#Kingdom Hearts extended universe when?

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - June 20, 2023

🐕 - Meet Sheep Farm's Newest Employee: Collie Hired After Ejection from Car!

1. Border Collie ejected from car during Sunday crash found on sheep farm, herding sheep

Tilly, the 2-year-old Border Collie who was ejected from a car Sunday during a crash, has been found. He was found on a sheep farm, where he had apparently taken up the role of sheep herder. 

According to Tilly's owner, he has lost some weight since Sunday's crash and is now drinking lots of water but is otherwise healthy.

2. After 17-Year Absence, White Rhinos Return to the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) recently welcomed the reintroduction of 16 southern white rhinoceroses to Garamba National Park, according to officials. The last wild northern white rhino was poached there in 2006.

The white rhinos were transported to Garamba, which lies in the northeastern part of the country, from a South African private reserve. In the late 19th century, the southern white rhino subspecies was believed to be extinct due to poaching until a population of fewer than 100 was discovered in South Africa in 1895, according to WWF.

3. UK to wipe women’s historic convictions for homosexuality

Women with convictions for some same-sex activity in the United Kingdom can apply for a pardon for the first time, the Home Office has announced.

The Home Office is widening its scheme to wipe historic convictions for homosexual activity more than a decade after the government allowed applications for same-sex activity offences to be disregarded.

It means anyone can apply for a pardon if they have been convicted or cautioned for any same-sex activity offences that have been repealed or abolished.

4. Study shows human tendency to help others is universal

A new study on the human capacity for cooperation suggests that, deep down, people of diverse cultures are more similar than you might expect. The study, published in Scientific Reports, shows that from the towns of England, Italy, Poland, and Russia to the villages of rural Ecuador, Ghana, Laos, and Aboriginal Australia, at the micro scale of our daily interaction, people everywhere tend to help others when needed.

5. In a First, Wind and Solar Generated More Power Than Coal in U.S.

Wind and solar generated more electricity than coal through May, an E&E News review of federal data shows, marking the first time renewables have outpaced the former king of American power over a five-month period.

The milestone illustrates the ongoing transformation of the U.S. power sector as the nation races to install cleaner forms of energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.

6. Iceland becomes latest country to ban conversion therapy

Lawmakers in Iceland on June 9 approved a bill that will ban so-called conversion therapy in the country.

Media reports note 53 members of the Icelandic Parliament voted for the measure, while three MPs abstained. Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, an MP who is a member of the Liberal Reform Party, introduced the bill.

7. The temple feeding 100,000 people a day

Amritsar, the north Indian city known for its Golden Temple and delicious cuisine, is also renowned for its spirit of generosity and selfless service. The city, founded by a Sikh guru, embodies the Sikh tradition of seva, performing voluntary acts of service without expecting anything in return.

This spirit of giving extends beyond the temple walls, as the Sikh community has shown immense compassion during crises, such as delivering oxygen cylinders during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the heart of Amritsar's generosity is the Golden Temple's langar, the world's largest free communal kitchen, serving 100,000 people daily without discrimination. Despite a history marred by tragic events, Amritsar continues to radiate kindness, love, and generosity.

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That's it for this week :)

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#best news of last week

[fantastic-nonsense]

Hi! I was looking to see if you know of many comics with Batman's villains at the lead!? (Besides Harley and Selina, who've had multiple series and are pretty easy to find). Other than the "Joker" Novel and Penguin: Pain and prejudice, i couldn't find any. Any good suggestions for Joker, Ivy, Two-Face, or any other villian from the Batman universe?

the tldr is that Ivy has several, Two-Face has a handful, the al Ghuls have a couple, and everyone else has had a couple of single issues starring them.

In general, the Batman Arkham series functions as a Batman Rogues Gallery "Greatest Hits" collection. While most of the stories collected in these trades don't feature the rogues as a protagonist, they all explore the characters and their backstories/motivations and feature them in a starring role!

On principle, I generally refuse to recommend Joker comics. Clown man has enough stuff starring him and they're generally easy enough to find without me promoting him more than he already is. Also, to be honest with you I occasionally go out of my way to avoid stuff starring him because he's frankly bored me ever since DC decided to emphasize him as a psychopathic serial killer instead of a funny villain with a clown gimmick.

However, The Joker's Five-Way Revenge (Batman vol. 1 #251) is a fun read, Joker: The Man Who Laughs and Joker's Last Laugh are both good, and Batman: The War of Jokes and Riddles is decent as well. Another fun one that's a little out of the box is Superman: Emperor Joker.

Other than that...I generally recommend the following for Ivy:

Batman Arkham: Poison Ivy (basically an 'Ivy Greatest Hits' collection)

Batman: Poison Ivy (1997)

No Man's Land (yes, it's long. No, Ivy's not a 'lead'. yes, it's also ground zero for Ivy's redemption arc and features her in a major role)

Gotham City Sirens (2009)

Swamp Thing by Scott Snyder (specifically Vol. 2, Family Tree, and Vol. 3, Rotworld: The Green Kingdom)

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death (2016)

Poison Ivy (2021) by G. Willow Wilson (curently ongoing)

Ivy also pops up in Ram V's Catwoman (2018) run and pretty consistently in Harley's solo books after 2015.

For Two-Face (my beloved), read Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory (which function as a double feature). Then read any of the following:

Batman: Faces (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #28-30)

Batman: Two-Face (1995)

Batman Annual #14: "Eye of the Beholder"

Gotham Central, which has an extended Harvey-Renee Montoya subplot

Batman/Two-Face: "Crime and Punishment"

Batman/Two-Face: Face the Face (2006)

Two-Face: Year One (2008)

Batman and Robin (2011) 23.1: Two-Face

Detective Comics #1020-1022: “The Ugly Heart”

Two-Face: One Bad Day

And for a couple of stories that aren't Harvey-focused but feature him as a prominent antagonist...read Robin: Year One, A Lonely Place of Dying, and Batman: Prodigal.

For the al Ghuls, apart from the Batman Arkham collections you're primarily looking for Tales of the Demon, the Demon Trilogy (Birth of the Demon, Bride of the Demon, Son of the Demon), Batman: The Chalice, and Batman Annual #26 (the prologue to Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul, which is also fun). Two of Damian's Robin solos (Robin: Son of Batman (2015) and Robin (2021)) also prominently feature Talia. There are...certainly other options, if you want to read about the al Ghuls, but they're rarely well characterized in those (except Talia's LexCorp CEO arc; all hail Talia's Lexcorp CEO arc).

Clayface (the Basil Karlo version) prominently featured as a protagonist in Tynion's Detective Comics Rebirth (2016) run.

Everyone else...apart from stories where they're the prominent antagonist, there were several Villain takeover issues during the period of Batman and Robin (2011) when Damian was dead, Year of the Villain had a few issues focused on the Batman Rogues, and the One Bad Day series focuses each issue on a different Bat Rogue.

There are plenty of other stories centered on various members of Batman's Rogues Gallery, but hopefully this gives you a solid starting place!

#thanks so much for the ask! hope this is helpful #comic masterposts #dc comics #batman #batman rogues gallery #asks #bri's recs #poison ivy #two face #ra's al ghul #pamela isley #harvey dent #talia al ghul

[daughter-of-melpomene]

𝗔 𝗪𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗘 𝗕𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗛 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗕𝗨𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗘𝗦

Okay, so as I was talking to Evie about the other day, I was going through one of my old notebooks and found a whole extended universe of Descendants OCs I had planned from middle school. I obviously don’t plan on formally introducing or doing anything with all of these OCs, because there is a lot of them, but I still thought it would be fun to share them with you guys! They’re not all in their original versions from my notebook, because a few of them did require a little changing and revamping, but I still hope you guys enjoy these little ideas from twelve-year-old me’s brain.

Soha Pride, daughter of Simba and Nala, Carlos ship. Able to attend Auradon Prep thanks to a spell from Fairy Godmother that allows her entire family to shift between their lion and human forms. Very dedicated to her duties as a princess of Pride Rock, but sometimes feels overshadowed by her older sister Kiara because she’s the oldest and the heir. Doesn’t believe any of the stuff Audrey and Chad say about the VKs and makes it her mission to be friends with them. Formerly a Jay ship. I am going to be introducing her formally in a little bit, so look out for that!

Josie Sparrow, daughter of Jack Sparrow, Evie ship. Auradon kid because it could never be decided whether Jack was a villain or not, and now he sails all around the seas surrounding Auradon and the different kingdoms. Has the ability to visit the Isle in her dreams, and it’s later revealed that that’s because her mother is Calypso. A huge troublemaker and prankster who’s constantly in trouble with Fairy Godmother, and becomes quick besties with Mal because of it when the VKs first come to Auradon.

Jackson Kelly-Jacobs, son of Jack Kelly and David Jacobs, OC ship. Son of Jack and Davey because I am a Javid shipper for life. A dancer and gymnast who’s on the R.O.A.R. team, and used to be friends with Chad before he turned into a bully. Really flirty and charming like his dad Jack, but still a total sweetheart. He and Evie quickly develop a WLW/MLM friendship when the VKs come to Auradon, and he definitely punches Chad during the Family Day thing.

Steven Smee, son of Mr. Smee, OC ship (Jackson’s boyfriend). Comes to Auradon with the VKs even though he’s not friends with them after Ben lets his dad persuade him to invite the child of a sidekick along with the children of villains so the people of Auradon are a bit “more receptive”. A complete shy sweetheart who loves his dad and brothers and misses them terribly when he leaves (because Smee is actually a really good dad) and is the reason the twins get to come to Auradon in the third movie. Kind of sensitive because he got bullied a lot as a kid on the Isle, but still has an inner strength that not a lot of people expect.

Maile Montunui, daughter of Moana, Uma ship. President and pretty much only member of the Auradon Prep Sailing Club, which the Sea Three join after they come to Auradon in the alternate post-second movie story that I had in my head. Incredibly courageous and not afraid to speak her mind, but sometimes gets herself into trouble from being too confident. Frequently curses and insults people in Samoan. Bisexual disaster who falls in love with Uma instantly, even if it takes Uma a while to feel the same about her.

Haven Hearts, daughter of the Queen of Hearts, Harry ship. Member of the VKs who had a sort of Romeo and Juliet romance going on with Harry, but has to break it off when they leave to go to Auradon. She wants desperately to be good and break away from her mother’s reputation, and dedicates herself to being better once the VKs choose good at the coronation, which causes some tension between her and Harry when they meet again in the second movie. In the alternate post-second movie story after the Sea Three come to Auradon, though, they reconcile and get back together. She’s fierce and sarcastic by nature but not mean, and she shares Mal’s love for graffiti.

Cierra Chernabog, daughter of Chernabog, Ben ship. Outcast even on the Isle because her father is a demon, doesn’t come to Auradon until after the second movie because so many people were against bringing Chernabog’s kid to Auradon the first time. Super shy and doesn’t talk a whole lot, but incredibly smart and loving. Has a demon form that she isn’t able to access until leaving the Isle, but it’s big and terrifying and still kind of cool.

Celeste Frollo, daughter of Judge Frollo, Audrey ship. Claudette’s twin sister, very religious and God-fearing due to her father’s teaching, so she has a lot of Catholic guilt over liking girls (picture, like, Carrie White with no telekinesis and if she was a lesbian). Gets to go to Auradon after the second movie, when Audrey’s slowly starting to reform herself and be more accepting of villain kids (we’re pretending the third movie doesn’t happen, I guess), and at the same time my girl slowly starts to overcome her guilt and they fall in love!

And there are even more, but I’m gonna stop there (😅). Hope you guys enjoyed this little look into my crazy little middle schooler brain!!

Tagging some of the Descendants moots: @ginger-grimm, @dancingsunflowers-ocs, @ginevrastilinski-ocs, @auxiliarydetective, and soft tagging @manyfandomocs!!

#randomness #plot bunnies #descendants plot bunnies #descendants oc #descendants ocs #oc: soha pride #oc: josie sparrow #oc: jackson kelly-jacobs #oc: steven smee #oc: maile montunui #oc: haven hearts #oc: cierra chernabog #oc: celeste frollo

[jaylaxies]

𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗝𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗦𝗘𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧

GUIDE:

M — mature | F — fluff | A — angst

O — one-shot | S — series | T — timestamp

SUBMIT TO ME

[ ceo!jay | m, o | 2.7k words ]

a young ceo has been visiting your night club bar from the previous two months, his eyes never leaving yours as you pole dance with the most alluring expression he's come across. what if he suddenly decides that he wants more? what if he bets that you won't be able to make him submit by the end of the night?

SEE YOU AT NIGHT

[ boyfriend au | m, f, o | 1.2k words ]

when jay's coaching practice interrupts your sweet make-out session, jay promises that he'll be seeing you at night.

NOISE COMPLAINT

[ strangers au | m, o | 2.3k words ]

a long hectic day of your business trip left you drained, and you wanted nothing more than to sleep in your five-star hotel bedroom. however, your plans were ruined once to heard loud moaning noises coming from your neighbouring room, you called to complain about the same, not knowing that your plan will backfire.

PLEASURE PRINCIPLES

[ masseur au | m, o | 2.5k words ]

after a long and stressful year of university, your friend convinces you to get a massage, letting you know how good their services are. you agree and gave it a try, not knowing that the massage you'll get will be life changing.

NEVER HAVE I EVER

[ brother's best friend au | m, o | 4.1k words ]

three months into his new university and sunghoon had a whole new friend group already, more importantly—a new best friend. inviting jay to hang out, sunghoon forgot about the extended skating practices he had to attend so, he conveniently asked jay to keep an eye on you, making sure you didn't sneak out to a party. now what would you do if jay promises you a game of 'never have i ever' to be more interesting than your party? and what would you do when things start to heat up more than they should? “never have i ever kissed my brother's best friend.” you confessed. “we can change that now, princess.” he smirked.

THE HEART WANTS WHAT IT WANTS

[ birthday au | m, a, f, o | 1.9k words ]

jay had only one wish — for you to come back, what he didn't expect was to see you standing in front of him right after he blew out his birthday cake candles. all he had to do was to stop you this time.

EX’S AND OH’S

[ft. nct lee jeno]

[ ex's au | m, o | 3.3k words ]

partying was something you enjoyed thoroughly, especially when it came with sex. but this particular one was different. when the two of your ex boyfriends came to you, offering a night with them both, you should have said no as per the rules. but would you be willing to give up such an offer?

REWRITE THE STARS

[ royal au | m, o, a, f | 7k words ]

you had only been dreaming of the suitor’s ball ever since you had turned nineteen, ensuring that everything would be perfect on that very day. it was like a fairytale how you met this charming man, who so gracefully asked you for a dance with him, soon taking you out for a walk in the royal rose garden, making you fall for his charms. however, how would you take it once you realize that he’s the prince from your rival kingdom whom you’ve grown to adore so dearly?

THE PATH TO A NERD’S HEART

[ nerd jay au | m, f, o | 8.1k words ]

the annual debate competition was just around the corner and you were thrilled to meet your partner, who turned out to be park jongseong. from you studying together to him asking you how it feels to kiss someone, how would your relationship progress? especially when you offer to give him a demonstration, even more so when he asks if he could get a bit more.

TO THE BOY: WHO WAS MY RIVAL

[ rivals to lovers au | m, f, a, s | 27.6k words ]

[3/4 of to all the boys series]

you weren't sure if luck was on your side when you repeatedly found yourself accompanied by your rival, jay—a smart as well as humble guy, during the entirety of your university field trip. you witnessed new sides of him, but what you did not expect was to see him shirtless in the hot tub, looking effortlessly beautiful under the moonlight.

© jaylaxies | tumblr

do NOT copy, translate, rewrite or repost any of my works on any other social media platforms.

#[ ✎ ] — masterlist! #enhypen hard hours #jay smut #enhypen smut

[legobiwan]

I'm still sketching out some concepts for a Dimentio!returns story in the same universe as les meilleur.. and I guess this happened. More than likely I'll end up cutting half this out if I get to a final product. 'Kill your darlings' is regrettably true when it comes to writing. *Cries in a 100 orphaned scenes sitting in a master document*. But it's so, so easy to get caught up in Luigi and Dimentio's dynamic. My gods, is it fun to write.

Anyway, imagine, if you will, Luigi and Dimentio stuck in the Undewhere after the events of SPM, bound together by the Chaos Heart's magic. And yeah, Luigi maaaaaaay have wandered off with the Dark Prognosticus at some point.

This is a weird one, guys, and likely a little ooc (at least for Luigi. Definitely not for Dimentio, who is just a right bastard 24/7 in death and in life).

---------

“But the Pure Hearts.” Luigi pursed his lips, eyes darting to the coiled Underhand seemingly at sleep at the base of a black, rotted tree. He met Dimentio’s amused gaze. “They killed you.”

“Is that what your brother told you?”

Dimentio bent over, scooping up a handful of damp, rust-colored dirt between his hands, kneading the sticky material in a mangled, triangular figure. He plucked away at a skirted corner, rolling it into a little sphere between his fingers, pinching the upper face to create a thin outcropping, something akin to the brim of a hat. With concentrated care, he placed the ball - the head, Luigi thought - carefully back on the chewed-off angle.

“I did wonder if you were given the full story,” Dimentio said, considering the childish creation sitting in his palm with an odd tilt of his head. When he spoke next, it was more to the figure than Luigi himself. “If you remembered the beautiful creature we created together.”

Luigi frowned. “Creature?”

At this, Dimentio’s head snapped up, his mismatched, crescent eyes boring into Luigi’s own, a beat too long. Then, he grinned, turning over his palm to allow the rudimentary model to slip quietly to the ground. “I take it you weren't informed,” he stated.

Luigi stared at the ground where Dimentio’s now-forgotten art project lay, clenching his fists, fingernails carving ragged half-moon crevices into his palms. With a single, calculated motion, he raised his leg, planting his boot directly onto the fallen figure, flattening it with a satisfying squelch.

“What creature, Dimentio?” Luigi grit, chewing on every word as he loomed over the jester, who made no move of retreat or apology. To the side, another Underhand stirred, extending its thumb and forefinger wide in a silent, gaping yawn.

“Our grand finale, of course!” Dimentio exclaimed, giving an exaggerated bow as he doffed an invisible top hat in the direction of the gathering Underhands. “The great melding of you, I, and the Chaos Heart. A little something I called Super Dimentio. Not the most inspired moniker, I give you, but matters at hand had stifled my usual creative penchant.”

That...was something he hadn't remembered, the last hours of his time in Bleck’s castle a chaotic mishmash of jagged images, ill-fitting and swollen. They had merged, yes, were bound to each other's existences by the Chaos Heart. That much had been obvious from the moment he had stepped back in the Mushroom Kingdom, Dimentio’s cloying voice bouncing around his head at all hours of the day and night.

What he didn’t know, what he couldn’t glean from the Dark Prognosticus, was what form that ultimate fusion had taken in Bleck's high-ceilinged, geometric chamber of horrors. Unlike his time as Mr. L, his memories of this were sparse, pointillistic impressions of electric terror as Dimentio had called upon the Floro Sprout, his free will slipping from his grasp, disintegrating into a dark canvas of swirling violet.

“They saw us?” Luigi asked, voice wavering. "Like that?"

“They fought us,” Dimentio chuckled, "like that." He reached his arm forward, placing his palm against Luigi’s sternum. “And we were beautiful."

Luigi’s skin tightened at the jester's touch, his empty chest vibrating with pulseless static. He may have no memory of his melded image, but for too many mornings, he had woken with the taste of its infernal desire on his lips, a sweet burnt flesh and milky powder of cracked earth set atop loping, caustic ribbons of an unwound reality.

It was in him, was him now, these shadows of the Chaos Heart's design, this intoxicating, excruciating euphoria intertwined with Dimentio's twisted ambitions, wound tight around each thought and action he falsely believed to be his alone.

Luigi grabbed onto Dimentio’s forearm, ripping the jester's hand away from his chest. 

“I want it and I want you out of my body,” he hissed.

Dimentio considered Luigi with narrowed eyes, his voice growing cold. “That will take some doing,” he countered.

“Then you’d better get cracking." Luigi gave Dimentio a shove, turning on his heel to march over to where Dark Prognosticus laid open, pages impossibly creaseless and unstained. He kicked at a creeping Underhand, sending it scurrying away, snatching up the cursed book before another crawling appendage could test its advantage.

“You wound me, Luigi,” Dimentio complained. “Can you truly say you haven’t enjoyed - what was that phrase you were so fond of in your alternate incarnation?” The jester snapped his fingers, feigning an open-mouthed revelation. “Ah yes. Our spiritual bond?”

Luigi gave a hoarse growl, gripping at the Prognosticus. “I should kill you."

Dimentio chuckled, his ever-present grin turning to a bladed malevolence. "You can't."

With a hissed, violent oath, Luigi hurled the cursed book at Dimentio, who leaned out the way just in time for the tome to go flying past his head. Luigi cursed his terrible aim, pointing to the dusty spot where the Prognosticus had landed.

“Then make it so I can.”

#hello there #writing #the eternal struggle #luigi #dimentio #more post spm nonsense #alright i am SO off duty from working right now #going to go on a run and then come back #write more #and play video games #for once in my not-so-young life i don't have to travel this weekend #YAY #coming up next: a little young mario and luigi story about the origin of their hats #and finally (FINALLY) the next chapter of expiate wherein i break mario's heart into a thousand pieces

[autopotion]

*These are not official groupings, just mine.

EARLY (1987-1993)

Mainline games released: I, II, III, IV, V.

Other notable releases: the Legend series, Mystic Quest

Established the formula & series mainstays--job classes, summons, chocobos & moogles, etc.

These games were relatively simple at first, but soon became trailblazers for epic storytelling in RPGs--especially IV (or initially II in North America).

Pixel guys.

Mostly known by their many (many, many) remasters and remakes.

Modern audiences might find their stories rote and their gameplay unnecessarily difficult, but they still enjoy a tiny, vocal fanbase.

GOLDEN (1994-2001)

Mainline games released: VI**, VII, VIII, IX, X.

Other notable releases: Tactics, Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon, Anthology, Chronicles

With the formula established & with the more powerful hardware of fifth- (and later sixth-) generation consoles, FF pushed boundaries and graphical limitations to produce their most ambitious games (and marketing campaigns) yet. You might say they succeeded, for better or worse; Final Fantasy VII is generally considered to be the very first AAA video game.

The era that the majority of the FF fanbase on the Internet is most nostalgic for, a fact that might inspire either your own misty-eyed recollection of the good ol' days, or an overwhelming desire to snap the rose-tinted glasses. Or both.

Saw the first of many (many, many) ports across different systems--in part to give English-speaking audiences access to the early games they missed, but also as blatant cash-grabs.

Modern audiences who have no nostalgia for this era often voice that they find stylized 3D polygons much more difficult to acclimate to than the pixel guys.

**FFVI could arguably fall under the early era. If I'd made this poll fifteen years ago, when the division of fans between VI and VII was much more stark, that's where I would have put it. However, this poll is also about how modern audiences tend to think about their favorite FF games, and FFVI enjoys a nostalgic fanbase on par with those of the other games of the golden era. Search for it on any "best FF games of all time" list and you'll see what I mean.

COMPILATION (2002-2008)

Mainline games released: XI, XII.

Other notable releases: Crystal Chronicles, X-2, Compilation of FFVII (Before Crisis, Crisis Core, Dirge of Cerberus, etc.), FFXII: Revenant Wings, the Tactics Advance series & the War of the Lions remake of the original Tactics, the DS remakes of III & IV, the first Dissidia. (Also of note, though not directly beneath the FF umbrella, was the introduction of Kingdom Hearts.)

The era of sequels, remakes, remasters, crossovers, and extended universes, shepherded by the Square Enix merger. Only two mainline games were released in this period, and the one that was not an MMO was an entry in the newly-formed "Ivalice Alliance" (contrary to the desires of one of XII's principal developers, Yasumi Matsuno, who left the project before it was finished).

While of course we've seen plenty of sequels & remakes since, this era went all-in on expanding Final Fantasy to the behemoth it is now. FFVII, its golden child, was showered with prequels and sequels. Crossovers were all the rage. Even games that were not strictly "Final Fantasy" games were retroactively roped into one of the existing canon masses, i.e. Vagrant Story into the Ivalice Alliance.

This was also the boom of handhelds, like the PSP and the beloved DS. Mainline games were saved for the heavyweight home consoles, while other titles were dispersed across the smaller systems.

Very few "new" worlds with no preexisting ties to the other games (outside of the shared banner of Final Fantasy) were created in this time, XI and Crystal Chronicles being the few exceptions.

If you enjoyed seeing the games you loved from the 90s getting more content, this era was a delight. If you'd rather the original entries were left alone, it was a painful sign of things to come.

EXPERIMENTAL (2009-2015)

Mainline games released: XIII, XIV (twice)

Other notable releases: XIII-2 & Lightning Returns, Type-0 (also a member of XIII's Fabula Nova Crystallis series), Dissidia 012, the Theatrhythm series, the first expansion for XIV (Heavensward), Record Keeper, Brave Exvius

FF's darkest era. XIII was the first time FF tried something new since XI--brand new world, female protagonist, fresh spin on the old ATB formula--and it fell just short of catastrophic. XIII and its sequels were not well-received (though whether this negative backlash was "deserved" is another story). The game that would later become XV was originally intended to be Versus XIII, an entry in Fabula Nova Crystallis. Between XIII's poor reception and Versus XIII's fraught development, this didn't happen.

The initial release of XIV, on the other hand, was catastrophic. It was so bad that the entire thing had to be rebooted.

The good news is XIV's reboot, A Realm Reborn, did so well that XIV is widely considered one of the best MMOs of all time. The reboot is also one of the earliest examples of video game "rehabilitation," in that a dramatic change or update to the original game transforms a negative experience into a positive one, and thus scrapes back the good will of the player. (No Man's Sky is a non-FF example.)

The virulent criticism of XIII has softened over the years, and it enjoys a small, dedicated fanbase.

You started to see FF dip into mobile games at this point, too.

MODERN (2016-2023)

Mainline games released: XV, XVI

Other notable releases: World of Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, Dissidia NT, Dissidia Opera Omnia, Final Fantasy VII Remake, the pixel remasters of I-VI, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Reunion, Crisis Core: Reunion, a slew of expansions for XIV

The long-anticipated release of XV heralded a new age (as well as a movie and an anime). In contrast to XIII, XV was very popular, and put FF back on the map. People loved the boys' road trip.

XIV is still going strong. I don't play MMOs but I'm happy for them.

The remakes & remasters are back, and looking more realistic than ever (if you're into that sort of thing). Look at how many individual pores you can see on your old favorites' faces! The most successful of these is the Final Fantasy VII Remake, which is not a remake as much as it's a conversation with the original game, a move that both drew in a new audience and softened (some of) the diehard og-VII fans who disliked the rest of the Compilation.

Stranger of Paradise is an odd duck attempting to evoke the uncanny valley weirdness of the PS3 era. YMMV on if it worked.

The modern FF games step further out of the boundaries of what an FF game is, dropping ATB combat in favor of real-time action that's all the rage these days. In a first, XVI doesn't have any party members. For the folks who've grown tired of ATB and crave the fast-paced action of the modern day, XVI was a hit (though, I've heard, it failed to deliver on the story).

The endless conversation about whether FF ought to be evolving this far outside of its "formula" (whatever one believes that to be) might feel tired to the average FF fan. But, going forward, it's worth talking about the ways in which FF has neglected to evolve, or even gone backwards: such as the dev team of XV stating that the inclusion of women would cause their core bros to act unnaturally, thus why there are no female party members in the game, or the dev team of XVI deliberately not including a diverse cast because their fantasy game is inspired by medieval Europe.

Tell me which era you voted for in the tags, and what your personal favorite FF game is!

#final fantasy #ff #i had fun writing this up so reblogs would be appreciated if u felt like it

[exercise-of-trust]

(springboarding off this post: i started writing a tag essay and then a reblog essay and then partway through quoting a large section of the hobbit i began to genuinely feel bad about derailing a fun post into *gestures* this shit, but unfortunately my single brain cell decided this was the only thing we were gonna think about all day.)

i think... the original post is tapping in to an acute dissonance in property-law-intuitions between these groups, and i think the dwarves would definitely have been inclined to take the feanorians' side. but i don't think the dwarves, or at least the dwarves of the third age, would be *confused* about it - this is (allegedly) the whole issue at the heart of the nauglamir business. they've had to deal with it too. (allegedly because we only have the narrator's word for it, but whatever*)

ignoring all the extraneous description/assumptions about motives: the stated argument of the dwarves in claiming the nauglamir is that thingol has no personal claim or connection to it. the dwarves gave it to finrod, who has since died and whose kingdom is in ruins, and húrin found it there ("took it as a thief") and gave it to thingol. but it was never meant to be his! and this is a common argument in fandom today on why thingol has no right to the silmaril and should never have demanded it (and certainly should not have kept it upon receipt). the flow is exactly the same: this item has found itself in a contested state because the original owner isn't currently capable of retrieving it; someone else brings it to thingol, who considers himself entitled to keep it because it was abandoned (the nauglamir) or owed (the silmaril) (kind of**).

but all of that to say - the dwarves have been dealing with the same shit, with even more disastrous results, for nearly as long as the feanorians, and they're well aware of it. in fact the nauglamir incident is pretty clearly what's being referenced in 'flies and spiders' in the hobbit, in what's probably the most even-handed retelling: "in ancient days [the elves] had had wars with some of the dwarves, whom they accused of stealing their treasure. it is only fair to say that the dwarves gave a different account, and said that they only took what was their due, for the elf-king had bargained with them to shape his raw gold and silver, and had afterwards refused to give them their pay." a little further down: "all this was well known to every dwarf, though thorin's family had had nothing to do with the old quarrel".

so - to the dwarves, the fact that non-noldor (or non-feanorian noldor) have weird takes on stolen property isn't just an academic or theoretical issue - they're on the feanorians' side because it's their story too. (which really makes the period of collaboration in hollin, and its eventual fall, all the more tragic).

but legolas and gimli go to fangorn, and to the glittering caves, and after a long-ass time of the feanorians (and eol) being the main point of contact and alliance between elves and dwarves based on existing common ground and common interests - gimli and legolas have nothing in common at all. but they love each other and they go west together and they learn to understand each other anyway, and i'm extremely emo about it.

*on the one hand it's no fun ignoring the text entirely when you're doing meta but also, on the other, the silm does have an in-universe writer with extremely obvious personal biases? so it becomes a matter of discretion when you want to ignore the parts that seem to be a result of unfounded prejudice or wild conjecture.

**in the most generous light i can see how the silmaril could be considered forfeit due to c&c's actions against beren and lúthien. that is THE MOST generous reading and i still have issues with it, namely a) thingol was explicitly hoping the feanorians would kill beren for him even if he made it out of angband alive, b) thingol... very much also did imprison lúthien for an extended period of time, c) iirc historically a weregild was a set price codified in law, or something agreed upon/voluntarily offered by the guilty party; you didn't just... take someone's stuff and say "weregild!" when they asked for it back. yes i know isildur and the ring, whatever, that is not generally how weregilds worked and isildur's claim appears to be invalid anyway (c.f. council of elrond; frodo says "then it belongs to you, and not to me at all!" when aragorn's descent is announced; aragorn responds "it does not belong to either of us"). this is a long tangent but in conclusion FUCK THINGOL

#lotr meta #silmarillion meta #and this is why my feanorian tag is #property law #.............. #wtsinb #'what's that' It's A Surprise Tag That Will Help Us Later

[lukaherehelp]

恋の羊羹 « The feeling you get when you meet a person with whom you are going to fall hopelessly in love. »

a "the fox & the prince" playlist.

Please, listen in order. Under the cut is links to the lyrics of each song and a highlight of the lyrics that fits the narrative!

( I wrote them as if they were text extracts and changed the pronouns on some of them to fit the narrative.)

Lu Decker & Gonzalo Hermida - Pasajeros a su tren || 👑&🌹

" We both stopped living at the same moment and now each one of us will have its own story, because ours could not be. I am sorry I have not returned I'm sorry, I won't come back And I'll always remember how nice it was, that now because of selfishness, it's not so nice any more. Look at us "

Taylor Swift - Midnight Rain ||🌹

" My boy was a montage: a slow-motion, love potion. I broke his heart 'cause he was nice. I guess sometimes we all get just what we wanted. And he never thinks of me. And I never think of him "

Alec Benjamin - Paper Crown || 👑

" He'll make it out, but he's never the same. He's looking down at the scars that remain. But you hold your ground when your kingdom's in flames. 'Cause it's the story of a king whose castle has fallen to the sea, knowing there's no one who will come and save this king. And there's no one, who is strong enough to save your love. There's no fairytale. When all he needs, when all he wants, when all he finds. When all he is and ever was is compromised 'cause there's no one to love him when you build your walls too high. And there's no one to love you when you trap yourself inside. "

CHUU - Hitchhiker ||👑

" I crash-landed somewhere. In the blink of an eye, everything became a new trip. A straight road extending on the horizon. As I walked, I wondered if I would meet a friend. Taking a deep breath and looking around my own earth even without a map, somehow I like it. My small, secluded island where beautiful flowers bloom. I open my eyes wide and engrave it in my heart, I have a lot of questions in this different world. I've never seen this unfamiliar view before, so it becomes special. In my secluded island with many mysteries, something unpredictable might happen. "

The Chainsmokers & Coldplay - Something Just Like This ||👑 to 🦊

" I've been reading books of old, the legends and the myths, And clearly I don't see myself upon that list. But he said, "Where d'you wanna go? How much you wanna risk?" I'm not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts. Some superhero, some fairytale bliss. Just something I can turn to, somebody I can kiss. I want something just like this. "

Demi Lovato & Bert McCraken - Give Your Heart A Break ||🦊 to 👑

" I know you're scared it's wrong, like you might make a mistake. There's just one life to live and there's no time to wait, so let me give your heart a break, when your lips are on my lips, then, our hearts beat as one. "

Lola Índigo - cómo te va? ||👑 & 🌹

"I watered the flower and you made it rot. I was metal and you rusted me, you blamed me and then you left. Your memory won't go away, it's not time for you to come back now. 🌹 How do I explain to you that it wasn't for you? How do I explain it to you if you're not here? I promised you Heaven and it didn't make sense because in reality we were already there. 👑 Now that I'm gone, you want to change. I have realized that. You were my weakness, it hurts and squeezes. That's why we're not coming back, I don't trust you anymore. When you're around I only feel cold. I'll cry my sorrows, I'll jump into the void. I'll get out of this, but not with you. "

Demi Lovato - Don't Forget || 🌹 to 👑

" Did you forget about me? Now I'm left to forget about us. And at last, all the pictures have been burned and all the past is just a lesson that we've learned. I won't forget, please don't forget us. Somewhere, we went wrong. Our love is like a song, but you won't sing along. "

IU - Love wins all || 👑 & 🦊

" Dearest, darling, my universe. Would you take me along? To a place I can't dream with my poor imagination. Far away in the universe, from Earth to Mars, will you please go with me? Go to the end with me, my lover. The two of us, side by side, gone astray on purpose. Crush me in your arms, give me a lovelier kiss, lover. Our love wins all, love wins all "

#the fox & the prince #spotify #playlist #Spotify

[swanoopdev]

THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (21/11/2023)

In her poem MAN-GOD, Volume I, a mystic and an Italian author Maria Valtotra narrates her conversation with Jesus about the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a dramatic manner. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, little Mary, at the age of 3 expresses her desire to be presented and dedicate her life in the temple. It was little Mary, who was keener in spending her entire life in the presence of her creator. Though there is no historical evidence, but traditionally believed that barren Joachim and Anne, had promised to present their first-born child in the temple if they bear a child. It has been done when Mary was a little child. This traditional practice has been followed in the Eastern Church since 6th century. In 16th the century it became a feast of the universal Church.

Though it cannot be proven historically, yet Mary’s presentation has an important theological purpose. It continues the impact of the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the birth of Mary. It emphasizes that the holiness conferred on Mary from the beginning of her life on earth continued through her early childhood and beyond. From the beginning of her life, she dedicated herself to God. She herself became a greater temple than any other man-made temple on earth. God came to dwell in her in a marvelous manner and sanctified her for her unique role in God’s saving work. At the same time, the magnificence of Mary enriches her children. They—we—too are temples of God and sanctified in order that we might enjoy and share in God’s saving work

The Gospel reading of today is taken from St. Matthew 12:46-50 looks strange to the readers as it literally shows degradation in Mother-Son relationship of Mary and Jesus. We must read this passage, keeping Jesus as someone who wanted to build the kingdom God that is beyond human understanding. Jesus did want to limit himself only on blood relationship, rather he wanted to embrace the whole universe as one family. His biggest mission was nothing but to establish the reign of God. Everyone is expected to be included in this extended family of Jesus, provided they listen to the word of God and follow them. In this condition, Mary is the first person on earth to be included in Jesus ‘universal family, because she not only listened to the word of God, but bore it in her womb and pondered over it (“and his mother kept all these things in her heart” Lk. 2: 51).

What does the feast of the Presentation of Mary in the temple mean you personally?

Can you imagine the days of your baptism and confirmation in the church?

How do you prepare yourself to be part of extended family of Jesus?

PRAYER:

Lord my God, we thank you for the gift of our Blessed Mother, the first temple of God. We thank you for reminding us of our baptism and confirmation (to some of us our religious consecration and ordination). Make us worthy day by day that we may listen to your word and keep them in our day to day living, so that we become members of your extended family as Mary did. Bless and complete us in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

#homily #prayer #catholic

[ao3feed-irondadspiderson]

Sanctuary (Where fears and lies melt away)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53034292 by melmelmelbear Peter, despite his reputation of calling media pre-2010s “old”, has a weak spot for some of that ‘classic goodness’. Star Wars is obvious, but one that he hasn’t talked much about is a certain Tetsuya Nomura game. So when an extended trailer drops for it while he’s in the lab with Mr.Stark, he can’t help himself and drops everything, nearly giving his mentor a heart attack. OR When a game close to Peter’s heart comes back into the spotlight, he can’t help how excited he gets about it. (aka A very self indulgent fic about my life-long fixation, and forcing it on Peter. You don’t really need to know anything about the franchise to enjoy this fic :) ) Words: 3374, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: Gen Characters: Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Aunt May Parker (Marvel), Uncle Ben Parker (Marvel) Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Uncle Ben Parker & Peter Parker, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark Additional Tags: kingdom hearts - Freeform, video games - Freeform, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Bisexual Peter Parker, its mentioned like once lol, Video Games as Therapy, Mentioned Uncle Ben Parker (Marvel), Dead Uncle Ben Parker (Marvel), Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda?, Self-Indulgent, Crack Treated Seriously, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Canon Compliant with Movie: Avengers: Infinity War (2018), because FUCK THAT, Irondad, spiderson, Not Beta Read read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/53034292

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #iron dad and spider son #spider son #iron dad #peter parker #tony stark

[theclasspectscholar]

Here's what I have for Tears of the Kingdom so far:

This was actually what inspired me to finally make this blog because one of my friends said the sages reminded him of classpects and I had a lot of thoughts.

Let's start with our main boy Link

Link is a Knight, obviously. He is a passive server, serving Zelda and the royal family first and foremost. It's his purpose in life. Now for his aspect, I believe he is a Heart player. The aspect of heart is very closely tied to the concept of souls. In botw, the main quest revolves around collecting the souls of the champions, in totk it revolves around him collecting the avatars (basically souls) of the new generation of sages. Heart is also tied to identity, and in botw, Link spends the story trying to remember who he is, through finding the memories scattered around Hyrule. He also deals with ghosts more than the average hylian. The first character you meet in both botw and totk after waking up is a ghost, the manifestation of a soul. This would make him the Knight of Heart, one who serves heart, or serves through heart for others.

Now for Zelda, things are a little more complicated.

This is because Zelda's aspect is not Time, despite her being the sage of time. In botw at least, Zelda is a Light player. Personality-wise, Zelda fits the bill of a Light player perfectly. The Extended Zodiac quiz describes light players as "the universe's knowledge-seekers." and says that "They are, above all, driven to learn and understand. They are great alchemists, able to take multiple sources of information and synthesize them into something useful. They are scholars and researchers, absolutely dedicated to knowledge for knowledge's sake." and if that doesn't describe Zelda, I don't know what does. In botw Zelda's arc focuses on relevance, she struggles with being important, and has the pressure of being an essential part in defeating Ganon. Also her motif throughout the game is light. Any time she speaks to Link, her voice is accompanied by a bright light, the same light that shines when her power is finally awakened. For her class, I think Page makes the most sense here. Pages start out as incredibly weak, not having any grasp over their aspect at all, but when they do reach mastery over their aspect they become one of the most powerful out of the classes. This reflects Zelda's arc throughout the game perfectly, making Zelda the Page of Light. In totk however, Zelda is the sage of time, and her character arc in the last game has been fulfilled. If we operate on the idea that her new aspect is Time, I think it makes a lot of sense for her class to be Witch. Witches are innovators, changing their aspect or changing through their aspect for themselves. This makes sense at least at the point in the story I have gotten to, as it seems that Zelda has traveled back in time and is changing historical events. Further evidence to support Zelda being a Witch comes from @homestuckexamination who describes witches as "Passionate about that which they love, they can be heavily influenced by their interests and by their surroundings." This fits Zelda's personality strongly and sort of makes up for her no longer being a light player. This would make Zelda the Witch of Time.

The next character I want to do is Tulin, because I just beat the Wind Temple.

Tulin is the sage of wind, so it makes sense that his aspect is Breath. Breath as an aspect of the story has those tied to this aspect move the plot forward. Tulin is antsy, he can't be tied down and he desperately wants to stop this blizzard and save his village. He disobeys everyone telling him to wait and let the adults handle it. He flies ahead and stubbornly rockets head first into the tornado to stop the blizzard. For his class, I think Heir fits him the best. He is literally an heir to the secret stone and the title of sage of wind. In the sense that he changes wind, he physically changes the direction of the wind to propel others forward and he even changes Ravali's vertical gust power to a horizontal one. This would make him the same classpect as June Egbert, and I think Tulin is very June coded when he talks about his dad. Thus, Tulin is the Heir of Breath.

I will update this post with the rest of the characters as I complete more of the game. Some that I'm figuring out right now are Ganon, Sonia, and Rauru but I feel like I need to unlock more Dragon Tears cutscenes to figure them out.

#tears of the kingdom #totk #homestuck #homestuck classpect analasys #legend of zelda #Lily Jade does classpecting

[ianabanana22]

The Crown Prince’s Final Stand

What was authority when one had no power? 

Born to the prestige of royalty, Diavolo lived with two constants: luxury and authority. One was his birthright, the other a guiding principle drilled into him from the moment he learned how to write.

His father placed great importance on the latter, “Authority governs all.” The Demon King used to say in a steely voice, his gaze hard. “We must follow it, impose it, to keep our sovereignty and protect our people.”

“Authority is to practice the norm and follow the laws of the universe. The laws of Fate.” His words laden with meaning, little Diavolo etched them in his heart, slowly growing up into the dutiful Crown Prince his people admired.

And Fate was with him every step of the way he traversed the path set for him. It was easy. Comfortable. Blissful. Then again, when you're too focused on what's before you, you fail to see what's happening around you.

Just because Fate was kind to him, didn't mean she was to everyone else too. His was a rarity, a privilege granted only to whom she deemed truly deserving. 

The truly deserving didn’t include Lucifer whose eyes hardened with hate when she was mentioned.

It didn’t include each new star that dimmed in the Devildom sky, growing increasingly alarming in number as the centuries passed. 

It didn’t include peace between all the worlds, even as he tirelessly worked for negotiations.

The harder he tried, the more an invisible force always set him back. A new crisis arose, each worse than the last. As if Fate was saying, "Your authority is only as powerful as I allow it to. You are nothing before me." His privilege wasn’t all encompassing.

It only extended for as long as he lived according to what was ordained for him. It wasn’t fair and it began to irk him endlessly. His own potential was uprooted before it could flourish. It worried him. Was he forever doomed to a life of servitude?

Were his people? 

He wanted a better world where everyone felt safe and protected, free to live the life they wanted. Free from the shackles of expectation, of Fate... 

"Fuck Fate." Lucifer said one day over coffee. Diavolo gawked at him. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said Fuck Fate. This is YOUR kingdom. YOUR people. She may be the master of Fate but she doesn't rule. YOU do." He leveled a crimson gaze at him. "So RULE." 

I have the power. I rule. 

I can go against the norm. 

I will.

He grinned at Lucifer, the knot in his heart slowly loosening. Up in the inky heavens, the Prince's star shined even brighter.

What was authority when one had no power? What use was authority when one didn’t exercise their power? Diavolo was the Prince. He will rule, Fate and norms and rules of the universe be damned. He will rule for however long he is needed. 

Fuck Fate a thousand times over.

-fin-

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me diavolo #diavolo #lucifer #obey me headcanons #stars and fate #diavolo being a badass crown prince #reposted from twitter

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Ada Akpala

Published: Oct 3, 2023

I recently found myself reflecting on a radio program I once listened to on BBC Sounds. The featured guest was Simon Woolley, a distinguished figure in British society. The program was the iconic "Desert Island Discs," which invites celebrities and public figures to envision themselves stranded on a deserted island. During the show, the guest must select and discuss eight pieces of music, a book, and a luxury item they would want to have on the island. These choices are intended to reveal their personal tastes, cherished memories, and life experiences.

Throughout the podcast, Lord Woolley openly discussed his life's trials and triumphs, including personal family issues, his experience as an adoptee, and his complicated feelings towards his birth mother. The conversation was a poignant and captivating mix of humour, inspiration, deep reflection and heart-warming moments — all the ingredients that make for an enjoyable listening experience. 

Around 15 minutes into the episode, just before he played his fourth selection, 'Titanium' by David Guetta featuring Sia, a statement he made momentarily dampened my enjoyment of the show. At this point, he was sharing his struggles with identity and bullying, becoming emotional as he described the profound conflict he experienced when he reconnected with his birth mother at the age of 16. It felt as though he had somehow betrayed his adopted mother. He went on to explain that his choice of the song 'Titanium' was based on the lyrics, “knock me down and I get up… I won’t fall, I am Titanium.” According to him, this resilience to keep getting back up represented the black experience.

However, this resilience needed to confront life's challenges is not an exclusive attribute of the black experience; instead, it is a fundamental aspect of the human condition. Such capacity to adapt, grow, and endure in the face of adversity is a shared characteristic that transcends racial and ethnic boundaries. In fact, this trait applies not only to human beings but also extends to various species within the animal kingdom and other life forms, where survival often depends on an organism's ability to adapt to changing environments and challenges.

The insistence on attaching racial prefixes to universally applicable concepts is not only illogical but also serves to alienate us as black individuals. It implies that our existence, our experiences, and our humanity are so foreign and unrelatable that those "outside of our group" can simply never comprehend what it means to be black.

This attitude also has the effect of implying that struggle, hardship, and pain are direct synonyms for being black. This means that anyone who identifies as black is assumed, by default, to have experienced such gruelling hardships throughout their lives. So much so that if a black person expresses otherwise, they are often labelled as one of three things: an exception, a traitor, or deluded.

It's undeniable that black individuals have faced a distinct set of challenges throughout history, but it's equally important to acknowledge that various groups, too, confront their own unique obstacles and adversities. The notion that one group's challenges are more “real” or “unique” than another's oversimplifies the complex dynamics of human experience.

Usually those who speak of the “black experience” are speaking in terms of black people dealing with racism and discrimination, both past and present.

I would argue that throughout history, different groups have been demonised, ostracised, and dehumanised simply because of their group identity. In today’s world, there are numerous accounts of individuals from various racial groups finding themselves excluded and discriminated against based on their skin colour or racial identity, ironically in the name of equity and inclusion. Being a victim of racial discrimination is not exclusive to being black.

Various groups have their own distinct histories and cultural dynamics, and no two life experiences are identical. However, universal and timeless themes in life, such as joy, love, pain, rejection, loss, and death, transcend cultural boundaries and resonate with all of us to some extent.

As we continue our efforts to find effective solutions for easing intergroup tensions and improving social harmony in our multicultural and multiracial societies, a foundational step toward achieving this goal is to actively address and eliminate racialised and separatist language and thinking from our discourse and collective consciousness.

#Free Black Thought #Ada Akpala #black experience #racial discrimination #equity #inclusion #diversity #diversity equity and inclusion #adversity #religion is a mental illness

[firemandeanbuck]

what if...

(tribute to this post by father) (major character death, there will be pain btw COMIC SPOILERS)

Hob had a dream. Or was it...? A dream? Well, it sure was, or elsewhere would he find such fantastical creatures, Gods and Legends, mourning for the death of someone?

His body was flowing down a river, in a big black swan boat. The sky was the greyest Hob ever felt. It was like a shadow was casted over the entire universe by the wings of a Titan. They mourned the death of someone they knew very personally. Hob had a feeling he knew him too. He had not seen his face, but he knew him, he had not remembered his voice, yet he heard him saying goodbye one last time to his kingdom. Leaving everything and everyone behind, never to look back. This isn't a trick, or deception, or a play. No, this was real life.

No coming back from there.

Words were spoken in countless languages, unknown manners and with various level of emotions. The little girl with insane hair said nothing more than 2 words, she was clearly upset. The crow talked fondly, if a little harshly, of his boss. They went to hell together and challenged Lucifer, he said. Someone in the crowd scoffed loudly..

When the fire rose up into the sky as a phoenix, everyone was returned home. Gods and the funny creatures walked out the gate. But Hob woke up.

((1 month later))

Inside the barn, Hob sits around a fire. He is greeted by a familiar face. Familiar yet. Distinguished. He doesn't recall who she is, all he knows that she is someone he knows, or at least used to know.

She tells him about her brother, about life, about dreams and death. Hob tells her about his life, about his aspiration.

Death tells him about her idiot brother. A hollowness digs into Hob's chest, weighing him down. The final blow, while waking, comes when Death tells him Dream is no longer, he is dead. he attended the funeral. Hob needs a drink, he needs to get away, to be alone with his thoughts. No, no, this can't be true. The man with whom he met every century, the one who hears his stories about life and the ONLY perosn he had been genuinely open with, is DEAD.

He can't. Hob had lost so much over the corse of 6 centuries. he can't-

But he seemed immortal. Dream did. He seemed infinitely bigger than life, he seemed unreal, like a wild imagination running around unrestricted. Oh, so mighty and great. Even gods dont question him

Yet, in his heart of hearts, he KNOWS its true. That's the funeral he attended, and he saw her there, for she was also mourning her brother. Even now, as she is talking to him, grief is crystal in her eyes. She doesn't want to tell this story, yet, she feels like she OWES her brother to. It's what's proper, what's right

Then, she asks him to take her hands.

Hob hesitates. He asks her, "How did it feel?"

"Like death. A part of me went with him and forever shall be with him. I have no control over such matters", Death answers, rubbing her hands together.

"I'm sorry", Hob place his hand on her shoulder, "My condolences to you, Death",

"Y'know, I was his sister before I was DEATH", she told. Her head hung low, the curls were curtaining her face but the tears were unmistakably there.

"I cannot imagine the pain. To think that who WOULD NOT go away actually do, in front of your eyes. But... to be the one to take him there. I'm so sorry, Death. If I could, I would've changed our places"

"Thank you", she wiped her glittery tears, "So?" Once again, she had extended her arms.

They looked so inviting. No more pain, no more struggling to hide his identity, no more problems of the world, no more lost loved ones, no more changing times taking a toll on him, no more finding new love, no more grieving for the past.

But... GWEN. She will be alone. Hob doesn't want her to feel what he did. She is good she doesn't deserve such pain.

"Will I be forgiven?"

"No one is condemned in my realm", assures Death, her gentle smile reminding Hob of summer in the open country, warm breeze bringing the sweet smell of fruits. Oh, how much he wanted to go.

From somewhere far, far away, his beloved mother was calling him into home. His little sister running back to him, showing him her collection. The sun kissed his skin. He could feel the soil and grass under his feet.

There it was. Such a strong nostalgia, the bittersweet feeling that leaves a foul taste when its over. He doesn't want it to be over

"Okay, I'll come with you"

#i said it #i will not take it back #ive read the tko and the wake #it fucked me up #real fucking good #anyways #have you #hope youre proud of me father #the sandman #the sandman series #the sandman netflix #sandman #hob gadling #Hob #death of the endless #Death #the kindly ones #the wake #this is truly pain

[kittttycakes]

Ahh I’m so glad you’re enjoying GND. It is the best and I love it so much.

Also I reread ‘kiss the ring, bend the knee, bow down’ and damn, I needed a cold shower after that.

The line where Morpheus says “I would not ask for what you would not willingly give: only your love. Your devotion. Your obedience. And in return, I would give you everything: a place in my kingdom, by my side, in my bed, in my heart.” Is just nnnnghggh.

It does also remind me of Jareth in the Labyrinth saying to Sarah “I ask for so little. Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave.”

And now I want to rewatch it haha.

I really hope Grace does get that friend! I can’t think of anyone in universe off the top of my head though. Do you think you’d consider some kind of sneaky crossover with an adjacent fandom?

I’ll be absolutely stoked if you’re able to write something where Constantine runs into/meets Grace and Hob. I love the thought of Constantine being surprised and maybe slightly TMI upon realising that maybe tall, dark and broody doesn’t have as much of a stick up his ass as you’d think.

Having been rereading a bunch of your writing, I noticed a few were written for Promptober 2022. Do you think you’ll do something similar this year?

That line was definitely inspired at least in passing by that very line from Labyrinth! That was a formative movie for me, and there’s just something about the power dynamic between full control and total submission and both at the same time that’s rife with possibility. Morpheus gets to use all of his pretty words to his advantage, as a treat! He can be all things, and Grace wants it all. I’m so happy you enjoyed that one, that might actually be my favorite of the smut one shots (so far).

I would never say never to the possibility, especially for a possible future one shot! Even just something subtle with a name…I would love for Grace to have someone who she can be fully honest with and relax around, instead of constantly having to keep in the back of her mind what she can and can’t talk about. She’s good at keeping things vague enough for plausible deniability, she pulls out a lot of “my partner” and just using pronouns instead of names, but if her friends ever think about it too hard, the stories she tell don’t quite line up sometimes, and it’s almost like there’s two different personalities at play.

I love Constantine so much (both Johanna and the short lived 2014 NBC series), so any excuse I can have to bring her back in, I will absolutely be taking. I’d really love for her and Hob to meet, that has to be a bit of a trip for him! Grace would be very interested in her and what she does, if she can weasel anything out of her about her job. Constantine definitely does her best not to think of Morpheus’s personal life, but it’s a big surprise that his type appears to be very far from the sort of Morticia Addams type she would have guessed at, if pressed.

I am planning to do another round of Promptober this year! Like last year, it will likely extend into November, but hey, it’s for fun! I did 15 prompts that I gathered from a few different sources and my own head last year, I think this year I’m going to be borrowing a little from kinktober, whumptober, and a fall/Halloween themed list that I have saved as a draft that I’ll credit and link to when my masterlist goes up. I also have a few saved asks with prompts that I’m going to be working through soon too, so lots of plans there!

#anon <3 #oc: grace talbot #my most crack fic ideal friendship for her is rose tyler #I just feel like they could be friends you know?

[antonballdeluxe]

Cookie Runner's Misogyny Problems

As if a fandom full of teenagers and a game of fujoidbait could go any wronger.

I've played this game, or at least Ovenbreak, since 2020. This fandom has grown massive since, bulking up once with the release of Almond, another noticed sharp point of popularity around when Parfait Cookie was released, and since growing. This has its own advantages, of course -- helps make sure the series won't die, and a lot of fan-merchandice to choose from nowadays, which is always appreciated. And, of course, a growing fancontent base in general, because, well, Devsisters can't write their own characters for shit.

But with that popularity, comes the worse of the worse, the Tiktokification of a community, as I've noticed all too well. Insane cosplayer antics, actually having the blorbos from my shows regonized in a convention…but I could go on about that for days. Today I go on with another, more focused, and maybe a bit more subtle way to pick apart every single one of you's. I am going to cover the way women are treated in popular fandoms, but mostly this one. It's obvious that misogyny is real, but the Cookie Run fanbase seems to have a really, really bad problem with it, for god knows what reason. And first, we go onto a more recent example, and a comparison of the reception of two cookies in Kingdom.

Affogato and Pomegranate. They're both evil, long-robed, feminine looking, serving a worse interest, manipluating all over the place, lies, gatekeeping, gaslighting, you know the joke already c'mon. But what I've also noticed is that, with Affogato's release and the rather humorous surprise of Affogato being a dude -- Affogato seemed to instantly rise in popularity once that happened. The leaks were originally more focused on because of Cacao, but with the reveal of a feminine man, here comes in the fan art, the praise, and all for...the gender reveal. All right after. And still going. And then you look at Pomegranate, who does all of the same shit, but because she's a woman and just so happened to attack the masculine (their gender is still unconfirmed in my heart...) Dark Choco Cookie with said manipluation and an added dosage of hallucinatory torture, she's hated almost universally by newer Kingdom fans, either that or just led onto the joke of the girlboss, and never truly analyzed for what she is -- effecient, but a great writing at a morally dark-gray character.

Again, these characters basically do the exact same things in terms of evil villainous shit, but because one is a man, and the other is a woman who attacks another man, the man is praised by the viewers, the woman attacked.

Sure do wonder why.

Of course, the evidence for this wider problem extends past just comparing two randoms. Another great one is on the topic of two characters who just so happen to be women in love, which is everybody's thing to hate nowadays -- Sea Fairy and Moonlight. These two get evidence upon evidence for Sea Fairy's pinning on Moonlight, just as close as they can write without just outright saying it because laws in countries with money and whatnot.

And then Espresso and Madeleine come out, and manage to score four times as many fanfics about their yaoi-abusive relationship within a year, compared to the Sea Fairy and Moonlight tag over more than three or four by now. Espresso wanting nothing to do with the stuck-up Madeleine totally means they're in love, guys! Oh, Sea Fairy's entire reason to live is because she wants to reunite with the woman she is in love with? Ehh, not enough evidence. Put her with Sparking because he looks in her direction in a single splash screen or something. Fuck everybody who did that, by the way.

For every lesbian pairing popular in this fandom, you could probably find a group of people who deny it for reasons basically pulled out of their ass. Chili Pepper and Rye? Abusive to some. Beet and Carrot? Siblings, despite no evidence suggesting such, seeing as Beet literally just wandered into Carrot's property one day and was set to work for ruining her crop. Lime and Orange? Again, I keep seeing them being called siblings for no reason. What the fuck is up with that?

I remember an incident when I was first in the Cookie Run fandom where a certian cutscene where Princess asks Knight to catch something for him and he fails at doing so and ends up hit in the head being used as evidence for Princess somehow being abusive. The person who mostly pedalled this bullshit ended up a bi lesbian proshipper, which is even more reason to discredit it.

And who could forget when Cocoa was rereleased in Kingdom, and tonnes of people, not knowing the sheer amount of evidence for Mint Choco and Cocoa's own relationship, perhaps even stronger than SeaMoon evidence at this point, merely shoved her off to the side? Saw someone call her evidence of queerbaiting once. Fun Tiktok comments section to scroll through, that one.

And speaking of the feminine men thing with Affogato -- You never see this with masculine women. You never see it at all. Aloe was revealed as a woman after over a year of undetermined gender and I saw people joke of her being kicked from the whole acryonym. She lost about half of her fanbase that day, I swear. Same with Sour Belt, Melon Bun, ect.. Tossed to the edge, compared to the worshipping of, perhaps, Whipped Cream.

"Oh, but Nephro! This is all schizophrenic amounts of tiny evidence, pulled out of your head. Are you sure this is enough to say there is a misogyny problem here?" Yes, because it is also in every other fandom populated by the youth of the chronic onlineness of today. Genshin Impact, Identity V, Sekai, all of whatever is most recent? It's mostly because of the men. It's because of whatever they can do with men. I'm so fucking sick and tired of it.

Rant over, time to play Barbies-Kissing-Naked in my room again.

#cookie run #cookie run kingdom #pomegranate cookie #affogato cookie #cocoa cookie #misogyny #misogyny tw #lesbophobia #lesbophobia tw #nephro.txt #nephro.pdf #discourse