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derww · 7 days

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Wemmbu//To become the God

TW: God complex, violence, deaths

"I don't want to say that I don't like the idea," says the child of chaos with a complex emotion in his voice. "It's very cool, I'm intrigued, but the orbital cannon, seriously? I mean... with an arrow cannon we got a bunch of hearts, and orbital cannon looks really cool, but in the end, it is just destruction and the hearts that go into nowhere."

"Oh, Squiddo", he smiled to her, like she was actually a kid. "You haven't met the true power yet. True power doesn't need a special little mechanic to work, it just takes away what's rightfully it's. And we'll do it".

"O-oh," they nod, "I think I understand," and bow their head in uncertainty, "or not".

He rolls his eyes.

"We will give them death and destruction," he says, "and they will have no choice but to give us anything or lose what little they have left until they have absolutely nothing. This is the only payment I will accept"-

"You should've paid me, Wemmbu", she says, plunging the sword into his chest, and oh, he's dying.

"I was going to," he lies, and then starts laughing hysterically. He laughs and laughs and laughs, choking on his own blood, and Squiddo's eyes are completely dark – how did he miss it?

It's all so ridiculous and expected that, at that moment, he doesn't even find room to hate her. It comes very soon, though, because there has always been enough room in his heart to hate them all, to a single one.

He needs only five minutes in limbo to vow to make her pay. Every broken mirror shows any of his deaths, and he likes none of them. Firstly, he says that he does not care, but anger catches to him, and he tears off his hands in blood, breaking the glass, and then freezes and stares for an hour at the smallest piece where Minute is killing him.

He hates being like this. I'll kill him, he says. I'll kill him, and I'll kill her, and I'll kill them all. I'll make their life so much worse than a death. I'll make them pray for mercy. I'll make them pray for me.

He laughs, and then cries, and then laughs again. At some point, 4C revives him, and he still laughs him in the face and says that he is the only one who will live, and everyone else will die. 4C calmly bows his head and asks to vote for him. He agrees.

(He actually votes for him.)

He likes to build cannons. Their appearance reminds him of the death and destruction they bring. He was never interested in redstone, but he was always interested in any way to destroy someone.

He lives with the thought of someone else's downfall. He lives on the idea of the apocalypse. He builds and builds and builds. In rare dreams, he sees a burning city strewn with corpses.

He's wrong. He doesn't make mistakes. He sees Minute's face and thinks only about how he wants to crush his skull, and three hearts in his chest are too much. He dies. He survives. He hates, but it doesn't matter.

"I'll search every single day for every single hour if I have to," says Minute, and he feels like so much less than he is. He smiles. He speaks. He runs.

He dies.

This time, limbo has only one mirror. It shows him. His skull is covered with thin skin, and a grin is frozen on the face. This is a vision from the distant past. He stares at it. It stares at him.

When he's being revived again, it's stupid Zam's face that he sees almost instantly.

Zam is one of the few members he is willing to tolerate. Of course, he tried to blow up Zam's house, but is it any wonder?

"I'm going to be the God, Zam," he says. "I'll offer them something they can't refuse, and they'll give me what's rightfully mine."

Zam doesn't look interested in infinite power. He nods understandingly but disinterestedly and then asks: "If we'll help you, can you make the server hardcore?"

He smiles. "Of course, Prince Zam. I'll make the server hardcore".

It's almost too easy. He does not take his eyes off Minute even for a moment, watching all his confidence and importance crumble in him, even reflected on his stone face. This is his favorite memory, more important even than the moment when LS Owner shakes his hand and he feels everything that is rightfully his.

He does many things, but among them, he asks Amy to forge him the godslayer. She does it in less than an hour, and it's still a piece of true art and destruction. The purple blade, capable of piercing immortal vessels and tearing the fabric of reality, it is the only sword really suitable for him.

And he carves his true name on the blade, because it is the only name of the God that they should all know, the God they should worship, the God they should fear.

And then he kills the God.

He doesn't live long enough to kill everyone else.

#it was supposed to be double fic with the spoke-parrot as parralel story #lifesteal #lifesteal smp #wemmbu #d.fics #tw death #tw blood #tw violence #fanfiction

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electrikworm · 18 days

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Human Shield: Part 2

Hunter wasn't ready to lose a brother, not like this. But they're soldiers, so they have to finish the mission, with or without Wrecker.

Part 2 of my "how Wrecker got his scar" fic :)

Content warning: Temporary Character Death, Blood and Injury, a lot of talk about death

This took me so long! I kept getting distracted. Oops… Hope the angst makes up for the wait!

Inspired by this post by @squad-724

Part 1

Enjoy :)

Read on Ao3

Hunter's heart drops at Wrecker's answer.

He's always hated plan 99. Hunter's not a tubie, he knows that sacrifices are a big part of their lives as soldiers. Even they've heard plenty of stories of clones laying down their lives for the greater good. Clones are expendable, that's just how it is.

Hunter still didn't like giving the act of dying for the mission a name, doesn't like the way doing so has put the thought of self-sacrifice into his brothers heads so prominently.

“What?” Crosshair says. Hunter can hear the way his heart rate skyrockets.

“What do you mean 'plan 99'?” This can't be happening. It can't. Clones die every day, but Hunter's brother's don't. Wrecker can't seriously mean that.

“Self-sacrifice, remember?” Wrecker responds. Hunter knows he means it. Wrecker wouldn't call a plan unless he intended to execute it, wouldn't call plan 99 if he didn't deem it absolutely necessary.

“We know that Wrecker.” Tech says. Hunter glances at him. His eyes are wide behind his goggles.

“You're not dying today, vod.” Hunter says. Wrecker can't die today. “Get your shebs over here, and that's an order.”

Internally, Hunter begs his little brother to listen, to call off what he's planed, to suddenly see a better solution to the problem he's faced with. Instead, Wrecker laughs. The same genuine heartfelt laugh he's always had.

“Can't do that, sarge. Door won't close, and if it doesn't, the fire'll just funnel though the corridor and kill us all.” Wrecker's voice is strained but calm.

Hunter wants to tell Wrecker that he doesn't have to do this, that none of them have to die, that they'll find another way. But Hunter doesn't know that, does he?

“Wrecker.” Hunter says warningly, not sure exactly why. Hunter trusts his vode, trusts Wrecker, but this can't possibly be the only way.

“I can hold them closed.” Wrecker says with a sigh. Hunter shakes his head despite being aware that Wrecker can't see him. “It's what I'm made for.”

“Wrecker, don't!” Hunter shouts, finally regaining enough control of his body to try and run in Wrecker's direction.

Hunter doesn't get far before the whole building shakes. Even with the helmet, the noise is unbearably loud, almost bringing Hunter to his knees. Further down the corridor, the ceiling collapses.

Hunter feels sick, and not because of the way his head hurts. Wrecker's gone. His kih'vod is buried under that rubble, and Hunter could do nothing to stop it from happening. Hunter's vision blurs.

“Hunter we've got company.” Tech's voice wavers ever so slightly as he speaks. Now that Hunter's paying attention, he can hear the steady approach of droids. He can't think about Wrecker now, if he does, he risks wasting Wrecker's sacrifice.

Hunter readjusts the grip he has on his blaster, trying to push down the suffocating emptiness threatening to rise in his chest. Crosshair's still staring at the rubble down the hall. Hunter can see the way his shoulders shake.

“We have to keep moving Cross.” Hunter says, putting a hand on his youngest brother's arm. There's no denying how close the sniper is, was, with Wrecker, even if Crosshair likes to act like they aren't.

“We can't just leave.” He sounds despaired. Hunter wished he knew how to comfort his brother, but that's always been Wrecker's thing. They barely have the time to stand here now, Hunter hasn't got the time to figure out the right thing to say or do.

“We're behind enemy lines. We'll be overrun by droids if we don't.”

Crosshair's head snaps round to look at Hunter. He can feel how intense his gaze is, even through the visor. “We don't leave vode behind.”

“He's gone, Crosshair!” Hunter snaps. He shouldn't let his emotions run free on the battlefield, but he can't stop it this time. “And for nothing if we die here too.”

He grabs Crosshair's arm and starts dragging him. After a few steps, the youngest member of Clone Force 99 start walking on his own again.

As they engage in combat against the approaching droids, it's painfully apparent that they're missing a member. They hardly always fought in a group, but Hunter had planned for Wrecker to be here. His brain seems not to have caught up to the fact that he isn't, and won't ever be again. Hunter keeps trying to spot him, keeps listening out for his heartbeat and heavy breathing as he ploughs through their enemies.

The absence of those rests heavily on Hunter, like it intends to crush his chest. Every time he picks up on it, he's reminded of where his little brother really is.

But they can't stop, don't stop until they're out of enemy territory and back on the Marauder. Hunter has to fight to not let the gravity of the situation consume him as soon as there's a quiet moment.

He and Tech contact the general that gave them the mission, some Chagrian jedi Hunter had never seen before. Hunter can't help but feel some resentment towards the general, despite her not being involved in their brother's death.

As Tech informs the jedi of the data he retrieved, Hunter's barely able to focus. Crosshair didn't even get on the Marauder, still lingering outside.

“The agreed meeting point still stands.” The jedi says. “Can I expect you to arrive on time?”

“Affirmative.” Tech answers, not sounding entirely certain. Hunter wanders off to find Crosshair before Tech's hung up on the jedi.

“What are you doing?” Hunter asks as he comes to a standstill next to his kih'vod.

“We can't leave him Hunter.” Now that Crosshair's helmet is off, Hunter can see he's close to tears. The only thing keeping them from falling is likely the years of harsh training and preparation for a moment like this he's endured. The statement feels a lot like denial.

“Cross, you know he's-”

“I know he's dead, Hunter! You can stop repeating yourself.” Crosshair snaps, face pinched in anger before he turns to look away. “That doesn't mean we have to leave him there, where the seppies can get their filthy hands all over his body. Doesn't mean we need to leave him to rot under rubble in an enemy base.” Crosshair's voice falters more and more as he speaks.

“We'd have to fight our way back in.” Hunter doesn't want to leave Wrecker's body where it is any more than Crosshair, but it's a risk to go back for him.

“I don't give a motla'shebs! We took most of them out, there's just stragglers left.” Crosshair's visibly shaking again. “If you won't come with me, I'll do it alone.”

“If we go back to him, we will be late to the meeting.” Tech says as he descends from the Marauder.

Crosshair's eyes snap to stare at Tech. “Why the kriff would that matter now?”

“Oh no, I agree with you Crosshair. I was merely stating fact.”

With both his brothers advocating to go back, Hunter couldn't bring himself to do the reasonable thing. Not when he so badly wanted to see his little brother at least once more, and to lay him to rest with the respect he deserves. Though Hunter had to admit that he knew little in the ways of burial rites. Tech surely has some information tucked away somewhere, otherwise they'd improvise.

Hunter tries not to think about it too hard as they make their way back to where they firs entered the base. Hopefully there'd be less rubble on that side of the explosion.

There really isn't many droids left. Hunter feels awful for almost deciding against going back for Wrecker's body, just because it's what the rules dictate. They're experimental clone force 99, rules have always been little more than suggestions to them. Hunter doesn't know why he thought now would be the time to starts following them.

The devastation leading up to what used to be the generator room is substantial. The smell of fire and fuel is almost overwhelming. Hunter hopes death came quick and painlessly for their vod.

Hunter can smell the blood long before they get to where Wrecker's body must lie. The silence around the three brothers becomes heavy. Hunter knows they all dread what they'll find. There's no saying how much of their brother will still be recognizable.

Among the bits of twisted metal, Hunter is able to distinguish the remains of the door, dented and warped by the explosion. His eyes watch the glint of something reflective. Nausea twists Hunter's stomach as he recognizes it as a pool of blood, Wrecker's blood. But, that's when he hears it.

A heartbeat so weak, Hunter barely recognized it as such, and wheezed breathing. Hunter's own heart almost stops the second time that day.

“He's alive!” Hunter yells as he tries to find a way to get closer to their brother. First, he just sees an arm poking out from under the door, then Wrecker's head. What's left of the door is laying on top of the rest of their brother. Hunter starts trying to get the weight off of Wrecker.

Blood soaks into his gloves as Hunter drops to the floor next to his little brother. Wrecker may be alive, but barely. If they don't get him out now, it won't stay that way long.

Tech and Crosshair don't need to be told what to do, finding their place next to Hunter with practised efficiency. It isn't lost on Hunter that Wrecker could lift the debris with ease. Wrecker groans when the door is shifted off his chest, but remains unconscious.

“What do we do?” Crosshair's voice cracks. He sounds so lost.

“Stop the bleeding, no matter what.” Tech says, dropping to his knees next to their fallen brother. “We can worry about infection once he's no longer going into hypovolemic shock.”

Now that he's uncovered, Hunter can see the extent of the damage to Wrecker's body. Most of his left side is a torn and bloody mess. Hunter tries not to think about it too hard as helps his brothers pack Wrecker's injuries with bandages. His armor, even his helmet, is badly damaged. Wrecker's face is a particularly dire sight.

They do the best they can under the less than ideal circumstances. Hunter worries it might not be enough. Wrecker's dangerously pale and shivering as they drag him out of the base. With their effort combined, they can move him at a decent speed.

If they'd went after him faster, Wrecker wouldn't be this close to death. Hunter thought Wrecker was dead, so he made a decision based on that fact. But he'd made a mistake, left his kih'vod to bleed out under rubble.

Had Wrecker been conscious as first? Was he lying there in a pool of his own blood, in pain, just waiting for death, waiting for it to be over?

If they lose Wrecker now, it'll be Hunter's fault. He'll never be able to forgive himself.

Wrecker's still out when they put him down on the Marauder's floor, though he's writhing and struggling against them holding him still. Crosshair kneels on the floor, supporting Wrecker's upper body in his lap. Hunter helps his youngest body fix any slipped bandages and add more from the ships medkit as Tech gets the Marauder on the fastest route back to Kamino. Hunter can't help but notice that Tech's flying more careful than he usually does.

Seeing Crosshair hold Wrecker close, the large clone's head limply resting against the sniper's chest, Hunter's reminded of how the two of them had bickered that morning. Hunter hadn't caught all of the disagreement, but it boiled down to Crosshair saying he finds Wrecker's habit of hugging them childish and refusing to do so before the mission. Not a new argument by any means. Crosshair loves to act like he hates any affection coming from his vode.

Hunter wonder's if Crosshair's thinking about the disagreement now too. If Wrecker doesn't make it, that would been the last chance Crosshair had to hug him. Crosshair looks miserable as he keeps readjusting his arms around their dying brother.

“He'll be fine Cross.” Hunter says, barely believing the words himself. Knowing what to say has never been Hunter strong suite.

“You can't know that!” Crosshair hisses. “Look at him Hunter!”

Hunter doesn't say anything again. He takes Wrecker's hand in his. Even through his blacks, Wrecker feels ice cold, especially compared to how he usually runs hot.

“He needs blood.” Hunter can hear how slow Wrecker's heart is beating. The sound isn't comforting in the slightest.

“We've done direct blood transfusion before, what are we waiting for?” Crosshair says, stripping the armor off his arm. Hunter calls for Tech, not trusting himself with this. He knows the theory, but this isn't the moment to test if he's up to the task.

Crosshair makes sure to remind them all of Wrecker's dislike of needles, snapping at Tech to be careful more than once. Hunter can thankfully keep the two of them from starting an argument, reminding them in turn that there's little to no chance of Wrecker waking at the moment. Tech still takes care to firmly tape the the needle to Wrecker's arm once it's in.

None of them speak as they watch Crosshair's blood trickle through the tube connecting him to Wrecker. They almost have to fight Crosshair when Tech tells him he's given enough blood, the di'kut being willing to put his own health at risk to give Wrecker a better chance at survival.

It's not much blood, especially considering the difference in mass between the youngest of the squad, but Wrecker's heart sounds a little better, and his breathing is less erratic. Still, Wrecker's hardly out of the meteor field yet, blood loss being far from his only problem.

“What state is he in, Tech?” Hunter asks.

“Oh he's clearly doing great, can't you tell?” Crosshair snarks before Tech can even open his mouth. Hunter glares at Crosshair, but doesn't react verbally.

“It's hard to say.” Tech adjusts his goggles. There's so much blood smeared on his chest plate, though Hunter can smell that it's on all of them. Tech's white armor just allows it to be more visible. “He has numerous broken bones and his left eye and ear are beyond saving. The med scanner doesn't indicate bleeding in the brain or signs of organ failure, however, it is well documented that portable med scanners aren't always as precise as they should be.”

Frustration crosses Crosshair's face. “So what, that's it? He could be dying and we won't know until it happens?”

“Well, Hunter will be able to tell if Wrecker's heart stills, or he stops breathing. Other than that, yes.” Tech's answer doesn't make the situation feel any less tense. “Preventing further loss of body heat would be ideal. As would keeping him comfortable in general. Though that is less in favour of increasing his chance of survival, and rather to make the situation as peaceful as possible, if he does pass before we make it to Typoca City.” Tech's voice almost gives out towards the end of his statement.

Hunter's chest aches as he squeezes his little brother's hand. Wrecker has to make it. They can't lose him, not like this, not because Hunter made a stupid decision.

They hardly talk the rest of the time, focusing on keeping Wrecker warm and calm. Hunter barely dares to breath too loud, scared he'll miss a change in Wrecker's condition.

It's chaos when they land on Kamino. Crosshair and Tech yell for a medic as Hunter still doesn't dare to do anything more than listen to Wrecker's heart and wheezed breath.

As they watch Wrecker's limp form being transported off on a stretcher, none of the three brother's dare to say a thing. Hunter wouldn't be surprised if his kih'vode are wondering if this is the last they'll see of Wrecker too. They likely won't get an answer to that for hours.

Feeling sick to his stomach, Hunter trudges his way to their barrack. There, all three of them collapse next to each other, incapable of doing anything but cling to one another as the await news of their brother's fate.

#tbb #the bad batch #tbb wrecker #wrecker whump #cw blood #I still have one part planned to kinda wrap things up #though that one might be quite short #tbb fanfiction #my writing

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idyllic-affections · 11 months

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got a junior herbalist idea for you :3

Baizhu overheats EASILY, aka basically whenever he leaves the pharmacy in hot weather. The longer he spends out there the more he slowly loses energy (Changsheng joked it was like an 'energy broth'. Put him in the sun and it all evaporates. Baizhu sighed heavily.)

the junior herbalist has a similar weak constitution, so same thing. Baizhu & herbalist have to pay the same price for overheating: becoming absolutely exhausted/sleepy.

in the rare cases the whole gang has to go out for something, especially in hot weather, Baizhu and the herbalist immediately crash once getting back to the pharmacy and get herded into the back room with some fans. peek in 5 minutes later and they're both completely out, sleeping the afternoon away. (if both are okay w/ it and not sticky, sometimes they'll cuddle a little.)

heat exhaustion.

summary. the heat drains is very draining for the majority of those who work at bubu pharmacy.

trigger & content warnings. depictions of heat exhaustion and references to heat stroke.

tropes, pairings, fic length, & other notes. fluff, comfort. baizhu & reader. 0.9k words. they/them pronouns for reader.

author's thoughts. REAL OMG I GET LIKE THIS, EXTREME HEAT LITERALLY SAPS ALL MY ENERGY WITHIN THE HOUR. I FEEL LIKE A FUCKING CORPSE IN THE HEAT. i relate so bad..... i know EXACTLY what this is like so i RAN to do this request when you sent it HSJSHSKGJG im working on your dain req btw <33

i like to think that summer is every bubu pharmacy employee's least favorite season. gui dislikes it because he knows everyone else finds the heat tough to deal with, whereas baizhu and [name] hate it because it means they'll both be more likely to be out of commission, given how inclined they are to overheating.

qiqi also overheats, so she dislikes the summer for that same reason. she hates the feeling of being hot. she hates overheating. since she's a zombie, it's just... very uncomfortable and, in some cases, even painful for her. it stresses her out.

it stresses everyone out, really.

the pharmacy's atmosphere tends to be a little more frantic and tense during the summer as everyone tries to stay on top of their respective bodily conditions.

due to the collective struggle with heat, it isn't uncommon for trips out of the pharmacy during the day to be reduced to a minimum. qiqi can't handle gathering herbs when the temperature gets a bit too high, even with her cryo vision, so it's typically left to gui to do tasks like that while the sun is up. he doesn't mind it much at all.

he's not quite as sensitive to the heat as everyone else, so it's hardly an issue for him.

sometimes, however, going out during the day can't be helped. even when the weather is poor, leaving most of the pharmacists in equally poor condition, people still get sick and injured. that's the unfortunate truth.

sometimes emergency trips need to be made. high-priority house calls, herb gathering... some situations cannot be avoided, and given that [name] virtually always comes along with baizhu on house calls to gain experience and knowledge...

yeah.

it's not exactly uncommon for one or both of them to come back nearly ridden with heat stroke. heat exhaustion is a common result of such outings, which could become heat stroke if both aren't careful.

baizhu would certainly, 100% give them the option to opt out of house calls during the summer—they may be his apprentice, yes, but he would never force them into situations that would put their health or safety at serious risk, and there's plenty of other things they could do back at the pharmacy that wouldn't put them at such a high risk—but they wouldn't want him to have to go out in the heat alone, so they'd go with him regardless.

he downright refuses take them on house calls too far outside of liyue harbor in extremely hot weather, though.

(he also very rarely goes anywhere too far from the city during the summer, and the citizens of liyue are generally very understanding of the reason behind that. if he absolutely has to, however, he literally won't allow [name] to come along because of the serious risk it poses to their wellbeing.)

it's really just a learning process more than anything.

each pharmacist needs to learn where exactly their own limit is. it takes time and practice.

sometimes [name] overestimates their own ability. even so... they're certainly more skilled at working with their body rather than against it compared to how they were before their employment.

nonetheless, heat exhaustion is still a common and expected ailment at bubu pharmacy.

With tired, slightly uncoordinated fingers, they unclipped all of their unnecessary accessories, shedding anything they possibly could. They sat with their legs crossed on the bed often used for both the pharmacists' and patients' recovery needs. Anything that could make their body temperature higher, any unnecessary layers of their clothing, had to go. Given how exhausted they already were from the heat... they were at a considerable risk for heat stroke. There simply wasn't room for the extra cosmetic things when the weather was so unbearably hot.

The backroom of Bubu Pharmacy was thankfully rather cool with consideration for the dreadful heat outside. The air was pleasantly chilling against the festering heat beneath their feverish skin. They sighed, rubbing the inner corner of one of their eyes with their fingertips, as if to rub the tiredness away. It did nothing to help their state.

"It's way too hot this summer..."

"You didn't have to come along, [Name]," Baizhu mused, reassuring as he settled beside them, "I would have understood if you wanted to stay behind. It is rather hot this year."

"No, I know," they replied gently, interrupted halfway through by a yawn, "but I would have felt kind of bad if I didn't. I like helping people."

He softly tapped their shoulder, signalling them to lay down, which they did without any complaint, mindful to leave space for Qiqi in case she decided she wanted to curl up at their side (which she sometimes did if the pharmacy wasn't especially busy). "Remember not to do so at your own expense. You don't need to push yourself so hard. You have to be mindful of your condition, [Name]."

They went quiet, shooting him a critical look.

"I respect you so much Dr. Baizhu, but that is insanely hypocritcal of you to say. You are such a hypocrite. I just know that if Changsheng weren't off hiding somewhere, she'd back me up right now."

The doctor merely chuckled. "You may be right. Nonetheless, my point still stands."

"Yeah, I know, but it's not as if I passed out or anything. I used to faint in the heat all the time, but it happens less now... I've gotten better since working here."

He smiled fondly, gingerly taking off his glasses and setting them to the side. Baizhu shifted a little, getting into a position that was comfortable. "You have, indeed."

Quiet murmurs, discussions of medicinal practice and others of similar content, were eventually lost to the weight of heat exhaustion.

please consider reblogging, it helps me out quite a lot!

#aphelion's headcanons 🌸#: [ the junior herbalist! 🌸 ]#favoniuslibrary #astronetwrk #platonic genshin #platonic genshin impact #platonic genshin impact x reader #platonic genshin x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact x reader #platonic baizhu x reader #baizhu x reader

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bluegekk0 · 2 months

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Is Holly still strong even though they are not physically capable of doing much? Like can they crack stone on accident or something breaks in their hand even though it wouldn't break normally?

The infection wounds have left them severely weakened, so no, they're nowhere near as physically strong as they used to. On top of that, their ability to focus soul was also affected, they can heal minor wounds but they wouldn't be able to grow back their arm or fix the lasting damage. I think describing what exactly that looks like could be interesting.

I mentioned the arm so I'll start with that. The missing arm has affected their sense of balance, and while the prosthetic arm helps a bit, they'd still struggle with wielding their nail, and can sometimes appear a bit "wobbly". Their large head, while surprisingly light for its size, makes it even more problematic - it very clearly weighs them down, which is why they look so hunched over; if they take off their prosthesis, they'll often lose balance and trip when standing up, not used to the sudden lack of weight.

In similar vein, their hands are very shaky, indicating some nerve damage to their body. Makes sense, seeing how it was ravaged by the infection to the point of seeping through the cracks. They were able to mostly recover, but some of the damage was permanent. Anxiety makes it even worse, to the point where if they're stressed out, they find it incredibly difficult to hold anything in their hands - even the prosthetic arm, though it's worth mentioning that it's generally a bit more stable than the other.

Their vision is also impaired, their right eye is missing, which means that their depth perception has suffered, and in general they see in washed out colors. Not completely color blind, mind you, and it's still possible that they saw the world like that before due to their void nature, but the infection would certainly make it even worse. They can distinguish between color, but they struggle with more subtle changes in shade or hue - for that reason they prefer to draw in monochrome with pencils or charcoal, though they'll occasionally color their drawings with dyes (or just crayons I suppose, pencils exist in the AU so I don't see why crayons wouldn't). Sometimes they mismatch colors, for example, making the sky a mint green instead of cyan (random thought, but since they presumably live on a different planet, perhaps their sky is in fact a different color due to the atmosphere?). The previously mentioned trembling hands make it a bit difficult, so their drawings have shaky lines, but they don't let that discourage them - besides, it has its charm, as Grimm would tell them, since next to FPK he was one of the main voices encouraging them to pick up drawing as a form of expression.

When it comes to physical strength, they're still what you'd consider pretty strong compared to an average bug. They wouldn't just trip and fall if you slightly pushed them, for example, and they can carry quite a lot of weight. It's very possible that the damage to their body, particularly the nerves, would make it somewhat difficult for them to realize they're perhaps grasping something too tightly, so they could break something fragile without meaning to. But it's a far cry from their physical strength from before the sealing, where they could crack stone and even break bones easily with just their hands. They're strong, but far weaker than before, especially with their disabilities. In some ways, they don't even mind it - they don't really need all that strength, and the last thing they'd want is to scare or intimidate others. It can't be denied that they struggle with their impairments, but with their family there to support them, they don't really complain. They've been through much worse, after all.

#ask stuff #feral pk au #save #holly

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tomatoland · 8 months

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The TopMew scene that was cut was redundant. We already know top is remorseful and Mew is angry. So I’m not surprised it was cut. He should have kept in the other Top scene though where he turned down the hook up. That would have been more impactful for the character.

Oops, I totally did not see this until now. I doubt you are still around, anon, but I’m going to answer this because I finally organized my thoughts.

I wasn't referring to just the break room scene in that post. It's a cascading effect. There is Mew's softened dialogue in EP 6 confrontation, the two previous cut TopMew scenes, and the break room scene. The fact that Jojo said he wish he kept those earlier two TopMew scenes should not be the case. He should not be regretting anything. Everything he wants to show us, should all be on the table. It is HIS art vision. And if they were not editing the episode the same week as it aired, he would have been able to realize that he wanted to put those scenes back in and done so.

That's what I meant by pacing and confirming the storyline is progressing the way he wants. But what is happening is one cut in one episode is leading to another cut in a future episode because there is no basis for the action anymore. As a result, we are losing overall continuity. And who knows what else they'll have to cut because of the editing choices they've already made. Which is why I am worried, they won't have the scenes left to make this a satisfying TopMew reunion at the rate they are going.

I wish we didn't have the interview where Jojo said that because it's making me not trust him with TopMew anymore. If he realized earlier that those scenes didn't fit, they should have done re-shoots but instead we just have cascading cuts.

Removing all these scenes is removing depth from TopMew. It is making them into surface characters. And none of this deleted footage is canon so there is that too.

Yes, definitely, the scene were Top is trying to move on is incredibly important to learning about Top and how he feels about Mew. And they should have kept that regardless of what random people in the fandom think.

But even the deleted scene of Mew's revenge fantasy of wanting to physically hurt Top from episode 7 is important because it provides a basis for his violent thoughts and words in the break room scene. I wish they had shown it at least the TopMew portion as a flash like an intrusive thought while he was in the tub. Everyone has intrusive thoughts, right? No one could fault Mew for that.

So by not showing us that Mew has had violent thoughts, now Mew's anger in the break room scene seems to come out of nowhere so it no longer fit.

I don't agree about the break room scene being redundant. The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.

So instead of knowing that Mew is still incredibly angry and therefore his actions are irrational, what we got was Mew saying "okay" to trying it again with Top here by the pool and then at the end of the episode, inviting Boeing to go wakeboarding with them and saying shit like this to him.

Oops. I meant to cut the collage below in half, but I’ve already hit 10 images, so read left column and right column separately.

Now, Mew just seems wishy-washy. I would rather have seen the depth of Mew's pain and rage then absolutely nothing at all, his indeterminable poker face however sweet it looks.

Mew being wishy-washy/indifferent or just deciding to get back at Top on any given random day means their relationship doesn't have a viable path forward right now. Because if they cannot communicate honestly and vulnerably about what happened with Boston, their relationship cannot ever heal and get healthy. They'll just always be stepping around the cracks. This is the albatross I was referring to in this post.

Mew has never broken down and cried. We've gotten the lone tear, here or there. And we know from this BTS that they have footage of Book crying his heart out. As the viewer, we haven't seen it because Jojo is not painting us a picture.

But removing the break room scene also removed depth from Top too and TopMew's relationship in general.

It shows us that Top is really sorry and willing to show with actions not just with his words that he wants Mew to move forward, so THEY can move forward. Him being unsure of how to handle a wrathful Mew, but still wanting to try. Him saying he already talked to Boeing, since Mew is deeply insecure about him. Him holding Mew's hand and trying to break down this fortress Mew has built around his heart piece by piece.

The song I posted of what I thought the scene could be saying if it had stayed in. Top's POV: "Love, I don't know how this shit works, but I know we could work things out if we just work together." And that's the key phrase "work together."

And this appeasement photo and answering a fan's tweet that we're going to see happy Mew soon. Jojo thinks we're so dumb.

All I want to do is scream back, "But are they ever going to TALK?!" TopMew cannot just solve this with sex. We need soul vulnerability. And I'm bloody annoyed because prior to episode 10 that is literally all they needed, but instead TopMew went backwards.

#topmew #ofts #only friends the series #tomat answers #asks #top tanin #mew witsarut

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fountainpenguin · 2 months

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"And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem... but if I know you, I know what you'll do..." (x)

---

New Dog's Life chapter today! ~ 3rd Life series fan-season

Chapter 29 - “Melt (Jimmy, Pearl, Sniff)”

❤️ Read on AO3

💛 Start from Chapter 1

💚 More Pixels Imperfect fics

---

Jimmy's NOT about to lose this game. He takes the slimes' turf war banner where no one will ever find it... outside New Star Station's perimeter. Meanwhile, Pearl and Rhetoric visit Mumbo's flat to borrow his llamas. Scar and SnifferMyFeet unwind after a long evening of glitchy code.

(First 1,000 words under the cut)

---

SolidarityGaming - Canary (Ex-Cockatiel)

Status: Not losing

Event planner & health teacher at New Star Station Education building

🖤 🧡 💚

They'll never find him. Never, ever, in a billion years. Jimmy muffles his giggles in the crook of his sleeve, snuggling up in the sky blue wrinkles of his jacket. Overworld's sky, anyway. Voices echo outside the cave, half drowned in the noise of the moat from up the hill…

This is fun. Everyone's looking for him. They think they'll catch him - think he'll make a mistake - but they're not going to win. Nah, not him. It's like playing Decked Out all over again, except this time he's without Tango or Etho shouting encouragement in his ears. Jimmy wedges his shoulders back against the bedrock blocks, keeping every breath slow and even. His fingers curl more tightly around the banner in his hand. It's blue and green, marking slime territory. It's not a real rule about borders and where different species can go. Everyone's just having fun. It's a game. It's a point system. It's currency. It's play.

And I'm winning. He's staying alive. He's not getting caught; he's not the first one out. He hunkers in his long-legged ball of limbs, fluttering his wings, and listens with a tight-lipped smirk to the people walking around outside.

"Do you think he's hiding in Tango's room?"

"They'll be exes by morning, then. Can you imagine walking in on your blaze boyfriend with a slime border flag? What do you do- Thump it in front of the toilet so he can't use it this month? 'Babe, c'mon! Don't be like that!'"

Uproarious laughter. Jimmy breathes softly in his sleeves, smiling only to himself. It's not his place right now to correct them on the whole "boyfriend" thing. See, they'd catch him then. That's how he'd lose the game. He stays on the other side of the bedrock wall, rolling his thumb across the banner wool.

"Maybe they had a fight," chimes in a third voice. "Maybe Jimmy wants to bother Tango. Maybe he's breaking up with him."

"Didn't see him with a token tonight."

"I don't think he's seeing anyone."

New voice: "Yeah, he- I guess he thinks he'll be waking up betrothed any day now. Urges must be getting pretty serious. Not sure why he bothers, though. The chances his partner's in New Star must be astronomical."

"Didn't he use to date the mayor?"

Jimmy's fingers twitch. He doesn't open his eyes. Doesn't answer. He is winning this game, no matter what they say about him. It's the most important thing in the world. Everything pulsing in him is screaming for it. To burrow. To win. To stand up and fight, though he's trying to keep that urge tamped down.

"I think ZombieCleo's dating him now."

"Yeah, what happened to his ex? Wasn't he married to a bat girl?"

"I think so- I heard they divorced." The voices start moving away, heading farther along the border road. Someone kicks a rock. It bounces, smacking, and the last speaker lifts their voice again. "Say he is in Tango's room. Does that mean we own the turf all the way out here?"

"If it does, he's wrecked the borders. It's going to be a pain to manage a huge spike in the path."

The words fade out. Jimmy loosens his grip on his limbs, breathing deeper breaths. His foot comes down with a thump, heel pressed tight to bedrock. He unfolds his wings. The banner's soft and squishy in his hand. He gets off the block he's been sitting on and starts to stretch. It's dark in the cave, even with his brightness settings turned all the way up. But…

… It doesn't look so dangerous. Scott always made it sound, well… like this place was a death pit crawling with mobs. Jimmy turns his head, gazing farther up the path. He's definitely win the turf war if he took the slime flag all the way up there. The other slime hybrids are fussy tonight, but they'll appreciate this when everything is said and done. War isn't about who's right, but about who's left, isn't it? And there aren't any mobs. Jimmy pulls his britches up a little higher for the show of it, sticking his thumbs in the waistband. He's got the belt, though he could really use a cowboy hat and some boots with spurs. It's too bad Ranger's off the clock tonight. It'd be fun to get a little recording done.

Every step he takes up the bedrock path sends a shower of bedrock down behind him. It isn't steep, though sometimes it's easier to grip the walls and pull himself along that way. Luckily he has wings. His aren't too big. The tunnel's narrow, but flapping them helps him keep his balance. He wrinkles his nose, crumpled fingers pinching, and moves step by step up the path. At one point his foot skids. His hand scrapes the wall- he nearly lands on his wings. Jimmy hisses. He adjusts himself, bracing his palm against his knee, and starts moving again. And you know why?

"I'm not going out first. I have to do this. They're never going to find me now."

The cave doesn't smell damp or moldy. It's quite dry, actually. Almost unnaturally so. No dripstone. Jimmy listens for throaty witch cackles, ravager grunts, or passing wardens. None echo back at him. Maybe they're not real. Only the whirr of the bullet path. It hums and crackles with snapping white energy. Leaping. Guzzling. I didn't know the bullet path reached all the way out here. Is this a different one?

It only takes a minute or two of walking before he's at the top of the bedrock path. The ceiling's not as high as he'd like it to be, but it's high enough. The cave glows. The bullet path gushes, spraying data stream particles in the air, and rubs against its banks. There are no rocks in its center. Nothing but pure, empty energy. Jimmy takes every step with smothered breaths, dangling the slime flag from his hand.

[Full chapter on AO3 - Links at top]

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radiokathryn-if · 8 months

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how would the RO’s be in a red string of Fate AU? (cut to Nate desperately trying to cut the string off his finger bc he’s engaged lmao)

So the Red String Of Fate is one if my favourite AUs because if the origins of the myth!

In the ancient Chinese myth (and please correct me if I'm wrong!) the string is actually wrapped around the ankle rather than the pinky finger like in Korean and Japanese folklore! That the string connects you to the fate you're destined to have and with the people you belong with to achieve that fate.

My favourite “take” on this story is how it applies to all kinds of people, and even multiple people! I think that because of my understanding as a person who is not only pan(sexual) and open to polyamory but also demi(romantic) with a unique perspective through my best friend in to an aroace mindset that the thout of soulmates being strictly romantic and forever only one person is a bit bizzare──humans are people people, not person people... if that makes any sense.

I love exploring different 'avenues' of what connection means to people and how to push conventional boundaries as to what fate and destiny could be. That you have thousands of strings and they are woven together to create your tapestry of Fate (and this is where my favourite mythology comes in──greek mythology!) that is ever changing because the threads fray when you lose a connection or they gray out when someone dies, not fraying because even though they're gone they're still important to you, that the brighter strands are the people who mean the most to you.

I adore it──the introspection into human connection. (I love reading through aroace and poly story's for that exact reason!)

But back to your question! In the classic sense of the Red String Of Fate AU where it's Romantic Soulmates:

You're right, Nate absolutely detests his string──the whole concept of soulmates really. What really gets him is that he hates the feeling of no control, that there's no choice to be made that his string doesn't lead to the one he asks to marry him. He learnt a long time ago how to ignore his string, how to ignore the tug when you leave his side, how to ignore the tingles on the tips of his fingers when you're closer, how to ignore you... it's sad more than anything else──that his need for control, his vision of life, deprives you of a soulmate connection too.

As stated before, Eva truly is a romantic at her core and the thought that she has a soulmate is something she dreams of. Life, however, isn't a dream world and she also believes in agency and making decisions for herself. Though if there's anything Eva regrets it's saying yes to Nate when he proposed to her. Young naivety can only go so far as an excuse when she long for the tiny ounces of warmth you bring her when you cross paths. She keeps it a secret, but the hope that you'll snap her out of the predicament she's in keeps her heart pumping and her fingers tingling!

Mica is a little bit of a different story, considering your connection to each other already. In terms of the Original Universe, Mica might be the closest thing MC has to a soulmate that universe has, platonically or romantically. Mica loves you. Full stop. The fact that fate says you're destined to be in each others life is just the cherry on top for them. It's always been easy to be in their presence, and they will never push romance on you──if you get there, that's where fate has taken you!

The concept of 'soulmates' is... strange to Detective Han, to say the least. They don't... not believe in it but they aren't particularly bothered to chase it either. I think when they finally actually realise what the tugging and the warmth and the tingling means is when they'll get a bit... tense around MC. They don't know how to navigate this and they'll eventually be ready to try──all they ask if for your patience and with time comes their love tenfold. (As fate would have it, it turns out.)

José likes the sentiment of having a Fated One, but putting it in their real world makes them a bit apprehensive. They don't like the thought of not having autonomy and while there's comfort in knowing there's someone out there just for them (and for them to give their heart to in return) the discomfort of not knowing can be a little much. They don't like the weight of expectations. It's difficult, when they make the choice to leave your side before your connection could really bloom─and it was certainly a tough decision─but they must believe that you'll come together when you're supposed to... they're just not sure if they actually do.

Ji Han grew up listening to the stories of these myths from his mother. It's something he yearns for silently. He wants you so much he'd do anything to keep you in his heart. But he's a gentleman first and lets you take the reigns──to go at your pace. In this world he might believe he can have his love at first sight, and if he has his way the sight of his love would be his last, to bless him for his next life to be with you once again.

With Fauve fate is... subjective. In this world she tends to wear gloves. She doesn't like the way she feels when she sees her string while she's... entertaining others. It's not necessarily that Fauve hates the idea of soulmates, it's just that she can't fathom that she'd ever get to meet hers. When she was younger she used to fantasize about her fated one, and her hopes for who they were always came crushing down when it never was who she thought, in the end. Upon meeting MC she may not even realise she just met her fated one until it's too late and after the decisions she's made surrounding you freezes her heart at the thought you wouldn't want her anymore. Dilemmas, dilemmas.

For Jackson, I've chosen to believe Fate gave him a second chance string. That his first red string led him to his daughter, Cilly, and the second will lead him to you. The problem, however, is that that first experience with Fate has left Jackson both weary and jaded to the idea. That while yes, it gave him his most precious thing, the live of his child, it also left him with a shattered heart and scars on his soul. Fortunately, he's not completely closed off, like Nate is, but like Detective Han he needs time to build up trust and let his walls down──for himself!

??? adores his string and the person on the other end of it. Growing up in the way they did left them alone most of the time, betrayed by their family and sent away. They hold out their hopes of love even when their body is cold from being so far away from you and worships the feeling of warmth as the two of you get closer once again.

Bonus! The Poly Routes

Jauve (Ji Han/Fauve)──They balance each other out very well here. Ji Han allows Fauve to accept and acknowledge her feelings towards Fate sooner than she would on her own──coming to terms with it more healthily and giving her more perspectives on how to goes about her choices around her fated ones than she does on her own. And Fauve makes sure Ji Han takes his time to properly love, to savour the feeling with time and introspection and creating connection before blindly jumping into it. They let's each other believe in more ways to love people, to bask in those feelings and to become better people than they thought they were capable of.

Eva&???──for ???, there's that sort of hurt in his chest at just how much they get to breathe when with MC and Eva. ??? never really thought they'd get to even have one soulmate let alone two! The build up of emotion they feel... is like it could burst out if their chest──explode their very being at any second. So they bask in the feeling of you, fingers digging a little too deep into their hold on your connection. For both of them it's all about second chances. It feels like fate has decreed to spare them more suffering and gifted them something so wholely special. Eva especially thanks whichever god's bound her to two beings, the scars and hurt from Nate seem to just melt away when you're around and she can finally relax her heart once again...

#peoplechangepeople🧡

#this might be a bit long... whoops #also sorry for the rant! this is just my favourite myth/trope/au to talk about and think about in ALL the ways!#also most these turned out to be so tragic... wtf me #radio kathryn if #all ros #c: nate nicks #c: eva vidal #c: mica hollens #c: detective han #c: josé danger #c: ji han #c: fauve #c: jackson lewis #c: ???#poly: jauve #poly: evijah

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featherquillpen · 2 years

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Animal perception facts for fanimorphs

I have been reading the excellent book An Immense World by Ed Yong, a book about how animals perceive the world. It's very relevant to Animorphs fans, and I recommend you check it out! Here is a list of facts I've learned from this book that are particularly interesting in an Animorphs context.

Smell

Flies can taste with their WINGS. If they get something tasty on their wings they'll turn around and suck it up with the proboscis.

Compared to a dog, our sense of smell strobes and flickers like echolocation. That's because we blank out our smell organs every time we exhale, only refilling it with scent on the inhale. Dogs do not lose scents on the exhale so experience smell continuously.

Humans actually don't have a poor sense of smell compared to other mammals - our smell is just good at different things. We need much higher concentrations of scent molecules than other mammals to be able to detect them. However, once we can smell something, we are actually better at telling similar scents apart than most mammals. Scientists have so far struggled to find any pair of scent molecules that humans can't distinguish, once their concentration is high enough. We're really good at this aspect of smell!

Dogs are not the reigning champions of smell in the animal or even the mammal kingdom. Experiments suggest that elephants are actually better sniffer animals than dogs.

Relatedly, elephant sense of smell is extremely acute, and is likely the most important sense in their sensorium. They can dig wells during droughts because they can smell water far below the surface.

Vision

Birds of prey don't actually have sight that much better than ours, at least in terms of sharpness/resolution. This is not to say that raptors don't have amazing eyesight, but rather to say that most humans also have incredible eyesight. In the book there's an interview with a scientist who has found that among all animals she's tested, only raptors rank better than humans on visual acuity (pixels of resolution, more or less). Raptors have eyesight twice as good as ours at the very most. Most mammals have eyesight ten times more pixelated than ours, and all birds except raptors tested as good as us at vision or worse.

....all of which is to say, stop complaining, TOBIAS

(man, does this mean that Tobias's human morph has terrible vision and his terrible guardians never got him glasses? 😭)

Though pixels of resolution are not the only metric here of vision. There's also frame rate, like a movie-- animals whose vision has a high frame rate can catch very rapid movements, like in slow-mo. Most birds have a higher frame rate than our 60 frames a second, though again no more than twice as much. It's possible that animals with a faster frame rate of vision perceive time differently than we do, since the world would appear more "slow-mo" to them than to us, while animals with a slower frame rate might see the world like a time lapse video.

Seeing ultraviolet light is actually the norm among animals with color vision! We're the weirdos for not seeing it. Lots of mammals, like mice and ferrets, can see it, though for them it's a shade of blue. Birds, reptiles, and most fish can see it as its own color dimension.

Heat

In their brains, pit vipers like rattlesnakes actually combine the delicate heat-sensing organs in their pits with their visual inputs, so they very well might perceive heat as just another color in their vision.

The evidence is still coming in, but there is some evidence that dogs can detect heat from afar with their noses! Their wolf ancestors may have used this sense to help with hunting.

Touch

Seals are so sensitive to vibrations in water that they can actually follow the trail of a fish several minutes after it swam by, because of the wake it leaves behind.

Alligators have an extremely keen sense of touch. Their entire body is ten times more sensitive to touch than human fingertips! They can detect a single drop of water falling to the surface of a tank as they lie on the bottom.

The dominant sense for spiders that they use to hunt is actually touch/vibration, not sight, even for spiders that don't spin webs. In Animorphs book 10, Marco in wolf spider morph uses vibrations to hunt, but the narrative still incorrectly centers vision as his main sense.

Hearing

Most insects are deaf, but insects that can hear have ears in all kinds of unlikely places. Butterflies have ears on their wings. Mantises have a single ear in the center of the chest. Mosquitoes hear with their antennae.

Much like with vision, I was surprised to learn that our hearing actually measures up very well to that of birds. In the horizontal plane, our hearing has as much "resolution" (in terms of being able to pinpoint the direction of a sound) as an owl's. We can actually hear a wider range of pitches than most birds can, by a small amount.

(stop complaining, TOBIAS)

Bird hearing can change seasonally! Some birds "tune" their hearing to be more sensitive to brief, rapid sounds in autumn/winter to avoid predators, and "tune" it to be more sensitive to pitch in spring to listen for mates' calls.

Mice sing! They have structured songs with syllables much like bird song, it's just too high-pitched for us to hear.

Echolocation is amazing. I mean, Animorphs shows us this in books 10, 17, and 18, but it's even cooler than what we see in those books. Bats can adjust the loudness, pitch, length, and pace of their echolocating calls depending on what they want to detect. Long, loud calls are good for searching a large area, while quieter, shorter, more frequent calls are good for closing in on a small target.

Dolphin sonar can "see" INTO living things. Their internal organs and everything. The Animorphs should be talking about this and nothing else when they're in dolphin morph tbh.

Electroception and Magnetoreception

Sharks can, at close range, detect the electric fields created by all living things. The hammers of hammerheads are full of electroreceptors.

Bees and spiders can also sense electric fields, and it's possible that many other insects and arachnids can, too. The little hairs on their bodies bend in response to electric charge, so they can basically feel the "touch" of electricity. Bees use it to sense the electric fields of flowers, and gliding spiders use it to detect electric fields that they can ride using their silk.

I was astonished by just how many animals can sense magnetic fields - it's not just birds, but also some sharks, bats, whales, turtles, and moths.

#animorphs #science all up in your fandom #science

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scoobydoodean · 1 year

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❤️ Dean Being Love to Others ❤️

Season 1 Part 2

master post here (still being updated)

1.10 "Asylum": Immediately after Sam, while mind controlled by Dr. Ellicott, blasts Dean through a wall with a shotgun full of rock salt, says some big meanie things to him :( and then tries to shoot him in the head over and over... after knocking Sam out, Dean pats Sam on the shoulder and says, "Sorry Sammy" because he knows Sam's jaw is going to hurt when he wakes up jhvsdjvgjhsfdgj

1.11 "Scarecrow": Sam and Dean fight and part ways at the beginning of the episode. Dean could probably use help on the case, but he doesn't ask for it when they finally do call—he does the opposite when Sam asks if he's hinting he needs help. He says, "You gotta do your own thing. You gotta live your own life. You’ve always known what you want. And you go after it. You stand up to Dad. And you always have. Hell, I wish I—anyway….I admire that about you. I’m proud of you, Sammy." At the end of the episode, after Sam comes back, Dean also doesn't assume he'll stay and asks if he can drop him off anywhere. (Gifset)

1.12 "Faith": Dean struggles with believing Layla deserves to live far more than he does. He struggles both with his own "healing" being prioritized over hers, as well as having to stop the reaper so no one else gets hurt when Layla is the next to be healed.

1.13 "Route 666": DEAN WAS IN LOVE WITH CASSIE. HE WAS SO IN LOVE WITH HER THAT HE TOLD HER THE TRUTH. And even though he was hurt because of how they broke up, the moment she called and she needed his help, he jumped to go help her no questions asked, no hesitation.

1.14 "Nightmare" #1: When Max is about to shoot his step-mother, Dean steps between her and the gun and tells Max he has to go through him first.

1.14 "Nightmare #2: Throughout the episode, Dean does his best to reassure Sam that everything is going to be okay, that his visions do not scare Dean, that he is not going to turn into a monster. This culminates in, at the end of the episode, Dean telling Sam nothing bad is going to happen to him as long as Dean is around. Dean won't let it.

1.16 "Shadow": Dean lets go of what he personally wants, which is him, Sam, and John all together, and advocates for himself and Sam to separate from John because he believes that they'll be a liability (I also think he's incorrect but I do think it's still an example of him being selfless).

1.18 "Something Wicked" #1: Dean crouches down to be at eye level with Michael when he sees him upset. He tells Michael that it is not his fault that his brother got sick when Michael blames himself.

1.18 "Something Wicked" #2: Dean drives Michael's mom to the hospital because he recognizes she's in no condition to drive.

1.18 "Something Wicked" #3: Dean checks in with Michael again right before the plan to catch the Shtriga, and tells him, "Michael, you sure you wanna do this? You don't have to, it's ok, I won't be mad."

1.18 "Something Wicked" #4: There are multiple small examples of the contrast of a child's innocence and Dean's lack of innocence in childhood, and kid Dean makes the decision from childhood through the present to not resent Sam for having that innocence but to try and protect that innocence. And even as an adult, when Sam says, "Sometimes I wish I could have [the innocence of not knowing what's out there]", Dean replies, "If it means anything, sometimes I wish you could too"—saying nothing of his own stolen childhood.

1.19 "Provenance": Dean is worried about Sam losing himself in research and not pursuing relationships (like with Sarah Blake) because of Jess. He tells Sam as gently as he can that he thinks Jess would want Sam to be happy.

1.21 "Salvation" #1: Sam begins to say that Mary and Jess's deaths are all his fault and that he has to fix it. Dean tells him fiercely that it is not his fault and that fixing it is a "we" problem.

1.21 "Salvation" #2: Dean holds Sam back from running into a building burning to the ground (which would instantly kill him) to try and reach the demon.

1.21 "Salvation" #3: When Sam throws him up against a wall, instead of matching Sam's rage, Dean speaks to him gently or calmly and is able to get through to him.

1.21 "Salvation" #4: Dean asks John to promise him that he'll get out if things go sideways with tricking Meg.

1.22 "Devil's Trap" #1: Dean says that if finding the demon means John or Sam getting themselves killed for revenge, he hopes they never find it.

1.22 "Devil's Trap" #2: Dean brings The Colt in secret when they go to save John even though he knows John would be furious, then uses it to save Sam's life.

1.22 "Devil's Trap" #3: Dean says he's actually scared of what he's capable of doing to protect Sam and John.

1.22 "Devil's Trap" #4: Dean is badly hurt and bleeding out after being attacked by Yellow Eyes, but begs Sam to check on John and see if he's okay.

#pk rewatches spn number ?#dean the narrative heart #the one who cares #1.10 #1.11 #1.12 #1.13 #1.14 #1.16 #1.18 #1.19 #1.21 #1.22 #season 1

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glasshalftrue · 3 months

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as both an artist and a programmer (though not one working in machine learning so i won't claim anything close to expertise), the anti-ai takes i see from artists are really frustrating to me. the two most common criticisms i see about it are that it's 1. stealing 2. not art regarding the first point, it's clear that most artists don't understand the general technology behind it at all. they constantly claim that it does stuff like just collage different parts of images together, when that's very much not what it's doing! the process that neural nets use is incredibly complex and it's much more about pattern matching than storing and replicating exact sets of pixels. i definitely don't like it when ai artists specifically target an artist who voices their discomfort with having their art being used that way, if only because it's simply mean and rude, but unfortunately, i can't say that i'd consider it plagiarism. and for the people who want stronger copyright laws to protect artists' rights: believe me, it will not at all be helpful to "the little guy" like you think it will. regarding the second point, it seems like there's a couple things going on. one part of the critique seems to come from the quality of the art itself, which is an obviously losing battle. remember a year ago, when people were making fun of how bad ai was at generating hands? they seem to have pretty much solved that now, and whatever little nitpick you might be able to point out next, it's almost certain they'll eventually figure out that one too. i see a lot of tips floating around about how to tell if a piece of art is ai-generated, and while the tips usually do work well, the fact that the people need to use these increasingly specialized perceptive skills makes it pretty clear that it's becoming more and more indistinguishable. i've seen plenty of cases at this point of real artists having their work being accused of being ai-generated, which to me seems like the logical conclusion of people's assumptions that they can always tell when something is real or not, and i think it's only going to get worse and worse. the other part of the critique is about the artist's intent, an appeal to some illusory idea of "the soul", which seem like transparently bad arguments to me, and are clearly motivated from an emotional-driven place. because it seems so obvious to me that prompters do, in fact, have an intent when they're generating ai art, some sort of vision of what they want to create. it doesn't matter that their idea is vaguely defined rather than fully-formed in their head; plenty of existing art forms involve a creation process that is similarly stochastic, from Jackson Pollock-style drip paintings to experimental generative digital music. hell, even when i draw i often don't know exactly what i want to the end product to look like and figure it out as i go along! now, the incredibly low-barrier to entry and the general motivations and sensibilities of a lot of typical ai art enthusiasts mean that, in practice, a lot of (maybe most) ai art is indeed dumb garbage. but just like how the reality that most mainstream superhero movies these days are boring and soulless doesn't mean that the superhero genre is inherently without merit, the existence of bad ai art isn't good evidence of the medium itself being creatively bankrupt.

ultimately, i do agree and sympathize with a lot of artists' concerns and criticisms about ai art and what its possible effects on the world will be. like i said, in practice a lot of ai art really is soulless trash, but the ease of creation means that i can very easily see a world where most of the art we see today in our everyday lives is replaced with bland, insipid ai generated shit that is just good enough for the general public, and i really don't want to live in that world. and for that same reason, it'll also likely have a very bad impact on the art industry and people's abilities to do art as a career, and while the disruption of industries due to technological innovation is a tale as old as time, the potentially rapid pace of this disruption will certainly lead to a lot of suffering along the way. i just wish that artists had a better idea of what they're actually fighting against.

#ai art #ai art discourse #the discourse

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ordinaryschmuck · 2 years

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What I Thought About "Thanks to Them"

Salutations, random people on the internet who are already scrolling past this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

When it was announced that The Owl House's third season would get cut short to three hour-long specials, the fans fought as hard as they could to rectify this insane mistake. And...I really hate how I wasn't surprised.

I've seen this before. There have been many instances when a studio decided on something fans didn't like, and those fans did everything they could to fight back against it. The problem is that the fans rarely win, and it'll take a gosh dang miracle to make a studio change its mind about something. Studios don't care about how badly the fans want something or about a creator's vision. All studios care about is how much money they can make off a product. And it seemed The Owl House didn't have as big of a number as Disney's other shows at the time. It's an unfortunate pill to swallow, but that doesn't mean the situation is hopeless.

There are competent writers out there that, when given restraint, try to roll with the punches and still push out something amazing. Believe it or not, what happened to The Owl House is the best-case scenario, as the writers were told ahead of time what their situation would be, giving them the chance to adjust and make as satisfying of an ending as possible. And if you ask me, I have absolute faith that they'll be able to pull it off. The Owl House isn't my favorite show at the moment for nothing. The writers are outstanding, and the final product of Season Two proves that they know how to tell an overarching story while still giving the characters and the audience the time they need to breathe. The question is, did "Thanks to Them" reinforce this faith? Well, let's find out together, shall we?

SPOILERS BELOW

WHAT I LIKED

Starting Where the Last Season Ended: This was the best decision. The events of the finale are too big of a thing to gloss over immediately by starting with a time skip of them already working hard on getting home. Continuing the story right after the last season left things off works because the characters are allowed some time to establish this new normal and get started on their mission. While putting out some...issues.

Luz and Hunter’s Guilt: I'm still a little iffy on Hunter's guilt, mainly because I don't see him as the victim here, but I understand what Luz's going through. What happened isn't her fault either, as Belos could have tricked anyone instead of her, but I can see how she can believe it's her fault. Even though it could have been anyone else, Luz is still the one Belos tricked in the end, and her pain of knowing that she inadvertently caused so much damage is well within reason. So I'm glad Luz has Hunter with her to share some of the pain. If you think these two were siblings before, you'll get a kick at watching them bond over shared fears and anxieties, being each other's support and reassurance that things are going to be ok. Luz adds more to that last part (because, of course, she does), but it's still sweet seeing them go through this together. It makes their relationship grow stronger and more compelling, and I hope we get just the briefest moments between these two in the future. And I'll go over each character individually, but there are just a few things I want to get out of the way first.

Starting with a character who deserves way more love.

Camila: IF I SEE ONE MORE MOTHER F**KER CALLING CAMILA A BAD MOM AFTER THIS, I'M GOING TO LOSE IT!

Let me break down what this woman does for the dumb dumbs in the back:

Upon seeing these four new kids without a home or anywhere else to go, she doesn't hesitate to insist that they can live with her and Luz until they find a way back. Even if she doesn't entirely understand how they function and is a little freaked out by certain antics.

When Luz came out to her, Camila pulled her and Amity in for a loving hug, and Camila started to wear a pride pin throughout the rest of the special, an extra cherry on that sweet sundae.

Upon seeing Vee in her new form, Camila ran toward her daughter with just as much pride as she did when Luz came out.

She looked at Luz's quirkiness and antics with pride, and if anybody had the AUDACITY to call her daughter a freak, Camila was more than ready to throw hands.

Once she finds out that Luz is planning on staying in the human realm, which is what Camila wanted once she realizes where Luz was during the summer, Camila refuses to let that happen. Back in "Yesterday's Lie," Camila didn't know the context of why Luz wanted to stay. Now, she does. The context has been living with her for months. And they helped her understand why Luz loves the Boiling Isles so much and how it's more of a home than the Human Realm.

The woman even jumped into a dirty graveyard pond to save our precious boy Hunter!

The one misstep she might have made was going through her daughter's journal, but, like...what parent hasn't done that? If you think your secrets are safe, they're not. And they never will be. Just accept that right now.

Is Camila a perfect mom? No. No parent is perfect, as there will be mistakes no matter how good you try to be. And if your takeaway from "Thanks to Them" is still about how Camila's a bad mom, despite all the kind-hearted things she does for her baby and her friends, you're an idiot. There's no other way around it. You are an idiot who doesn't understand good parenting if it slaps you in the face. And I'm only partially joking about that.

Alright, now that I've got that rant out of the way, let's keep things chugging along.

The Montages: There are two prominent montages in this special, the first showing us what Luz and Co. have been up to the past few months and the second detailing the antics Vee and Luz's friends went through in finding the secrets of the puzzle they found. And this was another perfect decision on the writer's part. The Owl House's third season has a similar plot to Amphibia's, only that the writers are working with a third (Ha) of the run-time that Matt Braly and his team did. This means they'll have to speedrun through the same story beats Amphibia had while still providing a satisfying final product. So, seeing the characters adjust to the new environment is relegated to montages instead of dedicating entire episodes (and wasting time) of them going on a wacky adventure in the human realm. And I'm ok with that. This idea of keeping things moving forward but delivering the briefest of cute character moments makes The Owl House more different (and better) than Amphibia. While Amphibia will grind its stories and narratives to a halt so we can have a filler episode dedicated to stuff like Sprig being a superhero, The Owl House keeps things going while working these character moments in with the story. It's a reason why I think people get too bent out of shape when shows don't have filler episodes anymore. Yeah, I get that some of them can be fun when done right, but that doesn't mean characters can't grow without them. Maybe Luz coming out to her mom or the characters meeting giraffes would have made great episodes, but I'm not losing sleep over getting a few seconds instead. Besides, while "Thanks to Them" is still continuing the story, that doesn't mean it can't stand out on its own as something spectacular.

Or should I say spooktacular...?

It’s a Halloween Special: And I love that. I love that despite the writers having less time, they still went out of their way to deliver the one holiday special this series is perfect for while continuing the story. They just added the fun, filler-like stuff with it (see what I mean?). As for how well it works as a Halloween special...it's pretty good. Some solid imagery feeds into the spooky season with some creepy stuff that should be enough to scare the kids watching. Heck, maybe some adults might get creeped out given some body horror that happens later...and yes, we'll get into that...but first, let's talk about something wholesome.

I need something wholesome.

OH, MY GOODNESS, DO I NEED SOMETHING WHOLESOME!

The Kids Learning Spanish: You'll do.

This was sweet, by the way. It shows us just how much these kids care about Luz and Camila by putting in the effort to speak a language that they mastered. It's a small thing, but it fills up my heart.

(Also, that demonic Duolingo is perfect as an in-joke for the fandom. If you know, you know)

They Painted Hooty on the Door: This, on the other hand, is both funny and kind of tragic. Like, the kids miss the Boiling Isles so much that a reference to Hooty gives them comfort.

Hooty!

Man, they really need to find a way to get back home...

The Kids Finding a Way to Get Back Home: Oh...that was fast. But not too convenient. It's heavily implied that the house the kids set themselves up in used to belong to Philip and Caleb (or something like that), so it's not too hard to believe that the kids find their first real clue there.

As for the others leaving Luz out on the search, this does bring up my friend's complaint about how Luz doesn't have much agency as her friends. And, yeah, I can see that frustration. Luz doesn't get to do much in this special, with the most crucial story-driven moments going to the others. Luz is the main protagonist, and she should be able to do more than...relatively nothing. However, it does make sense in context. Luz is currently not in the right mindset and is going through a lot, so her friends are doing their part to chase a lead, wanting to surprise Luz with a win instead of letting her down with another failure. It's her friends' way of paying back all the kindness Luz has done for them by going just as above and beyond as she would in completing a task. It has the unfortunate side effect of letting Luz have little importance, but I wouldn't call it bad writing. Just...a slight mishandling of characters.

Besides, while Luz doesn't do much to advance the story, she adds a lot when it comes to character development.

Luz: This is the most development Luz has gotten through the whole series. Luz is weighed down by her guilt over accidentally helping Belos to the point where she believes things would be better if she never existed. That...hurts. It hurts a lot to see Luz think this way. And it hurts even more to see her heart not being in it when acting like her usual self. When Luz smiles, it never reaches her eyes. When she says something lighthearted and goofy, it almost sounds as if she's empty inside. This experience changed her, and it makes sense. To Luz, she caused so much damage that is unable to fix it for months. It makes sense why she's so emotionally numb throughout the special because...how would you react to all that? Something tells me it wouldn't be great.

This special also gave us more insight into Luz's life before the Boiling Isles. We get to see how isolated she feels, how miserable she is being in a world that doesn't understand her, and even why she loves The Good Witch Azura. We get bits and pieces of that in the past, but this is the first time it's a central focus, and that's great. We know a lot about Luz's friends and family but don't know much about her. So to finally get something about Luz is spectacular. If you ask me, having her go through the most development is a fair trade to her not having much agency in the first part of a three-part finale (besides, we've got two more parts to go through).

Although, she's not the only one going through a lot this special.

Hunter: Next to Luz, Hunter might be the one who grew the most in "Thanks to Them." He gets a hobby that allows him to find some self-expression, finds a book series that gives him comfort over his anxieties, and ends up crying tears of joy when he realizes he's part of a kind, loving family. Again, "Thanks to Them" worked all these great character moments into the story while still moving things along. Seriously, take notes, Amphibia writers!

Jokes aside, it is great to see Hunter happy for the majority of an episode for once. After everything he went through (and will soon go through. We'll get to that), it warms the heart to see my boy just loving life and getting everything he could have ever hoped for...This is why it does serious emotional damage to see it soon crumble to an end. And we'll get to that...but can we go through some more nice stuff first? Please?

Cosmic Frontier: Sure, why not?

I like Cosmic Wonder primarily for the help it gives Hunter and his issues, but it's also amazing how it gives him and Gus something to bond over. It adds more to that brotherly bond they've got going on, which is sweet to see.

Also...those books obviously belonged to Camila. The way she reacted to them and the fact that she got bullied in school over something is all the proof I need. And that's also sweet because it means she's as much of a nerd as Luz, even though she has bad memories of expressing it. Plus, now that we know that Luz's father is the one that gave Luz her first Azura book, a fact that breaks my heart as much as it makes it whole, that might hint at how Camila and Manny met. The boxes in the closet imply they went to conventions together, even saving old cosplays they've made. Really shows you how much Luz takes after her folks, thus warming the heart up in the process.

Masha: Do you want to know what else warms the heart? The Owl House continuing to excel at having such casual LGBTQA+ representation.

Here, we have a character that's non-binary but embraces feminity. There's an incorrect stipulation that to be non-binary means to not conform to either male or female genders, but (as far as I can tell) that's not true. Being non-binary means that you don't identify as either male or female. How you choose to express that is up to you. But if a man can wear makeup and have long hair but still identify as male or a woman can choose to wear no makeup and shave her head but still identify as female, why can't a non-binary individual choose to wear pride nails and wear long dresses?

For The Owl House to allow a group of people to feel that seen is fantastic, and I hope this series will be remembered for years because of that reason alone.

And, hey, it looks like they might be a potential crush for Vee. Isn't that just cute...Oh, yeah, VEE!

Vee: I'm surprised with how well Vee fits into the group. She doesn't do much, but she adds a lot of cuteness and charm, and I love that there are zero issues with the fact that she's a basilisk. She's just a part of the gang, and there are no questions or hesitations about it. And that's nice. It's great to see Vee happy and loved after all the crap she went through before meeting Camila. Also...at least someone had a happy ending...unlike others...But I'm not getting into that yet! There's still the, uh, um...OH! I know!

The Tale of Brothers Whittebane: They just...put it all out there. That's the story of Caleb, Philip, and Evelyn (who's obviously a Clawthorne. I mean, come on). This story is everything we could really need to know, and it's told uniquely by having it be a sort of puppet show. Any blanks in the story we might have can only be confirmed through the background paintings found in "Hollow Mind," which the Tale of Brothers Wittebane in "Thanks to Them" adds clarity towards. Would a flashback episode work better? Most certainly, yes. But, as I've said, the writers have no choice but to speedrun through these story beats while making it serviceable. And that's what this is: Serviceable. I would love to know more, but I'm fine with where we're at.

Belos–NO! No, come on, there's gotta be something else!

Uh...Luz making a light glyph? That was cool and effectively gave me goosebumps.

"Shmuck--"

Um, uh, Luz's journal entries are neat! It's probably the best scene in the entire series, showing us exactly the kind of person Luz is and the heartbreak she learned to deal with!

"Schmuck."

And how about Luz and Amity going as Azura and Hecate?! That's something I've always wanted to see, and I got it! And I bet it made you all happy, right--

"SCHMUCK!"

...

"It's time."

...*Sighs* Yeah...yeah, let's get into it.

Belos Possessed Hunter: This...might be the worst thing Belos has ever done. And that's saying something.

Hunter was finally happy and at peace with everything. He had friends who loved him, interests that gave him something to hold on to, and a family that accepted him. The sad part is that the stuff that made Hunter happy only led to his own downfall. His love of sewing caused a hole for Belos to sneak his slimy self into. His admiration for Cosmic Frontier led to him staying behind and finding Belos in the first place. It is beyond twisted and could potentially lead Hunter to think he's not allowed to be happy if this is where it gets him. Sure, we got a cool fight scene and some decent body horror as Belos took over, but it will never change how this is an experience that will scar Hunter far more on the inside than the out. Especially considering...

Flapjack’s Death: This stings.

No, screw that. This shatters.

Flapjack, the first good thing to ever happen to Hunter and what kickstarted him learning to be loved, is...gone. He's gone, and it's all for the pettiest of reasons: Belos' resentment towards a witch his brother fell in love with. Sure, he hates magic and palismans in general, but he clearly specified that he was doing it because of how Flapjack reminded Belos of Evelyn. And he did it while using Hunter's body as a vessel, adding more damage to the poor boy.

But, if there's one good thing to take away from this, Flapjack died on his own terms. Belos cracked him, and it was unlikely Flapjack would survive anyway, but in his last moments, he spent them saving Hunter one final time. It's not the sendoff we wanted Flapjack to have, but this showcase of true loyalty proves how endearing he can be and how badly he'll be missed.

RIP, you little rascal.

...Thankfully, it doesn't take long before tragedy fades and hope rises.

The Truth Comes Out: And everything is fine.

I'm not shocked that Belos tried to throw in one last manipulation by telling the truth to Luz's friends about the mistake that she made. Nor am I surprised that their reaction was to be stunned at first, but they were quick to get over it, reassuring Luz that there's nothing to be worried about and ashamed of. And you have no idea how much relief I felt when that happened.

Lesser shows would have taken the opportunity to milk this drama far more than what it's worth, having Luz constantly blame herself while others refuse to look at her the right way ever again. Meanwhile, the writers of The Owl House said, "F**k that!" and gave Luz the instant reassurance she'll need. I'm sure she's not totally over her guilt and that we'll get bits and pieces of it in parts two and three, but I'm glad that the writers gave us all the drama they could about Luz keeping her mistake a secret without it feeling like it overstayed its welcome. It's another case of phenomenal writing in this series that was more than welcome.

(Also, Amity echoing back the words Luz said when confessing to her is beyond adorable, and I will hear nothing of the contrary)

But while this wasn't much of a surprise, what definitely was is...

Camila Deciding to Go With: I mean...yeah.

A part of me thought this might happen, but I did not expect it to come true. Still, I'm excited. I cannot wait to see Camila join the fight and kick some butt in the Boiling Isles...That or die/sacrifice herself to save her baby...I mean, if Camila's the only thing keeping Luz in the Human Realm, her death would give Luz the excuse she needs to stay in the Boiling Isles forever with her new family and home...I'm not saying I want this to happen, but it's even more of a possibility now than ever.

And I'm gonna hate myself for calling it...

WHAT I DISLIKED

Get the f**k out of here--YOU ARE NOT NEEDED!

...No, really, you're not needed. I took the one complaint I had (Luz not doing much) and weaved it into the likes so I could rationalize why it still works even though it rubbed me (and others) the wrong way.

What did you expect me to do? Break the flow so I can do something that's not necessary? What am I, an Amphibia writer?

...People probably think I hate Amphibia due to me ragging on it even though I gave it a B- in my final verdict review. The truth is, I do like Amphibia. It's funny, Anne's character development is ten times better than Luz's, and this is a show that knows how to stick the landing when it comes to its finales. My problems are that certain ideas and decisions weren't executed well, with the primary issue being how poorly it mixed episodic storytelling with a serialized one. Other than that, it's pretty good. Check it out.

...What were we talking about? Oh, right! "Thanks to Them!"

Yeah, this is an A+ for sure.

IN CONCLUSION

"Thanks to Them" is better than anything that came out of the series so far. It proves that Season Three is going for the "less is more" approach, giving the fans everything they could want and ask for but not letting it distract from the few narratives left established. There's a voice in my brain telling me that parts two and three of this final season might not live up to expectations, but it is outclassed by the part of me that is reassured by how astonishing this season will be. I have high hopes for the future. And it's all thanks to the writers who really do know how to roll with the punches.

#the owl house #the owl house season 3 #the owl house spoilers #camila noceda #luz noceda #toh hunter #toh flapjack #toh vee #vee noceda #emperor belos #the owl house reviews #what i thought about

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practically-an-x-man · 1 month

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Gazooks! Nyx is attempting to possess your OCs! They've been noticing strange things, like changes in mood, hair or eye color, seeing strange figures in the corners of their vision or hearing unintelligible whispers, and losing small amounts of time, before finding themselves in unusual places. What do they do?

Ooooooooh I like it! Very chilling, this will be fun >:)

Thanks for the ask!

Rae: Because of her phobia, she's always hypervigilant of anything she perceives to be her mind being invaded- and in this case, she's right. She notices almost immediately and throws up a mental shield, which suitably ejects Nyx from her mind, but ends up in a week-long panicked breakdown about having been possessed and nearly taken over.

Robin: At first, assumes that these could be late-stage effects from her traumatic brain injury, she mentions them to Peter and Hank but doesn't really pay as much mind. Her eye color is already a pale blue, that's not any different... but she notices her hair darkening right away, and Charles has been sensing something odd in the back of her mind. Thankfully it's caught before Nyx gets a particularly deep hold on her, though it takes Charles in Cerebro to generate enough psychic power to eject her.

Madison: Moodiness isn't new for her, but Alex definitely notices that something's off. And her hair and eyes are mirror-silver, so any change will be obvious almost immediately. Similar story to Robin overall - Charles uses Cerebro to kick Nyx to the curb - but Madison's guarded and distant for a while as she tries to process how violated the whole experience made her feel.

Ophelia: Assumes it's literally all caused by sleep deprivation. I mean, irritability? Minor hallucinations? Time loss and microsleeps? She's been here before. Time for a few days to recover before she grinds herself into the ground. Unfortunately, this assumption means she doesn't notice Nyx until a lot later, and now she's got a problem on her hands.

Gia: Oh buddy this is NOT helping her anxiety one bit. Like Rae, she's already hypervigilant enough to notice the changes immediately, but unlike Rae, she has no idea what to do about it and really just ends up spiralling. Hopefully her clover helps her somewhat, because this is not going to end well.

Jasper: Could sense Nyx's empathic signature nearby before she even tries to possess them, and (though it makes them feel like a complete lunatic at first) warns her that they know she's there. And this really isn't going to work if they know she's there, they'll just go to the witches and find some way to kick her out, so that's probably enough to convince her to find another victim.

Kestrel: Hm, how would possession work with a shapeshifter? The physical changes go largely unnoticed (Kestrel just assumes they've slipped on one of the little details and readjusts it back to what's familiar), but Warren notices the time loss and behavior changes and asks if they've been feeling alright. They both assume it's some sort of curse or possession from the last mission they were on, and go through a gauntlet of magical remedies and countercurses to try and evict Nyx from the premises.

Katherine: Look, the Egyptian gods have already claimed this one, and they do NOT intend to let her go that easily. Nyx had better not try to start some shit, because it may or may not end in her being eviscerated by the power of the sun. Katherine's probably distantly aware of the possession, but assumes it's another little quirk of her connection to the gods (most of them are respectful, but sometimes they get a little brazen, she's not surprised one of them is trying to show themself)

Quinn: She's gone through similar things during a few of her bad periods, so she assumes it's a delusion like she's had in the past. She'll start with just trying to sift through it and ignore it, but as it gets worse she'll contact Five, then might even check herself into a mental health ward as it gets even more severe. She ends up completely and utterly possessed by Nyx, since she didn't even realize that's what it was, but the real question is why Nyx picked her of all people for a host.

Eris: Notices right off the bat - they've been around for centuries, they know every little detail about themself and can instantly recognize when something changes - and immediately promises death to Nyx if this keeps up. On the one hand, Eris is terrifying when they're angry. On the other, they'll make an incredibly resilient host if Nyx can pull this off, and it's not like they can do much physical harm when she's already intangible...

Nikoletta: It's either the physical changes (since she looks very different from Nyx) or the time loss (since that's severe and concerning) that make her notice it, and she jumps into the shadow realm to try and kick Nyx to the curb. She's not sure whether that'll work, since she still doesn't know all the ins and outs of the shadow realm, but it's the best thing she can think of.

Jimmy: He's a ghost, how can he himself be possessed?

#my friends!!!#answered asks #my ocs #jasper wilson #ophelia octavius #madison douglas #oc quinn/aces #oc kestrel #rae mckinney #robin cassidy #oc katherine johnson #oc eris #nikoletta bordeaux #gia pantazis #jimmy luciano

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