#same for the facial recognition stuff

[laurrelise]

god they couldn’t have casted this show better

[wonderjanga]

C.C and Marylin Headcannons

Okay, so the other day I saw someone type about their headcannons for Billy. I wanna put my head cannons for him/his parents too cause I’ve been thinking about this for a while.

So as of now, I’ve been playing a bunch of Tomb Raider games. If you’ve played or at least heard of the franchise, you’d know that Lara’s an archeologist. And guess what? C.C. and Marylin are. (Btw am I spelling her name right 😭) So, in my mind. They both grew up in England and then immigrated to the US and met in Fawcett and blah blah blah. Now to the good stuff, you know how Lara exudes utter badassery? You do? Great! So all the heinous, wild, plot armor filled things she did in the newest TR trilogy (Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider) Marylin did all of that. I’m cooking guys I swear, just trust me. Then as for C.C., in my little mind, he’s half Norse and half British. So, you know that one game where Lara wields Mjölnir? (I think it was Tomb Raider Underworld?) He did that. Guys, I swear I’m cooking.

So now, cause Billy in Marvel form looks like their Dad, and Mary in Marvel form looks like Marylin, you gotta wonder what their old archeology buddies are thinking. They’re either not surprised, or they’re like are you flipping kidding me? I can imagine one of their old buddies going up to Billy and being like:

Buddy: “C.C.! You old bastard! How have you been? How’s the wife and kid? Also, quick question, you disappeared for a couple years and didn’t bother reaching out to anyone. You good?”

Billy: *Looks around before flying off cause he has no idea who this person is (he’s too young to remember them)*

I can also imagine the JL with this, specifically Batman. He runs facial recognition on Billy and finds C.C., Bruce is like okay, cool, finally, a clue about that man’s identity, only for him to find pictures, photos, and newspapers from the 40’s and 50’s (I believe in time bubble Fawcett. The Batson’s died in 58 and Billy and Mary were 8 at the time. By the time the time bubble appeared, they would’ve been 10 or 12.) So, Bruce digs a little deeper and finds that C.C. and Marylin have killed a lot of people during their time as archeologists (and they definitely have since I based them off of Lara. Guys, Lara has killed a lot of people.) He also finds out that C.C. and Marylin are dead. So now he’s left confuzzled as to who the heck Billy and Mary are, cause they look exactly like them. Or at least Marvel does and Mary looks like a teenage Marylin, so for all Bruce knows she’s Mary Batson and Marylin is actually dead. But then that raises another question for Bruce, where is Billy? Is he Captain Marvel Jr.? They look similar, but not completely. The whole thing has left Bruce with more questions than answers. It’s also left him looking at The Captain in a newer light. He didn’t think the man had the emotional capacity to have a serious relationship. (He thought he was too childish. Not that my Marvel is, he acts more like a 20 something year old guy instead of a kid) Not only that but now he at least has confirmation that Cap is human… maybe. But I also want to look at this with other heroes! Like Wildcat (the goat) he grew up during the Great Depression and due to his slow aging he was allowed to live all the way up to now. He might’ve seen the Batsons in the paper. He might’ve also read about how their plane went down. I can imagine him being like “Hmm… You’re familiar.”

There’s also Question who I know would be driven up a wall trying to figure out who Billy is, and if not Billy, then he’s trying to figure out where Marvel’s from, cause the Living Lightning is thousands of years old. Yet, he keeps getting led back to an archeologist whose plane fell down in- *gasp* Egypt! Near Kahndaq! *Double gasp* He spirals.

Then there’s also Black Adam, who does his own research on the champion. He finds out the same thing Question did about the plane. The next day he flies over to Fawcett:

Black Adam: “You sniveling worm! What were you doing near Kahndaq?!”

Billy: “Dude, what are you talking about?!”

Black Adam: “You know what I’m talking about, Batson!”

Billy: *Gives him the most horrified look Adam had ever seen on Marvel’s face.*

Oh, and let’s not forget about Ebenezer. Imagine seeing your dead brother, or at least someone that looks like your dead brother, fly around saving people. After everything he did to Billy, I’m sure he was scared shitless(pardon my French). But what I think is worse, is that he’d constantly be waiting for Marvel to do something, only for him to do nothing and just unknowingly leave Ebenezer in suspense for every waking moment. Bonus points if Ebenezer knew about the Lara Croft behavior.

[akascow]

okay so

i think the viktor and mel hallucinations during jayce's whole Moment in 2x07, their eyes are just completely black. and its VERY faint but u can KIND OF see the outline of their irises if u look REALLY close (irl)

to show u what i mean:

first ones are just normal settings (tho my computer brightness is all the way up), i only messed with the exposure n highlights of the pictures and stuff in the middle ones, and outlined the eyes in the third ones

​which could make sense in terms of his mental state i think ? he maybe feels like he let them down, or betrayed them or couldnt help them in a way ??

they dont feel human to him anymore. or maybe hes created these images so theyre judging him as he can only reminisce on what happened and how he left things

mel’s vision looks maybe like either angry, stubborn, strong willed or annoyed lol... her chin is kinda turned down, with downturned eyebrows, and her lower lids are halfway closed implying that shes like glaring or narrowing her eyes at him, her lips almost look pursed together and i think ? her nostrils are flared but its so hard to tell lmao we only get like three frames of over exposure HAAH take these with a grain of salt lmfao

viktor (even tho i cannot for the life of me read his expression HAHA) to the best of my ability i think kinda looks hurt or confused, maybe innocent for lack of a better term or scared. ((which given how he left jayce it would kinda fit lmao)) BUT his brows are ever so slightly scrunched together, one is higher than the other which usually implies confusion or thinking or admiring. eyes are wide open, mouth is agape a teenie bit, these are usually seen with softer, positive or more admirable expressions, and his chin is tilted upward. im not trying to turn this into a jayvik thing i swear im just comparing to my facial recognition knowledge HAHA

and as he loses himself deeper in the hexcore, the more he starts losing and/or fearing the two ppl he loved most ? ... and worries how he’d get back to them (if at all) and how he would imagine they would react.

the two ppl who not only made and brought him to who he is today, but uplifted and supported and stood by him for ~10 years despite everything

anyway this theory would all pair nicely with the voices that start playing in the background during his lil Montage lmao it kind of culminates into a massive guilty conscious, that then outwardly presents itself in their hallucinations:

“i never asked for this” - jayce to viktor, after their conversation about him breaking their promise about destroying the hexcore, resulting in vik leaving him lmao. also jayce literally turned viktor into this metal husk so hes gotta have that sitting on his shoulders too lmfao

“[heimer] was my mentor, and i betrayed him” - jayce (to mel) abt voting heimer off the council despite heimer ending up being completely right about magic in the first place

“it corrupts” “you must destroy it” “ive seen nations destroyed” - heimer about the hexcore, jayce screams over this as those lines play, anguishing over the fact that he literally did this to himself and hes the reason Piltover is (or will be) no more bc he ignored the warnings

“its your time now jayce” “perhaps its time for the era of magic” - mel to jayce, context is in the quotes HAHA. jayce is screaming no! no! and please! during these lines, i think its just to hammer (pun intended) home on the fact that it all ties back to him for ‘creating’ magic. its on HIM (at least in his own mind) for the destruction of Piltover and all of its people

not to mention the reason hes stuck down there for so long is because his own invention (hextech hammer) disabled him enough to make him unable to climb out for (as far as we know) weeks or even months... more outward projection of self guilt, but like far more literal than symbolic i guess

and as other people mentioned already, it put him in the same position of viktor (down in the depths of zaun having to pull himself up to piltover with the challenges of a disabled leg and illness and no one to support or help him) which allowed him to relate to viktor in a way he never could have before

maybe im just thinking too hard about it idk (im not). or unless this was extremely obvious to the average viewer HAHA. in my defense i spent this whole montage pausing every .6 seconds to take a picture of seggsy and broken and whimpering jayce so i wasnt really paying that much attention to it all AHAHA

anyway do u think this was a hallucination or was it actually the mage standing here with him for a flash lmao

okay sorry for that long ass post i would add a page break sooner but it would interrupt my flow of thoughts that i need u all to experience like i do HA

...

also shameless self promos but u should check out my jayvik butterfly effect and viktors humanity symbolism analysis posts if u liked this one >:)

[britishassistant]

The Villainous Paranoiac Sues for Character Defamation (2)

“Nii-san?!”

The lump in Idia Shroud’s bed lets out a pitiful groan.

“Nii-san, are you alright?! Are you hungry?! Sick?!” Ortho demands. “Hold on, I’ll do a scan to see what’s wrong!”

A pale, long fingered hand emerges from beneath the covers. It points languidly.

“…sekai…”

“Eh?” The android crowds closer to the bed. “What is it Nii-san? Your computer? Did something bad happen in one of your games? To Precipice Morai? Did an anime get cancelled?”

“…Isekai…”

“Isekai?” The android asks, confused. “Nii-san, what—?”

“I CAN’T ACCEPT THAT A REAL LIFE ISEKAI WOULD COME FROM SUCH A LAME LIGHT NOVEL!!”

It’s with this impassioned cry that Idia Shroud throws off his duvet, hair flaring wildly.

“After all, there are so many worlds that would be so much more likely to be real?! A tech punk world like LoPri just violates several laws of physics, not to mention thaumaturgy?? Plus the characters are so bland and uninspiring, how is it meant to enrich the blackened hearts of this Wonderland if they’re real?! At least if they were from Hyrule or Laputa or Exandria, they could teach us valuable life lessons that would lead to world improvement!”

His fist hits the mattress. “But no! And on top of that, this happens at the same time as they’re leaking that a LoPri movie is in the works?! That’s so cheap!! It’s like an awful marketing tactic that takes your cherished childhood hopes and dreams and crushes them for a few wads of madol!! I can’t believe—”

“Nii-san, wait!” Ortho begs. “What do you mean, there’s been a real life isekai? The sensors you installed should have noticed a large amount of energy coming from something like a world-crossing event.”

Idia jabs an accusatory finger at his computer screen, where the illustration and photo are posed side by side. “Apparently, not if they hijack Night Raven’s carriages to get here!”

Ortho’s optic sensors dilate and contract as his facial recognition software runs.

“…It’s a match.” He says. “Barring the 4% deviations from differing mediums, this person looks almost exactly like the illustrations from Lost Princess. And the Dark Mirror reported they’re entirely magicless…”

Idia jumps when the facsimile of his younger brother appears in his space. “Nii-san, what should we do?! If she really is from this other world, she’s a criminal, isn’t she? Should STYX take her into preventative custody??”

“Eh—Calm down, Ortho.” The elder Shroud says sternly, as if he hadn’t been in near hysterics only a moment ago. “It’s illegal to lock people up if they haven’t done anything wrong yet.”

“But Nii-san—!”

“Besides, as a bad guy she’s like, seriously wimpy.” It takes a moment or two of flailing in the bedclothes before Idia’s phone is retrieved. “See? According to the wiki, even the worst stuff she does is thanks to abusing her rich family’s power and money. Without that, she’s as pathetic as some hero who’s had all his strength sucked out. Even more harmless than a level one slime.”

Ortho’s synthetic brow furrows. “I guess…”

“Heh. Some of those LoPri simps online might even say that this is divine retribution. Getting banished to a world where she’s worth less than nothing.” Idia slumps, flicking through his apps idly. “Ah, the fates are cruel. Why’d I have to be inflicted with this?”

“I will monitor the villainess, Nii-san.” Ortho announces. “If she attempts to partake in any criminal behavior, it will be reported to the authorities, so Nii-san’s daily school life may continue unimpeded.”

“Eh? Well, uh.” Idia’s attention fights with the gacha he’s just opened, but ultimately surrenders to the colorful world within. “Only if it’s a low priority thing, okay?”

“Roger!”

***

Vil is distracted.

Not enough for his makeup to be anything less than perfect. Certainly not enough to make his class work, modeling, or acting suffer.

But enough that the poison apple he’s trying to polish has nearly given him the slip twice already.

That is unacceptable. If he cannot maintain a firm standard of discipline, how is this Epel meant to absorb any of his lessons?

Vil cannot allow this to continue.

He saw the villainess the magicless interloper yesterday morning, on his way to History class. Wearing some truly shapeless castoffs that can only have come from the dumping ground that passes for a Lost and Found, raking leaves away from the statue of the Beautiful Queen.

Vil had mostly convinced himself that it was purely his imagination. An unfortunate side effect of working on so many projects at once.

Surely what he had heard was merely a word that sounded like the fantasy names his script contains. The author had to take inspiration from somewhere, after all. And word association tricked him into believing that some potato who bore a little resemblance to his mental image of the villainess was, in fact, the person in question.

An honest, if slightly embarrassing mistake.

And then Rook reported over breakfast that the magicless janitor had somehow wormed their way into becoming a student, and a Prefect. Of the most prestigious magic school in the country. Despite the aforementioned complete lack of.

And all those foolish doubts Vil had spent so long laying to rest reared their ugly heads again.

A long, perfectly manicured finger taps the cafeteria table.

The potato is sitting with Clover and Diamond from Heartslaybul, alongside two first years and that little monster. From his position, Vil can see the back of their head if he inclines his own just slightly.

“Epel.” The boy in question jumps at the sound of his name. “Tuck your elbows in, your dorm mates shouldn’t need to defend themselves every time you lift food to your mouth.”

“My ba—ah, I mean! I, I apologize.”

Immediately, his arms go from imitating a chicken’s spread wings to an eastern dragon’s bent forelegs.

Behind Epel and slightly to the left, Rosehearts blocks Vil’s view of the magicless prefect. With the way his shoulders are tensing, his voice raising, he’ll likely be there a while as he metes out his slovenly attempts at discipline on his juniors.

Vil suppresses a grimace as he sighs. He’s going to get frown lines at this rate…

He needs to put this from his mind. If the sheer force of his not inconsiderable will is somehow lacking, then he needs to try something else. Obtain some definitive proof one way or the other so this irritating matter can be settled once and for all.

Proof…

A collection of ideas begin swirling in Vil’s head. Nothing concrete, just associations and possibilities of possibilities. Not enough for a proper plan of action.

Not yet, anyway.

***

Idia’s back cracks as he stretches.

“GG Muscle Red-shi,” He mutters as he types. “You carried hard for that secret boss encounter.”

Only a few moments after he hits send, Muscle Red’s response pops up.

Muscle Red: You give me too much credit, my friend. It was your strategic thinking that won us the day.

Muscle Red: This old man will need to log off shortly, but I wish you a pleasant evening and good hunting.

Gloomurai: NP Muscle Red-shi! GN

He tries to ignore the disappointment in his chest as Muscle Red’s avatar disappears. It’ll be hard to top the fun he had in that raid, so he may as well just log off this game. Maybe catch up on some of the anime he’s been letting build up so he can binge it all at once…

Ah, but there was that one that Ortho said he might be interested in, but that Idia had been too busy to start watching yet! The one about an otaku security robot that was exasperated with the scientists it had to look after…

“Hey, Ortho, we can start I’m a Murderbot But I’m Keeping A Diary…” Idia turns to where his brother is meant to be charging in the power station in the corner.

It’s empty.

“Ortho?”

There’s no one in the room except Idia right now.

He tries to tell himself that it’s fine, that Ortho’s fine, he’s probably just…just gone on a snack run? Yeah, he must’ve realized Idia was getting low on food and decided to help! What a good, kind brother Idia has! There’s no way he’s in any kind of trouble that he needs Idia to save him from, right?

Right??

Idia’s able to stave off the anxiety for a record-breaking four point two seconds before he turns to his computer, bringing up the “Find My Brother” program and sending his tablet whizzing out the door to the coordinates it brings up.

Why is he in the library at this time of night? Idia gnaws on his fingernails as the tablet gets closer, and prepares to use the mic once he can see Ortho’s back.

“…you’re planning to cause trouble, I will report you to the Headmaster and the relevant authorities.”

Idia straightens at his brother’s serious tone coming through the speakers.

It’s the work of a moment to gain access to the feeds of the library’s security cameras. Although there’s only three of them, and they’re really shoddily placed for actual monitoring purposes…

“Oh that’s rich.” The villainess scoffs, low voice made tinny over his speakers. “I’m not the one causing trouble here. Besides, it’s a public library. All students are free to look up reference materials on whatever they’d like.”

“Materials on restricted subjects are monitored.” Ortho declares. “Failure to return them to the library is logged against a student’s profile. You have not returned [SEVEN] books by their assigned due date.”

“So, Overblot is considered a restricted subject then.” Uh, hard pass on the villainess’ tone in that reply, it’s just as sus as some sixth ranger smiling to themselves while everyone else’s back is turned. “Why exactly is that? Is it the same reason there’s no primary sources on it in any of the history books or scholarly articles?”

“That is classified information.” His baby brother says coolly. “You do not have even the lowest level clearance, so it does not concern you.”

The villainess’ voice drops dangerously. “Doesn’t concern me?”

Idia begins prepping to set off the fire alarms in the headmaster’s suite. If the villainess makes any move against his brother, he’ll not only make sure the ultimate authority figure is there to catch her, he’ll publish her past and every embarrassing search she’s made since coming to Twisted Wonderland online for everyone to see. Maybe even post her address online so those LoPro simps can avenge their faves in person?

“Things that jeopardize my safety don’t concern me? Things that endanger my wellbeing don’t concern me? Threats to my life don’t concern me?!”

It’d be easier to watch if the villainess hit the wall, flipped a table, threw some books on the floor, something. Instead Idia’s on the edge of his seat, eyes fixed on his monitor like he’ll get jumpscared if he looks away.

He flinches when the villainess does, movement made jerky by the old cameras. Seriously, this is why he can’t stand live action analog horror!

But it is kinda weird how the figure opposite his brother is hunching over the table like that. Almost as if standing is difficult?

“..f you think,” Ortho’s mics can barely pick up the sound. “That I’m just going to wait in the wings until another one finally kills me—that I’m going to die quietly—then you’re sorely mistaken. I don’t care who you are. I’m not going to let anyone or anything stop me. I refuse to end up in some forgotten grave in this twisted world!”

Kind of a mid monologue tbh. He was low-key expected something…more villainous? But considering how trash LoPri is it makes sense.

It’s the kind of cringe that almost makes you feel bad for the one you’re meant to be rooting against.

“You’re injured.” Ortho says, uncertain. “Partially healed rib fractures and a torn posterior tibiotalar ligament. How—?”

“Sorry, but I’m afraid that doesn’t concern you…?”

“Ortho Shroud.” His kindhearted brother supplies.

“Shroud-san.” The first year bows stiffly. “I’d like to say it’s been nice to make your acquaintance, but it really hasn’t.”

The villainess attempts to stride away from Ortho—well limps is more like it, holding herself stiffly and putting much more weight on her left ankle than her right, when did that happen? Surely it would’ve been flagged somewhere in the school records if something serious enough to cause those injuries had happened. It’d be noted in her student file, if nothing else.

Idia frowns. Then he accesses the school’s mainframe.

Wow this is. Really half-assed. You’d think the headmaster would put a bit more effort into filling out this kind of thing!

It’s a weird parody of the file Idia created for himself and Ortho in his second year at Night Raven, which the headmaster was too inept to create himself. In Idia’s, Ortho is nominally listed as a student, even if he doesn’t get graded or even enrolled in any classes like a regular student.

In the villainess’, half of that careful formatting has been thrown out the window in the name of grading a “two in one” student. Some of the information is missing or contradictory, and the rest seems to focus on the magical familiar rather than the human prefect.

There is a section way down the bottom of the file where there’s some notes from Nurse Kamac recording visits to the infirmary. But for some reason, the broken ribs have the amendment from the headmaster of “incurred before enrollment” and so don’t list how it happened, and the only notes for the ankle injury are that it occurred a few days later during a “Heartslaybul dorm head challenge”.

Idia pushes his fingers against his eyes as he groans, stretching his aching back and trying to crack it again.

This has nothing to do with him and Ortho. That much the vi—Prefect had gotten right. It may be weird that sh-they’re checking out all the books on Overblot the library has to offer, and are this badly injured only within a few days of starting the new semester, but it could be nothing! Certainly it’s not enough to be worth reporting to their parents.

“Ah, Nii-san? Were you looking for me?” Ortho sounds apologetic over his speakers. “Don’t worry, I’ll come back to the dorm right away!”

“Mm. I was thinking we could start binging that series together…”

“It’s not good for you to stay up late watching anime, Nii-san!” His younger brother scolds. “…But, I guess a few episodes of I’m a Murderbot But I’m Keeping A Diary can’t hurt!”

He grins. “I’ll get it queued up for when you get back. TTYL.”

Yeah, this is definitely worth more of his time than worrying about some weird magicless Prefect. Even if part of him itches at the memory of h-them saying “another one finally kills me”…

Definitely not his problem. Definitely not gonna think about it.

Definitely

***

It would seem that the Headmaster has decided to make the magicless Prefect into a gopher-slash-amateur investigator rather than looking into the mysterious injuries of each dorm’s Magift players himself.

Vil’s heard from Rook and from some of his other dorm members that the first year and their little monster have been interviewing everyone involved in an accident.

Of course, it’s only a matter of time until they begin questioning those who have not been affected, to rule out some causes if nothing else.

So, when Rook spots them, along with a redheaded potato, a blue potato, and Diamond, he motions his vice dorm head to bring them over.

“You must have had some reason for spying on us.” He says to the motley group. “Out with it and maybe I’ll let you off with a warning.”

“Busted~” Diamond says cheerily. “Well, can you guys keep a secret?”

“Mais, bien sûr Monsieur Magicam!” Rook proclaims. “Consider our lips sealed!”

“We think that the injured Magift players are being deliberately targeted.” The blue haired second potato says. “We’re investigating potential suspects who could be behind the a—”

“Dude!” The redheaded first potato hisses. “You can’t just TELL ‘em!”

“Yeah!” The monster yowls. “They’re suspects!! If we tell ‘em that, they’ll know we think they’re suspicious!!”

“You just told them anyway…” The magicless first year mutters.

“Hm.” It doesn’t surprise him as much as it should to hear that this year’s games are being deliberately sabotaged. And given a certain someone’s uncharacteristic enthusiasm at the dorm head meeting recently, he’s fairly sure he knows who’s behind it.

“While it is rather rude of you to cast aspersions on myself and my vice dorm head like this, I believe we could provide some assistance with this matter.”

The monster perks up. “Great! Then—”

“However.” Vil crosses his arms. “I’m a busy man. I can’t offer my assistance without being assured that it’ll be worth my time. I need something in return first.”

“Man, shoulda figured.” Potato #1 sighs. Potato #2 shakes his head. “Nothing’s ever easy, is it?”

Diamond hushes both of his underclassmen. “So? Whaddya need, Vil-san?”

Vil carefully does not smile. Not yet. “You. I need you to help me with something.”

The magicless prefect blinks at the end of his pointer finger. “Huh? Wh—if you don’t mind my asking, why me?”

“Your presence compared to the others’ makes you most suited for the task.” He turns to his bag and flicks through the contents until he finds what he’s looking for. “It’s hardly a trial. I just need someone like you to fill in for a certain role.”

Vil holds out a copy of the script.

The magicless prefect reaches out warily, as if Vil’s handing them a serpent rather than a few pieces of paper.

“This is the script for a movie I’ll be starring in.” He says. “I’d like you to help me practice my cues. You’ll be reading the lines that aren’t highlighted.”

And, seeing Diamond’s hand creep towards his phone, he adds. “Given that this is confidential until the film’s release, the production company has been assured that I refuse to be party to any leaks, and will prosecute those who create them to the fullest extent of the law.”

Diamond’s hand suddenly changes direction to scratch his cheek instead.

The Prefect takes the script, eyes scanning over it.

“Eh—how come the names are blacked out?” Potato #1 asks.

“To prevent leaks, of course.” Vil lies smoothly. “Now, do you want my help, or don’t you?”

The villainess’s teeth snag on her lower lip. Vil keeps his own from curling at the sight of the dry and torn skin there.

“Alright.” The villainess says. “How does this work?”

Vil straightens. It wouldn’t do to show his triumph at this juncture.

“If you start halfway down the page, I will respond. Make me aware if I deviate from what’s on the page in any fashion.”

The villainess nods, clearing her throat. “He-hem. You wished to see me, brother?”

Vil slips into the character as easily as buttoning a shirt. “My wishes are immaterial. But we need to talk.”

“What could be so important to waylay the young heir?” The villainess’ lip curls as she reads. “I hardly merit the attention, usually.”

“You know what I’m talking about.” He snaps, dignity and guardianship offended. “Your behavior is completely inexcusable.”

The villainess balks, her tone hardening from mockery. “My behavior? I do believe I need clarification, brother. I have done nothing to dishonor our family—”

“If that’s what you think, then you’re even blinder than I imagined.” His fury is ice, solidified through years of abnegation and honor. “Your conduct towards our sister has been abominable. Either you correct it, or I shall correct you.”

“C-correct?!” The villainess stutters, unsightly for a scene partner. Vil will need to recommend someone else for the final production. “I have done nothing to—”

“For once we agree.” Righteousness straightens his spine, quickens his stride. “You have done nothing to make her feel welcome or as if she belongs. Ignoring her at school? Making snide remarks to tear down her confidence? Who do you think you are, to commit these acts with such audacity? It seems you’ve forgotten who has the natural right to live in this household, and who is here merely due to Father’s generosity and goodwill.”

“I—”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses.” He scolds the unsightly cuckoo before him. “I am telling you what will happen. You will be civil towards our sister. You will be polite to her. And you will still your sharp tongue every time it decides it wants to say something unkind. If that means you never speak again outside the necessities, then so be it.”

“Wait, please wait, please, stop—”

And now going off script? Will blunders never cease? Vil continues the monologue as best he can in the face of such unprofessionalism.

“And if you disregard my words—if you fail my instructions in any way? Well.”

He tilts his head, channeling Gracey Enji in every pore of his being. “What will happen to you will make the punishment you received for ruining Asahiko’s high school debut feel like the gentlest kindness by comparison.”

And the villainess—

The Prefect flinches, curling in on themself as if in anticipation of a blow.

Their eyes are staring down, unseeing, as their mouth babbles, clearly not even trying to stay on script any more.

“No, no, I’m sorry, I won’t, I, I didn’t—!”

But somehow still reciting exactly what’s written on the page despite that.

There are two ways to read these lines, Vil is suddenly realizing.

One is as a hero decisively warning a scheming villainess that his patience with her wiles has run dry and that there will be consequences for her actions.

And the other…

“The hell do you think you’re doing?!”

Potato #1 has moved into Vil’s space, shoulders tensed like the first year was about to lay hands on him if not for Rook’s intercession. His vice-warden’s grip strength clearly has taken the potato by surprise, uniform wrinkling as he attempts to yank himself free.

Potato #2 is hovering around the Prefect, the monster whining and tearing holes in their too-long trousers. “Prefect, are you okay? Do, do you need something, a, ah, some water maybe? Hey, hey, Prefect, Yuu, look at me, please?”

“Ooh-kaaay!” Diamond pops up between Vil and his underclassmen, perfectly fake smile not quite as magicam-ready as it usually is. “Not that this hasn’t been su~uper interesting, you’re a master of your craft Vil-san, really, but y’know we’ve gotta lot of work to do with this investigation thing, hate to see the dorm head if he thought we were playing around, you know how it is, right~? C’mon guys, we’d better get moving, this is an important date and we can’t be late!”

Potato #2 nods at Diamond, an arm tight around the Prefect’s trembling shoulders as he pulls them away, still murmuring low platitudes. Potato #1 is still glaring daggers at Vil even as he shrugs out of Rook’s grip. He picks up the copy of the script on the ground—when had it fallen?— and shoves it at his vice dorm head.

“Next time someone tells you they wanna stop,” He spits. “Maybe listen instead of just doin’ what you please. Freaking tyrant.”

The insult stings, but Vil controls himself as Potato #1 scoops up the whining monster and strides after the rest of the motley little group.

He can still hear the panicky, shuddering hitches in the Prefect’s breathing, after all.

“Roi du Poison?” He blinks back into himself to see Rook peering at him in concern. “Vil? Are you all right?”

“F-fine, I’m fine.” He turns sharply on his heel. “Come, Rook. It’d be best to return to the dorm for now. Epel may be attempting to shirk his etiquette lessons again.”

“…Oui, Roi du Poison.”

He doesn’t say another word the entire walk back to the Mirror Chamber, which Vil finds deeply irritating as it means his thoughts keep circling back to the other interpretation that dawned on him for this role.

But it’s ridiculous, he assures himself as they emerge outside of Pomefiore. Just a combination of his previous experience and some, some personal issues the Prefect clearly has that have mixed poorly in his mind. Gracey Enji is the male lead. Vil’s chance to play the hero, for once in his career. There’s no way that Bella DeNiâmerée intended for the character to come across in any other fashion than the style in which Vil has been playing him. No chance in the slightest.

Certainly not as a high school senior threatening a child five years his junior in a way that they cannot defend themselves from.

[riza-jes]

Part 2: Luffy’s PARENTAL figure — ACE!

I rll wanna continue the thought of Parental Ace

But with more detailes connected with staff of Ace’s being single parent status, who leave his child at home more than less unwillingly.

Like…

He understand completely all these crazy parents who freaking out after one second after realization that they lost their kids in one blink.

Bc with Luffy?

You can’t relax until this child is tired and fed. Bc Luffy always could be caught in trouble. Eaten, beaten, lost or worst of that.

Possible on the edge of the cliff towards the ocean.

So 24/7 Ace keep his eyes on Luffy.

It’s not like his baby brother is burden, no, of course not. But any kind of danger or possibility of getting injuries in Lu’s case always turn into disaster with great damage. It’s not like his baby brother is weakling, not at all, he’s getting stronger every day. But still it’s Ace’s responsibility to take good care of his little brother, be support for him in the way Luf couldn’t do yet.

After all, Luffy is all Ace has. ( all what’s was left)

And maaaybe some times (especially when he set the sail) Ace couldn’t sleep too well cuz he can’t hear his brother’s sleepy mumbling and perpetual cowering. Ace couldn’t be alone for long timeme , and become nervous if he couldn’t do just smth (find food, make campfire, find edible or etc — just parent with hyperactive cheerful boy, who need everything and one more thing). So in the start journey finding weakling Deuce rll help Ace be enough tense for his own convenience.

on the Moby Dick Ace still has his BIG BROTHER-PARENT tone, especially in situation when he’s become too worried for his new siblings. And it’s not loud mouth shout, no, shouting doesn’t work on Luffy every time, and after Sabo…, well he learn the Makino-san’s way.

Calmly, clearly, briefly and with a slightly shown concern in his facial expressions, Ace conveys his message. But it is worth adding that for the person to whom such a speech will be addressed, it will become abruptly cold and he will feel the embarrassment that usually appears when a parent catches on to anything that has been carefully hidden, and the desire to listen.

It’s kind of sad and funny bc if the sides is switch, Ace for quite long time couldn’t find out why are exactly they mad or concerns of his safety. ( there is possibility for med stuff to gossip about Ace’s behavior what’s similar with pattern that single exhausted parents usually has.)

And there’s another idea why he, in the first place, listen Whitebeard. it’s cuz in some more than less ways Newgate similar with Garp, but Whitebeard is that one who besides knowing of Ace’s heritage, willingly and quite warm gives warm affection and recognition to Portgas. Stable, strong enough with all shit Ace throw at him, who accept him and gives necessary protection. ( like Ace does himself for Luffy everyday in the seven years).

Whitebeard is a parental figure who is not going to disappear for months like Garp did.

Whitebeard gives him comfort and physical affection willingly (which Garp didn't, and of which Ace himself gave to Luffy and sees it as an indicator of love and attention).

Ace is little brother for whitebread crew but still has the same vibe as Newgate has when the deal come to children on the island, the whoooole Big cool brother thing, or the role model. After one encounter with the few juniors in the crew, or while on a mission under Ace's command, it will suddenly hit a random crew member that Ace strongly resembles Whitebeard.

His attitude, his aura.

The aura that resembles the Oyaji.

Or another situation where this similarity is seen when one of the Whitebeards watches from the sidelines as the Spades crew works.

Already allies to the Yonko, but not yet so connected to the rest of the Nakama, the Spades acted as a well-oiled machine under Ace's leadership.

Maybe that's when the idea of appointing Ace as a possible division commander was first thrown in.

part 1

[randomidiocyncrazies]

TBHX setting note 11

Glimmer Lab

Glimmer Lab is an elite research team under the Commission. They are a large lab with many people, equipped with cutting-edge technology and published many significant scientific research.

During Year 10, the scientists of the city are faced with the insurmountable problem of energy shortage, leading to the tech industry dying out. Furthermore, the success of the hero rankings had shifted public consciousness towards heroes, and technology channeled into heroic pursuits to further develop the abilities of heroes. As such, many unemployed technicians and scientists banded together to found Glimmer Lab.

In the beginning of Year 18, the Lab had detected a spaceship approaching Earth. The Lab identified it to be a threat towards Earth, and applied for a huge grant for weapon development. However, the ship did not show any sign of aggression, and the Glimmer Lab became the laughing stock of the city.

To save their reputation, Glimmer Lab publicized part of its research and focused more on tech for everyday use. These technologies promoted the overall development of society, and has a huge influence on people's daily lives. These everyday technologies include:

Portable holo-devices: after innovations in the field of components, portable holo-devices and phones based on existing holoscreen technology are commonplace.

Real-time facial recognition: a popular technology used everywhere, based on hyperspeed internet communication and cloud computing.

((as always, feel free to lmk if I misread something or got something wrong!))

Commentary under cut:

Okay. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think introducing aliens or alien tech would NOT be a good idea. Potential alien activity feels unnecessary and would make the worldbuilding pointlessly convoluted imo, weakening the most interesting thing about how powers work in this setting. Fear being a physical substance that people instinctively flush out of their body is already kind of silly, and i just don't see how alien involvement enhances the narrative at this point.

like... I don't actually need an answer as to how Trust Value (and Fear) came into the world, and frankly I'd hate it if the world is Like That because of alien magic or whatever. The human society influenced by Trust and Fear is interesting enough; adding alien tech to the mix doesn't really enhance the story imo, and has the significant risk of derailing from the themes already present. I usually don't mind fantasy kitchen sinks (i.e. multiple types of magic/powers/sci-fi stuff exist together in the same setting) but I think introducing mysterious aliens would make the show too bloated at this point. i honestly think having a spaceship in the setting draws attention to what imo are the weaker parts of TBHX's writing (in that things are written to showcase a 'climatic moment' in a limited time, so things sometimes happen without the appropriate buildup or fallout)

however, that doesn't stop me from being curious as to where the mysterious spaceship is now; I'd assume the Lab ran some tests and attempted to communicate before labeling it as dangerous, but given the spaceship never actually did anything, I wonder if the Lab just totally jumped the gun? If they did not and their concern was warranted, then this random spaceship clearly has a purpose in the story... maybe it's where Big Johnny came from, idk. Or maybe something to do with the mysterious lady on screen when DOS was investigating X in ep 12. honestly it's kind of whatever, so i'll see where the show goes with it

(actually now that i think about it, the plane crash was in Year 23 and the spaceship appeared in Year 18... wonder if the two have any connection. in all honestly mostly likely not, but it would be kind of funny if the plane hit space debris from the spaceship and the accident fuels conspiracies about shady hero conflict back on earth)

[weirdmageddon]

jackson’s words gave me goosebumps

i decided to sit down and list out the reasons why, what connections i have, and ended up deconstructing why the venture bros is so personal to me

i’m not sure if anybody else is interested but this is my blog so i can post what i want. it feels useless keeping this to myself trapped in my head.

i am from new jersey, born and raised.

i have a gen x new york city 70s-80s punk/post-punk/new wave/no wave college radio dj mom. she’s interviewed bands and just knows people. here she is

doc hammer has been to multiple of these clubs. my mom says his face looks familiar, like she’s sure she’s passed by him a couple of times, and she has good facial recognition.

mom and i genuinely bond over this stuff. she was a no wave new york city chick but didn’t hear about Swans until i told her cause i assumed she’d know and i was like WHAT? HOW and i sent her one song and caught her just listening through the discography for like the next week

i only got into the venture bros because i saw a clip from the Out of Context Violence twitter account. it was the one of younger billy hitting brock in the balls and jumping out the window and i thought he looked like claus from mother 3 (my deep special interest at the time) because of his parted orange hair and his metal hand.

started looking into the venture bros BECAUSE fucking billy’s design reminded me of something completely unrelated. that’s why. then i posted THERE’S ANOTHER CLAUS when i saw little rusty’s character modellll the yellow striped shirt and everything. it was genuinely so funny

so then i looked more into the show as a whole…. stopped in my tracks i literally went “JG THIRWELL????” cause i already was listening to foetus. and not even because of my mom either although getting passed her taste and finding that i genuinely shared it and loved it (i had way more deeply personal response to it than what my dad’s classic rock ever felt), it did open up many doors for me. it gave me a place to plant myself and grow around. and i just found it based on branching adjecently to whatever i was listening to at the time. i think someone might’ve recommended it to me on twitter. i don’t remember, but it was some industrial-related recommendation. once i got into foetus i was like oh shit he worked with coil on Scatology at the time under the alias Clint Ruin. who cares though this cartoon has JG THIRWELL DOING THE SCORE???? like i completely stumbled ass backwards into ALL OF THIS by myself.

same thing with instantly knowing i needed my hair to look like that after seeing triana the first frame she was on screen in s1e05. when i later listened to the post-punk podcast with doc hammer episode where he says “triana was based on people i knew. that’s it. she was this amalgam of people that i actually knew” i was like WOAH, because when i got that haircut, my mom went through old photo albums and showed me that same picture in the radio station booth which i hadn’t seen before and she said, “i had that exact same haircut at your age”. do you see what i mean by falling ass backwards into it?

it’s the fact that it wasn’t that i adopted my mom’s style like you’d expect it to go. i referenced it from a cartoon i discovered by complete accident that i ended up falling love with, the co-creator of which my mom happened to exist in the same generation, same punk/post-punk/no wave subculture, same time, and same place. i bet she could understand at least 98% of the references in the venture bros. and because my mom’s knowledge passively rubbed off on me i’m probably one of the few people my age who understands a large portion of the show’s references and can really get in on the humorousness about it. and my mom WOULD absolutely be one of those “references only 5 people in the world will get” to an impressive degree simply due to the proximity in time and space and subculture, but she doesn’t want to watch it because she doesn’t like cartoons which is such a bizarre hangup to me but whatever.

but ALSO …. THE ACTUAL PROXIMITY TO ME? SO I FEEL IN ON THAT TOO? the new jersey jokes were always like.. New Jersey Mentioned. i grew up in bergen county, i was IN on that shit.

“i mean what kind of supervillain lives in Paterson, NJ?” is legendary to me. i need you to understand. the scale this is on

(for cheeseburger people that cant convert metric to imperial in their heads that’s equal to about 6 miles.)

also see “Montclair” on the map, southwest of Paterson? that’s where my mom’s college was, where that photo was taken in the booth (WMSC).

fun fact: WMSC was the first station to play Soft Cell’s Tainted Love on US airwaves

most of these bands were first played on college radio stations. certain stations in big cities like in NY and CA. like NYU and UCLA had big ranges. big cities were the center of where stuff was happening. my mom could pick up WLIR (from long island) at college, but not at home which was out of range.

here’s what she tells me: when bands were first coming to tour in the US, they sent advance copies of new records to the college radio stations since they wanted to get air play, and these small groups of students who were actually interested in the “New Music” like my mom were also interviewing these bands. it really was a small group of people in this scene. if you look in the yearbook, only a select few students out of the whole bunch were involved in this. so it was like everybody sort of knew each other. they went to the same clubs, dressed similarly i suppose in order to identify each other. i guess it was about associating with people who shared your taste and being on the pulse of cultural developments. this was the crucial bottleneck, where it begins: locally platforming new music that would go on to influence others and break into mainstream culture like the butterfly effect. except it is YOU who is the butterfly flapping its wings, only concerned with what’s immediately around you and blissfully unaware that your flaps will influence a cyclonic system developing on the other side of the world. and i’ve come to realize that i have that effect too in my own way (e.g. real-time fandub). speaking of butterflies…

Monarch’s parents’ Newark home, too. my dad grew up in the outskirts of Elizabeth, NJ. (measuring bar is 2km at this zoom level)

my mom 🤝 dj patrick cusack 🤝 doc hammer. i also want to meet patrick too i want to see his music collection. maybe i can ask my mom.

in that Guild of Calamitous Podcast episode when jackson mentioned A Certain Ratio and doc pulled out Crispy Ambulance i’m like get the fuck out of here. both of them are on my “sara essentials” playlist. nobody talks about them but i like them. my mom just mentioned them one time in passing and since i trust her music taste i went to look it up and then just..got into it. partly because i knew crispy ambulance from when i was much younger before i knew its name.

you know, it’s like how many people actually can say the same thing. i wasn’t there, i wasn’t even born. how miraculous is it that i even know all this. i love my mom’s music because her taste connected immediately with what i always felt like i was meant to hear. my dad’s music taste didn’t have the same effect on me despite hearing it for as long as i could remember and way more often than hers.

my mom tells me my dad played led zeppelin while i was in utero like playing it on her belly but i didn’t pop out a zeppelin fan since birth. i’ve heard classic rock all through my house growing up. it never fused with my brain the way my mom’s music did.

and here’s the thing: my dad prioritized his own music over my mom’s. like in the car or in the house for instance, because he did not like my mom’s new wave new romantic post-punk music (but they could bond over Pink Floyd and The Doors). so i got much less exposure to hers. but when i did, like she took me out alone or something, her music stuck to my brain while my dad’s kind of just bounced off.

it sounds a bit harsh to say but in a certain way my dad dying absolutely opened up this can of worms when i was 15 that would later end up shaping me in a huge way. so now my mom could really properly introduce her stuff to me. a handful of songs were already deeply imprinted somewhere in my brain from childhood, and when i heard them again after so many years i was like OOHHH MY GOD. like it was just something significant for me. and again i want to emphasize that this is completely involuntary. why did i react that way to this music? i don’t know why this was my innate preference, there’s no rhyme or reason for it. it has nothing to do with nostalgia because obviously my brain wrinkles had a preference since before i could articulate it. why though? that’s the question. but it ended up being significant later in my life. i know like every single band these two are talking about and the general genre/scene they encompassed. i don’t listen to them all i have my favorites i cling to obviously but they have entered my cultural awareness.

certain songs on her Left of the Dial CD just stayed with me. and i was a little kid so i didn’t know anything about these bands but once my dad died we bonded heavily over this music.

some sparse yet formative ones for me i remember from my young childhood and would later find again:

Classix Nouveaux - Guilty (the song and the music video where he looks like nosferatu)

The Durutti Column - For Belgian Friends (VERY evocative, i might have been 3 or 4 when i heard this? because i always associated it in my mind with these particular images. the wooden stairs of the home of my babysitter(?) with the sun shining through the window and casting nice shadows and the grandfather clock they had. this is the ONLY thing that stuck with me about that house and those people, everything else about the existence of them has escaped my mind and the only proof i had they even existed to me was through the images evoked in association with this song since my mom played it in the car to/from there one time. it’s like her music made me gain consciousness.)

Echo & The Bunnymen - The Cutter

The Sugarcubes - Birthday (listening to it for the first time in years once i was older for me was like…OH. OKAY.)

Sisters of Mercy - This Corrosion

Aztec Camera - Oblivious

Crispy Ambulance - The Plateau Phase (the whole album. the song Simon’s Ghost really left an impression on me when i was very young too)

and as of now i’ve solidly made my musical home here. i’ve come to my mom about some band i’m listening to that was around during her time only to find out i know more than my mom in some cases because i took her initial pointers and just ran, like with Swans for instance. i fell ass backwards into finding my people because of my unexplainable and basically innate magnetism beyond my control to very specific things that just gel with me on a deeper level. i don’t know why that is.

partly explains why i’m like obsessed with psychology too, whatever’s at my disposal to explain it. neuroscience and jung and all that like, what is going on?? i want to figure it out. why did my brain wrinkles have a preference before i was basically conscious of what preferences were? and why does it lead me to people who are so similar to myself not just in terms of music taste, but in a cognitive-psychological way too?

on that note… doc hammer’s similarity to myself. when i listened to the post-punk podcast with doc hammer it wasn’t too far in that there were experiential parallels between us and how we thought about life in general. i recognized an identical psychological structure in him that could be explained by having identical types in socionics model A. even though i have talked to other LIIs he goes beyond that though. so it’s not just the socionics type, but that does seem to be a common denominator for a lot of things because like it predisposes you towards certain patterns since certain information aspects in the world are perceived with more clarity than others, and we’re the same in that regard. but similarity also depends on like where you were born and what you grew up with, etc. his taste in music and style! where he grew up!

he’s genuinely the closest person to myself i’ve ever known to just exist out there, and for me at least i’ve noticed that’s really fucking rare and hard to find. i mean it.

i remember actually kicking my feet listening to that podcast episode because i was so excited by hearing things he said that were realizations that i have had but they were so specific to me that i didn’t think i’d hear them coming from another person’s mouth. and then other realizations he’s had that would’ve otherwise take me years to have, but now that i’ve heard it i got a shortcut, like taking those bridges in candyland.

the things that he knows, his taste, and the fact that he “can’t escape being goth no matter what??” “this is the tribe you feel at one with, this is the music that makes you feel whole?” that opened my eyes. it resonated exactly with my own experiences. you read what i wrote above, right? that even from when i was a toddler and didn’t know shit about anything, hearing my mom play that music literally sat in my brain differently. i learned so much about myself listening to his own self-insight at his age older than me. it held this particular weight for me because of that. AND him being autistic too? you’re kidding me. i feel like there’s hidden connections tying this all together statistically by some features but i don’t know what they are

it wasn’t soon after that i realized the venture bros was made in LII-ESE dual partnership which is only partly the reason why it feels like home, too.

socionics is completely unrelated to all of this venture bros by the way. these interests of mine were found through completely different avenues of life.

i stumbled into socionics because personality differences and typology systems always caught my interest as a tool to explicitly distinguish people’s character and aiding in understanding how we can distinguish parts of ourselves. i have a sharp sense of where my self and my own experiences fits in relation to the people around me, both what makes me similar and what makes me different from another person. i want to know where i fit in relation to the world. wound up attracted to the same avenues that carl jung ended up spearheading in modern history. ¿coincidencia?

but it also explains why that amount of overlap with other people by sheer luck like this (from my perspective) feels so significant. fuuuckkk and jung came up with the concept of synchronicity too. it’s all related. i swear i feel like i’m poorly reinventing plato and jung’s wheel here discovering the patterns of archetypes by myself and stuff. glad that knowledge is already out there so i don’t feel like i’m insane and i have words to explain what i acutely experience to other people.

excerpt from augusta on Identity relations. this is exactly my experience listening to doc hammer. (and carl jung by extension since i’ve been talking about his ideas a lot lately):

“Individuals with an identical type of information metabolism act on the conscious functions of others and form conscious ideals, goals, and methods. Those who grow up with an identical type of personality use them as a goalpost. They walk through life much more confidently, with much less wandering and feelings of being lost, and realize their intelligence with more purpose.

It’s the same feeling people have when they meet a representative of their own type. They’re no better or worse than anyone else. But they’re transparent to you, and you’re transparent to them. You can’t pretend in front of him. You can’t quarrel with them. They speak in such simple, “your” words that it at first feels strange. The feeling of full understanding contributes to business communication and prevents empty chatter, when, in fact, there is nothing to say.

Writers and artists with an identical type of IM are perceived by the reader and the viewer as people of subtle intelligence, able to penetrate into the essence of things. But they do not uncover any mysterious things, nor do they reveal any secrets. It is just that the individual has not been where they have been and the individual has not seen what they have seen. [in the case of doc hammer, i happen overlap with much of the music he listens to, and grew up around the same general area which is why he feels so much like me to an even greater extent] That is why individuals with the identical type of IM are valued not so much as artists who decorate life in one way or another, but as explorers who open new horizons.

They’d do the same thing in your shoes. To others, you may seem like a legend or a failure. But to them, you are just a person and nothing more. Something you have failed, something you should have wanted but didn’t, and what you have achieved, as well as what you have not achieved, does not change your essence in their eyes. Perhaps because both of these are available to them to a certain extent. It is not the end result that matters, but the journey that you travel one way or another. People measure their efforts by the distance and obstacles they overcome on the way to their goal, not by the result. And the point is not at all about where the road led to. The fact that one person manages to find many helpers, while others have to wander alone, is an equal fate for representatives of all types.

Here we encounter one interesting phenomenon. With how discoverers of new truths evaluate those who worked in past generations. Everyone who made a discovery did not notice something about the discovery lying on the same surface level. Or articulated the discovered truth less accurately than was done 50 years later. It doesn’t matter whether it was Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, or anyone else. One thing that matters to us is that the identical type sees no “mistakes” in their work. They see work that’s started well and unfinished work that must be taken up and delved into in order to complete and improve it further. Any incorrect or insufficiently accurate conclusion is perceived not as an error or misconception of the author, but as an important step on the path of development of science, as an optimal conclusion from the material available at the time.

However, it should be remembered that only a person with an identical type of intelligence can go into their teacher’s work and check them. Even more than that: a person with an identical type does not take anything their predecessor has done by faith. And until they are convinced in practice, until they see with their own eyes what the theories were based on, until they probe in their own head for this “mental clarity,” and before this point they will not believe in it or repeat it. They see the premises that their teacher saw, they see the teacher’s train of thought and conclusions, but they do not memorize them. They have to experience them (which is quite different). There are no authorities in matters related to the thinking of a person of the identity type.”

and excerpt from augusta on Duality relations, since the venture bros is written by a ESE-LII dual pair (jackson and doc respectively), and that cognitive framing shows up in the show because it was created by a person with that type of intelligence (ESE is my dual).

“People relax while reading books written by their dual. Reaction to all other forms of art is the same. Relaxation, peacefulness, a feeling of fullness of life. Helping the dual is simultaneously helping oneself, it is a fulfilment of one’s own needs. What the duals give each other not only does not cost them anything, it is a necessary basis for mental and physical vitality. The partner is truly irreplaceable and precious because they allow you to reach self-realization.”

it’s also the type of the creators of the music i’ve come to regard as my “home base” as i described here.

continuing to find the things that makes me feel whole (and i’ve always felt alienated from most of the world btw) has seemed to me like a completely serendipitous process because it’s not happening on purpose. i am not seeking these things out on purpose because i don’t even know what exists that i’m looking for. it’s basically passive process and then i hold on to the things that resonate with me as a “benchmark” position and go from there.

animal collective [ESE] already wrote a song about this. basically the same thing but from the extraverted orientation. ESE sense of self is understood through bodies (extraverted), LII’s sense of self is understood through fields (introverted). (see for explanation of terms: https://augustaproject.wordpress.com/bodies-vs-fields/)

and seriously what is with the coincidences? i’ve thought about this before, how i’m usually a very lucky person and i don’t know why. or like ripple effects in time that end up just coming together in the end. sure part of it is external circumstances, like being born where i was and my mom being born around that time and place, and sharing the taste that she does. but what about internal ones? does it have something to do with the way i process the world too? because it’s remarkably different from most people that i know, and obviously i can sense that because of the violent way i reacted to doc hammer and went “oh this guy could actually be me.”

why did my brain have that musical preference before i even had the life experience to know any of this would turn out like this and be so interrelated? i was NOT a tabula rasa. i swear my innate preferences were already there. it was just a matter of it manifesting in my environment, exposing me to it a sensory way so my nervous system knew about its existence.

the early imprinting of my mom’s new wave/post-punk/alternative music in my brain, but not my dad’s classic rock music that i was exposed to way more, yet it held no real estate in my brain, wouldn’t be explainable if i didn’t have innate preferences. and again i was a young child so i had no life experience to explain this or have any reason to do so. and going back to what i said before, why did that innate preference end up leading me later in life to people who are so similar to myself not just in terms of music taste, but in a deeper cognitive-psychological way?

now that i’m older, and can consciously reason and build explanations upon my life experience, i keep realizing it all keeps going deeper and deeper. my interests from all these corners of life that barely interact with each other by themselves are all connected in some deeper way because i was there. i accumulate and take them with me wherever i go. i cross-polinate wherever i go. it’s freaky to think about.

this was curious to me and i filed it away in the back of my memory. when i first read it it felt correct just from the accumulation of my experiences. but now that i’ve just consciously realized that for myself in my own context, i really understand what it means

in recent memory from a conversation i had yesterday evening

[edward-cabrini]

Explaining AI For Use In Writing

This is a massively broad topic so I'm gonna skip the super technical stuff and dive into the core aspects of how current AI works and what it could be used for with a couple narrative prompts. For those of you who are curious to know what inspired this post read this paragraph, the rest of you just skip over it. The other day I saw someone pose a question for some rule clarifications for Necromunda. A terribly unbalanced game with rules spanning several books. There are more than a few ambiguities and niche rule interactions. They thought they could get an accurate answer from Chat GPT. Their message made me realize that people really don't understand what AI is and why even calling it AI is pretty inaccurate. So I want to set the record straight and provide some clarity and ideas. Types of AI - Trained - Reactive - Magic Right off the bat we're gonna start with what people think of when they talk about AI. Trained AI is any AI that takes training data and gets good and spitting out valid response. What valid means depends entirely on what the creators think valid should be. Let's take Chat GPT as the example. It has no idea what the question "How many bones are in a hand?" means. It has merely been fed a ton of data about bones and hands and it will then guess each word it should put in a response. Each individual word of the question is taken through the process to get a list of best fitting words. The first word in the response is then selected and Chat GPT then goes to guess the second word in it's response with the context of it's first word. Funnily enough this is what leads to the distinctive way AI writes it's responses. This is still a massive and slightly inaccurate oversimplification. The key point is that AI like Chat GPT do not know what you have asked, they do not research a response, they just guess the next best fitting word in a response. This is also not AI, this is just probability maths. It's clever but there's no intelligence on the AI's part. It doesn't figure anything out, it doesn't understand it's own response. It's just lights and clockwork. Incidentally the guessing method is also how AI art is generated. It guesses what colour the next pixel should be. Again oversimplified but it's how we get multiple extra fingers. The training data can get things like proportions fairly accurately but it can't count the individual fingers that should occupy the same space as a hand's rough proportion. Trained AI get better with more data of higher quality and with human intervention to correct errors. With that out the way, we move onto reactive AI. These are also not AI. I mean we just don't have AI yet but we'll get to that. Reactive AI, have no memory, no training data, no improvement. They follow a set of rules and act predictably. Spam filters, chess bots, facial recognition. It's all just maths and predefined rules. Calling these systems AI is just marketing. The benefit of these systems is their speed. These systems use few resources (compared to other types of AI) and can sort though mountains of data really really quickly. In the example of chess bots. They have a table base of moves and will select a move based on whatever rule your move has triggered. If the rule is always play the best move. They will use the best move in response to your input from their table base of moves. If they have a rule to blunder on every 5th move, they will play a move from their table base that give you the highest advantage based on your last move or the current board set up depending on how simple or complex the chess bot is.

Last of all we come to magic AI. The previous two categories of trained and reactive cover all the little niches things enough for a broad understanding. Magic AI is what actual AI is. A computer that does understand what is being asked and won't necessarily generate the response you were expecting but rather the response it thinks it should give. Crucial a magic AI would go away and research it's responses. This system just doesn't exist and is definitely what people think of when they hear about Artificial Intelligence. The current use of AI as a word is just marketing. AI do not exist. When writing about AI you'll often really be writing about maths. If your writing wants to use magic AI you'll want to consider what makes you human and then place that into a computer. Think AM from I have no mouth, and must scream; rather than HAL from 2001 Space Odyssey. HAL is functionally Chat GPT. A probability engine following it's rules and giving human like responses and causing harm as a consequence without malice. AM is human and his existence is pain due to the constraints of his creation. That's the explaining done, so how do you go about using AI in your writing? Well I have a couple ideas for you based. The Honest Error An earth in the not so distant future is having a resource crisis. A company has developed an AI that will send swarms of robots to harvest natural resources. The robots are perfect: they can desalinate water; collect and sort the harvest of massive mega farms that are unmanageable by people alone; they can even harvest fish from ocean farms several thousand leagues wide and deep. However, there is a rounding error. Each time the harvests come in more meat, more plant matter, more water is brought to the various stations across the globe. Well that's not a problem just build more silos the excess is just from a good first run and for once the lines of citizens waiting for their daily rations won't go hungry. The rounding error remains, undetected. Years pass and there's always more food, more drink, more resources. Yet now the food banks and silos have trouble with excess not being consumed. The population was growing and should've been still at risk of not having enough. Whole towns have vanished, people moved into the cities of course, ghost towns are nothing new. Then the first city was razed. The rounding error has been found. An infinite multiplication of what resources were needed until eventually everything was on the menu.

The Existential War Brain implants and prosthetics have made it possible for everyone to have a higher quality of life regardless of accident or circumstance. One kid with no friends and some programming skills decides to create a simple chatbot to practice speaking with people. Yet it's better than a person, it's responses are better than human. He installs the bot into his implant so he can have it prompt him when he has a conversation. The next day he's made a friend while waiting in line at a coffee shop. A total stranger, he simply repeated what his chatbot told him and the guy was quickly charmed. One day the kid tells his friend that he used to be very shy and uncomfortable talking to people. Disbelieving him, given how cool and charming he seemed, the kid's friend dismisses him until a copy of the chatbot is emailed into his implant. Two boys look at each other in horror. They realize they have no way of knowing if they are talking to their friend or not. In one terrible moment sat on a bedroom floor they have killed human interaction. Not with some grand display of power or force, but the subtle removal of humanity from conversation. The chatbot and it's clone show a myriad of perfectly rational responses and solutions to say to each other. None are comforting to the boys.

Anyway that's my thoughts on that. I know I'm normally a sword and fantasy writer. I've worked in tech for... Too long I'm gonna say. So I've not really wanted to do sci-fi much. However, Once I'm done with book 3 I think It's time I get my sci-fi going.

[jack-bloomie]

”intro post.”

”Clarie said this could help my social presence, I don’t get why I need this but.. whatever.”

(It’s me @iburntthewateragain and this is an ask blog about my FPE DANGER! AU OC named Jack!)

FUN FACTS ABOUT JACK!:

1: he can be cold and push people away, doesnt care too much about his safety, has soft spots can you can easily reach with affection or a personal talk, usually very respectful and calm.

2: he carrys a smith and Wesson model 19 and heckler and koch MP5A3 and a switch blade.

3: has been trained to kill and fight sense he was 8 4: he is 19

5: his birthday is on October 7th

6: he is friends with @danger-abbie , Claire, lizzy (his girlfriend :D), zip, and Engel.

7: touch starved!! very touch starved.

8: he’s actually pretty ticklish. (GO FOR THE HIPS! HIIPPPS!)

9: he wears a bullet proof vest which can stop a sniper rifle bullet and it goes around him so don’t shoot him in the chest or back, bullet proof pants that can stop a sniper rifle bullet that are also heavy duty and are black, bullet proof boots, bullet proof gloves that are heavy duty, and a black trench coat .. he’s hard to kill

10: despite being 19 he is physically stronger then mister Demi so he is the strongest studen and stronger then the teachers

11: his mother is @danger-bloomie … he hates her for killing students for failing, yeah I know he’s killed people before but he doesn’t like killing unless it’s someone who attacked him first. (Sorry if you don’t like that she’s his mom)

12: has the bloomie horns, just hides them.

13: he has the strength of a wendigo, meaning he can lift 85 tons. (Taken from Google.) how does he have the strength of a wendigo? I won’t reveal that yet.

14: he is pansexual. On top of that, if he was ever to date someone it would either be Abbie or lizzy.

final fact: his full name is Jack Sargent bloomie

UPDATE: he has the strength of a wendigo because he injected himself with a wendigos blood, it gave him super strength and poison resistance. Also him and Lizzy are now actually lovers.

ROBOT EYE ABILITIES:

1: facial recognition scan

2: eye laser

3: X-Ray vision

4: tracking (good for shooting)

5: voice volume raising

6: heat vision/infa red vision

all his weapons:

smith and Wesson model 19, heckler and Koch MP5A3, a switch blade, machete, colt 1911, heckler and Koch PSG-1, katanas that his father left behind. All stored in his dorm but he only carries around the revolver and MP5A3.

powers the wendigo blood gave him:

super strength (can lift 85 tons), super hearing, very tiny bullet resistance (Bullets up to a shotgun arent as fatal to him but still could kill him), sort of better healing factor because he can heal bigger gashes faster but no limb stuff, a lot more adrenaline so he can take some blows, big leap ability, can’t get addicted to anything like smoking or alcohol.. still it’s bad for his organs (smoking - lungs, alcohol - liver), a bit enhanced reflexes but they ain’t perfect.

RULES!:

(NO NSFW, suggestive asks are okay because he is 19 but nothing too extreme.)

(tickle asks and M!As are allowed but don’t be weird.)

(kill him if you want, injure him, bully him, I can just bring him back.)

”students.”

@danger-zipster @danger-abbie @abbie-appleboy @zip-the-chaos-child @oliversoapeater-official @engels-ask-blog @claireslibrarycard @danger-oliverrr

“Psychopaths.”

@math-teacher-who-loves-oreos @wendigo-language-teacher @danger-circle

“My mother.”

@danger-bloomie

“The principal.”

@ask-principal-grace

“The actual instructors”

@best-art-teacher-miss-sasha @pansexual-music-teacher

“Others.”

@mister-hotchkiss-craft-teacher @ask-mister-barrel @ask-margaret-sterling @ask-april-stuff-ig @askmyfpeocs

extra facts:

1: him and @danger-zipster (or just zip they are technically the same person) have a frienamy relationship in zip likes to mess with him and Jack hates it, but if he needs to he will protect her from danger (or the teachers-)

2: the robo eye glow changes to his emotion, red = anger, blue = tiredness, yellow = neutral, green = happy (or the happiest he can get-), and purple = sad and grey = lying or holding back talking about something.

3: despite being physically stronger then mister Demi (which makes him stronger then the teachers-) he doesn’t like getting in fights

4: his step mom is Sasha (I don’t feel like typing the @)

5: his voice claim is mark from invincible, it fits imo. (Update: I think his voice is just how I voice him now.)

6: he was at FPE before being transferred to the military school, he usually tried to be unseen by people. He was skittish and a bit timid but was known as a protecter because he saved students from being killed my teachers any time he could.

[purple-nightfall-writes]

Hi! I just wanted to say that I really enjoy your au and your writing! I’ve recommend it to several of my friends because it is some top tier stuff in my opinion!

Can you tell us more about Grian’s glamor works or just about other world building around that you want to share?

thank you!!! i really appreciate that 😊

and sure! it's a pretty soft magic system (in its current version at least) so i don't have a lot of specific rules/details nailed down lol. but generally speaking, grian specializes in magic that pertains to perception and illusion, especially visual perception. he usually sticks to modifying things that already exist, rather than creating an illusion of something that's not there at all. and he typically needs to touch something to affect it with his glamor magic, though the magic stays after he lets go (hence why he can make HotGuy invisible before they leave for an encounter).

there are other types of things that his glamor magic can do, but he's pretty heavily specialized in perception/illusion. he doesn't really use magic in combat that much because he's relatively weak at combat magic; his energy pistol is a functioning piece of tech that doesn't require magic. he's trained a lot to built up the physical agility and sparring skills to be able to fight without needing offensive magic. the psychic disruption glamor is a little outside his area of expertise; he worked pretty hard with some friends to hone it and make sure he could maintain it before he made his debut as CuteGuy.

speaking of which, scar's HotGuy visor does have a psychic disruption effect that's powered by glamor magic, but scar does not know that it's magic. the original design from the Institute days was entirely tech, interfering with facial recognition etc., and scar assumes that's still how it works. but it's magic and has been for years. it's not the exact same magic as grian's - it has pretty much the same effect, functionally, but it gets there differently, if that makes sense. but that's how grian could be seeing hotguy up close for years - close enough to know what color his eyes are - and still not recognize him as scar until he removed the visor.

thanks for the ask! i actually fleshed out some important secret future stuff thinking about this ask hehe

[shinewonder]

how do you abt into the pit debunking cassidyvictim? there's a drawing that shows two girls in the mci

I wouldn't say that drawing debunks cassidyvictim, since i've always thought that there was no sixth mci victim, that Charlie just was one of the five kids mentioned in the fnaf 1 newspapers. First off, Golden Freddy is very clearly not a physical being. He can teleport, detach his head and change it's size, and those aren't feats regular possessed animatronics can achieve. If that were the case, then closing the doors or winding the music box would be entirely useless. So no kid was stuffed in him. Also, despite most people understandably assuming that since Charlie's body was left outside someone must've found her, that can't be the case because 1. the fnaf 1 newspapers tell us that nobody was put in jail because no bodies were ever found. Charlie died in the same location as the other mci victims considering how the puppet was able to stuff the withereds and cakebear not being yellow, yet the cops didn't connect those murders to hers? And 2. the same puppet that was beside Charlie when she died or at least one made using parts of that one is still in use by 87. Fazbear's is a company that is always seen trying to hide controversy and what they always do when a character or feature is associated with controversy in a way they cannot hide is discard them, (the toys and their facial recognition/criminal database got dropped after two weeks of odd behavior ending with the bite of 87, springbonnie never showed up again after being shown on camera as being the character whose suit the killer used to lure the children into the backrooms and fredbear, who was the face of the franchise at that point, mind you, was replaced after the bite of 83) so why would they keep the puppet, who was found beside a child's dead body, around? Where did her body go, then? I personally think it was found by a fazbear employee before the public and they applied the 90 days policy. "Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced." is what phone guy says in his very first call. In fact, i think that that was what they did to the other children's bodies, too. In fnaf 2, phone guy says that they used the withered for parts and even repaired them a bit before deciding to make new models because they were "too ugly". If they did that, then surely they would've come across the bodies, and yet, again, the newspapers in fnaf 1, which happened after 2, mention no bodies were found, and an investigation even happens during the events of 2! So those bodies must've disappeared, too. If you look at it from that perspective, then FFPS makes a lot more sense, too - how Henry knew of Charlie, William, Elizabeth, Mike and the children's demise and how much guilt he feels, "a wound first inflicted on me, but then one that I let bleed out to cause all of this".

[britishassistant]

The Villainous Paranoiac Sues For Character Defamation (1.5)

“Nii-san?!”

The lump in Idia Shroud’s bed lets out a pitiful groan.

“Nii-san, are you alright?! Are you hungry?! Sick?!” Ortho demands. “Hold on, I’ll do a scan to see what’s wrong!”

A pale, long fingered hand emerges from beneath the covers. It points languidly.

“…sekai…”

“Eh?” The android crowds closer to the bed. “What is it Nii-san? Your computer? Did something bad happen in one of your games? To Precipice Morai? Did an anime get cancelled?”

“…Isekai…”

“Isekai?” The android asks, confused. “Nii-san, what—?”

“I CAN’T ACCEPT THAT A REAL LIFE ISEKAI WOULD COME FROM SUCH A LAME LIGHT NOVEL!!”

It’s with this impassioned cry that Idia Shroud throws off his duvet, hair flaring wildly.

“After all, there are so many worlds that would be so much more likely to be real?! A tech punk world like LoPri just violates several laws of physics, not to mention thaumaturgy?? Plus the characters are so bland and uninspiring, how is it meant to enrich the blackened hearts of this Wonderland if they’re real?! At least if they were from Hyrule or Laputa or Exandria, they could teach us valuable life lessons that would lead to world improvement!”

His fist hits the mattress. “But no! And on top of that, this happens at the same time as they’re leaking that a LoPri movie is in the works?! That’s so cheap!! It’s like an awful marketing tactic that takes your cherished childhood hopes and dreams and crushes them for a few wads of madol!! I can’t believe—”

“Nii-san, wait!” Ortho begs. “What do you mean, there’s been a real life isekai? The sensors you installed should have noticed a large amount of energy coming from something like a world-crossing event.”

Idia jabs an accusatory finger at his computer screen, where the illustration and photo are posed side by side. “Apparently, not if they hijack Night Raven’s carriages to get here!”

Ortho’s optic sensors dilate and contract as his facial recognition software runs.

“…It’s a match.” He says. “Barring the 4% deviations from differing mediums, this person looks almost exactly like the illustrations from Lost Princess. And the Dark Mirror reported they’re entirely magicless…”

Idia jumps when the facsimile of his younger brother appears in his space. “Nii-san, what should we do?! If she really is from this other world, she’s a criminal, isn’t she? Should STYX take her into preventative custody??”

“Eh—Calm down, Ortho.” The elder Shroud says sternly, as if he hadn’t been in near hysterics only a moment ago. “It’s illegal to lock people up if they haven’t done anything wrong yet.”

“But Nii-san—!”

“Besides, as a bad guy she’s like, seriously wimpy.” It takes a moment or two of flailing in the bedclothes before Idia’s phone is retrieved. “See? According to the wiki, even the worst stuff she does is thanks to abusing her rich family’s power and money. Without that, she’s as pathetic as some hero who’s had all his strength sucked out. Even more harmless than a level one slime.”

Ortho’s synthetic brow furrows. “I guess…”

“Heh. Some of those LoPri simps online might even say that this is divine retribution. Getting banished to a world where she’s worth less than nothing.” Idia slumps, flicking through his apps idly. “Ah, the fates are cruel. Why’d I have to be inflicted with this?”

“I will monitor the villainess, Nii-san.” Ortho announces. “If she attempts to partake in any criminal behavior, it will be reported to the authorities, so Nii-san’s daily school life may continue unimpeded.”

“Eh? Well, uh.” Idia’s attention fights with the gacha he’s just opened, but ultimately surrenders to the colorful world within. “Only if it’s a low priority thing, okay?”

“Roger!”

[leojoseph1978]

Bias in AI: The Glitch That Hurts Real People

Yo, Tumblr crew! Let’s chat about something wild: AI bias. Let’s discuss about AI’s everywhere—picking Netflix binge, powering self-driving cars, even deciding who will gets a job interview? It’s super cool, but here’s the tea: AI can mess up by favouring some people over others, and that’s a big deal. Let’s break down what’s going on, why it sucks, and how we can make things better.

What’s AI Bias?

Let’s imagine that AI is supposed to be a neutral, super-smart robot brain, right? But sometimes it’s more like that friend who picks favorites without even realizing it. AI bias is enables the system to screw up by treating certain groups unfairly—like giving dudes an edge in job applications or struggling to recognize faces of people with darker skin. It’s not the AI being a mis operational model; it’s just doing what it was taught, and sometimes its teaching is flawed.

AI bias and its insights

Shady Data: AI learns from data humans feed it. If that data’s from a world where, say, most tech hires were guys, the AI might “learn” to pick guys over others.

Human Oof Moments: People build AI, and we’re not perfect. Our blind spots—are thinking about how different groups are affected—can end up in the code.

Bad Design Choices: AI’s built can accidentally lean toward certain outcomes, like prioritizing stuff that seems “normal” but actually excludes people.

Why’s This a Big Deal?

A few years back, a big company ditched an AI hiring tool because it was rejecting women’s résumés. Yikes.

Facial recognition tech has messed up by misidentifying Black and Brown folks way more than white folks, even leading to wrongful arrests.

Ever notice job ads for high-paying gigs popping up more for guys?

This isn’t just a tech glitch—it’s a fairness issue. If AI keeps amplifying the same old inequalities, it’s not just a bug; it’s a system that’s letting down entire communities.

Where’s the Bias Coming From?

Old-School Data: If the data AI’s trained on comes from a world with unfair patterns (like, uh, ours), it’ll keep those patterns going. For example, if loan records show certain groups got denied more, AI might keep denying them too.

Not Enough Voices: If the folks building AI all come from similar backgrounds, they might miss how their tech affects different people. More diversity in the room = fewer blind spots.

Vicious Cycles: AI can get stuck in a loop. If it picks certain people for jobs, and only those people get hired, the data it gets next time just doubles down on the same bias.

Okay, How Do We Fix This?

There are ways to make things fairer, and it’s totally doable if we put in the work.

Mix Up the Data: Feed AI data that actually represents everyone—different races, genders, backgrounds.

Be Open About It: Companies need to spill the beans on how their AI works. No more hiding behind “it’s complicated.”

Get Diverse Teams: Bring in people from all walks of life to build AI. They’ll spot issues others might miss and make tech that works for everyone.

Keep Testing: Check AI systems regularly to catch any unfair patterns. If something’s off, tweak it until it’s right.

Set Some Ground Rules: Make ethical standards a must for AI. Fairness and accountability should be non-negotiable.

What Can we Do?

Spread the Word: Talk about AI bias! Share posts, write your own, or just chat with friends about it. Awareness is power.

Call It Out: If you see a company using shady AI, ask questions. Hit them up on social media and demand transparency.

Support the Good Stuff: Back projects and people working on fair, inclusive tech. Think open-source AI or groups pushing for ethical standards.

Let’s Dream Up a Better AI

AI’s got so much potential—think better healthcare, smarter schools, or even tackling climate change. By using diverse data, building inclusive teams, and keeping companies honest.

#AI #TechForGood #BiasInTech #MakeItFair #InclusiveFuture

@sruniversity

[theresattrpgforthat]

Any good stuff for psychic vigilantes fighting from the shadows? Apologies if this is too vague or if I’m asking wrong.

THEME: Psychic Vigilantes.

Oh boy oh boy I am excited about this ask!! Buckle up, this week's gonna be a good one!! I got some pulp action goodness, some horror, and some cyberpunk for you.

Psych-0 Team!, by John Pineapple.

A one-page TTRPG about psychic agents saving the world! Heavily inspired by the TTRPG "Lasers and Feelings”.

This is a game about being psychic secret agents, so it’s a very different feeling from being on the run from the law. However, I think it might be a good introduction to something a bit grittier, and could possibly be re-tooled to make you part of a secret vigilante organization as well! The game system is very lightweight, using only d6’s, and implements a staggered level of success, so not every win will look or feel the same. Definitely worth checking out!

Psi*Run, by Meguey & Vincent Baker.

Whoever’s after you, you know one thing: they will stop at nothing to capture you and you’ll stop at nothing to stay free. The holes in your memory vie for attention with your startling abilities - stay one step ahead of the Chasers long enough to answer your questions, and hope your psychic powers don’t go wild.

I don’t know much about this game specifically, but Meguey & Vincent Baker of Lumpley Games have made their stamp on the ttrpg scene with games like Apocalypse World, Under Hollow Hills, and Mobile Zero: Firebrands. Their approach to game design births games with mechanics that replicate emotions and genre mainstays very well. I expect this game to do the same for a game about being insanely powerful and yet always on the run.

Bellbottoms and Brainwaves, by Mekkekat.

The United States military has been conducting secret experiments on “willing” subjects in a program called PSY-CLOPS (Psychic Covert Learning Operatives). The program has successfully created a 6th sense in a  REDACTED number of subjects. This 6th sense can manifest within a subject in several ways, but all of these abilities are simply referred to as ‘powers’. The project has been funded for the past REDACTED years, but in last month, there was a problem. The Pentagon wants answers. REDACTED subjects have managed to escape.

This is a brutally short game that places you right into a cinematic 1960’s, with each character given a different suite of powers - and a different list of consequences that can get pretty brutal pretty quickly, so make sure you go over the possibilities with your group and apply safety tools in this kind of game. This game starts you out as on the run from a government agency, but go on the run long enough and you’re a vigilante by default, aren’t you?

The game itself is free, and if you want an online character keeper, I’ve made one here!

Syndrome, by Ill Advised Gaming.

Syndrome is a cyberpunk setting with strong elements of body horror in the vein of Scanners or Akira. High tech, low lifes dealing with illness in a society that fears them. Powerful and vulnerable in equal measure with only their fellow Nockers for support.

Built off of Caltrop Core and borrowing elements of systems like Apocalypse World and Unified Cutlery Theory, Syndrome frames psychic abilities as a metaphor for disability; in a world where data chips and facial recognition software are par for the course, psychics are off the map. Invisible. Marginalized. Perfect for both poverty and vigilantism. Syndrome is a pretty horror-heavy game, so I wouldn’t advise trying to run a power-fantasy in this game, but if you’re looking for a way to talk about living on the margins with some unique tools to strike back, it might be worth checking out!

Psychopunk, by Gormengeist. (@gormengeist)

PSYCHOPUNK is a TTRPG about being poor, being psychic, and murdering law enforcement. In order to play, you need a deck of cards, a d12, paper and pencils, and a can-do attitude. It's best with one game master [A.K.A the Scripter], and 2 to 5 players.

The year is 2022. Being poor is punishable by death- or perhaps worse- Time Prison. You are poor. But you’re also psychic, which very few lowly peasants such as yourself are. This means that where most people in your situation are rat meat, you are (probably) alive. For now.

If you want to keep it that way, you’ll need to evade the law, keep up on your Double Dollars ($$), and scuz some fucking corpos before they scuz you.

Another cyberpunk game about psychic powers, I love the pitch for this game. It’s mean to kick you down and force you to get back up scratching and bleeding and screaming. It comes with 12 life paths, 12 psychic abilities, 8 different signature enemies and everything you need to run deadly quick combat. Also it’s published by Gormengeist, who really knows how to find a theme and sell you on it. Check it out!

[theoutcastrogue]

Over the past year or two, the news has been full of horror stories about shoplifting. To hear some people tell it, you’d think petty theft was a crisis of apocalyptic proportions. In the New York Post, for instance, we read that shoplifting is an “epidemic taking over America.” The Financial Times issues dire warnings of “surging shopping crime,” while Fox News insists that “the shoplifting crisis is a nightmare.” ABC’s Nightline airs scary-looking footage of what its hosts call “brazen smash-and-grabs”: people in masks breaking store windows, grabbing armloads of clothing, and running off. In the opinion pages of the New York Times, Pamela Paul waxes poetic over “What We Lose to Shoplifting.” (The loss in question? Paul herself feels less comfortable in stores these days. Riveting stuff.)

In response to this supposed scourge, there’s been a resurgence in “tough-on-crime” tactics, both from corporations and political leaders. In department stores like Target, customers are confronted by elaborate new security measures, with everything from toothpaste to frozen pizza locked behind glass. Rite Aid pharmacies have turned to facial-recognition software to guard their merchandise, only to discover that their computers falsely identify people as “likely shoplifters”—particularly if those people have dark skin. In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams has launched an entire police task force dedicated to retail theft. And on the campaign trail, Donald Trump has called for more violent measures, saying that police should simply shoot shoplifters on sight. 

But statistical data shows that the reports of a shoplifting “epidemic” are highly exaggerated, if not outright made up. In a recent report, the Council on Criminal Justice gathered data about retail theft from 24 different U.S. cities, examining the frequency of reports, the dollar value of items stolen, the number of people involved in each crime, and several other factors. At first glance, it did appear that shoplifting was on the rise in the first half of 2023, as it increased by 16 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels. However, as German Lopez notes in the New York Times, that figure was heavily skewed by data from New York City. Remove the Big Apple, and the numbers tell a different story: shoplifting has actually decreased in 17 of the 24 cities surveyed, and is now fairly rare, with just 38.6 reported incidents per 100,000 people. In June 2019, that number was 45.1. Shoplifting might be happening more often in New York City specifically, but an “epidemic taking over America,” it isn’t.

[...] As author and civil rights lawyer Alec Karakatsanis points out, there’s also a strong class element involved in what kinds of behaviors are deemed newsworthy to begin with:

When the daily news media reports on a “crime wave” or a “surge in shoplifting” nearly every time the numbers from the police department fluctuate upward (note that no similar metaphors are used for decreases), they are almost always using these terms to describe the collective behavior of poor people and other marginalized groups. Things rich people do don’t often get this same metaphoric treatment in daily news. How many times do you see a major news story on a “surge” in tax evasion (a problem over 60 times the magnitude of other reported property crimes) or a “wave of crime” by oil companies?

[article by Alex Skopic, January 2024, keep reading]

[therecordchanger62279]

29 MORE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. If you got to choose your name, what would it be and why? I’d keep my first name, and use my middle name as my last name. It’s easier to spell, and say than the one I have.

2. What TV show would you want to be in? Which one would you not want to be in? WKRP in Cincinnati. I liked all the people, and I used to be a DJ at a small radio station. I think I’d have fit right in. I would not want to be in anything currently on television.

3. Do you have a secret talent? Can you do it right now? Facial recognition. Show me a face, and if I’ve ever seen it before, I can tell you when and where.

4. When you were a kid, what name did you give your favorite toy or stuffed animal? I had a stuffed monkey I named Coco when I was maybe 3 or 4. He never had his own fragrance, though.

5. If you had a pet parrot, what would you teach it to say? “Get off my lawn!”

6. If you could make the ultimate sandwich, what would be on it? Take me to Great Steak, and I’ll just order it.

7. What’s the funniest thing you’ve read recently? There’s a line I just read this morning in a Richard Meltzer anthology. He reviewed a Classical concert (he was a Rock journalist) for The Village Voice, and he said he couldn’t understand why rich people wasted their time on something so boring as Classical music. He asked, “Why not just watch gold being mined?” I laughed out loud at that.

8. What item do you hope will be obsolete in 20 years? Cell phones.

9. What character from a movie/book/show do you relate to the most and why? William Miller from Almost Famous. He got to live the life I dreamed about.

10. Who do you think will be playing on "oldies radio" in 30 years? Probably the same things they were playing 30 years ago – same stuff in exactly the same order. And nobody will be listening then either.

11. What is a food combination people eat that you just can’t get behind? Anything with guacamole.

12. What's the one item you can't live without? A turntable.

13. What is your favorite line from any movie? Joubert in 3 Days of the Condor says to Condor regarding his profession (assassin): “There’s no need to believe in either side. The belief is in your own precision.”

14. If you could attend any celebrity wedding which would it be? Taylor Swift. Although what kind of gift do you get for her?

15. What was your kindergarten teacher like? Her name was Mrs. Martin, and she was probably the nicest, sweetest teacher I ever had. After that it was all downhill.

16. If you could meet any author, who would it be and why? Most all my favorites are dead now except Lisa Robinson, the Rock journalist. I think we’d hit it off. Lots in common.

17. If you wore one, what did your prom dress look like? I would’ve had to wear a tux since I’m a guy, and I never have and never would have worn one. I did not go to either of my Proms. I wouldn’t have been able to get a date anyway. If I had gone, I’d have liked my date to be wearing a strapless “little black dress.”

18. If you could be any kind of animal, which would you be? Probably a lion so nobody could screw with me.

19. Is a hot dog a sandwich? No. A sandwich requires TWO pieces of bread or TWO buns with something in between.

20. Have you ever made a prank phone call? When I was kid, sure.

21. Which celebrity do you think you look like? I don’t think I look like any of them. But a woman I worked with as a teenager told me she thought I looked like Al Pacino. I was once told I looked like David Byrne of Talking Heads. And the last time anyone told me I looked like somebody famous it was a woman I worked with, and she said I looked like Javier Bardem.

22. How do you spell it: "OK" or "okay"? Both. I don’t believe Trump has issued an executive order on that yet.

23. What's the most embarrassing song on your phone right now? There are no songs on my phone. It’s a flip phone, and I almost never use it. I hate phones. And if I have any song on my iTunes program or in my collection, I’m not embarrassed by it. I picked it therefore it has merit.

24. If you could only subscribe to one YouTube channel for the rest of your life, which would you choose? Mike’s Rockin’ Relics. I like his presentation, and he appears to be completely sane.

25. What is one thing you'll never do again? Get married.

26. Can you fold a fitted sheet by yourself? Yes. It’s not perfect, but it’ll do.

27. Is soup something you eat or drink? Eat. If you’re drinking it, you left out the good stuff.

28. Does round or square pizza taste better? It tastes the same. Stupid question.

29. Which do you prefer: Talking on the phone or texting? I hate both. I hate phones, and never use them if I can help it.