#this was not on purpose I did not know this existed

[mrsq8geek]

I think about this every now and then so here's what I got on this:

Social constructs often are based on things that are either unchangable or very difficult to change. The 24 hour system is a social construct but it's based on something measurable and that varies so little that, for most intents and purposes, it's practically static. Kind of related. Another example: Farming, hunting, or fishing have similar cultures across the world, because we all gotta eat so we learn what exists in the world and how to turn it into food. Fried ball of dough across the world! Seafaring culture shanties (and also work songs) my beloved.

Uncertainty and risk associated with change. People generally agree that the four-day work-week would be better for... well, most things, including productivity, than five days, given how much the world has changed. But even with so many companies and sometimes countries coming out of trials with positive results, it's a slow change, often because a lot of decision-makers would rather stick with what they know, or maybe they want to proceed with a change, but don't know which option to go with. Take this and bog it down with all the details of humanity. The potential loss of the tried-and-true usefulness/benefits of the existing system can easily outweigh the cost and risk of changing to something new.

The inherent tension between standardization and specialization. ISO is a boon. Forcing the peoples you conquer to adopt your way of life has resulted in countless losses, some of which have not been recovered, and others which we're now paying for. Also, I'll use any excuse to bring up this episode of 99% Invisible. Different cultures live in different material realities, which creates different specialized social constructs suited to that place, which inevitably clashes with whoever the superior culture at the time thinks is Best, and so on as we trend towards globalized homogeneity.

You can't have it all. There will come a time where you will have to choose one social construct and its associated consequences over another. And what you value as important will affect that greatly: after you after happiness? Meaning? Contentment? What if you're after compliance with your group? Socioeconomic power? Sometimes there will be social consensus that you did the Right Thing and sometimes not, what then?

That being said, I definitely get the knee-jerk reaction to think "social construct = fake = bad" because when someone says "x is a social construct", it's often in the context of how that construct can change, and that's a threat. For some people, it's as simple as "change is hard and scary", but you might end up having a nice conversation after that. Other times, it'll be "you want to change something that I personally benefit from" and that's more difficult to pick apart.

Personally, I'm not a fan of "most work happens in the morning", the choice of jobs available in the afternoon/evening is very limited and I'm always struggling. Someone convince morning people that night owls are important, too!

man. People get so upset when you call things social constructs. Thinking that if you say something is a social construct that means it's fake and unnatural, and following that, that that means it’s bad. Something being a social construct means that it’s socially constructed. That’s it.

Money is a social construct. Weekends are a social construct. Vegetables are a social construct.

That doesn’t mean it’s okay if my paycheck is withheld or my rent is late. Doesn’t mean I don’t luxuriate in sleeping in on Saturday. Doesn’t mean the nutrients in tomatoes or spinach aren’t good for you.

What it means is that the way we think about things is socially constructed, and could be constructed a different way. Why do we base our society around money? What does value mean outside of money? What is “value”? The way we construct it isn’t the only possible way.

Why is a week a cycle of seven days, and five of those days are for working and two of those days are for resting? Could we organize our time differently? Should we? What would that look like? Other cultures don’t/didn’t have seven-day weeks with a five on-two off cycle. It’s not inevitable. It’s historically and culturally specific.

“Fruit” has a scientific definition but “vegetable” does not. Many parts of plants are culinarily defined as vegetables. Fruits (eggplant, avocado, tomato), stems (celery, asparagus), leaves (kale, lettuce), roots (carrots, potatoes, turnips)… all of these are culturally categorized as vegetables. And nutrition advice is based on this cultural categorization. Is a mushroom a vegetable? It’s not even a plant! Why do we categorize it this way? Why isn’t wheat or oats considered vegetables, but corn is, except when it isn’t? Could we categorize our plant-based food other ways?

Calling these social constructs doesn’t mean they’re bad or unimportant. It just calls attention to the fact that they aren’t inevitable. That they could be constructed in different ways, and that is worth thinking about, and thinking about the value we get in constructing things the way we do.

Gender is a social construct.

Romance is a social construct.

They are based on feelings, desires, and experiences, but how we name and categorize and express and act on them are fully culturally constructed. Other cultures do and have constructed these concepts in other ways. You can like the way we do it now. You can find it stifling. But the way we do it now is not the only, inevitable, inherent, real way. It could be done other ways, organized and categorized and conceptualized in other ways. And that’s not a bad thing either.

[darth-jess]

In my head, Vader relives every single moment he ever had with Padmé over and over again. Partly for comfort, partly because he misses her, but mostly to torture himself.

I wonder, if in all his remembrances, he thinks of how Palpatine admitted he knew of their marriage (Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover), and yet he still sent Padmé on a mission to basically seduce Rush Clovis.

And I wonder if it ever crosses Vader's mind that Palpatine did this just to drive a wedge between them. That Palpatine tried to get between him and his wife.

I wonder if he ever thinks about how many times Dooku tried to have Padmé assassinated, but Dooku was just taking orders from Palpatine.

I wonder if he thinks about every risky mission Palpatine sent Padmé on, missions where she got captured or badly hurt.

Vader is not stupid.

You know he thinks about these things.

You know he hates Palpatine for all of this, and so much more.

And yet, Vader stays by Palpatine's side.

Not because he believes Palpatine is his friend. Not even because he believes Palpatine will help him become more powerful, though he definitely tells himself this lie.

Vader stays because Palpatine is the only one who accepts him. If Vader left, where would he go? What purpose would he have? He would have to go live out his life completely alone and isolated, and he would be forced to confront all the grief and the horror he caused.

Nobody loves Vader, nobody ever could.

He hates himself.

Because he was the Chosen One, who couldn't save his mother, who couldn't save Ahsoka, who couldn't save his wife, who couldn't save his unborn child.

And this existence, of being used and made to do all these terrible things, is what he deserves.

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Bloomp

Debut: Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Bloomp should be proud. It's part of a very special club: the club of Mario enemies whose English names are goofy onomatopoeia relating to their behavior! It is not a very exclusive club, but its members take themselves very seriously. I'm just kidding! They're a bunch of goofballs! Sorry, Bloomp, but I could not take you seriously if I tried. Good thing you exist only in the context of a whimsical scrimblo platformer!

Bloomp is, conceptually, very straightforward. A literal balloonfish. It's nothing new. But must it be something new? Must it be groundbreaking? It mustn't. All it needs to do is be Funny. and Boy Howdy, It's Funny! I look at the expression it's always making, and I think, yeah. It WOULD make that face.

But do not let their soft, harmless bodies and silly demeanors fool you! Bloomps are Enemies. Bonafide Bad Guys. You can tell by looking at the air pumps that inflate and launch them. They have skulls on them, just like Bill Blasters! Bowser did this on purpose. He made the express decision to deploy balloon fish here when he had no reason not to use straight-up bullets. It's about the pizzazz!

Of course, anything inflatable must start out tiny, and tiny Bloomps are the very definition of "piddling". This animal does not know how to do anything besides piddle. If it tries to dispute that, don't believe it. It's full of hot air!

It is obvious that the Balloon transformation would appear in a stage centered around these balloon animals, but to me, it's a bit more interesting than that. Other Wonder Effects transform the player into an enemy, or grant them properties of the stage's main enemy. This is basically doing the same for Bloomps, but the Balloon form has existed since Super Mario World. It's like this is retroactively framing Balloon Mario as a Bloomp ability!

Anyway, the Wonder Effect also has these gray Bloomps, who are... my word! They're tied in place! Is this good for them? It does mean they won't run out of air. Maybe this is how they rest? It's not too far-fetched, considering real hagfish can tie their bodies in knots. And they're full of confetti and goodies! The Bloomps, not the hagfish. Hagfish are full of slime, and no confetti. That's a good thing! I don't want any animals to contain confetti.

[hismercytomyjustice]

FINALLY MY TIME HAS COME

But no, I don’t have cleaning/organization OCD. I moreso have “pure O” where most of my compulsions are “invisible” in that they’re mental.

Shit like ruminating thoughts which turn into OCD spirals I struggle to get out of. Mostly around morality and desiring unattainable levels of perfection in all things.

Like “if I do the thing, I have to do it perfectly” and then get stuck mapping out what “perfectly” is in my head. To the point I overwhelm and mentally exhaust myself and don’t do the thing. And then I get to deal with guilt spirals! Yay!

Which is why it crops up in places like “I need to walk my dogs” and “I want to learn piano.” Because I spend so much fucking time ruminating over “the best” way to do something.

Like with piano. I started taking lessons after agonizing over whether or not I should (ex. what if I don’t practice enough, what if I change my mind, what if I disappoint my teacher, what if I’m taking a spot from a potential student who was more dedicated, etc).

But I signed up! And I actually do practice! More than I’ve ever practiced an instrument before in my life! And I minored in music (specifically violin)! Which should make me feel fulfilled and proud and happy, right?

Right???!!!

NOT WHEN MY OCD GETS LOUD.

Then I get to experience Fun Things™ like panic attacks because I “haven’t practiced enough and I’m going to disappoint my teacher.” I’m also #blessed in that I tend to be a fast learner, so a lot of stuff comes fairly easily to me. Not piano! And my brain DOES NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THAT. Because WHAT DO YOU MEAN I’m not immediately good at something?!

Because to my OCD, me being good at something = me having value as a person. And if I’m not good at something or doing enough to get good at something, then “I am a failure, what am I doing with my life, I am a disappointment to myself and everyone unlucky enough to get caught in my orbit, I will never accomplish anything, why do I even exist (as in I have no purpose in life and will die one day knowing I never did anything worthwhile),” etc etc etc.

Which has led to having to unpack a lot of insecurities and all (see above) that I didn’t know I had. And has led to my therapist repeatedly telling me to stop being so mean to myself and to put less pressure on myself.

Lol I feel like 90% of my sessions with her are “here are all the ways I am failing to be a perfect person who gives 200% in all things” and her being like “…you know that is not actually possible right?”

Of course it isn’t! But try telling my OCD that!

So that’s how I go from “it’d be neat to learn piano” to “I will one day die knowing I squandered my life and somehow ruined everyone else’s lives in the process”!

Rinse and repeat! About every fucking thing in my life!

Yay!

But that’s what therapy is for! And OCD is NEVER CORRECT. So you just have to get up every day and live an exposure based lifestyle, constantly making yourself do or not do all the things your OCD tries to convince you are life and death should you ignore it.

And it gets easier the more you do it, but fuck it is a lot of work. And so much of it involves making sure you build a strong foundation for yourself so it’s harder to knock you off of it when life tries to take you out at the kneecaps with a baseball bat.

We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.

[fatcatlittlebox]

I find the recent comments from showrunners Payne and McKay interesting particularly when they state that Sauron did not want to kill Galadriel in the finale duel but for her to acknowledge him and "give him credit." Now why would that matter so much to him if not for the possibility that what he had done was done so with her in mind? Meaning, Sauron was thinking of Galadriel this whole time. His return to Mordor, the rings, his conquest. They are the broad strokes to the greater masterpiece he is shaping for her. She is his inspiration. She is his audience. Which brings me back to the theme of eyes. His eyes and hers. Eyes that see and look. The Eye is the mark of Sauron. But more than anything he wants Galadriel to see him. I made this last gifset to illustrate how this is the focus of Sauron's obsession and motivation.

Throughout his existence so far, he has been gifted and plagued by his ability to shapeshift and change form at will. He "has had many names." You see how this weighs upon his soul. He has had too many names. He has worn so many faces to too many people. He’s weary and the burden of not being seen for so many years, thousands - he almost comes apart.

This is why he desperately longs for Galadriel to see him. Not as the “abhorred” but as himself. Because to be seen is to be whole. To have one, true name even if it isn't uttered aloud. This is what Adar asked of Galadriel and I think it's meant to reflect Sauron as well. The difference is that Adar embraced the name he had earned while Sauron rejects his. Sauron hates his earned name because it is a constant reminder of how alone and misunderstood he feels in his purpose. That is until he meets Galadriel. She doesn’t abhor “Halbrand.” She loves him. She sees him. To her he is “friend" and "king."

"Galadriel. Look at me.” I believe that she did fall in love with the real him and he knows it. It's why he will always keep “Halbrand.” He will linger in the memories of when Galadriel knew him this way. That's why he continues to look like some variation of Halbrand. Because that's how Galadriel saw him. This the illusion he created for himself and one he is reluctant to leave. As long as she can see him. Just the possibility and the hope.

And while Galadriel can claim fondness for the part of him that was soft, vulnerable and human, that is not all she fell for. And Sauron won't let her get away with excusing herself or denying that she loved the parts that were truly him. This gesture, when he has her impaled with the crown and she averts her eyes away from his gaze.

He jerks her eyes upward as if to say, "Look." She fell in love with this person too. Sauron is Halbrand. The rage-filled, domineering and ambitious, violent spirit. He won't let her deny it. He won't let her look away. This is what they shared. She did not shrink before him when he pushed her away, when he told her of his darkness, when he told her, and showed her of how cruel and manipulative he could be. Remember, he saw her rage and vengeful side too. "Galadriel. Look at me." He says it aloud and presses these words upon her mind like a phantom prayer. His words probably haunt her soul. She feels it. It's what she hints at when she admits to Elrond that Gil Galad doesn't trust her alone with Sauron: You know why. The constant question that gropes her thoughts. It's the open invitation that still keeps the door open to his mind. She says she perceives "all of his mind as it concerns elves." I don't think that's because that is all that Sauron allows her to see. I think it's because that is what most occupies his thoughts. Her.

That's why, as I have previously wrote, I think the events of season 2 were setting the groundwork for manifesting the plan Sauron has for shaping the world as he saw it with Galadriel. He is going to enact their shared vision and, he believes, Galadriel will see its beauty and worth and return to him. Which leads me to her parting words to Sauron in episode 8. She tells him to heal himself. I think by now Sauron has enough insight to see that he is indeed a broken spirit. It comes up in his confessions with Celebrimbor and the showrunners have already hinted that Sauron is becoming increasingly aware that there is something about his very essence that poisons every meaningful relationship he has and dooms him to failure and despair. He also says to Galadriel at the start of their swordfight that he want to "heal..." and before he finishes with "Middle Earth", he pauses. He was going to say that he wants to heal himself. So by the time the viewer sees Galadriel tell him to basically fuck off and heal himself, those seeds are actually already planted. He has to cure himself of this blight. He has to purge himself of it. And now he has explicit instructions from Galadriel. He sees and remembers everything, right? He's going to do it. He's going to try to repair what he may see as his defect. It will be interesting to see how he interprets his marching orders from his queen. I think that is where the One Ring comes in.

The showrunners have already hinted that the forging of the One Ring will be an upcoming storyline soon. They also hinted that he's going to fuck something up. Furthermore, the audience has already been shown that the more of himself Sauron puts into a ring of power, the more corrupted and less potent of a creative, benevolent force it imparts. They've also shown that when Sauron tries to make rings on his own, he fails in the final product. He even went through a whole batch of mithril on his own without success. So if the writers have hinted that Sauron errs in the making of the ring, what could they possibly mean? Where did he go wrong? Is it that Sauron had different intentions for the Ring's purpose than what it ended up becoming? Or that he fulfilled its malicious purpose but with unintended side effects? If the former, I wonder if his true intention with the One Ring is to create another healing ring of power, his own ring as a mate of Galadriel's. Maybe he forges it, believing that this would meet Galadriel's demand to heal himself. The shownrunners have already shown that they like to put unexpected layers to the most well-known parts of Tolkien: “One ring to rule them all. One ring to find them. One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.” Maybe those words have additional meaning.

[rootspiral]

AGATHA ALL ALONG DEEP DIVE: episode 1 part 1

(Wandavision entries: [1][2][3])

(AAA entries: ep1 [1][2])

IT'S TIME TO REWATCH AGATHA ALL ALONG, WITCHES! And as usual, spoilers below.

episode 1, Seekest Thou The Road

Wanda is dead (no she ain't). As a result, her spell is weakened and Agatha has changed from her nosy neighbor character to detective Agnes (or caught the true crime bug, as Herb will put it.)

Stinky grimy Agnes, so serious and depressed. As soon as she appears onscreen she's humming the Ballad.

Detective Agnes has just been recalled to action after being off duty for a while. She was punished for "punching a suspect", which is code for going after Wanda. Agnes points out that now the suspect is a convicted felon, i.e. that she was right after all and Wanda is dangerous and evil. "I can't be right and wrong" she says. "Yes, you can" says Herb, because both Agatha and Wanda are villain and victim. And lol at the police tape symbolizing Herb's fence. You know the poor guy is in his garden looking down at Agnes in her Bonher family tshirt, wondering what the hell is going on.

oh that's a seriously good shot

Agatha looks heartbroken when she sees Wanda's body, doesn't she? She looks so sorry.

Herb (the real Herb behind the illusion) confirms that Agatha is acting different than usual.

THIRD TIME SHE DISCREETLY DRIES HER TEARS

There is nothing funny about Detective Agnes. Or rather, it's funny to watch her because she's so intense, but we laugh at her, she's not being a clown on purpose like Agatha usually is. And Agatha right now is in a lot of pain, even more than usual having completely lost her agency. This character so unkempt, so sad, so doggedly searching for answers, is more true to Agatha's real self than what she usually lets people see. Deep down she's just a tragic lesbian wet rat.

Somebody called in to have the body found, and I think that somebody was Rio. Why would the body be next to the water otherwise? It's like the River of Life laid her gently where Agatha could find her. In other words, Wanda's death brought her to Agatha. I'm curious about these woods too, we know they don't actually exist as this is all in Agatha's head, but where did the idea come from? Are these the woods where she killed the Salemites? Where she gave birth to Nicky? Or where she buried him?

Agatha's victims from the finale flashing throughout the opening. Wherever it may bend, I'll see you at the end.

"based on the danish series WANDAVISDYEN" never fails to destroy me. and it's so clever too, it's like they're telling first time watchers that yes, this seems like a grim detective show, but you clever audiences know that things are not as they seem and this is a parody, right?? this is not serious at all, it's funny! Laugh! Except. It's not funny. It's not funny at all. And you're going to realize only when it's too late. It's the same thing they do with Sharon/Mrs. Hart, they lure you in with laughs only to hit you with heartbreak. This show is not a comedy at all. It's at its very core a senseless tragedy.

Sarah/Dottie lives next door too, was Agatha talking to her through a window, or does the library desk symbolize another fence? This poor woman, hasn't she suffered enough? But they all more or less try to help Agnes, that's sweet. Has anyone from SWORD or whomever dropped in to talk to them, did the Avengers just decide to leave Agatha there? Did Monica (or Ralph) even explain to the poor people of Westview that she's a witch, or do they just think she's a random neighbor who couldn't be saved from Wanda's Hex?

THE MAILMAN CONTINUES BEING SUSPICIOUS. Is Agatha putting words in his mouth, or was he (the "messanger") sent by someone to warn her about the Darkhold being destroyed???

her FACE when she sees Rio

and the way Rio just stares and stares. When you rewatch this scene knowing that this is the first time she gets to see Agatha in centuries... and she has to be cool and she has to be gentle. I think it's deliberate that they put Phil/Harold/Ross Geller in here, because he's one of the funniest people in Westview and it's suggesting a first time viewer to read this scene as a comedy. Except it's a cosmic tale of tragedy and heartbreak, but you're not supposed to notice yet, even if it's right there under your nose.

Stop being such a lone wolf, Agnes. Or rather, stop being such a sad and lonely covenless witch, Agatha.

Rio laughs her delighted little laugh, licks her lips, looks out the window for a moment as if overwhelmed, then goes back looking at Agatha and basically devouring her with her eyes. ("te veo.") (thank you for my life aubrey plaza.) Agatha stares daggers back, but her body language stars getting defensive. She feels very vulnerable.

Yep, defensive. And wistful.

She is doing her job, like always. But she's also going above and beyond. There is technically no need for her to wake Agatha up, but here she is, dropping gentle clues, guiding her with such patience and care.

"If you wanna be in control you can be" is said in such a kind tone, but it's also sexy?? I think Rio really likes for Agatha to take control, in a lot of ways. Her body language is the opposite of what Agatha is doing too.

Oh noes she's making herself so small now. She's like, intrigued and angry and happy and scared to see Rio. They're both being so tentative!! And she doesn't actually know who Rio is because she's under the damn spell, so her body language and feelings are pure instinct. They come from somewhere very very true and deep. (and LOL that mug says "get a clue")

Is this who you are now, Agatha? the intense but lonely detective? she's genuinely interested, because Rio investigates Agatha just as Agatha investigates everybody else. Rio simply cannot get enough of her. and she keeps talking with this gentle, warm, understated tone.

Gains personal space. Keeps staring and staring.

oh now we're leaning. they do this every scene they are together, they keep getting closer and closer even if they don't mean to, like magnets.

Agatha literally bolts to the door and tells her to leave. Rio's presence is so overwhelming in so many different and complicated ways, and she doesn't even understand why that is at the moment. Kathryn Hahn is playing this perfectly straight (no pun intended), there is genuine pain in her voice.

"Te veo", which is not "see you," but I see you, I'm always looking for you, I'm always watching. And I finally see you, after all this time.

Oh, honey.

I'm running out of space again, but I promise I'll continue this tomorrow. Thank you for all the notes you guys, I was not expecting so many! I'm doing this mostly to amuse myself, but it's nice to know that the brainrot is collective 🙃🙃🙃

go to the next entry

[holy-amelie]

'You fell first but...'

...he fell harder ˎˊ˗

·.༄࿔ characters: Sunday, you

·.༄࿔ pairing: Sunday x g/n!AE!reader

·.༄࿔ cw: no tw, fluff and hurt/comfort, non-native english author, written before 2.7, but contains spoilers/leaks, be careful! Can be ooc but this is how I see him at the moment. You are from the Astral Express here.

·.༄࿔ a/n: still need to remember how to write things properly qwq

You fell first, that's for sure.

It's even funny how quickly this young and charming Halovian found his way into your heart. It only took a polite smile at the first meeting to ignite this new, funny feeling deep inside your chest.

It seems there was a real reason people on Penacony spoke of him as the most eligible bachelor in this part of the universe.

Soft, calm, as if glowing from within. No wonder you were the one who got closest to him during the investigation. There was something special about Sunday that only attracted you more, beckoned you like a moth to a flame. Maybe it was the fact that you wanted to destroy his perfect shell, or the fact that you already saw through him.

All his little nervous habits, his quiet and a bit awkward chuckles, the way he pressed his lips together when he was unhappy with something, just to hide it all behind the facade of an all-forgiving and all-understanding host. And the way his eyes were sparkling when he was passionately talking about something important.

You saw glimpses of Sunday, not the head of the clan.

Of course, it's foolish to fall in love at first sight with someone you've just met and barely know. But you can't help your heart. Especially when his image doesn't leave your head for a minute and fills all your thoughts.

And, yes, it was even more foolish to expect him to suddenly fall in love with you in return. As the head of the clan, Sunday was always busy with more important things (even more important than it might seem at first glance). So all you had to do was quietly carry the burden of these irrational feelings inside you.

Did it get easier when Sunday revealed all his plans? No. Some things you did not agree with, some things you could understand yourself. Was it easier when he lost? Once again, no.

You seemed to be the only person from the Express willing to run after him no matter what. And you would have if Robin hadn't beaten you to it.

But... he fell harder.

For Sunday, life ended after he lost and lost everything: his position, his home, his sister.

Life is a rather ironic thing, so when he suddenly found himself on the Express, broken and lost, it felt like a cruel mockery. The people who were against him suddenly gave him a place he could consider his new home. Even if temporarily.

Among the entire crew, you remained the only person who didn't look at him with suspicion or even a kind of apprehension. Not at all. It was you and your unexpected concern for his well-being that helped him rise from the very bottom of existence.

Sunday was emotionally naked before you. He was choking back tears and begging for forgiveness, even though you had long since forgiven him. The once strong and reserved leader suddenly showed his true self - mentally tired, exhausted, so desperate for warmth.

That's when he finally realized that he craved your attention more and more. Sunday was willing to be alone with you for the rest of his life if it meant that all of his problems would finally fade into the background. He continued to live not only for the fulfillment of his and his sister's dreams, but also for you.

Aons, Sunday was willing to give up everything as long as your gentle presence continued to take away all his pain, to fill his hear with love and warmth, giving him new purpose.

No wonder your innocent and shy love finally started something new in the end.

Including his new life.

please, do not rewrite/copy/repost/translate my work without me knowing, you can always ask first, thanks

[worstdisastermaster]

The books and the shows aren't the same thing and?? That's okay?? It doesn't have to be??

Some of the artists haven't even seen the show yet, and maybe won't 🤷‍♀️ I know I've seen like. The 1st episode and that's it lol. And I really enjoyed it and I think it's really fun

But people tend to separate book fandoms from in screen fandoms, to an extent, at least, bc there ARE differences, and THATS OKAY

They are very connected but they are not the same and I don't understand why people find that so hard to accept?? Like. Genuinely I'm so confused lol

Like if someone was being disrespectful, or trying to whitewash Leah or something horrid then like. Defend her!!! (Do try to be polite tho bc people can and often do change, and they know what they have been taught until they learn more- like for example, a few years ago I had no idea ab anything lgtbq and I peob would have gotten myself canceled bc I had. No idea. Ab any of it. And despite having best intentions in heart i totally would have offended someone, and that would have crushed me, because *i didnt know*. I never would have hurt anyone on purpose, i just didnt realize what COULD hurt others on that specific topic, much less why. But now I identify with it and am learning new things ab jt every day and etc. And that's a super touchy topic for a lot of people and for good reason too! Just try to be kind first, then if they are jerks u can be a jerk back lol. Just give peopke a chnace to get better- and then PLEASE dont hold the past against them ubless they very clearly havent changed mk please please please let people grow and change and get better dont crush them before they can) anti Leah trash is. That. Trash

But why would you attack book Annabeth, just for existing? She was my childhood, and I identified a lot with her as I grew up. And guess what! I also identified with Hazel, and I do so even more now! No matter what race she will be casted as, I'm still going to imagine BOOK Hazel the way I always did. Doesn't mean I won't adore her actress, or appreciate art of the girl playing her role! But would you call me racist for drawing her as African American if her actress, was, say, Asian American? Or drawing Leo as Latino instead of Somoan? Because to me, u less I am being a jerk about it, all I'm doing is drawing the book instead of the show. Idk I'm too sleep deprived to put my thoughts into coherent words lol

I love the posts, where it's like, book Annabeth and show Annabeth holding hands. Those posts are my favorite, both because they are freaking adorable, but also. Because it's equal

They are different aspects of the same person

And

Thats

Okay

You know???

I quite literally grew up reading pjo. I read it at least once every year since I learned HOW to read, *partially on pjo*, until late middle school. I was raised on book Annabeth.

Show Annabeth is new and exciting and adorable and I'm so happy for it and I am very excited for all the people being introduced to it!!!!!!!! However, when I'm writing book pjo, I'm not swaping it out for show scenes, bc they are, in fact, different. Which, again, NOT A BAD THING. And you know what? When people from the show fandom write their scenes, they aren't going to be thinking ab the book scenes, and THATS OKAY TOO!!! And I could care less how my readers saw my characters when the read the story. I write them the way I imagine them, but it's their job as the reader to say 'no, actually :P' and swap out the appearance for one they liked better.

I did that plenty often as a kid, and i donf regeret it.

Which, ironically enough, was why my book Percy was blond until ab 6th grads XD I mixed up Luke and Percy's hair description ONCE and just. Never questioned it, though all the rereads, or looking at the covers of the books 💀 you can imagine my shock when I joined the fandom and found out Percy had black hair, instead of sandy hair like, you know, S A N D, like poseidon!!! And now show Percy is blond XD

That just proves people can imagine things how they want and jts okay- especially bc maybe, in an au, they're rifht!!! (Au being show Percy to me)

Anyways I lost my train of thought and it's almost 12 here lolll I hope I didn't say anything ill be embarrassed by come tomorrow~

Good night world :3

Hi guys, wanted to discuss something going on for a while now. What the hell is wrong with pjotwt? Like...whats wrong with this people? Do you see what they say? What they are even trying to do?

First of all, let me start by speaking about the cast. They are all wonderful children, Leah especially! She is doing an amazing job as Annabeth. But book Annabeth still exists yk? She is and she is literally white. It is not racist. But denying about a character being white in the books, even spreading hate like this...is racist. There are people out there related with Annabeth for years. People love her, every version, maybe book more maybe even the movie. How can you disrespect her like this? And most importantly, how can they attack an artist like this, with an art being so beautiful. What they are trying to do is not protecting Leah, it is spreading hate. It is awful. Making this fandom toxic, so so much.

Them trying to erase book Annabeth because she is white, trying to cover her by painting on her, shaming artists, calling people that loves her racist...What do we do about this in pjo fandom? This fandom used to be so beautiful, but now. This people are not part of the fandom in my eyes, because real fans, would respect every version of the characters, love them with their anything, even flaws. They would protect this characters because they love them, so much. And not to mention this characters are the ones Rick wrote 20 years ago, they were with us for so long.

What do tumblr think about this I wonder? Since pjo fandom is pretty active here :3

[talonabraxas]

Kund ॐ Erik Jacobsen

Manly P. Hall and the Kundalini

As of late, I have been doing extensive research regarding the topic of the Kundalini, or Serpent Fire, and its relationship to the mysteries and Immortality. Any discussion regarding this topic would not be complete without direct referencing from the great Manly P. Hall. We know that the ancients combined philosophy and science into the singular study of the human body. Most contemporary sciences, however, like to separate these ideas; but not so with the ancients. You see, the functions of the body, despite all our medical advances today, remain a mystery. Therefore, the mysteries we study today also involve the human body, or bodily mysteries. So much of our symbols do relate to and correspond to the mysteries of the body and its mind, and its purpose, which is regeneration. Therefore, what did Manly P Hall have to say on the matter?

First and foremost, Hall related the concept of Kundalini to that of Hiram Abiff (CHiram), the central figure in Blue Lodge Masonry. Furthermore, he also referred to the topic as the Spirit Fire, and the Lost Key of Masonry, or human regeneration. He further related it to 33 degrees of Freemasonry and the human spinal cord. And finally, Hall also discussed the importance of raising the Spirit Fire up the vertebrae to the pineal gland:

Sufficient similarity exists between the Masonic CHiram and the Kundalini of Hindu mysticism to warrant the assumption that CHiram may be considered a symbol also of the Spirit Fire moving through the sixth ventricle of the spinal column. The exact science of human regeneration is the Lost Key of Masonry, for when the Spirit Fire is lifted up through the thirty-three degrees, or segments of the spinal column, and enters into the domed chamber of the human skull, it finally passes into the pituitary body (Isis), where it invokes Ra (the pineal gland) and demands the Sacred Name. Operative Masonry, in the fullest meaning of that term, signifies the process by which the Eye of Horus is opened. E. A. Wallis Budge has noted that in some of the papyri illustrating the entrance of the souls of the dead into the judgment hall of Osiris the deceased person has a pine cone attached to the crown of his head. The Greek mystics also carried a symbolic staff, the upper end being in the form of a pine cone, which was called the thyrsus of Bacchus. In the human brain there is a tiny gland called the pineal body, which is the sacred eye of the ancients, and corresponds to the third eye of the Cyclops. Little is known concerning the function of the pineal body, which Descartes suggested (more wisely than he knew) might be the abode of the spirit of man. As its name signifies, the pineal gland is the sacred pine cone in man–the eye single, which cannot be opened until CHiram (the Spirit Fire) is raised through the sacred seals which are called the Seven Churches in Asia (Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of all Ages, 1929, p. 79).

Hall further relates Hiram Abiff (CHiram) to the three gates of the temple, and the northern gate, in which the sun never shines; like that of a Lodge room’s empty seat in the north. You see, the body is represented by the crystallized water/spirit of the north; and man’s light shines always to the north. For this reason then, the moon can come to represent our physical nature. As such, Hiram is the fiery or airy water that must be raised, which is further symbolized by the ladder (2nd degree of Freemasonry). Furthermore, Hiram also passes up by means of the ladder of the spinal cord, or Tree of Life. Moreover, the sacred number of man is nine, which is symbolized by the sacrum and coccyx; the lower part of the body, often termed the Land of Egypt. And like Moses coming out of Egypt, the human mind is illuminated by raising the brazen serpent (Tau Cross), which is personified by the Spirit Fire of the human spinal cord being raised:

As applied to Masonry, the three sunbursts represent the gates of the temple at which CHiram was struck, there being no gate in the north because the sun never shines from the northern angle of the heavens. The north is the symbol of the physical because of its relation to ice (crystallized water) and to the body (crystallized spirit). In man the light shines toward the north but never from it, because the body has no light of its own but shines with the reflected glory of the divine life-particles concealed within physical substance. For this reason the moon is accepted as the symbol of man’s physical nature. CHiram is the mysterious fiery, airy water which must be raised through the three grand centers symbolized by the ladder with three rungs and the sunburst flowers mentioned in the description of the Hindu painting. It must also pass upward by means of the ladder of seven rungs-the seven plexuses proximate to the spine. The nine segments of the sacrum and coccyx are pierced by ten foramina, through which pass the roots of the Tree of Life. Nine is the sacred number of man, and in the symbolism of the sacrum and coccyx a great mystery is concealed. That part of the body from the kidneys downward was termed by the early Qabbalists the Land of Egypt into which the children of Israel were taken during the captivity. Out of Egypt, Moses (the illuminated mind, as his name implies) led the tribes of Israel (the twelve faculties) by raising the brazen serpent in the wilderness upon the symbol of the Tau cross. Not only CHiram but the god-men of nearly every pagan Mystery ritual are personifications of the Spirit Fire in the human spinal cord (Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of all Ages, 1929, p. 79).

Along this same line of thinking, Hall mentioned that man’s lower nature is symbolized by a leviathan, or sea serpent, or dragon. Furthermore, all serpentine forms have come to represent solar energy. As such, the serpent signifies the imprisoned life force, or divine energy, rushing through man’s body; it’s passion, lust and even greed are present until it is transmuted and controlled. And Jesus has also come to represent this concealed divine nature within man himself:

According to many scattered fragments extant, man’s lower nature was symbolized by a tremendous, awkward creature resembling a great sea serpent, or dragon, called leviathan. All symbols having serpentine form or motion signify the solar energy in one of its many forms. This great creature of the sea therefore represents the solar life force imprisoned in water and also the divine energy coursing through the body of man, where, until transmuted, it manifests itself as a writhing, twisting monster–man’s greeds, passions, and lusts. Among the symbols of Christ as the Savior of men are a number relating to the mystery of His divine nature concealed within the personality of the lowly Jesus (Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of all Ages, 1929, p. 86).

We now see Hall relating the ancient understanding of Kundalini/Serpent Fire to that of the medical profession through the sign of the Hermes staff. Moreover, the serpent is aligned with the ideas of wisdom and even salvation; regardless of Christendom’s contemporary view of evil. In fact, the serpent tempts man with the knowledge of himself. Like that of the tree of life being compared to the spinal cord, calling it the spinal fire, which is the gift of the great serpent. And perhaps most boldly, Hall relates this Serpent Fire to the redemption of the savior, Jesus the Christ; and he uses the example of Moses raising the serpent in the desert as his example, and the example of Christ telling his disciples to be as wise as the serpents:

In the ancient Mysteries the serpent entwining a staff was the symbol of the physician. The serpent-wound staff of Hermes remains the emblem of the medical profession. Among nearly all these ancient peoples the serpent was accepted as the symbol of wisdom or salvation. The antipathy which Christendom feels towards the snake is based upon the little-understood allegory of the Garden of Eden. The serpent is true to the principle of wisdom, for it tempts man to the knowledge of himself. Therefore the knowledge of self resulted from man’s disobedience to the Demiurgus, Jehovah. How the serpent came to be in the garden of the Lord after God had declared that all creatures which He had made during the six days of creation were good has not been satisfactorily answered by the interpreters of Scripture. The tree that grows in the midst of the garden is the spinal fire; the knowledge of the use of that spinal fire is the gift of the great serpent. Notwithstanding statements to the contrary, the serpent is the symbol and prototype of the Universal Savior, who redeems the worlds by giving creation the knowledge of itself and the realization of good and evil. If this be not so, why did Moses raise a brazen serpent upon a cross in the wilderness that all who looked upon it might be saved from the sting of the lesser snakes? Was not the brazen serpent a prophecy of the crucified Man to come? If the serpent be only a thing of evil, why did Christ instruct His disciples to be as wise as serpents (Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of all Ages, 1929, p. 88)?

Despite the prevailing thought that the serpent is evil, Hall counters such ideas with some esoteric thinking. He claimed the serpent represented Immortality and is a symbol of reincarnation, due to the shedding of its skin, and it being given the luster of a new skinning body. You see, metaphorically, the serpent never dies, except by violence or by injury. And the serpent is also emblematic of God, because like a serpent swallowing itself (eating its tail), the creator reabsorbs his universe back into himself:

The accepted theory that the serpent is evil cannot be substantiated. It has long been viewed as the emblem of immortality. It is the symbol of reincarnation, or metempsychosis, because it annually sheds its skin, reappearing, as it were, in a new body. There is an ancient superstition to the effect that snakes never die except by violence and that, if uninjured, they would live forever. It was also believed that snakes swallowed themselves, and this resulted in their being considered emblematic of the Supreme Creator, who periodically reabsorbed His universe back into Himself (Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of all Ages, 1929, p. 88).

The history that the serpent is a universal belief, like that of the cross, and even predates Christianity, was pointed out by Hall, especially when he mentioned its origin is from that of Atlantis, “Atlantean sun worship has been perpetuated in the ritualism and ceremonialism of both Christianity and pagandom. Both the cross and the serpent were Atlantean emblems of divine wisdom (Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of all Ages, 1929, p. 34).

Hall further related astral light to that of a depiction of a serpent eating it own tail, and the colors of black and white, “the alternately black and white serpent of astral light“; and further related this topic to cosmic motion, “Vishnu sitting in the blossom of the lotus on a couch formed of the coils of the serpent of cosmic motion (Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of all Ages, 1929, p. 77). Both of which relate to the purpose of Kundalini, which is further consciousness, which can only be sought in the etheric realm.

There is, of course, much much more to Hall’s writings regarding the Serpent Fire/ Kundalini, but I think I have made my point; this was just a teaser. I highly recommend any ardent student of the esoteric sciences take the time to delve further into his writings. In fact, there are over 154 references to the term serpent in Hall’s book Secret Teachings of all Ages (1929). If one is seeking a better understanding of the esoteric science of Kundalini, especially from a Masonic perspective, I highly recommend this course of study; I know I did.

So Mote It Be!

[finisnihil]

One of the reasons Everything Everywhere All At Once made multiverses work is that they understood the idea that multiverses are kinda intrinsically connected to nihilism as a concept. In a multiverse, it's either nothing matters or everything matters. The best multiverses i've seen have broached the idea with this in mind. In Everything Everywhere All At Once, the predominanting mindset of the movie is that, even in the joke universes, everything matters. Evelyn doesn't beat the characters she's fighting by extending kindness to them in only one universe, she does it in all of them. The universe we end in at the end of the movie doesn't matter because they all matter just as much as the one Evelyn started in.

I don't know enough about the Into the Spiderverse movies to commentate on that but the Honkai games can also be a good example. The whole reason why Otto doing the thing he did worked at all was because all the possibilities matter, even the one he sacrifices himself to make. If the ones with Kallen's death matter, so must the one with her survival. Acheron as a character is an Emanator of the Aeon of Nihility and it's hammered in that everything she does do has a purpose. We know what she did for Tiernan mattered because it helped save Penacony. Self-Annihilators exist to resist IX and part of doing that is rejecting the idea nothing matters because embracing it leads to you being devoured. She is aware of the concept of multiple worlds and versions of a person and acknowledges that, while she is not the same Raiden Mei HI3 players know and love, she is still a Raiden Mei and and if HI3's Raiden Mei matters, so does she.

It's all or nothing. If nothing matters, there's no reason to get invested. If everything matters, everything is something worth love and attention. A multiverse narrative cannot survive on the idea your actions don't matter when the whole idea of a multiverse is built on the premise that your actions have the power to split existence to accommodate their impact.

[lemotmo]

Sounds like she got lots of asks complaining about this. She removed one post I sent you earlier for what she called an 'error' on her part, but responded to one of the other complaints. As I said they're so close but still so far 😂😂😂

Q. The show did us so dirty on the Tommy and Buck relationship front. I have spent the days following Thursday's episode rewatching their storyline and they actually had very few scenes that were just for and about them. Eddie was way too involved and it allowed their relationship to be overshadowed by his presence. They only had a handful of scenes that didn't directly involve Eddie and that's just dreadfully bad storytelling. Their entire relationship happened off screen. I appreciate Tim making a point of having Eddie outright state that he is straight and I appreciate both Oliver and Ryan shutting down the nonsense as well but the way Eddie was shoehorned into that relationship for no apparent reason is laughable.

A. So heads up people. I answered one of these earlier but I included something that I couldn't find definitive proof of so if you saw that reply no you didn't, lol. The good news is I have lots of complaints about this so it wasn't difficult to find another one to reply too.

Now, anon, you know what's really crazy about the Buck/Tommy/Eddie thing? That absolutely no one tried to point out the giant Eddie shaped thread that existed throughout that entire relationship. It's crazy how not a single person caught how much Eddie was present in that relationship. Weird, huh? Now I'm going to blow your mind even more. They didn't even have a handful of scenes that were just for or about them. Yes, they had a handful of scenes that didn't directly include Eddie, but he was still a factor in each of those scenes. Eddie was not present for their first kiss, but he was the topic of conversation leading up to the kiss. Eddie wasn't in the room when they had their second kiss, but he was there, and the show made a point of showing his reaction to the kiss. Eddie wasn't present for the night at the loft following Buck's shoulder injury, but he was the one who was actually with Buck at the hospital, and he was the one Tommy called to come treat Buck the following morning. Eddie wasn't present for the anniversary dinner, but he was mentioned in the scene when Tommy tells Buck he can take Eddie to the Lakers game 'and die', in what I still think was foreshadowing dialogue. Eddie wasn't present for the breakup, but he's who Buck went to following the breakup. Tommy told Buck he was his first, not his last. The last shot of that episode was of Buck and Eddie. Eddie was physically present in the scene where they met. Eddie was physically present at the basketball game. Eddie was physically present at the bachelor party. Eddie was physically present at the medal ceremony. Eddie was physically present at the virtual bday party for Chris. Eddie was physically present at the hospital following Buck's injury. Eddie was physically present the morning after in the loft. Over the course of their entire relationship Buck and Tommy had ONE scene that did not directly or indirectly involve Eddie in some capacity, and that was the dinner date during the season 7 finale. But even then Buck had spent the entire episode prior to the date, with Eddie. Yes, the point of the relationship was for Buck to discover his bisexuality, but the subtext of the relationship was Eddie. Eddie was everywhere, and that was not accidental. He was purposely written into the narrative. And many, many people tried to point that out to you all. The show didn't play you or lie to you. Lou did and you all did. You played yourselves and then you paid him to lie to you as well.

The show has never had Bobby, Athena, Maddie or Chimney directly state their heterosexuality. That's not something television shows do. Being heterosexual is the assumption. When a television show has a character state it outright it's usually an indication that they won't end up being heterosexual. Actors lie all the time in interviews. It's deliberate. Their job is to make you want to watch the episodes. Not tell you directly what will happen in the episodes. Do we know for sure? No, you're correct about that. But everything the show has done so far has been very loud and not very subtle. And I'm sorry, anon, but usually a character stating their straightness is the beginning of a sexuality arc. That's kind of starting a sexuality arc 101.

Thanks Nonny! Much appreciated!

I agree with all of this. Nothing to add. Ali has slain again, as per usual. 😂

IMPORTANT! Please don't repost this ask and/or a link that leads straight to my Tumblr account on Twitter or any other social media. Thank you!

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[universalzones]

"Really? And here I thought they came all this for a fucking tea party with scones. Obviously I know GUN isn't here to just fucking talk, and I'm sure they have their own plans to be a pain in the ass. Though in case you forgot YOU'RE the hero, even to their bitch ass's. How do you think they'll react if you go off the fucking rails. At least if I do it then it'd be way easier for The Restoration to cut me off real quick." It was a blunt and harsh truth, though being such a loose cannon came in handy in a situation like this.

"What do you take me for, a fucking idiot? I'm well aware that I'll have to convince Kit NOT to fight GUN and let them arrest me, and doing that will be like pulling fucking teeth. That doesn't change the fact I trust only you to get him home and to keep your mouth shut just where it is. I'm not telling saying you can't be angry, though take it from me, you don't want it controlling you." Until today most of Surge's choices were driven by her anger.

"Look, I know you ain't happy about my choice, though believe it or not it's for me too. I got shit I need to pay for, and not everything is as easy as changing and running around helping people. Sometimes jail time is need, though I'm sure we both know some crazy threat will come up to force GUNs hand to let me loose to help which could help me get out faster." Surge main reason for doing this was clearly for Kit, though another reason was doing it for herself.

"So if you're done arguing with me then lets get to this fucking checkpoint and make sure GUN knows trying anything stupid will piss both of us off." Surge was ready to start telling GUN to pack it up and go the fuck home, if only for the fact it would get Drippy home faster. "Besides, in case you forgot we got giant Momma Wisp up there." The tenrec doubts GUN wants to fuck with a Wisp that side.

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

"Belle Bot wasn't designed programming of hacking, and it was something we put on the back burner as it was made mainly for defense purpose's. Simply put, it can't do something on this scale, though I suppose it'll work for at least jamming their communication and airships if need be. Belle Bot, run program delta nine B on all GUN communication devices and airship within range."

Belle Bot's eyes would glow green for a moment. "Executing command and calculating time until completion. Calculation complete. Command will be fully done in six minutes. Recommending to avoid conflict until process is complete." The bot would then put it's focus on completing the command.

"Why? It's not like you did this to me, and honestly I couldn't care less about your existence by this point. At this point my dislike for you is only because of how continue to let Sonic act so foolish and not convince him to end Eggman. Heroism is fine, though there's a clear line between heroism and stupidity. You and I both know if Sonic really wanted to he could end Eggman at anytime. I'm sure even you can, though you don't." For the most part Kitsunami had gotten past Starline's programming expect for a voice every now and then.

"So there's nothing to talk about as I just don't like you, though I can also admit I don't trust you either. Mainly because our points of view are so far apart and so different. If it helps I can say it's no longer personal as I apply this logic to Sonic and plenty of your friends." Kitsunami could now say he was mostly thinking for himself, even if most of his motivation was to help Surge.

All Sonic could see in that moment was red, and that anger was bubbling up like geyser ready to blow. He didn't have much in this world that he cared for, and he knew Amy was a tough girl. But seeing her like that just flipped a switch for him. Maybe it was that curse that linked him to her, or maybe was just his own protective nature as a guardian of his world. He didn't know but he'd never felt such a desire to put someone in the ground. Even despite the fact that he was hyper aware Surge was trying to prevent him from making a huge mistake. It didn't really register completely.

He grit his teeth and leaned in close to Surge and was seconds from speaking, telling her where she could shove her worries. If she knew Abe like he did, if she had any idea of all the awful things he was party to. She'd have wanted to put him in the ground to. GUN drove Gerald mad, tossed shadow in a damn stasis pod, killed maria in cold blood and so much more! there was alot they would never atone for in Sonic's eyes---all of this was just another drop in the bucket.

" Talkin' ain't ever gonna be GUN's language! I am so sick of tryin' to talk with those people! they only language they get is force, so i'm just gonna speak there language!?! "

He had no qualms busting Surge's face wide open to get to them either! Luckily Tails voice was perhaps the one he needed to hear most, mostly because of how close they were. But despite that it didn't make him less angry, it just made him bury it again and hide away like he always did. When he thought about it, he was kind of a coward wasnt he? always hiding, always tucking his tail and running from all that pent up aggression.

Surge could see his hostility ebb away, it was likely the first time she'd seen him so worked up. Yes he did care for Amy, like he cared for Tails, and anyone who threatened them was on his shit list!

" ... Mark my words, they ain't here to talk Surge... those bastards are a bunch of child killin' life ruinin' sacks of absolute shit. I'll play nice... but the moment i find out Abe was behind Amy's attack... the gloves are off... i ain't puttin' that to the side. You'd do the same if it was Kit... "

He looked away from her to the airship that was just within sight of them now.

" They ain't here to help... you an i both know it... this is gonna be us vs them... i'll wait... and i keep my promises. So you can relax... "

He was still very obviously pissed off, and only holding back for the time being. One wrong move by GUN was likely to set his ass off. But he knew if GUN had his way they'd lock them both up for sure. His eyes went to Surge though and narrowed as he realized something important and, as he needed some way to direct his anger he snapped at her instead.

" and YOU need to tell him the damn truth! because i sure as fuck ain't gonna explain it to him. Do you think for a moment he'd listen to me or tails anyway? You need to tell him, and soon..."

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

Tails wasn't sure if it was Belle in control or an auto pilot in truth it was hard to tell. But he was pretty impressed by the over all craftsmanship of the bot. It was impressive and showed how far she'd come! He was always impressed by her work, and it was proof in his mind that Eggman's bots could do good given the right program and incentive.

" And who do you think designed the artificial Chaos? Doctor Gerald Robotnik... Eggman's grandfather. Lots of Eggman's technology was inspired by Gerald, even if Gerald's intentions were pure... alot of his tech was turned into weapons for GUN or worse... locked up for being to dangerous. But i guess you know more about it then i do... just hard not to see the similarities "

Tails had been working the entire time he was talking. He connected the satellite to the Belle Bot which gave her access to the eye in the sky. This also allowed her to interface with the restoration com network fully, and reconnect the broken bits from the EMP with the satellites network.

" I got it, i do hope Belle doesn't mind me using the belle Bot as a relay... but, that should reconnect Restoration communications. Also you should be able to use the belle bot's signal to connect to the satellite using it as a proxy. That should limit any risk to your own equipment... "

Not that there was any risk to begin with, but he hoped it quelled Kit's paranoia.

" I... know i probably shouldn't even say anything. But... I'm Sorry you know, for everything that's happened... Deep down i guess i just want to find some middle ground for you and I... I just want us to be able to talk ... work this all out somehow. "

He sighed and gave Kit a side glance with one of his ears falling over

" When this is over... do you think... we can talk? Not asking for anything else... just a chance for us to talk, "

[dakota1435]

Moonlight -- Vampire!Sylus X Reader ✩₊˚.☪︎ ⁺₊✧

word count: 3.3k

tags: 18+ NSFW!!, mention of blood, biting, penetration, mention of alcohol

previous chapters on Ao3 / This blog !

Chapter 6

After your…newfound experience, Sylus left the house to attend to more business matters. Always so busy, yet didn’t seem bothered by it. But, like the past couple of weeks has been, you’ve been left alone with your thoughts. Now, something different was blossoming in you. Your mind was constantly preoccupied with the memory of Sylus’ sweet, poisonous words. His bite wasn’t anything like the first time. It burned like fire, the heat searing across your body. It gave you goosebumps, recalling the feeling. But the pleasure and pain were both equal with each other. You found yourself wanting to feel it again, craving it like a strong wine. 

           Most importantly, you found yourself confused. The old you would have rather died than to submit at the hands of someone violent and arrogant. He had everything at his fingers, and you easily fell into all of it. Just like he knew you would. Your life changed completely overnight, yet it only took a matter of time to accept this new one. How long would he keep you around? Would he tire from you, bored of your mortal existence? If so, would he set you back out into the world? You felt dizzy just thinking about it. These negative thoughts weren’t good for you, but it was hard to think about anything else. It made the feeding so much easier, and felt heavenly at that, but your dumb mortal emotions reacted strongly. You didn’t know what to take from it. You were food for Sylus, your only purpose to serve him what he craves. Maybe he didn’t care about you like he acted. Maybe he didn’t want you, other than for one reason you were purchased for. 

           Truthfully, it made you depressed. A hollow feeling started to form in your chest. For the rest of the night, you didn’t leave his room. You dismissed off the twins who brought you dinner, having trouble finding the motivation or energy to exist. Maybe it was some deeper, inner insecurity you never realized you had. Time moves slow, too slow when all you did was lay there. Your thoughts were swimming, questions firing left and right in your brain. It felt like hours have passed, your body aching from your stillness. You expected Sylus to be there any second but he wasn’t there.

          “Miss? You feeling okay?" said one of the twins on the other side of the door. You couldn’t tell which one spoke, their voices muffled by the physical barrier. You just stare, unsure what to say. They must know something was off. 

          “I’m fine,” you responded plainly. The twins were too keen on their senses to not know something was up. 

          “Boss said you must eat or drink something. What can we bring you?” You internally groan with their persistence. They told Sylus you refused dinner. You truly weren’t hungry though, so you said the first consumable item to pop in your head. 

          “Okay, can I have some wine?” You asked. There’s a pause behind the door and part of you wonders if you’ll be refused for the first time. 

          “Of course. We’ll send some up.” They don’t give you time to respond as you hear their footsteps walk away from the door. Wine sounded pretty good anyways, and maybe it’ll help ease the weight on your mind. Within mere minutes, a bottle of unopened wine appears in an ice bucket outside your door. It almost felt like room service, much to your amusement. 

            You’ll just take some personal time for yourself, relaxing. Self care. Although, unfortunately, you know you have all the time in the world for that. Considering Sylus’ never ending work, you had too much alone time. You shake off the anxious thoughts creeping back into your head before opening the wine bottle. It was a high quality red wine and you knew this was a good decision. 

            The taste warmed your throat the same way Sylus’ lips did against yours. You were thinking about him too much, and tonight you didn’t want that. You drink more, a little sloppy, but in your desolate state you could care less. You scoffed out loud, wondering when Sylus’ touch began to stick to you. Maybe you’ll take another bath, hoping to feel like a new blank state. The lack of substance in your stomach made you tipsy quick, but that was kinda the plan anyways. You ease off of the massive bed and head towards the open bathroom. The king-sized clawfoot bathtub was still in its original place as you last used it, just hours ago. With one hand preoccupied with a wine glass, the other fumbles with a knob, causing hot, steamy water to pour out. You lean against the marble counter, continuing to drink. You still thought of Sylus, and part of it scared you you were becoming too attached to him. Naturally, you didn’t have anything but him. He wanted that though, so what if you were attached? 

         Seeing the water was filled just enough, you decided to slip off your clothes and go inside the tub. As you pull your shirt over, your elbow ends up knocking against the wine glass. It fell over, shattering in the bathroom sink. The abrupt sound made you spin around in surprise, only to find the remnants of glass. Well, at least it’s all in one spot, you thought. You sigh, carefully taking the bigger shards out first. Before you stick your hand in again, something cold and hard stops your movement. You knew it was Sylus’ hand without looking at him. 

            “Always about to prick your finger when I’m around. Careful, sweetie, we wouldn’t want that.” You look at him in the mirror before you. You’d think he wouldn’t be visible, like the stories, but your mind was burning the image of his body powering over you. The way his eyes took in every detail of you and the way his hand easily wrapped around your delicate hand. This new pet name, sweetie, felt almost belittling. But there was something ravishing in his tone when he said it. 

           “Sorry…” You looked away from the reflection. You move out of his grasp with ease. 

           “You…are drinking?” Sylus cocks an eyebrow. He didn’t sound mad, but there was a genuine curiosity in his question. “Luke said you refused dinner. Are you feeling alright?” He said, sounding more flat. 

           You realized your chest and arms were casually exposed to him right now. You look at the steaming water, then back to Sylus. “I just wanted to relax today.” You hold your arm, feeling sheepish. He stares at you for a moment, deciding if you were truthful or not. 

           He closes the gap between you two. “Feeling modest aren’t you? A little late for that now, don’t you think kitten?” His body presses up against yours as he grabs the arm that was across your torso. He brings up your hand and places his lips on your knuckles. You flush instantly, his touch reminding you of the great pleasure he’s capable of. “Don’t hide yourself from me. I own you, I own everything about you.” His lips now graze against your wrist, his fangs hovering. You tense, preparing for anything. This doesn’t go unnoticed. He drops your hand back down. 

“Tell me what is wrong,” he demanded suddenly. His patience was thin tonight and you understood that you couldn’t hide your feelings, no matter how hard you tried.

“What will happen to me when you’re done with me?” The words proved difficult to speak, but once you said it you felt a little lighter. Sylus’ expression doesn’t change but you have to know the answer. You couldn’t spend the rest of your lonely time here just waiting in anxious anticipation.

“Done with you?” He repeats, sounding confused. “Whatever do you mean?” You could tell he knew exactly what you meant, and it was amusing for him to see you try and open up. It was frustrating, but there was no other way you would be able to get this done.

“You know! Done with me. Bored with me, a human. You know exactly what I mean,” you said, your tongue feeling sharp. Sylus stares at you, his expression blank and unreadable. It’s like those crimson eyes of his could see right through you. He positions himself in front of you, causing you to lean against the marble counter. There was barely any room left to breathe. 

“Bored of you?” He spoke softer now as the distance between you was nonexistent. He tucks a strand of hair behind your ear gently before tracing his touch down your jaw. His hand holds your jaw in place, causing you to be unable to look away from him. “Don’t be so foolish. I told you before, you’re mine forever. It is going to be very entertaining.” He leans his head down, his breath barely caressing your ear. “You gave yourself to me. You’re in this for the long run, sweetie. I know you, now. I feel the way you tense up, the way your heartbeat quickens. How warm you get when I touch you like this.” He slides his hand away from your jaw, tracing down past your chest and just barely above your torso. His featherlight touch felt like pure electricity as it made its way down to your lower body. He grazes his long fingers against your inner thigh, causing you to hitch your breathing. 

Oh, how he was right. How he was right about everything. Even now, as he easily proved you wrong, you were turned on from his voice and his touch. Intoxicating as always. He presses a quick kiss against your neck, sending shivers down your spine. With one fluid motion, he places both hands around your legs and hoists you up upon the bathroom counter. It was cool to the touch as your legs tried to adjust comfortably on the marble. Sylus now stood, his physical presence hovering over you as you sat. Opened, and exposed, for him. He radiated desire and you could tell it took effort to control himself. He was ready to devour you whole. 

“Do you want me to stop?” He asked in a low, husky tone. You wondered if he truly would, if you said no. Clearly, at this moment, that’s not what you wanted. It  made you blush when he asked permission. He could take you any time, any moment. You were at the mercy of his hands after all. You shake your head.

“No…” You murmured. Your body felt like fire as you sat against the cool marble. Sylus was pleased with your answer, continuing to roam his hands over you. He somehow managed to slip your bottoms off with ease, causing you to be mostly bare in front of him. He traces his fingers over the underwear you still wore, teasing. Testing you. You knew he could hear your heart hammer against your chest. He could feel the heat pooling in your most sensitive spot. 

“You are the most intoxicating, my dear.” He plants another kiss on your neck, onto your jaw, before placing his lips on yours. You melt into his kiss without hesitation. His praise, whether for you or for your blood, turned you on more. You wanted more– you wanted him. His heavy fingers touch softly over your underwear, making you twitch with anticipation. Without warning, he tears off your last remaining fabric as if it was nothing.

“Wh–!” 

“They were in the way,” he growled. He touches you directly now, a soft gasp leaving your lips as he continues. You hear him snicker as he feels you are already wet with desire. “Such a good, obedient pet,” he whispered, teasing your entrance. He eases a finger into you as his thumb rubs your clit. You lean forward, grabbing Sylus as if he was the only thing anchoring you in this world. You feel him place a hand behind your back, holding you against him. He kisses the top of your head as he begins to move his hand, slowly adding another finger. This all happened last night, but it felt like it was the first time all over again. You moan and whimper into his shoulder, feeling yourself unravel just from his hand. 

“Mmf— Oh…God.” You can’t stop the moans that slip past your lips. You wondered if he would bite again so soon. 

“Tell me what you want,” he demanded. His hand never stopped. He looks down at your body against him, clutching onto his sleeves. 

“More,” you blurted. Little did you know what you were truly asking for. It might be too much, too overstimulating, but you were on a high of pleasure. You couldn’t stop here, now. Sylus smirks, his brows lifting at your confidence. He pulls his two fingers away from you, causing a whine of disapproval. He takes a step back, taking a good look at you. A wet mess, sitting on top of his counter. Unexpectedly, he picks you up from where you sat. With one arm, you are perched up against his body as if you were weightless. He strolls out of the bathroom and plops you down on his massive bed. Laying down, sprawled out for him, you realize this was going to be more than last night. A lot more. You swallow, trying to relax as you watch him unbutton his shirt. He doesn’t break eye contact, his red eyes burning into you, as he removes more clothes. 

Seeing his erection was all you needed to know. You can’t help but widen your eyes at the sheer size of it. There was no way all of that was going to fit. He notices your reaction and smirks with satisfaction.

“Worried?” He teased. If just his two fingers made you feel full, you couldn’t imagine anything more than that. 

“I—I’m not,” you stammered. You could feel yourself throb with pleasure and anticipation for what was about to come. You’ve only had a couple of boyfriends before this mess, and you nothing would compare in size against Sylus. He leans closer, fully hovering over you. He kisses you more, this time it’s hungry. He grabs you tighter as his tongue pries into your mouth. You return with the same energy, not wanting to falter back by any means necessary. Something dripped on your stomach, only for you to realize it was his precum. He wanted you badly and you wondered how he managed to have the patience left in him. 

“Relax,” he purred into your ear. You could feel your stomach tightened. This was going to be the point of no return. A very small part of you felt anxious. After all day stewing in your thoughts about Sylus, and your future, you laid here submissive for him. His touch and his praise was all you needed to melt away any thoughts. You felt like a blank canvas, waiting for him to paint you out. You suddenly feel something prodding at your entrance. You inhale, knowing it was the tip of his cock. By God, that alone, felt enough. “You can take it,” he reassured. Although, you truly didn’t know if you could. He teases you a bit more before cautiously pushing in. You grasp onto him tightly again, unable to hold anything else. He kisses the side of your face, you assumed this was for comfort. His brows were furrowed as his breathing became quicker. He was really trying to hold back.

“ ‘s not gonna fit,” you whined. You couldn’t tell precisely, but he was halfway in. You were already so full. Your clit throbbed with need, swollen with pleasure. He looked at you and your eyes, glazed over with lust. 

“Yes, it will,” he grunts, pushing in a bit further. Tears pricked at the corner of your eyes, before Sylus kisses them. You take a deep breath, trying to relax yourself again. He applies pressure on your clit again, the touch along with the pressure inside you makes you roll with pleasure. “You’re doing so well,” he praised. He exhales as he carefully slides out of you right before pushing back in. You felt everything, each minor movement causing you to moan lightly. It’ll be a miracle if you can walk after this. 

When Sylus realizes you can take all of him, he begins to move his hips more. You couldn’t stop staring at him, the image of his naked body over you burned into your mind. It’s like he was sculpted by the Gods, every part of him. He was…beautiful. It made you feel satisfied and delighted seeing him vulnerable like this. Your mind was drunk on pleasure, but in that moment you didn’t care if you were used for blood. He wanted you. Craved not just your blood, but your body too. 

His pace begins to pick up, each thrust sending you over the edge. You can’t help but moan for him, moan his name. You could tell he enjoyed every sound that came from you. He groaned back, never releasing the hold he had on you. You could feel your orgasm building with each movement, a sweet release you anticipated this whole time. 

“Ah! Mm…Sylus, please,” you begged, unsure what you were begging for exactly.You could feel yourself getting close, all this overstimulation making you feel drunk. He grabs your jaw, his pace never slowing down. 

“Speak,” he ordered. His breathing was uneven as his brows were still knitted together. His thrusts become heavier now, each one making you forget all the words in your mind. Your eyes roll back, taking every single bit of pleasure you could get. 

“Please,” you lowered your hand, lightly touching yourself. You were getting desperate now. “Mm…Ah, ‘m so close.” You were breathless. So full of him. You didn’t know what exactly you needed to come, but you were determined to find it. You didn’t care if he fed again, or whatever he wanted to do. None of it mattered anymore. His touch changed you completely. As your core tightened around him, you were bound to unravel against him any second. Sylus felt the shift in you. He grunted, grinding himself in you.

“So tight…” He hummed. “Come for me, darling.” He didn’t have to ask twice. He was practically slamming into you, all of him. You couldn’t speak anymore, all words lost to your vocal moans. If he kept this up, you were going to see stars. You grab him harder, your nails digging into him as an attempt to hold on. You were on the edge and it drove you insane. With the little strength you had left, you forcefully pulled Sylus down closer to you. It threw him off guard for a second, before realizing what you wanted. You fully exposed the side of your neck, beckoning him. You wanted him to bite you, because there was no greater pleasure than that. He doesn’t say a word before his teeth plunge into your soft skin. The bite was harsher this time, causing you to scream out. You reach your climax instantly, the release was like nothing you ever experienced before. Your mouth hangs open, unable to even make a sound as Sylus’ hips begin to slow against you. His mouth is still over your neck, his wet tongue lapping over the hot blood that oozes from the wound. 

As the rush begins to leave your body, you feel extremely lightheaded. Black spots form in the corner of your vision. This isn’t good, you thought to yourself. You were too weak, too exhausted to say anything. Let alone push Sylus off of you. You attempt to make a noise, the black spots never fading. You feel Sylus lift himself up, the room spinning in your vision. You hear Sylus say something, but it’s muffled as you slowly lose consciousness. Without control, you feel your eyes roll back into your head. 

Your body becomes numb, before you are dragged back into the darkness.

[kei-crocker]

I was thinking about that exact moment when Phantom splits off from Danny and becomes Dark Danny, and why he acted the way he did: 

After watching that Butch Hartman interview, it’s clear canon of the show and canon from the AGIT don’t quite match up, so honestly, it doesn’t make much sense to analyze that episode using the AGIT canon.

Still, AGIT does say Phantom, the ghost half of Danny, originally came from his desire to protect others. But after the Nasty Burger incident, he lost everyone he’d ever wanted to protect, and all the power he’d gained to protect them suddenly had no purpose. So maybe that's why Phantom’s existence got so warped—his entire purpose and the source of his power had disappeared. And then Danny, dealing with PTSD, asks to have his humanity removed so he can escape those painful memories. The irony here is that, by doing this, he ultimately causes his human half to be destroyed. It’s possible that the moment Danny wished away his humanity, the fate of his separated kid self was already sealed. Phantom wasn’t acting out of rage or losing his mind—he was acting with purpose, specifically to rid himself of his own humanity.

Right before killing his human half, Phantom forcibly splits Vlad and Plasmius, then enshadowed(posessed? I don't know what is the proper word for this) Plasmius. I see this as an extension of his original goal: he may have lost the ones he wanted to protect, but he was still seeking power. Phantom, having lost half of his strength(Danny's human part), saw that absorbing Plasmius might be his only way to become stronger. And then, to fulfill his other objective, he kills his human half to rid himself of his last bit of humanity.

Based on canon, it feels like ghosts’ ultimate goal, ironically, is survival. They get stronger through human emotions or interactions, but if they can’t do that, they lose power and potentially fade away. They’re technically dead, but at the same time, they're “living” their second life as ghosts, striving for survival by interacting with humans in pursuit of their goals.

From this angle, I feel like I understand Dan’s actions a bit better. Sure, he did say he’d do *anything* to get rid of Danny Fenton, but I think survival was also part of his goal. Dan is made up of the part of Danny that wanted strength to protect loved ones, and of Vlad’s pride—the part of him that wanted his loved ones to stay by his side, and this makes him ultimately craved power. Dan was bound to seek power; it was what kept him going. But once he lost his purpose and the means became the goal, he became twisted and distorted.

So if ghosts gain strength by following their purposes, giving them the power to continue existing, then what happens to Dan, a complete ghost who’s lost his original purpose? Can he set a new goal and live out his second chance? Or is a fading future all that awaits him now?

+

It’s interesting (and pretty ironic) that Vlad’s probably most loved—or most wanted love from—Maddie, Jack, and Danny’s family. So for Phantom, after absorbing Plasmius, to go and kill human Danny himself? That’s… dark. By killing the last person Vlad had to love or be loved by, Plasmius became just as twisted and warped as Phantom himself. The very reason Vlad pursued power vanished, just like Danny’s reason to seek power disappeared.

And then out of that despair and desolation that he’d brought on himself, Dan is reborn, only now he’s lost any memory of why he wanted power in the first place. All that’s left is this monstrous, destructive force, hell-bent on destroying everything in his path.

[thefirstknife]

I saw your Rasputin post earlier and I was wondering if you happen to have the link to the weblore you mentioned in the tags if it still exists?

I sure do! Legacy pt 1 and pt 2. The bit is in part 2!

“I got shot…” The realization doubles back. “I got shot?” Ana pats her chest and stiffens. She draws in shallow breath. “Jinju, did you see where it came from?” “Central ring. I dragged you into cover. Stop moving so much.” Ana peeks around the strut; an ion thread zips by and stings her helmet. Rasputin obliterates every square inch of ringlet within ten meters of the ion beam’s origin in response. Sections of the central ringlet combust and explode under heavy bombardment. The ring buckles, splitting along the seams and splaying out into space. Magnetic anchors fail as the halo fractures and splits away from the station's central architecture. Fragments rush away toward the planet; Caelus’ ruin falls to Uranus in lingering prolicidal consummation. “RASPUTIN STOP!” Laser fire halts immediately. “You’re gunna sink the whole station!”

Highly recommend reading the whole thing though! Really good for some stuff on Ana and Jinju (and Jinju's ... pets), Rasputin shenanigans and Golden Age shenanigans: Ana visits an old Golden Age space station orbiting Uranus which was Clovis' colonisation project - the ECHO ships that were meant to go to the Andromeda galaxy. Several years after this weblore, we'll learn about Soteria and how she stole one of the ECHO ships and crash landed on Neptune which leads to Neomuna! I was always intrigued about a bit in Legacy where it mentioned that one ship was still at the station, never launched, but one was missing. This was then clarified back in Seraph with Soteria which was a great throwback to this.

It's an interesting look into the Golden Age colonisation projects, something possibly relevant for Frontiers. Obviously this specific project never panned out (that we know of), but there were most likely others like it. We know that they were scanning systems outside of our own for potential and it was the sole purpose of Soteria's creation.

Really cool weblore, lots to read, Ana and Jinju are really cute, there's a Camrin mention, Rasputin is being Rasputin and there's even some space station psychological horrors of an Exo that was reset 2500+ times! For reference, it was released back in Season of the Worthy.

[caffeinatedowlbear]

On Handsome AIs and identities

This was going to be a comment in the discussion under this post, but I cannot be stopped.

After clearing up semantics, OP and I are in agreement that AI Jack was created by means of a ‘brain download’, however BL’s near-magical technology would handle that.

What comes next is determining to which degree AI Jack is or isn’t the same person as Jack 1.0. I’m afraid you’ve triggered an unskippable cutscene.

To clear this up, I propose we answer the following questions:

1. Is AI Jack a SEPARATE being from Jack 1.0?

2. Is AI Jack a DIFFERENT being than Jack 1.0?

Is he separate?

As far as I’m concerned, yes, because:

He is a new being: AI Jack is a digital entity that had not existed before being created by Nakayama: and we know that Nakayama did make the initial primitive AI we meet in TPS; we can imagine the AI Jack in Tales being a much, much, much upgraded version of that.

He is operatIONAL, even if not operatING: based on how easily AI Jack is activated in Tales, we can assume that the 'brain download' wasn’t being passively dumped into a static database, but incorporated into a digital, self-aware system capable of autonomous thought and action, once activated.

“But he wasn’t activated until—”

Irrelevant! As far as I'm concerned, a being in stasis is still a being. It exists, and it’s alive, just not presently active. If I wouldn’t be okay with destroying an active self-aware AI, I also wouldn’t be okay with destroying a fully functional AI that hasn't been activated yet. Killing the latter would NOT feel more okay than the former.

Is he different?

OP has pointed out that from the point where Jack 1.0’s and AI Jack’s experiences start to differ, they become separate beings. Based on my points above, I argue that AI Jack is a separate being from jump. But paraphrasing OP, I would say that 1.0 and AI become different beings the moment their experiences diverge.

And that moment is the very next second after 1.0’s brain download begins. Because the brain being downloaded is a snapshot in time, so as soon as 1.0 makes a new memory, including the memory of uploading said snapshot… continuity has been broken. 1.0 now has a memory that AI doesn’t.

Which kind of means that the only time Jack 1.0 and AI Jack are the same person is the split second between 1.0 starting the brain download and the download commencing?

(As an aside: if we imagine that New-U's are canon, they are meant to instantaneously back up the user's brain at the time of death, and digistruct a new body into which the brain contents are uploaded. Similar for Fast Travel or any other teleportation: you're scanned, destroyed, then recreated at the destination. As long as only one copy of you exists at a time, your continuity is preserved. If a spare copy is left behind, we have a problem.)

(As an extra aside: the show Living With Yourself features a darkly funny, but pretty solid exploration of what happens when a spare copy of you gets left behind.)

Revisiting our questions now…

1. Is AI Jack a SEPARATE being from Jack 1.0? - yes, because AI Jack has existed at the same time as Jack 1.0 

2. Is AI Jack a DIFFERENT being than Jack 1.0? - yes, because AI Jack’s memories are never exactly the same as Jack 1.0’s, due to the snapshot nature of the hypothetical brain download

Now, for the trillion-dollar question… Does being a separate and different ENTITY from Jack 1.0 make AI Jack a different PERSON?

This one, I’m afraid, has too many layers, because wouldn’t you know it, being a person is complicated. XD

For the purposes of this discussion, let’s take the Felicity example. If the memory of what Jack 1.0 did to Felicity are part of AI Jack’s memories, does this mean that AI Jack also inherits the blame for those actions?

I don’t know. For real. 

It’s easy to say ‘of course he does, because he’s a direct continuation of Jack 1.0’ - except that he’s not, as I’ve described above.

‘But even AI Jack himself, in Tales, views himself as a direct continuation of 1.0’ - but just because he thinks that doesn’t make it true.

I think the only way that makes sense to me is to ask: if Jack 1.0 were still around, whom would you hold responsible for the damage done to Felicity? For the death of Bloodwing? For the destruction of New Haven?

If you had to put someone on trial for that, would you go after the man who actually did it? Or after the man who was made to believe that he had? 

So if we wouldn’t have held AI Jack responsible for Jack 1.0’s actions if the latter was still around, I don’t think that 1.0’s death should change things.

AI Jack is a Separate and Different being than Jack 1.0, and should not be held responsible for any of 1.0’s actions.

The defense rests--

Wait, actually…

There is one exception to my closing statement.

AI Jack is a Separate and Different being than Jack 1.0, and should not be held responsible for any of 1.0’s actions UNLESS he chooses to accept that responsibility for whatever reason.

Now, in what situation would AI Jack WANT to be held responsible for Jack 1.0’s actions? When accepting responsibility is inextricably tied with some experience of being Jack 1.0. When he would rather think of himself as Jack 1.0, with everything that entails, rather than be completely separate from him.

When there’s something in his-not-his memories that he wants to think of as his own, even if it means accepting the pain and grief and other baggage that comes with it.

Consider the following segment from my fic, in which AI Jack, by now pretty invested in the idea that he is NOT Jack 1.0, believes he has a fleeting chance to speak to the ghost of Angel (emphasis added).

“Angel.” Just saying her name again makes Jack want to drop to his knees, but he’s not gunning for pity here. “I am… so sorry. I’m— I’m told you understand that I’m not… him, but really, I’m not not him, either, ‘cause I— I remember it all. Better than he ever did, ever could, ‘cause he never could go back and look, really look at it all, and I can. I… have. I’ve seen everything he’s done, I’ve learned what you did, and I got it, I finally got it, too fucking late, of course, but for what it’s worth— Yeah, no, I know it ain’t worth much. Just like your dad, always a day late and a dollar short when it comes to the stuff that matters. Gahd, you really have been dealt a shitty hand as far as parents go, eh, baby girl? Far as too many things go, really. You didn’t deserve what happened to you, what he— what I— Fuck.” He forces a chuckle. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Language.” Seriously, this identity crap is starting to really get in the way. Story of his digital life, huh. Guess he’d better pick a pronoun and stick with it. Is he saying sorry for what the other Jack did, or taking on the man’s actions as his own? Is he offering an apology, or just condolences? Is he a bystander, an accomplice, or the perpetrator? Well, he can’t be either of the last two, ‘cause he, this Jack, never did anything to her! He never even met her! He wasn’t even around at the time, he wasn’t alive, for his given value of living! He’s more than within his rights to absolve himself of the guilt. But if he does that, if he’s a bystander offering condolences, that means he’s talking to a stranger right now. If he absolves himself of the guilt, if he stands aside from the horrors Jack 1.0 is responsible for… then he’s got no claim to any of the good memories, either. He never lost a daughter ‘cause he never had one. He was never married, he never ran Hyperion, he had nothing, he was nothing till he got sparked into consciousness when Rhys jammed a data drive into his cybernetics. He’s not Handsome Jack. He’s not any Jack. He’s just a confused collection of ones and zeroes, a digital ghost mixed up in old memories he doesn’t know what to do with. She’s a stranger to him, and he’s no-one and nothing to her, and he’s got no business talking to her, and none of this has any meaning. Well. Fuck that. “Angel. I’m sorry for what I did to you. I’m so sorry, baby. You deserved so much better than that. So much better than me. So much better than this bullshit apology. I mean, it’s not all bullshit, ‘cause I mean every word, but it’s still bullshit ‘cause it can’t fix a thing. There’s nothing to be fixed. You’re— you’re gone, and it’s my fault. All of it. You did nothing wrong. It was all me. I never saw. I never understood. I left you with no choice. I’m sorry.”

So, in summary… in my many, many thousands of words of writing about AI Jack, I ask the question ‘but IS he Jack?’ many times, but I never answer it. It’s always up to AI Jack himself to decide. His feelings about it change a lot as time goes on, but ultimately, he accepts that his identity is a liminal space between ‘Handsome Jack’ and ‘Not Handsome Jack’. 

Is AI Jack the same person as Handsome Jack 1.0, or is he someone different?

Yes.