#astral relay

[edsonjnovaes]

GUIA completo NOSTR

GUIA completo NOSTR: o que é, como surgiu e como usar o protocolo que descentraliza REDES SOCIAIS! Area Bitcoin – 08 ago 2023 PARTES DO VÍDEO: 00:00 – O que é e como surgiu o NOSTR 03:58 – Como NOSTR funciona (relays) 06:58 – NOSTR e Bitcoin: o futuro da internet 08:24 – Como criar uma conta no Damus 11:52 – O que são zaps e como enviar bitcoin via Lighting no NOSTR Nostr é a sigla de…

[circinuus]

wardance, romance, and neutron bombs

jing yuan x nameless! reader. 1k words

crisis diverted and peace retrieved, the general caught you running around luofu catching the dust that settles.

the luminary wardance was an eventful experience.

the exhilaration of reclaimed peace keeps everyone afloat as much as how the loss weighs them an anchor. for you, a Nameless, it’s only natural to do what you can to help in these precarious times!

returning lost packages in stargazer navalia. passing by the seat of divine foresight and hope to meet general jing yuan. finding depressed broken cycranes in the exalting sanctum. checking general jing yuan-recommended puffergoat milk in aurum alley. throwing away suspicious package littering the starskiff haven. stare at the sky and imagine general jing yuan’s eyes-

“fudge! son of a!—“

“ah, careful, there.”

“—n-nice beautiful man..??!”

your voice chokes like a fish gasping on land. a warm hand steadies the box in your hands, the other keeps your waist still from a doom dive the viridescent stairs.

“i see you have been busy. luofu is truly blessed to have your assistance. but please, don’t let yourself get injured.”

there’s only one person with that kind of gentle voice. and it’s— it’s—

“has someone been asking you to do these errands?”

a petal from the ambrosial arbor drifts upon his face. you see forsythia as you gaze into the gentle, golden irises of the sleepy general.

in flesh. oh. in flesh?

(ahh. he’s truly, verily prepossessing. his arms are very secure. with the kind of gentleness that evokes the desire of domesticity.)

(can’t you just marry him, actually? who cares about trailblazing?)

“(Name)?”

“yes!”

jing yuan takes a step forward in worry when you jerk backwards, though your feet landed in the good fortune of a steady staircase this time. you miss the general’s safe arms as quick as how your common sense dictated you to not exploit the close proximity. but for your dignity, at least, you attempt to paint what you hope a thoroughly normal, reasonably reserved smile.

well, you failed, simply.

“general! thank you! i didn’t expect to see you here! erm, sir!” your palms are clammy against the cardboard box. “and no one forced me, if you still ask. i’m just doing it.. in the name of the wedding— err... the Nameless.. trailblaze, yes. that. haha..”

the general gives you a closed eye smile. (and a preceding single raise of brow. but you turned a blind eye and refuse to think that the general has noticed your battered dignity).

“haha, aren’t you a sprightly little sparrow?” he lets out a loose chuckle, and you think you can die happy, anyway. “things have quieted down. i reckon a stroll will be prudent to see how everyone fares.”

“a stroll?”

“a stroll, yes.”

…

“r-right! a small break, and to oversee how everyone holds. a pleasure to cross paths here, sir!”

jing yuan shakes his head with amusement, “could I trouble you by joining you for a moment, (Name)? allow me to extend my gratitude on behalf of all luofu. the alliance is the astral express’ ally. you’ve done more than enough.”

a sudden formal words of appreciation!

“y-yes of course!” you scratch the back of your head, “it’s.. i’ll be sure to relay the words to everyone. thank you, general.”

ah.

you wished the general would have opted to pat your head instead. the mole on his cheek seemed more vivid when he speaks. or is it his golden eyes? his pretty laugh?

laugh?

when your eyes refocused, the laugh is, in fact, sourced from the man perpetually orbiting your waking dreams.

“no need to be so stiff, (Name). there will be no more duties pushed upon you.”

“i-i don’t mind. ready on standby, general!”

“is that so?” jing yuan, at this point perpetually delighted by whatever you do, leisurely strolls along beside you, mouth curled in an easy curve. “when you are free, could you please spend some time sparring with yanqing?"

“if general thinks i’m capable, then yes, general!”

“ah, speaking of... the teahouse sent over a collection of new releases from immortal’s delight. i can’t finish the batches of tea, but didn’t want to refuse the teahouse’s goodwill...”

“i will head over as soon as possible to help, general!”

“on that note, I wonder whether you have the time for another game of xianzhou starchess as well?”

“yes! yes! I will not waste your past teachings. anything for you, general!”

“then, what of staying in luofu with me?”

you almost repeat a nod in obeisance. but the brain sooner short circuits before it processes the last clause of his proposal.

proposal.

proposal…

system hours slow down. you can hear the drop of a coin from the shop across the streets. witness the creation of the universe, the cosmic ripples from carcasses of dead aeons, the thread of fate dictating the universe. what did he say again?

soberness arrive in the form of warmth on your shoulder.

“apologies, (Name). I jest in good nature.” jing yuan starts, “I know the path of trailblaze entails tracing the vast universe’s untouched trails. and I know that spirit burns bright within you. who am I to tie down a sparrow bound to the skies?”

you were almost that close to pipe a, “who cares! it’s you!”

alas. rejoice that the spirit of akivili slapped your brain in time to force a polite cough from your throat.

"well," you shift in your feet, half in mourning for the inevitable parting and half in lighthearted giddiness. “we can always visit luofu, and you are welcome to the express, too, general.”

jing yuan hums, content watching the bustling shops and streets. “that I am very grateful for your kind welcome.”

colored in his tone, painted in the subtle visage, you can hear a mix—although not potent—of melancholic acceptance. jing yuan is a man who has made terms with too many losses and enough unattainable dreams. you have talked of how his childhood dream as a galaxy ranger who roams the universe, of a shadow of an old friend when he sees dan heng, of the foxian nameless who left naught but a name. all the moments, with his distant expression, he eventually disregards in one same breath.

he seems to notice your gaze, as he looks back to you with an inquisitive tone, (and if he had worn the same distant, longing expression at your person, you never caught it, and jing yuan knows best to not let himself linger).

“—(Name)?”

“uh? sorry?”

that placating face marks another gentle, slightly charmed smile, “unfortunately, I think I’ve cut you off long enough from your agenda today. what were you doing?”

the spotlight is suddenly pressed on the box in your hands.

“oh, right, it’s nothing, general.” you readjust the cardboard cube.

“I found a bomb and it marked my bio sensors. something about exploding if I’m out of its proximity.”

“pardon me?”

this was supposed to be crack but please ignore the cringe either way. it’s from an actual quest if anyone wants extra jades and jy content!

[lovebvni]

shifting isn’t a relay race. it’s a fun run

reality shifting is the act of moving your mind (soul, spirit, whatever you call it) into a different realm or plane of existence.

similar — astral projection. but it is astral projection to a different city, state or country. places we have in this world. reality shifting is not just projecting from canada to france. reality shifting can take place during astral projection.

similar — lucid dreaming. being conscious of your dreams when the body is asleep. you are still in your body, but your mind is also awake. you (usually) cannot travel to a new world with new laws and stay there even after your body wakes up. this only takes place during the REM cycle of sleep. reality can take place during lucid dreaming.

and, nowhere in the definition of reality shifting does it say you have to shift before someone else, you have to be at point c before this person gets to point b, etc. it just has to do with you.

shifting isn’t a competition. it’s a fun game that you get to choose. level up on your own time. do your own thing to get to where you want to be.

shifting isn’t a sprint relay that you see in the olympic games. shifting is a fun run. it doesn’t matter what place you’re in, or how much time you take, all that matters is you do it.

nobody is going to be mad at you or make you train harder because some kid in england beat you by .89 seconds.

you get to do this at your own pace on your own time. it’s your fun run. you complete it when you can. you can take years, months, weeks, days or hours. it all depends on your prior knowledge and training.

and if you don’t have that prior knowledge or training, WHO GIVES A FUCK? not everyone starts knowing everything you know. those could be lessons they grew up learning. someone could’ve forced that into their brain from a young age.

and if you’re just learning what witchcraft really is at 49, good for you. you’re still learning and growing. but that doesn’t mean you’re bad for not knowing last year or yesterday.

it doesn’t matter when training starts, or how much prior knowledge one has, it just matters that you’re willing to do it.

i hope this helps someone. i have no idea where this came from lmfao. blessings from me and the universe <3

love, abyss

[nocturneastra]

✦Rewrite the Stars✦

Background Context

In the original timeline, Viktor and Jayce invented Hextech in 193 A.P.F, an event that led to rapid technological progress but also catastrophic political, social, and personal consequences. Among the fallout: the rise of Silco, the proliferation of Shimmer, Powder's transformation into Jinx, Zaun’s suffering, and the fall of Piltover’s Council.

However, at the moment of their deaths—or perhaps as a last ripple of Arcane interference—they are thrown back in time to 190 A.P.F, four years before Hextech is born. Jayce is 20. Viktor is 22. They retain all their memories and trauma, and in doing so, create a divergent branch of history.

This timeline is defined not by Hextech but by their efforts to prevent it, to protect Zaun, and to build a future rooted in justice, science, and choice.

Age 22 – The Reset (190 A.P.F)

Event: Jayce and Viktor awaken in their younger bodies. They confirm it is 190 A.P.F via a newspaper headline and quickly realize: 

“We’re back. Four years before it all went to hell.”

Action: They destroy all research and notes related to Hextech and hide the unrefined crystals.

“Hextech was the match. Silco, Jinx, and the war were the fire.”

Effect: Hextech never exists. Piltover’s technological boom is delayed, and the council retains its traditionalist structures.

Event: Jayce convinces Heimerdinger to arrange a meeting with Mel Medarda. Drawing on his memories of her rise, Jayce pitches her future political role.

Event: During the meeting, Viktor accidentally pulls Mel into the Astral Plane, revealing glimpses of the ruined timeline.

Effect: Convinced by what she sees, Mel agrees to work with them as a silent ally. They become her secret advisors, never publicly associated with her.

Event: Jayce suggests the formation of a Zaunite-only peacekeeping force.

Effect: Mel discreetly relays the idea to Heimerdinger. In turn, Heimerdinger speaks to Sheriff Grayson, who reaches out to Vander for collaboration.

Age 23 – Foundations

Event: With Vander’s endorsement and Grayson’s cooperation, the Zaunite Force Program is piloted. Piltover enforcers are kept out of Zaun.

Effect: A 13-year-old Vi, although hesitant given her distrust and hate of enforcers, shows early interest in joining.

Event: Viktor suggests Mel and Heimerdinger quietly establish a scholarship fund for promising Undercity youth.

Effect: Powder (11) and Ekko (9) are identified for future sponsorship.

Event: Viktor contacts Singed, proposing a private arrangement: Viktor will use his abilities to cure Orianna (Singed's daughter), in exchange for Singed abandoning his work with Silco and joining Viktor’s cause for Zaunite advancement.

Age 24 – Family Begins

Event: Viktor and Jayce start a formal relationship.

Event: Viktor discovers he is pregnant.

Event: Jayce and Viktor marry in a quiet, private ceremony.

"We wasted time the first time around."

Effect: They purchase a modest home in Zaun, just beside the Piltover bridge.

Event: Vi (now 16) joins the enforcer program under Vander and Grayson’s guidance.

Event: Naph is born.

Context: Their marriage is not only a response to the pregnancy but a conscious decision to reclaim time they lost in the original timeline. Naph becomes a symbol of that second chance.

Age 25 – The Fall of the Chembarons

Event: With strategic backing from Mel and Piltover’s Council, a coordinated raid is launched on the Chembarons by the new enforcers of Zaun led by Sevika.

Effect: Silco and the remaining crime lords are arrested and imprisoned in the deepest levels of Stillwater.

Effect: With crime syndicates removed, Zaun’s call for independence strengthens.

Age 26 – Zaun Rises

Event: Zaun is officially declared an independent city-state with its own council.

Event: Vander becomes the head of this new council.

Event: Sevika is appointed Sheriff, with 18-year-old Vi as her second-in-command.

Event: Amaro is born.

Age 27–28 – Alchémica

Event: Viktor and Jayce step down from their roles as secret political advisors.

Event: With savings and Mel’s quiet endorsement, they found Alchémica, a company dedicated to Zaunite infrastructure and non-magical innovation.

Effect: They invent the Aetherium Lung, a biological respiratory device that improves air quality.

Effect: The Kiramman family's monopoly on ventilation collapses, and Piltover loses significant control over Zaun.

Age 29 – Old Roots

Event: Viktor begins development of protective suits for deep fissure exploration.

Event: He descends into the depths of Zaun and discovers Oshra Va’Zaun, an ancient, forgotten city.

Effect: Viktor retrieves early texts written in an old-Zaunite dialect, filled with arcane glyphs and references to lost magic.

Age 30 – New Life, New Legacy

Event: Blitz is born.

Event: Powder (now 18) and Ekko (16) begin their studies at a Piltover academy on full scholarship.

Age 31–34 – Consolidation

Event: Alchémica becomes Zaun’s largest and most respected employer.

Effect: Economic stability and public health improve across Zaun thanks to their innovations.

Effect: The Kiramman family retreats fully into Piltovan politics, relinquishing their influence over the Undercity.

Age 35 – Shocks and Revelations

Event: Naph, now 11, asks about her family’s roots. Viktor begins digging.

Discovery: Silco is Viktor’s biological father.

Effect: Viktor's internal conflict, knowing he's related to Silco.

Event: Viktor and Amaro (9) are caught in a structural collapse during a site visit.

Effect: Viktor saves his son, but Amaro loses a leg. He is later fitted with a prosthetic designed by his siblings and dads.

Age 36 – Magic Returns

Event: Viktor catches Naph reading one of the Oshra texts and unintentionally activating dormant arcane symbols.

Realization: Naph has inherited arcane sensitivity.

Jayce: “It’s happening again.”

But Viktor responds: “No. It’s happening differently.”

Event: Viktor begins quietly studying the glyphs and their effect on his children.

Age 37 – Gifted Blood

Event: Viktor tests Amaro and Blitz for traces of arcane power.

Result: All three children exhibit subtle, differing arcane abilities.

Response: Viktor keeps this secret, fearing what attention it might attract.

Age 38–39 – Safe Harbor

Event: Jayce and Viktor relocate their family to a secure residence between Piltover and Zaun.

Effect: They withdraw from public life, focusing on their family, their research, and ensuring their children grow up safe, away from political or magical exploitation.

Age 41 – Final Piece

Event: Viktor gives birth to their fourth child, a girl named Hex.

Event: Jayce undergoes a vasectomy, and they agree their family is complete.

Effect: They live quietly, prepared for any arcane resurgence, monitoring the patterns of power in their children and the world beyond.

[pastel-pink-positivity]

I'm looking for someone

Their online name was RPGToul, their favourite fic was Alone on the Water.

Their email address has been deactivated and I want to reach out to them so bad it hurts

They were my best friend for years, we wrote a huge Sherlock BBC fanfic together. They used to spend a lot of time on Omegle in rp tags

They liked Arsène Lupin a lot, they were interested by everything spirituality related, most specifically tulpas and astral shifts

They were french, but fluent in english. They must be about 25 years old now

They complained about having a big blocky computer that sometimes restarted itself without asking

Please relay my message, please help me find them. I'm willing to beg.

If you have any info about them, please reach out

[luminecent-sky]

Fate guides you.

A/n: or alternatively, my personal sahsr lore based on my account wooooo

yes i should be writing the deathless part 3

4 months, it's been 4 months since the mysterious Aeon attached itself to Pollux, or as the Aeon called her, the Trailblazer.

4 months ago it felt like the universe suddenly shifted, when asked the Aeon of Erudition only answered one word, Fate. It sent the Genius society into a frenzy. Soon Herta- the real one, would use one of her puppets to relay this information to Asta, which eventually reached the ears of Himeko and the rest of the astral express crew.

"So... what you're saying is this... voice, Aeon, whatever it is that stays around Pollux might be connected to what Herta told Asta?" Welt repeated, looking towards Pollux as the discussion continued. If you asked him, he was mostly convinced of this possibility. Ever since Pollux joined them in their travels he had felt something hovering around her, not the stellaron in their body but a separate being, latching itself onto her- not that she minded it or anything.

"Yes, though it is just a theory for now." Himeko said, also looking at Pollux as she played on her phone,

"Well, the sudden shift we all felt happened right as we met Pollux.... like something woke up and decided to latch onto her, so it's not out of the realm of possibility." Dan Heng added, crossing his arms in thought.

Pollux jolted, pausing from her game before speaking, "The Voice is back." she stood up, grabbing her bat as she listened to the voice in her head. "I need to do something, The voice wants me to go somewhere."

As she left the rest of the Astral express crew continued to discuss, with March calling the voice The Aeon of fate, even joking that Pollux must be the first emanator of fate which became less of a joke and more of a fact the longer Pollux stayed with the express.

Soon after that discussion Himeko heard the voice in her head as well, feeling her strength grow as the weeks went by, often joining Pollux in her missions. mostly joined by miss Herta herself.

It became clear as time went on that the voice would bless and compel a myriad of people no matter what Aeon they followed or path they trekked especially when the Arbiter General joined, swiftly becoming the most powerful 'vessel' of the voice. When asked why he listened to the Aeon, he only said that it was foreseen by Lady Fu.

Many more joined, from the healer lady of the Loufu, the mysterious merchant carrying an even more mysterious coffin with him at all times. and even the fearsome Stellaron hunter who seeks death. All of them heeded the call of the mysterious Aeon.

Soon enough, the 'vessels' blessed by this mysterious Aeon made a name for themselves, making themselves known through word of mouth and the actions they displayed.

[double--hh]

I’ve heard about your DDD AU. What’s it about?

Oh no, get your lore socks and shoes on, chat...

The basis is that Mia has had it up to HERE with the doppelgängers and especially having to comfort her students on as to why their mom, dad, siblings, family, or pets have to go "forever sleep". She tells Izaack, in pain staking detail, everything about the Trojan Horse Project, and specifically things Dr. Afton and his old crew would only know.

Queue Izaack using his job to his full advantage to relay ALL of the information Mia has shared to him.

The D.D.D are no saints here, the heads of the D.D.D are a good chunk of Afton's said old crew, they take this as a threat to their organization, and they know exactly who spilled.

Afton gets detained by the Police and "mysteriously" goes missing (he's alive, dw ;), while Izaack and Mia are kidnapped by the D.D.D. and are given the ultimatum of dying or joining their cause... this au would be way shorter if they chose death...

The Astral Circle is real here, and it's uh... not going so hot down there...

Yan Luo and Zoth, being a direct reflection of Mia and Izaack, have a huge falling out, involving everyone, and kinda turns the Astral Circle into the Astral Semicircle... And an angel is not having a fun time...

A few years or so pass and this is where my story is currently taking place! (I got my fanfic up :3c)

From there I'm still writing the story but I have no issues with spilling some thangs... :3c

(Below are some slight spoilers, one mention of ed, and art containing blood and heavy topice)

Mia and Izaack pretty much have to conquer their respective fears by literally killing their respective nightmare counterpart, and must take a "token" of proof if they wish to escape the Astral Realm.

Mia will slowly lose her mind through the story while Izaack still needs to come to terms with reality...

Yan Luo and Zoth's original meanings (YL = Mia's fear of dying & Z = Izaack's ed) very much change with Mia and Izaack's circumstances. The Astral Schism was an effect of their hatred for each other. #symbolism

There are two endings I have planned, one is where everyone makes it out okay and reunites with the people who care about them the most while the other is where only Anastacha makes is out :(

I swear this started as a silly "haha what if" but then I started drawing more and went "ah fuck, there goes my mental illness"

[jacquesthepigeon]

I just assume Adrien and Amelie constantly view Emilie with rose tinted lenses and she was actually extremely vain and manipulative.

Like. She gives that whole speech in season 5 about how Gabriel and Nathalie need to let her go or whatever but she's also perfectly fine with how absolutely obsessed they both are with her. And how Adrien was treated by them growing up (constantly neglected in favor of Emilie the GROWN WOMAN WHO MADE HER OWN BED AND HAS TO LIE IN IT).

Also in S5, Amelie can't believe her sweet loving sister (who repeatedly not only left Amelie in abusive situations but also *actively made things worse for her*) would choose to marry a man like Gabriel- she simply assumes there must be another side of him that she never gets to see, and Felix takes it upon himself to disprove that. Which raises the exact same question: what kind of woman would marry that kind of man?

I agree with you but don’t have the brain juice to write out my thoughts rn. I’ve said it before so just pretend I linked my past posts on the subject here. If you want to actually read those posts but my lack of maintenance of the tag system being practically nonexistent for the past two years is stopping you, I recommend you light six non scented candles, draw metatron’s cube with iodized salt (vaseline or syrup may help it stick to the floor in shape in case of light breezes threatening the shape’s integrity) and place a candle in each of the outer circles, fill up a large glass bowl with distilled water (to guarantee purity) and let it sit under the full moon as you sit in the center of metatron’s cube and chant “que el espíritu hater me guíe” over and over again until sunrise, by which point will have ideally been awake almost a full 24 hours, be sore from not changing positions all night long, and be starving bc you didn’t get to eat throughout the three hour prep and the ritual itself. These are all factors that will contribute to the delirium that will serve as medium for my Message; the more hysterical u r the better. You must then proceed to astral project to a version of severus snape (snape wives have left detailed tutorials on how to do so) and engage in physical combat with him. Don’t defeat him too quickly and make sure to get him talking as he will be relaying my post in a mocking manner bc I’m pretty sure he has no taste. Ignore the tone but listen to the words, for they are mine. Also kick his ass to defend my honor once he’s done repeating my nonsense. You will awaken disoriented but fear not, grab the bowl of moon-powered water and use it to bathe yourself head to toe, physically freshening you up while also wiping away the mental grime and leaving you with just the clarity of my Message.

I could’ve also just searched for one of the posts myself in the time it took me to make up that entire ritual but I’m too deep into the bit now

Good luck on the astral plane soldier 🫡

[amukmuk]

Thranto #23, if it hasn’t been asked already! Thank you!

Hi there! I already wrote a drabble for 23, though it wasn't Thranto, I hope you don't mind I bumped you up to 22! Thank you so much for the request!! This was so much fun to write <33

22. My Love Mine All Mine - Mitski

Eli picks up on the second ring. “Hey,” he says warmly.

“Good evening.” 

Eli checks his watch. “It’s, what, 2300 there?” 

“Yes, but I have just returned to the hotel.” 

“Teaching conferences, am I right?” Eli moves around the apartment. He has just gotten off work himself, but it is a sensible 1730. He has left over soup on the stove and bread warming in the oven. All he needs is his husband, who is on Csilla for a higher education conference. 

Thrawn only sighs.

“Sound stressed,” Eli hums. It’s raining outside, fat droplets tapping the window and trickling languidly down the pane. 

“What are you making for dinner?” Thrawn asks instead. 

“Leftover vegetable soup. I went to the market on my way home and got some bread. It’s cold and rainy here.” 

“I see.” 

“What’d you have for dinner?” 

“Professor Afbram requested we go to a Chaf house for dinner.” 

“Oh,” Eli says. The Chaf are known for cooking with excessive spice and with Thrawn’s mutilated organs, he knows he will be in for a world of hurt tonight. “I’m sorry.” 

“It is what it is,” Thrawn bemoans in Basic. “Did you know that some cultures believe that astral bodies are capable of relaying messages?” 

“Now why would they need that when comms work perfectly fine?” 

“This would be before such technology.” 

Eli hums for him to continue. 

“It is said that the moon would carry messages between separated lovers—to convey love across space and time.” 

“Should I be on the lookout for a message from the moon?” 

“Perhaps.” 

Eli smiles. “I love you, too. Take an antacid and get some sleep.” 

“Very well. I will see you in three days.” 

“I’ll count every second.” 

The line stays open for just a moment before clicking off. Eli sighs and scoops a bowl of soup. Only 259,200 more seconds to go.

[eclipsuim]

Astral Express at Christmas

Tags: fluff, found family. Let me know if I should add anything else.

Disclaimer: I am not very motivated but I want to get this done before the new year, so we're doing this now. Please don't have high expectations.

The Astral Express's parlor car was quiet, except from the gentle sound of Robin's Christmas album coming from the phonograph. Fairy lights decorate the edges of windows that have been carefully frosted with ice from a festive March 7th, and the Express's conductor is calmly sweeping away at the pine trees needles that had fallen whilst the crew was setting up.

Sunday is sat by the phonograph, quietly enjoying his sisters music as he sips on a hot chocolate he had made for himself not long ago. Himeko and Welt are participating in quiet conversation, sat on one of the parlor cars many couches. March enters from the passenger car, a bounce in her step and many, many festive hats and headbands held in her arms.

She walks up to Sunday with a soft smile, a headband placed delicately upon her head to give her reindeer antlers. "Miss March. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Sunday speaks first with a polite greeting, choosing not to immediately acknowledge the many Christmas hats that March is cradling.

March hands him a small crown of fake holly, clusters of red plastic berries in between the evergreen leaves. "Just making sure everyone is getting into the Christmas spirit. We'll be taking pictured in front of the Christmas tree in the party car later, mkay?" March replies perkily, already bounding off to give Mr Yang and Himeko their festive hats.

"Very well," Sunday murmurs softly as he briefly inspects the holly crown before placing it upon his head. March relays her message to Himeko and Welt, giving them a headband with stars on springs and an elf hat with pointy ears respectively.

Continuing her journey into the party car, March is easily able to spot Caelus and Stelle, practically curled up under the largest Christmas tree to grab some presents and shake them about to figure out what's inside. At the bar, Black Swan is calmly sipping at some hot chocolate, but the faint yet distinct smell of alcohol lingers in the air.

March gives Caelus and Stelle some Santa hats, Black Swan receives some snowman hair clips, and Dan Heng had been gifted a beanie that resembled a Christmas pudding which he refused to wear until Caelus encouraged him. They all took a nice picture, my motivation is gone, someone remind me to continue this next year.

@pennameless

[talenlee]

Lanes in Space

I’ve seen such things as the collapse of the Tannhauser Gate. Which we don’t really ever get to specify what the hell that is.

I like warp gates.

When talking about ‘firsts’ it’s obviously hard to really pin things down, especially when talking about media that I’ve been consuming since before I could really call myself a person. If I say ‘the first place I remember seeing warp gates was-‘ and you come back at me with like ‘ahah, you fool, you liked Robotech, which means’- you know what I mean. Instead of ‘first’ then, I guess I’d say crystallising idea.

The crystallising idea of warp gates for me was the anime Cowboy Bebop. For the kind of grungy, noir story it was, Cowboy Bebop has a remarkably solid, realistic vision of space travel. Our solar system is really big. Travel around in that solar system is going to be slow on scales it’s hard to be comfortable with. Here’s a way to think about the scale of our Solar System’s eight planets. It takes light from the sun 8 minutes to reach Earth. It takes the light from the sun four and a half hours to reach Neptune. Even if you could move at light speed within our Solar System, the trip from Earth to Neptune is most of a day’s energy spent driving.

In Cowboy Bebop, it’s literally hours of travel from planet surface to an Astral Gate, and then it’s hours in the Astral Gate travelling to the next Astral Gate in order to disembark then it’s more hours from that Astral Gate to landing on your destination. Even at an appreciable fraction of light speed. How Astral Gates get you to light speed, not really important: the important thing is that they do get you up to Really Fast, and anything shy of that Really Fast is like, starvation timetables to get from planet to planet. It turns space from a vast, open, empty space (which it is) that sucks (which it does) to instead something a bit more human-familiar. It makes space travel kinda comparable to naval travel — these ports of call you have to make your way through for logistic reasons, but are distant enough to one another that they do things very differently, that you’re somewhere wholly new when you go there.

A system a bit like that is used in Mass Effect. The Mass Effect Relays serve as a spiderweb of these lanes around the galaxy. By zipping from Relay to Relay, you wind up with the shipping lanes effect. The Relays are important to the greater universe of the franchise, too, with the way that they present a mystery solved in a kinda interesting way. It is a bit of a bummer that the Mass Relays aren’t treated as ports here, though — the Citadel is a central point in the network, and you connect to it through ‘literally anybloodywhere.’ Plus, y’know, you don’t really interact with this as a player, having to route through places. I know, it’s not supposed to do that because that inconveniences the player and means the player spends time travelling around space in the space travel game.

In Babylon 5, there’s no need for the gate per se, but rather instead, the ports between travel are represented by travel beacons — things that make it possible to find the thing at the distances and speeds you’re talking about. You can point your ship out to nowhere if you want but then you’re going to get lost, which makes sense when you consider that, fundamentally, the majority of space is flat nothing and the only real measure you have to orient yourself is where you were and the angle you left at, a thing that just by dint of scope can be almoset impossible to rely on. Light speed is so fast and the distances are so long that all those tiny insignificant digits in an angle measurement that can be like, parts of a surface of your ruler, can wind up distorting your path and leaving you lifetimes of distance away from where you meant to go. This is really solid, good, ‘you can, but you really shouldn’t‘ worldbuilding which gives you spaces to dump odd things like lost colonies.

Myself, mechanistically, there’s an idea I really like in gates that I haven’t seen (and will use in my own space gates), which is to say that the gate is kind of a really well designed slingshot, but it still needs time to dial up between launch points that serve the same thing as ‘customs’ or ‘making the player wait.’ During this time your ship’s computers and the gate’s computers are doing the math, all the math and then they’re doing it over and over and over again to make sure that they not only are 100% sure of the results but also sure of each other’s results, over and over again. Then when it’s absolutely sure it throws you forwards in a folded pocket of space that works because of you know, quangles or whatever, and you do still have to spend time in the hyperspace for long term travel, but it’s not treated as like, marbles in a tube, where you can interact meaningfully in the lane, nor is it as simple as ‘one in, one out.’ You can get to the gate and have a reasonably random amount of time before you launch, which means you can still have chases, but if you leave in time X and they leave in time X+5 minutes, they’re going to arrive 5 minutes after you do.

The question is the waiting because once you’re in the gate it’s probably really hard to actually get them to shut down for no reason.

There’s a practical tension for storytelling purposes, you get the spiderweb of lanes and because the travel time is so long you still have to take brakes and park in different locations, even if the bulk of the travel is wandering around your high-tech playpark.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[quitealotofsodapop]

OMG! You AU is AMAZING!!! This is exactly what I needed in my life!!

Can you please make a Part 2 of “A Hero is Born Changes” where it’s just Sun Wukong and Macaque messing with MK with their double life? Like they know everything that’s happening but pretend that nothing is happening and it’s driving MK crazy? (Sorry my english is bad). Thank you.

ty for being so interested! Your english is fine btw!

If I write more about "A Hero is Born Changes", it will most likely be as a proper fic chapter.

MK getting his powers for the first time and not wanting to tell his parents cus they're on vacation and he doesn't want to worry them. Meanwhile; Wukong and Macaque are secretly watching the initial confrontation with the Demon Bull family and are So Scared but Proud for their little guy.

Both have a near breakdown when the gang thinks MK was killed by the lava around Flower Fruit Mountain, but thankfully SWK is able to relay that he's ok to the noodle gang via astral projection/text message.

The Six Eared Macaque and The Monkey King meet MK inside the Water Curtain Cave.

And ofc MK still stomps on SWK's butterfly form in shock.

SWK: *does his big introduction* Macaque, just walks in from the shadows: " Show-off"

Macaque and Wukong continue to argue with each other for the rest of the pilot; Macaque being more of a worrier, while Wukong is more lax.

*Both in disguise, watching the climatic battle* Macaque: "We really should intervene." Wukong: "Relax, he'll be fine. He's our kid after all." MK: *crashes the jet straight into Red Son* Macaque: *glares at Wukong* Wukong: "...to be fair. I said he'd fine. Red Boy? Not so much." Macaque: "I swear Gongzhu (PIF) will kill you the second we meet up again." Wukong, fake disapointment: "Oh no~, as if dinner with my sworn in-laws wasn't bad enough already."

They argue so much that they nearly miss MK's first victory.

After MK defeats DBK and the Bull family retreats, Macaque and Sun Wukong show back up at the noodle shop. Just sitting inside the shop with fake luggage, vacation clothes (think S4 beach ending clothes), and pretending they don't know what happened.

MK: "Bama! Baba! You're back! So much happened today I dunno where to start!" Wukong: "Don't worry about it bud. We've got all day to listen!" MK: "How was your vacation by the way?" Macaque: "It was... good. We're just glad that we're back home safe and sound.

*cue family group hug including the rest of the noodle gang*

I'll be definitely writing it in greater detail than here, but thats the general gist of it.

[rookmercar]

Shkath Zai

Stranded far from home, Lae'zel has no choice but to rely on her idiot kin, a warrior from the Astral Plane more interested in books than survival.

Pairing: Lae'zel/Tav

Characters: Lae'zel, Githyanki Tav, Shadowheart, Gale, Ensemble Cast

Other tags: Pining, Denial of Feelings, Backstory, Homesickness, Alien Technology

Read on ao3 or first chapter below:

A man stood before the console, turning back to Lae’zel in equal parts surprise and disgust. He raised his arm, channeling the corrupted energy of the biomachinery—a gish battle-mage, disarmed and mutilated by the ghaik as she was, but also alive and murderously enraged. She positioned her feet to avoid the attack, when their minds connected.

He saw an aspirant knight following the kithraki in pursuit of glory. She saw an injured helmsman clinging to a burning hull. This raider must be from the Myrmidon, the planar raider looming in slow orbit behind the horde of dragon riders. The massive ship would have sent cutters ahead to relay information and track the gh'ath as it left local communication range. Small, nimble vessels could outmaneuver a nautiloid indefinitely, but if there had been a delay in orders, and one was caught between the kithraki and their quarry…

“Ah, another infected.” He carefully placed an armful of qualith tablets on the machine’s dashboard and spread his arms in a sarcastic gesture. “Welcome to the nautiloid, vin’iisk. Do you remember your name? How you came to be in the gut of this ship?”

“Lae’zel, of Crèche K’liir.”

The chamber shook as something tore into the hull, sending the qualith tablets flying and displacing wet globs of mucilaginous discharge from the walls and ceiling. Was that the dragon riders’ assault on the hull, or were they being boarded by hellspawn?

The man bent down to retrieve the tablets, wincing and leaning heavily on the console as he tried to stand back up. He looked drained and tortured, with bulging, red eyes and peeling lips, and Lae’zel was certain she looked the same or worse. Still, they were alive, a critical mistake by their captors.

“From K’liir?” He raised his eyebrows and smiled. “As am I, though it’s been some time. Ardak, formerly of K’liir, presently third junior helmsman aboard the Myrmidon Raider.”

She wrinkled her nose. Whoever he was, he wasn’t enthralled, but he was certainly mad. Even so, Lae’zel couldn’t deny that she felt strengthened by her kin’s presence. Terror was the mind flayers’ final and most deadly weapon. She wouldn’t let it take her.

An istik woman leaned against Ardak, unsteady on her feet as the floor reverberated with cannon fire and failing architecture. She was in even worse shape than Lae’zel’s kin, with an oozing gash above her eye and bruises along her jaw, injuries uncharacteristic of battle with ghaik. She had been fighting someone else when she was captured. Lae’zel couldn’t imagine this elf would last long enough to be useful, but as long as she stayed out of their way, Ardak could keep his pet.

“Is she with you?” the girl asked.

“She was following the dragon riders. Which means… I have questions.”

“Enough!” Lae’zel lifted a dull sword from a fallen thrall. What was left of her kit was in ruins, so it would have to do, for now. “We need to get to the helm and take control of the ship. You were on a cutter—what are the latest orders?”

“Orders? So, you don’t know. The Myrmidon was opening a portal when we lost planar-range communication with the kithraki. Something is interfering with the ship���s portal generator. The Jhe’stil Kithrak took control of the bridge and sent the helm technicians forward to give warning.”

Lae’zel felt the sickening vertigo of his intrusion into her mind. She saw his thoughts reflected back: this was sabotage, not ghaik interference. There were hshar’laki among them, and now Kithrak Voss would blame the Myrmidon’s crew for the delay. How dare he suspect her, when the spelljammer crew had access to the portal generator themselves?

The istik gathered her things and stretched her arms and shoulders. The news unsettled her, too. “So, your mothership was trying to open a portal? Does that mean more gith are coming?”

“They are all coming. Who knows what’s happening out there, now. Consider our orders to be to stay alive and take this ship before it fails. Keep them off of me, and I can dominate the helm and get us back to the Astral Plane.”

The Astral Plane—they could still be purified. She would bring Queen Vlaakith more than the skulls of the ghaik that stood in their way. She would bring Her the conquered nautiloid and news of a traitor among the pursuing horde. As for her kin, if he could really capture the helm, she would happily inform the Lich Queen that he was more than the scheming academic he appeared to be.

They made their way through the narrowing, fleshy passages. Burst membranes wept foul-smelling humors that sizzled under the leather of their shoes and dripped into their hair. “You said you can dominate the helm. Have you done this before?” the istik asked.

He stumbled over a hissing pustule. “Standard protocol. Now, it would be easier with less flaming holes between us and the command deck, but who am I to criticize a dragon’s aim?”

“‘Standard protocol.’ Is that so.” Lae’zel furrowed her brow. He could do less complaining and more climbing.

“Well, it was in the training module. That was a hologram, but it’s to scale.”

She could have just killed him. “Everyone did the training module! It’s not the same as a real nautiloid!”

Indignant, he stopped and turned around, nearly toppling all three of them into sticky gore. “Really! If you did the same module, where’s the ship’s heart?”

“The heart? Inside the shell. What does it matter?”

“Ventral. From where we are standing. And the bridge, where the transponder could have been disabled before we left local communication range, dorsal.” He seemed like he was trying to make a point, though this lecture seemed trivial, given their imminent danger. It was a helm tech’s job to memorize schematics, not a dragon rider’s. He sighed critically. “That means up. Given your obvious respect for shipcraft, you would have made an excellent knight.”

“Perhaps if you had more diligently maintained your own ship, you wouldn’t be turning into an abomination.” She wished she hadn’t said that. The lurking terror crept up her spine.

He grimaced and steadied himself against the pulsing wall. “I agree.”

How delightful that they would spend their last moments arguing about nothing in front of a stranger. The bleeding istik woman urged them on without acknowledging their bickering, and Ardak hesitated with his hand nearly touching the final passage to the bridge.

“Once inside, I need to get to the helm console and gain control of the ship, just long enough to take us home. We’ll only have a moment before they realize what we’re doing.”

“We’ll keep them occupied.” Lae’zel shouldered past him, ready at the door.

The elf woman seemed like she had some concerns about their plan. Inconsequential, as long as she could follow orders. “And then what?”

Ardak rolled his shoulders and Lae’zel activated the door. They spoke at the same time: “Vlaakith gha’g shkath zai.”

[geesegoose6969]

blessings be upon thee; flesh laden gosling of the astral flock–i have news.

much has happened in my absence--events that may explain my tumblr interlude…first and foremost there has been excellent progress in the smiting of kevin (bless his soul)

HOWEVER some unideal circumstances that have arisen from such warfare...ALAS I DIGRESS the primary and innately glorious message i must relay is this--kevin has been MOSTLY smited.

i shall explain myself in greater detail as soon as i am able to return to cvs–i have not yet found a nearby location to safely loiter in pursuit of free wifi (curse YOU father)

[trashyvanillabean]

I had to go back and find playthroughs to refresh my memory, but anyway.

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT!!!

I honestly don’t know how to explain it, but there’s something bothering me about how the Remembrance, specifically the Garden of Recollection, is connected to Amphoreus.

We can only see it via the light from the Garden’s mirrors.

Black Swan was the one to suggest Amphoreus as a destination, claiming that Akivili never set foot there. She’s also the one to reveal Amphoreus to us after the warp jump.

And yet—

As it has been mentioned before, Dan Heng and the Trailblazer have absolutely no difficulty understanding what the Amphoreus locals are saying, and vice versa, even though the Synesthesia Beacon should not be working on a society that has never had contact with other people beyond Amphoreus’s sky. (Although, this could be because Amphoreus is also connected to the Erudition.)

When Welt and Sunday visit Herta to ask for her help regarding losing contact with Dan Heng and TB, and March being comatose and partially frozen in her own ice again, they briefly mention Amphoreus; and Herta tells them that, while possibly irrelevant and some items had been filtered out, she did still find at least something related to Amphoreus and relayed that information to Himeko.

Except Himeko never said a word about her conversation with Herta regarding Amphoreus. If she did and I simply forgot, then it was pretty clear that there was nothing helpful, or it was wholly irrelevant that it never pops up again throughout the mission.

(Note: I have no idea why, but I was having a really difficult time understanding what Herta was saying in her chat with Welt and Sunday. I thought I was just tired after so many hours of working through the new storyline; but after going back and rewatching the scene, I’m still having some trouble. All I can do is talk about my thoughts and the implications from my perspective. 🫠 Bear with me…)

Now, with this in mind, it kind of feels like the information’s been tampered with. Herta even suggests that the “Garden folks” were lying to the crew.

Again, Black Swan was the one to suggest Amphoreus as a destination.

Remember what she did to Sampo and Sparkle at the end of her companion mission? She wiped their memories (albeit temporarily).

Who can say for certain that she didn’t tamper with Himeko’s memories?

Also, after being interrogated by Aglaea, you have the option to straight up leave Amphoreus; and the ending mentions Black Swan disappearing.

And she probably would if that option was chosen. Clearly, the Astral Express has decided Amphoreus is no longer a viable option. Why would she stick around? Whatever needs doing on Amphoreus, she’ll now have to do it herself since the crew no longer wants to.

“Black Swan said it herself that as a Memokeeper, it’s her duty to collect memories.”

If Amphoreus can only be seen by the light of the mirrors of the Garden of Recollection, then wouldn’t the chances be the Garden has already known about Amphoreus for some time?

Its members are memetic entities. They can’t really die from normal, natural/physical means (sans Acheron’s Nihility powers). Why would they wait until now to collect memories from Amphoreus? We haven’t seen any signs that indicate something is preventing them from doing so.

What I’m trying to say is, between the Memosnatcher at Herta Space Station, Black Swan not being above manipulation tactics to get what she wants, and the lore of the related Remembrance factions (such as the aforementioned Memosnatchers) Black Swan is looking kind of suspicious.

“Didn’t Black Swan only lure us to Aventurine to help save Penacony from Sunday’s control?”

Yeah, that was one time, and I’m pretty sure even a Memokeeper wouldn’t want to fall under the control of the Order.

Is Black Swan acting benevolently now? That is something we need to keep in mind going forward.

[dc-megatournament]

DC Ladies Only Tournament

Round 1

Tsaritsa's feats:

Magic

Empathy

Energy Construct Creation

Force Field

Reality Alteration

M'gann's feats:

Martian Physiology

Shape-shifting

Size Alteration

Invisibility

Phasing

Superhuman Strength

Superhuman Stamina

Superhuman Durability

Superhuman Speed

Superhuman Agility 

Superhuman Reflexes

Regeneration

Flight

Extrasensory Input

Longevity

Super hearing

Heat vision

Infrared Vision

X-Ray Vision

Electromagnetic Spectrum Vision

Telescopic Vision

Microscopic Vision

Telepathy

Illusions

Possession

Astral Projection

Mind Control

Telepathic Relay

Telepathic Assault

Telekinesis