#they're only ranked by category. not ranked within the categories

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

Who do you think are the most OP members of the FlashFam? I think it's difficult, the majority of them has almost the same powers.

Oh easy.

Wally, Bart and Barry.

I think we forget sometimes that the vast majority of the crazy feats of godlike powers we see from speedsters are coming from these three. Wally, Bart and Barry have insane connections to the speedforce and their skill level is unmatched. What these three can do is by no means normal or average. They are op as fuck.

You have to remember that even... let's say Max Mercury is nowhere even remotely near their skill level. And we're talking about Max Mercury. The guy who knows more about the speedforce than anyone else and trained for years to master it. But Max (although he was faster than Bart when Bart was a child) isn't on the same playing field as Wally, Bart and Barry. Max couldn't enter the speedforce without Bart's assistance, Max couldn't leave the speedforce without Barry and Wally's assistance, Max can't time travel to a destination of his own choice, Max can't speed steal or fully pause time, ect ect. Max is one of the most skilled, most knowledgeable, most trained and most respected speedsters of all time. Max is the cream of the crop. You won't find another speedster better than Max. He's a shining example of what's humanely possible for speedsters to achieve.

But Wally, Bart and Barry aren't humanely possible. Those three are insane.

I'm actually going to make a tier list to explain this

ABSOLUTELY FUCKING INSANE:

(AKA actually gods. Can do literally every speedster ability. Faster than literally everything. Beyond op.)

Wally West (now), Bart Allen, Barry Allen

TOP LEVEL OF SPEEDSTER ABILITY:

(AKA the top of the top. Insane skills. Insane knowledge. Insane speed. Likely has a vast amount of speedster abilities other than running. Likely faster than most other speedsters. Op af)

Max Mercury, Jay Garrick, Savitar, Eobard Thawne, Thad Thawne, Irey West (future)

ABOVE AVERAGE:

(AKA one of the following: above average speed, above average connection or above average abilities. Likely has one or two speedster abilities other than running. Slightly op but still beatable)

Irey West (now), August Heart, Edward Clariss, Jess Quick, Alinta (future), Hunter Zoloman (when connected), Lia Nelson, Jai West (future)

AVERAGE:

(AKA average connection, average speed, average abilities. Potentially an additional speedforce ability but no crazy speedforce abilities. Not op.)

Wally West (past), Ace West, Avery Ho, Jesse Chambers, Daniel West, Christina Alexandrova, Jenni Ognats, Jai West (now), John Fox, Red Death, Don Allen, Dawn Allen, Meena Dhawan, Anatole, David Edwards (after), Judy Garrick, Bar Torr, Fastbak, Swoosh, Terri Magnus, Sela Allen, Jonathan Allen, Carrie Allen, Barry West, S'Kidd Flash, Thondor Allen, Jace Allen, Blaire Allen, Nora Allen, Agent Flashling, Danica Williams, Cherub

TRIES REALLY HARD:

(AKA normal connection but below average speed and abilities. Extremely beatable.)

Baroness Blitzkrieg, Johnny Chambers, Bebeck, Cassiopeia, Harold Christos, Inertia 2, Killspeed, Mayfly, Millie Heyday, Runaround Sue, Wind, Pellmell, Poprocket, Velocity, Gabriella Rossetti

OH NO:

(AKA needs outside assistance to access speedforce (suit, drugs, formula), faulty connection, connection is killing them, can only access powers for short periods of time, ect)

Jai West (past), Alinta (now), Owen Mercer, Eliza Harmon, Jerry McGee, Meloni Thawne (*see notes), Gregor Gregorovich, Boleslaw Uminski, Joanie Swift, Mas, Menos, David Edwards (previously), Keigo, Ezra Gill, Henry Cosgei, Jaculi, Jaculi 2, Jimmy Olsen, Xane Swift

So yeah, as you can see by this, although all speedsters with a functioning speedforce connection are technically capable of being op, speedsters rarely actually are op.

We're just really used to op speedsters because we're used to whatever the fuck Wally, Bart and Barry have going on. But they are very much not representative of speedsters as a whole.

Do you guys remember how fast Wally used to be? When he was younger and struggling with his speed and stuff? THAT'S THE GODDAMN AVERAGE. Wally AT HIS SLOWEST was still faster than every single goddamn speedster he came across, including Jay, Johnny, Jesse, the Blue Trinity, the Red Trinity, ect. HE JUST WASN'T FASTER THAN BARRY OR EOBARD SO HE THOUGHT HE WAS THE WORST. Because Wally is fucking insane. He's an insane human being. Anyway, Wally at his slowest is the typical representation of an average speedster. That's how they typically are.

#dc #dc comics #speedsters #speedforce #flash fam #ranking #k to explain some things. first none of the names are ranked by order. so I'm not ranking them 1 Wally 2 Bart ect #they're only ranked by category. not ranked within the categories #Irey isn't in the insane category because she's actually not supposed to be faster than Wally. she's just more skilled than him #so shes good (like really good) but she doesn't surpass her fathers speed. so im putting her in top until proven otherwise #lia is in above average despite not having super speed because the stuff she has going on is INSANE #the same thing applies to Jai #Meloni is in oh no because she is technically a speedster?? she's just never used her powers in a comic? but she's listed in universe as #being a speedster and Owen inherited his speed from her. so. idk. my only conclusion is that she doesn't know how to use her speed #or she doesn't use it to spite her father. #mas y menos are in oh no because they need to hold hands to access their powers #oh and Hunter's ranking is soley off of his speedforce connection. not his time powers. Hunter's time powers are insane #i tried to stay main universe but i couldn't resist putting in some alt universe speedsters #oh and Eobard and Thad aren't in the god level because Eobard has been reset meaning that he isn't really timeless like Wally and Bart are #and hes not literally the speedforce like Barry is (no matter how hard he tries) #and Thad isn't there because... well he was a good match for Bart when Bart was really little. but i don't really think Thad is any more #like... even remotely. Bart has surpassed Thad by a lot. #Bart was literally the speedforce at one point. hes insane #also Hunter WAS a god? but for unrelated reasons (his time powers) but getting connected to the speedforce nerfed him

[halemerry]

Alright, I've had a few people ask for this now so time to take a break from the big draft I’m writing to dig a little deeper on angel rankings in relation to Crowley.

Before we get into it I want to preface this by saying I am not a religious scholar. Like many of us I have a complicated relationship with religion and as a result this stuff was a long time special interest of mine but, as always, take it with a grain of salt.

To be frank, even if I was an expert, I think it’s also important to keep in mind that the Good Omens angel hierarchy has already taken some liberties on its own. It hasn’t been shy about reinterpreting things to suit its needs or about pulling from various sources to establish its own lore. It's definitely its own beast and there's no guarantee the universe operates the same rules that have become the most popular ones.

That all being said, let's get cracking.

So in canon we actually don't know that much about angelic rank. Before season two we knew there were Principalities and Archangels and that's about it. This season decides to give us a little more information. Muriel is a Scrivener (likely they'd fall under the general Angel category) and then we get a nod to Thrones and Dominions being a thing. We also learn there are orders/classes of various ranks.

With the exception of Scrivener which isn't a traditional rank at all as far as I can tell, these ideas all fit under the traditional Christian angel hierarchy.

The most influential version of this hierarchy comes mostly from Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite's De Coelesti Hierarchia (On Celestial Hierarchy). He divides angels into three Spheres, with three Orders within each Sphere. The Lowest Sphere contains the orders Angels, archangels (different from Good Omen's Archangels who are at the top of the food chain so to speak), and Principalities. The Middle Sphere contains the orders Powers, Virtues, and Dominions. And then the Highest Sphere contains Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim.

Now onto the angel that would become Crowley.

Thanks to us witnessing Crowley opening a document only accessible to Dominions and above, we can eliminate the lower half of these rankings.

This leaves us with Dominions, Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim and the Good Omen’s version of Archangel.

Dominions are tied to things like regulation. Their job is to keep passions in check and deliver justice and judgment (to be frank these last two are in some capacity apply to most rankings of angel), They’re built to keep ranks beneath them organized and optimize their performances. They’re organizers. They’re functionally middle management and are sometimes known as Lordships. They’re also occasionally tied to the set of angels that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. 

The really only thing that even kind of suits him here in my opinion is the interacting with lower ranks bit but the vibe doesn't seem quite right with that. Crowley as we know him is not even really a leader even in his own schemes and has a tendency to rely on his considerable talent at improvisation and quite frequently on the cues Aziraphale tends to send him. (We get a stellar example of this dynamic actively in play in Episode 2 this Season). We also know now that the angel in question tended to work alone. He seemed baffled by the concept of Earth, as if it had been a long time since he’d had a check in with Head Office. 

So Thrones are what people tend to think of when you say the phrase Biblically Accurate Angel. They're the wheels with a bunch of eyeballs. They contemplate the power of God and have, you guessed it, ties to justice and judgment but in a more contemplative sort of way. They are associated with peace and submission, except for when they are sometimes also associated with the erelim - a ranking in the Jewish Hierarchy that tends to be more of a warrior class. They're maybe most famously associated with being a part of the chariot that moves God's throne around. They live where material form begins to take shape and are tasked with maintaining cosmic harmony.

Honestly I don't mind this for Crowley. That last bit especially sounds close to what we see him doing. And there's something very fun to me about a former Throne going off and getting himself a big gaudy throne. I’ll admit I have a hard time associating him with something so passive and again I feel like it doesn't quite fit how out of the loop he was about Earth, but this is probably the second favorite option of mine here.

If Thrones are the wheels of God’s Throne then the Cherubim are the ones making those wheels turn. They’re often represented as pushing Thrones about and attending God directly. Their job is to magnify God’s glory and serve as representatives of God’s power. They also, notably, were thought to be the superhumanly strong guards tasked with the protection of Eden.

Because of this we get a very old piece of theory: that Aziraphale was a Cherub who had been demoted. I’ve gone through phases with this theory but I definitely think it’s at a minimum fun to consider. And though I'm hesitant to take any Amazon promotional materials too seriously during the strike, there's a post here they've made recently that refers to Aziraphale as such.

Partially because this theory is so old and so rooted in the lexicon of my headspace for this media, I don't like this for the angel who would become Crowley particularly well. Superhuman strength feels weird in regards to him, as does situating him as a guard of Eden. And even if that line from season 2 where Crowley talks to Beelzebub about scaring that cherubs was talking about young angels and not literal cherubs, it seems like a weird phrasing for someone who was once the other kind of cherub to use. I like this better than Dominions but not nearly as much as Thrones.

Now Seraphim are a little unique. Their primary job tends to get framed as singing praise to God. They seat themselves around God's throne and sing holy, holy, holy at God. Several interpretations of them argue that they are different from angels entirely and only got grouped in with them in later texts like De Coelesti Hierarchia. They purify Isaiah in a vision he has and have strong associations with smoke and heat. They're tied to clarity and purifying via fire and occasionally are thought to help keep the world in order. Interestingly enough the word Seraph comes from saraph which means to burn and Seraphim can be translated as the fiery ones or those who kindle. Saraph is also used in certain contexts to describe a fiery flying serpent.

Now I’ll admit the Seraphim theory was always one of my favorites. If the show hadn’t recently been adding more ticks to the Archangel column I think I’d still probably be in this camp. There's the obvious bits that tie in here like the fire and snake imagery associated with both. But I can't help but to think of how often we get Crowley implying that just maybe God intended what they'd done to be the right thing. Or that scene where Crowley prays on the throne in season 1. He hangs off of it instead of sitting and begs God to not destroy them. It's an echo of a twist on what a Seraph would do in Heaven.

Now that just leaves us the Archangels. I won’t reiterate my other meta other than to link it here, but I do think the show at the very least wants us to consider this as a possibility.

In my opinion? Seraph and Archangel sit near the top of the metaphorical likelihood scale. I'd then follow this up with the Throne, then the Cherub, then the Dominion in order. But who knows! Half the fun of Good Omens is it doesn't always play by the traditional rules. And honestly there's something fun in never having an answer here. After all, no matter where he started, Crowley is Crowley now and that's the way it should be.

#good omens #good omens spoilers #gos2 spoilers #good omens season 2 #good omens meta #Crowley #angel hierarchy

[mecachrome]

Hi k! I love reading your ojp scholarship, as he has crept up on me and taken over my brain. Weird question but why do you think he picked Lando as his guy to be a bit weird about?

hi anon 🥺 first off thank u for indulging me & also that is not a weird question at all!!!

ok obviously this is just me saying Anything so i apologize in advance T__T but tbh i think a lot of it ultimately goes back to the idea of lando's ~Proximity~ and how a very specific mélange of career circumstance laid out a foundation for oscar's interest extremely early on... which. let me explain!!! more behind the cut:

not to go on too much of a tangent but if you look at the current drivers in f1 who are roughly within a few years of oscar's age and could have feasibly been someone he'd looked up to coming up the ranks, i'd say the cutoff is like, 2018? so the group is basically charles/george/alex/lando, of whom the first 3 were alr in intrepid together (albeit in diff categories) when oscar had barely started karting at all. also alex moved up to single-seaters very early and his career/road to f1 is obviously a lot more complex than the others, so in reality the only ones oscar would have properly "followed" are lando and george, and then having gone through rfm & british f4 himself it makes sense that he'd lean more toward lando.

...idk how to put this succinctly but basically it's Like: so you're a kid in australia who believes in yourself so much you're willing to move halfway across the globe and attend boarding school by yourself while all your friends and family and the World As You've Always Known It grows and changes without you, and the team you're determined to prove yourself at has semi-recently achieved victory with a guy named lando norris, who is now british f4 champion and runs three separate series the same year you move to europe and goes on to win them all, who is extremely accessible on social media and is kind of awkward but charming and uses dumb unfunny gifs that match your level of online humor exactly, and all the while you're learning to navigate a new country, learning what it really means to prioritize the endless grind of motorsport, and you wouldn't dare look too far ahead into the future but sometimes you see him and think if he can keep winning everything then why not you?

So. also i think what always krills meeee about young_814 lore is that you have to really envision what they looked like circa 2016 like they were undersized dweebs for a majority of their lives!!! anyway. but also nasdlfnagk every time oscar is like i thought you were 30 with your goatee going on haha xD it's like U knowww he's flashing back to that image of little baby lando in his mind..... ok i need to relax.

there are of course other people oscar could have been weird about but in the end it's kind of just a Skill Issue thing / matter of attrition. like from the rfm pack max and logan and guanyu never progressed the same way lando did, and you also have to remember that by the time lando was a mclaren junior he was genuinely their Golden BoyTM, and i know we often talk about lando's competency kink but oscar is also similar to that but in like a ........ he needs to respect you on some fundamental level to be obsessed with you. so the fact that he genuinely rates lando contributes (imo) massively to the fundamentals of their dynamic!!!

also tbh to me one of oscar's biggest mental strengths is specifically that he isn't a very sentimental person, as in if he left to another team i don't think he'd be torn up or anything about not having lando as a teammate lol. but i DO believe he's someone who adapts very well to unfamiliar environments and is always willing to match someone's energy/meet them where they're at (again - especially when he respects them), so he's basically the perfect person to vibe with lando's idiosyncrasies and engage in all the lighthearted push/pulling they have going on. because like he genuinely thinks lando is funny and is more than happy to follow along his meandering bantz and the weirder lando is the weirder oscar is in response and that's just how they Work ?__? so At the end of the day it's: oscar was once a teenage boy who followed (still does) at ladbible instagram and watched the same gaming streamers lando likes or whatever and has seen lando grow into the man he is today (way more confident and "visible" and successful, very much a menace, brutally honest as ever) from this Very Specific vantage point of basically the only other junior after lando to have followed the same path to f1 and been Equally as good / achieved the same stock.

*__* does any of that make sense. 

do u ever think about how lando (extensively nurtured by the team as their only junior) and oscar (basically crashlanded belatedly into his seat) are the only driver pairing in team history to have both debuted with mclaren........ do you ever think about how in a way lando's karting success indirectly influenced oscar's move to europe. do you ever think about how if alpine weren't an abject mess we would have never gotten 814 as teammates and lando would have just been Another Guy On The Grid to him........ 😮‍💨

#ask #me: i'll be brief. also me: (writes 20 paragraphs)

[little-sw33tie]

Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

I'm unsure whether the living conditions of the Toons would fall into race stratification, as they're less their own race than their own species? In any event, there's plenty to cover.

Most if not all Toons have jobs in the entertainment industry, not only because it comes naturally to them but also because it's essentially the only jobs they can get outside of Toontown. "Gender" plays a role too. Characters like Jessica Rabbit work in what are essentially Gentleman's Clubs as it's all they can get as a job due to the way they're drawn, which is viewed as oversexualized by the humans in the world (and the viewer). They cannot control how they are drawn, nor perceived, but it determines their status and role within the world. I put gender in quotation marks as the Toon characters do not seem to value gender or sexuality as appealing/attractive/of note, so much as the ability to make someone laugh.

Toontown in its entirety, the place where all Toons live, is owned by Marvin Acme. The plot of the movie follows attempts to secure Toontown so it does not get turned into a highway. This makes the Toons a vulnerable and marginalized group. Their society, from the small amount covering the topic, seems to fall the most into the Elite-Mass Hierarchy System, though not quite perfectly. The land they live on is less governed by one person than owned, but while Acme owned it they did have equality of opportunity.

What is certain is that the Davis-Moore thesis would not be "correct" in this context. There are higher paid Toons, even though they're nearly all in the entertainment industry. Work isn't entirely skill based, but also has to do with a Toon's very makeup- they have certain abilities from birth. One of the characters is a huge movie star because he remains a baby, even though he is a full grown man. This is not really a skill or talent so much as just profiting off of his appearances, and yet he is rewarded highly for it. This aligns with opposition to the theory centering around "hey, this doesn't really take race, class by birth, gender, etc. into account" (to put it simply).

I'm not sure what the filmmakers are trying to convey about social stratification. It almost falls more under Hegel's views about interdependence and a slave-master relationship. There's a blatant power imbalance, but also a lot of interdependence. The Humans provide the jobs, and control Toontown, but the Toons desire the amusement of the Humans. The Humans give them jobs. The movie is hard to fit into a certain lens because Toons are treated as a strange mix between people, property, and characters. The rules of their very living and dying is different- bludgeoning one wouldn't kill it but making it laugh to death works. How do you apply the gravity of starvation and poverty to a "hobo" cartoon caricature which is made to be poor? Is it even suffering? Are animal Toons to be considered less than Human if they look and act like animals.... but are sentient? Dumbo in the movie is paid in peanuts! Is that fair to him, when his costars are making real world money? What is of more value to an elephant? Is the whole issue of Betty Boop and Jessica Rabbit working in a Human Gentleman's Club to be ogled even though it's not applicable to Toon culture and values considered exploitation of "Women" (do they even count as women or are they just perceived as women by human society?)

There's more nuance to overthinking this movie than you'd imagine. There's certainly many angles you could view it from.

Anyhow, movie stars like Roger Rabbit are high up in the "layers of rock" so to speak. They have a lot of money, a lot of publicity, and rank even in Human society. He and his wife Jessica are celebrities, after all! Big name characters like Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse are also in this category. It's hard to judge standards of living amongst Toons. Eddie, the detective (Human) is shown to be on hard times. He experienced downward mobility after his brother died. This resulted in him becoming an alcoholic and he neglected his duties, stopping engagement in his detective work. So desperate for money (and presumably below the poverty line) he takes a job far below his skill level (a snoop job (taking photos of Jessica "cheating" (playing literal patty cake)), despite having been a well respected detective). He would, at this point in the movie, likely fall into relative poverty. He is still eating, still has the agency and as such a home, etc. but he's not living comfortably by any means. This is also probably an example of anomie affecting a person.

Whose theory is the most applicable in explaining social stratification in the movie? Probably neo-Marxist Erik Olin Wright. Because there's so much nuance in what's happening due to the complexities of Toons existing, a perspective that asks a lot of questions is important. You cannot be black and white when some of the "people" you're talking about are literally drawn in black and white. There's a lot of power dynamics to be discussed, and a lot of oppression that can be viewed in a semi-Marxist lens (particularly since the main plot of the movie sort of centers around the destruction of public transport in favour of highways and all that entails).

Might I have your hand in platonic marriage?

#Leon/Toni’s letters #🦈🌪️ #Roger rabbit #who framed roger rabbit

[a3outfitstournament]

A3 OUTFITS TOURNAMENT FINAL RESULTS!!

this has to be the most ridiculous podium ever but i did it I FIT EIGHT GUYS ON ONE STAND BC Y'ALL SAID POWER OF FRIENDSHIP RIGHTS

anyway our overall winning team consists of: azami (makeup candy) look, banri (guide your destiny), kazunari-sakuya-tsumugi (a3 x sanrio), and itaru-misumi-omi (mankai glitter bloomed). in 2nd place is sakuya's travel fit, and in 3rd is yuki's mankai starlit sky look! congrats to our top three,, or top 11 looks depending on how you look at it

friendship is great and all but i still wanted to determine the best outfit in all of a3 (well, of all the official categories that were done anyway) so under the cut you can find stuff like top 10 fits, all the characters ranked based on their average vote count, everyone's worst and best fits, and the troupes ranked based on their total average vote count

WORST TO BEST DRESSED CHARACTERS

this is based on their average vote count (each character's total number of votes across all official categories divided by the number of categories they were in). those with ugly ass decimals were rounded off to the 1st decimal place. read from left to right:

some thoughts:

THE ABSOLUTE GAP BETWEEN YUKI AND THE REST OF THEM HE REALLY ISN'T THEIR TAILOR FOR NOTHING

taichi being #2 was a bit of a dark horse to me ngl. i guess helping yuki sew costumes must've rubbed off on him,, maybe yuki gives him fashion advice while they're sewing late into the night,, ideas... TAIYUKI SHIPPERS GET ON THIS

i personally believe muku's average score would've been higher if he hadn't been pitted against yuki in round 1 in every category. i'm so sorry little prince 😔

tsumugi was really NOT doing hot in most of the categories, since he was up against azuma in round 1 in all the categories, until we got to the sanrio category where he absolutely solo'd and tied with sakuya-kazunari, as well as the fan submissions category where his sweet cosmetics charm look and stray devil blues costume were submitted, and both did pretty well in there

as a banri girlie i was a little worried in the first few categories, but he pulled through in the later categories so i guess there is some substance to him being canonically a fashionista 😌

teehee bansaku next to each other <3

TROUPES' RANKING

while everyone was pitted against each other, this is also a team effort to see which troupe has the best drip overall (<- makes up shit as she goes along). to do this, within each troupe i took their total number of votes and divided it by the total number of categories they were in to get their overall average score

as an example:

so these are the 4 troupes ranked from best to worst fashion sense (once more the ugly-ass decimals were rounded off to 1 decimal place bc i ain't typing all that):

some thoughts:

interestingly enough, despite yuki's individual score leaving the rest in the dust, the summer troupe is only 3rd place (tho that might have to do with half the troupe being in the bottom 8 💀)

i wasn't expecting spring to end up in 1st place, but then again i guess i should've expected that since half the troupe is in the top 8. congrats harufam <3

azami, taichi, and banri carried autumn let's be real /lh i was expecting azami and banri bc those boys really care about their appearance but once more taichi was a dark horse to me. guess that's a lesson to not question taichi's tboy skater boy swag congrats king <3

i'm sorry winter,, maybe yuki/banri/azuma/taichi needs to take tasuku and guy clothes shopping...

EACH CHARACTER'S WORST OUTFIT bc yall are haters /lh

some thoughts:

the fact that sanrio is azuma's so-called WORST look says a lot about his fashion sense, like i don't think that man has any BAD looks tbvh. sure some are a little simple (e.g. spring, rehearsal, autumn) but they're far from bad in any sense of the word

tsumugi's summer fit deserved a little better but it was up against azuma's which took 2nd place in the summer category so...

i actually like tenma's mankai glitter bloomed look (yes i voted against him for banri in round 1 but still) if anything it's his travel fit that deserves the 'worst' moniker imo 💀

sakuya's pure snow fairy outfit is actually really cute but it was brutally ratioed by kazu's 'in the loud cheering' fit :(

i think guy's mankai glitter bloomed fit would've been better if the shoes were more on-theme, like golden sandals or something, instead of those black office shoes

EACH CHARACTER'S BEST OUTFIT

some thoughts:

sakuya and tsuzuru's travel fits being their best is so cute imagine them going on big bro-little bro trips 🥹

ROOM 202 TRAJECTORY OF BLOOMING SUPREMACY 🫶🏻

kumon really wasn't doing well in this tournament so him getting over 100 votes in the mankai glitter bloomed category and placing 2nd (together with banri lmfao) is a big deal to me 🥺

tbh i wasn't expecting chikage to do this... not good in the tournament bc i think he's a good-looking guy and he doesn't really have any TERRIBLE outfits,, so it might be his position in the bracket, like if he didn't lose to omi in round 1 then he would've gotten thrashed by either itaru or misumi in round 2 💔

I DESPISE SAKYO'S SANRIO OUTFIT IT DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE HIS BEST GOODBYE.

sex appeal is very important in this tournament apparently. case in point: banri mankai encore (the tiddy and neck,,, 👀) and everything omi has got going on in his mankai encore look 😳 he went from ma to daddy real quick IM SORRY

azami makeup candy outsold it's this blog's icon for a reason 💕

tasuku's travel fit deserved better tbh but he was against azuma in round 2 and he was absolutely ratioed and then azuma went on to snag 2nd place in that category which IMO was deserved but still... 😔

TOP 10 OUTFITS

based on the number of votes (from the categories' polls themselves and the finals for those that made it to the finals), it looks like sakuya's travel fit is the best outfit in a3! special shoutout to yuki and taichi for being the only characters with two outfits in the top 10 <3

do keep in mind that the number of votes don't completely determine what is the best or worst look bc there were a lot of other factors that affected the votes too, like some polls had more total votes (bc of more reblogs and stuff) so naturally each option would probably have more votes than polls that had fewer total votes. so this isn't a scientific finding or anything it's just for fun <3

with that, i'm gonna take a little break from this tourney before doing a few silly little polls here and there. thank you all for participating in this and helping to determine the best and worst looks in a3 🫶🏻

#a3! act addict actors #a3! outfits tournament #a3!

[kimium]

Tell us about your favourite ship/ships for Leona Kingscholar👀

Hi friend! Thanks so much for asking me this! I'm always excited to write about my Twisted Wonderland ships. I'm ranking them based on my silly little categories, so don't take this too serious.

Let's get started!

My favourite ships with Leona Kingscholar (Twisted Wonderland)

I Really Like These Ships

Leona/Malleus

This was actually my first Twisted Wonderland ship. When you start the game you pick a dorm and a character within it. I went with Diasomnia and Malleus as Maleficent is my favourite Disney villain (mostly due to her role in Kingdom Hearts). Thus, Malleus's ceremonial robe vignette was the first one I saw. In it, Malleus's robes are accidentally swapped with Leona's when picked up from being cleaned. The second half of the vignette shows that they have a rather antagonistic relationship with one another. It's a dynamic I instantly liked and I immediately shipped them.

Later, when I played through Book Two I started to see how Leona and Malleus are foils to one another. Their contrast between Malleus crown prince and Leona the second prince with an inferiority complex compelled me. I want to see more of their interactions with one another and if those interactions end up with some unresolved sexual tension, so be it.

Leona/Ruggie

I'll admit, I didn't like this one for a while. Mostly because my favourite dynamic between prince and attendant (Ruggie is an attendant in many ways) is loyalty. Ruggie is loyal to Leona, but it's closer to an employee/employer loyalty. That being said, I understand that both have trouble being honest about their feelings (Leona with his inferiority complex and tsundere attitude. Ruggie who has to survive with his own wits and cunning.). I can see them growing closer, talking their feelings out privately, and getting together. Though, my favourite dynamic between them is Leona "Actually Ruggie is MINE and I May Not Flaunt it Publicly, but if ANYONE Tries to Take Him From Me, They're Toast" Kingscholar. A little possessiveness dashed into the ship is a 10/10 for me.

I think these ships are Fun

Leona/Jack

Look, I am always a little weak to a ship where one looked up to one another, found out they weren't 100% what they thought, and instead of being disappointed frowned, grabbed the other by the shirt and said "I know you can be better so I'm going to MAKE SURE you live up to that potential." I love the idea of Jack's eager persistence and values of hard work and determination lighting a fire under Leona. I love that Jack sees Leona for who he can be and doesn't care about any of the extra "weight" Leona feels he carries. I love the idea of Jack seeing so much good and potential in Leona that it makes Leona want to live up to Jack's ideals.

Leona/Vil

Like with Malleus, Leona and Vil are a fun ship because they're character foils. Leona is a lazy genius who, besides the throne, has everything he could ever want but is crippled by his inferiority complex. Vil, who is brilliant, smart, and worked hard to get himself where he wants, also suffers an inferiority complex. Leona turns to apathy to escape the burning, twisting pain of always being compared to Farena. Vil turns to jealousy, consistently and silently comparing himself to Neige, putting a mask of success and glamour over his fear of always being second best. I think these two could learn a lot from one another and grow from their similarities and differences.

The only reason why this ship is lower on my list is because I'm absolute Rook/Vil trash. Though, I am not opposed to a threesome between Leona/Rook/Vil.

Cute Concept, I see where people are coming from

Leona/Idia

To me this is a ship of "opposites attract". Leona is very confident in his powers, abilities, and skills (when his inferiority complex related to Farena isn't in the way). He's not afraid of being in the spotlight and if people are pissed off at him, Leona will not back down from beating the shit out of them. Leona is also a natural born leader, even if he employs "tough love" methods.

On the other side we have Idia who when not behind a screen is an introvert and awkward with people. Yes, he's also talented and a genius but Idia's confidence and people skills only come out when he's in his element.

My favourite way of seeing them get together is having them play chess. I know at first Idia would try to escape playing with Leona, terrified to be in the same room but as he grows comfortable Idia's talking smack as they play. Sure, some of his terms fly over Leona's head (Idia cannot turn off the gamer terminology) but I bet he's ecstatic that Idia's not backing down from the challenge.

But Do I Ship Yuu with Leona?

Yes, I do. Leona was my first SSR for both dorm and event card (Fairy Tale Gala) so he has always held a special place in my heart. I also think Yuu's first encounter with Leona is hysterical. I love the idea that Yuu is not afraid of Leona simply because they have NO CLUE who he is. This lack of fear is refreshing to Leona who after realizing it's not bravado, that Yuu truly isn't afraid of him, is hooked. It will take Leona a while to figure out that he -likes- Yuu but a little bit of jealousy and possessiveness would probably rear its head within Leona eventually. Yuu's -his- herbivore, damn it.

And there you have it, friend! I hope you like my answers!! Feel free to let me know which are your favourite Leona ships!

#personal #replies #twisted wonderland #favourite ships

[ixmelodix]

On: Names and Titles

Troll names come in two different categories: personal names and titles.

Personal names (or hatchnames) are six letters long and "chosen" by the troll upon their wriggling day; though culture suggests they choose them themselves, in reality lusii generally help with or straight up take over the process, making sure the name is at least somewhat pronounceable and that it is not identical to another living troll (which is checked by the system they use to submit the name). This prevents names like "Uohsdg" or "Nnndnn" (mostly; exceptions have happened when the lusus did not interfere) as well as keeping two trolls from sharing the same name.

Last names (or signnames), also six letters, are tied to and assigned by the troll's sign.

While trolls generally will continue to be known by their personal name throughout most of their lives, they may also choose (or be assigned) a title or titles. These come in two forms: the "nickname" or private title, and the "descriptive" or public title. Both types are generally (but not always) eight letters long.

Private titles include titles like "Dualscar" or "Darkleer"; these are almost always self-chosen, and mostly used by others within the troll's peer group. Trolls can have more than one of these; in fact, the only qualification for a private title is that other trolls must use it. If no other troll will refer to another by their chosen private title, it is considered invalid. Occasionally, a private title will end up sticking from others using it even though the troll themself does not choose it. These are considered valid private titles, even if the troll in question does not like them, as long as they're in use.

Private titles do not need to be registered, but generally are; if a private title is not registered, it is not protected, and another troll may use and register it later. Registered private titles may be used again once the troll is at least five sweeps deceased, unless the troll was important enough that the name is remembered by those in power. (Dualscar is a title legally protected past his death, for instance.) Even if a title is not legally protected, however, it is uncommon for another troll to attempt to take it if it is at all known; and if even if they try, it may not be used by others who might hold more respect for the deceased troll than the one trying to take the title, preventing it from being legalized.

Private titles are more commonly used by highbloods, who seek to distinguish themselves or distance themselves from a later-disliked personal name (or from their past as a whole). Older trolls are more likely to have one or more private titles than younger ones.

Public titles, on the other hand, are almost never chosen by the troll themself; these are generally bestowed upon a troll, either through general use by peers (colloquial) or by someone of higher rank (legal). Public titles always take the form of "the [word]" (eg the Summoner, the Orphaner).

Trolls are permitted one legal public title, which must be registered by someone of higher rank than the troll themself (usually the one who bestowed said title); only about 15% of trolls even have one. Some trolls may gain "colloquial" public titles (e.g. the Signless) that are not considered official; these are ignored at a legislative level. The Champion is another example of a colloquial public title.

Legal public titles are only protected for the length of the troll's life; however, once a title has been (legally) registered to a troll, only trolls of that same blood caste may have that title (eg, another violetblood might be called the Orphaner, but a rust or a blue could not be, legally). Essentially, once a public title is given, it is tied permanently to that caste. Only the Condesce herself may change the caste a title is assigned to.

(Colloquially used, non-legal titles obviously do not suffer from this restriction.)

A troll may try to choose their own public title, but legalization depends on them getting someone of a higher rank (though a higher blood caste is not necessarily required) choosing to submit the registration of said name. Once registered, a public title cannot be changed except by someone who significantly outranks the original registering troll.

Given the large number of higher-ranking trolls (that might be amenable to registering a title) above most lowbloods, public titles are more common among them than among higher blood castes.

The Empress frequently amuses herself by bestowing public titles on trolls who catch her attention - whether positively or negatively. This has led to some unfortunate trolls being stuck - very much legally - with titles like "the Assblood" or "the Pretense". As no one outranks the Empress, these titles are permanent (unless she changes her mind) and will overrule any previously given title. She generally saves negative titles for lowerblooded trolls, but not always. (The Pretense is a particularly inept violetblood, for instance.)

#aoafic #worldbuilding

[the-world-of-ignavus]

The Mongrel Republics - Name Conventions

Contrary to names within the Greenwood Empire or even the Sky Regencies, canine dominant societies in general offer more agency and self-determination when it comes to their names.

In particular, the Canine Republics have a system of placeholder names that are given to them before they become adults and choose their proper names for themselves as they join pack society.

Placeholder Pup Names

Pup names aren't meant to be kept long-term, more of a stand-in while a pup grows and comes into themselves. Most members of the republics find it deeply presumptuous and overbearing to place a name upon their pups - as if it's determining their fate. This paired with the original republics being in hard to thrive in places meant that adult members were more inclined to offer temporary names.

Pup names are primarily given out based on shallow, surface level traits shown by pups not long after they're born. Often these traits refer to their physical appearance - fur color, birth size - or behavior - such as vocality or liveliness. Given that these names aren't permanent, it's not uncommon for multiple pups within the republic to share the same pup-names.

Examples

Squeal, Yip, Yap, Whine, Whimper, Bark - talkative or noisy, lively with good vocals

Squirm, Wiggle, Tumble, Bounce - lively or very active, one that walks early

Growl, Whine, Huff - a pup with serious attitude or personality

Heavy, Lofty - a very large pup

Small, Little, Scrawny - a runt, the smallest in a litter, sometimes sickly

Blue, Silver, Brindle, Brown - all referring to the fur color of a pup

Adult-Dedication Names

As Rookies settle into their ranks, adjusting to becoming proper members of society permitted to vote and contribute, they will be welcomed officially as adults into the pack by their chosen names. These names are referred to in the republics as "dedication names" as the goal for every member of the republic should be to better themselves and hone a specific trait in honor of the Howls.

Members are recommended to be thinking about their names long before their choosing and to be very careful about the category they choose to brand upon themselves. When someone from the republics hears your name, you're also inadvertently telling them what traits you shall be striving to embody for the rest of your life. Setting too lofty a goal by choose too 'grand' a name can result in serious struggles for members to live up to their traits - and those who cannot meet standards essentially set for themselves are often viewed as untrustworthy and pathetic.

Examples

Iren, The Moon | Luna, Moonlight, Moonshine, Dusk, Nightfall, Eve

Atella, The Sun | Daylight, Sunbeam, Luminosity, Aurora, Morning, Dawn

Canta, The Plantmaker | Blossom, Rose, Iris, Briar, Sapling, Bushberry

Mywell, The Sea Lord | Aqua, Shore, Loch, Coast, Cliff, Alp, Ridge, Peak

Canta, Warden of the Dead | Breeze, Zephyr, Airstream, Specter, Phantom, Ghost

It is possible for a member to officially change their names within the republic albeit it's rare considering that such an act is synonymous with changing the entire direction of your life. Though it's not a mandate, it's generally expected that when you choose a new name, you are choosing from a different pool of names. This is because through whatever you've done to deem a name-change necessary, you've dishonored the Howl you were previously representing.

The only exception to this during situations of great uproar that fundamentally change who a creature is and thus, can make it impossible to fulfill the promise of their original name. In this form, taking a new name is said to be the most respectful thing you can do - stepping back and finding a 'true' self. Some may even hold symbolic death ceremonies for their old selves to truly solidify the change to being a new person.

Leadership Names

While general members of the republic often take on nouns that are related to their specific Howl, the alpha pair of each republic takes on a more direct name scheme. Leaders take on adjectives directly from the domains of their specific Howl, announcing to all what they will strive to be as a leader.

Leaders are thus held to supremely high standards regarding their ability to live up to their names. Major backlash can break out over the alpha pair even slightly deviating from the name they've chosen for themselves. It's not uncommon for some alphas to carefully monitor the way the pack is being led and approves of being led and choosing a trait falls most comfortably into these two worlds.

Examples - Courage, Dauntless, Resilience, Piety, Honesty, Composure, Vigor, Dignity, Endurance, Relic

#the world of ignavus #xenomongrel #ignavus the mongrel republics #xenomoggy

[tsuyugumi]

amagasaki high school uniform concept (skirt ver.)

more info under read more!

Amagasaki High School was first (and only) mentioned in Tenma's Ouka Public High School backstage story!

Based on the story, Amagasaki High School is considered to be one of the schools within the area that offers a performing arts course. They also have a high grade quota for applicants who want to enroll in the school. With literally only 2 important details (and ideas from other friends), here are my headcanons about the acclaimed institution (not all, but this is what I can remember for now):

Amagasaki High School is a top ranked co-ed school (Ii not Top 1, they're among the Top 3 schools).

Their mission-vision aligns with preparing their students for their brightest futures, so they offer on-demand courses to prepare the students for college. Each department has their own building, and departments are divided further into specialization categories (e.g. Performing Arts specializing in Music or Theatre). Laboratories for various activities are maintained well, as they want to keep up with career standards.

Along with a high grade quota, their tuition fees are also VERY expensive to pay for laboratory fees and other miscellaneous fees.

Since they're training their students to be work-ready, the school also has a lot of sponsors. To them, sponsors = more career opportunities 😁👍

They have a wide list of alumni who are now currently working in the entertainment industry!

They most likely have a college counterpart. Students currently enrolled in the high school have a pretty good chance of getting accepted into Amagasaki University if they wish to continue their studies there.

Since A3! doesnt mention ANY character attending this school, I thought of making my OCs as Amagasaki High School alumni! Michiru, Kahel, and Yuu all attended Amagasaki (Michiru and Kahel graduated on Year 2 timeline, while Yuu was an upperclassman who dropped out in an earlier batch) 😼

#a3 oc #act! addict! actors! #kimeyngocs #// yes this is kyu aka kimeyngo #feel free to follow this side blog for a3 oc related stuff!! #i might get p loud LMFAOIDKEJS

[strelles-universe]

The Canine Republics - Naming Conventions

Contrary to names within the Greenwood Prides or even the Sky Kingdoms, canine dominant societies in general offer more agency and self-determination when it comes to their names.

In particular, the Canine Republics have a system of placeholder names that are given to them before they become adults and choose their proper names for themselves as they join pack society.

Placeholder/Pup Names

Pup names aren't meant to be kept long-term, more of a stand-in while a pup grows and comes into themselves. Most members of the republics find it deeply presumptuous and overbearing to place a name upon their pups - as if it's determining their fate. This paired with the original republics being in hard to thrive in places meant that adult members were more inclined to offer temporary names.

Pup names are primarily given out based on shallow, surface level traits shown by pups not long after they're born. Often these traits refer to their physical appearance - fur color, birth size - or behavior - such as vocality or liveliness. Given that these names aren't permanent, it's not uncommon for multiple pups within the republic to share the same pup-names.

Squeal, Yip, Yap, Whine, Whimper, Bark - talkative or noisy, lively with good vocals Squirm, Wiggle, Tumble, Bounce - lively or very active, one that walks early Growl, Whine, Huff - a pup with serious attitude or personality Heavy, Lofty - a very large pup Small, Little, Scrawny - a runt, the smallest in a litter, sometimes sickly Blue, Silver, Brindle, Brown - all referring to the fur color of a pup

Adult/Dedication Names

As Rookies settle into their ranks, adjusting to becoming proper members of society permitted to vote and contribute, they will be welcomed officially as adults into the pack by their chosen names. These names are referred to in the republics as "dedication names" as the goal for every member of the republic should be to better themselves and hone a specific trait in honor of the Howls.

Members are recommended to be thinking about their names long before their choosing and to be very careful about the category they choose to brand upon themselves. When someone from the republics hears your name, you're also inadvertently telling them what traits you shall be striving to embody for the rest of your life. Setting too lofty a goal by choose too 'grand' a name can result in serious struggles for members to live up to their traits - and those who cannot meet standards essentially set for themselves are often viewed as untrustworthy and pathetic.

The Moon -> Luna, Moonlight, Moonshine, Dusk, Nightfall, Eve The Sun -> Daylight, Sunbeam, Luminosity, Aurora, Morning, Dawn The Plantmaker -> Blossom, Rose, Iris, Briar, Sapling, Bushberry The Sea Lord -> Aqua, Shore, Loch, Coast, Cliff, Alp, Ridge, Peak The Warden -> Breeze, Zephyr, Airstream, Specter, Phantom, Ghost

It is possible for a member to officially change their names within the republic albeit it's rare considering that such an act is synonymous with changing the entire direction of your life. Though it's not a mandate, it's generally expected that when you choose a new name, you are choosing from a different pool of names. This is because through whatever you've done to deem a name-change necessary, you've dishonored the Howl you were previously representing.

The only exception to this during situations of great uproar that fundamentally change who a creature is and thus, can make it impossible to fulfill the promise of their original name. In this form, taking a new name is said to be the most respectful thing you can do - stepping back and finding a 'true' self. Some may even hold symbolic death ceremonies for their old selves to truly solidify the change to being a new person.

Leadership/Trait Names

While general members of the republic often take on nouns that are related to their specific Howl, the alpha pair of each republic takes on a more direct name scheme. Leaders take on adjectives directly from the domains of their specific Howl, announcing to all what they will strive to be as a leader.

Leaders are thus held to supremely high standards regarding their ability to live up to their names. Major backlash can break out over the alpha pair even slightly deviating from the name they've chosen for themselves. It's not uncommon for some alphas to carefully monitor the way the pack is being led and approves of being led and choosing a trait falls most comfortably into these two worlds.

Examples - Courage, Dauntless, Resilience, Piety, Honesty, Composure, Vigor, Dignity, Endurance, Relic

#the canine republics #the pack of dauntless #the pack of courage #the pack of resilience #strelles universe #worldbuilding #strelles worldbuilding #xenomoggy #naming conventions

[wonderloste]

lore compendium update & progress : races of wonderland complete under the peoples tab!! it's worth noting that wonderland is a society of fae creatures, so most of the muse-list IS considered fae-like / fae-adjacent (including characters like darcy & valtr, who are wonderlandian fae / nightmare fae respectively). however, the fae that originate from diamond kingdom specifically are more traditional faeries and the like. there are only a few outliers, like the dragons and flora, who are NOT considered fae.

wonderlandian faeries : the bulk of wonderland's society makes up the fae, though their numbers are greatest in the diamond kingdom. mischievous, crafty, and deceitful, they're a tricky bunch to contend with. you should never make a deal with the fae, as they will often twist your intent and trap you in a dynamic you never wanted after.

nightmare fae : creatures of nightmare feared by all of wonderland, their ranks include that of the hated bandersnatch. nightmares are born from dark magicks, and thus cast out from general fae society, damned to live isolated in the realm through the looking glass. some find their way back to wonderland, but none are welcome in their society.

sirens : oft coined mermaids or mermen by surfacers, sirens are creatures of the sea who lure unsuspecting sailors and travelers alike into their turbulent waters through the hypnotic sound of their voice. they feed off the flesh and blood of land dwellers, thus capturing their prey and drowning them beneath the depths with intent to later consume them.

dragons : the offspring of the white king, dragons escaped classification as nightmares solely through their resemblance to the jabberwock himself. they are the second oldest species to wonderland behind the fae, they are extremely knowledgeable. most, if not all of them, speak in the same dialect as their father : completely backwards.

atlantians : wonderlandian fae who live beneath the waters of diamond kingdom's oceans in the lost city of atlantis, they adapted to their environment millions of years ago when their city sank to the bottom of the sea. they are more fishlike than their siren brethren, but no less mischievous. that said, they consider themselves their own kingdom.

animatronics : built during the steam age of wonderland's history, most animatronics have completely depreciated. those that remain are largely serving as card guards for their respective kingdoms, though occasionally one can still find active goliaths around old structures where they once worked. alchemists claim they do not have a soul.

flora : the flowers and plant life that cover wonderland is more alive than most outsiders think. aside from acting as the only light source aside from the stars to the realm due to its bioluminescence, it can also speak, whisper secrets, and spread gossip quickly across wonderland. most will warn to be wary of what you say, as you never know if it's listening.

gods : those who have reached levels of divinity within wonderland are few and far between. only three gods exist within the realm, but the jabberwock is the most prolific and powerful as the creator of the world itself. the others hold their title as more of a formality, whereas he is capable of weaving and shattering reality.

immortals : those in wonderland who cannot die unless their hearts are devoured by the few denizens of the realm who are capable of permanently killing them. there are only a few who fall into this category as true immortals, as everyone in wonderland may live forever, but only a handful may not be killed at all, unless specially hunted.

mortals : those who may not die from old age, but are still capable of being murdered or grievously injured enough that they may lose their life. none in wonderland truly age, but mortals can die like any other, so while they need never fear the passage of time, they certainly do need fear the sharpened edges of that guillotine the queen threatens them with.

humes : the term fae, both nightmare and wonderlandian alike, use to refer to those who are not of fae descent, or outsiders whether they are fae of their world or not. oft also referred to as "man-things," "children of men," or simply "humans", one does not necessarily need be a human for them to refer to them as a hume. it is merely another label the fae use.

alices : the outsiders who fall to wonderland, whether they wear this title with pride or not. against their consent, the entirety of wonderland will refer to those who fall down the rabbit hole as "alice," disregarding their true name and in fact warning against telling their real name to others, as knowing outsider's names gives wonderlandians power over them.

#crashes back onto this blog and does random carrd work #KJENRHMKJERNHM IT JUST BE LIKE THAT #i'm throwing this out before i have to go do errands i'll be back to write!! #ʚĭɞ ― lore: wonderlandians ˊˎ- #ʚĭɞ ― lore ˊˎ- #long post — #ʚ o. meta ɞ ⁄ the brightness of the sun will give us just enough to follow our hearts down the rabbit hole.

[kahenn]

Not me thinking about the distribution of genin to chunin to jounin within the ninja of Konoha?? Like how many ninja even are there?

There's apparently 80,000 ninja that join the allied forces. I assume that includes ANY graduated ninja, regardless of rank (rip genin). If you divide that equally by 5 that's ~16,000. Except that not all villages are of the same size nor are they all the same in their military might.

Konoha is the largest village in terms of population, but only ranks a 3/5 in terms of their military. That means either the amount of shinobi they have is smaller compared to other smaller villages OR Konoha has less elite/powerful ninja within its shinobi pool if it is based of strength and not necessarily sheer numbers of man power.

Anyways, let's just say for the sake of convenience Konoha has ~15,000 shinobi. I would assume that majority of shinobi are chuunin ranked journeyman ninja. Like, 50- 60% of ninja are chuunin. Just middle of the road. The grunt forces.

I'm would guess the next would be genin, maybe 30% of ninja are genin. We don't see many genin besides the 11 that graduated from Naruto's academy year, so it's either assumed the rest failed and had to remain in the academy and try again later or all the kids of Naruto's age graduated and they just aren't mentioned. The academy is pumping out graduates each year though, possibly multiple times a year depending on how many times they do the exams, so there is probably a fair number of genin, but less compared to chuunin as most don't stay genin long, either by passing the chuunin exam (max every 2 years) or by dying, lol.

Finally third is the jounin, the super elite ninja. We're talking like 5% of the shinobi pool. I would shove ANBU into this category too, even though not all ANBU are technically jounin, the fact that they're on an elite black ops team indicates their highly specialized skill. Thus, they're part of this small percentage. I think tokubetsu jonin are a slightly larger but still small portion of the shinobi pool, like maybe 10%.

Anyways, what's the point of this information? Idk, the more you know, maybe.

#why??? idk was just thinkin bout it #there is no reason for me rambling about this #there's nothing groundbreaking here i just wanted to say it lol

[freifraufischer]

Er... why would the USA want to hold all their brevet judges back? This makes no sense to me whatsoever. (I'm not doubting that they DID, mind you. I just want to know if there was any "reasoning" behind it.)

Okay, so first let's establish how brevet judges are promoted:

There are 4 ranks with 4 being the lowest (you've just passed the test, you can't be trusted to do anything but line judge at anything but the least important competitions). 1 being the highest and there are basically only enough Category 1 Brevets in the world to run an Olympic Games (doing the most important jobs). The US has one Cat 1 brevet but that's not terribly unusual since there only 30-something of them in the world.

In order to be promoted to the next rank you have receive certain scores on the judging exam for each rank and judged a certain number of meets in the quad before you get promoted (or within 1 year of the test result if you get the scores to be promoted). Example: A cat 1 brevet has to get a perfect score on the D judging portion.

Broadly when you send an athlete to an international competition you send at least 1 judge. So for example this year the international judging assignments were Jesolo (Group 4), DTB (Group 4), Pan American Championships (Group 2), Paris WCC (Group 3), Szombathely WCC (Group 3), and Worlds (Group 2).

Now the Jesolo and DTB assignments count for promotion but except for the very lowest ranked judges not that much. The US sent Cheryl Hamilton (Cat 2) and Kittia Carpenter (Cat 3) to a combined 6 out of the 14 judging slots for the US this year including two trips to Europe. The two of them made up the judging selection committee that decided the assignments.

The bulk of US judges are Cat 3 and 4 (Memmel is a Cat 3). The Cat 3's can be E judges at worlds and line/timing judges at the Olympics at most. The Cat 4's can't do anything more than be line or timing judges at Pan Ams because they are too low ranking. And pre-pandemic times Worlds was a Group 1 competition and it looks like they may move it back up to that category after Paris.

If you think back to the Tom and Marta years the US often skipped the Pan American Championships which was the easiest place for US judges to get a high level meet to count towards their promotion (they send a lot of judges if they go to Pan Ams). My gut feeling is most US judges have gotten at most a couple of international judging assignments per quad (which may have been things like Gymnix and Jesolo that have limited use for promotion). They may have even gotten enough to get promoted from 4 to 3... but then they're stuck. And I think a big reason why is because the same ladies who get to decide who goes places are sending themselves to the most glamorous assignments.

At the moment there is only one US brevet judge at the rank of 1 or 2 that is under 65 years old: Kristie Philips.

Now if the US is serious about sending people out more--and the lovely ladies on the judges selection committee actually send other people to these things--this should start to ease the glut. But at the moment it looks a lot like no one cared about the future of the US judging pool.

[This is a point where I like to point out that the end of the American Cup actually had some knock on effects in the US program. It was a Group 2 competition and was one of the international assignments that you could reliably count on the US attending and thus getting high level judging experience at.]

#gymnastics

[script-a-world]

Submitted via Google Form:

I'm trying to design an alien species that is categorised as both plant and animal. Is that possible? Or only if defined to how we define plant and animal? In that case how could aliens define them differently?

I'm suppose you may already be thinking of stuff people create that do seem to be both plant and animal. Like those carnivorous plants with whip like vines that can seize prey - but they're considered plants and not an animal. Then there are ents in Tolkien's work. But those are still animals that resemble trees, not considered plants. Not what I'm looking for.

Miri: Scientifically, we differentiate plant vs animal at a cellular level: plant cells do not have a cell wall, animal cells do. That’s just the start of the differences, which are mostly contradictory enough that they could not exist in the same being. A table of differences can be found at https://www.toppr.com/guides/biology/difference-between/plants-and-animals/ (and more information is available at many sites with a quick “plant vs animal” google search as this is a topic that was covered in many high school biology classes in North America when I was in school - I have fond memories of doing stains of plant cells to look at under the microscope.).

Aliens may not even have the same concepts of “plant” and “animal”. We haven’t met any (so far as we’ve been publicly told) so it’s all up to imagination. This may be a case of Aunt Scripty’s Rule of Reality - you break it, you bought it. Consider if it’s something you really need to define that accurately. If they think it’s a plant or think it’s an animal, does it matter to your plot if it really is? Is anyone pulling out the microscopes to check? If they are, then it’s worth making those distinctions in your story and building what it means in your world. If it doesn’t matter to the plot, and it’s never going to come up, this may be a bit of world building you can keep behind the curtain.

Feral: Plants and animals are not even the only defined categories of life in our world. You seem to be drawing your categorization of life from Linnaean taxonomy, which is not a particularly helpful classification system as it was developed in 1735, aka before Darwin proposed the theory of evolution. If you look at other taxonomic ranking systems, like Whittaker’s 1969 Five Kingdoms or Woese’s 1977 Six Kingdoms, you might find more inspiration for how the domains of life may be divided and categorized. And increasingly, it’s being accepted that it’s not just humans or even non-human animals, but plants can have a form of intelligence, and possibly anything or everything else could experience consciousness.

Utuabzu: sounds like you're describing fungi, archea and bacteria, none of which are plants or animals but are most certainly alive. Fungi have been observed to transmit electrical signals across their mycelia and to react to stimulus, which may indicate some level of awareness (if they think or feel, it's in a way that's pretty alien to us). Lichens are even weirder, being composite organisms made of various combos of fungus, bacteria and plants, and also being some of the oldest land organisms and the sturdiest (lichens are the only plant-like-things growing on Antarctica, and the ISS has had problems with lichens on its outer hull).

Plenty of plants react to each other and their environment and plant cognition is a legitimate field of study within botany, so plants that move and act more like animals are perfectly possible. But honestly, if you're working with aliens, there's no need to fit things neatly into the taxonomic categories we're used to. They're alien organisms, they'll have (presumably) had an entirely separate evolutionary history and fall into their own categories. You can have human characters refer to things as plants and animals, and then have another character correct them if you want.

For worldbuilding purposes your most important concern is going to be the difference between autotrophes (organisms that create their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis) and heterotrophes (organisms that must acquire energy from other organisms, generally by eating them). Autotrophes tend to be more sessile (unable to move) because motility (the ability to move) requires energy and specialised structures that don't necessarily make sense for something that just needs a source of light energy or chemical energy and nutrients. Heterotrophes do tend to be motile because they have to find food, but there are plenty of sessile heterotrophes. Most corals, sponges, and fungi either rely on water currents to bring them food, or grow outwards to find more food and are able to reproduce and spread out in sufficient volume that it doesn't really matter that their food will run out. Remember, evolution doesn't prefer the “best” lifeforms, just the ones that continue to successfully reproduce.

#pylons #google submitted #plants #animals

[gascon-en-exil]

How would you rank the main series Pokémon games?

That's such a massive topic, and I'm not even the most passionate about Pokémon so it's really hard for me to rank them except in very broad strokes. Something like (and in no particular order within categories)

Return to them often

Kalos - Mostly because I have an obvious affinity for the region in spite of its infamous lack of difficulty and not-great story. Aesthetically these games are just delightful (also Fairy types, yay).

Kanto - Never got into it much when I was younger because the world was ugly and bland, but challenge runners embracing just how weird and broken RBY are revitalized my interest in the setting. Ranking of Kanto games goes RB (old standard) > Let's Go (charmingly simple but potentially harder than they look) > Yellow (like RB but your starter is much worse, also was never a fan of the anime so that doesn't help) > FRLG (removed the simplicity and bad coding and replaced it with...a set of islands half locked to the postgame mostly consisting of dull set pieces in between catching Johto Pokémon)

Enjoyable but don't play/watch them as much

Alola - Aesthetics are again great although I have no personal connection to the setting, and the story in the original SM is surprisingly quite hard-hitting at points. Never played USUM, but from everything I've heard they're basically just harder and with a worse story...so a downgrade in my opinion.

Unova - Only being able to catch the new Pokémon before the postgame in BW makes them quite interesting, and I love the seasons mechanic and wish it could return at some point. Don't care for this game modifying the experience formula to make it harder to solo, but on the flip side there's infinite use TMs and a beginning downward trend in HM use. B2W2 are bigger and more interesting in that they're actual sequels, but no longer being locked to Unova Pokémon causes them to lose some of their unique appeal.

Paldea - Love the regional aesthetic, the school is an unobtrusive element, and the story is again quite good at points which is particularly strange as open-world games aren't known for being good at linear storytelling. I think the complaining about graphics and bugs are somewhat overblown - based on Gen I alone bad graphics and bad coding have always been GameFreak's calling card - although I don't see myself replaying these soon as the world is just too big...and I did play through it three times for that video.

Hoenn - Would be in the tier below but for the remakes, where the region is significantly more vibrant and carries over some of the charm from the Kalos games. Pretty tepid on Hoenn otherwise, as not much about it stands out aside from its idiotic pair of evil teams (at least they have more flare in the remakes) and having so much water that even I who generally enjoy water levels in video games find it a bit much.

Rarely revisit especially when playing myself

Sinnoh - I already enjoyed the visuals in the original game, but the remakes didn't do enough to deal with some of the region's bigger issues like HM overuse and a boring evil team and really not enough snow or Ice Pokémon for what's supposed to be a cold region. I just find it rather dull all around.

Johto - The originals have some of the simplicity from Gen 1, but Johto is small and not terribly interesting and Kanto is empty and the whole game suffers from an infamously bad leveling curve. The remakes improve the visuals and make it harder and actually force you to fight the box legendaries, but I'm still not feeling it. It's got a lot of content...but most of that content isn't terribly interesting.

Galar - May have to apply my run ruleset here as cutting out the Wild Area and sticking only to Galar's trainers and infamously linear corridors could make for a challenging experience. The story is either bland or strange, and the rest of the world clearly suffers from all the time put into the Wild Area concept - and the DLC areas only double down on that.

#Pokémon

[crownshattered]

|| Faenethra HSR AU -- Bestiis-III info:

If you know Forgotten Realms lore, this planet is basically merging the Feywild and the Underdark. It's a planet of elves, I just added HSR influences to it. I don't know nearly as much about the Feywild as I do about the Underdark, so things may be a little incorrect... Just let me know!! Also, the elven race (with all of its sub-categories, including drow) is pretty much exactly the same as it is in Dnd 5e. The Underdark and the Feywild are also pretty much exactly the same as it is in Forgotten Realms lore. Literally all I'm doing is adding HSR info as well as merging the two onto one planet.

So here's the actual info:

Bestiis-III is a planet home to a race created by Yaoshi, the elves. This is a very old planet that is populated by long-life species. The surface (the Feywild) is full of lush, unrestrained nature and "magic" (abilities possessed by the elves that were given to them by Yaoshi) populated by different types of elves, such as high elves, wood elves, and more. However, deep inside the planet is the abyss (the Underdark). The Underdark is home to the drow, a dark-dwelling race of elves known for their evil alignment and malicious beliefs.

In the beginning, only the Feywild existed. All elves lived on the surface, and the drow subrace didn't exist. However, thousands of years ago, a stellaron infected the planet and formed the Underdark deep within the planet's interior. In the creation of the Underdark, many elves were taken down into that abyss as well (these elves would eventually become the drow race). The Aeon Lolth (the Malice, known as the Spider Queen by the drow) took the power of the stellaron and made herself the "guardian" of the Underdark and its denizens.

The drow have worshipped the evil Lolth down in the Underdark for thousands of years, just as the other elves have worshipped Yaoshi up in the Feywild. Lolth's beliefs have corrupted drow culture since the race was first created, and now they're known for their evil deeds done in the name of their Aeon. Most of their evil is conducted against one another, but they also cause destruction for the Feywild (and even planets beyond their own which is the cause of their infamy in the universe).

Although the drow are definitely the worst race to come from this planet, elves aren't exactly excellent either. Especially not high elves. They're known to be very conceited and snobbish, usually looking down on anyone they deem as "lesser" than them. They see their blood as noble. This is a very racist planet. The elves won't even let any outsiders live on their planet--if you come to Bestiis-III, it's a temporary trip or else they'll make you leave. And you do not want to go down into the Underdark and try to live there instead--the drow will kill you.

Since Neth is a drow, here's some random info on their race/culture:

The Underdark is ruled by various noble houses, all headed by a matron mother. The ranking of the noble house is connected to how much Lolth favors them. Drow are cold and evil beings, but the nobles of these houses are the worst of them all.

Murder is common in the Underdark. Carnage, slavery, and sexism are all commonplace here. The men are seen as lower lifeforms due to Lolth's own dislike for males. The other creatures of the Underdark are often enslaved by the noble houses and forced into submission. It's a very terrible environment down there.

To turn on Lolth is a sin punishable by death, and she will send her followers to find you and kill you. It isn't impossible for there to be "good" drow in the world, but they're often killed for trying to escape the Underdark.

It isn't unheard of for drow to leave the Underdark, but it is uncommon...and it usually means something bad will happen to their destination. I would say they're like a bad omen, but there's no omen at all--they're just malicious, just like their Aeon.

More tba.??

#(i'm trying to give as much info as possible to help anyone who doesn't know f.orgotten r.ealms lore...) #(ANYWAYS with this posted n.eth's h.sr verse is now up on her bio~) #(and i'm TIRED....) #◅||⋇ /hsr.faenethra/ ⋇||▻ #⪡||⋇ [faenethra hc] ⋇||⪢ #|h #◹||⋇ |honkai star rail| ⋇||◸