Y/N asked again.

"Well, I can't be certain, but based on their words and their actions, I'd say they were a group of anarchists."

"Anarchists?"

"Yes. They're not an uncommon group. Many people are growing tired of the way things are in this country. With the state of the economy and the government, it's only a matter of time before things begin to boil over."

"So, you think this is going to happen more often?"

"I'm not sure. But, I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of them."

Y/N nodded his thoughts on the events that had transpired earlier.

"Y/N!" Clark called, interrupting the conversation.

"Clark, there you are! You had me worried sick," The smaller male said while hugging his boyfriend, missing the sharp look the taller man was throwing at the billionaire.

"I just went to alert the building security and the police. Seems everything turned alright though since Superman showed up," Clark said, wrapping an arm around the younger man's waist while still giving a side eye to Bruce who was watching with amusement.

"Yes, thank goodness he did. I'm sure we all owe him a huge thanks for his services."

"Yes, indeed we do. But, unfortunately, I must be going now. It was a pleasure meeting you, Y/N." Bruce said, extending his hand once more to the younger man, who took it, shaking it gently.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, too."

Bruce smiled at him before turning back to Lois, "And it was a pleasure seeing you again, Lois."

"Likewise, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce smirked, "I do believe we're a bit past the formalities now, Lois. Please, call me Bruce."

"Of course. Bruce." The woman replied, her tone flirty and her expression coy.

Y/N noticed this and turned to look at Clark, whose expression was blank as he looked on.

"Will do, Lois. I look forward to our next meeting," Bruce said before stopping in front of Clark.

"Good seeing you as well Clark, as short-lived as it was," Bruce said, extending his hand out for a handshake.

Clark reluctantly took it, the handshake lasting longer than was necessary.

"Likewise," Clark replied.

Bruce nodded, his eyes giving the reporter a knowing look before he was escorted out by security.

Once the billionaire was out of sight, Clark and Y/N decided to leave as well, making their way towards the elevator.

"Well, that was a crazy day," Y/N said.

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"Do you think Bruce Wayne knows Batman?"

Clark stopped mid-step, a shocked expression on his face as he looked down at his boyfriend.

"Are you serious right now? You can't be serious?" The taller man said with an indignant expression.

"What?"

"You're still thinking of Batman after Superman just came and saved everyone?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, he's a hero too. They both are. Besides, Superman is always getting most of the credit, don't you think? It would make sense if they were working together. You know, the world's greatest detective and the world's greatest hero, solving crime and catching the bad guys. Wouldn't that be so cool?" Y/N asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement at the thought.

"No, not really. I don't see why that would be a good idea," Clark said, rolling his eyes.

Y/N sighed, "Clark, remember what we talked about earlier about it not being a competition?"

Clark looked down at the smaller man, his eyes filled with frustration, "Yeah, but it doesn't mean you have to obsess over Batman. Superman is just as obsessed-worthy!"

"Clark, seriously, what is up with you? It's not like I want to marry him or something."

"You're acting like you want to," Clark mumbled under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Look, Clark. I'm not going to say I'm not a fan of Batman. I mean, I think he's cool. But, that doesn't mean that I'm not a fan of Superman either. I'm a fan of both of them. I think they're both great heroes, and I think they both do good work."

"But, you don't think that Batman is cooler, or that he's better than Superman?" Clark asked, his expression pleading.

"I mean, I guess. But, why does that matter? Why are you so hung up about this?"

"Because, I—" Clark started before stopping, knowing he was about to give away his identity.

"You what?"

"I just want you to think of me, is all," Clark said, looking down at the ground, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Y/N's heart softened at the confession, the older man looking like a little kid who just got his favorite toy taken away. He stepped forward, cupping the taller man's face in his hands, causing him to look up.

"Clark, I do think about you. I think about you all the time and I love how protective you are of me. Whether I like Batman or Superman more isn't going to change that" Y/N said, trying his best to ease his boyfriend's fears.

"Promise?" Clark asked.

Y/N chuckled, "I promise."

"Good," Clark smiled while leaning down to place a kiss against his boyfriend's lips, "You should still like Superman more."

Y/N rolled his eyes, "Sure thing, Clark. I'll work on that."

"Thank you."

"Whatever. Now come on, we now have a celebratory date to go on." Y/N said as he grabbed Clark's hand.

"What are we celebrating?" Clark asked with a laugh as he was pulled towards the elevator.

It was always adorable watching the smaller male pull Clark around like it was nothing.

"Surviving our first criminal encounter together," Y/N said while hitting the first-floor button.

"First?"

"Honey, we live in a city with sky-high insurance because a superhero lives here. You really think this will be the last?"

He definitely doesn't.

☀️ | Clark Kent/Superman | ☀️

☀️ | Masterlists | ☀️

[jennycalendar]

so i feel very strongly that in and of itself, this one interaction is not at all interesting enough to create this obsessive hero-worship thing that amy has with the doctor? like, yes, some weird shit happens, but her daydreaming about how incredible it would be if he spirited her away from her life...pretty much all he does is show up, make her make him food, obliquely suggest that something weird is going on in her house, and disappear. he's definitely leaving some mysteries unsolved, but i don't think most ppl would look at that and go "ah yes i dream of traveling with that man forever."

THAT SAID -- and this is not explored in canon so i'm not sure if i wanna give canon credit for this -- i think a really fascinating story could be told re: the follow-up to this encounter! like, sure, this is weird shit that happened, but how invalidating would it have to be if, as a child, you have this weird shit happen, and you have questions about it, and when you tell the story, all you are getting from adults and your community in general is "wow, you're so weird! why would you think this is real?" you're left with this sense of profound isolation in a place that initially felt so safe and good. you've learned that love does not always mean people believe you unconditionally, and it usually (hopefully) takes people longer than Eight Years Old to figure that out. and on top of that all, there's maybe an escaped alien in your house!!!

i don't think that making the doctor the focus of this encounter is strong writing, and i'm kinda :/ that this is the place we're starting from (this is my favorite set of seasons so i'm :/ in a :) way. y'all know me.) because he really just is not particularly kind to amy. she exists as a concept to him and that's about it. there's no feeling of mutual intrinsic connection outside of the general friendliness he has with others. if we saw amy as an isolated little girl, this might make more sense, but canon establishes that she had rory and mels growing up -- she was not at all alone! she was social and silly and very clearly a rough and tumble little weirdo with people who believed her when she talked about the doctor. i think it could have been really cool to explore amy as less obsessed with the doctor and more conspiracy-theory oriented after this. like she is definitely affected by this thing that happened to her as a young girl, but in a way that's much more in line with her as an individual rather than her Reacting To The Inherent Greatness Of The Doctor.

[burning-sol]

on a dime thinking about characterstics different pcs tend to share across the players.

charlie: everyone says it and it is so real, religious trauma and imagery cause i mean literally just look at peter and exandroth, gillion's whole deal being the chosen one, william's incredible distress discovering the absence of god. horror but especially body horror cause AGAIN peter and exandroth, gillion's often scary n fishy descriptions, the way charlie describes how ghoulish william looks with william literally decomposing. comically exaggerated personalities with gillion the most hero of heroes he's so hero just look at his titles, peter to be mistaken for a literal doormat, exandroth the fanatical violent all around super evil angelic force, william wisp the freak from deadwood who has ghost powers and was so dedicated to solving mysteries he died that's his thing. might i say they are all quite obsessive, gillion obsesssed with being the chosen, peter obsessed with rocks and lizard, exandroth obsessed with retribution, william obsessed with mysteries, and this can create a strong disconnect with the world around them. of the pcs i would say they are usually the most outcast of outcasts and the most freak of freaks. also autism.

bizly: very straightforward characters with no subversion, what you see is what you get. NORMAL, AVERAGE, UNDERWHELMING, these are terms you can use to describe chip rand AND connor <- also they all have the same brown hair. this makes their badass moments stand out and be triumphant, where would we be without chip's badass sword, rand's badass finale, connor's horrifying but also sort of badass moment with the book, and also thanatos is a compilation of every badass moment bizly could probably ever want. there's always some sort of family issues see chip no family, rand strained relationship with family, connor i think had something going on but i cant remember, thanatos and the holy family. definitely most likely to get into conflict with other pcs might i say, gillion and chip, rolan and rand, rumi and thanatos, that's literally one of every other players' character what can i say.

grizzly: these characters are all struggling to live up to incredibly idealised persona and for the most part end up failing, rumi's persona literally breaking down until they shed it completely to be true to themselves, dakota always trying to be a hero which has worked out so far but we're just waiting for something bad to happen, kian who pretended to make it as a rockstar after most definitely failing, aster is by proxy sort of failing to live up to the perfect persona that is her father. shapeshifters? i mean rumi is a changeling, aster can alter her form, dakota has a feral mode, and kian got bugged so you know (joke). lot of these characters are incredibly gender lets be honest here.

condi: feel an intense pull towards conforming, jay struggling to push against her family, vyncent from another world trying to adjust and appear normal, rolan getting a respected profession, everything with ryan. there is a struggle of identity that is incredibly external, jay as a pirate vs the literal navy, vyncent's repeated experience of sharing a body, rolan being a fucking bug, ryan had a confrontation that was the most direct thing you could bear witness to. the actual perfect balance of two very smart characters and two of the most incredibly stupid characters i have ever seen. honestly very on point about their observations of others and themselves but can find difficulty to express that to other.

and i totally forgot about the prequel pcs but ms g and finn are also autistic, harlem shade definitely has that classic super cool persona also gender, jason king god bless this normal dude dragged into whatever the fuck the other two have going on, arlin is the source of the family issues. i literally am too tired to write anymore so i apologise if i fucked stuff up i cant be bothered anymore send post.

[rosehippiefield]

Imagine Yttd male cast as voices in Slay the princess:

Hayasaka is the most normal one, so let him be voice of hero. Just picture manly hayasaka with a pristine blade, or him shivering with fear running away from Eye in the neelde. Or him arguing why you shouldn't throw knife in the window.

Kurumada is most definitely the Stubborn. It is pair made in heaven, they just match, simply listen to this beligerent voice and compare that with Naomichi's fighting spirit. In his dual with Adversary or Razor (imagine if it was Maple, because they both have sharp objects in their bodies) he just can't give up. So he GETS UP with sheer willpower.

Joe could be the Contrarian plainly because I think this guy is the nicest and the friendliest aside from the Smitten, but is not so trusting and naїve as aforementioned Smitten. Plus maybe Joe could just turn around and try to leave.

Kai is so calm and serious I associate him with the Cold. The former was groomed to be assasin and the latter has little to no emotions. In case of ending up drowing I can picture Kai reacting "how troubling...". Although I think he could be Hunted, Sceptic or Paranoid as well (he has good reflexes, "wink" is in his style, his voice is calm enough for "heart. liver. lungs. nerves" mantra respectively).

Shin is paranoid of everybody, he is hunted by the strong, he is cheated (0%), he is stubborn as he doesn't give up nevertheless, he is opportinist with constant manipulations... Shin can be every voice aside from Smitten (to fall in love with gal that kills you? Nah, not happening). I would still give him voice of the Paranoid plainly because they both see eyes and don't trust anybody. Also both are reeeally afraid (let's say of Nightmare Sara) but magically keep living.

I imagine Keiji as either the Cold or the Sceptic due to his calculative thought process and raising good questions. I lean more toward the Sceptic as he wants to solve the mysteries revolving around the Princess, noting Narrator's reactions and clues or allying with the Princess (he would definitelly call her cute to get info).

Ranmaru is the only one I could envision as the Smitten. He, the shining hero, protects helpless princess Sara from cruel world, he doesn't mind it being destroyed anyway. All for Sara's sake (or partly for his sake because he needs to be useful and have allies/friends/something more). Only Sara isn't Damsel at all.

With other characters I am not so sure. Alice reminds me of the Cheated with his complaints and comical voice or the Contrarian as he 100% can just leave (source: his first trial), and Q-Taro is a bit opportunistic (and he would certainly understand why he is betrayed by witch Mai), but Q-Taro is a lot better as a person and is far more honest. Plus I kind of imagine Midori as the Opportunist with his overly cheerfull "Get him, boys!"

Mishima and Gin are just too different from these voices, I can't see them as any. If there was a voice of Nice or voice of Playful I would reconcider my statement

Aaand... Let Meister be the Narrator. Perhaps he is echo of the Memorandum man, maybe no longer a person, but still strifing to achieve his goals. Although I doubt he would lose his cool as easily as the Narrator.

[mtdthoughts]

Heroism (Migi & Dali Analysis)

*Spoiler Warning* This discussion is about Episode 12 of the Migi & Dali anime (or Chapter 42 of the manga).

This is also a bit of a long read, so do be warned if you decide to proceed.

If there's anything that Episode 12 showed us, it was heroism. First, Akiyama saved the gang with his trusty axe (and beloved bird costume ruined!) when it seemed all hope was lost, then Dali charged into the burning Ichijo house (with Migi following behind) to save a suicidal Eiji, and finally Micchan made yet another surprise appearance as a guardian angel and showed us that even in death, her love and willpower was strong enough to save our beloved twins once more (almost in a Jojo-esque fashion). These characters all deserve praise for their courage, but the main topic here is Dali's decision to save Eiji. While Micchan's and Akiyama's actions were understandable because of their devotion toward the twins, Dali's was very much unexpected and seemingly uncharacteristic. After all, the cold and rational Dali we know would never risk throwing his life away, much less to save a stranger that he hated and previously intended to kill. If anything, we expected the impulsive but gentle Migi to save Eiji, as he initially seemed more inclined to accept Eiji. This decision was so reckless that Dali was even (reasonably) scolded by Migi, something that pretty much never happens. That's why this decision is so important, as it highlights how far Dali has come in his character development.

Speaking of heroism, I searched various types of heroes in literature, and the Byronic hero stood out to me. This archetype, named after the English Romatic poet Lord Byron, focuses on a character with innate heroic abilities that are plagued with psychological issues and are oftentimes destroyed by their flaws. I won't go too deep into it, but I will say that from this description, it seems that Dali fits the bill here. I convinced myself of this by looking at common traits of Byronic heroes listed on TV Tropes, and almost all of them describe Dali to a tee.

Physically attractive and charismatic: I won't judge physical attractiveness, but the twins are noted by other characters to be very cute and handsome. Dali is also very charismatic in whatever role he plays (i.e. the mask he puts on), such as the twins' fearless leader, the cool and reliable older brother, the perfect son and friend Hitori, and the mysterious and alluring girl Sali.

Struggles with personal integrity: Pretty obvious here.

Intelligent, perceptive, sophisticated, educated, cunning and adaptable, but also self-centered: Definitely, as he is a great manipulator and mastermind, and is a top student (probably with an affinity for math and science) despite having no previous education. However, I'd argue that Dali is pretty selfless.

Emotionally sensitive and emotionally conflicted: Definitely, since being a great manipulator requires him to be perceptive of others' emotions. Also, at several points in the story his desire for revenge conflicted with his desire to protect Migi, with the latter eventually winning out.

Intensely self-critical, introspective, dark, and brooding: Dark and brooding is pretty obvious. Also, throughout the story, he's displayed regret for his actions, such as when he sacrificed himself and his revenge so that Migi could live, and when he finally decided to grant his brother's fervent wish in returning to Origon Village after beating him up.

Cynical, world-weary, and jaded due to a dark and troubled past: Pretty obvious here.

Extremely passionate with strong personal beliefs that he prioritizes over others': goes without saying, as he initially put revenge (and eventually protecting Migi) above everything else.

Believes that he must take the long, hard road to do what must be done: Definitely, and the Sali saga is the best showcase of this.

His intense drive and determination to live out his philosophy without regard to others' philosophies produce conflict and may result in a tragic end: Definitely; his desire for revenge conflicted with Migi's desire to live normally, and he almost killed Migi as a result.

Hopefully, this is enough to show that Dali fits this archetype, though I'm sure this could be done more rigorously. But the point was to highlight the type of person Dali was, the fact he could have suffered a tragic fate (e.g. killing Migi) like many other Byronic heroes, and his character arc. Unlike Migi, who initially imitated Dali (as befitting of the "King of Imitations") but gradually stopped as his true personality came out, Dali radically transformed, as his internalized personality flaws were being erased. Despite being initially distrustful of others, controlling, and obsessed with revenge, Dali was eventually able to befriend Akiyama and Maruta for real, build a healthier and stronger relationship with Migi, and even sympathize with Eiji and save him. All of this was possible because of Migi, who served as Dali's light and helped him grow from the deeply broken boy he was at the start of the story. As Dali stated, Migi always ruined his plans, but he realized that this was actually a good thing because Migi's kindness, sincerity, and innocence helped guide him toward the right direction. This leads me to believe that Dali's personality didn't just reverse out of nowhere; rather, deep down he wanted to make friends, he wanted Migi to be happy, and he was always a compassionate boy (even more so than Migi). He might have even possessed a light brighter than Migi's. But because of his mother's death and its associated burdens, Dali's heart hardened as he repressed this side of himself and built walls around his heart for the sake of revenge, and it was Migi who was able to tear down these walls and illuminate the darkness within Dali's heart, allowing Dali's repressed personality to come out.

Finally, let's get into Dali's decision to save Eiji. Dali finally understood that Eiji was just like him, a victim of their parents' sins, and that Eiji was always alone as he never had someone like Migi with him. Dali hated Eiji because he reminded him of himself without Migi, a deeply broken boy who only caused himself to suffer by forcing himself to fulfill an obsession (e.g. revenge and perfection). In other words, Dali hated the the dark version of himself that rejected others, hurt his brother, and caused himself to suffer for the sake of revenge. Dali was able to overcome himself because of Migi, and he wanted to extend this opportunity to Eiji as he seems to have finally accepted Eiji as his brother. This act of compassion showed us the essence of Dali's "revenge," as what he did for Eiji can't be characterized as revenge, but rather justice. Instead of getting revenge against his mother's killer, Dali sought justice for the triplets and the suffering they endured as a result of their parents' sins. His anger towards Eiji transformed into a defiance of destiny as he sought to prove that regardless of their dark past and mistakes, they could still live happily and face a brighter future. In this episode, we witnessed the depth of Dali's compassion, which was even greater than Migi's, as well as the rise of a hero who was able to overcome his darker nature. This is one of the biggest reasons why Dali is my favorite character in the story, as his character arc was just that compelling.

However, at the end, someone had to take responsibility for the tragic events that occurred that night. Eiji realized that even though he now sought to live, the life he was promised by Dali was "too sweet" for him, as he had to atone for killing Reiko and attempting to burn everyone to death. As Eiji was taken away, Dali watched with a sorrowful and/or distressed look and a new burn scar on his left cheek. On the surface level, Dali can't keep up the Hitori act anymore. But the scar may carry a deeper meaning. For example, it can be seen as a proof of Dali's courage and heroism. On the other hand, it can also be seen as a proof of Dali's sins and his failure to bring Eiji home. Knowing Dali, he might internalize the latter interpretation, and may carry a great deal of guilt and self-loathing as a result. We can only hope that in the final episode, Dali (and likely with Migi's help) resolves whatever emotional fallout there may be and can finally embrace the happy and cherry-pie-filled life with Migi and the Sonoyamas that he craved (and IMO deserved).

[surely-galena]

ToT Main Story 10 Thoughts/Commentary (Part 3)

[1] [2] [3] [4]

Whoa MC!! It's really easy to forget that she's got experience in drama/theater because it's mostly in the card stories (Artem's 1st birthday, SSR Por Una Cabeza), but she definitely hasn't lost her touch because she's still a good actress!

(Actually, more about acting later. That's why there are four parts to this HAHA.)

But in the moment, even in the stress, she's still able to believably act as if she's turning on Vyn, as if she doesn't know him, as if she is perfectly capable of killing him. Even if she was just in a near-death situation, she's really good at keeping her cool. MC/Rosa is definitely not to be underestimated.

Ah, the NSB is coming up again. I'm still not really sure how I feel about their involvement (I'm still suspicious), but I guess they're probably the best people for this sort of task.

Okay, this last line really struck me.

"Truths may not only be exposed in the light. Sometimes, the truths in the shadows will have greater value."

As the main story has progressed, we have slowly edged closer and closer into darker territory -- the shadows, if you will.

I always come back to main story 6 when I think about this because that was our first ever episode without a trial at the end. That was also the first one where MC was directly involved in a near-death experience with the main villain and one where it was difficult to truly bring the truth "in the light" because everything was just so messy. It was difficult to salvage the pieces of main story 6 and bring it to justice, because there wasn't anyone left to bring to justice at that stage.

So it makes sense that MC and the NXX Investigation Team are probably going to go into even darker areas, not necessarily for justice, because that's not quite the point here, but for truth. When they play it safe, it's harder to get the full story. Only when they step into the shadows can they really unravel everything that is going on.

Right, okay. I'm... kind of confused by Jerome's mixed signals. We know he's not to be trusted (especially with the scene near the end where he's reaching out to Brigid), but he also seems to be... dropping hints?

Does he want MC to figure out the truth? Is he deliberately setting a trap for the NXX by baiting them with information, like some kind of setup or long con? Jerome is still very much a mystery to me, but if there is one thing I can be certain of, it's that he's been gradually appearing more and more throughout the main story. I don't doubt we're going to be seeing more of him as the mystery continues to unravel.

It's been a while since I've seen her sprite, but Matthew bears a very strong resemblance to Jill/Reina Richter (I think it's Reina now, right?). It's cool seeing the artist incorporate common details between biologically-related characters (e.g. Marius & Giann & Austin, Artem & Kimberly).

Ohh. The Richters are getting involved? Okay, so maybe Vyn does have more stakes in the situation than the missing NXX members.

-

Truth and Heroism

A mini segment about some themes I've been mulling over (in relation to ToT).

I feel like a lot of the VNs I've been thinking about lately have been talking about truth and apparently ToT main story 10 is no exception to that. I think it's important that in MC's pursuit of the truth, she does stop and remind herself that truth can be cruel in the moment. There may be even more horrifying things in store for her and the NXX Investigation Team. But even as they edge closer and closer to painful answers, they have to see everything through to the end. Even if it hurts. Even if things turn out to be worse than they ever imagined.

And then this last bit struck me because in a way, the NXX Investigation Team are heroes. They're a little glorified because MC is part of that team and also all the guys are love interests, but with MC, they've been helping to bring justice to Stellis or learn more about the greater plot.

But Brad Gries is different, because he's just some guy who doesn't even have a sprite, who thought that something had to be done in order to avoid a worse thing happening. And he's dead, and it wasn't a pretty way to go, and that's apparently case closed on main story 10 (final scene aside). There's something tragic about that. Maybe, in a way, Brad is somewhat of a microcosm of the people of Stellis. People who are fighters -- people who hope for things to happen or not happen, people who MC tries so hard to help and bring justice to. People who aren't always saved. People who don't get to see justice in their lifetime.

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

Frank, have you watched the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and its spinoff series Angel? If so, what did you think of the characters? What do you think of Season 4 of Angel?

Yeah, I watched them both, although I dropped off around the end of Season 3 of Angel.

They were fun, and I liked both shows a lot, but they have the problem of every popular cult-hit TV show from the last decade -- namely, that they end up relying on the sheer novelty of their original premise to keep viewers watching (Buffy: "14 year old girl with a crush on Angel the vampire fighting monsters and demons with a sword!" etc. etc.). And the novelty of this premise does wear out after a while, forcing writers to get more and more inventive with the plot twists that they introduce and causing the show to start feeling kind of strained (in Buffy's case the scale of plot twists was limited by the fact that you couldn't lose all of the main characters in one fell swoop, but in Angel this limit doesn't apply). I think the show also suffered from the fact that the writer of the initial pitch ("a girl fights demons with a sword! . . . and she's (arbitrarily) bad at it") was not the show's main writer and the actual plot didn't take shape until she was gone, and the other writers, were working full-time on the show.

Buffy did start out strong but it kind of collapsed into its own formula, which is a shame. Angel was a bit more inventive, and had a definite sense of going somewhere, but as I said I only got up to season 3.

One more comment is that Buffy and Angel was really an extremely good example of one of my main problems with sci-fi/fantasy. Namely, all these "gods" are lurking around in the background who can wipe out entire civilizations with a snap of their fingers and never even seem to have any trouble getting the spells/technology together to do so. It's all cool and mysterious as long as everyone's a slave to the story, but if you sit back and think about it for even a moment it stops being cool or mysterious.

Buffy is very good, but nothing compares to this idea, of a god with the power to reshape reality at a whim, even if the god is always far away, inaccessible to the heroes, and never has to actually use that power to do anything:

A wizard who lives in a world full of people who know he is a wizard and are constantly inventing new uses for the fact that he is a wizard. A wizard who is aware that he is a wizard -- and knows that the power is there to be used and can be used wisely -- but is afraid to use it to accomplish anything because the idea of using it for himself (the selfish wizard) disturbs him, so he avoids it for a long time and only finds the courage to use it when it is absolutely necessary.

[true-blue-sonic]

I mean, if you ask me, it's honestly quite unrealistic to me that there's never been any character in any canon that's been into Espio. Pre-Genesis Archie gave Sonic love interests all over the place, Shadow and Knuckles get flirted with by Rouge on occasion (and Sonic does too now that I think about it), and yet Espio's never gotten anything - even in pre-Genesis Archie where he was slightly more relevant thanks to Knuckles, he just had an extremely brief dynamic with Nicole and that was it.

Oh wow, I had completely forgotten that Espio suddenly had some sort of friendship going on with Nicole when the whole town thought she'd turn evil and kill them! I do believe it came quite out of nowhere, but maybe I'm just missing something there since I know little about Archie. Regardless, I think the Chaotix are those characters who kind of just don't show up enough to really dive into such things like romance and deeper interactions with other characters, also in in the comics. Sonic, Shadow, and Knuckles all are part of the main cast of characters, so it simply makes sense there is more focus on them than more 'outer cast' characters like Espio; both when it comes to platonic friendships and all the romance dramas and heartbreak going on in Archie. Like, Vector apparently is interested in Vanilla; how often do we see those two interact? Never in canon, that's for sure, and in IDW and Sonic Channel (and even Sonic X, where it stemmed from!) it's rather scarce as well. I figure Espio suffers under the same: simply not present enough to really dive into his interpersonal relationships, unfortunately.

But I do think that in the overall world like how I have it in my fics, there's certainly people who are interested in Espio. After all, he's cool, diligent, strong, handsome, a ninja, a hero, has an air of mystery and control around him... I wouldn't be surprised if there's a few people who have expressed (romantic) interest in him before. But I also think that Espio really just isn't open for that, not in this way; I figure he reasons being in a relationship with some random citizen who has no knowledge on hero-ing and the life Espio lives might only reflect badly on his ninja training, detective work, and world protecting. And he definitely wouldn't be the type who is unable to reject someone or just gives a relationship a shot for the fun of it. That is why he was open for starting a relationship with Silver in my fics: Silver's goals, mindset, and general behaviour are quite aligned with Espio's. They're both heroes, they both have good control over their powers/abilities and work hard on maintaining these, and they both have that drive and stubborn personality that makes them never give up, intermixed with a great sense of caring for others. In the same vein, there's some contrasts between them as well, like Silver being more eager and hotheaded while Espio is more analytic and withdrawn. Silver supports Espio in doing the things he likes and desires like training and doing detective work, and Espio in turn helps Silver attain his goal of protecting the past and the future. It is something that a relationship with a 'normal' citizen would never have been able to give to Espio, I think. So though there might have been interest in him by other parties, I doubt Espio would have been particularly returning of those feelings anyway!

[seungwooningforyou]

Hii, can you do a reading on Jooyeon from Xdinary Heroes please? Thank you 💕

Sorry for the late reply, thank you for your ask! Did a bit of research on him and he is SO cool! Would love to be his friend.

Note: This is not only purely for entertainment, I'm very new to tarot! (But not new to spiritualism!) My readings are in a sense open ended and aren't meant to be taken as anything other than me speculating and having fun! :) Requests open btw!

Reading on JooYeon ^^

I love my bands, my pfp is actually from my fave kband so I'm SO HAPPY I got an ask for one! Pulled 5 cards this time as this is an overall reading and I feel like maybe 3 cards wouldn't cover what I want to. Even 5 is iffy but I didn't wanna overdo it. Hope you enjoy!

Nine of Wands Reversed • King of Cups • The Moon • The World • Ace of Pentacles

Nine of Wands Reversed tells me he's an anxious person. He self critical and because of that he's constantly on edge. Pretty typical Virgo behavior. He's hesitant and often times that leads to opportunities slipping away because 'what if this' and 'what if that'. I think especially cause he grew up an only child he isn't always 100% sure where to go or what to do and might look to other people to help on some things, but there's definitely a little bit of fear involved. He doesn't want to be judged and so because of that he might keep to himself.

King of Cups implies he's a kind and warm person. Because I pulled Nine of Wands Rev, I think the cards are telling me that because he in fear of others judging him, he does his outmost best to not judge others. He is a friend that you can count on and a shoulder you can lean on. He's generally well liked and there's a reason for that. Reliable is definitely a word you can use to describe him, any tough moments in life you want advice to get through he is there to help. Even if he hasn't experienced himself he will do his best to think logically in the situation and offer ideas to get you out of any rut your in.

The Moon says he's rather mysterious. His mind races a million miles a minute and he's sometimes unsure of his next move- I think this is hand-in-hand with Nine of Wands Rev. He keeps to himself and he KNOWS one day he's going to implode and something will be let out even if he didn't intend it but he just can't help it. There's a sense of fear in this card. Repressed memories and deep secrets. Something about him isn't what it appears to be. Speculation of course, but considering he's very energetic, maybe he's trying to hide his insecurity in himself? Fake it till you make it? Either way, he's unsure of himself, but once he admits that to himself he will flourish.

The world actually has quite a few meanings, especially taking into account the other cards we pulled. I'm gonna diverge this interpretation into two.

Loyalty is definitely present, strong Leo energy. King of Cups backs this up, he truly is a friend that will be there when you need it. He will always listen to what you have to say and take your feelings into account when talking to you. Gentle with his words and kind at heart. The last thing he would want to do is hurt someone who trusts him. Again, typical Virgo stuff. Second part is success. He realizes that one of his major goals in life has been completed in one way or another. He is incredibly thankful for this and has a strong desire to give back to the community or people who helped him to get where he is. Humble for sure.

Ace of Pentacles tells me that he is goal driven. Goal after goal, nothing will get in his way. Midas touch, he is talented at many things and uses this to the best of his abilities. He knows he's talented (in a non self-centered way) and wants to use this to achieve as much as he can. Rich too? He might have come from a place of privilege or otherwise put himself in a privilege. That doesn't mean just money though! Rich in friends, rich in choices, rich in talents. He is overflowing with one of those!

Overall, in a rather sad turn, I think he really is his own worst enemy. He doubts himself and when he achieves one goal it truly isn't enough. He needs more and more constantly to feel happy with himself. But these traits make him a great friend. He is incredibly loyal and would take a bullet for those he is close with without hesitation. He is filled to the brim with potential but he may hold himself back. Those around him matter most to him and he would truly do anything in a heart beat if asked.

Deck used: The Wooden Tarot Deck

Time and date done: 1/25/2022 5:45AM

[hasarjunadoneanythingwrong]

Uh something about Enkidu getting a bonus against threats to humanity....

Honestly, it seems like we are voting for half a pair here lmao. Nobu's anti-mystery and anti-divinity aspects seem like they'd be great against B+ divinity and the rest of her skills and NP would also be great Arjuna on the other hand...

Well. He looks pretty? I don't think he is particularly amazing in this scenario especially since Avenger copied Hero of the Endowed, but he is extra firepower.

I think Casters are there to just keep her busy with summons and with Rule breaker additionally being anti-magic but I can't think of any statistical bonuses that Dante would get against Foreigner that are particularly amazing.

Beyond that, I do think it's a tossup between Berserker and Lancer for just a 'hit things very hard' class but we also need to go against the grail, which, might be Berserkers as the very strong generalists?

Oh right, threats against humanity would be banging if it works that’s the one thing Gogh definitely is

Honestly in a normal hgw/his more standard set arjuna would be better off here given he usually has the anti-divinity at least like nobu as well, not to mention he also has a debuff immune on his clairvoyance (the best in game, actually as far as I know, it’s 5 turns on a 6 turn cooldown and doesn’t leave as soon as it’s hit w one). The problem is that team archer wasn’t smart enough to get it on him like berserker was with kintoki so his clairvoyance only buffs investigating. Idk maybe he can still slow time down when he focuses. I feel like objectively his arrows would’ve normally had a longer range than nobu’s guns but to be honest I suspect fate probably doesn’t care that he could shoot like 2 miles out with thousands of arrows being shot near simultaneously; and that a flintlock rifle can only go about 75-100 metres while needing to be reloaded bc I’m almost positive nobu can shoot things farther away than that. (She can also summon 100000 guns but tbh that makes sense re: her lore anyway) If they were cool she would have a much smaller range per single gun but.

Caster is twofold wanted bc of Medea’s rulerbreaker, which has been a ‘stupid fate bullshit destroyer’ since like…heavens feel at least iirc, not to mention Dantes can summon absolute scads of shades which are equally competent as any other servant which would help hold the line. And also that one time he summon a demon. Who knows maybe he could even get us pizza now too

The main concern is….uh I’m not sure how much Gogh specifically counts as divine. Ik elder gods yada yada, but I’m not sure if the painter cancels that out? Or does the nymph bit then come into question? Does elder god bs count as a mystic? And does buff canceling also include debuff immune skills??

[pinkhuman99]

UT POKÉMON TEAMS

Papyrus!

1. Palafin: a strange one, I know, but I think Papyrus would love this Pokémon for its hero-like appearance and strength. It appears normal and boring at first but transforms into a superhero to protect people! It is a play on the phrase "zero to hero", which seems to be Papyrus's goal in Undertale. He wants to be popular and loved, like Undyne! He wants to be a part of the heroic Royal Guard! It looks like a normal Finizen at first, but transforms into its scret Hero Form to become incredibly powerful (so strong it can lift an entire cruise ship with just one fin!) This might not be a very deep reason for including Palafin here, but it definitely fits Papyrus's goals and vibe.

2. Marowak: A bony Pokémon with an air of toughness and loneliness, Marowak wields a bone as a weapon and looks super cool, although it's not as spooky as Sans's Dusknoir. It has a tough spirit that is not easily broken. No-one is sure where it gets its bone weapons, much like the mysterious nature of Papyrus's own bone attacks (seriously, does he make them? Do they come from pre-existing bones underground? Are they pure magic? IDK).

3. Revavroom: This Pokémon is a reference to Papyrus's love of cars and complex puzzles. Lots of people don't understand what this Pokémon is supposed to be upon first (or fourth...) look, but it's an engine. According to its wiki article, it's face is supposed to resemble a skull (although I don't see it...kinda like Papyrus's face puzzle being confusing to some people, now that I thunk about it...). Overall, it's a very odd and weird Pokémon, perfect for our mysterious skeleton friend.

4. Gyarados☆: The ☆ next to this Pokémon's name means it's a shiny! Shiny Gyarados not only matches Papyrus's colour palette (being red), but it's a tough, cool-looking Pokémon that evolves from the underestimated underdog of the Pokémon world, Magikarp. This represents the hardships one needs to overcome in life to grow and become stronger. We know Ppayrus loves to train and is incredibly patient. He must go through lots of hardship with Undyne (a fish-like monster) to become stronger! Gyarados's beta form has the name Skulkraken, combining the words "skull" and "kraken." This could be a nod to Papyrus's pirate flag in his bedroom. This Pokémon can also fly, a surprising trait for something without any visible means of doing so, like wings. Papyrus himself flies and levitates in the game, even though he doesn't look like he should be able to. Gyarados is a Pokémon with a violent and savage temperment, like Marowak, that doesn't seem to fit Papyrus until you start to see through his surface-level "happy-go-lucky" attitude.

5. Machamp: Papyrus loves talking about how big his muscles are, and he loves working out and training with Undyne. This tough Pokémon even has a similar belt and...uh...armour design to Papyrus. Its name could be a reference to the word "macho." Despite being incredibly strong, it is bad at doing any delicate, careful work. I can imagine all sorts of shenanigans it would get into with a trainer who is as particular as Papyrus!

6. Mimikyu: This seems like an odd choice, but hear me put. Mimikyu is a Pokémon that disguises itself as another, more popular Pokémon in the hopes it will get love, attention, and affection. It even makes its own costume. Sound familiar? Not to mention, it looks cute and innocent, but there is definitely something mysterious, weird, and undoubtedly powerful under that appearance. It might not perfectly represent Papyrus, but I think Papyrus has a kind soul that would give Mimikyu the love and affection it deserves. After all, Papyrus knows what it's like to be lonely. I can imagine them hand-making all sorts of costumes together.

Overall, I wanted Papyrus to have a team that looked cute, quirky, and/or cool on the outside, but that has a theme of a hidden side or a secret, usually powerful or even frightening in nature. That is also why I chose his specific Legendary and Mythical Pokémon:

Koraidon: I desperately wanted this to be Palkia, I really did, but Koraidon fits so much better. While Palkia would be the "sibling" to Sans's Dialga, this Koraidon better fits the way Sans and Papyrus are so dissimilar. However, Koraidon does come from a game having to do with time travel, still lending to that timey-wimey theme. Papyrus loves cars, and Koraidon matches his cool vibe and his colour scheme. It is a Pokémon from the past, fitting Papyrus's "kid-like" personalty in contrast with the futuristic, stoic Dialga that Sans has. While Palkia fits Papyrus's abilities to mess with reality and do whatever he wants, this Pokémon seems more like something he'd actually have on his team. I also made it go with Mettaton's Miraidon (I'll explain why when we get to him).

Keldeo: The mythical Keldeo is here to match Undyne's Cobalion; is a protégé of Cobalion, and is the newest unofficial member of the "Swords of Justice". It shares colour similarities to Papyrus's outfit. It is also a smaller, weaker-looking Pokémon that can change forms to be much more powerful. It fights only for good causes, using the horn on its head like a sword. Once again, we have the "younger" look, something that appears goofy or weak on the surface but can pack a punch.

[scarlettaagni]

book I cannot find

I’m too lazy to make an account and figure out how to navigate reddit so I wanna open-end ask here.

so it was like, late elementary school, or middle school (so, 2010-2013), I was really into like, the pulp kids horror stuff like Goosebumps, and I was starting to get into R.L. Stine's other stuff like Fear Street which is for like, a slightly older audience. I read a book in my school’s library/my classroom’s personal books for our selection that had STRONG Fear Street or otherwise written-by-R.L.-Stine energy, but looking at his bibliography including spinoffs even written by ghostwriters, can't find anything close to it.

I remember the book's cover which was very crisp and painterly like they did back when people cared: it was some nerdy boy sitting in either his bedroom or a computer lab (predominantly blue), being knocked away from the monitor he was sitting at, as an evil woman who looked like a cross between Mortal Kombat Sindel and Wonder Woman shot out of the screen and turning back, shot a red ray out of her fingers at the screen, to destroy the computer so she can’t be put back. The story was about a video game, but these kinds of books are like from the turn of the century so it was like, old CD-ROM and floppy disc kinda technology described, and big chunky beige monitors as pictured on the cover. Two 12-ish year old boys are video game nerds, one is black and one is white, and I think they find some mysterious game, or unlock a secret in a game they like that allows the hero of the game to beam himself into reality and they befriend him, a very whole like, Iron Giant "hide the cool thing i found and teach him how the world works" kinda plot, but the villains of the game also escape, and they can use rays shot out of their hands to put real people into the game in their places (their rays are color coded, the evil woman, the main villain and on the cover, is red)

I think there's a side plot of the kids' shitty coach getting beamed into the game, and they can't hide the hero anymore so they like, put him in one of their dads' suits and pass him off as the new coach. There's a joke about the game requiring some athleticism so the main kid picks the coach, but he was a shit coach who just sat around yelling at the kids so he's out of shape and fails the challenge (this doesn’t kill the coach, it just means the kid has to try again, and can switch between “characters” to use) So the villains go around zapping people into the game until just the white kid is left and has to beat the game using the people beamed in there as his player characters since the real ones are beamed into reality. (iirc, after the coach fails, the kid picks his own friend to try it out, I think this involved climbing a spider web)

The game had 5 levels all with different themes, the last one being inside a human body where he has to go to the brain, the heart and then the soul (literally the sole of the foot) ← that’s basically how the book phrased this little joke As some miscellaneous potentially unhelpful info, I don't think anywhere on the cover they depicted the hero character, but in my mind I pictured He-Man, he gave off those 80s kids action barbarian vibes.

I’ve gone through R.L. Stine’s bibliography multiple times over, it isn’t Goosebumps, nor Fear Street (although it falls VERY in line with the vibes of those books) or any of his more older teen - adult novels, it isn’t Fright Time or American Chillers, not a nonhorror thing like The Bailey School Kids series, but it was most definitely part of a series with unrelated stories and new characters every time like Goosebumps. And it was definitely a paperback book with no illustrations beyond the cover, so no comics.

[fatalfangirl]

It's Friday! I'm traveling today and am distracting myself from flying anxiety with fics. Forever thankful for the quality of writing in this fandom. Here are some recent favs:

His Mercy, Mine - NSFW - by @facewithoutheart

What a damn roller coaster. I went into this only having read some of the snippets posted on tumblr - didn't read the tags, didn't skim - zero spoilers. And that's how I think this fic should be consumed if you want maximum gasps. The split timeline storytelling is really effective, as are the descriptions/language used for the gladiatorial AU. I loved it. The only other thing I'll say is don't skip the second chapter :) I'm also currently reading the author's latest WIP: This Will All Go Down In Flames and would rec that too. The Austin based fic is full of feels, music, and local beer. AND a goat.

wasabi - NSFW - by xivz

Roommates snowbaz stuck in quarantine and featuring cam boy Simon! What is not to love! Baz's thirst is so good in this. Wonderfully demented. Perfect amount of lust, which is to say an overflowing bucket of it. The author also recorded a podfic for wasabi and holy hell 🥵 the narration was so hot. It made me pause mid folding laundry with a flush. Had to fan myself. Definitely worth both a read and a listen!

network connectivity problems - SFW - by BasicBathsheba

This one came as a rec from @you-remind-me-of-the-babe and @whatevertheweather after I confessed having only read one Ban fic before. And wow. I loved it. Textfic gold. GOLD I tell you! Simon texts a number thinking he might be IT and help his computer woes, but in reality it's Baz, Simon's uni nemesis, former roommate, and ruthlessly good footballer. The fic is charming and funny and goes where you hope it does with a few little surprises in between. Strong rec for a late night read. (I'm also currently obsessed with Local Hero, which I'm half through, and cannot believe I didn't read these fics sooner, but happy I have them now.)

The Boy and the Summoned - NSFW - by @takitalks, art by @ic3-que3n

I am a sucker for demon Simon. It is one of my favorite versions of Simon (next to dragon) and this fic hits the damn spot. Very cool AU with a canon divergence that has Natasha surviving the Watford attacks, but as a price - and how she dealt with the fallout of that event is a mystery that seems connected to a ring (and a demon) Baz finds on Pitch grounds years later. I love the vibe of this fic, the sort of gothic creepiness of the Pitch estate and the menacing dark fog that surrounds Simon. Excited to see where the mystery takes us!

in the Dust of Dragons - NSFW - by @martsonmars, art by @nick-eyre

This fic is so well written. It's fantasy done exceptionally and makes me feel nostalgic for my childhood of curling up with a books and escaping to fantastical lands. The lore and storytelling is pulling cleverly from canon and has us following Baz on a solo journey (thus far) carrying the weight of his trauma and a heart that is still soft at its core. There is dragon Simon and magic and a Penny that will not take shit from anyone. And we're only 2 chapters in. This is going to be good folks. Dive in and enjoy the ride with me.

[yjwhatif]

I wonder what all the younger heroes plan to do career-wise once they're older. What do you think? I can't really see Bart becoming a scientist like Barry or Wally, or a reporter like Iris, so he's a mystery. Maybe a counselor like Ed? Helping kids with traumatic backgrounds? Does Jaime want to be a dentist like in the comics? What about Cassie? She doesn't wear a mask or anything, so is she a public hero now? And Virgil? Even Tim and the other Batkids? Sorry for the overload, just curious!

Sooo... for reasons I cannot explain, I am terrible at thinking these sorts of things up (seriously I can even do it for my own life) hence why it has taken me SO LONG to come up with any of this (very sorry about that)... anyway, here goes...

Careers…

(there is absolutely no logic or reasoning behind most of these - I just wrote down the first thing I thought of… and I have no wider DC canon knowledge either...)

Ed - (who is probably the easiest one) would be some kind of counsellor… maybe if we ever see the sanctuary thing Dinah mentioned in the last episode we could see Ed actually working there as a counsellor (I presume there’d be councillors there) - the MHYC certainly doesn’t seem to have much happening there anymore - so maybe that’s his next step?

Bart - definitely something with kids - I imagine he loves babysitting and being around kids who are bursting with energy all the time - he’s good at keeping up with them - so something that involves taking care of them.

Jaime - an engineer… i can see him studying in something technical but I definitely cannot see YJs jaime being a dentist… but who knows maybe he is - Greg and Brandon do like keeping in obscure comic details - like Dinah being a florist.

Traci - something with animals… I can imagine her working/volunteering in an animal shelter and having a strong connection with all the animals  

Cassie - a writer...

And Virgil - something artistic... illustrator or photographer maybe...

Again, there’s no actual reasoning behind these two, I’ve just got this image of Cassie shadowing Clark at work and cassie not shying away from going straight into a difficult story and Clark being impressed and a really great mentor - those two bonding would be so fun to see (honestly, after s4, I just want more Clark interacting with the youngsters - it'd be cool)… Then maybe Virgil could be like the jimmy Olsen to Cassie's Clark Kent - they have such a strong friendship, and I like the idea of them teaming up outside of the hero game - it doesn't have to be in journalism, but whatever it is, she writes and he illustrates to create something truly epic!

Raquel - I have no clue and can't even think of something random...

same goes for kaldur - though i feel like for him, up until the end of his arc in s4, his life was being Aquaman or serving the king/council in some way and nothing else... so yeah, no other clues on him.

then, Dick - a detective, but in his off time he goes back to his acrobatics...

and Zatanna is a stage magician.

And that’s all I got for potential professions. In terms of secret id’s, I will say i have always been confused on what the situation is with those who don't where masks who are public heroes - Ed, Virgil, Cassie - i presume they're just out and, given nothing has ever been said otherwise, I guess they don’t get too much trouble from it. I don’t know but I would really like to see what everyday life is like for those who don’t wear masks - I imagine there’s the odd selfie request… and now I have the image of Ed and Bart walking down the street when they’re stopped by someone asking if they can have a picture with Ed the Outsiders, the kid gives Bart the camera and he and Ed just share a knowing look at each other before taking the picture, the kid thanks them both and goes merrily on his way while bart and Ed playfully tease each other for the rest of the day.

Thanks for the messages anons - I hope this answered at least some of your questions…

LB

[marshofspades]

(Another TUA post, non TUA mutuals im so sorry but I’m just obsessed 😭)

TUA fandom, how do you think the brellies lives look in the sparrow timeline? Here’s mine lol:

1. Luther: I think Luther’s life is relatively peaceful tbh, and I think that if Luther would meet his other self it would genuinely kind of hurt cause he just sees this big Swedish boy happily living his life and Luther just knows he could’ve had that.

2. Diego: I’m not super sure tbh. His hero complex definitely sprouted from Reggie’s abuse (maybe he always had a strong sense of justice, nature vs nurture idk), but I don’t think he’d be a vigilante or something a long the lines of that. I’m not even sure he’d know about his powers in the first place cause like? What normal kid is just gonna discover he can change the trajectory of projectiles? Maybe during a dodgeball match as a kid he just throws a perfect curveball and he’s just like “oh that’s pretty cool”

3. Allison, again not so sure. Especially since I’ve always wondered (this is a stupid question but who cares) do Alison’s powers work in different languages too? Do the people she’s using it on need to be able to understand what she’s saying? So many mysteries lol. But back to the point, I’m not sure if Allison would know about her powers either. Mostly due to the fact that “I heard a rumour” is kind of a random phrase that doesn’t get used a lot? Similar to Diego imagine if she’s just gossiping with her friends and out of nowhere they just get mind controlled. But maybe when Allison discovers her powers she becomes famous again, although I doubt it.

4. Klaus: ok so klaus obviously knows about his powers since their pretty much unignorable, but Im wondering how that would affect his home life and just life in general. Would he learned to adapt or does he do drugs/drink again?

5. Five is by far gonna be the most different. Honestly I’m kind of hoping that Irish Five is gonna be really silly and goofy. One thing that’s interesting though is that from what we know, Fives teleporting ability takes a lot of calculation and skill in general. I’m pretty sure he stated it himself, every jump he makes is calculated. Would he still be able to jump as accurately as the Five we know? Since Reginald was the one teaching Five what I assume must’ve been some very calculated math, I’m wondering if this version five ever got taught the same thing.

6. Ben: I don’t think I have to say a lot, however I would like to add one thing I noticed. They refer to Ben as “the schemer” and that’s genuinely kinda funny since umbrella Ben was known for being intelligent. It’s nice to see that they actually kept that character trait in so there’s still some feeling that old Ben is still in there somewhere

7. Viktor: ok I’m just gonna say this right off the bat, Viktor is probably the only brellie who probably has a worse life in the sparrow timeline. I don’t know why, this is just a hunch mostly. I think that there’s probably some Russian spy stuff going. Maybe a Russian spy Viktor? Ok wait that’s actually kinda cool. But either way, I’d also love to see a Viktor who’s very experienced in using his powers and in control. Like I feel like there’s a lot of potential in Viktors powers that could be used in some really cool ways, and Viktor hasn’t really had time to really learn how to use them in different ways than just like “ haha sound waves go boom”.

Okay tbh that’s everything I have to say, if you want to add anything feel free to repost!

[mejomonster]

Some good new (ish) thai dramas to check out (if u follow me and aren't watching thai dramas:

Wandee Goodday: do you like fwb to lovers? Fake dating? Very sweet people liking each other For who they are, but also not quite realizing they should do something about it? Its very warm feeling/comforting. Its in the middle of airing, you can find it on youtube.

We Are The Series: all i know for sure is art kid friends in college, to be fair i havent started it yet. BUT it has two of my favorite actors, who did amazing in Never Let Me Go (which finished! U can go watch it! Did u ever want gay Batman and the bodyguard who falls for him, against the gangster who killed his father? Its great!). So im going to watch, because it seems like mostly fluffy but genuine slice of life friendship group story, with some romance, and so if My School President was your thing then im maybe this will fit a similar niche.

My Stand In: i havent seen it yet, looks like Angst City. Great actors, sexy, looks heartbreaking.

Homeschool: not a BL, like the others above this list. But if you liked The Gifted or Blacklist, this is a school full of students who are likely being psychologically abused, delving into their trauma and family backgrounds, and having to team up on some level to get through it. Absolutely full of good actors.

Not new thai dramas, but always worth checking out:

3 Will Be Free: polyamory, running from a gang, murders, bi lighting, 3 strangers connecting and growing to love each other, a compelling narrative for the assassins chasing them too, and a satisfying ending. One of my favorite shows period. And very short and sweet. Definitely dark though, lots of people die, so if action thriller is your thing you'll have a good time. But its not a show for those seeking only fluff.

Not Me the Series: political vigilantes? Queer friends? Secret identities, pretending to be a twin? Enemies to lovers? Mystery? Action? Rich businessmen and capitalism as the villains? Writing that makes you think about real shit? Also very fluffy in moments, sexy, and just very well developed individual characters that get to grow together? One of my favorite shows. Probably my favorite role ever by Off.

GAP the Series: a GL, by Idol Factory (who's shows you may wish to look into). What it is: office romance, folding in every trope they could fit into their episodes, giving GL what it deserves: all of it. The lead actresses do amazing, and the story itself does have strong individual character arcs so it doesnt feel like tropes are what hold it up, the character arcs are ultimately what drive it. Its a great GL, im glad it got made, and it helped kick off more GLs being made. The lead actresses will later be in upcoming shows: The Loyal Pin (a historical gl romance that looks amazing) and Uranus 2324 (which im SO HYPE ABOUT okay so i NEED more bl and gl with space/sci fi elements! I need it! Its so RARE to get any space/sci fi type show, and then padticularly one with queer leads, and im so over the moon this was a concept that actually was picked).

The Gifted, The Gifted Graduation (sequel): not bl or gl. Really fucking good. I cant tell you how good. You just have to watch. If you like xmen, mutants, misfits, heroes, then this show will be wish fulfillment just go watch it! If you like shows confronting the structure of society, the new generations and the old, go watch it. It has a lot to say, it does a ton of stuff cool, and for mystery/sci fi/political thriller lovers its nonstop. Its also a coming of age story for the teens in The Gifted highschool, along with all the perks mutations in stories get used to highlight non-powered identity traits and life problems these characters go through. I love Tay Tawans acting and hes incredible in the gifted graduation. Nanon is a solid lead and shows off why he gets those roles. Gun shows off how phenomenal he fucking acts when he can go deeper than fluff shows, all of them do. Every actor is doing a phenomenal job, the lighting is acing it, the writing is drawing you in, the whole experience is solid. I love the story.