#a condensed version of the previous two
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THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER SENTENCE STARTERS
❛ I'm sorry for your loss, your...your losses, rather. ❜
❛ Nobody gets away with anything. Not really. ❜
❛ Don't lecture me about family values. You're just as shit in that department as I am. ❜
❛ That day was the last day we were all in the same place. Alive. ❜
❛ They will love you because I love you, and the only thing stronger than love is how scared they are of getting cut out of the will. ❜
❛ And most people go their whole, wasted, stupid lives without one minute of true resolution. Not me though. ❜
❛ You know what a resolution is? It's a deal you make with the future. ❜
❛ The people in charge of making us healthy make us sick. We cheat the dying. We fleece the poor. Promote the racist. Let the demons run amok. This world needs changing. ❜
❛ You're supposed to be shadowing me. Shadows don't fucking talk. ❜
❛ This is beneath you. And you're going to kill it. But you're better than all of this. And the minute you figure that out, you're going to be unstoppable. ❜
❛ There's no such thing as a step back. You go forward. If you hit a brick wall, you don't go back, you go through. ❜
❛ Nearly realized is the sweetest. It's better, I promise, in the moment just before than in the moment after. ❜
❛ You are consequence. And tonight, you are consequential. ❜
❛ You are a pretty, pretty little thing. ❜
❛ You wonder why people hate us. This is why. ❜
❛ Everybody knows that edible arrangements are what you send to people you hate. ❜
❛ If you start thinking this is reality, you'll just slip into the abyss. ❜
❛ We can talk about it after because I've had a shit day and I really just wanna starfish and forget the world. ❜
❛ Don't talk to me until I've come at least twice. ❜
❛ I love how deliciously, pointlessly mean you lot can be. ❜
❛ You still didn't need to come here though. It could have happened quiet. Peaceful. In bed. But I guess it's got to happen like this. ❜
❛ It's amazing how far you can get on denial. You know why so many people use denial to get by? Because it really fucking works. ❜
❛ You can't enhance this image? You see it all the time on TV. They hit a button, it enhances it. ❜
❛ I don't even own anything funeral black. ❜
❛ Satin is silk for poor people, no one should wear it to a funeral, unless they died in it. ❜
❛ Nobody knows they're the fall guy until they're falling.❜
❛ Women are the natural leaders of the species. Ancient Egypt had it right. ❜
❛ Okay, just because the door's open doesn't necessarily guarantee you a seat at the table. ❜
❛ You're not who I thought you were. ❜
❛ I really didn't want to think it, but...you're all fucking monsters. ❜
❛ Watching you shit on your principles would have been worth every fucking penny. ❜
❛ The mind of guilt is full of scorpions. And I wouldn't wish their sting on anyone. ❜
❛ Don't have to be smart to be dangerous. I'm not scared of rattlesnakes 'cause they're so smart. ❜
❛ You're so out of touch with your human side...you can't even listen to anything outside your own head. ❜
❛ I haven't seen you sleep in like...I mean, it's been a fucking long time. Like, horror movie long. ❜
❛ Life is insane. It is madness. The sooner you understand that, the better off you'll be. ❜
❛ The world might not be safe but listen to me, and listen carefully. I won't let anything happen to you. ❜
❛ All these terrible things and I thought, that's when people come together. But we've never been further apart. ❜
❛ Tell me it's worth it. Tell me you know the risk and I'll be there with you. I'll back you up. Just tell me. ❜
❛ Shut your mouth, get your shit together. The fuck is wrong with you? ❜
❛ Men, when they think they're immortal, all they want to do is fuck. When they figure out they're going to die, all they want to do is fuck. ❜
❛ It just makes you think, you know, life is so fucking short. ❜
❛ You don't have to be a tyrant, but if you don't want to be consistently cruel, then you have to be sufficiently brutal at least once to establish authority. ❜
❛ I thought it was an act. I figured you just played the housewife so you could keep a roof over your head. Spread your legs or suck his dick twice a week and you're set. You never have to work a day in your life. And I thought, "Good for her, she found her angle," but...this is really you. Isn't it? ❜
❛ Words got us into this, words can get us out. ❜
❛ You're a collection of impeccable, elaborate masks in orbit of a stunted heart. ❜
❛ There are certain things one shouldn't have to face in life. Time enough for self-reflection after. ❜
❛ I don't normally like to get my hands this dirty, but honey, you earned it. ❜
❛ I see you now. I look at you and I see... You. The poverty of you. ❜
❛ The real world is Darwinian. Survival, chaos, power. Leverage. ❜
❛ You feel it. In the air. We're sitting outside of time and space. ❜
❛ This is the moment luck meets opportunity. ❜
❛ In the ancient world, we'd seal this with blood, or spit. And then later, papyrus. But, a deal's a deal all over the world. ❜
❛ We're a... virus, I think. People, I mean. ❜
❛ But everyone loves something. And in that love there's collateral. ❜
❛ I say this with love. Let it go. Let it all go. ❜
❛ So I say, we stand tall and proud. Bill's come due. Let's not hide here in the basement like we've got something to be ashamed of. No. Not us. You and me against the world. ❜
❛ It may not have been perfect, but you can't say we didn't change the world. How many people can say that at the end? ❜
❛ I knew I would climb to the top of the tower on a pile of corpses. ❜
❛ It don't matter in the end why you did any of it. I don't fucking care why you did it. We don't want your confession, or your rationale, or your explanation. ❜
#a condensed version of the previous two#rp meme#rp prompt#sentence starters#sentence meme#roleplay prompts#roleplay meme#inbox memes#*tv#*tfothou
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Academic requirements
Coach received some worrying information about one of his star players, DE1. His performance at practice and during games was still very good, great even. But it was all overshadowed by some disturbing reports. DE1 's grades have gone up since last season and he was seen walking around campus with a textbook in his hand. Moreover, his turnout at frat events dropped below 100% and he has been seen interacting with multiple nerds at least three times within the previous two weeks.
This was enough for Coach to get concerned, so he invited DE1 for a chat in his office. The jock entered the room and sat in a chair in front of Coach's desk. DE1 was one of Coach's finest specimens - he was absolutely huge. 6'5 and 260 pounds of pure muscle, with arms ready to tackle a mountain, pecs and shoulders prepared to withstand the pressure of the entire offensive line and legs the size of tree trunks. An absolute stud, and perfect advertisement of Coach's training methods.
Coach greeted DE1 and explained why he asked him to come - he laid out all the concerning rumors that were spreading withing the building of the Athletics Department - about his focus on studying and interacting with non-jocks. DE1, in turn, was confused by what he heard and didn't really know how to respond to his Coach's words.
He didn't have time to come up with anything to say though, as right after he finished speaking Coach turned his computer around and DE1 was now looking straight into a monitor displaying a condensed version of one of Coach's trusted hypnotic videos. The jock's attention suddenly shifted towards the screen, forgetting about anything else. His whole body relaxed in the chair, his legs now wide apart and showing off his bulge, visible through his shorts.
As the video showed shirtless jocks working out, then jocks in full gear tackling each other during a football game, then jocks partying and drinking while dancing with only boxers on, DE1 began drooling. As he did, subliminal messages continued to make their way into his brain
DUMB
BRO
FLEX
OBEY
LIFT
PARTY
JOCK
DAWG
The sounds encoded within the video only amplified these commands. Coach looked from behind the screen as his best edge rusher took in everything Coach wanted and slowly, but surely, returned to his proper ways - a jacked brute, capable only of lifting, partying and sacking every QB he encounters.
After a while the video came to an end. Coach took back his computer and DE1 blinked a few times, then wiped most of the drool form his face and scratched his crotch.
"uhhhhhhh, Coach.... what... happened, bruh?"
"Everything's fine. Let me ask you a few questions. What's your name."
"DE1, Coach, duh."
"And who are you?"
"Am the best DE in the conference, Coach!"
"What's your approach to college and classes?"
"Duuuuude, that's some nerd shit, lemme tell ya, Coach, I do just enough to go above the NCAA threshold for scholarship athletes, bro, huhuhuhuh"
"Good, DE1, and do you stay in contact with people who don't play football?"
"Ugh, dude, Coach, me? With a fuckin' nerd? Bruh, am doin' just fine with the dudes on the team. Ain't no one else I need to stay in contact with, Coach"
Coach grinned as DE1 responded exactly the way he was supposed to.
"Thanks, DE1, you're free now. Don't be late to tomorrow's practice"
"Will do, Coach!"
A day later Coach was notified of DE1 posting a shirtless photo on Instagram with the caption reading "who ready for that Alpha Phi beer fest bruhs?"
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🎆 Sing for Absolution: behind the scenes 🎆
Hello everyone, and welcome to this summary on how the story was visually built! If you happen to come across this post and would like to read (or reread) the collab @drones-of-innocence and I have created together, just click on the title above and it will take you right to it! 🤗
With that said, let's begin! :D
As some of you already know, this was an idea that Drones had for a long time. It was brought up during one of our many conversations a few months ago, in which she briefly described the plot and sent me a condensed version. I- immediately and completely fell in love with the concept, so much so that I couldn't keep still. 😂💘 I practically begged Drones to let me draw a few frames for it, and she happily gave me permission. At first, what I intended to do was make about 3 or 4 thumbnails, like I had done with One Step Closer.
I returned with 22.
And from there, we both decided "Okay. Yeah. Let's make this official. 🙌💯" LOL
What's interesting here is that, as you can see, some frames didn't make it to the final cut! 🤓 And inversely, new frames were eventually added as the collab progressed. Out of all the sketches that were either abandoned or later deemed superfluous, my personal favorite would probably have to be this shot of Kamek. 😈
From the rough thumbnails I had presented, Drones helped me select the best and most eloquent ones, and I also changed a few other things along the way. For example, one panel that was entirely redone was frame 3 (where Mario enters Peach's room), because the initial composition didn't allow for the reader to see the setting very clearly, and I felt that the establishing shot needed to be wider.
Many of the drawings were also ultimately flipped to give the visuals a more coherent direction and better flow, including this one!
I decided pretty early on that the palette should be made of cold hues, seeing as these events happen to take place at night and that a warm overlay wouldn't adequately have conveyed the more ominous and solemn tone of the story in my opinion. 🤔💁♀️
Oh! And I almost forgot: using cold colors for the backgrounds and characters was also very convenient because it helped make the magical effects (the fire, the spells, etc- all the bright, warm and/or complementary nuances) really stand out, which resulted in a more interesting and visually striking contrast overall. 😌🎨
As I do with all my illustrations, I started by cleaning the sketches and adding a unifying background filler for all the frames. Then, I selected the colors I wanted to use (a gradient made of a mix of navy blue and purple) and worked on each drawing individually. Even with simple tones, we can observe the sheer difference that shading makes! 👀😉
There's a visual element that appears in the story and which I had borrowed from Drones before, and that would be Peach's healing magic.^^ ✨ I remember I was fascinated by the idea when I first discovered it in Un Fiore Per Te, which had prompted me to ask her if I could feature it in a piece where the Princess is seen using said power while at Mario's bedside in one of my other tangents. 💞
I kept the effect similar on purpose in Sing for Absolution, so that the slight reference would be easier to catch! 😊
And last but not least, there's that cheeky little Fire Flower! 🤭🔥
As mentioned in a previous ask, the flower actually signifies a lot in this case as it somewhat embodies the deeply affectionate bond between Mario and Peach, glowing brighter and closing its eyes in happiness when the two are close. 💖
While admittedly not the first drawing I made in which a Fire Flower appears, the one that actually inspired both Drones and I to include this symbolic power-up in the story was one that I made all the way back in February for Valentine's Day. 🥰 The subtle yet direct reference can be spotted twice in the text, linking this piece to the collab and establishing a bit of a chronology as well. I was very honored that Drones added this small detail, and I very much look forward to working on more ideas with her in the future! 😁🤝
Big thanks once again to all of you dear friends and followers who have commented and given their thoughts on this projects. Drones and I can't thank you guys enough for your interest and enthusiasm!! 😇💗
ALSO ALSO- I have shared here my visual side of the collab's progression, but Drones intends to give her own side of the story's development soon (explaining some of the themes and narrative elements a little more in depth), so make sure to stay tuned and check her blog as well! ^-^ 💫
#Mario#Princess Peach#Mario x Peach#Mareach#concept#story#collab#Sing for Absolution#fanart#fanfic#elitadream#drones-of-innocence#creators on Tumblr
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By now, y’all might be familiar with that poll I posted awhile ago about different actor’s interpretations of a certain line in the Les Mis musical. Well, now I’m gonna talk about it. Hooray!
”Forgive me, sir. I would not dare” is such a fascinating line to me partially because of how it takes the place of an entire series of monologues from a chapter in the novel. For time’s sake, the musical condenses the runaway cart incident, Javert voicing his suspicions about the mayor, and the result of his suspicions into one scene which puts it in a different context. Instead of reporting Madeleine and then gaining information about Valjean’s lookalike as he does in the novel, Javert instead finds himself suspicious of Madeleine despite already knowing that “Jean Valjean” has been recaptured. Surprisingly, this doesn’t significantly change Javert’s motivation for taking such an apologetic tone. In both cases, he chided himself not for being suspicious of the mayor, but for being so in a way that trusted his own feelings more than that of the law. “Forgive me, sir. I would not dare” is not only a fumbled apology, but a testament to how rare it is for him to disregard his superiors. It’s a moment to understand his philosophy pre-Stars. Not only that, but it provides different information than Stars. It shows how the strictness of Javert’s moral code doesn’t only make him seem authoritative, but can also degrade him.
But an apology is not inherently degrading. So why is it in this case? This is where actor interpretation becomes important. The effect comes from the tone, not the words.
I’ve noticed a few different ways actors tend to portray this line. The first involves more of the pleading present in the novel. This interpretation comes across as somewhat panicked, trying to convey a plea for forgiveness and being appalled by his own actions simultaneously. This is beneficial in the way that it can clearly draw the audience’s attention to the difference between this line and the more composed lines surrounding it. Additionally, this particular version of the line tends to split into two subcategories. One is more reserved, contrasted with the previous, more confident lines and effectively communicates abashment. The other is more distressed and makes the apology seems urgent. Both subcategories serve the same purpose though.
The second interpretation is much more even-toned than the first. With this one, Javert maintains his composure and the apology rarely comes across as anything other than the result of a momentary lapse in judgment. This version of Javert tends to prioritize professionalism over any kind of charisma. My opinion of this interpretation varies depending on the actor.
The third interpretation is probably my least favorite. It has little to no sincerity and makes it clear that Javert is still quite suspicious of the mayor, but simply doesn’t want to alarm him. The apology has absolutely none of its original meaning. This interpretation irks me because it takes away an aspect of this character I find very interesting (the fact that Javert is a bootlicker in the most genuine way possible).
Anyway, I’m not sure how to end this. I’m might‘ve not really had a point here, but that’s okay. I just really like this line.
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I actually have a question, I'm wanting to start a webcomic at some point in the future myself, do you have any recommendations or advice for me?
Okay, I have a million things to say on the subject but to save you a lot of scrolling I’ll cut it down to the main things I wish I knew when starting my webcomic.
Don’t overprepare
It’s easy to fall into the trap of perfecting your art style or developing your character arcs before you actually, like, make the thing. The truth is you get diminishing returns on the pre-production phase, and too much planning will just waste your time. I once wrote an entire script and sketched out 200 pages for a graphic novel version of my webcomic Roundhouse, 90% of which is now redundant or contradictory. Probably took me hundreds of hours. Whoops. Make a basic plot line and some concept pictures by all means, you gotta start with something, but you’ll be much more motivated to make the comic when you’re already making it.
Collect references
This might sound kind of contradictory to my previous advice but bear with me. It’s important to prioritise creation over planning but gathering a compendium of your favourite artworks and writing techniques will save you time in the long run. If I’m ever stuck on how to draw a certain expression for example I know I have a folder full of expertly drawn faces to remind me how nostrils work. Personally I keep separate reference folders for colour, anatomy and character designs. Fantastic cure for artist’s block, swear by it.
Get someone to proofread
You have no idea how important it is to get a second opinion. No one in the history of media has ever been better off without a different pair of eyes to catch a mistake. They’ll see the obvious things you missed, a typo, a pacing issue, a joke that makes no sense… if you’re embarrassed to show it to anyone in your life then get an internet friend to have a look. Hell, I’ll have a look. Send me a message, I’m easy.
Even the most talented creators struggle to be seen
A good comic will always have a better chance of success than a crap one but that’s only a part of the equation. We’re forgetting our two troublesome neighbours, Monsieur Marketing and Lady Luck. It stinks, but we operate in an algorithm-based economy, and getting things out there takes a lot of hard research. I hate the marketing side of things, personally. I’d much rather make a page every week and not care whether it’s seen or not but such is the nature of capitalism that I have to try and monetise my work any way I can. Knowing someone in the business can’t hurt either.
Look, I’ll never be able to condense everything I know about webcomics in a single post so consider this my declaration to give advice to anyone who asks for it. Got a specific question about comics? Message me.
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If you are a Hoyoverse / HSR / Fate fan, please read this regarding Veeveey2k/Xinyismuu/blkneuvilette
TW: racism, mentions of grooming, harassment/doxxing, catfishing, sexual harassment, etc.
We would like to bring your attention to Merlin/Asa/Vee, an individual who was known in the Fate fandom, who is still racefaking, catfishing, and harassing minors under a false identity.
You may know her by the user VeeVeey2k, neuvibao, or Xinyismuu in the Honkai star rail community, which she has joined earlier this year pretending to be a blasian. Her Tumblr user at this very moment is @/blkneuvilette
It is crucial that we document down this person's online activities, as we have also included new evidence of catfishing by directly contacting various victims for confirmation of details.
In addition to linking the document, we will also be providing a condensed version of the contents below "Read more", but we strongly urge you all to read the document for full context.
Reblogs are strongly appreciated, stay safe.
Firstly, we strongly recommend you to read through user @happyartisanreview's post regarding her comprehensive history of inappropriate conduct with minors. They also regularly update on the current users of Merlin/Vee.
We also recommend going through the last thread by user blusongbird001 on twitter, as they have also linked down other relevant threads on the site regarding her previous identities.
It has come to our attention, after being reached out to, and having reached out to multiple people ourselves, that Merlin (who is pretending to be a blasian called “Xinran”, nicknamed Vee), along with her friends/bf are holding NSFW conversations in her server full of minors, as well as harassing/threatening to doxx various victims in the fandom.
INAPROPPRIATE INTERACTIONS WITH MINORS
I cannot stress this enough. It is so incredibly inappropriate for someone of such a history to continue to purposefully put herself (and her boyfriend) within the same space as minors and subject them to NSFW conversations.
Especially when she herself has promised to not make any more servers with minors in the past. Yet she and her bf Mika/Mio (@/zxmikah on twitter) who has admitted to believe there were “links between merlin and Vee”, proceeds to have nsfw conversations about his bathroom habits in their server with minors as young as 13. This should not be happening at all.
HARASSMENT AGAINST MINORS (NSFW)
Merlin and her friends have also in the past few months, harassed several minors aged between 13-15, threatened to dox them, allowed NSFW comments/harassment to be made by her friends towards these minors All with absolutely zero attempts to even stop or regulate her server either.
And as Merlin/Vee’s boyfriend was an active participant in harassing the victims mentioned, we were also requested to include this thread that was made last month regarding his islamaphobia in the Genshin community.
Merlin/Vee has also found the address of the underaged victims, referred to as “C” in the doc, and claimed in her own public server that she can “just decide one day to drop her house address”. For context, Merlin currently racefakes as a Chinese nicknamed “Xinyi”
Needless to say it is incredibly inappropriate and weird of Merlin/Vee to keep track of a 13 year old minor (who has already blocked her at this point), and claim that the minors’ family circumstances were a result of Merlin practicing Juju..?
CATFISHING
Merlin/Vee has also CATFISHED complete strangers on her previous AND current alt, claiming these individuals to be her sister and parents, all the whilst fabricating their family history, race, occupations, and even claiming emotional abuse while using their faces.
We were fortunately able to reach out to two of the catfished individuals, and discovered that the “father” and “sister” merlin/Vee claimed were hers were in fact FROM THE SAME FAMILY. They both have NOTHING to do with Merlin, Vee, Xinyi, Tiana or any other names she goes by.
We were given full permission by Luisa to post the screenshots above. Luisa and her whole family are aware of what has transpired and that their photos were used without their consent. We have also handed over every relevant information and lies Merlin has spread all the way from last year on her alt up to this month on her current account that may possibly endanger or defame Luisa’s family in any way.
Merlin claiming her father works in the Big 4 of Ireland, using Luisa's father's photos. Luisa has already confirmed that this is a lie.
We also want to point out that Merlin has catfished this family as her own on her PAST ALT with no regards to real life consequences at all.
There is absolutely zero reason and justifications for any of the things said and done by Merlin/Vee towards her dozens of victims, past and present. Especially when she is committing acts of harassment towards minors under a false identity and defaming someone else’s family.
more examples of her trying to pass off random strangers as her relatives.
RACEFAKING AND RELIGION RELATED MATTERS
Regarding her racefaking- This is a topic that many of us have already gone over again and again. I, along with many other fellow Asian contributors are deeply exhausted at this point to even have to fight on what has already been proven.
No matter how much she tries to convince people that she is related to Ramses II, that shes Chinese Hokkien and attends “marriage tea parties” arranged by her great aunt, that she’s related to the families she catfished- She has never been any of these and never will be.
Keep in mind that Merlin (who claims to be Chinese) has a TikTok account dedicated to posting translations for HSR. If she is indeed Chinese and a mandarin speaker, how did she manage to mess up such a simple phrase this badly? Did your DeepL hit the usage limit that day?
And as per her old habits of finding new nationalities to collect every week, she has also recently started identifying as part Filipino, East Asian, as well as Indian again. All the whilst claiming that Hokkien and Vietnamese are alike. (They are nothing of the sort).
She also has a long history of pretending to be a muslim all the whilst saying things like this.
Threatening to call people by racial slurs when she's racefaking.
HER IDENTITY
Merlin/Vee has repeatedly built up the inconsistencies towards her own identity, race, culture, nationality and religion while exhibiting discriminatory behaviour towards the multiple communities and other religious groups that she is not a part of.
Going so far as to catfish people she has mutual friends with and use their family’s photos to spread lies about their father simply shows Merlin’s delusions regarding the “lack” of consequences of her own actions.
Merlin seems to have forgotten that she posted her own BIRTHDAY information on her previous alt, which we have already proven to be her account. The birth year shows 2004, not 2001.
How convenient is it that “Xinyi” shares the same birthday, surname, location, catfish victims, IRL social circle and even face and injuries when she has claimed she knew nothing about Merlin?
HER CURRENT SOCIALS
As Merlin:
Tumblr:@/kireijobmaker
As Vee (active):
Instagram: @/veeveey2k
Tumblr: @/blkneuvilette
Tiktok: @xinyismuu
Twitter: formerly @veeveey2k, @muutxt
People involved in the harassments:
Mika/Mio (Merlin/Vee's boyfriend): @/zxmikah
Zaf: @/skyfonz on tiktok
London (Merlin/Vee's "cousin"): @/zawgawaw
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Hiya, do u have a carrd or anything with info on your ocs? I love reading about ocs n all that crap but the tumblr search function is like actually evil. Keir seems super interesting but it’s like killing me trying to find posts to recap his lore 😭
i don’t i’m afraid!! it’s just his enormous mess of a tag as the lore built up... i might make something sometime??? i hadnt thought abt it tbh. in the meantime feel free to ask me any and all questions even if it’s something i’ve probably already said, i love going over this stuff and will do so forever if even slightly prompted. on that note, if it helps, here is a briefly condensed version:
keir is a red personality (aggressive/direct) non-mage hawke. i did his full playthrough as a warrior, i sometimes talk about switching him to rogue, but the only really important thing is that he’s a reaver and will bite you for real
he’s a man of few words, extremely blunt and threatening to the point of being absurdly over-the-top with pretty much all strangers, and much softer but still bluntly earnest with the small group of people he considers his own. he considers himself first and foremost a protector and would do anything to keep those people safe. his father malcolm was a strict man who raised him to do this and he accepted that wholeheartedly. consider him a guard dog. killed his first templar in defence of the family aged 15
he adores and idolises magic and fiercely supports mage freedom, though ultimately he would absolutely sacrifice a wider “cause” if doing so would keep his mages safe. fortunately or unfortunately, he can’t do that because the two are inextricable
he’s a proud fereldan and cares very little for kirkwall (hates kirkwall. hates kirkwall. someone please get him out of here) and its nobility, which tends to show in his appearance and behaviour. long braided hair, the streak across his nose is kaddis, and takes his mabari, silla, absolutely everywhere
he’s elf-blooded via his father, who was the bastard son of a fereldan elven servant girl and an orlesian chevalier who was with the occupation
his playthrough has circle mage bethany. he adores her and he would do anything for her but her acceptance of her fate and disillusionment with his overprotectiveness meant they had an increasingly strained relationship. it was because she was trapped that he couldn’t leave the city. once he was champion, meredith essentially had a knife to his sister’s throat whenever she wanted his compliance, not to mention the looming threat to anders and merrill, making those three years the worst and most terrifying in his life
he romances anders! friendmance and they escape kirkwall together in the end. not always easy but he really loves him, justice half included. there’s a lot of lore here ummm if i mention the “and they were housemates” timeline, that’s my silly mutual pining alternate version of events where anders moves into the amell estate for safekeeping before he and keir actually get together. if i mention aura hawke, that’s the potential daughter i occasionally hc for them
he had previous relationships with morrigan (in lothering as young 20-somethings) and merrill (during act 1). you cannot keep him away from those romanceable mages
he’s still close friends with merrill. isabela is his best friend. he has a complicated, semi-antagonistic friendship with varric, who was really closer with anders but now after the fact doesn’t want to remember that. he deeply respects and is friends with fenris. he did rivalry with sebastian, but in an agree-to-disagree way where they considered each other friends nonetheless until All That happened. he had a more genuine rivalry with aveline though still coloured by their trauma bonding
i THINK those are the main beats of his lore but he’s my most discussed and developed dragon age character so i’m sure i’ve missed some of the assorted junkyard of thoughts
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resonance (steve harrington x superpower! reader) chapter seven
masterlist | previous chapter | next chapter
content warning for blood n gore!
“I said Dr. Sam Owens,” Hopper’s irritated tone greeted you as you popped back into the living room, damp boots and hunting knife in hand. You startled Nancy, who was hovering nervously in the hallway, giving Jonathan space while he sat with his unconscious brother.
Giving her an apologetic smile, you headed to the kitchen and nodded at Steve, who was leaning against the counter. “Did I miss much?” you muttered and began braiding your damp hair.
“What, was I supposed to count the bodies?” the older man growled into the receiver, shaking his head angrily. “I don’t know how many people are left alive in there!”
“Not really,” Steve replied. “Chief’s been on the phone since you left,” he gave your blood-free outfit a glance and coughed. “Not going too well, though.”
“I am the goddamn police!” The man in question yelled. “I’m Chief Jim Hopper!”
“They didn't believe you, did they?” Mike asked Hopper when he eventually hung up the phone, fuming.
“We’ll see,” he hedged before nodding at your clean state. “That was a quick shower. You get any blood on my floor?”
“We’ll see?” the boy cried before you could reply. “We can’t just sit here while those things are loose!”
Raising your eyebrows at the attitude on the kid, you remained silent and finished your elaborate braid, flicking it over your shoulder. You looked knowingly at the man. “I teleported into the bathtub, so no.”
Choosing to ignore Mike as well, Hopper asked as nonchalantly as he could. “Did the, uh, cat freak out?”
Plopping onto the hard tile floor, you set to work drying off the boots, sending a nod to Max when she shuffled over to sit next to you. “Nope.” El was sleeping on a bus, for reasons unbeknownst to you, heading back to Hawkins from god knows where. She appeared safe in the void, but seemed to have gotten a makeover since she’d been gone.
“It’s still weird that you two live together,” Dustin shook his head.
Hopper’s condensed version of how you met when you arrived at the Byers’ earlier left something to be desired, simply telling the group that he had rescued you in the forest. No one asked questions.
You all had other things to worry about.
“Can we please focus on the problem?” Mike yelled. “Why aren’t we going to do anything?”
Hopper visibly resisted snapping at him, sending a tired glance your way. “We’re going to stay here and wait for help.”
You cleared your throat at the deflated look the boy wore and gestured towards the hallway, looking at Hopper. “Have you checked on her?”
The man shook his head. Sighing, he trudged down to the room where Joyce had remained inside since your group arrived, lightly knocking before entering.
“Did you guys know that Bob was the original founder of Hawkins AV?” The younger Wheeler asked the group (mostly Dustin and Lucas) after a few silent minutes, fiddling with a box in his hands.
You felt your throat tighten, but continued to wipe at the shoes.
Dustin hummed. “Really?”
“Yeah,” Mike said, looking sadly at a stack of puzzles on the table. “He petitioned the school to start it and everything,” he smiled wistfully. “Pretty awesome, right?”
The other two boys agreed.
Mike stood up suddenly, wearing a stern expression. “We can't let him die in vain. We can’t.”
“Well, what do you want us to do, Mike?” Dustin said, throwing his arms up. “The Chief's right on this. We can't stop those demo-dogs on our own.”
You couldn’t help but laugh at the dumbfounded look on the boy’s face. “Demodogs?”
“Demogorgon,” Dustin sighed, clearly irritated at explaining the word. “Dogs. Demodogs. It's like a compound!” he rolled his eyes at Mike’s blank stare. “You know, a play on words?”
“I know what a compound is!” Mike shook his head. “Anyway, there has to be something we can do.”
Lucas shook his head. “Maybe when it was just Dart we could fight them off, but there’s a whole army of them now.”
“Precisely.”
“You couldn’t even fight Dart,” Steve snorted. “You shitbirds let us do that for you, remember?”
“His army,” Mike said, ignoring him. “The demodogs are his army! Maybe if we stop him, we can stop them, too.”
That got your attention.
“Whoa, whoa whoa,” Steve was already shaking his head when you shot back up, mostly-dry boots back on your feet. “No way!”
“No way what?” Hopper walked back in.
“You said his army,” you cut in aggressively, startling the kids a little with your sudden participation. “Who’s he?”
“Um.” Mike blinked at your close proximity and went to pick up a paper from the counter that had a drawing of a monster on it. “The shadow monster,” he said, handing you the paper. You frowned, it looked like a big ass spider. “It got Will that day on the field,” Mike explained. “The doctor told us it was like a virus. It infected him.”
“Like in The Evil Dead.” Steve mused. “It’s possessing him!”
You bit your lip. The shadow monster. A bout of dread churned through you at the thought of just who he could be.
“And so this virus, this monster,” Max said, glancing between you and the paper. “It’s connecting Will to the tunnels?”
“Tunnels?” you yelled at her question, eyes going wide. “Ho-hold on,” you stammered, abruptly turning towards the many papers haphazardly taped on the walls. “Is that what these are?” you all but sprinted to the wall nearest you, where what was now clear to you as tunnels trailed out into the living room.
You hadn’t had time to ask about Joyce’s choice of interior design when you’d first arrived.
“To the tunnels, monsters, the Upside Down,” Mike confirmed. “It’s connecting Will to everything.”
A small whimper escaped you. Fucking hell. Your heartbeat skyrocketed looking at the series of papers creeping along the walls, turning to glance fearfully at the boys and then back around to the wall you were closest to.
“Slow down, Jesus,” Steve ran a hand through his hair, shooting a concerned look in your direction.
Not here. You squeezed your eyes shut. Not now.
“Okay, so, the shadow monster is inside everything,” Mike mused, ignoring your outburst. “And if the vines feel something like pain, then so does Will.”
“And so do the demodogs,” you heard Lucas say. “Like Dart.”
They were speaking back and forth incredibly fast, clearly all thinking the same thing. Not that it really mattered to you; they might as well have been underwater. Putting a hand against the wall, you stared blankly at the paper in front of you and breathed heavily, trying to tune back into the conversation.
“It’s like what Mr. Clarke taught us,” Lucas said excitedly. “The hive mind.”
“Hive mind?” Steve asked.
“A collective consciousness. It's a super-organism. And this is the thing that controls everything. It's basically the brain—”
“—like the Mind Flayer!”
“The what?” Max and Steve asked in unison, causing someone, you weren’t sure who, as you couldn’t look away from the papers, to run down the hallway.
Get it together, you scolded yourself, blinking rapidly at the hues of blue that weaved along the wall. You’ve got a monster to worry about, which is probably the one that sent you here in the first place. Why Henry would want to be a freaky spider monster, you weren’t too sure.
It’s okay. You shuddered, taking a deep breath. It’s not like they want to go frolicking in the tunnels. Turning around, you rejoined the group that now included Jonathan and Nancy. Bury the fear, you told yourself. Refocus on the problem at hand.
It was Mike who ran back, slamming a large book on the kitchen table as everyone crowded around it. The boys explained over each other, describing the monster that they thought was terrorizing poor Will.
“It's a monster from an unknown dimension—”
“—so ancient that it doesn't even know its true home—”
“—it enslaves races of other dimensions by taking over their brains using its highly-developed psionic powers—”
“—Oh, my God, none of this is real!” Hopper finally lamented, wiping a hand down his face. “This book is just from that kids game you play!” He called out your name. “Help me out here!”
You couldn’t help but shrug. “To be fair, it’s not like I ever thought monsters like the demodogs existed before I came here,” you peered down at the spider-like creature in the book. “Why couldn’t this one be real as well?” And I’m from the future, you thought. Someone could tell you pigs were flying and you wouldn’t be surprised.
“Thank you!” Dustin exclaimed. “And this isn’t a game, Chief, it’s a manual,” he argued, his tone full of sass. “And unless you know something that we don't, this is the best metaphor—”
“—Analogy,” Lucas cleared his throat, correcting him.
You snorted at the look on the curly-haired boy’s face. “Really Lucas?” he asked snarkily. “Analogy? That's what you're worried about?” He rolled his eyes. “Fine. An analogy for understanding whatever the hell this monster is.”
Nancy sighed. “Okay, so this mind flamer thing—”
“—Flayer. Mind Flayer.”
Her eye twitched. “What does it want?”
“To conquer us, basically,” Dustin explained. “It believes it's the master race.”
“Right.” Steve nodded along. “Like the Germans!”
Eight pairs of eyes blinked at him. “Um,” Dustin squinted at him. “Do you mean the Nazis?”
“Yes!” He snapped his fingers and you couldn’t help the small smile that graced your features at how proud he looked. “The Nazis.”
“I mean, sure?” Dustin paused. Hopper rubbed his face in exasperation and looked at you before tilting his head at Steve, clearly questioning your claim that he would eventually become Chief. Dustin continued. “If the Nazis were from another dimension, then yeah…totally. Uh, it views other races, like us, as inferior to itself.”
Mike pointed at a paragraph in the book. “It wants to spread, take over other dimensions.”
“If this is the same monster we’re dealing with,” Lucas finished somberly. “Then we are talking about the destruction of our world as we know it.”
Nancy ignored Steve’s panicked outburst, leaning in closer to look at the book. “Okay, so if this thing is like a brain that's controlling everything, then if we kill it…”
“We kill everything it controls,” Mike finished.
“We win.” Dustin said.
“Theoretically,” Lucas added.
“Fantastic,” Hopper stated dryly. “So how do you kill this thing? Shoot it with Fireballs or something?”
Dustin chuckled. “No. No fireballs. Um, you summon an undead army, uh, because,” he stammered, looking to his other friends for help. “You know, because zombies… they don't have brains, and the Mind Flayer, it… it... It likes brains? It's a game,” he broke off, shaking his head. “It’s just a game.”
Your eyes shot skyward as Hopper groaned and slapped the table. “What the hell are we doing here?”
“I thought we were waiting for your military backup!” Dustin sneered.
“We are!”
Mike pointed to the book. “How could they stop this anyway? You can't just shoot this with guns.”
“You don't know that!”
Lucas put his head in his hands. “We don't know anything!”
Mike shook his head, straightening his spine to continue arguing with Hopper. You looked on with mild respect. The kid didn’t know how to give up. “We know it's already killed everybody in that lab. We know the monsters are gonna molt again. We know that it's only a matter of time before those tunnels reach this town,” you felt your heart stutter again. “So we need to do something.”
“He’s right.” An angry, tear-stricken Joyce stood in the entryway, making your heart clench a little. “We have to kill it. I want to kill it.”
“Me, too,” Jonathan agreed, putting an arm around his mother.
Hopper looked pained, his expression softening at the woman. “Me, too, Joyce, okay? Believe me, I want it dead too. But how do we do that? We don't exactly know what we're dealing with here.”
“From what they said,” you spoke up faintly, eyes flickering worriedly to the illustrations on the wall again. “It sounds like Will does.”
“She’s right,” Mike nodded. “If anyone knows how to destroy this thing, it's Will. He's connected to it. He'll know its weakness.”
“I thought we couldn't trust him anymore,” Max furrowed her eyebrows. “Isn’t he a spy for the Mind Flayer now?”
Nancy breathed, excitedly meeting her brother’s eyes. “He can't spy if he doesn't know where he is.”
…
“You okay, kid?” You jerked, almost launching the piece of plywood you were holding into Hopper’s face. “Sorry. How's your cut?”
“Just stings a little,” you relaxed, walking towards the backyard with him. It was decided that Will would be placed in a blacked-out shed to confuse the Mind Flayer. “Nothing I can't handle. Hop. But, it’s just,” you said, adjusting the wood in your hands and frowning. “The monster controlling Will, what if it’s… him?”
“Henry?” he asked, sighing when you nodded. The two of you passed Steve and Nancy, who seemed to be having a serious talk while gathering more materials to cover the shed with. “Could be,” he shrugged. “Course, that would mean that Henry was who got Will last year, too,” a frown graced his face. “Which would make a lot of sense, actually. Why the hell didn’t I think of that sooner?” He muttered, scratching his chin with the hammer he was holding thoughtfully. “Do you think it’s him?”
“Probably.” You adjusted the wood in your arms and grimaced. “It’s too much of a coincidence for it to be a different evil mastermind, right?”
He groaned. “I fucking hope not. Chief of Police doesn’t pay nearly enough for handling more than one. Best if we just have the one instead.”
You shuddered, thinking of the group that was now faced with defending Hawkins from evil for a second time. “How are you all so… calm about this?” you shook your head. “I thought another dimension and monsters would make people more…”
“Scared?” he offered. “Freaked out?”
“These kids,” Hopper sighed when you nodded. “They grew up playing that damn game and reading comic books, I think they’re the only people in the world who would see actual monsters and be excited about it.” You chuckled, setting the wood down inside of the shed. “They’ve met real-life superheroes, kid,” he nudged you playfully. “More than one now. They’re scared, no doubt, but this is an adventure to them.”
“They’re reckless,” you whispered.
“Someone else has always been around to save them,” he shrugged, and suddenly you were back in the living room of your old house, listening to your mother weave a not-so-happy bedtime story of just what could happen to kids who acted reckless. “Hey, don’t worry,” he said gently, misinterpreting your shift in demeanor. “Everything’s gonna be okay. We did this once before and managed to keep everyone safe.”
Swallowing, you looked up at him, feeling just as young as you really were. “And the tunnels?”
“What about them?” He squinted. “Wait, is that why you were staring at the wall earlier?” A sigh was released when his question was met with silence. “The tunnels,” he said. “That’s how those dogs are getting around town, they go all the way to the lab.”
You shuddered. “And we have no reason to go in them, right?”
“Hell no.” He looked at you strangely. “I got stuck down there yesterday, really don’t recommend it. Relax,” he laughed at your panicked expression. “Those kids might be reckless, but they’re smart. They won’t go charging into danger, let alone those tunnels. Don’t worry about it.”
You remained silent the rest of the time you worked, praying he was right.
…
Once the shed was covered and deemed unrecognizable, you went inside to wait with Steve, Nancy, and the kids, save for Mike, while Hopper carried an unconscious Will out back.
“How can you even be hungry?” Lucas shuddered, watching you rummage through the fridge after a few minutes of silence. The group had panned out, loitering nervously throughout the house. “You know, with all the shit you saw in the hospital.”
“Lucas!” Max shot him a nasty glare, causing him to wilt a little.
You smiled. I knew I liked her.
“What?” he argued. “It was a lot of blood! I’m just saying, I’d be too grossed out to eat right now if I had to kill those things and watch someone die.”
Your smile faltered. “Well it's a good thing you didn't have to kill anything, isn't it?” You leaned against the fridge door, knowing the comment wasn't meant to be rude. “I spent most of today fighting those damn dogs so I’m pretty wiped out. If it’s alright with you, I’m gonna eat something not necessarily because I want to,” you said, raising an eyebrow at him. “But because if we get attacked again, it won’t do us any good if I pass out,” you said, spinning back around to dig through the fridge and grab a jar of jelly before blanching at the sight of the bright red color. “Unless, of course, you and your wrist rocket are gonna take on that army by yourself?”
“If he finds out where we are,” Dustin said hesitantly, watching you make a face and put the jar back, choosing instead to make a plain peanut butter sandwich. “Do you think he’ll send those dogs after us?”
“He won't find out,” Lucas insisted.
“Yeah, but, if he does…”
“Then we're fucked,” Max deadpanned, just as the lights in the house started to flicker.
“And on that note,” you hummed cheerfully, gesturing towards the kitchen light. “I’m gonna go sit while I still can.” You grabbed your finished sandwich and a glass of water before strolling out into the hallway, avoiding the tunnels that crept along the wall with you.
Choosing to sit on the couch beside Nancy, you nibbled delicately at your sandwich in a way you knew wouldn’t cause any crumbs to fall, watching Steve swing his bat aimlessly in the corner of the room as the ticking clock above him alerted you that it was nearing 9 p.m.
“So,” Nancy hesitated, watching you eat with curious eyes. “You have powers.”
You licked the peanut butter off of your finger. “Yep.”
“Like Eleven.”
Shrugging, you took another bite. “So they tell me.”
“But you’re not from the lab.”
“Nope.”
She frowned.
You almost wanted to smile. Gotta try harder than that, Wheeler.
“How long do you plan on staying in Hawkins?” Steve asked suddenly, leaning on his studded bat.
“Not sure.” You swallowed the rest of your sandwich, making sure no crumbs remained on your lips.
“Why?” Nancy’s tone was pressing. “You don’t want to go back home?”
You raised your eyebrows, taking a sip of water so you wouldn’t laugh. “No home to go back to,” you said evenly.
“Oh,” Steve, the actual angel, replied, looking genuinely sad for you. “I’m sorry.”
“Could be worse,” you shrugged, placing the glass back down on the coffee table. You started a little at Nancy’s wide, unblinking eyes.
“You’re lying.” Nancy’s accusation made you finally bark out a laugh.
“Nancy!” Steve scolded. “She’s not on trial here.”
She blinked at him incredulously. “You’ve only known her for one night, Steve, and you’re defending her? Against me?”
“Yikes,” you couldn’t help but let out. “Can we not drag me into this?”
They ignored you.
“Uh yeah, I am!” Steve nodded furiously. “She saved all of us, Nance! Multiple times!” He cried, swinging his bat to rest on his shoulder. “And you’re interrogating her like you think she’s the monster!”
“She’s a stranger, sue me for being cautious,” she scoffed. “She obviously lied to us in the store, she’s probably lying about how she ended up here too.”
“The store?” you repeated, eyes curiously bouncing between the two.
Nancy’s face tightened, almost like she was angry you dared to join the conversation. “You said you were trying to cheer up someone, a girl who couldn’t go outside on Halloween.”
Movement out of the corner of your eye alerted you to an audience currently peeking from the kitchen at the noise. Little eavesdroppers.
“And from what Hopper just told us,” she said. “That can’t be true,” she tilted her head tauntingly.
“Oh, so you do remember Halloween night?” Steve laughed harshly, causing the girl’s face to drop guiltily.
“Steve…”
“No, Nancy!” he held a hand up. “You know what? Who cares if she’s lying? She fought those things with me, a total stranger,” you winced internally. “and then she ran into the lab without thinking twice for Will and your brother! She saved us all practically by herself and is still helping us now even when she doesn’t have to! I think she’s entitled to a few secrets.”
“She didn’t save everyone,” Nancy snapped defensively, freezing when she realized what she had said.
You swore the temperature dropped twenty degrees as you looked up at her expressionless, grateful the sharp pain that splintered across your chest didn’t reflect on your face. Nancy couldn’t hide the panicked glance she sent towards your hands, which were humming with energy.
You would’ve snorted if you weren’t so upset. Not with Nancy, of course, but with yourself.
She wasn’t wrong, after all.
The door to the kitchen suddenly slammed open before you could say anything to the girl, sending you into fight mode. You quickly teleported into the corner of the room, everyone else following closely behind. Hopper was furiously scribbling on a notepad at the table. “What happened?”
“Will,” he rushed out. “He’s tapping on his chair.” Finally, he leaned back, allowing you to look. “I think he's talking, just not with words. We just have to keep Will, or the thing inside him, anyway, distracted while he tells us.”
“What is that?” Steve asked, and all of you hovered around the dots and dashes that littered the paper.
“Morse code,” you replied along with multiple people, nodding your head in approval. “He’s smart.”
“H-E-R-E,” Nancy read.
“Here,” the group said in unison.
“Will's still in there,” Hopper explained. “He’s saying something to us.”
“Looks like we got a plan after all,” Dustin grinned.
….
The harsh words Nancy said were tabled for later, you supposed, as you all hastily wrote down the corresponding letters to Will’s morse code that Hopper sent via walkie-talkie. The celebration of the resulting phrase “CLOSE GATE” was short-lived, however, as the Byers’ phone began to shrilly ring, sending you all into a frenzy.
“Who the hell is even calling this late?” Lucas yelled. The panic that filled you was swift and sudden, and rather than waste any more time you threw a hand in the direction of the phone, swiftly yanking it from the wall and sending it hurtling down the hall.
You made a mental note to apologize to Joyce later.
“Do we, uh, think Will heard that?” Dustin asked, glancing around the house.
“It’s just a phone,” Steve frowned. “Couldn’t it be from anywhere?”
A horrible shrieking, familiar to most of you, filled the air. Wryly, you stretched your arms out and flicked your braid over your shoulder while the kids flew to the windows, looking for any sign of the dogs on the horizon. “Guess that answers that question.”
“Shit!” The kitchen door bounced off the wall once more, revealing the rest of the group and an unconscious Will. “Get away from the windows!” Hopper yelled to the kids, lugging two guns inside. “Can you use this?” he asked you, holding a shotgun out.
The look on your face was priceless as you scoffed, waving your hands out dramatically. Nodding sheepishly, he asked the group the question again at large, ultimately handing it to, surprisingly, Nancy.
“Alright,” You pushed over the kids heads to look outside, nodding a little. “I’ll be right back.”
“What?” The vein on Hopper’s forehead pulsed angrily. “You’re not going out there.”
“I’m the first line of defense, Hop,” you rolled your eyes, pointing at yourself. “I ate a sandwich, I’ll be fine!”
He sputtered in response and without much of a farewell, you made sure to grab the hunting knife and teleported outside, hearing a faint “...away from the goddamn windows!” when you gracefully stepped down the front porch.
You shook out your shoulders, clocking the creatures that were already creeping in from the tree line, the single street light at the edge of the driveway casting a particularly horrifying glow on their shadows.
“Shit,” you shuddered, unable to remain as confident as you appeared in the house. No matter how much it thrilled you to fight, you couldn’t help but be nervous. You had no idea how many dogs were watching you.
It didn’t matter, you resolved. No matter what, you wouldn’t let them kill someone else. You spared a glance back to the house, letting out a chuckle at the faces that were smashed against the window again.
You had an audience.
Swallowing harshly, you allowed your mind to go blank. “Well, come on, already, Henry!” you taunted, beckoning whatever was out there closer.
Adrenaline pumped through your body as the creatures begin barreling towards you. It was like a choppy ocean wave, the dogs tripping over each other just as they did in the lab in an attempt to get to you first. You cleared your thoughts, tuning into the environment around you, and began to fight as the first few screeched and lunged.
It was likely that only minutes had passed by as you spared a glance down to the dogs that lay dead at your feet, the rush from fluttering around the yard leaving you a little dizzy. You had just taken a deep breath when you had to suddenly duck, the flailing body of a limp demodog was soaring over you, straight through the window of the house. What the hell?
Straightening, you were flooded with relief at the sight of the figure that stood a few feet away, commenting dryly. “Well, that was dramatic.”
At the very end of the driveway stood El, still donned in all black. With a quick pop you appeared next to her, fluttering around as she began to attack the remaining creatures with determination you hadn’t seen before.
“You’re a little shit, you know that?” you called out, yanking your knife out of a demodog and spraying the mailbox with blood. “I would’ve gone with you.”
She smiled, gesturing to the many bodies littered across Joyce’s lawn. “I needed to do it alone,” El responded. “Looks like they would’ve been in trouble if you weren’t here.”
You couldn’t help but agree.
“What happened here?” she asked.
Sharp pain suddenly flooded your senses as one of the creatures clawed at your leg, knocking you to the ground with a yelp.
You heard someone yell from inside the house.
“We need to close the gate,” you huffed, furious at the dog for pulling you into a puddle of blood.
My poor boots.
“Again?”
“Yep,” you grunted, kicking the monster in the head and closing your fist, squishing its petals with your mind. El helped you up, taking notice of the last remaining dogs that were left.
Together, you both raised your hands, flattening the creatures and filling the night with silence once more.
You looked at her, tucking a stray piece of hair back. “Where’d you go anyways?”
“Chicago.” You pulled her in for a hug with a chuckle.
Hopper was gonna have a heart attack.
Tightly, you squeezed her, feeling the smaller girl squeeze just as hard back. “Was it windy there?”
“Yes,” she nodded seriously when you broke apart. “Very windy.”
You snorted, sighing tiredly. “Did you find whatever it was you went there for?”
“Yes,” El smiled, grabbing your hand and tugging you towards the house. “I did.”
#steve harrington#steve harrington fanfic#steve harrington x reader#steve harrington fanfiction#steve harrington/reader#stranger things fanfiction#steve harrington fic#stranger things#stranger things fanfic#steve harrington x you#stranger things au#fnlyroe#stranger things fic#fnlyroe:resonance
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Design Diary: Heaven in the Dust (Revised) - Playbooks
So here's the thing—Heaven in the Dust was the first Belonging Outside Belonging game I ever wrote.
It was published way back in January 2019 for the Record Collection jam into a largely-unexplored design space. Sleepaway wouldn't crowdfund until the end of that year. The design jam that produced Our Haunt was three months away. You could count the BOB games in existence without running out of fingers.
As a result of that, the ideas are strong but the execution is somewhat naive. See for yourself with Hades:
Looking back on this today, what do I see?
The picklists are perfunctory—often only one unique prompt per archetype—and pedestrian. The prompts themselves are uninflected (Wanderhome hasn't reshaped the possibility space yet).
There's too much focus on aesthetic, and not enough on narrative prompts. There only unique prompt focuses on the factory rather than on Hades. This needn't be a bad thing, as characterising him mainly through the business he runs could be interesting, but right now the factory prompt is surface-level—anything broader it says is up to the player.
The birthrights need to be punchier and snappier, and you're currently making a choice without context (the rules for them are at the bottom of the next column over).
In general there's good ideas in a lot of these picklists, but not some too-obvious ideas as well.
So then, a revised edition. Meet Hades, new and improved:
To start, we have a new picklist in a new format. This solves a couple of problems.
It explicitly states what was implicit in the original version: archetypes bring certain things with them. Hades has a factory, Persephone has a garden, Hephaestus has a strike, etc.
It lets the player assert some truths: about that thing, about their archetype, about the broader setting, about what has come before, about a sliver of hope that this might not be a tragedy after all.
It gives me room to assert some crucial details about that thing—Hades is not running an artisanal workshop, or a worker-owned collective, or a functional business. They're running a Gothic caricature of an industrial factory that is certainly fucked up somehow.
Next, a familiar picklist but with a crucial recasting in the prompt: products and byproducts. The difference between a factory churning out propaganda and a munitions manufacturer that incidentally produces propaganda is vast, and the prompt now invites you to play with that difference.
Another new picklist! This one characterises Hades both indirectly (as a boss, through what they forbid) and directly (as a person, through their mode of self-denial), which is a nice change from the blank slate of the previous version.
Aesthetics have been combined and condensed, nearly thirty prompts distilled down to a razor-sharp set of eleven. Narrowing it down to just three distinctive features (though I'm not a cop, choose as many as you like in play) invites people to make bolder and more evocative choices, and lean into them harder.
Relationship questions are sharper, punchier, and there's more of them. There's also explicit permission to keep asking questions after the initial two (which I may yet keep the "ask one left and one right" wording for), something that I've certainly seen players do in playtests.
Finally the birthright picklist now tells you what it's about before you choose. More than that, each archetype locks in a core birthright, which is a snappy way to communicate what the game's take on that mythological figure is, and the possible birthrights have been edited to be more distinct and evocative.
And that's Hades, before and after!
The same thought process has been applied to all the other archetypes, in addition to the new one I'm adding for the revised edition, and there've been additional changes to lures, failings, moves, etc that I might talk about in a future post.
I'm hopeful the revised edition will be playtest-ready by the end of September, and released by the end of the year.
My inbox is open if you're curious about the game or have any questions about the approach outlined in this post. Cheers!
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Going insane over P:EG - Diana Venicia Analysis.
Okay so I’ve been doing a series of Essay’s dedicated analyzing Nifast’s “Imitation” art series - which are framed as abstract views into the characters and their role in the story. He also said how we’d only understand them once the game is 100% out, which are fighting words, so I started this series.
Firstly I’ll post Diana because she’s the newest one I’ve done. Spoilers for the prologue!!! (Credits to Nifast for the Art LMAO)
Introduction:
Diana Venicia [roaring applause, I am pelt with roses from the audience].
Anyway, Diana Venicia is one of my favorite characters. Point blank. She is also a staple of the fandom. Partly because they love her, and partly because you motherfuckers can’t help but call her the mastermind she is a favorite among the fandom for a potential Mastermind candidate.
In a few words, I think this is bullshit. The main evidence relies on easter eggs in her design, latching onto the whole Beauty Talent = Mastermind trope, or a bad-faith reading of her actions.
Anyway, we are here to analyze her Imitation 「模倣」piece and infer what it tells us of her and her role in the story. Here I would argue we have more to work with with the proceeding page, but that’s something for the actual Analysis.
Diana - An Imitation 「模倣」
The first feature we will notice is the glaring lack of Diana’s chameleon bracelet in Diana's reflection. While one would expect this to be the starting point of the analysis, a more pressing issue is this:
Is the figure without the band the reflection?
This seems absurd, but after looking at the piece, the only indication that there is a mirror is the condensation that Diana is using to draw the heart. This lack of a clear distinction may highlight how these two versions of Diana - one with and one without the chameleon - are slowly blending together.
While the distinction between which is real and which is just a reflection fades, we can still deduce the one without the chameleon band is the reflection of who Diana is.
Now, we can return to this later. It is time to comment on the second feature - the plethora of hearts in the image.
We obviously have the heart being drawn into the “mirror”. This is a deliberate action by Diana, with her likely breathing on the glass beforehand, given its spotlessness otherwise.
There is also her heart necklace and the oddly heart-shaped curves in her hair. At least visible in her reflection, it’s likely she is wearing these on her “real” self. The chameleon's absence seems to purposely be the sole incongruity with the reflection.
So, what does this all mean? The chameleon band - or lack thereof - and the lack of a distinction between the reflection and the physical Diana creates an impression of her losing herself.
The chameleon, while representative of adaptability, artistry, and balance, is also symbolic of blending in - or changing part of yourself to avoid being noticed. I fervently believe that Diana, prior to being recognized, used her talent as a means to blend in with the “popular kids”, using it to blend in herself and perhaps offer it as a favor to them. In this way, the chameleon bracelet, still clinging to her, symbolizes how she has not let go of this part of her: the part that changes her to please others.
The reflection lacking this band also has a message to tell us. A reflection of Diana and who she is- it lacking the band symbolizes her being able to shed this mentality, and being able to actually, genuinely be herself and not place the needs of others above her own. Still, the lack of any distinction between the two in the form of a mirror, makes it clear this will not be an easy journey for Diana. To separate her genuine self from the persona she’s created for her previous social environments.
Now, the second part: What’s with the hearts? This is much more direct. I believe these hearts, which universally symbolize love and kindness, symbolize Diana’s resolve to trust in others no matter what. I say this in part due to the abundance of the symbol in the drawing.
That is a simple observation. However, I also wish to draw attention to the act of Diana and her reflection drawing the heart together, copying one another. Even if the both of them are quite literally opposed, and reflective of different images of Diana (the Diana that is molded by others and the Diana that is herself), they are both acting on this desire to trust and befriend those around her.
This is further backed up by the frankly relaxed and almost vacant look in her eyes as if acting like this comes naturally.
Overall, this picture shows us that Diana is someone who trusts the wishes to connect to the people around her instinctually, however, this desire has led her to degrade her own self-image - and she is only just beginning to reclaim it. No matter what, however, it is certain that her desire to connect to those around her will remain consistent.
That’s it for the drawing. Now, what can we say for the next page?
Diana - Response
Normally, I have never had to dedicate an entire section to analyzing the “Response” page. However, the response and the details of the chameleons behind it are incredibly evocative and deserve to be analyzed on their own.
The first thing to analyze is the response to the question “What are you?”. On this particular page, the answer is “A change.”
This answer serves as a double entendre. While it could be taken to mean the change that Diana imparts to her clients or anyone that seeks her services, another meaning can be found. As we've already established, Diana has likely, at some point, changed parts of herself to fit in with those around her. In this sense, this change may highlight both how Diana changes herself to fit with social groups, or in a more positive sense, Diana changing her own mindset to be more unapologetically herself.
To have these two ideas coexist isn’t just acceptable but perhaps truly reflective of Diana’s growth, as she is stuck in between the mentality of changing herself for others, and being herself to form meaningful bonds in the killing game.
Another feature to analyze is the two chameleons behind the text. One we can see has its eyes purposely closed. Simply put, this represents the “real” Diana, who hides herself to more easily appease those around her. The other lizard, the one with its eye open, represents the persona Diana has put up, in order to fit more easily with the groups she’s met throughout her life.
An interesting difference between the two is that the Lizard with its eyes open - Diana's persona - has scales, but lacks horns. Some lizards and chameleons (almost always male for what it's worth) have scales to defend themselves, and horns to fight over territory.
By including the scales and excluding the horns, we can realize that Diana’s Persona was created as a method of defending herself from others, rather than any attempt to wrestle influence from others, which aligns with her dislike of drama and competition.
Thus, we can finally conclude that the image Diana has created for herself - primarily among non-ultimate's - is one with the primary purpose of being a defense mechanism from the ire of those around her. While, like a chameleon, she wishes to shed this part of herself, it will not be an easy journey and will involve her having to dredge through her persona and anima to decide what part of her is her.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can realize that Diana is characterized by a few major motives: The desire to see the good in others (likely tied to her pursuit of cosmetology), the desire to appease others (as seen by her chameleon motif and the sweet nothing in her dialogue in P:EI and Chapter 0) and the desire to connect with others.
Of the three, this desire to connect meaningfully with others is the newest, as is seen by Diana having only just recently been “recognized” for talents, and as such being given the chance to stand with equals, rather than have to simply use her skills to blend in with others.
Diana’s primary arc, if seen to fruition, would see her overcome the ingrained idea to put others over herself - while not sacrificing her instinctual desire to befriend and understand those around her.
I do believe Diana is hiding who she is from those around her. However, I do not believe there is any malicious intent behind this. On the contrary, I ardently espouse the idea that Diana is willing to mold and change herself to fit in with those around her.
By being among Ultimates, those who see her as an equal rather than someone to be taken advantage of, it is certain Diana will have the chance to be more confidently Diana, even amid the killing game.
To end off, I would like to share the idea of Diana being Damon’s foil [Foil - a character who serves as a contrast to the qualities of another character.]
Damon and Diana have almost certainly experienced some form of social isolation due to their talents. Damon is explicitly told to us in his Bio card, and Diana’s can be inferred as it is very possible her make-up skills made her seem more like a tool than a friend to those she helped in her school.
There is also their motive to attend the school, in being surrounded by other ultimates. Finally, I wish to share that I am confident that both of their arcs will be learning how to communicate and connect with the students in the face of the game. Both of their animals are even reptiles!
However, while their motives, arcs, and backstories may be the same, everything else is perfectly opposed. Both wished to be surrounded by Ultimates; Damon so that he could claim the glory and be among those he saw as equals, and Diana so she could be among those who saw her as an equal.
Both of them likely faced ostracization due to their talent, however, this occurred in opposite ways. Damon, ever argumentative, decided to double down on his stubbornness and turn it into a new talent instead of trying to connect with others. Diana, while attempting to connect to others via her talent, only ended up positioning herself atop a pedestal, rubbing elbows with Hollywood bigshots - regardless of her intentions.
Hell, even the fact that both of them are trying to hide who they are is consistent. It is a no-brainer that Diana will act to contrast with Damon - showing how the desire to connect with others will triumph in both of their cases and her death [which I am certain is her being the - not “a” - chapter 3 victim] will highlight the cruelty of the game and motivate the cast to properly unite in the face of the game.
[Note - I didn’t expect the “Diana and Damon symbolize what talent can do to a young person's social bonds and how they can overcome that damage in an opposite yet harmonious way” spiel to be that long. Oops!]
#project: eden's garden#project eden’s garden#edens garden game#p:eg#diana venicia#theorycrafting#I love Kuwait btw#fanganronpa
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NATLA Episode 5 - Spirited Away (1/3)
[Masterlist of my NATLA thoughts]
An explanation of what I'm doing here and my history with ATLA.
Of course, full spoilers ahead.
<previous/next>
This episode shifts from taking several episodes from season 1 of the animated show and weaving them together to even drawing from future seasons/shows! I saw elements of The Winter Solstice: part 1, Bato of the Water Tribe, The Swamp (season 2), The Storm, Siege of the North part 2, that episode in Legend of Korra season 2 where (spoilers) she meets Iroh in the spirit world and sees the people lost in the Fog of Lost Souls, and honorable mentions to The Waterbending Scroll, The Fortuneteller, and The Great Divide. While that might seem like a lot to combine into one episode, I think the writers did well to pick and choose the thematic elements of each episode that would naturally condense into a Spirit World trip as well as add to Zuko's story.
This was a characterization-heavy episode that really let us delve deep into several characters - namely Katara, and Sokka, but also Azula. I feel like because Zuko has soooo much to delve into, he gets really impactful character moments every episode, but episode 6 is really his time to shine, so that's why I don't include him in that list and Aang is similar - he gets a lot of his backstory examined all through the season while Katara and Sokka don't get a chance for flashbacks.
The intro does a great job letting us know that some time has passed - and the Gaang is getting better at working/surviving together. Love the detail that Katara is learning waterbending by experience and observation rather than just being naturally good at coming up with her own forms: she saw earthbenders do the earth disks, so she made her own ice ones! The burned forest is pulled almost directly from the animated show and I like how they're tying it to not only the themes of responsibility, but also of forgiving yourself for past mistakes and planting seeds for the future.
I like the choice to have Sokka interacting with a young girl in the forest who was looking for her stolen brother rather than an old man just randomly showing up and asking for their help. The active choice for Sokka to turn on 'big brother mode', drop the Pipenpadalopsikous easter egg, and the group to CHOOSE to go to the village to help all on their own gave the characters a lot of agency rather than just being tugged along with the plot by other characters. Since they cut the Imprisoned storyline where the Gaang took that agency in the animated version, I like that they gave them that same agency here in the live-action. The included detail that the forest didn't burn due to a battle, but just because the Fire Nation wanted a clearer path to march through just shows how devoid of care Israel is - sorry, The Fire Nation is - for the natural world. While at war, just destroy everything in your path - even centuries old orchards - sorry, forests.
The change in camera focus as Aang senses the issues in the Spirit World was a really cool cue for the watcher - makes it very other-worldly. Live-action Aang already understands that he can interact with the spirit world rather than in the animation when the villager has to prompt him 'yeah, you can do that stuff' and Aang reluctantly and with a great deal of apprehension says 'right, that's me'. While I like how Aang has no idea what he's doing as he hasn't had anyone to teach him about the spirit world, he goes about things differently in the live-action. He still doesn't know exactly what to do, but he does know meditation, so he tries that - and it takes awhile and does it funky, bringing Katara and Sokka in with him.
It's great to see Zuko on the old-school hunt for the Avatar and being a dick to his crew - these two episodes in Zuko's POV draw heavily from The Storm and Bato of the Water tribe and it's a great dynamic to see between him and his crew. Then we jump to Azula laying on the flattery thick with her father and dropping the 'water the most promising seed' line! Again, reinforcing the theme of future growth - and it might not always be positive growth. Linking the themes to both sides is just soooooo goooddd. Love too, how Azula gives her suggestion for what to do and Ozai agrees, an inverse of when he'll be so disparaging of Zuko's suggested tactics in the next episode.
But oooooohhhh the sly dressing down he gives Azula, her conflicted and angrily embarrassed reaction, and then Ozai's little smirk as he pokes and prods in JUST the right way to get Azula pitted against Zuko - love love love what they did with the royal family in season 1. It'll give SO much more depth to Zuko and Azula's rivalry next season!! It is heartbreaking though that Azula was so clearly angling to get some sort of approval from her father - some praise for her abilities - praise that with Ozai is probably very rare. The two children are just so desperate for positive reinforcement from their father and while Azula's sly remarks are, of course, underhanded, you see that she's doing it because she's just a child desperate for approval - not that she was just 'born a monster'.
The Gaang's dynamic is so cute here!! Like in the animated version, Katara having complete faith in Aang even though she's no idea how he's gonna do it, Aang desperately trying to do something he knows he should be able to do but no idea how, and Sokka complaining that he's hungry which is distracting Aang from his super serious business. Their interactions are almost a direct pull from the Siege of the North Part I from the animated series when Katara and Yue are talking behind Aang as he's trying to enter the Spirit World at the oasis. Instead of stumbling into the Spirit World on accident as he chases after Hei Bai, in the live-action, Aang has to meditate for a long time before finally reaching the point where he can cross over. The detail of Katara continuing to practice her forms as they wait is really great as we don’t actually get to see animated Katara practicing much - it's just The Waterbending Scroll, and every other time, she just does the waterbending form perfectly. Yes, her skills improve, but we really miss her practicing.
It's an interesting choice to bring Sokka and Katara with Aang into the Spirit World - I can see how, with the themes they're looking to explore with these episodes, that's how they chose to do it. The main ideas being that you need to come to terms with the past so you can look forward to the future, and a great way to do a flashback sequence is through the Spirit World. The animated show didn't really show Aang much in the spirit world through these episodes - he just met Fang and was given the Spirit message to get to Roku's temple - but nothing else really Spirit Worldy happened. And we just left Sokka and ignored the fact he was there. I like them combining Aang's jaunt into the spirit world during the Siege of the North episodes here because I think it's a great story beat to hit, but the siege episodes are already a LOT, so adding even more with the spirit world journey to meet Koh would probably be too much.
Won Shi Tong was an amazing addition to the spirit world. Instead of a random monkey (that costs tons of money to CGI), they've created a model for a character we'll see in season 2. I don't really understand people confused about his presence here - like….y'all, he's a spirit? He can float around wherever - probably can be both here in the spirit world and the library at the same time? Idk, it just seems like an odd thing to be confused over. Like, why would an ancient spirit not be able to jump over into the spirit world while also holding down their presence in the material plane? It really felt like manufactured outrage trying to FORCE an issue that’s…not an issue at all.
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Summancing The Stone (Part 3 Summer Analysis)
My second Summer analysis blog EXPLODED, so first of all, thank you so so so much for nearly 60 notes as of writing this. Moving to Tumblr, I love that people are listening to what I have to say about Summer, it even seems that I'm one of the few people that TALK about Sum-Sum. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Moving on to the main topic with a recap to start us off. In my first blog, I talked about how 'Wedding Squanchers' features the single most impactful Summer scene, despite no dialog from her and how it lasts a few seconds
Going off this scene, I then talked about how Summer felt the need to address her insecurities and 'avenge' Rick, as she blamed herself for befriending Tammy for feeling alone and then causing a chain reaction that tied in Rick, The Galactic Federation, Earth, and the whole family
I forgot to mention that there's a seeming consistency that before this, Summer goes with the norm to survive and if it will make her popular and/or loved
When she turns to Headism, she strives to be the best version of herself and for her parents, stressed when a single flaw slips through the cracks.
In 'Big Trouble In Little Sanchez', although she rides the wave of Tiny Rick for popularity, she at least addresses that Rick is endangered
In 'Meeseeks and Destroy', she uses a Meeseeks to become popular
In 'Rick Potion #9', we see the inverse with Morty trying to be popular and Summer surviving despite the apocalypse happening around her. We also see a theme of Summer loving apocalypse scenarios
(which is the basis of Rickmancing the Stone), which I imagine is because she can show her survival instincts skyrocket alongside popularity when the world is crumbling
In 'Something Ricked This Way Comes', she handles working with the devil/Mr. Needful in order to be accepted for her hard work
The point is that Summer wants to be accepted and fights to survive. This culminates in the aforementioned 'Wedding Squanchers' scene, which is also the pinnacle of wishing to be accepted and having to survive being tracked by the Galactic Federation. And on a final note before we actually talk about Rickmancing the Stone, Summer also has a parallel to Morty's narrative (this being a condensed way to put it). Although Morty dealt with the horrifying reality around him from Rick showing it to him, Summer deals with thinking every action results in horrifying consequences and that she is inherently a product of said horrifying reality
Today I rewatched 'Rickmancing the Stone'. And holy shit, talk about a Summer episode. It rounds off this trilogy. 'Wedding Squanchers' marks the end of Summer trying to be outright popular and dealing with all her actions and insecurities in one flash. 'The Rickshank Rickdemption' shows how she's done with going with the norm to survive and goes against the Federation, trying to undo all of her actions and saving Rick. Now we have 'Rickmancing the Stone', an episode that highlights how she's lacking empathy and being blunt. It's time to break this beast down and analyze Summer
First off, we see her ignore her dad in the cold open and already want to go with Rick. I know she doesn't ALWAYS address him as 'grandpa Rick', but just calling him Rick also emphasizes this. Considering the previous two episodes, she wants to be close to Rick after almost losing him for something she blamed herself for. I think it also makes sense because Rick is not only someone she admires, but he's family. She doesn't have to 'befriend' Rick, in a way. He already holds her to a regard, so it works. This logic works in the other way too. She already had a rocky relationship with her father, seen in 'Look Who's Purging Now' because she doesn't hold any respect for her father or in any high regard - just like how Rick views Summer. She ignores Jerry and doesn't care about saying goodbye. It's likely because it's pointless - she'll already be seeing him, it's not some final goodbye, and even if it is, she already didn't have him as involved in her life. It's not like when Rick was ripped out of her life, someone who loved Summer and understood her
Of course, Summer is a killing machine in this episode. As I mentioned, she's fighting to survive and reigning supreme, except it isn't entirely for love and her self image. Although everyone knows this scene, the line 'Okay, but not because you told me to' is not just an angered teen saying. It shows she's still against being told what to do and is now showing she won't take orders, but do what SHE wants - such as killing someone because SHE wants to, not because someone else wants it
Strength.
A core part of Summer and this episode is strength. She joins Hemmorhage and his group when he literally says the group is stronger now. Summer is obviously showing her physical strength, but also her mental strength by choosing to push through (as we saw with all three of these episodes). Because after facing all her weaknesses from no love, she tries to overcome it by being strong and somewhat 'selfish' (not in a negative way)
Again, part of that strength is family strength. She parades Morty and proudly displays HIS strength (and yes Morty and Rick have awesome arcs but I'm focusing on Summer, you see the theme of strength). That's because again, she's focusing on the family and the bond with her brother and grandfather. No friends to be made here, just going with her brother and grandfather
The scene with Hemmorhage is pretty good. I think the foundation of her attraction is that Hemorrhage is flawed. Rather than going for someone who's seemingly flawless and makes her swoon (although this kinda goes against her going after Ethan in 'The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy'), the moment Hemorrhage goes on about his insecurities, it's like she finds it relatable and predictable because SHE went through it, just going in for a kiss. This also comes after when he takes off his helmet and she goes on a lil' nerdy rant about mustaches and helmets, which seems to me that it's rooted in trying to show off her intellegence like Rick, but it just shows her passion and trying to comfort Hemorrhage
Side note, I think this robot Summer managed to help Beth call Jerry because of a mix of her old ideologies and new ones, coming together to AGAIN, have her family bond together. Don't forget that Summer was the one who wanted to bring Rick back, people forget how she brings the family together
Let's talk about Hemorrhage.
Summer does not deny that she's still the same and says she's as crazy as when they first met. Instead, Hemorrhage is the one who softens up. She regrets marrying him and can't continue with it, which is going to culminate in an ultimate breakdown of Summer, the past episodes and blogs, and consistencies/incosistencies
Summer has wanted to focus on herself or closer bonds. Rather than trying to make a friend, she focuses on the strength of her nearest family and being aware of how weak family CAN be. Realizing how fragile it is, is why she doesn't care for Jerry and doesn't take the divorce too close. At the same time, this is why she cherishes Rick and Morty for knowing how one wrong move can break this all apart. In fact, this is probably why Night Summer...was the HEAD OF THE NIGHT FAMILY?? Just a thought...
Back on topic. We do see her insecurities pop up in Season 3, but they also focus on family, such as Jerry's girlfriend and how she appreciates her mother trying to connect and help her cope with her body alongside rejection. She's not perfect, but she works so hard to fix these things. Rickmancing the Stone shows that from now on, we'll see a Summer who is at the top of her game to simply BE at the top of her game. It's rooted in keeping in mind that everything is fragile, but she shouldn't mess up and blame herself. She should be cautious, even if this happens as a lesson AFTER she falls to her insecurities and negative thoughts. She's almost THE glue that keeps the family together this time. She doesn't try to listen to authority but herself, which explains why she still listens to her insecurities that linger. Rickmancing The Stone perfectly rounded off this trilogy I'm studying
We go from Summer blaming herself for her insecurities and loneliness, realizing she's put everyone in danger even if she is the ONLY one that thinks this
She then tries to make up for it feverishly by bringing Rick back and trying to make her family reject the Federation
Finally, with Rick back, she doesn't let go of him and excitedly shows him how she's changed not just for him but for herself. She holds his respect high and we've come a long way from Rick saying she and Morty are both whiny pieces of shit he can't tell apart. She focuses on being strong, not on weaknesses. I think Rickmancing The Stone is not only fucking amazing in showing this, but the third part in this sequence of Summer's arc that forever changes her character from a mostly insecure teen to basically being a girlboss who just says and does what's on her mind
tldr summer is so cool and people should talk about how they made her cool it's not an accident or thing they randomly put in episodes #respectsummer
#rick and morty#summer smith#summer#hyperfixation#summer smith is the best character#rick sanchez#character analysis#character exploration#please reblog this it took me so long to write this on an old Chromebook
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Steven Universe Future Timeline (Including the Movie) [Short version]
We recently made a timeline for the events of Steven Universe Future, including the movie. It was very entertaining to find the exact dates, but we have to admit, it was a very long post that I had to remove a bit of the formatting to comply with the character limit, also, it takes a long time to read. So I made a condensed, shorter and better formatted version of the post.
My inspiration for creating this timeline was the original series timeline made by NubOnReddit on Reddit, which you can find by clicking here.
I considered some details for the construction of the timeline. Some from the series and others based on the timeline on Reddit:
Steven's birthday is August 15th. (Canon)
Steven was born in 2001, turns 16 in 2017 and 17 in 2018. (Headcanon)
With the exception of "The Future", Steven is 16 years old in the entire season of Future, according to his medical record in "Growing Pains". (Canon)
"Snow Day" occurs in December (Headcanon) and from Monday to Wednesday. (Canon)
"Snow Day" occurs one week before the third quarter (Canon), for Steven and by extension for Little Homeschool, third quarter means the third month of the four-month school period. (Headcanon)
"Little Homeschool" and "Guidance" are at most a week apart because Little Homeschool is recent. (Headcanon)
"Little Homeschool" and "Little Graduation" are at least two months apart because during that time Sadie and Shep start dating. (Canon)
"Rose Buds" and "Snow Day" are at least a month apart because Steven becomes a vegetarian. (Canon)
"Prickly Pair" occurs in June because among Steven's plants is a blue campanula, which blooms in June. (Headcanon)
"Bismuth Casual" takes place in mid-June because it is after exams at the cram school. (Headcanon)
"Together Forever" takes place during the beginning of the school vacations because Connie might be getting ready for college in the morning and it seems like her 15-minute break is recent. (Headcanon)
School vacations in human schools don't interfere with classes at Little Homeschool. Classes are from Monday to Friday throughout the year and Saturdays and Sundays are days off. (Headcanon)
"Growing Pains" takes place the day after "Together Forever" because Connie told Steven that she would call him at lunchtime in the previous episode. (Canon)
"Mr. Universe" takes place two days after "Growing Pains" because Steven said that he went to the hospital two days ago. (Canon)
In "Mr. Universe" Greg says his parents go to Florida Island every winter. To keep things consistent, Greg's parents also started traveling in the summer and he didn't know it. (Headcanon)
"Fragments" takes place one day after "Mr. Universe" (Headcanon) and has a range of five days. (Canon)
"Homeworld Bound” takes place on the night of the fifth day of "Fragments" (A.K.A. the day Steven shattered and revived Jasper) and in the early morning of the next day, on which "Everything's Fine" takes place. (Canon)
"Everything's Fine" and "I Am My Monster" occur on the same day. (Canon)
"The Future" takes place months after "I Am My Monster" (Canon) between October and early December. (Canon)
In the movie, the events supposedly began on May 21 (a Monday in 2018) according to Sadie Killer and the Suspects concert poster. However, it would be impossible for Steven to be 16 in "Growing Pains" if he had already gone through a winter. So I interpreted it as a moment of a little mistake (Like when Garnet asked a question in "Cheeseburger Backpack" or when Connie was affected by Blue Diamond's power in "Reunion") and adjusted the start date to Monday, August 21, 2017, with Steven turning 16 a few days ago.
As I progressed through the timeline, I included a few more details based on which month the events of each episode were most likely:
Since "Snow Day" occurs on Monday December 25 (2017), January 1, 2018 would be the start of the third quarter. So, Little Homeschool started on November 1, 2017.
The graduation of the Off Colors would be on February 28, 2018.
From "Little Homechool" to "A Very Special Episode", each episode would occur on a different day of the week.
"Little Homeschool" occurs on Monday, November 6 because the school would be in its first days and because… it's Monday.
In 2018, June 14 was Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan), so "Bismuth Casual" occurs after the mentioned date so Patricia can be present without skipping Tarawih (Correct me if I'm wrong).
Due to a chain of days that links the episodes from "Together Forever" to "I Am My Monster", "Together Forever" can only occur on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, and "Everything is Fine" occurs on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday respectively.
"The Future" occurs over two days, as Connie is present on the morning of the first day and it doesn't appear to be a school day at Little Homeschool, the first day occurs on a Saturday or Sunday and the second day occurs on a Sunday or Monday respectively.
For some dates I implemented the following matches (I'm Peruvian, so I looked for dates in the United States because the series is set there. Correct me if I'm wrong on some):
"Guidance" occurs on November 11 because it's Veterans Day, the healed gems are basically military veterans.
"Why So Blue?" occurs on January 17 because it's International Mentoring Day. As Steven and Lapis try to teach two other Lapises to stop destroying worlds, the concept fits.
"Growing Pains" occurs on June 27 because it's National PTSD Awareness Day. In this episode we see that Steven has PTSD, and Dr. Maheswaran gave a good explanation of the topic.
The second day of "The Future" (A.K.A. when Steven begins his journey) occurs on Monday, November 5 because it would be exactly one year after "Little Homeschool" (November 6, but still a Monday). It would be symbolic because a year ago was the beginning of Steven's problems that unleashed his pink outburst, and now he's healing from his traumas and began a journey to discover himself.
After several calculations of days of the week and doing discard methods, the timeline looks like this:
The Movie:
Monday August 21, 2017 - Tuesday August 22, 2017
Little Homeschool:
Monday November 6, 2017
Guidance:
Saturday November 11, 2017
Rose Buds:
Sunday November 19, 2017
Volleyball:
Wednesday November 22, 2017
Bluebird:
Friday December 1, 2017
A Very Special Episode:
Tuesday December 5, 2017 - Thursday December 7, 2017
Snow Day:
Monday December 25, 2017 - Wednesday December 27, 2017
Why So Blue?:
Wednesday January 17, 2018
Little Graduation:
Wednesday February 28, 2018 - Thursday March 1, 2018
Prickly Pair:
Saturday June 2, 2018 - Monday June 4, 2018
In Dreams:
Saturday June 9, 2018 - Sunday June 10, 2018
Bismuth Casual:
Friday June 15, 2018
Together Forever:
Tuesday June 26, 2018
Growing Pains:
Wednesday June 27, 2018
Mr. Universe:
Friday June 29, 2018
Fragments:
Saturday June 30, 2018 - Wednesday July 4, 2018
Homeworld Bound:
Wednesday July 4, 2018 - Thursday July 5, 2018
Everything's Fine:
Thursday July 5, 2018
I Am My Monster:
Thursday July 5, 2018
The Future:
Sunday November 4, 2018 - Monday November 5, 2018
Well, this was the short version of the Steven Universe Future timeline post including the movie. I think the essential is understood. I'll leave the link to the long version at the end in the future.
More information:
Long Version
Spanish Version | Versión en Español
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Pride Month Triple Feature: Monthly Muppets Madness: Muppet Babies 2018: Gonzorella
Happy pride! Usually pride is a pretty big to do on this blog, with my first pride here being also my first pride publicly as a bisexual man. But with my move pretty much every review I had planned for this month got thrown around. So to make up for it i'm condensing my pride plans into one day. Two shorter reviews and one longer review that i've been trying to do since the first pride, and seems the most timely given everything going on.
So with that it's time for Monthly Muppet Madnesss yayyyy. The plan here was changed as with a lot of longer reviews originally planned.. I just wasn't up to doing Return to Labyrinth quite yet. I still plan to, in or outside of pride, but I realized it didn't really FIT the season the way the original movie did.
So instead we're going to daycare for this one as we look at the muppet babies reboot. I finally watched some with my young nephew a month or two back while watching him, and honestly.. it's a delight. I can't say how it compares to the original as I watched maybe two episdoes as a kid as it was before my time, though i'm sure i'll be covering some of it eventually, but the reboot is a lovely preschool show. Admitely like most preschool shows it has to be simple: our heroes have some sort of dillema young kids can learn from, they work through it, usually with the help of Nanny(this time played by the incomprable and wonderous Jenny Slate), and we all have a laugh or two. It's not bad, it's just not clearly meant for a 31 year old man, and that's fine. My 2 year old nephew, whose in the target age range, loved it. Not every cartoon has to aim for both adults and kids, and there's still a ncie nod here or there for the adults who do watch.
As for this episode in paticular, this one I found while trying to see if the Muppets had done anything related to the Transgender community, as I felt i'd neglected them in previous prides and it was time to rectify that. They hadn't as far as I could tell.. but they did do this episode, in which Gonzo wants to wear a dress, and said episode is not only wholesome and heartwarming.. but also brings up a larger issue kids have been facing lately.
As most of you reading this defintely know the right's faviorite new weapon is accusing trans and gender non conforming folks, as well as non binary, gender fluid, and genderqueer persons, of "grooming" children. Which is a fancy and douchey way of saying
While the right has naturally captalized on this as their new boogieman. It's why gender affirming care has been banned several places and why the world truly and clearly sucks right now.
So naturally a muppet preschool show just casually saying "it's fine to wear a dress if your a boy" without slapping a label on what Baby Gonzo is just yet... got a lot of the same bollocks. And it's just.. depressing honestly. Disgusting, horrible and hard to stomach, also yes, but mostly depressing that they can't just.. accept that gender has ALWAYS been complicated, it's just now many a person, many who likely always felt lost, know what to call themselves. This isn't some RADICAL NEW CONCEPT, it's just society finally acknowledging that gender isn't binary or assigned at birth. It's why i'm GLAD that more and more kids content like this is making it clear to kids whose parents may not be accepting for very stupid reasons.. that no, your normal.
So as for the episode itself like most Muppet Babies 2018 episodes the premise is a pretty simple dillema of the week: Piggy and Summer are having a princess party based on an old book that says just how it should go. For those less familiar with this version of the series, Summer is an original character, a purple pengy. She fits right in though and i'd honestly love to see her grown up self join the rest of the muppets someday. I mean Skeeter eventually got there via the comics. We also get Rizzo, who lives in the walls of the daycare and shows up ocasoinally to hang out giving us the story of cinderella.
This naturally comes into play given the title: the book says boys dress up at knights and girls as princesses, but Gonzo wants to wear a frilly dress. Gonzo also feels like the perfect charater to do this: he's always been the outsider of the group, someone who on the outside is full of confidence but on the inside is full of self doubt. So having him WANT to simply wear a dress but be too scared of loosing his friends to is a good narrative for him. We know they probably woudln't care or if anyone did the rest would stand up for him, but for a tiny child wanting to wear a dress when boys have typically not done that, it could be scary, not helped again by the many grown people telling them their brainwashed and they don't know what they know. Just as I relate to the adult gonzo, a small child can relate to Gonzo's fears of not being accepted. Hell when I came out as bisexual, i was terrified my family wouldn't accept even though I had zero reason to think they'd be assholes about this and they've been nothing but loving and accepting. It can be hard to be who you are for an adult who knows that most people in their life will accept them, I can't imagine what it'd be like for a small kid.
Rizzo becomes his fairy god rat, and helps him become gonzorella, but tells him the spare wears off at cake o clock, because tha't when they have cake and my brain will just accept that because i'm stretched for time.
The episode goes pretty stock from here: Piggy and Summer try to stick to the book, Gonzo does something Gonzo like make a chicken themed crown or bust a move on the dance floor during a boring ballroom dance, it makes it better, they see "hey being diffrent isn't so bad". It's as subtle as brick to the head.. but it's also for kids around 2-6, ones whose own parents may tell them nto to be so "different", so I can see why subtley isn't really needed and the show still treats kids smartly enough to not feel like it's talking down to them, which is something I feel is necessary in a kids show of any audience. It just tells a story with a moral and while the moral is obvious, it's one kids need to hear and MANY adults need to hear.
Naturally gonzo has to run out, his neighbor has been kidnapped... and also the spell is running out. But I like the nice twist: instead of our heroes seeking out our cindy stan din, Gonzo realized he dosen't LIKE having to hide and Rizzo enrouages him that since they liked the other diffrent stuff.. they might like this after all, and Gonzo reveals he likes wearing dresses... and everyone accepts it. Most touchingly Piggy fully apologizes, realizing she made him feel bad and deciding
We get a dance party ending and ew're out
So yeah this episode is good. I didn't have much to say because i'ts both short and not exactly something I need to deeply dive into to understand, but still VERY good for kids, and for muppets fans alike. Thanks for reading
#pride month#gender nonconforming#transgender#genderqueer#gonzo the great#gonzorella#monthly muppets#kermit the frog#miss piggy#summer penguin#rizzo the rat
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Here’s how I’d change The Owl House Finale(s)
(Because everyone cares what I think).
Thanks to Them
I actually like this episode for the most part. I think a slight reprieve from the previous season finale makes sense. I would focus more on developing Gus and Willow as characters. This would be a good time for Willow and Amity to truly talk and create a friendship outside of Luz.
King’s dad should start appearing periodically throughout the episode. Not visibly, but in little hints and glimpses to Luz. He’s trying to get them back home because they have the advantage of not being in the collector’s sights. He comes in her dreams, makes nudges to lead her and the squad to the remaining blood. Something along those lines.
We get a visual glimpse of the Wittebane backstory. Maybe Belos reminisces while possessing Hunter, during the hayride, and Hunter sees the flashback, confused and scared. Hell, for the Lunter shippers, when Hunter comes back to reality have the visage of Evelyn fade into Luz. Parallels ✨
I have no clue what to do with Vee. I love her though.
For the Future
This episode sucks.
King’s dad is still communicating with Luz
First, the Hexside detour should be completely removed.
The focus should be entirely on resolving the collector arc. Whether he’s a capricious cosmic entity or the equivalent of a child, end it here. There’s little time to delve into the archivists, so it can be skipped, I guess. We don’t know what the lore is so I can’t comment on if it could be condensed.
Willow, Amity, and Gus can still continue their arcs. Have Willow still crack and these two resolve it, not Hunter. Hunter doesn’t need to be with Luz but he needs focus on his new powers and discovering Caleb and Belos’ history. If there’s a connection between the Clawthorne’s and them, reveal it here, a little. Sprinkle a bit 🤏🏾
Belos is the devil on the collector’s ear. He sends them to fight Luz and Co. We get a battle which is Kikimora’s original + the games from Waking and Dreaming. We can even add Eda, Lilith, and King can go over to help. Regardless, our kids put up a fight and get thrashed.
At this point things seem grim. Depending on the characterization, the collector is gleeful over suffering or having a change of heart once he realizes his “games” are dangerous. Belos reappears, now reinvigorated/moss powered whatever, and kills the collector.
Waking and Dreaming
It can be here or the tail end of FtF, but Luz is killed by Belos trying to defend Hunter. This is not shipping fodder, I just think Belos really hates Caleb and by extension Hunter. There’s a lovely drama in him killing the parallel of his brother’s wife, if he didn’t kill her originally.
Now she’s in titan ville
We get the detailed and full version of the Wittebane story. If the Clawthorne’s are involved, bring it in. The titan wants Luz to know the full story so she can decide if she’s willing to kill Belos. We don’t get a handed down moral, but we see her earnestly think about this.
Meanwhile, Belos might let somethings slip about Hunter and Caleb. Everyone’s justifiably losing their shit and going ham. There’s no way they can beat him so they retreat.
Since the collector’s dead, everyone is freed from being dolls. Maybe bump brings everyone back to hexside and our group meets them there.
Belos is progressing slowly but he’s coming. This is the time for little character interactions like Amity and Boscha, Eda and her parents. Wrap up as much as possible swiftly. No high school politics.
Time doesn’t progress the same in the in between dimension. The titan and Luz talk. We truly close the collector’s arc. He explains what happened or gives a glimpse into their motives. There isn’t enough time to properly resolve it.
Luz talks about King
Eventually she agrees, gets her super awesome monster form.
Hexside peeps prepare for one final showdown. We have the coven heads including Raine, our main squad, the harpy sisters, and King and Hunter with their strange powers.
They fight and Luz returns
Battle, battle, battle. Little character interactions
Belos dies. I have mixed feeling on whether Hunter needs to confront him. So maybe he tells Belos to choke and Eda and Lilith stomp him out. It shouldn’t be played for laughs
The day is saved!…sigils are gone
Extended epilogue. Amity and Luz talk about things. Willow isn’t a sports player…wtf was that about?
Gus gets to travel the human realm or something besides being the same human club person.
If Hunter is carving palismen, can we learn why?
Eda being a teacher…is debatable at best. Raeda wedding though 😎
We see Luz finish out high school in the human realm while visiting the isles. There’s still the quinceañera.
I clearly didn’t hit every single detail of each episode. There are sections that are fine or not worth the effort to edit. I’m not a hardcore fan of any of the ships. I do like Lunter but I’m not going back to rewrite the whole show. My efforts are more focused on developing Amity as a character so the relationship feels more real. I do love my girls. Huntlow is not my thing. It feels hollow and a waste of Willow’s time.
These are my ideas for the finale episodes only. Some of these would be better if they started in earlier seasons but, like I said, I’m not here to rewrite the show. I hope it’s clear that my criticism come from a place of loving the show. Critical tags kind of annoy me because it seems to imply that this wouldn’t belong in the main tags. Opinions that aren’t attacking people should be able to stay in the main tags.
#mari’s rambles#tv review#the owl house#toh#toh season 3#the owl house season finale#toh season 3 spoilers#luz noceda#edalyn clawthorne#king clawthorne#toh belos#hunter toh#amity blight#toh criticism#toh critical#the owl house criticism#the owl house critical
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I’ve seen many Precure tournaments on this website, but none dedicated to one of the most catchy aspects of Precure: it’s music!
Welcome to the Pretty Cure Opening Showdown, where every single Precure OP will go head to head, to see which song is most beloved!
I matched every OP chronologically, except in cases where I needed some minor rearranging to make sure an OP was pitted against its alternate version in the first round, and the English OPs were grouped together at the end. You’ll also notice a three way split between The Great Pretty Cure Gathering and it’s two alternate versions, Light of Hope and Flower of Life, both because of an otherwise uneven number and also to condense each song into it’s Best Version before everyone really starts duking it out.
Linked songs will be their TV edits, as they would be heard before an episode/movie, and wherever possible I’ll embed the OP itself, not just audio.
Current polls linked here, previous rounds under the cut!
EDIT:: AND THAT'S ALL, FOLKS! Suite Precure has come out on top with the best opening song!! Thank you to everyone for voting and for making this such a fun tournament to host! Keep your eyes on this blog, the next Precure Music Tournament will be to determine the best ENDING song! :D
ROUND 5
FINALE:
- La♪ La♪ La♪ Suite Pretty Cure♪ VS Viva! Spark! Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure
ROUND 4:
A SIDE:
- DANZEN! Futari wa Pretty Cure VS La♪ La♪ La♪ Suite Pretty Cure♪
B SIDE:
- Viva! Spark! Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure VS Sparkling and Cute! The Great Pretty Cure Gathering♪ ~Flower of Life~
ROUND 3:
A SIDE:
1- DANZEN! Futari wa Pretty Cure VS Alright! Heartcatch Pretty Cure!
2- La♪ La♪ La♪ Suite Pretty Cure♪ VS Dokkin♢Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure!
B SIDE:
1- Sparkle☆彡Star☆Twinkle Pretty Cure VS Viva! Spark! Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure
2- Pretty Cure ~Forever Friends~ VS Sparkling and Cute! The Great Pretty Cure Gathering♪ ~Flower of Life~
ROUND 2:
A SIDE:
1- DANZEN! Futari wa Pretty Cure VS Pretty Cure 5, Full・Throttle GO GO!
2- Let's! Fresh Pretty Cure! ~Hybrid ver.~ VS Alright! Heartcatch Pretty Cure!
3- La♪ La♪ La♪ Suite Pretty Cure♪ VS Let's go! Smile Pretty Cure!
4- Miracle Go! Princess Pretty Cure VS Dokkin♢Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure!
B SIDE:
1- SHINE!! KiraKira☆Pretty Cure A La Mode VS Sparkle☆彡Star☆Twinkle Pretty Cure
2- Viva! Spark! Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure VS Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure ~Hero Girls~
3- Pretty Cure ~Forever Friends~ VS Pretty Cure! Make A Yell☆Miracle
4- Sparkling and Cute! The Great Pretty Cure Gathering♪ ~Flower of Life~ VS Together We Are Pretty Cure
ROUND 1:
A SIDE:
1- DANZEN! Futari wa Pretty Cure VS DANZEN! Futari wa Pretty Cure (Ver. Max Heart)
2- Pretty Cure 5, Smile go go! VS Pretty Cure 5, Full・Throttle GO GO!
3- Let's! Fresh Pretty Cure! VS Let's! Fresh Pretty Cure! ~Hybrid ver.~
4- Leave It To Us★Splash☆Star★ VS Alright! Heartcatch Pretty Cure!
5- La♪ La♪ La♪ Suite Pretty Cure♪ VS La♪ La♪ La♪ Suite Pretty Cure♪ ~∞UNLIMITED ver.∞~
6- Let's go! Smile Pretty Cure! VS Happy Go Lucky! Doki Doki! Pretty Cure
7- Happiness Charge Pretty Cure! WOW! VS Miracle Go! Princess Pretty Cure
8- Dokkin♢Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure! VS Dokkin♢Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure! Part2
B SIDE:
9- SHINE!! KiraKira☆Pretty Cure A La Mode VS We can!! HUGtto! Pretty Cure
10- Sparkle☆彡Star☆Twinkle Pretty Cure VS Healin' Good♥Pretty Cure Touch!!
11- Viva! Spark! Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure VS Cheers! Delicious Party♡Pretty Cure
12- Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure ~Hero Girls~ VS Cherry Blossom MISSION ~Pretty Cure Relation~
13- SWITCH ON to Pretty Cure Mode! VS Pretty Cure ~Forever Friends~
14- We'll Smile Tomorrow! VS Pretty Cure! Make A Yell☆Miracle
15- Sparkling and Cute! The Great Pretty Cure Gathering♪ VS ~Light of Hope~ VS ~Flower of Life~
16- Together We Are Pretty Cure VS Glitter Force
I hope no one minds me @’ing them for reach, and I hope this isn’t a breech of poll etiquette, but here are a variety of tournaments/brackets that I really enjoy that seemed thematically relevant to my tournament here.
@precureshowdown @mahoubracket @precurehairtournament @yes5gogo-tothepolls @yuribracket
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