#hyperion part 2

[jack-in-the-dark]

Jack Builds Spaceboats: The Hyperion, Part 2: Stayin' Alive

Disclaimer: I am not an expert on this game, and some information I present may be erroneous.

So you may recall that I described the Hyperion as a "BFAW Psuedotank." Now that we've addressed the "BFAW" part, let's talk about what the flying fuck I meant by "psuedotank."

First, an explanation: the traditional MMO trinity of Tank/Healer/DPS does not exist in STO, as such. "But Jack!" I hear a convenient strawman cry, "Surely Engineering/Science/Tactical" equates to that!"

The truth is much more complicated. Namely that, in space, whether your captain is Tactical, Science, or Engineering matters relatively little; the ship you're on matters a lot more. And while it's true that Science has a lot of debuff cleanses, shield heals, heals, and debuffs, and that Science-focused ships can slot more of these abilities, where Science ships really shine is what is affectionately called "space magic." Creating artificial gravity wells to gather all one's enemies into a single place, draining all their power, crushing them to death, and then blasting the remains with a massive volley of AOE torpedoes out of spite, for example.

Most STO players, in my experience, will tell you that outside of specific coordinated high-tier play, the traditional role of "tanking" does not exist. In STO, the idea of tanking generally means "mitigating damage by blowing everything up before it has a chance to shoot you."

That said, there's something to be said for being able to take one on the chin without ending up like the USS Grissom.

Engineering captains have this relatively easy, since they get access to the Captain ability "Miraculous Repairs" which gives you a significant hull heal, good shield heal, and some temporary secondary shielding to boot. Trouble is, it has an appropriately long cooldown (barring a trait that refreshes it if you take a huge chunk of damage in a short amount of time, before that trait itself goes on cooldown).

The Hyperion, in addition to having an Engineering captain, is constantly using the lowest-rank ability of Auxiliary Power to Structural Integrity, which is a tiny heal (2k out of the Hyperion's 91k hull points), but has a quick cooldown. This is not actually for healing purposes, but to proc some offensive bonuses I get through the Miracle Worker and Strategist specializations that give me buffs when I use or receive healing. The ability Engineering Team is likewise at its lowest rank, offering a mere 4k of healing - it's primarily there for its ability to cleanse Engineering debuffs (such as Viral Impulse Burst; fuck you, House Mo'Kai). The Hyperion's primary source of healing is Hazard Emitters at its highest rank, which offers 10k hitpoints over 15 seconds combined with a Duty Officer that restores 0.2% of the ship's total hull every time a weapon fires so long as the ability Attack Pattern: Beta is up, which, naturally, is on constant rotation.

Between the above and the ability Tactical Team (which automatically reinforces shield facings when they take damage during its duration), the Hyperion can typically handle deliberately drawing the aggro it both wants to (to use Redirecting Arrays to maximize Beams: Fire At Will's uptime) and inevitably will regardless.

Should she get a little overwhelmed, well, there's still Miraculous Repairs.

Another bit keeping my beloved Hyperion in one piece is the starship trait History Will Remember. I keep this trait on literally all of my builds, because it's just so useful. For each individual enemy that damages the ship, she gains +1% damage, +1% hull regen, and +1% maximum hull points. This bonus can stack up to 30 times, and you keep all stacks until you map move. It also generates additional aggro if you have Threatening Stance active, but that's not helpful to the topic of keeping the ship in one piece.

Fuck a duck, I damn near forgot a key part of the Hyperion's defenses: the Shield Absorptive Frequency Generator. This beautiful bit of gear does something truly special: If a shield face is below 90% strength, every shot (not every volley, every shot) of an energy weapon has a 2.5% chance to restore shields for 200% of the outgoing damage. Remember how BFAW doubles the amount of shots you make per volley? Under BFAW, her beam arrays deal about 3.5k damage, and she has about 20k shields per facing. That one piece of gear does a LOT of legwork, and requires very little explanation/justification to boot.

So, this all makes her sound pretty tanky, you might think. To that, I would caution you that in terms of durability, a high-tier dedicated tank build makes the Hyperion look like she's made out of tissue paper, and the majority of her build is focused towards maximizing damage. Thus, I call her a "psuedotank."

[the-cpu-system]

Glazing my own oc for a second cus I love him and I feel like no one gets that he's commentary on protestors and I actually like. Made him to be an actual NPC (when separated from his selfship alt storyline) that fits in perfectly to Borderlands 2

All my rambling is in the tags vvv

[redrosydiaz]

book 2 of the year = finished!!!

[phenikas]

Hyperion Propaganda - Borderlands 2, Borderlands The Pre-Sequel and Tales from the Borderlands

Part 1

[arendelle-archives]

January 2025 Frozen map bonanza!

That's right, there is more than just in-depth studies of Frozen kingdoms and family trees in the Archive cabinets.

This was my present to the Arendelle Archives discord server for the new year! A quick recap of every large scale map we've seen in the Frozen franchise so far.

Here they are in order of appearance:

1. Frozen - The Troll Map (2013)

A supposedly ancient map that guided the royal family to the Valley of the Living Rock on the night of the accident. In the novel Dangerous Secrets (2020), it was revealed that the map had once belonged to Agnarr's mother Queen Rita. Ironically, later maps have proven this location of the Troll Valley to be incorrect.

2. Frozen Free Fall (2014)

A massive 3d-map assembled from screenshots of the mobile game Frozen Free Fall. Shared by u/DuckOfDuckness on reddit (full quality in the comments). Some of the locations, like the Troll Valley on the middle left, are actually consistent with later maps.

3. Frozen Fever (2015)

The first map that showed us the outline of Arendelle and The Southern Isles. Thanks to this, fans quickly deduced that Hans's home country was based on the Danish island Funen (Fyn). Note: "Nordsoen" (technically Nordsøen) is Danish for the North Sea, the real sea between Scandinavia, Denmark and the British Isles.

4. Frozen: Live at the Hyperion - Arendelle History 101 Queue Video (2015)

The only official map so far to feature Weselton. An expansion of the map from Frozen Fever. Shared by u/ArendelleKnight on reddit (video). Notice how the seemingly small island gets cut off on the left? I suspect Weselton is a bit bigger than what's seen here. Edit by me on the right.

5. Sailing Sisters (2016)

A comic book map I very recently analysed in my Frozen-project covering the kingdom of Vakretta! Arendelle is to the right and Vakretta is to the left. Also, notice how the large island at the top appears to be in the same location as Weselton on the previous map.

6. Forest of Shadows (2019)

The first and only map so far to show actual places of interest in the kingdom. The locations of Oaken's trade post, the Troll Valley as well as the Roaring River are consistent with the Frozen Free Fall-map! A very interesting map overall. Just don't look too close at the misaligned grid compared to the compass. Or the ridiculously wide fjord...

7. Saks Fifth Avenue - Disney’s Frozen II Enchanted Forest Experience Booklet (2019)

A proper little treasure revealed to me by @saiten-gefroren through his Frozen timeline project Annals of Frozen in 2021. Originally posted on Instagram by @imdaaddlepate. Edit by me on the right.

8. Frozen II: Spirits of the Enchanted Forest - Iduna's Map (2019)

A re-imagining of the scene from the movie (even though the book was released before the movie) and actually showed the whole map, including The Southern Isles. In this version, Ahtohallan is a mapped landmass rather than just a sketch! According to what's revealed in Dangerous Secrets, this actually makes sense!

9. Frozen II: Look and Find (2019)

This version of the map also shows Ahtohallan as a mapped landmass.

10. The Art of Frozen II - Arendelle Town Map

Concept art (3D model) for Frozen II by David Womersley. According to the map, this part of the town is called"Arendelle North", suggesting the other (southern) half of the town is called "Arendelle South."

11. Frozen II - Iduna's Map (2019)

The map seen in the movie showing the borders of Arendelle and Northuldra. Rivers are consistent with the map from Forest of Shadows, meaning the Roaring River marks Arendelle's northern border. This map was a breakthrough for analysing Arendelle's location, as it features real coordinates along the "frame". You can find interesting theories about this here, here and here (my own project). Edits by me.

12. Frozen: The Saga - The Legacy of Anna and Elsa - Iduna's Map (2020)

Iduna's map before she hid it in the watertight compartment. Like the movie map, this one is cut off at the bottom and is missing The Southern Isles.

13. The Love Tree (2021)

An adaptation of the map from Frozen Fever. To my knowledge, this is the only other time we've seen this particular map design appear in a comic. What's odd is that (besides using the outdated geography) Kai is pointing out the land across the Arenfjord as if it belongs to Arendelle when the map from Frozen II clearly showed it doesn't. But at least we can credit the artist for getting the compass angle right!

14. Disney Wish - Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure (2022)

A slightly adapted version of the map from Frozen Fever, with "Nordsoen" (North Sea) written in English instead of the original Danish. The "frame" also features added coordinates. Unfortunately, the latitude is off by one degree compared to the map from Frozen II. The third pic was very kindly shared with me on discord by BadAtNamesAndFaces.

15. Tokyo DisneySea: Frozen Kingdom - Royal Banquet of Arendelle (2024)

This is the complete version of Iduna's map from Frozen II. Found in one of the dining halls of the Royal Banquet of Arendelle restaurant. The map once again confirms the borders of Arendelle and Northuldra.

16. Tokyo DisneySea: Frozen Kingdom - Kristoff's Ice Delivery Map (2024)

Many variations of this cartoon-y map have been included in the Frozen Official magazine throughout the years but this is to my knowledge the first time it has appeared "in-universe". Locations and rivers are consistent with previous maps. Note: the "Best ice in Arendelle!"-spot by the North Mountain is actually located outside the kingdom. It seems Kristoff doesn't have the best navigation skills 😁

/Virtual Winter

[virginiaoflykos]

What to read after Light Bringer? (Series similar to Red Rising)

August 2023 update!

Red Rising is my favorite series of all time, and since I first read it, I have sought series and books similar in both spirit and execution. Some of these recs are books I haven’t read personally, but have often come up in discussions with other users!

1. The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

Status: ongoing, expected 10 books in total, 4/10 out at the moment

Book 1: The Way of Kings. The Way of Kings takes place on the world of Roshar, where war is constantly being waged on the Shattered Plains, and the Highprinces of Alethkar fight to avenge a king that died many moons ago.

2. The Craft Sequence by Max Gladstone

Status: finished, 6/6 books out.

Book 1 (in publication order): Three Parts Dead. Comprised of 6 standalone books set in the same universe, the Craft Sequence tells the tales of the city of Alt Coulumb. The city came out of the God Wars with one of its gods intact, Kos the Everburning. In return for the worship of his people, Kos provides heat and steam power to the citizens of Alt Coulumb; he is also the hub of a vast network of power relationships with other gods and god-like beings across the planet. Oh, and he has just died. If he isn’t revived in some form by the turn of the new moon, the city will descend into chaos and the finances of the globe will take a severe hit.

3. Hierarchy by James Islington

Status: ongoing, 1/3 planned books out

Book 1: The Will of the many. The Will of the Many tells the story of Vis, a young orphan who is adopted by one of the sociopolitical elites of the Hierarchy. Vis is tasked with entering a prestigious magical academy with one goal – ascend the ranks, figure out what the other major branches of the government are doing, and report back. However, that isn’t quite as easy as Vis or anyone else thought it was going to be…

4. Suneater by Christopher Ruocchio

Status: ongoing, 5/7 books out

Book 1: Empire of Silence. Hadrian is a man doomed to universal infamy after ordering the destruction of a sun to commit an unforgivable act of genocide. Told as a chronicle written by an older Hadrian, Empire of Silence details his earlier adventures and serves as an introduction to the characters and the setting.

5. Dune by Frank Herbert

Status: completed, 6/6 books out

Book 1: Dune. Set in the distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society in which various noble houses control planetary fiefs. It tells the story of young Paul Atreides, whose family accepts the stewardship of the planet Arrakis. While the planet is an inhospitable and sparsely populated desert wasteland, it is the only source of melange, or "spice", a drug that extends life and enhances mental abilities.

6. The Expanse by James S A Corey

Status: completed, 9/9 books out

Book 1: Leviathan wakes. Set hundreds of years in the future, after mankind has colonized the solar system. A hardened detective and a rogue ship's captain come together for what starts as a missing young woman and evolves into a race across the solar system to expose the greatest conspiracy in human history.

7. The First Law by Joe Abercrombie

Status: completed. 3 books in the original trilogy + 3 standalone books + 3 books in the newest trilogy

Book 1: The Blade Itself. The story follows the fortunes and misfortunes of bad people who do the right thing, good people who do the wrong thing, stupid people who do the stupid thing and, well, pretty much any combination of the above. Survival is no mean feat, and at the end of the day, dumb luck might be more of an asset than any amount of planning, skill, or noble intention.

8. Cradle by Will Wight

Status: completed, 12/12 books out

Book 1: Unsouled. Lindon is Unsouled, forbidden to learn the sacred arts of his clan. When faced with a looming fate he cannot ignore, he must rise beyond anything he's ever known...and forge his own Path

9. Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons (one PB’s favorites)

Status: completed, 4/4 books out

Book 1: Hyperion. The story weaves the interlocking tales of a diverse group of travelers sent on a pilgrimage to the Time Tombs on Hyperion. The travelers have been sent by the Church of the Final Atonement, alternately known as the Shrike Church, and the Hegemony (the government of the human star systems) to make a request of the Shrike. As they progress in their journey, each of the pilgrims tells their tale.

[fleur-a-whump]

Overloaded (#5)

Rocky Reunions Pt. 2

More Kai being grumpy plus his team!!

previous | masterlist | next

CW: uhh shock collar, mentioned electrocution, whumpee paraded around, ex-villain whumpee, hero whumper, hero caretakers

Kai plops into the auditorium seat next to Elijah, letting out a long suffering sigh. His partner chuckles slightly, accustomed to his moodiness and drama, but when he catches a glimpse of Kai’s tight expression, he stops.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, as the Hero League Director and council walk out on the stage. They take their seats at the curved council table, outfitted with microphones and interrupted by a tall center podium, settling in to conduct the briefing.

Kai shakes his head, not wanting to get into it when the meeting is about to start. Elijah gives him a look.

“Later,” he promises, softening, giving him a small, reassuring smile.

Elijah nods and turns to the stage as the meeting begins.

Director Jaida Murphy stands tall and composed at the center podium, her serious face breaking easily into a winning smile once the auditorium has settled. Her voice is loud and clear over the speakers, swiftly silencing any lingering murmurs of the crowd.

“Thank you all for coming to this month’s briefing. We have many things to cover on the docket today so let’s go ahead and get going. First and foremost, Secretary Cho, will you read the previous meeting’s minutes?” she says, turning to the older gentleman at the end of the row, who’s set up with a steno machine.

Kai zones in and out of the tedious meeting. He’s well-practiced in discerning the useless and important parts and is assured by the knowledge that Lizzy, another member of his team, is an obsessive and thorough note-taker. If he accidentally zones out for something important, he can goad her into sharing her notes with him. Though he’d rather avoid the teasing that comes along with that.

He snaps back to attention at the words “villain reform initiative.”

“As you all know, a major responsibility of this organization is to invest in the effective reform of the villains we encounter while protecting the city. Team Delta is currently spearheading a new project which both makes use of insider information from some of the most devious crime syndicates in Hyperion City and actively reforming a major villain, directing his abilities towards the greater good. To tell us more about this new program, please welcome Miguel Toro, and Jasper Lane, also known as Tinker.”

There’s polite applause, underlined by suspicious murmuring, as the two join the council on the stage. Director Murphy steps aside and the two take her place at the podium. Jasper stands just behind Miguel, his face carefully neutral. Kai can make out that the kid is still slightly green after seeing it earlier. He doubts anyone else picks up on it though. He hopes he doesn’t get sick on stage.

What catches his attention most, and likely everyone else’s, is the collar still tightly fastened around his neck. He’d changed his shirt since Kai saw him, now wearing what could be scrubs—or a prisoner’s top—with a v-neck that puts the collar on prominent display. The brazen showcase makes Kai nauseous. It doesn’t sit well with him, no matter what Jasper has done.

He watches the kid's Adam's apple bob against it in anxiety. Kai’s skin prickles as he remembers how badly the electricity hurt him, second hand. He wonders how often they use it.

“Hello,” Miguel says, loudly, firmly, in an attempt to settle the whispers still rippling through the auditorium. He’s not nearly as effective as the Director, but it does quiet some.

“Thank you for allowing us to present this project to you today. Jasper has been working with us for about six months, and we can report only positive results from this venture. He’s used his technopath abilities to improve our equipment and assist on over two dozen missions, most notably with data recovery from the Blitz Family Warehouse reconnaissance mission down at the Wharf last month. Most importantly, as Jasper is the son of old school villain Nero and protege of Psychosis, Jasper has supplied us with invaluable intelligence from within the crime empires these two are orchestrating.”

Kai raises an eyebrow. He knew Tinker was trained by Psychosis, which was intimidating enough, but the kid is also Nero’s son? Nero had essentially been an untouchable keystone in one of the largest syndicates in Hyperion for like 25 years.

No wonder they wanted to keep him close.

“Jasper has restricted, supervised access to technology and his powers. His movement is also restricted and his location is tracked. Jasper has performed very well within these safety precautions and has been a very useful tool in our belt. We believe with properly tailored boundaries and effort made on both sides, this program is replicable with other villains.”

So, you’re just not going to mention the fucking shock collar? Kai scoffs quietly.

He’s sure the only reason Jasper hasn’t wreaked havoc on the whole tower is they’ve been electrocuting him. Miguel is just peacocking; putting lipstick on the pig that, knowing him, he probably staked his whole career on. He’s been trying to move up the ranks for years.

He watches Miguel bring Jasper forward with what could be a supportive hand on his back, but looks to Kai more like a possessive grip on the back of his neck. Miguel opens the floor to questions, giving non-answers and continuing to speak about Jasper as if he wasn’t there. Jasper stands quietly, entirely stoic through even some of the crueler questions and discussion of his crimes and background. One question does get Kai’s attention though.

“How did this idea come about?”

Miguel stiffens a bit. “We arrested Jasper in the field, and it was my idea to work with him rather than just shuffle him off to prison.”

Kai just barely catches Jasper’s face twitch. He recalls Jasper saying he came to the heroes. He sort of hates that he feels more inclined to believe the villain over the hero.

Then someone finally has the guts to ask about the collar. This time Jasper's response, another twitch like he's holding back a grimace, is more noticeable.

“It's simply a tracking device, fashioned this way to minimize Jasper's opportunities to tamper with it, given that he is technologically inclined.”

Kai nearly jumps out of his seat at that. There's no way he just lied like that. He wouldn't be surprised if a collar like that could kill someone without an affinity for electricity, and Miguel wants to pretend it's just a tracking device?

If he wasn't sure there was something wrong with the whole scenario before, he certainly is now.

Listening to Miguel drone on for the next ten minutes just pisses Kai off more and more. It’s a good thing the presentation was the last order of business. Much longer, and the cups of coffee and water bottles around him would’ve started boiling and bursting as his emotions fueled his powers. Kai’s one of the first people out the door, slamming it open as hard as he can and storming some ways down the hall.

~~~

Kai wants so badly to label Tinker as a villain who should be in prison. He wants to fall back on the comfort of a black and white world that’s been drilled into him by his League training, and not think about the image of the shaking and whimpering villain on the floor just an hour ago. But the whole spectacle made Kai a little queasy; now, he can’t blame Jasper for puking his guts out. And the way Miguel so clearly sees him as a tool, a means to an end to advance his career makes Kai see red. Partly on Jasper’s behalf, partly out of his hatred of Miguel and the politics of the League, and partly out of frustration with himself for caring about, worrying about the infuriating villain.

Kai couldn’t remember ever hearing him speak when they fought—his mask, which covered the lower half of his face, didn’t really allow for it he supposed—but he always got the feeling the kid was laughing at him. That, combined with the way Kai’s powers could actually make Jasper stronger, his electricity more powerful, and how damn fast he was without that even being his power, made every fight so annoying that he’d complain about it till Elijah got sick of it and told him to move on.

Speak of the devil, he hears his partner jogging up behind him as he angrily paces. He stops, forcing himself to let out a long, frustrated sigh as he leans against the wall of the hallway he’d found himself in. Elijah leans against the wall next to him.

“Sooo, I had to set my coffee down during Miguel’s speech because it was getting hotter. Which, y’know, isn’t how that usually works. Wanna talk about it?”

Kai huffs out a light laugh in spite of himself. His boyfriend definitely knows him well.

“Sorry. It was just—well, you know how I feel about Miguel in the first place,” he begins.

Elijah purses his lips. “Mhmm,” he hummed. He’s been hearing about how Kai felt about Miguel since they were in sidekick training together.

“Well, so, I was in one of the bathrooms before the meeting and somebody was throwing up in there, and it was Jasper. Well, before I knew his name was Jasper. I thought, y’know, fucking villain in the Heroes League! And, uh, remind me to tell Mari I burst some more pipes, please,” Kai rambles.

Elijah chuckled. “Will do.”

Kai runs his hands through his hair, putting the thick, dark curls up in a bun to give himself something to do as he speaks. “But, yeah, Jasper told me he was on Miguel’s team, and I went with him to check it out. Halfway there, he just fucking collapsed, twitching and shaking in pain. He was being electrocuted! That wasn't a damn tracker, it was a fucking shock collar!” he exclaims.

“Oh shit,” his partner murmurs. “Miguel lied?”

Kai shakes his head in anger. “Yeah, big surprise. It’s definitely a shock collar, and he’s petrified of it, and they definitely use it. The shock I saw was apparently just a warning.”

“I mean, while I don’t agree with the method, maybe it's a rare thing? They thought he was running away while he was in the bathroom? If he’s confined to their level, I can’t imagine they’d have reason to use it much. Tinker never struck me as the kind to rock the boat with that kind of threat hanging over his head.”

Kai shakes his head again, though he knows Elijah could very well be right. And Tinker is a villain. He’s definitely done bad things.

“I don’t know. I know I shouldn’t care; it’s great that we’re getting intelligence on Nero and Psychosis. And whatever is going on with the “project,” it’s probably better than prison. But I don’t know, something about it is really bugging me. I keep picturing him shaking on the floor,” he finishes quietly, some of the anger ebbing from his body in the calming presence of his partner, only to be replaced by worry—which is almost worse.

Kai tries desperately to find a way to better explain himself, the knot in his stomach that was growing bigger and bigger the more he thought about the kid.

“It’s also just, the whole spectacle, putting him on display and talking about him like he wasn’t even there. He’s obviously just a political pawn for Miguel.”

“Yeah, I picked up on that. It was pretty gross.”

Kai nods. “I don’t know; it pisses me off because I feel bad for him, but he’s a villain, so I shouldn’t, but I definitely do and—ugh.” He runs his hands across his face only to slide them into his hair and tug, totally overwhelmed with the conflict twisting his stomach.

Elijah takes the pause in his rambling to step in front of him and gently pull his hands from his scalp. His thumbs rub soothing little circles across them, as he says, “Hey, first of all, it’s okay to feel whatever you’re feeling. You saw someone in pain, and that felt bad, and that’s a good thing. If it’ll make you feel better, maybe we can find a way to visit him. Just to check in? That team asks for extra manpower all the time. They’re hardly balanced.”

“Yeah, okay, that sounds good.”

Kai sighs dramatically, “Damn moral compass.”

Elijah laughs. “Oh, yeah, you poor thing, you have compassion for other human beings.”

The teasing finally pulls an involuntary smile from Kai, and he gently takes Elijah’s chin for a chaste kiss that’s all goofy grins.

“Thanks, Eli.”

“Anytime,” Elijah says, leaning in for another kiss.

Suddenly there’s a loud groan he’d recognize anywhere from down the hall. Kai reluctantly, a little self-consciously, turns his attention to his team coming down the hall—the other three members having finally tracked the two lovebirds down. The groan definitely came from Isla, the young ginger pyromaniac of the team.

Elijah’s not having it though and pulls Kai back with a soft hand on his cheek.

This time it’s Lizzy’s turn to complain, loudly. “Get a fucking room!”

Kai breaks the kiss to laugh at that, and Elijah gives up. He turns to the team, pouting, “Y’all never let me have any fun.”

He chuckles, but still rubs Elijah’s arm in a simple apology, wordlessly promising to make up for it later. He lets himself be pulled into carefree conversation with his team, doing his best to ignore the knot still settled in his stomach, and the image of Jasper convulsing on the floor still imprinted in his brain.

~~~

I can now show y’all funny little bit of speed brain dump that manifested his and elijah’s dynamic

Kai is not fuckin happy to have a villain in the hero building

Kai witnesses some of the abuse

Kai: Elijah (boyf) help I'm not used to being conflicted like this what is happening to me

Elijah: it's called empathy babe.

Kai: WELL I DONT LIKE IT

Bonus scene w/ Kai’s team and Mira: “Did you have to burst the pipes again, Kai?” “Well, I wasn’t gonna use the fuckin’ toilet water.” “What’s the difference?” “Yuck, you used the sewage water, Kai?” “I know which pipes are clean assholes!” *giggling* “Goddamn, how many times have you burst the bathroom pipes that you just know which ones are clean?” *angry waterboy grumbling*

~~~

tags!! hello friends!! lmk if you wanna be added or removed!!

@whumpsday @sergeant-jasper @watermelons-dont-grow-on-trees @crystalrose141 @aloafofbreadwithanxiety

@paingoes @elizaisnotokay @quaggasus @defire @tonystark604

@writereleaserepeat @whump-queen @clickerflight @gliittergelpens @kawaii-cakes

@whump-in-a-million @scoundrelwithboba @idkwhattodowiththisaltiamsorry @vampiresprite

[biowaredisasterbisexual]

Shameless Self-Promotion Saturday Sunday

Thanks so much for the tags @thedissonantverses and @littlemissgeek8! I am slightly more awake today, so let’s do it!

Also, I’m using this as my Sunday Accountability post #efficiency. 😁

The rules: We make a post and show off, what cool stuff we created over the past week. Art, Screenshots, writing (anything from a questionnaire about your OC to the 100K epos...) anything we do is worth to be seen and to be promoted. And by tagging people, commenting, and reblogging, we share the love and boost ourselve's and other's confidence. No matter what form you choose, whether you reblog your initial post, or create a new one with teasers, you decide!

It was a busy week here at casa BDB and @mageofquandrix, but I did manage to get up another of the Getting Into Trouble one-shots:

Reckless

(Rated: T; Words: 2,044; Pairing: Neve/Disaster Rook)

Beyond that, I did a bunch of editing and a little bit of writing, so snippets from stuff I worked on below the cut!

I’ll tag (apologies if you already did this and I didn’t see it <3): @basedonconjecture, @ofcrowsanddragons, @bygonesigh, @hyperions-light, @dymme, @hedwigoprah, @jouskaroo, @mythals-whore, @corvus-frugilegus, @galluslonging, @future-ghoost, @taashyvashedan, @lurkiestvoid, and @pinkvbay.

Working Title: Oh No, Not Now

Not now. Not this. Not…him.

Neve let out a shaky breath as she looked down at her hands. She couldn’t help but replay the last few minutes over and over again in her mind.

The way Rook had dropped the humor he wore like armor. The awkward, almost hesitant, way he’d begun what undoubtedly would have been some kind of confession. That he felt…what he felt.

What they both did, really.

The way he had listened as Neve told him all the things her head told her — that they both chased trouble, that the world wasn’t fair and this was something they probably couldn’t ask for — with an open face and soft eyes. His quiet confidence as he’d reassured her.

Good things happen, Neve.

She could still feel the pull that had existed between them as they had leaned closer, and for a few moments shared the same breath, before reality had interrupted.

Neve had taken the hint, creating the space she had needed, and he’d accepted her decision without comment. That easy acceptance, that gentle kindness in him, as he’d respected her choice.

The heartsick little smile he’d given her — softer than a person could ever reasonably be expected to withstand — as he had left, eyes on her the entire time, haunted her.

Neve’s chest hurt.

Working Title: What Now?

She stepped in close, wrapping her arms around him from behind, and resting her forehead between his bare shoulder blades. His chest vibrated softly beneath her hands as he hummed in greeting, and she kissed one of the scars that crisscrossed his back.

“Hey, Neve Gallus,” he murmured, and he turned slowly in her arms to face her. This late, when it was just the two of them, she’d learned he became different: the frenetic energy he usually exuded fled, sharp-edged humor and wit were softened, and his presence shifted from a storm of persistent optimism to something steadier.

This was a part of him others rarely saw, this inner core of him, but Neve now saw it often. This was her Rook.

“Mmm, what’re you doing up, Trouble?” She leaned back to better see his face.

He smiled, apologetic. “Did I wake you up?”

“No,” she assured him, and relief flitted across his face, chasing away the forming guilt she’d seen in his eyes. “But you could have.”

Working Title: The Modern AU, Chapter 2

“You left last night for a job?” It wasn’t really question, so much as a request he admit it, and Rook’s little smile in response was chagrined.

“Guilty.” No dodges, no excuses. The world felt a little less unstable again.

“How many times have you entered that plea?” She teased, and he laughed.

“That’s more third date material, I think,” he joked. “I try to get a person used to the fact I’m uniquely troublesome before I give them my rap sheet.”

Neve rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t a date. And I think that you’re trouble is clear enough even without.” She wasn’t entirely sure if she was convincing him, or trying to remind herself.

“I know.” He chuckled, but the smile on his lips didn’t quite meet his eyes now.

Very interesting.

Rook pulled a black, cloth hood over his face, and Neve had to wonder just well he could see through it. “Ready!” He said brightly, and she realized she disliked the hood immediately. He had an expressive face, most of the time, and his communication felt oddly incomplete without being able to see it. Still, she could almost hear him grin. “Let’s do it.”

Working Title: The Ventus Job, Chapter 5

Rook crept through back alleys and side streets until he reached the inn, and gutted his way through a short climb up a trellis to the second floor so he could let himself in through a window.

There was a silver lining in Neve’s absence in the fact she didn’t witness him slip on the window sill and fall into the room face first.

He peeled himself off the floor and, after shooting down a healing potion like cheap whiskey, began taking off his armor. Once stripped down to his smalls, he flopped onto the bed and relaxed for a minute as the potion worked its way through him. Neve hated them — he could think of all of one time he’d convinced her to take one, and he was pretty sure the fever had weakened her resolve at the time — but Rook didn’t mind the burn in his throat so long as they worked.

They did taste disgusting, though. She was right about that.

Once any lingering pain had faded to a dull ache, he got up and dressed. Fighting was hungermaking work, and he’d skipped breakfast. His belly was complaining more than Tarquin. So, once fully clothed, he headed downstairs.

“Micah?!”

A blonde blur shot across the room and he felt arms around him before he could process what was happening.

“Sorry,” Julia called from the desk, eyeing him receiving his forcible hug. “She followed me back here.

“Wait,” the teenager said, confused, “when did you get back?”

“Not long ago,” Rook said, though he offered no further explanation as he tried to gently pry his assailant off.

Finally, she let go, and he looked down into the face of Livinia Mercar.

Almost the same face as when he’d left, really; he’d have recognized her anywhere. Now that he could actually see her, that was, which the near-strangling hug hadn’t exactly allowed.

“Hey Livvy.” He said, giving her a hopeful smile.

She reached out and smacked his arm.

“You’re gone for seven years — no visits, no letters, nothing — and your lead-in is ‘hey Livvy’?” She crossed her arms over her chest and pinned him with her gaze.

[lostuntothisworld]

Luka is Sun-Coded, Why the Snake has Time-Related Powers, and What the Future Might Hold for His Character

There’s been some back and forth whether Luka is represented by the sun or the moon, with most people seemingly on the side of him being moon-coded.

I have to disagree. More below the cut.

The name Luka is usually translated as “bringer of light.” This is of course the most common translation of his name. In This post, it’s explained that his name is also a Serbo-Croatian word for harbor or port. (Another win for my “the Couffaines are Balkan-Romani" headcanon).

I would also like to point out his hero name, Viperion, is a portmanteau of Viper and Hyperion. Hyperion was a Greek Titan, and along with his son Helios, was a personification of the sun. Sometimes the two Solar deities were conflated. It has also been suggested that the name Hyperion actually reads as “Apollo,” another Greek solar god. In fact, Apollo’s name has been suggested that it should be read as Hyperion. Also, Apollo famously has a younger twin sister, Artemis, a lunar goddess. Hyperion’s name translates to “He who goes before,” which is an apt name for Luka’s hero form.

Famous romantic poet John Keats wrote two unfinished epics on the subject of Hyperion. The second poem he wrote, titled The Fall of Hyperion: A Dream, was published after his death. It is a prequel to his first poem about Hyperion. The prequel is about his personal quest for truth and understanding. More on the topic of truth later on in this essay.

On a more scientific note, the theorized massive star that went supernova and created the our solar system is often called Coatlicue, who was the mother of the Sun in Aztec mythology. She is depicted as a woman wearing a skirt of snakes, and even her name translates to [she who has] the skirt of snakes. An aspect of this goddess was known as “snake woman”, and she was considered a very motherly figure.

Anarka went supernova and destroyed her music career and relationship with Jagged after she fell pregnant. Luckily, she built a wonderful new life for her twins, and The Liberty is a safe harbor for them and all their friends, just like our Sun and solar system. Remember, Luka can also be translated as harbor.

It’s also worth noting that one of Saturn’s moons is named Hyperion. Yes, I know, a moon, but hear me out. Hyperion’s orbit is extremely chaotic, and unpredictable, a quality that is needed in order to end time loops. I had a lovely dialogue with another person on the implications of that in the notes in this post.

Now onto part two: Why the Snake Miraculous has time related powers. It has been suggested by fans that we don’t need two time-related Miraculous, and Snakes are mythologically healers (Think Hermes and his caduceus), so the Snake should have healing powers. It’s a compelling argument, but I disagree.

I’ve touched on this topic before, but it bears repeating. There is a misconception that Wayzz was originally the leader of the Kwamis, and Sass was retconned to be leader at a later date. This is untrue. For one, Kwamis cannot leave the Miracle Box without an owner, so Sass is stuck in there with the rest of the Kwamis. Secondly, in season 2’s Sandboy, the episode where we meet the rest of the Kwamis, Sass is the one calling all the shots. Tikki and Plagg even defer to him. Furthermore, Wayzz was chosen by Master Fu because his power is Protection. Narratively, it makes more sense for an un-evolved character who is terrified of his past choices to choose the power of Protection, as opposed to Sass’ power of learning from past mistakes, and change through choice.

I dare say that they made a point of Marinette wearing the Turtle Miraculous in the season 5 finale due to a planned character arc. I predict this character arc is one where she learns to not be so overprotective of Adrien, or one where she needs to learn to accept the help of others and not put up such a shell and be so controlling. Or both, even.

Anyway, back to Snakes. I made a previous post about how the main three kwamis, Tikki, Plagg, and Sass are a reference to (a very simplified) Hinduism, with Tikki being Brahma (god of creation), Plagg as Shiva (god of destruction), and Sass as Vishnu (god of preservation). Shiva and Vishnu are both symbolized by snakes, but I think it’s important to note that one of Vishnu’s mounts is Shesha, a primordial snake deity of creation. It is said that when Shesha uncoils, time moves forward and creation takes place; when he coils back, the universe ceases to exist. Shesha’s name translates to “he who remains”, as even when the world is destroyed, Shesha remains as he is. It doesn’t take much thought to see how this relates to the Snake Miraculous and the power of Second Chance.

I had originally theorized that Second Chance erases the entire universe in order to reset, but the Paris Special brought the concept of a multiverse, and simple logic declared this untrue. No, I believe that Second Chance erases EVERY multiverse. Terrifying stuff.

And of course, there is the Snake Miraculous’ bracelet form of a serpent biting its own tail, an Ourobos. Ourobos is a symbol used all over the ancient world to represent various things, most notably of cycles, such as life, death, and rebirth. This feels like the most obvious reason for the Snake to have Second Chance.

Of course, we cannot ignore the elephant in the room… or the snake that swallowed the elephant a la the python in the beginnings of famous French novella The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The dominant religion in most of the western world is Christianity, and snakes have a reputation for being evil. But I think there’s more to the story ML is presenting to us.

In the season 5 finale, we are presented with a perfect utopia, an Eden, if you will. We can all agree this is not going to last, and all the glitter is not gold. Maribug’s web of lies, Lilamoth knowing the Truth, Adrichat being left in the dark. It will all come undone sooner or later.

Which is why I propose that it is Luka who helps Adrien discover the Truth. There are some academics who believe humanity wasn’t truly born until Eve tasted the forbidden fruit of knowledge and left the Garden of Eden. It’s very poetic that a Snake named Light would present Adrien with the Truth. Remember Keats’ epic poem Hyperion about searching for Truth.

And of course, it needs to be reminded that Ladybug’s Lucky Charm CANNOT bring back a sentimonster after the amok is purified or destroyed. But you know what CAN bring back a sentimonster? The Snake’s Second Chance. Adrien and Luka have unlimited chances to figure out how to sever the connection between Adrien and his amoks.

Remember also, the point of Second Chance is to end the time loop. This all goes hand in hand with my theory that ML is a 15-year time loop of Wishes, and Gabriel made at least one, if not multiple Wishes in the past.

Of course I could be completely off the mark and they made Luka a Guardian for no reason, and Adrien will never amount to anything other than being Ken to Maribug’s Barbie.

If you made it to the end, thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[transacewithapan]

You wouldn't believe this, but...

I have more SolarBalls playlists :0

They're still being updated, sorry if some are short

SUN

MERCURY

VENUS

MARS

JUPITER

URANUS

PLANET X

Part 1 - EARTH

Part 2 - LUNA, NEPTUNE, SATURN

Part 3 - You're already here :)

Part 4 - Galilean Moons, Titan, Triton

Part 5 - Dwarf Planets

Part 6 - AstroDude + A Bunch of Moons

Part 7 - Hyperion & Moons of Uranus

Part 8 - Moons of Neptune

[phenikas]

Hyperion Propaganda - Borderlands 2, Borderlands The Pre-Sequel and Tales from the Borderlands

Part 2

[mercars-musings]

~ WIP Wednesday ~

aaaa tysm for the tag @andthekitchensinkao3 !!!

Here's a segment of my rendition of Az leaving the fade!

It's part of a longer piece I'm writing on his return & his realization of the fact although he was stuck in there for 7 years {fade time} the team only experiencing his disappearance as 2 weeks!

-> MASSIVE END GAME SPOILERS AHEAD FOR VEILGUARD <-

Cool air nips at the exposed skin peaking through the tears in Az's robes, the chill setting deeper into his bones as he stares forward in a strange mixture of numbness and astonishment.

The air rippled before him, the entire fabric of the fade seeming to contort right in front of his eyes in gorgeous hues of blue and silver. Slowly, fracture after fracture appeared around the edges, nipping at the world that Rook had grown unwillingly accustomed to, until a familiar hand frantically burst through the middle.

"Is that…" Rook begins, breath catching in his throat as his eyes grow wide.

"I believe that's your queue kid." A husky voice uttered from somewhere behind Rook.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Rook eventually looks over at his friend. He watched as a sad smile spread its way across the Dwarfs face, a knowing look glinting in his eyes as it does. Unluckily for Rook, just looking at his friends face again was enough to send tears stinging at the edges of Az's eyes.

There's no fucking way… after all this time… this was finally happening?

"ROOK!" A familiar voice screamed from the fade tear, accompanied by a loud crackling noise that was emanating from the rift. "DARLING! FOLLOW MY VOICE!"

"It's not very nice to keep your friends waiting," the shorter man continued, nodding towards the rupture in the fade. "Or do you want to spend another 7 years wallowing in here?"

With that, Rook seemed to fully snap out of the haze he'd been trapped in, eyes widening as the prospect settled in. There was no way in Hell that he would spend another second in here.

Glancing between the tear and his friend Az let out a groan of frustration. There was so much more he wanted to say, so many more questions he had but it seemed like he really had run out of time here. So instead, As opted to drop to his knees & threw his arms around the Dwarf, pulling him in for the tightest hug he could possibly manage in his fatigue ridden state.

"I'll Miss you Varric", he mumbled, tears starting to roll down his cheeks & onto his friend's jacket. "And… thank you… for everything."

Varric chuckled lightly as he returned the hug in kind, tightening his grip around the younger mans shoulders for a few moments as they simply stayed there. Silence emanated through the room, the only noise being the crackling of the fade tear and the low hum of the fade.

"I'll miss you too kid… now Andraste's Knickers will you get out there & stop whatever shit chuckles' is up to this time?"

Rook snorted at the comment, slowly letting go of Varric before rising to his knees & giving a faux salute.

"Yes sir-" but before he could finish his jest, the crackling of the tear suddenly turned into ragged sputtering.

"We can't hold it open much longer-" Emmrich's voice echoed through the tear, before he was cut off by a more aggressive yell from the Veilguard's resident scout.

"Rook where the hell are you!?"

With that, Az turned on his heel and wordlessly sprinted towards the tear. Only glancing back momentarily to see Varric's form slowly dissipate into the rest of the fade, before he was lunged forward back into his own world.

~

No Pressure Tags for If Youse are interested in posting part of your WIPS! : @thedissonantverses @sunny374940 @hyperions-light @ofcrowsanddragons & literally ANYONE else whose got a WIP rn! :3 <3

[operative-arrow]

OC Rating Tag:

Radas

That's right-- it's

the boiiii

Thanks for the tag, @kindlyfeline and @znthra!

Passing it on to @muqington @introvertedfangrl @lucaanis and @hyperions-light! If you want!

Edit: actually, @happy-capy-art too if you want! Doesn't have to be Dragon Age

Compassion: 7/10 very compassionate but there are limits

Bitterness: 5/10 he's got some angst but the bitterness is mostly a past thing

Happiness: Before Veilguard (Two Rooks) 2/10 =< After Veilguard (Two Rooks) 10/10 no notes

Politeness: 8/10

Chivalry: 6.5/10 I think. Insofar as I understand chivalry?

Pride: 5/10 he doesn't have the best self esteem but he is particular about parts of his looks and the things he does, and puts in the effort.

Honesty: tricky! Uhhh I would say 6/10. Generally speaking he is the honest sort but he does spend a significant part of his life pretending to be Dalish when that's only partially true.

Bravery: 5/10 normally 14/10 if the people he cares about are in danger

Recklessness: 4/10

Ambition: 3/10 he just wants to be with Nico and maybe grow some flowers, man. Anything else is extra. Unless you counted saving the world and finding love as ambitious in which case that number probably goes up a lot lol

Loyalty: 10/10

Love: ♾️/10 (serious answer 10/10!)

Sense of Family: uh pre Veilguard probably like 3/10!

During/after Veilguard 9/10. He'd always wanted a family (and friends) but never found one until then.

Attractiveness: I mean regardless of other gender stuff I think it would be rad af to look like him soooo 10/10?

I dunno I can't really be objective because I love him and that makes him beautiful to me.

Agility: 10/10 so many arrows

Sex Drive: hmmmm 4/10? He's not averse and he's more than happy to accommodate and enjoy if the love is there but as far as the need for himself coming up on its own ehhhh not too often.

[flowersforthemachines]

songfic tag game

thank you for tagging me @hyperions-light @theheartmold (yes, I know you did so forever ago. but I never forgot)

Rules: Pick a song to accompany each of your fics or as many as you like. This might be the fic's inspiration or just pure vibes that you'd like to share with readers. Tag as many people as fics you feature (or do as you please!)

not tagging anyone from the DA fandom because I presume everyone has already done this when this thing was going around, but I'll throw a tentative tag to @sunriseinorbit since the concept seems right up your alley 🫶

[starting with the DA fics. persona followers can scroll below to see relevant content]

At The End of Her World

Fun fact! This song heavily inspired the fic. Like, if it had not come up on my playlist when it did, I might not have written the fic at all. The fic was also named after the song for the longest time before I decided to switch to something closer to what was actually going on in the piece, but it still holds a very important place in my heart.

The lyrics are SO lucanisara to me it's insane.

Quite literally them. I'm not sure how other people see it, but for me the fic was also about them having those last few good moments together, as much as they are able to squeeze out of their circumstances. I think the song really conveys that sentiment.

Another one I heavily associate with the fic is I Know The End.

Speficially the last part:

That's how I see Ghilasara's death - she accepted it as something that was going to happen and wasn't afraid of it. Plus, the triumphant instrumentals after the outro really relay the atmosphere of the moment to me: despite everything, she died happy, knowing that Lucanis loved her even after all that time, which is more than she could've ever hoped for :)

2. More Than You Ever Will

Not the entire song, I don't think, but that last verse? Yeah. Yeah, it's them, and that's exactly what they are doing to each other when they make that collective choice of "yeah this is never going to end well, but I dread this ending more than I ever could the pain I'd get from you"

[Dragon age followers can leave here. This is persona zone now]

Shiva

It's hard to pick just one song for Shiva, but if I absolutely had to, it'd be this one.

Specifically from Akechi's POV, how he feels about himself, and how his confession plays out.

This verse is SO him to me. I definitely think that he'd see himself as someone who brings destruction wherever he goes, including love. Plus, "something borrowed, something blue" is a nod to the wedding metaphor from chapter 7 :)

And this is what the confession would feel like:

He waits until their last evening together to say it. There isn't much comfort it can offer, and it's way too late for it to meaningfully change anything. But it's there. It's the only way he could've done it.

2. Depth Over Distance

It's the kind of song that really made the fic happen. It gave me a lot in terms of inspiration on what I wanted the atmosphere to be like. Solemn, soul-crushing, isolating. That's I how saw Sumire and Akira at the beginning of this ^_^

[kisavatore]

Goth/Alt cc finds part 8-Hair [Part 3]

Generated (ReColor) PT.2 | Zavia Hair Lara Hair | Raven Hair | Rin Hair Quella Hair | Seoul Hair | Noella Hair | Shaleigh Hair | Ethereal Hair JavaSims-Generated (ReColor) PT.1 | Komori Hair | Lollipop Hair Alina Hair | Lukita Hair | Meg Hair | Ellen Hair | Lotus Hair | Viki Hair Blue Orion | Endless Hair | Holo Hair | Torch Hair | Namae Hair | Yuki Hair Peony Hair | Laura Hair | Larsson Hair | Pamela Hair | Hyperion Hair Mantis Hair | Lux Hair | Camille Hair | Phoebe Hair | Lisa Hair | Evelyn Hair Lioness Hair | Pumpkin Hair | Alyssum Hair | Abeni Twist | Oni Hair Camila Hair | Danica Hair | Deimos Hair | Randi Hair | Agnes Hair v.2 Rainbow Hair | Winslow Hair v.1-4 | Seaholly Hair | Sainted Hair Pack All Eyes On Me Hair | Maki Hair | Mona Hair | Alichia Hair | Talia Hair | Donna Hair Maia Hair

PT.1 | PT.6 [Hair PT.1] | PT.7 [Hair PT.2]

[borderlands-confess]

i find it really interesting how the issue of morality between hyperion and the raiders in BL2 is always defaulted to jack vs lilith and not jack vs roland. i also do it literally All Of The Time. but. lilith hasnt really done anything to represent the raiders in-between BL1 and 2. she had to go into hiding about a yyyear? two years? after the group was formed and didn't become their leader until after jack’s death. every action the raiders took up until that point was under roland’s orders. purging the bloodshots (twice), abandoning liar’s berg, recruiting war profiteers from atlas and dahl, and unmitigated slaughter on a scale that only a team of hired vault hunters can commit? that was all roland, not lilith. roland and angel’s deaths are the emotional turning point of the game, so it gets personal between her and jack, but she didn’t actually have much to do with the war effort itself until the very end. the story is still framed as a rivalry between them, especially with the addition of lilith scarring him in TPS, and roland's role as a leader is never really weighed against jack in the way that lilith's is. i just wish we got to see the actual War part of the uh. war. instead of catching the tail end of it and missing years of conflict between roland and jack specifically. <- world's most obvious roland main to ever exist.

.