#I'm starting to get why programming is freak shit

[namielles]

been trying to mod fallout new vegas for the first time and it went perfectly on my desktop but the real goal is getting this damn thing to work on steam deck

[mercifulstate]

⋆.˚ 𖥔˚ FUCK THIS SHIT, WANNA INDUCE THE VOID?

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Listen up, you little drama queen. Wanna induce pure consciousness? Here’s the deal, you don’t need some cosmic, cryptic, mystic nonsense to figure that shit out. The void isn’t some mind-boggling, spiritual awakening you have to struggle with. It's simple. Too bad you’re making it way harder than it needs to be.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The void is simply just... You. That’s it. You’re over here drowning in your own thoughts, acting like figuring out your existence is some grand puzzle. Spoiler alert: it’s not. So stop acting like you need to crack the code, because you’re just stalling.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ So how exactly do you get there? It's easy as fuck. It's not even a separate state, cause it's literally you.

𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Step 1: Stop overthinking.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Yup, I said it. Stop fucking overthinking. You’re not some philosopher, you’re just a human with way too much going on in that brain of yours. Relax. If you’re stuck overthinking everything, guess what? You’re NOT gonna get there. So just quit it. For two seconds. Shut it down. Done.

𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Step 2: Let go.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ This is the part where you stop clutching onto stuff like it’s your last breath. The more you cling to the idea that you NEED to micromanage this entire shit, the more you’ll drive yourself into the ground. Let it go. Seriously. The moment you drop all that pressure, that’s when things fall into place. It’s not magic, it’s letting go.

𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Step 3: Assume it works.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎Here’s the thing. Don’t sit there waiting for the universe to wave some cosmic wand at you. Just assume it’s already working. Tell yourself, “Yeah, I’m in control,” “I can manifest this,” or even, “I'm already in the void bitch." Don’t overthink it. You don’t need a guidebook, you just need to believe it’s happening. Don’t sit around waiting for signs. Just decide it’s happening, and it will. It’s that simple.

𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Why is it actually so easy?

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Because you’re the one overcomplicating everything. Your brain is like a hamster on a wheel—always running, never getting anywhere. But when you just let it stop, guess what happens? You’re already there. Relax, stop being a control freak, and let it happen. The universe isn’t some game you have to figure out—it’s already giving you everything you want. You just need to stop being so dense and let it in.

𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ Now, here’s the real talk bitch.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎Cut the crap. You don’t need some cosmic epiphany to make things happen. You don’t need a ritual. You don’t need a guru. You just need to stop acting like everything has to be so damn hard. Just stop. Stop overthinking, stop stressing, and start living like you actually know what you’re doing. The more you try to control everything, the more you’ll screw it up. It’s not a mystery. You’re overcomplicating the simplest thing in the world.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ So, get with the program. The void’s been waiting for you. Don’t act like you’re too busy for it, ‘cause you’re not. You’ve got everything you need, but you’re the one stopping yourself. Knock it off, chill out, and let it come to you.

[lexicorp]

*plays God's Plan by Mother Mother-*

[edit: they have a Playlist now]

Sunstorm has been lingering in my brain aaannnd now theyve escaped containment sjfnskvnd

bit of lore rant under cut

So as relative standard, Sunstorm is a clone of Starscream made by Shockwave. They were presented to TC and Warp as a replacement for Star (Starscream gets rekt and peeps think he's ded for a while), made to be the idealized, perfect weapon. Shockwave had created them really as his beta test for his project of cultivating the next evolution of Cybertronians. He viewed Sunny as a partial success, given that their radioactive spark became an apparent problem quite quickly. Shockwave was still satisfied with their skill, resilience, and behavioral programming. Even when they would occasionally spout some questionable nonsense about Primus when their radiation got a bit high, it was irrelevant and an easily solved problem to Shockwave. Plus, the ridiculous energy output Sunstorm was capable of was a valuable resource to be used as a source of power for the citadel. Saved on quite a bit of energon that way lol. Speaking of energon, they rlly had to be careful when fueling of making sure their radiation was a safe level before hand so they didnt combust lol. If they're optics are red, then that's an easy indicator that they chillin.

Sunstorm very often will "translate" Shockwave to people. Insisting that Shockwave cares in his own way, and that he has the best intentions. Shockwave did kinda programmed em to be specifically loyal to him tho-- Sunstorm very much does not understand why Shockwave is imprisoned later.

They also be plagued by visions from the gods due to their heightened energy signature. Primus and Unicron sound the same to them. Unicron of course took advantage of that and starts rlly getting in their brain and manipulating em hard. I'm sure you can guess what for-

After Shockwave's imprisonment, Sunstorm starts having more trouble keeping their energy levels stable, since the citadel was decommissioned, and the others dont really know the specifics about their condition/how to handle it. Unicron's influence gets worse, and Sunstorm goes to visit Shockwave for advice. Although they aren't in their right mind anymore, so when Shockwave tries to guide them on how to expell their energy safely, they freak out that he doesn't understand. In their frenzy they almost melt Shockwave thru the bars as they're in more of a daze guided by Unicron bein like /dewit/ lol

But guards step in. They try to apprehend Sunstorm buuut they cant touch em. Sunny leaves adn there is a whole arc of that theoretical last season round them and how peeps will end up taking down unicron and Sunstorm gets a good ending.

they have a lot of issues sjnijsndv

But I think theyd still visit Shockwave later, be decent friends with Soundwave, and Thundercracker. They'd retain an aversion to Optimus, really not being a fan, much to OP's dismay smh. One quirk of theirs to Starscream that makes him find a bit of a point of conversation to start on. Star would def warm up to em /after/ all that crazed shit (Probs would even get a bit protective tbh).

[forsaken-headcanons]

Ugrgrhrugrhu Builderman headcanons because he's my babygirl pookie bear sweetheart ice cream with a cherry on top

(TW for breakdowns mentioned ig?)

Builderman wasn't intended to actually have sentience, he was just made in order to deal with the more miniscule issues like glitches, FAQs, errors, and stuff that aren't that important for the other admins to deal with.

It was mostly known around HQ and even most of the Robloxians that he wasn't alive and just.... y'know, an AI, but a few of the admins, most notably Shedletsky, treated him like he was one of them and like he had sentience. Because of this, he started to gain more consciousness and eventually got convinced by Shedletsky to ask Roblox himself if he could program him some sentience, to which he - rather hesitantly - said yes to.

Gets all blushy when it comes to compliments. He doesn't know how to properly receive them, so he just tries to make up another one to tell the person that complimented him. This only further flusters him since people tend to recompliment him again and he gets really embarrassed about it. (Also he blushes gray/grey so there's that ^^)

JACK 👏 OF 👏 ALL 👏 TRADES 👏 let me tell you this previous sweetheart now pessimistic compact silliness of an AI is naturally talented in ANYTHING. Either that or he just... knows how to do everything in a mediocre way !!! He doesn't get why a lot of people compliment him about his skills when he just says it's "nothing much."

Builderman used to be a really cheery and smiley type of guy, but there was one time when he was walking around HQ, staring outside the windows, and he saw some fucked up shit happening (can't really decide what it is so it's up to reader's interpretation), and that caused him to spiral and start to have a more negative outlook on the world around him.

Builderman also does not favor being alone, and tends to latch onto one person at a time to talk to. This is because whenever he's left alone, he tends to get drowned in his own thoughts and spirals into a mental breakdown, which causes him to overheat and maybe even crash. It takes him a few days to recover, and he feels guilty once hes recovered because he truly believes that it might've put a whole burden on the admins to take care of him.

Doesn't actually need to sleep, but does so just to get his mind off of things. Also he can sleep for as long as he wants to, but he usually sets an alarm so he won't oversleep.

His initial design by the admins was that he was supposed to have a tail, but it got scrapped since they thought it would create too much issues. He also had shark teeth back in his early days of creation, but the admins had to replace them with normal teeth since Robloxians reported that they got a bit too freaked out with them. Needless to say, he was pretty bummed out when he found out about both.

Was VERY affectionate back in his early sentience, especially to Shedletsky, but learned to be more closed off ever since that Shedletsky crash out I mentioned in the last pile of hcs I sent.

Usually specializes in creating infrastructures like buildings, factories, houses, or anything like that. He once tried to create a sentient person on his own (John Doe), but when his creation got corrupted, he freaked out and sent it to the Banlands. Yes, he felt guilty, and he couldn't stop thinking about it for days on end, but he never told any of the admins and just waited until they found out themselves.

(y'all could never tell who my favorite characters are)

- ⛑️🍗 anon

I share so many of those headcanons. The ones that I didn't have are now yoinked from you.

He's my favorite character as well. I'm so glad more people are paying attention to him.

[nobylerdoubt]

I'm kinda doubting the internalized homophobia storyline hehe

Let's talk about that - because I can see where your coming from there. I think you need to think of it less as an internalized homophobia storyline, and more of a compulsory heterosexuality storyline.

We don't have a lot of evidence that would show that Mike would have negative feelings about himself for being gay. There's not much against it either, so I could see the story going either way. But Mike's compulsory heterosexuality could come from a place of internalized homophobia, or it could come from a place of not realizing that this isn't the way everyone feels.

(For the purpose of this post, bolded quotes are direct quotes from the show, while italicized quotes are speculative internal monologue."

It's a concept I think about a lot when it comes to queer identity:

"I think everyone is faking being in love in high school. We're too young to feel that kind of attraction!" "Sure I feel the same way about men and women's attractiveness, but I'm a man, so I'm going to pursue a relationship with a woman." "Of course you're prettier than him - women are naturally just prettier then men."

These aren't examples of someone who hates themselves for being queer, and therefore pushing themselves to "act straight". These are examples of people raised in a society that only presents one option for sexuality - people who assume everyone is like them and are following suit with what's expected of them.

I've talked before about how I feel Lucas made the first "push" to get Mike to consider that maybe he has feelings for El:

"Oh, is that what this is? I mean, I do like her, and she is a girl..."

More explicit examples include the rain fight:

"It's not my fault you don't like girls" "We're not kids anymore, I mean what did you think, really, that we were never gonna get girlfriends?"

This to me explains that Mike equates growing up to getting girlfriends. He is older, therefore he needs a girlfriend. It's not his fault that Will hasn't gotten with the program and found a girlfriend for himself.

There's also the Rink-o-Mania fight:

"What about us?" "We're friends. We're. Friends."

To me this reads as Mike trying to justify why he hasn't reached out to Will as much as El because Will isn't his girlfriend, he's not supposed to talk that much to someone who is supposed to just be his friend.

Mike isn't following his heart when it comes to his relationship with El - he's following protocol.

"What do boyfriends and girlfriends do together? IDK, make out? What else are we gonna do, El doesn't like much of what I'm interested in." "She's my girlfriend so I have to keep in constant contact with her. I probably shouldn't call Will as much because that would be weird if I talk to him as much as my girlfriend."

But at the same time, if Mike wasn't just a bit too worried about the possibility of being gay, why couldn't he hug will?

And, non-diegetic evidence; why was there a huge implication that Mike wasn't acting like himself at the airport? The costume director tells us that this outfit was an attempt by Mike to not be himself. In the words of Argyle, Mike here is a "shitty knock-off" of his true self.

Why hide his true self? Why try to mask who he is when reuniting with his girlfriend and best friend?

Why not be himself around the people he should feel the most comfortable to be himself around? Unless he feels that there is something shameful about his true self that he needs to hide.

When we meet Eddie in Season 4, he describes what Mike was wearing when he first saw him and Dustin as "whatever shit your mommy bought you at the goddamn gap."

Mike hasn't been making his own decisions for himself about a lot of things. He's been going along with what other people have told him to do. By the start of Season 4, Mike has seemed to have found himself again. He's proudly a freak, a nerd, a member of Hellfire, and he's not interested in budding up to the popular crowd like Lucas is trying to do.

So why is he hiding from El? Why is he hiding from Will? What does Mike know about himself now that he can't show to them?

[nyxscave]

On anxiety, academics and the mess that can build up silently over time (TL;DR in red at the bottom if you don't want to hear me yapping)

1. What the fuck happened

Hi, so; I've been missing for some time and it is kind of related to this, although not entirely. I'll try to post more, not only to keep this blog alive but to also try to keep myself sane. As to why:

Raging anxiety!!! Lots of it.

What happened for the entirety of last week was not something I've ever had experienced, and it freaked me out so bad. Heart doing some weird shit and a constant, constant weight on my chest plus half of my face tingling like I was having a stroke as a bonus. Not fun! At all!

I thought I was dying and yes, I know IN THEORY that anxiety can make you feel like that but it has never happened to me before. All of that is characteristic of an anxiety attack, yes, but it lasted days. A whole week of that without any respite. I just didn't freak out even more because I was spending all my free gpt-o4 writing what I was feeling and asking for-the-love-of-god if I was dying and needed to call the emergency.

(I'm all against AI for all of that, btw; but I was desperate and in the situation I'm in rn going to the hospital or looking for medical assistance is something to be done very, very sparringly, unfortunately)

It went away yesterday, although not completely. I'm still shaken up at times, but I'm functional. That's something I really need to be as I have a presentation to prepare and rehearse for next week. I'm really trying.

2. Why, why, why and WHY gods

Nothing in particular triggered it. I wasn't particularly anxious when it started, and I'm actually two months into a break from anything stressful - graduated in march, have two extra presentations for next week and then august but that's it; my master's classes only begin in august, too, and I was accepted into the program and have an advisor already.

Almost nothing to worry about, right? I've been through the wringer before and it surely was a lot more stressful than an almost-vacation. Come on.

And BOOM! A ONE-WEEK ANXIETY CRISIS FOR U BABY

I don't know why, actually. The best guess I have is that it built up from months and years of stress and shitty coping mechanisms that didn't have an immediate effect while I was really stressed - those all-nighters and anxieties that were so bad that didn't seem to pass even after the event was over - came down all at once, and not mentally, but physically.

What the mind can't handle, the body tries to, right?

3. Now ok what does that matter to you reading this

"Please take care of yourself" honestly doesn't seem too convincing and you can also think that "Oh, I am, I'm not even feeling that bad", but. BUT. That was a scare for me. A real big one. One that could have gone way worse, and one that still lingers. I'm using all of my limited energy to focus on being functional and finishing the bare minimum preparations for my presentation, but that's it. The rest is all going to trying to hold myself together.

Which you know what entails? Sun exposure, physical exercise and 9 hours of sleep. That's it. I literally can't do more self-care than that or I will explode and probably cry and sob until I can't even stand up from the headache the dehydration will give me.

But a TL;DR is that you can be silently anxious. Your mind can be working overtime in the background and you may not know past some really, really mild things (in my case, a slight pressure on my chest when I tried to meditate with my back straight, and that was there for so many years I though it was just a me thing).

Don't wait for the crash. Really, really don't wait for it to get that bad, because it can come out of nowhere. I am a healthy young adult, no chronic conditions in sight, no family history of cardiopathies or anything. And still, thinking that my mental health was good because "I'm not really an anxious person, I barely feel anything when things are stressful", my body crashed with all the weight my mind was just carrying in the background and not letting me feel properly because it's never "the time" to. I never have time to crash or to process my emotions gently. I didn't have time now, either; but it still happened, and I'm lucky it wasn't before anything too important.

So take care. Please.

And also know that if you feel like you're struggling even though your mind or body don't give external signals that things are bad, they can still be bad, and you have the right to take some time to yourself and just be kind and soft amidst all the productivity and results academics or work expect from you.

[talaok]

Since all the nominations for Emmys, I need one fic where reader is either video calling or with Pedro when nominations are announced. Somethig fluffy and full of emotions cuz Pedro deserves all of this 😊

a/n: this ask skipped the line just cause I felt that if I posted this next week it wouldn't have made as much sense, so yeah here it is (also, I’m so happy for him and Bella, like omg man)

Today was the day.

Pedro was never usually one to care about this stuff, yes he was grateful, and yes he was happy, but no other time had he felt this electricity in the air, this buzz telling him that something was about to happen... something good of course.

He had set up his tablet on the coffee table in front of the couch, waiting for the announcement to start, but he hadn't even managed to sit- he was too nervous, too excited.

A ringing sounded through the room all of a sudden, and after an initial scare, he smiled, glad you finally could call him.

You were on set. In Vancouver. A thousand miles from him.

"Is it on yet?"

Your eagerness spurt through the screen.

And he thought he was exited

"nope"

"what? How much longer?"

He glanced at the screen, feeling a tiny goosebump traveling up his back at the countdown.

"two minutes"

"Oh my god!" You squeaked, smiling so wide your cheeks almost hurt "how are you feeling?"

"nervous" he chuckled drily

"Oh c'mon, what about? We both know you're gonna crush it"

"I hope so" he sighed "God I don't know why I care so much" he laughed "The only important thing is that Bella and the show get nominated"

"And you, of course" you chirped in

He tried to fight a smile, but it still pulled at his lips "Well if there's room..."

"There you are" you nodded, your smile fading ever so little after a brief moment "god I wish I could be there"

"Me too" he agreed "but at least w-" a noise in the direction of the coffee table caught his attention

"Oh shit, it's starting"

"shit, go go go go" you mumbled, feeling all too powerless in your position.

He sat down in front of the screen as the announcers appeared on it.

"what are they saying?"

"uh- just their names and stuff"

"ok-"

A moment passed 

"what about now?"

He laughed, ever so thankful for your presence "Still that, sweetheart"

"fine, just- tell me when they start telling the categories"

"ok ok here we go" 

"what is it?"

"talk series"

"Bo-ring" you huffed, making him chuckle "I want the good stuff"

"they're doing reality programs now"

"oh my god! it's like they want to torture us"

...

"Oh shit" 

A pit created itself in Pedro's stomach

"what?"

"lead actor in a drama series"

"oh my god" you screeched, doing a poor job of trying not to freak out "C'mon baby I know believe in you"

"jeff bridges... Brian cox... Kieran Culkin... Bob Odenkirk..."

come on come on come on

His mouth widened as he let out an incredulous breath.

"baby?" you called, already knowing but wanting a confirmation "baby pl-"

"I got nominated"

"I told you!" You basically screamed, jumping out of your chair "I told you, baby! I'm so happy for you! You deserve all of it babe, all. of. it." 

"I can't believe this" he smiled, his eyes glimmering with that spark in his eyes he only got whenever he was truly happy "This is crazy"

"Well believe it baby, you're an Emmy nominee"

"I just-" he interrupted himself as the next category was announced "shit it's best actresses"

You nodded, trying to cool down while really just mindlessly pacing around your trailer 

"Bella Ramsey!" he laughed "Bella Ramsey! They did it! I knew they fucking would"

"oh my god!" you grinned "What a power couple"

"I know right?" he chuckled "I'll have to call them I-" and once again, the announcers interrupted his train of thought.

His gaze moved from you to the tablet again.

"best drama series?"

He only nodded, clearly all the anxiety coming back.

"Andor... Better call Saul... the crown... House of the Dragon..."

he fell silent as his eyes came back to you, and this time... this time they shined with tears of joy.

"yeah?" you asked, feeling your heart beating out of your chest.

"yeah," nodded.

You felt your heart and chest and body fill with pure joy as you let some tears fall from your eyes.

"you did it baby" you sniffled "I knew you would. You deserve it, all of it" you smiled, wishing with all your heart you were there to hug him and kiss him and whisper in his ear

"How are you feeling?"

He laughed "I don't even know, I just- I think I need time to process this" he smiled, his hands slightly shaking "A-Are you ready to go to the Emmys?"

"are you?" You laughed, quite literally quivering from the excitement

"As ready as I'll ever be"

[rarepairdumpster]

Viktor Doll AU

Inspired by THIS ART

Pairing: Viktor/Silco (Arcane) Rating: M C/W: Canon Divergence, Dub Consent (over being made into a doll), First Meeting Bickering, Jinx being Jinx

Viktor Doll AU, but it backfires because Silco survives the shooting and sees what the fucked up Piltovan scientist did to one of Zaun's own. Silco liberating the doll because he won't have the memory of another one of his people defiled and tarnished by a Piltovan.

And the doll is a doll.

While it's been programmed with a facsimile of Viktor's personality, it doesn't understand the concept of captivity and liberation.

It's a shell of who Viktor was, with none of the ambitions that Viktor had.

Jayce quickly gets bored because he didn't realize that what he really loved about Viktor was his personality and ambition.

Regularly leaves the doll to be on its own while he's working.

The other Zaunites that worked in the lab, look at Jayce like he's the worst kind of monster, and they all quit over what he's done to Viktor's memory 

And that pisses him off.

Jayce sees it as him trying to preserve Viktor. Those Zaunite scumbags just don't get it.

But whatever. He hadn't wanted to hire them anyway.

He only did it because Viktor had made such a fuss.

When Viktor doll asks where the other scientists are and Jayce says they're gone, Viktor just responds with a calm smile and a tip of his head. "I'm sure it's for the best."

None of the anger that should have been there or demands to know why.

And Jayce goes off to be by himself and punches a hole in the wall.

Viktor-doll's existence however sparks a whole new level of interest among hextech sponsors though.

And Jayce soon starts receiving requests for more dolls.

Including some for the same model and Jayce shuts those down immediately

Silco sends Jinx to liberate the doll and steal the related research as a sign that he still trusts her implicitly, even after the shooting, and Jinx is anxious about fucking up, but that memory of realizing that she'd shot her dad by accident keeps her stable somehow, in a way that accidentally killing Vander and the others hadn't. 

Jinx is the one that one that fixes Viktor's programming, makes him more like himself.

And then she sets fire to the research because that shit's fucked up.

Jinx pulls what she can from the journals she found in the lab. She also broke into his old room to find his personal journals.

Jayce was too focused on just having Viktor back to even consider what makes Viktor him.

Newly reprogrammed Viktor-doll looking down at his metal hands and sounds so lost and confused as he says "What....what happened to me?" 

He still has a memory recall of his time with Jayce, after being activated, but it feels distant. Strange. Like a hazy dream.

And Jinx pushes her goggles up on her forehead and answers cheerfully, "I fixed you, silly."

Viktor looks down and covers his crotch up even though there's nothing there. 

"Some clothes or a sheet would be nice"

Silco's coat is there.

Jinx hadn't thought to ask for it.

But he'd thought to leave it.

And Jinx hands it to Viktor,

Viktor wraps it around his waist and attempts to stand, but he has trouble with his right leg. (He discussed it in his journals and so the program implemented it)

Viktor looks down at his leg.

Frowns.

Viktor looks around Jinx's work space, notices the outrageous colour schemes, and feels a jolt of recognition.

"You! You robbed from me!"

Jinx curses. "Shit I thought I took that part out of the feed"

Viktor scowls, starts looking for his cane automatically, but it isn't there. 

because the cane was buried with the real Viktor

"I need to go home," Viktor blurts. "I need to find Jayce."

"Oh, you don't want that guy," Jinx huffs, nose scrunching. "He's a freak. He's the one that did this."

Jinx gestures to pretty much all of him.

Viktor finally takes the time to look at himself and notices the hexgem enclosed in the center of his chest.

Oh, Jayce what have you done

He turns back to Jinx. "You fixed me as you say? Do you have notes?"

Jinx shoves a disorganized pile of papers at him scribbled with a mix of crayon, marker, and colored pencil.

Viktor looks so....disgruntled about what was used to write the notes, Jinx almost starts laughing.

"Silco has your journals" Jinx pouts a little, using air quotes to emphasize. "Said you wouldn't 'appreciate' my 'creative additions'."

Viktor hums and glances at her.

"He might be right. You're a genius, but our aims are polar opposites."

"HAH!" Jinx shouted, jumping from her chair. "You called me a genius! No take-backsiessss~"

She pressed a button on her desk that made an alarm noise. The label above had a stylized "S" and several hearts around it. Viktor assumed it must be a way for her to contact Silco.

Silco arrives almost in a hurry, coming down the steps and crossing the narrow "bridge" into the lab.

"Ah, you're awake," Silco says, running a hand though his hair as he gets closer. "Viktor, correct?" He holds out his other hand in greeting, a little startled at the strong grip from the automaton.

Strong and warm.

The Arcane's power is literally thrumming through him.

"I suppose that is the closest to who or what I am," Viktor explains.

"I am sorry we never met earlier," Silco says. "I always admired your work."

"So, you had her steal from me," Viktor muses, "instead of approaching me for a discussion. Interesting method for demonstrating admiration." 

Silco shoots a look at Jinx.

"No. She broke into the lab on her own the first time. But I am the one who sent her to rescue you."

"Also bold of you to assume that your partner," Silco spat the word like a bad taste, "would even allow me to have an audience with you."

Viktor opens his mouth to defend Jayce reflexively, but falters. Remembers the bridge. The barricade. Being locked out of Piltover and having to wait to have his identity "confirmed" by Councilman Talis. How Jayce had dehumanised and vilified Zaunites to his face.

Looks down at is hand.

At what Jayce did to him.

Viktor pulls his hand back and remembers the coat around his waist. "Does this rescue happen to include clothing?"

"Of course." Silco heads back in the direction he'd come from and beckons "We take care of our own. Come and we'll get you sorted."

Viktor went to take a step forward but collapsed against the railing. 

"Ah, a cane too, if possible," Viktor added, annoyed.

Silco looks at Jinx, clearly annoyed and expectant. 

Jinx huffs and rolls her eyes before hopping up onto the work-table. 

"The journals said his leg was fucked, so I worked that into the programming. You said to put him back the way he was!"

Arch + Woods

[drdemonprince]

Hi! I remember you talking about doing shadow work (in a reply to an ask, I think); do you have any advice on how to start? Especially for someone who who has a really hard time with consistency/habits? Thanks!

For me it is not an intentional practice separate from my regular life, it is an orientation toward my own most negative thoughts/impulses/reactions. I do not believe that any thought is harmful or morally wrong to have, and so when I experience a thought that is violent, cruel, bitter, pathetic, prejudicial, short-tempered, jealous, whatever else, I accept it, and study it with curiosity rather than self-condemnation.

I notice patterns over time in what I am particularly un-evolved and unenlightened about. What hang ups do I have? What weird bullshit respectability politics or traditional gender norms do I still apply to myself or to others? Who do I fuckin hate and why?

Which of these things can I just kind of shrug at and accept as a feature of my programming and which ones do I see seriously holding back my life? That's probably the hardest part of shadow work for me. I'm very aware of a lot of my flaws and the things i'm irrationally emotionally reactive to and defensive about, but I get attached to my way of seeing things. It can be scary to become more open-minded and uncertain and less spiky. And some things just aren't easy to change even if I want them to. Part of shadow work means allowing oneself to be in an unfinished state.

Another part of it for me is accepting with a dark kind of gratitude that the world would be a pretty terrible place if everyone was like me. There is so much about humanity that I do not understand. I could never be a surgeon. I could never be a good parent. I could never be a social worker. There is so much I am so bad at. Maybe this is the Narcissism and Lack of Empathy talking, but I've had to really humble myself. I used to think I was so much more rational and less of a waster of time and resources than most people around me. Now I realize I have run on self-denial and repressed emotionality for a very long time and demanded that life have some Purpose when it doesn't. So a lot of my shadow work has been acknowledging my ultimate smallness and feebleness and just general uselessness -- i have a lot to be grateful to other people for doing, but also life has no purpose that needs to be fulfilled so i can just exist and suck for every single second that i'm alive if that's what i'm gonna do.

radical acceptance shit is definitely mixed in there, and some DBT kinda strategies. I've finally arrived at a place where I can love my dissatisfaction as a core part of me and accept that life is not meant to be happy and comfortable. we always keep moving, changing our environments to make them a little better, chasing after new passions and then getting disillusioned with them, falling in and out of love, getting lost. we're always lost. we're always making mistakes and being dumb as humans. that's like what we are. silly little freaks that make up lots of pretend games for fun but then get swept up in believing them too much. i kind of feel at peace now with the fact that i'll always be messy and impulsive and have weird beliefs and will change constantly and look back on my past with a cringe reaction every four or five years. i dont expect myself to ever arrive, because what the hell would that look like?? being satisfied and happy sure sounds a lot like being dead.

[celestialblueprint]

WEIRD EXPERIENCE I HAD BEFORE LEARNING ABOUT SHIFTING

In around 2022 before I ever knew shit about reality shifting, I used to go to sleep every night daydreaming about my nickelodeon celebrity crush (Ricardo Hurtado, I think that's his real name, I don't remember.) and being with him.

Every single fkn night. I created an entire world in my head : what I wore, our friends, our backgrounds, our conversations, I'd think about how it felt touching him, making out, holding hands, felt the joy, pain, heartbreaks, everything. And I'd feel that what I was daydreaming about was real. Every night, I'd start from where I'd stopped the other night.

I didn't know a thing about shifting. Never knew it existed. But I'd be so happy just thinking about this stuff. Then one day while I was all wrapped up in my fantasy, eyes closed and everything, I suddenly went rigid. I don't know how to explain it. It's like my soul or something froze within my body? It was dark,my eyes were closed but I couldn't feel my body. And I began shaking or vibrating or I don't know what the fuck! I couldn't move, couldn't control my body. I tried hard but the weird vibration went on, like my soul or conscience was being shook to it's core.

Then I felt the pull, like I was slipping and starting to fall into something. I remember fighting it somehow, panicking, praying to god that whatever was happening would end. It's like my soul was being stolen from me. I freaked out!

It stopped at some point and calmed down but it didn't end there. From then on everytime I was going to sleep and when I'd begin daydreaming, the same thing would happen and I'd fight it. I didn't know a thing about shifting and it's symptoms so I didn't think it was my imagination causing all this, just thought something was wrong with me.

But it reached a point where it would happen twice or thrice in a row, and just within minutes of each and in the same night so I got kinda scared. Then it started happening even when I didn't even fantasize before sleep, and it's only now I realize it's as though my brain had programmed that sleep time is time to drift to a different dimension (the one with the crush I keep thinking about) and I didn't even have to think about it to trigger the shift symptoms.

But I had no idea about shifting so I went scared as hell to my mom about this issue, hysterical cause I thought I was gonna due. Of course she held the hand of her fourteen year old and we prayed to God about it. I remember I slept in her bed that night. Convinced myself it'll all stop cause my mom is there.

That was the last time I felt the symptoms of shifting. Not until this year when I stubbled upon shifting, loa, manifestations. I decided to try shifting and I've got the exact same symptoms that I had before I knew anything about it. The limp body, vibrations, that slipping.

But it never goes beyond that. Unlike previously in 2022 when the falling was endless and relentless to pull me over while I fought it, this time things don't go further. I don't know maybe it's because I'm aware of it now or I don't visualize enough or something but I can't get past the falling anymore. I hyperventilate and panic most times, maybe that's why, I dunno know. Maybe I was never shifting back then. Maybe it's cause I never went past the falling stage before and I made my mind think it was dangerous and I could probably die if I did, I don't know.

However, I have manifested a lot of things like my mum's marriage (by accident), family going to a new house, daydreamed about our current house being rented by a couple that paid much and they appeared at our gate two weeks later literally saying someone directed them to our place (they looked exactly like i had visualized them it was scary and I gaped at them like forever before responding that my family actually lived there.) I manifested academic success and so on.

I know loa, shifting and all is real. No one can convince me it's not, because I can recall manifestations I made before learning about anything like loa. So I know I can shift.

I don't know if anyone cares to listen but if you wanna give up, or you're having doubts or anything like that, I just wanna say stay put, baby girl. Stay put. You don't want to turn your back on this. Infact you can't, it circles your entire life. Live your life normally, with the knowledge of loa and stuff, apply it like you do for butter on bread or something. Casually, nonchalantly, I don't know. Just don't give up.

It's all real.

[zalrb]

PLL 4x05 Review - Do anons still request?

I love how obvious it is that Rosewood is a set.

*sigh* OK. Modern Pilgrim Chic.

"Without swimming I'm average." I mean.

Is Hanna sixteen or what? Why does she look like she's trying to get a man with a boat to pay for her dinner?

This has been Emily's face for five minutes

Don't piss me off. DON'T PISS ME OFF. BEES in Piper's car. BEES. MULTIPLE. BEES. And she just SITS there trying to BAT THEM AWAY and NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR.

"I'm the one who needs a shot of something, I'm freaking out." Aria, if you don't shut the fuck up???????? Girl makes EVERYONE'S trauma about her. GO DRUM UP SOME ACTUAL TRAUMA TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THEN, SHIT.

An ivy league spin guy would meet you at your house, not in a public space.

Emily, aren't you working? This girl never works at work.

Did this man just say, they have a great Polynesian Studies program and then ask her if she's Hawaiian? PLL and the random out of pocket shit.

Yes, I get it, he's an advisor focusing on rebranding and that would be an angle. Still though.

Where is he from?

and then this disaster

"The only reason you want her to go is so you can start boffing your teacher again!" Ha.

What the HELL is this combination? Did wardrobe hate them this episode?

I just don't care about the Hanna's mom plot line.

But this is what I mean, Hanna calls her friends first about finding the gun, which fine, but Caleb isn't even a thought. The love interests are incidental.

"I know girls like you, you've got the crazy eyes." L M A O. She does, though.

"THEY'RE NOT THAT CRAZY." HA.

"Lannister always pays his debts." "You WOULD like the Lannisters." This is my favourite conversation of the entire season so far.

And I like how Spencer comes back with her liking the Targaryeans. Unhinged colonizers. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT.

I know a vest hates to see Emily coming.

Do you want to know what the funniest thing is about this out of left field Emily and Spencer fight? It's better than whatever the hell they do on TSITP.

Why did the sorority girls come out of their house singing like they're doing Christmas carols on their own lawn?

OK they mentioned Grundwald.

Aww, they have money for a Pink song. I think I've finally had enough, I think I maybe think to much...

Spencer, going to a sorority party with a picture like DO YOU KNOW THIS GIRL would never work. What are you thinking?

Oh my god, spin advisor man, she's in high school.

Spencer, you are WAY too intense. You need to relax. This is why you ended up in asylum over an ostrich.

Hanna, your mom hid the gun in the house, which was dumb, but you taking it is ridiculous because then she's going to be like who took the gun I hid in my house? Also why would you show her the gun in the sorority house? Why wouldn't you take her outside?

Why would Hanna need to wait while you go find Emily? Why wouldn't yo two go together? SO THE PLOT CAN HAPPEN.

"Who is this?" "It ain't Tippy the bird." JUST SAY IT'S YOU SPENCER.

See what happens when you're impulsive, Hanna. All you had to do was sit.

[thedawningofthehour]

Considering how important children are to the Yokai, I wonder if something like magic trackers are allowed.

Why wouldn't they be? It's legal to track your kid. I'm getting mixed results on the legality of implanted GPS chips, that seems to be a legal grey area in a lot of places right now, but there are plenty of other ways to track someone. Idk how normal it is in your country but in the US it is extremely common for parents to track their kid's cell phone and car, or put AirTags in their backpack and shit. This is all perfectly legal.

Not that I think it's a good thing. I've known kids whose parents called them freaking out when their carpool takes a different route to get gas. I've had coworkers who couldn't go to the ice cream place fifty yards away after work without telling their parents because they'd see it on the GPS app and panic. Teenagers can't go hang out with their friends because their parents get nervous seeing their AirTag standing still in a parking lot. I am so freaking glad this wasn't common when I was a teenager. My sister has started sharing her Google Maps drive with our mother whenever she drives somewhere far or even just drives home after visiting. It was supposed to relieve our mother's anxiety, because previously she would be extremely nervous until my sister texted her that she arrived, and if my sister forgot (which happens frequently) she'd have a meltdown. What's actually happened is that my mother is now glued to her phone when my sister goes anywhere and obsesses over any deviation from the route or pause in progress. The first time she started crying hysterically because the GPS showed her car standing still in the middle of the highway for like five minutes. It turned out the program didn't update constantly, especially when service is spotty, so it just showed her last known location for a few minutes until her phone sent a new one. My mother learned nothing from this and still gets upset whenever the GPS app stalls. My sister is 26.

Considering how the Yokai are kind of big on autonomy for kids, I would think it would be a pretty controversial topic for them too. But at least a magical glyph or something would be less invasive, and they could probably set them to expire when a kid reached a certain age. The Hidden City is also pretty safe for kids-Yokai kids, at least-there are no cars, less poverty, the gangs generally don't fuck with kids because that's crossing a line. Stranger kidnappings and trafficking isn't much of a thing because they're such a small society, there's really nowhere they can go. So I think a lot of parents wouldn't see the need.

Draxum would absolutely track his kids, but in his defense he has more justification to than the average parent. If there was a point where it was safe for them to mingle with other kids and be dumbasses together, he would obsessively check their location and restrain himself from calling them, reminding himself over and over that teenagers need freedom to be morons, they're good kids they'll make good decisions, they can't have their dad hovering over them at every moment...

[seriousfic]

I get wanting to do something with the stillborn Celestial, because look at it, fuck.

I don't get the adamantium, though. Is it just a forced X-Men reference? Is the idea that somewhere, bone claws Logan is just walking around and Canada is going to get their hands on some adamantium, start the Weapon X program, bring Logan in, give him an adamantium skeleton, he'll wake up with no memories, go on the run, have some misadventures, eventually meet up with the X-Men, possibly have some adventures with them... before we finally get an X-Men movie, set in the present day, with adamantium!Wolverine and all the other mutants.

And that all STARTS in 2025, or maybe back in 2021, assuming someone immediately picked up some adamantium and immediately thought they could graft it to somebody's bones maybe.

Especially since Wolverine showed up in the very last movie and is now just wandering around. Is the idea that when Hugh Jackman retires, there's going to be a second Wolverine waiting to go with no crosstime shenanigans?

I'm just saying here... wouldn't it make more sense for it to vibranium? You could draw the Wakandans into the conflict, since they'd be pretty screwed if a metaphorical ton of vibranium hit the open market (because it's literally like a million tons of vibranium, look at that motherfucker). And it'd be a juicy conflict since it's not like they had some right to all vibranium everywhere, even if they see that as necessary for their society to keep functioning. Maybe you could have the Hatut Zeraze doing shady shit to advance Wakanda's interests. Maybe they could disable Bucky's arm and Sam's wings and they'd have to reckon with allying with a country that is willing to unilaterally disarm them as soon as they're on different sides of an issue.

Maybe you could have Doctor Doom sending a guy to get him vibranium because hey, free vibranium without having to invade Wakanda. Score.

You could even bring Namor in, because he's the type who would say "Hey, it's in the ocean, it's mine, I don't even need it, but fuck you, you're not getting it."

Instead, it sounds like the conflict doesn't really engage with much of anything and is just about the Leader trying to get revenge, with no notable heroes or villains being involved except for Sam and a few mercenaries hired to go against him. And the other side is just Japan, with a totally normal navy and army.

You could do more. You could say "oh, Japan has struck a deal with the Black Widows or the Extremis survivors or Baron Mordo"... someone... and now they're backing Japan's play. I know this isn't asking too much. Past Captain America movies had Batroc the Leaper and Crossbones. Or if you have to do the Leader, why not say he's being sponsored by a country that's letting him do illegal gamma radiation experiments and loaning out the results for their dirty work? Sam could be fighting a bunch of soldiers and suddenly, one of them halfway Hulks out, grows a huge, superstrong arm that he tries to smash Sam with, all the time looking like a circus freak...

It's a strong concept, is what I'm saying. The MCU was inspired by the Ultimates, which was all about how superheroes would be sucked into a global arms race to determine who could and would weaponize and mass-produce this new technology. It's kinda boring to just say everyone's wearing fatigues and shooting guns at each other when you could push it further.

Does this at all look like a good supervillain for an imaginative comic book movie?

[19blackbutterfly97-blog]

Twisted Bonds - Part 9

Word Count: 3012

Warnings: Violence, Language, General Mischief and Chaos.

A.N.: This started off as a filler chapter but I somehow managed to push my plot along. I'm introducing a few new characters and an Alien Species from the X-Men comics: the Shi'ar.

Twisted Bonds Masterlist

Divider by: @k1ssyoursister

The mid-afternoon sun blazed through the wide windows on the south side of the compound. There's a steady hum of activity, agents and Avengers alike taking a mostly easy day. It's calm, quiet even throughout the halls except for the undeniable sound of flesh pounding flesh in the training room. Alice was finally able to get her programs to run correctly in her office. She heard someone across the hall and went over to investigate, thinking it was Steve or Bucky. However, she found her sister training. Somehow the pair ended up in a sparring match.

"Come on! You can do better than that!" Yelena taunts, reaching down to grab the back of Alice's shirt to pull her back on her feet. "I know Barnes didn't take it easy on you."

"Screw you, Yel. You're fighting dirty."

"Do you really think anyone we go against is going to fight clean? You must be joking, right?" Yelena all but laughs in her face. Alice groans a little and adjusts her stance while Yelena continues to ramble on about the dangers of the world beyond her office. Alice can take it, the teasing and taunting, she's used to it. Or at least she can handle it until Yelena fucks up and insinuates that Bucky could flip back to the Winter Soldier. It's the only time Alice has ever felt pure rage in her life. It's also the only time she's ever bothered to take a swing at Yelena. It stuns her for a few seconds and Alice takes the opportunity to Sparta kick her, knocking her back a few feet. Yelena lands on her back on the floor with a thud, knocking the breath out of her.

"Quit telling me what to do or who to mate with!"

"I didn't tell you who to mate with. I simply said Barnes isn't a good option."

"Are you kidding me right now?"

Yelena smirks and stands up, groaning a little. "That actually hurt. I'm proud of you."

"Stop deflecting."

"Make me, Omega." Yelena taunts as she walks closer again, squaring up her shoulders.

"Do not call me that." Alice grumbles, narrowing her eyes.

"Why not? Because that's what he calls you?" Whatever patience the usually demure Alice had left. It must've jumped out the window because a moment later she was pouncing on Yelena again. Fists flying, feet kicking, the pair were effectively beating the shit out of each other. The sounds of grunts, profanity, and sisterly insults filled the room as they sparred against each other. Alice, much to Yelena's surprise, was able to match her blow for blow. They're too caught up in riding themselves of a lifetime of beat up tension to notice anyone else walking in the room. The sisters were going to sort out their sibling squabbles right here, right now. At least they were until someone snuck up behind the two and pulled Alice away.

"Nobody told me it was fight night in the compound featuring the Belova sisters." The male laughed as Alice froze entirely in his grasp.

Yelena was far less gracious about the situation as she jumped to her feet, pulling a knife from her back. "What the fuck are you doing, you walking herpes commercial?"

"Ouch. Put the claws away, kitten." He says in a condescending tone, flashing a cocky smirk. "Just swinging by to help out with a little problem your friends seem to be getting themselves into."

"And that involves putting your hands on my sister? Do you know which Alpha has it bad for her?"

"No, should I?"

"Barnes." Yelena deadpans. The smirk on his face instantly drops. "That's what I thought. Let her go, Wade."

Wade complies and pulls away from Alice who's still frozen in place, the soured scent of fear rolling off of her. "There you go, you're okay. Don't freak out." Wade says and slowly circles her. "You're okay, you're okay."

Alice shakes her head and takes a deep breath before yelling, "BUCKY!" as loud as humanly possible before all the adrenaline dumps from her body and she passes out.

Not even a full minute later the Alpha burst in, followed by the rest of the team. Each person primed and ready to kill if needed. Bucky's trained eyes scan the room before landing on Alice then Wade. Now, in Bucky's defense this looks bad. Really bad. Nobody could really blame him when he lunged forward, knife in hand, and stabbed Wade in the eye.

"Ahhh! Fuck! You fucking psycho!" Wade yells as he stumbles back as a chorus of groans and barely stifled chuckles sounds behind Bucky. He doesn't seem to care as he turns on heel and stalks over to Alice.

"Hey, Lil' Bit." He coos softly as he kneels down and gently lifts her in his arms before standing up. "Who the fuck is he?"

"Wade Wilson, AKA, Deadpool." Yelena says, slipping her knife back in place. "Apparently he was invited."

A squelching sound cuts through the room as Wade pulls the knife from his eye socket, the deflated organ sagging on the tip of the blade. "I've had bigger in my holes." He says as he inspects the butter knife. "Is this blood or strawberry jelly?"

His tongue darts out to taste it but Natasha grabs the blade from him first. "Don't be gross." She says. "It's probably jelly."

"It is, I was making a sandwich." Bucky says, running his fingers through Alice's hair, trying to coax her awake.

"The Winter Soldier eats PB&J's?" Wade laughs, earning yet another glare from Bucky.

"Do you want to die today?"

"Can't kill me. It's literally impossible... though I wouldn't object to having that wrapped around me." Wade says, waggling his eyebrows, his remaining eye focused on Bucky's metal arm.

Bucky just rolls his eyes and walks to a weight bench settled across the room and sits down with Alice sprawled across his lap, her head resting carefully against his shoulder. The color is finally starting to return to her face but he's still worried. "Well, at least we know her startle reflex works." Tony laughs and steps back in the training room with a hot cup of coffee. He walks over to try to stick it under her nose. "Come on, kiddo. Nap times over."

"Coffee? Really Tony?" Steve asks.

"Nicer wake up call than smelling salts." He shrugs. "Can't have her freaking out, she's too stressed already."

"I thought you didn't like her?"

"When have I ever said that?"

Alice grumbles a little and pushes the mug away, turning to snuggle closer to Bucky. A low, satisfied rumble reverberates in his chest. "C'mon, malyshka. Time to get up." He prompts, shifting a bit.

"Alpha..." She whines a little and buries her face in his neck. "Not ready."

"I know, baby, but you might've hit your head. I've gotta check you out, make sure you're okay."

"She's talking. I think she's okay." Tony snarks and sets the mug down, his usual aloof mask falling back into place.

"That is so not the point." Natasha says and smacks him on the arm.

Steve rolls his eyes and kneels down a little, moving closer to Alice. "Up. Now." He growls, the Alpha Command slipping past his lips easily with a hint of guilt. He knows she'll be upset about this but they really do need to make sure she's okay. As far as Alice is concerned her instincts can go to hell. She reluctantly sat straight up in Bucky's lap, grumbling under her breath at Steve. "There ya go, hey ba- Alice." He corrects himself, glancing at Bucky. A few days ago Steve wouldn't have thought twice about using the pet name but now he's not so sure. Bucky laid a claim and Alice seems to have accepted it.

"Take a breath." Bucky says, gently running his fingers through her hair.

Alice huffs and pushes his hand away. "I'm fine." She pouts, looking up at Steve with hurt in her eyes.

"Sorry, had to make sure." He mumbles before walking away looking oddly dejected. Alice didn't notice but the Alpha wrapped around her did. Not much got past Bucky, especially since so much of his life was spent with Steve.

As Steve walked through the compound an unexpected storm started brewing in his chest. He wouldn't admit to it now but he was preparing to court Alice himself, even went so far as buying her favorite pretzels for her office. A traditional gesture as old as time itself, an act proving that he could and would take care of her without question. A part of him wants to cancel the order, the other part says "screw it. Be selfish. You're allowed to be happy." Then, guilt starts gnawing at him again. Is he really considering poaching his best friend's chance at happiness? No, not the noble Captain America... but he wants to. He wants to be on the receiving end of those little smiles, see her wearing his shirts in the morning, big and round with his pup. He won't act on it but Steve feels a possessive pull to the Omega he helped hand pick just for Bucky. He just never expected to fall for her too. 

--

Later on that evening the team was starting to settle down for the night. Alice was curled in Bucky's lap in the corner spot on the sectional couch. He hasn't left her alone for most of the day, too worried about a head injury from her fall. Instead, he's taken to keeping her glued to him while whispering cheesy pick-up lines in her ear. Each one drawing a new giggle or a surprised squeak from her as her cheeks glow pink.

Steve was hiding out in his room, too conflicted to be around the pair, especially after growling at Bucky in the kitchen at dinner. Wade, Yelena, Natasha and Clint were gathered around the table swapping fight stories while Sam dealt another hand of cards. Tony surprisingly was actually working on something with Wanda and Vision's help. It's a calm night for once, almost too good to be true since peace isn't a common occurrence for the Avengers. It's a fact that's been proven time and time again, pulled away for duty by F.R.I.D.A.Y. alerting to threats across the globe. They've grown accustomed to the rude interruptions in their lives. They just don't expect for those threats to show up in the middle of the common room through a beam of light.

The unknown humanoid phased into the room unceremoniously, blasting through the bar in a flash of light and feathers. Glass shatters and expensive liquor cascade to the floor. Bucky pushes Alice off his lap, following suit and covering her body with his own. The air in the room stifles with anticipation for a moment before the stranger steps forward, phaser in one hand and a tracker in the other. Scanning over everyone, his sensors picking up on Alice through the couch.

"Target acquired." Echoes through the room as a beam of neon green shoots through the fabric. The couch blasting into shreds of black fabric and memory foam pieces as Alice shrieks, hiding under Bucky more as his arm comes up to block a stray screw from hitting her face.

"Hey, feathers, that couch cost $20,000!" Tony yells, pointing a Repulser at the stranger who in turn ignores him.

"The Shi'ar own this planet and all who inhabit it." The stranger says, keeping his attention on where Alice is hiding. "Your kind has been crippled by the creative mind, those of large and small stature infected by the insanity brought on by the weaker designation."

Bucky growls and stands up just as Steve runs in. "Who are you?!" He demands, holding the shield up, preparing to sling it if necessary. For once, the usually calm Alpha is on high alert, stepping into his role as Pack leader. Not only is his home being threatened but so is his pack and the only Omega currently in the building.

"My name would be impossible for you to pronounce so you may simply call me Axim."

"Axim." Steve repeats, his eyes glancing to his pack as they start to circle the stranger. "What exactly are you here for?"

"The Shi'ar have decided that this planet and most of those that inhabit it are of use to our factions. All of you however are plagued by the same disease. Dreams, creativity, it is all brought upon by the weaklings. The ones you call Omegas." He says with a sneer. "We have heard of Earth's greatest heroes. I have been sent to handle you all."

"Yeah? What do you mean by that?" Bucky asks, standing at his full height.

Axim barely spares Bucky a glance as Steve steps forward again. "Our Omegas aren't a disease. They're our reason for living, without them we wouldn't be here."

"Your society would be pushed to better circumstances without the pests. Too much time is wasted on caring for them." Axim retorts and turns his back on Steve. He looks down, checking the tracker in his hand again for the signal Alice gives off. She's still hidden at Bucky's feet, half frozen in fear. Axim pushes a button on the device and teleports ten feet across the room, slamming Bucky aside before focusing on Alice. He bends down, grabbing a fistful of her hair and dragging her up to look at him. "Weak." He mutters, pointing the phaser at the whimpering Omega.

"Don't please." She whines, squeezing her eyes shut.

The phaser whirls up noisily for a moment before Steve throws the shield, hitting Axim in the head, knocking him off balance momentarily. The phaser drops to the floor and Alice manages to kick it away before she's tossed across the room against a wall, landing on the floor with a thud. Bucky and Sam are quick to rush him. Bucky swings his arm, the vibranium limb connecting to Axim's jaw while Sam slides to hook his arm around his knees to knock him down but he doesn't budge. The suddenness has no impact on the alien who simply stands tall with a condescending look as the pair suddenly come to a halt before being phased across the room, falling on the table and breaking it in half. Yelena and Wade step forward, knives drawn, followed by Nat and Clint. They lunge at Axim from different directions yet he's still able to deflect each attack. The Betas stepping up when the Alphas are momentarily distracted. They took over the fight, hand-to-hand combat and makeshift weapons as Steve recovered his shield while Sam and Bucky peeled themselves off the table.

Sam flanks left to check on his friends while Bucky sneaks to the right, slinking to the floor to grab the phaser. He's a hell of a shot but Axim currently has Natasha by the throat, holding her at an angle where Bucky can't get a clear shot. He'd take a chance on hitting Nat and he won't do that.

She's fighting Axim's hold but his grip is tight enough to cut off oxygen. He stares her in the eyes until hers flutters shut as she goes under. "Weak, you're all weak." Axim growls, tossing Natasha's debilitated body aside before stalking over to Alice. She's pressed back against the wall, curled in on herself to look smaller and less intimidating but it doesn't phase the alien. He's not from this planet, he's not an Alpha, so he's not hardwired to save, cherish and protect. Axim has his orders: contact the Avengers and eliminate anyone the Shi'ar categorize as a parasite. Nothing will stand in his way of ridding the planet of the seemingly dangerous Omega.

Steve jumps between the two, bringing his shield up as a barrier to protect them. Axim continues to advance, his sights set on Alice. The phaser whirring behind him causes him to pause.

"Touch her and die." Bucky growls.

"She is insignificant in the grand scheme of things." Axim says, glancing over his shoulder at Bucky.

"Maybe to you but to me she is everything." He says, taking aim again. "Back the fuck up Marvin."

"Be warned, once I leave more will come. Your weakness will die out and the Shi'ar will take control of this planet."

"That's a chance I'm willing to take." Bucky growls and squeezes the trigger but just as the neon green light should pass through the alien, he disappears, phasing out. Just as quick as he was there, suddenly gone. Probably back to the mother ship or home planet or wherever. Bucky nor Steve could care right now. Steve, concerned for his pack, drops the shield, glancing at Alice before rushing to Natasha. Bucky drops the phaser on the floor before sinking to his knees, pulling Alice in his lap.

Her body shakes and quivers as tears fall from her eyes, leaving Bucky feeling helpless. He doesn't know how to help, how to calm her, how to quell her fears. All he knows to do is hold her and hope it's enough. He hopes that he can protect her from the species that's dead set on annihilating every Omega they come into contact with. For the first time in his life Bucky is faced with a threat he's not sure he can handle. The Alpha is terrified that his Omega will be ripped from him before he ever gets the chance to love her the way he's meant to.

"Marvin?" Sam asks, kneeling down next to him.

"The Martian. Little alien guy on that show Morgan likes." Bucky says with a small smile, his grip on Alice nearly suffocating. Not that she's complaining, all she can do right now is cling to him, burying her face in his neck.

Alice can only shake her head, whimpering and whining as Yelena rushes over and pulls her away from Bucky. "Junior year of high school, chess club vs. cheerleaders. Your braces got caught on-."

"Don't you dare!" Alice yells, cutting Yelena off as she snaps out of her daze. "That wasn't my fault and you know it... plus, I was in the book club not chess."

"Same nerds, different activity." Yelena shrugs and scans Alice. "You okay?"

Alice nods. "Yeah, just scared."

"I think we all are, sis." Yelena mutters and pulls her sister in for a tight hug, both girls erupting into tears. Everyone uncertain of the future, each holding their own fears.

[mothmans-wedding-photographer]

Mothman's Buffy rewatch: Season 4, episodes 17, 18, and 19 "Superstar" "Where the Wild Things Are", and "New Moon Rising"

Superstar

all are really bad at helping

Gross slurping noises

Buffy you could take more than 2, you have many times

ITS JONATHON?? WHY WOULD THEY NEED HIS HELP?

JONATHON IN THE INTRO DOING SLAYER SHIT??

I GENUINELY DO NOT REMEMBER THIS EPISODE WHAT IS HAPPENING

"Thanks Rupert" 😭😭

I love how Anya is still a human in this universe

I can't tell if he's being mean or trying to hype her up

"Don't you agree, SPIKE"

Why did Buffy get worse at banter in this universe

So the Faith thing also happened?

Jonathon poster replaced the balls poster :(

Is Buffy still the slayer, just worse?

Jonathon becomes a therapist

I agree it's really not Riley's fault

HES SO SHORT

Tbh I understand why Buffy would feel anxious about that

Jonathon is such a stand-up guy, he's serenading them 😭

Yay Karen with a K survived

Felt kinda patronizing

Adam knows?

Oooo he's got the symbol

Buffy gave HIM CLASS PROTECTOR AWARD AT THE PROM? This feels so wrong

Oh shit I didn't realize how long it's limbs were at first

Nice spell Tara

:(

Jonathon this is suspicious

Kind of fucked up that Jonathon gets to be a hero and well-loved but Buffy hates to fight in shadows and be treated as a freak

JONATHON COMIC BOOK?

Ok so she is still the slayer, just can't really slay

Anya's trying her best

He graduated from med school 😭😭

He coached the women's soccer team ?

"Prawns?" aksbdjqnsksbwksb

Jonathon swimsuit calender 😭😭

Anya what the hell "lickable"

Anya you are NOT helping

Tell him Buffy!!

Ewewewewew Spike gross

Yes Buffy fight the programming !!

Excretion of gold coins

"Xander don't speak Latin in front of the books"

Damn Jonathon not cool

Jonathon don't do it no don't do it

Bro was definitely considering it

Jonathon creates a world where Buffy is consistently wrong? That's so mean

Jonathon with the stalactite!!

"I remember this. This good"

I like that he saved her even after the spell was gone and he was himself again

Oh my gosh she caught him last second

Yeah I'd be angry too tbh

"You weren't socks" man they definitely were

Where the Wild Things Are

I dont think I watched this episode the first time I watched Buffy. Probably because of the sex

Reading the description of this episode. Buffy can't ever just have sex without it being a big thing lmaoo

Man that was a really risky move, Riley holding the vamp while Buffy shoots 😭

XANDER WITH THE SNACK TRUCK

Anya you're a grown ass vengeance demon

Only two nights without sex is crazy

do not have sex in the snack truck

THE PEOPLE THERE AJDBEBBSJSNDEJ

Tbh I don't like how demons are kind of treated as a monolith like "oh none of them give a shit about demons outside their species" it's just so booorrrriiing when fantasy series make everyone in a species the same

"You're not even bumpy amymore"

Anya and Spike interacting is so funny

"I'm beginning to understand why you're so friendless" clocked him

"Still love me?" Willow girl 😭😭

Spike and Anya chilling in the club

I fear for Xander's safety with Anya sometimes

I get missing having powers though that would suck

"Inherent sensuality about language" man stfu

Orgasm wall is crazy

Tara's a horse girl????

Does the sex house make her feel catholic lesbian guilt or some shit what

"HOSTILE 17!! WANT A DRINK HOSTILE 17?" AHAHAHAHA

Xander and Anya break up

Ok that was a bit much girl

Cutting her hair as punishment is a bit odd

Ominous ass bathroom

Bro dissolved like a bath bomb

Yippee Tara's back. Where did she go in the first place though.

Roots??

Can't believe Buffy and Riley fucked so hard they started an earthquake

Commando gets hit with spirit of christ I guess

Oh ghost girl

Spike finally gets annoyed enough to get up

Spike 😭😭

"Actually all that sounds pretty convincing" lmao

Anthony steward head you will always be famous his voice is so good

The embarrassing part was I heard him start singing and I was like "where did I hear this song before" and it was a warrior cats music video

"I'm fighting total mental breakdowns right now, don't throw fuel on the fire"

"Well that sounds like crazy talk" Girl how are you this old and don't have a clue what's going on in Sunnydale

Did she like. Murder them for having sex

OH that's why Julie was cutting her hair

Oh she. Drowned teens. Like not enough to kill them but that's scary as shit

"She who smelt it dealt it" ASSHRHHSHEHE XANDER

So the ghosts are not actual ghosts. I don't think that's the definition of poltergeist? I'm pretty sure poltergeist are just spirits that can touch things

"And a little hungry" anya's so real

I think they figured it out

"Get over it" WILLOW

Shit he's getting drowned

"SHUT UP!" *immediately gets stabbed through the hand*

Are the plants like some garden of eden reference

They're so exhausted man 😭😭

"No one got injured" ANYA GOT STABBED THROUGH THE HAND

Lowkey I wanna learn more about this school? And the spirits of suffering being turned into ghosts? Hey what it Scott Cawthon watched this episode and it inspired him to create agony in fnaf (I'm sure he didn't but that would be funny)

New Moon Rising

Willow a dog person 😔 I've been betrayed

MISS KITTY FANTASTICO FIRST MENTION!!!

Their gay asses

Oz in back. Sorry to tell you man but Willow is gay

"I didn't know you were such a bigot!" Riley gets canceled by the work mob (Buffy Summers)

Yippee his werewolf stuff is under control, good for him

"I talked to Xander, and he said you didn't have a new guy" Well. Not technically wrong

Non Oz werewolf, wonder who that is

Poor Tara she probably think they slept together

I would describe Tara's hair as more silvery tbh

Do we know anything about his mother?

Riley come on man 😭😭

This episode is making me so anxious I just want Willow and Tara to talk

"You mean Tara has a crush on Oz" Buffy you're dense

Yay Willow comes out to Buffy!!

Calling her Will because it's more masculine 😭😭

Now Buffy isn't beating the bigot allegations

Spike just chilling

Oh I forgot about Adam tbh

I understand why Tara was worried because like her partner spent the night in a room with her ex

Oz is pissing me off this episode but it's not his fault it's just the fact that he's here lmao

"You smell like her"

Ok nevermind now it is his fault

Oz don't grab her and yell shit that's scary

Oz turns into a werewolf out of rage that his girlfriend moved in after they broke up

Shit Oz got captured

"You were a boy scout?" "Parts of me"

Well. At least Riley is trying to help now.

The transition 😭😭

Couldn't they at least give him some clothes

Yay Riley

Well that didn't last long

Evil olive 😭😭

"Hey you dropped your-" immediately gets knocked out

Well ripping out the wires sure gets the job done

Get his ass Riley!!

Riley on the run from the initiative, because of his kindness for a guy he doesn't know

"You found out Willow was in an unconventional relationship and you momentarily got the wiggins" You're talking about yourself as well

My dad and brother keep talking over the show I'm trying to hear this heartfelt moment

"I sort of felt you'd be waiting for me" womp womp

It's weird that they had this conversation where Willow's like "I feel like I'll always be waiting for you" and then made her fully a lesbian

"I am" YIPPEE

[zeep-xanflorp]

ok i'm just gonna ramble ab unmortricken bc i have exactly ZERO COHERENT THOUGHTS AB IT

evil morty backstory - i rlly like that they just made him some random morty who rose above everything after getting sick of rick's abuse. it makes what he did feel even more earned and weighty. i think his motivation is a bit extreme still but i can't rlly blame him.

it's cool seeing infinity beyond the central finite curve. the jetsons inspired bit was v amusing bc i forgot about them lmao. but otherwise it seems absolutely wild west beyond the curve and i LIVE for that.

i also didnt imagine that we'd be seeing him again. i thought the way he left the show was perfect and if they brought him back it would just feel cheap but it DOESNT in this episode i love his appearance.

i rlly like seeing our morty be supportive of rick. he's literally trying everything to cheer him up and it's very important to me.

the prime decoys confuse me. like do they all share a consciousness? is prime just very very good at fucking with ppl that he's made all the decoys communicate w each other?

evil morty outsmarting rick is a great recurring theme in the episode. "filter for probability stasis" YEAH U TELL HIM LITTLE DUDE. we've never seen a morty like that EXCEPT for him and i think it's wonderful.

the exchange between rick and evil morty. "you're such a narcissist" / "literal glass house" / "you think you're better than me?" / "jesus i HOPE SO" SHITTING

i didnt initially like the decoy trap thing being full of loads of other ricks. it made me feel like our rick wasn't very important to this dude and rick just made an enemy of a guy who didn't know he existed. BUT i don't stand by that anymore. the rest of the episode made me change my mind very quickly with.

the omega device. holy fuck this is the worst reveal to come out of this episode. she wasn't just killed, she was ERASED by prime in every reality. like she is GONE gone. that's why we've never seen her, save in flashbacks and memories. she's gone.

and i'm pretty sure it's our rick's fault that he did that. we see his beth and his diane be killed by a bomb, not wiped from reality like slo mobius is later in the episode. so his family was killed BEFORE all the shit with the omega device. ik correlation ≠ causation, but it rlly explains why our rick in particular is so hungry for revenge. if he was the one that made prime kill diane everywhere then he had to be the one to make prime pay for it.

i like how the multiple monitors seems to be prime's signature move. it happens here and in the s6 premiere.

and oh fuck the parallels. "when i invent something it works, it's called being talented" in story train vs "when i make a weapon in works."

oh man the diane head weapon thing. it's interesting that it was programmed to mock rick sexually, but even on our rick who knows it's a trap, it still affects him seeing her face again. "god i missed that face." and then the blank stare when she asks for a kiss. pretty sweet and fucked up.

rick and evil morty having to work together to get their portals working. the contrast between our morty freaking out and evil morty blank staring.

the bit with the portal closing too soon. i know it happened earlier this season and i think it's so funny lmao.

I CANNOT STRESS TO YOU ENOUGH THAT I WAS SO MADE WHEN I WORKED OUT THAT INSTEAD OF YELLING WHILE GOING THROUGH THE CURVE THING IN THE MIDFLE OF THE EP HE WAS SCREAMING "PRIME" THOSE DIABOLICAL LITTLE BASTARDS AT ADULT SWIM.

prime calling rick the Wife Guy. hilarious. raises questions. makes me gnaw on my cell bars.

AND THEN the second incredible reveal of the episode: "Honestly, Wife Guy, I do miss when it was just us. The only two Ricks who actually invented portal travel." WHAT bestie prime bby girl u need to say that again. you guys were the ONLY ones who invented interdimensional travel, every rick's claim to fame. but no they just got the technology from prime who started a boys club of ricks who wanted to leave their lives behind that our rick refused.

but the reference to a time when they were closer, when it was only them - HELLO?? maybe i'm grasping at straws bc i want them to bang but holy shit.

the confirmation of the fan theory that rick based his AI voice on his wife. 10/10.

and then the fight scene. oh gods the fight scene. rick just screaming that he'll kill prime. prime regenerating constantly, looking unscathed as our rick becomes more and more dishevelled. it's too perfect i CANT. but otherwise they both seem pretty evenly matched w all the implants and stuff so without the regeneration i think rick would've had him. oh well.

rick like literally died during the fight.

the cool grandson/shitty grandpa exchange gives me breath. i LOVE how it's a morty that outsmarts prime. it's what he deserves.

prime still trying to be a smartass to evil morty, growing more and more panicked as it goes on bc he doesn't know what to do with the situation and control for once is not in his hands.

"what are u gonna 'aw geez' me to death?"

evil morty not even explaining his plan, just silently dragging in our rick and reviving him. saying "knock yourself out" with the intended double meaning. prime's almost scared expression as rick gets dragged in.

and then our rick has a choice. he can stop evil morty from keeping the weapon plans or he can kill prime. but that's a choice he made already. it's not even a decision. so his other enemy gets away.

the brutal brutal scene at the end when rick is just hitting prime. no tech, no implants, no gadgets. just fists. and rick beats him literally to a pulp as prime screams and laughs at him and taunts him further. it's meant to be sickening. it's meant to be personal. and it accomplishes that perfectly.

they don't even show prime's body in great detail. it's RIGHT in the background but we heard the sounds of the punches, we saw his nose break and his bloody teeth and haemorrhaging eyes and his brains coming out the side of it head and all we can make out is his fucked up swollen and broken face in the background as he sits still attached to the chair, a river of his blood pouring from the room.

but its not triumphant. they made rick's revenge hollow and bittersweet. its over but it destroyed rick in the process. who is he now that he isn't hunting prime? fucking no one.

then "look on down from the bridge" starts playing. we heard this in season 1 in rick potion #9 after morty had to bury a version of himself. he was struggling with the purpose of his life after switching universes. but he deals with it and overcomes it.

i think that scene is rick, for the first time in the entire show, struggling with his nihilistic philosophy. bc yes, he's shown to be an existentialist in the show (the difference being existentialists are "nothing matters but this matters to me" instead of "nothing matters so i don't have to do anything"). he had a drive. he had ppl he cared about. but now he's reached his goal he just feels empty and hollow. everything's meaningless and he's NOT okay with that. he never has been, but he has to grapple with that finally now he doesn't have a distraction. i don't think he can just bounce back and move past what happened.

ppl are saying this episode felt overstuffed and maybe it was but i'm very pleased with it and want to know where it's going.

i feel we still don't know the full story with prime. i'm predicting a flash back episode in the future explaining what the nature of their relationship was like before the bomb incident.

we also know that evil morty has this weapon that could destroy all ricks. so that is just a ticking bomb.

anyway i can't wait for angsty rick.

i actually watched unforgiven for this episode bc i'm a big fan of westerns anyway. the only real parallels i can see is they both have a group of three (two are already partners and the other one is the call to adventure) and an unsatisfying ending. bc that's the nature of westerns. they should NEVER end happily, and if u think so then ur wrong (/nsrs enjoy media how u want).

some things i haven't mentioned but enjoyed nonetheless

the schematics for the omega device is titled <SCHEMATICS BOOGER-AIDS-V2>

the arm/leg swap best in the fight

the comparison between the song at the end playing here and in season one shows with just visuals how the dynamic of beth and jerry's (and beth's) marriage has evolved since then.

everyone freaking out when indiana jones rick shoots and it ricochets off the wall and evil morty just stands expressionless until it hits his forcefield.

morty going to hug rick covered in blood, realising, hesitating, and then doing it later anyway to try and make rick feel better.

evil morty making a point to say that he doesn't want vengeful summers coming after him for omega devicing rick. not vengeful mortys, vengeful SUMMERS.

just evil morty in this whole episode was an absolute delight i need to see him more.

THE TEAR MARKS AFTER RICK EMERGES FROM BEATING PRIME TO DEATH

slo mobius' wife almost going down the same path our rick did only to find someone she loves and focus on that, saving her. makes me wonder if they're gonna try putting rick in a relationship.

this ended up being way longer than it should have. anyway. very pleased. this season is hitting all the marks for me overall.

also don't be too hard on me i didnt edit this 😭