#the debris from my epic battle

[loverhymeswith]

'Cause I'd Rather Feel Pain Than Nothing at All

Pairing: Rick Flag x GN!Reader

Summary: Inspired by the Three Days Grace song of the same name, this is an angsty little drabble that has been sitting in my drafts for a few months.

Word Count: 829

Warnings: Description of injury, angst

“It’s not as bad as it looks.”

Despite your clenched jaw, the lie slips out easily. Still, you avoid eye contact with Rick as he examines your bruised and swollen hand; his uncanny ability to read your emotions won’t serve you well right now. If he thinks for one minute that you’re badly injured, you’ll wind up on desk duty faster than you can say Bloodsport. That is, if either of you make it out of here alive.

“Really?” The word stretches out into the darkness, filling what little space there is between you. “Because it looks pretty damn bad to me.”

With so much cynicism lacing the colonel’s tone, your eyes involuntarily flicker upwards, landing on his familiar worry-worn face, illuminated as it is by the weak orange glow of your twin torches. Shadows dance across his battle-scarred features, eerily emphasising all his sharp curves and edges – a Picasso painting brought to life, albeit temporarily.

Thanks to the explosion rocking the building only minutes earlier, the two of you are trapped in what had once been the ground-floor comms-room, a mountain of rubble outside the door now separating you - somewhat ironically - from your squad of deadly prisoners. Those prisoners are undoubtedly enjoying their fleeting moment of freedom at your expense. If this situation doesn’t kill you, Amanda Waller surely will.

“Really. It’s probably just a sprain.” You tap the cracked GPS device somehow still strapped to your injured wrist and send out a silent prayer that Harley and the others will try to find you. And soon. Much like your ongoing attempt to convince Rick that you’re ok, the signal -- and your hope -- is weak.

The second lie draws Rick’s attention away from your hand, his hazel eyes finding you effortlessly even in the darkness. You quickly subvert your own gaze from the sweat beading across his filthy brow. It’s unfair that in such rotten conditions he still manages to look handsome.

“Let’s leave the diagnosis to the doctors, huh?” Calloused fingers brush across your knuckles. While it’s the ghost of a touch, you still find yourself gritting your teeth against the pain. Something is almost certainly fractured, but your hand is far from the only part of you that is wounded in Rick’s presence.

“If you say so.”

Spite tempts you to point out that hospitals and doctors seem like a distant fantasy when the pair of you might be lost down here forever. After all, any potential rescue attempt rides solely on Harley’s twisted moral compass. Between the two of you, have you shown her enough kindness? Perhaps she’ll leave you here to rot – and who could blame her?

But Rick is an optimist; he sees the good in people while you only see all the ways they can let you down. The colonel is no exception.

Careful not to jostle your hurting wrist, you snatch up one of the torches and aim the beam towards the door. The force of the fallen debris from the floors above has warped the metal in such a fashion that nothing short of another explosion is likely to free it from the frame. And you’re fresh out of nitro.

“Where was your head at?” Rick’s deep voice shatters the cloying silence descending over the room.

“Huh?” For the briefest of moments, you’d forgotten he was here. No easy feat considering his proximity, propped up beside you against the wall.

“Exactly. You’re somewhere else today. Distracted.”

He could be referring to any number of events: how you almost missed wheels-up because you couldn’t drag yourself out of bed; how you forget to check-out Harley’s weapons cache, leading to a meltdown of epic proportions from the princess of crime; how easily the guards got the drop on you.

Rick presses on. “You can talk to me, you know. If something is bothering you-”

 “I’m fine.” You cut him off decidedly, your tone leaving no room for argument.

Fine…

Has anyone ever said that four letter word and truly meant it?

From the flash of his eyes, it’s clear Rick doesn’t believe you.

You want to tell him the truth. You want to tell him that yes, your hand might be bad, but you’ve experienced far worse. That the pain you carry around with you every day has dulled your other senses, so much so that a knife to the gut would probably hurt less. But you don’t. Instead, ignoring the familiar and constant hurt throbbing deep in the cavern of your chest, you subtly shuffle away from him.

All things considered, the pain of your injury is a welcome relief, allowing you to focus on something other than the truth.

Because Rick Flag broke your heart without even knowing it. And now you’re stuck here beside him, waiting for almost inevitable death together in this dank, dark room.

Perhaps this was how it was always meant to be.

Joel Taglist: @a-reader-and-a-writer @yespolkadotkitty @babblydrabbly @heresathreebee @phoenixhalliwell @weallhaveadestiny @lavenderluna10 @immyownlittlebitch @katjnordstrom96 @kirsteng42 @littlefreakingfangirl @s-u-t @xoxabs88xox @lacontroller1991 @mayhem24-7forever

[hazbintrashbin]

“I’ve got a little SQUISH on you!” (Aroace/AAspec ft. RadioRose (Alastor x Rosie) Pt. II

When did they realize they had a 🦑 squish 🦑??:

Part I 🌹 | Part II 📻

Alastor 📻:

📻 You could pull every tooth from its bed, tearing the nerves from its nestled dens within the depths of his gums...

📻 But you could never, ever get Alastor --

📻 The ever-elusive yet dangerously strong Radio Demon himself --

📻 To admit his woes.

📻 They will always and forever remain in his back pocket. Better yet, it'll remain in the little tin cookie container, tucked among all of the bobbins of thread and needles and scraps of fabric, hidden beneath the cluster of shoes and clothes and miscellaneous items in Alastor's large, dark closet.

📻 It was an early morning in Hell. About four in the morning.

📻 Alastor ambles across the swamp, wearing nothing but a loose cotton shirt and simple pants, a long rifle strapped across his back. On his shoulder, he hauls a limp hog.

📻 "Oh, a pitiful creature you are!" Alastor says as he approaches the end of the swampland. There, his dining table awaits this fresh lump of meat. Tossing it onto the table, Alastor doesn't bother to change apart from poofing himself a clean cotton shirt.

📻 "But how delicious you'll be!" Alastor sits, grabbing a nearby fancy box. He pulls out a large knife and a rod. Idly, he rakes the knife across the rod.

📻 And he rakes, and rakes, and rakes. The metal shavings begin to glitter across his lap.

📻 Slowly, his eyes trail toward a thick cord, following it up a ladder heading toward the door in his ceiling.

📻 The trapdoor is cracked open --not because he left it that way, but because of the damage it received (along with the rest of his studio) from the epic battle between them and the Angels.

📻 Alastor's raking hand slows to a stop.

📻 Up in that room amidst the debris is his microphone. The stand's been fixed, but the mic's damaged. Alastor's been making it work as he attempts to fix it, but...

📻 He sighs, his smile growing small.

📻 If he could've beaten that damn Adam, he'd be an even stronger overlord than he already is. Perhaps even stronger than many hellborns. He'd probably even be able to fight himself out of that shitty deal...

📻 Ring, ring!

📻 Alastor's ears shoot up in surprise.

📻 Ah, yes! He'd gotten a personal landline from his dear friend Rosie not very long ago!

📻 Without realizing it, Alastor stands from his seat to swiftly move toward the phone, grinning wider than before.

📻 It's an elegant candlestick-styled landline encrusted with golden swirls and molded from a beautiful, shimmering red.

📻 A gift that could be from no one other than Rosie...

📻 "Hello, Alastor speaking!"

📻 "Alastor," Rosie laughs heartily, and Alastor's cheeks press into his eyes as he basks in her moment of amusement. "You don't need to answer the phone that way, you know!"

📻 "Oh, but I simply want you to know that you're speaking with me, my dear!" Alastor says cheekily.

📻 "I see... so, does that mean the Radio Demon himself has an imposter on the loose?" Rosie asks, matching Alastor's sass. He can almost feel her signature sharp grin growing ever wider.

📻 "Of course not!" Alastor chirps. "Because I'd have already tracked him down and killed him!" Instinctively, Alastor's free hand pulls itself into a tightly balled fist, a green glow suddenly shooting from his being as he feels the souls swirling within buzz with life, his horns stretching across his torso.

📻 Truthfully, the very thought of someone imitating him and potentially tricking Rosie pisses him off. Perhaps he should go out and make an example of someone... you know, just to keep the record straight.

📻 Rosie laughs even harder. "Oh, Alastor! I wouldn't have believed it for a second!"

📻 "Hm. Is that so?" Alastor's horns shrink, and just that quick, he's calm. He sits at his dressing table, leaning into his hand as he presses the earpiece further into his ear.

📻 "No, what do you take me for, a fool?" Before Alastor can say anything, Rosie follows up with, "I could never mistake anyone else for you, hun."

📻 There is a short pause, and Alastor hums. Rosie continues...

📻 "I have a peculiar feeling, though. It's the reason I called you today."

📻 "Oh? And what would that reason be?" Alastor asks. He lifts his head from his palm, preferring to twirl the earpiece's cord at the moment.

📻 "I haven't seen or heard from you since that crazy battle two days ago. I know you're still healing Alastor --"

📻 "Not at all!" The words shoot through Alastor's teeth, and Rosie falls silent. The quietness between them grows as Alastor tenses for a moment. His smile feeling quite forced now, he clears his throat.

📻 "I'm doing just fine, Rosie. Is that all you wanted to say?" Alastor's ears remain pinned down, and he drags his pointed nails across the table's surface, making light scratches in it. There's a low, rumbly sound on the other line. Rosie's humming.

📻 Finally, she says, "I know you too well, Alastor."

📻 "Really?" Snarkily, Alastor says, "I think there's more to know, my friend!"

📻 Rosie asks if that's a joke or if he seriously believes that. Alastor replies but doesn't necessarily answer the question.

📻 Honestly, he doesn't know if he's joking or not either.

📻 "You're irritated." Rosie simply says.

📻 "Not so --I feel quite well this morning!" Alastor insists.

📻 "You're not usually up at four, nearly five in the morning. Your day starts at six or seven, maybe seven-thirty going on eight if you're sleeping in late." Rosie says firmly. The tightness in her voice makes Alastor's grin slowly pull back into some kind of snarl, his nose crinkling. Heat rises within him, his face going from a purplish gray to a deep magenta.

📻 "Rosie," Alastor chuckles, but nothing's funny. "What do you know of my schedule? No one knows my schedule."

📻 "I know you usually start your morning with a hunt and a cold meal." She says.

📻 "Many people do!" Alastor replies.

📻 "Usually, you're already dressed, but given the time, I bet you're in your drabbier clothes."

📻 "Hah! I'm fully dressed!" Alastor says, awkwardly glancing elsewhere at the blatant lie.

📻 "With a smile? Sure. In your day clothes? Absolutely not!" Rosie huffs.

📻 "Well, what does it matter to you, Rosie?!" Alastor snaps, his fist slamming onto the table. Rosie laughs a little. It's adorable, but it only pisses him off more.

📻 "And losing your temper? Now, that's really not like you, Alastor." Rosie says. Alastor grunts. Being taunted into acting out of his character... is unlike him.

📻 And pretty embarrassing, actually.

📻 Especially on the phone with Rosie...

📻 Trying his best to regain control, Alastor slowly lets out a laugh of his own. It's a little weird-sounding --not entirely forced and not entirely genuine...

📻 "Come on, Alastor," Rosie finally says, "Tell me what's wrong."

📻 Alastor remains silent, however. His lips purse into an uncomfortably tight smile.

📻 "You know how I know something's wrong with you?" Rosie asks.

📻 Alastor remains silent. After a while, Rosie says...

📻 "You're speaking without your radio voice."

📻 Somehow, Alastor's brows furrow even more. His spirit shrivels into a tiny ball, and if he had a tail --truthfully -- it'd probably be tucking itself beneath his behind by now.

📻 "Alastor the Radio Demon has a very distinctive voice, you know!" Rosie says, "But every now and again, when it's an odd hour of the day, and there hasn't been any broadcasts, or those baby overlords aren't complaining about a certain radio demon on their little picture boxes or tiny telephones..."

📻 "When I don't even hear a Cab Calloway song or a ragtime piece playing on your channel... I know there's something wrong with my dearest friend." Rosie finishes her explanation, now going silent. Alastor remains silent as well.

📻 A few moments pass.

📻 "... Alastor? Are you there, Alastor?" Rosie asks.

📻 "... Of course I am, my dear."

📻 With his refusal to say anything else, Rosie sighs deeply.

📻 "I suppose you don't want to tell me." She says.

📻 "Well --" Alastor is interrupted by Rosie.

📻 "Ah, ah, ah! Don't worry about it. I won't push you any further." She says this so sweetly, a smile evident in her tone.

📻 After a moment, Alastor can't help but think to himself, "She's the only person in all of Hell who could get under my skin like this and yet survive."

📻 Does she realize how special she is?

📻 Then, Alastor shifts in his seat, leaning into his chair and tucking his free hand into the sleeve that is his arm and torso.

📻 Indeed, she's a special demon after all. How could he ever stay mad at one of his closest friends?

📻 Alastor's spirit slowly lifts and expands inside him, and before he knows it, his mouth moves on its own.

📻 "You have always been so earnest, Rosie," he says, "It has always been the spirit I've admired in you."

📻 "Oh!" Rosie seems caught off guard, and Alastor finds himself laughing. For real, this time.

📻 His ears lift as do his shoulders. Everything's brighter just that quickly.

📻 "You've always been so charming, my friend!" He continues. "A one-of-a-kind demon belle."

📻 This time Rosie gets to laugh.

📻 With half-lidded eyes, Alastor shifts to lean into his hand again. He takes this moment to simply enjoy the sound of Rosie's laughter this early hellish morning.

📻 "Oh, Alastor," she coos between her giggles, "You're the most!"

📻 "And you're the mostest."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

WOO!! Finally done!!

I did NOT intend for Alastor's part to be so long! Like, BRO, when I finished writing it (FINALLY!) I just sat back and checked the time… it went from 11PMish when I started to damn 2, goin’ on 3 o’clock!! I was like “WTH??!!” 😭😂😂

Plus!! I feel like the beginning is kind of slow, but, BUT I think y'all gonna survive based on the rest of the story!

That said, I kinda feel like this part of the “Squish” collection leans a lot more platonic as compared to Rosie’s part, but I thought about it and was like: “You know, that’s not necessarily a bad thing!” After all, while I personally HC Rosie as someone in the grey area of aroace, I always imagine Alastor as someone who is romance-indifferent (based on how he behaved in the comics when some of the ladies of cannibal town were swooning over him, otherwise, I don’t know if there’s been any other info from the creators about his feelings toward romance (not smex!!), but I don’t get the impression that he’s disgusted or completely put off by it —just disinterested, if nothing else). As such, I felt like someone like Alastor, while not seemingly as bothered by the idea of intimacy/romance as much as he is seggs, would probably not think romance or even behave in such a way when dealing with someone he’s especially close to. At the same time, with the kind of chemistry he has with Rosie, I can easily see an intimate bond between them. Is it sexual intimacy? Absolutely not. Romantic intimacy? … Ehhhhh, so-so but not quite, especially on Alastor’s end. Is it simply a deep, emotional kind of intimacy? Slightly blurring the lines between platonic and romantic?? Well, yeah, kind of like that!

All and all, I’m still deciding what kind of quasi-platonic relationship I want them to have. I feel like it would be a kind of intimate relationship where certain forms of intimacy are welcome (cuddles, hand-holding/arm-linking, hours specifically reserved for each other (dates, lol), innocent kisses here and there, etc), but in honor of Alastor’s sex-averse nature, I imagine sex, for example, isn’t really something they would engage in —if ever at all, honestly.

And I think I feel fine with that. There’s plenty of Alastor content that completely ignores his sex-averse nature for the sake of a spicy fanfic, and to each their own I suppose, but I do think there could be at least a fair amount of content (shipping or otherwise) that still at least tries to respect Alastor’s orientation.

Although, at the same time I feel like for those who challenge Alastor being paired with anyone, many of them are starting to imply (or flat-out say) that bc of his aroaceness he couldn’t possibly be in a relationship of any kind?? That he’d be utterly repulsed by it??

On one hand, if that’s your headcanon, do what you want! Plus, there are def aroace folk who don’t want to engage in relationships of any kind, and that’s valid, too. On the other hand, I’m a little concerned that a lot of people are starting to (once again) associate all ace, aro-, and aroaces with this inherent disgust or disinterest in intimacy! I feel like this is snowballing into the “aces/aros/aroaces are emotionless/can’t love/robots” kind of thing!! And this time, it’s being perpetuated by other aroace/aspec people!! Which is crazy!!

All in all though, I just feel like —bottom line —if you’re gonna ship Alastor, at least try to be respectful of his orientation. However, let us all keep in mind that being aroace/aspec does NOT mean you “can’t love”/care about some intimately. That may not include sex/romance, and if it does, it may not look the way it’s depicted in allo relationships, but that doesn’t make it any less valid. Idk. It’s just something I’ve been noticing lately… IDK!!! It’s complicated, lol.

Anywho, I’ll finally get off my soapbox again!! lol. I believe I said I’d follow up on this miniature RadioRose collection with a few HCs?? Like a traditional HC list?? Soo…. Yeah!

Hope you guys enjoyed the post, long as it is —and all of you stay tuned!!! 📻

Part I 🌹 | Part II 📻

[cdmagic1408]

"Mighty Mom" Detail Scout! 2.0!!! 🔎 ✨ 2️⃣

~ Advent Calendar Edition ~

* Click here for the first edition post! *

On December 22nd, Onward's Mighty Mom was found in the 2022 Disney Advent Calendar. That same day, I released a YouTube video where I read the story aloud! 📖

From flipping through it the first time last month to putting that video together, I realized...this version of Mighty Mom has EVEN MORE details! ✨ 🔍

So now I present to you: the Mighty Mom detail scout...THE SEQUEL!!

~

First things first, there’s the FRONT COVER...

May I just say it’s EPIC! Very awesome looking! 🤩

We got all three Lightfoots together! Lookin badass and ready to handle anything that comes their way! Barley lighting the path with his torch, Laurel gripping her battle ax in her amazing protective armor, and Ian clutching his staff with the Danger Detection Spell in use!

And let's not forget the dreaded Giant Spider playing (as TV Tropes calls it...) the evil overlooker in the background!

Basically, it screams quest and adventure! I LOVE IT!! ✨✨✨

~

Oh! And a BACK COVER with a PLOT TEASER!

Yep, I'd say that sums it up pretty well 😎

~

Now onto the story itself...let us start at the very end to mix things up, shall we?

The thing about the ending is...it's slightly different! Compared to the first version, which ended on the more hopeful note of oh..."let's plan our next adventure!" this version ends a bit more comically!

It's definitely implied Ian and Barley are much more scared of spiders now after being trapped by a giant one, but Laurel on the other hand has conquered her fear! Which is good cause that was like her internal conflict and everything... 😄

But...yeah...don't think this is the only time you're gonna face a giant spider, boys... (*cough* *cough* IYTM chapter 29 😉)

~

I also couldn't help but notice that Barley's love for quests and the days of yore is expanded upon here... 😏

...and there...

Now I definitely get why Barley looks so hyped when he sees that minotaur security guard...and why Ian looks a little worried...

my point? the authenticity is GOLD ❤️‍🔥

~

We've even got an expanded illustration of the mall's play area!

and boy is there a detail or two to spot on this page...

I don't know if it's just me, but that loooooooong green slide on the left looks suspiciously like Blazey... 👀 other than being long and green, it's definitely the tongue slide and the happy wild-eyed expression that sells it 🤪

Oh! and at the top of the small ball pit next to that satyr kid riding the dragon...young Ian, is that you? 😂

And speaking of that satyr kid, it's the very same kid Barley plays with in the bigger ball pit on the next page! (yes, I'm putting that picture in too cause I know how much you love Barley with kids @itsme-star) and now that I'm really looking at it, I'm thinking he wanted to give that little kid another fun ride after swinging on that dragon and if that's the case...awwwwww that's so sweet 🥺

Lastly, I get the feeling that that spider jungle gym was meant to warn our favorite elves of the dangers below...but considering how modern and harmless it looks, I don't blame em for not taking that into consideration lol

~

This was the first illustration that gave me the impression that there was more to this story than what we saw back in April...

I'll say the debris falling definitely adds urgency to the situation of the tavern needs to fixed and put back to its former glory 😅

But also...

The three of them high-fiving is sooooooo adorable! I already thought they looked great in those construction hats and goggles, but this is serotonin if I ever saw it! 😍

~

And last but certainly not least...this book was in the advent calendar's day 22 slot!

I would like to give credit to our fellow QM, @aloftmelevar who has cleverly pointed out a couple times—this time being no exception—that Onward is the 22nd film in Pixar's movie library!

Whether putting this story in day 22 for that reason was done on purpose...who knows? 🤔 But I personally would like to believe that it was!

~

In the end, now all I can think about is this: both versions of the story have different adjustments to the scale of the illustrations that we see, so there has to be full scale artworks of all of them, right?! 😲

Where those would be...I have no clue...

Guess after finding this advent calendar, that's my next Onward treasure hunt! 😉 😉

So anyway, there you have it, Quest Masters! The second detail scout of Mighty Mom!

We'll have to see if a third detail scout comes to pass if there's a potential third version of the story out there somewhere, but as I said in my last Mighty Mom detail scout post, I hope we get lots more Onward short stories featuring our beloved elf bois for years to come! In advent calendars, short story collections, step-into-readings, whatever the case may be, I WILL READ IT!

But for right now, I can honestly say that I like the Mighty Mom story even more now than I did on the day we discovered it! It's like the more you read into the details and piece together the context clues, the more fascinating and enjoyable media ends up being as a whole! 💖 I've found that with Onward itself, and now that I see that in this story too, there's no doubt I'll find it in any Onward story 😊

[egg-emperor]

I think our dr eggman should improve his airfleet ships to have large heavily armored frontal plated battery rams and many rocket engine thrusters to bring down the floating resistance ships. That will allow them to plow through them with ease as I imagine eggman would be getting tired of stalemating with them in a ship to ship combat engagement and would want to make battleships that can carve a path through sheer brute force his ships become suddenly dangerous in close combat fights.

Oh my god YES hfsbskgsjshfih It'd be a great fuck off method for when Eggman's missiles, bombs, and lasers aren't hitting and he's had enough, he just says alright then get a load of THIS, battleship goes full throttle and just blasts right into them and rams them right outta the sky! Or even blows them tf up if he uses enough force and easily speeds out of the way of the explosion and debris, unscathed and looking totally badass. A great reminder that you shouldn't dare to mess with him!

He'd enjoy the excitement and pride in the bravery of daring to go for it and head right for them, they wouldn't be expecting it when he introduces a new crazy much more direct close and personal form of arial combat than ever, so they wouldn't even know how to react. When he can attack both long and short range, there's no way of stopping him when even if they're out of the line of fire/too close, they're still not safe and are actually in much more danger than he is.

He could get his entire fleet to do it at once, all lined up. Just plowing through whole enemy fleets and either breaking apart or blowing up a ton of enemy ships and wiping a ton of enemies out in just one catastrophically destructive sweep. And he could combine that with the use of his missiles, bombs, and lasers for those further away while mowing through closer ones, he'd be unstoppable in even the biggest battles! That would be epic XD He'd definitely have a real blast >:D 💜💕

Something I've always really liked about the Egg Emperor is the ability to charge at the targets and knock them out of the sky if they're mid-air, it's really hype and shocking from how fast it happens and how it charges right at you before you have time to think and react if you aren't expecting it. So Eggman doing something a bit like that but potentially even more destructive with whole battleships and maybe even entire fleets of his too is a really cool idea, I looove it 🤩

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball GT 54

✨GT Stands For Gravest Threat✨

So I kept thinking that things would pick up a bit once we got past the first four Shadow Dragons.  But no, I had completely forgotten that this episode features Goku’s mightest enemy: A slowly turning ventilation fan.

✨"Good" "Ideas", Poorly Executed✨

Here’s the big idea for this episode.  This is Nuova Shenron, the Four-Star Dragon.   His gimmick is that he makes thing very hot. 

And this is Eis Shenron, the Three-Star Dragon.  His gimmick is that he makes things very cold.

Now, you may want to sit down for this part, but here’s the neat little thing they worked into this.  So Nuova’s kind of honorable, as Shadow Dragons go. He takes out Pan early, but doesn’t harm her.  He just wants to knock her out so she won’t be in the way while he and Goku have a cool fight.  So Nuova’s not a total dick like the other Shadow Dragons. 

But Eis, on the other hand, is a total dick.  He takes out Giru and captures Pan even though she’s unconscious and no threat to anyone.  Wotta twist.

Another “good” idea this show has is to start a romance subplot between Gil and Pan.  Ten episodes before it goes off the air.  Fuck GT forever.

✨Positivity Page✨

I dunno, this episode is pretty terrible.  I suppose the one thing I like is how Pan tries to attack Nuova right off the bat.  It doesn’t work, but only because Nuova’s a more formidable opponent than the ones they’ve faced before.  If Pan and Goku had adopted this strategy before, they would have crushed the first four Dragons in a matter of seconds.  So for Pan to try it here, against the fifth Dragon, shows that at least one of them has managed to learn something over the last several episodes.  It’s too little, too late, but there you go.

Also, any episode where GT Pan gets knocked out early can’t be all bad, right?

✨Is This Episode Worse than "The Roaming Lake"?✨

Yes, this episode is the drizzling shits.  The Roaming Lake looks like a Miyazaki film festival compared to this nonsense.

So it seems to start out okay, and I guess the setup is what stood out in my memory, which is why I forgot how bad this one was.  Nuova shows up and makes it plain that he wants an epic showdown with Goku.  No granddaughters, no goofy tricks, no bullshit of any kind.  They’re in another deserted city, and Nuova shoots a gargoyle off a building and says they’ll start fighting when it hits the ground, which is a really cool way to start this thing.

Then they zip around the battlefield really quickly, like they would do all the time in DBZ, so we’re off to a promising start.  And Nuova punches through a chunk of debris, because he can make his whole body insanely hot, and just melt through solid objects.  So he’s got an interesting power that should make this battle unusual. 

But then things go very wrong, very quickly.  Goku can’t even touch Nuova because of the extreme heat of his body.  Nuova claims that he can briefly become as hot as the surface of the sun, which... how does Goku still have a hand, then? 

From here, it just turns into this weird cat-and-mouse game, where Goku hides inside a casino resort and Nuova stalks him through the building.  Why is this happening?  Nuova could destroy the entire town if he wanted to, and Goku quickly determines that he’ll need to use ki blasts to fight him, so why is he sneaking around, using as little ki as possible?

There’s a part where Goku runs up and down the stairwells trying to get away from Nuova, and Nuova keeps cutting him off, and just sort of standing there while Goku runs off in the opposite direction.  Why?  It doesn’t make any sense.  Why is Goku even trying to hide from this guy?  And why isn’t Nuova bothering to chase him?

Eventually, Goku manages to get the drop on him and land some ki blasts, but they don’t seem to do much damage.  So I guess Goku was just trying to snipe Nuova from a distance, but he couldn’t get far enough away without getting spotted? 

As I recall, the dub kept emphasizing how weak Goku was in this episode, becase at the beginning he complains that he’s hungry.  The subbed version doesn’t do this.  I mean, he’s hungry either way, but the original script never follows up on this.  I think the dub only harped on it because they felt like they needed to do something to explain why Goku kept running away.

So Goku uses the sewers to get the drop on Nuova, but then Nuova just follows him down there, and they go on a merry chase down there, as opposed to the merry chase they had in the hotel.  And then Goku runs out of places to hide because...

VENTILATION FAN.

This fan is special.  For one thing, it’s in a sewer, which is pretty dumb, since I’m fairly certain that there’s no point in providing ventilation down there.  It’s a common trope in fiction to depict sewers as these cool underground tunnels where you can have secret bases and secret passages and secret whatever else you want.  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles probably cemented the idea in pop culture, but I suspect it originates with the Morlocks from the X-Men comics.  In point of fact, the Morlocks lived in underground bomb shelters, not the sewers, but the two can get conflated pretty easily, and by the time Eastman and Laird made their parody of ninja and mutant comics with TMNT, it was set in these cavernous sewer tunnels that looked more like the halls of an old castle than a place designed to carry away human excrement. 

That’s where the sewer trope falls apart.  People see manholes an thing there’s a whole awesome world down there, but the reality is that you can’t just stroll through tunnels wading through six-inch-deep green water.  The tunnels are pipes, and the pipes are too small for a human to walk through, becuase they’re not for humans, they’re for poo water.   Even if you could walk through one of those things, the fumes would kill you long before you could get anywhere. 

And yet, this one in GT has a ventilation fan, as if someone designed this sewage system to make it more habitable for any superheroes who ended up down here.  I don’t know, maybe there’s a legitimate purpose for a thing like this, but I do find it pretty ridiculous. 

But what’s truly ridiculous is that Goku looks at this fan like it’s somehow blocking him from escaping the tunnels.  He’s like “Oh no!  A dead end!”  I’ve lost count of how many walls this guy has smashed through over the years.  He’s trained at 100 times normal gravity, and fought battles beyond comprehension, but this ventilation fan has him stymied.

It’s not even moving that fast.  I could make a gif and try to calculate its exact speed, but fuck that.  I’m not humoring this this bullshit anymore.  It’s not an adamantium fan reinforced with Norse magic.  It looks flimsy as hell.  Goku could just grab it with his hands and bend the blades around to jam the mechanism.  Hell, I think I could do that.

Instead, he steels himself like he’s about to do something desperate, and he jumps through the space between the fan blades, like this is some incredible feat of daring.   Then Nuova finally walks up to the fan and just sort of stares at it like “Wow, I never expected him to do that.  What a guy.”

Then Nuova just burns his way through to follow Goku to whatever reservoir this is.  See, this is GT Logic in it’s purest form.  Nuova is constantly using his super powers to brute force his way through all obstacles.  Goku has immense super powers of his own, but for some reason he refuses to use any of them.  And even though he’s acting weak and helpless, Nuova never turns up the pressure to capitalize on this.  This is a fight, and no one’s trying to win.  They’re just Doing Things for no obvious reason.

So then Nuova generates some sort of lens to focus his power into lasers or something, and Goku scouts it and uses the Solar Flare to turn it against Nuova.  That’s kind of clever, except Goku could just shoot him with a Kamehameha to achieve the same result.  These guys keep fighting like they’ve been fighting for several episodes already, but it’s only the first round.  They don’t need to improvise, they’re fresh. 

So finally, Nuova transforms.  He covered himself in some sort of film to contain his awesome heat powers, and now he’s removing it.  His face still looks dumb.

And Goku turns Super Saiyan 4, claiming that the intense heat won’t bother him much while he’s in this form.  THEN WHY DIDN’T YOU USE IT BEFORE?!  FUCK!

Sometimes it feels like the people making this show had never even seen Dragon Ball Z, which is weird, because a lot of them had worked on DBZ before this.  It’s like they were making Z and just paid zero attention to how any of the fights worked.  It’s like they understood you needed to start off small and build up to the heavier offense later on, but why would Goku run around dodging heat rays for fifteen minutes when he could just turn into his ultimate form and fight on more even footing?  And why is Nuova toying with Goku like this?  He wants him dead, doesn’t he?  Or maybe he just wants to push Goku into using his full power, but then why doesn’t he get more aggressive and leave Goku with no other option? 

Once again, the answer is that if they do it this way, then they can make the Nuova Shenron fight last longer, with pads out the series.  And hoo-boy do they pad the crap out of this one...

✨The Blade Braxton Memorial Haiku*✨

Ventilation Fan

Its power is maximum

Its speed: minumum.

[sonicasura]

Gravattack🤩

He's one of my favorite aliens introduced in Omniverse! How do the others react to Jim's form and his powers?

You can sum up everyone's reaction with Toby's own. "By everything that is epic, this is soooo AWESOMESAUCE!" They can now be gravity bros and come up with all kinds of new moves. Even Trollhunter Jim admit it was pretty cool when the two began to properly communicate.

Gravattack is one of Jim's more used aliens mainly for any applications outside battle. Having gravity manipulation makes it way easier to clean up huge debris, carry the injured, and even moving delicate stuff such as heavy furniture. A massive help when Arcadia was recovering from the Eternal Night aftermath.

He definitely made his mom's job easier especially when Jim uses gravikinesis to entertain any scared kids by making their toys float. It's hard to be afraid if the giant rockman gives your favorite plush the power to fly for a bit. You can say he made learning about gravity in school more fun.

[namjuicyy]

Taking place during 1BBY, this tiny tragedy follows two Rebel pilots final moments together. Based off Samuel Kim's "Star Wars (Epic Main Theme), and it's recommended you listen to it while you read.

Tw: war zone, battle, suicide.

One by one, ships exploded around her. Squadron after squadron bursting into a ball of flames and gas in the deep of space. Red lit up Libana’s windshield as she watched TIE Fighters bombard what was left of her fleet with their cannons and guns.

That was when she saw it; the purple painted X-Wing of Esmiris Elon. Esmi. Her Esmi. The ship thankfully hadn’t been blown to pieces yet, but it was floating in a ring of debris that had begun to orbit around the nearest planet. That was when she realised she wasn’t the only one who had taken notice of the perfectly intact X-Wing. Pure adrenaline kicked in, pushing on the thrusters she headed straight for the TIE Fighter that was charging and shooting at Esmi’s ship. Green flashes joined the sea of red. Lib smashed the trigger over and over again, her aim poor as she desperately shot to save her Esmi.

The TIE shot and landed a blow.

Another.

Another.

Lib was screaming by now, eyes teared over and her vision blurry. She was shooting into the abyss and hoping that the Force would help her to make her shot and save the only woman she’d ever loved.

Another.

She could see Esmi waking up from the blow that had knocked her out, and immediately she began panicking in her cockpit. She pushed as many buttons as she could, trying to steer out of the path of the oncoming TIE, her BB-unit similarly panicking as he desperately tried to repair what he could of their ship.

Somehow, some way, the Force had granted her this last wish, green colliding with the black metal and blowing it to pieces right before it could land a fatal blow.

“You came back for me!” Esmi said in disbelief. She truly thought she would never see Lib again.

“Of course I did. You still owe me credits.” Another Rebel ship blew up nearby. “Do you still have control?”

“Yes. But my hyperdrive is gone. There’s no leaving for me… not this time. You need to leave, Lib.”

“A life without you, Esmiris Elon, is not a life I’m willing to live. If you die, I die. We do this together, okay?”

With a nod, Esmi and Lib turned to face the star destroyers and TIEs that were charging for the last two remaining enemies. They were about to charge when they heard it.

“Spider Squadron, we have arrived.”

Jumping out of hyperspace above them came Rebel ships. Hundreds of them, if not thousands. While they were still greatly outnumbered, the odds on the battlefield had drastically changed. From their position, they watched as pilots took down TIEs with ease, teaming up and pushing the Empire back. The Empire’s numbers slowly but surely began to dwindle, most taken out when a Star Destroyer had been wrecked. But two more remained.

The Rebels took on damage, of course, but nothing compared to the elation everyone felt when the final Star Destroyer and been blown up, and the remaining TIEs jumped to hyperspace to avoid certain death.

Lib, in her joy, turned to look at Esmi’s ship next to her to celebrate their victory together. But as she laid eyes upon the field once more, she saw that the wing of Esmi’s ship had been blown clean off, and the cockpit door was wide open. Esmi, though strapped to the seat, was undoubtedly no longer breathing. While the rest of the Alliance commemorated this impossible victory, Lib felt her heart breaking. As her world crumbled around her, she had one final thought before she, too, opened her cockpit door…

A life without you, Esmiris Elon, is not a life I’m willing to live.

[alena-reblobs]

Trigun Bookclub Trimax Vol14 Part 3

Vol01: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3  | Vol02: Part 1 | Part 2

Trimax: Vol01 Part 1Vol01 Part 2 | Vol02 Part 1Vol02 Part 2 | Vol 03 Part 1 | Vol03 Part2 | Vol04 Part1 | Vol04 Part2 | Vol05 | Vol06 | Vol07 | Vol08 Part1 | Vol08 Part2 | Vol09 Part1 | Vol09 Part2 | Vol10 Part1 | Vol10 Part2 | Vol10 Part3 | Vol10 Part4 | Vol11 Part 1 | Vol11 Part2 | Vol12 Part1 | Vol12 Part2 | Vol12 Part3 | Vol13 Part1 | Vol13 Part2 | Vol13 Part3 | Vol14 Part1 | Vol14 Part2 | Vol14 Part3

Chapter 6 - 7 review under the cut

AAAAAH I forgot what I wanted to say in the last chapter!! You know the black void where Vash gets called out by Meryl...It occured to me that THAT is where they got the idea in Stampede from! Both times Vash is caught in his head, of course under different circumstances, but both times it's Meryl's voice that brings him back to reality!!

Chapter 6:

There's something beautiful about Meryl in this shower of feathers that I wanted to save.

And the fact that she tries not to shy away from it...even if she connects horrible memories with it! She's so strong for this.

And Vash appreciates it. This is what is needed! She's proof to Vash that people can overcome their fears, that this all is not in vain! She's proof of a possible better future <:'))

Louder for the guys in the back, please.

The humans finally being confronted with the (often unknown!) consequences of their actions.

That almost made me cry. I've read this so often now! But still goosebumps.

The desperation in Knive's eyes :( I'm having sad feelings for him, too.

This! Is also a promise of a future! Thank GOD after 3-4 volumes Vash's suicidal tendencies are finally over.

Shounen battle pose!! Wow Knives doesn't look in such a good shape. You read this volume for the first time and just how interesting is it that the big, final showdown that was anticipated the whole time...starts only 2 chapters before the end of the series?? Or, you think it might start.

Chapter 7:

Oh my god I'm slightly tearing up again from reading. This series man.

Rem!! The words she said to Vash, which have been hinted at before!

Epic page! The art just gets better and better. And look how the fifth moon is looking down from above them.

I like how you can see how rebuilding his body uses up energy for Knives! And meanwhile, Vash is throwing away all bullets except for one. He doesn't want this to be a fight, and he's not planning to fight Knives.

Beautiful Vash panel ♥

Oh Knives...how anticlimatic and unusual that in the final big showdown, the antagonist has already lost everything! It's not even a question of who has the upper hand anymore. I love love the unconventional way this ending plays out so much!

This....aaaah oh man, Knives!! You are such a tragic soul. "We've come this far caught up in something too big" yes you're so right...the moment you decided to let the ships crash there was no going back anymore, and STILL you were just a child, hurt, confused and scared. You could not have really grasped the consequences of your actions, but what was done was done. Would Rem have survived, I think she could have given him absolution, and make him strive to work for a better future. Who knows, but I like to imagine that if his mother would have put him in a tight hug the moment he stood on top of the debris of the fallen and burning ships...maybe he would've broken down. And given himself the chance to admit his wrong doing. Of which he knew it was wrong! But because suddenly he and Vash were all alone..he couldn't allow himself to see his mistake because then there would have been no one that could have saved him and comforted him.

What a great character!

Epic pooose

"But I was the one who broke away" KNIIIIVEs *sobs* oh man look how sad and also afraid he looks here! Or maybe just desperately sad because he knows, he destroyed something between them...

And that's what Rem said!! Aaaah the feelings. Aaah boy.

Ah hey Chronica! There you are! NOT a good time, these two were having a moment here!

Knives did NOT foresee Vash not using his last bullet on him, but to deflect Chronica's attack. Meanwhile he goes stab stab at Vash (bad brother!)

ddasffakm love this so much

And we can see the last of Vash's hair turning black...used it all up for the wings.

fasfsafajf aaah more goosebumps

What's with Livio fighting off beautiful women in this series?? (ok it's the second one but it's weird that it happened twice)

Instant damage to all Trigun readers because WOLFWOOD. Is he an actual ghost? Is this Livio's mind, some psychological stuff happening? I don't think it Nightow intended to be really clear about this, as it does not matter, the effect stands. Now I can wonder if what we heard earlier in the volume was also Wolfwood talking to Livio. Could be! I imagine this is more of an after image in his mind...but how nice it would be if there was some ghost Wolfwood? In that case he should make sure to visit Vash before he carries on to the after life. Any way it's just incredible what an impact he has on those dear to him, to Livio and Vash alike until the end.

In that moment, we are all Livio. And with the morning sun...

What a beautiful ending to this fight. I could have never anticipated this outcome and am SO happy about it.

Last chapter and final thoughts will continue in the next post!

[princeofgod-2021]

LIGHT OF LIFE 366

John 1:4

TOO LATE 29 – WHEN HE HAS SAID NO! 3

Isa 14:26-27 This is what I plan to do for this land. I will use my power to punish all those nations." WHEN THE LORD ALL-POWERFUL MAKES A PLAN, NO ONE CAN CHANGE IT. WHEN HE RAISES HIS ARM TO PUNISH, NO ONE CAN STOP HIM. ERV

Was it Over-zealousness, plain foolishness or an act of outright rebellion that killed Josiah?

I don’t know beloved; read along and find out.

I saw God showing His Supreme counsel that no man can meddle with.

Ecc 6:10 You are only what you were created to be—a human, and it is useless to argue about it. PEOPLE CANNOT ARGUE WITH GOD ABOUT THIS BECAUSE HE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN THEY ARE, AND A LONG ARGUMENT WILL NOT CHANGE THAT FACT. ERV

Josiah’s Epic Passover Celebration was intended to stir God’s heart and compel divine mercies, and he started the process of appeal well.

He first gathered everyone to understand God’s position and hoped to stir loyalty in them too, but no one cried or responded to it like he did.

2Ch 34:29-30 KiNG JOSIAH SUMMONED ALL THE LEADERS OF JUDAH AND JERUSALEM, and together they went to the Temple, accompanied by the priests and the Levites and all the rest of the people, rich and poor alike. BEFORE THEM ALL THE KING READ ALOUD THE WHOLE BOOK OF THE COVENANT, WHICH HAD BEEN FOUND IN THE TEMPLE. GNB

Then he enjoined them to adhere to Faithfulness by a command and decree.

Sincerely, the best that commanded loyalty does is to induce awe only within the lifetime of the commander.

2Ch 34:31-32 After Josiah had finished reading, he stood in the place reserved for the king. He promised in the LORD's name to faithfully obey the LORD and to follow his laws and teachings that were written in the book. Then he asked the people of Jerusalem and Benjamin to make that same promise and to obey the God their ancestors had worshiped. CEV

Now, just when we thought he had already destroyed all idols in the land, you realize that a Man deeply intent on pleasing God will yet search wildly and find remnant odious debris to clear.

2Ch 34:33 JOSIAH REMOVED ALL THE DETESTABLE IDOLS FROM ALL THE AREAS BELONGING TO THE ISRAELITES and encouraged all who were in Israel to worship the LORD their God. THROUGHOUT THE REST OF HIS REIGN THEY DID NOT TURN ASIDE FROM FOLLOWING THE LORD GOD OF THEIR ANCESTORS. NET

Then the Passover followed in Chapter 35. Josiah must have felt that after all his acts of tremendous sacrifices, God had no choice but to relent and give up His Judgment.

Evidently, he is not aware of a golden rule…

1Sa 15:22 And Samuel said, Does Jehovah delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE! TO LISTEN IS BETTER THAN THE FAT OF RAMS! MKJV

He didn’t know Jesus like we do; he would have understood better.

Sadly though, the church today still lives oblivious of golden divine Principles.

Heb 10:6-7 MULTIPLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND SIN-OFFERINGS CANNOT SATISFY YOUR JUSTICE. So I said to you, ‘God—I WILL BE THE ONE TO GO AND DO YOUR WILL, TO FULFILL ALL THAT IS WRITTEN OF ME IN YOUR WORD!’ ” GW

Beloved, if God has said No! And your plea bargain is not followed by favoured response from Him, you simply bow out and let him do what He wants, or else, you go down with the fallen.

Josiah now felt that because he had given so much sacrifices, God was bound to relent on His judgment’ he thought no more definite processes of Judgment will occur around him while alive.

2Ch 35:20-21 After Josiah had done all this for the temple, King Necho of Egypt marched up to do battle at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. Josiah marched out to oppose him. Necho sent messengers to him, saying, “Why are you opposing me, O king of Judah? I am not attacking you today, but the kingdom with which I am at war. GOD TOLD ME TO HURRY. STOP OPPOSING GOD, WHO IS WITH ME, OR ELSE HE WILL DESTROY YOU.” NET

God had begun attacks on neighbouring nations and he saw that they will soon get to Judah, so, he wanted to stop them.

The Egyptian King warned that God had sent him, but Josiah insisted.

2Ch 35:22 But Josiah was determined to fight. HE REFUSED TO LISTEN TO WHAT GOD WAS SAYING THROUGH KING NECO, SO HE DISGUISED HIMSELF and went into battle on the plain of Megiddo. GNB

Why did he disguise himself

Because he perceived that God indeed sent Neco and thus, his chances of winning was slim, so he hoped that if he disguised himself, he could become less vulnerable.

This is a clear indication of fighting/opposing the Lord’s will; this was foolhardy and deadly.

2Ch 35:23-24 During the battle an Egyptian soldier shot Josiah with an arrow. Josiah told his servants, "Get me out of here! I've been hit." They carried Josiah out of his chariot, then put him in the other chariot he had there and took him back to Jerusalem, where HE SOON DIED. He was buried beside his ancestors, and everyone in Judah and Jerusalem mourned his death. CEV

You will not die but live to Obey and comply with all His perfect will, IN JESUS NAME.

Join us on Friday for another thought-provoking Subtopic.

Keep Shinning!

Brother Prince

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

08055125517; 08023904307

[admhawthorne]

“All I wanted was to finished up the expense reports from the last trip to space to ‘save the galaxy,’ so I could go get a fresh cup of coffee, but I should’ve known Monday morning wouldn’t be so kind to me. Instead, I found myself sitting, dumbfounded, at my desk as I looked up at the front door in time to see Oblivion, Earth’s most notorious villain, come crashing into Justice Hall with his henchpeople in tow.

I took this job because, usually, the Hero Association’s literal headquarters are hardly ever attacked, unlike the rest of most major cities, so it seemed like a great, stable, safe place to work. In that moment, with debris flying around, my desk shaking from the fighting before me, and my coffee mug broken upon the floor, my immediate thought was just, “Damn it, I work here so I don’t have to be a bystander for these things,” which just goes to show where my sense of self preservations lies.

Anyway, after a few seconds’ of evaluating my options, I realized it’d be safest for me to take cover under my desk than try to make a run for it, so I grabbed my laptop and dropped down to hide while I pulled my chair in to provide some protection on all sides. While the fighting raged, I pulled up the security cameras so I could watch.

It was an epic battle. Captain Star was in fine form. He had Oblivion’s henchpeople already subdued, and now the two were fighting it out. The amount of destruction to the entry hall was massive; I started making a list of what we’d need to fix and what contractors to contact. Distracted by my list, I didn’t notice the fighting had stopped on camera until the noise ended. I was just about to crawl from under my desk when Oblivion himself hit the wall behind my desk and slowly slid down with a little thunk and groan at the end.

We stared at each other for what felt like far more seconds than it actually was, and, then, he mouthed fearfully “Help me” just before CS flew over and grabbed him to toss him across the room again. I probably wouldn’t have taken him seriously if not for the fact that, at the angle he slid down the wall, I got a good look at his uniform below his cape, and I saw something very off.

Now, I’m fully aware of Oblivion’s uniform because I bought the damn thing. It was a god-awful custom order that we spent almost a full year working on to get all the details correct that he absolutely demanded had to be there. It was a requisition nightmare, and then he has the audacity to go villain shortly after he gets the uniform. To this day, I resent him for both the amount of money we spent on him and the huge amount of time I wasted feeding that jerk’s ego.

So, when I saw the uniform was slightly off, and combined with the plea and look in Oblivion’s eyes, my admin gut told me I needed to reevaluate the details of the situation. I pulled up the security log while the fighting continued. I really watched what was going on. Oblivion’s fighting style was off, and he didn’t really talk as he fought, which was weird for Oblivion; he liked to antagonize CS. Further, the henchpeople were too easily captured. It all seemed too wrong, and then I realized what was wrong with the uniform.

Pulling up my database of requisitions, I quickly checked for lost or stolen acquisitions, and there they were, a mind/body controller and a personal holographic projector.

That wasn’t Oblivion. That was a poor soul who was probably about to die.

Ducking out from my desk, I yelled loudly to CS, screaming what I’d figured out as he continued to fight. Once done, I held my breath to see what he’d do. In a flash, he disconnected the hidden devices, and, where Oblivion once lay upon the floor, now lay Kid Star. He was badly beaten and barely conscious but alive.

CS was horrified to have nearly killed his sidekick. The Hero Association did manage to get KS to a recovery facility in time, and he’s fine now, but, of course, you know that. He just walked by.” Liv leaned back in her chair with a shrug and took another sip from her coffee mug, “So, to answer your question, that’s why the heroes gave me this mug that reads ‘Earth’s Most Observant Hero.”

I stared at her in disbelief for a long time. Finally, she rolled her eyes at me, pulled up proof via a news article from the database, and watched me confirm it all. It was so wildly unbelievable but all so true.

“So, what you’re telling me,” I slowly said, gathering my nerves, “is that is the level of administrative service I have to provide once you retire and I fully take over?”

“Yup,” she responded with a chuckle from behind her mug. “Good luck.”

[raft-cheats-2022-ua]

Every available cheat and command in Raft

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[captainhysunstuff]

Dumb visualization of my post about how cute it is whenever Light genuinely compliments someone~.  link

Vehicles are the bane of my existence.

[kiyomari]

Beach Day - a kainora ficlet

https://archiveofourown.org/works/39158907

Kai accompanied Jinora and her family to the beach, little did he know...

A short ficlet adding Kai to/expanding on the Avatar TLOK comic "Beach Wars" from Free Comic Book Day 2022.

Inspired by/written for the Kainora server's challenge to add Kai to the comic (as he deserves!)

With special thanks to @hipster-rapunzel, both my beta and constant companion in chaos <3

Kai stepped out of the water, letting the last wave play between his toes. "Babe, can you hand me my beach towel?" he called up the gentle slope as he walked towards his group.

However, upon approaching a bit closer, he saw not Jinora sitting calmly in the shade while reading, but a scene of absolute carnage. 

-⎽__⎽-⎻⎺⎺⎻-⎽__⎽--⎻⎺⎺⎻-

Through a thin haze of sand and bending debris, he could just see Ikki swirling a whirlwind - merely an eddy in the cacophony of sand tsunamis and mudballs being flung by the older benders. A closer look at the fraught scene reveals Meelo wrangling a pelli-puffin, Opal and Bolin ducking for cover (the latter somewhat unsuccessfully, as evidenced by his seaweed-stache), and Jinora attempting to shield her book.

"What's going on?!" Peeking up from within her defensive wind bubble, Jinora deadpans, "Prank war with the Avatar."

Oh. He wasn't about to miss out on this epic bout of chaos!

Ducking through the battlefield, Kai alights by Jinora's side for just a moment, planting a quick kiss on her forehead and grabbing his hoodie. "See you on the other side, babe!" he declared, before diving into the chaos.

-⎽__⎽-⎻⎺⎺⎻-⎽__⎽--⎻⎺⎺⎻-

Not even an hour earlier, Kai never would have imagined the ensuing madness. Instead of diving headfirst into a bending brawl, his only plan was to swim in the ocean, hang out with his girlfriend, and maybe act as a living jungle gym for Meelo and Rohan.

A day at the beach with family, friends, and his crush! (Yes, definitely still crushing, no matter how long they had been in a relationship.)

Kai was bouncing the whole walk down to Asami's private beach, thinking of the surf and sand filled day ahead of them! He helped set up the towels and umbrellas, watched Jinora settle in with her book, and slapped on some sunscreen before commanding Ikki and Meelo help each other do the same (it took an eyebrow-quirked glare from Jinora for them to actually listen). Preparations complete, he couldn't stand it a moment more and bounded towards the ocean, strides aided by an unnatural tailwind. One final leap with a glorious moment riding the salt breeze, the sun beaming past, and he was splashing down at last!

He thought he saw Ikki and Meelo running after him, competing for who could make it into the water second (ha, he was first, take that!), but he was too engrossed in swimming to realize that no one had caught up with him yet. After a while, he noticed he had actually been swimming peacefully without any tiny airbenders tangling his limbs. That was odd. 'Might be time to check in with the rest of them,' he thought as he turned to kick towards the shore…

-⎽__⎽-⎻⎺⎺⎻-⎽__⎽--⎻⎺⎺⎻-

A few miles down the beach, a nice hotel resort.

"I'm so glad Katara and Toph could watch the kids today. I really needed this," Pema sighed as the masseuse slowly unwound years of parenting stress. Tenzin mumbled agreement from the adjacent table.

This couple's spa day had been such a thoughtful gift - a long overdue break for the both of them. It took a while to coax Tenzin into actual vacation mode, but now that he was, they could just enjoy each other and let their tension melt away.

It was truly a wonderful day of blissful ignorance… Followed by a full scale eruption of Mt. Tenzin upon seeing disaster children (and grannies) return to the hotel, absolutely wrecked. (Pema just smiled, sighed and took it in stride.)

-⎽__⎽-⎻⎺⎺⎻-⎽__⎽--⎻⎺⎺⎻-

For years to come, Meelo and Kai would recount the epic battle. Meelo commanded an army of pelli-puffins, trained to pelt the enemy from above. (There were two, and only one was actually listening.) Meanwhile, Kai created the new sport of sand surfing while weaving through the fray to deliver slimy seaweed doom! (Though he may have gained an idea, it took a lot of practice later to actually stay on the board.)

Regardless of embellishments, it was certainly a day that went down in family history!

[seriouslycromulent]

Random thoughts on ZSJL after 1st viewing

So dear DCEU fans, before I sit down to re-watch Zack Snyder’s Justice League again tonight, I thought I’d share some of my first impressions and thoughts on the film. I really wanted to take part in the watch party yesterday, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to give the film my full attention if I did so, especially since it would be my first viewing.

But now that I know what was inside my birthday gift (my birthday was March 18th), I can chat about it with others and discuss to my heart’s content. 

However, this is NOT that post. This is not a review. It’s just some of my initial thoughts and reactions, which may or may not change after multiple viewings. 

And yes, I will mark this post as “ZSJL spoilers” for anyone trying to remain unspoiled until they get a chance to watch it at their own pace.

Here we go ...

Question #1 - Why does Barry only burn out of his shoes, but nothing else he’s wearing when he moves to save Iris? Is it the friction against the floor? Or is it just convenient for the sake of visuals? We know the suit he made is designed to withstand wind and heat resistance when he moves, so when he’s not wearing it, are his clothes in danger of getting shredded if he moves fast enough? 

This isn’t snark. I’m genuinely curious. :-)

Reaction #1 - I know it’s blasphemous to speak positively about the theatrical release, but I kind of miss the opening credit sequence with the song playing over the images and interactions of people arguing, fighting and falling into despair after Supes died. I felt it was an apt response in the world in the wake of his death, and it suited Zack’s overall tone connecting BvS to this film from the start. I’m not saying the new opening is bad. Just that I kind of liked the theatrical one better.

Question #2 - Now this is kinda snarky. But does Arthur just leave sweaters and shirts littered all over the place whenever he goes below the surface? What if there’s no one there to pick it up like that lady in Iceland? 

Reaction #2 - I’m love, love, loving the much bigger role of the Amazons in this version. That battle scene with Steppenwolf is still brutal to watch, but the extra screen time is much appreciated.

Reaction #3 - I’m now calling the arrow shot into the Shrine of the Amazons the “Hanukkah Arrow” because it was a miracle the fire stayed lit during its entire journey to the Shrine and how it stayed lit until a film crew caught it on the news. 

R#4 - Even though I knew Victor’s car accident was coming, I was still shook when it happened. Like, I genuinely screamed when the other vehicle crashed into them. That’s how emotionally invested I was in that scene at the time.

R#5 - I liked the juxtaposition of going from Victor’s dysfunctional relationship with his dad to Barry’s sweet, but heartbreaking relationship with his dad. Way to mess with our emotions, Zack.

R#6 - “gorilla sign language” Tee-hee!

R#7 - Great placement with the suicide prevention billboard. It was both seamless and poignant. 

R#8 - As a fellow tea drinker, I like that Alfred is particular about how tea is made, even when the cup of tea isn’t for himself.

R#9 - It’s interesting to see how jerky Victor’s movements are in Chapter 3. I know he will move more smoothly as the film progresses, but I feel like that growth and development in his movements were missed in the theatrical release, which is a shame because it’s a great mirror to his psychological development as well. 

R#10 - It’s a shame how easily Steppenwolf captured the 2nd box thanks to King Orm’s incompetence. Ugh. I can’t stand that guy. 

Question #3 - Why is Arthur responsible for retrieving the box that was lost on his brother’s watch? He’s not king yet, so why does it fall to him? Whatever. Orm sucks.

Question #4 - OK. So I know this was in theatrical release, but how is it that the other team members disappeared when Commissioner Gordon turned his back and Barry didn’t notice it happening? That technically should be impossible unless Barry was distracted by a squirrel or something.

Favorite Hell Yeah Moment #1 - Barry saving the kidnapped people from being hit by the falling debris outside after the team rescues them from Steppenwolf. Go Barry! Do that shit!!! You don’t need lessons on how to be a f*cking hero!

R#11 - So Barry did trip in the original script. Interesting. I still don’t like that. It’s in character for where he is right now on his journey, but I still don’t like it.

Question #5 - Architectural question for the design nerds out there. Why does Lois have a glass pane in her front door in an apartment building in a major metro area in the US? That’s an odd design. Is it a renovated office building? Was her apartment at one point the office of a private detective in a noir film? I need answers.

Favorite Hell Yeah Moment #2 - The J’onn J’onzz reveal is officially one of my biggest thrills of the entire DCEU franchise. Years ago, when people were speculating about who was the 7th in the phrase “Unite the 7,” I said it’s J’onn J’onzz, and fanboys corrected me and insisted it had to be Hal or at least one of the Lanterns. And I was like, “Nope. I bet you it’s J’onn. He could easily already be a part of the story and we don’t even know it.” This is the part where I say to you ... Called It! Like 6 years ago! I f*cking Called It!

R#12 - Yep, by Chapter 5, Victor is moving much more smoothly.

R#13 - Dude!!!!!! The “Not Impressed” moment was better than anything Supes ever did in the theatrical release. Anything. It was just so epic and smooth and smoothly epic. I’m accepting that scene as a part of my personal birthday gift. Zack did that for me. That’s why that’s in there.

R#14 - I know Barry got a couple of hero moments earlier in the film, but none of them compare to the actual reconstruction of f*cking time in order to save everyone. The way the ground literally formed under his feet as he ran had me holding my breath without me even realizing it. Thank you, Zack! Thank you for making Barry more than the comedy relief. Thank you for giving him this moment. He deserves this.

Favorite Hell Yeah Moment #3 - I know everyone is talking about how they cheered when the team goes charging into the building altogether (sans Supes). And don’t get me wrong. That moment is pretty f’cking sweet. But dude, my all-time favorite, jump-out-of-my-seat, and jump-up-and-down moment was when Arthur speared Steppenwolf from behind and lifted him up in the air. I was like ...

The fangirl in me was unashamed and unbossed. Arthur deserved that moment. He spent half the film being tossed around like a ragdoll or brooding like a hot stevedore. He deserved that shit! Yes, yes, he did.

Epilogue thoughts ---

Again, this is the longest film epilogue I’ve seen since LOTR: Return of the King, but I’m not hating, just noting.

The extra scenes with J’onn J’onzz and Deathstroke made my day after everything else made my night. They are 2 of my absolute favorite DC characters who were all but cut from the theatrical release. I’m taking those scenes as ... again ... my personal birthday gifts.

I know we may never get JL2 and JL3, but I felt like the cliffhanger was pretty good. It leaves you wanting more, but not feeling as if you’ve been left high and dry. For those who doubted Zack’s decision to keep it a cliffhanger knowing he may never get to finish the story, I say to you, “Aren’t you tired of doubting this man?”

[lifewithgrief]

What no one understands

I am a grieving mother. My grieving never ends. I lost my son 5 years ago, But the pain is still fresh, like it happened today.

What no one understands.

My best friend and I were pregnant at the same time. Our sons were supposed to be best friends. 2 weeks apart. For every milestone I watch her celebrate, I’m forced to remember every milestone I’ll never see. It was taken from me. I hate myself for my jealousy.

What no one understands.

I live for my children. Half of me died on that table with him and the other half is fighting for life. Because my daughter needs me. Life and death. You see they are locked in an epic battle of wills inside me. Life continues to win. For now.

What no one understands.

I can be fine today, tomorrow, a month from now. Suddenly there’s a towering wall, much like a 100 foot wave crashing down around me. It happens so fast I can’t take a breath and when I finally can it’s like breathing shards of glass that splinter in my throat. My head is pounding the roaring so loud. Something has punched through my chest and there’s nothing left but emptiness. When the water recedes, all that’s left is debris. I’m left broken and damaged. Destroyed.

What no one understands.

This. Is. Grief. Now I get to pick up the pieces while I wait for the next wave. Praying for relief. Hoping this time the waves stay gone. Drowning is a miserable way to live.

What no one understands.

[onmykneesforhotdilfs]

Please prompt number 2, if you can of course!!! Ah, Bloom says "Kiss me" only if you can.

I am so fucking sorry you had to wait this long. I hope it doesn't happen again, or at least the wait isn't as long. Hope you enjoy.

Damn wizards. Bloom cursed in her head as another pretty powerful beam was aimed directly at her, only narrowly missing her as she managed to side step it, while she struggled to put on a shield. Of course they had to run to Omega, into the coldest and probably the most dangerous dimension there is. Of course, she was immensely grateful they didn't chose some sort of populated area for this battle, but icicles and sharp objects flying from the ceiling of the cave really weren't her idea of an ideal date. They were more in the realm of an ice witch. The thought of Icy made her shudder and loose focus for a brief second.

"Bloom!" Sharp voice echoed through the cave as another spell flew over her head. She barely managed to turn around to face the one that called her before she was pulled to the side, and what she would come to realize only a second later out of the harms way, when a painful groan rung out next to her. She turned towards the figure the floor and nearly threw up when she saw blood on it.

Valtor was laying on the floor, clutching his bleeding arm with an impressive gash on it, and Bloom would've made a joke about him acting like a prince on a white horse if she wasn't so busy trying to hold the content of her stomach there where it belonged. She stood in a stupor for a few seconds but another painful groan snapped her out of it. She dropped down next to Valtor in a crouch as her hands roamed over the injury,as if she wasn't sure what she should do.

"Layla don't!" Stella's shriek made her turn around only to see Layla disappear after the wizards, that she didn't even realize stopped throwing spells at them, deeper into the Omega. Bloom turned back towards Valtor who gripped her arm and gently shoved her away from her as he struggled to stand up. She wanted to ask what the hell is he doing when she noticed Brandon rushing towards them as Morgana held a shield to protect her warrior fairies and specialists.

"Go after them!" Valtor was shouting words at her but his voice seemed muffled, almost as if she was hearing him through a thick fog, compared to the loud noise falling debris made as it collided with the icy floor.

She shook her head negative. "You're hurt! I can fix it! I just need a couple of minutes!" She saw his eyes widen comically as Brandon finally reached them and grabbed Valtor under his good arm and hauled him up. Bloom rose with them, her hand with magic, gathered in the coiled fist, still hovered above his wound.

Valtor shook off Brandon's hands as he leaned closer to Bloom and gripped her forearms. "They need you more than I do! Layla needs you! I'll be alright! Now go give those wizards hell!" When he healized she was still hesitating and that she was about to protest, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer to himself as his forhead came to rest against her own, which was an unusual sight because he had to bend down quite a bit despite the fact she was in heels and she tilted her head up towards him as far as it would go.

The tension between the two former enemies was palpable from the moment the portal to Gardinia opened and no one was immune to it. Since the now-on-the-good-side Valtor stepped through the gates of Alfea in an effort to combine forces with fairies to battle one of his acquaintances, Ogron, who apparently rubbed him the wrong way in the past, the sparks flying from both guardians of the dragon flame were hard to ignore. Even Sky seemed to recognize the not so innocent glances the two sent to each other on a daily basis, and therefore letting Bloom go seemed like the only rational option. Bloom was pretty sure there was even a bet going on between the specialists and the Winx girls whose primary focus was the relationship of the two guardians. She heard Stella complaining once, when she thought Bloom wasn't listening, about how she will lock them up in a magic room until they... talked their way through their problems. Mind you, talked was not the term Stella used.

Valtor squeezed Bloom's hips in a bruising grip and the flashbacks seemed to evaporate before her eyes. His sharp features slid back into focus and Bloom opened her mouth to say something but Valtor was slightly faster about it. "There is something I've been meaning to talk to you about! But in order to do that you need to go there," he pointed behind her in the direction wizards of the black circle disappeared, "and win this battle!" She opened her mouth again to finally say something only to realize she had nothing to say. She snapped her mouth shut and nodded. "Go! We'll be fine!" And just like that she broke out of his hold and rushed towards the battle sounds.

Valtor turned around on his heels and this time grabbed still shocked Brandon and pulled him towards the protective dome Morgana struggled to keep up. His arm stung unpleasantly but the bleeding stopped and regeneration already started knitting torn ligaments and tissue together. His commanding voice rung out. "Alright, let's get out of here." No one dared to argue, well almost no one.

"What about the girls, we can't just leave them to fight the wizards alone?" The blonde prince was sending glares in Valtor's way but they weren't as hostile as he expected. Valtor turned his head to look at the place where Bloom dissapeared.

"Layla is their responsibility, and besides, we ourselves are more of a liability than help. "

Sky nodded and Valtor grabbed one of the injured fairies while specialists helped the rest as they made their way out.

Ground shook beneath Valtor's feet as an epic battle raged in the tunnels beneath the ground. Valtor could feel pulses of magic, light and dark beams equally strong, until something seemed to happen and light magic prevailed. Valtor held his breath. Time seemed to stop. Not even a single sound was heard. Seconds passed. Until a familiar beating of wings disrupted the eerie silence and six fairies flew out. Valtor's heart climbed into his throat. The winx seemed to be one fairy short, one fiery fairy short to be precise. Valtor focused on the flame raging in his chest as it searched for it's other half. The pull in his chest seemed to get stronger until it almost bursted from it's place of residence when he saw Bloom flying out with Nebula in tow. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief as cheers of both the Winx and the rest of the fairies rung through the valley.

The Frutti Music bar was overflowing with people. Andy and his band took the stage as Roxy served drinks to the impatient customers and Klaus hurriedly mixed cocktails behind the bar. Everything seemed to return to normal, almost like nothing happened in the first place. That was one of the things Valtor never understood about humans. No matter how big of a trouble they seemed to find themselves in, they never lost hope. His arm almost healed in the few hours but Flora insisted that he should wear a bandage just in case the wound reopened.

His gaze ran over the bar, searching for a group of six fairies, or more precisely, searching for a head full of bright red hair that somehow always managed to stand apart from every environment and every crowd. He found what he was looking for on the other end of the bar and he made his way towards them. As he drew closer he noticed another blob of silver hair that belonged to only one person Valtor knew. An arm grabbed Valtor's biceps and he turned towards the owner.

Brandon handed him a cocktail and Valtor's confusion must've been pretty obvious because Brandon shrugged and said, "I figured you'd want something to drink before you face Faragonda."

Valtor laughed, a deep sound coming somewhere from his stomach, even his shoulders shook with it. "I am unsure just how much it will help me relax, considering the fact I usually indulge in something a bit stronger... but I appreciate the effort."

"I didn't believe Stella when she told me you can be pleasant to be around."

Valtor raised a questioning eyebrow. "What is your opinion now?"

"That I should always believe what my girlfriend says."

Valtor chuckled. "I'd take that with a grain of salt. After all, I can also be really unpleasant."

"Oh we know." He slapped Valtor on his shoulder. "Good luck man. You'll need it." Valtor had a sneaky suspension Brandon wasn't refering to a meeting with a headmistress of Alfea. He looked at the retrieving back of specialist with a smirk on his face. Who knew not all of them were just fools with an inflamed ego and fancy swords.

He shook his head and took a sip of the drink he had in his hand and then grimaced. The cocktail was definitely something that Stella or Flora would prefer. Fruity and sweet. He stepped towards the group he originally intended to meet and managed to catch what Faragonda was saying. "I'm extremely proud of you girls."

"You should be." His booming voice reached them and Faragonda jumped a bit, startled, as seven pairs of eyes turned towards him. "They did defeat the wizards all by themselves." He locked eyes with Bloom who had a smile on her face and Valtor felt his lips twitch upwards.

"Something happened to your arm Valtor?"

"An icicle fell on it. Just don't tell me you're worried about me Faragonda. I'll start thinking you care." Valtor rolled his eyes as sarcasm dripped from every word.

"What a shame it only grazed your arm. I would think that enormous head of yours makes for a convenient target. It's so massive it probably has it's own gravitational pull." Faragonda smirked and it looked surprisingly evil on her.

"Are you sure you're a fairy and not a witch Faragonda? Might wanna erase that smirk from your face unless you want people to start thinking otherwise. " Valtor looked at her with challenge in his eyes as his lips formed in an evil grin that would scare lesser beings but it only managed to irritate Faragonda.

"Touché Valtor."

"Thank you, I try." He handed the fruity cocktail to Stella that tried really hard to resist laughing at the irritated face of her headmistress, but some giggles still escaped, as she held Flora's arm for support. He turned towards Bloom who now had a hand across her mouth so Faragonda wouldn't see her laughing but the adorable wrinkles around her eyes crinkled, a clear sign she was smiling. He made a gesture with his head that indicated she should come with him when she finally finished laughing and looked at him. He heard Stella squeal in excitement as Flora gasped when Solarian princess gripped her arm. Bloom bit her lip and took Valtor's offered hand as he lead them to the beach and away from the crowd. He heard Stella scream about how 'It's finally happening!' And Flora's gentle voice telling her to calm down because 'You're crushing my arm Stella.'

They walked hand in hand through the crowd, some of the guests giving them weird looks, but Valtor's intimidating form seemed to part the said crowd like a Red sea. She stopped at the exit that lead to the beach, Valtor offering his support while she bent down to take off her shoes because she learned that high heels and sand don't really mix that well. She once again took his hand when her bare feet touched the now pleasantly warm and no longer scorching hot sand but she also went step further, something that greatly surprised Valtor, when she intertwined their fingers.

They walked hand in hand for a while, not daring to break a rather pleasant silence. When they were far enough from praying eyes of the people Valtor finally stopped and turned towards the ocean. He was eager to get Bloom alone but now that they actually were alone he started wondering if it was really a good idea. He felt Bloom's eyes drilling a hole at the back of his neck but he patiently waited for her to make the first move and break the ice so to speak.

"So..." her voice broke through and Valtor turned towards her, "you wanted to talk. Well here we are. What did you want to tell me?"

Valtor chuckled bitterly. "I wanted to talk to you about... us. But now I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

She crossed her arms underneath her chest. "Are you having second thoughts?"

"Not in the way you would think. I know I... like you." He inhaled sharply, "Dragon, I sound like a teenage boy."

Bloom giggled at that statement but Valtor could see if was forced. "But?"

"I don't know if this will work." Admitting that he didn't know something wasn't simple for him and he realized Bloom knew it as well when her lips pressed together in a small but embarrassed smile. "I know we have... something. Something is obviously here but... will that something be enough to keep us motiva-"

"Kiss me." She interrupted him with a phrase Valtor never thought he would hear directed at him. His mouth opened and closed but no sound escaped. He was shocked into silence.

"W-What?"

"Kiss me." She repeated loud and clear. "You want to know if the chemistry we have will be enough to... get us through it." She lowered her gaze as blush appeared on her cheeks. She shrugged. "It's like a Schrodinger's cat. We won't know unless we try." Her eyes swept across all the surfaces she could find until they locked on Valtor's shocked one's. She squirmed and averted her gaze as she started fidgeting and her arms came to hug herself in order to make herself appear smaller. "Of course if you don't want to that's ok I was just making a sug-"

In all the rush she was in to excuse her impulsive words she failed to notice that Valtor finally got over his shock and has quickly reduced the distance between their bodies. This time it was Bloom that got interrupted as Valtor cupped her face and did exactly what she asked him to do. He sealed their lips together, cutting off her nervous speech in the best way possible. There was no firework or explosion behind closed eyelids, just an incredible heat that coursed through their veins. He felt Bloom's breath hitch but she quickly recovered and her arms came to grip his shoulders as she stood on her tip toes and craned her neck upwards. Valtor chuckled at her attempts to make this easier on him but took pity when she whined and pressed her lips harder against his. He bent down as his tongue swept over her lower lip, asking for a permission that she granted without any resistance, and his arms came to wrap around her waist before he picked her up and she let out a noise of surprise as her feet no longer stood on firm surface.

Bloom was first to break the kiss as her teeth came to bite her already swollen lips. "Wow." It was the first thing she spoke since he kissed her and he laughed at her surprised expression and astonished whisper.

"Wow indeed." He lowered her feet back on the ground but she swayed for a second so he kept his arms on her waist just in case she got light headed. "So... is the cat alive?"

"Alive and kicking." Her hands gripped his shirt.

"Hmmm."

"Maybe we should, ehem, repeat the experiment a few more times... just so we're sure in the result." Valtor's pupils dilated and his grip on her waist tightened.

"We should be careful." His voice was a growl and Bloom shuddered visibly. "We might set something on fire."

"Well," Bloom smiled as she lifted her head up once again and her hands started tugging on his shirt to get him closer. "at least there's an ocean to extinguish any wild fires we might cause."