#this explains the difference very clearly

[ranticore]

reading your pern fic (OBSESSED btw) and you seem to have a really good grasp on flight / flight dynamics & the physics of it. and it's incredibly hard to find a resource for more realistic dragonriding - would you mind sharing some of your knowledge, terminology, that sort of thing? i guess this is me asking you to infodump about dragon flight/riding to your heart's content lol

>:) I waited until I was on pc to answer this one

Background information about me is that I've a long history with horse riding, a love for birds, and a special interest in.... aviation (in case that wasn't obvious)

to write a dragon riding scene I kind of synthesise all of these elements - to know what it's like to work alongside a steed (balance, cooperation), to know what it's like for a bird to fly (responding to the shape of the air) and also to know basically how flight at speed affects people (g-forces, air pressure, hypoxia) as well as essential flight mechanics (the basic 'how do wings work' thing)

So for a wing to work, the air must be flowing over its surface at a speed which creates a pressure difference which then causes lift. That's very simplified but u get it - the low pressure that develops on top of a wing kinda sucks the wing upwards. That means that in flight, you have a minimum speed where lift can persist. Dropping below that speed will cause a stall (lift stops) because that pressure difference won't exist. When you climb, you lose speed, which means at a certain critical point, the wings stall. Diving back down again will increase speed, increase lift, and then you'll go up again. I recommend looking up some videos or something because i'm not the best at explaining it haha

The air itself is also important to consider and i think it's the key of what brings it all together. Air is always spinning around the margins of a wing. It's why I always use descriptions like "whirling" and "churning" and stuff like that, it's to evoke the spirally vortex that generates in the wake of a flying object. You can see the vortexes sometimes when the low pressure over a wing changes the dew point in the air, causing condensation to form:

this "tube" of air is a rapidly spinning vortex which forms when lift is happening - it's always there, but only this condensation makes it visible. next time you're on a plane coming in to land, watch and see if you can spot one, and notice that the moment the spoilers come up on the wing, the vortex stops, because lift is no longer being generated. The wingtip vortices cause drag which is why many planes have devices at the wingtips that point up, it reduces the vortices and saves on fuel!

Big wings make bigger vortices and this is what causes wake turbulence.

you can see here really clearly the shape of the air in the wake of the plane, two big churning vortices that grow and spread out with distance until they're negligible. But flying directly into these vortices will cause a smaller aircraft (or dragon) to experience that turbulence, think of it like the wake of a large boat causing waves that might capsize a kayak. Turbulence, wind shear, etc these are all fluid dynamics in the air. Something that bores me in flight scenes (and sooo many flight scenes are guilty of this) is "dead" air, air which doesn't exist as anything other than an empty medium for something to basically levitate weightlessly through. It takes power and effort.

Back to birds - unlike planes, birds have a great degree of flexibility over how they approach the air, but their wing mechanics are convergent. Birds also extend high-lift devices to fly slowly without stalling (their alula). They can catch and exploit many of the wind forms which would throw a plane of similar size out of the sky. Thermals are an obvious one to write about, these are columns of rising air that form over a warm surface. Soaring birds use high-lift devices on their wings (the slotted primary feathers) to catch the thermal and ride it without having to flap at all. This is how the bronzes work.

Queen dragons in my story fly at the bottom of the column when in battle, really close to the ground - they actually exploit the ground effect to fly that low. Within one wingspan of the ground, the high pressure zone that forms under the wings acts as a cushion, because there's nothing under it but solid ground. This means lift can be maintained in conditions where normally it would not work - low in the air, the air pressure is dense and drag is a major factor.

Air pressure is another thing to consider but that's relatively intuitive. More pressure, more drag, slower flight, more energetically-costly flight, etc. The ceiling for 'breathable' air is about 10,000 feet. Now we have to think about the rider - have you ever stuck your head out of a car window at high speed and tried to breathe? If you've ever cornered fast on a bike you'll know how it feels to bank, more or less. Your weight increases the more Gs you pull, because gravity is intensifying for you. For the physical effects on the riders I looked into fighter pilots, stuff like G-lock, what kinds of forces someone can withstand before their body starts hurting lol.

in short: flight is a complicated battle against gravity and the air is alive

#absolutely wild how i don't have a tag for this story lol. oh well

[uva124]

HAEDUS, NAOS AND NEMBUS BACKSTORY (MY STARBOYS)

Well these last days I've been thinking about my three beloved stars and I wanted to give them a solid backstory, it's not the final story (I'll probably change some things) but this is what I have planned in mind:

First of all I'm going to explain how the stars work in my world:

POWER CATEGORIES:

Not all stars have the same qualities or powers, some are born being powerful and others are born with a weaker magic, of course they can improve it, but it would take MANY years considering how long a star lives, besides this wouldn't make a big effect you know? So here not all stars are those kind and divine souls like the Pinocchio fairy, or incredibly cheerful and energetic like others, here the more you are born with a great talent the more respected you are going to be:

WISHING STARS: These are the most respected type of star, only they are allowed to come down to earth to help people who wish them because they trust they have the ability to take care of themselves down there without being discovered, because if anyone discovers them, it could bring great danger, they also serve as a guide to the newborn stars who are learning about their world.

AVERAGE STARS: This type of star can help people fulfill their dreams, but they can't come directly down to earth, they would be responsible for those “lucky breaks” that happen in Disney movies lol.

WEAK” STARS: Here belong my two little boys Naos and Nembus, they were not blessed with the greatest power, usually they were to some extent despised by other stars, others simply pitied them, however, they can still see what happens down there in the worlds, and these two little ones have not ceased to be fascinated by what is down there.

I also have to point out that star powers become emotional quite often, the stronger the emotion they feel, the more out of control their magic will be. Now you may be wondering “what category does Haedus belong to?” oh man this guy is special but not in the best sense of the word: CORRUPTED STARS (BLACK HOLES?):

In this world there are also corrupted stars, they are the ones that have already reached the time of their death or on the other hand they have lost their own control and their own magic has consumed them inside, this can be unleashed in several ways: not controlling your emotions, dark magic spells, among other magical things I guess.

That usually happened to wishing stars because of their incredible power, but it was very uncommon so everyone in the star world was pretty calm regarding the topic….huntil a certain star appeared.

STORY OF HAEDUS: My boy my poor boy, believe me I'm going to make they suffer in this rewrite 😊.

He was born as any normal star but with the difference that he had a HUGE power without exaggerating it too much, no doubt he has the potential to be one of the best wishing stars no? Well not really, they power was quite big but also dangerous if not handled carefully because as I said the management of magic is also emotional, and if this child could not contain himself he could unleash the worst and this was known by the other stars that already had some time of life.

Asia that Haedus was very energetic, almost like @rascalentertainments star (who is also doing a wish rewrite if you want to go read it is this profile :D), but he couldn't help noticing how when he approached the stars they looked at him in a strange way, they seemed uncomfortable or even scared, but of what? He commented this to the wishing stars, some simply avoided the subject or in a way to comfort him told him that they looked at him with “respect” (respect? If that means no one wants to get close to me then I don't want it).

In the end Haedus had a real friend, one that actually liked spending time with him and not simply out of fear or “respect”, he was the only star that truly accepted him, but it all fell apart one day that if only Haedus could remember clearly he would make sure he wouldn't make the same mistakes, all he knows is that he hurt him, He doesn't know how or when but just by seeing the look of his friend full of fear and confusion in his direction he knew he could never forgive him, not even he himself could forgive himself, he lost his only companion, and not only that, he also lost the last bit of sympathy that the other stars had for him, now he could only see the anger, fear, pity and disgust in the eyes of the stars.

I also have to add that many times Haedus asked the wishing stars when it would be his turn to come down to earth, however he never received a clear answer, only scoldings and warnings from the people and how dangerous they could be for him (imagine that maybe they manipulated him like mother Gothel did with Rapunzel), however he did not believe them, He really had no one to hang out with, Haedus just stared at the different worlds in front of him (all fairy tales) he was not really impressed by the forests or kingdoms, he liked they home and especially the magic, for that reason his favorite part was to see how the stars helped people to fulfill their dreams, he really had the illusion of being seen as help instead of whatever the stars were telling him.

He spent some time being good alone, he was getting used by this point to the stares he was constantly receiving (and by the way the murmurs of the stars “can't they at least try to hide?" ), everything was normal until he found two quite young stars, by their aura it seemed that these were twins or something like that, he would have given him the same when he noticed how the other stars looked at the little ones…… It was quite similar to his situation, the days passed and he noticed that yes, the two little stars were ignored and despised, he even saw how some older stars were bothering them, that was it, Haedus approached and as usual they ran away from him, then the two little brothers started to thank they, he felt good after years of being rejected but he thought that would be all until they discovered they “reputation”.

It wasn't like that at all, after that day the two stars (who introduced themselves as Naos and Nembus) chased Haedus like little ducklings chasing their mama paw, this was quite strange, Haedus tried to push them away however it didn't work, eventually he grew fond of them and suddenly his world wasn't so bad after all, these children were his only company, he will not let anything happen to them, he will not let anyone hurt or despise them again, he will protect them at all costs (although these little ones still insist on being nice to everyone even after they have been insulted).

One day Haedus simply reaches they limit, he tries to force his smile for they little brothers but he simply can't hold it in any longer, there has to be a way for the three of them to be accepted in their home, without mistreatment, without having to listen to them, without having to run away…… maybe if he tries to prove that he can be of help as the wishing stars?

So yes, Haedus at this point plans to somehow escape to one of the lands to help grant someone's wish, so the other stars will see that he is not dangerous, that he can control himself and not become a monster, and so they will also respect Naos and Nembus. (Besides as much as they have tried to keep the humans out of the way our starboy still has the illusion of being able to help

Unfortunately the plan does not go as planned. Not at all. First it turned out that Nambos and Nembus had snuck in with him like the naughty children he was (even though the overprotective side of Haedus stressed to them that this time he needed to do this just so no one would get hurt, better safe than sorry). Then something VERY WEIRD happened, in short what happened was the scene when Giselle is transported to the real world only much more terrifying and creepy.

literally Haedus is watching how they most precious people are being covered by green glows while Naos and Nembus don't know what is happening while they panic and cry calling for their big brother, only for the three of them to fall forcibly into a world they were NOT supposed to be in, besides is it their illusion or did they hit something before they reached dry land?

this is what happened lmao, I'm reusing the joke about Starboy almost crashing into Asha, only here it really happens and my girl is knocked unconscious for a few minutes (how did she survive? disney magic)

First meeting:

Well …… the first impressions were not very good, I have to emphasize that in my wish Au asha is from the modern world like the one here, also at that time she had just had one of her worst emotional lows (That's Magnifico and Amaya's fault) and Haedus had just suffered a panic attack while trying to process how the hell they got there and where they are and above all who brought them here?

The only thing our two main characters can agree on is that they are confused, scared and frustrated. Haedus is simply debating whether to fly away with his two little brothers or ask the human how the heck she brought them here and what she wants them for?

I'm still debating how to continue this sequence, but Asha and Haedus certainly don't get along very well, but they both come to the conclusion that they should stay together, Asha simply feels guilty that it's probably her fault that they are on earth and also because she wants to return to her normal life. On the other hand Haedus only accompanies her to guide them in this strange world that is nothing like the ones he had seen before from heaven, and also to find a way to return to heaven.

Also I have to say that Naos and Nembus are very kind and try to see the best in people and that each one should have the chance to fulfill their dreams, even if they are too weak stars they want to help in some way, all this results in them entering in trust with Asha very fast and empathize with her, also this new world makes them very curious and they want to explore it all (even though they are giving Haedus a heart attack every time they accidentally put themselves in danger).

In the middle of the movie we see how Haedus finds the appetite for the little things in life even without magic, and above all he manages to make some real connections, here he is not seen as someone unpleasant, eh he even gets to develop certain feelings for Asha that he tries to deny.

In short we see his development from being someone distrustful of people in general who doesn't understand how people can be happy without magic to someone who appreciates ordinary life and how he can still trust people, and that he doesn't always have to keep everything to himself.

I have to emphasize that Haedus has always been taught to keep his emotions to himself because if he explodes at some point even the stars don't know what will happen, that scares him, he doesn't want to hurt anyone, he doesn't want to be what he was always told he was, he doesn't want to be a monster, he just wants to be accepted, so if keeping everyone safe means repressing his emotions with jokes and a confident attitude, he will gladly do it, as long as his little brothers are safe and don't worry about him.

FINAL COMENTS

This post is just me rambling about my main ideas for these three characters, I will gladly accept your opinion if you want to write it! that's all for now bye :D✨✨✨

@oh-shtars @signed-sapphire @annymation @emillyverse @chillwildwave

(I hope you don't mind me tagging you😅 , but I wanted to share with you these ideas I've had for a few weeks now, I hope you enjoy reading them!)

#disney wish #wish 2023 #wish #wish rewrite #sketch #disney #wish au #artwork #asha x star #wish star #wish star boy #wish asha #wish movie #disney wish star #wish disney #princess asha #wish rewrite fandom #wish reimagined #wish redesign #wish review #au #asha wish #asha #starsha

[thevioletcaptain]

😔🧋🤙 for the emoji prompt!

Cas is just leaning in to kiss him, his fingers trailing warm and seductive down the center of Dean’s chest, when there’s a knock on their bedroom door. Three sharp raps in quick succession.

They both freeze, breath caught as they wait, as if silence will convince whoever’s knocking that they aren’t here.

“Dean? Cas?”

No such luck.

“Maybe if we ignore him, he’ll give up and leave,” Dean whispers, but he’s barely finished the sentence when Sam knocks again.

“Uh, guys?” Sam says, voice louder but still muffled through two inches of oak. “You awake in there?”

Cas sighs, slumping back onto his own pillow to give Dean a look that very clearly states; your brother, your problem. Dean sends one back that says, what’s mine is yours, sweetheart, but Cas only glowers in response.

“Guys?” Sam repeats, knocking a third time, and Dean groans as he pushes out of bed.

With one last longing glance at Cas, naked and sleepy and looking decidedly put out about the fact that his plans to continue what they’d started last night had been interrupted before they could even begin, Dean slips into his robe before cracking the door.

“What?”

Sam meets his gaze with a sheepish grimace.

“Hey, sorry,” he says again, wrinkling his nose. “I was gonna let you guys sleep in, but, well… I don’t wanna freak you out or anything, and it might not even be—”

Sam pushes out a breath. Hesitates.

“Dude, just spit it out. It’s early.”

“It’s eleven.”

“Sam—”

“I think there’s something wrong with Jack.”

That gets his attention fast, and Dean pulls the door wide as Cas launches out of bed. Sam averts his eyes when he notices Cas’ distinct lack of pants.

“Uh—”

“Is he sick?”

“What happened?” Cas asks, immediately breathless with worry. “Where is he? Is he hurt?”

“He’s fine, he’s safe, he’s taking Miracle for a walk. But— Cas, can you put some clothes on?”

Dean grabs Cas’ fuzzy cloud-print bathrobe from the back of the door and tosses it over to him before he can start arguing with Sam about the fact that his lack of pants has no bearing on Sam’s ability to explain himself.

“So if he’s fine and safe and walking the dog—what exactly is the problem?” Dean asks.

With an uncertain shrug, Sam nods toward the kitchen, and they follow him down the hall as he explains.

“Okay, so this morning I had to go to up to Hastings for a few things, and I asked if he wanted to come with — he normally does, y’know, because he likes the toffee boba from that place opposite the store where I get my protein powder.”

“Uhuh,” Dean says.

“So, I dropped him off to get his drink, and I went to the health food store, and when I came back to meet him he was just, like. Sitting in the middle of the sidewalk.”

“Sitting, and… doing what?” Cas asks.

“That’s the thing,” Sam says, stepping down into the kitchen. He looks back at them as he pulls out one of the swivel chairs at the table and sits down. Dean and Cas mirror him on the other side. “He was just sitting there, staring at a crack in the pavement with a dandelion growing in it.”

“So…” Dean says, waving a hand for Sam to elaborate.

“I think he’s depressed.”

“Depressed,” Cas repeats with a frown.

“You think he’s depressed because he was sitting on the sidewalk and looking at a flower?” Dean asks, narrowing his eyes. “The kid’s just weird, Sam. He’s always been weird. He gets it from his entire family.”

“That’s not— look, I asked him why he was sitting there instead of on the bench five feet away, and you know what he said to me? He said, what difference does it make? Everything is meaningless.”

“Okay, well that… that does sound kinda concerning,” Dean admits.

“Did he say anything else?”

“No, not really. But when we got back to the car he stuck the dandelion under the windshield wipers to ‘see how long it would hold on’, and… honestly, saying that out loud sounds stupid, but… I don’t know. It worried me.”

As he’s speaking, the distant whine of the main door opening echoes through the bunker, followed by scrambling claws as Miracle launches into his usual post-walk zoomies, and the heavy clang of the door slamming shut.

Miracle bursts into the kitchen a few seconds later, frantically sniffing at all of them — Cas carefully repositions himself to avoid getting a dog snout all up in his business — before sprinting back out, and Jack follows shortly after, slurping away at his boba.

Inexplicably, he’s wearing his Ghostbusters jumpsuit from last Halloween, a pair of teal flip flops, and has Cas’ floppy gardening hat hanging around his neck. Dean looks at him and then back at Sam, wondering how neglected to mention this absolute mess of an outfit as he recounted the reasons for his alarm.

“Hello,” Jack says with a wave, and walks over to the fridge.

Dean, Cas, and Sam all look at one another before Cas clears his throat.

“How are you today, Jack?”

Rifling through the vegetable drawer, Jack lets out a thoughtful hum before extracting a single tomatillo. He sniffs it before biting into it like an apple.

“Snacky. And… contemplative. Have you ever noticed how Miracle just eats whatever he finds no matter what time of day it is? That makes more sense than designated breakfast food, I think.”

“Right,” Dean says carefully, watching as Jack takes another sip from his toffee-flavored milk tea as though he doesn’t still have a mouthful of tomatillo. He’s unsurprised when the flavor combination — and presumably the added texture of a tapioca pearl — makes Jack gag a little, but it’s still gross when he spits it into the sink.

At least he takes the moment to turn on the tap and rinse it down.

“So, uh. What’s the deal with Halloween in July?”

Jack tilts his head for a moment, as though uncertain what Dean is asking, before he seems to remember what he’s wearing. He looks down. Jiggles the buckle of his utility belt.

“Oh, it’s because I realized nothing matters,” Jack says cheerfully, and takes a long, noisy slurp through his straw before wriggling it around the bottom of his cup, where the last tapioca pearl is stubbornly clinging to the plastic. It finally dislodges, and he crushes the cup in his hand, tossing it in the recycling.

“What do you mean nothing matters?”

“There’s no point to anything. It’s all meaningless, so, you know, if something is kind or fun or interesting and it doesn’t hurt anyone…” Jack shrugs. “Hakuna Matata.”

Without waiting for a response, Jack crams the rest of the tomatillo into his mouth and heads for the door.

“Anyway, I’m gonna go up on the roof and read erotica on my phone,” he says, and waves, and then he’s gone before any of them can process that — let alone react to it.

“See what I mean?” Sam says.

“Yeah, uh. He’s definitely being weird, even for Jack, but… I don’t think he’s depressed.”

“So what is it? Teen angst?”

“He’s not a teenager,” Dean points out. “And he’s not exactly angsty.”

“He’s right, Sam. I’m not certain this is even a problem.”

“Are you kidding?”

“Well, I do think one of us should actually take the time to have a frank discussion with him about sex if he’s going to be reading erotica, but other than that, it seems as though he’s just thinking philosophically. Contemplating the nature of his existence in a newly Godless universe.”

“Yeah, and I mean, as far as philosophies go? Nothing matters so just chill out about it seems… refreshingly optimistic. I say we call it a win.”

[written for this prompt game] [find me on ao3 as imogenbynight 💚]

ps: here's a bonus meme to illustrate why my brain went immediately to "optimistic nihilism" after seeing these particular emojis 😅

#deancas fic #destiel fic #dadstiel fic #prompt fic #imogenbynight #dressupheart #replies #cass writes fic #thanks for the prompt! #i guess they're hashtag married in this one? #also good lord this is like 1300 words #why do these words just fall out of my brain onto the screen but the ones i'm supposed to be writing elude me??? sigh. #the deancas of it all #fandom: supernatural

[myechoecho]

The Double, ep 14

I just about lost my mind to see the Duke and Li start to work together, even if it is only the passing of information. The Duke has listened to what Li said about being alone and having no spies. So he using his spies for her (which is suspect overlaps with his own investigations). He calls her over, warns her about the Consort's plan and that she needs to be careful since the Consort's is Emperor's favourite. What more is Li listens and tells him, at least very generally, what she plans to do. PROGRESS.

The whole theatre scene was so good. Yes, the Duke used Li for cover but he clearly just wants to be there with her. You can tell with the whole question about the tea. He's desperate to know more about her and just what exactly happened to make her bitter about love. But he also knows just how far to push because he stops easily when she says he can't ask. You can tell in the way he softly smiles while watching her enjoy the play.

The Duke's fan not only doubles as a boomerang but a shield as well. I think the last character I saw so tied dramatically to a fan was Yi Bang Won in My Country: The New Age. I love how the Duke protects her and then holds her when she is injured. And Li does not pull away but leans into his embrace. The Duke is definitely angry that Li got hurt.

He tends her wounds personally, and respects her boundaries in regards to her keeping her shirt on. He does, however, get irritated when she says if he thinks him treating her is a favour then she'll get someone else to do it. In this case in particular, I think he feels guilty that he was not able to protect her fully so it would never be a favour to him. It's him atoning to her.

However, her next words softens his irritation. Because she explains and understands fully why he invited her there. She doesn't blame him. She's actually perfectly fine with it because it made her useful. I think Li is starting to see the difference between the Duke, where she and the Duke are useful/helpful/supporting each other, to her husband when she did everything for him (we really haven't seen Yurong do much for Li during their marriage). Plus, I don't think the Duke ever had someone see his thought process so clearly without him explaining it.

It's going to be SO GOOD when they fully, equally work together.

I also love how Fang Fei, as Li, has not forgotten Jiang Li. She is fully committed to avenging Jiang Li and sorting out all her regrets. She has two different revenge plots going on.

As for the Yurong, he remains an interesting character. His situation with the Princess is really a role reversal. With that type of power play, it normally is a woman who is under the control of a man. However, he is also exerting what power he has over her. He flat out tells her that what she did was reckless and she would have been punished (true). He frames it as him protecting her. Note how he also calls her Wanning and not Princess, which I think is a significant change. He tells the Princess to let it go - what does it matter when he is by he side? At this point I have my suspicions that he realizes that Li is actually Fang Fei. He's placating the Princess to protect Fang Fei and probably to let her complete her revenge.

#the double #cdrama

[aingeal98]

Stephcass is like,heavily autistic4autistic-coded to me and imo there's as much evidence to it as comphet lesbian Cass.With autistic Cass i don't need to explain since you understand her so well but for Stephanie it's like.She has all the symptoms but also her gender presentation feels very autistic girl swag to me and the way she's treated by the narrative feels a lot like how not just girls but AUTISTIC girls are abused irl.This also increases the appeal of Stephcass to me because Cass is one of the few consistently kind and stable people in her life.Thoughts?I love your takes so i'd love to hear your opinions !!

I fully agree and honestly I've actually been thinking about autistic Steph a lot lately haha. Like reading comics Cass was obviously the first one who pinged my radar but reading more Steph, especially how she feels constantly on the outside despite trying so hard to fit in, made it click for me. That feeling of being too much, missing social cues, not being able to understand the layers to conversations, not fitting in fully no matter what group it is and how hard you try... Yeah I definitely see her as autistic. I think young Steph tried so hard to mask constantly but never quite fully managed to blend in perfectly. Especially in early Robin issues the way she and Tim both exhibit autistic traits but their socialisation as boy vs girl paints two different reactions to their autism. Tim is blunt and steps on people's toes sometimes and doesn't care at all because he's confident in his knowledge and his worth. People can be mad at him for missing a social cue but ultimately who cares, he's got his own mission and that's what matters.

Meanwhile Steph wants so hard to project an image of not caring. Like she wants to he confident and proud in being a bit "weird" but you can clearly see how desperately she wants to be accepted. And she's learnt that she won't quite fit the mold but she wants to keep trying anyway, keep showing that she can twist herself to fit in to whatever Batman/Tim/her school peers need her to be. She's just like Tim in missing social cues and getting hyperfixations but she gets even more anxious about social situations even though she tries really hard not to let it show because she's just a Totally Normal Girl with totally normal reactions to situations.

It's interesting because on the surface she can come across as far more confident and self assured than Tim, not afraid to be loud and messy. But there's so much insecurity behind it and her mannerisms and character beats come across as not just autism to me, but very specifically teen girl autism. Which is one of the reasons why I love her Batgirl series. We get to see her in all fully confident in her autistic girl swagger. And good for her!

Sorry if this is rambling and incoherent but I have a lot of thoughts on autistic Steph so thank you so much for the ask skshdshshh.

#dc #stephanie brown #dc rambles #Asks

[ladygatuna]

Chapter 1: The good Son returns home

"Everything will be different, there's no need to be afraid."

This phrase reverberated incessantly in Veronica's mind. Your hands are shaking, your breathing is ragged, each step is a challenge. He felt on the verge of collapse, staggering and bumping into people. Passersby in Gotham cast disdainful glances, murmuring about yet another addict on the run. She didn't blame them.

Gotham. The city remained unchanged, still exuding its putrid odor, and criminals continued to sneak through the dark alleys. The same Gotham she had left, perhaps a little less degraded than she expected. After all, she had abandoned her duty, running away at the first chance. When he looked up, he saw a large bat symbol lighting up the sky. Something new. Something that seemed to frighten criminals. But why? Bats weren't that terrifying.

Or were they?

A few hours earlier, she had left the portal that brought her back to a dark and dirty alley, her last memory of the city. "Damn, it's the bat!" someone had exclaimed, and his heightened senses went on alert. A glass bottle whizzed past his head, with almost no time to dodge. When he turned around, he saw three men crouched, huddled and shaking. As they approached, they jumped to their feet with mischievous smiles.

"I didn't say it was just an invention, guys! It's just a lost kitten!" shouted the loudest one. His stomach dropped at the last sentence. The look in those men's eyes said everything that was going on in their minds. She forgot that alleys in Gotham were the last thing to go into at night.

But something else was running through his head.

"Who the hell is the bat?" Her voice was weak, but she knew they heard her, as they flinched a little.

"Let's go, boss, this looks like a trap!" shouted the smallest of them, the most agitated, who was looking everywhere, especially upwards.

"Hold still, man," said the older one, pushing the younger one who fell to the ground. "You're going to scare the girl with your inventions!"

"It's not an invention, I saw him, damn it!"

Veronica stood still, observing the scene. Clearly, there were criminals hiding from this bat, perhaps a boss. But she wouldn't stay there to find out. His body was in survival mode, he just needed a warm bed. Taking advantage of their fight, she slowly left, so tired that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her. It all happened very quickly, with no chance of defense.

He felt his body being thrown against the wall, screaming in pain. Unfortunately, she still hadn't recovered from her old injuries or gotten rid of the toxin Miguel had injected into her. I wouldn't die, but the feeling was horrible. Miguel was now his number one enemy.

Before she could get up, the older man kicked her in the stomach, knocking the air out of her. Everything spun around again.

"Where do you think you're going, whore?" He screamed in her ears as he pulled her hair, dragging her back to the other two. "The night was difficult, we need fun!" His body was thrown to the ground violently, a crack was heard followed by crying.

Bones were the hardest to heal and the most painful. They ruined the entire process that Hobie had taken so long to complete. She heard the tallest one celebrating, clapping and praising his friend for getting a prostitute. They were so happy that they didn't notice when she stood up, her eyes lifeless and her pupils dilated. However, he didn't remember exactly what happened in the alley, just screams and the taste of blood in his mouth. The next thing he remembered was being on the streets, returning to his safe home.

Still looking at the bat symbol, Veronica hoped he wasn't a mafia boss who had taken over the streets, explaining the fear of criminals. But, she didn't have time now. I needed to rest. I wouldn't beat a man in that state.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she arrived in front of an apartment. It remained the same. I hoped nothing had changed. He climbed the wall to the fourth floor. Everything was silent. The balcony door had a curtain, which made her heart sink.

"What if she has moved?"

Building up courage, he knocked on the glass door, whistling a familiar lullaby. Silence took over the place, only the distant sounds of police cars and ambulances.

"Maybe she was sleeping."

It wasn't impossible, it was dawn. I needed to do it louder. Just as he was about to knock again, he heard heavy footsteps running up to the window.

Two beats, and the rest of the melody. Her heart jumped when she heard her friend's voice ask, "Are the owls free, sir?"

With joy, Veronica replied: "They have never been in prison, my child!"

The curtain was thrown aside, and the door opened. A tearful, red-haired figure appeared, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Hi, little orange," said Veronica, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

The night would be long.

#batboys #batfam headcanons #batfamily #batman #oneshot #aranhaverso #spiderverse oc #across the spiderverse #batfam #bruce wayne #gotham #imagine #fanfic #writers on tumblr #writing #spiderman #amateur writer #jason todd #dick grayson #nigthwing #x reader #red hood #dc robin #damian wayne #tim drake #jason #bruce #babs #cass #steph

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure 01x03 - The Blue Wolf! Garurumon! / Garurumon

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Prank phone calls sure do hit different when the emergency line operator is the one doing them.

Good news is, we have like a day's worth of food. Bad news is, we're still in this awful place File Island and don't know how to go home. Or even where we can physically be that won't piss off territorial wildlife. Man, when I signed up for an Isekai, I was promised elf waifus and unearned combat supremacy; I want to speak with this place's manager!

We open on Taichi standing on the edge of a cliff, staring into emo distance. He's trying to make sense of the rules of this death world. Why did only Agumon evolve? Why did he lose his evolution and revert to Agumon again?

Agumon has no answers for him. As noted last episode, the Partner Digimon don't understand how this works either. We're all figuring this shit out together.

Dub Tai makes the wild-ass claim that they've already searched the whole island, which is a bald-faced lie given that exploring File Island will take up much of this arc. Then he just brags about how Greymon is super badass, rather than contemplating how evolution works.

Tai does also ask Agumon why he can't remain as Greymon, but he's more macho about it and kind of mean. "I like you better as Greymon," he says with actual words from his mouth. Agumon apologetically explains that "Even superheroes need a rest."

No time to keep thinking about this, nature has discovered us once again. Monochromon, an Adult-stage Digimon, smashes through some nearby rocks. Tentomon assures us that Monochromon are docile. The narrator agrees, but adds that they have a foul temper.

As a second Monochromon emerges from the other side of the group, the kids quickly decide to skedaddle out of the way. The Monochromon aren't here for us, we're just in the crossfire. Nature can be like that sometimes.

Tentomon speculates that this is a territorial dispute. Makes sense, and also not our problem so we book. Fleeing from this violence, Takeru trips and falls, but Yamato stops to help him, giving the brothers a nice moment.

Once we've run as far as we can from the territory duel, Mimi gets tired. She offhandedly complains that all this walking is going to thicken her calves, prompting Agumon to chime in that thick calves are good 'cause you can kick dirt with them. Palmon argues that leafy feat are better. Mimi is unswayed by both of these arguments.

Dub Mimi adds a bit about shopping malls; "I don't walk this much unless I'm at a mall, and as you can see, we're nowhere near one!" However, the thrust of her complaint remains that she's tired and sore from all this walking. Agumon inexplicably suggests she'd feel better if she took off her shoes and walked in bare feet. Palmon doubles down, saying she loves the feel of dirt between her toes. Mimi is not impressed.

Meanwhile, Koushiro and Sora discuss the strangely colored sunset of File Island. Even the sky in this place is weird. In any case, the sunset brings a more pressing concern: It's going to get dark soon. We're about to spend our first night on File Island.

Tentomon notices the smell of water in the air, so he takes to the sky to scout out and discovers a lake nearby. A freshwater drinking source is a huge discovery in a survival situation, so we should head that way!

It takes very little time to reach a survival consensus. Everyone is tired and hungry. We'll make camp at the lake and figure things out in the morning.

Well, consensus except for Dub Matt. Yamato likes the idea of stopping to rest for reasons that are clearly visible onscreen with him and require no elaboration. Matt, however, decides to be contrarian and barks that "We should keep walking and stop all the complaining!" Harsh, Matt.

Lake's full of telephone poles and shit but honestly we are past caring that File Island is weird. As we approach the lake, the group takes a moment to agree that this is a great spot to camp out for the night.

Mimi's nervous, though. She asks Taichi to clarify that camping means they have to sleep outdoors, which he confirms.

However, a new option suddenly presents itself courtesy of File Island being so weird. As if directly responding to their presence, a trolley sitting on a little island connected to the mainland by a manmade stone bridge suddenly turns on and calls their attention to it.

As they race for the trolley, Dub Tai inexplicably calls out, "Mimi, wait up!" as he leaps through the doors, despite being the first kid to set foot on it.

Having thoroughly failed their Don't Get In A Stranger's Car check, they take a moment investigating the trolley. Taichi and Koushiro confirm that nobody's here. Taichi's extremely bothered by this whole thing. Jou agrees, wondering aloud if the trolley's going to start moving by itself, but Taichi waves him off; There aren't any tracks for the trolley to go down.

Dub Tai agrees with Joe, but thinks it might actually be good if the trolley suddenly kidnaps them all. It might take them home. Dub Tai somehow manages to be worse at Stranger Danger than any of the Japanese crew. To be fair, he's not alone; Dub Mimi said that too.

Well, it's decided. We'll sleep in the trolley tonight. Just like that, the group sets to work on foraging for food and supplies. Last episode, the Digimon said they're good at foraging; Now they get to show off their skills, gathering various fruits and berries. Mimi tries to help, but Palmon stops her from accidentally picking poisonous mushrooms.

Jou and Sora gather firewood while Koushiro and Takeru catch fish to cook. Taichi and Yamato prepare the fire and just like that, we're camping.

When he sees Takeru struggling with figuring out how to eat a whole fish like this, Yamato offers to de-bone it for him. Taichi interrupts and tells Takeru to just start at the head and bite; Takeru accepts that advice and gives it a try.

In the dub, T.K. complains that his mom wouldn't like this. He's only supposed to eat fish sticks, and he's not supposed to eat with his fingers. Matt assures T.K. that he won't tattle, and Tai chimes in to tell him he's "hanging with the big boys now" which seems to settle his nerves.

From there, Taichi approaches Sora, who's filling up a bamboo shaft with water from the lake. He's noticed that Takeru refers to Yamato as "Onii-chan" and he's curious about it. Sora's as lost as he is about it.

Dub Tai already gets that Matt and T.K. are brothers, and instead complains that Matt "doesn't treat T.K. like a brother, only like he's a bother." Rude. Sora agrees, but suggests he's still learning how to be a big brother.

Jou returns from having a short walk around, stargazing. He's been trying to use the night sky to figure out where the hell File Island is, but the sky is wrong. Not just wrong for Japan; It's just wrong. Neither the North Star nor the Southern Cross can be found. So we are neither in the Northern Hemisphere nor the Southern. What does that leave?

Sora quickly corroborates, observing that she can't find any familiar constellations either.

Dub Joe is less thorough than Jou. He doesn't look for the Southern Cross, instead settling on the idea that we must be in the Southern Hemisphere if he can't find the North Star. Mystery solved.

Before long, it's officially time for bed. Time to spend our first night on File Island. Koushiro wants to establish a night watch rotation, which Taichi and Jou quickly agree to.

Taichi suggests that the girls shouldn't have to keep watch. Upon hearing this, Yamato jumps to his feet to demand that Takeru be excluded too. Takeru volunteers to take a turn anyway, but Yamato tells him no; Takeru should just sleep.

The dub cuts Tai's line about wanting Sora and Mimi excluded from the rotation, which leaves Matt issuing demands on T.K.'s behalf out of nowhere. This still works for the scene's intent.

Mimi points out that they have no bedding to sleep with. Getting an idea, Taichi goes straight for Gabumon, trying to steal his pelt away from him. He's only playing around, and he lets go as soon as Gabumon freaks out and runs.

Dub Tai somehow makes this about Mimi, playing her up like a predator in the night who's going to come for Gabumon in the night and cut off his tail.

Yamato angrily shoves Taichi away from Gabumon and the two nearly come to blows before the others tell them to quit it. Jou interrupts, calling the group's attention together so they can set up the shifts. With Sora, Mimi, and Takeru all excluded, the rotation he comes up with is:

Taichi

Yamato

Koushiro

Jou

Sora and Mimi remain excluded from the list even in the dub, so I guess Joe's the sexist one in this version. :P

As the kids prepare for bed in the trolley, they proceed to make unbelievably poor use of all that seating area. Everyone has to sleep in a sitting position but like there is so much space y'all.

Mimi's upset because she's used to sleeping in a bed. Dub Mimi instead is mad that she has to share sleeping space with other people. Rude.

Going to bed, we're made privy to each of their last thoughts as they drift off. Sora hopes they aren't attacked in the night. Mimi wants to take a bath. Koushiro expects it will be a long day for the group tomorrow. Jou wants this all to have been a dream.

In the dub, T.K. bids everyone good night with, "Don't let the Monochromon bite," giving Sora a specific monster anxiety to worry about. Mimi's feet are still sore. Izzy speculates that the aliens he's still on about put the trolley here to help them. Joe worries about getting "monster cooties", actual quote.

Yamato's staked out his own bench to rest on. He orders Gabumon to go keep Takeru warm. Gabumon teases him about loving his brother and Yamato storms off in a fit of embarrassment.

As the group drifts off to sleep, things start to go to shit almost immediately. The other shoe finally begins to drop during Taichi's shift, as he steps on a strange red leaf on his way to wash his face. Nothing comes of it, however. Not yet.

While Taichi's washing his face to stay awake during his shift, Yamato exits the trolley to get away from everyone. He apologizes to Taichi for their earlier fight, and confides that Takeru's closer to Taichi than to him because of his overprotective behavior; Calling back to the earlier incident with the cooked fish.

Dub Matt, meanwhile, continues being a total jerk. He still apologizes but, rather than opening up about his feelings, Matt aggressively blames "having to watch T.K." for his behavior. Nice, bro.

Taichi asks Yamato to explain the nature of their relationship for him. Yamato explains that they're brothers from a broken home; Their parents divorced and the brothers were split between them, which is why they have different last names.

The dub hasn't been playing coy about this the way the original did, so Tai instead has to ask, "Do you two even live in the same house!?" out of nowhere to provoke Matt's explanation. Matt answers that they're half-brothers so that's why they see each other so rarely.

Having had his fill of emotional honesty, Yamato splits with Taichi and goes to play his harmonica by the lake shore. He's shortly joined by Gabumon, doing a startlingly poor job of being Takeru's blanket.

That's when it happens.

Okay, fucko, I can handle being stepped on but that is a bridge too far. Local wildlife mad now.

I blame Taichi for this. 100%. That fin wasn't exactly hard to spot.

This is the Adult-stage Seadramon, the first of a particular kind of Digimon. The "dramon" lineage is a pun on the word "dragon". Any time you meet a -dramon, that's a dragon Digimon. Seadramon is, of course, the Sea Dragon Digimon.

Seadramon honestly wants nothing to do with this. His first reaction to his rude awakening is to try and peace out. Unfortunately, his tail is embedded in the island, so he ends up dragging it around with him.

Tentomon explains that Seadramon is normally pretty docile. He only attacks if he feels threatened. As long as we haven't threatened him, we should be fine. As Tentomon says this, he hops directly onto Seadramon's tail like an idiot.

Really playing up how much this impending fight is absolutely, 100% our fault. We screwed up. Seadramon is trying to defend himself against us.

This context doesn't make it into the dub. Instead, Tentomon assures the others that they'll be fine as long as Seadramon doesn't realize they're here; However, by stepping on Seadramon's tail like that, he reveals their presence to the dangerous predator.

Wrenching his tail free of the island, Seadramon retaliates by submerging himself and pushing the island further out into the lake until it collides with those telephone poles we saw earlier and can't budge any further.

Seeing Takeru in trouble, Yamato doesn't even hesitate to throw himself in the water and swim halfway across the dragon-occupied lake to reach his brother. Gabumon hesitates for a moment, not wanting to get his fur wet, but pursues Yamato anyway.

As Seadraman renews his assault on the island, the Child-stage Digimon try to fend him off, but their attacks are useless against an Adult-stage Digimon as usual. Taichi tries to get Agumon to evolve, but he can't; Agumon doesn't know why. As previously established, the Digimon don't understand this whole thing any better than the kids do.

Dub Agumon is lost too, but at least offers speculation. He thinks his body might still be tired from his fight with Shellmon. Valid theory.

Takeru falls in the water trying to get to Yamato, but Gomamon gives him a ride. Trusting Gomamon to take care of Takeru, Yamato and Gabumon throw themselves into the Seadramon fight.

Gabumon's signature move is Petit Fire. Like Baby Flame, this conveys the idea that it's a junior attack fitting of a Child-stage Digimon. The dub calls it Blue Blaster. Like the other Child attacks, Petit Fire is useless against Seadramon, who flicks Gabumon away with little difficulty.

Wrapping his tail around Yamato, Seadramon goes in for the kill.

The dub uses careful language to avoid explicitly saying that Seadramon is going to kill Matt, but nonetheless conveys the same idea. Tentomon calls Seadramon a "bubble brain" but explains that "once he finds his prey, he won't let go".

Takeru, Patamon, and Gabumon briefly discuss what they can do. Takeru wants Patamon to help, but Patamon is powerless so he turns to Gabumon. Gabumon's hesitation strikes again; He wants to help Yamato but he isn't strong enough to intervene.

However, as he watches Seadramon choke the life out of Yamato, Gabumon thinks about his harmonica music and how much he wants to hear it again. He dwells on that music and how badly he wants to hear Yamato play, then lets out a bloodcurdling scream and begins his Adult-stage evolution.

None of this emotional conflict makes it into the dub. English Gabumon agrees to go save Matt immediately, calling out that he's on his way and assertively saying, "What's a little stinky fur compared to a friend like him?"

Either way, Gabumon SHINKAAAAAA!!!

Gabumon's Adult-stage is Garurumon, another onomatopoeia name. He's named for the sound of a wolf growling. "Garururururu...."

While Garurumon and Seadramon fight, Tentomon explains that Garurumon's fur is as strong as the legendary metal mythril. The kids don't know what that is, so Koushiro asks for clarification. This puts Tentomon on the spot, who has to admit that he doesn't know what mythril is either. Taichi wonders aloud if they should really be trusting Tentomon's word when he's explaining the Digimon lore.

Dub Tentomon only equates Garurumon's fur to steel, and adds that he's a "growling torpedo". Izzy understands what that means and declares Garurumon to be invincible, forcing Tentomon to backpedal and say it's only local heresay, nothing concrete. Tai then accuses him of "exaggerating with another one of your wild fish tales again". Uh, another?

For once, we get some focus on the antagonist's special moves too. Seadramon is a wild animal so he doesn't talk, but Tentomon explains this to be his signature move Ice Arrow. Fitting for a sea dragon, he has frost breath.

Garurumon matches it with his Fox Fire. The dub calls this Howling Blaster.

Y'all, he just wanted to sleep.

Gomamon's Marching Fishes bring us back to land, but the sun comes up and nobody's rested. Exhausted, conversation turns to Gabumon's evolution.

Sora suggests that Gabumon was able to evolve this time because it was Yamato in danger. Taichi remembers Agumon evolving to protect him and corroborates that theory. The kids are beginning to develop an understanding of how evolution functions.

Once that's settled, the kids find spaces in the grass to snooze; Everyone's too tired to even care anymore where they rest their heads.

We close this episode on Yamato playing Takeru and Gabumon to sleep.

...I guess technically it is his turn to take watch.

#digimon #digimon adventure #revisiting digimon #revisiting digimon adventure

[ctl-yuejie]

a taste

#only friends #only friends the series #ofts #mark pakin #papang phromphiriya #i am obsessed with how good papang is #trust me to read too much into it but to me he clearly has an idea who 30 sth year old Dan is #seemingly out of the dating scene since at least his graduation so doesn't know the current lingo #feeling a bit too old but also unsure how he likes being called old but hot #very charmed by this junior but not used anymore to getting butterflies in a club #lowkey knows that the boss thing might be a bit hmm... #(listen: i love that again the show doesn't give us a clear line of 'dan is a creep' because there is a lot of room for him to essentially #be a good option for nick as well as the possibility of accidentally acting unethical) especially within the community it is worth to #observe whether the power imbalance on its own speaks against the person #he's also a bit shy wondering whether this cute guy would actually be interested in him because he is sweet and obviously aquainted with #going to bars so surely he must have options #and mark is also so wonderful ;A; even before he spots boston you can see that there is still some heartbreak lingering #but also that he liked the kiss but it was a very different feel to boston #also: somehow papang in mlc and papang here kisses absolutely differently and it makes so much sense to me that he at this point in his #life would kiss like this?? idk how to explain it better #this show continues to bring out the best acting out of everyone #(to derail: maybe why i want the writing for top to be that he's still in the grey so badly because i think that is the kind of difficult #acting force is actually mastering in this series)

[rohirric-hunter]

For reference, in case anyone's curious about the coin shown in the epic coinflip emote.

I believe the profile on the heads side is meant to be Aragorn, which would make this a very strange coin to have for a PC who's not that far along on the Epic.

#lotro #actually im pretty sure that the way they made the heads side was that they took one of their models of aragorn #got a good sideview screenshot of it #masked it and slapped it on the coin and then colored it gold #id bet money on it actually #but enough of that. lets discuss the visible hooded cloak that hes clearly wearing alongside the crown #did the devs put much thought into that? maybe! #but its the telcontar in the official depiction #you know what i mean #anyway this is a gold piece #my long-held headcanon for silver pieces is the tree on one side #(stars if it was minted when there was a king but if there was no king then no stars) #and the winged crown on the other #given that one quest in. uh. wherever that one quest was #arnach? i think? #anyway given that one quest i think it would be neat if post war gondorian copper pieces had the tree on one side and a hammer on the other #also hi quick question ive been looking at regional currencies and uhhhhhhhhh whats the exchange rate on these #are we to assume based on this emote that regular gold silver and copper is gondorian currency? #makes sense in some places. bree and the shire for instance might very well keep on using arnors old currency #one could even argue that when they needed to mint new coins they just made them in the model of the old ones #but why on earth do i get these as a quest reward in forochel? the vales? erebor? #also gondor alone has like 19 thousand different faction currencies #exchange rate? not even because i want to exchange my tokens just explain this aspect of your worldbuilding please

[satanfemme]

watching the jenny nicholson video about the star wars hotel and based on this testimony you could not design a more hellish experience for me if u tried I think. at no fault of the star wars ip. just the entire design and functionality of the hotel itself.... I feel physically nauseous from the second hand anxiety this video is giving me and I'm not kidding LOL

#I can very clearly visualize a different universe where this was built 10 years earlier (and at a more affordable price lol) #where my family would've stayed in there and I feel like in that au it would've been a formative traumatic memory for 10 year old me #I can't explain. every aspect of this hotel's description is fundamentally Bad and Wrong to me on a personal level. this is a horror movie. #had to share that. thx for reading

[fakeoldmanfucker]

Thinking about how apparently John can't go back to the First House/Earth, and how souls rub off on each other in proximity and they become more alike with time, and how souls want to return to their bodies. And what it would mean for John if he returned to Earth after more than ten thousand years of having part of Alecto's soul in his.

#pure conjecture and also i could be totally wrong #maybe there was a line in one of the books that explained why he can't go back in a different way #bc even when he comes to the edge of the solar system #it's to the edge not to the first house or anything like that #and i don't think it's Not his guilt or some messy combination of emotions that keeps him from coming back #he clearly has some Very Complicated emotions about his genocide and i think part of that could be grief #but i can't help but wonder if he's avoiding earth to hold onto his power #finn's flailings #the locked tomb #john gaius #alecto

[vimbry]

why is the fence-sitting centrist bigotry the most annoying and disappointing to deal with

#I guess when someone's more confident and clear-cut. it's easier to brush away their opinions #it's like having family members who would consider themselves supportive of a group because they don't agree w/ them being harmed or killed #but are very clearly Not comfortable in literally every other way #and would never put the effort in to begin to understand even if you tried to explain anything to them #in a way that's different to someone who may be ignorant and accidentally offensive but is receptive to learning and changing #I might be speaking from experience lmao

[lord-squiggletits]

I wish to love and appreciate idw optimus more too. But I also don’t want to read through the entirety of IDW 1.0. Can you please recommend me any specific issues/parts?

My best friend and fellow IDW Optimus lover made a post compiling all the comics with major story beats involving Optimus. Her list has a lot of the same things mine does, but also a lot more specific issues because she actually knows which specific issues of which series you can read specifically for ones focused on IDW Optimus. We don't agree on everything (I love some comics she dislikes and vice versa), but I would recommend her list simply because it's the most well-documented and thorough. Link I also have a lot of far less coherent but still genuine posts about IDW OP on my #idw op love tag.

As for specific parts I would recommend... since you don't want to read through all of IDW1, I'll go ahead and recommend you things based on in-universe chronological order rather than story release order, but if anything here interests you then I would recommend reading IDW1 in release order so that you get a better grasp of the story's context and how new lore was given out over time:

Chaos Theory and Police Action by James Roberts (The Transformers 2009 issues 22-23): I love love LOVE the way JRO writes Optimus talking to Megatron during the present day, it's very IDW-Optimus flavored because of how blunt, abrasive, and snappy Optimus is. There's a part in the comic where Megatron claims that he "knows [Optimus] better than anyone else," and he's right, but it's also true that Optimus knows Megatron well enough to see that he's bullshitting and it's very entertaining watching Optimus slowly lose his patience with him. I love the dialogue especially, no one (canon or fandom) has ever quite written the same IDW OP who's in this set of comics. It's also the most MegOP comic of all time because the sexual tension and the subliminal imagery of them doing BDSM together is unreal, plus it really captures their dynamic of two old soldiers who snap together with chemistry despite (or perhaps because of) being such long-time enemies. They just UNDERSTAND each other so well. Also, as a bonus point, Chaos Theory is where the pre-war lore for IDW1 began being published, so if you read Chaos Theory then the context for future pre-war lore makes a little more sense.

Shadowplay by James Roberts (More Than Meets the Eye issues 10-11): More pre-war lore that picks up where Chaos Theory/Police action left off. Important because it establishes a lot of IDW OP's character relationships, especially with "the Senator," Roller, and to a degree Ratchet and some minor side characters. I don't really know what to say about this besides it's just really fucking fun to read and features IDW OP getting to do cool shit like fight bad guys, investigate conspiracies, and do heists while also establishing one of his key character traits: being disastrously gay for suspicious men that he places entirely too much trust in to tell him what the right thing to do is.

Spotlight: Orion Pax by James Roberts: Okay, I'm really sorry for recommending JRO's stuff because it feels like favoritism and I don't even think JRO does the best version of IDW OP, it's just going in in-universe chronological order means that a lot of JRO stuff ends up first on the list. This one doesn't really have much of consequence in it and is honestly one of the weaker Spotlight issues, but like Shadowplay, it involves Orion Pax doing fun action shit and having way too much trust in a suspicious man (a new one from the suspicious man in Shadowplay).

The Autocracy Trilogy (Autocracy, Monstrosity, Primacy) by Chris Metzen: Oh my fucking god this is THE IDW Optimus to me, this trilogy is literally what made my ears perk up to even start liking IDW OP because it's what took me from "Optimus Prime, that's the guy who's the super awesome leader that everyone likes and is a paragron to everyone, yeah I know him" to "Oh.... holy shit this is such a good plot/worldbuilding, Optimus has so much CONFLICT and DRAMA with other people." It covers one of my favorite periods of the general Transformers formula, namely pre-war and early war plot events as conflicts come to a boiling point, there's political conflicts and personal conflicts, the planet is falling to shit and everyone is trying to escape and things are as depressing and scary as you would expect for a war that's literally about to consume a whole planet. I found the general plotlines to be gripping and intense (Autocracy is the weakest in this regard, but the writing gets better with each book) and I really like seeing how Optimus grapples with leadership. Especially the negative parts where people hate/fear him because of his association with Zeta's regime (the previous Prime, who Orion worked for), call his judgment into question, refuse his calls to action or waver in their faith in him, and so forth. I found it to be a really nuanced yet sympathetic view of IDW Optimus that made me fall in love with him. Because really, the thing that humanizes a character the most is making them flawed, and Autocracy trilogy Optimus is so incredibly flawed and conflicted. And also it shows him being shit on by other characters in a way that's well written in a plot that makes sense and doesn't feel like the entire plot is conspiring to shit all over him.

The Death of Optimus Prime by James Roberts and John Barber: This comic is basically the transition from phase 1 to phase 2, it establishes the branching plotlines of MTMTE and exRID, so this is another one of those comics that will help you understand IDW1 better if you want to read for more than just Optimus. Anyways, DoOP is great because it has a similar vibe to the Autocracy trilogy in that society is chaos and full of people who fucking hate Optimus' guts for the role he played in the war. You can also compare/contrast the way OP was before the war and early in the war versus the way he is after the war and see how much the war changed him (Chaos Theory also kind of is like this but it more shows bitchy Optimus specifically in his dynamic with Megatron). It also features a fair amount of Optimus Heroic Moments, Optimus Brooding, and Optimus being so fucking depressed he's literally sad when he wakes up and realizes he's not dead dude get some fucking therapy please I'm begging you--

Punishment by John Barber: This skips ahead quite a bit in the story but I think stands decently well on its own without having to understand the wider context. It's one of Barber's best-written stories and one of the only ones I've come back to reread for its own sake. It features Optimus trying to solve the murder-mystery of a bunch of Decepticons, featuring really cool plot conflicts like Optimus trying to navigate post-war society and the tensions that still linger from the Autobot-Decepticon war. I really like this one because it has that whole "not everyone loves OP and a lot of people hate him for justified reasons" thing that makes IDW OP a much more 3D character, PLUS it has some politics with the way Decepticons are treated post war. And I think it does really interesting things with Optimus in terms of showing how he DOES have this idealistic, merciful side that wants people to choose peace and letting go of vengeance, but of course it's not so easy to expect that of people after a 4 million year war. So when people inevitably choose violence, Optimus gets frustrated and angry and lashes out in a way that feels very real and understandable. It's a really good example of a comic that shows IDW OP in a nuanced way, showcasing both his virtues and flaws in a complicated situation that shows that there's no easy solution to these problems and no way for Optimus to escape without getting his hands dirty. Unlike future comics which involve OP being in complicated situations but instead the plot is super contrived and seems to overwhelmingly shit on OP without ever mentioning the very obvious ways that he could be defended, creating a story that's conceptually fascinating but incredibly mediocre in execution.

If I had to recommend any single one of these to read, I would recommend the Autocracy trilogy the most because it's literally the story that made me love IDW Optimus and made me realize "whoa, this guy is super nuanced and not what I expected of him." That's not to say that no other Optimi have depth and nuance, but I think the Autocracy trilogy was great for me personally as one of the first IDW1 comics I read. It struck a really good balance between "uh Optimus was part of some bad things that warrant being shit on" and "Optimus is struggling to overcome those bad associations he did, succeeding with some people and failing with others" and "Optimus is an optimist who has faith in others even when they don't have faith in themselves." Also, as a bonus, the Autocracy trilogy also features cunty murder-husband Megatron, an interesting character arc for Hot Rod, and the Dinobots as really interesting supporting characters (including their leader, Grimlock, having a cute veteran-rookie dynamic with Hot Rod that I wish we got more of).

#squiggle answers #idw op love #also the blog of that post i linked has a lot of meta posts on idw op. they're really good analyses #and also explain lore and connect dots in ways that i don't do as well because i don't have as fine of a grasp of the lore #also like. just as an aside. i would recommend reading the transformers 2009 because that also features a good idw op #featuring him being an action hero but also tired and frustrated and very human #another note: JRO is a good fun writer but i find his IDW OP is a bit too...whitewashed in a way? #he's very interesting and fleshed out and sympathetic but JRO clearly puts OP on a pedestal and doesn't fully get into the bad parts #barber imo is the opposite where he's more critical of OP in both good and bad ways but his writing uh #barber's writing isn't uh. i think it's very hit or miss tbh #and metzen i just adore because i knew his writing from being an old world of warcraft fan #and he was responsible for the period of lore that fans generally consider to be the core of the franchise #but also keep in mind there are ppl with completely different opinions from me #i've found that even among idw op fans people have slightly different takes on him and interpret his character in different ways #where like. we all came to the conclusion of loving idw op but with different reasonings and favorite story moments #so YMMV but IDW OPTIMUS IS AN INCREDIBLY SLEPT ON OPTIMUS PLEASE TALK TO ME MORE ABOUT HIM

[caterpillarinacave]

So you choose not to step through the door, after all why mess with nonsense when you're already in nonsense? You check the items in your pockets, your phone you shut off to conserve power, the dog tag, key and top clink together but offer no help, and when you fiddle with the walkie-talkie you manage to get it to turn on, excitedly you call out to the void but only static responds, which is disappointing but predictable, so you put the items away and hunker down for the night, looking at the sky you can see that the stars seem strange, though you're no expert, and the moon seems to have a second smaller moon near it which looks pretty cool but is a stark reminder of how not on your own world your predicament has landed you.

In the morning you begin looking through the nearby bushes and plant life taking note of anything strange, you notice the berries you had been picking before you stepped through the door are also growing around here, they look and taste the same, and some other plants seem pretty similar to the forest from before as well, although the further away from the door you go the more unfamiliar plants you come across (of course that may just be your lack of familiarity with plants) and the few animals you have noticed are bizarre in a way that you can't explain, like the people from town, they seem almost perfectly familiar, just a little off and the noises they make have you thinking they wouldn't be able to communicate with their counterparts either, brushing aside another branch you come across a strange funnel made of metal which you pocket and what looks to be a regular whistle, you wipe it down and blow but hear nothing aside from the air going through, you consider it is either broken or maybe a dog whistle, as you go to put it away you hear something big running in your direction, before you can decide how to react a large creature storms out of the bushes and stops in the clearing before you, it's huge as a horse with paws and sharp teeth it licks as it looks around and spots you, it shakes its head again reminding you of a horse, then steps closer before turning and staring expectantly, you get the feeling it's waiting on you, impatiently, and you realize it seems to expect you to get on its back. Do you get on?

Yes.

#I am a terrible terrible Irish child #Clearly all those folk tales whose only moral was “don’t climb on the strange horse” were lost on me. Technically not a horse though. So. H #Uh please don’t run into the bog with my on your back strange horse thing. #…This may be one of my worse ideas #On one hand moving away from what appears to be the only connection my world doesn’t sound like a great idea #Back through the door is logically the the best bet. However I’ve already explored the area #The only thing to do would be to just sit there for hours and that will get me nowhere. The things that do have leads like the walkie- #Sputtering are things to pay attention to but not things that are likely to change if I don’t move. The whistle is the newest thing- #And let’s be real I’ve been in the bramble for like 14 hours without the neurospicy meds I am teetering on dangerously antsy #Probably better to get on the horse before I come up with something more stupid #It’s interesting my world flora seems to surround the door. I wish I’d payed more attention before I stepped through #If the nearby flora on the other side seemed like it would come from this world it would suggest that the door just leaks between universes #In two ways. If it’s earths flora then it’s either only leaking one way which we could no from one step through #Or - which we will not know but should pay attention for if we step into some other world - if the earths flora shows up around EVERY porta #Which would suggest earth is the base in some way #It might be beneficial to climb a tree to try and see farther out #Though I don’t exactly get many opurtunited to haul myself up a tree so I would put to much stock in a)my upper body strength #And b) my ability to chose a tree that won’t kill me #It’s defintley worth taking in as much info as possible. I’ll try and notice things like different winds gravity tempature ect #What should i tag this all. Help I got lost in a blackberry bush? Anon who takes me to alternate planes of reality? #I know #Guys I got lost in a bush #That’s a good one. Nothing weird there at all. #FINE I’ll rage it “guys I got lost in a blackberry bush” #I wonder what makes things so familiar. Perhaps this world exists very closely to the other. Perhaps they’ve crossed paths before. #Perhaps they’ve shown up in our dreams. Perhaps I have bad memory and my brain gaslights itself into thinking everything’s familiar #I wonder maybe the horse is a horse/dog thing- that would explain the likeness to the dog whistle (?) #This can’t get any worse I say doing something that could very much make it worse #Eh what’s the worst that can happen. At least I don’t have to pay taxes in this world #Guys I got lost in a black berry bush

[prentissluvr]

tw long rant and swearing!

hey!! if you don't like something i wrote! shut the fuck up and move on!! thanks bye!! no hate is tolerated on this blog :)))

i don't care if you don't like the way i characterized someone in my story!! shut up and get a better hobby than hating on something someone has spent hours creating and pouring love into and accusing them of hating one of their favorite characters because you think that the fic they wrote FOR FUN and NOT FOR YOU is bad characterization/makes the character flawed in a way that you don't like because you have a poor understanding of what makes fanfiction fanfiction (and also humans human tbh lol). sure, they're maybe more flawed than in the actual show, but THATS THE FUCKING POINT OF FANFICTION!!! IS THAT ITS NOT A REAL PART OF THE SHOW!!! AND ITS WRITTEN!!! FOR FUNNNNN!!!!! AND NOT FUCKING FOR YOU AND YOUR FUCK ASS OPINIONS SPECIFICALLY!!!!!!!! and if you think it sucks, i don't care!! you are entitled to your opinion!!!! hate it so so so much but get the fuck over yourself if you think that telling me it's horrible and unrealistic and somehow creating a bad wrap FOR MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IN THIS SHOW is somehow a meaningful usage of your time or gonna get me to delete the fic or stop liking it or stop promoting my own hard work !!!! i'm proud of the things i write and nothing will ever change that. i hope you know what a shitty shitty shitty (and embarrassing) thing it is to do to leave a whole paragraph of hate under someone's hard work just because they interpret a fictional fucking character in a way that you don't like. genuinely genuinely get the fuck over yourself and find a better way to spend your time than caring more about fictional characters than real life people.

#and yeah! honestly i'm upset right now #i do care because its my fic my baby my hard work #and its really hurtful to have someone tell me its stupid unrealistic and somehow a harmful representation of one of my fav characters ever #but also i don't care if people don't like what i write or how i interpret/represent a character!!! #having different opinions and stances on things is so valid and okay #but for you to spell it all out in such a judgmental condescending and hateful way in a reblog of my fic is such a hurtful thing to do #and its very upsetting to see #but it does show very clearly to me that you have no understanding of how to act appropriately or what it takes to write #or how to act maturely and kindly when you come across something of genuinely so little consequence that you don't agree with #that's one of the craziest things about that #is that fanfiction is like meaningless LMAO #and for you to read a fucking fanfiction that you don't like???? #and then take the time to explain to the well meaning and hard working author who is just writing for fun and to find friends #why you hate it so much is actually ridiculous #and i am so willing to bet you have zero friends on this website!! #thats kinda mean! but there's so many hateful opinions on your blog that clearly showcase how limited your critical thinking skills are <33 #also i'm speaking into the void the person who did this got blocked the second i read what they said LOL #but yeah! i'm not cool with people saying such hateful stuff to me so don't try it again <33 #next time i might not be so kind as to keep someone anonymous if this happens again #but at least i'm choosing to be 1000 times more mature than you by not engaging directly and without exposing your sorry ass #. >> ria says shit !

[thesimplicityofchance]

Does anyone else feel like this year feels almost drastically different compared to the last three for some reason ?

#like idk how to explain it exactly but it just feels very different #not in a clearly good or bad way either just different