#theta core

[ocherednoe-dno]

coolest Forge World (less prominence round)

major Forge Worlds have already been covered in polls, such as here. please reblog to spread

[locitapurplepink]

Every scene Kaz meets Poe

Taglist : @aintinacage , @trapezequeen , @cassie-fanfics , @zaya-mo , @fulltimecatwitch , @kanerallels , @commander-tech , @thebadbatch2022 , @catcucumber-salad

[raviollies]

Do you think Blythe could ever find a way to make amends with Theta?

Hello So I've thought about this at length

So as I said before, Theta and Blythe's relationship is meant to mimic that of generational trauma found between a lot of immigrant parents and children. The hurt that comes from the harsh way a child is treated, but the undeniable realization that it's the treatment your parents received, and often times, they do truly love you, despite the abuse that is inflicted.

It's a tough situation to be in -to reconcile that an abuser is also a victim (Theta having been a high elf turned Hexblood by a Hag so long ago )

While within the pact ; the short answer is no. Blythe will not reconcile or see Theta as anything but a villian while trapped in the contract with her, the same way often times children cannot begin to heal from their experience while living under the same roof as their parents.

However, were she to break the pact, I can see her looking back on what happened with more understanding - seeing that Theta truly in her own, fucked up fae way did love her, and wish for her to be the best she could be (which unfortunately, meant becoming a Hag and part of her coven). It's disregarding of Blythe's personal wishes, but it's what in Theta's eyes is the way she wouldn't squander her potential (The way parents push their kids to "successful" careers and colleges)

It's a complex situation, and would require Blythe decades, if not hundred's of years to reconcile, but it's possible, were she to break free. To understand things from Theta's perspective without the threat of her agency being compromised and being to rationally survey the situation, without emotions, which is quite literally impossible while being actively abused.

Theta on the other hand; I do not see her ever realizing what she did was wrong. She is old, over a thousand years old, and to admit what she did was wrong, would be to admit that she was wronged as well - but how can that be when she is so powerful? If you came out "successful", how do you admit that what you parents did was abuse, and the deep wounds it left upon you? So much of Theta's humanity had withered away with time, that she accepted this cycle as the norm, as the way to shape yourself into the gem you were meant to be from the rough, shapeless stone.

[dragongirlclawtoes]

ARMORED CORE: VERTICAL INVERSION/BUILD DIVERS: BEYOND THE ASHES CH001-SEG01 - BROKEN WINGS CAN'T FLY

DANGER! ANOMALY DETECTED! "Tell me something fucking NEW!" C4-621 snarled. Her AC entered assault boost, tearing through the coral haze towards her target. Left strafe. Right strafe. Right strafe. Sharp left turn. Fire the plasma rifle. Reverse boost.

Clnk! WHSSH! A massive blast of energy tore through the space 621 had almost charged through. A comm channel opened abruptly. V.IV Rusty…? "Hey, buddy. Can't let you have all the fun up there. Adjusting target, loading next shell…" This timeloop bullshit was getting on 621's nerves.

Her AC stepped forward. And again. And again. AC Detected… name: NINEBALL SERAPH That wasn't an AC she'd encountered on or near Rubicon before…

THNK THNK!! She instinctually fired the SONGBIRDS in tandem. But it was already gone.

"What do you fight for, Raven?" CLANG! It kicked her AC in the back. "Money? Power? Glory?"

Clnk! WHSSH! "For Rubicon." Rusty Answered.

"Interference… I'll be back for you, Raven." Nineball stated, diving out one of the holes left by Rusty's marksmanship.

"GET BACK HERE, MOTHERF-!" 621 yelled. The floor, or maybe ceiling of the the orbital station erupted under her AC, sending her flying out into open space.

"Have a nice flight, freelancer…" Iguazu's voice echoed over the comms…

She drifted through space for months, or maybe hours…

Warning! Atmospheric entry intiated! "…Damnit." She began the eject sequence. Which was, for emergency purposes, far too many inputs to prime quickly.

Thmp! The sequence was a few switches and a button short of being done, and the impact had shoved her back into the seat. At least it was cushioned enough to not hurt.

She got back up, and flipped the switches. Then she stared for a minute at the button. "I'm asking for a less fucking complicated eject sequence next time." She resolved before slapping the button. Immediately getting thrust back into the seat. Then hitting her head on the highly rubberized, and thank the fucking stars it is, edge of the control panel.

clunk. clunk. clunk. clunk. whsssh. The core pod opened. 621 sat up inside, then rubbed her head. "Ugh… Hate landings like that more than I hate just losing the whole AC…"

She glanced outside the pod. Then processed the mechanical humanoid stood outside, and looked again. "Who the fuck are you?"

-/-

\`event active: dimension break\` The notification was sudden. Theta stared at it for a minute, before menuing to summon her gunpla, the EZ-FA.

The Texas desert zone remained relatively silent for a few minutes. Then the radar picked up an inbound signal. Friend or foe? Unclear.

Theta activated EZ-FA's sniper visor. whrrr, clunk! Heat signature. 100 miles northeast-east, 500 up? 450. 400... trajectory projection... too close! whrrr, clunk! Don't need long range optics engaged for this!

She stepped on the thrust pedal. Anywhere would be better than in the open near an expected crash site of something falling from space. She lamented not having logged in with a high mobility loadout, but that was still in development (half-built and sitting on her gunpla table IRL).

Impact. Shrapnel and sand. EZ-FA's durability decreased sharply.

EZ-FA turned to face the impact crater, decelerating from 'frantic escape' to 'cautious approach'.

EZ-FA's cockpit opened, and Theta climbed out to make the descent into the crater, the molten sand burning at her legs and hand as she slid down. Thankfully, other than the simulated sensations, she was in no real danger.

The unknown machine was roughly half the size of most gunpla, which was still huge, maybe 10 foot, next to a human-sized body. Theta didn't want to think how big it would look from a haro-sized point of view. The chest opened, and launched a pod. It landed in the sand, then slid back down the edge of the crater, coming to a rest at the machine's feet.

Theta approached. clunk. clunk. clunk. clunk. whsssh. It opened.

A heavily bandaged girl with white and red hair sat up inside the pod, then rubbed her head. "Ugh... Hate landings like that more than I hate just losing the whole AC..." she complained.

She glanced at Theta with her red and pink eyes. Then did a double take. "Who the fuck are you?"

[cabozers]

If you follow us for rvb fanart I'm so sorry to tell you we pretty much never interact with the fandom because we're all from there as a source and everyone interprets everything differently than we do. We just do Not feel comfortable interacting with rvb fandom stuff most of the time since we feel like the show got a lot of shit wrong. Complicated relationship with source 💪

[gyeomsweetgyeom]

Just thinking about Fratboy!Jaehyun... who yes, of course he knows his birthday is on Valentine's Day, but that doesn't mean he's not going to ask you, his girlfriend, to be his valentine. He doesn't care that it's his birthday all that much because at the end of the day, he still wants you to feel special and loved.

So on February 13th, he comes home from his classes with a pretty bouquet of roses in his hands and a card with some cheesy pun and a smile on his face. Who would have guessed that the former fuckboy of Nu Chi Theta would be so excited to be in a committed, loving relationship and excited to ask his girlfriend of over a year to be his for a day that was usually all about him?

He comes into the frat house, sets his backpack near the staircase and finds you sitting on a couch far too dirty and unworthy of someone as precious as you and simply smiles. He loves how comfortable you are in a house that was once drowning in testosterone, you made it better for everyone.

"Sweetheart," he starts, entering your line of sight, "I know Valentine's Day is a little different for us, but I still wanted to ask, like I have before, if you'd like to be my valentine?"

You pout at Jaehyun with pure and utter affection, "Baby! I'd love to!"

Jaehyun leans down to press a kiss against your lips and hands you the bouquet and the card, "perfect, we can celebrate the day after tomorrow-"

"Well, I didn't finish," you reply awkwardly, "Haechan kind of already asked me to be his valentine..."

Jaehyun's face falls, "tell me you said no."

"Baby," you whine, cupping his face, "he's one of my best friends!"

"And I'm your boyfriend! Hello?! You can't be another guy's valentine on my birthday!"

"Well, it's not like we'll be going on a date or anything! We're just making each other valentine's baskets and that's it," you explain, pressing what you hope is a calming kiss against his lips.

"But it's my birthday," Jaehyun protests with a pout.

"Exactly, my love, so you know I like to treat you on your birthday. I'll spend the night tonight, tell you happy birthday right when the clock strikes midnight, we can put some of these flower petals to good use, and I have a special surprise for your eyes only," you whisper huskily, eyes dark while you trail soft, teasing kisses up the side of Jaehyun's neck.

He feels himself melting against the stained cushions of the couch, finding that in this moment he would say yes to anything you say or ask. His eyes fall shut, enjoying the feel of your soft lips against his sensitive skin while one of your hands finds its way under the worn cotton of his t-shirt, nails trailing over the pale skin of his abs. You smirk against his skin as a shiver runs down his spine, he's so pliable and docile in your hands when he's like this.

The make out session, foreplay, teasing— whatever, is interrupted when you both hear a sing songy, "oh, Sweetheart!"

You pull away from you boyfriend with a confused pinch in your brows. It comes as a surprise to both you and Jaehyun when you find the Jaehyun's core frat brothers walking toward the two of you all holding beautiful flower arrangements in their hands, your favorite snacks, and stuffed animals.

"What is going on?" Jaehyun breathes out, eyes zeroed in on his frat brothers with a matching look of confusion on his face.

"Sweetheart," Yuta starts.

"Will you," Johnny carries on.

"Be our," Jungwoo continues.

"Valentine?" Mark finishes off.

"God, another 7 guys to share you with?" Jaehyun breathes under his breath before turning his attention to the guys, "you guys know she's my girlfriend, right?"

"Jaehyun, she's frat sweetheart. This is literally the least we can do," Doyoung explains with a look that leaves no room for complaints.

And Jaehyun can't even find it in himself to complain, not when he sees the look of pure joy and the tears of happiness in your eyes as you go down the line and hug your friends one by one while accepting the gifts. He's so in love with you.

a/n: trying out a bit of a different format here

[shadesofmauve]

Mass Effect galaxy map

(For the Rhi Shepard universe)

I've been writing, if by 'writing' one means 'making a new galaxy map to use as a reference, because I'm too picky.'

I copied some symbology from Droot1986's excellent galaxy map. I also used Engorn's map as a reference, but ultimately the clusters and connections are based on the wiki. All systems within a cluster are listed, with inhabited planets in parentheses.

(...yeah, I should probably make a legend, but I only made it for my reference, so).

Features/changes

The relay in the Sol system only connects to Arcturus. This is how it's supposed to work in canon lore; Arcturus is important because it's a gateway system, while Sol is a dead end.

(Also, Sol is now in basically the right place compared to the underlying artist's impression of the milky way. Thank you NASA.)

Batarian's now have some space of their own, because lumping all batarian space into the human Systems Alliance was just BEGGING for a war. Like, WTF. Their government is flat out evil but that doesn't mean we just get to say their planets are ours now.

Combined inner and outer council space because idgaf.

There's a new, boringly named relay between Kite's Nest, Petra, and Exodus, because I needed one in chapter 14.

If a cluster had written lore about where it was in the galaxy, I tried to reflect that — so Styx Theta, Hawking Eta, and the Pangea Expanse are all close to the galactic core, Sentry Omega is on a political border, etc. Otherwise, I adjusted location to make the relay routes clearer. (Also I wanted the giant hub that is Omega to be almost opposite the Serpent Nebula and the Citadel)..

I imagine that there are actually a LOT more mapped clusters in Council Space than we see; they were just never relevant to the game. If not, the vaunted 'all relays lead to the Citadel' reaper web is just flat out wrong. Omega has more connections, and quite a few other clusters have as many. If there are more inhabited clusters in Citadel Space it also makes the veritable explosion of humanity look a little less ridiculous. (Seriously, humans have been on the galactic scene for thirty years. LOOK at how far we've gone. Council races are right to be freakin' terrified, the Sol system was like one of those plants with exploding seed pods where you bump it and POOF now they're EVERYWHERE). So let's assume the rest of the galaxy is as cluttered as Systems Alliance space, it's just not been relevant to our anthropocentric bag of dicks worldview.

Anyway. What the fuck is even up with the Attican Traverse?

[beastlybardou]

Strawberry Moon

6/11/25

I went with several members of my pack to a different part of our territory than usual. This area was a rolling field cut through by a dry creek bed, lined with forest on either side. After climbing up into a tree to relax and talk for a while, we headed out into the field for shift time. Today, we had myself, my mate Callum, another werewolf, and a raccoon.

I've never been much one for quads, given that their getting popular coincided with a lot of changes in the community that I don't particularly enjoy, but the night before the moon I had such an intense dream about sprinting on all fours, the ground rushing by beneath my hands as I slowly watched them turn to paws and realized that I had fully transformed. Because of this dream, I decided to try my skill on fours in the field. I need some work, but I was able to do it for a good while, and man, was it a core workout! I'm actually considering swapping my usual core exercises at the gym for practicing quads on my off days. I'm still not interested in the quads side of the community, but it would be euphoric for me to get good at dropping to all fours to go under brush or sprint up a leaned over tree trunk. I'm looking to get better at animalistic primal movement, basically.

I unfortunately did stick my paws all up in some toxic plants during this, so I've got blisters up my forelimbs, but oh well, I've had far worse.

As we were setting up camp in the dry creek, I noticed that I could smell deer on the wind from over the hill. I've been working on my tracking skills lately and was excited to notice myself passively picking up information like that. Their warm and hay-laden scent threw me into a strong shift, and I snuck away from the pack and up the hill. After a moment, the others followed close behind. It's an intoxicating feeling when you have other nonhumans with you in person, where you can watch the way one of you shifting ripples out through the group, infecting each other with your energy.

The deer were bedded down in the grass on the far side of the hill, but I let them be and moved on to exploring the surrounding areas.

Finally, after a few hours, the moon broke the trees, and I decided to play with my packmates instead of exploring alone. The fellow werewolf in attendance had been telling me about how she longed for the feeling of running and chasing as a wolf, so I caught her attention and sprinted away with her close on my heels. Even though I wasn't on all fours, it felt almost like my dream, watching the ground rush by faster and faster. I was surprised by how surefooted I was even in the dead of night. When we had our fill of running, we howled our hearts out to the moon and to our packmates who couldn't make it.

Returning to camp, I settled in to cuddle with Callum in the grass as we watched a thunderstorm slowly roll in. Together, we built the stone theta delta to leave our mark where we had set up camp. As we walked back to our cars, it started raining properly, and I relished in the feeling of the drops across my bare and furry skin.

Another moon passed. Another night dancing in my true animal skin.

[zazaiafe2]

Meditation and shifting : what techniques, for who, and how?

Little disclaimer: meditation is never mandatory, but it can seriously help calm your mind and support shifting.

1)Types of meditation (overview)

1️⃣Guided meditation

2️⃣Breath-focused meditation

3️⃣Body scan

4️⃣Mantra meditation

5️⃣ Transcendental meditation

6️⃣Visualization

7️⃣Mindfulness

1️⃣Guided Meditation

→ What? Following a spoken voice, usually via YouTube or an app

→ Who? People with anxiety who need reassurance

→ Audio? Gentle voice + soft background sounds

→ Advantage: helps you avoid getting lost in thoughts

→ Shifting? Yes, great for beginners

If you like long and gentle things like meditation I recommend this.

If you prefer short things, I recommend this.

2️⃣ Breath-Focused Meditation

→ What? Placing all your attention on your inhale/exhale

→ Who? Anyone dealing with stress

→ Audio? White noise, rain sounds

→ Advantage: lowers brainwaves (alpha)

→ Shifting? Yes, excellent as a base before visualization

You can also do that alone while listening to pink or white noise

3️⃣Body Scan

→ What? Mentally scanning each part of your body

→ Who? People with physical tension

→ Audio? Binaural beats or nature sounds

→ Advantage: relaxes the muscles + anchors awareness

→ Shifting? More as preparation, not necessarily a shifting trigger

This kind of wave can be ideal when practicing this meditation.

4️⃣ Mantra Meditation

→ What? Repeating a word or phrase

→ Who? Those with a hyperactive mind

→ Audio? Tibetan sounds, singing bowls

→ Advantage: stabilizes your focus

→ Shifting? Yes, especially to reinforce intention (e.g. “I am safe in my DR”)

This kind of video and sound is super suitable for that.

5️⃣ Transcendental Meditation

→ What? Repeating a secret sound (usually learned from a teacher)

→ Who? Advanced or very motivated people

→ Audio? Often none

→ Advantage: reaches very deep states (theta waves)

→ Shifting? Can help, but definitely not mandatory

6️⃣ Visualization

→ What? Mentally creating images

→ Who? Daydreamers and imaginative people

→ Audio? Calm movie soundtracks, DR-themed ambiences

→ Advantage: builds a bridge with your DR

→ Shifting? Huge yes, it’s at the core of most methods

You can create a playlist of your DR it personally help me a lot.

7️⃣ Mindfulness

→ What? Observing the present moment without judgment

→ Who? Those who feel dissociated or disconnected

→ Audio? Minimal nature sounds

→ Advantage: reduces anxiety

→ Shifting? Indirectly helpful, because it stabilizes your mental state and help detach from your CR identity.

This kind of video is really helpful in my opinion

My point of view

->Based on my research and experience, guided meditations + visualization are the best suited for shifting.

->But breathwork and mindfulness are perfect preparation tools, especially if you’re anxious.

->There is no one-size-fits-all method: test and journal what feels best for you.

->I invite you to see my blog on holotropic breathwork

Conclusion

Meditation is NOT required, but it’s a powerful boost

Take your time, be gentle with yourself

If you want me to break down one of these meditations in detail, tell me in the comments!

This was an answer to one of my ask too

Happy shifting

[m1d-45]

look, don't touch

summary: a minor mishap in the lab leads to a chain of.. interesting events with the second harbinger

word count: 4.8k

-> warnings: reader is badly burned + mentioned blood + somewhat graphic description of injury, dottore + his reputation, you think you're going to die at one point (not serious, in passing, you don't)

-> gn reader (you/yours) and non-canonical segments

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yuus3n || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay || @cupandtea24 || @genshin-impacts-me || @chaoticfivesworld || @raaawwwr || @ryuryuryuyurboat || @undrxtxd || @rainswept || @wanderersqt || @rozz-eokkk

< masterlist >

you weren’t an earnest follower in celestia by any means, but if they could get you out of this then you would happily spend the rest of your life devoted to being a pastor.

mostly because that’s the only way you’d live to see the light of day again, but that was besides the point.

on a good day, working for any harbinger came with a lot of challenges, but you had ended up with the most ruthless and least rational. every time you walked into the doctor’s lab, there was a healthy amount of fear that it would be your last. at least one fight was going on at any given point, trying to read their horrendous handwriting gave you a headache, the constant mood swings and volatile behavior just the tip of the iceberg. on top of that, you also had to deal with being dragged into every idea and whim they had; your technical job title was merely ‘assistant,’ but that was far too narrow a band to cover everything you did that wasn’t in the fine print.

like this. standing with your hands shoved deep into the chest of a skywatcher ruin drake, fumbling for a casing supposedly “just a little further,” if beta’s continued pressuring was anything to go by. he was standing somewhere behind you, theta on the other side of the drake trying to figure out how to pry off the thick bolts sticking out of its spine. theta you could understand. he was mostly machine himself, so it made sense he���d be the one to pull apart the touchier components, but beta? beta, fussing with the wings of the drake, doing a whole lot of nothing while you shoved your very human and non-replaceable arms into a tangled mess of gears and wiring. you’d already gotten burned once, a thick droplet of oil falling onto your wrist from above that theta apologized profusely for, and you weren’t eager to do so again.

sure, if your arms did get ripped from their sockets you’re fairly certain you’d receive prosthetics in return, but that didn’t excuse anything. just because they were capable of amazing feats of science didn’t mean you wanted to be another test subject.

“you can do it,” beta ‘encouraged,’ leaning on your shoulder and not at all making it more difficult to strain for the part he wanted. “you saw the plans.”

of course you did, you were the one that had insisted he look them over again before ripping into the machine. behind the chest plate, behind the core, straight to the back was a wide bundle of wires. in the very center was a segmented strip of chained together casings shaped vaguely like dumbbells, supposedly easy enough to pull out. what was inside? who knew. probably beta. you’d found the wiring just fine—not just fine, you’d scraped yourself along far too many gears and raw edges to be entirely intact—but there was nothing inside it. you picked out the thinner wires one by one, and while you’d succeeded in finding the structure they were supposed to be in, it was empty. yanking it up had rewarded you with a bruise on your forearm and nothing in the slot below it, so you fed it back down and prepared to pull.

“please behave yourself, beta.” theta’s voice comes from higher than it was last time, a loud bang from above you reverberating through the entire machine. you try not to think about it.

“i’m supervising-”

“i’m supposed to be supervising,” you interrupt, gripping two bars of the structure and preparing yourself. “i don’t get paid enough for this.”

you breathe, your grip tightens, and you pull with everything you have. above you, something pops, and the frame in your hands is suddenly very slack. you don’t even have a chance to feel for the capsules before something hot and burning poured on your arms, a thick oil that clung to your skin and refused to leave. beta moved quicker than you could think, grabbing your sides and practically carrying you away from the machine. the sludge was forming a wide pool on the floor now, a dark lumpy black that stretched all the way up to your elbows and made you painfully aware of that fact. beta had grabbed a roll of mechanic’s towels and roughly wiped off the excess, the drag of the napkin on raw skin making you hiss. it left a reddish residue behind, though the sight of your hands quickly blurred with tears.

“theta, we’re leaving.” beta puts one hand between your shoulders and quickly pushes you out of the project room, a sliding door opening into the upper lab. you blink out your tears as best you can, mostly relying on beta to guide you past the maze of tables and machinery. this section of the lab didn’t have a medbay since the segments allowed up here never needed one, so it meant you had to walk all the way down to the lower lab for first aid. how fun. you weren’t keen on letting this stuff stay on you for any longer than it had to, but since when was any dottore known for his safety measures?

even in your limited vision, you see more heads turn toward you than usual as the door hisses open. beta don’t stop to pay them any attention, walking you straight through to the door marked with a red cross, hand tightening in your shirt when you stumble on the slight step.

“careful,” he says, like you’d ever be in this situation of your own accord.

the faucet hisses and so do you, gritting your teeth at the pressure on your hands. you blink rapidly, struggling to find the soap before he puts it right in front of you, pressing down the top and letting it fall into your hands. your skin is bubbled and angry, shaking hands and blurred vision making it impossible to figure out where anything was. instead of doing anything remotely helpful, beta just stands at your side like the world’s worst lightpost, providing no insight and only unnerving you further with his presence. the only indication he’s not lost in some manic daydream is occasional mumbling, though that may actually be evidence the more you think about it. you’re not sure how much time passes, just running water over your skin to stave off the pain. eventually, he sighs, “fine, i’ll go,” a nonsensical statement you almost don’t notice wasn’t meant for you before he speaks a little louder.

“i need to go, but i’ll get kappa for you.”

like he wasn’t already there to see you walk in. “sure.”

he lingers, then leaves. you continue washing cold water over your skin to keep the burning at bay, knowing full well its a superficial solution. best case, you’re burned severely and are either fired for incompetence or made to work through it. worst case, whatever chemical that was made its way into your bloodstream through one of the many scrapes you got and you were about to drop dead from a heart attack any moment now. neither option was rather thrilling.

your palm can’t take much more of the water pressure, but the thought of trying to twist the valve off is equally unappealing. pain, or slightly adjacent pain: a typical day in dottore’s lab. you never thought you’d be on the receiving end.

the door doesn’t creak as it’s pushed open, but the sound of boots on the floor gives it away. who you can only assume is kappa turns off the water, blotting up the excess on your arms with a soft towel that still felt too harsh.

“i know, i know…”

you watch through blurred vision—was that the cause of your headache, or was it the stress?—as he reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small tin. he moves delicately, barely a whisper across your skin as he spreads the salve over your arms. soft gel pads his fingers, a cushion of translucent silicone over everything sharp edge or hard plate. you could barely pick out the seams between the layers of his hand, each of them slipping and melding together in one fluid movement. the salve leaves a cool numbness wherever it touches, your pain swiftly becoming a faint memory. you’re somewhat surprised by how quickly it works, though you probably shouldn’t be. if they could figure out delusions, they could figure out an effective topical pain reliever. he gently twists your arm just enough to see if he’s missed anywhere, not pulling any of the irritated skin. once satisfied, he makes quick work of wrapping it, white bandage spiraling up your arm faster than you can blink. he tapes it shut just below your elbow, and the process begins anew.

there’s not much else to do but watch him work. your tears are finally starting to recede enough that you can see clearer, gauging the damage on your arms. it’s… well, terrible, if you’re being frank, skin peeling and blood smearing into the pale beige salve. you're definitely going to blister, and there’s no way you’ll be able to so much as pick up a pen in this condition. hopefully prime accounts for that when he decides your next shifts, though anything you do is realistically going to hurt. you’re pretty useless like this, even as a proper supervisor you couldn’t exactly take notes. you don’t have an ancient supercomputer in your brain like kappa or theta, and even the most basic of tasks involved your hands. no matter how good kappa’s medicine, there’s no way you’ll be in well enough shape by tomorrow.

“you’re worried,” kappa says, neither a question or a statement. an explanation, maybe, but to who?

“pardon?”

he ‘looks’ up (you’re fairly certain he only does that for your benefit) though his hands don’t pause, the red diamond on his face plate pulsing faintly. like his hands, the seam between black metal and bluish silicone is so small it might as well not be there. the silence stretches for longer than you know what to do with, long enough that he finishes with your arm, wiping off his hands on the towel from before. “your shirt has holes in it,” he says like it explains anything, ‘looking’ back down to wrap your hand. you’re able to watch this time, the roll weaving around your fingers and hand before being quickly spun along your arm, perfectly taut. he cuts it with his nail and tape dispenses out of his thumb to seal the end. he lingers there for a moment, thumb pressed on your inner elbow, before finally backing away. “you should change. there’s a closet behind you that should contain a spare shirt if you’d like."

you look down, noticing that he’s right. some of the goop splashed onto your shirt, leaving a smattering of holes. the skin beneath was fine, thankfully, but he was right. definitely not lab-safe, though not many of the actual substances you worked with were safe either. you were surely under-qualified to be handling khaenri’ahn machinery.

that’s beside the point. you turn around, finding the cabinet he’s talking about easily. shirts, pants, even a spare set of shoes. they seem to be mostly for the younger segments, but you pick out a shirt your size easily enough. you check behind you, seeing kappa turned away politely, and carefully pull off your shirt. you put it aside, silently thanking whoever decided to leave the shirts unbuttoned in the cabinet. probably kappa. it’s softer than you expect it to be, smooth blue that you’d almost mistake for some sort of fine silk if you didn’t know how resilient it was. every one of the segments wore them, fire, acids, and even beta’s occasional scalpel all deflected as if they were never there. it probably would have survived the corrosive from earlier, really, which makes you a bit bitter. the buttons close easily even with your limited dexterity, leaving neither bumps nor gaps down the front because prime was too good to be caught with a straight shot to his heart. if he was worse at his job it might be easier to be upset, but you couldn’t feel anything but begrudging respect about the man that hid a tie in the cuff to keep the sleeves secure around your elbow.

not for the first time, you wish you were given your own designated set. that would mean acknowledging you as more than an assistant, though, and prime seemed to be allergic to calling you even that. it was always either your name or ‘help’ with such a specific lilt that you couldn’t even describe it, something unique to whatever thoughts bounced between the precious few marbles still left in his head.

you liked to think you were more than just a standard helper. if nothing else, then the fact that you’d been working with him for as long as you had with your sanity intact had to mean something. according to rumors of payroll records from the ninth’s workers, the longest a previous assistant had lasted was barely a week over six months, and you had survived in this lab for more than a few years without getting fired, killed, or worse.

that could always end today, though. ruin drakes were endemic to sumeru and had to be carried across half of teyvat to make it to prime’s door, let alone the time spent finding and disabling them. failing a simple task on the first day was likely a perfectly fine reason to have your head on a pike. never mind that it wasn’t your fault, that it wasn’t your idea, or that you were grossly underqualified to supervise disassembly of khaenri’ahn machinery in the first place. since when was any segment known for his rational thinking and level-headed nature? fun joke.

you pick up your discarded shirt and thumb one of the many holes with a sigh. the edges were coarse and likely would only worsen in the wash, so there goes your uniform. the least of your worries, really.

“prime wants to talk to you,” kappa starts, drawing your attention towards him. his hands are folded neatly in front of him, mechanical voice slow and almost hesitant. you never knew a segment to be unsure of himself before, though you suppose prime is as good a reason as any. “but i can tell him you need rest. i understand today has been stressful for you.”

that was one way to put it. putting off talking with prime and going back to your quarters to avoid the problem for twelve hours sounded ideal, but you weren’t a fool. if prime was asking you to see him immediately after the incident, he had something to say, and denying a harbinger was a surefire route to whatever afterlife awaited you.

“thank you, but i’ll go see him now.”

his shoulders visibly fell, but he nodded. you dropped your shirt in the trash can as you followed him out, again ignoring the various other segments scattered throughout the lab. none stopped whatever they were doing, but you could feel their eyes on you, see their blue hair twist in your periphery. they’ve probably seen injuries far worse, and yours were already covered up… it was probably kappa, really. he rarely left phi’s side for any longer than he had to.

kappa input his access code without looking. or, you could only assume he wasn’t looking; even though his head was turned toward you, it didn’t mean anything. which was worse, that he could act without looking like he was, or that he acted like he needed to look?

his finger hesitates over the enter key. “you’re nervous,” he says again, this time actually feeling like it was directed at you. you never asked about before and probably never will. “he doesn’t seem upset at you.”

you bite your tongue to keep from being mean. you know he means the best—he was literally coded to be an empathetic caretaker—but prime wasn’t known for broadcasting his heart on his bloodstained sleeves. he could seem anything he wanted and it never had to reflect what he was actually feeling.

“thanks,” you reply instead, and he nods, the door sliding upward with a hiss.

the upper lab is empty. all the equipment is still there, of course, glassware and sealed jars littering the countertops, but all of the chairs are pushed in and vacant. nobody besides you walks along the tile, and the hallways beyond this section are empty too. stretches of white floor and steel doors your only company, the fluorescent lights buzzing above you.

it’s unnerving. have you written a will yet?

you turn to the right, towards prime’s office. it looks like all the rest, with a clear plastic bin hanging next to it and a keypad below that. you knock with your entire fist, two bangs that are a little too loud on your end but likely barely audible on his. his doorway is a foot thick, a well-defined border between the harsh lighting of the hall and his deceptively welcoming office.

whoever the fatui hired as interior designer deserved a raise. a nearly black wood bookshelf covers the entire left wall, volumes packed together with remarkable efficiency. on the right, a large map takes up most of the space, notes and string marking plans you don’t try to read. shelves of files and pinned up diagrams surround it in equally dense displays. the floor is a well-buffed dark wood that clicks under his heels as he rounds his desk, silent. the pristine white papers spread across his desk are the brightest thing in the room, interrupted only by the backs of the two chairs in front of his desk. he doesn’t pull one out, nor tell you to sit, only approaching you quietly. you can’t remember the last time someone dressed business casual was intimidating, but there’s a first time for everything. his gloves are a thick mystery fabric that barely a suggest a touch on your arm, blue palms carefully following the bumps and valleys of the bandage. you raise it, letting him inspect kappa’s work wordlessly. he doesn’t comment on the shake to your hand you’re certain he can feel, and in fact doesn’t give much of any indication at all. his face is unreadable behind the mask, a detail you’ve yet to determine as a good thing or not.

“theta analyzed the substance that fell on you.” his voice is quieter than you’ve ever heard before, like he’s uncertain about breaking the silence. he doesn’t let go of your hand. “it was mostly oil, yes, but it also included a mixture of slime condensate and some sort of elemental anchor. his working theory is that when the core collapsed, the slime mixture first spilled into the oil line, then that burst. the anchor dissolved into the oil, releasing its energy, and the slime helped it stick.”

dottore has a reputation well known across the entirety of teyvat and beyond. he was irrational, heretical, setting up seemingly nonsensical lines of dominoes that led up to a crushing wave of death. he did not care, he did not feel, he held no mercy. his office was more mystifying than the abyss, and a non-zero amount of his subjects had chosen the latter rather than stay. within the fatui, within his very lab, this fog did not lift. even theta and his khaenri’ahn brain couldn’t reliably track the thoughts behind prime’s actions. that thought at least made you feel a little better, because there was no way in a thousand years that you could ever rationalize prime explaining himself to you.

“you have experienced, in essence, a severe chemical burn.” finally, he lets go, stepping back and turning away to dig through the files on his desk, the rustling sounding too loud after he spoke so.. did you dare say softly? your skin prickles where he touched and you don’t know what to feel.

he comes back with an inch-thick stack of stapled papers and a pen, holding out both. you don’t dare flip up the blank cover page yet. “you will stay with kappa and phi until you are better, and follow whatever treatment plan he prescribes. you will fill one of these out three times a day: at morning, at noon, and at night. am i understood?”

paperwork? was that all? a lot of it, certainly—was there even enough time in the day to complete three of these stacks?—but far less than you were hoping for, let alone expecting. regardless, you nod, “when would you like me to start disassembling the ruin drake?”

the silence stretches. you can feel his eyes on you and you’re certain the weight isn’t phantom, even despite the mask. you run over your words again, searching for fault and finding none. you’d hoped by presuming you’d be working again you might save some of his anger, but did he not want you to? was that something he expected you to know already? did he not want the drake disassembled at all? the delicate wiring was certainly ruined by the waterfall of whatever anchor he said fell on you, and even if theta had somehow managed to salvage it there was no way it could be up to par.

“what?”

ever a man of few words. his fangs catch the light and you regret talking more with every second that goes by. “i assume you can no longer run any of your tests on it, so-”

“when did i mention the drake?” he shakes his head and crosses his arms with a surprisingly neutral sigh. “i give you explicit instructions to stay with kappa, yet barely a moment later you’re talking like you’re going to do something else. here i thought you showed promise…”

his words hold no bite. his arms, though crossed, are not taut with anger. you liked to think you’d gotten pretty good at being able to read the various segments’ moods, but that meant you’d either severely miscalculated or prime was teasing you, and you couldn’t decide which was worse.

you were lost, and the silence was continuing for uncomfortably long. “i’ll.. go see him right away, then?”

you can’t keep your voice from tilting into a question, having wandered neck-deep into unfamiliar territory, but he blessedly doesn’t comment on it. he waves you away with a stiff nod and you half-bow before turning around, not stopping until you’re safely down the hall and in the main lab with two doors between you. you leaning against the cool wall and stare at the packet in your hands. paperwork in exchange for an indefinite time off proper work sounded more than uncharacteristic to you, especially when a prized machine was damaged in the process. you turn over the pen kept beneath your thumb, seeing the ink inside slosh around within the glass chamber. it was one of his pens, not the standard practically indestructible ones kept around the labs. maybe that was why you were thrown off, he just really lost it this time. was this the calm before the storm?

you don’t stick around to find out.

the upper lab is still empty, an eerie feeling following you as you walk past the lines of tables and equipment. all of the actual chemicals are put away, which is a little reassuring, but it’s still wrong. even if the others are out, at least theta is normally sat at his desk. you walk a little quicker.

kappa is obviously awaiting your arrival, only idly watching phi mesh together gears on the floor—isn’t that a safety hazard for someone so young?—and perking up the moment you walk in. he waves you over to him, sitting on a large couch in phi’s play area. you cross the striped tape and enter the protected space, feeling only slightly like a criminal seeking sanctuary. kappa is sitting with feet propped a small coffee table in front of him, one you set down papers and pen on before joining him.

he notices the different pen. you can tell by the way his glance turns into a stare, ‘eye’ locked onto it with a slightly brighter glow. he sits dead still, transfixed… then his chest rises in another faux breath, his attention shifting to you instead. “see? not too bad.”

“i have to complete three of those a day.”

his head tilts, smile growing. “i’m glad to see he’s finally acting in accordance in his thoughts.”

before you can even begin to dissect whatever that meant, phi calls his attention from the floor. kappa’s eye flashes as he takes his feet from the table, standing.

“forgive me, i have to go. why don’t you get started on your paperwork?”

there it is. you almost forgot he was an identical copy of the guy who made you dig through a ruin machine because ‘it’ll be good work experience.’

you settle the stack of paper on your lap, uncapping the pen and flipping away the cover page to reveal the dense form beneath. your name, easy enough, then the date below that. next was the… approximate time of injury? why had he given you an incident report? he probably slipped it in on top of the other stuff for filing purposes, though you don’t know why when he would have gotten all of that information from theta. maybe he wanted to see if you’d lie? you may have willingly signed up to work under him, but you weren’t so stupid as to lie to a harbinger.

you described what you saw as best you could while not having any sort of medical training beyond ‘blood should stay inside the body,’ then treatment from kappa. your hand was already beginning to ache a bit from having to hold the pen, but it was tolerable enough when the page was finished in less than a minute. you let it relax a bit as you flipped the page, skimming the questions. your name, of course, then the date…

you flip the first page back to double-check what you already knew. they were the same. did he think you’d run out of space? it couldn’t be a fluke, surely—was one for kappa? questions fill your head, ones you ultimately decide to shake away. whatever the case, you didn’t need to touch this page, so you moved onto the next.

the next was the same. so was the next. you used your thumb to flip through the entire stack rapidly, confirming that yes, the entire packet are one-page incident reports, what’s going on? prime’s not careless enough to make a mistake like this. maybe beta, trying to one-up his past brilliant idea by sabotaging your work, or perhaps the goop had sprayed up to theta and fried his circuits.

“uh, kappa…”

he looks up from the elaborate string of gears phi has set up, smiling. “are you done? if you are, you should come over here and see what phi’s made.”

the younger boy visibly perks up, red eyes shining. his hands tap against the floor eagerly, “would you? please?”

you pointedly look at the stack, peeling up half of it so kappa can see your dilemma, but he only laughs in response. “come, dear. let’s leave that for later.”

you hesitate, unsure. there’s no reason kappa would have to lie to you. he has a direct line to prime in his head and was probably told to make sure you stayed on task, so… if he doesn’t see a problem with it, then that must mean this is how it’s meant to be, right? carefully, you set down the stack on the coffee table, capping prime’s pen and leaving it on top. prime had, for whatever reason, given you an unexpected out.

so you take it.

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: The Reckoning Virus

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

War with the Interaxie was an inevitable outcome for humanity and the entire galaxy knew it.

Border disputes, clashing rights over trade, subtle threats between delegates and near constant animosity between the two powers all but assured that they would come to blows. Along the entire shared border between the two powers a sense of dread and waiting could be felt on every world as if they could sense the brewing storm just over the horizon.

Yet humanity could not afford to be the aggressors for a change.

Unlike their previous conflicts the Interaxie had a well-organized military and an industrial power base to support them for decades of sustained combat. They had dozens of worlds to draw upon near limitless manpower reserves meaning any conflict could be drawn out into a bloody stalemate. While the humans were not unfamiliar with this style of warfare it was an outcome they did not wish to see realized.

To prevent this outcome humanity put a plan into motion called “The Reckoning”, which when completed would hand them victory in the war within a few months at best.

While the Interaxie were gathering their strength and hiding their growing fleet strength behind ‘military exercises” a series of shipments were being delivered to the core worlds of the Interaxie. They arrived at trade ports and were moved to waiting warehouses as their paperwork was checked only for the shipments to mysteriously vanish. It wasn’t unheard of for a shipment or two to go missing at such facilities, and though on some of the world’s their disappearance was noticed and investigated for the majority of others they were written off as clerical mistakes. The trade network between worlds was after all vast and overwhelmed by bureaucratic red tape so it was not unheard of for a shipment to be mishandled.

Such trivialities were soon overshadowed as the eventual war broke out and trade quickly shut down between the two powers. What had been mild border conflicts broke out into ruthless fleet sized engagements that turned entire systems into orbital graveyards of ships overnight. Human Hammerhead dreadnoughts were taking on entire swarms of Interaxie drone swarms in space while the Terran Marine Corps were barely holding their own against Interaxie armored divisions on the planets of Theta, Primus, and Dollore.

The fighting was intense and just as predicted the Interaxie began to call upon their vast manpower reserves early in an attempt to simply overrun human opposition and claim a swift victory. Legions began mustering on their core worlds waiting for transport to the front when the war took a turn for the worse for the would-be alien conquerors.

Without warning several viral outbreaks began to be reported from the Interaxie core worlds. Infected individuals began showing heightened states of aggression and delirium with the worst cases quickly devolving to bouts of madness and rage. What made it worse was when local officials quarantined an area in hopes of isolating the infected a new series of outbreaks would happen somewhere else entirely leaving containment out of the question.

It did not take long for civil unrest to break out as the virus spread into major populated areas and shortly after states of emergency to be declared. Factories ground to a halt as the workers fled the infection to protect themselves and their loved ones, farms and fields left unattended as their caretakers no lay lost to the grips of the disease leaving shelves unfilled and empty. Fights broke out for what supplies remained and though provisions could have been supplied from off world spaceports were soon overrun by those wishing to flee. When the infected reached a critical state of the virus’s development they began lashing out at anyone and everyone within arms reach resulting in the near total collapse of order on worlds as waves of infected ran through the streets

The legions that had been mustering to be sent the front soon found themselves being redeployed for containment or worse, becoming largely infected themselves and losing all combat effectiveness. Interaxie warriors were forced to put down many of their comrades who had succumbed to the virus leaving them horrified by their actions. It was worse for those deployed as part of containment teams who gunned down thousands of infected civilians on the quarantined worlds, many of which were related to the warriors by blood.

Within a month a dozen worlds had been locked under quarantine with another handful now desperately holding on as infection rates continued to rise, all the while the war with the humans continued. The sudden loss of manpower and war material was certainly noticed on the front and the humans shifted tactics. Every engagement they forced the Interaxie into using whatever reserves they had left as much as possible. Soon it was not uncommon for three Interaxie soldiers to be rationing one power cell for their rifles while their fleets lay in high anchor above their worlds due to lack of fuel to move them out of system.

Unable to meet the current demands of the war and handle the outbreaks spreading through their core worlds, the Interaxie soon sued for peace. The humans were not sympathetic with the Interaxie plight and their demands were steep.

1.       Three border systems would be transferred over to human control.

2.       A DMZ would be established from the newly taken territory and the remaining Interaxie domain which no ship from either side would cross.

3.       The Interaxie would be forced to repay a war debt to humanity in the sum of three trillion credits over the course of the next twenty solar years.

4.       Human monitoring stations would be placed inside Interaxie space to prevent future acts of aggression.

Had it been at any other time the Interaxie would have rather fought on until the bitter end than accept such harsh terms, but with the virus continuing to cripple their military and economy they were left with no choice but to relent and agree to the terms.

With that the Interaxie/Human war came to an abrupt end and the Interaxie redeployed their entire military forces to combat the growing viral outbreaks, all the while Terran Special Services watched from afar and grinned.

Several months prior to the war they had been responsible for shipping a number of unremarkable containers through a series of dummy corporations and unaffiliated alien trade networks until they arrived on the Interaxie core worlds. They bore no human markings and their paperwork was all in order leaving nothing for suspicion. Once they had been moved to the warehouses for processing TSS operatives quietly removed the containers and began distributing the contents across the worlds.

Industrial factories, mining complexes, agricultural farms, super markets, water treatment facilities, power plants; any and all critical infrastructure locations were located and seeded with the contents of the containers before the operatives quickly fled off world.

When war finally broke out a signal was remotely sent and each of the packages cracked open releasing their deadly contents. Swarms of tiny mosquitos genetically bred to carry what was known as the Reckoning Virus were soon released and began spreading the virus with every victim they came into contact with.

It was an ecological disaster of unimaginable proportion. Not only did the insects infect the personnel of the facilities they were placed in, but they also began to spread outwards and begin breeding in new areas. Any source of water soon became a deadly petri dish for them as they reproduced at an alarming rate releasing further swarms of insects. On these alien worlds they had no natural predators and what wildlife did attempt to eat them soon became deadly sick with the virus as well leading to rampant overpopulation of the bugs.

The Interaxie were well aware of the seemingly good timing the outbreaks had been for the humans and long suspected their involvement but could not prove anything as the TSS had planned for such eventualities. None of the devices used were of human origin and even if they could track down how they had arrived on world the series of dummy companies and alien trade networks used to ship them there resulted in a labyrinth of legal networks and commissions needed for even the slightest scrap of information that would lead nowhere.

For almost ten years the virus remained effective before the Interaxie were finally able to find a way to not only cure the virus but also eliminate the invasive species of mosquitoes, but by then the damage was already done. Both their military and trade had been crippled by the viral outbreaks and with several of their primary manufacturing worlds now defunct the flow of goods to the remaining worlds was almost a trickle. Extreme measures of rationing were implemented which only led to further discontent and civil unrest which in turn was brutally put down by military forces. What had once been a galactic power now had been reduced to a third rate kingdom barely able to hold a trade agreement out of their domain let alone ever again extend their power through military force.

[shadrell]

Wo-hoo! Time to tell about Pandora's retinue. Long text.

CT-154374A (leads the lexmechanics on the ship and led the tech-priests on the exploration expedition as Pandora's right hand)

He knew Pandora back when she had not yet received the rank of Magos, and he himself was a simple acolyte. Usually, she does not pay attention to those who have not yet become a full-fledged member of the Machine cult. This is not arrogance, but rather a banal lack of interest. But she appreciated CT-154374A's abilities and contributed to his development.

He is a perfectionist to the core, phlegmatic, has management skills and copes with his job perfectly. However, he is too tactful and non-confrontational - and this greatly hinders his career advancement.

Considered a Lexmechanic for his love of organizing information, he has yet to decide which line of research he likes best. During a exploration expedition, Pandora fully appreciated the versatility of his skills. A jack of all trades, to put it bluntly.

Alpha-Xi 0023 (leads a maniple of classiari)

A shining example of the devout native of Forge World who lacked the skills to become tech-priest, but had plenty of fighting spirit. He worked his way up from a common laborer to an alpha-skitarii through long and hard work, trading his own achievements for new augmentations. His track record includes particular effectiveness on the battlefield, participation in the defense of the Ex-beta-734 manufactorum, as well as leading a successful operation to eliminate the leaders of a workers' revolt.

He is fanatical in his faith in the Omnissiah, but otherwise retains a fair amount of humanity. Before Pandora, he had little interaction with magos, but he had heard enough about the experiences of others, and therefore at first he was afraid that she would be wasteful in the matter of using skitarii. Alpha-Xi 0023 feels an excessive responsibility for his subordinates and is extremely prudent. However, magos Pandora has proven herself to be an excellent strategist so far, with her instructions leading the maniple out of battles without a single loss, and therefore he can rest easy.

Theta-000001A (leads cohort of hypaspists)

Unlike Alpha-Xi 0023, he was born to be a Skitarii, and has been trained since childhood. He is quite young and has not yet had time to prove himself in combat, but was appointed to his position due to his excellent performance in training. His cohort are brothers and sisters who grew up with him, and the squad was formed when they were still children.

Faith in the Omnissiah and a sense of his own destiny have been ingrained in his mind over the years of training, as has loyalty to the magos to whom his cohort was later entrusted. Theta-000001A yearns to become an even more perfect instrument of the Machine God, but due to his youth and an unpleasant encounter with one of the elder skitarii as a child, he fears losing his identity in the process. He is quite detached from all things worldly, but feels a strong connection with his subordinates, as if they were a big and strange family (which they are).

[locitapurplepink]

Taglist : @aintinacage , @trapezequeen , @cassie-fanfics , @zaya-mo , @fulltimecatwitch , @kanerallels , @commander-tech , @thebadbatch2022

[crobones]

so as i was saying (and follow me on this, because it's gonna be a process)

I think the rani is trying to create a new gallifrey and recreate timelords a la the timeless child. if memory serves, the people who became timelords were just kinda... people. so like.

i think they were just humans, and the genetic manipulation tecteun was doing made the timelords who they were - I think all those failures culminated in tecteun realizing that the child (who is theta/the doctor) having two hearts is what gives the "human" body the power to withstand regeneration and the lifeforce that goes into being a timelord.

now, it's quite possible that tecteun cloned a bunch of hearts, or it's also quite possible there was a war/mass slaughter and half the population stole the other half's hearts but that's a story for another time idk.

anyway, what i'm saying is it was established since ten-two that a timelord without the second heart and gold flowy bits is just a human.

and the rani knows this.

and so she's like "aight, bet. let me recreate the timelords using the human population." and she's going about it in the most eugenics way possible. no gays allowed because they don't have babies. no disabled people because they'd "weaken the genetic code" or some shit. she needs strong healthy bodies to have them withstand becoming timelords, and she needs the strong to procreate.

so. why not just kill off the "doubters" and the "weak"? well, she'll need the hearts and livers and extra bits from somewhere!

if she's going to use humanity* to recreate the timelords, why kill them and destroy the earth? good question! and this is why I think she's "projecting" life on some random planet that can sustain life but it's core inhabitants don't fucking eat because they don't have fucking stomachs they're SKELETONS. or maybe this random fuckass planet is the closest one she could find connected to the underverse idk.

regardless. need real babies, but can't just fuckin kill off humanity at the same time by tearing through reality, right? well. remember mr. ring-a-ding? mans was made of light, but was physical. there, but not there. and then the fucko absorbed so much light he essentially became incorporeal, but like. he's still there, right?

and do you remember the three doctor who fans? you know, that terribly heart breaking scene where they knew they weren't real, but they had sentience and knew their existence would end at the end of the scene.

oh... but wait. there was an epilogue scene that showed they survived! somehow? Who knows! well, Mrs. Flood/"a" rani likely knows, because she broke the fourth wall constantly and that had to be for a reason, right?

listen. it makes no sense, but also it's the only way I can think of to make it make sense. Mr. Ring-a-Ding was a cartoon character, and then he became a universe within the universe. so, things that, once, only existed on a screen, are real. and it's because he is some unfathomable force that just. exists, now. everywhere.

so projections are real, but they're also just. not. and then, the doctor and Bel were a bit not real for a short while, too, right? and the more they felt, the more three-dimensional they became as characters, the more they returned to just being themselves.

and the rani is powerful, but she's not powerful enough to create billions of characters that have such emotional depth that they become real. you know what's easier? copy and paste. copy humanity. paste it on another planet.

but AI is very flat, and can't be depended on to create three-dimensional characters that can exist in reality. there needs to be a human component, somehow, and she can't very well force all of humanity into their own little matrix pods, right? so how can these characters all exist independent from each other and have lives and make babies and become the vessels she needs for the recreation of the timelords?

you can copy and paste a story to repeat it, but you can't make a sequel. maybe everyone else on the planet is connected to this world and these bodies via their dreams, or maybe it's something entirely different.

anyone know what looms are? don't worry, i (kinda) do. they're essentially just timelord baby engines. "frames with a mesh of "a million fine chords" which sang with the wind and had microscopic data flowing down themselves" is how Simon Bucher-Jones wrote it in the Doctor Whoniverse short story The Short Briefing Sergeant's Tale.

now, raise your hand if you remember The Maestro. okay good, kinda figured.

so light projection creates physical things that are real (but not) and "music" gives those things life - et voila, a loom that spans the universe, focused on one little planet.

well. thing is. The Lux is all around and available to be used as a tool. but the Maestro was kinda banished from reality, which sucks, because the Rani kinda needs things within this reality in order to make this work.

so like. who remembers the Maestro saying something about Ruby just ain't right, shortly before music just kinda comes out of her. well, that sounds like some kinda nexus of music and sound that I might not fully understand but could certainly be utilized to power a loom, no? well then, best to maybe also actually put her on the planet that will "house" the loom.

so methinks Ruby is a battery to power the loom created by the network of titanic power woven around the planet. and if she's really there, and she's already lived through 2025, it's no wonder the limited power of the wish baby can't completely control her. so Ruby has Doubts.

and Conrad is most definitely actually there because the Rani needed a supremacist fuckboy who told millions of people about the Doctor and UNIT and made them - well i would say he made them doubt their existence, but really he made them believe they were all a sham.

and how can you brainwash society into believing things that aren't true? that's easy! propaganda! and the best way to propagate propaganda is via the telly! which is a projection of light on a screen that everyone must view, daily. in a world where things that are even just made out of light are real, that's some really potent propaganda right there, I'll tell you what. not to mention, the madness of the toymaker was literally spread via subliminal messaging on any and every screen in the world. shit is fuckin kooky.

and so, because of fuckboy Conrad and his supremacist beliefs being projected onto all of humanity, society is made to think that homosexuality is bad, that disabled people are bad, and that gingers - well. either that's from Conrad's preconceptions of gingers being weak, or it's from the generations of recessive genes culminating in a group of people that the Rani deems weak.

(also, iirc, because of all the "recessiveness", gingers are more susceptible to things like cancer and the Sun damaging their vision - haha get it? because light can overpow- anyway, I digress)

but why do the outcasts doubt? well, not only does Conrad not see them as people, they don't see him, as said by Brian. Also, chances are, since they're outcasts made homeless by the will of the Rani, they don't watch that television program every damn day, so they aren't being brainwashed with reality warping stories.

I also feel the web of stories created by Abena and Adétòkunbo is somehow involved, or WILL be involved. and there's a reason "Mrs. Flood"/Susan/the Rani could not only break the fourth wall, but also existed everywhere the Doctor went (edit: because I don't believe she has a TARDIS last i checked). And there MUST be a reason Belinda was also that soldier lady from the landmine episode. but give me a day or so to sort that all out.

EITHERHOOT. i'm throwing a lot of spaghetti at the wall, so something might stick idk. or i'm just spouting bullshit. you know. as i do. wouldn't it be funny if I was entirely right tho.

[schlattsdoll]

Schlatt from the otk iq test video with school girl reader (praise/corruption kink)🙈

mine. all mine. - jschlatt

fem/afab reader

minors dni

warnings: smut, oral (fem receiving), p in v, unprotected sex, schlatt calls himself daddy, rikki sucks at writing endings

notes: im thinking college au?? innocent!girly!reader x fratboy!schlatt??? inject it into my veins. i felt like a FUCKING GENIUS naming the frat hehe. also this is WAY LONGER than i wanted it to be, i got carried away again

it wasnt his fault you looked so good in your pastels and short skirts, paired excellently with knee high socks. your innocence adding to how badly he had wanted to corrupt you, to ruin you. truthfully, this was meant to be a study date, being paired with jay to do scene from romeo and juliet for an acting class. as you read the lines, your face flushed knowing what came next. sensing your nervousness, schlatt stopped you. "hey, you know we don't have to do this." his hand "unintentionally" on your thigh, rubbing soothing circles. you shook your head, "n-no. we're gonna have too. it's not that i don't want too, y-you're very attractive its just, i uh, i've never done this before."

bingo. something as small as taking your first kiss would be more than enough to satisfy him until he could fully ruin you, make you his.

"i'd be more than willing to help doll." he winked, causing your face to flush again, hiding behind your hands. "don't hide that pretty face from me. i mean it, i won't bite. unless ya ask me too." his hand coming up and holding your chin in his hand. he leans down and kisses you gingerly, a soft moment between you too. as you melt into the kiss, schlatt's hands make their way to your face, holding either side of your cheeks. "wow..." you whispered breathlessly after pulling away, smiling. jay smiled too, "how was that toots?"

"can we do that again?"

you two had practiced the kiss, several more times than needed, each time increasing in force and passion. hands wrapped in each others hair, at one point you wound up in his lap.

thats how you wound up in his bed at the omicron theta kappa (otk) house. your back against his pillows, legs spread and skirt hiked up while he sat between them. his large fingers tracing the wet patch in your pink panties, teasing your soaked core while you wriggled under his touch. "j-johnathan." you whined out breathlessly. "is all this from me kissing you baby? look at you, ever touched yourself before dolly?" you hid your face in your hands ashamed and his smirk grew. "nothing wrong with making yourself feel good baby, lemme make you feel good. can i toots?" he started to pull your underwear down as you nodded your head, words lost in your throat. "use your words doll. i won't do anything unless i hear you say it." you manage to choke out a yes, very weakly. schlatt helps you wiggle out out of the now drenched panties, and smiles down at you. "if it gets too much, let me know."

schlatt takes a headband off his nightstand and pushes his hair back, and tentatively licks your sopping cunt, causing you to bite back a moan. "doll, lemme hear you. wanna hear all the pretty sounds you're gonna make." his mouth returning to your pussy, giving little kitten licks to your clit. normally, he was a complete munch, but he has to hold himself back to not overstimulate you. he brings his hand down to slowly insert a finger into your wet heat. you squirm and a little moan escapes your lips as he smirks once again. "you're so tight baby, gonna have to stretch you out before i can make you mine. that's what you are right, my little dolly?" he leans up to kiss you while he fingers you, tasting yourself on his tongue. he deepens the kiss when he adds a second finger, loving the way you moaned into the kiss. he pulls away to instruct you, "grind your hips down baby. that's it, my good girl."

jay caught how you had reacted to being called that. "oh you liked that didn't you? my good girl, love this tight fuckin pussy. can't wait to taste more of you." his thumb reached up to up to rub your clit, his fingers curling and hitting that sweet spot you've never been able to hit. he felt your walls clench around his fingers and he sped up just a little, "gonna cum for me toots? go on, cum for daddy."

your orgasm hits you like a brick wall, cumming hard around him leaving you breathless. schlatt pulls out his fingers and licks them clean, "so fucking yummy. wanna taste you everyday."

you go to sit up and get on your knees, when he looks at you like a confused puppy. "whatcha doin toots?" you look up at him, "a-aren't i supposed to do something for you now?" his cock twitched in his pants at the thought of ruining your pretty makeup and your pretty glossed lips around his cock, but he was eager to have you a moaning mess under him again. "next time baby, right now it's all about making you feel good. lay back f'me." you listened to the bigger man, laying back down, legs spread again. "such a good girl, listening to me. bet if i asked you to you'd play with that puffy clit again." schlatt pulled down his gray sweatpants and boxers in one fell swoop, so ready to stretch and mold you to his dick. your eyes widened at the sight of him, it was bigger than anything you've seen before in videos. you audibly gasped, stroking his ego. "don't worry doll, i'll be gentle with you. don't wanna break you. not yet at least."

he stroked himself, getting his knees onto the bed and lining himself up with your entrance. he barely put his tip in before you were moaning and writhing under him. slowly, he went in inch by inch, letting out a few guttural grunts and moans himself. "fuckin hell, s'fuckin tight baby. his hand went down to rub your clit gently, and you relaxed a little, letting him slip inside you more. once you gave him the all clear to move, his hips slid back and forward, pulling out just enough to have you whining before sliding back in.

"so good f'me doll. such a good girl, best fuckin pussy i've ever had nd its all mine isnt it? say it. say who you belong to."

you whine at his words, managing a pathetic whine of "you, oh fuck." he smirks and knows what he wants out of you, "say my name baby. fucking say it."

"johnathan!" you borderline screamed as you felt your second orgasm of the night coming on. "that's it, my good girl, cum for me." he felt himself getting close, balls tightening. "fuck, 'm gonna cum." he pulled out and stroked himself until he finished on your thigh with a groan.

running to the bathroom, he grabs a clean washcloth to clean off his sperm and clean off himself. then, he lays down behind you, holding you by the waist close to him. "i wasn't kidding when i said i wanted to make you mine doll. i really do, so whaddya sa? will you be mine?"

"'m yours jay."

as always, my inbox is open!! send in requests 💚

[heavenb3nt]

Koschei lives trying to fill the void where theta should be, but they’ve doomed themselves to this hunger and no one can help them now but themselves: a rant

Listened to the free part of destination wars, eventually I’ll buy the audio to get the second part but so far I’m just running with what I have. So far, here are my fork found in kitchen ass observations.

I love how koschei regularly sets himself up at a saviour like leader. It was expanded on in masterful too. It’s so funny and tragic, he can’t get the one person he wants attention from to pay attention to him, so he makes whole civilisations reveer him to fill the void, but it never works, does it. They’re always unhappy at their core.

The inventor can have the colony, the regeneration who took over the planet in masterful can have that, saxon can have earth, later the colony ship. It doesn’t matter, because however much they’re respected, feared, or even loved, it’s not by theta. Despite the fact they always fall in on themselves, it doesn’t even fill the void when it’s working. The insatiable need to have whole civilisations see them as a god is part of their hunger, and that hunger is at least in part caused by the fact they will never get what they want, because they keep pushing theta away.

As they said themselves in masterful “I’m the master, and all this, Is never enough” their driving force is their insatiable, never ending hunger. A desperation to devour everything both figuratively, and literally with the entropy wave.

Something else I want to say on this is it’s not like if theta turned around one day and went “okay I’ll give you whatever you want, I won’t hold anything from the past against you, we can be happy now, I won’t even argue with your plans” that would help? At all? Because 10 pretty much did that, 12 dedicated so much time and energy to missy, 13 gave spy opportunities to back down. I think they both know their chance at having what both of them want is completely past, they irrevocably traumatised each other for centuries, their wounds go so deep.

My point here being; koschei does so much to fill the void where theta should be, but both they and theta know that they’ve left no way for them to be happy together. They’re not the only one, theta is the one who left. They just keep dooming each other