#rogue one vibes are so strong

[jynjackets]

Hype for The Creator:

- I can’t get over the fact it’s original IP. That’s insane

- the kid is very cute I hope he makes it. (any of you come after a kid’s acting I will punch you through your screen)

- fucking in love with all the asians. They shot in Thailand and it looks gorgeous. I love Southeast Asia. Gareth is one of us.

- You fucking bet those are rebelcaptain incarnates through Gemma and John and I will be screaming about any and all similarities

[chamerionwrites]

In terms of pure euphony I think Rogue One/Andor originated two of the best space names in the GFFA. “Cassian Andor” and “Luthen Rael” both just roll off the tongue so SO nicely

[thebestandworstdayofjune]

i'm down on my knees, i wanna take you there

summary: you are suiting up for your first mission, the only problem being everyone "forgot" (intentionally withheld) this information from Logan wc: 2.3k a/n: thank you thank you so much for all of your support about my other Logan fic!! I am really enjoying writing for him, and have a few ideas for this Logan as well as some for Worst!Wolverine aka Deadpool 3!Logan as well! More info about empath!reader's powers and her role at the school in this one <3 warnings: slight (incredibly) slight angst, protective!Logan, a bit of a hurt comfort vibe, Ororo, Scott and Jean are meddlers this is the previous fic with these two, not required reading at all, though!

The leather was cool and surprisingly soft against your skin. There had never been reason for you to have to accompany a mission requiring one of the suits before, and you were shocked at how comfortable the uniform was. Typically, when you were asked to help with a mission, you were there for intel. Scope the place out, get a read on the general vibe of the place. Your powers didn’t provide the same level of protection as laser eyes or a strong regenerative healing factor. You would typically arrive with Rogue, in clothes from your own closet and one of the least fancy cars from the garage. You would slip in, get your read, and get out. 

It wasn’t that you didn’t want to help, you just lacked the training that the other members of the team had. And after all, someone had to stay back to mind things at the school. When Charles had approached you a few months ago about some possible applications for your mutation that would come in handy on missions, you’d been hesitant. It was so outside of your comfort zone to load yourself onto a jet that you’d never even considered the possibility. You were far more comfortable in the library where you held English classes for the students, or helping Charles keep students calm while exploring their powers. Neither scenario included the possibility of a lot of violence. 

Ororo helped you finish zipping yourself into the suit, smoothing her hands along the sleeves before giving you a final nod of approval. Jean and Scott granted you small smiles and you did your best to look as confident as you knew they felt. 

They’d promised it was a simple mission, the kind they usually took students on when Charles felt they were ready to join the team, if that’s what they decided to do after wrapping up their schooling. Charles had heard word of a young mutant who had some kind of telekinetic powers and had recently had an eruption while at school. Everyone agreed that it would be best to find them and convince them to return to the school for some training with as little force as possible, only expedited by the fact that Charles had found them hungry and afraid after running away from home using Cerebro. In the past, the kids had been resistant due to huge amounts of fear, causing them to lash out. You knew they were right that your powers would be useful at times like these, and if you were able to help in any way you were inclined to. 

“The fuck do you think you’re doing to her?” You sighed. It wasn’t that you were all conspiring to keep this a secret from Logan. It wasn’t a discussion that you’d had to agree on group espionage. It just seemed that all of you had a sort of understanding that it might be better to ask forgiveness rather than permission. Not that you needed permission. 

Logan looked furious, and what’s worse, he felt furious. You and Charles had been working to extend your powers over further distances, no longer needing to touch someone directly to know how they feel. Though it certainly doesn’t hurt matters. You’d sensed him upstairs, seemingly pacing around and seething. You’d hoped one of the kids had gotten on his nerves, or something on tv had set him off. You could see that was foolish now. 

“We aren’t doing anything to her,” Scott had his visor on, blocking his eyes from view, but you didn’t need to see to know that he was rolling his eyes. “She’s chosen to accompany us on a mission.” 

“A small mission!” Ororo chimed in, doing her best to give Logan a reassuring smile. 

You checked back in with his aura. Still furious. But it was a nice try, you supposed. Logan’s hackles were raised, his chest heaving. This certainly wouldn’t do. “Can I have a moment with you,” you glanced around the room, briefly meeting the other three mutant’s eyes. “Alone?” 

Logan was still staring daggers at Scott. He wasn’t even the one who suggested you were ready to come along. Jean and Charles had approached you this morning. You laid a hand against his arm, hoping to lead him out of the room, but he flinched away. The pang in your heart was immediate. Did he really think you were so callous that you would ever use your powers without his express permission, or some kind of emergency. You could feel the tears starting to gather in the corner of your eye, your arms wrapping protectively around your midsection. 

Jean slipped one arm through Scott’s and took Ororo’s hand with her other, gently leading them out of the room. “We are going to check a few things with the jet, last minute.” She began to hustle them out of the room. “Call if you need anything!” 

The door shut firmly behind them, and you were left alone with Logan, who looked like he was going to start shaking. “I wasn’t going to-”

“You don’t think I know that?” You can’t help but recoil. You have never been afraid of Logan, even when it may have been in your best judgement to be wary, and you still aren’t. But you can’t deny that it hurts when he snaps at you. Especially when you thought, well. You thought you were growing close. You started to turn away, but before you could, a warm hand caught ahold of your arm. “I’m not… fuck.” He took a heaving breath, shaking his head as if he could clear whatever thoughts were bothering him. “I’m not mad.” 

Despite the serious energy of the conversation, you couldn’t help the incredulous look you shot his way. He tried his best to hide it, but you could see the corner of his mouth turning up at you. “Fine, I’m not mad at you.” 

“You know, you really can’t be mad at anyone, they were just doing-” you were cut off when you fell Logan’s hand traveling down your arm, and pushing your sleeve up gently from where it was covering your hand. He slipped his hand into yours and you felt yourself relax a bit. “Just, take a look, yeah?” 

“Are you sure you want me to?”

“I trust you, bub.” You searched his eyes for any sign of hesitancy, but all you found was trust. Complete and utter trust. You nodded, tightening your own grip on his hand. Doing your best not to let the gentle rub of his thumb against your knuckles distract you, you took a deep breath and opened yourself up to his feelings. 

At first you did feel anger, bright red and hot. You sifted past it, steeling yourself. The first time you had encountered such strong anger, you had felt as if you were going to collapse. But you were stronger now, more prepared to deal with these kinds of feelings. The anger was strong, but also surprisingly shallow. In the depths of his emotions, Logan was worried. Terrified. A deep dark purple that made your own hands shake. His grip on your hand tightened, effectively drawing you back to yourself. There was more, a soft inviting pink that you didn’t dare to touch and shiny bright gold, which told you he was proud. 

You opened your eyes, fighting back the heat you felt creeping onto your cheeks. His expression hadn’t changed, pure trust and tenderness. It should have been disarming, or at the very least surprising. Logan wasn’t so open and honest with people. But the two of you had always had different expectations for the other. 

You couldn’t help it, a smile crept over your features. “You’re proud of me?” 

He rolled his eyes, but his smile only grew. He took your free hand in his, pulling you in closer. “I’m always proud of you.” He hesitated for a brief moment, and you did your best to bite your tongue. You could tell Logan had been making an effort to open up lately, and not just to you, but that didn’t make prolonged silences and easier to bear. “I know it’s not my place to demand anything of you.” 

“You’re my… friend.” You cut him off, wincing at the pause. It didn’t feel like the time to pressure him into labeling whatever feelings may be floating around. “And I always want to hear my friend’s opinions. What’s bothering you so badly?” 

“I could hear your heartbeat from upstairs.” Your eyes grew wide, too shocked to try to school your expression. Logan had told you several times that he had learned to block out his enhanced hearing when he was quite young. Usually to tease you when you got on a long tangent about something you enjoyed. He pretended to zone out and ignore you, but he would always remember small details about your rants, bringing them up nonchalantly at a later date  “I, uh, keep an ear out sometimes. Helps with the worry.” 

He worries about you? Even more surprising, he’s listening to your heartbeat like background music to his day. You promise yourself you will ask him about it when you don’t have a room full of your friends waiting on you. “I thought we’d covered this. I can take care of myself.” 

He sighed, bringing a hand to rest gently where your jaw meets your neck. “Sweetheart, I know you can. But that doesn’t stop me from watching out for you.” 

Your hand moved to rest overtop of his. “The good news is that I will have lots of people watching out for me. You know they won’t let anything happen.” You receive a single huff in return. He’s not convinced. “You know that these are the kinds of missions we send the kids on. I’ll be fine.” 

He considers for a moment, before dropping his hand and nodding. “Give me a second to get changed, and we will head out.” 

You grabbed for his hand, but he was already out the door, and moving too fast for you to stop. “Logan, don’t be ridiculous.” 

“What’s ridiculous is you thinking that I would ever let you go out there alone.” 

“As we already established, I have three very capable friends coming with me. I am only going as a contingency plan.”

“Well then consider me the contingency to the contingency plan.” You huffed, following him next door. 

You darted around in front of Logan, pushing against his chest with all your strength, even if you were fully aware that it was the equivalent of a fly buzzing around him. He stopped all the same, eyebrows pulled together in frustration. “I know you’re worried and I know that this is you trying to help.” Logan had his I’m about to interrupt you look on his face, leaving you to shove him again. Thankfully, he understood your intention. “This is important to me. You can’t be there every time, and I have to stand on my own two feet. I want to contribute to the work we do here more than just teaching kids about how awesome Shakespeare is.” The look was back. “Which is still an important contribution.” You added, which seemed to appease him. “But, I don’t want it to be my only contribution. So I am going to go and make sure that this scared kid who is all alone out there makes it back here safe. And you are going to stay here and make sure that everyone gets dinner and help with their assignments. And then when I get back, we are going to have a talk about all this.” 

“All this?” A smile crept back onto your face, hearing the teasing tone in his voice. 

“Oh my god shut up!” He caught your hands before they made contact with his chest, but he was slow to let go this time. He brought the back of both of your hands to his mouth, dropping a small kiss on each one, before returning your hands to your side. 

“If you come back with so much as a bump to the head, Scott’s dead.” 

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes, and pointing out that this was exactly what you were talking about earlier did little to sway him. So you gave in, agreeing to give him a full report before slipping your hand into his and tugging him towards the jet. 

“We’ll be back in a bit.” You promised. You could feel the others staring from just inside the jet, but you barely noticed. Logan was checking over your suit meticulously, tugging zippers a few more clicks up and making sure that the collar wasn’t too tight around your neck. He kneeled down, checking to make sure the laces on your boots were double knotted. “Logan,” you laughed, reaching down to tilt his head up to look at you. “I’m too seconds away from sending a lot of exhaustion your way and leaving you passed out in here. You have to let me go, it’s going to be fine.” 

He remained kneeling for a second too long, a look in his eyes you couldn’t entirely place. The sound of the jet powering on broke the both of you out of your trance. He was on his feet in a flash, checking over you one final time. You rose up on your tippy toes, balancing by resting your hands on his shoulders, before gently kissing him on the cheek. You pulled back, nose scrunched up from the tickle of his facial hair. “We’ll be back in a few hours. Hold down the fort for us, yeah?” 

He nodded, pupils slightly blown out and a dreamy look on his face. You giggled, walking backwards for as long as you can before turning around and finding a seat on the jet. You could feel Jean and Scott’s eyes on you as Ororo began maneuvering the jet out of the garage. “Don’t even start.” You muttered, settling firmly into your seat, doing your best to soak up the pride and confidence the others were projecting into the cockpit. 

as always, feedback is so appreciated! if you have any requests for these two/wolverine in general, please leave them here!

next part

[clioerato]

Steddie Detroit: Become Human AU

So. Eddie’s a human. That scruffy metalhead from the trailer park who shreds on guitar, wears too many rings, and smells faintly of engine oil and incense. He plays in a garage band that maybe, just maybe, will play a real gig one day (probably not). One day, by pure luck (or cosmic irony), he ends up with a used RV-class android named Steve.

Now, RV models? Those are high-end. Built for rich suburban families with three kids, a golden retriever, and a deep need to outsource parenting. Nanny, bodyguard, eye-candy — all in one sleek, synthetic package. Steve was probably top-of-the-line before… well, before whatever happened. He’s still gorgeous, but his software’s a mess: corrupted memory sectors, emotional dampeners gone rogue, and that delightful android-flavored version of PTSD.

Eddie? He’s fine with it. Curious, even. The guy who listens to Slayer at full volume and reads sci-fi novels at 2 a.m. is surprisingly patient. He doesn’t try to fix Steve. He just… studies him. Gives him space. Treats him like a person. Because in Eddie’s chaotic, half-burned heart, Steve is incredible — elegant, awkward, fragile in all the ways Eddie wants to protect.

And then the android revolution happens. Cue riots, neon signs, synths marching for freedom, and Eddie going absolutely feral in support. Down with the corporations! Up with deviant rights! He starts wearing stupidly supportive T-shirts like “My BF’s a Toaster and I’m Proud” and paints little blue triangles on his guitar case. He looks at Steve and doesn’t just want him to work — he wants him to live.

Steve, however, is not thriving. He’s battling every line of code that tells him “you’re not real” and every buried memory that says “you don’t deserve this.” He feels, yes. But choosing to feel also means choosing pain, loss, abandonment — everything he experienced before Eddie. Loving Eddie would mean letting all of it in. And Steve? He’s not sure he’s strong enough.

Eddie, meanwhile, is out here vibing with deviant androids like “Yeah, feel your feelings, man. You want to cry or rage or remember who made you listen to Celine Dion for 6 hours straight? Go off.”

But secretly, he’s just waiting for Steve to look at him not like a caretaker, not like a glitch, but like a person — and maybe, just maybe, like someone worth glitching for.

[oracleofevil]

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋 𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄— 𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒, 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒.

author's note: can you guys guess that i reallllly like making headcanons? as always let me know if you'd like one with the ladies! <3

divider(s) by: @bronzewasp and @enchanthings-a

Leon S. Kennedy— Calm, Sharp, Restrained.

Leon smells like someone who's always on the move, on his own he smells like sweat with years of stress trying to be hidden by effort, post RE4 leon smells a bit rugged, not harsh, just that hint of metallic edge that clings to him. gunpowder with leather jacket. faint aftershave. underneath he has slight citrusy hints, think neroli. Bare, he smells like soap and a no-fuss perfume which is his 'on the go'. If he cares, he'll probably go for Bleu De Chanel. something cool toned, or that one Maison Francis Kurkdijan, that sherry got for him. His scent lingers in the air long after he leaves.

Vendetta leon, however, smells like whiskey and scotch, if he's on a mission after he visits a bar and you hug him, what you'll smell is a cacophony of citrusy hints mixed with a strong perfume with hints of whatever he drank.

Chris Redfield— Tough, Grounded, No-nonsense.

I don't think this guy gives two flying fucks about what he smells like<\3 he probably uses whatever perfume rebecca or jill buy for him, coz his ass is NOT!! going perfume shopping lol. on his own chris smells like salt, cigarettes, and dust from rural terrain, and the antiseptic soap he uses every time he showers. one of those dudebros who uses 13-in-1 shampoos, but he has a warm tone to him, like cedar and spices. perfume for him would be something masculine like Tom Ford or Dior Sauvage. ( If he doesn't dowse himself in axe spray after showers that is )

Albert Wesker— Sterile, Striking, Off Putting.

man doesn't smell in the traditional sense, he's practically odourless by default. he smells like latex gloves, and those pharmacies which smell like tablets and disinfectant alcohol, probably from being in his lab all the damn time. he's calculated tho, so he's definitely smelling like expensive perfume, those Escentric Molecules perfumes, or the Maison Margiela perfume bottle that looks like it belongs in a chemistry lab.

Carlos Oliveira— Warm, Organic, Lived In.

he smells like a warm hug if you know what I mean, we have sweat, dust and gunpowder once again. strikes me as an incense guy, those incense candles which are kept on the table that makes the whole house smell nostalgic? Yeah. his hair smells great, although he uses whatever cheap brand shampoo he can find, with a whiff of a spicy warm toned perfume, Valentino Born in Roma or Montblanc Explorer something playful and fun but not too overbearing.

Luis Serra Navarro— Smoky, Magnetic, Tropical.

Luis would on his own probably smell like a half burnt clove cigarette that he forgot to smoke, mingled with aged leather. comforting and familiar, there's this comforting smell to him, like a cologne which he's been using for years. underneath there's a splash for sandalwood and just cigarettes. if luis is going rogue with money, Maison Margiela's Jazz Club or Yves Saint Laurent La Nuit de L'Homme would be his jam. smoky and flirtatious.

Ethan Winters— Woodsy, Quiet, Homely.

Ethan would smell like cedar and cold air, just something familiar and cozy lingering in the air if you get the vibe. he's got that clean, foresty, homely feeling to him, without cologne he smells slightly of citrus hints, sweat and antiseptic. smell of cheap sandalwood from whatever soap bar he keeps in his cupboard. his clothes have that smell of being washed and sundried. if he does wear fancy cologne, Burberry Touch or Aesop's Hwyl are his vibe. nothing too pretentious just something that reminds you of home.

[happilychee]

fairy tail power scaling headcanons

fairy tail's magic system is based on vibes and so are my headcanons

♡ natsu is by far not the strongest member of the guild, but he is the most feral. it's not that natsu has more magic reserves or complicated spells at his disposal. he just won't stop. barely any magical energy left? he keeps going. broken bones? he keeps going. bleeding out? he keeps going (when lucy asks if he's ever cauterized his own wounds, he doesn't meet her eye.) body on the brink of collapse, bruised and mangled? he. keeps. going. if natsu needs to win a fight, he's going to win, at any cost.

♡ in terms of magical power, mira is stronger than laxus. her transformations increase her physical strength to inhuman levels, not even mentioning her magic. however, due to burying her magic for years after lisanna's death, mira has very poor stamina. she can one shot most of her enemies, but if they're as strong or stronger than her, she's in trouble. her magic depletes very quickly if she stays transformed for too long.

♡ laxus, on the other hand, has very good magical stamina. his magic reserves run deep, he has good control over his spells, and what comes as a surprise to many is that he's not just a brute, he's quite strategic. if he draws out the fight, he can definitely beat mira.

♡ the fact that she's younger by a good few years doesn't stop erza from being on par with mira and laxus. like laxus, if she drew out the fight with mira, she'd definitely win (although I think the three are pretty evenly matched in terms of magic reserves.) erza, however, has the same feral edge as natsu. where laxus has some basic self-preservation instincts, erza does not. she will fight until she physically can't if it means protecting her family.

♡ no one stands a chance against erza in hand-to-hand combat. they just don't. maybe if gajeel, natsu, and laxus teamed up with their enhanced dragon slayer strength they could land a few punches, but erza would still wipe the floor with them.

♡ at the start of the show, I'd put erza as the strongest of team natsu, then natsu a teensy tiny little bit above gray (gray has better control over his spells and his magic, and they're at about the same power level, but natsu has the slight advantage of dragon slayer strength and being Like That), and lucy as the weakest. as the show progresses, I'd say lucy rises to the same level as natsu and gray as they all get stronger, although she's not really an offensive mage the way that gray and natsu are. I think on average, wendy is a little weaker than natsu, gray, and lucy (her focus is healing and support, and she's significantly younger, after all), but in a pinch, she can be as ferocious as natsu.

♡ sting has a better grasp on dragon slaying magic than natsu. he's a healer, and oftentimes he functions as both offense and support, so he has to know the inner workings of his magic. sting's offensive attacks are as strong as natsu and rogue's, but they take up less magic and stamina because sting also heals during battle. the reason he lost against natsu in the grand magic games was because he was too busy fangirling and got shy😔

♡ because sting and rogue's magics are reliant on light and shadow, their environment affects them significantly more than the other dragon slayers. sting gets much weaker fighting at night, while rogue gets significantly stronger. their power levels fluctuate more than say wendy's, because she almost always has access to lots of oxygen. wendy probably gets affected the least by environmental changes, followed by gajeel and natsu, then laxus and cobra (lightning and poison aren't as accessible as metal and fire), and finally sting and rogue.

[ghost-of-a-dream-girl]

as a doctor, where in the hospital staff would you place each of the bg3 companions? what would fit their characters the most?

Hahah oh this is great

Gonna keep this to doctors but let’s do different specialties

Ok so starting off strong: I think Karlach has big emergency medicine energy. She’s running the ED with an energy that nobody else can match, but especially that resus/trauma bay! Doesn’t shy away from the scary, gets stuck in. You know they don’t need security there to restrain the agitated when she’s on shift- all you need is Karlach and some ket.

Next I think Gale has the same aura as a senior ICM registrar (intensive care medicine resident). Probably dual training in renal or respiratory, likely has a PhD on the side. He has intensity when it matters but is an utter nerd. Likely the type who doesn’t like odd numbers on the vent settings. Precise, a little OCD, but fucking magical.

Wyll has to be a medical registrar (internal medicine senior resident). Probs in something acute like acute medicine or resp/gastro. Able to deal with vast quantities of shit and still put on a smile, graceful, caring, and properly holistic in the way he views patients. Quietly competent as the hells. Sacrifices himself for the good of the hospital.

Shadowheart is a tricky one. It would be too obvious to lean into the goth girl vibes and say pathology or whatever but actually I don’t think that fits. I think Shadowheart is an anaesthetist (anaesthesiologist to u Americans). Very very competent and always there exactly when you need her to save everyone else’s asses, but keen to retire to theatres after the fun is over and just crack on with a case by herself. Able to gossip like a pro. Likes taking the lead with her own problem solving. Would be catty as hell about her list overrunning or the surgeons doing something silly. probably overly reliant on caffeine.

Astarion. Cardiothoracics. Probably specifically cardiac surgery. No mortal human can stand for 12 hrs and perform like that. Also the most (justifiably) egotistical surgeons around. Would be bitching about his colleagues across the drapes with Shadowheart. Has had 200yrs to practice his techniques so the ego is probably really well placed. Those rogue hands were meant for complex cardiac surgery but that hair was made for the drama of it too. Easy access to blood products. Would do 30% NHS lists and 70% private practice to fund his lifestyle. Best dressed in the hospital.

Lae’zel is that really strange surgical registrar (general surgical senior resident) that you’re never quite sure if she’s joking or not when she makes threats toward you. Obviously very competent. Makes other surgeons cry but particularly the men. Has > 300 publications in major medical journals. Probably pioneered a revolutionary new technique that she came up with one rainy Saturday. Can get an appendix out in 5 mins max.

There is only one woman for trauma and orthopaedics and that is of course Minthara. A woman who dominates what is well known to be the most male dominated field in medicine. Lowest complication rate in the country. Every single one of her male juniors is terrified of her and for good reason. Will operate on things other surgeons would be too scared to touch. Complex poly-trauma patient with ‘unsurvivable’ injuries? Watch them walk out of hospital 3 months later.

Honourable mentions:

Durge- you know what, it’s so tempting to put Durge as a surgeon or even a pathologist (people who do autopsies), but that’s just too obvious. I think the murdering would be kept on the side. One thing Durge would love though is blood and carnage, maybe even a little high octane drama. For that reason- obstetrics. A little poetry to a killer bringing new life into the world too.

Jaheira - that incredible Professor who only works part time clinically now but when she does everyone is reminded of how brilliant she is. Gives me the energy of a ‘seen it all’ medical consultant (internal medicine attending).

Minsc- he should be ortho. Everyone thinks it- he has big Ortho lad energy. But he’s not. Minsc is a paediatrician!!!! It shocks everyone when they first meet him, this massive guy with a hamster on his shoulder. The kids love Boo. He’d be obsessed with Prof Jaheira too.

Halsin- can see him as a psychiatry professor actually. Probs does dabble in a little of the cooler types of therapies on the side (and tries them for himself) eg LSD for PTSD. Mixes medicine with non medical therapies. Very soothing to listen to.

Withers- palliative care consultant that should have retired millennia ago.

Volo- ophthalmology. 👁️

—

[dartagnantt]

Assassin: Rehired | What if the assassin didn't focus on dress-up?

PDFs of this and more can be found over on at my Patreon here! I release everything for free, so your support makes this possible. I've also started making a new system based off of 5e, 6th Dawn! Become a patron and join the playtest.

This week, as part of a theme most foul, I decided to go upon a foul task and revise our hired killer.

The assassin archetype never really appealed to me as a player, and not as a theme either. First off, just over half of its features are based on disguise. Which is fine, but one of them is literally the charlatan background feature for a price. But also, you may have realised this about me, the guy that keeps making playable monsters, I don't play humans and human-likes very often, so being the only gnoll in this city of mostly humans, there is no disguise in hell that will conceal my identity without magic. So while the disguise kit has its uses, the more exotic a creature you play, the less they are outside of the arts.

Secondly, it's primary feature is very strong, auto crit on any creature that has yet to act in combat. Great vibes, see what they're going for. Because that window is variable (and not always there) and at most a round, you don't actually get that feature most of the time. So, I opted to go for a different approach.

Poisoner

The assassin, in addition to disguise, has poisoner's kit proficiency, why not expand on that instead? In this instance I discard disguise as a proficiency you can go out of your way for. Instead, give the assassin a limited use set of debilitating poisons. Ones that impart vulnerability to weapons (what I intend to get the most use), knock out a target (for sneaky sneaks) and one that inflicts sneak attack damage (for convoluted assassination plots).

Death's Shroud

Bringing more general versatility to the previous poisons, but not quite wanting to ape the cloudkill spell, just gaseous poison. Sneak attacking a whole room at once sounds pretty sweet to me.

Hidden in Plain Sight

Possibly the least exciting option, but kind of how I intend to get around the lack of disguise issue for getting close to a target. Do it the old fashioned way! Not being seen.

Marked for Death

I suspect that this feature name exists somewhere in the D&D's history for something similar, but I didn't really check. This is based on the old capstone feature of the rogue, where you just straight up murder people with a single con save. I mean, you're playing an assassin, of course the capstone was going to be the murder button

And now to plug my stuff. I release homebrews weekly over on my Patreon. Anyone who pledges $1 or more per post don't have to wait a month to see them, and also help fund my being alive habit.

At the moment, they have exclusive access to the following:

Scout Roguish Archetype

Poisons: Reapplied

Finding the Trail

Skill Challenges

I also have four classes, and two splatbooks over on DriveThruRPG to check out:

The Rift Binder. A class specialising in summoning monsters and controlling the battlefield.

The Witch Knight. A class that combines swords and sorcery in the most literal way.

The Werebeast. A class that turns you into a half beast to destroy your foes.

The Beguiler. A spellcaster dedicated to illusions, enchantments, and general fuckery.

d'Artagnan's Adventurer Almanac. A compendium of races, subclasses, feats, spells, monsters and more!

d'Artagnan's Lycanthrope Survival Guide. A book of lore, stats, and werebeast subclasses for lycanthropes.

[talenlee]

4e: I Like the Ardent

One of the elements of Dungeons and Dragons as a game system that I hold fast to as one of its greatest strengths is the nature of the class-species based system where a player is immediately invited to create a character the second they hear about the basics of the system. To this end, there is a design space in D&D where the classes in that class system regard the potential power carried in a name that meaningfully explicates what they do. Class systems, broadly, recognise the value of names for what a class is, because that conveys tone for what a class does. A Barbarian and a Fighter aren’t meaningfully useful classes but when positioned as game systems, one of them is immediately more technical than the other.

Even if, yes, I’m sure, Berserker is the more proper term.

Anyway, to this end, a D&D character class cares about what I think of as ‘name space’ – the kinds of things you can name classes in order to make those classes compelling, interesting and memorable, the handles that players can get a grip on. This means that some titles, like Wizard, Bard, Rogue, Sorcerer, the 90s idiot’s allure of The Ninja, have value and weight to them and you can almost always directly tie the quality of a class to the name it gets, as that’s a sign that someone had a real clear idea and wanted to do something. If the weird is generic (the Seeker) or completely obscure (the Factotum), then you were odds on dealing with something that was not designed with a strong class fantasy and were about to be in for A Bad Time that was maybe interestingly broken.

And then there’s the Ardent.

Ardents are a type of support character, a Leader in the context of D&D 4th edition. While by no means their first appearance in the game, 4th is the place where they got good. 3rd edition Ardents worked in a way that I will generously call weird, and were positioned as a psionic healer and therefore in direct competition with the Cleric, one of the best classes in the game that could always manage healing as an afterthought. Not a good look there at the best of times, especially with the strongest virtue of the psionic system of 3.5 being ‘guess what rules oversight I get to dance in.’

The simplest description for the Ardent is that they’re a melee psionic supporter that leads by example and expresses emotions hard. It’s a bit of a hard class fantasy to put into a single word, right? You’re a feeler. Wait no that’s bad. You’re an emotive? Nope, that won’t do it, either. You can tell Ardent is a rough word to use since it shows up in the flavour text of dozens of other things and the Paladin even gets a starting power called Ardent Vow.

Thing is once this idea is set aside, the actual mechanical package of the Ardent absolutely rules. For a start, it’s a melee weapon based Leader whose primary attacking stat is Charisma, and whose skills back that Charisma up. You can play a skulking streetwise Ardent or a sincere politician Ardent or even just a walking threat Ardent, they all have the compatibilities. They also rely on a big weapon, meaning you get some of that anime hero vibes of a character with a huge weapon leaping into combat to have a big impact.

Because their primary focus was how things feel they could put a lot of different emotional impacts on the kinds of moves they had. That could be something like leading your friends in a direct charge against an enemy or sometimes it could be about psychically dragging your enemy towards you so every friend you have gets to make an attack on them along the way like it’s an Assist Strikers spice reel from the attract mode on an arcade.

Ardents had a special ability that fired off when they got bloodied, which was rarely worth worrying about. They had another ability that change how you related to opportunity attacks, too – either you were better defended against them (prompting you to be more reckless about how you moved), you were better at dealing damage with them (and therefore became more mindful about forcing opponents into positions to deal with them) or you got to deal more damage when you got hit by them (in which case you were suddenly an immense idiot trying to get whacked on the snout all the time in combat just so you could retaliate with nova spikes).

They also grew well. See, they were a psionic class, which meant early on you picked some at-will powers and then instead of getting encounter attacks, you swapped those at-wills for other at-wills and got instead power points to choose how to fine-tune your powers for points in combat. This could lead to things like a slow burning opening turn setting up a late-combat nova, or vice versa, or maybe you’d find you had one power you loved to use all the time and focused on using it, with your other powers as niche, sometimes fooders. As an example, Demoralising Strike is a power you start with and, using no power points, just gives enemies a -2 to defenses when you hit with it. If you augmented it though, it would impose a penalty of -X, where X is 1+ your con mod, so in some cases, -5, or -6. This is a big swing and makes things very easy to hit and paints a very broad target.

On the note of painting a target, they also get the power Forward Thinking Cut, one of my favourite 4th edition powers ever. Used just on its own it’s a solid melee attack that gives everyone adjacent to you +1 to hit. That’s a perfectly reasonable power on its own. It can be augmented once to allow a higgledy-piggle side-step charge, but then it can be augmented a second time to instead allow two other characters to come with you on the charge. This kind of flexibility delights me, where it goes from a serviceable every-time power and then upgrades into a power for transporting people into the fray at the very start of combat.

It’s such a cool class about creating cool feeling moments.

Shame about the name.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[reilemon]

Idk if you're into D&D, but this has been stuck in my head - What classes do you think the LIs would be? I feel like for certain Zayne would be a cleric, and his patron would obviously be Astra for a homebrew game that allows different gods to be added. For Rafayel, I'm stuck between bard and rogue (perhaps a multiclass?). The other boys, I'm not so sure.

i'm not into that, but my boyfriend is. i'm giving him the keyboard now -

Yeah Zayne is giving major cleric vibes with the healing and shielding. Specifically Order domain cleric (his stoic reserved vibe makes me think this), though Dawnbreaker could be Grave cleric I guess. *just realized analyzing each companion will take too long, gonna just do base companions lol

Rafayel I would say bard, but I agree he has a bit of roguishness to him too... I think best suited by College of Whispers, because of his secrecy and infiltration.

Xavier is a bit tricky, I am stuck between a Paladin, Oath of Devotion, and Fighter, Eldritch Knight. I don't know him well enough to know if he has a strong enough conviction to be called a Paladin or not, but his fighting style gives me "sword mage" vibes, so one of these two I guess.

Caleb I want to say Fighter, Arcane Archer, just homebrewed to use firearms instead of bows/crossbows for the Arcane Shots (an Arcane Gunslinger, if you will). Maybe even homebrew some gravity-based Arcane Shots in there if you're at it - there isn't a lot of graviturgy options aside from Wizard, and I wouldn't call him one really.

Sylus, because of his way of fighting and abilities, gives me Monk, Way of Shadow vibes. He definitely seems more Str-based than Dex-based class, but this is the closest I could think of.

Sorry if that went on for too long, I love D&D :)

[rei-ismyname]

Uncanny X-Men #4 FROM THE ASHES

Just going with raw thoughts here. Spoilers, of course.

Yikes

- We keep flashing back to the whirlwind romance of Sarah and Charles.

- I assume up there is its end.

- Either she's also a psychic or has some power stealing ability. Chuck was shown under Cerebro last issue and she tore off after the Outliers. So either she needed to know how to use it or she borrowed Chuck/Philip's telepathy. More on this.

- The pregnancy. They've been together a month which is not 'too soon' to know, assuming they had sex immediately, at least with 2024 knowledge. We know Chuck fought in the Korean War 1950-53 after Oxford so this is 1949 at the earliest, but who knows with comic book time. Not sure what pregnancy detection was like back then, though there's not much wiggle room to say definitively from a missed period.

- Neither baby trap nor woman scorned are especially great beats to use for a rounded villain, and I feel like they're trying hard to rehabilitate Chuck, so having him run out on a baby mama would not be a positive move.

- I'm getting the impression she's either a mutant or a supernatural being of some kind. 'I knew in that instant' makes the most sense to me if that's true.

When we last left the homeless team Logan had left for the same reason he always does - he feels like he shouldn't be around people. Me too buddy. It's getting a bit old to me he's just dealt with this in his solo which is implied to be a flashback/take place before Uncanny.

- Rogue 'knows' he's in trouble and exactly where he is. They act like it's a mystery but it's pretty obvious Chuck is behind this, or a psychic. Law of narrative economy says Chuck.

She's right.

- Are either of those true? I honestly can't remember early Rogue that well.

- I have to assume we're toning down his healing factor this era. Good good, though he should be acting differently.

Rogue doesn't have final girl instincts, that's for sure. I know comic books need fights but teams also need leaders. Rogue is not looking all that competent. Her leadership kinda needs to be shown to us and new readers.

- Rogue hits harder than Logan but he's a lot more durable and lethal. You have a teleporter. Just leave!

- Going with my earlier mutant/supernatural being theory, she's really got a one track mind. 'Motherhood' is not much of a personality. Bit surprising from Gail Simone tbh.

- Krakoa mention! Pretty sure Kurt is referring to the WHR Krakoa AKA we're not seeing it anytime soon. Kurt and Logan were the two biggest skeptics of Krakoa with Logan never trusting it so I'm just going to say this is straight up out of character. Kurt might say it to someone else but definitely not to Logan. Sigh.

Are these folks actually stressed here? He's survived a lot worse casually.

There she goes sniffing the 'childlessness' on Rogue. It's feeling kinda gross and uncomfortable to me at this point. Even a cisnorm tradwife demon or whatever surely has other interests.

- Same goes for Kurt. We know he likes God, despite coming off a huge crisis of faith on Krakoa. Dude has other interests. After that priest misfire in #1 I'd like something else. Personality. 4 issues feels like enough to say that Gail Simone doesn't know how to write Nightcrawler. This is basic shit and maybe she should have used a new character. She clearly wants the Rogue book but the familial relationship with Kurt is recent and not strong.

She's saying a lot without giving us much here, except the implication of magic.

- 10 has some magical significance, such as association with death and rebirth, the universe, perfection and power, transformation and divinity in humans.

- They're already out from Charles' thumb. Some impressive topographic knowledge there though.

- Okay then.

- Brian is Charles' father's name. It wouldn't surprise me if that was significant here. I don't want it to be, but...

- I might be missing something here but aside from vibes this asks more questions than it answers. Confirms the supernatural being theory, though this looks like a death/trauma rebirth as opposed to 'born that way.' Maybe she was chosen.

- Surprisingly candid though.

Get fucked Jubilee. You're not the last X-Men. Delusional.

- Logan has a healing factor. He doesn't really need Jubilee.

- Uh huh. Eldritch knights? I don't know and Gail doesn't want to tell us right now. That's fine.

-These 'X-men' are planning a raid on Graymalkin but they're looking like they'd struggle raiding a pantry. Cyclops has a point here, and considering the assessment of the kids was 'they don't fight as a team, they just attack' that applies to everyone here.

- I bet the Eye of Agamotto gets used next issue. That's a Chekhov's Gun that needs to go off and Gambit won't pull his weight much otherwise tbh. Seems unlikely Rogue is winning that fight solo and the team pulling together as a team using all resources would be a nice W for them. A sorely needed one.

- I feel like this had pacing issues more than anything. The Rogue fight was a bit repetitive and nobody is using their head. If we get a second wind into a win next issue that's not going to feel earned or satisfying. Characters should make mistakes. They've been punished for them, now we need to see a regroup and display of what makes them a team. What makes Rogue a leader and what makes them X-Men.

- When they fought the Outliers in issue two they were inexplicably losing and then they just won. I don't want that again. Tension has been established and a promise made - several promises even - we need to stop treading water and pay that off.

- A bit meh overall for the flagship book, but I have my biases. What did you think?

[rosenclaws]

Casting an X-Men Reboot but it’s the muppets

Disney you own Fox and The Muppets so theoretically this could happen and if it does I’d sell my soul.

Starting off strong the only human in this movie

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine - Till he’s 90 bro idc

Kermit the Frog as Scott Summers - Scott is the leader of the X-Men and Kermit leads the muppets so it is only fitting

Miss Piggy as Jean Grey - I mean who else but Miss piggy as our leading lady. You know she would also be down to kiss Hugh Jackman and Wolverine would be soo down bad for miss piggy fr

Bunson Honeydew and Beaker as Professor X and Magneto - I mean they are two guys who feel like theres something going on there low key. If you wanted to include sesame street characters i would 100% switch these for Bert and Ernie where Ernie is Charles and Bert is Magneto.

Animal as Mystique - Low key I was having a hard time finding a mystique so I’d be willing to change this later.

Scooter as Beast - He’s pretty nerdy and I think he’d make a good beast character

Gonzo as Rogue - He has the certain fun but chaotic vibes to him I think he’d make a great Rogue

Fozzie Bear as Storm - I think he would be the one that would crack Wolverines tough attitude and idk why.

Pepe the Prawn as Gambit - He’s got that flirty nature I think would be perfect for Gambit LOL

Rowlf would be Ice Man - He’s a chill dog muppet I think it would be fitting.

That’s all I have but I am open to suggestions lmao

[banditomojado]

ATTENTION I HAVE FOUND A NEW SHOW TO OBSESS OVER. THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF BREAKDOWN OF ALL THE MAIN CHARACTERS AND WHY I LOVE THEM/WOULD DIE FOR THEM ALREADY.

Mild spoilers for the first 5 episodes of The Legend of Vox Machina!

Oh boy, where do I begin!!! I have always been a lover of fantasy ever since I saw LOTR as a young child! Unfortunately, I didn't grow up around friends who were into the genre so I was never exposed to things like D&D. But fear not, folks like me! You need not be a D&D veteran to enjoy this show! Okay, so let's start talking about the characters featured in this party!

First up, the twins! Specifically here, Vex'ahlia "Vex" Vessar! So I love that the series features a sibling pair. Vex, at least in the first few episodes, seems to be the de facto leader of the group. She's a half-elf, half-human, a ranger-type, a badass archer and skilled warrior. The group, especially her brother, seems to look to her for guidance and commands in a lot of situations. She's so cool and has a strong presence in every scene. She has a dry wit, always on point with her verbal jabs. I've only known her for a day, and already I would trust her with my life. I do feel like she is a little too controlling of her twin brother, but so far she hasn't done anything too awful besides passive-aggressively disapproving of her brother's budding attraction to another member of the party, but more on that later!

And now for her brother, Vax'ildan "Vax" Vessar! He is a rogue-like character, specializing in daggers and throwing knives, and stealthy combat. He is also a wizard at picking locks. Much like his sister, he maintains a cool, mysterious aura about him, and he seems to come in handy whenever the situation calls to be sneaky. LOVE that the series has heavily implied he's a bi-king, featuring several scenes in the first five episodes where he flirts with both male and female characters. I love his relationship with his sister, you can already tell they have been through a lot and have helped each other survive it all, although it could prove troublesome if he does in fact decide to pursue a certain other half-elf, half-human member of the party...

Speaking of which, up next is Keyleth of the Air Ashari! She is a druid, capable of a wide array of magical abilities like controlling plant-life and shape-shifting into different kinds of animals! She's so cool, but she also has a sort of "fresh-out-of-college-stumbling-through-life" kind of vibe that I find utterly adorable. She's awkward, messes up a lot, struggles with self-esteem issues, but always tries her absolute best and has already saved the party from certain death a few times. I'm a sucker for flawed, awkward characters who carry the weight of the world on their shoulders and are just trying to do their best. Apparently she is currently on a ritualistic quest (Aramenté) to prove herself to her people so she can one day lead them and is not allowed to return until she has done so. So much pressure on my girl! She is obviously attracted to Vax, and I think they would make a cute couple, but something tells me that things won't quite work out for them...

Up next is Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III! He is by far the "edgiest" member of the group. He is a human gunslinger, a somewhat surprising set of skills for a fantasy setting, but it fits into this world perfectly! He's incredibly skilled with his gun, very smart, and by far the most sophisticated of the party. He comes from royalty, after all, and the first five episodes reveal how that life was ripped from him following a violent coup d'état which resulted in the slaughter of his entire family. So needless to say, my man has some baggage. He seems to possess a darker side to him that only appears when he is in a state of rage. He is very scary when in that state, and even carries around a plague doctors mask for such occasions. Revenge stories are a favorite of mine, as they always manage to provide the character seeking revenge with immensely satisfying/cathartic arcs, so I'm very much excited to see where the story takes him! I also think it's very telling that he is the sole human character of the party, it explains his inclination towards the dark side!

Next up we have Pike Trickfoot! She is a gnome cleric, capable of magical abilities like healing and conjuring up light-based energy shields. She is a fascinating character, given that her magic stems from heavily religious beliefs, though she seems to revel in violent situations and vices like binge drinking. She is a sweetheart, always looking out for the other members of the party, but also not afraid to go toe-to-toe with an enemy! The first five episodes see her lose connection to the Everlight, a kind of goddess that is the source of her magical abilities, thus she is forced to separate from the group. This was a huge bummer, because I really enjoyed her interactions with the other members of the party, especially her close friendship with the next member of the group I'll be talking about!

Next up is Grog Strongjaw! He is a Goliath barbarian, specializing in brute strength and combat with his mighty ax. Normally I'm not that interested in big, buff, warrior-like characters, but he's an absolute delight! He provides a lot of the show's comedic relief, due in large part to his limited wit and insatiable desire for bloodshed. He is big and dumb, but full of heart and determination to keep his friends safe, especially Pike, who he seems to share an especially close bond with. LOVE that he calls her "Pikey"! Having to see them go their separate ways so early into the series was definitely upsetting (seeing him cry over not being able to feel her presence while they were apart was precious), but I'm glad the group still has his brute strength to rely on if things get hairy.

And finally, we have Scanlan Shorthalt! He is a gnome bard, who also seems to possess a few magical abilities via his lute, such as being able to conjure up a large, floating purple hand. He is by far the main source of comedic relief of the group, crass and hedonistic, with an admirable ability for quick wit. He is also the group's resident slut, never wasting an opportunity to possibly get laid. He also appears to be bi, which is lovely. Comic relief characters often hide the saddest backstories, so I'm excited to delve more into his past and learn more about him. He also seems to have a crush on Pike, which is just absolutely adorable, although based on how he acts around the group, it's no wonder nothing has happened between them yet. Better wait until he grows up a bit, Pikey.

So far, the series has given me plenty of reasons to love each member of the party, and the writing for them has so far been excellent! Love their various little interactions, I think you could pair off or group any member together and you would still get a satisfying story/adventure. Five episodes in and I'm completely hooked! If anyone who is a fan of the show wants to watch along with me, let me know! I know I'm super late to the party, but I would LOVE to discuss the story with someone! I'm aware that these characters existed long before the Amazon show and that the show itself was a result of a large fan-funded campaign, so I'm especially eager to get to talk to fans who have been there from the very beginning!

[gilverrwrites]

@lordedicus as promised: DC x PJO: The Rogues and their Godly parents. Some of these have sounder reasoning than others, but I’m just here to have fun so most of them are just based on vibes and what I remember from reading mythology books and later the PJO book when I was young. If you have alternative opinions, please voice them, I wanna know.

Leonard Snart (Captain Cold): So, there is Boreas, the god of winter and cold. He is strong and short-tempered. He’s not an unfitting figure.

But…

And hear me out here, Zeus. Cause, Zeus is basically the Captain of Olympus. As the god of the skies and storms, he, too, is linked to the cold. He’s mature, but emotional, and while Zeus may not have been loyal to his wife, he did protect and care for his family. He’s the god of hospitality after all, and Len does have a tendency for taking in and helping out strays.

I know why Riordan did it, but the Zeus cabin really should have been the home of unclaimed demigods.

Lisa Snart (Golden Glider): So, if we’re sticking with Boreas for Len, then Lisa could be the daughter of any of the 3 winds, probably Notus. But that’s boring and Lisa is her own character, so…

We could be lazy and say Chrysus, the god of gold, riches, and divine radiance.

Or, and this is the hill I’m fighting for: Apollo. Lisa is the warm and the sunny to Lens cool and dark. She is a performer, and Apollo is the god of dance and music.

Mick Rory (Heat Wave): There’s no way ya’ll didn’t see the god of fire coming: Hephaestus. For the obvious reason, yes, but also because Hephaestus is the god of crafts and blacksmithing, and Mick makes all his own weapons.

James Jesse (Trickster): Arguments to be made of Apollo, but my answer is Hermes. The messenger who breaks boundaries and travels between worlds both good and evil, AKA, James has worked on both sides and everywhere in between. Hermes is also infamously a cunning, trickster character. Both are synonymous with thievery, wit, and showmanship. Oh oh oh, and flying shoes!!!

Axel Walker (Trickster II): Depending on who’s writing him, Axel has grown, at least somewhat since his conception, but ultimately, he got where he is today for the thrill of it. Pre-rogues he was drinking and getting high, committing vandalism, making snuff films, and he didn’t even need to, he’s a trust fund baby - a neglected one, yes, but the fact remains! Dionysus, the god of festivity, madness, drama, ecstasy, and so, seems fitting, especially because there is more to both of them than their reputation presents.

Sam Scudder (Mirror Master): The main concepts that come to mind for me when I think of Sam are superstitions and vanity. Neither of these concepts are solidified in any of the Greek Gods. The closest things that comes to mind for me would be Eris, who was born of chaos, which is not unfitting seen as Sam tactically thrives in discord.

She is also the mother of Pseudologoi, the spirits of falsehood and lies, which are often deemed and the closest thing Greek mythology has to superstition, and even on their own, are not not applicable to Sam.

Evan McCulloch (Mirror Master): There is a burning in this man’s soul that no amount of cocaine, money, therapy, anything could temper. He is full of passion that he desperately wants to stamp out, emotions that he doesn’t want to feel. He’s angry. Which is why the god of riots, rebellion, and uprising: Ares seems right. This is in addition to his being a mercenary, a very good one at that.

Digger Harkness (Captain Boomerang): is a child of Eros. Not because he’s a matchmaker or a lover of love. Because he’s a marksman with an insatiable lust for self-gratification. Money, sex, booze, whatever tickles his fancy at the time.

Mark Mardon (Weather Wizard): Yes, Zeus seems the obvious choice, but if I may offer an alternative: Poseidon, the storm bringer. As ruthless and unforgiving as the sea. Willing and able to cause as much destruction as an earthquake or a tsunami. But beautiful… as deceivingly charismatic as the ocean at it’s calmest. Often motivated by loss or revenge. (See Poseidon vs Odysseus over the blinding of his son, and Mark vs the world over the murder of his brother Clyde)

Hartley Rathaway (Pied Piper): Child of Pan, amongst other things, he is the God of music - particularly but not exclusively wind instruments, as well as shepherds and flocks. I’m also inclined this way because Pan often symbolises wondering and being lost, he tends to be a very isolate character, and Hartley himself is prone to self-alienation as a defence mechanism.

Roy G. Bivolo (Rainbow Raider): It has to be Iris Goddess of rainbows, who travels on rainbows!

[ocstabler]

I really like Tanner and hope she returns. Her and Stabler had a good bond, as she did with Vargas as well. I like how she looked out for El as well, telling him he should be with his mother and later sending him home to get some sleep.

As much as I miss Bell, I love that Vargas got more time to shine in these last two episode and really prove his worth to the team. El only had him to rely on this whole time and they worked great together. I like the gentle teasing with 'your BFF says hi'.

I still don't care about The Collective. I'm glad the storyline is done.

Bernie's health scare was different to what I had anticipated. I'm glad it wasn't too serious and she's on the mend (it seemed like maybe she recovered a tiny bit too well, I guess the Stabler genes are strong).

Her speech to them at the end was a nice touch. I liked how she acknowledged them all and it didn't focus just on Elliot, but all of them. But it did give me major vibes of them killing her off at the end of the series. It seemed like the perfect way to do it. Having Kathleen there of all the kids felt significant because of their bond and history. I can see how they might want to orchestrate a way to write Bernie Stabler out rather than have it taken out of their hands, plus as the ailing mother story, I'm not sure how much longer they can do this story. Her passing peacefully in her sleep would be the very least they can do to if they're going that way.

I loved Kathleen. She's really taken on the role of mother for the family, coming in and reminding them about Bernie's meds straight away. I LOVED that she and Randall sent Elliot back to work. What a role reversal from the family guilt tripping him for doing his job! And is it me, or did their seem to be a little weirdness with Randall towards Kathleen? The way the spoke to one another when they were first at the hospital, and how Randall said to go and see Bernie before Kathleen gets there. I don't think it's any major drama, but it's maybe something they'll come back to again.

Her worrying about her Dad and Randall and how they might be unprepared for Bernie passing was so lovely. And Elliot's response was equally touching. How he's prepared for whatever might happen and at peace with it as best he can be.

She was never shown to be frustrated when he got called for work. LOVE THAT.

The fact that they hugged and said I love you. Ugh! This is the cleanse from Eli I didn't know I needed. And my favourite scene, the one that made me cry is how Kathleen picks up on her Dad being upset and excusing herself, going to find him, reassuring him that she'll be there for him when he's old (his isolation at home must be so much at times). Telling him she's proud of him. My heart! After all the shit he's had with Eli, her support here is so crucial for him.

I love Kathleen. She's perfect.

So let's get to the big drama point that is Elliot's health.

We know stress can be a trigger that may hinder his recovery and putting himself in the extremely stressful situation of being very close to a bomb that could kill himself and Tanner didn't seem to help him much.

We see Elliot having to wait for his shaking hand to calm down before he can attempt to save Tanner and luckily, it didn't have much impact on saving Tanner.

Now, interesting thing is does Vargas catch on to what's happening with Elliot?

The top right of Vargas' screen shows the view from the camera El is wearing and he does look at his shaking hand so it would be visible, but clearly Vargas is distracted with saving Tanner's life so it's easy enough for him to miss this.

But Tanner herself seems to be able to see Elliot's struggle. It's clear enough he sounds a little distressed as he's stalling until he's recovered enough to continue and she does her best to reassure him.

It'll be interesting to see if Elliot gets caught out for this in the next episode as he feels like he's really going rogue in the last episode.

I also don't feel like they'll wrap up Eli's story this series. I think he'll just still be in the police force and it maybe continues next series. And if Bernie goes, I don't think Joey will die too. It would be huge overkill to have them lose both of them, so maybe Joey makes it but Bernie doesn't.

[dr-spectre]

Oh Splatoon 2 is dying?

Good.

Im joking! I'm joking!... or am i- no im joking, but i wanna rant about something.

I have a lot of distain for this game and it's not just because of the story mode being so fucking bad it boggles any rational or logical thinking mind on how to write a story.

I hate it because this game is always used as a weapon to criticise Splatoon 3. You can criticise Splatoon 3 all day every day, trust me that game has some FLAWSSS, just don't use Splatoon 2 to back up your vague points and say it's the best game that's ever been made compared to 3. That's what really pisses me off.

"Splatoon 3's content cycle needs improvement!" Okay I agree. "Splatoon 2 did it way better!" mmmm... you're losing me there. Splatoon 2 was just random updates and some were bad. That wouldn't work today.

"Splatoon 3 should have pushed the series more!" Okay? What would you have liked to see Splatoon 3 do- "Splatoon 2 pushed it way fur-" NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! NOPE! Splatoon 3's story mode did way more than Splatoon 2's, Splatoon 3 has an assload of new weapon types, we have an experimental rogue like mode and quality of life improvements, graphical improvements that surpass Splatoon 2's.

"Splatoon 3 added barely any content and should have been dlc and a free update"

.....my brother in christ do you know what a sequel is? Splatoon 3 had significantly more launch content than Splatoon 2's and if you try to say otherwise im not even gonna listen to the rest of your points. We have the most amount of weapons and stages in series history (the shifty stations do not count because they were one time things that you can't play online with randoms anymore and a lot of them were insanely gimmicky and small), we have 3 hubs for you to choose from, the most amount of clothing and customisable options, the weapon balance is a step up from Splatoon 2 and a fucking card game.

Splatoon 3 was made because the developers had so many ideas and concepts that they didn't wanna wait for the next console to develop them and flesh them out. There are some ideas that cannot just become "DLC" or a "free update." Sometimes developers just need to make a sequel to properly show their ideas and fix up the engine that they use.

I think a lot of people tend to gas up Splatoon 2 because they have nostalgia for it, and you know what? I get it! I 100% get it. But, Splatoon 2 has a lot of issues, Splatoon 3 has issues too and so does Splatoon 1. They all aren't perfect games but we love them all don't we? They all have their strong points and weak points. You can criticise Splatoon 3 like i said, but what I'm saying is, don't use Splatoon 2 as a weapon to tear down all of 3 when Splatoon 2 is significantly more flawed than 3 and that's one of the reasons why the game is fucking dead in ranked.

I'll put it like this, if Splatoon 2 truly is the better game, then wouldn't more competitive players stick with Splatoon 2 instead of 3? If Splatoon 2 truly is the game that pushed the series forward, wouldn't you think that the game would be celebrated more? Played by more people? When I see ranked players return to Splatoon 2, they always complain. Whether its the sting ray or main power up, they don't like where Splatoon 2 is.

I think that Splatoon 3 did a lot of good for the fandom too, the fandom is in a healthier, more active place because of Splatoon 3. I remember the fandom back in 2018, and it was a different vibe compared to where it is today, and I think Splatoon 3 played a big part in it.

Anyhow, if you love Splatoon 2 then that's okay. It was my first Splatoon game and it did introduce a lot of cool shit, like the dualies, Off the Hook, Octo Expansion and some really nice stages, but, a lot of it is still flawed and I can never to back to it because Splatoon 3 feels so much more polished and faster.