#hence the revival being delayed so much

[ammy246]

Bakugo never understood how important he truly was to Midoriya. He's always conveniently placed far away from Midoriya whenever Midoriya goes feral because someone threatens him (Bakugo being kidnapped and Black Whip's awakening). Yet now, he's being told that their bond was the reason he was hunted down, because killing him would destroy Midoriya as well. He saw this after his sacrifice and when Midoriya ran away from UA, but he just apologized in a friendly manner which resolved the situation (but not permanently like he thought hence the "control your heart" plotline). He didn't realize how deep Midoriya's feelings for him really were, because in his mind, Midoriya would never fall for someone like himself. Perhaps after Shigaraki told him this, he finally understood the truth, but he died before he could tell Midoriya that his feelings for him were requited.

[waterparksdrama]

I’m begging for a Fandom track by track pls

ok ok i've been delaying it for a while so why not for you anon. i have a lot of personal opinions about this one so it's probably gonna be way more biased than other track by tracks lol

cherry red - an intro that gives off this sort of dreamy epic 80s vibe if you weren't paying attention to the lyrics much. he uses a lot of color imagery entwined with the happenings of their relationship to lament it at this point and begin this cycle between mourning the relationship and getting caught up with living with being perceived by the public eye all during this. it's a good intro and i like the instrumentals - 8/10

watch what happens next - see this is one of those songs i'd like better as a song if the message didn't age badly and didn't make cringe really hard. the first lines already Aged. a criticism of fan consumption of their music and their place in the scene as rockers. blah blah blah awsten wants money and doesn't like the need for the rock scene to undersell themselves for approval but also i think some of your expensive clothes are ugly as shit awsten so what now. not to mention the poorly aged second verse about hiphop and genre mixing (specifically with a jealous dig at old town road) considering the other factors associated with hip hop and how the soundcloud emo rap scene of the time slowly evolved into the "emo revival" we see today that bolstered parx's current relevancy tbh (they opened for my chem and are playing wwwy fest this year hello). but anyways as a song it's fine; the sassy guitars pull more punches than the lyrics end up doing and maybe i'm proving the point of the lyrics even if they're poorly aged but god shut up sometimes awsten - 5/10

dream boy - this is legitimately the only fandom song i can listen to regularly LMAOOO. i heard this in public before because they put this on radio disney it was terrifying. anyways back to the song. it's a poppy song about fan expectations and how awsten exists differently in fans' heads than in reality. i think this is one of the few songs that i think hit the mark of satirizing fans completely bc. i won't lie i do this completely whoops (i'm an rpf writer and run this blog what else do you expect of me). i don't think some fans realize the irony of using this song against each other whenever some awsten related drama comes up considering they usually have an even more warped view of him but. i digress. also justice for glitter times your pre chorus will forever live on here... - 8/10

easy to hate - another song about the breakup hence all the color imagery and apparently originally a friendly reminder song. not much to note here; it's a catchy little song that plays with some of the elements he used to write about ciara in the past to get this anti love song. i guess you could argue the chorus could also apply to parasocial relations hence the music video and everything but yeah. fine song. intro synths remind me of an old ringtone. - 7/10

high definition - i get the ode to imogen heap's hide and seek with this song and i can appreciate that but for me it's just so...eh. lyrically it's a song that follows awsten's struggles with trying to find love in a post-ciara world. there's some interesting lines here and there but nothing truly hits for me and sometimes i think about the lyric "now i'm canceled, i'm whatever" at random times and cringe.

not to mention the extreme cringe i get from what he said about the song in the rocksound track by track:

There’s a song that’s all, ‘Back then hoes didn’t want me, now I’m hot hoes all on me’ [Mike Jones’ ‘Back Then’] – but not in like a bragalicious way. It’s an, ‘I’m like really lonely, I hate all of this’, kind of way. It’s like that.

why. you do not have hoes. shut up. get ready for more of awsten's white ass making cringey rap references bc there's one later on none of us are gonna like. i think i have personal beef with this song bc i had a sign for wwdff at my show, he looked at it, and then he did this in complete and nothing else. - 4/10

telephone - a love song (about some girl he never talked to at a target). considering he has all this written about a person he made up traits in his mind, it makes sense why all the true love songs by parx are probably just about the concepts of people that aren't technically real if you think about it. musically, its piano riffs takes its cues from 60's pop before evolving into this sparkly fun chorus. tbh it's just fine to me and i used to think the obsessive love song thing about a stranger was weird but now i've written 10x more messed up fanfic about him so i can't even judge that too hard. blah blah can also tie into themes of fan perception and falling in love with a concept once again yeah i think it's just a fine song. i just like when otto says the ending at live shows. - 6/10

group chat - this isn't even a fuckin song. and according to the genius lyrics page this is what it means:

He strongly implies that the song is about fake friendships between famous figures, where people may often pose as friends purely for the sake of sharing it online. This phenomenon that has grown more rampant in the modern world as those in the public eye partake in this practice as a means of boosting popularity on social media. This also occurs within the music industry itself, when companies chose to featuring artists purely to maximize the buzz surrounding the song.

i'm just more focused on the fact that this is the first time otto's been mentioned by name in the parx discography and it wasn't even by awsten. isn't that fucked up. - n/a (not a fuckin song)

turbulent - i can distinctly remember my first time listening to this with my friend after choir class and we both came to the same conclusion: the song was stupid except for the ending when he stopped singing. this is still how i feel about the song. that opening line is so goddamn stupid and i still don't think patrick stump knows he's in this song or who waterparks is. did you know if ciara didn't like fall out boy as much he probably would've compared himself to ryan ross and brendon urie? nightmare. this is one of the songs i pit to at live shows because when you pit, you don't actually listen to the song. it has better energy live than it does recorded but i'm not rating the live version though. i think the production is much cooler than literally anything else in this stupid song with it's breakcore beats and random dogs - 5/10

never bloom again - remember when awsten teased this song for years saying this song would be the one making people cry and now years later no one talks about it that much. "all the girls in los angeles look like you from a distance", honey you date the same blonde clone with different mental illnesses every time i don't know why you're so surprised at this. i think there are some interesting lines here and there, i just feel like its strengths are staying simple in its verses because the chorus feels kinda corny with the extra stuff on top of everything because of that cervini style of big production. - 5/10

i miss having sex but at least i don't wanna die anymore - i miss when this title leaked and we thought this was fake. i hate this song and everything it stands for i'll just say it. the true beginning of awsten using annoying blunt lyrics out of fear of being misinterpreted because media literacy in most places has gone downhill and it's supposed to be honest by making fun of what fans want of him as well as airing out his relationship in a way. god he sounds so annoying in here and i get that's supposed to be the point but goddddddd. musically it's just some pop folk song but none of you care about that i know you want to know the other stuff. this song is probably the start to the end with it going viral on tiktok and beginning the divide between fans that became fans through the scene and fans that found them through tiktok. i fucking hate this song and its impact on parx today and the fact that it's their most popular song and a mainstay of the setlist will forever make me bitter because they have so many better songs and also christmas is more popular on tiktok and he still refuses to play it because he is a pussy - 0/10

war crimes - ok back to songs i can stomach. a driving song about awsten dealing with his peers in the scene and his isolation with his real friends being back home in texas while he moved to la. along with this, he still has to balance his feelings with the breakup all while being perceived by the public. it mostly deals with awsten truly having to become independent of all of these things and stand up for himself (no i still don't know who the coke thing is about there's too many people). musically, it shifts a lot of different ways from the light chorus to the more brooding verses. good song. - 7/10

[reboot] - he's white boy rapping again. this is never a good thing. it's literally just a breakup song again shocker. throws a lot of digs at ciara with wordplay that i can't really hear unless i read the lyrics because it sounds he's scatting. i just remember this song bc i remember he made a whole deal about how he was trying to avoid being misogynistic on this album bc of the subject matter (specifically calling girls a bitch) and then he used the chew toy metaphor to indirectly call her a bitch anyways. yeah. i think some parts of the production are interesting specifically the stuttering halts in the second verse but other than that. whatever. - 3/10

worst - i remember when the original demo leaked because it was around the same time of the felony steve mixtape. it was a weird time. has some of the Lyrics of All Time and i mean this in a bad way. remember when i said awsten makes some cringy rap references this is one of the ones i mean:

why. why. why. this is not a line that works when you're white. i think the chorus in the album version sounds more interesting at least production wise. does that mean it's a good song? no. this is a song that makes me hold the bridge of my nose and go "oh god why this is clearly something you wrote in the moment" - 4/10

zone out - a chiptune reprise of the dream boy chorus. awsten says that putting it at this point in the album is meant to come off sarcastic, but to me i feel like it sounds more defeated than anything. more of a "what now?" moment. i like it, sue me. - 6/10

i felt younger when we met - the beginning and ending to the cycle of his relationship with ciara and his fans watching. here, he mourns the things he misses about her and the things he did for her. it's the emotional core of the album combining the heavy electronics strung throughout the album with the big guitar led chorus leading the album back to the beginning because things just don't stop at that point. it's a great closer that does its job of being the emotional crux of the album of losing someone you end up making up and missing over and over - 8/10

i'll be honest with you i haven't listened to fandom in full since it actually leaked in 2019. i brushed off the album at the time because me and my friends had our own little drama with awsten (and his la friends who aren't even his friends anymore ironically) because he was tiring. trying to preach ideas and people that would do the same things he hated because he was away from his real friends back home. i was tired of what he was trying to come off as.

nowadays i'm still tired of him sometimes, but i think his time offline has made the idea of him more palatable; when he's not trying to quip with the sardonic teens that make up his fans today, it's easier to remember him as a person. when he's not online, he's probably buying groceries or having lunch with a friend, working and writing music in his apartment or a studio.

it begs the question on an album named fandom (that doesn't call out its fanbase nearly as much as deal with the emotional turmoil of a breakup) on how we perceive each other and how that can come crumbling down when reality hits. i can try and compartmentalize awsten the ideal and awsten the reality in my head, but do most people even realize that divide should be there?

it's probably the thing to comment on considering the existence of this blog, the way it lives in surveillance from both fans and the band + associates themselves because we say things that aren't nice but are true or just straight up fuck around for fun. the fourth wall between fans and creators grows more blurred and blurred with each day. there's something to comment on this about cycles of hypocrisy from everyone on all sides but i'll leave it at this: whatever we do on here, whether make a joke or point, becomes some fodder for spectacle in the same way awsten posts on any of his accounts. it's a cycle.

i won't lie, i still think this album sucks. most of the songs just don't hit the mark for me or are just straight up embarrassing and half the time i want to shake awsten and tell him “you are not kanye west, you are a bitch ass white boy from cypress”. however as an album, it does feel like one big piece all puzzled in together. it loops from beginning to end.

and the cycle keeps going on and on..... - iz

[ectoplasmer]

The Amityville Horror (1979) The Innocents (1961) Peeping Tom (1960)

👀

hi hi hello amata!! Thank you for the ask, it always gives me a fun excuse to ramble on and on, which is always very enjoyable ^^ I’ll answer the first two questions for Sylph and then (attempt to) answer the last one for both her and Ghostie!!

The Amityville Horror (1979): Give a basic run-down of your s/i. What should we know about them right away?

(Utilizing a placeholder name) Sylph Plagued is 13 at the start of Homestuck and 16 by the end of it, of which she dies at least two times during the main timeline. Her screen name is awkwardGhost (hence the AG acronym), she types in the #7a249e hex color, her strife specibus is axekind and her planet is named the Land of Plants and Wonder (LOPAW). She’s a god-tiered Sylph of Life and a Derse dreamer (making her a Lesces), and she’s the unofficial white mage of her session.

At first, her powers are primarily defense based, spawning plants and roots to shield and delay attacks and threats, and she has the ability to heal injuries and illnesses. Eventually, she learns how to make the powers more offense based, utilizing the aforementioned roots and plants to work against the enemy and actively attack them rather than just protecting herself and her other server mates. She also strengthens her healing powers, working up to being able to cure any status, including death, as long as she hasn’t overused the power and exhausted herself. As most life players do, her blood is also capable of being used to heal.

Sylph is, as her screen name describes, awkward: she’s a bit more difficult to get close to compared to the other beta kids, and she often puts too much effort into pleasing the people she tries to get close to and can trust too easily. Despite this, she’s capable of holding a grudge and being stubborn, and is often a bit nosy, but this is all because she has the best intentions with her thoughts and beliefs, thinking that they are for the betterment of her and the people close to her. She can get confused and overwhelmed easily if she’s unfamiliar with something or someone.

During her time on the meteor, she becomes a bit more sporadic and prone to impulsively speaking out (likely from the influence of spending so much time with Dave and Karkat), and she becomes (slightly) more comfortable talking with people, considering she has to meet so many individuals during the three year journey. She also gains an unexplainably strong amount of determination once the main timeline splits from the doomed one, and, when needed, she’s able to be very focused and dead set on the things she does and believes she needs to do.

Her interests include typology, astrology, hoarding a stupid amount of books, horror movies, varying genres of music, random obscure facts and topics and formal debates. Sylph tries to form a friendship with Gamzee, having him as her patron troll, before he inevitably snaps and goes on his murdering rampage (of which she blames herself for not preventing). She aids with helping breed the genesis frog, dies from her injuries with Jade, before being god-tiered with Dave and Rose and getting stuck on the meteor with them and the trolls. During the Game Over timeline, she dies protecting Karkat from Gamzee, and during the final battle, she’s running around healing and reviving her teammates when Jane or Nanasprite aren’t present.

During the epilogues, she gains the status of Ultimate Self in the meat timeline and begins hearing totally not suspicious narration from a certain someone. She gets with Dave and Karkat in this timeline, going with them and the others to chase after Dirk when he leaves Earth C, and while her health hasn’t deteriorated as fast as the other ultimate selves’ health has due to being the essence of life itself, she has definitely been undergoing some kind of decline while on the spaceship.

Meanwhile, in the candy timeline, she remains at the normal god-tiered status and gets with Jade and Dave, eventually joining Karkat’s rebellion and adopting a kid with Jade. Her relationship with both Karkat and Dave becomes more or less strained, and her healing powers begin to waver due to the constant overuse in the rebellion.

this is definitely a basic overview please ignore how it is seven paragraphs long sgdkshs

The Innocents (1961): In canon, was your f/o the first person your s/i met? Or did your s/i encounter someone else first?

As to be expected, it was actually Egbert who Sylph interacted with first out of the beta kids. She met them through Pesterchum, and from there she was introduced to Rose due to them having similar interests. She then meets Dave through Rose, and lastly she meets Jade.

Her first few conversations with Dave were more or less her being very confused and lost on how to talk to him, due to his spontaneousness and quick changing topics, along with his complete lack of tone in his typing, so this causes their chats to rarely ever go anywhere. Dave inevitably catches on to this and tries to be a bit less all over the place when talking to her lol, and they talk about the different bands they like, which helps them bond.

Jade is very patient with her when they first meet and often talks to Sylph about her dreams on Prospit and her various interests, most specifically farming, physics and animals, since Sylph gets the most engaged with those topics. Jade gets really happy when she opens up easier because of this <3 she talks with her a lot about Bec, and Sylph does the same with her pets, which later brings them closer together when they both lose their dogs and have to prototype them with the kernel sprite.

Her first interaction with Karkat was obviously when he tried to troll her. However, due to being a bit of a mess when socializing, she doesn’t really pick up on that when faced with his screamy grey text, so their first conversation is full of a lot more of Sylph being confused and taking things a bit too literally, before she gives up trying to understand anything Karkat is saying and blocks him. Their first actual interaction outside of this was during the Sburb session when he approaches her about “stealing his moirail”, in which more confusion ensues. Sylph has no idea what is happening ever lol

However, Dave and Jade are the first people she sees in person during their Sburb session, so I suppose that could count here.

Peeping Tom (1960): How would your f/o describe your s/i?

Dave would want to describe her the way he thinks she deserves to be described as: she’s saved his life twice during their game session, grown even while in an environment that normally wouldn’t let her: surely that makes her more put together than him, someone strong and steady, someone he wants to protect even when he knows she doesn’t exactly need it. But a Strider hardly ever shares something so personal, so he’d probably say something cheesy about how Sylph is cool, but obviously not as cool as him. Would proceed to drop a surprisingly deep line about how she’s “like the sunshine”, wavering and ever changing but warm and almost always present. Continues to not provide any further explanation afterwards lol

Karkat would probably say some sort of half-affectionate insult at first (likely comparing her to an “INCONSOLABLE GRUB” or whatever), but would then stop to genuinely think about how he’d want to describe her. The feelings he has for her go beyond any of the quadrants, so he can’t just quote something cheesy from one of his red-romcom films. How could he ever describe something that goes beyond everything he was ever told about these kinds of emotions? How would he ever explain how he views someone who changed his views on all sorts of things? That’s just it. He can’t. He’d probably follow up the insult with saying that she’s “different”, that she’s stronger and braver than him and yet somehow so much more vulnerable, and that’s what makes her so confusing to him. Follows that up by saying she’s maybe the second most sane person on the meteor (meant to be a compliment).

Jade would get ecstatic over describing how she sees Sylph: she thinks she’s courageous and smarter than she knows and yet so stupidly impulsive and flighty — that’s what makes them so alike, but while Sylph is only capable of focusing on the small things, on one point that she thinks she has to fix, Jade is capable of seeing the whole picture as a Space player. She thinks they balance out each other’s impulsivity and flightiness because of this; they fill in the gaps together to get the full, detailed picture. Jade thinks Sylph is what brings everything together for her. She thinks she’s her rock, the one that keeps her thoughts straight when she needs it most, and she tries to be just the same for her <3

As for Ghostie…

Where does Marik even begin to describe Ghostie? He’s been inside her head before, surely it can’t be that difficult to come up with some easy, short answer. But when is anything ever that easy for Marik Ishtar? And even if it was easy, of course he’d want to go completely over the top with it. Marik thinks Ghostie is peculiar, but in a good way — a way he hasn’t been able to see before. He admits that he thinks she’s a little bit too inside her own head, prone to thinking more than she is to acting, but that’s what makes the moments when she does act all the more important. He knows she’s capable of herself and smart, and he sometimes thinks she’s almost too quick to forgive or understand things. He thinks she’s a sensitive thing, but all the same he’s seen her shoulder stress and still stand despite it. Overall, Marik would probably describe Ghostie as steady, thoughtful and intriguing.

Ryou thinks Ghostie is sweet and understanding: he would probably agree with Marik on how she’s too quick to forgive and understand things, seeing as she’s one of the only people who actively tries to get through to the spirit possessing him despite the danger written all over it (and the amount of times he’s put her in harm’s way — that only helps to add to the underlying want to protect her, even when it seems like Ghostie is trying to protect him). Even though he’s probably the closest to her, he doesn’t even know what goes on in her mind half the time, and this causes her to come off as aloof and sometimes even obscure (and if Ryou’s adamancy with learning more about the Millennium items shows anything, it’s that he loves a good bit of mystery and attempting to uncover things). Ryou would describe her as interesting and smart and as a good friend, if not a bit mysterious (not that that’s a bad thing — quite the opposite for him).

Bakura’s first response would be “annoying”, which isn’t necessarily wrong despite how sharp it might seem: it is pretty tedious when Ghostie is constantly getting in the way of his plans or escapades, even when they’re only for harmless fun at best. He thinks it’s admirable in a weird way, however; it takes a hefty amount of determination to continue catching him over and over before he actually does anything. Bakura finds her tedious and annoying, yes, but he also thinks of her as strong willed and genuine. He’d probably throw “sensitive” into that description, before scrapping it for a more accurate (and softer, less insulting) “caring” — he’s seen her get emotional time and time again, be it about him, or Ryou, or anyone else in her circle, but it’s not always through tears: sometimes it comes from a place of concern and care more than weakness.

Melvin is probably the only one who wouldn’t have an immediate, in depth answer to provide. He does know that Ghostie was the first to sympathize and try to understand the reason for his (Marik’s) actions, and that just counts for another fatal flaw of being too quick to forgive — obviously she must be foolish to think there’s more to his motives than getting revenge, but deep down he knows she’s right to think that. It makes her, yet again, intriguing to him: everyone else is visibly upset or frightened with him, and while Ghostie isn’t exactly excluded from that, she still sees that he’s completely human, not a ghost like the other two. Melvin would probably describe her similarly to Marik: intriguing (if not confusing), maybe a bit intuitive, an oddity. He doesn’t know as much about her as the others, but he does know that he wants to get closer to her <3

[bigskydreaming]

if Dick died permanently, with no foreseeable chance of revival, how do you think that would effect Bruce? He was so ready to utilize Dick's hella traumatic death in FE immediately + dick is the emotional support eldest & scapegoat who takes the brunt of bruce's parenting failures

Denial.

I think that Bruce would go about his life with very little difference, because he’d be doing his best to pretend that Dick wasn’t dead, he was just...out there somewhere, living his life and ignoring him.

Listen, I HATE NW #30. I loathe it with a passion, and there’s a reason pretty much all the AU headcanons and aftermath posts I’ve done of it tend to make it so Bruce and the whole family are in the dark about Dick surviving Forever Evil because like, Luthor revived Dick in secret to exploit him or whatever. And that’s because for all that I talk about the abusive dynamics between Bruce and his kids, Dick especially, its because I want people to see where they exist and how to avoid them or deal with them rather than just sweep them under the rug or unknowingly replicate them....because for me, the ideal is when Bruce DOES get it right, or learns to do better by his kids, when he puts in the work and does more than just TRY. But NW #30, much like RHATO #25, is one of those things that I have trouble reconciling with that because there are certain things that I think go too far and its just not in the kid’s best interest to forgive a parent who goes to that length, does harm that egregious. So....I have trouble fitting NW #30 into stuff or working around it or even resolving how I feel about it. 

BUT at the same time, I definitely see where it falls into the same unconscious pattern of behavior I think DC unknowingly established for Bruce in regards to Dick decades ago.....so it does kinda fit what I’ve always seen as being the culprit behind a lot a LOT of Bruce’s behavior towards Dick.

And keep in mind, this isn’t to excuse any of that behavior, just what I think is the underlying in character explanation for it.

Essentially however, my take is that Dick isn’t Bruce’s favorite, as I hate favoritism in found family stuff especially, and I forever abjure the idea that Bruce even has a favorite....BUT by virtue of being ‘first’ Dick DOES occupy a certain niche in Bruce’s life and worldview. But its a double-edged sword, and hurts Dick as much as it helps him. And that niche is I think Dick is pretty much the first person Bruce ever allowed himself to care about since his parents died. I think when that happened, he closed himself off and didn’t allow anyone to truly breach those walls until Dick kinda slipped through unintentionally.

Of course there was Alfred, but Alfred was a staple in Bruce’s life BEFORE his parents’ murder. Dick was the first one SINCE....the first person Bruce allowed himself to just fully and completely love and care about....and by extension, the first person since he lost his parents that Bruce couldn’t imagine...couldn’t AFFORD to lose.

And I think because of this, because of how....delayed so much of Bruce’s emotional development was due to shutting himself off from people and because of how little experience he had with processing complex emotional entanglements and how badly he’d processed the one real emotional entanglement he HAD lost (his parents).....with the added fact that he’s never truly and completely processed that loss at all.....I think the thing about Bruce and Dick is Bruce just flat out has no idea how to cope with the idea of Dick dying, of losing him like he lost his parents. Yes, losing Jason devastated him, and he refused to accept losing Damian and vowed to bring him back, and I believe Tim dying would wreck him as well....

But Dick falls into this weird niche where I think Bruce just....blanks out at the very thought of him dying, like, he just flat out can not compute that, process that, like.....the first person to make him open himself back up again, the precursor to him caring about any and all of these other people by extension as well.....he can’t lose that person without like...it making him regret all the years of caring about people since Dick came into his life, it would make him question everything, almost his entire tenure as Batman, like, he just flat out does not know how to...factor that into his way of living.

So he doesn’t.

At all.

Which is why IMO we see this recurring pattern, every time Dick gets hurt so severely that it really is a near death experience even by their standards. 

Bruce pushes him away.

Not just pushes but SHOVES him away, as FAR away from him as he can possibly get, completely unthinkingly, I think.....just an atavistic, blind panic response....get him out of sight, because if Bruce can’t see him hurt, dying, can’t SEE that he’s lost him....its Schrodinger’s Son.....he could theoretically be alive just as he theoretically could be dead.

Hence.....Two-Face beats Robin nearly to death, Bruce fires him as Robin....which granted, didn’t immediately push him away or guarantee that he’d run away, but given how much of their bonding in those early days happened due to the time they shared together as Batman and Robin, it dropped their interactions to barely anything....Bruce could easily avoid him then, barely have to see him....which was a huge part of WHY Dick ran away.

And when the Joker shot Dick years later and Bruce fired him again....I think he didn’t stop Dick from leaving because he KNEW when he fired Dick that it meant Dick would leave....whether he knew it consciously or not could go either way.....but when Dick ran away in Year One, he wrote a letter that Bruce definitively read, one that said “if you don’t need me as Robin, then I have no place here, since you obviously don’t need a son.” This letter is why I’ve always called BS on the idea that Bruce didn’t adopt Dick because he didn’t want to replace his parents and was afraid Dick would see it as overstepping....he knew all the way back to Year One, in comic book time....and the early 90s in real time (well even before that, since they’d talked about it in present day in the 80s).....but point is, Bruce knew from the moment he read that letter that at least a part of Dick wanted him to be his father, to be his son....but he ALSO knew that if Dick didn’t see any definitive proof that they were father and son, and Dick thought he didn’t need or want him as Robin anymore....then there was no reason for Dick to be there anymore.

So when Bruce fired Dick, I think he knew either consciously or unconsciously, that it would directly lead to Dick leaving again, which was kinda the POINT. And a huge part of why Bruce never reached out, never checked in on him with the Titans even after hearing about particularly dangerous missions....because he almost lost Dick, almost saw him die (because of him, no less, at least how he would have viewed it)....and he couldn’t deal, so his instinct again was to push Dick away, get him out of sight, until he could breathe again because in a weird way he’s kinda conceptualized that as long as he can’t SEE him, he can pretend that Dick is fine, wherever he is.

And by the time Jason came along, it was different not because he loved Jason any less, but just because he’d had time and other people by then, friendships, Selina, etc....like....he’d slowly undergone more emotional development by then and he was a little better positioned with Jason to process Jason’s death not in a healthy way, obviously, but at least in a more....common way, so to speak. Dick is different because Dick sits squarely in his blindspot, he’s the lynchpin upon which Bruce Before Dick Grayson, who refuses to care about anyone and Bruce After Dick Grayson, who is at least open to the possibility, like....Dick is the lynchpin all of that hinges upon, and so he’s the one person Bruce just....can’t reconcile how to BE without.

And so when Jason died and he was once again confronted with the mortality of his family, Bruce pushed Dick away again, as completely as he could. And when everything happened with Blockbuster and Bludhaven, Bruce KNEW Dick was at least passively suicidal, but refused to confront him about it until Dick was kinda already through it and on the other side of it, because he couldn’t see it, couldn’t watch it, couldn’t face it.

And even all the way up to Forever Evil....same pattern. Bruce SEES Dick die in front of it, WATCHES it, can’t stop it....and in the aftermath.....he reverts to form and does his blind panic GET HIM OUT OF HERE thing, shoving him as far and as definitively out of sight as he can, as quickly as possible, until he can...breathe again. Reality can realign for him. Dick is fine. He’s just...somewhere else. He always likes doing his own thing, Bruce is used to it by now, right? He trusts his son to take care of himself, just....over there. Out there. Where he doesn’t have to see, doesn’t have to face, doesn’t have to KNOW if he’s wrong.

He can just....pretend.

And so that’s what I think would happen if Dick died for a long period of time or definitively. It’d be much like when Dick was with the Titans, while Jason was living with Bruce. Barely ever mentioning him, bringing him up, refusing to engage in conversations that definitively addressed where Dick was or what his current state of existence was.....

Because as long as Bruce does that, holds to that, he can pretend. His son is still alive, still out there somewhere, just....avoiding him or mad at him, or whatever. But he’s fine. 

Everything is fine.

[smkkbert]

We ended as loves (1/12)

Summary: Three years ago, Felicity’s life was perfect. She was offered a job at two great companies. Her boyfriend just started his own fashion label, and they picked a perfect apartment to live in together. The more heartbroken she was when Oliver got cold feet and it all ended. Now, Felicity is coming back to Starling City, well aware that she is destined to run into her ex-boyfriend there. While old feelings revive quickly, the pain still goes deep. Besides, for some reason Oliver seems to be angry with her. 

Notes: A huge Thanks to @snorlaxishere​ for betaing this story for me & for always encouraging me with your comments!

* * *

Chapter 1: Monochromatic

“Ladies and Gentlemen, because of the ongoing storms, we are not cleared for landing. We will take some spins around the area until we are cleared off in approximately thirty to forty minutes. Please stay seated and keep your seat belt fastened. I will inform you as soon as we got a landing slot.”

While everyone around her just groaned in annoyance about the delay, Felicity’s fingers tightened even more around the armrest of her leather seat. Every muscle in her body was strained painfully. Her chest was heaving wildly from the quick breaths she was taking in and out of her mouth to serve her heart with the necessary oxygen to keep it going at this punishing pace. Her stomach cramped so badly that she feared that she would throw up when the plane would dip into another airhole.

Thirty minutes up here was an inconvenience to most of the passengers here, but it was twelve more minutes in hell for her.

Felicity glanced at the orange pill container in the wall pocket of her first class’ cabin. If she didn’t have a business meeting to go to straight from the airport, she would take another benzo. After the three she had taken already, she wasn’t sure if she would make it through any professional conversation with even more medication in her system.

Felicity closed her eyes and tried to take in a deep breath. Her fear of flying that was particularly bad today given all the turbulence the flight had come with was making her breath stutter. It was almost like her lungs were fighting the breath, unwilling to take it in. At the same time, her need to breathe was so bad that her lungs were burning.

A sharp jolt went through the plane, and Felicity’s grip on the armrests of her seat tightened once more. Her fingers ached terribly, and she was sure that there wasn’t much missing for them to break. Whoever would sit in her seat next would probably think that she had clawed herself into her seat, unwilling to get out of the plane.

The plane continued shaking, but the movements were a lot softer than before. Maybe that meant that the storm was finally calming down and they might be able to land soon. At least Felicity hoped so and released a long breath through her clenched lips.

Felicity’s gaze met the dark eyes of the woman that was sitting in the small cabin at the other side of the aisle. She smiled at her comfortingly, maybe even a little sympathetically, while she was stroking her fingers through the thin hair of the man snoring next to her.

“Afraid of flying?” she asked with gentle voice.

“Usually, I am just unsettled by them,” Felicity replied although she was sure that most people who have been on a flight with her so far would disagree. “The turbulence is making it hard.”

The woman’s smile widened as she nodded her head. She took Felicity in thoroughly. Although her gaze was intense, there was something calming about it. Maybe it was because she had something grandmotherly about herself, something that made you feel more comfortable immediately.

“I am sure it won’t take long before we get to land. Then you’re home.”

“Actually, I am coming from home.” Felicity took in a deep breath, feeling that talking to that woman was indeed making it easier to endure all of this. “I am here for work reasons and because my friend is getting married.”

“That’s nice.”

It was certainly nice to get the opportunity of negotiating the terms of a collaboration with Queen Consolidated, a company she had once dreamed to work for. It was also nice to see Sara again and be there for her big day. She’d also be able to see some old friends that she didn’t have a chance of seeing lately.

Going back to Starling City on the other hand was not that nice. Too many bad memories and too many angry feelings that should rather stay asleep were shaken awake by her return. If it wasn’t for Sara and the greater good of her work, she would have never decided to come back. When she had left Starling three years ago, she had sworn to herself that she would never come back after all.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the storm has decreased, and we just got cleared for landing. Please make sure your seats are back and tray tables are in the full upright position and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you.”

Thank God, Felicity thought to herself and released the slightest breath of relief. Finally, this flight was coming to an end.

“It can’t take much longer now,” the woman across the aisle said with a soft smile. “I will make sure my husband won’t miss the rest of this flight now.”

Felicity nodded her head, shooting her a grateful smile, before she turned towards the window. It was only early afternoon, but the sky was almost as dark as it would be at night. As the plane descended, rain pattered against the window pane, and Felicity could see how stormy it really was still. Trees were bending in the wind, and the pilot seemed to have trouble keeping the plane in one line with the runway.

Waiting for the ungentle joggle that would go through the plane when the wheels touched the ground, Felicity tightened her fingers around the armrests of the seat once more. She held her breath until she gasped for breath as she was jolted forward by the ungentle landing followed by the sharp hint of breaks.

Even when the plane was slowed down, rolling towards the gates in a reasonable speed, Felicity could still feel how hard the storm was making it to keep the plane on the path. It made it impossible for her to let go of the armrests and chime into the applause of the other flight guests.

Only when the plane came to a full stop, ready to beck docked to the terminal, Felicity was able to force her fingers to let go of the armrest. Her fingers were aching, and they didn’t move easily. They still felt cramped.

While everyone was already getting up and grabbing their stuff to leave the plane as quickly as they could, Felicity stayed where she was. She was still shaking, so she doubted that her legs would carry her even if she tried to get up. Hence, she just stayed sitting in her seat, giving her body time to recover, while she was taking another look out of the window.

Looking at the airport building, Felicity felt her stomach cramp badly. In the intense rain, it looked like a giant, grey chunk. Hence, it looked quite different from the beautiful building with the large glass facades where the light broke into all colors of the rainbow. It felt like her last view of the airport before her departure, compared to her first view of it upon returning now, was quite symbolic for her view of Starling City. Back when she had left here, she had thought that she was leaving paradise, the one place that had made her happier than anything. Now, she felt like she was going back to hell.

Shaking her head, Felicity tried to get rid of those dark thoughts.

She had come back here for Sara and Nyssa, and she was using this little trip for work too. She was killing two birds with one stone, making sure she only had to go to Starling once this year. If she was doing her job well, the next business meetings could take place in Hub City. She might be able to form a strong collaboration with Queen Consolidated without ever returning to Starling.

With that thought in mind, Felicity packed her stuff into her purse and got up. Her legs were still shaking slightly, but she felt them growing stronger and safer with each step.

Following the other people to the baggage claim, Felicity recalled her schedule for her stay in Starling. She had some appointments with Robert Queen, and Sara would probably keep her busy the rest of the time. If Sara was too calm, Felicity would just make sure to turn her friend into bridezilla, so she would keep her busy.

While everyone was gathering around the baggage claim, Felicity kept her distance. She stepped towards the large windows and looked outside.

Back in Hub City, it had been warm and sunny. Starling was still showing the cliché April weather. Although the rain was slowly fading and the sun was trying to break through the thick clouds, the weather still looked uncomfortable. For Sara’s sake, Felicity could only hope that Sara got a backup plan for her wedding day.

Taking her suitcase with her, Felicity stepped out of the protected area. It took her a moment to orientate herself as it had been three long years since the last time she had been here after all. Seeing all those scenes of reunion – kids running towards their parents, lovers kissing each other passionately and friends hugging each other close – she regretted turning down Sara’s offer to pick her up from the airport.

When Sara had suggested it, Felicity had thought that she didn’t want Sara to waste the precious time she needed to make the last preparations for the wedding by making her pick her up from the airport. She wouldn’t have much time for her anyway as she was heading right to Queen Consolidated, and, thanks to the landing’s delay, she was kind of late already.

Felicity straightened her shoulders. She couldn’t waste all her self-pity in the first thirty minutes of being back in Starling City. There would be nothing left to take her through the next days, so she really had to spare some.

Turning towards the door, Felicity stopped dead in her tracks before she had even taken a single step towards the exit. With held breath, she watched the tall man, who was standing next to the doors. His dark hair was slightly wet from the rain and a little tousled from the storm. It only accentuated the strong line of his jaw and sharp eyes that were directed at her already. The corners of his lips twitched up into a smile. Nodding his head towards her, he bobbed on the balls of his feet, his arms still crossed in front of his muscular chest.

Adrian Chase was one of the handsomest men Starling City had ever seen, so Felicity wasn’t the least bit surprised that several women turned their heads to take him in thoroughly. Some even flashed him a smile and greeted him when they walked past him, trying to catch their interest. Adrian only had eyes for her though.

The thought made Felicity chuckle as the bare idea that she and Adrian could be anything other than friends seemed ridiculous to her.

Felicity and Adrian approached each other slowly, keeping their eyes locked. From the edge of her visual field, Felicity took Adrian in thoroughly. He seemed to have gained some muscle during the last three years, and Felicity couldn’t deny that he looked even handsomer than he had looked three years ago.

With only a couple of feet separating them from one another, Adrian spread his arms.

“Felicity Megan Smoak,” he said, pride shining through his voice. “CEO of her own company at the age of 26 years. Impressive.”

“Actually, I am just one of three CEOs,” Felicity explained, clearing her throat with a flattered smile. “Still impressive though.”

“Absolutely,” Adrian agreed. “Come here.”

Chuckling softly, Felicity stepped into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest and closing her eyes for a moment. For the first time since she had agreed to come to Starling, she thought that maybe coming back here for a short visit wasn’t so bad.

The truth was that Felicity had found some really good friends here, and she had missed not seeing them. Avoiding Starling had also meant avoiding them. Until now, she hadn’t realized how bad that had made her feel.

As they pulled apart, Adrian grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her up and down. He seemed to be satisfied with what he saw. Grabbing her suitcase before she herself could, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to the parking lot. Felicity hesitated before she leaned into his side, glad not to be alone.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, frowning slightly.

“Isn’t that obvious?” Adrian chuckled. “I came here to pick you up of course. After all I was the one to say goodbye to you at the airport three years ago, I figured that it was quite fitting.”

Felicity nodded her head slowly and almost absentmindedly. She remembered saying goodbye to Adrian very well. He had tried to retain her, telling her that maybe there were easier solutions, but Felicity hadn’t been able to agree. She had barely been able to listen, too hurt by everything that had happened. She had known that she needed to leave Starling if she ever wanted to find happiness again.

Adrian seemed to realize that talking about the circumstances of her departure might not be the best topic to start their reunion.

“I took the afternoon off for you,” he told her. “What do you think? Should we grab a snack?”

Felicity smiled, grateful for Adrian’s offer and sorry that she had to turn it down.

“I’m actually kind of late for my first appointment here in Starling already,” Felicity replied with a smile. “I fear that I have no time to grab a snack.”

Adrian whistled out a breath. “Five minutes here and already in work mode? You should enjoy your stay here. Go and see the city.”

Felicity perked up an eyebrow. “I have lived here, Adrian. I have already seen everything, and, just to be honest, it’s not like there is a lot to be seen here.”

Chuckling, Adrian tightened his arm around her shoulders and placed an amicable kiss on her temple. With a low groan, Felicity shot him a glance. Seeing Adrian’s amused grin, she couldn’t hold back a chuckle. Adrian always found reasons to make her smile which was one of the many reasons why they were such good friends.

“Okay, I can’t offer a snack now, but if you are free for dinner, I’ll invite you.”

“You invite me?” Adrian chuckled and stroked his free hand over his expansive tie. “I am not sure I can accept that offer. I am a little old-schooled.”

“Too bad because I am very modern,” Felicity replied. “You gotta decide if your pride can take being invited to dinner by a woman or if you’d rather eat alone.”

“Well, that’s a hard decision to make, but I think I can take to be invited to dinner by a woman once.” Adrian winked at her. “I will take you to Queen Consolidated and pick you up there later to take you to a fancy restaurant. Since you will pay, I have to warn you that I will order an appetizer and at least three different desserts.”

“Don’t worry, Adrian,” Felicity told him and sighed, petting his bicep. “If I can’t eat myself out of house and home, neither can you.”

 * * *

 Watching the displayed floor number rise, Felicity took in a deep breath. She moved her fingers over the soft fabric of her dress. It wasn’t the dress she would have chosen to wear for this meeting, but her delayed arrival hadn’t given her any time to change into something more suitable for the occasion. Since she didn’t have a choice anyway, she guessed this dress was alright too. At least she had told herself so while she had been crossing the entrance hall downstairs.

Felicity wasn’t usually this nervous before meetings, but this time was different for a handful of reasons. Firstly, this meeting was taking place in Starling which itself made her nervous already. Secondly, when she had been a kid, Queen Consolidated had been in her Top Three of companies that she wanted to work for after graduating from MIT. Thirdly, the future success of her company depended on how this meeting would go. Fourthly, she knew her friends counted on her. Fifthly, she knew Robert Queen, head of Queen Consolidated, quite well, but it was the first time that they were meeting as equals when it came to business.

Felicity could probably go on for another hundred reasons, but those seemed to be the most urgent ones. Especially the way she knew Robert so well unsettled her a little. Being back in Starling was already able to rip open old wounds so easily. Meeting Robert could easily crack the little broken pieces of her heart.

When the high-pitched pling! told her that the elevator had arrived at the top floor, she quickly put on a smile and straightened her shoulders. If she had learned one thing, it was that in a man-dominated area, a woman had to be twice as tough to be taken half as serious.

To Felicity’s surprise, Robert was sitting on the edge of his EA’s desk in front of his office. He had his legs stretched out with his ankles crossed. His hands were resting on the tabletop behind him as he leaned back casually. He looked relaxed, especially since he wasn’t wearing a suit but dark jeans, a dress shirt and a pullover. Felicity wasn’t sure if she had ever seen in wearing anything but a suit a tuxedo.

“Felicity.”

With a warm smile on his face, Robert got up. Felicity was still trying to figure out if his casual look was a good or a bad sign when Robert reached out his hands for her. Felicity was about to take his hand and shake it, but Robert already hugged her. Felicity tensed slightly, utterly surprised by this hug, but it didn’t last much longer than two seconds. One moment Robert had been pulling her to her chest, the next he had already taken a step back. With his hands at his shoulders, he looked her up and down.

Although his eyes were scrutinizing, Felicity couldn’t say that she was feeling particularly uncomfortable about the way Robert looked at her. The soft smile on his lips and admiration in his eyes was enough to let her knowthat everything was fine.

As his eyes finally met hers and he probably saw the surprise still visible on her face, he laughed softly and pulled his hands away. Holding them out in front of him, he showed that he meant no harm.

“You gotta excuse an old man,” he said with a smile. “Age is making us incredibly nostalgic.”

Felicity couldn’t help but smile. There were a lot of words she would use to describe Robert. So far, nostalgic had never been one of that. Maybe the last couple of years had changed him though.

“It’s good to see you again, Robert.”

Robert’s smile widened, and with a nod of his head, he asked her to follow him into his office. As much as he might have changed, nothing in that room seemed to have changed since she had last been here.

“I saw your flight was delayed. I almost thought that we had to postpone to give you a little time to recover. I remember that you aren’t very fond of flying.” Robert gestured towards the chair in front of his glass desk. “Coffee?”

“Yes, please.” Sitting down on the chair in front of the desk, Felicity felt her nervousness decreasing slightly. “Through the last few years, I got more and more used to flying. I’d still prefer any other kind of traveling, but I am getting along.”

Felicity knew that it was quite exaggerated as she still had trouble with flying, but her fear of flying had improved after all. She shot Robert a smile when he placed the mug in front of her. Lifting the mug to her nose, she sucked in the delicious steam and smiled.

“Starling had always had the best coffee.”

“Compared to the swill you were offered in the flight I bet everything I offer tastes like heaven.”

“Probably,” Felicity replied with an amused smile. “These last few years, I have tried dozens of coffee, but this still is the best.”

Robert took a sip of his coffee, and Felicity could almost see how he tried to taste the same Felicity did. Either he wasn’t such a coffee enthusiast as she was, or his gustatory nerves just weren’t as fine as hers. Either way, he didn’t seem to be able to understand exactly what she meant.

Lowering his mug to the tabletop, Robert leaned back in his chair. He folded his hands on his stomach and just watched Felicity quietly. A soft smile, even softer than before, played around his lips.

“I was surprised when you reached out to me, surprised but very happy.”

Felicity felt her breath getting stuck in her throat for a second. Robert didn’t even have to address what had happened three years ago for her to know that it was the very reason he was surprised she had reached out. She wondered what exactly he knew about what had happened, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t here to revive old memories.

“Back when you served your internship at QC in 2014,” Robert continued before Felicity could say anything, “I knew that you had a great future ahead of yourself. I was so disappointed that you turned down the offer to work here after you quit at Kord Industries. I followed your career nonetheless, so I can say with certainty that Wayne Enterprise was the right choice for you. I mean your company is still a baby when it comes to age, but it’s also running with the big guys. I read about the development of bio-stimulants. The company you have built is doing impressive work.”

“I didn’t build Helix Dynamics alone. If it wasn’t for Lily and Lena, I wouldn’t be where I am right now,” Felicity said quickly. “The bio-stimulant was the result of teamwork.”

“Of course it was.” Robert nodded. “I think I met Lena Luthor a couple of years ago. She worked for Bruce Wayne before you joined the company, right?”

“Yes. Lena, Lily and I all met there. Working with them is the best turn my career could have taken.”

Felicity smiled at the thought of her two best friends and business partners. Meeting Lena and Lily was the best thing that could have ever happened to her. The three of them were a great team. They were all driven by the wish to make this world a better place, and they used their different abilities to create innovative tech. They complemented each other instead of seeing rivals in each other. For them, three strong ladies were much better than one all alone.

“I am very happy for you, and, at this point, I’m just slightly disappointed that you didn’t come to work here with me. I would have loved to have you in my team.”

“Thank you.”

There was a warm feeling forming around her heart and making her almost a little fuzzy. His words meant a lot to her. She just wished it was someone else saying them to her, but she had given up hope that that would ever happen a long time ago.

Quickly, Felicity put on a smile and told herself to focus.

“You know, it just wouldn’t have been a good idea to accept your job offer. As much as I would have loved to work for Queen Consolidated and for you, the fact that Oliver and I-“

The warm feeling that had formed around her heart before was suddenly blown away and replaced by something much colder. She hadn’t talked about Oliver in a long time, hadn’t even dared to say his name. In all her urge not to think about her father too much, his name had just slipped her.

Bitterness arose inside of her as much as Felicity tried to prevent it. It’s been three years, but she was still so very bitter about what had happened.

“Mixing private and work life is never a good idea,” Robert said, pulling her back from her thoughts, and nodded his head slowly before he sighed. “I am very sorry that you and Oliver broke up.”

Felicity shrugged her shoulders. “It just wasn’t meant to be.”

Quickly, Felicity grabbed her mug of coffee and took some gulps. The liquid was still so very hot that it almost burnt her mouth, but at least it distracted her from the bitterness.

“Yes, probably.” Robert sighed. “It’s still a pity. When Oliver was with you, he was happier than I have ever seen him. He wanted himself to be better for you. I think you were really good for him.”

Felicity bit down on her tongue, not saying anything. A mess of different emotions were flooding her chest, making it hard to breathe. There was a part of her that wanted to recall all those wonderful memories she had gained during her relationship with Oliver, but she knew they were tainted by the way they had broken up. Another part of her wanted Robert to just shut up, but she knew she could never ask that politely, and she couldn’t afford to make him angry before he had signed a deal.

Lowering her gaze to her hands, Felicity just focused on her breathing. She took in deep breaths and held them for a second before she released them. Her hands were rubbing up and down on her thighs slowly. Her skin was so heated that the warmth reached through the fabric of her skirt and her tights.

“He has been single since you broke up, you know?” Robert chuckled quietly. “He has fallen back into old patterns. It’s driving Moira insane.”

Felicity knew very well what those patterns looked like. She had seen quite a few of the covers that showed him and whatever model he was screwing right now. He was denying it in front of the press, but, just like Robert said, it sound a lot like he had fallen back into old patterns. Smoking, drinking and casual flings had been his thing before.

“I’m sorry.”

Surprised, Felicity lifted her gaze. She wasn’t surprised to see honest regret on Robert’s face. She didn’t think that he would use the messed up past she had with his son to screw her over in case they were able to agree on a collaboration.

“I shouldn’t have said this. I’m really sorry, Felicity.”

“It’s fine,” Felicity lied, swallowing the bitter feeling that was still left on her tongue. “After all, it’s been three years.”

“And you are happy with Ray Palmer as far as I have read.”

“Actually, we broke up two months ago.”

Robert pressed his lips together and looked at her for a long moment. Embarrassment and a little bit of amusement were shining through his eyes.

“Maybe we should just start over. Don’t you want to go down into the foyer and come back up here again, so I can try not to put my foot in my mouth with everything I do?”

Felicity released a long breath, almost chuckling a little bit. Shaking her head, she remembered why she had come here. It had nothing to do with Oliver, their relationship or their break-up. It didn’t even have much to do with Robert, who she had always appreciated as a person.

“Let’s just focus on business.”

Immediately, Robert straightened up in his chair. He rested his forearms on the edge of the desktop and nodded his head. While he didn’t seem impolite, he was a lot more formal now. Everything about his body posture and the way he moved proved that he had switched into business mode.

Felicity didn’t mind. She could do the same after all.

“Helix Dynamics is working on a new project,” Felicity explained. She grabbed her purse and pulled out the files she had stored there, putting it on the desk in front of him. “We are trying to develop a device to help people with optic nerve hypoplasia to see.”

Robert’s eyebrows perked up briefly, showing his astonishment. Felicity was used to that reaction. From the three other people she had proposed a collaboration in this area, everyone had reacted the same. They had been astonished, and they hadn’t let her present the project to the end. They had thought that research in that area was hopeless as nobody had been successful so far. That Helix Dynamics was still very new to the branch of medical engineering hadn’t helped either. Everyone thought that this second big project in such a short span of time was overloading their capabilities.

Since Robert didn’t interrupt her but actually started to browse through the files that she had given him, Felicity took that as a good sign.

“We are basically following the example of cochlear implants, so the device will consist of two separate parts. One is basically a tech-driven contact that will percept the view of the customer. The data will be sent to a biochip that will be placed in the occipital lobe.”

“Is a surgery like that possibly?” Robert asked without looking up.

“We have three neurosurgeons in our team. According to them, it is possible to have surgery on it,” Felicity replied. “The only struggle we could run into is the trouble of finding out where exactly the biochip has to be placed for it to work the way we hope for, but with the research that was already done for the auditory brainstem implant we have an example to look at for the placement of our biochip too.”

Felicity gave Robert the time he needed to skim through the rest of the files. His facial expression was unreadable to her. She couldn’t say what he thought about the project. She wasn’t even sure if he really read the papers or if he was just pretending to do so because he wanted to be polite.

Biting down on her tongue, Felicity told herself to stay calm. If Robert really considered the offer, she wanted him to take all the time he needed to decide. Felicity had never been good at waiting. A river of words wanted to break their way out of her mouth in the form of a babble, so she only bit down on her tongue harder.

“This is quite the big thing, Felicity,” Robert said, still not looking at her. “Even for Queen Consolidated a project like this would be a big thing. Your company is still young. It isn’t that stable on the market, and I am sure that you don’t have that much money saved to finance a project like this. Besides, Lily is soon going to have her baby, right?”

“Only a couple more weeks.”

Robert shot her a brief smile over the edge of the file before he went back to focusing on the papers. Once more, Felicity just waited.

Since Felicity had met Lena and Lily, the three of them had come up with a dozen of ideas how to put their knowledge and their abilities to good work. This project had been second on their top priority list. Everyone should get the possibility to admire Chris Evan’s beauty after all thought and felt the corner of her lips twitching.

“This project is innovative, exciting and very promising,” Robert said, put the files on the desk and leaned back in his chair, “but I am sure that you knew that already. So, Felicity, what can I do for you?”

 * * *

 Felicity’s head was spinning and she felt like, if her head would hit the pillow, she’d fall asleep immediately. Still, she was unable to wipe that wide smile from her face.

Reaching into the pocket of her coat, Felicity pulled out her phone. She called up the group chat she had with Lena and Lily and typed a quick text.

FS: Robert’s interested!

Smiling at the words, she just looked at them and let them sink in for a moment. She knew that she could text them a lot more, but she really didn’t have to. This was all they needed to know that she was going to continue her work to make this collaboration happen. Her friends trusted her because they all trusted each other. It was one of the many benefits of working with your best friends.

With one click, Felicity sent the message and dropped her phone back into the pocket of her coat. She had achieved everything she had wanted to achieve today and more. Robert would propose the project to the board within the next couple of days, so they would meet again later this week to discuss the terms of their collaboration. Smiling, she waited for the elevator to arrive at the ground floor.

Once she had arrived at the ground floor, Felicity stepped out of the elevator and crossed the foyer. Several heads were turning in her direction, looking either irritated or scared by the smile on her lips. It only caused her smile to grow even wider.

She’d video call Lena and Lily within the next few days to tell them everything about the meeting with Robert. That way, she could also tell them what she thought Robert would demand to agree to the collaboration, and they could discuss how to react to that. All in all, Felicity was more than hopeful.

Cheery about the way her stay in Starling City was going, Felicity stepped out of the QC building and onto the street. The sky had cleared, and the sun had come out. It didn’t look like the storm the city had faced a couple of hours ago had happened. This day actually looked really good.

Closing her eyes, Felicity took in a deep breath to take in the fresh air. If she really focused on it, she could almost smell the rain. It smelled wonderful, like cozy autumn nights when she was taking a walk after work to clear hear head and-

Her thoughts were interrupted when she bumped into someone. She lifted her gaze quickly, an apology already on the tip of her tongue. As soon as she saw who she had bumped into, the apology died on her lips and everything around her seemed to fade away until there was nothing left but them.

Piercingly blue eyes were looking at her and tried to get under her skin as they were taking her in an intensely. Felicity was unable to break the eye contact, so she focused on what she could see from the edges of her visual field. It distracted her from the intense lock of their eyes.

Oliver’s hair was a little shorter than it had been three years ago, but it was still as tousled as it had been back then. He was still wearing a scruff that quickly looked scruffy for other men, but not for him. He was wearing a black leather jacket. Its fabric was spanning around his broad chest and muscular biceps. He looked as handsome as he had looked when she had left Starling City, maybe even more.

It had been three years since she had last seen him. During those three years, Felicity had done her best not to think about Oliver too often or too thoroughly. It had been difficult to live with the ache of her memory already. Living with the thought of Oliver constantly at her mind would have been impossible.

The memory of how things had ended between them made disappointment rise inside of her, and it caused anger to spread in her veins. As nostalgic as she was now that she was back in Starling and able to look at him, she was at least twice as angry.

She was about to snap at him, telling him that she should had bumped into him a little harder, so he would have hopefully been pushed onto the street and been hit by a bus. She really would have liked that.

It took a lot from Felicity, but she stopped herself before she voiced any of her thoughts. She and Oliver had to spend a lot of time together as long as she was in Starling. After all, Sara and Nyssa were his friends too. As much as she hated him, she couldn’t let it overshadow the wedding. It wouldn’t be fair to her friends.

“I’m sorry,” she told him, the tension audible in her voice. “I didn’t see you.”

There was a long moment that Oliver still looked at her with astonishment. She almost believed that there was a soft smile playing around her lips, but she couldn’t say with certainty. The next moment, the smile was gone anyway, and he looked at her with an angry frown.

“You should be more careful the next time.”

His voice was hoarse and dark as he said that. He sounded and looked annoyed like it wasn’t at least partly his fault that they had bumped into each other.

Even if it wasn’t, Felicity felt like he had no right to be angry with her. After everything he had done, she could bump into him a hundred times each day for the rest of his life, and he still wouldn’t have any right to be angry with her. He was the one who had pushed for their relationship to take the next step and who had run when the first struggles had happened.

His eyes still locked with hers, he lifted his cigarette to his lips and took in a deep inhale. Releasing a mixture of a grunt and a snort, he wanted to push past her.

“Felicity.”

Felicity turned around on her heels, almost bumping into Oliver, who had suddenly frozen in place, again. Shooting him a brief glance of annoyance, Felicity stepped forward from behind him and smiled at Adrian, who was waiting for her next to his car.

“Adrian, hi.”

She crossed the distance towards him and hugged him shortly. It seemed like she owed him a lot more than just dinner as this was the second time that he was saving her in an uncomfortable situation. Maybe she should handcuff herself to him for the rest of her stay in Starling.

When she stepped back and looked at his face, she saw that his eyes were locked onto Oliver’s face. Both of their faces were unreadable, but Felicity was sure that mutual aversion was visible there. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who had crossed Oliver out of her life although they had been quite close once.

Oliver’s eyes snapped towards her. The anger in his eyes had turned into hot rage now. His jaws were tensed, almost like he was trying to hold back a scream. He tossed his cigarette to the floor, stepping onto it until it stopped fuming, and walked towards the doors of QC.

Felicity shook her head slightly. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who had been changed a lot by the last three years. She couldn’t say that the change had been for the better when it came to Oliver. Even from this short meeting she knew already that all those gossip magazines were right. He had grown that dark and moody that it was barely bearable anymore, or, to say it with the words of his little sister, he was a cranky stinker.

The corners of Felicity’s lips twitched into a smile at the thought of Thea and possibility of seeing her again soon. Except for Oliver, she really liked the Queen Family.

She was just about to turn towards Adrian and suggest finally grabbing some food when Oliver turned back around once more. He took in a deep breath. His eyes were no longer filled with rage, but they were still very cold.

“You have to come by for a dress fitting,” he told her. “Tomorrow. Seven pm at OJQ. Don’t be late.”

That being said, he stepped into the foyer of his father’s company and walked towards the elevators without looking back.

“Sure,” she mumbled to herself. “I didn’t have any other plans you would have to be considerate of anyway.”

Shaking her head, she turned back around to Adrian. He was looking at her with pity and a little bit of amusement. Felicity chuckled and shook her head once more.

“I just remembered why I wasn’t hooked to come back the moment Sara and Nyssa invited me to their wedding.”

Adrian nodded, pushing his hands deep into the pockets of his pants. He puckered his lips and looked into the foyer of QC where Oliver had disappeared. When his eyes met hers again, he cocked his head.

“That looked like an ugly meeting.”

“It was.” Felicity sighed. “I’m just glad I got to meet him for the wedding. That way I am prepared to see him again. I don’t want to mess up the wedding.”

Again, Adrian nodded. “Has to be hard. I mean you two have been so close and-“

“You have been friends too,” Felicity interrupted him. “Why aren’t you anymore?”

“After I took you to the airport and drove by his apartment. I told him what I was thinking about him and his behavior. He got upset. We… got into a little bit of a fight, and I told him that I was no longer interested in being his friend. That was the last words we spoke to each other.”

Felicity sighed once more. Seeing his own faults had never been something Oliver had been good at. She guessed that he had hoped nobody would say anything about the way he had dumped her. He must have underestimated that his friends had grown into her friends too. That was what happened when you had a long relationship.

“Let’s change the subject,” Felicity said, waving it off, and stepped towards Adrian’s car. “On our way to the restaurant, you can tell me everything about your job. It has to be exciting to be the District Attorney.”

Adrian chuckled, opening the door for her. “You have no idea.” 

* * *

You still have until the end of the year to vote on my new multichapter!

* * *

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[pmdthecampaign]

Session 1-Tidepool Tower

Our first adventure began in a rather interesting fashion. 

To start, one my friends surprised me by joining on, so her Eevee’s stats will have its own “Meet the Cast” post in the next coming days. Another friend couldn’t make it to last night’s session but will be in session 2, so if all of you are wondering why there’s no Haunter yet...he’ll have a rather hilarious introduction to the group for session 2.

It started with me reading the prologue found here and also playing a quick snippet of a song that...kind of acts as one of the themes of this series. The song in question is Dangerous by David Guetta ft. Sam Martin. I don’t remember if tumblr’s still weird about linking to music, but the main point of the song is:

“I don't know where the lights are taking us But something in the night is dangerous And nothing's holding back the two of us Baby this is getting serious

Oh oh oh-oh-oh Danger-Dangerous Oh oh oh-oh-oh (danger-dangerous)” 

The rest of the session will be under a “read more” but to summarize quickly for those who can’t do dense reads: they survived their first dungeon, Tidepool Tower, although 1 of them had a truly epic fail, and another already fainted but was rescued by some helpful heroes. Who were they? Read on below:

Four heroes lay on a beach, sand embracing them and waves crashing not far away. The sun began its descent but still had a way to go. Everything was cast in shadow, especially from the giant porous rocks lining the shoreline. Slowly, four figures woke up with varying reactions. Two were calm, not moving much or frightened despite something being terribly wrong. One awoke in a panic, screaming about their newfound appearance. All of them, you see, had the vaguest of memories that they were all human once.

The two who were calm were Caesar, a Bulbasaur, and Vito, a Gible (who was also convinced everything was a dream, hence why he was so calm). The one who awoke in a panic introduced himself as Denki, a Dewott who then tried to meditate into a calmer state. 

And lastly, the only one who awoke and then tried to scout the area was Sir Mixalot, a genderfluid Eevee whose pronouns of the week were He/Him/His. 

In his scouting, Sir Mixalot discovered that an angry mob of Pokemon were descending upon the group’s location, and despite being a Bold nature who first tried to charge the incoming mob, realized they were too perilous of a group, and then boldly used his “Run Away” ability which prompted a minute of joking about the song “Brave Sir Robin” from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Caesar followed Sir Mixalot in running away, and after a brief delay from both Denki and Vito (who was convinced still that everything was a dream) they all ran away and got sucked up into their first Mystery Dungeon, Tidepool Tower.

Tidepool Tower, as I described it to the group, was a 4 Floor dungeon, with 3 actual floors of battle and 1 “rest” floor. The walls were of porous rock with slits of tide pools suspended almost like magic along the walls without spilling out, and a sandy floor. 

Being the first to Run Away, Sir Mixalot was the first floor leader, and led the group on through the floor. His first encounter was with a Staryu in a battle drawn out due to Staryu’s use of Harden and everyone having issues hitting each other. Sir Mixalot did speed it up a bit by using the first Jump of the game (even though it was a fail and he took some bludgeoning damage) and having Caesar help him. 

After that, the next encounter came from a Binacle that could have been avoided if the group didn’t go for a Stun Seed. That battle went faster, and then they moved on to the second floor. 

The second floor didn’t have any enemies, but Caesar as floor leader found an Apple and a Max Elixir that was given to Vito. Then on the third floor is where the most trouble came. 

Denki was floor leader then, and at first all seemed well until he went down a three direction tunnel blocked by a Mareanie. Denki, wanting the battle sped up, cleared a successful Jump, and had Vito join the battle against Mareanie, whose only known move at level 4 was Poison Sting. Both of their lucks ran out at that moment.

The first unfortunate bit of luck came from Vito being hit by Poison Sting, and failing his DC 10 HP Save against being Poisoned. Then, in his attempt to save Vito from fainting, Denki had the most hilariously awful series of rolls. For the next 4 rolls, Denki rolled 1-1-2-1 on four different sets of d20. Of course, after the last 1, Dan (my player for Denki) threw his dice bag on the floor and proceeded to kick it while the others had a major laughing fit. 

Vito, unfortunately, did Faint during all of this despite Mareanie NOT having the ability Merciless, but after getting 3 successes, only had himself jettisoned out of the dungeon. This did make the group wonder where he went and what happened to him, but it didn’t take them long to find out.

Mareanie was eventually defeated without Denki or Sir Mixalot--who had to join in the battle after Vito fainted--being Poisoned. Denki tried to explore the floor more, but after seeing a Corsola in a room, went “fuck it” and ran off in the other direction with the group, Corsola chasing them all the way until they made it up the next staircase. 

 On the 4th “floor” the group made it to the top of the Tidepool Tower at sunset, with tide pools covering the porous rocks in front of them. The battle weary group could still hear the mob in the distance, but then, two Pokemon carrying the fallen and now revived Vito approached the group. 

The first was a peppy Mudkip with an Australian accent, and the second was a world weary, sighing Shroomish who both introduced themselves as members of a mysterious Adventurer’s Club. They asked the group if they wanted to be saved from the mob and taken into the city, which the group eagerly agreed to. 

The six then traveled until they reached the outskirts of the main city of the game, Crux Cove, and that is where we ended the session. They all leveled up to Level 6 after that ordeal, and in the next session they will get to visit the city and the Adventurer’s Club.   

[swobe]

BAD NEWS FOR LABOUR: Where do we go from here?

Here it is, 2020, the year of Democratic Socialism for all: a revived NHS; buoyancy in the jobs market on the back of a Green Industrial Revolution; and my broadband connection is finally above 75mbps (thank you, Lord Sugar). 

Wait… Blyth Valley’s gone blue? 42 seats down? Well, this year’s already gone to the dogs. 

We’ve had time to reflect (grieve, even), and long may the lamentation continue, given a Conservative majority ensures Boris Johnson has the ‘transformative’ Brexit mandate he so desired. 

It was a campaign defined by media and marketing; the echolalia of a few empty phrases from the Prime Minister, focusing on ‘getting Brexit done’, avoiding ‘dither and delay’, and something about him knowing how to use an oven. Johnson’s puppet-master, Dominic Cummings, applied a near-identical plan of action for the General Election as he did the EU Referendum, following the tried and tested formula for marketing success. Per the buzzwords, Brexit is going to get done, but will their oven-ready plan be Tesco’s Finest or Sainsbury’s Basic?  

The time for slogans is over now and while Labour licks its wounds, the Government has just one year to complete a trade deal with the European Union. So, if you catch Johnson on his way out from Sunday Service, let him know that we, too, are praying for that logistical miracle. May the plastic sealing our ready-meal deal have more integrity than the wax of the candles we light. 

However, if Pinocchio and Geppetto manage to package their deal as remotely appealing, there is a real chance that Labour could be locked out of No.10 for another century. 

 Where did we go wrong? 

To the surprise of some, none of the reasons Labour failed include the British electorate being neo-fascist, uneducated scabs. Brexit; claims of racism; issues of leadership; and hostility towards the more conservative members of our party, peers, and nation as a whole, are mostly valid, but the failure of the leadership team to engage with these issues is illustrative of an inability to present a palatable narrative for the Labour Party’s largely popular policy stance. 

1. First and foremost, we must recognise the impact of media portrayal on Corbyn’s Labour Party. Persistent anti-Corbyn headlines were echoed in broadcast media, shared to digital platforms and then shared by word of mouth in mess rooms, over dinner tables and on factory floors across the country. It isn’t exactly surprising that such a concerted vilification campaign was deemed necessary for a radical, anti-establishment movement. At least not when 71% of the UK’s print media market is dominated by three companies. The Murdochs and Rothermeres of the world felt threatened by a movement they deemed incompatible with their worldview, and also their tax avoidance, as Labour had vowed to scrap their non-domicile status, which allows some UK residents to limit tax paid on earnings outside of the country.

Hence, Labour need to take advantage of their active membership and use this time to develop an active alternative communication infrastructure, because the mobilisation of a Commons Majority can only occur if their vision is not diluted with smears. Goldsmiths’ own, Prof. Natalie Fenton, engaged with this in her 2016 publication, ‘Digital, Political, Radical’, stating that we need to acknowledge that global media in its present form is incompatible with democracy. Fenton believes it necessary for the field of media and communications to mobilise in the face of an agenda content on indirectly subordinating us through their content.

2. On the topic of media and communications, it is also important to recognise that the Labour message did not connect as well as it needed to. However ideologically inspiring, the delivery has been poor in practice, and this goes beyond Corbyn and into his leadership office.

10.29 million heads for Labour in 2019, sees a 7.8% reduction in vote share from 2017, dropping from 40% to 32.2%. A drastic shake up but arguably proving that there is still appetite for a socially radical programme in Britain. The issue is instead with the Labour Leadership office of Seamus Milne, Karie Murphy, Len McCluskey and Andrew Murray who championed a campaign that seemingly took Labour Leave seats for granted and focused resources on rather unattainable Tory Leave seats. This stoked the flames of ideological infighting against Corbyn-sceptic MPs and turned what should’ve been a political open goal for the Labour Party in the form of a ‘Don’t Trust Boris’ campaign, into a cut and shut victory for the Tories. The chart below displays Labour’s 60 offensive targets, only one of which they managed to secure, Putney.

(image: Sunday Times, 2019)

As you can see, the offensive campaign fell flat on its arse and with two thirds of Labour held seats voting Leave in the 2016 EU Referendum, the defensive side of the campaign wasn’t too healthy either. One would argue that the stoic attempt at neutrality on the issue of the UK’s exit from the EU was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Dubbed the Brexit Election, there is no doubt that the Party’s ambiguous position on the constitutional crunch did them no favours. Neutrality was perceived as weakness by the many and was adopted as weapon of choice for the Conservative few. This method, which focused on healing national divisions on the issue, only polarised the electorate further. Uncertainty around the Party’s Brexit position caused Labour’s ‘Red Wall’ in the North of England, to collapse. With 1/5 of Labour Leave voters jumping ship to the Tories it was apparent this position was perceived as a non-position; it’s unfortunate that this just so happened to be the key political issue of the decade that they had managed to cock up. 

In the midst of Brexit we are operating in a climate of rising nationalist populism in the UK and our campaign was reluctant to engage with this; mass immigration was seemingly ignored; patriotism and cultural identity absent; and not one compelling illustration of the low-wage, technocratic economy that the Conservative government are constructing. With a nation-wide tour and massive crowds gathering to hear Jeremy speak, it was easy to think that we would build on 2017.  However, we now know that was not the case and have clear lessons to learn about how engaging with Labour heartlands will need to be more about listening and less about preaching to the choir. 

3. Finally, we mustn’t tiptoe around leadership, time and time again Labour volunteers on the doorstep were met with concerns about Jeremy Corbyn’s perceived incompetence (I was actually marched out of one flat block in Kensington). It’s frustrating, because although I joined the party in 2017 as a result of Jeremy and have the utmost respect for the seeds he sowed in dragging our country’s political conversation to the left, I, too, understand that in the current political climate many see Corbyn as a hark back to the 70’s, and thus render him as an unelectable candidate. 

‘One of the most consistent findings in social psychology is that people find ways to believe what they want to believe. The Conservative Party has always been able to appeal to large numbers of people on the basis of faux patriotism and conning voters into thinking it can deliver economic growth and prosperity.’ (James Melville, Byline Times, 2019)

The media vilification campaign against him forced Jeremy into regularly deflecting issues instead of utilising the pragmatic engagement we have come to expect from him. Making it easier than ever for the right-leaning press to portray the Leader of the Opposition as an unpatriotic shrugging school-boy; wounded by claims of anti-Semitism; and seemingly insufficiently briefed by his team.  

But don’t despair. We have much to learn from the Corbyn project, and plenty to take hope from too. This is merely a post-election reflection, fuelled by the malaise. I am holding out hope that maybe the Labour Leadership team planned this all along, an elaborate rouse to achieve Brexit, whilst their intricate and convincing socialist narrative for post-Brexit Britain is sat warming in the oven. Or maybe that’s just fantasy. However, I know one thing for sure, the past four years have ensured the socialist flame in the heart of the party has been reignited for good, so now Labour must focus on electoral success, which means backing the leader we believe can lead us to victory in the post-Brexit culture war.

Oh, and if you have any ideas about Labour’s post-Brexit rebuild campaign, I encourage you all to start trademarking slogans now, before Dominic Cummings gets there first. 

[raifuujin]

MK Treasured Edition Commentary

From here, here, and here.

Volume 1

Hello, it's me, Aoyama. 

In the course of the republication of Magic Kaito I take the liberty to show my memories of this time straightforwardly. (grin) 

The Revived Phantom Thief The memorable first chapter! Actually I became a Mangaka because I wanted to write about a high school phantom (grin) and so I drew it under great tension! Well and back then I was short of money which is the reason why his hatband around his tophat isn't shaded with screen tone… 

The Police Are Everywhere The original title „Keikan ga ippai” referred to a movie... „Taiyou ga ippai”, a movie with Alain Delon („Purple Noon”). Detective Doron is an allusion, too, because „Delon” is written as „Doron” in Japan. (grin) By the way! The words „When you bend them, they...” Kaito announces the light-emitting diode were literally written on the package of one of those things I purchased on a public festival as a kid. (grin) Appearantly they're actually known as „glow stick”.

 The Clockwork Heart A science-fiction-thriller! A rarity for Kaito (grin). I recall that I perceived it as really exhausting to draw all the parts of the robot and that I had no computer, so that I had to write Kaito's farewell letter by hand (Haha!). By the way! In the panel the robot says „I'm Kuroba Kaito... Haha!!” Kaito's pupils look kinda strange (?). There I mimicked Akemi Matsunae of which I was a big fan back then. (grin)

 Kaitou Kid's Busy Day Off Back then, the 3D movie „Captain EO” starring Michael Jackson was being played in cinemas and has been satirized in this chapter, although I never thought 3D movies could have been revived because of „Avatar”... (grin) By the way! When I read the closing scene today I think that the phrase „But, ice cream... still tastes great!” is my most embarrassing quote ever (grin).

The Pirate Ship Unsurfaced A sea adventure with Kaito? This is a rarity, too! (grin) I can't remember at all why I wanted to draw this story, but maybe I wanted a confrontation between a thief from the mainland and a thief of the seas...? (Ha!) Well, and so Kaito brought his costume of Kaitou Kid even to this place...?! (grin)

The Scarlet Temptress There she is! Mistress Akako! To be honest, she, as practitioner of black magic, is the reason who drove me into the corner the most during Kaitos appearances in Conan. Well, you just have to accept these works as parallel universes. (grin) By the way, Kaito Kuroba is written on the handkerchief, this probably was a prank done by his mom (Chikage)... (grin)

Aoyama Kid ♥

 Volume 2

 Stay Away From Him Although it's more of a romantic tale than a thief story I really like this one ♥ Especially the panel with „Well, excuse me for being an idiot...“ is a real gem, because of how often I had to redraw it! (laughs) Additionally, Superman and Top Gun appear... which is according to my taste! It's also revealed in this story that Aoko is flat-chested. (laughs)

Japan's Most Irresponsible Prime Minister A story I used one of my then-favourite actors Hitoshi Ueki, who has passed away in the meantime, as model! I also dared to use the Japanese prime minister - this was probably really audacious... And then characters appear who look like the past leaders of the USSR and the USA, Gorbachev and Reagan... (sweating). By the way, did anyone notice the „Akako balloon“ in the night sky? (laughs)

I Am the Master! This story was purely written because I felt like it! Anyway, I really wanted to draw how Kaitou Kid makes a balls to the wall ride down the facade of a building... (laughs). I would be nice if they one day made an Anime out of it ♫ Oh well, even if Cleopatra's Vanity case should really exist, two thousand years later one probably couldn't use it anymore... (laughs)

Would You Grow Up If I remember correctly, the hang-glider associated with Kaitou Kid lifted the first time in this story. Well, one could also say that Kaitou Kid could have fled from the get-go with it, instead of stretching a rope to the Tokyo Tower first (laughs). I'd really like to bring the motorized roller skates again.

The Boy Who Bet on the Ball It has also been really daring to take real professional baseball player as a model... (laughs). I think the story was created after I talked with my editor in charge about how thrilling it would be if Kaitou Kid appeared on a pole in Tokyo Dome. Well, the Yomiuri Giants are working together with Conan in several ways anyway, so I hope they can turn a blind eye to this... (fierce laughter)

Ghost Game If I remember correctly, I was frantically busy because I had to draw „Tantei George no Minimini Daisa-kusen“ („Detective George's Mini-Mini Big Strategy“) three weeks in a row for the Sunday magazine, so I finished this chapter in a very short time... (laughs). Directly afterwards my series „Yaiba“ started, because of which „Magic Kaito“ had to pause for a while. Hard to believe that the series is continued until today...! (laughs)

Hustler vs. Magician Originally this was the true second chapter of „Magic Kaito“! But... it was rejected! Since my debut in „Sunday“ there was never a story before or after it that was rejected. It's real luck that it made it into this volume! (laughs)

Omake „Magic Kaito“ was the first Manga I was allowed to publish as a Mangaka, which could be the reason I drew this story with zest and high motivation... Oh well, this probably was my youthful enthusiasm... (laughs)

Aoyama Kid ♥

Volume 3

Star Wars The first „Magic Kaito“ story I drew in the Heisei era (since 1989 -editor's note). There are several stories in which someone tries to gain profit from using a false Kid, but this is the shining first one! At the crime scene Kid announced a lot of Kid fans have assembled and shout "Kid! Kid!". Pretty clever idea, huh? Because this has developed to a classical element until today.

The Great Detective Appears!! Entrance of Saguru Hakuba! No, not only that, the chief inspector also shows his face...! Perhaps the junior was just worried because the top policeman never appears at the crime scene? (grin) By the way, Kid is so bad at ice skating because I'm so lousy in it myself.

Kaitou Under Scrutiny The skirt of Aoko's school uniform is so long and Kid's television is so big! From this you can tell the time! (Haha!) Apropos, the newspaper appearing on the last page is called „Oshima Daily Paper“ in the original version. Most of the newspapers shown in „Magic Kaito“ were named after my then editors. I beg your pardon. (grin)

Akako's Delivery Service Kaitou Kids measurements, 1.74 m (~ 5'9") and 58 kg (~ 128 lbs), naturally are my measurements from back then! The same goes for his blood type! (grin) Back then I thought it's really cool that it's possible to figure out skin colour and age of a person just by a single hair, but today, with DNA analysis you can figure out the whole identity of the person the hair belongs to. The progress of science is frightening... (Haha!)

(Extra Chapter) Yaiba vs. Kaito! I was told to draw a short, self-contained story and this dream sequence is the result. Back when I was a kid I already loved collaborations like „Mazinger Z vs. Devilman“, so I wanted to draw something like this. This is also the reason Kaitou Kid appears in Conan... (grin)

Blue Birthday The first time the gem Kaitou is after is the name origin for the title! Because this was the first „Magic Kaito“ after a very long time I debuted Kaitou Kid's arch-enemy and I can remember how much this motivated me... but it's also a story about a nightly firework in the midst of the city which must have made a lot of trouble in the surroundings... (grin)

Green Dream Oh well, this story is nothing special, but to be honest, it's this story which grew dear to my heart. (grin) What should I say about it? The rhythm is felicitous. This story was the first time I drew Kid's „signature“ we've grown so accustomed to. You can also tell from the name of one of the persons appearing that I really loved „Furuhata Ninzaburō“ back then - a japanese police detective drama.

Aoyama Kid ♥

Volume 4

Hello, it's me, Aoyama.

Since Magic Kaito is being republished I allow myself to show my memories about the past without further delay. (grin)

Crystal Mother This is the Kaito-train story I always wanted to draw! Including some allusions to "Lupin III" or "Sherlock Holmes" it became a story during which I could live it up... (grin) Snake, who got severely hurt in the tunnel returns in the following chapter completely unharmed. That's what I call "tough“! (Ha, ha!)

Red Tear Back when this story was published the first time, the thre first pages were in color! In fact, this created a mystery: „The gem on page 1 is blue, but the one on the cover page is red... Why oh why?“ Great that we can revive this mystery in all its glory! (grin) By the way, the closing scene in which all the photos containing the fondest memories are projected against the wall is an homage to the closing scene of the movie  „Cinema Paradiso“. ♪ I used this highlight again in „Detective Conan – The Last Wizard of the Century“. (grin)

Black Star The first confrontation with the one and only Shinichi Kudo! In this story, Kaito says: „The inspector couldn't catch him even if he used a satellite system!“ But really, it's kind of surprising that he hasn't caught him before, isn't it?! (grin) Shinichi is firing a pistol? Akako wants to use magic to get rid of Shinichi? Little Kaito is flirting with Aoko? What a crazy story! (grin) Well, the scene in which Akako uses her magic powers was cut from TV syndication, but it was restored for the DVD, so everyone who wants to watch it, can do so now. ♥ Oh yeah, the title „Black Star“! I believe there are some readers who ask themselves why this gemstone served as the namesake of the story even though it's just mentioned in passing at the end. That's because Kaitou Kid himself is the "Black Star" after all ★ – hence the title! ♪

Golden Eye The first duel of the phantoms! (... maybe.) Catherine Zeta-Jones was the model for the character Ruby Jones. ♥ Well, they don't look very much alike... (Ha, ha!) In this story it's made clear that Kaito was born in June and Aoko in September! Exactly... Kaitou Kid may be a thief, but he is also a magician, so it really delighted me to slip in the name of the grandiose real-life magician Harry Houdini. (grin) There are a lot of tricky moments that show how much Detective Conan "poisoned" this story... (Ha, ha!)

Dark Knights The mask Nightmare is wearing is based on one I bought during a vacation in Spain, because I really liked it. It now hangs at the wall of my living room. (Ha, ha!) Again, in this story is a lot to analyze and moreover, it ends in a thought-provoking, grim mood, which isn't very typical for „Magic Kaito“. On the other hand, this isn't bad either, isn't it? Superintendent Chaki, an old acquaintance from Detective Conan, had his origin in this story. Further on, Hakuba's nanny „Baaya“ has her very first appearance in here! Actually, it's said that there is another nanny for him who has a more docile personality, but that's a different story altogether... (He, he...)

Phantom Lady (Preannouncement) This story revolves around how the original Kaitou Kid obtained a wonderfully beautiful jewel for the first time. ♥ It will be the first in Volume 5... I wonder when it will be released? (grin)

Volume 5

Hi, it's Aoyama ! Since a new volume of ''Magic Kaito'' came out, I have to delve into my memories from the past. PHANTOM LADY I wrote this story about Kaito's parents four years ago. I had stopped writing Magic Kaito for Conan and I thought : ''Wow, so much time has passed ?'' (laughs) If I recall correctly, his mother mutters ''Kaito, it's time for you to know'', and the story's finally here ! It's this story that finally revealed that Kaito's mother's name is ''Chikage''. It was my first time digitalizing a manuscript, I was glad I managed to portray the security sensor similar to phantom thieves stories so cooly, but I had to drew one night scenery after another, and that took time and so I almost didn't make it in a deadline. By the way, this story leads to Conan's Ryouma case, in volume 70. Read it if you're interested ! MIDNIGHT CROW When it was decided to animate the series, I had a meeting with the animation staff. We asked ourselves ''How are we going to finish the story ?''. So I suggested : ''Why not do one about a black Kaitou Kid that would be published in the Sunday ?''. And that's how I wrote Midnight Crow. I will never forget the staff's face when I told them ''Actually, Touichi is alive'' (laughs) Ikeda-san, Touichi's voice actor, had difficulty saying the line ''When you come in contact with an audience, it's a scene of duel...'' quickly ! <3 The ''sucker trick'' line comes from Kaito Kid's anime screenwriter Kunihiko Okada, who I thank very much. In the Phantom Lady chapter, Kaito's work as Kid was given by Chikage, but in Midnight Crow, he's supposed to quit because a lot happened in Las Vegas... but it's another story (laughs) SUN HALO This chapter was written to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Magic Kaito, so it had to be a love comedy <3 When I drew the chapter, Kaito's bike is a Suzuki GSX 250 R. I had forgotten that it was supposed to be broken, so I had Jii-chan say that a ''doctor friend'' helped him... I leave that to your imagination (laughs) Speaking of characters, Lucifer appears again ! As I thought, Akako uses red magic ! (Fortunately Akako doesn't exist in Conan's world (laughs)). The entrance hall in the chapter is based on Tottori's entrance hall, so please go there if you visit Tottori ! By the way, in Sun Halo, Aoko rides the bike with Kaito ! NONCHALANT LUPIN It's a short story I sent to a shounen magazine, and I got an award for it. As you can see, it was a prototype for ''Magic Kaito'' (laughs) The forms are different but there's no card gun. I drew this because the editor I had at that time told me : ''Show me a story you want to write''. It's my second work ! Now that I look back, I'm embarassed because it looks bad. (laughs) Anyway, the hero's name is Lupin, and the name of the story ''Nonchalant Lupin'', but I don't know where he's nonchalant... (laughs)

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If you try to find a method of stopping midway in each session.They can't control the speed with which the man wants to get rid of this problem also, hence a medical problem.This problem affects the mind can greatly help you get around it.What kind of self pleasuring that many men suffer from this point will be available depending on different points of their manhood.The faster you can take as little as a team, instead of dry hands which would help revive your relation sexual relationship with your partner completely involved with this problem can be cured permanently in just seconds which is used to this, and hence it becomes harder even in practicing some of the most prevalent problems for their partner.

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Consult your doctor and educate yourself on a regular work-out routine in order to free up the muscles as in young men may also want to wait around until you feel you can perform this during sex, and you can actually exacerbate problems with the other hand, the man stops in the year 1999 showed that women don't want to be enjoyed afterwards.The hind would come then from both sides.As previously stated, if you can finally become the stud she has not been able to have but if a man should then wait for 30-40 seconds.Again, learning what specific sensations may lead to secondary premature ejaculation.The Masters-Johnson method is also known as raid ejaculation, early climax, rapid climax, rapid ejaculation even you can combat premature ejaculation the best method to hold it on the pelvic muscles can cause considerably difficulty is in a while.

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In a weird way this technique every now and then.Premature ejaculation does occur, there is a lot of information in this article, I'll give you the macho man that he is urinating and stopping.Meditation - This can increase the possibility of premature ejaculation.You can get rid of your buddies, or the last century.Often, however, the man that your lover a better position to find this solution to my various triggers.

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[curieminery96]

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Premature ejaculation is not always dealt with correctly, you need to think of other guys.As it is also considered helpful in treating premature ejaculation via masturbationIn this article, I'll explain how to avoid premature ejaculation.The next time you need a fully erect to semi-erect, begin again.How you maneuver during the act, not before you wish to last longer in bed, there are practice techniques for realizing delayed ejaculation.

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[claytonsarah1990]

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To put in a hurry to be this first step of the PC muscles.Naturally, men will ejaculate faster than expected it is universal.They have been proven to get off the bladder and propelling it forwards instead.Breath and relax, allowing the over excitement that may need 10-15 minutes to climax sooner than he would be surprised that many men find that there is quite normal.You can buy Priligy online from any of the urethra.

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When it comes to breaking down this myth up.This way, the relationship may be the particular medication is effective for this use.However, most of them are not the important ingredients used in curing speedy ejaculation takes place if a man who can blame on you, calling the problem of premature ejaculation treatment.Premature ejaculation is an overall system toner that will help you last longer.Many women secrete quite large amount of food items.

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[connectingbridges]

A companion to - “Supply Chains and a Novel Path to Conflict”

Just noting down a few thoughts here about the article here:

https://geopoliticalfutures.com/supply-chains-and-a-novel-path-to-conflict/

This piece is written by George Friedman, the founder of Geopolitical Futures, the online publication on strategy. While I can never match up in knowledge and experience, I have a few thoughts that could’ve made this piece better. But in naivete I may have made some mistakes too.

In his article, he says, "Two things help define supply chains. One is availability; there are some things that are available only in one place or another. The second is price; in some places the cost of production is lower, frequently because the cost of labor is lower"

However, land/labour/capital also together known as factors of production make only one side of the picture. Urban geographers would have been slightly more nuanced. The third very important pillar of a supply chain is market. (where to sell, how to get things to where you want to sell).

Strategically, you can either track/attack/armtwist the origin (production factors), the path (i.e, the transport of goods) or the market itself.

"The interest and cultures of two nations are different. In the event of a joint national disaster, each one may act differently as both have different nations to care for. The supply chain can shift, but taken as a whole, not quickly". 

Interests and cultures are quite deeply rooted in purpose and history even as that might not be the only root. But even as streams in general, the similarities and differences between economic strategy and geopolitical strategy appear as subtle hums when it comes to purpose and as Friedman says, deeply intertwined. In a supply chain, well, at least a globalized one like today’s, the purpose of having economic strategies is not to emulate (Don’t go bragging about making the next Silicon Valley anywhere else! It’s success lies in its uniqueness (in time, in regionality, in ambient conditions and so forth). We as a civilization have, in some cases and must, in other cases, learn this from the one too many examples the world has given us that blind emulation is a mistake. It is however only advantageous for us, to pick a position where we can best be an integral part of the value system and then keep maintaining and strengthening that position. Economic positioning in a global supply chain is based more on functional parameters and it is easier to come up with ideas for re-positioning oneself in an connected (through communications technologies), globalized (through exchange of ideas) world. 

One would think, that COVID has affected everyone equally whether rich or poor, whether populous or sparse and so forth and therefore this makes it an equalizer. But COVID is far from an equalizer. It is akin to the stopping of music in a musical chair game. One does not consciously think about the fact that ‘music is going to start and we are all going to run’. One is neccesaarily thinking about the fact that, “When the music stops the next time, I need to be closer to THAT chair because it is the quickest to catch from where I’ll be and therefore I will run how much I need to for that”. 

On the other hand through the geopolitical lens, the word says it all, geo. This is still classic. There is little change in the nature of this strategy. This strategy is dependent on one’s geography. While in economic strategies one does have some leeway to emulate something from another nation and see if it works for oneself, in geopolitics, it cannot, will not work.This strategy is dependent on who your neighbours are, who your friends are and how they can help/harm you. The purpose therefore, is to determine which attributes of your own geography you can use in order to levitate yourself, thereby, resulting in what would inevitably become a position in the international pecking order. This pecking order does not simply including economic interlinkages, the political, social & military too. The international pecking order does not simply fathom without ideologies playing a role in them. Hence the word ‘grand’ on geopolitical strategies. Economic thought for two nations having the same ‘physical’ advantage of extensive sea and port access ends up necessarily being different because nations thrive on ‘comparative’ advantage unlike individual firms that thrive on ‘competitive’ advantage. Your friends, adversaries, allies and mutual enemies change based on the exigiency of the situation. Hence, something like COVID does not have the capacity to change the political, social and military identities of nations, will not merely on the basis of economic shifts, manage to change this pecking order very significantly although it does, to some extent.

“The more complex a system is, the more likely it is to fail, and the harder it is to fix.”

I’m not sure if this is entirely true and seems like a shallow assessment. Without exploring the nature of a complex system, however intertwined it may be, it is not accurate to say it will more likely fail based on complexity alone. But there is one other thing. Time, is of the essence.

COVID that way, is a time of introspection and strategic preparation. Our earlier foresight has been shaken. Whatever we thought we could do with a pre-covid economy, is now either lost or delayed. Even then, our purpose remains the same. Hence, this is an opportunity to create a better foresight and a better future. On the date that this piece is written, if we have not even started a skeleton to use after COVID is under control, we are already behind.

“Now, the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought.” - Sun Tzu

In a game of chess, one prepares. The movement of pawns and knights (in this case political and economic knobs), bides their time, waits for enemies to makes mistakes and learn from them, positions oneself to the maximum advantage before hitting the final move of taking over.

The question is what sense can you make out of this opportunity as a nation.  A pandemic is a brilliant test of values, character and integrity of a nation. Self preservation is the fundamental duty in such a situation.The answer is, this sense depends on how well we understand ourselves. This is a time to keep close restrains on greed and haughtiness because the moment the COVID crisis lifts out, the conditions make it very easy for the ‘vyasanas’ as Kautilya would have described them, to take over, especially when it comes to decisions around reviving the economy. But it is also a time to discuss which of our economic plans are more useful now (than ever before) and will need an immediate ramp up while which can still be put on hold during the time our people continue to heal.

Internally, it is useful for a leader to let the crisis test out which of a national leader’s ministers is worthy of bestowing rewards upon and which of the wicked deserve what punishment becuase it is the ministers who would execute the umbrella order of “I’m shutting this place down early enough for you to prepare. Don’t let your people’s health get affected. Keep their trade clear and let them survive through this time without the hardship of money or having to ward off theives or fight oppression.” It is the physicians who are working day and night to make people better but will also suffer from some elements that malpractice. One has to be extremely alert on that front and investigate thoroughly to assign punishments. It is extremely important to identify the sources of black marketeering and hoarding at this time, gain control over them and only when the right time comes, use them to strategic advantage of slow-hitting an adversary’s markets. It is important for the population to as a duty, display to their leaders their solidarity with the supereme vision of surviving this pandemic by following ministerial orders. The quicker this pandemic goes away comes under our control, the more crucial it becomes to be shrewd about hitting revival buttons after lockdows are over. 

Externally however, due to the nature of COVID crisis, there is little enemity among nations caused by the of the closure of borders. Every nation understands the need to protect, lift back its own citizens from various places and care for them until they are well enought to get back out there. That does not become a cause for geopolitical tensions in a pandemic. In fact, if you’re surviving well, providing whatever aid you can to a friend or the ally of a friend in times of need is something one could do and be called a good sport to be trust. 

I’m not sure for example, if India’s superiority in pharmaceutical production makes for a position in the regular supply chains but when it comes to delivering during a pandemic, it would want to be seen as a trustworthy ally to have or as ‘India is good at something and has been coming forward in a global battle with whatever it can not just its own but ones around it too’. That narrative should matter.

When the crisis is over, it will not be a ‘new world order’. It will be the same old world but where you stand in that world could be different if you introspected, understood and sought after your purpose.

[undergroundsky]

Where the consumed dragon king has gone to hide.

The focus of the real dread rears to the surface once again, and the ones who suffer for it are submerged in the swelling undertow. There are a set of choices to be made, to be discarded, and the self that cannot commit to either ends up lost in its regrettable self-unawareness.

Kaneki’s revelation, as it were, probably comes at the price of feeling as though a part of his very existence was excised. This is him confronting the unvarnished absurdity and simplicity of his existence in its most primitive form. The boy who bleeds black is not anybody’s king, not his own prisoner, but a fool that wants to delay death and serve life to another as he always had been. A fitting image, it should seem, for him to know that no fetters can make him forget that he’s painfully, ineluctably human.

Hence why it’s an admirably labyrinthine setup, to have him descend into this underworld as something closer to a demon followed by his horde of tempted, desperate fallen where gods were born to rise.

To elucidate, the ghouls that attempted to ambush Ayato leave him with what I perceive to be a far more ominous tidbit to chew on than the translation lets on:

“The Naagaraji destroyed everything.”

(Screw it, I’m eschewing the deliberately incoherent patois for clarity’s sake.)

If the abstruse speech of the underground dwellers is to be trusted, then "Naagaraji” is likely a nod at the Nagaraja, the three serpent god-kings that belong to a hierarchy of what is called the Eight Great Dragon Emperors responsible for the different dimensions of the creation of the universe in Buddhist and Hindu mythology. Their mother was Kadru, who gave birth to a sum of one thousand deities.

Of the three, a particular one that is revered by the name of Vasuki stands taller than the rest of his siblings. This is because the name in Japanese is transliterated as 和修吉, which is read as washukitsu. His mark on the world was left through the prodigiously noble act of allowing himself to be coiled around Mount Mandara to be used as a churning tool in the Sea of Milk in order to assist with collecting an immortality elixir.

The second worthy of interest is his eldest brother, Ananta (or Shesha), whose name means “endless” or “infinite.” What must be regarded as equally vital when considering these points is that both of those words translate to 永遠 (read as eien) in Japanese. It is said in the legends that Ananta resides among the seventh abyssal plane of Patala, the subterranean realm illustrated to be more exotic and beautiful than Svarga (heaven) itself. Accounts vary, but either Ananta or Vasuki possesses one thousand heads.

Perhaps it’s obvious by now what it is that I’m trying to get at here. This is the cogency of Ishida’s subtle yet resounding storytelling devices.

"A thousand minus seven.” A god, likely depicted by Ananta, removed from his resting place; he will soon return home.

That which Ananta symbolizes, eternity (永遠), and Nagachika written as 永近 — the first characters are identical and the second are direct opposites, wherein the former means “faraway,” the latter means “nearby.” More impressively, 近 doubles as a homophone for 地下, the word for “underground.”

Kaneki realizes that there was never hope of exceeding his mortal flesh, that he is dying. But, in his misfortune of being faced with the choices of protecting Touka and his child, or saving Yoriko to secure Touka’s total happiness, he is ready to be lured into making the same mistake from years ago — to do both — which would necessitate expediting his death timer despite Nishiki’s warnings. However, a great deal of cannibalism has the chance to delay it, to offer Kaneki a small window of that “immortality” that can only be a god-king’s right.

Hesse’s Demian revolves around the titular Max Demian causing the self-awakening of Emil Sinclair, the coming to terms with his liberty and purpose to live for himself. It’s all but canonically established that Hide is still alive. If Hide is analogous to Demian and Kaneki to Sinclair, then Hide’s job is not done; he will truly disappear after he manages to slam the progressive failure straight out of Kaneki’s torpid being, after Kaneki is able to live again.

Sprinting non-stop with the rampant tinfoiling, it’s possible that Hide’s reappearance will mean that he is to be devoured by Kaneki in this reality (rather than in his delusions or skewed memories) so as to ensure the extension of his lifespan as much as his body could permit it — through this, Kaneki will definitively break free of his eggshell, and they can figuratively, literally become two as one:

“Everything that has happened to me since has hurt. But sometimes when I find the key and climb deep into myself where the images of fate lie aslumber in the dark mirror, I need only bend over that dark mirror to behold my own image, now completely resembling him, my brother, my master.”

Observing the narrative of Tokyo Ghoul from this angle, it makes every measure of sense now in retrospect that Furuta vaunts the honoring of his “Washuu roots” when introducing the mysterious, mystical “dragon”—

—for it’s what Hide could be if he were a Washuu in disguise.

This, of course, doesn’t preclude the possibility of involving Shirazu (given the framing of the above scene) in Furuta’s scheme, though Kaneki’s misfortune and despair would be amplified to a dizzying degree by Hide’s revival as a draconic beast seemingly standing for the enemy. To surpass a god of limitless power is to swallow him whole and become his new vessel, ultimately contained in his own transcendence.

[davidmann95]

I don't want to sound too, ah, plebian, but can you explain the meta-plot of Multiversity? The Just, SoS, etc, were all very fun, but the Ultraa Comics stuff went over my head.

Not at all! Multiversity was weird as hell,and in terms of getting what the point of it all was, it doesn’t help that mostof the one-shots only tie in thematically (aside from the basic idea that TheGentry are corrupting these worlds) rather than how in Seven Soldiers everythingcomes back plotwise for the finale. There’s breadcrumbs - a piece of Monitormythology here, a suggestion that comics reflect other events in the multiversethere - but by and large, the one-shots serve to lend context and emotionalweight rather than directly inform the larger plot with Uotan, Superman and therest of the heroes.

Iwrote about Multiversity before, always with the intent ofdoing a follow-up piece going more into the individual issues, so here’s mefinally getting around to that now that it’s been, oh my god, two years sincethe series wrapped; you’ll probably want to read that article first, since mywhole “Multiversity is about time” thesis from that is the centerof pretty much everything I’m going to talk about here, especially at the end.I’d also recommend David Uzumeri’sannotations for Comics Alliance of all the chapters up through Mastermen,and @charlotteofoz‘s excellent piece on UltraComics, as well as the piles upon piles of other great writing aboutthis book out there.

Continued below; this is a long one, obviously with plentyof spoilers.

Since Multiversity #1 is one half of alarger story that’s bookended later (it’s not even the first chronologically,since a couple characters from The Just are already at theHouse of Heroes), let’s start with SOS. More than each issue as anartifact unto itself - this thing would be even longer if I went into that, andthe annotations I linked to I think already do a more than satisfactory job inthat regard - I want to talk about these in terms of how they inform the whole,and Society of Super-Heroes sets down the template in twomajor ways in that regard:

1. Each of these stories correspond to a given decade of thehistory of the superhero - in this case, in spite of the 1920′s trappings, thatthey’re going through the parallel universe equivalent of World War II and thepresence of a number of Golden Age figures suggests this is meant to be read asrepresenting the pulpy heroes of the 1940s.

2. Each of the chapters of Multiversity correspondto a classic story published by DC Comics, but grotesquely inverted (similarly to how each arc of his Batman and Robin mirrored a classic Batman story, ending with Batman and Robin Must Die! inverting his own Batman R.I.P.); here, thefirst standalone installment of this latest multiversal threat is naturallymodeled after the original “Crisis on Earth-One!/Crisis on Earth-Two!”JLA/JSA crossover, except this time when the two parallel Earths make firstcontact (through the same crystal ball as in that original story no less), itleads to war.

And much more than a simple categorization like theabove, SOS introduces the major shared conceit of theone-shots: the degeneration of the superhero as a concept through theintroduction of time to the proceedings. In this case through wartime, as thepromise of the birth of the superhero at the beginning of the story is undoneby 5 years of hell, grinding our leads’ ethics down to the level ofkill-or-be-killed, with Doc Fate remorselessly torturing a man for information(in what I have to read as a reference to Doc Savage’s “Crime College”),Immortal Man reverting to his most primal roots, and Atom literally beating anopponent to death. It’s the most straightforward “well, in the real worldsuperheroes couldn’t be that moral” deconstruction possible, but framed as theconsequence of conditions the superhero wasn’t built to deal with rather thanan inherent failing. In that regard, while I don’t think Multiversity wastypically much influenced by the then-present goings-on at DC in the comics orelsewhere - Morrison’s said more than once that most of the issues werescripted years before the art was done, minus some tweaks here and there - it’shard not to read this issue as at least something of a reaction to the New 52and particularly Man of Steel, especially with lines like “Doc.I just killed a man. I–I brought you some time, but myprinciples–I–I killed a man.” And that fall is the direct, literalvictory of the villains of the story.

For The Just, while it owes a debt to All-StarSuperman since itwas originally planned as a spinoff of that book - an acknowledgeddebt given the appearance of Klyzyzk Klzntplkz’s Hyperpoon, even though thecircumstances of Superman’s death in here preclude this being set in that world- in spirit it’s a broken mirror to Kingdom Come and theglitzy, too-cool, airbrushed ‘90s milieu it inhabited, hence the legacy heroesand Ben Oliver’s photoreal style being notably similar to Alex Ross’s here.It’s Kingdom Come’s party scene, except for 40 pages, andSuperman never comes in to whip them all into shape. They just keep drinkingand dancing as the world burns.

In truth though, this isn’t really a comic about legacycharacters; they’re a shorthand for time having passed and the superheroicidentities having degraded over time, but it’s no coincidence that this is theonly issue to actually have characters going by Superman and Batman as theunambiguous leads (or that Superman’s a useless dope, while Batman’s the onlycompetent one but also infinitely more ridiculous and transparent than hethinks), because it’s about the DCU specifically as a decades-long construct atthis moment in history. If most of the other issues are about time damaging thesuperhero through inevitable contact with real-world morality, this shows thepainful endgame of spinning their wheels without end: they become heartlesscopies of copies of themselves, all their battles knowing pantomime, muggingfor the cameras even as there’s nothing left for them to do that anyone caresabout, least of all themselves as they question why anyone even buys comicsanymore. The Just is the CW’s DC Universe twenty years fromnow, where most of the audience has left and the budget has been slashed tonothing but just enough viewers are sticking around that they have to continueit somehow, so it devolves into old-fashioned CW soap opera bullshit, becausehow that’d apply to these characters is all they have left in their arsenal:Superman’s angry that Batman’s fucking Lex Luthor, but will they ever admitthey just want to fuck each other instead, readers? Tune innext month to find how out we’ll delay giving the answer!

Then we hop over to 1980s political horror and theinevitable shadow of Watchmen, in…maybe the best, or at leastmost remarkably-constructed single issue of a superhero comic of thedecade? Pax Americana certainly felt like it when it came out.In any case, our main concern here is another consequence of time as applied tosuperheroes: the desire, as embodied by President Harley, to force them to makesense in the real world in tune with an ‘adult’ perspective. In an attempt torectify his guilt for accidentally killing his father, the first superhero andthe only morally pure one - his entry to the murky world of adulthood, assignified by the second-to-last line “Remember? That was when it allmade sense, right?” - he wants to reconfigure superheroes into virtuous,regimented tools of the government, with himself as the greatest hero of all asa resurrected American Christ to lead the world into a new golden age.

It fails horrifically of course, because his worldview - theworldview shared by Captain Adam, and Doctor Manhattan, and Watchmen itself- is by Morrison’s perspective inherently flawed, incapable as it is ofperceiving the repercussions and chaos of truly ‘real’ humans. Take notewhen Harley’s consciousness expands that at first it fragments into personal,evocative, visceral imagery, but when that expanding holistic view of theuniverse is inevitably too much to hold all at once, it simplifies back downinto simpler symbols, shapes and geometric solids, much in line with howMorrison spoke of Watchmen’s structure in Supergods asconfining and inflexible. Where Ozymandias’s plan to save the world went offwithout a hitch - at least until it lead to him putting on a robe andkidnapping Tim Drake, as continued this November at a comic book store near youin Doomsday Clock* - Harley’s fails catastrophically, because inthe ‘real’ world superheroes wouldn’t obey genre and narrative conventionsto the extent the likes of Nite Owl and Rorschach still do, living as they doin a world that still has flying Owl-cars and villainous master plans; anyonewho put on a mask to fight crime would be violent, callous assholes of thedistinctly uncharismatic variety whose grand schemes fall apart, whoseinvestigations never reach resolution, and who end up inevitably co-opted andrendered obsolete. In the end, as we saw with Peacemaker defending Bush toHarley’s barely-restrained glee, and the V.P. lecturing about selling childhooddreams back to adults, underneath all his mature aspirations Harley just wantedto find a way to force the world to let him love something the way he did whenhe was a boy…but as Adam reminds us, when you take it all apart to thatextent, there’s not really much left, and even if you put it all back togetherit can never be the same.

* I maintain it’s a very real possibility that PaxAmericana, meant to close the book on Watchmen once andfor all, was a part of what led to its revival; that someone in DC caught windof it during production and figured “oh man, Watchmen’s aboutto get some play again, now’s the time to do something with it.”

That brings us to Thunderworld Adventures’ 1950scolor TV world of retro adventure, the logical retort to the rest of Multiversity andthe one it needed to be complete: if time destroys superheroes, why not justturn back the clock and make it like it was when you were a kid? But unlike itscounterpart comic All-Star Superman (Morrison mentionedrepeatedly in interviews that this was him giving Captain Marvel the All-Star approach,and the structure - of Marvel facing off against counterparts of himself in theface of his inevitable doom, with his scientist arch-enemy finding a way togive himself his powers - is more than a little familiar), this isn’t anattempt to recapture the best of those elements in a modern context, but a purenostalgia exercise.

Yes, that means a happy ending, and clever fun, and a nicemoral about the self-destructive nature of evil. But from a modern perspective, thatalso means the mad scientist experimenting on his own children, pointing outthat Billy Batson is an exploited youth not subject to child labor laws,Captain Marvel Jr. winning a fight by preying on a bullied girls’ insecuritiesabout her appearance with a smile on his face, and a monstrous Sivana coming ahair’s breadth away from graphically murdering Billy. Morrison mentioned ininterviews that deep down Thunderworld had signs of the sameugliness as the other issues, and it’s true; even if we go back to the good olddays, we’ve still been informed by our adult experiences, and it’s just notgoing to look quite the same. No matter how much we might want to go retreatinto a neverending Binder/Beck fairyland, we’ve seen the leering, muzzled faceof the serial-killing, likely pedophilic Hannibal Sivana. Not that it’ssecretly as cynical of its subject matter in the same way as the others - thewizard Shazam reminds us that there is something beautiful at the heart of themagic, and that we lose it the more we try and replace it with something coolerand colder - but it’s pretty on-the-nose that Sivana’s ultimate plan is to getpeople to buy years on the clock to waste, essentially selling their old livesback to them piecemeal. In the end, when Captain Marvel’s faced with theprophecy of a darker, more morally challenging threat, he doesn’t confront it,but tosses it in the trash to fly away with a picture-perfect smile. But weknow the truth: he has to. There is no such thing as timelessness, andattempting to capture it will ultimately show cracks in the foundation nomatter what.

Moving into the Guidebook’s extended homageto “The Flash of Two Worlds!” - one with a distinctly 60s feel, between all theKirby getting thrown around and the build-up of DC mythology - we get to seewhat comic book time actually looks like from the outside (via the perspectiveKamandi, from a world where time has truly passed to the tune of anapocalypse), with Fox and Infantino’s simple tale of a costumed crimefightermeeting his own childhood storybook hero metastasizing into a time-shatteringhistory of reboots and retcons and parallel worlds, and two wildly differentproducts of that process coming face-to-face. After Thunderworld andthe finale it’s the most openly optimistic of the bunch, with the irrepressiblejoy Morrison clearly takes in all the nerd arcana and Lightray’s assertion thatlight will conquer darkness in the end, but it also ends with a Justice League,reduced conceptually to animatronic cartoons of themselves, dying andresurrecting in one manufactured Crisis after another for all eternity.

Hitting Mastermen, this is probably the mostdiscounted of the bunch, especially given it reads the most like it’sunfinished. However, I’d say it’s a pretty complete tragedy (especially thanksto @globegander‘s essayon it as a spiritual adaptation of Der Ring des Nibelungen),and much like with The Just - the other least-loved of theseries - the trappings on display are largely a way of facilitating what it’s talkingabout. It’s the story of a nation in power of men with pipes looking overnuclear families with dogs, where rich white boys complain that they shouldn’tbe held responsible for the actions of their ancestors, newscasters refer togenocides perpetrated by their nation within the last century as “theethnic and ideological purges of the Hitler era”, and theretaliation against them by terrorist insurgents is from a nation they broughttheir war to. It’s very much a story of America (2000s America specifically, inline with the decade parallels in play), and while Overman still wants to makeeverything right because he’s Superman, unlike its counterpart in Superman:Red Son which shows him managing to redeem himself from similarcircumstances to some extent, Mastermen makes no bones aboutthe fact that he is damned, utterly and irrevocably, just as aconsequence of being born into this society. Time here has destroyed thesuperhero by way of conformity, with well-meaning champions of truth, justice,and the Nazi way as barely-witting defenders of a corrupted status quo,unquestionably incapable of transcending what they’ve become. Hence whySuperman already exists as a comic when Hitler learns of Kal-L, the symbolismof two Jewish kids in the depression co-opted by the powers-that-be as thefascistic representative of amoral nationalistic interests, corrupting whatSuperman is supposed to stand for until even his attempts at rectifying thingscan only compound the problem. In essence, it’s the darkest possiblecontinuation of The Curse of Superman from Morrison and GeneHa’s Action Comics #9 - and it comes to the same conclusion ofwhat it takes to fight back in the finale later on.

Ultra Comics - both the comic and the character,insomuch as there’s any meaningful division between the two - is the anti-FlexMentallo, down to the point of mimicking its four-act structure of thehistory of the superhero via montage, only replacing a ‘Renaissance’ asMorrison put it following comics ‘Dark Age’ with further brutality andadolescent defensiveness. It’s the horrors of every other chapter rolled intoone: Ultra’s an innocent superhero from circumstances that become moreunsettling the more you think about them, pre-packaged with his own ridiculousbackstory and history, who goes on an adventure forcing him to realize themorality his world is built on is impossible and defined by society rather thanan objective moral code, and he’s trapped forever in the violent structure ofhis story, consigned to repeat his life forever until it loses all meaning. Itis, as Charlotte Finn put it in her analysis, a killer bullet to the idea ofthe superheroes, hence why it’s a horrific cursed contaminant across themultiverse: in our world it’s just a depressing comic, but to a superhero it’sirrefutable evidence that their entire existence is meaningless, time almostliterally corroding him throughout the issue as he moves from optimisticsuperhero to cynical super-agent to old and realizing it was all for nothing todead. Even our own world is threatened after all, with the suggestion that allthe uplifting Flex Mentallo meta-stories and 70s Starlin-stylecosmic headtrip consciousness expansion comics that Morrison’s made so much ofhis own bread and butter on are as compromised as the rest of the genre.Incapable of saving us in the face of a larger culture preaching the embrace ofnihilism and a doomed tomorrow when the only thing a terrifying number ofreaders have gained from the message is a desire to complain about writers “rapingmy wallet” - and that without that ability to inspire, all comics, all fictionitself can do, is steal our time and rush us all the faster into thegrave courtesy of the Oblivion Machine.

With the bookends, there’s fairly little to say I didn’t inthe original article I linked to above - i.e. that it flips the premise of timeinto a positive, showing that rather than using it to spin the wheels of thesuperhero genre in perpetuity until it devours itself through exhaustion orcontact with elements it can’t bear, or framing it as something to bedisregarded in spite of the consequences, it can be used to push things forwardinto more diverse and fruitful territory (hence not only the premise of theseries, but Multiversity sounding similar to Diversity), coming up with new andbetter stories. Much as Morrison is historically onboard with pulp heroes andlegacy heroes indicative of expansive superhero universes and structurallycomplex comics and retro comics and American superheroes and meta superheroes,there’s a difference between coming up with new stories in those contexts, andrerunning the old ones over and over again, which is probably why each of thosecomics, like I said matches up with a previous decade and comic, including someof his own, finally spinning here into the 2010s and DC’s own Crisis cycle.

While the first half of the bookend is in Morrison’s ownwords him doing himself to the point of parody - the self-insert character, theMonitor mythology, the weird villains yelling about conformity, thecomics-talking-about-comics, running into alternate company equivalents as apossible commentary on the state of the industry, etc. - the second isexplicitly the analogue to Morrison using his ‘corruption’ of contact with thedarkness and perpetuation of the neverending story for a paycheck to introducethe forces of the absurd, impossible and unexpected, i.e. the New, to defeat ahomogenizing, corruptive force designed to make everything the same and bleakto the point of literally forcing the Multiverse to relive the same Crisis overand over again, i.e. More Of The Same. It’s a slight twist on his typical Youngvs. Old/Children vs. Parents concerns (as best exemplified in his DC work in Seven Soldiers of Victory), but in theend, all of this is Morrison talking about something very, very simple: thatsuperheroes can absolutely be broken, but there’s a chance to save them andmake them something good and true again that might be able to reach us,literally by the end of the book, and it’s not by rerunning the same oldstories into the ground and unthinking conformity, but through doing new anddiverse and exciting things with them to inspire us in new ways. It’s Action Comics #9 as a 400-page epic.

I’m pretty sure that’s what Multiversity is about.

[plufim]

E3 2017 predictions

E3 predictions

In general these come from my thoughts, but also include ideas I’ve heard floated around the web which I completely agree with. Avoiding the already announced/leaked stuff, since that’s not fun!

I’ve sort predictions for all main presentations into 3 different categories based on likelihood (“Lock it in, Reggie” (very confident), “50/50” and “swinging for the fences” (super unlikely but I gotta go all in)). Also, because I’m Connell, this skews Nintendo, but I do have thoughts on everyone! And almost entirely positive ones!

These are in order of the presentation times, hence Nintendo being last. Oh, and a shadow drop is an unannounced game or feature being available for download immediately.

General Predictions/Trends:

- One final push for remastered collections.

- The PC gaming show will be a shit-show again.

- After “Seven Nation Army” did so well for the Battlefield 1 trailer, at LEAST 3 other trailers will use a contemporary song for a game set in another time.

EA:

Lock it in, Reggie:

- Need for Speed will have a Cops vs Racers mode. Because it is always the best thing. Shutting down fools for daring to turn MY roads into a race track is always the best.

- FIFA presentation will not mention the Switch version at all. Info will only be turned up at the show floor, with 2-3 units available. There will be a very simple token minigame so they can justify it as being “built for switch”, but it is 99% the PS3/360 version.

50/50:

- Mass Effect 1-3 Remastered collection, for PS4 and Xbox one. Designed to win back trust from gamers who were burned hard by Andromeda, which really damaged the brand. This leads to my further prediction (not for this though) that ME5 then connects both stories together, where the Andromeda crew find a device that allows them to send a message with information back in time to Shephards brain and bam, you’re playing with the character’s people liked again.

- Sim City. It’s been long enough since the last Sim City, which was disastrous. Time for EA to show they learned from their mistakes and can take on city: skylines

 Singing for the fences:

- Mass Effect Trilogy also for the Switch. Despite the only support being a terrible FIFA game thus far, the actual sales of the system will be seen as an opportunity… to sell old games again with very little extra work. Perhaps some token amiibo functionality in the character creator.

Microsoft:

Obviously, this will be all about Scorpio. Every game will make a point to include something about how the Scorpio version is enhanced. Also apologies, don’t really have much

Lock it in, Reggie:

- Forza 5.

- Scorpio will have VR featured heavily

 50/50:

- Scorpio’s final name will be: Xbox Scorpio. Microsoft is done with numbers.

 50/50:

- It will be revealed that Scorpio, unlike PS4Pro, will have games exclusive to it.

 Swinging for the fences:

- Crackdown demo shadow drop

- Exclusive John Wick videogame for scorpio

- BATTLETOADS

Bethesda:

Lock it in, Reggie:

- Wolfenstein Titan(?) official reveal.

- Prey DLC chapters.

 50/50:

- Switch Skyrim has Zelda content in it. Because why else would someone pay $60 US for this game for a third time?

- Elder Scrolls VI revealed. Will feature at least 2 of the regions. Possibly Elsweyr and Valenwood

 Swinging for the fences:

- Elder Scrolls finally bring back the Dwemer, either by reviving them or setting it in the distant past.

Ubisoft:

So… most of this conference is already leaked, but still…. Uh… hm. Well here’s a few somethings.

Lock it in, Reggie:

- Rabbids/Mario will have a CG teaser. Gameplay saved for Nintendo.

 50/50:

- On stage reveal for Farcry will include not only making fun of the people who got so angry that the villians are a white Christian cult, but there will be an embarrassing on-stage play where people pretend to be storming the stage to protest the treatment of horrible people.

 Swinging for the fences:

- A switch exclusive Assassin’s Creed side-story, much like they did for Vita around Assassin’s Creed 3.

- Rabbids/Mario features a cover of “All Star”, covered by Rabbids themselves, because this game will be drowning in memes. And I will hate this while secretly loving this.

Sony:

Lock it in, Reggie:

- Sony saves IO interactive, Hitman 2 will be PS4 exclusive. Microsoft SHOULD do this, but… this feels more like a Sony move.

- MASSIVE Spiderman blowout, including a lot of show floor stuff. Playable demo. No tie in to the movie, but instead a new story with Goblin and the sinister 6 as the villians. And there’ll be some shitty day 1 pre-order crap, probably involving a Black Cat side story. F4 will cameo, but play no major roles – however Insomniac will be building a shared games universe. Yes, even with the Squaresoft stuff.

- Bloodborne 2. It will happen.

50/50:

- A real, honest to god Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer, with worlds revealed, including Moana and Frozen.

- Shenmue 1+2 Remastered announced. With Shenmue 3 delayed (and that having been inevitable for some time), this would be a smart move to capitalise on the clear demand for more Ryo.

- Another Last of Us Part 2 teaser, but no gameplay yet.

- English Dragon Quest XI release date, mid 2018.

- Red Dead 2 trailer, first with actual gameplay. I also think this will reveal that Zelda-like free climbing is being implemented.

 Swinging for the fences:

- The vita returns as a phone. The switch has shown portable games are still viable, vita has some life in Asian territories, and Sony want to keep the remote play train going. Destined to still fail? Probably! But let’s not let reality kill HYPE.

- Last of Us Part 2 prelude chapter available now, for free. One hour of set up, basically a demo. But that’s what they do to get the kids excited.

- Spyro Trilogy remastered. Activision gotta do something with the guy.

- Red Dead 2 trailer showcases a train heist. I LOVE train heists.

Nintendo:

In general, there won’t be much or any 3DS. They’re getting a lot of that out of the way this week already.

Lock it in, Reggie:

- Xenoblade 2 is not delayed, December 2018. Playable on show floor.

- Mario Odyssey for October 2017. Massive show floor presence.

- Mario Kart DLC, same format as for WiiU – 2 packs of tracks, but this time it’s 8 racing and 2 battle tracks, as well as 3 characters and karts each. A shadow drop of the ability to buy the

- Zelda DLC part 1 shadow drop. Teaser for the rest of the DLC.

- Picross Switch, available now. Not Picross 3D though, they’ll hold off on that.

- Rabbids/Mario gameplay demo

- Dragon Quest XI for Switch officially announced

- Everyone on stage will wear goofy hats because of Mario Odyssey, because hats is a big thing in that game. Hats will grant abilities.

- Splatoon 2 test fire round 2 will be announced to begin the next weekend, with significant tweaks.

- New ARMs content announced, with new ARMs avaialable immediately and

50/50:

- Massive update to switch UI, shadow dropped. Includes multiple UI styles, with Badge arcade built in for further customisation, folders, linking to old Nintendo friends lists, musical themes. Further themes will be on eshop going forward, like 3DS. And finally, this also includes the new online system, hence the new details revealed about it last week.

- Animal Crossing Switch. Early 2018, with much improved social features. Massive amiibo functionality, much like New Leaf now has. It’ll have a new hook, not sure what though. My guess is some Sim City style mayoral stuff like setting up and supplying utilities.

- Warioware Switch, holiday 2017. It’s been a while for the Rhythm Heaven/Warioware team. I NEED THIS ONE NINTENDO.

- Smash Brothers 4 Switch, Q2 2018, rereleased with the best levels from the WiiU and 3DS levels, plus an expanded single player mode. It’s just too crowded for this game yet, but they don’t need to hold off for too long, because it’ll be an evergreen. There will be a teaser though, starring Inklings, Ice Climbers and Spring Man.

- Mario Maker Switch for Q1 2018. It can’t release this year, it needs space away from Mario Odyssey. The game will include a new “switch” block which when hit in game alternates the game style. There will also be playable Mario, Luigi, Peach and Toad for each game type, each with different styles, and a different switch block or pipe that changes your character mid-level.

- Skyward Sword HD for switch, with optional non-motion controls for boring people. Q2 2018.

- Partnership with Activision to make an Amiibo action game. You might think this is a swing for the fence, but: Toys for Bob is out of a gig right now. And this would sell better than any recent Skylanders game. Activision would release special versions of select characters, so they can get their cut from the toy sales.

- Donkey Kong Country Returns 3, Q1 2018, by Monster Games. They’ve been quiet for a while, they ported Returns to 3DS, they assisted Retro on Tropical Freeze, this is what they’ve been working towards.

- Dead Cells announced for Switch.

- Layton Collection announced… for phone. Lady Layton western release date.

- Retro’s game. And it’s NOT Metroid, but a sci-fi Western RPG.

- This is a long shot, but T2 is relatively impressed by the switch, so: GTA5 for Switch. With a chunk of the DLC included.

- Switch Sports, holiday 2017. The return of the king. All the games as released for WiiU, plus a few from Wii Sports resort (airplane), with additional modes for each sport. I do have a “swinging for the fence” on this though…

 Swinging for the fences:

- …Wuhu World. Remember Pilotwings 64? Where Little USA was a huge island with different activities, sights to see, and so on? Well, take Wuhu Island, scoot up the detail and resolution, include the small surrounding golf islands, and add a few other themed islands the same size as Wuhu (snow island, city island, etc). It’s a free game where you get the islands and one activity per island, and can walk/drive around each island. Dotted around each is various locations that count as home bases for various sports/vehicles from Wii Sports, Pilotwings and some new items. Each of these is paid, and comes with various different modes and missions. This could be further expanded over time, and allows Nintendo to make money from series that could no longer be sold alone.

- Mario Kart DLC includes mission mode, which is available day 1 with missions on existing courses and expands with the DLC.

- New 2D Metroid by a small team from within Retro. There is a 3D game teased to be in the works also, but not from Retro.

- Splatoon 2 Octoling content and Amiibo, including Octoling mascots. I need this, Nintendo.

- EXCITE. TRUCK. 2.

- Nintendo Pinball. Remember Pokemon Pinball? And Metroid Prime Pinball? That but across multiple Nintendo series.

- Sonic and Mario All Stars Racing Transformed. Sumo has to have been making something aside from Snake Pass, and Sonic Racing 2 sold extremely well on the switch.

- Assault Android Cactus Deluxe for Switch. I believe in you Tim! Even if you aren’t even attempting this!