#the mania corp

[ihni]

Smooth Sailing

Written for the MetalSandwich Movie Mania (@now-showing-at-the-hawk-events), day 3: sci fi.

(Pacific Rim AU)

~~~

“Do you know why I called you in here?”

Eddie Munson, who did in fact not know why Jim Hopper – a.k.a. ‘Hop’, the Marshal of the Indiana Shatterdome – had called him into his office, but suspected that it might have had something to do with a prank he may or may not have pulled, grinned.

“You wanted to bask in the glory of my devilish charm?”

His attempt at levity was met with a blank face. Not even a twitch. Damn. Eddie must be in real trouble.

His grin dimmed a bit, and Hopper continued, as if Eddie hadn’t spoken, “How long have you worked here?”

Shit, that sounded suspiciously like the beginnings of a ‘you’re fired’ speech.

“In the Dome? Seven years. Listen –”

“How many trainee pilots have you helped train over the years?”

Eddie couldn’t afford to get fired. No one else would hire him, and the Dome was his home.

“I don’t know … seventy? Eighty? Hop, whatever you think I did, I didn’t do it, or if I did, I didn’t mean it –”

“And how many of those went on to pilot a Jaeger?”

Eddie’s heart sank. He was getting fired. 

“Five.”

Eddie wasn’t the smartest when it came to numbers, but he guessed that wasn’t a very good turnout.

The worst thing was that if they threw him out of the Dome, they’d throw uncle Wayne out, too. Uncle Wayne, who took care of Eddie during the worst years of his life, and who Eddie had promised to take care of in turn for the rest of his life. Eddie’s job at the Dome had ensured that he could keep that promise, and now he was going to lose it.

“Five,” Hopper repeated without inflection, bringing Eddie’s attention back at him. “Do you know how many trainee pilots we have to teach before we find and train a full-fledged, drift-compatible Jaeger pilot?”

Eddie just shook his head.

“About two hundred.” Huh, that seemed … high. Higher than Eddie had expected, at least. “Out of two hundred of our best prospects who start their training in the Pan Pacific Defense Corps, only one usually move on to pilot a Jaeger in combat. Yet out of the seventy-three trainees that you have had during your time with us, five people have joined those ranks – and with pretty good results, too. What do you have to say about that?”

“Uh,” Eddie said. That didn’t sound so bad actually, when he put it like that. “Is this where I ask for a raise?”

~~~

Read the rest on AO3 here

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

All the Love, Supercorp ficlet

"Do you love me?"

The question comes soft and uncertain. Lena stops in her tracks, her soliloquy on why Kara should NOT sacrifice herself for the nth time grinding to a shuddering halt.

"Excuse me?"

Kara swallows thickly. "We promised no more secrets. I know how I feel about you, and I think you do too." She meets Lena's gaze with eyes that glimmer in the light. "Now I-- I'd like to know how you feel about me."

Lena's heart thunders in her chest, breath stolen. She struggles to reorient herself, and tries to buy herself enough time to do so.

"There are many kinds of love--"

"Yes," Kara says, nodding with all the solemnity of a diligent student in the classroom. "Humans are known to love in 8 predominant ways:

"Philia, or platonic love, as demonstrated between close friends.

"Pragma, the enduring love that persists across time.

"Storge-- the love for family, by blood or by bond.

"Ludus, playful love: the bond of humor and flirtation, regardless of age.

"Mania, or obsessive love. All consuming.

"Philautia. The love shown to oneself, the strongest foundation of all other love.

"Agape: selfless love, without expectation or transaction, given without strings. And--"

Kara pauses then, her features soft, vulnerable.

"Eros," she murmurs, with the weight of years unspoken. "Romantic love."

Lena's throat locks. She takes a quiet breath, the air trembling in her lungs. Her eyes remain locked on Kara's, unable to look away.

Kara steps forward, around the edge of the table between them.

"Do you love me, Lena?"

"Yes." The answer escapes with Lena's next breath. She can barely think, let alone move as Kara moves ever closer.

"In what way?" Kara presses gently. Lena has, after all, eight to choose from.

The truth surges from Lena and she makes no effort to curb it.

"All of them," she confesses, cheeks heating with a warmth that spreads down her neck to her chest, taking root around her heart. "Every way."

As a friend-- Lena would die happy to keep Kara in her life, whether this moment happened or not. There is no time, no reality in which Lena did not love Kara Zor-el, Lena is certain of it. Kara is a part of her now, part of her family, in a way Lex and Lillian never were.

She feels it every time Kara smiles, when Kara cracks a corny joke that has Lena laughing despite herself. At times, it feels as though Kara has permeated every fragment of Lena's life, and Lena still wants more. But even then, Lena retains the core of who she is-- herself that seems to shine brighter to be loved by Kara. And in being loved, Lena has been shown how to love herself, and everything she is.

Lena wants Kara-- in every way Kara will give. She thinks she's loved Kara since the moment she stepped into her office at L-Corp, a lifetime and reality ago. She'd wanted to ask Kara to drinks, to dinner, to bed from the first, but the moment never felt quite right-- until Lena found herself squarely in a friendship and looking on while Kara continued to date another person.

But the want never disappeared.

"In all the ways a person can love, I love you," Lena whispers.

Kara's hand slides across the tabletop to cover hers, their hips almost touching. When Kara tilts her head, their foreheads touch.

"So, please," Lena continues. "Let us help you."

Kara nods against Lena, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Okay."

[greensparty]

Sam Mendes partners with Sony and Apple for Four Beatle Theatrical Movies

Today it was announced that Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes will be directing four movies about The Beatles, each one about the individual Fab Four: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Sir Paul, Sir Ringo and the estates of Lennon and Harrison have granted life rights and music rights to the scripted films. As a lifelong Beatle fanatic (I just named "Now and Then" my #1 Song of 2023 last week) this peaked my interest!

Mendes is a solid director. I was a big fan of American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Jarhead, Away We Go, 1917 and Empire of Light. So I'm confident he's going to do the right thing and not mess this up. There's been quite a few Beatle documentaries in recent years notably Peter Jackson's The Beatles: Get Back. But in terms of a scripted film about The Beatles' that's been easier said than done over the years. There have been a number of TV movies about the individual Beatles, but theatrically it's been few and far between. There's been loads of films inspired by The Beatles, i.e. Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Across the Universe, and Yesterday. One of the great films about Beatle-mania (not so much The Beatles themselves but the fans) was I Wanna Hold Your Hand. The best one about Lennon was Nowhere Boy, in which Aaron Johnson played Lennon as a teen. One of my favorites about The Beatles is Backbeat about their early days in Hamburg, mainly the relationship between Lennon (Ian Hart) and Stu Sutcliffe (Stephen Dorf). Paul, George and Pete Best were also portrayed in the film too, but very minor roles outside of the performances.

Bottom line: getting the life rights and music rights to The Beatles is a serious get, which is why is hasn't been done too often, done right, or they tried to do it without the music. I think if each movie is going to be each Beatles' story with their own POV of what happened that could really work, especially for a director like Mendes!

Oh and Mr. Mendes - if you need a consultant for any of these films, feel free to contact me!

The link above is the article from Deadline.

[hollowsart]

ALRIGHT, HERE'S MY LANTERN CORPS HOT TAKES:

I think in my au the Indigo Tribe should be less horrible overall tbh The concept of them taking and making people who lack compassion and empathy FEEL those things is good, but oh my gosh all those other things are SOOOO BAD.

A lot of the other lantern types, too, should get some reworking. Make them make more sense along the emotional spectrum which overlaps with the spectrum of light.

it's a bit cliche, but it makes far more sense and is far easier to understand than whatever convoluted thing DC has going.

(this is all just me btw and there's probably a LOT of stuff I don't know cuz there's thousands of comics out there and I cannot be bothered to go through and read any of them.

this is all I have rn for whatever I could come up with):

People who have a lot of compassion and empathy should be chosen for the Indigo Tribe. If they have an astoundingly bright indigo/purple aura they should be picked up to join them in their efforts to share their emotions with others.

It's not a permanent solution to the people who lack that part of them, but it would certainly help, I think. In the long run.

I do like the red lantern concept of the fact they're so consumed by rage and hate that they can't really remove their rings. Not safely, at least. Requiring a pink and blue lantern to be nearby to make it safe with their light and abilities.

However.. I think what could be cool is if the rings COULD create constructs. The constructs dissipate fast , but they hit hard. The constructs are usually quite violent in nature, taking from the negative emotions that fills the wearer. Their constructs can still be whatever they want, but it's usually whatever will hurt their opponent the most.

Yellow lanterns are similar in how their constructs are meant to terrorize and torment their opponents, otherwise it's quite limited.

Another thing for the Indigo Tribe is that some members are people who used to lack empathy and compassion being so horrifically overwhelmed felt so deeply to repent and atone for their sins and crimes. They joined and accepted a ring and swore an oath to be redeemed. It's a long and arduous journey, though, but they're willing to go at it until they die, pretty much. It's not often that this happens, however, but the Indigo people are very welcoming to newcomers. They work together to become stronger and better as people and help see to it that those they help also get better as a person.

I know why DC is trying to do this with the lantern corps, but it's really convoluted (many people have mentioned how confusing and unclear a lot of it is) and NOT working.

Like.. why the heck would the embodiment of love be a creature called "Predator" ??? Excuse me?? That gives such horrid connotations.

It could still be a monster in appearance, but let's, y'know, probably rename it to something far more.. fitting for the emotion of love? (Heck, what if it was a single entity, but it had more than one head (8) and each head had its own name representing the various forms of love? Agape, philia, ludus, philautia, pragma, storge, mania, and eros. That would be more clever tbh)

the more extreme the emotion, the more likely the user is to cry. when our emotions get too much, our bodies regulate this by crying. or whatever the equivalent is for the various aliens that make up the various lantern corps.

the strongest and most likely to fall to a fit of crying out of the lanterns is: Red, Blue, Purple/Indigo, and Pink/Violet.

[ifuckingloveryoshu]

How do you feel about the "Yuzuki = The Sword" theory? I don't know what backing it may or may not have other than simple vibes and like, the basic symbolism in the EGO art, but I'm curious to hear what you think!

Hello Kili! Or I assume this is Kili. I follow the "Yuzuki = The Sword" theory but I'm begging and pleading that it doesn't come true. I have an alternative theory that the Hell Screen is a screen door corridor you can walk into with all the individual tortures are suspended in time. There is no real proof for that one execept seeing some Ring art in Leviathan. I don't know what's worst though, Yuzuki being dead for good and just the sword, or they pull out some mirror identity shit. I'd like to throw my own crack theory into The Ring. Rip it apart.

Yuzuki is coming back from the dead from another mirror world and Ryoshu has to confront revenge Yuzuki with burns on her body and the other subjects of her arts who were subjected to tortures. Or, Bitch Ass Lord Of Horiwaka is a Ring higher up and sicks a monolith group of Abnormalities at the Limbus Company gang while also just showing everyone Yuzuki. Yoshihide had dreams about the Hell Screen and Yuzuki calling out for him to join her in Hell and Project Moon seems to love bringing loved ones back but messed up. (Library Of Ruina, Leviathan, Lobotomy Corp with Carmen)

( Off-topic but I missed a lot on my very shallow dive on the Wild Hunt I did a long time ago and I made lots of mistakes there. I don't think ill come back to it but a concern to think about next time.) The Wild Hunt seems to happen often enough for Faust to have a name for it. There is no way the mirror stuff only gets used in Heathcliff's chapter and The Ring has this idententity technology. Also, that Ghost Parade Of 100 Demons refrence can potentially be foreshadowing. For me, there's no way Heathcliff's chapter will be the only time we get mirror shenaigans, esspecially when there's no way The Ring will not be in Ryoshu's chapter, or any of the other fingers given her art.

For me, it is vibes but I am one of the few who has read all of Leviathan with the unoffical fan translation. It was just a very long time ago. Because of what I know from Leviathan, I can totally see the Ring and by extention, Yuzuki becoming a sword and provide, at least something. Also this random reddit comment from this threat that I retained in my head when I barely step on reddit. X.

Yuzuki seemed to be Yoshihide's everything and the sword errupts into flames everytime that EGO is cast. (One time I need to go here and talk about the horrifying thought that R.B. Ryoshu might have cut up and eatten Yuzuki if we follow the sword theory..)

Under the cut are Leviathan spoilers. If you want my final thoughts, I do follow the "Yuzuki = Sword" theory until we get conformation otherwise, but I don't rule out any possibilities. I am open to other theories. "Yuzuki = Sword" will not be the whole story, it won't be the only thing happening there, mark my words. I follow off vibes and This link has nothing of substance, ignore the Spiderman stuff but I think it would be fun to share my old thoughts before the Ryoshu Mania fully took over my head. x Their not good and I don't totally agree with the stuff I said back then.

Thank you so much for the ask!

Welcome back and here we are. Most memoriable to me is all the orphans. (Book 15)

They turned the orphans into the picatulum in the effort to do the identity experiment stuff. Actually looking back, I need to re-read Leviathan again, it makes so much more sense now.

I don't think there's anything else actually for Sword = Yuzuki because im just skiming. I don't have the energy to read back right now. I'm really sorry. Sleepy.

Sword Yuzuki is not out of the question if their doing things like this.

Chapter 10 (Is this meat?)

While Im still here, might as well save screenshots for my own refrence. (Chaper 9)

(Chapter 11)

Chapter 3

[camaro-and-smokes]

Eve

Chapter 2: XNQ-377

Chapter summary: Billy didn't like the situation. At all. Eddie and Steve could be anywhere. He hoped they wouldn't be in the military section of the station. The evac should be partially easy. He had a map, an AI and a robot dog covering his six. But he also had a monster on a leash, and he and the monster weren't on the best of terms.

MIND THE TAGS - S E R I O U S L Y. This is a horror/scifi/creature movie crossover and loyal to the film. If the image below makes you queezy, this is not for you. Unless you like that queezy feeling, then, happy reading :)

Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: M/M/M Relationship: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson Tags: MetalSandwich Movie Mania, Movie: Aliens (1986), Aliens AU, Horror, Body Horror, Blood, Blood and Gore, Gore, Xenomorphs, Aliens, Metalsandwich, Mungrove, Harringrove, Science Fiction, Military Science Fiction, Crossover

Notes: Written for Metalsandwich Movie Mania 2023 @now-showing-at-the-hawk-events

Read on AO3 >> Read other chapters on tumblr >>

::::::::::

Billy rushed to the lower deck and towards the armoury. They had not at all small arsenal of weapons at their disposal, they did this shit for living. Handguns, pulse rifles, plasma rifles, grenade launchers, flamethrowers, sonic disruptors - you named it, they got it, and then some. But the most precious weapon to Billy was Steve. They never went to the battleground alone.

Or hadn't gone. Now he had no choice.

He was certain that Steve had no other weapons on him but a handgun, if even that. He carried nothing else on space stations when they weren't working. And Eddie carried nothing with him, ever. Well, maybe a Swiss army knife. Neither of those would help against what they were facing.

He strode through the massive doors to their armoury. He walked past the gun racks and gear boxes, collecting weapons with him as he walked. Plasma rifle was a must on a space station. It didn't puncture walls but only after heavy fire, so it was safer in this situation. Also, it didn't run out of ammo, but its battery would run out at some point. So, as many batteries with him as he could reasonably carry.

He knocked at one of the metal gear boxes with his knuckles. “Spot, let's go!” he said. The cover opened, and a yellow four-legged robot stepped out. “Hello, Billy,” it said, stretching its lone long grabbing arm up. “How may I help you?” “We're going to find Steve and Eddie. They're stuck somewhere on the station. Download the station map from Sis once I put her online. Gear up with the sonic disruptors, you're going to take care of my six. But ensure to avoid Eve with it. She'll be pissed off if you hit her with it.” “Acknowledged,” the robot said, and walked to the gear rack that held the disruptors and mounted one on itself.

Once he had his weapons of choice ready and laid out on the table in the middle of the room, he went to his armour closet. He opened the door and thought for a moment about the situation. They were on a space station, so he'd have to prepare for loss of atmosphere in addition to the normal bullshit of one set of normal sharp teeth, one set of high-speed teeth, in case he got too close, and of course the always as lovely acid blood. Also, on a military station like this he might encounter some friendly fire with the exception that the friendlies might not count him as a friendly anyway. So, he also needed something that would hold stray bullets.

Fuck. Normal hunting suit, then.

He didn't want to have his ass kicked by a stray marine who hadn't seen the chitin suit he had. It was Eddie's design and he had patented and licensed it, and suits made on the license were worn by an increasing number of space corps.

However, on a backwater station like this, it would be likely that no one had seen one before. But it was the only armor he could dodge at least some bullets with, so he didn't have a choice. He would've preferred something less straining, but the situation was what it was, so.

Although he was pretty sure that his worries about encountering any human weapons' fire would be among the least ones once he walked out of the ship.

The armour was shiny and black, made of thousands and thousands of small chitin shields. It glistened in the bleak light of the armoury and for a moment Billy felt unease, like he always did when he had to put this suit on. There was always something wrong if it was his only choice.

Their stop on the station was supposed to be just a regular stop, but of course, things had to go south just as everything had looked better. As usual. He just hoped that he wouldn’t be too late, for anyone’s sake.

He turned around and stepped backwards inside the armour, leaning to the back of it and greeting the AI that was operating it. “Hello, Sis.” “Hello, Billy,” the AI replied with a pleasant female voice as the armour quietly hummed to life. “Going hunting?” “Not hunting, but doing an evac. We’re leaving base.” “Acknowledged. Please remain still. Armour closing in one, two, three.” The armour knitted itself closed around Billy like a second skin, part by part starting from the boots. The helmet was the last one to lock itself in place. Billy followed from the heads-up-display of his helmet screen how Sis automatically linked all his chosen weapons to the armour and, one by one, the statuses of the weapons and other systems turned green. “Anyone else joining you today?” the AI asked. “I'm taking Spot with me,” he said. Then he paused and let out a deep breath, shaking his head. “No. It’s me, Spot, you and Eve.” He grimaced. “Link her to my suit as well.” “Do you want all reins over her?” After a short pause, Billy spoke. “Yes, please.”

Billy hated himself a little for having to link Eve to himself like that. Yes, she was huge and lethal, but after spending time with her - albeit from a safe distance - he couldn’t think but that there was intelligence like no other behind all that teeth and will to kill, even though that kind of intelligence was the source of a lot of bad things in the galaxy. But Eve was still a living creature that should have a certain level of freedom. Not that they could provide any of it to her since their ship was small-ish.

“Link to Eve established. She is not happy,” Sis remarked. “Yeah, I thought as much," Billy replied, taking another deep breath. "Maybe she changes her mind once she understands what’s at stake.” “What is at stake?” the AI asked. “Please go through the security feeds from the whole time we’ve been docked at the station. We’re in the middle of a shit-storm and Eddie and Steve are in the heart of it. Oh, and send the map of the station to Spot.” After a brief pause, the AI spoke. “I concur that your analysis of a shit-storm-like situation is accurate.” Billy snorted. “You’re starting to get the hang of deadpan humor, I see.” “I am doing my best,” the AI replied. “All systems have been activated and Spot has the map. You are ready to go.” “Thanks, Sis. Let’s put this show on the road.”

With all his weapons sorted to their places in his armor, Billy grabbed Eddie’s shirt he’d brought down with him from the cabin, took yet another deep breath, and walked to the cargo hold door, followed by Spot. He peeked in through the window in the thick door, but the space was dimly lit and quiet as it always was. However, it didn't mean that there wasn't something to be concerned about in there.

Billy hit the release button, and the door slid up, activating the lights in the hold. The temperature around him fell by 30 degrees and the heaters inside his armor kicked in. He cursed to himself. “I fucking hate this suit, I hate this fucking ship, the situation and I especially hate...”

A low hissing he could hear through his helmet’s outer mics interrupted his inner monologue. He stopped to take a breather. Approach her cautiously, never ever show that you are afraid, Eddie had said. She’s all bark and no bite as long as you don't show her you’re afraid. If you do, all safeties are off. Billy took a deep breath. “Rise and shine, Eve,” he said through the speakers in his suit and walked towards a terrarium-like habitat built in the back of the cargo hold. The closer Billy got to the habitat, the louder the hissing became. And not just because the distance grew shorter. “Yes, I know I woke you from your beauty sleep, princess, but I need your help. Your favorite person in the whole wide universe is in danger, and I need you to help me find him.” A dark shadow stirred in the habitat's shade as Billy got close.

No matter how often he came down here, it got no less nerve wrecking. He had to close the outer speakers so that his rugged breathing wouldn’t hint of his hesitation. Finally, he arrived in front of the habitat. Even though he was terrified about what he was about to do, a small part of him - very small, tiny even - was always in awe of what they were doing. And especially, that they actually could do it. It was unheard of, and yet, here he was, about to take one of the most horrifying creatures in the whole fucking universe for a walk.

-oOo-

Sample XNQ-377 was a genetically modified embryo that had been waiting for plantation to a host when Steve and Billy had broken into the science station in deep space. Not really knowing where they had been sent to but only told that this sample was what they were to locate and return to its 'rightful' owner in return for a hefty amount of money, they’d quickly learned that the science station they’d been sent to had been a fucking hive at that point. Xenos, mutated and disfigured in ways Billy and Steve had never seen, running around every corner, and all the staff spent as hosts.

The fact that there was only a limited amount of the bastards running around had been the only good thing they had going for them in that situation, really.

The science station had been doing other research as well, so once they’d found the lab and what they were told to fetch, they looted the rest of the laboratory, too, taking everything they could carry with them.

A great gig haul-wise, in every other sense a horrible one. They'd barely gotten out alive.

After returning to their ship and in a safe distance away from the station, they’d decided that sample XNQ-377 wouldn’t go to any other owner but the one who’d pay highest price of it on the darknet. And the gig had turned out to be very lucrative. Though not because they sold the embryo - not that there weren’t buyers, mind you.

It was because of what the embryo turned out to be.

Munson, the ever crazy scientist and a friend - and later also something more - who'd created Billy's and Steve's hunting suits, had known what it was: an embryo of a Xenomorph queen and one of a kind in a very special way.

She’d been genetically modified to alter her need to reproduce. If she was held in a habitat that filled certain atmospheric requirements, she wouldn’t develop the need to produce eggs until she would’ve been released into a suitable atmosphere. So, no need to send a massive number of Xeno eggs on a planet, just deploy her and let her run rampant until everyone was dead. Easy deployment of a hive as big as needed wherever you needed to get rid of a colony or just unfriendlies in general. So, since Munson knew what she was and had the equipment - Billy didn’t want to even start thinking where he got it all - they decided they might make more money by using her themselves.

But not for overtaking planets.

Some alternative research had suggested that if there was a situation where another queen was introduced to an active Xeno hive with a queen already laying eggs, the latter would stop producing them and fight the new queen. Of course, a queen that hadn’t spent a day laying eggs would always be more likely to win the fight than an old one who’d been stuck in place and producing eggs ever since it matured. And stopping the queen from producing new eggs would mean that once all the Xenos were killed, including the old queen, and all eggs destroyed (and the new queen returned to the ship before she could become fertile, of course) the planet was available for a new human master.

So, ever being able to seeing an opportunity to make money from outside the military - since not all conquerors were military, galaxy-sized tech businesses or even legal entities and the knowledge of Xenos wasn’t exactly common knowledge either - seeing the endless possibilities for hefty income from a very niche field of business, Munson had suggested the craziest idea and, well...

Her name was Eve.

-oOo-

Billy reached out his hand and placed it on the transparent resin wall of Eve’s habitat.

A black maw twice the size of Billy's head with long pin sharp teeth surged from the shadows and hit the other side of the wall, startling Billy and making him fall on his back on the floor. “Fuck! Eve!” he barked through the speakers when he caught his breath. “Behave!” He got an ear tearing screech as a reply and a new hit to the other side of the wall. He stared at the ceiling for a moment and carefully, once again, tried to remember the one crucial mistake in his life that had brought him to this exact moment in life. Then he sat up and glared back at the habitat.

The transparent wall was smeared with snot, drool, and mucus, but otherwise undamaged. Through it, he saw the fifteen feet tall Xenomorph queen crouching in front of it, now fully out of the shade of her habitat.

Billy couldn't help but to admire the beast for a moment. Her black exoskeleton was shining in the bright lights of the cargo hold and her skeletal tail that ended into a lethal spike was curled around her feet in an almost cat-like manner. Her two sets of hands were calmly in her lap, the tinier ones resting over the larger ones.

She was gorgeous in a very creepy and horrible way, Billy couldn’t deny that.

However, the freely moving part of her head, the maw, now with her lips closed to hide the angler fish like teeth, was pointing at him. She didn’t have eyes - she used echolocation to find her prey - but Billy was sure she was glaring at him. He was sure she always did that, since they definitely weren’t on friendly terms. But the scales of her six-feet-long creatine crown were wrapped around each other, an ability given to her with her several genetical alterations, and the tube they created was settled between the several tall spikes on her upper back. If she’d been pissed off, the crown would’ve been spread high above her head. But since it wasn’t, it meant that she wasn’t really agitated at all.

She was just playing with him. The fucker.

“Eve, we don’t have time for our normal dance. Eddie and Steve need our help. We need to get going right now.” He waved Eddie’s shirt in his hand and sent a message through Sis to Eve. The queen tensed up immediately. Billy nodded. “Yeah. Father. Missing,” Billy repeated the words he'd send to Eve. “We gotta go find your father. And Steve.”

[vendettavalor]

@quillheel said: [ 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 ] : as sender is about to leave, receiver embraces them. // from Kim to Harry, or perhaps the other way around? up to you!

⚔️ Desperation Prompts // ACCEPTING ⚔️

No one said recovery would be easy. Harry had been told that numerous times since the start of this whole Journey to Sobriety. Mostly from the part of him that represented his ELECTROCHEMISTRY. Time and time again, it had insisted that the lows of his mental state were worse than the crashes of the bottle or the pills. Like a contemptuous toddler trying its hand at reverse psychology to get its way. Thankfully, his rapidly improving better judgment insisted that this was just a natural consequence of relying on substances to regulate his mental health for so long. In time, he would stabilize. But for now, his body had to relearn how to make its own serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters and endorphins again. The chemical imbalance still remained, even as his organs recovered from the constant, recurring bouts of toxic shock he sent them into with his abusive habits.

And today was one of those low days.

Everything had gone right. They'd solved another case. A relatively easy one this time at that. It was little more than a brief inspection, a few interviews, and the deduction that the culprit to the suspected home invasion was little more than an old canine who'd failed to look before he lept in his pursuit of a mangy feline, and crashed through a window into a woman's kitchen in the middle of the night. (The mutt was fine, thankfully - and Judit even adopted the old dog to give him a more stable home to live out the rest of his golden years in.)

The paperwork was minimal. The weather was nice. But Harry just couldn't find it in him to smile about any part of the day. Not the groggy beginning, not the exhilarating middle which held his passion for problem-solving at the forefront of his mind, and not the satisfying conclusion where everything actually worked out well for once. And now, all he could focus on was the fact that Kim was walking away. Day's work done, the lieutenant was preparing to retire and leave both the station and Harry behind. And for some reason, that made him hurt more.

EMPATHY: You could really use a hug. From him specifically. It feels like he's all you have right now. And you don't think he'd mind that. HALF LIGHT: Fucking pathetic. Of fucking course he would. Toughen up, Du Bois. ESPIRIT DE CORPS: He wouldn't. He's noticed something has been off with you all day. More than just the normal lack of mania that comes with sobering up, he's noticed that you've been generally disinterested in... everything. INLAND EMPIRE: You're not your usual cheerful, eccentric self. Not even with the things that would normally get you hyped up. CONCEPTUALIZATION: He tried pointing out a little figurine in one of the shop windows that looked like it was straight out of the era of disco. PERCEPTION: He did? CONCEPTUALIZATION: Oh, yes. It was beautifully hand-painted with watercolors and varnish, positively garish and glowing against the backdrop of old, dusty antiques around it. You would have loved it. ESPIRIT DE CORPS: You didn't even react to it. That was when he realized something was wrong. Something more than jus the usual rebound low of fresh sobriety. He's worried you might be depressed. It's been on his mind all day since. He's waiting for you to say something so he can start a conversation. You know he's not good with emotions. He prefers rational discussion, unlike you. He lacks your tact or emotional literacy. So, say something. If not to make yourself feel better, he wishes you'd at least do it to ease his mind.

Without another thought to guide him, Harry sways and stumbles forward. Clumsy arms wrap themselves around Kim, pulling him in for a warm, somewhat moist hug. It's comforting for all of a moment, as Harry's breath shudders with barely restrained ache. When was the last time he received physical comfort? He doesn't remember. And his gut tells him he doesn't want to either. Then, he immediately regrets it. There's an unfamiliar sense of embarrassment that washes over him just as the rest of his psyches begin to dogpile his sense of empathy and his gut. He didn't even say anything or ask if it was okay.

Just as quickly, he lets go of Kim and returns his arms to his sides with a bowed head. A muttered sorry escapes him and he moves to retreat back toward his desk like a kicked dog slinking off back to the shameful safety of its leaky kennel. Still lacking impulse control it seems.

Nice one, Harry.

[mrxcreepypastamadness]

For: @toxic-and-the-gang

Mario's Madness V2 muses!

Irregularity Island

1st Muse (New):

Chris Pratt

Occupation: Actor

Status: Alive

Species: Human

Gender: Male

Eye Color:

• Green (IRL)

• Black (Mod)

• White (Mod; Old)

Hair Color: Brown

Appears in:

• The Lego Movie

• Gaurdians of the Galaxy

• Jurassic Park

• The Super Mario Bros. Movie

• Friday Night Funkin: Mario's Madness

Debut:

• Real Life

• Cursed Part 3 (directional debut)

About: Chris Pratt is a character that appeared in V2. He is the voice actor of Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. He is the opponent in a song "So Cool".

2nd Muse (New or Current):

Grand Dad

Aliases:

• Grand Dad

• Mario 7

• 7 Grand Dad

Relatives:

• Fortran (Cloned from)

Relationships:

• Somari (Lover)

• Grand Mom (Wife)

Occupation: ???

Martial Status: Married

Status: Alive

Species: Human

Subspecies: Figment

Gender: Male

Eye Color:

• Blue with orange sclera (Title screen/base form)

• Black (In-game/second form)

Hair Color:

• Blue (Title screen/base form)

• Black (In-game/second form)

Created by:

• Nintendo (Original Mario)

• William Hanna and Joseph Barbera (Original Fred Flinstone)

• Bit Corp. and Fiver Firm (Fortran)

• J.Y Company (Grand Dad)

• Vinesauce Joel (Meme)

Appears in:

• Dianshi Mali/Big TV Mary Bar (Fortran)

• Mario IV (Ivotran)

• Mario Fighter III (Hario)

• 7 GRAND DAD

• SilvaGunner Rips

• Vine Realms

• Vine Worlds

• Grand Dad Mania Revived

• Friday Night Funkin' (as a Mod)

Debut:

• Dianshi Mali/Big TV Mary Bar (original Fortran sprite)

• 7 GRAND DAD (Grand Dad)

About: 7 GRAND DAD is a bootleg NES title that is a reskin of the game "The Flinstones: The Rescue of Dino and Hoppy" that replaces Fred Flinstone's head with Mario's head. It became a wildly popular meme due to Vinesauce Joel's shocked reaction to its bizarre title screen, and is also iconic fixture of SilvaGunner's high-quality tips, as well as a character in the Weegee Lore. The Mario seen on said title screen (itself a reskin of another bootleg Mario named Fortran), often just called Grand Dad, is a character for the mod. He is the opponent in the song "Nourishing Blood".

Gallery:

Grand Dad (Pixel)

3rd Muse (New):

Somari

Relationships:

• Grand Dad (Lover)

Species: Human

Gender: Male

Eye Color: Blue

Created by: Hummer Team

Debut: Somari

About: Somari is a bootleg version of Mario originating from his titular game. He is the opponent in MARIO SING AND GAME RHYTHM 9.

[retrocausalities]

wanted connections...

feat. just some guy, the artistic director, the super loser, the silent snarker. more tba!

𝓏𝒶𝓃𝓃 𝓆. 𝓅𝓊𝒷𝓁𝒾𝒸.

general relativity. [5/?]

zann's power inadvertently affects your muse's power when they are out and about. based on the distance to his power's area of effect, there are distortions and even "deactivation" of powers (aka disintegration of the matter/energy), which baffle your muse. your muse is investigating the cause of this issue, and how they react is utp.

— filled by @fatalled ( loveshot , roulette ), @loftycries ( savant ), @iridescences ( granite ), @mincedoaths ( havoc ), @fiiregaze ( hades ). / unlimited spots open.

active galactic nuclei. [0/?]

unlike zann himself, your muse knows he has a power, and a damn useful one for your muse's own goals. zann's currently in-between jobs, and as long as the gig isn't too dirty and/or dramatic, he could be easily persuaded to lend a helping hand in exchange for cash.

— looking for connections! / unlimited spots open.

cygnus x-1. [1/1]

during his nde, zann had a violent quarrel with a squatter at his old apartment building. unfortunately, during that conflict, zann's power activated in self-defense, and the guy was never seen again. your muse has a relationship with the missing man (platonic, romantic, familial, etc., but must be friendly) and wants to know the answers behind his disappearance.

— filled by @viillaincoded ( hive )! / closed.

accreditation disk. [3/?]

zann stays away from the complexities of organized crime, but he's not exactly squeaky clean himself. in alleyways, street corners, and on dance floors, he deals weed and party pills for whoever's buying. he's very discreet and doesn't discriminate on who buys his wares. perfect if your muse has a reputation to uphold or doesn't want to be psychoanalyzed by their dealer.

— filled by @godenvy ( jester ), @ofpantheons ( glitch ), @forunholy ( zeus ) / unlimited spots open.

𝓇𝑒𝓎𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝓂𝒶𝓍𝒾𝓂𝒾𝓁𝒾𝒶𝓃𝑜 𝒸𝒾𝓈𝓃𝑒𝓇𝑜𝓈.

the manias. [3/5]

[tw: stalking, obsessive behavior, mention of bodily harm, injury.]

reyhan is unconcerned with petty criminality. they are wealthy, successful, and have everything they need. but what they don't have, they want. and they crave the attention of their top 5 cerberus agents with whom they have an obsessive fixation. these agents have hurt reyhan irreparably and left a mark on their body. in turn, reyhan has left their mark as well, controlling important body parts of these agents as a result of their encounters. because the body and movement are what reyhan is interested in, they do not find interest in agents with powers that aren't activated or involve motor skills. reyhan will stop at nothing to fully control these individuals' bodies as an homage to the control these agents have on their psyche. fluctuating from friend to foe, reyhan will follow the agents to the bitter end, fixated on the movement of their bodies and how their powers will manifest as directed by puppeteer's manipulations.

1. the head. the one who started reyhan's obsession with select members of cerberus corp. the first agent to encounter reyhan during their torture spree and injured reyhan across the face. the agent left an unsightly gash, leading to reyhan's distinct scar across their cheeks and nose. by breaking reyhan free from the self-shackles of beautiful perfection, the agent kickstarted reyhan's newfound artistic principle and mania with the beauty of imperfection. reyhan carries this agent's merchandise (trading card being their favorite), follows them on social media, and will try to show up wherever the agent is, such as in fan meetings. they will even shadow when the agent is on duty. they claim to love the agent, and will express that by controlling this agent's limbs in somewhat romantic overtures. the agent is reyhan's #1 bias, and reyhan swears to make the agent fully theirs, one way or another. ( whirlpool. aka "honey/cariño." )

2. the heart. the one who reyhan burned emotionally, and they took their revenge on reyhan, the civilian... but, unfortunately, their vindictive actions do not align with cerb corp's policy. reyhan holds that incident over the agent for blackmailing, more than happy to bring up the agent's less-than-heroic past to the corporation. the thing is, reyhan says they are fond of the agent and could be convinced to drop it if the agent will give them full bodily control. but this agent knows that reyhan's favorite is the head, if not reyhan themself. so could it be a lie? whether or not this agent still has affection for reyhan is utp. this agent is the only one at this time in cerb corp who knows of puppeteer's real identity, but due to reyhan's social capital and cover as puppeteer, the agent finds it hard to prove that reyhan is the anti-hero.

3. the hand. the one who has the misfortune of being constantly at odds with puppeteer. it does not help that the agent's powers are disadvantageous against the anti-hero, and in conclusion, most of their limbs are controlled by reyhan. reyhan uses it to their advantage, finding ways to keep an eye on the agent and control their limbs to cause chaos at random. the agent, however, has one perk the other obsessions do not. by being "tied-up" and forced to listen to reyhan's wild, meandering monologues, they have slowly pieced together what makes puppeteer tick and could figure out how to manipulate the manipulator.

4. the hips. the one who actually doesn't mind puppeteer. the agent pretends they dislike the anti-hero, and reyhan also acts as if they loathe the agent, when they both know they wouldn't truly hurt the other. also, puppeteer has helped this agent out in their encounters if an interloper intrudes on their private time. both are more than fine in letting the other go after playing their strange little charade. what's that saying again? it takes two to tango? this agent is courted by reyhan at lengths to leave cerberus and join them independently in hunting down the other obsessions. reyhan has promised if they do that, they would release control of all of the agent's limbs... and isn't it more fun to be two against the world? ( ashina. aka "goddess/diosa." )

5. the heel. the one who is reyhan's worst nightmare. this agent's ability is advantageous against reyhan's own, and reyhan loathes it. this agent is the first to have countered puppeteer's power, shocking reyhan to their core. even under reyhan's control, the agent fought against it long enough to leave a bite mark on reyhan's right hand, almost severing the joint of their thumb had reyhan not forced the agent's jaw to open in time. after the humbling (for half a second, reyhan does not do humble) defeat, they have deemed this agent their nemesis. the agent is reyhan's most destructive target; instead of coyly playing with them as per the other obsessions, reyhan is violently dead-set on utterly dominating and owning this agent's body to celebrate their conquest. ( phoenix. aka "kitten/gatito." )

[/end tw.]

— filled by @godenvy ( whirlpool ), @mincedoaths ( phoenix), @trajedyas ( ashina ). / 2 spots open for cerberus agents. ( the injuries/limb control will be discussed via plotting! )

the vigors. [1/6]

while famous for their craft, reyhan has also become a bit of a celebutante, synonymous with the coolest artsy scene of new york city. however, they're not alone. other young, fashionable, and trendy celebrities who are up-and-coming for their lavish parties, glitzy lifestyle, and luxe aura are now dubbed the new club kids after being seen together hanging out in popular nightspots. these muses are not part of reyhan's regular social circle and not part of their entourage, however, these muses all endeavor as a group to host the best parties nyc's nightlife has ever seen. their feelings towards one another are utp, but reyhan will position themselves in leadership roles when the new club kids get together to host events.

— filled by @iridescences ( lucidity ). / 5 spots open for muses with (in)famous professions related to arts, fashion, & celebrity culture.

the tremors. [1/6]

a soloist in a dance company must be surrounded by the corps to stand out, do they not? these muses are reyhan's """friends,""" but the people around them can see them for what they are. reyhan's entourage, those who are savvy in knowing reyhan's a great connection for climbing up that social ladder, especially in reputation-obsessed new york city. however, goals can blur when ""friendships"" become a toxic game of chicken and keeping up appearances becomes more and more of a mind game. how members of this group feel about each other is utp, but all of them defer to the "queen bee," reyhan (for now).competition, cattiness, gaslighting, gatekeeping, manipulating, straight-up lying, nothing is off-limits if it means crawling up to the top. reyhan isn't immune either, even if they have fashioned themselves as the head of their crew. betrayal can only come from your ""friends,"" after all.

— filled by @herbrokenmelodies ( songstress ). / 5 spots open for muses aged 30-35 looking to break into celebrity status.

the humors. [2/4]

reyhan has always seen themselves as the top billing, and somehow, they've managed to make actual friends in the process. yes, hold the presses; this isn't fake news. whether it's someone in the know of the ~celebrity experience~, or a passion for artistic enterprise, reyhan sees themselves reflected in your muse, making reyhan stick around. surprisingly, your muse has, too. however, reyhan is unabashedly selfish. even if there's a real connection, it doesn't always mean the bonds can't become severed...but maybe some bonds can be forged stronger.oh wait no it's reyhan lmao your muse has to have the patience of a saint

— filled by @loftycries ( savant ), @vrusk ( bespoke ) / 4 spots open for muses who are celebrities, (in)famous artists/performers, and/or stinkin' rich, or are real good pretenders.

𝓀𝑒𝑒𝑔𝒶𝓃 𝓀𝒾-𝓉𝒶𝑒𝓀 𝒿𝑒𝑜𝓃𝑔.

division by zero. [2/?]

aka the loser's club. after being looked down on by their fellow higher-level agents and the public, these level 3 cerberus agents have come together to create a "support" group (honestly, it's more like a hangout group) to encourage each other. their collective goals are to rise in the company's ranks, look out for one another, and celebrate the lesser-known heroics of everyday life.they also hang out at least once every two weeks for movie nights, karaoke, and general fun. keegan is the "unofficial" organizer, but there is no leader within the group.

— filled by @justfreefalling ( amontons ), @firefightertj ( thor ). / unlimited spots open for level 3 cerberus agents with a low reputation in the company or who have a power considered "useless" to the public.

batello. [1/1]

the single level 1 agent who keegan has sworn to change their mind. although he normally doesn't let others' perception of him affect his mood, this level 1 agent is the outlier. he wants to prove himself to this individual and show that he is their equal. the level 1 agent thinks keegan is a travesty and has their own reasons as to why they do not wish keegan to rank up within the company.

— filled by @donewithflare ( flare )! / closed.

euclidean division. [0/1]

a level 1 or level 2 agent who personally saved keegan's life during one of his first missions back in 2018. keegan may or may not be crushing on them. (he's so crushing on them.) he is unable to speak in their presence and often becomes a klutz around this agent. it is utp if the agent is aware of keegan's crush, and if they're flattered, amused, disgusted, etc.! keegan will not hit on or make a move on the agent, as his shyness overtakes him in their interactions. this crush hinges on keegan putting the agent on a pedestal and may evolve into a different dynamic once both parties get to know each other personally.

— looking for connections! / 1 spot open for level 1-2 cerberus agents aged 36-43, employed in cerberus corp before 2018. no longer looking! thank you!

dimidiation. [1/1]

a primary mission partner of keegan's. their powers mesh well, and they have high success rates when teamed up. off the field, they also get along and spend lots of time together, spurring rumors that they're a couple. funnily enough, both keegan and this agent like each other but are completely oblivious that their feelings are mutual. will they, won't they? all of cerb corp is watching and placing their bets.

— filled by @mincedoaths ( phoenix )! / closed.

fraction. [1/1]

[cw: addiction]

while keegan's power is helpful to agents to mitigate painful side effects, an eo may develop a reliance on splitter's pain suppression/transferal powers to deal with the burden of their ability's drawbacks. as a nurse practitioner, keegan feels obliged to help those who are hurting, but he feels conflicted that he might be enabling an unhealthy dependence for this person.

— filled by @vrusk ( bespoke )! / closed.

[/end cw.]

— looking for connections! / 1 spot open.

dividends. [2/?]

agent splitter is not a name on the lips of the level 1 cerberus agents, or even remembered by many. in fact, if reminded about the level 3 guy on rollerblades with a helmet and big shades, most level 1s would call keegan a clown, a fool. a parody, not a real hero. these muses may have teamed up with splitter in the past, but one thing's for sure: there's no respect before, during, and after. and why would there be for a guy who literally can't hurt anyone by himself?

— filled by @fatalled ( loveshot ) , @donewithflare ( flare ). / unlimited spots open.

𝒶𝓂𝓅𝒶𝓇𝑜 "𝒶𝓎𝓁𝒾𝓃" 𝒸𝒶𝓇𝒹𝑜𝓃𝒶.

👋 [0/?]

ampi has been a vigilante since arriving in the big apple at 20, making friends who share her vision of using powers for good. however, throughout the years, there may have been falling outs. this muse used to work together with amparo but left her vigilante coalition due to differing opinions on justice. whether or not there is bad blood is utp.

— looking for connections! / unlimited spots open.

🫵 [1/3]

amparo has her sights set on these troublemakers who cause pain and chaos to the community. she'll do what she can to defeat them and bring them to justice. one could call these muses her "arch-nemeses."

— filled by @trajedyas ( daydream ) / 2 spots open for anti-heroes, villains, or any muse who has villainous aspirations.

🤝 [2/5]

amparo's current vigilante team centered on taking down megacorps that capitalize on eo's, such as cerberus, and now, andersen labs. they patrol their neighborhoods separately, but are aligned in their mission to expose the truth behind the "superhero industry." they protect civilians and must keep their identities a secret.

— filled by @mincedoaths ( dead ringer ), @somehazydaze ( haze ). / 3 spots open for vigilantes.

note: always open for general platonic, romantic interests, antagonistic connections unlisted in this post! please contact me via dm on discord. ✌️

last updated: 2023/12/04.

[dancingpowersau]

Alright so my eyes have been opened, I...

DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THESE LADS, so I guess I better ask "who are the magic bois really." Because I do not know anything about them. But yeah, who are they and what are their REAL personalities (aka not the ones I have seen in 9 Tailed)

We can all learn more together, I believe ^^

Azule is Modern Sonic, his world being that of the games and IDW comics, with some changes of course. He has by this point experienced the events of Frontiers and the Metal Virus, just to name two. Personality-wise, I would say he isn't a very touchy person but he's friendly enough and unapologetic about who he is.

Zee is Zonic, an elite officer for this version of the Zone Cop Corps and a veteran of a war. He may lack the supernatural abilities of his counterparts but he is a force to be reckoned with all the same. Stoic and quiet, Zee has a sharp focus and mind with the drive to see any given task to the end as efficiently as possible - though he isn't too fond of physical touch either.

Dash is Classic Sonic, his timeline running up to Mania but he does not have a part in Forces in this AU. He is very no-nonsense and is often quick to judge (and bite) however this bowling ball does have a kindness in his violence... sometimes.

Lapis is Boom Sonic, which is a little amusing, considering this boy has outgrown most of his jokes by now - his sass is still there, even if it's toned down. He is now legally an adult, and the events of the games and show happened a few years ago. Our dear Lapis is a warm, kind-hearted young man whose former teen arrogance has been tempered into a quiet confidence; he is a natural protector and is the most trustworthy soul you could find, if a little sensitive at times.

Wachowski is obviously Movie Sonic, and for now, he has experienced the events of both movies - and whatever happens in the third movie may proceed differently in this AU but who knows. He is still new to this multiverse and chaos soldier business but he is taking to it better than expected. This little blue muffin is innocent and naïve, believing there is good in almost everyone; he may be peaceful but this boy packs a punch, especially to protect those he cares about - he simply needs time to grow and become someone capable of bearing such a big heart.

[beevean]

Despite his manchild tendencies, Eggman must be surprisingly efficient with his finances, because compared to Wily, he's always been established in the games to have numerous ways of bringing home the dosh (all those amusement facilities, selling outdated models to chumps, mining operations, companies...), and that's if he's not already rich. Sonic 4 is the only game I can think of that pulls the budget card, and even that is clearly an "uhhh how can we justify this game's rehashing?" excuse. :P

It's just hilarious to imagine these big bads who can build bases in space suffering from such a mundane problem. And hey, it could be seen as the proof that Eggman usually doesn't recycle his own Badniks, so when he does, he has a good reason for it! *looks at you know what product that shoves old Badniks for the sake of it*

Absolutely wild that we can infere from canon how he can get the resources for all of his robots and ships. Even if you don't count Robotnik Corp. in Riders, he owns many casinos, and in Mania he owns at least three zones: Studiopolis, Press Garden and Oil Ocean. Of course he's rich, if he can control the media and sell oil!

[lgbtcorp]

@redhead-reporter: what's the catch? there's always a catch.

she's clever. it's refreshing. because lena has been chewed up and spat out by every newspaper under the sun — even in tokyo, she spotted her face and a particularly abrasive comment about the future of I-corp. they either herald her for being the change to the face of the company that they needed, or denigrate her into nothing more than a bitch in heels. (she thinks it comes from some kind of one-sided insecurity — there are men, even from within her own city, that'd rather see her fail than to improve commerce and charitable donations to any functioning organisation within nationaI city.) but hey. it sucks to be a bitch sometimes.

"— an embargo." there is no quid pro quo in the business world, and she doesn't think there needs to be one in the reporting biz either. catco yields her a nice little profit that she can then turn into something better with I-corp's tech (myriad, but don't let that freak you; it's a force for good now), and she's practically giving the story away. (andrea would tsk and pout if she knew she'd gone freelance.)

"i have a story. you need a villain. i'm offering you one on a silver platter, but i need three days. seventy two hours. then frankly, you can do whatever you want with the quote." seventy two hours is enough time to clear down, burn the residue of lex's mania, and keep herself from going under along with the colossal fucking mess he'd put her in. thank you again, brother. very cordial.

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Mega CD - WWF Mania Tour - WWF Rage in the Cage

Title: WWF Mania Tour - WWF Rage in the Cage / ＷＷＦマニア・ツアー

Developer: Sculptured Software / Acclaim Black Team

Publisher: Acclaim

Release date: 24 June 1994

Catalogue No.: T-81024

Genre: Wrestling

I am not a big fan of wrestling games to be honest, but I personally found my favorite wrestling games to be the ones programmed by AKI Corp. for the Nintendo 64, yet I always try to find a good in any game. However, I think that WWF Mania Tour or WWF Rage in the Cage here is a disappointment.

Though the game was released between Royal Rumble and Raw, it ends up falling short compared to either one. The game is almost exactly the same as Royal Rumble, with just the "cage match" interchanged with "Royal Rumble" (I’d take the Royal Rumble mode over the cage match mode any day of the week) and lacks the variety that made Raw worth owning. Why include the Nasty Boyz and the Headshrinkers when you don't have a tag team mode?

Add to this missed CD opportunities and you have a very average game. If you’re a fan of wrestling, go out and buy WWF Raw on whatever platform it was released on. Rage in the Cage just isn’t worth the asking price. Oh well, at least we have Randy Savage and the Undertaker. The low quality FMV is here, but hey, NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat also did it on the Mega CD as well.

[whitepolaris]

A Bughouse in Bug Town

Some people think the derogatory name Bughouse came from Northern State Hospital in Sedro-Woolley. The town was, after all, originally named Bug by its first settler, Mortimer Cook, thanks to the copious amounts of mosquitos in the area. But it just isn't so: The term was used in the 1800s, before Northern State Hospital was built.

In 1909, Washington had two overcrowded asylums: Western State Hospital in Steilacoom and Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake, near Spokane. Rather than enlarging these asylums, the state decided to build a third. Several towns submitted proposals, seeing an asylum as a new source of jobs. Sedro-Woolley won the bid, and the first patients arrived at the new hospital in December 1912. At its height, the facility housed down two thousand patients and employed one thousand people.

It was amazing what kind of "illness" could land someone in Northern State. Men committed their postmenopausal wives when the women became "too excitable." At least one man was committed because he had what was called "religious mania." There were cases of orphaned children being sent to the facility for what today would likely be diagnosed as attention deficit disorder. Many more were committed due to "imbecility" or other learning disabilities. Perhaps a third of the inmates had diseases like senile dementia, manic depression, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses.

Northern State Hospital treated its patients with occupational therapy, hoping that physical labor, like farming and felling timber, would aid in patients' recovery, many of them learned a trade for the day when they would be released. But the doctors also used other techniques popular in the twentieth century to help cure mental illness, including electroshock therapy and lobotomy. Many patients were also sterilized, following the belief of the times that it was for their own good as well as society's.

The hospital closed in 1973, and Washington converted part of the complex into a Job Corps facility and drug treatment center. Although some of the buildings are still in use, some have been torn down, and others are empty and deteriorating. In 2006, local citizens erected a monument to the forgotten dead in the hospital's graveyard. While some of the deceased may be at peace, there have been reports of unquiet dead who walk the crumbling halls of the old buildings. Several people have said they saw a little girl darting around, sometimes playing with a red ball. A man who never seems to find her followers. Other people claim to have seen a nurse in a certain building, pushing a man in a wheelchair.

She's Got (Ghostly) Legs

In 2006, a paranormal investigation group received permission to visit the old hospital, and one person, Vanessa Rent, took pictures in the basement using infrared film. She didn't see much when she was taking the photographs, but the following described what happened when she developed her film:

It was at the end of the night and I was getting lazy about documenting how I took each photo. Plus running around that big place with all that equipment was cumbersome, anyway. I didn't think anyone was wearing shorts that night, so I doublechecked at the [after ghost hunt] meeting. No one remembers anyone in shorts. It is clearly bare legs in what may either be a patient's gown or nurse's uniform.

Also, someone in the group helped validate it a little more, since I had my shutter open more than 10 seconds. It couldn't be a real person or else it would be lots of more blurry. And I'm 95% sure I took that pic without anyone there 'cuz it looked creepy as long, lonely hallway, I probably wouldn't have taken it if someone was standing there already!

Remember, some of the buildings at Northern State are condemned, and for good reason. Most of them are filled with debris and asbestos, and it can be dangerous to walk through them without an employee as a guide.

[stroebe2]

GameStop Comes Roaring Back by Matt Levine

"If you had a magic lamp that allowed you to move up the price of a liquid publicly traded stock arbitrarily, by a large amount, a handful of times, what would you do with it? There’s some stock that trades at $20, and you could rub the lamp and it would go to $30 for like a day or two : What do you do?

I think there is a theoretically correct answer, though it is neither investing nor legal nor magical advice. It goes like this :

Spend all of your money on somewhat out-of-the-money short-dated call options on the stock.

Rub the lamp.

Sell the options.

This maximizes your leverage in the trade: Instead of paying $20 to buy the stock, you pay (say) $1 to buy out-of-the-money options struck at say $25. You rub the lamp, the stock jumps to $30, the options jump to (say) $6, and you sell them all. You’ve made a 500% return using options instead of a 50% return by buying stock.

[...]

The modern US equity market has two main guys with lamps, Elon Musk and Keith Gill. Here’s Gill :

GameStop Corp. shares surged after the Reddit account that drove the meme-stock mania of 2021 posted what appeared to be a $116 million position in the video-game retailer. The June 2 screenshot posted by Keith Gill, who goes by a profane handle involving the phrase Deep Value on Reddit, shows a stake of 5 million shares with an average cost basis of $21.27 apiece. A position that large would make Gill one of the company’s five biggest investors and is more than six times the number of shares his account showed in an April 2021 post, the last time it was active on Reddit, when accounting for a four-for-one stock split. The screenshot, which also included 120,000 call options worth $65.7 million due to expire on June 21, couldn’t be verified. The options would allow him to buy the stock at $20 a share, but would cost him some $240 million to exercise.

[...]

This morning, GameStop’s stock got as high as $40.50, and those calls got as high as $21.10. At those prices, Gill had a paper gain of about $281 million. Also :

On X, Gill also posted an image of a reverse card from the game UNO that indicates a player is changing the card-pickup direction. The post had attracted 6.5 million views in the 12 hours since its publication at about 8 p.m. Sunday New York time.

[...]

I have no idea what Gill is doing. Probably he likes the stock and is in it for the long term. As of 1 p.m. today, only about 6,000 June 21 $20 call options contracts had changed hands, so it doesn’t seem like there’s a lot of options selling. Really I don’t know what to think beyond, like, “isn’t this weird” and “maybe nobody should have a magic lamp that can arbitrarily move stock prices.” A few questions, though :

Where did he get the $174.5 million? That’s a lot of money! As far as I can tell his wealth peaked in the eight figures in the 2021 GameStop mania, so … did he find more? Is someone financing this trade?

Why is he not making the case for GameStop on YouTube? Gill seems to be back on Twitter/X (as Roaring Kitty) and on Reddit (as “a profane handle involving the phrase Deep Value”), but his YouTube channel (also Roaring Kitty), where he did most of his advocacy for GameStop in long detailed videos in 2021, is still dormant.

You see where I’m going with Questions 1 and 2, right? If you had a lot of money and a taste for danger, how much would Keith Gill’s X account be worth to you? How much would his Reddit account be worth to you? How much would his YouTube account be worth to you? (Do you look and sound like him?) If you had the X and Reddit accounts, would those constitute a magic lamp in your hands? How would you most efficiently monetize it? If you were Gill, how would you most efficiently monetize your accounts? Is the answer “sell them to a whale”?

Those $20 calls are now very in-the-money. Is Gill going to exercisethem, by coming up with another $240 million? You can hold GameStop stock forever, but you can only hold GameStop June 21 calls until June 21. After that, you need the $240 million, unless you sell the options first. This is not a diamond-hands position; this is, by its nature, a sell-while-the-selling-is-good position.

Of course if Gill did exercise the options — finding another $240 million wherever he found the previous $174.5 million — he would own 17 million shares of GameStop, or roughly 5% of the outstanding stock. It would be funny if he went activist and demanded a board seat on a platform of “more chaos.”

[...]"

Everything is so stupid

[dreams-of-delirium]

MASTERLIST — Locations in the Universe

PLANETS (STATIONARY LOCATIONS)

Earth — Reverie

Haryana — Durga

Oyashima — Izanami

Huaxia — Shangdi

Azura VII — NA

SHIPS / RIFTS (MOVING LOCATIONS)

The Great Aperture — NA

The Theatre of Cohesion — Apotheosis

The Rift of Creation — Apotheosis

ERGO — ????

The Aureole — Vicissitudo

SINNE Corps — NA

The Hall of Hedonism & Dramatis Personae — Maniae

Apocalypse Ship — NA

Providence Corps — NA