#we created this monster in our heads so it must be true

[thejurassicparty]

"They took everything from us, and then they called me a monster?... This ends when I grant them my forgiveness, not the other way around."

This particular quote - honestly, this whole scene - has the nauseating force of a sucker punch directly to the gut

[the-nosy-neighbor]

Bug-a-Bye and Goodnight

As always, I have edits:

This will make more sense at the end.

I came across some theories about this song, and wanted to look at it in depth.

We are reading with the understanding that he may be referring to Eddie.

[A gentle piano and bassoon track begins playing.]

The sun is low, it’s cold and dark,— end of season, but could also be a reference to night and danger after dark

Just wind and snow, I must remark,

The bugs all head to slumberland,—interesting given the use of toyland, also the commercial about remderem/insomnia (some must sleep but Wally is in the opposite state. Too aware?), but could be a reference to death, like “the big sleep”

Some might find it sad, but I understand,—on face value, he will miss his friends, but knows that it is inevitable.

Even if I might not be able to see you,—can’t see Eddie because he is gone/buried

I know it’s for the best, I can’t keep you,—Eddie staying would lead to serious consequences for Eddie

It’s time for all of you to get some rest,—after what we saw Eddie go through, I bet he would be better in a different state

To tuck you all into your arthropod nests,—bug stuff; also Julie's hibernation?

At this point, those last few lines could refer to a sort of death for Eddie. Almost like frank can preserve him in some way by giving him a death in this universe. If we are talking puppet world, which we did see in commercials, most of Eddie’s anxiety happened in that state. So, can Frank give Eddie a suspended or death like state in one of the layers of reality and he is preserved in storybook world or our real world?

With one last check, that nothing is amiss,

I can see you safe into your chrysalis,—this reads that he will put Eddie into a different state of being that he can come back from. The coming back is my interpretation only at this point because I assume frank wouldn’t choose death for him or would for sure be hurt by Eddie’s death. Things would have to be very bad if true death is a better option for Eddie.

Also, it hearkens back to the horror butterfly image. Another also, caterpillar to butterfly, an insinuation of emedging into a new form. I don’t see allusions to Howdy in here, but I suppose it is possible that this could refer to more than one neighbor and Frank is taking them all out.

As you snuggle down into your dirt,—reference to being buried?

I want to assure you that I won’t be hurt.

This clarifies that it is a sleeping type state, not death. Ok, here is we’re Eddie’s Halloween costume comes in. Frankenstein, changed from the Scarecrow in earlier art (presumably from wizard of oz). Interesting thing about scarecrow vs. Frankenstein is that we see scarecrow taken apart during that film and Frankenstein is famously assembled from parts of different people. Interestinger is the fact that they are both afraid of fire. (I love that Young Frankenstein shows up more than the original in a search.)

Frankenstein (and scarecrow) are both put back together, but for Frankenstein it seems more of a new being, not just a reassembling. Frankenstein (aka frankenstein’s monster) is a thinking, speaking individual that was horrified at the situation he was in. Frankenstein in the book murders to punish his creator for the immorality of creating him and the resulting loneliness that the monster feels. As such, the choice is very interesting. If the puppets of welcome home come to be aware or sentient, I wonder how they would feel about Ronald Dorelaine or their situation?

If the movie version is the focus of Eddie’s costume choice, then he would be a potentially thinking and feeling being (he is afraid of fire), but without further evidence we don’t know his thoughts.

Scarecrow is a guy without a brain, with the power of speech, so a kind of opposite. I think they all end up just needing to be confident, which is why some shyster from the Midwest is able to help. This almost seems to be more in tune with Eddie's character--Eddie has a tendency to appear kind of ditsy, is constantly being dismissed by others. In the end, we find out he is actually smart but lacks confidence. I can see that being true for Eddie as well.

If I had to pick out a character for Frank, it would be the Tin Man. Poppy is the Cowardly Lion, Wally is Dorothy. Home is Home. There are more parallels here than I was expecting. Howdy is the Wizard, Julie can be Glenda, and the Wicked Witch...is kind of no one? Sally can be a flying monkey. She works my nerve. Also, the whole spying thing was done by the monkeys in the movie.

But now that I am thinking about it, this comparison makes a lot of sense, in terms of the complex relationships, as well as the levels of reality that you find in Wizard of Oz. A big event leads to a shift in the understanding of reality, and the lead finds themselves in a very colorful world that doesn't much resemble their own, but is very flashy, has songs, beloved characters, and a sense of danger. There are some things when thought about in the context of real life, or the black and white portion of Wizard of Oz, would be truly frightening.

Of course, Wizard of Oz shares a lot of parallels with Alice in Wonderland, which also seems somewhat related. In terms of source material, the Wizard of Oz is considered to be a parable that expresses the thoughts about US economic policy in the 1890's. This is a theory that you can read more about here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_interpretations_of_The_Wonderful_Wizard_of_Oz

It isn't super related, and not everyone believes that this is the case. However, it seems to be a very American type story, no matter what you believe, that touches on the experience of normal people while much larger forces lie and fuck around with everything.

As the holidays begin to approach,

I gently kiss, each and every roach,—kisses for Eddie. We have seen a realistic roach on the secret page with the mishmash of one script where Wally is deciding what to draw

I made sure to keep, my garden cozy,

So you can safely sleep, in fallen posies,—this whole stanza shows a desire to and promise of a quiet death and maybe even a maintained grave. I looked up posies to see where Eddie could potentially be buried. Posies refer to a nosegay, or small bouquet of flowers. It was a Victorian secret code thing, a way to declare love or even reject people based on flower and color. One that sticks with us in the form of red roses signifying love. On the map, there is a cluster of yellow flowers to the side of Frank’s house. Not sure this counts as his garden, since it is on the other side of the house. Julie has a group of flowers behind her house, but once again, not his garden. No fallen flowers that I can ID.

When googling posey, this is what comes up. I felt that there was a flower called a posey, and these do look like the big yellow flowers by Frank’s house. If any flowers fall in updates, I am going to assume someone is buried there.

There is also the ring around the roses rhyme, which could relate, but I don’t really see a correlation.

It’s time to get comfortable in your honeycomb,

take your winter intermission in your garden loam,—dirt, burying again

neatly nestled from the cold in roots and rhi-ya-zomes, — cozy dead

sleeping side by side under stately stones,—2 dead? Headstones is the link I make there--OK, now look at the pic! (I know, it's a reach.)

…And I’ll be inside of my home,—frank is staying to oversee something. It reads like calming the person who will die. This seems to bolster that arguments that I addressed in the post about bugs on the previous website, that Frank is working against, or at least parallel to Wally. With the bugs, the whispering to Eddie, and using his first name, I think it is reasonable to suggest that Frank is working against Wally and/or Home.

Another potential clue is the hidden video with the clothespins where 1 is upside down. I have theorized that it is a reference to Barnaby dying, but it could be Barnaby and Eddie. Only one clothespin is shown upside down though, so Barnaby or Eddie?

Regardless of how I feel you need to go away,

I’ll be the one to tell you, you just can’t stay,—he likes bugs but this is extreme of Frank, if he is talking about actual bugs

Thankfully I lack a sentimental sensibility,—true that, he generally seems calm.

I enjoy my Methodical Mundanity,—why is this capitalized? I looked and looked but I can’t find the origin of this phrase, though it came up a few times in random posts and articles. Clown does have a tendency to capitalize things that seem random. Me below is also capitalized. I listened as well, and I have to wonder why the singing is so bad? I don’t think the voice actors are bad at singing, seems like a deliberate choice to have reedy and unsteady vocals, pitch issues and pacing problems.

Where all that’s left is… Me.

So, this is a bit extreme for a song about hibernating bugs. I think that given our many references to bisecting or otherwise putting people into pieces (Eddie butterfly horror, frank in a pile of body parts, look I made a dog, and slinky Barnaby, now Frankenstein and Scarecrow) that we could be looking at death in a sense that works in one layer of reality. You disassemble a puppet, it is no longer a puppet. So what if Frank = Frankenstein and Eddie is Frankenstein’s monster? Frank can take him apart and put him back together in puppet reality?

If I had to guess, I am sticking with my working theory. Frank, as the smartest guy in the neighborhood, is the resistant force in the neighborhood. Wally/Home is/are the catalyst for the scary stuff. They are central to everything, physically and otherwise.

I have mentioned that in the last update, Sally and Poppy have the appearance of spies or managing Eddie. Given that Poppy doesn’t attend to party, I am anticipating that Eddie was isolated and watched by Sally during this planning period, where Wally and Barnaby walk the neighborhood to find out what Homewarming is. Given that it is said that Wally and Home instigated Homewarming, it is strange that everyone knows what it is except for Wally. It reads more as an attempt to achieve a goal, despite everyone knowing about the holiday. Even Julie is at the party, and she is supposed to be hibernating. Well, they don't say exactly when Julie hibernates (maybe there was something about her doing it after the holiday?) Anyway, Poppy isn't at Homewarming. She could be at home, but the book stating that they are all here seems like an attempt to cover up her absence. What is she doing? Snooping in the Post Office while Sally watches Eddie? Does Eddie want to go home for not feeling well or he has an idea of what is happening while he is gone?

Maybe Frank sees his boyfriend and comrade at arms about to get hit with something bad, so to preserve him and the opposition, he is going to disassemble him (cue Johnny 5) for protection.

In the past, Sonny (the Brazilian bird) was cast as the opposition to Wally, and included in a relationship with Frank. This work in particular comes to mind:

Clown has stated that they removed Sonny from the project due to the story changing from one with a hero, to one without, as that wasn't the story that they wanted to tell. What if, though, instead of Sonny being written out for the hero reason, there was another reason? What if we are seeing Frank taking on being the neighborhood's savior? He is just snarky enough to make it seem less like a hero situation and more because it was impacting his garden.

[pettyprocrastination]

The Deathly Devout

Pairing: Executioner!König x Nun!Reader (Medieval au) 

Word Count: 1.2k

Warnings: Religious themes and settings, talk of death, religious guilt, nothing much this is pretty tame. I have very little knowledge of how catholic confessionals actually go especially in a medieval setting forgive me. probably many spelling errors im sorry. 

Author’s Note: was talking to @thesadvampire about @hffhifjou fucking amazing art of the 141 as knights and now we have Executioner!König. This is mostly just a word burst from this morning but I really like this concept and wanted to share with you all 

Tagging some mutuals I think might enjoy this: @sprout-fics @humanransome-note @moondirti @fnny-bnny @yeehaw-djarin @captainsamwlsn

_______________--

     It was quite amusing to see the executioner in the confessional booth. 

     That isn’t to say that he doesn’t visit often, no. If anything it’s the exact opposite, Father Montomgery sees him more than any pious banker or self-hating gambler in the city. But the man was monstrous, broad in his shoulders with thick arms and legs to match, resulting in him having to twist and fold his body to properly fit into the little wooden booth. He could see the silhouette of the poor man’s shoulders hunched in and head tucked low. 

     It almost made up for how absolutely aggravating he was to listen to. 

     “Forgive me father for I have sinned.” 

     “May God, who has enlightened every heart, help you know your sins and trust in his mercy.” 

     König swallows. 

     “I killed a man this week.” 

     The priest, knowing this voice better than others and the hulking silhouette it belongs to, sighs. 

     “The thief, then?” He asks, voice dripping with indifference. “The little painter who was caught stealing?” 

     “Yes father.” 

     The “little thief” has been a blossoming apprentice under a most respected artist within the city, only for the truth to come out that he had been stealing funds from his mentor for months on end.  The king had suggested König simply cut off the painter’s hands and let him live out the rest of his days in poverty. “What better punishment for an artist than a life where he cannot create?” 

     But the end ruling was for the artist to lose his head in the town-square and König’s hands delivered the blade to his neck. 

     “That was simply an act of your work, my child.” 

     “But-” 

     There is a deep sigh from the opposite side of the booth and König falls silent, like a scolded child. 

     The irony isn't lost on the priest, that a man who must associate himself with the macabre so often is incredibly devout in his worship. But the humor was drowned out by how astonishingly self-loathing the poor bastard was. 

     “My child, do you believe our king is the one true king?”

     “Of course father.” 

     “And do you believe our God is the one, true, God?” 

     There’s a garbled noise that comes from the larger man, an incredulous sputtering at how the priest would ever assume he would say otherwise. 

     It makes the man chuckle. 

     “Of course father!” 

     “Then acting out the King’s law is acting out God’s law, is it not?” 

     There’s a pause, the priest can see the man shrink down into his seat even further, if that was even possible with how he contorted the bulk of his body to squeeze into the wooden booth. 

     “I’m not saying you cannot feel-” He waves his hand in the air, despite the fact that König cannot truly see him. “-conflicted, about your career. It’s not one that comes easily, I’m sure. But it is not one that makes you a monster, despite how many people would try to have you believe that.” 

     “Yes father.” 

     The man’s voice is a shred of what it should be- all but a trembling whisper that makes even the exhausted priest frown. 

     “Being an executioner isn’t an easy job. But it’s one that is needed nonetheless.” 

     König says something softly to himself, but the priest cannot be bothered to ask what. 

     “For your sins I-” 

     “Actually, father-” the wooden step creaked under his weight as he shifted on his knees. “There’s something else.” 

     “Oh?” 

     “I’ve been having impure thoughts about a woman.” 

     “Oh.” 

     The priest blinks. He had never heard the man speak of any sin aside from the violence he acted out on the King’s word. Truth be told he had begun to think the lad was so devout such a concept was all but foreign to him. 

     But this?

     “I’m listening, my child.” 

     This was far more interesting than listening to him bemoan about a town square beheading. 

     “She is-” König chews on the inside of his cheek, chipped teeth digging into the formed scars he has had since childhood from the nervous habit. “Promised to somebody else.” 

     The priest hides a snicker behind a well placed cough. 

     “Married?”

     “In a manner of speaking, yes.” 

      “I haven’t…acted upon them.” The man who has killed week after week fiddles with his hands, face turning bright red as simply speaking of his attraction toward the woman. The priest couldn't help but wonder who she was. Whether it be a kind tavern girl who ignored his gaze each day he walked by or a local prostitute that urged on his affection as long as he could afford her time. 

     It’s no secret that few women would concern themselves with the local executioner, if not even look him in the eyes. 

     “She’s a good woman of proper virtue, I would not sully her name in such a way.” 

     This poor bastard. 

     “Is she beautiful?” 

     “I’m sorry?” 

     “The woman you speak of, do you find her attractive?” 

     König swallows. “Yes, incredibly. Her smile rivals that of the sun and-” 

     “That’s more than enough.” The priest grins into his hand as the airy tone the executioner’s voice took on, like a poet reciting his latest venture. The man was properly lovesick, how charming. “I do not believe you have committed any sin in appreciating a woman’s beauty.” 

     “I haven’t?” 

     “Admiring a woman’s beauty is like admiring a piece of art, is it not?” The priest offers. “You are simply taking in the art that God has created with his own hands, my child.” 

     Before König has a chance to respond, through the lattice he sees a flash of white through the corner of his eye. A soft voice humming a tune fills the air, echoing through the church hall like a well-respected hymn. In a panic, König begins to stand his full height before he is halted in his tracks as the top of his head slams into the confessional roof. 

     “My son?” 

     “Ah, apologies father! But I have to leave because of-” 

     The priest nods. “Yes, yes of course.You are absolved of your sins, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” 

     The final word is drowned out by the slam of the confessional door opening the man’s thundering footsteps receding from the booth. 

     The executioner stands to his full height as he exits the church. He shields his eyes as he steps outside, suddenly overwhelmed by the burst of sunlight. 

     In his haste, he did not see the figure at his side. 

  ��  “Good morning to you, König.”

     The man jumps, twisting around to face you where you stand at the bottom church steps, broom in hand and a smile on your face. 

     “Ah! Yes! Good morning to you as well, sister.” 

     “A lovely day, is it not?” 

     Heat creeps up the back of his neck and he struggles to find the words he wished to speak to you. But you, ever patient and kind, wait without judgment. 

     “Yes, quite lovely.” 

     As König stares down at you, his heart beating as he watches the sun shine on your figure and your smile, he finds himself thinking of the Holy Father’s words.

     “You are simply taking in the art that God has created with his own hands”

     What beautiful art indeed. 

[cjsmalley]

Wished Away 8:

“Mom, Dad, help,” Dean said, holding a baby out.

A whirlwind of activity followed.

“He is Nephilim,” Castiel declared, having inspected the boy, “though I cannot tell his true parentage. It is being…hidden from me.”

The pediatricians took over as soon as the angel stepped back.

“Nephilim,” Danny said slowly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, “isn’t that half-angel or something?”

“Precisely,” Castiel said just as slowly, measuring his words like they were his last rations, “They are…it is Forbidden for angels to lay with mortals. The creation of Nephilim is even more taboo as the first, the original, were monsters more often than not. It is an intentional act, to create Nephilim; the angelic parent must give a portion of their own Grace to the child during conception.”

“So they purposely knocked someone up then ding-dong ditched the kid,” Dean growled.

“Perhaps they heard that we are romantically involved, Dean,” Castiel offered, “and hoped we would take in the child as our own.”

“Well, of course we are,” Dean huffed, rolling his eyes at his angel who shook his head fondly, “I’ve already picked out a name too. A good human name.”

“Oh?”

“Jack, after Grandpa Jack. Unless, you have a name?”

“Perhaps…James, after James Novak?”

“Hmm…Jack James…James Jack…JJ…no, definitely Jack James. I like it, Cas.”

“Well, little Jack is healthy as far as we can tell,” Doctor Peterson joined the little huddle, “every scan we can perform came up normal, perfectly within range for his age group.”

Both Dean and Castiel visibly relaxed.

“We’ll get you set up,” Sam promised her son and might-as-well-be son-in-law.

A servant brought David’s old wrap and Sam showed Dean and Castiel how to wind it around their bodies to carry little Jack close to their hearts.

“Does the heart even beat?” Danny asked Castiel with interest, referring to his Vessel.

“Yes, I have kept all systems functioning as intended,” Castiel confirmed.

“Good. Because babies this young are used to heartbeats,” Danny explained as Sam worked with Dean, “they just spent nine months with their mom’s in their ears.”

“I see,” Castiel nodded, “well, Dean has assured me that I have a perfectly human sounding heartbeat.”

“What’s the likelihood that his mom was the human?” Danny asked next.

“Oh, quite likely…angels with female vessels most often shutdown the reproductive system. It would also be quite hard to hide the evidence of the gestating Nephilim. His mother likely died in childbirth; her body finally unable to handle his Angelic self.”

Danny winced; that would be a horrid way to die and he fried like a French fry.

Within hours, little Jack was all ready to go home.

Over the next few days, a room in the Bunker became a nursery and supplies loaded in.

[brionbroadway]

“Princess, is it your time to rest? Or do you want your story to continue?”

Rosamund is glad to be asked.

This is what she wants: a chance to write her own story outside of the narrative that’s planned for her. She is not ready to rest--she already rested for a hundred fucking years--and true love is no longer an option. It must be something else; there has to be something else for her to choose. She will take her scrap of a page and discover what it is.  

“I don’t think it’s my time to rest.”

“Then I think—”

She feels the briars before she sees them, wrapping around her heart the way she guaranteed a lover never would. With each pulse of her heart, the briars pierce it.

But her heart must be stronger than everything than every piece of Thumbelina, because she splits in half.

“I take it back!” Rosamund yells. “I take it back!”

“Oh, my dear Rosamund.”

The voice comes from a briar that’s coiled itself into her ear. It’s unrecognizable as any individual fairy, but it drips with both the saccharine sweetness and depraved wickedness Rosamund has realized they all possess.

“You cannot take a choice back, my girl. This is why you should have trusted the ending that was written for you.” The voice tuts, a disapproving parental figure that never gave Rosamund anything but rules. “Your gifts did not come without a curse. You have sacrificed the one condition that would break it. You have rejected rest. What did you think was left for you, Sleeping Beauty?”

Rosamund tries to use her own voice, but a briar invades her mouth and replaces her smile. Its teeth are sharper than her own.

“Oh, I know what’s that like.”

The voice in Rosmaund’s heads changes, a conspiratorial older sister like she tried to be Red. The briars morph into thick strands of golden hair.

“It’s a shame we never got to talk.” Rapunzel’s voice comes from everywhere her hair touches.  “We have a lot in common. Locked away, someone else claiming to know what’s best for us, unable to make our own choices…”  

The briars spin, like hair being twirled around a finger.

“But when we did write our own story, we gained power. I know it hurts, Rosamund. I know it may not seem like it, but my hair hurts too. It chokes me, and restrains me, but more importantly than any of that, it keeps me safe—”

She’s cut off, because Gerard is eating Rapunzel on the battlefield. Her voice returns, hoarse from screaming. It sounds the way her hair feels in Rosamund’s throat.

“He will consume all of you, Rosamund. He has already done so to Elody in their marriage, though she does not recognize that. You must him put him to sleep.”

Rosamund cannot see a prince on the battlefield, only a monster. 

Suddenly, the hair transforms into chains.  

“Hello, my love.”

The deep, cruel voice of the Baron of Bricks feels like the weight of the chains on Rosamund’s skin. It comes from the ones trapping her heart into beating.

“I know, of course, that I am not your true love,” he says. “I know you will not get that. But, I do believe we have more in common than either of us first thought. You have rejected death, and I respect that, but I must warn you that it will not last as long as Death is around. She just took a Beast. She can certainly take a Princess.”

Rosamund cannot see a girl on the battlefield, only The Big Bad Wolf.

“If you need to put her in a stew, I have a recipe. Otherwise, you have all the tools you require. You must put her to sleep.”

The chains drop, but Rosamund is quickly snatched up by sharp claws. The Baba Yaga runs them down her face, her neck, and finally stops at the same wrists she considered feasting on. Her voice comes from the wounds she created.

“Thank you, Princess, for your gift. I am taking good care of your true love. He is only feeling the pain you would have caused each other after happily ever after.”

She cackles, and it infects the wounds.

“You made a wise choice in putting him to sleep.”

The claws release Rosamund, and the briars consume her again. Slowly, a pattern appears on them that represents a kind of evil she still had not accepted existed.

“I am sorry my son could not keep you safe, Rosamund. You do not need to worry about punishing him for that; I assure you I will take care of it.”

The Stepmother’s voice sounds like Rosamund’s own thoughts.

“Sleeping Beauty, I know what it’s like to have a role assigned to you. But, I also know what it’s like to edit the story. We can change this together. You can make your own choices, just as you wished. Put them all to sleep, Rosamund, and we will write the stories this world deserves.”

There is no happy ending for Rosamund. Only what must be done in this room.

[mephinomaly]

[TL] BIOHAZARD/Chapter 4

[ This post uses Ois~su ♪ ]

Kaoru: Why would we take part in an experiment that sounds like something a sci-fi movie villain would do…?

Tomoya: “If we are able to duplicate people, duplicate idols, there are many advantages.”

Hajime: “Fundamentally, one person can only do so much. They cannot be in multiple places at once or complete multiple jobs at the same time.”

Tomoya: “However, if we can create clones such as ourselves, it will become possible.”

Hajime: “For example, say there is a super idol with plenty of talent–”

Tomoya: “This idol will be able to simultaneously sing and dance on stage, star in a movie, take part in a gravure photoshoot, recount a funny story on a variety show—”

Hajime: “These examples, that would otherwise be impossible, become possible.”

Tomoya: “If the original person ages or perhaps even dies, the copy will still be able to perform to the best of its ability.”

Hajime: “24/7, 365 days a year!”

Tomoya: “They won’t get sick nor be able to complain.”

Rei: Riiight, I suppose that’s true.

Robots do not have human rights. You do not even need to pay them a salary, all you must do is cover the cost of manufacturing and maintaining.

To a manager, it is better than a real idol whose body can rapidly degrade.

Koga: That’s fuckin’ insane, man. ES is… Is ES heartless or somethin’?

Rei: Nay, Itsuki-kun would say that it is only human nature to want to bend the world around you for your own wishes.

Kaoru: Itsuki-kun? Isn’t that more of a Tenshouin-kun thing to say?

Rei: He has a surprisingly unique outlook on art. I’m his friend, so I would know.

Adonis: Fumu… Personally, I understand the overall concept, but I’m struggling to accept this.

This sort of technology is an extension of drawing AI. When there’s AI that is better than real humans with beating hearts, that can easily be mass produced—

What do we do then?

AI has been able to accomplish tasks in seconds compared to us, who could take a year or even a decade to do the same thing.

And that can all be done with a simple press of a button.

In the beginning, we will abhor these “monsters”.

There are no laws in place in regards to non-human entities, so they'll be regulated in the same manner drawing AI are, right?

But as time passes, and new laws are passed, when those sort of things become commonplace–

In that future, is there a place for us, real people?

Koga: Y-You alright, Adonis? Ain’t you bein’ unusually talkative?

Adonis: I’ve been thinking about AI technology since Yuuki showed it to me. I’m not good at thinking, so I’ve yet to come up with an answer.

Rei: Adonis-kun is a serious boy.

For me, if that is the current trend, I want to follow it. Whether you dislike it or not, you cannot prevent big trends such as that.

Even if we feel disgusted and consequently don’t participate in this experiment, these guys will just ask other idols to do it in our place.

Hajime: “Yep.”

Tomoya: “We don’t particularly need UNDEAD’s help.”

Koga: Oi! What are you tryna say, huh? Ain’t you suppose t’be actin’ cute?

Tomoya: “We are aware that our actions and words are uncharacteristic of the original Ra*bits members.”

Hajime: “We, at best, are 40% accurate to the original people.”

Tomoya: “Our external appearance have been the main focus, rather than the internal, such as speech and behaviour.”

Rei: You are using tricky phrases that is unusual for Ra*bits.

Hajime: “Yes. In order to accurately replicate the internals, that is to say, one’s mental state and personality, we need data from your brains.”

Tomoya: “And that is what we are requesting of you for this experiment.”

Hajime: “Now, we will install these devices to your heads, or more specifically, your brains.”

Tomoya: “Then, we will download as much data as we can from your brains, and use it to recreate you.”

Hajime: “We believe we are capable of reproducing the identical idols, both on the inside and the outside.”

Kaoru: A-are you going to suck out our brains? Isn’t that kinda gross?

Hajime: “Your wording is misleading.”

Tomoya: “We are only obtaining data, your physical and mental will not be damaged in the process.”

Hajime: “Of course, private information will be protected in accordance with the law.”

Kaoru: ...

Hajime: “Well, if you don’t want to, you can always refuse.”

Tomoya: “If you refuse, we will ask other idols, such as Ra*bits, to participate in your place.”

Hajime: “However, the experiment cannot be cancelled.”

Tomoya: “Until we are able to create the perfect AI idol, the AIIE project will not stop.”

Rei: ...

[ ☆ ]

Chapter 3

Chapter 5

[xenokattz]

@dontruinmymorning had an amazing idea

I begged for permission to write it because OBVS. But then it went plotty because Plot Daemon & and now I suspect 10-30K, AU: canon divergence, multi-chapter fic that starts a little something like this:

***

He did not recognize her. Okoye would have wept except she had shed all the tears she had for him three years ago. Instead, she pushed all those feelings into rage, into speed, into strength. The one with the lionfish headdress, who must have been another general, headed towards Riri and Shuri. Attuma led the charge against her.

She knew about their strength. She knew about their healing abilities. She also knew how to unlock their rebreathers. [Fight scene she takes off their rebreathers]

Attuma growled, touching the slash on his cheek.

"I call on the [Maya law of some sort look it up]," Okoye said in Maya, hoping she had the tones correct. "I have drawn the blood of a nacom. If you turn away, I will defeat you and you will be sacrificed before all of Wakanda. Hear me or have your dishonour known."

The lionfish general glared. "Who are you to call on the laws of Talokan?"

"Someone who knows them well enough," said Okoye. "Ignore me if you wish but you and the gods will know the truth. Will you dare anger them? After everything that has happened?

The lionfish general started to advance but Attuma held out a hand. "She knows the law."

"It does not apply to surface dwellers."

"I am not a surface dweller," said Attuma. "It was my blood drawn. Speak, Wakandan."

"Your king approached our queen and gave her a week to find this scientist. We found her in less time than K'uk'ulkan deemed necessary. Give us those remaining days to bring the scientist back to our country and create a true alliance between Wakanda and Talokan. Not this shameful broken promise as the Conquistadores do."

"You dare compare us to those monsters!" Lionfish snarled, knees braced to attack.

Okoye braced her spear. But once again Attuma held the other back. "Stand down, Namora."

"We were given orders," she said.

"What do you give us to ensure you keep your promise, Wakandan?" asked Attuma.

"I am Okoye, daughter of Gbohunmi, Head of Security of Wakanda. That makes me commander of all Wakanda's military, equal to the general of the Dora Milaje, second only to the queen herself. I will give you my blood promise that Wakanda will negotiate an alliance that will be fruitful to both our nations. If this is not so, I will give myself to you as sacrifice."

Namora and Attuma exchanged a look that Okoye understood very well. She and Ayo would often have such silent conversations. They were a team. She gripped her spear. Behind her, Shuri began to stir.

"I accept your blood and your negotiation, Okoye, daughter of Gbohunmi," said Attuma. He drew out an obsidian blade from his belt and held it out to Okoye.

Okoye recieved it with both hands flat. It was short, not more than six inches long, and very narrow, almost like a large needle. He probably used it to cut himself for his personal rituals. She held her medical bead over it, and gave it several passes of the disinfecting beam.

"What is that?" Namora asked.

"I am cleaning the blade," said Okoye. "I will not make this bargain only to die of infection. Bast only knows where this has been. I am not poking myself with something that has jabbed your genitals."

In the end, she went with the vein in the crook of her left elbow, visible and causing minimal damage. She disinfected the area with the kimoyo and poked. Her blood flowed easily into the grooved obsidian blade. Just as it dripped off the end, she pulled the blade out and offered it back to Attuma, bending her elbow to staunch the cut.

"I will see you by the end of the week," said Okoye. "Any more attacks on Wakanda or its people, and you will see how paltry your numbers are compared to our wrath."

Attuma curved the fingers of his hands, pointing one up towards the sky and the other down to the sea. "Until then, Commander Okoye, daughter of Gbohunmi."

She watched, one arm still crooked, the other holding her spear in ready position, until they all boarded their whales and the waters of the Chicago River stilled again. She needed to talk to the Queen. What they had planned three years ago needed to be enacted.

[nonsensical-pixels]

THE LINDASIMS2 RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTATION: PART THREE

So, as mentioned in this minor update, the hidden Sim in the accessory files was apparently a rudely-named pollination technician. Me and my Simscord besties struggled to understand just what sim was thrown in there... but we finally worked it out. Thanks to Google, I guess.

I honestly feel like this is way too dramatic for a discovery post but y'know what, I'm nonsensical-pixels. Time to do the nonsensical.

DISCLAIMER: This is not really a callout post. This is a warning to anyone who intends to download Lindasim's stuff. And a genuine one. I have nothing personal against Linda, this is only what I've found from my own deep dive into Linda's files. I have no proof that what I've found is stuff that Linda herself did, but the stuff does exist. And it's terrible.

WARNING: Some of these images contain racial slurs that may make you uncomfortable.

You can find the nails file I use for my 'research' post here. It's part of the reuploaded March 2021 set and from what I can see that entire set is a giant mess.

Credits go to Zeta_Reticuli and Yolkema for helping to dig deeper into this issue!

THE START: PT19

Yolkema was able to load a spare save with the bad CC and check what Sim Blender did when you tried to summon them.

The result: this sim. Pollination Technician 19.

Now, we were all scratching our heads, because who the fuck is PT 19? There's no such sim in the game. So we just figured that Linda had created a sim called PT 19 and threw him in for shits and giggles.

When Yolkema tried to summon the sim, however, we discovered it was impossible. The game would lag a few seconds, but the sim wouldn't appear. So Zeta_Reticuli decided to see if deleting the package file's BHAVs, which contained sim-deleting functions, would work.

THE SLURS

WARNING: This section contains racial slurs!

After Zeta loaded the game and tried to summon the sims, we were all in for quite the shock. Instead of PT19, we had... this guy! Five of him!

We all assumed that this must be due to the BHAVs being removed, since that was the only difference we saw between Yolkema's and Zeta's games. But, well, we were wrong, of course.

THE LANGUAGE DISCOVERY

Zeta went into SimPE and made a pretty interesting discovery:

The person who changed the PT's name must be using American English, because in UK English, PT 19 makes his appearance.

So, since we're all inquisitive simmers, we decided to track down just who PT19 was.

THE FACE

My original impression was that the extra GMDC with a sim's face only used Face 2, but Zeta went back and discovered that it is, in fact, a pretty alien-looking face.

The new question: why the heck would someone go through all that trouble just to inject a monster into their downloaders' CC? I mean, I'm already terrified of the non-textured image. It's a real nightmare.

THE TRUE MONSTER

Zeta thought the sim might be a downloadable alien technician, and she was right! The hidden sim in Lindasims2's nail accessory files isn't some monster cooked up in a frying pan. It's none other than PT19 from this Pollination Technician Replacement set.

Here she is in all of her alien glory.

SUMMARY

Well, it's out now folks. After hours of agonising over who TF the sim was hidden in those files, she's here. Pollination Technician 19, stolen right from pinkdynamite on MTS's replacement set.

Now, the real question: why is she there?

This seems like the most random sim to merge with accessory files, like, ever. Is this some sort of 'fuck you' to the people who download Linda's content? From what I can guess, these accessories are the same ones Linda sends to her subscribers. They're in no way different. That means that whoever downloaded Linda's March 2021 set, probably has this sim duplicated in their game.

If you're not sure if you have her and are concerned, use the Sim Blender's Teleport option and go to the Default household. Scroll through the list of names and if you see PT 19 or the slurs in the picture, yep, you've got the Nail It Virus. Or whatever you want to call it.

If you do have the Nail It Virus, do not attempt to remove the nail/character files belonging to this sim. Doing so is akin to deleting a sim from your game. I can't promise that your game is safe if you don't, but you should definitely run Hoodchecker as often as possible!

Overall, this post was made to dig deeper into the mysterious sim found in those files. I and many others were mystified by what it was. And, well, now we know.

New Sims 2 history?

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

"Are you hurt? Put something cold on it!"

Behold! A new story about our Farmers! Today's heroes are Julian (my OC), Miranda (@amishasp) and Wren (@girls4zelda) ❤️ Enjoy!

**********************************************

"Twenty-eight, thirty... Thirty-six, forty. Aha, exactly forty pieces of gold ore!", Miranda summarised, counting aloud the loot she had collected in the mines. Getting up from the flat stone on which she was sitting, she turned to Julian and Wren, who were standing nearby and also counting the ore that had been mined on the lowest levels.

"Ok...", Wren clucked her tongue, "I have fifty-six!", the red-haired girl said proudly, tying her bag of precious ore and slinging it over the shoulder as she approached Miranda. "Quite a good loot for a not-so-lucky day, I would say". Wren smiled at her friend, who nodded in agreement. Welwick's predictions would not matter to them - teamwork and friendship were the key to a successful hunt.

"Julian, what is it? You done already?", Miranda turned to the blond-haired boy who was still counting his loot. The man's multi-coloured eyes were staring intently into the backpack.

"Yeah, yeah, just a second... Oh shoot", The young man sighed disappointedly, dropping his bag to the dusty ground.

"Everything okay?", He immediately turned round at Wren's worried tone.

"Well, not really". Zipping up his hiking backpack and walking over to the two girls, Julian continued. "There was a hole in my backpack. Apparently, some of the loot fell out somewhere, and I only have ten ore on my hands...." He lowered his head guiltily. All three of them silently counted the total amount of gold ore they had on hand - 106 pieces. And they need exactly 120 - just the right number to create exactly 30 megabombs for Marlon's special order, which they set out to do together. After all, the three of them will get the job done faster, and the reward will be shared equally.

"Don't worry about it, bro", Miranda patted Julian's shoulder encouragingly. "Just fourteen gold nuggets and we can leave the mines and eat at the Saloon!"

Everyone cheered up at the prospect of Gus' delicious meals and headed confidently for the elevator door.

"I must say, that our foray was quite successful." With a tired yawn, Miranda decided to keep the conversation going as the three of them slowly made their way down the elevator to level 110.

"The monsters were a pain in the arse, though", she added.

"Uuuugh, so true..." Wren couldn't help but agree. Whether they wanted to admit it or not, Welwick's prediction that "the spirits are in a terrible mood today" ("Kiss my arse, spirits!", Miranda had said, not very politely) had played a part in their gold hunt: there were more monsters than usual, which made for a lot of hard work in extracting the necessary ore.

Julian had no time to comment on this before the lift came to an abrupt halt.

"Strange," Wren said, "I thought we had chosen level 110." The girl looked at the dial, which showed level 98.

"We did." Julian gripped the hilt of his sword. "Get ready. Looks like there's something outside."

The elevator door slowly open, and the trio could see nothing but darkness. Some blurry figure approached the entrance.

Wren drew her dagger from its sheath, ready for battle, and Julian was ready to get into a defensive posture.

Miranda, however, was ahead of them all.

With a battle cry, she rushed towards the entrance, swinging her right leg and striking the figure she and her friends assumed to be a shadow person. The dark silhouette let out a shriek from the blow and bent slightly. Miranda decided not to wait for the enemy to come to his senses, and with her left fist she struck the monster in the chest. The figure fell from the hard blow and began to whimper in pain. It was the whimpering that made the three of them stop, for the shadow man would have growled, whereas the sounds from the unfamiliar silhouette were similar to... human?

Julian quickly pulled a flashlight from his pocket and shined it on the moving figure.

"Lance?!" Now that was someone they hadn't expected to see here, but the second-in-command of The First Slash clan.

"Welp.... This is awkward." Not to say there was regret in Miranda's voice at seeing a familiar.... hmm. Well, it was a little hard for her to call Lance a friend. Near Lance himself, a small bag lay on the ground with some notes, a knife, and purple mushrooms falling out of it. "Right, that dumbass was babbling something about mushrooms early and wanting to study them," Miranda thought.

Julian and Wren ran up to the pink-haired adventurer, who was holding onto... *ahem* something was below his waist with both hands. Apparently Miranda's foot had hit the man's sorest spot, and the left hook had hit him in the solar plexus, judging by Lance's hitched breath.

"Forgive us, we didn't know it was you," Wren examined the adventurer for injuries, thankfully nothing serious. Well, aside from his... dignity.

Julian gave Lance a hand, helping him slowly to his feet. "We weren't expecting any adventurers in the mines, so we immediately took you for an enemy. Are you alright?" He asked, to which Lance just nodded his head, gratefully accepting the help. He carefully crouched down on the rock, moaning slightly in pain. The blond-haired farmer looked sympathetically at Lance: he of all people should know how painful a blow below the belt was. Ouch...

"Erm, I'll go and break some ice on level 40 so he can put it on his di- uh... bruise. Be right back. Don't die in there." Miranda said a little gruffly to Lance as he continued to burn the girl with his gaze. Five minutes - and the long-haired girl returned with a small bag from which droplets of water were slowly dripping.

"Me and Wren will check this level then, in case there are any shadow people here," Julian beckoned Wren with his hand, asking to keep him company.

"Sure. We'll hang around here. Take care, alright?" Miranda replied to her friends. By the time Wren and Julian had moved a little further away from the elevator, Lance, who was sitting on a rock, had managed to get his breathing back to normal. One spot, however, still ached.

"You know," he began, "not that I'm insist for an apology, but don't you think it would be appropriate to..." Before Lance could finish his sentence, an empty iron can with Joja's logo on it flew into his head.

"Didn't get to the ice, it's too high. You can put this on your... ugh, privates. it's cold enough." Miranda said carelessly to Lance.

The pink-haired man looked disdainfully at the old rusty soda can. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the urge to forget his own upbringing and hurl so much cursing at the girl that he'd have to go to Yoba's temple for swearing.

"Thank you very much for your kindness." Even though Lance's voice remained calm, you couldn't help but hear the sarcasm in his voice. "But I think I'm going to decline your help."

"Oh, really? A shame," Miranda's voice was also drenched in venom. "It's not good to refuse kindness. That's arrogance. I was actually trying for you, looking for something cold."

"I'm not going to attach this. Or anything. Especially in front of you."

"Listen here, you piece of shit!" The girl hissed. "I'm going to shove this can right up your a-"

"We're back!" Julian and Wren showed up just in time.

"There's no one else on this level but us. I even managed to get some gold ore, enough for our- is that a Joja cola can?" Julian raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"What?" Miranda crossed her arms, turning to Julian. "As good as any ice."

Lance only snorted irritably. Wren couldn't help but giggle at the funny picture, and Julian only sighed tiredly. It looked like they'd be getting to the Saloon much later than they'd planned.

[alovesongforu]

One - My Mom Finally Goes Crazy

Have you ever watched any race in your life? If your answer is 'yes', I bet you've asked yourself  "How can they run so fast and so much? Is that even humanly possible?" 

I used to ask the same question, but now, pursued by hundreds, maybe thousands of flesh-hungry monsters, I have the answer: yes. When your mind is filled with a surviving instinct, it releases a funny hormone in your blood that keeps you going on, no matter what's happening. 

It doesn't matter if your lungs burn so much they feel like combusting, it doesn't matter if every fiber in your legs is screaming for rest, it doesn't matter if you have a bite so deep in your neck that blood gushes.

It keeps you going, numbing your pain and clouding your senses with just one message: Keep going or you'll die. The name of this hormone? Adrenaline. I could continue my story from here, but I don't think you readers would understand it fully, so let's go back in the storyline.  

°°°

June 5, 2019. Brazil, São Paulo.

12:30 PM.

I hate school. Even though I have changed schools multiple times, bullying haunts me. I had no friends in Guarulhos, the only ones I managed to make turned their backs against me, I was beaten every single day. 

In São Paulo, things are not that different. People ignore me, unless they want to ridicule me. I don't get beaten anymore, no one scratches my desk with insults, telling me to kill myself, but I'm alone. Lonely. I try to console myself, saying that it's better being alone than poorly accompanied, but it still hurts.

Oh, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm so sorry! My name is Beatrice, Beatrice Sunnova D'Agostino.

I'm ten years old and I study in some fancy private school in the city of São Paulo. My mom is an artist who gained fame not long ago. As I was saying, I'm completely alone. The only friends I have are my mom and...Well, I know it sounds weird, but pigeons, bugs and rats. 

I also know what you're thinking right now. "Poor girl, she's completely nuts...", but I'm not. These animals, 'pests', they talk to me. And even if I am crazy, could you even blame me? If you, my dear reader, went through everything I've been through, I highly doubt you wouldn't think like me or be friends with them too.

I'm a person of many thoughts, so I could spend days and days just narrating all the incessant questions or stories that I create in my head to entertain myself and forget that I don't have a single friend my age, but I think I need to contextualize you from reality.

Right now, I'm having math class. I know, I know, a torture, but it's the last class of the day. Then, I'll go back home and no one will throw paper balls at me, with messages like: "you look like a pig", or "why are you still here? Nobody likes you". I'll be able to eat delicious food, wear comfortable clothes and read until it's dinner time again.

Mr. Ricardo (Yes, in Brazil we don't call our teachers by their last names.), was saying something about... to the power of, I guess? I'm not paying attention, all I can think about is how today's hell is going to end in...ten minutes, no, nine.

You must be asking yourself 'Is this school so bad? Why don't you tell everything to your mom, Beatrice?' Firstly, call me Bea, please. Secondly, my fellow: This is a true hell on earth. I hate this place with all my might. Every day, when I wake up, I pray this place has caught fire, with everyone inside, preferably. 

Now, your second question: My mother became a millionaire, I know she did. But I've only been studying here for a year and a half, and I don't want my mother to spend any more money on me, going through the trouble of buying a new uniform, transferring me to another school, and so on. On top of that, I don't have much time left at school, just six and a half years...Yeah, maybe I do, but I can handle it, I swear.

Mr. Ricardo continued to fill the board with equations, and although I copied it obediently, my ears were focused on the conversation of the clique of girls behind me. Maria Luisa, Sarah, Marina and Carla. You know that group of girls in your class that you clearly see that are nothing more than bitches with some sort of Regina George syndrome, but for some reason, everyone likes them? Yeah, that 's them.

Don't get me wrong, I love girls and I think it's silly to talk negatively about their interests because they are purely feminine, but these girls are demons. They have power over the class and, if they want to, they will make children be excluded and looked down on by the entire school for simply not agreeing with them.

"You're all going to sleep at my house this weekend, right? My parents have already bought everything." Marina said.

"Yeah, but I think I'll just show up at night."

Carla replies.

"Why?" "I have mass in the afternoon." 

"If that's the case then don't even come, Carla! You'll miss all the fun!" 

They were toxic towards each other, I know that, but deep down I wanted a friendship like that. Someone to talk to during class and keep me company during recess. Normally I stay in the school terrace, talking to my pigeon friends. I sound ungrateful right now, yes, I love my pigeon friends, I really do, but I would like to be friends with some girls my age.

With that horrible, booming siren, the bell rings, marking the end of classes. Thank God. I didn't care about my material when I put it in my backpack, I just threw it in and left the room. Nobody talks to me when I'm at the exit, but that's fine. I have my headphones and my music to distract me while my mom doesn't arrive. 

I don't live far from school, but my mom insists on driving me and picking me up every day. That 's fine by me. Even if there are other people from my school who live in the same area as me, I would just be ignored the entire way, so it's even better to get a ride. I'll finally have someone to talk to.

My headphones were blasting with 'A Little Death' by The Neighborhood, and I'm sure other people could hear it, but I couldn't care less. For as long as I can remember, music has always been everything to me. When my mom would fight with my grandfather because he called me a pest, I would just turn up the volume on my headphones and suddenly I would be in another world. 

One where my family loved me, one where I wouldn't have sucked the last drop out of my mother's beauty, one where I wasn't a money-eating parasite. Well...you can understand that music is important for my survival, right?

Even if I was distracted with the music and people passing through me, I still could see my mom's gray VW Virtus stopping in the driveway. I sighed, relieved. Today's hell was over. Now, let me make one thing clear: there are many children in the world who hate their parents for not spending time with them, but not me. I love my mom with my soul. In my eyes, she is the best woman in the world. The most beautiful, nicest, most pleasant, most talented, most perfect in existence. 

My mom is my idol, and if she wanted to touch my bones, I would open the flesh of my body with my bare hands just to satisfy her wish. I hurry to get into the car and immediately realize that there is something wrong. Her smile was forced, her eyes, always so curious and expressive, showed pain and sadness. 

"How was your day, sweetheart?" 

She asks me, but everything about her attitude was wrong. "It was... good. What about yours?"

"It was good too. What do you think about eating filet parmigiana today?"

"Yeah, sure! I'll never complain about filet parmigiana..."

°°°

Even if my mom was pretending everything was okay, we both knew there was something wrong. She couldn't keep a poker face to save her life. The ride home was silent. Not the comfortable silence type. The uncomfortable one, super uncomfortable. 

When we finally got home, I jumped out of the car in a hurry, desperate to escape that strange atmosphere. It was even worse in the elevator. Other people occupied that small cubicle, and my mom wouldn't dare say anything with other people around. I know that.

Even though I was desperate inside, I calmly opened the apartment door, dropping my backpack and taking off my shoes. It wasn't a house rule to take the shoes off to enter the house, but I liked the feeling of my bare feet on the cold floor, even in winter.

The platter with steak and parmigiana was already waiting for the two of us at the table, and my mom served it to me. I poured some juice into my glass while she tried to make conversation. 

"So...nothing funny happened today?" I forgot to mention, but I hate worrying my mom, so I lied to her for maybe the second time in my life. I said I made three friends: Luana, Pedro and Zé. It wasn't a lie, I just didn't mention that my friends were...well, pigeons. But I think it's just a trivial detail, right?

"No...you?"

"...Same..." She then began to cut the food on her plate, but didn't put anything in her mouth. I can't take it anymore. 

"Mom, what's going on?" 

She purses her lips. 

"Bea, we need to talk." 

"Yeah, I can see."

My mom takes a deep breath, she looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"Bea, I already  told you how I met your father, didn't I?"

"He appeared in one of the exhibitions from your college project."

I was starting to feel restless, why didn't she tell me what was happening at once?

"Yes...we started talking, he invited me for a date and...well, I'll spare you from the details-"

"Mommy, where exactly do you want to get to?"

"Bea...I fell in love with a god."

...Uh, okay? If she wants to say this to herself, it's fine, but what do I have to do with this? I probably made a face and let my emotions very clear, because she lets out a whimper, wiping away a tear. 

"Sweetie, you're a demigod."

[celestiall0tus]

Miraculous Absolution - Chapter 5 - Bloodline

Beginning || Previous || Next

            Marinette arrived at the Cheng family estate. She was greeted by her uncles in the reception room. They showed her to her quarters in a separate wing of the compound from the main house. She settled in before she met Xiu in the garden. She found Xiu in a small pavilion near a fishpond. She greeted Xiu, shaking her hand, then took a seat. Tikki sat on her head as Xiu addressed them.

            “A pleasure to see you, Marinette. A shame we must meet under these circumstances.”

            “It is.”

            “How’ve you been in light of these dark circumstances?”

            “I am struggling. The departure of my parents has been difficult to cope with.”

            “I know all too well. I did not witness my parent’s deaths in such a way, but no matter how they go, it is never an easy thing to process. Please, do tell what happened to them. I want the truth from you, Mar-Mar.”

            “They were murdered by a monster created by a rogue holder that goes by Papillon. The monster was my father’s business rival. He met a worser fate than Mom, who spared herself the worse of it thanks to Tikki.”

            “It eases me a little to hear Sabine accept Tikki, even if in her final moments.”

            “I was wondering, why exactly? Mom never mentioned anything about her family. Just a little in passing.”

            “I can’t imagine she would have. Sabine wasn’t the strongest of daughters. She had failed to be what she needed to be. To represent the family as she was meant to. Because of her weakness, she ran away with the assistance of Tikki, bringing shame to the family face.”

            “Tikki? What did you do?” Marinette asked.

            “I gave her my blessing for her to go wherever she pleased. And the means to do so.”

            “But not you?”

            “Correct. I remained with Scarlet as I was still hers. I remained with her a little while longer before she decided to hand me over to Pudding.”

            “It is as Tikki says. I decided it was time to pass Tikki along. Despite Sabine’s own views on her heritage and our traditions, I would not see Tikki remain with me longer than she was supposed to. We had tracked her to Paris. There I took the mantle of Scarlet Knight until I found her.”

            “Wait, you were the Scarlet Knight?”

            “I was once, but not anymore. Not once I gave the earrings to Sabine.”

            “I see. So, why give Tikki to Mom?”

            “Because of tradition, Mar-Mar. When the first daughter is of age, she is given the ladybug earrings. She is the protector of the family and face of all of us. That would have been Sabine, but then she left as per Tikki’s wishes. Despite this, I wanted to keep with tradition and pass along the earrings. Even if Sabine didn’t want them.”

            “Because she didn’t feel worthy?”

            “That’s what I had believed. Tikki, is this true?”

            “I do believe so. Pudding renounced me many times as she attempted to be the holder she believed she was supposed to be. The final renouncement came with her death when she succumbed to her injuries. However, now I belong to Marinette, who wishes to bind with me. Together, we will return to Paris when the period of mourning is over. As is her duty as a ladybug.”

            “Of course. We will see her trained to the best of our abilities. Though, if the threat is as I fear, we may not have long to train you. How long before you will want to return to Paris?”

            “How long would be acceptable?”

            “We will ask that you stay with us for the mourning period. For Sabine, it will be two months. However, there has been a slight snag in those plans,” Xiu admitted.

            “What happened?”

            “Sabine’s body has vanished. A holder by the name, Volpina, claims the enemy stole Sabine’s body.”

            Marinette’s jaw dropped. “I can’t-! Did they say anything about Dad’s body?”

            “Stolen as well.”

            Marinette covered her mouth. “What could the enemy want with them?”

            “Well, from what I’ve learned, you face the butterfly of transformation. That one is, uh, unique. See, its power allows it to transform any sort of matter into different objects entirely. Say a ball to a cone… or capable of rearranging DNA to turn people into monsters,” Tikki added nervously.

            “Is that what he does when he makes those monsters?”

            “To a degree. It looks temporary, but I wager that is on purpose.”

            “Why? What’s the point?”

            “Hope,” Xiu said.

            “Hope?” Marinette asked.

            “Yes. Tell me, are there heroes handling the monsters?”

            “Yes,” Marinette admitted begrudgingly.

            “There’s your answer. Give the people hope while subjecting them to fear. Show that there is a way to be saved, then use that against them.”

            Marinette hummed. “That… makes sense. Recently, the people have started turning against the heroes and demanding the ladybug. But would that mean that Papillon was actively searching for the ladybug?”

            “We may not know. However, knowing this, what will you do?”

            “I will be a hero. I will save the city from Papillon and show that stupid cat what a real hero is.”

            “What happened, Mar-Mar?”

            Marinette hesitated. She looked at her lap and balled fists. She pursed her lips as tears fell. Tikki patted her reassuringly.

            “It’s ok, Marinette. You’re with family and a former holder. Scarlet will understand.”

            Marinette took a breath and shared the interaction she had with Chat Noir. She fought to control her rage and bitterness, but it seeped through. She hated the venomous words she spat, but she hated him. She would tear down his team and him from their pedestal and show them what a real hero is.

            “Shame to hear of such a black cat. We’ve known many black cat holders through our history. They always brought us good luck. We typically aimed to marry off our ladybugs to the black cats when we could. The union always brought a period of prosperity. Would you consider the black cat despite this?”

            “Never. I will never love that beast.”

            “This isn’t about love, Mar-Mar. The black cat is a very auspicious match and good for the face of the family, which you will become. You would both bring a period of good fortune to the family. Even if you hate him now, I ask you consider a union with him for the family.”

            “No way. Besides, I have a boyfriend.”

            “Do you? Let me judge him,” Xiu said.

            Marinette pulled out her phone and found a recent photo Luka sent her. She proudly showed it to Xiu.

            Xiu grimaced. “What is that? His body is covered in ridiculous art unbefitting a man. And what are those piercings on his lips?”

            “Snake bites. Isn’t he cute? He’s my Luka.”

            “Mar-Mar, this won’t do. What does this boy have to offer to the family?”

            “Offer? Does he have to offer anything?”

            “He’ll be a hero that will assist Marinette in defeating Papillon,” Tikki interrupted.

            Xiu grunted. “I see. Which kwami will he possess?”

            “I, uh, haven’t gotten that far. I have a few ideas. I just need to see who I can find. It’s why I ask for a month to track down my sibling kwamis and direct them to their new holders,” Tikki explained.

            Xiu bowed her head. “Very well, Tikki. Take the time you need. We’ll begin the training that doesn’t require you. Speaking of which, how long will you want to stay, Mar-Mar?”

            “Well, I’ll just be training at this point, yes? Seeing as Mom’s body is gone.”

            “Correct.”

            “And, Tikki, you’ll be getting my team their kwamis within the month, right?”

            “Sure will. You just tell me who you want on your team and I’ll see to it,” Tikki exclaimed.

            “Alya and Luka for sure. Perhaps Alix and Ondine too.”

            “Alix was the red head that stood with you against Chat Noir, right? So, who is Ondine?”

            “That was Alix, and Ondine is Alix’s, uh, friend for a lack of better terms. Maybe partner is better, but not even quite that. I just know that if Alix is going to be risking her life, Ondine will want to be by her side. Those two are ride or die.”

            “Absolutely.”

            “Then with them getting their kwamis soon, could you tell them to keep the people safe until I arrive? I’ll let them know too, but could you as well?”

            “Of course, but how long are you thinking of training?” Tikki asked.

            “I’m thinking six months. I’ll need time to grow strong and master your power, but moreover, I need to conquer my grief. If I run back into the field with this weight on my heart, I’ll fall to my enemy since he targets those with dark emotions and desires.”

            “I see. Very well. I’ll inform them as I direct the kwamis. Which, no time like the present!”

            “Hold a moment. We have one other thing to discuss,” Xiu interjected.

            “Did I forget something?” Tikki asked.

            “You haven’t bound with Marinette yet, correct?”

            “Correct.”

            “Then there will be no time to lose. We’ll have the ceremony tomorrow. That must happen before all else.”

            “Ceremony?” Marinette asked.

            “That’s right. It’ll be where you properly activate me before the family,” Tikki explained.

            “Oh. Will there be any conditions?”

            “None at all, Mar-Mar. This is your birthright. Tomorrow, you will follow in tradition and claim what has always been yours. As every other Cheng first daughter. Come, we must get the preparations ready.”

~~

            Chat Noir stood at the edge of a roof. He took a break from his patrol while Carapace and Queen Bee took over. He huffed and sat down. His mind wandered back to Mari and her words. He pulled down his hood and ruffled his hair. There had been no end to the endless assault as she always returned to his waking thoughts. Her words, her anger, everything. He shouldn’t care. He’d been doing this for two years and seen many like her a thousand times over. She should be no different. That didn’t change the fact that she was, and he couldn’t figure out why.

            “Troubled?” a voice whispered.

            Chat Noir looked up as a woman appeared from thin air. She had on a white and pink crop halter, white shorts, and white and pink platform boots. She wore white knee-stockings with mouse embroidered fishnets covering her thighs and pink garter belts over the fishnets. She had a single long white glove on her left arm with a short glove on the right with more mouse fishnets. Her long hair pink with white dyed ends accented with white, pierced mouse ears. She smiled at him with her pink eyes gleaming with curiosity.

            Chat Noir crossed his arms. “What did I tell you about your outfit?”

            “Oh, come on. I serve a different function than the rest of you. Me and my fiancée alike.”

            “Whisper,” Chat Noir scolded.

            “You know I’m right. Besides, you know that Gerrad likes this. Said it would be amazing press. Y’know, one of the few things your team is good for these days,” Whisper pointed out.

            Chat Noir growled. “You got over your nerves fast.”

            “What can I say? I’m my mother’s daughter through and through.”

            “Right. Why are you here?”

            “Well, I saw you were upset and Bunelle was getting tired, so she went to bed. So, I came out to see you myself.”

            “You should be looking for Papillon.”

            “And I am. I just haven’t seen him yet.”

            “And what about a couple days ago when we had the perfect opportunity to catch him?”

            Whisper crossed her arms. “Mourning the loss of two amazing people that didn’t deserve to die. Paying our respects and offering prayers to our other parents. Lamenting that they wouldn’t see our wedding like we always dreamed.”

            Chat Noir looked away. He opened his mouth to speak but froze. The shocking sensation of a kwami’s activation held him fast. Images flashed before his eyes. A young woman had her back to him. She was dressed in an elaborate red hanfu dress with gold spots. Golden ladybugs were embroidered into the long sleeves and trail of the dress. Her blue hair was pinned up in a low bun with a pair of ladybug hair sticks. She turned to him in flashes until he saw her eyes, but not her face. Her bluebell eyes were clouded with rage and contempt.

            Chat Noir fell to his knees as the sensation and images left. Fear, anger, and repulsion tore through him. It was her. It was the Ladybug.

            Whisper squeaked and scurried about as she muttered in Irish. Chat Noir raised a brow seeing the excitement and hope in her eyes. He opened his mouth but was interrupted when Carapace and Queen Bee joined them.

            “There you are,” Queen Bee said.

            “Evening, Whisper,” Carapace said.

            Whisper paused. She grinned, bowed, then returned to her scurrying.

            “What’s up? Is there trouble?” Chat Noir asked.

            “If you count the activation of the ladybug trouble, then yes,” Queen Bee said.

            “What did you guys see?”

            “An admittedly beautiful woman in a rather expensive looking Chinese dress. When she turned to me, there was no face to her. Just a silhouette,” Queen Bee said.

            “Same thing, but I saw her eyes. In them was warmth and familiarity,” Carapace remarked.

            “Same for me. Warmth and a lot of affection. Lots and lots of affection,” Whisper added.

            Chat Noir hummed. The ladybug holder had to be someone he, Whisper, and Carapace all knew, but Queen Bee didn’t. He wasn’t sure who that could be, but there was an itch in the back of his mind. He tried to ignore it despite it screaming out that it could be Mari.

            “Now, this is quite the development,” Volpina’s distorted voice remarked.

            The group turned as Volpina materialized.

            “Volpina!” Chat Noir hissed.

            “Now, now, is that any way to greet me, stupid cat?” Volpina asked.

            “Get out of here. We have enough trouble without you adding to it.”

            “Don’t worry, stupid cat, I’m only here to share my thoughts and my sympathies.”

            “We don’t need or want your sympathies.”

            “But don’t you realize your lives are numbered. The Ladybug heard our cries and has finally answered them. The people will have what they’ve always wanted: liberation. She will free us from the tyranny of Papillon, and you.”

            “Everything I’ve done is for this damn city and its people. If they think they can do a better job, let them fucking try,” Chat Noir roared.

            “One of them is,” Whisper muttered.

            “Oh? Is someone you failed taking action? Is that who our ladybug is? One of the many that you failed throughout the years?” Volpina purred.

            Chat Noir growled.

            “Hey, why don’t we stop before we do something regret, right, dudes?” Carapace interjected.

            “Regret is for those with weak hearts and wills, to which I have neither,” Volpina remarked.

            “Maybe just don’t egg him on further? It’s been a long month, dude. Just leave my bro alone, please.”

            “Very well. I shall leave you alone for this night, but know, your days are numbered. Oh! And I look forward to your downfall. It’s been a long time coming, stupid cat.”

            Chat Noir snarled and lunged for Volpina. She vanished into a puff of smoke as his claws made contact with her. He stood there a moment longer as he seethed. He shook himself and headed up to the edge of the roof.

            “I’m heading home. Can I trust you guys to contact me if a monster shows up?”

            “Always, dude. Take it easy.”

            Chat Noir nodded. He hurried home where he de-transformed. He headed for his room when an intense pain spread through his chest. He grunted and clutched his heart. He leaned on the wall for support. Each new breath was shorter and harder as he struggled. A soft whimper escaped him as his head felt light and the room spun. He slid to the floor as he broke into a sweat and his body shook. The pain in his chest worsened as memories assaulted him.

            Adrien heard every foul remark his father, Gabriel, threw at him. The endless need to give two hundred percent of yourself no matter what. To always keep a smile for the cameras or he’d suffer the consequences. That he had to ensure the world never saw him bleed.

            Adrien shut his eyes. Tears fell from his eyes. He was failing. He had tried for so long to keep the people safe. He worked endlessly to keep them happy while hunting Papillon. For two years, he’s done nothing but fail. He couldn’t stop Papillon. He couldn’t save everyone. The people were tired of him and cried for a real savior, for the Ladybug. Now, she’s active. The Ladybug will grace the city and prove herself far more capable than him. Once she did, what use was there for him?

            Adrien gritted his teeth. Gabriel’s words were drowned out by the people. He covered his ears as he heard everything under the sun. Mangy beast, charlatan, alley cat, sex symbol, destroyer, weapon of mass destruction, and more. The insults and cries of them filled his head until they were all he heard.

            “Stop it. Please. I’m doing the best I can. Please. Stop.”

            Through the people, Adrien heard Gabriel’s voice as if he were there.

            “Your ‘best’ isn’t ever good enough. Honestly, you will need to reconsider what your ‘best’ really is before you start your bitch crying.”

            Adrien snarled. He pushed himself up and roared into the darkness. “I’m giving my everything. What more do you want?!”

            Silence. The memories and criticisms faded out. Adrien took deep breaths as he listened to the pounding of his heart. More tears fell from his eyes as he curled back up on the floor.

            Plagg trotted over to Adrien. He weaseled in against Adrien and purred. Adrien cradled him and listened to only the purring. Adrien’s eyes grew heavy as he was lulled to sleep.

[egg-emperor]

Right on! I honestly do not understand why people say things like "We gotta humanize eggy by making him less evil" . Eggy is already a very human character. Selfishness and greed have been human traits ever since caveman Grog bashed his neighbour Tharg's head in with a rock and stole his wife, meat and fur.

Eggy is a great example of what happens when a human just lets their selfishness, greed and ego run wild.

Exactly, being evil is very human. The dark parts of humanity and the human mind has always fascinated me both in real life and fiction, morbid curiosity and my passion for writing characters believing in and doing things that I never would, and the challenge that comes with seeing from different perspectives that improves my skills as a writer, are all things I hold dear. It has inspired years of learning, analysis, creativity, and writing for me.

I don't want to pretend we live in a world where everyone is secretly good. There is abhorrent evil in this world and it can and should be fictionalized just as much as the good that equally exists. I also don't want to pretend that the human mind's, beliefs, feelings, and desires are always pure and well intentioned deep down in every person. The mind can be a dark place in many ways too. My mind is and I don't want to hide that in shame.

Just because my mind is one way doesn't mean my actions reflect it, just like how some people's actions won't reflect their mind either. That's also interesting to me to explore through learning about it and fictionalizing it. I like to see what dark minds like mine can create too and it's just as valuable. I wish people like us weren't shamed and told that we can't create and share our passion and our work just because it doesn't have conventional goodness.

There are many inherent human traits and feelings people in fandom (or holier than thou people in general) like to pretend don't exist, like they're above it and say it shouldn't be explored in fiction. But they're in denial that they're things we can all feel. Goodness, love, kindness, anger, envy, confidence, desire, self love, empathy, etc, exists in humans but so does evil, hatred, cruelty, anger, malice, jealousy, arrogance, greed, selfishness, apathy, etc.

Love can become dark and selfish or be replaced by hate. Kindness can be replaced with cruelty. Anger can become malice. Envy can become jealousy, confidence can become arrogance, desire can become greed, self love can become egotism, multiple of these things and more can have selfishness in them too. We're all capable of feeling these things even if we don't, and they can't seem to accept that and deny it, especially regarding characters.

It's common for people to deny these things are human, it's why they say those who do horrible evil are "inhuman/monsters/animalistic/etc". They don't want to believe and accept that they're human like us. That we could be like them. Humans can be vile and wretched and deeply evil just like they can be good. You can be one or the other or both. Many times they can overlap but at the same time, I don't agree that nobody can ever be truly fully evil.

You can absolutely still be a truly terrible person if you do "good" things and you can do "bad" things while still being a truly good person. Good intentions can show in bad ways when they become harmful and toxic and bad ones can appear good in manipulation or delusion. Acknowledging THAT is what nuance is, not pretending we're all exactly the same and must all have certain assets apply to us or were incomplete, unrealistic, or boring.

Humans can be so many different things in so many different ways but those can be very good or very evil. It's possible for only the good or bad things to apply, or a mix of both. That's why I like putting characters into good, neutral, and evil. The real world isn't only good and neutral and fiction shouldn't be either. Embracing and exploring the evil too is the true excitement and challenge of writing. You need this skill, that's what it takes to be a good writer.

I like how Eggman reflects the true evil in humanity that very much does exist. It's not unrealistic, it's just his out of this world crazy methods that are. But I wish people didn't forget his evil, anger, malice, cruelty, sadism, rudeness, apathy, ruthlessness, egotism, selfishness, greed, dark desires, destructive tendencies and crimes are all very human. We're all capable of that. We do feel at least some of those because it's so human.

That powerful message has existed in Eggman from the very beginning. He's not representing all humans being bad, but the very real evil and dark part of humanity that exists and shouldn't be denied or sugarcoated. Pretending that what he's doing is actually good/has to have originally good intentions behind it/have him change into a better person to "fix" him or give him nuance, takes away from that message and removes what makes it interesting and clever.

Eggman being evil, egotistical, and egotistical is what leads to his evil acts, cruelty, desire for power and control and the awful things he'll do to get it while enjoying it. That's the causation and we're told over and over by the writers, the bios, the character and stories themselves. They do not imply that it comes from a good place in the games and this isn't bad or unrealistic and certainly not "boring". It's intriguing and has tons of potential.

Humanizing Eggman is acknowledging and accepting that he's all these things while still being human, dehumanizing him is denying he is these things or saying he's inhuman for it. I'm actually humanizing him, those who act like humans must all tick the exact same boxes are dehumanizing him. It should also serve as a reminder that we could all be like him, we're all capable of that darkness and evil if we have the will and decide to act.

And I always enjoy exploring and writing characters who do, especially when seeing how far they can go because it's just fascinating. It's also fun to take on the challenge to write a character with such a different perspective and experiences than my own and it helps improve writing and characterization skills without personal feelings or bias influencing how you write that character and straying away from accuracy. That's very important in good writing.

Eggman has very human traits and feelings, they just exist in very evil ways in him, which is just as realistic and should be represented and explored too. It's also absolutely possible to develop and humanize him even more without going purification/bettering/redemption/downplaying of his actions or putting sympathetic sad reasons or good intentions behind what he does. It can be done without losing what makes him unique and himself.

Sega/Sonic Team/official writers seem to know what they're doing with Eggman in the games even in Frontiers, by him still very much not being a better/less evil person or suddenly morally gray, he's a bad person and even the "good" things are rooted in selfishness and ego. It's just that some don't understand because they think there's only one way to humanize bad guys further and deny they're human in the first place just for being evil at all.

Everything isn't just good and evil but it is still absolutely possible to just be good or evil as much as both or somewhere in between. I don't want to pretend it isn't. The approach they've had to Eggman's further humanization, though he was already very human in the first place, is good because it's more interesting and nuanced than the majority of fandom is making it out to be. I'm looking forward to them making that especially clear in the future.

And I mean in main game stuff specifically, as they've actually already been doing it in all official media since Frontiers in IDW, Murder of Sonic, even Minecraft and it's great. He's still very much evil and not a better person and I'm so happy about that. But I can't wait until it's in a main game again so misconceptions about Eggman's portrayal in Frontiers that go against the writers stated intentions will be cleared up even more blatantly.

And of course as usual I'm also just really excited to see what kind of glorious diabolical evil the handsome devil gets up to next! 🥰💜💘

[eegyo]

I AM LATE TO THE GAME BUT I JUST FINISHED READING MADELINE MILLER’S CIRCE 🥲

I’m definitely feeling all the feelings, as it was a long and dragged out journey (even though I was thoroughly hooked before I read the first words) because of work and yenno - my mental health lol.

It was so so soooooo beautifully written. The imagery and details were literally AMA-ZA-ZING 🤩✨

A physical embodiment of a female experience/journey of womanhood; and how figuring out and finding oneself can feel like an eternity. It also perfectly captured the melancholic, yet beautiful fear and joy that comes with living, and how worth it it is to go through all of it.

Circe is probably the MOST likable character of all time 🥲😭😭❤️❤️🥺

Her bravery in the face of danger

Her curiosity and wonder

Her appreciative spirit for simplicity

Her humility

Her steadfastness and patience

Her playful spirit

Demur yet confident

+ TELEMACHUS is the BIGGEST WALKING GREEN FLAG OUT THERE OMG 💚

So if you are reading this and you haven’t read Circe by Madeline Miller yet, please do yourself a favor and go read it!!!

And if you have read it before — read it again hehehehehehhe

Some of my fave quotes:

“I was too wild to feel shame. It was true. I would not just uproot the world, but tear it, burn it, do any evil I could …”

“But make him shiver…then you will hear from him”

“Whatever you do, I wanted to say, do not be too happy. It will bring down fire on your head. I said nothing, and let her dance.”

“My whole life I had waited for tragedy to find me. I never doubted that it would”

“Despite your wet-mouse weeping, I saw how you would not be ground into the earth.”

. “Timidity creates nothing” — this one definitely struck a nerve lol

“But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me.”

“You have been tame your whole life, and now you will be sorry. Yes father, yes father — see what it gets you”

“As it turned out, I did kill pigs that night after all”

“Tear down, I thought. Tear down and build again”

“Death’s Brother is the name poets give to sleep” ****

“He showed me his scars, and in return he let me pretend that I had none”

“I cannot guard against shadows. Give me something to face and fight”

“You do not know what I can do”

“Then child, make another.”

“Such is the folly of humanity. Is it not our human tragedy that some men must be beaten like donkeys before they will see reason?”

“I lifted my hands in blessing and gave my son to the world” — I LEGIT CRIED READING THIS😭😭 made me think of my mom

“It is a common saying that women are delicate creatures, flowers, eggs, anything that me be crushed in a moment’s carelessness. If I had believed it, I no longer did” —WOOHOO GIRL POWER 😈

“‘You are wise,’ he said. ‘If it is so,’ I said, ‘it is only because I have been fool enough for a hundred lifetimes’”

“‘I must tell you, all my past is like today, monsters and horrid no one wants to hear.’ … ‘I want to hear’ he said.” - bitch I SWOONED

“The next sentence should be: let us go together” — :3 I cannot

“ ‘I have not pressed you,’ he said, ‘ and I still will not. I know there are reasons you cannot answer me. But if–’ He stopped. ‘I want you to know, if you go to Egypt, if you go anywhere, I want to go with you.’” - AHHHHHHHHHHHHH WTF 😳🤯😱😶‍🌫️🥵🥴😮‍💨

“He had never met a god who enjoyed their divinity less.”

“‘Then we will go back. We will go back until you are satisfied.’ It was so simple. If you want it, I will do it. If it would make you happy, I will go with you.” —😭😭😭🥰. Crying, screaming, puking

“We would take pleasure in the simple mending of the world”

“This time you are not alone” - I cried ngl

“Circe, he says, it will be alright… He does not mean that it does not hurt. He does not mean that we are frightened. Only that: we are here. This is what it means to swim in the tide, to walk the earth and feel it touch your feet. This is what it means to be alive.” - 😢😭😭😭

“But I see now [gods] are more dead than anything, for they are unchanging, and can hold nothing in their hands”

[beardedmrbean]

Shit got detour, but for gun magic

Now I absolutely 100% understand why Rowling avoided such a idea given it’s was already a bitch to do magical stuff for kids thanks to parent groups AND all the discourse around that time

But if I was to make gun magic, I would say that early development of it did exist in the ancient past like with China. And the European wizard improved it but in the end it was considered a niche as I check wands been in use in the potter since the BC era. So magical guns were a niche in the old world that got heavily developed in the new world for multiple reasons.

🤔

What tribes folklore giants we didn’t wipeout completely in the Wild West we can use? Like here a joke

The native wizard: Pale one, perhaps we can use our magic to create certain guns?

The cowboy wizard: Why?

The giant monster in the distance: GROOOOORA!

Cowboy:…I got a idea

Oh oh oh! UFO sightings in Nevada and areas actually just wizard flying around?

Of course American wizards use wands since they were acknowledged since book 4 and we saw them in fantastic beasts though I heard Ilvermorny kids can’t take their wands homes and have to leave it at school until the age of 17

Oh yeah that totally going to work with a lot of Americans wizards

(They probably have more bootleg magical items than all the prohibiton bootleg liquor and poor black person bootleg dvd collections…not that I may or may not have my own or know a guy)

Also one thing, Rowling (and people who try to copy her) often forget that Harry Potter Wizarding setting worked because she combined and modernize it. And used Britain existing folklore. She also had the Roman republic/empire to fall back to as a the Roman’s established a lot of trades routes in Western Europe thus many wizards from different parts of it could interacted and merge.

Maybe because she is British, Rowling can’t or don’t understand how diverse everything is. Like I can see the magical Congress she made try to keep the American Wizard society in check. But so vast

I mean look at the Midwest, Midwest wizards probably got a lot of good farming magic. But we also probably very innovative

Hmm as a Chicagoan…should I say the Midwestern wizards made a magical Tommy gun? Much pay homage to the infamous Al Capone

Also not to mention the LOCAL native tribes that still exist. I mean western tribes would definitely have their own desert magic vs the forest eastern ones.

Of course she mention the European wizards…but we should also have a huge change when the Chinese and other Asians wizards immigrated to America. Maybe martial art magic is an extra curriculum and such.

Am I making sense, yeah the American wizards guns is funny because we would make some of the most powerful magic bullets that would be consider heresy

But a joke if Voldemort won and attacked America

Voldemort: You disgusted mutts, the blood of the must powerful wizards runs in your veins yet also the blood of steer rats

The current head of the magical Congress(been around since Teddy and look like an America navy officer around that time): Ah voldy mort! Welcome to America!

V: You dare talk to me like a commoner!

American Wizard: I would say you can go to Asia as their Wizard got skin magic that can make you look handsome

V: Enough, my dear eaters would rule this filthy country! You thought it was foolish enough to leave all your items in Massachusetts?!

AW: (Holy shit they took the bait), hmm Mr snake Sidious

V: Who?

AW: Nevermind, but heard about an infamous writer called HP lovecraft?

V: That foolish man? Yes

AW: Well his stories were real since those asses couldn’t shut up around the time and we ask him who was probe by them often to infamous the No-Maj about such creature

V: those stories are true!

AW: Kinda, but check this bowl

Voldemort then saw visions of his death eaters ripping each other faces off, screaming around like mad, and being eaten by horrific monsters

V: W-Why I was never told this?!

AW: Because your a racist inbreed jackaas that could barely tolerate fellow English man much less America

V: I will have my revenge!

AW: Man those southern wizards are good with illusions *snap his fingers*

The room dissolved and Voldemort say they were in a purple cosmos realm. He then heard giant creepy laughing

AW: All your’s Kulu

Voldemort turn around and saw it was the infamous old one Cthulhu. Despite having the master wand and use all three forgivable curses. The old one laugh and grabbed the dark lord

V: NOOOOOO I CAN NOT DIED I CAN NOT-proceed to be eaten

AW: Ugh good, now take you little nap kulu *pic up an old telephone* Yeah operation “help mother Britain” is a go. Well at least he did go to Mexico, those wizards would have gut him harder than a fish

Now I absolutely 100% understand why Rowling avoided such a idea given it’s was already a bitch to do magical stuff for kids thanks to parent groups AND all the discourse around that time

Post on here was just something about a exchange student from America at the battle of Hogwarts pulling out a handgun, I think that was what it was, faster than magic since you don't need to say words and do something with your wand.

I cast glock, pulls out a gun boom dead.

UFO's are golden snitches that made their way too far away from the quidditch pitch.

The current head of the magical Congress(been around since Teddy and look like an America navy officer around that time): Ah voldy mort! Welcome to America!

Admiral of the Navy George Dewy work as a model for you, he was in charge of the fleet in the Spanish American war so perfect for TR.

The conversation there was brilliant BTW, funny stuff.

[ranger-kellyn]

tears of the kingdom has made me desperate to revisit my age of calamity fic, if nothing else so i can start working on a aoc timeline telling of totk and AHHH

idea musing below the read more, but endgame/major spoilers for totk

i've been vaguely wondering how i would work in the totk story line into the age of calamity timeline, and honestly??? i think it's going to be fairly easy. at least...leading up to it lol remembering to work in all the characters who are now still alive will be the main challenge lol

i hear a lot of youtubers saying that "zelda was a dragon for 10,000 years" but i'm pretty sure that that it was actually way longer than that. 10k years ago was the last time calamity ganon broke out, when the sheikah created the divine beasts and guardians. the founding of hyrule, when zelda turned, was an "unknown" years prior to that.

at least, that's how i'm working with it. when i am working/thinking about anything regarding breath of the wild, age of calamity, and tears of the kingdom, i am not at all considering any of the other games. to me, this is it's own contained thing within and around these three games. (mostly bc i never played any of the other games so i wouldn't be able to draw from them easily/fluidly) ((and yes i figure things that were similar to other games happened, but not those exactly))

all that to say, in my head, this is the timeline i'm working with: ganondorf, the original One True Evil™, was sealed away in the hopes that one day in the distant future, link will rise to kill him for good. (a good chance i'm wrong on some of the "canon" of what i'm about to say, but i haven't fully explored totk and won't for a while but w/e i'm Workshopping) hyrule castle was constructed atop ganondorf and rauru mostly as a way to safeguard that chamber until link could get there to take care of things. i still haven't worked out why the sky islands exist now, because rauru even makes the comment if you talk to him atop the first area with a view of the temple of time, "though in my day, this was all on the ground".

but on my initial descent into the depths of the castle to get back down to the sealing chamber, that whole area of downward stairs that seemed to just go on forever and ever, that i just...fell through rather than walked and dealt with all the monsters-- i kept that in mind thinking about how long it must have taken link and zelda to get down there. i remember in the initial trailer for the game, they had a huge ass ox and cart, so even though they got rid of that, it all still sets the tone that it took them...a while. to get down there.

i thought about it on my second playthrough that i started last night, and really looking around at the stairs and cave walls, and i just...i really got to thinking a little harder than i needed to about it.

i thought about what it would take to actually seal something like that away. it gets a pass because it's a Magic World, but realistically, good god the work that would take. our world 10,000+ years ago was nothing like it is now. we were still what? mostly hunter-gatherers. google says "pre-pottery neolithic B". so like, the world is constantly changing. the tectonic plates are always in motion. volcanoes erupt and make a whole new top layer of soil and earth. tsunamis regularly wash things completely away. earthquakes...fires...drought.........

like. hyrule has at least one active volcano, glaciers, is near the ocean--

if i played with even a few of our real world...whatever...to hyrule-- that sealing chamber probably would have caved in at some point, or at the very least, the stairwell leading down to it, along with the murals, and all the other tunnels and whatnot, would have to be rebuilt...pretty often, all things considered.

it's something i'm trying not to stress about while writing, but it will. bug me. lol i'll get over it

ANYWAYS

back on track.

thinking through the botw -> totk timeline:

i am going with the idea that like...Calamity Ganon??? didn't. exactly. Actually. exist. like, sure, ganon did plenty of damage and razed the land, but like...it was only...a manifestation of ganondorf. a way of pressing against rauru's aging seal.

the "first" time calamity ganon rose, meeting the sheikah army, the hero and princess-- getting defeated by them? that was all a part of the plan. and by that point...the general population??? completely forgot about what was actually sealed below the castle. that's well into the "nobody is to ever go down there not even the royal family--NOBODY". too steeped in tradition/fear/whatever-- ganondorf has been "forgotten" about. their focus is calamity ganon. which, at the very least, they all know will return again.

the sheikah get "too powerful" (probably reminiscent of the zonai's god-like powers--who at this point are probably nothing more than legend). the banishment happens, they seal away all their tech to appease the hylians, things...go quiet.

then, the events leading up to botw happen. calamity ganon rises again, and i honestly...think it was in the plan to lose. extra 100 years or not. 100 years is a drop in the bucket in the face of thousands. calamity ganon didn't need to win. calamity ganon needed to get the castle to fall into disrepair as a part of the final act.

zelda mentions something about if you talk to her on the way down; since the calamity, the castle fell into disrepair. then the gloom started leaking out from the depths.

ganondorf needed the ground to be shaken up enough to where the castle part of the seal would be broken enough for more of his powers to really be able to seep out into the world.

the giant pig monster of calamity ganon-- still part of the plan. tear up the ground. rip up as many of the devices that were set to contain calamity ganon as possible. (it's at least what i'm generally going with to explain what happened to all the sheikah tech)

SO.

with that in mind, i figure the "totk" events for the age of calamity timeline...happen very similarly. only a few years after the initial CG event. the castle was shaken up enough. the castle seal was broken. the gloom will start leaking.

but now thinking more in age of calamity terms. botw!zelda and aoc!zelda are....in my mind, different zeldas. very much the same in every way, but i think it's more of a "nature vs nurture" situation. their natures are the same, but i think they had different nurtures. botw!zelda was not a fighter. she was not the "take up a weapon" sort. she had different shit going on. aoc!zelda is a fighter. she's the one who figured out how to weaponize the sheikah slate. she's the one who refused to stand by while link and impa did all the heavy lifting in the breach of demise. she had just enough differences in her life that she could at least take that up while still unable to awaken her sealing powers. BUT STILL. at the end of the day, they're both ARE fighters, just in different ways. i'm honestly struggling to figure out if aoc!zelda would have the mental fortitude to take on draconification. i figure the whole 100 years imprisoned with ganon thing really is what helped botw/totk!zelda be able to do that.

so while i work through that, at the very least, on my drive home from work today, while sitting in traffic, i just...I saw the opening of my fic for the age of calamity sequel. all because i thought something along the lines of, "you know...that was an odd question for zelda to ask her father? 'what is below the castle'? why would she question there was even something down there in the first place? why would she ever wonder if anything other than like...a crypt or something was down there?? it seems like a very...pointed...question...a question that gets asked if you saw something you maybe shouldn't have..."

in my age of calamity fic, the endgame pairing for zelda is zelda/impa, so. obviously. impa will be going with them down into the depths as part of the first change. (really want to get back into drawing so i can try to explain the "future" design for impa more-- bc i'm loving what i'm seeing in my head. same hair length but braided, at least one new piercing, some more ink-- girl looks Good)

and knowing that, i've been trying to figure out "is impa staying the present with link and everyone else?? or am i sending her ass to the ancient past, too?? if i do?? how do i??? what do i??? do with her????"

as much as i would love some antics with "yOURE CLEARLY NOT MY WIFE" from impa with all the Shmelda's running around in the present...i don't think that's the route i will go. (i could prove myself wrong later who knows i haven't finished the first fic lmao)

BUT SO. i had an idea to completely change up how i have impa and zelda originally met. instead of them not meeting until their late teens, i had this idea of them being small children, right around the time of the death of zelda's mother. impa and purah are the children to the king and queen's advisors, and zelda had been good friends with them all her childhood. (for my work, impa is a year older than zelda, and purah is about four years older than impa) after the queen's death, little zelda had been inconsolable-- absolutely shut down, not taking, not emoting-- nothing. purah and impa are both desperate to make their friend smile again, so purah decides, "hey!! why don't we sneak you down to the secret tunnels! there's all kinds of cool stuff to look at down there!" and what she MEANS is the like. staff tunnels and whatnot that are all around the castle for staff to move about unseen. the secret escape tunnels-- things like that.

impa...was less keen on the idea, knowing damn well they're sneaking where they shouldn't be-- and teleporting around with the princess??? it's one thing to endanger your sister. it's another to endanger the crowned princess--

purah presses her, and when it's the first time zelda has shown any interest in anything since her mother's passing-- impa caves.

so down they go. impa's powers have always been strong, but they're definitely less graceful at that age. they "poof" around the tunnels, going down to the docks, around the tunnels, sneak somewhere where they can probably find the three of them treats. zelda has fun for the first time in...a long time. so impa doesn't really stop. they keep going, and going, and going...and going...

and eventually.

the three of them realize they're...in a part of the castle they've never seen. they're too young to be able to put into words how it's different, but it's a combination of just how stale the air is. the architecture. the color of the stone in and around everything-- in front of them is a huge slab of text. it's ancient hylian-- something only zelda can read a few words of. but she knows the words she needs to know from it.

she grabs both their hands. "it says stay out," she says with a gulp.

purah squeezes her hand, not bothered. "that just means there's something really cool behind it! c'mon, impa!"

impa hums, putting her hand on the cold slab. "i don't know...that's...really thick...I can't poof unless I have a perfectly clear path...at least, not yet."

purah, curiosity getting the better of her, needles her. childish taunts of her being a big scaredy cat, big cucco, bawcking at her until she's red in the face and is just like "FINE!!" and then smacks her forehead "but i'm stealing your energy to do it!!" in a manner similar to what she would need to do to sap energy for symbol clones.

she then is able to get them on the other side and it's....even more different. they're at that huge stairwell. the air isn't stale it's old. purah is too busy complaining about how much it hurt to have her energy sapped that it's a few seconds before she realizes that impa and zelda are both...terrified.

the endless stairwell shaft that looks like it goes down to the center of the earth-- this is where impa's fear of heights starts.

absolute silence between the three of them as they stand near the edge, zelda having a death grip on the railing.

it's so quiet, the only thing they hear is one another's shallow breathing...their own pulses-- they don't have to even see a trace of ganondorf, the sounds of their own pulses echoing in their ears is more than enough to terrify them.

zelda, tears in her eyes, "we're gonna get in trouble--"

holding back her own, impa grabs both their hands again and gets them the hell out of there, wearing herself completely out by the time they make it back to somewhere they're allowed to be.

impa almost collapses, so they all sit together against the wall of wherever, not saying a word until she's caught her breath.

weakly, impa finally says, "we can never talk about this ever again."

zelda nods.

purah doesn't even tease her a little about it.

and so they never do talk about it...but they all never entirely stop thinking about it. zelda asks one day "what is below the castle" and gets that cryptic answer from her father. she doesn't even dare try to tell impa and purah what he said.

probably around that point as well, i'm going to have the king dismiss his advisors, their presence reminding him too much of the queen. they head back to kakariko or something idk. but zelda won't reconnect with them for a long time, right up to the point where they originally did for my fic (so about 5 years before calamity ganon awakens in the game)

my fic goes how it goes, and then there's relative peace afterwards, like in botw/totk.

the kingdom is rebuilding, a bright future looks to be ahead of them--

then the gloom. the gloom that they quickly realize is coming from the depths of the castle. depths that has zelda concerned. she meets with purah and impa first. [i'll probably have terrako rebuilt by this point too] "do...either of you remember when we were children, and we went too far down in the castle? When we found that...horrible stairwell?"

impa wraps her arms around herself, visibly tensing. "i try not to remember."

purah grimaces. "i unfortunately remember..."

zelda opens her mouth to speak, but the words aren't quite there yet. eventually, "this has to be coming from there..."

and from there, they agree to meet with the others, the king is strongly against her going down there, but is eased by the fact she'll at least have impa, link, and terrako with her.

from there. i think i'm going to send impa back to the past with her. i think i'm going to use a little author liberty, and--

in the past, after zelda has committed herself to draconifciation, mineru pulls impa aside. "impa...there is something i must tell you," she says between coughing fits. "There is another secret stone. one even my brother didn't know about." (she's the older sibling--girl's got secrets i'm sure of it)

so impa learns of a stone, hidden away, deep on an island, off the southeast coast of hyrule. on a map, she will recognize it as Eventide Island. in person, it's...a completely different island. much larger, and even more dangerous, fraught with all kinds of trials for her, unlocked thanks to mineru--

she gets her own secret stone, and from there...i have two routes, and i'm not sold on either, 100% yet. the title "sage of shadows" keeps jumping out at me, but idk entirely what to do with that. i could either have her go immortal dragon as well, or...i could have her be the one who teaches the people who will become the sheikah that stasis power they ended up using to seal themselves away in the shrines to later test link for the calamity. thanks to her own prowess, and enhanced by the secret stone, maybe she'll be in a different kind of stasis. hidden away in a shrine of her own making, deep within the depths, waiting...waiting...waiting...

but shadow dragon DOES sound pretty cool.......(I like the idea of her dragon mirroring zelda's perfectly, just in the depths rather than the sky)

idk. that was. A LOT. of word vomiting. all to just be like "this is how much my brain crammed into the span of maybe 5 minutes during my commute)

no clue which way i will end up going. i kind of need to. uh. write the first fic to bEGIN WITH....but still. it's nice to like. be writing again, even if it is just word salad.

[legofanguy1999]

This is a entry for day 5 of @inuvember event Inuvember 2023 featuring Shippo and Kirara.

The group travel through a dust road as mists clouded the path forward, with Kagome comments, “Boy, it’s like pea soap out here.” Young Shippo ask, “What is pea soap anyway? It must taste bad.” Kagome said, “Well, pea soap is a type of soap that give off stream and it is a saying in my world.”

The group find a village despite how bad the mists are, and Sango said, “I’m surprised that humans would live out here despite the mists.”

A man whose is head of the village by his clothes come before the group and said to them, “Welcome visitors to our humble village. Would you like to stay for the night?” Miroku said to him, “That would be aright, good sir.” The head of the village said, “First thing first, I ask that you don’t let your animal demons inside.” Both Inuyasha and Shippo said in shock, “What?!?” Miroku said to the head of the village, “I understand. They are trained and would not pee on your carpets.” The head of the village start to look upset and said, “No, I must request that you keep your animals outside!” Strangely, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango all said, “Yes, we will leave them outside.”

Inuyasha, Kirara, and Shippo sit outside the house while the others enter the house, with the half dog demon said, “I can’t believe it. I have to stay out here because the head of this village don’t let animals.” Kirara look at where her owner Sango went and Shippo said to her, “Hey, it’s going to be alright, Kirara. How about we spy on them?”

Shippo and Kirara watch through the window as the head of the village skin become smoke and he ask them, “Why did you come here?” Kagome, Miroku, and Sango said in a trance, “We come looking for jewel shards of the Shikon Jewel.” The creature of smoke said, “I see. May I have any jewel shards that you have collect so far?” Kagome get out the jar of jewel shards and was about to hand them to the man before Shippo shout, “Don’t do it, Kagome!” The man said in shock when he see Shippo and Kirara, “What?!?” This cause the group to begin to return to normal that the man quickly put on his human form again while the two Yokai run off. Sango look around and ask, “Strange. What are we doing here?” Kagome notice the jar of jewel shards in her hands and said, “Wait, what was I doing?” The head of the village said, “You were going to let me look at them.” However, Kagome is smarter and said, “As if. I once meet a old monk whose turn out to be a Kumogashira in disguise. You are obviously a demon in disguise. I can sense a jewel shard, but I don’t know why I didn’t sense it before.”

The smoke demon said, “You are too smart, girl.” He let out a smoke on the three humans. While it put Sango and Miroku under his spell, Kagome doesn’t but she start to fare unconscious and the smoke creature said as he reveal his true form, “I see that you are a miko in training. Those beasts that you keep as pets foil my plans, so I killed those animals as a little payback for a wild animal kill me before I take the rest of your jewel shards.” The smoke demon fly after Shippo and Kirara as Kagome fall into sleep.

Shippo said to Inuyasha, “The head of the village is some kind of smoke monster!” Inuyasha said, “That start to make sense about that guy for why Sango didn’t let Kirara come in with her. When I smell that guy, I couldn’t smell anything from him but smoke.” Just then, the voice of the man said, “Nice of you to noticed, you dog.” The smoke creature appear in the mists and Inuyasha ready himself to fight while the Yokai said to Inuyasha, “When I was alive, I was just a simple peasant whose was murdered by savage animals like you one night when I was camping. When a jewel shard fell in the bonfire near where I was killed, it bring me back as a Enenra, a smoke demon. With the powers to create mists that control people minds, I used it to take over this village to lure others to help me bring in the other jewel shards to me. It was lucky to find that girl with a collection of jewel shards. Maybe I could’ve collected more than one village if that fox and cat didn’t stop me.”

The Enenra try to use Kagome as a human shield, only to see that she have a fox tail. Shippo, still disguised as Kagome, reach inside the Enenra and get his jewel shard, which the Enenra cry out, “No!” Shippo turn back and get far from the Yokai as he call out, “Inuyasha, now!” Inuyasha use the Wind Scar to destroy the Enenra, as it scream its last cry. With the destruction of the Enenra, the mists start cleaning away.

Everyone hear a scream from Miroku’s room, and head there where they see a old woman come out of Miroku’s room and said, “Ah, visitors. I’m the head of the village. Miroku and a not pretty looking woman step out of his room as he said in disbelief, “You both were beautiful young women awhile ago.”

Sango hug Kirara as she said, “It was odd, Kirara. This man and his family.... I saw them as mine for some time.”

After some explaining, the head of the village said, “I was surprised that we were enslaved by a Enenra for months. We should thank your kitsune and cat demon for seeing that Yokai true form and freeing us from the curse.” Shippo said as his face turn red, “It was nothing.” Inuyasha comment in disbelief, “I was the one whose defeated him.”