#problem solving approaches

[theyearningghoul]

Rook: And this is our resident Fade Expert. I keep him around for morale.

Rook: And by morale, I mean he goes down on the leader real goo—

Emmrich: —Rook.

[videogamelover99]

Uhh I'm sure this is a hot hot take in this fandom, but I personally don't find the whole moon!Varian theory/idea very interesting in terms of narrative or character.

Varian's always worked best as this scrappy kid who used his intellect to solve problems but whose emotions got in the way of that. He's so desperate to impress Raps and the gang that he neglects his giant boiling water tank and almost blows up the village. His emotions towards Cass are what get him running around helping her until the last minute, making his science presentation a disaster. His need to please his father and later his hurt/distrust towards him is what leads him to recklessly experiment with the rocks behind Quirin's back.

This is also probably why he's drastically more competent as a villain, up until the end. He puts aside his emotions in favor of cold, ruthless tactics, and it's only when his emotions once again get the best of him that he's defeated. Varian's intellect has always been his strength, but his emotional immaturity and volatility is what got him to fail.

So then you give a character like that magic power that has all to do with emotions, it doesn't work. There's no reason to show off his intelligence or persevearance, because the rocks are a physical manifestation of power. And while he goes on this journey of growing up and gaining emotional maturity in season 3, he's never in a struggle with his emotions, if anything, he lets them have control more often than not.

Now compare that to Cass, who a) solves problems physically, so the rocks are a perfect extension of that power and b) fucking sucks at emotions. While Varian acts on his emotions constantly, she stuffs them in a box and relies on her anger instead.

Moon!Cass works because the power set it gives her works for her character. It doesn't work for every character, and especially not Varian.

[noirleo]

Oooo, can i plz hear all your jealousy HC for the bayverse boys? :3 hope ur week is going well!

oh my god yes

jealous turtles from most to least ◡̈

(all turtles + reader are adults ♡)

1. raph

c’mon, did you expect anyone else?

being a middle child with three brothers, raph grew up sharing everything he had—his food, his clothes, his personal space. so when he finds someone he has feelings for, he makes a point that he’s not going to share with anyone.

his brothers prefer to take more subtle, graceful methods of claiming their s/os when they feel threatened. raphael does not have a subtle bone in his body.

if someone tries to hit on you while he’s there, he will physically put himself in between the two of you, glaring down at his prey target until they take the hint (and probably flexing his crossed arms as he does so. he doesnt do all of that lifting for nothing).

vern tried to chat you up, once, when you first met. raph swiftly handled it, and you’re not exactly sure what was said, but vern now makes a point to keep a very conservative amount of space between you and him at all times.

a lot of his jealousy comes from insecurity—he definitely thinks you could do better, find someone you could actually walk around with, show off to your friends and go on vacations with.

so how does he cope? by proving his indispensability to you. when you date raph, you don’t lift a finger. need something from the top cabinet? he’s got it in his hands before you even have to ask. want to see a sold out concert? how convenient, he just managed to find some floor seats for you and your friends

don’t ask how he got them, it’s really best for everyone if you don’t actually know (both legally and ethically speaking).

asking someone else for help (god forbid you ask vern or one of his brothers, especially leo) will probably end up in some icy silent treatment and very short yes/no answers to questions that can only be cured by insistent apologies and lots of kisses

2. mikey

oh, our beloved little mikey

mikey spouts confidence, but much like raphael, he is deeply afraid that you’ll leave him for someone whose complexion is a little less green

while raph’s jealousy is defensive, mikey’s is pleading. he needs a lot of verbal reassurance that you’re his, nobody else’s

even when he’s not feeling jealous or insecure about the relationship, he just likes to hear you say it—and once you do, he’ll believe it wholeheartedly, all doubts and anxieties set aside (for the time being, at least)

when you’re around others (and even when you’re not) mikey is extremely physically affectionate, and probably will mention to anyone who will listen in a very unsubtle manner that the two of you are dating and really, really happy together, thank you very much

if you’re sitting, you’re sitting on his lap (or so close that you might as well be). if you’re standing, you can bet that he’s got an arm slung around your waist or your shoulder—just so everyone in the room is clear who you came with and who you’re leaving with

3. donnie

donnie’s jealousy is quiet. he’s much less outward about his feelings of jealousy than raph or mikey, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

when you mention a creepy guy from one of your classes getting a little too close for your comfort, he’ll nod and empathize; little do you know, he’s got the guy’s social security number, address, and name of his childhood pet pulled up on his laptop within seconds.

mysteriously, he doesn’t really show up for class anymore. rumours float around about some pretty shady things hes done being sent to the dean, president, and every RA on campus.

you confront donnie, and he just shrugs innocently. huh, weird, guess it’s a good thing you guys don’t hang out anymore then right? and then he’ll change the subject, but the triumphant gleam in his eye doesn’t go unnoticed

if someone starts to get flirtatious with you while donnie’s around though? all bets are off.

standing at 6’8 and made of pure lean muscle, donnie is fully aware of how intimidating he is, and it radiates off of him.

all it takes is one glare, leering from over your shoulder, and suddenly the person trying to flirt with you has some very important business to handle on the opposite side of the room for the rest of the night.

when you turn around to see donnie standing behind you, one hand on the small of your back, he’s back to his relaxed, smiley self

4. leo

leo is definitely the least jealous of his brothers. he’s confident, bordering on arrogant, and knows what he brings to the table.

i mean, c’mon. the barista who wrote their number on your coffee cup may be cute and share your taste in music, but how many times have they saved new york from an alien invasion? can they do anything to protect you in the event of a foot clan takeover?

didn’t think so.

communicating and trust are monumental to leonardo. right off the bat, he’s very straightforward about his intentions with you, and expects the same level of loyalty from his partner

leo’s trust isn’t easily earned so if he trusts you, then he does so completely and wholeheartedly. if you say that you and someone else are just friends, then he won’t think twice about it

that’s not to say he never gets jealous though. he’s just much more lowkey about it than the others

if you mention offhand being catcalled on your way to the lair one night, you’ll have a private escort for the foreseeable future

hes not big on pda, but you can bet that if he catches someone else’s scent on you, especially another guy, he’ll be extra cuddly when he sees you

he’ll for sure try to play it off though and subtly give you something that smells like him. oh, you seem cold, here’s one of his hoodies that he conveniently had on hand. go ahead and put it on. he’s just looking out for you, no ulterior motives here.

you see right through him, but you’re willing to look the other way for some extra snuggles.

[swiggity-swexual-i-am-asexual]

DPxDC Prompt

Thinking back on it, Danny probably should have been more wary of being given the title ‘Ender Of Timelines’.

[bitegore]

ok well i might be up to something. really hate how dramatic the title is but it needs something lmao

i promise ill put like a glossary or something on this one. So if it mysteriously also takes off (it won't) i won't get one billion questions (but i won't because it's not a funny little game this time and way more actually geared toward ocs lol)

[fusionsprunt]

[thepioden]

I just. I love the party I DM SO much. They're ridiculous. You know how some parties are murderhobos? Mine are litigation hobos. I think this is because the clorcerer is a former IRL lawyer and his IRL wife started out playing a fiend-pact fire genasi warlock. Her pact was negotiated by Daddy's Lawyers. And since we've established she has access to a pack of infernal attorneys, this has become their go-to.

They got Mammon and Asmodeus arguing over an infernal FDIC situation.

They brought formal charges against the Grand Vizier of the City of Brass.

They stole the Tamlin (hereditary title) from the Queen of Air and Darkness by getting her tangled in a custody dispute with Hell over his soul. The Janet Precedent has been invoked. (Asmodeus is going to notice the repeated chicanery at some point.)

The genasi is going to help our Fairy wizard depose his lightly despotic archfey father by seducing the man and then taking his kingdom and his heir in divorce court.

They're working on ousting a dragon from her involuntary indenture as a museum curator/collection object belonging to a Dao and I suspect contract law will be involved.

I will not at all be surprised if the Warforged decides to somehow seize the patent for his manufacture from the Noble Dao who holds it and liberates his siblings that way.

Just. These litigious bastards. They're ridiculous. I adore them to bits.

[phannie-by-night]

Being in a long term ranch metaphor sounds nice I wish I had someone to shield me from minor inconveniences

[sparring-spirals]

im still thinking about that moment last episode where they're planning how to approach dancer and we got:

Ashton: "yeah we should go in with a ginger approach, make sure she doesn't run"

Imogen with complete sincerity, immediately: "so should i just go and calm her emotions right away?"

Ashton with zero judgement or concern: "that, or i was going to pin her down, but that's cool too."

and then when FCG naturally panics over why are we attacking dancer they both turn in sync to be like! No!!! not attacking. restraining. 👍 :) like what. you're both. mildly messed up on exactly the same wavelength here. i love them both so much. what do you mean overkill. this IS my ginger approach. I'm Doing The Job By Whatever Means Necessary Why Are You Yelling.

Something something two people who have spent their lives learning to suppress their flinch/doubt reflex when in a crisis. Out of a horrible necessity. Those two Problem Solving together with a casual sort of callousness. and looking at each other like 👍? 👍 meanwhile FCG is in the background going "wait we're talking about attacking her???" "no of COURSE not, just restraining!" god i adore them.

[torchlitinthedesert]

Being John Lennon for a day

In 1971, British journalist Ray Connolly went to New York for the Concert for Bangladesh. Here’s what else happened.

To be at the Bangladesh Concert was a thrill in itself, but for me the whole weekend was bizarre. Arriving in New York the previous day I’d discovered that John, whom I’d expected to see, had left after a row with Yoko when George Harrison wouldn’t agree to her being on stage, and had flown back to Paris. (Yoko, I discovered later, thought he should have fought harder for her.) I’d also arrived without my bags, which had been mislaid en route by Pan American.

Yoko had a problem, too. She wanted to follow John, but had invited her younger sister, Setsuko, a postgraduate student, over from Switzerland. In a moment she solved two problems. I should cancel my single room, move into one of the several bedrooms in the Lennons’ suite, wear John’s clothes until mine turned up, and take care of her sister over the weekend.

And, oh, yes, to enable me to do this, her new assistant May Pang (whom I’d met in London) would help organise things. Setsuko and I would have the use of the stretch limo and chauffeur, money would be provided for anything we needed, we’d have front row seats at the concert and all I had to do was sign everything ‘Lennon + 15%’.

So, there I was in John’s French, black leather jacket and his blue gingham shirt, hurrying with Setsuko across the stage at Madison Square Gardens at the end of the concert to get down to the row of nine waiting limousines, which then revved up the ramp and out on to the New York streets. Then off they went like a Presidential motorcade, police motorcycle outriders flanking the procession, while, all the way to the post-gig party on Central Park South, other police held back the crosstown traffic.

‘Glad you got a buzz out of it,’ John said casually when, back in London, I called him. ‘What did you think of being a Beatle?’

‘I liked it.’

The Ray Connolly Beatles Archive

[idon-twannabeperceived]

My. Class. Won't. Start. And it's been aFUCKING HOUR

[unnameablethings]

microcosm of my marriage:

me, today: PHEW halfway through mowing the lawn and im TIRED, i let the grass get too high and now it is a real struggle to get the lawnmower through

my husband: hmmmm. would it perhaps help if you had the lawnmower on any setting but the lowest setting

me, blithely: oh im pretty sure it doesn't have other settings

my husband:

my husband: i am CERTAIN that is not the case.

[we go out to look at it. he points at the extremely obvious Settings Lever.]

me: well ill be damned. there we go. [adjusts settings] ill try it out

me, a much shorter amount of time later: wow that was so much easier! :D!

my husband: so glad to hear it

[paskuda-lynx]

The type of guys you notice when the train you were going home on suddenly stops due to mechanical emergency somewhere. Or in a random shop, and you see them arguing about buckwheat (the shop _is not_ selling buckwheat). You know. The Random Duo of Excentric Relatives. The starting point of everyday comedies you might find yourself stuck in.

No, seriously, I love that Iroh-Zuko dynamic works beyond epic plots with tragic backgrounds. They both have very colourful personalities, so even common domestic troubles in setting where they are already used to domestic troubles may turn into adventures somehow. I find this a great virtue of their character design. If your characters can be dressed up in the most non-descript clothes imaginable, get mixed in with a crowd, and then still somehow shine through - u got damn good characters!

bonus:

(they balance each other. or, at least, they try to.)

[marieshyperf1xations]

Are you joking me, now that exams are over (I left my last exam literally 45 mins ago) Office 365 decides to be a bitch and not let me get next semester's license?? How am I supposed to indulge in fic writing now?

[hideyseek]

i miss being in stage management .... at least there people had the proper awe of what it meant to do that kind of management ... there was a proper sense that stage managers were some kind of mystical being ....... product managers for some reason ........ nobody is understanding the intricacies and importance of their role ...

[cologona]

The person with the most stunted growth in the bat clan has got to be Cassandra. She spent 9 years homeless on the streets, during which she likely had to learn how money worked and what was okay to eat all on her own. Seeing as how Cain was willing to shoot Cass enough times that she no longer flinched, I really think his focus was far more on developing her skill than keeping her in peak health condition. David Cain is the kind of fucked up where he’d put Cass through “hunger resistance training” but also always have breakfast lunch and dinner prepared for her otherwise. I don’t think she’d see food she couldn’t eat until she left him.

Anyways, the tallest Cassandra I can accept is 5’3”. The tallest.