#The Screw-Propeller In Nature

[mechanical-drawing]

April 29th, 1876

[thesharktanksdriver]

Determination (Platonic)

As you can tell this is kinda based off of Undertale in the whole. Not a lot but some elements from it that I changed

This isn’t really linear and I’m just jumping from character to characters

Cause screw the timeline

Warning of a lot of child death and spoilers

part 2 part 3 shanks beast pirates

Determination : a Paramecia type devil fruit shaped into a four pointed star. This mysterious devil fruit allows its user to essentially become immortal. When the user dies they “respawn” at a different location randomly. Oddly, when dying via water the effects of the fruit still occur though it takes longer for the user to “respawn” and the user doesn’t age after eating the fruit.

Determination was something that was sewn into the fabric of the human soul

From the dawn of time humanity fought to survive against nature and itself

This blazing emotion called determination propelled them forwards against all odds

A blazing spark that had pushed them again and again

Through every conflict and tragedy

If is perhaps one of the most important things of the human spirit along with the capacity for compassion

It’s no surprise that determination was a strong thing but even stronger would be the devil fruit you one day ate that you decided to name after that one blazing emotion

It took a long while for you to figure out the ability of the fruit since nothing happened at first all those years ago

You didn’t transform into an animal of any sorts

Nor did you change your body or make something like flames appear

It left you confused…well until you died by accident

In your defence you were a young kid (you still are to be honest) without any spacial awareness

So you didn’t notice the tiger that snuck up on you

There was a small moment of pain and then black

A pure black much like the ocean at night

There’s was confusion and then something appeared in front of you

A glimmering star that glowed softly and appeared out from your chest

Pulsating gently as you stared at it

You touched it and then woke up

Sand beneath between your fingers as you got up confused

It’s there that you saw the ocean stretching out beyond your view and into the horizon

Cerulean blue sparkling with the sunlight

Bits of golden light shimmering around you now fading as you sat up confused

It took a while after that as well to figure out the specifics but you figured out that you died

And that seemingly despite that you were brought back somewhere new, an island across the ocean from what you once knew was home

It’s a lot to take in but with time it settles in on you as you navigate what to do next

You’d always had wanted to explore and sail the seas

What always held you back was the danger of it all

Your parents once warned you of it before their deaths

How you shouldn’t do something so risky that could end up taking your life

But now there was no worry of that

Of leaving them

It was just you on your own in this big world

Now leaving you with that once far off Dream being your only reality

So after that you geared up and set sail

Your ship…er if you could even call it one was Basically a couple of barrels combined together into a small vessel

At least 8 barrels served as the base whilst two were combined together into a hut with a small cut out to make your bed area

There was no wheel or proper sail

You used a umbrella attached to a big stick and turned it manually to control the direction

But you rarely did that

You kinda just let the boat take you to wherever

It was fun that way

Partially because all the friends you’d met were made through this method of letting the waves take you wherever it deemed you go next

How your ship has survived for decades you don’t really know nor care about

All that mattered was that it floated and was a serviceable vessel (many would disagree with that)

Through the years you stayed the same as the world changed

You never aged from when eating the devil fruit and though you become more mature you were still a kid at heart

One filled with determination

Gol.D Roger

Ironically for someone seen as the “pirate king” you’d think that he’d be more mean

But surprise surprise when you pull up on your boat near his own the pirate king himself invites you aboard

Smiling brightly as he offers you a hand and his men tie your boat to his own so it doesn’t float away

Your friendship with Roger was something that you’d consider priceless

He is considerably kind and gentle with you

Almost treating you as if you were his own child

His crew is equally welcoming to you as they all share the thought of how in the world had you survived this long (key point technically you hadn’t lol)

That day in which you had first met him they throw a small party where your their guest

Drinks are shared all round, you even get to sneak in a sip as Roger laughs whole heartedly at a joke

For the first time in a long while you eat and sleep in a real bed on his ship

And the next day he’s sitting you down to have a serious talk with you

Roger may be childish and oblivious but he can tell there’s more to this than meets the eye

He isn’t pushy or threatening like you had expected

Just asking what your situation was

So you tell him

Perhaps it was because you were still naive or because you knew your secret would be safe with him

But something in you told you to trust him and your gut was never wrong

You expect the reaction to be something like asking you how you got it

maybe even jealousy

But what you get in return is sympathy

He thinks of how lonely you must be

Something more akin to a curse despite its benefits

You’d never really saw it that way but his gentle gaze full of forlorn sadness makes you open your eyes a bit

In many ways, yes, never dying was a curse of loneliness

You’d outlive everyone

But in your eyes that time spent and having the opportunity in meeting them i the first place made up for that

Forever sharing their stories and carrying their memory kept you from being alone

He smiles

While you never officially joined his crew you ended up traveling with them for months on end

Becoming apart of their family as the crew took turns letting you sit on their shoulders

Your favourite thing to do though was stealing Rogers coat and hat

Parading around like him as everyone else held in chuckles as you fake ordered them around

It became something of a tradition as Roger would randomly announce to the crew their real captain was here as you walked out

He became a lot like an older brother with fatherly qualities

Fun and caring

Despite knowing you couldn’t really die he always remains careful around you

Especially when their fighting marines

He doesn’t want you targeted for affiliation so he does his damn best in hiding you away during fights

Hell, he even once punched someone across a bar for trying to pick on you

Like when you trusted him with knowledge of your immortality he trusts you with knowledge of Rouge and his unborn son shortly before his death

Perhaps in some ways he knew his death was soon but he entrusts you with something only his most trustworthy allies are allowed to know

You aren’t there when he died but you know for sure he did so with a smile

Clutching one of his coats to your chest you cry with a soft smile as his son is born

Rouge let’s you hold the young baby she named Ace

A fitting name for someone who you knew was bound to be an Ace in the deck of cards that was the world

Monkey D. Garp

You meet Garp cause of Roger

Shocking right (note the sarcasm)

Particularly because Roger entrusted you to show Garp where Rouge was hiding out

It is…tense at first to say the least especially since you knew Roger was likely being walked to his execution

The one person you grew to trust more than yourself

But as usual, with time you both began to talk

He asks if your apart of Rogers crew and you answer truthfully

Your not but they had accepted you as their own

Taken in a small child afloat on the ocean without any hesitation

They all respected that your a free spirit that couldn’t be tethered to one place forever and accepted that

Garp had already respected Roger but it grew as you talked of the pirate king

This the talk time goes away though when Rouge begins to give birth

Your left panicked and doing your best to comfort her as best you could

Your still a kid, there isn’t much you can do but your trying for her sake

For the sake of her unborn child

For Roger

Despite how tears stung your eyes from how hard she held your small hand

You held them back and focused on her

And it’s through that Garp sees how you are indeed not a pirate

Your just a child, one who was alone in this world clinging to a piece of driftwood

Floating from place to place and helping others despite the fact you needed it as well

When Ace is born and Rouge passes away your left to cry as you comfort the young baby boy

The marine carefully takes Ace from your arms and lets you mourn

Not only for a woman who showed you nothing but kindness but also for Roger

And for Ace having to grow up without either parents, for being doomed to a fate of death if anyone else found out of his linage

You end up going with him since you can’t yet peel yourself away from Ace

It feels too soon and you need more time for a proper goodbye

He’s fine with this though

Dare you even say he encouraged you to come with him

Despite your…lacklustre experience with marine’s you find Garp to be nice company

It’s Odd but he acts almost fatherly?

There’s a hidden longing in his eyes of wanting familiar connection

Something that you can relate to after the loss of your mom and dad

A craving for a connection you once thought lost

Eventually though you know it’s your time to leave

With a last goodbye to Ace in the form of a kiss to the forehead and a small handmade charm you set off

Garp is already waiting there though with your boat and a box of supplies

And Garp tells you that you’d make a good marine

You laugh

Never in a million years

And despite knowing your answer he isn’t angry, he smiles and waves as you begin to sail away on your dinky “boat”

He probably should’ve at least bought you a real boat

Maybe next time he muses

Next time

The cycle begins again

Doflamingo and Rosinante Donquixote

After a long while of traveling you ended up at Dressrosa for a pit stop

But decided to stay a bit longer than you anticipated when you met two boys your age

Both were battered and bruised Beyond recognition

Blond hair muddied with clumps of blood and mud

The two brothers were apprehensive at first but eased up when you offered them the pie you bought yourself

Apparently the entire island HATED them with a passion

Something because of them being celestial dragons which you didn’t care about nor understand why that would lead to how others treated them

It’s messed up to you that their practically beaten for something they can’t control

So you stand up for them

Taking the hits for the two brothers as people focus their anger on you apparently betraying them or something

You don’t care

Not like you can die anyways but the two blonds don’t exactly like seeing their only friend beat up because of them

But that doesn’t stop you since you were their friend

And friends help friends

Nor would you stand for such an injustice in your eyes

Rosinante enjoys playing games with you

Out of the two he is more immature in the sense he’s more like a regular kid

He is compassionate and kind despite the circumstances

One who would tend to your wounds as his brother stewed in frightening anger

It scared him…how his brother had some sort of darkness in him that grew

Your the only person he confides this to

And you can’t help but also be worried for his bother but also himself

How this could affect him when considering that he brother was one of the only people dear to him

But that was a worry for later

In the moment you focus on keeping him happy and distracted from the cruelties directed towards him

You’d buy sweet treats, toys and a scavenge bits of pretty shells as gifts

Letting the two keep the small signs of your friendship as a way to at least brighten their days

At some point you had even picked up on his like for heart themed stuff and incorporated that into the stuff you wave gave him

Safe to say he might’ve cried some tears of happiness

Sometimes you worry for him out of the two

Doffy knows that fighting is sometimes the answer but Rosinante doesn’t

Along with the fact he trips over thin air

You don’t know how many times you’d bandaged him up

But everyone has their quirks you suppose

And you wouldn’t change them for the world

Doflamingo on the other hand is very much the opposite of his brother

He doesn’t exactly play, he more so soaks up the knowledge you spill of your travels

Stuff of how the world worked

The politics of some of the islands you’d visited

He’s innately interested to a degree you hadn’t exactly expected

But in some sense you appreciated it

Everyone just lumping it under the ramblings of a child

But Doffy doesn’t

Speaking of which your the only one permitted to call him that lest they get a swift kick to the ass

It’s an honour you hold in high regard

Especially since he even gives you a nickname of your own

“Knight”

It’s cause apparently your like their own personal knight, something fitting cause he one day swore to rise up back to their proper birth right

Before their parents abandoned it

He’s strong and knows it but still insists that your their protector of sorts

You don’t really argue with him about it anymore

In fact you kinda lean into the name

Making a makeshift sword out of a stick and waving it around in mock sword fights

It brings back fond memories of your old friends that have probably long forgotten you

Except for the fact you had to save Rosinante from almost poking his eye out

Nothing however as usual can last forever

You don’t know what had led up to this point but eventually everyone had enough of them

And also you protecting them

Some men dragged you into a town square of sorts one night

Their yelling obscenities at you that you don’t flinch at

Even as they tie you in ropes that bite at your skin and walk you towards a chopping block

The crowd holds you down on the block as flames illuminate your face

You can only watch in pity as the Donquixote’s are forced down to watch as the blade rises above your head

Your only shred tears for your two friends having to watch your death

A smile finds its way on your face

Tears lining your eyes as they cascade down your cheeks, shining due to the warm light of torches

There was cheering from the crowd

Screaming from Doffy

Crying from Rosantine

And the air splitting as the blade came down

And then darkness before a familiar gold shining light appears before you once more

The cycle begins again

What you don’t know is that both boys notice your kicked away body dissipate into golden stardust that travels up into the sky before their both blindfolded and strung up

Whitebeard pirates

During your time with Roger he had several encounters with Whitebeard but your first real encounter happens when you end up at an island in their territory

You once again died and ended up there and almost immediately ran into the well known member of the group Marco

Now in his perspective you were a random child who stumbled out an alleyway with scrapes and bruises

How was he not supposed to be worried?

His mind goes immediately to possible conclusions even as you argue with him that your fine

To please not take you to a medic

In reality you really wanted to avoid Whitebeard in case of unearthing memories of Roger

But you don’t have much of a choice when this blue bird boy is dragging your ass back to the ship to be properly healed

You don’t go down without a fight though…doesn’t do much but it sure does look like a rabid animal attacked him so it’s something

But your brought to the ship, the good old Moby dick which looks even bigger up close and personal

And there sitting down with tubes attached to him is Edward “Whitebeard” Newgate

Otherwise known as Roger’s kinda rival/friend?…it was complicated, too complicated for you to understand at least

Everyone aboard welcomes you with a smile even as you keep punching the (in your words) “oversized chicken with a pineapple for a head”‘S back in vain

Safe to assume the crew grows to like you as your kinda just adopted on board

Their docked at the island for awhile so they haven’t just taken off with you being dragged along

Though from what you heard of their track record you wouldn’t have been surprised

Marco is the one who interacts with you the most at first mostly cause his devil fruit helped with injures

Despite your petty aggression you do have to admit he is nice company

He’s rather levelheaded and exceedingly caring

It’s why he (literally) dragged you here in the first place

Cause he couldn’t just leaven an injured kid on their own

You get the sense that due to his fruit he’s older than he seems, it makes sense with the whole Phoenix thing

So you often pose questions of immortality to him to see if he had differing views to you

Surprisingly he didn’t

He also carried the mindset of it being worth it due to all the experiences you couldn’t have in a lifetime

It’s nice in a weird way

Just knowing you weren’t alone in having to watch the world change as you stay the same

You don’t say this aloud of course but he seems happy in discussing the “possibility’s” with you

He takes to looking after you even after your better and interacting with others on the ship

A sense of responsibility for the fact he brought you aboard in the first place

Along with a possible hint of Kinship and a mother hen instinct (Thatch got smacked on the head for that)

Occasionally he likes to change fully or half shift into his Phoenix form to fly around

It’s a pretty sight

Even more so when he offers to taking you flying as well

Feeling the wind swish past as you soar through the air isn’t something you’d ever experienced before

It is ingrained in your mind that sense of adrenaline and rush of a mixture of fear and excitement

Its single-handedly an experience you’d likely never forget

And everyone seems to know it as he places you gently back down on the deck, shaky legs paired with a bright smile and wide eyes

Sometimes you wonder if he has bird instincts but he doesn’t answer the question (the crew says yes he does)

Thatch is extremely friendly and because of that (and the food) you end up hanging with him in the kitchen quite a bit

Food had always kinda been an afterthought to you and you’d forgotten what having good food was actually like

But with Thatch he changes that quickly

The food he makes brings back nostalgia of old

The home cooked meals in your mouth after a long day, sitting yourself down at the table as she placed a hot plate in front of you

The scent and steam still rising off of it

He has her smile, bright and gentle

The first time you ate one of his meals and he gave you that look you cried

Which caused an angry Marco to try and yell at him for doing something before you stopped him

While you stay on the ship you unofficially become his little helper

Bringing others their meals and prepping up the buffet when they had a party (which was seemingly every other day of the week)

you tease him about his hair and it then becomes a running joke between you two

The others catch on and they all laugh when you call his pompadour something to piss him off

And then he proceeds to whine about it

He won’t admit it but he sneaks food to Stefan

He of course denies this but you catch him late one night and now use that as blackmail to let you lick the spoon used for the batter for pancakes

Sometimes he styles your hair

The crew laughed their asses off when he made it look like a pompadour

While on your stay at the ship he makes sure to memorize your favourite foods

Especially when he catches glimpses of you being especially sad

Speaking of sad

You almost cry when seeing the familiar freckled face of Ace again

Body freezing over and going stiff as the cowboy hat wearing son of tiger gives you a jolly smile

In a lot of ways he’s not like Roger

But in other ways their more alike than you’d ever expected

It’s hard being around him

Especially since all you want to do is cry and hug him

To explain that Rouge and Roger loved him more than you could put into words

That you missed him but your glad to see he found a place where he’s accepted

But you can’t

You know you can’t when your permanently stuck as a child

Never aging even as the world kept changing

Plus you don’t know how he’d react to it. You’d probably sound crazy

So you keep all of it to yourself

But to everyone else it’s obvious that something is going on with you

Sure, they hadn’t known you very long but their all good at reading people

Around Ace everyone notices that there’s a obvious shift in your behaviour

You become reclusive, a look of distant sadness lingering as you avoid him

It doesn’t help that he wants to get to the bottom as to why your seemingly afraid of him

You occasionally hide in random closets when you hear him nearby

Thatch and Marco can’t get a word out of you as to why you act this way around him

But eventually you begin to let up a bit

Being able to have a proper conversation with the freckled male as he has to hold himself back out of excitement

It’s still hard but you push through it

Especially when seeing him smile as wide as he did when you looked after him

He still has the charm you gave him

It’s a little worse for wear but it’s there

As is your matching one that you hide from the crew in your pocket

He likes to show off his powers to you

Watching as your eyes stare at the swirling flames that dance on his arms

What he likes more though is when you question him about his tattoo and brothers

Apparently he has two sworn brothers

One who had sadly passed named Sabo and the other who was still alive named Luffy

His voice is tinged with a certain fondness as he talks about them that you can relate to

In a moment of weakness you ask him about the charm that hangs off his white and red stripped bracket and he smiles

He talks about how someone looked after him when he was younger according to his gramps

They had to leave, but was still out there

They had a matching one to his own

And one day he hoped to find them

You have to turn away and hide your eyes for a moment

With a smile you wish him luck and he replies back that he doesn’t need it

He’d find them

He was right and didn’t even know it

From then on he approaches you regularly while your on the Moby dick

Taking you on mini adventures and letting you sit on his shoulders with your hat covering your head

The crew laughs with glee

He jokingly tells you that your already apart of their crew but you know there’s truth to the words

He’s always a bit crestfallen at your answer, but even with that he retains hope you’d join

First time he passed out you nearly died again and began crying until Marco comforted you

Not your proudest moment but he seemed particularly touched that you were so emotional about his well-being

Kinda like with Ace your initially on edge around Whitebeard

Sure, he’s welcoming you with a smile and is generally warm but seeing him brings up Roger again

You remember the times you’d sometimes peak out to watch them battle with Shanks and Buggy

Honestly your very relived he didn’t recognize you

Nor the coat that you drape over your shoulders

Even moreso cause you can tell he knows something is up with you

Like Ace it takes a lot of time for you to begin to get close to him

But like Ace once again this man is stubborn shit who is patient enough to be able to crash down your barriers but by bit with time

It starts off as him inquiring of your home, your family and if their waiting for you

You respond that your birth family is long gone but you prefer to travel anyways. Finding new friends along the way

The answer worries him but he makes no mention of it

The questions then progress to you asking about some of his experiences

What it was like being rival to the greatest pirate in the world

He laughs at that, mumbling about how Roger was a stubborn pain in the ass

But one whom he considered a friend

Someone he missed

You ask him how he deals with grief, with losing someone close to you but being reminded of them

He says that it’s hard but with that comes a sort of melancholy happiness

That there are still traces of them in the world, even if it’s through simple actions

Like a gentle reminder of their importance and affect on his life

You’d never thought of it that way..but you think it’s nice

It helps you ease into spending time with Ace and him some more

Both of them are happy about it

At some point he begins asking if you’d like a place here

A home on their ship and crew

You smile and tell him that the sea itself is your home, but you know that this place and it’s people are family

But you also have family elsewhere as well

He accepts that but he does seem saddened and worried

In general a lot of what you do makes him worried

Specifically the disregard of your life and safety

To be fair to him though he doesn’t know your basically immortal

Well until…the attack

Everything was fine, a party was happening and Thatch had brought back a devil fruit

Drinks were shared all around as was the food

Thatch was pretty drunk and you decided to bring the fruit he found back to the pantry to be locked up for now

You didn’t see the person follow you

It’s a bit of a blur but all you removed was burning pain as you heard a chilling laugh

And then there was the screams of voices familiar

Through blurred vision you stare up at a crying Ace as he yells for Marco

He goes to run and get him but you grab him with bloodied hands

Shakily you reach into your pocket pulling out the charm as his eyes widen

You smile through the pain as tears swell in your eyes

“You found me”

Whitebeard holds you gently as you hear Ace sob

You fade away cradled in the large warm hands of Whitebeard

The charm matching Ace’s in your hand

They all watch as you crumble away into golden star dust that scatters off into the wind

It is then that the captain of the ship is reminded of what Roger once said

“There’s one star out there that never dies, their just in a different place in the sky. You just have to find it again”

“Hmf….sly bastard. Their out there, we’ll find them again”

The cycle begins once again

Buggy

You come by him as a complete accident

Just finding yourself adrift at sea once more when a boat quickly pulls up

And before you know it your met face to face with your old friend

Almost immediately your dragged aboard by him as his crew watches on confused as to why he’s acting all nice?

He looks he’s about to cry

Hint: he is

Immediately your whisked to his private quarters and you quickly get a large hug from the blue haired man

And he is absolutely SOBBING

The poor bud can barely make cohesive sentences as you pat his back

After a few minutes he places you down

And then he realized you hadn’t aged a day from when he was a kid

So it’s safe to say you have to explain yourself to him

He’s amazed while simultaneously horrified

Especially since you brush off your own deaths as an afterthought

But then that goes away when he asks if Shanks knows

And you reply that he doesn’t

He begins to laugh his ass off, talking about bragging rights which leaves you confused

Sure, you knew him and the red haired boy had kinda a rivalry but you weren’t sure why he wanted bragging rights

So he then explained what happened after Roger died and you disappeared

Apparently after Roger’s death the two began to drift apart

Petty Arguments growing bigger and bigger before they whet their separate ways

You can’t say your surprised but it’s sure sad in your eyes

That his death caused them to go their separate ways

The dynamic duo you’d come to befriend and see as bigger brothers now separated

But even with that your happy to see that Buggy is still his normal self

Sure, he’s brash and at times arrogant. But you wouldn’t change him

He was Buggy, unabashedly himself

You stay on his ship for awhile and in that time get to know his crew

Their all still kinda confused how their captain knows you but brush it off

Just accepting it as it is

You end up napping with Richie a lot despite that fact many of your deaths was via animal mauling

The lion enjoys your company, especially as you brush his lavender mane and braid it

After seeing that the captain may or may not have asked you to braid his hair as well

You oblige

During your stay Buggy lingers by you a lot

Perhaps a bit scared to let you go

The crew won’t mention it aloud but somehow your presence makes him more agreeable

Also less…aggressive

They reallly hope they’ll be seeing you around more often

Some might have partially cried when you left due to that

The other half is cause they got attached

[jaggedamethyst]

trying...

pairing: bucky x reader (non gender specified)

content: bucky is dealing with trauma as a result of his time as the winter soldier, you accidentally get caught in the crossfire. (references to physical harm, mentions of violence, inferred ptsd symptoms and trauma, etc). also slight stucky if you squint bc i know theres fans out there.

notes: ive thought about trying to put this into words for so long, i hope it translates well. i may do a part two if the people want it. pls read the content warning above and steer away if this may trigger you.

word count: 1.8k

.·。.·゜✭·.·✫·゜·。.

In recovering from the absolute torture that was Bucky’s life the last few years—there were few moments of solace. The worst being the slight feeling of peace before all of his progress abruptly drained back to zero… before he’d been reminded of a trigger. 

Something would suddenly pop into his brain—betraying him—and he’d be forced to physically and metaphorically swat the idea away. The problem, though, was that this soldier was doing what any good one does, fighting. James Buchanan Barnes knew what it was to be a good man, a good soldier. But the Winter was more formidable than ever. 

Whenever the opportunity presented itself, the assassin had to make an attempt at clawing its way out. 

The attempts weren’t infrequent. 

Bucky would sit by the window, unable to sleep. He would often be forced to watch the sunrise. Daybreak. He’d long committed the color of the sun meeting the skyline to his memory and with it the unfortunate feeling of his companion wanting to make an appearance. 

Whenever he’d volunteer to build something. The screws, bolts, and nails would be shiny enough to reflect Bucky’s face back to him. An image he’d hate to observe, of course. All he could see in them was potential, though. Positive connotations escaped him in this instance because all he could see was an opportunity for destruction…natural wear and tear…oxidation. Like him, these pieces of metal existing just meant that there was a chance to become worn. To decay. To become something bad…rusted. 

Numbers were the hardest to avoid and he realized just how often something can torment you when it becomes a thing you hate. One, nine, seventeen. Nine, seventeen, one. Seventeen, one, nine. In any order or occurrence these numbers seemed to follow him as close as his shadow—if not more so. He’d become particularly hateful towards one. The casual “one second,” “one moment,” and “I’ll call you back in one minute” seemed to linger in his brain for far too long. 

Freight car. Attempts to get out more proved futile. No matter how far he tried to get away, the sound of rumbling would fill his ears. He knew the sound too well. Bucky knew the feeling of air leaving your lungs. He’d grown accustomed to the feeling of falling. He felt it every day. 

The thing about falling is that when it occurs for long enough it almost feels normal. That slight weightless feeling and euphoria tricked Bucky the first time it happened. That was until he hit the ground. In experiencing one or more of his triggers every day, the feeling of weightlessness returned—so consistent that in a weird way, Bucky felt as if he’d won. He could no longer be shocked by the initial stomach drop if he continued to propel towards something nonexistent. He could no longer be surprised by the euphoria if the impact never came…if he never hit the ground. To him, if it happened so frequently that you were no longer taken aback, you’d beaten your triggers right? 

He couldn’t be more wrong. He was terribly so. 

If there was one thing Bucky learned and ignored in his various therapy sessions is that acting like something isn’t there is not…ideal. Having this being claw and tear at him left him with metaphorical lesions that he wasn’t tending to. People tried. There was never an interaction for which Steve wasn’t looking at his best friend with longing. Longing for the stoic and confident man he once knew. This person was a shell. Even with all the progress, he would never forget the one person he had left seeing him as nothing more than a mission. One only wonders how he’d feel to know that Bucky sees every day as one, a mission, an attempt to not crash the fuck out. (That was something new he learned, suited him for sure).

Again, people tried. Without even realizing it, you tried. 

The day you met Bucky, he just seemed grumpy to you. “Valid,” you’d thought with a shrug. There wasn’t really much to not be grumpy about these days. Yet, you flashed him a smile that warmed his insides—and not in the usual evil entity trying to escape way. 

In the darkest of days inside his mind, he found something to aspire towards just knowing you walked this planet. 

You’d known each other for a while before it became anything serious; he was reasonably weary of getting close to anyone for fear of dragging them down with him. But, he promised he’d never hurt you—every time he uttered the phrase in passing you shrugged him off, reassuring him that you knew. 

“James, we both know you wouldn’t hurt a bee—“ you stopped to point to him, his brow arched as you knew it’d be. “And I know that's not the phrase, okay! You’re an old man and you know all the platitudes.” 

Bucky stood to meet you in the center of your shared apartment, “what does that have to do with you saying the phrase wrong?”

“My point,” you said, tapping his nose for emphasis, “is as I said.” You snaked your arms around him, “you wouldn’t hurt a bee.” You locked eyes with him, “because even if a bee was attacking you, swarming all around you, and wanting to hurt you…you still wouldn’t hurt it. You wouldn’t swat your hand or anything. Some may say that's just stupid…but I think it pretty much sums up the person you are. I know that. You know that.” 

You pecked his lips and walked away. 

Bucky was left speechless and almost teary-eyed by your analogy. But that was you, trying…without trying. He owed it to you to try, too. 

The thing about that is, there was still so much for him to uncover. He had fallen for so long, he knew that. He’d been traumatized for so long without saying anything. 

He had nightmares that only went away when he stopped sleeping altogether. It had been so long since he truly rested that he let himself forget about that inconvenience.

Tonight, he decided, was the night he would face his fears by being well-rested to take on the next day. He mumbled to himself, “One day at a time, right?” He slipped into bed with an excitement he hadn’t really expected. It wasn’t long before sleep overtook him. 

_______________________

He woke suddenly to screams. A woman? The high-pitched and erratic yells made his head hurt worse than he’d ever experienced. 

“What the hell is happening?” 

He turned in bed to see you not there, which immediately made him spring into action. Calling your name and getting no response anywhere in the apartment was enough to make him want to cry. But the screams. They were coming from outside, not in. 

He looked out the window to see if he could see what was going on and oh my gosh. 

With no shoes, he ran. He felt as if the stairway was endless. The pain of the asphalt was nothing in comparison to the pit in his stomach as he ran directly towards it. Towards your car wrecked. Completely wrapped around a tree. How could this happen? The one time he’d gone to sleep. 

Nobody was helping you. Your car literally sitting with you inside motionless. There was no time to think, he ripped the door off. He reached for you, pulling you from the car. He knew CPR but everything was escaping him, it seemed. 

He pleaded and yelled for someone to help, realizing that your body was much more limp and cold than ideal right now. He repeated “no” more times than he’d ever in his life. He clung to you, squeezing you, praying for a miracle. But there was nobody. He clawed at anything; your clothes quickly became battered. He was so confused. His head met your chest, his attempt at trying to wish you back to life. Back to him. But the look in your eyes was so—wait. Not your eyes…

The “no, no, no” repeated again, without him even trying. He felt a scratching at him. A darkness enveloped him and his surroundings and his hand…

His hand was on someone's neck. No. A man. 

He remembered this. His body working against itself to execute orders. His mind fighting within its own skull to erase the memories of James. 

James

It repeated faintly in his mind, and yet as much as he grasped for it he couldn’t seem to reach it. 

James

It was getting lower. He tried, he was trying. He felt it pounding at him. Suddenly, that familiar jolt. But rather than an electric current pulsing through his body in an attempt to disconnect him from reality, he’d finally have to face this one. 

He was sleeping. No, he was dreaming. The voice inside his head, you, calling to him in a plea to stop. The James that would never hurt a bee, had hurt you. 

He fell back quickly, feeling himself glossed over in sweat. He looked to you, speechless, bruises already forming on your arms. He clung to you, squeezing you. 

Bucky sobbed immediately, reaching to console you. You moved back before even processing it. The flash of hurt in his eyes moved you, but your fear kept you at a distance. 

“Did I,” he mumbled, “did I ch-“ he couldn’t get the word out. 

You shook silently, eyes shifting to the bedpost that was now clearly disfigured…a set of fingers printed along it. His hands on someone's neck. 

You were lucky, a split second and some scratching and you were able to get some distance between you. Even there, you didn’t feel settled. You witnessed your boyfriend, grasp what could’ve very easily been your neck and squeeze with an ease so unsettling that you had no choice but to try and stop him. Despite all the advice you heard to never wake someone this way, you knew he’d been hurting. You hit him, as hard as you could. He tried, he was trying. He felt it pounding at him.

“I am,” the man inhaled, “more sorry than I can ever begin to express to you. I don’t know what happened.” You observed him slowly rise to his feet, clearly drained. “I made you a promise. Who am I… if I can’t let that be true?” 

Bucky moved silently and quickly, ignoring your voice calling out to him. Even in shock, you were trying. You tried. 

Within minutes some people you recognized started to look you over—empathy in their eyes. You drowned out their medical talk, looking for Bucky, noticing he slipped out without a word. 

People tried. He tried. But the scars of the Winter Soldier had become so big that they’d inadvertently grown. Like roots—weeds—they festered and spread to the ones he loved. 

He didn’t know what to say to you, or if he could ever be with you ever again. But he watched from a distance, observing you be tended to like a fresh garden. The weeds seemed to dwindle. While still there, he knew that at the very least—he wasn’t contributing to your stunt growth. Without him, you could blossom into so much more.

(ps. sorry about the emotional scarring 💀)

- amethyst 💟

[grayson1996]

I decided at 11:00pm that I was doing Whumptobr this year.

No. 1: Race Against the Clock

Search Party | Panic Attack | “If only we could hold on”

Dick Grayson was a flight risk.

It was a universal truth that surprised all except those who knew him. It wasn’t fair to say that Dick was flighty, he was never flaky and never thoughtless. He came when called and stayed when needed. But he was restless, always in motion, always on the move. Brain always on to the next thing even as his body stayed until a task was complete.

It was a trait that only got worse when he was exhausted. When his whole being was on autopilot, propelling him forward until he could rest. Dick loved people, no one would argue that, but Dick also healed alone. Whether it be injury or anxiety, he crawled away to his hoval to clean his wounds and screw on his head away from prying eyes.

Most of his fights with Bruce occurred because the other man refused to let him do so. Dick’s natural aversion to being confined was always at odds with Bruce’s desire to hold everything he cared about in an unrelenting grip.

[sweet-old-hereafter]

aghrhrjdj to the three people who read Primus I AM SO SORRY. I got very distracted with the bridge hug fanart that I neglected to work on the next chapter right after a (sort of ) cliffhanger! Rude of me. Am working on it now, meanwhile please accept these random facts about this bizarre convoluted world I’ve created.

- ‘Fourbounding’ is the term used for when apes propel themselves forward with their knuckles. This is considered low-class and regressive by the Coastals (and some of the higher ranking clans). ‘Knuckle-walker’ is a commonly used insult to refer to another perceived as slow-witted or uneducated.

- The apes speak a unique dialect of English with its own grammatical conventions, such as the lack of contractions and adverbs, as well as frequent article omissions. The use of sign language is regional; the preference for brevity in dialogue doesn’t come from a lack of understanding of complex language, but from the fact it is still physically difficult for apes to speak for long periods of time.

- All of Pacifica is in California. Eagle Clan (officially recognized as ‘Mining Clan’) is a valley in the Sierra Nevada. It’s important to note that the clans don’t necessarily originate in the areas that they currently reside in. When the Coastals sought to round up the ‘sundered’, they would’ve relocated them to the nearest natural resource that could be exploited. The borders were not so strictly defined before the Darkest Chapter (the rebellion). They are now fenced and sometimes patrolled.

- The Appia (aka the Pride of Pacifica) is named after the infamous Appian Way of Ancient Rome. It connects all the clans to the Coastal City, though inter-clan travel is barred save for officially sanctioned duties.

- The equivalent of a passenger train system is the ‘caravans’, salvaged Airstream campers pulled by mules and powered by rechargeable batteries. Each system has one car solely dedicated to preparing food and more than one dedicated to refueling supplies.

- The saltwater batteries are real! They can be made from the casings of regular batteries. They aren’t super efficient but are much less dangerous to manufacture.

- The radios are supplied (and required) by the state, but they’ve been altered to only pick a certain range/ frequency….hmm what was that beeping Mae noticed in chap 3 after Noa started screwing with the radio hghhdhhfhhhhphh.

- Proximus comes from a long line of divine-right rulers who claim not only to be descendants of Caesar but to embody him spiritually. Unlike the areligious Panem, Pacifica is highly faith/superstition based.

- The Coastal apes got into that vault at least a century prior the when the story takes place, hence why the society is much more technologically advanced than what we see in Kingdom.

- That mechanical looking water fountain mentioned in chap two is a clepsydra, or a ‘water clock’.

- In case you didn’t catch it, the dead echo that Noa encounters is the one Mae mentions committed suicide. He was a ‘breaker’, the strongest of the miners. Mae is a ‘fuser’, another class of miners who’s small size is utilized to place explosives in crowded tunnels.

AND some bonus character tidbits:

- Koro (Noa’s father) defeated an invading clan during the Darkest Chapter. The rebellion created a power vacuum that enabled some of the larger clans to overtake the smaller ones. Eagle Clan managed to stay neutral, not siding with the rebels (but they did attempt to enforce their sovereignty). Despite this, the Coastals perceived this defeat as a victory on their side and granted the House of Eagle Sun special privileges post-treaty-of-treason, though they are still subject to the same provisions as the ‘traitor’ clans. Koro is very troubled by his recognition as a war hero, especially since defeating said clan involved killing. He’s now dying of a curable disease called the ‘hectic’, hence all the coughing.

- Soona and Anaya are from a lower class than Noa’s family. As they age into adults this rift becomes more obvious (and uncomfortable). Noa recognizes the narrative transpiring between the two without him and this stirs some confusing feelings….(yeah I am on a soonaya kick they’re prolly gonna kiss on the mouth)

- Noa has dyspraxia. His clumsy-ness is alluded to in Kingdom but will become increasingly relevant in this story. From a young age he’s been prone to neurosis (the reoccurring nightmares, the desire to up and leave the clan) despite his relatively comfortable lifestyle. His emotional intelligence and empathy has allowed him to realize the full scope of the cruelty of the system he exists within, yet he has to actively resist these thoughts because he knows he’ll go mad. Sure hope this isn’t used against him…

- Raka’s partner has been dead for a long time, but Raka suppresses the urge to grow flanges by keeping a photograph of him by his side wherever he goes. He sleeps with it. :(

- Mae has secrets upon secrets. That’s all I gotta say there.

[lnkedmyheart]

I think the easiest way to show Chuuya's vs. Oda's perspective on Dazai is the nurture vs. nature debate. Basically for Oda Dazai was born evil he is a being of darkness that cannot be redeemed, but that even in his evil he can do good things, while Chuuya sees Dazai as an idiotic little brat who believed in screwed up circumstances and that is why he is so cruel, but that does not mean that at no time has he stopped being human

I agree. Oda's complexity stems from his inability to accept that people like them can be inherently good. He thinks that they need to change their nature because he himself struggles to see himself as good. In part rhis comes from his refusal to actually do things to get out of the mafia. But if you think about it, its a vicious cycle, he wants to leave but sees himself as undeserving so he doesnt try which makes him feel undeserving. The difference between him and Dazai is that Dazai is a very proactive guy and actually takes action. That combined with his promise to Oda is enough to propel him into immediate action asap. Plus unlike Oda, Dazai ends up with a very nurturing environment.

Also overall Chuuya is actively against nature. He doesnt care that he himself might not be human even if it stays at the back of his mind he refuses to act inhuman and he refuses to let Dazai act inhuman despite being human. There is also the fact that Chuuya has more experience with troubled children and is in general more experienced at caring for and guiding people than Oda is cause Oda had always isolated himself.

[sigg-vbj]

Second Encounter: UA (Part 4)

As days turned into weeks and then a full month, Vanessa's resolve to avoid Bakugo was tested to its limits. Despite her best efforts, Bakugo made his presence impossible to ignore. He didn't just bump into her; he barreled into her with the force of a freight train. These weren't accidental nudges—they were deliberate, punishing shoulder checks that sent her stumbling, nearly knocking her off her feet.

Each collision was a test of her patience and restraint. Vanessa's fists would clench so hard her nails dug into her palms, breaking the skin, and her teeth ground together in barely suppressed rage. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to lash out, to plant her fist right into his throat and end his torment once and for all. She swore she’d do it, the thought of it flashing vividly in her mind.

But each time, she forced herself to take deep, steadying breaths, her chest heaving with the effort to control the tempest of fury within her. She gathered her scattered thoughts, focused on her goal, and continued walking, her steps heavy with the effort of holding herself back. She was determined not to let him get the better of her, not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her snap. Or so she thought.

--------

It was a normal joint training event, this time between her class, 1G, and class 1A. The goal was a typical capture-the-flag scenario. Everyone knew their roles, but Bakugo's eyes were dead set on her, his competitive nature burning like a wildfire. This was his chance—to back her into a corner, to push her to fight him!

Vanessa swiftly dodged oncoming attacks before taking down Kirishima, his hardened body crashing against the ground with a nasty thud. He could take it—he was built for it. But what she didn’t know was that Bakugo had informed his teammates that he’d be the one to handle her. Sure enough, here he came, full throttle, his explosive quirk propelling him forward at top speed.

She glanced in his direction before quickly stepping out of his way and running in another direction.

"Can't run forever! Face me!" Bakugo bellowed. It felt like middle school all over again, when she’d constantly avoid him but he’d always be there. She gritted her teeth as the memories flooded back. Enough was enough. She wasn’t running anymore.

Vanessa spun around to face her opponent, their eyes locking. Bakugo screwed up.

Vanessa unleashed five Red X's toward Bakugo. The unstable energy within them glowing brighter. “X-Plosion!” she yelled, clenching her fist. The built-up energy within the Red X's detonated on impact.

“You want it?!” she screamed, her tone fierce. “You got it.”

Bakugo knew she was a force to be reckoned with, especially when backed into a corner. When the dust and smoke settled, Bakugo stood there, his head lowered. Silence reigned until she heard chuckles rising from him, causing her to narrow her eyes.

He lifted his head, eyes wide, with a massively wicked smirk on his face.

"FINALLY!" he roared, laughing a laugh that shook her to the core. His eyes locked onto hers as he licked his lips. “I’ve been waiting for this moment. SO GIVE ME ALL YOU GOT!!!”

He burst forward with such power it caught her off guard. This wasn’t like their first fight back in middle school; this was completely different. “Tch!” She flipped back, but he was on her like white on rice. She couldn’t gain distance. As he placed the palm of his hand on her abdomen, her eyes widened at the bright light emanating from his gloved gauntlets.

“Nowhere else to run,” he sneered, his wicked grin widening as the energy in his palm reached a blinding crescendo. The ensuing explosion was cataclysmic, a deafening roar that echoed across the training grounds. Vanessa was blasted backward with a force that felt like being hit by a freight train. Her body was hurled through the air, limbs flailing helplessly as she struggled to regain control.

Her desperate attempts to stop herself were futile. She slammed into a metal railing with bone-jarring impact, the force knocking the wind out of her. The railing bent under the pressure, and she crumpled to the ground, falling with a sickening thud onto the concrete below. Pain exploded in her side, radiating through her body. The world spun around her, the taste of blood in her mouth as she lay there, gasping for breath, every nerve screaming in agony.

“Mng…” Okay, that hurt—a lot. If it wasn’t for her last-minute use of her Red X shielding most of the explosion’s power, she’d have felt the heat more than the impact on that railing.

“Oi! You’re not dead, are ya?!” Bakugo shouted, his voice cutting through the haze of smoke and debris as he surveyed the wreckage for any sign of her. For a moment, only the sound of settling dust and distant echoes filled the air. Then, from the depths of the industrial maze, her voice rang out, sharp and defiant.

“You’re a goddamn maniac,” she spat, each word dripping with venom. Vanessa clutched her side, the pain radiating from her ribs. They felt like they were on fire, a relentless, searing agony that made her vision blur. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she forced herself to stand, each movement a testament to her resilience. The rage and determination in her eyes burned brighter than ever, refusing to let him see her falter.

"Enough hiding! I didn't plan this for you to go ghost again," he growled, trying to pinpoint her location. But she was good at hiding—very good.

Vanessa took a deep, steadying breath, forcing herself to focus and push through the searing pain in her side. Her eyes narrowed, and a fierce determination ignited within her. She stepped out of the shadows, her posture radiating aggression. With a sudden burst of energy, she launched herself forward using ‘X-Step,’ her signature explosive skill that sent shockwaves through the ground with each step.

Her speed was blinding, a blur of motion as she tore across the battlefield. The force of her acceleration created a sonic boom, reverberating through the air. Each step left a crater in the ground, a testament to the sheer power propelling her forward. She was a missile locked onto her target, her every movement a calculated strike designed to overwhelm and devastate.

Bakugo knew this wasn’t like their first fight. She was different now—calculated, precise, vicious. Her movements were a symphony of lethal intent, each strike aimed to exploit any weakness. She came at him with a relentless barrage, her powerful legs driving him back with every kick and blow.

Vanessa launched into a powerful flying spin kick, the air crackling with the intensity of her attack. He barely managed to block it, but the sheer force of the impact sent him skidding back, his boots gouging deep furrows in the ground. He lowered his arms slightly, his eyes blazing with a mix of fury and exhilaration as he watched her get back into her stance, ready for more.

“Hell yeah,” he growled, his voice a primal roar. The adrenaline surged through his veins. “AP SHOT! AUTO CANON!!”

The air around him crackled with raw energy as he unleashed a barrage of explosive projectiles. Each blast tore through the air with deafening booms, converging on Vanessa with the intent to obliterate. The ground shook with the force of his attack, dust and debris flying everywhere as the sheer destructive power of his quirk was unleashed.

“What the hell?!” Vanessa's eyes widened in shock as Bakugo's long-distance attack hurtled toward her with ferocious speed. Instinctively, she leaped into the air, using her Red X's as stepping stones, each one exploding with a thunderous crack beneath her feet, propelling her higher. She sent three Red X's hurtling down toward him, each glowing with an intense, pulsating energy.

Bakugo reacted with lightning speed, blasting two of the Red X's out of existence with precise explosions. But the third one slipped through, detonating near him with a blinding flash and a deafening roar. The ground around him erupted in a shower of debris and smoke.

The explosion served as the perfect distraction. Vanessa, moving with lethal grace, barreled down from above, her body a blur of motion. The air screamed around her as she descended, her form cutting through the chaos like a missile. Her eyes locked onto Bakugo, her intent clear: this was the moment to strike.

Bakugo barely had time to register the threat as Vanessa came down on him with the force of a meteor, her figure outlined against the backdrop of the explosion, a warrior descending from the heavens with vengeance in her eyes.

“Ha! How stupid can ya get?! You’re wide open!!” Bakugo bellowed, his voice dripping with savage glee. He lifted his palm, bright, searing energy erupting from his glove, the air around him crackling with heat. But as the explosion surged forward, Vanessa twisted in an arc, her body a blur of motion. Propelled by her downward speed and 'X-Step,' she cut through the roaring inferno, her form slicing the wall of flames as if parting an ocean of fire with sheer force of will.

The intensity of the moment was electrifying, the heat from Bakugo's blast scorching the air around her, but Vanessa remained unfazed, her determination burning even hotter. Her trajectory was a streak of defiance against the onslaught, each movement precise, calculated, and unstoppable.

In that split second, the clash of their powers created a tempest of raw energy, a spectacle of explosive might and relentless resolve. Bakugo’s eyes widened in a mix of shock and exhilaration as Vanessa emerged from the other side of the inferno, unscathed, her fierce gaze locked onto his, ready to strike.

“X-MARKS-THE-SPOT!!” Vanessa roared, her voice echoing through the battlefield as she burst out from the flames like a phoenix reborn. Her body was a blur of fiery energy, the sheer intensity of her quirk creating a shockwave that rippled through the air.

Bakugo’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden, close-range attack. He barely managed to dodge at the last possible second, his instincts kicking in with a jolt of adrenaline. The ground where he had stood erupted in a violent explosion, a massive 'X' scorched into the earth, debris flying everywhere. The sheer force of her attack sent a blast of hot air and flames surging outward, singeing his clothes and rattling his bones.

If he hadn’t moved in time, the impact would have sent him straight to the infirmary, or worse. The realization of just how close he had come to being taken out fueled his rage and excitement. Vanessa’s attack left a crater where he once stood, a testament to the lethal precision and power she wielded.

Bakugo’s heart pounded in his chest, a mixture of fear and exhilaration coursing through him as he steadied himself, ready for the next round. He knew he couldn’t underestimate her—she was a force to be reckoned with, and this battle was far from over.

They stood there, eyes locked in an intense stare-down, the air crackling with the remnants of their explosive clash. The ground around them was scorched and shattered, a battlefield that bore the marks of their ferocity.

Before they could launch into another round, their teachers intervened. Aizawa, the main one on the scene, moved with the speed and precision of a seasoned pro hero.

“Bakugo! That’s enough!” Aizawa’s voice cut through the tension like a knife. He activated his quirk, his scarf whipping out to restrain Bakugo. Despite Aizawa’s formidable hold, Bakugo struggled violently, his eyes blazing with unquenched fury.

“Let go of me, dammit!” Bakugo roared, his muscles straining against the binding scarf, explosions sparking from his palms in his desperate bid for freedom. His rage was a palpable force, a storm that refused to be contained.

Vanessa, meanwhile, was pulled aside by her teacher, who had to physically place himself between her and the scene. She wasn’t exempt from the scolding. Her breath came in heavy gasps, her body still thrumming with the adrenaline of battle. The intensity in her eyes didn’t waver, even as she was led away.

“Dammit, Vanessa! You can’t just—” her teacher began, but she cut him off, her voice still fierce.

“He wanted a fight, so I gave him one!” she snapped, the defiance in her voice echoing the wild energy still coursing through her veins. Her teacher’s reprimand was stern, his gaze unyielding.

“That’s not how we do things here! Whatever you two have going on can be settled at another time and place, but for now,” Aizawa said, his voice firm and unyielding as he handed both Bakugo and Vanessa slips of paper. “Cafeteria duty for a month.”

Vanessa looked at her slip, her face a mask of stoic resolve, while Bakugo’s glare could have melted steel. When they were dismissed, Vanessa was quick to head off, her mind racing. She wasn’t just angry—she was seething, her blood still boiling from the confrontation.

“Hey! Puffball!” Bakugo’s voice cut through the noise, but she ignored it, her frustration evident in every step. She spun around to face him, her eyes blazing.

“I think I’m getting sick of hearing your voice,” she said through gritted teeth. “And stop calling me Puffball!”

Bakugo stopped in his tracks, his scowl deepening with a mix of irritation and curiosity. “Then what’s your goddamn name?” he demanded, his tone low and edged with frustration.

She hesitated for a moment before replying, her voice cold. “It’s Vanessa… Vanessa Johnson.” She turned on her heel and continued walking, her back straight, her resolve unbroken.

Bakugo watched her leave, a grunt of annoyance escaping him. Even knowing her name, Puffball suited her better. But this wouldn’t be the last time he’d see her; they had a whole month of kitchen duty to look forward to.

End

[irishplaguedoctor]

New Rain World AU: Colossus AU

Basic Summary:

In this AU, the iterators are colossi in charge of specific, elemental domains while also working on the “Great Problem”. There are several hundred iterators that cover these areas all over the world.

This AU is basically a mash of (Roman, Greek, Egyptian, etc.) mythological fantasy and technology.

Colossal Lore Dump and Art Below~

To ancients, these colossi are godlike in comparison with the abilities to solve the unthinkable and prevent natural disasters from occurring.

Speaking of ancients; instead of all of them leaving by mass ascension, roughly 10% hid away for generations to make sure they wouldn’t be forced to ascend. Inhabitants close to the Local Group just so happen to finally leave their cave dwellings during survivors’s/monk’s timeline. And, of course, when the descendants ‘meet’ some of these colossi…they think they’re going to die. They are TERRIFIED of these beings; despite them doing their best to ease them of their worries.

Example: This is their first introduction to NSH.

Local Group:

The local group still consists of six original members with LttM still acting as the administrator.

No Significant Harassment runs the general surface and mountain ranges of the local group’s territory. He makes sure earthquakes and landslides aren’t a problem.

Five Pebbles is in charge of the ocean and its depths. The lower half of his body is serpentine, making him the longest iterator of the group, but he cannot walk on land. He makes sure tsunamis don’t breach the shorelines.

Seven Red Suns oversee the underground and keep an eye on both the void and magma activity. Their body is the most flexible and durable, with the added resistance to heat and pressure. They watch for volcanic and void eruptions.

Chasing Wind watches the skies. Unlike the other colossi, they are actually made up of small, nano-versions that combine to make the collective iterator. The small nanites have built-in wings, giving the illusion that Chasing Wind (as a collective) flies without visible wings. They disrupt tornado and hurricane formations.

Unparalleled Innocence is the medical colossus in charge of a very large facility in the center of the region. Similarly to how the original iterators were designed, they are one with the building and can save/cure thousands at once. They prevent plagues from spreading. (Of course, this means they suffered the most when they believed ALL of the ancients left them behind.)

Looks to the Moon oversees all the colossi iterators in the domain. She ensures everyone does their job correctly and reminds them of their own upkeep. She is also known to assist them in the tasks previously stated when there is an issue. Because of this, she has wings and propellers that guide her through the sky and in the water.. Help with Suns, however, is limited because of her lack of heat resistance. But she makes up for this by having cold resistance instead.

UH:

I'm still trying to figure a few things out: like the general height of the colossi -- especially since they're all different. They’re supposed to be BIG, but having them be canonical superstructure height (roughly 1.2 miles high according to @delta-orionis 's post) would be too much. Having them be that big would only cause more harm than good. Although, most of them do have the ability to change their size, up to a certain extent. Only the structure-based iterators, like UI, can’t.

For example: I see NSH as being approximately 1400ft. tall -- about the size of the Empire State Building in New York City

Also, plotwise, I don't really have anything except them trying to win back the ancients (or in this case, their descendants) favor and see they only want to help, but they continuously screw up sitcom style.

Also also, they sometimes step on each others toes when trying to do their work AND help the ancients reintroduce themselves from hiding. (On purpose or not)

That's all I have for now. If you have questions feel free to ask! Also have fun with the concept, don't be afraid to apply your ocs or versions of the local group to it.

I was inspired by Jorge Rivera-Herrans "Epic" sagas, check out his work on Youtube. :D

[fayes-fics]

Ouroboros

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader, modern AU

Summary: Modern AU. It can be a thin line between like and dislike, love and hate. Or an endless circle.

Warnings: 18+ smut, minors DNI, oral sex (f to m, blow job), vaginal sex, dirty talk, arguing, enemies to lovers.

Word Count: 1.7k

Build a blurb prompt: Benedict + 👅 smut + 😡 enemies to lovers + 🥳 party

Authors Note: Fifth in my 1k follower celebration. Unbetaed. Guys don't ask me what this is, it poured out of me at 3am. Sorry for pics, I needed moody looking modern Benedict. Anon requester, I hope you don't hate this.

You need a way to shut him up. And this is the best one you can think of, spur of the moment.

His look of confusion is priceless as you grab him by the belt, propel him out of the kitchen of the party, and push him against the coarse brick wall of the house. It’s dark outside, save a waxing moon, but a warm evening, the scent of magnolia vine wafting from the neighbours' pergola. 

“What the…?” 

“Shut the fuck up, Bridgerton,” you grouse and start to pull abruptly on his belt, unlooping it as he seems to breathe raggedly.

He’s not helping, but he’s not stopping you, either. He is doing what you asked, shutting up. You feel his gaze observing as you bat away the belt as it relents and roughly tug open the button at his fly. As you move to pull down the zip, his hand covers yours, making you tilt your head up to look at him.

Even in the shadows, you can see him giving you a questioning, uncertain look. 

“Don’t look this gift horse in the mouth,” you warn, and his eyes flash in the shaft of light leaking from the window. After a second of consideration, he drops the hand from yours. A spike of euphoric victory pulses in your veins as he does so, letting you pull down the zip.

You dive a hand into his underwear, and he gasps as you grab him. Half hard, almost hot to the touch and silky. He grows rapidly, and you smirk as he makes needy little noises, his eyes screwing shut, breathing sharp puffs out of his nose as he twitches and comes to life in your fist. 

You are secretly impressed by what you feel and use your other hand to push down his jeans and free him from his boxer briefs.

He inhales sharply as you drop to your knees and then groans long, low, and predatory as you take him into your mouth. He is sizeable and tastes a little salty and so very Benedict, the natural tang you can smell on his clothing and skin when he’s in your orbit. It makes you drool around him and a little buzz in the base of your skull that goads you to be relentless. 

You have no idea what has possessed you, but as the cold stone abraids your kneecaps and a warm hand rests on your head, you want nothing more than this. And him. Your dislike of him metastasising into a searing desire and twisted affection. You want him mindless for you. And based on the noises he is making, the little spasms in his downy thighs, the underside of his cock throbbing on your tongue, that’s precisely what he is.

“Fuckkkkk,” he groans, his voice tight and thready as you suck him deeper, bumping the back of your mouth—sucking and swirling with your tongue breathing heavily through your nose, not giving him a moment of reprieve from your onslaught. A bead of pre cum drops onto your tonsil, and you don’t hate the flavour. 

“Please, I…” his voice is desperate and whispered, “I want to fuck you. Please, please let me,” his breathy supplication makes you pause. His fingernails in your hair scratch your scalp gently, sending a shiver down your spine right to your throbbing clit.

“Just come in my mouth,” you argue back, gargling around his head as you concentrate your efforts there.

He moans at your suggestion or maybe the vibration of your voice around his cock. 

“Please…” it’s quiet and gentle and makes you pause your actions. Look up into his eyes that are a riot of soulful arousal even in the low moonlight. He may be the first man to ask you to stop a blowjob. And for your benefit, in a way. It makes you irritated how chivalrous he can be. “This is mind-blowingly good,” he suddenly adds, as if your hesitation may be due to a doubt of his enjoyment, “but if this only happens once, I want to feel what it’s like to be buried inside you.”

You let his cock slip from your mouth, and it bobs against your nose. You nip and suck on his underside as you negotiate.

“Why fuck someone you hate?” you throw out casually.

“I never have and never could hate you,'' he implores, looking down at you, astounded. But closes his eyes and swallows hard as you suckle his frenulum. “You drive me to absolute insanity. But that’s not hate.”

He grabs your hands and pulls you away from his cock; up to your feet, resting his forehead on yours in a surprisingly intimate gesture, staring into your eyes.

“You are all that I think about some days. On the days you make me so angry I want to kill you, I can’t, not even in my head, not even in theory. Every scenario, every time, I always, always end up begging to fuck you—I sort of hate us both for it,” he huffs a hollow laugh and closes his eyes again.

His honest, raw confession stops you in your tracks. And you realise everything he said is exactly how you feel about him. Wordlessly and unseen by him, you reach under your dress and remove your underwear.

“Sit down on the wall,” you order him as he reopens his eyes, pointing to a retaining wall holding a riot of plants. 

He does so, his cock standing proud of his body, and with a sigh of inevitability, you straddle him and guide him inside your body with no warning.

He hisses loudly in your ear as you sink onto him. Everything in you knows his cock feels perfect for you, and you hate him for that too. Or rather, you want to, but if the love-hate continuum is a never-ending circle, you are skating the fine line where they meet. Very much the ouroboros head eating its own tail.

You plunge to his root, your knees sinking into the damp earth under the vegetation tickling his back.

“Oh god, it’s better than I feared,” his voice sounds anguished almost, “you feel utterly amazing,” he confesses.

“So do you,” you admit quietly into the warm skin of his neck. 

Then you are riding him slowly; his arms wrapped tightly around your waist, his breath hot on your cheek, making sounds that spur you on and make you want it to last forever. Goddammit, why, why, WHY does it have to be this good?

This is the sort of sex that is addictive and dangerous. A quickie on a garden wall at a house party should be regrettable, short and uncomfortable. Something terrible but memorable. A humorous bawdy story to tell. It shouldn’t be this. This sensual but filthy fuck that has eyes rolling and hands desperately grabbing hot flesh, disbelieving words tumbling from slack panting mouths. You want to hate him for what he’s doing to your body with seemingly so little effort (having a rideable cock, in essence), but you can’t. You’ve had plenty of rideable cocks in your time, but they didn’t make you feel like this. Like you’re skating the edge of a volcano that could swallow you whole in fiery flames or send you shooting to the sky in an eruption that remaps your entire known landscape. Or worse still, possibly both. 

You don’t kiss. Incongruously as you fuck each other senseless, kissing feels like a line you shouldn’t cross yet, big warning signs flashing. So you press cheekbones together and drown each other’s ears with your mutual desperate sounds, pleadings and affirmations—limbs quaking long before an orgasm approaches. 

“I want to fuck you over my desk,” he snarls, “I want traces of your juices all over my work; I want to smell you there as I write, as I paint.”

That sort of dirty talk has you pulsing around him and moaning so loud he shushes you. 

“I don’t give a fuck if everyone at this party hears us, is watching us even,” you assert, drunk on the rush swooping low in your belly, a hook tugging deep inside that throws all caution to the wind and makes you ride harder. The sharp edge of the wall biting into your shin, likely drawing blood from how you are slamming hard onto him now—skin slapping together in a carnal symphony. 

His noises are low and resonant, and he starts to thrust his pelvis up, meeting your downstroke, grunting with the effort. And he rings that jackpot bell inside you, like one of those stupid strength-o-meter carnival machines.

“Just don’t fucking stop Benedict,” you bark through gritted teeth.

He doesn’t stop. In fact, he shifts angles slightly, and you see stars. A hand that tastes of salt and vinegar crisps and spilt red wine clamps over your mouth as you scream and break after a few deadly moments, a questing thumb angled to crush your clit as you sink.

Your whole body convulses, and he has to grab you hard to keep you on him, grunting deep as he spears into you one last time and empties in a huffing mess, twitching with aftershocks that shoot more cum against your hilt. You thank the gods for the IUD at the same time as your cunt clenches at the idea he has somehow fucked you so hard you are with his child.

There is nothing but the muffled sound of the party, a whisper of a breeze through the trees and your panting breaths as you embrace tightly, both reluctant to believe what has transpired.

“What the fuck do we do now,” he chuckles rueful but sated. “It wouldn’t be fair to us not to do this again,” he argues.

“I know, I know,” your sigh, simultaneously burdened by that tricky knowledge but feeling lighter than you have in months. You don’t want to lift off his softening cock; you just want to live on it until he is hard again. What a fucking ridiculous notion that nonetheless tastes so real, your thirst for this new dynamic barely slaked.

“If you take the next week off work, I’ll let you open a credit card in my name and run up a debt,” he jests, but the code behind his words is heavy and authentic. You already know you’d let him ruin you in any way he wanted, and it’s mutual.

You take the week, and so does he. One day bleeding into the next as you finally kiss and fuck endlessly in ways neither of you would have imagined if not for the other. By the end of it, you have all but moved in together.

Benedict taglist: @makaylan @foreverlonginguniverse @iboopedyournose @wysteria-clad @colettebronte @aintnuthinbutahounddog @severewobblerlightdragon @margofiore @writergirl-2001 @heeyyyou @enichole445 @enchantedbytomandhenry @ambitionspassionscoffee @chaoticcalzoneranchsports @nikaprincessofkattegat @baebee35 @crowleysqueenofhell @bridgertontess @fiction-is-life @lilacbeesworld

[seoafin]

“There he is!” You exclaim as Mikage ducks into the izakaya. He’s too tall, you think, attracting stares even though he’s dressed as inconspicuous as possible. It’s a far cry from the high school boy whose wealth practically dripped off of him. It’s impossible to completely hide though, and on Mikage Reo, it shows. You wonder if he’s easily recognized. If people often stop him on the streets for an autograph. The explosion of Blue Lock’s popularity had made soccer a cultural phenomena, its popularity rivaling baseball, and now soccer is all the rage.

He meets your gaze immediately and you can see the confusion in his gaze. Why you’ve called him to an izakaya this late at night. You’ve always been a lightweight, and now four drinks in, you’re teetering on the edge of oblivion. If you’re being honest, you hadn’t expected him to come. You had only sent him a location text.

“This is Mi—Reo!” You say with a clap on his back as he reaches your small crowded longtable, full of your fellow younger musicians from the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. They eye him curiously. “He plays soccer!”

It strikes you that this is the first time you’ve called him by his first name. That must be why he’s looking at you strangely. It’s odd. The two of you have kissed, yet you’ve never called him by his name until now. You’ve felt the heat, all the hard lines of his body pressed uncomfortable close against you. And if you hadn’t been interrupted—

Mikage smiles, and it’s charming enough that even the more prissy members of the orchestra look somewhat awed. Despite the way they had upturned their noses when you had said that he played soccer. To them, a less esteemed profession.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” he says, with a small bow of his head. And then he says your name. Your first name. You are taken aback. You almost miss Mikage telling them that he’ll take you off their hands, that he apologizes for your rowdy behavior. You frown, but then he turns to you, smiling, and you see the twitch of his eyebrow. Oh. He’s mad.

That makes you mad. Well, if he didn’t have to come now did he? Who does he think he is—

He deftly takes you by the arm and takes advantage of your uneven sense of balance to propel you forward. If it weren’t for his body steadying you, you would’ve twisted your ankle.

“My violin—”

“I have it.”

You briefly glance down. Your violin case is in his hands. You wonder when he grabbed it. 

The two of you walk out into the cold weather.

“Where are we going,” you mumble as he leads down the black. “It’s cold out.” Thank god you don’t have rehearsal in the morning. Your head is pounding. He lets you take your violin from him and you clutch it to your chest.

He stops, raising a daring eyebrow that you find yourself naturally narrowing your eyes at, antagonism flaring up in you like an old friend. “You’re the one that called me,” he lets go of you to cross his arms. “You tell me.”

Why had you texted him? He had made it clear it had all been for Nagi, and you screwed it all up anyway. But then again, Mikage had kissed you first, hadn’t he? He had taken you by the neck, pinned you against the wall, and kissed you while you had been frozen in shock. That hadn’t been for Nagi. 

In the end, you still hadn’t been able to say a word to Nagi. The two of you, in that cafe. You hadn’t been able to take that disinterested gaze. You hadn’t been able to bear it one second longer. Your heart sank. The words had died on your tongue. 

What did you want from Mikage anyway? He did his job. It’s pointless to dwell on do-overs. In the world of competitive music, there was no such thing as a do-over audition, a do-over performance. It was all or nothing, and you had failed.

“I…” your lips warble. In the end you hadn’t been able to tell him you were sorry. That it had weighed on you heavily ever since. So many things. “I’m sorry,” you say quietly.

But now, in the silence of the night with no witnesses, maybe you could at least say these words now.

Mikage looks ill. “Uhh—” He raises a hand, hand poised in the air as if he actually intends on doing something.

“No,” you say, suddenly weepy, and then tears are clouding your eyes. “I didn’t see Nagi. Not like you did. I thought everything would be okay…the way he was. As long as he was there. With me. But you…made him better. In a way I didn’t. I was so jealous.”

You knew Nagi was a genius, destined for great things you would inevitably never be a part of. You were jealous and scared, terrified about being left alone. In the end, you had still been left alone. 

“I…still don’t know if I like you. And I still don’t know why you kissed me—” or why you kissed him back “—but I just…wanted to…” you trail off, the cold biting your cheeks in the wake of your tears. You don’t hate him. You don’t think you ever really did.

Reo stares at you as if he’s bewildered. But you can’t tell, not in this lighting, not when everything’s dark, not when you’re already trying your best to keep in a straight line. But one thing you can tell is that there’s a bright red flush on his face.

It’s as honest of an admission he’ll ever get from you. Your stomach churns, twisting into knots. You don’t know what else to say to him. You think he should be pleased, gleeful even. He should lord it over you. But instead he just looks worried. He snaps to activity, draping his coat around your shoulders and waving over a sleek, black car.

“Let’s…get you home.”

Home ends up being Nagi’s high rise apartment.

You change your mind. You kinda hate Mikage Reo all over again.

You dozed off in the car, then let Mikage shuffle you onto an elevator. Mikage had unlocked the apartment door. Some fancy fingerprint setup. You hadn’t realized it at first, until you had stumbled to the living room and seen the unmistakable game station setup.

Feeling suddenly emboldened, you march down the hall, right into Nagi’s room. 

He’s sleeping. Of course he is. He sleeps just like he did young. Blanket pulled over his figure, over his head, leaving any visitor wondering how he doesn’t suffocate to death. You can make out the silhouette of his body, the steady rise and fall of his chest.

And then you’re sixteen all over again, barreling into Nagi’s room next door and waking him up in time for school. The nostalgia grips you fast and hard, and you’re free falling, experiencing every single emotion from your earlier years all over again. The elation and heartbreak of your first friendship. You feel your eyes going wet all over again.

You tear the blanket off of him.

There’s a handheld console in his hand. Figures. And his white hair is even more tousled than usual. He’s always been a restless sleeper. He slowly stirs, eyes blinking drowsily until he sees you. He stares up at you from the bed in silence. You don’t know why his eyes are so soft, and you don’t know why a hand reaches up for you, why his hand brushes your face—

“Wake up!” You bark, pushing at his chest.

Mikage rushes in from behind you and chokes. “W-wait—”

Nagi blinks, eyes suddenly alert enough. He says your name, once.

Your hands are on his chest as you hover over him. “I have…so many things I want to talk to you about.” Your tears land on his face, while he stares at you, eyes marginally wide. “But first. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

You sink to the floor, and cover your face with your arms on his bed. You hear the rustling as he rises, but you squeeze your eyes shut.

“I watched your games,” you sniffle into his sheets. “I watched a lot of them.”

Resounding silence ensues. 

He pokes your cheek with a finger. He says your name again. You raise your face. You see the slightest hint of a lazy smile tugging at his lips, right before he kisses you.

[princess-of-the-corner]

ML Plot Points: Bengala

I said I might elaborate in another submission and immediately after that I thought of an entire plot, character arc, theme and conflict. Fuck it. 

The Tiger villain is a Spanish woman going by Bengala. Referencing both her animal (bengal tiger = tigre de bengala) and the flashy, bright nature of her powers (sparklers and flares are called “bengalas” in Spanish). She showed up two weeks after the S3 finale by robbing a bank. She knows how to power down her Clouts at will so she uses only the absolutely necessary amount of force and how to use the clout from any part of her body to propel herself. Judging by how she fights, she’s also an adult martial artist, both being able to use her powers more than once and knowing how to use them for maximum effect.

Personality-wise, Bengala is not just a lightning bruiser, she’s also smart. Whenever Ladybug uses Lucky Charm, Bengala figures out the plan she’s going to try and takes steps to ensure she cannot be taken down with it. The second she sees Viperion she makes sure to target him in unpredictable ways because with him she’s in trouble (she thinks the snake’s power is to see the future, but the point remains). She’s good at using psychological warfare to trip up the heroes to make them distracted and get in each other’s way to win a fight. 

Légalsatian and Pierre Pietrain both try to capture her and fail. The heroes try to capture her and fail. Shadowmoth throws akumas and sentimonsters at her and they fail. She seems unstoppable.

During her next episode, we learn more about her. She’s a second generation Spanish immigrant called Irene whose parents went to France for work. She has a job at the gym where Nora goes to as a personal trainer, but it doesn’t pay a whole lot. After their house burned down in an electrical fire last year, they’ve been having financial trouble because their insurance company screws them over. Then, because it wasn’t enough, her father got fired and scammed by some random prick who promised him to help sue his former workplace. Bengala and her parents are living in a crappy, tiny apartment with very few possessions. Her criminal activities are supposed to help with that.

Initially, her robberies are very quick and without spectacle. Go in, threaten the bank tellers, get a small but significant amount money, escape. The superpowers mean she doesn’t need to think very hard about it, only needing to make sure people cannot trace the money back to the banks, but she’s still careful and does as little damage as she can get away with. At least at first.

As time passes, as she defeats heroes and villains alike, she starts to get cocky and she starts to show off a lot more. It’s no longer about getting the money, but about proving she can do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. She starts attacking the heroes so she can get their miraculi, attacking the akumas to prove that she can, absolutely wipes the floor with the fighters the Order throw at her (I cannot bring myself to see the Order as competent or smart). It’s no longer about having enough, it’s about having more and beating the people who stand against her, both because of arrogance and because of the stress of having everyone. against her. In her civilian life, her parents notice the change and try to help her. At some point, she is handed an easy way out. A way to fix her financial problems and help her parents at very little cost, but she refuses because the solution isn’t one that she figured out. It isn’t enough. Her parents find out and are rightfully pissed.

In the mid-to-late season two parter, after she beats an akuma-sentimonster duo, the heroes decide to just throw every temporary holder at her, not at once, but spaced out. Every time she gets close to winning, another set of two to three heroes come in to fight her.  Beating them doesn’t work, distracting them doesn’t work, causing collateral damage on purpose to get them off her back doesn’t work. Eventually, she gets tired from fighting for so long and the transformation finally gives out. She is promptly arrested and even her parents think it’s the best outcome.

I originally picked the tiger miraculous for this because I wanted a miraculous that would be difficult to take from someone (a bracelet and four rings attached to each otters by chains are not easy to take from someone in the middle of a fight), but the more I thought about it the better it got.

Irene works as a foil to both Marinette and Gabriel.

To Marinette: 

Aesthetically, she contrasts in colour (red and black versus purple, gold and black), motifs (spots versus stripes) and size (small and lean vs big and bulky). Thematically, Marinette’s arc this season is about being a leader; knowing how and when to rely on people and knowing how to use their talents. Irene always works alone, breaks down her opponents to know how to beat them and is gradually pushing the few people who care about her aside.

To Gabriel:

Aesthetically, they are both large, imposing people who wear purple. Power-wise, Shadowmoth works from a distance relying on other people to do the dirty work whereas Bengala is a close range fighter who refuses to take help form other people. Backstory-wise, they are both trying to help their loved ones form a terrible situation and are willing to do whatever they have to. Bengala, however is more like canon S5 Gabriel in that her motives are not even remotely close to justyfing her actions. She’s a spiteful control freak who threw away a way to get what she wanted because she wanted to solve the problem herself. In the end, even the people she claimed to be doing this for think it’s better that she got taken down. Gabriel realises their similarities after the Sentibubbler incident (halfway through the season) and, seing where that path leads, refuses to sink that low again.

-

I LOVE HER.

[grandhotelabyss]

How do we not abandon the self to language? Does personality exist in literature or does all writing succumb to the nihilism of linguistic irony? Does feeling, in its aesthetic representation, only exist as metaphor?

A paragraph, if I may, from my doctoral dissertation:

It is tempting to read these ironies as endless and, therefore, as endlessly self-defeating, to see in them Wilde’s radical skepticism about meaning and reference and thus to conclude that meaning perpetually eludes both writer and reader and effectively cancels the distinction between them. Another concept of irony, however, was available to Wilde as a student of the Socratic method and of German Idealism. In this mode, irony is not endlessly negating but endlessly productive: the final turn of the interpretive screw in “The Decay of Lying” is that its performance of its own unreliability confirms its thesis about the necessity of ironic distance for the production of new knowledge, new sensations, and new dialogue. Irony does not defeat meaning but generates it in abundance. Agata Bielik-Robson, who challenges the understanding of irony as perpetual self-negation, explains the productivist approach in her defense of Harold Bloom (a self-avowed practitioner of Wildean criticism): “The ‘negative capability’—to use Keats’s famous expression—of irony is thus an equivalent of original sin in the domain of culture: it triggers expulsion from the paradise of perfect, definite cultural forms and simple identifications into the desert of individuation, a process which is propelled by a wish to return to the cultural pleroma, but only on one’s own individual terms” (2). Irony functions as the text’s spur to its own individuation: by both invoking truth, as transmitted by culture, and questioning it through a recursive form, the text generates new and unexpected meanings, which authorizes it, in turn, to take its place alongside the works of the past. Identical to the aesthetic in its capacity to differentiate the subject from nature, irony is fundamentally progressive, its story a human comedy that ends with mind triumphant over its inert context.

[globalinsightblog]

Biodegradable Implant Devices Market Set to Grow from $5.2B in 2023 to $12.4B by 2033, at 8.9% CAGR

Biodegradable Implant Devices Market : Biodegradable implant devices are revolutionizing modern medicine, offering solutions that naturally dissolve within the body after fulfilling their purpose. These implants, made from materials like polylactic acid (PLA) and polyglycolic acid (PGA), eliminate the need for secondary surgeries to remove traditional metal implants. From orthopedic screws to cardiovascular stents, these devices are minimizing patient recovery time, reducing healthcare costs, and enhancing overall outcomes. With the rise in chronic illnesses and sports injuries, the demand for biodegradable implants continues to soar, making them a cornerstone of next-generation medical advancements.

To Request Sample Report : https://www.globalinsightservices.com/request-sample/?id=GIS32619 &utm_source=SnehaPatil&utm_medium=Article

The growing focus on sustainability and biocompatibility is further propelling the adoption of biodegradable implants. Advances in material science are enabling manufacturers to produce implants with greater strength, controlled degradation rates, and tailored functionality for specific medical needs. These innovations align with the increasing global emphasis on eco-friendly healthcare solutions. As research continues to expand into diverse applications, such as dental and wound care, biodegradable implants are not just a medical breakthrough but also a step towards a sustainable future.

#BiodegradableImplants #MedicalInnovation #HealthcareTrends #SustainableHealthcare #OrthopedicAdvancements #ImplantRevolution #PLA #PGA #BiodegradableDevices #MinimallyInvasive #ChronicDiseaseSolutions #MaterialScience #HealthcareSustainability #MedicalBreakthrough #PatientCare

[researchrealmblog]

Middle East and Africa (MEA) To Observe Explosive Growth of Compressor Market During 2020-2030

Valued at $39.9 billion in 2019, the global compressor market is predicted to generate $48.5 billion revenue in 2030. Furthermore, as per the forecast of P&S Intelligence, a market research firm, the market would advance at a CAGR of 3.1% from 2020 to 2030. The prominent factors driving the progress of the market are the increasing number of food processing companies in several countries, thriving automotive industry, and the growing preference for screw compressors over piston compressors in industries.

Compressors are extensively used in the automotive industry in various applications such as car painting, tire inflation, engine construction, and air conditioning systems. As a result, the boom of the automotive industry, especially in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, on account of the growing disposable income of people, rapid technological advancements, and ballooning requirement for electric cars, is causing a sharp surge in the sales of compressors. As per reports, over 2.1 million electric cars were sold globally in 2019.

Electric cars accounted for 2.6% of the total number of cars sold across the world in 2019 and registered as much as 40% Y-o-Y (year-on-year) growth in sales from 2018. Besides this, the surging sales of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems is also propelling the growth of the compressor market. The sales of these systems are being driven by the increasing construction of commercial and residential buildings and the rapid development of various energy-efficient systems.

Apart from being heavily used in the automotive industry and HVAC systems, compressors are also being extensively used in gas pipelines for maintaining the required pressure and flow. As a result, the growth of the gas pipeline network in various geographical regions, because of the rising requirement for natural gas in domestic settings, soaring population, and increasing industrialization and urbanization, is positively impacting the sales of compressors across the globe.

For example, in 2017, Gazprom developed 121 gas pipelines over an area of 1,148 miles in as many as 32 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Furthermore, GAIL (India) Limited announced in 2018 that it intends to construct 3,418 miles of new gas pipelines over the next three years. This construction of new pipelines would help the company expand its gas pipeline network. With the expansion of so many pipelines, the demand for compressors would shoot-up in the coming years.

Depending on portability, the compressor market is bifurcated into stationary and portable compressors. Between these, the stationary bifurcation recorded higher revenue growth in the market during 2014—2019. Moreover, this bifurcation would dominate the market in the future years, on account of the rising popularity of stationary compressors across the world. Stationary compressors have greater storage capacities and are more powerful than the portable variants. As a result, they are more widely preferred over portable compressors in various industries.

Globally, the compressor market is predicted to exhibit the fastest growth in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region in the upcoming years, mainly because of the soaring investments being made in the development of manufacturing facilities and the ballooning production of processed foods in the region. In addition to this, the increasing manufacturing of automobiles in the regional countries such as Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco is further boosting the growth of the market in this region.

Thus, it can be said with full conviction that the market would boom all over the world in the future years, primarily due to the rapid growth of the automotive and oil and gas industries and the extensive usage of compressors in various applications in these industries.

Source: P&S Intelligence

[cimcondigital]

Introducing Muni: CIMCON Digital's Generative AI-Based Virtual Assistant that will Transform Manufacturing Decision-Making

Ahmedabad and Boston, August 4th, 2023  

CIMCON Digital, an AI-led IoT technology company in the manufacturing space, is thrilled to announce the launch of its innovative AI-powered virtual assistant, Muni. Designed to revolutionize manufacturing operations, Muni is set to enhance data-driven decision-making and boost asset reliability.

Muni is a sophisticated human-like expert interface to its AI-based Machine Anomaly detection and diagnostics application, tailored for manufacturing stakeholders and decision-makers. By harnessing the NLP (Natural Language Processing) power of Generative AI, Muni enables a human-like conversation with manufacturing professionals to optimize asset availability, reliability, and efficiency in an easy and interactive manner. 

Muni seamlessly integrates with CIMCON’s VIBit (Vibration, Temperature, and Noise) and CIM edge IIoT Platform. These cutting-edge tools collectively gather real-time machine health and performance data at a split-second interval. The software then employs a combination of physics, proven rules, and a number of advanced machine learning algorithms to precisely detect anomalies and identify machine faults with associated risk levels as well as recommendations to fix them.

“We are excited to introduce Muni to the manufacturing industry,” said Anil Agrawal, CEO of CIMCON Digital. “It is a game changer. It humanizes technology by enabling humanistic conversations where manufacturing professionals can question the system. This includes peeking into the way our software thinks resulting in quick decision making thereby avoiding costly machine downtime, saving plant owners hundreds of thousands of dollars while improving their brand. “

Here is an example of a conversation with Muni and a manufacturing head, Tom:

Muni: “Hello Tom, good morning. A few assets changed their health status since you last logged in. Would you like to know further details from me?”

Tom: “Yes, provide me a list of assets under high risk.”

Muni: “Sure, Tom, the following assets are under high risk:

Screw Compressor (Asset ID: COM-456)

Pump 1 (Asset ID: PMP-789)

AHU Blower (Asset ID: AHU-123)

Force Draft Fan (Asset ID: FD-567)

Tom: “How many days has the Screw Compressor been at high risk?”

Muni: “The Screw Compressor (Asset ID: COM-456) has been at high risk for the past 5 days.”

Tom: “What is its fault mode?”

Muni: The fault mode is BPFI (Ball Pass Frequency Inner) found on ‘Motor Drive End Side’ of the Screw Compressor. The Non-synchronous energy at ball pass frequency in inner race 1xBPFI to 3xBPFI has increased.

Tom: “What’s your recommendation?”

Muni: “My recommendation is to assign this task to the maintenance team for inspection of the inner race bearing and replace the bearing, if required.

Muni: “Is there anything else I can assist you with today?”

Tom: “No thanks, all set.”

As shown above, Muni’s interface is extremely interactive and intuitive, allowing users to get a clear picture of their plant health issues along with subsequent recommendations.

CIMCON Digital’s Muni is poised to redefine the manufacturing landscape, propelling businesses towards data-driven excellence and unprecedented asset reliability. With its real-time insights and proactive recommendations, Muni showcases its potential to optimize manufacturing processes and drive decision-making for businesses in the industry to the next level.

“At CIMCON Digital, we are committed to bringing innovation and efficiency to the manufacturing sector,” added Agrawal. “Muni embodies our dedication to harnessing the power of AI to unlock the full potential of manufacturing processes.”

About CIMCON Digital: CIMCON Digital leverages 35 years of deep domain industrial experience of its parent company, CIMCON Software (I) Pvt. Ltd., to deliver cutting-edge Industry 4.0 solutions that incorporate IoT, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning technologies. CIMCON Digital products and solutions help a diverse range of customers across Manufacturing, Water, Oil & Gas, among others, meet their net-zero and sustainability goals. The company has a global presence, with offices in the United States and India, and its mission is to create “One Connected Industrial World,” making it a leading player in the IoT industry.

For more information on CIMCON’s digital transformation solutions, visit cimcondigital.com. For media inquiries, contact Aishwarya Agrawal at ashi@cimcondigital.com or call +91-95128 00836.

[healthcarehubhh]

Bone Glue Market will grow at highest pace owing to increasing demand in orthopedic surgeries.

Bone glue is a type of sealing and hemostatic agent that helps join together pieces of bones fractured due to accidents or undergoes orthopedic surgeries and procedures like spinal fusion. It forms a strong bond between bones like glue and consolidates the bone fragments in their original position to trigger natural bone healing. Bone glue is easy to use, less invasive and provides immediate fixation of bone fragments compared to metal plates or screws used traditionally in orthopedic surgeries. The use of bone glue helps save surgery time, decreases post-surgical pain, and does not require any implant removal surgery. Growing sports injuries, road accidents and increasing aging population suffering from osteoporosis and orthopedic conditions are fueling demand for bone glue globally. The Global Bone Glue Market is estimated to be valued at US$ 2,332.0 Mn in 2024 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 5.9% over the forecast period 2023 to 2030. Key Takeaways Key players operating in the Bone Glue are Cryolife, Luna Innovations Incorporated., St. Jude Medical, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories), Johnson and Johnson, Cohera Medical Inc, Tissuemed Ltd., Integra Lifesciences Corporation, Baxter International Inc., B.Braun Melsungen AG, DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc., Chemence Medical Inc., LaunchPad Medical, and C.R. Bard Inc. The key players are engaged in new product launches and strategic collaborations to strengthen their market position. The bone glue market is anticipated to witness high growth owing to increasing geriatric population, rising sports, and road injuries. According to the United Nations, between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years will nearly double from 12% to 22%. Moreover, as per the Centre of Disease Prevention and Control report 2020, around 3.4 million road traffic accidents occur in India annually with over 1,50,000 road deaths reported in the country. Growing technological advancements to develop innovative biomaterials for bone glues such as genetically engineered adhesives, growth factor incorporated bone glues, and 3D printed implantable bone glues are expected to revolutionize orthopedic treatment procedures over the forecast period. This will further propel the demand for bone glue in orthopedic surgeries globally. Market Trends Growing use of 3D printed bone glues - Researchers are developing advanced 3D printing technologies to fabricate patient-specific bone implants using various biomaterials like synthetic polymers or calcium phosphates that can act as bone glues and hard tissues replacement. 3D printed implants with bone glues are expected to facilitate complex surgeries and accelerate bone healing. Rising popularity of genetically engineered bone glues - Scientists are engineering biological adhesives using advanced gene sequencing and modification techniques. These genetically engineered bone glues are formulated using natural proteins and possess adhesive properties comparable to natural bone structures providing stronger fixation. Market Opportunities - Untapped emerging markets -Majority of bone glue sales currently occur in developed regions of North America and Europe. Emerging nations of Asia Pacific and Latin America offer huge untapped market opportunities with growing healthcare Infrastructure and increasing organizes sports. - Adoption in trauma and accident care hospitals - Though widely adopted in elective orthopedic procedures, increasing promotion and educationactivities can help utilize bone gluing in trauma surgeries too for quick fixation of open fractures in emerging markets.