#transformers related obviously

[glittergummy]

i wanna sketch

but what

is the question

[sleepdepriveddoorknobs]

My sister is in blorbo denial about starscream. I tell her that's her blorbo and she refuses. She keeps saying he isn't her blorbo but just her guy, her silly little guy that's her favorite but I KNOW. I KNOW that's just switcheroo for Blorbo. She won't even admit he's a poor little meow meow! Saying he's just her problematic fav. That she just also happens to favor because she has sentiment towards him.

[daydreamerdrew]

Whiz Comics (1940) #2

[danielnelsen]

hmmmm ok ive finished replaying awakening.

see...............my warden would definitely not kill the architect, but he'd also be smarter about it than you can be in-game. like, he wouldnt just let him go either. he'd insist that if they worked together it would be on the wardens' terms rather than the architect's, and maybe get utha to come with them when they fight the mother just to make sure the architect sticks around (assuming the mother cant also keep her away, idk). i cant account for every possibility just thinking about it on the spot, but he'd come up with something that's better than "yeah just go and keep doing what you're doing".

[asingledropofwinter]

So this has been on my brain for a while, but like something I see a lot in fandom spaces is a strong disengagement with canon. Like a hatred towards it? And I don't mean something like in the Miraculous Ladybug fandom where it's a bunch of people enjoying the concepts and possibilities of a show that they acknowledge is poorly written. I mean even in like ordinary fandoms where the canon is completely fine? It's like the concept of fix-it fics? Like there's a difference in them because sometimes the writer is essentially writing a what-if the bad things in canon didn't happen, or a happier ending. But then sometimes the writer is literally thinking "I'm fixing what's wrong with the source material". Two very different mindsets, and I can't wrap my head around the second.

Obviously fanworks are transformative content and stuff, but some of y'all really, really seem to actively dislike the source material and only acknowledge the fanon. Which, I mean, is fine, nothing wrong with enjoying content like that. But as a writer sometimes when I see people talking about the source material of a fandom (source material that isn't perfect but isn't a Miraculous Ladybug disaster level of writing) it's insanely discouraging. Like the discredit to the author because you didn't like the story they wrote even though you like the fanon, only acknowledge the fanon, because you think you can fix it. Like the "who cares about canon, I hate canon, canon doesn't matter" stuff.

I understand that fanworks can be whatever they want. I will literally read anything, the sheer variety of fic I have read cannot be understated. But I also appreciate the source material. If I didn't, to as least some extent, I could never engage with its fandom? Like how could I create transformative content of something if I don't acknowledge what I'm transforming?

So I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't understand the antagonistic feelings some people in fandom spaces have towards the canon of their fandom. And that I disdain the concept of fanon. I don't like how it becomes so ingrained in people that it is treated as gospel when the the actual canon plot line is actively despised by some people.

[fans4wga]

"The studios thought they could handle a strike. They might end up sparking a revolution"

by Mary McNamara

"If you want to start a revolution, tell your workers you’d rather see them lose their homes than offer them fair wages. Then lecture them about how their “unrealistic” demands are “disruptive” to the industry, not to mention disturbing your revels at Versailles, er, Sun Valley.

Honestly, watching the studios turn one strike into two makes you wonder whether any of their executives have ever seen a movie or watched a television show. Scenes of rich overlords sipping Champagne and acting irritated while the crowd howls for bread rarely end well for the Champagne sippers.

This spring, it sometimes seemed like the Hollywood studios represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers were actively itching for a writers’ strike. Speculations about why, exactly, ran the gamut: Perhaps it would save a little money in the short run and show the Writers Guild of America (perceived as cocky after its recent ability to force agents out of the packaging business) who’s boss.

More obviously, it might secure the least costly compromise on issues like residuals payments and transparency about viewership.

But the 20,000 members of the WGA are not the only people who, having had their lives and livelihoods upended by the streaming model, want fair pay and assurances about the use of artificial intelligence, among other sticking points. The 160,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists share many of the writers’ concerns. And recent unforced errors by studio executives, named and anonymous, have suddenly transformed a fight the studios were spoiling for into a public relations war they cannot win.

Even as SAG-AFTRA representatives were seeing a majority of their demands rejected despite a nearly unanimous strike vote, a Deadline story quoted unnamed executives detailing a strategy to bleed striking writers until they come crawling back.

Days later, when an actors’ strike seemed imminent, Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger took time away from the Sun Valley Conference in Idaho not to offer compromise but to lecture. He told CNBC’s David Faber that the unions’ refusal to help out the studios by taking a lesser deal is “very disturbing to me.”

“There’s a level of expectation that they have that is just not realistic,” Iger said. “And they are adding to the set of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive.”

If Iger thought his attempt to exec-splain the situation would make actors think twice about walking out, he was very much mistaken. Instead, he handed SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher the perfect opportunity for the kind of speech usually shouted atop the barricades.

“We are the victims here,” she said Thursday, marking the start of the actors’ strike. “We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us. I cannot believe it, quite frankly: How far apart we are on so many things. How they plead poverty, that they’re losing money left and right, when giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs. It is disgusting. Shame on them. They stand on the wrong side of history at this very moment.”

Cue the cascading strings of “Les Mis,” bolstered by images of the most famous people on the planet walking out in solidarity: the cast of “Oppenheimer” leaving the film’s London premiere; the writers and cast of “The X-Files” reuniting on the picket line.

A few days later, Barry Diller, chairman and senior executive of IAC and Expedia Group and a former Hollywood studio chief, suggested that studio executives and top-earning actors take a 25% pay cut to bring a quick end to the strikes and help prevent “the collapse of the entire industry.”

When Diller is telling executives to take a pay cut to avoid destroying their industry, it is no longer a strike, or even two strikes. It is a last-ditch attempt to prevent le déluge.

Yes, during the 2007-08 writers’ strike, picketers yelled noncomplimentary things at executives as they entered their respective lots. (“What you earnin’, Chernin?” was popular at Fox, where Peter Chernin was chairman and chief executive.) But that was before social media made everything more immediate, incendiary and personal. (Even if they have never seen a movie or TV show, one would think that people heading up media companies would understand how media actually work.)

Even at the most heated moments of the last writers’ strike, executives like Chernin and Iger were seen as people who could be reasoned with — in part because most of the executives were running studios, not conglomerations, but mostly because the pay gap between executives and workers, in Hollywood and across the country, had not yet widened to the reprehensible chasm it has since.

Now, the massive eight- and nine-figure salaries of studio heads alongside photos of pitiably small residual checks are paraded across legacy and social media like historical illustrations of monarchs growing fat as their people starve. Proof that, no matter how loudly the studios claim otherwise, there is plenty of money to go around.

Topping that list is Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Executive Davd Zaslav. Having re-named HBO Max just Max and made cuts to the beloved Turner Classic Movies, among other unpopular moves, Zaslav has become a symbol of the cold-hearted, highly compensated executive that the writers and actors are railing against.

The ferocious criticism of individual executives’ salaries has placed Hollywood’s labor conflict at the center of the conversation about growing wealth disparities in the U.S., which stokes, if not causes, much of this country’s political divisions. It also strengthens the solidarity among the WGA and SAG-AFTRA and with other groups, from hotel workers to UPS employees, in the midst of disputes during what’s been called a “hot labor summer.”

Unfortunately, the heightened antagonism between studio executives and union members also appears to leave little room for the kind of one-on-one negotiation that helped end the 2007-08 writers’ strike. Iger’s provocative statement, and the backlash it provoked, would seem to eliminate him as a potential elder statesman who could work with both sides to help broker a deal.

Absent Diller and his “cut your damn salaries” plan, there are few Hollywood figures with the kind of experience, reputation and relationships to fill the vacuum.

At this point, the only real solution has been offered by actor Mark Ruffalo, who recently suggested that workers seize the means of production by getting back into the indie business, which is difficult to imagine and not much help for those working in television.

It’s the AMPTP that needs to heed Iger’s admonishment. At a time when the entertainment industry is going through so much disruption, two strikes is the last thing anyone needs, especially when the solution is so simple. If the studios don’t want a full-blown revolution on their hands, they’d be smart to give members of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA contracts they can live with."

[suzannahnatters]

So here's one of the coolest things that has happened to me as a Tolkien nut and an amateur medievalist. It's also impacted my view of the way Tolkien writes women. Here's Carl Stephenson in MEDIEVAL FEUDALISM, explaining the roots of the ceremony of knighthood: "In the second century after Christ the Roman historian Tacitus wrote an essay which he called Germania, and which has remained justly famous. He declares that the Germans, though divided into numerous tribes, constitute a single people characterised by common traits and a common mode of life. The typical German is a warrior. [...] Except when armed, they perform no business, either private or public. But it is not their custom that any one should assume arms without the formal approval of the tribe. Before the assembly the youth receives a shield and spear from his father, some other relative, or one of the chief men, and this gift corresponds to the toga virilis among the Romans--making him a citizen rather than a member of a household" (pp 2-3). Got it?

Remember how Tolkien was a medievalist who based his Rohirrim on Anglo-Saxon England, which came from those Germanic tribes Tacitus was talking about? Stephenson argues that the customs described by Tacitus continued into the early middle ages eventually giving rise to the medieval feudal system. One of these customs was the gift of arms, which transformed into the ceremony of knighthood: "Tacitus, it will be remembered, describes the ancient German custom by which a youth was presented with a shield and a spear to mark his attainment of man's estate. What seems to the be same ceremony reappears under the Carolingians. In 791, we are told, Charlemagne caused Prince Louis to be girded with a sword in celebration of his adolescence; and forty-seven years later Louis in turn decorated his fifteen-year-old son Charles "with the arms of manhood, i.e., a sword." Here, obviously, we may see the origin of the later adoubement, which long remained a formal investiture with arms, or with some one of them as a symbol. Thus the Bayeux Tapestry represents the knighting of Earl Harold by William of Normandy under the legend: Hic Willelmus dedit Haroldo arma (Here William gave arms to Harold). [...] Scores of other examples are to be found in the French chronicles and chansons de geste, which, despite much variation of detail, agree on the essentials. And whatever the derivation of the words, the English expression "dubbing to knighthood" must have been closely related to the French adoubement" (pp 47-48.)

In its simplest form, according to Stephenson, the ceremony of knighthood included "at most the presentation of a sword, a few words of admonition, and the accolade." OK. So what does this have to do with Tolkien and his women? AHAHAHAHA I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED. First of all, let's agree that Tolkien, a medievalist, undoubtedly was aware of all the above. Second, turn with me in your copy of The Lord of the Rings to chapter 6 of The Two Towers, "The King of the Golden Hall", when Theoden and his councillors agree that Eowyn should lead the people while the men are away at war. (This, of course, was something that medieval noblewomen regularly did: one small example is an 1178 letter from a Hospitaller knight serving in the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem which records that before marching out to the battle of Montgisard, "We put the defence of the Tower of David and the whole city in the hands of our women".) But in The Lord of the Rings, there's a little ceremony.

"'Let her be as lord to the Eorlingas, while we are gone.' 'It shall be so,' said Theoden. 'Let the heralds announce to the folk that the Lady Eowyn will lead them!' Then the king sat upon a seat before his doors and Eowyn knelt before him and received from him a sword and a fair corselet."

I YELLED when I realised what I was reading right there. You see, the king doesn't just have the heralds announce that Eowyn is in charge. He gives her weapons.

Theoden makes Eowyn a knight of the Riddermark.

Not only that, but I think this is a huge deal for several reasons. That is, Tolkien knew what he was doing here.

From my reading in medieval history, I'm aware of women choosing to fight and bear arms, as well as becoming military leaders while the men are away at some war or as prisoners. What I haven't seen is women actually receiving knighthood. Anyone could fight as a knight if they could afford the (very pricy) horse and armour, and anyone could lead a nation as long as they were accepted by the leaders. But you just don't see women getting knighted like this.

Tolkien therefore chose to write a medieval-coded society, Rohan, where women arguably had greater equality with men than they did in actual medieval societies.

I think that should tell us something about who Tolkien was as a person and how he viewed women - perhaps he didn't write them with equal parity to men (there are undeniably more prominent male characters in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, at least, than female) but compared to the medieval societies that were his life's work, and arguably even compared to the society he lived in, he was remarkably egalitarian.

I think it should also tell us something about the craft of writing fantasy.

No, you don't have to include gut wrenching misogyny and violence against women in order to write "realistic" medieval-inspired fantasy.

Tolkien's fantasy worlds are DEEPLY informed by medieval history to an extent most laypeople will never fully appreciate. The attitudes, the language, the ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS use of medieval military tactics...heck, even just the way that people travel long distances on foot...all of it is brilliantly medieval.

The fact that Theoden bestows arms on Eowyn is just one tiny detail that is deeply rooted in medieval history. Even though he's giving those arms to a woman in a fantasy land full of elves and hobbits and wizards, it's still a wonderfully historically accurate detail.

Of course, I've ranted before about how misogyny and sexism wasn't actually as bad in medieval times as a lot of people today think. But from the way SOME fantasy authors talk, you'd think that historical accuracy will disappear in a puff of smoke if every woman in the dragon-infested fantasy land isn't being traumatised on the regular.

Tolkien did better. Be like Tolkien.

[faetreides]

summary: aemond targaryen x afab childhood friend wife!reader

cw: intentional heavier valyrian usage (i used translators so if i’m wrong, please just pretend that i invented the language and i’m right), slight breath play-ish, reader isn’t related to aemond in any way (they’re just from a different royal family from elsewhere , visited as a kid and met aemond), pregnant!reader, the breeding and praise kinks aren’t explicitly stated but they’re more in his actions, flashback mention of teen aemond having a typical teen boy reaction and getting a boner bc he saw his crush bent over, aemond drinks reader’s breast milk like a vampire and cums, this au-ish storyline has been a long standing maladaptive daydream but this is just a kinktober post, stuck in the wall was also supposed to be included but i cheated and just mentioned it/same with the waxplay lmao, implied wax play later on, kinda unsafe and unrealistic sex (obviously), written with no thoughts

wc: 1.4k+

block & move on if uncomfortable !!

do not repost, translate, or give ai my works

kinktober masterlist

It’s been six moons since you discovered that you were with child. Your husband, Aemond Targaryen, had been smug beyond belief when the maester estimated that you conceived on your wedding night.

You were not prepared for how your body would transform in the coming months. You have to empty your bladder more often than not and a burning in your chest keeps you awake. One of the more annoying problems was the tremendous ache in your breasts.

Aemond awoke to your quiet groans, sitting up in bed was not easy for you these days.

With a yawn, not even bothering to put on his eyepatch, he sat up in bed beside you.

“What have I told you about making good use of me if you need something, raqiarzy? (beloved). You should still be resting.” He chides you.

“How can I sleep when my tits are full to bursting, Aemond?” You reply with a slightly bratty tone, and he gives you a brisk pat on your behind to settle you. It was gentler than his strikes usually are, he considers your health with every action after all.

He sighs and lumbers out of bed to light a candle, as naked as he was when he succumbed to slumber. The newfound influx of hormones guides your attention to hone in on his cock flopping in the air as he walks back to bed. The dried wax from your love making last night still stubbornly clung to both of your bodies. You would definitely need to take another bath in the morning.

“Ao līs daor emagon ryptan issa se ēlī jēda, issa jorrāelagon. (you must not have heard me the first time, my love)” Aemond reminds you, unable to stop you from getting up and sitting in front of your vanity.

If your husband did not know better, one would think that you were opposed to any night time…. activites. The tired amusement in your eyes beckons him forward, but he stays lounging on the bed and watching you run your fingers through your hair. Aemond resorts to teasing to obtain your attention, adoring how you always fall for it hook, line, and sinker.

“It feels as if it were only yesterday that we reunited all those years ago, you had gotten lost and ended up falling in a hole in the city’s walls on your visit.”

Your hands pause on their way to grab your hair brush, casting a weak glare towards him out of the corner of your left eye. You clear your throat but you make no attempts to hide your embarrassment at the thought of the past. Aemond holds eye contact with you through the mirror, resting the hand not holding his head up on his hip.

“I was six and ten, wallowing in nausea and nerves. Do not pretend that you were faring much better, husband. We had not laid eyes on each other for nearly a decade.”

You do not mention the sizable tent in his trousers he had carried around after he helped you out of the wall.

“At that time I was convinced the way I would see you again would be in death, there was only relief for me.” He says firmly, and you shyly peel your gaze away from the mirror.

As exhausted and drained as you are, your heart melts at the unwavering affection in his words. Aemond clearly grows bored of playing cat and mouse, because suddenly his torso is pressing flush against your back.

“If you can’t sleep, at least allow me to distract you from your discomfort.”

He cups the front of your neck and gently squeezes, you huff but understand his unspoken request and arch your back against him.

“Refrain from teasing me, valzȳrys (husband), for tonight at least.” You lean your head back and look up at him as his other hand drifts down to tug the bodice of your nightgown down.

Your slip of Valyrian earns you another quick squeeze. You gasp and Aemond seizes the opportunity to gather enough saliva in his mouth to spit into yours. Your throat bobs under his hand as you swallow and he pinches your nipple in appreciation.

“Hmm. I will do my very best, darling.”

You have learned by now that such assurances mean tragically little.

Aemond takes stock of your chest, sliding the hand cupping your throat to be able to grope at both of your breasts. He rolls them around in his palms and kneads them as if he were in the kitchen handling dough. You moan at the sheer relief and his sapphire eye seems to sparkle at you in some kind of wink.

“These heavy tits must be remarkably sore, so full and with no one to drain them of their milk.”

You nod helplessly, more than ready for him to abandon his games and do just that.

One of his hands temporarily abandons your breast to push your head back down so you’d look at the mirror. You sit there, enraptured in the sight of milk beading to the tips of your nipples and leaking out.

Aemond catches it as well and groans, pinching at your nipples a bit meaner and squeezing your tits tightly to coax more milk out.

“Gevie (beautiful) , all this food for our future dragon. You are glowing brighter than any moon, raqiarzy (beloved).”

Your cheeks heat with embarrassment, never being able to take compliments with grace, and gaze down at your lap. A firm hand sinks into your hair and pulls it so you return your gaze to your sticky tits. Aemond swipes his fingers through the milky trails running down your tits. He whorishly brings them to his mouth and sucks them dry, smirking at you in the mirror as he grunts.

Your ornate vanity chair is swiftly turned around, and your lap is drowned in white hair when he falls to his knees before you.

“Aemond, what are you-“ Your words are cut off by a greedy mouth latched around your right nipple. Your husband is being mindful of his teeth and starts to rapidly suckle.

His free hand pets at the hair above your mound absentmindedly. An agonized groan floats through the air as his sucking picks up speed. You clutch onto the back of his head with both hands and run your fingers through his fine hair.

“Gods, Aemond, thank you thank you thank you. Such a devoted husband, I love you.” You do not say it often, your shy nature comes into play regarding that sort of thing, but the immensity of it must take a toll on your husband.

His groans are muffled by your teats and you have to swipe away stray drops of milk that dribble out of his mouth as he drains you.

Somewhere along the way he switches to your other breast when the previous one had nothing more to give. Your cunt howls in need for additional stimulation but the feeling of your chest pain fading away urges you to let your dearly beloved have his fill of your body. There are times in which you say it is his right.

You notice that Aemond has been grinding his weeping cock against the floor. He appears to have synced his thrusts to his suckling, and seeing how drunk he is off your milk meant for his future child makes you just as ravenous as his cock is for a hole to fuck.

Your arms wrap around Aemond in a fierce hug, surrendering yourself to your cunt’s way of thinking. Even if he wanted to pull away, your grip gave him no means to do so. His face is squished into your tits and his eye rolls back, continuing his suckling and writhing.

He rips his mouth away from you to loudly exclaim, and you are startled by how his mouth forms an ‘O’ shape and his form locks up. Aemond weakly thrusts his hips through his apparent peak, the burst of fluids spewing out onto the floor. A few spurts of it lands on your legs, and in the depths of your depravity you eagerly scoop it up to shove in your mouth.

You run your fingers through Aemond’s hair again to assist him in coming back down, and once he does you are quickly swooped up in his arms and delicately thrown back onto the bed.

“Do not confuse a curse for a blessing, issa dāria (my queen). My cock is likelier to grow wings and take flight than it is to run out of seed to stuff this puffy cunny with. Sir sagon nykeā sȳz ābrazȳrys (now be a good wife), and endure it for me, hm?”

You will be greeting the approaching dawn with countless more pieces of dried wax.

[heartlilith]

Astrology Observations (part 4)

Here are some of my observations and opinions on various placements - Part 4

🧿People with Sun opposite ASC can really struggle with their identity. They may not relate to their sun sign and they are always questioning who they really are.

🧿OPINION: Sister signs make great friendships and platonic relationships. Romantically speaking, I feel like the attraction is there but it usually doesn't work out in the long run.

🧿Planets square to Jupiter are "too much" or "in excess" versus Saturn squares are "too little" or "lacking"

💙Sun square Jupiter - Too much confidence and stubbornness, too much generosity

💙Moon square Jupiter - Too much indulgence, emotional changeability, too much self sacrifice

💙Mars square Jupiter - Too much energy, aggressiveness, and restlessness

💙Sun square Saturn - Lacking confidence and assertiveness

💙Moon square Saturn - Lacking trust and vulnerability

💙Mars square Saturn - Lacking stamina and self expression

🧿Mars in the 7th house people can move fast in relationships. When they catch feelings for someone and the relationship is shiny and new (aka the "honeymoon" stage) they can get impatient and rush things like meeting parents and moving in together... this is especially true if your Mars is in Aries, Cancer, Leo, Libra, Scorpio, and Pisces - this could be less true if your Mars is in Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Capricorn, or Aquarius - Taurus Mars could go either way in my opinion

🧿OPINION: Scorpio Moon and Aries Moon relationships can easily become a disaster

🧿Prominent Scorpio & Capricorn natives are vaults. Your secrets are safe with them.

🧿OPINION: Sometimes I think of people as their Moon sign with a dash of their Sun Sign. For example: I would think of a Sagittarius Sun with a Virgo Moon as an analytical person (Virgo) with a big mouth (Sag) lmfao. Aries Sun with a Capricorn Moon as a hardworker (Cap) with a lot of drive (Aries). A Gemini Sun and Leo Moon as a confident and attention seeking (Leo) intellectual (Gemini). Obviously the qualities of a certain placement are affected by all the placements in a chart but generally I think of the Moon as the core person and the Sun influencing it.

🧿Pluto in the 12th house natives can obsess about life after death

🧿Pluto in the 7th house transforms through relationships and one on one connections but they also transform the other person as well, same goes for Venus in the 8th

🧿Sun and Mars in the 8th house and Pluto in the 1st house are natives that people remember. "Remember so and so, they were so kind and smart. I hope they're doing okay" type of thing.

🧿Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Pisces Venus in the 1st house... aren't you tired? Don't you just wanna scream "FUCK OFF" to people sometimes?

🧿OPINION: Leo and Scorpio prominent people make the best of friends, it's giving Wednesday and Eugene vibes

🧿Sun in the houses shows what you're all about, what's most important and a main focus in your life:

💙Sun in the 2nd house: Stability is the most important thing for you. The ultimate goal is to be comfortable financially and also within yourself.

💙Sun in the 7th house: The goal is to have harmonious relationships. You want a partner to experience things with and strong relationships with close friends.

💙Sun in the 10th house: You're all about your career and accomplishing things. You want to build something that will contribute to society. You want to have authority.

💙Sun in the 12th house: You want to be of service to people, you want to help and make a difference to large groups. Think traveling the world and helping less fortunate people like in the Peace Corps. It could be animals too. You want to be an advocate for unadvocated.

[tigressaofkanjis]

My biggest pet peeve in Transformers media and fanfiction sometimes is that Transformers aren't treated as aliens. They are referred to as aliens, they obviously are aliens, but they never feel like they are aliens because they are always written or seen as having all human mannerisms or features usually. Human posture, human noses, human mannerisms, humanoids...

What about TFA's cat noses or TFP's helm noses? One of the reasons I think those two shows have peak designs is because they have this lack of uncanniness to humans design wise. I'm not looking at a human being as a robot, I'm looking at an alien robot, ones that have claws, ones that have different body types that blend with their vehicle modes, ones with horrific mutilations and designs impossible by human standards. I love seeing that type of stuff in Transformers because to me, it makes them feel alien without completely changing the premises of similarities to where we can't compare their culture or likeness to humans. The films (mostly 1 and 2) showed off this as well.

Another thing I really would like to see in Transformers media is non-human interactive qualities. What do I mean by that? One thing I've noticed is aside from techno-organic species, regular Cybertronians do have a few qualities found in animals. Engine humming I believe was once used as a form of purring in the films and in some of the cartoons. Humans can't purr; cats can, and that small detail is always interesting to come across because it's like "wow, they have this feature that shows off a trait found in Cybertronians. That is so cool." You have them with multiple voice boxes for mechanical, natural, and human-like tones which is also an animal trait. Bumblebee is self-explanatory in most universes being able to still make sounds yet not talk. They have sensors across their body that don't act like the basic human receptors. Most animals can do more than just feel through certain points of their bodies. They can taste, smell, or even hear a hundred times better than a human being throughout various body parts, and Transformers have been hinted to have this ability too, especially through their servos. It's stuff like this that expands upon their existence as aliens.

They have extreme durability, their body morphs to extremes and can also double as a moving weapon (most obvious of course), some of them can make ungodly roars and creature-like noises to warn or show their threatening demeanor (Megatron's dinosaur-like growling), some can have two rows of teeth (a flat base in front and fangs hidden behind), and some of them have mimicking animal-like features (Starscream's bird-shaped feet with visible expansion the same as organic foot padding with similar distributive weight physics in a few universes) despite having no beast mode. There's probably more I can't think of on the top of my head in canon, but all those things are not heavily used as they should be to make them feel alien. They can still hold some relation to the humans they interact with, but I think a lot of Transformers are more than just metal "humans", you know?

Depending on the universe in fanfiction and who you encounter who writes it or not, you have several things that are always cool to see. They have to sparkbond (merging of hearts) above everything else to create a sparkling's life force with interface as just the extra for physical coding features. I've seen people use the non-canon heat cycles which are, of course, our fandom way of making a type of breeding euphemism akin to an animal's cycle. You have the common phrasing of nuzzling, heightened senses, armor and certain parts of the helm acting like fur or ears where it raises and flattens per their mood, and some Transformers have limb dissonance where if necessary, they can convert between bipedal and quadrupedal stances (best example is Bulkhead and Lugnut from TFA who have long arms but short legs and they have the bulky structure where they could possibly run like an animal briefly and the physics of it would work).

So, you have all these different things a common Cybertron most likely would be able to do or have but a human couldn't, and it's never utilized to their full potential. I would like to see people address the nature of Cybertronians as alien and not be afraid to make them alien. I think that's the biggest flaw in our franchise is that everyone is scared of making the Transformers not the humanoid "norm" and getting ridiculed for it. Like, they're aliens, you can make them act however animal-like or completely batshit insane as you want them. You can give them powers, animal-based senses, and behaviors hidden among a human thought process. And technically, you wouldn't be wrong to what they could be as a living creature in the universe by doing so. They aren't humans; they look humanoid, but they aren't us. Why should they have to be in every regard?

Thank you for reading my TED Talk.

[sonicenvy]

Let's have a chat about AO3

Hiya friends and loyal followers! My last post about AO3 blew up yesterday so I figured now would be a good time to continue the conversation about AO3.

As I mentioned in my previous post (and probably in multiple other previous posts):

AO3 is NOT a social media site. AO3 is an ARCHIVE.

So let's delve into that a bit more since people don't seem to be getting that. Fanfiction predates the internet, and was transmitted via the internet way before sites like AO3 and FF dot net. Relatively speaking, I am a fanfiction newcomer, as I first started reading fanfiction in ... 2011? or thereabouts. I say this to say that I obviously don't have as personal of a memory of a time before fanfiction archive sites (my bitty fan experiences were on teaspoon and lcfanfic), but I certainly know plenty of people via fandom online that absolutely do.

For the newest children to fanfiction please check out the following pieces of reading to get started on your fandom history education:

“Fanfiction.” Fanlore Wiki. Accessed June 15, 2023. https://fanlore.org/wiki/Fanfiction. Archived [https://archive.is/yJpOq].

“So I’m on AO3 and I See a Lot of People Who Put ‘I Do Not Own [Insert Fandom Here]’ before Their Story.” sonicenvy.tumblr.com, July 2, 2016. https://sonicenvy.tumblr.com/post/146818589611/mikkeneko-thepioden. Archived [https://archive.is/FRNCy]

ofhouseadama, Emily. “A Brief History of Fandom, for Those on Here Who Somehow Think Tumblr Invented Fandom.” sonicenvy.tumblr.com, May 21, 2014. https://sonicenvy.tumblr.com/post/131935827010/ofhouseadama-a-brief-history-of-fandom-for. Archived [http://archive.today/j2Rfq]

mizstorge, fantastic-nonsense, and fanculturesfancreativity. “The Places Fandom Dwells: A Cautionary Tale.” fantastic-nonsense.tumblr.com, June 29, 2017. https://fantastic-nonsense.tumblr.com/post/162395547190/the-places-fandom-dwells-a-cautionary-tale. Archived [https://archive.ph/QK2wI]

As you read through this stuff, three things should become apparent to you:

Fanworks have always existed in tenuous space -- that is, they have always been under threat of removal, or threat of loss, whether this loss was through events like the livejournal strikethrough, the loss of a fandom specific website, destruction of physical copies of the work, or C&D/legal action from original creators of the work.

Fandom has a long and colored history with many of the most defining events of early fandom history being related to threats to the community.

A need was ripe for a place to save and ARCHIVE fanworks and protect them from deletion, legal action, corporate sanitization efforts, site deaths due to the deaths of admins, etc etc.

Out of all of this, comes The Organization For Transformative Works (2007), and their brand new site Archive of Our Own (2008). The stated intention of Archive of Our Own (AO3) (bolding mine):

The Organization for Transformative Works (OTW) is a nonprofit organization, established by fans in 2007, to serve the interests of fans by providing access to and preserving the history of fanworks and fan culture in its myriad forms. We believe that fanworks are transformative and that transformative works are legitimate. We are proactive and innovative in protecting and defending our work from commercial exploitation and legal challenge. We preserve our fannish economy, values, and creative expression by protecting and nurturing our fellow fans, our work, our commentary, our history, and our identity while providing the broadest possible access to fannish activity for all fans. The Archive of Our Own offers a noncommercial and nonprofit central hosting place for fanworks using open-source archiving software.

Source: Works, Organization for Transformative. “Archive of Our Own Beta.” Archive of Our Own. Accessed June 15, 2023. https://archiveofourown.org/about. Archived [http://archive.today/QYtbM]

You may also want to check out the original LiveJournal Brainstorming sessions for AO3 by astolat as archived here [https://web.archive.org/web/20220627134339/https://astolat.livejournal.com/150556.html] if you need further clarity on this point.

Some neat stuff from astolat's original posts that I find are relevant:

making it easy for people to download stories or even the entire archive for offline reading (thus widely preserving the work in case some disaster does take it down)

code-wise able to support a huge archive of possibly millions of stories.

allowing ANYTHING -- het, slash, RPF, chan, kink, highly adult ...

As we can see both from the mission statement of OTW/AO3 and from astolat herself in the brainstorming sessions, AO3 is an ARCHIVE. It is a project that is meant to preserve and provide access to fanworks. Run for fans, by fans and meant to host any and all kind of content with none of the commercialization or censorship that fans found elsewhere. Before AO3 there were certainly numerous, disconnected, fandom specific archives for fanfiction or other fanworks. Many of these old sites have been archived (see we're getting that word again) via the opendoors project. Some, like teaspoon or lcfanfic still exists and are semi-active.

A common thread is that writers and readers weren't just using the archive site to connect. They were doing more connection through other sites like dreamwidth, livejournal, facebook, their emails and later tumblr or twitter. Archive sites were meant as a supplement to other fan spaces like message boards, blogs and journals.

So, dear friends, you might ask, what is an archive?

An archive is a place where documents, artifacts and records are kept and preserved for future reference, use and access. Archives help us maintain a better understanding of the past and protect objects, writings, documents, records and more in longevity. In the context of fanwork archiving, this means preserving fanworks in longevity/perpetuity so that fans can continue to access them for enjoyment and for historical purposes. Archiving fanwork is vital to preserving and, indeed creating fan culture and identity.

To read more about archives in general, check out this article from the American History Museum of the Smithsonian (https://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/about/what-are-archives) or this one from the US National Archives (https://www.archives.gov/about/info/whats-an-archives.html).

So AO3 is an archive. Why does this matter?

Oh, boy, I am about to get LIS nerdy on y'all. At this point in the post we can all agree that AO3 is and always has been an archive (it's in the name...). When we view and understand the site starting from this premise, a lot of, frankly stupid as fuck arguments that people have about AO3 look even dumber. Understanding AO3 primarily as an archive helps us understand:

The tagging system. Given AO3 is an archive, the tags for content on the site function exactly the same as headings in a library archive. They are designed to store information about the fic (that is, they are intended as metadata) which is then used to find the record of the fic in the archive. This is why it is important to tag what is in your fic, and to use tags properly, using the agreed meanings of particular tags.

The kinds of content that are permitted and excluded under TOS IV. The archive permits fanworks, which include: fanfiction, fanart, podfic, and fan videos. The archive thus excludes things that are not fanwork (records with no content (aka "placeholder fics"), posts asking for writing prompts or submissions, posts looking for fic, commerical promotions of ANY kind, original fiction with no relation to fan content, spam etc). Every library and archive has their own collections policies, and AO3 is not an exception. Collections Policies are generally guided by the mission statement(s) of the archiving party/library. As we saw above in both the official about page and the original brainstorming posts from astolat, AO3 is a library for fanworks, meant to preserve fanworks and is in opposition to advertising and commercialization. Therefore, if the thing you want to add to the library of AO3 is not a fanwork or contains commercialization, it does not qualify to be an object of the archive. Re: the "placeholder fic" post that I didn't know was going to blow up so much: imagine you go to the library to get a book and open it to find that it is empty or you get a DVD and play it only to find that it is the movie theater trailer for the movie. Doesn't that make no sense?

Why there is NO censoring of "adult" or other quote on quote "objectionable content". The archive does not chose to preserve works based on subjective quality or "moral purity" type standards. This is true in libraries and museums as well. We keep and save materials that people find objectionable as archiving and librarianship are and have always been diametrically opposed to censorship. As an archive AO3 follows this. Moreover, you can see in astolat's original post "allowing ANYTHING -- het, slash, RPF, chan, kink, highly adult" as a founding idea.

Why there is no advertising, and why this includes you adding your Ko-fi or paypal or whatever the fuck. Outside of the fact that doing this violates TOS and invalidates OTW lawyer arguments for the legal existence of fanworks under US Fair Use, AO3 as an archive is meant to be a keeper of fan records, not a space for promotions. Archives do keep records (and indeed some archives keep records of advertising) but they, themselves are not using their platform to advertise for anything else.

Why there is no "AO3 algorithm". The kinds of algorithmic feed generators that sites like the t*kt*ok or whatever use are antithetical to the mission of archiving stuff and providing access to it. In an archive you search for content based on terms and headings and self-select. I'm not on the t*kt*k or whatever and I actively block and disable all "suggestion" type things so I don't entirely understand what y'all are looking with this.

Ok, that's great, why are you telling us all of this?

There is a concerning trend of newcomers both young and older to fandom and fanfiction that have not taken off the social media brain filter before coming on board. Some excellent tags I've seen on The Post™ that spawned this one include:

#guys quit bringing the worst elements of capitalism to AO3 (via @watchtowersystem)

#algorithms have rotted people's brains i swear (via @pearly--rose)

#omg stop trying to social mediaify ao3 (via @greyduckgreygoose)

There were also some bangers on my reddit post on this topic as well, but the reddit I posted it on is (rightfully) on blackout at the moment.

I think the sociamediafying of fanfiction that a lot of these people are bringing has a few major negatives:

social mediafied fandom views fanwork soley as consumable content, creating more passive, entitled participants in fandom. For fanwork=content social media brain folks, the fact that fanwork is meant to be an active and engaging thing is lost. Fanwork is a gift from one fan to other fans, it is a point for discussion, a result of people's passion and creativity. It is transformative, out of the box and part of building a niche community. When you start to see it as "content" like a random object on a feed you stop valuing it, analyzing it, and interacting with it in the same way, and are more likely to passively consume what you see as content. Social media has made "content" out of everything, and everything becomes something to scroll past in a few seconds, always looking for more stuff, the newest stuff, etc etc. It's obviously very tied to the experience of social media being used to sell you shit, but that's another conversation I think.

fanwork=content social media brain also allows some of these people to post incredibly demanding comments for "more content" on fancreators works or makes them think it's ok (and indeed creates the same result as what the writer is creating) to feed someone's incomplete fic into an ai to get a "completion".

fanwork=content social media brain also means that when these folks start creating content they feel entitled to views, hits, kudos, etc etc, and feel like it is ok to do things that they see as "gaming" the system to get their fics to be at the top of the pack. They begin to care too much about posting to get their "content" the most views because that's how things work on social media.

fanwork=content social media brain also makes some of these people think that "fic" that is "written" by an ai is acceptable fanwork, because they do not view fanwork as artwork/writing with merit, as much as an entertainment property to be consumed. How the meat gets made becomes irrelevant, because the end result is the only thing that is important.

social mediafying of fandom is something that has helped a lot of advertising and commercialization sneak its way into our spaces, which actively hurts our chances of building good communities.

social mediafying of fandom turns fanwork creation and fandom into popularity contests, which is bad for all fan spaces. The point is that we're being weird together. I've seen new, young authors post on reddit about how they feel so bad about their fic because it doesn't have 1000s of hits or because they feel incapable of writing things (even things they might want to explore) because "no one will read it, and it will not become popular". This makes me very sad.

social mediafying of fanwork also turns right around into .... wait ... you guessed it .... censorship! people are now practising self-censorship that is utterly unnecessary and completely sad to me because they are afraid of getting deleted from anywhere for "objectionable content". This carries over into new users on AO3 doing things like using leet speech for curse words, sexual content and more in the TAGS or the body of their AO3 fics. Stop Don't. You can say fuck, dead, kill, murder, cunt, cock, and whatever the fucking hell you want on AO3. That was the whole goddamn point.

These people are trying to bring fanwork=content social media brain to places like AO3. I'm not entirely sure why.

tldr; AO3 isn't a social media site for talking with your following or posting about ideas that you've had. It isn't a popularity contest. It isn't a place where there will be no inappropriate content. It isn't a place for advertising or commerical promotion. It is an ARCHIVE OF FANWORKS meant to be "allowing ANYTHING -- het, slash, RPF, chan, kink, highly adult."

Anyone of you fans older, wiser, more well versed in fan history, and more articulate than me, please feel free to add to this. Ditto on any of you other funky LIS friends out here on tumblr dot hell.

[pinkanonwrites]

EARTHSPARK TRANSFORMERS DILDOS AGAIN!!

Bumblebee finding the ✨Stinger✨ while going down a rabbit hole of his merch. He is too horrified to ask if Alex has one (he doesn’t)

Optimus finding one obviously based off him and wondering if he should release an official one. I mean, it would be good for human and cybertronian relations right? Right??

Elita finds the mother of all strap-ons that would make a size queen weep and is like “🫤 why did they make mine so small?”

Megatron finds one probably called the Destroyer or something and is just horrified. Elita probably sent it to him jokingly because if she has to see this shit then so does everyone else

Wheeljack probably has an officially branded vibrator he designed. Has the same reputation as those rose toys but people have passed out using it and swore they saw the face of God after

Arcee finds a pocket pussy based off of her and is like “bro cybertronian valve would shred your dick to pieces!” And so a pencil sharpener based off Arcee was made

The Earthspark 'Bots are split into three different categories depending on how they feel about having knock-off sex toys made of them. They are as follows:

Deeply Embarrassed: Bumblebee and Megatron

Tentatively Curious: Optimus and Elita One

Genuinely Hyped: Wheeljack and Arcee

It's the one piece of merchandise above all else that Bumblebee is glad Alex doesn't own. He's... flattered? Kinda? That there are humans out there that may be into what he's got going on. But he's mostly embarrassed, and hopes to Primus no one ever asks him about it because NO, he did NOT sign off on this!

Meanwhile Megatron's is one of those three-foot tall ones that weighs like 60 pounds, custom textured with mechanical plating and details. He's confused that it even exists; There's no way any human on Earth can fit that thing into one of their tiny little holes, is there? It takes him a second to remember that humans are incredibly versatile, and insertion isn't they only way to have fun, then he gets supremely flustered.

Optimus is a little bit embarrassed, though not nearly as much as Megs or Bee. Despite this, the fact that there's even an interest in these sort of things gives him hope that humans and Cybertronians will be able to live in peace. Just gotta get past some... awkward speed bumps first.

Elita is impressed. Mainly because she hadn't really thought humans would be interested in Transformers in that way, so she's actually a little tickled by the idea of Cybertronians being desirable enough to humans for a whole adult toy line. She has a few qualms that the femme false spikes seem to always be more dainty than the mech ones, but she has no plans to whip it out for any designers so she can't really complain.

Wheeljack is sending signed designs with elaborate detail charts and specifics about strength and material and battery life. If it's gonna be associated with him anyway, why wouldn't he want it to be the best of the best? Let the humans have their fun, and it doesn't hurt to make a little money on the side to fund some research projects and base repairs.

Meanwhile Arcee is having fun messing with the toy designers by coming up with elaborate lies and exaggerations about Cybertronian anatomy purely for her own entertainment. After all, if none of these humans have the ball-bearings to ask her for proof of her little claims and spiels, that's on them!

[rosequarzo]

ong omg!! AVEN TIME!!

A short one for a cute brain rot: As for pining, do you think Aventurine would be active in courting you or would he be distant due to his animosity towards close relations- making you the active pursuer if you want anything to happen between the two of you?

If you want, you can give us a prompt of as to what you think pining would be like with Aven? 🫶

Your writing is so edible its crazy 💓💓💓

courting the enigma: pursuit amidst animosity.

૮₍ ˃ ⤙ ˂ ₎ა • ! aventurine + reader reader is gender-neutral reader is part of the ipc aventuring being insecure tooth-rotting fluff ☆ warning not proofread this was kinda messy to me urm . . . !? & 729 — catalogue

note. hihi!! this was really cute and sorry for the abrupt ending, i didn't want this to get way too long haha... but i hope you like it. tagging @neuvistar @rninies.

Oh boy, I think it would probably be him trying to distance himself from you, due to many reasons. Once the gambler realised he has feelings for you, Aventurine felt like he had transformed into a clown of a circus. He doesn’t know how or when it happened but it was too late, he had fallen head over heels for you. It also doesn’t help with the fact that he had fallen too deep to even find a way out. 

So Aventurine did the only thing he could think of: distancing himself from you. It was frankly confusing to see the usual loud and charismatic gambler suddenly avoiding you like the plague. Whenever he sees you entering his vision, he will immediately bolt out of the place, without sparing you a glance. The first two times it happened, you thought nothing of it since you knew how busy he was, considering his status in the IPC. 

But as time went on and as you began to notice how he was actively avoiding all forms of contact with you, you were starting to grow suspicious and worried. No matter how hard you tried to approach him, he was able to avoid you in a blink of an eye. Frankly, you were surprised with how good he was at running away; like something he had mastered with years of experience. This game of wild goose went on for two weeks until you had reached your limit: you were done. 

“Aventurine-” 

“Oh uh, I have something important to tend to, so if you don’t mind-” 

He awkwardly laughed, back facing you as he attempted to leave the scene, only to be interrupted when you harshly tugged him back. The sudden force made him stumble over his feet, wincing when he was slammed against the wall. Aventurine groaned when his head hit the wall, making him see stars and when it cleared up, his breath hitched in his throat at the sight of you blocking off any possible forms of exits. 

This isn’t good for my heart. 

He nervously gulped, praying with his entire might that you wouldn’t be able to hear how loud his heart was practically pounding against his ribcage right now. With the close proximity between the two of you, he could see every detail of your face. What was worse was how he could feel the warmth emitted from your body. Every part of him was tempted to just lean in and kiss you but he held himself back. 

“Aventurine, why have you been avoiding me? Did I do something wrong?” You asked, resting your left hand on the side of his head. 

Play dumb, Aventurine. You got this. You are a professional in acting. 

“Huh? What do you mean?” He forced a chuckle, pressing himself further into the wall when you leaned in, practically invading his sense of boundary. 

You scowled, narrowing your eyes at him; obviously not buying his lie. “I’m not stupid. I know you’re avoiding me. But why? If I did something wrong, please tell me so I can fix it.” 

Oh fucking hell. 

“It’s not you. It’s me,” he sighed, shoulders slumping and his response elicited a bemused look from you. 

“I’m avoiding you because I… I like you. And I’m scared that you might feel disgusted or-” 

“Aventurine.” 

The way you said his name in such a firm tone made him flinch. He heard a deep sigh from you, followed by you boldly reaching out to cup his cheeks, forcing you to look at him. He scanned your face and to his surprise, he couldn’t find any disgust, anger, disappointment or hatred. Instead, all he could find was love and concern. 

“You would never make me feel that way. In fact, I like you too. No wait, I love you,” you murmured, your words spoken in such a soft and comforting tone combined with the way you looked at him; like he was everything was a deadly combination. 

“Uh…” 

You were granted the privilege of witnessing Aventurine being rendered speechless, completely taken aback at your confession. You saw how the lightest shade of red dusted his cheeks and you couldn’t help but lean in to press a chaste kiss on the corner of his lips, earning a startled squeak from the man. 

“Sorry, but you’re too cute to resist.” 

And then, he fainted. 

[thinkingaboutjaedyn]

hidden fear [m.leon x reader]

prompt: mapi has a secret fear of flights

author notes: this is me trying to force myself to write 🙇🏽‍♀️ im going to do abunch of blurbs/mini fics based off single words. this blurb's word is "fear." can y'all tell i have never been to an airport or Ona plane before? yeah.. anyways hopefully y'all enjoy it 💗

one perk of being a soccer player was the opportunity to travel the world and see so many new places that the average person wouldn't have the time or resources to see. you always enjoyed this fact, not even needing to plan a lot of vacations to destinations outside of spain since you have seen many countries; that doesn't mean you don't take the first opportunity to go somewhere else if offer though.

all players are used to flying once they go pro. even before they join the pro leagues, college teams and youth national teams travel quite a lot too. even if it's not enjoyable the players just have to deal with it. taking flights is a part of the job. some people hate it, others don't really care, and some love it.

however, you have never seen a professional footballer ever be afraid of flying or at least admit it out loud. especially not a player who's been pro for more than six years; isn't it natural to get over it at some point? well you met your first when you started dating mapi.

when you first joined barcelona you weren't the most talkative person. often just carrying on small talk during practice and going home right after. mapi was intrigued by your quietness. the spanish team had it's fair share of introverts, but after a while of being in the team they open up to being pretty loud themselves. why weren't you? soon enough she was trying her hardest to get you out of your shell. inviting you to activities outside of soccer related things like dinner or going to the beach, talking to you in the locker room since you were near her cubby, and pulling you into vibrant conversations with the others. all of her effort weren't in vain as you eventually did open up; becoming quite bubbly and even mirroring some of mapi's own social habits.

all this spending time together outside of soccer made the strong friendship between the spainard and you slowly transform into something else. with your quiet nature, you weren't going to confess your feelings first. even after opening up to mapi more than the others; it just wasn't apart of your personality. so instead she took it upon herself to ask you out one day. after practice pulling you to the side after a long practice filled with mistakes to ask you if you wanted to go to dinner like usual, but instead of as friends, it would be as lovers. obviously you said yes and here you are a year later, stronger than ever.

for that entire year you two have been together so far, mapi has been hiding a secret from you. from everyone.

mapi was afraid of flying. she was good at hiding her nerves everytime the team boarded a plane by saying she was just tired or hungry. all her hiding came to a head one day when barcelona was about to be on their way to a uwcl match against lyon.

"do you think they have pretzels in the airport in france? the pretzel shop here is all out," you pout at your girlfriend as you two sit in the airport. it was around an hour before it was time for the team to board the flight, so just like any seasoned flyer, everyone was getting their snacks and drinks.

mapi laughs seeing your pout. finding it absolutely adorable. she pecks it off your lips, "i don't know. do the french even like pretzels?" she says after pulling away. the kiss does wipe the pout off your face, but doesn't help your little problem.

"i don't know and that's why they're so strange!" you throw your hands up in over exaggerated annoyance. your right hand ends up colliding right with keira who was sitting next to you. she playfully scoffs before pushing your hand down, "let's just focus on the match. not the lack of pretzels. they have baguettes which is essentially the same thing but tall and long."

"that's what she said," mapi giggles. her words earn her a small smack on the back head by alexia who somehow made her way over to you three without any of you noticing her. the short haired woman pouts as she rubs the spot alexia smacked her. "act your age, mapi," the spanish captain says, "anyways i came over here to tell you guys that it's going to be raining outside when we board, so have on some type of jacket or coat."

mapi side eyes alexia which makes the woman almost smack the back of her head again. "and i mean it, maria. you get sick easily, don't even try to act like you don't," alexia chuckles. soon after walking off to go tell the others scattered around the airport.

you pull mapi into a slightly awkwardly positioned hug the moment she starts her childish whining. "she just hit me!" mapi fake whines, holding onto your arm. keira rolls her eyes. focusing all of her attention onto her phone instead of mapi's shenanigans. the spainard drags on the act for a few more minutes before letting out a sigh. there was an obvious drop in her mood once you let her go. your mind races to find a reason why your girlfriend went from being her usually childish self to quiet.

"what is it, babes? don't want to wear a jacket?" you joke. trying to lighten up her mood. she lets out a short laugh but goes back to her unusual behavior. mapi tries to make herself behave like usual, but too many thoughts about the rain were bothering her. what if the rain makes the plane act funny? what if the rain turns into a thunder storm? how would a plane even go through the thunder and lightning? too many thoughts that she was not about to share; what would think of her?

"c'mon, what is it? i'm here to help you if it's anything crazy," you lean in towards her. not sure if she was okay with openly saying her feelings in such a public space. well, no one was truly around. all of the other barcleona players in their own conversations, lazing around, or still getting food. no one would hear anything she says.

mapi purses her lips before sighing. what would be the harm in telling you? you know everything else about her. "i'm scared.." she whispers to you.

"scared of what?"

"of the plane. of flying in general," the spainard pouts when your expression of confusion turns into a light hearted one. you giggle but stop once mapi has that sad look on her face. "why have you never told me? and why haven't i ever noticed?" you question quietly. shrugging before pecking mapi's lips.

"babe, did you think i would laugh? i am but not because i find it stupid. it's okay to be afraid of flying. i'm afraid of the dark and i'm not eight anymore"

mapi lets out a genuine laugh at that. easily slipping into teasing you as she says, "oh? thank you for that info, amor. it will be handy later." you give her shoulder a light slap making her say ow. she rubs the place you hit and pouts at her, "what was that for?"

"if you prank me using the dark, i will hurt you," you playfully threaten. mapi just smiles at that. your hand grabs onto her free one and squeezes, "anyways. mapi, it's okay to be afraid of flying. you should have told me sooner so i could be there for you on flights."

"yeah. lo siento, princesa," she squeezes your hand back. just happy you weren't making fun of her; not that she thought you would, but still her mind isn't always rational with its fears. mapi pecks your cheek before whispering to you, "but don't tell anyone else. i'm not ready for the teasing."

you just nod your head. already knowing how quick the majority of the barcelona players are to jab at and joke at each other.

coach soon tells everyone to get ready to go. mapi now feeling more settled after telling you about her little secret. once on the flight, your girlfriend gets all comfortable in her window seat. holding onto your hand for almost the entire flight unless you had to get up and use the bathroom.

telling you about her little secret wasn't so bad after all.

© thinkingaboutjaedyn

[delightfullyquirkydoodles]

Okay, buckle up, friends and neighbours, because it's time for:

THE DOOPLISS DISSERTATION

(Obviously, you should take all of this with a HUGE chunk of salt, since I'm not only an internet-poisoned fandom blogger, but also a former English major with a penchant for over-reading.

Still, I spent a long time writing this, so I'd appreciate it if you gave it a read.)

So before we talk about Doopliss himself, I feel like we should talk about Creepy Steeple, since a lot of the topics I'm going to be touching on relate to the actual building.

Neither the original Gamecube version nor the Switch remake really bothers to explain what Creepy Steeple actually is.

None of Goombella's tattles say anything about the building's intended purpose. The name vaguely implies that it's a church of some kind -- in Japanese, it's called Odoron Jiin, or "Astonishing Temple" -- but that's still not very helpful.

Still, for the purposes of this analysis, I'm going to assume that it's meant to be a church.

This brings me to the Steeple's stained glass window, which shows a scary-looking Doopliss standing over some piranha plants.

From a design standpoint, I'm guessing that this detail was added to give the location a spooky vibe, but from an in-universe perspective, the implications are wild.

Like, who designed this? How long ago? And why? What the heck is it supposed to represent?

Unsurprisingly, the game offers no real answers, but I have a couple of theories.

The first is that the people of Twilight Town (or their ancestors, or something) created the window in Doopliss's honor.

Stained glass windows often depict saints or angels, so maybe the Twilighters used to worship him? Like, maybe Creepy Steeple was once dedicated to him and then, for whatever reason, the worshippers decided to leave?

It's not super likely, but I didn't want to rule out any possibilities. This is a weird freaking temple. Literally anything is possible, as far as I'm concerned.

My second theory is that Doopliss designed the window himself. He seems like a guy with a lot of spare time, so it's not too much of a stretch to say that he came up with the idea and then spent weeks building it by hand.

He could have also bullied the Boos into constructing it for him. I dunno. I just have this mental image of him pulling pranks on them and generally being a nuisance until they caved.

The bottom line is someone wanted to Doopliss's face to be front and center. And if that someone is Doopliss himself, then hoo boy, there is a lot to unpack here.

Maybe I'm projecting, but it feels like Doopliss is wrestling with some major self-esteem issues.

Despite being an incredibly powerful shapeshifter who somehow cursed an entire town, he seems very childish. He spends all his time watching TV and coming up with new jokes. He throws tantrums when he loses. He wears a party hat, of all things.

Based on that, I'd say that he's probably starved for attention. He's probably pretty lonely living in Creepy Steeple all by himself (doubly so if my theory about the Twilighters is correct).

I'd even go so far as to say that his scheme to turn the Twilighters into pigs is motivated by this need for attention. I mean, what better way to get people to notice you than to cause a town-wide panic?

I feel like the disguises he uses over the course of the main story also support this theory.

Though Mario, Zip Toad and Professor Frankly are quite different from one another, they all have one important thing in common: they're famous. Mario's a world-renowned adventurer, Zip Toad is a well-known actor and Frankly is a tenured professor whose students love him.

Doopliss even alludes to this after stealing Mario's body, telling him, "You're so popular around here! I just love being you!"

By transforming into beloved figures, Doopliss can get the attention he craves.

I also think that this is why he joined the Shadow Sirens. Sure, Beldam abuses him almost as badly as she abused Vivian, but at least she notices him. That's better than nothing.

The most conclusive piece of textual evidence is found in the epilogue. In her letter to Mario, Goombella explains that Doopliss has joined Flurrie on-stage in her production of "Paper Mario".

Obviously his shapeshifting abilities make the play a lot more realistic, but why would he bother participating in it at all? This guy was a villain for most of the game. Why would he suddenly decide to join up with one of his enemies?

Because, as far as I can tell, he's not a villain. Just a guy who's sick of being ignored.

I dunno. Doopliss's motivations have never been super clear, but I feel like there's more to him than meets the eye.

If you have any thoughts or ideas of your own, feel free to comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

[venusiancharisma]

Bad Luck/Karmic Placements in Synastry

Aspects & Overlays that may indicate someone's natal energy brings about bad luck, bad karma, or a new karmic into your natal energy. This is a topic I channeled because of my fascination with Neptune. As most of you know, aspects with Neptune can create illusory and fanatical connections in synastry and while most of us are just romanticizing our situations because something feels "fated," we may actually be doing ourselves a disservice by following a karmic, blindly, not realizing it's an illusion. Obviously, Neptune isn't the only indicator of these themes but it is the planet that I was interpreting when I became inspired to put this out there. Or maybe your situation trends more on the side of meeting someone you're head over heels with BUT ever since you started talking/dating, you've had nothing but bad luck and blockages meet you at every turn. I myself have experiences both, numerous times. I have accounted for the incidents and in reference to my knowledge of Astrology, I plan on giving you the most obvious signs of these red flags, hidding in plain sight!

Saturn Aspects: Challenging aspects (conjunctions, squares, oppositions) involving one person's Saturn and the other person's personal planets (e.g., Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars) can indicate areas where responsibilities, limitations, or challenges may arise. While these aspects can be demanding, they often present opportunities for growth and maturity. Saturn Square or Opposition to Personal Planets: These aspects can bring tension and challenges to the relationship. The Saturn person may impose restrictions or limitations on the personal planet person, which can lead to feelings of frustration or a sense of duty and responsibility. It may feel like the relationship is demanding and requires effort to overcome obstacles. However, these aspects also provide opportunities for growth, discipline, and maturity. Saturn Conjunct Personal Planets: When Saturn is conjunct a personal planet in synastry, it can create a sense of seriousness and commitment in the relationship. The Saturn person may take on a mentorship or authoritative role, and the personal planet person may feel a strong sense of responsibility toward the Saturn person's goals and values. While it can be challenging, it can also lead to long-lasting and stable relationships if both individuals are willing to work together. Saturn Square or Opposition to Venus: These aspects may indicate challenges in the area of love and relationships. The Saturn person may bring a sense of duty, responsibility, or practicality to the Venus person's romantic inclinations, which can lead to conflicts or feelings of emotional restriction. However, over time, these aspects can lead to a deeper commitment and a more mature approach to love. Saturn Square or Opposition to Mars: These aspects can signify challenges in the way the individuals express their desires and passions. There may be power struggles or conflicts related to assertiveness and action. While this can create tension, it can also lead to growth and better communication if both parties are willing to work through the challenges. South Node Aspects: Aspects involving one person's South Node and the other person's planets can suggest karmic connections or unresolved issues from past lives. These aspects may indicate patterns that need to be acknowledged and transformed. South Node Conjunct Personal Planets: When the South Node of one person is conjunct (close to) the personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars) of the other person, it can suggest a strong karmic connection. This connection may indicate that the individuals have shared past-life experiences that need to be addressed in this lifetime. While this can bring up unresolved issues, it also offers a chance for healing and growth. South Node Opposition Personal Planets: Opposition aspects to the South Node from personal planets can create a push-pull dynamic in the relationship. The individuals may feel a strong attraction and a sense of familiarity, but there can also be challenges related to the past-life themes associated with the South Node. South Node Square Personal Planets: Square aspects to the South Node can bring tension and conflict related to karmic issues. The individuals may feel like they are working through old patterns and may experience resistance or challenges in doing so. South Node Aspects to Outer Planets: Aspects from the South Node to the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) can indicate deep and complex karmic themes. These aspects may suggest that the individuals have a significant karmic mission or purpose in this lifetime. While it can be challenging, it can also be transformative. South Node Aspects to the North Node: Aspects between the South Node of one person and the North Node of the other person can indicate a karmic connection that involves working together to fulfill a shared purpose or destiny. These aspects may suggest that the individuals are meant to support each other's growth and evolution.

Chiron Aspects: Chiron represents wounds and healing. Aspects between one person's Chiron and the other person's planets can suggest areas where both individuals may trigger each other's wounds or provide opportunities for healing and growth.

Chiron Conjunct Personal Planets: When one person's Chiron is conjunct (close to) the personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars) of the other person, it can indicate that the Chiron person may trigger or activate the wounds or vulnerabilities associated with the personal planet person. This aspect can create a sense of empathy and understanding, providing an opportunity for both individuals to work on their healing processes. Chiron Opposition Personal Planets: Opposition aspects to Chiron may create a dynamic where the Chiron person and the personal planet person have different approaches to dealing with wounds or vulnerabilities. This can lead to growth through mutual support and understanding, rather than bad luck or bad karma. Chiron Square Personal Planets: Square aspects to Chiron can bring tension and challenges related to healing and vulnerability. While there may be conflicts or difficulties, these aspects also provide opportunities for growth and transformation. Chiron Aspects to Outer Planets: Chiron aspects to the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) in synastry may indicate complex dynamics related to healing and transformation. These aspects often suggest that the individuals have deep, soul-level lessons to work on together, but they do not imply bad luck or bad karma. Chiron Aspects to the North Node: Chiron's connection to the North Node can suggest that the individuals have a karmic opportunity to work on their healing and growth together. These aspects point to the potential for shared lessons and mutual support. Chiron House Overlays: When one person's Chiron falls into the same house as the other person's planets or points, it highlights a specific area of life where healing and growth may be focused. This can lead to shared experiences and learning opportunities.

Pluto Aspects: Intense aspects (conjunctions, squares, oppositions) involving Pluto in synastry can indicate power struggles, transformational experiences, or deep emotional connections. While challenging, they can also signify opportunities for profound change and personal evolution. 8th House Overlays: The 8th House is associated with transformation, shared resources, and intense experiences. When one person's planets fall into the other person's 8th House, it can suggest a connection that may involve deep emotional or psychological processes. 12th House Overlays: Planets in one person's chart falling into the other person's 12th House can create a connection that feels mysterious, spiritual, or karmic. The 12th House is associated with hidden matters and the subconscious. Vertex Aspects: Aspects to the Vertex point in synastry may indicate fated or karmic connections. These aspects can suggest a sense of destiny or significant life events associated with the relationship.

DISCLAIMER: challenging aspects or karmic connections do not necessarily imply negative outcomes. They often point to areas where personal growth, healing, and transformation can occur. Relationships, like life itself, involve a mix of challenges and opportunities for learning and evolving.