#adopt-ception

[skylersprompts]

DC X DP Prompt *19*

Daniel Kane knew that he was different. The older he got, the more he remembers about a different life. A life with a different older sister - Jazz - and not in Gotham, but somewhere in the Midwest. But he didn't dwell on it to much. He loves his sister Martha and he couldn't be happier for her. She married Thomas Wayne and they both seemed to be so in love. Then Martha got pregnant and a few month later he held his little godson/nephew Bruce in is arms.

Daniel stayed close to the Waynes and was more often in their house then not. But he also started to remember more, things that seemed impossible. Like a blues skinned, floating boy/man/grandpa. Sometimes when he looked in the mirror, his features looked wrong for a split second. White hair, green eyes and far to young. But he pushes all of this away and tries to live a normal life.

Then his sister and Thomas die. So he does the only right thing and becomes little Bruce's Guardian. It's hard, even with Alfred's help. But he tries do be there for him, while grieving behind closed doors.

When Bruce comes to him, to tell him about his idea to protect the people of Gotham, he first wants to objects, but something tells him that this needs to happen.

So after a few years Bruce becomes Batman. And Daniel worries every night, but he somehow knows that his nephew is doing the right thing.

And as their family grows, he can´t help but be grateful, even though his memories become more and more distorted. It was like he had a life before this one. A life of a normal middle class kid, then a teen hero with outlandish powers. But he was never much older than Damien in his memories, even though he got a new one almost every night.

At some point he started to write everything down. He hid his notes from the rest of the family, until one day when he had a strange feeling. He left everything out in the open for the others to find.

Daniel Kane wasn’t seen again after this day.

.

.

.

The same day, a black haired teen stepped into a portal to another dimension, dying without dying.

.

.

.

Clockwork had a sad smile on his face. But this was what had to be done to right the timeline. Danny Phantom couldn’t exist without Daniel Fenton, so he needed to make sure that this time someone was around who could also protect his human side.

After his identity got revealed accidentally and his parents captured him, it didn’t take long till his human half couldn’t take it anymore. He was only able to rescue the full Ghost of Danny Phantom and it took so long for the young ghostling to heal.

He send his soul back to reincarnate in the past so that they could change everything and he was again able to become the Ancient of Balance. But the moment that Daniel Fenton formed as a Ghost the soul of Phantom had to be reabsorbed into him. And so Daniel Kane would no longer exist.

But Bruce Wayne would still see him as family and Danny would get the family he deserved, even if he didn’t know this anymore.

[hearttohaato]

Encanto OC Event Week 2

Part 1: Tomás Herrera & The Madrigals

For this week about OC relationships, this'll be a perfect opportunity for me to introduce a couple background OCs that I wasn't able to last week. In order to prevent an insane amount of clogging I've decided to split the info into multiple posts, starting with the Madrigals' relationship with my favorite Just Some Guy: Tomás Herrera!

Tomás, like many other villagers within the Encanto, has lived his life understanding that the Madrigals were special people with incredible abilities. He's grown up respecting them as such, but eventually he'll come to find himself being taken in as one of their own and adopting their name - and their legacy. But though Tomás is happy to marry the love of his life and join her family, doing so comes with some difficulty adjusting to the new environment: he's gone from a household of four, to three, to two, to over a dozen. Everything gets so busy and bustling so quickly, and initially it's a little hard to keep up; for the first few years under Casita's roof, Tomás feels decidedly "un-ceptional" and like an outsider who is a Madrigal in name only. But as years go by and he gets more comfortable with all the new activity, responsibilities, and magic, he'll come to accept himself as being where he belongs just as the rest of the family already has.

In regards to Camilo Madrigal:

Tomás and three of his good friends (Santiago Torres, Cristián Vargas, and Rafael Molina) bond with Camilo as they and the rest of the town help to rebuild Casita after the events of the movie. Camilo had his own friends his age, of course, but there was something special to him about being taken in by a patch of older boys and being considered one of their own. He's simply Little Brother Shaped!

Though all four of them have their own dynamics with Camilo, Tomás and Camilo grow very close despite their seemingly conflicting personalities. Camilo aims to help Tomás loosen up and come out of his shell in ways he likely wouldn't attempt to do on his own, and in return Tomás offers Camilo stable and level-headed advice that is a welcome change in perspective from the kind he gets at home.

Of course they can get on each other's nerves, namely when Tomás won't budge or when Camilo's joking goes too far. But all in all they're a bulletproof duo, where Camilo gets the older brother he never had and Tomás gets to be the older brother he should have had.

Art by LintuShadow.Art (left)

In regards to Luisa Madrigal:

The experiences Tomás had growing up alongside Luisa Madrigal weren't unique nor exclusive only to him. He's hardly the first or only villager she's extended her hands to over the years - but from mundane favors to quite literally saving his life, everything Luisa has ever done for Tomás has meant the world to him, even if to her they were simply her duties as a Madrigal.

But despite what he may have believed, Tomás hadn't been completely invisible to Luisa. She knew him well enough as someone she grew up and went to school with, and though she was indeed doing what she needed to, she never really forgot any time she helped him (or anyone else). If anything, he was a friend to her!

What really sealed Tomás's fate was a moment he witnessed something he wasn't meant to, one that helped him recognize that someone as unremarkable as him and someone as special as her actually could have something in common: the mindset that one's own feelings could be ignored when there were more important things to worry about. From there admiration blossomed ruthlessly into a hopeless crush, and though it took him a while to be able to pull it off, he relayed his feelings to her through a simple gift: a hand carved wooden dove for her 20th birthday.

As a couple they compliment each other nicely, though in a different way than Tomás's friendship with Camilo. They are each other's pillar; his emotional stability allows him to support her in her time of need, whereas he feels safe and at ease when she's around. Luisa can very well take care of herself, this she and everyone else knows... but sometimes it's nice to sit back and let herself be treated like a princess, something Tomás is always more than happy to oblige. There's little room for arguments or disagreements between them, provided they don't try to out-martyr each other - sometimes it is necessary for one to wring true feelings and thoughts out of the other like they're pulling teeth. But they can't hide from each other, and over time it becomes much easier for them to be open and accept that maybe their feelings do matter when someone is willing to listen.

He is her osito. She is his paloma. he's so in love with her it makes him look stupid

Art by mushroomflood (left)

In regards to the other Madrigals:

Bulletpoints to make things go a little more quickly--

Julieta, as his future mother-in-law, is the closest thing Tomás has had to a mom since his own's passing. He's bashful around her for a while, even moreso when he gets the greenlight to start calling her Ma. He comes to enjoy helping her in the kitchen periodically, as he already has cooking experience from living with his father.

He wants to make a good impression on Agustín very much, despite how remarkably easy it is to get on the man's good side - all Tomás really had to do was promise to take care of his daughter and Agustín was sold. Tomás would like Agustín to teach him how to play piano but he doesn't know how to ask.

Mirabel, by virtue of hanging out with Camilo a lot, ends up getting close to Tomás as well. Tomás doesn't know how he ended up with not one but two teenage ducklings following him around but he's not mad about it. When Tomás and Luisa become engaged, Mirabel gifts him with an embroidered vest that he wears all the way up until the wedding.

The only problem Tomás has in regards to Antonio is that he's terrified of wild animals. Antonio himself is a perfectly sweet kid and Tomás is kind to him when he wants to socialize, but he'll be a little on edge if Parce decides to tag along. It likely takes years for him to get used to having the denizens of the jungle waltzing around the house, but he comes to trust Antonio to keep a handle on them.

Alma intimidates the hell out of him, especially since he's in a very Agustín-like position of probably not being her first choice to wed one of her grandchildren. But he'll prove himself to her in how devoted he is not only to Luisa but to Camilo as well, and eventually earn her blessing (to which he's both grateful and relieved).

Similarly, Isabela is a little tough on him at first and is the one to give him the third degree when she finds out he's involved with her baby sister. She recognizes he's kind of a marshmallow soon enough though and eases up on him after that. There's a cordial mutual fascination between the two and their skillsets, given Isa's ability to conjure trees and Tomás's ability to turn those trees into something new.

Tomás and Dolores are shaking hands over being exasperated by their goofy little brother Camilo, but beyond that their lowkey personalities mesh quite well. Oddly enough, between Dolores's Gift and Tomás's natural observational skills, the two tend to have enough information between them to quietly discuss goings-on around town.

Pepa and Félix are a little more removed from Tomás due to him being a cool color family addition, but as housemates there's still interactions to be had. Félix's extroversion brings a lot of energy Tomás doesn't always know what to do with and Pepa's storms take some time to adjust to, but all three of them readily agree on how much they care about Camilo and that's all that's really needed to keep the harmony.

Bruno keeps to himself more often than not and Tomás wholeheartedly understands. That said, once Tomás gets a good read on how Bruno operates and how best to approach him, they're able to have a rather polite rapport. The rats skeeve Tomás out a little but they're no big deal compared to things like jaguars and anacondas, thus Tomás can be convinced (by Mirabel and/or Camilo) to offer his talents and build little sets for Bruno's telenovelas.

Mariano is in the same boat as being a mundane marrying into a very non-mundane family, and with the added history of being casual friends beforehand Tomás ends up gravitating towards him as they adjust to their new lives as Madrigals. They, along with Camilo, end up becoming more or less the second generation parallels to the Madriguys that came before them - Tomás's Agustín to Mariano's Félix to Camilo's Bruno.

Art by cringecanto

Part 2 will be coming shortly! Then, as I'm fairly certain it's already technically Week 3, the post for that week's prompt will follow sometime soon after.

@encanto-extended-edition

[pomegranateeater]

hermies not adopted at all, his parents did raise him they just were acting as a different couple because that truly his the biggest scam,scam-ception. (We know they can both disguise themselves as humans so like)

[pocketramblr]

Lets hit afo with the dfo stick. Afo traveles in time to show his younger self how to properly do shit. Its less affective than he thinks because he forgot the most important part.

(He basically hates everyone other than his younger brother. If future him let yoichi get away surely that means hes jist stupid) anyway.

Dfo for afo. Dfoafo ception

Oh so it's not terminator style dfo it's just "adopt your past self and then be an even worse father than your original dad", which really isn't something I think most characters could pull off but AfO... Yeah AfO could

[celestialmango]

In your Magic Bunny Pred Lunar AU, would all of the boys be bunnies? Or is Lunar just a 'prey' animal that the others adopted as not food-food?

You know I didn't really think about it, imma say no, they're not all bunnies. Glitch is a Wolf(just the tail ears and beans), Sun is a birb(harpy), Moon is a fox(just has the ears, toe beans and tail of one like glitch), and Eclipse is a Naga.

Glitch found Lunar when they were both young, Glitch being abandoned due to being a runt, finds little Lunar in an abandoned den during the start of winter, Glitch was lonely and hungry(after a while), Lunar was fluffy, cute and more importantly, warm.

Lunar was too young to be scared of the wolf so didn't mind his presence, shared some of his stashed food with Glitch and the rest of the time they were cuddling for warmth. Glitch got attached so you can image how angry he was to find Moon about to eat Lunar later on. He tackled Moon while yelling "Let go go go of my little brother brother brother!"

Long story short, Eclipse finds Lunar on the sidelines of the fight, seeing the young wolf and fox fighting and asks the little rabbit what exactly is going on out of curiosity. Lunar replies with "well the fox tricked me and was gonna eat me but then my big brother Glitchy saw him, made him let go and now they're fighting"

Eclipse is confused "that wolf is your brother?" Lunar nods and tells him "He told me I was his little brother now a month ago" Eclipse just goes " ah" and continues to watch the pair fight before saying" so like how I adopted a little harpy and that fox over there as younger siblings."

Then Lunar asks "Are you going to try to eat me like the fox did?" Eclipse sighs "His name is Moon and he's a brat." Eclipse avoided the question but Lunar asks again, "Are you going to try to eat me like Moony did?" Eclipse has no idea how to deal with hear the cute little bunny call Moon a nickname like that.

He looks at Lunar who's starting to shiver in the snow then at Moon and Glitch and answers "No, I'm eating all of you." Then he pick Lunar up and swallows him into his torso crop after casting a spell. Then he wraps his coils around Glitch and Moon, swallows Moon into his crop with Lunar. Moon proceeds to immediately eat Lunar. Glitch upon being swallowed and seeing Moon looking smug with a full belly and hearing Lunar's muffled voice proceeds to eat Moon.

Eclipse figured that would happen, that's why the spell was cast, Moon and Glitch hours later are left wondering why their respective meals arn't digesting. Eclipse says he's not going to let his misbehaving little brothers out of his crop until they get along, Moon is offended that Eclipse decided to adopt his meal and the wolf who fought him.

Glitch is confused as to why this Naga came out of nowhere and adopted him and Lunar at first is upset because he didn't think he did anything wrong till Eclipse said "except you bunny, you're in there because you looked cold" Lunar is happier. Even if he's not having the greatest of times.

When Sun and Lunar meet the harpy coos at him and cuddles him calling him the cutest little brother in the world. Sun has easier time getting along with Lunar and Glitch than Moon. For a while Moon still messes with Lunar by nomming him which leads to Glitch nomming Moon, eventually it calmed down to just be a prank war instead of a case of chronic vore-ception.

Lunar does still get nommed sometimes by all of his brothers.

Did not expect to go off and make almost an entire backstory but it happened.

[jcmarchi]

Mikhail Taver, Founder & Managing Partner at Taver Capital Partners – Interview Series

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/mikhail-taver-founder-managing-partner-at-taver-capital-partners-interview-series/

Mikhail Taver, Founder & Managing Partner at Taver Capital Partners – Interview Series

Mikhail Taver is a seasoned investor with two decades of experience in high-level executive positions in prominent financial groups and industrial firms, as well as in investments and strategic consulting.

Mikhail has successfully concluded over 250 M&A and private equity transactions for major players in the industrial sector, and possesses profound expertise in areas such as IPOs, LBOs, direct investments, private equity, and mergers and acquisitions. His investment endeavors have also covered heavy industries like mining and manufacturing. In addition to this, Mikhail holds CFA, ACMA and CGMA designations.

As the founder and managing partner of Taver Capital, an international venture capital fund dedicated to investing in global artificial intelligence companies, Mikhail possesses a profound understanding of the investment process in deeptech and AI-powered startups.

You were one of the pioneers in investing in AI when it was still considered a niche. What initially drew you to AI technologies, and how has your perspective on AI investments evolved since founding Taver Capital?

When I chose AI, I did so considering it as a niche that I believed had good prospects. While I was right about the prospects, we have seen how AI has progressed at an accelerated pace and is now being adopted in virtually every industry, which means that I was wrong about the niche aspect. Now a mainstream technology, AI has evolved substantially since then, and so has my perspective as an investor. 

Initially, when AI caught my attention as a potential investment sector, I realised that I needed to transition from being a generalist investor within tech to a generalist within AI. This led me to be one of the pioneer investors in AI-powered technologies. Now, it is time to make another transition, from being a generalist in AI to finding the next promising niche within AI. In my perspective, and given my extensive experience working with heavy industries, I believe this is industrial AI. My perception of AI’s potential hasn’t changed – I’ve always viewed it as a tool for enhancing efficiency and transforming businesses. However, when it comes to the question of where integrating AI can generate higher returns, my bet is that it can do so in those industries that are ripe for disruption — manufacturing, mining, and other sectors that most AI-centred investors aren’t looking at.

Could you explain what opportunities and challenges you see in Industrial AI? How does industrial AI differ from other AI applications in terms of investment potential?

I believe AI can bring new life to companies in this sector and boost their growth. Traditional industries like manufacturing, energy, and mining have been slow for years, and AI has great potential to change that.

Take mineral mining, for example. Today, the discovery rates of copper, nickel and lithium are at their lowest levels ever, despite discovery-related spending being at an all-time high. Because of this, the mining sector holds immense potential for disruption. This belief led me to invest in Earth AI, a company in Australia that has developed a vertically-integrated mineral exploration technology and helps mining companies find deposits faster, cheaper, and, very importantly, more sustainably. 

Another case is Israel-based Ception, which is implementing AI systems to make construction sites and industrial plants more productive, sustainable and safe. MineCept, its SaaS model, utilises 3D mapping and precision visual positioning technology to enhance safety and operational efficiency on job sites.

In both of the examples illustrated above, investing in AI can help companies save billions in expenses, positively impacting a company’s bottom line. However, applying AI to heavy industries is a fairly capital-intensive endeavour, even for startups. Development funding needs to be calculated with a margin and with a long term horizon. Profit may come in steps; for instance, in mining, there may be no profit for a long time, then suddenly $20 million, then none again, and so on. This needs to be taken into account. Since it is a long-term project, both the founder and the team must have a strategic mindset, approach, and be ready for the fact that the result will not come soon.

Having said this, investors still hesitate to invest in industrial AI for several reasons. First of all, they believe that industrial deeptech investments are too time-intensive to be worthwhile. It takes about 5-6 years to determine if an AI project will work, which makes some investors skittish. This is true, and means that investors must be more selective when choosing a project. 

We also need to consider that the industry, due to its size, has traditionally been the playground of private equity. VCs have long skipped it and, as a result, they do not know a lot about heavy industries and how to communicate with founders in the sector. Having experience in investing in sectors such as SaaS, they have no understanding of the industrial sector features, and as a result have unrealistic expectations. Hence, it is important to dive deeply into the industrial sector and learn how to communicate with its stakeholders.

Taver Capital has achieved several successful exits, including acquisitions by major companies like Facebook and Mitek. What key factors do you consider when deciding to invest in an AI startup that might indicate a future successful exit?

First of all, I try to make sure that the founders truly understand what they are doing. This isn’t just about what they say, but also, about what they can concretely back with key figures. Secondly, I rely on my network to positively assess and vouch for new prospects. By the way, when industry experts say something is nonsense, that it’s impossible or won’t work, I may sometimes consider that to be a good sign. The same goes if, after the product makes its first steps, industry insiders start heavily criticising the startup for insignificant reasons.

Besides conducting due diligence on the founding team, I analyse whether the startups have potential for sustainable growth and long-term returns. If they are simply pursuing immediate profits driven by market trends, I tend to pass, because there is no value in the long run. I prioritise companies that can deliver lasting value over time.

Also, I evaluate whether companies adhere to conventional and well-proven business practices. Founders must have a clear vision of the market and run the company efficiently, keeping a close eye on finances, operations and employee morale. A robust financial model is essential to ensure the success and growth of a startup, since it acts as a guidepost to attain financial sustainability and streamlines the company’s activities. Then, I consider whether they have a clear action plan. This will make the strategic decision-making process transparent and manageable. One more point is that I value content over form. In the early stages of a business, substance is often more important than style. While having a visually appealing product can certainly help attract attention and generate interest, it’s ultimately the product’s quality that will determine whether or not a business is successful. 

Taver Capital invests globally, utilizing a network of local expertise. How do you manage the complexities of investing in diverse markets, and what role does local insight play in your investment decisions?

Since middle school, I’ve been in a very multicultural environment, so it is not difficult for me to connect with founders regardless of their location, language difference, etc. I can communicate with people and I don’t see any barriers to finding startups. 

Furthermore, having portfolio companies in different countries brings tangible benefits. Firstly, there’s always someone to talk to if you can’t sleep. Seriously though, from a business perspective, diversification is an additional guarantee of security. I saw this clearly during Covid, when some countries lay low, while others, on the contrary, had some kind of growth and development. For example, in the US there was a strict lockdown, and in Australia work was in full swing. It was an interesting experience.

The reality is that even if the same thing happens everywhere, it happens at different times. Therefore, by diversifying your portfolio, you mitigate geopolitical and local economic risks.

In what ways do you foresee AI reshaping economic landscapes, particularly in the industrial sectors?

There will be growth and improvement. What’s important is that this growth will be more sustainable — meaning it will be cleaner and more environmentally friendly. Let’s take Taver Capital’s portfolio company, Earth AI, which I mentioned earlier. Its tech-driven approach to targeting, testing and verifying discoveries required for the electric vehicle and renewable energy revolutions represents a major breakthrough for the industry, as it helps find maiden deposits in unexplored areas at a fraction of the usual cost. This is important today because there is a race for critical metals to fuel the renewable energy transition. The number of new discoveries has decreased by 73% over the last decade, and the development of old deposits often occurs in an environmentally unfriendly manner. 

AI-driven discovery is also significant at a time when essential “clean energy” minerals like copper and nickel face shortages despite substantial investments in exploration. Earth AI stands out by identifying nickel, copper, zinc, and vanadium mineral prospects over 100 times faster and cost-efficiently than traditional methods.

Then, let’s take a look at Industry 4.0. It is a trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies, and encompasses the integration of digital technologies, such as the Internet of Things, AI, cloud computing, and data analytics, into industrial processes. Industry 4.0 is visible in the creation of “smart factories” that are more interconnected, efficient, and capable of autonomous decision-making. 

By the way, replying to numerous concerns regarding the reduction of jobs, I don’t think this will lead to any spike in unemployment. We’ve already gone through an industrial revolution three times. In my opinion, humanity is simply becoming more productive.

What are the primary qualities or metrics you look for in AI startups when considering them for investment? Are there specific innovations or team characteristics that stand out to you?

The important thing is that the founders have already proven they can work together and have demonstrated their proficiency in doing so, which is usually quite apparent. If founders are family, I consider that as a red flag, because if there are issues with one, there will be issues with both, thus doubling the risks. 

Also, the founding team should have a wide range of knowledge. This does not necessarily mean a degree. While it’s important for the founder to have a higher education, it does not need to be in the specific field the startup operates in. This facilitates creative thinking and gives founders the ability to see the big picture while also being able to delve into the details. 

Having this dual ability gives the founding team a clear and distinct vision of the market they are pursuing and an intuitive understanding of their customers’ needs. Speaking about customers, I value founders who can listen to their feedback and consider it. In fact, not only from customers, but in general, it takes a lot of courage to openly listen to somebody else’s opinion. So that’s another aspect that I strongly consider. 

Finally, as I mentioned before, I closely examine a startup’s financial model before making any decision, as I believe it is critical to have a solid foundation for sustainable growth and scalability. 

AI continues to evolve, what emerging areas within AI are you most excited about? Are there particular trends or technologies that you believe will be pivotal in the next decade?

I would look not only beyond Industrial AI, but beyond AI in general. So many developments are currently happening in the industry that it helps to keep an open mind to see which aspects need support or are fertile ground for the emergence of new ideas. For example, I would consider aspects such as energy efficiency in model training, which is a big topic right now. There is a lot of talk about how Big Tech companies are having to deal with hiking emissions due to their AI initiatives, and are facing a lot of backlash for doing so. This is an example of a segment within AI that could use new ideas and fresh solutions. 

Another area that seems to be a big trend is security and ethics. As an example, some Apple features are not available in Europe because of the DMA requirements. I also believe that the DefenceTech sector will grow, and this will spur the development of civil industries. However, these two are closely linked, because there are a lot of ethical considerations that need to be kept in mind regarding the implementation of AI in government programs.

Based on your extensive experience, what advice would you give to entrepreneurs looking to venture into the AI space? What common pitfalls should they avoid?

Do not focus solely on AI. It’s best to engage in sectors where you want to do business, whether this is the oil industry, book publishing, steel casting, or anything else. AI is just a tool; there’s no need to pursue AI for the sake of AI itself. Artificial intelligence should simply serve as a technology that enhances your business efficiency.

Given your investment in Earth AI, can you discuss how AI can play a role in sustainability efforts, especially in sectors like clean energy and mineral exploration?

AI can contribute to these sectors in several ways: optimised resource management, predictive maintenance, environmental monitoring, enhanced mineral exploration, etc. 

Overall, AI’s ability to process and analyse data at scale enables smarter decision-making and operational efficiencies, providing methods of exploration and extraction which are much more efficient and environmentally friendly.

For example, as I have already mentioned, Earth AI discovers new deposits more efficiently, and drills to prove out those deposits more quickly than traditional explorers and drillers can.  It uses proprietary drilling hardware, featuring the Zero Disturbance Mud System and Mobile Logistics System, significantly reducing the operations’ environmental impact.

How do you see current and upcoming regulations affecting AI investments? What should AI startups be aware of to navigate these regulatory landscapes effectively?

The general trend is that regulation in the US and Europe is becoming more stringent. This is because AI and related technologies are developing very rapidly, necessitating regulatory oversight. This process is happening across all sectors; therefore, every industry is regulated in some way. The difference lies in the fact that businesses in traditional sectors like construction and automotive are accustomed to regulation, whereas AI is only at the beginning of this path.

I think generally it has its merits, as it makes the market more organised and systematic. However, today, the wording of the existing or proposed regulations still gives a lot of space for interpretation, which raises concerns. Certainly, it is necessary to carefully study the rules and observe their enforcement, but the possibility of subjective judgments about AI startups and subsequent decisions about which of them should be subject to tighter regulation is an alarming sign, and one that could have unintended consequences. 

This could lead to a shift in AI development to countries employing different or more sophisticated approaches, like China. On the other hand, сountries without excessive government regulation and those that encourage innovative ideas will attract developers. 

What I can advise for startups is to monitor the current legislation in different countries, and maybe consider the countries where regulation is less stringent or better suited for your industry, and also, to operate in critical industries where there will always be some leeway, especially if you are planning on operating in the US.

Thank you for your detailed responses, readers who wish to learn more should visit Taver Capital. 

[poultry123]

Innovating Egg-ceptional Cartons: Sustainable Solutions Unveiled

Introduction:

The world of egg packaging has traditionally been associated with plastic or foam cartons. However, a revolutionary shift is occurring towards eco-friendly paper egg cartons, unlocking a new era of sustainable packaging solutions. These innovative cartons not only protect the eggs but also demonstrate a commitment to environmentally conscious practices, especially when purchased in bulk.

Egg Cartons: Beyond Protection

Egg cartons are essential guardians of egg quality, ensuring safe transportation and storage. Traditionally composed of plastic or foam, the industry is transitioning towards eco-friendly paper egg cartons, signifying a monumental leap in sustainable packaging.

The Rise of Eco-Friendly Paper Egg Cartons

Eco-friendly paper egg cartons offer numerous advantages:

Sustainability at the Core: Crafted from biodegradable and recyclable materials, these cartons significantly reduce plastic waste and environmental impact.

Uncompromised Egg Protection: Despite their eco-friendly composition, paper egg cartons offer robust protection, maintaining the eggs’ freshness and integrity.

Bulk Buying for Efficiency: Procuring these cartons in bulk not only saves costs but also minimizes packaging waste, aligning with eco-friendly practices.

Environmental Responsibility: These cartons, being recyclable and biodegradable, underscore a commitment to environmental preservation.

The Dawn of Sustainable Solutions

The transition towards eco-friendly paper egg cartons signifies a holistic commitment to sustainability. These cartons are not just a solution for egg protection; they represent a conscious move towards more environmentally friendly practices, aligning with the growing consumer demand for eco-friendly products.

Benefits Beyond Protection

The use of eco-friendly paper egg cartons in bulk isn't just a packaging choice; it represents an industry's responsibility towards sustainability. Procuring these cartons in bulk is a conscious effort to reduce environmental impact, aligning with the industry's sustainable vision.

Conclusion: Revolutionizing Poultry Packaging

The adoption of eco-friendly paper egg cartons, especially when purchased in bulk, signifies a transformation in the poultry packaging industry. These cartons, merging functionality with sustainability, pave the way for a more environmentally conscious approach to packaging. The innovative shift towards egg-ceptional cartons unfolds a promising and sustainable future for the industry, showcasing the fusion of protection, efficiency, and eco-consciousness.

[all-yn-oween]

BUT WHY DO YO KEEP COMING UP WITH GOOD NAMES LDNDLDND

No but more seriously, i’ve been spoiled by spotify, but Jean looks so good. He looks so annoyed, especially compared to Sergei (damn… that man is everywhere. It’s like a Sergei-ception) I hope they adopted that kitten afterwards together >:)

I love how your drew his face, he looks so genuine ! :)

So... A while ago I created a fictional historical character mainly for the fun of his name - Jean Héras Lebol (which, in French, is nothing more than a pun: you pronounce it almost like "j'en ai ras-le-bol", which is an expression used to say you're fed up). And now he has completely consumed my mind and thoughts.

He's a French WWI infantry soldier who took part in the Great War from beginning to end.

Those are some drawings I made of him a while ago. Later I'll share more.

Additional info below the cut:

The scar on the right side of his face is the result of hand-to-hand combat in which a bayonet ripped through his cheek.

When someone talks to him, he often turns his face to the left side, not to hide the scar, but because his right ear is deaf. His partial deafness is due to the explosion of a shell very close to him during trench warfare.

He's now part of my sister's story "Fruits de Coincidence" (my sister kindly adopted him and gave him a family and two nephews and their friends to look after, namely Célestin and Freddy).

[vex-bittys]

Hi! I'm kinda anxious and shy person who likes to play videogames, read and crafts in my own space til morning and I would love to adopt a low maintenance mini lamia who prefers premade food. There would be a lot of cuddling (especially on occasional "bad days") and watching funny videos (and probably spoiling too) I also hope the bitty wouldn't mind my babbling and in return I would do my best to be a good companion/friend :D So (I hope I got it right) any Corny that would put up with me?

*Vex listens intently as you explain your specific needs for a lamia. She’s already making notes on which lamia bitty to match you with when you mention wanting a Corny. Your decision makes her laugh, and she shows you her notepad which has Corny written at the top and underlined several times. She turns towards the anti-venom fridge, which the miniature Cornies prefer to nap under, and rings a bell.

*”Order up,” she calls. ”We need one Corny for video games, crafts , and cuddles. Side of funny videos and pre-made foods.” It doesn’t take long for a miniature Corny to wiggle out from under the fridge. He’s holding a bindle (stick with a bundle tied to the end of it). He opens the bindle to show you… blankets… It’s just a blanket filled with blankets and tied to a stick. You can’t help giggling at his blanket-ception gag.

*Vex gives you the paperwork to fill out while the Corny makes himself comfortable, crawling into your arms and using his bindle as a pillow. He yawns hugely, and right before he dozes off, he suggests stopping at McDonalds on the way home for a celebratory McNugget.

[im-in-love-with-pizza-bites]

(Excluding actors, 🎶 means song fic)

Ranch Hand

Summary: You ran away from your nightmare of a family, you found a small town, population 200. In this town you meet a retired army veteran turned farmer who hires you as farm hand. Only mystery will you two be able overcome your pasts together. - Veteran!Farmer!Bucky Barnes X Teen!Reader.

Before The Street Lights Come On

Summary: it's the summer of 1994 and you find yourself falling for your childhood best friend. There's a lot that can happen before the street lights come on. - Steve Rogers X Fem!Reader (Highschool AU)

Long Lost Siblings

Summary: After you and the avengers are called to Missouri because a space ship landed, you find out one of them is you brother. - Peter Quill X Sister!Reader

Captain-Dad

Summary: You ask your stepdad to adopt you after 10 years. - Steve Rogers X Step-daughter!Reader

I Loved Her First ( 🎶)

Summary: He was enough for you not long ago he was your number one, you told him so and you still mean the world to him. - Bucky Barnes X Daughter!Reader Peter Parker X Barnes!Reader

What a Girl Will Make You Do ( 🎶)

Summary: To catch a smile, he'd rope the moon ain't a mountain he wouldn't move ain't nothin' he wouldn't go through it's crazy what a girl'll make him do. - Bucky Barnes X Fem!Reader

New Normal ( 🎶)

Summary: He's getting used to this beautiful view every time he wakes up seeing your sweet face that's all it takes to turn him inside out love song in his head. - Bucky Barnes X Fem!Reader

Cleaning This Gun ( 🎶)

Summary: He may not remember much from the 40s but he remembers the speech every dad gave him when he took their daughters out, now it's his turn to use that speech. - Bucky Barnes X Daughter!Reader, Eventual Peter Parker X Barnes Reader.

Step By Step ( 🎶)

Summary: You're growing up and he's growing old making memories you'll always hold but he thanks God for sending you his way cause it ain't his blood or DNA that made that precious child but it don't take rocket science to figure out that you're his life. - Bucky Barnes X Step-Daughter!Reader

Egg-Citing

Summary: An egg-ceptionally pun-filled easter. - Tony Stark X Daughter!Reader, Avengers X Teen!Reader

Dads and daughters ( 🎶)

Summary: Tony knew the second he saw you that, Dads and daughters go together like boats and water. He'll never doubt it for a second and neither will you. - Tony Stank X Daughter!Reader

Surprise

Summary: After shaving you head because of Chemo, your dad decided to surprise you by shaving his own head. - Tony Stark X Daughter!Reader

Goodbye

Summary: The avengers and your friends find letters you wrote them before you died. - Tony Stark X Daughter!Read, Avengers X Stark!Reader. Part two to Surprise

Mother ( 🎶)

Summary: She's your mother, you love her there won't be another place like her again that you call home. - Natasha Romanoff X Adopted-Daughter!Reader

Boy meets girl ( 🎶)

Summary: Boy meets girl, boy treats her right, everyone could see it she was in love and so was he. - Steve Rogers X Fem!Reader, Tony Stark X Sister!Reader

Water Gun Fights And The Arcade

Summary: You have a choice between shooting Bucky with a water gun or going to the arcade. - Bucky Barnes X Child!Reader, Avengers X Child!Reader

Strawberry Swing

Summary: You sing Bucky back to sleep after a nightmare. - Bucky Barnes X Teen!Reader

You got me a stuffed bear?

Summary: You're brother's Valentine canceled so he gives you the bear he bought. - Peter Parker X Sister!Reader

Happy Birthday Loser

Summary: You spray your brother with silly string on his birthday. - Tony Stark X Sister!Reader

Pet Dino

Summary: You make fun of your dad for being old. - Steve Rogers X Daughter!Reader, Bucky Barnes X Teen!Reader

Surprise Party

Summary: You and the avengers plan a surprise party for Peter. - Peter Parker X Sister!Reader, Slight Avengers X Teen!Reader

Christmas Eve with a God!

Summary: You introduce Thor to Christmas! - Thor Odinson X Teen!Reader, Slight Avengers X Teen!Reader

None at the moment

Rules for what I write

Actors MasterLists:

Chris Evans MasterList

Sebastian Stan MasterList

Anthony Mackie MasterList

Tom Holland MasterList

[lorei-writes]

HC: Fear of Needles

Hey fun anecdote I got a vaccine today and freaked out a little before hand. needles freak me the freak out but like I am fine with tattoos it's just medical injections. I was wondering if its not too specific could you do a headcanon for masamune and shingen with a tattooed Mc that scared of medical needles.

After the shot I said "see that didn't even hurt what's wrong with you" and the nurse laughed, she was very sweet.

Hope your doing well

🧡

Premise: Tattooed Reader + Fear of Needles (medical context) Requested: Anonymous Characters: Masamune & Shingen

Masamune x Reader Shingen x Reader Fluff

Ahh, hello, anon! I’m really happy you got vaccinated, ah, yay! I mean, it’s awesome! I can’t wait to get my shot, but given how everything is, it’s most likely not going to happen before the end of the year :( Maybe even later, although it’s hard to say anything for sure.

And haha, I get unusual reactions, at least a little bit. I have to have my blood drawn for tests every couple of months and my veins are, well. Not co-operative to put it lightly. The last time I was jabbed in the hand and the nurse said it’s going to hurt “a lot”. So I braced myself and then it was the littlest prick and I was like “... It doesn’t hurt >:( *-*”

Content Warnings: needles, fear, anxiety, doctor’s office, hospital mention

Masamune

The first time you explained to him how modern tattooing works, he was impressed. It might have not been a too detailed of an introduction to the topic, yet no less, it was quite different from what his idea on the matter was.

That being said, he wasn’t expecting this to happen - much less after being shown videos of the entire process itself and being made aware that certain designs can take hours to complete. After all, if multiple pricks were nothing, so should be one, shouldn’t it?

As such, he was rather surprised when you asked him shyly to accompany you to the doctor’s office. He did not need to have anything done, and quite honestly, he could probably find a better task to do in the time - however, assuming that something could be at play, he did agree to go regardless. After all, not all things are easy to speak about, are they?

He held you hand the entire time, your state being rather clear from how your muscles tensed. Without realising it, you dug your nails into his palm, his thumb tracing soothing circles over the back of your hand - you were scared.

Not all fears are necessarily rooted in the reality of the issue, Masamune knew something about it. As such, he stayed calm, your grip loosening the moment the nurse withdrew the needle.

Having noticed the indents over his skin left behind by your nails, you began to feel mildly guilty. However, he laughed it off and ruffled your hair.

“Some kittens are afraid of water and you’re of needles, to each their own.”

Shingen

Oh, he tasted some of this medicine himself. He knew that hospitals, doctor offices and such may not exactly be the most pleasant places in the world.

Shingen was well versed in regards to human emotion and recognizing it. As such, it took him little to notice how uneasy you were. Sensing fear, he offered to accompany you to the appointment. He seemed to have assumed he’d be unable to reason with your anxieties. No words he could use could prove just enough, he reckoned, as the nature of your concerns was not rational. After all, you didn’t seem to otherwise react much to medical staff and routine doctor visits in general.

He adopted a certain strategy, aiming to distract you with jokes and flirting (of the cheesiest kind), even going as far as to risk parodying himself.

He did not enter the office with you, but he did hear you say “See, that didn’t even hurt, what’s wrong with you” and laugh. 

He was somewhat surprised to learn that the reason for your state was nothing else but needles - or much rather, the shot you were given in your arm. However, he accepted it without a single question, his own hospital stay resurfacing in his memory. You did have tattoos, but the context was different, he thought - and no matter what the reason could be, and that’s given there was any to begin with, he loved you whole.

It seemed that the visit wasn’t too meaningful to him, the appointment not being brought up until late in the evening.

“There is nothing wrong with you for having fears and anxieties of your own. If anything, it is courageous to stand against those and do the right thing regardless.”

Tag list: @datenoriko, @nad-zeta, @tsubaki3192, @missjudge-me, @ikemencrossedmyth, @nuttytani, @thesirenwashere, @milas-imaginarium, @kisara-16, @yukas-clover, @alerialumina , @cheese-ception , @iamryxx​, @cottonfluffballofdoom, @ozziegrl71, @silhouette-of-a-dream If you want to be tagged under my future works, let me know (any way works)! ^^ Also, if you have some preferences (for example: you’d rather not be tagged under some series, etc.), please, tell me.  If you don’t want to be tagged anymore - please, do not feel bad about it, just say so :)

[thebusylilbee]

"On ressort essoré de la lecture d'Une poupée en chocolat (la Découverte). L'essai de la cinéaste, sociologue et militante afroféministe Amandine Gay, consacré aux enjeux de l'adoption, est bien plus qu'un simple compte rendu de recherche historique et sociologique. Sur le fond, d'une part, elle pose, de façon précise et méthodique, tous les tenants et aboutissants de cette démarche qui n'est jamais réellement questionnée pour mettre en lumière les rouages politiques et les systèmes de domination qui sont à l'oeuvre, comme elle l'a déjà fait dans son film documentaire Une histoire à soi, sorti en salles début juillet. Sur la forme, d'autre part, car Une poupée en chocolat peut aussi se lire comme une autobiographie qui captive de la première ligne jusqu'aux bouleversantes dernières pages. Son histoire est celle d'une fille noire adoptée après sa naissance sous X en 1984 par un couple blanc. Malgré tout l'amour de ses parents et leur conscience, plutôt aiguisée pour l'époque, des enjeux d'une adoption transraciale, ça ne l'a pas empêché d'en subir les conséquences systémiques.

Vous dites que l’adoption transraciale est avant tout une expérience de la dépossession, des communautés, des familles et des cultures d’origine…

J'ai grandi pendant les années 80-90 dans la campagne lyonnaise où mon frère et moi étions les deux seuls noirs. Donc une de mes premières expériences de ce que c'est qu'être noire, ça a été le racisme. J'ai d'abord été définie dans le regard des autres par des pratiques de discrimination et des propos insultants. Quand on dit que l'adoption transraciale peut être dommageable aux enfants racisés, on parle de ça. D'abord on vous projette des insultes et des représentations négatives et, ensuite, vous devez partir à la recherche de ce que sont vos origines culturelles, de ce que c'est qu'être noire au sein des communautés noires. Et là, on arrive au deuxième obstacle : il vous manque les références. On se rend compte alors qu'on a été coupé de nos communautés d'origine. C'est possible d'y revenir et je me sens aujourd'hui tout à fait acceptée, mais adolescente, ce n'était pas la même chose.

J'ai toujours cette peur d'être découverte comme une «fausse noire». Ces questions d'identités, ce ne sont pas des enjeux théoriques. Il s'agit vraiment de comprendre où on se place. Et puis, il y a le fait de grandir dans un milieu qui se traîne une histoire esclavagiste et une histoire coloniale non résolues. Toutes ces représentations extrêmement stéréotypées qui circulent à l'encontre des noirs en France, et des femmes noires en particulier, avec la fétichisation sexuelle par exemple, normalement, ça demande une de préparation. C'est à ça que servent les familles racisées. La socialisation raciale, c'est un apprentissage où on va, au fur et à mesure, vous distiller des informations

L'exemple le plus concret, c'est celui des contrôles d'identité où il faut apprendre aux garçons noirs le comportement à tenir et le fait de ne jamais sortir sans ses papiers. Jusqu'à récemment, quatre ou cinq ans peut-être, les parents blancs n'avaient pas du tout conscience que leur garçon, à partir du moment où il ne serait plus identifié comme un enfant, serait en danger dans l'espace public. Et il est de leur devoir de lui donner les clés.

Un des points importants que vous développez dans votre livre, c’est celui de la justice reproductive. De quoi s’agit-il ?

C'est un concept créé en 1994 par un collectif de femmes noires, latinas et autochtones aux Etats-Unis, juste avant la conférence du Caire sur les droits reproductifs. L'idée, c'est qu'on ne peut pas penser les droits reproductifs sans les lier aux questions de justice sociale, de droits civiques. L'exemple typique pour la France, c'est que dans les années 60-70, quand les femmes françaises blanches militent dans l'Hexagone pour l'accès à la contra- ception et à l'avortement, les femmes de la Réunion subissent des stérilisations forcées.

Si on pense les droits des femmes en disant uniquement qu'on doit avoir accès à la contraception et à l'avortement, on oublie d'autres femmes, racisées, dans d'autres territoires, qui ne sont pas confrontées aux mêmes pro- blématiques. A partir de cette vision-là, du fait qu'on ne peut pas décorréler les questions de santé, d'écologie, de racisme, de validisme ou de sexisme, on peut commencer à expliquer politiquement certains phénomènes comme l'adoption. Un mineur, un enfant, un bébé, ne se retrouve pas isolé de sa famille de naissance par magie. Il y a un contexte très spécifique, des histoires, un cadre.

A propos de la naissance sous le secret, par exemple, s'il y a un point commun entre toutes les mères de naissance, c'est qu'elles sont pauvres et précaires. On ne peut pas comprendre ce qui se passe si on n'a pas conscience que c'est justement inscrit dans tous les systèmes de domination à l'oeuvre. La famille n'est pas une institution isolée du reste de la société. Au contraire. C'est peut-être même l'endroit central où se jouent dès le départ toutes les inégalités systémiques et toutes les formes d'oppression. Ces femmes qui ont accouché sous X sont pour vous les grandes absentes des débats sur l'adoption C'était important pour moi de donner de la place dans mon livre aux mères de naissance. Il n'y a pas de mineur isolé candidat à l'adoption s'il n'y a pas une mère. Qui est cette personne ? Quand on dit s'y intéresser, c'est pour créer les conditions pour qu'elle se sépare de son enfant, parce qu'il y a des gens qui attendent pour l'avoir. Sur le long terme, on ne s'intéresse pas aux mères de naissance. Est-ce que la séparation est la meilleure solution sur le long terme ? Qui est retourné les voir ? Qui a fait une étude longitudinale pour savoir si elles se sentent bien, si elles sont en paix avec ce choix-là ? On ne sait quasiment rien. Et après l'accouchement, elles vont devoir faire face à un choix qui n'est pas accepté socialement. Tout ce discours dépolitisé ne nous permet pas de comprendre quel serait le meilleur accompagnement qu'on pourrait leur offrir.

Comment en arrive-t-on à faire de sa propre histoire le fil rouge d'un livre politique et sociologiforme que sur l'adoption ?

Ça vient directement du cinéma. Ça fait déjà deux fois qu'on fait ça. Ou- vrir la voix et Une histoire à soi sont deux films qui ont aussi une dimension autobiographique, où on essaie de ramener dans l'espace public des enjeux politiques qui peuvent être tabous ou extrêmement clivants. On les fait passer parce qu'on utilise le récit individuel, l'expression de soi. Si une personne vous raconte sa vie, vous n'allez pas dire : « Non, c'est pas vrai ! » S'appuyer sur les récits individuels, sur l'émotion, sur le parcours de vie, ça permet aussi de montrer qu'on n'est pas uniquement dans des débats théoriques. Si toutes les filles noires se rappellent de la première fois où on leur a dit « tu es noire, je te donne pas la main », quels enjeux psychiques ça peut avoir sur le long terme ? Et qu'est-ce que ça dit de notre société ? Je n'avais pas jusqu'ici beaucoup évoqué ma propre expérience de personne adoptée. J'avais déjà beaucoup parlé de mon expérience de femme noire, et j'aime bien avoir un rapport aussi équitable que possible avec les gens qui participent à mes films. Dans une logique de don contre don, c'était à mon tour de parler. Sachant en plus qu'étant née sous le secret, il y a tout un volet, très important, qui n'est pas abordé dans Une histoire à soi.

Vous dénoncez ce stéréotype qui associe l'adoption transnationale à une démarche humanitaire, à de la charité.

C'est pour ça que ça m'intéresse de politiser la famille. Pour tout le monde, le désir d'avoir un enfant est égoïste. Mais tout à coup, quand c'est l'adoption, on efface cette première dimension de désir, et on transforme ça en sauvetage d'un enfant seul. Effectivement, il y a des enfants isolés pour qui c'est très bien de trouver une famille, mais il y a quand même une ou deux personnes qui n'étaient pas en mesure d'avoir un enfant qui vont pouvoir faire famille parce qu'un enfant a été séparé de sa famille de naissance. Une partie de la proposition a été oubliée. On le voit aujourd'hui, alors que l'adoption transnationale est de plus en plus régulée et que les pays du Sud laissent partir moins facilement les enfants: ce qui est croissant, c'est la demande d'enfants dans les pays riches, pas le be- soin en familles adoptantes.

Pourquoi cette adoption transnationale et transraciale est-elle aussi l'illustration d'une certaine domination ?

A partir du moment où une pratique est dépolitisée et centrée sur le côté émotionnel, humanitaire, on oublie les conditions dans lesquelles les gens se sont retrouvés séparés de leur famille de naissance. Si on regarde certains pays comme Haïti, qui a été pendant une cinquantaine d'années un pays de départ de l'adoption internationale, l'état politique et économique de Haïti aujourd'hui, au-delà du fait que c'est un pays frappé par des catastrophes naturelles récurrentes, est grandement dû à la France, à la dette qui a été imposée et à une instabilité politique grandement liée à l'ingérence des Etats-Unis et de la France. Les enfants ne se retrouvent donc pas isolés par pur hasard. J'ai voulu montrer que l'adoption n'est pas un phénomène qui pousse du sol comme un champignon, il ne se développe pas de façon autonome.

Vous expliquez que les familles adoptantes ont le devoir de s'impliquer politiquement.

Au-delà de la question du racisme de la société ou de l'entourage, il y a vraiment l'impératif de s'investir concrètement et entièrement dans la lutte antiraciste. Comme le dit Ibram X. Kendi, que je cite dans le livre, il n'y a pas d'endroit confortable de « non racisme ». Soit on est engagé dans la lutte contre le racisme, soit on contribue à la suprématie blanche en ne faisant rien. Pour que ça se passe bien dans les familles concernées par l'adoption transraciale, les parents blancs doivent vraiment être hypervigilants sur ces enjeux-là. Si vous avez peur des noirs, si vous tenez votre sac quand vous croisez un homme noir, n'adoptez pas un enfant noir. Lui, il va le sentir. Ça ne suffit pas que vous l'aimiez lui, vous devez aimer tous les noirs, sinon ça ne marche pas. Si vous comprenez qu'au fond, vos parents sont racistes contre tous les noirs, tous les Asiatiques ou tous les Arabes sauf vous, ça ne peut que mal se passer. C'est destructeur.

Le regard de la société sur l'adoption est-il en train d'évoluer ?

Aujourd'hui, sur les plateformes grand public, à chaque fois qu'on amène la dimension politique de l'adoption ou les questions raciales, les gens ne comprennent pas. C'est vraiment comme arriver et expliquer que non, la Terre n'est pas plate. C'est ce niveau d'incompréhension. C'est un gros travail. Je ne sais pas combien de gens liront le livre, mais je l'ai aussi fait dans la perspective de servir aux travaux d'universitaires, à d'autres adoptés qui pourront se lancer dans leurs propres recherches. Il y a un effet de seuil sur ce genre de sujet Je l'ai vu avec l'afroféminisme. Rien de ce qu'on disait n'était vraiment nouveau. C'est juste qu'à un moment donné, par le biais des réseaux sociaux, le discours s'est diffusé. Et sur l'adoption, c'est en train d'arriver. Sur Instagram, ces trois dernières années, il y a une quinzaine de comptes militants qui se sont créés et qui font des démonstrations sur ce que c'est d'être un adopté transracial. A partir du moment où le niveau de pédagogie publique progresse par des canaux accessibles, avec un cadre théorique, ça peut commencer à essaimer."

[madcatlad]

Sorry made soms SERIOUS changes.

This is Peaches, my sweet second generation baby. She was born from the ErrorInk ship (not in the way you think...no, not that way either). She's a twin so there is another person she came into the world with. (I haven't made a design for them yet)

Her existence is a little tricky, but I'll try to make it simple. Another fanchild (fan-baby-ception) of mine (errorink again), named Blooper has access to some kind of platform of social media that can reach us (or the creators) and he likes to draw (shocker!). Blooper drew Peaches and her twin and posted it, yay! And thus Peachbaby was adopted as an "official" part of the community and thus became of apart of the multiverse. Imagine the aftermath...

Her technical age is unknown, but she's 12 years old, but she's stunnted emotionally to around 8 maybe, not mentally, just emotionally. She's also really short, so no one really has a real grasp on her age so it doesn't matter cause no one really cares.

But don't mess, she can lose her temper on just about anything, she has no chill.

Peaches is a bit of a perfectionist, so much so that its borderline obsessive. It can reach the point of a tantrum if it goes far enough.

But despite that she gets rather distracted all too easily (or pretends to), it's pretty simple to stop a tantrum with something even remotely colorful.

...a literal crayon will do the job.

But she really does love helping others, its like a hobby. She participated in a "girl scouts" kind of association. (Probably led by some version of Dream lol). Doing kind actions is kinda like a front to seem normal as she can't really make connections to other people besides a selected few (like 3 or 5 people max). Peachbaby only has the soul capacity for emotions of which are her own, yes, but caring for others is a bit more tricky. So she had to put in the efforts not to be selfish and unsympathetic (I guess that makes her a lokee sociopath) Honestly growing up with Ink was probably the best thing for Peaches, considering her soul deficiency. She doesn't require all that love and affection stuff, and in return she doesn't have to give it, something she often has to force.

She's a real Peach y'know.

She's very forgetful, not to the ridiculous extent of, well... Ink, but it's rather noticeable. It's more of a selected memory, if she wants to remember she'll remember for life

She had at least 2 years worth of memory gone, due to a few less than happy early childhood experiences.

If we don't remember it didn't happen. Goodbye trauma!

See that teddy she got there, his name is Paxil, (if you understand that then you understand) her comfort object. She made him herself.

She's a crafter. This whole family is obsessed with art in some way soooo...yeah, arts and crafts.

Also don't challenge her to a jumproping contest, she'll destroy you.

[theparanormalperiodical]

The REAL Story Behind The Omen (1976) And The 7 Most Terrifying Omens You Should Definitely Know About

You don't get much irony in horror.

You get buckets of fake blood, you get lashings of sexism with subtle notes of transphobia, and you have dozens of plot holes to get twisted up in. But The Omen (1976) in a very dark, very deathy way, was ironic.

Somehow a film about the rise of the Antichrist - AKA the end of the world - would be accompanied by wild animal attacks, sudden deaths, and even a decapitation. Yep, The Omen was, well, an omen. In fact, this cult classic horror flick is known as one of the most cursed films to date as a result of the story put to the screen and the events that took place behind it.

But the infamous tales surrounding this movie is not the only time an omen has preceded horrific events. In fact, we've been searching for signs of what is to come for millennia. Some of these signs still haunt our darkest nightmares.

You need to look out for them.

Today we will be determining just how accurate the portrayal of The Omen is to the prophecies of the Antichrist, the spooky events that took place behind the camera, and any other signs of death or misfortune you should be wary of.

*crow caws in the distance*

First, let's recap The Omen

The Bible is undoubtedly the best-selling book of all time. And, just like many other chart-topping hits, it’s been turned into a whole host of films. Each has suffered its own onslaught of criticism for its unique take on scripture.

The Omen is one of them.

But The Omen doesn’t follow Jesus’ life story, nor does it CGI various jungle animals onto Noah’s ark. It follows the Antichrist from birth to demise across 3 films (including a made-for-TV Canadian movie which we’ve all agreed to not talk about). It charts the rise of Damien as he develops his paranormal powers and loosely fulfils the prophecies set out for the Devil’s spawn.

Our story starts at his mysterious birth: after a woman has a stillborn child, her husband swaps it for a child whose mother died at birth. When Damien is just 5 years old strange things begin to occur. Animals act strangely around him, various aggressive dogs appear - oh, and Damien’s nanny rudely interrupts his birthday party by throwing herself out of a window with a noose around her neck.

Enter a new nanny who is less Mary Poppins and more Mary Most-definitely-a-satanist-who-wants-to-protect-Damien-and-overthrow-Christ. Things get worse (yes, it’s possible) when everyone around Damien begins to slowly work out that he may or may not be the Antichrist and in turn get killed in assorted horrific - but also mildly hysterical - ways.

It’s the father of Damien (the adoptive one, not the actual Devil) who leads the investigation into his origins. He traces back Damien’s origins back to his dead mother’s grave. Turns out she was a jackal.

Enter the Antichrist expert - he gives Damien’s father the low-down on dealing with demonic children, and explains that the naughty-step is simply not enough. He has to be killed on hallowed ground with a collection of knives I’m pretty sure I saw on Antiques Roadshow. He takes the Daggers of Megiddo and his infant son into a local church, forces him onto the altar and prepares to kill him.

The police shoot him before he can do this.

The following films chase up the rest of Damien’s short but eventful life and include: one sex scene, one King Herod-inspired ‘kill all babies born on this day cause one of ‘em is Jesus’, and even a last minute cameo by Christ himself.

Unlike most horror franchises, however, The Omen is not based on some paranormal investigation or a forgotten urban legend - the story inspiring it is kept very close to the hearts of many around the world. It’s this troubling premise which makes this film one of the most terrifying to date. Question is, just how accurate is The Omen to the actual end of days forecasted by Christians?

How accurate was The Omen to actual prophecies regarding the Antichrist?

Like most things mentioned in The Bible and other religious texts, things are typically vague or lost in translation. This means many concepts and stories have been rewritten and rethought in numerous different ways.

The Omen kinda had to connect the dots.

But there are a few defining features of Damien and his life story which are uncomfortably close to what might just be the apocalypse…

First, the Antichrist is supposed to be born as the opposite of Christ: he is not born of God and a virgin, but of Satan and a ‘whore’. Whilst The Omen appears to be slut-shaming a jackal, we do know Damien is the spawn of Satan. His animal mother (which is referenced later in the franchise when Damien is discovered to have Jackal bone marrow cells) is a reference to Jackals’ biblical presence as tricksters.

The Omen also sticks to the dominant line of thought on Damien’s career path. The Antichrist is mentioned 3 times in the New Testament and follows the end of the world, something we see in the dying moments of the final film: the Book of Revelation and other prophetic texts claim he will rule for 7 years before being defeated by Christ/Angel Gabriel’s army. He will be a tyrant, a trickster, rise to power, and (perhaps) claim he is a messiah.

The Omen is an abridged version of this. Damien is at one point a CEO and then an ambassador to the US before he sees an image of Christ when he gives out his last breath.

But here’s the thing.

Everyone has a different take on how the Antichrist will take his first steps to almighty power before being dethroned by the JC. And everyone has a different take on who it is.

Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, the Pope (I’m pretty sure all of the popes have been accused of being the Antichrist), Prince William… Type in a celebrity name - literally any celebrity name - and the word ‘antichrist’ into Google and there will be “proof” of Kate Hudson using satanic subliminal messaging in How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. By all accounts The Omen is just another version of how the Antichrist could rise and fall.

The Omen does include a few other suitably-satanic references: the Daggers of Megiddo don’t actually exist according to lore, but are associated with the end of the world. Megiddo is the site of the final battle between the Antichrist and Jesus Christ as mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Its Greek name was even ‘Armageddon’.

We also see throughout the franchise a satanist plot to ensure the Antichrist grows up safely and is ready to do his dark bidding. Modern theorists claim the Antichrist will arrive hand-in-hand with a satanic plot to overturn the Christian faith.

The Omen effectively charts out how the world might end. But for many people working on the film, they were experiencing hell in their own way.

What really happened on the set of The Omen?

An omen is defined as a phenomenon that predicts and hints at the future, or signals a change. The birth and rise of the Antichrist probably fits the definition as it signals the Second Coming of Christ, Judgement Day, and numerous other events anticipated by Christians across the globe. It is an omen for the end of the world.

Hell, it’s the ultimate omen. It doesn’t get more omen-ny than that.

But in some weird omen-ception, The Omen was an omen for the people producing the film. *squints in confusion*

Basics, it is now known as one of the most cursed movie sets ever. And here’s why.

Gregory Peck, the father of Damien, allegedly canceled his seat on a flight that would crash and kill everyone on board. When he did finally get on a plane and flew to England his plane was struck by lightning. The film’s writer experienced the same thing on a separate flight days after Peck’s.

The producers and some actors also nearly attended a restaurant one evening when it was destroyed in an explosion. One of these same producers, Mace Neufeld, also happened to check out early from a hotel in London which was blown up by the IRA shortly after.

The special effects designer witnessed traumatic events mirroring the movie far too closely, too: his wife was decapitated in a car crash, a similar event to one we see in the film. Even an animal trainer used for a scene from which Baboons act wildly and crazed around Damien was killed after being mauled by a tiger.

Yeah.

It’s all very ommeny.

But what are the other omens you should be looking out for?

The 7 omens you should most definitely be watching out for

#1 - Crows

All films or TV shows that feature death or war also feature crows. Their fateful cawing has historically been an omen of misfortune or death and is used for foreshadowing as obvious as the colour black. A single crow is an omen of bad luck - a murder of crows (more than five) is an omen of death or illness for either you or someone you know.

In ancient times birds were common omens and it was the type of bird which signaled different positive and negative changes. Crows in particular were believed to be messengers between the mortal world and the afterlife. Witches were also believed to use crows to cast their death spells.

They have since gained a reputation for being cunning and intelligent creatures, much like the jackal mother of Damien in The Omen.

#2 - Owls

I told you - we are convinced birds bring death.

Much like crows, owls are very deathy. Walking under a tree and hear an owl hoot? You or a family member are gon’ die. One lands on your roof? Death is a-coming.

Owls are even historically believed to herald doom with one Roman Emperor - Antonius - dying after an owl was seen perched above his bedroom door. They are considered wise creatures according to ancient civilisations, as if they know something about the future we do not.

The Welsh, on the other hand, believed they bring fertility. If an owl hoot is heard by a pregnant woman she will have an easy labour.

#3 - Doppelgangers

According to German and Irish folklore, seeing an ‘exact replica’ of you born to different parents is a sign of your death. If your family members or your friends see one, beware of impending danger.

These ‘double-goers’ are considered evil twins in folklore. If you spoke to your doppelganger, they’d try and trick you and plan evil ideas in your mind.

Breton and Cornish folklore claim they are Ankou, servants of death himself who thus personify it.

#4 - Death Knocks Thrice

Let’s set the scene: you’ve just ordered a Nandos and you hear the knock at the door. But instead of a halloumi-topped beanie burger, you open the front door to no one.

Rather than a delicious meal you will soon experience death.

Irish, Scottish, and Native American communities follow this folklore and it is referenced in many different films including The Conjuring. The Perron family hear continuous knocking which comes in threes - the Warrens, however, claim it is a demonic entity or spirit mocking the holy trinity.

#5 - Phantom funerals

Funerals normally come after the omen of death, you know, when the actual ‘death’ part has occurred. But fake funerals led by ghosts are an omen of the death of a loved one. They will take the same place and same route of the actual funeral, however.

If you do see one, however, don’t look into the casket; otherwise, it’ll be your own.

(Dun dun duuuh)

It is believed they are sent by fairies who are infamous for causing mischief. A similar phenomenon, ‘the tolaeth before the coffin’, is when one hears the coffin making process or the funeral take place.

#6 - Solar eclipses

We now have the benefit of science and astrology to tell us that sometimes it gets really dark and really cold in the middle of the day. But way back when, the sun effectively disappearing for a few moments was rather more terrifying.

Ancient civilisations believed it was a warning from pissed off gods that they were going to exact some revenge and send some impending danger or death. Most cultures even believed a folkloric beast or native animal was eating the sun. In fact, that’s why many communities would bang pots or pans together during eclipses to scare away the demon doing it.

They are still considered a mysterious sign something bad is about to go down.

#7 - Black butterflies

We end on an omen I’m probably going to incorporate into my aesthetic for 2021. A black butterfly is considered to be a symbol of misfortune and death in some cultures and a positive sign for others. It could also equate to a less lethal ‘death’ - that is the death of a relationship or a project.

It can thus be considered an omen of renewal or rebirth. And lord knows we all need that for next year.

Have you ever seen an omen?

Let me know in a comment below.

If you liked this post make sure you like, reblog, and then hit follow. I post a new article on the paranormal every Saturday and a new ghost story everyday!

*flies away with the black butterflies*

[randomshipshere]

IDK if these websites have this option, but fan fiction websites like Fanfiction.net and Archiveofourown.org should seriously include the option “ABANDONED FIC FOR ADOPTION” and the fanfic is transported to this new categorized page for other writers to snoop through and adopt.

Because there’s some fanfics I wouldn’t mind picking up and for others to finish for me when I can’t vibe with it anymore. 

I could contact the author but sometimes those authors abandon their account altogether. 

It’s like Fanfiction-fanfiction-ception...

But yeah. Food for thought.  

[septic-dr-schneep]

I can't sto thinking about all the potential of the JJ-ception 😂

Me either, trust me. I keep thinking about the fight PM JJ and War JJ would have. I haven’t decided who might lose it, though. But on a lighter note, Werewolf JJ would absolutely adopt Pug JJ as a tiny apprentice to train in the ways of guard-dogging XD