#especially because his current design is so awesome

[londonclubofsherwood]

Seeing white washed Connor Hawke in a comic is always such a jump scare. Top 10 scariest comic book moments.

#white washing #comic book racism #blue eyed cass is also up there #Connor hawke #green arrow #arrow family #also he just objectively looks worse like that #especially because his current design is so awesome #arrowfam

[suzukiblu]

Ko-fi thank-you WIP excerpt behind the cut, as promised, friends; 7k of kidnapping your soulmate for fun and profit. (and non-chrono link for anyone on the app.)

Tana Moon follows Leech over to the group, looking a little wary herself. Tim sizes her up in his peripheral vision, pretending not to notice her approach. He’s “just” found out who his soulmate is, so he can sell the illusion of only paying attention to Superboy right now. It’s not an unusual reaction. 

It’s a pretty typical one, actually. The fact that Superboy decided to immediately show him off to everyone he knows is actually the less usual option, in fact. Not unheard of either, of course, but still. A lot of newly-discovered soulmates tend to just forget about the outside world for a few hours. Or days, even. A few missing person cases that Tim’s been involved in solving turned out to be cases of “I met my soulmate and we just eloped/ran away/went on a road trip/holed up in a hotel room without telling anyone”. 

Tim had thought it was ridiculous at the time, if obviously preferable to ending up with either a dead body or a traumatized victim, but Tim is currently in the process of planning an ethically-necessary kidnapping less than twenty-four hours after first cracking into Superboy’s file, so he supposes soulmates just bring out most people’s less pragmatic sides. 

Though he personally thinks carefully-planned ethical kidnappings are an improvement on spontaneous weekends in Vegas, pragmatically-speaking. But whatever. 

“He showed you?” Tana Moon says, glancing Tim over suspiciously. Superboy’s face reddens this time and he tugs at the slash in his own suit. 

“He, uh, saw mine first,” he says. “Kinda got into it with a dude downtown and Tim here was in the area, and like, he recognized it, obviously.”

“It’s fairly noticeable as a mark,” Tim supplies helpfully, figuring he should be being supportive of his soulmate here, and also be shutting Rex Leech up as efficiently as possible. “And Superboy came over to check on me after the fight, so it was hard to miss.” 

“Sure it was,” Leech says, his face souring. “So then you won’t mind showin’ yours to–” 

“Shut up, Dad!” Roxy hisses, kicking him viciously hard in the ankle. Leech yelps in pain. Roxy is immediately his favorite, Tim decides. By far Roxy is his favorite. The dog’s kind of cute and Dubbilex seems decent, but definitely Roxy is his favorite. 

Her dad definitely fucking sucks, though. 

And as for Tana Moon . . . 

“You’re a tourist?” Tana says, just barely frowning down at Tim. She’s taller than him. She’s also taller than Superboy, because she’s a grown-ass woman and why, exactly, is a reporter even here right now? How is that necessary or reasonable? 

. . . admittedly she’s also taller than Leech and he’s a middle-aged man, but that’s not the point here. If Tim has to “no comment” this situation and figure out how to get either his parents or Bruce to kill a story, he absolutely will. He isn’t even slightly gonna hesitate there. He is gonna the opposite of hesitate, in fact. 

“Yes,” he lies, which might not endear him to Moon, given she’s a native, but is better than confessing to having premeditated designs on kidnapping a teen idol superhero. Especially to a reporter. 

Even if it is legally salvage. 

“I’m just in town for the day,” he continues. “I needed to get away for a little while, you know how it is.” 

“Sure,” Moon says, narrowing her eyes at him. “Who doesn’t.” 

“He’s from Gotham. And he helped the civilians get out of the area while I was fighting that guy downtown!” Superboy says eagerly, which is . . . odd, actually, and throws Tim off a bit. That seems like a weird thing for Superboy to be eager about, considering. Like . . . just very weird. 

“Well, that’s a Gotham thing, probably,” Tim says, putting on a sheepish Civilian Smile (#7). “We’re used to rogue attacks with area of effect concerns involved, so we get pretty good at clearing a street.” 

“You did awesome,” Superboy says, grinning excitedly at him. That is . . . still weird, yeah. Tim really doesn’t get it. 

Well, maybe Superboy’s just relieved to have a soulmate who knows how to stay out of the line of fire and what to do in a crisis, given how often crisises probably come up in his life. That would make sense, considering. 

“It was nothing, just a little light crowd control,” Tim tries, assuming that’s what a normal civilian would say. Probably, right? Almost definitely. “Nobody even needed any urgent medical attention. And you used your TTK really strategically and contained the guy too, that was much more impressive to pull off in a mess like that.” 

Yeah, that was normal civilian talk, he thinks, pleased with himself for managing it. 

Superboy turns pink, then grins again. Dubbilex . . . tilts his head. 

Normal. Normal. Normal civilian. That’s what Tim is. A civilian! Who’s normal! Very, very normal! 

Normal. 

He smiles Normal Civilian Smile #4 and pats Krypto’s head again. Krypto makes an enthusiastic attempt at licking his fingers off. 

Ew. 

“‘Light crowd control’,” Moon echoes. That’s what Tim said, yeah, so he’s not sure why she’s repeating it. Well–reporter, again, so It’s probably a trap. 

It’s almost definitely a trap, actually. 

Really definitely it’s a trap. 

“Sorry to just show up like this, hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he says to Roxy and Dubbilex with a smile, politely pretending not to be ignoring Moon. He is definitely ignoring Moon, though. Again: reporter. She may not be a Lois Lane or even a Vicki Vale, but he’s still not giving her any information he can avoid giving her. And he’ll just ignore Leech while he’s at it, too. 

“I invited you, man!” Superboy says with a laugh, shaking his head. “We’re gonna hit the beach for a while, go hang out. Just swung by to grab Tim a swimsuit I can lend him.” 

“You came to Hawaii to ‘get away’ and didn’t pack a swimsuit?” Moon says skeptically. 

“Yup,” Tim replies with the most placidly innocent expression he’s ever worn in his life. Nothing. He is giving her nothing. Let all her reporter instincts strike against mirrored glass and high-security privacy windows and come to naught. 

Moon stares at him in silence, clearly waiting for him to fill it. Tim doesn’t fall for the incredibly obvious bait and just keeps the placidly innocent expression on. 

She frowns. 

“C’mon, man,” Superboy says cheerfully, apparently–and fortunately–oblivious to their stand-off. He grabs Tim’s arm and drags him towards the front porch. Tim seriously doubts its structural stability, from the look of it, but tactile telekinesis is hard to argue with. 

The steps manage not to collapse–possibly also because of tactile telekinesis, Tim can’t help suspecting–and Superboy pulls him straight into the house, which is . . . not particularly well taken care of, no surprise. The furniture looks like it all came from a thrift store, and not a nice thrift store. 

Admittedly Tim’s upbringing might be showing here, but also the corners need swept and there’s random boxes of assorted Superboy merch everywhere, most of which looks like cheap junk, and a huge stack of mail and four empty pizza boxes on the coffee table and overflowing trash cans with random junk scattered around, and it’s just . . . it doesn’t look taken care of, no. Which is something Tim would expect from a teenager or two, and maybe Dubbilex doesn’t know how chore wheels work or whatever, but fucking Rex Leech should at least be capable of getting out the broom once a week. 

Assuming there is one, anyway. Tim isn’t particularly optimistic on that one, honestly. 

Superboy’s room is even messier than the living room, covered in dirty clothes and abandoned comics and crumpled-up papers, but Tim’s bedroom looks like a bomb went off in it so he’s not gonna judge. Anyway, that’s Superboy’s personal space, not a common area. He can keep it however he likes, Tim figures. 

Somebody should really sweep that living room, though. And throw out those old pizza boxes, too. 

Tim isn’t judging, just–well, no, he is very much judging, actually. Specifically what he’s judging is Rex Leech, noted asshole sleazeball manager with predatory business tactics. 

Fuck that guy, seriously. 

“You want trunks or a speedo?” Superboy asks as he lets go of his arm to fly over to the cluttered dresser. Tim turns seventeen different shades of red and nearly disassociates. 

“Trunks,” he says quickly. “Please.” 

“Gotcha, man,” Superboy says easily, and then all the dresser drawers yank out at once and dump out crumpled piles of . . . mostly swimsuits and super-suits, it looks like, yeah. Like, basically nothing else but swimsuits and super-suits and a couple of cheesy-looking Hawaiian shirts. 

Well, that might be one lonely, lonely pair of cutoffs sticking out from underneath the swimsuits. But otherwise, that’s pretty much it, yeah. 

Fuck, that’s depressing, Tim thinks. 

Superboy comes back over with an armful of swimsuits, just about all of which have the S-shield either printed or stitched on them. Tim wonders why the guy even has this many swimsuits, especially considering he barely has any other clothes at all. At least not as far as he can see, anyway. 

He also wonders if he’s gonna die if he wears Superboy’s clothes. Is that a thing that might happen? Because it really might happen, yeah. 

Also wearing something with an S-shield on it feels like just a little too much to handle right now, so Tim’s hoping for a basic black option to be buried somewhere in that pile. Given Superboy’s apparent fashion sense, it seems unlikely, but hope springs eternal. 

“Take a look, see what’s good,” Superboy says, dumping the entire armful of swimsuits on Tim. Tim’s just grateful he remembered to stick to just the trunks, at this point. 

“So you spend a lot of time on the beach, huh?” he says wryly. 

“C’mon, man, it’s Hawaii,” Superboy says with a sheepish grin. “And I mean, I look good in anything but wet leather is just not a comfortable fit, you know?” 

“I guess it wouldn’t be, no,” Tim says, giving him Civilian Smile #4 again. Superboy’s ears redden a little again, and then he leans back and zips back across the room to shove all his drawers back shut. Tim lays out the pile of swimsuits on the bed, since it’s right there anyway, and then immediately feels embarrassed to be this close to Superboy’s bed. Which is stupid, even if they aren’t platonics. They’ve just met; it’s not like anything’s gonna happen. 

. . . even if Superboy is a notorious flirt and totally shameless and–

Tim is just not gonna pursue that line of thought right now, he decides. Just for his own sanity and all. 

He accidentally knocks some paper off the bed as he’s laying out the suits to get a look at them, and reflexively leans down to pick it up. The room’s a mess, yeah, but it’s Superboy’s mess. It’s still rude to just drop shit wherever. 

The paper isn’t as crumpled as some of the others, and Tim sees a glimpse of color as he picks it up. His inner detective reflexively wonders what it is, and . . .

Tim uncrumples the paper a little, and blinks down at it in surprise. It’s a little kid’s drawing, it looks like. A sunny beach rendered in bright colored pencil and simple, awkward shapes all painstakingly but clumsily colored in and–

Superboy’s suddenly right back next to him snatching the paper from him and immediately hiding it behind his back, looking absolutely mortified. Tim’s confused, for a moment. What’s he embarrassed about? It’s obviously not anything he’d have drawn himself. It’s probably just something a fan or a neighbor’s kid gave him, or . . . 

Tim pauses. Then he recontextualizes just how much of the crumpled-up paper is lying around Superboy’s room and wonders, very briefly, if a bunch of STEM majors with delusions of grandeur would’ve bothered programming their custom-designed “Superman” with anything resembling art skills. 

So . . . maybe that is something Superboy drew himself. If Cadmus didn’t program him with the muscle memory or knowledge of how to draw . . . well, then he probably would draw like a little kid, wouldn’t he.

And given Superboy’s cocky, braggart personality and defensive ego and how all that paper is all crumpled up as if in frustration . . .

“Gift from a fan?” Tim “assumes” with Smiling Civilian Face #4, pretending to be oblivious. 

“Uh–yeah!” Superboy blurts quickly as he jumps on the provided excuse, though he keeps the paper behind his back. “Yeah, just–you know, just some kid gave it to me at a signing, whatever. Uh, bathroom’s through there, if you wanna get changed. Or like, whatever.” 

“Thanks,” Tim says, and resists the itching urge to peek at a few more of those crumpled-up papers. It’s just a lot of paper, especially if Superboy’s upset with the results.

He wonders why the guy draws so much, if he’s that frustrated and embarrassed by it. Maybe it’s a rebellion thing, since it’s something Cadmus didn’t want him to know how to do. Tim would definitely understand that logic, if he were in Superboy’s situation. Or maybe he’s just bothered not to know how and trying to teach himself to make up for the perceived failing. 

Or maybe he just likes it, Tim supposes. That’s an option too. 

Probably a less likely one, though, given that it’s Superboy. Not to be an asshole or anything, just it’s a lot easier picturing the guy assuming he should be able to do something and getting fixated on trying to pull it off than just, like . . . liking to draw. Also, judging by all that balled-up paper, it doesn’t seem like there’s much there for him to “like”, either.

Tim takes the plainest set of trunks with a drawstring waist, which are black and dark blue but still have an S-shield iron-on patch sewn onto their waistband, for whatever reason, and ducks into the bathroom with them. He realizes belatedly that said S-shield is probably going to rest right up against his soulmark, then feels like an idiot for feeling flustered by that idea and just sets his bag against the wall and starts getting undressed. 

He’s definitely wearing one of the spare shirts in his go-bag for this, he decides as he stuffs his clothes into his bag. Just–definitely, yeah. 

The trunks fit once he cinches the drawstring enough, but the S-shield definitely does rest right against his soulmark. Tim has never actually considered the sight of the S-shield to be, like . . . relevant or interesting outside of work, but he’s realizing that he sure does feel differently about it now that he knows his soulmate’s one of the people wearing it. 

Which is a little ironic, really, considering Superboy wears the S-shield as a branding thing or whatever and lets Leech slap it on whatever cheap shitty merch he can think of. Like, he’s probably the least respectful S-wearer there is. 

Tim pulls on a plain clean T-shirt and a short-sleeve button-down to go over it, figuring that’s beach-friendly enough. He should’ve packed sunglasses, probably, but he was a little distracted by his kidnapping plans and didn’t think to. 

Seriously. He didn’t think to bring sunglasses to Hawaii. 

This whole situation definitely has him off his game, yeah. 

Soulmate thing, he guesses.

Tim eyes himself in the bathroom mirror, mentally decides he’s being an idiot to worry about how he looks right now, and then grabs his bag and heads back out into the bedroom. Superboy’s changed into low-waisted S-shield-themed trunks of his own and flip-flops and nothing else, which does in fact give Tim an embarrassingly good and embarrassingly distracting view of their soulmark. It’s not quite distracting enough for him to miss the fact that the amount of crumpled papers strewn around the room has noticeably decreased, though. And there’s definitely more of them sticking out from under the bed and dresser and in the back of the closet than there previously were. 

Which is kinda cute, honestly, but Tim should probably not say that. Like, ever. 

“Thanks for waiting,” he says, smiling Normal Civilian Smile #4 at Superboy as he hitches his bag up a little higher on his shoulder. “And for the loan.” 

Superboy stares blankly at him for half a second, then seems to startle a little and puffs himself up. 

“Uh–sure, yeah!” he says quickly. “No problem, man. Anytime.” 

“‘Anytime’ seems pretty open, as an offer,” Tim jokes, because normal civilians make that kind of joke, and Superboy turns red. 

“Oh, uh–you know what I mean!” he sputters awkwardly, holding his hands up, which seems kind of a lot as a reaction, and then somehow manages to nearly knock over his dresser without even touching it. Well–that'd be the TTK, Tim guesses. 

It wasn't even that much of a joke. Like, lame suburban dad joke territory, that's all. 

“I do, yeah,” he says with a wry smile. Superboy finds a way to turn even redder and shoves his dresser back into a corner. That also seems like kind of a lot as a reaction, but Tim doesn't comment. Just seems, well . . . awkward? Unnecessary? “Are we good to go, then?” 

“Um, yeah, yeah,” Superboy says, clearing his throat and then zipping out into the hall. Tim wonders if he always flies indoors this much. “All good, dude! Let's head out.” 

“Sure,” Tim says, keeping the smile on. Superboy is still red, but floats along down the hall. Tim follows. Okay. They’re almost definitely not platonic, but Superboy clearly isn’t any more sure what to do with that than Tim is, so . . . small favors, he guesses. Like–that they’re at least roughly on the same page there, he means. 

Unless he’s just reading into things because of weird personal biases he didn’t even know he had, and Superboy is completely straight and just kind of socially awkward around civilians, and Tim’s just being socially pressured by the background radiation of living in a society that over-values romantic soulmates in comparison to platonic ones and sometimes disavows platonic soulmates altogether. 

He supposes technically they could be familial, rare as that is. It’s not like he really knows how he’d feel about having a brother. Dick’s the closest thing to one he’s ever had, and that’s just . . . not actually the same thing, obviously, even if sometimes he wishes . . . 

Anyway. It doesn’t matter. He’s pretty sure having a brother wouldn’t in any way involve this level of embarrassment and unexpected hormones and just general sexuality-questioning over every little thing. Like, that seems very much not like what having a brother would be like. 

So–maybe he isn’t straight, or maybe Superboy’s not actually a boy, or maybe both of those things are true, or maybe he’s just really, really bad at having a soulmate.

Entirely possible, under the circumstances. Tim’s not really all that good at getting close to people. If he got a little confused about how to handle having a soulmate, well . . . that wouldn’t really be a surprise, would it. 

Or maybe he just doesn’t want to have to figure out how to come out to his dad or Dana or the goddamn Batman. 

One or the other, probably.

. . . statistically speaking, the likelier explanation probably is not wanting to come out to the goddamn Batman. 

“Wanna fly someplace or just chill on the beach out front?” Superboy asks as he floats backwards into the living room. Krypto runs up and jumps on Tim excitedly, his tail wagging so hard his whole little body’s wagging with it. He’s a weird-looking little mutt, but he’s really friendly, apparently. “Krypto, oh my god, get off him.” 

“I don't mind,” Tim says, leaning down to give Krypto a polite little pat on the head. Krypto barks happily and wags his tail so hard he knocks himself over. 

Yeah, weird dog in general, Tim thinks. But again, really friendly. 

“We can go wherever,” he says. “You're the local, you know the best places to get a little time alone to hang out, right?” 

“‘Alone’?” Superboy repeats, his ears reddening again as he somehow manages to trip in mid-air and hits his head on the doorframe. Tim can probably safely write off the idea of “platonic” at this point, but is still a little bit wary of his personal bias interfering. Though . . . “Uh–yeah! Totally! Yeah! We can do that!” 

Yeah, Superboy really isn’t selling the “platonic” idea here either. 

Does Tim have a boyfriend now? Is this how boyfriends happen? 

. . . well, or a girlfriend, maybe. He still hasn’t ruled out the “maybe Superboy’s just trans” option. That seems like a thing that might confuse his sexuality a little, if nothing else. 

This is definitely not anything like any previous girlfriend-getting he’s experienced, though. Like, not even a little bit. He’s not complaining, exactly, because admittedly it’s actually a little bit easier going into a new relationship with a plan and a cover established, even if the plan is admittedly still in flux and the relationship’s “romantic" vs "platonic” status is still unclear. It’s still something he can approach like a case, which is much more straightforward than just floundering around trying to figure out how normal people work. 

And Superboy’s about as far from a “normal person” as it gets, so really, this is a pretty ideal set-up on Tim’s end. 

Hopefully Superboy feels similarly, though he also, like . . . is lacking some pretty important information there, so . . . yeah, that might be an issue. Bruce would definitely not have appreciated Robin telling Superboy he was his soulmate, though, and who knows how Superboy would’ve even taken that. Going in as a civilian is going pretty smoothly, though, so Tim’s pretty sure it was the right choice. 

Hopefully it was, anyway. 

“Cool,” Tim says, keeping up the placid harmless civilian face and thoughts and Totally-Not-A-Vigilante vibes. Superboy does a very bad job of pretending he didn’t just bump into the doorframe and ducks back outside, putting on a cocky grin of his own as he does. It occurs to Tim, briefly, that maybe Superboy has his own catalog of performative expressions. None of his friends really seem to, but Superboy is in the community too, so . . . well, it’d make sense, right? 

Also he does sell his likeness via a sleazy manager’s sleazy business deals, so yeah. It does kind of make sense. 

Huh. That’s . . . a thought, he guesses. 

Not a thought he’d really had yet. 

Just . . . something they might have in common, Tim guesses. 

Though so is being in the community to begin with, obviously. And they're physiologically about the same age and have similar coloring, though Superboy is–well, not actually mixed with East Asian, because Krypton did not have an actual place called “Asia”, but he does have subtle hints of that look, same as Superman. Easy to mistake for just being white, but recognizable if you know what you're looking for. Superboy would be at least half-white given Westfield's DNA, Tim guesses, but . . . 

Yeah, no, he doesn't even know how to begin to figure out the nuances of racial identity on a dead planet he knows next to nothing about, much less any potential experience parallels there might be for a second-generation half-alien immigrant with effectively zero access to their own culture, but maybe he could–

Right, okay, he needs to focus here. There's some fascinating stuff there that he can theorize about and investigate later, once he's kidnapped Superboy properly. The kidnapping is the current priority, though. Like, it is very much the current priority. 

Tim follows Superboy back out onto the porch. Everyone else is still out there, which is fine in regards to Roxy and Dubbilex and not fine in regards to Leech and . . . well, jury's out on Moon, maybe. 

Also the dog. He doesn't really know about the dog. Though said dog does run after him and jump up for attention wagging his scruffy little tail hard enough to wag his whole little body, which is sort of cute. 

Or as cute as a wet dishrag can get, anyway. 

Tim’s trying not to judge Krypto for that, since obviously he didn't ask to be born as the living embodiment of a wet dishrag, and anyway he's a really friendly dog, so judging by appearances seems like a dick move. Even if Tim kind of wants to iron him, to be honest. Steam-clean, maybe. 

At least take him to a decent groomer, if nothing else. 

“Down, you little shit, Jesus!” Kon says, scowling down at Krypto and trying to shoo him away. Krypto growls at him, which seems weird, then goes back to fawning all over Tim. Tim leans down and pats his head, figuring it might calm him down. 

“It’s okay,” he says. “He is cute.” 

“Whatever,” Superboy grumbles, folding his arms and inexplicably glowering at his dog. 

“You gonna go swim, or just hang out?” Roxy asks curiously as she comes over to them again. 

“Oh, we’re–” Superboy starts, but Moon cuts him off. 

“Want some company?” Moon inquires, pleasant and suspicious all at once. Superboy looks–conflicted, momentarily, and then awkward. 

“Um, well–Tim’s only in town for today, so . . . next time?” he hedges. Tim resists the urge to eye Moon. Can I just spontaneously insert myself in your first day with your brand-new soulmate? is incredibly rude, as a suggestion. And incredibly fucking disrespectful to boot. Like, what entitled-ass kind of thing is that to ask, exactly? 

How old is she again? Twenty? Twenty-one? He should look that up later. Well–no, she’d graduated college and started her career by the time Superman had died, which was a good eight or nine months ago now, so unless she skipped a grade or two in there, she’s gotta be closer to twenty-four, if not twenty-five or twenty-six. 

That’s . . . a thought, considering there is definitely news footage of Superboy kissing her in Metropolis. Like, Tim very definitely saw news footage of Superboy kissing her in Metropolis. And she was very definitely kissing him too.

In retrospect, that seems like something someone should’ve, like . . . done something about? Or at least addressed? And is definitely further proof of how fucking useless and slimy Rex Leech is. Sure, let the five-minute-old clone make out with a twentysomething reporter and hang out with her at home; all publicity is good publicity, so it’s fine, right? Sure. Why wouldn’t it be? 

Tim is going to absolutely decimate that bastard’s credit the first chance he gets. Leech probably already has terrible credit, mind, but he’ll make it worse. He’ll find a way. 

. . . though he’ll wait until he’s sure Roxy is eighteen and financially independent, he doesn’t actually know if she is or not. Roxy seems nice, she doesn’t deserve that particular fallout. 

“It’d be nice to get to know each other later, I’m sure,” Tim says before Moon can say anything, smiling Gala Smile #1 at her, which is a targeted psychological attack and not actually very moral to be trotting out this quick, probably. 

He has no regrets, for the record. Absolutely none. 

Moon narrows her eyes suspiciously. Tim blithely strokes Krypto’s ears, Gala Smile #1 flawless and unphased. 

“I’m sure,” she “agrees” frostily. Superboy remains apparently oblivious to the tension and grins brightly at both of them. 

“Cool!” he says. Oh, sweet summer child who has clearly never socialized with sharks, Tim thinks resignedly, petting Krypto again. Has Leech taught him literally nothing about conversational warfare, for fuck’s sake? At least living with your sleaze of a manager should be good for that, dammit! 

Then again, Leech is probably not actually competent enough to teach Superboy anything actually useful, so maybe that’s for the best. 

If nothing else, Superman could’ve taught him a bit of “bless your heart”, but apparently that’s not a thing either. 

Tim has a brief moment of dread that maybe underneath his personal list of performative expressions, Superboy might just be a straightforward and honest person, which is a concerning thought. He doesn’t even know how to talk to a straightforward and honest person at this point, after this long as Batman’s emotional support sidekick. How do you form a lasting relationship with someone who isn’t habitually using at least three layers of double-talk and constantly locked in on all your microexpressions, anyway? 

That’s going to be a weird experience, yeah. 

“Ready to go?” Superboy asks Tim, grinning brighter at him. Tim feels momentarily overwhelmed and just sort of . . . has to collect himself about that, a little. 

Or a lot.

“Lead the way,” he says, smiling at him. He’s flustered enough to forget to use an appropriately-planned smile, which is embarrassing, but Superboy just grins even brighter–which should not be physically possible, but apparently is–and reaches out to scoop him up into his arms and into the air again as Krypto lets out an offended bark. It’s totally overkill and not even slightly necessary. 

Tim isn’t complaining, just–well–

It’s really flustering. 

“Air Superboy up, up, and away!” Superboy says cheerfully as they float up over the others’ heads. His face is way too close to Tim’s face. 

Tim is gonna need a bit longer to collect himself this time, he’s pretty sure. 

“Do I get an in-flight meal?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. Superboy laughs, which is even worse than his grin, and then takes off across the beachfront with him. It’s another bridal carry, which is quietly mortifying but could be worse, probably. Maybe. 

Somehow. 

Superboy flies them straight across the beach and then straight out over the water, skimming them along just above the waves. Tim makes a briefly startled noise, reflexively tightening his grip on the strap of his bag. 

“This isn’t waterproof,” he says just as reflexively, and Superboy laughs again. 

“I’m not gonna drop you, dude,” he says. Tim actually more assumed Superboy was intending to either dive-bomb them both into the water or just dump him in on purpose, because that seems like Superboy’s sense of humor, but maybe that was an unfair assumption. 

He really is not prepared for how it feels to be held in close against Superboy’s bare chest and arms like this, even if he’s still wearing a shirt himself. The idea of possibly doing that while they’re both wet seems a lot worse. 

Yeah. Definitely worse. 

Tim should’ve worn long sleeves. And maybe a wetsuit. And maybe a few layers on top of that. 

Jesus. 

“I’m gonna hold you to that,” he says, barely resisting the urge to loop his arms around Superboy’s neck as the other hangs a right and swoops them back around towards shore. Flying over the water like this is a pretty cool experience, admittedly, now that he’s not worried about Superboy dumping him in the water. 

Well. Less worried, anyway. 

Camera next time, Tim promises himself, glancing back over Superboy’s shoulder towards the shining horizon. The sun reflects off the waves bright and beautiful, and the sky is a smooth and perfect blue dotted with sparse but billowing clouds, and everything smells like salt and sea and leather, which is probably Superboy, even without the jacket on anymore. 

Definitely camera next time.

“Definitely holding you to that, actually,” he says, and Superboy laughs again and brings them down in the surf just past the tideline with a splash. Neither the splash or the water goes high enough to soak Tim's bag, so he figures it could've been worse. 

Assuming Superboy isn't planning to toss him or anything before he can put his bag down somewhere safe, anyway. 

They both settle down into the surf and onto their feet, and Tim becomes very aware of how close together they’re standing and also how very, very shirtless Superboy is, and in fact the only thing between their soulmarks is the very thin layer of cotton of Tim’s own shirt, and if he leaned in just a little bit . . . 

Jesus, Tim thinks faintly, and forces himself to take a step back before he can make it weird. 

He smiles Generically Pleasant Civilian Smile #2 just to make sure he doesn’t look like a creep or anything, and Superboy grins excitedly at him. Tim allows himself all of two seconds to be overwhelmed by that gorgeous expression and their physical closeness and the reflection of the light in Superboy’s eyes, as bright and perfectly blue as both the sky and water, and then reasserts standard operating procedures and keeps Generically Pleasant Civilian Smile #2 locked in place on his face. 

“The water’s really warm,” he observes, glancing down at it. “Is that normal?” 

It’s probably not an impending supervillain thing, he tells himself. 

Maybe global warming or something, though.

“I mean, feels normal to me?” Superboy says with a shrug. Tim considers mentioning the average ocean temperature, comparatively speaking, or at least the average temperature of the water off the docks in Gotham. Admittedly, Gotham waters barely count as “water”, legally speaking, but that’s not the point. 

“It’s pretty out here,” he says instead, and Superboy grins at him and leans in. He’s pretty sure it’s more an instinctive thing than a deliberate one, just from the way Superboy does it, but that doesn’t exactly make it less flattering. 

Or flustering. 

“I mean, it’s Hawaii, man!” Superboy says, grinning wider before kicking at the surf. “‘Course it’s gonna be pretty!” 

Actually you specifically are possibly the prettiest damn thing that I have ever seen, Tim thinks, but isn’t stupid enough to actually let out of his mouth. Superboy, unfortunately, continues to be all warm and grinning and lit up by the island sun. Tim did not come prepared enough for this. 

“I don’t know, I’m pretty sure I’d be the guy who came to Hawaii and got a monsoon,” Tim says wryly, and Superboy laughs brightly. 

Tim really did not come prepared enough for this. Like, not at all. Not even slightly. 

“Guess you’d just have to come back, then,” Superboy says, grinning wider again and kicking at the surf again as he floats back up out of it. It’s–weird, a little, looking up at him like this. 

Well, not weird, just . . . yeah. 

Something like that. 

“Guess so,” Tim agrees, feeling embarrassingly flustered. Superboy’s friends can probably still see them from the porch, distant though it is, but part of him is still just considering very weird and dumb ideas like maybe tugging Superboy back down to earth and into the surf and just . . . confirming the little sexuality crisis he’s been having since breaking into the other’s file and seeing their soulmark in it, maybe. 

Just, you know, ruling things out. Making deductions. Going through the process of elimination. 

Kissing him, maybe. 

He could very, very much kiss Superboy right now. They’re on a gorgeous beach in the surf and under the sun and Superboy is floating in front of him and grinning as happy and excited as could be and Tim’s stomach is fluttering in a stupid and also-embarrassing way, and . . . 

He could kiss him. That’s all. 

“I mean, it’s a nice place to visit, right?” Superboy says casually, linking his hands together behind his back. 

“The tourism industry seems to think so,” Tim says wryly, and wonders what the “normal civilian who didn’t come here specifically looking for his soulmate to kidnap/salvage him to begin with” thing to say is here. He has absolutely no idea, because he actually has absolutely no idea how normal civilians react to superheroes. Robin is . . . not exactly an urban myth, necessarily, but definitely not a publicly-recognized superhero. He’s a vigilante that’s just barely allowed to operate outside the law, and not one with any kind of publicity or celebrity involved. 

eSuperboy, on the other hand, is not only a superhero, but a professional superhero. He’s selling his likeness and doing events and has signed a stupid predatory contract with a sleaze of a manager that technically shouldn’t even be legal, given Superboy isn’t even considered a legal person by the government. Apparently no one has ever realized that, though, or at least no one’s ever let Superboy realize that. 

Tim really doesn’t love that that’s a thing, to put it mildly. 

Actually, he just fucking hates it. 

Superboy laughs, and looks very, very pretty doing it. Tim continues to wonder what a normal civilian would do here, and for lack of a better idea falls back on small talk. 

God, his best plan right now is small talk. What is his life, even? 

No wonder he’s gonna have to take six months to kidnap Superboy, ugh.

“So, uh–this seems like a weird question to be bringing up this late in the conversation, but what’s your name?” he asks, because it’s occurred to him that he actually has no idea what Superboy goes by when he’s off-duty. He knows he doesn’t have a secret identity, of course, but there’s no way his friends just call him “Superboy”. Well–maybe his slimy asshole manager does, but otherwise. “I mean, if that’s okay to ask. Marks or not, I understand if you don’t feel like we’re there yet, given the whole superhero thing and all.” 

Robin knows Superboy doesn’t have a secret identity, after all, but Tim Drake is a normal civilian and shouldn’t act like he knows too much about any superhero in general, so–

“Naw, it’s fine, I don’t even have one,” Superboy says, for some reason just beaming at him, which is . . . weird, Tim thinks, but nowhere near as weird as that answer is. 

“You don’t . . . have one?” he repeats slowly, and Superboy shrugs easily. “Like–not at all?” 

“Yeah, everybody pretty much just calls me 'Kid' or 'SB', when it's not Superboy,” Superboy says. “Oh, and Knockout calls me 'Pup' when she's around but like, that's really just a 'her' thing. So, you know, you can call me whatever.” 

Tim stares blankly at him for a long, long moment, speed-runs all five stages of grief, and also discovers a couple of new and unexpected ones. 

Alright. Well, he officially regrets literally nothing about this impending kidnapping. 

“Oh, okay,” he says. “Um–sorry, I guess I just assumed you’d have a more . . . civilian-ish name too, I guess?” 

“I’m a clone, man,” Superboy says, looking amused. “The only other name I’ve got is ‘Experiment Thirteen’, which is definitely not something I answer to."

Tim discovers a few more stages of grief that hit with all the subtlety of a spiked baseball bat and makes himself nod as much like a normal person as he can. 

“Yeah, I don’t think I’d go for that one if I were you either,” he says. “Kind of a mouthful, if nothing else.” 

Superboy laughs, then grins at him again. He is actually doing so, so much of that, Tim’s realizing. Tim was really not prepared for how much of that he’s been doing, in fact. He just did not come prepared for any of that at all. He’s got some nebulous kidnapping plans, but everything else here–from the supervillain attack to Superboy’s ripped suit and exposed soulmark–has been a crime of opportunity. 

He probably should’ve done more research. Actually, he definitely should’ve done more research. He kind of just panicked and bought a ticket and flew right over, and just because Dick didn’t stop him doesn’t mean it was a good idea. He just–he should’ve done more research. Planned more. Not shown up without something concrete. 

Admittedly Superboy doesn’t hate him yet or anything, but this was just . . . yeah, this was not his brightest idea at all. Not even slightly. 

Why didn’t he do more research? 

“You really can just call me whatever you wanna, don’t worry about it,” Superboy says with an easy shrug as he settles back down into the surf, which, unfortunately, puts him back into kissing range and is therefore incredibly distracting. 

Dammit, Tim thinks, trying to beat his stupid teenage hormones into order. 

“Whatever I wanna?” he repeats. 

“Except for Experiment Thirteen,” Superboy says with another grin. Tim politely pretends not to notice the slight tightening of the corners of his mouth as he says the word “experiment”. 

“Uh, okay,” he says, clearing his throat. He guesses Superboy doesn’t really care what his name is, then, but being told to just call him whatever he wants to is . . . well, a weird feeling, maybe. “What do you do when you just want to be a civilian for a while, though?” 

“I don’t,” Superboy says. 

“. . . don’t . . . what?” Tim asks slowly, not sure if he should be dreading the answer or not, but–

“Be a civilian,” Superboy says. 

Tim’s running out of new stages of grief, he’s pretty sure. 

“Ah,” he says. 

Superboy–for a second, Tim thinks he looks self-conscious, but then he’s grinning again before he can be sure, and . . . 

“Why would I?” Superboy says, puffing up proudly. “I’m Superboy, man! Nothing else I’d rather be.” 

Given how limited Superboy’s options for anything “else” he could be probably are . . . well, Tim’s not sure what to think of that statement. 

He doesn’t think it’s anything good, though. 

Yeah, no, he thinks as he looks at Superboy’s too-bright grin and thinks about how he just said "nothing" and not "no one". Definitely not anything good. 

Who wouldn’t pick being “Superboy” over being “Experiment Thirteen”, after all? 

And what else would Superboy even know how to pick, if he thought those were his only options?

#timkon #tim drake #kon el #conner kent #dc robin #superboy #wip: kidnapping your soulmate for fun and profit

[spiritofdragonfire]

My thoughts on Transformers: Earthspark Episodes 1-10

I. Absolutely. LOVED IT!!!

I haven't been as obsessed with an animated Transformers series since Transformers Prime! You better believe that I counted down the days until it premiered on Paramount+

It does my heart good to see such an amazing new Transformers show!

Loved all the characters, both old & new!

I love how all the female characters (both Cybertronian & human) are beautiful, intelligent, & absolutely badass!

So cool to see Megatron & Optimus fighting on the same side as old friends & brothers in arms.

I also loved the bond between Megatron & Dorthy! So cute! I'm most eager to learn how she met & befriended the former leader of the Decepticons.

I love the interactions between Megatron & Dottie, as well as his interactions with Optimus, the young Terrans, & the human kids.

Dorthy is incrediblely badass! You don't wanna mess with mama bear & her family, because she will seriously mess you up!

The way the Malto family adopted the Terrans as their own was beyond heartwarming!

Can't get over how adorable all the Terrans are! Such sweet cinnamon rolls that much be protected no matter what!

The bond the Terrans share with the Malto family, especially Robby & Mo, is so cute & precious!

After watching the first couple episodes this morning, I was so in loved with it that I couldn't help but count down the hours until I got off work this evening to finish the rest of the season!

Beautiful animation, lovely & diverse characters, great storyline, awesome retro music, & OH MY GOD the references were absolute gold! I was smiling, cackling, & losing my mind the whole time like an absolute madwoman!

The fight & action scenes are so well done! So many awesome shots!

Loved Soundwave's badass design, & his cassette bots were pretty cool as well.

Starscream is coming...& Steve Blum is voicing him AGAIN!!!

Currently can't stop obsessing over this new series & I CANNOT wait for the next season!

If you like Transformers, you have to check out this spectacular new show!

#transformers #transformers earthspark #tf earthspark #tfes #optimus prime #megatron #bumblebee #malto family #thrash malto #twitch malto #thrash #twitch #terrans #robby malto #mo malto #dorthy malto #alex malto #transformers g1 #autobots #decepticons #autobots roll out

[acaplaya-musings]

Voiceplay Visuals: Hoist The Colours

Oh boy, we're heading into the big ones now!

Hoist The Colours was uploaded on September 18, 2021, and features Jose Rosario Jr in his second collaboration with Voiceplay. This one stunned a lot of reactors (one of them, Dennis King of King Family Reacts, literally got up and left the room after the video was finished because he had been rendered speechless by it!), and the video currently sits at 4.6 million views (close to 4.7!) (EDIT/UPDATE: as of the night of the 8th of March, it's now at 4.7, close to 4.8!). So without further ado, let's get right into this one, and hope I don't have to start paying attention to my screenshot count!

Can you believe this was only Cesar's second (full-length) video as a full-time Voiceplay member? Because wow

(Also interestingly enough, Rick Underwood is credited with makeup in the video description (shoutout to Rick!) but no one is credited with costuming, so did everyone just acquire their outfits themselves or what?)

Geoff was in charge of the video creation for this one, as well as doing the arrangement, and he worked together with Eli for the lighting design, so big shoutout to Geoff! (And as always to Eli the lighting whiz)

OKAY a few things to talk about here

First of all, love the set design, it's like the Little Mermaid Medley but on steroids and more pirate themed! Also love the horn-playing skeleton on the left-hand side of the screen (took me a while to notice it ngl 😅)

And of course the outfits/costuming! I can't really think of a lot of things to say individually right now, but there was 100% a lot of thought and effort that went into the clothes (even if the description won't specify who acquired the clothes. I'm going to assume Geoff, since the overall video credit goes to him.)

Oh hey it's my blog banner/background, or close enough to it at least! (Hoist The Colours has a decent few very cool visual moments that are totally screencap-worthy, and of course that's what I'm here for - to point them out!)

Geoff may play the villain (or otherwise just-generally-creepy/spooky/scary guy) a lot in videos, but as of the last few years at least, Eli's often been looking like the one that you really don't wanna pick a fight with. (Also cool ring, and is that fake scar tissue on his head?)

This is a better shot of everyone's outfits actually. A few notes on everyone (except Eli, who I just talked about?)

Cesar: Very ghostly, especially with the cloudy contact lens in one eye. Love the white coat/jacket, and love the pop of colour with the red sash! Also what is he holding/shaking? I thought it was a set of old-fashioned keys, but it doesn't look like it.

Jose: The "captain" of this "motley crew", obviously. Cool coat, and love the sword.

Layne: Not too much going on with his outfit, relatively speaking, but I love the bit of eyeliner under his eyes, and the fake scar on his cheek! (Seriously Rick did a great job here, as he always does)

Geoff: Wearing at least two necklaces, and in true Geoff Castellucci fashion, he's got the top two buttons of his shirt undone (well, gotta show off those necklaces! 😉😁). ALSO, bonus thing that I literally only just realized after taking this screencap, is that Geoff has "VP" on his right arm, done in a way that makes it look like like scar tissue I believe.

That is seriously a very cool and very smooth transition. Who edited this? Was that Geoff too? (Also Crazy Eyes Layne!)

As I figured, one of the necklaces Geoff is wearing, the gold one, is for costume purposes, and the other one, the silver one with the diamond-shaped pendant, is the necklace from Kathy that Geoff basically never takes off (bless him <3 )

I think Cesar's holding old-fashioned shackles/handcuffs or something?

Hang on that skeleton on the left lost his little horn/trumpet and got stabbed?? 😅😂

Yeah Layne had fun in this one I can tell 😁 (also his vest is more detailed than first appears! Very nice!)

What a really freaking awesome shot/moment. In terms of "money shots", these two might in fact be two of the most awesome stills from any Voiceplay video ever (or so far, anyway).

He's got charisma, I'll give him that (also cool necklace!)

How are they just an independent acapella group that make YouTube videos that we can all watch for free? Like seriously, this is top tier stuff (both in terms of the video and the song cover itself), but this wasn't even Voiceplay at their peak! Voiceplay doesn't have a peak! They don't stick to a lane, they take "risks", they get creative, they will sing pretty much anything, and it works

Voiceplay says in the description "we may have gotten a little carried away with this one", but honestly would it really be Voiceplay if they didn't?

Anyway, I've got many more awesome videos ahead of me to write about, so stay tuned!

#voiceplay #acapella #hoist the colours #geoff castellucci #eli jacobson #layne stein #cesar de la rosa #jose rosario jr #acaplaya analysis #voiceplay visuals

[daylightcommand3]

TMNT TO ME: 2012 Season 2

My memories of episodes. Any episodes not included are ones I completely forgot about. (Now with pictures!)

Anytime MOUSERS appear in an episode, this image will appear to show my love for them:

This image will be seen a lot in this personal retrospective:

Mutation Situation

A very fun return to the series. I remember feeling like the second season started not too long after the end of the last one. Probably because there were pretty sizable gaps between episodes often. While an unusual and unnerving opponent, the fight scene with the Biotroid goes hard, especially when everything literally goes sideways.

Invasion of the Squirrelanoids

Properly horrifying.

Follow the Leader

Love Footbots. Ever since Shredder allied with the Kraang, I was wondering why he didn't use robot soldiers. The normal Foot Soldiers were clearly useless.

Mutagen Man Unleashed

Even in mutated form, Timothy is still a pain in the ass. They should have shattered him. Awesome design though. This episode was my introduction to love triangles, though at the time I merely thought of Casey as an obstacle to Donnie x April, not as a rival. Speaking of Casey, even though I had no knowledge of previous incarnations (or that previous incarnations existed) I knew Casey was going to be someone big as they put emphasis on his name reveal.

Mikey Gets Shellacne

Great to see Baxter again. I plan to make a whole post on this in the future, but I didn't like Rahzar (I'm lukewarm on him currently). Seeing Dogpound be discontinued was and still is disappointing. I mainly didn't like this episode because Mikey looked so disgusting. I made sure to avoid this episode.

Target: April O'Neil

Chrome Dome was also cool.

Slash and Destroy

Intense. Not even Shredder hurt the boys this badly. In this episode they were all limping and bruised and maskless. It was as insane for me then as it is now. The lack of masks really showcase how vulnerable they were. This episode cemented Slash as one of the turtles' biggest threats for me. The pain the turtles were in made it clear how much Slash wanted them DEAD. He had them beaten to a bloody pulp.

The Good, The Bad, and Casey Jones

My first thought when Casey’s fear of rats was revealed was “Gee, I hope for his sake he doesn’t face the Rat King.”

The Kraang Conspiracy

The turtles gaining another human ally made me more certain that Irma would join the group.

Fungus Humongous

I know I watched the premiere of this episode. I think it was around this episode where I started getting sick of Donnie's crush of April. I was rolling my eyes when his greatest fear was April hating him.

Metalhead Rewired

Very fun episode. It was great to see SpiderBytez and Snakeweed again. They had such cool designs and were the DNA for the beginning of the show. It always bothered me we never saw more of them. It's always nice to see Metalhead. Catching all the Star Wars references was so cool to me because back then I was a bigger fan of Star Wars.

Of Rats and Men

This episode convinced me that Irma was going to join the turtles once she learned about them. She was helping them fight the Rat King. The scene of her helping the turtles (without her knowing) reminded me heavily of how Casey helped the turtles fight Mutagen Man (without him knowing).

The Manhattan Project

An absolute banger of a mid-season special. Both new threats were great. Loved the Kraathatrogons. Big worms are always fun. They were all a nice challenge for Donnie, April, and Casey. The real star of this episode was Tiger Claw. The show does an amazing job of setting him up. Instead of just saying he's a force to be reckoned with, they prove it (unlike a certain canine and fish). Tiger Claw easily takes down the turtles on his own. He goes toe-to-toe with Splinter for a good while (unlike a certain canine and fish both going down in one hit). Tiger Claw's plan allows him to successfully capture Splinter. He gets an incredible amount done in his special. He cemented himself as one of the turtles' most powerful and skilled foes.

Mazes & Mutants

Great to see Leatherhead again! Even if wasn’t actually him. I was not the biggest fan of Rockwell's return. Not being a Lord of the Rings fan made this episode a bit grating with its constant references.

The Lonely Mutation of Baxter Stockman

Throughout the series I was wondering when Stockman would become a mutant. Most humans in this series don't stay human for long, so for Stockman to be human for a whole season and a half was an anomaly. Thankfully this episode beautifully delivered. Stockman-Fly rocks. Love his changed voice. Love his new design with the big claw hand (big fan of asymmetry). The sideways mouth was a disgustingly amazing detail. It was everything I was hoping for from a mutation of my favorite bad guy. The final fight with everyone having different means of traveling through the air was so much fun also.

Newtralized!

Newtralizer and Slash made a pretty cool duo. Loved the Kraang-Walker. It was the coolest shit I’ve ever seen. I would have loved a toy of it. Once again, huge Star Wars fan at the time. The end frame for this episode was one of the coolest. It perfectly captured how Newtralizer would return, stronger than ever.

Pizza Face

Everyone disregarding Mikey annoyed me to no end. Still does.

The Wrath of Tiger Claw

An epic return by one of TMNT's coolest villains and a satisfying moment with Karai's realization.

The Legend of the Kuro Kabuto

This is my favorite episode. It just has so much good stuff going for it. The introduction starts off strong. The reintroduction to Steranko (or Weapons Dealer to a young me) does wonders to catch you off your feet. His collection is cool, unique, and a great way to establish the resources this man has available and why he specifically wants the helmet. Zeck's (or Master Thief as I knew him) introduction perfectly captures his goofy and zany personality that I loved. More importantly, it showcased that he liked being thief. He didn't have to steal the spear of destiny. He didn't have to make a replica out of marzipan. He especially didn't have to make Weapons Dealer lick it. But Master Thief did because he wanted to. His introduction makes it clear that (unlike Fishface) Master Thief loves being a master thief. It's not just a profession; it's a passion. He jumps with joy and laughs when stealing. And I agree with that one message board user who said that Master Thief using his mohawk as a weapon is amazing. I liked the lore dump over the Kuro Kabuto. It's so cool to hear the history of The Foot Clan and Shredder's iconic helmet. This particular flashback is so intriguing because for all the grandiosity put behind Koga Takuza, he is never brought up again. The idea of the helmet granting leadership of the Foot Clan is constantly referenced in later seasons, but the founder is only mentioned once, despite the amount of buildup and focus in the flashback. Strange. After the flashback, we get to the highlight of the episode: The Foot Clan on a mission. This episode briefly flips the script of a normal episode. Usually, the turtles are running through the rooftops on a mission. In this episode, the mutant henchman are running through the rooftops on a mission. They even split up into pairs just like the turtles do. Seeing them banter was cathartic. Sad that Stockman couldn't say anything this episode, but his "conversation" with Fishface was still good. Tiger Claw and Rahzar's conversation was obviously a highlight. The chase for the helmet and the fight over it were both so fun. Still, Master Thief managed to steal the show. The line:

"Why is this town so full of freaks?!"

is stuck in my head. All his lines and bits are just so funny. He was so gleefully smug as he made his escape. He even took his defeat in stride. Weapons Dealer basically says to him: "I'm going to beat the ever-loving shit out of you." And Master Thief says:

"That's to be expected."

I thought it was a shame that we would never see him again. He was clearly made to be a one-time enemy.

I was also not expecting Karai bomb.

Plan 10

I remember the marketing for this episode more than the actual episode.

"Who's who? And what happened to Raph?"

I also remember the "pinching your own butt" joke being heavily featured in the trailers.

Vengeance is Mine

I cannot forget this episode. I can never forget this episode.

I always rationalized Leo’s goal of freeing Karai as “Leo loves his family and will do anything for them. Of course he’ll try to save his sister.”

But then, in this episode, you can pinpoint the exact moment my stomach drops.

The two following shots confirmed my horror.

(Brings back painful memories, doesn't it?)

I was nauseous after this brief scene. I nearly didn't finish this episode. The "reward" for finishing this episode was discovering that Karai's inbetween form at the very end was the creepiest shit I had ever seen.

A Chinatown Ghost Story

I could swear this episode came WAY earlier in the season.

Into Dimension X!

I was so excited to see Leatherhead again (for real this time). Dimension X is a fun and wacky place. And it's so good to see Mikey put his brothers in their place. And make them listen to him.

The Invasion

"Finally, it took the whole season, but Irma is finally joining the group."

I was flabbergasted at the reveal, especially since it was Iago from Aladdin of all things. The season finale did not pull any punches. Casey and Raph running through the streets was a sight to behold. Leo's gauntlet was intense. The mech was epic. Leatherhead vs Shredder was everything I ever wanted. Even without the context of previous incarnations, the window scene is unforgettable.

Me seeing April's Dad being mutated AGAIN:

Splinter's defeat was also punch to the gut. I knew he wasn't dead, but still.

The team leaving for the woods was a dour yet perfect note to end the season on.

Looking Back

According to my memories, season 2 was the height of my devotion to TMNT 2012. I was glued to the TV and made sure to catch every episode. I can’t say the same for the following seasons, but that is a story for another time.

Tune in next time when I shall go over my experiences with TMNT gaming.

#tmnt 2012 #tmnt #tmnt to me #teenage mutant ninja turtles

[richardsphere]

Leverage Log: The Last Dam Job

"all a man has in this world is three things: His business, his posessions and his name". Well thanks for telling Nate exactly what to take away from you. I'll admit the name might be most difficult but should be doable. "They're my team..." "I certainly know them better then you"... Ok so that explains why we had the cocoa futures con. Because they were trying to seed the idea of a con-by-proxy. But that con relied in it being a mere distraction, which is why they could afford amateurs. Having the professional con-artist see through the con was part of the con. It wont be here.

Which means Nate's gonna outsource this con. Now im putting in the exact time in the episode where im analysing this. Its currently 1:49 in the episode. And im gonna make some guesses as to whom we're getting this episode.

Mastermind, Grifter, Hitter, Hacker, Thief.

I think Nate might still be the mastermind, because he doesnt have to be up front in the con for that. I mean there is

Grifter is gonna be Tara.

Hitter... I dont think we have much for that, there arent a lot of Back-up Elliots around in this show. There's his friend from the Boys Night Out, and there's his distaff counterpart from the Van Gogh Job. (by which i mean the first Van Gogh job, where everyone was up against their equivalents. The woman who was former Mossad or something?) Im betting on her,

Hacker: We literally only have Chaos, if there is a second hacker im forgetting then im blanking entirely. So i think we're going for "tell everyone Chaos will betray them. But we do with what we must" situation.

Thief: Its strange how Parker has three counterparts and everyone else has only 1 or 2 up for grabs. But Thief could be Archie, Himbo-lupin or Apollo. Now i've already bet on at least 2 members of that crew so its not gonna be Apollo, and i dont think Himbo is as likely as Archie is. (especially with last episodes plot being thematically linked to his debut episode, and this being a two-parter that is verry much about family and parental relationships) So my prediction: Nate is still mastermind, but he probably has a decoy. Tara Chaos and Archie are locked in. And I dont think that Distaff Elliot whose name isnt coming to mind RN would willingly work with Chaos again, so probably pull his friend back?

Those are my predictions. Time to let time resume ---" "welcome to the next time". Congrats on the directors and actor for selling a line that stupid. Its not a good line but they somehow made it work. (8/10)

"Dubenich is already in jail what's left to do to him" Sophie, you know Nate. There is so much left to do to him. --- Ok yeah, its a proxy-job like the Futures Con. Also shout out to last episodes creative use for duct-tape as an improv weapon, it was awesome but i didnt feel like stopping to write it. But combined with this seasons use of the Wurlitzer pipe and now the fire extinguishers for a blinding chemical excellerant gun that serves as a bludgeon i want to compliment the fight choreographer or whatever position is in charge of that decision. You did good work this season.

---

So to see if my predictions are right: Quinn. I have to admit i dont know who you are. I think you might've been a hired goon from an earlier episode but I did not remember you. Archie! I almost feel like I shouldn't score you. But also, Parker has the most non-imprisoned foils in the show so you actually had the most competetion for the thief slot. I wonder what is going through Bio-daughter's mind. "Dad has a second family?" Chaos. Because every episode needs a designated moment where the plan seems to get fucked, and a designated traitor was the simplest call.

Im counting three not five. Thats suspicious. Now Tara famously got introduced by being in disguise for an entire episode so she might be a man on the inside when our heists get called. But so far im gonna call it as 2/3, with a possible "nate is still mastermind" for 3/4 ---

Cant really read the glass-board. But also, every bone in my body says this episode could've ended right this moment as Dubenich looks at the glass board. I think it was the Season 1 finale where Hardison blew up HQ? Using Dubenich own signature move against him, in a way that directly parallels the S1 finale? That would've been the move. --- Hardison and Chaos in total agreement for the one time in their life. (they are right, this is legally a batcave)

Archie straight for the jugular. (also tasers, good to see where Parker gets it from) --- "How many fingers do you need to type? round down!" Im sorry for not remembering you existed allright. --- Ooh i love the invasive species ploy. Its simple yet genius. --- Double-heist! Stealing the sword and destroying the entire vault! Dubenich realises he fucked up in his conversation with Nate. (always love it when the mark is just smart enough to realise how he fucked up). --- Elliot almost shooting Dubenich... Quinn and him are bros. --- and that is Maggie! I'll admit, i expected Tara. But i guess she meets the "someone who is not in the game" requirement. Shows got one over on me twice. 2/4.

"if temptation counted as cheating no marriage would last for a year", and going straight for the jugular with Jim. --- Chemical Warfare! Drug a guy and smuggle him off to the fucking Cayman Islands. With all the goods you stole from him. (remember, if Nate has a "signature move" its framing them for Insurance Fraud.) --- -"I do care" -"how does that feel" -"getting used to it" --- "my son would be ashamed of me if I was a murderer... My father on the other hand, he's buy me an ice-cream". good line. 9/10. Ah, Now i understand the importance of the experimental job. Seeding Prisoners Dilemma in the audience awareness so Nate can play them against eachother in the finale. Good one. --- BIG KISS! --- I like how they ask nate if they can keep the cave, like little kids asking their parents about a stray dog that has been following them around.

#leverage season 4 #leverage #the last dam job

[maverick-werewolf]

Werewolf News - Seasonal Werewolf Product Roundup

The time of year is well underway - my very favorite season... fall! And why is fall my favorite season? Well, it’s not just because it comes before Christmas and also has my birthday - it’s because of Halloween!

Since I keep up with so much werewolf news and stuff anyway, I figure I will start making werewolf news posts here on the blog. Here’s the first one! It’s a bit late due to delays, but here it is anyway.

You can find the links in the titles for each product. This isn’t a full roundup yet, but just some of my favorite things I’ve found.

First up, have a cuddly werewolf...

Build a Bear Werewolf 2022 (currently on sale, as of this post!)

You may not know this about me, but I am a huge plushie collector and enthusiast. I love plushies (I dream of having my own plushie company someday; I’m actually working toward this). And I collect every werewolf plushie possible. It’s difficult, because scalpers love them and there are very few made. A werewolf plushie can end up being worth a lot if you can get your hands on one. Of course, I don’t want them for value, I want them because they are cute and awesome.

I may prefer my werewolves terrifying and fearsome, but look, I just love plushies, okay?

So here is a new plushie out for this season - Build a Bear has a werewolf plush, if you’re interested. I’ve been collecting these every year when I can. This design isn’t quite as good as the last two, because it has no glow-in-the-dark stitching, at least that I see mentioned anywhere, and the addition of brown in the yellow eyes is a weird choice.

But, regardless, it’s a very cute design, especially if you missed the last few years. I also can recommend the bubblegum scent, if you’re into scented plushies. It’s a great smell and not overwhelming, but it can be useful if there’s an offensive odor around.

Next up is possibly among the very coolest werewolf decorations I’ve ever seen for Halloween...

Home Depot’s 9.6-foot tall werewolf!

This big bad wolf is absolutely amazing. His mouth has a light in it, his eyes are LEDs that blink and move, he is absolutely freaking enormous and comes on a huge metal stand to keep him sturdy, he’s weatherproof, and he moves and he even howls and it sounds great (and looks great).

If I was rich, I’d buy this dude instantly. I’ve always wanted to have really awesome werewolf decorations like this guy. Sadly, I am not only not rich, I am completely broke, and I absolutely do not have the cash to spare to get this.

But if you do, then get him, because I’m not sure we’re ever gonna see a werewolf decoration as awesome as this. I have seen a few that kind of compare, but really, I’m not sure any of them quite stack up to this guy.

Home Depot has a few other werewolves, too...

Home Depot Macho Man Werewolf

This is an adorable little dude, and if the Home Depot within an hour of me actually had one in stock and/or delivered, I would get one immediately. Standing only at 13 inches, this guy can fit on your desk.

He also comes with animation and music; see the page for details.

And lastly, we have something pretty strange...

Home Depot Werewolf Pathway Lights

Home Depot went all out this year on werewolf products! I checked Lowes and I found one sad, broken werewolf hanging in an aisle, but I looked online and found all this werewolf stuff at Home Depot. I’m impressed.

This is the most hilarious one: werewolf pathway lights. These little dudes are pretty awesome, I gotta say. I’d buy them too if I could.

That’s all the news for now!

Give me a follow to get ready for this Halloween’s big werewolf fact and even more werewolf updates (including the release of my own werewolf books coming later this year and early next year)!

#werewolf #werewolves #werewolf news #werewolf plush #plush #plushie #build a bear #werewolf wednesday #werewolfwednesday #lycanthropy #lycanthrope #halloween #werewolf merch #werewolf products #halloween decorations #home depot #wolf man #wolfman

[cherryberg]

Your top 3 musicals ever gogogo gogo ogo go

HEEEEELPPPPP HEEEEEEEEEEEEELPPPPPPP aough .... ardate please you have to understand that i Have to understand that my taste in musicals are very limited now. when you were a musical girlie in 2016, you leave that shit behind for a few hundred years and now have to rebuild all of that again from scratch with a new appreciation so...

this went longer than expected so the list goes Marvin Trilogy, Fun Home, School of Rock. more under the cut smiles

Marvin Trilogy

In Trousers, Falsettos [March of the Falsettos, Falsettoland]

Fav Songs, excluding obvious fan-favourites: Can't Sleep, How Marvin Eats His Breakfast, My Father's a Homo/Everyone Tells Jason to See a Psychiatrist, Round Tables Square Tables, etc

i don't know many, but man. i like a good sung-through musical. means i can listen to the whole soundtrack from start to finish and have cohesively consumed a whole narrative. and tbh? falsettos, but even in trousers too, don't really have Bad songs. i've listened to the falsettos 2016 revival and in trousers 1979 original cast soundtracks dozens of times (both separately and together). which, i mean. compared to the other musicals i have here, i haven't even listened to their whole soundtracks (which. to be fair i did see those live). and yeah you have the really good songs that Everyone likes. the Thrill of First Loves and the Whizzer Going Downs and what have you, but you listen to the tracks a second time, or maybe watch the proshot again, and you get the smaller less-appreciated songs in your head. not included in the fav songs list because that thing's long, but i love A Breakfast Over Sugar. i get Set Those Sails and A Marriage Proposal and Miracle of Judaism stuck in my head. and its great! not to mention just how good and how important the story is .. i could go on but aough ..... long

Fun Home

Fav Songs: Edges of the World, Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue, Telephone Wire, currently being annoying about Raincoat of Love

PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES

yeah man. saw this one for school. still have the ticket actually. but Because i did it for school, i have so much analysis and thoughts up here, it's maybe too long and specific. and also for like. a specific production that no one on tumblr would've watched. i would give anything to see that production again though. it wouldn't be the same as seeing it live, Especially during certain moments, but goodness gracious, man. the set design, the lighting, and that revolving stage? absolutely everything to me... so well integrated. just... mwah

School of Rock

Fav Songs: Stick It to the Man, Act 2 Scene 8: Dewey's Bedroom. You're in the Band .. mehbeh

Um... I don't really.. have a third that I can think of that's on par. But, it's School of Rock. It's awesome. my sibling had a track record of not liking musicals when they had to come and see it with me (when i still went out to watch musicals aough ...), but I think this was the first one they really liked - enough for me to get them a key ring of the show! (they cried during If Only You Would Listen too :]) It was a wonderful performance, and the kids were so good and coordinated too! They let us take pictures of the ending song ... which i just took a video of, so i still have that. I watched School of Rock during my ... hardcore theatre kid era though so.. i've got a few cringe worthy memories of it .. but yeah is good :]

I did see Moulin Rouge once as well, despite never having seen the movie, and that was very good as well. Though I'm not much for jukebox musicals (can't deny that Moulin Rouge tracks can be freakin' awesome though) and I think I was too busy ogling heehee

but yeah .. that's all :]

#askberg #textberg #ardate #aough .. smiles #this isnt too serious .. but hey ! this list

[kurosurintomasu]

How did giegue become brain damaged giegue?

[Writer's Note: This post took forever to friggin write. It's written in-character as this Purple Guy. Also, it may have a bit more than the answer you'd want. It's very text heavy. If you're using a screen reader, then you're gonna have a bad time, especially whenever there's images. Have a friend read this to you instead. There's gonna be a lot of shit explained, from DG's origins to Gen's life outside of this. So, press Keep Reading if you interested in those sorts of things. Here we go.]

Before I can answer your question, I have to give you a bit of backstory.

My name is Sangen Demoli, but my friends call me Gen. I am a demon. I live in hell as its (technical) ruler. I'm 13.8 billion years old, as I was one of the seven demons that were created along with the universe. My father is BUBBA. Here's a picture of him.

[Writer's note: Bubba (the big black one) and Herbert (the small white one), creators of the Universe. Image dated July 22, 2020. Drawn by @bowbi.]

I'm an easily entertained guy. I created Earth, and some of its inhabitants, such as the Colormen, who were created in my image. For 4.5-ish billion years, I've essentially done nothing but sit on my ass while the current actual ruler of hell, Lucifer, tortures all those sinning souls. Even though I created Earth, and along with it, Hell. Why does he get the awesome giant castle while I have to live in a shitty fucking mobile home?! It's bollocks, I say, bollocks!

(ahem) Anyways, it was only until the mid 80's, Earth years, that I decided to do something with my life. I decided to keep watch on a small, rabbit-ish type creature throughout its life, watching it grow old, and eventually die. It lived in a village, located in a cave, which itself was situated on a floating island. And a couple years later I learned it was actually a he, not an it.

The rabbit-thing's name? I uh. I forgot. All these years going by makes me forget a lot of things. I remember what he looked like though! Lemme just....

There, this is what he looked like. This is... um... the small rabbit-ish guy. I also remember he had a crush on a girl rabbit-y creature for all of his life... her name was... um... Toroko, I think. Can't remember for the life of me what she looked like though.

Anyways, I was like a sort of... guardian angel (guardian demon?) to the little dude. Watched him grow into a fine young man.

But then... disaster. Sometime in Earth year 2003, he was murdered. In cold blood. By... I don't remember, but it was either a red ogre-type thing, or some megalovaniac- I mean megalomaniac scientist wearing an evil hat. I can't recall.

But, he was dead. I grew so attached to this little goober's life, that when I saw his mangled corpse on the ground, I couldn't help but cry.

I also felt like I failed as a guardian. I just. I needed to do something. So started the first of my many "experimental projects". I dubbed this... "Project Doppelganger."

Here's a very basic re-enactment of what I did in the project.

Of course, this is just a basic re-telling. There was no "remake person" machine that I've made... or at least, there was one, but Project Doppelganger took so long to finish because of me having to design, program, and use the machine. And it finally finished... on Earth date July 10, 2003.

It was called Project Doppelganger due to the fact that I basically remade him in my image. Thing about it though, was that while he had his previous personality, he had essentially no memories of his past.

He didn't even know who he was, so I had to make up some sort of fake backstory for him (which I will not get into, as the Project you now know as DG learned exactly who he was back in Earth year 2022, much to his dismay. He hated me for months lmao) just to make him... less confused as to who he is.

What does this have to do with "Giegue?" though? I'm getting to it.

Essentially, after Project Doppelganger, I never experimented with these sorts of "Creation/Recreation of life" projects. I've made strange inventions, such as a Shard Finder, but nothing as massive as Project DG.

That was, up until earlier this year. DG was playing this game. It was called EarthBound. I saw him get up to the final boss. The little runt on the screen in the spider mech, Porky Minch, unleashed what I can only describe as a horrorterror found in a childrens game from the 90's.

I asked DG what this whole deal was, and he just... started explaining all of the lore. Like, all of it. From the whole "George and Maria" bullshit, to whatever the "Seven Needles" plotline is, and even treating a fanmade project known as "Cognitive Dissonance" as if it were official canon, and basically explaining that as well.

When I asked him what was up with the horrorterror on my screen, he lit up even more and started gushing about this "Giygas" character, as I know know it is named. He continuously talked about his species, and continued to gush on about how it was underutilized canonically or whatever.

So, after all that, he told me "Man, I wish aliens were real," sorta like that Splatoon "I wish squids were real" meme. But... that gave me an idea.

I went home, and started brainstorming.

Now, lemme ask you this. Have you ever heard of an "alternate universe" before? Of course you have, this is Tumblr, for crying out loud.

Basically, there are multiple universes held in one entire Multiverse. Millions upon billions of them, even. And each of those universes have multiple alternate timelines. Think Homestuck. Doomed timelines, and allat.

So, I did a bit of research, and found an alternate universe, much like the universe the MOTHER series takes place. And in it, an alternate, doomed timeline where...

The chosen four, Ness, Paula, Jeff, and Poo. They were all dead. Killed before they could pray the Universal Cosmic Destroyer out of existence.

And tens of thousands of years passed by with Giygas being this... amorphous brainless horrorterror, not knowing what he is doing, having no control over his actions....

What did I do about it?

I put him in a bag. Like, a tote bag or whatever. Just, shoved him inside.

So, I had Giygas now.

Kept him in a jar, like a bunch of preservatives, or pickles, or other... unsavory fluids. What was I gonna do with him now? I had no clue.

Then, DG's words echoed through my brain. He's only like this because he "...was torn to shreds, molecule by molecule, due to high amounts of stress, anger... and PSI power."

I then knew what I had to do. I asked myself, "Y'know what'd be funny?", and started work on my first "Creation/Recreation of life" project in 20 years, "Project: Reconstruction," named after the "Reconstructed X" enemies from Mother 3.

I gave myself two rules for the project, however. The first one? NO PSI. If PSI was one of the main factors of him becoming the UCD, then I'd think I'd rather prevent that from happening to the VOIDLANDS.

Rule 2? No prior memories. Mostly because I don't want some evil guy roaming around punching people or whatever just because he doesn't have PSI. Also, those daddy-issue memories are one of the other main factors of his... self-destruction. Once again, better safe than sorry.

Anyways, I essentially had no point of reference on what he used to look like, so I basically went on the internet and cross-referenced a whole lot of shit, like the Spriters Resource, Giygas-based Tumblr blogs such as askgiegueandcrew, and... well... Highly unsavory artwork posted on that one furry art site (you know the one) just to get a basic reference for what I wanted him to look like.

[Writers' Note: askgiegueandcrew was/is my main point of reference for whenever I draw Gieegs (though it now has a major touch of my own art-style put in it whenever i do draw them)]

I even drew a blueprint of what I wanted out of Project: Reconstruction.

Here it is. Now, if I had the vision I wanted perfectly fine, then by the project's completion, Earth Date July 10, 2023, it would look a lot like this, now wouldn't it? Then, why don't you tell me...

WHY DOESN'T MINE LOOK LIKE THAT?!?!?!

I kid, of course, I know exactly why.

I took a lot of shortcuts.

A lot of them, in fact.

As I was putting him back together, molecule by molecule, I wanted to be pretty lazy, so I took a lot of them, but just enough to get it to this sort of "acceptable" state. These shortcuts led to a lot of the things you Hellsite Browsers know him for, his dead/blind left eye, his... being shorter than I thought he'd be... the fact that some of his limbs are still very... Giygas-y, red mist-type stuff... And, to answer the original question, his major high-functioning autism. (Though, to be fair, there were also no mind pieces to be found, so I had to make do with other pieces.)

None of these disabilities hurt him, per se, he's living pretty happily I'd say. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

What did I decide to do to celebrate this "successful" project?

Give him to DG as a gift! I mean, it was the 20th anniversary of Project Doppelganger, wasn't it?

I'll let the following images speak for themselves.

Needless to say, DG was not at all happy with me. But then I explained what I did and, while still sort of pissed at me for BRINGING WHAT WAS ONCE THE UNIVERSAL COSMIC DESTROYER TO HIS HOUSE AS A BIRTHDAY PRESENT, he calmed down a bit. They live together now. I dont wanna say DG's happy about it, but I think he's happy about it.

And now, to answer your question, for realsies this time...

#still an artist #writing practice #in character #VOIDLANDS #DG #sangen demoli #earthbound #earthbound beginnings #cogdis #giegue #giygas #gieeg #cave story #long post

[niuniente]

I think you're super cool!

Any games that you really like?

I'm a long time follower of Tekken so I'm always happy when a new Tekken is announced :3

Resident Evil 4 is one of the best games I've played, even when I got stuck with it in such a way that there was no other way out than restart the whole game (they clearly hadn't thought about idiots like me who still can't aim near the end of the game lol). I'm excited for its remake!

I have played only the first Bayonetta but it was love at first sight! Everything in the first Bayonetta is like made for me. I especially love that the angels' are horrifying looking monsters from your nightmares.

I've been following Devil May Cry since the game was still on developers' table and we got first screenshots printed on a game magazine about it. Since DMC4 I haven't cared so much about it but I still follow the series and eventually will play each new game. I hope that now when the twin brothers Dante and Vergil are in Hell, DMC6 would literally be inspired by Dante's Inferno and Dante would go through Hell guided by Vergil. Such possibilities, aaaaah! ÖqÖ

Special mention goes to Katamari-series. In the game, you roll a round katamari and collect stuff with it to make stars (because the main character's father, The King of Cosmos, accidentally destroyed all planets). It's super fun to start from a small katamari and collect needles and stamps and paper clips and end up with a gigantic katamari collecting sky scrapers, small island and clouds! We Love Katamari is the 2nd installment and it's a game of how much people loved Katamari and wanted to roll more :D

I loved Pokemon Legend Arceus! I have never really played any Pokemon or followed the series but this was so cute and so entertaining I think I need to play more Pokemon games :3

Breath of Fire 3 is an amazing JRPG from the 90's. If you haven't played this, do yourself a favor AND PLAY IT. The story, the characters, the music. In what else game can you play as a mutated onion with cute screams?

Wild Arms 3 is also wonderful older JRPG. Very entertaining and straightforward to play. I'm currently still replaying it and this time I aim to finish it, as the last time 20 years ago I got stuck so badly I was unable to finish the game (it has some hard puzzles at times but luckily internet now exists in our pockets :D) Music is good!

From good music, I must mention a long time favorite Castlevania - The Symphony of the Night. Amazing soundtrack, amazing level design, amazing bosses oh my...! A dream game. <3

Not many know Bloody Roar series and to be honest, it would deserve a remake. I grew up with Bloody Roar 1 and enjoyed it a lot. It's a fighting game where the characters have an ability to turn into werebeasts, like Yugo here has turned into his wolf form.

Nier Automata is a game like I have never played or encountered before, it's absolutely INSANE! If anyone says games are just mindless entertainment, make them play this. So many awesome topics. It crushes your soul little by little in most horrifying ways and you're thankful about it. it makes you question your morals and ethics, as well as others' morals and ethics. If you like my comics, I think you'd enjoy Nier Automata, as some themes and elements are in both (though I could never write anything as insanely clever as NA is!)

The Last Guardian is amazing and very, very Japanese. This game as no aim, no side quests. You just travel with a big beast Trico and try to navigate your way out through different landscapes. Very atmospheric and realistic in a way that commanding Trico is sometimes difficult - just as commanding a wild beast would be. I don't think it was intentional that Trico doesn't do what asked so that you can go forward until after 10 minutes of you trying but I found it realistic when it happened, as frustrating as it was :'D

Of course, Final Fantasy VII, the original one, will go with me to my grave <3 QuQ

#sorry this game so long and I'm certain I forgot games #I've played for most of my life so #ask niu #games

[izanyas]

Hello! I noticed you said you're currently engrossed in FMA 🤭 it's also one of my all time favorites anime 🥰

If you don't mind, can you say what personally draws you to it and what are your thoughts on your favorite characters? (In case these 2 aren't your favorites, can you mention what you think about Ed and Roy? Not as a pairing :)) just them individually)

Sorry for being so specific in an ask 😅

Hope you have a great day! 🤗💫

hello!!!

fma has been my favorite manga since i was a kid i'm really attached to it 😭 me and a couple friends decided to rewatch the CoS movie together and we both fell down the deep end and have been obsessively rereading and rewatching everything since then. i'm having so much fun i luv fma...

i think what really drew me in was edward himself tbh! he is such a unique protagonist, and especially at the time he was the odd one out among shounen heros—not naive and untalented meant for eternal nekketsu powerups but a boy who had always been frighteningly smart and had gone thru extremely traumatic events and whose goal as a hero wasn't to become The Best at his craft or to save the world but to fix a mistake he had already made.

i was (still am) very attached to him being disabled and how the story manages to include all that this entails (chronic pain, reduced mobility, special needs...) while at the same time engaging in really cool prosthetic design and functions and without ever making it demeaning or pithy toward amputees. arakawa was an absolute genius for how she went about ed's disability.

ed is just such a GOOD character. flamboyant and flawed and unflinchingly moral. self-sacrificing and self-hating but with a drive and devotion to overcome everything. he's a truly unforgettable character and he is insanely enticing as a protagonist in a story like fma, where every plot point is carefully connected to the overall story... like a transmutation circle in and of itself. icarus fell as his wings melted but ed keeps standing back up even with a whole leg missing, even after facing his own punishment for trying to play god. he is loud and bad-tempered and hilarious and his character design is awesome and that would've been enough to make him a fav for me but when u add in his generosity and kindness, which are so painfully obvious despite the prickly exterior, he's Ultimate Fav material. my blorbo my meow meow.

that his personal story is all about love for his brother and trying to fix the terrible mistake he made and which he will forever blame himself for (even tho everyone around him knows that he was only 11 at the time, and it's a miracle he managed to save alphonse at all, and doesn't think he deserves to hate himself for it) is just... it's good ok. it's a wonderful story with a wonderful conclusion. it suits him, his personality, perfectly. edward elric is a marvel of a protagonist.

damn it's hard for me to pick other fav characters bc i love everyone so much. i love izumi and ling and greed (both versions lmao) a lot... and scar and hawkeye and hughes... its too hard to pick.

roy mustang is definitely up there in the fav list tho. it's a bit funny because usually i wouldn't be much into him as a character bc his whole shtick is pretty much "i committed genocide but i feel bad about it" but he managed to have enough personality and flair to make himself vital to the story and extremely enticing too. it helps that everyone in fma has so much chemistry together, so his team has a lot of charisma. if mustang had been alone or even with just hawkeye or hughes i don't think he would've been nearly as interesting to me. i do think the story should've gone a bit deeper with his goals bc people tend to forget that he doesn't just want to become fuhrer, he wants to disestablish the military state altogether and make it so war criminals (including himself) can be tried legally. his ultimate goal can be seen as very selfish in that way—he wants to be made to face justice. and to the end he's not reluctant to use every tool at his disposal, including marcoh's last philosopher's stone from ishval to heal himself... that's the sort of plot point that leaves you feeling a bit sick and makes him into a character worth his weight in salt.

it's cool to put his choices next to ed's. like ed literally refused to use his deadbeat dad's philosopher's stone, which was made from people from 400 yrs ago that he never knew and who would've been dead anyway and whom hohenheim actually talked to in depth, to save alphonse; instead he sacrificed his most precious passion. and he refused to use kimblee's philosopher's stone when he almost died in baschool—instead he used his own damn lifespan to heal himself just enough not to die lmao. meanwhile, mustang, even while expressing reservations and acknowledging all that it means, used a stone made from the lives of the people he personally massacred. he is what you can genuinely call a morally grey character and that doesn't change thru the story. and i like that.

also he's funny

#also i'm in love with ed/ling and the idea of post-canon ed being ling's part time husband #part time bc the rest of the time he has to be winry's part time husband #ling and winry have a schedule and shit #send him back before may or i invade your country-- signed w. rockbell #i'm keeping him until june good luck crossing the desert-- signed the emperor of xing #answered

[mahvaladara]

Brothers Aden and Birdie for @dandylion240′s Double Trouble

Aden and Birdie are ‘brothers’. They were raised together by the same family, went together to the same school, were roommates in the same college, were in the same clubs. They just don’t work together, with Birdie being part of the Design Team of a small gaming Magazine and Aden a teacher in a local school.

They see each other a lot like siblings.Though Birdie was never officially adopted by Aden’s family, though they tried. 

Participation was actually Aden’s idea, when Birdie was complaining about their dead and fossilized love lives and they saw the ad in their magazine’s page. Originally Aden suggested Birdie joined, Birdie found the idea awesome and dragged Aden after him to join ‘cause he’s not about to ‘socially engage’ with strangers on his own, no, Big Brother Aden is helping him break the ice so he can score a cute twin.

Aden Mann

“Ewww, no, he’s my brother!” ~Birdie

Traits: Cheerful, neat and loyal (or good, dunno if that is pack exclusive)

Aspiration:  Academic - Aden’s life dream is to be a teacher and teach little children to read, which he already does.

Sexuality: Poli.

Aden’s Room:

About Aden:

Aden is the only son of the Mann family, and from a young age had a house full of kids and he was the big brother. His parents relied a lot on him helping warm up the kids to their situation and he helped a lot as he really did want a little brother. He never warmed to any of the kids until he met ‘Birdie’ and he instantly adopted a little brother.

Aden has always been a very loyal and dedicated young man, with a lovely sense of humor and a solution to every trouble. Having helped raised so many troubled kids has raised Aden into being patient, understanding and great listener. Taking care of so many kids has also made Aden into a beat of a neat freak. He likes to keep things tidy and organized, which is kinda hard when his brother and roommate is a complete mess with a acrylic ink.

As Aden loved reading books to the kids, he grew with the dream of wanting to become a teacher. Aden has had his fair share of nightstands and semi-serious relationships with both men and women which cause him to believe he’s either poli or bi. Currently his last relationship went down the drain due to his girlfriend being extremely jealous of his relationship with his brother. Though he’s not actively trying to score one of the Bachelors he’s still going to try and get to know them and who knows what happens.

Birdie Plummage

“Did you just legally change your name into the name of the peacock?” ~Aden

Traits: Creative, Bookworm, Socially Akward (or loner if it turns out to be a pack exclusive trait)

Aspiration: Painter Extraordinaire - He dreams of making an ilustrated fantasy epic book.

Sexuality: Poli

Birdie’s room: 

About Birdie:

Named Brian Mc’Aran, Birdie was taken away from his parents at the age of two. At the age of 7, a reclusive, antisocial and flimsie Birdie was dumped in Aden’s family. Luckily for him, Aden instantly adopted him as his little brother and wanted his parents to adopt him so bad they all made a pact to make sure no one ever took Birdie away.

Due to his more socially awkward and reclusive nature, Birdie opted often to stick to himself, spending a lot of time outside painting birds and especially a peacock his foster parents owned, who was named “Mister Plummage”. Because of his small size, his greenish hair and his love for painting birds, Aden nicknamed him Birdie.

As he looses himself often to his painting, he tends to be messy and clueless, often air headed. Added to this is social issues and difficulty interacting with strangers, Birdie has never dated. Birdie however dreams of having a boyfriend. Birdie is very insecure around strangers and often relies on Aden to help break the ice. 

He hopes the bachelor might be what Birdie needs to break through his awkwardness and find someone to love and support him so he isn’t as dependent of his big brother as he is.

#ts4 #the sims4 #s4 #the sims #sims #dandylion #double trouble bachelour

[melliotwrites]

Hi! I just stumbled onto you two while browsing the Sondheim tag, and it's awesome to see other musical writers on tumblr! I have one that is currently being workshopped, which is super exciting (it's also dark academia coincidentally!)

Anyhow, I was wondering, do you have any advice on letting go? I have a cast and director for the workshop, and they are BRILLIANT, but I still struggle sometimes with them taking my work and running with it. Inherently I know their choices are awesome and will make the work greater than I could make it alone, but it's still really hard to put that in others' hands- even though I'm incredibly thankful for their participation and help, it's this weird dichotomy. I'd appreciate any words of wisdom you have to share!!!

Hi!! Great to see and meet other musical writers on tumblr (I love Frankenstien and Dracula, so your show sounds right up my alley!) This is also a really good question- we'll try to do it justice! I'm also going to be talking mostly about Adamandi, because that process is fresher in my mind and was more akin to a professional rehearsal process (with a longer timeline, bigger budget, etc). 

Speaking as Mel, the practice of collaborating on the book and lyrics prepared me a little bit for creative compromises in the rehearsal room (I know you said elsewhere you work better on your own, which is very valid- I just know for sure now that I don't). I had already experienced the joy and excitement of seeing Elliot's ideas enhance my own (and, honestly, seen concrete proof of how much better my work got when I let other people into my work as collaborators!) By the time Georgina Escobar became our director for Adamandi, I was prepared to step back a little bit more- and also knew I would have to, because I totally had that personality trait that makes me put inflection indicators on all my lines and grind my teeth when something is staged differently from how I envisioned it. Adamandi was still a learning process for me in that regard, but I think my couple of tips would be: 

Respect other people's skills- AND ask for yours to be respected. Especially as a student writer, I've sometimes experienced people (who aren't the director) giving us unsolicited feedback on the writing of the script, which I hated until I realized I sometimes accidentally did the same to my collaborators- I still cringe thinking about giving really picky notes to our sound designer, or asking our lighting designer to change One Singular Light (tech week is an altered state for us all 😔). It's helped me to remember your director, your actors, and your designers all have specific, highly specialized skills in what they do, so make sure you're not telling your director how to direct, your actors how to act, etc. Vice versa, you are the writer because you have skills in storytelling that they don't (or that they are not being asked to bring to this project)- so own that! Defend the story to your last breath, but let your opinions on how that story is specifically delivered go (e.g. you can't say "make that lighting cue blue because I always imagined it as blue," but you can say "The tone of this scene is really somber because xyz character has to realize y- do you have any ideas on how that could be reflected in the lighting?" or "the pink polka-dotted spinning light cue gave me the impression this scene was really upbeat and cheery- could you walk me through why you chose that one?" Bonus points that the latter two can help you realize something about the work- or how the work is perceived- that you didn't know before!) ~Mel

Everyone has incredibly different lived experiences, and trust in the ability of your collaborators to see and add depth to your work that you had no idea was there. Whether this is an actor coming up with a culturally specific backstory for their character or a director noticing a fun parallel between scenes that you didn't originally intend, it's always exciting to see how others are analyzing your work (to which you can go "Oh, yeah, I totally thought of that!" etc., etc.) It's like adding layers to a painting. For example, I (Elliot) am a Chinese-Canadian gay man. Working with collaborators, I gained valuable insight (and revision fodder) through how actors connected to characters' stories through their nonbinary identity, or how our director as a bisexual woman envisioned a tender moment in our sapphic plotline, or how certain configurations of actors could mirror paintings of Catholic saints -- all things I could've never realized, understood, or articulated as well on my own. - Elliot

Trust your director (and ask your director!) to ask you questions. (For example, on the flip side of #2, your team might not share the lived experiences you brought into your writing, so trust in them to ask for your expertise when they need it!) This really depends on the structure of your rehearsal room- Georgina is also a playwright, so her process was super inclusive of us as the writers. She allowed us to be there every rehearsal and would ask us questions when she wanted our input on a staging choice, an acting choice, or a bit of table work- and not ask us questions when she didn't, which is equally important! Often I discovered something new about a scene (or found out that a bit of writing needed to be edited) when she wanted to try something out that I wasn't quite sure about (the spooky underscoring under the pyre scene was all Georgina's idea, for example!) This dynamic was established before we even entered the rehearsal room, when Georgina asked us about the timeline (fast) and about how much input we would have on the final vision of the show (which ended up being lots). I'm also excited to have future collaborations where I get to step back more, but it was the right thing for the project timeline and a workshop process. Deciding early on what our communication would look like, and really trusting that she would ask us when something could compromise the story, made it easier to sit back and watch everyone play around and experiment in the reho room without biting my nails.  - Mel

If you have the chance to be in the rehearsal room, put yourself out there as a resource! You created this world, so you're there to share if someone's confused or curious about your artistic intentions. You're also there to get excited about others' ideas and give them Word of God approval! A good collaboration doesn't have to be wholly relinquishing your writing into others' hands. If you feel a little helpless, talk to your director to see if there's a way y'all can be communicating better, or running rehearsals differently, etc. - Elliot

Use your vetos sparingly. Sometimes something just... doesn't work. The scene is playing as romantic instead of predatory. That really cool extra special costume piece is falling off the actor's head every two seconds. The lighting cue that you personally suggested to create a spooky ambience really just makes it hard to see anything. And everyone else seems to love it! As the writer, IF something is in your lane, IF it is significantly impacting the story, IF it's too important to just let slide for this production, AND people will think it was your choice... you are within your rights to put your foot down. But this should only happen as an absolute last resort, and in my opinion you don't get more than 3 a production, so really think about whether that jacket-that's-a-little-more-red-than-blood-orange is worth wasting one. Having a rule for the maximum number of these helps me be more generous and chill out a little if something's not exactly right.  -Mel

As a last resort- hit the bricks! This isn't my ideal collaboration structure, and it depends on what your director wants out of you, but if watching someone take apart your script in rehearsal is too stressful, it's been good to remember I can also leave. Sometimes it's hard (but good) to internalize that once your show is up on its feet, you're not strictly necessary anymore- you're vestigial, or mostly there to collect data, like a scientist. Occasionally some of my own experiences that I wrote into Adamandi would get too intense for me to watch in rehearsal(I might talk about that some other time- wild experience), or struggling to figure out a scene hit me with the good old "am I a good writer" fears. Having a co-writer like Elliot who was comfortable taking over in those moments- as well as a director-SM team who understood this about me and would come find me if something was dire- allowed me to step out for a few moments and recover my sense of perspective. It's just theater. For Princes, we weren't in the rehearsal room very much at all, and it still turned out lovely and very close to our vision- with the added bonus of delightful surprises we hadn't written in! In these moments I like to imagine all the old playwrights revolving in their graves like dynamos over all the productions of their work nowadays that cut it down, rewrite it, and abridge it- and consider reinterpretation a compliment. ~Mel

Hope this helps! Break a leg with your workshop!

#musical theater #musicals #answered #musical theatre writing #cashthecomposer

[z0nic]

i need to know your favorite parts of archie. i wanna hear you talk about this so bad. er. read your thoughts about this so bad. zonic is obvious but what else (leaning toward you with chin in hands)

hmmm well if im going chronologically mecha madness is an easy one to put in. people talk about it all the time as being hype as fuck but it is. its hype as fuck idk what to say. a less discussed one is super sonic vs hyper knuckles. that was ALSO hype as fuck but had less stakes than mecha madness it was a lot more light hearted. sonic quest is also a fun little thing related to the classic games but its pretty entrenched in the current comics plot. and then after robotnik died the politics stuff is very hit or miss but it was pretty convoluted sometimes. however the whole sonic+tails world tour/fighting ixis naugus went pretty hard. not good 100% of the time but its really fun stuff. archie knuckles has some fun stuff too once in a while but not enough to reccomend full bits of it. if anything i would reccomend reading the arc where elias is recovered from angel island since it concludes a side plot from the sonic series. sonic vs knuckles battle royale is also good. the return of robo robotnik is built up really well, as well as the issue where sonic gets his adventure design via shenanigans with the super emerald. the adventure adaptation is slept on honestly, it plays very by the books in terms of adaptations because of behind the scenes reasons, but its still quite enjoyable to see the game's story put into the terms of archie AND how those developments affect the plot later down the line, and this is the last and in my opinion best full game adaptation in preboot. the rest are either omitted or only cover the beginning or abridge them into side stories. honestly ALL the stuff with mammoth mogul is a blast to read because he brings a very unique villain archetype to sonic that eggman doesnt, where eggman lacks foresight and patience mammoth mogul is literally immortal and concocts very elaborate plans and schemes. the plot about the source of all/sword of acorns is pretty good too, although that may be only when compared to everything else of its time so your mileage may vary. sonic adventure 2.5/tossed in space is a MUST READ though. even if you don't know archie that is really just top notch stuff. return to angel island also really nice especially if you want knuckles moments. jon grays art really does help a lot in this case. and of course the extended anonymous saga is awesome too, especially if youre a long term reader since it brings in a lot of stuff from previous stories. house of cards is dogged on a LOT which i dont think is quite fair. its a pretty compelling read. the scourge stuff could get grating depending on your opinions, but it has its moments. hedgehog havoc being a highlight of those moments too. the entire iron dominion saga is a good one too, (including journey to the east of course.) and its nice seeing it shake up the status quo with more game elements incorporated. the new mobotropolis thing is pretty short but its fun. extended chaotix being in knothole/the city leads to some fun moments as well since angel island is in a bit of a complication. of course that leads to the whole knuxerjak thing, which is quite honestly really awesome stuff if not resolved in a pretty lame way. the sonic universe series as a whole is really fun but highlights include the silver saga tails adventure and chaotix quest. and to cap it all off the whole mecha sally arc (coupled with silvers whole. gestures) is nice although again. the ending is pretty cheap which is a big problem with a lot of archie sonic arcs as a whole.

Now in terms of smaller MOMENTS. I mean. damn thats pretty hard to pick out since there are so many characters and interactions. but general rule of thumb if character pairings are out of left field that almost always means they'll be fun to witness if not only for a little since most stories are sonic centric. expected character pairings are also nice to see sometimes if only to deepen established relationships. in terms of set pieces it really depends on the artist, but action scenes are usually done well when there is low amounts of punching and high amounts of slapstick/cartoony violence

#thank you for this ask it was fun replaying my memories of archie sonic #this is kind of out of order SORRY. forgot some bits and then added them in

[iamlostsomewhereinthegarden]

Shaggy Rogers Headcannons

Why did I do this? Cause I can and wanted to be different

* Anyways enough of being different

* We’re starting out basic

* Y’all met at an all you can eat buffet

* The mystery crew is known in this world

* They’re not the top but hey they get the job done

* But why did you even have importance to Shaggy?

* Scooby was being denied entrance

* Cause he’s, Yk a dog

* Basically they’re complaining and about to do their dress up routine when you came along and starting the person down

* Basically telling them that their business would have been shut down if not for the crew

* the plot of this mystery is that the “monster” is shutting down food places to have their old time place stay open

* Because of you they get in and are welcomed as VIP customers along with the rest of the gang to never have to pay ever again

* So elated that he brings the gang to the place and there you are again with a large (container) of (favorite food) with your laptop open doing something

* Shaggy grew heart eyes at that moment

* They can eat, be an awesome defense for him and his friends and look cool while doing nothing?

* Gotta get them as my partner

* At the same time Daphne squeals

* “OH MY GOSH Y/N IS THAT YOU?!?!!”

* Apparently she met you at a fashion camp that you didn’t care much for

* Not that you hated fashion

* You just wanted to eat a lot and sleep and the camp didn’t allow you to that

* Anyways, Daphne sees you make goo goo eyes at Shaggy

* Why? Idk it’s a Shaggy headcannon thing leave me be

* And Shaggy does the same to you

* Ohhhh she’s def getting you two together

* Fred objects tho, cause there’s a new case to be solved

* Daphne threatened to chop off his ball sack

* Wait no sorry, Fred agrees

* You’re a good person, loved and helped Scooby, loves and defends the gang, makes costumes and such for fun and now Scooby and Shaggy

* Perfect candidate for Shaggy

* After a couple of dates at the restaurant y’all are officially dating

* Everyone is happy

* Especially Fred since he can now go back to mystery solving

* Don’t let Daphne hear that

* Or Velma she’s joined the shipping team

* And that’s why Shaggy and Scooby know how to place on so many costumes and have so many costumes anyways

* But since you have a life invested in the town you’re currently in you don’t travel around with them

* Basically long distance relationship

* And your town becomes one of the few places they actually go back to often

* Like at least once a month they stay

* Everyone joins in on the video calls and you mother over them all

* At times you do go on mystery trips with them

* Fred warms up to you cause despite being a fashion creator you make wicked cool traps

* Forgot to mention you’re a popular fashion creator

* That’s how you always have money to eat so much and be lazy

* You were just too lazy to stray away from the fashion path you’ve been put on

* After Mystery Inc. retires you both live in the town with Shaggy as a chef at the buffet place and you as a fashion designer like always

* You have one child (can be from adoption or not your choice)

* And only one child because they eat so much like their parents

* A puppy was also adopted to keep Scooby company and entertain the child

* The gang despite split up meet up regularly and is regularly invited to the house for cookouts

* Basically happily ever after

#scooby doo #shaggy #daphne scooby doo #velma scooby doo #fred scooby doo #mystery incorporated #headcannons #gn!reader #gn reader #shaggy headcannons #Scooby doo headcannons

[liquidstar]

alright! for the first of the little guys, we shall deploy the first designed. his whole powerset is built around energy. more specifically electricity, being able to conduct power into what equipment he had and getting some level of modification to handle the current that has become routine. while sure, arguably the strongest in a head to head fight, the one thing he cannot do is be quiet. his weapon of choice is a spear, built to interface with electric power and conduct it just as he does.

secondly, we have one who's... practically the opposite. a little guy who's speciality is information gathering, and thus has the power to make holes in things. not direct "door where there was before" but like, a hidey hole to observe in secret. or hide everyone else. while for the most part these are empty bubbles in a wall or floor, one of them works as a small room to relax in. his weapon is another spear, this time built for screwing into things, and all the damage getting a spear screwed in entails.

thirdly, the girl of the team, her power is that she's really... really fucking quiet. to the point its up in the air if she can make noise while talking. this is an immense benefit, for the role of an assassin she's taken to, and also sneaking up on the others because they're up at 3am again. her weapon of choice is a knife, specifically designed to cut bone without getting dull, makes it easier to not get caught.

and the final little guy... their ability is being autistically good at making things, no ifs or buts about it this NB is no fighter, but is responsible for everyone else's equipment. there's a joke about them being the ultimate blacksmith with how effective everything they touch is. while they don't have a "weapon" their workshop could function as it, again, nothing more to add than being designed purely for making things.

HIII ANON im back home now so i can get back to you. i hope you still see this even if im replying late!

i really really like the first ones power! control over energy is awesome and i love how that specifically manifests as electricity. the visual of having a spear as like a lightning rod for electricity powers is also just such a cool one. i did a similar thing w an oc a while back, w a split just for aesthetics. the Rule Of Cool. i think its a great power for THE fighter of the team to have too, it works really well as something strong and... well, flashy, for the one thats in the shadows the least. a super fitting power.

big fan of the holes power too, its so creative? it reminded me of this clip. this is hole guy to me. genuinely though its a really cool power and not one i wouldve thought of myself. i think this COULD totally have combative applications if he happened to be caught up in a fight, even though thats not his specialty. like using the holes to trip up or trap an opponent, though this would probably only work for so long. i like that he also shares a weapon type with energy guy, it like sets up a cool little parallel to contrast their powers. i dont know if theyre meant to be foils at all but it gives that sort of vibe! so maybe :p i can see it being a leader/lancer situation (even though this is not a 5 man band)

but yessss the girl of the team. upon reading her power i thought to myself that she and hole guy make a really good combo, based on powers alone at least (if their personalities clash, different story!). because theyre both basically types that work from the shadows. but her being an assassin gives her that extra edge- unlike him she's like, actually proactive. she's not passively listening and gathering intel she is getting out there and murderkilling. we love a girlboss for that. i think a knife is a super fitting weapon too because its both subtle (in a way that a large sword or loud gun isnt) and also, yeah, very deadly! especially when you say its MADE to cut through bone. thats hardcore i love her for that.

i love the final little guy though, im a huge fan of characters who are the designated gizmo makers lol. i always find that role interesting because its about supporting the others from the sidelines, similar to healers, but instead of helping them After they get hurt you have to help them.. Not get hurt. make the best things for them possible, and in order to do that you usually have to know them and their abilities very very well! How would they mess up? What do they need help with? How would this aid their abilities? Is it really a good idea to give a superweapon to this reckless jackass? All important questions this trope of character has to ask themselves. With all that in mind though, I'm assuming this Specific character created the weapons for all the others, since they seem very tailor made to them! Details like a spears MADE to conduct electricity, or screw into things, or a knife MADE to cut into bone... sounds like they did in fact MAKE them!

overall i can totally imagine all sorts of different ways these characters and their powers would interact with each other and i think theyre all really cool!!! of course a lot of my guesses might be way off, and i think thats okay because theres so many other cool directions to take them too. for that is the beauty of ocs, you get to steer the ship! <3