#normal associations produced by my normal brain :')

[quatregats]

Gwilym's new album cover looks like a phonetic spectogram dhsfjk

[novafire-is-thinking]

Speculative Analysis: Why TFP Soundwave is so Terrifying to His Fellow Cybertronians

Time for an essay on why I think TFP Soundwave might have chosen his current cryptid form—electrical tentacles and all. There’s a TL;DR at the end, so feel free to scroll down first and then decide if you want to read the full thing.

This will involve cross-continuity speculation, centered around TFP / Aligned but with some IDW / MTMTE lore thrown in. This could also loosely apply to Bayverse Soundwave, but I won’t be focusing on him. I’m confident you all can infer the potential implications for that version of his character by the time you reach the end.

Okay, so I’ve seen several fellow TFP fans speculate about why Soundwave went from beefy gladiator to bonafide cryptid. Some say it could have been due to the loss of his horde of “minicons” (the term used in ‘Exodus’ by Alex Irvine). Others think it was just Soundwave’s way of adapting to the direction of the war by taking on a form that would give him the best strategic advantage in his position as Megatron’s communications officer. I agree with the latter, but I think there could be more to it than that.

As we see in the flashback for Ratchet’s story and the TFP Titan comics, Soundwave had his current frame type, armor, and alt mode back on Cybertron:

[Sarcastic Soundwave: Superior]

In the real world, Soundwave’s design is based on the MQ-9 Reaper military drone—an earth-based aircraft, but I’m not going to address that small discrepancy since it’s not relevant to this analysis. Skinny, cryptid drone Soundwave existing prior to his arrival on earth supports my theory anyway.

“Can’t we throw a tarp over him? He’s creepin’ me out.”

-Bulkhead in Minus One

On the surface, Bulkhead’s comment and Smokescreen’s subsequent response seem like an interaction between a couple of Autobots who are unnerved because they’re familiar with Soundwave’s reputation—Bulkhead more so than Smokescreen since the latter had probably not seen Soundwave up close in action before coming to earth. However, I think some of Bulkhead’s fear might have been due to an entirely different reason: Sparkeaters.

While reading MTMTE #3, my eyes were met with this lovely sight /s :

[Hey, wasn’t the energon eater in Rescue Bots called “Sparky” too? I guess it’s a cross-continuity tradition to call life-sucking parasites “Sparky” at least once.]

Terrifying? Yes. But I stared in horrified awe at this abomination and thought, “Wait. One. Fragging. Minute. I’m having a galaxy brain moment.”

Mind. Blown. Their overall sharp, jagged appearance, their thin, but formidable frames, their prehensile cables extending from somewhere inside (fuel lines for the sparkeater; multipurpose tentacles for Soundwave). I was—and still am—fascinated by the uncanny resemblance.

[Now who’s Sparky?]

It’s true that sparkeaters aren’t confirmed to be canon in the Aligned continuity, but their existence isn’t denied either. We got something similar with the zombie Terrorcons, but those were a new phenomenon produced either by Megatron’s blind ambition and stupidity or Knockout and Starscream’s lack of forethought and scientific restraint. For the sake of where I’m taking this, let’s assume that sparkeaters, as defined by IDW, do exist in the Aligned universe. What would this mean for Soundwave’s disturbing choice of frame/body type? Why choose a visual motif so strongly associated with death and disease?

One word: Mimicry

Mythologically, historically, and medically, sparkeaters are inseparable from death and disease. Their very existence instills fear in most Cybertronians. What better way for Soundwave to strike terror into the sparks of his enemies (and potential enemies) than to take on a physical form that resembles the sparkeater—something that has been known to kill normal Cybertronians using a deeply disturbing, painful, and even sacrilegious method? Even though the initial shock of seeing a “sparkeater” show up during or around a fight would have dissipated once the Autobots realized it was mostly cosmetic, an impression would have been left. Coupled with his spy capabilities and gladiator-style prowess in combat, a message would have been sent: Be afraid. Be VERY afraid.

And there you have it, folks! Another reason to love Soundwave’s design.

Bonus:

I could see Soundwave being called a few things by allies and enemies alike: “The Decepticon Sparkeater,” “Soundwave the Sparkeater,” or just “The Sparkeater.”

An interaction between two Autobot scouts:

Scout 1, over comms: “You there, kid? Who is it? Who did Megatron send this time?”

Scout 2: “It’s The Sparkeater! He’s here!”

1: “You mean Soundwave!? Do you have a visual?”

2: “How many ‘Cons do we see walkin’ around looking like sparkeaters??? Of course it’s Soundwave! And yeah, I’ve got a visual.”

1: “Aw, hell. Things just got a whole lot more complicated.”

TL;DR: Soundwave may have put more thought into his appearance than is obvious. He may have opted to look like a sparkeater as a way of sending a highly effective warning.

[mmrsgojo]

close your eyes. pt2.

Pairing: gojo satoru x reader

Warnings: explicit, unprotected sex, satoru being a little dick sometimes.

As you did, you began to understand what he meant. Kissing wasn’t just about technique; it was about surrendering, about letting go of your inhibitions and connecting on a deeper level.

A kiss. What is a kiss? According to the dictionary, it's 'to touch or press with a movement of the lips to someone or something as an expression of love, desire or reverence.' Something as simple as kissing someone can be so complex. Why does it cause such a headache? Why is it so beautiful, frustrating, and desired?

A kiss can generate oxytocin, a hormone associated with feelings of affection and attachment. It can also produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in pleasure and reward. Perhaps this is why we feel so nervous before our first kiss. Our brain might be warning us that we'll never be able to live without that desire.

Is that why we close our eyes when we kiss someone? Could it be because we trust that person so much? Or is it because of the intimacy we share with them? Is that what I'm feeling right now? No, it can't be.

"Now..." he murmured, his voice a soft, husky whisper, "let's work on that trust issue of yours"

You closed your eyes again, your heart pounding in your chest. "God, this better work out with him, Toru," you whispered

You could hear his chuckle, the sound vibrating through your body. "Don't worry, it will..." he reassured. "Just trust me, love"

He nuzzled your neck, his lips and teeth nipping lightly at the delicate skin. One hand moved to your hip, his fingers slowly tracing up and down, sending shivers through your whole body, this was normal, right? you weren't sure, but the sensations were undeniably pleasurable.

"Keep your eyes closed," he whispered, "just feel me, nothing else matters right now"

As you surrendered to the moment, you began to understand what he meant. Trust wasn't just about believing in someone; it was about letting go, about surrendering to the sensation. You focused on the warmth of his touch, the gentle rhythm of his movements. As you did, you found yourself enjoying the moment more than you ever thought possible.

Satoru's touch was gentle yet firm, his movement deliberate and intentional. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he was doing it with a purpose. As you surrendered to the moment, a sense of peace began to wash over you. Who could've thought that a kiss could be so powerful?

Satoru pulled back slighly, you could see his eyes...sparkling? "You're so tense," he teased, his voice now soft. "you have to relax, love."

You nodded, trying to loosen your muscles. Satoru leaned back in, his lips brushing against yours in a gentle, exploratory kiss. His tongue flicked out, tasting your lips, and you felt a surge of excitement, all over your body, you wanted to touch him, you wanted to...

You pulled away abruptly, your mind racing. This was different, you realized. This was more than just a kissing lesson.

Your heart pounded in your chest as you processed the sensations. What were you doing, y/n? This couldn't be happening. Satoru was your best friend, your Toru, the man you'd spent your entire life with. You knew about his countless girlfriends, and you were nothing like them. You knew you weren't his type.

Satoru was...is...a god, and you...you were just y/n.

"I have to say that to him? Shouldn't he be the one doing all of this, Toru?" you cut the kiss, laughing awkwardly to try and break the tension. This was too much for two best friends, right?

Satoru laughed against your neck, his lips curved into a smirk as always. "Oh, you'll be saying a lot more than just that, my sweet," he teased, his fingers continuing their slow, torturous dance across your skin.

He paused for a moment. His six blue eyes all over you, you could feel them on yours. "But don't worry, love" he whispered, "i'm sure your guy will catch on quickly...and do just much as you."

You blushed, your cheeks turning a deep crimson. You couldn't help it at this point. It was not use at hiding it with the man who held the power of seeing absolutely everything in this room. "I really hope so..." you said, a little more relaxed now that the topic had shifted to Riku, the man you really liked, not your best friend in front of you, right?

He shifted slightly, trapping you completely under him, his body now fully on top of yours, pressing you into the bed. His weight was heavy, but not uncomfortable. There was a sense of security in his presence, a feeling of being protected, everyone could feel that with Satoru...but this...this was-

"You're such a quick learner, love," he murmured, his lips brushing against your jawline. "Very obedient, its endearing."

His voice was low, husky, filled with a playful sensuality that sent a shiver down somewhere your stomach. You couldn't help but smirk back, despite the nervousness that was bubbling withing you.

"Now...follow my instructions, alright?"

"Alright, Gojo-sensei" you laughed a bit, it could be a good nickname from now on.

Slowly, deliberately, Satoru lifted one of your hands, guiding it to rest on his chest, just above his heart. You felt the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, the warmth of his body radiating through you. His chest rose and fell with each breath, a comforting rhythm that soothed your nerves.

"Just... feel my heartbeat," he whispered, his voice a low rumble filled with an uncharacteristically tenderness. "Feel the way it speeds up when you touch me, when you're so close to me..."

Your heart pounded in your chest too as you traced the familiar pattern of his heartbeat. "Toru..." you whispered, "you can improve your heartbeat with your power? I didn't-"

Satoru chuckled at your observation, the sound low and amused.

"Of course I can," he replied, his voice filled with a playful arrogance. "But that's not the point. The point is, this is a human reaction, a natural response to the presence of someone you care about."

He paused, his eyes softening. "And right now, i care about you a lot more than I should."

Your eyes widened, your heart pounding in your chest. What the fuck was this sensation? The intensity of the moment was almost suffocating, the air thick. You felt a lump form in your throat, your breath catching in your chest. "what...does that mean?" you whispered.

His eyes locked with yours, a serious expression replacing the soften one. The change was a stark, a stark contrast to the carefree Satoru you were used to. His gaze held a depth you had never seen before, a vulnerability that was terrifying you for sure.

"What do you think it could mean...?" he asked

"Don't fucking play with me, Satoru," you hissed, your anger momentarily overshadowing your fear. You felt a surge of frustration, a need to break the tension, why? why now? when you liked this boy so much? why was he doing this? was this one of his horrible jokes? He wasn't... this was just the moment of tension in this suffocating room. There was no way Satoru liked you, not in a million years. This couldn't work.

"Im not playing with you," he protested

The silence that followed was heavy.

₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊

Author’s note: HEEEELLOOOOO, so this was tense. I'm already thinking in next chapter and yes it's going to be good hehe. What do you think about this one tho? TYSM FOR READING THIS LITTLE STORY. LOVE U ALL.

[fountainpenguin]

So I was rereading your lore on witches in your riddledeep au and um.

Would this technically make Dev a witch??? lol. He also freebies a pizza across a digital title card that episode too.

😂 Y'know, it's funny you say that because for the past month, I've been wondering if anyone was going to ask me if Dale or Dev are witches. I don't know why I was wondering that, but it's been clinging to me. I couldn't think of a way to bring up "btw, they're not witches in my work" without it feeling weird.

My witch lore for context

Dale and Dev can specifically not be witches under my lore even if I wanted them to be, even if I were following a headcanon where the Dimmadomes get around the XYZ chromosome sterility through clones, because of something extremely specific that also exists in my lore that I cannot go back on.

Magic Colors

So, I have a whole magic system set up around the colors of magic. There are 6 possible colors in the OG series- 5 of which are represented on the Rainbow Bridge, 4 of which are represented on the Fairy Council, and 2 of which are extremely rare.

I gave the Fairy Elder (namedropped in "Timmy's Secret Wish") yellow robes, thus tying the Fairy Council together.

Each magic color has a meaning associated with the mood or thought pattern behind magic use. I drew my original inspiration from the colors Timmy's brain turns when Poof's controlling his body in "He Poofs, He Scores."

For those interested, my Colors of Magic post (From May 2016, but has screenshots) & my worldbuilding sideblog's post on magic colors (Cleaned-up lore with no pictures). Short version below:

Red is an extremely uncommon magic color, though we see it when Foop is fighting Cosmo and Wanda in "Playdate of Doom" and when Wanda jumpstarts Timmy's heart in "Yoo-Doo." It's the color I associate with life and death magic. So, y'know... Foop is very okay.

There's also indigo (used by Juandissimo in "Fairy Fairy Quite Contrary"), which I consider a subset of blue.

Green is also extremely rare. Notably, it's the color Foop's magic slowly starts to turn throughout "Scary Godcouple"- He started off with blue, but sours to green in one of the only appearances we see of green in the entire series.

But you know what commonplace color we don't see?

Orange.

In my lore, orange-haired magic users (both Fae and genies) are the equivalent of shiny Pokémon. Even two orange magic-users don't normally have orange offspring- They produce yellows and reds.

And the thing is... I've already set up Happy Peppy Gary to be the only orange witch in my lore. In fact, I have a WIP multi-chapter 'fic about Gary getting discovered by H.P. and Anti-Cosmo, who lose their minds when they realize what he is (Pink and Gray).

Shout-out to one of my favorite dialogue exchanges I've ever written, from H.P. trying to sus Gary out as genie-descended:

H.P. brought his hand up to fiddle with his glasses. "Okay. Completely random get-to-know-you question. By any chance, are you afraid of small spaces?" "Deathly. Why?"

And Dale is Gary's age - in the same city where the Pixies dropped Gary and Betty after taking them in - which means if he WAS an orange witch, he would've been clocked so hard, so fast. Also, since I'm going the route of H.P. being Dale's godfather, there's no way he wouldn't have noticed even though Dale was MIA for years.

Fun Fact! Gary and Juandissimo are "related!" Juandissimo was finger-snapped into existence by Gary's ancestor, Crimsona. He's arguably a great-great-great-great uncle (5 generations up from Gary). In Cloudlands AU, Gary's middle name is actually Juandissimo! That's because Juandissimo's been assigned to godparent to this family several times (We met Gary's dad and grandmother, Quincy and Eunice, in Baby, You're a Rich Man; Sanderson matches Eunice's name to Juandissimo's in Chapter 10 while looking through godkid files).

Anyway, I COULD have witch genes passed down through Dev's mom's side of the family (Leadlys in my headcanon), but that comes with its own issues: if Leadly had XYZ chromosomes, he can't have Hadley, and I'm not going back on that. I could make his wife a witch, but that STILL has issues.

In my 'fics I play Ed Leadly as a guy who's looking for magical creatures (hence him being willing to drop 17 million dollars on someone else's dog in "Dog Gone"). I have literally shown him onscreen holding a witch-detecting compass that points to Gary (in "Opportunity"). There is no way he would not have clocked his ex as a witch, sldkfj...

Closing Comments

Dale and Dev are some of the only characters in my universe who are absolutely confirmed to not be witches, despite how much I have actually wondered if it would be fun to portray them as such.

I don't have a lore reason for the visual gags in that episode- I sadly have to clock it up to random cartoon silliness akin to Jenkins exploding into pieces when Jasmine sings in "Fly" (or Hazel also falling apart or exploding when people expressed crushes on her in "Multiverse of Jenkins").

In my lore, I actually do have Gary set up to be able to pass his witch powers to people he kisses (Because I thought it would be funny if that's why Betty is taller in some scenes than others; yes, I am that pedantic and it makes Betty's "But I don't like you like that" line exponentially funnier), but I've established that only genie-descended witches can pass powers... That doesn't make sense for Dev in this episode either.

Technically all the fluids can pass magic, so a blood transfusion would make Dev "a permanent false witch" if I wanted to do that, but I'm not gonna bother when again, we have people exploding in this show as a gag. Cursed gags I cannot touch with lore 😔

If anyone else makes the Dimmadomes witches, I'd be totally down to read that. I think it would be extremely funny if Dale Dimm was also a witch despite sentencing Alden Bitterroot to 350+ years of clawing his way out of Dimmsdale's well for witch crimes, but my AUs have pretty firmly locked Dale and Dev out of that option.

Riddleverse Design Facts

Here's another fun fact for any new followers who don't know I do this: I draw witches with spirals in their hair! Pics under the cut due to length:

Crocker has his in the back and Kevin has his on top!

You could TOTALLY make an argument that Leadly's spiral is in his mustache

Also, it's a very good thing I do this- I joked in the past that Gary and Dev look eerily similar (even sharing lots of body language), so it's nice to have things like freckles and a hair spiral I can fall back on.

I'm VERY happy with my adult Dev design, but I definitely kept freckles and hair spirals away from him, haha. Sneak peek of him next to his mom:

Note- Spiral headcanon excludes H.P., who has a unique family cowlick I gave him before doing this for witches. Poof doesn't count either since he's under Fae Get Alphabet Hair rules:

Whistle and Anti-Whistle [Soren] (at the bottom) are some of my favorite designs... I can't get over his upside-down W hair sldkfj.

But Wanda and Anti-Wanda having completely different Ws is another favorite thing. I'm especially proud of Dusty's little D tuft.

I'm not sure why Smoky ended up with what looks like an F (unless it's a T since he was Talon before Talon was Talon), but I remember doing a lot of designs for him. Sometimes I don't commit to alphabet hair if letters are hard (Soren's top zigzag is meant to be an S, which is a very hard letter to incorporate, and I think I didn't want Smoky and Soren to have the same one). I've been wanting to redesign Smoky a bit, so I'll probably fix it then.

Goldie's is subtle and you can see it better in some drawings than others, but she has M hair because her full name is Marigold :)

I should probably re-add her middle tuft to her official sideblog art, whoops.

Also, if this is how someone is finding out Poof and Foop literally were designed with alphabet hair, I have wonderful news for you. Fun fact, the "Anti-Poof" storyboard portrays Foop with a square spiral instead! It was the final detail of his design.

[dumpster-divers-unite]

There is so much more waste out there then your brain can imagine.

That’s a fact. There is SO MUCH waste out there just in clothing alone. After it’s been ‘consumed’, we think to donate it to give it another life. When that happens to literally millions of items, the chance of what was formally your stuff getting that well deserved second chance is diminished significantly.

I’m going to give you guys a tiny behind the scenes on a warehouse I’ve partially toured yesterday for a job. It was at a goodwill location with a bin style layout for second hand consumers. The crowd of people there were of all ages and backgrounds. The moment one of the workers put a fresh bin out, they swarmed it to pick through it like a horde of zombies.

The warehouse portion of the store was as huge as your mind could think of in terms of ‘large spaces’ but bigger. I had to follow one of the associates to the offices to interview, and I slowed to look at the literal HUNDREDS of gaylords stacked in 2’s in the middle of the storage space. Every single gaylord was stuffed with clothing. If you don’t know, a Gaylord is a really big foldable cardboard box that bulk stuff like produce get shipped in. It didn’t even hit me that all of them were packed to the brim with clothing until I rounded one of the corners to see the other side of the gaylord wall, were I saw the clothing bales. Visually, it was an assault to the eyes; there was so much to see but you couldn’t just stop to gawk at it all. As I walked through, I couldn’t help but to think of how much that all must have costed first hand. How much is a normal long sleeve t shirt, $25+? Multiply it by 10,000+ in every color of the rainbow, every mix, every match, every style, and without repeating your outfits. In long sleeve shirts alone, that’s a staggering $250k. Jeans and denims are popular right now and are flooding first hand brands and trickling their way to thrifts/second hands. According to my fast research online, both men’s and women’s brand new store brand are selling for upwards of $156 on average. Ask yourself, “how many pairs of jeans do I see at my favorite thrift stores? How many racks of jeans are available second hand right now?” and see if you can come up with a number. Sense denim jeans are so common, I could reasonably use the same 10k number for the estimated amount of jeans that are in that warehouse right now and say with some level of confidence that there are at least $1,560,000 in new/like new garments hidden beneath the rest of the unwanted clothing. The numbers, on all sides, were staggering and sickening to think about. If people took the time and effort to do so, I promise you they could have stacked all of the items (both folded and unfolded) to the ceiling.

Backing away now from those dizzying numbers; coming out from the warehouse portion and back to the bins, I was near breathless. ‘Breathtaking in a queasy way’ is my best way of conveying my experience with facing, head on, how much people are consuming and discarding. I can say with absolute confidence and certainty that everything you’re seeing and reading online about the waste/pollution problem in the clothing world is true. This is one of those issues that you can only really display online to get your point across sadly, and that might take away some of the reality of the problem. The rampant message to consume more and more of the clothing that these big brand stores are offering at every opportunity they have is one issue in a sea of many, but we can start to solve it ourselves. The power to do so is in our own hands sense this is a social issue that we have to tackle together. This isn’t an issue that a government can give an answer or a set of answers for.

I encourage you to take the deep dive into your wardrobe when you have time to pick out what you’re wearing and not. Ask yourself, “What makes me wear this? What makes this shirt worth keeping? What element of this style of garment do I like, and why do I like it? Why am I keeping this if I haven’t thought about or touched this item in the past 6 months to a year?” And see what your answers are. Separate your worn from your unworn and see what can reasonably be recycled or repurposed at home before it goes to the thrift.

Be passionate about preventing waste. Maybe one day, we won’t have to worry about the mountains of clothing and items stuck in warehouses and in dumps. For now, take it slow.

[cr0ftisprocrastinating]

Are you working on anything new? I love Creep and HGD - can’t wait to read whatever’s next!

Thank you so much!

So in theory, yes. I have three wips. In reality…

*primal screaming at my google docs*

I’ve been finding it very difficult to find time and brain space to write this year (booooo) for a combination of reasons.

1) I’ve just started the third year of my dphil (eek) so workload is increasing and brain capacity decreasing. I’ve actually seen a decline in the amount of fiction I’ve been reading too which I think is associated, which leads me onto…

2) I went through a stage of reading fiction that wasn’t very well written and therefore wasn’t very inspiring? Wanky/controversial thing to say because I love to read trash and I think it is very important to read trash! But have recently realised I feel like you do when you eat too much crap food and want some vegetables. If you have any recs of *actually well written things* please let me know!

3) I’ve put out a few shorter/one shots that funnily enough I wrote after reading something I really enjoyed (I am really proud of my pansy/daphne one shot On bombs, broken glass and love). My big multi chapter wips are slower to produce and so take longer to share! Normally I try to have at least half of anything written before I start posting.

4) all my ideas are bigger than my talent lol. One of them is set in the Victorian era so I’ve been messing around with historical research. Another is inspired by fucking AI and quantum mechanics, of all things, which I know NOTHING ABOUT. Hehe :) I rly wanna do them justice though because they make my brain feel nice when it’s not stuttering to a halt. The third idea I just can’t get the tone of the thing right.

Anyway please accept these long rambles as hopefully a relatively satisfying answer??

[melodiousmonsters]

Dandidoo's pages are done, but firstly before I give information on that I need to explain elemental alignment.

 A monster is composed of elements that determine its species, but the exact proportions of the elements varies between monsters. The amounts of the elements will change minute things about their appearance depending on how much of it there is. Each element has certain traits they can give to monsters, most of which help with survival in the environment that element is associated with. For example, the air element will give a monster long, thick eyelashes to keep the sand from its deserts out of the monster's eyes. But there's a lot more that I may mention later.

An element that the monster doesn't even have can influence their appearance still, trace amounts of other elements will be absorbed by eggs in the process of them incubating and absorbing elements from the world around them to grow the monster inside. The most common element for monsters to get from this method is shadow as all it requires is the egg to be in the dark, just some trivia for you. Anyway on to the Dandidoos.

"Dandidoo (Avae tarheacum) average around 6ft tall. They are completely wingless and only have back legs. Their most distinctive feature are its magnificent puffs of sensory stalks on its head and tail. Unlike most avian sonsters, Dandidoo feathers can be very plant-like depending on their elemental alignment. Their stalks are always plant like, and they all have xylem instead of blood, and they have normal muscles and not the hydraulic ones of plant monsters which is why they are in the avian family. Plant aligned Dandidoo’s down feathers are more like veiny roots and their feathers are more like leaves.

Their puffs serve two main purposes, one is to sense traits of its environment, and the other is for temperature regulation. The stalks are full of nerves that can sense humidity, temperature, vibrations in the air, atmospheric pressure, and air contents. They also have xylial networks in the stalks that regularly get filled to cool their xylem if needed. There’s also the third and not really important use of “status” because for some reason Dandidoos are obsessed with their appearance and social groups of solely or near solely Dandidoos will judge each other's social rank by how glamorous their puffs are. Personally I find this very unfair, but I guess Dandidoos do what the Dandi-do.

They molt their feathers and stalks every 6 months and it’s the most vulnerable state as all of their sensory stalks fall off at once and a lot of their senses are dampened and they are more susceptible to predation if their environment has predatory critters around. Also they become very self-conscious as they lose their puffs which as mentioned before are very important to them, but that’s a little less important than surviving in my opinion.

Dandidoos are made to run. They have large lungs that take up a majority of their abdominal cavity that allow for optimal oxygen diffusion to their xylem. They also repurposed the hollow bones which are commonly used for oxygen diffusion during flight to help with their running instead. Their legs are powerful and they have large, quick growing claws and barbed scales on the bottoms of their feet for traction while running.

Twin Dandidoos have two heads and come in a red and blue color scheme. Their puffs also serve to connect neurons between the two heads, one represents the left brain and the other represents the right. During molting they tend to have communication issues both internal and external. They are native to earth island and evolved their colors as a form of camouflage.

Horned Dandidoos have horns and also a massive crown of sensory stalks about twice the size of the standard. They are native to the Purple Ice Plains of Cold Island and seemed to have evolved the stalks as a form of producing heat. The stalks are so densely packed that the friction of them warms their xylem instead of allowing the wind to blow through and cool them off. Their puffs cause a lot of drag while running so they evolved to camouflage with their environment to avoid predation."

Also here's some concepts of the purple ice fields mentioned earlier so you can get an idea of what they look like. They take up a small place that's like, on the eastern part of the island (up for change later) and they're purple because they have a dimensional connection to the purple cliffs of the thumpiverse, thus a lot of thumpies live there. There's also a drawing of an early design for a puffi tree that was also mentioned earlier.

"Dandidoos live everywhere and can thrive in any environment. They are opportunistic omnivores that will eat anything that can fit in their mouth. They mainly eat grasses, seeds, fruits, and small critters, occasionally the remains of any larger critters that they may find. Because of this opportunistic diet they don’t put too much effort into finding food as it’s basically always there.

With a large range comes a lot of predators, despite their xylem they have normal flesh minus the blood, so they make good food for carnivores. They use their optimal running abilities to escape predation.

Dandidoos are stylish and somewhat pompous. They care a lot about their appearance and to an extent the appearance of others. They like themselves and their associates to be up to their aesthetic standards. They care a lot about impressing everyone

Dandidoo eggs require warm temperatures to hatch. They are one of the few monsters who are Precocial, their hatchlings come out of the egg ready to run from any danger around them. Instead of their sensory stalks they have petals which are more sensitive to their surroundings than the stalks. These petals require a lot of energy and Dandidoo chicks need to rest a lot. At about 20 (not sure if i mentioned this before but monsters are considered adults at 30 and puberty tends to occur at 20) they lose their petals in exchange for their sensory stalks."

[maulfucker]

I saw you had a post where you thought abt Dathomirian culture and I was wondering if you had any thoughts on how specifically Dathomirian queer culture manifests. I'd like to come up with things myself but I don't actually know a lot in general abt Dathomir yet, so I want other opinions. I've got two ideas tho

-Dathomirian queer ppl call each other "family" like some queer ppl did in our world

-Trans men might like earn their horns thru hunting and using animal bones and stuff as their horns? Idk like I said I don't know much

Good question! I haven't actually thought that much about queer culture in Dathomir despite having a gay nightbrother oc,,

I think the calling each other family thing probably wouldn't work very well since they already treat their clan as family and call each other brother and sister even without blood relation, but I love the idea of trans nightbrothers earning their horns! Dathomirians as a whole seem to be pretty open to body modifications, with tattoos being so natural in their culture, so hunting animals to use their bones or teeth or something to produce "prosthetic" horns sounds very fitting. It could be a whole thing for both trans and cis nightbrothers, using the extra horns as a way to show off their strength. plus it opens up the possibility of nightbrothers implanting horns in whimsical shapes such as smiley faces, stars or penises

I think as a people composed of multiple isolated communities, there's probably not a uniform queer culture across the planet. But also as people who tend to live in single-sex communities they are likely far more queer on average than what we see in the rest of the galaxy, like how cowboys were famously queer. They supposedly spend most of their lives around the same gender, so it wouldn't be unusual for that to be the gender they express attraction to more often. Though, much like how cowboys have been "reinterpreted" as a symbol of straight white masculinity, there's probably also a popular misconstruction of their culture as extremely straight, and/or extremely celibate. The "Nightsisters rule over Nightbrothers" reading of their culture is very obviously meant to show them as a reverse-sexist society, making the nightsisters a sort of "girl power" icon — they are strong independent women who can pick any man they want (implying that they do want men), which is like saying cowboys are strong fearless men who woo every damsel that crosses their path. which. sure, cowboys did have sex with women. sure, nightsisters do have sex with men. but more often than not they will be around other nightsisters, so they will more often than not have relationships with women (even if they're not really gay).

but I am not usamerican and my brain has the consistency of molten ice cream, so my knowledge of american cowboy culture is. basically just that. (the brazilian cowboy culture is quite different, especially considering there's like three distinct cowboy "sub"cultures, each with their different history, territory, and associations) So that's as far as I can take the cowboy comparison, but cowboys can be a pretty good source of inspiration I think. maybe look into that?

A quick look into medieval monasteries (another famously gender-segregated culture) says they were also pretty gay. And that the sexual persecution that is so commonplace in christianity today was not really a thing yet back then, which is also something to consider when trying to conceive the queer culture of a people who have nothing to do with our modern (overwhelmingly christian) society — do they have a reason to reject queer people and relationships, or are we just projecting our own worldviews and experiences onto a people who have none of the sociohistorical context that shaped our experiences?

I think homosexual/romantic and even polyamorous relationships would be pretty normalized, since there's not really any reason to only accept hetero relationships if they rarely ever live in mixed-sex communities. That said, there's probably still some expectation of heterosexual activity, in the form of the Selection and its implied procreation purposes. Dathomir is a very isolationist world, so to keep their population stable they need to procreate, even if it "goes against" an individual's sexuality. And this is where I think polyamorous relationships have reason to be encouraged: if a nightsister or nightbrother who already has a partner takes part in a Selection, why not bring their partner(s) into the relationship as well and increase the likelihood of producing offsprings?

As for the gender side of queerness.... well that's probably A Lot more complicated than I have time to discuss here. The gender binary seems pretty enforced in their culture from what little we see, and their sexual dimorphism probably makes trans and/or intersex people stand out A Lot more

I've mentioned this before, but I headcanon that the skin color difference is not a sex-chromosome-bound characteristic, but instead a sex-hormone-related expression of pigmentation, like in some birds such as peacocks. Both males and females are shown to have a range of skin tones, but in females it manifests as grayscale while in males it manifests as a color scale from red to yellow. So intersex people might have colors that are in-between, or that don't "match" their apparent sex, and trans people who undergo their equivalent of hrt might slowly change skin colors over time.

As for how nonbinary people work.... well as someone who is from a latin american country and speaks a romance language, I would like to imagine their "nonbinary" is a lot like ours — there is no "neutral" gender, they simply play with their presentation to be between one and the other, leaning towards whichever one might be considered more "transgressive" at the moment.

I don't think trans people would be forced out of their clans for being a different gender than everyone else, but it's possible their role in the clan might change to something more "befitting" of their new gender I also think there's probably a lot more contact between different clans than just the Selection, so it's possible for people who decide to start over as a new gender to take one of these moments of contact as an opportunity to "visit" another clan and never come back.

..... aaand it's almost 2 am so I gotta hit post

[pokeglitchden]

So I wanted to talk about a unique experience I had with visualtoxin a few days ago. Most visualtoxins are not as strong as their auditory counterparts in Glitch City. In most cases it isn't necessary, the unpleasant sensation of looking at a visually toxic Pokémon is normally enough to deter would be predetors.

In fact the most potent known visualtoxin known to date is actually produced by Mimikyu, which triggers a lethal fear response. The second most potent, belongs to the Glitch Pokémon 4 4, which overwhelms the senses and can cause blindness within 30 seconds of exposure.

But the other day I encountered this Pokémon.

This is simply a rough sketch of the Pokémon since I am currently not in the same vicinity as it. A strange, otherwise unknown Pokémon that has some interesting attributes, such as an ability to produce a cooling sensation around its body.

But beneath its cloak, particularly on its underbelly it produces a visualtoxin potent enough to break a pair of vistox goggles instantly. It also produces a fear based paralytic effect very similar to that of Mimikyu's. One that I was unfortunately on the receiving end of.

I can report that the effect was rather immediate, and required medical intervention to snap me out of. While I remained semi-conscious through the affair there was no pain associated with the effect, except for the headache it induced in the aftermath. Just a stiffness that caused a locking up of the muscles until the toxin was cured.

I am, however, VERY grateful to have been wearing vision protection, as they seem to have absorbed the brunt of the shock. I'm grateful it was the goggles that were fried by the effect instead of my brain.

Anyway! Just an interesting update. All study of this pokemon is going to be conducted with Heavy visual protection employed, naturally.

-Simon

[mineralsrocksandfossiltalks]

Monday Musings: Copper and Your Health

Did you know that copper is a mineral that we need in our bodies? In fact, there are several metals we need to live healthy lives. What exactly do we need copper for? A few things actually. It is needed for the normal growth and development of human fetuses, infants and children.

In adults, it is necessary for the growth, development and maintenance of bone, connective tissue, brain, heart and many other body organs.

Copper is involved in the formation of red blood cells, the absorption and utilization of iron, and the synthesis and release of life-sustaining proteins and enzymes. These enzymes produce cellular energy and regulate nerve transmission, blood clotting and oxygen transport.

Copper is also known to stimulate the immune system, help repair injured tissues and promote healing. Copper has been shown to help neutralize "free radicals," which can cause severe damage to cells.

Despite all its uses, we only need about .9 mg of copper a day. Crazy right?

Where do I get copper in my diet? Copper-rich foods include grains, nuts and seeds, organ meats such as liver and kidneys, shellfish, dried fruits, legume vegetables like string beans and potatoes, chicken and some unexpected and delightful sources such as cocoa and chocolate.

I don't know about you, but several of those are definitely in my diet.

Okay, next question, what happens if I don't get enough copper in my diet? A deficiency in copper is one factor leading to an increased risk of developing high cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease in humans. Copper deficiencies are also associated with premature births, chronic diarrhea and stomach diseases.

But of course, there are also risks if you consume too much copper too. It can cause nausea but thankfully, it's really hard to hit toxic levels of copper. Just don't go around eating copper wire and you should be fine.

The last fun fact I have for you is that there are clinical trials in effect right now to see if frequently touched surfaces and air ventilation systems in hospitals made out of copper or copper alloys can help stem bacterial infections in hospitals. Copper has some antimicrobial abilities and they are hoping it can stop infections of deadly diseases like MRSA.

Initial studies at the University of Southampton, UK, and tests subsequently performed at ATS-Labs in Eagan, Minnesota, for the EPA show that copper-base alloys containing 65% or more copper are effective against:

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Staphylococcus aureus

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE)

Enterobacter aerogenes

Escherichia coli O157:H7 and

Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Wild stuff, am I right? Who knew copper could be so useful outside of conducting electricity? Hope you enjoyed today's musings. Tune in tomorrow for one last trivia on copper before December is upon us! (I can't believe it's almost December. What happened to November?) Fossilize you later!

[aliteralsemicolon]

I have more than 3 questions if you are comfortable answering them. I really love your writing style so I would be really greatful if you share your secrets ❤️

What is your writing process like?

How long does one story take to write?

How do you come up with your ideas?

Do you ever run out of ideas?

What is your thought process when writing Spencer? I feel like you capture his energy so well.

Who do you imagine as Reader? I feel like I relate a lot to the Reader in we can't be friends story.

Do you ever get anxious when posting a story?

Sorry if these are too many questions. It may sound strange but I am really fond of how you write and I am an aspiring writer myself, I would appreciate your advice. I am unsure of how to describe, but it feels like you put a lot of love in your characters interacting with each other, if that makes sense? You capture the 'feeling' of love really well. Also English is not my first language I apologise for any mistakes 😅

oh so I can't even begin to describe how incredibly sweet this ask is and how it's left me speechless. truly I was taken aback because I literally never though I'd ever get asked something this touching, and I'm so flattered that you took the time to ask this. also don't worry about your english, you're basically better than I am tbh 😭 anyways essay incoming

my writing process is actually pretty simple. once I have an idea I write it down in my brainstorm doc for later. when I'm ready to write it I make a new doc for that specific fic. then I make a list writing how the story is going to unfold (what the plot will be or what's gonna happen in a scene etc). basically I write anything and everything that comes to mind (scene, dialog, quote, etc). even if it's messy bc I can always sort it out later. once I have that initial planning done I kinda just start writing according to the list. I write as much or as little as my brain feels like, then circle back when more motivation strikes. I also don't always stick 100% to the original list/script because things change and I get new ideas that work better for the story as I write. eventually it all just comes together. once it's done, it's beta read either by me or a kind friend and I just post it with my normal layout.

the amount of time it takes to write a fic depends on a couple of factors. obviously, the length of the actual fic is a big one. I never really know how long or how short a fic is going to be, I kinda just keep writing until I'm happy with how it's unfolded. often times my fics end up being way longer than intended because I'm really bad at writing short form content. also, I can lose interest in a fic pretty fast if I don't emotionally vibe with it. so there's no set answer, it really just depends on circumstance. I've learned to just stop trying to force my pace and let everything flow in its own time.

MUSIC!!! I lovvveeee music (from a listening stand point, I could not produce any part of it to save my life). anything and everything I do creatively sparks from music and how that music associates with an emotion/memory/desire. like for example: we can't be friends. I love that song. I associate the song with feelings of extreme heartbreak masked by delusion. the lyrics are touchy, but the song is upbeat. yet the beat is missing something to me. like it's hollow and what ever it's missing is just within my grasp but I can't reach it (does this even make sense?) and that's how part 1 of wcbf formed. Or malicious compliance is inspired by (TMI!!!) TiO by Zayn because I associate it with a specific memory and so that fic happened. imagining (delusion) is also just one of my strong suits.

no, I've yet to run out of ideas, luckily. I just know that when it does happen it's going to hit me in the fucking ass at my lowest.

absolutely no thought process 💙 I just write him how I want to perceive him and it seems to work out in my favour. Spencer unironically is my type to a fucking T and I know what I want in a partner. what I want magically compliments what Spencer's personality already is. then again, parts of his personality also depend on what season Spencer I'm imagining.

obviously, there are certain aspects of Reader that are parts of me. that can't be helped, as a writer you always project bits and pieces of yourself in there. but Reader is also just as much mixed as whatever type of personality works best to the story, but never in an extreme way. Reader is open to your personal interpretation, there is no one person I imagine to be Reader.

yes ALL THE FUCKING TIME because what if you guys don't fuck with todays tom foolery? what then? thanks for reading my stuff guys <3

and good luck reading this monstrosity. as always ignore all my grammatical errors because I do not proofread my rambles 🙏

also thank you again, anon for your sweet message. I hope I was able to give the answers you were looking for. best of luck for your writing journey :D

[leofrith]

7, 19, 23 🩵😁

i see what you're trying to do here, parker, and by god you're gonna get it. 🤪

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

i don't hate hate her but randvi. it's gotta be randvi. i used to like her (and by extension, randivor) a lot more before having a few too many interactions with fans who act as if shipping eivor with anyone other than randvi (or, heaven forbid, a man) is tantamount to lesbophobia and misogyny. to which i say: please touch some fucking grass. valhalla is an rpg which gives you the option to romance characters of any gender, which means that just as you have every right to headcanon eivor as a lesbian, i have every right to think she's bisexual (and imo, the game supports her being bisexual anyway). obviously this doesn't apply to every randvi fan as i do still have friends within the fandom who love her, but the not insignificant number of randivor shippers who are incapable of being normal about bisexuals (namely, bisexual women in "straight-passing" relationships) has really soured the ship and her character for me to the point where i pretty much avoid content about them entirely.

19. you're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...

i hate that i very much still love dinluke, given that it has produced some of the most annoying people alive and i hate to be associated with [gestures vaguely] all that. not to sound like a gatekeeper but i was here first! i was here when it was still just a little crack ship! know your fucking herstory!!!

23. ship you've unwillingly come around to

i wouldn't say it was unwilling so much as i was pretty neutral about eivor x hytham before you burrowed your way into my brain with your propoganda and now it's gotta be one of my favourite valhalla ships. the way they should have been canon, actually. 😭

send me a number!

[severeprincesheep]

Monday 21 February 2005

A row erupted yesterday after an expert said youngsters brought up as strict vegetarians suffered mental and physical problems that could affect them for the rest of their lives.

Nutritionists in Britain dismissed the findings of the US study as " rubbish", and the report prompted Sir Paul McCartney, whose first wife, Linda, put her name to a range of meat-free food, to telephone the BBC to dismiss the claim.

Lindsay Allen, from the University of California at Davis, found just two spoonfuls of meat a day given to children on a vegetarian diet could produce a dramatic and permanent improvement in their physical and mental development. The study took place in Kenya, where children are fed almost exclusively on staple crops. Their diet lacked many of the micro-nutrients essential for the growth of brain and muscle tissue, Professor Allen said. "It's applicable to the West as well. There have been studies on vegetarian women [in Europe and the US] and their children are very developmentally delayed," she added.

Although some vegetarian parents gave their children food supplements, many vegans, who ate no animal products, reared their children on the same food they ate themselves, she said. She told the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington: "There is absolutely no question that it's unethical for parents to bring up their children as strict vegans. Even when they were adolescents these children who were fed as vegans when they were young still had delayed development or permanently impaired development,"

Professor Tom Sanders, research director of nutrition and dietetics at King's College London, criticised her for extrapolating from a group in a developing country that had a relatively deprived diet. "Taking people who have limited food choices and adding animal products will provide elements missing from their restricted diets. But where you have a good choice in developed countries, you can select a balanced vegan diet even for children," he said.

Professor Sanders made a study of vegan nutrition which followed children from conception to the age of 26, to show that the development of vegans was normal. "Their diet in developed countries contains plenty of wheat, soy, pulse and salads, and provided they avoid Vitamin B12 deficiency by eating fortified foods or supplements, they are not at any disadvantage," he said. He admitted that a vegan diet for children under the age of five might pose a risk of malnutrition if there was too much reliance on vegetables.

Sir Paul, a strict vegetarian for 20 years, said he had raised his children as non-meat eaters with no ill-effects.

"It has been a good thing for me and my children, who are no shorter than other children," he said. Britain's 500,000 vegans and vegetarians had half the mortality rate of the general population, he added.

Stephen Walsh, of the International Vegetarian Union, said that "to conclude from this particular plant diet that all plant diets are poor, and that the only way to correct the problem is through animal products, is frankly ludicrous".

The study in Kenya involved 544 children with a typical age of seven. Some were fed an extra two ounces of meat a day, while others were given a cup of milk. After two years children fed meat had muscles up to 80 per cent bigger than those with an unsupplemented diet and also showed the biggest improvement in intelligence, activity and leadership skills, Dr Allen reported.

[cowboytuba]

🎶✨when u get this, put 5 songs u actually listen to, publish. then, if you're comfortable, send this ask/tag 10 of your followers (positivity is cool) 🎶✨

Got tagged by both the cool artist @mostlikelydead and the cool streamer @leahplease, so instead of just going with just 5, I'll do 5 regular songs and 5 songs from other media that all live in my brain.

5 normal songs (Like the purpose is only be a song)

Had Enough by Breaking Benjamin - Ok I gotta admit that young Tuba liked to listen to edgy music and imagine situations. However, this has sentimental value as Phobia was the first CD I ever had which papa Tuba gave to me way back when.

Wenn sie tanzt by Wise Guys - Way back when, Tuba studied german back in school and on valentines we translated a song from them, "Willst Du Mit Mir Gehen" and I was taken by the energy. Years later, I eventually got the album and this became a favorite. There's also a radio edit with additional instruments but the acapella works better for me. God I should take up my german studies again.

War by OutKast - Another first for young Tuba. Phobia was the first cd given to me, but Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was the first album I purchased myself and an introduction to music as an ability to make a political statement, a new concept to young tuba whose biggest worry was thinking about school and mama Tuba worrying about me running into discrimination in a majority hispanic district. Needless to say, it only grew on me as I became more aware of the world and started venturing out further and student size grew and grew and I became a minority in the student pool.

Seasons by DragonForce - Ok this one is much more simple. I was getting into Rock and loved how the song sounded when I was younger and still love it now. Some sick solos.

The Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels Band - A toe taper that I can just belt out when driving anywhere to help pass the time and feel real good doing it. Though unfortunately still trapped by the common idea that country is only made by and for right wing leaners and bible thumpers which Charlie Daniels definitely leans. Guitar Hero III cover was cool too.

5 songs made for other media

Madness 4 by Cheshyre for Madness Combat 4- while listening to music I was probably too young to be listening too, I was also on the internet browsing sites like Newgrounds before I should've and happened across the Madness Combat series which was an interesting creative partnership between musician Cheshyre and animator Krinkles where both music and animation are created in tandem and beat for beat. One of the first produced this way after their partnership cemented and the beat lives in me. Still makes really good electronic music too.

Nightmare Fiction II By Daisuke Ishiwatari for Blazblue - While most now associate Daisuke with Guilty Gear since Strive really blew up in common knowledge, he also did a lot of work for Blazblue's soundtrack with themes I may like better than Guilty Gear's. Nightmare Fiction II follows an occurrence in Blazblue where older songs were remade to give a fresh take on years old tracks. Of course the old ones are still available, but for the most part, the II version is better with Nightmare Fiction standing especially. One can feel the hatred and animosity in the track, giving way to a tense, yet still hateful, clarity in the middle of the track. and the Solo.... Man we're never getting another Blazblue.

Living Failures by Nobuyoshi Suzuki for Bloodborne - Where do I begin? The emotions are high for the entire track and leads into one of the best second phase themes in From History. The choir, the French Horns, the immediate plunge into a fucking drive of strings, horns, and choir that only builds and builds ever higher. Legit brings tears to my eyes with how beautiful it is.

Heynong Man by Chris Christodoulou for Deadbolt - A familiar name to Risk of Rain soundtrack lovers as Deadbolt was the devs previous game before RoR. A chunky bass and saw of a lead drives the song forward on and on from one groovy bit to the next. Just nice listening on a walk as it gives a strong beat to walk with and the energy to just take it all in, music and whatever you're walking through.

Altars of Apostasy (incl. "Halls of Sacrilegious Remains") by Heaven Pierce Her for Ultrakill - Hakita, goddamn Hakita. He is a different beast entirely when it comes to game dev, design, and music. Inspired by Black Metal, this track maxes out at 7 fucking guitars playing at once at the densest section. It is a goddamn beast of track well deserving of being with the layer of Heresy. Even the reference to Glory, a different Ultrakill track, is thrown in as it helps give a lighter moment to an otherwise dark as hell track. and after a huge leadup, wind down, and lead up once more is the second section, Halls of Sacrilegious Remains, inspired by a beta tester using Castle Vein for a hype moment. This lead Hakita to holding off reusing Hideous Masses until the end of the level where the rematch with Gabriel is hyped up before a gauntlet is thrown at the player to a black metal rendition of Castle Vein. When I think of the highest hope I could ever have when making music, it's to eventually inspire the same feelings in someone that I feel listening to this track

Let's see, uhhh, @eunique, you got music you wanna gush about?

[katyspersonal]

Small crisis regarding my former mariadeline impression

This post is basically just:

But I kinda need to put my thoughts here

I've been thinking recently back on my days when I still saw Gehrman as a ‘creep’, and it was a point in Maria’s story that she hated herself for feeling attracted to Adeline who WAS below in a status. In that version, she was deeply concerned of taking advantage of her authority - because she subconsciously projected, and sort of saw Gehrman in herself. Been long ago, but after I revisited the lore bit that triggered it, I was hit back with just how many layers have to be undone to get to mariadeline ship being fulfilling and happy. We have the fact that Adeline still addresses Maria as superior ('lady' in localisation, '-sama' in original, sama is used to politely, formally address ones of higher rank). The subordination was probably never broken in canon!

Also, Maria didn't want Adeline to become a Blood Saint but Adeline wasn't convinced, most likely out of her pursuit to be someone meaningful - "grooming" of Blood Saints isn't canon, in Japanese original it says that they merely were prepared physically, to produce unique blood within their body, so that certainly allows there to be willing, conscious ones. I feel like Maria would have a huge weight of guilt for failing to convince her that she didn't need to put herself through this.

But things also get soooo much worse around Research Hall, because Maria is associated with the reason why these experiments are a thing to BEGIN with! Yes, evolution is nice and all, but patients are writhing in pain and beg for it to end. That meant Adeline too - not only she mutated horribly and Maria was no longer able to see her beautiful face, but also Adeline is restrained with more belts than any of the other patients, and then additionally restrained to the chair. She must have had it extremely hard if they had to put extra effort in holding her still... My guess is that Adeline was going too rabid when devoid of brain fluid for too long. And Maria had to watch her go through this, mutating physically and forgetting her worth psychologically. But who knows, what if none of that had happened if Maria didn't "help" with Fishing Hamlet? Someone who took her own life over a collective crime strikes me as someone more prone to blame herself, ALL herself, rather than sharing guilt. She did not come after throats of Willem and Gehrman for initiating Fishing Hamlet massacre, despite the fact that the leaders are probably more guilty than the followers, you know...?

I wonder if the real reason Maria went nonverbal with Adeline (Adeline being accustomed to her walking in without a word, Maria giving her the balcony key without explanation since Adeline still thinks it is "a charm" when we meet her) was not shyness but anxiety. Maybe she felt like she didn't even dare to touch her, maybe she was not able to start talking to her without crying - and she needed to hold it back. She wanted to stay strong and worthy of Adeline’s respect, even if she probably didn’t deserve it.... But Adeline deserved someone to admire, rather than the gods that only make people feel small.

I mean, the status imbalance itself is already a very fat hint that they never got official and whatever was there from one or both of them probably lingered in the status of unresolved romantic tension until the end. The fact that Adeline still sees Maria as her superior even as a patient effectively hints that it was still the case back then - so as a Blood Saint, and before that. Basically, the only time in canon they COULD have been in true relationship is during Research Hall events, but I think the setting full of pain, misery, fear, insanity, body horror and death was uhhh... not very favourable for happy fluffy love to bloom. Adeline was going way too caught up into Eldrich truth to care about something as human - an requiring her humanity - as normal relationship, and Maria, the one who would care enough to pull her back, failed to do so at least two times by now.

_______

So yeah, all in all I briefly addressed that mariadeline probably never came to fruition in canon, then I forgot all about it and got sold on happy portrayal of the ship within fandom, but now I am thinking back on it and considering even more nuances. I’ve just grown so used to take this ship as a given that it does feel like a slight crisis to realise that they probably never dated? There is a possibility though; Nightmare features a hunter version of Maria, that she forsaken in “reality”, ie Nightmare dials back into troubled and painful past. So maybe it dialed Adeline back TOO - to her more desperate, tormented state as a patient, when she still wasn’t Maria’s girlfriend too; when in “reality” she DID, in fact, feel better about herself and the women got to be happy witch each other for just brief time... Again, past Adeline already being a mutant. Like, odds are, all stuff depicting mariadeline happy and established when Adeline was a Blood Saint, or before so, or a patient that still looked human is an AU? Because it is not filling blank spaces, but contradicting canon? It is just that... I was not THINKING about it this way much? That so many things we just assume and take without questioning in fiction actually are rather different in reality?

I am probably becoming very old like I said before, but it is even strange how we as fans can look at two characters caring about each other and instantly jump into fluffiest, most shippy interpretation, forgetting the nuances. Like... dear god, this ship has so many underwater rocks (no pun intended).

[simonalkenmayer]

You’ve probably heard something to the effect of, a person is unpredictable/intelligent but a mob is predictable/stupid?

When we are predicting or predictively modeling human behavior, we are up against the Heisenberg’s uncertainty of your moods. At any point, any one person can be spontaneous, and while it’s true that math knows how to provide wiggle room, with rates of uncertainty and plus or minus and so forth, there’s still not telling how your brain chemistry is about to go. We can run a simulation on ten people and nine will do the thing, while the tenth is hungry and doesn’t feel like it. However, when group dynamics factors in, it becomes a hell of a lot easier.

Why?

Because when humans move in groups, or share information in groups, they subsume their corrective impressions, or contradictory thoughts. They even ignore their own senses. A cult can take a perfectly rational and healthy adult with intellect and independent thinking, and through repetition, stress, and peer influence, train their brains to forget even their own studied expertise. Memories can be manipulated through repetition. The social pressure of the situation somehow herds people into conformity.

So I can predict what a group will do, with certain allowances—a family, a mob, a band, a government…but I can never predict with any reasonable certainty, what you will do.

However… the pressure that creates conformity in the human brain doesn’t exist in the same way for loosely assembled groups

The internet, in many ways, creates e rough of a break between people, that it is much more difficult to create the same level of conformity. And yet online relationships produce some of the most complex Abernathy psychology; from teens murdering friends to get views, to people participating in alt right chat spaces and becoming further radicalized. These people meet in loosely oriented or structured groups with opt out ability in the form of a simple button, and yet…

So what is happening to produce this? What switch flips in the human brain to allow them to feel more connected to and influenced by information on a screen than to the people with whom they daily associate?

There is a kind of inversion that takes place in the mind. I’ve explained weak and strong actors before. People you see daily like a parent or boss is a strong actor, with lots of influence over you. A weak actor is a cousin you see twice yearly or a schoolmate you see once a week. In a normal relationship, you would expect that a family or community member would be a stronger actor on someone than a person in a chat room named billybob69. And yet in these cases of extreme behavior, it always seems as if the internet space acts more heavily on the mind than does the daily life.

Some people blame escapism. They suggest that there is a kind of willingness to participate in this altered reality in which you are a central figure. In other words, the flexibility of internet spaces allows you to create the world around your desires. And while I may agree to an extent with that, I still don’t believe it is enough of an i fluencies to make people harm their own. I think it takes more.

I think abuse (not subtle emotional manipulation, but indeed real trauma) to make this switch flip. I think that the mind ensures abuse that makes it wish to escape, not simply for reprieve but for actual freedom from harm. I think they reach for that altered reality as a kind of therapy. I think this makes them vulnerable to group dynamics, and I think this is what is happening. In cases of extremism, I really do feel that they are a natural run off consequence of abusive patriarchy, and I think I can use internet group dynamics models to prove it.

So that’s my day so far. How was yours?