#Dr. Animus

[iamkittywizard]

“Uh… Dr. Animus?”

“Yes Ranger Parsec?”

“It says here on my file that I was marked dead for a couple days.”

“Yes, and…?”

“Why did you write that?! I’m clearly alive!”

“Well you were a Wirewolf then!”

“Well I- I mean yeah but I wasn’t DEAD!”

“Well then, what did you have that made you alive?”

“I, well…”

“Beating heart? Blood? Organs? Nervous system? Anything like that?”

“Well no but it was still me!”

“You mean you willingly tried to kill Ranger Lightyear?”

“I- ugh, no! Of course not!”

“So you mean to tell me that at some point of your life you had no human structures, no living organic cells, and no consciousness? Sounds pretty dead to me.

...Ranger Parsec?"

“...I need to go lay down.”

Lol I'm tired and I always imagined this convo so I decided to finally jot it down bc it didn't fit in any of my other stories.

[overheard-at-star-command]

Dr. Animus: You are overthinking. Buzz: What if- Dr. Animus: Don't Buzz: WHAT IF Dr. Animus:... Buzz: What if everyone else is underthinking?

[zombiecicada]

Species Name: Homo Telepathicus

Common Name: Animus

Gender: Animuses appear to be completely sexless, however they have a concept of gender expression via appearance and pronouns, and will take on gender identities they feel best reflects them.

Lifespan: They join many species in being able to live hundreds of years, however the true extent of their lifespan has never been properly documented as many of them are killed long before they reach any kind of death by natural causes.

Rarity: Data deficient. However, it’s likely this species may be facing extinction.

Geographic Range: Data deficient. But high intellect allows for a high degree of adaptivity, and thus confirmed members of the species have been found on a variety of different worlds. However, their home world has yet to be identified.

Diet: This species has been observed eating literally everything, from organic matter to inorganic matter without issue. Preferences appear to range from individual to individual.

Temperament: Animuses are well known to be capable of immense, often unrivalled hostility regardless of if or if not the other life form is actually a threat. Merely annoying or inconveniencing them is often enough to get them to respond with lethal amounts of violence. Interestingly enough, violent tendencies can be greatly minimized and even negated entirely if a direct visual is not maintained. Ex: speaking to one through texting or phone call.

Species Typical Behaviour:

Aggression aside, animuses are known to be by nature very curious. As cunning and scheming as they are, many of them can be ‘outwitted’ by simply provoking a burning curiosity.

All animuses are naturally very goal oriented, and once they set their minds on something nothing short of death or a very, very sturdy steel wall between them and their goal will stop them. They are incredibly dare say ruthlessly persistent, and are willing to play the long game to get what they want. Manipulation via multiple methods to get what they want is a given.

Distinctive personalities of course range from individual to individual, morphed by personal beliefs and experiences. Everyone who participated in this study confirmed that there was an uncanny ‘false cheeriness��� to the animuses who agreed to participate in the study. An animation where something was always just….a little off.

Sentience & Intelligence:

There is no doubt this species is sentient and intelligent, easily joining the ranks of other spacefaring, technologically advanced civilizations.

However for something sentient, many appear to be lacking a conscience.

Psychical description:

Animuses are humanoid lifeforms having round heads and thin bodies with prominent legs and small feet. They lack arms entirely, instead having two four digit hands that are fairly large in proportion to the rest of their body. They have hair which can be a number of different lengths and textures.

Animuses lack any kind of outwardly visible mouth structure, but given they are more than capable of eating and vocalizing, it’s likely they have some internal mouth structure. They have large eyes which lack any noticeable pupils and a pattern of freckles on their face that is entirely unique to each individual, serving as a useful means of identification.

All animuses have interesting keratin-like growths on their heads, which can take the form of horns, or various other shapes. There doesn’t seem to be a limit to how they present, and what the purpose of such is remains hard to determine.

They wear clothes, what the clothes look like appearing to be solely based on personal preference and style.

Distinguishing features:

Large brightly coloured glowing eyes and freckles, the keratin growths on their heads, floating hands, the creation of bioluminescent liquid.

All individuals show several traits of sociopathy.

Colouration:

They appear to be capable of being any colour, but they will stick to just one colour. Ex: Yamilet, spare for the yellow accents of her clothing is all green. The eyes and freckles and the bioluminescence fluid they can create are always the most vibrantly coloured features.

The keratin growths are always a sandy brown colour.

Sociability:

Animuses are only social when it benefits them to be, otherwise they appear to be completely antisocial and do not show any desire for company solely for the sake of company. Many of them appear to do just fine all on their own, even for extended periods of time. There is no recorded bonds between individuals of the animus species, however a couple of them claimed to have bonds with members of other species.

Reputation:

Try to avoid this species if you can, especially if you are not prepared to play mind games. It doesn’t matter how friendly they display themselves to be, they are NOT your friend.

Natural Abilities:

Telekinesis, high intelligence, the ability to ingest and digest just about anything which in turn makes them remarkably resilient to poisons and toxins, the production of a bioluminescent liquid from the body very similar to luminol in terms of chemical composition.

[i-simp-stobotnik]

With this as inspiration, if Sailor Moon is princess Serenity, does that make Sailor Stone prince... Sediment?

I don’t really know shit about Sailor Moon, but these bitches are fighting FOR evil in the moonlight.

[teecupangel]

au idea:

So what happens is: we take Daniel, as he is dying, and send him back in time, when he's about 24 years old, before being found by the Assassins.

He wakes up from this terrible nightmare he barely even remembers, but the few things he can recall fill him with a sense of dread, especially the face of his murderer, which he starts seeing everywhere.

Skip forwards to the events of "The Fall", and as he's living through Nikolai's memories of the Tunguska event, his great-grandfather's visions of the future unlock his own memories as well.

He has a full-blown panic attack as he remembers his own death in vivid detail and, as Hannah and Bellamy try to hold him still, he decides that he can't, just can't, go through this again.

He has to kill Desmond long before the bastard gets the chance to kill him.

So he tries to do everything as he had done before, even though his memories of the time spent with the Assassins are vague at best, all the while looking for Desmond.

Finally, he gets his chance when he meets William Miles at the Farm.

Sneaking into his house at night is easy, and so is gutting both him and his wife.

As for Desmond... how hard could it be, to kill an eleven years old child?

An hour has passed and he's still there, holding a bloodied knife in his hand, asking himself that same damned question as he looms over this sleeping child who is one day going to become his murderer, and... he can't.

He can't.

Change of plans: he's taking the kid to Abstergo with him, so that he can keep him under surveillance and make sure he doesn't wind up joining the Assassins.

And since he's already stealing children, he figured he might as well take one he gets along with, and not only does he know which hideout Lucy lives in, it also happens to be very conveniently on his way to Philadelphia.

He doen't need to kill the Mentor this time around, as he still remembers his address from his first time killing him, and the same goes for all the other Assassin hideouts.

Basically what I'm trying to get at is this:

Oh, and Desmond? He also had a nightmare, the same day as Daniel in fact, and has this vague feeling of impending doom, and also this name, "Clay"... he doesn't know who that is, only that he is somehow to blame for this whole situation.

Daniel will definitely not want to return to the Animus even if Dr Sung told him it would help with the… twitching. Daniel can’t really explain that the twitching is because he can still see him… he can still see Nikolai and he’s not saying anything, that’s the most annoying thing in this entire bullshit called ‘second chance’. The moment he decided not to kill Desmond and took him with him, Nikolai had been a silent ghost, always following Daniel around.

That damn hood made it hard to see his expression but it’s annoying Daniel and…

Returning to the Animus might just aggravate this entire thing.

Vidic has taken a shine on little Lucy and Desmond. They were born and raised by the Assassins but Vidic’s kind grandfatherly act was working wonders. The two brats were also getting along quite well, all things considered. They were already whispering to each other and saying “nothing” whenever someone asked what they were talking about.

Daniel knew they were going to be giving him a lot of headaches in the future.

Then he learned that Vidic had checked their DNA and froze when he heard the triumph in Vidic’s tone as he said, “Desmond is a descendant of not just Ezio Auditore but Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad. Daniel, my boy! You saved such a wonderful boy!”

And Daniel knew…

He just knew…

If Desmond gets into an Animus… if he relived even just one memory of any of his ancestors…

The man who killed him will wake up.

Fuck!

.

.

.

Wanna make this more complicated?

Clay has a nightmare on the same day and, unlike Daniel who needed a ‘spark’ to open that can of worms, or Desmond who still needs his own trigger, Clay remembers everything vividly.

So Clay tries to get into contact with the Assassins, even going as far as calling the number Bill made him remember before he went undercover and the one who answers wants to know why he would know William Miles’ personal phone number.

Clay just tells the Assassin to get Bill on the phone, it’s important.

He can't say the truth though because he knows he fucked up.

He had only been trying to take both his and Desmond’s consciousness (the ghosts remaining in the Gray) back into the past but he knows someone hitched a ride. He doesn’t know who but he sure as hell knows it was another Animus Subject.

Then the Assassin tells him Bill is dead, killed in his own home.

And Clay goes, “And Desmond? Is Desmond okay?”

“… The boy’s missing. Now, may I know who this is?”

“Fuck.” Clay hissed because his greatest fear has just come true.

There were only two Animus Subjects that he didn’t want to be the hitchhiker.

Warren Vidic (Subject 2) and Daniel Cross (Subject 4).

If Bill is dead and Desmond is missing, most probably captured, then it only meant that it was one of the two.

“Come get me. We need to talk.” Clay said before giving the Assassin his current location.

A few hours later, a different Assassin came and got him and drove him to a place he didn’t recognize in Massachusetts.

There, he recognized the voice of the one who picked up the phone.

And recognized him as the current mentor of the entire Brotherhood. The one that Daniel Cross was meant to assassinate.

Learning that only Bill and his wife had been killed, by a bladed weapon of all things…

Clay knew…

It was Daniel Cross.

Warren Vidic would have gotten Abstergo’s spec ops team to burn the entire Farm to the ground.

That only meant…

“You need to tell every Assassin to run…” Clay said solemnly, hoping against hope that he still had time, “The Templars will start their purge soon.”

.

.

And now, we have a race between Daniel and Clay on who can find the other quicker. The purge will still take out some of the Assassins, Clay might have been able to warn them but trying to order everyone to escape took time, but more Assassins escaped this time around.

[cerulean-dreams-18]

Cameron(2241) for my SCP WOF AU!! Once again, please click as tumblr messed up the quality.

Cameron is a Skywing. He has all the typical skywing abilities, like fire-breath and very skilled flying. He's pretty small and scrawny, even for a skywing. He's also an animus dragon who can do pretty much whatever he wants to surrounding objects and dragons, but only if they're within thirty meters of him and in his sight(similar to cannon). He's best friends with Sigurros(239) and Emma(040) and has sort of an on-off thing with Sarah(2506). The scar on his neck is a burn from a fight with a hostile SCP. His jewelry half-intentionally matches Sigurros's. When she first got her gold chain, Cameron thought it looked sick and had to get one of his own. He bought his earrings on the same trip and from the same shop where Emma bought Sigurros her earrings, unknowingly buying almost the exact same pair Emma did but with emeralds instead of rubies. Cameron has paranoia that has worsened considerably over time, and as a result of that and over use of his animus powers, there are certain dragons he absolutely hates and would kill if he could. Clef is one of them, Cameron doesn't trust Clef and feels threatened by him as he's one of the few dragons who could actually kill him. Cameron also resents Clef for for his treatment of Sigurros. While Cle definitely isn't abusive and tries to be the best father possible to all his kids including Sigurros, Cameron feels like he manipulates and lies to Sigurros to much, severely limiting her potential and being the reason she gave up her animus magic in the first place. Cameron would try and kill Clef, but he knows how much Sigurros loves her adoptive father, seeing him die would utterly destroy her, and he can't hurt his best friend that way. Not while she still loves Clef, anyway. Cameron's dream is to fly far away from the foundation with all his friends, and live freely, but he knows unfortunately, with the way things are now, his friends would never agree to leave with him. But don't worry, he has a plan.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

MLK at 95.

January 15, 2024

ROBERT B. HUBBELL

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born 95 years ago on January 15, 1929. As a Baptist minister, he advocated non-violence while promoting civil rights. He spoke for the poor, the oppressed, and the disenfranchised. While he was imprisoned in a Birmingham jail for protesting segregation, he responded to eight white ministers who had criticized him for participating in protests that they described as “unwise and untimely.”

Dr. King’s famous reply to the white ministers explained why he traveled to Birmingham from Atlanta to protest:

I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider.

While Dr. King was keenly aware of the racism that served as the understructure of the Christian church in the old South, he would be shocked by the virulent, mean-spirited, anti-Christian message that animates many (not all) evangelical congregations in America today. They form the backbone of Donald Trump's support in Iowa and beyond. They have adopted Trump's message that treats the poor, oppressed, and disenfranchised as “outsiders” and “others” who do not belong in America.

Over the last several days, we have learned that members of the Texas National Guard physically blocked federal Border Patrol agents from responding to reports of immigrants in distress in the Rio Grande. The bodies of a mother and two children were later recovered from the river in the area where immigrants were reported to be in distress.

Texas, of course, denies that its cruel actions caused the drownings—a denial that should be viewed skeptically from a state whose governor—Greg Abbott—recently commented Texas troopers could not shoot immigrants crossing the border because the troopers would be charged with murder by the Biden administration. Texas governor criticized after comment about shooting migrants | The Texas Tribune.

Similar animus underlies the recent comments of Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, who withdrew Mississippi from a federal program to provide food to school children during summer breaks. Governor Reeves said Mississippi withdrew from the program to fight “attempts to expand the welfare state.”

Blocking efforts to rescue a drowning mother and her children? Regretting the inability to shoot immigrants because it would be murder? Denying food to poor children out of spite? Who are these people? How do they look at themselves in the mirror?

Ninety-five years after Dr. King’s birth and fifty-five years after his death, it is difficult to believe that people who identify as upstanding members of the Christian church can support such actions.

Another section from Dr. King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail is relevant to this moment in our nation’s history:

But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If the church of today does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authentic ring, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. I meet young people every day whose disappointment with the church has risen to outright disgust.

Dr. King’s words were prophetic. See Pew Research (10/17/19) In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace.

And, of course, as Dr. King recognized, “there are some notable exceptions” among church leaders who supported his work—just as there are exceptions today. Several readers have recommended Faithful America as an antidote to Christian nationalism. The organization’s helpful FAQ page explains why “Christian nationalism” is not Christian. See Resisting Christian Nationalism: FAQ + Resources | Faithful America.

On this day commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth, we can see how far we have come—and how much further we must go. He didn’t despair. Neither should we.

Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter

[ravewing]

dr. gray matter and ex–princess amygdala (lore + extra doodles under the cut!)

alternative backgrounds cuz i cant decide on which one i like the most .. idk if im gonna work them into terror of talons or save them for the sequel (probably the latter)

amygdala is ex-princess greatness' direct descendant (i dont know how many generations that is .. amygdala hatched in the early 5180s, if someone could figure that out for me, thatd be great) and unlike the majority of nightwings, she is very unhappy with the council of moons ruling the tribe rather than a traditional queen, and believes herself to be the rightful heir to the nightwing throne.

if youre not aware of the terror of talons lore, the nightwings essentially seceded from the rainwings with the treaty of the banyan tree in 5083, and since then, the tribe has been ruled by the council of moons– a group of three to five councilors (currently the councilors are duskweaver, a mindreader; paradox, who is a thrice-moonborn nightwing; and morrowsong, a seer. hereafter, a blood moon nightwing, might as well be a councilor, but shes not officially in the system or anything). pretty much all the nightwings are content with the council– they rule very fairly, the tribe has much more of a voice in their actions, they actually solve issues... but amygdala would much rather see only one throne at the head of the tribe– and with her sitting on it.

shes also very salty about not being a moonborn nightwing. nine times out of ten, councilors have to be moonborn, too, so she holds a sort of grudge towards nightwings fortunate enough to have the abilities granted by (on in her eyes, cursed by) the full moons. over the years shes grown to see herself as superior by being a 'natural' nightwing.

funnily enough, her birth name was moonkeeper. she changed it to amygdala when she was around five or six, once she had a set idea as to the path she wanted to take.

oh– she doesn't believe in the whole different paths of the future thing that powerful seers tell the tribe. amygdala thinks that there is one future that is set in stone, and that in said timeline, she will rule the tribe that is rightfully hers.

the sapphire on her crown might look familiar... that isn't a coincidence ;)

dr. gray matter is amygdala's dragonethood best friend. they grew up together and have a very close, sibling–esque bond. he is highly intelligent in terms of mathematics, the sciences, and the natural world.. however, aside from amygdala, he holds no regard, concern, nor sympathy for any other dragon.

he graduated from the most prestigious school in the nightwing tribe, but now he works with amygdala and does her dirty work for her. he likes to dissect things and play with chemicals in his free time. currently, he's desperate to figure out the mechanics behind animus magic, the limits to its abilities.. that sort of stuff. so far, he's only been able to examine enchanted objects... but he's heard tales of an animus sandwing roaming pyrrhia somewhere.

i haven't decided where his scar came from yet.. ill have to ponder more.

together, theyve formed what theyre calling the astral reclamation (maybe celestial instead of astral?), and amygdala has begun calling herself the 'sovereign of the stars' (so 'queen amygdala, sovereign of the stars, queen of the nightwing tribe' would be her full title. doesnt that sound so awesome ??????). they currently have a small following, but as time passes, it grows larger and more powerful...

anyhow, i love these two very dearly, and i hope to do more with them soon! and yes, i know, amygdala is very red .. once i finalize her design, her scales will probably be a little darker, because i feel like she looks too skywing right now.

[noirandchocolate]

Discworld Fight Club 2023 Masterpost

Welcome to the biggest rumble the Disc has ever seen! Thrill as some of the turtle's premier brawlers, assassins, vampires, magic users, and tricksters face off in a five-round tournament to see who's the best of the best!

But first, please read the Rules:

Remember to vote based on who you think would win in a fight, not necessarily who is your favorite character. This is a tournament, not a popularity contest!

These fighters are good guys and shouldn't really bear any real animus toward each other, so consider this a more or less friendly event where no one is literally trying to murder anyone. So, when considering what weapons and techniques a character might use, think more in terms of how they'd incapacitate one another. That might involve using weaponry of course, but like, maybe Detritus shouldn't have access to the Piecemaker, is the kind of thing I mean, ha.

A contestant can win by knocking their opponent out, making them 'say uncle' so to speak, or even tricking them somehow! Think about the characters' strengths beyond, well, physical strength!

Successfully running away counts as a victory for the runner, not as a default win for the contestant left behind.

Reblogging and replying to the polls, especially with commentary on your reasoning for your vote, would be super fun and I hope a lot of people will do that! I tried to seed the bracket so the matchups are interesting, and I think there's some room for debate on a lot of them even at the start. Have fun!

So without further ado, let's have Discworld Fight Club 2023!

This will be updated as the rounds progress, with links to each poll. Winners on each match are in bold.

Round 1:

Part A-- Match 1: Commander Samuel Vimes vs. Maladict Match 2: Moist von Lipwig vs. Dr. Whiteface Match 3: Ghenghiz Cohen vs. Reg Shoe Match 4: Mrs. Erzulie Gogol vs. Rob Anybody Feegle Match 5: Detritus vs. the Dean of Pentacles Match 6: Esmerelda "Granny" Weatherwax vs. Susan Sto Helit Match 7: Mr. Nutt vs. Harry King Match 8: The Librarian vs. Queen Magrat Garlick

Part B--

Match 1: Lord Havelock Vetinari vs. Willikins Match 2: Adora Belle Dearheart vs. Mr. Pump Match 3: Gytha "Nanny" Ogg vs. Sergeant Cheery Littlebottom Match 4: Lu-Tze vs. Otto Chriek Match 5: Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully vs. Polly Perks Match 6: Jason Ogg vs. Captain Carrot Ironfoundersson Match 7: Sergeant Angua von Uberwald vs. Rincewind Match 8: Agnes "Perdita X Dream" Nitt vs. Sergeant Jack Jackrum

Round 2:

Match 1: Commander Samuel Vimes vs. Moist von Lipwig Match 2: Ghenghiz Cohen the Barbarian vs. Rob Anybody Feegle Match 3: Esmerelda "Granny" Weatherwax vs. Detritus Match 4: Mr. Nutt vs. the Librarian Match 5: Lord Havelock Vetinari vs. Adora Belle Dearheart Match 6: Gytha "Nanny" Ogg vs. Lu-Tze Match 7: Archancellor Mustrum Ridcully vs. Captain Carrot Ironfoundersson Match 8: Sergeant Angua von Uberwald vs. Sergeant Jack Jackrum

Round 3:

Match 1: Commander Samuel Vimes vs. Rob Anybody Feegle Match 2: Esmerelda "Granny" Weatherwax vs. the Librarian Match 3: Lord Havelock Vetinari vs. Gytha "Nanny" Ogg Match 4: Captain Carrot Ironfoundersson vs. Sergeant Angua von Uberwald

Round 4:

Match 1: Commander Samuel Vimes vs. Esmerelda "Granny" Weatherwax Match 2: Gytha "Nanny" Ogg vs. Sergeant Angua von Uberwald

Round 5:

Final: Esmerelda "Granny" Weatherwax vs. Gytha "Nanny" Ogg

Granny Weatherwax has taken the title!! Thanks for participating, everyone! It's been a really fun week of battles, just as I'd hoped! And it's all thanks to you guys, for voting and commenting some pretty insightful and funny stuff! I definitely encourage everybody to go into the match links above and check out the notes if they haven't been doing so all along.

And thus ends Discworld Fight Club 2023!

[alcida-auka]

Omega's Heroine's Journey prediction

Here's my current prediction for Omega's story from season 1 to season three using the Heroine's Journey as a model.

Separation from the Feminine. Omega leaves Kamino behind, and with it her central mother figure, Nala Se, a woman who is Creatrix of her many brothers, benevolent and ruthless, Creator/Destroyer. Nala Se represents an ambivalent figure to Omega. She is loved by her, but she lived in a cloistered lab, and likely saw Nala Se's ruthlessness, as well as her love. In Murdock's Heroine's Journey, the heroine is unhappy in the world that represents her feminine origins.

Identification with the Masculine and Gathering of Allies. Most of our story of the Bad Batch, is Omega's journey with her younger big brothers. They are aspects of her animus, the masculine side of her, and she identifies with them, learns from them. They are the Muscle Man [Wrecker], Hunter [Literally, the Hunter], The Professor [Tech], and eventually, the Psychopomp [Crosshair]. Allies include Cid, Echo (a Reg brother), Phee, and many more.

Road of Trials, Meeting Ogres and Dragons. Many stories of rancors, dragons, scoundrels, battles. Season 1 and season 2.

Finding the boon of success Pabu. After many trials, (we see bits of vice in Omega at the start of season 2, a little of the potential for avariciousness we see in Jango and Boba, mostly ameliorated with influence of her brothers and the old Serennan man). But Pabu is the success, the utopia well-earned, a life with her brothers.

Awakening to feelings of spiritual aridity; death The life of adventure with her brothers, brings Omega the absence of one brother striking off independently, the other brother dead (maybe). Season 3, Omega will realize that her life with her brothers that she emulated and desired leads to their danger. She will question herself and what she means to them.

Initiation and Descent to the Goddess Omega will meet a Dark Shadow of herself--Emerie, the version of herself raised by a malevolent father figure, Dr. Hemlock. He is neither the benevolent paternal figure of Hunter, nor the neutral Creatrix like her mother. Dr. Hemlock is a malevolent Creator/Destroyer and perversion of that mythic figure. Omega will come to understand her Shadow in Emerie, and what could have been an aspect of herself down another path. In addition, she will also meet the Goddess that can help reconcile her place in the galaxy, and her place. This could be represented by Asajj, a woman who has been raised and tutored by multiple people, kind [Jedi] and dark [Sith], and found her own way, her own power, not completely defined by simple dichotomies, embracing what she has learned of Jedi, Sith, Witches.

Urgent yearning to Reconnect with the Feminine Omega will revisit what it means to be Nala Se's Creation and Daughter, to be Emerie's sister. That Feminine is represented in this story by cloning itself, and Omega's former (and current Mt. Tantiss) life of medical research of being assistant and aide to Nala Se -- the life that had been intended for Omega. This does not mean Omega will be Nala Se's assistant in her future adult life. But it does mean reconciling with her Mother Figure's legacy of the clones, and how she can help them herself, using her own knowledge gleaned from working on Kamino and on Mt Tantiss.

Healing the Mother/Daughter Split We have never seen Omega and Nala Se hold a conversation with each other. It will be time for a maturing Omega to confront her Creatrix, to understand or reconcile her ambivalent feelings towards her. This may also be represented in having EMERIE, Omega's Shadow, reconcile with Nala Se, the Mother figure she might perceive as having abandoned her to Dr. Hemlock.

Healing the Wounded Masculine This was always going to be Crosshair. He represents the psychopomp, the final state of the Animus, the masculine that is the guide, who has gone to death, and out of it. He has been symbolized by the Ice Vulture [remember the sacred symbolism of the vulture], and Joel Aron talked about the "angelic" lighting above Crosshair in his cell. Angels and vultures are all psychopomps. Omega will heal her inner psychopomp, the masculine guide, the part of her broken masculine, and in need of flying again, soaring above with sharp eyes.

Integration of the Masculine and Feminine Omega's final stage in the Heroine's Journey. She will combine and integrate the positive Masculine in her life (of which there is much!) of her warrior brothers, that have helped her to reach out in the world and fight, with the Feminine of her origins, the clever clone, assistant to the Creatrix of them all. Like Nala Se, she can be clever creator and destroyer (she was trained to do Nala Se's work after all), but she will destroy what harms her Mother's creations. She is the Omega, the last Clone. She is the Legacy of Jango Fett, a man who gave his own blueprint to create millions of doomed boys that will destroy and be destroyed in turn, and the Legacy of Nala Se, the woman who used that DNA to create them. Jango and Nala were always mirror characters in the story--both seemingly dispassionately, created millions of doomed children for a war machine. Yet neither were wholly evil, both loved fiercely and were/are honorable. Both loved one clone (the Alpha, and the Omega, respectively). Omega will embody the positive aspects of both these complicated legacies.

[penny-anna]

(inspiration!)

[jackseverywhere]

Draw uncle deadly, bobo the bear and Dr. Phil van neuter

A couple of little tradicional sketches to practice!

PS: Why does the Doc Van look like an animu twink?

[teecupangel]

We have put Desmond in a lot of situations, but seeing the recent ask about Ratonhnhaké:ton becoming a Templar got me thinking: What if after a few years on the run, Desmond gets discovered by Abstergo early? But instead of kidnapping him, they set up a scenario, where Desmond gets offered a job by them and he accepts. Eventually they convert him to the Templar mindset(wanting order isn't a bad thing, right?) and maybe a cell of assassins find out about Desmond working at Abstergo and rush to try and kill him. This, alongside his shitty upbringing, gets Desmond to finally fully throw himself into becoming a Templar(he was reluctant before, Templars are the bad guy, that' what his father slways said... right?). He could even train with Daniel and become an assassin hunter. :D

Everyone knew who Desmond Miles was.

It was hard not to considering he was William Miles’ son.

But no one would ever dare say that to his face.

William Miles was a forbidden topic in the presence of Desmond Miles.

Vidic ordered it himself.

Daniel hated him before he even met him.

He only heard the gist of it from Vidic.

A sixteen year old runaway who didn’t even know just how dangerous the real world was, found by Abstergo because he caught a fever that left him bedridden and sent to the nearest free clinic which was, fortunately for Vidic, under Abstergo control.

And now he was finally meeting Desmond Miles, 6 years later, to be his instructor.

6 years was a long time to indoctrinate someone but Desmond Miles was supposed to be a skittish boy so Vidic made him his pet project.

A son.

He called him.

How laughable.

Daniel knew how that play goes, having been the focus of it before.

But unlike Desmond Miles-

No.

Desmond Vidic.

The name made Daniel want to vomit.

Unlike that idiot, Daniel had no choice.

The trigger they place on him made him kill the last mentor. He was the Brotherhood’s number one target.

And Daniel’s sanity could only be preserved by the Animus under Abstergo.

He had no choice and he didn’t give care.

Dr. Sung always furrowed her brows whenever he said that.

Was it the truth?

Was Daniel lying to himself?

Who knows?

Who cares?

What he does know is that he hates Vidic’s adopted son.

He had the choice.

He’s just stupid enough to fall for the indoctrination.

No.

He was weak.

William Miles and his lovely (his neck throbbed at the reminder of that bitch managing to graze the side of his neck, that sniper rifle only missing its mark thanks to Daniel’s quick reflexes and Eagle Vision) wife had made him weak.

And now he was to become like Daniel.

An Assassin turned Assassin Hunter.

He sees him before he even got to the meeting room they were supposed to meet.

A nice suit that hugged his form, most definitely tailored and expensive.

He could afford it.

Daniel saw in his files that he had a salary larger than a supposed assistant for someone like Vidic should have.

Another way to keep him in their grasp, he supposed.

Money.

Connection.

… Family.

Vidic really went all out.

Why wouldn’t he?

Desmond was the perfect Animus candidate. The scion of the Ibn-La'Ahad and the Auditore. What mysteries they could uncover from the memories of his ancestors.

Vidic was bidding his time though.

He still had other Animus subjects to torture and Desmond was better off hunting what remains of the Brotherhood in the meantime.

“Daniel Cross?”

Daniel’s feet stopped before he knew it.

Their eyes met as Desmond slowly turned to face him.

His lips curved into a polite smile.

The kind of smile the receptionist always gave whenever she had to talk to someone.

But his eyes.

Those were the eyes of someone who had killed before.

For a moment, Daniel thought that Vidic had ordered him to kill someone.

But no.

Vidic was more meticulous than that.

He must have orchestrated the situation in which Desmond would have no choice but to kill someone.

And then he would come in moment’s later, pretending he had rushed to the scene as soon as he heard, perhaps even bring a few men with him in an attempt to make Desmond believe he had tried to save him.

Yes.

That was more like Vidic.

Daniel hated the fact that he wanted Vidic’s acknowledgment even after knowing the man that he was.

And here was the boy who held Vidic’s ‘fatherly affection’.

Would he break if Daniel was to tell him Vidic orchestrated it?

Or would he not believe it and try to kill Daniel?

Daniel won’t tell him though.

Because that would only disappoint Vidic.

So he took a step towards the young man.

“Call me ‘mentor’.” He ordered.

Something appeared in Desmond’s eyes but it was snuffed out before Daniel could see what it was.

Annoyance?

Amusement?

He couldn’t be sure.

Desmond’s (fakefakefakehehatesitfakefakefake) polite smile stayed as he replied.

“Sure. If you’re into that kind of roleplay.”

Daniel’s lips twitched as he remembered.

The annoying thing about Vidic’s adopted son was that…

He was a brat.

(this can totally be the ‘prologue’ to this idea if you want to add time travel to it)

[maravdrs]

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖ the hobbit dr

　　　　　　　　 　KATHRYN OF RIVENDELL. 　　　　　　　　　　❝ THE TRANSLATOR. ❞

BACKSTORY . . . 　　kathryn was raised without any knowledge of her parentage. all she knew was that she was a half-elf and one person was there for her, elrond peredhel.

　　she devoted all her time to learning elvish and every other language she could. she wanted to be important to have value, so she became a translator. it was her passion, she couldn't imagine doing anything else.

　　as a half-elf, she has the choice between living a life of immortality or a mortal one. she has not yet made her decision, for she doesn't feel like she has lived enough to make such a choice. elrond assures her there is no pressure, but he would prefer if she chooses immortality, since he chose that as well.

　　the company comes to rivendell in june of 2941. the dwarves are hesitant to accept the help of elves, especially thorin. elrond asks her to help the dwarves and has her translate their map. he warns the company that their journey will be dangerous, but thorin refuses to listen and stubbornly leaves.

　　elrond has kathryn follow the company to ensure they are kept safe. he also knows they will need an elf to vouch for them when they travel through other elven forests. she goes willingly and the company dislikes her presence (except for balin and gandalf).

　　kathryn finds herself drawn to the young dwarven prince, kíli. he is the least animus toward the young half-elf but he is still wary based off of his uncle thorin's past with elves.

SIGNIFICANT OTHER . . . ➜ KÍLI

[themanirealityshifter]

woah you have a wof dr? What kind of dragon are you? I’d want to be an animus for sure but they’re all really cool.

yesss!!!! i’m a RainWing/NightWing hybrid, but i’m also a shapeshifter, so i can be any tribe (and i also have a human form there). i was born a RainWing/NightWing hybrid though and that’s my original form.

i’m not an animus, cuz i didn’t really want that responsibility, but i have other cool stuff (like mind-control, mind-reading, prophet, mind-projection, etc.). but my partner there has animus magic! so that’s gonna be cool. :)

i LOVE all the damn tribes and the animuses as well, so yes, i’m SO EXCITED!!!!! EEE!!

[misfitwashere]

Dr. Timothy Snyder - Thinking about...

Dear Friends, from time to time I will use this space to discuss a new book.  My essay today serves as a foreword to Julia Davis's new book on Russian television propagandists, In Their Own Words, which I heartily recommend to you.

            Russian propaganda is in the shadow of America.  Whereas the America only covers Russia when there is something to cover, and usually not even then, Russian propaganda television starts every night from the premise that whatever has happened that day is America's doing and America's fault.  This does not reflect reality -- or a typical American's experience of reality. 

            It does reflect the problem that Russian propaganda is meant to solve.  Since Vladimir Putin is the boss of bosses in an oligarchical regime where domestic policy is impossible, the propagandists must direct attention to the world beyond Russia in a way that makes Russia's leadership seem righteous.

            Russian propagandists do this in the confidence that no one beyond Russia is watching.  But Julia Davis has been, to the great benefit of us all.  Thanks to her new book, In Their Own Words, we can understand the propagandists' job description, but also the tensions they feel when the outside world causes them problems. 

            Their basic posture is that America is in a constant war with the Russian Federation.  Because Russia cannot fight and cannot win any actual war of that description, the propagandists are most comfortable when America is turned against itself.  They talk almost never about Russian domestic politics, but obsess over every piece of evidence of American domestic weakness.

            Donald Trump is their favorite weapon against America.  Trump is described as a friend and ally, "our Trumpushka" and "Donald Fredovych."  Out of office, he is described as Russia's great hope.  He is "sorely missed"; Russia is "ready to elect you again".  Russia propagandists had no trouble predicting that Trump would try a coup when he lost in 2020, because that is a familiar sort of behavior to them.  They rejoiced when he did , because they thought that this could lead to a civil war in the United States.  Their coverage of Trump's coup attempt was at first highly positive.  When it failed, a very awkward pivot was made to the position that it had all been some sort of provocation by the Democrats.

            One of the things that Russian propagandists expect not to be noticed, but which is brought home in the book, is that they believe that Trump is an idiot.  Of course, it's hard to see, from their perspective, how they can believe anything else (except, perhaps, that he is a traitor, as is also sometimes hinted).  In their public worldview, destroying the United States is the main aim, and here is an American who follows their talking points. 

            The same goes for Tucker Carlson.  He is celebrated on Russian television, of course, and his clips replayed.  But Russian propagandists naturally think anyone beyond Russia who is on their side must not be very bright, and they cannot quite stop themselves from saying so.  It is the one point on which they are completely sincere.

            It is important to note, and Julia Davis gives us all the details, the hypocrisy of the anti-American pose.  A leading Russian propagandist sent his girlfriend to America to give birth so that his child would have Russian citizenship.  Propagandists are clearly personally hurt by sanctions that separate them from their property in the European Union or make it harder for them to travel abroad.  They send their children to study and work in the West, They don't have any real animus towards the West.  This is, I think, one more reason why they can't resist thinking of Americans on their side as idiots.

            When Putin ordered a full-scale war on Ukraine, the propagandists suddenly had a problem.  Before the attack, as we are reminded in this book, there was great confidence among Russian propagandists that Ukraine would fall to Russia in "two days" or even "ten minutes."  But when Russia actually did undertake a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it set off a chain of events that the propagandists found hard to master.

            For one thing, they had been cut out of the loop.  The invasion was meant to be its own propaganda, a "special military operation" that overthrew the Ukrainian government in three days, followed by a victory parade and a warm welcome by the Ukrainian masses.  This did not happen, and was based upon a worldview (Putin's) that was both obviously wrong and impossible to criticize.  Russian propagandists switched immediately to the comfortable idea that the war was really against America, and that America had initiated. Rereading Julia Davis's essays, I was struck by how quickly this happened -- within a few days.

            The Ukrainians themselves had to be dehumanized.  This was a direct consequence of the senselessness of the war.  Russians had to be made to feel that they were somehow superior, and that war had some kind of logic.  Its premise, as Putin had made clear, was that there was not really a Ukrainian state or nation; this was all a conspiracy, and would collapse immediately.  If, as it emerged, more Ukrainians defended themselves than expected, that did not mean that Ukraine was real; it just meant that logic of the special military operation, killing the elites, had to be extended ever further downward into the population. 

            As Julia Davis shows, Russian propagandists use openly genocidal language over and over again, urging the extermination of vermin, worms, demons, zombies, etc.  Putin's grotesque "denazification" framing of the war is genocidal.  If all Ukrainians are defined as Nazis by nature, then it is right to kill them all.  The "Nazi" claim has never had anything to do with political reality (the actual fascists, the ones in Russia, are calling for genocide), and always had everything to do with justifying that murderous project.  After the Hamas attack on Israel, there was split in the Russian media elite between Russia's non-Nazi fascists and the Nazi ones.  This too is chronicled here.   

A house bombed in Chernihiv region, Ukraine (photo TS, September 2022)

            When reading Julia Davis's essays carefully, it becomes clear that America is not just needed as a propaganda target, but as a de facto ally, called in by the propagandists to correct the (unmentionable) mistakes made by their own (supposedly infallible) dictator.  Russia needs Trump because it cannot manage on its own.  Trump allows them to claim that everything is America's fault and that this is confirmed by America's own leadership.  And then everything can go on in Russia as before.

            Russia needs America to bail it out of its war with Ukraine.  When you read Julia Davis's summaries of Russian propaganda day after day, it is abundantly clear that the propagandists themselves (despite all of the bluster) are aware that the war did not go according to plan, and indeed is going very badly.  Again and again they are put in impossible positions: when Ukraine takes territory; when Russia fails to take territory; when more Russians have to be mobilized; when Yevgeny Prigozhin tries and coup.  They cannot criticize Putin, and they know that Putin cannot win unaided: and so they root for his allies abroad.

            This itself is worth emphasizing, at a time when many Europeans and Americans seem to be asking how Ukraine can win.  The answer is simple.�� Ukraine can win if Europeans and Americans believe it can, and continue to help.  Ironically, that emerges quite clearly from these pages.  Russia's propagandists know this.  They are relying entirely on their own domain, that of discourse.  The war is not going well for Russia on the actual battlefield.  The Europeans and the Americans are bearing essentially no costs.  But if they can somehow decide that they are weary, Russia can win.

            Russia can't win its own war, is the propagandists' evident conclusion -- but America can win Russia's war for it.  America is of course not all-powerful, as the Russian propagandists claim to believe, but on this point they are right.  As we near the U.S. elections, their discussions of Ukraine, like their discussions of Russia and everything else, focus entirely on what is happening inside the United States.  The regime they serve, and the senseless and genocidal war it began, can be bought some time, if and only if the United States fails to support Ukraine.  And so the heroes of Russia's war, in Russia's own propaganda, become the Americans who support it.

TS 10 June 2024