#technology is not evil but we need to be careful with it

[windvexer]

This has been on my mind since, and while I didn't have time to step out my thoughts in the doctor's waiting room (when I originally got the ask) I wanted to come back to it.

I assumed the original sentiment was New Age because it was based in the idea that the ways you think about yourself attract either success or failure. I associate these beliefs with New Age, so I assumed the author was saying, "if you have Wrong Thoughts about yourself, you will attract failure," or in other words, Law of Attraction.

I choose not to support sentiments that tell people that the ways they think about themselves can ruin their magic. Here are other beliefs I don't support:

If you have intrusive thoughts or doubts during a spell, it will fail!

If you worry your spell won't work, this will ensure it won't work.

If you think about your spell at all once you cast it, it will ruin the magic.

If you accidentally think of evil spirits, they will be attracted to you.

Add to the list:

The more you think you're effortlessly good at magic, the more ineffective you will become.

I do not support these beliefs from a moral standpoint. If I encountered a system of magic where these beliefs were actually true, I would choose to not engage with that system or I would invent new magical technologies to bypass those beliefs. I do not support these beliefs being a part of contemporary witchcraft because I think they are morally wrong to teach, even if sometimes in very specific circumstances they might be technically true.

That being said, I believe that the statement "the more you imagine yourself innately and effortlessly magickal, the less effective you become" is also untrue on a sorcerous level. This statement is not compatible with my belief system when it comes to technical sorcery.

Imagining yourself as innately and effortlessly magical is a valid, powerful technique for working magic and a wonderful way to access power.

It was one of the first magical techniques I ever learned when I was but a wee witch who had very seriously Fucked Up™. A much more experienced practitioner was helping me with Baby's First Accidental Summoning and Now It's Attacking You. She told me:

"You can be straining with the effort of keeping spirits away, or keeping a portal open, and that effort can feel like it's breaking you. But just remember:

It's effortless. You can do it forever."

You step out of your Skin of Struggle and step into the Skin of Effortless Power.

This is not fluffy nonsense. "I am innately and effortlessly magical" is activating. It is galvanizing. The floodgates of power within break free from rust and bolts and creak open. You can apply your power directly the way the sun directly applies radiation burns.

Can you wear the Skin of Effortless Power 24/7 and exclusively use it to advance down a well-rounded and effective personal path? I doubt it!

But that doesn't make it a bad hat, a bad skin, a bad affirmation, a bad technique.

I also sometimes wear the Skin of I Fucking Suck and I Need to Go Back to Basics. A good and useful skin, to be sure. Yet one you must slip in and out of, as witches should probably not be married to any one form they can take.

So I don't agree with that author on a few different levels.

I also want to apologize, Anon. I misread your original ask. I thought you said, "definitely don't agree." If I had seen we were on a different page, I would have not used such sassy and sarcastic words to reply to you. I used language that's actually quite rude given the fact that we were indeed not in agreement. If I had been more careful in reading, I would have originally replied very differently. It's always my goal to be mature in disagreements of belief and here I failed to do that, so I'm sorry for popping of like that at you.

I'm reading this book and it says "the more you imagine yourself innately and effortlessly magickal, the less effective you become." what do u think about this idea? Definitely agree but I do love hearing everyone's thoughts on stuff I find interesting lol

??? You mean if I believe I’m good at doing magic and its pretty easy for me, if I see myself effortlessly doing magic and I internalize that, the universe will punish me for my hubris and take away my powers??

Sorry the thought police are not real, I do not have to ***perform humility*** inside of my own mind to be an effective witch!!!!

[txttletale]

Setting aside the copyright discourse for a minute, what do you think is the real, actual wrong with ai? From what I can tell you're anti genAI but in a more rational way rather than going on personal vibes. I've mostly seen defensive posts about ai so I'm curious what you think are the actual harms we should be advocating against

have talked about this here. in general i think the most pressing things that are actually worth caring wrt genAI about are labour issues, both in the training of these models and in how they (like any meaningful advance in technology) are integrated into workflows in a way that immiserates workers (for example, attempts to turn writing credits into 'editing credits' by having writers work with AI-generated scripts that the WGA managed to put an end to). & i think the way to fight these things is, as i often repeat, through industrial collective action and not through yelling at people for generating 'mcdonalds simpsons porn room' lol

when it comes to other types of AI, i think that their role in essentially automating war crimes and providing clumsy cover for what are fundamentally indiscriminate massacres is also obviously deeply evil, but has less to do with any actual feature of the technology itself and more to do with its marketing -- this is the "AI"-as-social-object vs. generative LLM distinction i think people are bad at making. like, i don't think that "we need to bomb this family home because the computer said so" is fundamentally different to its analog version, "we're renditioning you to a concentration camp because our chart said so". the important technology here is the imposition of the aesthetic of technocratic managerialism over nakedly arbitrary violence and cruelty, not anything that the AI is doing per se.

[terrestrialnoob]

New idea for an interpretation of how Jack and Maddie will react to Danny revealing he's Phantom that not only has them being loving and caring parents but also, for the phandom favorite, cause Danny some angst: High Expectations.

At first, it's great! Not only do they accept him, but they're super proud that he's a superhero! It'll look great on a college application! And, he doesn't have to hope that his parent have coincidentally created a piece of technology he needs to fight the ghost of the week. He can just ask to their faces, "Do we have this hyper specific piece of ghost tech? If not, can you make it?" and they're never going to say anything but "Yes, of course!", because they love and support him and they even have tips and suggestions, and, unlike Jazz, they do know what they're talking about most of the time when it comes to ghost stuff. They want him to be the best superhero in the world!

But, as time moves on and they get used to Danny being Phantom, they start making comments and having commentary about how good of a hero he is. Little tips become recurring reminders become "you should know this already". Yes, they cheer and celebrate when he wins and comfort and encourage him when he looses, but there's always something they can bring up; win or lose there's always something they think he could have done better. They're just trying to help and use their decades of study to help Danny be a better hero! They expect him to be the best hero!

They didn't realize how much stress they were causing Danny before he even became a halfa, between expecting perfect grades, normal teen chores, and laboratory chores. There's no way they would realize their type of support is putting more pressure on him. He already knows people are counting on him to keep them safe, he already put pressure on himself to protect Amity practically alone (with limited help from non-super powered humans), but now he also has to worry about disappointing his parents. They just want him to be the best hero in the world.

This can be added onto other acceptance headcanons like "they still think ghosts are evil and Danny's the exception" or "they're rewriting their entire decades long research because they don't think ghosts are evil anymore". It just personally makes sense to me that the people who gave Danny a sense of over-responsibility might make Danny's sense of over-responsibility worse without realizing it.

[tizeline]

So, in canon rise all of the turtles growing up know about how having Donnie's shell unprotected, probably from some childhood incident. And we can see in the show anytime Donnie's shell is bare; they all rush to protect him. How would they react to Donnie getting hurt because of his shell in this AU? What do they think of his battle shell? I assume they don't even really register Donnie as a softshell turtle because of his battle shell. Would this add to Raph's whole overprotective big brother instinct thing he gets because he catastrophizes Donnie's whole situation.

Also during the finale, we see that the lair gets trashed and has a huge cave in. So obviously Splinter, Donnie, and Sheldon would need to find a new place to live. Would the Drax fam help them build a new home? Are we going to see Donnie's reaction later to his home being destroyed, because losing your childhood home and your safe space must be awful. So, to maybe add a cute little twist, would Donnie, Splinter, and Sheldon live with the Drax fam for a little while?

Another thing, since Leo is obsessed with Sonic, Donnie should totally be obsessed with Wicked the musical. Another green person who sings on Broadway with similar themes of being outcasted and caring about how other people perceive them and using that perception to base their own self-worth, and she's also ostracized from society? Elphaba is written for Donnie. Donnie's theatre kid heart is an Elphaba stan and no one can convince me otherwise.

Donnie's brothers are very protective of him in this AU largely because he was separated from them for such a long time and they're afraid of losing him again. That being said, I think him having a soft shell also fuels this overprotectiveness. They do know that he is a spiny softshell before reuniting with him, Draxum told them about it, and that very much reinforced the whole "helpess victim in need of saving" type view they already made up in their imaginations of Donnie. (Not only is he in the clutches of the evil humans, but he's even more vulnerable than his hard shell brothers!) And remember that Donnie's battle shell in the AU isn't really armour the way it is in canon, it's main function is as a jetpack and maybe, like, a backpack (it has storage space). It doesn't cover the lower half of his back, so his soft shell is still visable and as such vulnurable. Donne getting hurt because of his lack of armour (biological or technological) would definitely freak his brothers out even more, but they're already pretty careful with him honestly.

Anyway, you are completely right about Donnie, Splinter and Shelldon moving in with the Draxums when their home in the sewers is destroyed XD It's kinda awkward, but at that point the Draxums and the Hamatos have learned to get along a lot better. But yeah, losing his home is very hard for Donnie, he's definitely the type of person who doesn't deal well with sudden big changes like that. I do wanna depict this part of the story eventually, but it's probably gonna be a while until then.

And god yeah, Donnie is ABSOLUTELY a huge fan of musicals lmaooo! He acts so overdramatic and theatrical all the time and the show makes it clear several times that he loves music so yeah, total theater kid. I haven't actually seen Wicked so I can't really meaningfully comment on the concept of him being a fan of that specific musical, other than omg yes Elpheba being an outcast and also GREEN he totally projects onto her.

[thydungeongal]

I think my friction with your recent AI discourse is that it seems to be, "Well, the world is terrible, so who cares?" Which like, that's true. But in an ideal world, I think teaching students to think through and do the things they might try to replace AI with is actually valuable. In an ideal world, therapists would still play a role in society, and wouldn't be easily replacable with magic-8 balls. It doesn't make me pro-AI, in these use-cases, just anti-the-world-as-it-is. idk.

I mean I'm not pro-AI in these use cases either! I think using AI to cheat on school assignments is pretty bad. It's going to make for pretty bad schoolwork and also you're not going to learn much by letting the AI do the thing for you. I don't think people should be using the magic 8-ball as a therapist, because the magic 8-ball is a pretty bad therapist!

But if you look at the situation with a wider lens you get the sense that these being actual existing use cases for AI should not be met with "well that's terrible, we should ban the evil machine" (because for all of the problems with generative AI I do not think it is entirely useless and has potential use cases), but it should be to realize that those use cases of AI are maladaptive responses to things being fucked up.

My point isn't to say that the world is fucked up so who cares, but that the fact that people are using these technologies in these ways are understandable because we live in a mess of fucked up systems. This is not something we can address with empty moralizing completely divorced from material realities. It should be a call to action to work towards change.

Like, it isn't good that students are using generative AI to cheat on their work, but it is understandable, and the way to address that issue isn't to moralize to them about the use of AI. Same with the magic 8-ball: all the people who turn to generative AI to talk about their problems probably wish they had friends they could confide in about their problems or a professional who can actually help them (and not institutionalize them), but they don't. It's not good that they're talking to the magic 8-ball and we should probably do something so they don't feel the need to talk to the magic 8-ball.

[deeply-unserious-fellow]

I've seen a lot of people comparing Huskerdust to a healthy version of Stolitz and it's kinda got me thinking... Staticmoth as the evil fucked up version of Fizzmodeus.

THINK ABOUT IT!!!!! The parallels between Val and Ozzie are obvious. Like that man wants to be Ozzie so bad it's insane, from the way he dresses to the way he decorates to straight up OWNING A ROBO FIZZ, Val clearly wishes he was the embodiment of Lust. But are there parallels between Vox and Fizz? Actually, surprisingly yeah. They're both showmen, like aggressively so. They're very public figures, with their face all over every product in Hell(albeit Vox is doing it a lot more purposefully then Fizz). Fizz's antagonism towards Blitzø is actually pretty reminiscent of Vox's towards Alastor(except Fizz and Blitzø have a lot more baggage lmao), and they even share some aesthetic similarities! Specifically the colors of Fizz's robotic limbs matching Vox's overall color scheme. Which speaking of robots, that's probably their biggest similarity overall: they're both partially made of technology. I hesitate to say cyborg because Idk how much that applies to Vox, since object heads aren't typically classified as cyborgs as far as I know, and we don't actually know how much of Vox is organic(also cyborg is just one of those words I have an inexplicable dislike of Idk-), but like. Think cyborg I guess. Like Vox is a LOT more of a dick and probably doesn't have a very tragic backstory? Maybe? Unclear. But the similarities are undeniable.

Okay, now that individual parallels are out of the way, how could their relationship to eachother parallel Fizzmodeus? Starting with baseline aesthetics: they got the height difference. It's not as dramatic as Fizz and Ozzie's but TO BE FAIR, Huskerdust are the same way(their height difference is obvious, but not as massive as Blitzø and Stolas'). Staticmoth is also very buisness-partners-with-benefits and some hints at deeper feelings, which is how we were introduced to Fizzmodeus. I don't think Val and Vox feel the need to hide their romantic feelings? But tbh it could go either way we haven't seen much of their dynamic yet. That's kinda where the similarities I could spot find because see previous sentence, so let's move onto the differences!

I think a good way to breakdown what makes Staticmoth toxic Fizzmodeus is actually by bringing Alastor and Blitzø back in to compare and contrast how Val handles Vox's rivalry with how Ozzie handles Fizz's. In Radio Killed the Video Star, the only reason Val tells Vox that Alastor is at the hotel is to piss him off. He clearly enjoys Vox's reaction, and keeps egging him on. Teasing him about it. Which like, friendly teasing between partners is well and good, but Val is clearly just doing it cause he wants to see a fight and doesn't care about how distressed Vox is about this. Vox goes off on his own and sings a fuckin banger, gets publically humiliated, causes a massive blackout. Val doesn't really do shit to help him out, just kinda sits there and. Idk watches? Unclear what the other Vees are actually doing because most of Stayed Gone takes place in funny TV land where Vox is capable of bending reality to his whim for the sake of visual interest. But what Val is actively doing during the musical number isn't important so who cares. What's important is that he egged Vox on, convinced him that confronting Alastor right then was a good idea, and then just sat back as Vox got so pissed off he had a meltdown. Which I SWEAR I'm not trying to dramatize this scene it just sounds really fucking bad when you write it all down from this perspective. I think it's also worth noting that all of this is DIRECTLY AFTER Vox did the exact opposite for Val, calming him down so he doesn't make a fool of himself in public.

Meanwhile compare that to how Ozzie handles Fizz and Blitzø's relationship. During House of Asmodeus, once Fizz realizes Blitzø is there, he starts publically roasting him about how shitty his love life is. Ozzie encourages him, and even gives him a little congratualtions in the background when Verosika joins in for changing the subject, but the difference here is that House of Asmodeus takes place in a much more controlled environment, so it's less likely either of them will have to face consequences for being assholes. There's also how Ozzie's encouragement is just a lot more genuine. Like "yeah babe, go insult that guy who traumatized and abandoned you whoo!" rather then "hey hey look there's that guy you hate. You should go fight with him lmao show him who's boss." Then there's the ending. At the end of both Stayed Gone and House of Asmodeus, Vox and Fizz eat shit and die. Don't worry they're both fine like immediately after, but while in House of Asmodeus Ozzie immediately rushes over to Fizz to make sure okay, we uh. Do not see Vox interact with anybody but Alastor in the direct aftermath of his eating shit and dying, which is fair because he's in his weird little gamer cave. Then we skip straight to the Vees having a meeting to decide what they're gonna do about Alastor, and we don't really know what any of them were doing in the interim between the end of Stayed Gone and the meeting, so uh this part of the comparison kinda falls flat. But again something worth noting is that Val just straight up. Does not care about Alastor during the meeting scene. He's sitting there bedazzling his fucking gun BY HAND with school glue and rhinestones, not even paying attention to the meeting, despite being the one to get Vox all riled up about Alastor IN THE FIRST PLACE.

In short: Val encourages Vox to fight Alastor without thinking it through, doesn't bother to help out during the actual fight, and then immediately stops caring the moment the fights over. Meanwhile Ozzie, while encouraging Fizz to pick on Blitzø, backs him up the whole time, and while still supportive of his boyfriend, doesn't actively encourage Fizz to do things that would get him hurt. Ozzie also supports Fizz by refusing to let Blitzø have an Asmodean crystal because he knows Fizz wouldn't like it! Which is the exact opposite of pissing your partner off on purpose so you can watch a fight!!! And if that isn't enough evidence for you, then uh. I guess you could compare how Val treats... just everybody around him, really, with how Ozzie does(but that's more individual character analysis than relationship analysis). Or you could talk about how fed up with Val's shit Vox clearly is in comparison to the mutual support of Fizzmodeus. Or how. Val throws a glass at Vox. And breaks his phone. And then Vox has to scream in his face to get him to listen-

Idk how to end this so uh. DEMON ATTACK RAH!!! 👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹👹

[meo-eiru]

Super Nerdy Darling who loves all things anime,gaming and DND Absolutely thriving with Elias.

"Babe I'm having trouble with this boss let me cock warm you so I'll focus better"

" There's a cosplay event next month we are totally going you'll look so hot as Sesshomaru from Inuyasha~"

Game rage mode " You incel virgins got nothing on my Sexy as hell boyfriend I'm gonna blow all your brains out then I'm gonna blow him just to drive it through your skulls how awesome I am!!"

Same Darling with Silas

" Log Date it has been a week since iv last played any video game I can already feel my ranks slipping the new season of Dragon prince dropped a day after I was taken how will know if the sexy evil star elf Daddy escapes or not I fear I'm losing my mind for I am talking into Pinecone for my phone went dead long ago a long with any hope of sanity if anyone gets the message which I doubt send A Generator a TV and PS5 cough cough cough"

Having a giant sexy elf boyfriend is amazing if you're a nerd because he's literally an ELF and is beautiful, stunning, spoils the hell out of you and take care of all your needs

But also his house has no internet connection or electricity so neither can you play online games or charge your phone after it dies and you can just feel your rank dropping to hell on all your games but no matter how much you complain about it Silas doesn't understand the problem because he has the same technological knowledge as a grandpa from 1800s and he says if you want to play you can just play with him

[reccyls]

Victor's Main Route: Blind Love Chapter 23 + Letter

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The next morning, I got up earlier than usual to wait for Victor.

(Maybe it’s a bit too early…)

The last time Victor came to pick me up for something, I had still been asleep when he arrived. I didn’t want to embarrass myself any further in front of him, so I had resolved to wake up earlier. However…

(...I’m bored.)

To make use of the free time, I decided to work on my report of last night’s events. I sat down in front of my typewriter and started working. Keeping my eyes on the words flying across the paper, I detailed the evils of the council leader.

(The council leader’s beliefs are the exact opposite of Victor’s.)

Unlike Victor, who chose duty above himself, and to sacrifice himself for the sake of the nation, The council leader only cared about things that benefited him, and not about the people.

(He even said that they were meant to be used.)

A land in which everyone may live freely, enjoying happiness without fear of falling victim to injustice. That was what Victor, as ruler of England, wished to achieve. In contrast, the council leader wanted happiness only for a select group of people. Technology and power were used only to fulfill his own greed.

(Even though those were meant to develop Victor’s country to give people more prosperous lives.) (The council leader trying to abuse them for his own ends is unforgivable.)

I finished my report with the conclusion that this was evil that Crown needed to condemn, and that the council leader had in the end been overcome by guilt so that he committed suicide.

(That’s that for last night.) (And now…)

I unlocked the drawer in my desk, glancing over the report I stored within.

It was about Victor.

(I wonder if I can complete it now.)

As I reached for the report I had stopped writing halfway through… A knock sounded at the door, and I quickly shut and locked the drawer again.

Victor: Kate, are you up?

Kate: Yes, I’ll be right there!

I put away the report I had been writing, then grabbed my bag and opened the door. My attention was once again captured by the sight of the smile he made as our eyes met.

Victor: Good morning, Kate.

Kate: Good morning, Victor.

We greeted each other. Such a simple thing was enough to fill me with happiness to the point I thought I might burst. But…

(After this, how many more times will we be able to say ‘good morning’ to each other like this?)

To try and disguise the sudden loneliness I felt, I put on my brightest voice as I continued speaking.

Kate: Where are we going today?

A gentleness filled his eyes as he answered.

Victor: Somewhere quite far from London.

…

We took a carriage to the train station.

Victor: Kate, over here.

He still hadn’t revealed our exact destination. We made our way to a train car and sat down facing each other.  A young girl’s voice called out to us from outside the car.

Flower Seller: Hello, would you like a flower?

Victor was faster than me to respond to the girl, who carried a full basket of flowers.

Victor: I was just thinking I’d like some flowers. Could I have all of them?

Flower Seller: All of them!?

Victor: I’ll pay for them, of course.

His gaze was warm as he watched the girl frantically do calculations in her head. I watched them with a smile, knowing that she was one of the citizens Victor wanted to protect. After the girl finished calculating how much all the flowers would cost, she gave Victor all the flowers as he paid, and gave her a tip on top.

Flower Seller: Huh…?

She looked confused, but Victor just smiled at her.

Victor: I wouldn’t be able to have such wonderful flowers if not for you. Spend it as you like.

The train’s whistle pierced through the air. It was time to depart.

Flower Seller: Thank you, mister, miss!

As the train began moving, we continued to wave goodbye to the girl until she disappeared from view.

Kate: They really are wonderful flowers.

I shut the window as the train began to pick up speed, my gaze falling on the large bouquet of flowers.

Victor: They’ll be needed when we reach our destination. Victor: I thought about visiting a florist to buy some, but children like them tend to gather near stations as well. Victor: Since we’re going to be taking the train anyway, I figured it would be better to buy some from them.

These flowers were not perfectly selected the way they would be at a professional florist. They were more like wildflowers which grew on the sides of roads, like the ones I was more familiar with. Their familiarity made them lovely, and I picked one to smell it. Its pleasant scent made me smile, which in turn made Victor look pleased.

Kate: I just remembered that there were similar flowers that grew near the post office. Kate: I’m sure the flowers from a florist are wonderful, but these are amazing too. Kate: Maybe even more amazing, knowing how hard that girl must have worked to gather all of them.

Dirt had gotten under the girl’s nails, and her fingers had been stained by the flower stems. It must have taken so long to gather this many flowers.

Victor: I wish that I could work even one second faster, to create a world where children won’t have to work. Victor: But the world can’t change in the blink of an eye. I must start with only what I can do, first.

His profile as he gazed out the window was full of sorrow. I put the flower back and whispered.

Kate: …But I believe that someday, Her Majesty will make that world real.

Victor turned to me with his eyes widened in surprise, and I grinned at him.

Kate: Queen Victoria’s guidance helped develop the economy and made the country richer, right? Kate: I’m sure that will lead to better lifestyles and education for children like that girl, and that will bring the future closer to becoming reality. Kate: There isn’t anyone else who thinks more about the citizens of the country, after all.

He let out a breath.

Victor: Ahaha, you’re exactly right. Victor: That is why she took the throne. Victor: To make everyone in the country happy, the country must be developed enough so that every single citizen can be supported.

The sorrow in his face vanished, replaced by an excited cheerfulness.

Victor: You truly believe in Her Majesty.

Kate: Yes. I think she’s a wonderful person.

We spoke like we were sharing a private joke, and Victor sounded even more amused as he continued.

Victor: Then I’d like to ask, what exactly do you like about Her Majesty?

Kate: Uh…

You’re really making me say it?

Asking like that is cheating. (+4/+2)

Things like this.

Kate: Asking like that is cheating…

Victor: Really? I think Her Majesty would enjoy knowing, though. Victor: Because it’s the words that come directly from your mouth.

He was smiling teasingly as he waited for my response. I took a deep breath and sat up straighter.

Kate: …Like I said before, I admire that she cares so much for the citizens of her country, more than anyone else. Kate: She works so hard so that everyone can live freely, and I think that’s incredible. Kate: But…

Victor: Hm?

Kate: I’m worried that she doesn’t seem to consider herself to be one of those citizens. Kate: Just like she wishes for the happiness of her people, Kate: There are those who wish for our ruler to live a life full of happiness and freedom, too.

Victor blinked in surprise.

(He’s probably not going to agree…)

I let my expression relax, just a bit, and continued to look into his rounded, jewel-like eyes. No matter how much I wished for it, I knew it wasn’t something he could accept. …But that wouldn’t change anything about how I felt.

(I’ll never stop wishing for Victor’s happiness. Not for a single moment.)

Kate: Please make sure you tell Her Majesty what I said. Kate: It’s the will of her beloved people, after all.

Instead of responding, he just smiled, and closed his eyes. The train continued to speed to its destination.

…

Kate: This is…

We got off the train in a village some hours away from London. Just a few minutes after leaving the train, the view that spread before my eyes was full of lush greenery, unlike anything I’d ever seen in London. As I watched the rolling hills that seemed to go on and on beyond the horizon were sprinkled with verdant trees, holding the bundle of flowers, Victor began walking and I followed.

Victor: This village is a popular summer holiday location for aristocrats.

Kate: I think I’ve heard about this place before. There’s a really famous lake here, right?

The nobility of London would flee the heat and bustle of summer London, gathering at places like this. When I was working as a postal worker, every summer there was a noble family that left for this village, but one of them would stay behind in London. I remembered that there were always letters and postcards to deliver to the noble who stayed behind.

Victor: My uncle has a second residence here.

Victor had a nostalgic look on his face as he continued speaking while walking.

Victor: When I was a child, I’d be allowed to stay in my uncle’s villa during the summers. Victor: It was the one time each year that I would be able to escape the palace.

As the warm sunlight illuminated the path before us, the clear blue sky above seemed to stretch into infinity. As we walked, I spotted a lake near the foot of the hill we were on. The surface of the lake sparkled in the light, reflecting the world like a giant mirror. There was not a single bit of impurity in the water. I was entranced.

Standing next to me, Victor pointed to the lake and reminisced.

Victor: I would go fishing on that pier. Victor: Go running along the opposite bank. Victor: Ah, and I used to roll around in that grass over there.

I smiled as I imagined Victor as a child.

(Those sound like wonderful memories…)

Kate: Sounds like you were an overactive kid.

Victor: I have always put in all my effort into the things I enjoy, Kate. Victor: None of this was allowed at the palace, so I let out my energy here. Victor: I could feel like I was the freest person in the world when I was here. Only here, nowhere else.

Victor began to walk again. I followed after him, listening attentively as he spoke about his past.

Victor: I was always the closest to my uncle out of all my other family members. Victor: I saw him more as a brother, albeit one much older than I was. And he had always been kind to me, ever since I was very young.

(His uncle… was the one he had taken the life of…)

He noticed the shadow that fell over my expression, but laughed ruefully.

Victor: As you’ve realized, my uncle was the first person I had deliberately killed. Victor: Until the succession crisis became an inescapable part of my reality, I had continued to keep regular contact with my uncle. Victor: But once my father died, we were forced to stay apart from each other.

I couldn’t spot any sadness in his expression as he spoke. But I knew the sorrow I sensed wasn’t just my imagination.

Victor: I had no prominent position in the royal family, and rarely left the palace, so very few people knew of my existence. Victor: My uncle was well-known, and popular. Honestly it probably wouldn’t have made much of a difference if I showed my face more back then.

Kate: Why?

I turned to fully face him as he held the flowers.

Victor: In my opinion, my uncle had always been the better candidate to become king.

He seemed like he was looking at something far in the distance.

Victor: He treated everyone equally and never stopped thinking about how he could help make the country better. Victor: Because I’d known him ever since my childhood, I’ve always known just how great a person he was.

Kate: But, your uncle is…

We stopped walking. I followed Victor’s gaze to a headstone. There was a row of unmarked gravestones.

Victor: He was an incredible person, but had just one weakness. Victor: And that was his weak will.

Victor knelt and began laying out the flowers on the graves, one after the other.

Victor: Knowing that, I asked him about his resolve that night.

The wind began to blow strongly. Victor’s long dark hair painted a waving line against the blue sky.

Victor: This is where my family rests eternally, their lives taken by my hand.

Kate: What?

Victor: …Or it would be, but there’s nothing buried here. Their actual bodies are interred in a cemetery in London. Victor: So I made these graves here on my own.

He replaced the flowers that had been blown aside by the wind.

Victor: So that I will remember the sin of killing them, for the rest of my life.

His eyes closed as if in prayer, and he let out a breath. Born into the royal family and wielding a curse, he caused the deaths of his entire family and now sat on the throne with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

(How much longer will he have to keep bearing it?)

If he hadn’t been born into the royal family, if he had never been cursed, maybe none of this would have happened.

(He’s probably thought the same thing.)

But because he was born into the royal family, and because he was cursed, he was here now.

(And I fell in love with the him who is here now.)

I closed my own eyes, lacing my fingers together in prayer. Even though the path I walked to get here was filled with so much pain and sorrow, I was glad, from the bottom of my heart, that I had met him.

(That too, won’t ever change.)

May the lives he took rest in peace. All I could do was pray.

Victor: Sorry to keep you waiting… Kate?

I heard the sound of his footsteps drawing near, but I continued praying. He stopped just next to me, and I didn’t know what expression was on his face at that moment.

Victor: …Thank you.

Those quiet words should have been swallowed up by the wind, but I heard them loud and clear.

Letter: I Want to Talk About Memories With You

Dear Kate,

When you told me about your childhood that one time, it reminded me of my own childhood memories.

What games did I use to play? What did I use to like? What did I find fun? What memories are unforgettable?

Almost all of my happiest memories are gathered here. I loved the time I could spend freely here more than anything else. I could forget all about the annoying obligations I had, even if for just a moment.

I never thought that it would be like this, but I am truly happy I can show this place to you.

What are you thinking as we walk around? I sneak glances at your profile to try and guess.

Your eyes shine so much more brilliantly than the scenery that surrounds us.

[deepmochi]

Pluto in Aquarius

Let's talk about Pluto in Aquarius, and what we can expect.

Since Aquarius is an air sign, we will see more information to hold us and others accountable, especially people who has power to help or change the world.

This air sign presents valid and real information. A lot of mysterious or secrets are coming, but usually these are an open secret.

Aquarius represents rebellious acts to society and want to change for humanity. In Pluto, this air sign comes and say "hey, what are you doing for others?!" This will be predominant to known people like celebrities and politicians. The reason for this is Aquarius' logic. If I give you, I should receive soemthing, right?

Common folks could make a change, but the rich is overlapping our small steps. We aware now, though.

Many "secrets" are going to be reveled to the public. Secrets that are open. For example, many conspiracy theories are been revealed as actual truth.

This time would be more logical. By logic, I'm meaning be reasonable. Don't trust words, see actions. So, if 2+2 = 4, the result is clear.

Celebs culture would be dying. Slowly, be are seeing them as what they are, some evil and greedy people, or just ordinary people with bad tendencies.

Your favorites will show their true values. So be careful who you idolize. Aqua is more humanitarian. We can detect people with narcissistic and evil aspects.

Government and all the previous power institutions are gonna be renew. Some will fall and other rise.

The citizens are tired of lies and suffering. Many protests are coming. Rebellious acts too, not all is good.

Ai and technology advances are coming. Protect your information and use it wisely. Possible laws against the use of Ai and internet services will come, but it takes times.

Saturn in Aries will play a role in a more fire approach too. Many aggressive approach on online communities will be present. People would be more bold than before.

A more raw and honest approach is appreciated by the public. However, some people will think is safe to push hidden agendas (not good at all).

People will behave more aggressive, especially online communities. Online comments are become aggressive more than normally.

A new creation or invention would occur. Something for all of us; I mean, it involves our wellbeing.

Sexuality topics will be present. More acceptability but also scary things will come.

People would try to explore their fashion style and sense of self more. Creating a more individual approach than collective.

Old institutions and religions cult will fall. People will question their foundations.

Weird things make occur, like there is a eccentric part to Aquarius. New things coming that are not ordinary at all.

Gen Alpha trends will increase. Very interesting trends will come.

Renewing and a more open concious will arise, collectively.

Spirtual people are not perceived as weirdos anymore. Still, not everyone is being truthful.

More restrictions will come because powerful people will get mad that they cannot control the masses as before.

Individual take and better understanding of some communities. I respect you period...

Digital job offers are increasing, but being more socially in real life will be a challenge.

People would try to help others through technology, but it will be blocked by media.

Friendly people (truly) would be so appreciated. "Nice privileged" might be a new thing.

At the beginning, people will be more selfish; later on, the goal is working together. Since the "i need boundaries" will be misunderstood by many.

The big countries will be experience some issues. A new chapter will come, a new potency.

More investigations and questions about power will arise.

Something new for good or bad through science.

Alien contact...maybe through technology.

Spirtual attacks and stuff related are truth. Protect your heart and mind.

Restructuring political institutions and movement. People want changes!!

A new law to protect children and innocents against predators will come.

Society will questioned money 💰 and its structure?! A possible new economic system.

And more...these were some ideas / examples I got.

What we know, recently?!

For example, the expose of private jets carbon emissions. It was a privilege in the past to won a Jet. Now, we cuestioned why rich people use it constantly?! The planet's condition is so bad, and look the Superbowl. Many celebrities and rich people travel there in their private jet, more especially 525 private jets were there for a GAME?! Crazy. Meanwhile some of us a collective take the bus to work or study or share a taxi. Funny, we need to use less plastic to protect our planet. Then, they use their private jets for fun times.

This type of information is known since Aquarius is ruled by knowledge and humanitarian actions. Nowadays, we has access to this info, and we know by now that rich people is selfish.

It's not shocking so far. We as a collective are called to acknowledge and questions those with resources and power. However, the way we act is different. Remeber, Aqua is a unique sign.

Another example: Just look at the scandals during January 2024, the Epstein list news, Nicky Minaj and Megan thee Stallion beef. In both cases, people are like damn they have money and use it for what? Evil creatures.

Example: For Nicky and Megan's case, people are asking Nicky why she defend her husband and brother for being the sexual offender?! Is she crazy? Again the info isn't hidden. Minaj is married, and it isn't a secret. Actually, we already know about this. You can seach on internet, but the collective didn't accep it. When Pluto was still in Capricorn surviving is necessary. Even with the war, we know is happening, but we need to still need to pay our apartment, buy groceries, or study. Unfortunately, we, common folks, citizens aren't not the answer. Pluto comes questions us?

We make them famous, are these people returning the favor to society? Why rich people doesn't can't help if they have the resources? They can do something, but they don't do it. WHY? BECAUSE they don't care, they're are selfish. This is why people are posting their sides. Expect more and more people sharing opinions and technology advances too.

Note: not everything is set on a stone. Take what resonates. If doesn't resonates, IGNORE IT!

[seffyriath]

okay here is my weird take about what emet-selch might have done regarding zenos and whatever "experiment" was going on

Joke answer: he's a dragon stuffed into a human body

serious answer: it's the same as the joke answer but longer and explained in an incoherent way.

i think we've been given hints about what the fuck was going on with Varis's Large Adult Son even after endwalker, but i need to reference other things to do that, so let's break it down:

-We have been given more insight into how Memories and Souls work and interact in this setting, especially after Dawntrail. We know that it's possible to implant memories onto a soul that didn't originally have them, and it works fine if you have the technology to do this

-Emet-Selch's whole job involved souls and the lifestream

-We've seen Athena also bring back ancients, in a temporary way, by reconstituting soul stuff and grabbing the memories for those ancients, since souls and memories are essentially different kinds of aether. if you've played FFVII at all, you already know this. one would assume that Emet-Selch would manage reconstituting souls a lot better

-there are some memories that are so powerful that they are blasted or etched into your soul, which is why some faded memories can stick around from past lives

-We know that Emet-Selch was seriously thinking of a way to bring the ancients back without rejoinings, and this was probably attempted via his literal large adult sons and their descendants.

-dragon's souls, as far as we know, are unsundered.

-fitting with the Sephiroth and Jenvoa parallel, they are also canonically aliens

about Zenos:

-the devs have said that he was "born wrong" and that's why he's like that. this seems different than "born evil" because Lyse assumes that this wasn't the case, and that's not the normal philosophy for the game. characters have been wrong before, but if he was experimented on, this is likely referencing Sephiroth, who was also born wrong on purpose, as a joke, via tampering in the womb

-people in the world still have vague, ephemeral memories of the ancients, but Zenos is different. Zenos has upsettingly visceral memories of the final days but he also views the world like the ancients do, particularly regarding accomplishing your life's purpose and then dying right after as a positive thing. this is why his actions at the end of stormblood do not read as suicidal to not just me, but the characters. they're really confused about why he does this! Zenos acting the way he does seems to be the answer to why the ancients tried to emphasize a more communal existence, because what happens when the most powerful motherfucker on earth is also a prince in an extremely hierarchical society? you get Zenos

-However, Zenos also follows the rule of beasts and is much more beastlike, similar to dragons. Dragons aren't evil, but they have extremely different cultures and views than humans, because they're functionally immortal and don't need to reproduce. they are power manifest, and can easily take over an ecosystem. Midgardsomr's covenant with Hydaelyn most likely prevents this, but the point is that dragons are pure power, and that's what they respect the most. like Zenos, although being raised as he was probably made this even worse

-Zenos seems pretty dysphoric, but it doesn't seem to be directed at any gender. he's stated that he doesn't care about his name one way or the other, and that he only wants his body back from Elidibus because of how powerful it is. he otherwise doesn't seem to care about normal human experiences, like human food or sex, or just companionship in general with other humans. as far as food goes, he's the only villain to do this, as the writers tend to get into what foods the characters like in the lore books, even the villains. you can't really say that this is just the product of being a royal or someone in power. even Thordan has a favorite food, and even Varis had a childhood friend, who we've actually met.

-both in The Hunt Begins and in general, Zenos actively wants to be able to use and manipulate aether. this is odd, since Garleans are constantly told that magic is evil and bad, but Zenos goes out of his way to try to do this, including piercing himself with a crystal where the aether exchange could kill him. this could be because his great grandfather is a sorcerer of eld. it could be because dragons not being able to use magic would feel extremely unnatural to him. why not both?

-He seems. REALLY excited when he transforms into Shinryu. like, weirdly excited. i get it, it would probably own being a dragon, and you could say that he was just really excited about fighting the wol the first time, but this has happened twice now, and every time he almost sounds like Susano with how excited he is. it's a total fucking mood shift. also in his last fight he still keeps the Shinryu attacks. since it's in a place that's ruled by emotions, one has to assume that he's attached to them

-He literally has a horde (of weapons)? i know we don't see a lot of FFXIV dragons do this, but Vrtra has a horde that he uses as a bank. what's up with that.

-He doesn't really have a coda yet, and while i don't think he's going to be brought back, or that he NEEDS to be brought back, the wol seems like they're just starting to be comfortable with thinking about what Zenos's deal is with enough time and distance

-how d. how did he know that dragons can just lay eggs like that. yeah he could have READ about it but like. how did he figure out how to do that in the fight. and why. why did he just doooo thaaaat.

IN CONCLUSION i think that in a bid to try to bring ancients back into the world through unnatural means, Emet-Selch took the closest recently dead unsundered soul he could find at the time (a dragon's), imprinted some of his memories onto it (as one would do when making the convocation crystals) and put that shit in a baby. thanks.

[awh-bowie]

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪21 things i’ve learned since becoming an adult

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ three years is not a terribly long time, but, i feel like regular metrics of time simply cannot be applied to girlhood and the transition to womanhood. my childhood felt like a single moment and being a teenager felt more like a century. but i digress, what have i learned in the three years since i became a legal adult?

୨୧ fostering meaningful friendships is far more important than any romantic relationship ୨୧

♡ the thing about romantic and physical relationships, especially when you’re young, is that they are not a reliable constant. all i can say about this is that close, trusted friends will benefit you better than any “situationship”.

୨୧ think of yourself like a plant, just a little bit more complex ୨୧

♡ what i mean by this is simple: if you feel awful for seemingly no reason, get some water, eat some fruit and go outside. more often than not, the mysterious specter making you sad is just yourself forgetting fundamental self-care!

୨୧ the best product for glowing skin is free! ୨୧

♡ drinking enough water is one of the easiest and most effective ways to maintain healthy skin. hydration helps flush out toxins, keeps your skin cells plump, and improves elasticity. scientifically speaking, staying hydrated supports your body’s natural detoxification processes!

୨୧ cry, cry, cry! ୨୧

♡ crying is a wonderful and natural way to release negative emotions, not something that is weak or embarrassing. we go into this life screaming and wailing, why stop now?

୨୧ invest in blue light glasses ୨୧

♡ blue light is the enemy of your eyes, especially looking at it in the dark. getting yellow-tinted glasses is a game changer, especially if you prefer low light! i never turn on my big light.

୨୧ you have boundaries, period. ୨୧

♡ there’s no such thing as not having boundaries. you can go through life without experiencing things you’d rather not experience again, these experiences create boundaries. if you genuinely can’t think of any boundaries, i suggest doing some journaling! here are some prompts i made for myself that really helped me.

୨୧ balance is good, but extremes aren’t evil ୨୧

♡ it’s okay to indulge, to be hedonistic! as long as you’re honoring yourself and the people in your life, go crazy every once and a while. that’s what life is about, diving into the things you love.

୨୧ use lighter concealer under your eyes ୨୧

♡ a lighter shade of concealer under your eyes helps brighten your face and hide dark circles!

୨୧ diet affects your skin and hair ୨୧

♡ proper nutrition plays a critical role in skin and hair health. consuming foods rich in vitamins and antioxidants, like fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, can help prevent acne, improve hair growth, and promote a radiant complexion. see my post here to learn more ;3

୨୧ no one is looking at you, seriously, it’s biological ୨୧

♡ let me get a little sciency here. humans tend to overestimate how much people actually notice us, and this is something called the spotlight effect. it happens because our brains are wired to be super focused on ourselves, making us think everyone else is just as tuned in to us as we are. spoiler alert: they’re not. studies have shown that people pay way less attention to you than you think. realizing this is so freeing because once you know that your little slip-ups or bad hair days go unnoticed, you can start living with a lot less self-consciousness. embrace the freedom—no one is watching as closely as you imagine.

୨୧ independence isn’t loneliness ୨୧

♡ being independent doesn't mean you can’t ask for help or rely on others. sometimes the strongest thing you can do is reach out for support when you need it. true independence comes from knowing when to lean on others and when to stand on your own!

୨୧ dedicate time in your day to unplug ୨୧

♡ taking regular breaks from technology allows your brain to rest and recharge. studies indicate that unplugging can improve focus, reduce stress, and enhance well-being. scheduling time each day for a digital detox is beneficial for your mental health and productivity.

୨୧ you don’t have to justify the things you love ୨୧

♡ “i know it’s dumb but i really love [media] because it has my favorite actor in it!” STOP!! if you find yourself preemptively insulting your interest or explaining why you like it, stop and think. ask yourself what about the situation made you feel like you needed to do that.

୨୧ it’s okay to outgrow things ୨୧

♡ i wish i could stay a kid forever, but being an adult is kinda sick. drifting away from people, hobbies, media, etc… is a natural, unavoidable part of growing.

୨୧ it’s okay to not outgrow things ୨୧

♡ that being said, there’s nothing wrong with hanging onto the things that make you happy! if something you have from when you were a kid still brings joy to your life, it would be silly to give outgrowing it another thought. the fact that it still brings you joy means it cannot be outgrown.

୨୧ vitamin C for bright and even skin ୨୧

♡ vitamin C is a powerhouse for your skin!! it helps brighten your complexion, fade dark spots, and even out your skin tone by reducing melanin production. dermatologists recommend incorporating a vitamin C serum into your skincare routine to fight off free radicals and promote collagen production.

୨୧ being “busy” doesn’t equal being productive ୨୧

♡ it’s easy to confuse busyness with productivity. but being constantly busy doesn't mean you're getting more done. true productivity is about working smarter, not harder, and taking time to rest when needed.

୨୧ taking breaks IS productive ୨୧

♡ like i said, taking time to rest is key. studies show that regular breaks throughout the day, especially short ones, can improve concentration, reduce mental fatigue, and enhance performance!

୨୧ cold water rinse for shiny hair ୨୧

♡ a cold water rinse at the end of your shower can help seal your hair cuticles, resulting in shinier, smoother hair. cold water also helps reduce frizz and preserve hair’s natural oils.

୨୧ celebrate every victory ୨୧

♡ no win is too small! celebrating your successes, big or small, reinforces positive habits and boosts motivation. you deserve it, every day you exist is a victory in the eyes of others. according to psychologists, taking the time to acknowledge achievements can increase your sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

୨୧ they say “trust your gut” for a reason! ୨୧

♡ your gut feeling, also known as intuition, is your brain’s way of quickly processing information based on past experiences and instincts. neuroscientists have found that gut instincts often come from subconscious pattern recognition, and trusting them can lead to better decision-making in situations where logic might not offer clear answers.

-Beau

[mcflymemes]

AS SAID BY THANE KRIOS  *  assorted dialogue from the mass effect trilogy, updated version

technology cannot cure greed.

face it bravely. i know you are good at that.

perhaps i shouldn't have said that. i don't want you to worry or feel guilty that you are not with me.

i cannot forget you.

there were too many. shields couldn’t hold up.

a quick exit is preferable.

this is… problematic.

i have thought over what you said.

i was curious to see how far you’d go to find me.

you were a valuable distraction.

i prefer to work quietly.

you have only made my life better.

i rarely make mistakes.

you disrupted my plan, but your distraction eventually proved valuable.

what would you like to discuss?

i’ve heard of them.

you’ve built a career on performing the impossible.

i’m dying.

the universe is a dark place. i’m trying to make it brighter before i die.

an assassin is a weapon. a weapon doesn’t choose to kill. the one who wields it does.

i came here to do a job for you.

where shall i put my things?

do you need something?

i won’t be a burden to you.

perhaps later you can give me some suggestions.

i can do nothing to alter my fate.

there’s so many ways to interpret one’s place in the universe.

in my experience, those who are truly dangerous don’t act like they are.

perhaps we can discuss it later. i’ve wasted too much of your time.

it’s difficult to control at times.

i didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.

my training was very thorough.

i appreciate these chats we have.

it seems there will no one to mourn me when i die.

you’re the only friend i’ve made in ten years.

i shall… consider it.

it’s clear my conversation skills have atrophied.

just don’t make the same mistake i did.

now that you are here, though, it seems more difficult to talk about.

i abandoned them.

there have been complications.

something happened that should not have.

i would like your help to stop him.

that thought haunts me more than any other.

i don’t need your help, i want it.

i’ll be meditating until you need me.

there is nothing left to speak of.

i know how easy it is for a person to lose himself in the galaxy.

the galaxy is small compared to the endless sea of dark space.

removing evil isn’t the same as creating good.

i appreciate your patience.

you… you are very kind.

that assassin should be embarrassed.

one day i’ll tell you what it means.

i confess, i’ve come to care for you.

i hope it won’t offend you if i carry you in my heart.

whatever may happen, my gun is yours.

i’m… ashamed.

[percheduphere]

LET'S TALK ABOUT MOBIUS'S HEAVY KEYS

I wrote a meta on S1 Mobius here, mostly exploring his interrogation persona and emotional trajectory toward S1E6. I also have a fun little list on all the things I love about him here.

@mitromana posted about how we should talk about Mobius's sass and even cruelty more. @wowwwmobius posted how Mobius realistically would not be doing well post-S2E6 (I wholeheartedly agree), and they and @inwantofamuse shared amazing comments. All of this inspired this meta.

Thank you @mitromana @wowwwmobius @inwantofamuse!

Mobius's interrogation scenes are him at his most cruel and ruthless. The flipside of being a highly empathetic person is that it is very VERY easy to use this skill in highly abusive, cunning, and powerful ways. This is especially true if the person armed with this skill is exceptionally intelligent and is convinced their motivations are good. At the TVA, before Loki's exposure of the truth, Mobius is both of these things. Worse, he has access to the TVA's more ethically unconscionable technology, which he does not hesitate to use.

The road to evil is paved with good intentions. Mobius strolls onto this road more than once, but he manages to not stay on it because two people curb this risk: Loki and, yes, Sylvie.

Take in Loki's words and posture in this scene. The words alone are a frail and weak comeback for a silver-tongue God of lies. They do nothing but reveal Loki is in FACT scared. His arms are crossed tightly over his abdomen, a primal protective response. He's leaned as far away from Mobius as possible. This is the best Loki can come up with in the face of a boring man in a boring suit, really?

You can see why Mobius was moved into the position of Analyst from Hunter. He may not be able to prune children, but he can literally bring a God like Loki to the ground, breathless, confused, and frightened, with nothing more than WORDS. And this is with a variant Mobius likes. Imagine what he can do to a variant he hates.

For HWR and Ravonna's purposes, Mobius is the perfect weapon to get whatever they want out of whatever variant they capture before sending them off to get pruned. How do they keep him from questioning anything?

Memory-wiping (more than once), brainwashing, propaganda, and:

A little something for Mobius's identity, something that fulfills his intrinsic need to take care of others while also gently stroking his ego.

Yes, the genocide of multiple timelines over the span of eons is horrifying. But Mobius is capable of being complicit with it as long as his environment feeds his intrinsic psychological and emotional needs. The people on the Sacred Timeline become his new children, and he will do anything ANYTHING to protect them.

There was one thing HWR and Ravonna didn't anticipate: that this man's empathy for a specific Loki would be the very thing that liberates the multiverse and his own bondage from a corrupt bureaucracy.

However...

I don't believe Mobius ever anticipated becoming emotionally compromised when he advocated on Loki's behalf. He likely genuinely believed that after centuries of studying Loki, he knew him well enough to make him useful for the TVA. But the subconscious, oh. That is a different story, and in Loki's own words, Mobius has a gift for lying to himself.

I discuss the interrogation scene and Sif loop scene in depth here, so I won't repeat myself, but I'd like to draw our attention to the 2 gifs below, framing my analysis:

Imagine where Mobius's mind must be at:

I spent centuries studying you and believing in you. I waited more centuries for your nexus event to come. I tasked every hunter to inform me of your arrival immediately, no matter what I was doing, no matter where I was. I abandoned a case. I ran to your trial. I put my job, reputation, and eons-long friendship with Ravonna on the line. I tested your theory. I brought you with me on the field. You talked to me. You challenged me. You made me proud. You made me laugh.

I gave you daggers and you stabbed me. You STABBED me. When all I wanted to give you was--

Mobius cracked hard and fast. Applaud Owen Wilson for THIS interpretation of the script and THIS delivery.

Thankfully, the very person who put Mobius in this fragile state of mind is also the person Mobius deeply wants to believe in. Even after being betrayed, Mobius still wants to believe in Loki and his capacity to be a wonderful person. And so he looks at Ravonna's TemPad, decides Loki deserves to be with whoever he wants to be with (even if that person will never be Mobius himself), frees Loki to help him save the woman he loves, and gets pruned for it.

Mobius survives thanks to plot-armor. And who is the first person he meets?

The bane of his existence.

And Sylvie wastes no time driving a knife into a very fresh wound. Mobius, however, only recently unleashed all his rage. His reservoir for compartamentalizing has refreshed, so he can take Sylvie's truth bravely, without a flinch, and acknowledge that truth with one of his own.

Mobius owns it. He doesn't deny it. He tacitly agrees with her and gives her a reason why.

We should remember how dangerous Mobius can be. He is currently sitting in a car with the variant he is most likely to hate. Sylvie is strong, clever, and resilient, but her ability to regulate her emotions is weak, especially if she is triggered. Mobius can destroy her very easily with his words.

But Mobius can't hate her. He can't. She was right and he was wrong, but most importantly Loki loves her.

He won't hurt the person Loki loves most. No. He will take her to him instead. He can stomach the pain, the disappointment. He's good at that. Loki's well-being, his happiness, comes first.

In fact, Mobius stomachs Sylvie's knife twists a second time and chooses not to defend himself. I don't doubt a large part of him agrees with her. Nevertheless, he can't help but hope Loki might stand up for him in that moment. He tries, and fails, to make light of it by rolling his eyes and turning to his friend. When Loki leaves him not explaining why, his true feelings about this interaction surfaces on his face.

Aren't you going to say anything?

The saddest thing is that this is the LAST intimate moment THIS Mobius has with Loki before Loki crosses the gangway and never returns. This is it. This is what he's left with: the thought Loki didn't care enough to defend him and Loki leaving.

HE doesn't get to hear that he's just trying to see in the dark and is doing everything he can to keep the surviving timelines alive. SYLVIE does.

HE doesn't get to hear Loki tell him he saved his life. DON does.

HE doesn't get the final goodbye and "thank you, Mobius", his PAST SELF does. And if Mobius happens to remember this moment in the present, he will know that he was the one who propelled Loki to bear this massive burden ALONE.

My worry for Mobius post-S2E6 is that he is more than talented at ignoring his own needs and addressing his own problems. He is infinitely better--a master, even--at taking care of anyone else. It's a devastating flaw, but it comes from a very raw place:

His heart, his soul, will always remember being a single parent.

Being a parent at all is hard to begin with. There are only so many hours in a day, and the majority of it is devoted to putting someone else's needs before your own. Being a single parent is even harder. You might have a few people to help you, but ultimately, there's no partner to share every high and low intimately. To be a single parent of not one but TWO children?

Game over.

Some viewers have interpreted Don ignoring his sons' phone calls at work as negligent. Honestly, I don't think that's the case. He will call them back. Don is Mobius and Mobius is Don. He will take care of them. But refusing every beck and call at work is the only personal boundary he has. He cannot have many boundaries for himself at home or anywhere else. He has to decline not one but two calls for his own sanity. Nevermind that he works Monday through Saturday, nine to five, to make enough money to keep them healthy and happy. Where is the break? There is none. This is Don's glorious purpose.

Mobius leaving the TVA is understandable for two crucial reasons: One, it is a reminder of all his horrifying acts and complicity. Two, it is a reminder Loki is no longer there. But by leaving the TVA, Mobius separates himself from his only support system. That's not good. That is decidely unhealthy. The fact that it doesn't cross B-15, Casey, or OB's minds that this is a very bad idea tells you everything you need to know about the number of genuinely close friends Mobius has.

Mobius has two. He walked away from one to be with the second, and the second walked away from him, too. TWICE.

But he still loves him anyway.

When you take a man like this and take away everything that's kept him functional: the TVA, Ravonna, Loki, and then show him a content life in which he cannot even be with his own children because another version of him already exists, what do you think will happen to him given we've seen how violently Mobius can snap?

And guess what: only one person has ever seen Mobius snap on more than one occasion. Only one person understands the triggers and how to handle them. I'll give you three guesses as to who it is.

Mobius "has a happy ending" is absolute bullshit. He is at risk.

[underthecrosshold]

Chisaki was wasted

With the MHA manga ending and getting an end to Chisaki’s story I have just a couple of things to say.  Most importantly wtf was that. Fortunately in every other piece of media I chose to consume my favorite character is usually one of the main ones or at the very least they are a fan favorite, originally when I started to watch MHA I fell in love with Bakugou but then everything changed when I saw season four and laid my eyes on Mr. Evil Bird Man. I was not expecting Horikoshi to dive into characters who really despised quirks and their existence. It was a fresh perspective on the series and as we got to learn more about  Chisaki I started to understand him more and more. I know fans of the show sometimes make jokes about being reincarnated into the show and being born with a hammer for a head. At first it would be fun to go into your favorite series, but the implications of that universes rules can seriously mess you up. For example Dabi’s flames burn him. Quirks are not always a blessing they can be a curse, a sickness. 

I believe Chisaki was the first character to bring this up maybe besides characters like Skinner showing that he was bullied for his. Quirks are terrifying when you think about their potential effects, Eri accidentally killed her parents when she got hers and Shigaraki killed his when he manifested an altered version of overhaul. This brings up my next point. Why did nobody dwell on the fact that decay is the first half of overhaul?? Dose this not imply that Chisaki was experimented on as a kid as well? Is that why he is fine doing it to Eri since he clearly shows no remorse to her for his actions, only Pops? Is there some sort of trauma with him and that that he never addressed so he believes that what hypothetically happened to him was okay? Is that why he doesn’t care that he did the same pain onto Eri? This is where my issue lies. Chisaki was used as nothing more than a plot point to push the story further. We barley know anything about him. Why is he the way he is? There are so many unanswered questions. 

Chisaki was used to introduce Nighteye, the big three and Eri’s quirk so there was a way to defeat All For One. He doesn’t get expanded on past the bare minimum which I think is insane for a show that has as many flashbacks that it has. The time line we have is that he was in one of All For Ones orphanages, he was somehow on the streets, Pops picked him up, he got into fights growing up defending his fathers honor and he was never really stopped from continuing to do so, then he’s a grown adult and we see his crazy plan being told to his father and he freaks out to then Kai needing to please and repay him so bad he did with anyway. Did Pops not give him enough love and reassurance growing up? Why did he feel the need to go out of his way to help his family. We know the Yakuza was weaker, were they being mistreated? If so why were they allowed to exist if they were just going to be mistreated?

Next thing I want to talk about is Pops and Kai’s reunion, I’m so upset that Pops was somehow woken up via technology. They should have just left him in the coma if Chisaki wasn’t going to get his quirk back. Now I like how Chisaki didn’t get his quirk back but it would have been so easy for him to with the way other characters quirks evolved, like Toga being able to use other people’s quirks of the blood she took, why couldn’t Overhaul turn into creating matter or having skin touch not just hands touch? How hard was it for Pops to be one of the civilians Shigaraki killed and Kai to go into such a panic that his quirk evolves and he helps the heros or goes after Shigaraki himself??? Which brings me to my next hot take. The only reason people hate Overhaul is because we got to meet his victim personally. Shigaraki, Dabi, Toga, all killed and hurt others but their crimes get overlooked because we never knew the names, faces, or anything really about the people who’s lives were taken. I’m not excusing Overhauls behavior whatsoever because the whole Eri thing was insane. I don’t understand why he couldn’t have just taken her hair, or sweat or something. Why blood??? If he needed her DNA it’s literally all over her, you really needed her blood? Okay crazy. ANOTHER THING THATS CRAZY IS POPS COMMENT. What do you mean Hari should have done better? This guy seems to love putting his problems onto other people, Kai is Hari’s problem, Eri was Kai’s problem. Dude you are his Dad maybe if YOU parented him he wouldn’t have turned out like this. Hari was his somewhat equal you had power not him.

Another thing people get mad about is the killing of Magne, she attacked first, just saying.

Lastly him losing his arms was beautiful irony. Yakuza getting fingers cut off for messing up in missions, him cutting off Compresses arm, him wanting to destroy Quirks. Shigaraki was a twisted genius when cutting off Overhauls arms. I’m not mad about him getting the consequences of his actions. I’m just upset he was never expanded on and the fandom collectively hating his surface level character when he had and has so much potential. 

I might type more later I just wanted to get this off of my chest.

[samhadjblog2]

Hex-tech being a "Evil force is a contradiction to the show's themes.

On the topic of Hex-tech I want to state that with all of the criticism's I have with Arcane. Making Hex-tech "Evil" is one of the worse choices within the show.

Because Arcane is a neutral force within league of legends that only works depending on how a person uses it.

And to go into the route that "Power corrupts" is just lazy writing. because"Power never corrupts power always reveals. The Arcane never turned people evil, it was evil people who mistreated. Yes it caused destruction but it also created wonders. To simply claim "Magic is evil" is placing blame on a thing not take responsible.

Arcane shows that creating a tool this unbelievably powerful is dangerous. It attracts those who want to corrupt its purpose and use it for their own selfish ends. Be it the chembarons, Piltover themseves, or Noxus.

Many have sited how Jayce and Viktor's reckless actions in S1 are example of "why" the Arcane should never have been used. Which isn't the case,because the problem was never the Arcane, the problem was that Viktor and Jayce own ambitions got the better of them. And had they been cautious when making Hex-tech, things would of been different.

And so this isn't a conversation on "How we should "never "use Hex-tech" rather on "How we "should" use Hex-tech. Because its a similar analogy to nuclear energy, because while yes it has the capacity to "destroy" but its also able to "create".

And while yes Hex-tech can't solve more inter-political issues, that doesn't mean it can't make lives, better. For instance "The Hex-gates" have expanded travel and this in turn brought artist together and build. And this is something

And once again proves "The Arcane is neutral depending on how a person uses it".

Arcane shows that rapidly putting out technology untested is dangerous. It results in toxic waste and run off hurting people you didn’t even think were there.

And it also made clear that "Taking time and being cautious" is also as detrimental as being reckless. That trying to take time and stand still your not able to accomplish anything. Not to dismiss "The basis of being reckless" just that you need to find a balance between caution and patience. That sometimes you need to take risk while at the same time you can't stay still.

If you looked at all of these examples and came away with the perspective that arcane is telling Jayce and Viktor that they shouldn’t have dreamed to help people and that the ultimate message of the show is to be thankful for what you have and never make waves, you’re a fucking IDIOT.

Correction. People were aware that "Viktor and Jayce" made reckless actions when they used Hex-tech. However that didn't mean "Hex-tech was evil" it just meant that when used "wrong" it will cause problems and that Jayce and Viktor needed to be careful when using Hex-tech. And not "Hex-tech should of never been invented". Because that is what the conversation of S1 introduces "How" should we use this new form of technology that has the capacity to do good and do bad. And to me this should of been their story in S2. Viktor and Jayce trying to utilize the Arcane in a more positive way. I.E the building of Blitzcrank. You know "The robot Viktor builds that go's on their own journey of self-discovery" And whom embodies how "Hex-tech is a neutral force".

And now some people have made some arguments to these claims

they unintentionally hurt so many people in the name of progress. They didn’t stop to think what their tech could be used for, how it would be coveted by corrupt individuals, or how their toxic run off would hurt the planet and the people below them.

While yes Viktor and Jayce let their own ambitions cloud their judgement however they did test Hex-tech out. For instance with things like "The wild runes" Jayce said that had tested the Arcane for years and never seen any wild runes until now, another thing . The "Toxic run-off" is barely a plot point. And only existed in "The Tree" that is never brought up again.

Hextech was ALWAYS a risky and dangerous investment. It was not neutral. It was incredibly dangerous and foolhardy to try and give that level of RAW POWER into the hands of the average everyday person. Hextech was like giving every person on the planet a loaded gun that shoots radiation bullets.

Yes it was always neutral. Because that's how magic has always worked in LoL. Its a neutral force dependent on how a person uses it. There is literally various other examples of magic being used for good in this world. Heck Mel is an example of The Arcane being neutral force. On top of that Viktor and Jayce didn't create weapons, they created power-tools.

There was good and bad. And to simply say "Hextech was evil all along", then thats a contradiction to the entire "You should still dream but be cautious" sentiment. Because you can do anything "Accept make Hex-tech good".

To simply say that "The Arcane can only ever be evil and destroy". Wouldn't that also apply to Jinx, someone who believed they could "only ever destroy". And that by learning that they aren't held down by the past they are able to carve something new. However the same can't ever be applied to Hex-tech. Hex-tech can only do bad

The show also talks about how change is a necessary thing in the world that allows for us to move forward. The same can be said about VI. Someone who is adverse to change, which is her greatest weakness. So simply saying "The Arcane is evil because of its potential to do bad". Is just another justification to never change and have everything stay still.

Another thing I think is important to note that "People should always have a choice" that we aren't bond by destiny and we can choose our own fate. "However this can never be applied to the Arcane, because its an "evil" virus of satan that can only do bad"

And this brings me to the show's most prominent theme. "The capacity to change how we operate in the world allows us to move forward". S2 has character's learn to think outside themselves and allow for them to actually improve themselves. And back to the point about Viktor and Jayce, because yes they were impulsive they made rash choices. However that didn't mean they shouldn't have used the Arcane. Rather that they needed to cautious about how they used. Just like how they needed to think outside themselves in order to improve. The same has to be applied to "The Arcane" as well.

To have the main theme of the show be "Change is necessary" and then have it not apply to "The Arcane/ Hex-tech" then its a load of BS. Its an equally reductive mindset that the show criticizes the characters for having and so just ending the show "this way" is just underwhelming.

To end things off I think this video explains these issues better. And how The Arcane in of itself can be utilized

[littlecrittereli]

Krattnapped au? Krattnapped au? Evil chris against his will?? Oh hoho I am INTRIGUED

I am sitting in front of you staring directly into your eyes with the chin resting on my hands and I desire more information if you have it 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

I FINALLY HAVE A NAME....

REPROGRAMMED AU!!! (because he... reprograms the cps) (im super creative I know)

So I'm kind of using a couple headcanons in order to make the logistics of this AU work. So I'll explain them real quick!

The CPS were made specifically to the biometrics of Martin and Chris and are too unstable to be used by anyone else. We see Koki and Aviva wear the bro's suits a couple times in the show, but it's usually only for emergencies and for only a few minutes. Aviva refers to the suits as prototypes, and Martin and Chris are kinda the test dummies. They are programmed this way to help the suit work better, and also to keep them out of evil hands. Martin and Chris also had to undergo some serious tests and special training in order to be able to operate the suits. (Kinda like how Astronauts have to go through special courses before they go to space!)

The CPS are not meant to be operated for long periods of time. The suits are practically transforming their bodies, giving them new senses, and changing their instincts. This process becomes physically taxing on the body. It's not enough to be noticable from a standard creature adventure, but if the suit is activated for 12+ hours it can start to have negative consequences on the operator. Rapidly activating the suit, or reactivating it numerous times in one day can have the same effect. It's dangerous to not take breaks in-between usages.

The way this reprogrammed CPS will operate is a tad different from Aviva's design (as it was altered by Zach), which makes it extra unstable, and prone to malfunctions. The Villain doesn't really care that much because he's not the one wearing the suit, and just wants it to function more conveniently for his schemes, not Chris' wellbeing.

The biggest alter that was made to the suit is Chris does not need power discs or a DNA sample to activate the suit. The programming is relying on ghost activations of animals he has already collected DNA samples of. (meaning he can't access any new suits, only ones that he's already used before). Pairing Zach's alterations with Donita's pose-beam technology, gives this new Villain complete control of the suit's actions. Since the suit is more unstable, animal instinct kinda takes over whenever it's activated so Chris can't always remember what's happened while he was operating the suit.