#it's in a 'they really made a society where your entire life is built around finding the love of your life and no one questions it' way

[helladventurers]

Man the heteronormativity of hyrule gets ridiculous when you realize that there's a town full of tall, buff women who isolate themselves from men for years, and there isn't a single lesbian in sight :V

#gui plays totk #i said it before and i said it again #nintendo hates gay people #but it literally takes away from my suspension of disbelief y'all #not even in a 'damn there's no gay gerudo in this game aside from ganondorf' kinda way #it's in a 'they really made a society where your entire life is built around finding the love of your life and no one questions it' way #i love gerudo town aesthetically but honestly it's closer to a dystopia for me #totally not related to me being aroace but if i was born a gerudo I'd be organizing a revolt #tags derailed the post a bit but my point stands #hyrule as a whole but especially gerudo town are heteronormative nightmares that need to be dismantled

[spdrvyn]

i'll be lonely with you — MIGUEL O'HARA

SUMMARY: with the passage of time and whispers from your acquaintances at the spider society HQ, you've found out that your boss has a habit of sneaking out of his office during the dead hours of night to eat dinner. completely alone.

NOTES: new formatting for fics !!! do you guys like it? :3 i decided to include summaries that way it would be easier for people to understand the general jist of the plot without me spewing nonsense in the notes. anyways enjoy !!!!! thanks for the support on my recent works as well ^_^

You didn't consider yourself the most introverted person.

Even when it came to hundreds of Spider-people, you tried to get to know who you could and become acquainted with as many of them as possible. How could you not?

However, there were few that you knew on a more personal level. People that you'd keep close to your side whenever you visited headquarters. People that you'd enjoy having an exchange of gossip with during lunch in the bustling cafeteria.

Miguel O'Hara wasn't exactly one of those people.

It's not like you didn't want to develop something more than a boss-coworker relationship. Though, conversations with him were always difficult, to the say the least. Most of the time, he's talking about work and anything that goes past that boundary goes unspoken.

Quite literally. You've forgotten the amount of times that you've built up the courage to mention anything about your other (not deceased) relatives or your friends and the amount of times that the room was filled with a silence so awkward that crickets are on the same volume as missile launchers.

Though, you didn't want to lose hope. You sort of understood where he was coming from. People go through grief and mourning in different ways, Miguel's was probably just isolation and a complete avoidance of discussions of personal life.

He was a leader. A good one. A trait of a good leader is to connect with their subordinates, establish relationships. So it really made you think.

How messed up was he that he missed that one quality?

"Hey. Your food's getting cold." There it goes, the sound of your train of thought leaving the station. Sometimes, you were grateful for Jess being there for you. She could snap you back to reality you like nobody else could.

You mutter an apology before stabbing your salad with your fork and taking a bite, Jess rests her head on her palm. Raising a brow at you, "So, did you want to eat lunch with me for fun or are you just using me to get info about Miguel? Again?"

Nervously, you shake your head. "It's nothing like that!" She leans in a little more, waving her other free hand in the air in a circular motion.

"...But if you have anything that you'd like to share then I'm not going to refuse entirely—"

"Oh my god. Fine, fine. What do you want to know?"

With that question, it felt like your mind blanked. You fidgeted with your fork, twirling a leaf of your salad against the plate as you pondered on what question to ask.

Jess responds with a deep sigh, "If you're trying to find a way to talk to him more, he doesn't leave that office of his much unless it's for work. He's in there most of time. Although..."

"Although?"

"Although, I've seen him come here normally somewhere around midnight to get a very late dinner alone. The place is less crowded, most are just in their own universe or sleeping or working."

Your face falls a little upon hearing that. "So I can only catch a non-serious conversation with him... in the middle of the night?"

"Exactly. Besides, there's a good chance he's going to just— continue talking about work with you whether he's in his office or not. You know that, right?"

You drop your utensil in defeat, burying your face shamefully in your hands. "I know..."

You quickly wrap up your lunch with Jess, as she shares bits and pieces about him. You had really wondered how she was able to learn all of these things about him anyway but before you had the opportunity to ask her, she told you to not.

Respecting her wishes, you keep your mouth shut. Respecting her even further, you decide to pack up both of your plates and wave her a goodbye before picking up those thoughts that you were left a while ago.

Admittedly, you didn't know why you were so persistent for something like this, for someone like him.

Determination was a strength of yours but that didn't mean that you didn't know where your limits rested and you would back off when you needed to.

There was just something. A swirling feeling in your gut that was telling you to keep going.

That it would be worth it.

So, you follow everything that Jess told you. Around midnight, he'd be alone, in the cafeteria, and looking for an empanada to snack on before heading back into his office. A very small fraction of his time left for personal conversation if you tried hard enough!

This most likely wasn't a good idea. You didn't sleep at all through the day but the thrill kept you alive and thriving. You confidently stride up to the counters of the cafeteria, picking out a small bag of chips for yourself and the last empanada for your soon-to-be snack companion.

Now, you wait.

You surveyed your surroundings and as you were doing that, you realize why he particularly emerges during these kinds of hours to eat. There was a significantly less amount of people.

Whenever you came here during the day, it was a miracle to be able to find completely empty seats. At times, you were forced to sit with a group of people.

You weren't entirely ungrateful for that though, you've made a lot of friends that way. Sure, it was awkward at first but the more you were forced to interact with people that way, the more you adapted to making small talk.

Even then, there were a lot of tables that were taken here save for one completely empty one at the far end.

Then, you finally see that navy and red suit.

Deciding to observe him just a little bit more, you watch him curse under his breath seeing the display case for the empanadas empty. Before he walks away any further, you tap him on the shoulder.

His mask was on, his eyes widen a little bit before you hand him the small box. "I saved the last one for you."

With a soft huff, you see the muscles in his shoulders and back grow loose once more, he hestitantly takes the container from your hands. Looking at it then looking back at you, "Thanks."

You two share a few seconds of awkward silence, you felt a little exposed. You decided to unmask for this because you wanted him to feel more comfortable talking to you rather than who you were as a Spider-person yet there's still that same awkwardness in the air.

Clearly without nothing to do and no idea on how to makem something better out of this, Miguel's about to walk off before you stop him once more.

"W— wait," A little piece of yourself dies inside as you hear yourself stutter but nevertheless, you keep going. "Uh, there aren't any other spots so is it alright if I sit you? I don't know any of the people here."

The way that you see the eyes through his masks narrow ever so slightly once the question escapes your throat makes your heart quiver like crazy.

You wanted to get to know him but damn, if you said that he didn't scare you sometimes then you would be lying.

You cry on the inside with sweet victory as he says...

"Fine."

That was it. That was all you got but you gladly take it! You have to catch up to him though because once you're done mentally celebrating, he's already a little bit far from you.

You try your hardest to keep your head straight but you can't help but look up and spare him one glance, the fact that you even had to look up at him really only emphasized your height difference with him.

Another factor that made you just a little bit more intimidated by him, his physique. You considered yourself to be of average height, you weren't the tallest person in the room but you were never the shortest as well. Just average.

The way he practically towered over you, his hand nearly being the size of your head. It made you feel something.

The moment that both of you have a seat, you take your opportunity.

"So, is there anything that you plan on doing after this?"

You get a little distracted once his mask comes off, he raises an eyebrow at you, crimson eyes that feel like they're looking straight into your soul. Though, side-tracked as he bites into the dough and meaty goodness of his empanada, with a shrug— he replies,

"Not really. Unless there's an anomaly I haven't heard of yet then I have no plans. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing. Was just curious is all." Why was this so hard?!

The conversation goes as what you expected. You'd ask a question every moment or so and he'd give you a short response before going back to his food. He wouldn't ask you anything back, wouldn't add any 'unnecessary' comments. Just bask in the silence.

You simply couldn't take it anymore, you didn't know how to express your interest in him without asking him more questions about himself which he seems to avoid trying to answer.

You couldn't ask him about his hobbies because he'll most likely say that he's too busy working to actually spend time gaining and branching out to different interests.

Dejectedly, you sigh. "I'm sorry for imposing— on your alone time, I mean." It was like everything that you wanted to say just kept spilling out of your mouth.

"I didn't want to eat with you at this hour because I pity you or— or I found you lonely or whatever. I just thought that whenever you weren't talking about work, we'd be able to get along."

You stand up from your seat, eyes mindlessly darting arounf the labels of the bag of 'Spider-O's' in your clutches.

"I'll, uhm, let you eat in peace now. Once again, I'm—"

"Wait."

Which ever brain cells died from that interaction certainly reignited now. "Sit back down," It comes off an order. An order you certainly obey.

"I wouldn't have actually said yes to you if I didn't want to talk." He starts. "I know a lot of people but it's not in the same way that you do. I know their names, their faces, their canon events. You know their feelings, their mindscapes, and their troubles—"

"—And those are the exact kinds of things that I can't comprehend most of the time. We understand people differently, is what I'm saying. I still have no idea why exactly you sought out me of all people but I will... try to gain this new perspective of things."

You want to tamp down the smile that creeps up on your lips as you hear those words but you can't. What he said, it all made sense now. You couldn't see the full picture still, but you were willing to find it—

"I understand. It's fine."

"So? Do you have plans after this?"

Together.

#miguel o'hara #spiderman 2099 #miguel o'hara x reader #miguel o'hara x you #miguel o'hara fluff #fluff #romance #kind of #across the spiderverse #spiderverse #atsv #jessica drew #jess drew #spiderwoman #made this one extra sappy for u guys #miguel can be #so hard to write sometimes #hope i did him justice here

[badwitch-if]

OG DEMO + AU DEMO **and a note about the demo that won the vote

Magic is all too real and witches reign supreme.

This is a story of excess & indulgence. Luxury & depravity. Lust & love. Horror & debauchery. 

But mostly it's a story of rediscovering your inner witch. 

Bad Witch is set in a matriarchal, gothic universe eerily similar to our own, where magic runs the world. And at its core, it is a love letter to the incredibly strong and vibrant friendships that we forge in our youth, and how they ultimately shape the people we become.

Witxhes dominate the upper echelons of society, and magic has seeped into every facet of day-to-day life, for witches and humans alike. Humans were relegated to a lower class of living and as witches tend to be quite opulent & over indulgent [and more often than not revelling in their own personal vices], the bougie Season of the Witch began. Witching Society flourished and quickly overtook over the world, trickling down to influence even those without magic.

SO WILL YOU BE A BAD WITCH, OR A GOOD WITCH?

You were born to one of the most ancient and thus, important witching families; the only child of a famous mother and an even more infamous grandmother. Your ancestors were among the very first witches to lead the revolution, desperate to create a world where their children would never again die by human hands.

Your childhood was rather lonely and spent under the tutelage of the worlds best witches and academics, whilst your mother did her best to ignore your existence whenever it didn’t directly benefit her. And so years later you would often joke that your life really began once you were accepted into Ariadne Academy, the premiere school for exceptionally gifted Witxhes.

You were placed in a coven with eight of your peers; girls and boys who would quickly become your family, until it was almost like you couldn’t remember a time before them. They shared your all-consuming hunger for magic and knowledge and experiences, traits that made your coven [nicknamed the Silverlakers] an unstoppable force within the Demonhall arena. Everything was going so perfectly until it suddenly burned down around you, leaving your coven a husk of its former self.

Aaand this is currently where the stories splinter off.

OG DEMO — In the OG demo, your coven is still somewhat intact. MC’s feelings towards them may or may not have changed, but on the whole, the Silverlakers are still functioning as the overachieving badasses they were at the academy. They’re still your best friends, your soulmates, your lovers. You love them and they most definitely love you — it’s just one big lovefest. 

As a master alchemist you tediously work through trials of your newest potion while still coasting off the success of your last serum, the wildly popular Moon Juice. The story focuses on the unnaturally strong bond that exists between the remaining Silverlakers, and the powerful magic you’ve wrought because of that. The incredibly deep but complicated friendships that you built are maintained to this day, and still just as co-dependent... or have they been making you feel stifled or claustrophobic? 

You can choose how your relationship with Ash progressed post-breakup. Was it messy and dramatic, or did you keep going back to them, again and again? Have you and Ori been just the bestest friends all this time, or have things gotten a bit awkward?

AU DEMO — In the AU demo, your coven was broken following the loss of one of your own. You all went your own ways and everything that you shared was left by the wayside. You’ve spent the better part of a decade running away from your Silver Lake family, the only real home you ever knew. But now, against all of your better judgements, your returning to York. Only for a few days, of course. A couple weeks, tops. 

You haven’t returned since you absconded after graduation, when you used a somewhat controversial but entirely contrived excuse for your disappearance. And as if The Fates themselves had seen to it, you once again find yourself thrown together with the other witches formerly known as Silverlakers. Their reactions to your return are not at all what you had expected, and you’re left second-guessing what actually happened all those years ago.

No matter how deep of a rift was left between your coven, Ori was the one who really refused to give up on you. In their very unique way, they practically strong-armed you into maintaining some kind of contact. Of all your former covenmates, you are hands down closest to Ori. Your breakup with Ash, no matter how it was done, was shocking and cut deep. You can choose whether to stand by your past actions or try to make amends with your first love. 

Both the OG & AU stories will feature opportunities to reconnect with: the former childhood friend turned academy rival; as well as the young professor from your university years. And despite their shorter and more mysterious descriptions, they are both main RO’s, along with Ash & Ori.

Will you try to repair the broken connections plaguing your coven, or forge a brand new path? Will you decide to confront the nightmares of your past face on in the Demonhall arena, or continue to ignore the literal demons that chase you?

~ Fully customisable character — you can currently play as a woman, man, or non-binary person; straight, gay, or bisexual. Customise your character's personality, style and how they reacted in major moments of their life leading up to present events,

~ Choose how to react to your current coven dynamics — fight to save your soulmates & strengthen your long-established bonds, or play around on greener pastures with other witches

~ Meet your familiar and decide which form it takes, with your familiar's animal impacting the story

~ Set up a cozy, witchy corner to call your own! A few options include a reclaimed lighthouse, luxurious penthouse in the sky, and a secluded cabin in the woods

~ Continue to cross sexual conquests off your list of Lovers to Bed, or get serious and pursue a more serious connection. There are currently 4.5 love interests [all gender variable] as well as an optional poly route. I'm also considering bringing back a character who was cut from the OG story... TBD!

~ Decide what happened to MC's relationship with Ash, in the years since graduation. Have they drifted apart while leading separate lives, or have they been on-and-off for the better part of a decade?

~ Get answers & closure by chasing down ghosts from your past. Give yourself over to the demons in your past, or fight to find a balance between your life and the monsters at the gate.

~ Explore the ever-changing hellscapes of Demonhall and confront your demons, or keep those traumatic memories in the past where they belong

~ But above all else, choose which path your character takes going forward. Chase your dreams and loves, or turn your back, light it up & watch the world burn around you.

During your time at Ariadne Academy, rumours swirled nonstop about your coven.

You got along too well.

You loved each other too hard.

Some people said you were a bunch of weirdos, while others whispered [a little too loudly] that all of your parents had conspired together, bribing the Witches Council to put you all together in one coven. But back then you couldn't give a shit about anyone or anything outside your Silver Lake home.

You found your first love within your coven, as well as seven other soulmates. And for a long time, that was all you needed.

☆ Elijah Akos {m}

☆ Suki Aoki {f}

♡ Aisling Casablanca {f} // Asher Casablanca {m}

♡ Oriana Helyr {f} // Orion Helyr {m}

☆ Belladonna Humphrey {f}

☆ Endora Stills {f}

☆ Hazel Trout {f} — Deceased

☆ Bren Wylder {m}

The grandiose and horrifying Demonhall is a favourite pastime for Witches young and old. Two opposing covens enter the arena (or as it's lovingly called by fans, the Demon Dome) and are sealed inside. Usually a timer is set for 6 hours, but some exhibition games run a 'last Witch standing' simulator, that can go on for days. 

At the core of every Demonhall arena lies it's true power, a demonstone. The crystalized heart of a demon powers and creates unique and dangerous environments for covens to progress through. Whether it's a futuristic, neon playground; the dilapidated ruins of Titans; or a much too lifelike version of the floor is lava, each unique setting has been randomly and lovingly crafted by the demonstone. 

Just as each demon is unique and come with their specific set of baggage challenges, so do their corresponding arenas. Some are more manipulative in luring you into their traps, while others don't waste time in throwing everything they've got at you.

The object of the game, quite simply, is to challenge & toss opposing witches out of the match, using whatever spells & curses, or hexes & charms you keep in your arsenal. All while avoiding the real terror of the Demonhall, the demon itself.

For over a decade, your life revolved around Demonhall. You were the Lead for your coven, meaning you often bore the brunt of whatever the demonstone was hurtling at you. Your Silver Lake coven dominated the amateur Demonhall circuit for the better part of a decade. You and your covemates were elevated to a level of celebrity that few others at Ariadne Academy could relate to, as you were splashed across dozens of magazine covers before you were 18.

You planned your life around your obsession and love of the game, and as your graduation approached, you fielded dozens of offers to play for top-tier professional teams. But then... the unexpected happened during a match and you lost a member of your coven.

☆The First Love☆ ...& Ash's playlist

Aisling DeLoach {f} // Asher DeLoach {m}, 31

Ash was your first love. You dated for several years during your time at Ariadne Academy. You grew up together in your Silver Lake cottage and soon after you met, you found it hard to deny your teenage crush. 

You bonded over a mutual (rather mad) obsession with Demonhall, and it didn't take long for that bond to translate onto the arena. The Silver Lake Demonhall coven dominated the competition, thanks in large part to the connection you shared with Ash.

You made plans together to follow your passions after graduation, and even courted the interest of several top-tier professional clubs. They wanted you both, and were willing to restructure their teams around you & Ash.

But life happened, and you surprised everyone when you suddenly broke things off with Ash and the Demonhall teams. Instead you followed a secondary love and traveled across the world in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries. 

In the decade that you've been working out in the field, Ash has been named Demonhall MVP for three years in a row. Their legions of adoring fans have only multiplied. Is there room for you in their life nowadays, or is it truly too late?

☆The Best Friend☆ ...& Ori's playlist

Oriana Helyr {f} // Orion Helyr {m}, 30

Ori has been your longest and closest friend. No matter what your relationship was like with the rest of the coven, you could always count on Ori having your back. And sometimes being a shoulder to cry on, during the rockier parts of your relationship with Ash. In a way, it's always felt like the three of you had your own kind of connection, but at times, that could put Ori in the middle of your shit with Ash.

Ori is a highly sought after Master Architect, one of only two in the country. They’re instrumental to the buildings integrity and the future success of it’s residences. Ori often spends weeks onsite, crafting intricate enchantments around the bones of the structure, ensuring not only structural safety but doing everything in their power to position them for prosperity.

There's never been any fronts or facades with Ori, just transparent (sometimes brutal) honesty. You've never had to pretend around them and you might even be your truest self when you're with them. And then the two of you would stay up all night, talking and watching movies, and polishing off copious amounts of alcohol. In fact, many of those nights ended up serving as inspiration for your new experimental potion, a cure-all hangover draught.

In the years since the academy, Ori has tracked you down across the globe too many times to count. It always seemed like they had some magical way of knowing when your life was going to shit and they'd spontaneously turn up with boxes of wine & chocolate, immediately taking over your kitchen to cook up something utterly delicious

☆The Lifelong Rival☆

Viridian ‘Poe’ Black {f/m}, 31

Poe was one of your very first friends, long before the academy. Your mothers ran in the same high society circles and so you were often left to your own devices. For Poe that usually meant running off into the woods to scout for berries and beasts, or tirelessly watching or reading up on anything to do with Demonhall. And in fact, decades later, you've still never met anyone as obsessed with the game as them. Even as a kid, Poe was haughty and overtly snobby; they always knew exactly what and who they liked, and rarely strayed outside the lines.

But for some reason or another, you were someone they happily tolerated and actually seemed to like. Much to their delight, Their Demonhall fanaticism eventually infected you as well, and you spent countless hours debating the various forms, methods, and positions of the beautiful but deadly game. The two of you would often daydream about your future life at Ariadne Academy, and their eyes lit up with unabashed glee when they spoke of how together, you would bring about a new era of Demonhall. But then came the week before coven placements. And even after all of their extensive testing,  you & Poe weren't placed together.

After that Poe very rarely spoke to you and altogether stopped responding to your many messages over the years, and just like that, the delicate friendship you once shared was snuffed out. And while they'd always been sarcastic and biting, that had rarely been directed towards you. Until you were put in competition, both academically and in the Demonhall arena, and then you were introduced to an entirely different side of Poe. The one that knew your weaknesses and just when to exploit them, who seemed to take a particular happiness from your defeat.

☆The One That Got Away☆

Julia St. James {f} // Julian St. James {m}, 35

The two of you have a rather torrid history. Or at least, you might in another universe. In this one, sadly, your love affair was cut prematurely short after one perfect night. Before it could even begin.

Shortly after arriving in Iceland but before your apprenticeship could officially begin, you found yourself alone in a pub. Suddenly Jules slid into the booth opposite you, apologizing profusely while begging you to let them stay on a moment while they avoided a rather cantankerous individual. You didn’t stop them from ordering a drink, and then one turned into two, and two into three, until neither of you could say how much time had passed while you’d been talking away.

You talked of magic and philosophy, theology and literature, and no matter the topic, there was never an awkward pause or break in conversation. And not once did they bring up Demonhall. It was somehow exactly what you needed at the time, just weeks following your graduation from Ariadne Academy and everything that had had transpired in the weeks before. 

That night you both felt on the verge of something so much more. Before it was complicated by running into a colleague of theirs out with their wife. She was an acquaintance of your mother's and expressed shock that you'd be seen out and about with Jules St. James, the newest and youngest junior professor in the university's history, and a somewhat big deal in deity and divination circles. 

☆ ...

#if #interactive fiction #hosted games #choicescript #interactive novel #witches #choice of games #magic #wip #if wip #badwitch #badwitch if #if: wip #if: fyi #if: submission

[visgrapplinghooks]

friendlinghood: a proposal

skip to "terminology" if you don't want the long explanation

QPRs are really difficult to talk about because of the way the modern queer community has kinda framed it as like "dating but without romantic attraction"

when that's not entirely true

I mean, you COULD say that's a kind of QPR but it'd be a mistake to frame all of it that way. this is in large part to internet misinformation and shit as well as amatonormativity from which a lot of relationship discourse is framed against

queerplatonicism, from my pov refers to what is essentially the natural byproduct of queer and neurodivergent people having close friends

the queer community has been aware for a while that its members would have close friendships that in some way violated traditional social norms for behavior outside romantic relationships or family, etc.

when you sit outside the neurotypical and patriarchal norm, the conventional social understanding of what relationships are kinda breaks down for you

you display levels of closeness and intimacy and affection that are "inappropriate" for neurotypical and patriarchal society. in most cases they're not formal relationships, but natural evolutions of friendships between queer and neurodivergent folks

cishet people actually do have variants on this like the concept of "blood brothers" where two men who love each other basically make a pact to always have each other's backs and be their support and they do the whole movie thing where they mix blood to bind them together (it's a very cinematic thing, but the point is it exists in the popular consciousness)

"romance" and "friendship" each refer to a set of social norms and expectations. there's like a whole narrative constructed around those concepts and people internalize and have their own versions of them

a lot of people probably have friends they want to fuck or kiss or cuddle or declare their undying affection for but it'd just be "weird" within the social boundaries of acceptability and so people pigeonhole their relationships into either friend or romantic partner.

queerplatonicism (from my pov) is essentially accepting or practicing relationships which are neither platonic or romantic or even strictly familial. many queer people have them with other queer people they're close to. if you know queer folks then you probably know what I'm talking about - the friends they have that they're not dating but seem intensely attached and close to. they usually have weird names for each other that go beyond friendship like they'll jokingly call each other wives and husbands and siblings and partners... but it doesn't feel quite entirely joking. they'll express a lot of physical affection in the casual way you might typically ascribe to romantic partners. they'll prioritize time with those people as much as any romantic partner they may have etc.

straight and cis people and neurotypical people obviously experience them to some extent, it's just that patriarchy was built around cishet neurotypicals in particular, so it tends to cling to their mindsets more strongly, and once you're already outside of the "bounds of normalcy" by being queer, ND, etc. then it's a lot easier to feel like it's okay for you to be in relationships that aren't "normal".

because like the idea of loving someone with your entire fucking being... it's so tied up in these cultural ideas on how to behave about those feelings and it never made sense to me, because if you just let yourself feel those emotions you start to realize there are people in your life that maybe you love so much more than friends. but "more than friends" is so washed up in romance that you force those feelings down and think "this is fine, I'm happy with being just friends, what else can we be?"

maybe I don't want to have sex or hold hands on a ferris wheel or get. married or kiss or any of that. maybe I just want to exist in the same room as that person know that that person is in my life and know that person cares about me just as much as I do them.

terminology

I've started to use the term "friendling" in my day to day life, now. the term is a portmanteau of "friend" and "sibling" and "loveling" (the english cognate of the German word "lieblings" which can mean "favorite", but is also a term of endearment).

to me, it's probably the most accurate way to describe the Everything All At Once feelings that are simultaneously your weird friends that are your found family and also "romantic" but twisted beyond recognition where the term stops meaning anything.

I'm just throwing this word and explanation out there for anyone who feels like me and wants to use it too. not exclusive to queer people or neurodivergence or anything, I just think it's often easier to be cognisant of those feelings when you are queer and neurodivergent.

that being said, I do NOT want this to be folded into another "attraction label". this is, as far as I can tell, not a unique form of attraction but quite literally the opposite. it's an abstraction of the core impulses of attraction that ALL humans experience without the labels or social structures built around it. I do not want the language that I've spent so long trying to find for my experiences losing all of its value and being reapporpriated into the amatonormative, allonormative, and cisheteropatriarchal framework.

"friendlinghood" - is what I see as an attribute of relationships and the extent to which they deviate from socially conventional definitions of a relationship.

"friendlingship" - used grammatically like friendship. referring to any complex relationship acategorically.

"friendling" - used grammatically similar to friend. referring to those involved in any complex relationship acategorically.

all of this shit is nebulous and doesn't really mean anything beyond what meaning you choose to give it. I think any relationship can have some amount of friendlinghood and I don't think there's a clear line between friendlingship and friendship or romance or family, because it's not a type of relationship in the first place. it's just silly words I made that helped me.

language and labels

so the biggest problem with terminology like this is you can end up creating labels. my point was to create personal terms for myself and my relationships because that's what helped me personally process my own feelings.

that's not to say everyone needs or benefits from them. you can just vibe and do whatever you want and many people are happy with that.

I don't think words like this being codified and standardized really helps anyone. it's unavoidable that we as humans like articulating feelings, but the entire point of my interactions with friendlinghood is about certain things defying labels and language. language in this sense is just a tool, it's a hammer for a nail. it's not embodying the concept itself, it's just useful shorthand.

I will still freely refer to friendlings as close friends, best friends, found family, and other words. as long as I know the intention behind it is all that matters. I just needed that initial bit of language to articulate the feelings before the other words felt right to me.

#romance #relationships #healthy relationships #friendship #neurodivergence #actually neurodivergent #actually autistic #lgbtqplus #lgbtq community #lgbtqia #aromantic #aromanticism #acespec #aspec pride #asexuality #aroace #queerplatonic #queerplatonic relationships #queer

[bugsnaxaudio]

Do you have the audio for Jamfoot's tapes in the triplicate space?

Wow, this audio’s long! I mean, it is an entire interview compared to just snippets of character chat. So, grab a popcorn and some soda, and enjoy the listen.

Although I’m not as crazy on Alegander as most fans are, I do think he’s an interesting character! There’s something about a theatrically hammy guy who plays up the persona of being a mysterious villian who’s really just kind of A Guy™️ that makes for a really fun character. If Young Horses plans to revisit Bugsnax in the foreseeable future, I’m interested to see where they go with his character.

I’m not too sure if I’ve got the order correct. I uploaded the audio file as they were when I extracted them, but the wiki lists it based on when you encounter the tapes in the Triplicate Space. I’ll keep it as is for the sake of convenience.

Transcription under readmore. Not only to keep the post brief, but also spoilers for the Isle of BIGsnax DLC. You’ve been warned!

[Image Description: a triangular picture of Alegander Jamfoot. He is holding a cup of coffee and looking into the camera with a neutral expression.]

“Well… aren't you an intrepid little journalist, coming into this secret hideaway just to ask questions of the first stranger you see...?”

“Hmm… I do respect the pursuit of knowledge, and I have been down here for...way too long. Go ahead. Question me if you dare.”

“I am Alegander Jamfoot, junior archivist and crypto-snakological researcher. That is my passion, anyway. I am also... a part-time barista.”

“I was sent here by my organization to monitor this triangular relic. A position of honor, I was told, but I hold no illusions. This is a punishment.”

“This place is a temple of sorts, but even I don't understand its true purpose. The ones who built it are lost far beneath the ocean. The organization uses it as a break room.”

“We are the Snakolytes: Scholars and sailors descended from the remnants of Grumpbeard's final voyage. We are the keepers of Snaktooth's secrets. Protectors against the threat of Bugsnax until such a time that they can be... brought under our control.”

“[groans] We are NOT the Grumpinati! That's made-up movie nonsense! I mean, sometimes our actions are blamed on the Grumpinati, but we're a secret society, we can't just go around correcting everybody.”

“I have made… many foolish choices in my life. Foremost among them, a degree in library sciences. Look, there weren't many jobs out there, and I found an internship in a magazine ad. Unpaid, as it turns out. Welcome to the Snakolytes.”

“I've been watching your expedition with great interest. I don't get radio out here so, y’know, most entertainment I've had all year. I am afraid that Bronica Lottablog has gone somewhere that you should not follow.”

“In my time isolated here, I have learned more than any Snakolyte before me. With the secrets I have unlocked, the discovery of the Three Queens, I could rise to the upper echelons of the organization!”

“Yes, I will be well rewarded. Ideally with a weekly stipend. Or maybe even, um… healthcare? Even not having to pay membership dues would be... y'know, pretty good.”

“The first Queen was wrathful. When she awakened, she wreaked terrible vengeance on those who had sacrificed her to the Bugsnax.”

“The second Queen was benevolent. Through her guidance, the Bugsnax were pacified, and the Snaktooth Empire flourished for centuries. But as all empires do, it grew beyond her control.”

“The third Queen will be one of ours... hopefully. With her power, we will usher in an age of peace and prosperity. Ideally, before my student loans are due.”

“Well, wasn't that fun? I will be taking your recordings now. Oh, don't look so shocked. Surely, you understand I can't let any of this become public knowledge.”

“As for what happens to you... Well, I believe the Snakolytes could use someone with your investigative talents. And I, of course, could really use a recruitment bonus.”

#bugsnax #bugsnax isle of bigsnax #isle of bigsnax #isle of bigsnax spoilers #bugsnax spoilers #the mysterious voice #mysterious voice #alegander jamfoot #bugsnax alegander #audio type: DLC #requested

[thedroneranger]

Par for the Course

Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Précis: You're tasked with interviewing the U.S. Navy's media darling.

Warnings: n/a—light n' fluffy

Word count: 1.5k

My tongue clicked against the roof of my mouth as I did my best to appear calm. Internally, I was screaming about being late. Being punctual was never my forte, and it astounded me that my inability to properly judge the amount of time I needed to get out the door followed me this far into adulthood. At this age, I had accepted it as a flaw that friends and family just had to plan around.

Even my employer did their best to accept my lack of punctuality. My assistant went as far as to build in time buffers on my schedule. To keep me on my toes, she never told me which events she built buffers into—smart girl.

The dashboard clock stared at me as I weaved through traffic without going too much over the speed limit. "Shit, shit, shit." I sang in tune to the music.

Finally, the rolling hills of the country club we agreed to meet at came into view. After parking, I gave myself one more check in the rearview mirror before sliding out of my seat and heading for the clubhouse.

Odds were good they'd begun their tee time without me. A couple bucks would get me my own cart, and I could cruise the course in search of them.

Turns out the time I missed was a buffer time. My assistant knew me too well. The clubhouse attendant was kind enough to get me set up, so now I was just waiting on my interview subjects.

My clubs were giving me some trouble as I situated them to my liking. I nearly rocketed to the moon when someone touched my shoulder. After catching my breath, I made eye contact with a man that was definitely one of the pilots I was interviewing.

"Jake Seresin." He stuck out his hand for me to shake. I took it, and then introduced myself.

"Where are your fellow pilots? I believe there are supposed to be at least three of you so we can golf a foursome."

He laughed and flashed an absolutely enamoring smile. "You'll have to settle for a twosome." Spending the morning golfing with one of America's top fighter pilots? And he was extremely soft on the eyes? I couldn't think of a less painful punishment.

The only downside to his news was that I'd have to rethink my article angle. Straight, white male, dripping testosterone, fit every stereotype our society was built on. It was a welcome challenge—as a magazine feature writer, I needed some hurdles in my work.

Once our clubs were loaded and our caddy was ready, we drove to the back nine. Jake surely didn't want to spend his entire day with me, so we'd agreed to nine holes.

Jake let me tee-off first. Surprisingly, he did not comment when I elected to hit from the white tees. We made small talk, first about golf, our hobbies and then transitioned to aviator life. Jake had already given consent, so I let Voice Memos record while we played.

Clearly, Jake was one of the U.S. Navy’s media darlings. I was tempted to ask if the Department of Defense Entertainment Media Office loaned him out with the aircraft. He was well-spoken and photographed easily. That infectious smile and deep cutting dimples could easily out-muscle Hollywood’s latest boy toy.

Heading into the 18th Hole, Jake and I were neck-and-neck. Jake was about to sink a putt for eagle, when his head jerked up and he looked directly at me. "Loser buys a round of alcoholic beverages?"

A smile curled the corners of my mouth. "Deal." He easily sank his shot. I needed to replicate his actions to keep the game alive. However, my ball was in a less favorable position. I spent a few minutes staring at the hole and then at my ball. Finally, I readied myself and sank the long putt for eagle. 

"You made that look too easy," Jake commented.

I shrugged. "I guess those Sundays golfing with Dad really paid off."

His eyebrows rose in excited surprise. "That's how I like to spend time with my old man.” We exchanged smiles as we bagged our clubs and climbed into our cart.

Being a fighter pilot wasn't just about flying, it was also about competition. And Jake was as competitive as they come. Naturally, he was unable to let the game finish in a stalemate, so we golfed three more sudden-death holes. We matched each other stroke for stroke until Jake hit a putt too hard and it hopped over the hole. I softly sank a putt to win.

Surprisingly, he took the loss rather well. He shook my hand and gave me one of his lethal smiles. I had a feeling I was one of very few people to beat Jake at something.

We loaded into our cart headed back to the clubhouse for lunch. Jake and I walked side-by-side into the clubhouse—amazing what walking into a place with an attractive man would get you. The waitstaff immediately doted on him and were practically falling over themselves to seat us.

I excused myself to freshen up. Upon my return, I found not one but two servers at our table. Jake had them eating out of the palm of his hand. When I arrived it was as if I didn't exist. Jake finally shooed them away by turning his attention to me.

"Are you a regular here, Mr. Seresin?" I asked, mocking the hospitality.

"Yes, yes I am, Ms." he winked at me as he drained his water.

"I do believe you have a debt to fulfill." I was referring to his drinks bet on the 18th Hole.

"Yes, yes I do." He summoned one of the eager waitstaff so we could place our order. It practically killed her that she had to also take my order.

While we awaited our meal, Jake and I continued to chat. The interview was long over. Our conversation skewed much more personal. In fact, Jake was asking me more questions than I was asking him. "Are you single?" Jake wasn't one to beat around the bush.

I smiled and swirled my cocktail around my glass before looking back at him. "Yes." He raised a brow, silently pressing me to explain, "I've dated a long string of pricks and just gave up."

He laughed, "My story is something like that."

"Come on! People are practically falling over themselves to be noticed by you." I shifted my gaze to the two servers at the ready for Jake's next beckon. His cheeks got the slightest blush—another thing I don't think happened often to Jake.

He laughed. "It's hard to find a woman that looks past my exterior or profession. Most claim to be ok with the demands of my job, but it always ends up our undoing," he explained.

"Mhmm." I nodded. "Men aren’t any less insecure," I replied, thinking about how hard it was to find someone who didn’t feel like they were competing with my job.

Our lunch arrived, and we spent the next hour eating between conversation. We even ordered a second round of drinks. Our plates had been cleared, and we were finishing our beverages when my phone vibrated. My boss's name flashed on the screen. "My apologies, I need to take this. Give me just a couple minutes." Jake nodded in acknowledgement as I scooted away from the table.

My boss was just looking for an update. We chatted for five minutes, and then I kindly ushered my boss off the phone to not keep Jake waiting any longer.

I pocketed my phone and headed back to Jake. "Sorr—" I cut myself off, finding our table empty. I looked at the busser.

"This is for you." He slid a cocktail napkin across the table. There was a note scribbled on it.

Sorry, I had to jet—lost track of time. I'm due back to the base for training. Thanks for a great interview. I'd love to take you out for a proper date. Call me. Jake

A grin crept across my face. Thank God he had decent handwriting. I clutched his note in my hand as I dug my phone out and added his number, which he had included.

On the walk out, I stopped at the hostess stand to settle our bill.  "It's all taken care of," the hostess said. I raised an eyebrow. "Courtesy of Mr. Seresin." We exchanged smiles.

As I unlocked my car and slid into the driver's seat, I looked at Jake's note one last time before putting it into my purse. My fingers thrummed on the steering wheel as I stared out the windshield. Pursing my lips, I dug back into my purse and pulled out the note. Without hesitation, I typed his number into the contact field of a new message, composed a flirty reply and pressed send. I dropped my phone in the cup holder, pushed the ignition button and headed home.

#jake seresin x reader #jake seresin imagine #jake hangman fic #jake seresin #jake hangman #jake hangman seresin #jake hangman imagine #jake hangman x reader #jake hangman x you #jake seresin x you #jake hangman seresin x reader #jake seresin fanfiction #top gun fanfiction #top gun fanfic #top gun #top gun movie #top gun maverick #hangman top gun #top gun fic #top gun hangman #top gun maverick fanfiction #top gun 2 #top gun imagine #top gun imagines #top gun maverick imagines #top gun maverick x reader #top gun x reader #topgun #the drone ranger

[sol-consort]

I like to headcanon that the humanity we see in ME is a humanity who worked their shit out mostly, solved most of our internal issues, and is actively trying to improve and wants to see the other species improve too. Humanity isn’t perfect of course, but we know that (which is arguably one of our strengths, knowing full well we ain’t shit, but that’s another discussion). Because of that I think humans caused a social shift in the non-humans at some point, especially within the council races ESPECIALLY in turian society.

At first the reaction is “nosy humans, mind your business” but after a while I can see some of the aliens realize that “dammit, the humans are right.” Humans are the youngest species but we have lived many lives, we know their struggles, we know their problems by heart, because we lived them too, and we don’t want to see what happened to us happen to the rest of the galaxy.

More turians start asking why it is they’re forced to serve in the military, asari start to unpack their superiority complex they didn’t know they had, salarians start to realize the long term consequences of their short term solutions. Maybe EVERYONE starts to really question why there only three/four councilors and why exactly no one else is allowed in their special club. And the humans in the background watching and cheering because YES BESTIE, START ASKING QUESTIONS!

Humans are easily misunderstood and casted aside Because of how young of a species we are. I mean we've only started recording history what 2000 years ago? That's two Asari generations.

But they forget how much we have fucked around and found out during these 2000 years. All the dumb decisions we have made, all the wars we started, all the near world endings we've evaded by a coin toss.

It never was a matter of if we accidentally lead the homosapiens to extinction, it was always a matter of when.

All the inventions that had the slightest possibility of unleashing a flesh eating bacteria or setting the atmosphere on fire were proceeded nonetheless. All the times we flew too close to the sun with no regard to the wax scorching our skin.

But. We. Persist. Like an annoying roach, we are invasive and can't help but poke our noses where we don't belong just because we are hardwired to be problem solvers. And if there are no problems left? We create some just to solve it!

We easily spot the faults in turian society because we have been through it! We have records of Rome and their great empire which crumbled beneath its own weight, we have records of military centric societies losing sight of their purposes and turning against their own civilians.

We have been through it, and it sucks and we hate it, and we wish they'd just listen to us.

Don't even get me started on the asari and how their superiority complex blinds them so much that they actually rationalised SLAVERY. Humanity's biggest shame and regret. Not only did they enslave the vorcha who can't argue with a proper case against the asari because of their limited 20 years lifespan, but they've reached the level of capitalism hell that they started selling people to work of their debts. Making excuses as if not debriving them of basic respect, food and shelter justifies trading an actual living person's soul to the highest company bidder akin to stock at a sheep market.

Their entire justice system is built on lawyers taking advantage of loopholes, birbes and blackmail. They're living the dystopian cautionary tales every human was told and selling it as the most glamourise life of the advanced civilisation that the rest of the galaxy should all strive for.

Not to mention how their government activity ereased the prothean's interference in their early stages and rewrote history for it to be some asari goddess just to sell their propaganda more that they are born inherently better than the other races whilst also NEEDING us for a diverse genetic sequences in reproduction. Shaming for being lesser than them whilst using us to make more asari.

Or the salarians who narrowed the purpose of existence to birth work then death, who against all the braincells they manged to hoard failed to see how they were so concered with getting as much productiveness out of their short lives that they actually forgot to live the said lives.

The hanar who focused too much on spirituality and left no room for the mortal flaw to exist. Who isolated themselves in feverish reverence to worship their stone statues of past dead species while pretending a world outside isn't being built and almost within reach of the same capabilities of their so proclaimed gods. Who deemed others too ignorant or rude to deal with, who's only interaction with others are to educate their barbarian ways and show them the true meaning of life that they decided without consulting any other race.

IT'S A FUCKING CIRCUS SHOW.

HISTORY IS A FLAT FUCKING CIRCLE.

A PARADE OF HUMANITY'S MOST HORRIFIC DYSTOPIAS MASQUERADING AS THE PRIMA DONNA OF EDENS.

WHAT THE FUCK.

Aliens are in fact just like us.

Because they are rolling in the same mud puddles as us.

The shitstorm just happened to reach us before we could reach the stars.

While they're still flinging mudballs onto each other's faces and calling us the apes.

Having run out of my cynical juice tho, I think we at least will get the chance to play heros in this scenario.

Welcome any alien who decided to diverge from the norm of their society standards amidst our ranks and into our homes. Encouraging our turian friends to have dreams and hopes outside of war and country service, allowing our asari friends to be flawed mortals and calling them out on their mistakes without antagonising them, showing salarians how beautifully love is and there is more to marriage or starting a family than simple reproduction values.

It is funny how Korgans are essentially the least flawed and most civilised in comparison to the rest of the galaxy who shunned them for being savages.

I hope our invasive nature infects them, our songs about dreams and passion to move them, our continous persistent that they deserve so much more, that life could be so much better, that the world is bigger than their government lead them to believe would get them to glance outside their aluminium glided cages and wonder if apes were onto something.

#☆humans #☆asari #☆turians #☆salarians #☆hanar

[positivelyadhd]

ik its not ur usual positivity but THANK YOU so much for that post!!! I feel like "gifted kid burnout" really dominates the conversation and thats only one experience of many.

I was diagnosed with adhd in elementary school and was basically like. "the kid with problems" "lost cause" my entire life. one of my teachers even directly told my mom she should be ashamed of me lol. any successes were like-- "see what you just did? imagine how much more you would be capable of if you didn't have adhd." to the point where I don't even feel any sense of accomplishment for graduating college. it's just one more "failure" i avoided in other peoples eyes. (i dont personally think not graduating college is a failure at all btw, that is just Society's Message™)

this part is kinda tangential but from what i've seen a lot (ofc not all) of gifted kid burnout posts are like, if only i would have been diagnosed earlier all of this could be avoided. and maybe that's true - I understand where it's coming from at least, the frustration of feeling that something is wrong but not knowing what or having that "proof" that you're not just "lazy" etc. im not saying this isn't a valid wish or frustration but in my experience... hoooo boy.

personally being diagnosed with ADHD in the early 2000s, didn't meant you got support, it meant you were written off from the start, adults thought you had no future, you were seen as a "problem child" like it wasn't "oh you're not lazy you just have adhd!" it was "you have ADHD so you are built to be lazy and theres nothing you can do about it lol" so it didn't solve much. just created a different type of problem. im very happy to see things look to be changing though!!

I'm curious if other people had a similar experience and thank you so much for adding the 'diagnosed but not supported' part bc that is so real!!!

Absolutely this!!

My experience with diagnosis and lack of support was strange, but basically my primary (ages 4-11) school (I believe) suspected I had adhd/dyslexia and did offer some (very limited) support. But they also always told my parents they didn't think I had a learning difficulty when they asked because I was in extra programmes. I don't really think the support they did give me really helped all that much, and honestly, when I did get my diagnosis (around 12/13?) I'd spent so long thinking there was just something "wrong" with me that I feel like the lack of diagnosis was a lot more negatively impactful than not receiving support would've been.

My secondary school then managed to flip this and despite me getting my diagnosis part way through, nothing really changed either. Being told I had ADHD/Dyslexia changed me and my understanding of myself. I finally felt like things made sense and there was a reason i found things so difficult, it wasn't that there was something "wrong" with me but the system was not built for me. Although my diagnosis was early compared to some people, it felt late to me, and everything that can happen when you're undiagnosed had already set in.

I wished I'd been diagnosed earlier but honestly, I had a similar experience to you, and I don't think it would've done much. And even when I was finally diagnosed, my school also never really acknowledged my diagnosis and wouldn't put any of the accommodations that I needed in place (despite my diagnosis coming with a report which explained everything they should've been doing to support me and how they could've done it) I didn't get any accommodations for my neurodiversity until I was in uni, and I got my diagnosis in 2015 so at least for me, my experience wasn't that different to yours in the early 2000s.

When I tried to fight for the accommodations I should've been given, I was told that I would pass my exams, and so it didn't really matter, they didn't believe going through the hassle of giving me accommodations would help me (although the diagnosis report itself said otherwise.) I always felt similarly to you, I could scrape by but "imagine how much better you'd do without dyslexia/adhd" but I also had this weird "well because you're "gifted" you can get average grades, you don't need support!" message as well?

And yeah, just like you, I didn't really feel as accomplished as I should've done when I finished uni. I'm proud of myself for doing it but I do feel this weird pressure of knowing that if I didn't have adhd/dyslexia or managed it better, I would've done much better.

I apologise for rambling about myself but yeah thank you for this ask! I feel the same way, and I'm glad to hear I'm not alone in it as well.

I wish you the best dear anon <3

#insert the usual apology for the long time it took to respond here #I'm proud of you for what you've achieved anon! #and you're right its so nice to see the world changing <33 #opening letters #anon

[alchemist-of-thebes]

KH OC Week Day 2

Little late in the day, but better late than never? Anyway, on to Day 2! Day 2: New World ◾What would it be like if your OC visited a world they'd never seen before? As I did for Day 1, today I'll have short bit about both Velcia (KHx-Era) and her eventual descendant, Velcia ("Modern" KH Era).

KHx-Era Velcia:

For the KHx-Era Velcia, the experience of truly visiting a new world is rather more muddied. Daybreak Town is not her true homeworld, and although she does not remember much aside from fleeting memories of her true home she is never able to to really shake the fact that she isn’t quite in the right place. Further complicating her perspective is the fact that, as a Wielder of Daybreak Town, she has visited many of The Master of Master’s Projected Worlds created by the Book of Prophecies. While she still finds each new world to be incredible in its own right, it isn’t until she finally ends up in the true world of Olympus that she learns how much more satisfying the real thing can be. And so, in the end, her reaction to visiting an entirely new world really changes depending on where she is in her life. Prior to the Keyblade War, any new world would be met with the same drive and determination to learn and document everything she can. She is driven to see things, draw them, to learn more or less how it is and how it works, before bustling off to take one more little nibble off the plate of infinity that is the unknown.

After the Keyblade War, after the horrors and dust have settled and she’s begun to adjust to life in her new world, however, little Velcia’s frenetic nature would come to focus into something more personal and passionate. Though she’s unlikely to ever become a people-person, her relationships with the people she sees and the world around her would grow to have a much slower pace and a deeper appreciation. If she were to visit a new world at this point, her countless stacks of pages covering a large range of topics would be replaced with more neat and organized subjects of considerably greater depth, and her focus would be to learn and find the heart of what makes each place uniquely special.

KHII-Era Velcia:

The first new world Velcia gets to visit and really truly explore is Eos. Coming from Olympus, a world with nearly no technology, she finds herself constantly impressed and amazed by the marvelous machines and society that they have built. Despite this, she finds herself more engrossed in learning as much as she can about the properties of magic on this world and devotes much of her time to learning the fundamental construction of several Lucian Spells - even on other worlds, her thirst for knowledge and love of learning are hard to set aside. The first several New Worlds she visits are during her travels with Hinata. Velcia grew up hearing quite a bit about the “World Order” (Or at least, an approximation thereof), but her understanding of this is put into a bit of a conflict by the requirements of their mission. Velcia does her best to respect each world, though ultimately tries to defer to the decisions made by DiZ or Hinata in most cases.

Having very highly attuned magic senses, Velcia comes to find that the way she remembers each world best is by the unique sorts of magic each world is imbued with - much like some may remember a location, food, or event by the smell, sounds, or flavors. The base magical elements of each world are similar, but the way these elements are used by the locals is seldom the same from one world to the next; and learning about these is generally her favorite part.

Being a potion-maker by trade, she also finds herself very interested in each world’s local plant life and other sorts of materials that are naturally saturated with magic properties, or those that can be imbued easily with it. It takes some time for the notion to come to her, but she does eventually start trying to collect especially interesting or unique plants or seeds from worlds when she finds she has the time or opportunity. Someone, someday, is going to need to have a discussion with Velcia to teach what an ‘invasive species’ is. Also, I have this picture from a few years back of this Velcia wearing the outfit she got when she traveled to Eos for the first time. This picture was commissioned for me as a present, and was created by an artist called Benvey.

That's it for me for Day 2! Thanks again for stopping by, and thanks to everyone else participating in KH OC Week - it's been so fun to see everyone's stuff and be a part of it after all this time. :D

#KHOCWeek2023 #KHOC Week #kingdom hearts #Velcia

[bracketsoffear]

Reapers (Mass Effect) "Spoilers for the entire original Mass Effect trilogy.

At their core, the Reapers represent the insignificance of humanity (and other sapient creatures) in the face of an ancient and unfathomably wide universe.

The Reapers have some superficial similarities with the Extinction: namely, that their driving goal is to "Harvest" (i.e. commit complete genocide against) space-faring species. That said, their role in the text fits better fits the Vast.

First, the Reaper's plans play out on an incomprehensibly Vast time scale. In the Mass Effect universe, humanity experienced First Contact less than 30 years before the start of the first game. Contrast the Asari, who were the first species in the current cycle to reach the Citadel, reached the Citadel in approximately 580 B.C.E.. Operating on a still larger timescale, Protheans, the ancient species credited with leaving behind the mass effect technology, "disappeared" (spoiler alert: it was the Reapers) c. 48,000 B.C.E.. The Reapers' cycle makes even that timescale look like grains of sand. They show up every 50,000 years or so to carry out their "Harvest" and vanish into the darkness beyond the galaxy to bide their time. The Mass Effect wiki puts the years where their creators killed one of them (and therefore the approximate beginning of the Cycles) as c. 1,000,000,000 B.C.E..

Next, they're really, really big. Freaking ginormous. A helpful Redditor posted an illustration comparing one to skyscrapers in modern LA: https://www.reddit.com/r/masseffect/comments/2e3qui/a_reaper_to_scale_with_modern_day_downton_los/. The only ways Shepard manages to take one down on foot: (1) pulling a Mothra v. Godzilla thing with the terrifyingly large and aggressive Kalros, Mother of Thresher Maws, (this was a small one, BTW) and; (2) using a targeting laser and letting an actual fleet of spaceships do the firing. Sovereign, the Reaper vanguard, is several times larger than the largest ships galactic society has to offer.

(MAJOR SPOILERS FOR MASS EFFECT 2) You know Simon Fairchild's gargantuan person made out of people? The Reapers did that but even more gruesomely. Well, Shepard manages to put a stop to it for humans specifically, but each Reaper is a superstructure built around a giant representation of a species the Reapers Harvested, made out of matter collected from that species. It's their way of "preserving" the species. (Also, remember the part about cycles being every 50 thousand years and the cycles starting 1 billion years BCE? They've done The Great Beast thing around 20 thousand times by the time Mass Effect takes place.)

Then, there's the entire first conversation Sovereign has with Shepard. I'll be happy to send a video of it on YouTube via ask if the Reapers make it in, but highlights include: --Sovereign claiming to be beyond sapient comprehension. --Sovereign calling organic life "nothing but a genetic mutation." --This part: "The pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. Organic civilizations rise, evolve, advance, and at the apex of their glory they are extinguished. The Protheans were not the first. They did not create the Citadel." --And this: "We are each a nation - independent, free of all weakness." --And this: " We are legion. The time of our return is coming. Our numbers will darken the sky of every world. You cannot escape your doom."

Holy existential crisis, Batman!

Anyway, in the text of Mass Effect, Reapers serve as a literalization of the existential fear borne of recognizing that in the vast scale of the universe, humans aren't likely to be the first or only intelligent species--that we're young and tiny and only just beginning to understand the natural world. In the face of that enormity, are we capable of being meaningful? Or are we doomed to be void of meaning and impact?

The One Who Wanders And Waits/The Wanderer (Space Boy) "The Magnificent Bastard behind an Ancient Conspiracy to ensure humanity someday reaches the Monolith. It's intentions are unknown due to its Blue-and-Orange Morality, but it has used it's emotion-manipulating powers to slowly brainwash the entire staff of the FCP so they'll be easy to manipulate so it can achieve it's goals. When he was a child, Oliver encountered The Wanderer, who drove Oliver to a five-year-long existential crisis over the vastness and emptiness of space. He made Oliver see the world in terms of “The Nothing in between the stars […] a vast Nothing. An emptiness.” Oliver thinks that most people willingly ignore the “Nothing” because they’re frightened by it, but he can no longer ignore that “The universe is almost entirely made up of Nothing. Even the atoms in our bodies consist primarily of empty space. We are all just bits of matter, floating in the void.” This post explains it better."

#vast poll #the magnus archives #the vast #poll #mass effect #space boy

[nonepizzaleftgirl]

(Art by @jakearison!)

Decided to make a non-inkfish Splatoon OC! Meet Mona, a corkscrew anemone. She started out as a background character from my fic that I've since become obsessed with, and I've been having a lot of thoughts about her and anemone society.

Mona Barker is a corkscrew anemone that's 23 years old at the time of Splatoon 2. She's working for the Inkopolis government office, both to make ends meet and also because it's a pretty chill job where she can help folks.

Symbotic relationships make up a big part of anemone society. It's expected that once an anemone becomes independent, they will also enter a symbiosis with a smaller sea creature. As a result of that, anemones tend to ignore the smaller symbionts when talking to their anemone peers, but other species tend to have difficulty dealing with the fact that anemones usually have another person with them at all times. This extends even to romance, with anemones dating and whatnot with their symbionts present, usually only separating for very intimate moments.

Symbiosis is a two-way street, of course: the anemones provide a very useful service of letting smaller species get around a world that was not built for their size. They're expected to help their smaller symbionts get to important places, and usually the smaller symbionts either work remotely, or both work at the same location.

The smaller symbionts, meanwhile, do the important task of cleaning an anemone's tentacles. If not taken care of, the tentacles can become rife with parasites, leading to potentially severe injuries.

For anemones or smaller sea creatures without a symbiotic partner, there exist support centers: anemones can get their tentacles taken care of, while freelance anemones transport smaller sea creatures to places where they need to go. Anemones need to get their tentacles cleaned at least once a week, ideally twice, to keep them healthy. Usually these centers are staffed by symbiotic pairs that split up to perform their duties and rejoin off the clock.

Symbiotic relationships are largely utilitarian by nature. It's expected that you stay out of each others' business, though friendships being forged as a result of a symbiosis are not unheard of. Usually, however, a symbiotic relationship is entered because an anemone and a smaller sea creature happen to work or live in a similar location, for example.

That's what happened with Mona: one day, a cleaner shrimp, Mr. Pederson, transferred over to her office as a supervisor—using a transport anemone, as he's been going solo for his entire life so far. The immediate expectation was that he'd enter a symbiosis with Mona, which she couldn't really say no to.

Unfortunately, having your boss live in your hair sucks immensely, and it turned a calm and fulfilling job into a constantly stressful environment. Additionally, Mr. Pederson has higher aspirations than Mona, and pressures her to seek more in life. Mona, meanwhile, was content with her job, not wanting to rise in the ranks, as she largely needed to support her hobby of blacksmithing. It's how she made the rings in her hair!

Speaking of, Mr. Pederson also doesn't like those rings. He says that they make his job of cleaning her tentacles more difficult.

Unfortunately for Mona, a symbiotic relationship is not something that is broken easily. Barring cases of abuse or similar, a symbiotic relationship is thought of as being a lifelong arrangement. There's an especially large amount of responsibility thrust upon the anemone, as the smaller species is dependent on them to get anywhere.

Suddenly having a symbiont also made things tough for Mona's non-anemone friends. They can't really deal with the fact that suddenly there's always this stranger hanging out with them wherever Mona goes, and it's slowly isolating her from her friends.

Mona wishes she could leave it all behind, but she is unsure how. Breaking the symbiosis would be a huge cultural misstep, and could risk estranging her from her community. At the same time, however, she can't really deal with Mr. Pederson.

#splatoon #splatoon oc #anemone #oc

[femboty2k]

can we hear about the fictional species :3?

awh fuck I do gotta type something out don't I? Alright lemme try and break it down without rambling. I have 0 visual examples so just, bear with me, Ill try and use some inspirational art from back when I made them to get the look across. But here we go!

So I have a sci-fi setting named "Cosmosphere" in which I put all my sci-fi flavoured ideas and stories. I've written a short story about an android girl falling in love with a buff mechanic lady, set a tabletop game in it, and generally use it as a dumping ground for all things spacey that I like. Within Cosmosphere there's a few key players on the galactic stage as far as alien species go. There's the beetle-like Prok who's entire society is built around cartography and the want to chart the entire universe, the nomadic and pachyderm inspired Jaatani who's arid home planet was destroyed by a collapsing sun so they now inhabit a massive planet sized fleet of starships, and the noble Rook, sentient machines native to the zone of space known as the Cosmosphere itself who hail from a long forgotten purpose.

But we're not here to talk about any of those guys! We're here to talk about the very first species I ever designed for the setting, the Fenrii (Fen-ree). Hailing from the frigid world of Fenrai (Fen-rye) these large humanoids are much much farther along in their evolution than we humans. Because of this both their biology and culture are very old and run deep within their science and society. When I say much farther along think a million years or so of evolution, some of it forced via outside factors. But where to begin about these genderless giants? Lets start with physical characteristics. The Fenrii, as described before, are tall for the most part humanoid in their general shape. What sets them apart is their horns, hair growth, and thick leathery skin. The Fenrii evolved from a very promenant predator species on their homeworld that was well adapted to surviving the harsh cold climate and rocky mountain ranges made of obsidian and volcanic rock left behind from long extinct flows. Think of your average fenrii as a person anywhere between 6 and 8ft tall with horns of varying sizes and lengths, usually with very thick hair on their head and body, and a more animalistic face. (A very good example and a large source of my inspiration for them are the Jotun from the Banner Saga series of video games. A series I havent played but love the look of, example below:)

(Where the fenrii differ from their inspirational counterparts is they have slightly more broad and almost bovine facial features. Particularly wide flat noses and eyes that sit more far apart than your average human.) Because of their predatory ancestry the Fenrii also possess 2 enlarged sets of canine teeth along with thick sharp finger/toenails. Natural weapons leftover from the days when their animal ancestors stalked the mountains and cave systems for prey.

Now that we've gone over what they look like, lets get more into that biology! The Fenrii have always been a genderless species. Due to the perilous nature of their homeworld's climate one of their oldest adaptations was that any member of their species can produce offspring. Another defense against the harsh environs was that they evolved as oviparous mammals, laying large thick-shelled eggs that took only around 7 lunar cycles (thats 7 months in Cosmosphere speak) to gestate and hatch as long as they were properly incubated. So where did the problems emerge? Well, because of their tribal roots, fenrii society views bringing offspring into the world as a very sacred thing. for thousands of years the tribes of Fenrai controlled their birthing rates rather strictly as in accordance with their spiritual values, but as science advanced in their society, so did their ability to diagnose issues within their ways of life. Fenrai has no central government, nor does it really have nations, what it does have is bastion tribes that have either made peace with or absorbed other tribes across their history. These tribes largely run on communal village structure, despite their large size. I bring this up because when it was discovered that their birthing practices were having a massively negative impact on their physiology, changing it was one of the only things all these tribes agreed on unanimously.

You see, back when they were animals and eventually a more primitive species, the fenrii's ancestors reproduced rather frequently. Only one egg could be laid at a time by a single member of the species, but packs and early tribal societies would make egg clutches out of groups of multiple eggs laid by multiple members. The eggs would be looked after by the whole tribe to ensure as many of them as possible would hatch, and this practice was repeated roughly 3-4 times an orbital cycle (year). However, when their society began to adhere to stricter birthing regulations, the length of time and number of generations born with these practices began to cause conflict in their evolutionary cycle. The core issue was as followed: The eggs the Fenrii were producing changed very little, but their own physical attributes did. No longer were they hardy predators, and their bodies more often then not couldn't take the stress of carrying and then laying the eggs they reproduced with. So a culture spanning initiative was formed, to find a way to ensure a future for the Fenrii through alternative birthing practices. At first it was far from perfect. Some of the tribes simply opted to encourage hastened birthing which cost many would-be parents their lives in their attempts to have more children. After nearly 3 human centuries of carefully restructuring their societal views and cultural practices around the subject, an answer was found. Deep within the volcanic caverns of Fenrai a form of super-mycelium (its sci-fi lemme have this) was discovered to have the interesting property of being able to self-replicate via cloning. However, through rigorous testing, it was also discovered to be able to reproduce OTHER material other than itself, genetically identical and healthy nearly any time. Work was put in to refine the process of feeding genetic material into this mycelium to be able to produce a living breathing Fenrii from it. After decades of work, they succeeded, and thus the brood stones were born. By refining the mycelium's reproductive properties the Fenrii were able to create synthetic eggs capable of taking genetic material from either one or more hosts and create a prepubescent copy of that individual, healthy and ready to live a life of their own. This breakthrough was heralded as the most important scientific work in Fenrii history, and was adopted into the cultural practices of the various cultures of Fenrai over the next few centuries.

The most common practice among Fenrai society is that two or more Fenrii who have been wed will decide to have a child and offer a single finger to a brood stone. After a gestation period of 10 lunar cycles a child will be produced from the stone, hatching much like an egg, with genetic characteristics of all of its parents. Fenrii society is welcoming to all forms of self expression, and its not uncommon to find Fenrii across the stars identifying in a myriad of ways. I hope this wasnt too messy, im really bad at like, typing stuff out in one go, but I tried to make it as understandable as possible. I really like my sci-fi setting! And im flattered as hell people wanted to hear about it. Tagging @puppydragonbite cause it said it was also interested in my ramblings. Thanks for reading! (and thanks for the ask <3)

#my stuff #my writing #glad I got to talk about this! #I promise it sounds better when I talk about it physically

[wisteria-lodge]

Sorting Our Flag Means Death: Part I (The Captains)

This is a fascinating show with a lot to say about identity, constructed identity, masculinity, fame, burnout... it was actually quite a challenge to sort. But I think I’ve got it, and I am very excited to share.

If you’re curious about the character analysis system, I go into a lot more depth here, and talk about the move away from the HP terminology here. But here are the basics: 

PRIMARY (your MOTIVE)

BADGER ~ Loyal to the group.

SNAKE ~ Loyal to yourself and your Important People.

LION ~ Subconscious Idealist. Ideals are linked to feelings and instincts.

BIRD ~ Conscious Idealist. Ideals are linked to built systems and external facts.

SECONDARY (your METHOD)

BADGER ~ Connect with the group. Make allies, work steadily and well. Be whatever the situation calls for. If you find a locked door, knock.

SNAKE ~ Connect with the environment. Notice things. Tell people what they want to hear. If you find a locked door, get in through the window.

BIRD ~ Collect skills, tools, knowledge, personas, useful friends. If you find a locked door, track down the key or learn to pick the lock.

LION ~ Be honest, be direct, speak your truth. Either the obstacle is going down or you are. If you find a locked door, kick it in.

STEDE BONNET

Stede is defined, early on, as someone controlled and bound by society. He doesn’t want to marry Mary? Doesn’t want to wear the mild-mannered class performance? Too bad. Stede is the little boy with his hands tied to the oars, unable to control where he’s going. It’s made him so desperate that he’s willing to blow up his entire life to become a pirate. At least pirates get to make their own decisions. 

Stede is a very loud example of a Lion primary. He needs to act on what he feels is right or else he feels trapped, unsafe and miserable. Through most of the season we see him respond to the feeling of being a pirate - the freedom, the romance, and even the slightly queer vibe. The moment where he doesn’t join Ed down at the docks is a perfect portrait of a Lion Primary in distress. Nothing that Chauncey Badminton is telling him makes logical sense… but it does make emotional sense, and that’s what Stede responds to. 

His major conflict is actually a war between his primary and his secondary. Stede knows what he wants to do. But his secondary is arranged in such a way that either he can’t do it, or can only do it incorrectly. The problem is not that he left Mary, the problem is that he did it the wrong way. (Hallucination!Mary doesn’t ask why he left, she asks why he left leaving only a letter.) The problem is not that he wants to be a pirate - the problem is that he’s not very good at being a pirate. 

So Stede’s secondary is a puzzle, because we are first introduced to his character in terms of incompetence. At the beginning, it’s clear that this guy is not used to solving problems and is almost pathologically conflict averse. (Basically, he’s Burnt.) He pretends to be asleep rather than talk to Mary, he can’t turn down Nigel Badminton when he invites himself to a tea party/tour. He’s spent his life in a sort of doormat Badger secondary performance, which we see him wear it in flashbacks, to the French party, around Calico Jack. He clearly hates it. But underneath? 

On the surface, running off in the middle of the night to become a pirate sounds really Lion secondary. But. A massive amount of prepwork did go into that decision. A lot of time and effort went into building an entirely custom ship using only the very best materials (“the finest cherry wood in Brazil.”) True, a lot of his design choices don’t make a lot of sense (because Stede doesn’t actually know how to be a pirate.) But what is clear is that this is a man who doesn’t cut corners. That’s one of his saving graces. He does nothing halfway. 

In the first episode, there are two reasons why his crew doesn’t mutiny. The first is that Stede puts a lot of effort into reading them bedtime stories. Lucius can try and do the voices, but he doesn’t care nearly as much, and doesn’t compare. The second is that Stede distracts them with a team-building craft project. That’s his leadership style: “talk it through as a crew” “If I can help this crew grow as people, then I will have succeeded in being a pirate captain” “I forgot the most important thing. That this is a company.” Stede's strength comes from the community he is able to build around him, and from his constant need to give 110%. Very Badger secondary.

A good example is the sword fight… which Stede really should have lost. But even though Izzy is the better swordsman, he’s going into that fight with his skill and nothing else. *Stede* is going in protected by his loyal crew (shouting advice, encouragement, obscure dueling rules) and by the Revenge herself, this ship that he put so much time and effort into. The mast snaps Izzy’s sword because it is made of the finest cherry wood in Brazil. Stede made sure it was.

Stede Bonnet builds rapport with pretty much every person he meets, including his hostage, and the tribe that captures him. That last one is particularly funny because we can see that under fire, his first instinct is to align himself with the group. He derisively says, “Oh those light-skins” (when of course he is in fact, light-skinned.) Stede gets the party ship to blow itself up by going to check on Frenchie and Olu, and using them to get dirt on the guests. He gets Izzy to back down by implying that he’s got a crew backing him up. Basically, he fights using the people around him. Over the course of the season, Stede’s crew becomes increasingly and increasingly loyal - to the point where it drives Chauncey Badminton into a murderous rage. He doesn’t get it. “Why are you so loyal to this… nothing?”

There’s also something interesting going on with the journal, where Stede records fictionalized versions of everything he does to make himself seem more piratey. Since Stede’s a Badger secondary, he doesn’t really act and he can’t really lie. He has to believe that he’s a pirate captain, or it’s not going to work. I read his diary project as almost a weird way of hacking his brain into believing that this is the sort of person he is. And then, the diary proves that he is a pirate to the English Navy. So it kind of works.

But what really works is the way Stede studies and practices. He takes notes, takes lessons, and asks for advice. At the end of the season, he is finally at a place where he can be a functional pirate, and his primary and his secondary start operating as a whole. Now he can leave Mary, but this time do it properly. He can elaborately fake his own death, using the plan Ed came up with. He can take to sea in a dinghy, pick up his crew (the source of his power) and then… go fix things.

EDWARD “BLACKBEARD” TEACH 

Instead of a Badger gathering community, Edward Teach is a Bird secondary gathering tools. “History’s greatest tactician” likes to have all the relevant bits of knowledge at his fingertips, then use them to correctly predict weather conditions, drop legal knowledge, and do recon on Stede. He likes inventions and gadgets (a dry ice suspension rig, a lighthouse made using a mirror.) He likes planning - or as he puts it “a good fuckery takes ages to develop.” Occasionally he will say things like “the plan is to go with the flow, see what happens” … but only when he’s adrift. The second he’s feeling better about life, his tune changes to to “there’s always an escape (...) in two hours, that guy over there is going to take you to the docks.” 

He is absolutely the sort of Actor Bird secondary who creates specific personas for different situations. Edward, Blackie, Jeff the Accountant and the Kraken are all different presentations he’s able to take on and off. But the jewel of his collection is of course Blackbeard. Ed has clearly done a lot of work building and curating this character, and now his reputation does the work for him. Of course, the tradeoff is that now there are a number of things Ed might like to do (treasure hunting, Stede) which don’t fit with Blackbeard’s character. A lot of Ed’s angst comes from this limitation, and his related worry that he only has value as the mythical Blackbeard, not vulnerable and human Ed. That’s a Bird secondary worry: their constructed persona is not “them,” or at very least not completely them, so it’s unpleasant when others (like Izzy) see it as the ‘better version.’

So anyway, Ed’s a Bird secondary. When he is on his own ship, under his own flag, his plans can look like improvisational Snake madness, but it’s pure Rapid-Fire Bird. He gets stressed the second he moves away from his base of operations: he’s twitchy on Saint Augustine, and nervous when he goes to the party ship. After all, he’s trying out his High Society persona for the first time. And since this is his first time in a very new arena, Jeff works until he doesn’t. After Jeff says that he *would* summer in Paris (incorrect!) and doesn’t pick up on the passive aggression, Ed slides right back into his old staple (“I will kill every last one of you.”) Even though Blackbeard is absolutely not the appropriate face for this situation. 

The question of why Ed does things, what motivates him, is tricky. Because when we first meet him the answer is… not much. He’s in a funk. He doesn’t care about being Blackbeard, he doesn’t care about his crew. Izzy tries to get under his skin by saying “I attacked that ship, losing several of our men by the way,” to which Ed responds “kind of the job, they’re pirates.” He is fascinated by Stede’s madness and passion, and the world Stede lives in. So - maybe a Burnt Snake with no people? But I just don’t see that distinctive, slightly cold Burnt Snake hedonism. Also, that hypothesis also does not explain Calico Jack. 

Because the weird thing is, if you look at just his actions… Ed is most loyal to Calico Jack. He lets Izzy leave. He lets Stede leave (that’s a slightly uncharitable reading of the ending, but come on, it’s super likely that Stede just got in trouble on the way down to the docks.) The only one Ed actually follows is Jack, even when Stede wants him to stay. So why does he follow Jack?

The key to Ed is that he sees the world as a game, a game with rules. “How does one win this encounter” he asks before he goes into a new situation. He can’t interfere in the duel to protect Stede because that’s not how duels work, and we actually hear a lot of the rules he’s put in place for himself - ‘the Captain goes down with the ship’ ‘Pets befoul the ship and make one weak,’ ‘Control your enemy’s fear and then you own them,’ ‘I always outsource the big job,’ ‘Blackbeard doesn’t feel fear,’ ‘Jeff would never back down from a challenge.’ These are bits of Ed’s self-constructed code. He’s a Bird primary, and his set of rules is his system. 

Unfortunately, most of his rules-to-live-by were designed for Blackbeard, a simplistic character he plays. Ed has a list of piratey bullet points, but needs a more complex system that can incorporate more experiences. Stede Bonnet’s very different outlook on life helps with that, and Ed starts incorporating his ideas about creativity, aesthetics, community, “fine things,” and “the high life” into a new worldview. He falls in love with Stede’s existence, which is why he very literally wants to kill Stede and take over his existence. It becomes more about Stede the fascinating individual, but it didn’t start that way. Ed is using the new data Stede gave him to write new rules, and when Stede abandons him at the docks, that process stops. 

But. Ed is still able to absorb enough to turn himself into a simplified version of Stede, and build something based on softness, sad poetry, and talent shows. And as a coping mechanism it seems to be working? Ed is picking up his trash, on the path of creating a more fulfilling and emotionally honest existance for himself. But Izzy shuts him down. He shows Ed a picture of Blackbeard and pokes holes in the new system, calling it weak. Edward Version 2.0 is not stable enough to survive that. So he reverts back to an even harsher, more constricting version of Blackbeard. 

“The Kraken” is a monster built of desperation and fear. He’s deliberately inhuman, just an illustration in face paint. In a subtle costuming detail, Ed stops wearing fingerless glovelettes that allow him to touch the world, and starts wearing just full gloves. He is cut off from his ability to take in information, grow, and change. His Bird primary explodes.

For an example of what I mean when I say that Ed’s first law is his consciously-constructed code, take the scene where Izzy is trying to convince him to kill Stede. Emotionally, Ed does not want to do this. If he had been a Lion or a Snake, that’s where the conversation would have ended. But, Izzy recites one of Ed’s rules back to him. (“Pets make one weak.”) He knows Ed follows his rules, not his emotions, and so that’s what he uses to convince him. Calico Jack does a similar thing, constantly repeating “I saved your life.” This seems to be a value/rule Jack knows he can exploit. When he’s ordered off the ship Jack once again says, “I saved your life, Blackie,” and Ed has no choice but to go with him. That whole episode is about Jack getting Ed to revert to an older, less developed version of himself, so it makes sense that he’d go back to using his older, black-and-white system instead of the more nuanced one he’s building with Stede.

There’s also a kind of Bird primary energy in the way Ed doesn’t kill people - technically. Maiming doesn’t count. Burning a ship doesn’t count (because  the flames killed them.) Those are arguments Ed makes to save his own conscience, because secretly he fears that he’s a “bad person”... or not even a person at all. Very Idealist primary angst. (Or Burnt Primary angst. But for most of the season, Ed’s primary isn’t actually burnt. It’s just... in flux.)

PART II (THE CREW) IS RIGHT HERE

tl;dr

Stede Bonnet - Lion primary / Burnt Badger secondary which unBurns, Badger secondary performance that he hates. 

Edward “Blackbeard” Teach - Bird primary that is in the process of expanding to support a larger range of experience, but Explodes at the end of the season / Bird secondary (Rapid Fire when he’s on his ship, Actor when he’s using the Blackbeard persona) 

#ofmd #our flag means death #sortinghatchats #blackbeard #edward teach #stede bonnet #lion badger #double bird #wisteria sorts #ofmd meta #stede bonnet meta #edward teach meta

[regaliasonata]

Rose Ortiz Backstory 🩷🎓🩷

Rose was a single child, born to Camila and Francois Ortiz. They both were scientists obsessed in the obscure factors of the world, archeologists. Camila studied more on the idea of medical origin, to seek the holy grail of modern medicine and remedies.

Sadly her dream was short lived and Camila passed away when Rose turned five. On an expedition she came back with a cold and it developed, revealing the root to be a brain tumor.

This prompted Francois to move with his daughter to London where she would quickly develop her own studies. Rose was an odd but determined child, she didn't really understand why a kid would be interested in toys and various trinket that captures her peers at such a young age.

It confused Rose and even made her out to be the weirdo amongst the student body, honestly she couldn't piece together a grand idea on what it was but...maybe she was the weirdo. Not one to fit in nor be the voice of reason, Francois noticed this and would even see Rose separating herself from the grade school kids along with even locking herself in her room for days on end.

He permitted Rose to join high school, but even there she wasn't satisfied, if anything it was worse. Just seeing empty faces barely on the edge of adulthood being tossed around. From minimal issues, work and stress, even the idea of having to have your future fully figured out in adolescence made Rose look at the world weirdly.

She joined college around eight due to outclassing the other students and continued her studies. Within one her classes, an archeology based course, Ross delve further into the human psyche with artifacts and treasures that have been lost to time. Who built these things? How did such concepts get created in the first place? How could such a great society experience turmoil and eventually a downfall?

The very questions had been wrapped through her head her entire life, why? How could all these mysteries exist without an answer, an enigma placed as an obstacle within all of our lives. Rose has seen this issue plague many people, her classmates, her father...her mother, why not just receive the answer to all such questions and be content in life.

Her mission had started there, Rose vowed to seek out the truth. Everything...everything not just within life but beyond it as a whole, if she can gain the knowledge of such then she could help other people and guide them to success.

The treasure of knowledge, her true goal all together. Not only that but perhaps fixing the issue of dying prematurely may aid in this, she also promised to Camila that the work done in finding or creating a cure for all diseases will come to fruition. Giving people the opportunity to fully live out their life's with their dreams will be the best option.

We're human after all so let's do a good job at helping each other for a common goal!

#power rangers #mmpr #mighty morphin power rangers #power rangers operation overdrive #operation overdrive #rose Ortiz #pink ranger #au #backstory #writing #au fic #rewrite #intelligent #🩷

[anima-virtuosa]

post about old modded Minecraft creations.. (this ended up turning into an entire gallery but that is fine)

one time i made a giant pinata that was actually a really compact candy factory on the inside. different rooms linked together by organ-tubes, farms and material processors that crafted dozens of types of (pam's harvestcraft) candy from scratch. and when it was done it would be vomited out just onto the ground & you could go pick it up. one of my favorite artificial life experiments i still love them

their name is Gummi Guts and if you eat their candy they will be very happy :3

at one point i also was obsessed with Witchery and made a witches' hut and ritual circle in the forest; then roleplayed out a whole elaborate ritual using flashy magic items where i floated into the air & cast magic spells/potions and summoned an undead army & transformed into a lich while laughing evilly with lightning going off in the background..just normal fun stuff lol

my main magic place was this Thaumcraft eldritch temple built around the infusion altar (multiple layers everything in a room below it). there are eldritch-eyes blocks everywhere and these void fluid creatures who would rise out of the abyssal depths to help me with my rituals.. they are great friends!! they only need a little bit of your blood just a little.

largest build was an Applied Energistics megastructure computer-temple which was at the peak of FTB expert endgame and had like 6 levels of ME-network submachines that processed unlimited diamonds and other materials siphoned from pocket dimensions. my autism level was so high that i legit went and built this in survival using the blueprint placer thing and over 200k blocks (lots of screens)

i loove modded minecraft so much all the weird magitech aesthetic stuff... my favorite thing was doing builds/roleplays following the aesthetic of each mod

FTB expert (from 2015) my favorite modpack i love when stuff is just ludicrously overcomplicated to craft. not grindy but instead requiring automation of everything thru maaany steps. that tickles my brain a lot

(also the endgame machines were made with DRAGON HEARTS AND CAPTURED SOULS which is actually metal as fuck. like yeah i went and slayed 17 different gods and a couple hundred dragons to make my building nbd. automated dragon farms were a thing though i didn't get around to doing one)

(..ok i dont usually post my ramble ideas but leaving this here anyway)

at many points in Minecraft i just.. Ascended and found that nothing else existed for weeks. just minecraft building in every second of my thoughts. (it gets to be a weird time being disabled with nothing else to do 24/7)

if i played it again i would make my base a weird trippy biomechanical living-machines world where every machine is its own creature (like the pinata) with a name and personality .. and in the magic factory they would all work together :3 with the magic of friendship. or something like that. (also there would be way more RGB blocks everywhere & rave rooms)

OTHER IDEA the livingmachine world would actually just be building-creatures integrated with ComputerCraft consoles & turtles (the little robots). each console/turtle would be like a person and you would go talk to them asking them nicely to output resources for you or open a door. taking the idea even further they could have programmed personalities & needs, you would need to go run functions that talked with them or traded things to get what you wanted; they even could interact with EACH OTHER. :0

one other silly thing i used to think about was the theoretical idea of programming turtles who were self-replicating and would turn the entire world into a hollowed out machine-world that functions like its own society, the turtle apocalypse (if i was a godlike computer i would go and do that but i have meatbrain :/ ), also if you don't know i am talking about the computercraft robots this part is extra funny. (i found out people already coded that but it still is hardware-limited and doesn't end up with a million turtles)

what if the pinata was actually an earth-creature and way bigger like the entire map from top to bottom made in creative mode. just a whole custom map made with worldedit with cavelike biomes + random resources placed about. and then it switched to a survival map and you played INSIDE the creature and its whole body was your world. and you would be like a little red blood cell in there going and building all its organs and systems and maintaining them. the whole thing would be composed of biomechanical machinecreatures all linked to the central brain ComputerCraft/ME console that tracks all the resources & functions

gosh i haven't played minecraft in way too long v_v.. but how i adore it so

usually only singleplayer but i would love to play it someday with other people who are really into building and doing silly roleplays. and of course using the mods that make you a creature, like being an elemental dragons clan or something, or people doing different themes/characters based on one mod in the pack (like Bewitchment the really neat looking new witchery)

..if anyone thinks that sounds interesting then hit me up 🥺

#minecraft #modded minecraft #objectum #mineblr #minecraft build #mc build #modded mc #livingmachine #also in botania the flowers are alive and like your pets and deserve loving care. that is all #auri rambles

[knightofhylia]

💀

thank u @toastysaur ![reading under cut]

You

Dissolution - Water, cleansing, transition

Can you practice being fluid? If the container that held

you was removed how would you flow?

After the fire has burned away all the unnecessary, what is left? Without these restrictions, you are able to flow freely and allow healing to take place. Cleanse and protect this new you, there is still a lot more evolving to do but you are taking the first steps on the long journey ahead.

Family

Metamorpjosis - Pain, change

Who are you now? Who could you emody in the future? What do you want that person to be like?

Painful change and struggling to convince yourself "Can I really do this?" The answer is always yes, you can. We are built to change and evolve. Holding onto things that slow us down or hurt us is against our core drive to survive. Trust in the transformation.

Friends

Separation - air, analyze findings

When you lay yourself out entirely, good and bad, what do you see? What parts are no longer relevant?

After Dissolution is Separation. Pick through the ashes of the cleansing dissolution and decide if what is left is worth it. Who you communicate with reflects who you are. Nuture what good you find and it will grow.

Love

Death - endings, literal or spiritual, preparation, fight

Where is death appearing in your life? Is it welcome, or do you fight it?

Death occurs all around us whether we are aware or not. Sometimes it's obvious when it is dead, sometimes we just don't see the signs. Although we cannot cheat death, we can try and fight it.

Career

Human - Connection, imperfection, mistakes

What makes you human? What are your unique gifts and talents?

As humans we rely on community, everyone needs connections even if they are imperfect. Oftentimes we humans are more obsessed with reaching perfection than making it efficiently. Where is your usefulness out of what society tells you? Where are you self sufficient?

Overall:

Hmm I tarot diagnose you with "Going through it" disease. Seems that you are in the process of completely reinventing yourself your relationships, your family, your friendships. Oof! But, the good news here is that this is what we were MADE to do, and in the end you'll thank yourself for cutting all the ties and letting things go. Dissolution and Separation being in this reading gives me good signs that taking it one step at a time is the best way. None of this needs to be done overnight. With all this reinvention there is bound to be confusion and worry over doing the right thing. There is a community out there for you even after all this mess! They will love you for all your imperfections and creativity 👍

I hope you liked this reading, let me know if you have any questions! Please consider filling out this google form review if you liked my work! Your reading today was with eli! Interested in more? Check out our service page!

#toastysaur #readingskh #tarot #tarot cards #tarot deck #tarot reading #divination #cartomancy #card divination #oracle deck #oracle cards #dark room oracle #reading slots #junalakvi #magick #magic #pagan #paganism #spirituality #spiritual #mystmysf #deck: dark room