#yes that also means the mimic and the host

[ameliadraws135]

I recently watch Vita Carnis for the first time and let’s just say I FREAKING LOVE IT!

I love how this ARG is like a animal documentary like these meat creatures are like the most normal thing in existence.

I wish this ARG was a lot more popular 🥺

[mushroomates]

the fellowship grocery shopping (modern au!):

frodo: has a list which he always loses halfway through shopping. tries to bring his own bags but they’re never enough, or he forgets them in the car and realizes mid checkout. does not like a lot of the name brand foods, goes for the knock offs- partly because he thinks they taste better and partly because he’s rooting for the underdog. (also they’re cheaper which means more money go towards buying treats for the neighborhood cats.) makes an exception for name brand strawberry poptarts, a pippin favorite. keeps his fridge stocked with snacks for his friends.

sam: grows a lot of his own produce and makes an effort to shop local. has his own chickens and a thriving herb garden. he often trades with neighbors-tomatoes for honey, basil for goats milk, etc. once a month he teams up with boromir and goes to costco for insane amounts of flour (he bakes his own bread) and a foot long hotdog. sam refuses to get his own membership.

merry: has a list of things to get that he has worked very hard to compile. this list stays on fridge, and whenever he runs out of something he adds it. this is always sabotaged by pippin who, in a port attempt to mimic merry’s handwriting, adds a copious amount of sweets and things only pippin likes. ends up buying them anyways only to not share with him- will gloat by snacking in front of pippin and not offering any to his cousin.

pippin: does not actually grocery shop. yes, he has food in his house but this is more because he just tags along whenever someone else is going. selectively copies whatever they get into his own basket. has eight jars of peanut butter because he loves peanut butter but does not consume it at the rate he believes he does. also for backup, incase he runs out mid sandwich and needs eight jars of the stuff. loves to ride in the shopping carts when no one’s watching. definitely scooters along isles. loves to hijack boromir’s shopping trips as boromir is the only one who will push him in the cart and give him a lil treat at the end.

gandalf: kind of just. wanders around the store. gets lost in the bakery. buys the most random things, causing the clerks to conspire about what he’s doing with two packs of rubber gloves, a rosterseie chicken, and a tub of mayonnaise. is he a murderer? a professor? a single mother? what is he doing with this stuff?

aragorn: does a lot of trading with neighbors, like sam. likes to accompany arwen on errands and do the little things. she points at an item and he puts it in the basket. he bags at checkout. drives her home. unloads the car and put it away. real quality time and acts of service. yes, arwen is capable of doing these things herself, but he likes to do it for her: hunts so be always has a surplus of jerky, does need to buy more salt then the typical person.

boromir: also hunts. has a thing about using every part of the animal, will eat bone marrow straight out of the femur with a spoon for breakfast. eats a lot of protein. is real big about no food waste and will use everything he can. has his own compost bin and a humble herb garden. likes hosting barbecues for everyone, and makes the burgers and hotdogs from scratch. every other tuesday is grocery day. he goes to costco and buys his things in bulk. he’s the only one in the fellowship with a costco card and everyone loves to take advantage of it.

legolas: mainly just happens upon farmers markets and grabs what appeals to him in the moment. does not have any seasonings or cooking oil as it’s not something that’s ever really occurred to him to buy. will forget he has food in his fridge for weeks and when he finally does it’s gone bad. this, however, does not stop him from eating it. makes a lot of smoothies.

gimli: has a lot of preserved foods and a cupboard dedicated to emergencies. owns a lot of canned beans, fruits and vegetables- anything that will keep well. has a freezer filled with food in his garage with backup stock. is a very good with coupons- pippin likes going with him just to see the total (and the clerks jaw) drop. eats a lot of trail mix and jerky. enjoys fresh fruit when he can but doesn’t like to buy it because it doesn’t last.

gollum: sneaky little man. he hides in the bottom part of the carts meant for heavy items and parties his way across the store with his hands, scooting along tile and grabbing anything with reach, tossing it back up to the cart and continuing on his journey. then he just rolls right out the door. no one can stop him.

[missaengg]

Ice Skating with Crown

8 Days Until Christmas: Ice Skating Made for Ikemen Advent hosted by @queengiuliettafirstlady and @candied-boys A/N: Much thanks to @wistfulwanderingone for helping me brainstorm and for her contribution to Elbert's section!! Thank you for keeping me sane haha ❤️ Featuring: All of Ikevil and Robin Tags: humor Word Count: 1273

William Rex

Graceful. 

So fucking graceful. Seriously, how is it possible for one man to look like a swan on a serene lake? To look so majestic no matter what he does? Pretty sure he either had lessons growing up or had a lot of practice because this was a regular activity for him because the man skates like he’s had figure skating lessons. He skates backwards. He skates forwards. He does spins. He does jumps. He makes it look easy. And he doesn’t even break a sweat! His clothes don’t bunch or wrinkle. His hair doesn’t have a lock out of place.

It should be a crime to look as good as William does when he skates. Seriously, it’s not fair.

Harrison Gray

Bored out of his mind.

It’s clear he doesn’t want to be here in the cold with skates on his feet going in circles inside what can essentially be considered a fish bowl. He skates languidly along the perimeter, breathing out the occasional resigned sigh. His skating is just as boring as he feels. The unchanging steady pace. The repeating of the same actions. Push off with one foot, glide until he loses momentum, repeat. Push off. Glide. Push off. Glide. Just circle after circle around the rink.

The whole thing is too troublesome for him, and to make matters worse, the snack bar doesn’t have any strawberry milk.

Liam Evans

Daredevil. Speedster. Snack bar fiend.

He’s a magenta-colored blur zipping around the rink, hurtling forward as fast as he can. The wind blows back his hair. A fanatical gleam in his rose-colored eyes. His curiosity gets the better of him, and he attempts to mimic the moves William pulls off in the center, but of course, fails miserably because he’s not a trained skater. He also doesn’t really know how to stop, meaning he’s barreling into the other skaters and knocking both of them to the hard ice. He has to be patched up by Roger a few times for various cuts and bruises.

When he’s not whipping around the rink, he’s at the snack bar buying way too much candy and getting a sugar rush, which he has to burn off with another round of haphazard skating.

Elbert Greetia

Only there because of Alfons.

Elbert spends most of his time staring at William and asking, “Alfons, is Will beautiful when he skates?” 

Doesn’t skate on his own. Elbert has to be pulled around the rink by Alfons like a child, yet somehow still manages to look hauntingly beautiful. He’s obsessed with the figure skating costumes on some of the figure skaters practicing in the center, captivated by the sparkle of the rhinestones. Has to be saved from looking like a creep by Alfons because he tries to approach the young women and offer them a ridiculous amount of money to buy their outfits.

Notices you struggling to even stand in your skates, and for some unknown reason asks, “Al… Is Robin beautiful?”

To which Alfons laughs hysterically and replies, “She looks like a governess who mistook the ice for a polished parquet floor and a waltz partner. So no, unless you think that’s beautiful.”

Alfons Sylvatica

Elbert’s keeper. Incorrigible flirt.

Is very tempted to answer yes when Elbert asks if William is beautiful because that would be an entertaining exchange to watch. He doesn’t though. Not because they’re in public, that would just add to the entertainment factor. It’s because even though he tries to hide it, he actually cares for the taciturn blonde.

When not looking after Elbert, Alfons brazenly sidles up to you, whispering suggestive comments about what he’d like to do to your — *ahem* — kitty and finding great amusement in watching you nearly face plant as your face turns red in indignation.

Roger Barel

Crown’s Liam’s doctor and overall trickster.

Roger skates like a hockey player. He’s a bit of a show-off, complete with weaving in and out between the other skaters at high speeds and spraying ice when he skids to a stop. He thinks it’s great fun to scare the living shit out of you by coming up from behind and grabbing your shoulders with that shit-eating grin on his face, laughing boisterously when you almost fall on your ass, much to your chagrin. Your heart may have stopped a few times because of his antics.

When he’s not on the rink scaring the living daylight out of you, he’s on the sidelines patching up curious kitty Liam and only Liam because he’s the only one who has managed to hurt himself whilst skating.

Ellis Twilight

Residential good boy.

Sweet, baby boy Ellis is the one helping other skaters they fall, offering them a hand to pull them back up. He’s helped so many people that he’s mistaken as one of the employees with skaters coming up to him if they need any help.

Surprisingly graceful when he skates — though not as graceful as William — covering a lot of ground despite not skating very fast because of his long legs. He’s the only member of Crown who tries to teach you how to skate, doing the thing where he holds your hands and leads you around the rink while he skates backwards. He also tries to fend off the more mischievous members of Crown, but isn’t able to stay by your side the whole time.

Jude Jazza

Nowhere to be found.

Jude only came because Victor strong-armed him into attending. He disappears as soon as the group arrives at the ice skating rink, and can be found outside chain smoking cigarettes, grumbling about how the entire outing is stupid and a waste of time. 

When he sees Liam hurt himself, he gets a sadistic, wicked gleam in his amethyst-colored eyes. He seeks out the owner of the establishment and threatens them with a lawsuit unless they comp the entry tickets and the skate rentals. The owner complies immediately because Jude is so god damn terrifying, especially when his eyes narrow into slits, glaring at you as if his eyes alone can cut you into a million tiny pieces.

Also uses this to negotiate free snacks for the group.

Victor

The Mom.

The first thing Victor does is to buy a round of hot chocolate for everyone saying something about how they need to stay warm so they don’t catch a cold, but is devastated when Harrison, Roger, and Jude choose not to partake. He encourages his lovely Crown members to be free in their skating and follow the wicked desires in their hearts, even if it leads to havoc… aka Liam.

He doesn’t skate, but watches over them from the sidelines, happy and gleeful that his “children” seem to be enjoying themselves — for the most part, which for Crown means that it’s a relatively successful outing.

Already planning the next one. Sledding? Skiing? Something snow related. After all, it’s almost Christmas!

Robin

Skating? What’s that?

You wobble on your skates like a newborn calf, clutching the railing for dear life and creeping along inch by inch trying not to fall on your ass. Until Alfons, Roger, or Liam knock you over, and you’re sliding on your tailbone wondering what the hell just happened while they laugh like the assholes they are. Except Liam. Liam’s about to cry while he apologizes profusely over and over again even after you reassure him you’re okay.

Massaging your bruised butt and stiff muscles, you wonder why the hell you thought this would be a great idea when Victor first mentioned it because let’s face it… you’ve never skated before in your life! 

Thank god for Ellis.

[m1ckeyb3rry]

SUNCHASER? DAN HENG?

[ask game!]

SUNCHASERRRR yes actually dan heng was my og baddie in hsr!! in the pre-phainon days he was The Man and indeed sunchaser was the first fic i ever planned for the fandom...it would've been the first i posted too LOL but then i got distracted with mydei and threefold and THEN the phainon sickness hit LMAOAO BUT !! i actually have every last bit of it planned out so i am adding a cut and dumping it all on you because i have no idea if i will ever actually finish it or not KSHJDF it will always be very dear to me though!! and apologies in advance this will be a very long response when i say i have this whole thing planned i MEAN IT

so sunchaser was meant to kind of be formatted as like. an additional trailblazing quest in between the luofu and penacony if that makes sense?? so it's like the astral express crew ending up on some random planet and helping them w their problems 🙂‍↕️ so i really had to make up Lore for the planet which ofc yk i love doing but given that the Lore is key to the plot here is like the quick version:

lucyke — also known as the green moon,  the sole moon of the planet llides, it is more hospitable and prosperous than llides itself; the people of lucyke have maintained their independence thus far, but due to the cursed storm raging on the planet, their economy, army, and society are weakening, leading to their imminent defeat (this is where reader is from and where the story takes place)

llides — a center of commerce, with large, shining cities interspersed throughout the desert landscape; they believe conquering lucyke is their right, as it is “their” moon and they are therefore entitled to its resources [note: llides and its cities are like. vaguely based off of dubai]

the story is broken into three parts — part one "the green moon", part two "the sky's reflection", part three "the first sunrise" as you can see i love a good three part structure (it is actually a coincidence that both this and threefold have three parts LMAOOO but funny yk)!! but the major conflict is that the moon of lucyke is Barely fighting off llides's attempts at conquering them, and at the same time they are suffering from a centuries-long rainstorm that was brought upon them when a llidan general named hava cursed the moon in an attempt to bring rain to llides and defeat lucyke in one blow

in part one the astral express intercepts a distress signal coming from lucyke amidst the storm and find reader, but it is revealed that the distress signal actually came from llidan forces, not the reader, and the astral express members believe, as does the rest of the cosmos, that the lucyke people are belligerent and the “wrong side” of the conflict; the storm increases (although it is eternal, it has both heavy and light days), leaving the ae members stranded on lucyke until it is safe for them to warp; reader (who is the commander of the lucyke imperial guard) takes them to the capital of lucyke to decide their fates; they all agree to help lucyke with their troubles in exchange for being allowed to stay on the planet, and in return reader finally explains the truth of llides attempts on lucyke as well as hava's curse (a funny note on part one is that caelus is often off-screen except for important events which is meant to mimic him doing random side quests in-game LOL)

in part two llidan forces gather upon lucyke, planning an attack; reader tells the ae members that when hava first cursed lucyke, there was a prophecy that he would one day be destroyed by a beautiful song; they go to meet her father, who reveals that hava's will has continued for so long because he is a parasite, and she is his current host (hence her inhuman strength) before commanding her to stop fighting, as she is slowly being corrupted by hava and she risks being overtaken by him completely, whereupon he will wreak havoc on lucyke and likely destroy for good; reader tells dan heng (they are fairly close atp because she admires him for saving her life) about her deceased mother and the only memories she has of her being the lullaby she used to sing (he thinks the lullaby is stupid because it's meant for kids but he #keepsitin), whereupon he theorizes that this lullaby might have some connection to the defeat of hava (maybe she is the one who will do it?? since she is his host after all); before they can further go down this train of thought, caelus and some other npcs discover that the llidans have invented ships that can fly through the storm (although the storm was horrible for lucyke, it was also protecting them from many attacks), hence their forces amassing in such great numbers and their impending attack

finally in part three, the reader realizes that there's no way the lucyke army can defeat the llidans, so she sends them all away and tells the ae members to subdue her once the ships are gone before she allows hava to take over, promising him that he can destroy lucyke if he helps her defeat the llidans this one time; she becomes the storm and the ae members realize that she/hava will be impossible to stop so welt says they must kill her, whereupon dan heng decides that in a last-ditch effort to save her, he will attempt to bring her back in possession of herself by reminding her of her mother via the song she referenced to him; he is ultimately successful but her body is so destroyed by becoming a storm that she dies almost immediately afterwards, and her death marks the first time that the sun is seen on lucyke without any clouds or rain in its way

HERE ARE SOME SCREENSHOTS unfortunately i did not write as much of it as i would have liked to because the handsome pseudogreek men invaded my tik tok fyp and also my mind but at least there is a little bit...

[cosmica-galaxy]

How a Clock Mimic eats:

I call them "soul stealers" (Clock mimics), but I actually think they are mostly after the prey's cells or stored energy. Hence, life "energy". You could be all typical and whimsical and say "oh they steal souls or whatever lol", but it's more scientific then that.

They literally REACH into your body to steal all of your sources of energy. Every cell in your body makes energy and it draws its nourishment from that. When I say "sucks you dry", I mean that in a partial literal sense.

The biggest reason why the prey of a clock mimic will lay on the ground and look all confused, is mostly because the clock mimic drains out all of their cells that produce energy. This could be components of your blood, your stored fat and carbs, as well as anything else they can literally DRAIN out of you. Your nutrients becomes THEIR nutrients. In a way, it's similar to the drill mimics, but in a much more prestigious way with much more damage.

Most of their prey actually die from lack of blood PRESSURE then actual blood loss, as well as becoming comatose because their brain has had all of the energy rich cells/fats/carbs ripped STRAIGHT out of them, causing a lethal dip in the homeostasis that keeps your body in equilibrium. You can also tell if a creature is a victim of a clock mimic if they bleed a grayish WHITE "blood" or their eyes are entirely gray. Yes. The clock mimics can even take pigmentation from their prey. Irises, pupils, hair, hemoglobin, ect. This is what causes the "rapid aging" effect when they drain a victim.

THAT is what makes them terrifying and VERY dangerous. As well as having a VERY slow metabolism, clock mimics can compact the energy they take into their own body, usually in the chest or "head" compartment. It's argued that these versions of mimic don't even have a stomach, which is why they drain vitality from other external sources to get the nutrients they need to power their own organic parts. That also makes their heads, unfortunately, pretty valuable as energy containers or long term batteries. As the body of the clock mimic contains that energy so effectively, it can power devices for months, or years if it's a large mimic, even LONG after the clock mimic has died. Because their body can no longer ingest the material they consumed, it simply sits as a compacted energy inside of their head or chest, waiting to naturally burn out with decomposition or…be put to use by lucky scavengers. In a way, Clock Mimics can be considered "parasitic feeders", since they rely on other organisms to survive. However, "friendly" Clock Mimics can leave prey alive by managing how they drain. So instead of draining them entirely and causing lethal damage, they have a more gentle approach and will steadily drain the host in a careful manner to avoid causing serious damage. When the prey begins to feel the effects too much, the mimic will retract. Alliance scientists have dubbed the lethal feeding as "Parasitic" and the more friendly and polite version of feeding as "Vampiric". One kills the prey and the other merely feeds on them just enough to satisfy. -- This has been a log from the resident human. Logger: Resident Human Subject: Feeding Mimic: Clock Mimic (Comrade)

[call-me-rucy]

Hey Rucy, I know that you said gameplay stuff is fine in all forms. However, I'm also concerned about edits/memes and even musical remixes that use audio / voice lines. Because of point 8 in this list, it makes it seem like all of these are in danger of being taken down. And do you think "still images" means screenshots? And I guess guides of the answers to the puzzles are technically bad now too. [Regarding to their third main point in the guideline page.]

Going back to the remixes thing. Would making a remix of like, their songs/melodies, be bad because it's technically music of their games? [Point 8 of the prohibited items list that I'm most concerned about]

So sorry if I've asked anything inappropriate or is out of your comfort zone of answering. I've just been thinking about this ever since I heard about it and I'm trying to understand everything as well as I can.

Hi there, Ashe!

Don't worry, ask all you want! Just know, I'm the same, trying to understand it all through, so I only can answer with what I know at any given moment.

I do think that still images means screenshots, yes! And yes, indeed it seems like puzzle guides in form of videos and screenshots seem to be affected by point 3. Which is... all of guides, because how do you do a layton guide without screenshots. We have to take care and archive guides as well. If you know good guides, I reccomend using webarchive on them.

It makes me wonder, because the go-to guides for the spanish layton guides are hosted by Nintendo, officially. Surely they won't take that one down?

And about point 8...

About point 8.

I must thank you enormously for this ask, Ashe, because I'm only now realizing that the verb used in point 8 can have two meanings. I took it to mean listening, as in, don't edit the movies to extract the music to listen to it. But I just looked it up in the dictionary and it can indeed mean "watch" as well TT_TT

視聴 Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb 1. looking and listening; (television) viewing; watching​

So I was assuming edits were only covered by point 3, but it seems point 8 of "Forbidden" refers to them specifically too... Sigh...

So about "Would making a remix of like, their songs/melodies, be bad because it's technically music of their games?", I'm not entirely sure.

We've established that cutscenes and the music edited together to be watched or listened to exactly as it is in gamemight be a no go. But then there is such things as transformative use.

You see, I got an ask right after yours that goes a bit deeper into the law stuff, saying that L-5 is trying to follow international copyright law, which is similar to US copyright law (I will publish it when I answer it in a bit).

And Wikipedia says: "In United States copyright law, transformative use or transformation is a type of fair use that builds on a copyrighted work in a different manner or for a different purpose from the original, and thus does not infringe its holder's copyright".

Fanfic is transformative work, that's why AO3 is legal. From my non-law eyes, I'd say maybe a remix and an edit could be a transformative work as well? LAW ANON, IF YOU'RE READING THIS, PLEASE HELP!

I think the problem would arise if you're trying to mimic the official experience of the game outside of the game. Like in cutscene compilations that tell you the whole story of the game.

With that in mind, my proposed approach is:

Do not panic

No need to remove old stuff unless you are specifically asked by the platform/level-5, or maybe it will automatically removed, idk how that's gonna work

If you get your stuff removed please share that info so we can know more exactly what it's being affected

For new stuff, follow the guidelines when you can (e.g. comment your gameplays, add banners or borders to your streams, warn for spoilers, crediting L-5 in videos)

Archive the old stuff you like. This is a bit of "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst". (It is a good practice as a general rule: you never know when some fav playlist maker will choose to delete old videos on a whim, and this is as good of a time to start saving as any other).

[thebrokenmechanicalpencil]

Imma just send you an ask cause I feel bad reposting again. I probably shouldn’t, but my social awkwardness and anxiety is just built different. yay!

Anyway. I am thoroughly obsessed with whatever this organic thing is. I was sitting in bed thinking about it (not in a weird way) last night.

But, you mentioned bugs and like, yes I love bugs. Unhealthy obsession with those things too. I have a collection, been collecting them since I was like 13. So yeah, im thinking about your organic thing and bugs so…. Here are some half baked ideas/questions

This one has nothing to do with bugs, ha take that. Do they ever have a difficult time recognizing each other? I assume the older they get (and depending on what they are mimicking) the better they are hiding and stuff, so is it possible for them to just not see each other? Or is there some way for them to communicate to each other what they are.

You know how spiders just like… know how to make a web? Is that how it is when they change their look for the first time? Or is it like a “oh I’ve gotta hide- holy crap- what the-“ kinda moment for them?

The mouth does not look talking friendly ngl, but can see them changing that. It would be interesting if the main form of communication between each other would be pheromones or smth similar. Just because then they can easily communicate with each other for the most part without alerting the host species (idk that’s right but whatever)

Since this one is mimicking smth with an exoskeleton (I mean, Cybertronians kinda do have a exoskeleton when you think about it) does the organic thing shed kinda like bugs do when they make a big change? Are they soft for a bit while they adjust? Or do they just like, change and that’s that?

Is there some form or whatever we are calling them that they pass on genetically to each other? (I’m assuming they don’t reproduce asexually) So like if a parent favored mimicking a tiger for example, would their offspring naturally also have a liking for tigers or just naturally be good at mimicking them without having to do a lot of “research”?

(I’m just assuming they kinda do research from what you were talking about earlier, I might be wrong tho)

Final question idea thing. Idk how you have them reproducing to if you’ve thought of this at all, but I’m going with eggs simply because I’m thinking of bugs rn. Would they lay these eggs or egg into a host organism? Then the offspring eats the host and in the process they learn how the other organism works and stuff so then they mimic them. So that’s like their “base” or whatever. Or what they generally prefer? Does this make sense?

Also them with the twins is a fantastic idea. I’m very excited.

I don’t really have many tips when it comes to drawing transformers, the twins in particular, my brain just naturally picks them apart and makes their designs into vague shapes that kinda resemble them and I hope for the best. But you seem to enjoy them so yay!

Anyway. Sorry this is a lot. This is just eating away at what’s left of my brain. I love monster/creature design and love to make little world building things and stuff. But I also understand if this is kinda a lot and I can shut up if you want. I will not be offended lol

You have no idea how giddy this makes me that you find my idea interesting and are thinking about it in your free time. I'm hyped up on wanting to make concept sketches and expand on this! You sending an ask by the way is totally fine, I never really thought i'd ever be the one answering one so this is fun.

I grinned so big when I read your question about them meeting another of their own species. I'v been thinking that it would be very hard for an older Pretender (that is what I might dub them for now, easier than saying organic thing over and over.) to pass another and not know immediately what they were. If they are especially young and haven't started branching out past just the instinctual mutation, their tells would show. Like a slight uncomfortable way they might hold themselves, a shape that doesn't fit, their smell. You mentioned pheromones, which is a wonderful idea, I think naturally they would release their own without realizing it. Like hardly a scent but enough to out them. Since their whole species is about "Stay alive" "Stay hidden" their territory is very important to them. So if you have been hiding among a population for decades, attuned to the culture able to feed without causing panic, and a young inexperienced one of your own appears. Now you could allow him to stay and maybe help him, which might draw attention to the both of you. Two uncanny individuals draws more eyes and rumors than one.

Or you could ignore him and make it clear which city is yours, but allow the chance the green horn gets caught. If its a highly evolved society then they might catch on to the older pretender when they start to draw similarities between the two.

A hardened pretender wouldn't communicate just eliminate the younger one as soon as possible. Another might gently lead on the other, if some form of a moral code had rubbed off on them. And then get them to find their own territory, they would have very complicated friendships and probably nothing too close to a family unit. Heh that was a lot, but just an idea. More half baked than I would like but meh.

Hehe I like to think their first change is a little like breathing, you do it without thinking. If they sense a need to hide, protect themselves ect, an immediate search tears through their backlogs to shift as needed, without thinking. Maybe like whenever you remember something? Like "That red reminded me I have to go get my mum her lunch, because she was painting her nails red this morning." Other times if its not deeply ingrained in their back logs they have to sort of think about it, and yes study who they are mimicking.

Him, our weird organic boy, talking is actually sort of important in my head. His species and communication sort of struck me as they just learn whatever they are mimicking's language. And he has to sort of slowly learn cybertronian and him talking is short and in-between.

Im sort of thinking that a mutation was sort of a quick change, their goal is to fit in as fast as possible so a slow one would get them killed. Like they cause an actual controlled mutation in all their cells as a chain reaction through their body. I'm playing with the idea a bit. Them being vulnerable after a big change is a wonderful idea.

Ooooh that's an interesting question! I haven't really decided how they reproduce exactly, probably sexually like you assumed. But yes they depending on their mothers and father's preferred or most well "researched forms" those would be some they could snap into a little easier, without as much pain or thought. That genetic information from both parents back logs would be passed down, how to mimic it to a T.

That does make sense and that's such a cool idea, I really haven't though about them reproducing and how. Part of me thinks I should go with eggs, because that's so cool, and whatever form their mother has when she lays them is their "base" so they have a head start. I'm thinking sort of froggy eggs, but that would lead to plenty of interesting ideas on if they would naturally mutate to fit the environment....

Your ideas are so cool thank you, Im glad you like the idea of the twins having to deal with an organic alien, but on their own home terf this time. I was hoping it wouldn't seem too far fetched.

Also don't be sorry I love how much you'r enjoying this and thinking about it. Any ideas or thoughts are just fuel for the fire, I love it.

The idea that some of my doodles and half baked thoughts gave you a worm makes my dang day. Hope I didn't jabber too much. <3

[howlingday]

Ok so Lore dump time. So I said I will be doing the guardians Magiolems but I realized that I never talk about the current Keeper. But I'm sticking to my word. Now all Magiolems have the ability to teleport to each other and speak telepathically so i won't be repeating that. They can also repair them selves if damaged if material they are made out if around or use spare magic to heal. I might have to spilt this into two parts. So without a futher ado the Guardians

Name Gravitos(Grav-I-Tos) He/Him/It

Appearance: Is a large house like mech. Mainly colored a dark wooden brown with a coffee colored bricks and dark Grey joints.

Aura:Unlocked Semblance:Targeting he can keep track to up 15 different people no matter where they are in Remenat.

Magic:Gravity(He push or pull things towards himself. Make things lighter or heavier. Compress objects by making a gravity bubble. Make a barrier around himself to reflect attacks.) Size change(Can make himself the size of 8 story building or as small as a paladin.) Magic sensing.

Other notes: Gravitos is by far the strongest and largest of the Guardians. He's also the oldest living Guardian being 1000 of years old. He's does have a soul and Aura. He's not active the current story because his size makes him quite noticeable. He's usually about the size of the Atlas mech used to kill the Levatin in Argus. He's a calm mostly silent being not capable of speaking outside his body or the connection with other Guardians. He is straight to the point not caring how mean it makes him seem. He will often use violence as a eay to quickly complete hus missons as few things by themselves are threats to him. Also highly intelligent and experienced. He acts as a sort of data storage and digital assistant when his body is not active. His main purpose was to hold people and torture them for info.

Main Inspiration is from a graphic novel called Amulet with a vehicle that looked like a house. Photo below.

Name: Souless Stalker They/Them/It

Appearance: A lanky android with light metal and it's entire body. A flattish face expect two bulging glowing eyes and a jaw with razor sharp teeth. Claws on hands and feet. Tends to hunch over when not in combat or mimicking someone.

Aura:No not possible

Magic: Flesh Growth(With a small amount of DNA he can grow large amounts of that DNA.) Size Change. Fire. Voice Mimic(Can mimic any voice its heard before) Magic sensing(The ability to sense Magic and magic users location and how much Magic they have.) Shape-shifting(Able to change the shape of his body to fix the situation) Invisibly(Make it unable to be seen)

Other Notes: Souless is the most outright Dangerous of the Guardians. Remember Shiver? Well this guy is literally made out of it. Now unlike Anti-Aura metal silver eyes can't negate the effects or destory Shiver. Soulless is mentally unstable and often attacks others than are Magiolems or the Keeper. It is brutal and mercilessly in fights. Very good with robotics and copying people. It can mimic any fighting style it sees but not semblances. It even creeps out the other Magiolems and stays off for ustablely. It can grow flesh on its self to copy the looks of other people. Hates all Arcs and will enter a violent rage to murder them no matter what.(Yes even Adrian) Lastly crippling fear of Ozma(All hosts) and Salem runs away if it sees them and if it can't it curls up into a ball and makes crying noises.

Main Inspiration: The Mimic from Fnaf

Name: Fern *Name may change on a later date*

Appearance: He is a human skeleton covered in moss and vines to move around. His body when under disguise is a slightly tanned Japanese man with dark green hair. He where a large rimmed hat and a long white coat with deep pockets. White button up shirt with blue pants and Thick brown boots.

Aura:Yes Semblance:No

Magic:Plant control(He can grow,control and even connect to plants) Mushroom control(He can grow and control plants) Plant Monsters(He can make plant monsters such as a toxic gas shooting hryda or a wolf deer hybrid. Note all made out of plant and mushroom matter) Strength boosting(He is able to boost his strength even futher than others are able normally.) Growth(He adds to his own mass to increase the power of blows and make himself faster) Bullet seed(Able to shoot seeds out of his hands like bullets and also be turned into machine gun fire rate and even cannon shots with cocnuts.

Other notes: this is the a currently active Guardian that guards a collection of Grimm and Plants stored in Small magic pocket dimension spheres. Some even thought to be extinct like the Nightmare Grimm. His base is a old town over run with plants surround by a thick lay of trees and highly toxic plants. He is a smug amd proud fighter. He's speaks with an American Gangster Accent. He gets angry when his plants are destroyed. He helps those when ot can benefit him and his boss or hurt the Arcs. He likes to talk a lot by is often alone for longs periods of time due to his Job. Likes to watch crimes shows.

Main Inspiration: The man on the internet song on Floral Fury

Thats all for now. There is 3 Guardians left. Wow this was strangely tiring. Is that normal? Anyway stuff is open to change on later dates.

Thoughts? Criticism? Ideas?

OH! I remember Amulet! It's been a while since I read it, so I might have to reread it. Honestly, Gravitos kinda reminds me of the wardens from Darksiders.

Just this huge, massive thing that acts as an obstacle/gate.

The Soulless Stalker sounds absolutely terrifying. Especially that "hates all Arcs even Adrian" bit. That's a set up for a horror scene if I've heard one. Kinda got sort of a Warhammer Flayed One vibe from it.

This walking nightmare of flesh and metal makes me SHIVER every time! Ah? Ah? Ah, screw it...

Honestly, Fern sounds like a decent fella. Can't really think of a character to compare him to, except maybe Poison Ivy or Swamp Thing.

Covered in green and dedicated to protecting the Green.

[toiletdestroyer3415]

here's the silly little pikmin wraith I've been holding hostage in my brain.

meet the amber wraith!

for visualization, he's an amber-orange color (obviously) and takes on the form of a wormy fella. his core is shaped like an egg and is a glossy black color with two glimmer (✨) shapes on each side of the egg, with the pointy end turning and twisting around inside the goop whenever he wants to focus on something.

this guy is a WEAKLING. unlike other wraiths, his body can't absorb mass normally since he has ZERO digestive enzymes and he can't quite solidify himself aside from a sort of 'squishy but not goopy' form. that means his core is very very vulnerable.

BUT. he has a gimmick.

he's able to possess creatures up to ten times his size, and use them as a sort of puppet/mouth so they can digest food FOR him, like a parasite. and his core is buried somewhere in there so he has a better defense.

he can trap creatures in place by surrounding them and forming a little structure similar to hydro jelly in terms of consistency, but this takes up his own goop. this is either to 'wear' them for later or come back controlling a host so he can eat whatever he's trapped.

I made a silly little thing where he sort of kind of is holding an entire human being hostage.

not a captain. a human.

he originally had a lot more mass coming onto PNF-404 but the gravity didn't allow him to keep much of his form, so he had to shrink down. with all the excess mass he couldn't carry around, he trapped a perfect candidate to be 'worn', a human that, unfortunately, happened to be around! and yes, it was scared! very scared!

so now he's just holding it hostage until the time is right to bring it out, since when trapping creatures, it has a unique ability to act like a time capsule and prevent creatures from moving or aging without needing food or water.

this is because it has regenerative properties! so he's not just holding a human hostage, he's molding it to become the biggest, baddest beast. he's done this before with other creatures, but he's taking his sweet time perfecting his 'weapon,' as he likes to call it. so PNF-404 has plenty of time before some horrid, gigantic, ancient beast is unleashed by a crazy mass of orange goop. also he forgot that humans were sentient and overrid it's brain, essentially wiping its memory and turning it into a stupid two-legged monster. oops!

luckily, on every creature he possesses, there's a cute little weak spot somewhere marked by a little splotch of orange goop. since it's vulnerable to most elements, attacking it enough times will cause him to lose mass and in turn, lose control of whatever body he's currently using if attacked enough times, and he'll be ejected from the host and needs to run away. plus he sucks at controlling beasts and they are usually slower than normal whenever he's controlling them, especially on larger species like bulblaxes. so the human he plans to possess is going to be hella slow, slow enough to give whatever fearless soul(s) brave enough to face him a good chance at defeating him.

for now though, he's just hiding in his cave plotting evil stuff. he's not good at it, but he's still evil.

since he can't solidify like other wraiths, he can't mimic captains. but what's to stop him from possessing one? nudge nudge

[shmorp-mcdurgen]

there were so many details in this it was so good. im gonna rapidfire some questions and im guessing some are spoilers/were already answered in text but

is host cesar??? or some kind of cesar? since the human cesar's in that hell world place

is the house sort of like a hivemind type thing? people seem to be able to feel its heartbeat, i wonder if that means that the trapped people are connected through it somehow

this ones silly but was thatcher the officer that tripped trying to chase them. i thought that was really funny. loser ass cop falls right on his face trying to chase two guys

i may not have read close enough and theres probably context if i reread but cesar seems to have shoved adam back into the sea type thing?

did host mimic cesar's mom? or did the house do that? is she capable of mimicking people like that?

He is not the same as Human Cesar. you'll learn more about him later on :)

Yes and no. everyone inside can think for themselves but. they're also connected.

I didn't think about Thatcher being the one to trip but. yeah that would be funny if he was GHEJFKDS-

Yes, Cesar shoved him back into the "sea". he saved Adam's life by doing that basically.

Yes, if you're referring to the phone call, it was Host.

[learnindigitalmarketing123]

What is React Native?

React Native is a JavaScript framework for writing real, natively rendering mobile applications for iOS and Android. It’s based on React, Facebook’s JavaScript library for building user interfaces, but instead of targeting the browser, it targets mobile platforms. In other words: web developers can now write mobile applications that look and feel truly “native,” all from the comfort of a JavaScript library that we already know and love. Plus, because most of the code you write can be shared between platforms, React Native makes it easy to simultaneously develop for both Android and iOS.

Similar to React for the Web, React Native applications are written using a mixture of JavaScript and XML-esque markup, known as JSX. Then, under the hood, the React Native “bridge” invokes the native rendering APIs in Objective-C (for iOS) or Java (for Android). Thus, your application will render using real mobile UI components, not webviews, and will look and feel like any other mobile application. React Native also exposes JavaScript interfaces for platform APIs, so your React Native apps can access platform features like the phone camera, or the user’s location.

React Native currently supports both iOS and Android, and has the potential to expand to future platforms as well. In this book, we’ll cover both iOS and Android. The vast majority of the code we write will be cross-platform. And yes: you can really use React Native to build production-ready mobile applications! Some anecdota: Facebook, Palantir, and TaskRabbit are already using it in production for user-facing applications.

Advantages of React Native

The fact that React Native actually renders using its host platform’s standard rendering APIs enables it to stand out from most existing methods of cross-platform application development, like Cordova or Ionic. Existing methods of writing mobile applications using combinations of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS typically render using webviews. While this approach can work, it also comes with drawbacks, especially around performance. Additionally, they do not usually have access to the host platform’s set of native UI elements. When these frameworks do try to mimic native UI elements, the results usually “feel” just a little off; reverse-engineering all the fine details of things like animations takes an enormous amount of effort, and they can quickly become out of date.

In contrast, React Native actually translates your markup to real, native UI elements, leveraging existing means of rendering views on whatever platform you are working with. Additionally, React works separately from the main UI thread, so your application can maintain high performance without sacrificing capability. The update cycle in React Native is the same as in React: when props or state change, React Native re-renders the views. The major difference between React Native and React in the browser is that React Native does this by leveraging the UI libraries of its host platform, rather than using HTML and CSS markup.

For developers accustomed to working on the Web with React, this means you can write mobile apps with the performance and look and feel of a native application, while using familiar tools. React Native also represents an improvement over normal mobile development in two other areas: the developer experience and cross-platform development potential.

Developer Experience

If you’ve ever developed for mobile before, you might be surprised by how easy React Native is to work with. The React Native team has baked strong developer tools and meaningful error messages into the framework, so working with robust tools is a natural part of your development experience.

For instance, because React Native is “just” JavaScript, you don’t need to rebuild your application in order to see your changes reflected; instead, you can hit Command+R to refresh your application just as you would any other web page. All of those minutes spent waiting for your application to build can really add up, and in contrast React Native’s quick iteration cycle feels like a godsend.

Additionally, React Native lets you take advantage of intelligent debugging tools and error reporting. If you are comfortable with Chrome or Safari’s developer tools (Figure 1-1), you will be happy to know that you can use them for mobile development, as well. Likewise, you can use whatever text editor you prefer for JavaScript editing: React Native does not force you to work in Xcode to develop for iOS, or Android Studio for Android development.

[spearxwind]

Alright, swinging in for a second round of Hollowridge asks: 1) Just because he's a personal favourite. How is Beial doing? 2) Richard is the big bad cult boss, right? (once again just trying to rummage together what I can glean from your blog). Does he have a design? 3) I honestly just want to know more abt Dragonfang, are they also some form of array/machinery?

YES!!! I'm so excited

Beial is fine!! He's back in his bar, and said bar is back in Hollowridge :) He's the boss there (and coincidentally, Adri's boss now too. Because he works there now. You can see this very briefly here) Bei doesn't have a specific take on the main story, or at least not at the moment (he's pretty uninterested), he simply runs his place like a businessman (businessdog) and is around to cause mischief and make money. The gang uses the place as a main hangout. It's basically like, he's a morally corrupt bar owner, the main squad ends up hanging out there to plan their horrid little war crimes and Bei is in the bg offering his two cents occasionally and letting them plan war crimes in there

YES Richard is the Big Bad Guy, Leader of the Van Riel machine cult (I mean. The cult is named after him and everything) And he does have a design! I never shared it online before but I have been drawing him for a while x) I doodled him really quick though so I had some up to date art of him

Guy who is so horrid for real

3. Yeah, Dragonfang is a mimic! All mimics are rogue nanomachinery that parasitize things in different ways, dragonfang is a small nanomachine swarm that's using Adam as a host to keep itself operational, and in exchange Adam gets his arm back and can summon a cool sword at will. Dragonfang is also sapient but cannot speak, she communicates through emotions only (literally beams them directly into Adam's spine)

[schuylerpeck]

Hey, the half-frozen rain kisses my cheeks and I love you.

Pushed out of the darkness by a street~lamp, the vermilion flame of a maple tree mimics the soul of a dancer I fell in love with, both flame and fae, dangerously mesmerising and seemingly perfectly unaware of their power. On the countertop, a crate overfilled with persimmons mimics the forgotten treasure of a retired pirate. On my messy desk, the half-used square of red watercolour mimics something too, I'm sure, but its dreams are just out of my reach.

Winter comes back and some days feel like I'm spinning, endlessly circling back to the same movements, the same words, the same ideas. More and more, I'm okay with that. I love in circles, doesn't it make sense that I tell it in circles as well ?

I go back to familiar songs, thinking about voices lost and found again. Back to feeling gentle, thinking about the numerous times unknown children came fearlessly to greet me. Back to the water, thinking about a dreamed creek gifted to a stranger I've grown fond of. And going round and round doesn't feel so bad when it brings back the words, the kindness and the beloved places. The leaves keep falling, uncaging the sky, and my heart turns fire red, dedicated to keeping me warm but willing also to help me try and keep others warm.

And my gifts for you today, for no other reason than we're here in this world at the same time, are a bright red flame, a universe full of circles and the promise that circling back isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I hope you sleep tight, when night reaches you. I don't know you but I love you.

Hey, there’s a mug of coffee for you on the table and I love you.

are you staying warm? do you have plans to go home? are you there already, laughing at the end of a dining room table or helping family in the kitchen? the wind picked up last night and covered the west coast in a blanket of frost. I wandered out in it this morning, not wanting to break the hushed air, not wanting to touch the spotless snowbanks, but just to sit and exist beside it for a while. across the country, my dad calls, frustrated in a congested vein of traffic. under his annoyance, I can hear the car radio play the same holiday station, hosted by the same sweet voice my siblings and I fondly remember. “may this season bring you so much happiness, from Delilah.”

when I talk about what I want for my life, I know my dreams seem much smaller. the room we’ve been given to dream, the futures that might lie ahead don’t seem to hold the sparkle we were promised, but I will still make something beautiful of this, if only to my eyes. my dad wonders why I would ever leave the city. my friends wait to hear what else might follow, what big vision might match my excitement. a small corner of somewhere, I hammer away an afternoon fixing up the stairs. a summer the room smells like fresh paint, a shade of blush. a neighborhood fox I wave to, glowing red in the snow. the wood-paneled pub a few friends and I will meet in for birthday parties or trivia some Tuesday nights. a favorite window I’ll write from. listening to the radio, watching the world again, happy to exist beside it.

yes, I’m sad there might be things I never see. no, this doesn’t mean I’m giving up yet. but I’m finding contentment is not far from where I rest my shoes. and maybe that feels like the biggest thing I can give me. more than all the futures that had been decided for me, this finally feels like mine. a wish I’m sending for you too, though I’m sorry if it looks silly, I wasn’t quite sure how to wrap it. a sense, maybe when winter comes back around, and hopefully sooner of course, that you might untie your boots, look up for a moment, and feel a warm rush of love for where you are — that we both might unfurl our scarves, wherever we might be, and feel at home. it’s my gift to you (though the mail may take a while to reach you) if for no other reason than we are here in this world at the same time.

goodnight, you, I hope you sleep tight when night reaches you. I don’t know you, but I love you.

[soulmate-game]

New fic *test*

New Bio!dad Bruce story? I’m testing out this first chapter, and if I like where it’s going I might add it to my growing pile of WIPs. If I have inspiration, I might as well use it. Because of life events stressing me the hell out, I’m throwing any writing plans out the window and I’m purely gonna write to destress right now. Whether that means updating THG or not, or continuing Maribat March, we’ll just have to see how this all pans out. Things are subject to day-to-day change.

I got inspiration from this from rereading my day 1 story for Bio!dad Bruce Wayne month from last year. I’m just gonna change a few things.

—*—*—*—*—*

For once, an unfamiliar face attracted the attention of everyone who caught even a glimpse of them. It wasn’t even because of the person themselves at first, but their dress. The skirt like the most fantastical of storybook ball gowns, fluffy layers of satin over a luxurious petticoat, with a stunning pink floral pattern whose busy appearance was tastefully offset by a shorter, sheer layer of leaf green tulle artistically weaved and somehow sculpted over the floral in order to tame it. The effect turned what should be a grandmotherly pattern into something softer, sophisticated and youthful and yet also reminiscent of fairytale princesses. Over top the short layer of green tulle was an even shorter later of white tulle, almost invisible except for the elegant embroidery of crystal-white vines that twined all over it, connecting the green below it to the bottom-most floral pattern and oddly adding a layer of childishness instead of maturity. At the waist of the dress was a dark plum pink satin ribbon, to separate the elaborate ballgown skirt from the bodice. Attached to the simple ribbon was a large brooch of fabric flowers, with a single plastic ladybug in the center.

The bodice of the dress came up into a cheongsam neckline, but was sleeveless. It was a simple design, of half green and half dark pink, with a white border separating the two. The white border had expertly done embroideries in a soft silver thread that would only be visible close up, the images the thread made being that of fairies and ladybugs dancing around one another.

It was, all in all, a stunning display that made the small eurasian woman wearing them look like absolute royalty. Perhaps a long lost fairy princess. Her black-blue hair was even done up in elaborate looping braids and a braided bun, with silver and green pins that further completed the regal ensemble. And yes, while the expertly done dress was what initially captivated her current audience, it was not what kept them from leaving her alone. That was all her personality, bubbly and bright as her blinding smile. It was a sunny disposition that very few people present had any exposure to at all, and it drew them like a sunflower to the daylight. They could not help but flock closer, or even just stand back and keep themselves turned to her presence. Already she had been at the gala for two hours, but there was no issue. She just kept proving her generosity, admitting she had donated both a dress and a suit of her own making to the charity auction that would begin soon, one of the main attractions of the gala. She skillfully charmed the more snooty of the attendants, and artfully twisted her words so that they felt compelled to donate more money that they truly had no use for. Later, they would remember their donation and wonder what compelled it, but come up with no satisfying answer.

And yet she was entirely unaware of her more silent audience, who stood back and observed. Truth be told, every one of them was glad to not be the center of that attention for a change, to have room to breathe for so long at an event where usually that commodity was so scarce that it demanded a fierce competition for. Compared to her garden of color, they were all shadows in shades of blacks and blues and whites, with a touch of red here and there that was entirely too thematic for their home city. The one who sported a royal blue suit tilted his head at the scene they were all calmly witnessing, his bright azure eyes glittering.

“She’s like magic,” he mused, clearly enchanted despite having not said a single word to the woman. “Perfect socialite. She’s kind, generous, she made that dress and the ones she donated to the auction herself so she’s obviously got an intimidating amount of skill for her age. She even tricks those old fuddy-duddies into spending money. It’s like a dream come true!”

“I don't trust it,” the one to his right said, a man just a few inches shorter in a classic black suit with a red dress shirt underneath. He absently swept his bangs away from his face as he narrowed his eyes at the woman. “It seems too perfect. She doesn’t have any identifiable character flaw, except maybe being a little clumsy and too energetic. She does babble a little… but nothing that actually suggests any depth besides her just being— good. That’s impossible, and I don’t trust it.”

“Tt. I agree with Drake for once. She seems entirely too comfortable with this setting, despite her blushes and rambles,” the one who spoke this like was taller, clearly a teen in the middle of his growth spurt. He, too, wore a plain black suit but his had subtle charcoal embroidery and he wore an emerald-green dress shirt under it that made his matching eyes gleam dangerously. “It seems almost playacted. Expertly so, but nonetheless not entirely genuine.”

“Wow, not many pick up on that. I’m gonna give your observations a solid eight out of ten. They’re all perfectly sound, but not quite complete,” a new voice made all of the silent group stiffen— somehow they had been snuck up on. The newcomer smirked at them as if having fully expected their reaction but still being pleased at being able to evoke it. This was yet another stunner; far too much color in her outfit to be a Gotham native, and far too much skill in the construction for it to signify anything less than extreme influence. She had bright golden-blond hair that was coiled into a low bun, with her bangs artfully curled and arranged to display her crystal blue eyes.

In contrast to the garden-themed dress of the Eurasian woman who had garnered their attention at first, this newcomer was wearing a pantsuit. It was all in a dark honey-gold, in a stiff fabric with construction that made it lay entirely in perfect, straight lines and hug her form in the right places. Black embroidery decorated the long, flared sleeves and pant legs and dripped around the square neckline like a faux necklace. A cape made out of the same material as the rest of the pantsuit was draped on one shoulder. It started out as the same honey-gold color, but it became a gradient as it faded to a solid black at the ends. Gold thread embroidery decorated the solid black bottom of the cape in delicate, deceptively simplistic swirls. The top half of the pantsuit was clearly inspired by military garb, simultaneously rigidly constructed yet fitted, with circular onyx buttons going down the center of the chest and a thick metal belt, all in swirling silver and black, sat perfectly clasped around her waist. It was far more solid-colored and simplistic compared to the fairytale dress in the center, but no less show stopping and luxurious. It simply showcased an entirely different attitude, almost as if the two women could never get along if their personalities matched their outfits.

“And who are you?” The man who had been the center of the group of shadow-like adults spoke up, back straightening to milk every speck of his generous six-feet-and-three-inches of height. This was none other than Bruce Wayne, the host of this annual charity gala. And normally, his current stance would either intimidate or utterly charm whoever it was directed at— but not this pantsuit-clad blond warrior. Her smirk merely widened, and her blue eyes took on a slight shade of teal as if trying to mimic the dangerous ocean depths.

“I am Chloe Bourgeois, the daughter of Andre Bourgeois, the mayor of Paris, and Audrey Bourgeois, the Style Queen. It’s nice to meet you again, Monsieur Wayne,” she introduced herself imperiously. “I also happen to be the best friend of the girl you were just staring at.”

Bruce nodded, but had trouble reconciling this clear powerhouse of a woman with the bratty and entitled preteen he had met years ago, at the last gala she had attended with her mother. “Of course, I didn’t recognize you at first Chloe. You’ve grown a lot since the last Gala I saw you at.”

Chloe wrinkled her nose, clearly not appreciating the reminder. “I was a bitch,” she admitted easily, seemingly not at all bothered by the confession. It caused not only Bruce but also the oldest three of his sons, who had all also met her in the past, to blink in silent shock. “Things have changed. Paris is apparently the perfect chaotic environment right now to promote emotional growth and smack spoiled kids over the head with reality,” she shrugged. Part of the reason her and her whole class had even been able to come to the Gala in the first place was the fact that Bruce wanted to offer the most attacked group of Parisians a respite and some support from their crazy lives. The fact that even Gotham seemed sane in comparison to Paris was a bit of a hard hit for both involved parties, but in the end everyone understood that “more sane” didn’t always equate with “less dangerous.” Considering all that, Chloe had no reason to sugarcoat the situation in her home city. “But it wasn’t easy at all, and Marinette was largely responsible for my improvement too.”

“Marinette?” The heathen who somehow got away with attending a gala in a black leather jacket over a dress shirt and suit pants asked, raising a brow. Chloe nodded.

“The girl you were just goggling at. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the class president and resident workaholic. Does she ever sleep? Nobody knows,” Chloe shrugged.

The blue-suited man, Dick Grayson, shot a suspicious glance at Tim, who was standing to his right, as if he was worried his brother had made a female clone of himself just so he could continue to work hard and never rest. Tim ignored him and sipped from the thermos of coffee he had somehow snuck in.

Bruce cleared his throat to bring the focus back onto himself, and shot his most charming smile at Chloe. “They would have known who she was, if they had read the brief information I gave them about your class. But they never do listen to me,” he complained with good humor. “But back to the original topic, Miss Bourgeois, do you care to correct us on how our observations are lacking?”

Chloe laughed easily, smiling and nodding to indicate Marinette, still stuck in a circle of socialites and not seeming the least bit worn out.

“Of course. First; She is not completely acting. She really is like magic sometimes— disgustingly kind, generous, far too willing to help just about anyone for just about any reason. She’s one of the best people I’ve ever met, as much as it pains me to admit it. But she is exaggerating her personality a bit and hiding the parts she doesn’t want anyone to see, so there is a little acting involved. Just not as much as you seem to think,” Chloe then waved her arm in a flourish as if she were presenting Marinette to them. “In short; behold Mari Dupain-Cheng, the ridiculously likeable, disgustingly cute, extremely philanthropic mask that she shows everyone at public events like this. You don’t see any of the insomnia, or the anxiety, or the self doubt. Just the parts she wants you to see, accompanied with a smile to blind you to everything else,” her all-too-deep blue eyes settled back on Bruce then, a knowing glint shining in them. “Don’t you think that’s ridiculously similar to Brucie Wayne for you, Monsieur? Utterly, ridiculously, similar?”

Bruce grit his teeth. He hadn’t expected anyone else to know about his exceptionally well hidden secret, not even his kids had caught on or found his buried evidence yet. Yet his heiress comes up, nearly flaunting her knowledge in his face with all too many unspoken questions and criticisms.

And her cryptic words had succeeded in making all of his kids look at him with extreme suspicion. Shit.

“What are you saying, Miss Bourgeois?” he cautiously prodded. She hummed noncommittally before dropping the bomb all too casually;

“I’m saying I’ve seen her adoption papers, and you won’t be able to run from her for long Monsieur Wayne. As soon as she gets an opening, she’s going to pounce,” Chloe’s eyes glittered dangerously again. “And nowadays, Marinette doesn’t ever let people escape her. Your problem with adoption has created a rather unique problem, you know. You’re at fault for a large majority of her self confidence issues, and I want you to know that I am not going to forget or forgive that anytime soon.”

“Bruce,” Jason’s voice was dark and threatening. “What is she talking about?”

“Something we don’t want getting in the tabloids,” Yet another new voice popped up, allowing Chloe to smugly sink back into the background.

Somewhere during their discussion, Marinette had ambushed them.

“Chloe and I are very good at locating all the reporters in a room and distracting them, but we’re not infallible and this event has far too much coverage,” Her smile reeked confidence and charm, but this close all the Waynes could see the doubt hiding in her bluebell eyes. “Since I’m about to turn eighteen, I figured this would be as good a time as any to finally confront you. I want to make it clear that I seek nothing from you, except the occasional contact. I would like to keep in touch, if nothing else. But if you are adverse to that… then at least answer my questions after the gala,” her eyes developed a hint of carefully controlled desperation. “Please.”

Bruce met her eyes evenly, trying to read her. But she was difficult, simultaneously too many emotions to sort through in her demeanor and much too little. After an extremely tense moment of silence, his voice came out barely above a whisper:

“You do not want anybody to know?”

And hell, if she didn’t recognize the hidden vulnerability in his voice as the very same she heard in her own far too often. In a much tamer version of her own rambling, he went on:

“I can keep it silent if that is what you want. But I want you to know that I will not be adverse to you admitting it anywhere. I don’t expect you to change your name, but I would not be ashamed of the truth getting out. I am not ashamed of it, of you.”

Marinette’s smile grew a little watery. She had to clear her throat to keep herself from tearing up. “Maybe eventually, but not yet. I… I want to stay a little more anonymous for now. It’s one thing to be a well known designer with good connections. It’s an entirely different thing to be…”

“A Wayne?” Bruce finished, ignoring the daggers that were being stared into his back. “I understand completely.

“Father,” Damian’s voice was all sharp edges and rapidly suppressed panic. “What. Is going. On?”

Marinette shot him an apologetic smile. “Apparently, eighteen years ago, his prerogative was to put the child he actually knew about up for adoption when the mother died in childbirth,” her voice was once again only barely loud enough for them to hear, since she didn’t want any eavesdroppers. “Imagine my surprise when I find out he completely flipped sides only months later.”

--*--*--*--*--*

Hey, so please share your feedback on this. This is just to test out a possible new bio dad, multichapter fic and this is the opening scene I'm trying out. If you like it, please tell me what you like about it and please suggest titles for the story! I love you guys' feedback so much!

[cosmica-galaxy]

Heyo! Sorry to bother with such an odd question but when a Mimic (no specific type. Just in general overall) is expecting, what are the signs to know? Do they experience symptoms the same way humans or like animals or is it entirely different?

Yes! They do have symptoms that help the human or other mimics let them know they are expecting a litter or little ones! Some signs are pretty universal, such as increased eating (or more hunger in general), moodiness, and nesting behaviors. Depending on the type of mimic, they will display one of the three symptoms listed above.

For example, Camera Mimics are much more likely to exhibit more hunger or general moodiness. While Speaker Mimics will demonstrate more hunger and nesting behavior. TV mimics are a trick bag and will likely have all three due to how long their gestation period is in comparison to the other mimics. As for the general pregnancy cycle... All mimics are live-birthers and carry their young in their bodies, similar to humans. The unique thing about mimic pregnancy is that if one mimic parent gave birth the year before, the other mimic in the relationship will likely take up the "mother" role for the next year! Which means either one can get pregnant! Why they do so is usually because spacing out the responsibility lessens complications to their health or if it's their "turn" to rear children for that year. Due to the mimic's ability to swap genders as they see fit, they can swap roles freely! During pregnancy, the carrier will be given more food than normal from their partner and a large nest will be constructed to their liking. Usually walled with soft materials or coverings. The partner will also build two distinct places that radiate both cooling and heating, to keep their partner comfortable. The carrier will also be much more moody than normal. Snapping, growling, or whimpering much more often than usual. Regardless, the partner will comfort their mate as they carry their young through thick and thin. The only difference between mimic pregnancies is usually how their partners/clans help handle the pregnant mimic.

Camera Mimics will help look after the pregnant mimic by sharing food or providing liquids to help keep the mother healthy, especially if the mother mimic is their alpha. Speaker Mimics are much more social and usually host "baby parties" for expecting mothers, bringing gifts, food, and other novelties for the party. TV mimics are usually isolated with only the partners being together, in which the "father" mimic will dote on their beloved and stay with them to keep their mate comfortable and happy. When the months are up and it's time to bring the baby/babies into the world, the process is similar to humans. Once born, mimic young will take a moment to gather their bearings before they begin to chitter for food. Meat/veggies are usually prepared in advance before they are born and are fed to the babies by the "father" mimic while the "mother" mimic recovers from the birthing process. After that, the mimic family has grown! <: )

[thepermanentrainpress]

CONCERT REVIEW: MAGDALENA BAY AT FORTUNE SOUND CLUB - SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2022

Synth-pop duo Mica Tenenbaum (lead singer and songwriter) and Matthew Lewin (producer) dazzled the stage at Vancouver’s Fortune Sound Club on September 28. Working together since their high school’s music program, the pair formed Magdalena Bay. Although they’ve been making music for quite some time, this is the first tour to celebrate their debut studio album, Mercurial World. On their opening night of tour, they performed a beautifully curated show and performance.

Fortune Sound Club is an intimate venue; small and known for hosting more ‘underground’ artists. They may have underestimated Magdalena Bay’s cult following though, especially after the rise of their song “Killshot.” The song reached viral success — more on that later. A packed club held space for Negative Gemini to open with an energetic performance, drawing influences from early 2000’s punk rock, glitch-core, and hyperpop. Her high-pitched voice and engaged stage presence had the crowd going long before Magdalena Bay even came out, which was great.

The entire show was a highlight. Magdalena Bay is known for their ironic self-awareness and kitschy visuals, but I was not expecting such a complete show. They did not come here just to perform, they came to give us a concert. I feel like this is something a lot of artists lose on their music journey. However, Magdalena Bay started with “Secrets (Your Fire)” and did not hold back on taking us on a vapourwave / future funk nostalgia trip in sound and stage.

Mica’s voice is breathy and delightful, perfectly matching the whimsical airiness of the band’s sound. Her flowery, “dancing freely in your room” stage presence was also charming and fun to watch (and mimic). The entire crowd swayed with her, especially during the cutesy-pop song “Hysterical Us” and funky “U Wanna Dance?” She – and the band’s overall live demeanor – reminded me of Kero Kero Bonito’s Sarah, or even Charli XCX, and I consider these singers to be experts in riling up a crowd.

After the first few songs, the band took a pause to introduce what made the show so special — Chaeri! Chaeri, as represented by a floating holographic head, is an AI that is learning how to become more human. Mica primarily interacted with Chaeri by giving the AI a few poignant yes or no questions, followed by the conclusion that the AI could become more human by learning other people’s secrets (and thus, their emotions). Chaeri’s motivation became the narrative for the entire show, with each song relating human experience and emotion.

This storyline was so intentional that they played pre-recorded ‘secrets’ — shown as tracks on their album — throughout the show for Chaeri to react to, letting Mica and Chaeri banter further. I felt that this gave the concert meaning, like an arc. By the time the dreamy “Halfway” came on, I was invested in Chaeri’s storyline. A secret about having a crush came on, and the band performed “You Lose!,” which not only showcased Mica’s vocal range but also Lewin’s instrumental prowess in production. The way each instrument gave a new layer of texture to contrast Mica’s reverbed voice was a joy to experience live.

Toward the end of the concert, Chaeri commented on the crowd’s “bodies moving rhythmically,” to which Mica explained was dancing. This was after “How to Get Physical,” a groovy disco-inspired number. During the instrumental interlude of the song, Chaeri commented on wanting to join, and in order to do that, Mica said she needed a body. After encouraging the crowd — “Body! Body! Body!” — Mica pulled off a cloaked robot body with Chaeri’s head now attached to a screen “head.” It was incredible. Like, the way the crowd went ballistic for this fictional AI becoming human was amazing.

The band encored with their most famous hit, “Killshot.” As if I wasn’t impressed by the story they just gave us, part way through the song, they paid homage to the ‘reason’ for their sudden increase in popularity: anime fancam edits. Mica said, “here's some sexy anime!” and suddenly, a bunch of TikTok edits using the “slowed + reverb” version of “Killshot” appeared on the screen. I recognized a handful and it just felt so personal and sweet, much like the rest of the concert.

I hope that Magdalena Bay keeps their charm, artistic vision, and unique sound. I also hope that they stay closely informed about their audience, as well as music trends! I am so excited for them to come back.

Written by: Alexa Tarrayo