#if there's anything after that point in the show that doesn't mesh with what i've written no there isn't <3

[teetle-time]

…so the writing demons grabbed me by the throat this morning and wouldn't let me go until i wrote this. anyway @hasello the cousins au is living in my brain rent-free so i hope u don't mind that i took a crack at something first-meetings-y with rise and 03 and wound up with 2.5k words of the babies :D

〜

The rat who once was Lou sprinted down the rain-slick alleyway with one arm clutching his boys to his chest and the other digging through his pockets.

"I saw it run this way!"

He bit back a curse; his pursuers were still hot on his trail.

And his tail.

Heh.

What a time to be alive.

The mystic key bumped against his fingers, and he quickly snatched it out of his pocket and darted to the nearest wall. He needed to be quick and precise.

…well, he at least managed speed. He spent too many precious seconds glancing back to watch the beams of light bounce ever higher just a turn away, so he really had no idea if his sigil was anywhere near accurate.

As if in answer to prayer, it lit up, opening a circular portal for him, and he leapt through without a second thought, pocketing the key as he fell.

His luck held out long enough for him to hear it close behind him without any of the humans chasing him shouting in surprise.

It did not hold out long enough to actually drop him into the Hidden City.

Instead, when the portal ended, he stumbled out into a long tunnel, directly in front of another rat with four humanoid turtles around them.

No-Longer-Lou froze like a deer in headlights, staring at the strangers and heaving for air.

The strangers all mirrored him, freezing in place and scanning him in all their various capacities.

The other rat spoke first: "My, isn't this unexpected?"

A snort forced its way from No-Longer-Lou against his will at that, though he quickly brought a hand (no, he had paws now) to his mouth to stifle it. "I- I'm so sorry, I just- I didn't mean to- This isn't where-!"

"Peace," said the other rat, carefully maneuvering the turtle in front of him a bit to the side and standing up. "Whatever circumstances brought you here, it is clear that you have been moved by the strings of fate, rather than by choices of your own design. You mean no harm to us, yes?"

"I-I- yes."

"And we mean no harm to you," soothed the other.

No-Longer-Lou breathed heavily for a moment more, but then his attention was quickly arrested by motion in his arms.

Raphael- the quickest to grow, but still so, so small- screwed up his face. "Papa?"

"I'm right here, Raphael," No-Longer-Lou murmured, reaching into the sling to give the boy's hand a squeeze.

The other rat's eyes widened at the name. "Now, that is a one-in-a-million chance, indeed."

"Why's he got a baby with my name?" demanded the turtle wearing a red mask over his eyes.

It was No-Longer-Lou's turn to be surprised. "Raphael? But then…"

He took in the colors of the masks on the other three turtle boys' faces.

Purple, blue, and orange.

"Donatello? Leonardo? M-Michelangelo?"

Silence.

At least, until the turtle boy in orange leaned over to his brothers and whispered loudly, "How does he know our names, dudes?!"

No-Longer-Lou's sons roused at their names, and he quickly realized his mistake as Michelangelo began to fuss. "Oh, oh, no, Michelangelo, please, it is alright, please don't-!"

Michelangelo may have been the youngest, but he had a record-shattering set of lungs, for sure.

The moment Michelangelo began to wail, Leonardo jumped in with him, refusing to be left out, and then Raphael was crying and Donatello was shoving his tiny head into No-Longer-Lou's chest with his hands over where his ears would have been and the rat could feel his own ears on the verge of bleeding-!

The other rat's back straightened, and he turned to the older turtle boys. "My sons, I still have some of the supplies I scavenged when you were tots. Raphael, the pacifiers. Leonardo and Donatello, the blankets. Michelangelo, the pillows."

The boys nodded seriously, wincing as the cries reached a peak before darting across the tunnel and digging through various chests and boxes. Meanwhile, the other rat carefully took No-Longer-Lou's arm and led him towards the chair the others had been gathered around in the first place. "Please, have a seat. I would quite like to hear the tale of how you came to this place-"

-an ear-splitting cry from Leonardo-

"-but first, we must calm your children," finished the other rat with a tired smile.

No-Longer-Lou nodded just as tiredly and began to gently bounce his boys. "There, there, your Papa is right here, we are all together, and…and we are safe."

The other rat's expression warmed.

"I got the pacifiers!" called the older boy named Raphael, charging back over and brandishing the four objects in one hand.

"Excellent work, Raphael," praised the other rat as he took the pacifiers.

The boy beamed.

"These should do for now," the other rat said, pressing one into No-Longer-Lou's paw. "These were enchanted by an old friend of mine to allow them to keep up with beaked babies."

No-Longer-Lou managed a weak smile at that, then carefully reached in to nudge the pacifier against Michelangelo's mouth. "Here we are, little Orange. Wouldn't it be nicer to suck on this instead of crying?"

Michelangelo hiccuped, but after a moment of what seemed like confusion, his mouth closed around the pacifier and he looked up at No-Longer-Lou with wide, wet eyes.

"One down, two to go," chuckled the other rat, handing off another pacifier. This one went to Leonardo, who contented himself quickly once he had something to do with himself. He seemed to be gnawing on the pacifier, rather than sucking on it, but No-Longer-Lou chalked it up to curiosity at the foreign object.

Surprisingly- or perhaps not- Donatello was the next one to need something to work with. Raphael began calming down after a few moments of being the only one still crying, but when Donatello caught sight of Leonardo messing with the pacifier, he turned an utterly betrayed stare up at No-Longer-Lou until he gave the boy one to fiddle with.

With the remaining pacifier in hand, No-Longer-Lou smiled wearily at Raphael. "You may be a bit big to use this, Red. Do you still want to try?"

Raphael nodded firmly. "Raphie's the big brother. Gotta be the bestest essample."

No-Longer-Lou handed the pacifier over, and…yep, it was completely dwarfed by his son. Still, his boy held it in his mouth and smiled over at Michelangelo when the two met eyes.

Michelangelo blinked, then smiled back.

"Blanket delivery!" called the bigger Donatello, carrying a pile of blankets nearly as tall as he was.

Next to him, his brother Leonardo fussed. "Donnie, I told you I could have held some!"

"Easy, Leonardo," chuckled the other rat, easily lifting the blankets from Donatello's hands. "How about you make sure our visitors are tucked in and comfortable?"

"Okay, Father," chirped Leonardo, immediately doing exactly that- and perhaps peeking into No-Longer-Lou's arms a few times to peer at his boys.

Little Raphael watched the bigger boy curiously, then said around the pacifier, "Raphie thought we were th'only turtle people."

The bigger Leonardo paused for a moment, then looked at him. "So'd we."

Leonardo- the baby- met the other Leonardo's eyes, then spat out his pacifier- and yes, it was much more chewed-on than before. "Hi! Hi, hi, hi! I'm Leo!"

The other Leonardo blinked, then grinned. "Me too. It's a good name, right?"

Little Leonardo nodded, shaking his entire body from the effort. "Daddy pickeded it!"

No-Longer-Lou chuckled. "Feeling better now, are we?"

Little Leonardo nodded again, just as energetically. "Mikey no sad no more!"

"Did somebody say Mikey?!" crowed the older boy of the same name, wildly waving pillows over his head as he ran over.

"Midey! Midey! Midey!" cheered the baby around his pacifier, flailing his arms.

"That's right, little dude!" Older Michelangelo grinned and peered over at him as soon as he skidded to a stop in front of No-Longer-Lou. "We're the mightiest!"

"MIDEYST!" shrieked the baby in glee.

Little Donatello winced and paused his inspection of his pacifier to glare witheringly at his youngest brother.

"Careful, Michelangelo," chastised No-Longer-Lou. "Your brother has sensitive hearing, remember?"

Baby Michelangelo blinked, then frowned very seriously and wiggled until he was able to grab Little Donatello's arm in a hug- or rather, a- "Dondon hubbub."

Little Donatello's glare softened, and he went back to fiddling with the pacifier with his free hand. It seemed the hinge on the back occupied more of his attention than the squishy part meant to be sucked on.

The older Michelangelo pressed the pillows in his hands to his face. "D'awww, they're so cute!"

No-Longer-Lou smiled warmly. "They are, aren't they?"

"It seems like we've established that we have similar taste in names," chuckled the other rat. "Though, just to be sure, might I ask yours?"

No-Longer-Lou's smile turned bitter. "It doesn't matter. I'm only a splinter of the man I used to be, anyway."

The other rat's eyebrows rose. "What curious phrasing. I never was a man, but the name I was given before my mutation by the family I was brought into was…well, Splinter."

No-Longer-Lou straightened in the chair at that. "Curious indeed…"

After a moment of thought, on a half-formed hunch born of one too many late night sci-fi movie marathons, he continued, "You know, before my own mutation, I'd more-or-less befriended a rat in my- well. A rat. I…I'd chosen the name Lou Jitsu years ago, but…the name I was given was Yoshi."

A shaky breath from Splinter. "…Hamato Yoshi?"

No-Longer-Lou steadfastly kept his focus on his boys. "I haven't deserved that name in a long time."

He kept the part about not wanting to be associated with his family's 'traditions' firmly unsaid.

"You okay, Papa?" asked Raphael, reaching up to pat at his face.

"I will be," No-Longer-Lou said, pressing a kiss to the boy's forehead.

Splinter gently laid a hand on No-Longer-Lou's shoulder. "I swear to you, you and your children will be safe here for as long as you need. I don't know how you came to be here, but I will help you return home if you so wish."

No-Longer-Lou nodded, thickness rising up in his throat and clogging it.

"Mr. Lou, can I see Baby Mikey?" asked the older Michelangelo, setting the pillows down.

Both rats' eyebrows rose, and Splinter asked, "Mr. Lou?"

"Well, if he doesn't use that Yoshi name, and we can't call him Splinter because you're Splinter, then he's Mr. Lou!" Older Michelangelo crossed his arms and nodded decisively, his point made.

Splinter and…and Lou met each other's eyes with equally bemused expressions, then Lou looked down at his boys. "I don't know. Orange, would you like to see Big Michelangelo?"

"Bihmidey!" Michelangelo said seriously, patting at Donatello's arm before wriggling upright and peeking out at the older boy. "Bihmidey hi?"

"Heh, yep," said Older Michelangelo, beaming widely. "Hi, li'l Mikey!"

The baby chirped excitedly, bouncing in place until Older Michelangelo reached over to pick him up. Lou watched carefully, but it seemed the older boy had at least some idea of how to hold a young child, as he easily hefted Little Michelangelo against his side.

"I wanna see the babies!" exclaimed Older Leonardo.

"Me too!"

"Yeah!"

Little Leonardo giggled and clambered out of Lou's arms too quickly for him to react. "Hey, hey, hi! I'm big boy!"

Older Raphael darted forward to keep Little Leo from tumbling to the ground. "You sure are, yeesh! Don't hurt yourself!"

Little Raphael whined. "Leo, don't fall down like that! You'll get a owie!"

"S'okay, Raphie!" Little Leonardo grinned up at his brother, then at Older Raphael. "There's two Raphies! That's even more Raphie! Gonna be saferest!"

Little Raphael whined again, but after a brief moment where Older Raphael's eyes grew suspiciously moist, the older boy blinked quickly before grinning at his younger double. "You heard 'im. I'll keep your bro outta trouble, swear."

Little Raphael scowled. "You better."

"Did you want to come out and keep an eye on them?" asked Older Leonardo knowingly.

That got a nod out of Little Raphael, and the older boy helped him climb down to the ground.

With only Donatello left in his arms, Lou couldn't find it in himself to be surprised when the older Donatello peered at the younger boy. "What about you, Tinytello? You wanna come hang out?"

Little Donatello hissed in displeasure and flipped the hinged handle on the pacifier up and down more quickly.

"I'm guessing that's a 'no,' then," said Lou. "It's nothing against you, I promise. Today has simply been…a lot."

"Oh, I can get that," agreed Older Donatello immediately. "Like, I dunno what you were doing before you came here, but it didn't look very fun. And now a bunch of big brother wannabes are getting all up in his space and playing with his bros without him? I'd be on-edge, too."

Little Donatello's handle-flipping stilled, and he shifted to look at Older Donatello's chest. (Wasn't there a turtle-specific word for that part of their shells…?)

"I'm close, huh?" asked Older Donatello. "Figured it'd be something like that. That's okay, Tinytello! Sounds like you've been having a rough time of it. Do you want me to go do something else, or should I stay put?"

Little Donatello's forehead furrowed for a moment, then he gravely held the pacifier out to the older boy.

Lou's brows shot up. "Huh. I know Purple is unique in many ways, but he usually isn't so quick to decide a stranger is worthy of a gift…even if that gift belonged to the stranger, first."

Little Donatello frowned when Older Donatello didn't immediately take the pacifier, then gave the handle a demonstrative flip before shaking the pacifier a little.

Older Donatello's eyes widened, and he carefully took the pacifier and gave the handle a tentative flip.

Little Donatello chirruped, shifting in place to get comfy in the crook of Lou's elbow in such a way as to keep watching the older boy.

Splinter chuckled as the two Donatellos went back and forth, flipping and chirping. "I do believe your son has found a new friend in mine."

Lou huffed a weak laugh of his own. "I suppose he has."

He took the opportunity to scan the tunnel- or rather, now that he had a moment to think, the room within the tunnel.

Little Raphael and Older Leonardo stood aside as Little Leonardo cartwheeled in circles, ooh-ing and aah-ing whenever the younger boy glanced their way. Older Raphael kept a hawklike eye on the toddler, constantly circling around him to place himself between Leonardo and the nearest obstacles. Older Michelangelo hopped around the room, bouncing the baby with each hop and getting the both of them to giggle madly.

Little Donatello yawned contentedly and smushed the side of his face against Lou's arm, still watching Older Donatello bemusedly flip the handle of the pacifier.

Lou felt the adrenaline that had kept him moving for the past hour finally begin to drain, and it quickly became a struggle to keep his eyes open.

Splinter's hand came down on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Rest, Lou. You and your sons are safe here. The rest can wait for now."

Lou nodded tiredly, and his eyes fluttered shut before he could have any further say in the matter.

[herejusttosufferalong]

Ok here's my working theory. I just feel like getting it off my chest as I've been so confused about so much since the PT ended - like I just really haven’t been able to get my head around what happened with L. I would love your thoughts!

I do believe/agree with everyone's perception that L may have had feelings for N for a long time (maybe a spark since the beginning, and a fire since season 3). I don't know if I think N had a crush on him too, before or during season 3. They clearly have love and amazing chemistry. He sparkles with her and looks at her like she’s the love of his life. She sparkles with him too, but she also sparkles with everyone and even alone.

I don't know what happened during or after season 3 between the two of them (if anything did), but we know they ended up apart last summer and L found distractions (from his breakup with J, maybe from his feelings for N) in HBS and then, eventually, a budding relationship with A (of whatever kind it is). Maybe he even started to like A, and maybe he thought it could really go somewhere, who knows? He then sees N again at reshoots in December, and then the PT starts in January, and his big feelings are still there/get stronger as they spend time together again.

What I haven't been able to make sense of is how come, with these big feelings, he not only stayed with A through it all but also brought her around to different locations during the PT, where he was with N (and flirting with N) - because it seems to me that A's presence all but guaranteed that nothing would actually happen with N, so why would he want that outcome if he in fact wants N (and if N was available)? It seems clear that he doesn't have the same big feelings for A as he does for N. I also haven't made sense of how someone who seemed soooo sweet and lovely and doting and soft on the PT with N could be with, and return to, such a (seemingly) vapid situation with A, where he seems not only miserable but almost like a completely different person than he showed us during the PT and how his costars describe him to be (and he's also been treating A more poorly than he treated N - at least publicly).

Now, JD has been in N's orbit for at least 2 years - he's been in productions with Louisa, Laurie, and Dylan (at least). I also remember photos showing that he was at CW's wedding in October, so he's clearly been an entrenched part of the friend group for some time (the fact that they more recently followed each other on insta doesn’t mean they didn’t know each other before). So let's *assume* for a second that JD and N are actually together now (and that that's what the pap pictures show us). He seems to mesh well with who N is and her friends/lifestyle. What if N and JD's friendship had been blossoming, with more one-on-one time, turning into a mutual crush, then turning into something more at some point. What if L knew about this because it was taking place before/while N and L were on the PT together. If N and L are BFFs, N could have talked to L about what was happening with JD. And this would explain why L - to protect his heart - kept bringing A around on the PT (despite not seeming to enjoy her presence there) because he didn't want to be single while watching N fall in love with JD. 

Everyone wonders why on earth L brought A to the London premiere (especially given what ended up happening with pap-gate, which I personally don’t think L planned/knew about) - but you know what, JD was there with N's friends too! Maybe L knew that JD would be there, and he knew how shitty that would feel, so he also wanted to have someone with him too (hence A's presence). But remember the conversation on the red carpet, where they're asked for dating advice, and N kind of pointedly says, "wait for the right person, you're worth it" and L looks uncomfortable. Maybe that was N subtly expressing concern about L’s situation with A, as his BFF and not because of any romantic feelings she has for him. But of course, if L had unrequited (probably not communicated) big feelings for N, it explains his discomfort and also his subsequent behaviour with A - carrying on with her after pap-gate (Milan, LA, GQ/Soho House, bday in Italy), while looking miserable, as a continued distraction from his heartbreak over N. It could also explain why he let everything with his public image kind of go to shit (both because he was sad and also because he was still protective of N).

I agree with everyone that by the end of the PT, N started to return L’s heart-eyes and that of course remains confusing. But she's such an effusive and loving person, and she was so proud of him/them for their season and PT, and nostalgic that their big adventure together was ending, that maybe she was feeling so much love for L, her BFF, but not *in love* with L. (Her heart-eyes for Luke T at the London premiere is an example of how she can be so loving with her male friends.)

An imperfect theory, but it's the only one I've landed on, after being confused for months, that helps me to reconcile the L we saw in the PT (N's version of L) with the L of the summer (A and SoHoe’s version of L) - the latter of which has frankly confounded me! - because his summer  behaviour can then be explained as a symptom of his unrequited love (for N) and heartbreak (a Sad Boy Summer).

Does this means that L is (in Suffer’s words) still biding his time and waiting for the end of N and JD?

(Of course, big caveats to all this, we don't know anything! We don't know for sure N and JD are together, or what the status really is/was between L and A. This is all my perception of things from what they show us publicly, I’m just trying to make sense of my own confusion about L.)

this is all opinion 😔

[pluckyredhead]

Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 (2011)

It's been a while since I've read RHATO, so I figured I'd reread it - and if I'm doing that, why not make you all suffer with me? I will probably get tired of this before I finish all the various series, but let's see how far we get.

Roy, that would probably work better if your bow had a string.

The issue begins with Roy in a prison in Qurac for trying to overthrow a dictator. He's rescued by Jason, in disguise as a pastor in a fat suit (sigh). There's so much wrong with these opening pages: the fat suit, the writing off an entire Middle Eastern nation as evil and corrupt, the fact that there's no way even a collapsed bow would fit inside a hollowed-out bible, the lazy way the panel layouts waste space...and yet. And yet.

These pages. THESE FUCKING PAGES. "His name is Roy Harper. He's an idiot. Nice guy, but an idiot." "His name is Jason Todd. A lot of people say he's crazy...Let's just say the Red Hood is my kind of crazy!"

This kind of parallel narration always makes me think of the 2003 Superman/Batman comic, which used it extensively, to extremely (and likely unintentionally?) homoerotic effect. After I read this issue, I told a friend that I got it now: Red Hood and the Outlaws was Superman/Batman for edgelords.

Which is to say, I'm pretty sure I started shipping these assholes just from these first terrible pages.

(But seriously, there are three pages up there and only five panels. Five panels! Plus some pointless maroon boxes that don't do anything! I want my money back.)

This panel is super misleading, because it implies that Roy and Jason know each other well enough for Jason to tease Roy about being a chatterbox, but later issues will show that barely know each other at this point. But then, trying to keep the backstories straight in this or any Lobdell book is like watching sand run out between your fingers.

And again here, it implies that they were already friends, a team, partners...something. But later we'll learn that they only met once, and it was years ago, when they were kids, so...what gives?

(This page is actually interesting, because Jason is constantly saying playfully mean things to Roy and Roy never seems to mind, but here he clearly hurts Roy, and he knows it.)

Siiiiigh.

To add insult to injury, Jason immediately announces that he's fucked Kori. You'll notice I aggressively ignore this in every fic I've ever written. Part of that is because I love Secret Virgin Jason, but also it just doesn't mesh with his and Kori's relationship throughout the rest of the series or his hilarious lack of game in general, and it's also so inextricably part of Amnesiac Sex Doll Kori that I just want nothing to do with it.

HATE. HAAAAAATE. The devious smile on Jason's face in the bottom row and Roy's calculating expression are so deeply disgusting to me. "This woman can't meaningly consent! She's like a cave fish with a vagina! Sweet!" Scott Lobdell is a vile human being and so is everyone who signed off on this piece of shit. (Fun fact: this was a HUGE controversy when the New 52 launched and the outcry was so loud they walked it back in a later issue when Kori tells Roy she...just lied about all of that for no reason? Okay.)

Also, "ask her about the gang you used to hang with." Uh...what gang is that, Jason? Because Donna didn't exist at this point, Wally was 12, Garth was a literal baby, Vic joined the League immediately upon getting his powers, and Gar was a child being tortured in a lab somewhere. So was it just Roy, Dick, and Raven? And they certainly weren't the Titans, because Tim's team was the founders in this continuity...which Lobdell should have known, since he was also writing that book.

The person asking to speak to Jason is Essence, his ex, who tells him something cryptic about murder victims with missing organs.

YOU DON'T KNOW MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE EITHER, ROY!!! "Remember Garth? The baby?" (Literally, he is a baby who shows up for one panel. In Atlantis.) And who the fuck is Dustin?

Anyway, Kori propositions Roy and he's like "Sure, why not." Did the target audience actually think this was hot? It's so depressing.

Essence tells Jason that something called the Untitled has attacked something called the All Caste, and Jason makes a surprised Pikachu face.

Elsewhere, a guy in a basement looks at a picture of Kori online.

I will admit to liking two things about this page: the fact that Jason's helmet is in the nightstand implies that Roy and Kori fucked in Jason's bed, which is either hilariously rude or an invitation that sailed right over Jason's head, and the red hand print on Roy's chest. It's the first glimpse of a recognizable Roy in this book; he did always like getting manhandled by scarily powerful women, pre-Flashpoint.

Jason goes...somewhere, to a temple of sorts with a lot of vague cultural appropriation going on, and kneels over the corpse of an old lady. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you, Ducra," he says, before a bunch of people attack him. END OF ISSUE!

And that's Red Hood and the Outlaws #1! It's confusing, misogynistic, lazily drawn, and not very funny, and there's no reason to be invested in whatever the fuck happened at the end because I know nothing about Ducra, Essence, the All Caste, or frankly, this version of Jason. And yet I am absolutely going to read nine more years' worth of this shit. See you in issue #2!

[anneapocalypse]

What was their initial impression of the four claimants? How did this change over the course of the story?

Her first impression of Wuk Lamat was overall positive, though Ariane pretty quickly picked up on the fact that she was covering up some big insecurities. (She knows what it feels like when you don't really feel qualified but you have to rise to the occasion anyway.)

(Quick summary for context: a big point in Ariane's own story is that post-Endwalker, her sister Gratienne shows up alive (each of them having believed the other dead in the Calamity). Grati had turned to a life of... privateering, and had been at sea out near Dalmasca when she picked up a few key details about this Warrior of Light back in Eorzea and was like, no... it couldn't be... but what if... It took her some time to get out of her current contract, and get back to Eorzea, and she shows up at Ariane's house on her birthday and they have a very emotional reunion.)

SO, Gratienne is with her when she meets Wuk Lamat! And those two really hit it off. They just have an energy that really meshes, there's maybe some chemistry there, they have similar senses of humor and are frequent seen laughing their asses off together.

It's hard for Ariane not to like someone who vibes so well with her sister, and that's a big part of her wanting to help. Once in Tural, over the course of Wuk Lamat's journey through the Rite of Succession, they become surprisingly good friends.

Koana she's intitially a little intimidated by, because though she's come a long way getting past it as she's gotten closer to her Scion friends and of course Urianger, there's still a little kernel of insecurity deep down that she comes off as uneducated and less intelligent next to the archons, and while Koana isn't an archon he's obviously very intellectually inclined. Naturally she can see why he sought the help of Urianger and Thancred. (And in her story, because she's in a relationship with Urianger, she did know that from the start and they talked about it and both decided to go through with it.) But all that changes when she sees Koana react to his sister being in danger. The love she sees between the siblings is very real and familiar to her.

Which makes Zoraal Ja and his distance from his siblings even more confusing to her. Ariane does not see his betrayal coming. She does have some worries about how he's going to react to losing to not one but both of his siblings, but she does not expect the extent of his anger and resentment, maybe out of a certain amount of naivety--after all, the other two are so close, surely this was a loving and close-knit family all around, even if their other brother is more reserved?

I think Grati, who has spent the past 5+ years interacting with a lot more shady characters and who lacks Ariane's tendency to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, is a lot more wary of Zoraal Ja from the start, and picks up on a lot of the little red flags that Ariane does not, but it's not like she has anything concrete; she doesn't know the guy, at the end of the day. (She also might be slightly motivated by thinking that Wuk Lamat is hot and shit-talking her brother to her face might not be the best way to stay in her, uh, good graces. I've yet to decide if that ship happens in some way. 😉 We'll see.)

When it comes to Bakool Ja Ja, Ariane is a bit baffled as to why he's in the running to begin with--his motives seem openly selfish and his actions are reckless and she wonders at multiple points why Gulool Ja Ja doesn't simply disqualify him as a claimant, when his rule would so clearly pose a danger to Tural's people. This comes largely from her lack of understanding of Mamool Ja culture, and what the optics would actually be of barring him from competing. She learns along the way, but it's not until Ja Tiika that she truly understands.

[kaluxsims]

Joining Mesh Edges - Pt. 1

...or something? I've been struggling with what to call this tutorial. "How To Make The Visible Body Parts Line Up With The Clothes So They Don't Clip Or Gap" would be way too long.

I've been meaning to do a tutorial on this for ages, but when I saw @kayleigh-83's frustration in this post, I offered to help. I wanted to have this tutorial up a few days ago, but wound up "needing" to do this other one first. Finding a simple shirt or dress with a lower neckline that wasn't painted on and hadn't already been converted was basically impossible.

The previous tutorial was kind of an "in case this comes up" situation. This one is more of a "best practices" level. You don't _have to_ do this, but it will give better results than leaving a big piece of the body floating around under the clothes. I learned how to do this by looking at meshes by @deedee-sims and seeing how her meshes fitted the body neatly to the clothes. I'm not sure if this is exactly how she does it, but it's what I figured out to get a similar result.

To put it in visual terms, this is a before and after:

This tutorial will not teach you how to convert clothes 4t2. It assumes you have basic Milkshape knowledge. This is probably also an intermediate level tutorial, but I think it's a fairly important thing to learn how to do.

This is usually a neckline thing, but I've done it for other parts too. I'm using a neckline as my example here.

I'm picking up the same maushasi shirt conversion from the Painted-On tutorial, after reshaping it to fit the TS2 body.

It looks a little weird because I shaped it to fit extraextrasuperclose at the waist...for reasons. If it works, you'll see, when it's up for download someday. Disregard that for now.

I start this process by regrouping the body mesh parts that show outside the clothes. I select all faces that have any part of them showing.

After regrouping, I hide the rest of the body. I try not to delete it until I'm sure I don't need to grab any faces I missed.

I could call that close enough, adjust some bone weights, and leave it like this. Plenty of creators do (or used to). I want the best result possible though, so I do some additional work. (With practice, this joining method is faster and easier anyway.)

Because I selected from the front, I grabbed a few faces of the back which I don't need. Selecting them, I can double check that I don't need them. If the red highlight doesn't show above the shirt's neckline, I know I don't need these faces and can delete them.

Know how I said I try not to delete the rest of the body until I know I didn't miss any faces I need? Guess who forgot and deleted it too soon this time!

See what I missed?

Oops. Happens. Not too hard to import the body again and get those missing faces. This is why it's important to check all around though. Dammit.

The back is simpler than the front, so I'm starting there again. I like to get "inside" the mesh when I do this process. It's easier to see what vertices I'm selecting and make sure I don't merge anything extra this way.

The only problem with viewing it from inside is it's harder to tell what's what in wireframe only. (I could right click and select "Draw Backfaces" but I prefer to leave it off.) Highlighting the body group gives me an idea of what I'm working with.

I wind up highlighting the body group like this at various points in the process, to make sure I'm matching edge with edge.

It's important that the clothing group (temporarily named "shirt" in this case) is above the body group in the list. I mess this up on the first vertices so often. Not a big deal to undo and fix the list order, but still. I want the body piece to move to where the clothes piece is, not the other way around.

I usually start in the middle, selecting the center vertex from the clothing piece and the center one from the body.

Using "Vertex Data Merge", I join the body vertex to the clothing vertex. This moves the vertex from the lower listed group to meet the vertex from the one higher up the list. (It also matches bone weights to the upper group's vertex.)

For some reason, I didn't take a screenshot until I'd merged the next few vertices. (Maybe I hit the wrong button? I was tired.) So I drew a few arrows onto the screenshot to show what I've merged.

If you see a gap, don't worry, I'll fix that soon.

I keep selecting and merging vertices until I've matched up all of the back's body edge vertices with the nearest clothing edge vertices.

Those gaps you might have noticed? Now I'll deal with those.

Going back "outside" of the mesh and seeing the work I've done on the back, the gaps are much more obvious.

This happens a lot with 4t2 conversions, because TS4 clothes will almost always be higher poly than the TS2 body. This part of the TS2 AF body mesh has three vertices on either side of the center vertex and this particular shirt has four on either side. I fix this by adding new vertices to the body.

First, I select the vertices on either side of the gap. Then, I hide the clothing group. This leaves just the body vertices on either side of the gap selected.

With ONLY these two vertices selected, I use "Vertex > Divide Edge" to make a new vertex between them.

Dividing the edge also divides the face, so the poly count goes up by one each time this is done. And, as you can see, it makes the new face dark. I'll fix that in a moment. I'm focusing on the gap first.

The new vertex is already selected, I select the nearby clothing vertex, and use Vertex Data Merge.

No more gap on that side!

I repeat this on the other side, to close the other gap.

Now to fix those new faces, I first select the vertices all around them. (Zoom in.)

"Align Normals" fixes the dark areas. (This close to the top of the neck, you have to be ABSOLUTELY sure you DON'T align normals on any of the neck edge vertices.)

Looking at it like this, you can see the body group is already taking the shape of the neckline.

This seems like a good place to end part one. Part two coming soon!

[heroes-in-the-dark]

I have to talk about chapter 370

I don't do these very often, but this chapter was REALLY important to me because it revealed a lot of little details that I've been looking for in this series for a long time. Mostly in regards to my writing, but also just in general.

For starters, THIS is where they were keeping Kurogiru?! We've seen Central Hospital before, but I've only ever associated it with the treatment of top heroes and important individuals, like after the war. I headcanoned through my fic that they had basement levels for treating and dealing with villains, so I'm intrigued to see some truth to it! No mention of Mr. Compress, though... they had to have treated his injuries from the war somewhere. Could it have been here too? And then afterwards he was transferred to a prison?

Honestly, it makes sense that they've bolstered their ranks. A lot of members of the MLA seemed like ordinary civilians in the first place. It's a little detail, but seeing the CRC heads on stakes really sticks out to me. I thought that insidious group might never be mentioned again after the League dealt with them. I'm guessing that, even being a less popular group these days, this newly unified legion of mutants could still find pockets where they were still active. Perhaps after this stand, the CRC will be extinguished altogether. But as this chapter points out, the on-going threat of discrimatory acts against mutant-types is still very pervasive.

I wrote about this guy a little bit! Wish we'd gotten a name (and pronouns tbh) but I'm glad to see them taking up a role in all this. I was curious about them before! They were a supervisor for the Brown Regiment; I bet they're already quite used to assisting Spinner in leadership. Speaking of Spinner...

I... I don't exactly have the words. I LOVE Spinner. He always struck me as someone who was sweet but tenacious, and I valued him for that. When we first saw him different like this, I thought he'd been using Trigger or some other quirk-enhancing drug. But now we know that ALL FOR ONE GAVE HIM ANOTHER QUIRK.

I am LIVID at AfO. Like, I've detested him for a while now, just because of what he did to Shigaraki and Touya, but that man seems dead-set on dealing out as much damage to each member of the League as he can. After Spinner was so loyal to the League and Shigaraki especially, it just feels like a slap in the face that he'd end up this way. I don't think Spinner knew what he was signing up for when he took this new quirk. AfO is incredibly manipulative. He won't care what happens to Spinner. I know the multiple quirks CAN be done with people, but depending on how demanding the quirk is, they don't mesh well!! That stuff is usually for nomu, and the specifically altered bodies that allow them to hold these different abilities. I can see the strain of the quirk really pushing Spinner's limits. I want him to get out of this okay...

And then! Shouji's face!!! We finally get to see it outside of his concept sketches! I, uh, don't remember his og design having those scars, though. Makes me wonder how he got them... we really haven't ever seen him without the mask. Ever. Not in his dorm or changing room or anything. But I want to assume that some students have seen under his mask, since he wears it so that he doesn't scare or intimidate the people around him.

I bet Tokoyami has seen his face. I'm sure there's very certain circumstances in which Shouji feels comfortable showing people what he looks like. I mean, anyone can tell at a glance that he's a mutant type quirk user, but the presence of the mask has always seemed like a comfort thing for someone who's already very aware of how they look to others. If other characters with mutant traits are any indication, then he's had it hard based on his appearance before.

[haircoveredwriter]

Episode 1x04 thoughts

This episode wasn't one of my favorites, not horrible, a decent episode in itself but it felt as though it fell prey to a few of the issues similar ones in s11 of TWD did. I'll get in to those later but first we'll put the usual page break for those who don't want any spoilers.

First the aspects I did enjoy:

After taking a swim in walker-infested waters post his ceiling crash like a drunk Mary Poppins (you're welcome for the reference lol), Daryl strolls through Paris trying to get his bearings and comes to see an older couple inside a house, having tea (perhaps). The woman caresses the side of the man's face across the table which causes Daryl to pause, appearing to be lost in reflection before looking down briefly lost in a memory, only moving on once the nearness of walkers is apparent. Now who is the only person/woman who Daryl has ever stroked the face of/had his face stroked by?? I'll give you 3 guesses but anyone with a brain doesn't need that many and in case you've been living under a rock, please refer to my previous precious gifs post.

Later we get to see Daryl-of-old while he's beating a prisoner he and Isabelle took in hopes of finding Laurent. Having him go back to his early TWD season story-telling ways was lovely while also mixing it with the depraved Dixon he learnt to be from his upbringing meshed very well. (Basically Daryl wanted to create his own R-rated version of "Babe"). He must have read some anatomy books over the years to know where to cause the most damage without hitting vital organs.

Fallou's group using Molotov cocktails during their assault on Quinn's place is something I've been waiting for someone to do in the ZA! Like, seriously! Who wouldn't be using mini firebombs at this point when supplies are low and it keeps you at a distance from your opponent? It's just good sense imo.

Norman and the show itself did a very good job again pointing out that there is nothing going on shippy-wise between Daryl and Isabelle. (I know many a worried about it but there was nothing there from my standpoint) Daryl looked honestly uncomfortable when Isabelle hugged him, returning it lightly after a beat or two but happy to break away to continue looking at anything else afterwards. We also got Isabelle's own words that she has no romantic feelings for Daryl but simply concern for his wellbeing. When you watch the scene, they have Sylvie asking (a young girl who only now has her first ever crush but knows nothing of love) who is not equipped enough in life to be able to discern anything different.

Daryl's expression looking at the mini Statue of Liberty made me smile as well. Knowing he's getting closer to getting home, no matter what other tasks people throw at him, and getting back to his person would make anyone happy.

Overall the episode sets up the plot for the remaining 2 installments, getting us where we need to be for certain other aspects to take place. (Gonna let that be for the moment until the next ones drop 😉)

What I didn't like:

The pacing seemed quite slow and the story arc pretty much went in a circle, finally reaching an end point which we realistically could have gotten in 10 mins of another ep. Several points of the episode felt contrived just to fill up space before they could move on to a main bullet point in the story. (This was my main issue with a fair number of s11 TWD eps).

Isabelle's lack of any fighting skill is really getting on my nerves. How has she survived this long? The answer is probably by making things up and having others protect her/do her dirty work and other not so nice things so I'll relent. I haven't seen worse stabby abilities since early on in TWD ... again, yes I am not gonna say anything if I can't say anything nice.

Why'd they do pigeon man like that?!😒

Genet is equally as concerned about finding a man who blew a hole in her years-long-prepped boat as she is a kid who gives people hope? Mmmkay.

Regardless of it all I am excited for next week. It's gonna be great. Trust me.

[generallemarc]

What the Circus wants

More theorycrafting because One Piece won't be out for another two days and I've gotta have an outlet!

So, what's the actual in-universe point of the Circus? Well, we got an idea of it in the pilot through Caine's explanation of the censoring-this is supposed to be some kind of tv show or other entertainment product. But then, how does that mesh with kidnapping people, erasing their memories, and them eventually all going insane forever? Obviously it doesn't, and that's where you normally hit the wall for theories, since we don't know what we don't know in this regard. But I think I've got an idea nonetheless-what if there is no point? More specifically, what if whoever was in charge of this project lost control somehow, but Caine either couldn't or wouldn't stop doing what he was programmed to do? What if he's like GLaDoS, where he has to keep sending whoever he's got on adventures and keep bringing in replacements whenever someone abstracts even if nobody's there to do anything with the data he's tasked to create? It would explain pretty much all of the contradictions-obviously you couldn't make a show out of kidnapping and torturing real people, but his programming wouldn't care about that. He'll keep doing what he's programmed to do long after the reasons why stop mattering because those reasons were never part of the programming-just the tasks he was supposed to do. On and on and on forever.

[ectogeo-rebubbles]

for the 'bored fanfic writer' ask game

25, 27, 29

Thanks for sending these questions! :) (Link to the ask game)

29) Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic.

Found this paragraph floating in isolation at the bottom of the doc for a random Sloanshir idea that never really got going. But this random paragraph definitely slaps:

He rolled over and stared at the armchair by the porthole. Empty, but for the pall cast on it by a memory. It was funny how many years of pleasant memories—how many books from Garak he’d read while curled up there, how many lovers in his lap—had been overshadowed by a single interaction. But getting rid of the chair, or even moving it elsewhere, would have meant giving Sloan the power to destroy any part of his life simply by touching it.

25) Have you ever upset yourself with your own writing?

Haha yeah... T_T Usually I'm fine if I know the fic is gonna work out okay (or if I can at least picture a happier potential post-fic future), but if I know that the ending of the fic or projected future is also a big bummer then I run a very high risk of upsetting myself so much that I don't finish the fic lollll.

So, I don't actually upset myself at all while writing horrible creepy sloanshir hurt/no comfort or whatever, because even if the comfort's not in the scope of the fic, I so strongly believe in Garashir ending up together in any given scenario that I just extrapolate in my mind that it'll be fine eventually. XD

The only real problem comes in when I attempt to write Garashir bad endings (for the ship or for either person involved). Like... I REALLY wanted to finish writing my wip about the events of "The Quickening" making Julian slowly go full mad scientist once he's back on the station, but writing it made me too sad because it was important to the concept that it needed to have a devastatingly tragic ending. T_T

27) Is there a fic you were nervous to post/share? Why?

Literally every single fic I've ever written. XD But that's not a helpful answer lol.

I always feel extra nervous posting rarepair fics. With Garashir, there are TONS of canon interactions to model their behavior after, and I've also read soooo much fic about them, which means I have a very good understanding of their dynamic at various points in the timeline of canon, and I know what characterization choices work for me and what doesn't. With Siskarak, there are not that many eps that show the two of them interacting so there's more extrapolation involved in figuring out their dynamic and how to translate that into a sexual relationship, and in terms of fic I have written a solid chunk of what's even out there so I usually put tons of pressure on myself to make sure it's good. And not only good, but like, meshes well with canon and actually follows from what we know about the characters, because I want people to understand how I got from point A to point B.

In addition to that, the longer the fic (or the longer I've spent on the fic), the more nervous I feel when I post. More words, more potential to write something unclear or OOC. XD More time spent, more critical I am of it by the time I post it, because I feel like it should be better than it is given the amount of effort spent. In all honesty drabbles (100 word fics) or other very short ficlets (anything <1000 words) don't make me all that nervous to post anymore, purely due to the time spent writing being so low, which is why I've been posting so many short fics lately lmaooo. If I can bang something out all at once and post without thinking, that's ideal, because then I agonize over it waaaay less beforehand and I don't feel bad if it doesn't get many readers. XD

Posting explicit fics also always makes me a lil nervous, due to the potential embarrassment of what if I've gotten something so wrong that it takes the reader out of the steaminess of the moment.

All that said, my "Second Skin" Siskarak fic, you're a criminal as long as you're mine, recently made me very nervous to post, because it's rarepair smut and it's the second longest thing I've written all year, haha. (Everyone PLEASE go tell me I did a good job, I worked so hard on it.)

[dracimexidae]

I was tagged by @valentinaonthemoon (thank you! 😊)

RULES: bold the ones that are true & tag 10 people to do it.

APPEARANCE

blonde hair // I prefer loose clothing to tight clothing // I have one or more piercings // I have at least one tattoo // I have dyed or highlighted my hair // I have gotten plastic surgery // I have or had braces // I sunburn easily // I have freckles // I paint my nails // I typically wear makeup // I don’t often smile // I am pleased with how I look // I prefer Nike to Adidas // I wear baseball hats backwards

-- so yeah, if we consider any piercing I have the "boring" one per ear as well, I'm kind of entertaining the idea of doing a second piercing on both ears near the ones already open but my lobes are rather small, so I don't know, we'll see // I've been dyeing my hair for some years now, since nature didn't give me red hair I took that matter into my own han... well no, actually my hairdresser's hands 😁 (I've never dyed my hair on my own, I guess it would be cheaper but I'm afraid I would make a disaster)! I don't even go entirely red, I just do meshes on top of my head and keep my natural colour behind and on the sides (I carry short hair), which is dark brown... and grey/white, because nature did decide to give me plenty of white hair even if I'm not even 35 yet, yay! 😅 I think I have to thank genetics from my father's side for it but whatever, I don't really mind much, it's not really the reason why I dye my hair anyway // if by "braces" you mean that infernal stuff used by dentists to trap your teeth and having a nightmare inside your mouth, yeah, sadly I had them, and I HATED it!!! And I know I definitely should have kept them more, and on both dental arches (I only wore it on the upper one) because my teeth are far from perfect, but whatever, since they finally freed me from that instrument of torture I was sure I never wanted to have anything to do with it again! // ah, the "I am pleased with how I look"... coming from someone who has been struggling with her body (especially her weight) practically all her life, you know what? I am arriving to a point in which I'm more sure of myself when I say that yes, despite everything I am pleased with how I look after all, not because I was born or grew up to be particularly beautiful, at least... canonically speaking? What is considered canonical anyway? I believe beauty is very subjective and personal in terms of appreciation, and I can only speak according to my own standards of "beauty", which would make me say I'm not really beautiful, but I've been working on myself, I've been dealing with my ups and downs, my satisfaction and my guilt for whatever I have been doing (or not doing) to take care of me, and I'm finding that with time more moments came in which I rooted for and appreciated myself and my appearance more than the ones in which I thought it wasn't worth it and I wasn't doing enough and even if I did, MY enough would never be enough anyway... maybe it was the effort and sacrifices I put myself through, maybe I'm learning to be kinder and less judgemental with the way I criticize what I (or don't) say or do, but I can see I'm doing better, and I know that it doesn't sound forced when I say it and that I want to continue to walk this path! --

HOBBIES & TALENTS

I play a sport // I can play an instrument // I am artistic // I know more than one language // I have won a trophy in some sort of competition // I can cook or bake without a recipe // I know how to swim // I enjoy writing // I can do origami // I prefer movies to tv shows // I can execute a perfect somersault // I enjoy singing // I could survive in the wild on my own // I have read a new book series this year // I enjoy spending time with friends // I travel during work or school breaks // I can do a handstand

-- I don't know if I can say that I am artistic, does occasionally making jewellery and accessories and a bit of calligraphy makes me so? 🤷And in all truth I'm not yet able to make them from scratch, so I generally follow others' tutorials, maybe tweaking stuff here and there, but whatever 😅 // So far I know, aside from my mother tongue - Italian - I know English and a bit of Spanish... well, not nearly enough to have a proper conversation I've been studying for not such a long time but I'm starting to understand more the written language and catching up a bit more on the spoken one, but the latter is way harder atm, as with all languages, I suppose... Unfortunately my Babbel subscription (I started learning Spanish there) has expired and prices have increased since last year, so for now I put it on hold, even if I finished the main courses and was going through the ones to expand my vocabulary, and tbh I had half a mind, if I reactivated my subscription, to start learning another language, which would be Portuguese 😊, but I'm not really keen on paying for two languages at the moment, idk... // Well, when I say I can cook without a recipe, let's say they are rather basic dishes and that I do it with recipes I've done over and over, because otherwise I'm rather "maniacal" in following a recipe, and that is true especially with baking, that I really can't do from scratch - maybe it's also because even the baking recipes I do more frequently, like muffins or pancakes, I don't do them often, in any case I would be too scared of forgetting or messing up stuff, so I always need to have written instructions... I would hate to fuck them up, both for my sake and my mother's, since we are the ones enjoying them! 😋 // When I say I enjoy singing, I'm not saying I am good at it, although once some years ago, when i was really in the mood (because I usually sing on my own, I'm still not that comfortable with doing it with other people around) and I started singing along with friends in a car, a friend of mine who a rather trained ear for music said I had a good voice... Anyway, I give my best performances at home with nobody around: I believe my go to songs would be Abba's, or my childhood's anime theme songs (the ones sung in Italian, if you've ever heard of Cristina D'Avena or Giorgio Vanni 😝), but I've even dared to try some Nightwish or Evanescence, even when I'm working out, can you imagine the result (especially when I work out, while concentrating on the lyrics distracts me from the effort of doing an exercise, there is that tiny aspect of keep my breath, which I definitely can't use for both singing and exercising, and sometimes even laughing at myself for even trying and failing both 😂) --

RELATIONSHIPS

I am in a relationship // I have been single for over a year // I have a crush // I have a best friend who I’ve known for ten years // my parents are together // I have dated my best friend // I am adopted // my crush has confessed to me // I have a long distance relationship // I am an only child // I give advice to my friends// I have made an online friend // I met up with someone I have met online

-- I really don't know if during the years I've made some friends online (which would have happened only here on Tumblr, since I didn't meddle with other social networks), there were few people with whom I talked I did consider friends, but I've been so awful at keeping relationships going with my inconstancy and disappearances that I'm aware it's rather difficult to keep up with me and I don't know if those people ever considered me even close to a friend 😔 --

AESTHETICS

I have heard the ocean in a conch shell // I have watched the sun rise // I enjoy rainy days // I have slept under the stars // I meditate outside // the sound of chirping calms me // I enjoy the smell of the beach // I know what snow tastes like // I listen to music to fall asleep // I enjoy thunderstorms // I enjoy cloud watching // I have attended a bonfire // I pay close attention to colors // I find mystery in the ocean // I enjoy hiking on nature paths // Summer is my favorite season

-- I'm probably illuding myself but I think I've heard the ocean in a conch shell? I like to think I did, at least 🐚 // something I would like to do is sleeping under the stars and watching the sun rise, especially the second, not that I had many opportunities to do either but I guess what really prevented me so far has been that I'm too lazy and enjoy comfort too much to sleep outside or wake up at ungody hours ah ehm 😅 // the sound of chirping calms me... mh, not really at not even 5 am when I'd like to sleep but it wakes me up, it doesn't 😆 I mean I like it, but I believe not even the birds are chill most of the time (not the ones outside my window for sure), so why would their "chattering" make me calm?! 😝 // I admit I've been enjoying rainy days with moderation more recently, because we have some problems at home with electricity we still haven't figured out (there is likely an exposed cable outside the house which, when there is rain - probably also directed by wind - makes electricity go off) and it's rather annoying since we don't know what exactly causes it yet; not to mention that recently with heavy rain there have been some pretty serious floods in the region and in areas near where we live which were disastrous for some people, towns and infrastructures - they were surely exceptional events but they made me more distrustful towards rain; also yeah, well, surely rain is less bothersome when one's cozy at home and not outside! Let's just say that I mainly enjoy light rain, or better just cloudy days, ok?! // for all reasons above, I couldn't bold the fact that I enjoy thunderstorms, in fact they terrify me, but that was even before recent events tbh // when I was little, while watching the clouds I often enjoyed spnding time to guess what familiar shape they took, it's a fairly common game, one that I sometimes do even now 😊 // I'm not really sure what "paying attention to colours" means, but I do keep an eye on them and their combination, not only while dressing (I'm not a fashionista at all, but I still pay a bit of attention coordinating my outfits, with the little I have), Idk I just really like colours! --

MISCELLANEOUS

I can fall asleep in a moving vehicle // I am the mom friend // I live by a certain quote // I like the smell of sharpies // I am involved in extracurricular activities // I enjoy Mexican food // I can drive a stick shift // I believe in true love // I make up scenarios to fall asleep // I sing in the shower // I wish I lived in a video game // I have a canopy above my bed // I am multiracial // I am a redhead // I own at least 3 cats

-- as long as I feel I'm safe knowing that someone I know is with me and is vigilant, like traveling with me on a train, yep, I believe I can fall asleep in a moving vehicle, I did it in the past after all, in a car with my family even more so, but if I'm on my own there's no chance, I need to be alert at all times, I'd be to anxious for someone to take advantage of my being asleep // I don't think I may have eaten enough of Mexican food to judge it fairly, but so far I liked what I ate, and I read some recipes that seem delicious even if I haven't tried them // if "stick shift" is indeed a car, eh, theoretically I can, but I almost never do it, because the road (mostly other people driving) drives me nuts andupsets me... it's something I'm aware I have to work on, because now I fortunately don't have much need of it, but being able to drive is sadly important, and as much as I don't like it I'll have to learn to be more comfortable with it, sigh // alas, don't ask me how or why, despite all in this world that wants to prove me otherwise and my character and better sense, somehow I still believe in true love, whatever that means (I think how it is perceived is s also rather individual, I have my own definition of it, or how it should be, and I don't consider it exclusive to romantic dynamics btw - friendship is a form of love as well and it can be as powerful and meaningful and worthy of being considered "true love" too, and I will die on that hill // given that my making up scenarios is not relegated just to bedtime, as much as I'd like for them to making me feel more cozy and relaxed and help me distracting from the day to day problems that I can't possibly solve while lying in bed so that my brain would just shut the fuck up and leave me be for few hours please and thank you 🙄, the thing is sometimes I find an idea or scenario that gets me excited enough to keep me wide awake, which is rather counter-productive if you ask me 😅 // I don't actually sing in the shower, not at least while I shower, or at least i do it very rarely, but I occasionally like to sing in my bathroom and shower stall because i like the acoustics in there 😎 --

I'm not tagging anyone (not even sure if people I'd tag would remember me 😅), but if anyone wants to give this a try and let me know feel free to do it!

[broke-on-books]

☕️ WNSD

🎶 We're coming after you, We're gonna solve that mysteryyyyy 🎶

No okay but I loooovvvveeeeee What's New so much oh my god. It's probably the iteration of Scooby I've seen the highest percentage of episodes of (excluding SDMI) and if I had to pick my favorite Scooby series of them all. More than any of the others really (although a little WAY), What's New was the Scooby of my childhood, and so many of its episodes are just total classics for me as well.

I think WNSD is very beloved by the Scooby collective (and for good reason) but honestly STILL is underrated in my mind, especially the early episodes. I absolutely adore some of the little "plot twists" of the WNSD era and how creative it could be within the confines of "the Scooby formula". I mentioned many of these in another post recently but having unexpected solutions/elements like "the monkey did it!" or "we caught the wrong guy! We need to go back!" every few episodes just blew my brain wide open as a child (especially the second one there. I'm STILL in shock on that one) and are underappreciated by scooby fandom. (Despite WNSD winning the favorite scooby series poll I did lol)

Being my favorite doesn't mean that What's New is perfect though. There are still some moments I don't like, or that, while useful for a joke, fall flat for me character-wise. One example I think I've talked about before is the scene where they split up differently and Fred is left alone searching for clues with Shaggy. The punchline of this is the idea that Fred and Shaggy just don't have anything in common to talk about, going along in awkward silence until Fred asks Shaggy if he 'saw the game last night' to which he says no and they continue on in awkward silence. For me, that's not my favorite joke because I do believe that Fred and Shaggy are good friends and DO have lots to talk about, and while not my favorite interaction between the two, I can still mesh it pretty easily into my own personal canon with a few simple Watsonian explanations. Ex: They were both overthinking it and didn't know what to say, Fred grabbed a conversation starter from his go to list (he's been working very hard on his social interaction skills, okay?! Only 3/4 of them are about nets/mysteries/the gang/the Mystery Machine!) and struck out big time.

No but as I was saying as much as I adore WNSD, nothing is perfect, and at times (especially in some movies) What's New also suffers from the WAY/TSDS cultural................. awkwardness that comes from the "white guy dressing up as native/cultural legend" plot line.

OH AND THE SOUNDTRACK. What's New rightly gets its due (lol) for having an absolutely killer theme song (and sequence too!!!!) but I think it should get extra points on top of that as well for the chase music in each episode. What's New easily has some of my favorite chase music (leading to some favorite chase sequences) which makes watching it an even better time (some of those songs are catchy!!!!!) And I just love the way it handles music in general. What's New really just finds creative ways to explore and make interesting all aspects of the process, and move between them subtly and infrequently enough that it doesn't feel forced or thrown at you, but as a genuine exploration of what can be done with Scooby by people who care about it. (And while we're talking about music?!?!?!?! THE HAUNTED MYSTERY MACHINE EPISODE???????? 🤯😵🥰💘)

To me, What's New is just a really good show that is kind of seen as being "simple" (plan lol. Sorry I keep doing that but I can't help myself) or basic but really is much more creative and complicated than it looks when closely examined. It's a series that I think gets a lot of love while at the same time still not getting enough for everything it accomplished. Also it has some of my favorite Scooby castings out there. I mean, COME ON! Casey Kasem Shaggy at the same time as Grey Griffin Daphne? With Frank Welker Fred AND Scooby along with MINDY COHN (<3333333333333333333) Velma? Don't get me STARTED.

Anyways I just have SO much love for this series all the time. All the time. 24/7. Hope that answers your question on how I feel about it

[pastelbatfandoms]

Seeing Red pt 2 (AU)

Part 1

Seeing the message Eobard sighs' resolutely, telling the Team she is fine and they can go home. Eobard becomes a little irritated seeing her message because of the obvious implication that she already sees him as her enemy. But he keeps that out as he messages her so as not to push her further.

"I know I shouldn't want this. But I am glad you're coming back. But must know, are you sure about this? You're leading yourself down a very dark and dangerous road again..."

No response but a crackling of electricity as lightning bursts open the door and a storm rages outside. "Hello Thawne."

Eobard's body immediately tenses from where he is sitting in his wheelchair in the office. As the door to the lab bursts open, as if in defense from his time as The Reverse Flash he is out of the chair in a flash.

He sees Renee standing there,she looks like a completely different person. Not just her hair, not just her all black and purple bodysuit with it's mesh top and lightning bolts down the legs, it's in the way she doesn't smile when she looks at him. Instead she looks at him with eyes that are full of pure rage. Her expression dark as the blue white lightning crackles around her.

At this point Eobard's adrenaline had started to rise. After so long of wondering and worrying where she was and if she's okay, seeing her in this state was just too much. It's like everything he feared was coming true.

Renee smirks at the fear on his face. Good, let him feel what she felt for so long. Always wondering when he was going to snap, being the bigger person, always forgiving him, always loving him. If she couldn't beat em,join em. But this time she wasn't on his side.

Eobard looks genuinely scared now, something that was a rare feeling for him. He can see that she's in that dark place where she really wants revenge. He knows that feeling, that anger. So he tries his best to calm it, to get her to come back to her senses. Still a safe distance away.

"C'mon is The Reverse Flash really cowering over me?" Obsidian laughs darkly.

At those words, Eobard stands straight and looks her straight in the eyes. "Of course not. I'm standing right here, facing off against my greatest enemy." Eobard throws her own words back at her, trying not show how emotional he really was over her transformation. Greatest Love that was what she was supposed to be...He hadn't heard her use his name like that in forever...But he tries not to let her get to him.

Obsidian scoffs, "Enemy now? Well guess it had to happen eventually."

"I know. It's a sad reality that we have to be here again,this time I'm at the receiving end...But you know I never expected this from you Renee...Storm maybe but not you. I thought we were supposed to be the ones that always found each other..." He trails, looking into her eyes trying to get her to show him,she still loved him somehow.

"So now you care? That's rich or is this another manipulation Thawne? To let my guard down? Try me." Her eyes light up in warning.

"This isn't some trick. I'm being real. But you're right after everything between us, I don't blame you for being cautious. I wouldn't believe a word of it if I were you. But I have to ask you something. Is there really nothing I can do to talk you out of this? I just want you know that I've changed too. I'm not that old Thawne anymore." Eobard's expression was as genuine as his words as he looked at her.

"You tried to kill me!" She shouts as she lets loose a lightning bolt but he notices it doesn't hit him. "Oh I'm sorry the negative speed force...which you didn't do anything but give up!"

Eobard tries one last time to calm her down, "The negative speed force was taking control of me. I was losing myself and I could barely stop it. But I'm sorry Renee okay? I'm sorry I know right now those words don't mean much but I really do mean them. If there's one thing I want it's for us to just talk." Shit he was starting to sound like Barry...

"No. It'll just happen again. Let him out...Fight me." Obsidian's eyes sparked as she looked at him,no emotions except anger on her features.

Eobard only hesitates for a moment before responding to her demand. He realizes that there really isn't anything else he can do, the moment he releases the negative speed force to come out again. Eobard knows he may regret this decision, but he also knows he doesn't have a choice...

The negative speed force explodes out of him as Obsidian Storm watches a completely different Eobard Thawne emerge. The Reverse Flash, clad in his yellow suit. There is no remorse in his eyes, no hesitation or feelings or remorse. This Thawne was back, no need to pretend to be Harrison Wells anymore. This Thawne doesn't even hesitate before stepping towards her, looking at her like he's hungry for a fight as his eyes glow red.

This is exactly what Obsidian Storm had come looking for. She always wanted to let out her inner rage and she'd been itching for a fight, all she can think about is revenge. "You ruined everything for me."

This Eobard though is completely different than who she had been with for so long. His only desire is payback and he responds sarcastically. "You ruin things all the time. Now It's my turn."

Obsidian gathers a ball of lightning in her hand and without hesitation now hits him in the chest with a scream. He may be powerful but she was a goddess, the daughter of Zeus, her powers came from the storm itself.

Eobard falls back as the lightning crashes through him, sending him flying into a wall. He gets up and immediately lunges towards her, letting out a roar of his own. His body generating more negative speed force as he prepares to unleash more powerful attacks on her. As he unleashes a massive charge of orange lightning towards her, she retaliates by charging back a massive blast of her own. The powers meet in the middle with a loud explosion. The force of it sends Thawne flying through the wall behind him. He is still recovering from the blast while she already has more lightning crackling around her.

Obsidian's eyes gleam with the desire for a fight as she looks down at him, her rage the only thing motivating her now. "I wish it could have been different."

Eobard is barely able to hold himself up now, on the verge of passing out. He lets out one last insult, an indication that he's given up trying to convince her. He's only going to fight back now. It's all he has left. "We could have been together you know. I wanted to be with you more than anything. But I guess this is our destiny, we were always destined to lose."

Obsidian lets out a cry at his words, the sound guttural, wrenching from her chest,as she channelled all the hurt, regret, disappointment, betrayal, anger and yes even love. As lightning surrounds her, exploding out her it lights up the whole room. Unable to contain it she collapses.

Eobard is able to notice the expression on her face as she collapses, Even as he sees her exhausted and unable to continue the fight, he is still unable to do anything but watch as he shields himself from the explosive lightning. His heart breaking a little as he sees her fall. All of those emotions she had channelled through the attack. All of the emotions that he had caused through the years...He feels them all. Maybe even for the first time. It's too much as the negative speed force fades and Eobard realizes just how much she'd suffered for him.

Eobard's expression changes as he starts to feel something he hadn't in a long time. Remorse. Guilt and regret that overwhelms him all at once. He wants to help her, he wants to do something for once in his life. But he doesn't even know if she would accept that now. She given him so many chances already and he's blown all of them...does he really deserve another one?

Eobard's eyes are fixated on her. He can't bear to see her like this. She is his responsibility and his alone. Eobard knows that now, he's the only one who can make it right. Even though it seems like there relationship is completely broken he still wants to make her feel safe and protected for the first time in so long. He's had enough of being selfish and cruel.

Eobard looks at her closer than noticing she's unconscious, her powers really must of took their toll. Eobard thought for a split second that he should call in Caitlin or a medical team but then shakes his head, what would he say when he's still trying to pretend to be Harrison Wells. No that would just open another can of worms he didn't want to deal with now. He was also a scientist he could figure it out.

Eobard steps over and picks her gingerly up as he zooms her to the lounge and places her onto the bed in their. His eyes scanning her to see if she was responding, when she didn't, he closed his eyes in regret and guilt. This was all his fault, how could he ever hurt someone he cared so much for? But the negative speed force had twisted his way of thinking. Lost in his thoughts and worried for Renee he sits and waits for her to wake,not sure what to do.

Just then he hears a voice whisper, "The Lightning...Be her lightning rod..."

Eobard knows just what to do now, as he runs a hand over hers, his fingers sparking with red lightning, they spark her own fingers and with a jolt , a gasp leaves her mouth and Renee's eyes shoot open. She sees him their sitting over her. Her face shows a mix of emotions he wasn't ready to process at that moment. "Eo...what happened..."

Eobard smiles in both relief and sadness as he sees her. She's alive. A tear rolls down his cheek and he doesn't bother to hide it. He doesn't say anything right away, he just wants to her to see him for who he really is. He wants this moment between them to be genuine.

"I...we fought didn't we? I let Obsidian Storm take control?" Renee asks frowning, the last few minuetes a blur.

He nods slowly, his eyes glued on her. "Did I hurt you?" She asked, concerned.

Eobard hesitates for a moment then finally nods, but lets out a small laugh at the fact that she was concerned for him, the laugh comes out strained as he tries to keep his emotions from overwhelming him.

"I'm sorry I was just so..." Renee's voice catches and she can no longer hold back the sobs that escape her.

Eobard sits closer to her now, He wants to comfort her, protect her like all those times before, yes he remembers now. But he also knows how much damage he's done to her, how much trust he'd broken. He doesn't know what to say to comfort her, all he can do is watch her as she sobs. He can see all the pain and hurt washing over her. Eobard wants so much to heal her wounds but his powers are useless in this...he just keeps looking at her,his own heart breaking,waiting for her to say something more.

Renee finally does, "I messed up," She says tearfully, "I shouldn't have told you about reality shifting, about our future. It was better when it was just you who knew what would happen in the future....I shouldn't have rushed us. I messed up the whole damn timeline. Now you'll never..."

Eobard's heart breaks when he hears this. This is what did it...he's thinking back on everything that they'd shared since she'd told him about their future. All the mistakes that had happened, the decision he had made. It was all due to her trusting him with that knowledge. Maybe it was all his fault, Eobard knew better than to talk about the future, he should have stopped her. Instead he had been selfishly optimistic that they could get rid of the negative speed force for good and let it all happen. But he wants to hear her side of things, so he sits and waits.

"I just loved you so much," Renee continued, "Like before I thought turning off my emotions was easier than being without you. Turns out it just fuels resentment. Guess we are alike."

Eobard nods slowly, his eyes still glued to her. That was alot, he had so many questions. But now wasn't the right time. Now he just wants to hear her side of things, the truth not some watered down version of her emotions or what he wanted to hear...

"I do still love you," Renee admits,not looking at him, "But I don't want this to happen again. I wish I could tell you why I have so much faith in you, in us. But maybe you shouldn't know the future. Which is ironic considering how much more you know than others."

Eobard sighs as he takes it all in, a part of him wants to know everything about the future. But he realizes he probably shouldn't know the future. So he keeps quiet while she continues to talk. Her love for him doesn't surprise him but the fact that she would still want to be with him after everything he'd done...He notices the hint of hope and optimism in her eyes. Eobard doesn't want to ruin that.

The negative speed force had clouded his judgment for so many years. He had only had one well two singular focuses,killing The Flash and getting the future you back, he had taken for granted what was right in front of him. But it was clear now her love for him was real, as was his.

Renee looked at him, "Eo, is there anything you want to say? Other than we should probably apologize for trying to kill each other..."

Eobard chuckles gently at that. He looks down at her then. What more could he possibly say? All her words had led to this moment. He'd always been a man of action rather words. But it's time he put his words where is actions truly mattered. He wants to show her how he feels.

Eobard leans down and touches his forehead to hers. His feelings intense just by touching her. He wants so badly to say he's sorry for all the pain he's caused her. He wants them to forgive each other. He wants to take her in his arms but he doesn't push it. Instead he lets her take the lead.

"Eo...I know you want to show me through actions because emotions are hard for you but...can you try anyway?" Renee asks him.

Eobard doesn't like it but he tries anyway, "I...do love you. More than anything, more than anyone else. This isn't causel to me,you know that. You are my world...I'm sorry that I tried to control you. I should have been more patient with you, instead of forcing it. All of our fights turned into ones of control instead of trust."

Renee nods in agreement. "I know...see though you always fought to keep us together, when I let go, you didn't. So when you gave up this time It hurt and confused me then I just got angry. I mean you tried to change the future to get me back..."

That was true, everything he'd ever done was to bring you back. But it was also about getting what he wanted. Even when she let go, he couldn't. Which is why when he let go the last time it was such a surprise to her. Maybe something had finally changed for the better? He was going to try everything he could to make it so.

"I did want to change the future to bring you back." Eobard tells her, "You're the most important thing in my life and I don't care if I'm selfish. I just want another second chance."

"I know. I would have done the same. But I didn't have to you kept coming back yourself." She laughed lightly.

Eobard grins and laughs along with her. His heart feels like it's going to burst, his words not enough to express how he feels. As she looks into his eyes something inside him breaks and unable to stop himself he pulls her closer, wrapping his arms around her, he squeezes her tightly. His heart bursting with emotions as he holds her never wanting to let go.

Renee sobs against him. "Eo I don't want be without you. I break everytime you leave me, idk if have anything left if..."

Eobard holds her even more when he hears this. He wants to tell her that he won't, he wants to be the one who breaks the cycle. "You don't have to worry about a future without me, because I'm not going anywhere. No matter what happens. We're stuck with each other."

Renee still appears worried, "But what about the speed force? I already changed the timeline I'm not sure if events will play out how I saw them."

That is a possibility he'd have to consider....but they'll cross that bridge when it's there. He's not worried about that in the moment. He's only worried about losing her. "That maybe true...But all I care about right now is you. No matter what happens from this point on, we'll make it through together. I will always be with you. I promise."

"Can you control it though." Renee asks, meaning the negative speed force.

Eobard hesitates for a moment before responding. " I would like to say yes...I can control it. There's no more negative speed force lingering anymore. I promise." Or so he thinks...

Renee looks at him then, "I mean...you're not supposed to be a good guy this early..."

Eobard chuckles and sighs loudly. Knowing that she's right. But he can't hide the positive energy he's feeling. He just smiles back at her, saying "Well..what I can say? You changed me."

Renee shakes her head at that. "I changed you back. Into who you were."

That was very true, the negative energy that had plagued him for 15 years was finally gone now...he felt like himself again. Who he was supposed to be. Holding her, this was who he was meant to be, not some evil genius. Because he had her.

"Eobard can I request something?"

Eobard nods still holding her. "yes of course."

Renee looks around but no one is around. "Could you look like Eobard again? Not who you are pretending to be, not Harrison and not Reverse Flash."

As soon as he hears her request, he understands who she means. She wants his true self, who he was in the beginning. Eobard nods and shifts into the real version of himself. The dark blond hair, the same blue eyes as before, with that adorable smile she loved so much. It's not the Thawne she disliked but the Eobard she had fallen for all those years ago.

Renee touches the lines of his face,though most of it was smooth and the stubble around his chin. "There he is..."

A sense of relief and longing washes Eobard as her fingers run along his face. This is the moment he'd been looking forward to most. His true self was back. The one who would be her everything...all he wanted right now is just to be closer to her as possible. Eobard wraps his hands around her waist, pulling her even closer to him.

"I missed you." Renee murmurs against him.

"I missed you too...so much." Eobard says softly as he continues to hold her. Every part of him feels alive now...All those feelings that were buried under the negative speed force have returned...to finally be able to let again...was almost euphoric.

"You know I had a dream once...We were married, with beautiful blond kids, everything felt perfect, normal." Renee says wistful.

Eobard smiles wistfully. The possibility of that being a reality in the near future was something he had never dared hope for. But now it felt like it was finally in reach.

Renee holds him never wanting to let go. She had been so scared, she had thought she had lost him for good. And then Eobard realized something. Their fears were the same. If he had lost her forever, he would have no idea what to do with himself. The thought made his heart sink. He wa just so thankful they were able to rebuild, and in this moment he never wanted to let her go. Eobard's fingers brushes her skin,pulling her even tighter as he closes his eyes.

The energy from earlier had left her exhausted though. Eobard opens his eyes,noticing the lack of energy, he sighs and backs off her. "You're tired aren't you?"

"I did wear myself out." Renee admitted.

"alright well let's get you comfortable then." Eobard smiles as she starts to lay down.

Renee nods than says, "Eobard? Can you stay with me? Just hold me."

He nods with an understanding smile, at the moment he had no desire to be anywhere else. "Of course...how about I lay down with you? No pressure, I'll just make you comfortable..."

Renee agrees, "That sounds good." Eobard gently lays down with her, wrapping his arms around her body,snuggling close. His fingers tracing her skin, his eyes close,hoping they both can get some rest. The two of them sleep through the night, the rhythm of their breath and heart beat ever present as they lay close to one another. In their own world, their own reality. The world could burn around them and they wouldn't even notice.

In the morning Eobard's eyes dart open as he hears a message on his phone. It's from Renee she must have sent him this in the middle of the night,while he was asleep. He looked over,she was still sleeping soundly next to him.

Eobard grabbed his phone,checking the message,his previous concern turned to one of joy as he saw the image...a pregnancy test and it was positive. His second chance.

To be continued...

[animehouse-moe]

Sengoku Youko Episode 1: We Are Those Who Lament This Barbaric Age

I'm pretty sure I'd be fine with anything after the travesty of Lucifer an The Biscuit Hammer, but White Fox seems plenty committed to Sengoku Youko, delivering a comfortably enjoyable first episode! Of course, because it was so good, I've got plenty I want to chat about.

First of all, let me level my complaints. I hate it when series have blown out highlights for bright scenes. I think it's ugly and unless your point is to emphasize the heat or brightness of a scene that it accomplishes nothing but crushing the colors of the scene. Just look at these two examples. The left has those overblown highlights and the right doesn't. Obviously one of these is better than the other.

And really, that's the only severe complaint I have with the episode. I think some of the animation was a little lacking for its focus on action, but I wouldn't say it's ever bad. Just more so that there's not quite the amount of movement that you might hope to see out it.

Similarly, the boards for some of the action sequences aren't the greatest. In their atomized pieces it's plenty fine, but put together they can create an awkward to follow sequence like this one.

And that's about all I can muster as a complaint against the episode. It's great fun, it's got some great layouts, there's good lighting and drawings, and it really heightens the energy of the manga while doing a great job of maintaining a healthy relationship between the action and comedy.

I think one of the most enjoyable aspects of this debut episode though was the overall direction of it. It had an undeniably classic feel to the approach that emphasized a lot of camera movement alongside character acting to bring out the energy in it. You might argue that too much camera movement and rotation can become a cheap trick, and I'd say you're right, but at the same time when you're working with someone like Mizukami, sometimes those aspects end up meshing really well with the style. And I'd say this is one of those times.

It's fun and brings out the most in the more "stereotypical" aspects of the character's personalities. A grand rotation around Youko, for example, really helps with selling the self-purported grandeur of their statement to the bandits they're addressing.

But that's about all I have to say, really. The episode does what a first episode should: entice the viewer. It shows off the power system centering around Youko and Jinka, gives Shinsuke his character motivation, and even goes as far as creating the basis for the complicated situations and nature of Katawara (thanks to the cliff hanger).

It hits every base required for a good episode from a written standpoint, and comfortably supplements that with well polished and high energy work. It might not be a 'Tis Time For Torture, Princess, but it definitely gives viewers the confidence they need to believe that this will be a good watch.

So obviously, because of all of that I'm looking forward to seeing where end up going in the next episode!

[popculturerobots]

Pokémon Interlude

I wanted to take a quick moment to talk about Pokémon: Twilight Wings.

Pokémon: Twilight Wings is an eight episode web series from 2020 that clocks in at just under an hour and is available to watch totally free on the official Pokémon YouTube channel (beware the quality degradation from compression). It takes place just before the beginning of the Sword and Shield games, except for episode 8, which takes place after the end of the base game. I should admit up front that I never played either game. I only know these details (and who all the character are) because I looked them up afterward. Despite all that, this series is my favorite piece of Pokémon media I've seen in many years.

Spoilers ahead --

I grew bored of Ash Ketchum and co. ages ago. Don't get me wrong, I still love the old movies. I just kinda…stopped caring after a while. An eternally young boy fighting battle after boring battle while tripping over every major event in the universe didn't interest me anymore.

But this series. This series gave me exactly what I had been craving. It showed me what the Pokémon world looks like to everyone else. Gym leaders, the League Chariman's secretary, the League Champion's little brother, a sick boy stuck in a hospital who will not have anything but the smallest impact on the universe. All of these characters have their own lives, their own struggles. Each episode focuses in on one and is deeply personal.

This series has heart.

I love the peeks we get into what life with Pokémon is like. League tournaments are huge televised sporting events with fans and commentators and instant replays and merchandise. As they obviously would be!

Pokémon are clearly and explicitly more than just pets or creatures that battle. They're ingrained in society. As they should be! They live, eat, play, train, work, grow up, exist alongside their human companions.

Look at the way the children resemble their Pokémon. And the way the Minccino holds onto its trainer's leg in the doorway. It's adorable, yes, but also such effective worldbuilding. You can immediately tell how important the Pokémon are to their trainers, and the trainers to their Pokémon.

Also Sudowoodo pretending to be a potted plant is extremely funny.

It doesn't hurt that the animation is beautiful. Even short scenes less than a second or two long go way harder than they have any right to. And the longer sequences are simply breathtaking. I don't know how many times I rewatched Bea training or Nessa swimming with Melotic.

Let's talk battles. It wasn't until I read the Pokémon manga that I realized the potential they had. These creatures possess terrifyingly destructive capabilities, and that should be clear when they fight.

It has never been more clear than at the end of episode 7.

It's dynamic and exciting and the best clash between Pokémon I've seen in a long time. I will say I'm still not convinced on the whole Gigantamax thing, but wow that Charizard is persuasive.

The biggest weakness of the series is the 3D animation work. Sometimes it meshes well, sometimes it's jarring to the point of distraction, and sometimes it's just…bad (looking at you test-drive-ass sequence in episode 7). It's especially infuriating because so much of the other animation is so damn good.

Anyway, if you haven't seen the series, I hope you'll give it a watch. It's fun and emotional and has so many little details that make it all that much better. It was such a joy for me when I found it, and it's still a joy going through it again.

Thanks for reading.

[anxiouslyfred]

Yes but actually No

For @aro-sides-week prompt of romo-aro I have 2 ideas written down that would work, so damn, I'm gonna type them both and see if either actually fits

This feels like who I've been, someone who dreams of the fairytale ending then find their skin crawls when they get close to it. If I'm understanding it wrong then oh well

Virgil would fit this, want the connection with other people without being crowded and desire romance as a form of limited socialisation.

He might convince himself the discomfort is social anxiety, until his partner sits him down to discuss why he's avoided some things or snaps at others seemingly at random.

If Virgil is dating Janus then they'd discuss boundaries and what exactly he wants out of a relationship, Virgil only remembering later he should probably have asked the same of Janus but finding his attempts to do so are dissuaded by Janus focusing on giving him no way to put pressure on himself to do anything they might enjoy in relationships.

Roman is definitely someone who's romo-aro to some extent all of the time. He loves disney and happily ever afters and probably focuses so much on wanting that dream ending, he doesn't realise when the desire conflicts with things he either dislikes or actually wants.

So he'd mesh well with someone, probably get along like a house on fire with Logan, because even if they're arguing they both know it's good natured, to the point that if Roman's enjoying an argument enough he'll help Logan if he stumbles over an insult

It takes a while for Roman to start thinking in happily ever afters and realise Logan is getting included in them

But then Logan asks him out and it feels like the best and worst thing at the same time.

He says no

He keeps on saying no when Logan brings it up again, now with points over shared interests, desires, and confessions of feelings

Because on the level, it's everything Roman wants, it's a chance at a happily ever after

But just beneath that it the expectations of romance of things that are expected in relationships, and fears, because they do get along brilliantly, but what happens when he can't be something for Logan, when things he's uncomfortable with come up?

Logan stops asking when Roman tries to explain this, eventually describing the two of them as bonfires, next to each other they'd lovely, a haze of warmth around each other, but put them too close and the fire is big enough to spread and destroy everything around them.

They're better off as friends for each other anyway.

And later he accepts something else after more talks with Logan each time letting Roman see he doesn't understand something more about these disney romance he dreamt of.

Roman didn't understand. These relationships everyone got into confused him. How was he supposed to know who he could or couldn't date? How was Logan so understanding but bewildered when he said that it feels wrong, that it itches under his skin uncomfortably each time he asked him out?

Soon enough he puts a necklace on, just a show piece he liked, and declared that he wouldn't date while he wore it. That he'd take time to understand his own wants and wear the necklace to remind them he's not going to date anyone.

If no one else could explain or give him the signs they apparently saw, then he'd give them one... even if that meant he was wearing the necklace everyday for the rest of his life.

[nexusnox]

HOW IT WORKS;

Now, it's important to note that Assassin's Creed is where Alex began and it's where he'll return to in the end.

Less dramatically, this is less a multiverse blog and more of an Assassin's Creed blog disguised as a multiverse blog.

What that means is that Alex being an Assassin is always a constant; this sometimes manifests in different ways, but usually it means that he's lived out his AC story before something happens that results in a crossover. Usually, I use the Eye as the catalyst for this, as that's where Alex's story ends in the AC verse.

Regardless, I've chosen four 'main' verses to put here, the ones that I write Alex in most often. These are only a baseline, however; I can work Alex into just about anything I'm familiar with, and sometimes even things I'm not!

Please note that these aren't for explaining the game/show/etc itself, this is just explaining how Alex fits into them.

That said, the verses themselves are below the cut.

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verse : the promise is in the point of the blade | Assassin's Creed

I won't go into detail about his story here, that belongs in his bio, but the long and short of it is that Alex has an unusually high percentage of Isu DNA, which, when activated by someone using a Piece of Eden on him, has some unusual effects.

One of these is immortality, after a fashion. He doesn't age, and won't die naturally, though he can still be killed- even if it won't stick.

Due to this immortality, and the now-endless time on his hands, Alex travels around the world and ends up in the background/sidelines of most of the events of the games.

I've played at least partway through most of them, so I can run pretty well with just about anything.

[BIO]

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verse : nothing has ever lived that will not die | Destiny 2

This one meshes nicely with AC because of the way Alex dies his first final death in that storyline.

Alex doesn't remember everything, but he remembers most of it. Definitely enough to be pissed at being alive again.

This one's pretty flexible, because Alex could be the Young Wolf but generally I prefer him as a former Warlord. Either way, just let me know what works best for you!

[BIO]

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verse : the flightless blind venturing out into the dark | Star Trek Online

I've toyed with several different ideas for this one, from a Romulan to one of Khan's Augments, but in the end I settled on a Joined Trill. This makes it somewhat difficult to mesh his AC lore in, but in the end I decided he's still an Assassin, just not an immortal one. He still has the training, instincts, and reflexes.

Theoretically I could cast Alex in just about any role, but I went for a Starfleet Captain; he's in command of the U.S.S. Alsafar.

I'm fairly familiar with most of the shows, but I chose Star Trek Online as the 'base verse', so to speak, because it's timeline is easier to fuck around with. Also, most of my notes on Alex in this verse are through the lens of Star Trek Online.

Still, I could probably shuffle things up fairly easily, especially because time travel is a thing, so I could work with most anything!

[BIO]

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verse : names mean nothing to the dead | Apocalypse Media

Another that meshes well with Assassin's Creed, in that Alex waking up to a very different Earth after using the Eye is such a fun thing to write and something I contemplate often.

This one is more of a generic apocalypse verse than something for a specific media, but it should be easily enough adjusted to anything needed, such as Walking Dead, Fallout 4, or Horizon Zero Dawn- all of which are very different kinds of apocalyptic but still all equally easily compatible.

Disclaimer; of those, I'm only familiar with Fallout 4 and HZD, though I'm currently reading the Walking Dead comic. Honestly, I don't have much experience with zombie media because I find it more enjoyable to write than read, but I know the general principles.

[BIO]

verse : there must be blood and this I knew (I believe there must be wonders too) | Other

This is for any other verses that may end up being written in! They'll be added here as they come up. They may or may not get their own tags if they're written in often, too.