#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.

[filletedfennysnake]

Arthurian characters as insects I see on a semi-regular basis

Because if I don't do it, who will?

Part 1: The Orkney-Pendragons (and friends)

Arthur: Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus

To be completely honest, I didn't even realize the wordplay aspect here until now. The posterchild butterfly; even people unfamiliar with insects can probably name it. Impressive in terms of mileage (I suppose king arthur's been around for a while. chronologically) and also, under special circumstances, very resistant to death

Guinevere: Western velvety tree ant, Liometopum occidentale

To anyone who thinks guinevere would is a butterfly: you are wrong! ants upon be ye. No but seriously I've been working with this species all summer (images are mine, that's a winged male and a female worker above) and man they're neat! Dominant ant species in the woodland here; they support many other arthropod species via symbiotic relationships and are a major political ecological resource. They're also very pretty as ants go but really really aggressive and bitey. When stressed they release an alarm pheromone that smells very strongly of mint.

Morgan: Arizona mantis, Stagmomantis limbata

Cool. powerful. weird. into sex that humans find freaky. Can be used as a mercenary against flies. Never turns up when or where you expect it. I'm like 58% sure that manteoda consists entirely of fairies anyway and besides that morgan deserves it.

Morgause: Black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens

Very dapper, with an undeniably commanding presence. Looks mean (it has evolved to mimic a wasp) but is actually rather harmless, and has magic powers insanely cool mechanisms that allow it to process yucky polluted waste into useful things like fertilizer and animal feed. The larvae can also produce grease and chitin– economically relevant critters! They remain underrated and probably will stay as such until people recognize the importance of 'uncharismatic' animals (arthurian authors I am begging you write a version Morgause that isn't misogynist or girlbossified pLEASE).

Gawain: Western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica

*points* bitch. No but seriously I can recognize the significance and beauty of these animals while still calling them out as annoying (this is gawaincore. to me). The only thing that stops them from becoming invasive in their OWN NATIVE RANGE is the occasional cold snap and lack of sun in the wintertime. In areas without that they are a serious problem. you want to drink a beverage or eat a burger in peace? No. your food is their food now and they won't hesitate to sting/bite in defense of this divine right. They thirst for carnage but are annoyingly pretty

Gringolet: Western paper wasp, Mischocyttarus flavitarsis

Matching with gawain <3. but seriously seeing one of these babies in person can be a little awe-inspiring if you aren't already expecting them. absolute BEASTS. generalist predators that can and will feed directly on living flesh. Their primary defense strategy is ramming into their opponent at full fucking speed. legends.

Agravaine: Red admiral, Vanessa atalanta

Underrated and pretty butterfly that uses nettles (prickly!) as a host plant. territorial but loses to bigger butterfly species all the time (I've seen it. trust me). Also a bit of a tease, they're notorious for letting people get close to them only to fly away as if personally affronted

Gaheris: Dusky raisin moth, Ephestiodes gilvescentella

not much to say here. It's gaheris. I find these in the pantry all the time, usually because they keep trying to lay eggs in our flour. They're a pain in the ass

Gareth: Western carpenter bee, Xylocopa californica

So very very cute and fuzzy. Not the kind of bee we get honey from, but it could pretend to be and we probably wouldn't mind. Absorbs heat well. Steals nectar from flowers without pollinating them sometimes, the little rascal. Also quite horny; they exhibit a variety of mating behaviors

Mordred: Painted lady, Vanessa cardui

knock off monarch butterfly. lol.

Lot: Torpedo bug, Siphanta acuta

not going to lie this insect is probably too cool looking get assigned to Lot

Kay: Stink beetle, Eleodes sp.

dignified. a bit of a trundler. gets the job done. Mostly harmless, but from a young age we're taught not to provoke them anyways because when threatened they release a truly awful stank

Ywain: Gulf fritillary, Dione vanillae

A gorgeous species that somehow gets overshadowed by the more showy butterflies. just a good-natured guy all round. I like ywain but I don't think he's too complicated :)

[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)

[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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[fancoloredglasses]

[RERUN] 7 Little Superheroes (a good ol’ fashioned...kidnapping mystery?)

[All images are owned by Marvel Disney. Please don’t sue me]

This is a review that suffers from some serious “wall of text” issues, in that there’s not a SINGLE image or video clip from the episode save the title screen! Well, we’re about to fix that! If you wish to slog through what is essentially a book report, you can do so here.

I’m sure most of you have heard/seen a variant of the “Ten Little Indians” trope in which someone invites a group to a secluded area with no chance of escape, then composes a cryptic poem about the means in which every one of them will die, one by one. In fact, Rooster Teeth did one of these in which they “killed off”  most of their executives.

Anyway, the writers of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends thought this would be a great story to adapt. Just three problems...

1. The “Spider Friends” were just three. No worries, we’ll just bring in 7 guest heroes!

2. The show is only half an hour long (minus commercials and credits, so more like 20 minutes) No problem, we’ll cut the cast to 7 total.

3. That damn issue with violence on kids’ TV, plus do we really wanna kill off heroes like Captain America? Ummmm...right...they’ll just be...captured?

The villain of the episode is the Chameleon. I’d never heard of him before or since viewing the episode, but a quick Wikipedia search says he is the half-brother to Kraven the Hunter and a master of disguise (given his name, that makes sense) His voice seemed familiar, so a quick IMDb search revealed the actor also voiced Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain, from the Rankin-Bass Animation production of The Hobbit (a much better version than Peter Jackson’s production as it was more cohesive while being less than 20% as long, but I digress...)

If you would like to watch the episode, Disney+ has your hookup.

The episode begins with the Chameleon spouting the first lines of the poem...

7 Little Superheroes vanish one by one...7 Little Superheroes, soon there will be none!

We switch to Spider-Man swinging through New York, when he encounters a letter addressed to him along his patrol route (is he that predictable? Why hasn’t anyone set a booby trap on one of his regular perches?) inviting him to Wolf Island Mansion for some sort of gathering (not in the least suspicious...especially since Iceman and Firestar have similar invites...seriously, booby traps!)

Peter informs Aunt May that the three of them are going to a house party. Aunt May decides to invite their dog Ms. Lion along as well. Peter objects, but do you really think he could say no to Aunt May?

When the heroes reach Wolf Island, Iceman’s ice slide accidentally covers the lake that Prince Namor of Atlantis, the Sub-Mariner (hero #4) was swimming in. Iceman apologizes, but Namor insults them and flies off (yes, the undersea prince can fly. Don’t ask me, I just report this stuff!)

Upon entering the mansion, the group encounters the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange (hero #5), Captain America (#6), and Shanna the Jungle Queen (who? I mean #7)

[NOTE: the comic version is Shanna the She-Devil, but the writers understandably changed her name for the episode...I mean, no sense pissing off the parents! Either way, I’ve never heard of her...]

The Chameleon makes his presence (and intentions) known. This pisses off Namor (what doesn’t?) and he decides to leave...

...only to run into a force field (bet that pissed him off too) which covers the mansion, trapping everyone on the grounds! Then we get our first clue as to who’s on the chopping block...

7 Little Superheroes in quite a fix...One will meet fire, and then there will be six!

The group deduces that their “host” is the Chameleon, and that he very well could be disguising himself as any of them! (I thought he just disguised himself. Can he mimic powers too?)

Namor (no doubt in the most pissed off way possible) decides it’s best to work alone as he can’t trust appearances. (know what Namor is an anagram for? Mor...an? hmmm, doesn’t quite work, but you get my point)

(Thanks to Imperius Wrecked)

You’d think he’d be able to smell the difference between water and alcohol...)

Namor attempts to fly over the pool to the exit...

...but the Chameleon ignites the alcohol. The heat further weakens Namor and he falls into the fiery pool!

Meanwhile, Spider-Man is searching on the roof of the mansion, but falls into a trap panel (on the outside of the building? The Chameleon must have a hell of an issue with squirrels and raccoons getting in...), allowing the Chameleon to assume the web-head’s identity.

Let’s check in with Iceman and Captain America out on the grounds, shall we?

6 Little Superheroes trying to stay alive...One will step into quicksand, and then there will be five!

Seems a bit specific, don’t ya think? I mean, all you have to do is stay off the ground, right?

Iceman falls prey to a snare trap that suspends him about 10 feet off the ground. Cap rushes to his aid...

...only to catch a tripwire of his own, sending flying barbs his way. They’re easily blocked by his shield, but there are a lot of ‘em. “Spider-Man” arrives on the scene, suggesting Cap dive into a nearby pond until the barbs stop flying. (three guesses what the “pond” actually is...)

Captain Gullible dives in, and is pulled down by the quicksand. Iceman freezes the rope to free himself (why didn’t he do that before?) and is about to freeze the pond to save Cap, but “Spider-Man” offers to use his webbing to pull him out instead, only the webbing doesn’t stick to Cap and he sinks below the surface...

...as “Spider-Man” swings away, chuckling menacingly as Ms. Lion snarls at him.

Firestar and Doctor Strange arrive, and Firestar deduces that it must have been the Chameleon. The three follow Ms. Lion back to the mansion...

...where we see Spider-Man finally freeing himself from the trap panel by climbing down the flue (seriously, how does the Chameleon not have a problem with woodland animals invading his home?) just in time for Iceman to hit him hard with a blast of frozen mistaken identity.

The group quickly realizes their error when Ms. Lion shows concern for Spidey.

Let’s check in on Shanna the She-Devil Jungle Queen. She has climbed a nearby spire to get a view of the surroundings. I’m sure the view is impressive, but instead of getting your breath taken away by it...

...shouldn’t you be watching the Chameleon setting off the explosions in the very spire you’re standing on? (he does get around, doesn’t he?) Shanna falls into a pit (what? no poem?), but not before she sends a telepathic distress call (wait, she can do that? I honestly don’t know, as I’ve never heard of her) to Doctor Strange. The Spider Friends and Strange rush to her aid.

Unfortunately, by the time they arrive, the Chameleon has changed into Shanna. (This is beyond being a quick-change artist. This is shape-shifting!)

“Shanna” then jumps down and hangs off of a nearly ledge (you’d think someone with Shanna’s agility could get herself out of that predicament) as the group approaches. “Shanna” falls just in time for Spider-Man to swing in to catch her.

The group might have been fooled if not for Ms. Lion not liking her (who knew cartoon dogs were such excellent judges of character?), so the now-revealed Chameleon takes his revenge...

...by opening a trap door under Ms. Lion! Fortunately, Spider-Man grabs her before she falls.

The group chases “Shanna” into a maze of caves (pretty sure you can guess what happens here) The Chameleon hides as Firestar flies by, then transforms into her.

5 Little Superheroes want to know the score? One will run into herself, and then there will be four!

First off, shouldn’t that be “4 Little Superheroes”, since he already took out Shanna? Second, it’s now pretty apparent (well, a 50/50 chance) to the group who the next victim will be (unless the Chameleon plans on targeting Ms. Lion)

Fortunately, the group guesses correctly (or have they forgotten about Shanna?) and run after Firestar, who was scouting ahead, (have these people not learned to not let ANYONE out of their sight when there’s a shape-shifter around?!) but not fast enough...

...as Firestar encounters “Firestar”, who blasts her with freezing air, incapacitating her as she falls down a trap door!

Meanwhile, Shanna manages to free herself from the rubble (guess the count was right after all) and goes looking for the group (pretty sure we all know what’s about to happen...)

“Firestar” starts a recording as he joins the group, making everyone think he’s the real deal.

4 Little Superheroes, scared as can be...A demon will devour one, and then there will be three!

Right on cue, a robotic “demon” shows up to attack the group. Shanna chooses this moment to find the group, distracting them long enough for the demon to blast the group, sending everyone except Doctor Strange flying...

...then he eats Strange! Spidey deduces “Firestar” is not who he says he is, so the Chameleon runs off.

3 Little Superheroes, racing to pursue...But one will fall right off the bridge, and then there will be two!

In the middle of the Chameleon’s poem, he starts a tremor as Shanna falls (heh) behind. Spider-Man tries to web her...

...but she falls into the chasm below before the web reaches her! (not sure why he couldn’t try again...)

So with just the wall crawler and Iceman left, things seem grim. In desperation, the pair heads outside so Iceman can try to break through the force field again.

2 Little Superheroes out in the sun...the Iceman will be melted, and now there is but one!

Once again, the Chameleon strikes before he finishes speaking...

...this time with a heat ray that nullifies his ice powers, then a tractor beam to draw him back into the mansion!

[Gonna hit the pause button and go back 41 years to when I first saw the episode up to this point. I honestly was shocked that the show would kill off Captain America and Doctor Strange (I had no clue who Shanna was and, to be honest, Namor was being a complete ass and deserved what he got), but in both Iceman’s and Firestar’s cases, their fates were a bit more benign as Firestar was being incapacitated by icy jets of air (so essentially tortured instead of killed, then?) and Iceman was captured rather than given a death scene. I guessed this was because they had “star power” immunity and would eventually be rescued (I mean, they wouldn’t kill the title characters, right? Right?) Yes, now I know how things worked better, but my younger self...

Pause over, let’s resume]

It seems that Iceman and Firestar are imprisoned next to each other, so the Chameleon tricks them into using their powers on one another.

Meanwhile, web-head has re-entered the mansion. One rotating wall later, he falls into a web (ironic)

1 Little Superhero eaten to the bone...Leaving myself, the super super villain, all by myself alone!

A giant robotic spider comes across the web, hoping for a bit of cannibalism (of a sort, I guess...) Spidey discovers the “web” is made of electrical cables...

...so tears the end from one and jabs it into the spider, shorting it out with a jolt of deus ex supershit.

Escaping the room, he finds a room where all six “victims” are alive. (Cap, Strange, and Shanna are imprisoned, while Namor, Iceman, and Firestar are incapacitated by their weaknesses)

That’s when the Chameleon announces he has rigged the island with enough explosives to level it!

OK, the show time counter is at 21:21...let’s see if the bomb can be defused by 22:21.

[While we’re on the subject of suspension of disbelief, how the hell did the Chameleon get Namor out of the fire, Cap out of the quicksand, and Shanna out of the abyss...not to mention moving Iceman and Firestar from their cells to this chamber...when he has been sticking close to the heroes or in his control room the entire episode? Strange was obviously transported there by the robotic demon, but how did the Chameleon keep him from casting spells?

Soapbox over, now for the thrilling conclusion!]

First, Spidey redirects the heat lamp drying out Namor onto the block of ice imprisoning Firestar (wouldn’t she have suffocated by now?), with the melt flowing around Namor, reviving him, and Iceman, dousing his flaming cage. (29 seconds left according to the show time counter...) Namor then destroys the generator near the cage (guess it was electrified...? That explains why Cap wouldn’t just use his strength to bend the bars. 9 seconds to go, by the way...)

The Chameleon takes off in his helicopter (22:34; Everyone’s dead, including the Chameleon) and deactivates the force field. Doctor Strange magics everyone to the roof...

...and Spidey shoots a web onto the chopper, pulling himself up and inside. (Nice to know the Chameleon is polite enough to let the authorities know what vehicle he’s in)

Meanwhile, the timer is obviously running slow as it’s reading T-minus 20 seconds one minute and 49 seconds after the one minute timer started. (did you follow that?)

We switch back to the chopper where Spidey has finished tying up the Chameleon with webbing. (obviously the Chameleon got beat up off-camera where no parents could object) Spidey then grabs a megaphone and calls to the others.

7 Little Superheroes, get together gang...Swing on my spider-line cuz there’s gonna be a bang!

(No shit! It should have happened over a minute ago!)

The heroes fly off, abandoning poor Ms. Lion!

(The timer should have gone off a minute and sixteen seconds ago. The Chameleon really needs to not skimp on his timers next time) Firestar realizes they forgot the dog.

Spidey takes aim and shoots a line, snaring Ms. Lion and pulling her to safely as the explosives go off a minute and thirty-five seconds late!

The web-slinger give Ms. Lion the props she deserves for giving the heroes an unexpected edge as we fade out.

I really wonder what this tale would look like today with (limited) violence being allowed in televised animated programming. While Marvel obviously wouldn’t kill anyone, they could put the heroes in dire peril enough to take them out of action without seeming as contrived.

[abhishekperumthodi]

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.

[nightzskiiauz]

[Seeing a letter in the middle of the forest fills you with CONFUSION.]

[Pick it up?]

Yes No

♡Yes No

♡Yes No

Good Choice.

NOTES —

* Hello! Welcome to NiGHTZSKiiAUZ! This account is for me to put all my aus, stories and drabbles down!

* I will put information down and drawings will be posted, concept art and everything!

* I do not mind asks regarding anything with this blog, I heavily advise you to ask questions rather than assume! :3c

* I am a sideblog, my main blog will be said later on! I am a system host and I am goop! I will talk about being a system sometimes too, so please just block the tag for that if you don't care! I also have typing quirks, don't mind!!

* if you are kind to me, I will be kind back! Just do not try and tell me your opinion regarding any discourse. I stand strong in my opinion and you stay strong in yours, neither will be swayed. Mean people will be ignored and blocked, I do not want to be in syscourse. :3

* I have explanations for my tags!

THEMES —

Dark purple, Me

━━━━━━━☆━━━━━━━

OLD NAMES —

no old names . . .

━━━━━━━☆━━━━━━━

OTHER BLOGS —

@snowdinne . . .MAiN BLOG

@moon-loves-genders . . .MOGAi BLOG

@dazyskiie-luv . . .WRiTiNG BLOG

@llovelyletterss . . .MUTUALS OCS BLOG

━━━━━━━☆━━━━━━━

INTRODUCTION —

Max, Bodily black. . .ageslider in innerworld, nonhuman, main host, fusion. 〔🪐〕.. He They Hym .

* My titles that I use so far are the following;

The Ever Whelming Void, He Who Guides The Lost, The Guide, The Horrifying Abyss, He Who Is Sly, The Tricking One, The Pumpkin Spirit, The Dazzling One, He Who Lurks, The Fanged One, The Lurking One, The One Of The Abyss. The Night Itself, He Who Is The Night, King Of The Shadows, The Abyssal One, He Who Howls, The Creeping One, The Webbing One, His Majesty, His Grace, The Cursed One, He Who Is Loving, His Excellency, The Clawed One, He Who Guards The Forest, The Forested Entity, The Watcher, The Terrible, The Tormenting, The Tired One, The Bitten, His Gorey Presence, He Who Loves, His Venomous Lure, The One Who Mimics, The Cheshire Cat, The Trickster, He Who Hides, His Puppeteering, The Doll, His Haunting, The Void Itself, The Moth Entity, He Who Sleeps, The Hazy One, He Who Dreams, The Mana Keeper, The Protector Of The Arcane, The One Who Summon

PLEASE DO NOT iNTERACT WiTH THiS BLOG —

Proshippers, Zoophiles, Comshippers, (NO)MAPs, anti xenogender, Anti Neopronouns, Racist, LGBTQphobia, Kink/nsfw blogs, ddlg + varients, anti-anti, pushes religion onto people, anti-yan, demonizes disorders, transid, anti agere/petre, weird fans/stans, anti-mogai, The very basic dni.

Art — @snowdinne ..

Blog — @snowdinne ..

Idea — @snowdinne ..

©nightzskiiauz

━━━━━━━☆━━━━━━━

ANON TAGS —

none

[You are filled with UNDERSTANDING.]

[You put the letter down and continue walking forward to a portal, entering it.]

WELCOME TO NIGHTZSKIIAUZ !

[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! <: )

[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!

[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