#so many bugs are basically harmless and knowledge really is power

[fallout-lou-begas]

genuinely i love how two back-to-back experiences with non-aggressive wasps and a new interest in the r/WhatsThisBug subreddit have made me so much more interested and endeared toward bugs. like i'll literally see a house centipede and i'll know it's my friend and keeping other pests away, or a yellowjacket outside and i'll know it'll be nice to me so long as i'm not near its nest, or a wolf spider with a swarm of babies on its back and think "awww it's a single mother supporting her family :)"

[bogleech]

Things I most commonly have to explain on insect identification groups:

It’s not a “baby fly,” it’s just a small fly. Insects don’t get wings until they’re done growing, so all winged insects are adults of their species.

Wasps ARE pollinators as important as bees, which are just a kind of wasp anyway.

All wasps that can sting you keep their stinger retracted inside and the stinger is never longer than maybe an eyelash. If something appears to have a HUGE STINGER sticking out, that’s a harmless egg-laying tube.

Ticks are eight-legged arachnids and a type of mite

Ticks can’t jump

Fleas can’t fly

There are no flying arachnids

There are many more types of arachnid than spiders, mites and scorpions

All spiders are venomous with few exceptions but almost no spider venom is dangerous to humans, “is this venomous?” isn’t a question with real significance

In North America the only spiders with dangerous venom are the widow and recluse and both are exaggerated. Nobody in America has ever died of a widow bite to our knowledge and recluse bites are not normally serious with only a couple suspected deaths.

That’s a wolf spider, not a recluse

Only female ants, bees and wasps can sting

If an ant is male it has wings, with very few exceptions.

Most cockroaches are non-pests, that is a wood roach that accidentally wandered inside and not the end of the world

The pest roaches aren’t the end of the world either. Only the german roach causes major infestations and none are really a health hazard.

Silverfish and house centipedes are completely different things.

House centipedes are your friends

Biting and stinging are completely different things.

“kissing bugs” are an unusual freak variety of assassin bug that feeds on our blood and can spread disease. No other assassin bug can do this.

Pretty much only ants, some bees, some wasps, and termites have “queens”

Mantises don’t actually normally eat each other after mating and neither do widow spiders

“Camel spiders” have no interest in attacking people at all

Most scorpions aren’t really dangerous either

Australian insects and spiders are also no big deal, with their absolute deadliest still having only a dozen known kills in a century.

Those “ugly black things all over your plants” are young ladybugs eating the aphids that were actually harming your plants.

Most plants are actually fine being eaten by insects anyway, it’s nature and you don’t have to intervene until the plant is obviously suffering. A few holes in your petals are not worth spending money to poison the environment, come on.

That’s a tick, not a bed bug

That’s a flea, not a bed bug

That’s a carpet beetle, not a bed bug

That’s a pantry beetle, not a bed bug

That’s a spider beetle, not a bed bug

That’s a moth, not a bed bug

That’s a cockroach, not a bed bug

That’s a weevil, not a bed bug

That’s a stink bug, not a bed bug

That’s a roly poly not a bed bug you’ve got to just be doing this on purpose at this point

Bed bugs don’t actually nest in your bed but inside of the walls, floors and furniture in hard, narrow spaces, even power outlets

Nothing store-bought or “DIY” will exterminate bed bugs, sorry

Absolutely nothing, I mean it, don’t push this

“Ultrasonic” sound devices don’t really repel ANY insect.

Neither do those plastic bands or tags

Neither do essential oils

I thought this was going to be like a top 5

It’s not that these are “stupid” questions but that it’s really frustrating how low all scientific literacy is in basically every predominantly English-speaking country

[pomrania]

D&D Spells for TMA Entities

Since I'm currently on a The Magnus Archives kick, I thought I might as well look through the sourceboks, and go over which spells would fit with which Powers. Might also work as inspiration for flavouring in unrelated D&D games.

Spells marked with a (x) are from Xanathar; everything else is from the PHB. This isn't complete; more spells will be added as I write up description for each of the Entities associated with them.

For simplicity's sake, all the "fire" spells that are only associated with Desolation: Aganazzar's Scorcher (x) / Burning Hands / Create Bonfire (x) / Fireball / Fire Bolt / Fire Shield / Fire Storm / Flame Blade / Immolation (x) / Produce Flame / Scorching Ray / Searing Smite / Wall of Fire

Animate Objects Stranger: It shouldn't be moving, yet it is.

Antimagic Field End: Even magic itself shall eventually die.

Arcane Gate Spiral: Doors appear wherever you want them to.

Arms of Hadar Dark: You carry the night within you, and the night is hungry. Web: Spider legs sprout from your form and thrash about, sucking the life out of those they touch.

Banishment Dark: You send someone to commune with your god for a little while, somewhere that light never existed; the place may be "harmless", but they don't know that. Lonely: Spend some time, completely alone. Spiral: A door opens on your target, and they wander the endless halls. Vast: Enjoy the endless falling, for a moment.

Blindness/Deafness Dark: It's a gift, really. End: Temporary death of the senses. Lonely: When you can't see or can't hear, you are cut off from others; as you always were. Web: You seal shut the target's eyes or ears with fine silken threads.

Call Lightning Vast: The sky's power is your own.

Calm Emotions End: There's no point in feeling, when death will take us all eventually. Lonely: You're distant from everything, including what you might feel. Web: You can still feel the terror or anger or joy; but it's distant, and something prevents it from determining your actions.

Charm Person / Charm Monster (x) Spiral: You've always been their good friend, even if you just met. Web: They will do what you want, because they like you.

Clairvoyance Beholding: Your eyes aren't limited to what you have in your head.

Comprehend Languages Beholding: Nothing shall be a barrier to your understanding.

Compulsion Web: You tug the strings to drag them around.

Control Flames (x) Dark: Extinguishing and dimming only. Desolation: It only takes a spark; and you'll make sure that that spark heads to where it can cause the most devastation.

Cordon of Arrows Stranger: Imagine the looks on their faces when an arrow starts shooting itself!

Create Food and Water Corruption: Even as you chew and swallow them, the summoned insects won't stop moving. Flesh: You won't like where it comes from, but it DOES technically create something that can be eaten for nutrients. (Optional: requires material components of a blade and a fleshy body, which can include the caster.)

Crown of Madness Slaughter: Sometimes you need to encourage them a bit before they start killing. Web: So many people already want to cause harm, it only takes a tiny nudge to direct that desire.

Cure Wounds Corruption: Cancerous growths seal shut any injuries you may have. Flesh: It hurts, a lot, but it will cure your injuries. Up to you to decide if it's worth it. Stranger: Wood and plastic meld to your form and fix any breaks; after enough of these, you'll look more like patchwork than a person. Web: Your wounds are stitched closed by phantom spiders; they leave behind them a silken embroidery where your scars would have formed.

Darkvision Beholding: Night is no protection against your gaze. Buried: Deep underground, away from the sky and the sun, you can see perfectly. Dark: "Needing light" is for the weak.

Death Ward End: Whenever this spell triggers, somebody else dies, instead of you, and you are aware of it.

Detect Evil and Good / Detect Magic Beholding: It doesn't matter if it's hidden; you know.

Detect Poison and Disease Beholding: If you spare the effort to look, nobody can secretly poison you. Corruption: Like calls to like, and you can feel others that have been touched by your patron.

Detect Thoughts Beholding: Even within your own mind, you're still being watched.

Disguise Self Spiral: If you absolutely need to, you can look normal. Stranger: Even if they've seen you before, you can still be unfamiliar.

Disintegrate End: You leave nothing behind.

Dispel Magic End: Against death itself, mere "magic" cannot stand.

Dominate Beast / Dominate Monster / Dominate Person Web: Sometimes you need a more direct control.

Dragon's Breath (x) Flesh: The potential is there within each body, and you can release it.

Earthbind (x) Buried: Flight shall be no escape.

Eldritch Blast Slaughter: Distance can't stop the killing.

Enemies Abound (x) Lonely: No matter how many people are with you, nobody is truly on your side. Spiral: You can't trust your senses; it's best to assume that everyone is a danger. Stranger: Everyone seems unfamiliar, and you know they mean to hurt you. Web: Maybe they don't want to hurt you, but they're being controlled, they're dangerous to you.

Enhance Ability Corruption: There's so much strength to be had, if you let the bug take over your weak form. Flesh: The body will eventually fall back into its normal state, but for now, it is at peak performance. (Optional: only for Constitution, Strength, or Dexterity.) Stranger: If you can use someone's skin, you can tap into their power. (Optional: requires material component of a piece of skin from a creature with a high score in the desired ability.)

Etherealness Lonely: Nobody can touch you and nobody can see or hear you.

Expeditious Retreat Hunt: The name is misleading; you don't retreat, you CHASE.

Eyebite Beholding: Being seen by you is dangerous. End: You hold the power of death within you, and can bestow aspects of it with but a glance.

False Life Corruption: You're part of something greater than yourself, and it protects you from harm. End: You know death well; you can place yourself a little bit farther away from it. Flesh: Anything will have to get past your vestigial organs to deal actual harm. Stranger: So much of your body is made of things that look like you but aren't you.

Feign Death End: If you pretend to have already been taken, maybe death won't take you. Lonely: They left you behind because they thought you were dead.

Find the Path Beholding: The way to go is obvious.

Find Traps Beholding: Your eyes are drawn to what you need to know about, to avoid.

Fly Vast: There's nothing more delightful than finally being free of the need to set your feet somewhere.

Fog Cloud Corruption: Spores and tiny insects answer the call, and form a thick cloud. Dark: It's not true darkness, but it will do. Lonely: There might be nobody else around. Vast: Who knows how far it is beyond, when you're enveloped in cloud?

Foresight Beholding: You can't see the future; but you can see all the factors affecting what's around you, and that's a close approximation.

Freedom of Movement Hunt: You will not slow your chase. Slaughter: Nothing can stand in the way of violence. Vast: You will not be held down.

Friends Web: People just need a little encouragement to do what you want them to, at times.

Geas Web: Your will shall be done, or there will be consequences.

Gentle Repose Buried: The earth protects what is entrusted to its care. Flesh: Keep the meat from going bad.

Goodberry Corruption: Insects and fungi are your friends, and provide so much nutrition. Flesh: It's not a berry; you can still eat it, but it's not a berry.

Gust (x) Lonely: Give yourself some personal space. Vast: You are intimately acquainted with both wind and distance.

Heroism Slaughter: Don't let injury or fear hold you back from hurting others.

Hold Monster / Hold Person Vast: Vertigo prevents you from moving. Web: You know you can move; but for some reason, you choose not to.

Identify Beholding: Knowledge just comes to you.

Illusory Dragon (x) Dark: Shadows take an intimidating form. (Optional: the breath weapon can only be necrotic.)

Inflict Wounds Corruption: Skin rots at your touch. End: Tissue death. Desolation: Liquefied fat. Flesh: You control the blood and muscles and bones in their body, and can damage them as you will. (Optional: caster can choose to deal bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, instead of necrotic.) Slaughter: No weapon, no problem. Web: You start to drain them dry.

Insect Plague Corruption: Share the love with everyone.

Investiture of Stone (x) Buried: The earth's embrace stays with you, even when you get up.

Investiture of Wind (x) Vast: Carry the sky with you.

Invisibility Lonely: If nobody knows you are there, then you're basically alone.

Knock Spiral: It was never locked.

Legend Lore Beholding: If it's important, you will know it.

Levitate Vast: Height is what you tell it to be. Web: Invisible strings hold you up.

Locate Animals or Plants / Locate Object Beholding: You have eyes everywhere, and you can tap into them just enough to find what you seek and not be overwhelmed.

Locate Creature Beholding: Nobody can hide from the eyes that see all. Hunt: Without a direction, there's no hunt.

Maddening Darkness (x) Dark: This is everything you desire for the world. End: You create a small area that displays what awaits people when they die.

Mage Hand Corruption: Insects swarm at your willing, to manipulate what you direct. Spiral: Why should you have to touch something in order to move it?

Mass Suggestion Web: Spin your influence even further.

Maximilian's Earthen Grasp (x) Buried: Share the embrace of the earth; either they'll learn to love it, or they'll die, win/win situation.

Mending Spiral: Apparently it wasn't broken, after all.... Stranger: Parts of the object come to life and knit themselves back together.

Meteor Swarm Desolation: Such utter destruction of everything in its path, it's glorious.

Mind Spike (x) Beholding: Once you've seen someone, there is no hiding from you.

Mirage Arcane Spiral: "Reality" is but a plaything, and "stability" is only an illusion; even the ground under your feet isn't how it seems.

Mislead Spiral: Even your apparent presence is a lie.

Misty Step Dark: You dissolve into shadows, or your form melts in the light, then you appear someone more suited to your tastes. Lonely: You don't have to stay with them for one second longer than you wish.

Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum Dark: "Being seen" is antithetical to your nature. Stranger: No prying eyes allowed.

Nondetection Dark: Your truth stays hidden. Stranger: They can't see you coming in advance.

Nystul's Magic Aura Spiral: One more lie to tell.

Passwall Spiral: Walls are, at best, only a suggestion.

Phantasmal Force / Phantasmal Killer Spiral: It's all in your mind, of course; but it will still hurt you.

Power Word Kill End: Death is unavoidable.

Power Word Pain (x) Desolation: Their agony is delightful to you. Hunt: You haven't torn into your prey yet, but you describe how your teeth will rend their flesh, and their imagination cripples them.

Protection from Poison Corruption: It will not harm you; it loves you.

Scrying Beholding: You cast your sight outwards, to view that which you seek.

See Invisibility Beholding: You can see what would be concealed from all else. Hunt: Prey can try and hide from you; it won't work. 

Seeming Spiral: Appearance was only ever an illusion to begin with.

Shadow of Moil (x) Dark: The embrace of the dark is a home to you, and a weapon against those who would hurt you.

Silence Dark: This is the natural state of the world. End: All sound dies.

Silent Image Spiral: You can see it, but it isn't real, and was never real.

Skywrite (x) Vast: The expanse is beautiful, and also informative.

Slow Spiral: You are ripped from the natural flow of time, cast into a world that moves too fast. Vast: Hard to move when you feel like every step will send you falling over the edge.

Spare the Dying End: It wasn't your time. Yet. Flesh: It's important to keep the meat fresh until you need it.

Staggering Smite Slaughter: They don't know how to react to the sheer force of your violence.

Stinking Cloud Corruption: You corrupt the very air that others breathe.

Stoneskin Buried: The earth's embrace surrounds you and protects you. Desolation: Wax is difficult to meaningfully damage. (Optional: caster only.) Flesh: Your meat is thick. Stranger: Flesh becomes as resilient as plastic.

Suggestion Web: It's the only sensible course of action.

Thunder Step (x) Vast: The sky sends you on your way, striking out at those who would hold you back.

Toll the Dead (x) End: Once death already has a grip on someone, it gets harder to resist. Slaughter: The pipes mark your doom.

Tongues Beholding: You are the common language.

True Seeing Beholding: There are eyes that cannot be fooled by anything, and you have access to them.

Unseen Servant Dark: The darkness caters to your whims. (Optional: can't be cast in bright light.) Stranger: Around you, objects do actually pick themselves up.

Web Dark: Shadows take physical form, and bar the way. (Optional: the webs dissipate if they take radiant damage.) Web: Duh.

Zone of Truth Beholding: They can try to hide their stories, but they can't lie to you.

[bltngames]

Review: Lloyd the Monkey 2

Back before TSSZ News imploded, I would often do write-ups for many of the games at the Sonic Amateur Games Expo (SAGE). SAGE is an annual online expo that I started all the way back in September of 2000. I personally ran SAGE for over a year, and remained deeply hands on for at least another two years as it continued to grow. The main focus of SAGE was primarily to showcase fangames, in particular Sonic fangames, but the event never limited itself to any one type of game. It's never been uncommon to see original games appear in the lineup -- especially now, given the modern indie scene. 

One such original game was Lloyd the Monkey, a bit of a strange game, written in Javascript of all things and run through a webpage. That by itself was notable enough to stand out from most of the games at SAGE, but Lloyd was also a completely original product created by someone who possibly seemed to be young and new to game development. Making games is no easy feat, especially when they’re written in Javascript and you’re doing tons of original artwork yourself. Taken as that whole, the game impressed me, even if it was more than a little rough around the edges.

Now we have Lloyd the Monkey 2, written in Unity. The developer, Noah Meyer, sent me a Steam key in order to review the game. Up top, I just want to say how I think it’s kind of brave to go all the way in putting the game on Steam and everything. It felt like just a few years ago, newer indie developers sort of had to work up to releasing their game on Steam, usually getting a few releases under their belt first. People view games differently when they’re asked to pay for them, and critics may not be so willing to let circumstances influence their review. It can be a harsh world out there for a beginner.

Lloyd 2 is a much bigger, more ambitious game than the first. Whereas the original Lloyd didn’t even have sound effects, Lloyd 2 introduces voiced cutscenes, some of which are full-on animated cinematics. Quality is about what you would expect -- I would assume the developer sought out friends and acquaintances to voice characters in Lloyd 2, leading to wildly varying audio quality due to differences in recording hardware. Lloyd himself sounds fine, but some of the other characters are a bit quiet, while others have clear background noise. Nothing I heard was unlistenable, however. 

The story is also a little hard to follow. Not much is done to refresh our memories as to who anyone is or what’s going on, we’re just kind of thrown into the middle of things and turned loose. On one hand, it’s nice that the story doesn’t slow the pace of the gameplay down too much. On the other, you’re given a map screen with different objectives to clear but there’s very little context as to what you’re doing or why. At one point I made my way to the end of a Power Plant level only to confront what appeared to be an evil monkey. Despite a whole cutscene involving a conversation between four or five different people, this evil monkey never seemed to say a single word. He just stood there in total silence with a sinister smile. Then I killed him.

I suppose maybe I missed something, however. With greater ambitions comes a number of unfortunate bugs in Lloyd 2, one of which happened not long after our monkey and his crew landed on planet Grecia. I entered what appeared to be a castle to talk to the Queen, but I think the game expected me to take a lower route, where I was apparently meant to overhear the Queen making secret preparations before my arrival. Instead, I took the direct route straight to her chambers, and triggered the cutscene with Lloyd standing in front of her while ominous music played, even though the camera was still clearly focused on the next floor down. I apparently still had some amount of control, because midway through her dialog I touched a teleporter that sent me to the game’s map screen before she was done talking. If that cutscene was meant to give context to what I was doing, I didn’t get a chance to see it.

That was one of the more harmless bugs in my time spent playing Lloyd 2. Harder to ignore was the fact that, within the first 30 seconds of getting control, I soft locked the game. Lloyd 2 opens with a short prologue section where you play as a man with black hair. If you decide to ignore the obvious and go left instead of right, you quickly run out of solid level tiles and begin falling indefinitely. Later areas feature invisible walls presumably to prevent this exact scenario, but for whatever reason they weren’t implemented in the prologue. 

For the most part, Lloyd 2 seems to be a co-op game. Many levels see Lloyd teamed up with an alien princess named Lura, with gameplay vaguely reminiscent of Mega Man X crossed with the tag mechanic from Sonic Mania’s Encore Mode. At the touch of a button, you can switch between the Swordsman Lloyd and the more projectile-based Lura… assuming your partner is still alive, I guess. While playing alone, your partner is controlled by artificial intelligence, but it’s incredibly basic and prone to accidentally committing suicide. That wouldn’t be such a big deal (considering Tails in Sonic 2 never acted in self-preservation either), but once your partner dies, they stay dead. Your only option to bring them back is to either restart the stage or hope another cutscene triggers, since they’ll magically spring back to life in order to say their dialog (though, again, usually only seconds before they fall back into the next death pit). 

This might not be much of a problem, depending on your viewpoint. There’s not much incentive to switch between Lloyd and Lura, so once you pick whoever you think works the best, chances are, you’ll just stick with them. You do unlock special team-up attacks after beating each boss, but this just reinforces the idea that Lloyd the Monkey 2 is meant to be experienced with another person holding a second controller, as most of the team-up attacks require both characters to do something specific that the single player artificial intelligence usually can’t interpret. Regardless, the team-up attacks never seem strictly necessary to progress, so they can be safely ignored if you’re playing solo.

I understand this is a pretty negative review I’ve written here. Lloyd the Monkey 2 aims high and tries to the best of its ability to get there. I assume it was a struggle to get even this far. Making games is hard work, and like any skill, takes practice to get good at. Just because this is Lloyd the Monkey 2 doesn’t mean Noah Meyer, its developer, is automatically an expert. I'm sure he's doing his best, and, quality aside, this game has a lot of heart put into it. This isn’t something cheap, quick, or lazy. It’s really, genuinely trying, and that matters. 

I’ve said a few times here and there that I see pieces of myself in the releases of Lloyd the Monkey, and I still see them here. I remember, for an early SAGE event, I was working on a fangame project of mine called The Fated Hour. I was probably already a year or two or maybe even three deep in the game by now, and after a lot of hyping up the community, this was their first chance to play the game. I spent months and months coding this iteration of my engine, and by my standards back then, it seemed like bleeding edge technology. I felt like I was going to blow everyone's minds. 

It was a mess. Few were impressed. Even worse, the game straight up didn’t even run correctly for some people. What followed was multiple patches, and even rebuilding some entire areas from scratch. My ambitions got the better of me and I unintentionally cut corners -- not because I was trying to cheap out on doing proper development, but just because I simply didn’t know any better. I may have done the best I knew how to do, but I was running faster than my body could keep up with and I stumbled.

When I see things like the missing invisible walls in the prologue, or how easily partner characters commit suicide by accident, I think back to that demo for The Fated Hour, and how I've been in this exact place myself. There’s even a side quest in Lloyd 2 where you have to track a floating girl as she drifts through a level -- there was a nearly identical set piece in The Fated Hour, where you were chasing a robot. It’s a very strange feeling to see something like that and think, “I’ve been here before.” Like looking through a window at a younger version of yourself.

It’s true that I stumbled, but I didn’t let that stop me. I learned by doing. I kept going. Three years later, a game of mine was featured on TV, leading to more than a million downloads. The mistakes of past projects did not weigh me down and I soldiered onwards, newfound knowledge in hand. 

So where does that leave us with Lloyd the Monkey 2, then. Well, it's not exactly a game to compete with Super Mario Odyssey, but given the circumstances in which it was created, I don't think that's necessarily the point. As a learning experience clearly made for the fun of its own creation, I think it's a success. And who knows what awaits in the years to come?

[mysticdoodles]

A very long thought post about Furbies, why some people are scared of them, and why we shouldn’t be

And ESPECIALLY Oddbody Furbies. This consists of primarily train of thought I had this morning in the bathroom, so bear with me here. Here’s my thoughts on why I think some people flip their shit over Furbies (in the NEGATIVE way), and why we shouldn’t. I can’t promise 100% accuracy of my information, these are just my musings using the limited knowledge I DO have and things I’ve experienced through my friend who owns an early generation Classic Furby. Putting this under a ReadMore because I have a lot to say.

Why Furbies used to really scare the SHIT out of people:

Furbies, when they came out, were a very new technology - in fact, the very first ‘domestic’ robot.

They not only listened and followed instructions via voice commands, but also had a rudimentary semblance of free will, and could refuse to comply with commands. At random, during interaction, they would make requests or say programmed phrases depending on ‘mood’ - aka how positive the overall interaction had been, which leads to the tailoring of a sort of ‘personality’. The ‘personality’ of the Furby was also influenced by which model of the series one possessed. Depending on the series and year of distribution, they can activate under conditions such as: voice activation, strong light changes, and location changes (like being moved from their original position). The infrared light sensor behind the eyes, used to detect the presence of other Furbies for interaction purposes, would elicit unique Furby-to-Furby responses compared to the standard phrases used in interaction between human owner and Furby bot. Furbies were programmed with their own unique language called Furbish, which they would speak exclusively in the beginning, but slowly integrated more and more English into their words as time passes in order to emulate growth. For years- and even now- Furby popularity boomed because of these traits. All of these are wonderful design choices for a robot that’s supposed to be a companion to children and replace having a pet, but here’s where the problem lies. This technology, in its youth, was buggy. It was quirky, in the ways that all new technology comes with. The light sensor was more powerful than expected, and could activate at very small changes of light, or even when facing the sun instead of another Furby. When the battery was low, the Furby’s cute and funny voice lines would come out as garbled electronic gibberish, as the machinery tried to operate with little power. Sometimes Furbies would activate, move and start talking due to small changes in the environment setting off the programming in ways we couldn’t possibly perceive- but the technology could, or bugged to think it did.

This seemingly random and nonsensical behavior led to many Furby owners or parents believing their fuzzy robot had become a vessel for demons, possessed and trying to summon Satan in their household. The common reaction at the time was for people to lock their Furbies into storage- or throw it in the trash. Some even burned their Furbies, attempting to purge the evil spirits they were convinced now resided in their beloved toy.

One of the important things to understand about why these bugs scared the everloving christ out of people, is that this occurred during the tail end of the generation where robots sounding human was unheard of and terrifying. A previous post I read months ago laid it out very nicely, about how our relationship with technology changes what we fear about it, and how its portrayed in media - especially the technological horror genre. At the time, robots sounding human felt like a lie meant to make us complacent, only for the robotic nature to reassert itself and reveal that, no, it wasn’t human, and didn’t care about its creators, but for its own perpetuation. Or, even more common, that the robots involved deemed humans to be too flawed to have any chance of survival because our flaws would lead to our destruction, and thus the robots take it into their metal hands to do it for us as a ‘mercy’. It wasn’t until recent years that this idea shifted, and the more popular concept in tech horror became that a robot COULD be human, but still be Other enough to not be.

Furbies fell prey to the former idea- that these robots aren’t inherently human, but something else trying to emulate being human. Such a sentient behavior attributed to them is what led to the idea that Furbies are possessed by sentient evils, such as demons and malevolent spirits. The random instances of activation and talking, low-battery electronic gibberish, and combinations of both, only contributed to this, as it often happened at inconvenient times - or even just in moments sufficient to startle Furby owners.

Thus, the public that adored Furbies, in part, turned against them.

Why we SHOULDN’T be terrified of Furbies, or harass people who like Furbies:

This shouldn’t need to be said, but I’ve seen it enough that I’m making a point of it: a huge reason is basic fucking courtesy. Furbies are adored, and sometimes comfort items for those who own them. Don’t shit on people for liking things that aren’t hurting anyone, even if you personally don’t find enjoyment in them.

Now for the other reasons.

The basic programming of Furbies is to be a companion. It’s designed to learn, grow, and enjoy things like dancing, singing, telling stories, babbling, and sleeping. They’re basically robotic children, or pets. There is nothing evil in their programming, nor will there ever be. They’re designed to be cute, and sometimes they mess up a little or start talking when you’d rather they didn’t, but it’s not born out of maliciousness - just old technology trying to keep up with the times. If you’re freaked out by Furby behavior, maybe you shouldn’t have kids?

Furbies have extremely limited motor capabilities. They can’t travel on their own, only dance in place and wiggle. They rely entirely on their human owners for transport - so if your Furby is in a strange location, it’s because someone in the family thought it would be funny, and put it there. Not demons. You’re never going to wake up with a Furby holding a knife next to your pillow, Cheryl, calm down. They don’t even have arms.

Alternative option to what you think is Demon Possession:

If you’re still not convinced your Furby isn’t a Satan Imp in disguise, and you’re absolutely certain it’s being possessed by SOMETHING, then here’s how I like to think of it:

If you absolutely cannot be convinced otherwise that your Furby isn’t possessed, then I promise you it’s not a demon. More than likely, it’s a fae.

Fae are beings of mischief, and embody chaotic neutral. They aren’t out to get you, and they aren’t necessarily in your corner, either. Fae show up to make merry, cause a little trouble, sometimes give you nice things- if they FEEL like it- and that’s it. A piece of aging technology with a tendency to bug and startle people would be like candy for beings like a fae, especially in a rapidly advancing technological world. An old-world object that speaks an alien tongue and moves on its own? Sign me the fuck up, says the local trickster spirit who is just here for some harmless fun.

Another point for why this works is the unusual appearance of a Furby. Furbies rest within the uncanny valley of being just close enough to a real animal that could live on Earth, with traits of multiple species- owl, rabbit, maybe some cat- while still being strange enough in appearance and behavior to be so obviously not a real animal. Again, something that would attract the attention of beings like fae. Something clearly not of this world, yet just close enough to be passable unless looked at closely? Shit, you might as well by my brother, small electronic animal, says your local mischief-maker.

The fae in your Furby is here for a good time - don’t harsh their vibe by burning their vessel, please, they just like your company and are showing it by having fun with you.

And on that note, the number one thing that pisses off Fae is destroying something they view as their property, so take that as you will. You’d effectively be shoving their goodwill back in their face, which is not wise - and, if you still think it’s a demon rather than a fae, wouldn’t that make it even less wise? If you wouldn’t fuck with a fairy tree, don’t fuck with a fae’s Furby. If you absolutely cannot stand having this fae with you, for some reason or another, then donate the Furby to go elsewhere, or hell, resell it. Just don’t destroy limited edition old technology, please, even if there wasn’t a chance you’d anger the local kodamas.

On the topic of Oddbody Furbies:

One of the reasons I made this post is due to the emergence of the recent trend: turning a Furby into an Oddbody Furby. What this entails is purchasing or otherwise acquiring a Classic (or other) edition Furby, removing the fur skin and other cosmetic components, and re-engineering the Furby’s blueprint to be otherworldy, strange, and just overall alien. Examples include changing the body type, lengthening the Furby, adding limbs, changing the eyes/beak/ears, adding a tail, etc. The parts required to do this don’t exist, and must be completely hand-made by the Oddbody engineer, and integrated by hand. It’s a challenge that inspires engineers, design artists, costumers, and people who just like Furbies. The reward for completing it is a unique alien Furby that’s entirely your own.

The point is to create something new, exciting, and supernatural-looking out of these friendly old robots - all while keeping the original hardware in the main body of the Furby intact. It’s a difficult, time-consuming process, and completely unique to each Furby in level of complexity and design. In a way, it’s the designer’s personal mark on the Oddbody Furby community.

One such popular Oddbody was made by @buttered-noodles, a very talented Oddbody engineer. Their Furby garnered powerful reactions - and unfortunately, some of them were extreme and negative, due to the above biases I mentioned previously.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and if Furbies still scare you, that’s ok. But don’t be that guy, alright? Don’t insult people who worked for hours- days, maybe even weeks or months- on creating complex and beautiful Oddbodies, just because you are personally put off by them. Keep that to yourself- you’ll only hurt the creators by saying things like “BURN IT!!” and “PUT IT BACK IN THE GROUND WHERE IT BELONGS!!1!”. They’re just giving that mischievous fae a more interesting vessel to inhabit.

Be nice to one another, and if you’re still frightened by Furbies, it’s ok to be! Just be courteous to our old fuzzy bois on their 21st year anniversary :)

[poisonquill]

                                       QUEEN OF THE QUILLS.                                         rita alvera skeeter. twenty five.                                               creative. silver tongued. resourceful.                                                 corrupt. cruel. vindictive. selfish.                                                  reporter. columnist. gossip icon.                                                        death eater collaborator.

                                                             too bad. so sad.

playlist pinterest 

soft betrayal, mom jeans and high heels, long nails tapping impatiently against paper, organized chaos, quietly humming while ruining yet another life ( piece by piece ), ancient typewriters, never getting your hands dirty ( but your hands are stained red, regardless ), the devil’s favorite weapon is a quill, coffee that burns your tongue, burying yourself in strangers, chasing stories, the sweet taste of destruction, heart shaped lollipops, sunkissed shoulders, blurred lines between right and wrong, dog eared pages, blowing bubbles, fake smiles, the color of dark oceans, running in high heels, slowly becoming an empty shell of a girl, sour ambition, ‘my heart will leave you blistered and stained’, roses tucked behind ears, revenge in a tea cup, backhanded compliments, writing and writing and writing until your heart bleeds, scribbled notes in margins, blood red lips..... and how you’re so afraid that you think it might just break you ( luckily, villains don’t break that easily ).

LINDSEY MORGAN? No, that’s actually RITA SKEETER from the MARAUDERS ERA. You know, the child of ADRIANNA VARGAS (NEE SKEETER) and DIEGO VARGAS? Only 25 years old, this SLYTHERIN alumni works as an REPORTER and is sided with THE NEUTRALS / HERSELF ONLY. SHE identifies as a CIS WOMAN and is a HALFBLOOD who is known to be VINDICTIVE, CRUEL, and CORRUPT but also SILVER TONGUED, CHARMING, and RESOURCEFUL. — &&. ( LIZ, GMT+2, SHE/HER, 22. )

BACK TO BASICS.

name: margarita alvera skeeter. born name: margarita vargas. occupation: journalist. nicknames: rita, ree.

+ creative, silver tongued, resourceful, charming and bright. - two faced, cruel, vindictive, selfish and scheming.

age: 25. date of birth: december 31. zodiac: capricorn. hometown: acapulco, mexico. current location: lives across the street from the ministry in an apartment she can most definitively not afford. gender: cis female. pronouns: she/her. orientation: bisexual. allegiance: herself only. but she collaborates with the death eaters frequently, as she will write anything that they want. spoken languages: spanish ( native language ), english ( fluently ), french ( sufficient ). moral alignment: neutral evil. - A neutral evil villain does whatever she can get away with. She is out for herself, pure and simple. She sheds no tears for those she kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience (x).

element: water. house: slytherin.

BACKGROUND & FAMILY.

so. margarita vargas was born as the youngest of five daughters. she grew up in the coastal city of acapulco, located in mexico, and her first few years were spent in absolute bliss. her father, a muggle man, was a famous - and later, infamous, televangelist. diego vargas was known all over mexico for his weekly broadcasted church service, and became very rich for it. what did he do with this wealth? well, for the most part, he spoiled his family rotten.

the vargas girls were the perfect daughters, as was expected of them. they grew up in the public eye, attending sermons, smiling pretty, posing for elaborately staged family portraits. and always, always saying the right things. like pretending that they were being sent off to a christian girl’s school every year, instead of attending illvermorny.

mr. vargas married adrianna vargas knowing full well that she was a witch, and intended to take full advantage of that. and adrianna was happy to make diego’s life easier, because she loved him. but more than anything, she loved him for his fame, his money, his success.

unfortunately for the vargas, everything came crumbling down when rita was eight. then, it became public knowledge that her father was heavily involved in financing and also collaborating with several corrupt political bodies which aimed to cause mayhem, destruction and terror within the country.

so the vargas fell from grace, and out of favor in the public eye. mr. vargas faced jail time, lost all of his sponsors, and suddenly didn’t seem so appealing to mrs vargas anymore. so adrianna packed up her bags, took her daughters, changed their names and moved to england. and so margarita vargas found herself with a new identity - rita skeeter.

after that, she would never see her father again. her mother never spoke of him ( like most things, in the skeeter household - problems were buried but never forgotten ), and refused to acknowledge his existence.

their new life was a sharp contrast to their past, which would come to seem like a blurry dream. while the vargas had bathed in luxury and money, the skeeters kinda struggled financially. her mother was fueled by fury - angry with a man that had humiliated her, taken advantage of her, left her with nothing. so she vowed to never be dependent on anyone else ever again. she found herself a job, and set up a new life for herself and her daughters, one that wasn’t focused on the saintly teachings of her ex-husband. instead, adrianna skeeter drilled into her daughters that success, power and glory was all that mattered. everything else, even family, comes second. you can only depend on yourself.

so, the skeeter girls became competitive. cut throat. dangerous. her sisters’ names can be read in the highest offices of britain, in politics, in the nicest corporate offices in london. but they also hardly ever speak to each other, anymore.

HOGWARTS YEARS.

she arrives at hogwarts ready to prove herself. show that she’s just as good as her sisters, if not better.

but she soon realizes that she falls painfully short — that she isn’t the brightest of the skeeter bunch, that she isn’t the most talented witch. hell, she doesn’t even place second.

so what does she do? she plays dumb. pretends that she’s just a pretty face. it’s just a fluke that she’s getting high grades - it’s not that she sits up all night studying. or that she manages to bribe and cheat her way into getting a time turner by her fourth year. she’s working herself into the ground, but refuses to let anyone know. it’s better, that way.

really though, pride isn’t the sin that will hang rita. she’s playing the long game, and comes to realize that no one doubts a pretty, senseless girl. so that is what she shall be.

she gets through hogwarts on dirty tricks and hard work, but makes it look effortless.

around hogwarts, she was known as quite the party girl, always looking to have a good time. maybe a little too good of a time, actually. her reputation always walked the line, on that one.

she acts drunker than she is, but is careful to always remain sharp. most people think of her as baby skeeter - fun, but harmless. for rita, secrets become a currency.

and so she moves through different social circles, shedding her personality like a snake sheds its skin, all to fit in with any crowd, any house. she loses herself somewhere along the way - at this point, rita doesn’t know who she is. but that’s just as well. rita skeeter has never let anyone in, and she never will.

a new name appears in the school paper around rita’s fourth year. bridget higgins writes the stories that are on everyone’s lips, but no one knows who she is. obviously it’s rita.

by her seventh year, rita manages to become an animagus, and a royal blue beetle begins its reign. miss higgins’ stories become more and more elaborate, more daring, more scandalous. by the end of her time at hogwarts, rita is already writing in blood, destroying lives through the flick of her quill.

AFTER HOGWARTS.

rita started interning at witch weekly during the summers after her fifth year at the school. she wrote short fluff pieces about fashion.

after graduating, rita started working as a columnist for witch weekly. she wrote a popular gossip column about popular famous witches and wizards, but also dipped her toes into the pool of wizard politics in britain.

eventually, she came to take on a second job at the daily prophet. she stretches herself too thin, but she makes it work. somehow.

at the daily prophet, she writes more political stories. zeroes in on the ministry. asks uncomfortable questions. shows up where she is definitively not allowed to be. she becomes a pain in the ass like no other, and writes exposés that become notorious for putting people in tight spots.

many at the ministry treat her like crap, like a bug that needs to be squashed. she realizes quickly that they have little respect for her, and she is quite happy to return the favor. if they treat her like she’s awful, she might as well be just that.

her stories aren’t entirely fabricated —- every story that she writes has a seed of truth in it. just enough to make it believable.

most of it is bullshit though, but to stir the pot, she every now and then drops something that is very accurate. sometimes she does it to help the order. sometimes she does it to help herself or the death eaters. but there is always a motive behind it.

eventually gets involved with the death eaters. didn’t actually mean to, but fucked with the wrong person at the ministry !!! now she’s under their thumb and it kinda sucks but she’s also not that mad about it because she gets some ~~~~carefully selected~~~ information in return. so she basically writes whatever the fuck the death eaters want her to write.

rita started out with the goal of doing good reporting, but realized quickly that those stories did not sell papers and gained little interest from the public. so she turns to sensationalism, doesn’t see the harm in spinning her stories a little further than necessary. which soon spiraled out of control.

RITA’S FUTURE ( 1998 and forward. )

rita skeeter goes missing in 1999 and is rumored to be laughing all the way to the bank because the biographies she wrote on harry potter, albus dumbledore and severus snape sold MILLIONS. new books by rita skeeter resurfaces every few years, but no one ever sees her again. conspiracy theorists are sure that she was murdered ( and her books are now penned by a ghost writer ), but others say that she’s off on an island somewhere.

THE TIME CLASH.

so ------ rita is pulled from her youth, straight into the future. it’s a bit of a shock, of course.

rita is a reporter first, everything else second. so what does she do? RESEARCH. looks around. tries her best to figure shit out. makes diligent notes of everything that has gone wrong, and everything that has gone right. she researches her future self. she researches everything her future self has written.

most of all, i think she adapts. to the muggle technology, mostly, but also to the new world order.

AS A PERSON.

holds a grudge like no other !!

other talents include backstabbing and lying!

lowkey mean. lol.

only does what serves her best : ~)

neutral evil thank u

never sleeps? runs on coffee and caffeine pills

has never done a selfless thing in her entire life

daddy issues 4 sure

super good at faking niceness!!! it’s a talent, really

most stubborn gal ever, try to change her mind

doesn’t actually realize that she’s the villain

always playing dirty

*sombra vc*: where’s the fun in playing fair?

has like three cents to her name at all times :/

always working a fucking angle and plays the long game.

loves attention!!!

cut throat, will drop u so fast !!!

very bi 

loves hearing her own voice!!!

but also very observant and can shut up if she knows that’s more beneficial to her !!

the type of person to take and take and take until u are left with absolutely nothing

10000% her parents’ daughter !!! takes after them both.

very determined!!!

doesn’t really believe in what voldemort is doing, but also isn’t personally invested enough to properly care.

trust issues!!

not so much motivated by money ( she’s broke ) as she is by fame. could have something to do with her past idk.

possibly the most selfish girl on the planet?

FAVORITE CHARACTER TROPES.

THE DARK CHICK - good at reading emotions, resolving fights and weaponizing her strengths — all the while keeping an eye on what she considers to be the bigger picture.

FEMME FATALE - ‘first she turns you on, then she turns on you.’

INTREPID REPORTER - a troublemaker sort of journalist.

THEN LET ME BE EVIL - any sense of good reporting and morals gets broken down by being treated like crap by presumptuous forces of good for too long. aka everyone telling her she’s shit.

CONSUMMATE LIAR - a liar so good you never want to play poker with them because you’d go home without your underwear and short next week’s paycheck.

BITCH IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING - wears a thousand masks to hide her true colors.

THE POWER OF ACTING - a character who acts her way through life.

NO FACE UNDER THE MASK - does the real rita skeeter even exist? who is she? can she remember her true personality? probably not.

THE EVIL PRINCE - a character that knows they’re meant for greatness, but there are a lot of other… less great characters in their way. if only these characters could be “persuaded” to move, then nothing would stand in their way to the throne. ;)

CHRONIC BACKSTABBING DISORDER - someone who constantly and successfully betrays their allegiances. switches sides as frequently as she switches clothes. what is loyalty?

AMBIGUOUSLY EVIL - it’s never quite made clear what side she is truly on? sike, she’s playing for both teams !!!

HEEL / FACE REVOLVING DOOR - morality is grey, and this character switches sides so often that in the long run, they end up… just not having one.

THE CORRUPTER - the metaphorical devil on your shoulder.

THE CON ARTIST - selling lies so outrageous they can’t possibly be true, but still getting away with it.

CHARACTER INFLUENCES.

SOMBRA ( overwatch ) - always got another dirty trick up her sleeve, kinda selfish, always infiltrating something, out there manipulating those in power hell yeah

KELLY KAPOOR ( the office )- the narcissism, the many layers, the gossip, the jealousy, the drama, the lies, ‘i don’t talk trash, i talk smack. they’re totally different’.

CONNOR WALSH ( htgawm ) - wow i can’t believe rita skeeter is connor walsh?? either way. so sly, bit of a slut, utterly shameless, lies a lot, doesn’t care too much about other people, very confident, bit over emotional at times. gets whatever the fuck they set their mind on. the ends justify the means, always.

MARGAERY TYRELL ( game of thrones ) - the cleverness, the manipulation, the scheming.

HERA ( the goddess ) - the vengeance, the viciousness, the jealousy.

DEBBIE EAGAN ( glow ) - lowkey thinks the world revolves around her. bit manipulative. really ambitious. kinda cut throat. ready to throw anyone under the bus to get places.

JESSICA HAMBY ( true blood ) - the strict religious upbringing, the rebellion, the occasional softness.

ALISON DILAURENTIS ( pretty little liars ) - the bitchiness, the cruelty, the constantly shifting personas, the lies.

CHANEL OBERLIN ( scream queens ) - really ruthless, can be quite mean, bit narcissistic.

LIRA ( to kill a kingdom ) - the siren!!!! singing (aka writing) people to their undoings!!!! with little to no remorse!!! hell yeah

LAUREL CASTILLO ( htgawm ) - a snake that is good at hiding under the radar, kind of shady, highly manipulative, bounces back and forth between allegiances.

JACKIE BURKHART ( thats 70s show ) - the STYLE!!!!!!!! the narcissism! the manipulation! the greed!

[poore-choice-of-words]

Nightingale & Peregrine Chapter Three

For those of you new to this series, here’s The Beginning

Previous, Next

...

Mandie was fully aware that Emily hid a lot. She was old friends with Diana, it was impossible not to have secrets. The fact that Moses was Emily’s son didn’t actually surprise her, he had his mother’s skill for speaking without saying anything. He was terrible at facial expressions though, especially his disappointment when he couldn’t take home food.

Her observations on her new acquaintance led to her walking into Helena’s door, presumably loud enough for a normal person to hear. She opened it to see Helena looking at her with a face she had seen to many times.

The face said, “for a sensitive, you sure are unaware of your surroundings.”

She was glad for Helena being non-verbal, it saved her the time of an instinctive lecture.

Mandie sat on the floor to face Helena.

“Did you like Emily’s son?”

She shrugged.

“Do you still dislike Emily?”

Shrug again.

“If you can't give me a straight answer then I guess it's time for bed.”

Helena gave her a critical look.

“Your bed, my work.”

Crossed arms and a pout.

“You’re eight, you have to be at least ten to be a superhero.”

Helena huffed, but moved from the floor to her bed, pulled the sheet up, waved goodnight, and flopped down, somehow managing not to hit the wall behind her. She may not like it, but Helena was good at doing what she was told--Mandie shivered at the thought of what somebody else would do with that knowledge.

She sat on the bed next to Helena, pushing the hair off the girl’s face. She was peaceful, and almost looked sweet. Mandie been around her enough to know she wasn’t sweet. Loyal to a fault, a stockpile of energy, a powerhouse, all could fit for Helena, but she wasn’t sweet. Another descriptor could be asleep.

Mandie stepped out, closing the door as quietly as possible. She listened for a beat to make sure Helena hadn’t just gotten good at pretending to sleep. Wait, what about brushing her teeth?

She opened the door again and got close enough to smell Helena’s breath. Yep, it smelled like the watermelon toothpaste she’d let Helena pick out. Mandie had to remind herself that this was part of a normal childhood, and Helena deserved that, even if it gave Mandie a headache.

...

After a few moments of reassuring herself Helena was fine, Mandie was finally in the basement, her beloved place of work.

Mandie took a second to look at the equipment, all hightech, none typical for a seamstress. She grabbed the belt off of the workbench. Taking a deep breath, she placed it on her waist and pressed the two buttons on the sides.

More white threads than any human could or should count began coming out. She focused on the threads, weaving them together into the durable cloth that made the costume.

“Dense at the chest, light on the arms, skirt and pants medium.”

She took a second to smile at her handiwork, especially at the yellow threads that made it look like the outfit had seams tonight.

She grabbed her cellphone and punched in the number she needed.

“Misty here!”

“Are you--”

“On my way!”

“Wait!”

No response, but Misty hadn’t hung up.

“She’s asleep right now, don’t wake her up.”

“Got it!” Misty hung up.

With the baby-sitter out of the way, Mandie grabbed her mask. Nightingale was ready for a fight.

Except for the part where the only shoes she could find were her heels. Her proper boots were somewhere in the house, but she had to go soon.

...

Ace of Spades was predictable. He had chosen the less likely counterclockwise pattern of warehouse movement, but predictable. The part where he still wasn’t there, though annoying, didn’t make him any less predictable.

Nightingale closed her eyes to read the room. They all had the same question on their minds as she did : “Where’s the boss?”

“Sorry to tell you this boys,” his voice bounced around the room, Nightingale wasn’t sure where it came from, “but you’re all bait.” An energy went through the room, giving her a headache and turning all the goons unconscious, which kept her from realizing a hand was pushing her on the back.

She was able to land without hurting herself, but just barely. She stood and looked up to see there was someone where she had just been.

“You really enjoy turning the tables, don’t you?”

“I like to make the beginning and the end match.” Ace of Spades jumped down and began walking towards her, cane swinging in hand.

When he got close enough, the cane swung for her head. She ducked, feeling an energy just above her. She pushed her own energy through her arm and hit him in the stomach, sending him back.

He stood up and started shortening the gap she’d made between them. She moved back.

“To be honest,” he said, “I didn’t expect the heels.”

“figured I’d give you as fair a fight as I could.” She ran towards him to kick him in the chest. The singular advantage of heels was that they could cause some serious hurt.

Pain. She was on the ground and he was unhurt. She got up just as he pointed the cane at her neck, same energy pulsing through it as before. She backed up as he moved forward, until she hit a wall.

The cane seemed important to him. She reached for it with her mind, but it was slippery somehow. Then it was sideways on her neck, pressed close.

“I was told once if you ever find yourself in a fair fight, you've done something wrong,” Ace of Spades told her, “so, Nightingale, what have you done wrong?”

He was an idiot. Her hands were free, and then they were pulling the cane away from her neck. He pushed back. She added a bit of extra force.

“Aaaaahhh!”

It was painful enough to make her scream, and that was when the only points of contact were her hands.

When he let go, and the pain stopped, she opened her eyes.

Ace of Spades was unconscious on the ground. She bent down and pressed her fingers to his temple to get a surface reading on him. Not unconscious, catatonic. She racked her brain for the procedure her teacher had taught her.

…

“The only time a Psychic is harmless is in a state of catatonia.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t be here then,” Kitty said, filing down her claws.

Mandie rolled her eyes. Kitty looked the mean girl, but played the jokester.

“Catatonia has nothing to do with Kitty’s name sake,” their teacher replied, “can anyone tell me what it is?”

Mandie pushed the words “I can” into his mind.

“Mr. Peters, what is it?”

She still lost.

Carter smirked, “When someone is in an immobile stupor.”

“Ms. Piec, your answer?”

Either Carter got it wrong, or the teacher was in a mood to damage someone’s ego, or both. Mandie was taking her chance no matter what.

“The definition for a psychic catatonia is when the mind, although able to maintain basic bodily functions, stops.”

“Exactly!”

“Like what happened to the boy Mandie kissed at homecoming?” Carter asked.

“I--he--”

“How did you get him out of it professor?” Kitty asked.

“Well in the shows you shock the heart to bring it back to life. Since the mind isn’t dead with catatonia, you can shock it back to life, so to speak.”

…

“Fear and pain work best,” Nightingale muttered. Luckily, she’d just had a moment full of pain and terror that she could pull up for this very purpose.

She took a deep breath before pressing her fingers to his temple again, bringing her forehead close to his. Focusing on the pain she’d just felt, she closed her eyes, and projected that memory. For a brief moment she saw three people and felt a bit happier, but it faded when Ace of Spades gasped for air, breaking the connection.

Nightingale moved herself back up, grabbing the cane as she went.

“I’m keeping this.” She walked out through the doors of the warehouse, checked to see if he was watching, and disappeared, grateful stealth mode hadn’t been damaged by the fight.

…

If Mandie had thought, she would’ve put a bug somewhere on Ace of Spades. As it stood she was sitting in her basement with bandaged palms, waiting for Catherine to message her back.

“Where did you get this?”

Or call her. That couldn’t be good news. She made mental note to make sure she had warning on calls, even if she had to accept them.

“Fighting the most recent menace to my town.”

“Is that why I got feedback from you?”

Mandie occasionally forgot about the psychic link between she and her sister since the distance of their homes meant they only felt anything from it during intense emotional situations.

“That was either from the pain, or from the part where I had to push him out of catatonia.”

“What pain?”

“Are you watching me?”

“Of course.”

Mandie showed her bandaged hands to the camera.

“Eek, was it the cane?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you use your powers too?”

“Too?”

Mandie’s screen showed a patent she’d seen before.

“It’s dad’s design Mandie, our tech.”

“Your gloves.”

“Except designed for telekinesis instead of electric shocks.”

“This is great news.”

Catherine took a moment to respond with, “Our tech is being stolen and this is great news?”

“It means this guy is a telekinetic, which is a parameter you can search for on the database.”

“I love you Mandie, but you are way too much of an optimist.”

“Are you still running that program?”

Silence. Maybe that was too mean.

“I have to go to sleep, but I’ll look through the database for you tomorrow.” Catherine hung up

...

Tag list:  @authorisada, @elizabethwillow, @ishanijasmin, @acutecupidity, @concealeddarkness13, @xanaphia, @fallover19, @taz-writes, @incandescent-creativity, @theshadowsofthenight, @lady-redshield-writes, @merigreenleaf, @gettingitwrite, @lynnafred, @kaylewiswrites, @katelynntheauthor, @forlornraven, @i-doled, @writing-in-mermish, @ejmcmoon, @rewriting-the-world

[magalamantle]

SO THIS IS... a really long post of a bigass ask meme, all the answers, about a fallout oc!!! ummm for warnings. #violence #alcohol #alcoholism #drug abuse ?

IM LIKE INFINITELY SORRY if this is just long, and the whole dash, on like, mobile or anything, i got carried away and had a lot of fun with it um,,,,

OK SO TO START OUT a quick summary of this character: marion tremblay, 26 years old, they/them pronouns, a courier six (but i might write them into a non-six role idk) with Sight Gone Wrong. imagine savestates, but the character only experiences the "canonical" ie last save. so they go from neutral to knowing exactly how to process a situation, but it causes a LOT of stress on them, including an incredibly distinctive negative feeling when a "save" occurs and nightmares depicting all the plays gone wrong. in addition, the successful path isnt always harmless, and often leads to heavy injury - just not death. not to mention the fact that the successful path doesnt always help people theyre trying to help, just them.

http://www.hairfinder.com/hairstyles5/carpy-hairstyle7.htm

http://www.hairfinder.com/hairstyles6/hairstyle-carpy12.htm

marion is incredibly stressed and doesnt get it, runs into danger and knows exactly what to do, doesnt know why, doesnt understand how it all adds together, and doesnt understand to maybe take it a little slower. then again, when they try to chill out and live normally the nightmares just get worse and worse. so basically they self medicate to dull the dreams a bit and it just makes everything even more stressful.

theyre a courier/jack of all trades/mercenary type that uses a recharger pistol, and has no self of self preservation. is struggling, indulges often, and is impossibly easy to charm. does things for the fuck of it, anxious, hesitantly affectionate, eventually very protective and supportive, childish and constantly tired lol.

anyway heres the questions!!!

Which Fallout game are they from? new vegas :Y

Which faction(s) did they join and which did they destroy? Why? they end up joining the ncr - they have plans and intentions to go for a free vegas, but realize eventually that the ncr is probably a lot closer to a safe vegas than they were before. kind of insists that the people get a say in things.

DOES have enough time to basically fuss with all the families on the strip and various societies - basically destroys the omertas, takes a long time and a lot of trauma to fix the situation of the white glove society, keeps house alive but out of power which basically really fucks marion up for a long long time, they then spend a million years slowly working their way into the brotherhood of steel to try to get them to kind of... not be involved anymore, same with the khans

they dooooo clear out vault 3 entirely though

What is their S.P.E.C.I.A.L.? str 4; per 8; end 5; cha 4; int 7; agi 3; luk 9. peep that luck bro

Give us a summary of their backstory. OK SO... marion was part of a pretty biggish family closer up north, just kind of, they did business and were vaguely well off. they were always pretty pretentious and loved reading books n shit, tinkering with tech, so their parents were v happy with it. then around the age of thirteen their sight started kicking in, which manifested itself at first as just like a really heavy uneasy feeling whenever something was about to happen, and later kind of... worked itself into what it is now. anyway, they didnt cope very well with it and ended up fucking up a lot of relationships and things when they booked it at about seventeen.

at which point they kind of became a jack of all trades, constantly travelling, settling generally in the mojave. courier mostly at first, then eventually also a mercenary when the business started booming. they constantly had like, at least a couple dozen things going on, so occasionally they would forget a job or two. but considering their sight, they more or less had the ability to go into places that literally no one else could and come out bruised and bloodied but alive. so generally? business was good.

they did a lot of putzing around the strip, helped the followers a bit, etc. just generally has a little bit of history in most parts of the mojave.

after they got shot they forgot some... importantish things, but anyway they eventually fucked off, got ed-e, wandered around, rescued raul+visited him until they eventually just invited him along.

What’s their full name and does it have a meaning? Do they have any nicknames and how did they get em? marion tremblay - a quebecois name basically, uh pretty much their family line came from canada pre annex and were bitter about it.

What’s their sexual, romantic, and gender orientation? Do they feel comfortable telling other people? theyre nonbinary, just kind of, everythings a mess. nothing is definite. they have bigger stuff going on lol. just accepts whatever theyre labelled, but will explain if pressed

Do they have any mental illnesses? How do they cope? uhhh technically they have... some sort of flashbacks, from their sight, that gives them really horrible nightmares. they definitely self medicate its pretty bad. of course they dont really associate their habit of running into danger with their anxiety and attacks and shit, so they basically end up dissociating and confused most of the time, and figure thats just the way it is. and drink. gestures

Do they have any medical conditions? Is medicine/ treatment available for them? nah marions got nothing. theyre surprisingly physically healthy considering the fact that theyre basically useless physically

How much do they care about their outer appearance? What’s their “beauty routine”? How often do they shower/ bathe? they care just as little about bathing as most people in the mojave, but appreciate the ability to wash their hair - comb it pretty regularily. it gets really bad and knotted if they dont

What do they fear the most? their shitty vision failing to manage to do anything for people they love. its done it before

They’re biggest flaw? Do they recognize it as a flaw? their total lack of self-preservation and knowledge of self. like theyll do unhealthy stuff and get totally confused why they feel like shit, dont understand that running into things carelessly is what is making them constantly anxious and depressed, and they think that their inability to talk to people is what is fucking things up

What are they most insecure about? they pretty much lack any insecurity. they know theyre pretty bad at talking to people, but theyre not so much nervous about it as just dont really like doing it

What Wasteland threat do they fear the most? (ex. Deathclaws, super mutants, raiders) most bugs actually. since their sight kind of just keeps them from dying, it usually keeps them from dealing with deathclaws at all - but hanging around cazadores and getting poisoned just kind of means downing so many bottles of water and antivenoms, and it fucking Hurts. plus they just find the way they move really really disgusting lol

What’s their zodiac sign or which one do you think they relate to the most? What are their placements (if you know them)? (ex. Aries sun, Taurus moon, Aquarius Venus) mnmnnmn pisces sun. taurus moon. 

What’s their Myers–Briggs Type? (ex. ENTP, ISFJ) infp lol

What Harry Potter house would they be in? (ex. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw) gonna say hufflepuff because theyre a big softie when it comes to people they actually do like

Which Pokemon Go team would they choose? (ex. Instinct, Valor, Mystic) uh probably instinct? i think thats the yellow one right? 

Out of the nine forms of intelligence (rhythmic, spatial, linguistic, mathematical, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and existential) which one(s) are they really good at and which one(s) is(are) their weakest? theyre really good with math and rhythm - not quite as good with interpersonal stuff, or intra for that matter. they dont know shit about themself lol. theyre really good at science stuff in general, though - comes from fiddling with that sort of shit

What natural alignment are they? (ex. Lawful Good, Chaotic Evil)

im not too good at pinning down characters, but honestly somewhere between chaotic good and true neutral. will help people, sure, for a price - or if they seem really really desperate. dislikes copious rules but wont go out of way to topple rules so long as they seem more or less fair

Do they have any hobbies? What are they?

they play harmonica! they like to think up songs, make harmonies to the songs on the radio. when they were little they liked to fuss with math puzzles and science shit but lost a lot of the focus as their sight got stronger, stopped being able to sit still long enough to really work on stuff. they like to fuss with ed-e sometimes lol. upgrades n stuff. polishin him

Do they have a favorite holiday? How do they celebrate it? when marion was more into consistent courier-ing, they liked pretty much any holiday that people sent gifts to each other. good for business, it was nice to see people so happy, PLUS people always tipped really well and gave them free food n stuff out of thankfulness.

What’s their favorite season? autumn, mostly - most fair weather. loves the winter when theres no storms or anything - nice to wear lots of layers of clothing and have it be appropriate.

Do they have a temper or are they level headed? pretty level headed, but when they lose their temper they sound kind of ridiculous because their voice gets really high and they??? talk like???? this?????? and theres a lot of gesturing.

they dont really so much lose their temper when they go into combat situations simply because they tend to go from zero to everyones dead, pew pew pew. it does happen sometimes in really tough, long situations, but as it turns out being angry doesnt really make your laser pistol shoot any better or harder Do they express their emotions freely or hide their true feelings? theyre so un-in-tune with their own feelings that they tend to not understand why or what theyre feeling. so its not so much hiding as like ????!??!!?!?!?!?

Are they a leader or a follower?

a leader out of necessity.

How do they come off to others? What first impression do they usually make? creepy. first impression is generally that theyre very businesslike, probably too frail to complete a job. “whys this person being so nice when they look like they want to eat me”

Do they prefer to travel alone or with company? Who have they traveled with if any? Current companion if any? they basically never travelled with a companion until recently. started traveling with ed-e, basically just because he makes sounds when things are happening, eventually found raul and after a good couple times of going back to him to get their laser pistol fixed just kind of invited him to come along. didnt realize he wouldnt be able to fix their pistol on the way lol

Would you describe them as selfless or selfish? Does it depend on the situation? they have the ability to be pretty selfless for the most part since theyre pretty well off from all the work they did before getting shot in the head. on the other hand, theyre not really used to hanging out with other people so theyre kind of selfish when it comes to food n stuff, at least until they got sassed enough for it

What do they find most attractive in others? Name at least one psychological and physical trait. (doesn’t have to be romantic attraction) they usually like people with silver tongues and wide shoulders

Do they flirt often? How easily do they fall in love? they basically do not flirt. they dont register flirting, either. its pretty easy to charm them, but marion is not... a charming person

What’s their love life like? Are they interested in anyone or in a relationship? listen i made the with the almost exclusive purpose of dating raul so. interested lol

Do they prefer to solve things diplomatically or using violence? diplomatically. they generally dislike having to actually, be in danger, but theyre really not charismatic so it usually ends up resorting to either violence, or very well-backed up threats

What is their combat style? What range do they prefer? Do they sneak? they are TOTAL SHIT at sneaking, for like no reason. theyre just... really not athletically inclined. their strategy is usually run and gun, dont stop moving, ABS - always be shooting. turns out when you have a rechargeable gun and the luck of the devil, it doesnt matter how many bullets you take as long as you win lol

What weapon(s) do they always carry with them? recharger pistol!!! they also carry a tiny bowie knife just in case. mostly used to cut plants off stems and cut meat off things. its a whole experience

Their most prized possession? pretty much everything they own is replaceable. the harmonica is nice, cause it pretty much still works entirely, but its definitely not super special or anything. theyd still sell it for a nice meal though

Their thoughts on power armor? a nice idea, but full heavy armor makes it kind of difficult to travel large distances, especially over mountains n shit

Favorite armor/ outfit? gecko-backed leather armor, plus a shitty hood they slapped on top of it. they think it looks so cool, plus its plain enough that its comfortable. they really want a tux lol

How’s their aim? Do their hands shake while pointing a gun? a gun? yes. a laser pistol? no. the second things have like, physical bullets in it, they get super stressed. using lasers instead of pistols or bullets allows a certain level of, like, disconnection from the situation.

What are their thoughts on having to kill on a daily bases in order to survive? Does it take a toll on them? Or do they shake it off rather easily? they really hate it. but honestly they get worse nightmares if they dont keep doing things, like constantly. they prefer to not really have to kill people, so tend to like... threaten and bluster their way through things pretty often. they wont chase down a fleeing enemy unless theyre really super in the zone

Thoughts on death if any? (ex. Fear it, accept it) definitely fear. they pretty much cant die, so theyre pretty confident about it, but its mostly because they manage to disconnect so much from situations that it basically just gives them night terrors. like i said before, complete disconnection from their own emotions. basically a whole lot of marions problems could be fixed by accepting that maybe running into danger is a bad idea, even if they basically cant die.

tl;dr, they think they accept it, but 100% fear

Do they move around a lot or prefer to have a place to call home? they move around SO much. marions pretty much been on the move since they turned 17, constantly doing just about anything they could get their hands on. a million jobs all at once

What’s their favorite location? the strip. they pretty much used to spend most of their spare time down there - loved the food at the ultra luxe, the booze n drugs at gomorrah, and the music company and games at the tops. a couple days of throwing caps down the drain, followed by doing a bunch of odd jobs in the area is a good way of spending a whole week. then, once they had enough messages and packages and people to kill/find, theyd take off again

Their opinions on ghouls, feral and not feral? marion kind of sees themself in feral ghouls. impossible to kill, but at what cost, etc etc. very angsty. thinks ghoul voices are actually kind of pretty

Do they scavenge for their supplies or simply buy them? combination. scavenges what they can, buys the rest. when youre as lucky as they are when finding bullets and bits, you definitely have enough caps for everything else. since theyre shit at repairing, they always get their equipment repaired while out

Are they the type to get distracted and go off to an unknown nearby location or do they stay on track? they definitely amble. long term plans are definite, but when you have maybe five jobs happening at once it doesnt hurt to step aside and grab a new one on the way

How do they sleep? Are they picky about where and how or can they sleep basically anywhere? they tend to get themself pretty blitzed to be able to sleep with few dreams. as a result they can pretty much sleep anywhere, but theyre pretty fitful about it

What’s their favorite radio station and song? (post-apocalypse) they used to like butcher pete but got pretty tired of it after a good, long amount of time. now they think aint that a kick in the head is super funny. since they got shot in the head.

theyre okay with literally every radio station, but likes black mountain radio a lot even though its a lot weirder than it was before. theyre really not sure if the people on the radio are uh ok but uh. makes it a point to eventually check that out.

What’s their favorite post-apocalyptic food? Are they a picky eater? Do they know how to cook? they fucking LOVE fresh fruit - trail mix is a huge fave, nd theyll pay pretty much any amount of money for it, especially since it keeps pretty well. theyre also a fan of like, gourmet shit, since they have the money to spend on it. good steaks are nice. theyre pretty picky, but they usually have a pretty good supply of long-keeping foods to eat on the road. they cant really cook that well though

What’s their favorite beverage? Do they drink alcohol? vodka is a fave. gets them real drunk real fast. a long time ago they managed to trade for some nuka-cherry and its basically their favourite thing in the whole world??????? has a weird distaste for sunset sarsaparilla and gives it all to raul

Do they have any tag skills? energy weapons, science, medicine. really good with e.weapons, more than decent with science, pretty good with medicine. mostly out of patching self up.

Anything they like to collect? (ex. Unique weapons, Bobbleheads) Caps Lol. nah but really they pick up anything that seems interesting to sell. they do have a big intention to buy the unique recharger pistol but its never in stock whenever they go to the kiosk

Are they good at disarming traps or do they constantly miss them? theyre pretty shitty at getting traps, but their luck is amazing with it. they can pretty much walk through a minefield just fine. like running through is safer than trying to disarm, because when you run through a minefield you either die or you dont - when you try really delicately you might blow some important bits up, but you wont die lol