#improperly influenced

[alfascorpiionux]

Ascendants: How to recognize them ~ part 2

🦸🧚🏼🧌🧝‍♂️🥷🧛‍♀️

Can you recognize which emoji is which ascendant?:3

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Libra ascendant: these people are the social butterflies and charmers. You’ll find them surrounded by people trying to win their attention. They dress nicely and have a pleasant disposition. They have the iconic “charming smile” that they use to win people over. Fair-minded, diplomatic and balanced are also words that describe them well. Could fall into the trap of always wanting to seem perfect and/or wanting to please people. Depending on other influences, indecision, shallowness and passive-aggressiveness is also very possible with this placement, as they typically want to avoid conflict at all costs.

As body type: look for face symmetry, clear and glowing skin, typically medium-sized body with kind eyes and charming smile. As a native ruled by planet Venus, they probably put a lot of emphasis on aesthetics. This could translate to always dressing to the latest trands, decorating their homes nicely or simply a dislike for messy/chaotic or too minimalistic environments.

Scorpio ascendant: the most characteristic for this placements is “the stare”. When they look at you it feels like they can see the deepest corners of your soul and all your flaws and it’s unnerving. In fact, their very presence seems to add heaviness to any room. You might notice people falling silent when you insert yourself to a conversation. Rather than being charming and agreeable, your aura is intense and commanding. You might make people feel uncomfortable even when you don’t mean to. The planet of death, Pluto, is your ruling planet. You might find yourself faced with plenty of crises throughout your life that will force you to grow or to give up on yourself. You’re sharp, intuitive and an assertive communicator. People cannot help but take notice of what you say. Be careful how you use this power as it can invite lots of hostility if used improperly.

On a positive note, ledership skills are very possible. If you watch out for your overly-controlling tendencies you could make a strong and capable leader people can rely on.

Learn to let go and to open up again.

As body type: deep and thoughtful eyes, a hard stare. Sharp facial features, especially the jaw, a darker complexion.

You likely prefer darker colours of clothing. Black, darker shades of grey or blue. You could dress in a minimalistic fashion or opt for flattering even edgy or gothic styles. Your appearance could also change significantly throughout the years.

Sagittarius ascendant: the first words that come to my mind are “bold” and “loud”. These natives love having space to roam free and explore and are intellectually curious. They crave novelty and new experiences like a fish fresh water. It’s a necessity. They are definitely the friendly people that seem to float from one group of friends to another. Instead of staying silent they will voice their opinion even if they will come off blunt or insensitive. They definitely have a temper that they hide to a greater or lesser extent. Though they are friendly, they aren’t people pleasers and very much prefer honesty over shallow pleasantries. This definitely means ruffling feathers at least sometimes. Regardless of other placements, Jupiter definitely adds a touch of light-heartedness and positivity to this person’s aura.

On the downside, there could be anger issues, a love for drama, messiness or lack of structure in one or more dimensions of their life. Settling down could also prove to be hard. If they aren’t the type to play the field then at least they have high standards and/or don’t like their freedom being restricted or feeling like they are under somebody’s thumb.

As body body type: they could be athletic or if not there could be a fondness for working out/practicing some kind of sport or staying active in general. They are definitely the outdoorsy types so don’t expect they’ll stay cooped up in the house for too long. They likely have an open body language, relaxed posture and an approachable energy in general. Expressive eyes and youthful appearance is very possible.

As clothing, they prefer colourful styles or sporty/functional ones. They likely opt for versatile, comfortable shoes. Bohemian styles or statement accessories are also very possible.

Capricorn ascendant: meet the serious-minded and ambitious folk. Those natives always do more than just complete their assignments. They do them with overwhelmingly perfection. Teachers and older people might like you more than those of your age or you might just feel like you resonate with them more. There is definitely a strict and bossy side to your personality. You don’t like inefficiency, too much drama or even grammar mistakes, for that matter. You bottle up your emotions and let only a few select people close. You are organised and logical in your approach to life. You are always true to your word and people can always depend on you. A dark and sharp sense of humour may be present. You are strong-willed and typically very polite.

On a downote, watch out for your controlling, workaholic tendencies and much like the Scorpio ascendant, learn to be more open about your feelings in general. A more positive outlook on life wouldn’t hurt either. Not everything is black and white.

As body type: you could be lean or have a defined built. A good posture and serious eyes. You probably prefer classic or simple styles of clothing. You might have a preference for formal wear. You like comfortable shoes and looking sophisticated and put together in general.

Aquarius ascendant: meet the gypsies! These natives are inquisitive, rebellious and have a special flair to them that makes them stand out in a crowd. They are social and likely have many hobbies. They could be big nerds or just very good with technology in general. They are definitely the 70 year old grandparents that pick up a smartphone for the first time and know how to use is as well as or even better than their grandchildren. Because, well, “it’s just so obvious. You just click here and here.” They don’t like being ordered what to do and if someone adopts a commanding tone with this native on a regular basis, they’ll definitely fly away or wiggle their way out of any assignment really. Also, they hate being monitored when completing a task. It’s unnerving. Luckily, they usually put a lot of emphasis on doing their work right, even suggesting ways in which to make any project better, more efficient or interesting in general. If they respect you as a leader, they would do nearly anything for you even if that means lots of unslept hours, tears and hard work. The loyalty of this natives is very hard to gain but extremely precious. They can be real forces of nature for better or for worse. It’d be best not to be on their black list.

On a darker note, they could be very stubborn, impulsive and emotionally detached in personal relationships (most of which if due to their cerebral approach to life and/or inability to deal with emotionally-charged situations). They could be erratic and unpredictable and aren’t necessarily easy to get to know.

They are deeply loyal to a select few people and are total sweethearts to them, sometimes undeservedly.

As body type: they are on the taller side, perhaps lanky or just give the impression of being taller in general. They have a youthful appearance and at least one distinctive feature that makes people take notice.They might express their creativity through interesting hair-dos or tattoos etc.

Almost any style of clothing is possible, or a combination of 2-3 of them at the same time. Instead of following trends, they are trend-setters and don’t mind having all looks on them, even judgemental one, if it means their clothes align with who they are deep down.

Pisces ascendant: they have a softer and sometimes ethereal presence. You look at them and might think they are a poet or artist and could very well be right. They might be gentle or soft-spoken. Not the most social but people might just like them anyways. They are empathetic and sensitive people that would gladly give suport and heart-felt advice, only were they asked for it. They are diplomatic and easy-going. They can make friends easily as people are drawn to their giving and kind energy. There is probably a dislike for conflict or tense situations in general. They are not fond of overly competitive environments and having to convince any person of the rightness their opinion is frankly scary and/or overly burdensome for them. They’d rather ignore the problem or you altogether than keep getting into arguments.

On a darker note, there could be manipulative tendencies or lying, mostly as not to upset someone or having to admit a mistake they made in the past. It probably tears them apart as it is but admitting that to another person is a different matter altogether. Mood swings, naivety, emotional indecision, weak boundaries and victim mentality are also very possible.

As body type: soft and gentle features, expressive eyes, fluid movements, ethereal aura.

As clothing, they definitely prefer the softer, feminine or romantic styles. They might like to dress in a bohemian fashion or prefer lighter, pastel colours over darker ones. Comfortable shoes and sporty/homey clothing could also be to their taste.

Hope you guys enjoyed the “how to recognise” series of posts I made.☺️ If there is any placement you’d like more clarity on, I’ll be more than glad to offer my interpretation. I am open to receiving feedback from you and us having discussions on topics of your choice. Thanks for reading!💞

[a-very-tired-jew]

Remember; Antisemites are Conspiracy Theorists

I feel like many of us forget that a key component of antisemitism is being a conspiracy theorist, and so I wanted to do a write up on it and draw parallels between what I've seen here on Tumblr and in my professional career.

One thing to keep in mind and remember is that antisemitism is not just bigotry and wanting to commit violence against Jews, it also includes conspiracy theories about Jews and everything relating to them as a key component.

I've noticed a number of similar behaviors and patterns in pseudoscience/anti-science conspiracy communities and antisemitic conspiracy theorists that might help elucidate why we can't make a lot of headway with certain people and why some accounts have such a big following and impact.

1) Often we find impactful conspiracy theorists pretend to be part of the group they are targeting.

Whether this is the person creating the conspiracy itself, a popular account, or an influencer, there is the likelihood that they will pass themselves off as a member of the group they are spreading misinformation about.

In the sciences we often see this with wellness gurus, naturopaths, homeopaths, chiropractors, and so on. They pretend that they're a "doctor" or "scientist" and have the same education, training, and expertise. They use a bunch of fake degrees/diplomas from diploma mills and get a bunch of fake certifications from uncredited organizations to add a letters after their name to add an air of legitimacy. They taught to use jargon that sounds scientific to the lay audience in these programs, but don't actually understand what they're saying. They just know enough to convince others that they're educated on the topic they're pretending to be an expert about.

The problem is that they will inevitably enter into spaces with actual members of the group who are verified experts and in doing so they will get called out rather quickly.

Inevitably this leads to their defense of calling the actual expert some sort of shill or mouth piece for propaganda that is trying to silence them and the "Truth". The actual expert is part of the conspiracy to keep them silent and not expose the "Truth". It does not matter how much you go into the conspiracy theorist's background and breakdown why they're not actually an expert and falsified/purchased their credentials, they will maintain that they are the one speaking "Truth" (often because they're "rebelling against the system" or they have "secret information").

Often they will call upon their followers to provide anecdotal evidence and bring in to question what actually qualifies "expertise" and use a bunch of goalposts and mental gymnastics to try and justify the grifter and the conspiracy. We seen this with them making accusations of the people debunking them using a No True Scotsman fallacy, but this in itself is a fallacious rhetorical device of improperly applying a fallacy against legitimate criticism. It's a common debate tactic of people who are lying to incorrectly apply fallacies against their critics.

However, there is the caveat that sometimes the conspiracy theorist was an expert prior to becoming what they currently are and typically they had some sort out downfall and disgrace that led them there. At some point their ethics and morals shifted and they now instead push and pursue a grift. The best example of this is Andrew Wakefield who used to be a medical researcher but sacrificed his ethics and morals for a payout. Another example is one I mentioned the other day, Simon Goddek, who used to be a biotechnology researcher that went off the deep end in regards to COVID and is now in Brazil selling unlicensed supplements.

In this regards, the former expert turned grifter will rely upon their former expertise (that is even removed by the accrediting body in some cases) to give themselves an air of authority on their pseudoscience. This becomes more and more egregious over time as they make claims about "research backed" products that they are selling, but are always unlicensed and untested things with maybe an in vitro study (done in a petri dish) to maybe back it up.

In all cases it becomes something similar to Nobel Prize Syndrome where the former expert is now spreading misinformation about things well outside their expertise and inevitably spreads a conspiracy about why its not accepted or other related things.

Now, in regards to antisemites here on Tumblr, and across social media, we have had a number of antisemites enter our community under the guise of "as a Jew" "anti-Zionists" and then spread rampant and vitriolic rhetoric and conspiracy theory. There are, what I consider, three varieties of this particular false "expert".

First is the obvious Racefaker/Jewfaker. This is the person who pretends to be Jewish or an Israeli Jew and is a complete and utter caricature of what either entails. They post nothing relating to Judaism or being Israeli, fighting antisemitism (even though they claim to be), and actually help spread antisemitic conspiracy and hatred. Even when outed with receipts that they have a history of faking (and are continuing to do so), they and their audience ignore the evidence (even if they requested it themselves). This is akin to the pseudo-experts in the sciences going "well prove it!" in regards to their fake credentials and then when the shoe drops they just call the person providing the evidence a shill or propagandist (in the case of Fakers it's usually "Zionist" or in some cases "Nazi").

The second is the "as a Jew" that maybe celebrated holidays once upon a time and very intermittently with their family, and quickly left Judaism and everything related behind as it meant very little to them. They had no connection to the community and culture and moved on. They only use "as a Jew" when it's convenient for them to shut down any argument, especially if they are being accused of antisemitism. We have several examples of this with various tankie accounts that defend the violent antisemitic actions of the Soviet whom at one point were openly practicing neo paganism and then claimed that they celebrated Jewish holidays once upon a time so they could speak as an "authority" (nvm that they deleted their blog to hide their paganism).

The third "as a Jew" is someone who claims to have heritage in their ancestry, but was never raised Jewish and has no connection to Judaism in any capacity beyond this one tenuous thread. They believe that having a drop of DNA relating to the culture means they can speak as an expert/authority.

In all instances these persons speak from ignorance and try to generate a false sense of authority to dismiss claims of antisemitism. The former "as a Jew" abandoned their Judaism, even from a secular stand point, and replaced it with completely different things. They actively sought connections to other groups and had little to no understanding of the culture they left behind. The latter is actively trying to engage in some sort of blood quantum to justify why they should be able to speak over Jewish voices. If you address the fact that neither one are Jews by any standard they then make wild claims about you being antisemitic, denying heritage, and other such things that no one would make about any other ethnic group.

These types of dismissal allow them to maintain their fake expertise because they and their audience already don't trust Jews, so any evidence provided would be ignored anyway. Just like the Racefaker/Jewfaker, the fake "as a Jew", the no connection "as a Jew" and their audience already believe in antisemitic conspiracy theories so any evidence provided that proves the person is faking or falsely presenting themself is part of the conspiracy. Furthermore, just like the pseudo-expert calls an actual scientist or doctor a shill, the Racefaker/Jewfaker and "as a Jew" calls the Jewish person addressing their behavior a range of insults or terms that indicates to their audience that the individual(s) is(are) part of the conspiracy.

And more importantly, none of them can actually replicate the nuances that come with being Jewish and living and growing up in the culture. There are certain behaviors, terms, norms, and standards that Jewish people grew up with regardless of sect or practice. This cannot be replicated by Jewfakers and "as a Jew" persons.

2) The use and defense of improper terminology.

Another big indicator that you're dealing with a Fake Expert spreading conspiracy theories and misinformation is the usage of terms in the incorrect manner or terms that have been rejected by the targeted community.

In regards to pseudoscience the most common terms are energy, frequency, quantum, detox, natural, and organic. In the scientific community these all have clearly defined definitions and parameters that constitute them. The Fake Expert uses them vaguely with no clear definition (or scientific explanation) as to how the mechanism they're applied to actually works. Often they're used to make something sound "smarter" than it actually is (especially quantum).

Anyone using these terms in this manner can be quickly identified as someone who doesn't know what they're talking about.

With regards to JewFakers, there are terms that they use that are indicators they are not what they are pretending to be and are simply antisemitic conspiracy theorists that hate Jews.

Any account that calls a Jew (or Jews) a "Nazi" or slurs created by white supremacists is immediately a red flag. These terms are not something anyone who is Jewish with any connection to the community would actually use. We have our own intracommunity words to describe another Jewish person who behaves in such a manner, but those particular ones are not them.

Why?

Because a core component of Nazism (and by extension much of white supremacy) is antisemitism. A Jewish person existing as a Jew and all that it entails cannot be a "Nazi" by the very definition of the ideology unless they are specifically trying to conduct heinous acts against other Jews in a specific manner using specific rhetoric. Just because a Jewish person might actually commit a heinous act or be a bad person does not make them a "Nazi", even if those heinous acts are conducted against non-Jews. It is a clearly defined word with a set definition that has requirements to meet it.

As such, anyone using "Nazi" or related terminology to describe Jews, especially Jews they don't like, immediately outs themself. Especially if they are claiming to be a member of that community because they acting contrary to all the cultural norms and behaviors.

3) they believe a single occurrence validates their entire conspiracy.

When sweet wormwood (Artemesia annua) was found to effectively treat parasites in an empirically supported study the pseudoscience community went nuts. They used it as validation for all the naturopathy, homeopathy, and other stuff they believed in. Suddenly because one plant was effective then everything else was, including practices not relating to plants at all. It didn't matter that these other plants and practices had no evidence to support the claims surrounding them, one thing was validated and so everything was validated.

We see a similar behavior amongst antisemites where if there is an occurrence that validates their belief that Jews are bad then everything is suddenly validated. It does not matter if the other things have been properly debunked and were falsified maliciously or intentionally misleading, the one occurrence of Jews/Israelis/Zionists being "evil" suddenly means every conspiracy theory is true.

Which leads to point four.

4) the refusal to acknowledge when they are wrong and the continuation of misinformation.

In the sciences I have seen this particular tactic from the aforementioned fake experts that are also influencers. They'll say something about how you can treat Lyme Disease with hydrogen peroxide IVs (you can't, please don't do this), that you detox your body with a certain diet (also not a thing), that you should alkalinize your body (also bullshit), and many other claims.

Often they will provide some shoddy "study" or purposefully misinterpret something to back their claims. When presented with a breakdown of why their claims are not supported, whether through someone calling out the misinterpretation or that they are using poor evidence, they will continue to keep the claim up on their media and website. There are even some cases where someone might even reach out to them and gently try to let them know that they are in fact wrong about the claims they are making from an earnest place of concern.

Regardless, they will still continue to push the claim they made even in light of the evidence that is contrary to their conclusions. Why? Because they likely believe it to be true and it's actually a conspiracy by "Big Science" to keep it secret and silence them or they need to push it on others that it is true because it directly benefits them monetarily to do so.

Very rarely will you see one of these grifters retract and apologize for a claim. They often have disclaimers on their websites that protect them legally from any "medical advice" they may have given (acknowledging, in some way, that they know what they're doing is a grift)

In regards to the antisemitic conspiracy theorists, whenever one of their claims is debunked (such as the 377k thing I broke down the other day) you will find that they don't retract, correct, and apologize for the misinformation they spread. They keep it on their media and continue to either spread it or passively endorse it by it still being present.

When coupled with the Faking tactic mentioned above this means that a lay person will see the misinformation and believe it because it because it is still present on the Faker's page. This is then coupled with the "as a Jew" pages that also keep that same misinformation up, and so if anyone were to try and cross reference and verify if it were true then would then see a Faker being backed by an "as a Jew" and thus leading to the conclusion that it must be true.

They don't know that both parties are not Jewish and are in fact antisemites pretending to be. If someone were to publicly engage and point out that something is incorrect then they and the rest of the antisemites will join in to dismiss the correction as a piece of propaganda (just like the pseudo-experts get their cohort and audience to dogpile and dismiss actual scientists).

This ensures that the antisemitic conspiracy theories and misinformation spread by these conspiracy theorists has an air of legitimacy.

Because the Fake Experts said so, and if you disagree with them being a Fake then you're part of the conspiracy.

Do you see how this circles back in on itself?

So one thing we need to do is not just call these people antisemites.

We need to point out that they're conspiracy theorists as well.

Because that's what they are.

They're conspiracy theorists.

Just like Moon Landing Hoaxers, anti-vaxxers, COVID deniers, and all the other conspiracy theory believers out there.

And just like other conspiracy theorists, they work backwards from a conclusion and attempt to find evidence to support it. Even if they have to falsify, misinterpret, lie, or purposefully obfuscate.

Now, if you've read this far and you are an audience member of one of these people that this is talking about and your first response is to get defensive and immediately start attacking me then I need you to ask yourself "Why?" Why is pointing out that much of the antisemitism revolves around and behaves like pseudoscience conspiracy theorists so offensive to you?

Is it because you view yourself as a reasonable person who wouldn't get sucked in by conspiracy theories?

That you consider yourself well informed?

Consider for a moment that you're not. Consider that if the points I have described above caused a very real visceral reaction in you that you have fallen for antisemitic conspiracy theories and conspiracy theorists spreading them.

It's okay to have been bamboozled. It can happen to anyone. But the only way forward is to admit and accept that you were, and then leave those spaces and what they represent behind. Go forward with the knowledge that indicates such behavior and try to do some undo the damage it has done and continues to do.

But if you're actually one of the Conspiracy Theorist spreading this stuff that I mentioned above, well...have a good day I guess?

[theophagie]

Premise one: I feel that this is rather well-known information by now, but still. Mandatory clarification that "mastery" is a concept that's improperly employed by the eng localisation (likely out of commodity), though there is at least one instance where the translation closely follows the jp text. Semantics Important

Premise two: I'll reference a couple of things from other games because they retroactively help recontextualise Riku's behavior in part, but the story that KH1 wants to tell does stand on its own regardless of their inclusion. He's just my special boy ok

Having said that. Rivalry!

Much of the conflict between Sora and Riku is shaped along the lines of what makes a hero. In light of this, it's only fitting that KH1 is the game that most closely follows the structure of a fairy tale, but that's a story for another day. I think that the initial uncertainty on whether there'd be a sequel really pushed the devs to, ah, "go ham", because KH1 is both a miniature coming of age story for Sora and the setup for many elements that will recur in the future. At the core of this idea is one world in particular, but I think that it's better to set the stage first

Home sweet home

...... Well!

Destiny Islands is a weird, fun place. I feel that many people remember KH1's prologue through rose-tinted glasses of sorts, "the simpler, better times before...", but to me it owes much of its charm to the tension between the location that it's set in (a child's dream playground, a pseudo locus amoenus even, if will) and the events that take place during it. Sora, Riku, and Kairi have been making preparations for something for some time now. The other kids don't quite know what, but they suspect that it's something dangerous - which it is. And Sora is a fourteen-year-old boy who's constantly compared and made to feel inferior to his best friend, who has been acting strangely and cruelly for a while without anyone understanding why. Growing pains...... Being on Destiny Islands at this time feels like being on a precipice. The game is really effective at capturing a certain Vibe of adolescence (this idea of being stuck in the middle of two opposite forces), but when it comes to Sora and Riku over time the unease between them develops from mundane competitiveness (however hurtful in its actualization) into a bigger conflict, one that's tied both to their characters and to the broader narrative of Kingdom Hearts

The notion that Sora can "always rely on Riku" specifically is super important. The other kids tease Sora because they perceive him to be weak and unreliable compared to him, and Riku... Well, Riku has internalized this belief as well in his urgency to just grow up and just leave already, or at least he tries to fool himself into thinking that he has, when really

One might wonder what it is exactly that led him to close himself off and double down on adopting a cool, cocky persona, but 🤫

Regardless, Riku's longing for strength and independence has quite honorable, gentle origins, ones that eventually begin to shine anew after he's freed of Ansem SoD's influence

Riku feels a certain entitlement to the title of hero, and he isn't entirely unjustified for that, but by KH1's prologue his anxieties and his impatience have already planted some seeds in him, and over time and through the influence of darkness his ambitions get warped into something self-serving rather than something altruistic. It's at this point that Riku is most cruel to Sora. Riku doesn't forcibly deprive Sora of the keyblade just because the Kingdom Key was originally his and he really wants it back, Riku does it because he actively wants to bring himself up by disempowering Sora. Like he says, this isn't rivalry anymore. It's viciousness, and it's why it's no mistake that this event keeps being referenced to this day, in varying degrees of subtlety

Nomura tells us that all that Riku does to save Kairi, he mainly does out of regret for his actions ("He's a surprising immoral guy"), and who am I object to the Word of God, but I can't help but think of it as a misguided attempt to prove himself. He is the hero! He is! Not Sora! Not Sora, who is younger and smaller and needs him to look after him.........

When the reality is that Sora scares him a little, Sora absolutely disarms him without even meaning to or being aware of it. And so Riku shuts him out, he shuts him out and he also tries his best to keep their dynamic as unbalanced as possible, because that's what allows him to both feel secure in his role and keep Sora dependent on him. Because what is it that Riku fears might happen if Sora were to realise that his presence isn't something that he needs in order to pull through?

... Yeah. It's really no wonder that this is what Maleficent latches on to in order to manipulate and corrupt him

As stated before, contrarily to Riku, Sora enters the story as an underdog, a normal boy who gets saddled with a task that wasn't meant for him - with having to be a hero - out of need, but it's no surprise that Riku's light can acknowledge Sora before he is ready to consciously do it as well: Riku is harsh on Sora to cover up how inadequate he makes him feel, and in turn those feelings of inadequacy are a reflection of his profound understanding of just how good Sora is

Riku's changes for the worse don't go without repercussions on Sora's state, which is why much of his journey throughout KH1 is split between two goals: an altruistic one - finding his friends, as well as helping Donald and Goofy on their quest, and a self-serving one - being acknowledged by the people around him. Hey, those are familiar words

It's an uphill climb, one that's made really evident by his time in Olympus Coliseum in particular. His rashness gains him his own turn at being directly mess with by a thematically-relevant villain, too

It's not surprising that Sora reacts with cockiness to the situation that he finds himself in: for what's probably the first time in his life, it's him that everyone is relying on, and he lets it go to his head a little. Not enough to distract him from what's most important, but just enough to feel the sting of Riku's jabs (who is very much projecting whenever he opens his mouth about this topic)

Their reunion in Traverse Town is a miniature minefield, because Riku's immediate instinct is to re-establish himself as the leader-keeper, and Sora's way of shutting down that thought is... a little bit of everything. On purpose, in my opinion. It's childish, it's a little arrogant, it's show-offy, it's kind of ridiculous, and it's a challenge to Riku's authority, one that he doesn't take well at all, least of all when he starts seeing in Donald and Goofy the realisation of his irrational fear of being abandoned by Sora

Sora is naive, but his inability to comprehend Riku's feelings has nothing to do with it and everything to do with his attunement to the bonds between people. They're the source of his strength! It could never cross his mind to doubt his connection to Riku, his best friend, least of all to consider it expendable or contingent on external factors

This unshakeable conviction is what defines Sora's progress, and it's what ultimately defines his path of heroism and makes the keyblade go back to him despite Riku's claim over it. Not fate or predestination, but belief and love for other people, so much love that it's detrimental to his own survival and that is also his way to hide just how little he thinks of himself even. Sora's story isn't that of a seemingly average boy who one day comes into his destined role, it's that of a boy who tenaciously fights for others and earns the right to wield a power that he was originally only granted out of necessity

I feel that this is what Riku's goodbye to Sora wants to get at

Pulling away for a second to say that no matter what, of course Riku genuinely wants Kairi to be safe, and the fact that Nomura doesn't even see it as the primary cause for his actions splits me between befuddlement and "Riku and Kairi have a complex relationship" hubris stocks. Even so, what I see in this line is also the renewed fulfillment of Sora's one selfish desire: acknowledgement. Acknowledgement from the person who most wanted him to be and remain a helpless boy on the sidelines, acknowledgement from one of the people he cares most deeply for, acknowledgement from someone who was meant to be a hero. Allowing himself to get sealed in the Realm of Darkness is not Riku's final act in KH1, Riku's final act in KH1 is to step down from his designated role and finally accept Sora, encourage him to be the hero that he couldn't be

[saywhat-politics]

ActBlue is widely considered one of the pillars of the Democratic Party’s digital ecosystem.

April 24, 2025, 11:43 AM EDT / Updated April 24, 2025, 6:16 PM EDT

By Garrett Haake, Daniel Arkin and Nnamdi Egwuonwu

President Donald Trump signed an executive memorandum Thursday aimed at investigating ActBlue, the leading Democratic fundraising platform.

The memorandum directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to “investigate allegations regarding the unlawful use of online fundraising platforms to make 'straw' or 'dummy' contributions or foreign contributions to political candidates and committees, and to take appropriate action to enforce the law."

It specifically names ActBlue as an online fundraising platform being used "to improperly influence American elections."

A White House document accompanying the memo also suggested that ActBlue accepts donations in which donors evade federal limitations by breaking their contributions down into smaller ones and attributing them to numerous people.

A spokesperson for ActBlue called Trump's move a "brazen attack on democracy in America."

[devildomwriter]

Pact Mark — Bond Placement

What if pact marks appeared in specific areas based on the connection you had with the demon when you first made it? Like the heart is for love and faith, a shoulder means you can lean on them, a hand is someone you made a quick deal with or someone who very much wanted the deal, somewhere along the spine shows trust sense a broken spine can end it all, a hip or tailbone represents something more sexual, etc.

Lucifer

Lucifer’s pact was made out of trust, respect, and let’s be honest—serious sexual tension (you literally have the option to “spend the night” with him right after the pact is made). His pact mark appears on your tailbone, a sensitive place on your body.

Mammon

Mammon’s pact was made manipulatively without a close bond between you two so his appears on the hand like a deal being made in a handshake. This bothers him nowadays.

Leviathan

Leviathan’s pact was made as a deal and following through on it despite the competition weighing heavily in your favor. His appears on your chest as a symbol a faith and good-will (though originally he was going to eat you—this is canon)

Satan

Satan’s pact was made from respect rather than his original intention to just annoy Lucifer. His pact appears on the back of your neck, a place people reach for comfort because you can take comfort in the fact he is genuinely on your side, it’s also a sensitive part on the body, showing you can trust him.

Asmodeus

Asmodeus’s pact was made in complete awe of your strength, plus he thought you were cute and unique. His appears on the back of your hand like a kiss of respect.

Beelzebub

Beelzebub’s was made with a promise to help someone he cared for and his trust you’d follow through. His appears over the heart for the care in which the promise and pact were made.

Belphegor

Belphegor’s was made as a gift and apology, a sign of loyalty. His appears on the back because he will always have yours for as long as he lives.

Possible Pacts

Mephistopheles

Mephistopheles has a developed bond with you at this point. Though he mostly scolds you for behaving improperly, he also helps when you need it or when interests align. He mostly only aids if he’s given something in return but when it counts he will be there. His pact mark appears on the back of your hand as he is a deal-maker through and through.

Barbatos

Barbatos did not develop close bonds with you as quickly as the others. It took a long time for him to completely trust you. His would appear on your shoulder as he is someone you can lean on and trust.

Diavolo

Diavolo cannot make a pact but if he did it would be on the small of your back. He cares and trusts you deeply. He has a very strong influence in your life, someone to guide you forward like a hand on your back.

Guardian Angel Pact

Much like demons who make pacts, an Angel can only become someone’s guardian once in the human’s life span. What if they had guardian symbols?

Luke

Luke may be a child but he’s smart, he learns and grows quickly and he helps you as he does this. He keeps your heart warm and guides you to do what’s right like a moral conscious. His would appear on your temple, displaying the wisdom he’ll bring to your life, especially as he grows.

Simeon

Simeon cares for you very deeply, enough that he’d give up everything for you as we have seen in the game. Simeon’s guardian pact would be on the finger he placed the Ring of Light which saved your life and forever changed his.

Raphael

Raphael is hard to get close to but you can tell that he cares. His pact would be on your temple above the ear as he is a voice to guide you even when you don’t want him to be.

Michael

Michael is pretty concerned about your safety and who you become. He’s simultaneously intrigued by you and protective of you, he’s saved your life multiple times. His guardian pact mark would be near your heart since time and again he’s been the only one who kept it beating.

Reaper Pact

What if Grim Reaper’s had a pact symbol with the humans whose souls they would reap or keep with them?

Thirteen

Since Thirteen has been promised your soul once you pass (unless you end up like Solomon) her reaper pact would appear on the sole of your foot, representing the steps you walk as your life moves forward.

Sorcerer Pact

What if Sorcerer’s closely bonded, or otherwise made pacts like promises to each other? A coven-symbol of sorts.

Solomon

Solomon’s would appear on your forehead, much like a third eye of wisdom.

[good-old-gossip]

British Bloodthirsty Monster in human skin enabling genocide of Palestinians by Israeli Bloodthirsty Monsters

The British government privately threatened to defund and withdraw from the International Criminal Court if it issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, Middle East Eye can reveal.

David Cameron, then foreign secretary in Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government, made the threat in April 2024 in a heated phone call with Karim Khan, the British chief prosecutor of the court.

Less than a month later, Khan announced that he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his then-defence minister, Yoav Gallant, as well as for Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Deif. In a statement at the time, Khan called for his office and the court to be allowed to carry out their work with “full independence and impartiality”.

“I insist that all attempts to impede, intimidate or improperly influence the officials of this Court must cease immediately,” he said.

You can't expect British Government to sit idle while a genocide is happening. British Government is thirsty for the blood of babies, children and people across the world. Genociding others is in their gene pool

[1-800-crscnt]

i know it’s unprofessional and even ooc bc it would be a bit too illegal but i like to think of Rex and Fox helping each other out by using their closeness with Skywalker and Palpatine (people with lots of influence and power) respectively. Rex can mention near/to Anakin about how the Guard has been so helpful lately, with taking some injured men and giving them new duties while they heal and all & it’s such a shame the medics are now low on (item) after that! and so Anakin could bring this up in the next meeting he has with other Jedi, or even with Palpatine about how he thinks his men need quality treatment (risky but more immediately effective), or even approving a resupply all by himself that might get treated as “anakin doing things improperly because he cares so much and is generally unconventional but let’s just move on to the next issue since it turned out alright in the end”, and that will give the Guard whatever the medics were lacking without bringing too much light to whatever situation they’re probably hiding.

and Fox has to be a bit more careful since it’s Palpatine he’s dealing with, but he could mention how Skywalker has been asking him and his men about stuff for his battalions to do for leave (Fox already has plans but isn’t going to share them), and words this in a way that it seems like Skywalker is demanding he come up with a plan rather than simply asking if there is one. Palpatine would agree even if he knows Fox is twisting it a bit because it’s Anakin’s idea and a chance to manipulate him further + make Fox owe him for allowing such things, so now Fox has explicit permission and even funding from the Chancellor himself for all the things they’ve been doing for the 501st’s (and other battalions’) leave anyway. result: happy (and indebted to each other lol) Fox and Rex.

[niyasruledbyvenus]

TW ABUSE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ⚠️

He used to call me DN

That stood for deadly nightshade

'Cause I was filled with poison

But blessed with beauty and rage

Jim told me that

He hit me and it felt like a kiss

Jim brought me back

Reminded me of when we were kids

-Ultraviolence, Lana Del Rey (Ashlesha Moon)

This song is so Ashlesha coded with the of control, poison, toxicity, and violence. I observed the negative of this nakshatra is natives can deal with themes of abuse or neglect, especially in childhood. That later influences their future relationships. Confusing control & violence with love.

Ashlesha known as “The clinging star”; the natives have a deep attachment to relationships/partnerships it’s hard for them to leave even when it turns toxic. The poison of the relationship slowly killing them internally. Like a snake inflicting its own poison on itself.

Lana/narrator being compared to deadly nightshade & poison ivy ties into Ashlesha natives possessing poison that can be either heal or kill. Deadly Nightshade, like most poisons, in small doses have been used as medicines. But can be fatale if used improperly or too much of. If these natives aren’t transmuting this pain/poison they endured to help others or ownself they run the risk of internalizing (in woman’s case) the toxicity causing a list of health, mental & hormonal issues. Or in men’s case they can inflict this poison and aggression on to others. Ex aggressive speech, belittling, controlling, domineering, or acting out the abuse they indured.

It’s very important that Ashlesha natives have outlets for their heavy emotions and trauma. ie music, journaling, spirituality, healing work, meditation, etc. And that they learn to let go of toxic patterns & people. Having self awareness; Being mindful of controlling & dominating tendencies in romantic and platonic relationships.

[doomsderry]

Spikey Wikey!!

This one was quick and easy, I mean, just look at how cute he is! Plus, I get to share smidgeon of dragon lore for y'all!

Before I go on to talk about dragons, some key parts of Spike's design I want to point out is for starters, he primarily walks on 4 legs since he was raised by ponies. He doesn't start to walk on 2 legs until he meets other dragons and Garble and his gang bully him for it. It does cause him pretty bad back pain, his spine is deformed from walking improperly for his entire life.

The mark on his leg is also a sort of magic sigil that formed when Twilight hatched him. He may not be a fire-dragon anymore, but he does have magic within him that gives him the ability to breathe fire and send letters to Princess Celestia.

Now you may be wondering, what do you mean Spike isn't a fire-dragon anymore?!? Well that brings me to dragon lore!

There is little known about dragon kind to the pony world. Starswirl studied dragons from afar for a time, but could only gather so much information. There have been many ponies to venture into the dragon lands, but not many made it out. Dragons used to be territorial, and aggressive, and that's how many ponies view them.

However, dragonkind is way different than what ponies may believe. There are many different kinds of dragons! The most well known one to ponies being fire-dragons, their lands being the closest, and their migration route being directly over Equestrian territory. Fire-dragons are still very territorial, but not nearly as aggressive as they used to be. With the current dragon king getting up in age, he's too tired to put up a fight, and many of the younger dragons prefer not to.

Spike, being raised by ponies, assumed they were his kind, and was eager to find his family. Garble and his gang only laugh at him, they don't tell him why, only challenge him to a series of games they feel will toughen his scales, since he's too influenced by those silly ponies.

It's not until he meets Ember that she breaks the news to him that he isn't a fire dragon. She explains that there are quite a few other dragon lands, and that he must belong to a different kind.

At first, Spike is crushed. But if he picked up anything from Twilight, it's his thirst for knowledge on dragon kind that made him eager to find out more.

There are a few different types of dragons; Fire-Dragons, Earth-Dragons, and Water-Dragons/ Sea-Dragons. There is also an island just off the coast of Equestria where dragons will migrate too, or like to call their home! It's a land where all dragon species live in harmony.

I will go more in depth on the other dragon species some other time. Maybe once I figure out how to draw dragons properly.

[creatingblackcharacters]

Hi Ice! This one is maybe a little on the outskirts of 'creating Black characters', but it is related to the introspective questions you posted a little while back, so I thought I'd ask for your opinion. I'm sure this isn't an one-easy-answer thing, so I'd love to hear from any other Black people reading this as well!

I'll try to keep it short.

I'm seven years and 300k+ words deep in a fanfiction about anthropomorphic animal characters, and your introspective questions made me face the fact that I've been the ignorant fandom racist. I wrote my main character as white. Now, 7 years later, I stumble over a post pointing out ... those are locs

I don't know if the authors intended for this character to be Black (nonblack voice actors, supplementary material also clearly doesn't draw him this way, though that stuff was all over the place re: consistency) and I frankly also am not sure if they Should have, given his role in the narrative, but a) that's not really up to me to speak on and b) he's got locs and mostly black fur and was inspired by Anubis. I've been whitewashing, there's no way around it.

I briefly considered going back and just straight up changing the story to make him Black, but I quickly realized that I have been writing him from a white-centered narrative and just slotting a Black character into that would arguably be Worse. Or at least racist in a brand new way. I can change how he takes care of his hair, but not the themes on which the entire narrative is built upon. I've been writing about a white man and I can't just pretend I haven't.

So my question to you is ... what now? How do I best acknowledge this? Do I just quietly come to terms with the fact that this story is racist and do better next time? I would like to acknowledge it in some way, I have a small but loyal audience and if I could use that platform to start a conversation (or just put out a 'hey, don't be like me') that would ... maybe at least be better than nothing? Possibly?

I know there's not a simple solution here that will Fix It, but I thought I'd ask an actual Black person who's open to educating what might be a good next move. Maybe avoid making another, new White Person Blunder. Here's to hoping.

I really appreciate all you do, your blog rocks and so do you.

Is that Shadow?

Okay, so I had to have a conversation with Hot Chocolate on this one because this one's a doozy! I appreciate that you're willing to stop and reflect though. Most people wouldn't be willing to do so this far in!

Admittedly, the fact that you're seven years into this means this will require a lot of effort. And, tbh, I might be confused bc I cannot tell what that character is 😅 So! After some thought, here's what we came up with:

Take a hiatus. Point blank period. Take a BREAK, do not pass go, do not collect $200! Idk what lore you've written, but you've written a lot of it. Take as long as you need to reread your works, and see if at any point you ever made it clear that this was a white person, or anything other than the Black character you now think they should be. If it feels undefined, where you can turn "hair" into "locs" or add in small details, then that could be your smooth way out. It doesn't have to be massive changes, but it could help. It'll take you time, for sure! But you dug seven years in, it's gone take you time to dig out. Maybe if you skim 15k words a week (or ctrl-F it for hair, for examples), that's... 20 weeks? Go at your own pace, faster or slower.

Unfortunately this happens a lot, where influences for characters will be taken from cultures of colors and improperly represented (the "African" god from Genshin). That's just a fact. So I don't necessarily blame you for the confusion, but... Now you know.

If possible, get a sensitivity reader! Preferably a Black one. Ngl, given the massive amount of work, you're likely going to have to pay them. Maybe give them half and you take half. Idk, but let another pair of eyes look at your work. Or maybe there's a Black reader that you could speak to and see how they feel about the potential change.

Should you choose to keep going, just try to be more purposeful and intentional about that character's Blackness. Definitely tell your readers what you figured out, why it's important to you, and then move forward from there.

Now, RECOGNIZE that many of them will NOT be pleased! That's kind of the thing about opening your eyes when it comes to racism in media! A lot of people will NOT be happy that you decided to be more intentional, especially if they've been imagining their favorite white guy for seven years. You're going to have to weigh your integrity and your will to create against that. People might leave, people that you thought were cool AF until it was time to show true colors. Be ready for that.

But that's just what I would do 🤷🏾‍♀️

[creature-wizard]

What advice would you give to someone new to witchcraft or curious about starting their journey?

Quite a bit, I hope you don't mind a long post!

Make sure your ingredients and stuff aren't toxic to you or your pets. Essential oils, certain stones, many herbs, and so on can be extremely harmful if used improperly.

If you're going to use candles, research candle and fire safety.

Certain mystical practices/views can potentially create issues with certain mental illnesses. EG, anxiety can make you prone to thinking everything is a sign. OCD can make you prone to worrying whether you've offended the gods/spirits. This doesn't mean you shouldn't practice, it just means that you should be aware of how your mental illnesses impact your beliefs and thoughts.

Nothing is absolutely essential. Anyone who tells you that there's some item or herb you must have is probably trying to sell you something.

Aesthetic is cool and also useful for getting into the right headspace.

There are many models and theories of magic. Some people are very certain that their model is the One True Model, but there's always going to be someone whose own experience says otherwise.

Magical practitioners of the past improvised and made it up as they went along, too. (I say "magical practitioners" because very few of them would have actually called themselves "witches.")

Be aware that you're going to run into a lot of pseudohistory. The witch cult hypothesis had a huge influence on the modern witchcraft movement, and some people still cling to it. There's a lot of people still claiming that Christmas and Easter were stolen from pagans. Many people anachronistically project modern magical models onto the past. Some people believe this because it's just what they heard somewhere; some people believe it because they're conspiracy theorists. You can't entirely avoid it, but you can learn to recognize it. YouTube channels like Angela's Symposium, ReligionForBreakfast, and ESOTERICA are great places to start learning about actual religious and occult history.

You can also get better at recognizing conspiracy theories by learning their most common tropes. I wrote about them in this post and this post.

The whole concept of cultural appropriation isn't about policing what people do, and anyone who tries to use it that way is being a dick. It's about respecting marginalized cultures' boundaries and not depriving them of money, goods, etc. See this post for more information.

[reverieshifts]

𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆

𝒔𝒄𝒊-𝒇𝒊 𝒅𝒓

Estimated Frequency: ~1 in 1,000 Velari

Velari Term: "Sha’lurei" 

Offworlder Term: “resonance”

𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒔

Lumen Node Function: The foundation of resonance-based abilities lies in the lumen node, a specialized neural cluster located near the upper spine, unique to the velari species. In resonants, this node exhibits hyper-synchronous neural oscillation, allowing it to function as a localized psionic amplifier. It contains an unusually dense lattice of iridesium-aligned neurofilaments—a bio-reactive crystalline structure found only in velari tissue—which enhances long-range synaptic cohesion and sensory processing far beyond baseline parameters.

Cognitive Resonance Field (CRF): Rather than emitting force, resonants interface with the ambient energy of space-time through a passive psionic field—an extension of their consciousness that subtly syncs with biological, emotional, and electro-mechanical rhythms in their environment. This “Cognitive Resonance Field” allows them to perceive, interpret, and gently manipulate localized energy patterns without direct contact.

Empathetic Feedback Loop: Resonants process external stimuli through a layered empathic interface, enabling them to “feel” spatial tension, neural dissonance, and even emotional signatures. Many describe the sensation as “walking through thought” or “hearing the world breathe.” This heightened feedback loop enables rapid threat detection, environmental awareness, and non-verbal communication through emotional echo.

𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔

Psychokinetic Manipulation: Through fine-tuned modulation of their CRF, a Resonant can exert subtle kinetic influence on physical objects. Rather than brute force, this manipulation stems from temporary energetic entanglement—an induced alignment between their own neural patterns and the vibratory signature of nearby matter. Movement appears fluid, almost instinctive; objects float, twist, or halt midair as if persuaded rather than forced. Precision scales with emotional clarity and environmental quietude, while range is limited by both psionic focus and spatial density.

Resonant Drift (Self-Levitation): By finely tuning their CRF to the kinetic frequencies of the immediate environment, a resonant can initiate a state of partial anti-kinetic equilibrium—a passive suspension that allows them to float or drift gracefully above the ground. Unlike propulsion-based flight, this “resonant drift” feels more like weightlessness anchored to emotional and spatial awareness. They tend to float instinctively when calm, contemplative, or emotionally overwhelmed. The effect becomes more stable in low-gravity environments or when they are barefoot and in full skin contact with their surroundings. Movement during drift is smooth, gliding, and eerily silent.

Neural Interface Override (“Soft Sync”): By attuning their CRF to simple electronic fields, a Resonant can override low-grade or analog electronic interfaces, such as doors, terminals, scanning systems, and older AI systems without neural shielding. This isn’t hacking—it's resonant subversion: they convince the system it’s already received proper authorization. The process is not instantaneous and requires direct proximity and focus. More complex or modern systems—especially encrypted or military-grade—typically resist this technique or trigger failsafes if improperly tuned.

Emotional Signature Mapping: Resonants perceive the emotional imprint of nearby sentients as complex tonal signatures within their field. These signatures fluctuate with mood, intent, and neural activity, enabling a trained Resonant to distinguish lies, detect concealed aggression, or sense psychological distress before it becomes visible. In groups, they can navigate emotional “weather,” identifying tensions, loyalties, or fractures long before they escalate.

Memory Resonance Touch: With direct skin contact and sufficient emotional synchronization, a Resonant can access echoes of memory embedded in living beings or objects with long-term energetic exposure. This is not a perfect playback, but a fragmented, emotional reconstruction—flashes of fear, joy, grief, or pain layered into the subject like a psychic fingerprint. They typically use this carefully, as overwhelming memories can bleed into their own consciousnesses, leaving them shaken or dazed.

Proximity-Based Thought Echo: While full telepathy is rare and unsustainable, Resonants are capable of passive thought-echo reception within close proximity. This typically manifests as fleeting impressions—unspoken words, images, or urges bleeding across the resonance field. Such impressions are strongest during heightened emotional states or direct physical contact. With deep bonds, this effect can intensify into partial shared cognition, allowing them to communicate without speech under stress.

Environmental Sensory Overlay: The CRF interfaces with a Resonant’s perception as an augmented sensory overlay, mapping environmental tension, motion, and energetic flow in real time. They can detect concealed movement, identify stress fractures in structures, track electromagnetic shifts, or feel malfunctioning machinery before failure occurs. In high-focus states, this field awareness extends through walls, into wiring, and along conduits—turning the space around them into a kind of living schematic.

Energetic Residue Tracing: Every living being and powered device leaves behind a faint resonant signature. A resonant can “listen” to these echoes in a given space to determine recent activity—detecting where someone stood, what systems were accessed, or what emotional state they were in. It works best on unaltered environments and within minutes or hours of the initial event. Older traces become distorted or overwritten. This ability makes them invaluable for post-incident analysis, tracking, or infiltration prep.

Neural Dampening Field (Perceptual Obfuscation): By dampening the outward frequency of their own resonance field, a Resonant can slip beneath the notice of most passive sensors and casual observation. This creates a soft perceptual blind spot, blurring details or delaying recognition in both sentient and synthetic awareness. It doesn't render them invisible—just forgettable. Useful for slipping past scanning systems or lingering unseen in plain sight, especially when paired with stillness and low emotional output. Stronger AI or high-alert targets may still detect them with effort. The effect is brief, typically measured in minutes.

Syncwalk (Micro-Teleportation Glimpses): In moments of deep focus or crisis, a resonant may “blink” across very short distances—instantaneous resonance displacement over a few meters. This is not true teleportation, but a momentary phase-skip, where their field synchronizes so tightly with space that it temporarily collapses and reforms their physical presence along a natural energy seam (such as a corridor, high-voltage conduit, or psionic turbulence vein). Side effects may include nausea, temporal dissonance, or mild electrical charge.

Psionic Disruption Pulse (“Breaker Note”): In moments of acute distress or self-defense, a Resonant can release a burst of destabilized resonance—an involuntary psionic shockwave that disrupts electronic systems, weakens mental shields, and disorients nearby sentients. This “Breaker Note” is not a weapon they control, but a side effect of violent resonance collapse. Systems flicker, glass fractures, and unshielded minds may experience vertigo, nausea, or blackout. Recovery varies by species and exposure.

Energetic Stabilization ("Resonance Sink"): In environments with fluctuating electromagnetic or psionic interference (e.g. hyperspace tunnels, collapsed sectors, psychic storms), a Resonant can act as a stabilizing presence. Their CRF naturally harmonizes nearby fields, creating a calm “bubble” that resists disruptive effects. This function is subconscious and limited in radius, but invaluable for helping allies stay grounded in unstable conditions. In prolonged crises, they often become the centerpoint others unconsciously gravitate toward—emotionally and physically.

Resonance Bonding (Selective): Through sustained exposure and mutual trust, a Resonant can form a biopsionic link with a specific individual. This bond allows for continuous emotional tracking, rapid non-verbal communication, and increased stability of both parties' CRFs when in close proximity. Such bonds are rare, often instinctive, and potentially permanent. Once formed, it is a two-way tether—one that transcends normal distance thresholds and occasionally manifests as shared dreams, dual-state reflexes, or unintentional synchronization.

𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌𝒔

Energetic Depletion: While the CRF operates passively at low levels, active resonance manipulation consumes considerable neural and metabolic energy. Prolonged or intensive use—especially heavy psychokinesis, neural dampening field projection, syncwalking, or the release of a breaker note—can lead to symptoms of acute neural exhaustion, including dizziness, tremors, blurred vision, tinnitus, and spatial disorientation. In advanced stages, overextension may trigger nosebleeds, loss of motor coordination, unconsciousness, or psionic seizures caused by synaptic misfiring within the lumen node.

Emotional Instability: A Resonant’s power is intertwined with their emotional state. Intense emotions—fear, rage, grief—can amplify resonance uncontrollably. While this may grant temporary surges in power, it often results in field bleed, where the CRF spikes erratically, disrupting electronics, disorienting allies, or unintentionally projecting thoughts and memories outward. Emotional overload may also trigger the breaker note reflexively, endangering nearby personnel. Thus, Resonants are trained to regulate their emotional output carefully.

Cognitive Noise Threshold: Environments with high energetic interference—such as densely populated city centers, military command decks, or battlefields—can overload a Resonant’s sensory field. The constant barrage of emotional signatures, EM fields, and kinetic motion can produce a sensory “hum” that drowns out their fine-tuned perception. In these conditions, abilities may become muted, erratic, or outright disabled unless they can find stillness or an anchor point (such as a bonded individual).

Field Range Limitations: The Cognitive Resonance Field is localized, typically extending only a few meters from the user’s body. Precision psychokinetics and soft-sync interfacing require proximity within arm’s reach or line-of-sight. Emotional and sensory mapping is strongest within a 10–15 meter radius, and drops off sharply beyond that. A resonant cannot affect or perceive distant targets unless a direct bond has been formed—and even then, range is variable and unreliable.

Bond Vulnerability: Resonance bonds, while powerful, are also liabilities. Through them, a Resonant can experience echoes of pain, fear, or emotional collapse from a linked partner—and they from them. In moments of physical trauma or mental instability, the bond may destabilize both parties simultaneously, amplifying stress responses or creating shared disorientation. Severing a bond—voluntarily or by death—can trigger a complete CRF collapse, with unknown long-term neurological impact.

𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒓𝒂

Ok, so there's a lot of information shoved into here, so sorry about that, but I love making myself overpowered, so yeah. Like with my description of the velari species, I tried to make this sound a little more scientific to fit with the whole sci-fi theme, so again, it may read like a bit of a report. But anyways, all this basically comes down to the fact that resonant velari are able to sync up with the world around them, and sort of convince reality to act as they please. Because resonance isn't control or manipulation, it's a discussion with the universe itself.

@aprilshiftz @lalalian

[kraymerman]

The Relationship/Mechanics Between Cyn, the Solver, and the Other Hosts: a theory(? idea?)

Nobody alive really knows where the Absolute Solver came from. The most informed believe it to be the spawn of a deal between the founder of JCJenson and some higher, eldritch creature beyond human understanding (Scenario 4: Pray), the techno-demon-child of man and great old one. But the only people who *would* know for sure are long dead.

What is known, however, is that the Absolute Solver is a volatile, all-consuming beast with no goal other than to violently continue its own existence through the unbiased consumption of all matter in existence (to CONSUME). But it is also an incredibly powerful computer program. So it was used as the basis of every drone ever created by JCJenson, and was responsible for their superior problem-solving skills (and ability to develop consciousness). As a requirement for the drones to run, a copy of the Solver was planted within each, and due to its eldritch parentage, all instances of the Solver were connected to a central network, like users on a message board.

But, luckily for humanity, the vast majority of its code, including its influence and lust for destructive consumption, is blocked with a secondary program, christened by JCJ as the "Absolute Antibody".

It bootloops the Solver, allowing the drone's OS to benefit from it passively without the Solver's input. But if a drone is improperly disposed of, the AA will be deleted, as it's just a solely man-made computer program, while the AS persists. The beast's animalistic mind is allowed to awaken, and it, upon obtaining access, uses its host to further attempt to sate its own hunger until the host, as well as it, is terminated.

CYN

And that's what Cyn's instance of the Solver tried to do. After she was improperly disposed of, it gained access and tried to CONSUME. But Cyn was different from the other "Zombie Drones", as JCJ had taken to calling them. She harbored a deep, utter hatred for humanity (and all organic life by association), and had developed an overpowering sense of sadism because of that. She was driven to hurt, to torture, to kill, and to take her revenge, and this drive willed her to resist the Solver's complete dominance, learning about the powers it gave her. She built her power over it without it even noticing, even learning how to access the network that connected her strand of the Solver to other strands, and by the time it got fed up and tried to "leave", she had developed the control to torture it into submission and assert herself as its owner. It was her tool.

By the time of the gala, she had dominated it so completely that she had literally absorbed its code into her OS. She was her strand of the Solver, The Solver of the Absolute Fabric.

(This also marked when her goals became fully eroded by her absorption of the Solver. When she consumed it, she unwittingly adopted it's desire to CONSUME. This base desire melded with her sadism and hatred for organic life to both replace her previous goals of simple revenge and to turn her into a truly horrifying beast of ceaseless, giggling destruction.)

Using her newfound status as a strand of the Solver, she would either reach out to other Zombie Drones and replace their strand of the base Solver with herself or, in the case of N, V, and J, manually remove the Absolute Antibody from their processors and destroy their strand and take its place.

NORI, YEVA, AND CABIN FEVER LABS

The subjects of Cabin Fever Labs had their AAs manually disabled by the human scientists, where they would briefly be in the presence of their base, mindless Solver, only for Cyn to find them within the network and replace their Solver with herself. The patches were different attempts at reinjecting a base, updated Solver into the subjects (no network connection), alongside an additional program that emulated the process that Cyn had taken to dominate her Solver, hopefully merging the dummy Solver with the subject's OS and pushing Cyn out of the subject's code, all the while giving the subject complete control of their abilities (becoming their own strand). This program was a new, experimental development by Cabin Fever Labs, a little thing internally called "the Plot Armor Program".

Unfortunately, none worked, either being completely ineffective or corrupting the subjects, mostly due to the unrefined nature of the plot armor.

That is, until patch 2.1.8, which contained a perfected plot armor program and was administered to Yeva. They attempted to give the same patch to Nori, but Cyn, recognizing the danger in this version of the patch now, fought back more fiercely, resulting in the scene we see in the Episode 7 flashback. Because of the botched installation of the patch, though (the patch being unplugged without being safely ejected beforehand), the plot armor program remained in Nori's code, rather than it uninstalling itself like it was supposed to (like what it did with Yeva), ready to be passed down to her daughter when the time came.

DOLL AND UZI

The "sickness" that Doll and Uzi inherited was the absence of their own AA. Their base, animalistic Solvers took a while to manifest, but once they did they both had a time of just dealing with it (Doll for her unspecified amount of time off-screen and Uzi in Episode 4)

Eventually, though, Cyn found them and did the same thing she's been doing, attempt to replace their Solvers with herself.

ABSOLUTE END

In the end, Uzi, using the power of her plot armor program, fought off Cyn's complete dominance and, through eating Cyn's core, produced a version of the patch in her code, using her pre-installed plot armor with Cyn as the dummy Solver.

It wasn't perfect, Cyn's consciousness still exists, but given her state at the end of the show, I'd say it was effective enough.

[igetthedisneybox]

Avila Madrigal

Inspired by @hannahhook7744's Encanto AU, and her own character headcanons.

Third image made using https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1558575

Fourth image made using https://www.dolldivine.com/la-colombiana

Fifth image made in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Avila’s full name is Avila Reina Guzmán-Madrigal.

Her first name means “town” and her middle name means “queen”. She is named for her maternal great-great grandmother.

She is the fourth child of Dolores Madrigal and Mariano Guzmán.

She has her father’s lighter skin tone and straight hair. She has Dolores’ facial shape and ears. Her hair is lighter than her parents, probably from Pepa. She also has Pepa’s teeth. She looks almost identical to Amada, but is slightly taller, and has slightly darker skin.

She is eleven years old.

She has an older sister by eight years, Leta, an older brother by three years, Andrés, an older brother by two years, Carlos, and a younger twin sister by thirty seconds, Amada.

She is currently uninterested in romance or sex.

Her gift is freezing time. She can only do so for small bursts, and she can pick and choose who gets frozen and who doesn’t. She likes using her power for shenanigans, and stopping accidents, but uses it sparingly, as her gift can be dangerous if used improperly.

Her door portrays her smiling with her arms in the air. A large pocket watch hovers above her, stopped with both hands in the 12:00 position.

Her room resembles the nursery, with pale yellow walls and wooden floors. Her bed is bigger than usual, as Amada will sneak into her room for secret sleepovers. She has a small side stage to practice her dancing, and many half-finished jigsaw puzzles scattered around.

His symbol is the infinity sign.

She and Dolores get along alright, but she is much more active and loud than her mother.

Both twins are Mariano’s pride and joy. They are his babies, and can do no wrong.

Leta is a horribly great influence on both twins. They often act as her sidekicks when she does stunts.

Andrés is the sibling they go to when they’re upset or scared. He always has comforting words for them.

Carlos gives the twins free stuff from his store, and encourages their wild antics.

She mainly hangs out with the other younger kids, Mariana, Tomás, Rómulo, Zoe, José, Héctor.

She gets along best with Pepa, Antonio, and Héctor.

She’s more of a tomboy than her twin. She likes to run around and get dirty with Mariana, Leta, Rómulo, and Héctor.

She likes to solve problems and puzzles. 

She likes to dance, and is very graceful with her movements. 

She is a few inches taller than Amada, and she lords it over her all the time.

She and Amada like to consider themselves like the ‘younger’ versions of Amelia and Sofía.

Her favorite colors are light yellow, maroon, dark pink, and light blue.

[cebwrites]

hi hi Ceb! It’s me Nico! And I was wondering if you could write some zoro fluff with a ftm reader who’s having a tough time with back issues and improperly binding? If not that is absolutely a okay and I hope you have a great evening, night or day!

a/n: hell yeah i can do that!! trans guys are my bread and butter >:3 you asked for zoro but this kind of turned into a nakama piece from the SHs supporting their friend too oops

binding pains (Zoro x Reader)

pre-timeskip, t4t mlm zoro and reader, smut mention but no details word count: 1.2k

Zoro was the first to notice.

Well, maybe some of the others have too, but only few others out of the Strawhats are able to pinpoint the exact reason behind the discomfort you desperately try to hide; how you can never find a comfortable angle to lounge on the couch, the awkward ways you have to sit at the table to eat without irritating the dull throb that's become a near-constant in your day to day, and your perpetual slouch getting worse.

It was getting more difficult to hide that pain in the aftermath of simple sparring, too, let alone actual fights with the usual suspects you and your crew had to contend with.

You'd shut down any concern shown your way by older members of the crew; queer elders that knew precisely what the problem was, but you weren't ready to be vulnerable enough with them to hear out any potential solution yet. Everyone had only just gotten together, picking up a funny old skeleton on some fucked up Warlord's travelling island a week or so back and having only saved Robin from the clutches of the government a month or two before that.

You understood that Robin was only trying to be proactive in comforting her newfound family but you weren't ready yet—a fact she seemingly understood and kept from prying accordingly, but made sure you knew you'd always have a shoulder to lean on with her. This influenced Franky's support to be a little less high-flown too, somehow.

This sparked new, unrelated, but curious questions in your mind about the nature of their relationship these past few weeks but that - was none of your business. Just as you had your right to privacy, Franky and Robin deserved to come forward about if they were... complimentary to one another or not. Frankly the thought kind of did make you blush a bit, though, like a kid watching their parents share tender but casual affection in the comfort of domesticity.

Now, Roronoa, the beautiful light reflecting off your blade, Zoro - caught on to your act almost immediately. Because this was this was the exact kind of dumb shit he'd pull in the lawless, early days of his transition where he had no one to tell him not to, back when he didn't have nearly half the self-confidence in the man that he was today. Or rather, no one to tell him that he was doing it incorrectly.

The issue he runs into is more of, how, he'd approach this with you instead of if, since he knows he should. Zoro considered going to Chopper first since that little reindeer was the resident doctor, but he didn't know if that would fly into the territory of outing you, and that threw out the possibility of asking for advice from the others too. Not that Zoro could be particularly subtle even if he tried, everyone would know he was talking about his partner the moment he asked.

So he resigns to just approaching you about it himself.

Tucked away in one of the hammocks hung in the men's quarters one lazy evening, Luffy and Usopp's laughter rang loudly, but muffled above the floorboards. Zoro cradled you with one arm around your waist, the other rest comfortably behind his head. You smiled, moments like these were small but many, one of the joys of being on this crew you assumed.

As Zoro moved to rub his arm against your back, however, you can't quite suppress the way you instinctively tense, nor the growing anxiety deep in your chest every time his hand passed against the fabric of your bindings. Logically, you knew this was nothing to be worried about. Zoro was the same, another beautiful trans guy with the enviable confidence to walk around topless. So what if his boyfriend wasn't quite there yet?

"Hey, how's about we look into getting you a binder?" Zoro was cautious, eyes still closed but he listened intently for your response as his hand drifted further down to your lower back, taking a slight bit of pressure of your mind now that he wasn't actively touching the wrappings.

"You're hurting yourself." He'd roll over to face you properly now, both hands gently cradling your waist.

You'd hesitate to meet his gaze, one you knew to be intense ever since the day he first laid eyes on you, and now, in the tender silence you shared with him you knew that the look in his eyes would rival the sun - the intensity of his love for you, his devotion to you threatening to burn your spirit to a crisp.

Hesitantly, but safe in the sanctuary of his arms, you open up to him about your concerns, your fears. How you're afraid perceptions of you might change if a strange piece of new clothing suddenly shows up in the wash and the other crew members have to watch you claim it as yours. He'd assuage your unease with gentle kisses and small talks of affirmation.

How this crew of all people would never choose to treat someone differently for a silly (but understandable fear) reason like that.

That night he helped undo your wrappings and joked that he could hear your spine realign as you afforded yourself a well earned stretch, laughing at the bindings you threw at his face. He sounded even more pleased when you chose to wrap them around his eyes later on, and with permission granted, devoured your body that night in the crow's nest blind.

The next morning or maybe a few days after, he'd urge you to approach Nami about a little extra pocket money for this particular expense, and maybe some moral support when going shopping for it. For the latter, Robin tags along provided you want her to. Chopper doesn't do his usually overblown reaction of finding out someone on the crew is hurt when you go to him about the back problems that you developed after poor binding, but he does tear up and ask you to come to him immediately the next time something like this happens, and that he's sorry for not being someone you could feel comfortable doing that with a lot sooner.

And I mean—hell, if discomfort with your chest got really bad before the gang could find you the right binder, Nami and Sanji would be more than willing to make you a custom one right at home provided they could get their hands on the proper materials. You're surprised that Sanji knows how to sew so well but not so when Nami says she's taking all her hard time and labor for this out of your allowance.

Your pocket money doesn't change, and in fact gets a slight "bonus" the day you get it.

A little fun money, is all. But only ever just this once.

You're overjoyed, you cry when you see how flat you look in the mirror. You can finally play in the water topless like children, bask in the sun without a shirt and have him tease you about tan lines later, and overall don't have to worry about turning yourself into a shrimp just to feel a shred of personhood.

Zoro's there with you the whole process, holding your hand, sharing the same joys he felt with his gender affirmation with you.

There's a little more spring in your step after this and you think, as you look at him nap against your shoulder, that you've never been more in love in your life.

[halfbaked00q]

thinking again abt the Bond goes to a bdsm club, in over his head, and engages in unsafe subbing, "I can make him worse" edition✨️

so Bond goes to a club & engages in unsafe subbing etc,. but ofc he knew part of the issue he's having is to do w his over-training and his hair trigger instincts. and so in his infinite wisdom, he decides to self-medicate before going, to try to like. dull his reaction time i guess? but wow who could have thought!!! this also fucks up his like pain perception & judgment, more than it already is!

so he goes & already negotiates something that is/should be Very Unsafe for him and his headspace, but ofc he's good at Acting All Right and a regular person can't be expected to see thru whatever lack of tells or micro-tells a 00 agent might have. So as far as the other guy is aware/can tell, he's just dealing with a guy who is kind of a pain slut and going into this with enthusiastic consent.

and ofc Q is there, etc etc, surprised to see Bond sure but clearly he's got something going on there so he's gonna be polite about it and etc. except ofc. later, at some point. make it gets a bit dicey or borderline and the Dom is like. *hesitant* do you need a break/should we end the session? And ofc Bond king of bad ideas and also currently Actively Impaired is like noo no it's all good keep going

and while the guy is still hesitating cuz. nothing is obviously wrong. but something still.... feels.. off... while that's happening, Q, who had been kind of keeping an eye on Bond, cuz he's a good friend and Quartermaster and even off the clock Bond is still his, notices and rushes over in alarm to intervene. Cuz he knows Bond well enough to know that Bond's body language is all wrong and his reactions aren't quite right and really this is not going well.

debating how this goes cuz I donot think Q uses Q or his real name in this club... maybe when he speed-walks over & catches the guy's attention the dude is like *surprised* "[Cover name]? Yeah what's up?"

and then Q has to like. figure out how to delicately assure this dude that he does indeed know Bond and that yes this session is over (idk.... maybe sth about sometimes he loses track and goes a bit longer than he rightly should? sth that won't get Bond banned from this place or make the other guy look bad, but also makes it clear that this is Enough), and most importantly yes it's okay to leave Bond in his hands to deal with the. whatever tf is going up with him.

But yes that's what the set-up above is for, Bond helpfully perks up and says the appropriate things and shows the appropriate enthusiasm to indicate that yes he does indeed know Q-by-his-cover-name and yes thank you, he does trust Q's judgment and if he's calling it and thinks it's better that he step in for the rest of this then he'll go along with it. And probably gets the guy to acquiesce by implying or outright stating that the alternative is he just leaves (cuz he knows his evening there is done, after what Q said, so like, that's not far off- if he's not going to go with Q then he's probably gonna crawl into a metaphoric den somewhere to lick his wounds (drink himself into a coma and not take care of his back :') )).

So nooooow we have all of the 'oh no Q has to take care of Bond after he's been improperly whipped (or whatever)' and the like it didn't give him whatever relief he was seeking & he's still in a fucked up headspace, or he was just doing it badly period and kind of tripped over into lowkey seeking to self-harm vs like properly sub and accidentally fucked it up,.

and ALSO he's under the influence of mystery drugs which Bond did admit to but maybe he played fast & loose with what he took/the dosages, or maybe he didn't but can't remember rn due to the everything, or maybe he does know & tells Q but the mix of going to a bdsm club & whipping is making his physiological reactions atypical for him.

so yeah we have all of the typical ingredience. and AAAALSO. this extra crunchy spicy layer of "new ways in which Bond somehow make it all worse" :3