#like at this point they just have a general jist of the look and shape of the film

[wishfullyeternal]

Riddler x Reader- Kidnapped Pt 2

Riddler x Reader- Kidnapped Pt 2

Words- 1,139

Warnings- SMUT, NSFW, language, general violence, NONCON, DUBCON, bondage, knifeplay, you get the jist

Please exercise caution when reading!

A/N- This is my first NSFW story, so please be gentle. Please read pt 1 first to get the entire story! Requests are open, and as always, love you lovelies!

"If you would, smile at the camera please, it would make me very happy!" You frowned, but the bright light from his phone made your eyes squint. He grabbed your jaw and pulled it towards himself, contorting you in a way that made it very uncomfortable to move.

"I said, smile..." You mustered the saddest looking smile anyone has ever seen, and he flashed a picture. He took a moment to take off his mask and throw it across the room. You saw the surprisingly average-looking man in front of you, with short, unkept dirty-blond hair, and soft features.

"You got any family? Or are you alone like Batman?" You shut your eyes, and when he let go, you gasped for air, chest heaving.

"I can figure that out later my dearest, now we've got some work to do." He lifted you up from the ground and brought you to his bed. The checkerboard comforter looked as if it had been black and white fifteen years ago, but were now permanently stained grey and brown from God knows what.

"Now stay here..." He laughed to himself and watched as your struggled against the tape once more. He grabbed a couple of things from a desk drawer across the room.

"One or two, you get to choose," He muttered something about it rhyming, but you were too busy trying to get a good look at what he was hiding. Something in your guy told you two, so you said it quietly.

"Two?" He nodded,

"Good choice darling," He held up the same knife that was embedded against the wall.

He climbed onto the bed with you and pushed you towards the headboard. He grabbed his infamous duct tape from a pocket in his coat and put another piece on your mouth.

"Wouldn't want you making too much noise, would I?" At the sight of him undressing, you widened your eyes. He only took off his coat and pants, revealing boxers and a wifebeater. Ironic. You tried to protest, and get the tape off of your mouth, but nothing was budging. Panic was rising from your chest, the feeling of bile tunneling through your throat.

"Now, now, now, let's not get too rowdy here, I don't want to kill you, and I have no intention of killing you, so please, just stay still. You're absolutely perfect." He fiddled with his hands, unable to decide where he should touch first. His eyes were focused intently on the shape of your breasts, and the thought of him touching them made your newfound nausea even worse. He held up the hunting knife, metal glinting in the moonlight, before taking it to the hem of your shirt and ripping through it like butter. The sound of ripping fabric made you wince and he quickly went to take off your bottoms. You tried to move your legs, to make it as hard as possible for him to take them off, but he simply put his weight on them, steadying you.

You made a noise from behind the tape, and he smiled. A weird smile, no teeth, just a simple upturn of his lips.

"Don't try and speak my dear, it will be over soon..." He took the knife and brought it underneath your bra, cutting through the middle.

"God," He groaned,

"You're just so beautiful, so perfect." He straddled the bottom of your legs. At this point, the duct tape on your arms had begun to cut off your blood supply, and you were cold due to the lack of clothing. The Riddler grabbed your breasts extremely languidly, almost as if he had never seen them before. The fatty tissue was squished under his hands, and you could feel the rough leather exterior of his gloves. He moved to take them off, and somehow, the pads of his fingers felt worse than the leather. He took the tape off of your mouth in one fluid motion, allowing you to speak.

"Please don't do this to me..." You stammered,

"Shush dearest, it will be over soon." He unbuckled the belt from his dark jeans, and you laid your head back, unable to fight back. This was the end of you.

He could kill you right now, but instead, he's going to fucking destroy you. You could hear him pump his cock a few times, the precum already slickly coating the skin. He shoved your legs open, and you brought your head up to look him in the eyes, tears pooling at the edges.

"Oh honey, don't cry" He lined up his average-at-best-looking cock, and slid in.

"Oh my god..." He closed his eyes, pleasure filling his body. You thought it would hurt more, considering your dryness, but his precum lubed up just fine.

He thrust into you a few times and you tried to keep the noises down to a minimum, hoping that he would finish quicker.

"God you're so fucking tight," His cock twitched inside you, and tears finally fell down your face.

"Call me by my name," He caught your chin in his hand, and gripped it so hard you were sure it would leave finger-shaped bruises.

"Riddler, please" You faked the begging, hoping that he would cum fast and get this fucking over with.

"Do you like the Riddler's cock?" You moaned, his cock finally reaching your sweet spot. He slapped your face and kissed it all over.

"Let me control you..." He whispered into your ear,

It was all over you thought, finally giving up on fighting back.

"Control me, please" His thrusts were harder, slamming into the soft flesh of your pussy.

"Good girl" He said, gripping a portion of your hair and pulling it. You yowled in pain, but the combined sensation of his thrusts turned it into a moan.

"Such a good little slut for me, aren't you?" You nodded, The Riddler beginning to rub your clit. Pleasure unfolded from your muscles, and you were quickly close to your climax.

"Riddler please," You gasped, he only ran his hands over your body, his mouth open, lewd noises filling the room.

"Oh fuck, cum with me," His thrusts were slower, but he still rubbed your clit with such fury it was impossible not to cum.

"Oh God Riddler, please," He grabs your throat, silencing your moans. Your pussy begins to squeeze around his cock, your mouth permanently open. The riddler groans heavily and you feel a warm fullness, his hand finally leaving your throat to pump himself through his orgasm. He pulls out slowly, savoring the moment, before seeing the massive amount of cum flow out of your pussy.

"God you felt so good," He said, catching his breath. You sighed, and closed your eyes, ready to faint from both the trauma and exhaustion.

"Stay awake for me, okay?" His voice was gentle, and at that point, you couldn't even begin to open your eyes, muscles all over you burning.

You fainted quickly, the apartment slipping through your vision.

"Don't fain-"

#riddler x reader #the batman #riddler fanfic #riddler fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #riddler x reader fanfic #riddler x reader fanfiction #edward nygma #edward nashton x reader #edward nashton fanfiction #edward nashton fanfic #edward nashton #riddler 2022 #the riddler #riddler #batman 2022 #paul dano #paul dano fanfic #paul dano fanfiction

[sugar-plump-gal]

As for the actual OCs I have a literal fuckin spreadsheet to keep track of em but that’s borderline unreadable to most people so! In no particular order, here’s some of the main ones I do stuff with:

Femori Eoitus, a bronzeblood Page of Time and the setting’s ‘main character’ but like in the same way John was, y’know? VERY low energy gal, to the point she should probably see a therapist. Has a job as a waitress/cook/whatever at a nearby diner, primarily as an excuse to force herself outside. Has an interest in geology, likes to collect stones, and occasionally goes on walks looking at rocks. HEAVY pear shape, by the time she has a noticeable gut her hips will fill doorways.

Cretum Arrere, a violetblood Seer of Void who, unlike the vast majority of trolls, lives outside the huge city that most of Externia’s population stays in. Instead her hive is just like. Literally a fucking iceberg. Her whole shtick is that she’s a paranoid conspiracy theorist who legitimately believes birds are drones, the moon is cheese, the earth is hollow, and so on. Posts about them all on her ‘newspaper’ (read: blog) and is just generally a weird nerd who’s far too anxious. The twist is that, alongside the obviously untrue stuff, she’s actually 100% correct and aware of several real conspiracies. Nobody believes her because of the other stuff, but still! Also she’s 4′8 and a total neet so every pound she gains Really stands out, and since she’s such an anxious energetic mess pretty much anyone can push her around with even the barest hint of flirting. Basically built to be bullied.

Orepmi Teriei, a cerulean Maid of Mind who is, in a word, The Vriska. She’s the character I’ve reworked the most, but the jist is that she’s Really active online and knows pretty much every other character. Her main interest/hobby is decoding things, primarily Pre-Universe C media from Earth and/or code from sburb. Sorta fancies herself an archeologist and expert on Stories. Pretty egotistical, and prone to crossing the line between friendly animosity and just being a dick. Thinks she’s a dom, but is very easy to turn things around on.

Those three are kinda-sorta the Main Trolls and are all close friends in-universe. They grew up in the same hivestem as kids and, once the Plot™ starts are the main people that drive it forward.

Outside of that though they’re all just bottoms who are very easy to wrap up in kink shenanigans

#externia #ocs #Read More bc I feel bad dumping walls of text otherwise

[happyendingsong]

i think raya dragon is less disney sameface and more friendship is magic ponyfication

what i think is MUCH funnier is how the design has completely changed from the first design we got in 2019, barely a year and a half ago!!!!

how much of this film have they completely overhauled since then!!!!! like the circumstances under which this film was developed, including but not limited to 1) the ousting of john lasseter 2) the resulting creative/corporate shakeup at disney appointing jennifer lee as chief creative officer and 3) having to switch to working remotely in 2020/21, are so so tasty and unfathomable. this film is gonna be such a fucking trainwreckkkkk <3333

#raya and the last dragon #disney #it's so so so funny looking into the development hell at disney nowadays #i think it's the case with all 3d animation studios now #like because you spend the first couple years building sets and models and you have different departments working on different sequences at #the same time #so if you completely overhaul the story like a year or two before it's meant to be in cinemas #you physically CAN rework the scenes you have and just abuse your workers with ridiculous crunch until it's finished #like at this point they just have a general jist of the look and shape of the film #so they can have the modellers and lighting department and layout artists and whoever else working on shit in the meantime before you even #have to touch animating #so they can leave the actual story in limbo til the last minute #it sounds so fucking exhausting and infuriating lol #like zootopia apparently had the fox as the main character until a YEAR before it's release!!! #when disney did a screening at pixar and i think it was pete docter who advised them to make the rabbit the main character #so that we're introduced to zootopia as a place to be redeemed as opposed to left behind #so that's a complete fucking reworking of the film they had to do in a YEAR it sounds so awful #and couldve been fixed if they just gave the writers and artists enough time to figure that basic storytelling choice out at the start! #anyway it's all very juicy and disney's development hell is the most interesting shit to come out of their animation studio in years #o #media thots

[tyrantisterror]

THE A.T.O.M. CREATE A KAIJU CONTEST 3-D!!!

YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE SAFE!  YOU THOUGHT THAT THE TIME OF MONSTERS WAS AT AN END!  BUT YOU WERE WRONG, FOR NOW YOU MUST WITNESS…

THE A.T.O.M. CREATE A KAIJU CONTEST 3-D!!!

That’s right, it’s back!  Celebrating the publication of The Atomic Time of Monsters Volume 2: Tyrantis Roams the Earth! (which in turn completes The Ballad of Tyrantis arc for this series), I’m holding another monster design jam.  The third of such jams, in fact!

Like the first A.T.O.M. Create a Kaiju Contest, the aim of this contest is to create kaiju that would fit within the setting of my big kaiju story series, The Atomic Time of Monsters.  Think of it as me letting you into my sandbox to play with my toys for a bit, or like you’re being put in the director’s chair of a new ATOM-verse kaiju movie.  That means your entry does have to fit into ATOM’s world, which in turn means that yes, there are limitations to your creativity here.  But limitations can be good sometimes - they can make us explore options we wouldn’t consider when given completely free rein to do what we want!

(also you don’t have to make a three dimensional image or anything, the title’s just a pun on how the third movie in a monster movie franchise will often be a 3-D film)

Read below the cut to learn the rules and whatnot:

THE RULES:

1.  You are limited to one entry per person.  Work hard and make your entry count!

2.  Your kaiju must have some sort of description of its physical appearance and its personality - you can submit a drawing or a written description (or both!) for the physical appearance depending on what you’re most comfortable with.  Using the same template/format as my official ATOM Kaiju Files (https://horrorflora.com/monster-menageries/atom-kaiju-files/) isn’t required, but it was cool when people did it in the last contest, so feel free to do so this time too!

3. The kaiju you create must specifically be created for this contest  - no repurposing characters you made for other, wildly different stories.  This is not “trick TT into drawing/canonizing my main OC” time.

4. The kaiju must fit the setting and aesthetics of ATOM.  I’ll explain this in more detail down below.

5. The kaiju should add something meaningful to the world of ATOM. The more unique and interesting your kaiju is, the more likely you will win the contest.

6. Don’t make your kaiju too dependent on pre-existing ATOM characters - no “Tyrantis’s long lost evil brother who’s the strongest kaiju in the world.” These should be to Tyrantis’s story what War of the Gargantuas is to Godzilla’s movies – heroes (well, monsters) of another story in the same world.

THE REWARDS:

I will make pencil sketches of the top 5 entries in the contest.

I will then make fully rendered illustrations (lineart, colors, & shading) of the top three entries.

The winning entry will be made into a model ala the ones I’ve been making for ATOM’s core 50 monsters, which can then be shipped to the person who created it (should they be able to cover the shipping costs).  That’s right, your kaiju could be brought to life in THREE GLORIOUS TECHNICOLOR DIMENSIONS!  (Hey, we worked the gag title in to the prizes!)

THE DEADLINE: All entries must be submitted by July 3rd, 2021.  You can submit it here on tumblr, via the horror flora e-mail, or any other channel you know how to reach me through.  I’m in a lot of places.

THE GUIDELINES (TO HELP YOUR ENTRY FIT THE RULES AND WIN):

The smartest thing you could do if you want to win this contest is familiarize yourself with the world of ATOM by, y’know, reading all the material I’ve published on the subject.  In addition to the many kaiju files that are free to read on horrorflora.com, there are now TWO, count ‘em, TWO novels in this series for you to peruse, both of which establish many of the rules of the setting as well as its general themes and tone!  You can get them in either paperback or e-book formatting (I’d recommend the former over the latter since I lack the technology to make a really nice ebook, but if money is an object, the kindle version is only $1).  Here’s the links again if you missed them:

Vol. 1: Tyrantis Walks Among Us!

Vol. 2: Tyrantis Roams the Earth!

However, since I know reading a bunch of stuff is, y’know, not something everyone is inclined to do, I’ll jot some good bullet points for you in an attempt to outline how ATOM works in a brief, easily digested way:

ATOM is an homage to the monster fiction of the 1950’s and 60’s (i.e. the Atomic Age), and is set in those two decades, albeit an alternate universe version of them where, y’know, monsters and space aliens exist.  If you aren’t familiar with the monster fiction I’m referring to, there will be some reference material provided at the end of this post along with some recommendations for further research.

Kaiju/giant monsters in ATOM work under very specific rules.  There’s a full description of those rules at this link, but here’s the jist:

ATOM Kaiju are created created by the radiation of a mineral called Yamaneon, which naturally converts harmful radiation into its own unique energy.  In natural circumstances, it takes hundreds of years of exposure to Yamaneon radiation for a creature to become fully transform into a kaiju (luckily, Yamaneon radiation slows the aging process while speeding up the healing process).  However, an explosive burst of energy - such as the geothermal and kinetic energy released by an earthquake, or the blast of a nuclear weapon - can speed up the process, turning a normal animal into a kaiju within a matter of seconds.  

All ATOM kaiju can heal grievous wounds within minutes or even seconds, are supernaturally strong and durable, and can convert harmful radiation to harmless energy that they then feed off of.  Kaiju do not have an equivalent of old age, and can theoretically live forever (though their violent lifestyle means that few do).

ATOM Kaiju generally don’t need to eat unless they are severely injured, getting most of the energy they need from solar or geothermal radiation - but many still have instincts that drive them to seek out food from time to time.

Most ATOM kaiju stand roughly 100 feet tall (depending on their body shape), i.e. smaller than the original 1954 Godzilla.  There are exceptions to this rule - younger kaiju can be smaller, while exceedingly old kaiju can be significantly larger, but these are rare.

In general, ATOM kaiju are significantly more intelligent and emotionally complex than people expect animals to be, though most are incapable of speech or complex tool use.  There’s a reason ATOM Kaiju Files have a “personality” section.

Most ATOM Kaiju are tooth and claw fighters - ranged weapons are a rarity in this setting.

While the terrestrial monsters in ATOM look strange, they are intended to fit within the taxonomy of animals in reality - reptiles, mammals, fish, arthropods, molluscs, etc.

ATOM’s mesozoic era was dominated by a fictional clade of crocodile-relatives called retrosaurs, which are based on the outdated paleoart that one would find in the 1950’s/60’s fiction - i.e. when dinosaurs were viewed as trail dragging lizards instead of strange birds.  You can learn more about retrosaurs here (https://horrorflora.com/2016/11/15/atom-kaiju-file-bonus-a-guide-to-retrosaurs/).

Kaiju appear on every continent in ATOM, but certain areas tend to be dominated by different types.

North America is mainly besieged by retrosaur kaiju and giant arthropods.

East Asia is technically also mainly plagued by retrosaurs and big arthropods, though they tend to look more fantastical and mythic - and, often, oddly well suited to being portrayed by a person wearing a monster suit.

Russia is beset by prehistoric monsters that seem to come from the Cenozoic, particularly the Ice Age.

Western Europe is plagued by creatures that vaguely resemble creatures from myth, if they were also prehistoric.  Dragon-y lizards, fiery birds, etc.

Towards the mid-way point of ATOM’s timeline, earth is invaded by a coalition of aliens from different solar systems called the Beyonder Alliance, and as a result a bunch of alien monsters can be found on earth.

Mars and Venus both host (or hosted in Mars’s case) animal life.  The surviving Martians colonized Venus, and sent some of their kaiju guardians to earth to help us fend off the Beyonders (who are responsible for the destruction of Mars’s ecosystem).  Martian and Venusian kaiju have specific anatomical quirks, which you can see by looking at these kaiju files:

Venusians:

https://horrorflora.com/2017/01/03/atom-kaiju-file-29-karamtor/

Martians:

https://horrorflora.com/2017/01/17/atom-kaiju-file-39-kemlasulla/

https://horrorflora.com/2017/01/17/atom-kaiju-file-40-podritak/

https://horrorflora.com/2017/01/17/atom-kaiju-file-41-sombarvot/

https://horrorflora.com/2017/01/17/atom-kaiju-file-38-ullawdra/

Giant robots exist in ATOM, but are big, bulky, and incredibly expensive.  Fancy beam weapons also exist, but are similarly clunky - there are no sleek, elegant machines in ATOM.

Since the fiction ATOM takes inspiration from was made at a time when interplanetary travel was only just beginning to be possible, its scope is significantly smaller than modern sci-fi.  Alternate universes/dimensions were pretty uncommon because the idea of alien planets still held a lot of wonder to it.  So, as a general rule, don’t try to go farther than the one galaxy.

ATOM is a setting for stories that are focused on humanity learning to coexist with monsters, rather than humanity destroying them.  A certain level of sympathy is put into almost every creature of its canon, even the ones that are meant to be villains.

REFERENCE MATERIAL

Here is a playlist of 1950′s monster movie trailers.  

Here is some reference material from various monster comics of the 50′s and 60′s. 

Good movies to track down to understand ATOM’s inspiration and tone include Ghidorah the 3 Headed Monster, Son of Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters, Them!, The Black Scorpion, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Gamera, The Giant Claw, and The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra.

And here’s the intro cutscenes for all the different giant monsters in the PS2 videogame War of the Monsters.

#The Atomic Time of Monsters #The ATOM Create a Kaiju Contest 3D

[iaintyourbro]

Imo Tifa is Cloud’s real catalyst. Some people say it’s Aerith... yeah sure... she is in some way, but only on soldier Cloud in OG. Like, in the first place he wanted to be someone strong hence why he became soldier, cuz of Tifa. She saved & brought real Cloud back in the lifestream. She vented and knocked some sense into him to bring him out of his misery. Why does everybody sleeps on Tifa’s efforts like 🤷🏻‍♀️

Hey anon.

I honestly have a very difficult time comprehending it myself. Generally when I play these games the first time, I take them at face value. I think most people do that. From a logical standpoint, the first time a person plays OG, they probably do think that Aerith is meant to be the love interest because she’s pink and cute and a white mage type of character. 

This is the fun thing with stereotypes... Whether or not there’s any romantic interaction between Cloud and Aerith, people automatically assumed the moment he wakes up in that church that she’s the love interest. I think this was also done on purpose to further the whole illusion thing. It used people’s preconceived ideas about romance against them.

In Remake, they make it much more obvious that Cloud has an issue with his memories and personality, and that his subconscious is heavily attached to Tifa. He stares at her constantly.  

Aerith then dies. In real life we do not continue to pursue dead people that we knew for a very short amount of time. That seems... ridiculous. They also don’t really dwell on it in game. After her death, she’s not mentioned again until they’re trying to figure out what to do with meteor. This is well past her death. 

You first go snowboarding and through all of the Icicle Area, then up to the Northern Crater where you’re slammed with the line from Cloud that Tifa’s opinion is the only one that matters to him, then Cloud falls into the Lifestream. Then we get Tifa who is very upset about everything, almost gets executed, has to slap a bitch a few times, gets back on the Highwind, and her number one priority is to save Cloud. You get him back and go on some more Huge Materia missions, can do side quests, and then when you actually start to go down the what to do with Meteor path, is when she’s brought up because of Holy. 

But for the whole Lifestream thing...

Tifa is mostly selfless throughout the game. She puts others before herself constantly. I honestly thought her turning to what she felt and what she wanted was a good character building moment. I think her one desire to find Cloud was the most selfish thing she did during the entire game, and it was about her feelings. And about Cloud. She knew nobody else was going to look for Cloud - she didn’t want him alone. 

When they do find him, she’s done. She’s staying there no matter what. At this point I think she’s already lost everything else, and finding Cloud somewhat alive, the last thing she really has from her past, she’s not letting it go. She sticks by him. She helps him find himself. She continues to stick by him. 

She almost dies sticking by him. She saves him from himself by helping him rebuild who he truly is. All is revealed, it’s obvious he has feelings for her that go way back, and that’s that. At this point, I think most people who played the game with no preconceived ideas realize what’s mostly going on. I do think FFVII requires multiple playthroughs to get everything, but the jist of things is there. 

So most people don’t question this - Cloud loves Tifa, okay - let’s mosey. 

The ending I think is where people start to argue, even though it’s not supposed to be romantic, I don’t think. He says the line “I think I can meet her there” which people take as he’s going to meet Aerith there. Tifa doesn’t react badly to this. This is after the Lifestrem, after the Highwind, and then suddenly he’s just gonna drop her? No. This is about them realizing they’re probably going to die. 

Some people couldn’t accept she died, they can’t accept what happens after that, so they shit on Tifa. They know she’s the catalyst for him, she’s the reason he wanted to join SOLDIER (he tells us this himself), she’s the reason he finally snapped at Sephiroth in Nibelheim (after everything else), she’s the reason he comes out of his first bout of severe mako poisoning, and ultimately she’s the reason he survives the second bout. 

After all the shit that happened, after almost killing their friend twice, ultimately causing Meteor to get summoned, after it all, she still stuck by him.

Then we get AC. Now AC is interesting because people think Cloud acted like he did in AC the entire two years after FFVII ends. He doesn’t. He’s happy - the devs came out and made sure people knew that he was very happy with Tifa and the children. He runs from Tifa for a week or two. People think he took off for months. He runs off due to getting Geostigma, and can’t bear to have Tifa and the children watch him die. He knows what happens to Tifa when people close to her die - she starts doing really stupid, drastic things. So you have Denzel dying already and now Cloud has the same problem. He ran, but it wasn’t to go find Aerith or get away from Tifa because he didn’t love her - he ran because he did love her, and in his mind.. well... he couldn’t deal with the fact that he was going to ultimately hurt her. Badly. 

Cloud realizing Tifa is injured and knocked out in the church shows how much he cares about her. The second Tifa that he yells is fully of emotion. Geostigma also acts up when he has high anxiety or an emotional event. Right after this, he has a major Geostigma episode and passes out. You can’t say he doesn’t care - deeply - about Tifa. He’s scared out of his mind here. He thinks she’s going to die. And he blames himself because she came to the church looking for him.

Cloud sees Tifa is alive in the simulation here.

After he thinks she dies.

A lot of people think that Tifa is attached to Cloud and useless without him, but I think it’s the other way around. Tifa could live a normal life without Cloud. Cloud wouldn’t be able to live a normal life without Tifa with the story of the game. You can’t say what if he didn’t get experimented on, because he does get experimented on, he’s injected with Jenova cells, and has severe mako poisoning. Which she can at least get him out of to function. Tifa was literally created for Cloud so he actually has a shot at life and doesn’t die in the gutter of the Sector 7 train station.

FFVII had a main theme of life and death and learning to live after death.

And that learning to live wasn’t just about Cloud.

It was about Barret who lost his wife, hometown, and ultimately ends up losing his best friend when he thinks he found him. He deals with his loses by channeling his passion for revenge. He vows to care for Dyne’s daughter. He does blame himself partially for the entire thing even happening, since he agreed with Shinra, but ultimately doesn’t let it consume him. He goes back during AC to help rebuilt Corel to make amends.

Tifa also learns to live after heavy loss. Tifa loses her mother as a young child. Her entire hometown is burned down, her father killed, she’s almost killed. In both cases of her parent’s death, she makes very irrational decisions to cope with it. She thinks going up Mt Nibel will allow her to see her mother. She thinks she can take on Sephiroth after he kills her father. She also does this after she thinks Cloud dies. She decides she can go to a brothel and question a crime lord to give her info... Not a good choice. I’m sure at this point, most of the folks reading this have had to deal with somebody they loved dying. The first few days really is bizarre. You’re in a daze. Your decision making skills are shit. You’re tired. Tifa ignores the fact that she’s in a daze and makes decisions anyway to cope with it. But she lives. She rebuilds her life in Midgar, she has a job, has a place to live, and then decides to go the Barret route and get revenge.

Vincent is the most similar to Cloud in how he deals with loss and guilt. He sleeps. For 20 years. Vincent goes from Turk Viincent to Eternal Sin Vincent. He blames himself for all that happened to Lucretcia. He’s alone. Sleeping. For 20 years. This probably would be a good example of what would have happened to Cloud if Tifa wasn’t there. He would have spiraled in to guilt and - ultimately - would have died. Vincent couldn’t die, so sleep it was.

As for Tifa and Cloud, specifically. Cloud probably wouldn’t have joined the military if Tifa never fell down Mt. Nibel. He probably would have stayed in Nibelheim (or followed her wherever she went, he did have it pretty bad for her) and then they all would have perished. It’s to be assumed that Sephiroth would have still come to Nibelheim and burned it down. Cloud and Tifa had nothing to do with him doing that. All of the catalysts for that were from before those two were even born, so nothing was going to stop that. 

Without Tifa, Cloud probably would have died at the Sector 7 train station. I think the flashback with Zack in the OG (even though its optional) is to show how bad of shape he was in. The guards say to leave him because he’s pretty much done for. Somehow he does make it to Midgar, but I don’t think he would have lasted much longer. Zack got him 90% of the way back. Tifa did the rest and ultimately brought him back to “human status” even though it wasn’t really him at this point. 

People start to shit on Tifa because she doesn’t come out and tell Cloud right away that somethings wrong with him. She doesn’t correct him about the flashback in Kalm. She keeps it going. The thing is, she admits this was wrong. That it’s a character flaw. Literally right after Cloud falls in to the Lifestream after giving Sephiroth the Black Materia, she tells the story of finding Cloud at the Sector 7 train station, and how she’s always been this way... She’s non-confrontational. She didn’t want to upset him. I think she thought that something bad really would have happened to him. 

And ultimately, she saves him again. 

Nobody else could have helped Cloud rebuild himself. Nobody.

Tifa is the only person in the world at this point that knew Cloud prior to the events of the Nibelheim Incident. She is the only one that could guide him. She’s one of the only survivors from the Nibelheim incident. Nobody else could have done it. Cloud’s subconscious is almost entirely made up of things about Tifa. The Promise, Tifa’s mother’s death and the Mt. Nibel incident, the reactor and how he hid from her because he was ashamed he didn’t make First Class SOLDIER. Every piece of his subconscious has to do with Tifa somehow. 

#cloti #cloud x tifa #ff7 advent children #ff7 #final fantasy 7 #final fantasy 7 remake #final fantasy 7 spoilers #ff7 spoilers #cloud strife #tifa lockhart

[lutrain2020]

Meet the Creator!

Introducing: Squido!

Commission:  I haven't and don't really intend to. I don't want to take anyone's hard-earned money. Just ask me to draw things and there's a good chance I will.

Social Media:  Tumblr: @sky-squido​ AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sky_squido/pseuds/sky_squido

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

Call me Squido! I love to draw and write but I'm also super extraverted and I love interacting with humans so always feel free to chat with me! Aside from drawing and writing, I just love being outside and have a tumblr sideblog dedicated exclusively to nature photos I take. I love mountains, the ocean, the sky, and just about everything else in this beautiful world of ours! If you ever feel like having an internet stranger give you a thousand word rant, ask me why my favorite color is blue and you will not be disappointed!

What got you into creating? what inspires you to keep creating?

I've been drawing for as long as I can remember and can't seem to stop, though I take long breaks sometimes I always seem to come back to it again. I try not to have anything in mind when I draw, but to start sketching and let the drawing happen. Sometimes I find that what I'm trying to draw is not what my drawing wants to be (if that makes any sense) and change what I'm making halfway through. It makes drawing a really relaxing and carefree therapeutic experience! Writing is different. I've always enjoyed writing, but I didn't write much and never shared my writing with anyone because I thought it was super pretentious. It wasn't until entering High School and joining the literature club and making a deal with a friend that we'd share our writing with each other that I actually gained any sort of confidence in my ability and sought to improve it. Being in that club and sharing my pieces at the open mics was a really encouraging experience! I invite everyone to share their writing, even if it's with some random internet stranger (I'm open anytime!) if they're unsure of their abilities. A little encouragement goes a long way! Now that I'm on Discord, ao3, and tumblr, I receive so much more feedback than I ever have before! It's been super encouraging! What inspires me most is definitely nature. Even if my ideas aren't directly related to the outdoors, I get my best ideas there. Fandoms are also a great idea generator. The sheer volume of headcanons and prompts is enough to make me dizzy with ideas!

What's your creative process like?

I love sketching. My favorite thing about drawing digitally is that I can sketch as much as I like and never worry about wasting materials! Often times my sketches turn themselves into drawings without permission and other times they stubbornly remain sketches for all eternity. I always dive right in because I have no patience and the idea I started out with generally isn't that great but in the process of pursuing it, it spirals out of control and sometimes the idea gets better and sometimes it gets worse but I just kinda roll with it. Creating is a really chill process for me and while I regularly scream stuff like "I'M DRAWING ON THE WRONG LAYER NONONONONONO" or "NO HECK FRICK SHOOT IT SMUDGED HECK HECK GET THE ERASER QUICK," the creative process is a great way for me to unwind. I'm the same way about writing. I never plan or outline and just kind of roll with things. I mean I generally have the basic jist in mind, but I try to not have a plan so I can keep the story driven by the characters and not force them into acting the way I wanted them to in the outline I made hours or even days ago. Creating is my opportunity to break free so I don't really see what good a plan or outline does me. I'm a pretty spontaneous person!

What kind of mediums do you like to use?

I like to take pictures, but it's not really my main focus. I've been mostly digitally drawing—I use my iPad Pro and Procreate—but lately I've been pencil sketching with just your average everyday mechanical pencil (I'd forgotten how nice the texture of paper was! Clearly I spent too much time drawing on my iPad!). I have these Stabilio chalk pastels I love to pieces, but have also spent a great deal of time with watercolors. Digital is my primary medium currently, though.

Is there a specific scene wrote that you are particularly proud of?

"Sky’s golden scales are glowing with reflected light from the sun while beneath them, the same pulsing blue in her mane runs like a river as her very skin is alive with electricity. The sun’s beginning to dip, fading through the color wheel from yellow to deep orange to scarlet and the world is bathed in watercolor and hue shifted through the rainbow until all that was blue becomes red. This new alien world begins to darken as red fades to deep purple-pink, the clouds catching last vestiges of gold in their pillowy folds, yet Sky continues rippling with lighting, the bright blue flowing like blood through her veins and the gold shimmering in the eerie azure glow. We weave through the winds and zephyrs and I close my eyes and let the breeze caress my hair and when I reopen them, I’m standing back on the ground again in a world long since darkened by night. I place my hand over my beating heart where Sky is still laughing with joy and smile because once you’ve awakened your dragon, you don’t need wings to fly anymore."

Is there someone who inspires you and your writing or art?

Every fanartist and fanfic writer that posts their stuff online is an inspiration to me. Even if their stuff isn't very good—especially if it isn't very good—it's a huge testament to the courage of the creator and their bravery in expressing themself! I sat on fanfic and fanart for years and never shared it and here were kids half my age putting out art that was their first experiment in a new medium and a little shaky but it was still out there and they were still being supported by the community and that really inspired me to reach out and stop lurking in fandom and actually get involved!

is there something that you struggled with that made you grow as a creator?

I feel like everyone has these periods where they were just gaining confidence in their artistic ability but suddenly everything they make is trash and they're not happy with any of it and they feel so down and worthless and "where did all of my hard-earned ability go? Will I ever get it back?" I think this is a pretty common experience and when I find myself there, I find it most helpful to share what I make anyway, even if I hate it, with someone who I know will give it to me straight because they'll point out the deeper problems—the root of the issue—that I hadn't even noticed and I can use that information to grow as an artist. Bad pieces are just as valuable as good ones. There was also a time where I had a lot of trouble developing a style. I did a lot of experimenting and never found anything I liked. What happened is I just kept drawing and whatever popped out eventually evolved into my style. I used to get frustrated that I couldn't draw anything without a reference, but after years and years of using references and drawing some of the same things over and over again, you won't need the references anymore. I mean, they're great and you should always feel free to use them, but over time, you won't need to look up a picture of every little thing you try to doodle.

What got you into writing or art?

My silly twitchy fingers can't ever seem to stop drawing! Same with writing. Words and ideas follow me around, little plot bunnies pestering me until they get written down somewhere. I was greatly inspired by the works of C.S. Lewis in my writing, especially his Cosmic Trilogy. My art style was aided by Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist, which was a valuable stepping stone in developing my own style. Other than that, it was my own insatiable desire to MAKE THINGS that spurred me onwards. I don't think I could stop if I tried!

What's your favorite part of the creative process?

After you've got that first paragraph and you've found a flow and you've got a topic and you just GO. I get into the zone and the story starts happening on its own and I'm not an author anymore, I'm just a channel between the world of the piece and the page. That's my favorite. I love watching things take shape. I love shading a sketch for these same reasons. The whole drawing comes together and becomes A Thing and it's the most exciting time to be a creator. Something else inside you has taken over and you're just along for the ride. I have no idea if my experiences are common at all but this is what it's like for me!

What's your least favorite part of the creative process?

EDITING. I HAVE ZERO PATIENCE. THE THING IS DONE. WHY DO I HAVE TO KEEP LOOKING AT IT. CAN I POST IT YET. This leaves me with a lot of holes in what I make and I can't do a very clean, super detailed drawing unless it's for an art class and I'm forced to keep working on it. I have a terrible habit of never proofreading my things!

What's your favorite type of scene to write?

AAH hard question! I love writing description and places where I can really let my inner 19th century romantic be unleashed but I also love a good emotional moment between two characters. Something tense. I like fight scenes, but I try to keep them brief and interesting. Sometimes I find scenes where I have no idea what's going on and I try to avoid that, but it's really hard sometimes.

What's the hardest for you to create?

I have so much trouble with endings. I can generally figure something out, but there's always a moment of panic before the end like "heck I wrote everything I wanted how do I wrap this up????" That's probably a byproduct of me planning nothing XD I sometimes have trouble with characterization and making sure everyone acts the way they actually would. The hardest part is continuing after you have an "oh heck what do I do now" moment that breaks you out of your zone and all of your ideas and plot threads turn invisible or evaporate or go wherever it is they go when you're looking for them.

What's your favorite genre to write?

ANGST ANGST ANGST ANGST. Wellll... scratch that. I love something adventure-y and plot driven with a lot of really meaningful character interactions. I've always had trouble putting my writing into genres, but I guess that kind of speaks for itself in a way.

What fandoms do you enjoy creating for?

Linked Universe is the fandom I have created and posted the most for by a LONG SHOT. I found LU shortly after making my tumblr and I joined the Discord shortly thereafter. Since then, it has been nonstop inspiration and creativity for me! I tend to get sucked into one fandom and it consumes me for a few months before I silently drift out of it and never think about it again. LU is the fandom I've been the most active in EVER though—and it's still going—so there's a good chance I'm never getting off this ride.

What's the work you are most proud of?

AAAAAAAAAAH MY BABIES. okay um here's the first and only fanfic I've ever posted anywhere but I'm really happy with: https://sky-squido.tumblr.com/post/618964544219463680/turn-back-time-a-linked-universe-fanfic I have a lot of other pieces kicking about, but they're not fandom so I haven't shared them yet. I probably will after I touch them up a bit.

Do you have any fics inspired by real life stories?

Not really? I don't really know where my ideas come from to be honest!

Where do you post your finished works?

my tumblr. I tag stuff #squido writes and #squido draws so you can find them easily. I also put them on the discord but they get lost in the stream of other works pretty quickly so stick to my tumblr. I also have an ao3 now! https://archiveofourown.org/users/sky_squido

If you have any fun stories about the pieces you made, please do share!

Turn Back Time was actually live written in the Discord, but entirely unplanned and in the #angst channel! It was just a headcanon but then I started describing it and like 2 hours and 5k words later I'm sitting in the Discord like "what just happened??"

#Meet The Creator #lutrain2020 #linkeduniverse #lu

[sonipanda]

Because I loved the mocca/black backseam pair so much, I couldn’t wait to review just the mocca stockings. I gotta say I love this brand; it’s something new, it’s exciting and their quality has been on point so far. I can’t believe I have never come across them before!

If you’ve missed my previous reviews, hit the links below (opens in a new tab):

La Dame De France Demon Mocca Black Stockings

La Dame De France Bas Nylon Délice Noir Stockings

The Spec

Colour: Mocca

Size: 2 / Small

Denier: 15

Materials: 100% Nylon

Price: €10.00

Website: La Dame De France – Nylon Stockings Délice Mocca

My Outfit

I decided to dress up a little with this pair; I went for a ribbed top tucked into my floral pencil skirt and added nude pink studded shoes to finish the look.

My Deets

Top: Primark

Skirt: River Island 

Stocking: La Dame De France

Heels: from Amazon

    The Review

From The Website: The bottom RHT 100% nylon, non-stretchy, transparent and thin. Timeless, the nylon mocca stockings are a must in your lingerie drawer for a tanned complexion all year round. The cuff and underside are also made of 15 denier nylon and offer great comfort in the thigh. The Lady of France also thought of generous thighs. The color mocca is a slightly smoky brown which is suitable for all skin types, from the lightest to the darkest. No lycra in these down there. Lovers of nylon stockings will appreciate the charm and softness but also the small folds that can appear behind the knee or at the ankle.

The Délice La Dame de France nylon stockings were made with the idea of ​​wearing them crazy, that is, high on the thigh to emphasize the shape of the buttocks.

  The Packaging: same as the other pair I reviewed, they come in a white envelope, with the brand on the front and the brand model on the back.

When you get in, you will see the pair folded neatly around plain card and inserted into plastic packaging. This pair comes with leg and foot shaping to it, making it easier to get it on.

  Getting Them On: well the video below is not me really getting them on, but it shows you a jist of what they are like on the legs and how easy you can get the on and off.

To get them on, I took my time to roll the up the legs and set them in place. They were fine going over anklets as long as they are no sharp.

  On The Legs: now I have to say this mocca colour comes out looking a little darker. I thought it would be quite light considering I paired up with light and bright colours this time, but if anything it looks a little darker than my mocca/black pair. I’m not complaining at all, but my theory was wrong!

The quality of these are spot on once again; no issues with rips or snags.

The fit of them are once again spot on. They fit perfectly on the legs and I set them in place where I normally would wear my welts. The feel of these were just like the other pairs; they were so silky smooth on the legs, they were smooth to touch and they were gorgeous!

  The Toes & Ankle: so the toes come reinforced along with the heel too. The reinforced heel circles round, which I really like. I had plenty of wiggle room and there was no pressure added around the toes either.

Around the feet and ankles, it was a lovely fitted finish.

  The Bands: I did not have any issues with at all. I had the same colour, but in a thicker darker denier with a reinforced and underneath. My clasps hooked on really well, and they fit amazingly well around the thighs too!

  My Thoughts?

Such a gorgeous darker colour for the legs, and I really liked it in the end. The quality is still the same as the rest of the pairs, and they fit like a dream. Another pair I would happily recommend!

La Dame De France Bas Nylon Délice Mocca Stockings Because I loved the mocca/black backseam pair so much, I couldn't wait to review just the mocca stockings.

[darrowsrising]

Red Rising Rage Review:

Ok, so @apex-aureate asked me to share my opinion on Pip's Read's 'Red Rising Rage Review'. Particulary what she thinks about Darrow.

Before all of that, I have to say that Darrow is my favourite character. My absolute favourite character! So take this with a grain of salt.

I'm not trying to change opinions or something, this is just my opinion of the review. I respect the reviewer's opinion in general.

I'll problably get hate anyway, but you asked for this and I'll deliver without sugarcoating (you know, like some people don't do with Roque...sorry, couldn't help it)

Now to the tea spilling:

First of all I have to adress the blasphemy: the Women of Red Rising aren't bland. And they don't exist for Darrow's sexual frustration. There was a single minor incident in GS when Victra tried to seduce Darrow. And that was all. He refused her and that was the end of story. He didn't use her in any way sexually (or otherwise) Victra went on and became one of the fiercest warriors in the Rising. Also, his love for Virginia was in no way only sexually orientated. And Holiday, Orion, Evey, Harmony, Pebble, Harpy, Aja etc. are in no way, shape or form there for Darrow's sexual frustration...he never, ever, ever sees them like that. I mean...did we read the same books?

Secondly, the reviewer is mad at Darrow because he is the only one who narrates. And she's mad that he's not a political person. Yes, he's more of a social-justice fighter, sorry he doesn't like to play political games with the lives of his people when he isn't even good at it. He himself admits Mustang is way better at politics than him, he's more of a man of action. Now, I think the charm of the trilogy is Darrow's pov. But I do understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea.

The reviewer is also mad that there are too many deus-ex-machinas in the series. And Darrow is a dick, because he holds back from the reader. Well, I think that this is a very subjective matter. In my opinion, Darrow holding back stuff from the reader is understandable because there are time gaps between the books, so of course he isn't going to make a recap of everything jist because you want to know everything. And all the mocking she did was really...inaccurate? I think that's the word. For example (if I'm not mistaken), in Golden Son, Darrow says that Cassius deserves his Morning Knight title because he is indeed amazing with his razor and Darrow feels like he would die if he fought like Cassius did - using kravat. But he uses the Willow Way, taught by Lorn himself in that time gap between RR and GS. So, I think this one is a matter of perspective. I loved it. She didn't.

Also, I think it's not fair that she reduced those instances to 'Darow makes deus ex machina plans and it's annoying'. The deus ex machinas work because it's not Darrow who just gets out of tough spots like a breeze. He's saved, he's helped all the time. Mustang, Fitchner, the Howlers, the PitVipers, they always save him from dying. Sometimes it's his own abilities to balance out stuff. But it is as realistic as possible, imo at least.

Also, I think it's not fair to say that enhancing a human being made us think that limb loss or other stuff are nothing. On the contrary, through out the trilogy there are explainatiin as to why people keep dying if we have such technology: Carving a Red to a Gold is very hard and not many survive (Darrow and Titus survived, but then not many survive the Intitute or the Academy - the risk of dying is always high and I doubt there are hundreds of Carved Reds), Carvings are really, really expensive (ask Fitchner), losing limbs isn't always going to end with Carving back the limb - mostly it is going to end to bionic prostheics - see Sevro is Golden Son and Thraxa in Iron Gold and thousands of soldiers in MS, there are Golds who believe in eugenics so they'd rather die or let their loved ones die than use advanced medicine.

Basically, the reviewer really, really doesn't like the 1st person narration at all that she channels that into Darrow. Or she doesn't like Darrow at all and she channels that into the narration. Can't really tell, so it's probably both. Anyway, after laying out how much she disliked the narration and the narrator, she said that Darrow is annoying, she wants to punch him in the face, he is boring, he is so damn self-absorbed and selfish.

My opinion on that is that...idk, did we read the same books? Yes, Darrow is a drama queen. Yes, Darrow is proud of his abilities. He also constantly reminds us that his image is exacerbated. There is a distinction between Reaper and Darrow. Reaper is an image that Darrow and his allies created to be god-like with the purpose of sending a message of hope and fear into the worlds. Darrow - the man - is just that. A man. He is a good friend (not all the time, but who is a good friend all the time), he is a good fighter, he loves to dance and eat strawberries. He genuinely loves his family, his friends, his love. He is from time to time way too focused on his goal that he forgets everyone else. He becomes self-absorbed once in a while. He forgets some important things - like when he was left alone for like 2-3 years and had to be reminded why he fights by Harmony. But that's not entirely making up his character.

Edit: there was also this thing that she disliked - Darrow seeming like he can read people's minds...I guess that is a matter of perspective, but I never even thought of that as a problem. And now that I think about it...I don't feel like it's such a big deal. Many 1st pov are like that. Plus, Darrow is sometimes so damn sure of what other people think and it ends up with him being wrong all along...so, I don't think it's a proble at all. But that's a matter of perspective too...although I think that's nitpicking to hell, but that's just me.

Another thing I noticed the reviewer didn't like was the fact that Darrow has beautiful monologues before battles and that's unrealistic, because he makes stupid decisions immediatelly afterwards ...err, have you ever read a war journal wrote by a soldier? I did. His name was Camil Petrescu, he had very beautiful monologues before he went to battle...where he fucked up and survived through a miracle. After that his carreer as a writer skyrocketed.

Anyway, my point is that...I don't understand why it's unrealistic. Believe it or not it seems to me easier to be contemplative and to philosophe like a true master when you sit in a duroSteel box which will send you into the stratosphere while enemies will shoot at you. I bet it makes you think a lot about life and death and warfare and love and why you are fighting and stuff like that. You know...exactly what Darrow talks about...idk, this again I think it is a matter of perspective.

Can I reitterate that the women of Red Rising aren't looked at from a sexual pov ? I'll hang myself with this one if I have to.

No but really, that's the only thing that propelled me into rage in that review. Darrow of Lykos? Seeing every female as a vent for his sexual frustration? Where? When? How? What the fuck? I can never agree with this. Ever! They are not there for him to get his dick hard! What the actual fuck! The guy refuses Pinks on a daily, why are we even debating this?

I get it that she didn't like the books that much. I respect that. I get it that people who say it's the best sci-fi are stretching it more than a little.

I also understand why she wants a 3rd person narration.

But her points about Darrow being selfish and self-absorbed (and generally a stupid jock tm), her opinion on the women of Red Rising (especially this one), her downplay of Victra's character (she's so much more than her hitting on Darrow that one time and I hate that I have to remind everyone of that, wtf) ar things that I can never agree with. This is so far from factual I can't even.

I'm not trying to be disrespectful or anything. And I'm sorry if it came that way.

Edit: the Women of Red Rising are amazing and the stuff said about them in this review are blasphemous. You can argue with me all you want, you can't change my mind, sorry.

Anyway, hope I don't get hanged for this one! Per aspera ad astra!

Oh, and if you want to, you can still send me asks with 'your opinion on...'. It is a tumblr game thingy I rebloged a while ago and this was @apex-aureate 's ask basically.

I tried to edit the mistakes I made, because I answered this on my phone. I also added some stuff I remembered from the review, but I didn't address in hopes to be as thorough as possible. Hope it is satisfying grammatically speaking. I'm not a native speaker, so if I made mistakes, please point them out and I'll rectify them.

#red rising trilogy #darrow of lykos #darrow au andromedus #reaper

[twilight-town-gays]

Kingdom Hearts 3 Review

Big thank you to Nomura and his team, Disney and Pixar for making this game a reality.

This review is going to be split into several parts to make it easier to read; story, animation/style, combat, gameplay/exploration, music, rating and overall thoughts.

Story:

Just going to say it now. It's still very complex. But it does answer so many questions from previous games; it asks the right questions and answers them in a cohesive way that even new players should get the general jist of.

It starts off where DDD and 0.2 leave off, even covering some cutscenes from 0.2. KH3 is littered with many references from previous titles that fans of the series will appreciate very much and will help new players get an idea of context.

It follows about 4 major plot points but it never really feels overwhelming or like they're trying to stuff too much in. Near the end was maybe a little rushed, but I don't really see how else they could have delievered this without it becoming too repetitive so they did the best they could.

Pretty much everything that I personally wanted to happen, happened in some shape or form which was very satisfying to see.

Animation/Style:

The characters were a lot more expressive and you truely got a real sense of their personality just by their detailed facial expressions and gestures. It felt natural. KH3 is spectacular in terms of animations and some cutscenes were very cinematic which is very different from previous entries in the series. Despite this, they still managed to keep the same feel.

Combat:

There's so much to the combat; you have the turning abilities and the AP system and links/summons from KH1 and KH2, reaction commands from KH2 as well as form changes, flowmotion from DDD, situation commands and shotlock from BBS, as well as Keyblade Transformations and Attraction Flow which is new to KH3 (obviously magic is back too)

It really is the perfect amalgamation of all the previous entries.

It will take a bit of time to get used to because there is so much but the game slowly eases you into it as to not overwhelm the player. If I'm honest, I forgot I had some abilities but I was satisfied with what I utilised.

Floatiness is practically none existant; it feels very much like KH2. The entire system feels similar to KH2 and DDD.

The difficulty only goes up to Proud though which I personally didn't find that hard apart from a few bosses. As long as you have enough items that you remember to restock and you're at least at the recommended level, it shouldn't be too difficult.

Gameplay/exploration:

Going to talk about the minigames here as well as the environments.

KH3 has a range of different minigames, much more variety than any other game. I found them a little hard to wrap my head around at first but after playing through once I got it. There's a cooking minigame, dancing, Classic Kingdom, matching game, a video game in a video game which is basically you in a giant mech suit destroying other mechs, sled minigame, heartless minigame, among others. There's plenty to do so you'll never be bored.

The worlds in the game are vase and beautiful, there are ledges to climb, you can fall from those said ledges to others with ease and without need of a load screen; traversal is really fun!! If you don't want to travel though, you can wrap using the save points.

Music:

The main themes are both performed by Utada Hikaru just like all previous titles. The overall consensus on these songs, Face My Fears and Don't Think Twice are very devisive but they fit the themes of KH3 very well.

Yoko Shimomura has done a fantastic job with the OSTs once again, the field and battle themes nicely flow from one to the other and helped to build the overall feel of the world. The world themes felt more impactful than previous titles and will definitely be listening to them on repeat when they become availible. The rearrangements of songs that have been in the series before had more emotional weight because of our journey and the meaning behind the music, as well as just being outright amazing.

Rating and Overall Thoughts:

9.5/10

There were a couple of hiccups here and there but it's overall a solid and highly enjoyable game. It retains what kept KH so special in the first place and reminded me just why I love this series so much. I'm looking forward to what's next for the KH series and hope that they take from KH3's successes.

#alex post #kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts 3 #text post #i love this game too much

[ultimatetrashyfanfic]

Spoilers for Danganronpa: THH Chapter 3

(Image desctiption: a smartphone notepad app on a screen titled "All Memos". Below are seven memos, six blacked out, and the remaining one, a preview of the notes below, has spoilers censored and just has a few eggplant emojis and remaining phrases: "[redacted] photographed [redacted] being kidnapped instead of helping" and "The enemy is...")

Cube here. So I'm writing a fic that has a lot to do with the third chapter and trial, and I wanted to get the order of events and details right so I started from a little bit before the body's found. And yeah it's obvious I wrote the notes with an audience in mind but I was entertaining myself too with the jokes, okay?

Anyway here's the notes:

Celestia attacked but in pretty good shape for being attacked with Justice Hammer 1 (🍆)

Hifumi was kidnapped and attacked with 🍆🍆, survived

Celestia photographed Hifumi being kidnapped instead of helping him.

The enemy is... fucking Robo Justice. Kill me.

🍆 increasing in size numerically

No one comments on how fucking stupid or elaborate this is.

No one knows where Kyoko is, they don't know where Taka or Hiro are either but no one gives a fuck about them

Hifumi moved to nurse's office on first floor. No one checks his nonexistent wound.

Everyone has totally foolproof alibis, including Kyoko who was with Hina and Sakura before going MIA, so Hiro and Taka are suspected.

Byakuya is suspicious of Kyoko, since she's shady as fuck and, in his words, is keen to handle dead bodies. Something about a pot and a kettle...

Celestia whining about a shadow on the second floor. Has a ridiculous discussion with Hina about how to yell for help. I am irrationally angry at the conversation.

Celestia screaming on second floor, everyone runs. Byakuya says her scream was weird. She allegedly saw Robo Justice run down the hall.

Absurdly weird scream. Oh yeah, they left Hifumi alone in the nurse's office. Left an injured person alone with his attempted murderer on the loose. :l

Makoto, Celestia, Hina run to the nurse's office. Hifumi body blood everywhere 🍆 ding dong bing bong investigation time.

No one checks his pulse.

Celestia points out 🍆🍆🍆 like that fucking hammer right next to his body wasn't obvious.

Celestia acts more upset than she had with the other trials. Keeps saying really obvious and fucking dumb shit why is everyone oblivious.

Hina panic attack time. Celestia kindly offers to stay with Hina and the body.

NO ONE CHECKS HIS PULSE.

Makoto learns how hallways work.

Physics lab is rad as fuck

Wait fuck this is when they find Taka. Not rad. Taka body in the back room of the physics lab. 🍆🍆🍆🍆

Byakuya and Sakura are chillin with his body. Toko is out cold on the floor.

Looks as if the trauma occured to the top of his head, slightly skewed to his right-hand side.

"These aren't nightmares. The true nightmare is this reality, the reality I have to fave every day."

Taking note to familiarize myself with Makoto's edgy deep preteen inner dialogue.

I forgot what a bitch Byakuya is.

No one notices how there was only one murder announcement.

Makoto and Byakuya find Celestia in the hall. Away from the body she was meant to be guarding. She awkwardly tells them that Hifumi's body disappeared. Keeps calling Hifumi "it".

Everyone forgets about Taka's body and just ditches him AFTER HIFUMI'S BODY DISAPPEARED.

Hina says she and Celestia went to the bathroom together, smart, and when they came back Hifumi had peaced out. Sakura, please get your girl.

Celestia monologues about how the killer must be enjoying this to move the body around and fuck with them.

Taking a break to make some cauliflower Bake break. I think I added too much salt. I'm blaming Mister Kodaka.

Byakuya: Who might the next target be? Toko?

Sakura, freaking out: I completely forgot! She's still unconscious in the equipment room!

And everyone glazes over Byakuya's...wishful thinking.

Celestia acts all shocked about them leaving her there at the scene of the crime. Lile they didn't leave injured Hifumi alone in the nurse's office. And Sakura gets all mad that Byakuya knowingly left Toko there, like we don't already know he's a huge piece of shit.

They rush back and Toko's fine but Taka's gone. Shocker.

"You seem very adamant about defending her. Perhaps you are... in love?"

Byakuya what the fucking fuck.

BUH BUH BUM. Hifumi wakes up and starts reaching, talking about being cold. Memories unlocked. Medical treatment? I don't know her. Hina asks who killed him. He says he remembers their name: Yasuhiro.

"His eyes closed, and they never opened again. Death for the second time."

Makoto. Sir.

No one gives a fuck about Taka still.

"You have no tears, do you? No blood in your veins, no Calcium in your bones. At least you have your meat."

Ohhhhhh! Byakuya, Celestia jist called you fat! Nah not really just another weirdo soeaking whimsically.

"You're just angry" is Byakuya's response.

Has Kodaka ever talked to a human? Like for real?

Makoto inner monologue: "It's... going to begin again. We have to go through this... one more time. I have to accept this. I have no choice but to go through this to make sure everyone survives. I just have to do it!"

There is no chance I'll get Makoto's tone right.

Monokuma file says both victims died from a blow to the head. Doesn't say where in the head. Logically it would be the top of the head since you would swing the hammer down. Top of the head is broad so I've got wiggle room with parts of the brain affected.

Celestia. Please stop talking.

Sakura suggests that the killer may have had an accomplice but Monokuma points out the problem with acting with an accomplice.

There was a flashback with Mondo. I miss that dude.

Why the fuck do Monokuma, Makoto, and Byakuya keep repeating the same thing? Move ON.

Everyone is extremely dismissive and doesn't care to find out where Kyoko is.

Celestia keeps interjecting to remind everyone that Hiro is definitely responsible.

Hina: You know... don't you think we should consider a certain someone a suspect, just in case? I'm talking about the murderous fiend... Genocide Jack!

Genocide Jack: *just vibing to the left, not looking as offended as she says she is*

There was really no reason for Toko to have an eViL aLtEr😱😱😱 like it didn't even serve a purpose but that ableist train has left the station.

She has an alibi but everyone just likes to blame her, just 'cause she's a serial killer. Judgmental much?

I'm kidding serial killers are generally untrustworthy.

At Celestia's suggestion, they appoint Hina to stand guard by the bodies. Finally.

Okay I love this game but I'm getting impatient. I wanna write. I'm skipping around.

Repository dolly used to move Taka's body.

At this point I got bored and wanted to start writing.

-cube

#mod cube

[rannadylin]

Here continues the tale of two Awakened elves who just might be developing feelings for each other, along with my humble illustrations of the journey.

Pairing: Aloth Corfiser/Watcher Lenneth

Pillars of Eternity, sometime after the confession on the bridge and the pistol scene and the beginning of Lenneth’s wizard lessons and the Leaden Key assassins and the end of the White march DLCs and the dance that didn’t quite work out.

Word count: 2054

Rating: PG

Now also on Ao3

Confidence: Scene the Seventh.

Though the Watcher had places to be and problems both her own and other people’s to untangle, she did not immediately set out again from Caed Nua to tackle such matters. Lenneth and her friends had earned a rest, she declared. So for several days she held court in her own keep while they recovered their strength.

Her wizardry lessons with Aloth resumed the day after their return as if nothing had changed in the interim. At least, officially nothing had changed. He made an awkward apology, as they sat down over her grimoire, for his abrupt abandonment of her in the dance; she told him not to mention it, and apologized in turn for putting him on the spot like that. She wanted to ask him a hundred questions about why the dance had bothered him so, and whether Hiravias had been right about his...well, scent, but she was certainly not going to put it that way...and she couldn’t think of a better way to put it before he was asking her questions about her grimoire and she had to pay attention to what he was saying and not go on daydreaming about the shape of his lips as he said it.

You could at least just kiss him and see what happens, Hiravias’ advice echoed in her memory every time she saw Aloth. He’d be horrified, she repeated her own words to herself every time. Since he’d started wandering with her so many weeks ago, he’d become one of her dearest friends. With his secrets now safe in her keeping -- Iselmyr, the Leaden Key, his father -- Aloth seemed at ease in her company. He challenged her both in learning wizardry and in reconsidering her assumptions. He didn’t shy from letting her know when she was being foolish. He’d proven his loyalty and care for her over and over, in battle and in the quieter moments.

But he’d frozen when they danced.

So she told herself that kisses would only make things worse and Hiravias was full of it. She was pretty sure that the last part was true, at least in general. But there were moments when she caught Aloth looking at her in a way she couldn’t quite read and she wondered if the druid had a point, after all.

Once, after dinner, she almost took Hiravias’ advice to just test his theories with an experimental kiss. The others had gone up to bed. Lenneth and Aloth sat alone at Brighthollow’s dining table, arguing late into the night over The Animancy Problem. Lenneth was well aware of Aloth’s aversion to the practice, and respected that; but until the collapse of the hearings in Defiance Bay she’d harbored a vague hope that the animancers might hold the key to fixing what had happened to her at Cilant Lîs. The riots against Defiance Bay’s animancers in the wake of the Duc’s murder had put that hope on hold, since there were few enough of them now left in the Dyrwood, but tonight she’d gotten a bit tipsy, then a bit maudlin about the state of her overwhelmed soul, and had begun plying Pallegina with questions about animancy in the Vailian Republics. Aloth, it seemed, had taken exception to this, though he waited till the end of dinner to express his objections, when they were alone. Lenneth, frustrated with her worsening nightmares and recalling how the worst of the crimes attributed to animancers in Defiance Bay had been Thaos’ work in framing them, was inclined at first to dismiss his concerns as Aedyran squeamishness, until in his earnestness he grasped her hand, looking direct into her eyes, and pled with her not to do anything rash. The look in his eyes was such that for a moment she thought a kiss would be the least horrifying thing she could do to him, so she almost did. Then he seemed to suffer second thoughts about so direct an approach to swaying her opinion, dropped her hand and sat back as his face reddened, and the moment was lost.

But never quite forgotten. Several days later, Lenneth wandered into the keep’s library in search of some records or other, pertinent to a vassal’s request that had crossed her desk. The specifics fled her mind, however, when she rounded a corner of the stacks to see Aloth there, looking over a shelf of heavy arcane tomes. Greetings were exchanged, and genuine smiles -- and more than a few surreptitious glances at each other as they went about their business. Lenneth finally conceded that she’d have to go back and reread the vassal’s letter and look for the records again with a better idea of what she was looking for and without the distraction of a wizard who was doing his humble best not to distract her but also definitely keeping a very thoughtful eye on her when he didn’t think she was looking.

So she sighed, and reshelved the various ledgers she’d been looking through, and called a farewell to Aloth. He smiled and waved in return, and looked back to his book.

Halfway to the door, she could contain herself no longer. She threw caution to the wind. “Aloth,” she called suddenly, turning back to face him, “what would you do if I kissed you?”

He stared at her agape, as the book slipped from his fingers and slammed to the floor. Lenneth winced at the sound, silently cursing the abruptness of her question, the thoroughly unromantic timing. Should have left well enough alone, she chided herself, clenching and unclenching her fists as she waited for his response -- any response. When the silence and Aloth’s frozen stare became unbearable, she blurted, “Never mind. I shouldn’t have -- I’m sorry. Pretend I never said that,” and turned on her heel to escape from his gaze before she could make any further fool of herself.

“What would you do if I kissed you?”

The question more than took Aloth by surprise. It had been all he could do, since he nearly lost her to the Eyeless, to not blurt out his feelings at the most inopportune times, but his life had been nothing if not a course in self-control. But the more he passed on these imperfect opportunities to bare his heart, the higher and more impenetrable grew the walls around it. As they resumed their routines in Caed Nua and the ease of their friendship, he told himself that this was enough: to see her safe, to be at her side keeping her safe, to talk with her and see her smile and hear her endless questions. He could hope for it to grow into more in time. If they had such time. The first priority was dealing with her soul’s Awakening lest it drive her mad before they had a chance. That was her whole concern right now, he told himself: if she might ever welcome more than friendship with him, he wasn’t going to let himself seek out clues of it now and set himself up for disappointment.

And then out of the blue, this question about kissing him. He barely felt the book fall from his hands as he stood there trying to process it. Was she serious? Lenneth was full of jests much of the time. Would she joke about a thing like this? He’d thought the dance was a joke of sorts, when Sagani played the sitaara; Lenneth was dancing with everyone, after all; it meant nothing. And yet dancing with her, arm in arm, so intent on one another’s every movement -- it couldn’t mean nothing. The weight of what it might mean had overwhelmed him till he could take no more of her nearness and had fled, missing her hand’s weight on his arm as soon as it was gone.

Was this the same sort of thing? Was she going around kissing everyone just out of curiosity? It would mean nothing to her that it meant everything to him. So he froze, unable to answer.

Or was it possible that she was serious?

“Never mind,” she said when he took too long to give her an answer, and his heart sank as she turned to go. Probably not serious, then.

But never once, he realized, had she looked like she was jesting.

Ye daft tit, chided the voice in the back of his head, his lifelong ally of circumstance, his unwelcome councillor. Are ye gaunnae jist let her gang away then?

It had been some time since Iselmyr asserted herself. Not since Aloth had, with Lenneth’s encouragement, come to terms with her -- with that part of himself. Now, she mostly let him be and trusted his judgment.

For once, he decided to trust hers.

“Watcher,” he called, taking two steps forward, stepping over the fallen book. “Wait. Lenneth.”

She glanced back at him over her shoulder. Her eyes were wary now, much too vulnerable for one merely ignored in the middle of a jest. Gaining confidence, he stepped closer. “May I ask you a question, Lenni?”

She blinked at him, then nodded, turning back toward him. “Of course.” Her voice was calm, but he recognized the mask. All business, assuming his question was of more mundane matters than the world-shaking one she’d briefly opened up.

Too briefly. So he’d have to shake it back open again. Another step toward her; he met her gaze and held it. “What would you do,” he asked, “if I kissed you?”

Her eyes went wide; her hands flew to hide her gasp. After a moment, a smile crept into her eyes first, then her hands revealed it as she reached out for him. “Do you want to find out?” she asked as he took her hands.

“By all the gods, yes,” he breathed without hesitation.

“Well, then,” she said, eyes gleaming as she drew closer, “go ahead.”

Only then did he realize that in reopening her question he’d turned it around, and taken it upon himself to kiss her first. A terrible idea -- and an excellent one, as Iselmyr in his head echoed, On wi’ it, then, will ye? Enow o’ yer bletherin’, kiss ‘er!

Iselmyr did not, of course, have the grace to quietly leave them to it as Aloth leaned in to kiss the Watcher; but as the voice in his head was mostly now muttering timely advice about the positioning of his head and lips and such, he was not inclined to complain.

His lips met hers and stayed there only briefly; too briefly? he barely had time to wonder as he pulled back, searching her eyes, before Lenneth’s arms slipped over his shoulders and pulled him back to her, kissing him again, and certainly not briefly this time. Long enough for his hands to find the spot at the small of her back where they fit just right, while her fingers wove into his hair. Long enough for Iselmyr to actually shut up for a moment.

When this second kiss ended, they stood there in each other’s arms, lost in each other’s eyes. There were flecks of green in the hazel of Lenneth’s eyes, he noted. It was utterly charming, and she was even more beautiful this close -- and with the luxury of time to gaze at her so directly -- than in all his previous careful glances. He considered telling her this but filed it away for the future, saying instead: “I must apologize, I think.”

Lenneth laughed, light and merry. “What could you possibly have to apologize for?”

“Well, it seems I have the answer to my question -- you would simply kiss me back -- but it may now be impossible to answer yours. What would I have done if you’d kissed me first?”

She traced a thumb slowly along his cheek, appraising him with hooded eyes. “I’d like to assume the answer would be the same, you know.”

Aloth considered this, leaning into her hand. “Probably. It would now, at least.”

“Not before?” she asked with an impish grin.

“Well, it would have certainly startled me. I dropped a book just hearing you ask it.”

Lenneth’s laughter was brief this time, punctuated with a kiss that startled him only a little. And then, as promised, he kissed her back.

#from the desk of ranna #pillars of eternity #aloth corfiser #aloth #pillars of eternity fanfiction #PoE fanfic #watcher lenneth #lenneth #ranna draws #fic

[dallasareaopinion]

Old problems, new solutions?

This idea has bounced around in my head all day like a hot pinball machine, racking up points the ball going everywhere, yet at the end of the day, I am back where I started. I think?

Seriously though, something caused my brain to run around in hundreds of tangents and I cannot remember where I started, yet at the time it was important.

I hope to narrow it down for you.

Here are the problems: Wall Street, trash and pollution, jobs, education, and so how does all this tie together?

I vaguely remember thinking earlier it would be like taking all the trash out of the ocean. Which to me is a goal we should reach. I do not remember what made me think about the trash in the ocean, but I got started thinking about why is it so hard to get people to make cleaning up our environment a priority, then the obvious hit me. There is no money in it. Duh

People talk about recycling, yet even that never gets real traction. And the recycling companies struggle to make money. I do not know the logistics of it, but let’s work on that.

Or do we need to make money from it? And this is where the Wall Street problem comes in. Instead of trying to have a for profit company that has to answer to stockholders that expect ever increasing sales, why not accept that not all companies are growth companies, some can survive without constantly trying to please Wall Street’s insatiable greed.

The key is structuring the expectations carefully and structuring what the goal of the company can be.

So instead of always trying to “grow”, instead create a dividend generating company so it has public investment and allows for income only. If you know securities you have probably have heard of preferred stock. Imagine a company with something similar, no common stock. There are no earnings structured by the stock price. Everything is based on annual earnings.

Now this would not work for most corporations especially those that sell products. The difference is you aren’t selling a product and you are doing the public a favor. And this is not specifically for recycling companies, that is just one example.

Sticking to that example though, recycling companies receive contracts from both companies and governments to clean areas, or a combination of general recycling and clean ups.  The company earns x amount of dollars and the profit is sent to the investors in dividend income. Outside of capital expenditures to meet new demands or invest in better technology, the majority of the net profit is paid out.

You do have the problem of possible fluctuating income based on the contracts, yet this is a bit of a public private partnership. And to carry this further, here is an extreme example.

Coal is a dying industry, no matter how hard people try to revive it. And has it dies people are losing jobs. And coal is dirty, not just in air pollution, but what it has done to the environment where it is mined.  And who has benefited the most from this, the corporations who ran the mines. And this is extreme and the coal industry won’t like it, but the government can exchange the cost of cleaning up the environment, retraining some of the workers to how it needs to be cleaned up and letting investors come in and create a company that not only cleans up the environment, but also restores either farmland or forests or brand new planned developments to invigorate the local economy and environment. The cost to the coal companies can be either they hand the land back to the government or they pay a direct fee. The government collects the fees and pays the new company or the government pays the new company through bonds and taxes then once the clean up is completed they sell the land to the newly created economy, ie forestry, farms, or new development.

And here is the kicker, the company that does this has planned end. Once the project is completed the company can be broken up or shut down and all the assets sold to finalize the payoff to the investors so they can go invest elsewhere.

The government isn’t in the business of cleaning up and finds the resources outside of raising taxes or it invests in the land and recoups their investment to offset future taxes. Once the environment is cleaned up then there is less taxes needed going forward.

And there are other companies along the same lines. And these are supply chain companies, manufacturing companies, and others. We need to go back to the business of products that can be recycled, like glass bottles, we have aluminum cans, but they are forced to perform under Wall Street pressure, and other items like real cloth instead of “synthetic” fabrics which are really plastic. The exact same companies that make plastic can switch gears and go back to products that either decompose like paper or can be recycled. THe difference is the producers are also the recyclers and this part of the business helps to offset costs, but they are not bound by Wall Street growth factors. Some may and some probably could, but overall a secondary industry that maintains a status quo of that gives you a predictable business model.

Recessions might have some effect on income, but recessions would only have muted effect. Jobs would not be as drastically affected if you knew you could adjust the dividend temporarily, or always have the dividend underpaid a small amount and the company actually has a savings account to adjust for moderate fluctuations in income so investors can rely on their plans.

We receive a secondary gain because the same jobs that rely on plastic production get switched over to the recycle industry and we have less reliance on oil. Will the oil industries be upset, yeah but who cares. They can invest in the new production just as much as the rest of us. People are always pro free market when it benefits them, take away something and they whine just like everyone else.

The trend will eventually be away from oil as it was with coal over time. They can stay relevant by investing their current profits into new ventures. Don’t believe me, research what T. Boone Pickens is doing.

And we can use the same principle to clean the ocean or wherever. Industries that benefit from the use of the ocean pay a fee to the companies responsible for cleaning and recycling what they collect. Governments can create treaties to facilitate their fee schedule.

Basically it is a temporary tax to do business that has a built in reduction as time goes on. The more the clean up is successful the less there will be in the future. There may be a smaller version of the company as time goes on, but that is good. The fees become smaller for the companies etc...and jobs can transfer to the very industries that paid the fees as they now have more potential growth as habitats and environments come back. And this “tax” or fee is applied to the companies that receive the most benefit instead of being part of larger taxes whole citizenry face that if run by governments never goes away.

Businesses can be structured where success in completing the project is where managers and employees receive bonuses, not stock price. Many of these projects will go on for decades and some of the businesses will become part of our lives. The investments won’t pay the like the growth in Apple or Amazon stock, but the investors will know that. And these will be great investments for pension plans, trusts, retirees, as similar to bonds they generate income.

So how are the original issues resolved, plus some other benefits.

Wall Street’s influenced is reduced so the certain businesses can operate solely on their core plan.

Clean up helps the environment, and as people look for new ways to address different scenarios new technology develops so businesses develop to fill this need.

Taxes can be reduced as we can switch the responsibility of EPA super clean ups to these companies. The fees are paid by the corporations who created the problem, hence some government interaction will be needed to enforce, but the overall burden doesn’t fall on the general populace.

Stable industries help communities develop so local tax bases can spend money on what is important to the community such as better schools. Retraining to help people in dying industries make the switch can encompass  more than just job specific training. The need for new technologies offer new opportunities for research and development which requires more people attending higher education.

Consumers are not affected over the long term as the switch from plastics to products that either decompose on their own or more recyclable products come back into everyday use.

So you go back to paper, glass, continue use of aluminum, cotton and wool clothing, (agriculture) etc.. these businesses still exist today, you just expand them to replace all the plastic currently being used. It may not bring a net job gain, but you should not lose jobs either. Over time you might get the gain as some of these industries will become more localized by their nature, especially the clothing changes. And since these products will either be used for other products or products direct to the consumer they have the opportunity to be more traditional corporations closer to what we had in the 50’s and 60’s with just more automation and technology.

To some people this is pie in the sky thinking, when actually it is basic common sense. This won’t happen overnight, but we could begin right away. The big key is changing the mindset and millennials today already have some of this mindset.

And this has looped through my brain in many shapes forms and fashions today, so it is hard to come back and write it down. I hope you get the jist of it and gives you some food for thought. The examples aren’t as succinct as I would like, but if I try to rehash it all, it becomes even more jumbled.  

Cheers

This idea has bounced around in my head all day like a hot pinball machine, racking up points the ball going everywhere, yet at the end of the day I am back where I started. I think?

Seriously though, something caused my brain to run around in hundreds of tangents and I cannot remember where I started, yet at the time it was important.

I hope to narrow it down for you.

Here are the problems: Wall Street, trash and pollution, jobs, education, and so how does all this tie together?

I vaguely remember thinking earlier it would be like taking all the trash out of the ocean. Which to me is a goal we should reach. I do not remember what made me think about the trash in the ocean, but I got started thinking about why is it so hard to get people to make cleaning up our environment a priority, then the obvious hit me. There is no money in it. Duh

People talk about recycling, yet even that never gets real traction. And the recycling companies struggle to make money. I do not know the logistics of it, but let’s work on that.

Or do we need to make money from it? And this is where the Wall Street problem comes in. Instead of trying to have a for-profit company that has to answer to stockholders that expect ever increasing sales, why not accept that not all companies are growth companies, some can survive without constantly trying to please Wall Street’s insatiable greed.

The key is structuring the expectations carefully and structuring what the goal of the company can be.

So instead of always trying to “grow”, instead create a dividend-generating company so it has public investment and allows for income only. If you know securities you have probably have heard of preferred stock. Imagine a company with something similar, no common stock. There are no earnings structured by the stock price. Everything is based on annual earnings.

Now, this would not work for most corporations especially those that sell products. The difference is you aren’t selling a product and you are doing the public a favor. And this is not specifically for recycling companies, that is just one example.

Sticking to that example though, recycling companies receive contracts from both companies and governments to clean areas or a combination of general recycling and cleanups.  The company earns x amount of dollars and the profit is sent to the investors in dividend income. Outside of capital expenditures to meet new demands or invest in better technology, the majority of the net profit is paid out.

You do have the problem of possible fluctuating income based on the contracts, yet this is a bit of a public private partnership. And to carry this further, here is an extreme example.

Coal is a dying industry, no matter how hard people try to revive it. And has it dies people are losing jobs. And coal is dirty, not just in air pollution, but what it has done to the environment where it is mined.  And who has benefited the most from this, the corporations who ran the mines. And this is extreme and the coal industry won’t like it, but the government can exchange the cost of cleaning up the environment, retraining some of the workers to how it needs to be cleaned up and letting investors come in and create a company that not only cleans up the environment, but also restores either farmland or forests or brand new planned developments to invigorate the local economy and environment. The cost to the coal companies can be either they hand the land back to the government or they pay a direct fee. The government collects the fees and pays the new company or the government pays the new company through bonds and taxes then once the clean up is completed they sell the land to the newly created economy, ie forestry, farms, or new development.

And here is the kicker, the company that does this has planned end. Once the project is completed the company can be broken up or shut down and all the assets sold to finalize the payoff to the investors so they can go invest elsewhere.

The government isn’t in the business of cleaning up and finds the resources outside of raising taxes or it invests in the land and recoups their investment to offset future taxes. Once the environment is cleaned up then there is less taxes needed going forward.

And there are other companies along the same lines. And these are supply chain companies, manufacturing companies, and others. We need to go back to the business of products that can be recycled, like glass bottles, we have aluminum cans, but they are forced to perform under Wall Street pressure, and other items like real cloth instead of “synthetic” fabrics which are really plastic. The exact same companies that make plastic can switch gears and go back to products that either decompose like paper or can be recycled. THe difference is the producers are also the recyclers and this part of the business helps to offset costs, but they are not bound by Wall Street growth factors. Some may and some probably could, but overall a secondary industry that maintains a status quo of that gives you a predictable business model.

Recessions might have some effect on income, but recessions would only have muted effect. Jobs would not be as drastically affected if you knew you could adjust the dividend temporarily, or always have the dividend underpaid a small amount and the company actually has a savings account to adjust for moderate fluctuations in income so investors can rely on their plans.

We receive a secondary gain because the same jobs that rely on plastic production get switched over to the recycle industry and we have less reliance on oil. Will the oil industries be upset, yeah but who cares. They can invest in the new production just as much as the rest of us. People are always pro free market when it benefits them, take away something and they whine just like everyone else.

The trend will eventually be away from oil as it was with coal over time. They can stay relevant by investing their current profits into new ventures. Don’t believe me, research what T. Boone Pickens is doing.

And we can use the same principle to clean the ocean or wherever. Industries that benefit from the use of the ocean pay a fee to the companies responsible for cleaning and recycling what they collect. Governments can create treaties to facilitate their fee schedule.

Basically it is a temporary tax to do business that has a built in reduction as time goes on. The more the clean up is successful the less there will be in the future. There may be a smaller version of the company as time goes on, but that is good. The fees become smaller for the companies etc...and jobs can transfer to the very industries that paid the fees as they now have more potential growth as habitats and environments come back. And this “tax” or fee is applied to the companies that receive the most benefit instead of being part of larger taxes whole citizenry face that if run by governments never goes away.

Businesses can be structured where success in completing the project is where managers and employees receive bonuses, not stock price. Many of these projects will go on for decades and some of the businesses will become part of our lives. The investments won’t pay the like the growth in Apple or Amazon stock, but the investors will know that. And these will be great investments for pension plans, trusts, retirees, as similar to bonds they generate income.

So how are the original issues resolved, plus some other benefits.

Wall Street’s influenced is reduced so the certain businesses can operate solely on their core plan.

Clean up helps the environment, and as people look for new ways to address different scenarios new technology develops so businesses develop to fill this need.

Taxes can be reduced as we can switch the responsibility of EPA super clean ups to these companies. The fees are paid by the corporations who created the problem, hence some government interaction will be needed to enforce, but the overall burden doesn’t fall on the general populace.

Stable industries help communities develop so local tax bases can spend money on what is important to the community such as better schools. Retraining to help people in dying industries make the switch can encompass  more than just job specific training. The need for new technologies offer new opportunities for research and development which requires more people attending higher education.

Consumers are not affected over the long term as the switch from plastics to products that either decompose on their own or more recyclable products come back into everyday use.

So you go back to paper, glass, continue use of aluminum, cotton and wool clothing, (agriculture) etc.. these businesses still exist today, you just expand them to replace all the plastic currently being used. It may not bring a net job gain, but you should not lose jobs either. Over time you might get the gain as some of these industries will become more localized by their nature, especially the clothing changes. And since these products will either be used for other products or products direct to the consumer they have the opportunity to be more traditional corporations closer to what we had in the 50’s and 60’s with just more automation and technology.

To some people this is pie in the sky thinking, when actually it is basic common sense. This won’t happen overnight, but we could begin right away. The big key is changing the mindset and millennials today already have some of this mindset.

And this has looped through my brain in many shapes forms and fashions today, so it is hard to come back and write it down. I hope you get the jist of it and gives you some food for thought. The examples aren’t as succinct as I would like, but if I try to rehash it all, it becomes even more jumbled.  

Cheers

[tyrantisterror]

REVENGE OF THE A.T.O.M. CREATE A KAIJU CONTEST!

Eons ago, when the earth was young, I held the first A.T.O.M. Create a Kaiju Contest, and creators like YOU populated my activity page with a legion of giant monsters!  Now, years later, in celebration of publishing the first volume of The Atomic Time of Monsters, the contest calls to us once again, and it’s only grown bigger and spikier with age.  If you wish to once more ravage the world with atomic titans of your own design, then please, read on after the cut to discover the rules of this thrilling kaiju role call!

Ok, for clarity’s sake I’ll drop the goofy melodramatic tone.

Like the first A.T.O.M. Create a Kaiju Contest, the aim of this contest is to create kaiju that would fit within the setting of my big kaiju story series, The Atomic Time of Monsters.  Think of it as me letting you into my sandbox to play with my toys for a bit, or like you’re being put in the director’s chair of a new ATOM-verse kaiju movie.  That means your entry does have to fit into ATOM’s world, which in turn means that yes, there are limitations to your creativity here.  But limitations can be good sometimes - they can make us explore options we wouldn’t consider when given completely free rein to do what we want!

THE RULES:

1.  This time around, you are limited to one entry per person.  Last time we produced 60+ kaiju, which was awesome, but this time around I want to narrow the scope a little bit - especially if I end up doing something crazy and end up drawing them all like last time, since my carpal tunnel syndrome afflicted hand just can’t do what it did those years ago.  Work hard and make your entry count!

2.  Your kaiju must have some sort of description of its physical appearance and its personality - you can submit a drawing or a written description (or both!) for the physical appearance depending on what you’re most comfortable with.  Using the ATOM kaiju file template isn’t required, but it was cool when people did it in the last contest, so feel free to do so this time too!

3. The kaiju you create must specifically be created for this contest  - no repurposing characters you made for other, wildly different stories.

4. The kaiju must fit the setting and aesthetics of ATOM.  I’ll explain this in more detail down below.

5. The kaiju should add something meaningful to the world of ATOM. What would be the point of having another fire-breathing t.rex monster?  The more unique and interesting your kaiju is, the more likely you will win the contest.

6. The kaiju must be independent of the main plot of ATOM - not “Tyrantis’s long lost evil brother who’s the strongest kaiju in the world.” These should be to Tyrantis’s story what War of the Gargantuas is to Godzilla’s movies – heroes (well, monsters) of another story in the same world.

THE REWARDS:

I will make pencil sketches of the top 5 entries in the contest.

I will then make fully rendered illustrations (lineart, colors, & shading) of the top three entries.

The winning entry will be made into a model ala the ones I’ve been making for ATOM’s core 50 monsters, which can then be shipped to the person who created it (should they be able to cover the shipping costs).  That’s right, your kaiju could be brought to life in THREE GLORIOUS TECHNICOLOR DIMENSIONS!

THE DEADLINE: All entries must be submitted by August 9th, 2019.  You can submit it here on tumblr, via the horror flora e-mail, or any other channel you know how to reach me through.  I’m in a lot of places.

THE GUIDELINES (TO HELP YOUR ENTRY FIT THE RULES AND WIN)

The smartest thing you could do if you want to win this contest is familiarize yourself with the world of ATOM by, y’know, reading all the material I’ve published on the subject.  In addition to the many kaiju files that are free to read on horrorflora.com, the first actual, factual novel in the series was published very recently (and, y’know, is the reason I’m holding this contest), which you can get from amazon in both paperback and/or kindle editions (I’d recommend the former over the latter since I lack the technology to make a really nice ebook, but if money is an object, the kindle version is only $1).

However, since I know reading a bunch of stuff is, y’know, not something everyone is inclined to do, I’ll jot some good bullet points for you in an attempt to outline how ATOM works in a brief, easily digested way:

ATOM is an homage to the monster fiction of the 1950’s and 60’s (i.e. the Atomic Age), and is set in those two decades, albeit an alternate universe version of them where, y’know, monsters and space aliens exist.  If you aren’t familiar with the monster fiction I’m referring to, there will be some reference material provided at the end of this post along with some recommendations for further research.

Kaiju/giant monsters in ATOM work under very specific rules.  There’s a full description of those rules at this link, but here’s the jist:

ATOM Kaiju are created created by the radiation of a mineral called Yamaneon, which naturally converts harmful radiation into its own unique energy.  In natural circumstances, it takes hundreds of years of exposure to Yamaneon radiation for a creature to become fully transform into a kaiju (luckily, Yamaneon radiation slows the aging process while speeding up the healing process).  However, an explosive burst of energy - such as the geothermal and kinetic energy released by an earthquake, or the blast of a nuclear weapon - can speed up the process, turning a normal animal into a kaiju within a matter of seconds.  

All ATOM kaiju can heal grievous wounds within minutes or even seconds, are supernaturally strong and durable, and can convert harmful radiation to harmless energy that they then feed off of.  Kaiju do not have an equivalent of old age, and can theoretically live forever (though their violent lifestyle means that few do).

ATOM Kaiju generally don’t need to eat unless they are severely injured, getting most of the energy they need from solar or geothermal radiation - but many still have instincts that drive them to seek out food from time to time.

Most ATOM kaiju stand roughly 100 feet tall (depending on their body shape), i.e. smaller than the original 1954 Godzilla.  There are exceptions to this rule - younger kaiju can be smaller, while exceedingly old kaiju can be significantly larger, but these are rare.

In general, ATOM kaiju are significantly more intelligent and emotionally complex than people expect animals to be, though most are incapable of speech or complex tool use.  There’s a reason ATOM Kaiju Files have a “personality” section.

Most ATOM Kaiju are tooth and claw fighters - ranged weapons are a rarity in this setting.

While the terrestrial monsters in ATOM look strange, they are intended to fit within the taxonomy of animals in reality - reptiles, mammals, fish, arthropods, molluscs, etc.

ATOM’s mesozoic era was dominated by a fictional clade of crocodile-relatives called retrosaurs, which are based on the outdated paleoart that one would find in the 1950’s/60’s fiction - i.e. when dinosaurs were viewed as trail dragging lizards instead of strange birds.  You can learn more about retrosaurs here.

Kaiju appear on every continent in ATOM, but certain areas tend to be dominated by different types.

North America is mainly besieged by retrosaur kaiju and giant arthropods.

East Asia is technically also mainly plagued by retrosaurs and big arthropods, though they tend to look more fantastical and mythic - and, often, oddly well suited to being portrayed by a person wearing a monster suit.

Russia is beset by prehistoric monsters that seem to come from the Cenozoic, particularly the Ice Age.

Western Europe is plagued by creatures that vaguely resemble creatures from myth, if they were also prehistoric.  Dragon-y lizards, fiery birds, etc.

Towards the mid-way point of ATOM’s timeline, earth is invaded by a coalition of aliens from different solar systems called the Beyonder Alliance, and as a result a bunch of alien monsters can be found on earth.

Mars and Venus both host (or hosted in Mars’s case) animal life.  The surviving Martians colonized Venus, and sent some of their kaiju guardians to earth to help us fend off the Beyonders (who are responsible for the destruction of Mars’s ecosystem).  Martian and Venusian kaiju have specific anatomical quirks, which you can see by looking at these kaiju files:

Venusians:

https://horrorflora.com/2017/01/03/atom-kaiju-file-29-karamtor/

Martians:

https://horrorflora.com/2017/01/17/atom-kaiju-file-39-kemlasulla/

https://horrorflora.com/2017/01/17/atom-kaiju-file-40-podritak/

https://horrorflora.com/2017/01/17/atom-kaiju-file-41-sombarvot/

https://horrorflora.com/2017/01/17/atom-kaiju-file-38-ullawdra/

Giant robots exist in ATOM, but are big, bulky, and incredibly expensive.  Fancy beam weapons also exist, but are similarly clunky - there are no sleek, elegant machines in ATOM.

Since the fiction ATOM takes inspiration from was made at a time when interplanetary travel was only just beginning to be possible, its scope is significantly smaller than modern sci-fi.  Alternate universes/dimensions were pretty uncommon because the idea of alien planets still held a lot of wonder to it.  So, as a general rule, don’t try to go farther than the one galaxy.

ATOM is a setting for stories that are focused on humanity learning to co-exist with monsters, rather than humanity destroying them.  A certain level of sympathy is put into almost every creature of its canon, even the ones that are meant to be villains.

REFERENCE MATERIAL

Here is a playlist of 1950′s monster movie trailers.

Here is some reference material from various monster comics of the 50′s and 60′s.

Video of retrosaurs in action.

Good movies to track down to understand ATOM’s inspiration and tone include Ghidorah the 3 Headed Monster, Son of Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters, Them!, The Black Scorpion, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Gamera, The Giant Claw, and The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra.

Finally, here’s the page for the original ATOM Create a Kaiju Contest, which has even more reference material for you to peruse.

#Revenge of the ATOM Kaiju Contest #The Atomic Time of Monsters #kaiju