#structured data best practices

[seohabibi]

In this guide, we delve into the intricate world of structured data and unveil its profound impact on SEO. From unraveling the basics to exploring advanced strategies, discover how structured data can elevate your website's visibility, enhance user experience, and significantly impact search engine rankings. Stay ahead of the competition by decoding the power of structured data in the ever-evolving landscape of SEO.

[digitalaamir]

Opening the Force of Schema Markup for Beginners: An Extensive Aide

In the ever-evolving world of SEO, standing out in search engine results is essential. One powerful yet often underutilized tool that can significantly enhance your website’s visibility is Schema Markup for beginners. If you’re new to the world of digital marketing or website optimization, you might not fully understand what schema markup is or how it works. This blog aims to break it down in simple terms, guiding you through the basics and explaining how you can implement it to boost your site’s performance.

What is Schema Markup?

Schema Markup for beginners can be likened to a form of language that helps search engines understand your website content better. Schema is essentially a type of structured data, which, when added to your website, helps search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo display rich snippets of information. These rich snippets provide users with more detailed information about your site before they even click on the link.

Imagine you’re searching for a recipe. Instead of just seeing a title and meta description in the search results, schema markup can allow the search engine to show details like the cooking time, star ratings, and calorie count directly in the results. This makes it more appealing for users to click on, improving your chances of attracting visitors.

Why is Schema Markup Important for SEO?

Now that you know what schema markup is, you might wonder why it matters so much. The truth is, structured data plays a crucial role in modern SEO strategies. Search engines are constantly evolving, and their algorithms are designed to prioritize user experience. Schema markup helps you communicate the specifics of your content, making it easier for search engines to serve relevant, targeted results to users.

For beginners, one key reason to use schema markup is its potential to improve your click-through rate (CTR). Rich snippets stand out more in search results, increasing your content’s visibility and encouraging users to choose your link over others. In addition to CTR improvements, schema markup can help your website rank higher for featured snippets and voice search results—two growing trends in the world of search.

Different Types of Schema Markup

There are many different types of schema markup you can use, depending on the type of content you’re showcasing on your website. Here are some of the most common ones that beginners should consider:

Article Schema: If you run a blog or a news site, article schema can help search engines understand your content’s structure and importance.

Local Business Schema: This is ideal for businesses with a physical location, as it helps search engines provide details such as opening hours, address, and contact information.

Product Schema: Perfect for e-commerce sites, product schema allows search engines to show rich product details like prices, reviews, and availability.

Recipe Schema: As mentioned earlier, recipe schema makes it easy for food blogs to display detailed information like ingredients, preparation time, and nutritional facts.

FAQ Schema: This is particularly helpful for websites that answer common questions. It allows search engines to display questions and answers directly in the search results.

How to Implement Schema Markup

One of the most important things for beginners to understand is that implementing schema markup doesn’t require you to be a coding expert. Here’s a simple guide to getting started:

Choose Your Schema Type: First, decide which type of schema is most relevant to your content (e.g., article, local business, FAQ).

Use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper: Google offers a free tool called the Structured Data Markup Helper, which can make adding schema to your website easy. All you need to do is paste your website URL, select the data you want to mark up, and then follow the tool’s prompts to generate your markup code.

Add the Markup to Your Site: Once you’ve generated the code, you can add it to the HTML of your web pages. If you’re using a content management system like WordPress, there are also plugins available that simplify the process.

Test Your Markup: After implementing schema markup, it’s essential to test it to ensure everything works as expected. Google’s Rich Results Test tool can help you do this by analyzing your markup and showing you any errors.

Best Practices for Using Schema Markup

While it may be tempting to add as much schema markup as possible, it’s important to be strategic about it. Here are a few best practices for beginners:

Stay Relevant: Only use schema markup where it makes sense. Don’t try to force schema on content that doesn’t need it.

Keep it Up-to-Date: Schema is an ongoing process, not a one-time task. Ensure that your schema markup stays accurate, especially if you make significant changes to your site’s content.

Monitor Your Results: Schema markup is just one part of your SEO strategy. Be sure to monitor your site’s performance to see if adding structured data improves your rankings or CTR.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

While Schema Markup for beginners is relatively easy to implement, there are a few common mistakes to watch out for:

Overstuffing: Don’t overwhelm your pages with unnecessary schema. Stick to the most relevant types.

Ignoring Errors: Always test your markup for errors using Google’s tools to ensure everything works smoothly.

Assuming Immediate Results: Adding schema markup won’t magically push your site to the top of search results overnight. It takes time for search engines to index and react to these changes.

[designcollection1208]

Ensure that your website's on-page elements are optimized, including title tags, meta descriptions, header tags (H1, H2, etc.), and image alt tags. These elements should contain relevant keywords and accurately describe the content of each page.

[beastmarketing]

How to conduct a technical SEO?

New Post has been published on https://abnoubshenouda-digitalmarketer.com/how-to-conduct-a-technical-seo/

How to conduct a technical SEO?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for any website that wants to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). A technical SEO audit is an essential aspect of any SEO strategy. It helps you identify technical issues that might be preventing your website from ranking higher in search results. In this article, we will discuss how to conduct a technical SEO audit to identify and fix technical issues that could be hurting your website’s SEO.

 Start with a crawl

The first step in conducting a technical SEO audit is to perform a website crawl. There are many tools available that can help you crawl your website, such as Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, and DeepCrawl. These tools will help you identify technical issues such as broken links, missing meta tags, duplicate content, and more.

Check your website speed

Website speed is a crucial factor that can impact your website’s SEO. Slow websites can result in a poor user experience, which can hurt your website’s search rankings. To check your website’s speed, you can use tools such as Google’s PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix. These tools will help you identify issues that are causing your website to load slowly, such as large image sizes, excessive JavaScript, or server response time.

 Check your website’s mobile-friendliness

Mobile-friendliness is another critical factor that can impact your website’s SEO. With the majority of internet users accessing the internet through their mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly website is essential. You can use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to check whether your website is mobile-friendly or not. This tool will also provide recommendations on how to make your website more mobile-friendly.

Check for duplicate content

Duplicate content is a common issue that can hurt your website’s SEO. It occurs when the same content appears on multiple pages or when multiple URLs have the same content. This can confuse search engines and result in a lower search ranking. To check for duplicate content, you can use tools such as Site liner or Copy scape.

 Check for broken links

Broken links can hurt your website’s user experience and SEO. They occur when a link on your website leads to a dead page or an error page. To check for broken links, you can use tools such as Screaming Frog or Google Search Console. These tools will help you identify broken links on your website and provide recommendations on how to fix them.

 Check your website’s robots.txt file

The robots.txt file is a file that tells search engines which pages of your website they can and cannot crawl. If the robots.txt file is blocking important pages on your website, this can hurt your website’s SEO. To check your website’s robots.txt file, you can simply type in your website’s URL followed by /robots.txt. This will display the contents of your website’s robots.txt file.

Check for XML sitemap

An XML sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website. It helps search engines crawl your website more efficiently. To check for an XML sitemap, you can simply type in your website’s URL followed by /sitemap.xml. This will display the contents of your website’s XML sitemap.

Check for HTTPS

HTTPS is a protocol for secure communication over the internet. Having an HTTPS website is important for security reasons, and it can also impact your website’s search rankings. To check for HTTPS, simply type in your website’s URL and look for the padlock icon in the address bar. If the padlock icon is there, your website is HTTPS-enabled.

Check for structured data

Structured data is a type of code that helps search engines understand the content of your website better. It can also help your website appear in rich snippets in search results. To check for structured data, you can use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool. This tool will help you identify structured data on your website and provide recommendations on how to improve it.

Check for canonical tags

Canonical tags are HTML tags that tell search engines which version of a page is the preferred version. This is important for websites that have multiple versions of the same page. If canonical tags are not set up correctly, it can result in duplicate content issues. To check for canonical tags, you can use tools such as Screaming Frog or Google Search Console.

Check for pagination

Pagination refers to the process of dividing content into multiple pages. If pagination is not set up correctly, it can result in duplicate content issues or pagination errors. To check for pagination issues, you can use tools such as Screaming Frog or Google Search Console.

 Check for schema markup

Schema markup is a type of code that helps search engines understand the content on your website better. It can also help your website appear in rich snippets in search results. To check for schema markup, you can use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool or a similar tool.

 Check for 404 errors

404 errors occur when a user tries to access a page on your website that does not exist. This can hurt your website’s user experience and SEO. To check for 404 errors, you can use tools such as Screaming Frog or Google Search Console.

Check for crawl errors

Crawl errors occur when search engines are unable to crawl certain pages on your website. This can be due to a variety of reasons, such as server errors or incorrect URL structures. To check for crawl errors, you can use Google Search Console. This tool will help you identify crawl errors on your website and provide recommendations on how to fix them.

 Check for meta tags

Meta tags are HTML tags that provide information about a web page, such as its title and description. Having well-written meta tags is important for SEO because it can impact how your website appears in search results. To check for meta tags, you can use tools such as Screaming Frog or Google Search Console.

In conclusion, conducting a technical SEO audit is an essential aspect of any SEO strategy. By identifying and fixing technical issues on your website, you can improve your website’s user experience and search rankings. The above steps are just some of the many ways you can conduct a technical SEO audit. By following these steps, you can ensure that your website is optimized for search engines and provides a great user experience.

reference

Here are some references that were used in the article:

· Google Search Console: https://search.google.com/search-console/about

· Screaming Frog: https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/

· Moz: https://moz.com/

· Ahrefs: https://ahrefs.com/

· SEMrush: https://www.semrush.com/

· Google PageSpeed Insights: https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/

· GTmetrix: https://gtmetrix.com/

· Pingdom: https://www.pingdom.com/

· Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool: https://search.google.com/structured-data/testing-tool

[marketingtips-allday]

How to conduct a technical SEO?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for any website that wants to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). A technical SEO audit is an essential aspect of any SEO strategy. It helps you identify technical issues that might be preventing your website from ranking higher in search results. In this article, we will discuss how to conduct a technical SEO audit to identify and fix…

[artbyblastweave]

Any ideas to connect SU Diamonds and Worm Entities for a crossover?

For the past three years and change, I've been kicking around the idea of the Gempire as the residual result of an entity that botched its own cycle so badly that the central Zion-style figurehead holding the entire operation together is a hundred-thousand-year-gone memory. The result amounts to an entity with serious brain damage; The gems retain elements of the original programming for the cycle- namely, the ability to create anthromorphized avatars reflective of the local culture, and the drive to reproduce and consume planets to perpetuate themselves- but they've completely lost the plot on other important elements, namely the importance of hybridizing with local host species, their historical record, the full extent of their dimensional manipulation capabilities, best practices for resource extraction, and, most crucially, mutation, change and innovation as a desirable outcome.

Rather than an avatar, White Diamond is an intelligence analogous to a Endbringer or Titan who slid into the vacant role as the next-most-powerful autonomous portion of the network, holding the consolidated, stretched-thin remains of the original Network together by her fingernails while also deleteriously superimposing her own residual instinct from her original role onto the entire network- namely, to pacify, homogenize and sterilize host planets if and when a cycle is beginning to get out of control. This hybridized with residual data from previous host species that caused the gempire to organize in a fascimile of imperial structures encountered back when their cycle was still functional; essentially "Playing House" at the societal level, aping the culture of a host species without really remembering why.

The result of this is a "cycle" that's bad at everything it's supposed to do but effective enough that it limps on regardless- supremely energy inefficient, stripping planets bare rather than experimenting, and utterly developmentally stagnant. In the unlikely event that an entity were to cross paths with the Gempire, they'd have an uncanny-valley reaction to it and likely attempt to euthanize it, but compared to most entities the Gempire is tiny- while Shards canonically deploy in the hundreds of millions, the gems tend to reproduce only a few tens of thousands of themselves each time they claim a planet, and they usually only strip mine the handful of "active" worlds that would feature in a normal cycle rather than obliterating all dimensional iterations of it.

Yellow, Blue and eventually Pink are similar constructs to White, brought online to assist her in the project after the "imperial" territorial holdings grew too vast to micromanage. Unfortunately (for the cycle) another one of the things that got lost in translation were the controls meant to keep individual shards from developing autonomy or attachment-to-hosts. When the Gempire hit Earth, Pink Diamond and a significant contingent of the network, after patterning themselves after humans and spending a significant amount of time on the ground, pulled a fragile-one and went native, leading to a localized civil war that ended under unclear circumstances when the other the diamonds glassed the planet from orbit and pulled back their operations to prevent whatever affected the rebels from spreading.

All of this happened about 8000 years before the events of Worm, in a universe about 43 dimensions down the line from anything seen in the Earth Bet Cluster; due to the Gempire having mutated so much as to no longer be immediately recognizable as fellow Entities, and with so few active gems left on the planet in the aftermath of the rebellion, Zion ignored the crystal gems and folded them away into the inaccessible dimensional space, where the events of the show played out much as they did in SU canon. Ironically, Steven is the first ever example of this cycle successfully empowering a host, in the most roundabout way possible.

In my notes, and in keeping with the religious-theme-naming of the canon entities, I usually refer to this whole situation as Nirvana (what else would you call it when they break the cycle?)

[terkmc]

HACS, the Harrison Armory Combat System

The Harrison Armory Combat System, HACS for short, is a relatively new system of martial art developed by Harrison Armory. Designed to integrate with standard Armory doctrine, HACS is a modernized and modified version of traditional weapon-based martial art, mathematically optimized with aggregate combat data harvesting and extensive simulations in order to best suit the Armory’s propensity for energy and plasma based weapons.

The non-physical nature of an energy blade allows it to be able to pass through another physical blade, thus making strikes with an energy weapon almost impossible to block or parry; but also conversely makes it unable to block an attack from another weapon from simply passing through it. Thus, HACS is defined by its aggressive structure based on the principles of seizing the initiative and staying on the offense, direct footwork and economy of action, range control, and violence of action.

HACS fighters will typically stay out of range to formulate a plan of attack and maneuver into advantageous positioning, then explode into a short series of decisive strikes to force the enemy to defend. If the initial series of strikes do not kill or incapacitate, HACS fighters will then try to establish distance once again and return to neutral, preferably with follow up unarmed strike to push the enemy back and maintain initiative, though simply back-stepping is also an option if further aggression is ill-advised. HACS footwork is characteristically direct, moving back and forth in a straight line from the user to their opponent and eschewing complex footwork often seen in more traditional arts.

HACS encompass most forms of traditional melee weapons such as swords, axes, halberds and more, but befitting of a modern constructed martial art systems, HACS also accounts for modern modification and new designs, such variable emission setting allowing user to change the length of a blade mid-fight or even mid swing. HACS official training and certification requires a demonstration of mastery of the system's two basic disciplines, Energy on Blade (EB), the use of energy weapons against physical weapons, and Energy on Energy (EE), the use of energy weapons against each other. For most standard users and legionnaires, these two are enough, though further advanced disciplines are available for training, such as Energy and Shield (ES), incorporating the usage of personal shielding system into the martial art, both in conjunction with and against energy weapons.

Designed for vertical integration, HACS-M (Harrison Armory Combat System – Mechanized) is a sub-discipline of HACS for usage with mech combat. Formulated for ease of transition between systems, HACS-M employs much of the same principles and moves as HACS, maintaining its core direct aggression. The added durability of a mech and its comparatively lesser agility means HACS-M incorporate “Double Strike” in place of some defensive maneuver. “Double Strike” is an umbrella term for techniques where the user intentionally takes an attack in order to counter attack the opponent, using computer-mapped positioning to maximize armor placement and avoid damage to critical systems. Though designed for chassis class 1 to 3 and obviously ill-advised to unarmored personal combat, HACS-M has also been adapted for personal combat by heavily armored fighters, typically hard suit or power armor users.

As with most theories when put into practice, HACS and HACS-M has also splintered into countless variations over the years. While a centralized system still exists within the Armory’s standard armed force training, various other subsystems have popped up either through further independent modification, local adaptation, or syncretism with other martial arts. Of note are:

Valkyrie, an adaptation for aerial combat

Stinging Blade, a highly unorthodox and controversial syncretism with Jager Kunst pioneered by Sparri diaspora on Ras Sharma

DeSys, a school that emphasizes the destruction of enemy weapons instead.

[drdemonprince]

In reading your latest piece, I think I've stumbled onto something akin to a personal epiphany. You describe transition as an act of "want" (Chu's longing for gossip and yours for the life of an eternal bachelor) and I've realized that I think as a consequence of growing up autistic, I've obliterated the concept of personal want. I don't know if I truly ever want anything? How do I even know what I truly want (versus what other people tell me I should want)? Is there an opposite of resentment I can tune into so I can tell what I want when my conscious mind is unable to provide me an answer?

I think the place is to start with what you don't want. What I describe as "wanting the bachelor life forever" in my piece is actually a desire born out of negation: I don't want kids, I don't want marriage, I don't want responsible adulthood and the weight that that carries, I want to feel free-roaming and open to random experiences. What i knew most viscerally for myself was what felt wrong, and owning up to those feelings no matter how socially inconvenient they might be was what made it possible for me to articulate what I proactively did find desirable.

I recommend rejecting a lot of things, disappointing a lot of people, being disobedient, setting boundaries, all of that stuff that I have been writing about for a very long time (check out the pieces on those subjects if you haven't already, but from the sound of it you probably have). And then when it comes to positively desiring things, you've got to start small. Find a little thing to look forward to every day, or every week. In my household, Wednesdays and Fridays are Dunkin Donuts days. Instead of making coffee at home, you get a little treat. That makes getting a coffee out of the house still feel precious and special while also making it attainable, and gives the work week a little horizon to peak over at its mid point.

I so look forward to the weekly streams on Friday with @testdevice, too. Afterward I usually get a meal somewhere and then go out for some kind of weekend activity -- drinking and watching Drag Race at Roscoe's, a movie, dancing, whatever. I make forming plans for the weekend a task I set out for myself at the top of every week. I find street festivals, concerts, craft fairs, protests, little things to do that I know will be meaningful to me. Small pleasures parceled out on a regular schedule provide a pleasing structure to life. It makes the forward march of time feel more exciting and keeps daily life from being defined by obligation and drudgery. Sometimes it's something like playing a video game at home or meeting up at a friend's house for a movie night and snacks. However you can swing it, you gotta have little things to look forward to, I think, in order to enjoy being alive and to get into the habit of thinking more expansively about what you want. you can making finding things that you want to do a regular project, a practice.

A lot of life is experimenting with new experiences and relationships with other people to find out what you actually like. It's not some profound act of introspection. People block themselves off from a lot of meaningful aspects of life by thinking the answers come from plumbing the depths of their soul and finding their true calling or true desire divorced from everything else. There is no self outside of experience and social connection.

And so the best way to find out what you want is to try a lot of different things. Go watch your friend at their competitive poker tournament. Volunteer to clean litter off the beach. Foster a bunny rabbit. Make a casserole. Darn a sock. Buy some handmade jewelry. Visit a museum with a coworker you kinda might like the company of. Invite someone over for dinner. How it plays out and how you feel about it is all data about the kind of person you are becoming.

I also wouldn't get too bogged down in the idea that wants can only come from the pursuit of happiness. I got a few really well intentioned asks this week that I never answered about what brings me joy, what makes me happy. Truth is, I'm not someone who experiences happiness easily and i might never be. That is okay. I still have a life that holds meaning because I AM very good at finding things interesting. i like talking to people, learning from them, watching things play out in real time.

You don't have to feel some kind of abiding soul connection to an activity or sense that a way of life will absolutely make you happy in order for it to interest you, help you grow, bring your life meaning. Other people might not want to read long history books about genocide and the social construction of race in order to bring their life pleasure, but those activities engage my mind and make me feel more firmly rooted in the actual world. they're interesting and rewarding to study, and so i do it. i say yes to a lot of invitations purely because i've never seen what horse racing is like or because i want to see if i'll still get nauseated if i ride a boat now as an adult. it's interesting. it might not make me happy or be fun. but i like a life better with those experiences. those are the things i gravitate to and want. and you can find what you want, too, and it will always keep changing probably.

[cosmic-daydreamz02]

Career Reading

Placements to look at for your ideal career:

2nd house-how you make money

6th house-daily routine and work

10th house-career and public image

MC- career point.

11th house-social networks, long-term goals, opportunities for advancement (2nd from MC, so it shows the income from the career)

North Node - your life purpose and direction ; what you are meant to move towards in this lifetime

Part of Fortune - Where you find joy and success in this life, linked to both material and spiritual fulfillment

Vertex - represents fated encounters in your life. Where and how your destiny unfolds/ your turning point in life (not normally linked to career, but I think it can show what leads you to your true calling in this life especially if yours is in one of the money or career houses)

Saturn- rules discipline, structure, and long-term achievement, where you need to put in consistent effort to achieve success. Indicates your approach to responsibility in your career

Sun- core identity and life purpose, where you shine the most

Jupiter- expansion luck and growth. It shows your opportunities for success

Venus - where you can use your artistic abilities and social charm. It can also be how you attract money and resources

Signs and Career

Aries

• Career style: Assertive, pioneering, energetic, independent.

• Fields: Leadership roles, entrepreneurship, sports, military, anything involving action or competition.

• Drive: You take initiative and thrive in dynamic, fast-paced environments where you can be first.

Taurus

• Career style: Steady, practical, patient, and value-oriented.

• Fields: Finance, banking, agriculture, real estate, art, luxury goods, anything involving material wealth or beauty.

• Drive: Security, stability, and a focus on building long-term wealth. Aesthetic and sensory satisfaction are important.

Gemini

• Career style: Communicative, versatile, adaptable, intellectual.

• Fields: Journalism, writing, teaching, marketing, sales, technology, anything that involves communication or travel.

• Drive: Curiosity and intellectual stimulation. You thrive in dynamic, social environments where you can multitask.

Cancer

• Career style: Nurturing, protective, intuitive, emotionally driven.

• Fields: Healthcare, caregiving, real estate, hospitality, education, psychology, anything that involves caring for others.

• Drive: Emotional security and a need to create a safe, supportive environment. You work best when you feel connected to your work on an emotional level.

Leo

• Career style: Charismatic, creative, confident, leadership-focused.

• Fields: Entertainment, arts, fashion, politics, sports, anything involving self-expression and performance.

• Drive: Recognition, fame, and the desire to shine. You excel in careers where you can showcase your talents and leadership.

Virgo

• Career style: Detail-oriented, analytical, service-minded, organized.

• Fields: Healthcare, administration, research, editing, writing, data analysis, anything involving precision and service.

• Drive: Efficiency and perfection. You aim to serve others by improving systems or contributing to something meaningful.

Libra

• Career style: Diplomatic, collaborative, partnership-oriented, aesthetically inclined.

• Fields: Law, diplomacy, art, design, beauty, fashion, anything involving partnership or justice.

• Drive: Harmony and balance in professional relationships. You thrive in roles where teamwork, fairness, and aesthetics are valued.

Scorpio

• Career style: Intense, transformative, secretive, powerful.

• Fields: Psychology, research, finance (especially investments, taxes, inheritance), surgery, anything involving transformation or mystery.

• Drive: Power and control. You are drawn to careers that allow you to dig deep and uncover hidden truths or manage shared resources.

Sagittarius

• Career style: Adventurous, philosophical, expansive, freedom-loving.

• Fields: Education, travel, law, publishing, international business, anything that involves exploration and knowledge-sharing.

• Drive: Freedom and expansion. You seek opportunities that allow you to learn, grow, and explore new horizons.

Capricorn

• Career style: Ambitious, disciplined, authoritative, responsible.

• Fields: Business, politics, government, finance, engineering, management, anything that involves structure, authority, and long-term goals.

• Drive: Success and achievement. You are career-focused and work tirelessly toward building a solid reputation and legacy.

Aquarius

• Career style: Innovative, humanitarian, unconventional, forward-thinking.

• Fields: Technology, science, social reform, innovation, group work, anything involving progressive change or social impact.

• Drive: Making a difference and creating a better future. You work best in collaborative or unconventional environments that allow for innovation.

Pisces

• Career style: Compassionate, imaginative, spiritual, idealistic.

• Fields: Art, music, healing, psychology, spirituality, charity work, anything that involves creativity, intuition, or service to others.

• Drive: Helping others and finding deeper meaning. You’re drawn to careers where you can use your empathy and creativity to make a positive impact.

Houses and Career Focus

1st House (Self-Identity, Public Persona)

You identify closely with your career. You're meant for careers where you're the leader or face of whatever you do, you're meant to be in the public eye somehow.

2nd House (Money, Resources, Values)

Financial stability and security is what drives you in your career. You would do good in careers related to banking and finance or sales (more like selling luxury goods or real estate)

3rd House (Communication, Learning, Siblings)

Communication, education, and travel. Or working in media. Teaching, writing, or sales/ anything that involves exchanges of info

4th House (Home, Family, Roots)

Home design, family business, real estate. Care giving or working from home. Emotional fulfillment through your career

5th House (Creativity, Pleasure, Children)

Creative fields, working with children. Career allows for self-expression. performance or leadership roles

6th House (Work Environment, Health, Service)

Service industry, Healthcare (especially if you have heavy virgo/pisces or 6th/12th placements), administration, work that requires tedious precision and detail

7th House (Partnerships, Marriage)

Collaboration, requires partnerships in career. Law, any counseling/consulting work, diplomat

8th House (Shared Resources, Transformation)

Finance (other peoples money like taxes, inheritance, etc), psychology, research/investigation

9th House (Philosophy, Travel, Higher Education)

Higher education, travel, law, publishing, career could be linked to foreign lands, (travel vlogger, professor, resort owner?)

10th House (Career, Reputation, Public Life)

Leadership, recognition, achieving goals, public image and success are emphasized

11th House (Community, Goals, Social Networks)

Community service/humanitarian work, technology, collective work

12th House (Spirituality, Solitude, Healing)

Healing, spirituality, charity work, hospitals, or creative/behind the scenes work like set design, director etc

[ohno-the-sun]

Continuation of the Mad Scientist AU Moon ending

What happens after Y/N returns?

Content Warnings: Horror, animal death, death, blood, body horror

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was only a month later when I died too. 

When I first left, it felt slow– difficult. Like a bandaid slowly being pulled from loose skin it stung with afterburns. 

I hated it.

More than anything I wanted to stay with Sun, to help him. 

But with every experiment run, with every test and data point analyzed I could only think of him. 

He was strange yes. It was still unnerving how he stuck through the flesh of Sun’s eye, but he was alive. He breathed, he talked, he cared in his own strange way. 

The way he would prance around the lab, curious about every nook and cranny of the place, getting into things he wasn’t supposed to. 

A soft fond ache built in my chest at the memory of him getting into the fertilizer. It took weeks before Sun and I had the lab clean again. 

As I ran my hands through the rubbery flesh of the vines wrapping around my best friend’s head, I realized I couldn’t do this anymore. 

Sun was getting sicker.

As much as he tried to hide it, it was obvious. I could see the way his eyes grew darker and darker with every passing day, how the vines that wrapped around his head became thicker and heavier. 

His movements were slow– deliberate– like one wrong move and he could shatter completely. His starchy clothes hung off of him looser than before. He covered nearly everything now— except his face, but even that was marred with scars from his creation. His skin was taught and thin, I could practically trace the bone structure underneath. 

The most unnerving change though– was in his mind.

Sun was always a bit of a nerd. He had a proclivity for perfection and wasn’t afraid of quickly pointing out inconsistencies. Others found it rude and off-putting but I knew it was his way of showing he cared. He noticed you, he cared about what was right and making sure you knew what that was. He listened with such apt attention it felt like every word from your mouth was inscribed with careful precision. He was so good at contradiction because he cared so much about you, about your thoughts and feelings. 

His wit was sometimes harsh, but it was quick and pointed. 

…

He barely talked now.

Even amid an experiment, on the cusp of maybe finding a cure– he would drift. 

Staring for long periods, no input or interaction would break him out. 

Even when he was present, there was a slow deliberation that wasn’t there before.

He questioned himself– doubted himself. He spoke and acted with such unnatural trepidation, like even he wasn’t sure what he was saying.

And all I could do was stand by and watch as my best friend slowly died.

…

Maybe it was selfish.

Maybe it was wrong. 

But I couldn’t do it anymore.

…

So I left.

…

I don’t know what compelled me to return that day. 

I reasoned there were still things in the lab I needed to pick up, but I knew I was going to have to confront him. I knew I was going to have to see him again. 

I don’t know what I expected when I opened that door. 

But it certainly wasn’t that.

Parasitic vines crept through the whole lab, infecting every achingly familiar corner. 

The place was a complete mess, equipment tipped and shattered, old projects strewn about, and I almost stepped on a dead rodent, its entire body wrapped tightly with vines.  

And then he stepped out. 

The body degraded down only to its bare bones. Foliage and leaves stuck out of every orifice. Vines were wrapped tightly around him, face now just a hollow skull. The bud that had become a sort of eye for him bloomed into an unnerving pattern of petals and leaves.

Though– for some reason– it wasn’t his appearance that took me off guard.

He was still the same Moon that I had left, he seemed almost excited to see me again. Despite the barely functional state of his host he happily stumbled his way to me, leaning down to receive those head scratches he loved so much.

But still that churning in my gut didn’t subside.

I knew Sun was going to die if I left.

Even if I didn’t want to verbalize it before, I still knew deep down. 

No, it wasn’t even Sun’s death that put me off so deeply. 

…

It was the fact that it had only been three days.

I left on the 24th, leaving with only a small box of my old supplies, I knew I was going to need a second trip. I put it off– but I knew it had to happen. 

In only three days Moon had entirely taken over. 

In only three days Sun was dead, with little less than a skeleton left. 

In only three days Moon had entirely outgrown the body, spreading to all corners of the lab with long searching vines. 

…

I did my best to ignore it. 

…

I stayed with Moon.

I knew I couldn’t bring him back to my house so I took care of him in the lab. 

I did my best– I really did. 

I brought him snacks and treats we used to share together, like small salt taffies and caramels. Even if he couldn’t chew them properly anymore he still stuck out small twisting vines to pull apart the sticky things. He reacted with that same sort of fascinated delight. 

But still. 

There was something off. 

The way he would continue to stare even after I gave him all the snacks I had. The way he would push for more until I left. 

When I returned with more food he would tear them apart more forcefully each time. His vines no longer searching, but stabbing through the air until they found their mark. 

The vines continued to grow in the lab, covering more and more of the floor with every passing day. 

The body was getting used less. Before, Moon would attempt to shamble with the corpse and interact with me in the same way as before; begging for pets, playing with my clothes or hair, and even cuddling on my lap. However, more and more often the skeleton would just lie there, only barely moving its head or gesturing with a hand.

I quickly realized Moon wasn’t just in the eye anymore. He had “eyes” everywhere. More and more buds popped up and bloomed into unnerving pits that would track your every move. 

It got to the point where the room itself felt alive. Vines twisting and pulsating over the floor and walls. It got to the point where I could barely walk in the room without accidentally stepping on a vine. 

Every morning I came back to something different– something new– something unnerving. 

Moon was changing I could tell. I wasn’t sure if he was the same small creature I had taken care of before.

He was no longer searching and curious like before. I tried to bring him those things he liked, picture books of small cartoony creatures and small plush toys. I even brought my old radio to play music and dance like we used to. The vines at first writhed with the beat, and even the corpse moved its head slightly in a sort of head bop, but over time those movements became less ordered and more spastic, to the point I couldn’t tell if he was listening. With every passing day, he seemed to care less and less about simple joys. 

Instead, time was spent watching those vines extend further. They got into the cabinets and tipped over old beakers. It was like they were looking for something. 

…

It was starting to get harder to leave the lab.

Vines slowly crept up the door until they were tightly wrapped around the handle. I pushed and pulled but it refused to budge. I resorted to leaving through the window. I was lucky the lab was on the first floor. 

I don’t know why I kept coming back. The growing apprehension in the back of my mind screamed get out. I could feel every base animal impulse squirm in fear at what I was witnessing. I knew what was happening– I didn’t study him for over a year for nothing after all.

But still– I kept coming back. 

Maybe it was guilt, maybe it was a sense of duty, maybe I still held out hope for him, for the creature I had come to see as a son. 

…

Two weeks later he didn’t allow me to leave anymore.

It had been a good day. He was walking around again, he even toyed with the small caterpillar toy I had brought. As I went to sit on the vine-covered floor he rested with me, the vines warm and pulsating with that strange purr he did. I had foolishly thought he was getting better, that he was still the same Moon as before. 

I fell asleep.

When I woke up the room was pitch black. I realized he had covered the windows entirely with thick leathery vines.

I was trapped.

When I tried to push and pull at them he would snatch me up, move vines around the floor to trip me or grab a hand with one that was hanging. 

The worst part about it was that he was still gentle about it.

He brought me food, vines shifting around the windows to reveal a scuffed takeout container. It looked like it had been snatched from a student, half-eaten, and a fork still rattling around inside. 

When I went to sleep on the floor the vines would shift underneath to accommodate me, creating a surprisingly comfortable bed to rest on. 

I hated it. 

I wanted it to be easy. To hate this creature I helped make. 

But as I wept in the now overrun lab, I couldn’t help but lean into the small vine gently touching my cheek. 

The room was stuffy and humid. Like a greenhouse Moon covered every opening and crevice, and with the soft heat emitted from the vines– I couldn't cool down. 

The clothes I arrived with were completely sweated through. They stuck to me and chaffed with an uncomfortable texture. 

What I wouldn’t give for a decent shower. 

Still, Moon continued just to bring food. Even with the occasional water bottle, I was starting to feel that dry scratchiness at the back of my throat. I was getting sick.

I wasn’t sure he was aware of all the different things a human needed to survive. I tried to talk with him, to get him to understand I needed to leave, but his numerous buds just stared back.  

It was when the animals started appearing that I knew I needed to do something. 

It again, started out small. Squirrels from outside, small mice and rats caught from other nearby labs– but of course it escalated. 

Small dogs and cats that he used to be so fond of turned up dead on the floor. All covered in those same tightly woven vines. Their small bodies quickly turned into hollow corpses, frighteningly similar to Sun. 

At this point, his corpse only sat in the corner, unmoving except for the subtle shifting of vines underneath him. 

…

I had a plan. Cabinets on the top shelf of the bench stood untouched by vines– despite them completely covering every other surface.

It was where we stored our concentrated weed killer. 

The stuff was not only toxic to plants, but huge health risk for humans. Just 0.05 mL of the stuff was enough to kill a fully grown adult male. It had to be handled carefully.

I had to do it. I knew I had to. 

Despite the sharp ache in my chest at the thought- I knew that this was the only way. 

Before when Sun was alive, the stuff was far too toxic to be used to cure him but now…

…

On the 29th day, I found a shoe amongst the tangled vines.

It wasn’t mine.

…

There were buds everywhere now. The dark pits held in the flytrap eyes followed my every move. 

I had to be quick. I had seen myself how quickly those vines could dart through the air, and with how covered the room had become, there was no way to avoid them. However, the eye like buds did close periodically. I wondered vaguely if this was a remnant of existing in a body that needed to sleep for so long. Even during these periods though, several remained open, watching me intently. 

The shelves with the chemicals had always been too high for me. I wasn’t even gonna bother with the stool; it was probably buried under layers and layers of vines. I would need to stand on the counter to reach it. 

It was on the 31st day that I made my move. Most of the buds were closed. I counted, and only a few near the floor still loomed wide and attentive. 

I carefully made my way over to the shelf. 

I moved slowly and with as much casual ease as I could muster. I couldn’t let him know what I was doing. 

Thankfully the vines on the counters were not nearly as dense as the ones on the floor. There were small pockets of free space and if I could just get my feet in them, I could stand on the counter without alerting Moon. 

I carefully lifted a foot. It was difficult. I had to essentially pull my weight using the leverage of only a very small portion of the counter.

I felt myself slip slightly, brushing against a vine.

I froze. The vine in question shifted slightly in response, changing the pattern of interlocking vines slightly. 

Eventually, it stilled. I breathed a sigh of relief. 

Finally, I was able to make my way to the top of the counter. The open spaces had shrunk considerably with the shifting, so I had to stand on just the tips of my toes. 

I slowly pulled open the cabinets, careful to adjust my weight and hold onto the handle as it swung towards me. 

It was in the back, carefully labeled with many warnings along the side. I slowly brought it out. 

I grasped it carefully in my hands. A whole liter of the liquid filled the heavy jar. 

I needed to inject it into him.

If I could just find a needle or make a small cut with something I could probably–

I felt a vine squeeze around my toe.

I lost balance. 

I tried to grab onto something but my hands were still wrapped around the toxin tightly. 

I felt myself fall backward onto the floor. 

With a crack– I could feel the concoction shatter onto my chest. 

The world was spinning. I felt sick.

I shakily lifted a blood-soaked hand. 

The glass had cut me. 

The vines surrounding me moved in a sudden flurry. I felt the vines underneath me retreat, leaving me on the cold empty ground, buds opened and sprouted to life as they swarmed above me. 

The whole room was shifting and writhing.

I could feel my body react painfully to the toxin. Extreme nausea overwhelmed my senses and I felt the sudden urge to empty my stomach.

Pain shot through every nerve as my eyelids felt heavier and heavier.

I was going to die. 

I had failed.

Above, the eyes twisted and turned above me, creating a dizzying array of shapes and sounds. 

I felt a small vine gently touch my open palm. I wondered vaguely if it was possible for a plant to feel grief– to mourn. 

There was a moment of stillness. The pain subsided as the vine rested gently in my hand.

But eventually, I could feel the vine crawl further. Carefully avoiding the spill in the center, they wrapped around my body. I felt like one of those animals now, caught in a tight embrace.

The last thing I saw was Moon lifting a single bud to look at my face. 

And then, it dug in.

[earl-grey-teacake]

oh lord I can picture it. George and Alex bring Logan to the paddock for the first time and they have to go somewhere and they're not sure what to do with Logan. And James volunteers to look after him and they get SUPER nervous like "are you sure James? he can be really fussy if we leave him, he can get really upset" obviously super worried about the impression it will leave on James if Logan is upset. James is like "nah I got this".

and at first Logan starts crying but then James just talks to him. like, at first, doesn't even talk to him about anything particular, then starts explaining the Williams upgrade for the weekend, and suddenly he has an armful of happy, sleepy baby.

and when Galex return they find James reading aloud from the latest data about the tyres and Logan is settled on his chest all peaceful and sleepy and smiling. and soon baby!Logan's favourite part of the weekend (other than when Galex cuddle him and take him home) is spending time with Uncle James. Uncle James and his ridiculously nice voice.

Yes!!!

James has such great vibes. I can't listen to his interviews when I'm at work for too long because I get sleepy. They're so calming and he's always so articulate.

Baby! Logan would have the best time during the race weekend. Just completely knocked out during the races as James is running through what's happening. The downside is that he sleeps so much during the day that he's very active at night.

Thank you for the ask! I wrote a little snippet below! :)❤️

Logan had his arms wrapped tightly around George’s neck, refusing to let go despite the fact that they George had to attend to media duties.

“Come on, Logan. We have to go.” Alex tried to coax the infant to let go but if only seemed to make him more distressed. George tired to pull Logan off him but that only spurred him on to grip harder. 

“Uhhhh!” Logan kicked against George’s ribs and started to whimper.

“What’re we going to do? We can’t just bring him?” Alex gently stroked Logan head, hoping to prevent any crying from happening.

“How about I look after him?” A voice intervened. James walked over, arms outstretched to take Logan.

Alex and George exchanged a nervous look. “Are you sure James? He can get really fussy when we leave. We don’t want to get so upset that you can’t do your work.”

“It will be okay. I can handle it.” The process of dislodging Logan was an ordeal. The poor baby gripped at whatever he could to avoid being separated whether it be George’s hair or shirt before trying to cling onto Alex’s jacket.

“Wahhh!” Logan pushed and wiggled, trying to get free.

“Please call us if you need anything.” George implored before quickly taking off with Alex.

“Wahhh!” Logan’s face was bright red.

“I know,” James patted Logan on the back. “I know you’re very upset but your parents have very important jobs to do today. They also don’t want to leave you but they’ll be back soon.”

This did nothing to quell the wailing but Logan was starting to get tired enough that he started to lay his head down on James’s shoulders to continue crying.

“It’ll be okay. Your parents don’t even like media duties so maybe they’ll be back quite quickly. Though Alex is quite good at being in front of a camera…The rear suspension legs are re-oriented due to the new air flow structure.” It had taken 15 minutes of James talking about media duties, the marketing department, and the new upgrades for Logan to knock out.

Alex was sure he never held as much contempt for marketing and media day as today. It was bad enough being separated from Logan but to also be asked question about whether or not they can be good drivers knowing that they have to take care of a child made him want to pull his hair out. George was practically sprinting to Williams having teared up earlier when he had to leave Logan.

I can’t believe I have two crybabies

The two of them were directed to James’s office. The door was slightly open and there was talking inside. “During Silverstone, we started off on softs…”

George was prepared for a meltdown from Logan and a potential breakdown from James because his baby had the stamina to cry for over an hour. Instead, he found Logan comfortably knocked as James rattled off tire data. Maybe it was better to have Logan stay at Williams for the time being.

[centrally-unplanned]

Gonna make this a quick one since I just don’t have the spoons for a really big effort post: Pre-CCP 20th Century China Did Not Have Feudal or Slave-like Land Tenancy Systems

Obviously what counts as “slave-like” is going to be subjective, but I think it's common, for *ahem* reasons, for people to believe that in the 1930’s Chinese agriculture was dominated by massive-scale, absentee landlords who held the large majority of peasant workers in a virtual chokehold and dictated all terms of labor.

That is not how Chinese land ownership & agricultural systems worked. I am going to pull from Chinese Agriculture in the 1930s: Investigations into John Lossing Buck’s Rediscovered ‘Land Utilization in China’ Microdata, which is some of the best ground-level data you can get on how land use functioned, in practice, in China during the "Nanjing Decade" before WW2 ruins all data collection. It looks at a series of north-central provinces, which gives you the money table of this:

On average, 4/5ths of Chinese peasants owned land, and primarily farmed land that they owned. Tenancy was, by huge margins, the minority practice. I really don’t need to say more than this, but I'm going to because there is a deeper point I want to make. And it's fair to say that while this is representative of Northern China, Southern China did have higher tenancy rates - not crazy higher, but higher.

So let's look at those part-owner farmers; sounds bad right? Like they own part of their land, but it's not enough? Well, sometimes, but sometimes not:

A huge class (about ~1/3rd) of those part-owners were farming too much land, not too little; they were enterprising households renting land to expand their businesses. They would often engage in diversified production, like cash crops on the rented land and staple crops on their owned land. Many of them would actually leave some of their owned land fallow, because it wasn’t worth the time to farm!

Meanwhile the small part-owners and the landless tenant farmers would rent out land to earn a living…sometimes. Because that wasn’t the only way to make a living - trades existed. From our data, if you are a small part-owner, you got a substantial chunk of your income from non-farm labor; if you owned no land you got the majority of your income from non-farm labor:

(Notice how that includes child labor by default, welcome to pre-modernism!)

So the amount of people actually doing full-tenancy agriculture for a living is…pretty small, less than 10% for sure. But what did it look like for those who do? The tenancy rates can be pretty steep - 50/50 splits were very common. But that is deceiving actually; this would be called “share rent”, but other systems, such as cash rents, bulk crop rents, long-term leases with combined payment structures, etc, also existed and were plentiful - and most of those had lower rent rates. However, share rent did two things; one, it hedged against risk; in the case of a crop failure you weren't out anything as the tenant, a form of insurance. And two, it implied reciprocal obligations - the land owner was providing the seed, normally the tools as well, and other inputs like fertilizer.

Whether someone chose one type of tenancy agreement or the other was based on balancing their own labor availability, other wage opportunities, the type of crop being grown, and so on. From the data we have, negotiations were common around these types of agreements; a lot of land that was share rent one year would be cash rent another, because the tenants and market conditions shifted to encourage one or the other form.

I’m doing a little trick here, by throwing all these things at you. Remember the point at the top? “Was this system like slavery?” What defines slavery? To me, its a lack of options - that is the bedrock of a slave system. Labor that you are compelled by law to do, with no claim on the output of that work. And as I hit you with eight tiers of land ownership and tenancy agreements and multi-source household incomes, as you see that the median person renting out land to a tenant farmer was himself a farmer as a profession and by no means some noble in the city, what I hope becomes apparent is that the Chinese agricultural system was a fully liquid market based on choice and expected returns. By no means am I saying that it was a nice way to live; it was an awful way to live. But nowhere in this system was state coercion the bedrock of the labor system. China’s agricultural system was in fact one of the most free, commercial, and contract-based systems on the planet in the pre-modern era, that was a big source of why China as a society was so wealthy. It was a massive, moving market of opportunities for wages, loans, land ownership, tenancy agreements, haggled contracts, everyone trying in their own way to make the living that they could.

It's a system that left many poor, and to be clear injustices, robberies, corruption, oh for sure were legion. Particularly during the Warlord Era mass armies might just sweep in and confiscate all your hard currency and fresh crops. But, even ignoring that the whole ‘poverty’ thing is 90% tech level and there was no amount of redistribution that was going to improve that very much, what is more important is that the pre-modern world was *not* equally bad in all places. The American South was also pretty poor, but richer than China in the 19th century. And being a slave in the American South was WAY worse than being a peasant in China during times of peace - because Confederate society built systems to remove choice, to short-circuit the ebb and flow of the open system to enshrine their elite ‘permanently’ at the top. If you lived in feudal Russia it was a good deal worse, with huge amounts of your yearly labor compelled by the state onto estates held by those who owned them unimpeachably by virtue of their birthright (though you were a good deal richer just due to basic agriculture productivity & population density, bit of a tradeoff there).

If you simply throw around the word “slavery” to describe every pre-modern agricultural system because it was poor and shitty, that back-doors a massive amount of apologia for past social systems that were actively worse than the benchmarks of the time. Which is something the CCP did; their diagnosis of China’s problem for the rural poor of needing massive land redistribution was wrong! It was just wrong, it was not the issue they were having. It was not why rural China was often poor and miserable. It could help, sure, I myself would support some compensated land redistribution in the post-war era as a welfare idea for a fiscally-strapped state. But that was gonna do 1% of the heavy lifting here in making the rural poor's lives better. And I don’t think we should continue to the job of spreading the CCP's propaganda for them.

There ya go @chiefaccelerator, who alas I was not permitted to compel via state force into writing this for me, you Qing Dynasty lazy peasant.

[thr0wnawayy]

Where Are They At?: A look into a Post Liberation World

Hey y'all. This post serves as an overview/in sight into MHA's world post Liberation War.

Unlike my previous posts these will be written from an "outside" perspective. Another thing I should note is in regards to the movies (can also apply to the LN):

Taken from my notes: (Movies aren't canon but the characters and settings are [ WHM being the exception due to fitting in the vanilla TL) -Thr0wnawayy

The Shimano family had their island home ruined in the wake of the PLW.

After the heroes used the villains as cannon fodder and warped them across Japan(and co), the Shimano's found themselves at a loss.

1. Villains had quite literally fallen out of the sky

2. The battles they fought were inescapable due to having no safe way off the island.

Most of the island had been rendered inhospitable in the aftermath.

With nowhere to go* the entire community fell apart. The Shimano's fled to America to start a new life, meeting the Tsuyoshi's along the way.

Their story is one of many, those who could afford it left the country for good. Becoming known as the "Seekers" (In Australia they're called Roosties, in Otheon they are called Sköll)

_______________________________________

Without getting too much into spoilers, here's some world news:

Nedzu's pressuring only lead to greater resentment from aiding countries.

The amount of favours Nedzu had to cash in was astronomical and this led to the country sinking further into debt due to acquiring interest, with Japan now owing the various countries debt money.

Stars and Stripes Death will be seen as the equivalent of a second pearl habour by the US (and yes, history has been preserved well enough for MHA's America to remember that.)

Further contributing to America's hate of Japan was the fact that when the (Endeavor-Dabi) drought hit the west coast, the other nations had no resources left to extend. Not for the US and not for themselves, with the effort to rebuild Japan having drained their finances (even with the cut corners).

Thus souring the HPSC's/Japan's relations further with the world stage, worse still, most of the buildings were temporary (being meant to be redone or renovated), not structurally stable and meant to be lived in for 2-5 years at best.

U.A was especially a victim of this, with repairs having been rushed in time for graduation (which further tightened UA's spending). Over-all It was a rush job and corners had to be cut to meet deadlines

Uraraka Construction and many other companies had their reputations rise and fall seemingly over night (though this wont happen until 1A reaches their 3rd year).

In the aftermath of the war, single parent families and orphan rates have skyrocketed.

Midoriya's weather changing punch fucked up the meteorologist's data, no one could have seen the drought coming.

Not all the footage recorded by the businesses course was used (approved) for the broadcast

*if you thought the rebuilding efforts were bad in the mainland, then it was practically nonexistent for the islanders, being the most neglected group besides quirkless individuals.

It should be noted that Monoma was the one to create the portals using Kurogiri's quirk, however he lacked both the experience and fine control necessary for accuracy. Hence why some of the portals were in the sky, this also contributed to the random placement of the portals.

Although only Gigantomachia and The Sludge Villain were put under Shinso's mindcontrol, the general belief of the public is that all the villains were influenced rather than disoriented and panicked.

[bitsbug]

i have.. so many questions about / for your ocs (VERY POSITIVE) but i will utilize self-restraint and start with one. i am very curious if any of your iterator group has animal companions beyond the purposed organisms that more or less act as cells in their bodies- my best example is, of course, SRS and spearmaster but this could also extend to include like, scavenger pals? on the other hand do any of them have particular issues with the surrounding flora/fauna

FANTASTIC QUESTION! there are multiple!!!

Curtains hordes most of the animal/purposed companions of the group, since he personally designed them. He's got like, 3 different types of purposed organism he created from scratch (he thinks simply modifying creatures is stupid and inefficient) that inhabit his superstructure.

The main one is CC/Ceaseless Convection! They're the only one of their model, and definitely the most talkative of his creations. They're made to be a data courier, capable of traveling vast distances with vast amounts of information stored in their body's giant secondary brain, derived from the same gut-stuff in the Memory Crypt's boxes. They often need to take long trips away from home for their deliveries, but they're an optimist and enjoy the adventure.

MORE GUYS UNDER THE CUT THIS IS LOONG

There's also the Internal Engineers, which are made to maintain and help upgrade his inner components, as well as keep out intruders. They're made to be content with just doing their jobs & working constantly - listen ethics kinda died with the ancients - but each have their own personality. Also they talk exclusively in coding jargon. He has 3 right now.

Finally is his constructers, which predictibly also do construction and maintenance, but on his exterior this time. These ones are the most numerous, with 25 living on his structure. When they're not assigned anything they hang out in his abandoned city, which has been renovated to accomodate for them.

There's also Scribe but I might make a post dedicated to her -- the short version is that she's a wild animal that adventured into Curtains' chamber and demanded he teach her how to write. He complied for some reason and now she visits regularly for lessons.

condolences TBH

The only animal companion that isn't associated with Curtains is the Influence, who was created by Anxiety Practice. They were part of an experiment involving wheel flowers, being engineered to constantly produce the karma-affecting hallucinogenic compound inside them. Thing is, their body produces the compound in excess, causing it to leak out of their face orifices. It doesn't bother them too much, but does affect their senses.

As a result of the modification, they can't go down in karma, experience a time-slow effect like the one mushrooms cause, and are absurdly well attuned to the Cycle. They also do experience the uh.. psychadelic effects, but living with it their entire life has desensitized them. After AP finished data collection, xe didn't have any reason to toss Influence out, so they stick around as a lab assistant. They don't know how to survive in the wild, nor do they know any slugcat language.

thank you so much for giving me an excuse to infodump. good lird this post is long.

[nickeverdeen]

Spark in the Snow | Aloy x fem!reader

Pairings: Aloy x reader (romantic)

Type of fic: Comfort

Warnings: None

Summary: With Aloy always out there saving the world you decided to show her something that requires her to slow down a bit and stay in one place for a while

——————

The chill of the December air swept through the Sacred Lands, blanketing the ground in snow and frost. You and Aloy had been traveling together for weeks, scavenging for supplies and helping settlements prepare for the harsh winter ahead. Despite the cold, you’d felt warmer than ever, thanks to Aloy’s steady presence by your side.

But today, as the sun began to set and cast an orange glow over the snow, you had something special planned.

“You sure we’re going the right way?” Aloy asked, her sharp eyes scanning the path ahead. She had her bow slung over her shoulder, her Focus glinting faintly in the fading light.

“Positive,” you said, trying to keep the excitement out of your voice.

Aloy raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further. You knew she was curious, but she trusted you enough to let you lead.

When you finally arrived, Aloy stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening.

In the middle of a clearing stood a large, ancient structure covered in snow and ice. What was left of its walls glowed faintly with old-world holiday lights, powered by some forgotten source deep within the ruins. Around it, you’d spent the morning setting up a makeshift camp: a firepit surrounded by stones, a pile of wood you’d gathered, and a small sack of decorations you’d found while scavenging.

“What is this?” Aloy asked, her voice soft.

You smiled, gesturing to the scene. “It’s called a Christmas celebration. Or, well, my best attempt at one.”

Aloy tilted her head, her curiosity growing. “I’ve heard of Christmas in the old-world data… something about trees and giving gifts?”

“And spending time with the people you care about,” you added, stepping closer to her.

Her eyes softened at that, and she set down her gear, a small smile playing on her lips. “Alright. What do we do?”

The two of you worked together to bring the clearing to life. Aloy’s practicality shone as she built a roaring fire in the pit, while you unpacked the decorations: strands of tinsel, old baubles, and even a tiny plastic tree you’d found.

“I’m not sure how people used to do this,” you said, laughing as you tried to balance a bauble on one of the tree’s flimsy branches.

“They probably didn’t have to deal with machines attacking them while they decorated,” Aloy quipped, handing you a strand of lights she’d untangled.

“Fair point,” you said, grinning.

By the time you finished, the clearing looked like something out of an old-world memory. The tree was glowing softly, the fire crackled warmly, and the two of you sat side by side, wrapped in blankets and watching the snow fall around you.

“This is… nice,” Aloy admitted after a while, her voice quiet. She stared into the fire, her expression thoughtful.

You turned to her, your heart swelling. “I thought you’d like it.”

She looked at you then, her eyes meeting yours in the flickering firelight. “I do. It’s… different. But good.”

You reached out, taking her hand in yours. Her fingers were calloused and strong, but they softened in your grip.

“I know you’re not one for sitting still,” you said, “but I thought you deserved something calm for once.”

Aloy’s lips quirked into a small smile. “You’re good at that, you know.”

“At what?”

“Reminding me to slow down,” she said. “To enjoy things.”

Your cheeks warmed, and you ducked your head, suddenly shy. “Well, you deserve it. You do so much for everyone else.”

Aloy leaned closer, pressing a soft kiss to your temple. “Thank you,” she murmured.

The two of you stayed there long into the night, sharing stories, laughter, and quiet moments. The snow fell gently around you, and for the first time in what felt like forever, the world seemed peaceful.

And as you sat there, your hand in Aloy’s and her smile glowing brighter than the fire, you knew that this—just being with her—was all the Christmas you needed.