#i used to watch the FUCK out of power rangers when i was little

[swweatervvest]

i finally figured out which power rangers i got my earliest recorded gay from (it was ninja storm) 💎💙🥷🏽

[feroluce]

NO OK BUT I'M STILL NOT OVER BOOTHILL AND DAN HENG AND THE JADE ABACUS IN ENA'S DREAM!!!!!

For some extra context, I have a whole henghill manifesto I wrote over here, but the tl;dr is that Dan Heng decides to use the Jade Abacus of Allying Oath to save the Express Crew the first time. Boothill urges him to think it over carefully, but he doesn't stop him. And then, the second time Dan Heng decides to use it, we get this instead:

And just! That's so!! so!!!

Because like. We see in the first battle against Sunday that that Jade Abacus is effective, like we really do just get an entire army lead by a whole-ass Emanator of The Hunt right to our location and ready to fuck shit up. It's important. It's incredibly valuable. That is a huge amount of power to hold in the palm of one's hand.

But Tiernan's relic works the same way.

Galaxy Rangers are terribly dangerous. Boothill comments on this when discussing Acheron's motives, because he can't believe anyone would be stupid enough to get The Hunt on their asses. They're considered to be on a level even above The Annihilation Gang.

And now, with the burial relic, he has a way to get thousands of them, almost immediately, and all in one place.

And you can't tell me that wouldn't be something extremely useful to Boothill, like literally life-saving. He's wanted by the IPC. He makes his living as a bounty hunter. His whole driving motivation in life right now is to do whatever he can, up to and including throwing away his own human body, to ruthlessly hunt down one man and kill him in revenge. Like that has to be dangerous, the IPC is a massive entity with far-reaching influence and money and power and weaponry. He surely must have already had some close calls.

Like can you imagine it? Galaxy Rangers are solitary creatures. If Boothill were to find himself near death, he would probably be all alone. Do you think he had regrets? Did he wonder if anyone would find his own burial relic? Did it feel the same way it did when they melted his flesh, replaced it with metal? Did he lay there with his vision slowly blacking out until he thought of home, and family, and the little daughter who he never even got to hear her first word, until he was so full of fury that he could prop himself up on his rage like a crutch and find help?

Tiernan's relic would have been like a get-out-of-jail-free card. Just for one time, no matter where Boothill was, someone would find him. The Galaxy Rangers aren't sociable or organized between themselves, but they help their own. Someone would save him.

He chooses to give all of that up to help Dan Heng.

And I just cannot get over it, especially the wording of it, the pause before he speaks, the gentle way he tells him to hold onto his once-in-a-lifetime treasure...!! He wants Dan Heng to leave this to him! He wants him to keep this precious item that will help him save his companions again in the future! And maybe it's just...wishful thinking, me reading too much into it? But I mean. Just the way he says it...

I really do think it comes from a place of deep kinship and respect. That there's a lot of thought and feeling behind that statement. Something from one Pathstrider of The Hunt to another. Boothill fought for his home and his family, he fought really really hard! But. Sometimes that just doesn't matter. And now he's watching Dan Heng fight for his, too.

When he made that decision the first time, Dan Heng was in the parlor car of the Astral Express. He was completely removed from any danger. He could have chosen to get the hell out of Dodge and not look back. Obviously we know he would never even consider such a thing, but it was technically an option, and Boothill watched him decide to go back into the proverbial lion's den for his friends anyway. And I'm sure that was part of what sealed his decision, to later use Tiernan's relic instead of the Jade Abacus to summon enough people to disrupt Ena's Dream. Because he greatly values ideas like righteousness and justice and saving people, and Dan Heng so beautifully embodies all of that and then some.

Boothill doesn't have people to protect anymore, only ghosts to avenge.

And there is just something so endlessly endearing about him wanting to help Dan Heng, to make sure his friend doesn't go through that the way he did.

[jinhsiimain]

Character Impressions

My first impressions + later opinions on the characters

The Goddess she's so freaking pretty!! I actually squealed when I saw her, she's jaw dropping gorgeous. Pls come back miss and don't pull an unknown genshin god on me ☹

Rover - more had hopes for a short haired girl mc but she had to join the rat tail gang :/ amnesia is definitely kind of a boring plot device but I'll roll with it.

Yangyang love her voice, reminds me of Qiqi, cute design - don't really know what role she's playing in the story yet other than like our guide but if she's just that I wouldn't mind having a calm one. she acted a little sus about baizhi and us I guess?? and her role??

I love her connection to the wind via her aero affinity (?) and would love to find more about it as well! She's part of the Midnight rangers.

Chixia she's cute too, her design bugs me a bit cuz of the hair and the weird jacket I guess? she's definitely kind of paimon (sorry for the references but like yeah) food and stuff but she seems to take her job as a ranger(?) seriously!!

Baizhi miss elegant + mysterious. Definitely like her calm aura as well, she's from the academy which I'm really interested in. she knows something and I wanna be in on it too.

Jinhsi ♡ girl appeared out of nowhere and stole my heart, asked me out on a date and vanished for 3 days I'm super interested, miss magistrate looks majestic as fuck. (the reason I like her design so much might me cuz she reminds me a little of firefly)

Sanhua another majestic woman I'm in paradise. her eye thing is so fucking cool I want to know more about her as well. She's suspicious too, obviously, but that's just adding to the suspense. if big plot device why 4 star ☹ (could say the same about the rest of the cast so far 😭)

Jinhsi sent her to watch over us.

Mortefi bro has a funky name. at first I was like nahhh but he's kind and I wanna know what his deal is as well.

Jianxin Girl also appeared out of nowhere. the reason I knew her name is cuz i looked at the gacha beforehand. She looks super cool, love her ying/yang/monk theme. massive xianyun/shenhe vibes I think?

She's super kind and I want her to be more involved in the plot.

Scar Okay Scar seems to be the bad guy. He's a little insane and knows too much about our backstory?? And he's got long ass nails. I want to trust him with the lore dumps but he seems really dangerous. His Elysium ability is super cool.

Spiderlily themed girl Scar's companion of same (?) power level. Love her design and voice, hope to meet her again soon.

Jiyan The current general of the midnight rangers, he fought with us at the Norfall Barrens. At first I didn't really like his design but now I think it's neat. He is kind and looks out for us.

Encore ♡ A member of the Black Shores. If sweetness was a person, it would be encore. She is adorable and silly, I love her so much. Her design is adorable and I can't wait to see her again! She's so energetic and loud in the best way and her dynamic with Aalto makes me smile.

Calcharo ~ It appears we haven't met yet

Aalto A member of the Black Shores. This guy I swear to god. At first I thought he would be another Sampo to me because I could not see myself liking him at all, but he is genuinely such a sweet guy??? Like I said, the dynamic with Encore is everything to me and might be my favourite duo so far even. His design is also really cool and he's got such a pretty face, I adore his eyes.

Danjin ~ It appears we haven't met yet

Lingyang ~ It appears we haven't met yet

Taoqi A security overseer? I don't remember her title, sorry- Her design, like almost everyone is really pretty although her jiggle physics are somewhat concerning. We haven't seen much of her yet which is sad but I hope we see more in future updates. Her voice is gentle and I love her vibe although she doesn't stand out to me much (yet).

Verina A botanist. She loves plants and is friends with that one granny and seems to know Encore as well. She is a free spirit and eager to help. Her design might be one of my favorites yet - her dress with the hood, the twintails, flowers and legwarmers are just perfect.

Yinlin ~ It appears we haven't met yet

Yuanwu I don't have much to say about him other than that he's goofy and we've barely seen him ;-;

Camellya ♡ MISS ???? GIRL? ??? I am afraid I will like her more than Jinhsi - She's so ahhh HER DESIGN IS EVERYTHING LIKE SHE'S ADORABLE BUT ACTS SO IDK OKAY I love her already. GIVE ME MORE ♡

[the-greatest-magic-of-all]

I know it's been months since you posted about it but. I want to hear about the Bad Moms.

No worries! I'm always happy to chat, no matter the time! This one's gonna be a long one though, so strap in!

First things first, all of the Bad Moms are at least 15th-level adventurers, if not higher. All of them, excluding Sklonda, have canonically either adventured or did something like it. And Sklonda is high-level because she's just that badass.

In order of first appearance, we'll start off with the imposing Hallariel Seacaster, who, side note, I truly believe is almost seven feet tall. Just a tower of a bored housewife who used to be the best swordswoman in Spyre (Think Morticia Addams but slightly less goth). This leads me to believe that she'd be a straight Fighter (all of the Seacasters are) with the Samurai subclass. A heavy hitter who just won't drop yet still smoothly transitions into being an elegant courtier when need be. Oh, and I'd love for them to bring back the sober trigger mechanic from Unsleeping City S2 for her! It'd also be a treat to watch her deal with other Elves who make pointed backhanded comments about her finally settling down with another Elf and how it's good to see that she's done playing house with that human husband and half-human son of hers.

Next up is Wilma Thistlespring! My most precious Artificer Bard! With the subclasses Battle Smith and College of Creation, respectively. Battle Smith because in "Family in Flames", while Digby had a Tesla-coil laser canon (a hallmark of an Artilerist), Wilma had a fleet of spinning gyros instead. It'd probably take a little reflavouring but I think she could have her Steel Defender be this swarm of bird-like constructs that fuck a bitch up. And for the College of Creation part, I mean... It's the Bard subclass all about having a Song in your heart and that Song being one of the most ancient and powerful magic of all. If that's not Wilma Thistlespring to a T then I don't know what is. Also, btw, I'd love for her to be played by Elaine Lee because, if I remember correctly, Brennan took inspiration for the Thistlesprings from his parents!

Next is Mom of the Year, Sklonda Gukgak, who is obviously a straight-up Inquisitive Rogue, just like her son! This one is one of the more obvious picks for her and one of the only ones really. None of the other Rogue subclasses fit quite right while still making sense for her character. Like, maaaybe she could be a Mastermind Rogue, but I think it's a stretch. And it's the only subclass that she could conceivably get to a high enough level without her being a straight-up adventurer. I honestly think it'd be so funny to watch her get pulled into an adventure. Because I think she's a lot like Carameldina and Steel in the way of absolutely hating that they live in a DnD world, but instead of being utterly baffled by why her son is acting like an adventurer, she knows. She knows she lives in a world where adventures happen and the Call to Adventurer is a real phenomenon that wraps people up with Quest Fever. She's been trying to keep Riz from it ever since Pok died. So getting to watch her finally get the Call herself would be fantastic.

Sandra Lynn Faeth, the messiest bench ever, is next up and she's pretty straightforward, just like Sklonda. She's a Beast Master Ranger and that's all she wrote! Obviously, most of the fun of watching Sandra Lynn take center stage would be in witnessing her past come back to haunt her and seeing how she deals with it. The most glaring plot hook for a Bad Moms season (as long as they don't do it in Junior Year) would be her serving justice to the older adventurer creep who got her blacklisted from adventuring! I want her to kick ass, take names, and call Jawbone whenever she wants to make out with someone because she's still too anxious to do it impromptu even though they've talked about it!

Second to last, we've got Cathilda Ceili!!! Fight me if you think she doesn't count as a Bad Mom!!! She does!! She and Roz are picking up the slack that fucking Arianwen and Donna are dropping, okay? Okay. Now, while her being a Swashbuckler Rogue is a given. What else was she going to be? I'm also kinda leaning towards her multiclassing into Banneret Fighter, is that crazy? It's just that it feels that she'd also have some support mechanics in her roster (like Rallying Cry) and having Action Surge and Second Wind could tie why her work ethic is so tireless. Plus, as a Fighter, she'd fit in with the rest of the Seacasters! Listen, i want to see Cathilda let loose for once. And I feel like the other Bad Moms could get her there.

Finally! Roslyn "Roz" Fukumoto! She's such a wild card because we literally know nothing about her, but I think it'd be fun to include her in a Bad Moms season. Getting to know another Aguefort Alumni like Sandra Lynn and learning about what life is like outside of Elmville in another small town in Solace. I don't know if there'd be any tension between her and Wilma, (mostly because Wilma's such a sweetie) but getting to see their dynamic would be a treat. Now, for what class she could be. Another spellcaster would round out the party nicely, leaning more toward like a Warlock or even a half-caster, like a Paladin. But if she'd had to be a martial, a Fantasy High hasn't had a Monk PC yet and they are always a joy to watch.

Whew! That's about it for the Bad Moms class wise. It's such a pipe dream but it'd be such a joy to watch a group of older women play DnD as this badass team of Moms. I hope this satisfies your curiosity, @deconstructthesoup!!

[washipink]

A Beginner’s Guide to Tokusatsu

Hey, I know some of you are probably wondering about all these hero shows I’m constantly posting about. Maybe you want to try watching them too, but don’t know where to start? Well, look no further. I’m here to go over some accessible, and legal, means of checking out some of my favorite things!

for the OTHER means, you’ll have to DM me or send me an ask. I’m not getting my favorite sites shut down. You know the drill.

This guide will mainly focus on the big 3 Toku franchises, Toei’s Kamen Rider and Super Sentai as well as Tsuburaya’s Ultraman.

What Is Tokusatsu?

Tokusatsu is a genre of Japanese shows and movies that literally translates to “Special Effects”. Usually using a combination of monster or hero suits, practical effects like explosions, and light CGI.

That’s a REALLY wide net, so we’re just gonna focus on 3 shows today.

Super Sentai, Kamen Rider, and Ultraman. Thanks to @urotandersentai​ for drawing this neat little guide to the Visual Design of each of these 3 shows.

With that out of the way, let’s look at some individual seasons of these shows. Each one has a link to where you can watch it!

Please remember that at the end of the day, the best way to pick a show to watch is “Whatever looks coolest to you”. As such, I’ve included pictures!!!

Super Sentai

You might be saying, “This looks like Power Rangers!” And you’d be right!

Super Sentai, created by Shotaro Ishinomori and produced by Toei Productions, is kinda like Power Rangers’ Dad. PR has been using suits and even fight footage from Super Sentai to tell its own stories for 30 years. All this time, though, Sentai has been creating lovable and memorable casts of colorful heroes.

Generally, Super Sentai is about a team of heroes in colorful costumes that fight monsters every week to protect people.

There’s tons of shows in this series that are available FOR FREE.

CHOUJIN SENTAI JETMAN (1991)

The Earth is under siege from the Dimensional War Party Vyram. A special squadron is selected for an experiment to turn them into Super Humans with the powers of Birds, the Birdman Squadron Jetman. Vyram interferes with the experiment and kills all but one of the Jetman recruits. Instead, civilians are transformed and tasked with defending the Earth. The surviving recruit, Ryu Tendo, must convince 4 normal people with drastically different backgrounds to fight with him.

Jetman has the typical monster of the week format for Super Sentai, but when the team isn’t battling monsters, there’s some serious drama going on. The five of them are all drastically different individuals. It can make it hard to work as a team. Especially when it comes Black Condor. Dude’s a loose canon and an absolute bastard of a man.

KYORYU SENTAI ZYURANGER (1992)

“From hundreds of millions of years ago, in the age of the dinosaurs, five warriors revive in the present time!”

When the Evil Witch Bandora awakens from her slumber, intent on terrorizing the Children of Earth, Five warriors from Dinosaur Times are unsealed to undo her schemes!

This one is where the suits for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers came from, which might tempt you to watch it first. I kinda recommend against that, though. It’s a fine show but I personally found it a bit boring. The characterization of the main cast didn’t stick out as much compared to other Sentai.

GOSEI SENTAI DAIRANGER (1993)

I haven’t seen this one, but it’s focused on martial arts and one of their mechs is a cool dragon? so uhhh? Check them out? Their theme song fucks

NINJA SENTAI KAKURANGER (1994)

Ok listen I didn’t watch this one either. HOWEVER, I know that it’s about the descendants of 5 legendary ninja who have been fighting yokai for 400 years.

CHOURIKI SENTAI OHRANGER (1995)

This is the last sentai in the “I didn’t watch it” category. uhhh, watch it if the suits look cool. Sorry.

GEKISOU SENTAI CARRANGER (1996)

Five Mechanics use the power of Car Magic to protect the earth from the Universal Reckless Driving Tribe and teach children about Traffic Safety. This one’s a tad bit goofier compared to some of the others, but it’s a good time.

Also There’s a Yoda.

DENJI SENTAI MEGARANGER (1997)

Five High School Students are friends and pals! Together they investigate the mysterious goings on of a technologically advanced evil empire. They literally surf the net in order to bring peace to their city and the world!

SEIJUU SENTAI GINGAMAN (1998)

The warriors of Ginga Forest, the Gingamen, have protected nature for 132 Generations. This series follows the 133rd Generation of Gingamen, who battle alongside Starbeasts to stop the resurrection of the Demon Beast Ditanix!

KYUKYU SENTAI GOGOFIVE (1999)

This time, the rangers are an experienced team of rescue workers given super human power! They fight back Literal Demons From Hell that endanger the public. There’s a lot of focus specifically on rescuing civilians in this one, so if you’re an especially big fan of watching heroes... SAVE people, this is a great choice.

MIRAI SENTAI TIMERANGER (2000)

In the 30th Century, a gang of super criminals escapes to the year 2000. They are tracked down by the Future Sentai Timeranger, agents of the Time Defense Force. There, they encounter the Great(s) Grandfather of their departed leader and must convince him to fight alongside them for the sake of humanity.

HYAKUJU SENTAI GAORANGER (2001)

Veterinarian Kakeru Shishi can hear the hearts of every animal! He swiftly becomes enraptured in the adventures of the Gaorangers, who battle living embodiment of pollution. Also they live on a flying turtle! How cool is that?

NINPUU SENTAI HURRICANNEGER (2002)

What if there was a polycule of ninjas SO BAD at being Ninjas, they showed up to Ninja Class Late and were the only survivors of an attack on their school? These guys are the silliest little slackers, but they’ve got hearts of gold. Check them out? For me? :)

KAMEN RIDER

If Super Sentai is Power Rangers’ Dad, Kamen Rider is Power Rangers’ Uncle.

Kamen Rider was ALSO created by Shotaro Ishinomori.

Usually focused in on a smaller cast of heroes. A common theme in Rider is that the heroes are created by their villains and choose to rebel against them for the greater good, or will use the villain’s own powers against them.

Most Riders have a signature attack where they leap into the air and do a flying kick. These get INCREDIBLY flashy over the years.

Unfortunately, there’s a lot less Kamen Rider legally available than there are of the other two shows here. Don’t fret, it’s Easy Enough To Find Anyway.

As for the shows I can link you to, there’s

KAMEN RIDER (1971)

This is the original series.

Takeshi Hongo is an augmented human being created by the evil organization Shocker. Escaping before his brainwashing can be completed, battles for humanity’s freedom as Kamen Rider.

Being such an old show, the effects can be dated and cheesy. It’s a bit of an acquired taste, but if you stick with it, I’m sure you’ll love it. You can watch most of the show in almost any order. The only really confusing part is that eventually, Hongo tags out with fellow escaped cyborg Ichimonji Hayato as Kamen Rider. (This was due to a real world injury to Hongo’s actor during filming. Don’t worry, he’s still kicking and he comes back later in the show!)

It’s also the longest Kamen Rider show, so I don’t fault you if you decide not to watch ALL of it. Even I haven’t yet.

If reading is more your thing, it’s based on a manga that you can find a DELIGHTFULLY well crafted omnibus of here

KAMEN RIDER KUUGA (2000)

Kuuga was the first season of Rider after about a 5 year break on TV. It’s something of a return to form.

It follows Yusuke Godai, a world traveler with 2000 skills, visiting his home town for the first time in years. He finds himself in the middle of an ancient civilization’s ritualistic murder game. Donning the mantle of Kuuga, Godai fights to protect the smiles of the city. He has a wonderful supporting cast around him including Detective Ichijou, who he goes on to share a rather homoerotic bond with.

Kuuga was my first Rider Series and to this day, it represents the Bread and Butter of Kamen Rider to me. This one’s a bit of a slow-paced Drama, but its focus is on what it means to help others. Every episode, I felt like I was actively being encouraged to be a better person. Godai’s got this infectious positivity that can’t help but make you grin.

KAMEN RIDER RYUKI (2002)

Ryuki takes a rather different direction from the other shows on this list. Instead of being about a single hero battling monsters, it’s about Plucky Young Journalist Shinji Kido being wrapped up in an all-out war between Kamen Riders. Donning the mask of Ryuki, he seeks to put an end to the bloodshed. The other Kamen Riders aren’t nearly as cooperative, though.

Don’t think that this plot means these characters don’t get tons of humanizing moments though. They’re all delightful to watch in action and you’ll end up truly questioning who will win? Is it possible to end the Riders’ battle? Will Shinji have to take a life after all?

I cannot recommend Ryuki enough. A lot of the Rider series from the early 2000s are Dramas that feature super heroes and Ryuki takes that drama up to a 10. (Plus, if you wanna ask where to find it, there’s plentiful side content for this show.)

KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE (2019)

In the far-flung year of 2019, Hiden Intelligence has revolutionized AI technology. The company manufactures Robot Assistants called Humagears. People in all walks of life and profession benefit from their aid. Unfortunately, something is causing Humagears to go berserk and attack humans.

With the death of Hiden Intelligence’s president, Failed Comedian Aruto Hiden inherits the company. He’s given the Zero-One Driver, which allows him to fight the corrupted Humagears as Kamen Rider Zero-One. With this new power in hand, Aruto seeks a way forward where Humankind and AI can exist in harmony.

Come to think of it, this one’s kinda topical. “AI” is a subject we really aren’t gonna be getting rid of any time soon. This show is one of the more recent rider productions you can find legally and it SHOWS. Every suit is sleek and clean, the visuals are striking and flashy. If nothing else, Zero-One LOOKS incredible.

KAMEN RIDER GEATS (2022)

Kamen Riders compete in a game called the Desire Grand Prix. By fighting monsters and saving people for points, the winner can have their greatest desire granted. Ukiyo Ace, the titular Kamen Rider Geats, looks to unravel the mysteries behind the Grand Prix and reunite with his long-lost mother.

Things get a bit more complicated than that, but I think you should see it for yourself. I can’t recommend Geats enough. its visual style is a direct evolution of Zero One’s sleekness and flashiness. It’s main 4 characters are some of my favorites in recent years.

SHIN KAMEN RIDER (2023) (Paid)

Takeshi Hongo is an augmented human being created by the evil organization Shocker. Escaping before his brainwashing can be completed, battles for humanity’s freedom as Kamen Rider. 

Wait, that sounds really familiar. That’s because this is the latest in a series of Tokusatsu Reimaginings by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi. This is a new take on the story of Kamen Rider 1971, modernized complete with sleeker suits and stunning music all wrapped up in a 2-hour movie. It also has plenty of Easter Eggs for those of us who are fans of the 1971 series or the Manga it’s based on!

Be warned, this one’s gorier than the other stuff on the list. It’s mostly exaggerated blood splatters, though. I hate that kind of stuff and I’m able to rewatch this movie.

KAMEN RIDER AMAZONS (2016) (Paid)

Amazons is another adult reimagining of a classic Kamen Rider show, but it’s so far removed you don’t really need to know much about the original to enjoy it.

Amazons follows a group of exterminators who have been tasked with eradicating escaped cannibalistic experiments called, well, Amazons. The catch is that they work together with 2 Amazons, Momoru the Mole Amazon, and Haruka, the titular Kamen Rider Amazons. Both of them are tasked with asking themselves ethical questions. Is it so wrong for Amazons to exist? Is it possible to avoid eating people? If it isn’t, then is it WRONG to eat people to survive?

ULTRAMAN

Ok, look, I’m gonna have to make a separate post covering all the free Ultraman stuff there is. Theres SO MUCH OF IT available that I don’t know where to start. We’re about to hit the image limit. If that post is done, it will be linked HERE.

But for a basic idea, there’s tons of stuff on Tubi and the official Ultraman Youtube Channel posts new episodes of the currently airing show.

[utilitycaster]

Hi I read your tags what character do you think it'd be fun for Travis to play if Chet dies in his sleep?? I kinda want Hardcore Caster Travis because Travis as a player with an abundance of spell slots is a delicious idea but idrk!

also throwing in this which I got in the interim!

[id: anonymous ask reading

I have a question/wondering about if (when if statistics have any thing to say about it) Chet dies what class you think Travis will play? Or your thoughts on type of character you would like to see?

(I myself kinda hope he goes for another high int character - maybe a gunslinger would be interesting to continue to balance out the martial classes with spell casters?

But I do think it would be interesting to add another cleric to the party as well. Maybe cleric of the Moon Domain from Taldorei reborn?)]

-----

Ok so Travis is, as I've discussed, on the (noncomprehensive) Emily, Aabria, Lou list of "I trust you implicitly with whatever character you make and even if I'm not initially won over I believe in you." With that said: I agree he should stick to high intelligence in terms of party composition. I also, anon #2, have really liked the idea of cleric. I know a two-cleric party is a lot to DM for but also I think Matt enjoys being able to really throw something big at the party, and while there are two full healers, Fearne is often better used in high damage and FCG's subclass does still make it difficult, plus were Chet to die that would be the loss of one of your three tanks. However, I think moon domain is a little too on the nose for this campaign. I actually would love to see a high-intelligence knowledge cleric: this would grant expertise in some of those key intelligence checks, and while it's far off, the level 17 ability is not unlike grim psychometry, which has already been an absolute delight to watch. I happen to think the read thoughts ability is obviously redundant in this part...but it also is, to be fair, fucking funny to have. Erathis or Corellon for the deity perhaps? I also happen to love twilight cleric just conceptually and for being incredibly powerful, AND for fixing the whole "no darkvision in the party" problem.

Other options: Eldritch knight, though that might be a little similar to Fjord in some of the flavors; or a wizard who is not too much of a glass cannon. Travis is on the short list of people for whom bladesinger would not make me roll my eyes because I think he could actually manage it (as Emily did so well in ACOFAF). I also would love to see another ranger on CR; the class has come a long way since Vex dealt with the unfortunate limitations of Beastmaster, I feel like a Horizon Walker would be attuned to the Moon Bullshit in a way that is different than anyone else in the party, and like...dump charisma and be smart to address the INT needs, and have twin scimitars like Drizzt except with less goofy names to address the Travis Needs Melee To Live (and He's Valid) needs. Really what I think is important is smart, not too glass cannon, low charisma for comedic purposes, and also I think playing someone younger and more obviously shippable even by cowardly people would create chaos in the party and the fandom in ways I would find highly amusing.

[eldritch-queern-magicat]

Actually, no, I haven't really changed at all since middle school. I'm still the same deeply creative weirdo with ever-growing eclectic interests. A happily blooming nerd. If I learned about something in school, I wanted to explore it at home, on my own. That's really how the electronics disaster happened. I'm actually incredibly grateful Mom and Dad monitored my Internet use. I am way too curious sometimes. And I have to see shit for myself extremely often.

I wasn't let back out properly as a specific part until sometime in the sixth grade. It was partially the cats, but also realizing Nanny probably wouldn't be around much longer. So when she did die, I was more relieved than anything else. I used to feel bad that I hadn't cried for her.

But she was stifling me and trying to tell me what to be. She didn't like me being curious about makeup? I was low-key kinda thrilled when I got makeup for Christmas in my senior year of high school. I like color. A lot. I used to constantly change my favorite color. Now I just say I love the entire rainbow.

And I had to hide that I absolutely loved Pokémon. I think she thought it was glorifying violence, but it's more like competitive high-contact sports. Either that, or it was the racism. Frankly, probably both. It's probably the one thing she might have been worse than foster care about. But honestly, watching all the stuff that had to do with entirely different cultures was so good for me. It still exposed me to to new ideas and lessons when I actually needed it. Among them, I started passively absorbing any little bit when Taoism or Buddhism were significant themes. Paired with Bible study on Saturday morning, I guess I managed better than I thought.

She was surprisingly ok with when I was really into western fantasy like Sabrina the Teenage Witch. I think she was also ok with Power Rangers and ThunderCats (the original). At least she validated my love of learning new things and legit gave me old text books (that I don't know where she even got) to look at science subjects at home.

I think that really started in the seventh grade when I got so obsessed with astronomy and in particular, black holes. It just amazed me how unfathomably massive the universe is. How far it goes, how long even light takes to travel through it. I couldn't help but find the divine in the actual, physical cosmos. And it was there with every part of it. I would think, ‘How can everything in this physical reality be bad if God had said it was good in the beginning? Surely we haven't corrupted everything. Cats and dogs know about compassion, in a sense. That's good and beautiful.’

It wasn't hard at all to be better than foster care, but she actually was. She did encourage me to ask questions if I was confused. She clarified a lot of the literalist theology so I could start to understand it. I think I asked to study the bible with her, with that very hope. According to Dad, she could keep up with devout Catholics. I had two different children's bibles at her trailer, plus she bought me my own standard bible when I was ten, for my birthday. She and Mom took me to the book store at the mall, and had them print my casual first name with my last name at the bottom right corner of the front in silver letters.

Fun fact, someone actually jokingly asked if I'd grown up Catholic because of my apparently deep knowledge of Christianity. That was during the summer last year. The irony of my current proximity to the nearest Catholic church is not lost on me.

What fucked me back up was how I was treated during high school a lot by peers and family, and largely I just got angrier more than anything else. I was trying my best to do better when it all started going downhill fast again. But apparently I was still not good enough. My cousins suddenly became spoiled brats because of my needs frequently not being met entirely, but they seemed so much better adjusted. They didn't understand, and I didn't know how to break my silence. So I started lashing out because i really didn't have the social skills I needed. So yeah, I was definitely an asshole at times. The bullshit from foster care got a refresh, and I was forced to submit to their training again.

Never had any serious issues with Grandma, though in typical moody teenager fashion, I was sometimes a brat.

There's a reason I didn't really come out of my shell again until my junior year of high school. I decided to try to be more brave the year before, since I knew I'd graduate in Ohio. I got better at my art and creative writing, and it seemed to give me a way to connect with others. I decided to go for the culinary class at the career center because hey--good food--and the only thing that was in question was my literal birth date and legal age restrictions with the student restaurant. I got in. Mom and Dad made absolutely sure it was paid for. So I decided to do another nuts thing and go try out for the spring musical. I met one of my closest friends that way. Truly a charismatic character (gonna tag you, @themerrymutants I miss you). I felt accepted and encouraged, like family is supposed to make you feel.

Memories are really just flooding in now, it's a just lot to process. Maybe it's because while answering the person on anon, I opened up a lot of my own psychological cupboards. I never really said a lot of that at once, let alone even explained my logic behind it all. It put a lot of things into perspective for me.

And I just can't help but think, oh, shit, I actually am competent. But I was constantly second-guessing myself because so many of the people around me were hellbent on judging everything I did. Now I understand that in those cases, they most likely feared how authentic I am. Some people, more or less depending on where I was at any given time, thought I was pretty cool because I was so authentic.

I stopped fronting almost entirely when Mom died. I still hadn't recovered at all from literally anything, and didn't know how to handle that. It took cycling through different roles to find something productive for me. I shattered, and ended up pushing most of my remaining idealism into the then-evolving Lilitu.

But I was always at my best when I was true to myself. There were still plenty of people who loved me for who I really was. And that was just enough to keep going. That is precisely what fueled my spite against others who didn't like me. And Mom sure as fuck never quit going.

-Era 🍎😺

[ambersky0319]

Random questions from your ask game!

What was your second dream job as a kid? Why?, 2. What was your favorite game to play as a child? 7. Favorite homemade food? Why do you like it? Could you share the recipe? 🩷 🩷

What was your second dream job as a kid? Why?

Hmmmm I think my second dream job was an artist actually! I hadn't figured out that I loved writing quite yet, and I really enjoyed making art - I don't know if they still have them but my grandparents used to have ALL the little drawings and scribbles I used to make, and had been collecting them since I was little. Dropping the idea that I'd be a veterinarian was also around the same time that I would watch a LOT of mlp speedpaint videos on YouTube, which probably also influenced me wanting to be an artist honestly 😅

What was your favorite game to play as a child?

Literal, physical game? There was this Tinkerbell game I had on my Nintendo DS that I absolutely loved. I don't remember the name of it unfortunately and I also can't seem to find any traces of it, which is a shame!

Games overall? Anything to do with playing pretend! I have a lot of fond memories of playing pretend in the pool with my cousins and sibling, being magic users or magic creatures; playing power rangers with my sibling; creating fun and random dynamics with my friends in school. Fun little story, as a joke my friend group began being like "Grace is the mom, X is the dad, Y and Z are the kids, A is the aunt..." and it just spiraled until basically our entire class/grade was in on it and we'd just created one massive family.

Favorite homemade food? Why do you like it? Could you share the recipe?

My dad's barbeque chicken and rice. It was so fucking good. It was one of the very few things I missed when I moved out. I don't know exactly why I liked it: maybe because when my dad made it, it was never really on a bad day? Like those days he was usually nice? Maybe it's because it was a comfort food from a young age? Maybe it just tasted good? I don't know, but man do I miss it.

And I WISH I could share the recipe. But alas. I don't even have it. The gist of it was, essentially: white rice, with pulled/shredded chicken soaked in barbeque sauce on top.

I could theoretically figure out the recipe. He DID give it to me at one point, but I lost it, and my grandma never put much effort in trying to help me replicate it. And it's simple. But the barbeque sauce was the thibg that really made it, and I have no clue which one my dad used.

Maybe I'll try experimenting when I move out and if I find the right one, I'll share it!

[deans-baby-momma]

Law & Love Chapter 16

Cordi swipes the dishes to the floor with one arm as he lifts and sits me onto the wooden table with the other, his lips never leaving mine.

When I had decided to come to Texas for a visit during the power outage back in Helena, I hadn’t realized his whole family would be gone on their annual camping trip. The only reason Cordell was still in Austin was because the Rangers had gotten a break in a case and he was required to be nearby.

We have the whole ranch to ourselves, no prying eyes or fear of being interrupted and we are taking full advantage of that. I have missed Cordell much more than I care to admit. He has become a drug and I was addicted.  

Cordi’s hands roam my body as mine do the same. The muscles of his biceps are sinewy and firm; the veins prominent through his t-shirt.

His lips slide across my jaw and down to the juncture of my neck and shoulder. I throw my head back, giving him more room to explore. The scruff on his face is coarse against my skin but I relish the burn. I want to feel it elsewhere; I want to have his head between my thighs.

Cordell slowly kisses across my exposed shoulder, his deft fingers gently pulling the strap of my sundress down my arm as his lips follow. 

"God Y/N," he murmurs as he repeats his actions on the other side. "I've missed you."

He pulls back and our eyes meet; his pupils almost conceal his hazel irises. The look of desire and longing is prominent in his features. 

"I'm here now," I whisper as I let the top of my dress fall to my waist, revealing my bare chest. "Use me as you wish."

My words apparently flip a switch in the tall Texan because he growls low before he presses his face into my bosom, pushing until my back hits the tabletop.

Cordell wastes no time in cupping my breasts in his hand as his licks and nips the skin of my cleavage. His large hands massage my tits before he pinches my nipples between his finger and thumb. My back arches off the table as I cry out my pleasure.

"I can't wait to be inside you again," he says as his hands leave my chest and slide down my abdomen. "I'm going to fuck you right here, right now on my Mama and Daddy's table. Okay?"

I whimper at his words, biting my bottom lip as I nod. I know I'm already ruining the wood with my slick dripping onto it.

When Cordell flips my skirt up, he stops and his eyes widen before squinting and looking up at me. "Have you been like this the whole time?"

I nod again, a small smile on my face.

"While we cooked dinner and talked, this pretty little pussy was bare? All I had to do was put my hand up your skirt and feel it?"

"Yea," I answer breathlessly as I watch him look back down at my most intimate part.

"So," he says as he slides his forefinger around my labia, barely touching my skin. "You - planning to seduce me? What if my family had been home?" He inquires, coming to the apex of my lips and stopping. 

I shrug because truthfully I didn't have a good answer. I had taken a chance and it just happened to work out in my favor.

"Oh so lil miss pantyless can't defend herself huh? Well, what should we do about that?" Cordi questions and he cups my mound. Before I can respond, he pulls his hand away and slaps it back against my cunt.

I practically levitate off the table. My body is in overdrive. I never knew something like that would feel so……..good. I am having an out of body experience as I hear myself moan wantonly.

“Oh, somebody likes that,” Cordi chuckles before doing it again. I am completely out of my mind delirious as I can feel my muscles contract around nothing and my pussy getting wetter.

My eyes snap open as Cordell spreads my legs and presses his face into me, using his tongue to open my lips and lick at my entrance. 

“Mmm, tasty,” he mumbles into me before he latches onto my vibrating clit and sucks. I scream at the sensation and slap a hand over my mouth. He laughs before pulling away. “We are miles and miles from another house Y/N, be as fucking loud as you want. Scream my name,” he says as he goes back to eating my out; this time adding a finger into the mix, wiggling the tip against my entrance before pressing into me. 

“Fuck Cordell,” I pant, my fingers tangled in his hair. “Oh god. That feels good.”

Cordell adds another finger in me and starts pumping his hand in and out as he sucks and licks my clit. I can feel the coil in my stomach twisting tighter and tighter and I know I am going to soak his family’s dining table. And I have absolutely no qualms about it. 

When Cordi adds the third finger and the stretch of it burns, I whimper but it doesn’t faze him. He continues his actions, beginning to nip at my swollen bud. As soon as he touches that spongy spot with his fingers, I see stars and my scream probably scares the horses in the barn outside. 

My whole body is shaking and my legs feel like jello as I come back to my senses. I once again open my eyes to see the tall Texas Ranger looking down at me, his fingers still lodged inside my pussy.

“Fuck Y/N. You squirted all over me, the table and the floor,” he says with awe in his voice.

“Sor-sorry,” I pant, feeling a bit embarrassed but Cordell just laughs. 

“Don’t apologize. That was the hottest thing I’ve ever witnessed,” he says as he leans forward and captures my lips. I can taste myself on his tongue and smile.

“I’m so hard, I could probably carve marble,” he mumbles. “Can I fuck you now?”

“Please?” I beg.

It takes him no time in getting his belt undone and his jeans down his long legs. The monster I met before slaps up against his stomach as he pulls his boxers down and my mouth salivates. I’d almost-almost-forgotten what he was packing. 

“So it’s still okay to go bareback?” he asks, his hand wrapping around his massive dick.

“I’m on birth control and clean,” I say. 

“Okay,” he nods and then steps back between my thighs, lining up with my core.

The stretch of my pussy around his cock is magnificent. I can feel every ridge and vein as he pushes into me until he is seated all the way.  We both take a minute to breathe and I look up at him to see his attention is concentrated to the spot where we are connected.

“Damn,” he whispers. “Feels just as good as the last time. Y/N, ready?”

“Cordell Walker, if you don’t start fucking me this instant-” I don’t get to finish my empty threat as he pulls almost out of me and slams back in. “Fuuuuck! Oh god, yes! Just like that.”

Cordell continues to pull out and slam in over and over again while my voice proceeds to get louder and louder until I know tomorrow I am going to be hoarse as hell.

He places my legs on his shoulders and leans over, his palms flat on the table surface as he thrusts hard and deep over and over. I can feel my orgasm building and I know I’m going to drench his dick with my spendings.

At the same time my climax hits, there is a creak and then we both crash to the floor. Cordell doesn’t let up, probably because he is on the precipice of his own end as my mind conjures up the fact that we just broke his family’s dining room table.

Cordell roars as his dick twitches inside me and I feel his hot seed filling me up. As soon as he is finished his head hits my shoulder and he starts laughing.

“What’s so funny Ranger?” I ask.

“I just fucked you so hard, we broke a century old table! Mama is going to be livid."

@spnbaby-67 @sea040561 @delightfullykrispypeach@larajadeschmidt13 @atc74@vicariouslythruspn@squirrelnotsam@sandlee44@blacktithe7@hoboal87@mogaruke@supraveng@deandreamernp@akshi8278 @lyarr24@kazsrm67@chriszgirl92@deanwithscissors@raisinggray@fanfic-n-tabulous@hobby27@stoneyggirl2@brownbearhusky @purpleeclipseeggsland@kmc1989@deans-spinster-witch@yvonneeeeeeee@tmb510@globetrotter28

[borom1r]

take whatever boromir hc or experience you would like (one you rlly love) and just. gush abt it!! I don't know a whole lot but I do know you love him ;v; (ily and I hope you feel at least a bit better soon 💖💖 lmk if there's anything I can do!!)

heurgh thank u dude life just keeps happening so much all the time + im. Fed Up — ily2 tho fr this means a lot;;;;

uuuuuuuuuuuummmm immmm very partial to just. Boromir Is A Good Big Brother. fundamentally, he Cares. he cares so so much. I love him??? I love how much he loves. He wears a ranger’s vambraces, archer’s vambraces bc he loves his baby brother and he’s carrying a piece of Faramir into unfamiliar territory. + obviously there’s his relationship w/ Merry and Pippin and his “give them a moment, for pity’s sake!” line but also the fact that he’s the one to restrain Gimli from running back into the mines, who’s comforting Gimli. + his “don’t carry the weight of the dead” line to Frodo. and just. ARGH im gnawing on things abt Sean Bean’s acting in the Osgiliath flashback.

the bowed head as he steels himself to face Denethor, “the victory belongs to Faramir also” + the encouraging little nod, the disbelieving shake of his head at Denethor’s “I know his uses and they are few” ITS SO!!!!!!!!!! like he is absolutely playing a part. Boromir, Golden Son of Gondor is absolutely an act put on for his father’s sake. and i just. dude I feel so normal abt the fact Boromir rocks up to Rivendell in EXTRAVAGANT clothing for a nation constantly at war, neighboring the source of all fucking evil. he has silver stars on his gambeson, a garment nobody will EVER fucking see!!!! all this finery and he’s wearing vambraces his baby brother 110% gave him. and he’s using the under-layer which he has No Reason to use bc he’s not an archer (except sentimentality. bc that’s the way Faramir wears HIS, bc he IS an archer.)

the very core of him is caring and I get so. skfhshhfhd I’ve blocked two ppl in the boromir tag for being like “I don’t like him” ok for one worstie why the fuck are you posting this IN HIS TAG then????? and for two what do you MEANNNNNNNN you don’t like him????????? “he’s morally grey” “he’s a villain” did we READ the same BOOKS?????? watch the same films??????? he’s a MAN. he’s a man who loves SO MUCH that this ring, which is so evil literally fucking everybody with even an ounce of power + real understanding is scared to touch it, can ONLY corrupt his love and even then only for a moment. he is a TRAGIC character because he is a good man!!! and even good men when driven to extremes of desperation can do things they regret. external influence and evil magic bullshit or not Boromir was at his breaking point mentally and saw one path forward and regretted it instantly!!!!! I can’t stand Boromir slander I will key your fucking car over Boromir slander.

also this is silly but I was talking w a beloved friend abt how everyone gets their autism from their dad. and Faramir absolutely got his autism from Boromir. undiagnosed KING we stan a legend who managed to fly completely under the radar for Weird but can talk at length for hours about obscure battles and legendary warriors if u get him started. also he has to leave the room if he smells eggs cooking and he makes his bed/packs his bedroll Perfectly every morning so his routine always Starts The Same, but that’s fine :) that’s just Boromir for ya :)

Faramir bemoaning the fact he got all the verbal + sensory issues meanwhile Boromir got Encyclopedic Knowledge Of Obscure Military Facts and Stubborn About Routine (“I MUST blow my horn every time I leave on a quest bc I REFUSE to set out like a thief in the night. now we can sneak around tho!” <- he is so fucking silly I love him)

[tboy-boone]

1-7, 10-18, 23

Hi golf!!

1. Your favorite movie released this year

I really liked Five Nights at Freddy's but I think it's because I played the games way back when...

2. A movie you think is underrated

Power Rangers 2017. I know no one liked it but I had fun so that means it's a good movie ❤️ or Gone in Sixty Seconds! It's a fun and silly found family movie!!

3. A movie you think is overrated

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation 🧍‍♂️ I think there was a lot of potential to make it...... better but no one took those opportunities! I don't really like it and it's my least favourite of the series!

4. A movie you like but wouldn't recommend

The Double because I liked it and it was a cool concept BUT I WAS STRESSED OUT THE WHOLE TIME. world's most stressful movie oh my god

5. A movie musical you like

I know I will get hate from you for this but I liked Mamma Mia! It's one of my favourites and I have the soundtrack on cd!

6. A horror movie you like

I REFUSE to pick one because I love horror movies so much. OF COURSE The Thing, Psycho, 1408, Insidious, Us, and Nope!!! I love them!!!

7. A sci-fi movie you like

CAPRICORN ONE!!! I have soooooo many thoughts on this movie. I hate the ending, fuck that ending, what is wrong with you. But OUGH EVERYTHING ABOUT IT

10. A foreign-language movie you like

Ante... Sundaraniki! You'd probably hate it because people find love and are happy <3

11. A movie you wish you could un-watch

The Hotel just because it was sooooo boring and nothing happened

12. A performance you think is underrated

SAM WATERSTON IN CAPRICORN ONE!!!!!

13. A performance you think is overrated

All performances in Friends With Benefits. I didn't like that movie and I didn't get the hype either

14. A movie made better by the ending

I thought the ending of Next was pretty good and I wouldn't have liked it so much if it didn't end like that

15. A movie ruined by the ending

EXILED THE LAW & ORDER MOVIE BECAUSE WHY THE FUCK WOULD THEY DO THAT. He is my little pookie :(

16. A trilogy/franchise you like

I looooove fast and furious, mission impossible, and bourne franchises. They are RAHSHHSHS

17. A movie you never get tired of talking about

Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol!!! It's probably the best in the franchise and my favourite!!! The comedy aspect is sooooo strong in this movie and the others hardly compare to this one

18. A movie you never wanna hear about again

Vampire's Kiss!! I know a lot of people really enjoyed, yknow Nic did a good job. I just didn't have a good time! I didn't like it and I didn't have a good experience! I don't want to rewatch it or think about it ever again!

23. An animated movie you like

NIMONA!!!! I haven't watched it in a while but I really loved it when it first came out <3

[okami-zero]

OC Name Meanings

I appreciate the tag, @kittynomsdeplume! xD

Rules: Google and post the meaning of your OC’s name (if you made their name up or they go by a nickname, post an explanation of how it came to you)! bonus if you can find something for their last name too.

I believe I shall tag... @elveny, @vasheden, @greyias, @traveleorzea, @autumnslance, @kunstpause, @sasslett, @clockworkdragonffxiv, @karoiseka, @yzeltia and anyone else who see this and wants to join in!

Okay, so one thing to note about most of my OCs, is their names generally just pop out of the random mess of alphabet soup constantly simmering in some corner of my brain. Not ALL of them (for example, Akagi's family name), but most. Or are inspired/pulled from other places. I will go with my big three main MMO fellas, and my two 100% original OCs. Also, have a cut cause I, uh, got carried away. ^_^; (And I am sorry this took so long. >.<)

Zedd Overkill/Zed'rika Ov'redis- Okay, this guy. My half-echani smuggler in SWTOR, who is based on the original I made ages ago (and who is the descendant of the SWTOR one, after some revisions/additions/etc.) The OG is Zedd Overkill, inspired by my favorite Power Rangers villain (Lord Zedd), the head agent from MiB (Zed, as in the letter) and with inspiration from Hackers (Crash Override), a dash (heh, pun) of Dash Rendar from Shadows of the Empire and a maybe just a hint of Han solo. The name popped into my head after watching Hackers and was trying to think up a cool email during computer class (back when Hotmail was still Hotmail xD). The name was repurposed with a smuggler character I made with a friend when we were just making up neat Star Wars OCs for a maybe story we were writing. Story never got finished, but Zedd stuck around. "Overkill" is more a nickname now, as his preferred method of rapid problem-solving involves liberal applications of thermal detonators. x3 Rav Masahiro & Marshall O'Donnell - These two are my second oldest persistent OCs after good ol' Zedd. There is technically one that is older (in fact, old enough that he used Zedd's moniker for a while, back when folding an OC to fit any AU was my MO), but he's kind of only half-baked, for the most part. Rav and Marshall are next in line, and are, by and large much more polished. The story they were to be set in was very grand in scale and scope, considering it was kind of a series of AUs where things in various realities were being fucked with, and they are two of a team of six who are sent out to deal with such things. If this sounds like a certain popular video game franchise from a prominent Japanese publisher, you'd be right in there being some similarities, I guess, but they predate it by about a year. Well, technically Rav predates it, Marshall didn't crystallize until about a year or so later. Powersets are very shounen-ish, I guess? Little bit of henshin and other stuff thrown in for flavor (and things have been tweaked and appended over time). Anyway, Rav's name comes from a reworking of my own name, as he is kind of my self-insert-ish guy. His last name comes from my at-the-time rampant obsession with Japanese culture (yes, yes, I'll say it, I was a weeb. The interest remains, though tempered by time, experience and education). I thought his last name meant something else, as Googling in those early days was... a crap shoot. And the fact that Masahiro is a given name in Japanese hasn't deterred me, as embarrassing as it might be, it just... is a thing now. xD (The other half-baked OC I mentioned has a similar nomenclature goof). Marshall's name kind of just, popped out of the ether, but it flows well and it fits. She does let people close to her shorten it to "Shall" (sounds like shawl). Do NOT call her "Marsh", "Marshie" or "Marsha" or she'll deck you. Like, lay you out flat with one punch. Moving on!

Xanotos Delkai - My Warrior tank in WoW. Another lad who went through some changes. xD So my first character in WoW was a human hunter back in the...alpha or beta, whenever it was they were originally playable before getting nixed. His name was Thanatos, inspired by the character of the same name from a Sega CD fighting game Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side. He was a typical Grim Reaper-y Death (as Thanatos was the personification of death in Greek mythology, and a psychopomp, I believe). I liked the name. However, the character was nuked after the alpha or beta or whatnot. So, when I remade the character for the full version, I rolled up a Warrior and named him Xanatos/Xanotos (depending on the server), or Xano. Now, I have remade and moved this character many times over the years. Delkai became his surname at some point, and when worgen came out, he was race-changed to worgen, and his backstory was shifted and fleshed out further. Fun fact: the Gargoyles TV series was the farthest thing from my mind when I made this toon, and was for many years. It wasn't until... just before or around Legion, I think? that I realized I had named him the same (if spelled differently) as Evil 90s Will Riker. xD

Akagi Obinata - And now we get to my most recent and most prevalent MMO OC, Akagi. Paladin, Tankfriend, tol dragon/lizard man. So, sadly, this boy is the third I have given a Japanese-style name to, and borked the order of, because Akagi is a freaking surname. >.< Now, I am aware that Hingashi (he was born and raised in/around Kugane) is only kind of Etheirys-Japan, but... I am just...moving on! The inspiration for his given name is one Akagi Shunsuke (or Shunsuke Akagi, in Western fashion) from the anime Dai-Guard. It is an absolutely insane super robot show and I love it, and I see a lot of myself in one of the protagonists (the aforementioned Akagi Shunsuke). So, in honor of a favorite character, I chose that. Forgetting, or blindly ignoring the fact that just because everyone in the show (save for his one relative we see) refers to him as Akagi because it is a cultural thing, and not because it is his given name. >.< What's done is done, however. His surname, thankfully, is one from a list of suggested surnames from the raen au ra lore I could find. It means "blades on waist", and I figured that there were samurai in his family line far enough back that that was the name they took. Akagi, by the way, is if I am not mistaken, "red castle", and well, he IS red. And the Paladin LB3 is a freaking castle WALL, so... it fits in a retroactive kind of way. xD (I was not thinking of his coloring, nor was I aware of what the LB3 looked like when I made him. ^_^; )

And that is it! Do I have more OCs? Yes! But they are all kind of self-contained to different things, and their names are more of a kind of mental slot machine than these goobers (plus the one xD). Hopefully I didn't ramble TOO too much, but I get excited about my homemade blorbos, y'know how it is. Thanks for reading!

[thepringlesofblood]

Casting My Opinions Into The Void: d20′s Neverafter ep 1+2

this is the first d20 campaign im going to be following live and i am excited enough to do a lil post each week or so about it. mostly bc recycling and adapting and retelling and retranslating old stories that “everyone knows” is my whole shit. like i got a degree in the study of ancient greek and roman civilization (classics). my whole thing is reading old myths and plays that “everyone knows” how they go and seeing what each author/translator brings to the table.

anyway i watched episodes 1 n 2 and i am excited and my observations are below

(like if you were really into the Sisters Grimm series as a kid and are similarly excited for this lol the modernized fairytale characters in that series are literally called “Everafters” and its because it’s really good shorthand for the audience. i see you brennan i see you)

normally ppl who do the whole ‘dark/horror/thriller fairytale’ thing fuck it up bc they think it’s about the shock value, or about seeing how nasty you can get with it, so I usually avoid them, but after bingewatching a kadrillion d20 campaigns, I trust brennan to do it right. you have to find the core value/crux of what is horrifying about the story and tease it out, and play with the symbolism and icons of the original story to reflect that. and brennan fuckin delivered.

ep 1

folks, give a hand to the people who put detailed yet non-spoilery content warnings in the description. tbh dropout shows are setting the standard for sensitivity and inclusion in media. it’s so lovely to see a show w content warnings or pronouns put up onscreen and it just not be addressed. i am forever spoiled for any other kind of media tbh

at some point in the past, brennan found out he could make a really good realistic choking/gagging noise, and he has used it in every campaign since.

i appreciate the ‘scare off the meek early’ approach of it all.

th. the briars. the concept. the dead princes - UGH good backstory yall

i very much like the idea of becoming a ranger out of necessity, and because plants obey you on account of that whole feeding-on-your-blood thing

puss in boots using ‘pib’ as a nickname instead. of ‘puss’ or ‘boots’ - inspired

also zac is using his ‘smart little shit’ voice like he did w lapin and i am v excited.

look ill say it - the little red hen did nothing wrong and thats on that. i read that one when i was very little, it was on electric company or sesame st or between the lions, and i’ve always liked it.

so......anyone see how mother goose’s husband has the last name hubbard? like old mother hubbard lol

also there really is a Jack in so many stories, i’m glad we’re addressing this. little shit gets up to so much trouble

it feels like I have seen so many tired rewritings of little red riding hood, even though I can’t think of any off the top of my head. it’s usually a sort of surface-deep ‘girl power!’ situation. i’ve never seen one like this. i LOVE it. it was terrifying. the fact that we all just sort of accept ‘barbarian’ as a normal dnd class is kind of wild tbh, i like exploring that rage and its source.

Ep 2

saying the actual nursery rhyme in the context of being the nursery rhyme is so powerful. i fully didn’t understand what was happening to nat king cole (v powerful) until he was gone.

also, herr drosselmeyer - fantastic get. you have to talk about the sugar plum fairy at some point and they already went in hard on her in acoc so i love that they were like you know what, it’s weird uncle time.

(context: herr drosselmeyer is clara’s eccentric uncle with a bunch of automatons and he gives her the nutcracker)

also every production ive seen has his drip immaculate. 

my gender is this man’s cloak

Murph is the fucking ball again

“Please tell me how you’re a monster too so I don’t feel so alone” - Jesus Christ Emily Axford

Almost getting distracted by a bird instead of picking up v obvious plot hooks: pt 2

cinderella.......dude

Brennan really looked at K’s finale scene from mismag and went “how DID the mice get lithium?”

The POV of the mice - simplifying it makes it sound ridiculous, but if you really dig into the idea of the mice as sentient beings it’s horrifying.

Dude the symbolism…stepmother eating her kids bc they were always either a tool or an obstacle to her, of course they would be a sacrifice to her hunger for power.

i’ve always liked endings that have the stepsisters reconciling w cinderella bc in the end they were also victims of abuse and it wasn’t the same or the same degree of abuse as cinderella but they were still constantly on thin ice

can you tell that i rewatched d20 live recently and sobbed at adaine and aelwyn’s ending?

Cinderella stabbing the fairy godmother with the broken heel of the shoe that symbolizes both the ending she was meant for and the life that she was forced into. Turning that into glass armor. dude.

The pumpkin carriage rotting bc the fairy godmother is trying to make the happily ever after stay exactly how it is forever but nature decays and time passes and she can’t acknowledge that without realizing both that her role is in the story is over and not only does cinderella not need her anymore, cinderella doesn’t want her anymore, and maybe never wanted her in the first place. 

When puss in boots was asked what he wanted in life and he just said ‘to be comfortable’ #relatable like I know all this is gonna end with him realizing the value of love and friendship over material goods and I 100% agree with that but i feel like this goal or some variation of it are v common today and not often addressed in stories like this

Pinocchio swearing - 10/10. Also how the fuck is Lou doing a Pinocchio voice that perfectly straddles the line between hilarious and annoying. It’s ridiculous enough to always be funny, but sustainable and varied enough that it doesn’t grate on you.

i think we’re getting into “all the princesses in all the stories are all sisters” territory and i for one am THRILLED

"mirror, mirror.......leaned up against the wall”

we learn in this adventuring party that the OG concept for lou’s pinocchio is that he snapped off his nose so he would be able to lie, which is AMAZING. i fully did not put that together.

i am v excited for this battle, and v terrified.

[thornethenorn]

Just a warm-up using my Commander.

Thorne, norn ranger- pet is a cat named Ivory. (in game she's a snow Leopard/cheetah, but in my storylines, she's a Shiverpeaks Forest Cat (Norwegian Forest Cat)

He can't shapeshift, and has a tail and long ears from when he first tried and something went wrong when Snow Leopard came to him as his spirit guide as a kid.

That's the basic info I think

"I'm fine."

Thorne said that a lot. It was as if he was trying to convince himself that it was true. He knew that it wasn't- but nobody else had to. He didn't tell Dragon's Watch about what happened every time they settled down for the night. Didn't tell them that as soon as he laid down and curled up in his bedroll, he knew he wouldn't be able to get back up, much less move. He didn't tell them about the fact that he was so weak he could barely sleep, and that Ivory had to fetch him rations whenever he was hungry.

He didn't tell them- they didn't know.

Because each day, after a night of rest, he forced himself to get up and lead.

The only person he had hinted it to was Taimi. He didn't tell her how bad it was getting, but of all people, she would understand.

But he didn't tell her the full truth. He wasn't going to show how weak he truly was. His team needed him.

Thorne contemplated all of this as he begrudgingly let Taimi hook him up to all sorts of her magic tech. He started to regret telling her what his theory about his shapeshifting problem was.

“Uh… commander?” Taimi squeaked.

Thorne sighed. “Don’t use that tone when I’m strapped and wired to your machines that do raven knows what,”

”I… it’s just… not…” Taimi scowled. “You said you think your transforming problem is because of your internal magic not working?”

”Yes.”

”Do you know… how it’s not working?”

It was Thorne’s turn to frown. “No.”

”Well, I thought it might’ve been a deficiency, but…” Taimi turned the screen around, as if Thorne knew what any of it meant. “You have… too much internal magic.”

Thorne paused. “I have what?”

”I- I don’t know,” Taimi stammered. “Yet, at least. I need to get some more specifics…”

Thorne watched as the asura limped around her lab. “I might be really glad that I chose the dragon lab for this,” She muttered to herself. “Because… some of that magic… I think it’s dragon magic.”

Thorne paused, his heart skipping a beat. “What..?”

”I’m sensing… yeah, you have a little bit of Kralkatorik’s magic, Mordremoth’s magic, and Zaitan’s magic. And… I… I think that might be Balthazar’s! That’s awakened magic- woah!” Taimi laughed. “Do you know what this means?!” She cried.

”I’m fucked?” Thorne whispered.

”No! You’re the first native Tyrian, maybe even the first mortal, known to ever be able to consume magic like a dragon!! And if my Hypothesis is correct in that this ability messes up your use of magic, your brother might also be able to consume magic! isn’t that awesome?!"

Taimi's voice started ringing in Thorne's ears as he felt all of the air sucked out of him.

able to consume magic like a dragon!

consume magic like a dragon!

like a dragon!

“Woah, I think there’s some of Jormag’s magic! This is incredible! We haven’t even killed him yet!”

”Issormir…” He whispered.

Thorne felt sick. How long had he been sapping magic from the land? How long until he went insane like Kralkatorik did?

He slipped out of the chair and onto his knees, grabbing a small trash can and vomiting into it.

Taimi turned around at the commotion. “Ohhhh… I left you hooked up a little long. Whoops,”

***

It made sense. Oh, by the Bear did it make sense.

All the times he had communed with places of power, just trying to connect to the spirits, trying to please them, trying to get stronger...

“Oh, Alchemy, please stop crying!” Taimi begged. “I am horrible at comforting people!”

“Oh, spirits… oh, spirits, he was right!”

"oh, uh- no, no, that's not-" Taimi struggled.

Thorne took a shuddering breath before vomiting in the bin again.

"I'm a freak of nature... I knew I was a freak of nature but I'm even more of a freak than that!"

"Commander, look at it this way: you are a... marvel of science!"

"Please stop talking,"

"Noted."

Thorne realized it now. His body was tearing itself apart, wasn't it? By the look on Taimi's face, she had realized it too.

"How do I get rid of it?" He whispered.

"I'm not sure." Taimi chuckled nervously. "Yet, at least. I'll figure it out, okay? Okay."

Thorne sighed, and vomited again.

[earthstellar]

The Origins of the Circle of Light: A Hasbro Show Most of You Probably Never Watched

I know the Visionaries was sort of a flop when it aired originally in the 80s, or at least, I remember it as having mostly flopped-- it couldn’t really compete with the other great shit on TV at the time, not even other Hasbro properties 

if I remember right it also aired at a timeslot (in my region at least) where it competed directly with Thundercats, which, uh, good luck beating Thundercats LOL

but for context, the first two episodes (one, two) help with figuring out the basics, if you can get through it lmao 

summary of the show:

tl;dr think medieval magic but also future sci-fi Power Rangers but also Animorphs if it were mystical and not necessarily alien stuff but also a touch of He-Man but with an ensemble cast sprinkle sort of reminiscent of GI Joe complete with some tough guy characters but also a little bit of She-Ra with a couple female characters, then sprinkle the whole thing with Dungeons and Dragons in terms of the magic elements but also Super Cool Rad Future Gear because It Was The 80s and Everything is the Future 

and of course the whole thing had extremely 80s writing and generally pretty cheesy dialogue 

it was pretty nuts, lmao 

and you might be wondering why I’m talking about this on my Transformers blog

WELL

in a Jimmy Neutron-style brain blast, out of nowhere, I remembered that the Circle of Light was a whole thing on that show!  

which was also made by Hasbro, because of course it was 

if I remember correctly, it also had overlapping production dates with Transformers, for the only season Visionaries ever got in 1987 (so concept/production probably ran for a couple years prior as well, but that’s just my guess in terms of development time) 

and in the IDW 1 era, they even did a Visionaries comic crossover with Transformers (although they didn’t mention the Circle of Light in the Visionaries context in this mini series if I remember correctly, I’ll have to re-read it to double check) 

BUT 

the Circle of Light concept was essentially done first in Visionaries: 

it’s worth remembering that the full title of the original show was Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light 

on the show, there were two groups of Knights, one of which was called the Spectral Knights (reminds me of how Spectralism was popular among the Knights of the Circle of Light in IDW 1 Transformers)

in the original Visionaries, the Circle of Light -- and this is really pushing my memory to try to remember this because it’s been MANY years since I watched this show LMAO -- was the magical basis for the Knights to form and be granted their respective powers, and was also effectively a way to refer to the Knights/their power-sources/the magic lore behind their team of Knights, and also referred to a sort of prior King Arthur/Round Table of Knights kind of situation as well (think spiritual/magic elders but also their own current group could be referred to as this, if I recall correctly-- I could be fucking this part up, though) 

their powers were also directly related to an energy/magic that was essentially gifted to them but also based on their innate personal “magic” (personality traits), which is somewhat similar to how the swords used by the Transformers Circle of Light Knights draws upon the wielder’s spark energy.

my memory is probably somewhat shitty regarding Visionaries, and there’s fairly little information about this series because it ran for a short period of time, it doesn’t have the biggest fanbase, and compared to other shows being aired at the time it’s a little more of a rough re-watch so I’m not sure how much fun it would be to go watch the whole thing again to confirm any details 

but I’m not the only one who’s noticed the similarities to the Transformers Circle of Light -- the TF Wiki page for the Circle of Light also notes that the concept existed previously in Visionaries! 

so it’s not just me, and since Visionaries was never overwhelmingly popular, I just figured I’d point it out here. I’m glad someone over at TF Wiki added this as a note. 

it would have been interesting, maybe, to see some of the Visionaries in the IDW 1 crossover maybe interact with a Spectralist, or perhaps even Drift or another Knight from Crystal City if that would be feasible 

but the storyline they went with was pretty decent, and I get that it was probably not possible within the plot they were going for or the characters they had available to work with! 

either way, hopefully this is a little interesting to those of you who never got to see Visionaries, or just aren’t familiar with it at all. <3 

[tsuki-sennin]

Don Don Donbrothers!  Don Don Rolling and going!  Don Don Donbrothers!  Don Don Don Don Don Don Don... Yeah! 

Rampagin’ through the streets  Everyone does their part  No other, better chance Our party’s about to start!  Going ape in the club with the hardest beats  Clock strikes, it's time to dance...  Follow My way! 

Feeling your soul blaze, so wild and free!  Swift wings strong as a howling breeze!  I run out swinging, better watch yourself!  Go all out for prizes on the top shelf! 

Right now we Go! (Go!) Go! (Go!)  Let’s show ‘em all our power range now, Avatar Change!  Go! (Go!) Don’t matter when now, don't cry!  Your heart’ll still be shining bright!  Blast your sorrows far away! No way you can't say, "I am the Only One"!

Don Don Donbrothers!  Don Don Rolling and going  Don Don Donbrothers!  Don Don Don Don Don Don Don... Yeah!

That, my dear readers, was an attempt at "localizing" Win Morisaki's "Ore Koso Only One" using the approximate translation of the TV length version of the theme put on the Ranger Wiki as a base. I spent a few days on it, and I understand it's hardly perfect (what with the creative liberties I took), but I felt it's only fitting that I go big for such a force of personality as Don Momotaro.

Episode 50, of Avataro Sentai Donbrothers. Can't believe it's finally ending. Our festival's about to as the clock strikes midnight on this town. I'm obviously gonna miss this series. But like... for how bittersweet this feels, I'm not sad at all. This is the best festival I've ever been to, and we've all made some truly unforgettable memories.

There ain't ever gonna be another series like Donbrothers, but I truly hope that it inspires some absolutely batshit insane stories to be told for years to come.

So, without further ado... Spoilers, I guess...

-Oh my God.

-Haruka was a self-insert for Toshiki Inoue all along!

-Haruka wins all the things. And you know what? She's more than earned it.

-WHAT THE FUCK THAT IS INOUE

-H-Hello, Inoue-sensei!

-He and Sonoza are so proud.

-Everyone's so happy for you :)

-Ohhh, Tarou...

-No opening today, just gotta jump right into it.

-Hatanaka-san...

-Oh no, Tarou's forgetting everything

-"...did you like me putting your life on the line constantly?"

-"...I mean, at first I didn't, but then I did, y'know?"

-Haruka's seen the best and worst of humanity thanks to these weirdos.

-"Man, nobody's gonna try to claim that but you."

-Goodbye?

-Ohhh...

-Shinichi, of course, absolutely doesn't regret it.

-A fun little learning experiment.

-As transient as the clouds.

-Ohhhhh shit.

-"The most beautiful woman in the world... is me!"

-Sonona~! Our final boss.

"GIMME THAT, NERD! You're welcome, scrub lord!"

-There he is! Murakami!

-Sonoya~!

-OH SHE CAN JUST

-STEAL POWERSETS, OKAY

-He can too, okay! That's terrifying!

-Flattened like a beer can.

-Ah, yep. Relationship drama.

-I don't blame her at all, tbh.

-"Shit, this ain't a good time."

-How delightfully anti-climactic.

-A bit of self-reflection would do ya some good, doggie.

-"I'll do it full time. So other people's relationships can flourish where mine didn't."

-Murasame-kun!

-Where ya goin' buddy?

-Momoi Jumpscare.

-Hello, Tsuyoshi.

-"Oh come now, it's okay! I'm a Donbrother, remember?"

-Tarou's so proud of his little losers.

-"Sonoshi-chan."

-W

-Wiggly, what the fuck

-Sonoshi's so fucking terrified, they're about to shit gold.

-MURASAME-KUN NO

-"Our boss!"

-RESET

-WHAT

-Oh okay, Papa Jin's just free now

-There's no need for a Momoi Tarou in the current age.

-"Not my boyfriend!"

-"It's tasty. You should try one, Dad."

-HE EVEN FORGOT HIS DAD AAAAAA

-Good work, Tarou.

-Sonoi on the street corner. What will he do?

-"So like... can you help me remember everything?"

-OHHHH

-That Murakami grin.

-"You seem kinda off, man."

"H-hey, Tarou!

-Oden :)

-"Kitou Haruka. She makes manga."

-Momoi-san...

-"He's a timid little birdie."

-"Good night, Tarou-san."

-Who...

-Sonoi aaa

-Oh no

-The Condor Signal!

-Holy shit, these guys are strong.

-"Well, if it isn't little Sonoi! Where'd your boyfriend go?"

-Ewwwww, don't lick those

-He's goin' on. Leavin' us all behind.

-The executioners.

-"Tarou's left me in charge! It's my chance to do him right!"

-"The author of this manuscript wanted you to read this. ...don't worry, my name is Kaito, I run this cafe."

-Tsuyoshi and Tsubasa! CGI in arms.

-YOOOO MURASAME

-"I hate you. I'm gonna be with my friends!"

-Holy shit, Haruka was thorough.

-His little sister, his boyfriend, his friends, and himself. Don Momotaro.

-God, brutal.

-HERE HE COMES

-Hahahahahahahaha~!

-Laugh, you gotta laugh! The festival is here!

-Up on your feet! It's time to shout it loud, shout it proud!

-Absolute integrity personified! Sonoi!

-A beautiful rose has its thorns... looking to know love, Sononi!

-When something catches my interest, nothing gets in my way! Sonoza!

-The jaws that've snapped awake! Don Murasame!

-Don Dragoku! And Don Torabolt!

-Farewell, transient world! Saru Brother!

-The manga master! Oni Sister!

-The fastest getaway of all time! Inu Brother!

-Faithful pheasant! Kiji Brother!

-Here it comes

-Born from the peach! Don Momotaro!

-Yo! Nippon Ichi!

-Avataro Sentai! Donbrothers!

-TIngly tingly!

-Literally the hypest shit of all time.

-Momotaro Slash!

-He's gone.

-He vanished as he lived. In a fiery explosion brought about by his grandstanding lunacy and obsession with the people he loves.

-Criminal Couple~!

-Oh fuck, Natsumi-san.

-Damn girl, you bounced the hell back!

-Motherfucker broke the fourth wall. to give his scarf away.

-My friends! Getting the Inoue Award! ...I suppose Murasame didn't feel quite like getting up on stage today. It's alright, he's his own man.

-Oh? Who might be at the door?

-Oh thanks Auntie Yuriko.

-The delivery man :)

-We made a bond :)

-The handoff :)

-My heart feels like it's shining today.

-...I suppose whoever Mother and Don Kaito really are is a bit irrelevant, but to be honest I think I've had more than my fill.

-Thank you, old man Inoue. You're an odd fellow, but I must say, you steam a good ham.

-Big shoutouts to literally every person on this cast and crew for going far harder than they ever had any right to. The action directors, the editors, the stuntmen and women, the cops,

-And of course, thank you for watching and following along with me.

-It was a weird path, one fraught with weirdos minor and major, insane bullshit left and right, things that just happen, extremely satisfying sound design, fights like you've never seen before, plenty of love and kindness spread about, and lots of screaming. It was all worth it.

-I expect big things from you, KuwagataOhger. A supposed "King of Evil".