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marvel-noms · 4 years

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Hiya! I was wondering it we could get a story about the first time Peter actually asked to get tucked away? If not no worries, I know you guys are all super busy! Thanks and have great day :D

((Sure thing anon! I got you! -Admin Snexy))

Peter hated to admit that he was slightly wary around Tony after the first incident. They learned quickly after the mess in the lab that Thanos had changed something and it separated everyone into two categories, preds and prey. Of course there were people who were indifferent but everyone was still freaked out over their new abilities. Having said that Peter was getting tired of preds trying to sweet talk their way into eating him which freaked him out fully. Time at these he half wished he was with Tony wondering how protective he mentor would get.

He was sheepish to admit it but Tony’s stomach had canceled a lot of senses that he struggled with on a daily basis so even if it had scared him he found himself longing to be tucked away at times.

Today was a real doozy. Peter’s senses were dialed up past their usual 11 and everything was driving him nuts, the lights were too bright, he was freezing, everything was freakishly loud and nothing made sense. Peter found himself chewing on his lip as he went up to the penthouse wondering what the genius had planned for today.

“Kid! Hey how was school?”

Peter visibly flinched at how loud his mentor was, well he wasn’t loud but his senses made it seem like Tony was screaming at him. He offers a weak smile to tony, refusing to look him in the eyes. He just wanted to curl up and wait until this hell passed.

“Ah- is it one of those days?” Tony whispers in a much softer tone. Peter nods just thankful that his mentor had caught on. He wondered if Tony would try and use old tactics to soothe the spider side, like soft blanks, dark rooms and heat on full blast.

“Okay..so..I have an idea for that.”

Peter already had an idea of what Tony was going to explain. He understood that his mentor couldn’t help it and that it was literally an urge but it still made him nervous. It had only happened once, and he knew Tony was doing his best to hold back most of the times they hung out together.

“Don’t make that face, think about it. We both know it’s never dark enough and the texture of the blankets bother you..so why not try it.” Tony prompts softly. Oh it definitely looked like he was struggling to keep himself from just continuing out with the suggestion, Peter could see him clenching his fist and keeping himself stubbornly rooted to the spot. He knew his mentor hated gulping down anyone but him and he also knew that Tony hadn’t given into the urge for at least a week now.

“I-I...I dunno Mr.Stark.” He found himself murmuring. The idea of being swallowed again was terrifying but the darkness was sounding even better with each passing second. Tony would never hurt him..so it would be fine, he just needed to stay until it passed.

“You..you promise you won’t hurt me? And! And let me out when I want to come out?” He asks tentatively, taking a step towards his mentor. He hated the idea but everything was just driving his up the wall.

Peter could see Tony tensing when he got closer, so it was obvious either he would snap and swallow him down or retreat into the lab until he could manage the urge. The spidey sense was a dull thrum not enough to panic about it but enough to keep him on his toes.

“Yeah. I think I can do that.”

Peter had a feeling the statement would change later on, for now he decided to focus on being tucked away. He mentally braced himself, taking a deep breath as he stepped forward into Tony’s reach, looking at his mentor nervous. It was hard to stay tense with the smell of lab and expensive colne reminding him that Tony was safe.

“I’ll be quick kid.” Tony murmurs softly, Peter jumping slightly when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He always hated this part, so he squeezed his eyes shut to combat the dizziness that came with the shrinking. He felt Tony’s hand following, a constant warmth around him as he shrunk. The whole ordeal only took a couple of seconds.

He tried not to flinch when he felt the hand carefully shift around him and lift up, his eyes snapping open when he felt the familar pit in his stomach. It was like swinging only he wasn’t in control at all and he wasn’t exactly falling.

“W-wait! You’ll be careful right?” He couldn’t help but blurt out. He cringes at the mild look of offense on his mentors face, but Tony seemed to understand at the same time.

“Of course, I’m not going to hurt you.” He murrus softly, Peter trying not to flinch when he felt Tony’s warm breath wash over him. The warmth he liked, the idea of being swallowed was what he had the most issues with at the moment.

“Okay..im..Im ready now.” Peter says taking a deep breath. He could do this. Compared to what he’d done in the past this was easy, he just needed to relax.

Despite how much he tried he still squeaked in surprise when Tony’s mouth opened. He mentally berated himself, resisting the urge to stick onto the hand when it slowly started tipping up, his body slowly slipping into his mentor’s open mouth. He was terrified, his heart pounding as his feet squashed into the tongue.

Peter sighed shakily, squeezing his eyes shut as he wriggled into his mentors mouth, cringing when the slick muscle shifted under him mindlessly. He grimaces when he was shifted around, the light disappearing with a soft clack of teeth as Tony closed his mouth. The darkness was a much wanted improvement and he couldn't help but relax now that he wasn’t squinting trying to see what was happening. He couldn't see in the dark but it was an improvement from the harsh lights outside.

“Wonder if I taste good?” He asks quietly to himself. It was a fair question considering the mouth was swamped in saliva. Tony hummed softly in response, making peter flush in embarrassment when he realized that his mentor had heard him.

“O-oh.” He says lamely, letting a small squeal out when Tony started moving him around. He had to admit it but it was extremely ticklish which made him launch into a giggle fit as he was pushed around, the tongue seeming to know every single spot that would send him further into a fit of giggles.

His face hurt from smiling by the time Tony had stopped, leaving him a breathless mess. He laid lazily too exhausted to care about what was happening. He had a feeling that had been the plan considering how much he struggled the first time Tony had swallowed him.

A loud swallow pulled him from his thoughts, his legs slipping down effortlessly into the throat, strong muscles keeping him him place, another swallow rolling over him, pulling him down firmly. This time he wasn't struggling so he was hyper aware of everything that's happening, the swallowing squishing his down further into Tony, the pounding heart beat and the whooshing of the genius’s lungs sucking in air. It was oddly comforting and he found himself not paying attention for a moment, a bit startled when he plopped down into the stomach. The soft flesh squished around him, gurgling contently as he tried getting settled. Everything kept shifting so he settled for shifting around on his knees.

“You alright kiddo?”

Peter yelp falling backwards into the flesh, his face burning in embarrassment when Tony had the nerve to chuckle at him.

“H-hey! It's not funny! Just uh..just shush!” He says totally not pouting. He hufs is mild annoyance not even bothering to get up letting the muscle gentle knead him. Considering the hell that had been school this was pretty nice, it was mostly quiet and the noises that were there had a calming effect.

“Mmhm, just let me know if you need anything.” Tony says softly, amusement clear in his tone. Peter scoffs, rolling his eyes as he was shifting around thanks to the genius moving. It honestly felt like a hammock of some sorts, only it was stable and he wasn't constantly shifting around… It was more like slime, constantly sinking and almost being smothered by soft stomach walls.

It was probably his exhaustion talking but man this was nice, and oddly relaxing. Peter had to admit, being tucked away from the rest of the world, protected by Iron Man was an added bonus. He felt safe and even his spidey sense wasn’t making a peep. He could get used to this.

#avengers soft vore #p//peter #t//tony #admin snexy #slurp the son

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aegis-destiny · 4 years

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GET TO KNOW THE BLOGGER.

Can be used for RP and non-RP blogs to get to know a bit about the person behind the screen!

1. FIRST NAME: Cody

2. STRANGE FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: Ummmm, ihave hitchhikers thumb?

3. TOP THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU FIND ATTRACTIVE ON A PERSON: Smile, hair, butt

4. A FOOD YOU COULD EAT FOREVER AND NOT GET BORED OF: Fish hands down. Especially rainbow trout! (drools at the though)

5. A FOOD YOU HATE: There are soooooo MANY things I could put here but I think i’ll go with, zucchini

6. GUILTY PLEASURE: I don’t know? Watching bad movies

7. WHAT DO YOU SLEEP IN: Like..clothing wise? (indeed confusing Blake) I usually just wind up wearing underwear and a t-shirt

8. SERIOUS RELATIONSHIPS OR FLINGS: I need meaningful connections so no flings

9. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN THE PAST AND CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WOULD YOU AND WHAT WOULD IT BE: That is a mighty dangerous question. There are so many things I would want to but, then my future could be all kinds of different and not necessarily in a good way

10. ARE YOU AN AFFECTIONATE PERSON: Depends who’s asking? Are you someone i hold close then hells ya if not then no.

11. A MOVIE YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN: Oh god there are so many choices! I’m gonna go with Baby Driver tho cuz I love it’s premis and it has a killer soundtrack

12. FAVORITE BOOK: Damb tough call. I think I’ll go with The Dog that Wouldn't be By: Farley Mowat

13. YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP ANY ANIMAL AS A PET, WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE: Either an alligator or a crocodile would be cool. Or maybe even a capybara

14. TOP FIVE FICTIONAL SHIPS [IF YOU ARE AN RP BLOG, YOU CAN USE YOUR OWN SHIPS AS WELL]: JauneXPyrrha, CocoXVelvet, TskuneXMoka, Murrue RamiusXMu La Flaga, 2-DXNoodle.

15. PIE OR CAKE: Really depends on what kind for me

16. FAVORITE SCENT: The smell in spring just after it’s rained or the smell of freshly fallen leaves in Autumn

17. CELEBRITY CRUSH: I don’t really find myself crushing on celebrities to be honest. Although I’ve always really liked Emma Watson

18. IF YOU COULD TRAVEL ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU GO: All over probably. If I could only go to one place though I would either choose Europe or Australia

19. INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT: I’m more of an ambivert but, I think i have more introverted tendencies

20. DO YOU SCARE EASILY: Eh, not really. Unless someone sneaks up behind me

21. IPHONE OR ANDROID: Android all the way

22. DO YOU PLAY ANY VIDEO GAMES: Yes, pretty much every day i play at least one game. I mostly bounce between World of Tanks and Left 4 Dead 2 though

23. DREAM JOB: YouTuber/Streamer maybe? Or maybe a games journalist since that’s what i went to school for

24. WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A MILLION DOLLARS: A lot of things. Try to move out of my parents place, buy a car, finally get a desktop pc (and a desk for that matter) and put the rest into a tsfa so I can let it gain interest

25. FICTIONAL CHARACTER YOU HATE: Hmmmm good question. I’d probably have to go with Shinn Auska from Gundam Seed Destiny. Hes such a whiny teen and hes so easily manipulated. Was so glad when Kira Yamato came back as the main protag

26. FANDOM THAT YOU WERE ONCE A PART OF BUT AREN’T ANY LONGER: Probably the gundam fandom. I went through a really big phase in High School where that’s all I was into but then it just kinda peetred out once I hit college (fun fact this blog was originally created as a Sting Oakley from Gundam Seed Destiny RP blog but once the RP community surrounding GSD died down it transitioned in to more of a personal blog)

tagged by: Stole it from @brnzsniperbabe

tagging : @monsters-without ,DO IT!

#personal #me #the bear's thoughts

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the-stray-liger · 5 years

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fandom asks: gundam seed, gundam wing, persona 5

*cracks knuckles* putting this under a readmore just in case!

Gundam SEED

favorite male character: Shinn! (yes I’m including Destiny I’m That Bitch)favorite female character: It’s a tie between Natarle, Lunamaria and Stellar!least favorite character: I’m gonna have to say Flay...prettiest character: Lunamaria!!!!! BICH!! SHE’S SO PRETTY!!!funniest character: There is no such thing as fun in Gundam Seed Waltfeld his fucking? flightsuit? has tiger stripes? BITCH WHATfavorite season: Destiny lmaofavorite episode: The last few eps of SEED, specifically the scene of Natarle’s death. I could not imagine a more heroic death and a most intense end to her story. It was such a climatic moment. I wish she’d lived? but this is a death I will forgive. favorite romantic ship: me/Natarle Athrun/Cagalli!favorite family ship: the Archangel,,, that’s a whole ass family and a fucking ship QvQfavorite friend ship: Natarle and Murrue’s. They had such a tense relationship but I think they considered each other friends and it’s preciousworst ship: Kira/Flay that was. oof. awful

Gundam Wing

favorite male character: That stupid blonde bitch. You know the one with the mask.favorite female character: LUCREZIA NOIN!!! MY FAVORITE LESBIAN!least favorite character: Ok honestly? HONESTLY? WUFEI.prettiest character: Relena!!! or maybe Sally?funniest character: H-Heero....favorite season: I don’t... have a favorite in particular...?favorite episode: Pretty much any episode where Relena goes ape and does something cool and stupid? but tbh the one where she tries to shoot lady Une at the party to avenge her dad. Relena Peacecraft went, snatched my wig and threw it into spacefavorite romantic ship: 3x4 (let’s be honest??? romance in Wing is TERRIBLE and these two were g a y)favorite family ship: the four stupid teens with hte giant robotsfavorite friend ship: Heero and Trowa’s bc it feels like they’re both serious and aloof but you can TELL they’d dare each other to drink from a toilet or somethingworst ship: Noin/Zechs why did I like this ship. I’ve done a couple of rewatches and. It makes no sense? It’s bad. But romance in Wing in general is b a d

Persona 5

favorite male character: Ryujiifavorite female character: HARU! HARU! HARU! HARU!J JSFHIAWPOEJFWAFELDKFASOHEJFPKSEF!!!!least favorite character: Akechiprettiest character: Tae!funniest character: Yusukefavorite season: I haven’t kept up with the anime and I don’t know if this counts but I do love to pieces Ryuji’s story and just thinking about it makes me cryfavorite episode: *points at Ryuji*favorite romantic ship: pego/Ryuji fight mefavorite family ship: Futaba and Sojiro and pego,,,,favorite friend ship: the girls’! I love how Ann, Makoto, Haru and Futaba are always there to validate and support each other. worst ship: Imma be that bitch but. Ann/pego. Ann big gay. Or Akechi/pego but that’s just me really disliking Akechi

#w-ingsofwords

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nicolamalfi · 5 years

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Tarot suit of Swords: SEED style

The Tarot suit of Swords is typically associated with the element of air, and is a suit that often indicates power, change, and conflict.

Ace of Swords: Lacus. The Ace of Swords represents a period of great insight and mental clarity. It signifies a ‘break-through’ or an ‘aha’ moment where suddenly conscious understanding and mental reasoning reach their peak, and achievement of goals suddenly becomes a lot easier. You have a new understanding of some issue that has been of concern, or, in a broader sense, a new world view. This is a perfect time to clear away the fog that has kept you from seeing the inner truth, so that you can now cut to the heart of the matter.

Two of Swords: Athrun. When the Two of Swords appears, it often indicates someone who has put up an emotional wall as a defense mechanism. After all, if you build a wall, it can keep you from getting hurt again. However, it also prevents you from enjoying all the good things that might be coming your way. Think about whether your own defenses are preventing you from moving on.

Three of Swords: Via Hibiki. This is a card of discontent. It typically represents heartache and pain, often to do with failing or struggling relationships.

Three of Swords, reversed: Cagalli. When your Three of Swords shows up reversed, it means there's hope for salvaging what's broken. Open up the lines of communication, try to listen more than you speak, use your words wisely and it's entirely possible that jealousies and petty squabbles can be resolved for the good.

Four of Swords: Kira, I guess? Feeling worn out, burned out, and just plain beat? Think maybe you're burning the candle at both ends? That's the Four of Swords talking to you! Emotional and physical exhaustion can really take their toll on people–you need to give yourself a break and find a way to rejuvenate.

Five of Swords: Sai. When the Five of Swords appears, this is typically indicative of hurt feelings. It's time to mend fences and admit when you've wronged someone. Sometimes, this card can indicate a betrayal as well–do you trust everyone who's around you? Should you? Ask questions to figure out what's going on, but remember that doing so discreetly and with caution will get you farther than running in with guns blazing.

Six of Swords: Murrue. Although Swords are typically symbolic of conflict and turmoil, they can be positive too. The Six of Swords is one of those positive cards–it's an indicator that life is on the upswing, you've survived the battle, and things are improving. Not only are your circumstances getting better, you're developing as a person and learning how to better deal with the problems you may face in your life.

Seven of Swords: Nicol. The Seven of Swords typically indicates deception. Someone is not being entirely truthful with you about something of importance. Do you trust everyone you love? Is it possible that one of them is keeping secrets from you? Sometimes this deception is not in your personal life but your professional one. How do you get along with co-workers? Is someone whispering behind your back, trying to undermine your role?

Eight of Swords, reversed: Natarle? A reversed Eight of Swords indicates that you're moving forward. You've learned to deal with your own fears and insecurities, and they're no longer holding you back. In addition, you're learning to be less frustrated with the shortcomings of other people–if you're in a leadership position, this can be a valuable career benefit. (Natarle makes me sad.)

Nine of Swords: Open. In many divinatory traditions, the Nine of Swords is associated with mental illness, debilitating depression, and overwhelming misery and sadness. If you don't have someone to talk to about what's causing that inner pain, you need to find someone right now.

Ten of Swords: Mu. In many traditions, the Ten of Swords is a portent of grief. Death of a loved one, end of a relationship, or the finality of something else that is important to you are all indicated by the Ten of Swords. Often, it is seen as a card of heartache and sadness.

Ten of Swords, reversed: Le Creuset. Feeling miserable? It's entirely possible that someone is deliberately trying to cause you pain or harm, when the Ten of Swords appears in reverse. Look around you and figure out who has the most to gain by making you suffer.

Page of Swords: Miriallia. Like all Pages, the Page of Swords is a messenger card. It means it's time to take a look around you to figure out what matters most in your life. Also, your enthusiasm and excitement can indicate that this is a time of new beginnings. Thinking about starting a brand new venture or relationship? The Page tells you this may be a good time for that!

Knight of Swords: Dearka. The Knight of Swords is chivalrous, and his card indicates someone in your life who is loyal, with determination and strong convictions. Is that you, or someone around you? In addition to signifying a person, the Knight of Swords can be a reminder that we need to pay attention to the truth... even when we don't like what we're seeing.

Queen of Swords: Yzak. The Queen of Swords, like other court cards, may represent a person or a concept, depending on the situation. In many readings, the Queen signifies a woman who is stubborn but a bit aloof, looked up to and respected but not always approachable. Sometimes, it's not a specific woman, but the idea that perhaps you're shutting people out, presenting the image that you think too highly of yourself. Others may like you, but they can find you intimidating simply because of your attitude. Learn to be more open.

King of Swords: Siegel. The King of Swords can indicate a man in a position of authority, although it is not always a male; many strong and empowered women can be represented by the King of Swords. This card also symbolizes truth, fairness and honor. In some traditions, the King of Swords references a person who carries a position of power–military personnel or law enforcement, for instance.

King of Swords, Reversed: Patrick. Much like his counterpart, the Queen of Swords, the King of Swords in reverse can be narrow minded and rigid. He's so inflexible that it's very difficult to communicate to him about any ideas that are not his own. He can sometimes come across as harsh or judgmental just because of his own inability to be tolerant of new ideas, people, or concepts.

All from HERE.

#// Spent way too much time thinking about this #OTL #// Some refer to character development at the very end but it still counts!

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adi-108694-blog · 5 years

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An Agenda in the interest of Audiences: facing the challenges of Intrusive media technologies

Done by: Azza Alnaaimi (u111242) , Adi Alfarsi (u108694)

Date: 4 Nov 2018

Date of the journal Published: March 20, 2018

Number of words: 2086

What clicks actually mean: Exploring digital news user practices.

Article Information:

Journals: SAGE

Author's:

1. Brita Ytre-Arne and Ranjana Das, University of Bergen

Key words: Audience Experiences, internet , media usage, news use, audience interest , web technologies.

Introduction:

This article formulates a five-point agenda for audience research, drawing upon implications arising out of a foresight analysis exercise, conducted between 2014 and 2017 by the research network Consortium on Emerging Directions in Audience Research (CEDAR). The five priorities in agenda are developed following a collaborative and systematic analysis of emerging trends in the field of audience studies over the past ten years—a “transformative decade” (Das 2017), which overlapped with the proliferation of social media platforms and what van Dijck (2014) calls an “ecosystem of connective media.”

This article formulates an agenda with substantial and intellectual priorities for the field of audience research, also reflecting on systemic and research-political matters. We formulate this agenda in the context of the rapid datafication of society amid the arrival of emerging technologies, and consider possibilities within audience research for understanding the societal significance of these developments.

The field of audience research has seen key theoretical understandings and empirical works originate in the era of television, and through studies of popular culture, in technological and societal contexts very different from today. In 2004, Sonia Livingstone formulated the simple but important question in the title of a paper “What Is the Audience Researcher to Do in the Age of the Internet?” and responded that not only could new media require some significant new thinking but also that the core interest of audience research in analyzing people’s interpretative activities would be fundamental to understanding transforming media environments (Livingstone 2004).

Since then, the field has seen social media appear, first as a new and interesting phenomenon, then as prevalent and permeating research questions and debates (Brabham 2015; Ellison and boyd 2013). As it stands in 2017, emergent technologies such as the Internet of Things (Ashton 1999; Evans 2011; Greengard 2015) could potentially entail even closer integration of connective technologies into everyday lives, and further blurring of boundaries of mediated experiences. Simultaneously, algorithmic media and datafication (boyd and Crawford 2012; van Dijck 2014; Veltri 2017) further challenge understandings of technological, economic, cultural, and political power relations in society.

• Reasons for formulating an agenda at this point can be found in implications arising out of - the foresight analysis conducted by CEDAR.

- It is crucial to note the hyperconnected nature of new, interactive formats, and how these have characteristics that can be deemed intrusive (Mollen and Dhaenens 2018).

- Second, as David Mathieu and colleagues note from their consultations with stakeholders, audiences are increasingly presented with a difficult and dichotomous range of choices by these preconfigurations, and a more meaningful range of choices need to develop, in which audiences do not have to choose between engagement with media or technologies, or protection from pressures and intrusions (Mathieu et al. 2018).

- Third, intrusive technologies should call further attention to the unevenness of power arising out of new media audience relations.

- Fourth , these acts of creativity with newer formats and forms of content enter economic relations more than ever before generating new forms of hidden labor, vulnerabilities, and disparities (Vesnic-Alujevic et al. 2018a).

- An Agenda in the Interest of Audiences: Facing the Challenges of Intrusive Media Technologies

Analysis of Audience Experiences and Newer Literacies in the Face of Intrusive Technologies. first priority is the analysis of individualized and hyperconnected audience experiences and of newer critical literacies emerging—in the context of intrusive technologies and the developing Internet of Things. A broad spectrum of research questions now emerges around the notion of hyperconnected technologies. As argued by our colleagues from CEDAR, technologies can be deemed “intrusive” through characteristics that reflect on how power over audiences is inscribed, such as perva-siveness, formativity, exploitation, and exclusion (Mollen and Dhaenens 2018). Referring to critical inquiries into the seeming neutrality of platforms (Gillespie 2010), these changes entail further attention to the design of platforms and interfaces, and to what Gillespie (2014) calls the “anticipated user” embedded within these.

The concept experiences, central to traditions such as phenomenological theory (Cerbone 2006; Merleau-Ponty [1945] 2002) and applied in audience research (Wilson 2009) and cultural studies (Gray 2003), grounds our interest in understanding the interwoven and multidimensional social life worlds in which audiences engage with media and technologies. As we refer to audience experiences, we propose to carry with us some collective, cultural, and power-related dimensions that go beyond the notion of users.

There is a potential for conceptual tension between the characterization of an individualized hyperconnected media environment and the notion of audience experiences, or between intrusive media and newer literacies as a potential response. It is precisely in this field of tension that theoretical and empirical work is needed. Of particular worth here, we suggest, is the role of critical data literacies and algorithmic literacies, which bring together now advanced conceptualizing of media and digital literacies. This finds particular importance in the context of growing con-cerns around truth and trust in contemporary societies.

Analysis of Political Dimensions of Resistance to New Media and Emergent Technologies

second foregrounds the political aspects of audiences’ reactions and responses to intrusive technologies, particularly emphasizing resistance to new media and emergent technologies. This priority is an outcome of scenarios developed by CEDAR for audiences in 2030 (Vesnic-Alujevic et al. 2018b). Combining different possibilities for understanding developments along two axes—uptake of technological developments and political participation in the context of changing institution-state audience relationships—CEDAR’s scenarios called attention to the political significance of the degree, pace, and form of audiences’ responses to technological transformations (Das and Ytre-Arne 2017a).

One dimension of this priority relates to discussions arising on surveillance and risk in datafied societies. van Dijck’s (2014) conceptualizations of “dataism” as a widespread secular belief, which “is so successful because masses of people—naively or unwittingly—trust their personal information to corporate platforms” (van Dijck 2014, 197), is critical here, not least because it might seem to many as though the people might be to blame, rather than the interfaces and their intrusions themselves (see also the six provocations about big data presented by boyd and Crawford 2012). Thus, audience researchers spend time making sense of the everydayness of dataism, its ordinariness, and the casual “media-faith” so to speak, which is invited by intrusive technologies, combined with critical and systematic analyses of the surveillance mechanisms and risks that audiences face, asking how privacy and safety concerns can be guarded as algorithmic media and the Internet of Things develop further (Mollen and Dhaenens 2018).

A second dimension of this priority concerns the potential political dimensions embedded in audiences’ everyday navigation of their media environments. With the longstanding attention to active audiences, whether through interpretation as in reception studies through to debates on produsage (Bruns and Schmidt 2011), and whether we are all produsers now (Bird 2011), people’s relationships to media have often been framed through their manifest positive engagements.

Researching Both Fundamental and Emerging Experiences with Newer Technologies

third priority in how audiences engage with newer media and technologies but argues for careful consideration of the lenses through which such practices are studied, and to which dimensions of engagement that are highlighted through scholarly interest. developing, as the affordances of newer media draw increased attention toward audiences’ productive acts, while, interesting as these might be, other activities remain central and indeed more widespread in audience engagements not just with the so-called old but also with new and newer media.

Assessing gaps in the field of audience research over the past decade, CEDAR has argued for the study of the nature and outcomes of audiences’ attentive work, from the political dimensions of listening (Murru 2016) to self-management-based coping strategies on intrusive interfaces. Furthermore, CEDAR has drawn attention to “small acts,” as Kleut et al. (2018) have argued that small acts of engagement need to be conceptualized in terms of their level of productivity, ranging from casual acts, such as endorsing, liking, clicking, and voting, toward more intentional and motivated acts such as sharing, commenting, debating, and producing small stories, dividing these acts further in terms of the scale of effort involved and a conceptualization of their un intended effects on more mainstream flows of content.

Critical Investigation of the Co-option of Audiences’ Attention, Data, and Productive Labor

fourth priority is the critical investigation of co-option of and commercial interests in audiences’ attention, data, and productive work, incorporating transnational flows of media content and reframing longstanding interests in citizen-consumer dichotomies in the face of technological transformations. In terms of the co-option of audiences’ material labor and productive acts, Vesnic-Alujevic and colleagues (2018a) suggest that digital media platform design is shaping content and audience agency into computable data, through a process of metrification, translating agency into metrics, enabling companies to exploit the participation of audiences as free labor. Examples of automation underlying datafied society are algorithms, which they argue are used for filtering information on social media platforms.

and search engines, on the one hand, and for social and political bots, on the other hand. They go on to argue that this co-option is sometimes even unsubtle, and visible, through the creation of ranked user-communities, for instance, as commercial bodies often address audiences to take part in the development of their media products as “volunteer workers.” Audiences’ creative work is then seemingly rewarded, they suggest, through rankings and peer-review within Facebook communities. The co-option of audiences’ attention, as given in the use of algorithmic media and technologies, can often follow similar logics, rendering the point on the possible subtlety of co-option as particularly crucial.

Last but not least, these more material practices are accompanied also by affective, emotional practices of immaterial labor. These practices and their significance in digital communication spaces has attracted the interest of critical communication scholars (Deuze 2011; Fuchs 2014), as they further connect to notions of self-management and self-regulation as part of neo-liberal ideologies. Other important theoretical conver-gences come from feminist theories and digital media economics, through critical exploration of how affective labor (Ouellette and Wilson 2011) or relational labor.

Doing Audience Research in the Interest of Audiences

Finally, fifth priority is the incorporation of longstanding and new priorities of audience research with priorities in other fields, emphasizing the ambition of audience research to speak in the interest of audiences in diverse global, cultural, political, and scholarly contexts. - First , that audience research is crucial to understand the impact of diverse technological, political, cultural, and social transformations on the societies of the future, and particularly central to emphasizing how these transformations affect and engage people in their everyday lives. It has long been a central justification for studying media and communication that these phenomena are meaningful and significant to people as individuals, and as members of groups, communities, and societies. They are also complex phenomena entangled in societal structures, encompassing material to abstract dimensions, and taking on various meanings in shifting contexts.

- Second, audience research should speak in the interest of audiences in diverse global, cultural, political, and scholarly contexts. field has seen chal lenging debates on methodological, theoretical, and ethical difficulties involved with representing the voices of audiences through research (Ang and Hermes 1991; Radway 1988).

- Third, this conversation on ethics ties in also with any attempt to truly globalize the advancements and priorities for audience research. Intrusive technologies and newer literacies attendant to the rise of datafication and the ubiquity of the Internet of Things are likely to be experienced differentially across the globe, related to inequalities on local, national, and global scales. These raise essential questions about knowledge production (Tufte 2017), concept generation, and methodology alike.

Conclusion:

This report suggested and discussed five priorities in an unfolding agenda for audience research, in the context of intrusive media and emergent technologies including the Internet of Things. The five priorities point to empirical and conceptual challenges for audience researchers in observing and critiquing the developments as

with emergent technologies and the Internet of Things. Together, the priorities told a story that began with intrusive interfaces and technologies. It then moved on to the interpretive work happening around these interfaces and affordances in these emer-

gent technologies, as we spoke of sense-making practices, self-management, technology-management and coping strategies as an inroad into critical literacies, political dimensions of resistance, and both fundamental and emerging audience practices and acts of engagement.

#mass4025 #squpr

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amatterofdestiny · 6 years

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An Interval of Peace, Ch. 3.6

Dearka’s pining over Miriallia. He knows he is. The only way to change this fact is to cut in.

Chapter 3, Section 6: Friendship First

Dearka didn't get his own dance until much later in the evening. He had no interest in entertaining any other ladies (or gentlemen, but Dearka hadn't danced with a guy since lessons at the Academy, and had no intention of starting again). With Miriallia in attendance, he was too distracted to look at other women seriously. Sure, Murrue Ramius looked great and that halter-style top did amazing things to her bust, but if her and Lacus Clyne couldn't compare to the girl he really wanted to see again, how were these other socialites and soldiers dressed in silk going to measure up?

Miriallia was busy most of the night, it seemed. She spoke with several important politicians. She had a dance with Muu, whom she somehow got to blush, and with Kira, which was embarassing to witness. He apparently had never danced a day in his life, from the way his feet kept bumping into each other and he kept looking down. Dearka had to stop watching before he ruptured a lung from holding in his laughter.

But when Athrun Zala held her, even though it was for a faster song, Dearka felt the heat rush to his face and his fists clench. Athrun had enough women fawning over him. He didn't need to sweep Miriallia off her feet in any way whatsoever. He'd already had his fun with his cute redheaded ex, and Councilwoman Leitner, who was old enough to be his mother, and a couple girls that he probably didn't even know. And Lacus Clyne twice, even though Kira was right there, not that Dearka blamed her for not wanting to be stepped on by Kira after the first time. But Miriallia was crossing a line.

He strode onto the dance floor and tapped Athrun on the shoulder. "May I cut in?" he asked, keeping the irritation out of his voice.

"Dearka!" Athrun seemed surprised to see him. "Of course. If Miriallia doesn't mind." He glanced at Miriallia, who nodded.

"You were just saying you needed a break," she said. "And I'd love to catch up with Dearka." She smiled at him, and Dearka felt his annoyance slide away. Athrun stepped away and let him take Miriallia's hand.

Now that he was holding her hand, Athrun didn't matter at all. They fell into step. Dearka wished he'd waited for a slower song so they could talk, but in the moments when the steps brought them close, he talked at her.

"Sorry it took so long. You looked busy," he told her in one turn.

"You look great. Did I tell you that yet?" he said in another.

"Not yet," she laughed.

"You look good, too," she said in the next turn. "Have you gotten taller?"

"One centimeter since last year, but I think I'm done. I haven't had to buy new pants in six months."

She laughed at that, and he grinned.

Finally the song changed to something slower, and he could hold her close.

"Miriallia," he started. She opened her mouth at the same time.

"You go first," she said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

He swayed with her in his arms, and tried again to find the words he wanted. He thought idly that he might want to wait for a less public setting, but he didn't know when the Archangel was leaving again. He took the chance.

"I want to start by saying I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have yelled that time."

"Same," she said. "I was thinking that too."

"Heh." He grinned at her. "We were both pretty mean to each other, huh? I shouldn't have told you what you can and can't do."

"Damn straight," she said fiercely. "That's mostly why I was mad, you know."

"Yeah. I figured that one out afterwards. I was scared for you, though. You never hear about war reporters unless they get killed." He pulled her closer. "So I was really happy to hear you were okay. And to see you today."

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "You big lug. I just wanted you to be safe, too. And I worried that you'd be taken advantage of, in the military."

"I'm not that stupid, you know. I'm back in ZAFT so I can make a difference, and protect people."

"I know. I saw how hard you're working. The Joule Team was in the thick of everything, and that made me even more worried."

"I'm still here."

"I know." She shifted to look up at him. "So we agree that we were both dummies? And that we're happy to see each other whole?"

"Yeah," he said. "Friends again?" He hated to say it that way, when he wanted to be her lover more than anything, but they needed to be friends before anything else or they'd just fight again.

She nodded. "So... Lunch tomorrow? I've got the whole day free."

They grinned at each other, and Dearka was never so glad that he'd admitted he was wrong.

Previous | Next

#amod story #arc: an interval of peace #year: ce74 #pov: dearka

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murruspins · 2 months

Note

hello fellow reptile!! thoughts on tentacled snakes?

THEY’RE SO COOL!! ^^ I LOVE THEM THEYRE SO SILLY LOOKING

#tentacled snake #reptile therian #reptile caladotherian #therian #therianthrope #therian community #therianthropy #therian things #digital diary #murru’s asks

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gundamrp · 6 years

Text

I noticed some of my character folders for Gundam Seed were a little light, so I took quick stock of the number of caps I did per episode. The average is probably around 70. In contrast, I took about 200-250 caps for each episode of ZZ.

So I was thinking of redoing the sparser eps of Seed- until I realized I’d have to redo every episode except 30. That’s a lot of episodes to redo for a show I wasn’t planning on rewatching yet.

So I ask you, Gentle Readers, if you have input. I can do any of the following next:

Redo Seed Remaster (1920x1080 res, focus will be on characters I don’t have enough of, like Mu, Murrue, Fllay, the BCPUs, etc)

Zeta series (640x480 res, small but way less grainy than the movies, but I haven’t bought the DVDs yet so I don’t have better at the moment)

0079 Movies (720x540 res, pretty good picture quality for the size)

Unicorn OVAs (1280x720 res, from Blue-ray disc)

UC Re:0096 (Unicorn series, 1280x720 but I don’t remember if they’re BD files)

CE73 Stargazer (also 1280x720)

Series’ will take much longer than OVAs or movies. I do have other Gundam stuff but I’m not planning on capping it next; this is the short list.

Also if anyone has access to their DVD/BDs or other files and wants to screencap something for me, or share their existing caps, or otherwise help with this project, I will be eternally grateful. I don’t even care of the subtitles are on. It makes out of context shots funnier~

#gundam screencaps #screencaps

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joiedecombat · 3 years

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100 Days of Writing: the List

Since it seems there is some interest, why not? List of works (nominally) in progress, old unfinished fics, and Stuff I Want To Write below the cut. Feel free to ask about any of these.

Works (nominally) In Progress

Fanfic

"Reason or Rhyme" (Time Princess - Gotham Memoirs). The Vittorio expansion/fix-fic, because I will be forever disgruntled at how little romance content was actually included in the Mafia romance route.

Galactic Date Night Shenanigans aka "The one where everything is Balkar's fault." (SWTOR - Theron Shan/Jedi Knight). Theron "disaster spy" Shan is goaded into trying to take his wife out for a nice date for once, and it goes like every other plan these two have ever had anything to do with.

#3: [I] trusted [you] (SWTOR - Theron Shan / Jedi Knight). A post-Nathema prompt fic I swear I will finish one of these days.

Original

super secret short story/novella project - Okay it's not that super secret, but it is something I'm mostly keeping under my hat for now as I work on it because of reasons, and is actually (inconveniently, for 100 Days of Writing purposes) the main thing I've been working on lately. I expect to be able to say more about it later. Maybe even within the 100 days! We'll see.

southern gothic urban fantasy procedural romance - Faerie Animal Control Warden meets FBI Elf during investigation of a suspicious death out in the kudzu. A little bit of Bright, a bit Mushi-Shi, a drop of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Stuff I Want to Write

Distinct from works in progress in that I have not actually gotten past the planning stage on any of these - if that. A few of these have been rattling around in concept for long enough to have gone through several distinct evolutions without ever getting any writing done on them. Still, hope springs eternal and ideas are never wasted.

Fanfic

the rival bands AU / the rock opera playlist fic (Sailor Moon - Makoto Kino/Nephrite). Currently exists entirely as an incomplete playlist.

space opera Pride and Prejudice retelling - exactly what it sounds like on the tin. Do y'all know I have yet to encounter a futuristic/space AU? Surely there's one out there somewhere, but I have yet to see it. If you know of one, for the love of God don't tell me.

"Ten of Swords" - (Archer EMIYA/Minako Arisato). fate/stay night + Persona 3 Portable crossover what's even wrong with my brain.

Original

the Regency fae story - a Regency-era fantasy in which a lot of the needlessly complicated and restrictive social rules followed by the upper classes are actually an attempt at defending against the Fair Folk. Sort of Pride and Prejudice vs Changeling: the Lost vs Labyrinth. Could turn into a whole Pride and Prejudice retelling, I guess?

drinking games - fantasy imperial court intrigues involving a romance between a court poison taster and a master spy/assassin.

untitled - East/southeast Asian-inspired Beauty and the Beast retelling in which the Beast is a mountain god whose appearance is based on a tiger. I'm probably too white to write this.

untitled - Private investigator hired to investigate local bad-boy-made-good for insurance fraud, turns out it was actually an ill-advised teenage deal with the devil coming due. Might fit in with that other southern gothic urban fantasy idea, I am not sure.

the ciphered letter - This one started off as a combination of a Mage: the Awakening campaign and a really, really weird spam email I got one time. Orphan gets mysterious ciphered letter, meets snarky Welsh mage, awakens to magic and maybe almost gets made a human sacrifice to an eldritch abomination.

Forfeit - Regency/Victorian-esque fantasy involving reincarnation, a race of immortals, and a half-immortal teaming up with a mortal who sacrificed his future reincarnations for pseudo-immortality to uncover and stop the sinister secrets that power a colonizing empire. It makes more sense in my head... probably?

untitled - Slow burn enemies to lovers between the world-conquering emperor and the rebel leader who's opposing him, over the course of a time loop. AKA Lord of Heroes Kartis/Monarch with the serials filed off. Or I guess I could just write Lord of Heroes fanfic?

low fantasy Magnificent Seven Samurai - Farming village scrapes together a group of starving mercs to protect them from marauders, drama ensues. That's it, that's the whole idea.

Unfinished Fics

Distinct from works in progress in that these are all old enough I can no longer claim I intend to finish them. Some of them I may come back to, especially the few that had substantial progress made before they fell by the wayside. Most will probably be left abandoned, either because I have lost interest in continuing to work on them or I have just plain forgotten what I was planning to do with them.

dreameater - A very old, loosely Forgotten Realms-inspired concept involving an aging half-elf, his fully elven partner, and a mysterious magical threat that's devouring people's dreams.

"Fortune Favors the Brave" (Baccano! - Luck Gandor/Eve Genoard). The Luck/Eve shipping fic.

"Intermezzo" (Blood+ City of Nightwalkers). Follow-up fic to an obscure manga prequel/side story for the vampire anime Blood+, involving Hagi and the Hong Kong cop who semi-adopted him that one time.

"The Art of Losing Everything" (Dragon Age: Origins - Alistair Theirin/f!Cousland). An Alistair/f!Warden fic with themes of loss, duty, and sacrifice.

"In Pieces" (Dragon Age II - Fenris/f!Hawke). A terrible horrible no good very bad AU where Hawke actually turned Fenris over to Danarius and then came back to try to fix her mistake, which I can never finish because I can't make that initial decision make internal sense no matter how hard I try.

"Pas de Deux" (Final Fantasy VIII - Squall Leonhart/Rinoa Heartilly). Exploration of how Squall and Rinoa's relationship could develop after the events of the game.

"With Good Intentions" (Final Fantasy VIII - Squall Leonhart/Rinoa Heartilly). An AU in which Rinoa discovers that technically you can change the past, it's just that if Squall has an actual decent childhood the world ends. Way too ambitious for me to ever actually finish, probably, but I can't quite give up on the idea.

"I've Loved These Days" (Gundam SEED - Mu la Flaga/Murrue Ramius). One of several partly-written Gundam SEED fics kicking around in my files.

"The Last Night of the World" (Gundam SEED - Mu la Flaga/Murrue Ramius). Another Gundam SEED fic, one that began as a prompt in ye olde LiveJournal days. "I've Loved These Days" might have been a prototype, though they don't appear to have any text in common. Could in theory still get finished, maybe.

Valentine's ghosts (Gundam SEED Destiny - Andrew Waltfeld/Murrue Ramius). I'm just saying, Andy/Murrue would have been so much more interesting than the whole Neo thing in Destiny.

"Lion Passant" (Kingdom Hearts). Something something Leon as a failed Keyblade Bearer. The Kingdom Hearts franchise has rewritten its own lore at least three times since I originally had the idea, I can't imagine I'll ever continue it now.

"Vigil" (KotOR - Carth Onasi/f!Revan). Carth/Revan retrospective somewhere around the tomb of Naga Sadow on Korriban.

"Semper Fidelis" (KotOR/KotOR II - Carth Onasi/f!Revan). Post-Sith Lords Carth/Revan resolution fic.

"Clarity" (KotOR II). Atton Rand backstory study from the POV of that one nameless Jedi.

"A Simple Game of Cards" (KotOR II - Atton Rand/Jedi Exile). Spoilers: it is never a simple game of cards. Turns out someone already did it with more or less the same twist I had in mind.

the besieged base fic (Mass Effect - f!Shepard/Kaidan Alenko). A fic rendition of the "Besieged Base" mission from the first Mass Effect.

"Get Up, Jonah" (Mass Effect). I woke up thinking about Turkish drummers. Didn't take long; I don't know much about Turkish drummers. Virmire, before the other shoe drops.

"Long Night" (Mass Effect). Ashley on Virmire.

"My Heart Dances" (Mass Effect - f!Shepard/Kaidan Alenko). Liara POV of Shepard/Kaidan.

"No Way Out" (Mass Effect - f!Shepard/Kaidan Alenko). Heading up the Citadel during the ME1 endgame.

"Right Here, Right Now" (Mass Effect - f!Shepard/Kaidan Alenko). An ME1 epilogue / pre-ME2 sort of fic.

"While the Night is Still Young" (Mass Effect - f!Shepard/Kaidan Alenko). Shepard/Kaidan en route to Ilos.

Apparently I had approximately a million little Mass Effect shortfic ideas I never finished and in some cases never started. Apparently they're all for the first game. (I think there was a Thane idea or two for ME2 that I just never started on at all. RIP.)

"To Absent Friends" (Tiger and Bunny). Sad, sad futurefic of an elderly Pao-Lin reflecting on the deaths of all the other heroes over the years.

#100daysofwriting #works in progress #stuff I want to write #writing #fanfic #southern gothic urban fantasy procedural romance

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cosmiccalamitiesblog · 4 years

Text

The Selected Tales of the Ancient Land of Musterion

Part 1: Creation

In the beginning, before time there was a great darkness. An overwhelming void of darkness. On a small patch of silt in the mighty void sat a woman. Though time did not exist as of yet it seemed as if she sat for an eternity until she opened her eyes but it was too dark to see. She tore a piece of her tunic, filled it with silt, and slung it round with all her might. When she released it, the silt flung in all directions with such great force that it punctured holes in the veil of the void. Many bright lights appeared. Through a great and eternal silence one word was uttered. “Stars” said the woman.

She then grabbed the sky and shook it fiercely causing stardust to fall to her feet. She lumped the stardust and silt in her hands and with the warmth of her smile molded and solidified it into a sphere. She carved rivers, mountains, lakes, and plains. On the southern peninsula of the largest land mass she sculpted a mountain taller and more beautiful than any other. This would be her new home. She hung the sphere in the sky next to a medium sized star to keep her new home warm. She went down to her mountain and time was born. Time promised her he would always be as long as she or her kin stood upon her sphere. She looked out upon her creation and proclaimed” This land shall be known henceforth as Musterion”

In the coming weeks she created life on Musterion. The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and her first child. Humanoid from the waist up, but from the waist down a four-legged beast. She named him Leighafebb and he was perfect. Long golden hair, tight round muscles, and voice strong yet tender. She made him a wife the same creature as him but female, Zandoria, and gifted to them a series of caves in the far north to create the first great kingdom of Aries. This would forever be the home of the creatures known as Centaurs. Over the next 50 years the Centaurs grew in number and built their kingdom. They gave their creator a name Ema Koyt, the Holy Mother of all. As well as her home, Ema Magi, mother mountain.

One day Ema sat in her temple upon Ema Magi and watched Leighafebb depart back to Aries. Leighafebb pilgrimaged to Ema Magi twice a year. This time to tell the news of his first grandson. “How I will miss Leighafebb. I grow unmeasurably lonely upon this mount. Perhaps I should make myself a child” she remarked to herself “But not only one, two… two daughters.” And so she did. One daughter to possess raw unmatched strength and One with calm serene wisdom. Andromeda the Warrior and Runise the Wise Woman, they would be known as the Venodd, the holy sisters. Ema raised her daughters with love and compassion. Once they had been taught everything there was to know about Musterion Ema commissioned them to create celestial beings of their own, The Stree. Runise created the Pualodus, the Lehead Stree, the masters of elements. Andromeda created the Jumalad, the tume stree, masters of practicality and impracticality. Eight in total all dressed in dark gray robes and hooded cloaks of differing colors. In the ranks of Pualodos was Embros Stree of Fire, in a cloak of red, Murru Streese of Earth in a Cloak of Green. Messa Stree of air in a cloak of white, and Vesi Streese of water in a cloak of blue. In the ranks of the Jumalad was Surma streese of death in a cloak of black, Manche stree of chaos in a cloak of Orange, Armastus streese of love in a cloak of purple, and Peeno The Blacksmith Stree, Celestial weapon maker in a cloak of Marigold. The Pualodus went out and began the control of nature.

The Jumalad also took quickly to putting their own essence into Musterion. Surma created mortality as well as a place for the mortals to go when peeled away from their coil, Surma Magi, mountain of death, existing in a plain untouched by time. A utopian place for the dead to rest their souls. Manche created free will so all the creatures of Musterion could do as they pleased. Armastus created ceremonial marriage so that bloodlines could be more easily traced. Before this, creatures laid together and loved together but no history could be kept on their families lives and accomplishments. Finally, Peeno dug a cavern deep into the side of Ema Magi and in this cavern built his arms workshop.

Now that family and marriage were tangible droves of Centaurs began creating family history. Even the Divine began to procreate. After Runise showed great wisdom helping resolve a debate between Messa and Murru about how to punish a wicked individual Ema gifted her with two sons. Nuga and Haige, they would guard the world. Nuga to watch the day, Haige to guard the night.

Andromeda grew jealous of others love. Especially that of Leighafebb and Zandoria, king and queen of Aries. Andromeda went to her mother to ask her to create her a mate but Ema declined. “We are not meant to have romantically love or procreate my child” Ema said with nothing but love in her voice. “You have Runise that is your mate. Yes I know it's not the same as a lover but love is love my darling” Andromeda was disgusted with her mother's lack of understanding. “If you will not make me a lover I will do it myself” Her voice cracking from the pure hate in it. ” You are and cruel and selfish creator. If you were not an infallible being I would send you to Surma Magi to rot” before Ema could respond Andromeda had fled. Ema went and found Runise. She sent Runise to track her sister and make sure she did nothing rash. But it was too late for The Vennod warrior had departed for the caves of King Leighafebb

Leighafebb returned to Aries and before he had the chance to greet Zandoria he was taken off by an advisor. Zandoria had no hard feelings. There had long been a visitor in the Halls of Aries. Leighafebb had been gone for weeks visiting Ema. The Queen slowly strutted down the Hallway to join her King for a most important introduction. She walked into the Room just her husband realized that the night watcher Haige was here to keep an eye on Aries.

Leighafebb questioned the Grandson of Ema Koyt on what threatened Aries. Haige did not know. Runise asked him and he did so.

Things seemed to be in order in Aries. Month after month Haige or Brunner as the Centaurs called him, noticed no sign of trouble. The only change was in the Prince who had been taken a vested interest in Centaurus who had left her home deeper into the cave to live in the main city. Prince Febbaforth was falling madly in love with her. His Galaxium.The young prince spent all his time with Galaxium.

Leighafebb and Zandoria took little notice. They were passionate about being near perfect rulers and used more of each day than necessary to ensure the needs of Aries and it's people had been met. They felt they owed it to Ema for gifting them this beautiful kingdom. The both of them had been spending the few hours of the day they had free to study and converse with Brunner. Often nights the three would just bond. Brunner had become like an older brother to Leighafebb and Zandoria.

One day, Febbaforth and Galaxium went to wonderful visit the Meadows surrounding the mouth of Aries. When they returned to the city, Galaxium took Febbaforth to her home. The couple spoke words of love to one another. Then she asked Febbaforth what he truly knew of love. For the first time Galaxiums soft features had turned sharp, the soft brown hair on her legs and paws turned course and black. She growled at Febbaforth about how if she didn't create the Jumalad love would not exist. She stood up, and as she did her back legs turned to dusk, her front legs became long and hairless. Febbaforth knew who this was.

"Andromeda" he spoke aloud.

A wild and wicked scream filled the air "I will destroy my mother's creation. You will taunt me no more Centaur!"

Febbaforth was filled with a pain greater than he knew could be inflicted. He felt his mind split open as if it was struck by an axe wreath in flame.

Andromeda looked down laughing at the place where Febbaforth fell. He was gone. In his place lay two creatures. One hairless, naked, cold. He resembled the form Andromeda took. He was the first man. The second was large, seven or eight feet tall. He was covered head to foot in thick hair, with a mouth resembling the wild cats of the mountains.

She looked at the man and shouted "Vigik!" An old word for dirt.

She turned to the creature "Heind" An old word for beast.

Andromeda searched through the tunnels and caverns. She found every citizen of Aries. One by one she split them into two separate beings. When she reached the palace many were armed to attack. She got them all. She finally made it to a room. Inside stood Leighafebb, Zandoria, and Haige.

Andromeda jumped on Leighafebb, hands around his throat. She spit a dark purple venom into his mouth. Haige grabbed his Aunt and threw her across the room. As Andromeda hit the wall, Haige attempted to help Leighafebb to his feet but he was paralyzed from the venom. Andromeda got to her feet and a smoke began to wisp around her husband. Haige lunged forward as The smoke turned into a blade. Andromeda jabbed her blade through Haige and into Zandoria. The two feel to the floor.

Andromeda raised her blade menacingly as she towered over Haige. Right as her stroke began to fall a great burst of fire came through the door followed by Embros, Manche, Surma, and Messa. A struggle between the holy being insued. Haige looked to the dead body of Zandoria and the paralysis ridden husk of Leighafebb as he slowly collapsed and faded into black.

Leighafebb was the only Survivor of aries not separated. The last Centaur. Andromeda escaped while on the road back to Ema Magi Vigik was never seen again. It is assumed Andromeda took him into hiding with her. Some men went west from Aries to find new homes some went South, some went east. Heind, now using the name of Heindar. He took all like him, now called the Hendren, to the land beyond the the east mountains to the country of Varacill. After this awesome tragedy Ema and Runise were never the same again.

Part 2: The Demon Agatha

Four generations had passed since the tragedy of Febbaforth and man had spread and multiplied. They had already begun to forget what they had come from. The Halls of Aries, The Betrayal of Andromeda, and everything that came with being the Divine and chosen creation of Ema Koyt. Of which Only Leighafebb Remained.

One Woman would not and could not forget the history of man. A married woman in her late twenties named Agatha. She lived in the great valley north of Ema Magi. Her grandmother's grandmother was a historian in Aries as well being extremely close to Zandoria. When Andromeda invaded, this Noble daughter of Aries collected all important documentation she could and hid it away, deep in the cave. She completed her task before she was captured and submitted to the same cruel torture that the rest of her divine race had endured. Once she was set free by the Shree, she retrieved these writings. Now a lesser being, the woman insured that the lives of her great people could be known.

These thorough texts had been passed down from daughter to daughter until they were in the possession of Agatha. The majority of writings contained census information, Royal meetings with civilian Representatives, and Histories of Musterion. Several full books contained journals written by Zandoria herself chronicling day to day matters and some struggles she faced as the Queen of the First Kingdom. Alongside these extremely interesting and detailed books and papers was the journal of a Wiseman, Brunner the Royal council of Leighafebb. He described experiments with what he called "An invisible infinite resource" one passage says "More precious than Gems or Metals, maybe even water or food" In another "If one has wit and determination they can harness this magic, it is a veil, a thin veil"

Agatha had read these to the point of memory. She had thought deeply and passionately about the text of Brunner since she was but a child. It fascinated her to no end.

Agatha had been married for five years to her greatest love, Gunther. A man both large in stature and in heart. He had quite long hair, with an even longer beard. On more than one Occasion he was Mistaken for one of Heindars mountain people, but alas he was only a man. When he was a child, growing up in, what any man not from the north calls the Dogwood, known locally as Kuuwood, on the coast of the east sea, he heard his uncle tell stories of the time before man. Though some of the details that had been passed down were incorrect or exaggerated, the young Northman wanted only one thing, to see Mother Mountain, as it was called my common men. His father Gent, didn't be care for the "fairytale" Gent wanted his son to forget this foolish fodder and face the world he lived in. Even if any of the tales his brother told were true, Gent felt it best to keep your concerns on that of the here and now, and not on the past. Most of the men of the North did not care about the history of Musterion. After Leighafebbs fallen children went free, the brave souls who traveled the uncharted mountains to the east did not speak of Aries.

They came to start a new life and escape the deep scars of what they had left behind. When they arrived to the Kuuwood it was beautiful, plenty of fruit to pick, plenty of animals to hunt. When settlements began to be established a darkness from the deep took the forest. Every village, of which there are few, became trapped both with fear and by this fell creature. It had no face, no body. It was pure malevolence without a chrysalis. At first It took the minds of the wild dogs and wolves of the forest. Many died. Eventually it took the minds of partnered animals, the dogs of hunters and farmers turned on men they considered family. When the people of Kuuwood ventured south to try to acquire land in Varacill, the Hendren request had far to many guidelines for the Kuuws' liking. Since then they have been at war with the Dogs of their home and the beast who hold their salvation. They do not know or care of the glory of the past, for they have never had glory in sight. Alas, even in the tightest dam, water can get through if it flows strong enough. That water came in the form of War.

For many years there stood a citadel that served as a Hendren arsenal. A Battle of 300 Kuuws locked in combat with 400 Hendren who had recruited the aid of 116 black bears of the mountains. After only a single day 12 Kuuws, and 80 Hendren and 30 bears stood. Everyone injured in both body and soul. They all retreated in the direction of their home. On that journey home 43 of the war torn souls passed beyond. The Hendren only returned to collect their dead. The Battle was too brutal, too soulless, too painful, so they left the stronghold city as it was in memoriam. Upon the return to Kuuwood only eight warriors remained. Lod was among these eight broken men. Nearly twenty years had passed until the fighting started again. The year the war had begun Lod and his wife had their first son Gent, a year later a second they called Selt. When Gent was a boy only seven years old his father Lod was called on once again to lead a battalion. The goal of which was to take the old northern citadel in Varacill to make it a new stronghold for the Northmen. Lod was now a fisherman on the coast, a place the hounds of Kuuwood scarcely travel.

His wife had been taken by a Kuuwolf while tending her garden, Gent was only three. Over the years the dogs and wolves bred together eventually becoming an all black beast, standing taller than any man, with enormous teeth like daggers.

When Lod was called upon, Gent had to take over for his father, both to raise Selt and to make sure he caught enough fish to sell to the market. The village of Nuadreg was a half day's journey away straight down the forest road used by soldiers heading to the camp two days south of Lods home. The Village was located in a man made crater. When the war has gone quiet for more than a year, many people in southern Kuuwood decided to build a home that doubled as a trap for the fearsome Kuuwolves. Over the course of a Spring and Half summer the Kuuws created a village a quarter mile deep, half a mile in every direction from the exact center. Around the edge of the village were Spears pointed up to impale any kuuwolf that could get through the 14 foot stone wall surrounding the village. The only entrance was a small door, only unsealed for trade or refuge, that lead to a narrow staircase leading a quarter mile down. The owner of the market in Nuadreg got a supply of fish from lod once a week, this village relied on Lod.

Lods grand battalion took the citadel without drawing a single blade. It was full of weapons of all sorts. Along with a near unlimited supply of assorted gems and metals worth more than the jaded and broken men of Kuuwood could have ever imagined. Lod became the Lord of this long abandoned fortress. He named it Suudfry, The Southern Freedom.

Lord Lod had taken the land that he had nearly died on almost 30 years prior. He was too far south to worry for even a moment about the vicious Kuuwolves who had taken his beloved. He had the weight and pain of having been born into a war and watching friends and family die lifted, by now having the resources to bring his people to victory. With all this he felt like a new man. He would take all of Varacill if he could. Perhaps he could defeat the Hendren, but it had become very clear that Lod, First Lord of Suudfry, would be defeated by Glory.

A few months after he had departed Lod and his small band rode North to gather men from every village as well as notify all Kuuw camps to make for Suudfry. Gent had been making his weekly trip to Nuadreg. This was his tenth time and he was quite proud of himself. On his journey back, he was riding the family horse Bopper, who was pulling the cart of empty barrels from last week's shipment, when Gent heard a loud yell. A caravan of men heading to the next camp on the way to Suudfry came bolting by Gent. They rode swifter than an arrow. Gent then saw a man towards the front. He was dressed exquisitely. The intricate design of his armor caused Gent to rightfully assume that he was some kind of Royalty. He looked again and saw the Lord's face only for a moment and realized it was his father. He screamed for Lod but he did not hear. Gent jumped off Bopper and began chasing the men but they had gone to fast and to far. That was the last time Gent saw his father. That was the last time Lod set foot in Kuuwood Forest.

Five full years had passed since Gent or Selt had seen their Father. Gent had made enough over the last few years to hire help. Two men. A young boy of eleven, the same age as Selt, to help with the fishing. The other a man no older than 25 that assisted Gent with Delivery and small technical problems such as, fixing the cart, cleaning barrels, and maintaining the boat. Selt had little to do. The other boy was a much better at fishing than Selt. Selt missed his father, all he wanted was an opportunity to see him.

As fate would have it when he was eleven, he was given the opportunity. While out fishing he saw a drowning out in the water. Selt rescued the man, who told him that the Hendren were planning to attack Suudfry. The man explained that he was from the islands to the north. A place Selt didn't even know was populated. How he had a vision of Suudfry in flames. How he had built a canoe just to come tell someone, anyone, just as long as the could give the information to the Lord of the southern Kuuw. He was going to tell Lod himself but the Hendren sent a creature from the depths to attack his boat. The man died in the arms of Selt and his assistant.

Selt left the next day after Gent departed on a shipment. When Gent returned the Selt's Assistant gave Gent a letter from Selt. He told his brother of the man with the warning and how he would find their Father and save Suudfry. Gent was furious but decided in the end to let his brother go. Selt had never wanted to be a fisherman. Gent didn't know what his brother wanted. He never asked.

Three months later while in Nuadreg, Gent got the news from the head merchant that Suudfry was Completely destroyed. Burned to a crisp and knocked down by the hands of the Hendren. The Lord, his father, had decapitated by Heindar himself. All survivors had been taken prisoner. Gent knew he would never see his father again and thought he would never see his brother.

After twelve years Gent felt he had made his father and brother proud. His father's business was thriving, he found himself a wife, he even had a two year old son, Gunther. One day while loading barrels onto his cart, Gent heard a familiar Voice calling his name. It couldn't be, he thought to himself. As he looked up, he saw it was. As one lives and breathes, as real as anything, Selt stood before his brother, long lost.

The first year Selt was back it was as if nothing had changed, Gent had his brother returned. As time went on though Gent noticed his brother never talked much of where he had been other than just saying he was imprisoned. Then as more time passed Selt talk more and more to near consistency about Mother Mountain, Andromeda, and Aries. About how Man and the Hendren were once the same. Gent took this to mean that his brother had been brainwashed by the Hendren. As his son Gunther began to put time and thought into these stories told by his uncle, Gent became enraged.

The Day Gunther left home to find Mother Mountain he could hear his father and uncle fighting. His father accusing Selt of brainwashing Gunther and sending him into the world to die. As he got farther away the yelling quieted. Until he heard Selt screaming. He knew then that his uncle had died for his freedom.

Gunther found Mother Mountain, spending a whole year just at it's foot, Admiring the Shree above. On his travels back North he met his a beautiful young woman, Agatha. She was working at her Father's tavern in the valley that lay sister to Varacill. Gunther planned to stay for one night. He immediately fell deeply in love with Agatha. The first night they met they spoke of Histories until dawn.

Within a matter of months they were married.

Two years after they wed, Agatha's father fell ill. He passed away leaving the tavern to Gunther. He loved the boy he trusted Gunther with his daughter in a matter of weeks. He became more of a father to Gunther than Gent ever was. So it was no question who would take over.

Agatha and Gunther had been trying to convince a child since the night they were married to no avail. Three years after the death of her father, Agatha began to constantly read Brunner's notes. She wanted to devise a method of harnessing this magic Brunner wrote about. Perhaps it could yield her a child. She locked herself away in her home and began to experiment.

One night on his way home Gunther heard loud bangs and crackles so he rushed home. When he opened the door Agatha had a burn on her face across her right eye. She screamed about how she had failed. Her failure to use this power for a child did not yield nothing, it created a wickedness. The power of corruption. She jumped at her husband and suddenly his hair and beard fell to the floor. His shoulders were twice their size. He grew a full foot. He was not her husband or her lover. He was but a servant to her will.

A few years came and went. Agatha still had no child, Gunther was a Husk with no indication of a soul. In the middle of the night in the dead of winter a stranger knocked on her door seeing if the tavern had a room for the night. Agatha guided the stranger to the room. Once inside the stranger slammed the door shut. Agatha tried to use her powers of corruption. The stranger stood unaffected, slowly removed their coat to reveal a slenderly dark haired woman. Her skin was pale and her features soft.

"Instruct me to use the power you have discovered" whispered the woman in a young sounding voice.

Agatha did not know what to do or how to respond. She took a deep breath before a long pause. "Anyone can do it." She murmured. Agatha's power had never been blocked before. She was shaken.

The woman walked up to Agatha and put her arms around her. She pulled her close and whispered "If you instruct me, I can give you a child." The stranger stepped back.

Agatha stood breathless, stuck in her place like the trunk of the oldest trees of Musterion.

The stranger stepped back into the shadows. Agatha could only see her pale face dimly through the darkness. "You can control everything and everyone" the stranger was now yelling.

Then in a voice that sounded like the growl of an old Northman, the woman barked "With all that power you can't change Ema, The mother doesn't want you to be a mother"

The woman stepped forward into the light. "But I do" her soft, young, feminine voice had returned.

The woman instructed Agatha to put all information and instructions she had on the power of corruption into a small book the woman had given her.

The woman told Agatha to leave the book on the doorstep of the tavern at dawn.

When the sun peeked over the river into the little valley Agatha called home a book lay on the front steps of her father's tavern. At that time, Agatha and Gunther had just crossed the river heading west. They went to seek out the ruins of Aries. Anytime they got close, they became lost. When they reached Paiklehed Forest, Agatha had given birth to twins. Two boys Kes and Ket. Agatha began working again on harnessing magic for she knew the woman would return wanting more.

Part 3: The Battle of Mother Mountain

Atop a lower peak of Ema Magi sits a wonderful garden. It was a perfect circle. The floor was the greenest grass this world has seen. Plants and flowers line the walls. The garden will grow anything the being inside requires. Nuga often used this in an attempt to impress Murru. Nuga would cause the garden to conjure the most beautiful flowers it could. Murru was seldom Impressed.

At the center of the garden sits a circular stone table with as many seats as needed at the time of use.

If Peeno met with Runise to discuss the wisdom of a blade, two chairs would appear. If the Pualodus meet to experiment with elemental fusion, four chairs appear.

On this day seven chairs were being occupied. They sat in a circle. Runise, Messa, Peeno, Embros, Surma, Haige, and Finally Ema. Haige had just arrived. Peeno had sent him to investigate rumors of a dark presence in the westwoods. Haige looked nervous every time Peeno met his gaze. What hides in Paiklehed had turned Haiges bravery to Fear.

Ema looked around at the council she called. "Two Hundred times the seasons have changed since Leighafebbs children were ripped from the Halls of Aries" Ema paused as the council realized how long it had really been. It certainly didn't feel that long to many who remember the time before man.

"My Daughter, The Vennod Warrior has been in hiding for her transgressions. Or so I thought. A rising darkness from all corners of Musterion may be the warning I've been dreading since the day she disappeared"

Deep in the Kuuwood Forest, far to the North, Andromeda was staring down a Kuuwolf. It's eyes pierced straight into her core. The Kuuwolf jumped nearly to the tree top. He was racing downward toward Andromeda, his claws extended, his

Jaw wide. Seconds before the Kuuwolf could destroy her, what looked like a bubbling stream of water came out of hand. It absorbed into the beast and he began to transform as he floated to the ground.

He stood on two legs for they grew to the size and relative shape of a large man. His claws grew longer and sharper. He stood twenty feet tall. Of all the changes the most upsetting was the wolves fur turned from a deep black to a sickly, stained white. From a distance it may appear a full yellow. Andromeda knew then with the corruption of a product of natural darkness she could cause any creature of Musterion to become Fell. A week later a legion of Fellwolves marched south into Varacill lead by The Vennod Warrior.

The dawn was colder than it should have been when Haige passed the guard to Nuga. The two spoke for a while as the sun slowly crept up. As The protector of the night set out for home Nuga told him to find Peeno.

Haige went to Peenos workshop in the heart of Ema Magi. Peeno Guided him through an arsenal of power weapons. Peeno listed of the name and ability of every sword, axe, shield, and spear they passed. It looked as if they had reached the end of the room when Peeno opened an old wood door in the corner. As they entered Haige saw literal sticks and stones. Staffs, gems, and some small knives on a table. Peeno started throwing staffs all about.

After a moment he turned to Haige and pushed a staff Into his arms. Haige looked at Peeno, he had forgotten that the Shree appear as their true self in their homes. In the case of Peeno he was only the Skeleton of a man. Looking into Peenos vast, dark eye holes he asked " What is it Peeno?"

Peeno laughed "You can't recognize a master weapon crafted by the Gods?"

The two men laughed together. When it died down Peeno put his hand on Haiges shoulder. "It's the prison staff" Peeno straightened up "I've heard more information. She's got an army. She's in Varacill now. Andromeda wants a war. If someone can wound her in battle you run up and hit Andromeda with this" Peeno said gesturing to the Staff. "if you can do that Haige" he continued "she will be trapped within the staff. Then you return the staff to me and I will let Ema handle her"

Haige took the staff and left for his home so he could rest.

A month had passed without any word on Andromeda or her movement's. The only things those who occupied Ema Magi knew was the darkness was growing in Musterion.

In the middle of the night crying could be heard from the mountain top garden. Runise sat alone. Andromeda was her sister, she loved her. Runise knew she was not responsible for her sisters jealousy, that didn't change the way Runise felt. "Leighafebb had Zandoria" she sobbed "I have my boys Haige and Nuga" she could barely get the words out. "she was supposed to have me" She sobbed louder and louder until finally she screamed "I'm sorry Andromeda!" Then even louder "I love you!" Then louder again "I never meant to let you down!" Then silence fell upon the garden.

A voice from behind her broke the silence "She let you down"

Runise turned around to see her boy. Haige stood tall as he offered a hand to his mother who had fallen to the ground amidst her release of emotions.

"Shouldn't you be watching the mark" Runise said in a breathy voice as she got to her feet.

"That's why I'm here. I saw her with an army terrible beasts. Things that use to be. Kuuwolves turned into giant creatures of death. Hendren twice the average size running on all fours." Haige wiped the sweat from his brow "and regular men nearly ten feet tall with more muscle than I've ever seen" they began to exit the garden. "She will be at our feet by Sunrise."

Runise informed Ema. Ema sent birds to all the men and Hendren of Musterion. They received a message requesting armies. The men of Kuuwood killed the bird for food before it had reached those in charge. The bird sent to Paiklehed and the men of the west was intercepted and killed by Agatha a dark Presence in those parts. Heindar had his people on the move immediately as did the Lord of the valley. All the Divine beings of Ema Magi prepared for a Battle.

When the forces of Ema Magi reached the ground to meet Andromeda, every able man and even quite a few women of the valley stood awaiting the orders. As dawn approached Andromeda and her wicked forces broke the horizon. Beasts both foul and fell. Before the armies of Ema took formation the enemy charged. Arrows flung through the air from the valleymen. Blast of light and fire rushed from the hands of the Shree.

Andromeda herself was corrupting the bodies of her fallen enemies. They sprung back up from the dead and attacked the warriors they had been fighting alongside mere moments ago. Hours began to pass as The armies of Ema dwindled and the forces of darkness grew.

Ema saw Andromeda across the field of battle and set out towards her daughter. She reached her just as Heindars forces arrived. The Hendren began to take down the fell creatures in droves. Andromeda would forever be the greatest enemy of the Beastmen of Varacill, they would be whole if not for her. Andromeda saw her Mother only a few feet away and didn't the unforgivable. She drew a mighty arrow and shot it into the chest of Ema who had created the Divine weapon. Ema fell and a blast pushed all back away from her shell.

Runise screamed and grabbed the blade of a now dead warrior of the valley. Runise jumped into the air planting the sword deep in her sisters back. This was the chance Haige needed so he swung the staff at the curled over body of Andromeda. The moment the wood made contact with the Warrior Vennod she turned to dust that absorbed into the prison weapon.

Haige, Nuga, Peeno, and Runise took the body of Ema back up the mountain.

The other Shree with much help from the Hendren slaughtered many of Andromeda's beast and a party of Hendren was sent out to find those who retreated.

Ema was gone,Andromeda trapped, and Runise knew that it was now her responsibility to take charge of Musterion. She may not have been her mother but she would protect Mother Mountain.

Runise helped the Valleymen established the Kingdom of Andro. Named in honor of her fallen sister. Andromeda may have been wicked but in the end she only wanted love. Runise also helped the westmen establish Kuninlinn.

Ema Magi and the surrounding area became intentionally detached from the Continent of Musterion, now a floating isle in the southwest sea. The Shree and The watchers began to travel back and forth between Ema Magi and mainland Musterion. All though the return of her sister was unavoidable and would play greatly into the founding of the great kingdom of Tolid, Runise was happy that Things for now we're settled in the land of Musterion.

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