#neut answers

[neutronstarchild]

are you supported writers in ao3 against a.i. thieves ?

I did not realize my stance on this issue was super hard to figure out (hint: it's not. I'm against AI and have said so, so this ask seems to be about signaling rather than a sincere request).

Right now A.I. is not intelligent. It is ingesting the unprecedented amounts of data that human beings have created. This is the first time in history that statistics could be applied to such enormous language training sets (can you imagine trying to enter the data onto a computer back in the day when computers were terminals?)

That means that right now, it is taking as much human created data as it can to try to spit out things that are similar but not identical to what it ingested. It's why AI is extremely well-versed in the Omegaverse, because it's been scraping fanfic archives (and everything else, including a LOT of stealing intellectual property that could lead to lawsuits).

So someone coming to an unfinished story, copying it into some AI bot and then saying "give me an ending" even if they have no intention of publishing it is stealing, because it's giving new intellectual property to the A.I. language set to use to more efficiently parrot things back.

Don't buy into the hype that we are three steps away from self-awareness. A.I. can only give us a guessed model of things that it ate (kind of like when I fit a line through lots of datapoints!), often illegally. It's very good at plagiarizing and lying.

So please stop sending me asks about whether I will stand up and say (AGAIN) that of-fucking-course I support AO3 writers against thieves coming in and stealing their stories and feeding ever more into the plagiarism machine.

What else am I doing about it? Well, I reupped my membership to OTW, so that I can voice these serious concerns to the board as they sit with the reality of A.I. and what the unscrupulous are doing with that A.I. AO3 is an archive designed for people to look at things that they loved and closed their eyes and imagined what (and who) their favorite characters could be doing, then sat down at their computers or with their notebooks and actually put to words (or art) those things to share with the rest of us.

So... do you want to know what to do since your favorite story ever ended on a cliffhanger and it's driving you nuts because you want to "know the ending?" Here are some non-A.I. things you can do!

Comment on that fic, explaining why it is your favorite and how it makes you feel (though avoid "when is the next chapter?" comments, they can make the muse go back into its cave to hide).

Make some fandom friends. especially ones that love said story as much as you do, and roleplay an ending privately in a Discord server with those friends. The reason that putting a story into ChatGPT and then finishing it is ucky is because ChatGPT remembers and steals that input.

Ask yourself why you loved that thing so much. Is it because it is a clever trope perhaps? Or the premise is delicious? Well then, sit down and open a document (or notebook) and write your own version, then use AO3's Inspired By to credit the original story. Why is this different than A.I.? Because it's connections you yourself are making, instead of parroting out plagiarism.

Go onto your fandom social media account and say something about how much that unfinished story means to you and why, because you never know if there's a writer out there who just needs that tiny little push to finish.

And when can we think about all this generative A.I. stuff and use it? Well, once policies are in place for transparency in what is in the training set. Ways to opt out your creations (this includes retroactively). Right now the tech bros are running away as fast as they can with the stolen treasure chest and hoping they run far enough that governments throw up their hands and don't tell them to return what they stole. Don't let them do that.

So, there you have it.

I support writers against content thieves throwing their work into A.I., and now you even have a handy-dandy little list of things you can do if you are hungry for the end of the story that does not involve plagiarizing and stealing!

[fawn-eyed-girl]

🧃

📚

🌿

from the Truth or Dare ask game! And 📚 can be fandom/fic related things instead of general ♥️

Hello there my dear @neutronstarchild! Thank you for the ask, and apologies for the delay in responding! I feel like I'm doing everything at a snail's pace these days...

Let's see....

🧃 ⇢ share some personal lore you never posted about before

Um, I'm a bit of a...collector 🫣 Luckily not a hoarder, since I will get rid of things that I collect occasionally, but I definitely like to hold onto a LOT. Those of you who know what my offices look like know this is true 😅 (I have a few special edition Nedoroids -- two Hinata, a Kageyama, and a Bokuto -- that are my pride and joy)

📚 ⇢ what's the last thing you wrote down in your notes app? 

I don't really use my Notes app, so the last thing I did with it was back in Nov. 2023, when I made a to-do list. It's not terribly interesting, I know!

🌿 ⇢ give some advice on writer's block and low creativity

This is a GREAT one. I'll try to do my best:

I think that, oftentimes, with writer's block and low creativity, we're more burned out than anything else? Like our minds are so full, we can't possibly think about the act of creation. It's too much, it takes too much out of us. So in those moments, it's definitely important to breathe and to give yourself the space to heal so your mind can work properly again.

For low creativity, generally I do one of two things:

I look for prompts (usually on Tumblr) and try to find something that inspires me. I just wrote a BokuAka fic based on one that I saw, and it came out quickly and easily!

My brain is a stubborn bean who really just wants to do what it wants to do. So in that case, I try to let it. If I have a deadline, but my brain is working in another direction, I give it the space to do so. Then, usually, I'm able to return to the thing I need to do.

I talk to other people about my ideas! Sometimes, I'm feeling really stuck about what to do, so I will pitch it to a friend. In talking things out, I start to get a sense for what I need to do.

I ask someone to read what I have thus far, with some specific questions in mind. Sometimes, that discussion also helps ignite the creative juices. If someone feels like it's working, then that usually gives me the confidence to keep going.

From the Truth or Dare Writer Ask Game!

[anton-exe]

Yknow it was kinda predictable that you'd get tired of the siffrigations with what happened with the nyallegations /nm /lh

­

[ordowrites]

calla lilies II

cw (gen): mentions of domestic violence (not between reader and kaeya), slow burn, friends to strangers to lovers, canon typical violence, reader is not the traveler, reader has an Electro Vision, the Traveler is mentioned to be Lumine, slight plot deviation from the game, afab reader (but try to keep gen. neut. terminology), reader is given the nickname 'Peaches'.

cw (current): some swearing.

wc: 2340

summary: when you were a teenager, you and your mother moved away from mondstadt for reasons you will never tell, and you barely had time to say goodbye to your closest childhood friend. however, the wind always leads you back - when your current job goes awry, you find yourself having to unravel secrets of your childhood and coming to terms with heartbreak of the past.

Previous - (Current) - Next

"Hello, ghost face." is how he had greeted you the moment you walked into his office with Lawrence at your side, as if he hadn't just been told some incredibly important news. But perhaps that's just how he's always been, brushing aside important information to get the minor stuff out of the way (your presence here) first. Perhaps he just dislikes not being given the context to information bombs, you don't know. But you stare at him as if you're witnessing a poltergeist in real time - he's changed, somehow. Certainly his state of dress is different, certainly not the same as the young, shy, and slightly conservative boy you knew all those years ago.

And also

Captain.

"Please close your mouth, we do not want you swallowing bugs and then having to bring you to the sisters." Kaeya says, and you shake your head, forcing yourself to focus.

"My apologies, Captain Kaeya," you say, though you're not sure why you're apologizing to him. "I was tasked with guarding a merchant from Fontaine, and it seems he has gone missing since I allowed him alone to check out Angel's Share." You say and hesitate, his gaze is heavy. It always has been, like he's thinking - always thinking. Never planning, just thinking, somewhere in a different world. "I have been told there is a current curfew in place and am requesting to be given leniency so I can check outside the gates for him."

You watch as Kaeya - Captain Kaeya - shuffle through stacks of documents, a pensive frown on his face and your heart pounds in your chest. Did you two sign the guest list? You're certain you did, but perhaps it slipped your mind in an act of carelessness. You were anxious to just get your shift over with.

"I see you two signed in," Captain Kaeya says as he holds up a form in one hand. "May I ask how you are able to lose an adult man in a span of a few hours?"

You feel your face heat up. "Why are we asking questions like this in an emergency?"

"My apologies, but I must cover all my bases." he answers, shifting slightly. "He could be drunkenly wandering around Mondstadt Proper, you know."

You draw in a deep breath. You know this is his job, but the irritation still sits with you. "I checked, and I am requesting to see if he maybe drunkenly wandered off. We are on a time limit here, Captain."

"And I'm just trying to do my job." Kaeya retorts, just as sharply. You inwardly flinch. "I'm sorry, but I cannot bend the rules for anyone. Even Master Diluc has to go through the steps too."

Master Diluc? You wonder when he started to refer to him as such.

"If he is still in the city, perhaps I can catch him and join him. Is he not of the Knights?"

"No." Kaeya answers, briskly and simply. Unintentionally rude, but blunt enough to get the point across. You wince. "I will come get you, personally, if there's been any movement. For now, go to your hotel and rest."

The first twenty-four hours are important in a missing person's case, and you can't sleep that well that night. The next morning, you head to the Adventurer's Guild in Mondstadt - a quaint little office in comparison to Fontaine's large one - to see if Kathryne had seen Anatole at all. She claims she hasn't, and you can't say nor do much about that. She tells you she sent a message to the Dawn Winery about his disappearance.

"Any news?"

"Peaches, I just got into the office." Kaeya tells you, sounding a bit tired. "If you give me a single moment to at least look at all my reports, I will let you know." You frown at him and he frowns back. "Listen, it's been quite some time since you've come back to Mondstadt, why don't you go and say hello to Master Diluc? I'm sure he misses you."

"I don't have time to socialize." You tell him, urgently. "I need to find the man who is paying me to guard him while he's here in Mondstadt and on our way back to Fontaine."

Now that you think about it, it is morning - you are more than capable of going out and searching on your own. But you're not sure where to start.

"He could have gotten drunk and gone home with some lovely lady from a tavern." Kaeya says. That makes your frown deepen. "It appears I only ever say wrong things these days. Tell me, what is it now?"

"He is a family man." You tell him. "He would never cheat on his wife."

Kaeya lets out a breath through his nose. "Okay." He says, after a moment. He's shuffling through all the reports and other papers on his desk, a pensive look on his face. "There's nothing here that mentions him." Kaeya rubs his forehead. "Let's head out to the Winery, alright? Maybe he headed out there without saying anything. Don't jump to the worst conclusions, panic makes you overlook the details."

"Fine." You agree. "I'll head out there."

"I'll go with." Kaeya offers, as kindly as possible. You give him another frown and he tilts his head to the side. "Am I unwelcome in your graces?"

"No - no, just - don't you have a job to do?"

"Well, it appears that my current job is looking for a missing person. So, I am doing my job."

You choose to not argue with that.

The trip there is quiet - Kaeya insisted on taking a carriage, the quicker you two get there, the better. You wanted to walk, look at every detail for any sort of sign or information on Anatole. In the end, you took the carriage. Kaeya has always had a way of convincing you to do things his way, even back when you were children.

There's a weird taste in your mouth and a sinking feeling in your stomach as you think back. Diluc was the troublemaker back then, and Kaeya was the sweet child who simply did as he was told. He kept many secrets, even maybe the ones where he shouldn't but you made him swear, cross his heart, hope to die...

You stare out the window, there is nothing to fill the silence aside from the clopping of the horse's hooves.

"I'm glad you're back in Mondstadt." Maybe he said that last night or earlier, you don't know and you don't remember - but the words are what breaks the silence. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about us."

"No, never. Just - I've just been busy." You shake your head. "Did Diluc ever marry Lady Jean?"

Kaeya lets out a soft snort. "No. He did propose to her a month after you left, and she gently turned him down. The man has been a bachelor ever since."

"Diluc? I remember girls tripping over themselves to talk to him. To be married to him would be like...the highest honor."

Kaeya gives a small shrug. "I'd say, being married to Jean would be the greatest honor these days." Your confused look doesn't cause him to elaborate much. "Oh, Diluc's married to the Winery nowadays, that's all. Jean's got a secured position as the Acting Grand Master - likely to be the Grand Master if Varka never returns."

You lapse into silence again, thinking. "Diluc quit the Knights?"

"He most certainly did."

"Is Master Crepus okay with that?" You know that the man had very big dreams for Diluc - sometimes, you had felt as if his son were a carbon copy or a way for Crepus to live vicariously through him. As children, he was carefree. As the three of you got older, Diluc had started to change a bit as a person. Everything he did, he did it to be the apple of Crepus' eye.

Your four friend group dwindled to three then. Then Kaeya joined the Knights, and Jean as well - soon, it was mostly you, waiting for them to come visit when they had time. Regale you stories of what's happening the barracks - you could have joined, but you needed to take care of your mother. You needed to do a lot of things that did not involve knighthood and great acts of chivalry.

And it's Kaeya's turn to fall into a somber silence.

"I am afraid he never showed up this morning." The head maid, Adelinde says, a worried frown on her face. You let out a heavy sigh and rub your forehead. How does a grown man just disappear like this? "Master Diluc was quite disappointed, he was looking forward to doing business with him."

Despite the urgency, the head maid had insisted on feeding the both of you before you departed. You wonder what the protocols are for telling a family that someone you were paid to be a bodyguard for went missing under your watch - just because you chose to not go drinking with him. The next course of action then, that should have been your first, is to question everyone in the city.

"He went to Angel's Share." You tell Kaeya, after a moment, your finger running along the golden rim of the tea cup. This cost more than a few months of your rent, you think, absently. It's as if recounting last nights events would give you the answers you so desperately seek. "Charles didn't see him leave with anybody. Just said he had to leave and that was it."

"We can likely conclude it was a kidnapping." Kaeya says, quietly. Something hot inside of you flares and you swallow it down. "Honestly, I brought you out here because I was hoping I was wrong at first." He lets out a heavy sigh. "Let's finish this lunch Adelinde so painstakingly made and then head back. I'll be sure to have my men be on guard everywhere."

"And I'll question everyone I can." You mumble. "I was honestly hoping that he wasn't, either. And maybe - maybe I'll be lucky and he just...I don't know."

"It's okay, Peaches, it's not your fault." Kaeya says, gently. "We've got Treasure Hoarders and the Fatui loitering about. Someone was bound to get greedy."

"But so does Fontaine - nobody has ever kidnapped him there."

"You never know." Comes the quiet response. "Ah - damn, pity Master Diluc is too busy to play host to come and see you."

"I don't have time to socialize." You repeat yourself from earlier, slightly irritated that Kaeya seems to just want to socialize over being productive.

He gives you an apologetic smile.

When you were little, you went missing. You don't remember anything from that time - but you remember that you were gone, because when you were found, your mother was crying and holding you close and apologizing. You remember how your mother hugged you close and as you looked over her shoulder, Master Crepus had a grim look on his face.

All the other details seemed to have blurred and faded with time, or maybe, you don't want to remember. You're not sure.

"People don't disappear out of the blue." You tell Kaeya with growing frustration as you reconvene by the statue. "So far, everyone I've asked all said that they think they saw him, but they don't remember if it was with anyone. But they all said he was in a hurry to get somewhere."

Kaeya is oddly quiet for a moment. "I wonder if he was going back to your hotel and was silently ambushed."

"Never know with the Fatui. Or Treasure Hoarders." You rub your forehead. "Nobody just disappears like that." Kaeya opens his mouth to say something and then closes it again. "What?"

"Do you think...he could have been colluding with someone? For some monetary gain? It could be anything, peaches." The look you're giving him makes him shake his head. You know you're refusing to believe anything negative about Anatole, but outside of being annoyingly chatty, you never thought anything was off about him. "Merchants can be tricky, you know. They put on a front and can be very different behind the scenes. What do you know of him?"

"He has a family, a grandchild on the way. A son whom he wishes would get married."

"That's it?"

"All I need to know is his name and his destination, I am not paid to pry into his life."

Kaeya sighs. "Okay. Okay - listen, I have to go back to the office. Take a short break, okay? Eat something, let's reconvene in a few hours."

"Someone is missing and you're telling me to - simply...take a break? Like it's a job?"

"You can't think on an empty stomach." Kaeya reminds you. "A lunch, that's it. I have all I can on the look out for him and even surveying outside of Mondstadt too. I know it sucks, but there's only so much we can all do on very little information. Go, eat some lunch. On me." He's handing you a bag of mora and you push his hand away - it's oddly reminiscent to a time back then.

But back then, you were angry at the thought of being given a handout. The look he'd given you then was one of hurt and surprise, but now, it's just passive, calm. Like he expected it.

Your hand is less bruised and wounded this time around.

Not the thought you want, but it's what weaseled your way into your head.

You clear your throat.

"Sorry." You say. "Sorry."

"It's fine. The Good Hunter is still great to this day." Kaeya tells you. "See you in a few hours, okay?"

You nod, feeling oddly numb as you stare at your hand. Back then, he'd gently grabbed your hand, offering to fix it up for you - never asking questions, the idea of mora had been forgotten then.

Right now, you wished he'd taken your hand for no other reason than you could use the gentle grip.

[pebiejeebies]

alives

WOOHOO!! just when I thought I figured myself out I find out I’m a system!!/neut

It’s like.. GREAT NEWS cause.. FINALLY AN ANSWER!!

But it’s like.. BAD NEWS cause.. OH SHIT. MORE QUESTIONS 😭

Also uh, Gift oc I made for the silliest moon ever

@moon-fence here yuo go!! :P

Yeah small update on me if you were worried (that’s if lmao..)

Found out I am a system

Met two alters, Eve (She/her) And Orion/Ori (Any)!

So far, I’ve let eve front 3 times!! And it felt.. creepy-cool!!

And now I’m trying to figure out if cabby is in my head, or possibly Lightbulb, and hopefully meeting my negative alters too!

We’re learning about the roles and after we figure out the chaos, we will sort it out, give ourselves a cool system name, and give ourselves a name to speak to all the alters in my (Pebie) head !1

Anyways uh yeah!! I’m doing great now, but I don’t think I’ll post as often as I used to, hopefully I remember to do the requests in my inbox too someday.

Ily <3

(made this for moon cause uh.. yeah.. byeby..)

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Vault Visit

A JSE Fanfic

SepticHeroes AU: Part 33

First Part | Previous Part | Read on AO3 at CrystalNinjaPhoenix

I bet you guys are wondering what's happening with JJ. Or at least I hope you are, he's a main character after all fhdjksalh Anyway, after a while of not checking on him, here's a chapter that mostly takes place from his point of view! JJ, still stuck in the Vault, continues his routine as normal. Mostly spending time with his new friend, Soren. But this routine is interrupted by a visit. I wonder who it's from, and what he wants :3c Anyway yeah prepare for further emphasis on how much the League of Heroes actually sucks >:)c Enjoy!

===============

Another day, and JJ’s headache had gotten worse again. He didn’t want to get out of bed, but he knew it would be bad to miss role call, so he rolled himself out and walked down to the gathering. If everyone in this prison was suffering from similar symptoms, or even worse, it was no wonder they all seemed so zombie-like. He wasn’t even fully aware of his surroundings until breakfast time. At which point the thought of eating made him nauseous. If the food was spiked with neutrinalin, would the side effects go away if he didn’t eat?

Soren was eating with him, though he hadn’t said much when JJ had sat down. Maybe the side effects were hitting him hard today, too. He looked across the table and saw JJ’s hesitation to eat. “I know what you’re thinking,” he said.

Do you? JJ asked.

“You’re thinking you can avoid feeling like shit if you don’t eat the drugged food.”

JJ smiled slightly. So I’m guessing that’s something people have tried? And it hasn’t gone well, has it?

Soren shook his head. “The neut will leave your system in about a day, so it seems like a good idea in theory. But the side effects will linger for a bit afterwards. Dunno how long, exactly—a couple more days, at least. Maybe longer.”

Has anyone tried to avoid eating and then make an escape attempt? JJ asked.

“I’ve never seen it, and no one I know has, either.” Soren bit his lip, thinking. “But there are stories of people who have. It didn’t go well, I think. None of the attempts. I mean, why would they? At that point you’re hungry, thirsty, and still feeling sick. You’d be easily overpowered even if your abilities were working at full force.”

JJ sighed. Well good to know. Still... He poked at the food with his spoon. Unflavored oatmeal, oh joy. Maybe things will be better if I just skip a meal. At least, less worse.

“Hm. Well.” Soren screwed his face up in doubt. 

What? Are the guards going to get angry if I don’t eat? JJ glances around the room at the guards standing at each entrance.

“Yeah, they are.”

...what? Jameson hadn’t expected that answer. Why? I’m not starting a riot by skipping breakfast.

“But you might be plotting an escape attempt,” Soren said. “Like I just mentioned. Trying to avoid the League’s best friend in the food so your powers will come back and you’ll break out. That’s not acceptable to them.”

Jameson blinked. Are you fucking kidding me. So—they’ll just force you to eat their spiked food?

Soren laughed and leaned forward. “Fucked, isn’t it? It depends who’s on duty. I figure they all have instructions to check plates, but some take it more seriously than others. And are more... forceful about it.” His expression became shadowed. Almost... haunted. “Don’t... tell any of them I... said this.”

Of course not, JJ promised. He looked down at the food on his plate. It didn’t look any more appealing than it did before. But he forced himself to scoop some up and eat. A lull in conversation followed as the two of them tried to eat breakfast.

“Honestly even if you managed to get away with it, you have those cuffs,” Soren muttered. “They really don’t want you to get out.”

JJ paused. He pulled down his sleeve a bit so he could look at the pow-sup bracelet there. Sometimes he was able to forget they were there at all. Sometimes he couldn’t stop thinking about them. They were always a constant presence, the inch-wide, centimeter-thick metal. I noticed you don’t have any, he said. Most people don’t.

“Yeah, they only put them on the ones they think are really dangerous,” Soren said. A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Or whoever they’re most afraid of.”

I know you said that if you’re on good behavior, they might move your cell to another floor, JJ recalled. To somewhere less secure. Is the same true for these? He shook his hands, indicating the bracelets. Jazz hands.

Soren laughed. “Jazz hands! Jazz hands indeed.” He sighed. “I don’t think they will. The security risk is partly about your personality, you know. The cuffs are just about your powers. Or at least, that’s how I see them.”

JJ nodded. He turned his hands around, looking at the bracelets... and that’s when he noticed something that he hadn’t before. Or rather, he noticed a lack of something. How... How were these supposed to come off? There wasn’t a keyhole. Or a number pad for a code. Or a space for a fingerprint or anything. He knew the League had advanced tech, but—there would still be some sort of indication, wouldn’t there?

“Jameson?” Soren blinked, seeing JJ’s eyes get wide and his face drain of color. “What’s wrong?”

JJ’s eyes flicked up to him. He tried to sign something, but his hands were shaking so much that it came out incomprehensible.

“I-I didn’t quite catch that.”

Jameson tried to steady himself. I... don’t think... these are supposed to... come off.

“Huh?” Soren took a moment to process what Jameson meant. “Wait—they can’t be removed?!”

JJ shook his head. Tears sprang to his eyes, brought by panic and spurred on by his headache. Maybe there was some way to get them off that he couldn’t figure out—maybe it would be fine! And besides he knew he’d probably never get out of here, right?! So why did it matter?! Why did it matter?!

“Jameson? C-calm down.” Soren reached across the table, putting a hand on Jameson’s trembling shoulder.

They could just turn the cuffs on at any moment. Even if he made it out of here, even if someone miraculously took care of that technopath, even if—oh my god, could he turn on the cuffs?! He couldn’t control all technology but—these were probably connected wirelessly to something to control them. Could he use that connection?! No no no—he’s been forced to do enough for that electronic voice, he didn’t want him to have another way to control him!

“Jameson, calm down!” Soren stood up, leaning across the table. “You’re hyperventilating.” He grabbed his shoulders firmly. “Breathe with me, alright?” he said gently, and took a deep breath in.

But Jameson couldn’t focus enough to follow his example. The cuffs wouldn’t just suppress his powers, would they?! That was bad enough! But they were also magnetic, they’d snap together, meaning he couldn’t use his hands. What if he was busy doing something important when they snapped together?! What if he was on a ladder or something and he ended up falling?! Well he’ll never have the chance to be on a ladder while in prison, but still! Oh what if the magnets stuck to nearby metal? The walls were metal! Would he be stuck in place by the arms if he got close enough?! And what about this pow-sup energy anyway? Did it have the same side effects if he was affected by it long enough?! What if it had worse side effects?! What if—

“Jameson! JJ!” Soren shouted.

JJ gasped and looked at him, eyes filled with tears. He couldn’t—he couldn’t get enough air—

“You’re starting to sink,” Soren said, firmly but not unkindly. “Sinking into anxiety. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but you need to try to pull yourself out.”

His hands were still shaking, but he tried to speak. I can’t.

“Do you want contact or not?” Soren asked. “Should I back up or get closer?”

Close, JJ said, hiccuping from the way he was hyperventilating.

Soren nodded. He raised a leg like he was going to try and climb over the table, but glanced at the guards and changed his mind. Instead he rushed around the end of the table and sat down on the bench next to JJ. “Are you okay with me putting an arm around you?” He asked. When JJ nodded, Soren did just that, wrapping an arm around Jameson’s shoulders and pulling him closer. “Breathe,” he whispered. “Focus on what’s really here. What you can see and touch.”

JJ nodded. He knew exercises to do during moments like this. He knew them, but it just felt like everything was crashing down on his head and he couldn’t think—

“You can hear my voice, can’t you?” Soren asked. “Listen to that. Listen to the way these words rise and fall. Remember to breathe. Try to control that. Breathe in while I count to seven. One, two, three—“ Jameson tried, but his controlled breathing fell apart quickly. “That’s okay. We’ll try again. One, two, three, fo—We’ll try again. One, two, three, four...”

After a while, JJ managed to get a hold of his breath. Enough that he didn’t feel like he was constantly out of breath, at least. Thank you, he signed shakily, vision still blurred with tears.

“Glad I could help.” Soren smiled warmly despite how tired he looked. “Now... what was the problem there? I know, it was that the cuffs don’t come off, but what specifically about that upset you? Was it that you were trapped?”

Jameson shook his head. I don’t know. I just... just... kept thinking about what if someone used them. Maybe I did feel trapped. I don’t know. Every so often as he signed he caught a glimpse of the metal cuffs flashing in the light.

“Well... yeah, that makes sense,” Soren said. “But... this is going to sound a bit harsh, but... there’s nothing we can do about that right now.” He heard JJ’s breath hitch. “That’s upsetting, I know. But we can’t get them off. There’s no way we can.”

Are you telling me to give up? JJ asked.

Soren shook his head. “No. I’m telling you to think about what you can do instead of worrying about what you can’t. If someone decides to turn on the cuffs, you can’t make them stop. You don’t have your powers.” Soren smiled again. “You can figure out how to deal with it when it happens. Your brain is trying to come up with solutions ahead of time, but all that’s making you do is feel afraid and worried. Take a step back.”

I don’t want to... JJ took a shuddering breath. I don’t want to be unprepared.

“Of course, but if you push yourself into a panic like that you’re not really being prepared,” Soren said. “You’re just... well, panicking. This is a bad situation, I’m not denying this. But if you freak out—if we freak out—then we can’t do anything, you know? We’re frozen, letting the fear control us. We’re already dealing with a lot, constant panic will just make everything worse.”

JJ didn’t say anything. He just thought about what Soren was saying. Then he nodded. I suppose you’re right... anxiety isn’t helpful here. He leaned farther against Soren, limp from all the energy he expended in his little freakout. Thank you.

“G-glad to help,” Soren said. His face... was it a little red? Seeing it made JJ feel his face get a bit hotter too.

I’ve had a question for a while, JJ said. Are we... allowed to visit each other’s cells?

“Well... it depends on who’s on guard,” Soren said slowly. “But in general, it’s easier to visit someone on your own floor, or a higher one. You’re... probably not going to be able to visit someone on a lower floor.”

JJ nodded understandingly. If you ever need anything, maybe you could try coming up to visit me, then? Or... if you just want to... want to try.

Soren inhaled sharply. “Yeah... maybe I’ll... I’ll try that. If it’s some of the nicer guards on duty.”

The two of them finished breakfast without saying much else.

===============

“Prisoner 3117.” Thump!

JJ started awake. He’d been dozing absentmindedly on the cot in his cell, trying to get some rest but not fully succeeding. He just kept passing in and out of consciousness, until there was a sudden loud sound nearby. He rolled over and looked towards the cell door. It was open. A man in the blue-and-black uniform of a prison guard stood there, two more guards visible behind him. Did one of them hit the wall or something?

“Stand up,” the guard in the doorway said.

What was happening? Did he sleep past roll call in his daze? JJ sat up, and his head immediately started pounding. He winced, pressing a hand to the spot where it hurt the most.

“Stand up,” the guard repeated.

He was going to, jeez. You’d think that the guards would be used to their prisoners acting listless. JJ pushed himself to his feet, swaying for a moment, then looked over at the guards.

“Come on.” The guard gestured for him to come over. “You have a visitor.”

A visitor? Who was it? He could only think that it was one of his friends. Schneep, maybe? But would Schneep risk coming to a League prison when he was, himself, a criminal? It was probably Jackie, actually. A possibility it was Chase. He couldn’t see Marvin getting anywhere close to the Vault, since he was so paranoid about his identity being discovered—paranoid for good reason, of course. Yeah, it was probably Jackie. That was the simplest explanation. Interrogating a villain seemed like something he’d have to do as a Hero.

He walked over to the cell door as he wondered this. The guard in the doorway stepped back, gesturing for JJ to walk ahead of him. JJ did so, and the two other guards stepped up on either side of him. They were ready to grab him if he tried anything, he could tell. Not that he was able to ‘try anything.’ He was exhausted. His attempted nap had made him more tired, ironically enough. Even if he got desperate, the guards would be able to easily overpower him. They wouldn’t even need to turn on the pow-sup bracelets on his wrists.

The guards guided him through a door he hadn’t been through since he arrived here. The heavily-guarded doorway into the set of long, winding hallways that would eventually lead to the prison’s entrance. He couldn’t clearly remember the way to the front, but that didn’t matter, did it? He wasn’t going to escape anytime soon, even though all the neutrinalin side effects were making this place a hell to live in. He couldn’t escape. He didn’t want to think what the robotic voice would do to Dahlia if he left against its wishes.

After a while of walking, they entered a room divided in half by glass. Or... it probably wasn’t actually glass. It was probably some sort of bulletproof plastic. A table sat right in the middle of the room, divided in half by the glass as well. JJ had seen this sort of setup in enough crime TV shows. He could figure out how it worked. Jackie would sit in the chair on the other side of the glass, while he sat in the one on this side, and they would talk. The shows usually had a phone system, but clearly it was different here.

“Sit.” One of the guards pushed him forward. JJ stumbled, but regained his balance and walked over to the chair. He didn’t fail to notice how the legs were bolted into the floor. “Lean back,” the guard said, walking over. 

JJ did so. The guard pressed a button, there was a beep, and then a pair of metal cuffs appeared, holding JJ’s ankles to the chair. Another, larger one shot out from the back of the chair, wrapping around his waist, right at the bottom of his ribcage. 

“Since you can’t talk, your hands are free for your... sign language,” the guard said. JJ couldn’t see his face, but he could practically hear the doubt in his voice. “Consider yourself lucky. The first sign of anything suspicious and we’ll rush right in.” He chuckled. “If he doesn’t put you in your place first.”

Jameson blinked, confused. Wait, was his visitor not one of his friends? Obviously, he couldn’t ask any clarifying questions. The guards were leaving, their backs to him, so they wouldn’t see his sign even if they knew BSL in the first place—which he doubted they did. So... all he could do was wait.

Luckily, he only had to wait a minute. A door on the other side of the glass opened up, and in walked—oh, so it was Jackie after all. What did the guard’s comment about the visitor ‘putting him in his place’ mean, then? Did the guard just assume Jackie would beat JJ up if he tried to escape? Well... clearly he didn’t know anything about Jackie. But it was telling that the guard assumed a Hero would do that. JJ just wasn’t sure what it, specifically, was ‘telling’ about.

Jackie paused soon after he walked into the room. Even with the white lenses of his mask, JJ could tell his eyes were locked on him. An expression of total shock on his face. Did he look that different since the last time Jackie saw him? Jackie looked exactly the same to him... didn’t he? Maybe... maybe his face was a bit narrower. Had he been eating enough?

After a moment, Jackie hurried over and sat down at the chair. JJ heard the scrape of its legs against the floor—so that one wasn’t bolted down. Of course it wasn’t. Jackie cleared his throat. “Um... can you hear me?” he asked.

JJ nodded. Jackie’s voice sounded a bit tinny. It was probably coming from an intercom.

“Right. Good.” Jackie cleared his throat. “I... wanted to... check on you. H-how are you doing?”

...how was he supposed to answer that?

After a moment of having his hands in the air, hovering awkwardly as he thought about what to say, JJ signed, As best as I can be, in this situation.

“Hah. Yeah... probably a dumb question.” Jackie nodded. “You, uh... you’re... eating alright? Do, uh... Does a place like this have somewhere you can get sunlight? Exercise?”

JJ nodded. There’s a courtyard. And there’s three meals a day. Not that he made much use of the exercise equipment out there. Not that he always ate everything on his plate.

“A courtyard?” Jackie blinked. “Well that’s good to hear. But what about people who can fly?”

There’s a net that covers the top of it. And besides, you know about the neutrinalin, don’t you?

“I, uh... yeah...” Jackie nodded slowly. “I knew that... prisons fed their superhuman prisoners neutrinalin. Um, but...” He hesitated, looking like he had something to say, but not sure how to say it. “You, um... look... You’re really pale, and...” He trailed off.

Jackie, JJ said. Did you... want to ask me something?

Jackie started in surprise. “Um, y-yeah. I... We know about the one who was blackmailing you. The police and everyone. It’s on the news and stuff.”

JJ started. So they found his emergency video tape after all. That was a last resort. He hadn’t even known if he would use it, not until Jackie had finally confronted him in the police station. God—did he know that JJ had recorded that video? JJ glanced around looking for video cameras in the room. There had to be one!

“How we figured it out is secret,” Jackie said hurriedly. “A League secret. But we know about Anti-Virus.”

JJ laughed. Anti-Virus?

“What?” Jackie sounded suddenly defensive. 

It just... seems so... I don’t know, giving him a cheesy name like that... makes it sound less... serious.

“He called himself that!” Jackie said. “In your—” He suddenly stopped, coughing. “Well, the message did have a little ‘haha’ on the end, so maybe he thought it was funny too.”

Ah... JJ remembered that part in the texts now that Jackie mentioned it. He caught it on the video. So... now what happens? he asks. You know about him, so now what?

Jackie hesitated again. “The plan is to get you out of here,” he said slowly. “After all, you’re not fully at fault for this. At the very least, you don’t need to be so highly guarded. But... it will take... a long time to get through the trial and all that.”

JJ blinked. Jackie didn’t exactly sound optimistic. Huh... if he got moved out of the Vault legally, would that anger him? What would he do to Dahlia? He tried to hide his sudden spike of fear. Well... that’s good, he said slowly.

“So, um...” Jackie cleared his throat. “Is there... anything you want to share about him? This Anti-Virus?”

Well, that would certainly anger Anti-Virus, sharing information about him. Though to be honest, JJ didn’t know all that much in the first place. What do you already know about him? JJ asked.

“He’s a technopath,” Jackie said. “One with the ability to manipulate software. You probably aren’t aware of this, but uh... there was a data leak from the League database. Anti-Virus was behind it. He doesn’t want us to investigate him.”

Yeah, that made sense. I don’t know who he is, JJ said slowly. He only ever contacted me through text, calls, and emails. And he deleted those afterwards.

Jackie sighed. “Yeah, that’s what I was worried about. Did he ever mention anything that might... give away who he really is?”

JJ shook his head. He couldn’t recall Anti-Virus telling him anything related to himself. Even when JJ tried to egg him on a couple times, the voice remained firm and the text remained businesslike. Only relating back to Jameson. What he wanted Jameson to do, what he would do if Jameson didn’t obey. A single-track mind.

“Any little thing could help,” Jackie insisted. “Do you know why he wanted to attack SepTech, for example? On the roof that day, he said something about wanting to control it, but is that the truth? Or... was he just creating a Puppeteer character for you to play?”

Jameson stiffened. He shook his head again. I’m sorry, I don’t know anything.

“...right.” Jackie nodded. “Of course. I don’t expect he’d want to tell you anything. Especially if he thought you’d get arrested.” He sighed and leaned forward. “...how are you doing, JJ? Really? I mean... y-you’re still my friend. Strangely enough, you were still my friend even when I thought you were the Puppeteer on your own free will. That’s why I couldn’t... couldn’t understand why you’d do that. So... I-I want you to be okay. Even... even in a situation like this.”

JJ blinked. Thank you, he said, signing slowly. I’m... fine. Could be better, but fine.

“Good. Good.” Jackie nodded. “Nobody’s giving you any trouble or anything?”

No, not at all. I’d even say I made some... friends.

“Friends?” Jackie blinked. ��With villains?”

Well, yes... if that’s who’s in the prison, then that’s who’s available for me to talk to. Other villains.

“JJ, you’re not a—”

JJ shook his head, interrupting him. Yes I am. No matter what my motivations, I still did those things.

“But you—You’re a good person,” Jackie insisted. “You know that, right?”

Jameson tried to smile, but it wavered. Thank you for thinking so. 

“You are,” Jackie continued. “You can’t think that you’re not. You had a good reason for doing what you did—I-I’m sure. We all know it. Schneep does, Chase and Marvin do. We all know.”

So... they all knew about Dahlia, then? Well, of course they did; if Jackie found his message, he found hers too.And of course he’d tell the others. Jameson hadn’t told Jackie, Chase, or Marvin about her for so long... were they angry that he hid his sister from them? Jackie didn’t seem mad, but he wouldn’t know for sure unless he was direct about it. And he didn’t want to be direct. But he couldn’t help himself from thinking about what he would say if Jackie asked about why he never told them he had a sister. Ever since she was kidnapped, even thinking about her hurt, there was no way he could’ve brought her up to them... not to mention them knowing about Dahlia could have been trouble if his secret as the Puppeteer got out.

 Did the rest of the world know about Timekeeper, too? Or did his friends keep that part to themselves?

“JJ?” Jackie prompted.

Jameson shook himself out of the introspective daze he’d slipped into. Sorry, he signed.

“It’s fine,” Jackie said. “So... really, people have been... friendly in here?”

Not friendly exactly, JJ said slowly. I’m sure a lot of them don’t like me. But no one has the energy to do much. And a couple have been nice. I met someone, Soren—

“Who?” Jackie asked.

S-O-R-E-N, JJ said, spelling it out. He’d forgotten for a moment that Jackie wouldn’t know the name sign he gave Soren. You know him.

“I do?” Jackie leaned back. JJ could see the gears turning in his mind. “Wait—you mean—Pathos?”

JJ nodded. He wanted to know what had happened back home, and things... developed from there.

“I—I—” Jackie seemed to be at a loss for words. He let out a breath. “O...kay, then. That’s... a hell of a coincidence.” He shook his head. “Well, uh... is he... okay? Besides all the... the crimes.”

Jameson chuckled. Besides all the crimes, he’s very okay. The same can be said for a lot of people in here.

“Hah. I’ll take your word for it.” Jackie sat there for a moment. He looked... sad. “Are you... sure there’s nothing you can tell me?”

...I’m sorry, JJ said.

“No, don’t be. In fact, thank you for what you’ve told me so far.” Jackie gave him a soft smile. “I... hate for this visit to be short, but I guess... there’s nothing more for us to talk about, for now. M-maybe I’ll be back if there are any... changes. Or if there’s anything else I want to ask.”

It hurt to see Jackie for a minute, only for him to leave again. But it wasn’t like they could spend ages catching up. JJ wouldn’t be surprised to hear that there was a time limit on visits. Goodbye, then, he said.

“Goodbye... for now.” Jackie stood up. “W-we’ll see each other again.” And with that, he turned and left.

JJ watched the door slide closed behind him. He sighed, slumping in his seat. And he wondered... would it have been better to never see Jackie at all? Would that be better than having this short conversation, reminding him of what he couldn’t have ever again? Reminding him of what existed outside the walls of Byrthon Vault?

The guards appeared to take him away again. He did not resist. No use in starting now.

===============

“Windstorm visited you?” Soren asked later that day. He was clearly surprised. “I guess... that might make sense? He doesn’t seem the type to throw someone in prison and forget. But what did he want with you?”

JJ sighed. There were a handful of others nearby. Soren had tried to introduce him to other prisoners JJ might get along with. But Soren was the only one who knew sign, so he was interpreting for the others. Don’t say this out loud, JJ said. But... we were friends.

Soren raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Jameson nodded. We met in our secret identities first... then I found out about his, by accident. Then he found out about mine when he unmasked the Puppeteer. It has... been a lot.

“I see...” Soren nodded slowly. “That... must be... difficult. At least he spoke to you.”

He’s a kind man, really, JJ said.

“Hey, what’s this all about?” One of the others nearby was Angela, the one who got up in JJ’s face early on. She seemed a lot more... chill, now. And she was too tired to act on anything, even if she wasn’t. “It’s not every day a Hero comes to visit someone in the Vault. Is it... should we be worried?”

Soren looked at Jameson. After a moment, he shook his head. It was all stuff related to me, not any of you, he said. Nothing is going to change for the worse in here.

As Soren told the others about that, JJ leaned on his shoulder and closed his eyes. His head still hurt. He was having trouble even sitting upright. But absentmindedly, he did wonder why Jackie came to visit. To let him know that the outside world was aware of Anti-Virus? To give him hope that he’ll be able to get out of here? That was probably it. Even though Jackie asked him questions about Anti-Virus, he seemed less concerned with interrogating information out of him and more worried about JJ’s health and how he was doing.

That was nice. Jackie really was a kind man. But JJ knew that it was unlikely that the public or the justice system would so easily forgive the Puppeteer. He knew he wasn’t leaving prison. Maybe he’d leave the Vault eventually. But he doubted it.

There was nothing he could do to change that though, was there? So he shouldn’t get himself worked up. He should focus on what he could do. He could spend time with Soren, maybe get close to other prisoners. Try to keep in shape to stave off the side effects. That was about it.

Still, it was better than thinking about how he was trapped in here. So he decided to focus on those few things after all. It might make being stuck a bit more bearable.

===============

“This is the path to the visitor’s room, I’m pretty sure.” Jackie handed Schneep a torn-out notebook page with a crude pencil map on it. “I asked a lot of questions about where the other corridors went, not all of them were answered, but I labeled the ones that were. I didn’t want to be too persistent for an answer, just in case it was suspicious.”

Schneep looked over the page, studying it. The four of them were in Neun Park again, having left their phones at home. “I see, I see,” he muttered. “Did Jameson tell you anything?”

“He mentioned a courtyard,” Jackie recalled. “But that it was covered with a net. Honestly I could’ve maybe asked him more... like where his cell is or something. But I thought that’d be weird.”

“Well, what you said earlier about the layout should help, right?” Chase said. “The warden said the most dangerous ones were higher up, I think they’d count JJ as dangerous.”

“Strange that they do that,” Marvin muttered. “Kanchana told me there’d usually be separate wings for different securities, not different floors. There must be only one cell block. Or two, for men’s and women’s.”

“It’s not the biggest prison, I guess?” Jackie said. “I’ve been to one before, the Vault was definitely smaller than that, but it looked a lot more secure. Cameras everywhere.”

Chase frowned. “Do you think Anti-Virus is able to get into the Vault cameras, then?”

Jackie stiffened. “Well... h-he’d need a reason to. I guess he could be keeping an eye on Jameson... I hope he’s not, though.” Oh god, if Anti-Virus did know what was going on in the prison, did he spy on his visit with JJ? Did he hear everything Jackie said to him? ...He was pretty sure he didn’t say anything too obvious about the breakout. But still. It made him nervous, but it was all done now. There was nothing he could do, other than help with the breakout. 

But not too much. He couldn’t know anything important. If the League got a hint of what he was planning, they’d probably detain him at least, and he wouldn’t be able to help anyone.

“Do you know anything else that could be of help?” Schneep asked.

Jackie nodded. “He had these cuffs on. The warden said they were magnetic pow-sup bracelets.”

“What? But they’re already using neutrinalin on him!” Marvin cried. “They put pow-sup cuffs on him, too?!”

“The warden explained all that actually,” Jackie said. “It’s in case the neutrinalin fails somehow. If he shows any sign of using his powers they turn on the pow-sup and the cuffs snap together. I think it’s because his powers are so hand-based. The strings come from there and stuff.”

“Oh, so the pow-sup isn’t active all the time.” Marvin relaxed slightly. “That’s... slightly better. But only slightly. I-I still don’t like that.”

Schneep frowned. “There must be a way to get those off. Do you think we could find the key? Oh, but no, something so secure would probably use something more advanced, wouldn’t it? Perhaps fingerprint recognition. So we must prepare for his wrists to snap together at any moment, and once he is out we need some way to take them off. I wonder what metal they are made out of...”

Marvin shrugged. “No way to know without looking at them, I guess. But it can’t be too difficult to break.” He held up a hand and wiggled his fingers. Small spheres of glowing red energy, each the size of ball bearings, appear around his fingers and weave around them in a repeating pattern.

Jackie nodded. “I do think you’d be able to break through them... you’ll just have to be careful. They are on his wrists, after all.”

“Of course,” Marvin said quietly. The spheres disappeared. “I don’t want to hurt him.”

“...yeah. I-I know you don’t.” Jackie looked to the side, watching a couple cars go down the street next to the park. “Are... are you guys going to do more planning? If so, I should probably go.”

“Right, yes.” Schneep cleared his throat. “Thank you very much, Jackie. This is a great help.”

“Is it?” Jackie asked. “I don’t think I managed to get much.”

“Anything is better than nothing.”

“Oh! Do you know exactly where the cameras are?” Chase asked. “Before you go, could you like... make a note of them?”

“Great idea, Chase!” Schneep nodded.

“I can try to remember where they are but, uh, don’t fully rely on my memory.” Jackie patted his pockets and took out the pencil he’d used to draw the rough map earlier. He took the paper back from Schneep and put a couple dots on it. “I think that’s where they are... the one right outside the front entrance had a red light and I watched for other ones like that. But there could be ones that don’t have those lights somewhere that I couldn’t see.”

“Hmm...” Marvin frowned. “I have an idea, but... I don’t know if I like it.”

“Don’t!” Jackie covered his ears.

“I wasn’t about to say it, fucking hell.”

Jackie stood up from the bench. “I’ll just go now. Is there anything else?”

“Not that I can think of,” Schneep said. “Chase, are you going as well?”

Chase glanced at Jackie. “Um... do you want me to go back with you?” he asked tentatively. “I-I’d be good with that.”

“Do you want to go home with me?” Jackie asked. “Or would you rather stay here and try to help.”

“I’m good with either, if you want me to come with you I will.”

Marvin rolled his eyes. “Is this how you two talk about most things? You’re flatmates, aren’t you? Do you go back and forth on doing the dishes, too?”

Jackie glared at him, then looked back at Chase. “Look, if you want to stay and help plan, you can. I can take the train back on my own, you know.”

Chase smiled weakly. “Y-yeah. I’ll stay for a bit longer. Let Frosty stretch his legs.” Frosty put his head on Chase’s leg, resting it there.

“Cool, man. I’ll see you when you get back.” Jackie smiled, then turned and walked down the street, heading towards the train station.

Once he was out of earshot, Schneep said, “The more I hear about the Vault, the less I know about how to infiltrate it.”

“You can’t just walk inside with your powers?” Chase asked.

“It is likely they will be prepared for supers with my skill set. I am not the only super who has ever had invisibility and intangibility.” Schneep chuckled. “Though I am by far the one with the strongest powers in a long time. They will have infrared cameras, I’m sure. And they may be prepared with energy weapons. Super intangibility usually cannot pass through energy beams and such. It is the same for me.”

“That’s how Jackie and I tried to corner him once,” Marvin said. “But you just went back into the U-Storit unit and walked through the wall there.” He sighed. “I should’ve completely surrounded you but I—”

“Didn’t think of it,” Schneep finished. “Most people do not. You are all accustomed to thinking of everything around as solid. Once you get rid of that mentality, so many new paths open up to you, ones that others do not consider.”

Marvin grinned. “I see.”

“Hey Marvin, what was that idea you mentioned earlier?” Chase asked. “That you didn’t like?”

Marvin’s smile dropped. He sighed. “I was wondering if the Dismantler could take out the cameras somehow. She’s a technopath—not like Anti-Virus, she doesn’t interact with the software, only the physical hardware of stuff. She... well, she can dismantle it. Physically. She also once told me that she has, like, a sense for high-tech stuff. She knows where nearby stuff is.”

“What, like an arrow in a video game that points to your objective?” Chase asked.

“Probably a bit like that, actually.” Marvin laughed.

“Well, why can’t she help, then?”

“Because... she’s... young,” Marvin said slowly.

Chase felt something in his stomach drop. “Is she a kid?!”

“Like an actual child?! No!” Marvin shook his head.

“O-oh. Good.” Chase let out a breath. Why did he suddenly feel a rush of panic, thinking about a child in danger? Well... everyone probably felt that way, actually. It’s not weird. Maybe it was a bit intense, but he worked with kids a lot... Why did he have this... strange feeling? Like he was... forgetting something...

“If we want her help for this, we’d have to get her into the Vault, a-and I don’t know how I’d feel about that,” Marvin stammered.

“Of course, of course.” Schneep nodded. “But... she was there at our first meeting. Does she want to help?”

Marvin shifted uncomfortably on the bench. “Let’s just look at Jackie’s diagram. See if there’s anything we can start to plan from it.”

Though they doubted Jackie’s little sketch was worth a long discussion, Chase and Schneep both nodded and turned their attention to it. Chase had a hard time concentrating, though. He kept thinking about that feeling... about that sudden panic. It seemed almost... protective in a way. But... it was probably just because he liked kids. Yeah. That was it.

And yet, the instinct nagged at the back of his brain. The feeling of forgetting something lingered all day.

[duck-caake]

🍕 🧸 🍕 🧸 🍕 🧸

request rules! (OPEN)

before you request: i am a sfw blog! dd*g, k*nk, etc accounts will be blocked and reported if you try to message me :)

🍕 🧸 🍕 🧸 🍕 🧸

okay now with that out of the way c:

you can request:

headcanons (temp closed!)

please read this post before requesting!! pls include: your character, their source, and what headcanons you want (cg/flip/reg) very limited sources!

mood boards

pls include: theme, colors, anything you want/dont want, and age range if applicable

outfit boards

pls include: theme, age, gender (masc,fem,neut), any specific gear/items you want/dont want, and any colors or fashion styles you like

stim boards

pls include: theme, age range, colors, favorite stims, what speed of stims you like, any stims you dont like, any triggers, and anything else you want/dont want

your fav is a (regressor/dreamer/cg/flip/etc!)

pls include: character and source (full names for both is preferred but popular sources are fine like FNAF, RE8, CoD, etc.), what you hc them as (regressor, cg, dreamer, flip, etc), and any specific flag you want me to use (if you dont have one but dont want just the standard cg/flip/reg flags just lmk and ill find one!)

if your request is source specific these are the sources i’m familiar with but feel free to req things not on the list!

five nights at freddy’s

pizza tower

tmnt

sonic

spongebob

nintendo

dc

marvel

care bears

resident evil

minecraft

tim burton movies

any horror media (dw i will tag w content warnings)

my little pony

blues clues

bluey

rainbow brite

+ more! just ask c:

• • •

i retain the right to not do any requests that make me uncomfortable however i cant think of any specific sources i would have a problem with! but if your request just never gets answered thats probably why :c feel free to send a new request from a different source though!

[aurorans-solis]

Language Maths???

Right so here's a first post I guess. A while back when I started learning German I noticed that you could make a 4x4 matrix out of the definite articles:

┌──────┬─────┬──────┬──────┐ │ masc │ fem │ neut │ plur │ ┌─────┼──────┼─────┼──────┼──────┤ │ nom │ der │ die │ das │ die │ ├─────┼──────┼─────┼──────┼──────┤ │ acc │ den │ die │ das │ die │ ├─────┼──────┼─────┼──────┼──────┤ │ dat │ dem │ der │ dem │ den │ ├─────┼──────┼─────┼──────┼──────┤ │ gen │ des │ der │ des │ der │ └─────┴──────┴─────┴──────┴──────┘

Naturally the obvious thing to do was treat it as such and find things about it like the inverse, Gram-Schmidt QR decomposition, and of course most fittingly the eigenvalues and eigenvectors.

Attempting this leaves a bit of ambiguity: do we treat the words as sums or products of letters, or maybe even variables in and of themselves? Not wanting to answer this myself (read: I couldn't decide lmao) I ended up just doing all three:

And the results?

Absolutely perfe-

Hold on. I need to zoom out a bit for the sums matrix inverse. Let's just zoom out as far as wxMaxima will let me.

Okay, time to export to HTML and view the webpage.

Cool. Now what about QR decomp? Turns out exporting to HTML just dies and then equations aren't rendered. I have to export to TeX and render that to a PDF. Also I have to edit the PDF to be uh... 10000cm wide. Yes, that's right, 100m wide. 328ft. And let's have a look at our beautiful German definite article QR decompositions:

So at regular font size in TeX (12pt I believe?) that means that the Q and R for the sums matrix (page 1) and R for the variables matrix (page 3) are >100m wide. Both Q and R for the products matrix are a measly 19m wide or so.

That was fun! Let's do the eigenvalues and eigenvectors next! Or so I thought. I gave all three 16GB of heap space and calculating the eigenvectors for every single one of them ran out of memory (taking OVER A WEEK to do so for the variables matrix). So, for the time being, the world does not know what the German definite article eigenvalues and eigenvectors are. A truly pitiable result.

[hellshoard]

arachn0philia asked: 🖤 Alastor & Ozzie

send 🖤 and my character will answer about yours.

Ozzie:

attractiveness:

repulsive / hideous / ugly / not attractive / unappealing / not unattractive / meh / no preference / ok / mildly attractive / nice looking / cute / adorable / attractive / pleasant on the eyes / good looking / hot / sexy / beautiful / gorgeous / hot damn / would tap that / perfect / godlike / holy fuck there are no words.

personality:

grating / irritating / frustrating / boring / confusing at best / awkward / unreasonable / psychotic / disturbing / interesting / engaging / affectionate / aggressive / ambitious / anxious / artistic / bad tempered / bossy / charismatic / appealing / unappealing / creative / courageous / dependable / unreliable / unpredictable / predictable / devious / dim / extroverted / introverted / egotistical / gregarious / fabulous / impulsive / intelligent / sympathetic / talkative / up beat / peaceful / calming / badass / flexible.

how likely they would have sex with them:

not if they were the last person on earth and the world was ending / fuck no! / never / no way / not likely / not sure / indifferent / I’m asexual / maybe / probably / it depends / fairly likely / likely / yeah sure / yes / would tap that / hell yes / fuck yes! / wishing that could happen right now / as many times as possible / we are already having sex.

level of friendship:

never in a million years / worst of enemies / enemies / rivals / indifferent / neutral / acquaintance / friendly toward each other / casual friends / friends / good friends / best friends / fuck buddies / bosom buddies / practically the same person / would die for them / true friends / my only friend.

first impression of them:

i hate them so much / i don’t like them / i don’t trust them / they annoy me / they’re weird / I’m indifferent / meh / they seem alright / they’re growing on me / truce / I think I like them / I like them / I’m not sure if I trust them / I trust them / they’re cool / they’re genuine / I think we’re going to get along / I really like them / I think I’m in love / oh fuck they’re hot / I love them.

current impression of them:

i hate them so much / i don’t like them / i don’t trust them / they annoy me / they’re weird / I’m indifferent / meh / they seem alright / they’re growing on me / truce / I think I like them / I like them / I’m not sure if I trust them / I trust them / they’re cool / they’re genuine / I think we’re going to get along / I really like them / I think I’m in love / oh fuck they’re hot / I love them.

Alastor:

send 🖤 and my character will answer about yours.

attractiveness:

repulsive / hideous / ugly / not attractive / unappealing / not unattractive / meh / no preference / ok / mildly attractive / nice looking / cute / adorable / attractive / pleasant on the eyes / good looking / hot / sexy / beautiful / gorgeous / hot damn / would tap that / perfect / godlike / holy fuck there are no words.

personality:

grating / irritating / frustrating / boring / confusing at best / awkward / unreasonable / psychotic / disturbing / interesting / engaging / affectionate / aggressive / ambitious / anxious / artistic / bad tempered / bossy / charismatic / appealing / unappealing / creative / courageous / dependable / unreliable / unpredictable / predictable / devious / dim / extroverted / introverted / egotistical / gregarious / fabulous / impulsive / intelligent / sympathetic / talkative / up beat / peaceful / calming / badass / flexible.

how likely they would have sex with them:

not if they were the last person on earth and the world was ending / fuck no! / never / no way / not likely / not sure / indifferent / I’m asexual / maybe / probably / it depends / fairly likely / likely / yeah sure / yes / would tap that / hell yes / fuck yes! / wishing that could happen right now / as many times as possible / we are already having sex.

level of friendship:

never in a million years / worst of enemies / enemies / rivals / indifferent / neutral / acquaintance / friendly toward each other / casual friends / friends / good friends / best friends / fuck buddies / bosom buddies / practically the same person / would die for them / true friends / my only friend.

first impression of them:

i hate them so much / i don’t like them / i don’t trust them / they annoy me / they’re weird / I’m indifferent / meh / they seem alright / they’re growing on me / truce / I think I like them / I like them / I’m not sure if I trust them / I trust them / they’re cool / they’re genuine / I think we’re going to get along / I really like them / I think I’m in love / oh fuck they’re hot / I love them.

current impression of them:

i hate them so much / i don’t like them / i don’t trust them / they annoy me / they’re weird / I’m indifferent / meh / they seem alright / they’re growing on me / truce / I think I like them / I like them / I’m not sure if I trust them / I trust them / they’re cool / they’re genuine / I think we’re going to get along / I really like them / I think I’m in love / oh fuck they’re hot / I love them.

[neutronice]

Hello!! For the YOI ask game! 2 10 11, thank you!

Thank youuuu hello @nostalgic-bee my dear!!!

2. favorite episode and why God this one is hard. I am going to have to say episode 7 (2nd half of Cup of China). Not for the kiss (although that kiss!) but because it's where we see just how much Yuuri and Victor have grown, and how much they adore each other. Victor walks away from Chris's skate because Yuuri's having a panic attack. Yuuri seems to just let himself get stripped to his undies and thrown in bed. Yuuri randomly throws in a quad flip. It tells us very clearly about their love for one another. Oh, and Phichit being amazing and nailing his free skate!!!

10. favorite victuuri moment Hehe since I got to call episode 7 my favorite, I'm going to have to go with the episode 9 airport scene. Yuuri is coming off the plane, and there's Makkachin and there's Victor. And even though they would only have another minute apart they both take off sprinting to each other. Because even that single minute is not worth it. They need to hold each other, need to be with each other, need to support each other. God it kills me every time I watch the show.

11. favorite line of dialogue Aw man. HMMMM... it's got to be Victor's sass in the last episode. Where he's saying he doesn't want to kiss the silver medal. So he asks... "do you have any suggestions? something that will excite me?" about what to kiss that is not the silver! It's so cheeky and sexy and silly and I adore it.

Thank youuuu for these asks! This was such a fun ask game to find. From: yuri on ice ask meme

[neutronstarchild]

Hi Neut my friend! For the truth or dare asks... how about 🛼🪲🍄? Thank you so so much! 💖

Fawnie my darling. HUGS.

🛼 ⇢ describe your latest wip with five emojis

HRMMM. Latest WIP? I think that's The Scrap Collector written for HuaLian in the Heaven Official's Blessing fandom. The emojis?

📞 🥺 🕟 👨‍❤️‍👨 🎸

🪲 ⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here

Sneakily making me work I see, but I am here for it! It's 65 words, and it's for the next chapter of The Mahogany Inu.

“I’m bored.” These words were now the refrain of the kitsune child that had joined them on their quest. At first, Kagome took these words to heart. Indeed, Kikyō’s scoff rang in her ears when Shippō would say such things. That was, until the true meaning of the words was revealed. When Shippō said he was bored, what he meant was “please play with me!”

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

Oh man, I answered this in another ask probably broadly enough it's hard to come up with something (everyone is vers, everyone loves snuggles, intimacy as important as the sex)

So let me see if I can pull in another favorite ship with headcanon. We're going with SessKagu. I don't think Sesshomaru would have let Naraku win by killing Kagura so easily. His family are able to walk through the underworld willy nilly, so I think after Naraku's fall, Sesshomaru would have surreptitiously entered the underworld again to find Kagura.

Thanks for the Truth or Dare asks my dear!

[fawn-eyed-girl]

💐 once you receive this lovely bouquet of flowers you have to mention five things you love, publicly, and send it to 10 of your favorite followers if you want. SPREAD POSITIVITY! ⛅️

Hi my dear friend! Thank you for the note...I'll do my best to answer 💖

Five things I love, anime style!

Bokuto as a "normal ace"

Akaashi and his Bokuto lists

Izuku's smile

How angry Yurio always is and no one cares

How angry Bakugo always is and everyone thinks it's kind of endearing

[neutrino-supremo]

Your rambly tags are the best dude. They make the posts you share ten times better.

I didn’t know how to respond to this so I just stared at it for 10 minutes grinning like a dumbass. I’m really glad you think so ///; ;\\\

[yjwhatif]

we know SO LITTLE about bart's life pre-time travel it's insane. was there anyone he chose to leave behind? or had he lost everyone? did he ever have anyone to begin with? he said he learnt how to make wind funnels from his dad, was that the truth or a lie? did he ever know him? his mom? IRIS? did he invent and build the time machine from scratch or did he have help/learn from someone or something? how did NEUTRON of all people become his ally? honestly we know NOTHING

We really don’t. These are all valid questions that I hope we might start seeing some answers to. This is literally the season of flashbacks - they can’t seriously give everyone else flashbacks and not Bart! We need to know about this boys past!

I always felt there was something odd about that wind funnel moment - Bart’s just so casually corrects himself to say Barry taught his dad to make them - but we know that’s not true because Barry was supposed to die against Neutron - so he can’t have taught him. I know he’s a very good liar, but to me, it just doesn’t come across as one of his lies/cover-ups, it also doesn’t come across as wishful thinking either… I don’t really know what I’m getting at but it always felt odd to me. Though, above all the stuff I wanna know about Bart, I’m just as curious to know more about Neut, about the dynamic they had in the future and also how/if Bart interacts with him now. They were allies but Bart still seemed to harbour some resentment toward his elder - could a bit of that still exist within him, even though he knows this isn’t the same Neut he left in his past? Like I’ve said before, it’s hard to overcome negative perceptions - especially when they’re so ingrained in your mind - so I really wanna know the dynamic he maybe has with the one friendly face from his past.

LB

[mcl-pauly]

Remember that the illustration for Raph's bad ending was so difficult to obtain im still pretty sure only one person in the entire world actually has it

Fondly remembering the time i got moonlight lovers brainworm

[mevekagvain]

Chapter 221 - Seeing scientists in lab coats and yellow construction safety helmets is hilarious for some reason.

- Yonsu going "He's my husband" will always make me go 🥺 Also it's kinda hilarious how Ked immediately starts theorising that they're romantically involved like yes he 100% loves romance dramas.

Chapter 222 - Is the device Tao throws at Sangeen for communication a pager or walkie talkie or something? It doesn't look like one and seems more like a chunky smartphone so uh. Maybe that's why you run out of money so quick Tao.

- And then Sangeen crushes said phone like 10 mins later lmao.

Chapter 223 - Oh, Tao electrocuted Ked's hair white.

Chapter 225 - Something wildly crazy about restricting access in a 2km radius circle area in Seoul. Realistically I don't think that'd be possible unless it was already destroyed or there was a bombing threat or something. Especially since unlike in the manhwa, there would be plenty of people there 24/7.

- AU of some sort where Tao and Lutai are friends. Or where Tao is that really social guy and friends with all the characters in noblesse.

Chapter 226 - Okay no seriously. How tf do modified humans switch into skin tight outfits in the middle of a fight. I know they aren't wearing those underneath their clothes because said clothes get ripped up or don't cover the parts the skin tight outfits do. What type of magical girl superhero shit is this? Where did Ked's boxing gloves appear from? Are their suits inside them? Under their skin? It's even worse with Tao because he switches between his stylised mummy bandages and his work suit multiple times throughout the panels. How are you doing this?

Chapter 227 - Karias!!!! Yes king complain all you want ily <3

- King you're probably the equivalent of late twenties at most, don't act like you're dead and can't change.

- Poor guy never got a present though rip.

- Oh cool Rodin has a trident/pitchfork. Time to go allegorical Lucifer/Satan duality or Poseidon/Hades since Cerberus or any variety of deep meaningful stuff. But ofc afterwards he farms with the Landegre <3

- STILL UNFAIR THAT WE NEVER EVEN SEE YUIZI'S WEAPON. Like boxing, pitchfork/trident, chainsaws, scythe, and ??? Love you Yuri but at least let Yuizi take out her idk, nail bat/morningstar (for more allegory purposes :)) b4 you kill her.

- Funny that it's right through the boob though I'll give him that even if he doesn't do the right one like babe the heart is on the left side.

- Yuizi "How,,, Why,,,"

Yuri "Not a fan of monologes that answer questions."

Chapter 228 - Yuri literally 2 minutes later "I lied I love monologuing"

Chapter 229 - Rodin is so polite 🥺😭 He and Marie are the serious only trying to do their jobs squad like Takeo and Tao.

Chapter 230 - Okay but Taze effortlessly picking both Takeo and Tao up with one hand... hot.

- Rodin and Ked not fighting back or saying anything as Taze beats them up... Truly hate the Union and what it does. Still love Taze though. Evil women are <3

Chapter 231 - Have we considered giving Taze a pretty boi harem? It wouldn't solve anything but I think it'd make her happy and that's a very admirable goal I think.

- If you think the 12th Elder shouldn't make Rodin fight whilst injured than don't fucking kill him yourself Frankenstein???

- And then he murders Ked... excuses of what Ked did don't work here because Frankenstein doesn't know any of that at the moment. He can infer that Ked fought them yeah but not much else.

Chapter 232 - So I'm assuming the turning into a monster part is like, the modifications and that the contract with Roctis just gives him a strength boost or something.

- "Roctis ordinarily wouldn't have made a contract with a normal human, much less a modified one" and where in your three conversations with him did you learn that Frankenstein?

Chapter 234 - Honestly the nobles had no reason to like Frankenstein even if they hadn't been prejudiced or traitors or whatever. He didn't exactly try to be pleasant or even neutral at the bare minimum.

Chapter 235 - Actually Takeo, Tao's right. Looks should be an important factor in choosing Elders. That's why the only ones who deserve their positions are 3rd, Roctis, Lunark, Urokai, and Zarga. I'll give 1st a pass but only because he's the basic yt man that seems to be considered attractive to people actually attracted to men and he doesn't make me cringe like the unmentioned male Elders.

- Aside from that someone really needs to tell Tao that 12th looking like a monster is a weird modification thing not a first round noble contract thing lmao.

- No but I've always wondered... How do they know the traitors tried to murder Raizel? Like I can understand them seeing that the traitor used his disappearance for their benefit and thus maybe thinking they even had a part in it but since he went to sleep due to fighting Muzaka and they don't find out that fight was staged until way later... How did Raizel know the traitors were definitely behind trying to kill him from the beginning??? He especially had no reason to think the traitors were behind any of it but he was the first to accuse them way back :/

Chapter 236 - And who told you how often people visit Raizel, Frankenstein? If you want me to believe that Urokai pro fanboy only visited once every few centuries even before your arrival do allow me to doubt every word that leaves your mouth.

Chapter 237 - Seira's the only one with real priorities imo. I'd ask about the mask design options for RK too instead of questioning it.

Chapter 238 - There is something hilarious about Roctis having thrones for each of the other Elders in his little void. Like is this an official Union space given to him? Did he put them there to feel more comfortable? We know Crombel doesn't have those and just uses screens so it's definitely not an all Elders thing. Love imagining Roctis being technologically inept and needing physical stand holders.

- Lukedonian nobles 🥺 grandpa ily. All of u ily.

- The kids!