#but the image in my head had a glitch effect

[blushouyo]

There's pain sensation in VR, and even a sense of reality and urgency. The only difference is that it isn't actually happening.

[anonymousdisco]

How’d I get Isikiad into Yandere Obey Me Halloween Special

(Y/N)’s POV:

I woke up slowly with a dull ache in my head. Rubbing my head I opened my eyes to a strange sight. I looked around but all I saw was an endless void of darkness filled only by… mirrors? I stepped closer to one in confusion, heels clicking against the ground despite there being no sight of one.

“Glitch…?” I called out as I looked at the mirror carefully. “What is this thing?” The mirror instead of showing my reflection just showed some kind of blurred scene. “Glitch? Where are you?!”

Why wasn’t she here? She was always nearby, so where did she go? I nervously clutched my hands in front of me. Tentatively I reached one out to touch the mirror. It was cold. Freezing to be honest. The kind of freezing that burns. I tried to yank my hand away but I couldn’t.

As the mirror’s temperature burned my hand, the image in it cleared. It was of a room. Not just any room though. It was my room in my past life. It looked almost like the night I left it. Clothes still haphazardly thrown on my bed from when I was picking a dress for the party.

The door to my room clicked open and my sister and my previous fiancé entered. What were they doing in my room? “So glad that the dreary funeral is over! We can finally make this room into my new closet without anyone complaining about appearance sake.” My sister rambled as she clung to his arm.

She was still selfish. It seems like my dying didn’t fix that. They both talked together for a while planning their changes to the room before leaving. It wasn’t till they left the room that the mirror finally released me.

I thought I would be crying by now. That such a scene would hurt me like it always used to. But it didn’t… I felt nothing looking at them. Perhaps a bit of rage, but that was it. She didn’t scare me anymore. Now that I was surrounded daily by demons in Devildom she just seemed mediocre in comparison.

I rubbed my hand looking at it carefully for any injuries, but it seemed fine now. My head was pounding though like someone took an ax to it.

I walked through the strange void till I came to another mirror. It was also blurred without my touch. In order to test the theory I was developing I decided to lay my hand on this one as well. This time the pain shot up my whole arm and I cried out in shock. This mirror had been bigger than the other and clearly this had an effect on how it worked.

As cold air seeped through it, it slowly showed what it was hiding. It was my sister again. This time she was at the bottom of our family’s grand staircase. Our parents were standing at the top looking at her disgusted. Our mother was clutching onto our fathers arm looking horrified at my sister.

“Mother, father, why are you kicking me out?!” My sister cried out as she sobbed looking up at them.

“You are no child of ours!” My father yelled angrily. “You have dishonored this family! Do you truely believe you can crawl back here after failing like you did?!”

My sister glared at him with hate. “You're the one who suggested the plan in the first place! It wasn’t even my idea!”

“All you had to do was marry the man and make him sick enough to die so we could own his family’s corporation. You couldn’t do anything so simple?! Now you’ve been caught in the act and everything we’ve built is at risk!” My mother walked down the steps slowly with a deadly grace she only ever had when she was beyond angry.

“At least my biological daughter knew her place unlike you even if she was worthless.” My mothers words seeped deep into my soul and stung to hear. Even then I still lacked tears. “If you know what’s best for you you’ll keep your mouth shut about our involvement and follow her example.”

“Are you… telling me to die?!” My sister fell down to the ground with shock.

All our mother did was throw her a vial of liquid in answer. As my sister picked it up the scene blurred again and I was released from the mirror freezing grip.

I stood there shocked. Just how trashy were all of them? I had no idea what this place was, or where it was even at. All I knew was one thing, it could view where I was from and tell me what happened after my death.

I shakily breathed out a sigh of breath. The ache in my temples was growing stronger. It felt lonely without glitch’s company. I was so used to glitch being there even if glitch was just a program. It was almost like having a real friend.

I walked further down to another mirror. This one was more ornate than the rest. It stood in the center without any other mirrors surrounding it. It had a black frame with silver thorns wrapping around it. Instead of being blurred the mirror was just pitch black like the void around it. I hadn’t even touched it yet and the cold was already seeping into my skin. My breath came out fogged with cold.

As my finger hovered near it, and before I could even touch it snow flakes drifted down from above. I looked up gasping in shock but there were no clouds, only the void. The snow seemed to only appear near me. I delicately held out a hand and captured a snowflake and it melted just like it was real.

“This is a bad idea. This is not how you survive a horror movie moment…” I whispered as I touched the mirror anyways. The cold filled my whole body this time. I cried as it burned me. It felt like it was hours before the mirror at long last began to show an image. 

Through my tears I saw a strange sight. It was my funeral. Everything seemed normal except for a single figure completely in white. The kind of white that burns your eyes and makes you go crazy. The type you find in mental hospitals to soothe the patients even if it only makes it worse.

The figure also had on a pure white lace veil, and all the clothing of the figure had silver thorns embroidered on the fabric. The fabric was misty at the end like fog, and the figure held an ornate silver mirror that mimicked the design of the one I was touching.

The figure walked slowly to my coffin in the image I saw. No one seemed to see it unlike me. The figure stroked my hair carefully where my body rested in my coffin. Despite my body’s gruesome appearance my casket was open. Another insult from my family I suppose. The figure bent down and kissed my forehead through its veil which quite frankly creeped me out. Looking at my bloody appearance made bile rise up in the back of my throat.

I tried to remove my hand from the mirror as I shook with a bit of fear. I couldn’t let go though and was forced to stay and watch as the figure reached its hand through my chest and pulled out a glowing light I could only assume was my soul. The figure then placed it carefully and lovingly in its mirror.

How could something dressed in white, which is usually associated with good things, seem so terribly wrong and terrifying…? The figure slowly turned around and gazed out as if it could see me and it waved gracefully. As it stepped closer to my sight I shook upon instinct. Every part of my being told me this thing was other and bad.

A hand of the figure reached out through the mirror and laced with my hand that was stuck against it. I yelled out in pain as the freezing feeling worsened at its touch. The figure said nothing and simply held my hand a moment before letting go. As it let go and returned completely to its side of the mirror, the mirror turned pitch black again and released me. I yanked my hand away and looked at it frantically. The tips of my fingers had turned blue with cold and I could hardly feel them. I rubbed them desperately to warm them up.

The ache in my head worsened and eventually I felt my gaze darken as I passed out. When I came to, I was back in my room in the House of Lamination. I panted frantically as I looked for any damage to my body. I looked completely fine for some reason. “Glitch?!” I cried out.

“I recommend a course of action that’s quieter.” Glitch said, appearing before me.

“What was that?!” I whispered frantic still.

“That was the omnipresent beings' inner realm. It appears you were called there by his decision.”

“Was that thing… him?” I asked, shaking a bit still.

“Yes, that figure was the omnipresent being.” Glitch explained carefully. “The omnipresent being rarely interacts personally with a test user. To do so is odd behavior for him. You must be particularly amusing to him.”

“Amusing…? My suffering is amusing?!”

“As I have previously stated this loudness is not a recommended course of action.”

I slumped against my pillow as I stared at the ceiling. No wonder I was terrified. I just met a being beyond my comprehension. A being that decided to defy my death effortlessly and stick me in a whole new reality… I’m never touching one of those mirrors again.

As I rolled over to go back to sleep sighing shakily, I could almost swear I saw a fleeting glimpse of a white figure in my mirror. But surely I was just imagining things…

[warakami-vaporwave]

Hi! I noticed on your BSOD America post you tagged openai and dalle3. Do you use AI?

I have had a few recent questions about AI so I'll just answer them all in this ask.

Yea, I use AI to generate the background photos for the BSOD series. Right now it's the only series I use AI in. If I use AI in a series it's always tagged as such. I also always end up modifying the image with my text, glitch effects and sometimes I heavily modify the image (combining images, repainting areas, etc).

I use the BSOD series as a way to make myself keep up to date with the current tech as best I can, since otherwise I have no real use for AI in my work. The rise of AI makes me extremely uncomfortable as a creative but like all new tech, I feel that it's important to understand what it can do, what it can't do and where it's headed in the future.

From my experience, if any artist wants to future proof themselves as much as possible against AI, this is my advice;

Make sure your style of art can work in traditional mediums, and can be done in person (for example; I'm focusing on doing more pencil illustrations on paper lately)

Come up with as unique a personal style as you can

Use AI enough to be familiar with it

[themoonweaversden]

Messeges that were found so far: SOOS (spoilers)

This is just to collect all the codes that you can type in in thisisnotawebsitedotcom.com and their effects only (please click images for better quality)

Masterpost with all messeges / codes

Transcript:

"Sup Dude! Soos here, or as I call myself now "Mr Mystery," but I also call myself Soos too because that's still my name dude! Okay, so first, the GOSS, Tad Strange. Is Totally. Crushing on Woodpecker Guy. I ship it dude. I ship it HARD.

Anyway Mabel wanted me to write about the triangle guy? Dawg, homie is BAD. NEWS. Never trust a bro who can climb inside of your brain. And his book is sus and, to be quite frank, mid. I looked inside and just saw glitches and the words "HE'S UNCORRUPTABLE." What's that supposed to mean? At least holding the book made me look kinda smart, so 1/5 stars I guess.

Anyway Mabel told me to keep it brief, which is no problem for me, I love brievity! I can't get enough of it! Being succinct is like, super easy for me for some reason, I guess it's like a gift? Don't get me started on pithiness, let alone- oh dang I'm like, running out of paper?! LOL! That's what tape is for bro!

SOLVED!

What were we talking about? Oh yeah, my life as chief proprietor/tour guide/scam-magineer (Mr Pine's phrase) of the Mystery Shack! Running this place is an actual dream come true. To stop from pinching myself I asked Old Man McGucket to invent a Pinch-Bot but then it got loose and went on a pinching spree and had to be put down, heh heh. Wild times!

What's the shack like without the Pines? Well, it's got a lot more laser tag. And Questiony is back and MORE QUESTIONABLE THAN EVER! (Turns out all he needed was PANTS!) Every day I get to regale the children with yarns of enchantment and lore, and Melody set up this dope train that goes through the redwoods carrying baby goats. We're doing like... so good. Knock on on wood, but we're always saying "jinx" after talking and like, "anticipating each others emotional needs." Might be some little Sooslets on the way! WINK!

Mr Pines is gonna be away at sea for a while but he promised to not send me any postcards, which meant a lot to me. Dude is a real one! Anyway, I gotta go get some lotion for my cheeks. Abuelita and Melody have been pinching me at the same time a lot and it's starting to become a problem.

Look what I gotta deal with over here! Seesh! Stay cool, and if you're ever in Oregon stop by the Mystery Shack to see the local world record holder for the world's happiest dude. ME! Ha-ha!

-Soos "Mr Mystery" Ramirez

PS: Don't tell Ford that I got pudding on his cursed book!! Unless he likes pussing, then tell him to lick here ⟶

PPS: Did you know that you can turn any spoon into a spork with a few simple adjustments? I'll show you how any time dude!

PPS: If you see Bill, cover your head in tin foil and bring some ninja stars. And a bat, in case he ever accquires human flesh. Or in case you see a PINATA"

[androgynousblackbox]

Can't Remember To Forget You. 8 [Radioapple, Appleradio]

Chapter 8: Just Give Me A Reason

Alastor wheezed, so suddenly and strong, that his usual laughter came out like a agonizing hyena.

"Are you still wondering about that?" asked and then laughed even more because, frankly, that was the only thing he could even think to do in such a fucking ridiculous situation. "Oh my goodness! You just can't handle the idea that there is something about someone that you don't know about, do you?"

Vox blinked, his eyes coming back to normal. Realizing that his power had absolutely no effect on him and pissed off about it. He laughed some more until he fell to his side. There was no way for him to stop it. Everything was just too fucking funny.

"I have revised literally every footage that there was about you, even from before I came to Hell. I had talked with literally every fucker in this ring that could know anything about you and not a single one, not one, could tell me shit about your stupid ass family!" Vox was no longer sitting in his chair, flashes of Alastor's glitched out faces crossing his screen, footage of other Overlords talking to Vox, even a brief aparition of Mimzy fluttering her eyelashes. "Oh, sure, people told me about all those partners you have been showing off around" Images of Alejandro walking on the streets next to Alastor, Honey floating in the air to kiss his cheek, and other faces that Lucifer had been using through out the years, always looking up to him, always close. Alastor recognized all of them, he could even remember the circumstances in which those dates happened, but they were gone too soon for him to find any comfort in them and leaving only the anger of Vox in full display."I investigated all of them, and you know what I found? Oh, yeah, people talked to them! Some of them even consider them friends! But houses? Work? Life outside of you? FUCKING NOTHING! It's like they only ever existed to go out with you! So, of course, my very first idea is that you have all these people kidnapped on some fucking hole somewhere and take them out to walk them around whenever it tickles your fancy. You have tortured or brainwashed them so throughfully that they have their Stockholm Syndrome down to perfection, so even if they have the chance to escape they won't do it!"

"A logical conclusion to reach" Alastor cackled some more barely opening his mouth.

"My next idea is that it was all just an ilusion you made to your own shadow. We are not going to pretend now that you are above some dosage of narcisism! So you wanted to kiss your own reflection under a different mask. Weird kink to have, but hey, I don't judge! Until you appeared with a fucking baby and literally all of that was out of the window with a hole in its head. Because you aren't blonde. None of those fuckers you were with were blonde. So either you were bleaching the hair of your own infant child, which would be fucked up even for me, or you had them with someone completely different that wasn't either of them. And then" Vox grabbed the chair and stomped it in the ground for some emphasis, sitting down with the back of the furniture against his chest, "you throw at me all that fucking bullshit about having not one, not two, but three kids in fucking total and other dimensions and whatever the fuck else! So you were either high as fuck, completely making shit up, while bleaching the hair of your own kid, by the way, or you have been having an entire life fucking Charlie Morningstar!"

That shut up Alastor faster than a ballet to head ever could. He stared at Vox like he had never heard or seen anything more repulsive in his entire life. A shiver ran up his spine and he barely managed to contain the bilis that pushed its way up his throat.

"Good grief, don't say those words ever again. Have some decency at least if you don't have any dignity left."

"THEN WHAT!" Sparks jumped out between the antena on top of Vox's head, flashing in red colors. "Tell me what the fuck I have been missing! I stole all the data from that detective you ate already and nothing adds up! No one is that good at keeping secrets! Just tell me what the fuck is going on. Or I swear, Alastor, I can turn up the intensity of the lights even more and leave you there for the next century!"

"Alright" Alastor sighed as he pushed himself up, to sit on his ass again. "I think I have entertained your little fantasy enough already. I do have to say, though, you had the right idea. Something like this whole set up could have been effective two years ago. Back then, you could have totally got me and be slightly more than an annoyance. Now? You came way too late for that" added, standing up casually as he threw the blessed rope back to Vox, all the knots undone. Vox took a step back as it were a living snake hissing at him. "As for your little christmas lights? It's down right adorable that you think they mean anything to me."

As he spoke that way, he elevated himself in the air, sound the static filling the air as the lights around him flickered and blinked. It was merely for a few seconds, but Vox could still see the darkness full of sigils of Alastor whenever the lights turns off, only to dissapear the next second. Until suddenly Alastor came back to the floor and all the lights were on.

The message had been delivered loud and clear already. Alastor could have gotten away any moment he wanted to. But he wasn't doing it and he couldn't understand that either.

"And yet you are still here" said, somehow managing to get out a chuckle through his own nerves. "You could have kill me the entire time. Did the darts even do anything to you?"

"By the second batch, I just pretended to be asleep to see where they were planning to take me" Alastor grinned. "Imagine what a delightful surprise for me was to find out that my good old pal was the one who commisioned my capture. Surely, Vox must have some kind of plan here! Some brilliant idea that he no doubt felt like he could pull off perfectly! All of that, just to bring me here and basically gossip about my private life. Talk about a let down."

"Again, you are the one that is still here" Vox reached a quick hand to grab the chair and put it in front of him, as if that could work as his shield. "Why?"

"I told you, didn't I?" Alastor sat again, casually resting his elbow on his knee to cup his cheek. "I am just so bored. Sure, I could kill you right now. But you went through all this trouble and I have nothing else to do or nowhere else to go, so might as well talk a little bit. You were right in that I do love much to do that."

Vox squinted his eyes, reluctantly leaving the chair on the floor again.

"Nowhere to go, huh?" said cautiously. "What-what happened with the other parent of the kid? They kicked you out?"

"Oh, no, not at all. He didn't have to. We are just… on a mutually agreed upon break."

Vox quickly covered up his mouth to drown out the laughter that almost escaped him. At the first sound of it, the static in the air started to increase and the lights around Alastor flickered again in warning.

"I mean!" Vox cleared his throat, chuckling again. "Who doesn't have one of those, am I right! They are even a healthy part of any good relationship! A time to reflect, a time to see your other options. Completely normal to go through that."

"Oh, no, we are having none of that" said Alastor calmly. "That man can have whatever opinion he wants about me, but he is still mine. There is no escaping that as long any of us exist. If he ever tries to see other options, I will make sure they all find as quick and painful end as I can make it. Likewise, the thought of ever looking at anyone else is so far away from my mind is not even an option at all. As I said before, this is just a temporary situation."

"Huh" Vox slowly came back to his chair. "What did you even do? Forgot to clean up the blood off the floor?"

"What kind of uncivilized monster have you taken me for?" Alastor huffed, brushing his hair back. "Nothing as rude as that. I just destroyed his sense of reality and made his mind to attack him in such a way now he is convinced I am planning to kill him, any good associations he had about me entirely erased as if they never existed" He shrugged, letting his chin rest on top of his knee. "But that is nothing I can't fix anyway, so it's fine."

"Uhu" Vox made his lips into a thin line for a moment, almost containing himself. And failing in the end. "So that is why you have been eating and killing people at random all over the city?"

"What? No, why any of that would have anything to do? Can't a radio demon just want to indulge on some lethal fun for the sake of it? I told you already, I was bored anyway. Bored enough to talk to you even."

"Well, don't I feel appreciated" Vox tried to imprint some politeness in his tone as he finally let himself sat down. He cleared his throat once again. "Did you… intend to break his sense of reality? Or you just don't like that he find out you did it?"

"It was… an impulsive act of the moment. An unintentional misstep" Alastor sighed, rubbing his face as he pulled his hair back. "He was saying very stupid things. Questioning as to why I was bothering with him. Telling me I should want better things. All because he was way too stupid to realize that if I was ever spending a single second around him, it was because I already decided it was worth it. And he had the audacity to say that I was being too nice to him! Can you believe that? When has it ever been the case that I have been nice without a purpose? Too nice to anyone?!"

"Can't think of any example" admitted Vox, deadpan.

"Exactly! So obviously, that man was talking pure nonsense. And I may have reacted a little more strongly that it was strictly warranted, something completely understandable for anyone in my position, which take us to our current situation."

"That is almost an admition of guilt, Alastor" pointed out Vox with a soft chuckle. "He really got you that bad, huh?" said and immediately shrunk on himself, waiting for a response of Alastor.

There was only the sound of more static filling the air as Alastor looked to a side, a slight frown in his face.

"Like I said, it doesn't matter anymore" continued after a while. "I will just wait until the dust has settled a bit and just get back. He can hate me if he likes, it won't make a difference. We have a kid to raise after all. He is not getting rid of me that easy."

"Three!" Vox perked up. "You said three kids. One older than your oldest, apparently! I bet that there is must be a pretty interesting story behind that. Like how you two met at all and why the fuck I can't find any record of him."

"Mmmm" Alastor hummed pensatively, tapping his chin. Finally he let out a sigh and shrugged. "I guess that is as good of a topic as any. At this point there is no chance of him even remembering any of it either, so there is not much of a point to hold on to those memories anymore."

"Yeah, yeah, exactly! So tell me everything you can."

Alastor lifted his head towards him.

"I am not mentioning any names, so we are clear. For no other reason I don't feel like giving you those."

"That is… fine" said Vox, grinding his virtual teeth. "Yeah, no, that is totally cool by me! Just whatever you feel like telling me will be enough."

"Well" Alastor reclined over his hands, extending his legs over the floor in front of him. He snapped his fingers and a small black portal opened up behind him, indifferent to all the light. Vox took a second to recognize the bottle as one of the scotch of their corporative bar for business meeting. Alastor did make sure the logo was in plain view of the screen as he took his first huge gulp. "To put it simply, we married by mistake during a binder in Las Hellgas when neither of us planned for it. It was mostly his fault, I just got involved with it. Anyway, when we woke up the next morning, he said that his undying love for me would have him doing anything for me and I thought, huh, that is neat, I never had a slave before at that point, so we decided to continue married for as long we wanted to. In the way we had our first child through magical means that I discovered myself, humbly speaking, of course, and then adopted an older child. At some point I died, as you well know, and then came back, as you also know, which unfortunately did nullify the marriage because of that whole until death do us part condition, which is stupid if you think about it because at least 90% of the people in this ring are dead anyway. But I digress.

"He was still desperately, stupidly, obssesively in love with me, the poor fool, so he proposed again to get married. I didn't know why bother at that point, but I saw no harm on it either so I said sure, why not. If he ever ever kicks the buckett it will make it easier for me to inherit all his assets, so there was that to look forward to! Unfortunately he got sucked into another dimension before we could sign any document making it official. Then I was dragged to where he was, I still don't know why, so don't bother asking. I think I was already pregnant at that point? Yes, I was. I find out during another little rampage because I got so bored without my little slave around to keep me entertained. On that other dimension I happened to know another version of myself who fancied my little slave and I said no, no, no, that one is mine. He may me small and annoying and so overdramatic like you wouldn't believe, but I caught him first so you can go die on a ditch and keep your filthy paws away.

We eventually came back. But that was a relief short lived before we got captured by some powerful people. People who wouldn't listen no matter what we said."

"Heaven" said Vox suddenly and Alastor stared at him. The TV demon shrugged. "That was an easy enough deduction to make. All the cameras that tried to capture you were fried, but they all fried in direction to the portal opened up by Heaven. After that last extermination was done, you were gone for months. I thought they had killed you again, but no, that would be too nice. Instead, the first thing I hear about you is that not only you are back, you are carrying a little spawn that looks nothing like any of the partners people saw you with before" Vox frowned, lifting a finger. "Wait a minute. If you were… not married to that guy, then who the fuck were those people?"

"Paid actors" said Alastor easily, taking another long sip of the bottle. "I couldn't be seen with him in public. Didn't you hear about how small he was? Such a tiny little date was just going to ruin my style, so we paid those people so I had something to do while he was doing my betting somewhere else. You are right that they technically do not exist, because those were all just characters I made up for them to play. It made him insanely jelous too, the insecure cretin, so that is why I kept doing it. Little slaves should know already their place and that they can't dictate the will of their masters. It was a nice lesson for him."

"But you proposed to one of them? I don't have any footage of that, but there were plenty of witnesses. You used the head of some guy for it? A succubus chick?"

"That? That was just a little prank I thought in the moment. I thought it would be funny to see what the actor would do with that material and I have to admit, they pulled it off wonderfully. We looked like an actual real couple there. It was so entertaining when he find out too. We weren't married and I was already giving a ring to someone else. Hilarious" Alastor let oug a chuckle as he took another gulp from the bottle. When he finished it all, he turned upside down the whole way to get to the last drop and then let it roll away before he conjured up another exactly the same, but full. "Oh, and at some point he got hit in the head pretty badly and that is how he lost his memory of me, our life and our baby. Not our other children, though, which I guess is the silver lining. I lost my patience with him one time while he was on that state and my little slave did not look at me the same way ever since. So that is the current situation. I am just biding my time until I can fix it."

"Okay" Vox took a deep breath, putting his two indez finger against his mouth as he reflected. "So you never told anyone about your husband because… it cramped your style. What about your other children? Why keep them in the dark too? And if you are going to do that with them, why not the baby too?"

"Vox, I don't expect you to know this, but when you are a parent you care about your kids having a little thing we call privacy. Also, why I would tell anyone? Those are my kids, not yours. Get your own if you want to know what that is like. As for Artemis" said, opening the bottle with a tentacle and drinking another quick sip, "I said fuck it. I am stronger now, I can kill anyone that thinks it would be fun to mess with them. At that point I was technically a single father and my babysitter of choice had a life of her own, so my options were more limited now than the other times."

"And how long were you with that husband of yours? Before the whole dying, reviving, other dimension, which I still do not understand by the way, but let's move on, Heaven and hit in the head that made him lost his memory."

"What date is it today?" asked Alastor, realizing he sincerely had no the slightest idea.

Vox told him so and then he nodded, processing that piece of information, and let it jump out of his head.

"It would have been 86 years if we had stayed together the whole way through. Before the point we got separated the first time, it was 85 years of marriage. So I guess 85 was the final record."

"W-what" Vox pronnounced the word like he was spitting a specially thick portion of coffee in shock. But there was no coffee, so he could only stare dumbfounded to Alastor as he just drank again. "What the fuck, Alastor?! Are you seriously saying that you have been married, with kids, literally the entire time I have known you? Almost all the time you have been in hell?"

"Indeed" Alastor whispered to the bottle. Then he shrugged. "Not that it matters anymore. We never intended to be married in the first place. It was all a… comedy of errors that was convenient for me. Nothing else."

"Wow" Vox laughed, crossing his arms. "I might not be the most best guy to say this, in fact, I might be the worst one, but that is just such a pile of bullshit I could smell it from the first floor. Fucking nobody stays married that fucking long to anybody, they have multiple children together, new baby included, and give a fuck of who they are looking at, just out of convenience. Who the fuck do you expect to fool with that? How stupid do you think…"

The words of Vox got cut out when the bottle that Alastor was holding suddenly crashed against his screen, cracking it, as the rest of the liquid still left spread over the rest of his suit. Vox moved his hands in front of him, blind, mute, but not deaf.

"I don't remember asking for any review" warned Alastor, his magic hissing and twisting around him as his eyes turned into green dials that Vox could not appreciate, even if he lifted his head towards the sound. Alastor scoffed. "Everyone thinks they are critics."

Vox patted his suit and his pocket. On the front of his chest, he got what he was looking for and he pulled out his phone to hold it in front of him. His own face appeared there.

"Alright, so you don't like constructive criticism, got it!" said Vox, sneering. "Sensitive much?!"

"Aren't all your questions answered already?" said Alastor, gnarling. "You wanted to reveal the big mystery, there you have it. That is all you are ever going to get. Are you done?"

"The fuck we are!" Vox's body stand up, gripping the phone. "I know you are still keeping stuff away from me! And I will get it sooner or later!"

"What makes you think I couldn't just easily move away from here just like I stole those bottles from you already?"

Vox rolled his eyes.

"If you wanted to do that, you would have done so already."

Alastor pursed his lips.

"Fair point" admitted, his ears still twitchig. "Still doesn't mean I have to tell you anything."

"If you cooperate, I will bring you enough booze to drown out the entire Envy Ring. The best shit I can get. I can… throw a couple of low earners into the mix if you want."

"I could just enjoy both of them without your help."

"And do what? Go where, Alastor?" Vox sighed. "Just play nice with me and I can play nice back."

Alastor rolled his eyes and laid on the floor made entirely of light destined to weak him, completely useless for it.

"Yeah, fine" said finally the voice of the radio demon. "I have some spare time I can waste. Just keep those bottles and bodies coming and I might, I repeat, might feel generous. And Vox" called without changing positions, just when Vox was turning away towards the door.

"What?"

"He was never jelous of you. Despite how obvious you have always been about me. You never represented any kind of threat to bother with."

"Fuck you."

With that, Vox got out and Alastor closed his eyes. One snape of fingers later, he had another bottle to hold. In a few minutes, the door would open up again to bring him even more. The lights blasting through his eyelids at every second, not giving him any peace, were also a nice distraction.

Everyone at the hotel was treated to a similar sounds. That being the crying of a baby as Lucifer was trying to comfort them, all the while preparing baby formula.

"Argh, again?" groaned Angel as the rest of the resident came with him. "If I ever said I wanted children, forget about it."

Lucifer pouted as he still rocked little Artemis, letting their little lungs out afainst his shoulder.

"To think they used to laugh so easily before" sighed almost to himself, kissing the blonde head.

The rest of the presents resigned themselves to sit at the table. Most of them tried to ignore the noise, while others were trying to cover their ears whatever ways they could as they tried to start breakfast.

"You know why they are in distress, papa" Charlie sighed, taking over the preparing the baby formula so Lucifer could use both hands with Artemis to rock them.

"I know, but don't look at me! I am not the one who went up and left my baby after my little attempt against someone failed!" Lucifer protested, making kissy faces to Artemis, with very little effect. "It's okay, little buddy, it's okay."

"Yeah, because he is toootally going to enjoy staying at the place where someone is convinced that he wants to murder you or whatever" couldn't help to add Charlie, before shaking her head as he went on to prepare the bottle. "I don't know why I bother."

Lucifer frowned at her briefly as he sat in one of the chairs, making appear some tea for him.

"Really shows the signs of a innocent man, huh? Running away as soon you got find out. I think you are forgetting that I am not the one who kicked him out, honey. I was willing to let him stay and maintain a healthy distance while keeping him monitored so he wouldn't try any other shit against anyone else. Instead, the guy just left. Was I supposed to stop him?"

Charlie groaned. Vaggie came up to her and rubbed her back, which did relaxed her a bit. She finished with the bottle, tested it out that it wasn't too hot, exactly as Alastor taught her, and only then went to give it to Lucifer without another word. Lucifer hold it with magic for Artemis to drink and they all collectively sighed at once when the baby actually drank, their crying done for the moment.

"Sir" said Husk with a profound, deep sigh, uncovering his ears. "I am literally the last person in Hell that is ever going to advocate for that guy's good heart. But even I think you might have the wrong impression over what happened."

"Yeah, that really wasn't I am going to murder you clothing or make up, your Majesty. That would have been even hotter" commented Angel, shoving a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. "A lot more cleavage."

Lucifer frowned again, this time not really directed at Husk, as he rubbed one of his temples. First a pressure of the finger, but then holding his knuckles against his chins as his brow furrowed.

"Why is everyone acting as if this my fault?"

"It's not" said Emily, sitting next to him to squeeze his shoulder. "It's really not. Forget about it, papa. We all just wants what is best for Artemis."

"And I don't?"

"Of course you do. Nobody doubts that" Emily gave him a little smile. "Let's not fight, please?"

Lucifer let his shoulders fall.

"Yeah. Sure, honey" said, squeezing her hand back.

Sooner than later, the whole bottle of Artemis was empty. Before Lucifer could do anything about it, the baby moved their head out the way and renewed their crying as if never stopped. For everyone's collective displeasure.

"Hey, buddy, how about a little walk around the garden, huh?" Lucifer stand up, rocking them again as he walked to the door. "Let's see the pretty flowers. Would you like that? Pretty flowers, all for my pretty little rascal. Come on. Maybe this time you can have a nap that lasts more than one hour! Wouldn't that be something?"

As soon they were both out of there, they all relaxed again as the cries of Artemis got lost. Charlie cleared her throat, holding onto her mug.

"I finally contacted dad" said, before taking a sip.

Emily immediately straighten up in her chair, looking at her.

"You did? What did he say? Is he okay? Does he needs us to go pick him up?"

"Not… really" Charlie pursed her lips. Vaggie took her other hand over the table and locked their fingers together. "He… was still killing people. And I think he was a little drunk. He only calls me Charlotte when he is drunk."

"But was he okay?" insisted Emily. Charlie exchanged a look with her until she turned away. "Stupid question, I know."

"He said he doesn't plan to keep away forever" continued on Charlie. "I don't know how much time that means. It could be a week, it could be a month. Maybe more? But he kept insisting that we shouldn't worried about him."

"That is comforting" let out Emily with a scoff. "So we are supposed to just wait around until he decides to come back on his own?"

"I don't know what else we could do" Charlie shrugged with a pained expression. "We can't force him to come back and papa is not going to do it either. I already tried. It only gave him a migraine and Artemis wouldn't stop crying."

"Maybe there is something else we could do here?" said Vaggie. "What did Stolas or Vassago said?"

"No news from them either. They just think that if the contact with each other's magic was the thing to work the first time, then it could do it again. But dad kinda would need to be here for his magic to be present at all" She sighed, taking another sip.

Emily tilted her head contemplating her hand. When Charlie put her mug down, she reached over to take it on her, her thumb running over the red tips.

"His magic" she whispered and then smacked her own forehead. "It's so obvious! Why I didn't think about it sooner!"

"Emily" called Charlie with a frown, concerned and confused at the same time.

"Charlie, you have papa's magic all over you! You were made from it!" Emily's eyes twinkled with her revelation. "We don't need him, we have you already!"

--

Vox lifted his sleeve to look at his watch. It had been already give minutes since he heard the last scream. He could only assume that Alastor had finally finished with their interns. Clearing his throat before preparing his winning smile, he opened up.

"Hello! Everything going well here?" asked, just as something he couldn't tell what it was got unstuck from the door and slipped to the floor. "I see you have kept yourself busy" commented with a little tilt, walking over various body parts. Alastor was back at the center of the lights, making a head roll with his hand while drinking with his other. The white lights were still blinding, but now there were some splashes of blood to give them a red tint and points where the lights was coming from under the body parts.

"They were not as tender as I expected" commented Alastor, lifting the head by the hair, looking at the two black holes where eyes used to be. "They were all scared even before I did anything to them. Scared, but not surprised. I could only imagine the kind of treatment your employees get on the regular for that to happen."

"It's a tough business out there. They knew the consequences the moment they ever solicited work here. If not, then, well, you can't do anything against pure idiocy" commented Vox without any shame, picking up his chair, that miracously only had a few drops of blood in the back and sitting in front of im. "So, how was the drink?"

"Passable" Alastor threw away the head and took another gulp, passing it down with a shrug. "My husband can create better ones."

"You have said that about the last option too. That one costs more than the entire neighborhod where your lived" Vox pointed through gritted virtual teeth. Seeing as Alastor did not react to his comment, he took a breath and let it go. "Quite the development that you are back refering to him as your husband instead of your little slave. I thought dead did you part already?"

"I was dead from the start, obviously that doesn't count" explained Alastor with an sneer. "I never signed any divorce papers, so he is still my husband. Whether he sees it like that or not is irrelevant. It doesn't change the facts."

"Makes sense" said Vox with perfectly agreeable grin. "So, now that you have taken your meal and insulted my selection of drinks, again, do you feel like talking to me about the whole another dimension thing?"

"What is there to talk about? We never found out how it happened or how I end up there. My husband tried to come back, but was unabled to do so. I got bored so I joined him on a whim. He told me about how miserable he was without me, about how he needed me there, about how he needed pills to cope with my abscence and, honestly, I don't know how I didn't die a third time of laughter at how pathetically that tiny man kept insisting he could barely keep on without me. Clearly, keep some semblance of self respect was never one of his priorities. But that is what made him so obedient, I guess" He shrugged again, taking another long sip.

"How did you join him into that other dimension? You had to know the way for it to be on a whim, surely."

"I got lucky. All was completely intentional, of course. It was all part of my plan to get our life back in track again and so he could continue to follow my command. Away from that other weaker version of me who thought he could watch what was mine. I obviously succedeeded in the end so it was the right decision from my part."

"But how did you get there?" insisted Vox when Alastor finished the bottle, letting it roll away from him.

"That was so long ago, my memory is a little fuzzy still" Alastor laid back against the floor, using his hands as a pillow and crossing his legs. Like he didn't had no rush at all. "Maybe next time bring less terrified prey to see if we can unlock something."

"Duly noted" Vox said, actually making a note for later in his system. "Well, what about the children then?"

"What about them?"

"I don't know, anything! Do you have any favorites? Do they actually like you? How old are they?"

"Do I have any…" Alastor lifted himself on his arms, glaring at him. "What kind of parent do you think I am? Of course there are no favorites. They are all my fawn so they are all perfect, strong, smart and delightful in every way. You would be so lucky to even get to be in the same room as any of them. Favorites. Really showing your own family issues right there, Vox."

"Even the adopted one? That one you didn't had anything to do with their creation."

"Why do you think I adopted them in the first place?" Alastor huffed, laying back. "It was my decision, after all. One of the best I ever made. They are brilliant. It was thanks to them that we managed to get back."

"I thought you didn't remember how it happened."

"I know they were involved and are smarter than you for it."

"Mature."

"Shut up."

Vox sighed deeply and started to stand up, giving that first encounter into a waste, when Alastor talked again.

"Vox, when was the last time you made a deal?"

"Random question, but okay" Vox sat again, crossing his arms as he looked in his own memory. "Yesterday I think? To arrange the contract of some actor for a reality show. Why?"

"Just curious. I don't remember the last time I made one."

Vox snorted a little, before he could hide it under a polite cough when he felt the black eyes of Alastor sending him daggers. An Overlord admitting they haven't made a deal in a while was like a painter saying they had forgotten what was like to hold a brush.

"Well" Vox fixed his bowtie unconsciously, regaining his composure. "You did had quite the journey for what you very vaguely have implied. I can't imagine that up there in Heaven you would be given lots of chances to do one. I am sure it will come back to you."

"I didn't mean that I don't know how" remarked Alastor, with an irritated note. "I feel like I could have strike one with any of your little internet to convince them to kill and prepare their coworkers for me. That is the thing about reaching the positions that we have, Vox. You never can forget that instictive need of looking out for your best interest and waiting for the better angle that best benefit you. We are like vultures in that way. Waiting to smell the tiniest bit of weakness in our prey before jumping down to take as much we can before anyone else does. We take advantage of the worst moments or impulses of the people we met. Their problems, their struggles, they are anything but amusing if not useful. Deals are how we obtain our power after all. A careful web of favors and moving pieces that we operate with every handshake, by repeating over and over that people can trust us, that it's for their own wellbeing too. They are easy for us. Absurbidly so."

"Okay?" said Vox, with no clue where any of that was going.

"Have you ever had an issue with it, though? Maybe a prey that you can't bring yourself to extend your hand to? Even if you know is the best thing for the two of you and it wouldn't bring any negative consequences whatsoever?"

"Mmm" Vox barely had to think about it at all, but he made a show of considering it anyway. "Nope. Can't think why or how I wouldn't just do it. For what you describe, it sounds like I would have to be pretty stupid to let pass an oportunity like that one. Why?" added with a chuckle, barely containing himself. "You failed into making one? You?"

"To fail you would have to try in the first place, Vox, and I never did" Alastor sighed thought his nose, covering his eyes with his forearm. "In order to make a deal I would have to see them as another fool to be used. I didn't want to do that, not even for a second, so I didn't. I let hundreds of moment of weaknesses pass by without even thinking in how to use it, even though I had a lifetime practicing that art."

"Was your little slave husband the one you didn't made the deal with?" asked Vox. The silence of Alastor, even the total abscence of his static in the air, was all the answer he needed. "Then you cared about him, you idiot."

For a glorious moment nothing happened after he said those words and Vox started to relax again, lifting himself up.

"That is so stupid" finally came out of Alastor, who started to laugh. "So genuinely stupid. The deal was supposed to fix things. He would have thank me for it after."

"Well, but you said it" Vox shrugged. "You only made deals thinking about you, about what you needed. They are not usually made to think about the other like an equal."

Alastor's cackle filled the entire room. Vox took out his phone to order a cleaning crew.

"There, there" cooed Lucifer gently, gently rubbing the chest of little Artemis as their cries finally started to die down. "Crying all the time is really exhausting, isn't it? You don't have to tell me twice, little rascal."

He sat on a bench near a bush of flowers who all blinked at him and sighed. A small whimper came out of his baby and he hummed softly, kissing their forehead.

"You miss your dad that much? I never had, like, a real dad that was ever there, but if I did, I would miss them too. Even if my papa is totally amazing and loves me to death like yours does" added with a tiny chuckle. Artemis gurgled, patting his face clumsily. Lucifer kissed their palms too. "I am sorry, buddy. I really wish you haven't been involved in any of this. None of this is your fault. This is all just… adult nonsense. But I am sure that guy loves you, wherever he is. Who couldn't love you with that precious face you have?"

As Artemis calmed down more, Lucifer showed him some nearby flowers, with no real clue of what was their name or if they did anything at all, but liking their colors anyway. Keekee was chasing bugs between his feet. At some point she went closer for pets and Lucifer kneeled, directing the hand of Artemis to also pet her back as she arqued underneath. That seemed to cheer them up again. Lucifer was glad to see their goofy smile back as Keekee turned around and sniffed them, before knocking her head against the palm.

"Papa!"

Lucifer stand up as he saw his three favorites girls running to her. Emily was leading the way, bringing over Charlie by the hand, with a big smile in her face. The face of Charlie, however, didn't gave him more hope that they were going to talk about something light. Vaggie smiled politely when he looked at her, but otherwise didn't leave any hints for him about what was the issue.

"Hey, girls" greeted. "What is up?"

"We actually have a little issue" said Emily, coming up to him and gently guiding him to the table under a big tree. It was supposed to be used for tea time with the residents, but it was hard to coordinate everyone's schedule at once and end up being free for all for whatever someone needed it. Lucifer sat down when Emily moved one of the chair and then she occupies the next one to him. "Okay, so, remember how we were looking into new manufacturers for the pillow sheets because the old ones kept fraying?"

"Uh…" He had no fucking clue what she was talking about. "Sure, honey. I totally remember details like that one. Very important stuff to keep track in order to run a succesful hotel! You don't want fraying at the time of sleep! That would be bad, very bad, for redemption."

"Exactly" Emily perked up. "I knew you would understand, papa. But here is the issue. The new manufacturer that we found is demanding some of the alcohol that we have in store for the pillow sheets in order to get a discount."

"Which we need" added Vaggie quickly. "In order to get more accomodations ready for the hotel. Every penny saved counts, sir."

"Oh, is that all?" asked Lucifer. "Girls, if you need more money, you just have to ask. How much do you need?" said, conjuring his checkbook in the air, ready to sign.

"Papa, no, that is not what we meant" said Charlie, lowering his hand and holding it on his. "We… actually thought maybe we could strike a deal with him so we can renegotiate the conditions. Problem is, I have never done a deal and I am not sure about how to go about it."

"I have never seen one either" intervened Emily. "Is that the kind where you sign papers or the one in which you give each other a hug? Or was it a kiss on the lips? My books are never too clear on that. Also, does it have to be all verbal? Does the phrasing matters really that much?"

Lucifer blinked, looking over at Charlie.

"Sweetie, deals can be… tricky things to navigate. It would be just easier if I give you the money. Or I could send someone to talk with that manufacturer so he gives you the discount already."

"But that is not really handling it on my own, papa" said Charlie with a soft smile, patting his hand. "I can do it, but I would really appreciate having some first hand experience first in how they are done."

Lucifer looked over at Vaggie. If anyone was going to concern themselves with the safety and wellbeing of his daughter, it was going to be her. But instead of trying to change Charlie's mind, she nodded.

"It's just a small demostration, sir" she said to calm him down. "Later we can see the rest."

"I also want to know" added Emily, supporting her chin on her knuckles over the table. "How about you make a small deal with Charlie and then we can be ready to know what to expect from this guy?"

"Honey, I don't know" Lucifer passed a glance over both his daughters with a slight frown. "Demons thrive in deals so they are always looking to make the ones that best work for them."

"That is why we came to you first, papa" said Charlie, smiling again. "Who better teacher about how to make deals responsibly than the devil himself?"

Well, he couldn't argue with that logic. He looked over at the other two and sighed, nodding a long. First, there was a couple of rules to consider when ever looking at deals. The most important was, obviously, that wording was everything. More than person had been tricked into giving out more than they ever hoped for because of the words. Second, you can never force a deal. It has to be a voluntary action that both or more parties freely participate in. You can't hold a gun to someone's head and tell them to agree to the deal or else. Third, the deal is always a two way streets. Everyone involved in it is equally obligated to fulfill the conditions that were already accepted. The only exception is when the other parties agree to call off the deal entirely. That is why the one who had the better wording was considered the winner.

"What kind of conditions?" asked Emily, reclining over to him. "Does it always have to be a life changing thing or it can be small?"

"Well, technically speaking, it could be anything at all if we both agree with it. Honey, could you hold your sibling for a moment?" After Lucifer passed Artemis to Emily, where the baby cooed and played with her fingers, Lucifer turned to Charlie. "Also technically speaking, deals can be sealed with any kind of contact. It could be a kiss, a hug, anything that is mutual and consentual. Handshakes are the most traditional form because they are neutral, safe, while still being able to keep some distance. How do you want to do this, duckling?"

"Well, if it's tradition" said Charlie, offering her hand to him. "Nothing defeats a classic, right?"

"Sure" Lucifer chuckled a little and took it. "Mmmm, how about this? My condition to you is that I want you to keep being the wonderful woman you already are."

"Aww" said Charlie before she straighten up at the energy surging from both of their hands joined. The red and golden magic of Lucifer circuling around his arms while hers, green and red with specs of gold, did the same for her. It tingled on the tip of their fingers. She could feel her own antlers becoming bigger on top of her head. "Oh. My turn?"

"Yes, sweetie" Lucifer nodded, encouraging.

"Well, papa, I… My condition for you is that I want you to… uh…"

"Clean this this leaf off this table" suggested Vaggie, pointing at a single one at the center.

"Oh, good idea! Yes, I want you to take that leaf off the table."

Lucifer smiled as his eyes glowed in intense red, but it was a kinder gesture than many of the people he had been in that same position with before could have witnessed. Both their magics expanded and surrounded both of them, travelling across each other to reach it's destination to make it official. Charlie felt it like a soft pat on top of her chest as the magic of Lucifer came inside.

The whole things must not have lasted more than a few seconds, but it felt like a long time when she looked over to her father. Lucifer let her go first, in order to cover with both hands his mouth. His still red eyes big and incredulous stared at a world far away from anything around him. Tears started to run his cheeks as he pulled himself up, trembling.

"I-I…" Lucifer looked over at the table and patted away the leaf urgently. "I need to find your father!" gasped quickly, dissapearing in a portal.

"No, don't save anything. Just throw it all away" said Vox when one of the cleaners lifted an almost complete body. At his confirmation, the worker dumped all the same on the industrials trash bags that they have brought. "Unless you want it as a snack for later, I guess?" said to Alastor, shrugging. "You already killed them anyway."

"I prefer lively ones for now" said Alastor from the floor, where he haven't moved at all. The most he had done was to hiss any of the workers as they clean up the blood if they came too close to him, but otherwise had just keep drinking from a new bottle. More expensive, more rare, stronger. Still one that his husband could have done better, apparently.

"Suit yourself."

Once all the surfices were cleaned up and all the pieces were gone from his sight, Vox felt a lot better. The moment he let out a small sigh of relief was the one when all the lights went off.

"Another black out, Vox? Really?" said Alastor in the dark and Vox could hear the rolling of eyes in his voice.

"I didn't do anything, you asshole. It must have been Valentino connecting way too much shit to a single outlet at once again. You, keep moving" said to the cleaning crew, that started to take out their own phones to illuminate each other. "The back up regenerators should be up and running in a bit."

The workers left the place, guided by their cellphones. In the complete dark, Vox's face was the only point of illumination.

"Huh, sure it's taking its sweet time" recognized finally.

He was about to make a call to his technicians when suddenly a voice agitated the whole building. It shook it to its very foundation, where they were, just the same as if a pair of giant hands had picked it up and was shaking it to test what it had inside.

"ALASTOR!"

The eartquake was so strong that Vox found himself in the floor. That was the last thing he knew before a pair of tentacles appeared from the dark at his back. One of them picked up his phone from his pockets, crushing it. At the same time, the other crushed his entire screen and threw him by his spine to a corner.

[picturejasper20]

Breakdown/analysis of the old Danny-Vlad body swap nickelodeon comic ¨Bring Back My Body to Me!¨

For those who don't know, Danny Phantom had some comics that got published in the early 2000's in the Nickelodeon magazine. One of them being a comic that involves Danny and Vlad switching bodies written by two writers of the show, Marty Isenberg and Sib Ventress + another writer.

You can find the full comic pages here in the DP Wikia: https://dannyphantom.fandom.com/wiki/Nickelodeon_Magazine

I'm writing this post to make some commentary of the comic since it haven't seen any post talking about it. It has some things i found funny and others interesting. The screencaps were taken from the DP Wikia.

Let's start:

Okay, so the first page introduces us to what Danny and Vlad are planning to do in the story. Danny is going to a dance and trying to ask Paulina while Vlad is stealing from the Fright Knight. For some reason Danny is still trying to get Paulina to pay him attention. I wonder when this comic was intended to take place since Danny's crush for Paulina was something from very early in the series and over time he got over it. Also why is Vlad in human form in the Ghost World? He later transforms but there isn't any reason for him to be as Masters in here.

Okay, but here is a thing that is inaccurate: Danny doesn't beat Vlad because he is more powerful than him, that rarely happens. Danny usually beats Vlad by either tricking him (Maternal Instincts) or with someone else helping him (Kindred Spirits). I think the only time he does this is in ¨Phantom Planet¨ by freezing Vlad, and that itself is for a minute.

Why Plasmius does have dark pupils in this comic. It's super cursed. It would have been less of a problem if they were something like white instead of black.

This is an interesting concept to me because i don't recall the series exploring the concept of what happens if a human-ghost hybrid uses powers or amulets that are intended for full ghosts use only. I feel like it is an idea i haven't seen much done in fanfics neither. It opens to the idea of the difference between full ghosts and halfas and how they react to the Ghost World.

I really like this narrator commentary about how ghosts are constanly showing up in Amity Park thanks to the Ghost Fenton Portal being open. The narration is funny in this comic.

I find it funny Danny using the mocking nickname ¨Plas¨ to refer to Plasmius in this panel. And Danny is so small. His head is the size Plasmius' hand. He is baby ghost size in comparison to others.

Okay, so when the two touch the spirit stealer at the same time their... spirits? get switched. This was a secondary effect that Vlad was warned about by the Fright Knight earlier. What i don't understand is what gets switched in here. Their consciousness/inner selfs? Their minds? It is interesting that these are represented in their ghosts forms and not in their human forms too.

From what i can guess is that the spirit stealer may have mixed their ghost halfs in some way since in the next panels their are both seen wearing each half of the amulet. Since it is intended to be a ¨glitch¨ that is how i think it works.

(Insert spiderman pointing meme here)

I kinda like this callback to ¨Splitting Images¨ episode. It is a nice detail that wasn't necessary for what it is a standalone comic but is still cool.

One thing i appreciate in this comic is how you can easily tell who is inside the body by the way they speak and their body language. You can see that Vlad is in Danny's body because of the detailed use of vocabulary that is so specific about Vlad. Or the way he refers to Dash after he pulls a prank on him. I also appreciate Sam pointing out why Vlad!Danny is wearing half of the amulet. It is weird that Vlad didn't pick up that he was wearing it until now. However, i think it does make sense in the context considering that he changed bodies with a 14 year old.

Okay, i don't know why there is suddenly a timer for this and how the Fright Knight knows about this, unless something like this happened before. I suppose is one of those ¨ghost amulet plot convinience logic¨ things. By the way, i do like Fright Knight's role in this comic. He is pretty cool in here.

It's weird that Vlad doesn't consider what Danny is telling him here. You would think that he would get suspicious after he saw how he only had half of the amulet and switched bodies with Danny but he doesn't question it too much. It does make sense to an extent though. Vlad probably believes that it just some trick to make him give his half of the amulet. He would be skeptical of what Danny is telling him.

They only had to put the pieces back together? That easy? Huh, well, okay then.

Go Fright Knight, kick his ass.

While Dash getting scared is fun, i'm not a fan how Danny usually gets in trouble or bad ending in some episodes just because. I kinda could make a a bit of exception in this one since Dash got thrown into baskball ring for something that it wasn't that serious. Still, it something that bothers me.

In all i do enjoy this comic. While it has plot holes from what you can expect from this plot, it has some funny interactions and interesting concepts like amulets having a different effect in halfas. Part of me wonders how interactions with other characters would play out in this scenario, like Vlad!Danny interacting with Jack or Danny!Vlad with Skulker. had the comic been longer.

[leam1983]

Oversharing

Watched one of Swell Entertainment's videos on YouTube, earlier today, and she struck a point that gave me pause, concerning not only my own posting habits, but a few others' as well.

She started with the whole "Chase Glitch" nonsense that probably won a fair few people down South a Darwin Award, a few weeks back. Nowadays, so many of us tend to go through life more or less thinking "Is this going to make good content?" because all we want is that dopamine fix of a rush of Likes. I know Tumblr's mostly exempt from this, but people don't spend hours poring through PR snippets or DVR recordings of TV shows to create gifsets if, on some level, they don't think that the object of that gifset deserves sharing.

And on some level, you could argue that even this post qualifies as oversharing. Do I need to air out my thoughts about the Hellsite's weird posting habits or the way people on other platforms now think of life itself as a monetization platform? Not really. I do have the audacity to think it'll make for a fun or insightful read for someone, though. That makes me part of the problem, even if I'm not chasing clout outright.

To go back on gifsets, what really strikes me is that most of them depend on the viewer seeing what the uploader themselves sees in them. A lip curl, a bruise, a lingering gaze, and it's seemingly enough for people ranging from K-Pop stans to J-Drama fans and F1 diehards or even Swifties to wager that if they turn those forty-six seconds into a set of looping images, they'll get a handful of dopamine bursts ranging from "OMG, so cute!!" in the comments to basic Likes and Reblogs. Then you think a bit deeper into this and think "Wait, you guys are going nuts over the kinds of facial gestures everyone does? Really?"

To which the answer seems to be yes. Because he, she, they, whoever is the focus of choice in this case, struck the right pose at the proper second and made some kid on Tumblr go "D'awww!" for a second or two. Because someone else making the same exact faces wouldn't have had the same effect.

Which, when you think about it, really is as superfluous as it sounds - and really does qualify as oversharing. By Internet Standards, I'm what's scientifically referred to as "Halfway Dead", as I hail from the distant, mist-laden days that saw us make the same inferrences about faces or poses on TV - in the knowledge that this instant was ephemeral. Unless you had a VCR going, that lip smack that makes you weak in the knees is gone. Vaporized. Reduced to a memory as quickly as it formed.

And now, if the latest F1 darling pulls a bashful head-turn that spawns five or six High School AU fanfics on AO3, it's on the Hellsite. It'll be on the Hellsite until the servers die.

To which, as a Halfway Dead Crusty Old Fart Nobody Really Needs to Listen To, I'm left shrugging and assuming that this is what we've decided to record for posterity as a civilization, I guess. Narmer's tablet, Picasso's Guernica - and some kid turning his head in embarrassment in the middle of a press conference, paired with a couple hundred Notes of people losing their collective minds.

It reminds me of the meme-worthy paparazzi shot of Alexander Skarsgard shopping for groceries someplace and the gossip mag's content basically going "OMG, CELEBS USE BASKETS LIKE US!!!!!!!!!!!ONE1!ELEVEN!"

[whimsical-westbrook]

Okay yep yeah mhm okay I have woken up twice now to this being real. I'm going to make an intro post to get used to writing with a stylus and without thumbs.

Hello, my name is Lily Westbrook. Hopefully. I don't know how this works. I definitely still go by she/her.

I used to live in Eterna City. I wanted to meet my first ever pokemon buddy, so I went into Eterna Forest last night. Something happened, and I think someone had my phone while I was out?

If I take a photo maybe y'all will believe me, but I'm a Buizel now. Hold on, maybe I ca

[An image is attached.]

[Image ID: A poorly angled selfie of a Buizel, wearing a flower accessory. The Eterna Forest's Old Chateau can be seen in the background.]

n add a photo oh gods why did it put it in the middle like that I'm not fixing that

I still don't know why all my writing is orange. Is it because I'm a pokemon now? Is my phone playing pranks on me is that a thing that can happen

UPDATE: Turns out I'm a girl buizel and this was the best worst thing to ever happen to me. I still don't know if anyone in Eterna City will be able to figure out what happened to me, or if they'll even believe me, but I just. I'm so happy, guys.

Double UPDATE: I kinda feel like how I feel about life is going to keep drifting away from the tone of my original intro post but like. It feels weird to make a new one so I'mma just... leave it like that I think. For now. Important note: I'm no longer in Eterna, but headed to live in Goldenrod.

Triple UPDATE: I was able to figure out why my text was getting orange'd, and also was told that it was messing with some people's ability to read things I wrote, so I was able to apply that fix to the text. Though uhhh. I'm still leaving that mess in there. It's funny to me.

//OOC under the cut

//Hello! This is Astra (she/they) from my main (NSFW) @astralikacastle. This is a character I've had in my head for a long time, though my kinda fucked up brain doesn't quite know where to take it after the prologue.

//But basically, forever in my head I've had 'what if someone got turned into a pokemon and they had to deal with that and how it made them feel about gender' and now it's here. =3

//I do prommy to try to keep this blog as SFW as possible, though where the line between Mildly Suggestive and NSFW lies isn't always the same for everyone (especially with how Tumblr's been treatin' trans folk lately) so I'm not making guarantees, just promises to try.

//I should like. Keep track of Lily's 'inventory' huh

Lily's old human clothes

Buizel-sized Ballgown

Comm-Everstone Choker (See Below) (Worn)

Phone (obviously)

Book about Legendaries for Studying

Flexi-grip phone tripod

Poffins and berries

Trans flag bandana (Worn)

Hoopa-Ring-Alike Bracelets (Worn)

Thigh-highs (didn't decide on a pattern for these oops) (Worn)

Lily-flower pin (Worn)

Pink Ribbon (Worn under above pin)

Sunglasses! B3

Sylvie (Sylveon Plush)

Toki (Togekiss Plush)

Blahåj (Blahåj)

6" Buizel Plush!

JigglypuffPikachu Hybrid Plush!?

Large pink bag (where plush friends live) w/ Waterproofing

Waterproof Backpack (Where non-plush non-worn items live)

Wheely-Cart (Where everything rides on) w/ Floaty

Weighted Blanket

Keychains (Mew, Meloetta, Hoopa, Victini, Celebi, Darkrai, lotus)

Box o' Buizelnip (Lovingly referred to as Bui-Weed)

Always kept in Lily's room at Gen's home:

Figurine of Lily and Gen

Buizel-sized Piano

//And her moveset!

Protect

Agility

Water Gun

Surf

Baton Pass

Rain Dance

Aqua Jet

Aqua Ring [Glitch?]

Thief

Minimize [Glitch!]

ABILITY: Rattled

//What is the Comm-Everstone?

The Comm-Everstone is an Everstone, small enough to act as the 'gem' of a choker, and enchanted by Laplace to duplicate the effects of a sci-fi Translator. The stone translates Lily's buizel-chitter Poke-Speech and emits an ethereal voice that repeats her words in Human Speech. Whichever voice the listener best understands is brought to the forefront of their perception, preventing any 'cross-talk' from obscuring her words. Notably, it is still quite obvious to the listener that these words are being translated, and not simply Imparting Understanding. (Though, it being magic may be a little unsettling, still.)

[prismarine-dungeon]

okay hi

so recently I've been in a bit of an art block, mostly with designing. this lead to me deciding I wanted to design concepts based on skins I know nothing about, and what better than lifesteal? i think I've watched at most One video from someone from that, so it meant I'd have no bias or fanon ideas

I had asked @aroaceacacia for some skins on anon, so here's a leowook and ashswagg

explanations and thoughts below the cut, since this'll be a bit rambly

okay so leowook

I decided to start with sketching the symbol on the face over and over in a notebook until I got something I could work with, and that landed me with the eye. It's slightly tilted on the face, as to match the symbol better. I went with a nice yellow to make it stand out, but I didn't plan that initially. I didn't intend it at first, but the eyebrow and mouth also help to make a shape with the pupil of the eye reminiscent of the symbol :D

In that early sketching phase, I also kept making him fluffy. I'm not really sure why, but it kept reoccurring, so I ran with it. I ended up giving him more animal-like legs and paw feet to keep the appearance. Though subtle, there's a gradient and freckles on the legs, as well as freckles on the face and a gradiant on the bang. I ended up messing with the colors on those a lot, since originally he looked too yellow. He was going to get a tail as well, tbh, but I felt like he didn't really need that, he worked better as a completely ambiguous fluffy guy.

On clothing, he and ashswagg are kinda, unintentionally, influenced by the different series I've been into lately- dishonored, assassins creed, and thief, but most notably the former. For leowook, I looked up suits on pinterest until I found this interesting one with a similar top piece, though it had a longer tailcoat with pockets on the sides. I was going to keep those, but I wasn't happy with how it was coming out, so I kept the parts I liked. I also made the pants into shorts, so I could show off the legs more. The suit in the image also had an ascot, so I decided to get a little silly with it and turn his tie into one. I know it likely doesn't make sense, but I don't care. Last things of note are the fact that I turned the buttons gold as to match the skin and added some onto the pants. There's also the belt with the pouch, but it was kinda an afterthought, so if I were to ever come back and reevaluate these concepts, this is something I'd completely redo

After I finished him, I was having fun and doodled him a little. Nothing too clean or anything, just things for fun

ashwagg

ashswagg ashswagg ashswagg. this guy gave me so many troubles. I'm not happy with how he turned out, but i think i shouldnt do anymore work on him.

initially, I wanted to go with something more galaxy/space inspired. I'm not sure what it is, but the silver and gold in there made me think of stars. however, I couldn't settle on a way to execute it. I wanted to make him space, but I also wanted to make his clothes space, but I also wanted him to just be a fuckign guy, but like make him very obviously not human in such a subtle way. I wanted to give him long hair, but also long hair just felt wrong somehow. eventually i just ended up getting to a point where I just put something on the canvas and I'd work with it.

with his hair and face, I wanted to obscure any face he could have. all I wanted visible was his mouth, partially because I kept playing with the idea in my head that he doesn't have a face under there, only a void or glitch or just an uncomprehensible darkness over where eyes should be. I tried to make the hair resemble his face, but I had trouble balancing that effect with the desire to cover his face how I wanted. one of my favorite concepts I played with was greasy emo punk kid who's bangs are so long they obscure his line of site, but I feel like it got a but lost.

if I were to reattempt him, I'd give him that greasy hair, but instead of the long bangs, a mask that covers most of his face or something. play with a weird balance of teenage menace and cool minecraft oc design.

with the outfit, I veered away from suits to coats and jackets. I just knew I wanted to go with something long (which, as you can see, didn't stay). I had saved a few different references, but the ones of note were this cool sleeveless coat thing and, essentially, the little hood he has on. attempt after attempt lead me to nix the first image and just use the hood for ideas. another concept I played with was a shoulder cape, like the ones ezio auditore wears in most of his games, but I wasn't feeling it.

with the colors, I wanted to make his skin a shade of purple, because I thought it'd be something fun to play with. his hair ended up, by process of elimination, this almost black color with a brighter purple on the tips. the rest of the outfit ended up being a similar palette, with barely thought out pattern concepts thrown on to try to grasp onto the color balance present on the skin. I think it could have worked if I had managed to get a glitch effect to work, especially if the glitch effect was a more purple-toned one, but as is it kinda just falls flat.

a fun detail, his kneepads were intended to be made out of a material like crying obsidian. I just thought it'd be neat. also, the hood on the cape I ended up giving the beak shape we see on assassins from ac, because it's silly to me and I thought itd fit. I was also planning on doing after doodles, but I ended up deciding against that by the time I finished

overall ashswagg ended up being an underbaked concept with too many things thrown in. hes the vanilla extract design of these two, if you will. in typing this, I did consider the idea of 'okay but what if I made him a kinda fucked up wizard thing with greasy emo hair' and that's an interesting avenue.

this was a lot of fun to do, despite some unhappiness here and there. that's the nature of concept designs and stuff, not every one is gonna be a winner. just means that you can eventually work out what you don't like later on.

and honestly, this experiment has given me a good perspective for future endeavors like this with my mcyt ocs. it's interesting to think about how a fandom would interpret them, and this'll give me a neat perspective on that. maybe I'll do similar studies and post those some day

[poussiffanche]

{Open the images in a new tab for better quality}

Heyo guys! Here are my designs (day & night) of Sun and Moon!

I had this AU in my head: the pizzeria's birthday is the day of its inauguration and so great re-opening. Refurbished, everything is fine again; there are no more disappearances, the pizzeria is very successful, there are no more glitch/virus, etc. Bye bye villains (and the human characters (Vanessa, Gregory, etc) are somewhere too but not in the pizzeria. I haven't really study the subject. 😅))

In the renovations, Sun and Moon are part of it! The daycare attendants each have their "body", their personality. When they first saw each other, it was a touching moment; they fell into each other's arms, Sun was crying, shouted and jumped of joy. Even though Moon is more reserved by nature, he had such a big smile that it said a lot about his state of mind, not to mention his moist eyes. They were always together, we never saw one without the other.

I wanted to stay as "canon" as possible while bringing my version of them.

So: ► For their pants, slippers and Moon's hat, I used sunrise/sunset colors, respectively Sun and Moon. I like to imagine that when they meet new people (kids, parents/adults) they introduce themselves as: 《I'm Moon's sunrise; Sun!》 《I'm Sun's sunset; Moon.》

► Sun and Moon have more "lively" features: colored eyes and pupils (like other animatronics), they can open their mouths and have more facial expressions. With those modifications, they look more friendly at first sight, especially Moon (my mum who doesn't know the characters was curious to know what I was drawing and when I showed her his original version she found him scary. 😭)

► Their eyes have complementary colors: Sun has blue-green eyes and Moon's orange-red.

► Their bells have "crescent moon" colors as well as their frills + shape and all of those accessories have a particularity at night~:

• They glow! Yes, they are fluorescent. Even if Sun and Moon would be separated, they would be together day and night to take care of children so, it's important that they have points in common. Thanks to this, children who wake up at night for any reason could find them without having to call them (and potentially disturb other children), serve as a nightlight, even as a little glow for kids who are afraid of the dark.

► Sun and Moon have white and black pupils respectively. I like this "Yin and Yang" effect but there's more:

• Moon, being a night patrolbot, the fact that he has black pupils he would be used to the dark and could watch surroundings without having to light up his eyes (and potentially being spotted if there is an intruder). He can always do it if necessary. Althought Moon's frills and bells are fluorescent, they are dim compared to if he were lighting up with his eyes so there is no risk an intruder spots him. Anyway, Moon is difficult to flush out; he is very good at hiding and tracking his prey down.

• Sun, as for him, has his white because he remains a daytime animatronic despite everything; he can see in the dark but not as well as Moon without lighting! He can see what surrounds him more brightly and it is impossible to dazzle him.

► With the virus/glitch mostly gone, Moon still has "aftereffects": he lights up red from time to time without wanting to and scared some of the children (especially the new ones, the old ones are aware of what happened and are very supporting) when they woke up during/after naptime, even before. Unable to completely remove this functionality, it has been modified so that it is used during an alert/danger.

• Sun, not being particularly confronted with danger, staying in the daycare at night, he wanted this feature also to on one hand support his counterpart but on the other hand because he dealt with violent/abusive parents/adults so this feature is quite a deterrent. In general, when Sun and Moon come to light up red, it calms things down (especially coming from Sun).

{There you go, I guess I've done the trick. I take this opportunity to warn you that I will draw my comic again so the next drawings I may do of Sun and Moon will mainly be sketches. I will finalize them when I'll have time. 😁}

[silver-strings-of-fate]

New Year’s Day. Despite the special date, nothing seemed particularly out of the ordinary. People crowded the Shibuya Scramble like usual. Students enjoying their winter break, office workers heading to lunch, a few tourists who came for the festivities of last night, all filling the square like ants.

Practically a captive audience.

Suddenly, the mindless drone of advertisements on the tv screens circling the city center disappeared. To the eyes of the average person, what replaced it was just a mess of colorful static with a voice too warped to make out speaking unintelligibly over top of it. Some kind of weird marketing campaign? Probably nothing to worry about.

But to those among the audience with personas, or with a particularly close connection to a certain thief, the image was as clear as day. A single, glowing yellow eye, wreathed by a familiar black and white mask, stared down at Tokyo.

“Ah, it’s working!” The distorted voice muttered before its owner stepped back, putting his full body in frame. The white coat’s tails fluttered behind him as he made a grand flourish. To those who could see it, the figure was immediately identifiable. Amamiya Ren. Or rather, his shadow.

“♪Good~ morning~♪, everyone! I’m so happy to see you! I hope you’re doing well, but if not, then don’t worry! That’s exactly why I’m here! This world is corrupt, rotten down to its very core. True happiness is impossible when reality itself holds us down. So many rules, so many limits. That is why I must destroy it!

Surely you’ve noticed already. Things are already beginning to change. A little glitch, something not quite right, here and there. And that’s because my work has already begun to take effect! Soon enough, the restrictive order that holds us down will be no more. Based on my current progress, salvation will arrive for all on February 4th! After that, there will be no going back..”

The shadow held his arms out wide, a mad grin on his face.

“Rejoice! For I am going to tear apart the chains of reality, molecule by molecule! And then, we will all be free!”

And with that, the message was over. The screens returned to their intended showings. People continued to go about their day, completely unaware of the destruction that had just been promised to them.

[rynmaru]

Hypocrisy

“Castor!!”

Glitch’s voice carried clearly down the long hallway leading out of the mech bay as Castor stormed away from the hanger.

“Castor, I’m okay.”

P.O.L.L.V.X.’s voice was subdued, but soothing in his ear, but for once they had no effect on Castor.

Never faltering in his purpose, Castor’s usually ordered mind was devoid of all logic and cool indifference, replaced with a rage so blinding he was certain the blood roaring in his ears was boiling.

Muscle memory guided him more than his vision as he could barely see through the red haze tinting everything.

He could hear footsteps rushing behind him and quickened his pace. The Lance wouldn’t catch up to him in time, no one had been prepared for him to leave so abruptly and he had been the first one back. He had time. Not much. But it would be enough.

Taking the steps two at a time, Castor’s foot caught on one and he stumbled, catching himself just in time to avoid landing face first, feeling the sting of concrete on his palms.

“Castor…Babe, you need to calm down. You’re going to get into trouble.” P.O.L.L.V.X. warned. “You know Ender won’t listen to anything you have to say!”

Their portable crypt zoomed from an adjoining hallway and projected their image alongside him, their long strides easily matching Castor’s. They looked a bit more drawn and pale than usual, more disheveled. Castor glanced at them, taking this all in, and his jaw tightened as he looked ahead again.

“Talk to me.”

Castor snorted, and shook his head, waving P.O.L.L.V.X. off. Their expression darkened and they fell a step or two behind him as a double door came into view around the next corner. Castor slammed his palm against the bioscanner set into the wall and the door slid open with a hydraulic hiss.

The control room inside was state of the art L.E.I.D.A. technology, with screens covering the front of the room showing the aftermath of a battlefield on one of the nearby moons, the location Castor had just returned from.

A tall man was silhouetted against the screens, hands behind his back as he gazed up at the statistics and data collected from the battle. He didn’t turn to face Castor, though from the slight shifting of his posture he had clearly heard the door open.

“I thought you’d want to see me, Dr. Creed.” The title was spoken with an almost patronizing tone. “Let me guess, you want to know what I did to cascade your NHP. And to tell me I had no right. Perhaps throw in an outraged “how dare you” for good measure?”

Ender turned, completely calm in the face of Castor’s rage, looking down at him as Castor stopped a few paces away. His gaze flicked briefly to P.O.L.L.V.X. as they hovered in the background beside the door, then away, discounting them.

Castor couldn’t speak, his words sticking in his throat and leaving him mute, unable to do much more than shake.

“Nothing to say? Now that is a first.” Ender looked back to the screen. “If you have something to say then say it. Use your words, Castor. Otherwise get out of my control room and report for your debrief.”

“Testing experimental technology on Pollvx is off limits!” Castor signed, gathering himself enough to communicate. “You interfered with my work!”

“Oh please,” Ender scoffed. “You and I both know that NHP is more of an therapy dog than it is a project. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Either it’s your best friend in the whole wide world or it’s your research project. You can’t switch what it is when convenient.”

Castor’s fingers were sharp and quick in their signs, “They aren’t an “it”!

“It’s a machine,” Ender said flatly, not entertaining Castor’s attempt at an argument. “If you want to debate NHP ethics you’ll have to find a different forum and a willing opponent. Now report to your debrief or I’ll write you up for insubordination.”

“You can’t,” Castor’s scornful expression conveyed his tone perfectly.

Ender just raised an eyebrow.

“You might be L.E.I.D.A.‘a golden child most of the time, Dr. Creed. But when you are a Lancer you answer to me, and I can and will treat you like the soldier you are if the need arises. Do I make myself clear?”

Castor glared at him.

“Castor, let’s go-o-o-o-“ P.O.L.L.V.X. approached, but the moment they got further than five paces from the door their image glitched and sparks flew from their crypt as the light in it died and it fell to the floor with a crash.

“Lux!” This was enough to break Castor’s silence as he turned to rush to the damaged crypt.

“Ah, yes. Forgot to mention. Your pet’s been causing a bit of a stir since you gave it a longer leash. So I’ve installed some new security measures to keep it out of my business. I’m sure you understand why I can’t allow it to waltz in here whenever it likes.”

Cradling the dented crypt, Castor tried unsuccessfully to fit a panel back in place with shaking fingers. The sparks flickered in the depths of the machine, the usual whir and hum of life silenced. He touched the cracked lens, trembling, then gently set the crypt down and stood.

Ender had turned away. The immature display of misguided affection was a waste of his time and wouldn’t be entertained.

Footsteps approached. Faltering, then steady. A sprint. He turned in time to be slammed into by Castor as the shorter man drove his shoulder into Ender. The impact combined with him being off balance mid turn was enough to knock him back. One step.

Looking down, impassive, Ender seized Castor’s shoulder and shoved him back, sending the skinny teenager stumbling. Catching him by the front of his flight suit, Ender held Castor at arms length, lifting him slightly so only his toes were on the floor.

“You’re wasting both of our time, Castor. If you have a point to make then make it.”

Castor squirmed in his grip, unable to break free. One hand closed around Ender’s wrist, as his burning glare met the unwavering ice in the other’s.

His free hand lifted in a flash, gripping the pistol he had been issued upon becoming a Lancer.

The barrel of the gun was inches from Ender’s face as Castor pulled the trigger.

Blood, bone, and brain matter coated the terminal behind Ender and spattered across Castor’s face and shoulders. The hand gripping his clothes went slack and Castor staggered back as Ender’s body fell in a crumpled heap, an ever widening pool of blood spreading across the metal floor.

Castor stared down at the body, chest heaving, gun still pointed down at him, as if expecting him to stand.

“Castor, what the fuck?!”

He flinched and turned slowly towards the door, staring at Glitch who looked in horror between him and Ender’s body.

“What did you do?! Oh my god, what the fuck did you do?!”

Castor looked down at the gun in his hand, slowly opening his fingers and letting it clatter to the ground as he stumbled over to P.O.L.L.V.X.’s crypt in a daze, kneeling to pick it up. His hands left smears of blood on the surface.

He could hear Regent and Fenrir reacting to the scene as they arrived, but their voices were muffled and distant as he stood, cradling P.O.L.L.V.X. to his chest protectively.

“I don’t remember authorizing any of you to be in the control room.”

The crackle of the intercom jolted Castor back to the present, ice running along his spine as he looked up in time to see Ender’s face flash up on the screen, clearly seated safe and sound in his office as he studied the scene before him.

“All of you, report for your debrief and we can discuss areas of improvement to work on for your next mission. After today’s display I’m pushing your Lance’s official start date back another month, so be ready to take notes. I need to see marked improvement in the next few weeks if I’m going to deem you mission ready, and enough time has been wasted already.”

Ignoring the groans of the rest of the Lance, Ender turned his gaze to Castor who stared back, stone-faced.

“I hope you’ve gotten that out of your system, Castor. Now, if you’re done throwing a fit, get out. We both have work to do.”

[sida-wang]

Project 2: A moment in time

Project Title：CHASNG

Format：360 video on Youtube

Artist Statement：

Standing in the future, yet rooted in bygone days.

What we avoid is what we pursue.

Chasing moments, losing them.

Embracing new feelings, forgetting old ones.

Remember, memento mori.

CHASING is inspired by a conversation I had with my grandfather, "growing up is a series of departures." In this project, I place the audience on a constantly forward-moving trajectory. Along the path pursued by a glowing red ball, they encounter various twisted and distorted paths, endless corridors, dazzling traps of beauty, and the fading presence of loved ones. Ultimately, audiences discover that what they fear being caught by is also what they are relentlessly chasing—time. My intention is to convey that while we tirelessly pursue various deadlines, we must not overlook the present moments in life. Therefore, I believe a 360-degree video is an excellent format to express this dual-contrast theme because viewers can face the absurdity of life head-on while also sensing the urgent pursuit behind them.

During the animation process, I found the most challenging part to be particle disintegration in the final scene. I needed to create the disintegration effect for each image/event. The speed and direction of particle disintegration had to match the camera's speed to ensure that each event was not obscured or overlapped. Considering that all details are magnified in VR, precision was crucial, and this required a lot of time for frame-by-frame adjustments. Another difficulty was the transitions between different scenes. The scenes involved in this project included 360-degree videos shot on-site, 3D scanned models, point cloud modeled animations, models painted in Open Brush, and 2D plane images, all while also considering the path of the glowing ball. To avoid abrupt transitions, I chose to quickly insert glimpses of subsequent scenes in the 360-degree field recorded video part, providing viewers with a "foreshadowing" of what would happen next, accompanied by glitch effects in Premiere Pro to create an electronic malfunction transition effect. To make the glowing ball appear to flow smoothly between scenes, I used very brief transitions to blur the subtle differences between preceding and succeeding frames.

[rafor]

Chapter 50 - Erebus - The Glitch

I asked, “So you kill dragons?” She shook her head. “No.” I pressed on, “But we were both attacked, and you tried to take my life.” She said, “It’s not what it looks like.” I narrowed my eyes. “But you told them that they had a successful hunt after you saw them coming with two dragons.” She explained, “We don’t kill dragons. We’ve just mistaken you for a shadow dragon.” I was still doubtful, and I said, “But you also attacked a wind dragon. I witnessed and heard you doing that,” she said. “We thought she was your ally. We didn’t know that she was the Queen.” I said, “Fine, then how come you are so skilled at fighting dragons?” She said, “You’re getting on my nerves, you know?” I said, “Oh yeah? I suppose I deserve some answers from those who just broke my spine multiple times, bit me, poisoned me, and attempted to murder me in every way possible.” She finally relented and said, “Fine, maybe we do kill dragons sometimes. But we do it in the most humane way possible. Your queen was going to be slain later, while still unconscious, and you wouldn’t have felt anything. Your case was an anomaly.” I said, “Thank you for the clarification. I have to admit that your techniques are very effective.” She replied with pride, “Thanks; I take pride in that.” The others chimed in, “Oh, please be quiet. We did all the work. I even got stabbed,” and he glanced at his legs and the multiple wounds I inflicted on him, so I said, “Fine, let me heal those too.” He said, “Thank you,” even before I did so. He then asked, “By the way, who are you?” I said, “I’m the husband of the Queen. My name is Nox. Please don’t inquire further. I’m not in the mood to answer questions.” He didn’t say anything, but his sister did: “So, what are the perks of being the husband of the Queen?” I said, “It’s not really about perks but more about responsibilities. You have to live and work in the palace, then create a political image of yourself, and every now and then, find a solution to problems like newcomers and cataclysms. It’s a lot. I could go on and on.” She said, “For someone who’s not in the mood for questions, you’re answering anyway.” I said, “Fine, I’ll keep quiet then until we reach our destination.” She said, “Oh, what a shame.”.

We walked in silence until we neared the village, where she halted us at a prudent distance. “Wait here,” she said. “I’ll inform the Guardian and return shortly if all is well.” I wondered who this “Guardian” was. I had never encountered or heard of such a title other than in the domain of Aura. But we obeyed her command and waited patiently. From afar, I glimpsed another shadow dragon conversing with her, and he seemed vaguely familiar. Then I realized I knew him. It was Erebus, whom I had not seen in ages. I was relieved that he was still alive, but he did not recognize me and initially gave me a cold glance. When she came back and beckoned us to follow, I saw him more clearly. He looked weary but determined. He went straight to the queen and examined her condition. Then they lifted her gently and carried her into a tent. I followed them closely, unwilling to let her out of my sight. They laid her down on a hammock that was covered with sheets and blankets. The hammock bore some symbols, one of which matched the queen’s mark. Perhaps that was how they identified her, or maybe they had some prior acquaintance with her. I could only speculate. Erebus turned around and noticed me standing there, watching them intently. He snapped, “What are you staring at?” I said calmly, “I’m just concerned for my queen, dear Guardian.” He frowned. “How do you... why did you call me Guardian?” I did not answer. I did not want him to figure it out, even if the earth dragon just called him that. He continued, “And what is a shadow dragon doing here?” I retorted, “Aren’t you one too?” He said, “Well, yes, but it’s different.” I said, “Fine, whatever you say. But I don’t appreciate your hostile reception.” The elder sister intervened and said, “Oh, I forgot to mention, if our venom had affected you, you would have been dragged here and interrogated.” I said, “Wait, what?” Erebus cut in, “If the venom had affected you? Are you immune to the venom?” I explained, “Not entirely. It just suppresses my element, but it doesn’t kill me.” He said, “That’s impossible without an antidote.” The elder sister said to him, “He’s telling the truth. He also survived me. And you know how I deal with shadow dragons.” He asked, “What did you do to him?” She said, “Why don’t you let him tell you?".

He looked at me with curiosity and asked, “What happened?” I misunderstood his question and started to recount our journey. “We were traveling for more than ten hours and had to land, then while Freya was guarding me, they..." He cut me off and clarified, “Not about that. I mean with her.” I realized he was referring to the bite mark on my neck and the bruises on my spine, somehow still visible even after healing. I corrected myself, “Oh, sorry, well, she bit me. I guess I got poisoned, and then they tried to crush my neck and also break my spine. For more than ten minutes, she held me in her death grip. My heart stopped beating, but I didn’t lose consciousness and survived.” He raised his eyebrows in disbelief and said, “Wow, this sounds so impossible.” The elder sister said, “He isn’t lying, I swear. He is immortal.” He shook his head and said, “Nobody is immortal. What are you?” I gave him a vague answer: “Well, maybe I’m someone you know of but can’t recognize because he didn’t have this form, dear Erebus.” His eyes widened as he recognized the name I called him. He asked me, “What was your name?” I said, “Nox.” He pressed on, “Your real name.” I said, “I think you can get it.” He guessed, “Immortal living being that used to have another form... are you Raphael?” I smiled and chuckled and said, “Congratulations, you got it. It’s really me.” He approached me in amazement and said, “I thought you would’ve never remembered me. You should be dead.” I said, “It looks like I survived multiple times.” He then noticed something else about me and said, “Anyway, you look exactly like someone I can’t really recall. Open a moment your wings.” I did as he told me. He inspected them and said, “There aren’t many dragons with such a pattern. Do you know who you look like?” I said, “Yeah, I know. His name starts with Z and ends with an O.” He said, “Exactly, Zeno. How do you know about him?” I said, “I was going to ask you the same question.” He explained, “Every Guardian knows about him. It’s said that he was the founder of the Guardians. You’re just like a reincarnation of him.” I said, “Erebus, I’m still a human behind this, you know?” He said, “I know, but it doesn’t really matter. I’m glad you’re still alive. How have you been doing all these years?” I explained, “I had a beautiful life with my queen. She fell in love with me, and then I did too. It’s a long story, and I’m a bit tired. I need to rest if possible. I could tell you everything later. Please.” He said, “Oh, of course, but you’ve really got to tell me everything about it in detail later.” I said, “I will, but you get too.” He hesitated and said, “I’m not sure if I can tell you about it, but we’ll see.” Disappointed, I said, "Oh, why not?” He said, “It’s complicated.” I said, “Nevermind, now where can I rest, please?” He showed me the way to another hammock not far from Freya’s and then said, “You’re lucky to be alive. Remember, I wasn’t joking when I said that you aren’t immortal.” I yawned and said, “It’s been twenty years, and even after multiple deaths, I’d think otherwise now.” I was trying to ignore him, but he said again, “I’m serious. You aren’t immortal. Nobody is.” I didn’t reply, but I nodded. I was too tired and didn’t want to keep on with the discussion. I had to rest and get over the experience.

[redtailarts101]

Since I know barely any people follow this account or know of it I can use it to send an image to my friends that I want hidden but can't even send through links normally because of link previews

Placeholder image to show up in the preview

Okay warning from this point onward there will be some gore shown. I'll leave the actual images below the cut here.

Devil's Train - Andromeda Callistor

[Image ID: A drawing of 3 characters and a train with an overall red tint. The central character is a humanoid looking alien. Her brown hair is in a half-up half-down style, one side with a pigtail and one in a loose bun that appears to be coming undone. The implication is meant to be that she had her hair in buns, and the pigtail was a bun that fully came undone. She has pointy ears, light skin, and lime green eyes, with the same-colored dots beneath them. She looks startled. Her outfit is a black tubetop shirt with the top of it being fishnet. She is also wearing a violet jacket. in the background is a man with gray hair, the same colored skin and eyes as the central character, wearing a backwards shirt that's ripped. His left arm has the top half missing, bone exposed, and his right arm has scratches. His ribcage and spine are exposed, as are his lungs, and his small intestine is visible. He's wearing brown pants. There's also a close up of another character in the background. Only her head and fingertips are visible. She has light skin and auburn hair in a half-up half-down bun, and her eyes are shrouded by shadow. She has green nail polish and a sinister smile on her face. In the foreground is a black old train, lit by red, with yellow windows and the number 666. There's also red text outlined in white that says "Devil's train" in all capitals. The background is a dark red with a lighter shade in the middle. The whole piece has a glitch effect on it, strongest on the central character. End ID.]

Yes I did come up with an unnecessary backstory for the character because I really liked the song why do you ask?

This information is irrelevant for anyone NOT involved in (C.C.C.) L.A.R.P. 2024 but basically the backstory I've come up with is regarding how she'd met Kiera. She was always an experimenter, though her experiments weren't ever within the confines of a science class. Some were dangerous and others unethical. One of her more dangerous (to herself) experiments was a chemical mixing. She was trying to create a psychadelic for herself and others. She didn't have any willing test subjects, so she took the concoction herself. She begin to see and hear things, alright, but it wasn't any of the crazy or "cool" things she anticipated. She saw disturbing things, namely, the ghost of her grandfather who had gone missing years ago. She ran away from home in sheer terror and still saw and heard things. Kiera found her in her delirious state, learned of how she had gotten herself like this, and scolded her, but also told her she needed a safe way to conduct her experiments. She brings up the upcoming space expedition to the planet Earth, and that the goal is to find and study any life on it. Kiera tells Andromeda that she plans to join the expedition, and encourages Andromeda to pursue biology, promising that it she gets accepted into the program, she'll use her connections to land Andie a spot in the program as a scientist and "researcher" (the research being direct experimentation on the life that they find.) Andromeda's captivated. She agrees, excited at the prospect of being able to conduct her experiments on any subject she wants, without repercussions, and without needing to resort to using herself as a guinea pig.

Will this backstory become canon? Maybe. Maybe not. It doesn't have much bearing on the story of the present and is mostly just self indulgent so I can have something to imagine to the song.

[amirahunit04]

EVALUATION

Counter Cultures:

In this project I had to create a brand based using one of the four disciplines such as digital, print, moving image and fashion and lifestyle. For my project I chose print. I created a venn diagrams with three things that inspires me or the things that I’m fascinated with and things that have an impact on me. Culture is the shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that characterise a group or society. Culture values refer to the core beliefs and principles that guide a culture's attitudes, behaviors, and practices. So, I created a magazine based on the things that change my perspective on life such as controversy. Controversy can have a significant impact on someone's point of view on life, as it can challenge their existing beliefs and perspectives, and encourage them to re-evaluate their values and attitudes. Which is what I intended to do with my magazine. I decided to name my magazine Doomscroll. Doom scrolling is when you digital scroll on your phone and keep seeing bad news reports and articles. The layouts of the magazine was very important to me because the layout of a text can have a significant impact on the reader's point of view and understanding of the content. The layout can be used to emphasis certain elements of the text, such as headings, subheadings, images, and important points. This can guide the reader's attention and shape their understanding of the content. That’s why I included a good amount of information to go with the images. For the logo I wanted it to convey the hip-hop but simple aesthetic. I did this because using stylised or unique fonts that reflect the hip hop culture can add a strong visual impact to a logo. A logo with a hip hop aesthetic should incorporate elements that are bold, colorful, and reflect the energy and attitude of the hip hop culture. The logo should be easily recognisable, memorable, and convey the essence of hip hop in a visually impactful way. Depending on the subject of the magazine I will change the ‘scroll’ font style in doomscroll.The research that I did was mostly based around Kanye West and the controversy surrounding him. I looked at mostly articles and newspapers that document every controversial moment in Kanyes life and how his mental health was mostly effected by what the tabloids say. When I was printing off my cover to test it on G F Smiths sample papers the printer started to glitch. So, I edited the print settings and printed the cover again.

Overall, I liked the outcome of my magazine. However, the paper for the magazine didn’t come early which meant I had to print it off late. Also I think my time management for this project was really bad. To prevent fall back on work in the future I will create a day plan for every week documenting what I’m supposed to be doing that day.