#nova setup

[zhoras-bitch]

Rereading the first few episodes of WTC with the foreknowledge of who Nova is and what her actual goals are is so satisfying. I saw some of the foreshadowing that made me go hmmm on my first read, but I did not realise just how many hints there were. Let me tell you, there are so many lines that have a double meaning. In Nova's internal monologues in particular, like, 'She already knew what she had to do' etc. etc. And seeing what they try to appear as vs what they actually mean at the same time is incredibly fun.

[ninawolv3rina]

More unhinged elf

OC: Nova (They/she)

[alchemypanda]

All those nights that I spend out in the jungle, freezing....starving. The only thing that kept me alive was the thought of you being here to see this. - Lucas Taylor (inspi.)

[pineyw00dsshesquatch]

Beautiful! I needed Finn to come back at the end.

Him and Marcy. Mostly Marcy

I was (and still am) too in love with the rest of the show to get real fussy with the ending, it was just disappointing in a few spots. I loved the dandelion coming back as abstract magic, but hated the cliche city streets "superhero movie" style climax in Fionna's world. To be upfront, drone/robot/zombie/hoardes like the scarab bugs climaxes that drag out are a major peeve of mine and just take me out. It makes the last half of Inuyasha, Swords of an Honorable Ruler unwatchable.

It didn't like the AU folks popping up and was lost till a commentary video pointed out Prismo was responsible. I don't understand how Jay could just leave his siblings after it was unclear if Farmworld Finn survived. However, I wouldda absolutely bought Marcy popping in cuz she heard about Simon's universe jumping. I think it couldda been handled as a joke that "word gets around" and been fine.

Who knows what happened, I wouldn't be surprised if Marceline's voice actor had conflicts or there were budget disputes that dimished her part. I would also not be surprised if top down meddling demanded the tired "superhero movie" style climax. The setup from the other episodes really felt like it was going somewhere different than what we got.

I understand not bringing Finn back for the finale, but Marcy is so important to Simon and the show spent so much time emphasizing the importance of their relationship to the entirety of Ooo. It feels weird how absent she is given all that setup.

I still really love what we got with Fionna and Cake as a good spinoff to AT that really handled its material well, grew with its audience, and justified the multiverse trend. Like, THIS is how it's done, if any franchise has earned multiverse privileges, it's Adventure Time.

crying , i wanted to see more of these two :(

[lloveboo]

ALL THE WAYS WE BURN - a Kim Mingyu fanfic

pairing: kim mingyu x f!reader, ceo!mingyu x employee!reader

genre: office romance, sexual tension, yearning, heavy angst, slow burn

next chapter: Under His Gaze

Chapter One – A New Beginning

The glass facade of Kim Architecture stretched high into the clear sky with it's sleek panels reflecting the soft morning sun. I stood at the entrance, gripping onto the strap of my bag, my stomach was twisting with nerves.

This was it. The first step toward everything I had worked for.

My phone buzzed in my hand.

Charlotte: Good luck today, sis! You’re going to be amazing. I’m so proud of you. Love you!

A small, grateful smile tugged at my lips.

Me: Love you too, Char. I’ll tell you all about it later.

Charlotte, my little sister had always believed in me—even when I struggled to have faith in myself. This job wasn’t just about me; it was about us, about finally moving forward.

I took a steadying breath and stepped inside.

The cool air of the lobby hit me first, followed by the quiet hum of conversation and the sharp clicks of heels against marble. The employees moved with such purpose that exuded such confidence which made me feel like I was an outsider in their world.

“Miss Nova?”

I turned at the sound of my name, coming face-to-face with a woman who carried herself with effortless authority. She was strikingly tall, with dark eyes that seemed to take in everything at once. Her heels clicked with each step while her chestnut hair fell in perfect waves over her shoulders.

I recognized her instantly.

“Miss Lila,” I said, straightening.

“You remember me,” she noted, her lips curving into a soft smile. “Good. I interviewed so many candidates I almost lost track.”

I let out a nervous laugh. “Hard to forget an interview that made me this anxious.”

Lila chuckled, then gestured for me to follow. “Come on, let me show you around.”

As we walked, she explained the office layout, the different departments, key people to remember, and where to get the best coffee. Which was not from the break room, apparently.

We reached an open workspace where rows of desks stretched before us, occupied by employees engrossed in their screens or engaged in quiet discussions.

“This is you,” Lila said, stopping at a desk near the floor-to-ceiling windows. “It’s not much now, but trust me, once you get into the rhythm of things, this place will feel like home.”

I slid my bag onto the desk, taking it all in. It was a simple setup, a sleek computer, a keyboard, a neatly stacked pile of documents —but to me, it was everything.

Lila glanced at me, her expression softening slightly. “You’ll be fine. Just do the work, pay attention, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. You’re here for a reason.”

I let those words settle deep in my chest.

I hoped she was right.

The next few days blurred together as I adjusted to my new role.

I spent mornings navigating spreadsheets and reports, gradually learning the unspoken rules of corporate life. The break room quickly became a familiar retreat, where I found myself easing into casual conversations with colleagues.

“First-day horror stories, go,” Lila prompted one afternoon, stirring her coffee.

“I spilled tea on my manager’s desk,” one coworker admitted.

“I called the CEO by the wrong name,” another groaned.

I raised a brow. “You’re still here?”

“He found it funny,” they replied.

Lila smirked. “Mr Kim doesn’t care about stuff like that. As long as you’re competent, he barely notices you exist.”

I blinked at the name. Mr Kim.

I had seen him around.

Noticing him.

I mean it was impossible not to notice him.

Kim Mingyu moves through the office with an air of quiet authority, that his presence commands even when he wasn’t speaking. Tall, broad-shouldered, always dressed in sleek, in perfectly tailored suits. His expression always unreadable, his focus being razor-sharp.

I had watched him in passing—discussing figures with the finance team, reviewing blueprints with the senior architects. He never lingered, never wasted words.

I saw him laugh once, a brief chuckle at something a senior manager had said, and even that felt rare, like catching a glimpse of something not meant to be seen.

But he never looked my way.

And that was fine.

Three days in, as I was finishing up my work for the evening, Lila appeared at my desk and dropped a thick stack of documents in front of me.

“Can you do me a favor?”

I glanced up, already wary. “Depends.”

Lila chucked. “I need you to sit in for me at tomorrow’s project meeting. I’ll try to make it, but if I’m late, just take notes.”

I stiffened. “Wait—you want me to cover for you?”

“You’ll be fine,” Lila said breezily. “Just observe, stay sharp, and who knows? Maybe you’ll learn something useful.”

I swallowed unsure but still nodded.

That night, I sat at my tiny table desk at mine and Charlotte's apartment, surrounded by documents and notes, highlighting key points and scribbling in the margins.

I didn’t know it yet, but tomorrow would change everything.

The next morning, smells of toasted bread and coffee filled our tiny apartment as I flipped through my notes again, my pen tapping against the page. My eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. It was almost time to go. My stomach twisted in nerves.

“You’re going to burn a hole through that paper,” Charlotte teased, sliding two plates of scrambled eggs and toast onto the table.

I sighed, rubbing my temple. “I just want to be prepared. This is my first big meeting, and I’m filling in for someone way more experienced than me. What if I screw up?”

“You won’t.” Charlotte sat across from me, propping her chin in her hand. “You always do this. Overthink, stress, then absolutely crush it.”

I rolled my eyes, but a small smile tugged at my lips. “I hope you’re right.”

She pointed her fork at me. “I am right. And if you impress your boss, maybe you’ll get promoted faster, and then we can finally move into one of those fancy high-rise apartments you’re always obsessing over.”

I huffed a small laugh. “One step at a time, Char.”

Charlotte shrugged. “I’m just saying, you’re kind of a genius, and they’d be stupid not to see that.”

Something in my chest warmed.

“Thanks,” I murmured, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand. “I’ll do my best.”

Charlotte smiled. “You always do.”

The tube rattled as I gripped the pole, running through everything I had memorised the night before. The key points, the numbers, the small details that could set my idea apart.

This was my chance.

A high-stakes meeting. Executives. A vice CEO. And—of course—him.

Mingyu.

I’d seen him around the office. Heard the way people spoke about him. Respected, ambitious, incredibly intelligent. But cold. Calculated.

We hadn’t spoken yet.

He hadn’t even acknowledged me.

But maybe that was about to change.

The conference room was sleek and modern, floor-to-ceiling windows stretching across the far wall giving a breathtaking view of the city. But I had barely noticed. My hands rested neatly in my lap, my mind sharply focused.

The room filled quickly, conversations buzzing—high-ranking executives taking their seats, the vice CEO flipping through his notes.

Then, everything shifted.

The door opened, and the air grew heavier.

I felt it before I even saw him.

Mingyu walked in, his dark suit fitting him perfectly, exuding power without even trying. He didn’t say a word, yet the room responded to him instantly. Loud conversations quieted. People straightened in their seats.

I kept my posture composed, but my pulse quickened.

For the next few minutes, discussions passed over my head. Numbers, projections—until we reached the project I had spent hours studying last night.

Mingyu’s voice was smooth, deep. “There are inefficiencies in the current layout. We need a solution that maximizes space without increasing costs.”

Silence stretched across the table.

I swallowed.

I wasn’t supposed to speak. This wasn’t my place.

But the answer was right there. Clear as day.

I took a breath.

“If we modify the structural framework to incorporate more lightweight materials,” I said, keeping my voice steady, “we can maintain durability while cutting down on costs. It would also allow for a more open design, which aligns with the project’s vision.”

The room turned to me.

My throat went dry.

Then, finally—finally—he looked at me.

His gaze was unreadable. Dark. Sharp.

Assessing.

A heartbeat passed. Then another.

“Explain,” he said.

It wasn’t a dismissal.

It was a challenge.

I met his eyes and pushed forward, breaking down my reasoning, referencing research, calculations, every fact I had spent hours memorizing.

I didn’t hesitate. Didn’t stutter one bit.

By the time I finished, silence settled over the table.

Then—Mingyu nodded. Just once.

“That’s a good approach,” he said simply. “We’ll look into it.”

The meeting moved on, but I barely heard the rest.

Because for the first time since I started working here— I wasn’t invisible to him anymore.

And something told me—this was only the beginning.

[rei-ismyname]

X-Men #16 review

AKA Magneto takes dexies

Fuck me, this book has had 16 issues, though if you asked me for an elevator pitch I'd have to say 'problems keep happening, except in the snow.' This latest snow problem arc feels like it's picking up the pace, but it covers maybe 5 minutes of their life. It's exciting - fake X-Men, a fight with bad guys, and Magneto taking drugs - but you can only run on 90/10 setup/payoff for so long before it drags. If nothing else, hot Magneto is back and full of drugs! 💊🧲

'Nuh uh, it's MY treehouse.'

Last issue ended with Cassandra Nova whispering in a new mutant's ear and these jerkoffs showing to rumble. The Santo Marco six, 3K mutants we last saw fifteen issues ago. As I said then, it's great that the 3K plot is starting to move but so much has happened since then that I forgot why anyone cares. This issue spends a fair amount of time basically reintroducing them because I'd imagine most readers are like Temper - 'who?' That's taking a little too long to get back to them IMO - this isn't the X-Files where the breadcrumbs are a given. Anyway, they want to be the X-Men for some reason, so the two teams fight. IDK why Scott wouldn't offer them a job interview or something, he looks like a big mean jerk. Yeah, I said it!

Magik and Juggernaut the bash bros are all about it, amping up their previous blood knight act. Cain no shit makes a Jack and the Beanstalk reference but it doesn't really land. Scott tries to remind his violent kids that the Twin is rampaging but they don't hear. The Twin seems like their heart just isn't in it as Cassandra Nova eggs them on. Getting huge Chuck vibes from her lol.

It's a bit jarring for Scott to shut the fake X-Men down so totally then be like 'wait, the twin.' He knows Magik wants their heads and that she and Cain are like this now. He set the example by being standoffish, what did he think would happen? I think I'm still hoping we'll follow up on Scott's mental health issues, but I guess Logan cured him with stabbing and I'm looking for something that isn't there. Still, with two psychics on the team it's something that could have been addressed - even if it's 'I'm doing okay right now thanks.' Leaving any longer to follow up and it'll feel like... round two of a fight from fifteen issues ago. Significant, but wayyyy too long between beers.

Beast calling Mags a shit father is 👌👌👌

Cyke multitasks like a champ and mobilises the factory crew. Mags and Beast hinted at a prosthetic for the ailing elder mutant last issue, though he looks a lot fucking healthier right now. I've been very open about my extreme distaste for R-LDS, and that hasn't changed. Dexies. Dextroamphetamine-x, so mutant dexies - as a temporary solution is ridiculous and pretty funny. Beast just whipping up drugs is becoming a regular enough thing, but dexies, really? Mutant ADD medication? It makes R-LDS look silly-er. I'll come back to this in a separate post for now let's enjoy Magneto shooting up speed and see what it does.

Wooooo! Tight, tight, tight tight tight!

HAHA! My dude is amped up, levitating syringes and billowing his cape. Hook this man up with an IV. I hesitate to say 'Magneto is back' but it is nice to see the Master of Magnetism flex like that. Now go throw some vehicles around, old man. I know you want to.

Not sure what to make of Beast's facial expression there. We can cross 'uncomplicated joy' off the list, that's for sure. Maybe 'should I really be giving Magneto amphetamines? I was in the Defenders, man.' Yes, he should. Hook the whole squad up.

Maybe not Magik...

SPLASH PAGE! Scott orders Psylocke to take out the speedster first, but I think he's been hanging around Hank too much. 'Accelerated physiology' - Scott deserves that knockdown. The action is bombastic and kinetic with handy visual keys to show who what kind of power and how it interacts with our A team. That's a counterbalance to the sheer busyness of the scenes , though I'm not sure it's enough. The pop cartoon style clashes a little with the cinematic panels they're going for here, showing most of the 'what' in a vacuum.

As a whole I find it difficult to tell where each respective exchange is happening. Following the speedster tells a coherent linear narrative, at least - taking out Scott, struggling with Psylocke and handing off to The Vore, then getting blasted by Scott. I wonder where Piper, Xorn, and Quentin are?

Woof! If these clowns want to be X-Men they need better banter. Anyone shouting 'The Juice is loose' in battle deserves to get pounded, FR. Honestly, everyone looks like they're having fun, not like they're looking to kill each other. It's very flashy but I feel like the guy in the bottom left panel - '?' There's the feeling that this fight is not intended to have a conclusion, that it's a showcase for design and dynamics. It's possible to have both, I'm sure of it. Somebody get hurt!

Oh bloody hell the X-Men are getting in on it too, with the embarrassing one liners. I do like cosmic energy guy's design though. Is their leader dabbing? Cassandra Nova must be so embarrassed. I guess THE VORE didn't eat Psylocke's brain or whatever. The unserious vibes the fight carries makes sense considering they're trying to stall the X-Men, but it pulls me out the moment and it makes the X-Men look like chumps. Get a handle on your guys and lead, Scotty!

There we go. This guy - I'm going to call him Bighorns - accepts the chance to regroup when Scott calls it. They want to be X-Men, apparently. With that 'Here Comes Tomorrow' you might even say they want to be New X-Men. There's a set-up for an ideological discussion here - I wonder if they'll go for it. Valid points are being made, kinda. Only one team works for the genocide lady who treats people like lab rats, but the X-Men have mile-wide chinks in their armour to call out. I doubt it, but you never know.

While the action figures have been smashing into each other, The Twin has reached the town. Magneto is dexied up, controlling the Wild Sentinel he and Scott trashed before the series started. That's where we end - with the two teams talking but inherently opposed and Magneto the only thing in between Merle and destruction. Piper around somewhere, Quentin is presumably still knocked out, and Xorn is ... where did he go? Looking for Quentin still, I guess?

In the introduction I flagged the pacing as illusively slow, and looking at this issue as well as zooming out I think it sticks out more than ever. At the end of last issue the Twin was heading for the town, the two X-Men teams were having a tense face-off, while Xorn searched for Quentin off panel. At the end of the issue the X-Men have said hello, the Twin walked a few hundred meters, and Mags took some medication.

He amped up but hasn't actually done anything. Nobody has, really. A 12 mutant brawl happened but nobody's hurt and they're back to where they started. There's just a hint of payoff here, a teaspoonful - enough to taste the flavour but not very filling. Staying on the Magneto example - #15 showed him asking for medication, #16 he took it and did a pose, and #17 presumably he'll interact with The Twin. Or maybe not. The twin, on the other hand, took 3 issues to walk to town. She stopped and started a lot, but it was in service of the choice 'destroy town Y/N?' She keeps choosing yes, urged on by Cassandra Nova, but we know that Merle isn't getting destroyed. They're probably not going to kill a child either, and that's a source of tension at least.

I'm not sure if it will be any better in the trade without serious editing. The start and end of each issue bleed into each other, so it's going to feel downright repetitive. At least we're getting further away from Raid and Chuck Hunt with every step, I just wish they'd pick up the pace. The line work is tight as always, the inks pop - contrasting brightly off the snowy backdrop, each character model is distinct and dynamic - but the choreography and blocking was flat for me. Being able to tell where people are in relation to each other is crucial, and the fight looked like the shadow of fierce without the sincerity.

I'd recommend it for the Magneto content alone, but everything tastes great when you're starving. I'm sympathetic to the rigor of double shipping in a hostile creative environment, but it's been sixteen issues. There's been bursts of brilliance like the Lundquist and Scott scenes but too much padding and repetition. The best scenes shine brightly, so it's not a talent deficit. It'd be nice to have a few excellent issues consecutively, you know? I feel like I say that, or something like it, every review. Hmm, I don't want to be repetitive, let's check out how my peers in X-Men reviewing are handling it.

...

Most sites stopped reviewing this book halfway through Raid on Graymalkin - even AIPT, who review everything positively. Looks like I'm on my own there. Fuck it - adjectiveless X-Men is fun enough - I just know that the team can do better. Thanks for reading.

[grifff17]

Hi can I ask for some audio drama recommendations? I'd like something with important ace and/or aro characters... Alternatively, I'm looking for any kind of good comedy :)

For aroace characters, my go-to recommendation is InCo. Nova, a grumpy information dealer, finds a naive alien boy floating in space who claims to be the prince of a fairytale planet. Hijinx ensue. Nova is aroace, and she develops a deep platonic relationship with prince Hatov which is best described as a slow burn friendship. Someone on this site once described the show as “a love story for people who hate romance” which I thought was very fitting. I love this show, the third season especially is great. Completed with 3 seasons.

My favorite comedy audiodrama is Mission Rejected. When the superspy is told “this is your mission, if you choose to accept it”, what happens if they say no? The backups are called in, of course! A pencil-pusher, an intern, a failed actor, and a hacker on work-release are stuck doing all the unglamorous missions declined by suave superspy Chet Phillips. Expect parodies of all the spy tropes and a lot of setup for stupid puns. In a great coincidence, the main character of this show is implied to be aroace. It’s never directly stated, but he never shows attraction to anyone and becomes close platonic friends with a female member of the team. Ongoing, current has 5 seasons.

By the same creator as InCo, Stories From Ylelmore has similar aroace vibes. It’s a cozy urban fantasy show that follows 3 kids, a witch a werewolf, and cursed, who get up to shenanigans in their magical small town. This show has similar vibes to the cartoon Hilda. It’s not really a comedy, but it definitely has jokes (it has made me laugh out loud multiple times). Ongoing, currently has 2 seasons with a third final one on the way.

Hamuel Burger and the American Dream is a absolutely wild surrealist comedy about an alien twitch streamer who has come to Earth to speedrun killing/becoming the President. It's laugh-out-loud funny, with lots of references to internet culture. I don’t think it has any ace characters. Ongoing, currently has 7 episodes.

Another show with a sort-of aroace lead is Lost Terminal. It’s a hopepunk post-apocalyptic sci-fi podcast about a lonely AI looking for friends. In a world rebuilding from a climate disaster, Seth, a sentient AI that lives in a space station, narrates his reports sent back to a long-gone mission control. This show is hard sci-fi, which is rare among audiodramas. It’s another show where the main character is never stated to be aroace, but never has a romance plot and feels aro. Ongoing, with currently 16 seasons.

Less is Mourge is also a comedy with an ace character. In an alternate-universe Florida where the supernatural is mundane, a ghost and the ghoul who ate her corpse start a chat podcast. There’s a lot of jokes referencing modern internet culture, and the ghoul is asexual. Sadly this show is on an indefinite hiatus midway through its second season.

[cosmicrescendo]

Hakanaki Shinzou no Mobius Analysis/Rant

(Precursor Note: will be using the wiki's version of the lyrics and also 4G interview about the twins' songs with FragMem's producer! Read them. Ready, go!)

Overlaying but not Overlapping:

At first, one would assume the twins' chivalries(Louter's 不変(unchanging, I think it was officially TL'ed in the VDs as "stasis" at one point) vs Klark's 永遠 (eternity) ) are simply, synonyms. To imply they both feel the same way. And yeah they are, but there's a nuance in how they differ. They have the same dream and yet......

The love that this light spills The future that awaits us far ahead Please, allow me to shine on you like a shimmer for ever and ever Just like this

Klark dreams of a eternity that continues into the future. That his family happily walks forward, together. He wants to guide his family to that future! (I'll shine on you forever so that you'll never get lost in the stars)This is why he's drawn as looking upwards, and why he's specifically paired with Myunna and Kurode, two characters' whose willingness to walk into the future and embody/protect their dreams. (You'll notice Myunna is looking down rather than up, that's a story for another time but is very much Intentional, alas). A notable motif is constellations (the bonds that tie us together) and a meteor shower (a lengthy journey, to wish for something).

I can't abandon it, I will pray for this unchanging dream Draw these fleeting pictures, my world of stasis is Mobius Dreams that come true and dreams that won't come true, I hope they can become a zero-shaped loop

In contrast, it seems like Louter wants to preserve the present/past, to have it remain unchanging. Locked in stasis, her happy family untainted by the throes of change. She cradles her star gently, gazing down. Ciel and Will's inclusion is a little different (especially Ciel is the odd one out, referring to her willingness to invoke change to grasp the unchanging blue sky she desires) but Will shares the same feelings of wanting to protect something desperately. A notable motif is a "dark" universe (per producer's intention) and novae (the sharp flashing lights that appear repeatedly in the MV, more on that later).

Mobius is 3:22, Sirius is 4:11 (out-of sync but trailing each other, with Klark leading). When their stars overlay each other, they don't overlap. Klark's clock is well-crafted, intricate, and marches steadily into the future, while Louter's is almost half-finished, or as if someone ripped away its plating to get to the heart of it, it quickly moving counterclockwise to the point it breaks itself. They look as if they are one, but they aren't. And the same is true for Sirius- it appears to be a singular star, but is actually a binary star system of two stars in different points in their lifespan.

Those who read character bios are probably already aware that Klark is Sirius A, the first magnitude star, and Louter is Sirius B, the white dwarf. Typically, a binary system with this kind of setup will cause a Type Ia-Supernova, in which the white dwarf siphons material from the bigger star until it hits an ignition temperature from its engorged unstable mass it cant handle and 1) unbinds the bigger star and flings it to god knows where and 2) violently explodes by tearing itself apart, eviscerating itself but. The distance between Sirius's stars is simply too great for this kind of process to happen. Instead they will most likely create novae, where the white dwarf siphons material from the bigger star as usual, but the ignition just causes a big expulsion of energy, causing a big flash of light! The loss to the white dwarf is relatively minor in this scenario, and it can happen multiple times throughout its life.

I don't think Louter being Sirius B is a sign of incoming death, rather just stagnation (which is eerily similar to her chivalry). The love she gets from her family shines brilliantly.....but why must it be finite...

Hiding Your Wish Away?

Klark's skill is machinery, Louter's is magic. Unlike say, the cogs in Klark's MV, I feel the magic in Louter's is more..mysterious. There are heavy references to the twins' divination ability (crystal balls, tarot cards) but the one I wish to reference the windows! Very transparently "gazing out into the future". Louter is the only one shown physically inside a window (viewing her own fate?), but the windows for all 3 characters clearly weigh heavily on the 3 characters. They don't gaze upon them directly (to verify would seal one's fate), but they Know Of Them. (they are often physically behind them or Near in some way)

There's a comical amount of star charts/magic circles that of resemble the pattern of the twins' sleeves. It makes me wonder at one point.....did she attempt to invoke the world she desires by her own hand? Making a wish on the stars is how she uses her abilities, as we've seen in B02. And with how the song ends, I certainly feel that's an interpretation with some meat on it. However, it cannot come to pass: if just a physical barrier had Louter severely unwell after a few days(?), something akin to time manipulation would just. straight up be impossible to maintain with her constitution. And....I think she understands a little bit, the difference between her and Louter. One can see her desires as cruel and ugly, to deny her family of the future. If that's what they want, then who is she to deny them? She's always been the type to spoil them. after all. So she hides these feelings away, deep in her heart....Then we get the verse that is pretty much identical in both songs, other than the fact that Louter adds she'll do it gently(そっと):

I'll tell you (gently), I'll fix my eyes on you, I want to touch you with my heart......

So when they "touch hearts", we get The Look. We understand the sheer intensity of Louter's anxiety and the true implications of her desires, and the impression of "Whoops, we weren't Supposed To See That!" because she's purposefully keeping her family in the dark about her inner anguish about this.

Time for the Ciel/Will Detour!

Ciel is the "odd one out" of Mobius, and unlike Myunna (i am so Sorry they don't give you shit for me to cook with) there is plenty to say about her. Brief stuff that couldn't fit in the other two sections.

Firstly, you'll notice that they never give her the "Mobius" shot (showing someone and their reflection, which symbolize the allure of Mobius, and conscious duality between desires). Instead, they give a shot that looks like she's the center of the galaxy. How apt for someone who has become the infallible axis her country (and eventually the continent. and the world) spins upon. For Ciel, whose love is bottomless and the firm believer of "minna nakayoku", something like a galaxy suits her dreams far better.

Will's has plenty of Mobius Shots, but it differs from Louter: they glitch to fill the other person's place. Perhaps it's a twist to the duality part: Will does not see a contradiction in their desires as Louter does (desiring stasis/respecting the wishes of her family). Or perhaps it's an illusion to hide the one they love from the viewer's gaze....

I love 1:38: Ciel's ignoring what's been divined (two futures! whatever could they be) and forcibly changing the future through her own means. However one of the futures she's done away with seems to be of Great Interest to Will(1:48, instead of their usual one seen at 2:39). Does Will want to protect a future Ciel is willing to throw away for the sake of her dreams?

Sirius was mostly Klark's blue overtaking everyone's image colors, but Mobius is more like a gradient/purple (everyone feels so strongly here!). When Ciel is alone, she's almost *never* overtaken by the purple/gradient, she is staunchly and wholly blue. Her security in her worldview is super strong!.

There's a specific sequence that comes up roughly 3 times (beginning, after the first chorus, and the end). Louter is cradling her star, when a premonition of Will and Ciel appear, causing her to open her eyes. It's a completive look. Do Will and Ciel represent the throes of change that are going to bring potential harm to her family's world?

This is further corroborated that she's never a moment where like, there's a frame of solely Ciel/Louter or Will/Louter. She's often either alone or all of them together, or Ciel/Will w/ Louter alone. They may attempt to understand, but ultimately they are Outsiders to her World.

To Deny Mobius........

Gaze at each other until we meld together, the two of us are connected in a Mobius Even a gaze in the opposite direction, even an outline sketch is unpleasant Even if the end should come, I shall love you forever, for eternity...

This is the final part of the song. Seems simple enough, we're going to finally embody Mobius, so don't look away! And yet.....everyone looks away from their stars during this sequence. They deny themselves the gaze of their beloved star, not becoming one. Ciel and Will's looks are more...cold and determined? Of course for Ciel, Mobius doesn't appeal to her for previously stated reasons, this is easy. Perhaps Will does wish to answer the call of Mobius, since they has plenty of the "Mobius shots". But as someone who believes Ciel's dream will ensure the protection of what they love, they too look away.

And for Louter, it's a fond, regretful (or even embarrassed) look, matching up with the lyric: it's not done with purpose, merely an theoretical end. Maybe in this future, she bittersweetly come to terms that the stasis she dreamed of was a fool's errand......Or maybe not, as the clock attempts to desperately turn back time one last time, causing the logo, the clock, and our beloved theme ("The Knights ask nothing in return for their love") to shatter, and a final reverse sequence occurs ends with a flash. How selfish. It's left up to interpretation to what happens to her in this future, so I'll leave you hanging too, ok?

[sonic-takeover]

How’d the date chili dogs go, boys?

-🐉 Anon

*Sonic paces on the edge of the roof, nearly wearing a dent in it from the number of laps he's done. It's been five minutes and 24 seconds since he asked Shadow to meet him there. He checks his setup again. He got two blankets in case. A plate of chili dogs. A plate of Amy's baked goods he swiped from the kitchen. And a radio, playing quiet bossa nova. He even made an attempt at eyeliner, but it's a bit messy. He sits down, huffing* ...maybe he won't show..

Who?

You. Wait, you! *He stands up, turning to see Shadow walking easily along the peak of the roof. He grins* Hi.

..hey. *Shadow looks over the setup* .... This is... Nice. *He walks over and hands Sonic a bag of coffee beans* I um.. brought these for you. There's a chance our tastes are attached to our bodies and not our minds.

Oh, good thinking. Thanks, Shads. *He takes it and sits down on the blankets, patting the fabric beside him. Shadow sits down next to him, awkwardly hugging his knees*

...So... Bossa nova..?

I uh.. eheh... I wasn't sure what you'd like.. didn't have time to ask..

... Sonic.. what is this?

What..? *Sonic lifts his gaze to meet Shadow's. Shadow's eyes are intense*

What is all this for? It's just lunch, isn't it? We eat together every day, or we have for a while now. Why is this different?

... I.... I dunno, because... I... Wanted it to be...

... Hm. *Shadow looks away* .... You did your makeup.. it's um....

.. *sonic smiles* you can say it's bad~

Thank you. It's bad. *He smiles, glancing over at him* ...but it's nice that you tried. You look good anyway.

*Sonic grins and picks up a chili dog* good to know it wasn't a waste then! Here. Here's to getting our bodies back, right?

Heh.. right. *He takes it and takes a bite. Unfortunately, he doesn't hate it. On the contrary, it's delicious. He looks over at Sonic, who's looking dejectedly at his chili dog. He must not like it* .... Sonic. Eat the beans.

...my poor chili dog soul... *He hands Shadow his chili dog and reaches into the bag, scooping some beans and eating them* ....damnit... It's good...

*Shadow laughs, bumping his shoulder with Sonic's* Welcome to my world. Thank you for preparing all of this by the way. It's... Really nice.

*Sonic smiles up at him* ...you deserve it, Shads..

*Shadow's smile fades and he looks down at his chili dogs* ....maybe. *he eats both of them, then sighs and lays down on the blanket. Sonic lays down too, watching him* ..... I don't want to think about whether or not I deserve this.. I just... Want to be here.

...I'm glad you're here. *Sonic scoots closer and pulls Shadow to his chest. As if by instinct, Shadow snuggles close, laying his head against Sonic, his hand resting between his back spikes. He closes his eyes as Sonic buries his face in his quills, Shadow's face against his chest fur*

.. I'm glad youre here too...

[babolat85]

My top 24 screenshots from 2024

Thanks for the tag @changingplumbob

Apparently I have 6000 files from 2024, so it's taken me a while to narrow it down to 24! Oh yeah, and I have a Bluesky account that I need to plug more.

Yee-Haw I turned one of @golyhawhaw's hunks of Sim into a cowboy, and I need to work out how to incorporate him into my generational family somewhere.

2. Sean and Galen's last vacation in Tomarang.

3. Sean and Galen's grandparent-chic living room.

4. Rafał's wedding day,

5. Sims Sessions needs to come back, with some new artists. Should be a permanent fixture!

6. BLOBBY

7. The time the new creepy teacher got me nearly 2K upvotes on Reddit

8. Alex and Alistair giving RWRB vibes

9. I miss when these damn festivals worked properly.

10. Streetwalking at the Career Expo

11. I love San Sequoia, but need to play in it more often.

12. I finally BUILT SOMETHING this year.

13. Built this house back in....2020? Finally made use of it.

14. Sunset! Also I have straight couples too.

15. I hate Karaoke in real life, but always have time to watch Markos belt out a song.

16. Thought this shot was cute, Tucker and Kaden at Prom.

17. When the Borg decided to show up and assimilate Ciudad Enamorada thanks to a lot I downloaded.

18. Galen and Sean again, played with these two for years and this is the year to move on now Life and Death is out.

19. This guy decides to show up in Henford on Bagley's produce stand.

20. Galen's funeral. Though I wanted to try out the features of Life and Death, this was sad.

21. Dunno, I liked the colours. Wish more Sims would show up to the Night Market's though. Memories of Phuket.

22. Isabela and Omar's wedding day.

23. Recent one, but I'm starting to use Deco sims more often now. Liked the Red Carpet setup I had going here.

24. Another new one, just liked the composition here.

2025 is coming up quickly and lets see how our screenshots evolve.

I'll tag some random people, so if you want to join in, feel free @nornities @nova-kim @bloomingkyras @rebouks @alexpilgrimblog

@cinnybunsims @depictingdrew @perolesims

[ssstarlighttt]

misc just dance character hc post bc i’m bored in the car and stuck in traffic

bunee is a decently popular streamer online. he has a very decked out streaming setup (as do most people in cyberfunk. they do NOT fuck around when it comes to computer setups) and plays a variety of games. for vibes, definitely very similar to ghcoffee. one frequent kind of stream he does is ranking outfits worn by celebrities at award shows and other big events.

asterina once did a motivational talk/panel at long inc.

padam padam takes place in the virtualscape… but lexy doesn’t know this. beforehand, she was an activist and one of nithe long’s biggest and most influential opposers. due to this, she was one of few coaches who had her memory wiped when sent there, and her map is more isolated from other areas in the virtualscape.

june is a cousin of kimby and teddy bill.

trent and giselle? THE gay man and lesbian duo. they’re best friends idc

unai, zoey, urban, and lukas are all coworkers at a fun center in dancity, a building that houses multiple attractions. unai runs the roller rink, zoey runs bowling, and urban and lukas work the prize counter, while also subbing in for absent coworkers occasionally (this is due to both of them being newer hires).

ruben once did a summer internship at arty’s muesum for part of his degree.

si’ha nova has been long time best friends of kaa’rik and masi’el for years. the traveler is also friends with them, but he’s not as close. the four of them have occasional get-togethers.

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2025-05-26

You must believe that it will go on forever

Listening: Listened to the soundtrack from The People's Joker, which you can roughly find here

There are a lot of bangers in this one but I do think I have to put down Back of the Truck

You should definitely watch The People's Joker it is a truly incredible piece of art. It is literally the only piece of Batman media I have ever consumed start to finish.

Reading: A bunch of scattered articles on ocean plastic in an attempt to better understand some of the claims made in a book I read a while ago, still piecing those together.

Also a lot of electronics part specs because I'm trying to do another PCB project and I am in the hell that is finding parts that are cheap, in stock, and well documented. This is a fight you can win but it involves giving up the part of yourself that doesn't understand how Molex names their parts.

Watching: Watched Les Barbouzes/The Great Spy Chase, a French spy comedy film from the 60's where the conceit is "what if five different countries sent their spies to recover some valuable documents at the same time and they all had to play nice while trying to get one over on each other.

It's very funny! Genuinely some incredible comedy in this movie, but also, Le Racisme! Le Racisme is relatively limited and you should still probably watch this.

In addition to this, at bad movie night Rollergator, a movie by a director who has featured here before when he did Legend of the Rollerblade Seven which is the worst movie we've ever run at Bad Movie Night. Rollergator is about a girl who finds a tiny purple gator puppet who raps and also does one Le Racisme (American) when he does impressions as a bit.

The director of these movies (Donald G. Jackson) Made a like million dollars on one movie and then pioneered the concept he called "Zen Filmmaking" which is when you don't write a script and just wander around easily accessible sets freestyling it. The movies he produces are both unwatchably bad and have negative production value, with untraceable plots, inaudible audio, and pointless dialogue. I cannot really recommend that you watch this one.

Playing: A few more levels of Skin Deep, in part because my partner wanted to see it. Playing or talking video games around them (and a few of my other friends) is funny because it makes me feel like the Video Game Ulysses Ogre. I'm all "Aaaah ogre so stupid ogre can only just make use of smoke grenades, ogre not even begin to correctly employ jiggle peeking" meanwhile they're like "yeah I get frustrated at Arkham Asylum on easy."

Also more Echo Point Nova which is rapidly becoming one of my favourite shooters. I feel like I'm not doing myself any favours refusing to use a controller here, aim assist would probably be great, but I am getting shockingly good at playing Clay Pigeon on the hoverboard guys with my shotgun.

Making: 3D printed speaker stands for my PC speakers, which need some work or maybe just some cleverer design to prevent them from leaning way forwards. Still working on it. Continuing to fiddle with various designs for my new desk setup.

Tools and Equipment: I finally bought some noise cancelling wireless earphones and they are kind of killer for the metro. I have previously worn earplugs on the metro but they are way more inconvenient. I have known how good ANC is for a long time but it really cannot be overstated how nice it is to be able to a) listen to music on the metro without blowing your eardrums out and b) just suppress ambient noise for a bit. Sometimes I've been throwing them in if I want to keep listening to a podcast while I boil the kettle or turn on the microwave.

These are the new CMF Buds 2 which were like USD 50-ish? I'm sure if you get a new Sony it's better and these definitely struggle with more variable, less monotonous noises, but they're great for the price.

[anony-man]

Chubformers drabble #149!

Character: Starscream (ES)

Word count: 1.3k

Frag G.H.O.S.T. and its claim of building a safer, friendlier world. Frag the operation to Unicron and back, and its gang of allies, too. Frag them, frag them all, and good riddance, as the humans would say.

Starscream knew a trap when he saw one, and in a place like that, he knew only bad things could follow. He knew the signs, the lures, the tantalizing offer of freedom and a taste of something better. He wasn’t a fool, no matter what Megatron seemed to think, and he certainly hadn’t just come online yesterday.

Though his spark still pounded and his helm still spun at the very thought of being trapped in that place again, the flier allowed himself a chance to rest and relax a little. It was hard to turn his processor off when it had worked itself up so badly, but things were over now, and with that in mind, he had slowly begun coming down from the terror of it all. The threat of impending danger and government officials spilling from the tree line was ever present in his racing processor, and he could already tell it would remain so for some time… still, Starscream also knew that he needed to calm himself down before something unpleasant followed.

Both Nova Storm and Skywarp slept fitfully nearby, the two fliers lying tangled together against the cool grass under the cover of a maple tree. Having exhausted themselves from the events of the day, they remained deep in recharge and blissfully unaware of the tizzy their third companion had worked himself into. Thank Primus, Starscream thought as he crouched close beside and reached into his subspace. He didn’t need them getting worked up, too.

With careful, quiet movements and bated breath, Starscream slid one cube after another from the extra space in his cockpit. Frag G.H.O.S.T. and its so-called promising operation, he thought to himself as he shoved cubes of fuel into the laps of the sleeping seekers and stacked a pile for himself to eat. He’d been to the other side by then and did not at all like what he had seen.

“Stay here,” he said to no one in particular, all while hoping that by some miracle the two snoozing seekers would somehow hear him. “Don’t get caught and don’t run off. I’ll be back in a few, all right?”

As expected, there was no reply. Starscream sighed and internally facepalmed at how motherly he’d become since reuniting with the two other bots, then rose to his pedes with his share of the fuel in his arms and crept off into the trees.

G.H.O.S.T. had been a cold, hard place for bots like him, and taking his fair share of fuel on his way out the door was only one way the vengeful seeker was looking to get back at the organization. As the sun set, and the day came to an end, he found his resolve weakening and his strength waning… and Primus, was he hungry.

Though waking his companions was something he was desperate to avoid, Starscream hadn’t managed to get very far away from their temporary setup before his trembling legs buckled underneath him. He hit the ground with a painful oof!, the impact sending cubes of energon he had precariously stacked flying in all different directions.

“Scrap,” he hissed under his breath as he rose to all fours and reached a trembling servo out to the nearest discarded cube. “Those idiots…—ugh.”

How pathetic this must have looked from an outside perspective, Starscream thought bitterly as he sat back on his aft and tore the lid free from the first cube. He was left high-wired and anxious, exhausted and starved, and it was all thanks to G.H.O.S.T. The poor seekers who’d fallen dead on their pedes from the strain of escaping weren’t much better off, and he was all the more angry because of it.

Frag G.H.O.S.T. and its filthy operation. Starscream wished desperately to one day have a better opportunity given for sweeter revenge, but right now, he was plenty satisfied with making it out of there alive. That and the weeks worth of fuel he’d managed to smuggle for him and his two companions, of course. G.H.O.S.T. may have gotten him first, but he was intent on getting the last laugh.

He would have never admitted it, but as he began to drink, Starscream almost felt relieved Nova Storm and Skywarp had passed out before getting to the fuel he’d stolen. He could only imagine what a sight he made as he sat there, guzzling cube after cube and suckling the residual fuel that dribbled down his chin off the tips of his fingers. G.H.O.S.T. had left him a wounded, starving animal, but Starscream was finally beginning to right this once again. His appetite was fierce, and his processor was a mess, but each cube of fuel he lifted to his lips and chugged down seemed to make his problems disappear.

Starscream chugged one cube after another, his focus having moved solely to filling the ache in his gut. He was starved in the system, and stifled by their barriers, but now that he was free once again, he could do as he pleased—so he did. One cube became two, and two became three, and before he knew it, the stockpiled stash of energon stolen right from under their noses had become a pile of empty containers tossed aside and licked clean.

Some time had passed between falling to his knees amongst the trees and becoming engulfed in the raging hunger that drove him to eat and eat and eat, but when Starscream came back to his senses, it was to sticky fingers, slack-jawed panting breaths, and a bulging belly that curved beneath the glass of his cockpit.

Starscream closed his optics and grimaced, his callback to reality dawning slowly. As the ache in his belly gradually increased, leaving behind the bittersweet taste of stale energon rations handed out to all the ex-Cons such as himself, he forced his processor to slow its racing and took in a series of deep, steady intakes. The trees rustled against the wind, and somewhere in the distance he could hear the faint sounds of wildlife, but no signs of any curious or concerned seekers were to be found.

Good. They’d slept through most of the night and the appeasement of his ravenous appetite. He couldn’t ask for much more, really.

With his belly aching all the more by the second and the crash that followed an intense and stressful day like the one he had had, Starscream could feel his frame threatening to shut down on him. He was exhausted now, his bare needs having been met, and all he craved from here on out was a good bit of recharge in close proximity of the other seekers. He tried to stand, but his belly protested, a threatening gurgle emitting from its pit in response to his daring attempt at moving.

“Of course,” he muttered aloud, one servo falling back against the grass while the other circled the dome of strained, bloated mesh. “The one night I indulge again and it backfires. Why should I be surprised…”

Well, he supposed he’d at least gotten a chance to eat by now. Besides, Nova Storm and Skywarp weren’t far off; if something were to happen, he’d know.

Disregarding the fact that his stuffed tanks had already made the decision for him, Starscream slumped back against the grass with an audible huff. His optics were closing before he’d so much as folded his servos over his grumbling middle, and by the time he’d found a rhythm to awkwardly soothing his bellyache, he was already drifting off into recharge himself.

The clearing was a mess of empty cubes and a bloated, sleeping seeker, and that much would be found by Starscream’s two sleepy companions come morning. In the meantime, he was content to sleep through the worst of his bellyache… because after all, he didn’t have much of a choice.

[rei-ismyname]

Logan gets Cassandra Nova'd

I have to admit, it's a pretty good setup. We're primed to think that he's about to butcher this mean lady. Looking forward to it, even, because Cassandra Nova is a genocidal monster.

Nope! Thus the anti-Logan was born in Astonishing's photorealistic style with a lot of Hugh Jackman. Marvel isn't the best at handling mental health issues, especially where telepathy is concerned, but I wish this persona stuck around. A psychic trigger, perhaps, so Logan turns into anti-Logan every so often. I think Calico would appreciate the hell out of it.

When you consider what Cassandra Nova did to Beast, something that rattled him to his core for a long time, this is played entirely for humour.

[burningsoftly]

An incomplete list of my favorite moments in the new planet of the apes movie 🦧🦍:

- shit

- the girl And the bird are following you 👀🤔

- Raka and Noa talking about how much Mae stinks and her annoyed side eye from across the fire

- the callback to the original movie with the human hunt

- Caesar’s funeral. Genuinely wasn’t expecting to see any of the og apes and I loved it 🙏🏼 also loved the flowers as a callback to Nova and Luca in War

- the reveal after the fire that the eagle clan was built around the transmission line towers. Such a cool visual

- learning the William h. Macy’s character has apparently just been hanging out reading books about Roman history to Proximus Caesar. That’s the move for sure

- what are those??!! 🦓🦓🦓

- the giant eagle that just fucking hates Noa for no reason for 90% of the movie. Love it, cracked me up

-Noa and Mae! I love them both and I love that they’re both having to come to terms with what they’ve been taught and where they’re loyalties lie and what they’re going to do with their new information. Such an exciting setup for future movies!

[grape-soda-dreams]

Bill Cipher Vs Kirby

The thing is about Bill Cipher vs Kirby is that we know how this goes. Bill fits in like a standard Kirby final boss. With a fight you gotta consider the setup and narrative. Scenario 1: Bill appears pleading to kirby and friends to help make a portal because he was trapped by the nefarious Stanford Pines or something. Kirby and Co agree to help him all while collecting portal parts over 7 food titled levels. Defeat the fake-out boss Stanford, activate the portal, Bill emerges, thanks them, becomes 3D and goes all "I am your god now! aahahahaha" while reality breaks. Results in a final boss fight where kirby absorbs some cool new thing that gives him the "WEIRD" copy ability and he just eviscerates Bill into non-existence until he's needed for a true arena fight. Then he's Bill Cipher Soul. Scenario 2: Mostly the same, but now Bill made a deal with someone and has possessed them, using their forces to go and gather parts to build the portal. Probably conned Dedede somehow. The dude has a history of getting possessed by all-powerful demons. Especially 1 eyed ones. The level names? Uhh. Grape Gardens Ramen Railroads Apple Alleyways Vanilla Vacation Iced Tea Sea Tangerine Tower Yam Yachts I find idea 1 funnier because Ford is just some guy and Kirby's come to throw hands. He's gonna go down in like 1 strong hit. He'd probably figure out how to get a Nova or the new lore tech running or somethin though for a fakeout final boss tho.