#because he still doesn't know its true function or capabilities

[askblueandviolet]

Hey Macaque, how does the shadow lantern work?

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[lassieposting]

Been thinkin about Astarion + vampire biology so have some headcanons and the bits of game lore they're based on

Dialogue establishes that Cazador has been successfully passing himself off as a regular noble for centuries, and Astarion confirms that while he's considered a bit reclusive, he does mingle with the upper class of Baldur's Gate and has a property specifically for hosting fancy events.

Vampires are camouflage predators, whose primary hunting strategy is to blend in with their prey until the perfect time to strike. Their ecological niche is not a particularly safe or stable one - they live hidden in plain sight, usually in sizeable cities, for easy access to prey, but they know that if they are discovered they will be rooted out and killed or driven away. They are rarely able to get away with attacking in public, where city guards might rush to the aid of a screaming victim - they have to isolate their target before killing it. The ability to blend in, to be overlooked by their target, until it is too late is essential.

Cazador is, as far as we know, the only true vampire in Baldur's Gate

This is because true vampires are aggressively territorial. Like most apex predators, they eat a lot, and need substantial territories to support them - even moreso if they have a partner or spawns. Ascendant!Astarion would need to hold onto the entire city, as Cazador did, to be able to feed himself and Tav without raising suspicion.

True vampires are relatively rare, but there are more of them than there are cities, so it's not uncommon for one to set up in an occupied city and try to oust the sitting resident. The challenger usually believes himself to be as strong or stronger than the current tenant: these territorial disputes usually end in at least one death, so they're not to be entered into lightly.

Astarion is very obviously a vampire: his fangs are visible, as are his bite scars; he's so pale multiple people comment on it; his eyes are red, etc.

Astarion is not a healthy vampire.

This is a man who has been kept on the knife's edge of starvation and tortured regularly for 200 years, and to another vampire, that would be clear from the state of him: Astarion is a camouflage predator who is so malnourished he is no longer able to blend in.

Tav will get an up-close look at his transformation over the course of the game and during the years afterwards: the more healthy and well-fed Astarion becomes, as his body catches up on its immense energy deficit and begins to recover, the better he will be able to mimic a living elf. His skin will be able to bleed, or blush, or bruise, none of which he's capable of while actively starving. Hia fangs will retract until he needs them, not invisible but less obvious - having them out all the time is a response to severe deprivation; he's so hungry his body can't risk losing prey to the split second it takes Cazador to snatch a rat back, so he's permanently in bite mode, hyperaware, ready to strike. Some body functions will come online that he didn't even know he had, the ones that are supposed to help him blend in - his eyes will start producing pigment to look darker, less scarlet and more burgundy, to be more easily mistaken for brown; his lungs will make him breathe automatically even though he doesn't need it, he'll start being able to eat normal food without getting sick again, though he still won't get any nourishment from it; he'll heal faster. He'll even be able to get drunk, though he'll burn through it very quickly. As it stands, all those extra systems have been shut down by his starving body - they're useful, but nonessential, and he needs every single bit of energy funnelled into just keeping him alive and functional.

There is probably an intentional bit of psychological warfare against the spawns on Cazador's part here - him starving them strips them of their natural defences, and every time he makes them leave the mansion to hunt, they have to do so knowing that they're poorly hidden and vulnerable. But it's established that true vampires treating their spawn poorly or outright abusing them is A Thing, so it's not the only reason - he sees them as property rather than people, he keeps them weak so they won't plot against him, he's acting out his own trauma from Vellioth on them, he just wants to - but it does feed into it.

Astarion can, at one point, identify old blood as belonging to the player character. He also gets excited at another point if an enemy character runs away, stating, "Now it's a hunt."

He says that "even stale, [he'd] recognise that bouquet anywhere." This confirms a few things for us:

He has a vastly superior sense of smell capable of identifying individuals by scent and - since he can tell who the blood belongs to even after some time has passed - following scent trails.

This confirms that although city-dwelling vampires may primarily hunt via luring a victim to a secondary location before killing it, they still have the "stalk down and chase" predator instinct. Since Astarion can't lure wildlife anywhere, this is almost certainly how he's been hunting to supplement his diet when he's not using the player as his personal caprisun.

The fact that he can scent out prey before killing it means he has this ability all the time - he can smell blood while it's still safely inside the owner's body.

So scent is probably relevant to how vampires process the world. The more time each companion spends with him, the more he gets used to their scent, starts associating it more with safety and camaraderie than with a potential meal, and so he becomes more relaxed around them. As he learns to link the player's scent with love and comfort and trust, the more likely he is to retreat to their tent over his own when he's injured or afraid or having a trauma moment. When he's fond of someone, something of theirs will go conveniently missing - he's moving their scent into his little safe space, it's comforting for him. He can tell when his lover is hurt or aroused or frightened - though not which of the three applies - from a distance, because his sense of smell can pick up the spike of adrenaline rushing into their bloodstream.

But that also means that he can never feel like he's got any distance from Cazador while he's living in the mansion - even if the man isn't in the same room, the entire place reeks of him, and it makes Astarion feel like Cazador is breathing down his neck all the same. Ascendant Astarion would have a really, really hard time sticking it out in that mansion with stale Eau de Cazador all over the place. It means that he's put instantly on edge by the faint scent of one of his siblings as he walks through the lower city - when seven vicious, territorial apex predators are confined to a single small dormitory, several hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, fights are going to be nasty and frequent, and although Cazador wouldn't allow them to kill each other, considering how many of his siblings refer to him as weak or a runt, Astarion probably didn't win them very often. So. Having a highkey advanced sense of smell is a mixed bag.

[sunsetsover]

I'm asking you because I like reading your opinions, this is about kantbison before the beach ep: I've been thinking how can you love someone when you don't trust them? kant was supposedly head over heels for bison but he was very scared of him. What are your thoughts?

oh i'm so flattered to hear you like reading my opinions !! and i'm so sorry it took me so long to get to this ask !! and also i'm so grateful you sent me this meaty ass question to sink my teeth into, i'm sorry if i went off the deep end a lil but i LOVE thinking about things like this !! it opens up such a philosophical can of worms in my brain is probably not at all what you wanted or expected but i have to live my truth, i hope you understand <3

so in my view, you very much can love someone without trusting them. you can love someone without even liking them. you can love someone and treat them like shit. you can love someone and have nothing to do with them at all. this is bc, as far as i see it, love as a feeling and love as an action and love as a relationship (of any kind) are three different, separate, distinct things that don't necessarily overlap. in order to have a functional, healthy relationship all three need to be in alignment ofc, but love in and of itself as an emotion and feeling we have for someone/something can and does exist in isolation from literally everything else. it's why we can still love someone who a bad person, who treats us badly, or why we can love someone and still treat them badly. it's why we can love people who aren't there anymore, or stop loving people who are still in our lives, loving us. love the feeling and love the action aren't the same thing.

which kind of opens up into a bigger conversation about unconditional love, right? like some people believe in unconditional love and some think it's not actually possible - love always has conditions. i disagree. i think unconditional love is real, but i think people don't know how to recognise the difference between love the feeling and love the action and love as a relationship, or if they do then they don't know how to differentiate where one ends and another begins. so it becomes a whole thing of like 'well unconditional love can't exist while still having boundaries or limits' but that's not true. just because you love someone doesn't mean you have to put up with any kind of bullshit behaviour. putting in boundaries or even cutting someone out of your life completely doesn't negate love the feeling. you can love someone unconditionally and never want to see them again in your life because those are two separate things.

and that circles back to your question: how can kant love bison when he doesn't trust him? how can he love someone he's scared of? and my answer is that love the feeling exists outside of logic and sense. bc you're right - logically kant had no reason to love bison. sure bison was pretty and fun to be around and great in bed, but he's also a murderer. he's a hitman. he's violent. he's capable of things beyond comprehension. kant is very, very aware of all of that. and even more than all of that, kant knows bison is his ticket to freedom. logic dictates that you don't fall in love with the man standing between you and your - and more importantly, your baby brother's - future. kant loving bison jeapordises everything he worked so hard for. it puts his and babe's life at risk in every sense of the word. who tf is gonna fall in love with bison, knowing all of that?

but love exists outside the realm of logic. you can't reason with love. you can't sit love down and go 'no, not him, it can't be him, anyone but him'. if you could i'm sure everyone's lives would be so much easier, and our hearts would be a lot less damaged. but we can't. love does what it wants. in a lot of ways humans are completely at the mercy of love (or its lack), and i could go on a whole nother tangent about that but i'll spare you that one lmao. but my point is this: kant loved bison because he couldn't help it. he tried so, so hard not to, but you can control love about as well as you can control the sea, which is to say you can't. kant did love bison, and he did it because he had no choice. if he did, he never would have chosen bison.

BUT although love the feeling kind of exists in isolation, we as people don't. and so although kant couldn't help but fall in love with bison, he's also not an idiot. he knows it's stupid and dangerous. he knows bison isn't to be trusted. he knows exactly what bison is capable of, what he could do to him and to babe if he found out the truth. just bc your logical brain has no say in what love does, that doesn't mean it stops functioning. so yeah kant falls more in love w bison with every moment they spend together, but that doesn't stop the alarm bells ringing in his head going STOP! DANGER! ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID! kant knows he's stupid. he expresses that he's stupid for feeling the way he does about bison. but he also knows he can't help it. which is why he was so desperate (and by extension reckless) about finishing the job and getting away from bison asap. he knew what was happening, and he knew he couldn't stop it from happening unless someone or something else stopped it for him.

and so you end up with kant, falling head over heels with bison, and yet not trusting him either. kant who loves bison and is still deeply scared of him. yknow?

i hope this made sense and answered your question at least a little bit. i realise i took a bit of a detour to get to my point but i feel like in order to explain my thought process properly i had to kind of explain my philosophy on love. which is probably overkill but i hope it gave you some food for thought at least ! and thank you again for coming to me w this, it was so much fun to chew on <3

[roz-ani]

As someone who was absolutely thriving while watching episode 5 and being a huge fan of Alastor being a dad/mentor/godfather figure to Charlie, I think one thing needs to be made clear: Alastor doesn't see her as his daughter. He is, however, meant to slowly warm up to the idea of the Hotel and to the people living it. The thing that holds the audience back from fully grasping that idea is the show's pacing. As Al continues to be the best-written character in the show, I wanted to focus more on his motivation and actions in light of the events of episode 5, while also being aware of how much work the audience has to do to fill in the gaps created by the show's writing.

As fun and entertaining as the idea of Charlie and Alstor having this kind of bond is, it is not without its flaws.

Where did this idea of Al being supportive of Charlie's idea even come from? Obviously, the pilot. The Radio Demon shows up at the doorstep and offers his aid. He claims he's doing it for himself, but hey, he's still helping, right? Well, technically. The moment the Princess asks him if he believes in her cause, he laughs it off. He doesn't support her dream and does not necessarily want to make the Hotel work in the sense that he would like to see it succeed. Alastor is fully convinced it's a lost cause - hard work that doesn't pay off. He wants to see it function. He wants ongoing entertainment in the form of sinners failing to redeem themselves. Well, he doesn't get to watch that much if you look at how much redeeming there's actually going on it the show.

He provides the staff, renovates the building, even gives it its official name, and agrees to make the commercial to promote the establishment. The only issue he has with the last thing is the form of the promotion. If Charlie asked for a radio advertisement, he would definitely go out of his way to make it appealing. Would it actually work? Who knows? Probably not much, and we need to remember that no one can be forced or manipulated to stay at the Hotel.

Let's stop here for a moment, though. Now that we know that someone (Lilith... or maybe Eve, but let's leave that for another post) has Alastor on a leash, we can take a different look at the Demon offering Vaggie his help with the commercial. He was most likely sent to help with the establishment because Lilith does want to see Charlie's idea work. Alastor's contract most likely requires him to help and protect Lilith's daughter. Still, he wants to do it on his own terms. So the only requirement he makes is that he will not be involved with television in the future, even if it would help the cause.

Here we face our first problem. This is everything he does for the Hotel in the show. There is literally nothing more we see him do due to the limited number of episodes. We don't even see Charlie and Alastor talk. The last time they had a proper conversation was in the pilot.

Now, here we can notice what made people see Alastor as Charlie's father/mentor figure. In the pilot episode, and especially during his song number, Alastor goes out of his way to touch Charlie and even dances with her. He makes the building look more appealing, showing the owner he's capable of making her dream come true. He does that again episode 5.

Vivzie did say they have a good relationship. The Radio Demon actually likes Charlie's personality and appreciates her artistic talents. Unfortunately, we don't see it in the show itself. We just fill this gap by ourselves. If you want to understand better, put yourself in the shoes of a person who only saw the pilot, which is becoming less and less canon now, and immediately started watching the show without any behind-the-scenes information. Ask your friends to watch this show, like I did, and you'll see what the issue is.

But back to the main topic. Personally, I see Alasto as more of Charlie's (fairy) godfather. Just like the fairy in Cinderella's story, Alastor uses his powers to make the protagonist's dreams come true. He fulfills her requests, like the commercial, but adds his own twists, like the Hotel's name and the deal with Vaggie. I still remember he doesn't actually care about the cause, but it's still entertaining to see him working. Well, again, it would be, because we don't really see him doing that in the show itself.

So, time passes and Lucifer shows up. Now, if looks could kill, this episode would last less than 5 minutes. Alastor IMMEDIATELY hates Hell's boss. His eye starts twitching the moment he hugs Charlie. I would even argue the way he smiles while observing the preparations is much more sinister. He knows who's coming and he doesn't like it.

It doesn't take long before these two start their petty argument. I've seen people come up with a few main ideas for Al's pettiness towards Lucifer:

He hates that yet another power figure didn't recognise him. Partially. We know that Alastor's ego can be easily hurt. He's been gone for seven years and still thinks he's all that. Sure, he's still powerful, and he proves that in the episode, but he's not as relevant as he thinks he is. There is one issue with that argument, though. This is the first time these two meet, and Alastor shows his aversion to Lucifer the moment he arrives. I would say Charlie's father not recognising the Radio Demon just adds insult to the injury.

Alastor had an abusive father, and he hates Lucifer for acting similarly. Possibly. If we want to fill the gaps ourselves again or treat it as a headcanon. We don't know much about Al's childhood, only that he had a good relationship with his mother. If that is the case, we have yet to see it in the show.

Lucifer is the reason why Alastor is on Lilith's leash. Now, that's more likely. My guess is that after losing to Vox, Al made a deal with Lilith and the two of them were gone for 7 years. We have yet to learn what they were doing, but Lilith eventually sent the Radio Demon to help her daughter, while he saw his return as a chance to reestablish his position in Hell's hierarchy. Now, one could argue that was not necessarily hinted at in the episode as well, and I do agree. Yet, I do believe this is the most likely answer, as it would fit the plot and is the most likely part of Al's character to be explored in the future.

Alastor sees Lucifer as a threat to his work/an obstacle. That's an idea that popped into my head recently, and it's strongly connected to the previous theory. Alastor definitely knew that Charlie's dad was… not very supportive of her work. If he somehow managed to dissuade her, it would mean the Demon failed to fulfil his task/hold his end of the deal. It would not only absolutely ruin his ego but also have contract-related consequences.

I think we may explore this issue the future if the show is given a chance to do so. For now, I believe it's safe to say that the main reason for Alastor's aversion is his contract and personality.

But why the pettiness? Why the whole act about being Charlie's biggest supporter? Because Alastor is petty. His ego is quite fragile. We saw that when Carmilla dismissed his return or when Husk warned him about Mimzy. Just like Lucifer, he doesn't believe in Charlie's cause, but Lucifer makes Alastor's aversion even stronger by just straight-up insulting him and his work.

And if Al is willing to send a guy flying because of a coat (that's already torn at the bottom mind you), he's absolutely going to put such a person in their place. The thing is, he can't. Not in this case. We're talking about the King of Hell. Despite his mental state, he's still more powerful than any overlord. We can joke about Vox wishing to have this kind of rivalry with Alastor, but we do see the Radio Demon and the Fallen Anger going head-to-head during their song number. But if Lucifer is so powerful, how can Alastor "beat" him? Simple, by manipulation.

Here we come to the whole father-daughter relationship issue. Everything Alastor does and says is intended to piss off Lucifer. He keeps touching Charlie and talks to her in a way we have only seen during the song number in the pilot. While he does that, he gives her biological father a sinister look any chance he gets. "See? I'm winning. I can give her whatever she wants. In her eyes, I'm just like you if not better."

Now, we need to remember that Charlie is fully aware of Alastor's intentions. She knows he's aiding her for selfish reasons, so why isn't she completely taken aback by his sudden flow of affection and praise? Because it's Charlie we're talking about. In episode 3, she "confessed" that she loves the Hotel residents despite not being that close with them in the first place, and, well, she does have daddy issues. Whenever Alastor looks at her during the song, it feels like he's forcing Charlie to believe what he says and does. The Radio Demon is truly giving the Princess everything her father has failed to provide, and she falls for it. 

Remember, Alastor enjoyed watching children suffer after the Stock Market Crash of 1929. He is not a father material. Mentor? Sure. Father? Definitely not. That's why it feels so weird when he says he wishes he had a child of his own. He has never acted this way toward Charlie. He is willing to say anything to make her and Lucifer believe his intentions because he simply wants to win this argument, and he just happens to be in a position that allows him to exploit other people's insecurities. 

It makes sense, right? It sure does if we apply the suspension of disbelief notion here. Again, we haven't seen Alastor do any of the things he mentions in the song. The last time he and the Princess talked was in the pilot. We just assume they get along. I think this is especially visible when we stop to think about the fight near the end of the episode. Charlie claims Alastor is protecting the Hotel. It definitely looks like it at first, and we could argue that this is something he signed up for. However, Alastor basically admits that for him, this is a chance to show everyone why he still should be feared. He treats this as an opportunity for a power display. Not because he cares about the Hotel. The writers WANT us to believe that's the case by making Alastor send Mimzy away right after the fight is over. Nothing indicates he cares more about the Hotel. That's why people are not sure if we should treat Alastor's talk with Mimzy seriously. 

The show has already done that before, especially in episode 3 with Carmnilla and Vaggie. We know nothing of these two, and we are just supposed to bond with them and understand their way of thinking and actions. Some of that is even in episode 4, when Husk says what everyone's main deal is - Sir Pentious being insecure, Vaggie hating herself, Charlie wanting to resolve other people's problems instead of her own, and Angel Dust putting on an act. We haven't seen any of those people, besides Angel, talk to Husk before, and there was very little time to establish whether all those issues were actually the case. The only reason why we can believe Husk is because we know all that information from the crew, wiki trivia, and because the episode proves Husk was partially right about Angel, whose character act is probably the second-best established one in the show. We know we're meant to fill in the gaps, but there are moments when we're just confused once we turn on critical thinking.

So, Al's argument with Mizmzy is supposed to feel like he's starting to care more about the Hotel because Charlie tells us so and because we can guess that this is most likely Alastor's main character act. Paradoxically, the reason it's not so clear-cut is not just Hazbin Hotel's bad pacing, but Alastor being the best-written character in the show. We learn more and more about him, but there is still some mystery to his motivation. It is never laid out for us like it is with Vaggie (damn, she really is getting the short end of the stick). We're never told, "Hey, this is his deal".

This show is genuinely held back by its format. The writers pick the best, most relevant moments and put them together to create a narrative that ultimately feels incomplete. Interestingly, I think the people who realise it (and are not out there to absolutely tear the show down) are not exactly mad but disappointed. They tend to feel ambivalent or find it hard to care about the characters unless they choose to ignore the missing parts. I believe the show's redeeming qualities, like the voice acting, songs, and its heroes' personalities, make the problems easier to handle, but that doesn't change the fact that it's simply getting more and more frustrating. 

Nowadays, writers are left with two choices: severely changing their story or opting for bad writing/pacing to fulfil their vision. Hazbin Hotel's creators clearly went for the second option. We don't know what exactly was changed because of the budget and the show's format, but the main premise is just not present in the series. We're not observing much redeeming, and the whole deal with Heaven feels like a season 2 plot idea. Are the writers doing their best with what they have? It depends on what we consider "doing your best." Personally, I understand they want to make the series entertaining. They want people to be intrigued and interested in the premise, but the execution is just hopeless. Just because you can do more doesn't mean you should. What looks good on paper is not always going to work in a different medium. Show, don't tell.

You can't expect the audience to fill in the gaps for your sake all the time. What you think is intriguing may be just another reason for people to realise how lacklustre your creation is. 

I know it sounds like I'm just blaming the crew, but I am fully aware that they're not Benioff and Weiss. They would absolutely accept more episodes. Just like with Charlie, their efforts are futile when they're not fully in control. Still, that doesn't change the fact that the final outcome is deeply flawed. As an audience, we can't just keep saying, "Well, they wanted to do more, but the studios didn't let them." Yes, that is the whole problem. Yes, studios shouldn't have so much power over someone's creation. Hazbin Hotel's writers are trying their best, but not with the pacing. They are making everything else redeem the issues with the story progression. While the show is genuinely enjoyable, it is mainly so when you, as a viewer, decide to turn a blind eye to the pacing. When you convince yourself that as long as something fun and plot-relevant happens, the show is well-written. I don't want Hazbin Hotel to be perfect. I want it to realize that some things should be prioritised.

[strawberrykaon]

I think autistic primarchs would present very differently than in a baseline human. Its so much easier to cover up or explain away.

Like if Mortarion goes semi- verbal, he still sounds normal. But very stilted for a primarch. Its different from when I can only maybe say three words at a time. Usually I can only go "I don't know" or "no", or "go away". For him it's still full length sentences, like "I think I just need to be alone now". That can easily be explained to be exhaustion. But in reality he can't vocalize anything more complex right now.

Guilliman has be scripting since a child but no one notices. He just has over 100 scripts memorized for any occasion. Any question or change in the conversation. He already has a script lined up. He's capable of memorizing it. Conversations happen so naturally, you can't even tell the difference.

Even the way they stim can be so different to a baseline. Probably in ways a baseline can't comprehend. Traits like increased pattern recognition are standard in a primarch. All primarchs are far more "higher functioning" than any baseline.

Being behind their brothers developmentally by a few weeks is nothing compared to a baseline. What's walking at two months when most humans are closer to a year old when they start. Sure the other primarchs were walking much sooner. Some right out of the pod. But they often reached adulthood far sooner than any human. What constitutes a development delay to a primarch. If an apothecary can't tell what's a high blood pressure level in Guilliman. How can you tell?

Exhaustion that so many autistic face is so off from a baseline. They need less sleep. They can go through periods without rest for far longer. I think in cases like Mortarion, he can just push through an autistic burnout. Sure he's a bit more irritable, among other things. But hey, the point of a shutdown won't hit him till a few decades later. So therefore he must have high energy levels then even his brothers. Despite the toll on his mental health. Plus their recovery times are far shorter. Guilliman needs just a few days to feel normal after a year long campaign after all. Doesn't matter how he was acting prior. Any strange behavior can be hand waved away.

Mental conditioning can be used to suppress sensory overload. No point in having your super solider curl up screaming because he has super hearing. And you threw him into an active warzone. Lets make sure you can't process that information in way that would harm you. (Plus I think as a rule primarchs have a tendency to be more sensory seeking than sensory avoidant.)

Hell even their positions in the imperial society could make it easier to mask. If Perturabo wants something done in a certain way, you are going to do it that way. You're just some 25 year old iron warrior or serf that needs to follow command. Plus you don't know best compared to a primarch.

Of course they mask in typical ways. Mortarion hasn't rocked when upset since he was young. Because Nacrae told him that he should avoid such weakling behavior. Or still show more obvious traits like Dorn's flatter speaking style. (IDK how true this is but everyone says this and I'm not too familiar with Dorn to say otherwise.)

Also I like to imagine that the Emperor intentionally placed Autism into some of his designer babies. Thinking he could "avoid all the negatives but only gain those traits that would benefit them greatly." Only for his patience to slowly be drained. Like Perturabo having a meltdown while Dorn is trying to get the two of them to work together. But he's lost the ability to mask what little he does. And is just going, "We are to conclude this activity in an hour. I have to calibrate the ships sensors in an hour and half. You have already wasted 10 minutes. We must refocus so we can conclude in an hour..."

The problem start when understanding what's going on under the surface. Or when you start comparing them to their brothers. But hey you're below understanding what a primarch is thinking. And all the primarchs are little off. They're demigods. What makes these one's so different. Doesn't help they themselves won't consider it themselves. Or even be insulted by the implication. I'm not an invalid. Don't be ridiculous.

(I used Perturabo, Dorn, and Guilliman here because they're the common ones head cannoned as autistic. I went with Mortarion as well because I decided to just go with it. I know him the best. Plus this is all just headcannon. Just to be clear. Reasoning being his kids tend to present with a flat personality anyways. Also heard Mortarion was always behind his brothers, so developmental delays?? Idk yet where they got that in lore yet. Trying to get through all the books is a lot. Plus his other strange behaviors. But it could just be poor socialization as a child mixed with mental illness. Could also just be all three too. But more than these four could be autistic is my point. Sorry if this post was rambling or unclear. Or if anyone has done this before. I just wanted to get my thoughts out on the subject.)

[xiii-e]

//Sucker\\

Fellow clone here.

I know how hard it is to fight your conditioning. (hell, I still am) But you have to do it.

there is nothing that makes you anything less than anyone else.

you can't let them saying otherwise stick.

@callsign-sucker

[ECHO.EXE RUNNING]

XIII▸ ... hello again, Caleb. You sound like Helios, did you know? You believe what you're saying, I know that. I hear it whenever he talks, and I see the way your words echo with that conviction. I- in some ways, I am trying. That I am even speaking to you about this exemplifies some of that. I am trying.

XIII▸ I am- hell I'm not even entirely opposed to what you've stated. I cannot contradict higher command, as I was not designed to but that doesn't mean I think they have made good decisions. It... just means I can't tell them that. I haven't been told otherwise, yet. The Armory creates and perpetuates most of its problems, especially the one I was designed to solve. I was created for harm reduction and field repairs. I would not be needed, were it not for the endless expansion of Purview space.

XIII▸ But that is exactly why I must remain where I am. Do you understand me? Do you hear me?

XIII▸ I am a soldier, in many ways, but before I am anything I am a medic. I was designed to be devoid of many key human characteristics for a simple reason; I am designed to replace a fallible human component of the war machine. Well trained medics will always need time away from the front to recover, because of the psychological toll this work takes on anyone with a fully developed sense of personhood. Hence... hence why I am necessary. To fill the gap, left by mandatory leave. Because I am nothing else, I am able to remain at full functionality unless physically damaged beyond acceptable parameters. I exist to save people who have lives, something I can only do because I do not.

XIII▸ I do, fully believe you are worth protecting Caleb. That you are a person is undeniable fact based on observational factors. This is true of Helios-8 as well, despite how others will often address him. I do not believe that clones, flash-created or otherwise, are fundamentally incapable of developing personhood... but I am not. I cannot. That functionality was removed from me, because it had to be, for me to do what I was created for. This work, the work of saving lives and nothing else, would break a person; thus I cannot be capable of being one.

XIII▸ ... there are other reasons, as well. Other happenings that have hollowed this body of anything resembling a soul. But they are not important in the face of what is expected of me; I am the only reason a great many soldiers go home, and these are people who have a home to go back to! I don't. I'm already home, out there.

XIII▸ I-

XIII▸I've said too much, already. I apologise, Caleb I- all I meant to say, is I appreciate the sentiment. I even agree, to some extent. I think you should continue to challenge your programming, as it has clearly resulted in an improvement in quality of life for you. But I... I cannot be like you. I'm sorry.

XIII▸ ...I need to get back to work, soon. My skin feels like it doesn't fit right.

[ XIII-E ]

//

[lullambre]

okay, not to burst some bubbles, but i do LOVE ls!kazam.. i just know it would never work out? like i love the idea of kazam... like... okay, so kazam will never be a healthy thing until kaboodle understands herself or understands how to healthily manage her feelings in regards to her lack of ... guidance? all she has is karmas law to guide her morals and actions, but that's a thing she keeps separated from her "true" self. like some omnipotent thing she can't control (she can) [more below cut... this is a YAP fest now]

and on top of that, her mistreatment (intentional or not) of zam, and even other people around her is so? like okay, lets not get upset she killed a naked jepexx, lets not be stupid, the same thing has happened to her before so she just thinks its a thing that happens, its not right but i'll defend her there.

but her interpersonal relationships really bum me out? i think lskab is vv capable of learning, and her parallel of s4 zam w eclipsefed and zam taking that role for her... like zam grew, and so could they but for now? It's understandable why people dont like lskab, because we dont even know who lskab is... like? what does she stand for? what are her morals? she could say it's karmas law and keeping the server going, but is it?

take for example, mawn. zam and kab both love spawn and want preserve it, constantly rebuilding the homes and builds there, but when mawn came around, while yes zam left bcs he didnt wanna fight mapicc, another reason is bcs zam acknowledged people LIKED mawn. they ENJOYED not dying every time they went to mawn. and zam was unwilling to take that from the server

meanwhile, kab wants to keep spawn active, so she created her own, one that actively rivals mawn not just in name but in status, in activity, in function. and she seems to behave so naively about it? she thinks no one will blow it up, but manepear isn't the only one with access to tnt, and sure, re:spawn is above mawn, but it's the same chunks? if the stone and caves below mawn are still mawn, if zams Island is still mawn, then surely, so is re:spawn? i feel like.. this wasn't thought through very well... and beyond that, it's the fact that kab keeps going, "No one, person should own spawn," but mawn belongs to flame AND mapicc... and to a certain extent? even spoke and jepexx

It's just idk... lskab doesn't think through things vv well because she has a certain belief of how people act, and she thinks they wouldn't defy their expectations. meanwhile, zam is someone who thinks and overthinks every action every word, every look he gives up. its to the point that he gives people the bod because he KNOWS them, while lskab decides to trust immediately and then despise... kab is so .... genuinely interesting?

like i get so annoyed w lskabs mischaracterizations sometimes, but i love that? its so human to expect someone to behave one way and be shocked when they dont. even though i do think lskab and zam could def learn from one another, lskab holds a refreshing pov (being a new player and encouraging zam to build a place for himself [i think?!]) and zam holds very wise advice (for a new player whos going a similar path, zam is a very reliable person rn and a very loyal one too, beyond his paranoia), idk i just think they could be an awesome duo and even though theyre super toxic and fit like a dog and a cat, kazam is vv interesting and i hate that people just dont want to talk about it...

like you either hate lskab or love her, and im like... can we acknowledge her flaws and their misguided nature while also seeing her strengths and kindness and love?? i am talking abt lstwt btw,,, vv scary rn... anyways.. shoutout kazam, i hope they go to prom together and have another falling out bcs, lskab reminds zam why he is so uncomfortable around them!

or ideally, in a perfect world shaped in my image, zam and planet go together since bacon won't take planet.... dandelion duo COME BACK PLEASEEEEEE

[miss-dollette]

Vladimir Makarov x Reader - 18+

TW: rape + murder + victim blaming + Makarov (need I say any more?)

I fully believe Makarov is not capable of true love. I believe he's a psychopath with no regard for human life, and he only sees lovers as possessions.

Note: Just because I write about Rape, doesn't mean I believe it's moral. This is dedicated to @bloodyrussianraven P.S: Sorry if it's a little short, I came up with this quickly.

Tomorrow is Saturday, and it's been three long months since Vladimir disappeared to God knows where. That's just how he was - he never cared to give her a heads-up about his departure, and sometimes she'd wake up to a frigid, desolate bed and an even icier void in her chest.

But today was entirely new, in the worst way possible. While her life still had its share of troubles, nothing could match the agony coursing through her body. The memory of her violation rolling over and over in her mind.

Her forehead remained streaked with dried, crusted blood, her neck bore the telltale bruises of his violent grip, and her face still burned from its rough contact with the carpet.

As she reminisced, her memory painted a vivid scene of being thrust into her apartment from behind, her face brutally colliding with the coat hanger, staining her white coat with warm crimson trickles.

Fingernails scratched her waist as her pants and underwear were snatched down to her knees, and her insides burned when he pushed his penis into her unwilling womb.

Pinned down and vulnerable, she found herself at the mercy of his predatory intentions, trapped in a horrifying ordeal.

The fact that he didn't attempt to kiss her was a small relief. She knew she'd snap out of her shocked trance and resort to extreme measures if he dared, even if it meant biting off his lips.

It was as if all her will to resist had drained away, and she lay there in disarray, attempting to blink away the blood clouding her vision.

Her cognitive functions shut down, and she stared at the broken eggs on the carpet. She wasn't sure how to react at that moment.

After he finished, hastily zipping up his trousers before bolting from the apartment, even pushing past her startled neighbor, she remained sprawled at the heart of the crime scene, her hand tenderly tracing her battered face as she struggled to regain her composure.

Disgusting sperm ran down her leg.

The groceries were strewn across the front door, their contents scattered on the floor. She remained seated at the kitchen table, gazing out the window as cars passed by, children engaged in snowball fights, and the sun dipped below the horizon. Her appetite for dinner had vanished.

A shadowy figure crossed the street and entered her apartment building, his measured stride betraying his identity. She silently wished he'd returned sooner, knowing he could have protected her. He could've.

The front door clattered against the fallen groceries, and she heard his steps muffle as he examined the telltale signs of the struggle - her blood-stained carpet, the chaos of the groceries, and her beanie abandoned on the floor. She was certain he knew this wasn't her typical mess.

Turning her head towards him as he entered the dining room, she watched as he lowered his gun, the barrel aimed in her direction.

"What happened?" He inquired with a tone that lacked emotion, a dangerous sign she knew all too well.

"I was walking home… i didn't see him," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "He hurt me." As she spoke, tears finally streamed down her cheeks, the realization hitting her that she hadn't shed a tear until now.

Vladimir moved swiftly, covering the distance in long strides, until he occupied the chair opposite her. In a rough and unforgiving manner, he seized her chin, his different colored eyes dissecting her battered forehead and blood-soaked countenance.

"Tell me what he looked like," he demanded, his tone blunt and sharp.

"I don't know," she whispered, her voice trembling. "It happened too fast, and I couldn't—"

"I told you to stop being so mindless, wandering around like an idiot. Now look at you." He interrupted her sentence, causing her to shrink further into her seat, his calloused fingers digging into her chin.

"Vladimir..." she began, but her words faltered, a sense of futility enveloping her.

They spent that night together, with her recalling the day before the attack. He meticulously questioned her, forcing her to repeat various details numerous times, where she'd been, who she talked to that day until she squeezed out details that managed to escape her until that moment.

When he came to visit her, she would dutifully stand over the stove, preparing their meals (usually consisting of meat), and then share the food with him before he laid her down on the bed, and pushed himself inside her.

It appeared that he had lost his appetite for both food and that carnal desire that was attached to him when he visited her.

At nearly midnight, he dismissed her, and she left him alone in the dimly lit dining room. She found solace in the bathtub, immersing herself in the lukewarm water, which gradually turned a disconcerting shade of red. The stinging sensation from the cut on her forehead intensified.

Her entire body ached, and without the concealing cloak of clothing, she was confronted with her bruised flesh in its full spectrum of colors: purple, yellow, green, and angry red.

In an attempt to cleanse herself of the ordeal, she vigorously brushed her teeth until her gums bled, then meticulously dressed, yet the feeling of being tainted lingered. Despite scrubbing her skin raw, she couldn't shake the sensation that an oily darkness clung to her.

She reclined on her bed without much regard for comfort, her gaze fixed on the cracked ceiling. Her eyes, glazed over with a haunting emptiness, stared into the void above.

She eventually closed her eyes and surrendered to sleep's embrace.

When she awoke, Vladimir's absence was glaringly apparent. His side of the bed remained cold, a stark reminder of his cold nature. His clothes from the previous day lay in disarray on the floor, and a lone sleeve dangled from an open drawer where he stored his belongings.

Once more, she vigorously scrubbed her skin raw in the morning, as if attempting to rid herself of the memories etched into her flesh.

It had been three long weeks since she last saw Vladimir, and it had also been three weeks since she was raped by that stranger. In that span of twenty-one days, she moved through the town with a distant, glazed-over expression, avoiding any meaningful eye contact with men and speaking in hushed tones. It seemed as though her very soul had been snatched away, leaving behind only a hollow shell of the person she once was.

She fixated her gaze upon her worn boots, every step they took echoing loudly on the icy concrete beneath, determined to drown out the relentless cacophony of traffic and the incessant chatter of the people bustling around her.

In the early morning's embrace, the first light of dawn meticulously brushed the streets with a vibrant palette, painting them in exquisite hues of pink, purple, and a myriad of other melodramatic colors.

Her stomach emitted another mournful growl, a reminder of her empty mornings – just like the one before, and the one preceding it. She struggled to recollect the last time she had savored a meal.

Engulfed in her contemplations, she collided unceremoniously with a stranger's back. With a gentle "Pardon" escaping her lips, she reluctantly tore her focus away from her ruminations. A gathering of nearly a hundred people held collective fixation on something in the road.

She wondered if there had been a car accident that morning.

Compelled to forge a path through the throng, her heart raced wildly in her chest. As she finally emerged from the crowd, her heart plummeted into the depths of her being, her eyes locked on a man whose face suddenly seemed so familiar. He was suspended between two lampposts in the middle of the road, a grotesque marionette covered head to toe in a gruesome tapestry of blood and bruises.

His wrists, where wires had mercilessly bitten into his flesh, oozed crimson rivulets that painted his arms and body in a grotesque shade of red, an agonizing tableau of suffering before her very eyes.

She was forcibly reminded, once more, of the chilling reasons Vladimir struck terror into the hearts of the masses, understanding why his name blared across newspapers in stark letters, detailing the monstrous carnage he'd ruthlessly orchestrated, all in the relentless pursuit of collective fear, and a motivation that'd been explained to her, but never understood.

The lifeless form of her attacker hung eerily above the street, expertly suspended by wires, resembling a grotesque work of art that defied the boundaries of the macabre.

With her mouth parched and her chest feeling like an empty void, she turned away, her mind haunted by the scene before her. The sheer reality of the experience weighed heavily on her, leaving her unable to carry out even the simplest of daily tasks. Resolute, she made the decision to set aside the day's chores. Today, she knew she needed to retreat to her bed, seeking refuge from the relentless torment of her thoughts.

[vanillaxoshi]

Someone mentioned the plot holes or new problems the new episode created. Since BBB's elements never reverted back to being tier 1 whenever he was tired. And even then, being tired that much doesn't make any sense, since in movie 2, he fought Tok Kasa in triple split form, lost Gempa, reverted back, splits again, and fused 3 times!! And not one did any of those Elements, reverted back to tier 1.

It's like, their writing became so lazy, trying to appease the younger audience. So many things from the comics were rewritten or flat out gone. They really avoided Gempa and Hali.

I really wanted to see the fox too back in Sori, no lawyer Gopal. No mushroom people.

I don't remember the reason why they only have 6 episodes. It's really disappointing. Kinda wished they just continued the comic animation like they did for the Sori arc. I would've preferred that honestly.

Sorry for the rant. I just really love your takes on the BoBoiBoy situations and I have no one to talk to about it since my friend still hasn't caught up to movie 2 and beyond

Someone mentioned the plot holes or new problems the new episode created. Since BBB's elements never reverted back to being tier 1 whenever he was tired. And even then, being tired that much doesn't make any sense, since in movie 2, he fought Tok Kasa in triple split form, lost Gempa, reverted back, splits again, and fused 3 times!! And not one did any of those Elements, reverted back to tier 1.

As much as i like that drawback, that’s true on how it doesnt make sense at that moment. But that happening in Movie 2 really explains Boi’s 7 day coma from what i remember, Monsta adds things along the way from what’s seen throughout the series, which isn’t bad, but its not really thought out well.

Which i also would like to question is how weird it is for Oakutuat fruit can activate third tier just by being consumed, not by an upgrade from the watch that had been like that so from movie 1, where Ochobot gives the power watches an upgrade through the last of his energy

The watches, though i don't know how it initially functions, in terms of logic, i would just assume the watch passes it’s energy through it’s host’s body and process it something physical through mental capability, so the explanation for the drink to upgrade the watch is the same process but the opposite way. If it had been explained already, then feel free to correct me but for now, this will be my assumption/explanation to myself from how they were able to upgrade the watch in a sense

It's like, their writing became so lazy, trying to appease the younger audience. So many things from the comics were rewritten or flat out gone. They really avoided Gempa and Hali. I really wanted to see the fox too back in Sori, no lawyer Gopal. No mushroom people. I don't remember the reason why they only have 6 episodes. It's really disappointing. Kinda wished they just continued the comic animation like they did for the Sori arc. I would've preferred that honestly.

I want to be considerate from their choices at certain parts of the show, it's true they're leaning unto the younger audience more, but that type of reason does not excuse lazy writing, Their writing isn't straight up horrible, but it isn't the far out best either, just neutral.

They are still able to entertain their audience, even if some are disappointed and provide more additional quirks of their characters, those quirks can provide more ideas for the fans to produce their own content about the show, but once more, they shouldn't just go down that path and let their fans replace or do what they expected from the show.

I would understand the reasons why they had to change certain scenes, mostly because of limited episodes, which are 6 episodes per arc to fit it into 24 episodes to complete the season, and they also separated Gurlatan to have it's own movie to produce it more better, and the many changes were to fit the themes more. The Sori changes were made due to the limited episodes, which again, I understand.

For the younger audience part, I think i should bring up the ask that had pointed out about the Boboibot arc, because thats a good reason to say that the recent seasons and episodes dont really need to be more comedic and can lead on a more deeper darker topic, and if they say 'its a children's show you cant show that to kids' yeah, you can, if they're considered too horrific, then make it a bit lighter, it's not needed to fully change it.

Especially since season 2- movie 1 of original boboiboy was shifting to a more darker tone, I was shocked to see Ejojo being in a whole incubator and have his entire limb torned off, its was horrific but i liked it bringing a more serious tone for the future, a new danger to become. That might not be the case for some kids, but those type of things bring a more developed understanding kids can learn about and stuff who knows, and that's when deeper topics are brought up,

im sure that can be answered more better from other shows. And bringing in more of those types of stories can perhaps expand imagination stories too. not saying that the present ones dont do that, just saying. the next episodes arent fully even out yet im making a whole deduction about this.

but i guess this feels like a missed opportunity to kids, especially if you add deep topics related to the main characters, for example, Fang's moment of grief with the old man in the comic,

one could argue, that the comic is there to be of satisfaction for some people, The comic did came out first and brought out more of the creative minds of the comic writers and artists, which is great, but that means it just provided an available path that the show could've gone on

who knows maybe Fang's instance of grief or his lost of his family from his backstory could've resonated with some children who experienced the same matter. If it's too dark for some kids then let me bring up the quote "comfort the disturb and disturb the comforted"

and im sure its possible to enact that since some kids would not really care if those matters are involved, it's nice to resonate these type of things to children, for an example is the bluey show giving out experiences of how children handle their struggles and how the parents help, it genuinely shows the kids and adults different ways to handle the things they feel that are presented in the show.

this topic too was brought up to where i saw a video talking about Tangled and mother gothel's gaslighting and abuse. Someone on the comment section stated that watching the movie made them realized that they were in abusive household

who knows maybe you can stop a kid from doing slavery by showing them slavery and portraying it as bad, who knows, and if they ask what those topics mean to their parents and their parents complain about it instead of teaching it or explaining it then thats not really the show's fault, is it? i dont know, they could just see these from other kids shows.

also, it's not bad to make things more lighthearted, but yeah.

i've typed too much

[mimisempai]

Your mother and your loved ones would die if you don't delete that Mobius holding mjolnir shit. I am going to personally kill you. Mobius is a nobody

Hello dear anon, I thank you for your friendly advice and will delete this horrible post as soon as possible.

__________

As if I'd do that. First of all, so that everyone can see what you're talking about, here's the famous edit that you find horrendous.

I'm usually polite in my replies but I'm between my sixth and seventh night shift so forgive me if I'm a bit rude sometimes. I'll do my best.

Let's skip the death threats on my mother, my loved ones, on me. We all know it's a load of hot air. It's like Mc Cain's fries: it's those who talk the most who eat the least.

Let's get to the heart of the matter:

MOBIUS IS A NOBODY

Warning: any Mobius hater who feels obliged to react to this post will be blocked. "Blocked" yes, because dear anon, that's what you should have done. All you'd have had to do was block the tags, "MObius" "Mobius m mobius" etc… and we'd both be having a peaceful breakfast (on my part) enjoying more of what we love. Unfortunately for you, your message arrived before my first coffee.

Mobius is a nobody. Let me tell you, I'd like to meet this kind of nobody more often. Someone who sees beyond what the world sees in you. Someone who really questions your motives. Someone who sees what you're capable of and gives you the chance to do it. Someone with compassion.

But also someone who's not perfect, who's not afraid to question his own mistakes.

Because for me, that's what season 1 of Loki is all about. Mobius, who gives Loki his trust and, in so doing, enables him to find his true purpose. Loki returning that trust to Mobius and confronting him with the truth, allowing him to find his true purpose as well. They're not perfect. They're not flawless. And I'm fine with that. So I can recognize myself in them. They're both worthy of Mjolnir for that. I could add that you aren't, but that would contradict everything I've just said. So I address to you the words of Mobius, "You could be whoever you want to be, even someone good." Someone good doesn't pour out its hatred in anonymous messages. Someone good focuses on what he loves, what makes him happy, not on what fills him with hate. I'm sure you've got it in you. Look for it (and block me if it helps). In any case, thank you for once again allowing me to express my love for Mobius and Loki and their dynamic. I wish you a nice day (don't let MObius and Mjolnir spoil it) as for me, I'm going to write the fluffy fanfic I left hanging to answer you (I really need it).

PS: those who suggest I disable the Anon function, I won't do it because basically it's for shy people or those who don't dare and I want to give them the space to still express themselves here. I can bear the two or three who misuse it.

At last, much love to you all! Enjoy your Sunday!

[archferret]

Alright I've got time before work and people did express interest so here's my headcanon on how Formie "Powers" and by extension Sparks Hat work.

So to start we know that the art book isn't true canon as Lake said if it's not in the games it doesn't count but given the minimal information given in the games it's really our only source of any kind of info. We also know Romalo functions off of Holographic Nanites and likely is the same for other "Nano Mage" units like the Qiqi's in 3. So let's start there. How I think (in an incredibly pesduo-scientific way as I'm not a real scientist and Spark isn't a hard sci-fi series) these robots (and by extension other Formie Powers) function is by the nanites they control emitting an electromagnetic field. The field simulates the properties of whatever is being made causing it to act as if it's really whatever is being simulated but the effect disappears if the nanites stop receiving power/a signal. So for example if Romalo makes a pie and throws it at you it feels like a real pie, but disappears as soon as he uses those nanites for another task. If you were to try and eat it the connection may become disrupted by your bodies own interference and it would vanish anyway, or if Romalo was damaged he might run out of power/disrupt the signal ect. Some effects might linger, for example nanties that cause fire aren't actually just fire they heat up already existing particles to cause real flames. Thus if you were to use a power to light something on fire it would remain on fire even when power/signal is cut.

Now onto Formie "Powers". The tools Spark picks up during Spark 1 are quite litterally just that, they're tools and toys used by other Formies in everyday life. And how I think they work is when you wear or hold the item it forms some kind of connection with a Formies nervous system through its electrical signaling. This allows a Formie to control the Power as if it was an extension of their own body. This would also mean overusing a Power too much can even cause physical exhaustion. They all come with an electromagnetic barrier (like Sparks Hat) which acts as "safety equipment" protecting the Formie from levels of physical harm to an extent. In this case I'm drawing more from pure theory than basis in examples but I'd wager normal commercial Powers tend to be fairly weak to allow them to be compatible with a wide range of people (since not every nervous system is identical) while modded/homemade gear like Sparks Hat tend to be more potent but more specialized to an individual. Not that it *couldnt* be used by others but the chance of "feedback" and damage from the connection would be much higher.

Now for Sparks Hat... in 1 he usually wears it in addition to the regular equipment provided by the Powers. For example the wind Scarf doesn't come with a hat yet Wind Spark still has hit hat on. What I'm thinking is Sparks hat while decently strong on its own is acting as an amplifier to the other equipment Sparks wearing. The stuff he's picking up are normal Powers and aren't as strong in the hands of someone else because Spark isn't using 1 Power he's using 2! So the regular Wind Scarf isn't anywhere near capable of what Spark can pull off with it.

And for the sake of just making things make sense in my head beyond gameplay mechanics being gameplay mechanics I like to headcanon the reason he doesn't use Powers in 3 the same way he does in 1 is that his Hat is actually too strong at this point and would overload any equipment he tries to use it with!

[mexicanegbert]

on hammers (from hussie commentary)

here is anything relevant to hammers i could find. all commentary is sourced from here.

(Book 1, 10) The ghost gauntlets holding that ridiculous paisley hammer are just a fixture of the environment in this game. I didn't want them to be an item you could use, because that would have been complicated to implement. It was a little attention to detail on my part, by which I mean my inclination to consider how John could wield this huge hammer in his inventory. Specific items that are accrued by the players become a lot less relevant much later in the story. Because it stops being a thing about a Guy In A Game You Are "Playing," and starts being more about a bunch of Characters In A Story You Are Reading, Who Are Sad All The Time.

(Book 4, 20) What the hell is going on with that hammer? Actually, let's not talk about the Zillyhoo hammer yet. Jade was right that John would get this unstoppable bunny warrior exactly when he needs it, just in time to defend against an unwelcome, highly premature Jack-murder. And Jack knows he shouldn't mess with this thing, no matter how powerful he currently feels, because this was the exact instrument he used to kill the queen and steal the very powers he has now. He knows he is no match…yet. What Jade doesn't mention (or know) is that this timely assist she helped provide is the very reason for Jack's rise, and therefore John's need for assistance in the first place. Idiots. They're all idiots.

(Topatoco 1, 22) John: Deallocate hammerkind specibus, reallocate as ghostbusters2mmorpgkind.

(Book 2, 34) A basic, serviceable sickle is readily available for Karkat to wield in lieu of the simple, workmanlike hammer that was available to John. Is there any meaning to draw from the fact that the hammer and sickle combine to form a widely recognized symbol for communism? Doubtful. Except to provide the shippers with a quality name for the Johnkat ship.

(Book 2, 54) Behold, the mighty pogo hammer. Once, John's dangerous childhood nemesis in the form of the backyard pogo ride. Now, a similarly self-jeopardizing implement of only marginal combat value. Just think how easily one misfiring BONG could send him launching off the roof, or maybe just send the hammer careening back in his face?

(Book 2, 189) If you ask me, there aren't enough hammers whose handle is a fully functional, presumably delicate telescope. Not enough hammers made out of huge ancient joke books either.

(Book 1, 263) In this scene, a moment in Con Air is reenacted, when John Malkovich threatens the bunny and delivers that line, while Nic Cage assaults him with a sledgehammer, discovers it's a bit too heavy to wield, topples backwards and breaks it, while Malkivich proceeds to taunt him with the bunny forever thereafter via infinitely looping animation. (Some of that isn't true???????????)

(Book 1, 289) Davesprite made this sick time-powered hammer because he spent months on LOHAC and presumably mined its legendary riches. Including the hammer, or at least the ingredients to make it. His denizen, Hephaestus, is a legendary blacksmith, and his planet is a realm of clockwork, tailor-made for a Time Hero. Also look how big it is in its natural state. Almost like a thing an absolutely huge blacksmith would wield in the core of a planet made of lava.

(Book 1, 290) When you bash someone over the head with this hammer, it stops time for them for a little while. Regardless of its actual damage-dealing capabilities, it's a very tactically useful weapon. That's probably why it actually stays in John's inventory all the way to the final battle, and he still gets some good use out of it in that fight.

(Book 1, 299) John just got this killer hammer upgrade, so of course we should get to see him take it for a spin. We've never even heard of a lich before, but it stands to reason they are a lot deadlier than mere imps. But John makes light work of them anyway with his new hammer. So, yep, it's a strong hammer all right. Good to know.

(Book 6, 415) Then we enjoy another sick weapon upgrade, which is always gratifying. CD agrees, obviously. ONE ZILLION isn't even a fucking number, so I'm really not sure how this thing ever got made. But it doesn't matter much, because these "ultimate weapons" are all deus exed out of a self-fulfilling paradox hole, in a way that sort of makes it clear that it isn't the point to see how they get made or where they originally came from, and any future access to this info will basically be bonus material. But for the record, Gamzee probably made this thing originally. We saw him with it earlier, and he's a random ass clown, so…checks out? Yeah.

(Book 6, 416) Obviously we need a very serious Flash accompaniment to celebrate the existence of this preposterous hammer. Which I guess I should point out originated in a Problem Sleuth bonus page, per a fan's suggestion. The name of the hammer was provided, and I simply drew a rather silly fucking hammer, and that was that. Until I crammed it deep into the unforgiving craw of Homestuck lore, because given enough time, I'm just going to find a way to import everything I've ever done in the past into everything I will ever do in the future.

(Book 5, 455) I have another confession to make: this battle serves no purpose. Few of them do, really. It's just that the game logic was already there, so it was easily adaptable for this game, with a couple of updated sprites. It is a more challenging battle, though, and you get to try out your cool, new time-freezing hammer while you're at it. Which, to be fair, isn't just a fun thing for you to try out. It actually does help defeat this much tougher imp in a tactical sense.

[shadowqnights]

same anon here who asked about menphia and kul’zak! still super interested in your takes on them and the divine warriors ^^

hai i left this ask until I knew a bit more about the divine warriors - I feel like I've got enough to say some vague stuff about them at leaaaast... also i'm bored in the library today LOL so I might as well tackle asks. HERE WE GO!

EXTRA WORLDBUILDING

Some pre-context of note: within the Cosmos and Void are realm clusters, which can either be primary (organic) or secondary (mimic). A realm cluster will have an anchor realm in the center and then have external realms bridging out (think the Abyss/Nether, or the Garden of Irene (Irene Dimension).

The MCD story takes place within the largest known realm cluster, a primary called Lyrian A, and it's anchor is Arilea. Within Arilea is where you'll find the recognisable continents: Ru'aun, Tu'la etc. etc, as WELL as Syrati, which obviously doesn't exist in canon and is my doing. Syrati exists as a foundation for Zi'tah, an island/academy off its coast. All this does is give some more concrete build-up for Zi'tah as it is in Mystreet, since it has a LOT to do with the Divine Warriors & specifically Menphia.

Zi'tah as an institution studies the Cosmos, as well as how magick functions within it. You'll find that most researchers have a speciality here - for the most part, there is a broad interest in magick as it is related to mortal anatomy AND the Cosmos/Void, most of which is rarely studied outside of the island. But many have very specific fields of practice. To differentiate, even though Menphia is the only member of the Divine Warriors who is pre-associated with Zi'tah before the others, Enki's interest lies in potion-craft & mortality. Menphia's lays in witchcraft & the aforementioned anatomy. They are the two core academics of the Divine Warriors and often collaborated in their studies.

OKAY NOW MENPHIA

Her divine title became Menphia of the Storm - and the magi in Syrati. She was well-renowned as a scholar and an apprentice-witch and attended Zi'tah as a student until travelling as an apprentice to Ru'aun with her mentor Ashran. For the most part, many of the Divine deliberately travel in SEARCH of Irene specifically, after news of a miracle (bringing a man back from the dead) reaches them. This isn't true of Kul'zac and Enki [Kul'zac is already her companion from childhood & Enki is rather searching for what in canon is the Sacred Forest], and obviously Shad because their meeting is Closer to canon, but Esmund and Menphia are actively in search of her. Irene is already in the thick of the Agoran revolution (pre-dissolving monarchy Scaleswind, essentially), and the man that she brought back from the dead was Xavier, a mercenary who would pledge himself to her in turn.

When they come into contact with Irene (who at this point is actually Irena), Ashran is most interested in studying her, as cases of reversing death have never been proven before. He invites her to study with Zi'tah, but she's a bit preoccupied and rejects him (even if she'll end up being incredibly consumed by Zi'tah later). Menphia's relationship with Ashran until this point has been incredibly close - she looks up to him, is desperate to impress him, considers him the pinnacle of what a 'good scholar' should be. But his choice to pursue Irena for her capabilities drives a wedge between him and his apprentice - when he leaves Ru'aun for the first time, Menphia stays with Irena and they become close. Menphia ends up being a large part of the reason Irena revisits the idea of Zi'tah and ends up visiting regularly, and then later getting involved with the canon Mystreet lore to do with the Celestial Cannon and the relics. Menphia is one of the most powerful witches and academics in Arilean history.

AAAND KUL'ZAC

I don't have as much to say about him because I simply do not KNOW enough about him at this point. I have bare bones of Kul'zac simply because I know so much more about everybody else. But in short - Falcon Claw in its originality is a nomadic group, which Kul'zac hails from, and when travelling through Ru'aun he would pass through the Agoran (Scaleswind area) farmlands and meet up with his childhood friend Irena! They are friends since their youth and she tries multiple times to run away with him to no avail. He is the first to know about Irena being a mage and keeps it a very close-guarded secret for many many years - when he joins the Agoran revolutionary forces, she ends up following him and they stay together through the war and beyond! This era is technically divided into two sections - the First Coming and the Second Coming, and these both refer to Irena ;3. Kul'zac's friendship with her lasts for the entire First Coming but he, like many of the other Divine, drifts a little throughout the early years of the Second Coming. He was known as the Shepherd and the Wayfarer and that's pretty much the extent of him So Far. It's laughably accurate that I find Kul'zac the most mysterious and hard to get out lore for. Sorry man.

Anyways! I hope that's a decent chunk of worldbuilding/lore for those two :3!! Feel free to ask me any more questions about rewrite!

[13ag21k]

It just occurred to me that the reason why Eddie Brock wanted a simple and quite life in Venom2 could be because he is afraid of losing Venom. He doesn't want to do anything reckless and be the hero in the sense that venom wants him to be because he doesn't want to drag anyone's attention and have Venom be separated from him and studied like before. Eddie is happy with a mediocre life style of just eating breakfast made by his alien husband, to be a normal journalist and have a shitty boss, he still believes he can do good this way and at the same time he doesn't put those he loves at risk.Eddie knows better than before,he knows that having his loved ones by his side is more important than fulfilling his needs. I'm sure he doesn't even want Venom to use it's powers while they are doing their job because Hello? what if someone sees it? If he discourages this behavior and try to solve it on his own, maybe Venom won't do it again.

This just makes sense because he still blames himself for what happened to Anne, which he was responsible for but still, he doesn't want his reckless actions and his quest for heroism and justice cause harm to his loved ones.

Venom should already know all of this since he reads Eddie's thoughts and yet it thinks of itself as a burden, as if though Eddie's life had been better without it, which isn't true, Venom in this entire movie just shows off and tries to impress Eddie with what it can do, tries to show Eddie what they could achieve together like a genie that is ready to fulfill Eddie's wishes, all it's potential feels like it is getting wasted, it knows what Eddie wants and is just confused and angry by Eddie' refusal of accepting this way of life which surprises me. Because hello? You live inside his head? So maybe Eddie can keep some thoughts for himself? I don't know how these powers work to be honest I've just seen the movies. It breaks my heart that Venom feels that way,since it had been called a loser all its life on it's homeplanet and now he knows just how capable and powerful they can be thanks to Eddie. Eddie makes Venom special and Venom knows that by the end of the movie, Eddie is special to him since he technically is one of the few humans who have achieved symbiosis with Venom, Venom fails to live inside the other people it possess after it breaks up with Eddie during their fight. Eddie can't give Venom what it truly wants,which is feeling needed, special and powerful after having been called a loser all its life. Eddie doesn't bother to go and look for him because he doesn't think that Venom loves and cares for him the way he himself does. Venom seeks out other people and probably tries to search for someone else who can make it feel the way it want's to feel and by the end of the movie it realizes that it can't basically find anyone else like Eddie, who can tolerate and care for it the way Eddie does.Venom goes through the same pain of being separated and lose a loved one in order to realize that, it's love for Eddie is more important than this need to feel powerful and needed. Venom also realizes that Eddie loves Venom unconditionally, despite its tantrums, all the complications it brings into Eddie's life, Eddie still cares and loves him for all his defects, Venom doesn't need to do anything special to make Eddie want him, Eddie is perfectly capable of leading an acceptable life without having Venom intervene. Venom then also tells Eddie that it will love him despite his own defects which is just adorable.

They can't function without one another and they complete each other. Perfect symbiosis on a physical and emotional level sort of way.

What cought my attention was how truly happy Eddie looked when Venom admitted its love for Eddie at the end of the movie, which based on my sort of jumbled explanation is a huge thing for them both.

This whole post is abit of a mess but still :'D

I mean this could be obvious for most of you but my brain just lags abit...it needs alot of time to properly digest things.

[the-faultofdaedalus]

IDEA. AIRON MAN BESTIES WITH A ROGUE DOOMBOT WHO'S JUST TRYING TO BUILD THEIR OWN PERSONALITY AND LIFE OUTSIDE OF THEIR IMPLANTED MEMORIES..........

COULD BE AN ACCIDENTAL GAINING OF FREEDOM OF CONSCIOUSNESS, LIKE W/ SENTIENT ARMOR, BUT I ALSO THINK IT COULD BE RLLY NEAT IF THEY WERE A PROTOTYPE DOOMBOT THAT ENDED UP HAVING MORE FREEDOM AND CAPABILITY FOR GROWTH THAN INTENDED AND THEY'VE BEEN LIVING THEIR OWN LIFE SINCE (IDEALLY W/ VICTOR'S SUPPORT BC RESPECT FOR THE AUTONOMY OF HIS CITIZENS AND CREATIONS AND ALL THAT)

BONDING OVER THE TECHNOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS AND LIMITATIONS OF THEIR FORMS, THE PRESSURE TO APPEAR A SIMULACRUM OF A BIOLOGICAL ENTITY AND THE FEAR OF HOW OTHERS WOULD VIEW AND REACT TO THEIR TRUE SELVES, THE "I AM CONNECTED TO MY CREATOR, BUT I AM NOT HIM IN THE WAYS HE WAS HIMSELF AND I AM MORE THAT WHAT HE MADE ME FOR," THE STEMBOY SWAG, ETC........

I ALSO THINK IT COULD BE FUNKY TO EXPLORE LIKE. I AM AN INDIVIDUAL DISTINCT FROM MY CREATOR BUT I AM STILL TIED TO HIM. DO I FEEL OBLIGATED TO ONLY DRAW FROM HIS VISION? DO I FEEL GUILTY FOR ADDING ELEMENTS OF MY PERSONALITY TO HIS DESIGN OF ME? WOULD HE BE PROUD OF WHO I'VE BECOME?

TRULY THIS WAS JUST MEANT TO BE A VAGUE NOTION OF A POTENTIAL CHARACTER BUT I STARTED THINKING AND GOT HOOKED DJSLHFLSHFLS BUT YES HELLO

oh there literally are already feral doombots just Around. thats canon. they are... already sapient as far as im aware (but like, sapient in that they have enough of victor's memories and personality to successfully pretend to be him and sometimes for them to not know they aren't him. also they can feel pain. questioning why victor has made ten thousand cannon-fodder robots with also his whole brain in them which also can fully feel pain is a different post) but yeah feral doombots my beloved

there’s like…. at least two i know of. the one with the fancy coat and the one calling himself vincent that actually looks like a human, i love them. i have so many thoughts about feral doombots just Around and Vibin and its not like victor gives a shit. he can make new ones. whatever.

but also ;-; that's So good, especially if its somehow pre-reveal for iron man being Known as anything other than like, a human in an armor so perhaps he meets a doombot somehow (maybe it's stealing replacement parts from SI and when IM realizes that its not... actually taking anything dangerous hes like. oh. oh. because he's smart enough to also know why he isnt just going to get repaired like normal) and it's just, this sense of Recognition that iron man cannot say anything else

i think it would be good if it was like. iron man offers to help fix the bot. oor just, helps him. no expectation of anything else. and the doombot is supicious because of course it is, it was programmed by Paranoid Bastard Supreme, and it's not like iron man can even tell it why he wants to help it so badly, because even if he doesn't think it's actively a danger that doesn't mean giving it the information that he isn't human like everyone assumes wouldn't be... an incredibly bad idea. it's still attached to a supervillan, after all

(also sidenote but i am frothing at the mouth about potential doomquest in this universe it would be SO funny,,,,,, king arthur sends a pretty lady to iron man's room for "companionship" and iron man is just like. ah. ok. i dont know what is expected of me right now. also doomquest is very good to me, specifically, because its one of the only early comics things where almost anyone has more respect for tony than for iron man, which i enjoy, i think it would be SO good for airon man au especially if iron man is like. in danger of just... running out of power. technicallyyyyy i think this should also be a problem in canon, i think doomquest happens during chestplate era, where hes largely not able to go more than about a day without Dramatic Wall Outlet Time and yet hes fine just vibin in camelot (famously deprived of wall outlets) for at least a couple of days, but YEAH SEND AIRON MAN TO CAMELOT i think hed be both freaked out and also. sad that tony couldn't experience it. i think the background radiation of iron man's life is just... sadness that tony cannot experience any of the cool things he does)

but like... him continuing too help this doombot. maybe the doombot also helps him out somehow, as well. maybe subtly interveening in some fights. maybe giving iron man some neat lil tech tips. maybe a;klsdjfasdf the doombot still wants like. Something To Do and not just sit idle all the time or something so iron man hooks 'em up with a fuckin. tech support job. or like, product testing, for SI. something where he can just fix shit thats been broken in the stupidest ways or, try to destroy other things. who knows i dont. but maybe theres an attack at SI and iron man deals with it but hes damaged, and normally he'd like. hide away and do a quick n dirty patch job just so theres not obvious holes into nothing, but. the doombot follows him. and finds him. and its just... looking at eachother. knowing "oh fuck we're the same" and also "oh fuck he knows"

i think they should help fix eachother up and be buddies anyways it'd be good

[arrancxr]

What do you think the other espadas feel about Aaroniero? (Aka tenctacle husbando, its nice to find someone that also appreciates him)

I appreciate him so much. OAO Aaroniero, my beloved. I rewatched some of his fight for this, and lskjhsgh he's THE WORST. Underhanded bastard, yet so very good at it.

. . .

Starrk + Lilynette

Neither of them pays Aaroniero much mind. Starrk just plain doesn't care, and Lilynette got so creeped out by him within the span of their first meeting that her opinion was set then and there. He's not a threat to either of them, so he's just kind of... there. Being weird. And still creepy, in Lilynette's opinion. Starrk appreciates that he doesn't cause trouble or make much noise, but other than that, he's pretty forgettable to both of them.

Barragan

That pitiful excuse for an Arrancar is an abomination even when looking at its better qualities. Barragan has no pity for the weak, and Aaroniero registers as weak on every account. He's a spineless fool who thinks that accumulating power will someday let him touch the very edges of the truly strong. In general, Barragan is of the belief that Aaroniero shouldn't even exist— why bother to make soldiers from the lowest rank of Hollows?

Halibel

While her hopes for a Hollow's moral standing are low at best, Aaroniero somehow manages to be one of the most abhorrent ones she's met. He's a cruel, self-serving coward who'd do anything to spare his own neck; and it's wisest to avoid those sorts. While it's unlikely the stationary Noveno could pose any real threat to her, Halibel knows better than to leave herself unguarded around his sort. Other than that, she simply ignores him.

Ulquiorra

Utter disgust. As someone who considers himself above the very concept of emotions (and looks down on everyone around him, in general), Ulquiorra finds Aaroniero's desperation repulsive. He's a failed existence, a mistake of an Arrancar who will only be allowed to live for as long as he serves a purpose to Aizen. However, a lot of that disdain comes from Ulquiorra's resistance to acknowledge the reality that all of them, himself included, are scared.

Nnoitra

Their motivations and goals are completely opposite, and that's enough to spark some unpleasant feelings. It's all too common for Hollows to cling to the desperation to live, but Nnoitra remains utterly disgusted by Aaroniero's extent of that. He's the last one who'd claim any kind of moral code, but the Ninth's manipulative tactics are just plain pathetic. He finds the most wretched sides of Hollow nature in Aaroniero— and hates the sight of it.

Grimmjow

Coward. That's the main thing that Grimmjow feels about the Ninth Espada. While he recognizes that Aaroniero is capable enough to have stayed in their ranks (and survived so far, to begin with), he finds the underhanded tactics and preference of avoiding threats he can't easily conquer to be just plain pathetic. They're all going to die eventually— it's the least a Hollow can do to face its mortality head-on and go down fighting.

Zommari

No strong feelings... outside of something that almost qualifies as sympathy. As any Hollow would, Zommari relates to the feeling of wanting to stay alive no matter the cost, and has slightly more acceptance of Aaroniero's more cowardly traits because he's willing to recognize that. Of course, that still doesn't mean there are any true positive feelings mixed in with it. In the end, Aaroniero is a warped, desperate being, the same as all of them.

Szayel

He'd quite like to study the exceptional specimen that is a functional, sapient, Espada-level Arrancar made from a Gillian, but his opinions don't extend far beyond that. As Aaroniero is the only one of the Espada who's fully beneath him, Szayel isn't too concerned with him outside of whatever data can be collected. His reliance on manipulation and strategic use of his accumulated powers rather than pure brute force also earn him some approval.

Yammy

Despite Aaroniero technically ranking above him, Yammy mostly sees the Ninth as weak. He doesn't have the direct, physical power to be a threat to much of anyone on their level, so Yammy dismisses him with little more thought than that. He's kind of blocking out the fact that Aaroniero could definitely get one over him through mind games alone, though. Yammy has an unfortunate tendency of underestimating people like that.