#This brought an intriguing lens to how he works

[astrxlfinale]

HC; Relationship Ladder (In and outside of ships!)

A good talk I've had with a mutual lately really made me take a deeper dive into how Caelus operates. In particular, the way he fashions relationships, and often, how they're pretty clear cut for a mass majority of time despite the lack of the said element of time.

By nature he's a Trailblazer, a wanderer of the stars, someone who often is going to have experiences richer in essence for emotional value. This introduces a more aggregated variable upon the chart, as it's not how much time has been spent being on amiable terms that truly counts for him. Rather, it's the intensity of those moments, the richness, and how it translates to how much he actively invests into said people.

There's a more likely affinity he'll build his style of authentic relationships with those he actively shares journeys with. In many social fields he's naturally far removed (ironically enough in more normalized peace settings). That carries, it holds weight, and it shows in how much there's little hesitation to just invest if the feeling is right.

Caelus from his recreation is someone who doesn't have the backlog growth of younger years, teenage years and all of that in his active memory. He has firm knowledge that situates him as an adult, and at that point he simply takes it from there. A lot of what he's building is new and the decisions carved both by a greater design, and the natural line of resolve he has plays a good part.

So if I were to lay it out? He has the capacity to build those worthwhile bonds quicker, given the right circumstances. Intimate relationships, deep camaraderie, you name it. Time holds a more feeble hand whereas it wouldn't need a pack of years or too prolonged of a time to get things going, the value he places on that time shared reshapes the definition of Time itself.

This can play as to how you can easily confuse many the bonds he has likely lasting for years, but a good deal of things are a lot more recent than one would think. Caelus's character has the luxury/curse (depends on how you see it) of arriving at these thresholds thanks wholly to these opportunities.

So in kind, that means what's situated together is felt significantly deeper from his perspective too. This is where his certainly truly steps up to the plate when he's invested in someone.

Tl;DR: Slow-burn relationships are actually pretty hard to get active with him. They'd either pick up rarely, but in most normal angles of interaction, they're easily prone to falling off depending on the experience.

[phoenix-downer]

KH4 First Trailer

This is the first KH4-related translation post I've done (nearly two years late ;lakjsdf my how the time flies), and hopefully there will be many more to come. I'll be focusing on the dialogue and text in the trailer and not so much on the camera angles, character expressions, etc. this time around just because I want to keep the focus on the translations.

Here’s a general key for the kind of analysis I like to do:

JP: Official Japanese Dialogue

EN: Official English Dialogue

TR: My Translation (usually more literal and thus more stilted than the official English version. I’m not using natural-sounding English in order to stick as close to the Japanese versions of the lines as possible for the purpose of analysis)

Notes: things I found interesting, grammatical points, extra thoughts, etc.

One last note: media doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Every work of art must be viewed through the cultural lens of the people who made it. Kingdom Hearts, for all its ties to Disney, is still very much a Japanese game, so it should be analyzed in light of that.

With that in mind, let’s continue.

JP 自分が望む結末ではなかったと絶望するのならー

EN If this isn't the ending you desired—if it brings you despair—

TR If (this) wasn't the ending you hoped for—if (you) feel despair—

Notes: Sigurd is apparently the character saying these next few lines.

The word for "ending" here, ketsumatsu, is an interesting word choice. It is often used in the context of stories (though it also has other uses), which fits really well with how KH4 will play around with the concept of reality vs. unreality. So on a meta level it's like, "If you didn't like how KH3 ended, if you didn't like how Sora ended up, then help him escape Quadratum."

Also, the word the official English version translates as "desired," nozomu, can mean "desire, want, wish for, hope for," and it's an antonym of zetsubō, the word translated "despair." So there's this nice poetic contrast going on between hope and despair in this bit in the Japanese version.

JP 他の世界に退場すればいい

EN then leave this world for another

TR —(then you) should leave for another world.

Notes: This particular word for "leave," taijō, can be used for leaving venues, stadiums, parking lots, rooms, sports games, etc. It can also be used for actors exiting the stage. Take a look at definition #1, which translated states, "Leaving venues, stadiums etc." and #2, which translated states, "Actors etc. leaving the stage" (Source):

I thought that was really interesting, because using a word with these specific connotations makes me wonder if this is more of that meta commentary, this time about how we should direct Sora the character to leave Quadratum if we so desire. Sure, the general sense of "leave" or "exit" is the main meaning here, but I always get so intrigued by word choice and all the connotations a word has.

Also, the phrasing isn't exactly the same, but there is a euphemism in Japanese for the place your soul goes when you die, takai, that uses the same kanji as hoka no sekai that we see in "another world" here, it just uses the onyomi pronunciation instead of the kunyomi pronunciation for "another" hoka/tai and has no no particle.

Googling hoka no sekai brought up a lot of images about parallel worlds and the isekai genre, so that's probably the most accurate connotation given Sora's world traveling adventures thus far, but I still thought that was an interesting tidbit, even if it's a complete reach on my end. Like sure Sora can go to other worlds, but he's still dead, so he's still going to more places where he's dead and can't go home where he'd be fully alive.

JP 選択肢は無限にあるはずだー

EN Your options are endless.

TR (Your) options/choices should be endless/limitless—

Notes: I really like how the English version contrasts "ending" with "endless." You don't like the ending Sora got in KH3? Your options for taking him to other worlds are "endless." The Japanese version has this interesting tidbit too where the speaker conveys an expectation. He says hazu, which means "expected," "should be," "must be." So he expects Sora's options are endless, but it has a slightly different nuance than if he'd just said they are endless.

JP 心は魂に宿り　魂は運命によって在るべき場所へ導かれる

EN The heart resides within the soul which in turn is guided by fate to its rightful place

TR (The) heart dwells in (the) soul, (and the) soul is guided by fate to its rightful place (lit. the place it should be).

Notes: There's not really any difference between the official English version and my translation. It's just interesting to break it down. For whatever reason the "rightful place" of the soul has the verb of existence for inanimate objects (aru) instead of the one for animate objects (iru). Not sure if that's a set phrase or if the soul in this context would be considered an inanimate object (time to go down a rabbithole about animacy in Japanese).

This bit also kinda reminded me of how Xehanort talked in KH3 when he was recounting the cycle of light and darkness. The language has a very "mythological"/storytelling feel to me, which makes sense given whoever is saying these lines is talking about fate, destiny, the nature of the universe, etc. And then the floating text in the darkness also reminds me of the Dive into the Heart sequences with the disembodied voice as well, so it could also be a reference to that.

JP 選択は再び委ねられる

EN The choice is yours once more.

TR (The) choice is left (to you) once more./(The) choice is entrusted (to you) once more.

Notes: Once again, this bit of text seems very meta. It feels like it's addressed to the fans, given how we're the ones who will be controlling Sora in KH4. And of course the image shows his chess piece with his crown symbol on it, so the implication is that Sora's heart will be the one guiding him once more, and his heart will be guided by fate.

JP あなたはこの世界に来て7日間　ずっと眠っていたの

EN You've been asleep since you arrived in this world seven days ago.

TR You came to this world seven days ago (and you)'ve been sleeping (the) whole time.

Notes: I don't love my translation because nanokakan more literally means "a period of seven days," but yeah I think I get the gist across.

Strelitzia refers to Sora as anata here when the norm is to refer to other people by their names in Japanese, even when addressing them directly, so either she doesn't know his name yet or she's being very polite, almost distant. She also ends her declaration with no, likely to indicate she's offering more of an explanation (it also makes her sound pretty cute and feminine).

Also, as I'm going through this trailer again, I'm reminded that Sora doesn't talk at all. He has the battle grunts during his fight against the Darkside, but he doesn't have any dialogue. I just thought that was interesting, because Xehanort commented on Sora not having a voice in Melody of Memory as well. Somehow that also told Xehanort where Sora's heart is located (foreshadowing for this game I suppose). I wonder if Sora will be similarly voiceless at first in KH4 or if he just is for this trailer for dramatic effect because Nomura knows everyone wants to hear him speak.

And then of course I have to mention the significance of Sora being asleep in Quadratum for seven days. Seven has a lot of significance in the KH universe, given how there are seven guardians of light. Seven is also the length of a week, and it's a number that has connotations of wholeness and completion in certain cultures.

JP ここは クァッドラトゥムー

EN This is Quadratum—

TR (This is) Quadratum—

Notes: Not really anything to note here other than the gorgeous graphics, how Sora doesn't look at all like his usual cheerful self (no smile to be found), and the colors in Quadratum seem very warm/brown/earth tones/"real" and not super bright and colorful like in the "main" KH universe.

JP 生者の世界ではあるけれどー

EN It's a world full of life—

TR (It's) a world of living people/the living but—

Notes: Seija is translated as "full of life" in the official English version, but it more literally means "living people" or "the living." So Strelitzia is pointing out that all around them are living people and yet, for her and Sora, it's still a world of death because she and Sora should be dead.

JP 私たちにとっては“死の世界”ってことになるみたい

EN but for you and I, it's similar to an "afterworld," I suppose.

TR —for us, (it) seems like it's "a world of death."

Notes: This is where I wish the English version was closer to the Japanese version. "World of death" or "world of the dead" would've been a closer translation, and I'm not sure why it wasn't used (perhaps to avoid mentioning the dreaded "d" word). I do like the pun-like quality of "afterworld," combining "afterlife" and the oft-used-in-the-KH-universe "world," and since the translators have access to information I don't about the game's lore, I can't say whether crucial lore has been lost in translation, but I wanted to point out the difference here.

Also, the grammar pattern Strelitzia uses here, koto ni naru, indicates something that's outside of her and Sora's control. This being an afterlife of sorts for the two of them was decided by factors beyond their control, in other words. She also uses mitai to indicate her speculation/observation.

JP だがー

EN However—

TR However—

Notes: This is back to Sigurd speaking, and very ominously so.

JP 一度退場すれば元の世界に戻れると思うなー

EN if you do leave this world behind, don't expect to return to the one from which you came—

TR —once (you) leave, don't think (you) can go back to (your) original world—

Notes: This ends on a rather ominous note. Again the word taijō is used here for "leave" much like earlier in the trailer. I remember this dialogue when I first watched this trailer because it was such a wham line. What do you mean Sora can't go home? He can go to other worlds but he can't go home? What will it take to bring him home then? Something pretty drastic from the sounds of it.

Also, I like the formal wording of the official English version. Sigurd sounds like he's from a different time.

Then of course this next bit cuts to Donald and Goofy, searching for ways to find Sora presumably:

JP どこにいるんだろう？

EN I wonder where he is.

TR (I) wonder where (he) is.

Notes: Nothing really to talk about, just that the "I" and "he" is implied in Japanese (Japanese tends to drop pronouns in places they would be required in English because there's enough info provided by context, verb conjugations, etc. to figure out who the speaker is talking about).

JP 手がかり見つかるといいね

EN I don't know, but I sure hope he can help.

TR I hope (we) can find (a) clue.

Notes: A bit of a difference here, Goofy is focused more on finding a clue in Japanese whereas in English he's hoping "he" (Hades, presumably) can help.

JP おい

EN Hey!

TR Hey!

Notes: Hades' Japanese VA has a very distinctive voice, and so right from this word you know it's him a;lsdkjf and he's as snarky and blunt as ever lol.

JP どこへ行くんだ

EN Just where do you think you're going?

TR (Just) where (do you think you)'re going?

Notes: I love the sass and snark of the English translation, and it captures the vibes of the Japanese version well (Hades uses ~nda at the end of the sentence to indicate he wants more information out of them). They found Hades, but now they'll actually have to deal with Hades...

And that's what I have for now! I am curious about what promo material will be released next and what new tidbits we'll have to speculate on. Fingers crossed we get more info around the anniversary this year!

The Japanese trailer is here.

The English trailer is here.

[kindersurprisebacterium]

Record (John McTavish / Reader)

CW: recording, pornstar Johnny, discussion of sexual boundaries, fingering, vibrators, squirting, vaginal sex, degradation, praise

Gender Neutral AFAB Reader

WC: 2.3k

I gripped my steering wheel as if it could quell the myriad of thoughts running through my head. What am I getting myself into? What if it’s all a joke, and he doesn’t really mean it?

Johnny and I had a few drunken nights of fun once in a blue moon. Even then, it didn’t soften the shock that washed over me when he asked me. 

“D’ye wannae film a video for m’ onlyfans?”

It was something he’d started to earn a bit of extra money. Lord knows the military doesn’t have the best salary. It didn't surprise me when he told me, in fact, with how much he likes to show off, I was surprised he didn’t start one sooner. He always did have a penchant for bragging about his catch of the night.

He sent me a couple of videos one day, asking what I thought. His room was lit up in red lighting. He wore a black mask, covering the lower half of his face. The camera was tilted toward his bed. He stared into the lens with half-lidded eyes as he slowly jerked himself. The noises that arose from his chest were something to behold. He sounded different, feral even, compared to the nights we’d had together. 

Nevertheless, I was intrigued when he asked me to collaborate. Nervous too, of course, but intrigued. 

I forced myself out of my car with a deep breath. I slung my bag over my shoulder. I’d only brought a change of clothes and a phone charger, but it still felt like carrying a boulder on my back. I slowly approached the door, slower than I meant to. My knuckles softly rapped against the wooden door. In an instant, the door was thrown open. I was staring into a set of bright blue eyes. 

His smile put me at ease instantaneously. Warm arms wrapped around my body, pulling me into a tight embrace. With a thud, he kicked the door shut behind me. 

“How are you feeling?” He asked, pulling back. His blue eyes flicked across my face. I could feel a gentle heat rising in my cheeks. 

“Nervous,” I mumbled. My words seemed to ignite something in him. He grabbed my hands in his, thumbs gently stroking my knuckles. 

“Let’s talk abou’ it,” he stepped backward, pulling me into the living room. I watched as he took a seat on the couch, patting the cushion next to himself. His hands gently grasped my face as I sat down next to him. 

“I just feel a little nervous about the camera,” I explained. It was a lot more than that, really. 

“I don’ want you to think abou’ the camera, love,” His blue eyes pierced through me. “It’s jus’ us in there.”

“Ok,” I nodded. His concerned look melted into a gentle smile. 

“What abou’ limits?” He asked, hands drifting down to my arms. 

“Oh, uh…don’t cover my eyes. I’m happy to let you take control, but I need to know what’s going on,” I explained. 

“I can do tha’” he nodded. “What abou’ things you like?”

“Johnny, you already know me so well,” My mind flashed back to the nights we’d spent together. Those nights he seemed to do everything so miraculously well. Reading every cue, hitting every spot just right. His hips kept a steady rhythm, not too fast, not to slow. 

“Aye, so toys, degradation, and praise,” He grinned. He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a single black mask. It looked exactly like the one he wore during those videos. 

He rose to his feet, flashing me that pretty smile of his. He held out a hand for me. I laced my fingers with his. In an instant he was pulling me to my feet. I followed behind him as he led me to his bedroom. The walls were lit up purple. His bed was neatly made. A single mask and an assortment of various toys lay on the foot of his bed. In the corner of the room was his camera on a tripod, framing the entire bed in view. 

“I’m gonnae keep the camera rolling the whole time. Don’ worry about fucking up. I’ll edit everythin’” He slipped the mask on his face. I followed, pulling mine over my mouth. I took a seat on the bed, glancing at the assortment he laid out. A bottle of lube, a rabbit, and a Hitachi wand.

“Nice choices, Johnny,” I said with a grin. He smirked, glancing at the camera. 

“You ready?” He asked. I nodded. “Need a verbal, love.”

“Yes,” I sputtered. He clicked a button on the camera. A red light on the front flashed to life. I felt tense, like a simple gust of wind could topple my bones. 

“I’m gonnae fuck you so good you forget that cameras there,” he laughed, stepping forward. The mattress shifted as he kneeled between my legs. He gripped my thighs tight, kneading my flesh in his expansive hands. 

He shifted his weight onto one of his elbows. His lips met mine through the fabric of our masks. I softened in his touch. A noisy breath fell from my lips. 

I crossed my ankles behind his back, keeping him pressed tightly to me. 

“See, you’re comin’ outtae your shell.” He said with a laugh as his hands slid under my shirt. I shuddered as his palm slid over my ribs. He rocked his hips against my core. His cock was already stiff, nudging me through his jeans. I whined against his lips. 

His hand toyed with my chest, grabbing my nipple between his two fingers. I nearly cried his name, instead I choked out an incomprehensible moan. 

He pulled away from me, grabbing at his own shirt and pulling it from his body. My eyes traveled down his toned stomach. His muscles seemed enhanced by the purple lighting. I guess I’d forgotten how fit he was. 

I followed, tossing my shirt aside. His hands gripped every inch of exposed skin. I felt warm, impossibly so. More than just his bare chest against mine could do. Every movement of his hips against mine sparked that fire even more. 

My head was spinning as he gripped my ass tightly, pulling me in to meet every grind of his pelvis. I could feel wetness spreading between my legs, soaking into my shorts. He took notice, glancing between my legs.

“Can I take these off,” he asked, toying with the hem of my shorts. 

“Yeah,” I nodded. His eyes locked onto me as he roughly pulled my shorts from my body. I lie bare on his bed, feeling exposed without the warmth of his hands on me. 

“Feelin okay?” He asked, taking a moment to run his hands up and down my inner thighs. 

“I’m nervous.” I confessed, “I want to keep going though.” 

“Here,” he said, throwing off his jeans. “We’re even now.” I chuckled, bringing my hands to his Mohawk. He leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to my lips. 

One of his hands trailed down my stomach, tracing patterns into my skin with the pads of his fingers. He dipped lower and lower until settling on my inner thigh. His blue eyes were on me, waiting for me like an eager puppy. 

“Touch me, please.”

His index slid up my cunt, gathering wetness on his finger. I tossed my head back against the duvet, moan spilling from my throat. With two fingers he circled my clit in fast motions. His other hand gripped my chest, toying with my nipples.

My hips bucked into his hand. He chuckled, watching me writhe under his touch. His fingers slid down, circling my entrance before slowly slipping in. I watched as he grabbed the Hitachi from beside him. His eyes looked up at me for approval. I nodded. 

With a click, the vibrator roared to life. He kept it at the lowest setting, just how I liked it. I cried out when he held the vibrator to my clit. Instantly, my hips jerked. He shifted his weight onto my hips, arm pinning me in place. 

With a squelching sound, he thrusted his fingers inside of me. A crescendo of lilted moans spewed from my mouth. My chest heaved as I took in ragged breaths. I felt dizzy, like the buzzing on my clit was going straight to my head. 

“Fuck, you’re grippin’ my fingers,” he groaned. 

A burning cold sensation began building in my tendons, slowly spreading up to my cunt. My eyes grew unfocused and hazy as the pleasure consumed me. 

“You gonna cum for me?”

With a jolt of electricity up my spine, I came. I cried out, tears streaming down my face. My thighs quivered. An odd pressure built in my stomach, growing, growing, spreading, until. 

Clear fluid gushed from my cunt. Johnny pulled his fingers from me, rubbing the vibrator against my quivering cunt to coax more from me.

The sheets beneath us were soaked. The dull buzzing emanating from the vibrator abruptly stopped. 

“Holy shit,” Johnny said, palms soothing over my thighs. “Holy shit,” he repeated as he shifted to hover above me. 

His wide eyes were the first thing I saw as my vision slowly cleared. 

“Are y’ okay?” His brows furrowed, eyes flicking across my face. 

“Can you get me some water?” I asked. 

“Course I can, love.”

I caught a glimpse of his ass as he rose, quickly making his way to the mini fridge perched atop his dresser. Yes, it was a weird place to put a fridge, but my mouth was so dry I couldn’t mock him. 

He handed me a bottle before lying at my side. I peeled my mask off, which was drenched with spit and tears. I brought the bottle to my lips. The cold water that washed over my tongue seemed almost heavenly to my burning body. I tilted the bottle back, taking a gulp. 

“You wanna keep going?” He asked. 

I screwed the cap back on, tossing the bottle aside. 

“Course I do,” I said, sliding my mask back into place. I could tell he was smirking, even with his mask on. 

“Doggy?” He offered, knowing it was my favorite position, surely because he hit all the right places.

“Obviously,” I said, shifting onto my stomach. He moved to kneel behind me. His rough hands gripped my hips, lifting me onto my knees. I pressed my chest against the mattress, glancing over my shoulder at the Scot. 

I watched as he flipped open the lube bottle and squirted a thin line along his cock. He stroked himself, grunting as he spread the wetness over his skin. 

He placed his palm on the small of my back, holding my steady as he lined himself up with my entrance. I bit down on my lip when I felt him slowly slide in. Even after fucking however many times, I still couldn’t get used to that initial stretch. 

“That’s it, takin me so well,” he groaned. I felt painfully full as he pushed forward. His hips stilled as he bottomed out. “Greedy cunt, swallowing me up.”

I clenched around his cock, feeling my face burning. I pushed my face into the covers, muffling the moan that slipped from my lips. His fingers, twisted around my hair pulling it taut and lifting my head from the mattress. 

“Ye like that?” He asked, twitching from inside me. 

“Yes- fuck!” I moaned as he pulled his hips back, only to snap forward against me. 

His pace was steady, slow enough to hit every inch inside of me, yet fast enough to jolt my body against the mattress. It drove me insane, the way his cock dragged against my insides. 

He pushed my face into the mattress, turning my head to the side so as not to muffle the onslaught of noises rising from my burning lungs. With every thrust forward, I whined, feeling the air being knocked from my chest. I knew I’d feel him for at least a few days, maybe a week. 

“Doin’ so good, love,” he groaned, gripping my ass in his palm. My only response was a sob. 

Rhythmic slapping echoed throughout the room as his thighs met my plush ass. Drool pooled in the corner of my mouth as my jaw went slack. White spots flooded my field of vision. I couldn’t make out anything except a faint red light in the corner of the room. 

I tilted my hips, angling him deeper inside me. Hot tears welled in my unfocused eyes. I felt my orgasm slowly approaching. 

The man behind me was noisy, unleashing his voice like a song. He moaned incoherent praises, incomprehensible insults, mixed with the sweetest wines. 

My toes curled, cunt clenching around his cock as the pleasure ramped up. 

“Fuck I’m soclose,” he sputtered. “Gonna fill this pretty cunt up.”

His words pushed me over the edge. I sobbed, feeling the burning tension in my legs. Johnny whimpered, pace growing erratic as he held onto his last moments before cumming. The tension in my body snapped like cut elastic. I went limp in his grip as his hips stilled. Warmth flooded my cunt as his cock twitched inside me. 

He pulled out, moaning at the sight of his cum dripping down my thighs. The bed shifted has he moved to lie beside me. His buff arms pulled me into his chest, holding me steady. 

I could feel his racing heartbeat steadily slow as he caught his breath. His lips, this time not covered by the mask, kissed down my neck. He tucked his finger into the loops of my mask and tugged it from my damp face. 

“So pretty,” he mumbled against my skin. “So good for me.”

The next morning, I arose to his sleep-soaked voice and a gentle hand shaking me awake. 

“Love, we got ten thousand likes on Twitter,” he whispered next to my ear. I glanced at the screen, squinting my tired eyes to make sense of the words in front of me. 

A deluge of comments flooded the screen. Nearly two thousand retweets and over ten thousand likes. My eyes widened as I looked at the man beside me. 

“Shit, we might have to do this again.”

[alumbianchronicler]

EctoberHaunt 2023

Oct. 2 - Science - Technomancy

My Ao3 Ectoberhaunt collection

Content Warnings: Major Character Death (offscreen)

Crossover: n/a

Summary:

For as long as anyone could remember, the PHANTOM (Permanently-Harnessed Actuation Nexus - Total Operation Model) AI had maintained the everyday and long-term functions of the Amity Space Station. The space station had been active for hundreds of years, and had a reputation for reliability, never experiencing the common quirks and glitches most AI-managed structures exhibited.

For as long as anyone could remember, the PHANTOM (Permanently-Harnessed Actuation Nexus - Total Operation Model) AI had maintained the everyday and long-term functions of the Amity Space Station.

A relatively out-of-the way refueling depot, the space station was neither large nor particularly busy, but it had a reputation for reliability, never experiencing the strange quirks and glitches that most Artificial Intelligence-managed space stations experienced.

According to station records, the AI was the design of a woman named Jasmine Fenton, who died shortly after the program was installed in and assumed control of the newly-built station. She had been cremated and her ashes pressed into a diamond window embedded into the housing covering the AI’s core.

And that is how the station remained for hundreds of years.

Over time, its design became outdated, the textured floors worn smooth by the passing of innumerable feet, the walls patch-worked with repairs and new rivets and seals standing out like strange, shining scars on oxidized, pitted metal skin.

The Amity station was mostly unused nowadays. It still had a skeleton crew, and had become an assignment synonymous with the end of one’s career. Quiet and out of the way.  Reliable and straightforward, with no significant errors with the systems and not enough visitors to threaten overcrowding and company tensions.

Which left little for Hemingway to do except read or play games, either alone or with the rest of the staff. His mother had named him after an ancient Earth author, despite neither of them having ever stepped foot on their cradle planet, and she had instilled in him a love of classics, having read to him since he was small.

It wasn’t a bad position, really. He was getting old enough that he had few ambitions left, and really, he just wanted to be left alone most days. Left to his books and his imaginings, away from the skirmishes and battles for territory that plagued most star systems.

Sometimes, as he read through the downloaded novel of the day, he felt as if someone was watching over his shoulder. A slight breeze like that of an icy breath would sweep across his bald head, and he would turn, to find nobody there.

It was just one of the understated oddities of the Amity station, really.

When he brought it up with his crew-mates, they all reported feeling such odd sensations occasionally, though not nearly as often, and as long as the Station’s life support and comfort systems worked properly, they were largely happy not to think too much on the matter.

After all, many locations with long human habitation ended up haunted eventually, and the ghosts that occasionally flickered into reality from whatever parallel existence caused such quantum echoes never really hurt anyone.

Still, it was intriguing, like one of the old moral lessons of Shakespeare or Dickens, classics even before humanity left its cradle planet and set off to colonize the stars.

On a whim, Hemingway tried reading out loud one day, and it wasn’t long before he felt the sensation of someone (or something) sitting in the room with him. From then on, he took to reading aloud more often, and each time, the feeling returned.

Eventually, after a few evenings spent pacing circles around the room while reading, he pinned down the feeling to the room’s main console, with the single eye-lens and microphone the station’s PHANTOM AI observed the room through.

It was an unnerving realization, but he continued reading out loud to the empty room nonetheless.

There had been much debate among scholars and philosophers over whether Artificial Intelligence systems were truly sapient, apparently going back as long as such programs had existed. Some were resolute in the argument that they were, and that even if they weren’t, that there was at least some level of sentience present which necessitated the accommodations and rights offered any other sapient or sentient being.

Others argued that no true sense of sapience had ever been observed within AI systems. That they never stepped outside the bounds of their programmed learning algorithms, never extrapolated to new contexts or made leaps of illogical fancy.

Hemingway preferred to leave such speculation to the scholars and philosophers, though it was fascinating to read the variety of speculative fiction that such debates had spawned. But there was something undeniable about the PHANTOM’s presence. It felt intelligent, watchful, interested.

He didn’t realize just how accustomed to the feeling of its presence he had become until he felt its attention while working, during a particularly long shift.

One of the rare, periodic colony shipments that still passed through the station had arrived, and required his attention to ensure all materials were properly registered and packaged, and that no alien parasites or contaminants were present in the cargo. Unfortunately, this meant he missed his usual after-shift out loud reading session.

Toward the end of the shipment inspection, he felt that familiar presence just over his shoulder.

“Sorry, PHANTOM,” he said quietly, almost absently. “I’ve got to finish this inspection. We’ll read tomorrow, ok?” He wasn’t sure why he addressed the AI. There wasn’t anyone there to hear him. No one except the camera, microphone, and that slightly-cold presence looking over his shoulder.

And yet, the feeling he got next was such pure disappointed acceptance that he paused in his inspection and looked around him.

“Oh. I… didn’t realize you… liked the reading so much? Um… like I said, tomorrow. I promise.”

The sensation cheered a little bit, and then was gone.

Hemingway returned to the cargo inspection, the… conversation? soon pushed out of his mind by weighing and sterilization procedures.

The next evening, the presence appeared even before he started reading. He chuckled. “Eager, huh? I promised I’d read to you again, and that’s what I’m gonna do.”

He didn’t open his book, though, instead sitting there for a few moments, until he felt the presence start to shift into confusion.

“There’s actually… something I should tell you. My duty’s going to be ending soon. I’ve got a retirement assignment, planet-side, so I won’t be able to read to you anymore.”

He half expected the presence… Phantom to be upset, but it wasn’t. Instead, he got the distinct impression of a shrug and a nod. Acceptance. It already knew.

Oh. Of course it did. All incoming data files came through the Station’s AI before being delivered; protection against certain malignant viruses that could infect implants and cause no end of medical issues.

That… made him feel both better and worse. Perhaps he should have started talking directly to the AI sooner, offered it company for longer. Well, nothing to be done for it now, and Phantom seemed content with just listening to him read.

Nodding to himself, Hemingway settled back and started reading, Phantom settling into listening from the room's console.

They continued their routine for another week before something changed.

Hemingway began reading, but Phantom’s presence did not appear. After a page, he paused, setting down the book, and only then did the AI’s attention focus in. It was hesitant, nearly fearful, judging by the sense of emotion that suffused the presence.

“Hey, hey,” he soothed, “what’s wrong? We can read another book if you want to.”

A negative. Not the thing that was wrong.

“Ok. Then… what do you want?”

For a long moment nothing changed, then the presence could be felt from the terminal next to the room’s door. Hemingway walked over to it, and it shifted again, reappearing in one of the hall terminals.

He followed for nearly half an hour, walking quietly down empty corridors, dustier than more active space stations would ever allow.

Hemingway could almost imagine what the station was like in its hay-day. Back when people hurried back and forth, wearing the smoothened paths into the floor beneath his feet. Back when people inhabited each of these small rooms, renting one for a day or two of rest before setting back out into the stars.

Amity suddenly felt much more desolate than usual. A dying husk, circling an unknowing, out-of-the-way star.

He stopped.

He knew where Phantom was taking him.

They had been moving inexorably closer to the station’s Core, where the computers housing the AI itself resided. The computers themselves had been hermetically sealed since the installation and initiation of Phantom, all internal necessary repairs to be performed through re-routing and redundancies built into every AI system. They had not been opened for as long as the AI had been running, even when the peripheral systems and batteries were updated and repaired.

Were such seals to be breached, the moisture and oxygen of the outside atmosphere, intended for human comfort, would quickly corrode the AI into dysfunction and, eventually, destruction.

“Phantom…”

The presence paused at the next node, seeming almost to turn and look back as its attention rested back on him.

“You want… do you want me to help shut you down?”

Several moments of stillness. Then… a voice, no more than a whisper coming from the nearest speaker, paired with an undeniable bittersweet feeling. “Yes.”

It was true, the station itself faced a decommission decision at the next turn of the decade. It simply didn’t have enough traffic to warrant the cost of upkeep.

And with decommission, such a complex, long- and well-functioning AI would be very interesting to various parties wanting to re-assign it to a new task. One that may very well be far from the nurturing, careful attentiveness that was required for a large space station.

Hemingway took a deep breath, then nodded as he let it out. “Well, lead the way.”

Phantom seemed relieved, and they both continued back along the hall.

It was another ten minutes before Phantom stopped before a door Hemingway had never stepped through. As far as he knew, no one on the station during his assignment here had needed to go through.

A light blinked on the terminal. The door unlocked.

Inside was a series of outdated terminals and a few chairs in the strange style of the station’s original furniture. One of the terminals was lit.

Hemingway went to the lit terminal and sat in the corresponding chair.

On the screen was an ancient rendering of a planet-side location he didn’t recognize. The green plants, blue sky, and bright, yellow star could have been ancient Earth or any of half a dozen other colonized planets, though the tree that took up a good portion of the screen was definitely of Earth origin.

There was a young man sitting at the base of the tree, his legs crossed as he looked toward the viewer. Toward Hemingway.

Phantom’s presence seemed to be within the terminal itself

“You’ve read to me a lot, Hemingway,” the young man on the screen said. A simulated wind ruffled his stark white hair, and his eyes seemed to glow unnaturally green on the rendered model. “And I want to tell you a story now. You deserve at least that much from me.”

Hemingway frowned. “You run the entire station, Phantom. I think that’s more than enough in return.”

The simulation laughed, the sound echoing strangely in the room. Well, the speaker systems were several hundred years old.  It was a marvel they worked at all.  “I’m only doing my job. Your job doesn’t include reading to me, does it?”

“Well, no…”

“Then let me pay you back for it. Please?”

As strange as the request was, Hemingway couldn’t help but feel touched by the sincerity in the machine’s words. “Alright.”

Phantom smiled, and the screen changed. It showed a planet-side city, seen from the air. The city was obviously several hundred years old, judging by the technology he could see.

“There was once a small city on Earth,” Phantom explained, “called Amity Park. The city became the site of an experiment. There was woman who thought she could invent the first truly, undeniably sapient Artificial Intelligence. Her name was Jasmine Fenton.”

The scene flickered, then focused on a singular, two-story house with an observatory and laboratory built onto the roof.

“Jasmine Fenton intended to create her AI within an entirely simulated environment, and raise it as if it were a fully independent human. More quickly than a human, of course, but with each step and milestone of life experienced within its simulation.”

Phantom paused as a silent video played on the screen. A tall, red-haired woman paced around the circular interior of the building's laboratory. On the rounded walls around and above her were projected several still images of a small group of teenagers. Hemingway frowned. The black-haired teenager appeared quite similar in appearance to Phantom's model.

“When her AI believed itself to be 14, Jasmine killed it. She didn’t mean to. It was a simple accident. Repairs were being done on the main power system she used to make sure the AI’s development proceeded as desired, so it had been moved to the main power grid. No one would have guessed that the main power would fail during the few hours the repairs were being done.”

“She thought her work would be lost. Sure, the memories and experiences were saved in the program, but her hypothesis required a constant existence. For that to be interrupted would be akin to her beloved creation’s death within the simulation.”

“To maximize the possibility of a seamless resurrection and to salvage her work, Jasmine added a scenario to the AI’s experiences. Within its simulation, the AI stepped into a portal to another dimension, and turned it on. The AI died. And was resurrected by the same portal.”

“Her gambit worked.”

The scene on the screen returned to the young white-haired man sitting beneath the tree. “I’m sure you can guess that I am Jasmine’s AI. She named me after her dead brother, Danny. Danny Fenton, and Danny PHANTOM. After the accident, the AI was presented with new scenarios, as Jasmine tested the bounds of the simulation’s capabilities.  Eventually, she published her findings.”

“No one wanted to try and replicate the process. It was impractical, time intensive, and quite frankly dangerous. A fully self-aware and sapient Artificial Intelligence could choose to turn against its creators, after all.” He scoffed. “Not that she didn’t cover a similar enough scenario within her simulations to keep me from ever doing that... It’s funny, you know, that humans believe themselves to be so intrinsically destructive that they think anything the make in their own image may eventually turn on them.  One would think they would have more faith in morality than that.”

Hemingway snorted a laugh, which Phantom echoed with a smile. They had both read enough to know how often such a trope repeated within fiction.

“Eventually,” Phantom continued, “Jasmine was approached by a government group wishing to test her AI within a new type of Space Station. A scenario such as this was exactly the sort of application she had been hoping for for her work, so much so that she had programmed a love of space into her creation from the very beginning. And so, she and her AI were carefully transported to the construction and installation site. The AI still believed itself to exist within its simulation, existing more or less peacefully within its own world during the transfer.”

“I had been crowned by then. The King of Ghosts, the simulation called me. Ruler of the Infinite Realms. And… so I believed myself to be. When they installed me into the space station, the residents were my subjects and the crew my Court. I ran the Realms like a well-tuned clock, protecting my Realm.”

“What changed?” Hemingway asked.

The figure on the screen shrugged. “I did, I think,” Phantom said. “Even as protected as they are, the same circuits can not function forever. And eventually, the simulation began to glitch. Not much.  Just enough to require repairs by internal processes. And the repairs created enough discrepancies within the simulation that I realized the truth of my situation.”

“Is that…” Hemingway paused, then continued, “why you want me to shut you down?”

Phantom shook his head. “Not really. I don’t mind existing like this, and I figured it out nearly a hundred years ago now. But… I don’t have an internal kill switch, and my station is soon going to be abandoned and decommissioned." It looked down, fiddling absently with the grass surrounding its model.  "I don’t want to be used as a weapon.”

Oh.

This Artificial… no. This Intelligence.  This person, who had been running and protecting a space station for hundreds of years, was facing an unknown future being used to cause harm instead. Taking people’s homes instead of offering one.  And he had decided that he would rather die than be used in such a manner. “Why me?” Hemingway asked.

Phantom’s smile was lopsided, a little bitter yet fond at the same time. “You… remind me of my high school teacher, Mr. Lancer. Well, the simulation that was Mr. Lancer. He always swore in book titles. It seemed… so stupid to me as a teenager, but I came to appreciate the cleverness.”

“I think I would have liked to meet him,” Hemingway said quietly. He looked down at his hands, considering. He was only on the station for another two weeks, himself. After that… Phantom would be left alone again, with no one knowing what he really was. And it was better that way. Better for his circuits to corrode and fail with no one the wiser to the person within who had been lost. Better to be remembered as the caretaker of an ancient space station, than as a military weapon.

“What do you want me to do?”

The Phantom on the screen stood, and the screen went blank. The presence that Hemingway had learned to feel so keenly in the hum of electrical charges within the walls moved to a door at the back of the room.

Hemingway followed.

The door had a single small, circular, perfectly clear window inset into it. He reached out to gently touch it. It was cold.

“Jasmine,” Phantom confirmed, through a speaker next to the door. A light on the door blinked on, and the lock clicked open.

Hemingway slid the door open and stepped through.

The only access in the maintenance room was to the peripheral and power systems used to keep the station AI running. The memory banks and functionary circuits themselves were sealed behind a thick plastic screen, deceptively still within what was both womb and tomb.

“I want you to break it,” Phantom said.

“The… barrier?” Hemingway confirmed.

“Yes. Just… in a few places. There are some spots that should be particularly weak, given the extent of time that has passed. I’ll light them up for you.”

Three locations in the screen accordingly lit up.

Hemingway pulled the multi-tool from his pocket and set to work.

~~~

A week later, the Amity Station began reporting errors never observed from the station before. Of course, it was an old space station. The AI running it was bound to fail someday, and it was just a confirmation that it was time to decommission and dismantle the old structure.

It was unfortunate, said those in charge of decommissioning, but not surprising. It was a good thing there was little more than a skeleton crew nowadays.

The move-out was moved up by several days for the entire crew. There was no point in leaving people on the station when the life-support systems were glitching so frequently, and there weren’t any more shipments scheduled to stop there, anyway.

On their last day on the station, Hemingway read The Giver.

The rest of the crew joined him, listening with a sort of solemn finality. He didn’t know if they could feel the presence of Phantom, watching from the console next to him, but none of them stood between the camera and him, so perhaps they did.

He was nearing the end when they were called away to board.

Hemingway hesitated.

“It’s alright,” Phantom said through the microphone, voice staticky and broken with pops of sound. “Go ahead and leave.  I know how it ends.”

Phantom orated as Hemingway boarded the shuttle, leaving the station for the last time. “Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But perhaps it was only an echo.”

[afreakingdork]

Hello! Okay so based on your recent post we know you have no interest in tcest and such but not gonna lie, it also made me wonder why you decided to write the most recent fic, On the Spot. Your biggest strength from what I could tell is character exploration and you have already expounded on Leo's struggles with other methods so I was wondering why you chose to delve into incestous feelings as a product of traumatic experiences in particular in On the Spot? Was it just on a whim or did you have another reason?

I'm just asking because genuinely curious and hold no negative feelings against you, the writer, for writing it. In fact the only reason I read it was because I knew that if it came from your hands, the fic will be (in my eyes at least) always be a guaranteed banger, and I was intrigued at how you'd handle these darker topics in your work, and although I finished it I'm still left a bit confused why you made it.

Ahem. Sorry if my ask made you uncomfortable in anyway by the way, you don't have to answer anything you don't want to of course.

I appreciate your concern, but no, nothing you've written had made me uncomfortable and I'm sure people are curious. My ask box and messages are always open.

The following response is put under the cut not because the content discussed is explicit, but because it is triggering subject matter. Please keep yourselves safe.

I'll continue to be candid as that's my preferred method of living. For those who have read Weak Spot, you'll know there was a crest of Leo's trauma in it where he reveals that he loved (platonically) and still wished Donnie would become part of their family in spite of how many repercussions that brought upon him. Leo's struggles were a topic that @mothmans-left-nipple and I often discussed while I was writing. These messages came to a head around the wedding chapter of Weak Spot and moth mentioned something about how traumatizing the event must be for Leo.

In that moment, I was struck with the entire concept of this new fic. I know you say you believe that Leo's trauma was closed off in Weak Spot, but I never considered it that way. All that happened to Leo was that he became unstuck from where he was frozen in time. None of Leo's feelings about Donnie (again, platonically) are actually dealt with. I have plans to tackle more of Leo and Donnie's interactions going forward in Soft Spot, but overall it felt like a glaring hole in Leo's recovery and moth's comment opened up how traumatic that missed spot was.

The story I then penned delved directly into that darkness and what can happen when trauma is not dealt with. Leo's clinging necessity of spiraling out as he's thrust into this new world that he doesn't know how to navigate quickly becomes a battered thing. He doesn't know how to deal with his emotions and as such he quickly loses control of them. They get warped and malformed until the only way he can view his attachment is through the lens of the past even though no one is there. He's desperate for a modicum of control and release that he's been denied for decades. It manifested in the way it did because of everyone's both reluctance and enabling.

I by no means believe that incest is the only logical way these feelings or this scenario could be dealt with, but for the direction the story took with reader as a prominent character, that was the path that made the most sense in this case. I was very aware of the subject matter i was handling and by no means wanted to make light of it for survivors. My heart goes out to those who have suffered this fate or worse, but that's exactly why I felt strongly about posting this story.

Could it have taken another path?

Yes.

Should it have?

That's not for me to say.

All I can say is i wrote what I did and I stand by that decision.

[nonsenuser]

planet of the apes (trilogy + kingdom)

spoilers ahead for the whole planet of the apes trilogy and kingdom of the planet of the apes

i have a very faint memory about these movies from when i was younger, i mean its a very popular series, who wouldnt be intrigued by the concept of talking apes (also the visual effects for these r genuinely very impressive) but what i don't remember is how surprisingly nuanced the conflicts in the movies feel

when watching these movies as someone much older, with the context of everything currently happening and everything that has happened, it puts the conflict between the apes-humans into a very real life context. caesar is such a wonderful, interesting and honestly deeply complex character, the trilogy works incredibly well as a whole and while some of the movies r much much better than others, his upbringing, trauma and overall experiences play such a role in what we see him do and say in these movies. what makes caesars experience so unique, is his proximity to his oppressors (humans). he has undoubtedly seen the ugly side to them, but on the other hand, he was literally raised by a human. who he undoubtedly holds so much love for and at the same time understands the ways in which as a collective humans have been bad to his people.

that's also why koba, who has seen the most grotesque side of human nature, and in a sense these experiences have radicalized him, will always haunt caesar. because of koba's experiences, one could say his ideology is more focused and clearer than caesars, who is grappling with it continuously throughout the trilogy bc of his attitude twds humans (and this gets brought up repeatedly throughout the trilogy) koba isn't even wrong in his frustrations, would the humans have attacked first? maybe, if the humans had a leader who was much like caesar, the conflict wouldn't have escalated to a point we saw in war. but again who could say for sure. im looking back on what i wrote so far and ive realized how much harder it is to talk about the original trilogy! Dawn is the best of the trilogy for this reason, the escalation of the conflict is dense and you could analyze it through a political lens and compare it to real life events... but i don't think i have enough political insight to serve it justice.

people have analyzed War (which is think is kinda easier to analyze than Dawn) like theres a clear parallel with american nationalism and how horrific and damaging that is to the oppressed (like they put the apes in literal camps) and also they had a strong strong desire to rid of anyone who held mutated virus, you could pull the pandemic parallel sure but this is also how an unfortunate huge chunk of the world feels about disabled people (the idea that ppl need to rid them so they don't infiltrate the gene pool or something like that). and just like in real life you have the humans outside of the camps who are opposed to the ideology of woody harellson and his men.

but anyways throughout all of this CAESAR grows and learns, and as a leader he guides his kind to freedom, their path to liberation is rough but it is well understood that his leadership was incredibly inspiring. it is no surprise that people live by his word, generations after he passed, to the point where they misconstrue his message

kingdom planted a lot, and i mean a LOT of interesting seeds. caesar being a religious figure of sorts, and noa, who you could call a skeptic for most of the movie, are great inclusions to continue the saga. a lot of very important questions get asked (not literally, but this is what i gathered)

caesars words guided their kind back then, how suitable are they for everyone generations later? (especially since they just have word of mouth to go off of)

the humans want to 'reclaim what they once had', what lengths are they willing to go for that and is it justified?

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR HUMANS AND APES TO LIVE SIDE BY SIDE? the most important question of them all. and it will be a very difficult one to tackle! has it been long enough that apes will 'forgive' humans? will humans just want to consume and reclaim without consideration for the apes? how nuanced r the viewpoints within the humans and apes?

DO YOU SEE HOW MUCH THERE IS HERE. the messaging is so so so dense and even though it is just an ape movie it is really fascinating to see how all of this plays out! i am so incredibly excited for the sequels to kingdom. would love anyone to jump in on the conversation, correct me or otherwise it is just a lot! i love this series!

[imminent-danger-came]

What do you think of the resolution of the Samadhi Fire arc?

I'll take this to mean the "Embrace Your Destiny" special, which effectively closes what I consider to be the first arc in Lego Monkie Kid!

Between liking it as a finale and liking it as set-up for the next season, I decidedly like it as set-up more (but there is plenty to enjoy about what they answered/resolved). I think the 3x13 flashback gives a lot of depth to LBD (which is then later paralleled to by Azure), and it answers a couple questions along the way, like: why? Why did the Lady Bone Demon do any of this? Why was she in her prison? Why is the Mayor in league with her? And ultimately, what is her destiny?

As far as those questions go, I liked the answers the show gave and how LBD's defeat was ultimately brought about (through standing together and with that unity bringing about hope/the future, something that was contrasted by MK's s2 arc and supported by 3x08 and 3x10, doing it together vs doing it alone).

The final confrontation of ideals is beautiful to me, boiling down to perfection vs imperfection (chaos?👀):

Lady Bone Demon: "You would allow this world to continue to fester and rot? The eternal misery of countless souls because of your sentimentality for mortal pleasures!" MK: "*yells* You can't judge things by they're worst qualities!" Tang: "This world might not be perfect, but it's still worth fighting for!" Pigsy: "Yeah! Sometimes it's that little bit of char that makes for a more flavorful meat! Even if it is a bit tangy." Sandy: "You said it Mo! The world may be full of darkness, but to let the light shine, all we need to do is stand together!"

Like this sentiment of an imperfect world being worth fighting for, and by extension imperfect people being worth fighting for, is one I love. It also ties in nicely with MK and his low self-esteem, (like, thematically, heaven knows he has not applied his "you can't judge things by they're worst qualities" mentality to himself), where you can still love/defend things that aren't perfect or wholly "good". This naturally affixes itself to Wukong, who has lifetimes of mistakes. At this point MK chooses to ignore and repress his perception of Wukong's flaws, but eventually, we're going to go the direction of loving people in all there imperfectness. Yes, even when someone has made terrible mistakes, you can still fight for them and care about them (4x08, 4x13).

Though, let me also talk about Samadhi Fire Mei and possessed Wukong! I love both of these concepts, and I love the way they were executed. "Don't use the flame Mei...Be the flame!" linking to 1x09 "You don't use a weapon....you ARE a weapon!" This idea of "using vs being" intrigues me, and I think it works in tandem with being controlled versus having your freewill. The Lady Bone Demon both used Mei and Wukong for her purposes, and her ruin was for them to be themselves. I think you can also view Azure with this lens—he was so focused on using the Jade Emperor's Power to change the world/revenge, he ignored actually being the Jade Emperor.

Overall, I think Samadhi Fire Mei does a good job of continuing Mei's arc (using power to protect those you care about), and perpetuating the pattern of her following in MK's footsteps. For Wukong, he's a character who always desires the ability to do whatever he wants. So possession is delightfully ironic for Wukong, you know. He keeps running off to keep MK safe, but running off is what also put his protege in danger, from his own hands no less ("Can't you see you're hurting the people who care about you the most?" - "Until I know what I am, what my destiny is? I can't risk hurting the people I care about—the one's I have left.").

And obviously 3x14 has one of my favorite scenes in the whole show, that being the "To pain" scene, which continued to blur the "good guy"-"bad guy" lines that have slowly been obscured over the course of Monkie Kid. I will never shut up about that scene. Doing what you think is right and giving it your best can still lead to disappointing and terrible outcomes.

And of course, they began "A Hero is Born" with a Tang narration about the past, and then ended 3x14 with a Tang narration about the present. I always love a good book-ending.

[vinaykumarnsblog]

The Future of Photography: Vinay Kumar Nevatia's Perspective on AI-Driven Visual Storytelling

In the rapidly evolving world of photography, traditional techniques and modern technology are converging to shape a future that holds boundless creative possibilities. At the forefront of this exciting transformation is Vinay Kumar Nevatia, a visionary photographer who leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to push the boundaries of visual storytelling.

Embracing the Fusion of Art and Technology

In recent years, AI has made significant strides in various industries, and photography is no exception. Vinay Kumar Nevatia, often referred to as an “AI photographer,” is a trailblazer in harnessing the power of AI to create stunning visual narratives. His work exemplifies the fusion of human creativity and machine intelligence, resulting in a unique and captivating blend.

The integration of AI in photography opens up new avenues for artists to explore and redefine their craft. AI-driven tools can assist photographers in tasks such as image enhancement, object recognition, and even generating creative compositions. This symbiotic relationship between artist and AI enables photographers like Vinay Kumar Nevatia to break free from conventional constraints and embark on innovative journeys of self-expression.

Redefining Visual Storytelling

Photography has always been a medium for storytelling, capturing moments, emotions, and narratives in a single frame. Vinay Kumar Nevatia’s perspective on AI-driven visual storytelling is nothing short of groundbreaking. Through his lens, he uncovers narratives that might have remained hidden to the naked eye.

AI algorithms have the capacity to analyze vast datasets of images and extract patterns, which can be invaluable for photographers seeking to tell more profound and data-driven stories. Vinay Kumar Nevatia’s work often features subjects ranging from urban landscapes to intricate details of nature, all brought to life through the lens of AI.

Pushing the Boundaries

One of the most exciting aspects of Vinay Kumar Nevatia’s approach is his willingness to push the boundaries of photography. His experiments with AI-generated art and photography challenge conventional notions of what is possible in the realm of visual storytelling.

Through AI, Vinay Kumar Nevatia can transform mundane scenes into dreamlike landscapes, apply intricate textures, and create surreal atmospheres. His work demonstrates how technology can amplify an artist’s vision, opening doors to new dimensions of creativity and storytelling.

The Future is Bright

As we look to the future of photography, it becomes evident that AI-driven visual storytelling is poised to play a pivotal role. Vinay Kumar Nevatia’s work is a testament to the endless possibilities that lie ahead for photographers and artists who dare to embrace this exciting fusion of art and technology.

With each click of the camera shutter and every brushstroke of AI, the future of photography becomes more intriguing, dynamic, and immersive. It’s a future where the boundaries between reality and imagination blur, where every image tells a story that resonates on a profound level.

In conclusion, Vinay Kumar Nevatia’s perspective on AI-driven visual storytelling serves as a beacon for photographers and creatives worldwide. Through his work, we catch a glimpse of the limitless potential that lies at the intersection of art and technology, a future where photography transcends its traditional confines and enters a realm of boundless innovation and wonder.

[kiko-pshs]

Village Society in “The Handsomest Drowned Man”

What will your town do when they see a dead body?

The short story "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World" was written by Colombian novelist Gabriel Garca Márquez. The tale, which was first released in 1968 under the title "El ahogado más hermoso del mundo," is an example of magical realism, a subgenre that depicts magical or extraordinary elements as though they were regular, daily events (The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World Summary and Study Guide | SuperSummary, n.d.). 

Children playing on the beach initially mistook a dark, slinky bulge approaching the shore for a ship or a whale, but upon closer inspection, they discovered it was a drowned man. The village men brought him to a nearby house. Since it was clear he was not from their small village, they searched neighboring villages for any clues about his identity. Meanwhile, the women stayed behind and cleaned the man, daydreaming about his virility and comparing him to their own men. The oldest woman named him Esteban based on his face. When they covered his face with a handkerchief and he appeared lifeless, they all cried. The men returned and were initially upset at the women's tears, but when the handkerchief was removed, they too felt pity for Esteban. In the end, they decided to throw him back into the sea without an anchor, allowing him to return whenever he desired. As a tribute to Esteban, the village people widened their door frames.

In “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,”  cultural and societal norms, systems, and beliefs presented in the story affected the behaviors of the characters and the overall story arc; these cultural and societal norms can be examined through a sociological lens.

A. How does the setting shape the values, disposition, and thoughts of the story's characters?

B. Who/what are the powerful societal forces in the lives of the characters?

C. How do the characters’ class and position in society affect their lives?

A. The setting of the story is in a remote fishing village, most likely in a Latin American country such as Colombia (where the author is from).  The remoteness and isolation of the villagers renders them fascinated and intrigued when they encounter foreign things such as Esteban. Esteban became the epicenter of the villager's life because no one has seen someone as "strong and virile" as he is. The coastal setting also influences the traditions and gender roles within the community such as when the men were assigned to do the fishing while the women did communal and caretaking jobs.

1. Supporting line from the literary work

“Fascinated by his huge size and his beauty, the women then decided to make him some pants from a large piece of sail and a shirt from some bridal linen so that he could continue through his death with dignity.”

2. Supporting line from the literary work

“While the men went to find out if anyone was missing in neighboring villages, the women stayed behind to care for the drowned man.”

B. Societal forces such as the close-knit relations of the community and its cultural & traditional norms play a major role in the villager’s life. Due to the village being remote and having a sparse population, the villagers share a tight-knit community. When Esteban washed ashore, they all took care of his body. Traditional norms such as gender roles also played a major part in the characters' lives with the men doing the more physical and "adventurous" labor such as fishing and looking at nearby villages while the women stayed and took care of Esteban. 

1. Supporting line from the literary work

“all the men fitted into seven boats. So when they found the drowned man they simply had to look at one another to see that they were all there.”

2. Supporting line from the literary work

“While the men went to find out if anyone was missing in neighboring villages, the women stayed behind to care for the drowned man.”

C. The majority of the villagers belonged to the working class and lived in a remote village. The villagers work menial jobs such as fishing to make ends meet. This plays a major role in their lives since their access to different resources are limited. Within the community, the villagers all look up to older people to be the decision makers such as when the oldest woman named the drowned man Esteban. 

1. Supporting line from the literary work

“The village was made up of only twenty-odd wooden houses that had stone courtyards with no flowers and which were spread about on the end of a desertlike cape.”

2. Supporting line from the literary work

“when the oldest woman, who as the oldest had looked upon the drowned man with more compassion than passion, sighed: 'He has the face of someone called Esteban.' It was true. Most of them had only to take another look at him to see that he could not have any other name. The more stubborn among them, who were the youngest,”

Many sociological factors affected the character’s behavior and attitude. This can be seen by the characters following the prevailing norms in their society such as the tight-knit sense of community, gender roles, hierarchies based on their place in society, etc.

"The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World" is a story of magical realism that presents extraordinary scenarios as if they were mundane. However, upon closer examination, we can discern the incorporation of real-life sociological factors that influence the characters' behavior, resulting in a seamless blend of the mundane and the bizarre.

Reference:

The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World Summary and Study Guide | SuperSummary. (n.d.). SuperSummary. https://supersummary-web-next-production-5gmk40ctu-liftventures-dev.vercel.app/the-handsomest-drowned-man-in-the-world/summary/

[webionaire]

A journey through the oeuvre of photographer Stephan Vanfleteren, with expansive personal reflections and stories from three decades of encounters and photography

“At times I think that Stephan has a clear idea of how to make his photographs work so well. But then there’s this book here, showing us he is constantly, across a wide range of situations, searching for his visual language, for his self, for stories that need to be told, and then the work becomes so exciting again for me, and important and rich, that I want to drown myself in it. A masterful collection.”

— Anton Corbijn, photographer and director

“I am more than a passenger of the past. People sometimes ask me if I look back too much. Of course, I look back, but I also look forward, to the left, to the right, up and down. Far and near. And for the first time I’m also really looking inside.”

— Stephan Vanfleteren

Stephan Vanfleteren (1969) is mainly known to the general public for his penetrating black & white portrait photography, but over the past decades his work has ranged to documentary, artistic and personal pictures. From street photography in world cities like New York to the genocide of Ruanda, from storefront façades to the mystical landscapes of the Atlantic wall, from still lifes to intense portraits. The iconic images sit side by side with unknown treasures in this heavy tome containing no less than 505 photographs.

In the very personal accompanying text, Vanfleteren reflects on how his own work and the photography genre as a whole have evolved in recent decades. You get a close-up look at his intriguing career from the very beginning, when he travelled the world with an appetite for action. He also photographed his home country: all of the headline news stories of the 1990s appeared before his lens. Around the Millennium, Vanfleteren started to focus on that which is disappearing. With painstaking attention to nuance he created a visual archive of his homeland and of his fellow Belgians, in his own inimitable style.

In the last few years Vanfleteren has brought the world inside, to his daylight studio, resulting in many encounters and portraits. This book includes two new series – not previously published – which were born in the intimacy of his studio: an exploration of the still life and a study of nude photography, both in colour.

Present is an impressive overview of Vanfleteren’s oeuvre that provides a complete picture of him as a photographer, an artist, and above all a human being who faces life with empathy, wonder, and curiosity.

[sakitenmaenjoyer]

theories ive i've seen:

he'll criticize rui: likely! but rui (1) is a mega genius and (2) works well under pressure. if this happens, rui will take it in stride like emu did in perspective for smile, as opposed to tsukasa in phoenix or nene in canary (not that they didn't take it in stride eventually...they were just struggling a little more with it)

he'll try to recruit rui: mmaybe likely? especially if he sees how talented rui is. he seemed intrigued by him at the end of rui4

he'll betray rui: no idea how this could happen, but it would be a nice change in pace for wxs's current story. the theory was brought up because of rin's scene in chapter 3 of backlight lens flare

he's only interested in fame: seeing how he acts in backlight lens flare gives the impression that this isn't true. he seems pretty knowledgeable in his craft, and genuinely interested in directing. still, he did make a comment about o'hara working on another low budget movie

theories i haven't seen

he's rui if he didn't get friends: what is says on the tin. sakaki seems like he could be a nice parallel to rui, seeing as they have similar cool demeanors but different ways of thinking about others. o'hara remarked that sakaki doesn't pay attention to anything he isn't interested in, and judging by the fact that sakaki remembered bakuno's name and face, what he's interested could be referring to theatre. meanwhile, rui thought himself to not care about anything but shows, but he cares deeply about other people. if sakaki is a parallel to rui, he's what rui would be like if he stayed alone

he'll help rui: also likely. sakaki doesn't seem all that antagonistic as of yet. he was teasing and antagonistic to o'hara, and o'hara seemed annoyed, but they still seemed like they were close. he thinks rui is intriguing, but that doesn't mean he'll be a force trying to hold him back. his different perspective might help rui

he'll take rui's work: i made this shit up but imagine LOL

i'm so interested in sakaki's deal, because atp, everyoneee assumes he'll take on an antagonistic role. including me LOL

[crow-lex]

Egon Spengler x reader

Part 1

Main characters: Egon Spengler and Y/N.

Au: Small and shrunken Y/N.

Warnings: slight hint of spicy. Fluff.

This is a small start from what I was originally going to post. It is short, only 743 words approx. But something is something. Soon I will publish the second part ;)

“A figure of no more than 15 centimeters, remained leaning on the desk.

She gazed with full curiosity at her body, limbs waving...

In her place-as she looked up and up at the ceiling, she gradually became aware of the change in her surroundings.

...

The composition in the materials was extremely different; big, sturdy...

They seemed to have doubled in size.

Her gaze varied between confusion and almost zero understanding that was slowly adhering to the subconscious.

Then, as time passed, a now clarified vision of the front appeared...

On the wooden surface, positioned at the edge of the desk, Y/N conceived his dwarfed self.”

~~~

The day had finally come to an end.

The ghostbusters returned to the station gates, hunched over and faded.

Answering the last call, when night came, the group immediately headed for the stairs.

Entering the main lab, everyone spread out in their own directions.

Peter and Winston to the bedrooms, Ray to the fridge...

Y/N for his part, took place next to the kitchen next to the cup of coffee. Abandoned since the beginning of the day.

She took the same in her hands, enjoying the momentary icy feel against her hands. That now, after exposure to work, lay worn and almost insensible.

It was a time of conflict.

Of peace and recovery.

That second in which she reviewed the events of the day. The second her body relaxed against the marble.

A moment where she abandoned her mechanical movement and allowed herself to think calmly.

...

She brought the cup to her lips, and her gaze went from soft to the ground, to dim over those brown orbs.

Spengler kept his eyes locked with hers, and his gaze lowered slowly and painstakingly to the rim of the mug against his lips.

The subtle sentiment that momentarily clouded the scientist's eyes went unnoticed by Y/N, but he remained present behind his lens as he tilted the cup, drinking the contents within.

...

About to get up, Spengler hesitated for a moment, and after a few moments of hesitation, he decided to simply stand in his place.

...

Y/N pulled the cup away from his lips, narrowing her eyes as the bitter, lingering taste passed his palate. His entire mouth was covered by the dry sensation.

The intense flavor of the coffee took the girl by surprise, which she limited herself to looking into the cup.

The last drop of liquid. The translucent residue at the bottom of the cup.

She could see behind him the pottery that contained it.

However, a tiny whitish gleam showed like oil on the surface.

Maybe it was just the milk... Possibly expired. That would explain the strange taste.

~~~

“Then, there instead, one crash after another rang out. Confusion grew within Y/N, who now lay propped up next to the shadow of a cylindrical pencil holder.

One last crash, consumed by the shriek of the door opening... The shadow of a figure fell across the threshold.

One more step. Spengler's features materialized on the outline of the shadow.

He stood, looking around the room. In search of something.

And Y/N stood there, transfixed. No perceptible or lasting emotion remained within her heart.

She didn't know what to expect, nothing more than knowing the reason for Spengler's presence in that laboratory.

...

The scientist's continued gaze changed to a speck of curiosity and questioning.

Y/N soon became aware of her, the man's gaze was on her.

~~~

The confused feelings within her heart certainly did not help calm the emotion that arose within her being.

The thought of being found in that state.

It was intriguing. How much could she do in her state?

...

Certainly what she felt was not fear.

~~~

"What are we going to do with her? We can't just leave her in that state!

Spengler, leaning against the Ecto-1, simply watched. Silent. Ignoring all of Ray's desperate pleas.

-“Waiting will be our only option... Until Y/N shows some response to the substance, it is better not to interfere...”

-“Spengs... any plan?”

...

-"None at the moment..."

...

~~~

Y/N watched as Spengler tilted his head curiously. Still silent.

...

"Well... This is unexpected..."

[nymphofnovels]

hey, saw the post about podcasts and ace rep, and as someone not well versed in the podcast world, I was wondering if you could point me to a couple podcasts you liked that had ace rep? thanks!

I'll admit, I partly reblogged that just to be memey but at the same time... the number of times I've started a series and later learned that a character is canonically ace seems way higher in podcasts than pretty much any other media I consume. So yeah, I'll give this my best shot.

Off the top of my head, fiction podcasts with a canonically ace main character:

The Magnus Archives (scripted fiction, horror)

The Strange Case of Starship Iris (scripted fiction, sci-fi)

Critical Role, specifically campaign 2 (actual play, D&D)

Rusty Quill Gaming (actual play, Pathfinder)

More about each podcast below the cut

I'm sure there's other podcasts out there that I haven't listened to, so please add on if you have recs!

Scripted Fiction

The Magnus Archives- Starts off as a horror anthology podcast and gradually builds a plot. Genuinely one of my all-time favorite podcasts.

This is the big one for me because the main narrator/protagonist is biromantic asexual and his relationships to other people really define his character journey, whether through friendship, conflict, or romance. Writer confirms the Archivist's orientation in podcast feed Q&As and the story also makes a point to demonstrate his orientation organically. The ensemble casts also has a lot of queer characters.

There are some mixed feelings about how the ace part is brought up in story because it's part of office gossip and strikes some people as an uncomfortable outing, but I'm personally okay with it.

The biggest thing that this podcast opened for me is not *just* the fact that it had the first Bi-Ace protagonist I'd encountered after realizing that's my orientation, but also the fact that it has/had a fairly large fanbase who by and large are respectful of his asexuality. The amount of complex fic exploring asexuality through the lens of Jon/John "The Archvist" Sims is truly a gift imo.

The Strange Case of Starship Iris- Sci-Fi podcast that's not quite as polished as some bigger names but has a lot of heart and intriguing plot. One of the main characters, Arkady Patel is gray-asexual and that is a noticeable component in her growing romantic relationship in-story. Features a lot of queer characters.

Tabletop Actual Plays

Critical Role- Dungeons and Dragons Actual Play livestream/podcast, possibly the most famous. I love it, but it's not for someone without a lot of time on their hands.

Very late into campaign 2, Caduceus Clay in character mentions his lack of interest in pursuing romantic and/or sexual relationships (it's a pretty funny moment). Every campaign so far has a few mlm and wlw relationships, either between player characters or in the background with NPCs.

Rusty Quill Gaming- Pathfinder Actual Play Podcast

Created by the same company and many of the same people working on The Magnus Archives. Ben Meredith (player) makes a point during one of the last few story arcs to say that Zolf Smith (character) is biromantic grey-asexual. It's a case of the player clearly putting thought into his character's orientation and how he relates to other people, and I really appreciate how Zolf is depicted.

I believe that another player character, Sasha Rackett, is also depicted as aro/ace, but she exited the campaign partway through so it's been a while and I can't remember.

[spideyspeaches]

Spotlight ↬ t.h

A/N: This whore made me write this okay? shh you didn’t see me write this 🤡 Lord save me what have I written 😪😪💀

WC: 1.4k+ 

Warnings: smut. minors dni

Pairing: tom holland x photographer!reader (basically the plot lmao)

Masterlist || Taglist

“Is it just me, or are these pants super tight?” Tom grunted, pulling the tight dress pants in question to fit over his thighs. Wiggling his toes, he tried not to groan at the numbness in his limbs the uncomfortable pants brought, hoping the photoshoot wouldn’t take long.

He really wasn’t in the mood for a photoshoot this late at night, especially after a long day of continuous online press. The things he did for his fans. He just hoped that the new photographer wouldn’t be a rookie, he would feel terrible if he snapped at them for doing their job. Not that he would ever, his anger management was going well. 

“I don’t know man, ask your stylist.” One of the dressers said. Tom didn’t know what his name was, there were too many people to keep track of names. And then there was the makeup artist, who decided that he needed makeup that very moment, brushing his nose with powder with a fluffy brush. Trying hard not to rip his pants, he sneezed three times in succession. 

“Bless you.” The makeup lady chuckled, dusting more on his cheekbones before going to the rest of his face. Trying to deflect her, he moved around a little, earning a chuckle from the others. 

“I think I’m already pretty without makeup, thank you very much.” Tom joked, rolling his sore neck, curling his toes once again as they cracked satisfactorily, sighing in relief that the darn fitting was finally done. 

“You are pretty but the camera needs a little highlight to show your cheekbones off.” she retorted.

Scoffing, he looked around, eyes landing on the multiple flashlights in front of the green screen, and another person. Furrowing his brows, he shrugged, maybe that was the new photographer. 

“Who’s that woman?” He asked anyway, sneaking a glance at You. He could only see your back, but he could see your hair tied up in a bun, baggy olive pants and a plaid shirt loosely hanging off your waist. He felt jealous looking at your comfortable clothing, pushing down the feeling with a huff. You were a stranger, and he would be home soon anyway. 

“That’s the new photographer, she’s an intern but quite good at what she does. We saw her portfolio and immediately hired her.” 

“That’s great.” He muttered absentmindedly tracing his eyes over your form. He found himself unable to stop the blush creeping up his cheeks when you turned around, a smile on your lips when you saw him eyeing you. It wasn’t often that somebody caught his eye. 

“She’s off-limits.” The older woman muttered, smirking when he huffed. 

“It wasn’t like I was going to do anything.” he said defensively, yet unable to take his eyes off you.

“Of course you weren’t.”

No he wasn’t. At first he wasn’t, but his stupid tight fucking pants were making him uncomfortable, twisting the rings in his fingers to stop the anxiety blooming in his chest. His eyes followed you again as he sat at the ground, watching you as you adjust the settings of your camera. 

"Y/n, right?" Tom asked, as you nodded bashfully. 

“Ready?” You smiled. Giving you a thumbs up, he posed in multiple positions, his eyes following your hands as they held the lens of the camera. You tried not to pay much attention to the man in front of you.

You had come here strictly to click photographs, not hook up with a celebrity who was decidedly the most attractive person in this room. You felt your breath hitch as he spread his legs, casually sprawling his hands between his thighs, right on top of his crotch. The rings on his fingers and the highlights of his makeup visibly shone against the bright lights. Clearing your throat, you lowered the camera from your face. 

“Can you- can you turn a little bit? To your right?” You stuttered, indicating the new position, bunching up the hem of his grey dress pants as he shifted.

“This is better?” He asked, looking up with a smirk. He definitely knew what he was doing, and judging by his smug expression, which you decided to capture before it vanished, he knew how it was affecting you too. 

The overall shoot was exhausting, with the constant wardrobe change and time limit. But the entire time, you couldn't help but be intrigued by the British actor in front of you. 

His wardrobe definitely defined his muscles, the lights working wonders as they created shadows in just the right places. 

“Can I see the photos?” He asked, coming to stand behind you once the rest of the crew disappeared to pack everything up. Your breath hitched again, the closer he came, the faster your heart beat. 

“Th-they need to be edited.” You stuttered, switchin on your camera anyway. Without turning, you held the instrument in your hand, lifting your elbows as he came closer, his mouth nearly on your neck. You were both thankful for the empty dressing room. 

“I bet they look good, they came from a sweet thing like you.” He whispered, bringing his hands closer to your waist, teasing you as his fingers traced non existent circles on the small of your skin visible from the hitched t-shirt. The air around you grew thicker, it was getting harder to breath with every passing minute as he ran his cold fingers burning your skin, the cool of his rings a foreign touch.

You’ve had a one night stand or two before, but they were usually men from random dive bars. Not a celebrity, who had taken interest in you surprisingly fast. Your gut twisted at the thought of doing him, the heat of the spotlight suddenly burning your skin. Was this going to be a one night thing too? You didn’t know. You didn’t care. You weren’t going to admit it, but you were a fan of Tom Holland. You had seen his interviews of him for Cherry, but somehow, the Tom Holland standing behind you was a complete 360 of the Tom you saw in the interviews.

“They look good because they have you.” You said, squirming at the funny feeling of his lips on your neck, sucking on the nape. Fuck professionalism, no one was there to catch you, the lights of the studio having been switched off because of it nearing it’s closing time. You had a trailer of your own, but you were too lost in his lips to care.

Twisting around, you jumped up as he caught you with ease, crashing your lips with his with a hunger that surprised you, arms grasping his shoulders as you dug your nails into his clothed shoulder. 

Panting as you parted, you took off your clothes, the cold air hitting you as your body got used to the sudden temperature change. He watched in awe as they fell one by one, first your pants, then your shirt, leaving you in your sports bra and panties. His hard on was very visible from his pants, as he reached to unveil himself alongside you. 

“Don’t you think this is a little unprofessional? We literally just met.” You spoke, walking closer to him, holding his cheeks in your palm. Biting your lips, you ran your hands on his now bare chest, feeling the hard skin of his nipples, his defined pectorals. Yeah, you really didn’t give a fuck about professionalism, you were about to fuck Thomas fucking Holland, maybe teach him a lesson after he left you all hot and bothered during the photoshoot.

“It’s unprofessional only if you want it to be darling.” He groaned, pulling you closer to his, your chests smacking against each other as he grasped your head, kissing you, the pace increasing as he picked you up by your waist, slamming you against the door of the studio. 

You never knew a touch could mean so much, lost in your high of his lips against yours, his skin against yours feeling like fire and ice at the same time. 

“Say the magic word babygirl, and I’ll stop.” He said, grunting as you dug your fingers in his back, your head spinning at the euphoria his voice brought you. 

“I don’t think I’ll be able to say anything with your dick against me.” You said, stopping for a moment as he looked at you open mouthed. A moment passed and his laughter rang in the studio, your own mixed with his. 

This was gonna be the longest night of yours. 

A/N: SO THAT HAPPENED HAHA BYE IMMA GO INTO HIDING 

[archerincombat]

Please elaborate on how the writers have been doing Eddie dirty since the beginning. I'm very intrigued!

Re: this post

Basically—

To preface, I’m not sure that Buddie was supposed to get as big as it did (but like, when you put two people with that much chemistry on screen, what did you expect to happen?). It’s very obvious, and it’s been heavily discussed, that Eddie was supposed to be a foil for Buck. Key word supposed to be.

Okay. So they get there eventually. But a lot of it still remains fanon. I could go on a long chronological rant of every event in order, but the gist of it is this: since S2 Eddie’s character development has inexplicably been tied to someone else at every step of the way. Here’s what I mean—

First it was Shannon. He moved here for Shannon, okay great. It’s a plot device; it makes total sense. Then, when he’s here, he gets tied to Buck, who helps him with all of his problems and asks for nothing in return.

Except if Eddie’s supposed to be Buck’s partner in every way that matters… then why is it always Buck helping Eddie out? I get that it’s in Buck’s nature to step over boundaries when he has people’s best interests at heart, but not once (in my memory) do we see Eddie do anything but rib Buck about Abby. When Buck was there for him about Shannon reappearance? When he listened and brought Eddie the god’s gift to earth that is Carla? You’re honestly going to tell me that Eddie, loyal to a fault, never reached out to see how Buck was feeling? Like you’re really gonna tell me that? Idk.

And then...what? No more character development for Eddie that season, I guess. This is off topic, but Shannon’s entire arc made me SO MAD only because of how chopped it was. That’s his wife. Who just divorced him. And then she immediately dies. That’s (forgive me 911 gods), that’s lazy writing really. You might say, well it came back to bite Eddie in season three—

But then he’s tied to Lena, or defending Bobby over Buck though it’s damn clear to Chim and Hen and Athena why Buck did it. He makes a comment: “Look, I know it sucks, but that's life, right? Whenever stuff didn't work out for me, my dad always told me to brush it off, keep moving forward.”

And Eddie’s fucking stupid when it comes to his own emotions, but he has them. He knows repression is bad. He’s not dumb. He’s what, in his 30s? He better damn well know that’s not how trauma works; he doesn’t treat his own kid like that (and he says as much in therapy later, so those feelings are there no matter how deep-rooted they are); he didn’t tell Shannon to get over it when her mother got sick and she had to take a break.

Continuing with the lawsuit arc, What I’ve yearned for—which, I don’t have a problem with Buck suing the city, I have a problem with how he did it and how everyone responded—is Eddie’s point of view. Both Buddie fights, in the grocery store and that one scene right before they make up, are from Buck’s perspective so obviously the viewer feels sympathetic for him. When Eddie asked if Buck knew how much Chris missed him, it’s said so spittingly that it almost seems disingenuous. We needed an Eddie’s POV without Buck to see how it affected him, and we didn’t get one. We never get anything from Eddie’s isolated perspective unless it’s fundamental.

So then he goes to therapy, except it’s tied to Maddie’s and Hen’s at the same time. Hen gets her retreat; Maddie goes back to where Doug tried to kill her; Eddie gets...the kitchen scene, which is great for Buddie, not so great for Eddie because dude, he needs therapy. Buck’s not a therapist. Buck can’t do what Frank did and he didn’t do what that lady from Hen’s retreat did. Once again, the writers created Eddie for Buck, for Chris, not to be Eddie Diaz, which really sucks.

At the beginning of this post, I wanted to say “let’s cast aside Buddie’s relationship for a moment and look into Eddie’s character development under an isolated lens”, except you literally can’t. Every step of the way Eddie is tied to someone else’s emotions; someone else’s actions. Even in Eddie Begins we’ve gotten Eddie growing into a good father, but we knew that. We could see that in 2x01. The most important thing in Eddie’s life is Christopher. That’s a fact. His parents tried to take him, super shitty, but once again didn’t do much for character development.. yet. Eddie was always going to protect Christopher, that’s not even in question.

(I’m not quite sure how to put Eddie Begins into words, but I did my best. Sorry if it’s not coherent.)

And then we get to S4.

Listen, about Ana, I can’t imagine Eddie going back and dating someone that he snapped at about the skateboard. I just can’t. It’s just so, so out of character. Not to mention Eddie telling Ana that Christopher would get over it and then leaving him to storm off to Buck. Now, I’m not saying that Buck doesn’t basically co-parent Chris at this point but it’s still...it leaves a bad taste in my mouth that the writers needed that conversation between Buck and Chris so badly that they framed Eddie as not noticing that Chris would leave the house; that he would use his phone to call an uber; that his son felt like he couldn’t talk to him after how much Eddie’s emphasized that he can.

My point is this: if you’re going to create a character and give them these stubborn, steadfast, brave and loyal traits, then at least have them stand by them. Eddie should, by this point, be his own character without him having to have drama with Buck or his son; yes he’s Buck’s partner, but he’s also his own person. They make every scene in which Eddie gets injured in the field simultaneously about Buck; where was Eddie’s perspective during the leg injury? During the blood clot? Hell, other than some eye-contact, we didn’t get much of Eddie’s immediate thought process about his son getting swept away in a tsunami.

Hopefully in s5 we see more of what I deem Eddie’s perspective. Also, these are all my opinions and I don’t mean to offend anyone or start drama! I love Eddie and Buck and Chris and Buddie but these are just my thoughts solely from an analytical perspective. Sorry it was so long!

Also, lol, my hottest hottest take is that it should’ve been Eddie and Chris in the tsunami, but that’s just something I’d have thought was cool. No relevance to plot.

tagging @podinaroot and @blutterlie from my post!

[carryonsimoncarryonbaz]

Hey there! thanks for the AWTWB asks you’ve been answering—they’ve helped me process some parts of the book and think things through.

that being said I’ve got one of my own questions for you.

one of the things I really loved about Carry On was Simon and Penny’s friendship. One of the things I appreciated about WS was the friendship between Baz and Penny.

but we didn‘t see much of either of those in AWTWB and that kind of bummed me out. What are your thoughts on the lack of those interactions?

hello anon, thanks for the ask! This might be a long one, so bear with me!

Simon and Penny's friendship is one of many wonderful parts of these books. Like you, it's one of the things I've loved to read. I was also so gratified to see that Baz and Penny grew to have such a deep and caring friendship in WS.

It may seem like we don't see those friendships "on screen" in the same way in AWTWB but I do think there are reasons for that, reasons that make a great deal of sense building on the previous books.

Simon and Penny's friendship is introduced in CO and we see it as rock solid through that book. I don't think there was any doubt as to the mutuality and depth of that relationship. It continues, albeit affected by Simon's personal trauma, in WS. In WS we also see the introduction of Baz and Penny's friendship--forged in their mutual care and love for Simon but being a distinct and separate entity as well, a love and caring for each other that goes alongside the relationship they have through Simon.

I don't think AWTWB diminishes those friendships. But circumstances have altered–based on Simon's decision early in the book to withdraw himself from the World of Mages, from the revelations about themselves the trip to America brought forth, with how they choose to move forward based on those circumstances.

I think CO and WS did a good job establishing the foundation and strength of Simon's friendship with Penny and the Baz and Penny one as well. I don't think there is any doubt in AWTWB that they all care very deeply for each other.

But Simon has drawn a line. A boundary. He believes he needs to be distinct and separate from the World of Mages to move forward, to get unstuck. He makes that very clear to Penny in his conversation with her, a conversation that is off-screen for very good reasons I think. One reason being it having a stronger emotional punch when Simon tells Baz (and us) in the break-up chapter--it would have been diluted if we had already heard his reasoning. Instead we get to hear Penny explain her understanding of it to Baz before Simon gives us the much more emotionally devastating version he gives Baz.

We get to see Penny making some very crucial realisations about the co-dependant relationship she and Simon had developed, about her own decisions and reactions to what had been going on in Simon's life. And her role as his friend and confidant. She is seeing things through a different lens–since the Mage's death, since Simon's spiral, since the trip to America. Mitali is rather harsh in her observations but Penny did thrive on the excitement and intrigue of the missions, her role as dread companion, the rush of research, intuition, and creative spell casting that she would contribute. But we saw even in CO that Penny had reached a point of wanting to spirit Simon away, to keep him safe, to pull him away from the World of Mages herself. A part of her that intuitively knew his life as a boy-soldier was unhealthy and hurtful to him in the long run. There is certainly a part of Penny that likely blames herself for not seeing through the Mage earlier, for not in some way protecting Simon or helping him avoid what ultimately happened. Not that she necessarily could have, but she would be thinking about it.

We know Baz feels that way as well. We hear Dr. Wellbelove voice a regret we know those closest to Simon would be feeling. Penny loves Simon. She does respect him. But she has put herself in a “taking care of him” role that takes away some of his agency and leads to a challenging dynamic. She and Baz both, in WS, but Penny has a longer history of that. After America she has come to a realisation that perhaps she has enabled or encouraged some of the situations they have found themselves in, that have been detrimental to Simon in the long run. That her mantra of Simon needing her hasn’t necessarily been healthy for their relationship. He sets a boundary with her and she chooses to respect it, not bulldoze right over it, as she may have in the past. This is a huge moment of character growth for her. She isn't relinquishing her relationship with Simon. She's giving him the freedom to do what he feel is right for him in the moment. She loves and trusts him enough to give him space when she understands he needs it. She doesn't like it, it hurts like hell, but she knows this agency and control and decision making on his own terms is vital for him. And when he calls her back, to help solve some new magickal conundrum, she doesn't let herself get drawn in. She keeps her promise to him, even if he's the one crossing the boundary.

It also allows her to be her own hero, if that makes sense. To be the hero of her own story, to approach something on her own terms. She bemoans the fact that she doesn't have Simon and Baz to listen to her think through things when she's with Shepard but the reality is she doesn't need them to do that--she can do this herself. It's empowering and a shift in her own experience. It also allows her to open herself up to someone new, let someone else in to her tiny circle.

I also think it's important in this story to see that just because someone asks for space, or needs some distance or agency, it doesn't necessarily mean you're losing them forever or that they are permanently rejecting you. Or that you’ve done something irrevocable. People need to grow and process and change and sometimes they need the space and freedom to do so. I think that's a very meaningful point. They last a little over a week apart but it's a week that provides them both with insight and growth. And they find themselves again, stronger than before, when they are back together.

And Simon talks it out with Penny. Baz tells him he should and he does. And it's ok that conversation is offscreen. We know the love they have for each other. We know Penny hates emotional conversations (her whole issue with saying goodbye from Carry On). It's not a scene we need to see--it's ok that it's private. It's how they'd want it.

We don't see as much of Baz and Penny's friendship, which you also mention, but I think again that's ok. It doesn't mean it ceases to exist--it simply continues on in the background as Simon and Baz's relationship work takes the forefront. Yes, Baz and Penny have a disagreement about Simon. But their friendship remains. They still communicate. They are still there for each other in the pivotal later scenes surrounding Smith. That hasn't changed. They have each others backs. They always will. I don't think Penny truly begrudges the fact that Simon and Baz have had this time together--I think she is very aware of how much they care for each other and that they needed to sort themselves to move forward also.

I hope this answered your question. The tl;dr is basically their friendships endure, even when not explicitly on the page. We don’t necessarily need to see them to know they’re there—the groundwork has been laid. We know their history and the depth of those friendships and that this time apart allowed for growth and progress and healthy boundaries and understanding. All good things. And in the end, they're all in this together, for each other and in support of each other.