#those episodes were so corruption coded

[darkthur-lesters-lost-arm]

If I had a nickel for every time a podcast protagonist had maggots inside of them because of a crazy worm lady they were running away from I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice.

[squoxle]

Golden Rule - L.HS ff ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡

🎧 pairing: inexperienced!heeseung x badgirl!reader

🎧 summary: your cute and nerdy classmate lets you have your way with him in exchange for help on an assignment

🎧 cw: corruption and exhibitionism kink, oral (m. receiving), religious themes, mentions of bullying, college au, hee’s a bit subby

🎧 wc: 1.4k

You had been feeling horny for the entire week and knew you had to get your hands on some good dick or else you’d literally combust.

Introducing your person of interest: Lee Heeseung.

He was the type of guy you could guess everything about without even speaking to him. From his glasses, the way he tucked his ironed dress shirts into his belted pants, the way you only saw him either sitting with his legs crossed at a church sermon or studying his heart out at the library.

Heeseung was the epitome of a Christian nerd, but it was his insanely good looks that drew your attention to him in the first place.

You two first met at the beginning of the school semester, but you weren’t sure if you could call it a friendship just yet, especially not with the way you’d fantasize about him with your fingers between your legs every night.

It currently 6:00pm: the same time he’d come to the library to study every week day.

“What’re you working on,” you asked, taking a seat beside him at the table.

“Nothing much. Mr. Sweeney gave me this stupid hand written essay that I have to turn in by tomorrow, so I’ll be pretty busy for the next few hours.”

“What for? I thought Mr. Sweeney taught Bible. There aren’t any writing assignments for that class.”

That’s honestly the only reason why you took Bible class this semester.

“He does, but this isn’t a part of the curriculum. It’s a punishment for the prank I pulled on Jake and his crew yesterday… let’s just say, I didn’t get away with it as easily as planned.”

“Oh, so you do have a naughty side?”

“Hardly,” he sharply defended, “All I did was swap their video game discs out with episodes of The Brady Bunch on dvds. But, Sunghoon snitched, so now I’m here.”

“Tough.”

“I know. It’s not like I don’t deserve it, anyways.”

“Nobody deserves to be bullied, Hee. Those guys were assholes and you stood up for yourself! They’re the ones who should be playing Shakespeare for the night,” you argued passionately.

His eyes widened at your use of a swear word, such language that was forbidden by your university code of conduct.

“I appreciate you taking sides with me, but please don’t call it bullying. Makes me feel all… soft, and… vulnerable,” he cringed at his own words.

“You look pretty soft and vulnerable to me,” you mumbled, hungry eyes falling to his pouty lips.

“Excuse me?”

You cleared your throat, “Uhm, what’s the paper on?”

“The Golden Rule.”

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “The what?”

“Loving your neighbors as yourself? You should really pay more attention during Mr. Sweeney’s sermons.”

You chuckled at his comment, nudging him on the shoulder, “Hey, maybe I would if he wasn’t so damn boring… How many pages does it have to be?”

He sighed, “10 at least.”

Having to come of with 10 pages worth of “Golden Rule” greatness sounded much more challenging than you knew it actually was.

All he had to do was write in VERY BIG LETTERS.

You peered over his shoulder, examining the paper. He was just getting started on page two.

“Hmm. We have similar handwriting,” you added, making Heeseung look at you with his desperate doe eyes.

“Oh my God, ____! You have to help me!”

“Watch out, church boy. The pastor might make it 11 pages if he hear’s you calling the Lords name in vain.”

“Ughhhh,” his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he groaned, “Can you please just help me out?”

“Uh-huh, and why would I do that?”

“Look, I’ll do anything! You’re a way stronger writer than I am, and my brain is in the verge of kermitting suicide!!”

He was right. Writing was never a strong subject of his, so he really did need your help.

“Fine,” you gave in, looking around the library before whispering in his ear, “If you can be quiet while I suck you off until you finish page two, I’ll do the rest.”

His eyes widened in disbelief, “What?”

“You heard me,” you said cattily, sneaking under the table and between his legs.

“____, get from down there!! This is inappropriate!”

“Says who,” you giggled, unbuckling his leather belt.

“We’re not a married couple, ____. Hell, We’re not even dating!” He whisper-yelled from above the table, fidgeting with the pencil in his hand.

You could feel how tense he was just my touching his thighs, “You’ve never been approached like this before, have you?” You asked yet stated.

He took a deep swallow, already feeling himself throbbing in his pants, “Of course not… I’m trying to save myself here, y’know?”

“Aww, that’s cute,” you pouted, rubbing his bulge through his boxers.

“F-fuhh,” he mumbled, screwing his eyes shut at the feeling, “I don’t know if I can do this, ____.”

“With God, all things are possible, Hee! You should really pay more attention during Mr. Sweeney’s sermons,” you mocked, shimmying his boxers down to his ankles.

You adjusted yourself under the table before grabbing a hold of his impressively large dick, starting with gentle pumps.

“I’m not hearing the pencil penciling, Hee. Be a good boy and keep writing,” you slithered in a sing-song voice, licking a stripe up his shaft. The foreign texture of your tongue sent pleasurable shivers down his spine.

“____,” he cried with a surpressed moan, “how am I supposed to focus when you’re down there doing that?!” He worried, looking around as if waiting for someone to catch you two.

You released your lips from his heat with a pop, “Down here doing what, Hee? Sucking your virgin dick in the library? I always knew you had a naughty side.”

“Mmm,” he moaned again, rutting his hips up into your mouth, “please tell me you’re almost done, ____.”

You grinned at the sound of his begging, feeling yourself grow wetter with each second you spent between his legs, “Depends on if you either finish that last page or cum in my mouth first.”

Taking him past your lips again, you bobbed your head up and down, stroking the remaining inches you couldn’t fit comfortably in your mouth.

He tried his best to keep writing, but with that way you were sucking him off, his hands couldn’t help but drop the pencil before getting lost in your hair.

“Fuck,” he whined, finally letting the word come out.

He started to use your head like a toy as you sucked him in even harder, “just like that, baby. Please don’t stop.”

You were surprised by how his body slowly submitted to you the more you pleasured him.

Meanwhile, he was surprised that this was actually even happening. You moaned with the gag that tried to escape your throat, clinging to his thighs as your tried to hold in your sounds.

Your eyes started to poke with tears as he used your head more aggressively than before, finally shooting his warm load down your mouth, panting as if he’d just ran a marathon.

“Shh, you’re so noisy,” you teased, stroking him to a point of overstimulation.

“Okay, that’s enough,” he whimpered, taking your hands in his to stop your ministrations.

You licked the cum that dripped from your mouth before pulling his pants back up, getting from under the table.

You fixed your hair with your hands after literally just getting your face fucked by your sweet classmate, taking in his hot and bothered frame.

“How was it?” You asked casually, sitting next to him as if nothing happened.

You tried to ignore the sticky moisture that stuck to your thighs from your own arousal, figuring that you’d think about this moment while you pleased yourself later.

“Amazing,” he said with a shaky breath, still feeling his orgasm fresh in his veins.

“I’m taking about the page you just wrote, silly,” you teased, moving the sheet of paper closer to you before examining what he came up with, “Dude!”

“What, dude?” He asked back with flushed and sleepy features.

“This is garbage!” You exclaimed, ripping the piece of paper in half.

“Yeah, I don’t know why you would’ve expected anything different.”

“Gimme that,” you retorted, snatching the pencil from his hand, “I’m gonna need some coffee to write all these pages for ya…”

“Ugh,” he groaned, understanding that you were indirectly asking him to get you something to drink.

“Iced?”

“Always.”

He got up from the seat, searching through his backpack before pulling out his wallet, “Thanks by the way,” he smiled, trailing to the library exit.

“What can I say? It’s the Golden Rule,” you replied, jotting down the first of many sentences you’d write for Lee Heeseung, the guy you just blessed with the best blow job of his life.

❀ Thank you all so much for reading! Make sure to check out other works on my masterlist!

❀ 𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝:

@chlorinecake @hoyeonheeseung @sussyjake @furious-eagle @cherrriesss @abbyizzy @weyukinluv @addictedtohobi @thatonenoona @wavykook @givemeyourtmihyun @jaeljn @hoonmywk @valennshit @19-yunalyn @hoonbby @frostedblankets @hoonsyo @no-mannerism @perfectxserendipity @chubbibish @ihrtlix @bunniesforsoobin @thereadersparadise @thatbooknerdfr @aiden2001 @belongstoheeseung @jakeybabe @donut-crazs @rizzhee @nikimeows @woonieees @uarmyxtae @rebecca-johnson-28 @they2luv1naia @isa-2007 @silcry @riverscafe @pearlwhitesoul @nikohiroshi @thatbooknerdfr @wonniewonwon

[glade-constellation]

I think I’m starting to realize that Nexus may be one of the most misunderstood characters in the show.

Am I a fan of Nexus? No, not really. I find him funny to watch because, besides EAPS Monty, he says the most out of pocket shit. Never know what to expect when he opens his mouth. But besides that, I just can’t find any interest in him.

That being said, I recently have been doing a deep dive of his character to prove a theory I had, which turned out to be partially canon in today’s episode. I didn’t think Nexus had the Ruin virus, I don’t think he ever had it. After watching one of the introductory episodes in EAPS, I started to theorize that Nexus became what he is purely because he is a Moon. I still think this is true, and was simply sped up by the harvesting of dark star power.

This might be a long post, so strap in.

So. Nexus. I don’t feel dramatic in saying he’s possibly one of the most hated TSAMS characters, or at least most of the fandom’s least favorite. A good bit of the fandom believed he was infected by the Ruin virus, or was just a victim of terrible story writing, because it just didn’t seem possible for him to go this far. Sure, he was deeply traumatized by Solar’s death on top of many other things, but that didn’t seem like it would turn him completely evil. I was also one of the people who believed the Infection theory, as shown by my many posts during Nexus’ corruption arc.

Funnily enough, it was Eclipse of all characters that changed my view of Nexus and who he is. During “Eclipse and Puppet meet the NEW SUN”, Eclipse makes a very big point in relating himself back to the original Moon. It’s something I remembered from Eclipse’s lore, but had never really sat down and thought over. I believe @/samoftheswamp had a post that I 100% agreed with. Eclipse has all the memories of the original Moon before the separation, but is only made up of the kill code and very small fragments of Moon coding-wise. Everything else about Eclipse in that regard was filled in by Sun. He then continued to tear apart his own coding to make Bloodmoon and Lunar. Despite all of this, due to his memories, Eclipse still very much considers himself to be the original Moon.

How does any of this relate to Nexus? Simple. The coding and memories. Despite Eclipse and Nexus being completely opposites in both of those things, Eclipse still falls in line with Moons far more than he does Suns. V4 Eclipse talks a lot about how much his old self, and even current self, acts so similar to Moons. Though he appears as a Sun, Eclipse is a Moon by emotional and psychological standards.

I would also like to point out that Solar specifically say the only reason he was different from most Eclipse’s was due to his Sun’s influence. Everything that happened to Eclipse also happened to Solar up until his Sun decided to try and help him. That means that Solar also falls under the Moon category.

Now that we’ve established who counts as a Moon, let’s get into why this is important. One thing every single Moon has had in common so far is their villain arc. Moon has had several mini ones, mostly influenced by other people. Eclipse was a villain up until very recently. Solar was almost a villain until his Sun stepped in. Killcode was a villain until his change of heart. Bloodmoon was just, a villain. Hell, even Cringe Dimension Moon went evil. And now we have Nexus.

Am I saying all Moons are destined to become villains? Yes, but no. I think all Moons have a possibility of becoming a villain, and it is their choice to be one or not. Every Moon we meet tends to go through some sort of catastrophic event that leads them to this choice. OG Moon was built with a kill code. Eclipse, Solar, KC, and Bloodmoon all were a piece of that kill code in some way, on top of other trauma in some cases. Nexus never had the kill code, but he’s been through several different instances of trauma. He literally woke up to the world under Eclipse’s rule. He also had to witness the death of someone he considered a brother in his very own arms. All of these characters have had an instance where they were able to choose between being good or evil. Solar shows that Eclipse didn’t have to be evil, his coding wasn’t fully controlling his actions. He chose to be a villain. Killcode was evil by design, but chose to become good, whereas Bloodmoon was accidentally created as a murderbot and chose to stay evil.

I really want to focus in on Eclipse and Solar real quick. A lot of these characters are antithesis of each other, but Eclipse and Solar are supposed to be the perfectly representation of “what if”. Solar’s whole existence shows that Eclipse chose the path he went on. Could he have been influenced by the kill code? Yeah, definitely. That’s totally an option. But Solar was just as corrupted by our understanding. The only reason he was able to become good was because someone stepped in. Someone treated him like a person and showed him a different way. Eclipse never had that, and ended up choosing the path of evil since that influence was never given to him.

All this to say, it is completely in character for Nexus to have chosen the path of a villain by his own volition. Moons have always been portrayed to have the ability to turn evil. It has never actually mattered what their coding is or what trauma they have been through, every Moon has had a moment where they have had to make a choice. Will they be a hero, or become the villain they were “destined” to be?

I do not think Nexus was of complete clear consciousness when making this decision. Not because of a virus or kill code, not even the dark star power he may have had a the time. It was simply his mental health. Eclipse and Solar are a perfect example of how mental health can completely change a character. Nexus’ entire life was made up of disaster after disaster, which he felt completely responsible for. When Solar died in his arms, it was his snapping point. He was standing on the edge, teetering between sanity and insanity. He felt as if his family abandoned him, on top of his already present self blame and hatred, and he fell. (It does not help that his family failed pretty spectacularly in helping him, but that is the reality of most situations like this. We as an audience were of sound mind when coming up with ways to help Nexus, but the Celestial family was not. They all had their own things to focus on, and couldn’t give Nexus the help he truly needed, despite them thinking they had. Hindsight is a bitch when it comes to scenarios such as this.)

I don’t like Nexus. The story they seem to be telling with his current character arc is the same as Bloodmoon’s, that some people just aren’t worth saving. I do not believe in this sentiment at all, and also believe Nexus could have been handled much better than he currently is. But I cannot deny that how he is acting is actually incredibly plausible. It is not out of character for him to have become what he currently is, even without outside influences. Him harvesting dark star power just happens to make his fall into insanity even more likely.

(I would like to add that none of what I just wrote was against the writers and/or actors in any way. This is a “forever” roleplay show made using VRChat on YouTube. I am in no way expecting greatness. I enjoy having Nexus and characters like EAPS Monty specifically because they play into my more out of pocket sense of humor. I would also like to reiterate that all of this is simply a theory, and how I view the characters of the show. You are completely allowed to have your own opinion! Also, if you read this whole post, thank you! Even if we don’t agree, I am grateful you put time into reading this extensive post.)

[emeraldspiral]

So we know from the way the comics and ETF handled things that Jhonen doesn't really want to just finish the old cancelled episodes unless the script wasn't previously released. But important lore additions that were revealed in cancelled eps can still make it into brand new storylines. So thanks to the Virooz arc in the comics the information we learned about Irken PAKs in 10 Minutes to Doom is still canon even if 10 Minutes to Doom never happened and never will.

Nothing revealed in The Trial however has really made it into the official canon except the concept of Zim being afraid of being put on trial and executed by the Control Brains, as seen in ETF. But the stuff about Horrible Painful Overload Day and the two Tallest assassinations are in limbo. Nothing has come out to contradict those still being a part of his history, but there's nothing stopping them from completely changing Zim's backstory because it's not officially set in stone.

So what if they were to revisit the idea of The Trial, but with an all-new script where things played out in a different way? Like, what if Dib saw Zim being taken away and followed him to Judgementia so he can witness the trial? He not only learns of Zim's sordid past, but when the Tallest get fed up with him not understanding what he did wrong and thinking they should be impressed, he gets to see them finally tell Zim to his face that they think he's an idiot and an embarrassment and his mission was fake.

Zim tries to act like he thinks it's all a practical joke and a set-up for a surprise party to reward him, but the cracks in his overconfident facade are finally starting to show and Dib can't help but pity him. Just as Zim's about to be executed Dib steps in claiming he can prove that Zim is innocent. He points out the implausibility of Zim being able to cause the amount of destruction he's supposedly wrought. "Why would clogging up one tube cause an entire planet to go dark for 4 years? The only way that makes sense is if your power grids were either designed by a complete idiot, or they were designed to fail on purpose..."

For once, people actually listen to Dib and decide to halt Zim's execution briefly so that new evidence can be gathered and examined. Zim is not happy to receive Dib's help and is uncooperative, clinging to his old narratives instead of being honest about his history and position in society. Eventually though, Dib is able to get Zim to reveal in court how he supposedly created the infinite energy absorbing blob and his description of the process makes it glaringly apparent that he couldn't have actually made it. Following the instructions he provided would've only produced a giant vat of tapioca pudding. That means someone else created the blob and let Zim believe he made it.

It is eventually determined that most of Zim's crimes are actually a result of Vortian sabotage, but he's not entirely exonerated. The sabotage included corrupting the code in the PAK that was implanted in him at birth. So while it's not his fault he's Like That he still very much did ruin OIDI himself, not to mention the stuff he pulled in Backseat Drivers and ETF. Plus, even if it's not his fault his code is corrupted, it's still an intrinsic part of him that can't simply be deleted and replaced with good code.

So they still want to execute Zim, and Dib too. Although they are grateful to Dib for bringing the Vortian's sabotage to their attention and making them realize it's better to kill them all than to rely on their slave labor any longer.

Zim and Dib escape together, but they can't go back to earth because the Empire would look for them there, so they must go on the run until they can figure out what to do.

[sunnydalelibrarian]

Buffy Rewatch: Episodes 5-8

Episode 5: "Never Kill a Boy on The First Date"

Giles' little "you are not funny" look when Buffy says "Oh great I kill them, you fence their stuff!"

The Master's such a dick, but why is he actually hilarious? Orlock meets the Joker fr

Ah this is the first bit we properly see that he's in a sunken church! That's so cool, I forgot all about that

I also forgot how funny Giles is, if I wrote down all of his hilarious one-liners we'd be here all week

Emily Dickinson is actually so Buffy-coded in general

I love how for a second Buffy genuinely thinks Giles is about to be sexist about poetry but no, he's just bitching about Americans again!

Xander Angel and Owen in the one room, this girl cannot catch a break

Giles in the cold storage 😂

Aw, that was a very dad speech

Ah, the Anointed One and the age old creepy kid trope. Gotta love it!

Episode 6: "The Pack"

Hyena Xander was a total dick

The piggy 🥺 Oh god the little piggy

Oh high school dodgeball, I remember those days, they were the absolute worst

Love how Buffy was so ready to throw hands for Willow even against her other best friend

Look I know he's possessed but if Buffy doesn't hit Xander soon I'm gonna

The soundtrack of this episode is on point though

The fact that Giles is fully ready to believe that Xander's being an asshole because teenage boys just are

Oh this scene (you know the one) was unnecessary. It is definitely giving "written by a man in the 90s"

Principal Flutie really set the stakes, huh?

Malleus Maleficarum mention!

The jolt of sheer horror that went through me when we saw that woman had a baby on her back

Willow's little smirk when Xander gives himself away, that's my girl!

The first thing Xander does upon being unpossessed is run to help Willow though <3

I love how this episode really cements that Buffy and Willow are Giles' kids, Xander is that weird pet his kids brought home and he didn't want but is begrudgingly fond of

Episode 7: "Angel"

Ah yes, the episode where Angel gets a personality beyond "hot and broody"

Poor Giles, does this man ever sleep?

I'm remembering why I actually liked Buffy and Angel together at the start

"No, no, no. No speaking up. That way leads to madness and sweaty palms." Willow is so me fr

I fully forgot this entire plot line even happened

I fucking lost it when Darla pulled out the pistols oh my god

Oh shit I forgot he fucking killed her here

Oh the cross! I remember this shot vividly

Episode 8: "I, Robot, You, Jane"

Listen, I know people talk a lot of shit about this episode but it's one of my favourites

Not the CGI demon dissolving, I can't!!

"I'll be back in the Middle Ages" "Did you ever leave?" Oh I love Jenny so much, she's such an icon

Also, this episode introduced such a cool concept in terms of how medieval methods of magic intersect and/or clash with emerging technology and that's fascinating

Willow has a picture of her and Giles in her locker, that's too cute, I can't believe I never noticed that! That's her dad fr

Not Jenny rocking up to class visibly hungover 😂 have I mentioned I love her?

I love how Willow and Buffy are both dressed like teenage girls, not like they're trying to be in their late twenties already

Not Buffy's birthday being different across two shots and wrong both times 😂

The demon changing that kid's report to say "Nazi Germany was a model of a well-ordered society" - if Moloch the Corrupter thinks it's good, that speaks for itself! Take notes 2025 America!

"Those boys aren't sparklingly normal as it is!"

"Your spider sense?" "Pop-culture reference. Sorry."

Let's be honest, Jenny Calendar had my heart from the minute she pointed out the racism and misogyny underpinning the intellectual elitism of academic institutions

Wait is Jenny the first person to say Giles' first name aloud? Because I'm binge-watching and I don't think we've heard it before

The way he pulls out her chair for her. A gentleman even in the face of trying to stop a demon.

"Remember me? Your girlfriend? I think it's time we break up! But maybe we can still be friends!" Oh Willow I love you so much

"Let's face it: none of us is ever going to have a happy, normal relationship"... yeah

[unstableverse-headcanons]

🦜 Anon seeing you respond to my ask raised my serotonin and spiked my creativity ily so much /p

I love all of your takes like. I spent a good six+ hours thinking of them before I managed to start writing this.

I feel like when it comes to killing off characters, specifically members of Lifesteal SMP (seriously, I read the wiki page and not a SINGLE one of those guys has died???) has me thinking either a) Spoke, Wemmbu and Parrot don't want to kill off any of them cause they probably know them best or sum and it's easier to incorporate them in canon when they need a recurring character b) there's going to be a major event vs the director where, if not all, maybe a majority of the Lifestealers band together OR c) their deaths are going to serve as a hit as big as Wifies' and Dean's deaths despite the fact that some of them don't really seem as players as big to the plot as Wifies and Dean were.

Logic says it's c my heart says b I want the lifestealers being protective of each other and trying to help Parrot if he goes too far out (before either realizing he really is too far gone or like. Coming up with a way to reverse manipulate him out of the director's hold). I know it's more of a crack theory but your honor they are so found family coded they should get to violently beat each other w/o the murder part. Parrot should get to kill but the thought of him killing a Lifesteal member is both painful and like, depending on the player, chances are he's going to get overpowered without reinforcements.

WEMMBU'S "The only thing that works on this server is intimidation" LINE OH MY GOD WHAT IF THE MURDER ATTEMPTS ARE THE DIRECTOR'S WAY OF INTIMIDATING THEM AND NOT LIKE. ACTUALLY KILLING TJEM AND FHAYS WHY ITSREALME BACKS OFF OF PARROT AT THE END OF THE EPISODE????? I feel like The Director intimidating Parrot into joining the dark side and then Leo intimidating him into coming back would lowk be so funny for. No reason at all.

Additionally, I think that the only way the director could truly manipulate Parrot is by a) literally manipulating his code so that Parrot does what the director wants him to do but there would be. No point to the chase then really b) as the story progresses and a new person tries to kill Parrot time and time again and the bounty hunters have to save him cause these people just KEEP COMING AFTER HIM I hope there's more of like. One on one interactions between Parrot and the players sent after him. Maybe not even multiple players just like 3-4 people hired by the director with vastly different methods of intimidation. While Its stops trying to kill him he shows up to help the other people sent after Parrot and he serves as a more "familiar" voice where he like. Reveals itty bits of the director's "plans" but as the story progresses it's like. Yo this lowkey matches with what Parrot wants but it's like, actually a horribly corrupted version of what's really going on but Parrot is sad so he like. Despite his skepticism, he falls for it. And the other 2-3 players can be like. Maybe one of them tries to kill him by trapping him multiple times, and another threatens the bounty hunters (specifically Leo and maybe Nufuli, who Parrot hopefully gets closer to as the season progresses) but completely discard Derapchu and Jumper in a way to like. Show him that he's all alone except for these two players and one of them is quite literally being forced to care for him but either way if he doesn't give up and let himself be killed then they're going to kill them and it just. Messes with Parrot's state of being so much, leading him to believe he's a burden, that he really was better off on his own, that he should just leave the bounty hunters and no one would really care, that he's going to end up getting them killed like he got Wifies and Dean killed. That maybe there really is no way out.

Eventually, Parrot, who's highk been struggling mentally since s1, approaches one of the players and he asks for a 1v1 he knows he can't win but instead the player goes "Actually. I think I'd like to recommend you to the Director (: he'd really like you!" and maybe atp Parrot isn't so against working with the director because throughout the season Its or someone else tells him the director had nothing to do with Wifies' death, that Ash was just lying to get his way, etc etc. Maybe later on in the season through Spoke or Wemmbu's POV it's revealed that the whole thing had been orchestrated to get Parrot to come to the director because there was no way he'd join if the director threatened him, because it's shown that when given the choice between his own death or joining a person who he heavily disagrees/disapproves/dislikes he'll choose his own death time and time and time again.

If we don't get a Parallel Duo team-up at some point I'm. Gonna cry so bad. They deserve to team together but if they don't team I hope that, at the very least, in the case of villain! Parrot, Clown finds himself leaning on the balance but like. Maybe the director doesn't like that and threatens Branzy which then Clown doesn't like because who does bro think he is??? Though with the "You're right. We are different." line it feels like their stories are going to be mirrors of each other. I love villain Clown but the idea of this big bad scary guy being on the side of the heroes because he can admit when he needs help and he doesn't like the director because whatever his motives are they don't align with Clown's? Either way if we get a team-up I can imagine Parrot having a moral crisis and Clown just side eyeing him like "tf is wrong with that guy" 😭😭😭

Wemmbu and Spoke joining forces would be so cool cause then both through season 1 and season 2 their only like, "common" person is Parrot. In s1, Parrot starts off as seemingly an enemy of both Spoke and Wemmbu due to whatever backstory they have (which. Is something I actually want to get into in a min) and then when they have the mafia as a mutual conflict Parrot's like, their only common ally. So s2 being like, a flipped script and having them start off with Parrot as their only mutual ally and then moving into a mutual conflict would be fire. I'm also obsessed with the idea of the director sending reinforcements to help Parrot. I like to imagine him as more of like, a symbol, because Parrot's whole thing in s1 was his savior complex and the whole "hope" thing. He's literally the symbol of hope and peace - he's the one who convinces Wemmbu to join him and scrambles to make the best of it with Spoke and Mapicc when district 13 gets disbanded. The idea of the director taking this symbol and corrupting it beyond recognition.... I feel like that's a pretty good way to instill fear into players. Cause, like, Parrot is probably the only person willing to fight for what he believes in because his motto is literally "either I'm going to win or I'm going to die trying", everyone else either gives in or runs away.

Parrot not wearing armor would be peak but in order for it to work I feel like he has to have a player assigned to him by the director around him at all times. Someone tries to one tap him and they just get maced on the spot 😭

THE BACKSTORY. The backstory. I don't know what's going on in the backstory, but it's definitely something. I can not for the life of me figure out what Parrot could've done to piss off both Spoke and Zam so much that bro gets permanently banned from Zam's Empire and loses whatever friendship he had with Spoke. He doesn't even seem. Completely aware of what he did. Like Wemmbu clearly knows why Zam banned him from the Empire and Parrot's like "yeahhh i definitely know what you're talking about" but he like. Doesn't really seem to know what he's talking about??? Like I'm assuming there was an event between Spoke and Zam that kickstarted the whole war thing but like. I don't recall Parrot ever showing up in Spoke's videos during the Spoke/Zam conflict and it's like ??? It was something bad enough for both Zam and Spoke to dislike him but like, clearly couldn't be a major inconvenience because Zam and Spoke don't outright try to kill him until Parrot breaks Spoke and Wifies out of the prison (for Zam) and Spoke tries to climb the mafia ranks. I like to think that, like, maybe it had something to do with the director but I can't make complete sense of it.

ALSO. All the major groups in UU seems to happen in trios or technically, duos + one and I hope this continues to be a thing in s2. Ex: Spoke and Mapicc + Jamato, Ash and Red + Clown, Parrot and Wifies + Dean, Wemmbu and Egg + Zam, Spoke and Wemmbu + Parrot, etc etc. I think it's because like, the duos typically have something in common? Like they're either enemies or best buds and the third person kinda "complements" them as sort of a neutral ally? Idk if that makes sense.

Anyways ummm if we don't get villain! Parrot I hope that at the very least he has a breakdown or something where he just like, snaps at everyone. Jumper, Derapchu and Parrot go on a mission without Nufuli and Leo for some reason and Jumper as Derapchu maybe want to get out while Parrot is dead set on going deeper because he's been promised something to do with Wifies or sum idk. After bringing up Wifies' death and practically blaming them for it, Parrot tells them that they can go away because he's fine on his own despite all the progress he's made with Leo and Jumper and Derapchu are like. Torn between knocking some sense into him but risking pushing him away and just following him but risking one of them dying cause like. What do you do when the guy who's lowk your leader's son (if you bring it up you will get taken out back and shot), grief-struck by the loss of his closest friends and the abandonment from people he thought he could trust wants to do something that you're PRETTY sure is going to get either himself or someone else killed??

Either way I think that the route Parrot decides to take (willingly joining the director for revenge and killing the bounty hunters or being manipulated into joining the director but doing his best to like, not be the hand that takes the life of the person who took him in when he needed it most) could be the difference between s2 ending tragically (with atleast one of the protagonists and even more people dying) or defeating the director.

I think this is all I wanted to say sorry for the long text this is what happens when you don't write your thoughts down on time lol

- 🌺 Anon

!

[isfjmel-phleg]

Significant issues of Superboy (1994): #4

During my reread of this series, I'd like to highlight a few issues that stand out to me as especially important to understanding the character and narrative. It's a hard series to read because there is so much messed-up stuff going on and not always the greatest narrative awareness of that. Kon was written with the intention of being a sort of "wish-fulfillment" character, but a closer look at the stories reveals something closer to the tragedy of a naive "child star" of sorts who is either exploited or neglected by almost every adult in his life.

The previous three issues have established Kon's seemingly glamorous new life as the hero of Hawaii. He has no parents, he doesn't have to go to school, he flies around fighting bad guys with his awesome powers while spouting quips full of 90s slang and pop culture references, attractive adult women are throwing themselves at him...you know, everything anyone could ever want, right? Not concerning or questionable at all! Especially for someone who technically only has a few months of actual life experience.

But recently he's developed a bad cough and collapsed during a fight in a volcano. Shortly afterward, he joined fellow hero the Ray in another battle but during an argument with Ray got energy-blasted and almost killed. His cough is worsening, and he's not doing well. The adults in his life--Rex and Roxy Leech (Kon's sleezy, corrupt manager and his daughter), Dubbilex (a pseudo-alien telepathic clone assigned by Cadmus to act as Kon's "chaperone" on his travels), and Tana Moon (the twenty-three-year-old reporter who used Kon's first appearance in Metropolis to get her big break and is now showing romantic interest in him)--are concerned about him. Dubbilex thinks it might be a clone plague he's been hearing about and thinks they should bring him back to Cadmus for examination.

Does anyone listen to him? Nope. Kon insists, between hacking coughs, that he's fine. So the others decide to distract him from his illness by watching the pilot episode of a proposed animated Superboy series. This issue is all about how Kon is publicly perceived, how that image is managed by others, and how his role as a commodity conflicts with the inconvenient reality of his being a young, vulnerable human.

The issue begins with the opening segment of the animated show, which presents a sanitized version of Kon's backstory.

It is true enough that he was created after Superman's death as a replacement for him, but this wasn't supposed to be an altruistic "spark of hope" as this narration claims--those "hardworking Cadmus scientists" were creating a clone as a commodity that they could control. We get a look at these scientists admiring their work--Kon inside the tube he was grown in, but only seen in silhouette, concealing his nakedness and softening the rather dehumanizing image of a child developed in these conditions.

Kon's breaking containment is portrayed as a "disaster" in which "the maturing process was interrupted--halted!" Note the use of passive voice that conceals who exactly did the interrupting. In fact, it wasn't a tragic mishap; it was the Newsboy Legion rescuing Kon from punishment after his brain had rejected attempts to implant code words with which to control him. "But the young hero survived!" claims the narration--more correct to say that he escaped Cadmus. Instead, Kon's heroic career from then on is painted as an intentional triumph, with rhetoric that firmly associates him with Superman's legacy: he "continues his never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way!"

And then finally, a proper look at Our Hero, as the crowds call out, "Look! Up in the sky!"

Animated Kon descends from the heavens with a flourish, looking perhaps a bit older than he really is, his trendy costume and muscular physique in full display. And the crowd exclaims things that establish him as both a role model ("Making the streets safe again!" "Wish more kids were like you!" "Inspiration to us all!") and an object of desirability ("Such the stud-muffin!" "Saw him first!" "HOT!" "Doing anything Saturday night?" "Take me to your Super-Grotto--PLEEEASE?!").

This is how Kon's public image is being constructed.

And then we cut back to the issue's reality. Kon at this moment isn't looking like a powerful hero. This is the first time in this series that we've seen him out of the suit and dressed like a civilian. Simple t-shirt and shorts, with a blanket around his shoulders and a thermometer in his mouth--he's not well. Tana looms over his chair, possessively touching his arm and telling him not to get a swelled head about this. Roxy is smoking inches from his face. Dubbilex is distracted by the show's theme music. And Rex is yelling at everyone about how this pilot is "a work of art in progress!"

Kon asks, "Does Jason Priestly do my voice, Rex? I always thought I had a kinda Jason Priestly sorta voice!" He's getting caught up in the glamour of being presented as a celebrity, but he's also asking about who his character's voice actor is because his character so far hasn't spoken a word on screen--the animated Superboy is an object to be used and admired, and the audience shouldn't much care what he has to say for himself.

(Priestley starred in the popular TV series Beverly Hills 90210, which Kon is a fan of--he's seen discussing it in #0. How seriously we're supposed to take Kon's assessment of his voice is unclear, but for a sampling of Priestley's voice in the pilot of 90210, here's a clip. I think it's a plausible comparison; there's a youthfulness and attitude that are in keeping with Kon. But this could just as well be Kon's flattering himself with a comparison to a popular heart-throb.)

What the real Kon is saying is mostly continuing to insist, while coughing his lungs out, that he's not sick. This is further opportunity for everyone around him to clash. Tana positions herself as the one looking out for him, mostly so she can throw shade at Roxy. Dubbilex tries to bring up the possibility of the clone plague he's been informed of, but Rex shouts him down because "We got a cartoon to watch here! Gotta have priorities, people!"

The narrative is once again making it clear that Rex doesn't really care about Kon outside of exploiting him, but the skewed priorities or ineffectuality of everyone else is more subtle. No one is really trying to help him in any meaningful way. And Kon's refusal to acknowledge his illness indicates how much he has internalized that he must be strong and functional at all times.

So the pilot rolls on. It's drawn in a style reminiscent of Batman: The Animated Series, which was still running when this issue was published, but it also takes a lot of cues from the 1960s Batman show, with phrases like "stately Leech Manor," "your youthful ward, Superboy," "old chum," and the "Super-Grotto" (Batcave). There's a heavy emphasis on action and violence, and the characters are all stock types. Rex is portrayed in a Bruce Wayne-like role as the benevolent owner of the world's largest fortune, Dubbilex is his "wacky telepathic D.N.Alien butler," and Roxy has been transformed into primordial slime that Rex is trying to restore to her human form.

The real Roxy violently objects to this creative decision, and Dubbilex takes issue with his likeness being used without his permission. Kon isn't so worked up, but he does note that he hasn't even appeared yet in his own show.

When he does appear, he's flirting with what appears to be an adult woman whom he's taken to his Super-Grotto to use the hot tub. Until he's called away to rescue his guardian.

There's a ridiculous, overblown plot of Rex being in a death trap, Superboy does some punching and quipping (in a turn of phrase that does mirror how his live counterpart speaks), but ultimately Rex's cleverness saves the day. Throw in some token meaningless "morals" spouted by characters (like "a good education is important" or "it isn't very nice to lie"), the benevolent guardian summing up the story to his youthful ward over a meal, and a "touching" ending of hope for Roxy's restoration, and all the cliches are covered. Superboy does nothing in this show except flirt, quip, and fight, and Rex (whose live counterpart has been the driving force behind this production) is arguably the more important character and actual protagonist.

And no one except him seems to like the pilot. Roxy is critical of her portrayal, Dubbilex is critical of the science, and Tana, who has a background in broadcating, points out that "there isn't a standards and practices group in the world who would approve that show." And why not? Perhaps the concerningly sexualized portrayal of a real-life minor? The unethical exploitation of this child's image? Nope. "It's too violent."

Tana's not concerned about the portrayal of the boy she claims to be so protective of. Her beef with this show is its violence. (and yes, that's probably a comment on inconsistent standards of what's acceptable to depict in media intended for young audiences.)

We don't get to hear Kon's thoughts on all this; he's too busy coughing. Roxy is mildly concerned--"Easy, S.B.--it [the show] ain't that bad. Almost, but not quite. Hey--you want I should getcha a drink?" But Kon insists on getting it himself, making a joke under his breath about swallowing kryptonite. Tana has heard the coughing fit, but her only reaction is to glare at Roxy for stepping in as the caring one before she could. Kon's wellbeing isn't her actual priority; she's more interested in winning this romantic rivalry.

She even asks him to get her a soda while he's in the kitchen. He doesn't reply. That's when she finds him passed out in front of the open refrigerator, not breathing. A carton of milk--a symbol of nurture and childhood--lies spilled on the floor next to him.

The interaction of the adults in Kon's life with the animated show underscores how much he is being overshadowed, ignored, and exploited. This entire pilot has been produced without his knowledge, and watching it is more important than getting him medical help. Whenever anyone does try to help him, they are either shouted down or have ulterior motives. The adults bicker about how they are being portrayed in a cartoon that presents his agent as the protagonist and reduces Kon to an oversimplified caricature of himself, while ignoring not only how the show exploits their boy but also how bad his condition is getting right in front of them. No one is really looking out for him. His opinions are all but absent. He's so used to presenting an image of invulnerability that he can't accept assistance or the fact that he's not well. Heroes don't get sick!

But he's not a blandly heroic cartoon character like his animated counterpart; in-universe he is a very real, very young boy whose physical needs are going overlooked while his caretakers argue about the merits of a cartoon show designed to profit off his public image, which treats him as an object.

And it takes his completely passing out to get anyone's serious attention.

[variousqueerthings]

@gj spoilers for s2ep6 so don't loook

some quick thoughts on due south episode six "Masks"

I feel like there was a tension from the very beginning in terms of fraser's code of honour as something trained into him by the fact that his father was a mountie and his earliest sense of Justice and Right and Wrong and Duty and all of that came from that sphere...

and the fact that Law (very much also Canadian, both irl ofc, but also on the show) is often incredibly unjust, especially against people who don't have much recourse

the fact that this involved corruption by people with a lot of power in canadian government and business, both in the Pilot and in Masks, specifically against native people, and that Fraser's involvement in both of these meant him siding against people who you'd call his superiors in some form (and in the Pilot being punished for it, even though he did very much obey the letter of the law and Gerrard and Co did not), and in Masks specifically that he broke the law by not revealing that the recovered masks were forgeries-

speaks to that tension, and heightens it. Namely, that what Fraser believes the Law should be, and what it is, are often diametrically opposed and that there is no such as rigid adherence, because one man's/community's law is very different to another's

those masks were basically originally stolen (they hint at it strongly with the whole "oh they were legally sold/there's a lot of dispute about that, tellingly from the Tsimshian people themselves"), which means that Fraser is obeying a much higher law than the officials he's actually serving under

and I wonder if this will continue to expand for this character, because Fraser has really struggled to go around literal law in order to help people (although he has so far always found some way of helping through sheer perseverance, which doesn't mean the law works, just that he's both an embodiment of what it should be and bent on punishing his own body for the sake of others, which is... also not good), and especially himself. The Wild Bunch is haunting me!

(and hc that some part of it haunts Fraser as well)

anyway, a long ramble to say that Fraser knows that the laws he's driven to follow and the idealism he has for the RCMP are full of cracks, and I feel like it's a post-Pilot ongoing exploration of his own understanding of what it means to serve the people, who has rights and who doesn't, what Laws he actually follows and whether it's possible to be Good and Law-Abiding

I mean, the show could decide to do the tried and true "it's just bad apples" type thing, which I wouldn't hold against it as such -- it's the 90s, it's a cop show in the end, I don't know (yet) what its ultimate journey is, but... it would be cool if we continue to see those cracks, even if Fraser does remain with the RCMP by the end (which wouldn't be unrealistic either, this is the life he Knows how to operate in, he's not technically a revolutionary... technically)

long post to say: Daaaamn Fraser Broke The Law For A Higher Purpose, and it was only a few episodes after he almost had a panic attack "fake" stealing Milk Duds

also the Magical Realism was Through The Fucking Roof in this one 👀

ALSO I will buy the retcon that "Eric" knew Fraser when he was a kid and that he was the guy from the Pilot. I need to merge them somehow into one guy, because Eric Schweig was much younger than the new Eric-Actor, but we can make it work

[utilitycaster]

I don't know how you feel about it, but I was extremely frustrated last night when I found out that break was called after around 3 hours. I just felt that at that point they should have just made it a Crown Keepers episode instead of promising that BH would be back and then them barely being in the episode. I don't know, I'm usually really go with the flow with CRs creative choices, but this was just a real big swing and a miss for me. I wish this had all just been its own episode

So here's my feelings:

My thoughts on EXU Prime, and later Kymal, were that I love the player characters and their relationships and much of the worldbuilding (notably all of Niirdal-Poc and the Qoniira Tetrarchy) and I liked many of Aabria's NPCs but there were some pretty big gaps left in "what the fuck is going on" that left me feeling as though I wouldn't mind seeing the characters again but I didn't feel strongly about continuing the story in-world, if that makes sense. The Aevilux reveal, for example, was sort of what the main plot of EXU Prime hinged upon (ie, that was Myr'atta Niselor's motivation; that was what the deal with Ted was) and so the fact that didn't come out for over 2.5 years irl after it ended meant I'd just kind of said "well, some weirdo from Syngorn really wanted to do shit to Opal for some reason related to her sister, who is also her patron, and we don't know why either of these things is the case, and I guess that's what happened" and made my peace with it. Similarly, I don't know what the Nameless Ones want, and never have (other than, at one point, the circlet of barbed vision, and I don't know why they want it). I made a joke that Myr'atta, Poska, and Otohan are all kind of the same and honestly that is the thing: if you don't know why a villain is doing something - even if the reason is "because I love to be evil and terrible!" it's hard to care, and if those are only villains, it's hard to be invested in the story about the heroes either, even if you like the heroes as characters.

When I say I like how this ended, I mean it - I think it could have gone only a few ways, but I like that Morrighan and Opal have both become divine champions, Morrighan willingly and Opal less so (this is yet another case of "the gods don't do take-backsies on oaths", but also, I do feel for Opal despite it all because of Aimee's excellent work throughout). I mentioned how I felt about the exact details of Cyrus's death but I don't mind that he's dead. Fy'ra was a highlight throughout, as she frequently is, and I think she was faced with two extremely unpleasant choices and made a fascinating decision. But I'd have preferred to see this as a flashback (see next paragraph) or like. Just decide what happened. If I'm being extremely honest a lot of my issues with the Crown Keepers portion is that it felt like there was a very specific desired ending (Opal's complete corruption and Cyrus's death); I also said at some point well before that you can only do so much with the Crown Keepers while Dariax is there because Matt does, even if he's turning his brain off to play our Charisma-only kinda short king, know all the cheat codes for the main campaign. It's kind of like why how, even if the DM will control an absent player during RP, they usually have another player control in combat.

I don't mind that the Bells Hells portion was short. I think the choice to break where they did makes sense given everything else that went on. But I think that, criticism of the actual Crown Keepers portion aside, while you might have lost some of your audience for a Crown Keepers-only episode on the main feed, you would have preserved the drama of FCG's death better and gotten people more excited for the Crown Keepers if you had essentially run things exactly as done here but then just cut the two episodes together, which, as a pre-taped medium, they can now do! Hindsight is again 20-20 but: Run the first half of 92 as is. Break and tape a full Crown Keepers episode. Return to Bells Hells and narrate the message back from Dorian saying he'll be there, play out the rest of Bells Hells in the camp dealing with FCG's death, and then have Dorian arrive at the very end of that episode and end the episode when the party asks him what's been going on with him, then reveal there will be a Crown Keepers episode. Air your full Crown Keepers episode as episode 93, and then return to the main campaign with 94. It would have been better balanced in terms of time, people who wanted the Crown Keepers to return would have gotten hyped up, and people who dislike them or are neutral would have at least known what to expect and frankly if they skip the episode that's their choice to make. Hell, since there were 2 weeks? Could have even been like "hey, we'll do a Crown Keepers Marathon on Twitch and Youtube on some random weekday" to build up some hype!

So overall my answer is that I agree this wasn't a great creative choice. I don't think this means they shouldn't take big swings! But some will be misses and this was, while not an entire miss for me, at best a walk.

[glitchthebitchwitch]

rambling about episode 7

spoilers below!

OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD rip Tessa you will be missed (SHES NOT DEAD YOU FUCK-) nuzi is canon. nuzi is canon. SAVE ME STRAIGHT PEOPLE SAVE ME can I call NUZI gay? they're so mentally ill its gay that shit deserves its own thing under lgbtqia cause its how I feel rn nuzigender. chronically insane and doomed by the narrative. IM GONNA FUCKING KMS it was so good hko+K)h efeckncuncsimkozl,xbvcshnizschbewidu bhucwkf justice for my Uzi plush you guys I was punching her so hard she ripped a stitch </3 shes a bootleg but still me and my friend were on call the entire time she was screaming I was stimming (we played adopt me in the aftershock) J MENTION J MENTION J MENTION J MENTION love her tessas still pretty asf corrupted by the solver </3 save me tessa save me lizzy and thad r so sibling coded </3 and yeva and nori r so sibling coded aswell.. like doll and uzi r cousins its canon in my head "this is my strange cousin doll." "fuck you bitch." "whatever you say," "UZI DOORMAN THOSE THINGS KILLED YOUR MOTHER!!" growls...... growls at you... get away I'm insane v's still dead </3

[sepublic]

In response to some claims that Noxus is the true hero of Prime Hunters -and indeed, I did play with this belief a couple times in the past- I have to reconsider his character and how the writers actually intended for him to come across. Between being called a zealot, the Vhozon being described as a monastic race with a fanatical view of morality, and a 'Vhozon codex'. And I feel like this dude is meant to be more of a Holy Crusader, Knight Templar type character.

In other words, he's bad news; He seems more noble at a glance, but it becomes apparent from extended interaction that Noxus holds very dangerous views. It's worth noting that the specific sources describing his motives to seize the Ultimate Power, whilst not working with Samus, are "to prevent it from falling into the hands of lawbreakers or the unworthy."

Nothing is said about not using the Ultimate Power; They do have a criteria for those who can have it, and apparently the Federation isn't one of them. Another source also says, more condemningly:

"The Vhozon race makes its home in the icy outer rim of the galaxy, where it wages constant war on the forces of chaos and evil. Noxus follows his race's strict moral and spiritual code, and has become a bounty hunter to administer justice to felons and sinners throughout the galaxy. Though the Vhozon and the Galactic Federation share a strong belief in justice, they define the word very differently. The Vhozon are absolutely merciless to those who violate their strict rules of morality, and their methods have left them at odds with the galaxy's other civilized societies. When Noxus heard the telepathic communiqué, he did not hesitate to set a course for the Alimbic Cluster. He is determined not to allow the ultimate power to fall into the hands of a heretic."

So yeah, these guys actually sound like assholes. The "Tough on crime" sort, not much different than Evangelicals who like to push their beliefs on morality onto others and insist on making them law. I bet Noxus is a loser who hates pre-marital sex.

This reminds me of how in the Zero Mission manga, we actually had a brief sub-plot of the Federation being comprised of more reasonable politicians and views (represented by Keaton's tenure as Chairman), while others were much more fanatical and fascist about things (hence Vogl's term). Given Sakamoto's insistence on attributing the corruption in Other M and Fusion to a rogue faction of the Federation, and not the Feds as a whole, I think this makes sense; Plenty of governments aren't monoliths who all agree on the same thing.

My point being, I wonder if the Vhozon would've supported Vogl, if they share similar views. Or if they're too extremist for even that side of the Federation, which is representative of how a lot of right-wing groups can disagree with one another, and even accuse of others of not going far enough.

I bet the Vhozon believe suffering is purifying because they evolved on a freezing planet they had to fight to survive on; They kept warm by generating friction from spinning, hence their gyroscopic abilities. They had to fight to keep themselves alive, and this translates to a disciplined lifestyle due to resources being scarce.

The Judicator carries ice from Vho, a bit of home on its wielder at all times, that unleashes Vho onto the immoral galaxy; They believe Vho’s frozen crucible forged a just society out of the Vhozon, and spiritually believe the Judicator as a vessel to bring this deliverance off-world. The Judicator can apprehend and lead to a sentence to learn from; Or it can destroy. It is the wrath of Vho, which the Vhozon worship almost like a god in and of itself. You either adapt and survive, or be wiped out.

This leads to an idea I had for a story where Samus meets Noxus, on his own, for the first time prior to Hunters; Like in a Metroid TV series that adapts all of the major arcs, while having plenty of episodic adventures between and even during said arcs.

Based on what we know of the Vhozon, I can absolutely see them participating in the war against the Space Pirates (since Weavel is also a rival to Noxus) when they first used Metroids against the galaxy. Following Mother Brain's defeat, the Metroids could no longer be controlled and turned against their Space Pirate commanders; With no choice, many Space Pirates destroyed and/or abandoned the Metroids on the planets they occupied, knowing the Federation would be obligated to perform clean-up for them; It was a way to save their own skin and also take some Feds down in the process of aborting their Metroid program.

The task of exterminating Metroids from former Space Pirate bases was often commissioned to bounty hunters like Samus, the greatest Metroid slayer in the galaxy, as well as other ice-wielding mercenaries like Rundas. Noxus wasn't hired by the Federation, but he chose to lead his own crusade against the Metroids regardless, because from a Doylist and Watsonian standpoint, his freezing Judicator is exactly the kind of specific weapon needed to kill the Ultimate Warriors.

Samus and Noxus encounter one another, team up; He seems like someone with the same ideas and views, the same goals, just like Rundas before. Noxus has some antiquated and eccentric beliefs, but whatever… But then they come across some stray Space Pirates. Noxus' Judicator can be used to encase victims in ice, not freezing them solid, but still leaving them confined for Federation police or anyone else to arrest them later.

But due to his ranking within the Vhozon codex, Noxus has the authority to take liberties as he deems fit, to judge on an individual basis (hence his crowning weapon’s name, the “Judicator” that places heretics at such deciding mercy to begin with). And even though the Space Pirates are neutralized as a threat and even pleading for mercy, Noxus decides to just execute them right here and there, instead of waiting for the Federation to arrest them.

Cue a moral dilemma for Samus, who objects to this, begrudgingly. Noxus asks what's the difference between this and her massacre of an entire base on Zebes; That's different, Samus insists, she was in their territory and had to fight to survive and succeed. They gave her no choice, they had no intention of backing down or surrendering. Maybe this could be a moment of growth and reflection for Samus; Remember how you can find a Space Pirate hiding from you in Zero Mission, and kill them anyway? Yeah. It seems Samus has a tendency in canon to reconsider her actions, such as the Metroid genocide of SR388 later on…

Coldly, Noxus brings up rumors that Space Pirates murdered Samus' family on K-2L. Samus retorts that she decides how she feels about that incident, and especially how she chooses to live afterwards. And last she checked, all pirates involved in that massacre are dead, except one, but he's not here.

Yet as far as Noxus is concerned, it's proof of Space Pirate policy towards innocents; These pirates would do the same if given the same opportunity. Is that not proof of guilt, the dark intentions in their hearts?

But they haven't, we don't know that yet, Samus argues. There's a reason why the sentence is lesser for an attempted crime, VS one pulled off. Noxus scoffs and insists this is why the Federation is weak, and Keaton a disgrace for reversing Vogl's policies.

Noxus finally brings up this point; Even if she personally disagrees, he's not asking Samus to do it. She can still look the other way. At the very least, she's not going to fight Noxus for them, is she? He's an ally to her, she knows that; He just helped her exterminate all Metroids on this planet! Samus needs Noxus more than these Space Pirates, he is of more contribution to the galaxy than this scum; It's a simple choice, a calculus between a greater and lesser evil (not that Noxus considers himself evil, but this is Samus' semi-reasonable perspective).

Samus fights Noxus anyway, and beats him because it's Samus. She ends up freezing/trapping Noxus, in an ironic mimicry of how he apprehends 'sinners' with the Judicator, and lets the Federation arrive to arrest the Space Pirates, and deal with Noxus themselves. Noxus is left pissed off as hell when Samus leaves, hence their... disagreements over the Ultimate Power.

Makes it appropriate that Noxus is seen fighting Trace, who also hails from a fanatical race bent on imposing their will; Although the Kriken seem way less concerned about moral superiority, and much more upfront about wanting to rule through Might makes Right. Unlike the Vhozon, they just want to take over the galaxy, rather than "bringing about moral influence" which is just a roundabout means of conquest if you think about it.

Given Vho is on the outer rim, I wonder if that puts them close to Kriken territory; Given mentions of waging constant war, I bet the Vhozon have a tendency to agitate open conflict with the Kriken, unlike the Federation which prefers diplomacy and is desperately trying to keep it because you do not want a full-scale war against an empire that makes the Space Pirates look like chumps. So again, the Trace-Noxus rivalry is perfect.

[incorrect-lord-of-the-rings]

every once in a while... I just think... What if Rings of Power wasn't a Silmarillion adaptation, but just... Original characters having adventures and struggles and stuff in Middle-Earth? Or if they had changed just a few things.... It could have been so much better. This is mostly coming from my thoughts on the things I loved in the show. I liked the original characters (mostly) (aside from the Harfoots being... slightly sociopathic at times). I really liked Arondir and basically all his scenes. I love the idea of a bunch of hobbit children stumbling across something new and trying to solve the problem by themselves in their own hobbit way. I loved the way they explored a friendship between a dwarf and an elf, and how the elf didn't realize how fast time was passing by for other races. There were so many aspects that could have worked so much better if they had just had a cast of almost only original characters, with established characters few and far between, or had just focused on a more original story.

This is very long so you have been warned.

Like imagine instead of Galadriel, it was a young elf warrior who'd only been alive for some time (maybe less than a thousand years or so idk lol) and was still considered childish for her age, but she had witnessed horrors of battle, or her family were slain by orcs in battle, or she was like a warrior scholar who searched for more information about Sauron and Morgoth against everyone's wishes (better yet if she's autism coded). If they had done that instead of having her be Galadriel, her behavior and actions would have been far better received.

Or like... I'd even liked it if they kept Galadriel as she was in the show (eh) but changed it so Halbrand wasn't fucking Sauron in disguise (do not get me started on this). Like I said during the airing of the show, I really wanted him to be a future ringwraith. Imagine getting so close to a character, seeing him be upon his throne in the Southlands, and then being given eventually a marvelous ring. We all know what's coming, it's one of the first things we learn in the original stories, but he and all the other characters (minus the mysterious and sexy Annatar) are oblivious.

We could even keep the entire cast of elf characters in Eregion and had a lot of political intrigue with them and Annatar. Okay? He mysteriously appears, or the showrunners make a new way they meet him or something that makes sense in the TV show medium, and we get to see how others react to him. To some he's trustworthy upon first meeting him, to others he's suspicious and not to be trusted. However, those who have more influence have deemed him trustworthy, so we could see the brewing animosity between Annatar and those who suspect him (a very wary Galadriel, for example).

In this case, we could have a lot of nice politics and dynamics of the characters. The original characters gang up together and take back the Southlands from the orcs, or some other land, and rebuild a prosperous kingdom. Then one day, the last episode of season one, King Halbrand is given a ring forged by Celebrimbor, the famous elven smith, and his new partner in crime (heh), Annatar.

The second season shows the slow and steady corruption of the good King Halbrand, and the others' reactions to his slow turn. Little things. Like fidgeting with it when kingly duties get stressful, eventually relying only on the ring for comfort and pushing away all others who love him. Like getting injured in a small attack, and when they treat his wounds while he's unconscious, they remove his ring, and then he wakes up later and nearly attacks the healers helping him because he thinks they stole it. He gets in contact with the other kings of Men and receives a letter from another king about how he is always thinking about his magic ring. About how he feels it is being pulled by something. Halbrand responds in a letter detailing similar experiences. He becomes greedy and reclusive, and then he slowly realizes everyone else around him is aging faster than he is. His son, who he had seemingly just seen as a boy, is now nearly a man. His wife is suddenly more tired than usual. One of his friends and mentors dies of old age and he was barely there to witness his last days.

Eventually, he is fully corrupted as the arc completes and Sauron is revealed and everything. God, this could have been so much fun to see...

For this version of the show, there are no explicit hints as to who Annatar really is, but there are little clues dropped. If anyone knows the story already, they'll catch every little piece of information that's given, whether subtle or not. The new viewers going in blind would see the twist and then have to go back and watch it a second time to notice and point out every single sign they should have seen coming. Like the way he acts, the way he says certain things, the things he knows, the way others react to him. It all could have been so intriguing to see.

Amazon, hire me. And pay your writers.

[acsredstringbrigade]

Now that everyone, not just Backers and Patrons have had a chance to listen to the first episode, here are my thoughts. Note, spoilers ahead for all of TMA and the the first episode.

First, I do adore our main cast. Sam and Alice are both very entertaining, and Colin is easily going to be a fan favorite. Im unsure about the tension between Lena and Gwen, but we will see where that goes.

Second, FR3-D1 is apparently an old computer program, and clearly related to some facet of the Eye, given its abilities to snoop through the entirety of the internet and get personal information that definitely violates GDPR. Though the fact that the computers are this old, perhaps they are still analog, allowing them to get around the digital issues that were encountered in the previous podcast. Though there is some irony in an Eye based program searching through the World Wide Web for information.

Next, the added voices. The first two of the three are obviously Martin and Jon, aka Norris and Chester. The third voice, Augustus ... the only person I can think of who would have been pulled into an eye based program with them had to be Jonah. I almost wish it would have been Anabelle, and I do hope to see her later on, but with the masculine name, and a name that sounds as old-fashioned as Augustus, really couldnt be anyone else.

Then, that first incident (yes, I am calling them incidents, not statements, as they are ... distinct in important ways) was fascinating. Obviously, elements of the Corruption are laced throughout, but what fascinates me is how many other facets could be identified there. Stranger, End, Dark, and maybe Spiral. That, plus the fact that the computer can only take one code for each incident ... something is going on there, and it is something that may cause problems for our protagonists later on.

The interview between Lena and Gwen was interesting. (I will come back to this in a later post. There's a lot to unpack, but it is being overshadowed by the next point)

And finally, the incident involving RedCanary. The Canary puns are easily made, though canary in the coal mine seems to be the one they were going for, given the "Canaries dont belong underground" comment. Also, it seems as though the institute itself served as the Panopticon did in the first universe, the offices serving as the cells, and the top floor almost certainly the panopticon itself. That and the ritual down in the archives themselves was likely the place where Magnus died.

The blood stains, the symbols on the floor matching those on a carved box. And we don't know what the picture itself was of, since the moderator removed the image. But based on the reactions of those in the thread, it was some sort of gore, and something involving eyes.

I see two major possibilities. Either something like what happened to Albrect Von Closen, and the man died of internal eyes, and whatever had stalked him posted the picture of his dead body. Or, RedCanary was trying to post a picture of the box for a while before, and it finally posted after he opened it, revealing a set of eyes inside. If the latter is true, those are most certainly Magnus' eyes aka Raymond Fielding from Hilltop Road and the spider box. Either way has implications, and I am fascinated to see which theory holds more water.

Odd that The Magnus Institute had been put on the list of buildings that had already been cleared. Theoretically, that is a list that only a few people use. Then again, I am not a spelunker, so I dont know how tight-knit the community is. I wonder who put it on that list.

Similarly, who or what removed all the paper? Not even pulpy traces of ash? Where are all of the records of the archive?

And for that matter, who burnt down the Institute?

[dearheart42regenerated]

(MORE MOTORCITY UNIVERSE WORLDBUILDING HEADCANONS 'CAUSE MY BRAIN WON'T SHUT UP)

from the episode "Vega":

"I heard everything outside Detroit was a wasteland." "Seems like that's just a story Kane uses to keep us from leaving."

from page 3 of the early Motorcity series bible:

the most effective lies often have just enough truth included to make them believable.

assuming that the universe of Motorcity exists in a post-apocalyptic/post-nuclear war future (all the aesthetics and environmental clues we see in-show point to this being the most likely theory IMO)...Kane's story has a solid grain of truth in it. the world outside of Detroit - really, planet Earth as a whole - is probably BIG messed-up. I imagine only a few places were hit by nuclear destruction (otherwise humanity would be, ya know, totally dead by now), but everywhere else has been badly affected by climate breakdown for nearly a century: brutal storms and flooding, boiling heatwaves, resource scarcity, etc...so yeah, there's a lot of wasteland and it ain't pretty!

the ACTUAL lie in Kane's story is that "there's nothing worth it out there".

in the aftermath of climate change, political chaos and "Doomsday", humanity did what it's best at: adapted. there are places ALL OVER North America and the rest of the world where civilization is still going and thriving, mainly in the form of big city-states and smaller colonies scattered around. the US government as we know it doesn't exist anymore, so these places all pretty much govern themselves and trade with each other to get what they need.

since sharing and trading resources is so crucial, being a trucker has become the most vital and dangerous job that exists in this world. they have to drive the big rigs and transport cargo through miles of irradiated land, nasty weather conditions, and cutthroat raiders looking for a target. most truckers are neutral/good guys just wanting to be paid fairly, but some are corrupt and easily bribed...a few of them are directly on Kane's payroll.

(Kane and his R&D department have been using those connections to secretly steal a LOT of ideas and tech prototypes from other city-states, and creating their own cheap twisted knock-off versions. the Safe-T Suit was one of them.)

truck-stop colonies are always neutral, peaceful territory, because those are the places that help maintain the big rigs and keep the flow of goods steady. there's a code among truckers, nomads, citizens, and even raiders - DO NOT FUCK WITH TRUCK STOPS. if you attack those places, a "Hunter" will hunt down who you are, snap your identity and spread word of your crime, and nobody will ever house, trade or work with you again and you're as good as dead! you will not be missed! bye asshole!

Capri Chilton just so happens to be a mechanic at one of those truck-stop colonies. the truckers all have a big soft spot for the clever, smart-mouthed biker chick who gives them free donuts and takes such good care of their wheels, so she gets to hear alllll the stories and rumors and gossip about what's happening in the world.

(one day, she's going to hear a rumor that will change her life...and send her speeding all the way back to Detroit on her Harley-Davidson with a new fire in her eyes.)

[kerubimcrepin]

Episode 50 - Deadly Charm (part 1)

They are sitting on top of Kerubim's loft bed... Cute...

We already established this episode's approximate place on the timeline, folks :D Somewhere around episodes 42 (The Trial) and 26 (A Hairy Mystery)

Considering they weren't even married, it's so funny. Kerubim and Lou were like "let's become engaged" and immediately, Kerubim began to call her his wife. While she didn't exactly return the favor. We've seen that, during this time, she simply called him "her fiancé".

...He always had been a romantic like that.

Do you think Kerubim utilized girl power right, when he became an enforcer of Bonta's corrupt regime?

Anyway, if the criminals called me "kekop", I would kill myself.

I was about to go "NEW KROSMOZ FRUIT DROPPED", before I saw that it's just an outdated translation for citronanas, which we had already seen in Wakfu... For shame!

Back in Kerubim's younger years, they didn't have traffic lights, — which we had already confirmed exist by the time of the show, in episode 32, Pupuce's Life.

Indie didn't have a packed lunch, which means that, perhaps, at this time he hadn't yet known Nella.

Kerubim is so excited about the engagement, and can't stop rubbing it into Indie's face. He won in the war for Lou's heart, lmao.

...Kerubim is never beating those Ecaflip japanese-coding allegations.

Why are they doing these things with their fingers. Are the two of them stupid. Do they actually give guns to Bontarian cops, and he's avoiding mentioning this to Joris so he doesn't imagine him shooting people? Guns do exist in this setting, albeit they're all old-timey looking...

I am mystified by the implications.

Indie is so happy at the perceived loss in the war for Lou's heart, on Kerubim's part here.

Aaand now that he's angry, she immediately stops being his "wife", and becomes his "girlfriend" again. Men will go insane after becoming engaged.

This says: "LAS FJESFJR ----" (I can't make out the last word.)

Mommy's submissive little kitten ain't he...

"if i had a lame ass girlfriend i would hype her up so much i would make her wait out side so i could go in first and be like get ready here comes the most specialest girl ever if you dont cheer and clap for her singing ill fucking blow this whole building up"

Racism in the World of Twelve is very interesting because, just like Khajiiti people in the TES setting, it does seem like Ecaflips are sometimes viewed in an unfair light.

It's probably due to Ecaflip's culture of gambling, which leads to addiction, and then homelessness and poverty. And also the uhh, existence of Ecaflip Psychward. Man.

...Catgirls can't fucking escape racism in western fantasy franchises. 😥

Of course Bonta has whipping boys.

I bet Kerubim would like if it was Lou who was—— [The electricity to my mic is cut]

To cause jealousy in Kerubim, she reminds him that he's not the only one she's dommed.

The last flash frames of the entire show are so good.

[crandornien]

Arcane Act 5 'WTF was that'

Angry Summary

So!!! Great fucking shit so far Riot and Fortiche. You hurt me. Good job. Now my analysis will be slightly curtailed by the fact I don't think I can bring myself to rewatch that act rn, but I will do my best.

So what the fuck was that act actually:

Near as I can figure, Jinx and Vi were finally getting along and real progress was being made. THEN VI PULLED HER AWAY FROM DYING BUT ALSO EMOTIONALLY FROM SAVING ISHA. Vanderwick was on his way to healing. BUT JUST GOT FUCKING NUKED. Jinx was developing a (functioning) psyche again because she was stepping up for others. Especially Isha. WHO IS FUCKING DEAD, NEED I REMIND YOU. Jinx is also a badass on some weird shimmer fighting shit.

Caitlyn stopped being a mega-fascist for a sec because she is thirsty or smth. Maddie (Caitlyn's new bitch) was implied to have been planted by Ambessa, (or at least Ambessa took advantage of her heartbreak). Which- yikes. Ambessa

Jayce is being controlled by something and got visions (my personal bet is being controlled by/saw the Void(magic evil dimension of hunger)/possible future rune war (world wars but with magic to make it worse) in possible future timelines that resulted from hextech on the path he was aware of).

Viktor was full on being a prophet. Then got shot in the chest by Jayce when he was tripping on the 'hextech must be stopped' juice, though at least he's finally embracing true Glorious Evolution. Hail the Machine Herald and allat. Also Sky is alive as a spirit just walking around in Viktor's head and magical mindscape.

Mel is actually magical and can do some weird oracle-related stuff and likely was the product of Ambessa and some powerful magical being (aspect (god)? ascended (human became god)? spirit (self-explanatory)).

Noxians have magic absorbing runes that don't look like petricite (magic absorbing wood rock that's white) but who fucking knows.

Overall, it's looking like we're really going to need some lore-accurate Ekko 'I chronoported the the multiverse and timestream to fix this disaster.' Also, how the fuck do they intend to wrap this up in 3 more episodes? Like what even is this pace?

Analysis Time

So what does this all mean? Fuck if I know. Well for one, magic is inherently corrupting, or at least a vector for corrupting influences. This ties closely into the themes of power and the ways people tend to misuse it and get influenced by it, ultimately causing harm to others.

Viktor is the only one that bucks that trend, but bucking that trend always involves sacrifice, which is why his change has been 'successful'- he's been baring the costs of power (from magic or knowledge) with his own body. Sky being the primary exception, but honestly that's half because she's a morality pet.

Let me prove what I mean:

Jayce: gained power but was naive, random people paid the cost (factory, consequences of that led to bunch of other stuff)

Ambessa gained power to protect her and her family, was ruthless, makes others suffer. (torture, violence, fascism.)

Caitlyn gained power at the cost of her relationship with Vi, her moral code, and the like. Sacrificing her power and station by attacking Ambessa has allowed her (limited) success in rebuilding those things.

Ekko doesn't want power, just a better world. He's MIA, and he bore the cost of other people in power's decisions constantly.

Isha was powerless and so didn't hurt anyone, but ended up dying because she took power in a single moment to protect others. (RIP Angel). Her own body bore the cost.

IMO this means we can extrapolate out the following predictions- Viktor, in avoiding death, will end up becoming less effective at healing without 'Glorious Evolutioning' their body into the blessed machine.

Jayce is now cursed with knowledge (at least he believes) and is going to continue hurting others until he figures shit out.

Magic isn't going to go away, but as this story is primarily about social and military power instead of the dangers of new technologies I think that it will eventually be turned to good use not by 'the right people,' but by good people, who will be forced to bear a personal moral cost in order to exercise their power and protect others.

While I pray Ekko will save everyone with magic, erasing all those consequences won't actually happen. Honestly, he's probably the one who sent Jayce back with a chronoport and is just trying to make another Z-drive to get back with him and heimerdinger as well.

Isha dying is also a trigger for Cait/Jinx conflict as neither of them is strong enough to forgive at this point. Jinx and Vi can't even manage it between each other fully, they just put it aside for their father. This is going to be a problem. Developing the character growth necessary for forgiveness is certainly going to be an important theme, it's the only way out of this that's positive AND Ambessa had her speech in like, Ep4 (i think) where she says how Caitlyn might be stronger than her and know how to forgive.

I'm too tired to figure out what mel being half magic signals about her relationship with power (esp. because hers has been largely manipulative, benevolent just with Jayce's flaw of being unable to control it.)

I'm sure I'll think of more things when I'm not emotionally wrung out and tired af, but whatever. LMK if you think of anything!