#i haven't named the weapon arc yet

[spyxfamilyanalysis]

Do you think donovan has something to do w project apple? The one that makes Anya can read minds, and if he does do you think he experimented w his children? Or Demetrius is born that weird

Well, I think there might be misunderstanding about the name of the Project. Project Apple is experimented on animals like Bond Forger, to make them useful with special abilities, for Bond's case is predicting the near future. But of course, there are still some limitations: the future can be altered, it is not fixed, as can be seen in Spy x Family episode 13-16, when Anya reading Bond's future predictions and changed it before Twilight was in danger.

And if you are asking what project Anya is experimented, is actually "nameless". Throughout the series and manga, the name of the project is currently unknown, and I, myself, am not sure if the Tatsuya-san will reveal it... Yet somehow, the Internet "said?" that there are the same name? That confused me???

Anyway, this hypothesis about Anya and Donovan has gone wild ever since, so let me explain.

We haven't known much about Demetrius, the only time he appeared was when Damian called him to meet their Father, which can be found in this scene (Chapter 37)

To know more about chapter 37 -> link (it's not that I'm lazy, this post already analyze full so idk what to add...)

About the scars, here are my predictions:

Maybe he really is related to the Project, since the mark of the stiches are pretty close to Anya's. And some are suspected that the ornaments on Anya's head could be a way to hide her scars from the experiments, or I think they are literally just accessories for her hair, like when she was small.

About the scientists, some said that after Anya escaped, the only "laboratory rat" managed to survive, they may be working on animals, like Bond, after that, as "hope" for science to save "world peace". And Donovan could be either an experiment like Anya, testing some sort of weird stuff on himself, or someone like the scientists who just got injured from, like idk, being attacked by his "laboratory animals". And I think that the chances of him being injured from war is very low, because he is the one to start war between Ostania and Westalis.

Are there any chances of Demetrius inherit the intelligence from Donovan? I think no. It's definitely not from the crazy ideas of his own father thinking of war, Ostania and Westalis are currently in the period of the Cold war, where there are no need for weapons, yet politicians are in a tense period, with the risk of war breaking out. True that his intelligence might be genetically inherited, but I can assure that both Damian and Demetrius may know nothing about what he was planning. So, uh, yeah, Demetrius is just that weird, and he is an introvert. You can tell how short his lines are when he was on the phone.

Off-and-bonus topic: I am very suspicious about their mother, Melinda. She first appeared officially in chapter 65, and the bus hijack incident of the Red Circus Arc. When Damian spoke about Donovan, her expression changed completely, as if she hated him deeply and want him gone from her sight. This could mean that she might know about what he was hiding, and probably she has an obsession to Damian, her sweet son~(?)

Look, she is so sus for hell sure. >:( But I'm not sure whether or not she is evil? Even Loid is aware of her now...

Also, take a very close look at the dialogue after the hijack (Chap 75):

She truly loves Damian, yet what we didn't realize that, his brother, Demetrius was not even mentioned in her interior monologue(?)/ mind. We also know that she calls Damian as a curse...: "I never should have come here... If only he'd died in the hijacking...", "If only I weren't burdened with this child...", "How he disgusts me...". At first when this chapter was out, I read this part and thought "he" that she mentioned was Donovan, and now, re-reading this, she was mentioning Damian. And I have no idea if she cares Demetrius more than Damian, or is it the opposite?

And finally, I bet she is hiding something from Damian... I mean, when Anya was mind-reading her, she was a bit scared. A scary obsession to Damian terrifyingly... maybe something about Donovan and the war between the 2 nations.

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Message from the author (me): This is a very interesting topic! After I received your question, it took me several days to give you my answer which I think is most suitable and accurate, I do hope it is the answer you are looking for. Truly sorry for the long-time response, I was working with my final exams, so I can't answer you immediately.

Anyway, thank you for waiting and taking your time reading!🥰🥰🥰

[oliveroctavius]

Doesn't the decision to get involved with Sam Bullit prove Gwen was a bad person?

Hey, I've been looking for an excuse to post about this. The Sam Bullit arc isn't really about Gwen (though it certainly reveals some things about her character). The Sam Bullit arc is about racist dogwhistles and why they work.

ASM #92 pg 19: "I will bring law and order to the people of this great city! I will show no mercy to the anarchists and all others who would destroy our way of life!"

Bullit's platform is not openly white supremacist in the sense that it doesn't overtly mention race. He talks about laws and safety in a way meant to appeal to rich white voters. The true meaning should be clear to anyone with any political awareness (who are those others and what is our way of life?), so why does this rhetoric attract "otherwise rational" people?

ASM #91 pg 6: "I want to volunteer to help you--in your campaign for DA. Because--I want you to bring Spider-Man to justice!" "We need strength--strength to punish those who mock the law! I will use such strength to bring Spider-Man and others like him to justice! I will not betray your trust."

Gwen makes her decision to back Bullit on the way home from her father's funeral. There's a very real phenomenon of tough-on-crime bills named after (white) murder victims. The grief of families who feel like justice hasn't been served is a powerful tool to push harsh laws while smothering any criticism as "disrespectful" to the victims. What’s in a Name? An Empirical Analysis of Apostrophe Laws, 2020.

Bullit showed up at George Stacy's funeral with this exact goal in mind, and when Spider-Man "kidnaps" Gwen later, he leverages the media obsession with white girls in danger for his cause. Gwen is a pawn, but she did offer her help first. Her desire for closure is very human and her short-sighted reactionary faith in "the law" is very white.

Oddly absent from your "proven bad person" takeaway is J. Jonah Jameson. The Bugle lends Bullit a platform to make Gwen's personal tragedy a political talking point. JJJ has the ~Black best friend~ excuse and everything, and he still blows past red flags like crazy.

ASM #91 pg 7: "Maybe they were better days than now! At least we had law and order then." "Yeah--and lynch mobs, and bread lines, and Uncle Toms..." "Come off it, Robbie! What's wrong with a man standing for law and order, anyway?" "Maybe it just depends on whose law--and what kind of order you're talkin' about, man!"

(Another point of this arc: marginalized groups learn to recognize dogwhistles pretty quickly for survival reasons. If they tell you something is a dogwhistle and you don't see it yet, look closer.)

ASM #92 pg 9: "Parker's story just served to open Jameson's eyes--but I've kept a dossier on you. I haven't been city editor all these years for nothing! I know where your support comes from. I know about the lunatic hate groups who are backing you. I know what you really mean by law and order!"

Late in the campaign, the Bugle switches sides. This scene tends to be described as JJJ giving the racists what-for, but the moment is truly Robbie's. (Note that it took Peter getting roughed up for Jameson to take this seriously!) JJJ can yell at Bullit all he likes without consequences, but Robbie is kidnapped and threatened by white supremacists in retaliation. It's Robbie's determination to speak up that eventually puts Bullit out of the running for good.

The Bullit arc isn't there to sort characters by Bad Person and Good Person. Neither Gwen nor JJJ have to personally hate black people for their self-centered sense of safety to be weaponized by a racist agenda. This is a Stan Lee PSA about masked bigotry and how it might appeal to you even if you consider yourself a Good Person.

But for some ~mysterious~ reason, Gwen's brief agreement and Jameson's brief rejection are the only parts of these two issues I ever see brought up, with Robbie's major role not mentioned at all. Some ideas fit more neatly than others into smug ship-war quote tweets and anon asks, it seems.

[howlingday]

Soo if jaune is the only one who pass.. Who gonna be his team? team cfvy? cinder team? Or his gonna be like qrow like a solo hunter

Previous

Short summary of my answer; I haven't really decided on an answer to this question at the time of writing this. For now, I'm thinking he's simply attending Beacon alone without anyone on his team until the next semester when a new team arrives, perhaps. OC team, maybe?

And to answer the suggestions; CFVY is a team of third years and it would be really awkward to just add a first year into their already established dynamic, although it would be very fitting considering the current canon. Cinder has yet to really do anything in Vale, let alone start infiltrating with Emerald, Mercury, and Neo under the disguise as Haven students for the Vytal tournament. Qrow is a solo huntsman after already graduating with Team STRQ, which tells me that having a team is required to graduate.

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

Jaune's siren wailed at him as he groaned, raising his tired limb and reaching for his scroll. Shutting it off, he blinked, feeling the stinging pain in his eyes. Sleep, once again, continued to be a privilege he hadn't yet earned, or at least not at night, anyways. Giving another groan, he pushed himself from his bed, ready to attempt another day.

The nightmares continued to haunt him, even after a week of his "passing" of initiation. He gagged on his toothbrush thinking about it, throwing up in the sink. With a weak groan, he turned on the faucet and washed away most of the bile. He'd get the rest later, if he had the energy for it. For now, he had to finish getting ready.

Looking to the time, he'd have to miss breakfast. Again. He couldn't remember the last time he had breakfast before initiation. He closed his eyes to try and remember but could only sway and nearly fall over after overcoming the pain in his eyes. Pulling on his uniform, he made his way down to class.

"Good morning, Jaune." The girl greeted as she passed him. He groaned like a zombie in return. He never caught her name, but he recognized her by her large rabbit ears on her head. She'd tried starting a conversation with him, but he was either too tired or she was too busy with her team to take it further than small talk. Still, it was nice to be greeted every morning by a friendly face.

"Mr. Arc, so glad of you to finally join us." Grumbled Professor Port.

"Huh?" Jaune looked to his watch. Crap, he was late. Class was almost over.

"I will see you after class, Mr. Arc. And don't worry, I've already informed Professor Oobleck, and the headmaster."

Jaune moaned as he slid into his seat. He was about to get another earful of 'no free rides at Beacon Academy' from the large, red huntsman. He blinked once, then twice, then was woken up by a thunderous roar of a weapon being fired.

"What the hell is the matter with you?!" A woman shouted.

"What? Shouting didn't work!" A fat hand waved into Jaune's direction. "And see? He woke up!"

"That is not the-!" The woman sighed. "Jaune Arc, you will return to your quarters and get some rest. You are excused from the rest of your classes for the day."

Jaune, however, couldn't hear her. He was too busy reliving the worst day of his life. Hearing everyone scream, the flash in the cave, the red-eyed nightmares that hunted him in the shadows. Suddenly, a face came into view. It was the face of woman with green eyes and glasses. He felt her cold hands touch his face, forcing her to look at him.

"Look at me." She calmly said. "Breathe with me, okay?" Deep breath in, deep breath out. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. "Do you know who I am?"

"Pruh... Professor Goodwitch." Things started to slow down around him.

"Yes. Yes, that's right. Do you know where you are?"

"I'm... I'm at Beacon." His heart slowed, too. "I'm at Beacon."

"Very good. Very good. Did you hear what I said?"

"I... No. No, ma'am."

"That's okay. I told you to return to your room and get some rest. Do you need help getting there?"

"No, I... I'll be fine." Jaune said, holding back the whole truth. He would be fine reaching his room, but what then? He didn't know.

The only thing he did know what that he was alive, and they were all dead.

[sol-consort]

I have a rant for you when you get further along in dragon age, I'm pissed.

I'm like lvl7 and still in Haven. The world is too big. I haven't left the first starting area yet. I keep unlocking new areas from the war room but too overwhelmed to go dip my toes in them yet. Idk what I'm doing, man. I'm losing approval left and right what's happening these missions never fucking end

At least Vivienne seems to like me and the choices I make. Roleplaying the protagonist as a snobby noble is a fun idea, they said. Think of all the character development potential they said. It will get you mad puss they claimed. Well now Sera doesn't wanna fuck me as much, Blackwall is a goddamn bore who got pissy when I said "I enjoy being worshiped" as if my protag isn't literaly the second coming of christ! Cullen is a fuckboy without the fuck, why did he stutter when I mentioned celibacy and blush like a maiden? also why the fuck would anyone tries seducing someone else by the mention of celibacy vows? The protagonist rizz game is atrocious but thankfully everyone is too distracted by the perfect tits and pretty face to notice.

Casaandra is still going strong ngl she's mad cool, all romance scenes have been W after W after W. She also doesn't mind my character's god complex and I think she might be down to join the overzealous worshippers fanclub if I play my cards right.

I also forgot Solas's entire existence and got jumped scared by him while picking herbs around the camp. I forgor I stripped him from all of his armour and weapons, left him in his PJs amidst a snowy mountian hill bc I parked him permanently outside a hut the second Vivienne joined my party. How come they're both bald is it like a great mage requirement or a new fashion trend amdist the circles

I got a horsey at least, that's fun

Anyway is there a cult ending or something if there is I think I want the cult ending. At first I was one the fence about claiming to be the herald of Andraste bc I don't remember what tf happened in that pit. But now I'm down with it, like yeah sure, I'll be your Joan of Arc, I'm the chosen one. Actually Andraste herself came down from the heavens and let me suckle on her tatas which granted me this powers. I am the Prophet, I am the Maker's favourite little human, Obey me. Worship me. Pay me. They should establish new churches in my name.

a cult harem would be nice, a throne too, some long robes would be cracker ngl

Are those people french btw?

[tasteless-lemonade]

Now I want to hear about your favourite X-Men stories, arcs or issues!!!!

In all the confusing reading I've done, still with a lot of things missing, I love a lot of X-Men stories. Out of all of these, the one I feel like I can really say "Yes, this is my favorite X-Men story ever" and I don't think I would change my opinion even reading the stories I haven't read yet, is "God Loves, Man Kills".

Both as a fan reading one of the most classic stories of the X-Men (everytime I reread it I still feel like I'm pointing at the TV when I see that one panel) and in a more personal sense of how a story about religious fanaticism resonated with my life surrounded by various facets of religion. It is realistic and portrays prejudice in such a raw way, even in its mistakes. For me, it's THE X-Men story.

Others that I have to mention

Dark Phoenix Saga: Do I really have to explain the Dark Phoenix Saga? The story that changed Jean Grey now and forever in a tale about power, humanity and will? The sacrifice, the choice. Looking at all the power you could ever have and saying "I don't want it."

Archangel Saga: Warren Worthington III, typical good hero with a real good heart, who just wished to fly in peace, is betrayed by a trusted friend, robbed of his greatest happiness and turned into a sick parody of what he once was. It's such a cruel and ugly, but beautiful story about how the Angel falls from the sky.

Lifedeath: The goddess, without powers! The way it depicts Ororo's loss of powers is always a punch in the gut, and the way she keeps on thriving without it, keeps on being leader os the X-Men? Unmatched. It's still a story I read when I need strength to keep going

Hox/Pox: I would say "This is not a classic as the other ones" but this is a modern classic. The reinvention of the X-Men for the Krakoa era, for a new life and a new dawn really makes this memorable.

Now, one that's not a whole story and not as famous, All-New Wolverine #17 & #18. The arc, the conclusion. #17 has a great paralell between Laura and Pinocchio about lies and wanting to be a real boy, and #18 has the final fight of Laura and Kimura. I should stop having that 8th grade shame and just admit I have a unhealthy love for ANW

It's both a Laura reclaiming her identity as her own woman and a legacy moment, as Logan was tortured and brainwashed into a living weapon, and when he started to break free of Weapon X, he used the name Wolverine and it became a sign of his autonomy, and when Laura is facing the woman that tortured and brainwashed her into a weapon, ending her abuse once for all, she says "I'M WOLVERINE" as the sign of her autonomy.

[aruanimess]

I was reading @diam-etrical's inspired by The Hunger Games AU (which by the way is amazing and you should go read it if you haven't already) and had some thoughts on Peeta and Armin as mirror characters, mostly in terms of what this comparison brings to Armin's characterization (since I obsess over aot at the moment), which I decided to share with y'all.

So Armin is and isn't Peeta Mellark. They're both highly intelligent, skilled orators and perceptive. They have the ability to read people and to sway them in their favor. Also, especially in comparison to their more self-centered love interests, they both have a strong sense of morality.

However Peeta's thesis in the beginning of THG (which follows him throughout the story and shapes his character arc) is the line "If I'm going to die, I want to still be me," which is fundamentally antithetical to Armin's maxim "someone who can't sacrifice anything, can't change anything" (in the context of Erwin losing his own humanity for the greater good). What's more, Peeta's story proves Armin's philosophy wrong. Peeta very clearly defines the outcome of the games by his commitment to his beliefs and principles, by preserving what makes him human and when that is lost (in mockingjay), we as readers but also katniss as a character in the story, mourn this side of him and understand it to be a loss too great.

The thing is though, Armin's story also kind of proves him wrong (to a degree). On one hand, Armin is incapable of letting go of Eren and the image of him he remembers from his childhood: the strong, brave Eren who fought for justice. Ultimately, this inability to accept that Eren has changed is what clouds his judgment concerning Eren's motivation until it's too late. On the other hand, Armin ends up disagreeing with Eren that the Rumbling was for the better (I'm disregarding the "thank you for becoming a mass murderer" line because I interpret it to be for Eren's benefit--meaning that Armin was trying to comfort his best friend at that point). His last actions in the story are about him being opposed to Eren who deemed  the outside world worthy of sacrificing for the greater good of the Paradisians. Therefore, even Armin himself by the conclusion of the story is not willing to sacrifice everything.

And yet, Armin is not entirely wrong. Armin makes great sacrifices to achieve peace and to do the right thing. He is willing to risk his life, his friend's lives, the chance to be with the woman he loves, Eren (both in the sense of Eren's life and in the sense of Armin's idea of Eren). Armin is even willing to besmirch his own reputation (in his eyes) by naming himself Eren's killer; it is a burden he's willing to bear for Mikasa, but also to pacify the Marleyans. These sacrifices are crucial in order to prevent perpetual conflict.

In the end, Armin's quote is more about compromising than about giving up your humanity and empathy.

So the main takeaway from paralleling these to characters, at least for me, is that there are things that are worth sacrificing (toxic beliefs, your personal comfort, an oppressive status quo) and things worth preserving (ideals, life, love). Violence may be necessary to enact change, but in order to maintain the positive impact you created, you need to be able to drop your weapons and find common ground.

[number-one-shadisper-shipper]

The Sonic franchise did not have to go so hard exploring dynamics and types of alternate/evil versions of characters BUT THEY DID

Like some media will give you an evil version of a character and be like, "Yeah he's from a mirror dimension so he's evil *le gasp*" and that's fun and all, but there's no depth or intrigue.

And then we have Sonic.

The Sonic franchise has alternate versions of Sonic, Shadow, and other characters. We have freaking SONIC PRIME who's whole premise is exploring alternate versions of characters (beyond just Sonic) and it is absolutely AMAZING. I'm not going to go into Prime right now cuz that's another post or twenty, and I just wanna focus on how each alternate version of Sonic has their own dynamic, personality, and relationship with Sonic. I've never seen another franchise that does THIS MUCH with alternate versions.

(Long ramble and some spoilers under the cut)

To start with, we have the big one, Metal Sonic. Made by Eggman to be able to defeat Sonic. They could've just gone with a basic, "Oh look a robot version of the Main Character now they fight" and not given him any depth, but he hits HARD (without even having a voice box or mouth to show emotions or anything). The fact that he's programed TO SEE HIMSELF AS THE REAL SONIC and has to deal with that, him slowly discovering that he's not, but not being able to break free from his programming so he can create his own destiny, his father/son dynamic with Eggman but also being nothing more than a weapon to him is just MMMMMM YEESSSSSS. And the whole "Strange, isn't it?" and "There is only one Sonic" thing from the OVA is INSANE!!!!

And there's Mecha Sonic, whose backstory I don't really know a lot about, but his arc in the Scrapnik Island miniseries is EPIC and he's showing the potential arc that Metal Sonic could have. After getting thrown away by Eggman, he finally has the chance to start over and has an epic moment that parallels the OVA lava scene.

And then there's Shadow. He's not actually an "alternate" Sonic, he came first and has no actual connection to him. But the fact that when he shows up the first thing Sonic does is call him a faker, and his identity issues won't let him let that go. Because he has to prove he's not a fake, but is he? His memories are real, aren't they? But he remembers "dying" and he sees his own robot versions and a god of darkness taking his form and Infinite creating a fake army of hims, and he can't be a fake himself, right? He has to be the real Shadow. Cuz that name, that identity is all he has. But what is that identity? Ultimately, he is all of him. But even with all of that he still wrestles with who he is and he has to keep calling Sonic "faker" because no matter what the world still sees him as "the edgy version of Sonic," but he's not, he's so much more than that. He has his own arcs and growth and potential.

And there's Scourge, who's the typical "evil Sonic from another dimension", who I know absolutely nothing about since I haven't really read the Archie comics yet, but I saw this panel:

And like I don't care if he has zero other depth besides that because that IS INSANE. Sonic having to wrestle with his own potential for evil, but at the same time, Scourge's potential for good, and and it's literally just the matter of a few choices. This is the battle we all have to face within ourselves every day, even if we don't realize it.

And speaking of Sonic's potential for evil, DARK SONIC??? THE OPPOSITE OF SUPER SONIC? WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU LET THE CHAOS ENERGY FEED ON YOUR DARKNESS RATHER THAN YOUR LIGHT??? and I know it's only one scene but oh my goodness!!! Cuz yes, your best traits can become your greatest weakness, and loving your friends can turn into doing unspeakable horrors if someone hurts them, and maybe the person that has to bring you back to yourself is your arch-enemy, because they of all people know who you really are and that if you fighting from righteous motives is undefeatable, you fighting from RAGE is noting short of terrifying.

And Surge from IDW, whose arc is literally called IMPOSTER SYNDROME??? Again, created to be the Anti-Sonic, to be the one who can finally take him down. And she knows she's not the real Sonic and doesn't want to be, and she knows the only reason she hates Sonic is because her abuser gaslit and hypnotized her into hating him, but she can't escape that programming any more than Metal can. And maybe she doesn't have a reason to hate Sonic but she'll create one because she literally has to have a reason, and maybe she's not the real Sonic but he's the only reason she exists, and he's the only reason she went through all the suffering she went through. And no I can't reach for your hand pulling me to safety because that would be admitting that I don't really have a reason hate you, that I can't escape without your help, that your philosophy of giving villains a second chance is valid.

Anyways that was a lot of rambling but UGH it all just so good and intense and the depth and effort in this franchise is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING thank you for coming to my Ted Talk

[sir-subpar]

Is Fachan trans?

and why did you draw him shirtless in that post?

Yes, he is

Fachnan is an old oc of mine who I've had a lot of ideas for but haven't fully explored as much as I would like.

I thought about reimagining him, and I might still do it, but right now I'm working on a big project with a friend of mine and it's taking up a lot of my time.

Anyway, Fachnan is an old bounty hunter/demon character idea I had. Basically he brings human Souls to the underworld in exchange for demonic payment. Whether that be the currency they have in the underworld or for favors, he'll do it.

Because it was meant to be Hell, he targets bad / sinful people. That's his job.

On his battle axe, his weapon of choice, I drew some small details on it. Those details being that he had tiny flags hanging from the edge of it.

The trans flag, asexual flag, and aromantic flag. People noticed.

So, when somebody pointed it out, and mentioned it in my ask box, I drew a picture of him without his shirt on showing his top sergery scars with him saying "Trans Rights"

I admit now that it's not my best drawn art. It's pretty old now, I think I drew it in 2019-2020(ish?) As you can see, not my most experienced or clean work.

I didn't really know how to draw scars back then. It was my first time drawing top surgery scars/marks.

It was pretty early on in my transition, and before I really came out to my family. So I guess he was kind of an experiment for myself? I was trying to find my footing of how I wanted to explore my journey as a trans man. How I wanted to incorporate that into some of my writing.

So I kept thinking of concepts.

I thought about making him a character with a story of change and redemption.

The beginning of his arc, before his character development, showed his lack of faith or empathy in humanity, seeing them as little more than targets, as the only humans he'd interact with normally were people bound for Hell to begin with.

But with time, and help from a guardian angel named Gabel (genderfluid/non-binary) He would become more of a protector of good, rather than a force that perpetuated bad.

Fachnan and Gabel, to me, were going to be a story about finding that middle ground. That complex and nuanced moral grey areas.

However, at the time, I wasn't really sure how to go about it.

So I kind of left that story on the Shelf. Playing around with the characters and designs before fully getting into this philosophical theme.

So, Fachnan became more comedic, as I still enjoyed drawing his character even if I hadn't really finished planning his story yet, and I guess he kind of became this funny symbol of... exaggerated rebellious spirit? This unapologetic trans/aroace man was fun to doodle.

So yeah, while as far as my work goes, he's kind of unpolished and incomplete, he's always going to have a special place in my heart.

...

You know what? I think I finally know what I'm going to do for this pride month!

Time for a redraw!

I've been thinking about reimagining him lately, and I think I have some ideas.

[breakingdownsomebarriers]

Been a hot minute since I’ve been on here, but I scribbled these down and figured I’d share! This is my first fully-formed clone squad known as Shatter Squad. The Shatter Squad is within the 501st, if that wasn't clear by the color. Some of those in the squad are transfers, such as Bonesaw and the twins (Tripwire and Deadbeat), while the others were put into the squad from the get-go. Some of these designs aren't exactly all in the same timeframe during their story. For example, Trip's design is actually a future version of him, while the others are mostly when the squad was freshly put together. Confusing? Yeah. I'm just a tad lazy and didn't want to change it lol I have some basic info down below of some of the members, if you want to have a read. If not, I hope you liked the doodles!

Coil is the leader of the squad, but I haven't decided on a rank for him yet. He's a pretty serious guy most of the time. On the rare occasion that they have extended downtime or go to 79's, he's much more loose and open to jokes. He got his name when someone from his batch complained about him being "tightly wound like a coil". It stuck. Bonesaw is a medic, and a damn good one at that. He is actually pretty snarky, sarcastic, and so, so very smug. When he's actually peeved at someone though he has a great resting bitch face. He enjoys verbally tearing into someone if they've done something stupid and got injured for it. A nat-born medic called him Bonesaw once because of his very good ability to verbally maul someone. Kept the name because he thought it was badass. Tripwire is the team's trap-setter and infiltration-leader. Very efficient in his work- super thorough and good at shifting plans on the fly. His name was originally Livewire, but it ended up shifting to Tripwire because he is prone to being "tripped" when someone hits a nerve. He's Deadbeat's twin (they were made in the same decanting chamber). (Bit of a note here regarding his future stuff. His eye is made out of recycled assassin droid parts and both of his forearms have been replaced with prostheses. I won't get into spoiler lore because...that'd be no fun. I'll write it out eventually but until then, my lips are sealed.) Deadbeat is the team's heavy weapons guy, with the Z-6 rotary blaster cannon being his firearm of choice. The poor guy can't stand shinies: they ask him too many questions, and he hates how arrogant most of them end up being. His name was given to him as a joke, and he was too indifferent towards it to look for a replacement.

Flint is the team's electronics expert. Absolutely a prodigy when it comes to tech and loves to tinker whenever he can. His name comes from his ability to go from kind and soft to prickly and sharp. Most of the time he's pretty passive and complacent, but if he's worn down enough he'll make jabs at pretty much anyone. He can only take so much shit from people before he'll throw self restraint out the window and fire back. Oh, and he's also an ARC trooper- so there's that.

Bombshell is the final member of the team, and is the explosives expert (note, he does already have a post of his own, so you can go and check that out if you want). Anyway, he's blue-yellow colorblind and this has led to a few funny moments during his time as a shiny. He got his name when Bonesaw made a comment that he was practically a factory with the amount of bombshells he kept dropping on the team. He liked the word, so he took it and kept it as his name.

[thegayhimbo]

Stranger Things Kamchatka Review (and my thoughts on the Russian arc as a whole)

Warning: The following review contains MAJOR SPOILERS from the comic, as well as season 4 of Stranger Things!

If you haven't yet, be sure to check out my other Stranger Things Reviews:

Stranger Things Six

Stranger Things Halloween Special

Stranger Things The Other Side

Stranger Things Zombie Boys

Stranger Things The Bully

Stranger Things Winter Special

Stranger Things Tomb of Ybwen

Stranger Things Into The Fire

Stranger Things Science Camp

Stranger Things "The Game Master" and "Erica's Quest"

Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons

Synopsis: In dark wintry Russia, Soviet scientists and military personnel oversee a new weapon they hope to use in their Cold War against the United States: A Demogorgon. To this end, they have enlisted the help of Dr. Boris Orlov to give them a device that will allow the monster to maintain its full strength. However, when Orlov refuses them and hides the device, he is taken prisoner to Kamchatka where the Demogorgon is being held. Now, with the help of an ex-KGB agent named Mr. Frost, it's up to Orlov's children, Anna and Lenoid, to save their father and prevent the device from falling into the Kremlin's hands......

Observations:

This is going to be a different review from what I usually do. The first part of this will discuss the comic itself and its merits/flaws, whereas the second will give more details about my thoughts concerning the Russian arc from seasons 3-4 and its placement on the show.

Part 1: The Comic

There are two ways I judge this comic: As an individual story, and how it ties into the Stranger Things universe.

In regards to the former, the comic works well as a thrilling Cold War spy narrative. It's fast-paced, the fight and chase scenes are intense, and it manages to capture the paranoia of living in the Soviet Union during a time when your words and actions were monitored and there was the constant threat of the KGB coming to arrest you for being a traitor to the motherland.

The artwork is impressive. From the white and grey hues depicting the bleak endless winters of Russia, to the ominous red and orange lighting of the prison, this comic does a great job with its dark colors and use of shadows to creepy effect:

On top of that, this is arguably one of the most violent comics in the series, which is saying something given the show it's based on. They do not shy away from depicting graphic scenes here:

The way the Demogorgon attacks its prey reminds me of the viciousness the Xenomorphs from the Alien series displayed towards their victims. Given how 80s movies like Aliens served as inspiration for Stranger Things and for the design of the Demogorgon in the first place, this was likely a subtle nod to that. The comic writers and artists know how to utilize the Demogorgon for all its scariness and brutality. Considering the same people for this comic have written another story (The Voyage) featuring the Demogorgon stalking and killing the crew of a freighter ship (which sounds similar to the plot of the first Alien movie), they're planning on milking the monster for all it's worth.

There are two main antagonists besides the Demogorgon: The first is Ivan Kolochev, who comes across like Darth Vader if he was a Russian KGB agent. He's the one who hunts the kids in order to get their father's device, and it's revealed he was the former protégé of Mr. Frost during the time they both served the Kremlin. Ivan later turned on Frost for becoming soft in his eyes, which forced Frost to go into hiding and abandon his wife and daughter for their own safety:

The second antagonist is Dr. Karine. She's the one overseeing the Demogorgon at Kamchatka, and was revealed to have worked under Alexei and General Stepanov when they first tried (and failed) to open the gate to the Upside Down on June 28th, 1984. She was one of the survivors from the blast, and later discovered a pollywog that she nursed into adulthood:

Best way I know how to describe her is she's similar to Dr. Irina Spalko from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in their ruthlessness, their desire to advance the Soviet Union's cause, and their fascination with abnormal branches of science. They even look physically similar in some respects:

In terms of the main characters, Mr. Frost was the interesting one. A man who ran from the KGB for 15 years and was skilled enough to survive and help two kids who were out of their depth. The story behind him abandoning his family for their safety was sad, and his reunion with daughter later on is heartwearming:

My only criticism of Frost is I wish they'd gone more in depth about his mindset. He tells the kids at the beginning of the comic he's disillusioned with what his country has become, and flashbacks show him becoming lenient in his interrogations, which gets him in trouble with the Kremlin. However, they never elaborated on how he got to that point. They never clarify if he began developing empathy for the Americans who were being tortured by the KGB, if he became tired from years of interrogating prisoners, if he began to fear he was turning Ivan into a monster by taking him in as a pupil, or if something else happened that made him re-evaluate his beliefs.

There's also his relationship/rivalry with Ivan. From the way Frost tells it, he raised Ivan like a son when he found him on the streets and took him in, only to later be betrayed by Ivan because he would "take the Americans side" whenever Ivan tortured prisoners. At the end of the comic though, Ivan accuses Frost of caring more about the rules and the state than about him, suggesting he felt Frost personally betrayed him.

Maybe it was intentionally written to be vague and let the audience decide who was more at fault for Ivan's descent into sadism, but considering we don't get many scenes showing what Ivan and Frost's relationship was like before they fell out with one another, it comes off like an aspect of the story (and Frost's character) that wasn't properly fleshed-out.

As for the kids and Dr. Orlov, they're pretty flat as characters. Anna and Lenoid have scenes showing they care for one another, but they don't really have personalities beyond them trying to find their father. Same for Dr. Orlov: Aside from one moment where he briefly delays Dr. Karine's plans by screwing over another scientist, he's basically a Damsel in Distress (or in this case, a Dude in Distress) waiting to be rescued. There isn't a lot to these characters that's engaging.

And this brings me to the crux of the problem I have with this comic: Setting it in the Stranger Things universe.

If this was just an individual Cold War thriller taking place in Russia, that would be one thing. In fact, I argue this comic works better if it isn't tied to Stranger Things. Just tweak a few plot details, change the Demogorgon to a different monster, and you have an original and unique story. By trying to shove it into the Stranger Things narrative, it creates a whole host of issues.

For one thing, it's highly unlikely Dr. Orlov or Anna and Lenoid are going to make a canonical appearance on the show. Because of that, it's hard to get invested in them or their story, and it doesn't help that the two characters who were interesting (Frost and Ivan) die at the end of the comic. There's maybe the possibility of Dr. Karine showing up in season 5, but since she made no appearance in season 4 during the Kamchatka arc, I seriously doubt that.

I've said this before, but I'm tired of them focusing on characters who either aren't important to the main plot, or aren't canonically part of the show. I'm not opposed to them doing a comic set in Russia, but it should help enhance the ongoing story and characters from the show instead of being a pointless side detour with Easter Eggs sprinkled in.

Take Hopper for instance: He spent 8 months imprisoned at Kamchatka prior to season 4. Why not write a story that focuses on his time there and how he learned to survive the harsh conditions of the prison and his torture by the Russians? Why not give more details about how he met Enzo/Dmitri, how they came to trust each other, and how they formed their initial plan for Hopper to escape?

For that matter, why not have a comic focused on Enzo/Dmitri? They could go more into detail about his life as a prison guard at Kamchatka, his relationship with his son, and so on.

Same with Yuri. I don't particularly like his character, but he at least was relevant to the show, and has a backstory as the "Peanut Butter Smuggler" that's ripe with potential.

They did this with Will and Bob in Tomb of Ybwen, and they did this with Dustin and Suzie in Science Camp, so I don't see why they couldn't have done that for either Hopper, Enzo, or Yuri.

Then there's the plot involving the McGuffin: A device created by Dr. Orlov that amplifies telekinetic abilities which Dr. Karine wants to keep the Demogorgon alive. Long story short: The Demogorgon is slowly dying because it can't live in our world and needs to be connected to its source (the hive mind) which the device allows it to do.

Now maybe I'm remember this wrong from the show (and feel free to correct me in the comment section if that's the case), but my understanding was that Demogorgons, Demodogs, and anything infected by the Mind Flayer (which was revealed to be controlled by Vecna) would cease living if the gate closed. There was a whole deal made in season 2 about getting the Mind Flayer particles out of Will before El shut the gate at Hawkins Lab because he would die otherwise.

However, when it comes to the Soviet's Demogorgon, I was under the impression it wasn't infected by the Mind Flayer, which is why it was still alive once the Russian Gate closed in season 3.

Same thing for the Demodog on the operating table that was being vivisected: My impression was it didn't have the Mind Flayer particles in it either, which is why it was active before Hopper shot it.

All of this makes the telekinetic device used to keep the Demogorgon alive look like a major plot-hole. The Soviet Demogorgon is never seen wearing the device once on the show, even though the comic puts a major emphasis on needing to wear it to survive.

It seems like an unnecessary element to the mythology given the show didn't bother to include it, and it's one I don't care for.

(Side Note: This is a question that's bothered me for a while now, but was the Hive Mind already a part of the Upside Down before Vecna arrived there, and he simply hijacked it when he used the black particles to create the Mind Flayer? Or did Vecna create the Hive Mind by forming the Mind Flayer and using that to infect almost every living being in the Upside Down and link their minds to his?)

Overall, my feelings about this comic are mixed. Some aspects like the artwork, the tone, and the Cold War setting work well, but the characters aren't memorable and the attempts to link the story to the Stranger Things Universe is handled in a clumsy way.

Part 2: The Russian Arc

When it comes to the Russian Arc in seasons 3-4. I know the general consensus has been fans questioning the point of it, with feelings ranging from indifference to outright negativity. In many ways, I get it. Out of all the directions they could have gone with the main story, this is not one I expected them to go either, and I'm still wondering whether there's a future payoff coming that will make it all worth it.

That being said, I don't hate this arc like some people do, and I even know a few people who like it. My dad for instance, who grew up in the 50s and 60s during the height of Cold War paranoia and the fear of Russians infiltrating the United States, thought the show did a good job recapturing those feelings and memories. He also liked how the show emphasized how the danger of the Upside Down wasn't just limited to Hawkins, and that it was important to show Vecna as a threat worldwide. I can see his perspective, and it has made me reevalute some aspects of the arc again, but my feelings still remain mixed at best.

I know when Season 3 came out in 2019, there was a podcast with the Duffer Brothers and producer Shawn Levy giving details about their reasoning for introducing the Russians:

Shawn Levy: “We’ve seen the Americans and now the Soviets trying to harness the power that seems to reside in the Upside Down through that gate. We’ve seen both sides of the Cold War now try to tap into it and control it in order to weaponize it so it felt like a really compelling way to take a real-world fear, an actual authentic historical paranoia, and to mix it with a very specific sci-fi genre plot that is unique to Stranger Things.”

Matt Duffer: “We always struggled a little bit with the U.S. government as the bad guys because there’s only so many times you can punch and/or kill U.S. government or military personal before you get locked away in America. So in a sense, they [The Russians] were an easier human villain because we could do a lot more with them.”

On paper, the writers wanting to explore themes relating to the Cold War and delve more into the paranoia surrounding the Red Scare wasn't a bad idea on its own. The way it was executed on the show, however, left a lot to be desired.

I'm not a fan of how the Russians were depicted in season 3. Not only did they come off as cartoonish buffoons and stereotypes, but they weren't threatening as antagonists. I never got the sense of menace or the intimidating presence I felt when Dr. Brenner or Colonel Sullivan's men showed up looking for El and anyone associated with her. And compared to villains like Dr. Brenner and Vecna, who evoked feelings of fear and revulsion, I felt no similar emotions for the Russians because I had a hard time taking them seriously. My suspension of disbelief breaks whenever I think too hard about how they were able to build their underground base at Starcourt Mall in less than a year. They were portrayed in such a bumbling manner that I didn't buy it.

Even Alexei is a character I'm not a fan of. There was always something irksome to me about the show portraying him in a childlike, naive manner in spite of the fact he knowingly opened a portal to a different dimension to capture monsters to use as weapons, which ended up getting a bunch of people killed in the process. The ONLY thing I liked about this arc was the formation of the Scoops Troop and the interactions between Steve, Dustin, Erica, and Robin.

Season 4 is different: Part of this may be due to a different perspective considering this season came out 3 months after the real life Russian Invasion of Ukraine, but the Russians were creepy compared to the previous season. There was a sadistic, cruel inhumanity to the way they acted that made them menacing. The vicious torture of Hopper. The pit where prisoners were fed to the Demogorgon and the whole thing being treated for sport by the guards. The lack of any basic human rights for the prisoners at Kamchatka. Even the vivisection of the still-alive demodog was horrifying. There was a brutality from the Russians that was chilling to watch, and it made them more insidious than before.

I liked the Russian arc in season 4 better than season 3. I enjoyed Enzo/Dmitri's character and loved the friendship that developed between him and Hopper. I liked seeing Hopper's character development where he became more level-headed and introspective compared to how impulsive and hot-headed he was in season 3. I enjoyed the break-in to the prison and how reminiscent it was of video games like the Resident Evil and Outlast series in tone, setting, and sense of danger. I also loved both fights between Hopper and the Demogorgon, despite how corny some people claim they were.

Just because something has flaws doesn't mean it can't have good elements to it as well. Compared to controversial arcs from other TV shows, this one had enjoyable moments, and it's not one I mind rewatching again.

I acknowledge that all of this is my personal opinion, and I don't speak for everyone in regards to how they feel about the Russian arc.

I also recognize there are still questions that need to be answered for season 5. Like how the Russians found out about the Upside Down in the first place: Was there a mole at Hawkins Lab that Dr. Brenner was unaware of, or did they discover it through other means? How did they get that piece of the Mind Flayer into the glass case without getting infected by it? Is Kamchatka the only facility that houses monsters from the Upside Down, or are there others? Do the Russians know about Vecna? What happened to Enzo and Yuri, and are they coming back? Will the Russians return to Hawkins to exact revenge for the destruction of their facility at Kamchatka, or to try and capture more monsters from the Upside Down?

In spite of these questions, I am willing to give the Duffer Brothers the benefit of the doubt in believing they will tie this together. As I've said before, I'm still looking forward to season 5! :)

[agentgrange]

True Rules for Life by Brace Belden and Liz Franczak

Below is a nonexhaustive list of certified life tips offered by Brace Belden and Liz Franczak from the investigative comedy podcast TrueAnon. While generally good advice to live by, I highly recommend the following for any Delta Green agents in the field:

Don't smoke marijuana out of a pen, smoke it out of a pipe or bong. Don't do drugs in concentrate.

If you're pushing through a land reform program of any kind on behalf of the peasantry, push it through very quickly without telling anyone first.

The coalition always fractures.

Always get the Interior Minister position. Do not let anyone else in the coalition get the Interior Minister position. If they do, have a random person assassinate them first before they assassinate you.

Never ride in a helicopter. (Unless you're a door gunner, or getting MEDEVACed.)

A large plane is always safer than a small plane.

Always watch your ratio of officers to enlisted, you don't want too many or too few.

Don't talk about the coup in public, do it day one or just shut the fuck up about it until you do.

If you sentence a guy to death, kill him the next day.

If you fly, don't all fly together.

Never, ever, give up your nukes. If you don't have any, BUILD THEM. If you absolutely have to get rid of them, always keep ONE hid in reserve.

Treaties are fake. NO ONE is maintaining your territorial integrity for you.

Never release political prisoners to placate protestors.

Never let the opposition delay elections.

When someone you know gets really into German runes (or really any kind of runes at all) get them out of your life.

Never trust a South American with a German name. Be careful around any with Italian surnames.

Never move anywhere for a religion, especially South America.

If your affinity group starts any sort of compound, don't move in. Be the guy that works and lives outside the compound. Better yet, become their lawyer or some other type of public facing middleman.

Never go into sewers unless you're a sewer guy. (Molemen, professionals, etc.)

If someone is trying to talk you into committing a crime, assume they're in the FBI.

Never become an FBI informant, they will never let you go. If you do become an informant, record EVERYTHING Nixon style.

Never relinquish your arms-- if you're going to get patted down, hide your first weapon as a decoy weapon. Act like they found your hidden weapon and let them take it, but keep a secondary weapon in an even more elaborately concealed area. If you can, bring a third even smaller even more well hidden weapon in case they find the secondary weapon.

Aim for the eye at point blank. It doesn't matter how small the caliber is, if you shoot someone in the eye they're cooked.

Always get it in writing. Duplicate that writing.

If you keep gambling, you'll eventually win. The long arc of the universe favors the gambler, the house just thinks it can outlast you.

Never talk to cops without a lawyer. You think you know this one, everyone thinks they know this one, but you're gonna forget. You're gonna want to seem helpful or honest and they'll try to sound friendly. It doesn't matter if they're nice to you, they already think you're guilty. That's why you're being arrested or interrogated dumbass.

Pay taxes on crime money. They don't get you for the crime, they always get you for the taxes. Get an accountant.

Never deal with an "explosives expert." If they know what they're doing, they're probably an informant. If they don't, they'll get you all killed. If they know a very specific, seemingly perfect spot to place the C4 they're *definitely* with the FBI.

Always duck if you're getting shot at. Then, shoot the other guy. If you don't have a gun... then you haven't followed the other rules, have you? As a last resort, wait for them to run out of bullets then roll away.

Distractions work, and they're a really good move. Learn the art of distraction. Example-- take your jacket off, throw it over their head, and fucking punch. Or bend down to tie your shoe, then throw pocket sand.

Never let a woman see you play videogames.

Never talk to journalists, they're just like cops. There's no such thing as "off the record."

Don't fuck your roommate.

Always pay your guys on time. Don't try telling them you can pay them later, the moment you admit you don't have the money they're no longer your guys.

Keep your dollars in money.

Don't give up your passport. Take the other guy's passport.

Everybody snitches. Not *us*, I'll never snitch. And I know you're not going to snitch. But you have to treat it like everyone else that you ever did anything with is snitching.

If a guy with an analog camera wants to take your picture, they're trying to have sex with you.

Whenever the FBI foils anything, assume it's fake.

Always shoot first. If you find yourself thinking "am I gonna need to shoot this guy" you probably do, and if you have to shoot someone just do it immediately. Ideally when they aren't looking. Honor is fake.

Under the waste isn't attempted murder. If you shoot someone under the waste, it's legally a warning shot.

Never warn anyone just attack.

Always keep it loaded.

Always keep cool, baby.

[stressed-sock]

so. are bianca, crescent, kai, and nico all part of solis? if so, what kinds of roles or appearances do they make in relation to the other characters? how much influence does bianca have over elliott, and how much involvement with the eventual villain arc?

yep, they are all part of solis!

also here's a quick summary of their characters before i go into relationships :D

bianca (she/her) is a duchess of the kingdom (that has yet to have a name), and holds a lot of power - in high society as well as political stuff. she's also pretty power hungry, which leads many to think that the rumors of her murdering her husband to be true.

crescent (they/them) is a shapeshifting weapon. made by one of the best smiths of the time and on top of that, considered her life's greatest work, they're pretty arrogant. they are also the kind of weapon that chooses their wielder, but none have met their standards yet.

kai (they/them) is a similar 'species' to crescent - the gems embedded in both their foreheads are what give them life as well as 'pre-programmed' skills specific to them. kai is made of an extremely durable enchanted porcelain and made to specialize in pretty much any weapon. they are made by a renowned ceramist.

nico (he/him) is the youngest prince of the current ruling royal family. after a deadly assassination attempt, he was sent away to a trade city far from the capital (along with kai for protection) until he came of age.

~*~

now for relationships, i guess i'll start with bianca!

as stated before, she is elliot's stepmother and also touil's biological mother. when elliot showed promise in magic, she took to experimenting ways to harness his power for herself. touil on the other hand was almost completely ignored after she was found to have no talent.

elliot tried to run away and seemed to have succeeded but y'know that one scene in puss in boots where humpty dumpty was revealed to have been there the whole time? yeah that. that's basically what bianca was like.

she plays a big part in his villain arc but i don't want to reveal everything yet (plus we'd be here all day lmao), so just know she had a lot of influence on elliot before he grew a spine and then she makes a big reveal that partially triggers the villain transformation

crescent doesn't have many relationships since they haven't chosen a wielder yet. they are currently kept in their maker's workshop. (the smith isn't very developed yet, so i'll probably post about her later or smth)

kai and nico somehow wind up getting tangled with thala and theo at some point since they live/base in the same port city :D

[howlingday]

Supernatural Superschool AU: It is suggested that Jaune gets a medium/weapon to control his mana. While he can't afford to have one made the school offers to let him borrow one of the unused in storage. Somehow stumbling into an unused room he finds a sword that seems to call to him and allows him to freely use mana when held. When he's found all is surprised that he is holding Crocea Mors.

Jaune: Thanks again for helping me with controlling my magic, Professor.

Ozpin: Of course, Mr. Arc. After all, Beacon's Light strives to ensure our students are well-prepared for both their school year and their futures as protectors of the innocent. Of course, students are expected to also strive when put to the task. That said, how is your essay coming along?

Jaune: Heh heh... Well, uh, I'm still working on my outline, Professor.

Ozpin: Do you have a title for your assignment? Or is that also a work in progress?

Jaune: ...

Ozpin: ...

Jaune: ...I haven't started yet.

Ozpin: Honesty is a much more rewarding quality, isn't it, Mr. Arc?

Ozpin: (Opens door) Here we are. As you can see, we have a wide array of weapons and tools to help assist in your mana control.

Jaune: Whoa... This basement must be as big as the school!

Ozpin: I wouldn't say that. You may look as much as you please, but please note that you must only take one item from the vault, and it must be decided.

Jaune: Yes, Professor.

???: Arc...

Jaune: Huh?

Jaune heard a voice, quiet as a whisper. It called to him by his family name. Almost in a trancelike state, he followed it deeper into the vault. Reaching the depths of the massive room, he found a sword with a white blade and golden hilt. Taking hold of the sword's handle, he drew it free from it's sheath and open the sheath into a shield with a click of a button. He noticed his family's crest spread across the face, and he smiled. It almost seemed like destiny. Once more, the voice whispered, "Crocea Mors".

Jaune: This one. (Nods) This one will do.

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

Demand for a Duel Part Two:

The Contact over the Contract

Penny: Salutations Winter!

Winter: Hail and well met Madame Polendina! I request your assistance in transcribing my words onto parchment for a missive to my Mother, if you would be so inclined?

Penny: Of course Winter! Although why write a letter instead of Calling her on your scroll?

Winter: Aesthetic Dear. Are you prepared to write?

Penny: *holding genuine parchment and a Quill* Absolutely Winter!

Winter:

"Dearest Mother,

Whilst visiting Weiss a most intriguing event occurred. Saphron of Arcs, Knight of Rouge and Gold, Addressed my beloved sister in an aggressive manner, demanding reparations for a lack of feeling being returned to her brother in matters of romance. The given Deviation 'tween Lady Saphron and Sister Weiss' skills, I interceded, taking the place of whom was challenged. Yet My Sister is known to me, and she hath gazed at the only son sired by Prismeya and Blane Cherryl Arc, with not bile and ferocity, but with a gentleness I have seen reserved to only those she trusts most, and loves dearly. The look that, in my absence has left me forlorn and wanting for the affection we shared as Fledglings, but may only partake in during these scant moments we share. We had planned for a duel on the eve of this day, yet the Mistress of these festivities hath forasken that plan of Action. It will be held in one week. I pray for your schedules clarity so that you may bear witness to our battle.

Your Beloved Eldest, Winter Schnee"

Penny: Is that all Winter?

Winter: Indeed it is Penny. If you would be so kind as to deliver that letter and shut the door behind you, I would be appreciative. Gods Be with Ye.

Penny: Verily Knight Winter! *Steps outside* Salutations and well met Fair Weiss, Heiress of the Schnee Company, First to her Name!

Weiss: Huh! Oh! Hi Penny, I'd love to talk, But I'm looking for Winter Right now, Do you know where she is?

Penny: Your eldest sibling is right in here! I'm off to find my beloved Girlfriend Ruby. Gods be with Ye!

Weiss: Gods be with .. Ye? B-Bye?

Winter: Hello sister. What ills you on this day?

Weiss: Stop this. What even IS THIS!? WHat are you doing? HOw do you know Lady Saph- Saphron. Just Saphron.

Winter: Why do you wish me to cease my plans to duel Knight Saph-

Weiss: It's JUST Saphron.

Winter: -ron? To turn my belly skyward would bring tidings of shame and dishonor upon our name! And for how I know the eldest of the Arc children, Mother wished me to have Acquaintances beyond the suitors that father wished, and as such contacted an old ally of hers - Prismeya, Matriarch of the Arc lineage. We were 'Penpals' as our mothers put it.

Weiss: Okay. Whats with the archaic valean?

Winter: I know not of which you speak.

Weiss: ... You know what? I'm gonna go see if Jaune has had any success in talking sense into Saphron of Arcs.

Winter: Very well. Gods be with ye.

Weiss: Adieu, Fair sister.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaune: Terra, Terra, Please, as your favorite Brother in law, the uncle to your child, PLEASE GET YOUR WIFE UNDER CONTROL.

Terra: Why would I do that? Do you know how long it's been seen I've watched her fight someone? Let alone go all out? I want to watch this.

Jaune: how was she even going to fight? I doubt she got her weapons back from mom.

Terra: She was gonna use Crocea Mors.

Jaune: Oh. Well she would've needed a bit to get used to the difference in weight and length.

Terra: Yeah, but because she has time now, shes writing a 'missive' to your mom telling her to bring your family, along with Reel and Woe

Jaune: SHES WHAT?

Terra: Jaune, I'm a foot away from you, please don't yell. What's wrong, Don't you miss them?

Jaune: I'm sorry, and of course I miss them. It's just ... I haven't seen most of them since I left, with a few letters and scroll calls sent back and forth. Plus all my family all at once is a lot. Especially since I have three teammates, and RWBY, and seven sisters ...

Terra: Your worried their all gonna pair off and leave you behind like all those kids did in grade school?

Jaune: I was gonna say They'll overwhelm me and cause wanton violence and destruction, Especially Nora and either Anna or Olive, but now I've got two things to be anxious about.

Weiss: Jaune! Hath thou wrought sense upon the mind of your eldest?

Jaune: Say that again in modern please.

Weiss: Whatever do you mean? I've been talking norm- Have I been talking like them?!

Jaune: Yes you were. Please gather your team. I need to show you all a presentation tomorrow.

Weiss: Brothers It's like a virus. I will get right on that! What's it about?

Jaune: Well I was hoping to introduce all of you slowly, It seems fate like throwing curve-balls at my head. Hope your ready to meet the family Weiss, because their sure as hell gonna be ready to meet you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To my beloved family,

I have found the wench that enraptured our dearest Jaune in beauty, only to dash his hopes upon rocks. In the process of demanding her to a duel, the sister of the Queen of Ice, Winter of the Schnees, Knight of the Frigid hearth, First of her name, and my old friend, took the younger Schnees place. I had planned upon using Fathers Blade, now wielded by Jaune, whom, if I may add, has developed fair skill in both Tactics on and off the field, as well as in swordplay, yet seeing as how I am facing a far more experienced opponent, I request you bring Reel and Woe for me. This will be a fight you wouldn't want to miss, so I also invite all of you to come as well.

In good health and Great anticipation,

Saphron Arc, knight of Rouge and Gold

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Will Jaune survive seeing his family again?

What kinds of weapons are Reel and Woe?

If Saphron is here, and Terra is there, Who's watching Adrien?

It's Terra's sister who definitely exists. trust me.

If you would like to know the names I picked out for Jaune's family and their origins, please ask away! I'd love to talk about them!

Join in next time for: Demand for a Duel Part three: Family Business

[duckapus]

So one of the major gameplay features of the Kingdom Hearts series is that Sora gets new Keyblade Charms (those little keychains that let him change the Kingdom Key's appearance, name and attributes) by making connections with people from other worlds, right? Well, there's some Charms that he gets through other means like as gifts or via synthesis or just finding them somewhere, but usually it's the end-of-World reward and meant to represent his bond with the local party member(s). So, obviously Avatar Sora would get new Keyblades from the new friends he's made since getting Meme'd.

The other Avatars would be the most obvious, but I haven't actually figured out good concepts for any of them yet. What I have come up with is Guardian Angel, a Keyblade based on Abyssal that he got at the end of Unveiled Secrets.

It's a Dark-aligned average-length Keyblade, and it's mostly made of what looks like pink glass molded into an array of feathers in the general Keyblade shape, with an open wing making up the "teeth" and a simple jet-black internal framework to give it structure. The charm is a small black gem, connected to the 'blade's pommel by a miniature version of a length of Abyssal's chains and with three of Abyssal's actual feathers sticking out of it.

It increases the power of attacks while airborne at the cost of slightly higher Magic cost, and can Formchange (because KH3 is the specific one that got SMG'd) into a replica of Abyssal's chain weapon. The key form's Shotlock is Flying Feather, which shoots a bunch of feathers point-first at the targets that do Wind damage, while the chain form's is Grapple-Link, which drags up to five targets towards Sora so he can start comboing them.

Abyssal only finds out about this when she's tracking down one of the viruses Worm released during the Legacy Arc and the trail led to the Kingdom Hearts universe. It turns out to be one of the smart ones, has managed to get control of a bunch of Heartless, and they're actually giving her some trouble, and then some of what look like her own chains fly in out of nowhere and save her from a nasty blow, and when she looks to see where the hell that came from she finds Sora Donald and Goofy have shown up to provide backup and that Sora's current Keyblade is somehow closely emulating her unique combination of Admin-and-Abyss-Code without any complications.

[standfucker]

Zen! Dinner's coming sooner than I thought - we decided to order in tonight - so instead of me talking about MY OC, tell me about yours (I'll talk about Quill later \lol/ after I eat!)

🥰❤️💌😎

I will talk about another Storm Pirate!

Her name is Yara!

Yara is a former resident of a sky island and has little wings. She's outwardly demure, mostly because of her anxiety, and is reserved around new people. Though she only is herself when she feels entirely safe, her inner nature is fun-loving, stubborn, and opinionated. She has a bad stutter and suffers from chronic migraines from a traumatic brain injury she received as a teen.

Yara ate the Mythical Zoan Bunny-Bunny Fruit: Moon Rabbit model, but I'll get into that in a minute. Her weapon of choice is a giant wooden mallet.

So Yara wakes up one day in the middle of the woods with a head wound, having no recollection of who she is, where she is or how she got there, or even her own name. She wanders for a bit until she stumbles upon a white rabbit caught in a hunter's snare. She figures that the hunter who set the trap will return eventually, and waits there.

A bear sniffs out the rabbit and lumbers into the clearing, scaring them both. Yara knows she can run and the bear will eat the rabbit, but can't leave it, feeling that it's a terrible way to go. She frees the rabbit, who runs off, and the bear charges her.

A human-sized, bipedal hare wielding a giant hammer appears and smashes the bear, saving her. The white rabbit is with it, and begins to talk to her. The rabbit says he is a Moon Rabbit and the prince of the Lagomorphs and that by saving his life, she has committed a great deed.

Confused and without much choice, Yara lets the rabbit and his hare guard take her back to the Warren, an under-cloud location among the sky island that is the Moon Rabbits' home. There's a whole system of Moon Rabbits (royalty), rabbits, hares, and pikas. Her wounds are patched up, and she's taken in. With no memory of her own, the Lagomorphs adopt her, and she's revered as a hero and given a name--Yara, after one of the rabbits' ancient heroes, Yaratavi.

Yara is ritually accepted into the Moon Rabbit clan and given her Devil Fruit, which only grows on that sky island. Aside from the usual transformation and strength boosts, it gives her all the power that Moon Rabbits possess: the ability to create illusions, and the ability to warp short distances between any points that are bathed in moonlight. She also is stronger depending on the phase of the moon and how much moonlight is visible in the sky, and has accelerated recovery based on the same moonlight principles.

Yara is trained by the hare that initially saved her, a royal guard named He-Who-Races-The-Wind (Ray for short--all hare warriors have deed names like that) and becomes a warrior for the Lagomorphs.

The Storm Pirates meet her a few years later when they wind up on the Lagomorphs' sky island. Initially attacking them, she relaxes after learning that they come in peace, and take them to meet the Moon Rabbit royals, thus commencing the start of the Moon Rabbit arc of the Storm Pirates.

I haven't gotten the story figured out yet, but some important points are that: 1. big prey/predator themes, 2. The Moon Rabbits are capable of creating the fabled Elixir of Life, said to grant eternal life, and thus have been hunted by the humans of their neighboring sky island, and have strife with them. and 3. the Storm Pirates and Yara discover that the Moon Rabbits set her up. The royal Moon Rabbits sent a group on a raid into the neighboring sky island, in a mission to kill the human who was in charge of hunting the Moon Rabbits. This group included Ray. They went during the night, broke into the home, and started killing the humans inside. Ray was about to bring his hammer down on one of the humans in their bed when they woke up--the hunter's daughter. She looked at him with wide, fearful eyes, and in that second, Ray recognized that look as the look of a prey animal witnessing a predator. He hesitated too late, so instead of the hammer blow killing the girl, it instead injured her severely. Ray panicked and went against the group, saying they had to help her, and after arguing, he brings her back with them. The royalty decides they can make use of this, but will first test the human girl to see if she's worthy. They patch up her head and once she wakes up, uses illusion magic to make her think she sees a rabbit in a trap, and then a bear.

When Yara finds out the one who caused her TBI was Ray all along--who protected, mentored, and cared for her--it's a difficult moment.

In the conclusion of the Moon Rabbit Arc, Yara joins the Storm Pirates.

Her signature move is "Comet Hammer". She also has a move that she inherited from Ray, a barrage of hammer strikes called "March Madness".

In her awakened form, she grows antlers, and combined with her wings she resembles a wolpertinger.

Thanks for listening!