#Difference between domain and hosting

[safaaabdelhameed]

ما الفرق بين الدومين والاستضافة؟ وهل يمكن شراء أحدهما بدون الآخر؟

تابع موقعنا من هنا ليصلك كل جديد 😍👈

https://bit.ly/3igFQB3

انضم لعائلتنا على قناة التليجرام

https://t.me/safaadesign

رابط قناتي على يوتيوب 😊👇

https://www.youtube.com/c/SafaaAbdElHameed

صفحتنا على فيس بوك

https://web.facebook.com/SafaaDesign96

صفحتنا على تويتر https://twitter.com/DesignSafaa

[britneyshakespeare]

I can't believe the Younger Brother (1689) by Aphra Behn has the only one bed trope

[wpfresher]

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: Which One to Choose?

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org – Which One to Choose? Should you use WordPress.com or WordPress.org? When you first decide to build a website with WordPress, you’re hit with this unexpected crucial decision. At first glance, it seems like a subtle naming issue — but make no mistake, this is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when launching your website. In this guide, we’ll break…

[tayraedoll]

Radio Daddy

My entry for @6esiree contest! I hope you enjoy this little story!

18+ MDNI

This is my take on what the dynamic between Alastor and a Gen Z radio host would be like. A little bit of rivalry, a little bit of sexual tension, and a lot of attitude.

Word count: 2979

TW: Smut, P in V Intercourse, Oral (male receiving), Rough s3x, soul deals, swearing, Alastor is a bit mean, but reader likes it

"...and that is why Hell would be better off as a matriarchy", you spoke into your mic. It had been a long four hours of broadcasting, you were exhausted and definitely looking forward to dinner by this point. But you also loved the studio, the freedom of creating your own show and speaking your mind, and the power to sway the masses that listened.

"Don't forget- I will be DJing at the Hazbin Hotel Grand Re-Opening tomorrow night! It's sure to be lit so stop by and have a drink with me. Until next time, stay gucci my friends!"

You signed off and leaned back in your chair, closing your eyes and taking a moment to relax. The tranquility didn't last long however, before you had a chance to take a breath you heard the telltale radio static of your boss- Alastor The Radio Demon. You sigh before opening your eyes and turning to the futon in the corner of your recording studio.

You arrived in hell 2.5 years ago after unfortunately overdosing when someone spiked your drink at a gig. When you learned that Hell only had one radio station you set out to create your own; everyone called you crazy, that the radio was the domain of the infamous Radio Demon. But at that time he had been missing for 5 years, his radio show nothing but static whispering memories of the past. So you brushed everyone off and made your own show anyways. It was an instant hit, your fan base expanded rapidly as sinners were eager to listen to a new voice in Hell's media scene. You had found your niche, your place in the despondent plane called Hell.

For two years you were the queen of radio, but you unfortunately sat atop a borrowed throne. Six months ago you were broadcasting like any other day when, after signing off, you had found yourself locked inside your own studio as the shadows of the room crawled over you. Alastor had offered you a choice- either you sign a soul contract with him and continue your show under his administration, or you cease broadcasting for the rest of your afterlife. You suppose you should count your lucky stars that he didn't just kill you, you were technically a rival after all and you had heard how he dealt with others who challenged him. His reason for letting you live was just one of the many mysteries of The Radio Demon.

Said demon now sat on your futon, back ramrod straight and legs neatly crossed and tucked underneath him. His fingers were interlaced in his lap as he smiled radiantly at you.

"Evening my little doll! Riveting performance as always! Although, I do have one note. You recall a discussion we had earlier about not using profane language while on air yes?", his smile tightened, his eyes hardening ever so slightly in annoyance.

You rest your chin in your palm and give him the most bored expression you could muster,"No one gives a shit if I swear Alastor. We are in Hell, or have you forgotten?"

Everyone else was scared shitless of this man, but he made your heart rate spike for an entirely different reason than he did for most others. Your boss was fucking HOT. You regularly pleasured yourself as you listened to his own radio show he revived upon his return, your thighs automatically clenched together at the sound of his voice. So, in retribution for him being so damn attractive, you behaved like the biggest brat. It was a victorious day if you could make his ears twitch, an almost imperceptible movement of his fluff that would be easily missed if you weren't looking so hard for it.

Your sassy remark earned you the little ear flick you were going for which made you smirk, your Overlord employer narrowing his eyes at you in warning. "I really wouldn't start with that smart mouth if I were you Darling. Need I remind you that I own your little show? Therefore, you will abide by my rules- no more profanity. This is the end of the discussion." His tone left no room for argument; as much as you liked pushing his buttons, you were not stupid and knew when to quit while you were ahead...or alive that is. You let the argument go with a scoff and a mumbled "Fine".

Alastor beamed back at you once again, his voice returning to its normal, chipper tone, "Splendid! Now on to business- I would like to hear what you have prepared for the hotel's ceremony tomorrow. This event means quite a lot to our dear Princess Morningstar and I will not let her down." You caught the underlying threat, really it was you who carried the burden of making sure you upheld his image. Your job was not just to entertain the hotel guests, but to make The Radio Demon look good as well.

Luckily for you, Charlie was huge fan of your show. She would regularly call in to talk to you about your chosen discussion topic of the day and put in song requests. Really you had known Charlie for longer than Alastor had, you knew exactly what she liked and were more than prepared to cater your services for her party. Your smile sweetened again as you logged into your playlist for the Grand Re-Opening Ceremony, "I was going for a persevering and uplifting kinda vibe, concentrating on songs that will give girl-power and fuck-the-system. Charlie is a Swiftie, so I made sure to add several of her greatest hits to the line-up like 'Shake it Off' and 'Look What You Made Me Do'." You turn your laptop around so your boss could look at the playlist you made, only to be met with him giving you a "are you dumb?" look.

"There is absolutely no way you will be bringing that ridiculous contraption into my hotel Darling", he pointed to your computer with revulsion written clearly on his face as if the laptop personally wronged him.

You bark a short, incredulous laugh, "Alastor, if I can't bring my equipment into the hotel then how exactly am I supposed to do my job?" You cross your arms over your chest and lean back in your chair, waiting for him to explain his absurd rules that will only hinder your ability to make him proud.

"VoxTek cannot be trusted and is not allowed in the hotel- particularly by my very own employees! No no no no, I will provide you with everything you will need to provide top-notch entertainment to our esteemed guests", he snapped his fingers and a retro-looking record player and several record albums appeared beside your desk.

You became more and more exasperated as you rifled through the collection before you, "There isn't even anything from the last 50 years in here! As far as I'm aware, this isn't a "Roaring 20's"-themed party. If the goal is to make a good impression and get more sinners to stay at the hotel then we need to offer more than just old jazz tunes!"

The Radio Demon clutched at his chest in offense to your comment, "My Doll, no one partied harder than we did in the 20's. Jazz and speakeasies were truly the pinnacle of entertainment. I assure you that if you stick to my plan all will go just swimmingly." His voice hardened again at the end of his speech, warning you to just follow along. But you wouldn't, not when you knew you were right.

"And how many sinners from the NINETEEN-20's will be there exactly?!", your voice rose in volume with each word,"Face it, Alastor, most of the sinners there will be from more recent times. Therefore, we need to play music that ISN'T 100 years old!" You got up and started pacing your studio, completely oblivious to the growing radio static filtering off the man in red or how his antlers were starting to grow more tines. "Honestly, it's like you don't even try to connect to your audience anymore. I don't understand your complete aversion to modern technology, if you don't learn to adapt your are going to be left behind-", you stopped abruptly in the middle of the room, staring at the wall as the epiphany hit you like a ton of bricks. Your back was turned to the now irate Overlord, his claws dug into the leather of your futon to stop himself from launching at you. "That's why I'm here", you whispered, "You didn't kill me, you made me sign a soul deal so you could use me to bridge the gap between you and the younger audiences of hell. The younger generations find your show BORING."

You whip around with a triumphant smile on your face, ecstatic that you figured out the clever demon's ploy. Your face paled and the smile quickly disappeared when you took in the state of The Radio Demon. His normal crab-claw antlers now more closely resembled an elk's spread, the sclera of his eyes were jet black. The ever-present smile still adorned his face, but it now resembled a malicious grin akin to one you'd associate with The Joker. He rumbled out a low, dangerously dark chuckle that had the hair along your arms raising in goosebumps.

"Oh my Doll, you really should have learned when to quit running your mouth", he stood up and had you backed into the wall in three strides flat. "I should kill you for your insubordination, if you were anyone else you would be a mangled mess of blood and bone where you stand", his eyes bore down on you. Your heart hammered away in your chest as he lifted one hand to your face but you refused to flinch away from him, if this was how you died a second death then you would not give him the satisfaction of seeing your fear. Instead of dealing you a death blow, however, he gently dragged a claw from your temple to your chin. "Luckily for you, Princess Charlie would never forgive me if you were hurt by my hands. That... and I admit that I have grown quite fond of you myself. But-", his claw dug into the point where your chin and throat met just behind your jawbone, "-there must still be punishment. What kind of Overlord would I be if I let my possessions speak to me in such a disrespectful manner?"

You opened your mouth to plead your case but were quickly shot down, "Careful Doll. I enjoy you, but be careful. In fact, perhaps it is best if you do not speak at all", he chuckled again before summoning your soul chain in his hands. The bright, radioactive green glow of the chain blinded you momentarily and before you could process what was happening you were yanked to the other side of the room. When your eyes finally focused again you were on your knees with Alastor sat on the edge of the futon in front of you.

"Now Darling, how about you show me if that smart mouth of yours is good for something other than backtalk?", he pulled the chain again and your face came just inches from his crotch. You looked up at him with wide eyes, was he really asking you to do what you thought he was asking you to do? The way his eyes narrowed and his grin widened told you that yes- he wanted you to do exactly what you were thinking.

Well, you know what they say- what The Radio Demon wants, the Radio Demon gets. With a newfound determination you steeled your resolve and ran your fingers up his thighs to his belt. Without ever breaking eye contact with him you slowly unbuckled and removed the belt before opening his trousers. His cock was only half-hard under his briefs, running a finger up the length of it made it twitch deliciously and you smirked again before you freed his length from its fabric prison.

Even at only half-mast he was of impressive length and girth, no doubt you would struggle to take all of him once he was fully hard. Your mouth watered at the thought, you glanced back up at his face and noticed how his jaw was clenched in anticipation, eyes half-lidded at he stared at your mouth.

His expression was all the confirmation you needed before you leaned forward and licked up the length of his shaft from tip to base, nose brushing against the red curls of his pubic bone. Alastor gasped sharply above you, one hand wringing your hair around it as the other hand held your leash taut.

You teased his lower head with your tongue, swirling around it tantalizingly slowly. Gently parting your lips, you take just the mushroomed part into your mouth and give a gentle suck before teasing with your tongue again. You repeat this process a few times until his cock stands at full attention. After the third suck, he lets out a growl uses his hand in your hair to force you down further on his cock, clearly tired of the teasing. A small gag escaped your throat before you forced it to relax to accommodate the sudden intrusion. With a moan you slowly pushed forward until you felt him bottom out at the back of your throat.

"That's it Doll, such a good girl", Alastor gritted out through his teeth, holding your head there for a moment. You slowly started to bob your head, lips wrapped tightly around his shaft giving a popping sound every time they passed his engorged tip. Your tongue ran along the vein on the underside of his length, the skin velvety and warm.

After several long, slow passes, the deer demon gripped your head again to still your bobbing movements with your nose buried in his curls. Without a warning, he harshly pulled back and thrusted forward again, burying himself as deep down your esophagus as he could go. You sputtered, gagging sharply and tears instantly forming in your eyes. Your hands came up to push against his thighs but the chain on your neck quickly pulled tight again to keep you from moving a centimeter off his cock.

"Nuh-uh-uh Dear, it's time you learn your lesson for talking back to your master", he pulled back again just to thrust back into your mouth with brutal force. True to his word, he set a punishing pace. You struggled to breath between his continuous assault on your throat and the saliva that pooled in your mouth, dripping down your chin in thick spouts. Tears clouded your vision, all you could do was sit there and take his punishment and try not to pass out from lack of air. Every breath you managed to take came in through a gasp and left through a gag.

"My, my Doll. What pretty noises you make, so much better than the sassy remarks you usually give me. Perhaps you deserve a reward for taking your punishment without complaint."

You were suddenly pushed back off his cock, your lungs taking full advantage of the reprieve by gulping in as much air as they could. Clawed hands gripped your elbows as strong arms picked you up from the floor, your knees hit the futon cushion as your forearms landed on the back of the frame. A sudden breeze alerted you that your skirt was hiked up over your hips and your heard fabric ripping as your panties were torn from your core.

Alastor held your hips in a bruising grip and he thrusted into you, filling you to the hilt in the first go. A strangled moan left your raw throat, hands clenching onto the back of the couch. You were given minimal time to get used to the full feeling before Alastor resumed his brutal pace from before.

"I'll tell you what my dear, I'll make you a deal. I will provide you with a more modern record player and the vinyls for all those songs you wanted to play tomorrow as I still will not allow VoxTek technology in the hotel," you were honestly only partially listening as his tip was hitting your g-spot with every word. "In exchange, your body is mine to use as I see fit. Does that sound fair Doll?"

A lewd moan escaped you as he continued to drag his length through your walls, "Fuck Alastor-"

He stopped his movements just as you were reaching your peak making you whine in displeasure "I asked you a question- do we have a deal? You will not cum until you've answered me."

"Yes, Alastor! It's a deal. Please, please, please make me cum!", you cried out, you were so desperate for release you would have agreed to anything he asked.

"Hmm, I quite like you begging Doll. I quite like punishing you as well- I do hope you continue to behave like a brat, just to give me an excuse", he resumed his pace and before you knew it you were pushed over the edge, clenching hard around him. Alastor's own release soon followed as he spilled into you with a groan.

You knelt there on the futon, catching your breath as he pulled out and redressed himself. Once he was neatly tucked away again he walked around the couch to your face. His index finger lifted your chin so you were looking up at him, "I will see you tomorrow my doll, do not be late."

With that he disappeared into the shadows, leaving you reeling from what just happened. After a few minutes of processing the unexpected turn of events the smirk returned to your face.

"I wonder what would happened if I was just 5 minutes late?"

[hellsite-proteins]

also, do you know any other fun proteins where the amino acids react with eachother to form a new chemical? like residues 65-67 in GFP cyclysing to form the chromophore?

to start, i had a bit of a hard time finding the right search terms for this question, and a lot of what i found is more focused on synthetic or enzymatic methods used in labs, rather than lists of natural examples. if anything is wrong or missing as always pls lmk! i rambled a lot so that info is going to get hidden under the cut, but here is the tl;dr of three relevant PTMs

one takeaway I had from trying to find things is just how unique GFP actually is! it has been important enough for studying biological systems that its discovery was awarded the nobel prize in 2008, and a lot of incredible chemistry went into modifying its structure to make other fluorescent proteins in different colours. this is important if you want to look at more than one thing by fluorescent microscopy, and was done by altering residues around the chromophore to influence its protonation state/pKa through the local environment.

disulphide bonds:

so many proteins: insulin. RNAse A. chymotrypsin. etc.

isopeptide bonds:

the collagen-binding domain of S. aureus Cna and probably several bacterial pili have intramolecular isopeptide bonds

Vibrio cholerae, which causes cholera, makes isopeptide bonds to cross-link actin in its host

there are more examples of isopeptide bonds on wiki

biaryl ethers:

a lot of these are not made by ribosomes, and it looks like all of them are fairly small and funky looking peptides, but i think that has to count at least a little bit. here are a couple:

patellamide A

telomestatin (the wiki page on this one is so short and as far as i could tell, we aren't even sure yet if this is made by ribosomes or not so i'm really pushing things here on what counts)

letter sequence in this ask matching protein-coding amino acids:

alsdyknwanytherfnprteinswheretheaminacidsreactwitheachthertfrmanewchemicallikeresidesinGFPcyclysingtfrmthechrmphre

protein guy analysis:

for all the time i spent on this post, the protein itself is kind of underwhelming. its a shorter one with three alpha helices and a small, two strand antiparallel beta sheet, with some loops in between. this could be a real peptide, or it could just be the confused ramblings of an algorithm trying to make shapes out of an input. the confidence score is pretty low, so as usual my bet would be on the latter option, but who knows? maybe this could stably exist in real life? dream big and all that

predicted protein structure:

the main keyword i was using was 'protein cyclization', so i'm sure i missed a lot, and most of what i found is focused more on synthetic methods, but i was still able to get some good information.

this first article here gives a nice overview of protein cyclization, and a lot of different and super neat ways it can be done. if anyone wants me to give a more detailed breakdown of this article i would be happy to, since i'm not sure how clear it is to people without much of an organic chemistry background.

this next article gives an overview of post translational modifications, and also looks like a good resource with a lot of information. there are so many different PTMs out there, so if you'd like me to discuss one in particular a little more, let me know as well.

this gave me a few specific PTMs to find examples of.

the first and most obvious is disulphide bonds, which are what you are describing, but far less unique, so i also want to give some other examples

another example is isopeptide bonds, which are formed between an amine and carboxyl group just like a regular peptide bond, except that these amine and/or carboxyl groups are part of the side chain, not the peptide backbone

and finally, i found biaryl ethers, which i had never actually heard of before, and are only made by microbes and scientists, and are interesting for pharmaceuticals

there are more examples that involve cyclization with the backbone, and other types of PTMs beyond cyclization, but i've already spent too long on this, so if you want something more specific then you have to ask for it

[dewdropdinosaur]

I Wanna Ruin Our Friendship

ALASTOR x (F) READER Summary: You are Charlie's older sister and the pristine image of what a princess of Hell should be. But sometimes even perfect pretty princesses have their secrets. Warnings: NONE This was a request from the lovely @fandomfan-102 REQUESTS OPEN

In the heart of Hell, amidst the chaotic streets and vibrant nightlife, stood the Hazbin Hotel, a haven for lost souls seeking redemption. Among its eccentric inhabitants was Alastor, the infamous Radio Demon, a charismatic figure whose mere presence commanded attention. Furthermore,  Y/N Morningstar, the older sister of Charlie, the hotel's founder; too commanded the room with her devilish charm and royal style. 

Unlike her sister, Y/N was a bit more of what people expected from a princess of Hell. Though by no means was she sadistic or remotely close to some demon’s level, she was not as bubbly or optimistic as her sister. More cunning, reserved, and always dressed to impress; Y/N held power unknown and one that could possibly even rival her father. 

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on who you ask, Y/N often found herself drawn to the enigmatic Alastor. Their love, a delicate dance hidden from prying eyes, grew stronger with each stolen moment amidst the cacophony of Hell's chaos. Stolen kisses, lying about laying one's head on the other's shoulder. Whispers of sweet nothings in the back of hallways and sly hand holds.

At first, to the average outsider, Alastor might have been using Y/N for power or station but truly as time wore on; he grew to love her in his own way. Yes, their relationship was not like most but despite their differences, a deep connection had blossomed between them, eventually culminating in a secret engagement under the light of the red moon as Alastor presented Y/N with a heartfelt declaration and a ring. 

As fate would have it, soon news spread like wildfire through the corridors of the hotel that Lucifer himself would grace them with his presence. Panic swept through the inhabitants, each scrambling to prepare for the arrival of the feared and revered ruler of Hell. As rumors spread of Lucifer Morningstar's imminent visit to the hotel, tension crackled in the air. Lucifer, the Lord of Hell himself, was rarely seen outside his domain, and his presence promised both excitement and trepidation.

Y/N and Alastor found themselves in a particularly precarious position. While their love burned bright, Lucifer's presence threatened to expose their secret engagement. Yet, they dared to hope that their careful charade would remain intact. On the eve of Lucifer's arrival, Alastor and Y/N found solace in each other's company, stealing fleeting moments of affection amidst the chaos. Little did Y/N know that the carefully guarded secret was about to be thrust into the spotlight by none other than Alastor himself. 

On the fateful day of Lucifer's visit, tension hung so thick in the air a cannibal could have taken a bite out of it.. The inhabitants of the hotel stood on edge, awaiting the arrival of their sovereign. As the grand doors swung open, revealing the imposing figure of Lucifer, the room fell into a hushed silence. As Lucifer's shorter but nonetheless dominating figure materialized in the hotel's grand foyer, all eyes turned to him. Charlie greeted her father with nervous excitement, eager to showcase the progress of her ambitious project.

Alastor, ever the charismatic showman, stepped forward to greet the Dark Lord, a charming smile playing upon his lips. Power plays were always Alastor speciality. 

"Ah pleasure to meet you sir, quite a pleasure. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name. Though I must say,  you are much shorter in real life." Alastor declared with a flourish. 

With an annoyed look, Lucifer replied “Who is this? Who is this man? Are you the bellhop?” 

"Ah no. I am the host of the hotel. You might have heard of me from my radio broadcast. Or from my fiance Y/N."

If the floor could have dropped beneath Y/N, it would have. The words hung in the air like a heavy fog, suffocating the room with stunned silence. All eyes turned to Y/N, whose cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment and whose eyes glared at her lover. Charlie's jaw dropped in disbelief, her eyes darting between her sister and the Radio Demon.

Gritting her teeth, Y/N whispered “Alastor…what in the devil are you doing?”

Lucifer's expression remained inscrutable as he regarded Alastor with a raised eyebrow. "Is that so?" he mused, his voice dripping with disdain. "Well, well, it seems my daughter has been keeping secrets from me." 

Charlie's jaw dropped in shock, her mind struggling to process the unexpected revelation. She shot a bewildered glance at her sister, who could only offer a sheepish shrug in response.

The spirited founder of the Hazbin Hotel stood frozen in disbelief, her eyes widening in shock at the bombshell dropped by Alastor. She blinked rapidly, struggling to comprehend the sudden turn of events.

"Wait, what?" Charlie stammered, her voice laced with incredulity. "Y/N, you're engaged to...Alastor?"

Husk, the cynical bartender with a penchant for chronic alcoholism, arched an eyebrow at the revelation, his expression a mixture of skepticism and mild amusement.

"Well, I'll be damned," Husk remarked dryly, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Guess Hell just froze over." His boss did really have it in him.

Angel Dust, the flamboyant and irreverent resident of the Hazbin Hotel, let out a raucous laugh at the surprising news, clapping his hands together with glee.

"Hot damn, talk about a plot twist!" Angel exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Looks like we've got ourselves a real-life soap opera unfolding right here!"

Despite the initial shock, the atmosphere soon shifted, morphing into a cacophony of laughter and chatter as Lucifer not so graciously accepted the news of his daughter's engagement. After several threats towards the Radio Demon, the King of Hell reluctantly relented though he did stay close to his oldest daughter’s side the rest of his visit. 

Alastor and Y/N found themselves enveloped in a whirlwind of congratulations and well-wishes from their surprised friends and colleagues.

As the night wore on, amidst the revelry and celebration, Alastor and Y/N stole a quiet moment alone, their hands intertwined as they basked in the warmth of their newfound truth. Despite the unexpected turn of events, they knew that their love would endure, for in the heart of Hell, where chaos reigned supreme, their bond remained unbreakable. Though Y/N did get payback at Alastor for his little stunt. You can imagine how that went over my dear reader. 

[witchofthesouls]

Do you have a favorite snippet/head canon/world building bit you'd be willing to share?

I got quite a few:

Soundwave's Cassettes are a mix between real Cassettes and hidden kids. Ravage came from a mentor host, and he made Frenzy and Rumble. Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, and Ratbat are his kids but reformatted for Reasons.

TFP Soundwave came to the gladiatorial clades as a sparkling, and it shaped his outlook on life and death.

I prefer Prima and Megatronus being split-spark twins as it mimics the formation of Primus and Unicron. Which leads to the next point-

Primes aren't meant to stand alone, so Prima is definitely Not Okay. Prima deliberately made choices that eventually made the Quintesson Occupation possible and led to the civil war between Autobots and Decepticons after Megatronus Fell and never returned since the first Prime became obsessed with his twin's return.

Solus isn't a victim of a tragic romance and crime of passion spurred by jealousy but the main architect of its masterpiece. It was a triumph of her own making, and Megatronus was completely on board with her vision.

TFP Optimus is a legit Prime, but not a fully realized one due to the Matrix's influence. This particular world building is hinged on if he's the reincarnation of another Prime, like in the canon lore, he's supposedly the Thirteenth Prime. Each of the Thirteen had their own unique paths to claim new Champions, but unfortunately, those were lost to time and distance as Cybertron only used Prima's own Matrix to determine a new Prime. Prima and Thirteen had different Domains and Aspects as well as philosophies of the world and spirituality. Of course, there will be issues if a reincarnated Prime attempted to utilize another Primal Artifact without understanding who they truly are. Optimus is capable of awakening other Primal Artifacts, but he doesn't realize they're still 'asleep' in a way and hasn't tapped into their true potential.

The reason why Unicron in TFP didn't just burst out of Earth immediately is because of Megatronus Prime's efforts to forever chain the Unmaker away (and that's why the war moved to Earth, why the planet is teeming with Energon and relics, and why Optimus is fond of the place...)

Earth is also its own entity as it's supposed to balance out Unicron. Gaea is a reflection of both Primus and Unicron, and the brothers don't know what to do with a sister-daughter in their balance.

Since Thundercracker is the tallest/biggest of the Command Trine, and fanon likes to compare Seekers to birds of prey, then Thundercracker is a femme.

Tarn is a deep romantic, but he compares every point and trait to Lord Megatron. That mech is also a Mess with his personal relationships that it's soap opera worthy.

[kerink]

i cant sleep so i wanna talk about the different ways i conceptualize cecil's age. to me there are 3 domains i consider: chronological, physical, and functional

for his chronological age, we know cecil was a teenager in 1745 making him more than 279 years old. this one's pretty straight forward.

for his physical age we have to do some math. i've broken it down in greater detail before, but the tldr of that post is that (in my estimation) cecil physically ages 4-8 years for every 49 years he's alive. given how much wtnv likes a 1:10 ratio, i'd actually be willing to bet my math in the original post is close but wrong and cecil ages at a 1:10 rate. if cecil was at least 15 in 1745, and if he was stuck at 19 for at most 100 years, that would make him around 33 physically.

cecil's functional age i've never seen talked about and i haven't had a lot of chances to talk about before, so this was the main motivator for this post. cecil isn't just a man, he is The Voice. and since huntokar found night vale after it was founded and didn't break time until 1983, we can assume there was something supernatural about cecil before her involvement.

leonard burton was host of nvcr for "an uncountable number of years" and cecil has said he didn't recall anyone being host before him.

cecil interned under him from at least 1745 until ww2, likely after pearl harbor (1941) since cecil stated america was involved in the war at that time. so cecil interned for ~179 years and has been hosting for ~83 years

it's unclear when leonard died, i've detailed the murky timeline on his wiki page, but cecil had been hosting for between 38-60 years when he did. when leonard died he was crossing the street outside of nvcr, which i interpret this to mean leonard was still involved even after he retired, likely continuing his mentor role informally or else helping cecil as a consultant.

no matter how long cecil had been hosting, 38-60 years is a drop in the bucket compared to "an uncountable number of years." cecil as The Voice was still very new, functionally very young, when leonard died.

this continues the theme of cecil's life: that he's abandoned too young and before he's ready. i read cecil's lack of on-air professionalism to be a reflection of that; just like how he struggled and lashed out and acted up after his mother left he's doing the same thing on the radio. he didn't have anyone to show him any better. we aren't seeing cecil the 279 year old immortal or cecil the 33 year old man, we're seeing The Voice who is still only a child

[mleprae]

Finished this guy's lil redesign!

My ocs aren't quite spec bio, I don't consider myself smart enough to write the same level everyone in the spec bio community does but alot of people tag my ocs as such, so I decided to entertain a bit and write abit about Q'wilqilth's biology :3

They are basically an overgrown giant bacteria, often referred as "plague angels", the angel part comes from the fact these critters live in a colossal interplanetary organism that many human cultures refer it as the one and true God.

read-

Q'wilqilth-óó is a Neobacteria, often referred generally as 'angels' (though angels include many other non-Neobacteria), Neobacteria are a domain of organisms whose bodies are made up of bacterial colonies acting in tandem as organs, like organs and cells - each colony houses a bacteria with different physiologies to fit a certain role.

And for the same reason, Neobacteria may be composed of species that are pathogenic to humans (hence the 'plague' angel name), they also take on similar mechanisms and ecological roles to their single celled/simple counterparts.

Q'wilqilth in this case (often just shortened to Q'wi) is a Neomyco leprae, derived from the bacteria that causes leprosy in humans, this species is sophont and is often wearing clothing but I decided to add it in there just to see their markings better, they don't have common names and are mostly just referred to as leprosy plague angels, but some species of Neobacteria refer to them as 'Jade emperors' or simply 'Leviathans'

Like many plague angels, this species is a parasitoid/facultative parasite and relies on deploying their genetic material on a host to reproduce, N. leprae prefers doing this to Neural coils, a species derived from Schawnn cells who produce a mucus that stimulates the production of electricity from Neuron trees.

When bursting out of a Neural coil, most will spend years attached to the Neuron trees their former host was attached to, this phase is important to the development of the 'Ouabain whip', a small organ in their tail that helps them regulate their electronegativity and is later used as a weapon, disrupting Na+/K+ ATP-ase in any predators towards them.

They are mostly nomadic, save for a few small tribes/clans, they can travel long distances thanks to their lipid-rich diet, this species has taken lipid/fat as their primary energy source and carbohydrate last, it may not look like but they have extremely mobile/flexible lips and strong toungues/jaws to suck vegetable oil and starch off Neuron trees, unlike their pulmonary counterparts (Tuberculosis), they are facultative aerobics and can use electricity/eletrons provided by the Neuron trees as a substitute for oxygen in ATP production. When migrating out of the Neural forest, they are equipped with mostly molars, strong jaws, and specific digestory enzymes in their mouths to digest tough animal (?) fat. This gives them a much slower metabolism, allowing them to travel without eating for large amounts of time.

Last but not least, though they are gliders, they have evolved their mycolic acid to be hydrophobic in nature, keeping their skin from getting wet/humid, they are great swimmers and their facultative aerobic nature allows them to survive underwater without oxygen, they can live in a variety of biomes within the Super-organism; squashed between arteries close to the red rivers, in the high lands, golden hills or even the filter. They will however, avoid warmer temperatures and prefer sticking to the poles.

lil sketch of their clothing, representing a epitheloid cell, the body is usually covered in bone sculptures of phagossomes and liver-otters

[overtheimaginationwall]

TO TAME THE BEAST || COOKIE RUN KINGDOM AU

Created: 04/12/2025

Latest Update: 06/08/2025

navigation: #to tame the beast crk OVERALL WORLDBUILDING:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This AU is a work-in-progress and this info post will be regularly updated until the original story is finished or my motivation runs out.

All of the characters aren't cookies. They are humans and other types of fantasy races like in DnD for example.

Witches are still gods but not in the way they are in original. They are magical beings that created this world for their benefit.

Souljams in this universe aren't something that's physical but still part of the ancients and beasts. It's basically their soul/heart filled with Grand Magic.

Most of the events happen like in original source with a bit of different scenarios.

FIRST ANCIENTS - BEASTS

At first there was chaos and wars amongst species of New Crispia until the Gods (Witches) created the first Ancients so they set the new world and rules for everyone lived in harmony.

The only thing they didn't consider is that they gave them not only too much power but also free will. They were too human for demigods.

When half of them went insane Shadow Milk tried to find answers to save his friends but when he got too close to the truth about the Gods - he felt betrayed.

He was found and got caught. The souljam was taking away from him by force and then they threw his body back into a mortal realm.

They did the same to his friends. One by one. All of them fell into a deep slumber as soil slowly took them over.

After few years Gods choose new hosts of souljams and they became the second generation of Ancients.

It was peaceful for a while then history repeated itself where now White Lily found out the truth about the Gods but before they could do anything to her - the souljam was torn apart making two versions of her: The Velvet Dragon (The Dark Enchantress) and her true self.

That marks the beginning of Dark Magic War and awakening of the beasts, causing rumors and myths to be spread around. In current time beasts despite previously working together are disconnected from each other, living on their own and in no need of communication between each other as hate is the only mutual feeling left between them.

Burning Spice - a giant tiger that burns everything in his path out of spite and insanity, haunts the desert and jungle nearby Golden Sands Kingdom. The residents of last standing Kulfi Village made a temple in his name, bringing him annual sacrifices, so he doesn't harm them.

Eternal Sugar - a giant butterfly that usually sleeps in her Paradise Garden and if an unfortunate victim end up in her domain they fall asleep due to her dust and then when they unable to wake up she sucks out their life essence to turn them into her slave and make herself stronger to spread more dust.

Mystic Flour - a huge white spider that idly stays in her domain in the mountains near Dark Oak Kingdom, waiting for the moment to be awakened.

Silent Salt - a black horse that haunts at night across entire New Crispia. If it finds some poor soul that got lost in the time of dusk he brutally kills them by cutting them in half yet leaving no traces of himself behind.

Shadow Milk - a wolf that haunts the darkest corners of New Crispia. Despite hearing a lot of rumors and stories of his evil deeds and his flock of bats that follow him - no one ever seen him eye to eye, and even if someone had a chance to witness him - they disappeared without a trace on the next day and no one seems to remember them anymore.

SECOND ATTEMPT - CURRENT ANCIENTS

Dark Magic War thankfully didn't last for long and Ancients survived it thou not without sacrifices.

Due to the loss of the kingdoms and their authorities in Dark Magic War - Pure Vanilla became a shepherd, taking care of his little garden and farm in the valley, not so far from previous home. White Lily helps him out from time to time but usually is out on expeditions to research about the beasts and find ways to stop the upcoming Calamity.

Golden Cheese, Dark Cacao and HollyBerry are alive and their kingdoms are intact but still under threat of beasts roaming the lands and other dangers.

ANCIENTS' RELATIONSHIPS CHART:

Golden Cheese feels hostile towards White Lily and really paranoid about her precious subjects' wellbeing after the war.

Dark Cacao is worried about his son's whereabouts and misses Pure Vanilla.

HollyBerry is the only one who at least trying to regulate the contact between all of her ancient friends despite drowning in her own kingdom's problems.

MAIN FOCUS OF STORYLINE & BACKSTORY

The majority of the story and its contents follows three main characters: Shadow Milk, Pure Vanilla and White Lily.

(reference sheets for: Pure Vanilla, Shadow Milk, White Lily)

THE FIRST MEETING

One day one of the sheep decided to venture deep into the forest as if it sensed something, Pure Vanilla followed it.

Moments later he stumbles upon a horrific scene: a wolf laying on the grass, its body covered in wounds and bites, flowing with blood. Pure Vanilla, of course, doesn't hesitate and comes down to the injured creature to heal it.

Creature observed his movements with caution but eventually its look changes to calmness and slight curiosity. It got up as soon as the wounds healed up, looked into healers eyes then quickly left the scene.

After that encounter Pure Vanilla stared to feel like someone is watching him despite him mostly living by himself with his livestock in the Gods' forgotten valley.

Few days later he starts to see silhouette of a wolf in the distance. It was getting closer day by day.

Before paranoia could take over the shepherd the wolf stopped appearing around his territory.

When it came to nighttime Pure Vanilla's slumber was disturbed by a heavy feeling on his chest. He opened his eyes he saw a figure, looking down at him, sitting on him as if it purposefully was about to do something to him.

Both of them screamed out of surprise and fear and before the intruder could escape through an open window - he gets caught.

Upon further inspection and slight interrogation the intruder reveals himself as Shadow Milk. The beast of deceit was able to lie his way out of suspicion while the ancient of truth turns out to be completely unaware that the said beast now was within the walls of his home.

What will happen next? Only time will tell...

AN OLD FEELING

It's been days and Shadow Milk still haven't succeeded on taking what is rightfully his.

"He is nothing but a weak pesky shepherd! Why was he chosen to be a holder of my power?!", Shadow says to himself yet said shepherd's kindness and compassion stopped the beast in his tracks every time.

Even since their first meeting, back then in the woods. The beast could just have ended it all right there but an old feeling that suddenly came to him at that moment made his mind puzzled.

The feeling long forgotten by his feral mind yet bringing warmth and fuzziness that he haven't felt in years.

What could it be?

As much as the question was on his mind he tried not to pay attention to it. He was still on a hunt for his souljam.

And as to be called a Wolf of Deceit - he tries a different method - manipulation. It definitely should work on such kind and trusting individual as him.

As he was getting closer with the shepherd - the feeling that have been in his heart grew even stronger. As if the one being manipulated here is the beast himself.

Despite many more attempts his plan failed yet again.

One night instead of sleeping he silently watched as healer was sound asleep.

"I am the beast this world cannot bare yet you are the only one who did and took me in.", Shadow Milk muttered.

"Love that you give me could be nothing but tricks yet it all feels so genuine that I care to give in." He finally lays down, cuddling closer to him as his mind drifts into the land of dreams.

That is it. Love. Love is the feeling that's been missing all this time.

He finally feels complete.

[midnight1nk]

⭐️A few days ago...⭐️

Wow, what a wholesome episode! "The rosemary to my bread", dude, I hope my future partner will say that to me one day. Now that I had my weekly dose of silly, time to check the Puzzlevision website! Eh, I bet it's going to be the same as...

[*SCREAMING*]

WOTFI 2024 PREDICTIONS REVISITED

⚠️ DISCLAIMER IN INTRO POST ⚠️

An eye for an eye...

How are we feeling, SMG4 fandom? It's that time of year and many have speculated about WOTFI as well as what might come afterwards. Myself included with my previous theory posts, suspecting that something big is guaranteed to happen. And we didn't have to wait long.

On the 14th of September, just a few days ago, the channel's latest episode, 'SMG4 and SMG3 come up with an episode' was released. But what truly made the fandom lose their mind was the sudden change of the Puzzlevision website. If you need a refresher, here is what it looked like before:

It had:

[puzzlevision.tv] being the site title and URL

Mr Puzzles' logo

A central image that transitioned between a webp to a gif file and vice versa on certain occasions

(after choosing Save As option) the image already labeled as Now Airing

Now, there was talk about this that wasn't left originally, stating that the image (that used to be larger) now had a black border around it. At least, at the time. As someone who has worked with web design, there's actually a number of reasons why this is.

Depending on the resolution/zoom setting on your device, it might alter the site's layout.

As said earlier, the image alternated between a gif to a webp. All websites require a background color underneath all of its assets so the change in image/file size may have shrunk than what was originally. Especially if you are attempting to make it look seamless between the transitions.

Long story short, It's simply how web layouts are: formatting gets a bit wonky from time to time.

Anyway, as I already mentioned, the website has changed to this,

(supposedly someone said the password was "carnival")

Then, to this:

Changes include:

The title "War of the Fat Italians 2024" with a similar URL [www.wotfi2024.com]

SMG4 logo

A whole new layout design (obviously) which just gives off 'Greatest Showman' energy

And now we've come to the present day: fans have already submitted their minigame challenges and preparing for a carnival-themed adventure. For me and other theorists, though, we're having a field day. From the clues I gathered on the website and a few past episodes, I might be able to put together what the channel has for us this year. Let's revisit my "WOTFI 2024 Predictions"!

I already covered a lot in depth in my "Puzzlevision 2: Now Airing" theory [link] and I'll be referring back to it here, so I recommend looking it over if you haven't already.

THE WEBSITE

I was honestly surprised that I was right about a couple of things. The main one being about the website itself.

The people behind SMG4 didn’t need to put this image in, they didn’t need to keep this website on. But they did.

Well, past Ink, you nailed it. And according to Cube (FM), this is the same website host.

"don't read into it too much"

Cube, with everything going on, I might as well interrogate a website for memes' sake.

Wait, what's wrong with it?

The fact that the website is used for WOTFI of all things is what's so strange. All the previous WOTFI'S asked the fans to submit their challenges through the comment section or social media. No other option was involved until now.

Maybe they wanted to try something different like what they did for WOTFI 2023?

That's a good point. It was stated that they wanted to be more experimental with their episodes. But even then, the '23 stream they hosted was on their channel, on Youtube.

Maybe they didn't want it to go to waste? After all, sites can be expensive.

Again, it's a good point. Depending on the domain they used and the apps connected to the site, it can be costly. However, I do want to iterate what I said earlier: they didn't need to keep this website up. Better yet, if they didn't want to raise any flags, why not keep the site how it originally was with the "That's all folks!" image? Why the change? Which brings us to our next point,

WHO IS THE REAL SMG4?

Let me explain...

After the change of the website, we got this post,

This brings up a lot of questions:

Who sent the letter?

If we can assume that's Four's hand, why did the post say "you" as if there is a narrator?

If Four had no idea about a carnival coming to town, then why would he ask us to submit challenges for a carnival he's supposedly hosting?

Well, they're pretty easy to answer. We already established that Marty would come back to be the most likely antagonist for WOTFI. I mean, this cardboard cutout managed to own a pizza shop, a casino, an airline company, and a spaghetti sauce brand. It wouldn't be a surprise if he also happened to own a carnival. But as I said in previous theories, Marty isn't working alone.

He's working with Mr Puzzles.

Mr Puzzles was the one who sent the letter to SMG4 just as he did for Wren in Western Spaghetti (indirect or not). It hasn't exactly shown if the letter had his seal on it. Not that it needs to anyway, they would recognize his logo and know they can't trust what's inside this envelope.

Remember how I said in my previous theory that one of the ways Mr Puzzles could control SMG4 was for our blue meme lord to be his eyes and ears? In the latest episode, SMG3 comes up with the idea of a carnival coming to the showgrounds for a week, and SMG4 wanting to go on the baby teacup ride.

Mr Puzzles was there, listening to every word they said to each other. He has been since "SMG4: Inside Out".

Could it just be purely by coincidence and just something out of improv? Sure, the SMG4 & SMG3 side episodes aren't really connected to canon. But like, c'mon, the channel knew what they were doing. Everything has to be put into consideration.

If that's true, the narrator could be Mr Puzzles, the second voice inside his head. Or, for those who love the goop!4 theory, the voice could be the demonic goo slowly taking over.

Now, back to the post!Four and site!Four. If we can assume the Four from the post is our Four, then the one impersonating Four would be Mr Puzzles, once again controlling the events in WOTFI. This time, using his website. Like Cube said, Mr Puzzles is the same website host as before. Also, look at these two:

It would be too obvious if we see a PNG of Mr Puzzles on the website again so why not impersonate his narrative foil. Well, at least look dapper while you're at it.

Or, even better, Four does know about the carnival but either the goo or Mr Puzzles are erasing certain memories.

A GAME OF WITS

Speaking of the website, let's analyze the description:

Step right up, WOTFI is coming to town and we need your challenges but this time...WITH A TWIST! We're doing a carnival theme this year and we want challenges named like a minigame and a description of what they are! For example "Whack a Bob - Who can smash bob with a hammer first?" OR "Pizza Pie Peril- Survive giant pizza's raining form the sky' Guidelines - Please only 1 challenge per person - Nothing inappropriate - Please add your internet profile name in the 'name' field below Thank you and see you soon!!! -SMG4

Carnival theme, huh?

Well, last year's theme made sense. Three's notebook was stolen and was risked of getting leaked. With the casino being heavily guarded, Four and Three had to sneak in. A secret mission to take back a secretive object.

If this WOTFI has Marty and Mr Puzzles working together, then It would make sense for a businessman and an entertainer would come up with something like a carnival. The best of two worlds: fun and capitalism. Besides, the Showgrounds would be a perfect place to host it since it used to be an abandoned carnival and Mr Puzzles having something to do with the land ownership.

[SMG4: Our New Home // timestamp: 5:38]

Now, what is peculiar is the use of the term "minigame".

Ink, it's a carnival. You have to stick to the theme of carnival rides and games.

Fair, but this is WOTFI we're talking about here. If you win a challenge, you get closer to the end and win a point for your side. For WOTFI '23, every choice impacted the story and therefore the ending. If the SMG4 crew plays and wins these minigames, what do they get in return? And if they lose, would there be a punishment?

It will entirely depend on how WOTFI would play out, in three scenarios:

Marty is revealed to be behind the carnival at the beginning of WOTFI and the Crew learns that, in order to reach him, they have to win some mini-games.

Marty isn't revealed until the near end. The Crew only came because they wanted to have some fun for the day but learned that this was a sort of trap created by Marty (along with Mr Puzzles but they don't know that yet).

OR BONUS SECRET OPTION

Both Marty and Mr Puzzles revealed themselves to be the ones hosting the carnival, meaning it's less likely that Puzzlevision 2 would happen unless something else happens.

Then, there is the phrase "WITH A TWIST". Sure, it could mean that it would be different than our regular old WOTFI, just as it happened in 2023. But WOTFI 2023 also revealed the twist that Mr Puzzles was actually the one orchestrating the whole thing, sending the fax to Marty about the secret recipe and his theme scattered in the background in multiple episodes. We might get a twist by the end of this year's WOTFI as well. Bonus points if we hear a version of his theme again.

Back in my Puzzlevision 2 theory, I predicted that the final battle with Mr Puzzles would happen back where it all started. With the carnival coming into the Showgrounds, it comes back full circle.

ONE STEP CLOSER

There isn't much to change from what I predicted:

Karen would be a key character for WOTFI this year. Maybe Karen just wanted her kids to have fun for the day, or even the corporation, her former workplace, gave her a tip that Marty would be there.

The Crew would have to find Marty's absolute weakness since he's technically invincible.

And possibly Pedro coming back to assist the Crew somehow.

But now I have a new prediction, based on the latest episode:

SMG4's and SMG3's relationship would change to a whole new level. That Four may need Three for something or if Three realizes something about himself, it would change their dynamic regardless.

It's really similar to how it was for WOTFI 2023 with small bits here and there all coming back to a single episode. (The notebook, the duo's meme guardian powers, Four's forklift, Three moving out of the Internet Graveyard, etc.)

It's still too early to confirm anything, but at the very least, we now have some idea what WOTFI may be about as well as evidence to back up some of my theories.

Will we get goop!4? God, I wish. I was listening to "Friends on the Other Side" and I was just imagining scenarios of Mr Puzzles taking complete control of Four with the goo. If it doesn't happen for whatever reason, I'll write it myself.

Oh well, we would just have to wait and see. In the meantime, that’s just a theory…

AN SMG4 THEORY

🎶Thanks for dropping by🎶

[wpfresher]

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: Which One to Choose?

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org – Which One to Choose? Should you use WordPress.com or WordPress.org? When you first decide to build a website with WordPress, you’re hit with this unexpected crucial decision. At first glance, it seems like a subtle naming issue — but make no mistake, this is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when launching your website. In this guide, we’ll break…

[bliss-in-the-void]

Shibuya arc thoughts: I had an interesting thought while re-reading a certain scene

Spoilers if u aren’t caught up in the manga:

Okay, this:

I always thought that conversation between Kenjaku and Mahito was interesting. The whole concept of their difference in beliefs based off of the proof they both experienced.

Mahito believes that the soul comes before the body because he can transform souls and have them do his bidding as long as he touches a body. It’s instant contact into the soul, and as soon as he alters the shape of the soul, the body changes because the soul takes precedence over the body.

Kenjaku on the other hand believes that the body is the soul and the soul is the body because in his thousand years, not one host body has ever fought him back the way Suguru did to try and save Satoru. He disagrees with Mahito, explaining that the host body’s memories wouldn’t be retained otherwise.

Let’s dissect this a bit.

If a host body was a blank slate and didn’t retain memories, Kenjaku would’ve agreed to Mahito’s conjecture. So, if Suguru had no reaction to Satoru, it would basically prove that once a soul leaves a body, it’s nothing but an empty shell.

But it doesn’t. Suguru does react to Satoru, somehow. Against quite literally all logic. It then challenges Mahito’s beliefs, because a piece of Suguru’s soul is still in the body. It’s not an empty shell. Suguru’s soul didn’t completely leave his body.

But Mahito, who has been through very different experiences, disagrees. He says that their techniques are what makes their perceptions on the matter different.

Kenjaku’s technique involves using his brain (carrier of a soul/consciousness) to take control of a host body. The swapping of souls inside a shell.

Mahito’s technique involves touching a body to take control of a soul. Only then when he changes the shape of a soul does the body change shape too. So to him, souls first, bodies second.

He tells Kenjaku their techniques separate them into two different worlds. Kenjaku replies with “so techniques dictate our worlds, I like that, it’s poetic.”

But the interesting thing is, I don’t actually think they’re disagreeing at all. In fact, I think they’re saying the same thing, just understanding it differently.

Mahito can only change the shape of a body if he touches the soul. That right there shows you that the soul and body are interconnected, like Kenjaku said. You’d think that if souls were completely separate from a body, Mahito’s technique wouldn’t involve the need to physically touch a body. (Even in his domain, where his own soul is all around the opponent, touching their body.)

Maybe the soul does inform the body, but it can never be without it. The body is the soul.

In a way, Satoru was able to replicate Mahito’s domain expansion without needing his cursed technique.

Because his soul could see through the bullshit. And it called out to Suguru. It touched Suguru. It moved him. Their souls somehow made contact.

And something else that I wanted to bring up while reading it.

“Technique dictate our worlds. It’s poetic.”

When I first read it, I was sort of like “…we were just talking about souls and bodies where did this come from?”

And then I thought about it.

How did their techniques affect Satoru and Suguru’s worlds?

At first it brought them together. They were both the strongest. Then it tore them apart.

Suguru’s technique involved him needing to absorb curses. He had to physically ingest them. He had no choice but to take in all of the grime of the world.

Satoru’s technique is the exact opposite. He has Infinity. Nothing can touch him. He’s impermeable. A flick of his finger and the curse is gone, no contact needed.

Is that what Kenjaku meant when he said it was poetic? Because his and Mahito’s techniques are really not all that different. They both use other people’s bodies to do their bidding and bend to their wills as they please. And for that, they work together. But Suguru and Satoru’s techniques were complete opposites and it eventually came between them. Suguru needing to give pieces of himself every time he used it and Satoru remaining untouchable.

It’s almost as if Kenjaku is saying, tauntingly, “maybe if you weren’t so different this situation would never have happened.”

Suguru’s feeble attempt to stop him is for naught. An arm trying to strangle him to no avail can’t do anything to save Satoru. He tried out of love.

But sometimes love really isn’t enough.

[knightsofsomethingorother]

Sneak peak

I've been working really really hard on getting character refs, scripts, etc. done for a proper narrative comic which I've been wanting to do forever that I thiiiink I've mentioned on here before once or twice! Remember all those designs I made? Yeah those, but like, I'm making them better and in a slightly different style.

The plan there is to get my own domain, host the comic over there (because tumblr completely fucks image quality and the day I use webtoon is the day satan opens an ice cream parlor) and post updates and teasers for it here. Having my own webpage also means that I don't have to follow any corporate guidelines ever and can get creative with format stuff if I so choose. Very excited about that!

Anything pertaining to that project will be under the tags 'Shadow of Logres' and 'ShLo comic' until/unless I get mad at the title and change it sometime between now and when I post chapter 1. I'm not going to announce any specfic dates until I'm actually close to finishing the first chapter, but I'm aiming for 'before my season depression hits in July'. I am fighting every instinct I have not to put something self deprecating here so...

Anyway! Here's a preview of some designs from the ref sheets!

Left to right- Arthur, Guinevere, Bedivere

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Webb reveals the origin of the ultra-hot exoplanet WASP-121b

The detection of atmospheric methane and silicon monoxide suggests that it originated in a region analogous to the Solar System’s domain of gas and ice giants.

Observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have provided new clues about how the exoplanet WASP-121b has formed and where it might have originated in the disc of gas and dust around its star. These insights stem from the detection of multiple key molecules: water vapour, carbon monoxide, silicon monoxide, and methane. With these detections, a team led by astronomers Thomas Evans-Soma and Cyril Gapp was able to compile an inventory of the carbon, oxygen, and silicon in the atmosphere of WASP-121b. The detection of methane in particular also suggests strong vertical winds on the cooler nightside, a process often ignored in current models.

WASP-121b is an ultra-hot giant planet that orbits its host star at a distance only about twice the star’s diameter, completing one orbit in approximately 30.5 hours. The planet exhibits two distinct hemispheres: one that always faces the host star, with temperatures locally exceeding 3000 degrees Celsius, and an eternal nightside where temperatures drop to 1500 degrees.

“Dayside temperatures are high enough for refractory materials – typically solid compounds resistant to strong heat – to exist as gaseous components of the planet’s atmosphere,” Thomas Evans-Soma explained. He is an astronomer affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg, Germany, and the University of Newcastle, Australia. He led the study published today in Nature Astronomy.

Unveiling the birthplace of WASP-121b

The team investigated the abundance of compounds that evaporate at very different temperatures, providing clues about the planet’s formation and evolution. “Gaseous materials are easier to identify than liquids and solids,” noted MPIA student Cyril Gapp, the lead author of a second study published today in The Astronomical Journal. “Since many chemical compounds are present in gaseous form, astronomers use WASP-121b as a natural laboratory to probe the properties of planetary atmospheres.”

The team concluded that WASP-121b likely accumulated most of its gas in a region cold enough for water to remain frozen yet sufficiently warm for methane (CH4) to evaporate and exist in its gaseous form. Since planets form within a disc of gas and dust surrounding a young star, such conditions occur at distances where stellar radiation creates the appropriate temperatures.

In our own Solar System, this region lies somewhere between the orbits of Jupiter and Uranus. This is remarkable, given that WASP-121b now orbits perilously close to its host star’s surface. It suggests that, after its formation, it undertook a long journey from the icy outer regions to the centre of the planetary system.

Reconstructing WASP-121b’s eventful youth

Silicon was detected as silicon monoxide (SiO) gas, but originally entered the planet via rocky material such as quartz stored in planetesimals – essentially asteroids – after acquiring most of its gaseous envelope. The formation of planetesimals takes time, indicating that this process occurred during the later stages of planetary development.

“The relative abundances of carbon, oxygen, and silicon offer insights into how this planet formed and acquired its material.” – Thomas Evans-Soma

Planet formation begins with icy dust particles that stick together and gradually grow into centimetre- to metre-sized pebbles. They attract surrounding gas and small particles, accelerating their growth. These are the seeds of future planets like WASP-121b. Drag from the surrounding gas causes the moving pebbles to spiral inward towards the star. As they migrate, their embedded ices begin to evaporate in the disc’s warmer inner regions.

While the infant planets orbit their host stars, they may grow large enough to open substantial gaps within the protoplanetary disc. This halts the inward drift of pebbles and the supply with embedded ices but leaves enough gas available to build an extended atmosphere.

In the case of WASP-121b, this appears to have occurred at a location where methane pebbles evaporated, enriching the gas that the planet supplied with carbon. In contrast, water pebbles remained frozen, locking away oxygen. This scenario best explains why Evans-Soma and Gapp observed a higher carbon-to-oxygen ratio in the planet's atmosphere than in its host star. WASP-121b continued attracting carbon-rich gas after the flow of oxygen-rich pebbles had stopped, setting the final composition of its atmospheric envelope.

The detection of methane requires strong vertical currents

As the temperature of an atmosphere changes, the quantities of different molecules, such as methane and carbon monoxide, are expected to vary. At the ultra-high temperatures of WASP-121b's dayside, methane is highly unstable and won't be present in detectable quantities. Astronomers have determined for planets like WASP-121b that gas from the dayside hemisphere should be mixed around to the relatively cool nightside hemisphere faster than the gas composition can adjust to the lower temperatures. Under this scenario, one would expect the abundance of methane to be negligible on the nightside, just as it is on the dayside. When instead the astronomers detected plentiful methane on the nightside of WASP-121b, it was a total surprise.

To explain this result, the team proposes that methane gas must be rapidly replenished on the nightside to maintain its high abundance. A plausible mechanism for doing this involves strong vertical currents lifting methane gas from lower atmospheric layers, which are rich in methane thanks to the relatively low nightside temperatures combined with the high carbon-to-oxygen ratio of the atmosphere. “This challenges exoplanet dynamical models, which will likely need to be adapted to reproduce the strong vertical mixing we've uncovered on the nightside of WASP-121b,” said Evans-Soma.

JWST’s role in the discovery

The team used JWST’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) to observe WASP-121b throughout its complete orbit around its host star. As the planet rotates on its axis, the heat radiation received from its surface varies, exposing different portions of its irradiated atmosphere to the telescope. This allowed the team to characterize the conditions and chemical composition of the planet's dayside and nightside.

The astronomers also captured observations as the planet transited in front of its star. During this phase, some starlight filters through the planet’s atmospheric limb, leaving spectral fingerprints that reveal its chemical makeup. This type of measurement is especially sensitive to the transition region where gases from the dayside and nightside mix. “The emerging transmission spectrum confirmed the detections of silicon monoxide, carbon monoxide, and water that were made with the emission data,” Gapp noted. “However, we could not find methane in the transition zone between the day and night side.”

IMAGE: This artistic impression depicts the stage at which WASP-121b accumulated most of its gas, as inferred from the latest results. The illustration suggests that the forming planet had cleared its distant orbit of solid pebbles, which stored water as ice. As a result, the gap prevented additional pebbles from reaching the planet. WASP-121b must have subsequently migrated from the cold, outer regions towards the inner disc, where it now orbits near its star. Credit T. Müller (MPIA/HdA)

[melestasflight]

In the Silmarillion fandom, we enjoy grabbing the trope of “Nolofinwëan recklessness” and running wild with it. 

The most common victims of this are Fingon the Rash Prince and Fingolfin the Impulsive King, who rushes into suicidal combat. Both father and son daring death within Morgoth’s domain. 

It’s fun to write and exciting to imagine, no doubt, but I’d like to offer a different take. In fact, what makes Fingon and Fingolfin (and the rest of that family) compelling to me is their patience and endurance.

Yes, I’m aware Fingon rushes to battle at Alqualondë, but that’s a world-altering event. The light of the world has literally gone out, murder has happened in Valinor, Finwë is dead. Most of the Noldor are up on their feet and ready to depart. Everyone is rushing.

But this is not always the case with Fingon. Most significantly, the rescue of Maedhros is NOT an impulsive decision. The published Silmarillion offers no timeline on this, but in The Grey Annals, five entire years pass between the arrival of Fingolfin’s host to Beleriand and Fingon’s decision to look for Maedhros. 

Five years in which the two hosts are quite literally on the verge of civil war because, let’s not forget:

No love was there in the hearts of those that followed Fingolfin for the House of Fëanor, for the agony of those that endured the crossing of the Ice had been great, and Fingolfin held the sons the accomplices of their father. 

Diplomacy is a painfully slow (and absolutely frustrating!) ordeal. Fingon’s decision is born from this strife, from thirty years on the Helcaraxë, and five years of civil restlessness, not to mention the clear signs that Morgoth is ready to attack them at any moment:

Then Fingon the valiant, son of Fingolfin, resolved to heal the feud that divided the Noldor, before their Enemy should be ready for war; for the earth trembled in the Northlands with the thunder of the forges of Morgoth underground. 

This is not rashness. This is the sacrifice of a captain who is willing to make the best of what time is left before full-out destruction begins. It would be rashness if Fingon got his company and crossed Mithrim to wage battle on the Fëanorians. Instead, he chooses differently for the sake of peace, stability, and renewed friendship.

The trek from Lake Mithrim to Thangorodrim could be estimated at around 150 miles, depending on the map we follow, and there are grasslands and two sets of mountains to cross, not to mention the horror of Thangorodrim. Fingon travels on foot. It would take him weeks, maybe even months, to find Maedhros. Plenty of time for the fire of rashness to cool down if that was the case. But he persists because he has no other choice.

Similarly, I often see takes on Fingolfin that he rushes to pointless combat with Morgoth in the same manner as Fëanor had done. Yet again, the timeline is crucial here. The published Silmarillion has the battle lasting at least several months. Bragollach starts in F.A. 455 during winter time: 

There came a time of winter, when night was dark and without moon

The battle slows down presumably a few months later:

but the Battle of Sudden Flame is held to have ended with the coming of spring, when the onslaught of Morgoth grew less.

The onslaught grows less, but it doesn’t fully cease. Morgoth and Sauron reissue their attacks early into Fingon’s kingship.

In the Grey Annals, the timeline  is stretched further out:

Year 455:

The Fell Year. Here came an end of peace and mirth. In the winter, at the year's beginning, Morgoth unloosed at last his long-gathered strength

Year 456:

Now Fingolfin, King of the Noldor, beheld (as it seemed to him) the utter ruin of his people, and the defeat beyond redress of all their houses, and he was filled with wrath and despair.

The fighting goes on actively anywhere from a season to a full year! Fingolfin tries to hold his kingdom together for a full year despite an absolute, unquestionable disaster. I mean, look at this description of the battle:

In the front of that fire came Glaurung the golden, father of dragons, in his full might; and in his train were Balrogs, and behind them came the black armies of the Orcs in multitudes such as the Noldor had never before seen or imagined. And they assaulted the fortresses of the Noldor, and broke the leaguer about Angband, and slew wherever they found them the Noldor and their allies, Grey elves and Men. Many of the stoutest of the foes of Morgoth were destroyed in the first days of that war, bewildered and dispersed and unable to muster their strength. War ceased not wholly ever again in Beleriand

Fingolfin’s decision to ride out, again, is not out of recklessness or a spur-of-the-moment decision. It’s everything but that. He has given everything and truly believes it’s all lost: “the utter ruin of his people, and the defeat beyond redress of all their houses.” (!!!) 

This is a final stand, the King’s duty to stand by his people, even in death.