#team bean loop

[memetic-trigger-hazard]

Trope blender strikes again!

Since the formation of the Justice League Dark to deal with supernatural threats, Diana had been acting as the team's 'Superman' for lack of a better term.

It was, however, not a position she was entirely suited to, as ironically enough when engaging supernatural threats she was better suited to the same role that Batman played in the Justice League, engaging with superior training, tactics and specialised tools while also acting as battlefield tactical command.

With the lack of any other candidates however, she made do. But not for long.

Thanks to a wandering little girl, Diana had gained a new cousin and uncle who were refreshingly free of the hubris of the Greek pantheon, as well as an unexpected (and terrifying) meeting with her Grandfather who was far different from the stories, she supposed death and a few millennia would calm someone down. She was pleased however to add some paternal family members she could enjoy calm moments with.

Her Uncle was willing to help, however his backlog from the previous King in addition to the repairs and ongoing negotiations for reparations with the United States government made her feel guilt for placing further demands on him.

Her younger cousin however was more than happy to "get out of the house", her Father's comments about the expansiveness of a TARDIS castle completely ignored.

Ellie was already training with her old friend Pandora (So many happy reunions) so Diana was more than willing to take her to Themascerya for an initiation to the Sisterhood of Amazon's. Danny was ecstatic that his daughter was making friends.

Now Ellie as Banshee is JLD's front line fighter and Diana is the tactician, a dynamic duo of their own. Diana is so proud of her little cousin.

Which is why today was very..... Strange.

~

Basically the JLD have to head to the Watchtower for some threat, Ellie is super pumped because SPACE and Diana is excited to take her smol bean cousin to the Watchtower for the first time.

Batman and Co arrive and Drama TM occurs because "Holy shit that little girl looks like a Talia with blue eyes", Damian starts accusing and mouthing off, Ellie freaks because her Dad has warned her about the League of Assassins, so she freaks and bails.

Diana is explaining who Ellie is, how they're related when Uncanny Valley Danny in human form comes out of a portal in his "Royal Casual" work attire. Loose jeans,button up with vest, fluffy slippers with a coffee mug in hand. He's facing Diana, paying 0 attention to who else is there beyond "cool space station".

"Hey niece, why is my daughter running through my castle screaming about killer birds?"

"Ah, I believe she is referring to Robin being a former member of the League of Assassins." Diana replies.

Batman and the rest of the Justice League are tense, assessing this possible ally who RADIATES power and death. Anyone affected by death can feel it like static in their teeth during a lightning storm. Those who have been into the Lazarus Pits feel safe yet the overwhelming urge to KNEEL BEFORE YOUR KING.

"Well shit, someone actually escaped from the Fruit Loop Supreme? Anyone who gets away from my asshole grandfather is alright by me." Danny replies as he turns to look at the various heros, taking a sip from his mug.

"Danyal?" A faint hopeful whisper as Damian takes his mask off to look at his Brother (HOW, HOW? HE LOST HIM HE'S HERE HOW?) His dead twin somehow here and changed so much.

*Slurp*

"Well shit, didn't expect this."

This entire time Bruce's brain is making crunching noises.

It's not the extra son that's apparently God of the Afterlives. It's not the granddaughter.

Diana is his son's niece. Bruce had sex with his grand niece. Barbara is right, he needs therapy.

[only-knives]

Sometimes I wanna play a game but need something simple but interesting... So I wanted to share my favorite itch.io games (click the link if you don't wanna read the post, I'll update it as I play more!). Some of these games mean a lot to me and have helped me through rough spots. They're all free to play on your web browser <3

Six Cats Under by Team Bean Loop "A little point-and-click puzzle game where you rescue your herd of cats by directing them with your poltergeist powers."

Good Morning! by cnnmon "A short morning routine simulator about starting your day right. Play through a few colorful minigames and puzzles until you're ready to take on the day."

Lookouts by paranoidhawk *** "A romance visual novel about two gay trans masc outlaws in the old west, finding refuge in each other, and a little hope for a better life."

Goodnight Meowmie by DDRKirby *** "A narrative game combining elements of both the virtual pet and horror genres."

Goodbye Doggy by Picogram "A browser game made in HTML5. Help your family cope with your death as a ghostly dog!"

Soft Underbelly by Rosa *** "A browser narrative game made in HTML5. Take a break. Talk to your cat about friendship, trust & care."

Purrgatory by Niv *** "A visual novel about passing time in an afterlife where nothing really matters. explore a whimsical point-and-click world, befriend seven charming characters, and remember — furever's not so bad!"

B-e-e-t-l-e by Loafy Co. "A typing game minus the chaos and the anxiety. Type at your leisure and enjoy a chill, relaxing adventure filled with retro scenery."

Happy Cat Tavern by Courier Cat Studio "A cat themed typing game" -- tip: for calm playing, use practice mode! there is still a word & time counter though, you're not on any time limit or combo constraint <3

---

Anyway that's all. Asterisk'd (***) are my top favs. Have fun, explore itch.io, and mind the trigger warnings where applicable <3

[daffi-990]

Fuck it Friday 💣🚒💥

Tagged by @wikiangela & @theotherbuckley. Thank you!!

Coming at you with some ladder truck bombing from Rival Firefighters 🚒 . I have no idea if what I’m writing is working and flowing properly, but I’m writing? 😅

Prev snippet here (feel like it’s been forever since I shared something from my beloved au .. but the Eddie breakdown fic happened and kind of took all my writing beans haha)

By the time the police figured out a serial bomber Athena had been chasing’s final target was one Robert Nash, their Robert Nash, it was too late.

Dispatch had just gotten in touch with them, stating Bobby was trying to reach them and that it was important, when suddenly an explosion blew the ladder truck behind them onto it’s side. Stover slammed on the brakes of the fire engine, the vechile jerking to a halt as Eddie and the others watched in horror as flames engulfed the undercarriage of the ladder truck as it skidded to a stop.

They sat frozen in shock, their minds trying to comprehend what they had just witnessed. It wasn’t the first explosion Eddie had seen, hell he’d been in one, but the fear that gripped him as he remembered Buck had been riding in the cabin was almost suffocating.

Eddie climbed out of the engine, his body feeling like it was moving through molasses, as if the world had switch into slow motion. He opened his mouth to call for Buck, but the name got lodged in his throat, like it was afraid it’s call would not be answered.

He willed his body forward, needing to get closer to the wreckage, needing to find Buck.

Buck.

His best friend had given him an exuberant child like smile as he’d climbed into the cabin of the ladder truck when the alarm sounded, excited that he was riding shotgun. Eddie had made a joke about Buck keeping his head in the window like a good boy, Buck responding with his middle finger.

Eddie doesn’t want that to be the last memory he has of him. He doesn’t want a last memory, period.

Determined to pull Buck away from the pearly gates themselves if need be (he can’t imagine someone as good as Buck going anywhere else), Eddie grabs a medical bag and moves towards the overturned truck, each footstep feeling heavier than the last as his eyes search the wreckage for any sign of his partner.

Eddie could see four bodies spread around the wreckage, the firefighters having been thrown from the truck during the explosion. Three were a few metres from the truck and one was right by the busted cabin, and appeared to be pinned. As Eddie drew closer, he got a sinking feeling that the firefighter who was pinned was Buck, but before he was close enough to confirm it, Chim and Hen were pulling him back and away from where he needed to be. Couldn’t they see Buck needed his help? That their team needed their help?

“Let me go!”

He fought against their hold, throwing his weight forward as he tried to dislodge them, their hands feeling like heavy metal chains around him.

“Eddie! We can’t go out there!”

Hen’s voice carries a panicked urgency to it but Eddie’s mind is too focused on Buck, a constant loop of get to Buck, get to Buck, get to Buck playing over and over, for him to even register that Hen didn’t usually panic unless the situation was bad.

“We can’t- what are you talking about? Buck needs us!”

He redoubles his efforts, struggling against the arm wrapped around his chest.

“Do you not see the kid with the bomb strapped to his chest?!” Chim shouts, his voice right by Eddie’s ear.

Wait, what?

No pressure tagging: @wildlife4life @diazsdimples @nmcggg @watchyourbuck @monsterrae1 @malewifediaz @spagheddiediaz @spotsandsocks @hippolotamus @hoodie-buck @mellaithwen @bekkachaos @captain-hen @puppyboybuckley @loserdiaz @lover-of-mine @ladydorian05 @jesuisici33 @jeeyuns @homerforsure @honestlydarkprincess @giddyupbuck @fiona-fififi @fortheloveofbuddie @devirnis @donationwayne @disasterbuckdiaz @shortsighted-owl @shitouttabuck @athenagranted @steadfastsaturnsrings @thewolvesof1998 @the-likesofus @try-set-me-on-fire @exhuastedpigeon @elvensorceress @eddiebabygirldiaz and all others who want to share something 🥰❤️

[qwertyprophecy]

A short game about a vampire staying out too long at night and having to carefully dash from shade to shade to get back to their crypt.

Made during a casual little game jam weekend with my usual game jam team. I'm personally proud of the very dumb sound design

[dont-f-with-moogles]

Bad Habit

Bad Habit (NSFW) Characters: Levi x Hange Word Count: 1147 words Canon Universe So, this links a couple of things together… 

Fiercely, Levi yanked Hange’s leg to his heaving chest, lifting her hips up so that he could sink his weight into her. Beneath him, Hange’s head was thrown back against the pillows, his name escaping her in strangled gasp. Insatiable, Levi pushed deeper, more insistently into her. Strangely, he found he was no longer concerned about the noise they were both making.

This felt different to the last time they had been together… That had been a quick, messy, sweaty affair; half-dressed and leaning against a block of straw. Hange remembered the clumsy, desperate kisses; her hair still wet from the rain; her cold lips against Levi’s neck. There had been no time for self-consciousness, for they had only stolen a few precious moments together. Afterwards they had found it hard to look at one another; clawing pieces of hay from tangled hair, hastily buttoning shirts and fastening belts. There had been no time to think about their next meeting, or to question the events which had passed inside the stable… Before she had even acknowledged the line she and Levi had just crossed, Hange had found herself rushing back to the castle with her jacket held up over her head.

But this time, things were different. Hange hadn’t been expecting company that night. It seemed as though hours had passed as she had sat upon the lounge chair in her room, eyes glazed. She had been too exhausted to cry any more bitter tears. Hange stared at nothing; her body bowed forward so that one elbow rested upon her knee. Fretfully, she gnawed upon a bitten-down nail. One ugly thought surfaced, then another rose to take its place. Increasingly wild theories were emerging, leaping over one another; giving persistent chase around her mind. 

A sharp knock had brought her back to her surroundings. Hastily rubbing her face, Hange approached the door. There was Levi, bearing a china cup and saucer. Of course he’d brought tea. Was it a pretence? She had hardly entertained the thought before glancing over his shoulder first one way, then the other up the darkened corridor.

“Did anyone see you?” 

“No…” Levi raised his eyebrows. He held out the cup to her, but did not cross the threshold. Hange turned her back to the doorway. There came the sound of a click.

“You never make two. You didn’t think I’d ask you in, huh?”

Hange coughed out a tearless sigh as Levi set the tea down upon a small, round table. He offered a half-shrug. Hange returned to her chair. Hesitantly, Levi made a brief motion as though he was about to leave again. Instead, with a gentle thud, he kicked off his boots by the door and took a seat beside her.

Seemingly, Hange felt like talking after all. The conversation wound itself in convoluted loops, beginning with the deaths of Sawney and Bean, before meandering through possible theories. First, Erwin’s, which had been the outcome of the little information they had managed to gather. Soon their talk wandered through the labyrinth of Hange’s thoughts; twisting into complications which neither could explain. What would the attacker’s next move be? The expedition teams were leaving tomorrow; it could not be delayed. There were those who knew. There were those who could never know. Hange’s tea had grown cold in its cup, the colour fading from golden brown to milky grey. 

“It’s not just about the titans…” Hange’s voice was hoarse. “It’s…”

She gestured uselessly, buckled under the weight of such weariness. No. It wasn’t grief for Sawney and Bean but the wasted effort. Her heart ached with it; the risk to those lives who had helped to capture the titans. And what was there to show for their preparation and sacrifice? It was all for nothing. Worse, the Scouts were bound to face the same danger all over again if they were to learn anything new.

“I know,” came Levi’s reply, filled with doubtless reassurance.

Exhausted, Hange sank against him. Her cheek rested on the collar of his jacket.

“I know it's more than that. And we’re all just as sorry for it.”

Beside her, he was real and solid and warm. For a moment, the horror of the situation wasn’t entirely insurmountable. They would find the perpetrator, one way or another. Even if it wouldn’t bring the test subjects back. Even if it meant putting even more lives at risk… alas, that was the Scouts’ burden to bear. Hange shifted slightly against him. Her forehead rested against Levi’s chin. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest. As his fingers stroked her hair back from her face, Hange released her breath slowly. Levi had remained still then. Hange turned her head towards him. He did not move away. Then she gently brushed her lips against his.

Everything had happened quickly after that, like a series of choreographed movements. They were learning each other’s patterns, rhythms, inclinations, as though by instinct. Their bodies were no longer strangers to one another. It was suddenly easy to undress each other; safe to lose themselves completely. It was becoming a habit.

Now Hange’s head was pressed into the pillows scattered upon her bed. Her legs were draped over Levi’s shoulders, so slick with sweat that they were slipping out of place. Levi’s hand clutched her ankle firmly. Hange was lost to an all-engrossing heat; one that was building so sharply, so agonisingly close. She hardly noticed when Levi’s fingers threaded through her own, gripping her hands as his thrusts became more desperate. 

Her whole body rocked on a wave of ecstasy. As the sensation crested to its peak, Hange choked out a few incoherent words between her sobs. Heat flared within her. Every muscle in her body clenched. And then, the sting of pleasure was ebbing away. 

Levi’s movements were slowing. His eyes were closed; brow slightly furrowed in concentration; his cheeks flushed. Dark hair stood up, uncharacteristically unruly. Hange’s chest pulled tight. Her hands slid up Levi’s back and into his dishevelled hair. Breathless words left her in a sigh. Levi’s body tensed. He drew back enough to look down at where she lay beneath him. Her eyes were half-closed; face aglow.

She knew he would not answer. Not until he was sure of what he had heard. Both shared the same secret but were too afraid to reveal it.

Hange took Levi’s warm face in her hands. Their lips met silently, softly. She held him there and Levi showed no inclination to draw himself away, or to continue moving against her.  He was still inside her; stomachs pressed together; skin warming one another, as he kissed her again. Their bodies moulded naturally, as though they were made for only this. As though they could remain this way for the rest of their days.   ... Levi x Reader version is here.

I’m taking NSFW prompts 👉 Smut Scribbles

[equallyshaw]

star crossed loves au | connor bedard x kailey hughes au ↳ Connor x Kailey timeline!

↳ a little more info on the two! ↳ idk if this is like a thing with au's...but imma do it anyway lol ↳ au masterlist.

first time they saw eachother: at a diner in the loop (12/2023)

first time they spoke to one another: over insta dm's then texting

Spent all of 2024 as friends.

first date: new years eve, going into 2025

date when they became an official couple: 01/04/2025

first game she attended: feburary 2025! (blurb will be written!)

first time she met his parents and sister: april 2024!

first almost slip up to her brothers: march 2024 at the end of her semester and sea about their friendship.

first team outing: april 2024! blurb here.

first friendship break up: july 2024

reconciliation: november 2024

first time the brothers meet connor: janirary 2025! depicted here.

First official break up in july 2025. depicted here.

Second breakup: may 2026

connor goes back home to vancouver after the season, while kailey heads to california to be with cousin maya

kailey begins to date childhood friend, brendan brisson. depicted here.

connor and kailey see one another for the first time in august, when she visits becca, alex vlasic, tessa (alex's fiance) and lukas reichel

connor see's a (ex) friend of kailey for about two months before breaking off with her.

trevor walks in on brenden and kailey, isn't too pleased. (bribes him with coffee dates, because of student loans obviously)

kailey breaks up with brenden in October. (still hasn't told her brothers are this point about him)

goes home for thanksgiving, spills the beans on brenden, no one is happy ofc.

goes to chicago for new years to be with becca and tessa, reichels gf and soon to be wife of alex vlasic!

connor and kailey have a deep conversation, going over everything between the two.

the two get back together that night. 01/2027

kailey and connor only tell their closest friends and teammates in chicago, just to avoid unnecessary drama.

connor and kailey head from california to vancouver in june for a trip to his hometown.

kailey and connor show up to the annual hughes-european trip in july. depicted here a tad bit.

kailey and connor head back to california to pack up her apartment with her cousin, because she now has a finance job in chicago!

a little breakdown of the timeline!! Just add a year to each year, as I switched it!!

they get engaged in vancouver in 2027, in august right before they head back to chicago. (blurb will be written of him asking her three brothers and dad during the yearly hughes-euro trip (now dubbed, hughes-bedard euro trip))

adopt a dog together in October 2027. (they've only had crosby the infamous black cat, for a few years now.)

get's married in july 2029.

adopts 1st child, in june 2032. (connor is 27 and kailey, 28.)

hope you guys enjoyed! just a bit of a cheat sheet for me and you lol

[edgy-ella]

@simpingforcreamsoda asked:

What uncommon character pairings (team ups, not romance) would you want to see in future games/comics/stories? I know Tails and Shadow is one that gets thrown around a lot as a niche favorite

As far as Tails and Shadow is concerned, I think Shadow would actually be kind of a dick. Tails is naturally pretty insecure, and Shadow is a perfectionist. Whereas Sonic could roll with the Miles Electric’s faulty translations (though not without a little sass here and there), Shadow would flatly tell Tails his machine is broken and he needs to fix it. This would throw Tails for a loop, because he’s so used to having Sonic there to encourage him rather that Shadow’s cold disapproval. For better or for worse, he’d work twice as hard for Shadow’s approval.

I’ve said this before, but I need to see Fang interact with more of the modern cast. He’s just such a perfect, goofy villain to pass up. Take Shadow, for example. Maybe Fang would get mad because he stole his thunder with the whole “guns and bikes” thing, or maybe they’d bond over being total motorcycle nuts. Maybe Fang, who’s been out of the game for so long (arrested?), would initially mistake Shadow for Sonic going through a goth phase. This, of course, would just piss Shadow off.

Or maybe Infinite? I could see Fang playing off of his self-serious edginess well. Especially if they’re on the same side. Infinite would go on some rambling villain monologue only for Fang to turn to Bean/Bark/the camera/whoever and go “get a load of this guy.” Cue Infinite getting all up in Fang’s face and saying “WHAT did you just say about me” and Fang pissing himself in fear.

Aside from that…Sticks and Silver? Sticks would demand Silver to confirm that all her conspiracy theories are actually right, and to everyone’s horror, Silver says that she’s not that far off.

[pokemoncenter]

@illusionfreak hey so has Bean ever used their ability of illusion at all to get into trouble?

Ah, I should explain this to all my new followers.

Beans is my Zorua, but she is an extremely unusual case as far as Zoruas go. The short version, is that Beans cannot use illusions, but that is not entirely accurate.

I found Beans many years ago, about a year or two after the fall of the first Team Plasma. She was digging in the trash outside my home, and knocked over the garbage cans. I came to investigate, and she was quite scared of me. Her illusions were... rather strange- They did not make any sense. I could not see any details, nor did these 'illusions' interact with the world- They floated around through the objects around without even attempting to pretend they were making contact. As a result, this did not actually deter me from approaching her.

I noticed, at the time, she had several injuries that were not inflicted by Pokemon. Boot prints, injuries from being thrown... As I discovered later, an intense fear of brooms. She resisted me, and scratched and bit... In retrospect, I should not have forced the issue, but I was frightened for her, and I picked her up regardless of the injuries I received. And I ran her to the closest Pokemon Center, and did everything I could... I took her in, and it took me quite some time to earn her trust.

What I heard from the Center, and the veterinarian they referred me to, was that Beans had some manner of disability. Her illusions are impaired- I suspect the origin of this is traumatic, though I do not know if it is physical or emotional trauma... Of course, it could simply be nothing more than a birth defect, as well. It ultimately does not matter much, as the outcome is the same.

When Beans attempts to use her illusions, she cannot hide herself. Instead, she creates... what I can only assume are her perception of the world. Rather than accurate illusions, she creates towering, faceless figures that 'clip' through the area around her. Shadowy monsters that seem to be how she sees humans.

The problem with this is that her illusions, being based on her own perception, scare her as well. And when she is scared, she tries to create more illusions. The feedback loop terrifies her immensely, and she is difficult to calm down from this. It has taken... a great deal of work to make her feel happy and safe enough to even go outside, and fortunately, even when she's scared, she now defaults to jumping on me rather than attempting illusions.

I am proud of how far she has come. She is safe now, and I do my best to give her the happiest life possible. In many ways, she saved me from my isolation after the fall of Plasma, so now I wish to return the favor and make sure she has a full, blessed life.

[95jezzica]

plz save us from the insanity in hetalia nordic tags do u have any soft hcs about den and swe

(You okay, anon?). Well, uh, sure? Here's some soft headcanons. 💝

.

"Bother my bother." / "Don't you mean Brother?" / "Did I stutter?" 😂 xD

In many ways they're two sides of a coin, and despite plenty of fights and bickering throughout the years they still love each other and always want the best for the other. (Though they sometimes disagree WHAT is the best for the other).

Depending on the situation Denmark and Sweden are either at their most powerful when they team up, or at their most ridiculous, or: "Holy shit someone get Norway to reel them in". 😂 xD

Denmark is an iconic ADHD-person.

Sweden is Autism icon.

Throughout history they've had their ups and downs, but in the end of the day they're still family. (Though some years it sat long back in their souls to admit it).

Closer to modern days when Sweden first announced he (Swe) had become a dad, Denmark at first thought he was joking. (Mostly shock tbh. Nations being able to become parents is RARE, after all). It took Denmark a few moments to realize Sweden was serious and that Denmark was now an uncle. 💖xD

And look, Denmark absolutely love the kids and his life as an uncle. 💖

Ladonia, being the kid who looked newborn when he "popped up" and so very slowly grew up, got SO MUCH DUPLO from Denmark. 😂 It was later switched over to Lego once they were sure Ladonia was old enough to not try and eat the pieces. x'D

Sealand, the part-time son of Sweden, took longer to warm up to lego, but he eventually fell in love with it as well. 💖

Ladonia eventually grew out of building with lego. His dear dad and uncle did not. 😂 Denmark and Sweden still have the time of their life building gigantic master-pieces with the lego together.

Denmark and Sweden once went missing for a week to their governments' distress. By the time they were found they had built an entire real-sized house with a mix of Duplo and Lego. It had running water and electricity. 😂 No one is quite sure how they did it, but for legal reasons Norway was forced to teleport the (literal) lego house into another dimension where it now serves as a home for some of Norway's fae friends. 😂💖 xD

.

Sweden has always been the (much) better medic of the two, but Sweden appreciates when Denmark still (tries to) neatly bandages Sweden's wounds.

They have both seen the other at their lowest and highest point(s). At this point there's nothing one could do to get rid of the other. 💖

When Sweden first fell in love Denmark teased Sweden merciless about it, but never spilled the beans and actually (tried to) be a good wingman. (With... Uh... Various success). 😂

Sweden is biding his time in hopes he will be able to soon return the favour, x1000. 😂 xD

Both of them hold multiple university AND job degrees at this point and are both very smart and creative on their own, but somehow their braincells usually come close to zero when they're together. And sometimes they come up something so brilliant it somehow does a loop around to become stupid again. 😂

Denmark once forgot his keys home, upon which he and Sweden proceeded to build an advanced "unlock door machine". It took them several hours. It (technically) worked! But uh... Then they realized the door had always been unlocked. The keys laid inside in the the little bowl for keys. 😂xD

Sweden is usually the first one Denmark will ask for advice. Denmark is usually the first one Sweden will ask for advice. Norway is the one they'll ask afterwards for advice which has a chance to work. 😂 xD

.

[This ask was kind of sudden, so I didn't really have anything prepared. Hope this works though, anon]. 💝 [With that said I should probably go check the tags now]. x'D

[leojoseph1978]

Bias in AI: The Glitch That Hurts Real People

Yo, Tumblr crew! Let’s chat about something wild: AI bias. Let’s discuss about AI’s everywhere—picking Netflix binge, powering self-driving cars, even deciding who will gets a job interview? It’s super cool, but here’s the tea: AI can mess up by favouring some people over others, and that’s a big deal. Let’s break down what’s going on, why it sucks, and how we can make things better.

What’s AI Bias?

Let’s imagine that AI is supposed to be a neutral, super-smart robot brain, right? But sometimes it’s more like that friend who picks favorites without even realizing it. AI bias is enables the system to screw up by treating certain groups unfairly—like giving dudes an edge in job applications or struggling to recognize faces of people with darker skin. It’s not the AI being a mis operational model; it’s just doing what it was taught, and sometimes its teaching is flawed.

AI bias and its insights

Shady Data: AI learns from data humans feed it. If that data’s from a world where, say, most tech hires were guys, the AI might “learn” to pick guys over others.

Human Oof Moments: People build AI, and we’re not perfect. Our blind spots—are thinking about how different groups are affected—can end up in the code.

Bad Design Choices: AI’s built can accidentally lean toward certain outcomes, like prioritizing stuff that seems “normal” but actually excludes people.

Why’s This a Big Deal?

A few years back, a big company ditched an AI hiring tool because it was rejecting women’s résumés. Yikes.

Facial recognition tech has messed up by misidentifying Black and Brown folks way more than white folks, even leading to wrongful arrests.

Ever notice job ads for high-paying gigs popping up more for guys?

This isn’t just a tech glitch—it’s a fairness issue. If AI keeps amplifying the same old inequalities, it’s not just a bug; it’s a system that’s letting down entire communities.

Where’s the Bias Coming From?

Old-School Data: If the data AI’s trained on comes from a world with unfair patterns (like, uh, ours), it’ll keep those patterns going. For example, if loan records show certain groups got denied more, AI might keep denying them too.

Not Enough Voices: If the folks building AI all come from similar backgrounds, they might miss how their tech affects different people. More diversity in the room = fewer blind spots.

Vicious Cycles: AI can get stuck in a loop. If it picks certain people for jobs, and only those people get hired, the data it gets next time just doubles down on the same bias.

Okay, How Do We Fix This?

There are ways to make things fairer, and it’s totally doable if we put in the work.

Mix Up the Data: Feed AI data that actually represents everyone—different races, genders, backgrounds.

Be Open About It: Companies need to spill the beans on how their AI works. No more hiding behind “it’s complicated.”

Get Diverse Teams: Bring in people from all walks of life to build AI. They’ll spot issues others might miss and make tech that works for everyone.

Keep Testing: Check AI systems regularly to catch any unfair patterns. If something’s off, tweak it until it’s right.

Set Some Ground Rules: Make ethical standards a must for AI. Fairness and accountability should be non-negotiable.

What Can we Do?

Spread the Word: Talk about AI bias! Share posts, write your own, or just chat with friends about it. Awareness is power.

Call It Out: If you see a company using shady AI, ask questions. Hit them up on social media and demand transparency.

Support the Good Stuff: Back projects and people working on fair, inclusive tech. Think open-source AI or groups pushing for ethical standards.

Let’s Dream Up a Better AI

AI’s got so much potential—think better healthcare, smarter schools, or even tackling climate change. By using diverse data, building inclusive teams, and keeping companies honest.

#AI #TechForGood #BiasInTech #MakeItFair #InclusiveFuture

@sruniversity

[mario8th]

The Triumphant Return of Green Green Jelly Bean Man

AKA Beans from Hunter X Hunter, the 2011 Anime, of which I just watched episodes 134-136.

And oh jeez. My goshness. Holy Heck. Freakin' Wowza.

I spoke a lot of crap about this show in my last post

I take it all* back. Every Last* bit of it.

And how in the hell did Togashi and team do it? I am sitting here crying over the main antagonist of the show. A thing that I didn't do since I cried over the Last main antagonist of the show, the mother of the current antagonist. This guy did it Twice! In the same Part! And it worked both times!?

The Netero and the narrator love to emphasize the bottomless malice of the human heart; the text of the show makes the strongest case for the infinite love of the human heart.

The Chimera Ant Arc is Over**

* I do still think that the arc overall could've been tightened a bit

** There is Zero Percent chance the ants don't show up again

AND! AND! They CLOSED THE LOOP ON REINA!?!?!?!?!?!????

Like, at first I thought it was the inherent and likely subconscious sexism of the creators explaining why Colt/[BoyNameHere] was the main character focused on during the first third/half of the arc. (displayed most notably by the lack of well rounded women characters throughout the show). BUT NO! It was a prestige the WHole Time! There are Sixty Episodes, and they took ALL OF THEM to reveal Reina! Truly remarkable restraint. I do wonder if, at some point, the whole family will be reunited. I can only hope.

Hey speaking of Reina, I guess she want's to go by Kite now? Probably thinks it sounds cool I guess. Definitely cannot be Kite in that kid. I mean maybe it could, but I don't think it would.

Rest of the episodes were setting up all the stuff in future arcs. Deadbeat dad finally showed. Got some good Sad Killua's in there. Wonder when/if the Gyro stuff will pop back up (JoJo part 7 Anime announced). Even when so much of the show was leading up to the end of This Arc in particular, it's still amazing how many loose threads are left to pull on.

Last thing. That amazing fanart by @dancy-nrew also really nails the parallels between Gon and Short King to me. Both of them, so young, burned so brightly. But Short King faded in a loving embrace, Gon burnt out in rage, having pushed away the one he was closest to.

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[mysteryideasgroup]

MSA X DP: The Ultimate Enemy Chapter 8: Ghost Teams realize that Dark Future/Future Valerie and Future her Allies are revealed Normal Original AU friends who are alive/Dark Danny, Dark Sophie, and Midnight Dan arrived and met with the present Ghost Teams

Older/Future Valerie springs out of the wreckage on her jetsled, powering up a huge shoulder-mounted blaster.

Future Valerie: Got that right, ghost!

She fires, the kickback knocking her back a little. The blast impacts the street right in front of Danny, blowing the street apart. Danny retreats into the street, then rises back up through it intangibly to face off against Valerie.

Future Sarah/Future Me and her Future Alilies think Three Ghosts are enemies of Dark Danny, Dark Sophie, and Midnight Dan with ghost weapons at three Ghosts of Ghost Teams

Danny: Valerie! Listen to me!

Sophie: Wait! We are not enemies!

Dan: !!! Not three Bad Ghosts!

Future Valerie: You can't fool me this time, Phantom!

Future Sarah/Future Me: No, not doing them! They are destroying here!

Future Laura/Future You: They’re not going to destroy them and hurt them!

She fires again and he takes a flying dodge. She fires a few more blasts then chases after, jumping into the air and letting the board continue on its own. Danny loops back around, just barely misses getting beaned by the jetsled, and gets caught in an electrified purple net which drops him to the ground. Valerie lands nearby and trains her blaster at him, powering it up with a whine, her future friends are used to capture nets tied to three Ghosts friends to the ground

Future Valerie: I've been waiting a long time for this. Goodbye and good-

Present Sarah/Me refuses to Future Allies think of Three Ghosts as Three Dark Ghosts, Present Ghosts Teams have refused not wanting to hurt their Three Ghosts Allies

Ghost Teams and Mystery Teams jump in front of Danny, Sophie, and Dan shielding them.

Sarah/Me: No! Not doing! They are not enemies! They are good friends but they are present!

Tucker: Valerie, no!

Elise: Val, don't harm my friends!

Valerie rears back in shock. Future Allies are shocking

Sam: Don’t shoot them!

Susan: Val, don't hurt my friends!

Future Sarah/Future Me: What are you and your friends... ! They are alive?! Not better...! They are dead and they’ve got missing is presumed dead!

Future Muffet: ! They are not alive, they are dead and they are missing!

Future Valerie: [wide-eyed] Sam? Tucker? I-It's not possible! This is a trick! You can't be alive!

Ghost Teams and Mystery Teams realized they had Alternate Versions of Dark Futures

Muffet: Oh my God... They have Alternate Versions of the Dark Future here!

Sarah/Me: Wait... I realize that my Alternate Universe of me and my friends? Other Future Me!

Future Sarah/Future Me: Wait... hold on, my younger/Past Me?! Oh my god... Your dogs are alive!? I have lost my one dead and one is missing!

Sarah/Me is realizing that my future version has lost her own dogs, one dead and one missing.

Sapphire and Samantha realize that they have future versions of Sapphire is dead and Samantha is missing

Laura/You: Wait... They have here an Alternate Universe of the Future!?

Future Laura/Future You: ! I think my friends are dead or alive! They are not good!

Cera: !? Future Me? Not good...

Future Cera: Yes, I'm... sorry not better to miss my Friends and Family... I think Mike and Misti are missing!

Ecole, Mike, Misti: !

Josh: !? Wait, my Alternate best friends are Bart is missing and Matilda is dead?

Future Josh: Yes, right...

Future Ecole: Bro, not good.

Josh and Ecole are very shocked and horrified they are dead and they are missing

Tucker: Wait. Not alive? [dropping his arms] That's our future? I'm definitely not taking the C.A.T.!

Future Valerie: The C.A.T. That's the last time I saw you alive. The explosion at the Nasty Burger... you, Tucker, Danny's family- [training the gun on Danny again] And it was all your fault!

her future friends are used to ghost weapons on three Ghosts friends again

A green flash of flame and other colours of fire knock Valerie and her Future Allies offscreen. The Ghost Teams and Mystery Teams look up to the source to find Dark Danny, Dark Sophie, and Midnight Dan floating there.

Dark Danny: Actually, that was me. And you, eventually.

Dark Sophie: They have to me and they are dark!

Midnight Dan: Us, ours are strong! They are weak!

----

For @laurasanchez36

AUs Alternate Universes Crossovers belongs to me 

All belongs to my msa x dp ocs sonas

All belongs to her msa x dp ocs sonas

Mystery Skulls Animated MSA belongs to Ben and MysteryBen27 of YouTube YT Series 

Danny Phantom DP belongs to Butch Hartman of Nickelodeon Series 

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from National Geographic:

These days, the village of Karauzyak in western Uzbekistan is a dusty place. Surrounded by an arid landscape of dry scrub grasses and salt-crusted soils, it’s hard to believe the village was once along the banks of a swollen river, 30 miles from the shore of the world’s fourth-largest lake. Over the last 50 years, that lake, the Aral Sea, has dried up almost entirely, in what is often called the “world’s worst environmental disaster.” Now, it’s hard to farm much of anything in Karauzyak—except for atriplex, or saltbush. 

In a 3.5-hectare plot of land near the village, a team of Japanese researchers is growing this salt-loving plant, known scientifically as a halophyte, to see if it can be a viable crop for farmers in the region and even nurture a small dairy industry. They’ve fed it to cows at a nearby farm and found that it helps lock scarce moisture into the thirsty soil, and it can be grown without extensive fertilizer use.

As she holds up a dusty green twig of atriplex, Kristina Toderich, a halophyte expert from Tottori University in Japan, explains why the salt-loving plant excites scientists like her: “This doesn’t need water. It doesn’t need anything.”

Toderich is one of the lead researchers on a project using the former seabed and nearby river delta as a living laboratory. It’s part of a larger Japanese foreign aid and scientific collaboration initiative called SATREPS. Working with Uzbekistan’s hydrometeorological service, UZGIP, the researchers are collecting real-time climate data and satellite imagery to better understand the conditions in the Aral Sea area: how much water is left, how fast it’s disappearing, and what kind of crops are being farmed there.

Based on the results, they’re drafting a model for sustainable agriculture in the region, recommending that farmers adopt new irrigation methods and plant crops that are more salt- and drought-tolerant, says Kenji Tanaka, a hydrologist who studies the effects of climate change on water resources and the head of the SATREPS project.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification has warned that an area of land the size of Central Asia has become degraded from drought, salinization, and overuse since 2015. By learning what can grow in the Aral Sea, SATREPS could provide solutions for other parts of the world that are facing similar problems, from the Lake Chad basin in Western Africa to the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

It's unclear whether the Uzbeki government will adopt the recommendations made by the SATREPS team. But so far, the country seems open to change; President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who promised to loosen the rigid Soviet-era policies of his predecessor, Islam Karimov, ended the requirement that all Uzbek citizens pick cotton if called upon, and has spoken at the United Nations about the effects of desertification and land degradation on his country.

Climate change makes these adaptations even more urgent. Average temperatures in the Aral basin have increased by around 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit since 1968. And the shrinking of the Aral Sea itself has affected the climate; as the water disappeared, the air became drier and lost the cooling effect of the nearby lake, creating a feedback loop that resulted in hotter and drier weather. Sandstorms now spread dust and toxic heavy metals to nearby villages, while retreating water has caused a build-up of salts in the soil.

Tanaka’s project has several components. Aside from atriplex, SATREPS researchers are planting crops like sorghum, mung bean, and amaranth in test plots to learn which can best survive in dry, saline soil. So far, they’ve developed promising varieties of winter wheat and barley.

[angel-0f-verdun]

2 Guilty Pleasure

Previous Chapter

We had fueled up halfway through our shift and taken a much-needed lunch break. Crystal and I walked toward the mess hall and just sat in silence. I needed caffeine, and fast. I put my elbows on the table and rested my head on my palm, closing my eyes and just breathing slowly. I was queasy by the smell of the mess hall; it was filled with the scent of sweat mixed with burnt food and smoke from the grill, and occasionally the smell of vomit. I pushed through the feeling by breathing through my mouth whenever possible. The coffee would be coming out soon. Not many personnel were on the decks at this time, but they still had a few staff available for us. Just as I was thinking about coffee, I heard them bring out the self-serve liter pumps. I opened my eyes looking at it, wishing I had telekinesis right about now to bring the device to me. Crystal watched and let out a small giggle knowing what I wanted, she got up from the table and walked towards the coffee dispenser. She grabbed two cups, filling them to the brim with the disgusting bean water. I hated the taste of coffee, but I didn’t care, I needed the caffeine. I took it black since the sugar and cream had not arrived on the table yet. Crystal on the other hand decided to wait, thankfully, she wasn’t waiting long.

“Thank you,” I whispered to her as she set it in front of me. We preferred our lunch breaks quietly because we reserved talking for the cockpit. We generally held constant communication while in the plane. It was helpful to our teamwork, how we worked in enemy fire, and when we were being targeted, all of which was dependent on being a cooperative team. The guys around here could learn a thing or two from our example. We worked 12-hour shifts for 3 days a week and then the other pilots took over for the remainder of the week. The hours were brutal, but we made do seeing as we had the least seniority for bidding our preferred schedule. We technically didn’t have to fly for the entirety of our shift, but it was helpful to have eyes in the sky as much as possible. I slowly sipped my coffee, taking in the tranquility for the next hour.

When the hour was up, we headed back to the plane. I quickly did my preflight, making sure nothing was out of sorts. I hopped in Crystal following my lead as I checked the flight controls, electronic displays, pitot-static system, and analog instruments. Crystal continued her flows and checks and I waited for her to be ready, I hopped back out of the plane and did a 360-degree walk around just to make sure we didn’t have any other blatant issues. When I hopped back in, Crystal was ready to go. I made sure to strap my helmet back on my head and tell the ground crew we were ready to go before I started the engines. They hooked us back up to the catapults and brought up the blast pad. When I saw the thumbs-up, I heard ATC in my ear.

“Reaper, you’re cleared for take-off. Have fun out there.” I heard them say.

“Cleared for take-off, we’ll be departing to the Northwest,” I told them. I pushed the throttles fully forward and prepared for the bumpy ride off the runway. When we were airborne, I happily turned us to heading 320, climbing up to around 6,000ft. When we got away from the ship around 81 miles away Doe radioed into the ship.

“Mustang, we’ll be bearing 140 at 81 miles starting some aerobatics.” She told them. Our routine was expected.

“Roger Doe, we’ll keep you updated if we spot any activity. Your partners are to the North about 20 miles out from you.” They told her.

“I have them on radar, thank you.” Doe said to ATC. I got us up a bit higher before I started doing anything. Once we were at around 10,000 ft I threw on the afterburner and started doing rolling turns while descending. Once we got to 3,000 ft. I pulled us vertical and climbed up back up to 10,000, once there I turned off our burner and flipped us backward, descending and doing loops as we did so. After this, we flew inverted for a bit.

“What’s the plan here Reaper?” I heard Doe ask after a few minutes went by of us hanging upside down. I rolled the plane back over, so we weren’t hanging by our straps.

“Just thinking,” I told her.

“What about?” She asked.

“I wanted to get some practice landings in, but we’re on an aircraft carrier where that’s impossible to do since we have the tailhook. I miss landing on an actual runway built for touch and go’s,” I told her.

“I miss it too. But I’m enjoying the sea too, our days off feel like a vacation when we get our swims in the ocean… Or playing with the boys on the flight deck with the catapults and football.” She giggled a little, a fond memory coming through. I nodded, brushing off the need to respond. After doing a couple more tricks and maneuvers, we ran some recovery flows.

At around 5:45 am, I decided it was time to get back to the ship. I brought us down to 1,000 feet when we were in the 10-mile range.   

“Mustang, this is Reaper we’re inbound 10 miles from the North, full stop,” I told them wanting this night to end as soon as possible. I heard our partner plane land a few minutes before us.

“Copy Reaper, we have you in sight. You’re cleared to land, contact approach.” They said handing me off to the other frequency.

“Approach, Reaper,” I said to them, knowing they didn’t need any other information.

“Reaper, you’re three-quarters of a mile out, call the ball.” I heard them say as we got closer to the ship. I kept the plane descending easily, putting my flaps in as necessary.

“I have the ball,” I told them as I glided the plane down, following glide path lights, and flaring at the perfect time. I felt our wheels hit the deck before I felt our tailhook catch the third arresting wire. The force of the plane being pulled backward shocked me into life, if you weren’t expecting it, this action could give you serious whiplash. Then we stopped, I shut down the engines and opened the canopy.

“Hey, you two!! Stinger would like a word.” I rolled my eyes, what could he possibly want now at 6 am? I unclipped my helmet from my chin and pulled it off my head. That’s when Maverick and Goose came waltzing up to us.

“Reaper, Doe. Hey, how’re you guys doing after your night flying adventures?” Maverick greeted us, his enthusiasm could kill me. I rolled my eyes as I collected my things out of the small space. I shoved my flight bag on my back and my helmet underneath my arm as I moved to get down the ladder. I started going down and my foot slipped on the third rung. I braced for a hard fall on the tarmac, but the hit never came. I felt arms beneath my figure and Maverick’s eyes on me. My brown eyes met his hazel, and I couldn’t help but smile softly. I heard Goose clear his throat and Maverick quickly snapped back into reality and set me on my own feet.

Maverick and I had a colorful past in fact we competed quite frequently. I wouldn’t have even considered us acquaintances during that time period. Since we started overlapping shifts, we’d been becoming quite decent friends. We helped each other out with our pre-flights if we got back early, we studied together, and truth be told even though I despised his egotistical attitude, I did enjoy his company. He was perhaps one of my best friends, which is somewhere I never thought we would be.

“You think you can manage it back to your quarters?” He joked with me, brushing off the awkwardness his RIO had created.

“You’re a fucking prick you know that?” I told him, pausing, knowing that I couldn’t leave the conversation this way.

“Regardless of my mood… I hope there’s clear skies for you and no further issues with Cougar.” I told him, starting to walk away.

“You didn’t hear?” Goose asked us curiously. I spun around unhappily, looking up at the man.

“Hear what? We’ve been in the plane all night except for our lunch.” Doe said sarcastically to him. Both of our moods had deteriorated.

“Cougar turned in his wings.” He said slowly, I hung my head disappointed.

“Fuck.” I quietly but angrily spit out, rubbing my face and clearing my bleary eyes. They all waited in silence. I wasn’t in the plane anymore; I was allowed to feel my damn emotions and not store them in a box on a shelf. Besides, after my previous partner aircraft I was allowed to be upset. My past had a way of giving me intense moments of PTSD.

“I knew he was shaken up, but I figured he’d move past it like we all do. The first time it happens you either don’t let it happen again and learn from it, or you quit. Fuck!” I exclaimed again. Goose looked at me with sympathy.

“Maeve, you did the best you could. I think he was just too far gone. When he got back, he said he couldn’t stop thinking about his wife and kid. He couldn’t imagine putting them through his death. He knew if he froze like that again it would kill him and his RIO.” He told me putting his hand on my shoulder. I nodded, sucking in a breath of air and looking up at him.

“Thanks, Goose,” I said as he removed his hand. I pulled my hair from its bun, which had loosened during the day’s events, I felt my hair fall onto my back in a low ponytail.

“Okay boys, safe flying,” I told them as I made my move to get out of there and talk to Stinger. Maverick’s fingers grazed my back as we brushed past each other, the simple gesture would have been missed by both our RIOs, but I knew, he knew what I was feeling towards the Cougar situation. I made my way to the lockers and threw my keys for the plane, flight bag, and helmet inside it. Then slammed it shut,

“Ready Crystal?” I asked her still facing the locker.

“Yeah, let’s go.” She said as I heard her locker shut. I let her walk out first and followed her down the hallway. We walked down the length of the deck and up the stairs to the offices. Crystal knocked on the door three times.

“Come in.” I heard Stinger’s gravelly voice ring out. Crystal pushed the door open, we walked in slowly, saluting to him as we did so.

“At ease, sit down both of you.” He said we did as he requested.

“That was an incredibly brave thing you did last night Maeve; I’m thoroughly impressed with the way you handled the situation. Before you came along this group needed some serious glue. Come to find out a few months later, you’re it…” He took a breath.

“Thank you, sir,” I thanked him appreciating the compliment.

“I’m not done. We had a team drop out of their slot to Top Gun. They’re letting me fill the slot. Since Cougar turned in his wings, I figured that was the only slot this squadron would get. But now I have two, I want you guys to take the second one.” My breathing hitched in my throat, this was an amazing opportunity, and the excitement renewed my energy.

“I apologize in advance sir, but who received the other slot?” Crystal asked speaking out of term, Stinger waved off the apology.

“You will be joined by Maverick and Goose.” He said to us. She nodded at the news, I could tell she was holding back her true emotions. I stood up taking in the information.

“Thank you, sir.” We thanked him for the opportunity.

“Get some sleep, I’ll send Maverick and Goose to collect you two when they leave in the evening. And ladies?” He stopped.

“Yes sir?” I asked him as Crystal joined me in heading toward the door.

“Do us proud.” He smirked, and I smiled back.

“Of course, sir,” Crystal said to him, before we walked out the door and started to celebrate, whooping, and cheering all the way.

Next Chapter

[suicide-kermit]

Chaco Canyon was incredibly remote. Kermit drove in on ten miles of very rough and rocky dirt roads. He was mad at his GPS taking him the back way, only to later discover the other road into the canyon was even worse!

He stayed the night in the campground. In the morning he did the loop drive to see all the ancient long houses, which had been reconstructed by an archeological team in the 1890s.

At the visitor center he learned that the Chacoans lived all over the state! From 900-1200 AD they seemed to be a trading hub--archaeologists uncovered fragments of cocoa beans from South America, exotic dyes, and even macaw bones! People must have traveled thousands of miles to this canyon in New Mexico to trade with the Choacans.

At the Park Ranger's advice, he did the six mile Pueblo Alto Loop hike, which took him rock scrambling up the cliff walls to the top of the bluffs, where he could see the ruins better than anyone on the ground.

The hike was incredibly strenuous because of how much the trail dipped and climbed. The trail was marked mostly only by rock cairns, so it was easy to lose the path. At one point, the path required Kermit to scale the miniscule space between two boulders, wide enough only for one foot at a time.

Eventually he came to one of the coolest sights in the park: ancient Chacoan stairs carved into the cliff face! Apparently the Chacoans preferred to go over obstacles as opposed to around. Imagine them climbing up and down these stairs with baskets of trade goods strapped to their backs!

After the stairs, Kermit came to another ruin, which hikers were allowed to walk around in. The doors were very small, only a few feet high. According to Kermit's guide at Canyon De Chelly (more on that later), ancestral Puebloans were only a little more than five feet tall!

Kermit also passed a number of strange formations in the rock. Millions of years ago the entire valley was covered by water. These are old, fossilized shrimp burrows!

Finally, Kermit hiked back down, scrambling over boulders and between two massive rocks. It was time to leave the park, and he was so exhausted from hiking in the heat the he wanted to do nothing more than lay down in his car. His legs felt like jelly!

[anonprotagging]

i trust your opinion on pokemon games more than basically anyone else on the internet. should i buy scarlet/violet. i really hate being so out of loop with the new gen, suddenly not recognising pokemon feels so bad :( but i also don’t really wanna buy the games? but i wanna play them. augh.

okay, so it's kind of hard to judge the story based on my run so far since I haven't even gotten to the first gym, but I think I've gotten a good enough grasp of the mechanics and stylization to offer some pros and cons! (under a cut to save people's dashes)

cons:

-This game is BUGGY. holy shit. I thought, okay, maybe people are just getting mad like they do with every game, but nope!

it's worse than swsh, and honestly it's nearly worse than gen 1 because at least gen 1's bugs were caused by, y'know, developers trying to optimize the hardware and assets, instead of using all the switch's power trying to render 12 billion things at once.

I got stuck in my own living room within 3 minutes, and within 2 minutes of reaching the first big city I got stuck inside a building corner and had to fly out of there.

npcs jitter around constantly, there are T-posing issues (nemona was t-posed until I got close to her, it was weird), if you catch any pokemon the camera clips through the floor so you can see the out-of-bounds of the game?? overall disconcerting but also a little funny.

-I miss the PLA controls so bad you have no idea lol. the button for dodging is now the button for sneaking??

you Can still bean pokemon over the head with a ball, even if it is just to start a battle, but the aiming controls are SUPER finnicky and won't work half the time if it's anything in the air or water. not a fan of that.

-you can change your clothes or look (except hair) at any time in the game! but the controls to find it are unintuitive unless you look it up or someone tells you (it's the left joycon's arrow buttons.) I'm sure there are more control issues like that that I haven't noticed yet too.

-no shiny sparkle sound in the overworld. also the textures are kind of... not conducive to seeing if pokemon are shiny? I killed a shiny igglybuff bc I didn't look at the screen when I started the battle to see the sparkle animation. :(

pro Or con depending on your preferences:

-I honestly don't think it's that much more handhold-y than swsh or gen 7 so far, tbh? after the opening starter bit and rival battle and a little bit of railroady plot (akin to the lillie spearow opening in gen 7), I was able to explore the whole first massive open-world section of the game with no hassle.

it might get worse later? I'm not sure. I don't think anything could be more railroady than the start of gen 7, which I love dearly despite all that, so it's not a big factor for me.

just make sure you go outside ASAP and get down the road to the place where you can start running BEFORE you explore the area around your house. it will save you so much frustration.

-there's sections inside the school with optional classes and whatnot, which I personally like? it's not quite like the hassle with gen 7's trainer school so much as it is like the school sections of Super Mystery Dungeon.

-Lots of items to collect for Lots of things to unlock. I personally like this kind of thing (helps me explore every part of the map!)

-the pokemon designs. I thought most of them were ugly and weird when I looked them up, but in-game I think they're actually quite charming!!

-big!! this is my first Real open-world game and it's very big!! a little intimidating for me as a completionist but I'm also having fun with it!

-character customization. cute for the face, limited for the clothes (and hair imo). depends on how much that matters to you -- I would look up the accessories ahead of time to see if you can make do with them if you usually play with a specific look!

-team star. I know a lot of people love them, but for me they're just some weird little combo of team flare and team skull. I've only run into them once so it's hard to judge overall, but they're going to have to work Quite hard to earn my respect.

-I personally like the music! but it depends on your taste :o

-no voice acting

pros:

-the creatures can walk with you!! they're not very smart at battling without direction though. or following quickly. BUT still better than swsh and bdsp!!

-fast travel is unlocked from the START. (obv. only for places you've already been) and can be accessed from anywhere, at any time. getting clipped into a building wasn't too bad because I could just fly to the nearest pokecenter immediately.

-the landscape is very like PLA in terms of traversing it! there are some differences -- the MC can't climb up ledges as easily, and won't take damage when they jump off a cliff, but the best parts of the PLA maps are still here!

-hehe running away from the plot every time they say "Go here!" go brr

-boxes accessible at any time! for the first time ever! very cool!!

-if you're not so much into the story, there's an option to skip all cutscenes in the menu!

-uhhh... I guess this one's subjective too, but honestly?? I've been having fun with it!! more than with the start of SWSH, less than the start of ORAS or XY or SUMO, about on par with the start of USUM or HGSS?

overall thoughts from 6 hours of gameplay without reaching the first gym? (your results will vary lmao, I don't think most people take the time to grind up and explore Every Available Corner so much FKHSDJF)

I don't know if it's worth a full $60 in this economy, but I would pay a solid $54.99 (max) for it. I got the game as a christmas gift, but it's online right now for around $42-47 pre-owned!

I would say: if you can spare 40 bucks right now, go for it! that's a pretty good deal for a Switch game!

OR if you have any friends with the cartridge, borrow it from them for free to see if you like it!