#go some place where you actually CAN control the growth

[mariacallous]

Next year will be Big Tech’s finale. Critique of Big Tech is now common sense, voiced by a motley spectrum that unites opposing political parties, mainstream pundits, and even tech titans such as the VC powerhouse Y Combinator, which is singing in harmony with giants like a16z in proclaiming fealty to “little tech” against the centralized power of incumbents.

Why the fall from grace? One reason is that the collateral consequences of the current Big Tech business model are too obvious to ignore. The list is old hat by now: centralization, surveillance, information control. It goes on, and it’s not hypothetical. Concentrating such vast power in a few hands does not lead to good things. No, it leads to things like the CrowdStrike outage of mid-2024, when corner-cutting by Microsoft led to critical infrastructure—from hospitals to banks to traffic systems—failing globally for an extended period.

Another reason Big Tech is set to falter in 2025 is that the frothy AI market, on which Big Tech bet big, is beginning to lose its fizz. Major money, like Goldman Sachs and Sequoia Capital, is worried. They went public recently with their concerns about the disconnect between the billions required to create and use large-scale AI, and the weak market fit and tepid returns where the rubber meets the AI business-model road.

It doesn’t help that the public and regulators are waking up to AI’s reliance on, and generation of, sensitive data at a time when the appetite for privacy has never been higher—as evidenced, for one, by Signal’s persistent user growth. AI, on the other hand, generally erodes privacy. We saw this in June when Microsoft announced Recall, a product that would, I kid you not, screenshot everything you do on your device so an AI system could give you “perfect memory” of what you were doing on your computer (Doomscrolling? Porn-watching?). The system required the capture of those sensitive images—which would not exist otherwise—in order to work.

Happily, these factors aren’t just liquefying the ground below Big Tech’s dominance. They’re also powering bold visions for alternatives that stop tinkering at the edges of the monopoly tech paradigm, and work to design and build actually democratic, independent, open, and transparent tech. Imagine!

For example, initiatives in Europe are exploring independent core tech infrastructure, with convenings of open source developers, scholars of governance, and experts on the political economy of the tech industry.

And just as the money people are joining in critique, they’re also exploring investments in new paradigms. A crop of tech investors are developing models of funding for mission alignment, focusing on tech that rejects surveillance, social control, and all the bullshit. One exciting model I’ve been discussing with some of these investors would combine traditional VC incentives (fund that one unicorn > scale > acquisition > get rich) with a commitment to resource tech’s open, nonprofit critical infrastructure with a percent of their fund. Not as investment, but as a contribution to maintaining the bedrock on which a healthy tech ecosystem can exist (and maybe get them and their limited partners a tax break).

Such support could—and I believe should—be supplemented by state capital. The amount of money needed is simply too vast if we’re going to do this properly. To give an example closer to home, developing and maintaining Signal costs around $50 million a year, which is very lean for tech. Projects such as the Sovereign Tech Fund in Germany point a path forward—they are a vehicle to distribute state funds to core open source infrastructures, but they are governed wholly independently, and create a buffer between the efforts they fund and the state.

Just as composting makes nutrients from necrosis, in 2025, Big Tech’s end will be the beginning of a new and vibrant ecosystem. The smart, actually cool, genuinely interested people will once again have their moment, getting the resources and clearance to design and (re)build a tech ecosystem that is actually innovative and built for benefit, not just profit and control. MAY IT BE EVER THUS!

[peggingdemons]

Sub headcanons!

With the brothers!

(Ps... Sorry for making Lucifer AFAB I can't write a cis Lucifer for the live of me)

Lucifer

He's not comfortable subbing until you prove you're not going to A. Make fun of him. And B. Let people know about it

The first time he subbed he was quite

Biting his lip, covering his mouth and shoving his face into the bed

His bottom growth is VERY sensitive so suck on it for him to let loose

He gets more vocal if you go down on him before fucking him

After the first few times of subbing he gets comfortable with it

After some time he'll pride himself in being a good sub and not fight back.. But sometimes he does want a nice spanking ;)

Mammon

PUPPY BOY PUPPY BOY PUPPY BO-

So yes he subs like a dog :  ecstatically

He doesn't misbehave at all really he loves you too much

He'll do anything you ask

Eating you out, sucking on you, fucking you or being fucked by you

He loves a dick in his mouth (real or fake) (if you're AFAB then he will suck your strap on to lube it up)

Despite what his brothers say he's not that much of a masochist 

He... Doesn't MIND pain but he doesn't seek out it

He likes praise more so.... Call him a good boy now!!!!

Leviathan

One of the most obedient subs you'll meet

He feels exposed while subbing so he might be uncomfortable...

Prefers positions where you can't see his face (like doggy or reverse cowgirl)

He actually likes bottoming more than topping

Levi.. Won't out right say what he's into.. You'll have to find out

He loves being degraded and being praised!

Call him a gross Otaku then say he looks wonderful drooling over your cock/strap!

He might just cum right then!!!

Satan

CAT BOY CAT BOY CAT BOY CAT BO-

He is so willing once you both are in a relationship!

He's thought about it but never felt safe enough to sub... Until he met you!

At first he won't be comfortable bottoming so he'll mainly top from the bottom

But he'll ask to bottom one day

Put him in his kitty outfit and prep him with some toys then you'll be good!

The moment your cock/strap goes in his mind kinda just.. Breaks

Just expect him to let out little 'nyas' after every thrust ;)

May also have just the tiniest breeding kink

Didn't think much of it.. But the thought of having YOUR litter excites him to no end

Asmodeus

Asmo asked to sub.. First time y'all did it too

He doesn't hate dominating but he loves you so much he's just gotta have you in control!

He's..open to a lot but he does have limits

Like 1 no marks that won't heal fast 2 nothing to where he can't hear you (he can't get off then!!!) 3 no rope that'll leave burns if he moves

Queen of dress up before! Asmo loves being gorgeous before you ruin him!

Dresses made to be throw off, sometimes he picks outfits that'll be the best to drag him off and easily take off so you can fuck him!

He likes gags to your surprise

After care is wonderful for both of you!

A nice bath, skin care and fluffy PJs with some "I love you" every minute!

Beelzebub

(Guys I don't know how to write him-)

Like Satan ease him into subbing

He likes it dw just not used to it

Beels head game be mean and he'll want to start with that every time (it'd be wonderful for him if you're willing to cum more than once)

Gotta have something in his mouth! Your fingers, your tongue or a gag

He tops most the time but he still likes bottoming!

Always worries that if he rides you he'll be too heavy ;(

Same goes with you eating him out (but do it anyway! He loves it!!!!)

Not that loud but his face is beautiful

Belphegor

Lazy ass bitch-

Yeah.. Belphie isn't putting in work at all

He's loud, bratty and a tease

The type to whisper how he'd like you to fuck him while in RAD

He does it because he likes the way you look at him after (angry and a little horny)

The most work he'll do is suck/eat you out/off

No work otherwise

He'll fall asleep if you go on too long (but fuck him anyway (￢‿￢ ))

For such a spoiled brat he really likes to be put in his place

After care is on you tho (he'll give amazing cuddles so it's alright)

[genericpuff]

wait wait wait, regarding that Minthe post, you're telling me that Rachel literally wrote the character as having BPD.....and portrayed her as an abusive mean piece of shit??? WOW. fucking WOW. sorry for being so angry, but even if she "retconned" that - it's still so god damn disrespective. as someone who has BPD it hurts so much to see my mental illness villanised :(

ugh I'm so sorry pal. and I don't blame you for being angry about it, like I don't even have BPD and I'M fucking pissed LOL like I can understand why Rachel might have wanted to backtrack from that knowing fully well that Minthe's story wasn't gonna have a happy ending, but writing her with BPD in the first place and then BACKTRACKING from it as soon as she likely got heat for it (or just realized it wasn't a good look) isn't much better because it means now all she's done is written the stigmatized negative effects of BPD into her character without showing the more positive outlooks of healing and managing. Maybe that was doomed to happen considering Minthe is someone who doesn't get a happy ending in the myths, but it begs the question of why she'd write her with BPD to begin with because in hindsight it really does seem like she just wanted to use it as a way to make her "evil".

But like, when you read the actual episode, you can SEE the potential there for character growth, you can SEE that she's aware of her actions - but doesn't understand why she's "like that" which is a VERY common feeling among people with undiagnosed mental illnesses - but it was never meant to be.

Like jfc not only is it HEAVILY IMPLIED, but again, the episode is literally called "Splitting". And we see exactly that with Minthe, who can't seem to rationalize with herself that she messed up.

But... that leads me to another point that I failed to mention in that first ask response: she DIDN'T mess up. Like, yes, she messed up by escalating it to the point of slapping Hades, but it wasn't her fault that she didn't make it to her date with Hades. Whose fault was it?

Continuously throughout the first season we see Thetis being an awful influence who manipulates and gaslights Minthe. They're "friends", but it's clear Thetis does not have Minthe's best interests in mind. In this very scene we see Thetis manipulate Minthe and even attempt to get her so drunk that she won't be able to show up to her date. And then of course when that plan works and Minthe freaks out, Thetis spins it around on Minthe in a very passive-aggressive way.

But of course, the narrative has to find a way to turn this whole thing on Minthe being the bad guy. Hence we get the slap which shifts the focus entirely away from what led up to it back onto Hades who has, in a lot of ways, put her in a situation that she can't control. And of course, being in those kinds of situations does not help with mental health.

Like, sorry, I'm really going off here now, but... the slap happens in Episode 76.

When is it finally addressed again? Episode 103.

It took Rachel nearly THIRTY EPISODES to finally bring it back to Minthe, and in that time the reader has spent SEVERAL EPISODES reading about how sad and lonely Hades is, and about how cute and lovey he is with Persephone. The reader has not had ANY time to reflect on Minthe's circumstances, because it completely pivots away from her to focus on H x P as a sort of distraction from the fact that Minthe is a victim in her own right.

And when it DOES return to Minthe in 103, we get this harrowing reminder that her entire life is dependent on Hades-

And once again, here comes Thetis to the "rescue", reinforcing the negative feedback loop that Minthe is trapped in where she's put in unhealthy situations. She drags her to a bar and the whole time Minthe is not having fun because she's understandably still reeling from what happened.

Now we DO get some character development here, where Minthe realizes exactly what I've just finished explaining, that Thetis isn't her friend, that she'd rather not have Thetis as a friend than continue being talked down to and manipulated.

But then, as we know, because Rachel still needs Minthe to be the "bad guy", the breakup between Hades and Minthe winds up being all about Persephone from a POV that attempts to villainize Minthe for being "jealous" (rather than focusing on how shitty Hades actually is for having an emotional affair with Persephone to begin with) and then Minthe goes right back to hanging out with Thetis anyways for the sake of having the "evil other girl" who wants to "ruin" H x P's relationship.

It's not until Season 3 that we finally see Minthe tell Thetis to fuck off for good, but by then it's too little too late, and Minthe has lost an entire character arc. Rachel tries to go "see! Minthe's life is so much better now that she's taking care of children!" but that's an entirely different solution to a problem Minthe never had. She never got treatment for her BPD. She just got away from H x P which, while is a good thing, isn't actually analyzed as such. It's treated more as a "good thing" for H x P and the readers, because now they don't have to be subjected to Minthe's evil scheming anymore, something something "the evil is defeated". And don't even get me started on this comic's problem with constantly resolving female characters' story arcs through motherhood.

It bums me out so fucking much. Minthe deserved so much better. She's one of the many characters in LO who make it so painfully ironic when they're done dirty, because despite Rachel's attempts to write a "feminist retelling" that focuses on "moving on from trauma", she's inadvertently done more damage to feminism and the stigmas around mental health and trauma through her assassination of grounded and realistic and relatable characters like Minthe and Demeter who are shown ZERO empathy or understanding for their actions (unless it can be done so by making Persephone and Hades into the heroes). It happens so often throughout the comic it almost feels like how the comic markets itself as a "progressive feminist retelling" is some sick joke that I'm just not getting.

[necromancy-enthusiast]

I don't think I'll ever get over how Organization XIII was hyped up as this super nefarious villain group but then you get to their game 358/2 Days and they treat it like a job. A 9-5 soul crushing job. They have their daily menial tasks and then they go home and wash, rinse, repeat with little else occupying their lives. Even their hobbies and pastimes seem so limited, although you can arguably chalk that up to the game just not being interested in developing them like that (which is part of why the manga is great, because it has a tendency of developing them in ways the main writers aren't interested in). From the way they talk about it, they almost sound like they work at an office sometimes. A very bizarre, particularly backstabby office, but still. It's a soul crushing job AND a weird cult all at once and it's treated with this mundanity that's both hilarious in a way I didn't really get when it first came out and oddly humanizing.

I know for some dumb reason they didn't do a remake of Days and it's harder to access because of that, but if you can and it interests you enough to where you've wondered if it was worth playing, I really recommend playing it or watching a playthrough of the actual game instead of just the cutscenes. The story really is partly told through the mechanics and so much is lost when they just gave us the cutscenes pulled from the game in the compilations.

They really reinforce how bleak and mundane Roxas' life is most of the time, how bleak and mundane most of the members' lives are. How much control the Organization has over them. You don't just level up organically like in other kh games, you have to do this weird puzzle thing that limits your growth and abilities. They don't give you munny, they give you heart points that you can only use at the moogle shop in their castle, so they're literally paid in scrip. If you're unfamiliar with it, scrip is a currency you can only use in certain places instead of throughout a whole country or other type of political union like the eu, usually with the store at the company you work at. When you're on missions your path is blocked off, you can only go to certain areas that are directly related to your daily mission. It's suffocating and genius, especially since in most other series entries you get so much freedom comparatively.

With all that context it starts making some of their vices a bit more understandable. Can you really blame Demyx for not wanting to do his work when all he gets out of it is room and board, and the distant, vague promise of maybe someday getting a new heart? Especially since he's probably been with the Organization for years?

Can you really blame Marluxia and Larxene for wanting to mutiny when their boss is useless and all of their colleagues seem indifferent to it? I mean like. The murder isn't great. I'm still a bit sore about that. But I can definitely get behind the 'screw our boss' sentiment. I'm still very fond of my 'instead of going the cloak and dagger route Larxene and Marluxia somehow, possibly with the help of devil magic, manage to get everyone to cooperate so they can unionize and kick Xemnas out' au. An Organization XIII union au, if you will. Imagine Xemnas having to explain that to the other Xehanorts.

Master Xehanort: The people you gathered up for us to use as our vessels. Unionized?

Xemnas, the biggest loser in the entire series: :/

[amuseoffyre]

Since insomnia is kicking my arse of late, I naturally tilted into the thoughts about the nature of the 3-act structure and why S2 of OFMD may have felt off and incomplete to a lot of people.

I am fully in agreement that we lost a lot of valuable time with only 8 episodes and a lot of it did feel rushed, but for the amount of story and set-up and growth and development they needed to fit into 4 hours of television, they did astonishing things.

DJenks has said from the very start that this is a story that has been planned out to take 3 seasons. It's literally a 3-act play and we are currently right in the middle of the worst part of that timeline according to every traditional 3-act structure.

Act one/season one is self-explanatory. Like New Hope in the Star Wars Trilogy or Fellowship of the Ring, this is the set-up. We're introduced to our protagonists and antagonists, the relationships are given a foundation.

The beginning is Stede's journey to becoming a real boy. The inciting incident, the one that actually pushes his change beyond "playing pirates" is meeting Ed. The second thoughts come together in episode 8/9 after his confrontations with Jack and Chauncey and episode 10 is the climax.

Act 2/season 2 is never going to be as smooth and simple as act 1/s1. A big part of the A2/S2 job is set up for A3/S3 and this is what we're seeing and why a lot of story threads seem to have been left dangling.

Again, to call back to Empire Strikes Back and The Two Towers, the structure is much the same: the original batch of people are divided and scattered, the big enemy from A1/S1 is looming, new allies make themselves known. In SW, this meant the introduction of Lando and Yoda as allies plus the hint of the Emperor lurking in the background. In LotR, we have the Rohirrim, Gondor and the Ents as allies and the expansion of Sauron's forces in Helm's Deep, Osgiliath and the winged wraiths.

There's a clear trajectory following the A2/S2 structure:

obstacle 1 - the crews separated and struggling

obstacle 2 - the end of episode 2 and the repercussions of his actions

twist - just when things start to settle, the Ned Low situation happen and Stede kills for the first time

obstacle 3 - Ed's struggle with his identity leading to him leaving

disaster - Ricky's assault on the Republic

crisis - do-or-die battle because they have no other choice

climax - the last 15 minutes of ep. 8 live here.

As with SW and LotR, there's an ending, but weighted with the knowledge of a story that is meant to continue. Each of those act 2 films end with the heroes still aware of the looming threat, some of them heading out on new missions, and some of them resting and healing. There's brief pause, brief respite, a moment to take a breath.

We have all the characters in place now and the battle-lines have been drawn. Luke still needs to confront Vader (I see you, impending Ed and Hornigold confrontation), Frodo still needs to destroy the ring, Aragorn still needs to lead the army against the Black Gate, the second Death Star is still hanging in the sky.

I'm so excited to see what S3 brings because we have so many arcs ready to go: Zheng's vengeance trip, the inevitable enforced out-of-retirement arc for Ed and Stede, Hornigold, Ricky trying to maintain his tenuous control of the republic given how many of his people were killed when the crew escaped, the pirate rebellion gathering forces.

Also how often do we get shows/films where the supporting cast are given this much storyline? We have a named/speaking-role cast of upwards of 15 central characters. That is a staggering amount of people to work with, when most shows would only focus on the leads and a couple of their friends. Six is the average for most TV shows, while comedies can inch higher because ensembles, but most ensembles don't get as much as our crew did.

I know a lot of people aren't happy about Izzy's death. I know I would have liked to see him a lot more, because he's such a grumpy old bitch and I love him and him affectionately roasting Ed and Stede would have made my entire month. But I'm also aware that narratively, as a figurehead of the old ways of piracy and "we were Blackbeard", it was a symbolic death as well - a sign of the death of the old ways of piracy and of Blackbeard as was.

(Also, they Obi-Wanned him. I'm not over that. Gave him the "if you strike me down I will become more powerful" speech. I'm just... guys, your star wars nerdery is showing XD)

So while it was flawed in places and pacing, given the scale of the story they're telling, the number of pieces and characters they had in play, and the arcs they have been setting up while also still keeping the humour, I am giving a standing ovation for a remarkable piece of work.

[comphetkoncass]

little fic about tim's love language being contingency plans

////

The thing is, Tim has a way of attacking Kon’s problems like a puzzle. Like a riddle, waiting to be solved. 

Tim’s plans also don’t involve much feeling, usually, even if the issue is purely an emotional one. While Tim is decent at listening and empathizing, at a certain point he always gets his Robin face on. A signal that, while he’s still certainly listening, there’s a chemical reaction in his brain, completely out of his control, that activates his detective skills. His problem-solving skills. 

It has taken Kon a combined two lifetimes, four years, five collective identities, and two–maybe three?–timelines, but Kon has finally gotten Tim to at least ask before starting to strategize. But lately, Tim has undergone some personal growth, and Kon is starting to wonder if, perhaps, he has learned to not even ask. To instead, politely wait for a signal – a sign, an invitation, even– that said advice is actually wanted. 

Kon would like to take the credit for training him, he really would. But he has a feeling he’s only one of many factors. 

Today, Kon is sitting face-down on Tim’s bed. Krypto sits on top of Kon’s back, the world’s most powerful emotional support dog pinning him in place. Preventing him, more like, from leaving before he's gotten all his complicated, messy, unwanted feelings out. Also preventing him from looking up at his boyfriend before Kon is done feelings-dumping, because otherwise Kon just won't finish talking, and it will go unsaid.

So Kon can’t see it; he can't see the detective face for himself. Can’t verify, for sure, absolutely, 100%, that TIm’s detective face is on. 

But he knows it’s there. 

He’s just spent half an hour talking about his latest identity crisis. Of course Tim’s detective face is on. It’s probably been on since minute two. 

However, Tim is also running his fingers through Kon’s hair, and making the occasional appropriate comment, always generous and rational and kind, always active listening, and– listen, Kon isn’t immune to the soft victim support voice. He’s definitely not immune to the Robin leader voice, but the softer, empathetic, gentle one Tim uses with people who need help? And when it bleeds in so subtly into his regular speaking voice that it’s not immediately obvious that’s where he pulling it from? 

Incredible. Show-stopping. Kon could listen to it all day, if he wasn’t the one monopolizing the conversation by info-dumping all his problems. 

Finally though, he finishes the garbled, soft, self-deprecating speech about how he’ll never be completely free of Lex’s braingook (yes, that is the scientific name for it, thank-you-very-much) and how that means he’s always going to have a chip on his shoulder until Lex dies and even then Kon’s going to have to worry about some secret chip in his brain that transfers Lex’s consciousness to his or what-the-fuck-ever. 

He can hear the comment Tim wants to make. The unspoken, soft little, 'You know, we could probably test you for that... A chip would definitely show up on an MRI...'

Instead, Tim only pauses the briefest, softest moment. “...That must be really stressful for you, worrying about that.” 

Kon looks up, just a little. Sees Tim’s best poker face. 

Then sighs, and bids the victim comfort voice goodbye. “Okay, I give in,” he says, and moves to cross his arms in Tim’s lap instead. Krypto lets out an annoyed little huff at being jostled from Kon's back, but he soon hops off Kon’s back and moves to lay at his side instead. Kon rubs him behind the ears, Krypto butts his head against his hand, and all is well again. “C’mon, out with it.”

“Hm? Out with what?” Tim asks, still in the same plaintive tone. “What do you mean?” 

“Relax, you can stop the sympathy. I know you want to start strategizing how to solve all my problems,” Kon says, and leans up in what he hopes is a very kissable position, because he really wants one. “You’ve suffered enough, I know you’ve already thought through eighteen different plans.” 

Tim lets out a shuddering breath, immediately sagging his shoulders. “Thank you,” he says, sounding exhausted. Distracted, and clearly already thinking of how to phrase his plans, he meets Kon halfway for a kiss. It's even a proper kiss, soft and sweet, and it really does make Kon feel better. Then, to his surprise, Tim also presses a more tender one just between his brows. “I really do empathize, though. Just so you know. This isn’t me not empathizing. But I mean, if you're giving me explicit permission it's not like I haven't been starting to think about how we could test for these and help you stop worrying about them-” 

Kon shakes his head, fond and sweet. “I know. Your love language is solving people’s problems for them, I've accepted this about you."

Tim looks the tiniest bit offended. "I- that's not a love language."

"It is for you," Kon says. Then, he grins, looking up at his boyfriend through his lashes. "So come on. If it's your love language... Show me you love me.” 

Tim’s cheeks bloom red. But he smiles instead of shying away, then runs his fingers through Kon’s hair again, gentle and sweet. “Get comfortable then, because I’ve got a lot of- love to show. To finish the metaphor, I mean. There’s only five so far, but number three is kind of complicated, you're going to want to take notes, but I could summarize it again for you afterwards, when you're less cozy-”

Yeah, Kon thinks. There’s no denying how much Tim loves him. He might be a strategist at heart, but Tim also wouldn’t make immediate contingency plans for just anyone, either. 

Kon curls up on Tim’s lap soon after, with Krypto snuggled up onto his chest. As long as Tim keeps stroking his hair, Kon doesn’t mind the clinical approach to his problems. It’s nice to have a boyfriend who can both meet him where he’s at, and say what he really feels. Even nicer, he thinks, to know that it’s all coming from a place of genuine affection. 

[birdycage]

Hi! I hope you're having a a lovely day!

I was wondering if you have any Chrisker or XLeon fanfic recs? Or any other special ship fic recs you really like to share! Looking for something new to consume instead of sleeping.

Hi! Thank you for the well wishes and the ask. I am so sorry it took a while for me to respond. I wanted to add little summaries to the recommendations so you can jump straight into the ones that might interest you.

XLeon

Luckily XLeon is such a small ship that it's pretty easy to recommend fics.

Windows to the Soul is a really lovely fic, probably the one that got me into the ship. It follows a good portion of the RE2 remake story quite closely, but with the twist that Mr. X is trying to win over Leon even though Leon fears for his life for a good portion of it lol.

Captivated is a cute AU fic where Leon's father is an Umbrella researcher who has our favorite tyrant act as Leon's bodyguard (much to Leon's dismay) while the lead up to RE1 events happen in the background.

Blind Man's Gamble is a very sweet fic about Leon accidentally getting chemically blinded while searching for supplies in the RPD and Mr. X finds him and takes it upon himself to help the very perplexed officer. This author also has a lot of other very sweet fics about XLeon, so I definitely recommend them too if you enjoy softer stories about the ship.

Chrisker

I have so many Chrisker fics I enjoy that it's hard to know what to recommend, especially since my tastes for that ship tend to be smutty and dark. However, I will start with a couple of nicer(?) ones and go towards dark at the end of the list.

The Endless Realities A sweet series of oneshots about Chris and Wesker being in love in different AUs/canon divergent plots.

A God Needs Worship If you enjoy long fics, this one is for you. It's mostly about Chris and Wesker's evolving relationship leading up to the events of RE1 (and will be getting into the events of the game itself). It's actually some very good slice-of-life showing their S.T.A.R.S. work, Wesker's relationship with Umbrella and relationships with colleagues/friends/family/enemies. All around a very good fic with a lovely balance of plot/romance/character growth/etc.

Love Crime A really sweet fic where Chris offers to take Barry's place as Wesker's pawn in betraying S.T.A.R.S. The ending was a surprise, but I enjoyed it all very thoroughly.

The Courting This is pretty different from most of the Chrisker fics I read. It's an Incredibly funny fic where S.T.A.R.S. era Chris tries to flirt with Wesker by pranking him and Wesker usually gets sweet revenge. I also thoroughly enjoyed the next part (Encounters) of the series, but it is very smutty. I am not done with the series of fics that that this is attached to, but the parts I have read have been incredibly enjoyable. However, the series as a whole is not comedy and contains some dark and/or sad moments.

Mistakes Chris comes on to Wesker, Wesker falls for Chris (much to his dismay). Wesker tries to stay in control of everything despite probably not being very in control at all and begins to plot Umbrella's downfall so he can keep Chris at his side.

Sins of the Flesh is a beautiful fic where Wesker resurrects Chris after killing him some years prior in a need for proper revenge, but keeps Chris alive after realizing that Chris cannot remember his own death or his antagonistic relationship with Wesker. This fic is very dreamy and sad, be prepared to cry. I also recommend the author's fics The Hound and Manifest Retribution, but they are very sexually charged and not exactly in a nice way.

Happy Adversary, Christopher A very funny Valentine's Day fic (by the same author as the previous fic rec) where Wesker forces a date on Chris after kidnapping him. It's actually quite sweet.

Ten-Million-Dollar Mutt MIND THE TAGS PLEASE. A gift to me! (and another one by the same author as the previous two) Wesker buys Chris in an auction after Chris has been virally enhanced to have doglike characteristics. Incredibly smutty with VERY hardcore kinks (some were quite the surprise to me too, but San is very good at making them palatable). However if you can handle it, it's actually quite a funny (and sexy) read that starts to veer towards being sweet in some of the newest chapters. A surprising amount of character growth on Wesker's part imo.

Can and Will Be Held Against You. This story sometimes makes my brain feel like it's melting (and I do mean this in a good way). Wesker is very manipulative with Chris and molds him into his perfect pet. It's a disturbing co-dependent relationship that doesn't exactly feel like love. However, there is a very cathartic moment where Wesker gets what he deserves. Interesting story all around.

I could probably go on, but I think this is enough for now ^^; so sorry to throw so many at you, but hopefully there are a few you enjoy! Also you have probably long fallen asleep by now, but perhaps some of these will be good bedtime stories for other nights.

[wjbs-bonkle-au]

Every Bionicle mask-power summarised.

Hau: Everything-proof shield

Kaukau: "Hey, wanna see how long I can hold my breath underwater?"

Miru: Somewhat balanced flight powers (can't take off from a standstill; horizontal movement at least somewhat controlled by wind)

Kakama: Wheeeeeeeee!

Pakari: Kinda like the Berserk Pack from Doom

Akaku: X-ray specs

Huna: Stealth mode

Rau: Google Translate

Mahiki: Illusions, but also just full-on shapeshifting for some reason?

Komau: Hypnotism kink

Ruru: "Night vision", which canonically manifests as a torch-like beam projected from the mask's front, and gives the wearer actual night-vision, and yet more x-ray stuff

Matatu: Gmod Physgun Telekinesis Addon 2004 No Virus

Calix: Basically X-Cell from Fallout 4 but without the intelligence boost

Elda: Thing finder, for finding things

Suletu: Telepathy and also psychic torture

Sanok: Aimbot

Kadin: Very unbalanced flight powers (literally the only downside is that the user can't hover in place)

Iden: Out of body from morning to night/Dance floor packed and I'm feeling alright

Arthron: *Whale noises*

Faxon: "Hey, wanna see my animal impressions?"

Zatth: Kinda like if going "pspsps" had an equal chance of attracting a cat, a bear or a car-sized land-octopus

Garai: Gravity-y-y-y-y-y, on me/Never let me down, gent-ly damn, two Gorillaz references in one post; I'll try to use another band next time

Volitak: Same as the Huna but worse

Tryna: Wise fwom your gwave!

Jutlin: Rust-vision

Avsa: *Vampire noises*

Felnas: Messes up your abilities, but only through touch for some reason?

Mohtrek: I have no idea how I'd condense this mask's timeline-fuckery into a single se- where did all these scars come from?

Shelek: ‍

Crast: Pushes others away

Mask of Mutation: Guess.

Mask of Scavenging/Vulture: Like the Avsa, but it only works on the recently-deceased

Pehkui: Makes you tiny

Mask of Clairvoyance: The last word of this post will be "diversity"

Kualsi: Nightcrawler powers

Mask of Emulation: "Hey, wanna see my non-animal impressions?"

Mask of Growth: Makes you big

Mask of Rahi Control: Gives you all the powers of a zookeeper

Avohkii: Let there be light!

Kraahkan: Actually I changed my mind; there should darkness

Mask of Psychometry: Ever wondered where your favourite shirt came from?

Rode: Mask of Seeing Through Your Shit

Olmak: Now you're thinking with portals

Mask of Charisma: Actually functions more like brainwashing

Olisi: Isn't it weird how Bionicle's most notable use of the "mad oracle" trope is A. unreliable and B. a giant Frankenstein-man who commits body-horror on random people?

Kiril: Basically the opposite of the Jutlin

Mask of Intangibility: *Ghost noises*

Mask of Possibilities: Essentially the Improbability Drive from Madness Combat, but on a smaller scale

Mask of Elemental Energy: who cares about this one like seriously it barely appears outside the games

Mask of Adaptation: Turns you into an environment-specific action figure

Mask of Aging: The mask that makes you old

Mask of Biomechanics: Essentially the Gmod ragdoll-mover addon

Mask of Conjuring: I'm just going to copy what Biosector says, since it's really convoluted and complex; "The Mask of Conjuring is a Kanohi that allows its user to verbally program a limited power into the mask for a brief period of time. The user must describe in detail the power desired and at least one weakness. If the phrasing is spoken wrong, it causes intense psychic backlash in the user's mind. The user can use a programmed power for fifteen minutes (with a Great version), and after the time is out, the user must wait thirty seconds to activate the mask again. The Noble version will only work for five minutes. Another weakness is because it requires time and speech, any enemies nearby can hear in detail what power to expect and what its weakness is. Because of this, the usage of the mask is more commonly done alone. It is also capable of being programmed with the powers of other masks, such as the Kanohi Hau."

Mask of Freezing: What do you think it does

Mask of Fusion: Combines things • Mask of Healing: Heals stuff

Mask of Incomprehension: 👁️🧠🫵🥫🚹🇮🇹📤

Mask of Rebounding: Something something rubber glue etc.

Mask of Reconstitution: Literally just another Mask of Mutation, but slightly worse

Mask of Sensory Aptitude: 'Cause I've got one two three four five/Senses working o-ver-ti-ime!

Mask of Undeath: I live... again!

Mask of Weather Control: /weather clear 18000

Mask of Weight Increase: Literally just a Garai that can't make things lighter

Ignika: Do-anything MacGuffin that turned into a guy once and also became God's hat for a bit

Vahi: Time isn't holding up/Time isn't after us/Same as it ever was/Same as it ever was...

Mask of Creation: Just kinda lets you make stuff, while also celebrating the Matoran Universe's cultural diversity!

[lovingseventeen]

Heyyy! If you’re open for requests, I saw this tiktok where a pregnant lady had her husband lift her heavy belly for a few minutes and it gave her some relief. I somehow could see Mingyu do that. His wife having a hard time getting used to her growth and him trying his best to help her 🫠🫠🫠

mingyu helping out his pregnant s/o

a/n: HI I LOVE THIS ,, he really would be so sweet as a dad though :’)

several months into your pregnancy, you really began to feel the changes in your body. one of the more obvious changes being your belly growing rounder and heavier.

mingyu adored your belly knowing that your baby was healthy and ready to meet the both of you in enough time. he couldn’t walk past you without a hand coming to hold your tummy to give you and the baby a little rub. or a lot of the time, he liked to have you seated between his legs on the couch so he could absentmindedly rub your belly.

he was also incredibly thankful for you. as much as he knows that the both of you contributed to conceiving your baby, he knew that you were doing the true heavy lifting: the dietary restrictions, the physical changes to your body, carrying your baby for nine months, and of course giving birth. so he wanted to make things easier for you whenever he could.

he noticed how sometimes your steps around the house got slower. or maybe one of your hands was coming up to the small of your back to support yourself while you brewed yourself some tea. he knew you were starting to feel the toll of pregnancy (it couldn’t all be swell).

“babe?” he asks, walking over to you, “you okay? his fingers make their way to your shoulders to give you a little massage too.

you placed a hand over one of his. “yeah, baby’s just getting so big that my back isn’t used to supporting this kind of weight up front.”

his hands instinctively move to caress your belly as he hums. then he remembers.

“i saw this video online, do you want me to try lifting your belly for a couple moments?”

“what do you mean?” you ask, neck turning to look at him.

“here, let me show you,” he explains, hands gently coming to the underside of your belly. “i think the guy in the video just gently lifted from here, do you want me to try it?”

“oh okay, sure” you agree, hoping for any kind of relief at that point.

“okay, here i go” he tells you, quickly placing a kiss to your cheek. ever so controlled, he lifted your belly slowly. mingyu worked out regularly and this was a light weight for him, but he couldn’t imagine how your back felt feeling this weight all day. he smiled as he heard you sigh in relief.

as he was holding your belly he also kind of figured that this was a way for him to hold your baby before you even gave birth and this made him happy.

“you know i almost didn’t believe that this would actually do something” you laughed. for the first time in a while, you almost felt like your pre-pregnancy self.

“it’s helping?” he checked, causing you hum in response.

after a moment you knew that your tea would be done steeping so you told him, “you can put my belly down now, ‘gyu.”

“you sure?” he was more than ready to keep lifting for you.

“yeah, i’ll go sit down with my tea too.”

“okay,” he agreed, but not without telling you, “just remember, let me know whenever your back hurts, okay? i can always lift our baby so mommy can have some relief, yeah?” he’s gently easing your belly back to it’s original position too.

you turn to face him and place a hand on his cheek. “thank you ‘gyu,” you smiled, “i really will.”

[amphiptere-art]

I like to imagine these little season DCA fairies. They have like different personalities

Sun has a bubbly exterior but a very strict personality. He tries to be nice about what he wants. But it often comes off as sassy. Mostly cuz when he first came it was nice fun and games. For holy shit handling a season is a lot less fun. Especially when it can be such an active season.

Moon is very cold. Hehehe. He's distant but kind. Sort of quiet guardian-esk. He's very imposing and he always seems like he's ready to cut off your head. But in reality he just is terrible at interacting with people. There's really not much to do in the winter other than to guard those hibernating and show those that are still awake where stuff is. It's a very quiet season, and so he is quiet.

Jack is fairly playful. But he's also cold. He's definitely more so what people think about moon. That looming threat. Except he will actually come up on you and scare you. He doesn't really talk much. But when he does it's in villainous crackles, and whispered rhymes. It's hard to kind of tell what he's thinking. He won't really kill you. But he definitely makes you think he is.

And then ruin/eclipse. I'm just going to call him eclipse. He is by far the most playful and active. He really is as bubbly as he looks. He's patient when he needs to be. But he usually off the rockers with energy. Very much young child energy. Mimicking the fact that spring usually brings new life.

And then there's like the powers. Which I'm still figuring out. Most of my fae have powers resulting in protecting areas or just representing stuff. Sometimes they are aspects of emotions. So I'm trying to figure out a way that they could do stuff and still work in my interpretation.

I would think that Sun has control over heat and fire. He probably knows quite a bit about where animals should head to get the most food. And a place where they can rest away from the Sun. Probably a lot of connections with summoning animals.

I would think Moon of course has control over the cold and snow. Although I think snow would more so be ice. He of course has sleeping powers because, yes. He usually helps animals find places to burrow and rest. He also can probably sense what's living or nutritious underneath the snow. He's probably fairly weak in any other season.

Jack definitely has power over decay. Making leaves change color and everything die. He probably has power over the wind. He is of course setting up winter, So he does have some things to play with in falling asleep and helping animals find dens. But otherwise he mostly can feel devilish spirits. Probably hunts them.

Eclipse definitely has power over rain. He also probably has a fair amount of knowledge over bringing in new life. Plus he probably has a lot of power over plant growth. Or even plants in general. He also is fairly defensive over anything. Animals, grass, trees. Probably gets a lot of physical power if anyone dares harm life.

That's all my brain power right now. But I hope it gives some ideas.

[mymiraclebox]

Updated Alpha Powers!

So I decided to drop Purification and Corruption from being one of the Alphas' powers (they will still have this ability, but it won't be one of their three main powers). I wanted them to have three unique abilities though, so I added/revamped what I had for them. This has already been updated on their bios, but I'm also adding it to this post if anyone's interested in seeing it all in one place. :) Thank you to @silverslate221 for helping me with these, especially with Catalyze and Ubiquitous, along with the updated versions of Nascence and Abyss!

As for what's happening to Purification and Corruption, they will be like the Animal Traits with it just being something Alpha Miraculouses can do without it taking up a power slot. Actually all Miraculouses will have some form of energy manipulation, but I'm still working on developing that system.

---

Panda of Life

Esse – Summons a white orb of Life energy, which can be given to another. This can bring youthfulness and save those who are dying or have just passed away.

Nascence – One is able to create a small spiritual being, many of which can inhabit various items to interact with the physical world.

Resurrection – A mist of white light spreads across an area, restoring Life and raising those who have passed to all it touches, able to go back generations if one so wishes.

Crow of Death

Wither – The user can charge their weapon with red energy, which will begin draining life from all it touches. This will cause rapid aging, and eventually Death.

Necro – One gains control over anything that has been touched by Death, able to summon things such as skeletons to do their bidding.

Reap – A wave of bright red light is released, which instantly kills all that it touches, leaving no mark upon them. This can bind a soul to the place where they fell.

Ladybug of Creation

Lucky Charm – One summons a red energy that can be molded into any item they wish. One can either fully call these items into reality as a permanent Creation, or channel the energy to make something else.

Fortuitous – One is able to instantly Create a solution from their surroundings to what problems they face.

Miraculous Ladybug – A cloud of ladybug constructs swarm the area, recreating anything they touch into a new and prime state. When interacting with living things these ladybugs encourage healing and growth.

Black Cat of Destruction

Cataclysm – Destructive energy is summoned around one's hand. This can Destroy any physical objects, and with experience it can even Destroy more abstract forces.

Catalyze – Imbues a target with a spark of Destruction, slowly Destroying components in their surroundings that causes things to break down and go wrong around them. 

Catastrophe – One summons a dense black fog full of crackling green energy, from which a natural disaster is released.

Wolf of Order

Sequence – The user instantly creates Order within anything they touch, resulting in things becoming straight and organized, or restoring cracks and damage.

Compulsion – One is compelled to act on an urge to ensure Order and structure, descending into an obsession the longer this effect remains active.

Midnight Howl – Silver light encloses an area, securing the state it is in, preventing change or disorder. Any damage inflicted will instantly be restored to the state it was in when the power was summoned.

Platypus of Chaos

Paradox - A random, unexplainable event takes place.

Entropy – Chaotic energy is shot out from a firework. Whoever is hit by the light will have their perspective on reality become incomprehensible the longer they are under the effect.

Pandemonium – A blast of strobing light is released in all directions, consuming everything into a state of Chaos. It is impossible to note all that can happen, but logic and physics will not apply.

Firefly of Space

Kinesis – Lets one manipulate an item's place within Space, able to move things about as if with mere thought.

Ubiquitous – The holder gains the ability to appear in multiple places at once, their singular presence inhabiting many locations at the same time.

Expanse – This manipulation of Space allows a location to be stretched out far away, or to be a step away; or an object can be made to take up more or less Space, the effects being fluid and instant.

Raccoon of Void

Stifle – Stifle rids the area of a specific component for a short period of time. This can be anything from an idea, to sound, light, air, or even emotion.

Abyss – A Void appears beneath the feet of a target, which removes them from this plane of reality. They end up in true emptiness: no sound, no solid ground, nothing until they are freed from it.

Desolate – A heavy fog of nothingness overtakes the area, permanently removing it from existence. No sign of something can be found after Desolate strikes, as if it was never there.

[yatorihell]

Noragami Chapter 109 Thoughts and Reaction

First off a massive thank you to @fast-moon for years of dedicated service to the fandom and answering our questions. You have been the pillar of the community from the moment you picked up the series.

Now onto my (second) read reaction and thoughts

Seeing Yuka and she's aged more and she's looking at the sakura tree thinking of her brother just like Yato told Yukine she would I'm so sad Adachitoka you make me so sad

WHO LEFT THE FLOWERS could it have been Yato? Could it have been Yuka unwittingly placing them to remember her brother not knowing it's actually Haruki's grave? I'm so sad

Oh when it said another new year and we're at the hospital I'm so sad and then it turns out it's been many years!!!!!

The Capyper and star sticker as an earring? Remnants of attachment to Yato? Earring like Kazuma? Thank you Doctor Iki? Killing myself

Oh I really expected her diary to show up and then it does but Nora has it I'm so sad

The fact Hiyori's whole memory of that year is fuzzy so she doesn't remember Capyperland, and probably her grandma's death and the hospital arc and so many other bits

CPR SO INTENSE IT CRACKED HER RIBS

Oh she's touching her lips as she wonders who saved her I'm so fucking miserable Adachitoka you make me so sad are you happy

Jumpscared by hot Fujisaki I forgive you <3

Fujisaki gained control of his body and immediately fixed those bangs hejdjj

Remnants of Father's yearning to see Kaya again sorry babe she wasn't your girl maybe you'll find one that looks like her

Coo phone attack jdjdjnd that was so funny I can't believe he actually came back I was reaching with that prediction

My god I know it's not Father and he's cute now but I still hurled when he asked her out

Rip Masaomi's hairline, they say unproblematic men age better, so what crimes did you commit

Also rip Mr Iki you've aged so much it's probably the stress, but he's still got his medical license!!!!!!

Also I've been told it's been 8/9 years since that day with her being an intern now, it makes you wonder if Masaomi started a family

I MISS SOMEONE BUT WHO?

I actually couldn't believe how many of the bingo card predictions were coming true when I got to the sakura party jsjdnjf we truly manifested this ending

Little Ebisu growing up you will live forever you <3

Takemika and Kiun showing up like two dads with their children and pet bird jdjbdjfk

Takemika reassuring Shinatsuhiko that no one's laughing about their reincarnation vs Takemika bullying Ebisu in Heaven about killing him I hate growth I hate it (affectionate)

Followed by Takemika owning the fact that he himself has reincarnated when it was kept secret for so long I'm so sad

Oh Adachitoka you're so sick faking us out with a toast to Yato like he's dead followed by Bishamon once again beating the shit out of Yato at a sakura party

It's so funny Yato wouldn't release Kazuma but tbf it's handy if he ever needs to use him again

I wonder if Kazuma is treated differently now that he's a stray, or if he could suppress the name physically (it would only show if he got called like Nora did)

This Houki shinki that's a pegleg gun???? Rendered us bamboozled double checking Bishamon didn't lose a leg

Yato please find Yukine some clothes that fit????? Or maybe they're loose so they don't tear when he transforms and they can go back for them idk I don't like this look

Yato disappearing into the ground and becoming known as Teke-Teke he is the living meme hejdjb

I'm so sad Yukine has nightmares and turns into ayakashi form every night and Yato's wearing a Capyper jumper and he's hugging him

I did wonder if Hiyori's diary was on the shelf with the shrine, which begs the question when did Yato go to retrieve the shrine???? I'm so sad he would've seen that she fixed it and maybe it's a but scuffed from where it was dropped but it's his

Yato following Hiyori to keep her safe and he didn't want to cut ties I'm so sad the cord problem was enough to divorce her from the far shore without severing them altogether

I JUST WANT TO WATCH OVER HER AS SHE GROWS I'm so fucking miserable

Nora comforted by the fact Hiyori believes she had a name when she was in the womb? Devastated how did we never think of that

Interesting that the Yuuki name remains even after the word was destroyed, but it means that Yukine can't sting Yato so silver linings

Yato still doing his regular job of slaying and answering small prayers

Cherry blossoms being like snow I'm so fucking emo

THE NIGHT HAS A SCENT

YATO'S SHADOW IN THE TREE

MY. MOUTH. REMEMBERS!!!!!!

Oh I'm so fucking miserable I'm so fucking sad I hate this manga she remembered him all on her own after all this time and she's a doctor and everyone's safe I'm so depressed we're gunna celebrate April 2nd we need to work out what year it will be when she remembers

The final art????? Of all of them happy???? Hiyori is a doctor???????? Nora is with them??? Smiling??????? I'm ending it

It's been such a ride for these last 9 years since I picked up the anime and then demolished the manga right in time for season two. I've made friends and I've enjoyed building this blog into something that people used for their Noragami content. In the words of the rats this truly was my noragami

[underdark-dreams]

Hello! I would first like to thank you for getting me into the Rolan boat, this arrogant emotionally-constipated (affectionate) wizard has taken over my mind and he is all I think about now.

That being said, I was wondering if you would be able to do a rolan x tav like a few years or even a decade into their relationship? Does settling into Sorcerous Sundries and becoming a better mage make Rolan softer? How is he connecting with the rest of the magic community (I am personallya Rolan and Gale rare books reading club supporter) What would be some of the major long term disagreements in their relationship and how do you think they would work through it? What would this man's ideal 'happily ever after' look like?

Thank you so much!

This was great food for thought! 🖤 Thank you so much!

I kind of want to work on future Rolan x Tav as its own little standalone fic, because that idea is so sweet—but here are some headcanons on that & all these other what-ifs. Apologies that they're a bit jumbled, I can't concentrate when Rolan

Rolan loves his tower! He definitely feels the weight and responsibility of being the new steward for all this collected research and knowledge. But he also loves that he can go through his books and satisfy his curiosity whenever he wants, after so long yearning for someone to teach him and nurture his magic. He learns to do that for himself

I think the big thing that will soften and kind of humble him over the years will be once he accepts that personal growth will never stop. There is not a mystical point X where he could stand and say, did it, I have reached the pinnacle of archwizardry. He learns how to stop rushing forward and enjoy other things in life, most of all his relationship with Tav.

Once all the Absolute business is finally settled, Rolan will definitely want to lock that down. It doesn't need to be a legal marriage per se, but he is extremely committed to the relationship & wants the same from them. If he had his way Tav would have moved in yesterday. He's ready to wake up next to them for the rest of his life. Buys a house in the city right beside his old place where Lia and Cal still live & can't wait to merge his found family with his new family. His happily ever after is being surrounded by the people he loves and watching them thrive, especially when it's because of him. Having the capacity to care for Tav and Cal and Lia makes him incredibly fulfilled.

Some big potential sources of conflict in his and Tav's relationship:

Jealousy and insecurity. Rolan has some deep abandonment issues from his past, so if he ever felt like Tav was straying emotionally or making him jealous on purpose, that would really hurt his trust. Deep down he needs to know they love him, and hear it once a day preferably

Control issues/willfulness. Older brother mode activated. Rolan likes to do things his way and is very stubborn and proud about conceding to others. He does see Tav more as his equal, unlike his little siblings, but it's hard for him to translate that into actions. There will be a lot of fights over any big decisions where he & Tav disagree. Part of working through it would probably mean Rolan confronting why he needs to control things so badly (growing up without much control over anything in his life maybe? Hmm). He would genuinely benefit from therapy & from learning how to translate all his feelings into constructive words. Being with someone who would stand up to him would really benefit Rolan in the long run, though.

In the magical community: He's got a reputation as a rebel amongst the wizarding community, because 1) he's very much self-taught which is pretty unusual, and 2) not everyone approves of how freely he hands out information about the Weave, casting, etc to the curious younglings who visit his tower. Of course he'd never let anyone get into anything too powerful unsupervised, but after his experience with Lorroakan and realizing that this famed so-called archmage was actually just an idiot who stole everything from more powerful mages, he's like. The strict apprentice system can kinda get fucked honestly. He just doesn't agree that the basics of magic should be kept behind lock and key. Becomes a sort of magical literacy advocate. Let the children read

You might be surprised at how patient this man can be with children by the way! Lots of little magical prodigies hanging around Master Rolan's tower whenever he lets them. He'll kind of scowl to intimidate them into behaving themselves, but inside he loves to see curious minds reading and learning. As a primarily self-taught wizard, he also has an excellent grasp of pedagogy and how to describe concepts in a way a beginner would understand. He puts together his own beginner's magical textbook over the years. Holding the first printed copy in his hands is probably one of the proudest moments of career

To Rolan, Gale's reputation definitely precedes him at first—even before the events at the Grove he knew the name Gale of Waterdeep. Rolan is younger and admires Gale's skill a lot, so in the beginning of their professional relationship he's a bit intimidated. But you know Gale, he is friendly and endearing from the get go. Rolan often thinks if he'd had a teacher like Gale in his youth, he could have nurtured his magical skills much earlier.

Definitely, definitely also subscribe to the Rolan/Gale book club! They become kindred spirits in that regard over the years. Gale makes a visit to Rolan's tower to inform him of this fascinating manuscript that has just surfaced in Evereska, and Rolan is like "Really? I thought the Fae destroyed that centuries ago…" and the two of them just sort of wander off in conversation. Not to reappear for hours. Probably plotting like naughty children over a bottle of wine about how they are going to get their hands on the Ancient Forbidden Book without Tav finding out

[obsidianpen]

Hi, NG fan here! Ramble ahead.

I just wanted to say you do a really good job both explaining and transitioning Voldemort from being a pretty pure evil, 2-D villain coming straight out of book 7 into a more complex 3-D character as he literally gets soul!supplements from Harry. Obviously a lot of the stuff in the very beginning is reflective of the fact that Rowling likes her heroes and villains very cut-and-dry, which means that you can't build compelling character interactions with them without breaking at least *some* of her tonal choices, but that's not a bad thing and you do it in a way that feels very natural.

I think part of what makes the way you write your Voldemorts (counting Hauntingly) so compelling is the internal growth and desire for change. In both NG and Hauntingly, Harry is obviously the catalyst for a lot of this, but I think we do demonstrably see V improving over time (obviously by the end of Hauntingly, but I think in NG too). A lot of what he does is deeply evil, but we as the audience can be sympathetic because it comes partially from a place of ignorance (both regarding his own emotions/desires and his effect on those around him) and we see the evil waver as the ignorance fades.

Harry would sacrifice himself for a soggy corn chip, but beyond that I think that the acknowledgement of how ignorance feeds into remorse definitely contributes to his willingness to engage in intimacy -- emptional, spiritual, and sexual -- with Voldemort after the torture and rape. Voldemort seems to genuinely not have known that he was the kind of person who could rape someone to death, and now that he knows that he is he hates that about himself. It's a low bar to have, but it's a bar that V has never had before because it never occurred to him that he could do something so evil he regretted it. Obviously control is another huge theme in NG, and if the rampage of the most recent chapter is any evidence, it's clear that Voldemort has very little self-control and that will probably feed his remorse even more deeply.

I think that eventually they'll plateau in terms of improvement, because the problem with Harry sacrificing himself all the time is that it's -- shock and awe! -- not actually good for him, and if V keeps improving then eventually his desire to "do right" by Harry is going to outweigh his own selfishness as he becomes aware of just how much harm he's done and how much his presence continues to do. Harry is really good at drawing V back in, but he doesn't actually respect most of V's attempts at boundaries and it still isn't good for him even when he succeeds.

Anyway, thank you for all your work on this! Can't wait to see where it goes next.

’It's a low bar to have, but it's a bar that V has never had before because it never occurred to him that he could do something so evil he regretted it.’ - pretty much hit the nail on the head with this line. Lowest bar in the world but he’s literally never thought about it, and only something that horrible - being the near cause of the death of his last horcrux and tie to a full, pure soul - would make him do so.

[possiblylando]

Chainsaw Man 123 'Early' Analsys.

This chapter gives us a lot to chew on unlike the previous ones which where just fully mystery. Which is why I'm not really sure where we start. I guess at the beginning of the chapter? Yeah.

So this chapter we meet the falling devil. I can't say I was expecting this but I was right about this current body she's using being made from the corpses of the people that jumped off the apartment complex. She's got rather weird theming as she's a Primal Fear who is also a Chef despite it not really fitting with her fear. I guess Primal Fears can have hobbies?

"Hor D'oeuvre, La Root Vonla" is french for something. Someone who speaks french probably has a better translation (If you speak French lemme know the correct translation in the comment or reblogs) but I have to use google translate which was really shitting itself on this one. So the rough translation is: "Appetizers, The Will Route" It being an Appetizer means that this is probably the weakest of her attacks. Things are gonna get a lot worse from here on out. "The Will Route" is clearly in reference to the attack's affects.

It appears the way to overcome this first attack is to come to terms with your past Trauma so that it doesn't weigh on you as much if at all. Falling says "A word of warning- Those who don't finish their food will taste death." which seems like it's directly referring to the way to escape the attack Then we get a flashback of Asa's life soon after the Typhoon Devil attack. This probably only takes place a few Days-Weeks after the event due to Asa's hair still being about the same length as it was in the original flashback.

Left 102 Flashback, Right 123 Flashback. It's pretty clear that Asa has been using the Cat (Crambon) as a substitute for her mother. She's become anti-social and solitary only spending time with Crambon. (Which is fair by the way). At this point Crambon and her School Uniform are the only things she has left of her mother. Then we get this evil fucking bitch

She is easily one of, If not the most evil human character we've ever met.

Up until this point everything seems fine. Asa is willing to try to move on from her mother's death for the good of those around her by letting Crambon move on as well. It's a moment of personal growth.

This bastard could've easily said "Yes, Crambon's fine" even if it was a lie. But instead:

I don't know if this is Asa's mind making the situation worse than it actually was. She might not have even said this but the way Chainsaw Man does it's flashback they're rarely if ever wrong due to human memory being at fault. This demon of a person was so upset about Asa having literally anything to find comfort in that she killed Crambon. Back to the real world we get some more information on the attack.

Reading through this chapter I thought they this was going to be a literal falling attack. Where Falling just lifts up a bunch of people and drops them to die. But the reality is much worse. Anyone who is unable to deal with their Trauma is dragged straight into hell. This is a Therapy Session by Fire. You WILL overcome your emotional baggage or die. Which is why it's important it's Asa in control of the body right now. Since Asa is the one who has to overcome her Trauma to escape this situation. Thats the end of 123. Time to the-- Uh.. I don't know what to call this section. Post-Chapter analyses? Whatever. Now I think the solution to Falling's attack has already been revealed. Chapter 102 was when we got the flashback of Asa's Mother's Death. In the same chapter we get a flashback of Yuko giving Asa her shoes. It's the same chapter when Asa resolves to try and be better.

Even if Yuko is gone now she'll still have an affect on Asa. I hope this is the case cause that'd be nice. Here's what I think we're gonna be seeing in the coming chapter(s) 1. Asa is able to accept that her past Trauma can't be changed and that it wasn't her fault. (Hopefully we get that Yuko mention in some way cmon) 2. Denji shows up and has to deal with his own issues fully (Unless the attack has ended by then) This last one I'm not confident will happen but it'd be cool. We see the first death of a Primal Fear at the hands of Denji & Asa/Yoru. Additionally I wanna know what the deal with Falling is. Her whole theming is rather weird. She's the falling devil yet she's a chef? It doesn't quite seem like something a Primal Fear would do. But I guess they can have hobbies as well? That's all I've got for now. 123 End Question:

Would you?

[jessilynallendilla]

So I just read Danny Phantom: A Glitch in Time and...it was ok

Had this come out when I was a kid and just watched Ultimate Enemy I would have gone absolutely feral over it

this show came out in 2004 so not quite sure how to feel about the updated technology IMO it would have been cool to have a time capsule of the show than the common floating timeline you see in comics

unlike with DC graphic novels you can tell the person that wrote this is actually a fan of the show and not a rando corporate pick the plot is plausible and the characters stay in character

A loyal tribute that brings in new lore and character growth

it also retcons the hated movie Phantom Planet

And it leaves enough to be curious for the sequel

People either seem to love it saying it's a good continuation the more serious take they wanted or hate it saying they're tired of villains being complex and redeemable and not pure evil anymore and the plot seems too much like tumblr fanfiction

I made notes as a read it so spoilers under the cut

Dash Kwan Paulina and Star are ghost hunters 

Tucker has instagram/twitter “Spectregram” fans 

The Fentons supply the town’s ghost hunting tech unasked 

Tucker’s wiki “click-a-pedia" has him listed as married to Ember 

Danny and Jazz just accept their father is such a bungler he can’t even kill a guy by abandoning him in space 

Dan was strong enough to dent the only thing that can contain him and just it being knocked off a shelf was enough for him to break out (why Clockwork the Master of Time never foresaw this happening moved it from a table to a more secure location ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  ) 

So uh... Dan just absorbed “ate” Clockwork  

Ecto energy can reach atomic bomb levels so dimension ending threat there 

Since the Disasteroid his powers have been fading their theories match their personalities Tucker-science Sam-government Jazz-trauma  

“Do you have any childhood trauma you wanna talk about?” (like Jazz as if you weren’t there) 

Vlad found a primordial source of ecto energy and just kept that information to himself for a rainy day 

Jazz has a magical girl transformation for her ghost fighting suit 

Vlad is just “ignore those clones” (there in clothes so did Vlad just buy multiple copies of Danny’s favorite outfit how did he know his size) 

Vlad is such an old man who doesn’t know how to use modern computers 

“not a place of honor” ah the nuclear waste warning (we don’t really get much more exploration of this or the seven ancients) 

Sam is a horse girl 

Valerie still holding that grudge huh 

In Pariah’s Keep Danny is suffers from bad memories and holds Sam’s hand to comfort himself 

The Keep is Fright Knight’s domain  

Danny just forgets humans are the ghosts in the Ghost Zone (in line with how often he forgets what powers he has) 

Fright Knight calls Pariah his master 

Vlad is such a loser he keeps getting his shit kicked 

Maddie “That’s not my Danny.” 

The Ghost Zone and human world were split in half an unnatural divide 

Danny is still a C student (io don't think he's going to be an astronaut)

Ghosts are manifestations of human emotions not separate entities (take that Fartman) 

Eventually they start to lose their human identity it’s why some are less human 

Vlad has his own “Where’s the rest of it?” meme 

They figured out all ghosts run on some emotional drive or purpose  

Danny realizes his purpose is protection but now there’s no longer the monster of the week threat or his parents he never asked himself what he wanted 

Now instead of constant fighting he’ll help the ghost achieve their desires they just want to keep doing in death what they did in life and heal the rift 

Fight for control Clockwork 

Vlad finally grew as a person realizing it was his action and drive for power that drew everyone away and has making amends as his new purpose 

Dan just doesn’t want to be alone (makes sense the “no more painful human emotions” +Vlad’s anger and abandonment issues so he’s all the emotions and pain) 

Dan is destabilizing flashing back to his pre Dark child form because he’s a being outside his destroyed timeline  

Danny is the GOAT 

Clockwork needs to fix what he can of the time streams and Danny has two choices Post Disasteroid+no powers or Pre Disasteroid+powers  

Danny gives up being accepted so he can fix the realms “I’m Danny Phantom, proctor of humans and ghosts!” 

They are back to being invisible losers and Sam is just happy goths aren’t popular anymore 

The city doesn’t know how they avoided the Disasteroid but the Mayor declares ghosts are responsible for everything the city will now have a branch of ghost hunters and Danny Phantom is again public enemy #1 

Clockwork transfers Dan from Vlad into one of the empty clones he’s Vlad’s responsibility now he’ll be too busy to help again 

Clockwork’s powers are finite (so he isn’t omnipotent and all powerful) but he still feels something wrong in the stitches he feels weaker now 

And Valerie has a Time Medallion and is pissed (but there was a Valerie in the crowd at the Mayor’s speech so the two Valeries might meet up in the sequel)  

Jazz is ecstatic she was right about ghosts being emotions based