#Seriously if you like giant robot friends as much as I do

[netbug009]

Guess who played Titanfall 2 over the weekend and has emotional damage? (⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧

#AHHHHHHHH #Titanfall 2 #BT MY BELOVED #Seriously if you like giant robot friends as much as I do #It's like three bucks right now

[cerastes]

I still think it's really cool how Amuro starts as the shittiest pilot alive (because he's a 15-year old) that only gets carried because he's in the biggest, fattest stat stick in-universe at the time (a few retroactive additions made in the future notwithstanding), enough that even its crappy vulcan guns are tearing Zaku IIs apart, and when he starts getting a bit too cocky, Char and Ramba Ral show up in objectively inferior pieces of junk and absolutely deliver his pizza, they just drag his face across every available surface in Planet Earth like he's a Yakuza mook, all because they are simply that much better at piloting, and the thing is, Amuro takes that very seriously.

He goes from shitass kid in an unfortunate situation that doesn't want to get in the robot to the most unwell child soldier in the war, which is really saying something, but most importantly, becomes so good at piloting the Gundam that the Gundam physically cannot handle Amuro's piloting. They need to apply "Magnetic Coating" to its joints so they don't fucking snap away from the main frame because Amuro, one, moves too damn well but also in too extreme a way for the frame to handle it, two, despite being equipped with two sabers, a shield, a beam rifle and vulcan guns, Amuro is a stern believer in introducing most everyone in thagomizer range to his Rated Z for Zeon hands, the single most official pair of hands in the business, tax free. He KEEP going Ip Man on these dudes, he does NOT need to do a Jamestown on these mother fuckers but he INSISTS. Somehow even the Gundam Hammer, which is a giant Hannah Barbera cartoon flail-- Ok, look at this thing, words do not do it justice

Even this god damn Tom and Jerry prop is less savage that whatever Amuro decides to do the moment he's done throwing his shield to get a free kill on someone and it officially becomes bed time forever for the unfortunate sap at the business end of his ten-finger weapons of mass destruction.

The RX-78-2, "Gundam" for its friends and family, even has a top of the line cutting edge Learning Computer that 'learns' alongside the pilot and their habits. This data extracted from it was so absolutely fucked up that it completely revolutionized Mobile Suit combat afterwards, which is a wholesome thing to think about when The Best Combat Data Ever came from a really angry, really stressed 15 year old that doesn't even like piloting. He was 15! He made Haro with his own hands! Amuro literally just wanted to make funny cute spherical robofriends! Amuro was out there trying to make Kirby real, but fate had other plans for him. His cloned brain put in a pilot seat is one of the setting's strongest 'pilots'.

They made fucking Shadow the Hedgehog with his brain, god damn.

By the end, Zeon is rolling out Gelgoogs out of its mass production lines. These things are in the Gundam's ballpark in terms of overall specs (or "power level"). Amuro is bodying them as if they were episode 1 Zaku IIs.

AND THEN HE GETS FUCKING PSYCHIC SPACE POWERS. Not that he needed them, he bodied a couple Space Psychics without any of those powers before awakening to them. But heaven's most violent child was not done evolving, whether he liked it or not.

Char bodied him in a souped up Zaku II at the start, a machine objectively inferior to the Gundam. Amuro more or less one-sidedly beats the shit out of Char when he's in a custom Commander-type Gelgoog that you could consider to be equal spec-wise to the Gundam. Amuro is the embodiment of Finding Out. He is Consequences. You tell him he better make it hurt, better make it count, better kill you in one shot, buddy, he needs half a fucking shot. The complete transformation. One could consider the central 75% of the show as long drawn out training montage turning a kid into the Geese Howard of giant robots.

#amuro ray #gundam

[xxmrs-waynexx]

Gloss & Glasses: Chapter Two (1091 words)

Pairing: Clark Kent x reader

Warnings: none for this chapter

---

The clack of your keyboard was drowned out by your playlist. You were so focused on finishing this personality quiz for your magazine that you hadn’t heard the knock on your office door. 

Figuring this was the case, Lois opened the door and spoke over your music, “(Y/N)! Hello!” 

With a quick look her way, you smiled and paused your music. This did not deter you from continuing your work, “Hey! Do you think people’s favorite cat breed says something about their personality? I wrote this whole article about Catwoman and what cat breed she is and-”

“Love it. I really do, but I need your help. Johnny got this picture of Superman and as someone who knows everyone, can you tell me if he looks familiar at all?” After shutting your door, she walked over to your incredibly messy yet, to you, incredibly organized desk and showed you the picture on her phone.

“Lois, I have no idea who he is. If I did, don’t you think I would’ve said something by now?” You didn’t even look at the picture. Your eyes were glued to your computer screen.

While yes, you and Lois were friends, she didn’t always take your work seriously. You couldn’t really blame her, though. She had a sense of adventure. The city and its problems called her name. You, on the other hand, were perfectly content attending galas, and parties, interviewing celebrities, and any scandals that popped up. She was very much “Let’s go see what that giant alien robot wants.”

She sighed, more groaned, “Will you please at least look?”

You took your hands off your keyboard and looked at her phone. You couldn’t help but laugh, “That’s literally every white guy in America. Handsome, sure, but come on. Do you expect anyone to identify him? Like seventy men could win a look-alike contest for that guy. Be so serious.”

Lois groaned and turned off her phone, “That’s exactly why this is difficult.”

“Why are you so obsessed with figuring out who he is? Him being the average guy is what makes him an inspiration. I mean, think about it. Anyone could be Superman. That’s what gives people hope,” you went right back to typing. “Besides, obsessing over heroes’ identity is such a Gotham move. You don’t wanna be like Gotham, ew.”

— In the lounge, you made your second coffee of the day. You were stirring in the creamer in your bejeweled cup when a familiar voice caught your attention.

“Hey,” Clark smiled that shy smile at you. It had been about a month since he started here and the two of you had become fast friends. In fact, the days he was out sick or out with Lois and Johnny were some of your most boring days. You always looked forward to talking to him.

“Clark!” you turned quickly, knocking over your cup which did not have a lid on it just yet.

With a speed you couldn’t quite comprehend, he managed to save it before anything spilled. He chuckled awkwardly, adjusting his glasses and giving you another crooked smile, “Uh… be careful.”

“Heh… thanks…” you gasped out a laugh. “You’re so fast.”

“Uh, yeah,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “Helped my pa out on the farm so… I guess that’s why?” he seemed like he wasn’t quite convinced himself. 

You smiled at him and shook your head. Giggling, you asked, “How do you take your coffee? I’ll make you some for saving my life.”

“Saving your life? I’ve never-” he spoke so quickly, you thought he might beat Trisha Paytas at her speedreading. 

“My coffee,” you corrected. “I meant the coffee, ‘cause you… saved my coffee.”

“Right, sorry. Uh, just make me whatever you’ve got and I’ll drink it,” he smiled. He always seemed to be smiling. So were you every time you saw him. 

“Caramel latte?” 

With slight hesitation, he nodded, “Yes?”

“Order for Clark coming right up,” you winked, screwing on the lid to your cup before starting on his. He didn’t bring his own cup so you resorted to the cheap paper ones the lounge provided. 

He sat at the table closest to the counter you were at, positioning himself sideways on the chair to face you. “So, what are you working on today?”

You chuckled softly, waiting for the water to heat up in the coffeemaker, “Oh it’s nothing serious.”

“I wanna hear about it anyway,” Clark leaned into the back of the chair. 

You faced him, darting your eyes across his frame before looking back into his eyes, “Um- Okay!” you were more than happy to tell anyone about your work, though no one in this office building seemed to care. Clark always cared, though. That was something you were going to have to get used to. “I finished my Catwoman article and now I’m trying to come up with a bunch of questions and how they’ll relate to cat breeds. Sounds kind of dumb but-”

“That’s not dumb. That sounds fun. I personally like Maine Coons. What does that say about me?” he crossed his arms and by god, you could see the shirt struggling not to rip on his massive arms- have they always been so big?

You admired him for no more than a second before you came to your senses. The water had heated up and you focused back on his coffee to hide your blush. “It means you’re a really kind person and you’re a bit of a gentle giant.”

“Sounds about right,” he laughed softly. “I’ll take your quiz when you’re done if you want.”

You almost verbally squeaked as you poured in the flavoring and creamer. “You really don’t have to, Clark.”

“I know, but I want to,” he assured you.

—

After you finished your quiz, you clapped your hands together, “Perfect- no, purrfect.” you laughed at your own joke before realizing how dumb that sounded. 

When you opened your office door, you were expecting to see Clark sitting at his desk which was positioned right outside your door. However, you were met with an empty seat. He wasn’t supposed to go home yet. You frowned and shifted your gaze to Lois’ desk next to his. When you realized she was gone too, you sighed. The two of them seemed to do stories together more and more often. They worked well together.

You then went to put everything back in your purse. Knocking on your dad’s doorframe you smiled softly, “I’m headed home for the day.”

#dc imagine #dc #dc comics #dc fanfic #clark kent #clark kent x reader #superman #superman x reader #gloss & glasses #series

[warcats-cat]

*materializes into existence*

Hey, my wonderful moot :D

(if this is a duplicate, ignore it; wifi is picky, so idk if it sent already or nah)

I heard you felt lonely, so I got summoned cause I am your MOOT and I care goddamnit. All the affections for you (/p).

I saw ya like FNAF (specifically Sun & Moon's lines in Help Wanted 2), so: what was your fav lines from the Daycare Jesters? I call them that cause, ya know, the sillies.

Also: I don't remember well, but I think you also like Sanders Sides (correct me if I'm wrong). If ya do, have you seen the newest Asides? If so, I wanna hear about your fav parts. The funnies, the 'lore' (angst) parts, any sort of theories, or even just gushing about your fav pairings or characters.

Infodump about whatever!! I love hearing ya thoughts on things and such <3

Lastly: moths. I fuckin love moths. And tardigrades. And spiders and beetles and- okay, so I just really love bugs and insects.

✨moths✨

Anyway, have a good day and hope this helps the loneliness not be so lonely :D

Hewwo Oatmeal Friend! I love you too 💜💜

I have to say my favorite lines are the new lines for Sun's arts and crafts section because they're straight up hilarious. "I should turn the lights off myself" killed me. Someone please give this robot some Prozac and a teddy bear.

My interest in FNAF Sun/Moon is kinda the fault of Bamsara (who I won't tag because I'm not cool enough to interact with them) who has a fanfic called Solar Lunacy which is *chefs kiss* really fulfills my shameless need for x Reader content 💜 ((seriously if I could find familial TS Patton x Reader content I would print it out and hang it on my wall))

Yes the robojesters are very silly and I have to say I'm seeing the FNAF fandom leaning on the head canon that they may have not originally been child-care robots, but on-stage actors, and we're just given child-care programming later which makes me 👀 I love them being doting kiddo caretakers but also the idea of a dedicated thespian being throwing into a pile of wailing children and told to figure it out is absolutely hilarious to me.

Also yes!! I love me some Sanders Sides!! Love my boys. No one is surprised but Patton's bit with the tinier and tinier boxes absolutely was my favorite part. My parents did that when I was like ten and it started off with this GIANT box and I think there were at least six I had to go through before I found a plush of Snoopy and tickets to go to Camp Snoopy at Knott's Farm (forever salty that it was bought by Nickelodeon). I still have that plushy somewhere in my room 💜 and entire book of pressed pennies from Camp Snoopy.

Anyway I actually genuinely enjoyed the new Asides! I miss so much the original format of videos that were one-off and shorter, the conflict being self-contained and generally light hearted. And the interaction between Logan and Virgil was so adorable 💜

Tell me about moths 👀 I love moths and butterflies and BEES😍 (I'm lame, my favorites are the Lunar moth and the Rosey Maple moth. My fairy-sona's outfit is themed to a crossover of the two, though it was more lunar moth like when I first put it together. It's evolved a lot over the years.) Spiders and I have a love-hate relationship rn; the fuzzy ones make me want to cry (pos) and the spindly ones make me want to cry (neg). There's a colony of tiny spindly ladies living in my basement bathroom that I don't know how they got there and I don't know how they keep reproducing because there are no bugs down there.

I don't know what a tardigrade is .....

#warcats answers #oatmeal friend #thank you for the ask oatmeal friend #please tell me stories about moths #i love their fluffy antennae #and their fuzzy bodies #and the fact that they kinda look like aliens and love the moon #i have so many stupid mothman pun pins #friend asks #please tell me stories i am sick #i get very whiny when im ill #can you tell?

[ryuki-draws]

have you seen the new brave yet? if so, any thoughts or feelings?

I have! Under the cut because I kinda went off the rails, whoops, sorry! Spoilers for both episodes ahead.

I was excited after episode one, the sudden tonal change at the end was a whiplash but it looked promising. I was hoping they'd find a nice balance between the more serious mood and Bravern's character but after just finishing episode 2, I have to say I'm not very optimistic at the moment :( Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a ridiculous joke here and there but if there's a lack of substance to balance it out with, it doesn't work for me.

At the moment Bravern's character feels like the writers looked back at the Brave series and went "Look at those robots with their big speeches, giant swords and overpowered attacks! Look how ridiculous it'd be in the real world!" Honestly, I love how unapologetically whimsy and over the top the Brave series is. I saw Exkaiser's sword three times his height and fell in love. But it works because you just accept it as a part of the world. The world is whimsy. There's magic. There are aliens. Finishing move is a fiery sword chopping the opponent hotdog style with a badass pose and explosions at the end. You don't question it, you suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride. Taking parts of it - over the top protagonist with all the dramatics - and setting it into more seriously toned show where the world is supposed to have more "realistic" feel, it'd work only if you were making a parody. Which unfortunately, Bravern currently feels like.

Not to mention except the whole "I let him ride inside me" schtick, Bravern and Isami don't have a relationship. Brave Exkaiser and Brave Police J-Decker - shows that follow the "boy and his robot" premise both have their first episodes devoted to building and setting up a friendship between their respective human and robot protagonist. They make you care about them as a team by showing you how much they care about each other. Unfortunately, we don't have this here, or at least not yet. Bravern is superficially obsessed with Isami for the laughs while Isami is traumatized for life and doesn't care who gets into the robot as long as it doesn't have to be him.

What I'm saying is that I want some teambuilding with Bravern and Isami. Let them talk. Share some personal stories. They don't even have to be friends straight up, they can be colleagues and slowly get on friendlier terms. Put them into a situation that requires them to talk and understand each other on a personal level because just getting into the robot is not enough anymore. No innuendos, no jokes, serious talk. A bit of vulnerability, perhaps. And by the end of the show, maybe, they could genuinely call each other a friend.

That all being said, this is all based on two episodes that aired so far. I won't keep my hopes up but if they surprise us and turn it around 180 once again, I'll gladly eat my words. For now, all we can do is wait.

#ask #jaughce #R goes on a tangent about a giant robot show #tl;dr I enjoyed ep 1 but didn't vibe with ep 2 much :( #but we'll see #maybe they'll surprise us #also going off my experience with Brave shows I've watched so far because I'm still chewing my way through #so far I've seen Exkaiser Fighbird J-Decker and recently started Might Gaine

[emeraldspiral]

Top 10 Invader Zim Characters Besides Tak, Skoodge, and Zib Who Should've Made a Comeback in No Particular Order:

#1 Ultra Peepi

There's like a million Godzilla movies + giant robot anime to draw inspiration from for a sequel. We saw at the end of Hamstergeddon that Peepi crash landed back on earth somewhere. So he could be in hiding, burrowed underground, or he could've mutated further and grown gills to hide deep in the ocean. Just invent another monster so there's an excuse to go and awaken Peepi to fight it and make the concept as stupid as you want. The show even already established that a giant Santa monster revisits the planet annually, so the return of Ultra Peepi could double as a sequel to the Most Horrible Xmas Ever. Give me Ultra Peepi King of the Monsters.

#2 Iggins

A big issue with Gaz is that being apathetic and wanting nothing to do with Zim or the paranormal as core facets of her character makes it difficult to create interesting storylines for her. So she mostly ends up just existing to be someone Dib delivers exposition to and to make snide remarks at his expense. GameSlave 2 worked really well for her because there was actually something for her to care about and you got to see how Not So Above It All she is compared to Zim and Dib when it comes to the few things she's passionate about. So it seems like if you want to do more episodes centered around Gaz it'd be a good idea to bring Iggins back as a recurring thorn in her side. Maybe it starts off with her not taking him seriously and beating him without much effort, so she can still see herself as not being like her brother. But then Iggins starts to really get under her skin and she feels like she has to teach him a lesson, but he just never learns. Like Zim, Iggins is too egotistical and overconfident to admit defeat, and it starts to drive Gaz crazy after awhile and eventually she becomes just as obsessed as her brother with trying to beat him and prove once and for all that he sucks.

#3 Service Drone Bob

I would love an episode about him fleeing the empire after they attempted to kill him and joining the Resisty. Actually, what would really be funny is if they did the concept I came up with where they do a Resisty story, but troll the audience by only showing them little slivers of what sounds like a really exciting story as cutaways from a silly, inconsequential no-stakes story completely disconnected from it. But like, in those brief glimpses, you'd get just enough references to what's happened off-screen to form an impression of this whole Zuko-esque character arc that Bob's been through of having his eyes opened and unlearning Irken propaganda and being at war with himself before finally deciding to join the Resisty and then having to win their trust and establishing deep bonds with the rest of the group. And then it all ends with one cutaway indicating that they're about to go into the final all-or-nothing battle and then the last cutaway reveals that everyone died and their actions made no impact on the status quo and will never connect back to Zim in any way.

#4 Chammy Wamboo

I think there was a lot of missed potential with Chammy's first appearance. It's hinted that she has actual supernatural abilities, which makes her vaguely unsettling, but the story didn't really go anywhere with it. I think a good way to bring her back would be if she just appeared with no explanation and started harassing Zim and Dib again but this time it seems like it's actually working and it's freaking them out. Eventually, they figure out that Chammy got back to earth by using her powers to brainwash everyone in her path into being her friends and cooperating to help her get home. Now that she's back she's not going to try to reason with Zim and Dib anymore, she's going to make them be friends whether they like it or not. So it's no longer even a question of whether Chammy's just wrong about their relationship or if Zim and Dib are just being stupid, stubborn idiots who can't see that their lives actually would be better if they became friends. The issue now is that their free will is being violated and she's treating real people like dolls she can mash together and make kissy-noises with.

#5 Invader Tenn

I think a lot of Tenn's popularity is owed to her being one of very few female Irken characters and one whose brief appearance in Megadoomer gave rise to a lot of speculation about what might've happened to her next. The earliest versions of the fake fanon Invader Dib storyline involved an attempt to rescue Tenn from the Meekrob, but I kinda like the idea of her ending up in Moo-Ping 10 and teaming up with Tak to escape. Really though, there's an infinite number of possibilities for whatever happened to Tenn after Megadoomer. Was she left for dead? Did the Tallest blame her for failing her mission even though it wasn't her fault and banish her to a place like Dirt or Foodcourtia as punishment? Did she ever find out Zim blew up her Megadoomer?

#6 Zorphic aka "Madness"

The dog that terrifies Zim turning out to be an alien was such a good twist and I wish we could've seen him make good on his promise to get revenge on Zim for his betrayal. I think he has an interesting personality that sets him apart from a lot of the Zim cast but we never got to see what he's like in retribution mode.

#7 Bill

Outside of Career Day I think we only see Bill once more briefly in Chickenfoot and then again in the Lil Meat Man story, where I don't remember him really doing any of his usual schtick of wasting Dib's time and making his field of expertise look bad, they just kinda drive around together trying to catch Zim but always getting to where he's been after he's already left. I think there could've been some more funny episodes with Bill stepping on Dib's toes. Like Dib needs to follow Zim into a location but Bill is blocking him because he thinks there's a real monster in there and Dib's trying to convince him that it's just a cereal mascot and the real threat is Zim. Or Dib and Bill are investigating the same phenomenon but they disagree about what's causing it. What it actually is is plainly obvious to Dib, but people either believe Bill instead because some poorly timed coincidences make Bill's theory look right, or they just buy into his absurd leaps of logic because they think the complexity of the theory makes it more well thought-out than Dib's simpler, more straightforward explanation. Basically Bill is like a YouTube pop culture theorist making garbage arguments and Dib is the person making debunking videos that unpack all the logical fallacies, glaring omissions, and outright lies used to support his flimsy thesis that ignores what's overtly communicated by the text.

#8 Dwicky

I feel like there's a bit more mileage that could've been gotten out of getting Dib's hopes up and teaching him a harsh lesson by having Dwicky repeatedly promise to help him, only to flake out, until Dib finally realizes that just because he's an adult and he believes him doesn't make him reliable or a worthwhile ally.

#9 Membrane's parents

We only see them briefly in the comics but I really want to know more about Dib and Gaz's grandparents and what relationship they have with them. Are they even still alive? Do they visit ever? Membrane apparently chooses to believe in Santa because he can't bear to think his parents would give him socks for Xmas, so he must otherwise have positive feelings toward them which makes the disappointment of getting socks feel too contradictory to his perception of them to reconcile with. But then again, Dib and Gaz seem to be pretty fond of Membrane, but as outsiders the audience can see that he's a terrible parent and hope that when they get to be teenagers they'll start to realize it. I just feel like if we got to know more about their grandparents we could understand better why Membrane is such a bad father. And who doesn't love a good story about unpacking generational trauma?

#10 Snarl Beast

It's a fucking crime this space cat didn't become a regular cast member. Like I've said before, Snarl could've been like Dib's GIR. An adorable-on-the-outside-but-actually-horrifying little creature who fucks things up for Dib more than he helps, but Dib would never dream of parting with it, and Hot Topic could print money off of it.

#invader zim #snarl beast #chammy wamboo #bill the paranormal investigator #dwicky #zorphic #madness dog #madness chihuahua #invader tenn #service drone bob #iggins #ultra peepi #tenn

[theresattrpgforthat]

Howdy!

I have a friend that really wants to get into other games that aren't just mostly combat like pathfinder and dnd but they're a shitpost kinda player so they aren't fond of horror or angsty games.

Do you have any good suggestions for more light-hearted/comedic rpgs? They like Risus if that helps,just it's a bit too light for me to run it.

Sorry if this is a lot.

THEME: Shitpost Games

My friend, this is not a lot, there are plenty of great shitpost-style games out there of all kinds of genres! Let’s see what I’ve got that might be up their alley.

When it comes to the “lightness” of Risus, I’m not sure if you mean that there aren’t enough rules or if there’s not enough setting. These recommendations will have much more specific settings, although shitpost games tend to be pretty light on rules all-round, so hopefully there are some rules systems here that still appeal to you!

Pride and Extreme Prejudice, by Grant Howitt.

A hand-created one-page RPG about proper ladies of a marriageable age and their giant robots powered by a malign eldritch intelligence. Will you find a suitable husband? Will you repel the French invaders? Will your eternity reactor leak and drive you and your sisters irrevocably mad, haunted my whispers from the dark between the stars?  And - will you be late for the ball on Thursday eve?

Combining Regency styles of flirting with giant multi-pilot mechs is a game that I didn’t know I wanted until I found it. It involves 4 players and a GM, with each character embodying one of four young women, all looking for a husband while also fighting off giant French clockwork dragoons.

 Each situation will be a combination of a social outing and a military action taken by the opposition. Each turn, your players will have to figure out how to pursue true love while also redirecting power, how to unleash hell with a shot cannon while also coming across as cool, calm and collected, and how to charm someone with your earnest opinions while also charging an enemy before they can shoot the gentleman you’re flirting with. 

I think the only thing more hilarious than playing this game, is playing this game absolutely 100% seriously. Go ham.

Never Send A Barber to do an Assassin’s Job, by Silver Hoof Games.

You are a professional. You are a…  Confectioner, Architect, Fisherman, Gravedigger, Barber or Actor. But you couldn't find proper employment for yourself! You had no other choice, or perhaps by mistake, you became none other than an assassin.

You would need some d6, friends and no DM! 

As a GM-less game, this might be a great way for the person who usually runs the show to get in on the action with everyone else. Using only d6s, you’ll find ways to use your confectioner’s bag of sugar or your barber’s strong perfume to play as assassin’s who are just trying to pay the bills. Something about using a round peg to fill a square hole - right now it’s just a page with rules, but the designer is hoping to use whatever funds they raise with it to turn it into something more complete.

OSHA Violations: The Game, by Alex Kingsley.

Regulations are in place to keep workers safe. But c’mon, in this economy? The goal of the game is simple: commit as many OSHA violations as possible without getting caught. The player with most OSHA Violations at the end wins-- unless they get shut down by the Safety Inspector! 

This game selects one person to play the role of Safety Inspector, while the rest of the group will present themself as Site Managers. The Safety inspector will create a tragic backstory, a dirty secret, and their favourite OSHA violation. The Site Managers will design their construction sites and roll a d6 to determine how many OSHA violations they MUST have on site (although they may have more). What specific violations those are will be determined by a roll table. 

This game heavily relies on improv, but there’s a win condition: the Inspector must guess who has the most violations. If they guess correctly, the player with the second-most violations is the winner - if they do not guess correctly, the player with the most violations wins the game!

Games I’ve Recommended in the Past

My Silly Games Post.

My TragicComic Games Post.

Something is Wrong with the Chickens, by Elliot Davis.

Clown Helsing, by Planarian.

Untitled Ghost Game, by Alice V.

Everyone is John, by Gamer Nation Studios.

#dnd #game recommendations #shitpost games #indie ttrpgs #tabletop games

[ravenrambles6229]

Titanium Ninja actually kind of fucks, though

So I rewatched the last episode of season 3. A pretty mid season, right? Well that final episode fucks in all the ways that made my brain vibrate as a 12 year old. So let’s fucking go I need everyone to appreciate this episode.

First up, ninjas trapped in space. Alright. There’s already no solution to this that isn’t bullshit, so just make it cool. Well, I like that they had to use their abilities and knowledge to make the ship instead of tornado of creation-ing it. Really shows how much they’re capable of when they work together!

“How we holding up?” “Bubblegum and a wish!” As they fucking send it. What a legendary line. It burned itself into my brain for years to come and is a part of my standard lexicon.

“Hasn’t Ninjago suffered enough already?” She asks, on season 3 out of what is now 17.

Overlord’s face is kinda silly but the mech honestly kinda slaps.

“My heart has reached critical mass, it appears my unlimited energy is in fact limited!” “Critical mass? You mean it’s gonna blow up?” “Don’t worry about me!” AHJGHSJKG See kids, this is what we call foreshadowing.

Okay but seriously, now that they’re in the atmosphere, they use their elemental powers to shield themselves as they come in from from orbit like goddamn meteors. Is it bullshit? Yes. Do I care? Absolutely the fuck not.

Skales saying they can’t help the people of Ninjago then doing it anyway? Love him for that. Because he presumably sees the ninjas and is like “ugh these fuckers again. Well if they did it once-”

The city recognizing the ninja as they plummet towards the earth as multicolored meteors? There had better be folk songs about this. I’m surprised there isn’t a church. Saviors from the stars here to kill Satan.

Man, people still getting a haircut as the Overlord attacks. Frickin iconic. No wonder people handled season 9 so well.

Pixal on her lil bike.

Also the ninja being caught by their vehicles. Does it make sense? Not really. But the animation for it is cool so once again, I am fully on board.

“A few parachutes would have been nice!” “Friends and family make a good substitute!” Fuck, I love Kai so much.

City fortress. Cloaked in blacks and reds in a dusky sky. What a sick image.

The fact that they were prepared to throw hands with the Overlord even before Borg came to them with a solution. These lil heroes I love them so much.

Lloyd biking through a hole in a window while Cole just WHAM. I love them both so much.

“Go back, and our probability of making it to the temple exponentially diminishes!” “This isn’t about numbers, Zane! It’s about family!” AAAGH the fact that that line came from Kai! Also, foreshadowing!

Cole whooping even as he’s running from certain doom, what an icon.

Lol the ancient seal of the temple being helped by a convenient barrier.

“Let me get this straight, you want us to get close to a guy with armor that, with one touch, will make us toast, and you want us to give him a pill?” “Precisely!” Oh Borg, never change. Unironically my favorite side character, I love this genius idiot so much. He’s just like “well if anyone can do it, it’s you lunatics” and it still feels like pot calling kettle black.

Zane offering his armor to Pixal!!! I love him! Even though he’s so big on probability, he’s so willing to give up his own safety for others!

“I shall see you again.” AAGH

Magic armor toysets!!

The ninja ninja-ing over rooftops will never not make my brain whir.

Okay the golden spiderweb thing goes kinda hard as a villain aesthetic, though. Great way to make the normally heroic golden colors look all evil!

That shot of the ninja, these tiny lil dudes, against this giant evil robot kicks so much ass though.

“Then attack the people.” Holy SHIT Pythor! What a dick move! And the fact that its his former second-in-command that comes to offer the people refuge is so good!

“That was ALL YOU’VE GOT!?” It sure was, but these ninjas are the masters of asspulls so watch yourself.

Okay now we’re getting to the scene. The scene. One of the best scenes in the show, and I am prepared to die on this hill. Actually, I’m prepared to kill on this hill. Because this scene is just fantastic, and has stuck with me vividly for years, even after I fell off the show back around season seven. If you had come up to 16-year-old Raven and told her to quote this scene, she probably could have done so.

“Support me friends, for one last time.” Never does Zane ever think of this as anything less than a group effort. Even here, he’s asking for their support! And they do what little they can!

Then this GOAT just fuckin grabs the armor and demands “Let! My! Friends! Go!” His voice cracking, as the music swells! The way he’s writhing makes him look like he’s in genuine agony but pushing through it anyway!

“Go where, doomed ninja?”

Then they show his fucking heartbeat! It’s robotic, but also very much so a human pulse! Because Zane is as alive as anyone! Then his faceplate falls off!

And you can see the Overlord’s expression change here as he starts running calculations, getting worried!

“The golden weapons are too powerful for you to behold! Your survival chance is ZERO!” “This isn’t about numbers. It’s about family!” What can I even say about this exchange? First of all, the Overlord is appealing to Zane’s survival, rather than his chance of SUCCESS. In all likelihood, he KNOWS that Zane is a threat right now, because that robot is channeling the power of his own armor. But Zane is not swayed by his own chance of survival.

Killing the moment a bit, looks like Zane is programmed in some wacky ass C++. Wonder if Dr. Julien could help me with my Arduino homework. Never was good with stepper motors. Anyway back to drama.

Then the ninja desperately wondering why Zane isn’t letting go, but Wu realizes. “He’s protecting us!”

“I! Am! A Nindroid! And Ninja! Never quit! Go ninja, Go!” There’s so much here. It’s like when he found his true potential on an infinitely larger scale. The Overlord will not hurt his friends, because he knows who he is: A nindroid that never quits, built to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

Also, “Go ninja, go!” Amazing how the addition of one extra “go” completely changes the mood. It sounds desperate, like he’s telling himself to go, to take the plunge, to give everything up, and he DOES that.

Then he just. Fuckin. Goes. What I imagine is happening here is that he is directly powering himself with the golden armor, channeling the Overlord’s golden power THROUGH his heart to boost his own elemental power. Completely frying himself in the process, but able to literally produce the power to kill Satan. 

“No Zane! No!” It being Jay, the one often considered the meek one, to be the first to run after Zane. As Wu has to force them all away, because he can’t lose all his ninja.

Then. The music change. The MUSIC CHANGE. This song. Let me tell you something. I just recently got back into Ninjago. And I was getting caught up on what I missed. Well, I was listening to a music compilation, and suddenly, this song started playing. I Ratatouilled so hard, y’all. I had a flashback to Zane having flashbacks, because this music is absolutely stunning.

His heartbeat plays over the music. The sounds of the fight fade away. As he recounts his time with his brothers. His time meeting his father again, even if it was for only a few short months.

“There’s something special about you Zane.” Cut to Pixal. Then cut to him smiling.

“I know who I am!”

“You were built to protect those who cannot protect themselves.” That’s it. That is the microcosm of Zane’s character. He protects people. He protects his family. And Zane can die happily if it means he has fulfilled that directive.

As he flatlines. Holy hell. I cannot stress enough the impact this had on me as a child.

One final (for now) NOOOOO from the Overlord, then it’s all quiet. The tower light goes out. The manhole freezes over. The robots break. It’s eerily soft compared to what was just happening. Like a single, soft exhale of breath.

Kai looks at a damaged “New Ninjago City” sign. This is symbolism.

And Cole finds a piece of Zane’s body! Is this the only surviving piece? It must be, and that’s devastating! Granted, a kids show probably can’t show what is essentially a corpse, but they don’t even have anything to bury!

Him comforting Nya as she starts to sob. Jay just looking away softly. And Borg. “I used to think technology would be the answer to all of our problems.”

Then it cuts to the memorial.

“Then I saw technology invent new problems. Devastating problems. And then, a Nindroid named Zane saved us all. He was the perfect balance between us and technology.” And nothing encapsulates that better than the heartbeat from a few seconds ago. The heartbeat of a human contained in a machine.

“Technology can improve our lives, but so can people.” The fact that they don’t fully demonize technology, which would be hypocritical seeing as Zane is technology. Instead, it’s all about balance!

“Our city will find its way again, but this time, with Zane as our compass.” Couple things here. First off. That this takes place in a park rather than an urban sprawl. Second, that the photo of Zane is of his season 1 outfit is nice! And that they’re going to look to Zane as an example of what technology should be.

And Zane gets a statue! I love this a lot. I love that it shows up in later seasons. Later on, Zane says he doesn’t need a statue. But it’s not even just about Zane, it’s for the people to remember Zane and his sacrifice by. To remember the mistakes that he fixed so that they don’t repeat them. The Titanium Ninja, a strong metal to act as a foundation for their future. It’s not complex symbolism, but it’s still extremely effective! No wonder I lost my mind at age 12.

Then his falcon sits on his shoulder, with the leitmotif playing! Agh! Just stab me in the heart already, show!

“So, what happens after this?” “I don’t know.” “And I don’t care. Today’s about Zane.” I have a lot of thoughts about this. First up, Jay completely not acknowledging the love triangle right now. He doesn’t care about that, because today IS about Zane. It’s so humanizing. And next up, we know what happens after this. In their grief, the ninja fracture. It’s tragic, but they’re all so devastated by their grief that they don’t know how to carry on together. This is a recurring thing in the show. When Nya becomes the sea, the team splits up. When Lloyd thought his friends died in Sons of Garmadon, he nearly gave up everything. For better or worse, these ninja need each other, they are a very tight-knit family. I wonder if the new series can touch on how they deal with being separated from each other on longer terms. Either way, this family loves each other so much, and I love that,

Kai being the one to give a eulogy. Literally I could type out that entire speech and point to line after line just being like Look! Look at this line! It’s amazingly eloquent, especially coming from Kai. Out of all the ninja, he’s always been the most family-oriented. He’s powered by brotherhood, and Zane continues to power him. We see this in season 4, when he visits Zane’s statue, that he still thinks about Zane every single day, still looking to him for guidance. He has so much love and respect for his family, but also can’t cope with yet another loss in his life.

Wu blinking rapidly as he ducks his head!! Dude is holding back tears big time.

.Dareth sobbing! He loves those funky ninjas too!

“Ninja never quit, and ninja will never be forgotten! Wherever you are Zane, you’ll always be one of us.” As it STARTS TO SNOW! AGH! This is so good!

All of Zane’s flashbacks before it’s revealed that he lived on in the Digiverse! At least before Ronin stole him, lol. Well either way, Pixal moving from grief to hope as she realizes he’s alive! Holy shit! I’d like to draw attention to her speech from crystallized. “Long ago, in a different battle, you gave up half your power source to save my life. Ever since that moment, I felt things I’ve never felt before. I felt love. For you.” Pairing these two moments together just... It hits so hard.

Then the fucking MUSIC. The FUCKING MUSIC! It is triumphant and glorious and a CELEBRATION.

“Are we compatible now?” Holy hell, what an ending.

No wonder this did irreparable damage to my brain chemistry. No wonder I was never normal again. This absolutely DESTROYED me as a kid, and I think it still holds up as one of the most emotionally impactful series of scenes in the show. The beginning is really awesome, the fights are fun, the characterization is stellar, and the death scene is damn near flawless. Is the episode nonsensical and a bit meandering at times? Well, yes, it is. The entire season is all over the place. But this episode still works SO well. I’d say it’s probably top five, easy.

It was something I never considered possible, as a kid. This is coming off season 2, which was pretty Lloyd-centric. I never thought we’d get such an amazing tribute to my, at the time, favorite character. I never thought he’d get such a moment in the spotlight to be as amazing as he was. Granted, he’s since had PLENTY of deaths to call his own, but this one remains the most impactful to me. This was the first death to REALLY be a death and to REALLY hit home. The only deaths that I’d say even come close are Nya’s death in Skybound (since she didn’t really die in Seabound) and Morro’s death for how brutal it is. Nya becoming the sea was also really good, though, with a beautiful funeral. But this one just...

The Titanium Ninja was a revolution for me as a kid. I had adored this show since the pilot. I had kept up religiously since the pilot. But this was the moment that the show went to a whole different level. And honestly, I think it holds up. Ninjago has a list of issues a mile long. But I just want to celebrate for a moment this episode, and everything it does so, so well.

Anyway, that’s my rant about an episode that I really love. I may do this again with episodes like Son of Lily. Because I love this stupid little show so much, guys. I grew up with it, and its always been a big part of my life. Episode 7, Tick Tock, was like, the biggest plot twist of the universe to me as a kid. It was what made Zane my favorite character, and got me so invested in him in the first place. To see Ninjago use that to make a genuinely fantastic character arc, then to use that as the foundation for the fourth season, was absolutely brilliant, and my life is genuinely better for having gotten to enjoy such a show as a kid and now as an adult. This show isn’t some life-changing revolution, but it makes me so happy, and I hope this rant helps illuminate a little bit of why.

#ninjago #ninjago masters of spinjitzu #ninjago rebooted #ninjago season 3 #zane julien #zane ninjago #titanium ninja #the titanium ninja #yall i love this show so much #even when it hurts me #looking at you season 5

[the-laridian]

Fallout 76: Max's new camp (with Mothman chapel)

Steven Scarberry (Brother Stevie) has been hanging around Max's place for a while. But it's October, it's time to close up the lake house for the season and find somewhere new to live. Max and Stevie end up in a temporary place that has a few ramshackle buildings, while Max looks for somewhere better.

Which is great and all until a disturbing number of settlers and scavengers catch a bad case of death while visiting the temporary camp.

Max: Dammit, Stevie, have you killed again?

Stevie describes himself as a Chosen of the Mothman, see, and as such is above human frailty or something like that. Anyway, Stevie takes security at the camp very seriously.

Stevie: I made a promise to my friend, so make sure you don't become an "unwelcome guest".

Anyway, while all the bodies are great for fertilizing the otherwise exhausted soil of this place, it's still, y'know, a potential problem. Max tells Stevie he needs to cut back on the sacrifices to the Mothman, maybe only one a week or something.

Max finds a place between the Whitespring grounds and the Miners Monument. It's got a wood resource, and a big open space (the road). The parking lot on the other side is nice, but it's close to a bunch of robot spawns, so the road is the better choice (and less explosive than the old cars). 

They need the wood resource because between Max making hundreds of gulper-gut slurries, aka "meat smoothies", per week, and Stevie making burnt offerings, they're really going through the timber.

Inside, the first floor has all the crafting workbenches.

And also the bedrooms, one for each of them. (Max and Stevie are just friends. Max has the hots for Danilo over at the Pitt, and Stevie's spiritually married to the Mothman.)

Upstairs is the chapel. 

The back part of the chapel has a little room for Stevie to prepare himself and wash up before and after services.

During the day, the place is surprisingly well lit.

Max and Stevie are both in vestments for the month.

Will Dane came by later, and sat for a while wondering if it was worth praying to the Mothman for her missing brother Rowan to come home safely. Even if she doesn't think much of Stevie, it's probably a good idea to cover all her bases and not let her brother get eaten by a giant moth or something.

Will: We must be closer to the swamp than I thought. It smells like rotting meat around here.

Max: Yeah, I noticed that too. I think it's that scorchbeast fissure down the road. I'll put out some more incense.

Then Will left and Max went out for a while, and came back to find another mysteriously dead scavenger near the woodpile.

Max: Stevie.

Stevie: I assure you, Maximilian, I had nothing to do with it. 

~

So if you see the new house down on Highway 62, stop by and say hi! Donations welcome, especially of wood and timber.

#fallout 76 #raider max #steven scarberry #brother stevie #camp building

[yurisorcerer]

A friend said yesterday that I seem like I have a complicated relationship with Ishura. This is untrue, I think Ishura sucks but has a few bright spots; that's not complicated. If there's a show I have a complicated relationship with this season it's Metallic Fucking Rouge. What, like, IS this show? Actually? When you strip away all the minutiae and all attempts at allegory, political or otherwise, what is this story *about*? Like, at its core?

With three episodes left on the clock (assuming this isn't a secret two-cour show, but I'd be very surprised if that we the case) I'm still not sure I could tell you.

Metallic Rouge has all these big-brain classic sci-fi influences that it very clearly wants to integrate into its sense of storytelling. That's why there are two competing factions of aliens who we don't really see much of until this episode, that's why there's this whole human oppressor / humanoid robot oppressed class dynamic that the show doesn't quite know what to do with, that's probably a good chunk of why it hops between planets at all. At the same time, this is also a 12-episode anime that needs to deliver solid fundamentals to actually keep people invested. Most people are not me, and will not watch an entire 12-episode series just to figure out what the fuck it's trying to do. I think a lot of people, given how willfully opaque Metallic Rouge is, would / will / have just found it frustrating. The action sequences have been good at staving that off, and I think this episode's was maybe the best yet, but I'm not sure it's enough.

That aside, yeah, this is a series that's worn a lot of hats. It's been a toku-inspired action series, a story about the aftermath of war and the mechanics of oppression, a trippy dream sequence, a whodunnit, etc. Now, in its last leg, it's become like....I don't even know, one of those 90s sci fi movies with CGI aliens? It's been better at some of those than others and I actually think this new turn fits it surprisingly well, but I am left with a frustration and I kind of wish the show would just stick to something.

That said; I can see the counterargument, right? You know, compared to most bad anime that have aired or will air this year, Rouge's problem is not that it has NO ideas, it's that it has TOO MANY, and doesn't execute them well enough. In my head, I've kind of been comparing the series to Lycoris Recoil, but they actually have opposite problems; LycoReco couldn't find enough solid ground to stretch for a full 12 episode cour, and ended up showing its ass when its underlying politics turned out to be embarrassingly basic. Metallic Rouge by comparison is hyperactive and unable to follow through on any of its ideas. I wouldn't be surprised if, rather than turning out to have *basic* politics as I've previously wondered, it just turns out to have none. Who needs themes when you have giant spaceships and can reveal your main character is an alien?

Or is it, right? That's the obvious thing, there are still three more episodes. Maybe, somehow, someway, it will find a way to tie all of these disparate elements together in its final quarter and I'll look like a fucking idiot for having ever doubted it. I would honestly love that, I can count on my hands the number of times a show I was frustrated with turned out BETTER than I thought it would, but it's always a really lovely and cathartic thing. But I'm pretty skeptical, I don't know, the fact that the series used so much charged imagery early on and has largely just chosen to discard it makes the entire thing feel poorly thought-out. I am still, in spite of myself, mostly enjoying the show for what it is; I love the action sequences, the incredibly strange bits of hyper-expressive and overfluid animation (seriously, look at this)

and I even kind of love how up its own ass it is, but I think there's a distinction to be drawn there between something being *entertaining* and being *good.* Metallic Rouge is very entertaining, but it's also hugely frustrating and at this point I would be VERY surprised if my main takeaway from it once it's over isn't just that it had a lot of potential it didn't live up to.

I guess we'll see! Who knows.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I saw someone else mention this in the tag but credit to this show for being fairly normal about a plural system. I hope they survive the rest of the show, Alice/Aes are honestly some of my favorite characters.

#metallic rouge #spoilers #yurisorcerer talks about media #once again if you like the show and see this in the tag like. Sorry. I am not trying to annoy anybody I mostly tag this for my own benefit #also they are mostly just hot-reads of my immediate thoughts after finishing an episode and I generally need to sit with something for a #while to really know how I feel about it so like pls don't take this stuff seriously #pls

[boltlightning]

top 5 reasons to play ff7 (so I can get hyped)

oh my god. i was born to answer this question. buckle in we are here to talk about:

you don't get a boat but you DO get to use an airplane as a boat and i think that's important

THE THEMES. ff7 is about self-discovery and identity as much as it is radical environmentalism, oppression and industrialization, memory and the self, faith and leadership, and wielding a giant fucking sword to protect your friends

the characters are iconic for a reason, and they are all so delightfully weird. beyond sadboy edgelord cloud, you've got a robot cat and a wise lion-dog and a guy who is plausibly not a vampire but definitely reads like one and a jaded astronaut pilot who loves his not-wife so much. they're ridiculous. i love them so so much

banging music (seriously it WHIPS)

there are parts of it that haven't aged well, for sure, but it's got so much heart? it's messy and complicated and can be unclear at times, but it cares about its setting and characters while knowing just how silly it can be. it's really refreshing to have a narrative that does the most with what it has and acknowledges its weaknesses. it is 26 years old and it shows, but it's an iconic game for a reason

honorable mention: you ride giant chickens called chocobos and they look like this

do it for them

top 5 asks! 🧐

#i genuinely love the gameplay too (as someone who first played it on the original playstation version in the year 2015) #but that is more hit or miss and not what i think sells it in this day and age #thank you friend i am so fucking excited that you're playing this eventually #(frothing at the mouth) everyone play this game i am soooooo normal about it #ask game #bolt top 5

[savrenim]

I've got to say it's wild seriously working on ifmlam again and realizing that, like...... I've actually missed it quite a lot? and am actively happy to be writing it again?

pretty much all of my works post-ifmlam have had a quality that I was talking to a friend and finally realized that maybe the best word for it is 'anime bullshit', albeit of different flavors. but it is kind of characterized by vastly overpowered characters Causing Chaos and Living Their Best Lives, and then a cast of not-quite-so-powerful-characters scrambling to Deal With The Chaos as the Chaos sort of Accidentally Totally Fixes The Plot. we raise it up and as if it must be pure are absolutely quintessential examples of this, and you guys haven't seen it yet, but my first original novel, Opus I, does it to the upmost degree as well.

and I can point to the exact reasons why it happened! there are kind of three, although they overlap:

I had just started a really overpowered DnD campaign In Their Footsteps We Shall Follow gay murder elf bachelorette and realized that I was having the time of my life and actually this was the kind of story that I was really interested in telling at this particular moment in my life;

honestly it's kind of the ultimate power fantasy of just, like, gods I wish I could be stupidly overpowered but instead of it being my job to save the world I could just run around causing chaos with my friends that accidentally more than anything else ends up saving the world; it tackles both the immediate circumstances of being a graduate student and looking at going into academia not only are you Poor but the degree to which your career and your whole future is in the hands of advisors who have vast amounts of power over you, but even if that step goes well, you're going to have to try to claw yourself up for years and years before you reach any kind of security and just the idea of being Powerful Enough to Not Have To Give A Damn About Anything and it's actually everyone around you who needs to be Scrambling To Keep Up With Your Bullshit was. so appealing.

I really do from a generalized storytelling standpoint actually legit enjoy Anime Bullshit, which, I'm specifically talking about the commitment to the bit of utterly extreme stakes and by not taking themselves as seriously in the setup of the stakes they take themselves way more seriously and have way more sincerity in the emotional impact and execution of them? Promare and Redline are my anime examples of what I'm talking about, but another really solid example is Pacific Rim: they commit to the bit of "no we are a movie about giant robots punching giant monsters" and then deliver something so heartfelt and so sincere and so badass and so fun because they don't waste time trying to convince you that the premise is serious, they just take themselves the exact correct amount of seriously inside that utterly ridiculous premise.

and that stuff is fun to write and I love it! but one of the things that I've noticed is that, like, you make your characters powerful and ridiculous enough to the degree that I have been doing, and you kind of lose some to all of the ability for Plot to Actually Threaten Them and hence to set up any narrative tension? and the workaround at least that I've discovered is that the tension comes from the perspective of that characters that are at the edges of the Chaos attempting to Deal With The Chaos, but it means that instead of writing a story about Dealing With Serious Threats, you are writing a story about Attempting To Wrangle Cats (Who Can And Will Fix Anything If You Wrangle Them Properly But Oh God Is It Very Nontrivial To Wrangle Them)

which is fun! and I'm not going to stop writing that! but there is also a sincerity to writing entirely about humans who don't have the ability to fix everything, whether or not they can be wrangled into fixing it. it's a more human struggle and it's a different emotional tone and I like it a lot. and I'm really glad that I get to be writing it again. and that I'm getting to revisit characters and a story that had been such a huge part of my life for so long, even if I don't regret the reasons I wanted to take a step away.

#my life #my writing

[sunnyskies281]

I was bored, so I decided to write something!

Tw: medical procedures like stitches

Also spoilers for the Professor Layton Prequel Trilogy

The last thing I remember was falling off the side of the Detragiant, falling down, down, down onto the forest floor.

I wake up on some kind of table, which I recognize as the dining room table in my house. Someone- Raymond, probably- brought me home after I blacked out on ambrosia. I try to sit up, but I’m overwhelmed with an intense pain in my chest and arms.

“Woah, boy, down,” a familiar voice says. I look to my right and see the familiar face of Ms Charity Layne, my assistant.

“Don’t talk to me as if I’m some sort of dog,” I say, mustering as much venom into my words as I could, which given my state wasn’t much.

“Love you too, babe,” she says, her usual joking tone gone and replaced with a more concentrated, steady, serious voice. “Listen, you need emergency treatment. You got pretty fucked up back there, you fractured two ribs. Now the fractured ribs are easy to deal with, you just need to take some acetaminophen and put some ice on it. The gashes on your arms, however…”

“I’ll have to go to the doctor to get them stitched, you mean?” I ask, groaning. I don’t particularly want to explain how I got the injuries to a doctor, but if I must…

“That’s right!” Charity smiles, her normal voice back. I’m glad she could at least smile in this situation.

Then she brought out a curved needle.

“Let Doctor Layne take care of you!” She says, still smiling.

“Id rather be looked after by a professional,” I say, fear evident in my voice.

“I am a professional,” Charity huffs. “I was a surgeon for 5 years. Now stay still, this is going to hurt.”

“Yes but that was over a decade ago!” I respond. “Are you sure you’re still-” but before I can finish my sentence, I feel the needle pierce my skin. I scream.

“Don’t move, you’ll make it worse,” Charity warns, serious voice back, and I try my hardest to stay still as she continues her work. “Normally I’d sedate you or at the very least put numbing cream on your arms, but I don’t have anything like that on me. I’m so sorry that this hurts so much, but you should’ve thought about that before falling off a giant metal robot.”

“I didn’t have an- OW! Have a choice!” I say defensively. “Layton, he- OW! He backed me into a corner and I-”

“I know, I know, I was there,” Charity says. “God, you looked like shit.”

“So do you,” I say, and I see her smile.

“I was worried about you, when I saw you on the ground,” Charity says, expression turning into that of sadness. “I was worried that this time… this time you wouldn’t…”

“Make it?” I ask, and she nods slowly. “Hah! It’ll take more than a fall to kill me, Layne.”

“I hope so,” Charity says.

A while passes while Charity continues fixing my injuries. Eventually, however…

“There! Finished!” She says. I look at my arm, it certainly is stitched up now. “In a few days, I’ll check up on them again.”

“Thanks, Ms Layne,” I say, and I notice Charity starting to cry. “…what’s wrong?” Although I think I know what’s wrong.

“I seriously was worried, boss,” Charity says, a tear falling down her face. “I don’t want you to die.”

“I won’t make promises I can’t keep, darling,” I say with a halfhearted smile.

“I’m serious,” Charity says. “I can’t just lose another person close to me, like I lost my father. Like I lost my friend. Like I might have lost my sister.”

I think about this for a while, before giving my answer.

“I can’t promise I wont die,” I say. “I’m sorry. It’s incredibly dangerous what I’m doing. But I can promise that whatever happens to me, you won’t die because of it. I won’t let any harm come to you if I can help it.” I then smirk, adding “plus I’ll give you a bonus for helping me with my injuries.”

“Trying to win me over with money, eh?” Charity says, smirking back. “Well it’s working. I’ll continue to help you as I always do, just please try to not die.”

“I won’t do it intentionally,” I say.

“Good.” Charity hands me and ice pack. “Put this on your chest for about 20 minutes. Maybe also take a nap if you can. Sleep is important when you need to heal.”

“I’ll try,” I say.

“You can join me in bed if you want~” She teases, and I just laugh.

“I’ll take my own bed, thanks,” I say. “Besides, I don’t think that kind of “sleeping” would help me recover faster.”

“A girl can dream, can’t she?” Charity responds, and we both laugh.

I’m so lucky to have someone like Charity on my side

#professor layton #jean descole #charity layne #au #professor Layton au #professor layton oc #writing #fanfic

[tsuki-sennin]

Welcome to Kyoto! Following the reconciliation of father and son last episode, we take a page out of Fourze's screenplay and go on a class trip~! As Hotaro dreams for a future between humans and Chemies, for what reason does the Dark Sister Clotho become an uninvited guest?

Spoilers, I guess...

-Y'know, we surprisingly haven't seen all that much of Furasu High School itself.

-The time has come... for Kyoto!

-That seems to be the class trip location in shows like these. Kaguya-sama, Bloom Into You, Digimon Adventure 02, the sucky stealth minigame in Persona 3 that's somehow infinitely less terrible than any of the other hot spring sections... Think it was even in Cardcaptor Sakura too, incidentally.

-Big missed opportunity, by the way, to not have even a mild crossover between Fourze and Smile PreCure, which both had school trips to Kyoto at the same time.

-The furthest I've ever gone on a field trip was in 5th grade, when we went on a field trip to Tennessee to visit Ruby Falls. I've been there before with my mom, so it wasn't anything new, but it was still fun. Never had a full field trip again after that though.

-"I hope you make sure to STUDY!"

-Something that Hotaro's ill prepared for.

-Kudoh, you gotta help us out.

-No friends... but us~!

-Hello, Mr. Kannushi.

-ALIENS

-Kajiki and Hotaro! Hunting for aliens!

-Hi there, Spanner.

-There's your girlfriend, the Clover Torturer.

-Ohhhhhhhhhh

-I see Lachesis has a real green thumb.

-"Not impressed! I can do that too!"

-Ohhhhhhh, Triple Tuned.

-Oh, she's freaky, huh?

-"Are you done playing weird games with your weird boyfriend yet? :<"

-Oh, a Level 10~! Meeting our first one soon, huh?

-What the fuck is that.

-Don't you cut away from me, Lachesis, I wanna know what you just did.

-Hopper1.....

-Poor boy...

-YOU FORGOT HIM

-WHAT THE HELL, MAN

-"I fuckin' hate Kamen Rider. Which one of you assholes is gonna kill him for me."

-Oh, this guy's a jackoff!

-Hoppa~!

-He wants to meet Friend!

-Batta!

-Oh hello, miss.

-Special place?

-Himeno Hijiri....

-Whoa, she was in middle school seven years ago?

-And you were in 4th grade when this issue was published.

-...I think she's a little too old for you buddy, unless I misread it.

-He didn't see nothin', Rinne!

-Hot damn, Clotho's strong.

-Jungle Jan...

-Ohhhhhh, this hoodie guy seems nasty.

-Hotaro's seriously into this.

-"Weren't you nerds looking for UFOs?"

-"UFOS!? THERE'S A HOT OLDER LADY WHO LIKES THE OCCULT!"

-I think how awkward the acting is kinda adds to Gotchard's atmosphere rather than detracting from it.

-I hear this is kinda like how community theater goes.

-Haunted house...

-Rinne's having the time of her life today.

-Hello, Hijiwi-san

-

-YOU LEFT EVERYTHING THERE-

-Hiiiii, Smaphone.

-Golddash came out to play~!

-I sure hope you give Renge a tip for all her hard work.

-Hitodama...

-Oh shit, Clotho.

-Hello, Mr. Minato.

-I'm still suspicious of you, but I feel like you've at least got good intentions even if the rest of the Academy is shady af.

-Oh fuck, ninjas and aliens.

-This really is Fourze.

-We're doing her thing now, Ichinose.

-"Hang him from your vines if you want! I just want him dead!"

-Oh, you're just a classy guy aren't you.

-Oh at least Kudoh's on the ball.

-Oh fuck, giant robot time?

-LET'S GOOOOOO

-BatKingrobo!

-Far shot...

-Oh that's the hoodie guy

-Yeah, sorry buddy... it really wasn't gonna work out like that.

-Oh okay, this is just straight up Ultraman now.

-Finisher Beam!

-Very funny, Toei.

-Hiiiiii, Golddash~!

-Steamliner~!

-What next?

-Ohhhhhh, the guy's an arsonist.

-Those hitodama they saw... probably a Chemy if it forms the basis of his Malgam.

#Pull Another Gotcha! 101 Dreams to Catch! #kamen rider #kamen rider gotchard #gotchard spoilers #kr gotchard

[mama-qwerty]

What do you think Callie would make of Darkling Wade, should the two universes ever meet?

Hmmm . . . .

Okay, there are two ways this could go.

1 - Callie is a background character in the Darkling Wade universe, meaning he is the one who cares for Silver, Shadow, and Eclipse. They're not dating (as I believe that Wade is aro/ace, right?), but might be friendly, as she is with most everyone in town.

She'd find the attitude change some townsfolk have toward him ridiculous and angering, as he's still the same person, just looks different. (And seriously, the town's been through how much else, with other aliens and giant robots and magic gemstones, and THIS is what they turn their nose up at and say "Nope, not accepting it"? Like, REALLY??)

I'd imagine she'd try to reach out, especially when she realizes he's been hiding himself away, ashamed of what he's become. Bring over some meals, offer to help with the kids, that kinda thing. Just be there for him when he shouldn't be alone. Even when he doesn't want her to, in the beginning. He's a monster, he doesn't know what he's capable of, he may hurt her, she should stay away.

But she keeps coming. Because she's stubborn like that. And maybe when she reaches a point where she considers giving up, she sees how Silver is suffering, and keeps trying to offer some kindness for his sake.

And maybe, one afternoon, Wade snaps and does behave in a threatening manner toward her, because he's a monster and no one should be around him, least of all some lady he barely spoke to before all this happened. But she stays calm and tells him that he needs to get himself together, because his boys need him. HIM, no matter what shape his body is. Because inside, he's still their father, and they still need THAT Wade, regardless of how he feels about what he looks like. Then she leaves, and Wade stands in his kitchen feeling confused and ashamed and sick to his stomach for a while.

And then maybe, once he's had a chance to mull over what she said, he'll pick up the phone. And they'll talk. And maybe she'll come back, this time with some pizza in hand.

Maybe this whole experience is what kickstarts a real friendship between them.

OR

2 - This takes place in the Qwertyverse, and Callie and Wade are either dating or good friends, which is why Eclipse saves him. The boys are really attached to Wade, as he's a really nice guy and Mom likes him a lot. So when Eclipse finds him after the accident, his instincts kick in and he transforms him to save his life.

Immediately after he transforms, he reacts much like he does in Darkling Wade universe, ie, denial, revulsion, depression, etc. Eclipse feels a mixture of hurt and sorrow--he thought he was doing a good thing saving Wade's life (and turning him into a superior form, to boot!), but Wade is really sad about being like this? He's a freak? A monster? It sends the little gremlin into a bit of self-loathing. If Wade doesn't like being a Dark, then maybe he really didn't like Eclipse all this time, either. Maybe Eclipse is a monster, too. Lots of talks from Mom and big hugs needed for the little darkling.

Callie's sympathetic with Wade--to a point. Then she reaches the "okay, pity party's over. Time to quit feeling sorry for yourself and move forward" part of tough love, because frankly, she's got a couple little boys to take care of (one of whom is questioning his own worth right now) and Wade's moping around isn't helping. She'll support him and be right there for him no matter what, but it is what it is, and sitting curled in a dark room isn't going to change him back.

She's not insensitive--far from it. She loves Wade (even if it's just as a good friend, depending on their relationship status) and it kills her to see him so down on himself. But, as a depression sufferer herself, she knows how easy it is to follow that negative thought spiral until you're convinced you'll never be happy again. Which is what Wade's doing right now.

So she sends the boys to the Wachowskis for the afternoon and has a long talk with Wade. She reassures him her feelings haven't changed. She still loves him, and wants him to be part of her life. Yes, he's different, and she's not ignoring that fact, but that's just the outside. She loves who he is, not what he looks like.

And sure, she'll miss his brown hair, and blue eyes, and the way he blushed from his neck to his ears when he was embarrassed. And his smile. She'll really miss that.

But, that being said, she already loves someone with gold-on-black eyes. She already finds the crooked smile full of sharp fangs adorable. Those scales aren't nearly so cold and hard. And she's kind of jealous of the tail. She always thought it'd be neat to have one.

But, beyond all that, he's alive, and that's what counts. He got a second chance, all because her little gremlin child loves him, too. She knows it's hard when people who used to be his friends have turned against him, but this is still new. It took some people a while to get used to all the boys, too. Especially Eclipse.

But if he just keeps being who he is, those to matter will come around. They'll see he's still Wade Whipple, the guy who loves Green Hills, and is usually found standing right next to Tom when the town is in danger. The guy who stood right next to her when Silver literally fell into her life. And who has been there ever since.

And Wade will start this talk feeling angry and dejected, and that he's nothing but a burden to her now that he's this . . . thing instead of a man. But the more she talks, the more those feelings fade. Because she's kind. And sincere. And takes his clawed hand into hers, and touches his muzzle where his stubbly cheek used to be.

And she looks him in the eyes without frowning, or turning away quickly, or flinching when he smiles.

And he'll cry. Not for the first time since he woke up like this, not by a long shot. But these tears aren't angry, or sad, or frustrated, or scared. These are grateful, relieved tears rolling down his face. And then her hands are there, wiping them away as she says soft, soothing words to him.

"Everything will be okay," she whispers, and soon there are tears in her eyes too. "You're gonna get through this. I'm here. I'll always be here for you."

And he'll reach forward, pulling her to him in a hug, the first real hug he's had since he was human, and it feels different but she wraps her arms around him and squeezes tight.

And at that moment, Wade Whipple, former human, will feel hopeful. And that maybe . . . maybe things really will be okay.

~~~~

Whoops. I just can't help myself sometimes.

#ask me #darkling wade #callie macpherson #qwertyverse

[justmenoworries]

thoughts on “For the Future” in no particular order

let’s rip the band-aid off: apart from like one or two scenes, to me this special felt like a giant waste of time. very little of what we were told we didn’t already know. like oh, the Collector is an all-powerful child? Belos is gigantic, rotting sack of shit? everyone is scrambling through pretty much the apcalypse? those are all things we’ve known about since “King’s Tide”

Belos really should have been defeated in “Thanks to Them”. literally nothing would change if he was already dead by the time Luz’ team entered the Demon Realm. “what about the Collector spying on King?” funny you should ask, since we already had the perfect character to push him into that direction: Odalia. she was vying for his attention and more power the whole time, you’re telling me she wouldn’t be jumping at the chance to dethrone King as his best friend and confidant by tattling to Collector about his, Eda’s and Lillith’s plans? instead we have Belos stealing screentime away from characters who were desperately in need of it (Willow, Gus) for basically no reason. what did we find out about Belos in FtF that wasn’t already obvious? we know he’s an old bigoted asshole who will never change. we know he’s more monster than man at this point. we know he’s a manipulative scumbag who preys on easily influenced minds. I honestly don’t know what Dana is planning to do with him in “Watching and Dreaming”, he’s seriously overstayed his welcome as a villain

I cannot be the only one who didn’t buy that the heroes were struggling against freaking Kikimora??? Literally all that makes her threatening is her giant slime-robot. just pull her out of there and then punt her into the Boiling Sea like a football. Willow could’ve just plucked her out of the cockpit with a vine and that could’ve been it. but no, instead we need an entire sideplot about Kikimora trying to take over Hexside as some sort of mini-Belos

LUZ HAS HER PALISMAN, I REPEAT: LUZ HAS HER PALISMAN!!! HER NAME IS STRINGBEAN AND SHE’S PERFECT AND I LOVE HER AND I WANNA SEE HER AND LUZ KICK SO MUCH ASS, PLS LET THEM MURDER BELOS IN WaD, THAT WOULD MAKE HIS INCLUSION AT LEAST A BIT WORTH IT

Camila continues to be best mom, she tries so hard, she just wants Luz to be happy and for the other kids to be safe, i’m gonna cry

Lumity continues to serve, even with small moments. Luz blushing at her awesome girlfriend being pretty gave me life

not a big fan of how Willow and Gus were pushed to the background to provide more character development for Hunter. Willow had a whole arc about discovering how powerful she actually was and gaining confidence, and it culminates in her having to be saved and told what she already knows by a white boy. thanks, I hate it

hey, quick question: why was Luz’ group so nerfed this episode??? some of the most talented witches of their generation, on par with the Emperor’s Coven, and they get pushed around by freaking Kikimora and Bosha???? no. Kiki and Bosha should have been reduced to smears on the floor as soon as they tried to start shit. Luz and her friends were beating the crap out of Belos one episode ago, why are these two even remotely treated as a threat????

I immensely enjoyed the Collector as an antagonist, they’re just a small child, but he’s a very powerful child and that’s a disastrous but also weirdly adorable combination. his bond with King was also surprisingly heartwarming. I really would have liked it if Dana went in the direction of just having King be the responsible angel on Collector’s shoulder who eventually gets them to see he can’t just treat people like toys. but nah, let’s have Belos as the villain. again.

King, smol child. he’s trying his best, I feel so sorry for him.

is it weird that I unironically love the makeover Collector’s been giving the Boiling Isles? maybe it’s just me being a sucker for the space and stars aesthetic. and brightly colored horror.

#toh spoilers #toh #toh for the future #toh season three