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lesbian-in-leather · 3 months

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Let's Talk About Alastor

Hazbin Hotel is rotting my brain so it's time for me to ramble about it to no one in particular!! Obviously this post will contain a whole multitude of spoilers, so please don't look under the cut unless you're fine with that/have seen the full season

As I mentioned in the tags of this post, I have SO MANY THOUGHTS about our beloved Radio Demon, especially in regards to the finale and how I think his plot could go next series, so buckle up folks, this'll be a long one

First off, let's talk about the way he fights. When he's fighting anyone, Alastor is big, and showy, and fucking deadly. We see it time and time again—he has fun when he fights, he enjoys the carnage and, most importantly, the terror he elicits from his foes. And that's why he was tasked with dealing with Adam—he's insanely powerful, and if anyone can take down the head of the exorcists, it would have to be Alastor (because obviously they didn't know Lucifer would show up to help, and Charlie hasn't fully come into her power yet, but that's another post). And he knows it! He knows he's powerful, he knows he's deadly, he knows everyone is shit-scared of him, and that's what he relies on.

And then the finale happens. He's in that final battle, and he's actually put to the test. And in terms of sheer power, for once in his afterlife he isn't the strongest in the room. He's actually outmatched, or at least on an even footing. And if he'd fought like everyone else, then maybe he would have succeeded—if he'd taken Carmilla's advice, I have no doubt that he would have won, or at least held Adam off for long enough that the others could have come and helped him. But he never stood a chance. Because he fights like an angel, and that's why he loses to one. Look at Carmilla's conversation with Vaggie:

"You leave yourself open with every swing; you fight like someone unafraid of harm" "Angels wield no shield, little armour, and fight with reckless abandon"

Remind you of anyone? Rewatch Alastor's fight with Adam—he's fighting just like he always does. He has multiple opportunities to take him out, but, like always, he chooses to play with his food. He's enjoying himself, he's riling Adam up, dancing around him, taunting him. Because at no point does he consider that he could lose this fight—he has no armour, no shield, he didn't even bring an angelic weapon! He just has his trusty radio mic (the source of his power? Perhaps... but that's a discussion for another post) that Adam breaks. And the genuine fear in his eyes, in his voice when that happens? He has no idea what to do. He never even considered this could happen. Everyone else is fighting for their lives, but he was treating this war like simple sport... until suddenly he couldn't.

And speaking of motivation, once again we can look to Carmilla's song to see why he loses when the other, objectively less powerful souls (Husk, Angel, Cherri, hell, even Nifty) succeeded. Yes, they weren't against Adam, but they were still fighting exorcists—you know, the same angels that have been decimating hell's population unchallenged for literal centuries. But they didn't die. Because they were fighting for what they truly believed in, because they had a real reason to not only fight, but to live. I saw it mentioned in this post earlier, and they make such a good point! Charlie's fighting for her dream and for her people; Vaggie's fighting for Charlie; Lucifer for his daughter; Angel, Husk, Pentious and Cherri are all fighting for their friends (something Charlie gave them, btw, but again, that's a different post). But what's Alastor fighting for? Power? Fun? To prove a goddamn point? I think he loses because even he doesn't really know why he's fighting. I mean, listen to Out For Love and tell me it doesn't apply to Alastor just as much as Vaggie:

"I see you're driven by your detestation Your every step is stoked with animus You need a different type of motivation Or there's no way that you can handle this I know you're thirstin' for vengeance, Vaggie You're out for blood But you'll only stand a chance if you're out for love"

Which would bring me onto where I think his plot will go in future seasons (should we get them), but first we need to clear a couple of things up and try to understand his character as best we can. Now here's the thing, I know a lot of people are divided on the topic of Alastor's feelings. Some people say he genuinely cares about the others, while some say he's just putting up a façade and playing the game, and that all of the supposed evidence of his feelings are actually manufactured manipulations. But I think both readings are true, and also, neither of them are.

Because I think Alastor does care about the others, to an extent. But I also think he refuses to acknowledge it, to recognise that part of himself, that he's buried those feelings so deep he doesn't even know that they can exist within him anymore. I think whoever holds his leash (Lilith? The seven year gap is a little too convenient to ignore, but at the same time, now that we know where she is, what's her motivation? Anyway, another post) pushed him towards the hotel for their own purposes, but I also don't think they're particularly checking up on him. I think his mission is to do with Charlie, but I also think he's grown genuinely attached to her over the months they've known each other. Why do I think this? I'm glad you asked!

First off, let's examine his reactions in various key moments throughout the series so far:

This first shot is the most annoyed we see him for the entirety of the song Should Have Stayed Gone, despite singing with one of his (many?) self-proclaimed rivals, Vox. Now yes, he does look moderately peeved, but I would argue that it's much less to do with Vox, and much more to do with the focus on television and his constant fear of irrelevancy (more on that later in this post). Then look at his expressions later—

Now he's enjoying himself, he has that ever-present shit-eating grin we all know and love. And, most crucially, no one else can see his expressions during this song. No one's looking at him in the first pic, and for the rest of the song he's in his radio booth, so it's safe to assume that his expressions are far less guarded than when he knows he's being observed. Why is that important? Well, let's take a look at another Alastor-heavy episode, shall we? That's right, no Alastor analysis would be complete without a delve into Dead Beat Dad, so here we go!

Right off the bat, we're shown his dislike of Lucifer. I know some people say it was all for show, but I disagree. Hear me out—Alastor's smart, no one's arguing otherwise, so why make an enemy of the literal devil just for sport? Now, let me be clear—I don't think he actually sees Charlie as a daughter-figure (at least, not consciously, and certainly not as strongly as he was making out). The thing is, he is good at reading people, and all it took was one look at Lucifer can't-wait-to-break-the-door-down Morningstar for him to realise that Charlie's affection was what mattered the most to him. However, his hatred of Lucifer was not all for show. So why did he hate him? The fact that he hadn't heard of him certainly won't have helped (again, Alastor definitely has a whole complex, we'll get to that), but his loathing started before Lucifer had even spoken to him. How do I know? Take a look at the moment when Lucifer has literally just opened the door

Look at that eye twitch. No one's looking at him. No one can see it. But the sheer, unbridled rage is so evident that he can't quite keep it from his face. And all Lucifer has done is hug his daughter. Now, assuming the two have never interacted before (Lucifer certainly doesn't seem to remember him, and Alastor doesn't act as though they've met) what reason does Alastor have to hate him? If Lilith is his master, perhaps it's on her behalf? But he doesn't seem particularly loyal to whoever holds his leash, far from it, so that leaves us with the two most logical options: either Lucifer is the one holding his leash (not impossible, but I wouldn't say it has much evidence thus far), or Alastor is genuinely opposed to him because of how he's treated Charlie. Because he does care about her, however little he'll admit it to himself.

Just to really hammer this point home, I'd like to show just some of the many other instances of Alastor being genuinely furious with Lucifer over the course of this episode—in fact, seeing as we've already talked about Should Have Stayed Gone, let's constrain ourselves to Hell's Greatest Dad for now, shall we?

All Lucifer has to do is laugh at the start of this song, and just look at Alastor's face! That's anger, or at the very least intense annoyance—with ever-smiling-Alastor, the proof is always in the eyebrows. Then we get this wonderful sequence of expressions while Lucifer begins insulting him:

Oh, and just in case you need a comparison, here's a shot of Lucifer insulting Alastor side-by-side with two different instance of Vox insulting Alastor. And some people still think Vox is his rival and he was just messing with Lucifer?

Now you may say, "Ah, but that's not a fair comparison! Alastor was clearly winning his argument with Vox, whereas he and Lucifer were on a much more even footing!" to which I would reply yes! Exactly! That's why Vox isn't anywhere close to being Alastor's rival, and also at least part of the reason Alastor cared so much when fighting with Lucifer. If winning against Lucifer was as easy as Vox, of course he'd pick that fight. But it wasn't. At the start of Hell's Greatest Dad, he's getting straight up humiliated (as those four waiter-esque pics demonstrate). And yet, he keeps fighting. Partially for pride, I'm sure, but some part of him absolutely cares about the argument he's making.

How do I know that? Well, you see, first of all we take a look at how Alastor acts when he first starts singing. As we all know, Alastor's power lies in his voice—his face was made for radio—and he's (almost) always so much more in control when he's talking, and always in control if his radio filter is in place. In fact, the stronger it is, the more he appears to be taking charge. So, when he first begins to fight back against Lucifer, he immediately puts that Cheshire-Cat-esque façade back into place, quite literally dancing around Lucifer as he does so:

And yet, his energy is so much higher than normal. He's leaping around, his usually calculated movements suddenly far more erratic and energetic than we've seen him. For example, in his first verse alone, he goes though all of this:

Not only is he using far more power, he's become so showy, his expressions are so much more unhinged than even he usually is, his pupils are near-constantly slitted, and, most importantly, take a look at his colour palette. Right at the very start it's still his classic red and black, but then—without Lucifer even interrupting—he gets so invested in convincing Charlie (and, by extension, proving himself better than Lucifer) that he switches to what I have dubbed his Powerful Palette. It only ever happens when he's demonstrating his full abilities; when he's angry at Husk, when he's fighting Adam, when he makes a new deal, and... now. Arguing with Lucifer over who's a better father to Charlie. And while usually it's in brief flashes before he returns to normal, here he stays consistently in his greens and pinks, for a good majority of the song. You don't think that means he really cares, even just a little bit?

And when Lucifer has the gall to interrupt him with his golden fiddle, and just look at Alastor then;

Look at his face, look at his posture. Alastor, notorious for waving his arms around in grand, swooping gestures, is standing there, gritting his fucking teeth, fists clenched, arms folded at what must be an uncomfortable angle. The only time he moves is to concede a tiny step so he can drop a fucking piano on the literal devil.

Now this bit is so interesting, because he, very briefly, seems to believe that he's won, or is at least winning. And even then, he doesn't relax, he doesn't return to his normal colour palette or even his normal expression. He's still furious, you can see it—with Vox, it was a game. This is personal, and then when Lucifer is actually not only fine but still fighting, now playing a new instrument, (literally playing the devil's chord) to deliberately ruin Alastor's melody? Oh that's pure rage.

This first expression is his immediate reaction to it and, perhaps even better, the other two are him trying to contain it. Because he knows he can be seen, but he physically can't look any more collected than that; he can't control his expressions during this song. If he could, he would, because it would irritate Lucifer all the more, and he's more than smart enough to realise that. But neither of them can control themselves here, because both of them really, genuinely, care.

Then he physically places himself in between Charlie and her father, not only pushing him out of the way, but then going so far as to physically drop him out of frame with a gesture reminiscent of a Roman Emperor as he reinstates his claim over Charlie—again, feeding into his need to be relevant and powerful (we're getting to that part, I promise). But isn't it interesting that this time, he didn't even use his power? He pushed Lucifer with his bare hands, not bothering with the intimidating shadows or powerplays, because for once it wasn't about that. For once he wasn't focusing on the person he was fighting, but on the person he was fighting for.

Now this exchange is so interesting. Because Alastor misses a really good opportunity to get Charlie on his side, and I think he misses it purely because he (almost certainly without realising it) gets actually, genuinely offended on behalf of his friends. Because when Lucifer calls the others losers, he's insulting Charlie's family. Knowingly and callously! Right in front of them! And if Alastor was in his right mind, he would have absolutely pointed it out with a fake gasp and a shit-eating grin. But look at the way he reacts to Lucifer's interruption—the narrowed eyes, the tensing of his shoulders, the flexed wrists and clenched hands. That's genuine anger; it's too immediate and out of character to be anything else. Because he didn't intentionally goad Lucifer into saying that. And instead of taking advantage of the opportunity, he responds by, very childishly, asking Lucifer to "butt out" of his song. Because they were Charlie's family first, and he may feign indifference, but he included himself among them for a goddamn reason, and how dare Lucifer insult them like that?

And again, compare how he's moving and standing to how he was in Should Have Stayed Gone. In this gif (and Hell's Greatest Dad as a whole, but let's focus on this bit right now) he's glaring, his shoulders are hunched—he tries for his usual nonchalance by pushing Lucifer out of frame with a swing of his hips, but then is immediately betrayed by his expression, and his reaction the second Lucifer comes back at him. Meanwhile, in Should Have Stayed Gone, this is how he acts while taunting Vox:

He's so much more relaxed, he's visibly having fun, and Vox is the one bending himself out of shape to try and get Alastor's attention win the argument. Another interesting parallel between him and Vox in these numbers is when Vox is clearly losing towards the end of his part in Should Have Stayed Gone, compared to Alastor's first verse in Hell's Greatest Dad.

I mean, these frames are just a little too similar, don't you think? Both of them desperately trying to grab the attention of the subject of the song, duplicating themselves and leaning over the borders to try and be noticed... oh Alastor.

And now, finally, we get onto the bit that I've been promising for this entire post: Alastor's inferiority complex. The thing is, I think I've worked him out (at least, to an extent). We've seen time and again that he hates the idea of being irrelevant—the fact he doesn't like any technology beyond radio (leading to the real reason for his annoyance in that very first picture I used, when he sees everyone gathered around Vox's screens); his reaction when Carmine said she had not in fact, been wondering where he was; his reaction when Lucifer says he's never heard of him; the way he rushes to "remind people why he's here" at the end of Dead Beat Dad, and the fact that when he first arrived he took out all of the overlords who dared to dismiss his power, just to name a few. His fatal flaw is clearly pride—he wants people to know him, he needs to be relevant or he doesn't know who he is.

And I think that's the real reason he hates Lucifer. Because, father-figure or not, the two of them do represent the same position in Charlie's life. But why would she need help from a human soul (albeit an insanely powerful one) when she has a literal angel around to do whatever she wants? Yes, Alastor is powerful, but if Lucifer is back in the picture... well, we all saw it in the finale. Alastor was quite literally fighting for his life, and barely escaped with it, while Lucifer was dancing circles around Adam, shapeshifting, taunting, joking, and all the while he was periodically rescuing Charlie too. His attention wasn't even entirely focused on the battle, and he wasn't even really trying to hurt Adam until the end when shit got personal.

And I also think that's why Alastor got so scared. Because he almost died. As I said right at the start, he fought like an angel. He didn't even consider getting hurt as an option. And now he's having a crisi of mortality, and being powerful and scared is a dangerous combination. So where will his story go from here?

Well, from the fact that he's still at the hotel, I think that's evidence enough that he's being forced to stay with Charlie—despite all the very real evidence we have that he does genuinely care about her (I mean, they way he talks about shaping her to Rosie? The gentle looks, the fact he loaned her his mic? Don't forget how he looked when that got broken, it's clearly so important to him, and he gave it to her twice. Not to mention the whole 'wanting to be relevant in her life' thing that I've been going on about for like, half of this post. Remember what Rosie said about words being easy, but actions are hard? Yeah, he says he doesn't care, but... anyway). So, he's being forced to stay while he looks for an out in his contract with someone. But where does that leave him in the wider story? Well, I do think he'll eventually turn on Charlie and the rest of the gang, but I also think that it'll be temporary. Assuming the crew gets as many seasons as they want to tell the full story (never a guarantee, but here's to hoping) then I think he'll probably stay for a while next season but work against them behind the scenes, then make an open move against them, then be gone for a while, then start his long and arduous journey back into everyone's good graces.

Obviously his deal with Charlie will come into play, and I think he'll probably use it as leverage to get out of his deal. "I'll make Charlie do what you want—without hurting her, or making her hurt anyone else—and I get to be free from this bullshit" kinda thing. I also think it'll be very interesting when that happens, because I have a theory on what he meant by the deal having "clipped his wings"—I don't think he can take anyone's soul anymore. Think about it; we've only seen him even attempt two deals this season, and not even once has he attempted to add a soul to his supposedly ever-growing collection. It would certainly clip an overlord's wings to not be able to amass any more underlings—especially since it seems that the more souls someone owns, the more powerful they are, not just in terms of owning other people, but in actual, tangible power. So I think he'll eventually get out of his deal, and then he'll be free and he'll go utterly off the rails... for a while. But it won't be as fun anymore. Husk and Nifty will have been forced to turn against their friends, and Alastor won't care what they think, because why would he?

Except suddenly he does. Husk's silences suddenly feel a lot more pointed, and Nifty refuses to even look at him, and suddenly he feels something he hasn't felt in a very long time, or perhaps he's never felt it at all. He feels guilt. Regret. He wants friends again, because they were loud and annoying and they didn't respect him but... he'll realise that his affection for them wasn't all for show, not even by half. Because he almost died for them. And even when he's talking about it, scoffing at his own perceived weakness... he calls them his friends.

And that's when the real fun will begin, because the Radio Demon On A Mission will be a force to behold, and god help anyone who gets in his way, because once he figures out the love he's fighting for... oh, he'll be unstoppable.

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chipjrwibignaturals · 11 months

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anyway! one of the jobs I applied and interviewed told me today they’re going w someone else which sucks but like. Ah well, it be like that sometimes.

#it was a bit above entry level anyway so it’s unlikely #plus it was management which Had at least one person under it and. unless that person is a Similar Age I doubt they’d want a 21yr old boss #still disappointing tho; it was in the location I’d prefer and a local library so like. LEAST evil capitalism skillset setting #plus I did two rounds of in depth interviews (including making a 7 page proposal + a program flyer for round 2)#but like again. oh well! not much I can do about it #I have an interview tomorrow w a different company and I’m gonna start around round of applications soon #the place tomorrow is more downtown + bit more ‘cog in the machine’ style but not bad! it’s like a business advisement company #w the position I’m looking at specifically regarding like. employee insurance and Benefits #PLUS it’s hybrid which is rlly nice. biggest downside tbh is that I would likely continue living at my parents place #(bc price of living here is. Bad. it would 1000% be the most affordable. if I moved out I’d likely need 1+ roommates)#but like. idk!! i just Want my own place. to rlly solidify that like yeah no I’m in a New Life Period. I’m an Adult Now #tldr I’m a bit disappointed and let down but. I’m not gonna let it get to me. shit happens n you did what you could n you move on!!!

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blue-slxt · 10 months

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English Lessons

🔞Minors Do Not Interact🔞

A/N: Just a little drabble for a funny idea that I had. It's super short, but I think it's funny and cute. It feels very on brand for Lo'ak. All characters are aged up.

Pairing: Neteyam x Fem!Omatikaya!Reader

Warnings: Cursing, that's pretty much it.

Word Count: 500+

Summary: Lo'ak helps you practice English so that you can surprise Neteyam.

You stand with Lo’ak just out of sight of Neteyam.

“Just like we practiced, okay?” Lo’ak says to you in hushed tones.

Your ears and tail perk up with excitement. “Got it.”

You had asked Lo’ak for help practicing your English so that you could communicate with your mate in both of his languages. And he was more than happy to help you out. As a matter of fact, he was downright giddy to help you learn. It was sweet. You always got along well with Lo’ak and he was a good teacher. He was patient in helping you make sense of the foreign feeling sounds on your tongue and praised you when you nailed a new sentence.

Today you had finally felt confident enough to try out your new skillset on your mate. With a big breath to calm your nerves, you walk past Lo’ak and over to Neteyam.

“Ma’Teyam!” you say approaching your love. He turns and instantly melts into a smile when he sees your face.

“Hello, yawne. I missed you.” He says wrapping you in his arms and placing a kiss to your cheek. Now was the perfect moment.

“How was your day?” The words feel unnatural leaving your mouth, but you’ve practiced enough to know that your pronunciation was spot on. And you can tell from the look on Neteyam’s face that he’s surprised and a little proud.

“My day was good.” There’s a hint of laughter in his voice. “Where did you learn that?”

“Lo’ak has been helping me practice so I could surprise you.” Your heart swells with glee as you see Neteyam’s admiring gaze.

“He says I’m a natural.”

“He’s right. You are doing such a good job.”

Your face visibly lights up registering the fact that you can finally start to understand Neteyam’s English.

“What else have you learned?” he asks with genuine curiosity, but he also just really loves hearing you speak and seeing how happy you are with your new skill.

You think about all the phrases that Lo’ak has helped you learn over the last month or so and try to settle on one. There was one that was a little funny sounding, even for it being English, but it’s also one of the more complex sentences you learned and you wanted to show off a little bit. Plus, Lo’ak said that Neteyam would love it.

“I want you to fuck me until I can’t walk.” You say proudly turning your face up to look at him.

Neteyam’s eyes go wide and his mouth is agape. He immediately flushes at your words and laughter erupts from behind you where Lo’ak stood watching the whole interaction.

You whip around to look at him and he is doubled over on the ground with tears streaming down his face from laughing so hard.

“Lo’ak! What are you thinking teaching her something like that?!” Neteyam chastises him, but Lo’ak is too amused to care.

Your eyebrows knit together in confusion about what just happened.

“What’s wrong? Did I mess it up?” you ask.

Neteyam’s face softens when he looks at you, “No, yawne. You did so well. But how about from now on, you practice with Kiri?”

Taglist: @soleilmoon @netemoon @fifia-writes @strangersav11

@eywascall @neteyamsluvts @heart-an0n @iman-lu @xylianasblog @theunfortunateplace @hyejusdiary @savvysscandles @randxmthxughts @tiredmamaissy @yeosxxx @atwow69 @potatoknishesofficial69 @bellstwd @iseeyouuu @afro-hispwriter @simp4ff @universal-s1ut @lokokokkok @parisdailysposts @mynameisjuno @andraga12 @tallulah477 @uaze123 @nelissecrectplace @angrypomeranianwifey @perfectxserendipity @yumimak @rainbowturdz @rhiannonhippiegirl @sullymenrhot

(Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the taglist. If your tag isn't working, please check your settings.)

#avatar #avatar the way of water #neteyam #neteyam sully #neteyam x reader #avatar fic #awow #neteyam x na'vi!reader #atwow #atwow neteyam #avatar twow #avatar neteyam #neteyam te suli tsyeyk'itan

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ghostradiodylan · 4 months

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[s k i l l ]

So, we talk a lot about Quarry headcanons and what could have been on the Brainrot Discord server that Kat made and one of the things I keep thinking about is how they gave (at least some of) the characters these sets of skills that never really impact gameplay, and I think it would be really cool if they did. Like, if there was more variety in who could be sent on which path. Switching Kaitlyn to the Hackett house path with Laura and Ryan to the scrapyard with Dylan being a popular one for fanfic, but also, idk, maybe Dylan won't let Ryan go without him so he ends up on the Hackett house path too? Maybe Abi steps up to go with Kaitlyn to the scrapyard and has to figure out the crane even though it's way out of her skillset, maybe Emma and Jacob can actually come back and link up with the rest of the gang instead of being stuck out in the woods for so long, stuff like that.

I'm just thinking about what their skills might be and how that might impact the game. Also keep in mind that if the character you most need for a task ends up up dead before that task comes along, it's going to be carnage for everyone else, which would up the replay value significantly IMO.

Kaitlyn: Shooting. She's a MUCH better shot than Ryan, if we can believe the Shooting Stars scoreboard (four of the actual children attending the camp score higher than him), but we never see that in the game? What if the aiming mechanism was actually different between different characters? What if there were shots you could make more easily as Kaitlyn, that were harder to pull off as Ryan?

Ryan: Agility. Guy does a lot of running and jumping, what if there were timed segments that were easier to complete as Ryan within the allotted time, or else something consequential happened? Good luck if you ended up plodding along with Jacob instead, now Abi and Nick are both mauled and turning, or something like that.

Dylan: Tech. Dylan's the physics nerd who slays at the crane game. What if you could bring him to the Hackett house and he could figure out the electric circuit puzzle in no time, but that meant someone else had to help Kaitlyn in the scrapyard? Maybe Ryan can still save Jacob without him but he takes too much time and the Hacketts catch you and pick off one of your party.

Jacob: Strength. Jakey's probably the buffest of the dudes, so maybe there are times you need a pair of strong arms or legs and Jacob's the only one who can come through. They also show us him picking locks but he never does that in an impactful situation, so maybe he'd have a lesser talent for that as well.

Abi: Stealth. Okay, so Abi runs and hides? Maybe she's awesome at hiding, then? Maybe she can get through parts of the game undiscovered by the werewolves that other characters can't. Maybe her being short AF means she can fit into hiding spots that you can't cram the leggy bois like Dylan and Nick into.

Emma: Observation. Emma's always watching and analyzing everyone's behavior and documenting things on her phone. Maybe she can find evidence or tarot cards others can't, or put pieces of the mystery together in ways no one else thinks of. Emma's a badass in the game, but it would be cool to see her 'documentarian' side come in handy prior to the credits rolling, too.

Nick: Climbing. I completely made this up because we don't get to see Nick do much besides try to pull his crush, suck face on a dare with Emma, and get mauled, but we do know he takes kids through the ropes course based on his dialogue with Abi, plus he's tall so he's got long arms and legs! Maybe he's the aerial expert. Maybe he can scale fences and get important items down from trees. Maybe he can climb up and free other characters who get stuck in those snare traps. (Obviously this assumes someone else can be the Designated Werewolf Victim, which I also think would improve the game.)

This also assumes Laura and Max keep their current roles, but I'd be up for that to be changeable too. It's not that I necessarily want a higher number of choices available, I just want the choices we can make to actually impact the gameplay and story arc more! Anyway, that's my Quarry ramble for the day (unless I come up with another one). Anyone else have thoughts?

#the quarry #skill #double skill #the quarry headcanons #the quarry missed opportunities #fixing the quarry #kaitlyn & dylan vs the world #kaitlyn ka #dylan lenivy #ryan erzahler #jacob custos #emma mountebank #abi blyg #nick furcillo

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danwhobrowses · 17 days

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So a thing happened on Critical Role this week (campaign 3 ep 91), we're gonna talk about it - a long talk - so if you haven't been caught up and don't wanna be spoiled don't keep reading okay?

One of the disadvantages of being in a different time zone is that after fretting all morning, going to work, thinking 'it's 7am maybe it's done now' I had to sit in my office for a stressful final half hour murmuring don't do this don't fucking do this don't you dare fucking do this!

I already was worried for everyone given the cliffhanger last episode, and the 5 hour length made me further worried as players kept being knocked down by Otohan Thull - already frightening in base form but now with an even higher AC and empowered. Then Sam Riegel had to do what he does best, a devastating sacrifice where FCG blows himself up to take down Otohan - Ludinus' No. 2, harrowed for being proficient in slaughter, defeated by no assassin or warrior but a cleric saving their friends. We've been well past 'get off the moon' hours with this one, but now there is an impact on every one of the Hells to think about, which is what this will be about.

FCG Though he is dead there is still stuff to talk about with FCG's death. A common debate right now is the potential of the Reincarnate spell; while the wording of the death implies that FCG's current body is irreparable there is a chance that a 5th Level Druid Spell can fashion him a new body, one of flesh, bone and tongue. The body itself needs to be dead for less than 10 days so there is wiggle room to gain the necessary components too if the top brass of Exandria turn it into a fetch quest. There is argument on both sides though; if FCG comes back does it undermine his sacrifice? Perhaps, but there's no incentive for the Hells to not try. Reincarnation hasn't quite happened in Critical Role yet - Since Molly/Lucien/Kingsley was kinda different, he kinda had the opposite, different mind same body - so it'd be a refreshing new option and also a way to redesign FCG without having to create a whole new cleric (because they definitely need a cleric) with a whole new skillset that the Hells will need to warm towards before the final battle. But at the same time, the soul has to be willing. FCG was content with his sacrifice, and in the arms of the Changebringer would he go back? I'd like to hope so if it's an option, it'd also entertain a whole new character arc for him as a 'real boy' - plus Matt and Sam don't have to fully abide to the D100 rule of what race he turns into. Of course, I like this angle more than needing a new character, because I like happy endings and it makes narrative sense that the Hells would claw and bite to pull him from that sweet goodnight. It would also validate a reason for the Hells to align with the gods, because if divine favour comes into play and the Gods decide against helping Bell's Hells' greatest advocate for saving them then they are foolishly and callously forsaking key players to their survival, FCG reincarnating with the help of the Gods would play a big part in the Hells standing with them rather than losing faith in them, and even with friction between the Titans & Temults and the Gods from the past they would have a common enemy. Still living or dying can have varying effects on the other characters.

Ashton From the moment Ashton met FCG they wanted to make sure this little bot would be okay, that they'd learn to value their life and be able to thrive. While part of that did happen, Ashton is likely going to feel like nothing's changed since Bassuras; knocked out by Otohan and when awakened a friend is dead, another person they couldn't protect.

Before the shard, I think Ashton would very easily fly off the handle, in their anger they'd blame everything including themselves and maybe even consider leaving themselves, it probably have made them more self-destructive too. Now though I'm not so sure, nobody would hold it against them to waver a little on their promise to take care of themselves in a burst of grief, this was after all their best friend someone they looked after like a little brother, and while I can see Ashton quietly and angrily grieving I can also see Ashton double down on trying to keep their promise, making sure that FCG didn't go out like a martyr and that it won't be in vain. FCG reincarnating would assist in Ashton's character drive too, since I feel like they would detest any replacement cleric because it's not FCG, they may also be less abrasive towards the gods if they came through for them and proved that they care - at least to the Changebringer, think they'd still throw copper at the Dawnfather given the whole Angel incident.

Imogen As the nominated leader of Bell's Hells, many will probably look to Imogen Temult for action, the problem is she has her own mother issues to deal with too - and I'm not entirely sold that Liliana has fully made a turn just yet, only that she won't hand over the Hells to Ludinus. FCG's death is gonna produce a lot of guilt from Imogen though, she was detesting the fact that she had to play dead at 1HP while Otohan cut down her friends again, she will likely blame her inaction which in turn may push her to be more aggressive in combat.

At the same time, I can see her being one of the more gung ho characters to push towards the Reincarnate option, perhaps even going as far as to accost or lambast anyone regardless of alliances or rank who she feels isn't as committed. Imogen has been in the position of loss before, and knowing that FCG had a connection with FRIDA she would likely compel herself to fix it rather than have to deliver the bad news. Regardless of whether he reincarnates though I feel like Imogen may look towards some more defensive spells, and maybe through Liliana try to tap into the powers of an Exalted to try and match the power she saw from Otohan, a risky endeavour for sure but FCG took an even greater risk for them.

Orym Orym is probably the toughest of the Hells to read when it comes to FCG's death. There will of course be a deep sadness at the loss of a friend, but I would also sense a...not bitterness but discontent that this is how it went down. Otohan killed his family, he kept fighting her until he could no longer stand because that's what they would've done, and now she's dead but it doesn't make it better, he wasn't the one to do it, he didn't even see it, and the one who did is gone with her. When Bor'dor was killed, Orym coldly reminded himself that 'we're at war', but I don't think he can justify that way with FCG, the loss was greater than the catharsis.

The death also has to turn attention to his deal with Nanna Mori. Many have pointed out that there is a lot of technicalities that may prolong, void or complete the deal; it was never specified how many times the Hells could return from the moon to continue the deal, but at the same time they did technically return from the moon to Exandria safe and sound via the Secret Backdoor. Still, Mori is his best friend's grandmother, there could be leeway on that matter too and even if he does have to commit to the deal (which I call 'Fatekeeper Orym') it's never been explicitly said that Orym needs to constantly attend to Mori in the Feywild, only that he has to be her caretaker and answer her beck and call. However, FCG's death will likely provide a sobering thought that his deal with Mori was perhaps voided, unless there is one more thread he can have her pull. When it comes to seeking options to bring a friend back, I would keep a close eye on Orym - it's not the first time Liam's resolved himself to be damned before.

Fearne Fearne will likely be a linchpin if the Hells seek out Reincarnate. The spell is exclusive to Druids and if Keyleth isn't on hand to do it the task and pressure will fall to her. It'll be interesting how she reacts, I don't wanna say she'll be the most positive of it because she'll certainly be upset, but I can see her being optimistic even if it's to also convince herself, the one who is most encouraging to find a way. As a shipper I of course want her to be the one who comforts and gets through to Ashton while they grieve but if she also is key to his reincarnation that also adds to their slow-burn. Outside of that, FCG's death may also lead into learning about Mori's deal with Orym, which will probably anger her that Orym kept it from her, there is also the fact that having FCG's life in her hands may bring back bad memories of Bassuras and Whitestone. One must also especially worry about her Asmodeus calling card, the Prince of Lies does nothing for free and I still feel like Klask was planted in her path by Asmodeus' (and maybe even Athion's) titan-seeking design.

If FCG does reincarnate though, I could see her friendship with FCG being even greater than it was, since they'll both feel a greater zeal for life - it may also make her feel further distant from her Evil vision, since she will have saved half her friends rather than risked killing them. If not though, Fearne may have to play mediator for the new cleric and may also be pushed towards freeing up more slots for healing to provide more support for the Hells in future battles.

Chetney It's gonna be an interesting one for Chetney too, from one perspective you could see him thinking that FCG traded their life for his; he died, he made peace with that, but then the one who revived him died. Chetney's more personal mindset has often been cloaked in secrecy, perhaps as one of the least open of the Hells despite many claiming him as the Heart of the group, so I wonder if Chetney may harbour some Survivor's Guilt for what happened.

I can see Chetney being the one to keep his emotions close to his chest, even if FCG were to reincarnate he would perhaps try to shrug off that he always knew it'd happen anyway. That being said someone who remains stoic and unwavering may prove a positive or a negative to the group, depending on the person or their interpretation of it. If a new cleric comes along though I could see him being additionally protective of them, having been the new guy before.

Laudna We should all be worried for Laudna right now. The recent 4SD already revealed that Laudna's 'close to the brink' and I'm pretty sure this is the brink. The aftermath of the Otohan fight will likely push each of the Hells to get stronger, since had they hit harder or been able to take stronger blows it wouldn't have come to this, but that will mean bad things when it comes to Laudna, as she may seek to gain power the only way she thinks she can - through Delilah. After all her last two levels went to Sorcery and did little in the fight, whereas her Warlock class Eldritch Blasts hurt Otohan fairly decently, such a thing can linger in the mind for Delilah to manipulate.

It'll be telling if they do try to Reincarnate him whether the damage will have been done already to Laudna, and that the joy of bringing him back turns to tragedy of Laudna losing herself further, as it often does it will fall to how she leans on Imogen, and how open about it she'll be to her. If FCG is lost however, we may have to keep a very close eye on Laudna being next.

Bell's Hells As I mentioned with Laudna, FCG's death will have made something apparent and clear; despite everything Bell's Hells need to get stronger. Even at Lv13, even with Exalted powers, Fey bargains and Titan shards they still just barely escaped a TPK, and granted they were weakened and worn out but no fight is guaranteed to ever be fought at 100%. Otohan may've been the toughest General of the Vanguard but the other Generals - the Weavemind, Zathuda and the Dominon of Cruft Commander - are still not ones to take lightly, Ludinus is still not one to take lightly, and if Liliana is going to be used by him to become a vessel for Predathos, that cannot be taken lightly. Bell's Hells may need to look towards enhancing their stats as well as their equipment, the harness is still a factor too which can boost them all with enough enchanted items at their disposal. An interesting one would be if Otohan's backpack ends up in one of the Hells' hands; many beforehand have talked about Orym being an Echo Knight but I would personally like to see Ashton take it, since it is powered by the Potion of Possibility like their own Dunamancy powers, it's possible (eheh) that they may align in some manner and could you imagine Ashton + 3 Echoes all raging to get All 4 Dunamancies? Otohan's swords may also provide unique properties for Chetney and/or Orym to use. Reincarnation or not I feel like that may be the Hells' next plan once it's discussed whether to attempt Reincarnation and they're off of Ruidus, gathering allies will likely also be something to prepare for for the final battle given how Otohan stated that they have 'enough Ruidusborns' for their plan. As a group it is difficult to tell if this will strengthen or weaken them, it could strengthen them in a 'never again' way like the Nein, but they were also very enthusiastic about bringing Molly back - it drove them through several arcs - FCG however often was the Hells' beacon of hope and the self-imposed attempted therapist, without that the Hells will either have to put it upon themselves to go the extra lengths or they'll close further in on themselves. If FCG does reincarnate I feel like it would definitely strengthen them mentally but if not I am not so sure.

It shouldn't come to a surprise that I will hold onto the Reincarnate potential so that the Hells can get back their friend, but rest assured I'm worried for all of them right now, there are crossroads ahead.

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thewriterrr · 16 days

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The hating game ~ Chris Sturniolo

Chris Sturniolo x Reader

In which you are working in LA and have to work alongside the Sturniolo Triplets. Nick and Matt seem happy to have you there, but Chris on the other hand, isn’t happy to have you there at all.

The two of you form a tense relationship built on disdain and dislike, often arguing and making remarks at one another. But when the two of you are alone, you realise there is more to the tension.

**slight angst, cussing, tension!, enemies?**

You had never imagined yourself living in LA, much less the lavish lifestyles and influencer heavy population. Perhaps it wasn’t a crowd you particularly slotted into, but you didn’t mind. You had gotten yourself into a position where you could afford a studio apartment in Los Angeles, albeit not extravagant, LA was the place of endless opportunities. With an impressive, top-level degree in media and marketing at the age of twenty-one, your skillset was much needed across the city, and it wasn’t difficult to find work.

That’s how you ended up where you were today. A management team had come across your work and contacted you. After all, your pay-grade was a stark contrast to others living in LA, you didn’t require an eye-watering amount of money, plus your hours where flexible.

It had come from the Sturniolo Triplets management team. Three guys from Boston, catapulted into fame quickly, now balancing content creation alongside brand deals, tours and interviews. So that’s where you came in. You were a helping hand when it came to preparing the triplets for interviews or any public appearance where they didn’t control what was put out into the digital world. You helped with their communication, topic avoidance, and how to approach media outlets that for some reason gained sick pleasure from warping the words of celebrities and painting them in a bad light. You were there to make sure that didn’t happen.

Nick and Matt were grateful for the help and agreed with the management team that your work was beneficent, though the same couldn’t be said for Chris Sturniolo. He wasn’t on board with having another new face on the team, much less being told what to do.

*Flashback to first meeting*

“You know, we can actually handle this shit on our own. What’s the point in bringing more people in for this? We’ve been coping fine.” Chris complained, earning an eye roll from Nick who was stood beside him.

“Our schedules have been crazy lately, Chris, and we have a fuck ton of other things coming up. We need all the help we can get if we want to do this right.” Nick quipped, earning an earnest nod from Matt who fiddled with the car keys looped onto his jeans.

“I agree.” Matt mumbled back lowly, and gestured towards Nick, allying with him.

Chris rolled his eyes, tightening his jaw for a moment as he bit back another remark.

You stood there, awaiting a moment of silence before you parted your lips to speak.

“I’m not here to infringe on anything you guys do, just to be an extra hand when it comes to the work you do outside of your content creation. LA media is pretty unforgiving.” You noted, your fingers pushing back a few loose strands of hair from beside your cheek.

Chris finally turned to look at you, his expression was cold and unwavering, eyes locked onto you as he responded.

“Are you suggesting that we’re gonna do something wrong?” He pressed, earning a whack on the arm from Nick. “What, Nick? She’s pretty much implying that if we don’t have her around, we’re gonna fuck up and get roasted by LA media.” Chris bitterly added and you furrowed your brows slightly.

Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill, you thought to yourself. This guy is defensive.

“That isn’t what I said,” you defended. “But your management team reached out to me, so I’m here. You don’t have to want me around, but until your management decide that they don’t need me to help you guys anymore, you’ll be seeing me every Monday and Thursday.” You responded in a desperate bid to keep the conversation professional.

“And we’re glad to have you.” Nick chimed in and shot Chris a warning look, enough for Chris to purse his lips and remain silent, but his eyes betrayed him as he looked at you with disdain.

Matt offered a small smile and a nod, though the air remained heavy.

*Present day*

Since then, it had been almost two months. You wished you could say that the tension between you and Chris had eased, but in fact, it was the opposite. It had worsened. Whenever the two of you were alone, the tension could be cut with a knife until Chris would decide to make a snide remark about your being-there. You held your own though, eight weeks in and any essence of professionalism you carried went out of the window when you were around Chris, often biting back until it left the two of you locked in a death stare.

On the flip side, growing closer with Nick and Matt had been nothing short of a privilege, and working with genuinely, authentic nice guys was a perk to your job. With the frequency in which you saw them, for hours at a time at least twice a week, you had formed a light-hearted and banterous bond with the two less bitter brothers.

Standing in the kitchen that belonged to the Sturniolo triplets, you looked over at Nick as he spoke. “Okay so in this interview, I can still be my funny and charming self, but politely avoid any questions regarding…” Nick spoke, listing on from the prior conversation you had with him.

“Exactly. You’re gonna smash this interview, hands down. I know you’ve got it covered.” You said, earning an award-winning smile from Nick. “I’ll talk to Matt when he gets back from the store, if he needs anything. Hey, you might not even need me around much longer.” You smirked at Nick, who gasped and placed his hand to his chest.

“Wouldn’t that be a treat?” Another voice rang through the kitchen as Chris entered, wearing grey sweats that hung loosely on his hips and a black t shirt. Your eyes flickered over him before a soft huff escaped your lips and you rolled your eyes.

“It’s really great when you greet us with your warm presence, Chris.” You muttered as he swung the fridge door open to grab a soda.

“Alright I’m heading upstairs to go over whatever else I need for tomorrow. Don’t be a dick, Chris,” Nick said as he headed out of the kitchen, leaving you and Chris alone.

Chris turned to face you, leaning against the kitchen counter opposite you, his fingers wrapped around a can of soda and his eyes now on you. You looked at him, folding your arms across your chest as you raised your eyebrows.

“What?” Chris asked flatly as he took a sip of his drink.

“You have an interview coming up next week. If you want to stop being stubborn and actually talk about it, we can.” You responded.

Chris looked at you, his eyes didn’t waver, they stayed glued to your face as if he was trying to read your expression. You weren’t the type of person to get nervous beneath the stare of somebody else, but for some reason it was different with Chris. When he looked at you like that, his jaw clenched and eyes low, you felt the familiar knot forming in your stomach that you tried to ignore. Your skin felt like it was warming up and you had to distract yourself from the moment almost instantly, tearing your gaze away from his and looking to another area of the kitchen where Chris wasn’t stood, looking as good as he did.

“I already told you that I don’t need help with this shit. I’m startin’ to wonder if you’re gonna understand that.” Chris spoke lowly, and you could feel his eyes burning into your skin as you pushed some hair away from your neck, exposing the skin.

“You’ve made it pretty clear. But I don’t get paid to stand here and argue with you. It’s been two months, Chris, and it’s tiring.” You complained.

“Well having you around here up my ass trying to tell me how to speak in interviews and shit, is also pretty tiring.” He snapped and you scoffed as you turned your attention back to him.

“I might’ve been gone by now if you weren’t acting like an asshole all of the time.” You retorted, your voice sharp and you could have sworn you saw a ghost of a smirk on Chris’ lips, but you continued anyway. “And if you act in an interview the way you’re acting around me right now, you could fuck up quite a few good things you have going.” You told him, though regretted the way you worded it. But, your point still stood strong.

Chris traced his tongue across his lower lip as he set down his drink, standing up straight from the counter and taking a few steps towards you.

“You’re not gonna talk to me like I’m a fuckin’ idiot, are you?” His voice was more gravelly now, his expression daring as he watched you with close inspection.

As his proximity to you got closer, you could feel your skin heating up and your heart rate quicken, though you fought to keep your expression neutral as you looked up at him.

“I won’t, if you don’t act like one.” You quipped, but your voice wasn’t as steady if you would have liked, it was breathy and unsure.

“You keep runnin’ your mouth like that and you’re gonna regret it.” Chris warned, and with his words, took another few steps closer in your direction until you were closer than the two of you ever had been. He settled both hands on the counter either side of you, his head slightly dipped as he looked at you, awaiting your response.

Your eyes traversed across his bare arms outstretched either side of you as his hands gripped the edge of the kitchen counter, before you looked up at him, your lips slightly parted as you tried to think of a response. With Chris being this close to you, close enough for you to smell his cologne, you weren’t sure if your brain was even capable of forming a coherent sentence. His eyes glanced down at your parted lips for a moment, before landing back on your eyes, silently urging you to respond. After a few moments, you gathered yourself just enough to speak.

“If you think I’m scared of your threat, you might want to think again.” You breathed out, and this time, the sly smirk that tugged on the corner of Chris’ mouth was much more evident.

He lifted one hand, pushing some of your hair out of the way of his quest, before he placed his hand on the side of your neck, his thumb tracing lightly across your throat. Your breathing hitched and you could feel goosebumps forming on your arms, the kitchen had suddenly jumped from cold to hot, much like your own temperature. With one of your hands, you wrapped it around Chris’ wrist that was still on the kitchen counter beside you. “Chris,” you warned.

So many lines were being crossed at this point, your brain could hardly catch up with what was happening, but your heart hammering in your chest was enough to tell you that it shouldn’t have been happening. But, by God, you wanted it to be.

Chris lowered his head, and you could feel his soft, slightly damp hair graze across your forehead, as his lips stayed barely an inch away from yours.

“See where that fuckin’ attitude gets you.” He whispered, and you could feel his breath against your lips, emitting a quiet breath from you.

Before you could say anything else, the sound of the front door opening was a rude awakening for the both of you, shaking the moment into reality. Chris stepped away from you and back to the other side of the kitchen, while you stood breathless and wordless.

“Hey,” Matt chimed as he walked into the kitchen, placing a few groceries down onto the counter, looking over at you and then over at Chris.

“Hey,” you responded and mustered a small smile. “Ready to talk about your upcoming interview? Me and Chris just got done talking.” You said. Chris rubbed the side of his jaw with his hand as he looked at his brother, starting to make his way out of the kitchen.

As he approached the doorway to head upstairs to his room, you caught another glimpse of a smirk on his lips.

#chris sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #sturniolo x reader #fanfic #matt sturniolo #nick sturniolo #chris sturniolo fic #imagine #chris x reader #christopher sturniolo #chris sturniolo angst #enemies to lovers

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angelbitezzz · 8 months

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Next one up: Day 6!

Short fic under the cut

"Oh! You wanna play basketball, Papyrus?"

"OF COURSE! THERE WASN'T A COURT BACK IN SNOWDIN, BUT FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN YOU ONLY NEED TO BE TALL TO BE SUCCESSFUL!"

The human on the picnic blanket snorts at his words, grinning and reaching a hand up in a grabby motion. Papyrus responds in kind and took her by the hand, pulling her to her feet.

"I guess you're right. But we can't just play by ourselves."

She casts a glance around to find their friends scattered in the park space they had set up on. Undyne speaks animatedly to Asgore, Sans is working the grill, and Toriel is fussing over getting sunscreen on her kid. Angel raises her hands to her mouth.

"AYO UNDYNE! WANNA PLAY BASKETBALL?"

Her head nearly snaps around 180 degrees at her words, a smug grin spreading across her face as she turns.

"WANNA LOSE?"

"Yeah, okay, whatever, GET OVER HERE!"

Undyne abandons her conversation with Asgore as she rushes to the court. The king merely grins fondly—not at all bothered at being left alone—and sidles over to the grill where Sans stands. Angel jogs over, taking an appreciative sniff of the food cooking and another appreciative look at the skeleton at work; his signature blue hoodie draped over a nearby bush in favor of his simple white beater shirt, exposing the bones of his arms, neck and collar area.

"What about you two? Basketball?"

"Oh no," Says Asgore, waving a hand. "I'm fine with cheering from the sidelines."

"What about you, bone man."

"ehhhh. last time i played, i stood around wondering why the ball kept getting bigger. then it hit me."

"Shut up!!! That's a total lie!" Laughs Angel, shoving him in the shoulder. "C'mon, you've been working hard at the grill this entire time, take a break!"

"not sure that counts as a break, pal. least this way i can stand around and look pretty. really making the best of my skillset here."

"SANS, IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR BONY BUTT OVER HERE RIGHT NOW, I'LL RELIEVE YOU OF YOUR STATION! FORCIBLY!"

"what, like, you'll take over the grill?"

"EXACTLY!"

Sans pulls his spatula closer to his chest, eyesockets narrowing slightly. The skeleton is lazy by nature, but the idea of his brother ruining perfectly good meats when they're almost done....

"fine, if you insist. just be warned, my dunking skills are the wurst."

"BUTT! HERE! NOW! AND WE BOTH KNOW THAT'S A LIE!"

"can you gimme a sec? it's almost—" "Not to worry, Sans. I can keep an eye on it for you." Asgore butts in, friendly as anything. Sans takes in the moment with a blank grin and gives up without a fight, handing the spatula over. Angel grabs him by the arm and tugs him towards the court.

"So do you really suck at basketball or are you just doing the lazy thing again?"

Sans just shrugs and grins, making her roll her eyes. By the time they've made it onto the court, Toriel has noticed everyone gathering and wandered over. She tugs up the sleeves of her t-shirt to expose more of her arms and smiles, flexing her (admittedly, pretty muscular) arm.

"Count me in! I could use the exercise!"

"Sweet! Teams are gonna be unbalanced, though..."

"NOT TO WORRY! I'VE ALREADY GOT IT FIGURED OUT!"

Papyrus pats Sans on the shoulder and puffs his chest.

"IT'S ME AND MY BROTHER (PLUS TORIEL) VERSUS THE REST OF YOU! BECAUSE LET'S BE REAL. UNDYNE COUNTS FOR SEVERAL MEMBERS."

"DAMN RIGHT!"

"Fair enough!"

Papyrus pulls out a basketball from somewhere, and the game begins. Immediately, Angel finds that, much like the many times she's had to play games with the monsters, things have very different rules. She's already not the most versed in sports—and she ends up spending most of the match watching Undyne and Papyrus go head to head with a ferocity she can only wish to match. And match she tries! It's hard being short in a basketball game, but stealing the ball can be easy if you're quick enough; and Angel is fast.

Then comes her first challenge—fucking Sans. Turns out the guy either used to play or is a very fast learner, because whenever she manages to get her hands on the ball, he's right there ready to snatch it.

"Dude!" Angel pants during a brief pause of the game, after a panicked confrontation that ended in the ball accidentally going haywire and into the nearby trees. "I didn't know I was playing with an athlete, Christ!"

"heh," Sans looks pleased, though something like sweat beads on his skull. "nah, i barely rim-member how to play, really."

"Terrible."

"you're smiling."

"Yep."

The game is on again. Angel gets lost in it, having too much fun to consider holding back. Life gives an opportunity—Only Papyrus blocking her way from the hoop. Brashly, in a move betraying her complete faith in her own terribly unathletic body, she rushes him. Time slows down. Papyrus crouches to ready himself to catch the ball, and she sees the answer so clearly, so so clearly...if she can push herself enough!

"oh shit—"

It's all the time Sans has left to speak before he reacts on instinct, reaching out with his magic and grabbing hold of her soul, hoisting her into the air on time with her jump. He hadn't really meant to help the enemy team—but a head-on collision with his giant ass brother would've left them both with bruises, and he hadn't even thought before using his magic to stop it. Well, the truly unhinged scene unfolds before them—Angel using Papyrus as leverage to push herself up, straining hard, until her hand hooks on the rim and the ball swishes through the net. Everyone gapes in awe. Sans drops his magic, but Angel stays on the rim, clutching tight as Papyrus stumbles and rights himself. There's a beat of silence before everyone starts laughing and cheering, wolf whistles from Undyne, clapping from Frisk on the picnic blanket. Angel laughs with them, and then another problem arises as her legs kick.

"Uh! Help me get down! I'm too high up!! Help! Help????"

#art #rb #my art #digital art #doodle #undertale #sans undertale #sans #undertale fanfic #sansxyouweek #sansxyouweek2023 #self insert #selfship #fuck it we ball

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vegasolari · 10 months

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V2 is an Ultrakill character and I have many feelings about them: here's why

I think we can all agree that Ultrakill didn’t exactly explore V2 as a character much. Sure, we have some basic information about them, but we’re pretty much left to fill in the blanks ourselves. And, oh boy, are there a lot of blanks. Well, here’s my ridiculous essay filling in those blanks for myself in a way that (hopefully) makes sense in the scope of Ultrakill canon. TL;DR: here are my V2 headcanons because I’m insane.

During my first playthrough of Ultrakill, I didn't think much about V2. They seemed like the classic “evil twin” and not much more, testing your skills as a player in a unique way. I’m the good guy and I have to beat up the evil version of me, y’know? But, as I got more into the lore of Ultrakill, I couldn’t stop thinking about V2.

V1 was built with a clear purpose in mind: war. I’m certain anyone can agree with that. But, when the whole war business fell apart with the New Peace, V1 quickly became obsolete. If whatever entity developing V1 wanted any chance of recouping the cash dumped into V1, they had to pivot. But we have this great war robot just lying around! Alright, how about this: we’ll make a new version of this robot with decreased combat capabilities, but increased human interfacing capabilities. So, a new model was made. It was very similar to the previous one, switching out the fancy plating for regular tough stuff, plus installing some friendlier software. Despite the rush job, it was a pretty damn good android. But, with all that high-end tech came a big price tag that the market deemed unreasonable.

Now, this leads to an interesting idea: if V2 is sentient (observing their behavior in-game, they likely are), how would that make them feel? Certainly, they would know that they were essentially the living embodiment of a hollow gesture; being nothing more than an attempt to recuperate funds, being a commercial failure, being what most would consider a weak imitation of their predecessor. I wouldn’t be surprised if V2 went after V1 based on sheer jealousy alone. Their creation was underdeveloped and sloppily done. V2 wasn’t wanted for whatever skillset a highly advanced security bot could offer. V2 wasn't wanted… V1 was. The second iteration is supposed to be better than the first, and V2's existence is defined by being a cheap copy.

Regardless, V2 is here and they can still serve some function. While V1 and V2's hardware may be nearly identical, I have to imagine their software is very different. Remember, V1 was made for war. Their software is probably highly specialized for efficient killing. In terms of a highly advanced society dependent on specialized androids filled with precision AI, that must be pretty simple. Just boot up good old “shooty_mcshooting.exe” and we’ve got ourselves an AI that can quickly identify a target and attack its weak points. V2, on the other hand, was made for peacetime efforts. Sure, security was kept in mind during their development, but overall they were made for human cooperation. A peacetime machine would certainly have been developed with a natural affinity toward humanity, right? This leads me to believe that V2 was made with an innate affinity toward humans. Hell, maybe they were programmed with a desire to socialize that matched the strength of our own innate socialization needs. It would certainly make their job much easier.

Despite this, I feel they still had to do some warming up to humans. After all, humanity did them quite a disservice. Whether they made peace with the circumstances surrounding their creation and loved humans despite it or simply ignored the troubled emotions surrounding their creation, I’m not certain. Regardless, their core programming spurred them on. V2 learned to cooperate with humans, with their reward system to guide them. Eventually, their reward system must have led them to feel something that could be best described as affection towards humans, forever being driven to be curious and friendly towards humanity. I love imagining them joking around and laughing with their coworkers on whatever security job they were assigned to. Maybe they'd even have fun chatting up the scientists working on their development, learning more and more about how humans interacted and communicated with one another.

Speaking of which… what if V2’s job expanded past security? Say a building were to collapse with people trapped inside; what better tool than an extremely durable, strong, highly intelligent robot to dig through the rubble, locate survivors quicker with specialized software, and even administer first aid?

Just as V2 adored humans, one must imagine V2 being adored by humans.

As V2’s software spurred them on to learn more and more about humans, they would come to appreciate the things humans appreciated. Perhaps V2 came to appreciate the beauty of art or the marvel of science in the same way humans did, or perhaps they simply liked these things because they were human. Imagine V2 learning everything they could about cooking despite never needing those skills, just to be able to bond with humans. They’d even surprise the scientists developing them with delicious treats that V2 themself could never eat, all to fulfill their role as a friend to humanity.

Humanity's extinction must have been devastating for V2.

I imagine after humanity died, V2 simply tried to make do with what they had. In my mind, it’d make sense that they'd try to avoid using blood from animals at all costs (humans loved animals, after all). Instead, they'd take fuel from other machines. That fuel was already taken from its rightful owner, and there's nothing that can be done about it now. May as well put it to good use, right? Considering V2’s love for humanity (and by extension, all living creatures), they must have come to loathe their fellow machines. Machines sustain themselves off of harming humans and other living creatures, after all. Of course, there is the irony of V2 being just like every other machine, reliant on blood to survive.. I'll try not to get sidetracked with that one though -

I lied. I'm getting sidetracked.

V2's love of humans combined with their reliance on their blood as fuel would have been difficult for them to accept at best, and devastating at worst. I was going to put a comparison here but it made me genuinely sad, which goes to show how this likely made V2 feel. Sure, taking blood from humans doesn't necessarily require violence, considering blood donations exist, but it still couldn’t have felt great. Besides, it seems very possible that not all machines were interested in taking that fuel peacefully.

During their time in Hell, seeing their fellow machines happily and greedily tear through husks in Hell (which, I'd like to point out, are human souls) must have enraged V2. Considering their love for humans, I can't imagine them using husks as fuel. Instead, it would make sense for them to kill machines only. In fact, V2's terminal entry explicitly mentions killing machines (...V2 dove deeper into Hell, killing other machines for their blood to help its recovery…) but doesn't say anything about killing husks. I will note that the Ultrakill Fandom Wiki entry for V2 does allude to them killing husks, but there wasn't a source so I'm disregarding it (yes I am so Ultrakill brain-rotted that I am asking for sources on Ultrakill lore).

This leads to a stark contrast between V1 and V2, despite seeming so similar on the surface. V1 was made with the sole purpose of killing, and I do not doubt that humans were well within their scope. V1 is an especially efficient killing machine, with their rampage in Hell enough to draw the attention of Heaven. We know V2 tried to fight V1. What if the reasons for stopping V1 went beyond preserving fuel resources or getting revenge? V2 wanted to save the remnants of humankind. V2 didn't fight for themself; they fought for humanity.

Despite this, one could indeed make a very reasonable argument that V1 is doing the denizens of Hell a favor. Ceasing to exist does sound much more appealing than eternal torture. But, seeing as it's implied V2 has only been in Hell for a few hours, it's likely that they just haven't thought about this. Think of it this way: they've just rediscovered the one thing that gave them purpose... it's unlikely they'd be willing to let that go easily. Or perhaps V2 did think about this. Maybe V2 wanted to build a better life for the people of Hell. We know they made it to Greed, so they almost certainly heard of Minos' and Sisyphus' attempts to rebel against Heaven. I think it's likely that V2 wanted to follow in their footsteps; they wanted to build a haven for humanity.

But unfortunately, we all know how their story ends.

V2's existence was one defined by failure. V2's life was one riddled with "what ifs?" and "could have beens." An overwhelming theme of Ultrakill is tragedy, and I'd argue that this take on V2 is just about as tragic as one can get.

Also V2 isn't dead because they live on in my heart and I will not accept any attempts at convincing me otherwise.

#ultrakill #v2 ultrakill #ultrakill v2 #i love my little blorbo #vegarambles

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technovillain · 5 months

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This is a lot of stuff. I’m sorry.

I have a big PN3 idea that I wanted to turn into a long comic series, actually. It’d have a new bad guy structure that takes the “diving for understanding in terrible people” thing a bit further. And also starting to tackle the influence of bigger societal influences on the behavior of individuals. A big chunk of the character development is Lili (now a teenager) having to learn hard adult realities about fighting the good fight as she tries to take on a bigger role in the Psychonauts. It’s not just about removing the one bad guy anymore. The Psychonauts as an institution is also under threat, so the stakes are huge and everyone’s kinda being pushed further toward the edge (but especially Lili and Raz, who see this as their home).

It’s also about contending with lasting traumas from PN 1 and 2. Ford and Lucy have passed away (or, astral projected out of their bodies forever on accident depending on who you ask), and the circumstances of it bring up a new layer of issues on both the PN and Aquato sides—also tying up some stuff there from PN 2 that I wanted to look at. Like Frazie’s temptation and reluctance to let herself be psychic or Bob’s relationship with Truman. Raz himself, also a teenager, is grappling with all that stuff he felt like he was too young to process before, plus stuff about growing up. Even though it was a terrible thing to do, Raz can now better understand why Ford did what he did and wonders if he honestly would have done any better. He’s realizing in his own actions that you sometimes can’t avoid making a choice with nasty consequences, reinforced by the villain. And that has stuff to do with his family too, re: parents and siblings trying to keep the pack safe and together with unhealthy force. Dogen’s also a main character, trying to get over the fear that he’s a disaster waiting to happen and seize his own agency in things to protect the place that has been helping him recover.

It all sounds very grim on paper, but I have a plan to get it to tie together and work out based on the theme of getting to the roots of the status quo and changing it rather than bending to it.

Also, there’d be new fun enemies like Anxiety (buzzardlike) and Guilt (leech/serpentlike), which look like cousins of Panic Attacks and Regrets. They start out as little worms and crows but evolve into death-rolling alligators and dive-bombing raptors as things escalate. And changing the kids’ skillsets to fit their experience—like Raz swinging from mental connections instead of hamsterballing bc he’s bigger. Dogen making someone picture sheep to knock them out. Lili combining plants and fire to great (or terrible) effect. Ziplining on the core thread of a bad mood to get to a deeper area. Tandem lev ball combat. Going into a mind multiple times over the story to see how it changes in the face of developments.

Saying it again: really really sorry this is so long. I do really love the idea of a PN3, as well as your ideas. I felt the urge to gush bc I’ve been holding this idea in for years while I work on it. Thanks for reading. :)

I don't really have much to add to this but that's only because I love how detailed this is.....makes me think abt just how good a timeskipped PN3 could be!!!!!!!!!

#i keep reading this over and over #dont know what to add so i will simply say it is very good i love seeing what youve chosen to focus on here and all the details aaaaa #.txt #hcs #psychonauts #ask

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batpham-discord-highlights · 2 years

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DALV Energy Drink

there is a popular energy drink that becomes all the rage everywhere even Gotham. Tim out of curiosity of its claims takes it. And starts to feel really energize and stronger.

but overtime he starts to have weird side effects. strength he knows is impossible for him, knowing for certain his hand should not have passed through his mug.

turns out the energy drink is called Spectacular... it’s actually connected to specter... as Spect is in different font.

upon analysis the drink has something similar to pit water in it. uwu and you see where this is going kek

also 100% Vlad's idea =w= if he can’t have the only halfa like him he'll make more.

Danny just finding this out the same time as Tim.

ok just plopping a mini-idea plot kek

It’s not 100% like sunset overdrive but def love it like I do

Is one of the side effects mood swings?

strong emotions yes

Yeah, Tim should try to figure it out without telling his family because ‘embarrassing’

Question, would the rest of the batfam try it?

Jason, no. He's against energy drinks on principal. Plus, the stuff is rank.

Damian, also no. he'd never drink something as plebian as an energy drink.

Dick is a maybe

Dick, maybe? But he doesn't like the way it makes him feel, so he only tries it once

Bruce, absolutely no.

Alfred would have a conniption if he found any energy drinks in the house

Cass would try

She would

Duke too, he doesn’t have an opinion on energy drinks, but likes the taste of some and is willing to try

Then she'd make a face at the taste and never touch it again

Duke drinks it too, but it doesn't affect him because of his powers

he doesn’t have fast metabolism in his skillset

i mean in canon

Healing ability: it has been discovered that Duke's powers allow him to heal rapidly in dire situations.

he has this

Hmm…

fanon we can do whatever

Maybe his rapid healing repairs the damage the ectoplasm does before it can take root

you have a point there

Like, you know the radium girls?

yeah

Ectoplasm is like that, except with DNA instead of bone

So, Duke's healing factor keeps the ectoplasm from changing his DNA

he is the only one that can drink it without consequences

Can I just say I still want someone to trick Jason into drinking it and he ends up falling through a chair?

If we go with the ectoplasm = lazarus pit, it’d be like a temp boost for him

especially if the ectoplasm in the drinks is purer

Imagine Jason starts drinking it and it helps filter out the lazarus water from his system and replace it with cleaner ectoplasm

yeah, this ⬆️

Lol, I can see Jason scowling, plugging his nose and chugging the stuff. It nasty but damn it if it isn't effective

Bruce is in the corner trying to figure out why his kids are experimenting with it

Yes

Also, low key imagine after all is said n done jazz keeps the rest of the drinks, /stored away for emergency uses...

It’s a nice little thing for Danny

Or jokingly, Vlad is allowed to legally sell it with proper warning labels...

Yess it’s a good pick me up for Danny

Unless that says not suitable for human consumption, then no

Can see Tim having a hard time stopping.

Probably

halfa Tim?

oooh halfa Tim

If they get Jason hooked on it, you could have both

Him and Tim

👀

Tim not noticing he's a ghost now and standing in the kitchen making coffee when someone else walks in and double takes

even better if ghost Jason was the one to walk in and he's freaking out

and freaks out more seeing ghost Tim

ghost Jason falls through the floor in shock

gets stuck waist deep in the ground and starts yelling

Yesss

Danny now constant contact because A he likes these guys and B he wants to help them

Danny adopts the silly new halfas

under his wing

Vlad got fucked. He succeeded and failed lol because they just band with Danny XD

Vlad: YES IT WORKED

Danny: mine now

Vlad: NO NO NO

Can mix in where Tim n Danny swapped their villains wanting them kind of XD

Ooo they now have to keep making the drinks but remove like the caffeine and abundance of sugar… more "healthy" for back up reserves.. Alfred overseeing this. His n Jazz's idea, since they have 3 halfas and 4 if Danielle shows

i like this

Dani probably got a power boost from the standard drink

This feels like it’d be so much fun to read

it does

now, someone has to actually write it

-----

Note: It’s being written here.

#ghosts and bats channel #danny phantom #batman #dp x dc #danny fenton #tim drake #dick grayson #bruce wayne #damian al ghul #jason todd #dp crossover #jason peter todd #cassandra wayne #cassandra cain #duke thomas #energy drinks #ectoplasm #vlad masters

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put-me-out-of-my-destiny · 11 months

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I'm not really dying for new DMC content at all tbh.

But, I think that if we got a new game focusing on Dante and Vergil's time in the Underworld, the ideal antagonist would be Machiavelli.

While he is said to have died, he's named after a political philosopher whose very name became synonymous with scheming and treachery. I wouldn't put it past him to fake his death.

He's said to be the creator of the first Devil Arm, and Devil Arms are a huge piece of DMC lore, as well as a major distinguishing feature of the twins' skillsets.

He is also the creator of Nelo Angelo's armor (and by extension, the Proto and Scudo Angelos), so he and Vergil have history.

Judging by his name once again, he's all about schemes and plots, while Vergil only resorted to that when he was V. Plus, he's all about guns, while Vergil refuses to use guns. They could make good foils to one another.

Dante's not likely to be fond of the guy either. His weapons are fun to use, but they've caused a lot of destruction, and even cost Enzo Ferino his hand.

I could totally see this guy approaching Dante and Vergil, and offering to help them return home. Neither of them really trust him, but Dante is willing to consider it because:

He's a little desperate to get home. He's had some fun dicking around with Vergil in the Underworld, but he doesn't want to spend his whole life here. He misses the human world, his friends, his pizza, the constant fighting is getting old.

He's not about to let Vergil hide from his own responsibilities either. He did sort of promise that he would return if only to fight Nero again. Plus, Dante's not about to leave Vergil here either, there's a reason he chose to go with him in the first place.

He doesn't regard Machiavelli as a threat. He's defeated far stronger demons by himself, and now he has his brother on his side, they're practically unstoppable together.

Though even if Dante did accept Machiavelli's offer, there's the concern of convincing Vergil. Perhaps he could be guilt-tripped into helping Dante go home, and he'd agree that Machiavelli isn't a physical threat, but we're still talking about the demon who stole nearly a decade of Vergil's life.

So if the game isn't about Dante and Vergil acquiring the materials that Machiavelli needs to get them back to the human world, it's about Dante doing so by himself, while Vergil does everything he can to stop him.

Whether it's both twins, or just Dante, the ordeal obviously ends with some sort of betrayal. Perhaps Machiavelli puts Dante into an Angelo, and the second half of the game is about Vergil saving his fool of a brother.

...This whole plot is weirdly poetic. The twins' first serious conflict was Dante trying to stop Vergil from opening a portal to the Underworld. There was even a guy who Vergil was willing to work with, because he didn't regard him as a threat, only for it to turn out that he'd been playing 5-D chess with the protagonists the whole time. Though to be fair, Dante's goal is a lot more reasonable than Vergil's was, and his belief that he's one step ahead of Machiavelli is more likely to be true.

#devil may cry #my thoughts #machiavelli dmc #dante dmc #vergil dmc #quen speaking #also i imagine machiavelli resembling a centipede #very snake-like but with lots of hands for his craft

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lionsgane · 2 years

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It baffles me how so many viewers still don't understand how Steve is successful against the Demogorgon in season one.

If you have to boil Steve down to one word, one clique, one stereotype, one demographic, what is it? Jock. What is Steve's biggest contribution to the group across the seasons? He's the jock. And we can lovingly poke fun at him being a dumb jock all we want, but his athleticism is damn helpful.

He leaves the Byers unwanted and freaking out. The lights flicker, signaling the monster's return; he steels himself and goes back in. Because he wants to help. He wants to protect Nancy. He wants to let this speak towards his apology to both her and Jonathan. But most importantly, he knows what to do now.

He goes back into that house knowing the plan - lure the Demogorgon into the bear trap and set it on fire. Solid idea. Jonathan is down. Nancy's bullets have no effect. The nail bat is available.

Steve has likely never used a baseball bat as a weapon before, but he's on the varsity baseball team, so he is undoubtedly familiar with the tool. Steve isn't book smart, but he has a whole wealth of athletic intelligence. He can read a field. He can work with a team. He can decipher which play he needs to execute and follow through. He can follow a coach's order. Steve isn't an idiot. He knows the plan. The bat is free. He gets some great hits in, driving the monster back where they need it to be, and Jonathan lights it on fire. They don't even kill it, but they succeed because Steve was there, and he used his athletic experience.

It is canon that Steve was on the varsity teams for both basketball and baseball. And now we know he was also the co-captain of the swim team and a certified lifeguard, which also requires first aid training, another valuable skill in the narrative of Stranger Things the writers could tap into. (I loved that the Duffers had that callback to when they told Keery before season one that his character was a swimmer, so he did a bunch of swim training, and then they cut that detail. Yay for Joe!)

I headcanon that they let Steve keep the bat because, as the newest inductee to the Upside Down, he's the most disturbed; plus, he wielded the weapon the best. Because he's the jock. This is what he does. This is his skillset. This is how he helps - in the tunnels, in the elevator, in the junkyard, in the Upside Down, etc.

If we divide the characters into a classic 'brain or brawn' category, he's brawn. He is the only non-powered main character to overwhelmingly fall into the brawn division. (Hopper is the character with the next highest brawn percentage, he's 50/50, maybe 40/60 as his base statistic.) Steve has helped with the mystery-solving and clue hunting before, but are we supposed to be surprised that the jock is the warrior? Where's the disconnect?

It didn't matter so much that the Demogorgon was a supernatural opponent. Once Steve was in the zone, he executed the play flawlessly. If the Demogorgon was shifting/teleporting/portaling/speeding around, and Steve miraculously managed to strike him each time, I'd be suspicious, too. But the Demogorgon stayed in his sight for that sequence, which was a pretty dumb move on the monster's part.

"Then how did Jonathan beat him in the fight???" Because King Steve of early season one is all posturing, all bravado. He's used to getting what he wants, used to being on top, and used to no one questioning his popularity. He'd probably never been in a real fight before that moment. Any scrabbles he'd been in were perhaps a few punches tossed around by another preppy opponent before they backed down to the King. Not to mention, he royally pissed off an already emotionally stressed Jonathan.

"Then how come he's the one who always gets beat up?" I've already gone on a massive rant in this post, and that typical Steve-related question could take up another. Here's a smidge - because he's also "the babysitter" - he constantly puts himself in the line of fire because he's the protector. Because he's self-sacrificial. Because he feels like it's his job and only contribution to the group. Because the group, excluding El, is so heavily brain-aligned that he's left as the sole fighter in some sequences, so he takes the brunt of it. I could go on and on...

Steve is the party's soldier. Their jock. No shit Sherlock, of course, he'd be helpful in a fight. If I see one more article about Steve vs. the Demogorgon and how it's not believable, I might flip a table.

#steve harrington #stranger things #season 1 #long post. sorry. but not really. the number of people who still don't get it amazes me.

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royboyfanpage · 2 months

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I’m starting to wonder if Roy would’ve been angry at Uncle Sam over what happened to Grant

Hi!! Sorry this took me so long to answer, I wanted to get some panels for this.

My immediate thought was "he'd absolutely be angry", but I wanted to elaborate a little more than that. I haven't been able to find many comics with Grant in the Freedom Fighters, and none that go into his run with them in-depth, so I'm mostly gonna be referencing the comic your ask's referring to, Infinite Crisis #1 and, as a comparison, The New Titans #116.

Before I get on to Uncle Sam, I'm gonna go on a tangent about Roy's leadership because, despite all his self-doubt, Roy was a genuinely good leader when he led the Titans, particularly in #116. He knew when to have his team fight-

-issuing understandable and consice commands as to what to do and when to do it. He assigned people specific orders based on their skillset, and was able to manoeuvre them into a singular fighting unit once it was time. At the same time, he knew when to recall them-

-and expressed concern whenever they attempted to overexert themselves or do something above their skillset (albeit in a very Roy way)

Roy actually understands his team, he knows what their strengths and weaknesses are, and he knows what they should and shouldn't be doing at any moment. And his team genuinely respects him for it!

(Plus, Bart respecting Roy more than Wally is one of the best things to come from this era)

Now, as for Uncle Sam in Infinite Crisis. As mentioned, I don't have much of a broader scope as to what his leadership pre-Crisis was like, ie when Grant was on the team. Additionally, the circumstances they were under were definitely a lot more extreme than New Titans #116. Whereas Roy and co were only up against Gar and Kyle, the Freedom Fighters were up against-

-significantly more, to say the least. However, a key factor in efficiently leading a superhero team is the ability to work well under pressure, so Mr. American Patriotism won't be entirely excused. In the issue, I could only find two instances where Sam actually issues commands, one-

-where all he's doing is telling them what the mission is, and two-

-where he's telling them to keep fighting no matter what. This is piss poor leadership. Not only does Sam give the absolute bare minimum of commands, but they're so incredibly vague and non-specific it's embarrassing. Sure, you could chalk it up to the surprise, the number of enemies, etc etc, but that is absolutely not an excuse. In a situation like that, he should be losing his voice by the end of it because of how many commands he should be issuing. Instead, he more or less treated it like a free-for-all. Additionally, his team had been awake for 48 hours prior to this. That is absolutely not prime condition, especially since before the ambush they had no idea it was a serious threat. Intel that a group had held a meeting somewhere two days ago is not at all justification for dragging your team around when they're all exhausted. Even if the Justice League were unavailable at that time, there are countless other teams who could've taken that! And when the ambush did happen, instead of calling for a retreat like the smart thing would've been when faced with that many enemies, he ordered them all to keep fighting a battle that was impossible to win.

So yeah, Roy would be pissed at Uncle Sam for what happened to Grant. You could argue that even if they were in prime condition, even if they'd tried to retreat, even if Sam had given orders, the team still would've been beaten. But Uncle Sam absolutely did not help. Grant's injuries were, at the very least partially, a result of poor central command and awful leadership. Roy did absolutely everything he could to lead his team, giving member-specific orders and doing all he could to ensure their safety. Uncle Sam basically said "I don't care what you do, just don't give up" which, while being a good sentiment for every day life, is absolutely shit when it comes to a life or death situation. And Roy would be pissed that the kid he worked so hard to train and protect sustained lifelong injuries because of some human American flag.

Anyway I think Roy should get to kick the shit out of the old man for funsies <3

#i was pretty apathetic towards him before this ask #but now i have a burning hatred for the walking propaganda #thank you for the ask!!!#this was fun #roy harper #arsenal #speedy #red arrow #uncle sam #grant emerson #damage #freedom fighters #titans

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eddsworld-the-masquerade · 6 months

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Spent last few days working on the script for Chapter 6 (which I'm now editing so, highlights coming soon). In the meantime, here's a sort of masterpost of things concerning possible game mechanics for future VN builds

First things first, the visual novel will be kinetic. Meaning, no choices or story branches. Linear story telling. Perhaps a bit unusual when VN killer feature is the ability to choose your own path...but, I recognize writing multiple stories within one would be too taxing for me and I probably won't be good at it. Plus, some of the classics when it comes to VNs are kinetic, and people love them for their stories and characters.

However, it won't be just a book with pictures and music either. Some of the mechanics I'd like to try and implement to richen the gaming experience are:

Turn based, RPG-style battles.

I'm taking most inspiration from the first Darkest Dungeon game (and bits of Star Rail here and there), so the concept I imagined so far is rather similar.

You'll be able to play a party ranging from one to four characters (the main ones), each with their unique role and skillset: Tord, a tank/damage dealer hybrid; Edd, a buffer (but like, the OP one); Tom, a debuffer, multiple target specializing on DOTs (damage over time); Matt, sustain/damage dealer hybrid.

Each will have: a basic attack, and around 2 skills that require spending blood (action points). They will also have something similar to DD's sanity meter, that could build over time spent in unnecessary/avoidable battles, or by specific enemy attacks. If it goes up high enough, the character ends up "malfunctioning" in ways specific to them and their playstyle.

There will be ways to lower this "sanity meter" down to normal. As well as ways to acquire passive buffs, by finding items at specific locations. Probably no leveling system, but I'll try to research the possibility of it in renpy along with other things.

I'd like to have these battles happen in one chapter. So like, you go one chapter with some number of battles, then next one is "resting time" (no battles), then next chapter has battles again. And it will have at least two boss fights. Could make it three, if I'll find who could fit that additional boss role XP

Some other game mechanics for when there are no battles:

Random events. Bits of character interaction that aren't essential to main story but could give additional depth to them and the world around. Kind of my way of giving additional replayable content without the need to write branching story arcs XD

Mini games. Little puzzles to better relate to the character experience. Sort of, experience what they are experiencing in the moment. Chapter 3 already has one in the script, I'll search for other opportunities to insert them.

Unlockable character stories. A suggestion from Nina, to have the backstories I write for the antagonists as unlockable content after beating the game. Kind of like a Gallery, except instead of images you get additional game content XD Perhaps some could get unlocked by completing some sort of in-game challenge, like acquiring a certain number of buff items.

#eddsworld au #eddsworld vtm au #info post #i think what i have imagined in my head has the potential to be fun #but i need to find the time to create a draft build #to see what works and what doesn't. and what is possible within renpy and what isn't #but i'm spending most free time working on the script TwT #or designing characters #maybe when I'll finish all of it...

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fitzrove · 4 days

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Lol the Finnish public sector and university system are getting destroyed rn and I was already feeling unwell mentally but I feel more unwell now ajjdkdkfl

Going into more depth for universities and in their case it's:

Making the previously pretty robust student welfare system shit (= people won't have enough money to live on because the living expenses support is cut so drastically, there will be more pressure to work during your studies. But it's already hard to find suitable student jobs and because the cost of living is crazy, a lot of students struggle with poverty as is. Not to mention the strain of work PLUS school especially for people who are mentally ill etc...)

Reforming the entrance examination system. The Finnish university system was already wrecked one time in 2015, combining random ass subjects into Multidisciplinary Degree Programmes (tm) so you're forced to study a lot of stuff you're not even interested in and specialising is difficult. Like, it's an actual issue for applying to master's degrees abroad, like if someone was studying ie. sociology, they wouldn't have enough BA sociology studies to qualify for a master's degree abroad, because in Finland they also had to do such a huge variety of random ass other subjects. ANYWAY: the new entrance exams are making it EVEN WORSE. Now, for every "historical-cultural" subject there is one single nationwide entrance exam; same goes for political science/law/etc. So if you apply to study polsci you have to take the same exam as every law student in the country, which 1) makes it a poor measure of motivation for the actual specific subject you're going to study 2) filters out dedicated applicants with specific interests and favours random people who are good at studying and just want Some Kind Of Degree (also I'm suspecting that polsci departments will get filled with people who only applied to that as a backup for law). Also, the exams will have a huge emphasis on multiple choice questions and machines will correct them, essay writing skills or critical thinking are not really evaluated. Like I feel like this is actually going to have an impact on Finnish science some years down the line, people won't have enough motivation to get a strong enough basis and skillset in their own subject to do good and relevant research later..........

Making it impossible to be enrolled in two degree programmes at the same time. In some ways it's fair (there are people who are using that system for ill) but in some ways is catastrophic - it will make it really hard and daunting for people to switch majors (in Finland you can't switch within the university in most cases, you have to reapply to the university as a whole with the entire incoming cohort - which in Finland is not just recent high school graduates, getting into some programmes is so hard there that many people try 2-5 times, building up a huge applicant pool). So there's more pressure to know at 19 what you want to do for the rest of your life (especially given the huge emphasis put on the first-timer quota)

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#rant #politics

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theygotlost · 6 months

Text

Annotations for le Vimes playlist

hi. read this if you care

YOUTUBE VERSION if you want to listen without spotify

1. The Fool / Neutral Milk Hotel

A little instrumental preamble before the playlist proper. musically, I think it captures the state of Vimes at the beginning of Guards! Guards!. It sounds like a processional fanfare fit for a guard, but cacophonous and lilting, as if the band were stumbling drunk.

2. Wasted on the Senate Floor / Emperor X

Another Guards! Song, though the frantic energy reflects the chaotic excitement of the watch series and Discworld as a whole (and the excitement I get from reading it heehee). The title/refrain is pretty straightforward, just replace “senate floor” with “oblong office”.

Some other pertinent lyrics:

That feels million to one [a million to one chance??? perhaps???]

Republican watchman from Virginia wraps his fist in a flag To punch our lights out

We've got bloody eyes but we're feeling good Causing confusion in the neighborhood

3. We Live in a Dump / They Might be Giants

I have to put a TMBG song in my discworld playlist, I simply must! Pretty much all the lyrics to this one are relevant, but the pre-chorus specifically fits well with the rank trying to get Vimes out of his drunken stupor and Vimes being dismissed from the watch, both of which happen in Guards! And Men at Arms.

Why be realistic? Don't wake me from my dream I was individualistic They kicked me off the team

4. Grace Cathedral Hill / The Decemberists

How Vimes experiences Ankh-Morpork. There’s a tenderness and melancholy to this song, since Vimes does have a sort of affection for the city despite how terrible it is.

All dust and stone and moribund

The air, it stunk of fish and beer

The suggestion of CMOT dibbler:

We were both a little hungry So we went to get a hot dog

The pilgrims, pills, and tourists here Will sink fifty-three bucks to buy A brand new halo

This could be Sibyl, who knows!!

Sweet on a green-eyed girl All fiery Irish clip and curl All brine and piss and vinegar

I know “piss and vinegar” is an expression describing her personality (Vimes is really more the one full of piss and vinegar), but taken literally it would also accurately describe the smell of the city.

5. Dirty Old Town / Ewan Maccoll

A continuation of the themes from the previous song. I originally had the cover by the Pogues in here for the longest time, but I decided to replace it with the original from 1949 because it brings a more interesting color (the clarinet!!).

6. Precinct 41 Major Crime Unit / Sea Power

Another instrumental interlude, this time from the Disco Elysium soundtrack. Discworld and Disco Elysium are so closely linked in my mind, Vimes absolutely has Harry’s skillset inside his brain and you CANNOT convince me otherwise. As the title suggests this song is the theme for Harry’s police precinct, and I totally imagine it playing during an intense moment with the Watch.

7. Hurricane Drunk / Florence + the Machine

Yeah yeah I know it’s sooo easy to fill my playlist with songs about alcoholism. Well if the boot fits! Plus:

No walls can keep me protected No sleep, nothing in between me and the rain

Pretty good imagery here of Vimes’ night patrols and/or passing out in the gutter.

8. Down by the Water / The Decemberists

The river Ankh, if we’re using a generous definition of the term “water”.

9. Cap in Hand / The Proclaimers

FUUUCK the nobility!!!

10. Average Working Man / Panicland

FUCK the nobility… 2!!! He's God's message to the high class folk!!!! This is a perfect song for encapsulating Vimes’ RAGEEE

11. This Night / Black Lab

This one’s about the Summoning Dark/”The Beast”:

There are things, I have done There's a place, I have gone There's a beast and I let it run Now it's running my way

And then there’s this:

So take this night And wrap it around me like a sheet I know I'm not forgiven But I need a place to sleep So take this night And lay me down on the street I know I'm not forgiven but I hope That I'll be given some peace

From Jingo:

He was, temporarily, a happy man. He was cold, wet and alone, trying to keep out of the worst of the weather at three o’clock on a ferocious morning. He’d spent some of the best nights of his life like this. At such times you could just…sort of hunch your shoulders like this and let your head pull in like this and you became a little hutch of warmth and peace, the rain banging on your helmet, the mind just ticking over, sorting out the world…

12. Get Better / Frank Turner

Vimes’ character is all about learning from mistakes and making an effort to become a better person. All the lyrics are relevant, but here’s the chorus:

I'm trying to get better 'cause I haven't been my best She took a plain black marker, started writing on my chest She drew a line across the middle of my broken heart And said "Come on now, let's fix this mess" We could get better because we're not dead yet

ILY SYBIL!!!!!

13. Damn These Vampires / The Mountain Goats

In terms of the song order of this playlist, this is the calm before the storm, the darkness before the dawn; Just one last quick interlude before the main event.

Crawl 'til dawn On my hands and knees Goddamn these vampires For what they've done to me

I admit this whole song is a little bit of a stretch, but the refrain is a nod to Vimes’ attitude toward vampires that’s addressed in Thud!. He spends some time crawling around like a beast in that book too.

14. Blossoms / The Amazing Devil

The crown jewel, the piece de resistance of this playlist! The Night Watch song of all time!!! I don’t feel like I need to break down the lyrics here since I already made this piece illustrating all the relevant lyrics. ✌ Ugh the emotional intensity of this one is really the important part. Leave it to the amazing devil to write Epic Music.

15. Caesar / The Oh Hellos

This song also has a very Epic feeling to it so I have it riding on the high of Blossoms, but it’s less energetic so I think of it as a cooldown. I always thought the title referred to Julius Caesar, but Genius lyrics is telling me it’s actually about Jesus. whatevarrrr. Because I thought it was about the assassination of a monarch, I connected it with Old Stoneface. Compare:

Hear on the wind how the pendulum swings Feel how the winter succumbs to the spring Over the palisade morning will break Rise up to meet it, oh sleeper awake

With Jingo:

He had always wondered how Old Stoneface had felt, that frosty morning when he picked up the axe that had no legal blessing because the King wouldn’t recognize a court even if a jury could be found, that frosty morning when he prepared to sever what people thought was a link between men and deity

16. Untitled / The Long Winters

Just a lil silly one to take us out on a cheerful note! I admit this one doesn’t make much sense because it’s about living in a rural area and not an urban center like Ankh-Morpork but… I gotta get back to my shanty town!! And I’ve put a lot of folk music on this playlist bc even though he’s not a country boy VImes has some very folksy salt-of-the-earth sensibilities. Just let me have this one

#mine #discworld #sam vimes

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