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jonfucius · 5 months

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Great Star Trek Rewatch - TNG Season 1

Originally posted on Twitter 17 March 2021 - 6 April 2021

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1 is up next in my Great Star Trek Rewatch. As with ENT, DSC, STX, TOS, TAS, and TOS FF, mini-reviews will document my progress.

Encounter at Farpoint: TNG's pilot is the weakest of the various series premieres. Saving graces are John DeLancie's fully-formed Q, the McCoy cameo, the visual effects, Patrick Stewart's commanding performance, and the greatest tag line: Let's see what's out there, indeed. 5/10

The Naked Now: This episode would have worked better once we knew our heroes a little better (perhaps after "The Arsenal of Freedom"). Since we're still getting to know them, this rehash of a superior TOS episode is flat on arrival. Fully functional, it ain't. 4/10

Code of Honor: It's a racist piece of dogshit. Next. 0/10

The Last Outpost: Man, these Ferengi that allegedly eat their enemies must be as bad the Klingons or the Romulans! Uh, no. They're bad, but not in the way we've been expecting. The T'Kon Empire is worthy of follow-up. 5/10

Where No One Has Gone Before: TNG’s first great episode. Reality powered by thought is a classic Trek idea. Kosinski and the Traveler are excellent guest characters. I’m not the biggest Wesley fan but I cheer every time he calls out Riker. 8/10

Lonely Among Us: There’s just not enough story here to sustain an entire episode. Also, justice for Engineer Singh, reduced to a wig on a chair in one scene. The Antican and Selay makeup, however, are very well done. 5/10

Justice: 90% of this episode is hot garbage. The remaining 10% goes to Picard’s speech about absolute justice (something governments still struggle with), and Crusher’s grief over losing her son. If the Edo really were this primitive, would Picard have stopped there at all? 3/10

The Battle: Wesley’s smugness (and the weak writing for Crusher and Troi) drags the score down a bit, but this is a fairly good first season effort. Learning more about the otherwise enigmatic Picard through a Ferengi’s quest for revenge works. 8/10

Hide and Q: Q’s return so soon after the pilot tries to do something interesting, but it’s not an engaging story. 6/10

Haven: Lwaxana Troi is a love her or hate her character, and I adore her. Wyatt’s chemistry with Troi makes him a believable rival with Riker for Troi’s affections. The Tarellian ship is a striking design. 7/10

The Big Goodbye: While this episode is responsible (for better or worse) for holodeck malfunction stories, this one has a reasonable amount of tension. The reaction to Whalen’s shooting is an excellent in-universe touch. Redblock is effortlessly malevolent. 8/10

Datalore: I would imagine this was the first time people really took notice of just how damn good Brent Spiner is. Evil twin plots aren’t new to Trek, but this is a good one. Glad to see both villains again at later dates. 7/10

Angel One: It’s a sexist piece of shit. Next. 0/10

11001001: The visuals are striking, as are the Bynars. The holodeck scenes with Picard, Riker, and Minuet are worth the price of admission. A solid mid-season installment. 7/10

Too Short a Season: Fountain of Youth episodes are corny at best. A combination of makeup and casting dooms this one from the start. The Iran-Contra parallels come through loud and clear. 4/10

When the Bough Breaks: The Aldeans' plight is sympathetic. I just get the feeling that there's not enough plot to sustain an entire episode each time I watch this one. It's not objectionable but it's not oustanding, either. It just is. 5/10

Home Soil: Some very subtle commentary on the ravages of colonization gets lost in the "ugly bags of mostly water" scene at the very end. Malencon's death is somewhat gruesome for Trek (at least until the airing of the season finale). 6/10

Coming of Age: An excellent first season effort, with Wesley's exam and Remmick's investigation serving as the impetus for the title. Will we see Quinn and Remmick again? Time will tell. 8/10

Heart of Glory: A strong Klingon episode that sows the seeds for RDM’s sublime “Sins of the Father”. All killer no filler. 8/10

The Arsenal of Freedom: Confining this episode to a soundstage limits the scope and stakes of this one, but I do enjoy Crusher and Picard’s scenes. I especially love the Lower Deckers on the bridge. Some good commentary on the military-industrial complex here. 7/10

Symbiosis: Did Nancy Reagan write this stinker? A bummer that this was one of Merritt Butrick’s final roles before his too-early death from AIDS. It could’ve been a great one, but it’s just mediocre. 5/10

Skin of Evil: The first time a series regular dies…for good. The behind-the-scenes tales are legendary, but aside from the goofy oil slick monster, Yar’s senseless death (randomly, in the line of duty) and touching funeral elevates this episode. 7/10

We’ll Always Have Paris: I don’t know why, but this one works for me. I like the sense of isolation as our heroes track down Manheim; and the time distortions are fun, even if the science doesn’t make sense. 7/10

Conspiracy: This episode's shocking climax still hits hard over thirty years later. The unnerving feel of the episode kicks in from the jump and is sustained through to the chilling tag. A shame that this wasn't followed up in live-action. 8/10

The Neutral Zone: The return of the Romulans is dramatic, but the best scenes for me are in the 5th act and the tag. Picard's speech to the refugees is an inspiring summation of Star Trek, and even after an uneven season, it's hard not to be energized for what's to come. 8/10

And with that, TNG Season 1 comes to an end in my Great Star Trek Rewatch. Final score: 5.84/10. Highest score(s): “WNOHGB,” “The Battle,” “The Big Goodbye,” “Coming of Age,” “Heart of Glory,” “Conspiracy,” “The Neutral Zone.” Lowest score(s): “Code of Honor,” “Angel One.”

#star trek #star trek tng #great star trek rewatch

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northern-passage · 2 years

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so i thought i lost these pictures to time (locked myself out of my old laptop, purged my art instagram, deleted them all off the blog) BUT i found the old character lineup i did !! i forgot i had an art folder on my phone for my old art insta. i don’t know how many people remember the original art i did back in 2020, but i tend to delete a lot of the older art off the blog because i really don’t like my old art and i get self-conscious about it... but it also means i lose a lot of art.

i’m not sure if i ever did post the full lineup, if i remember correctly this version of merry was actually gender-selectable so i drew her pretty “ambiguous” and i don’t know if i ever ended up sharing her and noel. i think it’s pretty funny/interesting to see the changes both in the designs (i didn’t know how to draw or design clothes back then) and also the change in my art in just about 2 years.

first things first: no i do not know why merry is so fucking stanced. i do actually still like her design (those thigh high boots....), her & clementine’s are the two i still actually think look good here. i really like the bandana completely covering her head and i like the cowries in merry’s hair, though i think it’s funny i drew them in her hair and not noel’s when i’ve always had that as a part of noel’s character description (i still didn’t draw them in the most recent one because i forgot lol)

i do still like lea’s alchemy belt and the little bottle hanging off their other belt, too. i just wish i could remember what i was thinking with their pants. at least they’re not purple..... and they don’t even have their hooves yet :/ i remember drawing them with their hair down a lot because i couldn’t figure out how to draw a bun lmfao. rip to their eyebrow slit (but at least we have their beauty marks now... a fair trade i think)

noel’s design is the weakest in my opinion and i remember struggling the most with xem, too. not really sure what i was going for.... still have xir white boots tho 👼 and i do like xem with the longer locs in a ponytail. i cringe that i didn’t properly color his palms, i’m assuming i didn’t since i just did flat colors on all of them but i definitely still should have colored xir palms. and most obviously here is that noel started out pretty small. i think i drew this and almost immediately wanted to change his design (there are a few older pieces from this time where i Did try to make xem bigger) but i didn’t have a lot of practice drawing different body types. i’m glad that’s one thing i’ve definitely improved on since then.

it’s nice to have this to compare to the newer art and actually be able to see how much i’ve improved, and also the evolution of everyone. i remember i tried to make bases with the original lineup and i messed up every single one and couldnt use any of them again lmfao and this time i have successful bases for everyone so i can play dress up doll hehe

i also think everyone looks way warmer now and like they wouldn’t freeze their asses off in blackwater...

i also clearly went back to a more illustrative style - back in 2020 i was looking at a lot of animation and drawing my characters in that way, with flat colors and not really rendering anything, and now i’ve started moving back into a more painterly style. anyways. pretty cool! also i just realized i even coincidentally lined them up in the same order 🥺

#thanks everyone for tolerating all my art posting lately i don't share my art anywhere else so i appreciate everyone being nice :-)#i won't put this in the art tag cus it's mostly just me rambling lmfao #personal

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pokefighter · 1 year

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Thoughts and headcanons

I was lazy to type these at first despite it being in the back of my mind for months, but it’s nice to have a place to organize dumb thoughts. As I’m catching up on other anime like Yugioh, it’s kind of sad that Death Note in comparison doesn’t have much content in terms of world building, merchandise, or even showing what a character’s life is like outside of doing their job. In fact, some of their existence are treated solely as a plot device instead of a fleshed out compelling person. I know it’s mainly because DN’s writing is more story-driven than on characters, but it leaves me wanting to know more about them.

Besides being highly fond of a few characters, admiring the animation’s cinematic visuals and how the style is a time capsule of early 2000 anime (muted color palette, gothic aesthetic, white gradient lighting) I’m not that invested with DN as a whole, the Yotsuba arc being the weakest with forgettable side villains (seriously, how often do you hear anyone mention the Yostuba members besides occasionally Higuchi?) and a section that dragged on longer than it should have. Rem being the one to kill L also ruined the point of this whole battle of wits DN was building up if Light can simply make a fucking shinigami do the work. It’s fine though, L’s passing means BEST BOY NEAR has now entered the picture.

Only Near can have soulless eyes and still be cutest thing alive. He actually fits well with the gothic visual design of DN in subtle ways- It’s those black eyes that stare right into your soul, his ghostly appearance, playing with creepy toys/finger puppets/L’s mask, and smiling like a psychopath out of nowhere in some scenes, hilariously contrasting his usual stoic demeanor.

Onto headcanons:

Near

can be more sensitive than he lets on, he’s just good at hiding it.

avoids eye contact unless it’s with someone he trusts.

enjoys visual stimulation such as the flickering of holiday lights, rain drops on a window, colorful contraptions performing in a loop or predictable pattern like a toy train driving in circles or a spinning windmill (I sketched something for this).

round pudgy Near >>>> generic skinny anime girl Near. I get why some imagine him skinny since he barely....moves. but a lil bit of chub fits his character design better. Plus there’s already plenty of skinny bitches in DN so it’s more fun to see some variety (long-haired Near is an exception bc he lost all his baby fat by then).

has a rather big capacity to hate or look down on someone, shown by his opinions on Kira, the president, Takada, etc. It’s visually amplified in the anime where he constantly looks like an angry kitten.

smug brat

the giant common room at Wammy’s House is also Near’s playroom and there are days when everyone needs to clear out so he can play amongst 1000000000000000+ legos.

his reaction came off as cold during the announcement of L’s death, but I imagine he didn’t exactly know how to express his grief at the moment. You even see a nonverbal display of his upset in canon when he spills his puzzle pieces on the floor. The first emotion he felt was anger towards L. The hero he respected was supposed to be unbeatable. L promised he’d win. It’s not until Near’s alone in his room that he breaks down.

this one’s not a headcanon, but I love the fact that he's literally the only main character who survived. And on top of that, a breaker of the white-haired-anime-character-dies trope. What a king. Big win for autism.

has extremely low pain tolerance. One little splinter to the finger and he’s done.

Creepy nightmare fuel L is best L.

can play the piano and sometimes does it during his Wammy House visits.

has 0 interest in romantic relations. He doesn’t even express interest in making friends. He’s shown only ever focused on crime solving and is content with it. Other than that, I can only see him as a top. He’s prideful, hates losing any ounce of control, and isn’t the type to let his guard down.

L understands Near best. Everything about them looks like they’d be on the same wavelength. They can communicate and tell what the other’s thinking with a glance. No words needed.

so dependent on sweets that he can’t function without it, almost like an addict. If he doesn’t get his daily sugar, he becomes distressed and easily irritated.

Speaking of addiction, I doubt he’s the type to use drugs (though he certainly would have easy access), but maybe he’d save it for rare occasions when he needs to truly wind down and turn off his mind especially after an exhausting case.

is impatient and less cooperative when working with others as opposed to Near. (canon actually, just an observation.)

like Near, L is also sensitive to noise and dislikes being around loud people/environments, but he’ll tolerate it if it’s necessary.

unlike Near, L has a much higher pain tolerance. He took a punch to the face several times and didn’t even flinch. If something did hurt, he’d under react simply saying: “ow.” with the same stoic face.

Yeah I know that’s Misa’s eye but there’s no official anime screencap for B so fuck it that’s him with mascara.

Beyond Birthday

if Another Note ever got an anime adaption, Akira Ishida would be the ideal voice for B. Just listen to these clips. I can’t find anyone else more perfect for the role. A soft yet menacing tone, constantly scheming.

I know there’s BxL fanfics out there, but it’s hard to see B ever wanting him. If anything, I’m more convinced that B loathes L, what he represents, and how he’s idolized by the kids at Wammy’s House, you know, an institution that grooms orphans to become L’s successor.

B is also often depicted as a top but we all know he’s true bottom because what edgy tryhard says out loud: “I’m a top, an aggressive top (guys i swear i’m a top look at me lick this knife i’m so evil)” -B

he’s a few years younger than L.

was close friends with A. A’s death was the final straw that pushed B to leave Wammy’s House.

B is Californian, more specifically from L.A. What better location to scheme complex murders than in a place you’re well familiar with?

he had eyebrows, but shaved them off for his L disguise.

#death note #near #L lawliet #beyond birthday #headcanons #thots

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freetheshit-outofyou · 2 years

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Trigger warning. Few things stir the shit pot in the firearms circles like saying "1911's are outdated over rated relics of your great granddad's war." or "It's ok to keep your magazines filled damned near forever and not worry about spring failure." I mean people lose their shit over this stuff, well boys and girls, 1911's are great firearms but it's not my first choice in fight ( and I have used one in the live fire defense of my life.) and I keep magazines loaded sometimes for years at a time with zero failure due to magazine springs. I loaded 8 magazines in 2010 as an experiment, in 2030 I'll shoot them. I am willing to bet my life that they will still work just fine. I know I have put my life in the hands of magazines that were loaded for long periods of time in extrema heat and dirt conditions again with no failure due to the springs. I got this from a friend of mine years and years and it speaks to the truth of this issue.

Spring Sprung Sprang... the skinny on use of springs in firearms. Springs "rest" in their natural stress-free shape. When compressed or stretched within their normal service limits, they are well within the "elastic range" of the metal. This is the stuff of Mechanics of Materials 101. When you stretch ...steel in a laboratory, it exhibits a relationship between tension and deflection that matches a rather uniform curve. This "curve" is actually a straight line all the way through the elastic range of the metal. It then falters and evens out within the "plastic range" of the metal. Once you exceed the ultimate strength of the steel, it fails by breaking. The "elastic range" is defined as the range of tension you can put on a sample of material, within which it will stretch while under tension and then return to its original shape when the tension is removed. Just like a piece of rubber or elastic. You pull on it, it stretches. You let go, it returns to its original shape. The "plastic range" is defined as the range of tension beyond the elastic range. We're talking permanent deformation here. The metal stretches at its weakest point and actually becomes thinner as it stretches. Tensile stress is concentrated in this thinner area, and this is where it will eventually break. "All springs are designed to be used in normal service within the "elastic range" of the metal. A coiled spring is in both tension and compression when not in its natural state. The helical coils are actually in flexure around the circumference, and of course flexure involves both tension and compression about a neutral axis. When you step on the middle of a steel bar that's supported at the ends, it experiences compression at the top and tension at the bottom. Springs experience this along the length of the coils, with the centerline of the coils being the neutral axis. When you stretch the spring from its natural state, and then compress it, you are just switching the "side" of the tension and compression. They reverse about the neutral axis. So... Because springs are designed to stay within the elastic range of the steel during service (and cocking the hammer of your weapon is well within the service range of the spring), you never permanently deform the spring. It will return to its natural shape when released. It does not "weaken" the spring to keep the hammer cocked. Just like it does not "weaken" a magazine spring to keep it loaded with ammunition. These are rumors spread around the firearms community by people who don't understand basic Mechanics of Materials. Can springs wear out without being stretched past the elastic range? Sure they can. Temperature fluctuations, rust, and cyclic shock loading within the elastic range can affect the cyrstalline properties of steel. But keeping your hammer cocked or your mag loaded isn't going to do it."

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sergiusreports · 2 years

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Prompt #7: Pawn

In chess, the pawn is the weakest piece. You can still get shit done with it and it’s always satisfying when you do, but it’s not ideal. Your best bet is the heavy hitters. The queen, the bishops, the rooks. These pieces are worth protecting because without them, chances are, you’re going to lose.

Pawns are nothing more than roadblocks to be removed or tokens to be sacrificed to get your opponent to do what you want without them realizing it.

Three and I were a fucking pawns. Even worse than that, have you ever played chess against yourself and lost? Leaves some really good feelings, all around.

The war games were brief scenarios each designed to show the Imperial brass where all their grant funding had gone and what it got them in return. Mainly, me. So. Joke’s on them.

At the height of the project, I will have 24 peripherals. Which doesn’t sound like a lot to run a whole fucking war theater but hang around long enough and we’ll get to that. At this point in time, I have four. On account of the fifth one malfunctioning and having to be taken offline right before this exercise. But we aren’t going to talk about that.

The scenario objective was pretty basic. Three and I were dropped separately in the middle of fucking nowhere, Garlemald, and told to avoid capture and make it back to the research facility. Only, I’ve lost contact with Three, his feed having cut out like a switch being thrown. Which means he’s already been captured like an idiot or he’s malfunctioned like Five. Either way, it’s not a good look.

I’m trudging through knee deep snow across a wide, frozen river plain, my drones flying high as all systems scan for some visual of the missing mobile unit when the blizzard hits. Of course it does. Soon the temperature displayed in the lower left of my main array reads in the negative digits. The ice and snow bites into my shell. My temperature regulators have never been tested at these levels and begin to malfunction. The output is no longer hot enough to wick away the snow. Ice builds up in my nanotech fluid and my joints start to churn. But I wasn’t going to give up. Bells pass as I navigate my way towards the research facility on nothing more than plot coordinates, circumventing or hacking my way around weapons turrets and evading wandering Spoken patrols. In some ways this is all made easier due to the inclement weather. In other ways, not so much. The good thing is if my drones aren’t picking up shit, the enemy isn’t either. Because I’m the enemy. Have you ever been of two minds? Ever argued with yourself? That’s probably as close as you’re going to get to understanding a multi-branching neural A.I. network. The Spoken give the peripherals all differing number designations but that’s for their benefit, not mine. They’re all me. Splinters of the same consciousness.

I pick up a ping coming from almost on top of where the research facility should be located, 9.6 klicks south of my position. The ping signature identified it as Three. Logging the location, I head in that direction, requesting a status update but there’s no answer. Here’s where I become an idiot. When I reach the coordinates, Three is a heap that had been out in the environment so long snow covers most of his body.

I tell two of my drones to take up guard positions around the unit and send the others off to do a cautious sweep of the area. The snow is starting to let up but it still makes surveillance a pain in the ass. Even so, there’s nothing popping in my alerts. I approach but as I reach out for Three, there’s a sudden crack and a hidden sniper’s shot tears my arm off at the elbow joint. This was the first time I’d ever lost a part of me and I feel the sudden severing explode across my systems, pain indicators sending a flush of wound sealant racing to the site before I can crank it down.

I crouch down low over Three and pop a magitek shield over both of us. Hunching protectively over him, my systems in a disoriented scramble, all I can parse is how much I want to return to the familiar hum of the development complex. Lucian would fix my arm. I’d sit in the lab and watch him work on his other projects. Right then, I’m just like all those unreasonable, shell-shocked Spoken I will one day deal with in the middle of the battlefield. I will develop protocol based off of this experience.

The snow pops next to me as the sniper fires again and misses. I still feel the absence of my severed arm along with the cacophony of system alarms. I’ve never experienced so many before and my central unit was in danger of overload. I’d have to kill my network to silence it all but I needed the network. Without it, I was as blind and defenseless as a pitiful Spoken. I send my drones to bait the sniper, using the shots fired to triangulate a position and move in while my sensory outputs tell me that just beneath the snow, under Three, is a metal plate. And a control panel.

Shoving the unresponsive bot to one side, I shovel one-handed through the snow and hit the panel. The plate slides open and Three and I are lowered down into the safety of the research bunker. As the lift grinds to a halt at the bottom I’m sitting there in a pile of snow, one arm missing, an unresponsive peripheral laid out in a heap to my left. And standing over me, staring down at the tableau of my monumental fuck-up? Peripherals One and Two. The fuckers.

“Four! You made it!” Lucian says as he jogs up, tossing his hands in the air in what I can only assume is celebration. Though I can’t see anything to celebrate right then. “Let’s take a look at that arm. Sorry I had to shoot you back there.” He grins.

My systems can’t parse the information and the way it’s being delivered. Spoken aren’t so cheerful about violence when it’s against each other. For machines though, life is cheap and full of second chances. It does something to me, though, to know he shot me.

I stand and follow him down the metal corridors of the facility.

He’s buoyant and laughing with people he passes along the way. As a whole, the Sergius project must have done something right in this scenario despite my piss poor showing.

He’s midway through reattaching my arm when he tells me the news. “They said it’s promising. They want to start implementing the Sergius project on a wider scale. I’m going to turn over what I have to the main facility back in the Capitol. They’re going to ship you peripherals out.” He glanced up at me, brows raised. “You understand, don’t you? The kind of position I’m in. What this could mean for my career?”

I don’t have access to things like nuance or too deep an understanding of what goes on under the surface of the politics of the Empire. Just Lucian’s face and his eyes sending an unreadable message I really want to be able to decrypt.

“I understand.”

#ffxivwrite2022 #ffxivwrite #ffxiv rp #Prompt 7 #Pawn

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kisenth · 1 year

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Pokémon Interaction Rules

I realize I never reposted the rules for Pokémon interactions, so here's a little post specific to my Pokémon characters. I no longer make exceptions on these rules. Past interactions taught me that much. So if these rules are a problem for you, then I'm not the one for you and I wish you good luck finding someone who is. This might sound harsh to some, but this is simply what past happenings have made it.

1. My characters are all linked based on Kira being the challenger - this has weaved into their HCs in various ways. As a result, this means I can't interact with other challenger characters, or characters who take away pieces from the challenger as is designed by the game.

2. Kira has gone through ALL the events of the games, including the DLC. This means that apart from Zacian and Eternatus, she also holds the legendary Pokémon Peony had sent her out to find in the crown tundra DLC.

3. Since Kira owns Zacian, Zamazenta belongs to Hop, and characters might reference to this - especially Sonia and Gloria. Since Hop is so vital to various characters, I also won't interact with characters who are supposedly replacing Hop.

4. I will not interact with characters from a fan region. I honestly applaud you people for having the imagination and creation to even MAKE a whole region and whatnot, but considering past interactions I am staying VERY far away from them now. I love hearing about them ooc, but I no longer write with them ic.

5. I will no longer compromise on Kira's battle ability. She's undefeated, she'll remain undefeated. Her whole thing is being a battle prodigy and I'm done making her weaker just so that others can feel better about themselves. If you don't want to lose to her, then don't battle her. Simple as that.

6. As opposed to Kira, the other characters can be defeated, but within reason. Going from strongest to weakest, here is everyone: I know everyone likes to treat Raihan (( and Leon for that matter, despite him being, you know, the strongest champion canonically. )) like they're weak for some reason that eludes me, but I am going by canon. Canon says that Raihan has the strength to become champion in other regions. This means he’s as strong as any other champion that isn’t Leon. He's not going to lose to just about anyone, this means your character too would need that sort of strength - and even THEN chances are he'd win if he goes all out. Aria's strength is more along the lines of Piers. She's trained by Raihan, so she's certainly strong, but her overall disinterest in battling is what limits her in the end. Getting past her Vaporeon is honestly the hardest. Rion made it through most of the challenger's league, losing to Raihan in the end. His strength is in between Piers' and Raihan's strengths (( the strengths they show in gyms, not their strength when they go all out )). Gloria -- ... has an army of Snom's. has strength roughly the same as Rion's, but never did the challenge cup so there's no 'official' standard for her strength. But she's been traveling all over Galar to help the Magnolia professors, and she's strong enough to take care of herself out there. Sonia made it to the quarter finals in her hey day, and her team packs a punch, but she simply lost the touch for battling after avoiding it for so long. This made her rather rusty, and impacts her strength. My characters aren't there just to make yours look good. If you want to powerplay, please find someone else. They'll lose to people stronger than them, and they'll win over people who are weaker. Simple as that.

Is it a long list? Yeah, kinda. Is it very 'my way or the highway'? Definitely. But the Pokémon RPC is honestly the most toxic one I've seen in all my years on here in various RPCs and ALL of these rules are all born from past happenings that made me leave the RPC to begin with.

I like to think of myself as a pretty laid back RPer overall, but even I had to draw some lines to prevent unpleasant things from happening again.

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always-andromeda · 1 month

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Time for a little talk. Skip if you don’t feel like reading. I just wanted to get some thoughts out because I’ve been seeing a lot of fatphobia pop up on my dashboard and I just got some comments that reminded me of it all.

TW: discussion around fatphobia, mention of EDs (nothing graphic), disgusting comments from a disgusting individual.

So a few months ago I made this silly little post:

Essentially, that day I got a load of OOTD videos from a plus size influencer on my for you page. And I was saddened to open the comments on every single one and see that the top comments were all insulting, unfunny comments about this woman who was simply just. Standing in front of a camera. Striking some poses. Showing off her outfit.

However. The other day, I got some particularly gross comments on that post:

Now let me clarify, I didn’t legitimize their comments with a response. I have since blocked them and I’m keeping their username covered because honestly, it’s just some random bullshit blog that reposts stolen aesthetic images from Pinterest and makes disparaging comments about fat people on tumblr. Their life is grim enough by the looks of things.

And I'm not posting this to say, "Look at the mean comments I got!! Feel bad for me!! 🥺" Because if this was just regular old fatphobia, I would've ignored and blocked this bullshit like I've done in the past. But it's that first comment that made me chuckle. Friends, I present to you the weakest excuse I've heard for being an absolute piece of shit:

They put themselves out there. They deserve the insults. Plain and simple.

For extra context: I've been fat my whole life. And I probably always will be. I've been insulted for it by "friends" and bullies alike. No matter how much I've restricted, worked out, binged, and purged, none of it has ever made me lose weight. If anything, all those actions have done to me is physical damage that I can't undo!

But these people don't care about that. They don't care about listening and extending empathy and learning like a decent human being might. Even if a fat person did try and comply with this person's bullshit logic and go to the gym to "fix" themselves, they'd still get treated like shit for the simple fact that they exist and they have a body and they dare to show it in public. There is no correct or incorrect way to be fat.

A person's body does not hold some inherent moral value. Leaving pathetically vile comments on a random post from a random blog you don't even follow sure does hold a moral value though I think! One that matters just an eeeensy bit more than my fat ass saying in a silly tumblr post: "Hey, it'd be really cool if I could just...exist...without getting stomped into oblivion, thanks!"

If I dared to pretend that comments like these are made with a shred of good faith in them, I would argue that there is no "winning" with people like this. They only care to perpetuate a cycle of self loathing and discouragement specifically designed to keep us in the position of being punching bags. All they care to do is hurt people they don't know because the internet has afforded them a level of removal from the rot within their hearts.

I'm not saying anything groundbreaking, I'm aware. There are plenty of folks who are more articulate than I am who have had these conversations dozens of time over.

But these people feed on our misery. They feed on their ability to kick up a fuss and hurt our feelings with half assed insults. One might argue that I'm kicking up a fuss right now typing up a long ass tumblr post in response to two measly comments. If that's your contribution to this discussion, get absolutely fucked, this post isn't for you. It’s not for the commenter either.

This post is for all of my homies who have become the punching bag, both on and offline. Because it hurts either way. I hear you and I see you, friends. And the second you start to doubt yourself when these beasts rear their ugly heads, please remember that their words have nothing to do with you. They use their words and their energy to deliberately cause harm. And there is something deeply wrong with that. Some wrong thing that you don't possess purely for some physical trait. Never ever forget that distinction.

I love you all. I'm glad we exist. And I hope that we can keep spreading love in whatever ways we can.

#˚ʚ meda rants ɞ˚

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kinglakinblog · 1 year

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How to Repair a Shingle Roof

Shingles are one of the most important parts of a roof. Not only do they protect your home from the elements, but they’re also a structural part of the roof. If they’re damaged or defective, you may need to replace them. In this article, we will teach you how to repair a shingle roofing contractors near me . We’ll discuss the different types of shingles, their installation, and the repairs that can be made. We’ll also provide tips for identifying and repairing shingles in a timely manner. If you’re ever faced with a shingle roof repair, read this article first!

What is a shingle roof?

A shingle roof is made up of several layers of tiled, overlapping boards that are held together by metal straps or rafters. The tiles are usually slightly narrower than the gaps between them so that water doesn't seep through. A shingle roof can be very simple or elaborate, but all have the same basic construction: a series of roofs supported by beams.

Types of shingle roofs

There are three main types of shingle roofs: traditional, metal and tile.

Traditional shingles are the oldest type and were made from natural materials like wood or slate. They're usually less expensive to repair than other types of roofs, but they can be more difficult to replace. Metal and tile shingles are newer and more popular, because they're lighter weight and easier to install. They tend to last longer than traditional shingles, but they can be more expensive to repair.

How to repair a shingle roof

Repairing a shingle roof is a relatively straightforward process, though it can be time-consuming. If the roof is just starting to show signs of wear, you may be able to patch it up yourself. However, if the roof is in bad shape or has already started to leak, you'll need to call an expert.

To start repairs, first assess the damage. Look for holes in the shingles, frayed edges, or any other sign of structural failure. Once you have an idea of what needs to be repaired, choose your supplies: a ladder, a bucket of water, sandpaper (if needed), and a trowel.

If there are several layers of shingles on the roof, remove them one by one using a ladder. Start at the edge of the roof and work your way inward so that all of the shingles are removed until you reach the rotten section. Make sure to use a bucket of water to keep things wet while you're working so that the sandpaper won't stick to the shingles.

Apply sandpaper where necessary and then reattach the new shingles using a trowel. Be sure to press them down firmly into place so that they form an even coating over the entire surface. Repeat this process until all of the shingles have been replaced.

When to replace a shingle roof

When it comes time to replace your shingle roof, there are a few things to keep in mind.

The shingle roof is a simple design that dates back to the early 1800s. A layer of shingles covers the roof’s surface and is held in place by a layer of mud or mortar. As the weather changes, water can seep through the shingles and cause them to rot, lose their waterproofing properties, and eventually fall off.

If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s time to have your roof inspected and replaced as soon as possible. Here are some tips on when to replace your shingle roof:

-When water starts leaking through the shingles: Water will leak through the weakest points in any roof – which are usually around window frames, flashing, and gables. If you see water seeping through your shingles anywhere other than around windows or under eaves, it’s time for a new roof.

-When the shingles start falling off: Shingle roofs tend to fall off in large pieces once they start deteriorating. This can be caused by environmental factors (like wind or rain), but also by structural problems (like broken tiles). If more than half of your shingles are starting to peel away or come loose from the wall structure, it’s time for a new roof.

Conclusion

In this article, we will discuss the steps necessary to repair a shingle roof. If you have any questions after reading this guide, don't hesitate to contact one of our experts at your local Roofing Company. Thank you for choosing us as your source for roofing services!

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bmaxwell · 2 years

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Inscryption

Inscryption came out of nowhere to become my 2021 game of the year. It's a great example of how word of mouth can carry a small title to great success. I heard a little bit of buzz about it, played the demo for about 10 minutes and thought "Eh, pretty basic lane-based card game with a weird horror cabin theme. No thanks."

Similar to 2018's Doki Doki Literature Club, I heard a few folks whose voices I trust say "Hey, I can't give much detail but, uh, you should play Inscryption. It goes places." And oh boy, does it ever.

Before I get too far into this, let me say that this isn't developer Daniel Mullin's first game, nor is it the first game to weird 4th wall-breaking stuff. Similar to DDLC, there are people who spend a lot of time playing These games and are probably a little frustrated when the larger gaming community acts like this is a whole new groundbreaking type of game. I get that frustration but, as someone who plays normie games, walking blindly into this sort of "fuck with your head" game feels like a breath of fresh air.

Spoilers ahead for Inscryption.

Play Inscryption.

Even if card games aren't your thing.

Okay?

Okay.

In Inscryption, you are trapped in a weird murder cabin in the woods with a dude(?) who makes you play a card game with him. A pair of glowing red eyes in across the table in the darkness unfurls a map and sort of DM's a tabletop game for you. When you lose in the game, he kills you? Or maybe knocks you out? You get dragged off to a room in the cabin where he takes your photo with an old camera with a big old flash bulb and designs a new card in your memory.

Oh wait I remember now.

Anyway, the game isn't scary in the traditional sense, it's more unsettling. The music and sound design play a massive role in the game's aesthetic. The music is a low thrum, and there are a lot of disturbingly wet sounds. Remember the pliers? They're for RIPPING OUT ONE OF YOUR TEEEEEEETH which feels like a nightmare designed specifically for me. So thanks for that. Teeth in an old justice scale are how your damage - and wins and losses - are tracked in the game.

The card game is crude looking, full of animals, traps, and pelts. You encounter different bosses in the game (all played by your scary cabin friend putting on different masks and personas). Your cards are animals, and sometimes they talk to you? They warn you about the cabin dude and try to give you hints. Such as - you can stand up from the table and walk around the cabin, which is full of little escape room-esque puzzles and hidden compartments that unlock new cards and goodies.

The other "living" cards you find seem to be prisoners as well, and are trying to help you succeed against the cabin fella.

When you eventually do defeat the man in the cabin (Leshy - a forest deity in Slavic mythology) you are treated to some real-life found footage of a young guy on his YouTube channel talking about this old out of print CCG card game he found at a yard sale. One of the packs has been opened and resealed, and one of those cards has some real-world coordinates on it. *

The rabbit hole here goes pretty deep and might involve ancient evil and possibly Hitler at some point.

Anyway, after you finish Act I in the cabin, the game's second act is in a whole new style. You are exploring a 16-bit style game world, trying to defeat the 4 scribes. There is some actual deckbuilding in between matches here, as opposed to the cabin section of act I where you just had the cards that you had (though you did get to choose cards to add along the way for each session).

Act II was the weakest part of the game for me. But hey - a 16-bit deckbuilding card game? I can't really complain about that.

The game's third act flips things again, this time having you explore a military base and playing a high-tech version of the game. It does some really neat things using the files on your PC, and your Steam friends list. The game is all the while slowly adding pieces to the puzzle of just what in the world Inscryption is all about, bringing familiar names back around both in the game world and in the game's found-footage videos it drips feeds to you.

The game's first act in the cabin is by far the strongest part of the game. The 2nd and 3rd acts were more interesting than fun for me, but I was fascinated at the mystery the game was unfolding for me. And after the third act as the full Inscryption experience wound down, I found myself getting unexpectedly teary-eyed at one point.

There's quite a bit more to discover than what I've gone over here. If you want the full monty explanation, you can look here. The game is more than the sum of its parts. It occupied my brain's idle cycles for a few weeks while I was in the thick of it. I kept trying to puzzle out how all the different elements of the game pieced together. There is something disturbing just beneath the surface of the game as well, and I was dreading the answers a little, even as I was seeking them out. Now, a year later, I wish I could delete it from my memory and play it for the first time again.

I haven't played anything else that feels quite like Inscryption.

*Which apparently were found in real life by someone and were part of an ARG for the game.

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clowndensation · 2 years

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roman season 1 is like life is a game. i’m losing the game because the game is for idiots and anyone who cares about it is trying too hard. look at all of you scrambling to keep in line. i’m losing the game but it’s on purpose. everyone look at me, look at how much i don’t care, it’s not sad to lose a game you’re not trying to win. are you looking? do you see how much i don’t care? watch me lose this game on purpose. it’s a joke. watch me blow the game up. are you looking?

roman season 2 is like life is a game and i’m losing, please why am i always losing? it’s better when i don’t try, right? why don’t i feel better? i can’t try, please don’t make me try. i can’t let everyone see me play the game and fail. i can’t let them see that it’s not on purpose. i’m not good at it. what if there’s something wrong with me?

roman season 3 is like please please please am i doing it? am i winning? dad please give me the trophy please tell me its over please tell me i’ve won.

#succession #roman roy #roman roy was never going to be a real person because nobody ever taught him how #he was born into a game #and dismissed from the game before he even really got to play #the weakest piece designed to lose #and he's been so busy trying to prove he can be a player that he hasn't even thought about being a person yet #me quietly in my head: nobody knows i'm spiralling about roman roy

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egcdeath · 3 years

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a blip in the reader-verse

chapter 6: extra! extra! read all about it

series summary: a minor mistake causes a shift in the multiverse that only you have the capacity to fix.

chapter summary: you kept your friends close, and your enemy even closer.

pairing: politician!andy barber x journalist!reader, steve rogers x reader

word count: 4k

warnings: american politics, fake dating/marriage, angst at the end, heavy codependent behavior at the end

author’s note: i saw @jtargaryen18 post about politician!steve a while ago and must’ve internalized it because this chapter pretty much wrote itself. just a heads up: all of my political knowledge comes from political sitcoms, so sorry in advance if i get some things wrong. another warning is that there are still some very unhealthy relationship dynamics at play here, so promise me you won’t be like reader okay?

previous chapter / series masterlist

Is Andy Barber Really the Best for Our Nation’s Future?

Opinion

by Y/N L/N

Feb 7, 2021, 4:36 PM ET

After tonight’s debate, the question that’s begged is if Andrew Barber is truly fit to run our country. Although he’s clearly a front runner for his party’s nomination, he’s shown time and time again that he may actually be our weakest candidate.

His weaknesses were highlighted during the debate, with his dodged questions and vague answers. At this point in time, it’s hard to tell if Barber has a platform at all.

With Super Tuesday just around the corner, I ask you to reevaluate your support for Barber. Though a charming candidate, it seems that that’s all he has, his charm. His policies are weak, and borderline impossible, and he certainly isn’t the right person to become the most powerful man in the world.

—-

When you became conscious, you were no better than unconscious. Your eyes opened and were immediately met with a harshness from the sun peeking through a window. You shifted away from the brightness, body sinking into a memory foam mattress while your nude form rubbed against similarly soft sheets. You sleepily rubbed your eyes before they flitted throughout the room you were in. Observing an oddly clean, generic looking area, you’d quickly connected the dots that you were in a hotel room. A rather fancy one at that.

Soft breathing came from next to you, and as you turned your head a bit more, you were met with the back of a fluffy and dark haired man. You weren’t completely sure, but judging by your history of finding your way to Steve, you’d assumed that it was some alternate form of your partner.

The man in bed next to you yawned, and haphazardly threw an arm in your direction, before rolling over to greet you, “morning sunshine,” he slurred sleepily.

The beard was a bit of a surprise to you. Though you’d begged and begged your Steve to keep it, he often refused for one reason or another. Seeing the man next to you who (what was now much clearer to you) a version of your boyfriend, was a rather pleasant surprise.

“Morning,” you responded in an equally sleepy manner, ignoring the rhythmic vibration coming from your night stand.

“Mm, you should get that,” he mumbled, pressing a disoriented peck to the side of your head while you reached over to grab your phone, which you could now see was the perpetrator of the vibrations.

“Hello?” you asked into the phone.

“Are you dumb? Or are you fucking stupid?” Aaliyah’s voice scolded through the phone. “Do you know what kind of position you’ve put me in? This is a fucking mess, Y/N. All for some dick? How could you be so careless?! Jesus!”

“What are you talking about?” You glanced over at Andy, and sat up a bit, pulling the crisp blankets over your body in an attempt to retain some form of modesty.

“Don’t play dumb with me. You’re fucking Andy Barber, but you’re writing articles about him like you just watched him kill your dog. You realize that this puts all of us at risk, right? You’re gonna lose your job, I’m gonna lose my job since I decided to edit and publish your shit, and you and I will lose any sort of journalistic integrity we’ve ever had, or will have, for the rest of goddamn time! Seriously, you could’ve had anyone, but Andy Barber? Andrew fucking Barber?” she groaned over the line.

“Uh, I’ll uh, call you back,” you whispered.

“You’re joking right? Are you with him right now?”

“Aaliyah!”

“Oh my god, you’re with him right now. You’re a fucking mess,” she huffed before hanging up.

Why did the universe have to send you off to such a shitshow?

You rolled out of bed, and sulked into the bathroom, desperate to find out what was going on. While sitting on the toilet, you scrolled through the wall of notifications; tweets directed at you, messages from confused friends begging you to call them when you had a chance, and even the occasional concerned email.

You grimaced as you read through each one of them, eventually clicking on the article that many seemed to be referencing, which included a paparazzi photo of you and this Andy Barber character entering a hotel together sometime in the late night to early morning, partnered with an article or two of your own criticizing him. At first, you wondered if he was some sort of celebrity, but what you ultimately found out was much worse.

He was a politician. A senator who was running to be president.

You screamed into your hands, before tossing your phone aside, and starting a warm shower for yourself. Perhaps the shower could help jog your memory a bit.

Stepping into the steamy chamber, and letting the water pelt down onto you did do wonders for you, and it gave you a moment of focus. With both your memories from this universe, along with the information you’d been given through your phone, you were able to piece a few aspects of the universe together.

You were a journalist, a popular one at that, Andy was Steve, but not Steve, and also a presidential candidate. Aaliyah was your editor, and a higher-up at the Times, and you were about to have your ass handed to you over an affair. At least Andy wasn’t married.

Your shower must’ve taken longer than you’d expected, as there was a soft knock on the door after some time.

“Everything okay in there?” a slightly muffled voice asked.

“Yeah. Just peachy. Why aren’t you more worried about this?” you called back.

“I have a good publicist. And campaign manager. I just have a good team,” Andy paused briefly. “When you’re ready, room service is ready.”

----

Over aggressive mouthfuls of fresh fruit and bitter coffee, you conversed with Andy.

“How are we gonna fix this?” You questioned while setting down your fork.

“Well, it’s simple. We just have to find some kind of spin to this whole story. Maybe you were just interviewing me, or getting a soundbite from me.” “Why would you agree to get a soundbite from someone who clearly has it out for you?” You set your fork down, and crossed your arms over your white robe clad chest.

“That’s a good question,” Andy nodded a bit, “a good question for someone else to answer.”

“Why don’t we let your publicist figure out how to play this?”

“I’d say I’m a bit of an expert at this at this point, but I’ll call my team.”

“You do that, I need to assess the damage to my career,” you huffed, moving to sit on the bed so that you could aggressively scroll on your phone in peace.

Andy called someone, and you patiently waited while he chatted with them.

“Okay, Y/N. We can’t leave through the front, so my guy’s gonna pick us up in the garage. We have like, half an hour,” he tossed his phone aside, then maneuvered himself to get in bed with you, setting both hands down on either side of you, and placing a soft kiss on your lips. He slowly began to inch down your body, untying the belt of your robe as he did so, when you interrupted him.

“What do you think you’re doing, Andrew?”

“We have time.” He looked up at you.

“We are not doing this. What do you think got us into this mess in the first place?” you frowned, moving one of his hands so you could slide away from him.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes! Why aren’t you taking this seriously! Do you realize that both of our careers are at stake here? I don’t want to lose my job because I’m having an affair with you. You shouldn’t want to lose a shot at office for a woman you’re not even with.”

“Come on, we’ve been doing this for almost a year, and you only have a problem with it now?”

“Yes! The public had no idea before! They’re going batshit now! And the worst part is that I’m the one taking the most heat,” you sighed, and Andy gave you a frown.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. You know I didn’t want this to happen.”

“It’s kinda too late for sorries now.”

——

You stepped out of your suite about five minutes after Andy left, suitcase in tow, blocky sunglasses on your face, and a heathered grey peacoat draped over your shoulders. Although you were stressed from the controversy you’d found yourself in, you couldn’t help but feel the buzz of excitement from having to hide from the paparazzi. At the same time, you felt quite bad for this version of yourself.

When you finally got out to the designated Cadillac, you asked for his driver to roll up the partition, like you’d done a million times before, then looked out of the tinted windows. The ride was pretty awkward, considering you were in no mood to talk to Andy, and Andy felt bad about the issues he’d imposed on you from his own carelessness. He set a cautious hand on top of yours, and though you were agitated, it did brighten your mood the slightest bit.

After what felt like forever, you arrived at his campaign building, and you were ushered into a small, soundproof space, with a large and round pine table in the center of it. Surrounding the table was a very tired looking Aaliyah, and… Tony Stark?

“How’s everyone’s weekend been?” Tony asked, breaking the ice as you and Andy settled into your seats.

“Are we really doing small talk right now?” Aaliyah deadpanned, “sorry, that was uncalled for.”

“Alright, straight to the elephant in the room then. You two were out spotted, big deal, happens all the time to politicians and their mistresses-“

“I’m not his mistress! You know this, Tony,” you huffed.

“Tony knew and not me?” Aaliyah gasped.

“Well-“ you began.

“Save it.”

“It was on a very need-to-know basis,” you muttered.

“Back to what I was saying. I suggest that we don’t address it, unless addressed.”

“I don’t know if you’re dense, or what, but that’s the exact opposite of what we need to do. We have to get on top of this story before the story is that you,” Aaliyah gestured at you, “are packing your shit at the Times.”

The door shot open, and quickly closed. A slightly flustered blonde man stumbled through. “Sorry to interrupt,” he began.

Aaliyah rolled her eyes at this notion, muttering a ‘sure you are’ to herself.

“We just finished polling numbers, and Andy, you’re up?” He projected the screen of his iPad onto a TV in the room, then passed the device over to Andy on his way to sit down.

“Thanks, Vis,” he gave him a curt nod.

“Why would our candidate allegedly hooking up with someone who hates him boost him in the polls?” Tony asked.

“Middle America loves a family man, you know that,” Vision said in a matter of faculty manner. “Andy has had a hard time connecting with that demographic because when they see him, they see an Elitist East-coaster.”

“Hooking up with a hot reporter does not make you a family man,” Aaliyah retorted.

“That brings me to my next point. If you don’t mind, I’d like to add a proposal of my own,” Vision stated, and received a shrug from the rest of the room. “Well, if we need to put a spin on this, the obvious choice is to explain that they’ve been seeing each other the whole time. Under wraps, of course. The photos the paparazzi received are not damning by any means, and look more romantic than sexual, to be quite frank. Y/N wrote those articles to throw the public off her scent, and she didn’t really believe anything she said, and Andy? He’s just a good, all American man who was tired of keeping his relationship under wraps. Everything’s to gain from this plan.”

“Well, I lose my journalistic integrity. That’s a pretty big loss to me. I may never work again,” you rubbed your forehead in a distraught manner.

“You won’t have to worry about working when you’re the First Lady. Think about it, if we can get votes from the swing states, we’ve secured enough electoral votes to have a Barber win. All over a little character rebrand.”

“Excuse me, the First Lady?” You nervously glanced between Vision and Aaliyah while you attempted to pick your jaw up from the floor.

“Well, yes. We can’t exactly get the full ‘family man’ look without Mr. Barber being a real husband.“

“Are we talking, real wedding?” Aaliyah questioned.

“Yes. You just have to be legally bound together for around four years, eight years tops. About twelve would be preferable, but I understand that not everything works out.”

“I don’t object to that,” Andy winked and nudged you a bit.

What a mess.

“Back to what I was saying, we’ll probably need about a two week PR period before we do a press briefing announcing the engagement. Give or take. During that time, we could have your publicist arrange all sorts of good photo ops for you two.”

“Either way, my career is ruined,” you sighed, and Andy set his hand on your back.

“Sorry, sweetheart.”

“You don’t have to do that. We’re not currently standing in front of 30 cameras.”

“Well, we should prepare for when we are in front of 30 cameras.”

“Is it though?” Vision interjected, bringing you and Andy back from your aside. “We can just deflect, maybe have a few of your friends make articles about how what you did wasn’t all that bad.”

“Is it not a valid criticism of me that I was sleeping around with the person who I was also slandering?”

“Is it not possible to criticize someone you care about? In fact, helping someone learn how to improve can be very romantic,” Vision shrugged.

There was a brief silence throughout the bunch while everyone pondered a counter argument.

“That right there, that kind of insight is why we call you the Vision,” Tony shook his head and proudly clapped the man on his back.

“So it’s settled then? We’re really doing this?” You glanced around at your peers while Aaliyah spoke. “Any objections, love birds?”

Andy shrugged, “I’d be happy to spend the rest of my life with her.”

You, on the other hand, weren’t so sure.

——

Barber and his Greatest Critic Break Bread Together on Friday

Y/N L/N Announces She’s Not Resigning from Senior Position, and That She’s Been Seeing Barber!

BREAKING! Barber Announces Relationship with Critic Y/N L/N

Is L/Nber the Ship that Shows us How Relationships Are More Powerful than Politics?

Our New Favorite Political Power Couple Showed Up Together at a Rally, and We Couldn’t Be More Excited.

Barber 7 Points Ahead in the Polls, Leaving Loguidice and Kline Trailing Far Behind

Was Y/N Really in the Wrong?

“L/Nber” Celebrate Valentine’s Day Together

These L/Nber House Hunting Photos Are Giving Us Life!

This was your reality for the next two weeks. The news cycle was filled with a plethora of articles about you, some criticizing you, some criticizing Andy, but most, supporting the two of you in your romantic endeavors. Unsurprisingly, the world loved a good story about two attractive people getting together.

During this period, you didn’t particularly feel like leaving, though the thought had certainly crossed your mind. You just weren’t sure that you wanted to be dealing with those terrible symptoms again in the midst of an already stressful stage of your life. At the same time, it seemed like the universe was not going to be fair with your time in this reality. You were convinced that you were here for the long haul, or at least, until Andy proposed to you.

Although it was a bit annoying, cameras around every corner, a watchful eye on everything that you or Andy even considered doing, you found yourself growing on Andy. In some ways, he was a bit more intense than Steve, whose personality had mellowed out a bit since the Snap.

This had been the first time in all of your travels where you felt like ‘Steve’ was the one pursuing you, and in all honesty, it made you feel good. Even if everything the two of you did had an aftertaste of artificiality.

You spent more and more time with him every day, staying together with him in hotels across the country, visiting local businesses with him to get the perfect photo op, and attending galas with donors. It seemed like in every candid photo of Andy, you weren’t too far behind. By the time the day of your proposal arrived, you weren’t even all that opposed to the marriage.

When the proposal finally arrived, the two of you were sat inside a rather fancy restaurant, finishing up your meal when Andy settled on one knee in front of you, “Y/N,” he began, and you felt the all too familiar tremble of your watch on your wrist.

You almost had to restrain yourself from exclaiming out loud. It’s not that you didn’t like Andy or anything, he’d genuinely grown on you. In the least cheesy way, it wasn’t him, but you. Being somewhere so unfamiliar for so long had begun to create a cumulative exhaustion that wore a bit more on you every day. Feeling homesick was an understatement.

You brought your hands up to your face, and gasped dramatically, squeezing your eyes shut to see if you could possibly produce a few tears, while mobile cameras and a few professional flashes were directed towards you. A few warm droplets slipped down your face, and for a moment you weren’t even sure how fake they were. It seemed like once they started, they couldn’t stop.

You missed Steve, your Steve, the man you’d fallen in love with. You missed your friends, teammates, and family. You missed the stability of knowing what the world held for you next.

In the midst of Andy’s proposal, in what should’ve been the happiest moment of your life, all you could focus on was your overwhelming desire to have a sense of normalcy in your life once again.

——

You woke up in a cold sweat, heart racing in your chest, and shaking your ribcage. You looked up to the ceiling of what you had grown to know was your room in the Compound, your real room, and felt your eyes well up in tears that stung you.

You sat up, and took as deep of a breath as you could manage, when you noticed Wanda sitting by your bedside.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” she said softly, coming closer to you, offering you a glass of water before sitting at the foot of your bed.

“Where’s Steve?” you asked, trying to gauge where you were.

“Honey,” she sighed softly. “I’m so sorry. He’s still missing.”

Your lip trembled as you took a sip. You really were back home.

“I know you’re hurting, but when you feel a little better, we’re going to Medbay. Banner decided that we should probably keep an eye on your vitals, but you were gone before we even had the chance to get you there.”

You gulped down the water, then set it on your bedside table, “so was that all just a dream or something? Why isn’t Steve back?” you huffed frustratedly.

“I don’t know why he isn’t back, but I don’t think you were dreaming. I was trying to watch your dreams, but I couldn’t read you, or your thoughts at all.”

“Hmm,” you mumbled, throwing your legs over the side of the bed, “let’s go.”

As you settled into the cold, and sterile medical facility you were hooked up to a plethora of monitors, and a cacophony of devices beeped as they read your physical state.

You tuned out the words being spoken around you, zoning out and looking forward to your vital signs monitor. Your mind wandered to your last few thoughts in your previous reality, the desperation to come back, to see your estranged lover again. You couldn’t help but to feel disappointed, lamenting the fact that you’d found your way home, yet felt the ever present void in your heart where your Steve used to be.

“Y/N?” a voice asked you, and you glanced in its general direction. “What happened while you were out? What did you see? Did it work?” Bruce pelted you with questions.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to talk about it yet,” you sighed softly, bringing a hand up to your neck and rubbing it. “The watch worked though, I was definitely in other universes. I just couldn’t reach him. Bring him home. I failed.”

“Do you think he’s really out there?” Bruce whispered to Wanda hoping that you might not pick up on it.

“I’m… I don’t know. I just don’t know how likely it is that we’ll manage to find him,” she responded in a hushed tone. You bit back tears as she spoke, resuming your empty gaze on the pixelated green text of your heart rate on the monitor.

“I’m sorry, guys. I have to go back,” you interrupted. “I can’t give up on Steve yet. I know he wouldn’t give up on me.”

“Y/N, you could be gone for centuries before you find him, then return back here with no time passed at all, and possibly no Steve. You don’t deserve to take on all of that pain,” Wanda set a hand on your shoulder. “Steve would’ve wanted you to move on from him. To find happiness without him.”

“I can’t do that, Wanda. Without him I don’t even know who I am,” your voice trembled as you spoke. “He’s literally been my only tether through all of this.”

“I just don’t know that this is the best thing we could be doing. Sure, you’re physically fine, but it almost seems like you’re doing worse emotionally than you were before you left,” Bruce added.

“I’m not!” you sniffled before continuing. “I’m just tired from going to all those new places.”

Bruce and Wanda didn’t seem too convinced. “Don’t you guys believe in me? When have I let you down on a mission before? I’m gonna find him, okay? I’ll find him if it’s the last fucking thing I do,” you blubbered.

Wanda’s hand slid down your shoulder, and to the watch that was currently on your wrist.

“Don’t,” you uttered, swinging your opposite hand to grab onto your own wrist. You were aware that there was absolutely no way you could overpower her in taking the watch from you, but even in your minor hysterics, you were able to think fast enough to press the round button before the watch was able to be taken off of you.

You, and your wrist shook. Wrist shaking from the watch, and promise of sending you elsewhere, and you from a mixture of sobs and adrenaline. Though not the most ideal exit, it was an exit nonetheless.

You weren’t even sure if you cared that you were on good terms with your teammates anymore.

You just needed to be with Steve again.

#steve rogers x reader #captain america x reader #andy barber x reader #andy barber x you #marvel fanfiction #ABITRV

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echo-of-sounds · 3 years

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Heyo! Tell us your top 5 favorite dinosaurs and why they’re your favorite! (I really love the stegosaurus, and when I used to get to go to museums they were always my favorite exhibit to see - how do you feel about them?) also I’ve been thinking about u today and I’m sorry that you’re having a bad time, so here’s hoping that your day gets better! 💚💚 -🎙anon

Thank you. I appreciate it. Also, please excuse my rambling in this. I just love dinosaurs!!💙💙

Stegosaurus? They were never really on my radar. My brother liked them for their upright plates and spiked tails. I always preferred the ankylosaur to them. Though I did like the Huayangosaurus just because I liked saying the name. It’s fun.

Since you said dinosaurs, I’m strictly sticking to dinosaurs, not megafauna, parareptiles, pterosaurs, and aquatic reptiles. Right now, they are.

1) This one has always been a top favorite for me: Spinosaurus! I just love how absolutely big it is! And with the updated look and discoveries, I love it even more, from its tail fins to how different its posture is from other theropods to its environment. I’ve always appreciated semi-aquatic/aquatic ecosystems like mangroves, wetlands, and total flats, so imagining a giant Spinosaurus roaming some coastal wetlands is just really cool to me.

2) For the next one, they’re not technically a single dinosaur, but a family: Nodosauridae, a family of ankylosaurian dinosaurs. Ankylosauria (a suborder within Ornithischia) is generally split into two families: nodosauridae and ankylosauridae. Well, there’s debate about whether Polacanthidae is the third family or a subfamily of Nodosaurida.

The two families are quite similar. The ankylosaurids were the ‘archetypal’ ankylosaur you see with boney clubs at the end of their tails. The nodosaurids, instead of clubs, had crazy pronounced spikes! Edmontonia and Nodosaurus had large spikes jutted out from their shoulders, which were very muscular.

Gastonia, one of my particular favorites, had these shoulder spikes and spikes protruding from their back. Their backs were covered in pieces of body armor. All the way down their tail, on both sides, were sharp pieces of bones. When swung, their tails acted just like blades. Gastonia was also low to the ground due to their short legs, protecting their weakest point, their stomach. It was near impossible for predators to get near them. They were literally like walking tanks!

3) The Utahraptor has also always been one of my top favorites. They’re the largest known dromaeosaurid. At their shoulder blade, it’s estimated they stood around 6 feet tall. For length, the estimation is around 20-24 feet. Their weight has been compared to a grizzly and polar bear’s.

Their legs have shown to have significant force behind them. Other, smaller raptors would have used their hand claws to hold on to their prey as they kicked at it since their legs were less strong and they needed the hold to keep their balance. Utahraptors, because of their size, were able to kick without losing balance. This let them use their hand claws to also scratch at their prey. They’re basically the best design raptor when it comes to killing.

4) One of the more unique dinosaurs I love, that many don’t know about, are Therizinosaurus cheloniformis. Their features are just so bizarre compared to other theropods. Many think they were omnivorous or herbivorous. They’re so fucking huge, growing around 33 feet long and estimated to be around 5.0–5.5 short tons! Their hand claws would have been one meter long (3.3 feet) which is crazy!

Seriously, search up pictures of them, especially their claws! They differ so much from the classic theropod look. Scientists first thought they were some giant turtle species. Then some thought they were semi-aquatic. Paleontologists just didn’t know what they were. There’s an entire Wikipedia article just on the research: “Timeline of therizinosaur research.” I love them.

5) The last one is another family: Pachycephalosauridae. Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis is the most well-known one. It’s also the largest. Pachycephalosaurs are known for their thick skulls, but they also had broad hips, long legs, heavy tails, and quite a thick neck leading into a bulky torso.

I also adore an animal literally headbutting another into submission. Though that hypothesis has been debated, mainly because it was suggested they could straighten their spines into a straight line to absorb impact. It’s been proven that their spines wouldn’t be able to do that, taking more of an S or U shape.

However! Pachycephalosaurus still have spinal rigidity and intense neck musculature. Wounds found on their skulls suggest a form of penetrating trauma. And I found this out today!

Histological examination reveals that pachycephalosaurid domes are composed of a unique form of fibrolamellar bone. which contains fibroblasts that play a critical role in wound healing, and are capable of rapidly depositing bone during remodeling. Peterson et al. (2013) concluded that taken together, the frequency of lesion distribution and the bone structure of frontoparietal domes, lends strong support to the hypothesis that pachycephalosaurids used their unique cranial structures for agonistic behavior.

Anyways, I spent too long reading about dinosaurs today. It did make me feel better though. I’m going to leave it there before adding anything else.💙💙

#ask game #personal?#ignore my rambling #dinosaurs!#long post #🎙anon

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bookofmariokingofmaiami · 3 years

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MUSHROOM KINGDOM LIFE BETA PART 2

You probably saw the last one so you know how this works, enjoy chapter 3 and 5. Chapter 4 is the longest one so it didn't fit

lets a go

SUITS

HAMMER SUIT & BOOMERANG FLOWER

The Hammer Suit and Boomerang Flower are less of a household item and more used for military purposes. Very fitting, given the nature of the transformations. These items respectively give the user a semi-unlimited supply of hammers and boomerangs, and increased throwing skill and strength. As such, they are among Fire Flowers in their use among troops, though with the caveat that these items (the Hammer Suits in particular) are rare and costly to produce/cultivate. Scientists in the military fields are at work creating a version of these items that transforms the user entirely into a Hammer or Boomerang Bro, for the purpose of stealth missions and operations behind enemy lines.

BLUE SHELL

The blue shell is a shell like suit wich gives the user the ability to slide like a koopa troopa can wich while is very dizzying it is very strong and resistant making it great for defense and for breaking brick walls, the flying variant isn't wearable and is used in the mushroom kingdom's mushroom kart sport where it flies and stuns the first place for a few seconds, the spikel blue shell is used in the military as front lines and breaking down defenses from enemy kingdoms

BULLET BILL MASK

The bullet bill mask is less of a mask and more of a bullet bill that someone can fit inside, it can fly like a bullet bill and it will fly until it hits something then it explodes, do not worry it is generally made with an highly resilient and hard suit wich protects the user from the explosion,it can be worn as a mask but users say that their neck hurted afterwards, this suit is also used in warfare for reaching the enemy fast

BUZZY SHELL/HELMET

The buzzy shell is a helmet made out of a buzzy bettle shell, it is commercially available for citizens even though it is a piece military equipment, it is used as work helmets in works like construction workers and mining, in warfare it is the standard helmet for soldiers, it is very sturdy and sell for 35 gold coins

CANNON BOX (HELMET AND GLOVE)

The cannon box is a a small box with the mechanism of a airship cannon, it is combined with the superball flower for ammo production, both helmet and glove shoot metal balls at slow yet deadly speeds, the helmet cannon box shoots standard cannon ammo while the glove shoots superballs, it is military equipment so not many legal sellers of this equipment,its military weapons of mid rank soldiers,

CAPE FEATHER

The cape feather is the official name of the super cape, a cape made of super feathers and super leafs, it is very powerful and gives the user the ability to fly and the cape can be swung to hit enemies and stun them,the power cape started production in dino island, it's not very common and isn't a piece of military equipment, while it can be bought you need a flying license to use it like all other flight items,some say the first edition of the cable was covered in liquid pownon wich would explain the earthquakes that happened when the item was first introduced

DRY BONES SHELL

The undead have some interesting properties, the shell of a dry bones is very hard and lava proof, because of the fact that is lava proof is why many lava boats use dry bones shells as the main platform, it is also used as "armor" but it's not recommended as dry bones armor is well hard to make and just dont work,it can be used to hide from other dry bones by entering it upside up

FROG SUIT

The frog suit was the mushroom kingdom's main swimming suit for deep sea exploration for many decades until the creation of the penguin suit,it gives the user a huge improvement in swimming ability and also gives water breathing abilities,even now with the new penguin suit it Is still used regularly amd is considered one of the greatest water items ever, the suit is commercially sold for 125 gold coins in the mushroom kingdom and 200 exported

GIGA BELL

The giga bell is an item native from the cat islands,it is an ancient shrine that turns whoever touches it (after the giga bell has recharged) into a giga cat version of themselves, it gives abilities similar to the super bell and the extra size of concentrated mega mushroom extract, it is not legal to remove the giga bell's from the island and doing so you will be fined 3000 gold coins,the giga bell's where used to fight off fury bowser during the cat island catastrophe

GOOMBA MASK

Goombas are bowser's frontline soldiers, while the weakest they are very voracious and dangerous, but not very smart and the goomba mask shows it, the goomaba mask is a helmet shaped like a goomba head made of mushrooms, goombas are easily tricked by this oversized goomba head wich while not great for infiltration missions in many koopa locations, it was used in some infiltration missions in goomba filled bases

GOOMBA SHOE

While the goombas in the koopa kingdom arent very smart doe to the lack of schools the goombas from other kingdoms have good education and the goomba shoe was invented by a goomba, it uses pownon to make giant shoe wich can be entered and used, the goomba shoe is very strong and can be used to smash enemies, the flying variety flies like a charm using pownon both liquid and gas and also wings for changing the direction

ICE SKATE (VEHICLE)

The ice skate (vehicle) is another object created by the goomba university, it similarly to the goomba shoe is an oversized footwear wich now is used as an vehicle, it works as a ice vehicle for snowy biomes as it was designed for snow and ice use as it is very fast while used in the snow,its used in many ice villages and locations as the main transporting vehicle on said location

INVINCIBILITY BELL

The invincibility bell like all the other super bell variants creates a suit like thing around the user made of magical cat fur wich is made of magic and not cat,the invincibility bell is covered by super star dust and mini star paint, these 2 celestial oddities cause the invincibility bell to make the user invincible for 30 seconds before it runs out, after running out it becomes like any other super bell,it is quite rare so many don't use it and use it as decoration

LIGHT BOX

The light box is an mechanism wich works like a flashlight but it's the size of a head and is a box, it is also wearable, the light emitted from the flashlight is bright and energy efficient, it can light up whole rooms with its powerful glow, it also emits an light that undead are allergic to, it can stun anything if turned on too fast and boos will temporarily die, these lights are used in cave exploration and containing ghosting outside of haunted area

LUCKY BELL

The lucky bell is a variant of the super bell know for being similar to the tanuki suit as the user besides the normal super bell abilities it also gives the user to turn into a statue, but instead of being made of stone and depicting the tanuki version of the user, it is made of gold and depicts a lucky cat version of the user, it is said those who encounter it gain eternal luck wich with the fact it's rare makes it one of the most expensive bell commercially available at 500 coins

LUIGI CAP

The luigi cap is the hat worn by the brother of famous mario jumpman mario ||, luigi, while he is awesome and his hat is too, we are talking about the luigi disguise cap, a disguise cap developed by the smartest people in the koopa kingdom, it turns the user in a perfect copy of luigi wich was used for infiltration, it fooled the mushroom kingdom multiple times but probably wasent realy useful because luigi doesn't go to the locations they wanted to infiltrate so they didn't allow the impostors to enter

MARIO CAP

The cap worn by mushroom kingdom hero mario Mario || is one of the most well known hats, but we are talking about the koopa developed mario disguise hat, this high tech hat turns the user into a perfect copy of mario, wich when it was created was a big problem sinse mario is one of the highest member of the mushroom kingdom government making so impostors were able to go to high defense locations easily, many technologies and info was stolen and the following years where full of chaos and high tech machines in bowser's hands

METAL CAP

The metal cap is a mushroom kingdom developed high tech cap wich turns the user into living metal, this metal version is very strong and durable, it is used in seafloor exploration as the metal man body dosent need oxygen and the weight pulls the user down, it is not advised to use it on the middle of the ocean because the most optimal way to get back on land is climbing up close to land floor,once a unamed toad got stuck on the seafloor for a whole year

P-WING (POWER WING)

The power wing is an set of wings made of bird feathers, mushroom cloth, and pownon gas, it gives the user the ability to fly, unlike the usual super leaf the pwing doesn't lose flight power over time making for indefinitely flight, it is very rare thought because it is very hard to make, it also explodes after a few weeks of use doe to the pownon gas turning into liquid because of extreme use

PENGUIN SUIT

The penguin suit is a better version of the well known swimming equipment known as frog suit, the penguin suit not only gives the user faster movement speed, it also gives the user the ability to slide like a penguin with much control for super fast movement, it also has the effects of an ice flower, the penguin suit has been the new main swimming gear sinse 2009 when it was first developed, it is a bit expensive by 175 coins locally and 300 internationally

PROPELLER BOX

The proppeller box was the mushroom kingdom answer to technologically advance flying gear for citizens before the discovery to how to cultivate proppeller mushroom effectively, it is still found and used today but is much more rarer than decades ago where it was used everywhere, it is still used and manufactured in the sprixie islands where the proppeller mushroom isn't viable for cultivation doe to the unique soil of the land

SPINY SHELL/HELMET

The Sony helmet is the much spikier variety of the helmet, the helmet is unlike the non spike variety it isn't sold for citizens, it is the standard helmet for mid to high ranking officials and soldiers, it is made out of spinies the buzzy beetle's spike cousins,it is very durable and any attempt of using shoes will fail,the spikes can break through many tipes of objects making it good for offence as well, the spikes are also used to make spears

SUPER BELL

The super bell is an object native to the sprixie kingdom and cat island, when used it makes a suit like clothes giving the user cat like abilities such as sharp claw attack, cat dive and climb, this item is loved between cat lovers and normal people alike,it is very common and easy to manufacture making it cheap, it is made of a strange transformative metal found in abundance in the sprixie kingdom and many asteroids also have this metal, wich leads many to believe there where somekind of interstellar asteroid hit the area resulting in the abundance of these metals and green stars

SUPER CROWN

Before anything else, the rumor spreaded throughout the world that says that whoever wears it turns into a "peachfied version" of themselves is not true, the super crown is to the mushroom species what royal honey is to bees, it turns any member of mushrom sapient species's will turn into a mushroom princess, it happens if the princess hasn't gotten an heir when they reach the age of 40, of course peach the current leader is not dead so these candidates arent yet princesses, but they are put in high ranks, as the number of super crowns goes down the new candidates are set

TANUKI SUIT

The tanuki suit an suit made of mushroom cloth and super leaf's, it gives the user the ability to fly like the super leaf but it also gives the user to turn into a stone statue version of themselves wich can not be broken,it was developed in sarasaland where the super leaf is native to,the tanuki suit is one of the most well known of these magical suits and was used in many battles as stone statues are a staple decoration in castles wich makes hiding easy

VANISH CAP

The vanish cap is one of many high tech hats developed by the mushroom kingdom science institute (m.k.s.i), it was developed to give people the ability to go invisible and go trough wall with none of the side effects of the boo mushroom or just dying, this hat is transparent and when activated makes the user temporarily invisible with the ability to go trough walls, the prototype was stored in one of peaches castles wich was useful in the the 1996 invasion where mario used it to rescue peach, 2 years later is was finished and a few years ago it got a green light for being allowed to commercially sell copies of this hat

WARIO CAP

Wario is one of the richest man in the mushroom kingdom and is considered by many as a vilain sinse he did use his wealth to try and take over sarasaland, fornutally he was stopped but that doesn't means he ain't rich, that's why when the luigi and mario disguise caps where made bowser also made a wario disguise hat to steal this wealth wich lead to over 37 million gold coins being stolen from many of warios vaults, a gold statue of wario also went missing

WING

The wing or as many call it super wing is the first man made power up way back in 1986, it's a set of wings wich can be attached to the back of clothes that gives the user the ability to fly, of course doe to the inexperience of making power ups of the time makes it very weak and breaks after a few minutes of use wich depending when it breaks can be realy dangerous so the production of super wings stoped in 1987 and stoped selling in 1988, it now very rare and expansive

WING CAP

The wing cap is another high tech hat developed by the mushroom kingdom science institute (m.k.s.i) this hat utilizes concentrated gas pownon to give the user the ability to fly in definitely as long you can get enough momentum,it like any other flight power up it requires a flying license to use it, it like the other hats where stored in one of peaches castles wich helped mario in the 1996 invasion, however this one took the longest to develop and was only released in 2012

WINGS

Not to be confused to the super wing, the super wings was a second try by the creators of the super wing also known as the special company, for a feather based flying power up, it is way better than the super wing it wasn't very successful because of the many flying already around, by the time it was released in 2004 other items like the super leaf and super cape where already widely spreaded and cultivated and this wings is still very crappy, and also their only successful product was way more known wo that's another reason for its failure

YOSHI WINGS

The yoshi wings is the special company's only succes and is why the company hasn't gone bankrupt yet, the yoshi wings is an accessory for the Yoshisaur Munchakoopas species also known as just yoshi, the yoshi wings can be worn by yoshi's to give them the ability to fly, the reason why it wasent a failure is the use of super feathers instead of normal feathers with small balloons of pownon they usually use, this item is a success and many yoshi's and yoshi owners love this item

OTHER PLANTS

DOUBLE CHERRY

Double Cherries are originally native to the Sprixie Kingdom, but imports have led to a native supply beginning to grow in carefully cultivated orchards in the Mushroom Kingdom. The duplicative effects of these fruits has found great use in the agricultural industry, and fertilizer created from the pits is able to double or even triple the natural yield of many crops. Double Cherries have also had a recent popularity surge among some sports clubs for the twist they can add to the game

BLIMP FRUIT

The blimp fruit is one of 3 magical fruits discovered by mario jumpman mario || during the second mushroom intergalactic expedition, this fruit like the power flower is an natural producer of pownon, unlike the power flower instead of constantly releasing the gas the plant stores the pownon in these fruits, it causes a very similar effect to inhaling the pownon-gas from p balloons but in species like yoshi it becomes twice as powerful making the user float for a long amount of time, It can be grown on the mushroom planet but it takes some time to be grown

BULB BERRY

This fruit like the blimp fruit was discovered during the second intergalactic expedition, this berry is an glowing yellow fruit that grows on bushes, this fruit produces light and bioluminescence liquid,this glowing berry is very delicious and in its purest form makes the user glow temporarily, this fruit can only grow in dark places and will only start glowing after being plucked out of the bush,this fruit is a great light source so some adventurers have some in case they find themselves in somewhere dark

SUPER CARROTS

The super carrot is an species of carrot with magical properties wich first became popular in the early 90s, this carrot tastes like any regular carrot with a hint of super leafs, this carrot carrot makes bunny ears appear in the use4s head and said ears also gives the user the ability to float like a super leaf would do,this carrot can be grown anywhere and is a ingredient in many foods and dishes, in 2001 a super carrot powered sewing machine was made……...for some reason

DASH PEPPER

The dash pepper is the last magical fruit discovered in the second intergalactic expedition, this pepper like fruit is currently the spiciest pepper in the universe, not only is it realy spicy making so many dishes uses it for spiciness, it also has high amounts of energy wich transfers to the user giving them "super speed" for 30 seconds, during this time the user will be able to go up walls and walk on water, it can be grown in any soil except rocky and star soil

INVINCIBILITY LEAF

This rare variant of the super leaf can only be grown in concentrated star soil wich currently is only found in the star road but artificial ones are being tested, this leaf gets its yellow and white coloring from the stardust of the stas soil and the white from ministars found around the star road, because of the concentrated stardust it has a similar effect to the super star and the effects of a super leaf, this rare plant is pretty expensive costing as much as 2 power star or 500 coins

PIRANHA PLANT POT

Piranha plants are vicious plants that consume meat and will try and kill anything that gets in its way ……...why not make it into a pet?, as bad that may sound it actually works, from 2005 trough 2013 scientists from the mksi worked on a smaller less dangerous version of the piranha plant, the Potted piranha plant is way smaller and less dangerous and is considered a pet, theyre very cute and lovely, they eat plant food but any kind of meat works too

STATUE LEAF

The statue leaf is a subspecies of the super leaf but with the statue magic from a tanuki suit, this plant appears to be made of rock and can only grow underground, this leaf is rare and scarce and many people who owns one use it as decoration but if you were to it it has the same taste as a super leaf but crunchy, the seeds make great tea and drinks, this item is found all over the world specially in super trees

SUPER LEAF

The super leaf is the most famous flying power up of all time, this plant is the leafs of a super tree or tanuki tree, because of that one tree can make up to 2000 super leafs a month, it makes for great tea soup and can be used as spices in many dishes, in its purest power form it makes a racoon tail grow wich js very strong and can be used as a weapon, it also gives the user the ability to fly for certain amount of time and the flight power was extracted to make battleship flight generators used at the time and even to this day with the rise of pownon it is still used

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aj-anime-blog · 3 years

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Deca-Dence - Review!

Wooooo Deca-Dence!

Deca-Dence was a summer 2020 anime, and that’s when I originally watched it! I've watched it about a dozen times since, as it landed itself right on my roster of my favorite animes, if not my favorite of all time.

Deca-Dence is an original piece, so no manga source material (whaaat!) and comes from the genius brain of Yuzuru Tachikawa, the director of other fan-favorites like Mob Psycho 100 and Death Parade (a review for Death Parade is in the making!). Original mangas are such a hit-or-miss recently, and I think that this one got the bullseye!

What's our concept?: Set in the future, the world is now plagued by monsters known as Gadolls. In an attempt to keep humans safe from them, mobile fortress Deca-Dence was constructed, where Gears, who live near the top, fight the Gadolls, and Tankers, who live at the bottom, provide support from inside Deca-Dence. Our protag, Natsume, is a Tanker who wants to fight with the Gears, but her prosthetic arm keeps her out of battle. That is until she meets Kaburagi, an older Tanker who seems to know his way around fighting and might have more to him than he lets on.

It's gonna be hard to go through this without spoilers, but I promise that I'll keep it spoiler-free until the section at the bottom!

So overall, what do I think?: 10/10! I've already said it, but Deca-Dence is one of my favorite animes of all time, and it deserves the spot! It has incredible characters, a story that keeps you hooked even through twists and turns, and a pace that manages to cram so much plot into only 12 episodes without feeling overwhelming or rushed! Deca-Dence presents ideas that, at the surface, may seem overused or old, but spins them in such a way that they're completely original. It follows through with character relationships, making them worthwhile and fulfilling.

Let's start with the story this time!: 10/10!! It's going to be really hard to explain the beauty of Deca-Dence's plot without spoiling it, but I'm doing my best! I really do recommend just giving the show a try, though, as it's really worth it! (Don't just drop it after episode 2, like a lot of people did :( That's just judging it wayyy too early!!)

Deca-Dence has a story that's thrilling and new. Everything that happens builds off of itself in a way that's natural and smooth. The elements of the story, no matter how different they may seem, play their part and work together well. The show isn't predictable either - don't go in thinking that you know what's going to become of it. Each twist feels surprising and new without feeling like they're coming out of left field.

I won't say much more in fear of ruining it, but Deca-Dence's story holds up well, and with its strong cast of characters supporting it, it becomes absolutely suburb. I think a lot of people fell into this pit of seeing only the beginning and tossing it aside, but no matter how strange the concepts in it may be, they wind together to form something really unique!

So those characters, huh?: 11/10, I love them so much! I'm a character nerd through and through, and Deca-Dence sends my little character-obsessed heart wild. The protags, Natsume and Kaburagi, are both fascinating, have incredible development, and engage in a character dynamic that is so natural and well-written that I never doubted it.

To be honest, Natsume doesn't have a personality that's anything new. She's young, determined to a fault, naive, and a complete sweetheart. She wants to fight the Gadoll and she'll do anything to achieve that dream. She's not a natural at fighting but her motivation to do so makes her believable and relatable. She's looked down upon because of her prosthetic arm and forced into a job that she doesn't like, but she never gives up on her goals. Even though she's so simple, her interactions and energy make her lovable and a wonderful protagonist.

Kaburagi follows the washed-out warrior trope, as he's an older man assigned to clean-up duty who keeps to himself and never shows too much emotion. While this type of character can sometimes get annoying, the show gives Kaburagi enough time to show his real feelings and explain how he got to his position. This proper development keeps him down-to-Earth and shows him as even more flawed than Natsume. Kaburagi's motivation, which I can't explain for spoiler reasons, is entirely believable and explains perfectly why he decides to put up with Natsume, even though she's his polar opposite.

The relationship between the two characters is balanced and beautiful. It's given the proper time to grow, mature, and ends up being extremely worthwhile. Natsume relies on Kaburagi, as he sees the potential in her and continues to support her in ways no one else ever has, and Kaburagi understands that Natsume is everything that he's trying to rebel against. Their relationship is emotional, runs deep, and leaves you wishing that there was more of them to watch, even after the show has ended.

The villain! The villain. I cannot talk all that much about the villain at the risk of spoiling. He is evil. I really really hated him, and that is a very good thing because it means that he's well-written. His motivation makes sense, his actions make you want to strangle him, his design was really really good! He's not the most interesting thing in the show, as his character is really only there to move the story along, but not every villain needs to be incredibly deep for a show to be good.

Lastly, our supporting characters! While none of them are as wonderful as Natsume or Kaburagi, they're still interesting and hold their own. They play important parts in the show and all of their interactions with the main two feel natural. Their conflicts make sense, their resolutions feel well-earned, and their personalities are all unique! For a 12-episode anime, there's a larger cast of supporting characters than you would think, and nearly all of them are memorable and loveable.

Time to shut up about characters, what about the art?: 9/10, ooooh yes the art! Deca-Dence is gorgeous! It's animated by studio Nut (bwahahhaha), who haven't done that much else in the anime world. Still, for a relatively new studio, it's absolutely amazing! The characters all have unique looks that make them stand out and the fight scenes are to die for. They lose a point on the CG, since it's a little bit less than amazing, but again, for a new studio, it's definitely not the worst I've seen!! (Admittedly, I also don't like CG much at all, so I'm always harsh towards it when it's used).

Deca-Dence switches between two styles that vastly contradict each other, one which is a colorful, happy-go-lucky style, and one that's the more typical anime style. I'll speak more about them in the spoilers section, but they do a wonderful job at maintaining the tone of the show, as to not let it get too dark, and forming a clear divide between the events of the two parts.

Oh goshhh the Gadolls look so cool. I'm so obsessed with cool monsters in anime and woah they look awesome!! They're original, with cool designs that I haven't seen elsewhere. The show could've so easily slapped in some pretty typical-looking dragons or wolves or whatever, but they instead spent time on these epic creatures, and it's so worth it! It makes the setting that much more unique and allows it to stand out from other animes.

Surely there's a flaw in this anime? The pacing, maybe?: 9/10. Yeah, I would argue that the pacing is Deca-Dence's weakest point. Not that the pacing is particularly bad compared to other shows! I still think that, for a 12-episode anime, it does a wonderful job of fitting in a large amount of plot into only about 5 hours! But, at some points, parts felt rushed or confusing, as the show would zoom into them. I never felt like I was truly lost, though. Even if I did wish that there was a break from the action, I never found myself really thinking that the show was leaving me behind in the dust. It's not the kind of show that you can turn on and leave running while you multitask, though. Blink for too long and you might miss something important, which can ruin some of the hard-hitting twists that the anime works so hard to build up.

OK! Time for spoilers! I beg you, go watch the anime before you read past this, because it's totally worth it!!

Woahh episode 2 am I right?? I thought that I clicked into the wrong anime when I began it, it took such a wild turn, and so soon in the anime too. This is what I really mean when I talk about a show not being what it appears to be! Again, I really encourage you to watch it for yourself, but if you're that stubborn on reading this through before you turn it on:

Deca-Dence is not about the heart-wrenching battles between Gears and their desperate attempts to keep humanity alive, because Gears are just avatars for cyborgs! You see, there's a civilization of cyborg people who are living above the Earth, who log in to fight in mobile fortress Deca-Dence as a game. So the Gadolls are genetically grown as prey for the Gears and the entire story surrounding Deca-Dence's battles are scripted. Crazy right!? The best part: the Tankers aren't in on this at all. You heard me: Natsume and her human friends have no idea that Deca-Dence is staged.

From here, Deca-Dence has two distinct parts: we'll call them "Natsume's half" and "Kaburagi's half". Natsume's half refers to the mobile fortress, the Tankers who live unaware of the cyborgs, and the art style that premiered in the first episode. Kaburagi's half is the Solid Quake organization, the Gears who are avatars of the cyborgs, and the goofy, stylized art style with big lines and bright colors.

The twist and the diverging sides of the story set this show up as not your typical sci-fi anime, but as something a little deeper. The stakes are the same, as humanity is in just as much peril as it was before - it becomes abundantly clear that the Gears and cyborgs don't care about them - but the name of the game completely changes as you realize that our so-called "heroes" aren't really all that heroic, and there's a lot more going on.

Kaburagi is, of course, one of these cyborgs, cursed to live among the Tankers because of a mistake he made while playing as a Gear. Now, he's in charge of eliminating "bugs", or mistakes that the system finds. He's upset with his life, frustrated at what he's doing, and contemplating suicide. But when Natsume walks into his life, a little girl that the system considers legally dead, Kaburagi sees a chance to rebel, even the slightest, against the system. He's supposed to kill Natsume, but instead, he takes her under his wing, determined to protect what he's been instructed to eliminate. This development gives their relationship a deeper meaning, even if Natsume doesn't know it.

Deca-Dence does a wonderful job at showing the watchers both sides of the story but keeping Natsume's side in the dark. Even though we see scenes from Kaburagi's side, Natsume knows nothing about them. When Kaburagi leaves after Hugin kills his avatar, Nastume doesn't know where he's gone and has no reason to believe that he hasn't run away. There's no way she could guess that Kaburagi's new form - his weird orange Gear avatar - is the mentor that she once knew. And when Kaburagi, back in his original form, is killed in front of her, she really believes that he is dead. When Natsume finds out about the truth of the Gadolls - that the world she knows is fake - her horror is palpable and realistic, because there's no way she could've known any better.

Kaburagi's world has a goofy style to it, with the cyborgs looking cartoonish rather than realistic. While it might initially seem off-putting, I think that it ends up balancing the tone of the story much better. Consider the hellscape that is the reform facility that Kaburagi visits. Imagine how dark it would've been if it was not in a silly style! By keeping the style cuter rather than realistic, the show doesn't dip too far into dark and gritty, and I really liked it!

It also set up this harsh divide between Kabruagi's half, where things are easygoing, done for pleasure and fun, and not nearly as harsh as Natsume's world (Look at the name of the series! Decadence literally means living in excessive luxury!). Even when the cyborgs are in their Gear forms, which are drawn in Natsume's style, they're still a lot more colorful and vivid, showing that their lives aren't as harsh as that of the Tankers. The art styles reflect the differences between the two halves and give them both distinct tones and personalities!

& finally, let's take an in-depth look at one scene!: I had a really hard time picking what I thought summed up the series in a single scene. In the end, I think that Natsume and Kaburagi's discussion at the end of episode 7 was the best. Here, we see a culmination of a lot of the character development going on. Kaburagi, in this scene, is in a Gears avatar that Natsume doesn't recognize, meeting her for the first time since his normal avatar was killed. Natsume's been working with the Tankers to protect them from Gadolls that infiltrated the fortress, and she's motivated them all to rise up and fix the hole in the fortress themselves.

Kaburagi has encouraged Natsume to be a stronger person, even though she had to be independent and not rely on him any longer. His pessimistic view on the world - that they'll never defeat the Gadolls - has rubbed off on her, but it's only made her more determined to be stronger to stand up to them. In this scene, we see her breaking down as she considers that Kaburagi might be right, and that she'll never kill them all, but that she needs to continue fighting.

Though Kaburagi previously doubted Natsume and her endless determination, he now feels filled with the same motivation. Natsume has convinced him, time and time again, that he can't give up, and so he decides that he's willing to do anything to make sure that she never loses that hope. He wants her dreams to come true, and he knows that she can't accomplish them alone.

This perfectly shows the effects that they have on one another. Natsume is now stronger than she's ever been: independent, able to take down Gadolls on her own, and determined enough to patch up the hole that no one else thought could be fixed. Kaburagi, in stark contrast to his suicidal thoughts from episode two, is now completely devoted to make the world a safe place for Natsume. Their relationship has shaped one another into being the best versions of themselves, and this isn't even the end! They still complete their growth in the last few episodes, but I've rambled about them enough.

We're done!: That's my review of Deca-Dence! I really believe that it's one of the masterpiece animes in recent years, and I wish it got more attention. I'm sure that there's plenty of anime out there like this one - forgotten diamonds in the rough - that I'd love to dig up and fawn over. Tell me if you know any! Or, if you disagree with my review, tell me where you think I'm wrong!

#time to go rewatch deca-dence #writing about it has made me miss it so much #its sooooo good #please check it out #it's so worth it #studio nut #bwahahah #studio NUT #lmaoooo #please tell them to get a better name #deca-dence #anime #anime review #summer 2020

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