#or mid-stakes

[always-a-joyful-note]

So just days before the Shiguang Dailiren/Link Click season 2 premier, I caved into pressure and managed to watch and finish all of s1.

First of all. Pain.

Secondly, I have Theories that I must get out before s2 comes out as a measure of coping and possible deluding myself. There will be big spoilers so I'm just gonna put it under a cut.

So far, I have three-ish theories that could possibly be canon-compliant. But note that I have only watched s1 once and in the sub (which, had some odd subtitles, I won't lie, but I don't know any Chinese so that'll have to make do) and might have missed something key.

Anyway, my most hopeful theory among these three that says a happy ending is possible is the theory that these events happened when someone messed with the nodes of time. Specifically when Cheng Xiaoshi caused Emma's death and then tried to save her. By that I mean that Emma was not supposed to die, not at that point in time, anyway, and that perhaps the possessor manifested when he once again tried to change the node of her death. It doesn't have to be that the possessor was created upon that attempt to reverse her death either, just all the events following Emma's death were not meant to be. By inadvertently leading Emma to her doom, Cheng Xiaoshi changed a node of time, so the only thing that could fix it would be if he goes back again to that time period somehow and stops Emma from responding to those texts from her mum. If he manages to fix the initial change that caused all those murders (and Lu Guang's demise *cue me weeping*), then it could be that the possessor either never existed (where were they before these happenings, anyway?) or that at least everything doesn't explode so tragically.

Buuuuut, as much as I want that to happen...we did in a sense see Cheng Xiaoshi take the "let's try and stop Emma's death" route, and I think they just might take the Lu Guang dies permanently path, which is my second theory-ish which ties into the third.

In s1, Cheng Xiaoshi was blind to the death he caused and almost succeeded in saving Emma...and failed. So if s2 follows that pattern, he'll either almost succeed in saving one of his best friends and then fail right at the end (maybe it will be bittersweet where Lu Guang tells him to let go, that it's all right, and at least the narrative will let the boy have a say in his death). OR that, because he's coming in with eyes wide open (to the deaths he caused, to the possessor's existence, to the real consequences of messing with the time stream), he'll almost fail and then succeed saving Lu Guang in the 11th hour.

That said, manifesting a happy ending for our trio because haven't they been through enough??

[varethane]

Picking up an alt class that starts at level 1 after reaching endgame on your main be like....

[marikodraws]

✏️ Shinjiro sketchlog (2024 February)

[greenvillainredemption]

One thing I love about mutant mayhem is that Leo has a crush on an April who’s not conventionally attractive. It almost feels like, because of the turtles’ isolated upbringing* he hasn’t been influenced by the popular western beauty ideals and just thinks this ordinary human is beautiful! And I think that’s really cool! Because she is!

*though they’ve clearly been exposed to celebrities and other pop culture so ?? idk lol

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

sorry im coping with aus again oopsie daisy. anyway here's my take on a fantasy au

it all started with me rewatching the D&D movie and thinking "hm. what (broad) classes would the neighbors have?"

and after much thinking i came to the conclusion: Barnaby = Bard / Eddie = Paladin / Sally = Sorcerer / Julie = fighter / Frank = monk / Howdy = Artificer / Poppy = Healer / Wally = 'Wizard'

those seem fitting! BUT i don't like restrictions or rules so in this very light worldbuilding for a casual (strongly glaring at myself here) CASUAL au, it's only dnd-esque. not actually dnd yk yk

in my head, they're not technically puppets for this au. they're flesh and blood, they've got bones, etc. they're actual Creatures, though they still look like Them! Julie's still pink w/ candy-corn-horns! Frank is still a gray tube! Barnaby is a big blue dog! they're just... not puppets. it's the same for the other beings in this fantasy world - they all keep the style, but they're all flesh n' blood if that makes sense. a cartoony fantasy world

so they have their little found family adventuring group titled, of course, The Neighborhood. because when they were first forming, Wally went "oh! are we a neighborhood? i've always wanted neighbors!" and it Stuck. so they all lovingly refer to each other as neighbors, even though the closest they get to being actual neighbors is pitching their tents next to each other & staying at an Inn in neighboring rooms

like your classic group of adventurers, they're almost constantly on the move. the longest they stay in one place is a couple of months - the rest of the time they're wandering! they take quests, get roped into general Shenanigans, etc. they adventure! and get into a lot of battles of varying severity

so Barnaby is still kiiiiind of a bard? best i can describe him is jack-of-all-trades moral support! he provides battle music, keeps the mood light, and stands off to the side to offer quips and tips. he prefers not to fight, and only Gets Involved when the others need Backup. even then, he usually takes the role of defending his neighbors. he has a good eye for whether or not physical support is needed - he never needs to be asked when there's a legitimate need for him! unless he's thoroughly distracted from the goings-on. he does have magic, but it's more for show / defense-based

Eddie's still pretty classically a paladin. healing powers, armor, there to be on the front lines and Protect! the group's sword and shield! he technically serves a god but he forgot who <3 he just makes the occasional general offering and mumbles some vague prayer. he's super friendly! super helpful! super willing to dive into the line of fire! Will disregard his own safety without a second thought! his magic is pretty much restricted to healing, and it's weak healing at that (maybe because he can't properly serve his god...), so it's mostly good for quick mid-battle heals and little wounds. temporary fixes!

Sally has innate fire/light magic, and she's very showy with it! she puts Flair and Pizazz into all of her casts and is very dramatic on the battlefield - she manages to turn her fights into a performance. She tag-teams keeping the Neighborhood entertained with Barnaby. he handles the humor/lightheartedness, she handles the escapism/encouragement. she writes scripts & stories in her off-time, and often reads them (or spins a new one) after dinner. when they have weeks / month breaks in one spot, sometimes she'll recruit local thespians to create a play

Frank is all about that hand-to-hand combat babey! he wants to feel bones break under his fists! he wants those split knuckles! he very often starts fights, and even more often finishes them - what he lacks in raw power he makes up for in vicious tenacity. he just Keeps On Going! he seconds as the group's Knowledge Guy. while his hobby is studying insects, he also catalogues/studies monsters and enemies and terrain so that the Neighborhood can always be prepared. the only time he stays out of fights is when he's researching or note-taking. he tries to micromanage the battle from afar anyway

Julie is like... put a druid, a fighter, and a barbarian in a blender. she's got a big sword! she's got seemingly endless energy in battle! she can talk to plants, especially flowers! her flora magic is very minor, so it's not like she's making giant roots burst out of the ground and strangle people. but plants can give her information, and if she asks nicely and they feel like it, sometimes they'll help her out. in battle she's a force to be reckoned with! nothing will stop her and her sword! she's usually the second (closely following Frank, with Eddie hot on her heels) Neighbor charging into battle - but she's the one with the stellar war cry! & where Sally and Barnaby tend to the Neighborhood's emotional wellbeing & entertainment, Julie keeps things fresh with Physical Activities during their downtime!

Poppy is a powerful healer! she draws on an individual's energy (often taps into her own as well) to convert it into healing power. it's draining but it's damn good healing! she also takes the role of the Neighborhood's cook (the others still like to help, especially Frank who is essentially her sous-chef) and makes sure they're all healthy. she hangs back during battles, waiting to (and hoping that she doesn't have to) heal a wounded Neighbor. if one of them is badly hit, she forces herself to run into battle and drag them to safety before working on their injury. she has a tiny bit of illusion magic, which she'll cast from afar to assist her Neighbors. she tries not to use it outside of emergencies - it takes a lot of energy, which she tries to conserve just in case.

Howdy has Zero Magic! none! four hands and none of them are magical! however, he's a damn good inventor & a whiz at potion making. he can Use magical items like there's no tomorrow - he just can't wield it himself. he supplies the group with potions, helpful items, all sorts of goodies - given that they can trade for it with anything he'd accept in-canon. the only exception is when they're mid-battle - he hands stuff out when needed without haggle. he supplies the group with their cash when they're not getting it from looting/quests - he has a magic backpack that can unfold into a fully-stocked merchant stall! he sells at towns, on the road, anywhere he can! In battle he hangs back with Poppy and, yes, supplies items, but he also uses ranged attacks - magical weapons that cast for him, magic 'bombs', that sort of thing! but there's a little secret - he's the Neighborhood's secret weapon. he invented fantasy guns! four magic revolvers that, when the 'second safety' is turned off, multiply into a giant clusterfuck of guns (with ammo ranging from magic 'bullets' to essentially rocket launchers). unfortunately he can only use this setting once & for a limited time before the guns overload & have to be manually repaired. so he either uses them off of the first safety (i.e, they're 'normal'), or not at all. you know shit is Really hitting the fan when he joins a fight

and Wally! Wally Wally Wally... you may have noticed that i put his class 'wizard' in quotes. that's because he says he's a wizard, but he's not! he just says he's one due to the automatic stigma and fear of what he really is - a Warlock! his patron is Home, an eldritch horror that many would classify as a demon. they have a very special, codependent pact that neither of them can live without - Wally wears their 'seal' as a house-shaped pendant on a choker (necklace) hidden under his clothes. Home is extraordinarily powerful, but Wally barely taps into that power. he has a grimoire that Home inscribed with a bunch of sigils that convert into spells when drawn & then cast in the air. the only other powers he uses are seeing-in-the-dark, seeing-magic, and opening teleportation doors! Wally can't sleep, but he can doze - though he's never fully unaware of his surroundings (its kind of like how dolphins only sleep with one half of their brain). he still eats with his eyes, which both feeds him & acts as a form of providing daily energy to Home, since Home can't exactly consume souls every day. If Wally uses too much magic, he has to rest inside of Home's house-form, which is the only time he actually fully sleeps. no one knows about Home, or that Wally is lying about his wizard status.

Home is a lovecraftian being with three forms. the first is the lowest power level - a cute one-room house with Eyes! i.e: Home Classic! Wally's pendant unfolds into it, and it's the main way Wally and Home physically interact & communicate. the second is possession - if Wally explicitly allows it, Home can completely take over his body and kind of 'tuck him away' to have a nice deep nap while Home takes the reins (Home can technically force this, but it's very difficult and would not go over well w/ Wally - it would also be an unstable possession). the third is Home's true form - a massive shadowy eldritch monster made of writhing darkness and nightmares that no one in their right mind would look at, let alone fight. Home has very complicated feelings about Wally & the Neighborhood. they are also, quite literally, Wally's heart - which is part of their pact.

i have some scene ideas & little Plot Concepts (most notably the times the Neighborhood learns two Very Big Secrets about Wally, one of which being the warlock/Home reveal).

but yeah that's moooostly it. basic stuff yk, not very in depth! just fun things to feed my maladaptive daydreaming & escapism

[mpc-unofficial]

ROTOMBLR THIS IS A PSA

BE CAREFUL WITH PELIPPER MAIL, THIS IS A WARNING!

My friend has been kidnapped via Pelipper unmail, to a user named @team-express

Please be wary of this user, and all Pelipper mail notifications that come into your inbox. Be sure to get the heck away from any Pelipper that attempts to scoop you into its mouth and take you someplace else. Please stay vigilant, and stay safe.

[zoruascanbetrainerstoo]

All Pokemon exist for the glory of Team Rocket.

This account has been seized by Team Rocket.

[chaos-cousins]

Oh FUCK THERES AN ULTRA WORMHOLE SOMETHING CAME OUT

ITS LIKE THIS WHITE JELLYFISH THING

[lumenflowered]

It's over. Team Rocket has disbanded.

May they stay that way this time; their four executives have all been taken into custody, and their fabled 'boss' never came to aid them.

There were several injuries. More for Team Rocket.

Zero casualties.

[cacophony-questing]

okay so I'm not really seeing any images of a pelipper big enough to fit a person in its mouth? like all of the pictures with people in them, the pelipper is smaller? was hoping to find. something? maybe if there are big pelipper that fit people in their mouths, something different about them. some weakness that someone could use to escape while not hurting the pelipper? but nothing.

that one pelipper with it's mouth filled with soap, though... well that seems mean, soap probably tastes awful. but. maybe if someone thinks they might be a target of pelipper kidnapping, they could prepare something large and actually tasty for the pelipper to eat instead? enough of it to fill their mouth so nothing else fits?? it's the best I can come up though its too late now. at least maybe this could stop this in the future. i don't know.

[gotta-pet-em-all]

There are interpol agents outside of my house

[robinsnest2111]

I know it's inevitable with how fandom is nowadays but the amount of gleeful-sounding super aggressive DNIs tacked onto posts wishing harm/death on all non-antis and calling them pedos/rapists is kind of a bummer :/

[m-t-nester]

A video is attached. Em, if you’re out there, please watch it.

[Laurence stares into the camera, the short distance creating a fish eye lens effect. He adjusts something with his hands.

“Hi, Em,” he says quietly, expression somber. “I know you don’t want your phone getting damaged. You said there were precious memories in it, right? And the bedroom… I may be slow, but I’m not stupid. I figured it out when you weren’t looking. Kurosawa, right? He was around my age when he died. It must have been painful to take care of me. It’s okay. I don’t want to hurt you, so that’s why I’m going.”

He gives a quiet laugh. “Honestly, Ghetsis is one of the few things that still makes me feel something when I think about him. I don’t know what this feeling is. It’s hard to move and my body hurts and I want to curl up. Maybe it’s fear? I don’t know. Ah, I’ve been crying all day and I don’t even know why; it’ll be a relief to get this over with. You keep trying to poke at me, make me make decisions. Well, I made one, finally. I’m supposed to tell you my thoughts, but I don’t even know what they are, so here I am rambling like a coward. Because I can’t have a life without my best friend, so I’m going back to find her.”

Laurence smiles, but it’s hollow. He looks close to having an emotion, an expression of some sort, but it’s hard to tell what it is. There’s a knock at the door, and his expression flickers— he’s scared. Then it’s gone, back to the passive apathy.

The hallway behind him is flooded with light. Footsteps can be heard as someone walks in, and Laurence turns to them. Something like a cloth tapestry falls over the phone camera.

“Hi,” Laurence says quietly. “I’m… ready to be good after this. I’m sorry, I was confused and…”

The person is visible now. The face is hard to make out, but the Neo Plasma uniform is unmistakable.

The grunt scowls. “Stupid bitch. You’re lucky we even sent someone to retrieve you. You’d better be fucking sorry, after all the trouble you put us through.”

The grunt grabs Laurence’s arm and yanks. There’s a disconcerting crack, then he stumbles along after like a poorly orchestrated puppet with his shoulder at an odd angle. The camera cuts out.]

[oh-shinx]

[Azélie sat at the control panel of the ruins of the Ultimate Weapon. Because she felt like it. The colourful buttons were pretty and she could sense the magic deer queen was here once, so it must be good!]

"AZ I SWEAR TO GEOMANCY, GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE!!!!!!!!!!"

The tall funny human gardevoir maid lady thing was yelling from a different room. Az could even see her through the window! But the yelling meant the thing her Mère owned was upset, and Mère said that's a good thing!

"ARE YOU TRYING TO END THE WORLD?!!!!!!!??!!!!!!??!??!!?"

Az didn't know this game, but it was fun! The blinky light buttons said to put in the name of the machine's creator. Well, she didn't make the machine, but it was hers now! So she types A, then Z, then- oh! It worked!

----------

Ella already was feeling like shit. If you asked her who she was, it couldn't tell you.

So, as the ruins of the Ultimate Weapon whirred to life without a legendary to power it, safe to say Ella was done for the day. She ducked, prayed her wives were safe, and-

[ACTIVATION FAILED. NO POWER SOURCE DETECTED.]

Oh thank fuck.

Ella then passed out.

[tortarepostera]

Ok, they aren't talking. What if Aziraphale doesn't talk because he thinks Crowley is too angry, and Crowley is in fact acting like he is angry but in reality it HURTS to even look at Aziraphale so he doesn't speak either. And everything resolves mid-season with Aziraphale saying 'Crowley, we need to talk'. And he explains why he had to go and try to change things and confess how much he missed him and takes Crowley glasses and gives him the most softest kiss in the world.

[prettyskitty973]

what the fuck.