Ok friend you have my curiosity where is this fic you speak of. I am SO ready to have my brain chemistry fundamentally changed

Start here. My recommendation is to read that, maybe read the rest of Turnabout NaNoWriMo, and if you want to know more after that, I can hand you some 200k of fic that is properly formatted with the interludes, because Ao3's formatting really doesn't work with the Sagiverse anthologies. (So what you see here is maybe like a quarter of what we've got. We have a lot, and also lots of art.)

Turnabout NaNoWriMo is the first of three-and-a-half anthologies I've written, and it's only after reading and enjoying all of them do I let people at my fiance's anthologies, which are excellent but a bit more private. (Turnabout Runaways, which was this year's NaNo challenge, is incomplete but at least 50k. I will be slowly working on it probably for a few months, and eventually it'll be done.)

These anthologies take place in a greater crossover AU we refer to as Sagiverse. It started in 2020 in Saint Seiya, and now hosts several different series, eight hundred some-odd characters, upwards of thirty different fantasy worlds (of which Earth is only one), and more plotlines than we can keep track of properly.

Here's the two-sentence pitch: seven hundred years ago, there was a giant war between various magical factions on Earth that ended in a mostly-forgotten pyrrhic victory and the gods choosing to seal magic away from the world. So magic began to slowly die out, and as of present day, magic is rarer and rarer, and mage society is dying out, but it's still holding on as best it can, until one day the gods finally allow magic to return.

Ace Attorney gets involved with this very very simply. Miles Edgeworth is a mage. To be specific, he's a necromage, one of the most powerful currently active on Earth. His father, Gregory Atticus Edgeworth, had never found proof of magic while he was alive. His mother... well, no one knows who his mother is, or anything about the man at all. After DL-6, Miles was taken in by MvK as a ward just as canon says, but the von Karmas themselves are magi of a kind. After DL-6, Atticus finds the proof of magic's existence that he's been looking for all along, and he is not going to leave his son and missing fiance alone in a world that so very much wants the both of them dead.

And so begins a thirty-five year trainwreck to put their wayward, way-finding family back together. They'll do it, no matter what it takes. It just turns out their family's a little bigger than they think it is.

The fic I linked pretty much opens with the identity of Miles' mother, which you learn pretty much as I did, because I didn't plan jack or shit, only let him tell me what was going on. You may raise an eyebrow at the canon ages, don't worry about that. We had to fix the timeline anyway (because the forensics tech was all twenty years out of date so we just changed the years to be twenty years earlier, setting DL-6 on December 28th 1981) so we just didn't pull him back as far. Atticus died at 39, his fiance was 33.

This is because when I first got into AA, I found the IS-7 picture of Gregory and Ray, and I sort of mistook 18-year-old Ray as Atticus' wife. My fiance pointed out the age gap, paused, and went "but they're cute so I'm sure we can make it work" and then we did. If you hesitate a bit on the ship but don't immediately hate the idea, I promise I can sell you on it. At the end of the day, everything comes back to Atticus and Ray's tragic romance. This I can promise you: it ends happily. We're just still writing everything in between.

Sagiverse!Ray is a pretty distinct character from canon!Ray, but they're close enough that if you like one you'll probably like the other. I gave him way more trauma and it's fun. :3c

If you're wondering what happens to other characters, I can answer that. Apollo is dead for a few months, Phoenix a little bit longer. Robot!Athena has Issues. Franziska changes her career from Interpol to Magica Underground mostly because it's a better use of her legal talents. Miles gets to be the chosen one and lead a war against one of his university friends who unfortunately (and semi-accidentally) stole Phoenix's corpse and ran away with it. (Phoenix is fine, don't worry about it.) Atticus gets to be a bounty hunter on the ghostroads with Mia and they do a lot of shooting MvK and causing problems. Ray, uh. Well, at least he only got shot in the head twice?

Yooo this is Crow (aka When-birds-absorbed-to-madness but thats my side account)

I read ya ender!Jesse fic thing and I am hecka invested in it!!! Like DANG I didn’t expect for Ender!Jesse to end up the way he is. I like your writing a lot

Also thanks for the support you put in ya notes. It’s very motivating :D!!!

HI HI HIIIII @when-birds-absorbed-to-madness

THANK YOU SO MUCH it’s my comfort au and I just realized how long it’s been since I’ve updated it (ITS NOT DEAD! I’m nearly finished with the next chapter I promise 💜) and yeah!! Jesse gets really messed up oofffff

I haven’t written in a while so hearing that you like it means a lot 🥺🥺 also, don’t mind me going on a little tangent-

The part where you said you didn’t expect E!Jesse to end up like that means extra to me (in a good way) That’s what I’m after!

The thing about E!Jesse is that that’s the only thing that changes about the canon. He’s the only thing that changes (apart from the scene in the beginning where Soren takes the Dragon’s Breath*) in the au. Theres no over complicated storyline where there was an awful experiment that went wrong or he was simply born like that. No, it was just a simple mistake that was forced to be made. Just one simple action in the present** that caused a domino of effect.

As someone who wrote a story that was just piled up with way too complicated backstories that had to be read thoroughly in order to properly understand the plot, like paragraphs after paragraphs to fully get the story down, writing an au like this was relieving. Yes, some of the e!jesse au does have a bit of a mystery like about the bottle but all of that is literally one click away! The Dragon’s Breath isn’t something I made up, it’s in Minecraft itself! You can read about it in the Wiki, something that I can finally link without pouring my brains over.

on the contrary, I absolutely ADORE your storymode au. Just simply INCREDIBLE. Im not saying this just because you complimented my au but because it really did feel like it scratched an itch that I felt like needed to happen.

I’ve seen aus before where Jesse was all-knowing and was aware that they were in a game, even going as far as to control the game but they didn’t feel right. They always felt too godly like Jesse was the love child of Herobrine and some other overpowered characters*** or Jesse was some interdimensional being with a mood ring for an eye (whole colors changing due to emotions) and 2836 different forms but you? Your shit just hooked me in the moment you included the choices and other characters like Lukas being aware. Just a wonderful subtle line of Jesse having control but that control doesn’t always translates to power. It doesn’t make him a higher being because of it as it always sets him back a little. Fabulous work! ❤️❤️✨❤️

* - you can read more about it on my fic explaining the au, Oblivion [basic tldr: Soren has bottle of the dragon’s essence. Jesse gets injured badly. Jesse is given the bottle bc everyone thinks that it’s a healing thingy potion. oh no. Consequences.]

** - I wanted to specify in the present because there are other similar things where yeah it’s one mistake but it took place decades before the current story and most times, stories spends too long trying to allude to what happened in the past that when the reader finally gets to the big reveal, they’re confused because they’re still thinking that they’re following another breadcrumb.

*** - I’m not saying it’s bad to include someone like Herobrine as Jesse or any other character’s parents, or relative. I think that it can be a great storyline as long as you use it well. I just happen to be an unfortunate sucko who accidentally fell into a rabbit hole of shitty WattPad aus where Herobrine “returns”, causes a bunch of evil shit and when Jesse faces Herobrine off, apparently it turns into a Star Wars movie and Herobrine reveals himself to be Jesse’s father and it’s just done so many times and so suddenly. There isn’t any build up to it and just ughhhhh

extra footnote: I’m so SORRY this is so long. If you see this and you noticed I said something that you write about or have an au on, don’t take offense!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. It’s not bad if you don’t let it be bad. Many of those things are just personal opinions and even then, if you write it and twist it in the right way, I’m certain it’ll turn out amazing. I have buddies who have dwelled into those tropes like lab aus, the Herobrine parent thing or any other characters like Steve or Alex. Just *chefs kiss*

So my feelings on this scene are... complicated

I think most of this is good. I like having Rouge show up and give Knuckles some tough love here. She’s very blunt about it, but she’s just being a realist. This is stuff Knuckles needs to hear. Especially the stuff about the Brotherhood. Yes, I am a Penders hater, so I love seeing one of the characters say that the Brotherhood’s tactics were extremely flawed (to put it generously) and that they didn’t do shit to stop Robotnik. But Locke already made the mistake of falling back on those traditions super hard in a time of crisis when Eggman took over Angel Island during the timeskip, and we don’t need Knuckles repeating his dad’s mistakes, so yeah. This really is something he needed to hear

The problem is... then Rouge goes and says this

She doesn’t outright say it, but with the Master Emerald RIGHT THERE and her telling Knuckles to leave Angel Island more often... yeah, the implication seems obvious, and it frames the whole thing as Rouge being the devil on Knuckles’ shoulder

This... yeah, I just don’t like this. Is it just me? Am I just too used to the modern version of Rouge (including in Ian’s own writing) who’s unambiguously 100% one of the good guys, just with fewer scruples about things like lying and cheating and stealing? Am I too used to her wanting to steal the Master Emerald mostly just being a joke these days? Am I just too big of a Rouge stan? (Okay, admittedly, yes, I am that.) I dunno. Her trying to steal the Master Emerald is one thing, but her taking advantage of Knuckles’ grieving... that feels too far. Rouge wants that Emerald, but she still has a heart. (This bit also portrays Knuckles as really gullible and easily swayed, especially only a few issues after Finitevus swindled him, but I think Rouge gets the shorter end of the stick here for how malicious she seems.)

Ian’s been writing Rouge as much more... shall we say “morally gray” in his early days on the comics, and I just don’t know how I feel about it. She’s the Freedom Fighters’ go-to GUN ally, but she’s also kind of a shitty person sometimes. I don’t know what inspired it. I know the way Rouge has been written across all Sonic media has changed over the years and she used to be WAY more selfish, but this was published in 2008. The main games had been steering towards a less petty Rouge for a while. In Archie canon, she’s been an ally of Sonic and co. for a while now. The events of Sonic Adventure 2 where she helped save the world already happened off-screen ages ago, and we’re now only about a year’s worth of comics away from the formation of Team Dark. But then she’ll also go and pull stuff like this that paints her as a villain

Was Ian just going off of the more antagonistic note Penders had left Rouge on? Did he just not want to completely give up a female member of the comics’ rogues’ gallery? Did he think Rouge’s “gray morality” set her apart from the many, many other female heroes in the comics? I honestly don’t know. It’s just kind of jarring to read something that paints her as so cruel--and I know we’ve got a few more oddities like this to go before Ian really figures out how to write Rouge

The weird thing about this story, though, is that... I’m not sure it was ever followed up on? Maybe there’s some stories I don’t know about, but there are no mentions of the Master Emerald or even Knuckles on the rest of Rouge’s wiki page past this point, and the folks who wrote that summary seem to have no idea what she was after here. We’re literally going to see her in a completely unrelated story NEXT ISSUE, and later it seems like the formation of Team Dark keeps her busy. So then... what was the point of this tease? What was she plotting? Was a subplot dropped because Rouge fans yelled at Ian? I have no idea

Ceremonial Kisses (Part 1 of 3)

Part 2

So I decided to try my hand at the “Marinette, the princess of China” trope and see how I did! Tell me what you think?

Also, the first chapter is going to be fluffy, the second chapter’ll have a sprinkling of salt, and the third chapter will be a mix of piles and piles of salt and some fluff. Be warned!

.

“I’ve got a big, big, big announcement for you today, class!“ Bustier chirped, clapping her hands to get their attention. “China’s princess will be coronated in a week and a half, the day she turns 18, as many of you know, and one class from the school will be selected to travel to China and watch the ceremony. Guess which class it was?“

“Uhhh…Mme. Mendeleiev’s!“

“Ooh, M. D’Argencourt’s? They’ve wanted that trip for weeks!“

“No, class, it’s ours! In three days, we’ll board the plane to Asia and have a few days to sightsee and explore, then attend the coronation on the second-to-last day!“

“Wow! Why our class?“ Kim asked.

Marinette knew exactly why. Marc had told her that the entire school was sick of Lila’s lies and wanted to enjoy the coronation without her butting in in the middle of the assembly to tell a ‘story’ about herself.

But she couldn’t just say that.

“You know, I actually know the princess,“ Lila said, immediately drawing the attention of everyone in the room. “But her identity is being kept a secret for now. That’s how we landed the trip!“

“Wow, Lila!“

“That’s amazing!“

“So cool of you.“

“They know that’s stupid, right?“ Alya stage-whispered, earning a glare from Lila’s new puppy–more commonly known as Kim. She shrugged. “I’m just tellin’ the truth!“

Alya, who was now her only other supporter next to Nino (and technically Adrien, but she’d discuss that later–it was very complicated), had decided to Google Lila’s name during a sleepover and found…some rather incriminating Facebook posts.

After that, she was 100% team Marinette and an amazing friend, along with Nino, who had decided that he needed a theme song. No one knew why.

But they loved him anyways!

So while Bustier was rattling off facts about Chinese emperors and kings and queens, Nino was showing them his latest idea to expose Lila.

“Okay,“ he started. “First, we go to China. Then we do our sightseeing and shit, and then. I did some research, and we can ask the princess questions if we’re with a national news channel. Alya’s blog counts. For real, we can talk to the princess of China. And we ask her if she knows Lila.“

“Brilliant plan, Nino. I wonder how the princess will react to a few teenagers in the middle of a crowd of famous people.“

Nino frowned. “The princess is only, like, 17. She’ll probably notice us, Als.”

“Oh, that reminds me, your birthday’s on the same day as the coronation, Marinette! Weird, isn’t it? That you and the princess have the same birthday?“ Alya asked, pulling out her phone and swiping through something.

“Huh, yeah. You’re right. Maybe we can invite her to my birthday party?“

“Ooh, the wiki page says she likes custard buns, and I’m not sure how they know that,“ Nino chuckled. “but make sure to stock up on those.“

“Noted,“ Marinette said drily as Bustier turned to them with a condemning look on her face. “Alya! I hope what you’re doing on that phone relates to the lesson!“

“China’s princess’s identity is being kept a secret because the last two were sent death threats, dangerous items, highly innapropriate items, and several other things that prompted them to not reveal the princess until it was necessary.“

“C-correct, Alya. Good job.“

“Nice!“ Marinette mouthed, high-fiving Alya, who flipped her phone around to reveal a website about the princess.

                                                           -🌸-

The final bell rang as several of the students cheered. One school day until the trip over, three more to go. Alya swung her bag over her shoulder and bumped Marinette’s elbow. “We goin’ to your place to hang out?”

“Yeah, my dad’s out anyways and mom closed the bakery for the afternoon. let’s go!“ Alya took Nino’s hand and walked the short distance to Marinette’s house. They entered and immediately felt something off.

Ah, there it was.

Sabine was leaning over the counter with a cup of very strong-smelling peppermint tea beside her. She was rubbing her temples and muttering to herself in rapid Mandarin.

“Maman? Are you alright?“ Marinette asked worriedly. Alya and Nino stood by the door–they had only seen her like this once before, when her cousin had been run over and killed.

“Yes, dear, everything’s okay, it’s just–there’s something I need to tell you.“

“Oh, no, did something happen to someone?“

“No, no, everyone’s just fine. I can’t not tell you without there being serious problems.“

“So what is it? What’s so important you had to close the bakery?“

“You’re the princess. China’s princess. The one nobody knows about.“

“I’m what?!“ Marinette screeched, grabbing at her hair. “I’m the heir to the throne of the most populated country in the world, and you waited until a week before the coronation to tell me?!“

“Holy shit.“ Alya and Nino said simultaneously. Sabine stared at them, likely just realizing they were there.

“Oh. They know now, too. Perfect, that’s just what we need, a reporter knowing who–“

“Maman! Alya wouldn’t tell a soul, I know she wouldn’t.“

Sabine turned to Alya. “I’m sorry, dear, I’m just stressed. With that trip to China in a few days and all that, we’ll have to close down the bakery for about a week.”

“And we never close down the bakery.“ Marinette finished, putting a steady hand on her mom’s shoulder. “But I know just the person to run it while we’re gone.“

As she was about to say who exactly would run the bakery, Nino backed into the door, wide-eyed.

“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit. My best friend…holy shit.“

“Nino, I know this is a lot, but we’ll have to stay calm,“ Alya said, grabbing his hand. “So we don’t spill her secret. That’s top priority, all right? Don’t–tell–anyone.“

Nino sighed. “Sorry, babe. This…“ he turned to Marinette. “Do you have any cookies?“

Marinette grinned and led them into the kitchen. “Of course! Chocolate chunk or raspberry frosted?“

“Raspberry, all the way!“

“There’s the Nino I know!“

After a quick cookie interval, Marinette pushed her plate away and sighed. “Anyone up for an impromptu sleepover? You all left a bunch of your clothes here the last few times.”

“Marinette. If you know us, you will know our answers.“ Alya said solemnly.

“Hell yeah. Wanna go choose which terrible rom-com to watch this time?“

They ended up settling on The Kissing Booth, one of Marinette’s personal favorites (”To lighten the tension, you know?” Alya had said. “Although the tension in here probably weighs the same as an obese hippopotamus at this point.”) and made a bowl of caramel popcorn, with a tiny bag of sea-salt Skinny Pop for Nino.

“Sugar on popcorn is a crime, man. I ain’t touching that.“

“You’ve tried it once, Nino.“

“Yes, and I hated it. Is there anything else to be said?“

So they spent the next two hours in a blanket fort that was made almost entirely of throw pillows laughing over Elle and Noah and Lee being idiots, with a few highlights such as the iconic “Ninth grade skirt, eleventh grade body” scene, where Alya snorted and said “You know, Lila’s skipped so much school, might as well be ninth grade brain, eleventh grade work.”

“Too true,“ Nino agreed. “The other day, she called Chloe’s mom Aurora Bourgeois. That was a pretty major mess-up.”

“Shhh! Let’s just watch the movie!“ Marinette said, effectively quieting them down.

They watched the rest in silence with the usual laughs., ending up falling asleep halfway through the second movie, snuggled up on their respective couches. Marinette mother shook them awake the next morning, telling them to take showers and eat breakfast and get dressed and for god’s sake, Marinette, finish your homework.

“Crap, crap, crapcrapcrap! Nino, we’re going to be late if we don’t get ready fast!“ Alya shouted as Marinette ran up the stairs to change. “Can I use your shower, M?“

“Sure!“ was the muffled reply.

After about 10 minutes of running around and shoving waffles in their mouths, they grabbed their bags and ran off to school.

They burst through the door in the nick of time, the bell ringing just as they plunked down their things.

Bustier wasn’t there five minutes into the class, so they started talking.

“Marinette, you have to listen to Nino’s latest track, it’s–“ Just as she was about to describe Nino’s latest track, a bouncy-ball the size of a walrus snashed through the wall, nearly taking off Kim’s head.

There was a cackle from outside. “I am Gradack! You will all feel the same sorrow that I did!“

                                                          -🌸-

The fight was over relatively fast, and everything was calmed down and restored before their next class. Turns out Chat Noir didn’t show, so Marinette had to ask Alya for assistance.

In hindsight, she probably should have picked a better place to transform.

“Tikki, spots on!“ After she transformed, she was about to go to Fu to get one of the Miraculous, when she heard a strangled gasp.

“…shit.“

“My best friend is the princess of goddamn China and Ladybug? What the fuck?! Who are you? How did I not know? When did–“

“Alya, I know the feeling, but you can’t tell anyone. Got it?“

“Nino?“

“Well,“ Marinette paused to think. “Yeah, I guess. I trust him enough. Now, take this and transform!“ she tossed Alya the hexagonal box, and after a quick transformation, they ran off to defeat the saddened graduate of an akuma.

As she said, it was an easy fight.

They comforted the victim with four minutes (each) to spare, then ran back to the locker rooms to transform back.

                                                   Time Skip!

It was the morning of the flight to China, and she was ecstatic. Of course, she had to get up at 3:45 in the morning, but it was worth it–the flight took off at six in the morning, of course.

She could see the logic of wanting to arrive at 12:00, but she would’ve much preferred a red-eye.

Then she wouldn’t have had to stay up all night reading, because no way in hell would she just wake up at 3:45 in the morning.

The alarm would’ve had to go off for hours.

But back to the morning, she poured herself a sasquatch-sized mug of coffee, with about a gallon of cream and enough sugar to put an entire city of diabetics into shock, she started getting dressed.

Trudging around and haphazardly pulling out shirts, she finally decided on a simple red-and-orange flannel, a white t-shirt, and a pair of cropped jeans.

The she downed the rest of her coffee with an apathetic “Bottoms up!” and slapped her cheeks.

She grapped her suitcase and walked outside to where her mother was typing away on a laptop in the pitch-black night.

“Mom, why are you up?“

“Because I have to drive you to the airport, that’s why. And no alarm would be able to wake me up at 3 in the morning.“

“Preach. I’m ready to go, so can we get in the car now?“

After driving to the airport and saying goodbye to her mom, she walked into the airport and immediately saw the group of sleepy teens (and a certain disheveled teacher) leaning on their suitcases, trying not to fall asleep.

Nino and Marinette were already there, their eyelids drooping. The only person who looked properly awake was Sabrina, who was–inevitably–holding a saucer out to Chloé, who was sipping from a teacup.

Alya rolled her eyes and walked over to Marinette and Nino. “Who’re we missing?”

“Kim and Rose. They’re carpooling, so they should be here any minute.“

Just as Marinette had said, a few seconds later, Rose and Kim walked into the airport. Kim was still wearing pajama pants.

                                           Another Time Skip!

“Marinette.“ Alya groaned, shaking Marinette’s shoulders. “Marinette, wake up, we’re here.“

Marinette’s eyes fluttered open. “No. Five more minutes.”

“Everyone else is already off the plane!“

“Shit. Let’s go!“ Marinette said, jumping up, grabbing her purse (which she had recently learned concealed a kwami) and scrambling out the door.

Alya picked up the mini-backpack she now carried (which held Trixx, cookies, and some grape jelly) and followed her out the door.

Almost as soon as they stepped off the plane, they heard a loud wail.

“Great. She’s back on her bullshit.“

“I just can’t believe she would steal that, Lila! It’s so unlike her!“

“M-maybe, but there’s p-proof! Look!“

“Oh, great, what did we do this time?“ Alya asked exasperatedly. They watched as Lila held out the remains of–from what they could see from a meter away–a sketch of an orange mermaid gown with a black lace collar, ripped into quarters and laid out on the ground.

Marinette gasped beside her.

“That’s your dress, isn’t it?“

A small tear made its way down Marinette’s face. “It was going to be for you,” she said softly.

Alya threw her arms around Marinette and rubbed her shoulders. “It’s okay, sweetie. Once you’re princess, we’ll sue her for all she’s worth.”

Marinette detached herself from Alya and wiped her eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, thanks, Alya.”

                                                         -🌸-

Nino stormed up to where Alya and Marinette were standing with a furious expression on his face.

“That fox,“ he seethed. “that bitchy little fox of a liar stole your drawing.“

Marinette chuckled wetly. “Yeah, we know.“

“Are you okay? I know how important they are to you.“

“I’m fine, Nino, and o–who the hell are you?“ A man in an oddly formal suit was standing next to her, holding out a small red envelope.

Marinette plucked the envelope from his fingers, opened it, and read the contents. She looked up and nodded at the suit-wearing guy.

“Good. In that case, Miss Dupain-Cheng, I’m going to need you to come with me.“ Alya and Nino immediately stepped in front of her in a protective shield.

“She’s not in trouble, is she?“

The strange man looked surprisingly amused. “Not at all–but you might want to come with us, too. You as well, headphone-boy.”

Nino put a hand on his chest and gasped in offense.

“Nino. He’s going to drive us to the palace. You’re coming, too, ya doof!“ Nino made a noise of realization and followed them out to where a black limousine was waiting.

They climbed in and drove off.

About five minutes into the drive, he moved his foot to the side, accidentally kicking a black box.

Just as he was preparing his final goodbyes, it sprung open, and inside was a junk food lover’s heaven.

“Dude.“

I saw your anti-Bangel I Will Remember You post, and if I remember correctly, didn’t Angel ask the powers to swallow the day because the Powers That Be told his Buffy was going to die? And him turning back time would either allow him to help her in the battle to come, or prevent her death entirely? Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but isn’t it about Angel being selfless and giving up the one thing he’s always wanted to keep Buffy safe and alive? Love you blog btw

I think that before that point he's already fucked up by even going to them to talk about all this without having talked to her first. That's the whole problem, he thinks it's up to him to protect her like a little child as though she doesn't deserve a say in the matter. All this concerns her. Even if they hadn't swallowed the day and just turned him back he still should have talked to her. Because he's making decisions that will severely impact their relationship and as such her life because he thinks he needs to protect her (which she has said he doesn't) without consulting her. Or even telling her. Like "hey Buffy I'm going to ask them to turn me back" "but angel then we can't be together why???" *insert bangel drama*. End in the end Buffy would have ended up agreeing with him if he had been like "I need to do this to protect the people" because she understands that. ( on top of all this there's the fact that angel simultaneously is like "can't be with Buffy as a human because I need to be a strong vampire to protect her and would only get in the way" and also "can't be with Buffy as a vampire because she needs a normal human guy and life" like should Buffy just stay single forever.) 

I think one of the reasons I am so incredibly mad at angel in this episode and this episode as a whole is that it starts with this conversation:

(I took the dialog from the transcripts wiki because I didn't want to have to rewatch the entire thing myself.) 

Angel: "Well, umm, it's good to.. Can I get you anything?" 

Buffy: "How about - an explanation? - Who do you think you are coming to my town and following me around behind my back?" 

Angel: "I'm sorry." 

Buffy: "What is this? (...)" 

... 

"(...) What are we playing here?" 

Angel: "We're not. I'm not playing anything. I wrestled with this decision.." 

Buffy: "Which you made without me." 

(this line is so important to me. They start the episode with this and then instead of really exploring this and maybe dealing with the persistent problem in Buffy and angels relationship where he doesn't allow her to make these choices or communicate with her they just ignore this and let him continue to do the same bullshit she calls him out for and then try to make it romantic. Wtf) 

Angel: "I tried to do what I thought was right. It's complicated how this all happened, Buffy, you know? (...)" 

... 

Buffy: "You didn't feel that I was important enough to even tell me that you were there." 

Angel looks at her: "I'm trying to explain. It's because I felt that you're important that I didn't tell you."  (what are you on about angel?? "I don't tell you things because I care. I go behind your back because I care." what kinda Kindergarten "he's mean because he likes you" bullshit is this) 

Buffy: "I'm a big girl now, Angel. I'm not in High School anymore. A lot has happened in my life since you left." 

Angel: "I know. I respect that." ( maybe show that by not doing the same thing again angel) 

Buffy: "And I don't need you skulking around, trying to protect me. (...)" 

I really don't know how much clearer she could be. Don't make choices behind my back trying to protect me. She literally traveled to LA to tell him this. That's how much it bothered her. 

Also the fact that he leaves while she's sleeping without telling her. Like yes he is human now and the curse isn't in effect but that doesn't change the fact that she has trauma about sleeping with guys and them not being there in the morning. He might not know about Parker but he knows what happened the last time they slept together and he can't be that oblivious to how that affected her and how him just leaving in the night without waking her or even leaving a fucking note is just fucked. It's fucked. And if he really doesn't understand this he doesn't understand her and lacks basic fucking empathy.

Buffy: "Where is Angel?" 

(some back and forth) 

Cordy with a sigh: "He told me not to tell you." 

What the fuck angel?? Not just not telling her but explicitly telling others to not give her information and keep her out of the loop.???. That isn't some oversight oops I forgot that is an active choice to keep her in the dark about things and not allow her any agency to make choices. 

(side note: I generally love cordy but "(...) And anyway, it's your fault that he went to fight that thing by himself without..". Yeah no. Don't go blaming Buffy for angels choices. She's not responsible for any of this. She didn't make this choice. Angel made sure of that.) 

And about the oracles 

Angel: "The Mohra demon said the end of days had begun. That others were coming, soldiers of darkness. I need to know if he was telling the truth."

Man: "As far as such things can be told." 

(super vague and literally my point. "as far as such things can be told" nothing is written in stone. Prophecy gets misinterpreted. It is not fact.) 

Angel: "What happens to the Slayer when these soldiers come?"

Woman: "What happens to all mortal beings. Albeit sooner in her case."

Angel: "She'll die? - Then I'm here to beg for her life." 

(she was prophecied to die and survived it before. Like you can't take any of this at face value. And she gets brought back the next time too and him being or not being a vampire has nothing to do with it) 

The Oracles turn and walk away: "It is not our place to grant life or death."

Angel: "And I ask you to take mine back. (The oracles stop walking and turn back to him) Look I can't protect her or anyone this way, not as a man."

Woman: "You're asking to be what you were, a demon with a soul, because of the Slayer?"

(they don't say shit about him needing to be a vampire to save her life or him being able to better protect her or him being able to avoid her death if he isn't human. He makes that assumption. And they are just mildly intrigued by the whole situation but they are not saying he's right) 

Man turns to leave again: "Oh, this is a matter of love. It does not concern us."

Angel: "Yes, it does. The Mohra demon came to take a warrior from your cause - and it succeeded. I'm no good to you like this. I know you have it in your power to make this right. Please." 

(they consider doing it after he let's them know that he will also be no good to the powers that way. But this is unrelated to Buffy and this is the thing that then makes them think of a way to do it. Because they realize him being a vampire is good for them. Not Buffy. Yes Buffy is his motivation but they just vaguely talk around it and never confirm to him that as a vampire he can save her life. He just wants to believe that because it fits into his martyr complex. And again. He can't actually save her as a vampire. ) 

So basically I hate angel in this episode and I hate that the episode frames all of his bullshit as romantic. 

But thank you for the question anon. Ranting about angel is very cathartic for me. 

me rambling about power rangers again.

something that’s bothered me since 2014 and Super Megaforce’s finale (The Legendary Battle) is during the cameo portion where we see past rangers rescuing people while in their civilian forms, we see Tommy in white and using Saba to rescue that one kid from the car that’s teetering on the bridge. Okay, not unusual in this situation since we’re seeing other past rangers doing similarly and they’re all in their past ranger colors.

But then this asshole (term of endearment at this point) shows up to the battle as the Green Ranger. Yes yes, many of us likely screamed in joy at this - i know I certainly did.

Now, on top of this unbridled joy at seeing my favorite Ranger form of all is the problem of knowing his most recent form is Black Brachio Ranger and the only one he technically still has access to is the Red Zeo Ranger 5, and we know THIS because of Forever Red. The Zeo powers weren’t given away or lost like literally all the others - they were passed over in favor of the Turbo powers because they were needed to get through the dimension barrier to Muiranthias and fight Divatox’s minions - we know this from the Turbo movie.

So yeah, he’s a big giant “what the fuck is going on here!” kind of problem in my brain and had been for 4 years until Dimensions in Danger aired and we were all treated to the reveal of the Master Morpher. A morpher which allows him access to all his past Ranger forms and at least 1 zord (but we can assume he has access to all his former zords because fuck it why not at this point).

Now.... the HOW he got those powers back, got the Master Morpher and all is still a mystery but one that probably will never properly be solved.

but damn it, my brain is trying to do just that any fucking way.

Why am I talking about all of this now? in 2021 - so many years after we’ve got the answer to how he was able to use both Saba AND the Green Ranger form at the Legendary Battle, and how he was able to use his Black Brachio form in Dimensions in Danger?

Because i’m bored, it’s late, i can’t sleep after a rather long nap earlier today/during the entire evening, and i’ve got nothing better to do than research for some Power Ranger crossover fics i’m writing.

And re-watching past episodes from my DVD collection I was reminded of another asshole in canon that’s thrown a wrench into the works.

And his name? Tom Oliver. Or as many of us affectionately call this asshole, Tommy’s Evil Clone. The evil clone that turned good and decided to live in the past during colonial times. The evil clone that HAD A WORKING AND FULLY FUNCTIONAL DRAGONZORD GREEN RANGER COIN AND MORPHER.

That’s right. That asshole. Who I completely forgot about until I re-watched the damn thing and then went to the wiki to reaqauint myself with him. And since TECHNICALLY he’s Tommy (and POSSIBLY an ancestor of Original Tommy Oliver - hypothetical only since there’s no solid proof of this) it’s entirely fucking possible that once the original power coin no longer worked, and once those powers were lost, the COPY of the coin was still there somewhere, waiting to be rediscovered and used. and it came with a fully functional morpher, too. A morpher that a super tech genius best friend who literally built morphers for him before and now has experience mucking about in that kind of otherworldy science could indeed modify for him to use later in life.

so, yeah.

all hypothetical headcanon at this point but goddamn it. why did this ONE ASSHOLE have to be so fucking complicated a character for a goddamn KID’S SHOW THAT ISN’T EVEN REALLY THAT FUCKING DEEP!

i both love and hate the fact there’s so much lore around this ONE character because he’s ALWAYS been my favorite in the series but goddamnit...

i’ve got such a headache.

The Next Karate Kid - A Probably Very Opinionated Commentary by Yours Truly

I really am trying to go into this with an open mind; let’s see how this goes.

Starting off with a military band? K sure, you do you sweetie, and I don’t hate it yet so that’s a positive

Aha, a military REUNION, I see. And look at Miyagi with his medal!! Sweet!

So I think if I remember from reading the plot on wikipedia that Miyagi new this guy who was married to the woman he just said hello to

Y’all they got Miyagi’s name wrong. His first name is Nariyoshi not Kesuke. That is his middle name. Although in saying that, I feel like that was more or less revealed in Cobra Kai so idk, anyway, for future reference, Miyagi’s first name is Nariyoshi

Also Louisa Pierce? I assume grandmother of Julie? That would make sense

Ooh we’re in Boston for this, and look at that big white house

Yes, Louisa is grandmother, oh and hello Julie!

Julie is unhappy, a little moody, sweetie are you okay?

Alright so Julie’s an orphan! Why does Miyagi keep picking up either somewhat or completely orphaned children?? I mean, I guess that’s good but also, why?

Ooh yay Miyagi advice about losing parents and grief!

Alright so now Louisa’s gonna fuck off to California while Miyagi takes care of the child

Said child who has now snuck into some place - OH THAT”S RIGHT THE SCHOOL AND THE BIRD

Yes I remember this from wikipedia plot

I like birdy, birdy is nice, and yes Julie talk to birdy, birdy is unjudgemental friend

Now time for the Animal Studies me to take over, that wing is NOT bandaged securly at all. Wing bandages should be wrapped around the wing and on the body, to keep the damaged wing still, thank you very much

Police have come! Julie gonna get arrested, maybe? Unless girl escapes, although that’s evading police then, and now she threw a torch, that’s attempted assault. Idk what it’s like in the USA, but in my state (Queensland, AUS) that’s a $5,500 fine and 50 days in jail (evasion), and a $5,338 - $8,007 fine and 6 - 12 months in jail (police assault, depends on severity)

Have fun in prison, Julie! Oop, nevermind she’s home again

Anyway, I wonder what Daniel’s doing at this time. Wiki says Julie was born in 1977, which is a whole ten years after Daniel, and considering she’s in high school I’d say she’s about 16/17 in this movie, which brings us to like 1993/1994. Perhaps this was around the time he met Amanda, maybe even started dating her? They got married in 1998 (I believe), so it would make sense for that to happen

Bonding moment for Louisa and Julie? No, nevermind

Miyagi’s happy! Love that! He’s going to make special birthday dinner!

Straight of the bat though like the dynamics are so different. Like the moment Daniel ever so much as raises his voice at Miyagi, the dude’s a little disheartened whereas Julie talks shit here and Miyagi’s like “haha, you’re funny, anyway, let’s talk about Japanese cuisine, yes?”

Okay but I LOVE the fucking ‘sayonara’ and dissapointed headshake like, man, Miyagi, legend

This school’s nothing compared to West Valley imo

Alos that little gang? Those coordinated outfits? Do y’all not have a personality? Feel like the Cobras get a win on being comfortable with their own skin whilst also maintaining such a well-formed group

You can see I’m biased, and I’ll probably remain biased, because, two seconds into seeing this Boston group and I’m already dissappointed by the lack of personality. Again, two seconds of Cobras and y’all know you’re in for a ride, and a good one at that

I like the little garden corner that Julie’s at it’s very nice and peaceful

Back to the group, they look like real dickheads. Also, Ned? Shit name for a ‘bad boy’. Also, please stop trying to coerce Julie

I’ve seen this fucker for, what, a minute, if that? And I absolutely hate everything about him. I also don’t like how he sorta just, enters?? Like, at least with the Cobras we knew what their intentions were right off the bat. Here, well, what does Ned want Julie for? Why does he want her with him and his friends? Like, please establish that before anything else

Also why he standing like a Roblox character

The Alpha League? Really? Y’all really tryna be cool with that aren’t ya? Do I smell some toxic masculinity? I think I do?

WHY DOES THAT HIGH SCHOOL DUDE LOOK LIKE HE’S 30 DUDE

Ew I hate that school bell

Please get out of the girl’s bathroom sir

Not the fucking wing bandage again, jesus christ. And shot in the wing?? Y’all really gotta have that shit strapped then, STOP LETTING THE BIRD MOVE HER WING THAT IS GOING TO DAMAGE IT MORE

“I’ll call Dominos Pizza and have them deliver 48 pizzas to your house in the middle of the night” ma’am that is a dream come true, first of all, and second of all, please work on your threats, thank you

Okay but is this military training or phys ed??

Miyagi looks so nice in his checkered shirt! Anyway, I swear that’s like the only thing I love about this movie, Mr Miyagi that is

Teacher just slapped a kid and choked him, alrighty then

Oop and here comes Miyagi, defending kids since 1984!!

Love that. “Boy, you okay?” like just the delivery of this line it’s so neutral I love it

Ah yes, threatening a bastard with a story about a bull, the best

Honestly stan how passive-aggressive Miyagi is at any given time

Yeah okay but honestly it would be better for that bird to be taken away considering that god awful bandaging job

“It’s just a car” EXCUSE YOU JULIE, as a car person myself I take PERSONAL offence to that. That’s not just a car, that’s his child, his other half, his soulmate, his everything, thank you very much

That’s right tell her off for saying that, good lad

On a sidenote; my video quality is shit, like super shit, because I’m streaming on Netflix and there’s a few other people in the house using internet so like, :(

“For a while he was sending money and then one day he just stopped” ah yes, every child of divorced parents can relate to this statement very well

i’m sorry but the music is so cheesy

anyway, i was gonna say that this movie lacks something, and i remembered what it is, and that is love. Like with KK1, 2, and 3, you can tell a lot of love and heart and soul went into making those movies (maybe not as much with 2 and 3, but it was still there and in good amounts). Meanwhile, this just feels like a cashgrab (which it is, and a very failed one at that)

Like, when will people learn that well-crafted media will get you better reviews/more money/whatever? 

I hate this fucking background music so much jesus christ please kill it

Please tell someone about the hawk i am worried for its health

The fact that Miyagi has lived with Daniel so long to a point where he’s forgotten he has to actually knock on doors (because you bet your ass Daniel was and still is the type of person who really just doesn’t give a single fuck about who sees him doing what)

This poor man tbh. So ashamed of himself

FUCKING I WAS RIGHT I LITERALLY JUST SAID THAT WHOLE SHIT ABOUT MIYAGI AND DANIEL NOT GIVING TWO SHITS ABOUT SEEING EACH OTHER DO WHATEVER AND NOW MIYAGI’S JUST OUTRIGHT CONFIRMED THAT

“Boy is easier” 100% I will agree, hence the reason I’d like sons in the future. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’d like at least 1 daughter as well but holy hell are females complicated (and I should know because I am one)

“Don’t order me around” sweetie, he isn’t ordering you, he’s making a helpful suggestion. Please stop the Miyagi slander, my man does NOT deserve this treatment

Miyagi, love you bb, but please don’t waste your advice on Julie at the moment

Speaking of, I greatly dislike Julie, but you know why that is? Because she’s really not been fleshed out as a charater, unlike the others we see in the KKU. Like her one redeeming quality is that she looks after a bird, but even that isn’t redeeming to me because she isn’t caring for it properly, like please take it to a fucking veterinarian

I feel like I’d enjoy Julie more if she was actually fleshed out but like, no, no, she’s just a whole “I’m an orphan so I’m always angsty grr” character and I just - I’m disappointed

Same goes for the other characters; again, the only thing/person I love about this movie so far is Miyagi, and with the way it’s been in these first 25 minutes, I doubt that’ll change

Yeah no I really fucking hate Julie. “You can’t even speak English” she says, even though she has understood every single word Miyagi has said thus far

Ah yes because people can definitely jump on cars and cars can definitely go unnoticed for such a long period of time in a quiet neighbourhood

I honestly feel like giving up on this movie like it’s so bad

But I want to see more Miyagi so 😬

No offence to Hilary Swank but her line delivery could do a bit more work during the ‘emotional scen’ with her and Miyagi

And again, music, hate it

I am literally willing to turn this movie off even if it means I don’t get to see more Miyagi content

Like I can not express my displeasure for this movie enough

Yes, Miyagi, same, I hate the 12am rock concert in Julie’s bedroom to. Like please, gurl, some of us have sleep schedules

Okay so now Julie’s worried about her appearance?? Y’all just made my hatred for her character rise again. When was she ever worried about that? imo this is just put in there to make people remember that she’s still “girl uwu 😙✌”

Haha, yes, pay Miyagi with the homework that’s right

Bet he did that with Daniel after the tournament like “you do homework, I teach karate”

“Boys easier” AGAIN I AGREE SO MUCH MIYAGI

Okay so I’ve sat through 33 minutes of this bullshit and I am going to quit for today. I’m sorry to anyone that does like this movie, but like I really don’t, it sucks in so many ways. Words cannot describe the sheer amount of dissapointment I have for this. Like, it could have been good! The idea is solid and the base of the characters is somewhat okay! And yet they made this shit instead of something actually worthwhile!

I will continue tomorrow, but for now I just need a break from this before I hit something.

hello its me rising from the dead because i got a cold and im in an im-so-fucking-crazy-for-hancock-period and i got some crap i wanna vent about

i read somewhere that fahrenheit was hancocks “main squeeze” and i first assumed it was just bootycall and she was like convenient or whatever? but then it just really bugged me because like ok so she’s his bodyguard and they occasionally hook up and there is no issue about that at all? no problem dipping the pen in the company ink? like obv. hancock has a pretty free and healthy view of sexual relationships, they don’t have to be a big deal, sometimes you just gotta fool around for a bit and it doesn’t have to mean you have to get married or something, sex can just be sex

but it bugs me because fahr is his bodyguard. so i looked up the definition on urban dictionary and apparently main squeeze is casual relationship, or a person you have sexual relations with and strong feelings but you’re not monogamous and can boink other people and you’re not like “together”. but still super close.

and like how awkward would that be for sole? personally id be superjealous even if it was just a casual booty call once in a while for convenience sake and thats on me, i know thats not the healthiest reaction, and even if both fahr and hancock agreed not to continue id never be comfortable with her continuing being a bodyguard or like being THAT close to him afterwards, and like again i know thats on me, but yknow? i gotta rant and vent

and honestly the only place i can see a reference to fahrenheit being hancocks main squeeze is on her wiki page and it’s written in a physical survival guide which makes me think (and hope) that it was written before anything was truly determined and before hancock was the romanceable character he is now

which also brings me to the point of fahrenheit being hancocks daughter with is super weird because if thats the case, why is she his bodyguard? maybe thats what she’s the best at but like then why doesn’t he give a hoot if she gets killed? if he doesnt know, why wouldnt she have ever told him? or do neither know and it’s just the freakiest coincidence ever?

i dont even know what the code says, if its “parent/child” or “parent/daughter”, because the first one can be explained away that you have the parent A and the child AB as in relation to eachother, if something happens to A then AB will react because they’re connected, but if something happens to AB it doesnt mean A will react because it’s the parent file, it’s like the bottom of the pyramid. if the top falls down its fine, the foundation is still there but if the bottom craps out then the top falls too, if that makes sense. like preston would be A and ronnie shaw would be AB, or parent/child

but if it says the second then its fucking weird, man, because why would you specify gender in code unless it means something specific?

its surprisingly hard for me to ignore canon and because i personally have a knack for making myself suffer even in my selfindulgent fantasies so i really just gotta cement that fahrenheit is only hancocks bodyguard. they have no other relation whatsoever. (just trying to validate myself, if you have other opinions then go nuts my dude, but im losing my cool over this)

hancock has casual flings and hookups but he never enters a state of emotions for anyone other than “these are my people and i have to take care of them” because it would 1. complicate the fuck out of being the mayor and 2. he wants to enjoy fucking around (literally and figuratively)  as much as he wants because isnt that what goodneighbor is all about? and sole is just a special case (because yes i fucking am, fuck off) and they hit all the spots for hancock and like theyre... soulmates or whatever the fuck! its just meant to be! they just happen to be the first person hancock connects with genuinely

im literally just ranting to validate my own feelings and it’s kinda working but if anyone doesn’t mind maybe yall can validate it for me too? like i genuinely get that if i put myself in soles position and wanted to romance hancock id have a super hard time knowing he’s been not only physical but emotionally intimate with his bodyguard that’s supposed to protect him 24/7, then the problem is with me and my insecurities but i just dont have the confidence to trust that he’d be 100% with me no matter how great of a character i think hancock is. these fantasies are supposed to make me feel better and not suffer but that only works half of the time

9, 12, 14, 25, 28, 30, 31, 34, 37, 40, 41, 42 and 50 for the Diabolik Lovers Ask Game please! By the way, I love your blog SO MUCH. ♡♡♡

From this ask game.

Thank you for the ask anon, I’m really glad you like my blog :)

This got kind of long so I’ve put my answers below the cut.

9. Do you hate anyone in DL?

Hate is a very strong word, but if you saw my recent post on Shuu’s CL route then you’ll know that I am not the biggest Karlheinz fan. Richter and Cordelia are also fairly awful but I can’t help but feel some sort of pity for Richter as it seems he had a pretty miserable life and while some of the things Cordelia did are just horrible, my negative feelings towards her have somewhat lessened since we got a bit more of a glimpse at her backstory in DF. Menae must have died before Cordelia could really remember her, and we have to remember that she was heavily manipulated by Karl. Like yes, Cordelia is dreadful, but I still think Karl is the big bad of the series. He does so so many awful things and no matter which game you look at, I can’t help but feel that his reasoning is always pretty bleh (even if that probably is just due to not great writing).

Also after that Subaru LE ending Seiji Komori can eat dirt.

12. What do you think of the fandom?

Hmm... While I know some people hold negative views of the DL fandom at large, I don’t think any fandom is entirely unproblematic. My personal experience has generally been pretty good but I will admit I have seen some fairly terrible behavior in the 3 and a half years I’ve been seriously into DL. Then again I also haven’t been this deep in any other fandom and, sadly, I think that is just the nature of the internet.

Still, there are some amazing and very talented people in this fandom, and I feel extraordinarily lucky to have been able to interact with them, so I prefer to focus on that over anything else.

14. Sub or dub?

Sub all the way. When I first started watching anime, I initially just watched dubs, but after I started learning Japanese, I switched to subs to try and pick up some more vocab and now I can’t go back. Also I really like a lot of the Japanese voice actors in DL ^^

25. What do you think of DL haters?

I generally hold the attitude of “live and let live”. If someone doesn’t like DL because of the triggering content (and the way it deals with it) or the sometimes questionable plot then fair enough, it’s not like I think the series is without its problems. The only time I will have any issue at all is if they actively attack fans of the show. If someone is just minding their own business and not hurting anyone then under no circumstances is it okay to blindly attack them over a work of fiction. So yeah, you do you as long as you’re not being a twit about it.

28. Would you ever show your parents DL why/why not?

For anyone who remembers some of the random stuff I post, you’ll know that my mother is indeed aware of Shin’s existence (and Carla’s) which perhaps would have been difficult to avoid given that he’s plastered all over my bedroom wall and I talk about him A LOT (I am just as bad irl folks), but I’ve never gone into the details of the series with her as I feel like she’d be fairly disturbed at some of the content (and it’s for this reason that I would never show her the anime).

You will understand then, why I was slightly horrified when she told me she’d read the wiki because she wanted to know more about the characters I loved so much (like bless her, but also O.o). Apparently Carla is “a baddie” but she thinks Shin is okay.

My parents are also aware of the existence of this blog but, fortunately for me, have no interest in reading it.

30. What do you think of Yui?

I like Yui (I mean what is there to dislike?), she’s a lovely character and has a really good impact on the boys. I’m not as invested in her as perhaps some of the fandom but that’s because I am unapologetically here for the dumpster fire that is the boys.

I prefer writing reader inserts over Yui x diaboy fanfics, simply because it’s fun to see the boys in a slightly different relationship dynamic to that we get in the games (like if you look at my most recent Shin drabble, Yui would never tease Shin like that but I would so reader insert it is).

31. What is your favourite Dialover song and why?

What do you mean I have to pick just one??? Gahhh I love love love Kessen no Dies irae, because it features the Tsukinami bros and it’s just my sort of music but I think my favorite might actually be I.M.I.T.A.T.I.O.N.G.A.M.E. I’m not the biggest Kino fan but Maeno’s singing voice is phenomenal and it also brings back happy memories of when I finished Shin’s LE route for the first time. 

34. Tell us your top three routes! Why are they your favourites?

Hooo boy, this is a tricky one because we all know my bias at this point ^^;; I’ve limited myself to one Shin route because otherwise this list would just be me waxing on about Shin and goodness knows I do that enough already.

1) Shin’s Lost Eden Route

While I like his DF route, I love that Shin’s LE route pays a bit more attention to his feelings towards Yui than his complicated relationship with Carla. I love that it really stretches him as a character and we get to see him relying on Yui, like I don’t know who came up with that plot but BLESS. I think the pacing is very good and the bad endings are just so tragic (and I love really angsty bad endings). And some of the scenario chapters from this route just make me melt.

I also love this route for personal reasons. I’d only just fallen into Shinhell when LE was released and I remember seeing the CGs for his route but there was no information on the plot in the English speaking side of the fandom and it was driving me nuts because I just wanted to know that he was okay. It was at this same time that I had a bit of spare money so I... bought a PSVita and a copy of Lost Eden so I could find out what happened (I was planning on getting a Vita anyway just maybe not THAT soon). I’d only been learning Japanese for 6 months (I am nothing if not horribly ambitious) but I didn’t let that stop me and played through the route. And I loved it (even if I struggled a little with the language) and I was so happy to find out what happened to him. So yeah, I just have warm memories of it.

2) Carla’s Dark Fate Route

While I like Carla’s LE route, I think the pacing and plot of his DF is just a bit better. I love that it gives us the best glimpse at the backstory of the founders (I will take any and all Krone and Giesbach tidbits I can) and I think the progression of Carla and Yui’s relationship is really well handled (even if he is dreadful towards her at times). Also I like Carla, I think of all of the diaboys, he’s one of the ones I’m most similar to so I find it easy to empathize with him.

3) Subaru’s Dark Fate Route

It’s been a while since I played this route but I remember having a really good time when I did. The Vampire Ending is incredibly sweet, as are some of the scenario chapters and I thought the plot was fairly well structured. Plus Carla and Shin are in it so bonus points there.

37. If you could change one thing in your favourite Diaboy what would it be?

I never want to answer questions like this because I love Shin as he is, I don’t want to change him. 

I mean I would like for him to see more value in who he is than just his bloodline and get it into his skull that he is not inferior to Carla but only as gradual changes based on environment (or just idk talking to Carla but goodness only knows that won’t happen unless Carla’s on his deathbed again).

40. Your thoughts on Karlheinz?

See above. But yeah, not a fan, would not be sad if he became the victim of a bizarre fishing accident and never again appeared in the DL franchise but I think that’s a bit too much to hope for. Sorry Karl fans but I can’t get over the stuff he’s done (and also I have had enough of “and it was Karl’s fault all along” coming up in the games).

41. Would you buy the games if they were released in English?

I’m a little torn on this one because I love supporting Rejet and otome game localisations but I own all of the games aside from VC already so there wouldn’t really be any point. I think if I had a LOT of money to spare then I would, but as my finances stand at the moment then it’s a no.

42. If you got to design the 14th Diaboy what would he be like?

Oh this is a difficult one, ideally I’d like to see someone who was a member of one of the other demon races but I don’t think you can really have a diaboy without the blood-sucking, so I guess I’d make them half vampire half adler (as I think they’re the race we know the least about). As for personality... It’s tricky because I feel like the diaboys already cover a pretty wide spectrum. I’d probably make him a cocky jerk because I love cocky jerks and I’d make him fairly witty too but more logic than feelings orientated. I’d have him kidnap Yui because he wants to use her as a pawn against the diaboys in some nefarious plot (that I’m not going to think too much about because this post is not meant to be an OC planning session) and not because he has any interest in her or plans for her himself.  I guess he’d sort of be a cross between Kino and Carla?

I’d give him a vendetta against Karlheinz too because I can :D 

I had to cut this short because I started coming up with a backstory an everything but I think that’s too much ^^;;

50. Do you think Richter should have a route of his own?

Honestly? No. It’s not that I wouldn’t be interested to see the story of Richter with someone who is not Cordelia (even if he is not my favorite dude from the franchise) but more that I can’t see Rejet dropping Yui as a heroine and RichterxYui? No thank you. After all the stuff he’s done in the games and his obsession with Cordelia? I just don’t feel comfortable with that pairing, sorry.

for the fic meme: tell me of the whumptober wip

So, for starters, it’s a Criminal Minds fic.

The premise of it was based on a headcanon/plotiphant I’ve been carrying around for umpty-scoop years, and a big part of the reason I didn’t post it (or, y’know, really finish it) was that I stopped watching Criminal Minds regularly ages ago, so I knew that short of saying “This is when I stopped watching and I’m skimming the wiki/IMDB and taking the plot points I like to use and saying to hell with the rest”, I was going to end up writing something WILDLY implausible. I liked it, though. May finish it at some point.

First part under the cut if you’re interested.

Spencer hesitated for a brief second, barely long enough to register, then turned the corner and stepped back twenty years in time.

The street hadn't changed. All the houses were the same color, even the same degree of faded. The few cars in the driveways at this time of day were the ones that had always been there. Sunflowers still marched along the edges of those houses that didn't have shrubbery under the window. The curtains were positioned in exactly the way he was used to.

Rossi squinted at the nearest porch. “None of these houses have their numbers displayed. Or am I just missing them?”

“Nobody uses house numbers,” Spencer murmured absently, barely aware he had spoken. Hell, the swing dangling from the maple tree in front of the Babashanians' house was still crooked, its left side about an inch higher than the right. It twisted idly in the breeze above the scuffed and dusty divot in the grass, almost as though someone had just run off inside. Any second, little Chrissie would come skipping out the front door and throw herself on it, stomach-first, arms stretched out like she was Supergirl and shouting for—

He caught himself firmly. “Little Chrissie” was in her early twenties now, and her brother was even older. Time moved on, even if it didn't look like it here.

Swallowing, he forced himself to at least try and speak normally. “It's a small town. Everybody knows where everybody else lives. Addresses are just for census purposes.”

“Well, then, how the hell are we supposed to know which house is 204?”

Spencer froze. For just a minute, it was hard to breathe.

204. Well, there were a few answers to that question. It's the one with a privacy fence on the right side and a row of rosebushes on the left. It's the one with an apple tree growing by the front corner. It's the one with the plants in the window.

It's the one that used to be home.

“Reid?” Rossi didn't sound annoyed, which was what Spencer half-expected from anybody any time he showed any kind of emotion beyond one hundred percent dedication to the case at hand. Instead, he sounded...concerned. Worried, even. He took a step closer and reached out like he was going to touch Spencer's arm, but stopped at the last second. “Spencer, is everything okay?”

Spencer honestly couldn't remember the last time someone had asked him that. Even JJ didn't usually bother, or if she did, she asked in a way that made it pretty clear she didn't really care about the answer, she was just asking because it was expected, and she also fully expected him to say yes even if it wasn't. But this was Rossi asking, Rossi who didn't cross the lines between personal and professional unless you did it first. Rossi, who was literally the only member of the team in the entire sixteen years Spencer had been a part of it to recognize, remember, and respect his boundaries and quirks from the beginning, consistently and without question or judgment.

“I used to live here,” he said softly. “Sort of. Part-time. It's...complicated.”

Spencer didn't have to turn his head to see Rossi's expression. He could feel him raising his eyebrows in surprise. “Just in town? Or specifically on this street?”

This time Spencer did turn his head, swallowing hard. “In 204.”

Rossi's face was hard to read, although Spencer wasn't sure if that was because he was schooling his emotions or because his own eyes were starting to blur with tears. He wasn't sure if he wanted Rossi to press him or wanted him to drop it, and he knew he wouldn't know for sure until Rossi reacted one way or the other and he was able to see his own response to that.

“So you know which one it is,” he finally murmured.

Nope, he'd been wrong. He still didn't know how he felt about Rossi not pushing for answers. “Yeah. It's that one.”

He pointed to the house catercorner from the Babashanians', aware that his finger was shaking, then lowered it quickly and started in that direction, Rossi at his side.

From somewhere nearby, Freddie Mercury began pleading with someone to find him somebody to love. Something in Spencer's chest twisted unpleasantly, caught by the memory, but before he could start hyperventilating, the music changed abruptly, mid-note. A short, too-familiar introduction, and then England Dan started telling someone that he'd really love to see them tonight.

Frankly, that was almost worse. Spencer flinched and glanced upwards briefly to mouth, Really? He was an agnostic, but if there was an all-powerful, all-seeing God, then She was kind of being a dick right about then. He pulled himself together, mostly, and headed for the porch.

The front walk needed sweeping, which wasn't all that unusual really, but the lawn bore signs of having been mowed recently, probably by a neighborhood kid who needed a few extra bucks for something or was looking for an easy community service project to get that next merit badge. The apples on the tree would probably be ready to pick in a week or two, and the potted plant in the window seemed cheerful and thriving. The curtains had evidently just stayed with the house, because they were the ones Spencer had made twenty years before, deep blue and streaked with silver like the night sky. He found himself wondering what had happened to the (admittedly few) things he'd left behind—things he hadn't been able to bring himself to go back up and clean out, because that would mean admitting—

The door knocker was the same.

Spencer brought himself up short, staring at the knocker. It had been something of an inside joke—a snake clutched in the talons of a bird, its head and tail jaunty and elated. Someone had cleaned it recently, or maybe it just saw a lot of use and stayed shiny, but it caught the sunlight. It was a good quality knocker, but it was still odd, and he'd been fully prepared for it to be gone. Except it wasn't.

Slowly, he reached for the knocker. His hand was shaking worse than it had when he'd been detoxing. He'd gotten good over the years at forcing the memories down, but he'd never been this close to them before. He wasn't prepared for what was on the other side, and for a split second, he didn't know if he could bring himself to knock—to knock on the door that he'd always just opened before, the one he was pretty sure he still had the key to.

But he had to. This wasn't his house anymore. And this was his job.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his hand around the snake's body, lifted it, and rapped on the door. Tap. Tap. Tap-tap-tap.

It was automatic—he hadn't even thought about it. He quickly let go of the knocker and stepped back, clenching his fists tightly and trying to school his reactions, trying to prepare himself. They had a name, but no picture—Ezra Fell was a notoriously reclusive and secretive author; that wasn't even his real name, not that anyone knew what his real name was—and all Spencer had to go on were the few clues he'd gleaned from the books he'd been drawn to from the start, since he saw the name and recognized the reference immediately and picked up the novel even though it hurt to think about.

Irish. The mystic language that Coelynth used for his magic was obviously based on Irish, maybe with a little bit of Scots Gaelic mixed in occasionally, so Fell had to be Irish or of Irish ancestry. Probably an older gentleman, white hair, bushy but neatly trimmed beard, horn-rimmed glasses, tall and broad-shouldered and fond of alcohol, or at least pretending to be. Or would, if he socialized. He would likely be annoyed at having been interrupted and hostile about answering their questions.

There was a faint clunking sound, like the bolts were being shot back. Spencer couldn't explain the feeling that washed over him all of a sudden, as though his soul had clicked into place like a magnet jumping from the fingers to a metal board. It was like a piece that had been missing for ages had been replaced. It was like coming home. Which was ridiculous, and he needed to stop being stupid about it. This wasn't home, hadn't been for a long time. Would never be home again.

Then the door opened, and Spencer's breath caught in his throat. It wasn't just that the man standing at the door was exactly the opposite of what he'd envisioned—around Spencer's age, dark brown hair, a roughly two-day growth of stubble, eyes clear and unadorned, same height and general build as Spencer was, a polite but faintly bemused expression on his face. It was that he wasn't supposed to be there at all.

“Zira?” he blurted.

The man's head snapped around. His eyes—warm and brown—widened, his lips parting in shock. Spencer knew he had the same expression on his own face.

It seemed an eternity between one heartbeat and the next, but it couldn't have been any longer than that split second before the man breathed out a single word, in a familiar voice he'd never expected to hear again. “Spencer.”

Dragon Age: Inquisition, day 12.

Right, time I stopped putting off Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts; the game already says I’m overleveled.

So, who to bring? Hm, I think Cassandra, Cole, and Dorian make the most in-character sense. I’ve used all of them before except Cole, but, well, what can you do.

Anchoret blessedly doesn’t look bad in the red thing. I still don’t understand why they didn’t stick with black like in the concept art, because I’m still scarred by how godawful it looked on my Adaar.

Cool, cool, Anchoret took about 2.7 steps into the courtyard before getting called “rabbit”. Orlesian nobility sure are terrible!

This is one of those quests where I play with the wiki open and stick closely to what the walkthrough tells me, a) because it’s complex enough that I doubt my ability to successfully complete it if I do it cold and b) because the wiki’s method is a reliable way to end up with 100 Court Approval and in a position to do what the hell I want when it comes to resolving the quest, which is a delightfully satisfying way to stick it to those snooty Orlesians.

Huh, pretty sure Yvette has different outlandish stories depending on whether you went for the Templars or the mages, nice.

There’s a direct line to be drawn to some of the war table material, but it was the handling of Cullen in this quest specifically that got me thinking “oh, that poor thing, I’ll have to give him nice things on another run” the first time I saw it. And so, here I am.

*does the Sexual Harassment And Assault Don’t Suddenly Become Hilarious When The Victim Is A Man Who Can Defend Himself dance*

Sometimes I can’t help but wonder what might have been if Cullen had been left in the hands of his original writer throughout the series—if he’d have been brought back at all, if he’d have been taken in anything like this direction, and if so, what a writer with such a history of bringing incredible sensitivity and thoughtfulness to her portrayals of characters working to fix the terrible wrongs they committed in the past (hello, Wynne, Isabela, and Blackwall) would have made of a new and improving Cullen. Would I accept a worse Isabela and a worse Blackwall in exchange for a better Cullen? No, I don’t think I would. But I am curious.

Anyway, Anchoret is Not Happy with Cullen’s little crowd of admirers, more because he’s clearly not happy than for jealousy reasons, though there’s some of that too. Sadly for her, actually doing anything about them, particularly the way she’d like to do it (i.e., by waving a sword around and telling them to fuck off) would probably seriously damage the Inquisition’s work here and almost certainly lead to Josephine and Leliana arguing over who should get to murder her. So, do nothing it is, no matter how much it pains her. I’m not projecting, you’re projecting.

Oh, hey, I hadn’t been Morriganed at in some time.

“Elves have no place in politics,” said directly to the elf you brought here for political reasons, Gaspard? Really?

Well, that was long and complicated. Time to stab Florianne.

“You can’t hurt me!” Cole, baby, yes she fucking can. Use a damn healing potion.

Cullen’s balcony scene is very sweet, yes.

I know I just gave Leliana a big boost by elevating Briala, but it’d make at least as much in-character sense for Anchoret to support Cassandra for Divine. I won’t complain too loudly if I end up with Leliana again, though.

Let’s see, I think I’ve still got time for a little more pain tonight. Let’s go talk to Blackwall.

It was one thing to play through the dog conversation with a big ol’ himbo who 100% Did Not Get It and thought Blackwall was just down on himself. Anchoret, though, is a smart girl who’s gotten as far as “Blackwall is trying to expose some kind of wretchedness that goes far beyond the dog thing” but lacks the context to figure out what. She has a sneaking feeling she won’t like it, though. And trying to get him to speak plainly by showing disbelief that this was really about the dog...didn’t go well.

...yep, she doesn’t like it. At all. But he’s still her guy, he probably doesn’t even have the nastiest history of anyone in the Inquisition, and the Orlesian government owes her several massive favors right now, and also what the fuck even just happened.

Morrigan, please tread lightly when talking to Anchoret about elven stuff. Please.

And I’ll have to mop the rest of this up in the morning, as it’s very late.

Fantastic Four Vol 1 #231

Thurs Apr 30 2020 [10:59 PM] Wack'd: It's actually the gruffest looking comic writer you’ve ever seen. It’s like if somebody put Jack Kirby through a meat grinder and just sorta schluffed him back together again and then like glued some hair onto him. He's smoking a big cigar and he says "My name...is

[11:00 PM] Bocaj: HAH! [11:01 PM] Umbramatic: pfft [11:02 PM] Wack'd: Seriously, his name is just Gurland. Even Marvel Wiki says so. This issue is the only reference I can find of this person *ever existing* [11:02 PM] Mousa The 14: ... [11:02 PM] Mousa The 14: What [11:02 PM] Mousa The 14: No... No first... no first name? No alias? That’s not possible. Someone’s gotta know something! [11:03 PM] maxwellelvis: This might be an Alan Smithee [11:03 PM] Wack'd: If it is, no one knows who it's one for [11:03 PM] maxwellelvis: Could have been one for everyone [11:04 PM] Umbramatic: The Gurland Collective [11:06 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, our story opens not with the Four but this great collage of NYC humanity reacting to their neighborhood having been abruptly Negative Zoned.

[11:06 PM] maxwellelvis: Why's the head of Filmation working a construction job? [11:06 PM] Wack'd: Look at Filmation's finances and ask that again [11:07 PM] maxwellelvis: Ha [11:07 PM] Umbramatic: burn [11:07 PM] maxwellelvis: 'course this is just a few years before they got the He-Man deal [11:08 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, back at the Baxter, Ben is really cheesed off. As far as he's concerned, this just isn't the sort of thing heroes do to an unsuspecting populous of average joes, and he's really steamed that Reed didn't think this out. [11:08 PM] maxwellelvis: As right he should be. [11:08 PM] Mousa The 14: Legit [11:09 PM] Wack'd: Reed, to his credit, apologizes, and concedes that even with the pressure of Earth's impending destruction, he could've thought harder about all this. [11:09 PM] Mousa The 14: Earth’s destruction is a lot of pressure admittedly [11:09 PM] Umbramatic: yes! listen to ben! [11:10 PM] Mousa The 14: But also he deals with that every week so [11:10 PM] Mousa The 14: Not that much pressure, he should be used to it by now [11:10 PM] Wack'd: He's also been monitoring the situation and found that the island is moving, specifically towards the Distortion Area, which is where the Baxter's Negative Zone portal usually opens up. [11:11 PM] maxwellelvis: Uh-oh [11:11 PM] maxwellelvis: That can't be good. [11:11 PM] Wack'd: It's...kind of good. [11:11 PM] Mousa The 14: Yeah [11:11 PM] Mousa The 14: That’s a way home [11:11 PM] maxwellelvis: Yeah, but the other side is currently in the Negative Zone [11:11 PM] Wack'd: See, the Distortion Area just kinda shunts shit between the Positive and Negative Zones naturally, so ideally if the island gets there they can go home. [11:12 PM] maxwellelvis: That's just ASKING for space to warp and bend to the snapping point. [11:12 PM] Mousa The 14: They don’t have much a choice right now [11:12 PM] Mousa The 14: And they use that area all the time [11:12 PM] Mousa The 14: It’ll be fine [11:12 PM] Wack'd: However, to get there, they need to. You know. Traverse the Negative Zone. Which even apart from the monsters has a host of terrors in it. [11:12 PM] Mousa The 14: Iiiiiits fiiiiiiiiiiine [11:13 PM] Wack'd: Specifically, they'll have to pass through Sub-Space, a nexus of all realities that could dump them literally anywhere if it doesn't destroy them first. [11:13 PM] maxwellelvis: And during all of this, hope that Annihilus doesn't spot this chunk of city floating through space. [11:14 PM] Wack'd: And Reed can't put too much computing power into calculating a trajectory or even figuring out how to steer, since he needs as much electricity as possible to keep the bubble protecting their neighborhood going. [11:15 PM] Mousa The 14: “Citizens, my name is Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four. As you know, we have rescued the earth with the help of your unwilling sacrifice. The good news is I may have found a way home!” [11:15 PM] Umbramatic: this is a lot of fuckery [11:15 PM] Mousa The 14: “Now we might die horribly torn across the 5th dimensions, but that is a risk I am willing to take on your behalf” [11:16 PM] Mousa The 14: “I’m certain you would all agree to my plan of getting all of us home even if it kills us” [11:17 PM] maxwellelvis: "Let's just beat him up and take his stuff!" [11:17 PM] maxwellelvis: "No no no, do not listen to that man!" [11:17 PM] Aleph Null: imagine being stuck in this scenario and the only person with the know how to get you out is the person who got you in [11:18 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, on top of all this, there are a couple of new problems brewing. One of them is a giant purple spacegod who thinks his territory is being invaded...and the other is a construction foreman.

[11:18 PM] maxwellelvis: Purple guy's probably just pissed because of his very painful-looking glasses. [11:19 PM] Wack'd: ...I just noticed the foreman is also wearing purple and glasses [11:19 PM] Wack'd: That's some good storytelling [11:19 PM] Mousa The 14: ART [11:19 PM] maxwellelvis: And "Stygorr" and "Lew Shiner" sound a little bit similar as far as names go [11:19 PM] Umbramatic: don't trust purple glasses [11:19 PM] Mousa The 14: The true villain was the foreman we made along the way! [11:20 PM] Mousa The 14: Man, they’re really going for the parallels thing, huh [11:20 PM] Wack'd: So Reed has a plan [11:20 PM] Wack'd: All they need is to build up infinite momentum. For complicated science reasons. The problem is generating force. [11:21 PM] Bocaj: UM [11:21 PM] Aleph Null: @Wack'd hang on [11:21 PM] maxwellelvis: Infinite momentum. [11:21 PM] maxwellelvis: Right. [11:21 PM] maxwellelvis: That means "very fast" [11:21 PM] Wack'd: Yes, that's what I said. [11:21 PM] Mousa The 14: Infinite... right. [11:21 PM] maxwellelvis: got it [11:21 PM] Umbramatic: LUDICROUS SPEED [11:21 PM] Mousa The 14: That’s how science works [11:21 PM] Aleph Null: reed trying to tap into the fucking speed force here [11:21 PM] Aleph Null: thinks he’s goddamn sonic t hedgehog [11:21 PM] maxwellelvis: I actually think Neelix would be a better scientitian in this instance than Reed, gods help me. [11:22 PM] Aleph Null: oh god this was literally a voyager episode [11:22 PM] Aleph Null: thanks max [11:22 PM] Wack'd: Back on Earth, Lorrie feels awkward

[11:23 PM] maxwellelvis: "I can see you all!" -- Franklin Richards, 1980 [11:23 PM] Wack'd: I'll say this--this is the most acceptably child-looking Franklin we've gotten. Um. Ever? [11:23 PM] Aleph Null: he looks like a small adult [11:24 PM] Wack'd: Eh [11:24 PM] Aleph Null: i mean, sure. less like a small adult. than usual [11:25 PM] Umbramatic: franklin is watching you. judging you. [11:25 PM] Wack'd: SO! Reed and Ben are going to fight purple dude. Sue is the last line of defense in case purple dude breaks the bubble protecting the neighborhood. Johnny is making sure Reed and Ben stay tethered to the Baxter [11:25 PM] Wack'd: YELLOW! FROM THE YELLOW DIMENSION!

[11:26 PM] Bocaj: Hal Jordan: ;__; [11:26 PM] Aleph Null: pissland! [11:26 PM] Aleph Null: "Wack'd and Umbra are typing..." [11:27 PM] Umbramatic: i was gonna say that dimension wasn't always yellow [11:27 PM] Wack'd: Stygorr claims to be the equal of Annihilus and Blastaar, so naturally I checked Marvel Wiki and he gets his ass kicked this issue and we never see him again [11:27 PM] maxwellelvis: "No no, don't worry, it's lemon" [11:27 PM] Wack'd: He has the power to change his body from matter to anti-matter, which, uh, causes explosions, I think? [11:28 PM] Bocaj: Surrrre [11:28 PM] maxwellelvis: That is the basic theory of matter-antimatter [11:28 PM] maxwellelvis: Matter + antimatter = kaboom [11:28 PM] Umbramatic: antimatter god huh? [11:29 PM] Wack'd: Meanwhile, an army of militants convinced that they are being conspired against are about to storm the buildings of the people who are supposed to be preventing them from dying painfully. You know. Something that would never happen in real life. [11:29 PM] Wack'd: Certainly wouldn't happen today, in America. Nope. [11:29 PM] Wack'd: Comic book fantasy at its best. [11:29 PM] Umbramatic: also eeeeeeeep [11:31 PM] Wack'd: All these people are white so the cop, singular, doesn't shoot at them. The foreman successfully steals his gun. [11:32 PM] Bocaj: Well [11:32 PM] Wack'd: ...i just remembered the foreman's motivation here is that he needs to stay on deadline [11:32 PM] Wack'd: i fucking hate everything [11:32 PM] Bocaj: Huh! [11:32 PM] maxwellelvis: THE ESCAPISM OF COMIC BOOKS [11:32 PM] Bocaj: The more things comic the more they stay the same [11:33 PM] Bocaj: I imagine the writer though this was obvious ludicrous ridiculousness [11:33 PM] Bocaj: The way that comic book villainy is just a thing that happens openly nowadays [11:33 PM] Wack'd: Anyway the foreman's like "okay, so here's the plan, we go into the Baxter building and do the thing that will get us home" [11:34 PM] Wack'd: And a member of the mob is like "but Reed and Ben aren't in the bubble right now? How're they gonna get back" [11:34 PM] Wack'd: And the foreman's like "fuck them, actually" [11:34 PM] Wack'd: And now the mob has Doubts [11:34 PM] maxwellelvis: You serious? [11:35 PM] Wack'd: Sue wants to use a force field to keep the mob out, but unfortunately a hole in the containment field has cropped up so she needs to send Johnny to deal with this nonsense [11:36 PM] Bocaj: Raimi sure got Jameson right [11:36 PM] Wack'd: I could pin this on Sue needing to be kept out of action but I think the fact is seeing Johnny deal with this nonsense is just more entertaining. The mob is using fucking dynamite and wrecking balls [11:36 PM] Umbramatic: oh boy [11:36 PM] Wack'd: The foreman tries to shoot Johnny [11:36 PM] Wack'd: And suddenly the mob is like "fuck this, actually" [11:37 PM] Wack'd: They successfully dogpile him so he gives up and runs off, shouting about how they need him and he'll be back [11:37 PM] Umbramatic: The Mob Has Standards [11:38 PM] Wack'd: It's nice, yeah [11:38 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, Reed has A Plan [11:39 PM] Wack'd: Stygorr keeps rotating the island by blasting at it. They are going to release the demolition site from the bubble just as it's in Stygorr's range, creating a huge matter/antimatter explosion [11:39 PM] Wack'd: Which will create infinite momentum [11:40 PM] Wack'd: Johnny goes to make sure there's no one still there and evacuates everyone [11:40 PM] Bocaj: "Stygorr keeps rotating the island by blasting at it" this makes me laugh [11:40 PM] Wack'd: Except this dipshit who is definitely going to die

[11:42 PM] Umbramatic: that man, later, probably [11:43 PM] Wack'd: I want to praise the storytelling here but it occurs to me these guys have literally nothing in common besides being the bad guys of this issue and similar aesthetics so like. Uh.

[11:44 PM] maxwellelvis: Well, they both immediately assume that this is a personal attack on them and immediately go off to kill the FF [11:44 PM] Wack'd: Also christ the inks on this section are garbage [11:44 PM] Wack'd: I suppose that's true, sure [11:44 PM] Bocaj: They're thematic doubles [11:44 PM] Bocaj: And the universe abhors doubles [11:45 PM] Bocaj: I assume anyway since everyone is always saying 'no doubles' [11:45 PM] maxwellelvis: FA-BA-BA-BOOM [11:45 PM] Wack'd: But also like. Uh. We don't actually know what purple dude wanted or what his deal was besides being a baddie? [11:45 PM] Wack'd: Like the foreman had very concrete and specific motivations and pathology [11:45 PM] Umbramatic: Holy shit, there’s two of them https://imgur.com/Br8T9tS https://i.imgur.com/Br8T9tSh.jpg [11:45 PM] Wack'd: Purple dude just yelled a lot [11:45 PM] maxwellelvis: I think he assumed this was an attack on his kingdom or something [11:46 PM] Wack'd: He did but after his big intro speech he doesn't really say anything meaningful about himself [11:46 PM] Wack'd: hahahahahahhaahahahahahhahahah

[11:47 PM] Bocaj:

Purple Guy: -shoots lasers- "BY THE WAY, I'M A VIRGO AND LIKE LONG WALKS ON THE BEACH" Ben: "Uh" Purple Guy: "I'M LOOKING FOR LOVE BUT FEAR I'M UNLOVABLE AND ALSO I FEAR MATTER ANTI-MATTER ANNIHILATION"

[11:47 PM] Wack'd: Some real forty-years-later quarterbacking here but like [11:48 PM] Wack'd: Maybe if purple guy had also been in actual peril at some point? [11:48 PM] maxwellelvis: Isn't this the ending of TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist? [11:48 PM] Wack'd: Because like the New Yorkers are kinda right to be cheesed off [11:48 PM] Wack'd: Anyway [11:48 PM] maxwellelvis: Yeah, but he starts a lynch mob because he personally is inconvenienced by this. [11:49 PM] Wack'd: New writer incoming, new love interest awkwardly exits stage left

[11:49 PM] Bocaj: Aw [11:49 PM] Bocaj: Shame [11:49 PM] Umbramatic: f for johnny [11:49 PM] Bocaj: I liked the character beat of her sort of envying how close knit the Fantastic Four Family fwere [11:52 PM] maxwellelvis: Does Lorrie get a last name? [11:52 PM] Wack'd: She does, it's Melton [11:52 PM] Wack'd: Which is cute [11:52 PM] maxwellelvis: Ahh [11:53 PM] Wack'd: She is also never seen again according to Marvel Wiki. which is less cute [11:53 PM] Wack'd: So many great characters casually discarded in the 70s interim [11:53 PM] maxwellelvis: Alas [11:53 PM] Wack'd: ...fuck [11:54 PM] Wack'd: Okay this is hilarious. A legendary six-year run starting with "Diablo! Everyone likes Diablo, right?"

[11:55 PM] maxwellelvis: Shall we wrap it up for the night or dive right in to the Byrne era? [11:55 PM] Wack'd: Also fuck "back to basics". Everyone in the letters pages is complaining too much 60s stuff has been discarded and I'm over here desperately trying to think of a single Lee/Kirby thing I miss that hasn't been retained [11:55 PM] Wack'd: I don't even remember what Diablo's shtick was. Is he the illusions guy? [11:55 PM] maxwellelvis: Alchemy [11:56 PM] Wack'd: Cool [11:56 PM] maxwellelvis: He's the guy who made Dragon Man, too. [11:56 PM] maxwellelvis: And most memorably, tried to get Ben under his thumb by partially curing him, putting him in this creepy "Ben-Thing" intermediary state. [11:57 PM] Wack'd: Right, I remember Dragon Man. He has nothing to do with dragons, and he has nothing to do with men. He has everything to do with hurting [11:57 PM] Wack'd: You know what? I will say this. [11:57 PM] Wack'd: The 70s hasn't had nearly enough Mad Thinker [11:57 PM] maxwellelvis: And even less of Andy [11:57 PM] Wack'd: I don't care about Andy so much but for your sake I hope he returns [11:58 PM] Wack'd: LETTERS! [11:59 PM] Wack'd: There's not much here. People are torn on the Brain Parasites, and one writer is sad Doug and Bill are leaving. [12:03 AM] maxwellelvis: Anyways, I find it hilarious, all these letters calling for a back to basics thing, to the point that the next issue is titled that in the preview blurb, when John Byrne is one writer who brings in a lot of shake-ups

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm. 

tagged by: stolen from my other blog :)  tagging: @snowbrn​ @threads-of-destiny​ (Fenris) @thedasonfire​ (Solas) @serbrienneoftarth​ @scndor​

My muse is:   canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless / complicated 

Is your character popular in the fandom? YES / NO. Hard to answer, and I wouldn’t say he’s UNPOPULAR, he’s just... not as popular as say... Dany or Jon are? Or even Cersei, tbh. If there were a more middle ground option, I’d definitely he’s more middle. Sometimes I feel like he’s a forgotten character despite the massive role he’s played in the series. 

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK. Not only is Jaime known to be attractive and look the part of a king in the entire series, but Nikolaj is honestly just a super attractive male with a smile that could kill. I haven’t heard many people say that he’s an unattractive person, so this is definitely a yes. He might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he’s enough of a looker that his reputation proceeds him. 

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK. Okay so... this is complicated. Because many would see Jaime as weak because of his flaws, which is fair... And then they would also say he’s weak because he doesn’t have his sword hand any longer. But overall, Jaime is a strong character throughout the series, especially as a swordsman. He is one of the best swordsmen in Westeros, and I think there are MANY people who forget that little fact about him because in the series he was softening by the end of it. I think that’s where the fandom can really misinterpret Jaime. He definitely has his flaws, but he’s still an exceptionally strong individual. 

Are they underrated?  YES / NO / IDK. I think so. I think it’s mainly because I feel like he’s misunderstood by a lot of the fandom. I’m not excusing any of his shitty behaviour, but when you’ve got heroes like Jon Snow and Dany, and even Sansa, and strong villains like Cersei, Joff and Ramsay, I think they are all the face of the series. Those characters are the main characters that people think of when they see Game of Thrones. So Jaime is seen more of a support character, even with his ties. Most people think Lannister, they think Cersei and Tyrion (because they have so much more screen/book time than Jaime does). That’s the thing about GoT though, I feel like there’s no real “main” character. I feel like no matter who it is, there’s always a little love for them in the fandom, and I love that about the fandom. But overall, yes, I would say he’s definitely the third Lannister when thinking of the siblings.

Were they relevant for the main story?  YES / NO. He’s kind of the entire reason why there’s a war in the first place tbh... He pushed a kid out a window and all hell broke loose :’D 

Were they relevant for the main character? YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG. He’s a member of one of the great Houses of Westeros. He plays a big part. 

Are they widely known in their world? YES / NO. Oh yes, greatly known, and for many reasons. Mostly he’s known for being a king slayer, though. 

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL. It depends on who you ask, but throughout most of Westeros and during the series, he does not have a good reputation. Well known for his fighting skills and handsome features are about the only good reasons, everything else comes down to his relationship with his sister (sexual included) and the fact that he is a man without honour. Only by the end of the series does his reputation change, and even then, it is small. Jaime will never recover from what he has done.

How strictly do you follow canon?  — I’m fairly strict with what I go with. I stick to a strong, canon foundation because it’s a part of Jaime that is essentially who he IS as a character. It’s why I enjoy writing him, and I’m not going to take that away from him. The only divergencies are the fact that I prefer he not die in season 8 and I also write my Jaime as demisexual/romantic. 

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutuals.  —  Jaime is complicated. There is no saying he is a simple character, he has layer upon layer, and discovering that is a joy. Or at least it is for me, lol. I, personally, think Jaime is such a UNIQUE character because he actually isn’t a liar compared to his siblings. Between the bickering, Jaime is actually exceptionally forward, but because people don’t expect any Lannister to be honest, it’s a joy seeing how he can use that to his advantage. He often says cryptic, sarcastic comments that people think are him being sly and dishonest, but he’s actually being completely blunt that it’s hard to tell if Jaime is actually telling the truth or playing a game. I think that’s just a really fun trait to explore when getting to write and interact with him. Also, who doesn’t like interacting with a sarcastic arsehole? X’D Deep down, Jaime has a lot of complicated issues, however, especially when it comes to family and how he is supposed to be seen. He says he doesn’t care, but he cares deeply, he brushes everything off like it’s nothing, but he’s crippled on the inside. Jaime is just one of those really strong on the outside but weak on the inside characters, and I love getting to explore that. 

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?).  — I think the fact that Jaime has been in an incest relationship for his entire life, that would definitely push people away from really caring or interacting with him. And if that’s a trigger for someone, then I totally understand why they’d want to stay away. That’s fair. Jaime can also come off as selfish and cruel, with a bad temper. People might not have the PATIENCE for him, when that’s really what he needs. He needs someone to help guide him to be a better person, to remove himself from the toxicity of ... well, his entire life, lol. He can also, like mentioned in the last questions, be cryptic as fuck. He is handicapped, he can be emotionally unstable, has PTSD and honestly just has a LOT going on, and trying to push past that to make him grow as a person and a character could be too much for folks to deal with (I think that’s a plus, but I can understand why he might not be popular lol).

What inspired you to rp your muse?  —  Jaime has been one of my favourite characters ever since I got interested in the series. I was nervous as hell to join the GoTRP community because I’d never read the books before (and still haven’t finished them lol), but I adored his character from the start, especially when a redemption arc began to happen. Look, I’m a sucker for redemption arcs and character growth, learning about his past and his secret about why he killed the Mad King. Those things are things that draw me to characters, villain characters who try to be better, who learn, who become softer. I LOVE that growth, and that’s definitely what kept me interested in Jaime. His in depth character only made my drive for wanting to delve into his head stronger. I love complicated characters, I love grey characters, I love characters that have layers I can pick through and analyse. I have also always been highly interested in sexual mental health and health in general (and have been interested in psychology for ever since I was little lol), so he was right up my ally. 

What keeps your inspiration going?  —  Definitely rewatching the series (which I desperately need to do lol), and reading the novels (which I’m VERY slow with but absolutely love them!). What really keeps me interested is definitely my RP partners though, and keeping active within the writing community. I love getting to interact with everyone. 

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO / I SINCERELY HOPE I DO? I have severe duplicate insecurities like most people do, but I’m pretty happy with the grasp I have on Jaime’s character overall. It’s hard to write post season 8 Jaime without a book to go to and compare against the series, so I try and keep them pretty level with each other and find a happy place in the middle. I also know I most likely write Jaime a little more emotionally traumatised, but I try to keep what happened to him real, and that has repercussions. 

Do you frequently write headcanons?  YES / NO / SORT OF? I need to move them over to this blog, but NOT ENOUGH. I really need to rewatch and continue the book series to get my head around more headcanons. Also I just haven’t had ANY time this year for much at all when it comes to headcanons, because I am so exhausted after work  

Do you sometimes write drabbles?  YES / NO. For Jaime, unfortunately, no. I keep most of my drabbles to my Dragon Age protags. I would love to though... if I had time, lol. 

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO. Absolutely. Hyperfocus like a champ over here, lol. 

Are you confident in your portrayal? YES / NO / SORT OF? I think there’s always room for improvement, but I’m pretty happy with my portrayal so far. I try my hardest to keep him pretty canon, and the feedback I’ve had from my partners has always been so kind and reassuring <3

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO / SOMETIMES. I’ve been writing Dragon Age for so long... I feel like I don’t know a lot of the lore when it comes to GoT. I sometimes have to Wiki things I forget, names I don’t remember, and alliances and plots because I’m BAD with politics okay? I’m terrible with it all. Writing helps me learn those things, but if I’m not interested, I find it tedious to go and research (ASD/ADHD).

Are you a sensitive person?  YES / NO / SORTA. It depends. Some things I really don’t care about, others I do. It entirely depends on my mood and the day, and how the stars align lol. Or... how tired I am, haha. It really just depends. I will be more sensitive if I’m hurt from someone that means something to me, or someone I look up to. Other days I just can’t be fucked because I’m too old and tired to deal with it. 

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal?  —  I’m going to have to say “no” on this. It’s purely because i’m not ASKING for criticism. If I was, then that’s fair because I’m actively SEEKING to be better. Right now, Jaime is a hobby and not a muse that I am constantly working on. He’s a tertiary muse that I’m here to just have a good time with and research when I feel the need to. Outside of that, if you don’t like my portrayal then you don’t have to interact with me and that’s fine. If you think my Jaime is too emotional, I’m working off mostly season 8 things which we have no book to look back on, so it’s mostly me basing everything off his past reactions and character development. If you have issues on the way I see his and Cersei’s relationship and it being toxic despite his love for her, that’s a whole diff convo lol. At the end of the day... I’m writing him the way he comes to me, and if you don’t enjoy it then that’s all good, just don’t get in my face about it. 

Do you like questions, which help you explore your character?  —  Absolutely, they help with getting to know little things about him that I may never have thought about before. I love those kinds of character development questions. 

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why?  —  I guess it depends on what type of headcanon it is. I generally try and base my headcanons off solid evidence within his character background and events within the series. If someone doesn’t agree with me, it’s literally not the end of the world and it’s not worth arguing over--we all have out different portrayals and I’m not the original writer lol. If you’re going to get cranky at me because my Jaime enjoys the company of men as well once he’s able to explore himself sexually, then I really couldn’t give a fuck. As a gay man, it helps me enjoy the character a little bit more and identify with him, and I write Jaime as demi anyway. Plus, I also don’t write it in a sense that it’s not something he doesn’t struggle with considering Westeros is not open to such things. 

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it?  —  same as the above.

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it?  —  I don’t actively go looking through Jaime hate tags, so I’ve never run into this? If someone follows me and hates Jaime, then I just think it’s stupid that they followed me in the first place? Obviously now that he’s on a multi, that’s a little bit more complicated, but everyone is free to not interact with him and still interact with my other characters here lol. If I follow someone and then see them actively posting hate about him, I would simply unfollow. That’s it. I’m not here to fight and argue, I’m here to have a good time, and I’m not going to force anyone to enjoy a character they don’t. 

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors?  —  Mistakes happen, I don’t always look over my reply before posting, and more often then not, I’m tired as hell when I’m writing anyway so there might be errors from time to time. I can guarantee there’s probably some in this meme lol. If a little red squiggle doesn’t come up beneath the word, then I’ve probably not fixed it. In saying that, if you’re coming to me every time I make a typo... I will begin to get annoyed. It’s a small thing, get over it and move on. If you can’t, then maybe I’m not the right person to be writing with if it’s causing you that much stress. If I’ve completely butchered a sentence (which has happened!), then just give me a polite nudge and go “hey did you mean to write this instead?” and I’ll probably feel embarrassed and laugh about it and be like yeah sorry, I meant that :’D 

Do you think you are easy going as a mun?   —  When there’s not a pandemic going on in the world, I’m certainly very easy going, lol. It takes a fair bit to piss me off, and it’s got to be pretty repetitive for me to start going... mmm, there’s a pattern here and I don’t like it. But generally speaking, if you’re nice to me, I’m nice back. I don’t go looking for fights and arguments, and my nature has certainly meant people have abused me in the past. I’m often too empathetic and because I avoid trying to make a fuss and cause confrontation, I often let people do whatever. I’ve... somewhat learned from past experiences to NOT do this to myself, which I guess has made me a little bit less easy going. That and just generally getting older and not having the time to care about petty things might make me come off as a hard arse at times. But look... I’m not going to be a dickhead to anyone who doesn’t deserve it, okay? I get we’re all anxious, I get we’re all curious, I get that we all have opinions. Don’t be a dick and you don’t have anything to worry about. I can sometimes be blunt, but most people learn that that’s just me. Maybe it’s an Aussie thing, maybe it’s a me thing. Probably a combination of the two... my mother always did say I was very blunt. >.> Sometimes that’s a good thing when people want or need advice, but if it’s not what you want to hear, then don’t come asking, because I can be very honest. 

Magic, Monsters and Merthur - 1x03 - (Magic)

Been a while, hasn’t it?

Alright so I totally forgot to post the two other parts for this episode. I just put so much into the Merthur part that I... kind of got sick? Blergh, that was awful.

Magic is way more fun! A little recap.

Two prophecies for the world, we got the bad timeline. Magic is a living Being that blessed humans, but humans didn’t like that it didn’t give them god-like powers over all of nature, so they made their own blessings purely out of spite and they fought something that shouldn’t even be fight-able, or even like... physical, and won.

What the Episodes taught us.

1x01 - Teleportation is a thing, but is apparently complicated. Veil spells - covering ones form with a look that deceives human eyes, but not the world. Dragons were so fancy they re-purposed Druidspeak to turn it into Dragonspeak - a similarly echo-y way of communication. Imagine snapping your fingers to a tune and doing magic at the same time. A dream scenario, but nothing to confirm such an amazing possibility. Merlin is resistant to sleep magic, or in other words, enchantment magic (Stuff that puts people under a spell, different from amulets that put people under a spell.). Amulets can be shattered - they can break under a certain amount of force applied and the spells they were keeping alive break at the same time. Quite a useful way to render a sorcerer harmless.

1x02 - Human lives are not higher than those of animals - I refuse to accept anything else, and I made up a whole theory of how the Cup of Life doesn’t take lives, just life-force, which every living being has, to continue my theory. Which means that any life is worth another’s life, even a flower’s, and making dead material into living things is a trend that just keeps going.

Let’s see what bullshit the afanc can do!

<_><_><_>

<_><_><_>

00:40

(Wow thanks subtitles…)

Anyway if you’ve heard it, then you know it’s similar to what Merlin used to revive stone. So it’s the same spell with little variations depending on what material you’re using.

Apparently, I WAS A GODDAMN FOOL FOR THINKING THAT.

I was going to somehow find the spell that Nimueh used here and then put it through a translator to see what it meant, but some very dedicated people on the wiki have already done that for me.

Yes, there is a Merlin Wiki, there’s a wiki for everything but I was just shocked how much information it held on everything…

And… The only difference is Nimueh calls the afanc “ancient” or “old” and Merlin just skips that and tells the stone to wake up already (as you do).

It WOULD have been fun if there was ONE spell that made DEAD material ALIVE, but it CHANGED based on what MATERIAL you USED.

But no. Clay is more ancient than stone. That’s all.

*Writes this down on “Reasons I’m adding to the magic”*

<_><_><_>

01:45

Those rocks look familiar.

Because of that… not even fact, I used to think that Nimueh was just hiding out in one of Camelot’s deepest caves, very far away so no one could find her. Dumb idea, but imagine how many creatures would reside in these caves if they really were that large? Unending magical creatures attacks from somewhere underneath Camelot and the knights having to storm some “stronghold” of the creatures – that’s a whole episode!

<_><_><_>

16:36

Yeah… I’m not gonna try to explain how the hell healing spells work. Mostly because… I’m not sure the sorcerers know themselves.

Are there magical herbs at all? Or are simple herbs given better healing qualities through the use of magic? Are the herbs there as a placebo and healing magic doesn’t need anything but the incantations that all other magic needs?

There is one type of healing magic that I CAN explain, but that’s… Oh boy that’s in another season, and only relevant there.

But does any of this matter, really? Should we just accept that spells are spells and leave it at that?

I wanna leave it at that. It’s way more fun just thinking of what ways those spells can be used.

(I know that the whole point of this part of the re-watch is to try and fill in the gaps that the show left, but... Spells and what they do have always been iffy for me. I don’t like them, I don’t even know why. I like “silent” spells, or magic that you can do without speaking, I actually have no good reason for why I like that more and hate spoken spells and spells with rituals and specific materials.

Oh wait I did say why I hate them... But who read that rant anyway?

Not me, apparently.)

<_><_><_>

33:25

Oh no this line spiraled yet another theory.

This is taken from my “Too many reasons to hate Kilgharrah”, a book that I’m not sure when I’ll release since paper is scarce.

(I also think that everything Kilgharrah does is to somehow manipulate Merlin and get him to trust him.)

(Oh and assuming innocent and meaning-nothing lines have actually incredible meaning and are definitely hiding something is… The basis of this whole theory, I’m only staying in-character.)

***

Kilgharrah already knew of the afanc before Merlin came to him. Yes, you could say that Merlin hadn’t come to him before, so his advice on how to defeat it isn’t just another attempt to get the warlock to rely on him, but how did Kilgharrah know? If the dungeon he’s trapped in is connected to the other dungeons and the one Nimueh is doing her thing in, and the chain is long enough for him to reach and see her, why didn’t he call Merlin the moment he found out? A creature of his knowledge knows what the afanc does and he knows Camelot is in grave danger, what was he waiting for? For someone important to Merlin to die? Was he just petty and thought that half of Camelot getting destroyed was funny? What if it would have deterred Merlin further from him, make him leave Camelot, did this lizard really not think of that? Did he want Nimueh’s plan to succeed? Does Kilgharrah feel any kind of attachment to Nimueh? She is of the Old Religion. Maybe he feels that they are kin and he doesn’t wish for her plan to fail.

And if this has nothing to do with Nimueh at all and he doesn’t even know she still exists, then what reason would he have to withhold information? If he felt the afanc moving through the water, why didn’t call to Merlin and warn him? No excuse.

But when Merlin comes by, he has no choice. He tells him how to beat the afanc, but says nothing about Nimueh. He probably knows that she’s smart and she will see what Merlin is capable of and… who knows what she’ll attempt next.

Kilgharrah is willing to bet she doesn’t want to kill Merlin.

(ALSO MERLIN COULD HAVE KILLED THE AFANC HIMSELF, BUT OF COURSE, LET’S TRY TO HAMMER HOME THE IDEA THAT HIM AND ARTHUR ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING TOGETHER EVEN MORE SO MERLIN COMES TO TERMS WITH THE IDEA THAT HE HAS TO BE A SERVANT ALL HIS LIFE.)

***

That bit about Nimueh being of the Old Religion and Kilgharrah sort of… being an accomplice of hers, it…

It made me think that the dragons and the Old Religion used to be connected.

And with how Kilgharrah manipulates Merlin and then how Nimueh is a slave to prophecies – that’s probably because the dragon told her of the prophecies.

I think that the dragons used to rule over the members of the Old Religion.

Why not, right> Dragons are powerful, they’re knowledgeable, why not turn a few puny humans to their side? It would help to know more things, and it would stroke their egos just a bit more.

I’ve literally no basis for this idea, but knowing that Dragonlords exist, it makes you think.

Why would dragons allow/need humans to speak to them? I honestly don’t think that Dragonlords are natural. Commanding dragons? Humans? What about eggs hatching? Why the fuck couldn’t an egg just… hatch like all other eggs do? How is a dragon’s soul equal to a human’s – the two don’t even have similar magic among them! Their bodies decay differently, their thinking is different, how can the two’s souls be considered brothers if the human part of the soul retains no memories of past reincarnations? It’s like it’s a new soul, and the thing that’s actually passed down after death (HOW COULD IT BE A SOUL THAT’S PASSED DOWN IF A PERSON WAS PERFECTLY FIND WITHOUT THIS QUESTIONABLE GIFT UP UNTIL THEIR FATHER DIED?) is just a type of magic. A very specific type of magic, that’s coded to only be passed down this way, and to work in the way that it’s described – a dragon’s soul is felt like that of a sibling’s.

I think… I think that Dragonlords were a thing created by the Old Religion sometime after dragons tried to rule over them. This caused the tables to turn, and suddenly the Old Religion had knowledge of the Draconic prophecies, which Nimueh actually seems to follow.

This is far-fetched, obviously. The two prophecy sets were far-fetched. But I’m nothing if not a stubborn believer in going big or going home.

And oh boy the documents of text for each episode each have like… 5k+ words. It doesn’t count the screencaps, otherwise, the character number would be in the hundred thousands.

I am not even halfway of going big.

<_><_><_>

35:25

So the afanc is a beast born of clay, needs considerable power to be conjured, and we all know Merlin has enough power to do that so the stone-resurrecting is not ooc. Exudes some sort of toxic waste from its body that drains the life force of everything that has any (which is everything, apart from non-organic stuff – includes glass, stone, rock that formed incredibly long ago and leather, etc.), but it takes a few days for it to finish what it starts in the first burst of draining. It is defeated by using fire and wind, the two of the four base elements the afanc isn’t made out of.

(We never heard of elements again though. There are some fire spells, but if this type of effective-against-one-weak-against-another thing is going on, then certain alchemy is conducted every time you cast these spells. Water extinguishes fire, fire eats up wind(oxygen), wind… erodes? Earth?, earth… Yeah no, it’s the other way around. Water extinguishes fire, fire scorches earth, earth… takes over wind? Doesn’t leave space for it to move? And air just carries water around so the little droplets get separated and can’t form something stronger. Yeah, that sounds better.

The other way around is empowering then, I guess. Or… making different elements? Wind picks up the earth, making it more impactful in the air current,  earth… turns into… lava… because of the heat? Fire… makes water vapor? And water… gets inbetween the air and also makes it more impactful? I don’t know… NOT ENOUGH INFO DAMMIT. AND THAT’S SAYING SOMETHING SINCE I’VE SPUN AN ENTIRE NEW UNIVERSE FROM LIKE 2 EPISODES OF THIS SHIT. THIS IS DISAPPOINTING LEVELS OF LOW INFO.)

<_><_><_>

The Merthur

The Monster

Blast from the Past Garfield Comics Solve

On March 28, 2017 - Pangent dropped several modified Garfield comics on the tumblr. Frantic work happened by the team in the discord. You can go find it if you want to relive the chaos. For some reason, it appears this solve was never posted to the humansoulsarg.tumblr.com blog. Today, we aim to remedy that situation. Enjoy! Pangent comics: FEED ME: https://pangenttechnologies.tumblr.com/post/158944128617

Original:

Use a Vigenere cipher to decode the comic. Ciphertext is shown in the Pangent version, the Key is the Original text Panel 1: MR TQIAE MVP WWG ZKBKTQIRO ELE A TRXNOBTIQMA HIZ LBSC LB VP GZO MNLM QITQ EZNI. Hi, there… I’m Jon Arbuckle. I’m a cartoonist, and this is my cat, Garfield. Panel 2: OR TPHAFI MNI AHMNNMIUA CAXJ SDTM MBJ TMFK JU CO WWIATJ PPQOBQIA ERVG AAFQNL. Hi, there. I’m Garfield. I’m a cat, and this is my cartoonist, Jon. Panel 3: XDR QRUY XQQYPQC IB CO ERCHATFMW YSDO. NEJV EPU. Our only thought is to entertain you. Feed me.

Results: panel 1: FJ AJEJA EJG IJG IJHIJFEJC EJE J ADJAGJAIDJH AAH DJGE JB CJ GIJ EJAJ JAAJ AIJA panel 2: HJ AIDJBA AHI JCEJCJAIA AAEJ FAAF EJB BAHI JD JA IJAIAA BCJGIJEJ AJJA AJAIJA panel 3: JJA CEJA EJCEJJJ AJ JA AEJDJAFEJ AEJJ. JAGJ ABA A1-PF convert (set A=1, B=2, C=3, …, J=0, K=A, … P=F) and reverse, recombine into 3-character groups, decode as decimal ASCII: panel 1: 109 101 100 105 097 032 057 048 118 049 107 104 105 053 056 098 097 097 051 050 106 media 90v1khi58baa32j http://mediafire.com/?90v1khi58baa32j unlockering.zip panel 2: 109 101 100 105 097 032 119 109 104 098 122 056 116 051 119 103 053 098 112 049 108 media wmhbz8t3wg5bp1l https://mediafire.com/?wmhbz8t3wg5bp1l breathless.zip panel 3: 12 107 100 051 056 104 051 100 100 053 051 053 100 ?kd38h3dd535d Unsure what to do with this at the moment, let’s look at those ZIPs… unlockering.zip contains unlockering.wav A Kansas City Standard encoded audio file.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City_standard

Decoding yields a text file with some Vigenere text at the beginning and an ASCII art picture Vigenere with key ‘guineapix’:

The ginger one is called Daisy. She is a special needs pig. She has cataracts in both eyes and is blind. The little one with black nose ears and feet is called Lucy. The big ball of fluff is Annabel. Her breed is Swiss. The one with funky fur on the back end and ginger round the eyes is Boris. A neutered boar who lives with the girls.

breathless.zip contains breathless.wav A Kansas City Standard encoded audio file. Decoding yields a text file with some Vigenere text, decoded with key 'guineapix’:

Lottie, you’d like this. I was reading a book the other day. We’re in the information age, right? All of us, we’re just bombarded by too much information, all the time. Spam emails and social media. Doing really simple things becomes difficult, or complicated, or distracting. We’re all looking for a way to cut through all the noise. It’s easy to blend in and get ignored. It’s an atmosphere which rewards people who really stand out. You have to be bold and spicy and delicious. You’ve got to be a spirit. Can’t be a ghost. Dick Tracy’s on, I’m gonna shut the TV off. There are days when I think we could take over Pangent. The three of us. Take it over and make it right. Maybe that’s just a dream. Maybe that’s the thought that keeps me here. Our mutual friend Alex Schreyer has created a culture of secrecy and fear. He learned that from his dad. So we’re scared. Hiding behind layers of security. We don’t talk to each other. That’s not the way to make a scientific breakthrough. We need to share information. We need to talk to each other, brainstorm with each other. Care about one another. We could fix Pangent. Change everything about it. We could accomplish great things. But we’re scared. Scared of what we could actually do. Lottie, there’s something you wrote for the personality test. Technology. Information wants to be free. And progress belongs to the people. Companies will keep their secrets. They’ll copyright anything they can. But they’ll market it and sell it and blow it up all over the place. Well, information gets out, one way or another. Once you invent something, you can’t uninvent it. Sometimes you have to be real careful with what you put out into the world.

Pangent comic: Pipe https://pangenttechnologies.tumblr.com/post/158944279592

Original:

panel 2: NTA FJIAF EXATM QHPR YEBN NWFW Now Where could my pipe be? panel 3: MRFSAJPOJ!! Garfield panel 2: AFE JCEJB CJGIJ EJAJ JAAJ AIJA panel 3: GRONSFELD!! A1-PF on Panel 2, reverse, and group by 3’s: 109 101 100 105 097 032 053 056 1 media 58? Aha! Combine comic 2 panel 2 + comic 1 panel 3: 109 101 100 105 097 032 053 056 112 107 100 051 056 104 051 100 100 053 051 053 100 media 58pkd38h3dd535d https://mediafire.com/?58pkd38h3dd535d withourterrors.zip withourterrors.zip contains withouterrors.wav A Kansas City Standard encoded audio file. Decoding yields a text file with some Vigenere text, decoded with key 'argentinamayorsassenheim’: (ooh! a combination password)

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% C: Drinking Bird update. Thirteen months without any significant incident. Lucky. I’ll raise a glass to that. The Cube has stabilized to a degree I wouldn’t have thought possible when we began studying it at the beginning of 2017. Reluctant as I am to admit it, Leslie Walsh (aka MayorSassenheim) is responsible for most of that. She’s written code that keeps the Cube stable without real peaks and valleys, and it seems the Cube is capable of learning from that. If I trusted her, I’d leave her to her work and be done with it. I wish I could do that. The situation would be simpler. Officially, I left Project 555 a long time ago. L: you pinged me why did you ping me C: I didn’t. I was talking about you. It must have pinged you automatically L: “Drinking Bird update” jesus lottie C: What? L: you shouldn’t even be doing this who is that even an update for C: For myself. L: of course C: talking to myself thinking about myself it’s what I’m good at. L: i didn’t say that. turn your mic on i’m switching to voice. C: Over a year without any kind of disaster. Leave me alone, I’m celebrating. L: You’re lurking. In the shadows of a project you were fired from how long ago? C: I can do what I want. L: Yeah, I think that’s actually your job title at this point right? Like we don’t know what to do with Lottie and we don’t want any trouble, so I guess Lottie does what she wants. C: Leslie, I’ve been avoiding this conversation for awhile, and I’ve thought long and hard about what to say. So, here it is. Fuck off and die, Leslie, and also fuck you. L: How’s the kid? C: Beautiful. She’s the sun and the moon and the sky and the stars. She’s about six full time jobs, but Eric helps. He’s not bad at the whole father thing. L: Good. I’m glad. I’d like to see her. C: I don’t think that’s a good idea. L: I wish you’d let me be a part of your life again. C: Well, shit happens. L: What was I supposed to do? C: The four of you stole the project out from under me. L: Is that what you think happened? C: And now he’s in charge of all of it. L: Officially, he always was. None of that changed. C: You took control of my work. L: And nobody died. Nobody got hurt. Like you said, nothing happened for thirteen months. What should I have done? Leave it all to him? Dammit Lottie, I did this for you. I worked myself to death on this project, just to make sure it wouldn’t kill anybody. C: It wasn’t your responsibility. It wasn’t your burden to take on. It’s mine. L: Well, shit happens. C: This project, it drains you, it changes you. You shouldn’t have had to deal with that. It’s wrong what you did, and it’s wrong what it did to you. To both of us. L: Lottie, I did my best. Under the circumstances I tried to do what you would do. In my head it’s like I was you. C: That’s ridiculous. For one thing you’re smarter than me. L: No, I’m not. My god, I’m not. C: You are. L: This is a weird thing to say, but like … do you ever feel like you’re in the wrong timeline? Like you’re in a science fiction book about, what if the Nazis won World War II or something? Sometimes it feels like, this wasn’t supposed to happen. Like everything is wrong. C: Yes. I do feel that way sometimes. I think it’s called depression. L: Why do you hate me? C: I don’t hate you. I don’t want to hate you. We were friends and I love you. L: Lottie. C: But we can’t even be friends now and it’s bullshit. It’s him. Alex. And Liam. On their own they’d be almost harmless. The two of them together, they amplify each other’s worst qualities. L: Oh believe me, I know. Multiplying and dividing by a pair of zeroes. C: God, them and every other asshole I had to deal with and still stay halfway sane. L: Project Four. C: Project fuckin Four! Working at Pangent, it’s poison. It poisoned you and it poisoned me. Maybe I do hate you, Leslie. I hate what you did. I hate that you did it better than I could have. L: I miss you. C: Don’t be dramatic. We were only friends to get back at him. L: We were friends because we were friends. C: You know what he said to me, a couple weeks before he took control of 555? He said, I know that you and Leslie will always be friends. Didn’t sound great, coming from him. I think somewhere inside me, I made my mind up to prove him wrong. L: We could have talked this out. Dammit, we were friends. We were supposed to protect each other. C: Whatever that was, that was a moment in time, and times change. You’re stuck in a moment and you think that moment will last forever. But really a moment only comes once. L: I saw you, poking around in the code. Like the whole entire time. You weren’t super subtle about it. Were you trying to get my attention? C: Probably. Yes. L: Alex saw it too, I’m sure he did. C: I don’t care. L: I mean like I kept him from seeing the last build you did. Well, the second to last build. You should really have hidden that better. C: I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about. L: He isn’t spying on this chatroom. C: You don’t know that. You fucked me over so many times. You let him in through every backdoor. L: I let him play. Like, I let the baby have his bottle. It was gonna be a fucked up situation either way. C: That doesn’t mean I can ever feel safe again. L: I get that. I’m sorry. C: You should be. I should be. There’s a lot of sorry to go around. L: You finished it, didn’t you? 555. That was supposed to be a final build. Then you erased it. C: I stopped it before it finished uploading. L: It was a finished build. C: Compiled without errors. L: I thought so. What would happen if we ran that code? C: I don’t know. It’s gone. Deleted. Forever. L: I have the partial upload. C: Of course you do. L: I saw you uploading. I mean I started downloading the minute the transfer started. And yeah, so it cuts off at a certain point. So I found the matching point in your previous build and put two and four together. C: See, this is why I can’t trust you. L: I mean I don’t know everything you changed in that build but like I figure it was all pretty top level stuff and bug fixes, whatever was left. My copy is spliced together, but do you think it’s identical to the build you deleted? C: I don’t know. L: It compiled without errors. C: Leslie, no. Oh, I can’t breathe. L: I’ll ask you again. What would happen if we ran that code? C: I don’t know. I don’t know if I want to know. It’s dangerous. L: Of course it is. I mean that’s been the whole problem from the start. C: Yes. L: You finished the code. All of it. And then you deleted it. C: Yes. L: Are you glad I kept the data? C: Yes. God, I’m actually shaking. I hope he’s not listening to this. L: So, what do we do from here? C: I don’t know. Leslie, I’m sorry for not talking to you like a human being for so long. I didn’t know what to say and after awhile, it was just … I put it off too long. L: Not too proud of any of this myself. For reals we’ve both got a lot to pologize for. C: There’s a lot of sorry to go around. L: Yeah but like, I’d like to see you. You, with Eric, and Rachel, and Sharon too. C: Who is Sharon? %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

WTF??!!?! Wowzers.

Comic 3: Odie Pangent Version: https://pangenttechnologies.tumblr.com/post/158944845847

Original:

Randomiser transcribed/vigenered/A1-PF’d comics 3 & 4, I don’t have copies of the intermediate steps, just the finales: 640114011114754011541010018015017823795018115018019723201111231019017901123101401611230115012301111141148231218923001101811411101511101411231594234111017019911167 Comic 4: Lasagna Pangent Version: https://pangenttechnologies.tumblr.com/post/158945180237

Original:

After Vigenering ciphertext with original text, and converting A1-PF: 645111118017970171111151148236456231115013014111115011723201111231019017901123101401611230115012322101110141111167230115018117917231218923001101811411101511101411232594234111017019911167 These final strings may not look like anything, but if you reverse them and manually space them, you get 76 111 99 107 101 114 32 49 51 32 114 101 115 101 114 118 101 100 32 98 121 32 84 114 111 110 32 105 110 32 116 104 101 32 110 97 109 101 32 111 102 32 79 108 105 118 105 97 32 87 105 108 100 101 45 110 45 74 111 104 110 46 76 111 99 107 101 114 32 49 52 32 114 101 115 101 114 118 101 100 32 98 121 32 71 97 118 105 110 32 76 111 114 101 110 122 32 105 110 32 116 104 101 32 110 97 109 101 32 111 102 32 71 105 111 114 103 105 111 32 65 46 32 84 115 111 117 107 97 108 111 115 46 which is of course decimal ASCII:

Locker 13 reserved by Tron in the name of Olivia Wilde-n-John.

Locker 14 reserved by Gavin Lorenz in the name of Giorgio A. Tsoukalos.

Comic 5: Alone Pangent: https://pangenttechnologies.tumblr.com/post/158946474637

Original: (with the 'rest of the story’ to trigger your existential crisis)

GU RAT HFR EBA LQI SUI NHE RK UJ RSM OAN LNG CP HCA TNE VRE ZK OU BCI ONT IK SMO MBN ZN NEL MK KNM BQO RET PD NCO RCI OW NH RR TW FRE AWY JXD GN PO EJM HT PP NHO UQA CEN RID EJH SWA LXN HYO VC TI OD SH LEL DKR XAT PM RES FI which becomes FD AJA ABA AJA JJA HJA AAA AG BC JAA AJA DAA GI HJA GJA EJA HG BC BJA AAA BC AJA IJA GI JAA BC AJA DJA FAA BC JAA EJA BC JE ID GI CJA AJA IJA IG BC ABA HI BC JJA AJA HAA DAA AJA EAA AJA DAA BC CE ID BC DAA AJA GJA II AAA FG 64 101 121 101 001 801 111 17 23 011 101 411 79 801 701 501 87 23 201 111 23 101 901 79 011 23 101 401 611 23 011 501 23 05 94 79 301 101 901 97 23 121 89 23 001 101 811 411 101 511 101 411 23 35 94 23 411 101 701 99 111 67

Locker 15 reserved by Omega12 in the name of Niklaren Goldeye.

—– So everyone’s favorite Orange cat gave us bigtime story drops, and three locker reservations. Nice to get those on the books.

Author asks

Rules: answer these questions and tag five other fic writers to do the same.

I was tagged by @bellakitse. Anyone can do this if you feel like it and say that I tagged you. 

Author Name: Enchantable/PlanetSam

Fandoms You Write For:  Mostly right now it’s Roswell but I’ve written for a bunch of them (stranger things, pacific rim etc)

Where You Post: tumblr and Ao3 but I also posted on fanfiction.net back in the day. 

Most Popular One-Shot/Most Popular Muti-Chapter Story: None of them? I love everyone who takes the time to read/review/kudos my work but i’m definitely not a popular author in any fandom. 

Favourite Story You Wrote: I think the big au stories are my favorite because I love making wiki pages for them and keeping everything in line. I feel like you can sink into them too which is always fun. Of the oneshots I’ve got soft spots for all of them. I think though oneshots like Pick which involve more nuanced portrayals of PTSD symptoms are among my favorite. That and the wingfic. 

Story You Were Nervous to Post: Literally everything. Especially in the Roswell fandom. I swear when I post and that message window comes up I’m like ‘oh no, what did I do this time’. Usually it’s about Maria or people not liking how I write Alex or my love for Michael Guerin. Thankfully the real rage is usually reserved for metas on my blog. 

How Do You Pick Your Titles: I pick them around a theme! For Roswell I’m doing astrology and space themes. 

Do You Outline: It depends on the story. I have a vague, very fluid outline for multichapters or when I’m turning a oneshot into a multichapter or if a story is very complicated. Otherwise my outlines are usually checkpoints of dialogue or plot points and then I got back and figure out how to get there--or go off the rails from that. 

How Many Of Your Stories Are Complete: The vast majority. I’m very into the satisfying short story thing, but I am diligently working to finish my multichapters. 

In-Progress: Okay honestly I usually get asked for follow ups so frequently I’m not sure any story is truly completely. 

Coming Soon: I’m almost done with updates for my other mutichapters and I’ve got two prompts in progress. 

Do You Accept Prompts: Yes! But with the understanding that I don’t answer them in order. I jump around a lot. I do try to get to everything though and I’m happy to give off anon updates on specific prompts. The ones I won’t fill are prompts that break my basic ground rules in my FAQ. 

Upcoming Story You’re the Most Excited For: I’m excited to continue my multichapters since I missed them. And I’ve got a oneshot where everything’s the same except Alex doesn’t come home from war. He’s in the story though and you can just guess how things play out until I post it.