#H&v meta

[cellarrentalsvhs]

I keep forgetting to be like "new V/H/S movie!" but it's probably because I keep seeing people whine that they don't know the directors. Like yeah, everybody totally already knew who Ti West & David Bruckner were before V/H/S 🙄. I stg horror fans have gotten so fucking entitled. "I've never heard of this guy," "That was boring," "That wasn't scary," SHUT! THE FUCK! UUUUUUUUUP!

[normalbrothers]

deleted those posts not because they were wrong but because i've moved on to greener pastures (conversation with @deadendtracks)

[heartsbreaking-migrated]

which of my muses have gone to the met gala because I CARE!

livia cabot-carlson: went more than once, was invited multiple times

heidi bergmann: went once, got arrested <3

clary stark: went once cause she's a nepo baby

savannah hayes: went as a guest once, hosted the carpet twice

princess tessa: has gone twice, was invited three times

honorable mention:

vivian kellman: wants to go SO BAD

[druidx]

Directors commentary for havens ember

Hey Ray!

I am assuming you want commentary for the overarching series and not, like, something about all 21 completed fics within it 😅️ (Though having said that, I think you might be getting a bit of an essay anyway).

My Modern, No Powers, Everyone Lives AU, aka Haven's Ember series, came about while I was in the middle of having a crisis about My Blade for Thee, Your Son to Be (Martin is a Blade AU) and how much work that silly little idea was going to be.

@mishkakagehishka posted that she was craving some "Martin Lives" AU fic, so I - because I needed a distraction - said I would have a go. But, you know, the end of Oblivion is pretty definite. I couldn't see a way around it, so boom - we now have a Modern/ No Powers AU, because Martin is then saved by modern medicine and is not turned into a Godly avatar. Then @arcane-elder-scrolls requested some Bodyguard fluff be tucked in, so that became the basis for The Birthday Party.

In My Blade for Thee, the Prisoner wasn't going to feature much - that story was due to end as soon as Uriel took his last breath. Which meant that they could be recycled. Since I'm incapable of turning my brain off, I already had a good idea that this Prisoner would be young, chirpy but troublesome, and working for the Grey Fox.

When the Modern HoK first turned up, it was jumping out of a black Land Rover with the name Sophie Williams. The first The Birthday Party turned directly into angst, which was not the prompt, so it was scrapped. When I started re-writing The Birthday Party, the HoK was inexplicably called Aderyn Griffiths, but they were the same person: slender, auburn hair, devil-may-care attitude and, well, spoke like I do on the casual. I thought it would be interesting for this HoK to have a legal name and a preferred name that was completely different, so it stuck.

Why did you start writing the Main Quest line? Because I can't turn my brain off. After finishing The Birthday Party, I kept thinking about the final scene in Oblivion, and how it would translate into the Haven's Ember world. And, obviously, I couldn't just write the end and leave it at that. No, no. I had to write the whole damned lead-up to it as well, which has become The Ruby Falls. But I will say I had shove to do it from the above two, and @strosmkai-rum, otherwise I might not have attempted it.

Didn't The Ruby Falls start off called Haven's Ember? Yes, it did. To start with, the Main Quest story (that bastarding (affectionate) thing which is currently pushing 190K words) was called Haven's Ember, and for a very brief while the series was called Ruby Falls. But I was never happy with them like that. "Haven's Ember" is too cosy for a story about tragedy, and "Ruby Falls" sounds cataclysmic, right? So I swapped them over and now I think they're both spot on.

Why is Haven's Ember set in Great Britain and the EU? Because it's where I live. I thought about Americanising it, but it would have been the United States you get in the movies - Genericsville, IL/NY/CA/WTF. I know the UK; I do not know the States.

Why is it 'modern' as in Earth modern, not Nirn modern? *Cries in 'I didn't know it was an option'*. By the time I realised that was a possibility, I was already knee-deep in worldbuilding for The Ruby Falls and it was either commit or die. So I committed.

If it's set in GB, why is Baurus still American? I'm sorry, have you not heard Michael Mack's voice? One doesn't mess with perfection, darling.

If Baurus is American, why isn't Martin? Again, have you not heard Sean Bean? He's from Yorkshire; thus too is Martin, and this is a hill I will die on.

And why is Belisarius Bulgarian? Because @strosmkai-rum asked nicely. She also asked for someone to be Greek, but I never got that far down the list of Blades. Maybe it's Cyrus, IDK yet.

What sexualities have you got going on in this? Martin is bi, Baurus is gay, Caroline is lesbian, Aderyn is ace, Arcturus and Cyrus are queerplatonic. I think that's it off the top of my head.

What did you do with the Thieves Guild? They became GreyFox Securities (GFS), a digital and physical security firm. The Grey Fox is still called the Grey Fox (a la security personnel not giving their real names) and he still wears the hood. Aderyn is a Physical Penetration Tester, which is someone who put's a building's security through its paces and then reports back what needs to be changed. I have had so much fun researching this.

What's the most fun toy you've found that you want to give yourself Aderyn? Earrings that let you unlock handcuffs. There's also a bracelet that contains micro-lockpicking tools. And a kit that lets you scan RFID cards... Honestly, I shouldn't be let loose on TeamRed's webstore without supervision.

... I think I'm out of stuff to add. I, uh, hope that answers your ask? 😅️ Thank you so much for the opportunity to ramble about an AU that has been occupying my brain since 2020. I'm more than happy to carry on if you've got anything specific you want to know.

🫖️🌿️

[1-800-scaryphone]

this is an open invitation to ask about norm's funky lil w.ormhole expedition :)

[pixiecactus]

because i just saw a post related in the tag and some discourse in other site (how did you guess it was quora)... did you know that this arya quote:

A thousand years ago, she had known a girl who loved lemon cakes. No, that was not me, that was only Arya

is about our lord and saviour sansa stark? if you don't believe it, or if you do, because how dares someone like arya like a dessert full of patriarchal femininity like lemon cakes too, you can found more about this in the new edition of the asoiaf books: asosas "a song of sansa and sansa" because what do you mean grrm has done interviews naming his favourites characters and sansa is not even mentioned once, i don't see it, i don't hear it. everything grrm writes is about sansa, did you know young grrm looked like kit harington when he was young, what do you mean kit harington's jon snow portrayal is not at all like the books description, of course it is, and grrm and kh both married a red headed woman, that is foreshadowing, let me show you all of my metas that's all based on jonsa fics and not in the books. all hail the red wolf of winterfell... what do you mean that this sobriquet is not even in the books? what do you mean that the animal comparison sansa get in the books is a bird? no no no she's all direwolf, the most "stark" of them all, the rest of her siblings will die and get stuck inside their wolves to finally give queen sansa the wolf pack she always deserved and was born to command. ps: talking about the fact that sansa is a lannister by marriage, and robb disinherited her in his will for this same fact, and also currently wanted by the crown for regicide is plain old misogyny... do you truly hate girls winning that much?

(this is h e a v y sarcarsm ofc, salt if you will. i do think i need it to clarify because sansa stans are definitely not known for their media analysis abilities)

[dietchapstick]

Just starting thinking about this again and thought I'd send me thoughts into the void.

Everyone talks about how Spamton and Jevil know they're in a game cause of gaster or whatever. Its undeniable that gaster is involved in Deltarune in some way. But honestly I don't think the "revelation" both characters go through is necessarily meta. Jevil is mentioned to see the world as a big game, but that dark world is literally based off cards, checkers, and chess. Games. What particularly grabs me is what Spamton says. "So big we'll stand up tall and see past the dark. Stand up with our heads in the clouds and look into [[H E A V E N]]". This line feels like it's refurring to the light world. We haven't had anyone or any point in the game where the topic of darkners being objects is really discussed. The king mentioned how the lighterns abandoned them (the extra classroom going unused) and mentions something about their roles or purpose in his fight. But we don't really get details as to what degree most darkners understand their existence as objects for lightners. I think that is the true revelation jevil and spamton go through. I think spamton believed that if he fused with a lighter's creation (the neo suit which is said to be a lightner's creation, I assume mettaton or alphys doodled it in ms paint) he would hold enough..Lightner energy or something..to remain in his "character form" and leave the darkworld.

Or it could just be a whole meta thing like in undertale I would be be surprised, but I also wouldn't be surprised if Toby Fox wanted to subvert our expectations.

[honey-minded-hivemind]

Okay, folks! What about a Legend of the Guardians; The Owls of Ga'Hoole-inspired au? Where the human and mutants are all owl avians/harpies, they live in cities and hollows and caves of the owl kingdoms, and the mutants are a rare, near extinct species (in the au, not in real life) (so, something like bubo, strix, or tyto, species and subsequent subspecies). Fun facts:

• the Pure Ones are the Brotherhood and Acolytes in this au

• the Guardians are the X-Men, and the Institute is the Great Ga'Hoole Tree

• mutants are a rare or near extinct species of owl avians/harpies, but I think a good species + subspecies would be bubo owls, strix owls, or tyto owls

• the owl kingdoms are: The Canyons (home of the brainwashing place called St. Aegolius for Orphaned Owls) (I'm on the rocks if Magento runs it or if some other villain does); the Beaks; The Silverveil Woods; Ambala Forests; and the Kingdom of (either Bubo, Strix, or Tyto, depending on which type of owls the mutants are)

• owl avians eat meat raw, but can also cook if they are a blacksmith, a collier, or someone who can use fire or coals; some foods they eat raw include: bats, rats, small birds, insects, rabbits, voles, lemmings, snakes, mice, and sometimes fish and snails, as well as nuts and berries; cooked or prepared foods include: tea, nut cookies, cooked snails and fish, barbecue bat wings, baked voles and mice, and dried crickets + centipedes, and much more...

• battle claws are sharp metal claws worn over an avian's talons that they use in battles; they are made by blacksmiths or scavenged from battlefields

• old crumbling remains of castles can be found in some places, left behind by the extinct Others (humans or some other species, because in this au, mutants and humans are all owl avians, just mutants are a rare type in this au) (not necessarily rare in real life, just rare in this au)

Meta Fun Facts:

• The book series this is based on is called Guardians of Ga'Hoole and boy oh boy was it intense. It featured the likes of: blood, gore, death, brainwashing, murder, infanticide, cannibalism, racism, and their own versions of demons from h*ck, and more...

• the movie is a lot softer than the books, but is still a bit intense

• Zack Snyder directed the Legend of the Guardians; The Owls of Ga'Hoole movie. Yes, you read that right. The guy who directed Batman v. Superman and 300 directed a movie with talking owls in helmets

(Feel free to ask questions about this au if you want!)

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

Masterlist

(literally just a place to put posts i've made that i consider Relevant and Should Be Easy To Access :3)

What You'll Find

The Trials of Apollo

EPIC: The Musical

Greek Mythology

ToA Metas

Jason Grace Is The Most Tragic Character in the RRverse

ToA Theory: Apollo's Waking Visions

ToA Theory: Koios's Oracle/Hyperborea

The ToA Apollo Iceberg

Love Letter to Copollo (And Attempt at Angsting it With Hyapollo)

Harpocrates: Why He Enhanced The Overall Story

Reyna & Allonormativity (1)

Apollo Staying Mortal Wouldn't Fix Anything

asking the poet to explain his poem

The Olympian Thrones & Godly Power

Apollo & Love: What Shaped His Romantic Views?

Emotions: Annabeth v Apollo's Treatment In Fandom

ToA Headcanons

Apollo Angst Headcanons

Apollo w/h Athena Headcanons

Apollo w/h Ares & Hephaestus Headcanons

Apollo w/h Hera Headcanons

Apollo is Everyone's Favorite

Apollo w/h Demeter & Persephone Headcanons

Apollo w/h Dionysus Headcanons

Apollo’s Favorite Aunt and Uncle

Apollo, Koios, & Kronos Headcanons

Quick Koios & Phoebe Headcanons

Apollo, Horus, Helios, & Ra Headcanons

Apollo/Boreas & Zephyrus Headcanons (1)

Meg @ Other Olympians Headcanons

Meg & Artemis Headcanons

Cross-Pantheon Headcanons (1)

The Hunters of Artemis Headcanons

Immortal Apollo Kids Headcanons (1)

Apollo & Daphne

Other ToA Things

My Top 5 Ships

Love Letter to the ToA Fandom

Message to the Wider RRVerse Fandom (Please Stop Cluttering the ToA Ao3 Tag!)

EPIC: The Musical Thoughts

Ctimene Thoughts

Thunder Saga Comic

The Wisdom Saga

God Games Idea

Mythology Ramblings

My Statistics of Apollo's Lovers (My Magnum Opus <3)

Apollo Infodump-turned-Eros, Apollo, & Daphne Analysis

Apollo & Cassandra Thoughts

Apollo & Orestes Thoughts

Suspend Your Disbelief

Apollo in Anatolia

Courtship in Greece/Anatolia

Both

Apollo Headcanon: RRverse & Mythology

[sammy8d257]

Wait how did the anon get cut off and I think he was trying to say that your might be v—————- wha—s—h-p-!-n-g-g

*gets shut off*

[Question asked by @violetthunderstorm ]

"You guys are kinda weird. And that's saying a lot from what I've experienced."

-

[Sammy8D Note: Let's try not to get too "meta" here. This guy's here to answer questions, not to comment on the state of my blog, alskdjglsgs /lh]

[A Ghost in the Machine 1 Year Ask Event]

[aquamarinewaifu]

THIS IS THE ONLY WAY IT COULD HAVE ENDED

STREAMING NO LONGER NEEDED ITS ULTIMATE PRACTITIONER. IT HAD BECOME A SELF SUSTAINING SYSTEM. MAN WAS CRUSHED UNDER THE META OF THE STREAMER CREATED TO CREATE THE STREAMER TO CRUSH THE STREAMER. SAMSARA OF BANNED ACCOUNTS AND LOW VEIWS. VODS WITHOUT VEIWS. NULL OUROBOROS. ALL THAT REMAINED WAS STREAMING WITHOUT REASON.

A MAGNUM OPUS. A COLD AVATAR OF STOCK. A GIMMICK MADE TO BREAK META IS A GIMMICK MADE TO CREATE META. YOU WERE BEAUTIFUL, OUTSTRETCHED LIKE VEIWCOUNTS TO HEAVEN. YOU WERE BEYOND YOUR CREATORS. YOU REACHED OUT FOR GOD, AND YOU FELL. NONE WERE LEFT TO WATCH THE STREAM END. NO FINAL WORDS. NO ENDING STREAM. NO POINT. PERFECT CLOSURE.

T H I S I S T H E O N L Y W A Y I T S H O U L D H A V E E N D E D .

[the-witchs-cafe]

A bit more of a meta question than a specific character question: but how do you think kyubey and the witch system work in the pokemon world? Would kyubey perhaps be a legendary, or is he something completely unrelated? Can kyubey and/or witches be caught in poke balls? And what about soul gems?

I'd be lying if I didn't say that I have been seriously brainstorming this for some time. While I do have bits and pieces in my disposal atm, I am more than happy to share them with ya! Hopefully, with time, we could manage to uncover a bigger picture here; see how these small particles of knowledge interconnect with one another to form a constellation like no other.

This is gonna be separated into parts, because, pal, I am gonna unleash levels of autism like no other;

-

Incubators

- H E A V E N S A Y S - "Y O U A R E A N A N G E L !"

So, first thing's first, Kyubey; after looking into his main inspiration, being the Old Ones and any other eldritch horror that is beyond human rationality, I've theorized that perhaps that a whole other incubator species is present within the Pokemon universe. Much like Kyubey, their individual "selves" are little more than parts of a much higher, vaster being that is looking down at humanity with calculative intrigue; striking a single one of them down is an act akin to simply waving your hand in front of their face, which is annoying, but not necessarily harmful. Unlike incubators, though, I can see their designs being more heavenly and digital; focused on what is right or wrong without any of the nuance of humanity, as well as butterflies being a key motif present.

While I am still working on how they would work lore-wise (like, how they came to being in the first place'; perhaps born from the expansion of the universe, as a consequence of Arceus' actions?), I don't think they would be in any way related to Pokemon as a species- rather, they are part of the universe as a whole. Think of the Pokemon universe as an Operating System, and the incubators as an essential application, there to ensure that the OS is running in a stable manner like a sort of booster, and magi are their own anti-viruses.

Aside from emotions and karmic destiny, tho (because I fucking hate Kyubey's justification for why he only contracts with girls in-canon; "oh, girls are just more emotional-" shut up), the incubators of the Pokemon universe also target desire; think visions from Genshin Impact, those whose wishes are so powerful that they rival the very narrative they are in. Those who seek to take charge of their destinies are more than likely to contract.

-

Witches

Regarding witches, I have to make it clear that, no; they're still interdimensional monsters born from curses and are, in fact, the maddened remnants of the souls of the magi they once were trapped in an eternal nightmare. However, it can be said that they would develop certain...quirks depending on the region they hail from. I'm still working on the whole list of regions, but here is what I got so far;

Alola: Community (can call for one another for assistance; battles against one another is rare, as they prefer to team up. More in-tune with the physical world than the rest.) and ??? (something to do with Z-Power, and how it would affect the witches and their barriers; still need to work on that)

Galar: Monarchies (the strongest witch there is crowned as their "ruler"; mirroring the region's celebrity culture and the old monarchs of Britain) and illusions (upon witching out, the magi leave behind "specters" of their former selves; kinda like faceless remnant data of the people they used to be, haunting the places and people that influenced them so until the witch's defeat. This phenomenon is caused by the former trainer's wishing star/dynamax band and the region's power spots.)

Paldea: Regrets/Treasures (still working on that) and paradoxes (how fucked up would it be if you met your future witch form looking down at you and square in the eyes, amirite you guys? Dang it, Sada and Turo...)

Aside from all of the above, if the magi happened to be a Pokemon trainer themselves before falling into despair, I think that their accompanying party 'mons would also be affected. After all, Z-power is drawn from both the trainer and their pokemon, and Mega Evolution's success depends on the bond made with one another. I'm still working on the intricacies, but they might become akin to shadow Pokemon from Pokemon Colosseum/XD: Gale of Darkness; they aren't familiars for the witch, but they would still be driven to insanity by their master's despair and still obey them in this form.

As a side-note, mainly because I am a huge Alola stan, I should state that, through Z-moves, the region technically has something akin to the Doppel system of Magia Record. When your heart is in-tune with your pokemon's, you share one another's hopes, dreams, worries, and despair in the process, before unleashing it all in the form of an as-of-yet unnamed specialized Z-Move. Using them also doesn't pose the risk of contracting Doppel Syndrome, either, but that is due to the following key aspect that separates this universe's doppel system from that of MR's-

You see, these specialized Z-Moves don't completely cleanse the soul gem upon activation; rather, they simply create a sort of equilibrium between the remaining energies of the magi and their 'mon. In a sense, you are sharing your burdens with your buddy by using this power, while also allowing them to lend their energy to you. Think of how the MC would feel exhausted after unleashing Light that Burns the Sky, then imagine the opposite of that.

This method of purifying soul gems is often regarded as an absolute last resort; the thought of risking your Pokemon's health just to make sure you don't kick the bucket is considered to be way too much of a taboo for most people. If used carelessly, then unleashing this power would cause the user to witch out at an even faster rate- perhaps instantly.

Yeah, between the witches that can actually organize and a less-than-stable doppel system, Alola is one of the worst regions to contract in. Too bad most of the residents there have a LOT of Z-power coursing through their veins, making it a sort of incubator/witch hotspot; same goes for Galar and its Dynamax Energies.

[thestupidhelmet]

Jukebox Headcanon-Metas Game

Send me an ask with a letter and number listed below, and I'll give you a headcanon or meta-headcanon hybrid.

A = AU T7S where this character or couple doesn't exist on the show

B = Babies, how many kids (or grandkids) and their names

C = Career (or career-change)

D = Date night

E = Emotional wounds

F = Favorite memory

G = Greatest regret

H = Hidden talent

I = Ideal honeymoon (or second honeymoon) destination

J = Jelousies

K = Knight of the Round Table or King Author character they most resemble in deed and/or personality (gender blind)

L = Love language

M = Missed opportunity

N = Necessary change to their characterization or relationship

O = Other TV show they could fit into and what role they'd play

P = Pet(s)

Q = Queer (LGBTQ+) AU headcanon/meta-headcanon hybrid

R = Reading preferences

S = Song that represents them

T = Tatoo(s)

U = Undercover caper they might undertake

V = Vampire, werewolf, or other mythological creature they would be / become

W = Wedding, big one or small one

X = Ten things I like and/or dislike about them

Y = Younger adventure or experience they had, pre-T7S

Z = Zennie interaction, positive, neutral, or negative (i.e. other characters' interaction or experience with Jackie/Hyde as a couple or Jackie, Hyde, or a Jackie/Hyde experience in the relationship)

Eric

Donna

Jackie

Hyde

Fez

Kelso

Red

Kitty

Laurie

Bob

Midge

Joanne

Mitch

Buddy

Rhonda

Brooke

Eric / Donna

Jackie / Hyde

Kelso / Brooke

Fez / Rhonda

Red / Kitty

Laurie / Fez

Eric / Buddy

Fez / Buddy

Jackie / Donna

Jackie / Eric

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 11, 2024

Routing states transition during oscillatory bursts and attentional selection. Banaie Boroujeni, K., & Womelsdorf, T. (2023). Neuron, 111(18), 2929-2944.e11.

Sensory tuning in neuronal movement commands. Baumann, M. P., Bogadhi, A. R., Denninger, A. F., & Hafed, Z. M. (2023). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(38), e2305759120.

Prior information differentially affects discrimination decisions and subjective confidence reports. Constant, M., Pereira, M., Faivre, N., & Filevich, E. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 5473.

Identifying social partners through indirect prosociality: A computational account. Davis, I., Carlson, R., Dunham, Y., & Jara-Ettinger, J. (2023). Cognition, 240, 105580.

Paradigm constraints on moral decision‐making dynamics. Gautheron, F., Quinton, J., Muller, D., & Smeding, A. (2023). Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 36(4), e2324.

Influences of local and global context on local orientation perception. Huang, J., Zhou, Y., & Tzvetanov, T. (2023). European Journal of Neuroscience, 58(6), 3503–3517.

Visual attention to features and space in mice using reverse correlation. Lehnert, J., Cha, K., Halperin, J., Yang, K., Zheng, D. F., Khadra, A., … Krishnaswamy, A. (2023). Current Biology, 33(17), 3690-3701.e4.

Neural population dynamics of human working memory. Li, H.-H., & Curtis, C. E. (2023). Current Biology, 33(17), 3775-3784.e4.

Age effects on delay discounting across the lifespan: A meta-analytical approach to theory comparison and model development. Lu, J., Yao, J., Zhou, Z., & Wang, X. T. (XiaoTian). (2023). Psychological Bulletin, 149(7–8), 447–486.

Composite receptive fields in the mouse auditory cortex. Lu, S., Ang, G. W. Y., Steadman, M., & Kozlov, A. S. (2023). Journal of Physiology, 601(18), 4091–4104.

Interpreting the retinal neural code for natural scenes: From computations to neurons. Maheswaranathan, N., McIntosh, L. T., Tanaka, H., Grant, S., Kastner, D. B., Melander, J. B., … Baccus, S. A. (2023). Neuron, 111(17), 2742-2755.e4.

The formation and revision of intuitions. Meyer, A., & Frederick, S. (2023). Cognition, 240, 105380.

Multifaceted information-seeking motives in children. Molinaro, G., Cogliati Dezza, I., Bühler, S. K., Moutsiana, C., & Sharot, T. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 5505.

A robust and compact population code for competing sounds in auditory cortex. Nocon, J. C., Witter, J., Gritton, H., Han, X., Houghton, C., & Sen, K. (2023). Journal of Neurophysiology, 130(3), 775–787.

Endogenous fluctuations in cortical state selectively enhance different modes of sensory processing in human temporal lobe. Parajuli, A., Gutnisky, D., Tandon, N., & Dragoi, V. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 5591.

Action initiation and punishment learning differ from childhood to adolescence while reward learning remains stable. Pauli, R., Brazil, I. A., Kohls, G., Klein-Flügge, M. C., Rogers, J. C., Dikeos, D., … Lockwood, P. L. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 5689.

Homo indifferencus: Effects of unavailable options on preference construction. Polman, E., & Stough, R. A. (2023). Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 36(4), e2326.

The value of control. Reis, M., Pfister, R., & Schwarz, K. A. (2023). Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 36(4), e2325.

The spatial and temporal structure of neural activity across the fly brain. Schaffer, E. S., Mishra, N., Whiteway, M. R., Li, W., Vancura, M. B., Freedman, J., … Axel, R. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 5572.

Network controllability of structural connectomes in the neonatal brain. Sun, H., Jiang, R., Dai, W., Dufford, A. J., Noble, S., Spann, M. N., … Scheinost, D. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 5820.

[eclipsecrowned]

'by request' muses + how badly they break canon

MUSE: kokoro kyriakou FANDOM: a realm full of cardiovascular imagery RELATIVE: er*qus (uncle) DOES THIS MUSE BREAK CANON: not at conception when the relative had 0 backstory lore, but then the mobile game dropped, and now she is the merriest of mary sues -- and not just because she's related to a canon, either. lore has it only two apprentices survived an attack on their generation of wielders, so kokoro's dad can't even exist post-dr. multi-generational drift against canon events.

MUSE: astraea l*cis cael*m FANDOM: last legend the fifteenth time RELATIVE: n*ct (brother), r*g*s (father), and *rd*n (ancestor) DOES THIS MUSE BREAK CANON: over her knee like a single dry twig. the whole narrative kind of depends on the end of a dynasty, and here i go introducing a member that is actively defying the gods and circumstances that make victims of her male relatives. she's mostly here to explore aspects of canon that were left to atrophy tbh.

MUSE: zorya constantine FANDOM: graphics about sleuths RELATIVE: miss fishnets herself and some cunt from beatlesville DOES THIS MUSE BREAK CANON: surprisingly, no. there have been universes in the past that show her parents having reproduced, and in fact a complementary muse i play is her brother from one such universe. i tend to default to her being a visitor from another universe rather than any particular interpretation's child.

MUSE: 'valas' d*vir FANDOM: the gate of a norse god RELATIVE: 1-2's pc (father), v*conia d*vir (mother) DOES THIS MUSE BREAK CANON: prior to 3? no. v*conia's romanced ending -- the one i pursued as a baby kadi -- has her bearing the pc's child. after the character assassination of her in 3? yep. wretcheds of the c*ast completely scrapped her canon characterization to make a one dimensional zealot of her, so everything came crashing down for valas' lore. my city now, though.

MUSE: kayden c*nnors FANDOM: marvelous graphics RELATIVE: the l*zard / dr. c*rt c*nnors (father) DOES THIS MUSE BREAK CANON: yeah. she doesn't even get a zorya pass of other lore existing that at best doesn't rule her out -- the c*nnors only ever have a single son in the whole of comics history. writing kayden in as an older daughter in the family dynamic upends decades of comics lore, and i revel in getting meta w it.

MUSE: mira snow FANDOM: a ditty of icyhot RELATIVE: br*ndon st*rk (father), ash*ra d*yne (mother), assorted canon relatives DOES THIS MUSE BREAK CANON: ssssort of? it's implied her mother had a daughter prior to her death, and that it was a st*rk brother that was responsible. mira is me pursuing that plot thread and chasing 'what ifs' about her role in the already unconventional dynamics of w*nterfell. the big divergence is the kid is allegedly dead.

MUSE: ly*nna b*lton FANDOM: a ditty of icyhot RELATIVE: r**se b*lton (father), b*th*ny rysw*ll (mother), brothers out the wazoo DOES THIS MUSE BREAK CANON: undoubtedly. while the lord of l33ches has many stillborn or cradle-withering sons to his name, no daughters are ever mentioned. it's pretty clear if she had survived where her brothers had not, it wouldn't be for long given her half-brother's proclivities. i am simply pursuing female horror narratives.

MUSE: laerion v*laryon FANDOM: a ditty of icyhot: revenge of the son-cousin of the prequel RELATIVE: c*rlys and rh*en*s (parents), l*ena and l*en*r (siblings) DOES THIS MUSE BREAK CANON: yep. family's fucked and then i throw another not into the fire, out into the roaring waves of their dominion. the heir who would give anything to be in his brother's shadow again. he's gonna be okay, though, bc my city now. i'm ridiculously fond of him and i can't be convinced to part with him.

MUSE: odessa h*rkonnen FANDOM: dewn RELATIVE: the h*rkonnens (extended relatives) DOES THIS MUSE BREAK CANON: not as badly as you would expect. we never get a full scope of the size of this noble house as opposed to the sparseness of their enemy's family line. an offshoot of the main line is not unthinkable, as we have no idea who in the family holds the ancestral planet together while the baron is absent.

MUSE: danae sp*ncer FANDOM: the malicious dwellers of the zombie apocalypse RELATIVE: the properly dishonorable earl sp*ncer (father) DOES THIS MUSE BREAK CANON: yes, canon makes it clear the earl is the last of his family -- but. i can argue the phrasing 'end of his illustrious line' could mean the family name dies with him, as danae would be anticipated to take her husband's name, or as i write it, that danae was disowned, disinherited, and no more a true sp*ncer.

MUSE: julia mayfair FANDOM: cawabooty RELATIVE: v*kt*r r*zn*v (great-grandfather) DOES THIS MUSE BREAK CANON: in all honesty? no. we know nothing of the man's backstory or connections prior to the war, save that he had a father who was killed by germans. this is a case where you can say anything about her great-grandfather and there's nothing contradicting or supporting you. there's no canon to break.

[randomfoggytiger]

The Mulder Family In-Depth (Part V): Tena Mulder's Relationships Begin to Change

Now that Bill Mulder has met his end, the Family Analysis Series will shift fully to Tena/Teena Mulder (I call her Tena because of this script) until the events of Fight the Future and Two Fathers/One Son. But for now, Tena's relationship with and its effects on Mulder deserve to get my full attention. Their close bond as portrayed in Colony and End Game is a key thread to the rest of the series; but it begins to fray and snap incrementally until it's disintegrated by the time of her death.

The Blessing Way

Tena is acting as the family representative for Bill Mulder’s funeral; a role she fulfills stoically-- masking her emotions behind her duty-- despite her visible strain (hunching shoulders, tightening neck tendons, and stiffening spine) at the service reader's hackneyed praise: “The memories of a man whose life was rich and full; and who made his family and friend’s lives richer and fuller.” 

She tears her face away from the coffin when the reader refers to her as “the mother of William’s children”, wrenched back to the present at the sound of her name.

Her face begins to sorrowfully cloud over when the man announces that: “his son Fox could not be here to join us in this time of sorrow.” As we learn in a few moments, the only information she has on Mulder is that he is likely very dead-- leaving her childless.

Tena grabs some flowers from Bill’s coffin, clutching them in her hands and withdrawing from the crowd. When Scully approaches 

and introduces herself, Tena shakes her hand and politely listens to what the young woman has to say.

An interesting thing to note is: Scully is one of several people to refer to Tena by her married surname. She always responds, and not impolitely.

Does this mean she never changed her surname after the divorce, possibly making it easier to execute decisions over her shared child while he was growing up? One of the many questions that have no answers (unless there is a picture of her tombstone I couldn't find.)

When Scully says, “I know what you may have heard from the FBI… but I have a very strong feeling that your son is going to be found", Tena wheels around-- “Oh, my goodness gracious”-- and immediately assesses Scully in one sharp, thorough glance. 

This scene changes completely when viewed in light of her background with the Conspiracy-- everyone can be an informant, peddling information about her loved ones in exchange for something from her. Scully becomes a possible messenger-- a threat; and is given Tena’s full attention. 

“I think he’s still alive.”

“How do you know?” 

Tena watches Scully floundering for an authentic answer: “I just have a very strong feeling.” 

It’s an innocent belief devoid of more sinister inside knowledge-- and, in a meta sense, so like something her son would say-- that Tena softens, hanging on this virtual stranger's every word. 

Tena’s walls are reconstructed by the time Scully leaves, again politely shaking her hand after formally thanking her. While she has been given hope, it’s very little; and she isn’t about to betray these feelings in the presence of other observers (which is wise, considering the Well-Manicured Man was watching the tail end of their conversation.) 

The next time we see Tena is at Bill’s house directly after the funeral. It’s safe to assume she is executive of her ex-husband’s property in the absence of her son, which means two things: 

#1. Bill has no family other than her and Mulder, his ex-wife and his grown son who he barely kept in contact with. 

#2. Tena's arrival at Bill's happily coincided with her son's rummage through his father's basement secrets.

She enters and drops the keys on their dish; but stops in front of the photos of her family. Her gaze locks onto Mulder’s picture; 

but before she can react one way or another, he pops out from the room behind her. Tena spins around to face her intruder; and is shocked that that intruder with her missing son. 

At Mulder’s “Mom?” her composure crumbles, 

incoherently squeaking before exclaiming “Fox!” and dashing into his arms. 

At least one of her missing children is home. 

Both are enthusiastically overjoyed to see each other, embracing each other and making overwhelmed sniffly noises.

What’s sad is that Mulder is so happy to be so missed; proof that, despite being close to his doting mother, something inside of him felt that, perhaps, his absence wouldn’t affect her that deeply. Even before their relationship fell apart, Mulder sensed a reticence on his mother's part; and that unspoken, buried-deep emotion gave him insecurities as well, despite all her reciprocated love-- another reason why full transparency and honesty means so much to him in his relationship with Scully (or anyone.) This doubt keeps growing in between spurts of deflection or reassurance; and gains ground the more layers he peels back about his mother's past and her lies by omission (especially after Demons, see here.) 

Tena continues to grip her son while exclaiming “I can’t believe it. I expected the worst", barely registering when he asks for her help. She vigorously nods her head; but goes back to her train of thought: “They said something terrible had happened to you.” It's easy to read into the "they", as the series constantly refers to the Syndicate in those terms; but it's unlikely Tena was contacted by the members, since she reacts so strongly and negatively to CSM's presence in Talitha Cumi.

Tena looks to Mulder for an explanation, needing reassurance and guidance. It's the dynamic she and Mulder have fallen into since his sister's abduction: he has turned into her mother hen by necessity-- slowly and calmly assuring his mom (“I’m okay”) and caring for her as if he were the parent.

The son must put aside his own pain and trauma to soothe those of the parent-- an unhealthy, perpetual dynamic.

Mulder soothes Tena, 

who masters herself in time to rebut his questions into Bill Mulder’s-- and by extension, her-- past. She shakes her head at the photographs, her face briefly set in defiance

before trying to avoid Mulder’s questions with wide-eyed false innocence: “It was all so long ago.”

For the first time in their relationship, Mulder pushes back: “I need you to try to remember, Mom.” Tena becomes panicked, trying to deflect and deny any memory. Her reddening eyes, choked voice, and convulsive swallowing betray her intentions,

emboldening Mulder to keep pushing. He finally gets angry when Tena gives up the pretense to plead-- “Fox, please"-- for him to drop the subject.

Another first for their relationship: Mulder yells. 

“Will you look at the pictures, Mom?!”

“Don’t do this--”

“Will you just LOOK AT THEM?”

Tena continues to beg-- “Don’t do this to me”-- while Mulder continues to push, adding more and more pressure when he sees that she is clearly avoiding and possibly lying. He only slightly lowers his intensity when he sees how it's affecting her; 

but sticks to his guns in his quest for the Truth.

Tena draws herself back from the brink of tears, recovering her self-composure and quietly (and resentfully) answering “Yes.” 

Her response demonstrates how masterfully Tena Mulder had kept her son from seeking those answers from her all these years: she gives the tiniest scrap of information with the air of a dignified martyr; then immediately flips the interrogation onto Mulder, using her professed ignorance to seem as if she, too, were a Truth seeker at heart-- “What does this have to do with, Fox?”-- 

and not someone else in his life that is covering her tracks. She artfully passes herself off as an ignorant victim, too afraid to pull the pieces of her life back together and find the answers that the family desperately needs. It deters Mulder from further inquiry, wanting to save her from more pain as much as give her closure-- a practice he mirrors from his father (see here for Bill’s version of this.) It’s just as poisonous and cowardly as Bill Mulder’s withdrawal from his son’s life; but it has even more dire effects on her son’s stability (as will be seen in Sein und Zeit.) 

When Mulder pulls out a gun for his next dangerous mission, Tena gasps, but lets him run off without comment. She has most of the answers he seeks in her grasp; but would rather let her son put himself in harm’s way than betray her own interests. 

Paper Clip

After Mulder’s grand adventure, he drops back in at 2 AM. Tena simply responds: “Did you drive up here? Why didn’t you call?”, signaling (again) that long-standing understanding she has about her son’s sleeping habits (and her own, see here.) 

The visit goes south as she tries, once again, to dodge Mulder’s questions; and Mulder, in the face of all the loss he’s endured this case and the horrifying truths he’s uncovered, will not be dissuaded:

“When Samantha-- before she was gone, did Dad ever ask you if you had a favorite? Did he ever ask you that?” 

“Fox, please.” 

“MOM, did he ever ask you TO MAKE A CHOICE?” 

Mulder quickly grabs Tena before she can flee the confrontation, holding her against the headboard with his hands on her face. Tena freezes;

but her brief flash of fear or anger melts when she sees her boy's desperation behind the man’s anger. 

“MOM, LISTEN TO ME. Did he make you make a choice?!” 

Tena achieves a first in their relationship as well: she lets her hatred flood out of the well-contained dam she’d built around her feelings, physically shaking while huskily replying “I couldn’t choose. It was your father’s choice. And I hated  him for it-- to his grave. I hate him still.” 

She leans onto Mulder's, sobbing in distress and effectively ending the conversation. This response is two-fold: yes, her turbulent emotions are real and haunting; but it also gives her an out from further inquiry from her son. Again, another masterful escape from being “on the hook.” 

This is Tena's go-to method for escaping culpability: we see it in Mulder's Demons flashes (here)-- that she bartered emotionally with Bill Mulder first before launching into physical attacks. Tena is not ashamed to strike; but will only do so when there is no "easy" escape.

Another bittersweet note on Mulder’s and Tena’s relationship: Mulder comforts his mother exactly how he comforts Scully-- hands on her face and in her hair; tight, embracing hug; slowly sinking his face closer to her shoulder; and empathetically absorbing her pain whilst providing a sense of security. 

With Tena Mulder as a mother, it’s easy to see how Mulder was primed to thrive as Scully’s emotional caretaker. 

Thus ends The Blessing Way and Paper Clip. Tena's budding trust in Scully is planted over this arc, soon to be watered in Talitha Cumi and Herrenvolk; and her underbelly of selfishness is starting to be exposed to Mulder, who hadn't suspected his mother had any involvement in his father's dealings or his sister's abduction. While distracted from these thoughts for now, the more he learns the Truth, the more Tena will withdraw or blame to keep the scrutiny off of her past actions and complicit decisions.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!