#Energy Outburst (Overloaded Form)

[frenchiefreyed]

lil mini Tyran lore dump

{Tyran is my MLP AU whose main premise is that several thousand years after the show takes place the world is recovering from several different wars, including nuclear/magical ones}

so ive been meaning to talk more about Tyran here in general because it is something i am really proud of but my drawing skills have not been going so well lately (possibly due to a several day migraine) so I am just gonna yap a bit about tyran

a lot of it is still in development but I am thinking there will be around 10 continents, all very large in size (Tyran itself is many times larger than Earth, although its gravity is roughly the same which is unrealistic but shhhhh). Each continent has a different history but in modern day all except for Tyrangue are virtually the same; flattened, rubble-filled wastelands that are barely, if at all, recovered from magical radiation and nuclear warfare. magical radiation has a significant effect on the population, especially non-unicorns who do still have ways to utilize magic but not as easily and directly. most of the radiation that floods the land is magical in nature but there are some areas where you have the more traditional nuclear wastes. unicorns are better able to handle magical radiation in general because their horns serve as an easy outlet for the radiation; the more irradiated they are the more out of whack their magic will become. They will have frequent magical outbursts of increasing power as their body attempts to excrete their radiation, which will work, but will be exhausting. The magical outbursts are a huge risk to the ponies themselves as well as all life around them as they will have no control over how the magic presents itself and what exactly happens, though, so it isn't necessarily that unicorns are "immune" to the effects or anything like that. Although the individual irradiated unicorn is technically less likely to die themselves from magical overload when compared to, say, an irradiated earth pony, other life is at significantly greater risk because of the nature of how defensive magic presents itself (random lightning strikes, explosive beams of energy, levitation of surrounding objects and creatures...)

All life on Tyran, even down to a bacterium, has some level of magic, usually quite proportional to the sentience/mental capacity of the individual (for example, a bear is much larger than a pony but ultimately has less magical energy attributed to it and is very unlikely to be able to use "traditional" magic at all). Throughout Equus and Tyran's history (same planet, different time periods) it has been a long-standing miconception that unicorns are the only "true" magic users and that they are superior to all forms of life other than alicorns. However, magic contained within earth ponies, pegasi, and other species has long been documented. A notable example would be Pinkie Pie, who is known for having had inconceivable amounts of power that presented itself in unpredictable ways (including the ability to know things that she should not know; i.e. breaking the fourth wall).

Since I someday hope to maybe? be able to publish works involving Tyran, I plan on changing names of characters that existed in the show and changing their designs/backstories somewhat to avoid potential legal issues -- although honestly, a big part of my reasoning here is just that that sounds fun. I don't have much developed for the mane six aside from wanting to change their elements to be more intricate or "mature" and to, in my opinion, better represent the aspects of friendship. My current plan for the lineup of elements is as follows: Rarity - Inspiration (an obvious choice for me, since this was her original element and I like it a lot more for her than generosity) Fluttershy - Patience Pinkie Pie - Mirth Applejack - Communication Rainbow Dash - Confidence Twilight Sparkle - Bond

I am thinking that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will be Princess Solstice and Princess Equinox, respectively -- I also might have them be referred to as queens instead, but I don't want to contribute to the false idea that Queens = Evil (since Celestia will be not the purest of heart in this AU). Celestia (knowingly) and Luna (unknowingly) lie about their ability to move the sun and moon and instead are simply experts at illusory magic, able to make the whole nation of Equestria believe that the celestial bodies are moving faster than they actually are. Although they don't do it often, they also are capable of making it appear as though it is nighttime when it is not supposed to be and vice versa. I believe that Twilight Sparkle will find out about this falsehood but will force herself into a state of denial, unable to handle the reality of the situation. She will continue to try to uphold Celestia's positive image, perhaps even more strongly than before, and her friends will start to notice that something is wrong but will either not know how to approach Twilight on the matter or will attempt to do so, to no avail. I don't have much planned out for what will become of the mane six aside from this. I think eventually Twilight's five friends will learn the truth and will manage to get through to Twilight that it isn't right, convincing her to help them break the news to Luna.

At some point, Celestia and Luna are overthrown by Tyrani, a dictator and... well... tyrant, who utilizes their mistruths to convince the general public that they are complete frauds. The mane six are, for some reason, unable to stop her (potentially their bond as friends is broken by Twilight still struggling to accept the reality of the situation and trying to put a stop to their antics, even after agreeing to help? a betrayal? thus rendering the elements useless) and she sets out to completely bring the planet to ruins, creating her own city/kingdom that is the only place to remain safe from warfare and destruction. This kingdom remaining intact is what allows a rebellion to form that eventually overthrows them and the kingdom, now The Citadel, is the present-day hub for deities to live. The Citadel is a huge castle or cluster of castles surrounded by 4 quadrants of different biomes/environments in which varying creatures are able to live (based on the seasons) and is currently a prospering place where most ponies dream of someday visiting. The Citadel is inspired partially by the city of Zootopia but also by the land of Oz, where the Emerald City sits in the middle and four different kingdoms surround it. Once Tyrani was overthrown, the 27 members of the rebellion were all instated as deities and are now considered the 27 primary deities, seen as the most powerful/important by most although most are rather humble about it / don't want a ton of attention or applause. They see themselves as only having done their duty to repair the planet from the harm that Tyrani caused. Since Tyrani's kingdom was mostly intact, the deities hunkered down here and started rebuilding outwards from the city. Now, most of the continent is repaired to the point of being livable, and deities are starting to work on crossing over to other continents to start world repairs. This is difficult, though, with how different these outer continents can be -- and a lot of ponies and beings who threw out their morals a long, long time ago.

I could yap for longer but I think I will leave it here for now -- I would love to hear what people think and answer any questions about the world/development, although admittedly there are some things that I might not know yet! i will also try to make some art showing lore elements later, like potential redesigns of the mane 6 / celestia / luna and stuff like that. you can let me know if theres anything specific youd wanna see / hear about!! i love love love talking about tyran stuff

[ask-the-friendly-ink-demon]

for some reason seeing prowler like this reminds me of scp-682, thanks mun for putting that mental image inside my mind

OH BELIEVE ME YOU’LL BE SEEING A LOT MORE OF THAT VERY SOON AT THIS RATE-

Prowler roars loudly and clocks aoi kao right in the mouth, causing the inner demon to back away, snarling slightly and coughing, before it could recover. prowler unleashes a powerful beam, knocking it backwards towards the ground as he roared, still changing and forming as he snarls, rushing towards aoi kao as he clamps his jaws around his neck, the inner demon roaring out loudly and steaming as it felt it’s energy getting drained slowly, aoi kao roared out in pain as it kept punching prowler, and punching and punching, it didint want to be lose like this! it screeches out loudly before clamping it’s own jaws onto prowler’s neck, before releasing a exploding shockwave, knocking prowler back, before the demon had time to react further to that, aoi kao roared out loudly before firing out a massive magma colored looking beam, with the full intent of burning prowler to nothing but dust and ashes, prowler snarls in surprise at being engulfed, before roaring loudly as his aura bursts, the inner demon raises a eyebrow, what was happening now?! the entire aura bursts with a huge energy, as waves of heat and flames sprayed everywhere as his aura bursts rapidly, roaring loudly as his form changes once again, as the excess ink and stuff were sprayed onto the corrupted demon, who twitches slightly, aoi kao roared as he crashes into a mountain due to the impact, alpha and susan were shielded by the blast thanks to lizzie, she uncovered them as soon as the smoke cleared as alpha coughs a bit, rubbing his glowing eye as he and susan looked onward on the changes that happened to prowler. one thing for sure. he looked way more taller than usual. and his colors were slightly off. along with the fact his gills had now been replaced by extra eyes.... “hmpt.... well.... this is new......”

his overloaded form no longer looked anything like it once was, thrashing around his two tails as he stood in a upright bipedal hunched over manner, growling and hissing as his body steams with magma leaking out of cracks around his body, steaming and wisping as he stares at where aoi kao crashed into, growling and slowly walking over, unaware at first that the corrupted demon behind him was slowly waking back up. prowler stares at the rubble as he snorted, before raising his claws as they glowed purple “time to end this little game it’s doing....” he says quietly but before he could even bring it down, the inner demon bursts out of the rubble, roaring and nearly slamming prowler away to the ground, cracking and steaming as the damaged messed up monster roars loudly in anger at prowler “YYYOUUUUU!” it roared louder as it’s aura spiraled “YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!!!!”

“LOOK WHAT THE FUCK YOU’VE DONE TO ME!!! YOUR RUINING MY FORM!!!” it roared out in rage and anger, it’s body cracking and steaming as it looked almost similar to the other form the corrupted prowler took before it’s shell was shedded. prowler grunts, getting up a bit as he snarls and snorts “that’s your own fault, bitch.” he says, grunting as aoi kao twitches it’s many eyes. before screeching out loudly “IM GOING TO ENJOY TEARING YOU APART BEFORE TAKING YOUR BODY!!!” it said as it roared and charges towards prowler, the demon himself huffed and side-stepped, punching the inner demon straight in the gut as it screeches out loudly, before being sent flying towards the ground, it groaned, staggering up but in a more quadurple fashion since it’s original form was starting to break apart. the weight of all that thick ink was making it’s movements more slower and broken, coughing as it staggered, glaring at prowler as purple sparks pierced out of it, crystals sprouting around it’s body as it’s eyes widened “WHAT.... YOU... YOU WOULD DARE USE YOUR STATUE ABILITY AGAINST ME?!?! YOU FUCKING PRICK!!” it screeches out loudly right about to go beserk and unleash it’s last resort attack, before getting punched away quite a distance by a familiar screech, prowler looks over, blinking in surprise as aoi kao groaned, twitching and staggering up, coughing up ink before it’s eyes widened “.....COME... THE... HELL.... ON...”

The Corrupted Prowler looked less monstrous than usual. but then again that could just be due for most of it’s excess features and parts being eaten up by the other. but even then it was still the same height as before, scoffing and grunting, before screeching loudly at aoi kao, lumbering towards it in a gorilla like fashion as the inner demon coughs and stumbles, hissing and glaring “YOUR REALLY BEGINNING TO MAKE THIS SO DIFFICULT..... URGH...” it coughs, stumbling and holding it’s stomach, seeing crystals sprouting and covering chunks and parts of his body. he grunts, coughing as he staggers a bit as prowler watches. he grunts. he cant let the other one get to it first. he has to be the one to merge them all back together.... his hands and body glows a faint purple hue as his aura glowed slightly, his eyes pink and red as he stares, his hands sparking and glowing as he grunted “only got one shot at this..... please let this work.....” he says to himself, before starting to run over, emitting a loud roar as the others watches in both confusion and awe.

[redrobin-detective]

Ben 10 lore that exists in my heart regardless of canon

- Ben’s personality in his mid-late teens is a mix of his Alien Force and Omniverse self. On the surface, he’s very cheerful and kind even if he is a bit of arrogant showoff. He makes jokes and plays around and acts as if he isn’t bothered by the things in his life. Those who know him best understand a good portion of his outward confidence and cockiness is just a facade to cover up his insecurities and to project the ideal, effortless hero. While sometimes seen as immature, most beings know Ben 10 means business as he takes his unofficial job and people’s safety very seriously. He’s clever, adaptable, charismatic and empathetic which makes him a formidable opponent and a loyal friend. Doesn’t open up easily but if you get to him, he become so dearly attached. 

- Drinks smoothies so much for several reasons. Comfort food go brrr, reminds him of the good easy times with him Gwen and Kev. It’s also a light but generally nutritous food to give him energy for heroing. Anything too heavy and he’ll be puking (both from physical and emotional stress). Though he jokes about his mom’s health foods, his are a crazy concoction of add in proteins and vitamins/minerals bc he knows he’ll out and out collapse without it. (Still has on occasion bc boy still doesn’t eat right/enough)

- While Fame is exciting for him at first he soon begins to detest it. Not the fans, no, he can’t bring himself to hate the people who look up to him. But he hates the constant attention, that he can’t walk outside without being mobbed. the only place he feels safe is his hometown where most people are so used to him and his weirdness that they don’t react much anymore. Takes to wearing a cape and face shield when going out anywhere so he can actually get things done without being recognized and mobbed.

- Part of the reason Bellwood isn’t concerned with Ben is partially because ben’s been weird and alien for as long as they can remember but also many don’t realize how famous/powerful he is. Yeah that’s just Ben Tennyson over there, sometimes he turns into funny creatures- wait what do you MEAN he’s the savior of the universe?? He cried over a spilled smoothie the other day.

- Does mostly online schooling by the time he’s 15. At first he tries to do half day things to maintain something of a normal life but it quickly becomes overwhelming and dangerous him/the school. Finishes his GED early but the Plumbers and Azmuth make him take additional college level and alien courses to prepare him for his future role. Ben gripes but really does love learning all these things, especially on his terms (ADHD and stress + the public school system do not always go hand in hand). He’s a quick learner when he deems the information important and is made accessible to his learning needs.

- Ben definitely has ADHD speaking of which, it was nearly uncontrollable as a child bc his free-spirited parents didn’t believe in medicating. Ben convinced them he needed it and after some trial and error, found meds that worked. As he became more involved in heroics/growing up he had to change his medicine regimen (resulting in him being a bit more off the rails in OV) and needed antidepressants and therapy to manage it better. As an adult he has a whole litany of coping mechanisms (good and bad yes) and regularly checks in with his therapist and doctors to keep things under control. 

- Has a complicated relationship with his necrofriggian children. Considers himself their mother and worries after them. They too feel a connection to their parent despite this being unusual for their species. A few visit (some more than others) while they grow while others maintain distance. Ben never breathes a word of them to the media for fear of them being targeted. Still he keeps an eye on them and ensures all 14 mature to adulthood (another rarity for the species). Checks in every now and again with the ones who don’t want to see him and those that do. Two join the Plumbers and Ben is both proud and worried. His youngest becomes partners with Rook Ben.

- Just in general loves kids, they’re his favorite fans and while he’ll grumble at pushy adult fans he always smiles and kneels down for the little ones. Not so secretly wanted to have children of his own but knew it was a risk overall and used a lot of that energy with mentoring and teaching. Eventually had Kenny later in life (late 30s-40s) and was over the moon, becoming such a loving and doing parent or as much as he could be with his hectic schedule. 

- Omnitrix can’t come off, never has at any point since it first latched onto Ben’s arm. Azmuth tried and failed to get the device off, doesn’t let Ben know for many years as he feared the consequences. The watch loves and protects Ben even beyond it’s programming making him much more durable to damage and releasing energy charges when he’s threatened. Not even removing Ben’s arm would separate them. They’re stuck for life.

- Ben does have Anodite heritage but the Omnitrix actively suppresses it and uses the built up energy to power the transformations which is why ben is mostly unaffected by what should cause a massive energy drain on him. Theoretically if Ben learned to harness and safely use his Mana at an early age like Gwen he would have been fine but letting it build up without safe outlet meant activation would have killed him. Omnitrix Ben, however, went his whole life not knowing of his latent abilities and how the watch saved his life.

- Ben’s eyes get more green and glowy as time passes from the Omnitrix. At first they think its a trick of the light but by the time he’s an adult his eyes are pretty much glow in the dark. His veins light up too after long stretches of using the Omnitrix. Its vaguely unsettling to people who aren’t used to Ben.

- Max and the Earth Plumbers work so, so hard to keep teen Ben on Earth when half the universe is blowing up their comm lines asking for The Ben 10 to help with whatever problem of the day. Ben himself doesn’t quite understand when he’s younger the prestige and expectations on his shoulders. Max throws up a million and one roadblocks so Ben can live as normal a life as possible while he still can. Still, while doing that he Still overloads Ben with expectations and responsibilities on earth and beyond. He becomes a soldier again with Ben as their greatest weapon. He never forgave himself of losing sight of his grandson underneath the hero esp after Ben’s breakdown. 

- Rook partnership with Ben ends not long after Omniverse with his promotion to Magister. Ben tries to play it cool but the thought of another loved one/teammate leaving his tears him apart. Max revealing that Ben most likely wouldn’t get a new Plumber assigned partner since he’s almost an adult and won’t need it and Rook accidentally missing their last smoothie run due to a scheduling mishap causes Ben to snap and have the nervous breakdown that had been building for almost a decade. He completely loses it for a little while and needs to take an extended leave of absence from school and heroics that lasts about a year. Spends time recovering both on Earth and Galvan Prime, does some diplomatic training, learns about aliens, actually confronts the stress and loneliness of his life. He comes out the other side stronger but still fragile and exhausted.

- Ben’s above mentioned breakdown brings him closer to all his friends who didn’t quite realize the extent of Ben’s burden. Rook had been under the impression Ben didn’t like him all that much so the knowledge that his departure was the final straw for friend/hero’s collapse was shocking. Ben and Azmuth also become closer, the Galvan becoming fiercely protective of the boy seeing as his Earth family didn’t do well to keep him safe. It takes years for him to get over his anger at Max for putting so much on his grandchild. Ben makes more friends, in and out of the hero business, finally gets a therapist and gets some of his burdens eased a bit. It’s not a sure fire fix and Ben has several smaller breakdowns the rest of his life but its something.

- Azmuth was straight up suicidal before he met Ben for the first time. Ben gave him back hope for the universe and his ability to create items for peace not weapons. The boy infuriates him, frightens him, frustrates him but Azmuth cannot deny in his heart of hearts that he loves Ben dearly. He’s very upset at Ben’s breakdown and doesn’t know how to handle the worst of the initail outbursts. Azmuth talks Ben down from a suicide attempt. He reaches out to Ben that he Too felt overwhelmed by pressure, thought himself only good for war. Ben’s arrival in his life saved him and now he will do the same for Ben. It’s the first positive step forward in Ben’s recovery.

- For no other reason than I like it, Azmuth primarily refers to Ben as Benjamin (mostly to annoy the kid but he likes the way it sounds too) and Ben in softer, more serious moments. 

- Professor Paradox continues to flit in and out of Ben’s life. He says its because Ben is the most equipped to handle universal peril (true) but he’s also just very fond of the boy. Ben, existing in so many forms and having such importance also exists a beat outside of normal reality which Paradox identifies with. Ben is naturally attuned to time related problems because of this (instantly IDing Spanner as from the future before being told later deducing him to be his unborn son). Plus Ben named him, way back when. He’s just drawn to Ben.

- Adult Ben, while being seen as an impressively skilled fighter and champion, really has his strength as a universal diplomat of sorts. Based out of Earth, he helps mediate and defuse conflicts, advocate against tyranny and overall preserve peace and balance. He’s not perfect, he makes mistakes and sometimes is forced to become violent (and yes kill) but overall is regarded as a peacekeeper, something younger ben simply couldn’t understand. 

- Gwen gets her degree and primarily does work with advocacy and teaching about magic/alien culture. While she and Ben are still close, there’s a bit of a frustrated divide in that she isn’t helping him share the burden of the universe. Gwen never wanted to be a hero and has enough worth to not shackle herself to a job that’ll burn her out. Ben loves heroing but gives too much of himself away trying to fix everything. They get into screaming arguments that it wouldn’t be so bad out there if she just helped him but she refuses to budge and says he shouldn’t make himself do so much. They always make up and thy still are each other’s closest relationships.

- Ben marries Kai in a political move, Kai is Asexual and Ben Aromantic. They didn’t love each other but they got on well enough and Ben was really feeling the stress of carrying the hero burden so Kai also being involved made him feel like he wasn’t alone. Both were also so tired of the universe constantly asking about their love life and said ‘fuck it we’re married leave us alone’. Gwen was always mad about it feeling Ben deserved better but the two of them were happy with it. They had separate rooms, mostly separate lives but they became strong friends and supports with their strictly platonic marriage. They had Ken via Invitro in an incubator and were loving if extremely busy parents. 

- Also from the moment he appeared, Ben knew that Spanner was his future son, Kenny. He played ignorant and then was kind of deliberately teasing him in future encounters. He knew the rules of time and didn’t want to disrupt things further even if he was angry and worried as heck about why Ken felt the need to time travel. When future Ben catches up in the timeline, Kenny gets SUCH a lecture. 

- Ben isn’t quite immortal but he’s also not entirely human anymore either. The Omnitrix not only keeps him safe from most harm but it lightens the effect of aging. Ben 10 is active many, many years when most humans would have been forced to retire. He’s not sure how long the watch will keep him alive and it terrifies him. Gwen too is functionally immortal however she ages like a normal human, then when her natural death came, shed her skin and became a fulltime Anodite. So in the end, it was her and Ben together wondering which of them will die first. Gwen has trouble retaining her humanity as pure energy and swears she’ll let herself fizzle out when Ben goes. When that’ll be however...

[danses-with-dogmeat]

Romanced companions react to an autistic!Sole having a meltdown because of sensory overload?

Romanced!Companions React to Autistic!Sole with Sensory Overload Anxiety

This was a great prompt! I hope I was able to do it justice, I wanted to get it posted, but I also desperately need sleep 😅 But thank you so much for the ask, Anon! I might expand on this more at a later date as well, when my brain decides to function again. 

This prompt with FO3 and FONV

Cait:

She understood Sole's reaction more than the specific cause of the overload. It seems like all Cait has ever been around are stressful and overstimulating situations, so it’s difficult for her to differentiate occurrences that will cause Sole distress and those that wont. Once Sole was able to specify what it was that was bothering them, Cait would put an end to it. Preventing whatever it may be from doing her partner any more harm. She’s not a particularly soft person, everyone knows that, but she can’t stand seeing Sole like this. She may not know a whole lot of fancy breathing exercises that are medical journal standard, but she knows enough from her own experience to be able to improvise something in the way of support for her partner. 

Curie:

She would be an absolute pro. Like, the perfect combo between health professional, and understanding romantic partner. If their surroundings were secure, she would focus all her energy on helping Sole, doing breathing and grounding exercises to help them through their breakdown in a clinical way. In the aftermath of Sole's overload, Curie would turn back to doting girlfriend as she looks after her love, helping them to come down from their nerves and maybe being just a tad too touchy feely for them in this instance. But she means well!

Danse:

If this were to happen in the midst of combat, Danse would instantly take a more defensive position, and would root himself firmly between Sole and any enemies they may be facing. In other instances, he would use what he had learned in the Brotherhood when it came to PTSD episodes that he would experience for himself. He would remove them from the pressured conditions they found themselves in, taking them for a walk to calm their nerves, engaging in breathing exercises with them, and encouraging speech when it seemed possible. He would try to be supportive in every way he could, but Sole would have to be patient with their partner when it came to more intimate forms of comfort, as Danse tends to turn back to soldier-type tendencies in these situations. As a more preventative measure, Danse would attempt to craft a power armor helmet modification that could aid in depleting noise during combat, and otherwise try and dull the senses to make the outside environment more bearable for Sole.

Deacon:

He would actually be really good at dealing with this situation? Given his own experiences in life, and the many interactions he's had with a variety of types of people (and synths) in stressful situations, he would be able to sympathize with Sole, trying to draw any attention away from them, knowing that'll only make it worse, and helping them recover afterwards. He wouldn't be phased at all by their outburst and would try to help calm them down by making a few jokes here and there, if only to let them know that it wasn't a big deal to him.

Hancock:

His mostly chill demeanor would work wonders on Sole's nerves when they were around him. He was just so easy going, and non-judgmental and he seemed to never strip their energy from them when they spent time with him. Should they get themselves into a situation where sensory overload does occur, he'd do his best to guide Sole to a safe place where they can unwind and focus on returning their breathing to normal. If they think chems will help, he'll be more than happy to oblige, even going so far as to specifically scavenge whatever type of treatment chem that Sole had in mind for these overwhelming instances and would always keep it on his person.

MacCready: 

He’s a little panicked himself in these types of situations, but he makes an effort to be the calm one of the two. He finds his way to Sole in whatever way he can, looking into their eyes and trying to ground them with his voice as he desperately tries to keep it from shaking. He’s never had any formal training or anything like that, but when his PTSD episodes flare up, he has a few tricks that he uses to get back to reality; identifying objects around him, breathing in through his nose, sitting down with his head between his knees. He’ll try and suggest a few ways Sole can deal with their overload, going through the motions himself as well, since his partner’s anxiety tends to somehow inject itself into him whenever these meltdowns occur.   

Nick:

He’s calm, collected, and used to dealing with people in distress. It’s like he was built for this. Though he isn’t as familiar first-hand with the reactions that the human body has in these types of situations, he knows how to help. He’ll quickly try and get them out of the environment that is causing their meltdown, or eliminate the person or thing responsible for causing their anxiety. Afterwards he will try to help them come out of it easily and on their own terms, trying not to pressure them, but acting as a source of unwavering support for however long it takes for them to settle down. 

Piper: 

The woman truly tries her best, but it always frightens her when Sole is panicked in this way. She’s just too damn empathetic when it comes to Sole, that she can’t help but dissolve into the same state of discomfort and panic that her partner finds themself in. She would try anything to calm herself down and would frantically gesture for Sole to join her as she works on her breathing, counting, and amateur grounding exercises. As the pair come out of their shared panic, she’ll try to return to her normal self as soon as possible. Once her breathing returned to normal and Sole calmed down as well, she would offer her companion some much needed verbal and physical support, as well as some snack material to replenish their strength in the aftermath of their overload. 

Preston: 

The man is the definition of “works well under pressure;” he knows what it feels like to let people down, to lose people because of his mistakes, and he doesn’t intend for that to happen again. Ever. Especially when it comes to Sole. When his partner is in a compromised position, feels uncomfortable, or looks like they're about to have a meltdown, Preston is immediately at their side, putting himself in harm's way in order to ensure their safety and comfortability. He tries to use his voice, which for some reason he can keep totally calm even when he's under great stress, to keep them grounded. Counting along with them as they try to stay focused and keep from becoming completely overwhelmed. He is usually able to calm them down before their discomfort can escalate to the point of a meltdown, but if for whatever reason he can’t, he’ll be there to support them through the entire ordeal. Afterwards, he’ll speak softly to them, taking them far away from whatever situation was the cause of their stress, and ask if there was anything more he could have done to help. 

X6-88: 

X6 tends to notice when Sole is becoming uncomfortable even before they themself know. He’s memorized the types of environments that tend to set them off, and if it’s possible, he tries to usher them away from the cause of their anxiety before it can become an issue. If he is unable to do so, X6 will then take control of the situation as best as he can, eliminating points of stress almost to the point of overdoing it. There may be instances where Sole has to pull him out of his protective frenzy as he relentlessly removes anything that could be causing Sole's distress. In that case, X6 tends to provide enough of a distraction himself to be able to help Sole focus and stay grounded as they try to aid him. Does he do it intentionally? If they ask, he'll insist he doesn't know what they're talking about. He’ll just thank them calmly for assisting him, and begin to tend to their needs in the aftermath of their distress, assessing their physicality and mental state before allowing them to continue their travels. 

[anakinspraisekink]

Autistic Anakin Skywalker Headcanon

I've seen some posts about neurodivergent Anakin, and I think they're great!! So I wanted to make one specifically about autistic Anakin, since me being me with ASD, I needed this. Also this is ✨pure projection✨ on my part, so ofc everyone can have their own headcanons and interpretations of his character, and people can have different experiences with ASD!! These are simply a few of my thoughts just for fun 😊

Anakin might come across to many people as brash and confident or even flippant, when those who really know him (who are actually very few) know he is always self-conscious and considerate, and worries about how he presents himself to others. 

It's often hard to quiet all the noise in his head, and during the war it's even harder when he can't have space and time to himself to decompress at the end of a hard day of fighting or after a long meeting. But making sure he has a place where he's comfortable enough, like the cabin of his ship, enables him to recuperate wherever he happens to be.

It's very easy for him to get distracted or anxious with too much stimulation going on around him, and he can be prone to outbursts or breaking down because of a sensory overload, which can make using the Force dangerous for him and others around him. But he's gotten better at controlling it with Obi-Wan's support over the years, and Obi-Wan can still help with calming himself down if needed.

He can't sit still or concentrate on much for very long, and he's always fidgeting, which is why his mother encouraged him to start fixing things in order to have him do something with his hands, and why Obi-Wan let him tinker with spare parts all the time when he was a Padawan, even during lessons. Thus he always has some little project on hand, even if it is just taking something apart and putting it back together again, anything that is repetitive and satisfying.

He likes to wrap himself up in his robe or hide his hands in his big sleeves especially when anxious, because COMFY :D

His living spaces may come across as untidy or cluttered to others, but to him it's organized and he knows exactly where everything is and doesn't like when things are moved without him knowing. There's probably a specific reason for why that broken droid is in the middle of the floor... but there's honestly also a chance he may have forgotten about it and has already moved on to a new project.

Even if from an outside view it could seem the opposite, he is very competent in what he does and puts so much energy into everything, even to the point of pushing and overworking himself. Obi-Wan or Ahsoka often have to pull him away from something, because it's obvious that he's stressed and tired but won't allow himself to quit yet.

He is very passionate about certain things and loves talking about them, even if others don't care to pay attention all the time. His friends always try to truly listen though :)

He may come across as emotionless and uncaring in both tone of voice and expression, but really he is feeling so much and doesn't know the right way to portray himself, so instead he wears a mask of what he thinks people want him to behave and look like. Thus his emotions might come out strong and intense when he is around people he's comfortable with, because he's been keeping them inside for so long.

Sometimes he prefers the company of droids because their reactions are logical and predictable and he doesn't have to be so self-aware of how he comes across to them, because he knows they like him regardless (as long as they're not seppie droids of course). 

When he is especially confident and flirty or suave, he is probably copying what he's seen Obi-Wan do and putting on an act, and when he actually tries to flirt or impress someone who actually means something to him, it can turn out very awkward. Good thing Obi-Wan and Padmé have found it endearing. 😌

He keeps to himself often and only likes physical contact from those he truly trusts, and he doesn't trust easily. But to those he does trust, physical contact is sometimes the only way he knows how best to express his affection for them, and he likes to give it to them when he thinks they need it, too.

He doesn't mind conversation but he doesn't seek it constantly or need it all the time, and sometimes he's seen as rude for not wanting to talk for long right then. Sometimes it's easier to just talk to Obi-Wan and Ahsoka through their Force bonds, because he can express how he's feeling more easily that way without having to find the right words.

He can be very impulsive and prone to depressive episodes and quick to change emotion, as well as get frustrated or angry easily. His form being Djem So is a reflection of him being able to release those strong emotions from within him and putting them into use.

But he's also empathetic and sensitive, and very attuned to the Force and emotions because of that; he thinks of things or sees patterns others might have missed and pays attention to the little details. This is extremely valuable to him as a Jedi, especially since he's so powerful within the Force, that being able to feel so deeply and pick individual things out helps him navigate through how chaotic and loud the Force can often feel around him.

The experience of his childhood as a slave on Tatooine made him close his true self off from the world as a defense mechanism early on, to protect himself. It took a long time for Obi-Wan to coax him out of his shell when he was younger, and let him know that he doesn't need to put a mask on himself and his personality all the time, and that it's okay to be who he is. It can be hard for Anakin to remember sometimes, but he's learned that he's not a burden, that there are many people who care for him, and that he is very loved. ❤️

[sigmafied]

this is such a fluffy request thank you for sending this @ravenina14! poe is such an underrated character when it comes to fics this man deserves more love 💕

Annabel Lee - Edgar Allan Poe

Pairing: Edgar Allan Poe x F!Reader

Type: one-shot (fluff)

Word Count: 896

Summary: You surprise Poe with something that money couldn't even get close to buying.

A/N: omg this took me forever to write why am i so busy ;-; anyways, this was my first time writing for poe so i apologize if it isn’t that great. nonetheless, i enjoyed writing this i freakin love baby prompts 🥰

January 19th. A day dedicated to your mystifying husband. A day to celebrate another year that he could spend in this world. A day to shower him with gifts and affection, even if it is as simple as two lines on a stick.

When you first saw the results two weeks before Poe’s birthday, you almost had the urge to boldly express your excitement to your husband right then and there. The thought of raising a baby had always lingered through your head. Holding your child in your arms as you gently rocked them to sleep, witnessing their first steps and hearing their first words, even seeing them cry for the first time. And on top of that, you would be raising a baby with your beloved Poe. But he was never clear about where he stood on the idea, so you had always stayed careful during your nights of intimacy. Well, there goes that plan. Knowing how unpredictable your husband’s reactions were depending on the topic, you had decided to hold in your outburst and tell Poe on his birthday as a surprise gift. That way, he wouldn’t feel nervous or intimidated by your overload of energy.

On the morning of your husband’s special day, you lightly brushed his bangs from over his face and gave him a soft peck on his forehead. “Happy birthday, honey,” you whispered just in case Poe wasn’t quite awake yet. After all, you didn’t want to bring up your special present if he wasn’t in the right state of mind. He slowly opened his eyes and turned his body so that his eyes were locked in with yours, lifting a hand to cup the side of your face as he gave you a little smile. “Thank you, my darling,” he responded in that morning voice you adored so much. Once Poe got up out of bed, you took his hand and intertwined your fingers together, leading him down the spiral oak stairs to the living room where his gift awaited.

“Oh, what’s that on the table Y/N?” A pastel yellow box neatly wrapped up with a red bow sat on the table in front of you. You pushed the box towards your husband, a smile growing bigger on your face. “Open it and find out, honey!” You could have just been imagining it, but you thought that you had seen a glimmer in Poe's irises as he started to unwrap the mysterious gift. He carefully took off the lid, involuntarily closing his eyes as if something was about to jump out at him. As he slowly gazed into the box, Poe wasn't sure how to react to the items that lay in front of him: two pairs of baby clothes, two pairs of baby shoes, and a teddy bear. You couldn't help but giggle at the look on your husband's face as his mouth opened to speak. "Darling...don't tell me... are you actually-" You could see the tiniest form of tears around the corner of Poe's eyes and walked over to situate yourself beside him. "Happy birthday, Poe. The baby says happy birthday as well."

Immediately following your reply, your mouth was sealed shut by the warmth radiating from Poe’s lips. It wasn’t a rough kiss, but it contained enough passion and tenderness to truly show his feelings on the thought of being able to nurture a child with you. He was the first to pull away since he was running out of air, but he laid his forehead to rest against yours and pulled your body into his embrace. "This is wonderful, Y/N. I can't believe we're actually parents," he tried to say without choking up from all the happiness his heart was feeling in this moment. "I love you so much, dear. Thank you.

You had taken a leave of absence from work in order to tend to your growing baby and Poe walked right beside you on the same path every day. Over the course of your pregnancy, he treated you like a queen - which you were in his eyes. He would kneel down to face your stomach and plant light kisses on it to show affection both to you and your baby. He would cradle your body every night as you lay under the stars, making sure not to apply too much pressure on your torso. He would take your hand and guide you up or down the stairs of his exquisite house to make sure you didn't trip over your own two feet.

When it was time for you to deliver the baby, Poe was right beside your bedside to hold your delicate fingers while you pushed through the pain. He had never been this terrified in his entire life, but seeing you go through all this discomfort just to be able to start a family with him made his heart ache. He felt hopeless just sitting there for hours and not being able to ease you. When it was over, your baby girl was wrapped up in your arms sleeping ever so soundly. “Isn’t she pretty, baby?” You whispered just loud enough so Poe could listen to your voice without disturbing your child. His eyes stayed fixed on the newest member of your small family, mesmerized by the features she clearly inherited from you. “She is. Our beautiful Annabel Lee.”

tags: @nameless-shrimp

if you would like to be added to the tag list, please reply under this fic!

[saturniandevil]

January 2021 & The Year Ahead

AKA my notes from The Astrology Podcast because I really appreciate these regular forecasts, supplemented with this big ephemeris.

WRAPPING UP

Going into this, Saturn & Jupiter will be conjunct in Aquarius on the solstice, December 21. (I’ve scheduled a reminder post so you can go out and see it--just after sunset!) I’ve also done a quick peek ahead and we’ve got a lot of Aquarian themes for us in January and 2021 in general--change in major cycles. Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions take place every 20 years, and this one in Aquarius shifts us to a ~200-year period where Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions will now take place in air signs, after having had them in earth signs for the past ~150 years. Air can represent information and data, and Kelly and Austin also talk about how air can also represent dispersion; you don’t see a breeze but you see the leaves or sand moving with it. We may move towards digital communication and decentralization/deconstruction of social & political institutions.

(Image of Archetypal Explorer software showing how December is the nexus of some major outer planet interactions)

HIGHLIGHTS

Saturn Square Uranus // ♄ □ ♅

Saturn has been contacting Pluto, who intensifies his structures, but this year Uranus will be challenging him. Worldwide we may see more large-scale pushes for larger change--the struggle for liberation against structures that are no longer working. Exact on: February 17 (♄♒ □ ♅♉ at 7° of each respective sign) June 14  (♄♒ □ ♅♉ at 13°) December 24 (♄♒ □ ♅♉ at 11°)

Jupiter square Uranus // ♃ □ ♅

This aspect has a shorter-term effect, but Jupiter may lend his benefic influence to this struggle and make the change easier or more constructive. Exact on: January 17 (♃♒ □ ♅♉ at 6°)

General shift from Cardinal signs to Fixed & Mutable signs

Jupiter’s and Saturn’s trips into Aquarius this week mean that 2021 will start out with a strong emphasis on early degrees of fixed signs right off the bat, and Mars will be entering Taurus soon as well. Look to the planets and houses where Aquarius and the other fixed signs fall for you to get a glimpse of where this shift may affect you on a personal level. Saturn will slowly trek through Aquarius over the next 2 years, and the nodes/eclipse axis will also shift into fixed signs in 2022.

The eclipse axis (N. and S. node) has already moved from Cancer-Capricorn to Gemini-Sagittarius, moving some personal & emotional focus to the mutable signs. (Eclipses occur when a new or full moon lines up with the nodes.) Dates: May 26 - total lunar eclipse (🌞�� ☍ 🌙♐ at 5°) June 10 - annular solar eclipse (🌞 ☌ 🌙 at 19°♊) November 19 - partial lunar eclipse (🌞 ♏ ☍ 🌙 ♉ at 27°) December 4 - total solar eclipse (🌞 ☌ 🌙 at 12°♐)

Generally, the problems that cardinal signs have brought to attention or projects they have started will be changing for awhile--fixed signs are slow to get started but long-lasting.

Mercury retrogrades will also be taking place in air signs this year! More in-depth information below the cut (after January).

JANUARY 2021

January 6: Mars enters Taurus // ♂ ➡♉ This means he’ll be squaring Jupiter, Saturn, and conjunct Uranus--possibly igniting some of the issues they have brought forth? Mars and Uranus may prove combustible against critical Saturn, but Jupiter may be more receptive to change.

January 8: Mercury enters Aquarius, Venus enters Capricorn // ♄ ➡♒ ; ♀ ➡♑ This will put Mercury in a square to Mars--watch what you say! Our messenger will also be squaring Uranus in Taurus, which may indicate disruptive difficulties in the communication or distribution of basic material necessities, or changes in currency.

January 13: New Moon at 23° Capricorn // 🌞 ☌ 🌙 23♑

January 14: Uranus goes direct at 6° Taurus // ♅(d) 6♉

January 19: Sun enters Aquarius // 🌞➡♒

January 28: Full Moon at 9° Leo // 🌞9♒ ☍ 🌙9♌ The moon will be opposite a close Sun-Jupiter conjunction in Aquarius, as well as squaring that Mars-Uranus conjunction, forming T-square in Leo, Aquarius, and Taurus. Expect tension and outbursts--perhaps channeled unexpectedly through that empty point in Scorpio.

January 30: Mercury Retrograde at 26° Aquarius  // ☿(rx) 26♒

Rest of 2021 below the cut!

QUARTERLY BREAKDOWN

Similar to January, here are some highlights for the months ahead. (Sorry but I’m ditching the emojis now or I’d go insane trying to cut and paste them.  They’ll be back in other posts announcing sign ingresses, monthly forecasts, etc.)

Aquarius Stellium By the 10th we will have the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn all in Aquarius---that’s every visible planet except Mars! Last time this happened was in 1961-2. Look to your chart to see where this will affect you; Feburary will show you how Aquarius is going to manifest for you.

These planets will be hidden by the sun’s light (cazimi), considered a behind-the-scenes “cycle reset” for each. As the sun moves forward, these planets will become visible again in the sky just before sunrise, literally re-emerging into our view.

Saturn Square Uranus, Jupiter Square Uranus

Mercury Retrograde in Aquarius From January 30 (26 degrees) to February 20 (11 degrees). This means he’ll be slowly moving towards a conjunction with Jupiter (visible in the morning sky).

March

March 3: Mars enters Gemini This will relieve some of the pressure on the fixed squares; things may get a little more flexible. Lots of energy, possible all over the Internet.

March 4: Jupiter conjunct Mercury in Aquarius Some ease of communications here.

March 20-26: Venus conjunct Sun in Pisces & Aries The Sun enters Pisces on the 20th with Venus following on the 21st. She’s exalted in Pisces, but hidden under the Sun’s rays. Mercury has entered Pisces just a few days earlier as well.

Mars conjunct North Node in Gemini Squaring the Sun and Venus throughout the month. Mars may indicate rashness and the North Node confusion (eclipses)--check where Gemini falls in your chart to see where things may fall off a good path.

SECOND QUARTER OF 2021

April

Venus-Sun conjunction continues She’s not to happy being burnt by the Sun or in fiery Aries, though she does enter her domicile in Taurus.

Stellium in Taurus Mercury, Venus, Sun, and Uranus will be hanging out in early-mid Taurus by the 20th, loosely squaring Saturn in Aquarius while they’re close to each other. We may find ourselves “going outside like we never have before.” We’ll be reintegrating into the physical world as an act of rebellion, or rediscovering older knowledge as something new and revolutionary.

April 23: Mars moves into Cancer Slower, more subtle and emotional than Mars in Gemini

April 26: Full Moon at 7° Scorpio Really emphasizing the Taurus Stellium & Saturn-Uranus square. In mutual reception (in each others’ domicile-similar to a conjunction) with Mars in Cancer

April 27: Pluto retrograde at 26° Capricorn Pluto is the last of those big planets to hang around here. May affect the United States’ chart (having a Pluto return.)

May

May 13: Jupiter enters Pisces At last, the major benefic in his domicile! He’s moved away from his fall this year, but was still co-present with negating Saturn up at this point--but now he’s out on his own. Aggressive hugs, chicken soup for the soul, possibly a return of travel in some places (“spring break”). In a mutable sign he can show us the new opportunities in events that have occurred. However he’ll go back to Aquarius this year--rooming with his landlord Saturn. It’s a bit of a sneak peak for 2022.

May 23: Saturn Retrograde at 13° Aquarius

May 26: Total Lunar Eclipse at 5° Sagittarius Picking up some of the themes from the eclipse we just had in December 2020 and turning them in a new direction. This eclipse’s ruler is Jupiter in Pisces, and the Sun’s ruler Mercury is also in domicile in Gemini (the Sun is opposite the Moon at all full moons, this time he’s in Gemini.)

It’s an eclipse, though--what are we not seeing, what are we missing? Our podcast hosts are predicting that perhaps travel agencies will rush forward and miss some things. December 14, the last eclipse, the US had the electoral college officially vote for Biden and the first patient to receive the vaccine--the US chart has Sag rising and Jupiter in Cancer (in the most common chart).

May 29: Mercury Retrograde at 24° Gemini Squaring Neptune in Pisces--perhaps the increased travel will be due to some illusions. He’ll be STRONG during this retrograde, so there may be some disastrous overload in travel or other Mercurian areas, such as communication.

June

June 5: Mars in Cancer opposite Pluto in Capricorn 26° cardinal signs are especially sensitive to this shift in power dynamics. This has been building since the last eclipse and precedes another one.

June 10: Solar eclipse at 19° Gemini Triple conjunction with Sun/Moon/Mercury, squaring Neptune in Pisces. A time for fantasy and illusions, not so great on the logistics.

June 11: Mars enters Leo Once again, fixed sign emphasis--this time Mars is approaching the Saturn♒-Uranus♉ square, which has been building and will go exact on the 14th. We may be headed for more social turmoil and a fire Mars will make this all louder.

June 20: Jupiter Retrograde at 21° Pisces He has unfinished business in Saturn in Aquarius. He’ll go back into Pisces when Mars, Uranus, and Saturn allow us some more optimism.

THIRD QUARTER

July

July 1: Mars opposite Saturn

July 3: Mars square Uranus This further emphasizes the stubborn tension that’s been plaguing us all year--intensifying in midsummer.

July 28: Jupiter re-enters Aquarius He may be playing a bit of peacemaker between Saturn and Uranus in the fixed signs.

July 22: Sun enters Leo The Sun generally has a stabilizing influence, especially in a fixed signs, but he’ll have to contend with Saturn (as will all planets in Leo for the next couple years.) Both planets are in their domicile for this opposition, perhaps bringing a more moderate, measured negotiation to the conflicts of Mars ☍ Saturn at the beginning of the month.

July 29: Mars enters Virgo He’ll be exiting an opposition with Jupiter, meaning he’ll no longer be aggravating the fixed outer planet struggles. Venus precedes him a week earlier; at a personal level we may be a little more calculating and flexible.

August

First week: Sun square Uranus Is over within the first seven days. A little more positive for us.

August 16: Venus enters Libra Finally, she can enjoy her domicile without Saturn squaring her in Capricorn! The benefics are more free to help us in 2021 than they were in 2020. We start reaching fair agreements, whether personally, politically or financially.

August 18: Mercury conjunct Mars at 12° Virgo Fast & Furious! An earth Mercury may push is towards a tangible solution. Mars is in fall, but is being received by Mercury (Mars is in Mercury’s domicile), and may really listen to the messenger. This also trines Uranus in Taurus, adding a distinct flavor of technological innovation here.

August 22: Venus (♎) trine Saturn (♒) Venus is in Saturn’s sign of exaltation as well--she’s got the power to make some deals with structured Saturn. Coincides with a Full Moon in Aquarius and the Sun entering Virgo.

August 30: Mercury enters Libra He’s joining Venus, and Mars is coming soon

September

September 10: Venus enters Scorpio

September 14: Mars enters Libra The accords reached during Venus in Libra may come crashing down as Mercury and Mars join her--some may stay, but some deals are OFF!

September 27: Mercury Retrograde at 25° Libra We’ll really be rethinking some of the agreements that were just made. He’ll trine Jupiter before and during this retrograde--things will feel good. But with Mars there we’ll have to face the issues.

FOURTH QUARTER

Things will really get spicy towards the end of the year.

October

October 6: Pluto goes Direct at 24° Capricorn fjdhada

October 6: New Moon in Libra Conjunct Mercury and Mars, with the planets making trines to Jupiter and Saturn as they approach and leave this lunation. May see a challenge to agreement and accord in the realms under the outer planets’ rule.

October 10: Saturn stations direct at 6°♒

October 18: Mercury stations Direct at 10 Libra, Jupiter stations Direct at 22 Aquarius

October 19: Full Moon at 27 Aries Opposite Sun-Mars conjunction in Libra. This highlights a growing square between Mars (23°♎) and Pluto (24°♑). Jupiter (22°♒) is trine the Sun & Mars, though, so he may relieve some of the pressure.

October 30: Mars enters Scorpio Once again he’ll activate that Saturn-Uranus square and add pressure to the fixed signs.

November

Mars, Sun, Mercury enter Scorpio They will each activate that outer planet square. The accords that weren’t working in October will be really apparent now.

November 19: Lunar eclipse in Taurus This is the first eclipse on the axis we’ll be seeing in 2022--a foreshadowing for the following year. And this will further aggravate some of the fixed sign tension we’ve been experiencing. It’s also squaring Jupiter at 24 Aquarius, who may ease the aspects a liiittle bit.

December

December 1: Neptune stations direct at 20° Pisces

December 4: Total solar eclipse at 12° Sagittarius The completion of the eclipse series on the Gemini-Sag axis. The nodes will change early 2022, and the themes of the eclipse cycle that started a year previous (last week at time of writing) will wrap up. Mars is still in Scorpio, and the “martial” fixed star Antares is close by to this eclipse--strong chance some of the previous contention will ignite or stay aflame.

December 19: Venus Retrograde at 26° Capricorn She’ll be leading us into 2022 with this motion. She’s conjunct Pluto during this station, slowing down almost to his pace as she prepares to change directions. Venus & Pluto may represent more obsessive love, and in Capricorn things may be melancholic and bound/restrained.

December 24: Uranus♉-Saturn♒ square exact to the minute (5°11″) This is the final, most intense culmination of the aspect that has overshadowed the year (although it will come back in ‘22 as well.)

December 28: Jupiter re-enters Pisces He’ll travel all the way through it this time! ;) From this watery domicile he may put out some of the fires that Mars started. We welcome an empowered benefic as we move on to the new year--good news for the mutable signs!

[a-vamp-and-a-half]

Sia lets out a tiny sob as she hears it, having feared the worst again, leaning into Doc’s hug as Evan continues to feed in energy best he could in such a mastery of control, his past weeks of panic over his powers seemed almost laughable. He knew his powers to the last detail, but he’d been broken down so often in his life, all confidence had fled him upon his simple outburst.

He stays concentrated until he senses every system start up, decreasing and increasing power as needed when a certain part had trouble, or was in danger of overloading, and they could see the light flickers in Bing travel around, follow the wires were needed, and avoid every broken thing.

Until finally, the batteries are fully charged, and there was nothing else left beside fixing the leak “It’s done” he says numbly, pulling back for Blue to take over again, eyes still glowing where he was focusing on not letting anything escape yet.

Yancy and Eric move in to comfort Evan, and Blue gets to work.

With power restored, it’s much safer to work on fixing the panel. It’s directly linked to Bing’s brain, meaning the smallest mistake could directly impact Bing’s mental functions. One short-circuit could fry a whole lobe, and with Bing in such a fragile state, it’s debatable if a bag of blood would be able to fix things. 

They sit at the base of the decline for hours.

Some surgery is still required, but much less invasive ones than if Evan hadn’t restored the power. Doc patches up the incisions after Blue does them, leaving Blue free to focus on the more mechanical aspects of the procedure.

Finally, Blue sighs. “All we need to do now is form the panel itself back into the correct shape. This could take some time-”

Yancy takes the panel, and bends it with the utmost care (and vampire strength). After a few minutes of careful shaping, he looks at Blue. “This goods?”

Blue is staring. He nods. He closes the panel.

There’s quite a bit of hair missing, the layer of skin covering the panel having been torn off or burnt off in the fall and ensuing spark showers.

“We can replace it,” Blue says softly. He opens Bing’s commands page, and initiates a full reboot and diagnostic. “He may not wake up for a while. The system will be scanning itself for a long time after an accident like this, and I am sure Bim’s Sleeping Salts were of high potency.”

Bim fiddles with a cufflink. “It’ll probably be a couple more hours,” he confirms.

Dark looks at the cliff. “I guess in the meantime, we can figure out how to get Bing back to camp for that blood bag.”

[detroitbecomeyandere]

Oh Brother Part 2 (Connor x Reader x Nines)

I’m (finally) back on my bullshit. Be sure to read Part 1!

“You look so pretty.” Nines’ hand cards through the hair he took the time to meticulously curl. He found he quite liked turning you into his personal doll, styling you in his image. It repulsed you.

Almost as much as the intimately fueled touches he was tracing up your legs.

“So pretty,” he repeated, insistent fingers on the soft skin of your thigh.

You don’t humor him with a response, angered or otherwise. Most times it wasn’t worth the effort. In the beginning you had the gall to bite Nines’ hand when he tried to caress your cheek. The sting of thirium on your tongue almost matched the intensity of the slap across your cheek. At least one of the sensations was satisfying.

Connor insisted that you would warm up to your new...arrangements. That seemed to placate Nines for the time being but his patience was waning. Nines couldn’t understand how his brother could be so tolerant with your behavior. Even going as far as to reprimand him when Nines saw it appropriate to break your leg as punishment for another pathetic escape attempt. Since then, you had been less daring so clearly he had been doing something right.

Nines continues his ministrations, toying with the lace hem of your pink babydoll. If there was one thing his brother and him could agree on, it was what looked best on you. You continued to stare blankly at the ceiling, fed up.

Emboldened by your reaction, or lack thereof, he slowly pushes the dress up your hips. You had been less than willing to show affection since the start of your captivity. Nines has been holding back but his carnal desires can only be silenced for so long.

Your ire is suddenly reignited and you put all your energy into kicking him square in jaw. Color you proud when he actually recoils from your strength. And when you see the satisfying blue streak making its way down his lip.

The two of them could keep you shackled - literally and metaphorically - to them but that did not mean you had to be compliant. You would not be theirs to fuck. At least not without a fight.

Nines brings a hand up to his mouth, wiping away the minuscule evidence of yet another outburst. His rage apparent, he grabs your ankles before you can attempt to retaliate again. You wince as he pins them to the bed.

“I have had just about enough of your attitude,” he snarls, making quick work of your underwear despite your relentless thrashing.

Relief briefly comes in the form of Connor standing in the doorframe of your room. The RK800 has always been gentler to you in contrast to his successor. You look to him, silently pleading for him to stop this madness.

It’s a pointless endeavor.

Connor regards you sadly and then turns to Nines. “You can’t help yourself anymore, can you brother?” He doesn’t sound surprised. Nines scoffs in response.

“No, nor should I have to. She’s ours now, Connor. Aren’t you tired of waiting too?” He asks, deft fingers begin tracing featherlight circles around your clit despite your whines of protest. “Don’t you want to sample such a fine confection,” he all but purrs as he slips a digit into you with ease.

An unwelcome heat begins to build within you, your nerves alight with an unhealthy cocktail of pleasure and shame. You attempt to sit up, to use your hands to thwart Nines’ onslaught, but now it’s Connor’s turn to subdue you.

Cold hands keep your wrists in an iron-like grip as Nines adds a second finger, continuing a hard cadence in and out. You look up at him, an adoring smile on his lips. You’re now completely helpless. Nines’ delight is palpable.

“You’re right,” Connor reaffirms. It was pure agony, to ignore the desires his processors told him to submit to. But now, “You’re absolutely right.”

Now there was no more reason to hold back.

Connor ties your wrist together in a solid knot with his tie, giving his hands the freedom to roam your body. He marvels at how soft your breasts feel in his palms, squeezing them gently which pulls an involuntary moan from your lips. His LED glows amber as he commits the sound to memory.

“That’s it pet,” Nines coos as he begins to undo his pants, satisfied with how wet you’ve become. “Let us make you feel good. That’s all we’ve ever wanted.”

Tears blind you as you’re overwhelmed by the feeling of Nines at your entrance and Connor suckling on your neck. The sensory and emotional overload was pushing you quickly to the precipice of insanity. Together they pull orgasm after orgasm from you, leaving you in a pleasure-induced haze.

Humiliated that this was all it took to snuff out your fire, you can’t find the will to struggle anymore. Especially after you hear Connor whisper against the shell of your ear,

“My turn.”

-Mod Vic

[staliasjeronica]

Archie Andrews Personality Profile

According to my knowledge, Archie Andrews would be an ISFJ. Note: These are from a website, and therefore is what the website says for this type. I went through every single one to figure out the right fit for Archie and this one was the closest and fit him best according to how he is in the show.

Defenders are true altruists, meeting kindness with kindness-in-excess and engaging the work and people they believe in with enthusiasm and generosity.

Defender personalities (especially Turbulent ones) are often meticulous to the point of perfectionism, and though they procrastinate, they can always be relied on to get the job done on time. Defenders take their responsibilities personally, consistently going above and beyond, doing everything they can to exceed expectations.

The challenge for Defenders is ensuring that what they do is noticed. They have a tendency to underplay their accomplishments, and while their kindness is often respected, more cynical and selfish people are likely to take advantage of Defenders’ dedication and humbleness by pushing work onto them and then taking the credit. Defenders need to know when to say no and stand up for themselves if they are to maintain their confidence and enthusiasm.

Naturally social, an odd quality for Introverts, Defenders utilize excellent memories not to retain data and trivia, but to remember people, and details about their lives. When it comes to gift-giving, Defenders have no equal, using their imagination and natural sensitivity to express their generosity in ways that touch the hearts of their recipients.

Defender personalities are a wonderful group, rarely sitting idle while a worthy cause remains unfinished. Defenders’ ability to connect with others on an intimate level is unrivaled among Introverts, and the joy they experience in using those connections to maintain a supportive, happy family is a gift for everyone involved. They may never be truly comfortable in the spotlight, and may feel guilty taking due credit for team efforts, but if they can ensure that their efforts are recognized, Defenders are likely to feel a level of satisfaction in what they do that many other personality types can only dream of.

STRENGTHS

Supportive – Defenders are the universal helpers, sharing their knowledge, experience, time, and energy with anyone who needs it, and all the more so with friends and family

Reliable and Patient – Defenders are meticulous and careful, taking a steady approach and bending with the needs of the situation just enough to accomplish their end goals. Defenders not only ensure that things are done to the highest standard, but often go well beyond what is required.

Imaginative and Observant – Defenders are very imaginative, and use this quality as an accessory to empathy, observing others’ emotional states and seeing things from their perspective.

Enthusiastic – When the goal is right, Defenders take all this support, reliability, and imagination and apply it to something they believe will make a difference in people’s lives – whether fighting poverty with a global initiative or simply making a person’s day.

Loyal and Hard-Working – Given a little time, this enthusiasm grows into loyalty – Defender personalities often form an emotional attachment to the ideas and organizations they’ve dedicated themselves to (ATM Hiram Lodge). Anything short of meeting their obligations with good, hard work fails their own expectations.

Good Practical Skills – The best part is, Defenders have the practical sense to actually do something with all this altruism. If mundane, routine tasks are what need to be done, Defenders can see the beauty and harmony that they create, because they know that it helps them to care for their friends, family, and anyone else who needs it.

WEAKNESSES

Humble and Shy – The meek shall inherit the earth, but it’s a long road if they receive no recognition at all. This is possibly Defenders’ biggest challenge, as they are so concerned with others’ feelings that they refuse to make their thoughts known, or to take any duly earned credit for their contributions. Defenders’ standards for themselves are also so high that, knowing they could have done some minor aspect of a task better, they often downplay their successes entirely.

Take Things Too Personally – Defenders have trouble separating personal and impersonal situations – any situation is still an interaction between two people, after all – and any negativity from conflict or criticism can carry over from their professional to their personal lives, and back again.

Repress Their Feelings – People with the Defender personality type are private and very sensitive, internalizing their feelings a great deal. Much in the way that Defenders protect others’ feelings, they must protect their own, and this lack of healthy emotional expression can lead to a lot of stress and frustration.

Overload Themselves – Their strong senses of duty and perfectionism combine with this aversion to emotional conflict to create a situation where it is far too easy for Defenders to overload themselves – or to be overloaded by others – as they struggle silently to meet everyone’s expectations, especially their own.

Reluctant to Change – These challenges can be particularly hard to address since Defender personalities value traditions and history highly in their decisions. A situation sometimes needs to reach a breaking point before Defenders are persuaded by circumstance, or the strong personality of a loved one, to alter course.

Too Altruistic – Being such warm, good-natured people, Defenders are willing to let things slide, to believe that things will get better soon, to not burden others by accepting their offers of help, while their troubles mount unassisted.

RELATIONSHIPS

(Valerie Brown, Josie McCoy, ATM Veronica Lodge, possibly Betty Cooper)

When it comes to romantic relationships, Defenders’ kindness grows into a joy that is only found in taking care of their family and home, in being there for emotional and practical support whenever it’s needed. Home is where the heart is for people with the Defender personality type, and in no other area of their lives do they strive with such dedication to create the harmony and beauty they wish to see in the world.

The trouble is, these are the benefits of an established long-term relationship, and Defenders’ unbearable shyness means it can take a long time to reach this point.

Defenders are most attractive when they are simply being themselves in a comfortable environment where their natural flow shows this kindness and dedication. Relationships built on established familiarity are a warm prospect for Defenders – they take dating seriously and only enter into relationships that have a real chance of lasting a lifetime.

Defenders’ shyness and sensitivity shield what are, beneath the surface, incredibly strong feelings. While not always obvious to others, this river of emotion can’t be taken lightly or for granted – Defender personalities can value the idea of committed romance almost as highly as some regard religious beliefs. Hard as it may be, if either dating partner doubts their feelings, they must part ways before real emotional damage is done.

As their relationships do progress, Defenders often continue to struggle with emotional expression, but they have the opportunity to let physical affection stand in for their loving words. People with this personality type take no greater joy than in pleasing others, often even considering this a personal duty, and this applies to intimacy as well. While dutiful sex may not sound especially attractive in those specific terms, intimacy is tremendously important to Defenders, and they spare no effort in this department.

Nor is the pleasure they take in ensuring their partners’ happiness limited to the bedroom – Defenders spend an enormous amount of time and energy finding ways to keep their relationship satisfying for their partners. All they ask in return is commitment, love, and, perhaps most of all, appreciation.

However, not everyone is prepared to pay even that small price for the benefit of Defenders’ kindness. If their partners aren’t willing or able to express this thanks, or worse still are openly critical of their Defender partners, they will find that, given time and pressure, all of those repressed emotions can burst forth in massive verbal attacks that all the future regret in the world won’t blunt.

These outbursts are something to watch out for, but the more pervasive issue in Defenders’ relationships is that it can be too easy for their altruism and kindness to be taken advantage of, maybe even without their partners realizing it, while leaving Defenders’ own needs and dreams unfulfilled. This is something that Defenders’ partners, and Defender personalities themselves, must look after if they want the sort of long, fulfilling relationships they dream about. Expressing appreciation is often more than just the right words, it is reciprocation.

Defenders are trustworthy, loyal, loving, and faithful, and nothing brings them more joy than the commitment of an appreciative and thriving relationship. The best matches are those who share these sensibilities, namely those who share the Observant (S) trait, with one or two opposing traits to ensure that both partners have room to grow, develop, and help each other along, ’til the end of their days.

FRIENDSHIPS

(ATM Jughead, Betty, Veronica, Reggie Mantle, and Mad Dog)

Given how generous Defenders are with their warm praise and support, it’s not surprising that others enjoy their company enough to call them friends. The challenge is to be considered a friend back – people with the Defender personality type are shy and a little protective of themselves, but they also need to be able to connect on a deeper emotional level. It makes sense then that most of Defenders’ friends are made not by random encounters on a wild night out, but through comfortable and consistent contact, as in class or in the workplace where they have the time to get to know each other little by little.

Defenders need a lot of positive feedback, and admitting this need certainly shows vulnerability, but if that vulnerability is well handled, it creates the deep bonds that Defender personalities look for. If badly handled or not reciprocated, it’s hard to see the burgeoning friendship surviving without quite a bit of extra effort.

Yet, as their friendships develop, Defenders’ sense of loyalty may push them to lean ever more on themselves to meet their friends’ needs, to the point of neglecting their own. Defenders show this in a few ways, from going clearly out of their ways to stick to even trivial commitments, to simply not wanting to disagree or say no for fear of causing turbulence. More cynical types would call this naïve, and may even take advantage of Defenders’ altruism (like Hiram Lodge) – but these are hardly the type of people who could be called “friends”, and they have no business being discussed here.

The real friends, those close inner circles, are the ones Defenders truly cherish for their quality of character and quality of discussion.

CONCLUSION

Few personality types are as practical and dedicated as Defenders. Known for their reliability and altruism, Defenders are good at creating and maintaining a secure and stable environment for themselves and their loved ones. Defenders’ dedication is invaluable in many areas, including their own personal growth.

Yet Defenders can be easily tripped up in areas where their kindness and practical approach are more of a liability than an asset. Whether it is finding (or keeping) a partner, learning to relax or improvise, reaching dazzling heights on the career ladder, or managing their workload, Defenders need to put in a conscious effort to develop their weaker traits and additional skills.

[ask-the-friendly-ink-demon]

i feel like prowler needs some better friends like- you turn into a monster and like- half your friends aren't even around or missing. i mean like come on people. we gotta show him some love!

honestly he does need better friends like. he’s trying his best but like. he just feels as if the whole world’s against him. i know ya’ll would feel the same if you were in his shoes lol.

“fOR oNCe I AgrEe.. But AgAiN i’D rAtheR nOT be TOo clOSe TO hIM WHEN’s He Like THat!” he says, pointing to the current sitution going on as the three rampaging demons were now running into eachother with roars as the others watched, alpha sighing a bit as his red eye dims more, thinking more about the question/statement, before coming to realization....

“EvEn tHEn. PRowLEr DoeS nEeD pEoPLE TO caRe FOr Him. thE whOle ReAsON Why he wAs... wElL.  ANGrY iN THe FIrSt pLACe WaS thAT EveRyoNE foRgOT abOut Him... eVErYOne... EveN Us.... tHe ONly OTHeR thING thAt cAN kILL a CaRtOOn bESidEs THe ENdiNG... iS juSt.. beING fORgOTtEn....” he says, frowning as his horns drooped “gOd... is THaT’s whAt HE’s BeEN keEpIng In? nO WOndER he’S bEeN SO anGrY With All OF us LaTEly I- I shOuld OF....” he clutches his own head, nearly falling to his knees as he thinks, his body melting. he should of kept a better eye on prowler. this was his fault! he should of done something he should of-

Susan makes a small coo, nuzzling alpha and making a few barks, lizzie grumbled and curled her tail around the exhausted demon as alpha blinks, something dripping from his eye for a moment, before he smiled, wiping it away “h...hEh... THaNks gIR-” he was cut off by hearing a loud screech, the three looked over to see that whatever prowler did seemed to have got a effect, his entire hands and arms were jabbed into the corrupted prowler, and aoi kao. both of them roaring in pain and agony, before prowler lets loose a loud roar and pushed them both into him, that was when a huge explosion of energy happened, followed by a mixture of the three’s roars as they began melding and merging into one another, a earthquake happening as alpha yelps, stumbling as lizzie caught him and susan before they both fell off from the ledge they were on, the huge bursts of energy was causing temors to appear, cracks in the earth forming, steam and smoke bursting out of holes as animals began running, the others in the lodge hid underneath stuff, thinking it was a invasion by lanky once again.  aoi kao roared loudly attempting to escape as it roars in pain as a huge arm bursted out of it’s back, coughing and gagging as the corrupted prowler also attempts to escape, screeching loudly as a arm clawed it’s way out of it’s mouth, along with spikes and crystals sprouting everwhere around the two as they both screeched out, before being sucked back into the massive pile as it steams and glitches, screeching out loudly as nightmoon, the fusion between nightmare alpha, ‘wally’ relic and the robotic bendy was sent flying out of the pile, crashing somewhere into the forest, the entire area was started to get misty and foggy. before a few more powerful bursts of energy happened before one final loud roar echoed as the surrounding area gets binded in a bright light, alpha and susan and lizzie screeching a bit as they covered their eyes so that they wouldn’t get blinded, in the nearby town though a lumbering beast was walking the streets, before stopping as it rumbled, glancing over to stare at the bright lights, it’s tusks shined slightly, before snorting as it started to lumber into that direction, snorting and grumbling and huffing as a large collar was seen around it’s neck, different gemstones around it as it zaps a couple of times, causing the strange beast to quickened it’s pace to wherever the lights were coming from.

[myfriendpokey]

easy like sunday morning

I know it sounds funny but I just can't stand the pain.. Given the volume of critical writing on difficult games in recent years isn't it time to talk about some easy ones?  Everybody loves talking about, 'Sekiro', but no-one ever talks about, 'Felix The Cat (NES) (1992)', a delightful game with many levels that stands out in my childhood memory as being one of the very few games I was ever able to complete within the Xtravision rental window. In these notes I try to lay down a preliminary basis for felix the cat studies.[1]

1. Firstly what is easiness, is it a quality or the absence of a quality, of a texture? I'd like to focus here specifically NOT on games which deliberately avoid the idea of 'challenge' altogether (Proteus, etc) but instead on games where challenge is both theoretically present and totally perfunctory, where it's both possible to die, and just easier not to.

2. And the strange sense of waste that this creates - the waste in having something and not needing it, of having some productive capacity lie fallow. The dream is to always have both an affordance and something to flex it on, in perfect sync. There are situations where exercising some affordance might give a bad outcome (use sword on king to increase crime meter etc) but in general the universe is set up so that your acting, your being, your bodily striving has a useful and productive effect on the world at large – we hope, ha ha ha. We have no reason to doubt that we use our affordances, rather than that our affordances are using us. In an easy game this relationship becomes more uncanny - we get a sense of how an affordance can be baggage, a kind of painful excess of productive energy that comes with a vague, felt obligation to use it all up in some manner. The machine speaks through us just as much as if we were playing any bullet hell - but it does so less through an overload of stimulus than through lack of it, through opening a space, which the ambient noise of the body then rushes to fill. The aimless, stupid twitching of our flesh as it burns off all the energy which is socially and economically surplus to requirements is directed and made visible, jumping back and forth onscreen in the mocking form of a smiling platform cat, a form of automatic writing.

3. I'd actually like to avoid making a moral or political case for easy games as having some intrinsic social value (that they resist the 'investment' of skill mastery, that they undercut feelings of power and control, or that they indeed actually represent a new form of meta-difficulty in testing your ability to reject false measurements of success and artificial scarcity and that therefore playing Goldeneye with infinite ammo cheats on is praxis or something.[2]) These might be useful qualities at some moment or another - but I think they also show the strange, magic-eye effect, of trying to write about easiness in itself, writing about absence without just converting it into another kind of presence (I'm sure I have failed multiple times and will fail multiple more). So easiness in videogames is constantly at risk of becoming just a different kind of difficulty, or some form of symbolic content - rather than the lack of such difficulty, or the lack of such content... In the context of videogames, a new media form busily involved with stockpiling content and meanings and symbolism and justification of all kinds, in trying to fill itself up and out, the idea of their emptiness is somehow quite threatening.[3]

4. Difficulty in games tends to be framed as a challenge to the primacy of the self, or as an estrangement, something that pushes you out of your comfort zone. It wakes you up, makes you more alert. Easiness by comparison is a sop to the self - indulgent, a narrowing of horizons. Easiness is mainstream, difficulty is avant-garde - and discussions of difficulty in games tend to draw a lot upon comparisons to older avant-garde art or literature. I'm in favour of avant-garde videogames but i think part of claiming that tradition should be a willingness to critique it, too. For example, difficult games are some of the most popular ones to stream - are these challenging the self? To an extent they allow the performance of the self, as manifested in angry outbursts, "reacting" in some characteristic manner, individuating oneself through accomplishment or distinctive playstyle, demonstrating personal qualities such as persistence and strength of will, very little of which could be said to come through in your average Felix The Cat longplay. And while Marvel movies and longrunning tv shows are seldom difficult in the same way as experimental art they do at least tend to gesture at the idea and feeling of a certain difficulty, an emotional strenuousness, a conflict to overcome. We don't just get a whole movie of Spiderman trying on 100 different hats. Some kind of difficulty is prized in both cultures, with the difference being that of location and degree. The idea of the modernist shock, the abrupt estrangement that jolts the (presumably bourgeois, etc) viewer out of their habitual comfort zone, sits awkwardly against comparatively more recent concepts like Naomi Klein's idea of the “shock doctrine” or Paul Virilio's writings on the bombarded, exhausted viewer - or indeed with that most modern form: the hot take, the truly gratuitous and combative opinion, tossed at the unsuspecting for the sake of wreaking minor carnage. The succession of shocks here don't so much disturb the self as confirm it as a thing apart, defined in negative against the tumult outside and valued as a refuge from that outside. Maybe we take it to the gym now and then, we test it out upon some pre-selected object of difficulty to keep it in shape, but afterwards the gate goes down and the wall goes up. I don't think difficulty is bad or illegitimate but if psychic reconfiguration is the goal then how about a modernist slackening instead? In the vein of Stein, Pessoa, Walser, Musil - "the game without qualities". Lured into roaming outside of its protective carapace the brain starts to dissolve, sprawl, melt into gloop, be devoured by ants.

5. Experience of playing an easy game: there’s no pushback, there's no skill check , a string of easy victories lead you forward without realising, or leads a part of you forward, there's no moment where you have to pull yourself together and decide just how much more of your time you wanna spend on this thing, a chirpy character onscreen is declaiming "GREAT!" and "SUBURB!" as you shoot pellets at more enemies, whatever aimless drive or impulse you flicked toward this thing to test it has not yet slowed down or returned, it's like dropping a pebble down a well, and waiting for the sound, and waiting forever - and then there's a plop! and whatever the process was, it's finished, you blink, try to remember what you were doing, wander off, still adjusting to the light.

6. The history of aesthetics is that of converting new kinds of necessity into new kinds of virtue [4]. Difficulty is a virtue in videogames, but it started out as a necessity, as well - as a prefab form handed down from the old mechanical amusements, a way to aestheticise (and commercialise) material resistance at a time when material resistance was almost all that videogames had to offer[5]. As certain kinds of difficulty emerge as objects of attention a reversal takes place: instead of difficulty being a way to engage with videogames, videogames become a way to engage with a certain kind of difficulty. Difficulty becomes a sign that unites a diffuse and heterogenuous field of garish electronic debris into a single medium and an aesthetic – this becomes part of what videogames *are*, and persists even when the original reasons for that difficulty become less and less present, and as 'difficulty' comes to exist mainly as a set of inherited structures and modes of representation (health bar, life counter etc). To make something that looks like a videogame in every way but has no difficulty is in a way to re-historicise it, to cut the thread which holds all the parts together - now the game collapses into a set of disembodied effects, sounds, gestures, machinery, which exist not so much as the expression of an aesthetic as an expression of the material history behind that aesthetic. The easy game is not a game but a kind of game-byproduct, an industrial accident that gives clue to the inner workings of the machine.

7. The mysterious purgatory that is the solved or near-solved state of a videogame, aimless and uncanny, an image of fulfilled desire: maybe not your desire, but somebody's, or some part of you. Think of playing with cheat codes: a few minutes ago you might have been desperate to get BLUE SWORD [RARE], now you can't get rid of the things. A routine complaint in popular longform games is that people just end up getting too much money and not having enough endless pits to dump it all into (thorstein veblen real??). And this is a known thing and trite to even remark upon and usually the point where the discussion turns into pop-psychology liturgy of how the human brain is "broken" and "hard-wired" to need new challenges and etc. I don't care, I'd like to spend more time within this twilight area, to construct as diligent and thorough a map of its empty rooms and blockages and tiny, shifting, hypersubtle moments of enjoyment or deep melancholy as the one we  already have for Diablo clones and similar. I think here of stuff like EJ Gold's games which claim to depict (indeed, allow you to perform rituals within) the bardo realms waiting after this world, where you roll around endless corridors collecting icons to accumulate money and charisma for your next life, and where for some reason there's a button to fire out pellets despite there being no enemies to kill. Videogames are depressingly, predictably excellent at producing new manifestations of inferno; I think, for the same reasons, that they could produce some very interesting paradises as well.

Is Felix The Cat a good game? Or is it in fact the only game, and also i'm dead and my spirit has been trapped inside of it? I hope the above comments make my feelings known. All i can do from here is recommend you watch Docfuture's Sonic Easy Mode video, and contemplate the world that could have been.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-ef8SD9gUg

[1] Just imagine it - instead of endless essays on "how completing, not completing, not playing VIDEOGAME made me a better person, worse person, more divorced person delete as appropriate" we would instead get endless essays on "how playing VIDEOGAME left me more or less the same person, I suppose, I don't really remember. But I did like the beach level".

[2] Having said this I of course realise that this is totally inevitable and look forward to BABYMODECORE, the videogame movement for people who always instinctively pick the lowest difficulty setting and want to reclaim such powerful formative experiences as beating up on the test dummy character in Tekken (and being scared that one day he'd glitch out and hunt me down instead)

[3] I wonder if part of the hatred for "asset flips" that they just replicate the shape of a videogame without filling it up with justificatory content, abstracting it somehow.

[4] Mangled from a line in F. Jameson's "Marxism and Form"

[5] Like early digital forms of old mechanical arm wrestling machines and punching bags - which slowly became part of that mysterious stock repository of ancestral videogame dream imagery, the minigame collection.

[rilespan]

“Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others.”

                                                                                                         -- Brian Tracy

DEFENDER PERSONALITY (ISFJ, -A/-T)

The Defender personality type is quite unique, as many of their qualities defy the definition of their individual traits. Though sensitive, Defenders have excellent analytical abilities; though reserved, they have well-developed people skills and robust social relationships; and though they are generally a conservative type, Defenders are often receptive to change and new ideas. As with so many things, people with the Defender personality type are more than the sum of their parts, and it is the way they use these strengths that defines who they are.

Defenders are true altruists, meeting kindness with kindness-in-excess and engaging the work and people they believe in with enthusiasm and generosity.

There’s hardly a better type to make up such a large proportion of the population, nearly 13%. Combining the best of tradition and the desire to do good, Defenders are found in lines of work with a sense of history behind them, such as medicine, academics and charitable social work.

Defender personalities (especially Turbulent ones) are often meticulous to the point of perfectionism, and though they procrastinate, they can always be relied on to get the job done on time. Defenders take their responsibilities personally, consistently going above and beyond, doing everything they can to exceed expectations and delight others, at work and at home.

We Must Be Seen to Be Believed

The challenge for Defenders is ensuring that what they do is noticed. They have a tendency to underplay their accomplishments, and while their kindness is often respected, more cynical and selfish people are likely to take advantage of Defenders’ dedication and humbleness by pushing work onto them and then taking the credit. Defenders need to know when to say no and stand up for themselves if they are to maintain their confidence and enthusiasm.

Naturally social, an odd quality for Introverts, Defenders utilize excellent memories not to retain data and trivia, but to remember people, and details about their lives. When it comes to gift-giving, Defenders have no equal, using their imagination and natural sensitivity to express their generosity in ways that touch the hearts of their recipients. While this is certainly true of their coworkers, whom people with the Defender personality type often consider their personal friends, it is in family that their expressions of affection fully bloom.

If I Can Protect You, I Will

Defender personalities are a wonderful group, rarely sitting idle while a worthy cause remains unfinished. Defenders’ ability to connect with others on an intimate level is unrivaled among Introverts, and the joy they experience in using those connections to maintain a supportive, happy family is a gift for everyone involved. They may never be truly comfortable in the spotlight, and may feel guilty taking due credit for team efforts, but if they can ensure that their efforts are recognized, Defenders are likely to feel a level of satisfaction in what they do that many other personality types can only dream of.

DEFENDER STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Defender Strengths

Supportive – Defenders are the universal helpers, sharing their knowledge, experience, time and energy with anyone who needs it, and all the more so with friends and family. People with this personality type strive for win-win situations, choosing empathy over judgment whenever possible.

Reliable and Patient – Rather than offering sporadic, excited rushes that leave things half finished, Defenders are meticulous and careful, taking a steady approach and bending with the needs of the situation just enough to accomplish their end goals. Defenders not only ensure that things are done to the highest standard, but often go well beyond what is required.

Imaginative and Observant – Defenders are very imaginative, and use this quality as an accessory to empathy, observing others’ emotional states and seeing things from their perspective. With their feet firmly planted on the ground, it is a very practical imagination, though they do find things quite fascinating and inspiring.

Enthusiastic – When the goal is right, Defenders take all this support, reliability and imagination and apply it to something they believe will make a difference in people’s lives – whether fighting poverty with a global initiative or simply making a customer’s day.

Loyal and Hard-Working – Given a little time, this enthusiasm grows into loyalty – Defender personalities often form an emotional attachment to the ideas and organizations they’ve dedicated themselves to. Anything short of meeting their obligations with good, hard work fails their own expectations.

Good Practical Skills – The best part is, Defenders have the practical sense to actually do something with all this altruism. If mundane, routine tasks are what need to be done, Defenders can see the beauty and harmony that they create, because they know that it helps them to care for their friends, family, and anyone else who needs it.

Defender Weaknesses

Humble and Shy – The meek shall inherit the earth, but it’s a long road if they receive no recognition at all. This is possibly Defenders’ biggest challenge, as they are so concerned with others’ feelings that they refuse to make their thoughts known, or to take any duly earned credit for their contributions. Defenders’ standards for themselves are also so high that, knowing they could have done some minor aspect of a task better, they often downplay their successes entirely.

Take Things Too Personally – Defenders have trouble separating personal and impersonal situations – any situation is still an interaction between two people, after all – and any negativity from conflict or criticism can carry over from their professional to their personal lives, and back again.

Repress Their Feelings – People with the Defender personality type are private and very sensitive, internalizing their feelings a great deal. Much in the way that Defenders protect others’ feelings, they must protect their own, and this lack of healthy emotional expression can lead to a lot of stress and frustration.

Overload Themselves – Their strong senses of duty and perfectionism combine with this aversion to emotional conflict to create a situation where it is far too easy for Defenders to overload themselves – or to be overloaded by others – as they struggle silently to meet everyone’s expectations, especially their own.

Reluctant to Change – These challenges can be particularly hard to address since Defender personalities value traditions and history highly in their decisions. A situation sometimes needs to reach a breaking point before Defenders are persuaded by circumstance, or the strong personality of a loved one, to alter course.

Too Altruistic – This is all compounded and reinforced by Defenders’ otherwise wonderful quality of altruism. Being such warm, good-natured people, Defenders are willing to let things slide, to believe that things will get better soon, to not burden others by accepting their offers of help, while their troubles mount unassisted.

DEFENDER RELATIONSHIPS

When it comes to romantic relationships, Defenders’ kindness grows into a joy that is only found in taking care of their family and home, in being there for emotional and practical support whenever it’s needed. Home is where the heart is for people with the Defender personality type, and in no other area of their lives do they strive with such dedication to create the harmony and beauty they wish to see in the world.

The trouble is, these are the benefits of an established long-term relationship, and Defenders’ unbearable shyness means it can take a long time to reach this point. Defenders are most attractive when they are simply being themselves in a comfortable environment such as work, where their natural flow shows this kindness and dedication. Relationships built on established familiarity are a warm prospect for Defenders – they take dating seriously and only enter into relationships that have a real chance of lasting a lifetime.

Our Upward Course Is Due to Our Soundness of Heart

Defenders’ shyness and sensitivity shield what are, beneath the surface, incredibly strong feelings. While not always obvious to others, this river of emotion can’t be taken lightly or for granted – Defender personalities can value the idea of committed romance almost as highly as some regard religious beliefs. Hard as it may be, if either dating partner doubts their feelings, they must part ways before real emotional damage is done.

As their relationships do progress, Defenders often continue to struggle with emotional expression, but they have the opportunity to let physical affection stand in for their loving words. People with this personality type take no greater joy than in pleasing others, often even considering this a personal duty, and this applies to intimacy as well. While dutiful sex may not sound especially attractive in those specific terms, intimacy is tremendously important to Defenders, and they spare no effort in this department.

Nor is the pleasure they take in ensuring their partners’ happiness limited to the bedroom – Defenders spend an enormous amount of time and energy finding ways to keep their relationship satisfying for their partners. All they ask in return is commitment, love and, perhaps most of all, appreciation.

Like All the Best Families, We Have Our Disagreements...

However, not everyone is prepared to pay even that small price for the benefit of Defenders’ kindness. If their partners aren’t willing or able to express this thanks, or worse still are openly critical of their Defender partners, they will find that, given time and pressure, all of those repressed emotions can burst forth in massive verbal attacks that all the future regret in the world won’t blunt.

These outbursts are something to watch out for, but the more pervasive issue in Defenders’ relationships is that it can be too easy for their altruism and kindness to be taken advantage of, maybe even without their partners realizing it, while leaving Defenders’ own needs and dreams unfulfilled. This is something that Defenders’ partners, and Defender personalities themselves, must look after if they want the sort of long, fulfilling relationships they dream about. Expressing appreciation is often more than just the right words, it is reciprocation.

If these couples can manage this balance of mutual appreciation and goal-setting, they will come to find that the best Defender qualities emerge later in the relationship, as they work towards establishing families and homes together.

While perfectly capable in the workplace and among friends, Defenders’ true passions lie in taking care of their families, from playing with their children to the mundane needs of the household, efforts Defenders are only too happy to contribute.

Defenders are trustworthy, loyal, loving and faithful and nothing brings them more joy than the commitment of an appreciative and thriving relationship. The best matches are those who share these sensibilities, namely those who share the Observant (S) trait, with one or two opposing traits to ensure that both partners have room to grow, develop and help each other along, ’til the end of their days.

DEFENDER FRIENDS

Given how generous Defenders are with their warm praise and support, it’s not surprising that others enjoy their company enough to call them friends. The challenge is to be considered a friend back – people with the Defender personality type are shy and a little protective of themselves, but they also need to be able to connect on a deeper emotional level. It makes sense then that most of Defenders’ friends are made not by random encounters on a wild night out, but through comfortable and consistent contact, as in class or in the workplace where they have the time to get to know each other little by little.

A lot of what establishes and deepens Defenders’ friendships is the mutual support, advice and reassurance that the friends give each other.

Defenders need a lot of positive feedback, and admitting this need certainly shows vulnerability, but if that vulnerability is well handled, it creates the deep bonds that Defender personalities look for. If badly handled or not reciprocated, it’s hard to see the burgeoning friendship surviving without quite a bit of extra effort.

Yet, as their friendships develop, Defenders’ sense of loyalty may push them to lean ever more on themselves to meet their friends’ needs, to the point of neglecting their own. Defenders show this in a few ways, from going clearly out of their ways to stick to even trivial commitments, to simply not wanting to disagree or say no for fear of causing turbulence. More cynical types would call this naïve, and may even take advantage of Defenders’ altruism – but these are hardly the type of people who could be called “friends”, and they have no business being discussed here.

To What Greater Inspiration and Counsel Can We Turn?

The real friends, those close inner circles, are the ones Defenders truly cherish for their quality of character and quality of discussion. Defenders aren’t particularly picky about what personality types they make friends with, at least not initially, but because they prefer so strongly to avoid conflict and miscommunication, most of their friends are likely to end up being fairly similar personalities.

DEFENDER PARENTS

Defenders’ warmth and care make parenting something that often comes naturally to them. Many people with this personality type feel like parenting is the task they were born for, taking no small pleasure in the sense of personal importance and responsibility they feel in ensuring that their children grow up to be healthy, confident and successful. At the same time, Defenders are anything but arrogant, and will hardly take their natural skill in this department for granted.

From the start, Defenders’ altruism is apparent in their approach towards their children, ensuring that they have a safe, stable environment filled with love, care and support. In their children’s younger years, Defenders’ patience comes in very handy as well, as their children learn to become more independent and self-deterministic, testing any limit they can find.

Seeing the World in Its True Light

It is this transition though, from the utter dependence of infants, to the insatiable exploration of toddlers and young children, to the rejection of authority of adolescents that Defenders are taken by surprise.

Very traditional personality types, Defenders accept historic standards, with clearly defined roles as parents and children. They view their role, and often rightly so, as the imparter of their own wisdom and values, ensuring that their children understand the importance of dedication and responsibility.

What many Defender parents may not realize is that more independent children often reject the seemingly overbearing love and support that make Defender personalities such wonderful parental figures. They wish to determine their own values and make their own choices, and Defenders’ good intentions can make them feel like every aspect of their lives is sealed off and controlled. All the while, Defender parents must ensure that more dependent children, who are willing to lean on all of this care and support rather than rebel against it, do not take these admirable qualities for granted, neglecting their own independence entirely.

Do Right, Even if We Suffer in so Doing

Defenders are uncomfortable when their children don’t behave as expected, and oftentimes more insightful children see, and sometimes exploit, this potential weakness with tantrums and mind games. It takes a strong will for Defenders to put their foot down and teach clear and reasonable boundaries and values, while at the same time affording their children the freedom to grow and develop on their own.

Parenting is not easy for any personality type, not if they’re doing it right, but Defenders do have the advantage of not just being caring, but being thoughtful and responsible in how they administer that care. Often seen as ideal parents, people with the Defender personality type are able to be there for their children, but to also know that there’s more to people than meets the eye, and to respect those differences – if not always to understand them.

DEFENDER CAREERS

In many ways, Defenders are the backbone of the modern workforce. Altruistic and well-rounded, no other personality type is so well-suited to be of service of others. It is no surprise that many Defenders are not just good at supporting their coworkers and customers in human resources and support positions, they genuinely enjoy it, as it gives them the chance to calm frustrations, see things through to a practical solution, and to be thanked, appreciated, at the close of each ordeal.

Be Humble and Earnest

Defenders are skilled at remembering things about others which makes them not only valuable assistants, but well-liked colleagues. People with the Defender personality type can always be counted on to remember a birthday, a graduation, or simply a frequent customers’ name, and that can make all the difference. Add to these amiable qualities Defenders’ meticulousness, hard work and dedication, and it’s no surprise that their careers often progress smoothly, with few of the ups and downs that accompany more high-flying types.

However, Defenders are unlikely to actively seek out managerial positions, and are still more unlikely to brag about their accomplishments. Defender personalities prefer to be rewarded by seeing first-hand the positive impact of their efforts, and will remain enthusiastic simply knowing that what they do is genuinely appreciated by the people they care for. This makes them natural counselors, technical support, and interior designers, where they are able to help others one-on-one without having to worry about corporate politics.

Whether they seek promotion or not it happens often enough, as Defenders’ ability to implement ideas and “create order from chaos” is bound to make an impression.

Respecting tradition and security, Defenders have no problem with the idea of moving along in a structured hierarchy, and while they may not always seek out these managerial positions, they fill them well. Defenders are well-tuned to others’ emotions and have a strong sense of practicality, extending their own ability to get things done to their teams.

Where Defenders struggle is in generating new ideas and in grasping abstract concepts – fields like academic research and corporate strategy are too intangible and too impersonal to utilize Defenders’ strengths. Similar challenges arise in more typical careers when changes are forced through by Defenders’ employers – advance warning and a proper explanation can help to smooth the shock, but if the changes cut back on things like the quality of customer service, it can feel like a betrayal in the face of their loyalty and dedication.

Live Pleasantly and Do Good

Strong, well-developed institutions alongside like-minded friends are attractive workplaces for people with the Defender personality type, and careers as nurses, elementary school teachers and social and religious workers are attractive options. Sometimes the desire to help others is enough in itself – it’s not uncommon to find Defenders volunteering and helping the community at shelters, food banks and their children’s schools. Defenders are warm, service-oriented people, and hardly anyone is more welcome in these (and many, many other) roles.

DEFENDERS IN THE WORKPLACE

Whether subordinates, colleagues or managers, Defenders share the goal of putting good service and dedication above all else. Whether helping customers directly, helping coworkers get projects finished on time or helping teams keep organized and productive, people with the Defender personality type can always be relied on for their kindness and ability to listen to concerns, and to find ways to resolve them. Win-win situations are Defenders’ bread and butter, and no one takes quite the same pleasure in finding satisfying resolutions to day-to-day challenges.

Defender Subordinates

As subordinates, Defenders exemplify the strength of humble dedication. Relied on and respected for their patience and commitment, Defender personalities really only seek one reward for their work: the satisfaction of knowing that whoever they helped feels heartfelt thanks. On the other hand, this humbleness can hold them back – Defenders are quite unwilling to advertise their achievements, often for fear of creating unnecessary friction, which makes it too easy for them to be overlooked when opportunities come along.

Defenders are people of incredible loyalty, often trying to follow favored managers to new positions and locations. This contrasts with their usual feelings on change which, if it compromises their principles (as cutbacks to customer care might), is met with stress and unhappiness. Though perfectly capable of accepting change, Defenders must feel that it’s for the right reasons. If a policy change results in disappointed customers, Defenders take it very personally.

Defender Colleagues

Among their colleagues, people with this personality type seek a frictionless environment, a spirit of friends helping friends to get the job done. Close-knit and supportive teams are what Defenders enjoy most, allowing them to express their altruistic spirit among people who rely on their dedication and warmth. Defenders are natural networkers, but they use this skill to keep things running smoothly, not as a tool for professional advancement.

These qualities can be drawbacks though, as Defenders’ aversion to conflict and desire to help can be abused by less scrupulous colleagues. Instead of only asking help when they need it, some may ask for help when they just don’t feel like working hard, knowing that their Defender colleagues have a hard time saying no. The result is that Defenders can become overburdened and stressed, and it takes a few good workplace friends to put pressure on these less savory characters in order to maintain balance.

Defender Managers

While management isn’t necessarily at the top of Defenders’ list of goals, it is a natural progression as their hard work and good people skills are recognized over the years. Oftentimes they don’t actually enjoy managing others, but this can be one of their greatest strengths – as managers, Defenders are warm, approachable and great listeners. Having no real desire to issue authoritarian dictates from some high tower, Defender personalities prefer to work alongside their subordinates, organizing people and minimizing conflict.

This helps them to create personal relationships with their subordinates, to be friends in the workplace who simply have different sets of responsibilities. While they may be slow to accept some changes, they are great at helping their teams put them into practice once they’ve been agreed on. Defenders may be too sensitive to be fully executive material, but they make exemplary floor and office managers who know what it takes to satisfy their customers.

DEFENDER PERSONALITY – CONCLUSION

Few personality types are as practical and dedicated as Defenders. Known for their reliability and hard work, Defenders are good at creating and maintaining a secure and stable environment for themselves and their loved ones. Defenders’ dedication is invaluable in many areas, including their own personal growth.

Yet Defenders can be easily tripped up in areas where their kind and practical attitude is more of a liability than an asset. Whether it is navigating interpersonal conflicts, confronting unpleasant facts, pursuing self-realization, or managing your workload, you need to put in a conscious effort to develop your weaker traits and additional skills.

[after-avenging-hours]

Leaf Pile: Dad!Bucky x Reader

This is for @promarvelfangirl‘s Fall 2K writing challenge.  Woo!!!! Congrats!

This fic features Sampson, my oc for your and Bucky’s kid.  Previous fics include:  Namesake /  Bad Dreams /  Snowman /  Puppy

Word count: 1536

Warnings: None, cuteness overload

“Now, Mom?” your son eagerly questions, shifting from foot to foot in barely contained excitement.

“Not yet…” you laugh lightly, providing him the same response you have been for the last 20 minutes.

The steady thwack of Sarge’s tail beats against Sampson’s leg, the chocolate lab and young boy staring intently through the back sliding door.  The two are positively buzzing with pent up energy, you’re surprised they’ve actually managed to be patient this long.

Through the glass, the three of you watch Bucky rake up the last few leaves across the lawn, toward the massive pile at the base of the large maple tree.  He’s certainly a sight, hair pulled back and tied at the base of his neck, a red flannel stretched across his wide shoulders and dark wash jeans hugging his thighs.  It could still sometimes take you by surprise to come to the realization that such a fine specimen of the human race had chosen you as a life partner.  But Bucky never failed to remind you just how much he loved you, every day.  It could warm you even on the coldest of nights.

“Now…?” Sampson asks again.

You watch as Bucky releases a long breath, wiping his brow with the back of his right hand. Flipping the rake around, he sets the blunt end on the ground, using it to lean against slightly as he admires his handy work.

“Okay, now,” you give your permission with a mischievous grin.

Sampson has the door thrown to the side in seconds, a whoosh of crisp autumn air invading the heat of the house.  “Charge!!!” he screams loudly as he dashes down the porch steps, Sarge hot on his heels.

Bucky looks up in surprise at the outburst, moments before his hard work goes scattering in all directions as his son and the dog dive straight into the pile of freshly raked leaves. He sighs dejectedly, letting his head hang to briefly mourn over the loss of the momentarily-clean yard.

His crystalline gaze shifts to you, narrowing at the Cheshire grin spread across your face as you move to lean against the railing of the porch.  He makes his way toward you, that certain strut in his step that typically intimidates his enemies, however only manages to make your blood hot when directed toward you.

He leans the rake against the porch rail before he climbs the steps.  “You think you’re pretty hilarious, don’t you, Mrs. Barnes?”

Your grin somehow manages to grow further, “Why I don’t know what you mean, Mr. Barnes.”

He continues forward until he’s crowding into your space, chest to chest, nose to nose.  You feel the wooden rail digging into your back as you attempt to lean away from him.  His breath warms your cheeks, just has the heat coming off his body permeates your knitted sweater.  “I think you know exactly what I mean.”

You meet his challenging gaze with a gentle laugh, your eyes glowing with amusement.  “I might.”

He shakes his head at you, some humor seeping into his visage, “You’re damn lucky you’re cute.”

You release a low hum, wrapping your arms around him and dipping your hands into the back pockets of his jeans.  “I’ve been known to use that to my advantage.”

His gaze heats up, nostrils flaring as his eyes flicker down to your lips.  Moments later, his mouth has slanted over yours.  Your son’s laughter and Sarge’s excited barks slowly fade to the back of your mind as everything Bucky begins to take over your senses. His nose is cold when it brushes against yours, having spent the better part of an hour outside already.  The few strands of hair that frame his face tickles your cheeks.  His tongue moves forward, swiping against your lower lip, and you have to fight the loud moan that wants to break free.  Sampson may be distracted as of this moment, but he’s been growing less and less fond of your and Bucky’s public displays of affection.  To draw his attention, would mean the kiss would have to end, and you weren’t quite ready for that.

However, apparently Sampson wasn’t the only one distracted.  Bucky’s cybernetic arm is wrapped securely around your waist, holding your body firmly to his.  With the intensity of his kiss filling your senses, you don’t notice the way his other hand is reaching for a leaf, settled on the railing just next to you.

The crunch of the dried leaf in his palm has barely registered in your ears before he’s pressing the palm of his hand to your hair and begins rubbing the fragments in, creating a tangled mess in seconds.

You jerk out of his hold, eyes wide in shock.  “Bucky!” Reaching a hand back, you can feel the pieces of dried leaf sticking to your strands.

He bursts into laughter.

Narrowing your gaze into a glare, you react quickly and without thought.  You swipe your hand over the rail, grabbing a generous amount of leaves.  You crunch them into a fist and dart forward, promptly shoving your hand down the front of Bucky’s jeans and releasing them.

“Holy-” Bucky’s laughter cuts off immediately as he jumps around slightly in an attempt to ease the scratchiness of the leaves in his pants.

Your mouth goes slack, and hand eventually coming up to cover it as you look at your husband in shock. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I just did that!” you exclaim, your mind finally catching up with your actions.

His eyes darken dangerously as he stills.  “Oh, you better run, sweetheart.”

You don’t have to be told twice.  You scurry down the steps, glancing over your shoulder, you watch him easily vault over the rail.  A startled shriek escapes you and you try to move faster.  You know that you’re not really a match for him, but you try to get away anyways.

You’ve barely made it to the tree when suddenly Sarge is bounding excitedly at your feet.  You yelp in surprise, trying to slow down or figure out how to step around him.  “Oof!” you huff feeling Bucky’s arm hook around your waist, before the world tilts and you both go down.

Bucky turns to take the brunt of the fall, before rolling over and pinning your body beneath his.  “Now, that really hadn’t been very nice, my dear wife.  I think some payback is in order,” he grins sinisterly.

“You started it!” you protest, struggling to get out from beneath him.

He releases a low chuckle. “Yeah, and I’ll finish it too.”

You release an odd combination of laughter and screams as you try and fail to stop Bucky’s onslaught.  He scoops handfuls of leaves, crunching them in his fists and sprinkling them all over you.  In retaliation, you try to scoop handfuls of your own leaves and shove them anywhere you can; down his shirt, even more down his pants, smashing them into his hair, too.

“Dog pile!” you both hear the shout moments before getting body slammed by your son.

You and Bucky laugh, forgetting your war with each other as your hands move to shield your faces from Sarge’s tongue, who is more than happy to make his presence known to anyone within licking distance.  The four of you tussle on the ground together, throwing leaves at each other while laughter fills the air.

A truce is soon formed as you all grow breathless, permanent smiles painted across your faces.

“Mom, can we have hot cocoa, now?” Sampson asks, from where he’s laid out on his back, chest heaving for breath.

You laugh between your pants, “Sure, baby.  But wipe all the leaves off Sarge, before you go in.  I don’t want that tracked all over the house.”

“Okay,” he agrees, slowly moving himself to his feet.  “Come on, Sarge.”

Sitting up, you watch him leave until the sliding door is shut behind him.  You then turn to Bucky.  He’s laid out next to you, his arms tucked back behind his head.  “What?” you ask with a smile when you see him gazing up at you.

“Nothin,” he responds with a slight shake of his head, a smile curling at his own lips.

“I’m sorry I shoved leaves down your pants,” you tell him.

He chuckles, moving to sit up as well.  “No, you’re not.”  Your cheeky grin is all the confirmation he needs.  He releases another sigh when he looks around at the state of the yard.  “Do I really have to clean all this up again?”

“Tomorrow,” you tell him. “And Sampson will help.  I said he could play in the leaves today if he promised to help you clean them tomorrow.”

“Can I just make him do it all?” Bucky asks, smiling innocently.

You laugh and shake your head.  “No, Bucky.”

He pouts before moving to stand.  “Okay, I need to get out of these damn pants before I die from itchiness.”  He walks hurriedly, if a little awkwardly, back to the house.

You laugh freely and soon follow.  You know it’s going to be a nightmare to get all the leaf fragments out of your hair, but you’re too happy right now to care.

[fionabasil]

How do users know that Herpesyl Supplement will work for their needs?

What are the first signs of a bad liver?

Any damage or malfunction of an organ or tissue has an almost immediate impact on the harmony of our body, which begins to send signals to our attention. In this article, you will learn about the symptoms that indicate that you should cleanse your liver.

The liver is the largest organ in our body on the inside and one of the most important. Located in the upper right part of the abdomen, it has several functions, including the removal of waste and toxins in the blood, the production of bile that aids in digestion, and the secretion of various hormones and enzymes.

But when the liver is damaged by an unhealthy diet, excessive alcohol consumption or other diseases such as cirrhosis, hepatitis or steatosis, many of the symptoms appear. It is convenient to pay attention to these symptoms that indicate that your liver needs to be cleansed.

Symptoms that indicate that you should purify the liver

Age, weight, or whether we are very healthy on the outside are not important, the liver can have one or more conditions and only some symptoms can reveal that we already need to purify it and improve liver function. The importance of having the liver in good health is essential for our entire body, in addition to helping us feel good, it also helps prevent many diseases, including those that also affect the gallbladder.

The liver can be affected in many ways, and most of the time it happens from a poor diet and acquired bad habits, for example, regular consumption of refined sugar, foods that were not processed well, overload of toxins, and more. All of this can lead to the following symptoms that warn of an imminent liver cleanse to improve health.

Chronic fatigue

A chronic and persistent state of fatigue is also one of the most telling signs of a damaged liver. Not getting to eliminate toxins in a more efficient way, will cause them to accumulate in the liver, producing overwork and a general state of fatigue. One of its main causes is liver dysfunction, however, it can also be caused by other conditions that require attention and a timely evaluation to determine its origin.

Loss of appetite

It is also one of the most telling signs of liver damage. So if you lose your desire to eat, or if you feel full after a small snack, it is recommended to consult, especially if your loss of appetite is accompanied by significant weight loss. Perhaps behind these symptoms is the alarm that indicates that it is imminent to purify the liver.

Digestive problems

When the liver is damaged, the production of bile becomes insufficient, which hinders the digestion process and favors the appearance of digestive problems such as nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea.

Bloating and bloating after meals, along with the apparent inability to lose weight regardless of diet or exercise, are possible indicators of liver dysfunction.

Change in color of urine

Orange, amber, or brown urine can be due to high levels of bilirubin. The latter is a yellow pigment that results from the natural breakdown of hemoglobin and is generally eliminated by the liver. But when you are unable to do it properly, bilirubin is excreted in your urine.

Depression and mood swings

An intoxicated liver can be the catalyst for various forms of depression. It can generate a general bad mood, feelings of despair and occasional outbursts of anger can be caused when the liver is overloaded, revealing that we need to purify it urgently if we want to regain control of our emotions.

Many people do not realize that proper liver function plays a significant role in emotional health. The annoyances of a bad day are one thing, but chronic mood swings accompanied by a lack of physical energy are another.

Symptoms of herpes usually develop within 2 to 20 days after contact with the virus, although it could take longer. These symptoms may last up to several weeks, varying from one person to the next. In many people, the first infection is so mild that it goes unnoticed. It is possible that a person becomes aware of the “first episode” years after the infection is acquired. Many people who contract HSV are not aware of their infection.

If symptoms occur during the first outbreak, they can be quite pronounced. The symptoms can be very severe as many have shared their experiences on this site. Some people couldn’t walk, were in bed for days, having excruciating pain radiating down their legs with weakness and flu-like symptoms. Others didn’t even know they were infected. Herpesyl Supplement

[dreddymd]

The Dangers of Sugar and the Importance of Healthy Sugar Substitutes

Sugar is sold abundantly in every food shop in the world and is often not acknowledged as the aging health criminal that it is. Sugar is responsible for an astonishing amount of physical and mental suffering. So many illnesses are caused by carbohydrates sugar overload, while many others are certainly made worse by it. Health problems that are associated with sugar intolerance include attention deficit disorder, mood swings, headaches, insomnia, emotional outbursts, cystitis, eczema, diabetes… and premature aging.

Sugary foods quickly elevate blood sugar which causes an insulin release that increases stored body fat and the release of pro-inflammatory, cell damaging chemicals that accelerate aging, as well as heart disease, some types of cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and many more diseases.

Sugar is Highly Aging

If you really want to look and feel young for as long as possible, then cutting out carbohydrates sugar, or at least limiting your intake is advisable.

Sugar causes free radicals that oxidize fats which form plaque deposits in our arteries, leading to disease and aging.

This toxic substance damages molecules and creates advanced glycation end-products, or AGEs. AGEs damage collagen in skin, cartilage, and ligaments and promote a loss of elasticity. In simple terms, sugar causes wrinkles and sagging skin in addition to what it does to the internal organs and all of the other negative side effects.

Sugar Addiction

Sugar is incredibly addictive. Many alcoholics trade their alcohol addiction for a sugar addiction.

Healthy Sugar Substitutes:

* Date syrup or date sugar (not sugar at all) is made from dates, so it contains all the vitamins, minerals and fiber of the fruit. It can be used in equal parts as a direct substitute for sugar, especially in baking. It is metabolized slowly so it does not cause energy highs and lows. Use this in your recipes for a detox diet.

* Agave nectar is a natural juice extracted from agave, the same plant that’s processed into tequila. Agave nectar does not cause dramatic blood sugar fluctuations so energy levels remain more consistent. It is 42 percent sweeter than white sugar, so less is needed in recipes. It goes beautiful with health enhancing super foods.

* Xylitol is a widely approved sweetener; even people with diabetes can put this on their healthy food list since it doesn’t create for people with diabetes a sugar intolerance. It is extracted from natural sources such as fruits and vegetables. Xylitol is a great tasting bulk sweetener with 40% less calories than sugar. The best part is that it is actually known to reduce the incidence of tooth decay and offer protection against cavities.

* Stevia is a South American herb that has been used as a sweetener by the Guarani Indians of Paraguay for hundreds of years. It has a delicious and refreshing taste that can be 30 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia is calorie-free and doesn’t upset blood sugar levels. In fact, it can actually assist in regulating blood-sugar levels.

Sheryl Walters

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