#Insert Molding Machine

[gudmould]

Plastics | Definition, Material Selection and Design Guidelines for Two-Color Injection Molding

When we are doing product structure design, in order to save assembly time of parts, or reduce impact of assembly tolerances of multiple products (which can reduce type and quantity of finished parts), we often use two parts through two-color molding, inserts injection molding is used to integrate it into one piece.For example, in a motor controller, copper bars and plastic parts are…

[lordelmelloi2]

On Hephaestion in Fate

Iskandar’s closest friend…though he didn’t think so himself. While his sister spread such information around, Hephaestion was aware that was simply counter-intelligence. Hephaestion was inserted at Iskandar’s side so as, even if only a little, to reduce the chance of him being attacked. [...]  If alive today, he would no doubt be accused of having a siscon streak in him. In a way, one could say that fear became accurate after his death.

From Hephaestion (person)'s entry in the materials of Lord El-Melloi II Case Files. Very frustrating to read.

I hate what Fate series is trying to do with Hephaestion and Iskandar's relationship, I Know explicitly they're trying to make room for fujo shipbrainrot here by saying essentially that they don't have to worry about it; but there's problems.

Urobuchi and Nasu and etc. have all stated Iskandar is bisexual, there is no way they could've made that judgment unless they explicitly acknowledged the nature of Iskandar and Hephaestion's relationship. The fact is also that the parallels between Iskandar and Gilgamesh and their respective "closest friends" are very blatantly apparent through F/Z and other incarnations that like to put them together and Case Files as a novel itself also hasn't really made any attempt to discredit Hephaestion's importance to Iskandar, either.

It's weird also that they even use the word 'siscon' here because it almost implies that Hephaestion didn't feel anything for Iskandar as much -- which is so fucking bizarre, because Iskandar's love of Achilles and the Iliad has been present during the entirety of F/Z and through FGO and other incarnations, who do you think was Patroclus? Like there is no actual fucking way they could strip that Hephaestion was the Patroclus out. Of course though they have basically all-but erased Patroclus from Achilles' story as well.

The thing though is that this does also imply a lot more Olympias machinations. Because we know Faker was also something that was Olympias' doing, taking Hephaestion's twin sister and molding her into a nameless body-double for curses to be redirected towards in order to protect Iskandar. If that setting is true then yes of course Hephaestion is going to be fiercely protective of her because he's acutely aware that his sister is being used for something so dehumanizing on purpose and she doesn't even care about it; she's also thoroughly stripped of her own mental self-agency in that she's truly devoted to Iskandar and her brother and that's it.

So it can almost be inferred that in the Fateverse that Olympias essentially set up Hephaestion and Iskandar to be best friends rather than it being their choice in Aristotle's classroom -- or perhaps that Hephaestion fit the bill for what Olympias was looking for and so she began manipulating the situation accordingly. Hephaestion has always historically been remarked upon as being the smarter one so I don't doubt he would see Olympias' nonsense with his sister and be upset about it right away. Though, I mean, it's hard NOT to be upset with what Olympias was doing through Alexander's childhood; she poisoned all his siblings, including one that he did care for, she pushed him constantly into the spotlight for the sake of power, she even at one point bought a prostitute for him and begged him to have sex with her because his disinterest in women and sex at that age was something she felt personally concerned with (again, powergrabs, but also, definitely covert incest shit in noble families). The last anecdote I've listed is one that's not stated in Fate series but is something that happened historically.

The question then is whether or not Fate wants to legitimize Hephaestion's feelings towards Iskandar as mutual. It's possible that the phrasing here would imply that Hephaestion merely believed he could not be as close to Iskandar's heart as he truly was; something that, given the amount of personal relationships Iskandar had, isn't a hard thought of self-doubt to keep. Iskandar had many relationships and all were very important to him for many reasons (Ionioi Hetairoi existing makes this obvious). It's just that truly, his relationship with Hephaestion was the Most important, and for Hephaestion to even be relevant in this manner or even discussable in this manner also adds to that.

If Hephaestion was (presumably) opposed to Olympias and protective of his sister, why would he follow Iskandar in the Fate verse, then? The benefit of course being power, which isn't something one would scoff at in this setting, but I truly doubt that Hephaestion would simply go for powergrabs if the whole point is that the people who followed Iskandar did so because they admired him and loved him. But that brings up another point.

Hephaestion has been absent from Ionioi Hetairoi and from character designs or materials despite his significance until the Case Files manga. There has been no depiction of Hephaestion himself in any material featuring Ionioi Hetairoi, the 10,000 strong army of Iskandar, of which features his most important relationships. Faker was also absent. What does this imply?

Faker's absence was due to protest. We know this from information from Case Files. Faker also has the ability as we know from Lady Reines' Case Files to be able to summon Ionioi Hetairoi herself, featuring Iskandar within it. One would presume Hephaestion also has this ability. But why is Hephaestion not there at all?

A few options -

Hephaestion IS there, Waver just doesn't want to talk about him because he's insane in the head or whatever

Hephaestion is there, but in the back or something -- his role being not forefront is the reason why he's in the shadows; something that is remarked upon in historical analysis as to why we know so little about Hephaestion even now. Hephaestion's role traditionally was to do a lot of the "dirty work", and so his position was less favorable to put the spotlight on in comparison to the sun-shining glory of Iskandar.

Hephaestion is not there because of protest, much like his sister.

Hephaestion is not there because he is not that important of a relationship to Iskandar...

Hephaestion is not there because he doesn't truly exist.

I generally feel like I trust Makoto Sanda to not go this route, but there has been (somewhat baseless) speculation that Hephaestion was actually Iskandar's split personality. I Highly Doubt That This Was The Case in Fate series given the way it has treated Hephaestion thus far as a figure, but it would explain why Hephaestion has been a complete phantom in the series and in Iskandar's recollection.

Though I think personally it's more likely that it's 2 or 3, I don't think that it's out of the question for it to be the simply negligent option 1 or the outright ahistorical option 4.

The other question is: why is Fate series so negligent of Hephaestion?

That's easy to answer from certain standpoints -- one is because it gives them more room to make money off of fans that are there from the sheer yaoi market that Isuwei as a pairing as brought in. Like from a marketing standpoint it is blatantly obviously advantageous to simply ignore Hephaestion until the end of time.

The other reason adding on to that is because in terms of representing gay content, Fate series really considers itself to have no liability to do so, especially when there's such a massive fan following for a male/male pairing. The fans make the majority of the content, so TM's work is done, and they can hand off crumbs to people hungry for them and keep fans of the actual historical figures begging for scraps with little things while rewriting it to suit their needs. It's the reason why Achilles doesn't have Patroclus despite the significance. It's also why the genderbends are so predominant; it's what's keeping the money going. In the recent GudaGuda event Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin's historical homoerotic relationship is explored but the weight of it lessened as Uesugi is not just a genderbend but also one of Takeuchi's designs. So the risk of straight male fan complaints about yucky gay stuff is lessened because Uesugi isn't "really a guy" in Fate here.

Type Moon hasn't really been one to look up to in terms of whether or not they will give realistic male/male representation in pairings; either one side of the pairing or both have to be in a female body, thus leaving what would normally be a m/m pairing as a "safer" yuri f/f pairing (which then benefits their marketing as well as the majoritively male fanbase is easier to sell to).

The problem though is whether or not it is going to mesh with the rest of the story.

As I said from a marketing standpoint it is obvious that ignoring Hephaestion is beneficial. But from a narrative standpoint -- and this is Sanda's challenge -- ignoring Hephaestion forever just doesn't make sense.

There is no Iskandar without Hephaestion. It is impossible to write a story about Iskandar that involves ANY aspect of the historical portion of him without mentioning Hephaestion. And the fact that Hephaestion was mentioned at all was Fate series' first mistake.

Iskandar's materials have him listed as Dhul Qarnayn, aka the Great King mentioned in the Quran as one of the ideal ways a King should exist. The reason for THIS is because of the Persian Alexander Romance. The Alexander Romance is basically a legend-version of Alexander the Great's story in which Hephaestion's presence is very little or just outright absent. It is a fantastical version of Alexander the Great's kinghood in which he performs many great deeds. There are Greek, Persian, Syrian, Hebrew, Ethiopian, Nigerian, Indian, Malaysian, Byzantine and even more chrono-regional versions of this story, and each one features that mysticism that made Alexander the Great into such a worldwide figure today.

It is pretty apparent that a lot of Iskandar's characterization comes also from the version presented in the Alexander Romance. His being Dhul Qarnayn solidifies this. It would have been easy to continue to ignore Hephaestion if they simply continued to go down this route -- the Alexander Romance features little stories featuring him, and glorifies Iskandar into this God-chosen figure, and in some versions, even as a prophet of God.

But in Case Files Faker is introduced and so is Hephaestion as a figure that did exist. Hephaestion is given some material, but never appears, except as a version spoken of by his newly-conceptualized twin sister. (Hephaestion did not have a twin sister in history, but that much should be common knowledge).

Hephaestion's absence then becomes this bleeding, gaping wound in the story, where the writing fails to stick to just one version of Iskandar -- and chooses to also associate with Alexander the Great the Historical version. Hephaestion's absence leaves this hole at the core of a lot of Iskandar's lacking characterization, where we see this vibrant, energetic character full of appreciation and care and love for those around him, except the man he was told to have loved and been close to the most.

And again. Hephaestion's importance to Alexander within history itself cannot be understated. I've mentioned before the sheer amount of money that went into Hephaestion's funeral, the fact that Alexander started executing people who had beefed with Hephaestion before (Eumenes was one such person who narrowly escaped the threat of execution because of his poor relationship with Hephaestion), Alexander executed the doctor who was in charge of Hephaestion and otherwise went on a complete megalomaniacal spree in the 8 months between Hephaestion's death and his own. There was no Alexander without Hephaestion. For Fate to come in and say that Hephaestion did not think he was the closest person to Alexander is to understate the megalomaniacism of the later Alexander's historical life, which strips from the character we are also inferred of through Faker's recollections in Case Files.

Faker often warns about getting too close to Iskandar, stating to Gray "The King is like the sun. Its heat burns away anything that gets too close." For the man who was considered equal to this sun, his absence is like that of a black hole where the rest of Iskandar's character is held. I also accept scraps of Iskandar's characterization here and there from various authors and depictions; I'm not saying I'm better than anyone on that note. But the frustration as an Iskandar fan I have at the sheer lack of consistency is what compels me to write on my own.

I generally have been very trusting of Makoto Sanda as an author to wrap up fine details, and he's generally been very consistent -- the inclusion of Ergo as Alexander IV's repo'd body in Adventures is still messy but the conclusion of Case Files was overall pretty decent. But it would still behoove him to write more on Hephaestion as a character or for the developers to genuinely consider adding in Hephaestion and fleshing him out; otherwise we miss so much of Iskandar and so much of what we think is going on in the Fate version of the Hellenic Empire history because that one piece is missing.

[biomecharnotaurus]

Do you have any tips for people who want to get into cosplay? It both sounds and looks really interesting but I’m too nervous to try/start.

First off:

Don't worry about the acting part, it's less stressful than it really seems, and I'm saying this as somebody who suffers from anxiety since his teen ages and had an history of pretty frequent anxiety attacks. I started cosplaying in the year 2014, made my proper first "heavy duty" cosplay in 2016.

But do keep in mind, cosplaying comes with its ups and downs and I won't sugar-coat things, so I'll start with them.

Pros

RP in real life is very fun.

You'll probably be stopped by a lot of people if your cosplay is easily recognizable, so be ready. Pictures. A lot of pictures. Which seems a bit awkward but it's often pretty wholesome.

Interacting with other cosplayers (without bothering busy people) is fun.

Going with a buddy definitely makes the experience a lot better. D&D party irl with weaponized autism

Meet new people! Sometimes.

Do fun activities! You can even swordfight your friends and other random cosplayers in small arenas sometimes. FIGHT THE GENSHIN COSPLAYER WITH A FOAM AXE ANON

You can win a Tekken tournament with a full rotting rabbit animatronic costume on!

There is at least one Dance Dance Revolution machine. I don't need to say more.

Cons

Cosplaying is often expensive. You can cosplay on a budget but it comes with lots of in-place reparations.

Bring water and food with you. Drink. A lot. Especially if you have a full armor or a monster fullsuit. You could literally die from exhaustion and/or from overheating.

People are gonna probably take pictures of you without asking. Yell at them with rage because that's illegal

Awkward interactions do happen. Yours truly had to scold a child and her mother at the age of 16 because I was resting my cosplay head next to me (Springtrap cosplay) and the child was trying to pop the eyes of MY cosplay head while I was talking to my friends.

Bring a reparation kit. A little sewing kit, some strong glue, hot glue gun, a piece of cloth you don't have a problem using to keep things in place with, make-up wipes and the make-up you are using as well, if you have any on. That and an emergency kit with bandages and band-aids. Shit can happen.

You are gonna sweat. A lot. Take breaks.

If you have something like a helmet on you are gonna have blind spots. You are probably not gonna hear nor see people calling you sometimes lol

Conventions are expensive. But that's not a cosplay-only thing, keep that in mind tho.

People often forget you are a person outside of the character you are cosplaying as. Which could be both a pro and a con honestly.

Now, I'm not nor a woman nor feminine presenting, but if you are one of the two...gamers are fucking weird sometimes, so be prepared in case.

The actual making the cosplay part:

Do your research on the kind of cosplay you want to do. A partial armor? A full armor? Clothing/make-up? A full monster/animal suit? YouTube is full of good tutorials. Techniques are universal for any typology of cosplay, so don't worry.

If you need cosplay parts you don't know how to make, just look up for "pepakura template *insert thing*". Download a program called "Pepakura viewer" on your PC and look up for Pepakura tutorials if you need any help, there are plenty. You'll probably find templates for the specific part, maybe for free, but mostly for like 10-20 bucks on Etsy. You can also just straight up buy props. Keep in mind 3D printed props can be very fragile tho.

You don't need to make every single part, buy premade things if needed. Hell, you can even just buy a premade cosplay from a seller, doesn't matter.

Improvising is important to find solutions to cosplay making problems. Any technique is a valid technique if it works for you...but please, for the love of everything that is good, DON'T. USE. CARDBOARD. It's gonna absorb your sweat, get moldy and the fumes from the mold CAN KILL YOU. Not joking.

Important: buy a mask with interchangeable filters and safety glasses when you use paints. Also, wear gloves. Your health comes first.

If you are making an helmet...buy at least 2 small fans and install them inside vents below or next to the visor inside the helmet. Believe me when I say this. They do sell ones with premade circuits on Etsy, if you are not particularly good with wiring and stuff.

AliExpress is unironically good for supplies, if you don't want to spend too much.

Sewing and using strong glues makes things last for ages, hot glue does not and it sucks, as much as people use it. Use safety equipment while using glues, of course.

Again, YouTube is your friend in this case. Search for anything you'll need help for.

...you should probably look up at reviews if you plan on buying anything from sites like XCoser.

That's it!

[niseag-arts]

you've been showing me your admech OCs, do you want to know about mine?

I don't have art for all of them yet, but I can give you a summary :D some are a bit weird (ahum, artemis.) and more are coming because appearently i cannot stop making new OCs.

here we go! Artemis Unit B-20-A: Pronouns: they/them or it/its. (Artemis thinks gender is a trait of the flesh and they want nothing of it) Young tech priest from forgeworld Repleator, and a member of the ordo biologis. Artemis is vat grown and does not know who their relatives are, but has been adopted into the Mechanicus young and ultimately feels some form of familial relationship to the entire organisation. Artemis is diligent and does not have many hobbies, because they spend so much time working. Eventually, Artemis learns that while in-vat they have absorbed the machine spirit of the vat they were grown in, and this gives them an extraordinarily strong connection to the machine god. They have the ability to influence machines around them, and mold them to their will. (Disclaimer: this bit is because of weird shennanigans that happened in the roleplaying system he was introduced into) Artemis wears red instead of Repleators standard green because of this as well.

Skylax Q11.20 Pronouns: any (skylax does not know their gender, and doesn't really care) Skylax is a cyber mastiff handler, raised in the mechanicus and in service of the inquisition. they do not know who they are beyond that because they were recently mindcleansed. their records state that they were to be killed, but their mastiff, Seven, refused a different handler for so long the inquisition decided to mindwipe its existing handler rather than try and reprogram the mastiff. Skylax is surprisingly okay with this all, having accepted this reality as a chance at a new life.

Vinci L30 (art is very WIP) Pronouns: he/they Young Pteraxius Sterilysor currently in service of an explorator fleet. Employed as pest control on the ship, flapping around to places that are hard to reach for others. He has seen his fair share of war, and thinks this job is a welcome change of pace. He likes to make little paintings on bits of scrap canvas, particularly landscapes. He will make pictures of the home planets of his fellows based on their descriptions and then give them those.

Lexmechanic Cal (art is a doodle...) pronouns: they/them self insert OC: tech priest linguist. exact background still to be determined.

[cosmicarchivist692]

Radiorose Week Day 6: Turning a Wrong Alley Right

[Radiorose Week Day 6 Bonus/The Pride Party and Distance]

[3/8]

"Rosie, I'm not going on a date." Al stood, crossing his arms. "Not since Vox called our last, 'hangout,' that."

Rosie rolled her eyes and responded, "This isn't going to be sprung up like a surprise, you will know going in. Well, technically it's a blind date, I don't even know who it is, but still! You know it's happening. Plus, a demon of your stature and charm should have a partner!"

"I have you Rosie, doesn't that count?" Al asked seriously.

Rosie grabbed his arm and started pulling him towards her sewing machine. "We're business partners, that doesn't count." She took Al's coat off his back and sat down at the machine.

"Rosie, I still don't think I need to do this. I'm fine by myself, really."

Rosie was started repairing Al's jacket, "Look, can you go on just this one, for me? Call it an intel mission so you understand my problems with my husbands, hmm?" She held up his now repared jacket.

Static filled the air but Al finally said, "Fine," and grabbed his jacket, putting it on. "Where is it going to be at anyways?"

Al and Rosie stood outside a bowling alley.

"I changed my mind. I'm not doing this." Al stared at the semi-broken sign that was blinking inconsistently.

"Too late!" Rosie squealed, pushing him in.

They went through the double doors and Rosie got Al bowling shoes and rented a lane. Al just stood crossing his arms as Rosie did this, the speakers' music was interrupted by flashes of static.

Rosie handed Al the shoes. "Put these on. And yes, it's a weird rule. I know."

"Rosie, I have hooves. My shoes are custom to fit them." He took out one of his hooves and showed the molded insert that was made for his shoe. "And I'm not taking the insert out of my shoe, it's such a pain to put back in."

Rosie put a hand on her hip. "Al, you are the Radio Demon, are you really telling me you won't even-"

"That's right, I won't, even. Especially not for this doomed 'date.'" Al crossed his arms and sat down at the table beside the lane, grouchy.

Rosie groaned and put the shoes on the table. "I'm leaving these here, if you get caught, put them on." She said sternly before seeing a person walking straight towards the table. Her face lit up and she quickly turned to Al. She leant down and started whispering.

"Okay, they're here. Play nice, try to enjoy yourself, and I'm going to get out of here." She smiled a cheeky grin before turning around and quickly running at a 90 degree angle away from the date.

Al's gaze followed Rosie before seeing someone starting to walk closer and closer to his table. No, this couldn't be. Fate wouldn't... This had to be a cruel prank.

A slightly moss and mushroom covered girl in hippie attire approached the table and sat down in the spinning chair across from Al's.

"Heya! The name's Sky, I hear you're Al?" She held up a hand for a high five.

"My name is Alastor, but yes. Hello." Al grabbed her hand and forced a handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, quite a pleasure." He forced a smile.

Sky tilted her head a bit and muttered, "Okay..."

They took a moment to do some basic introductions when the intercom came on.

"Tonight only, you don't have to wear bowling shoes on the lanes!"

She looked at the lanes and stood up, "So, you ready to bowl? Or I guess more accurately, you ready to lose?" She smiled full of un-earned confidence as she changed back into her normal shoes.

Al squinted, he was excited to show his power to crush Sky, maybe he would have a little fun. He stood up and walked over to the lane and smiled. "I wouldn't be so confident, I am the Radio Demon, the most powerful demon in all of Hell." He threw the ball down the lane and it almost instantly went into the gutter. He threw his second ball and only got one pin.

"Huh, everyone has to be bad at something!" She squeezed his shoulder, laughed, and bowled a strike. Al was no longer excited.

The rest of the game played out and the score ended with a 267 : Sky to a 38 : Alastor. They sat back down at the table and Sky started asking some questions.

"So Al-" "Alastor" "-How long have you been in Hell?" Sky rested her hand on his.

Al pulled his hand back, "I died in the 1930's and I've spent my entire time here in Hell gaining power since."

"Hmm, ok." Sky said disinterested. "Y'know, I'm going to go to Heaven any day now? It's a clerical error I'm here." She said with an aura of superiority.

Al turned his head, slightly intrigued by what she was saying.

"Yeah, I followed what Zach said. All 50 of us died together and so we should all be going to Heaven any day now. I guess they have to do all the paperwork for all of us members individually first, before they send us all up together." Sky gave a smug smile.

Al sighed, she was a lost cause. "So this was fun, shall we call this a night?"

"Oh Al... I didn't think you'd ask that!" Sky's face filled with a smile. "We can go back to my place."

Al blinked, confused, and Sky linked her arm with his and started dragging him with towards the exit.

Rosie quickly ran away from the soon to start date scene. She rounded a corner and stopped, deciding to look over at Al and Sky.

"Aw... they'd make a cute couple. They match each other!" Rosie said to herself.

She was a little sad to see Al on a date with someone else, but he hadn't been responding to her advances at all so she assumed he just wasn't interested.

She walked over to the shoe rental counter and waited for an employee. "What can I help you with?"

"Hey can you let that guy off the hook about not wearing the proper shoes?" She pointed up at Al.

"No Ma'am." "Come on, it's just one person." "I'm sorry Ma'am. It's policy." "I promise you, this place will have bigger problems if you try and force him to." "Look, lady-"

Rosie bared her teeth and asked, "You do realize I'm the overlord of Cannibal Town right?"

The attendant calmly reached over and announced over the speakers, "Tonight only, you don't have to wear bowling shoes on the lanes!"

Rosie kept her teeth bared, but smiled before walking away.

She found a seat where she could watch the two of them bowl. She knew she was supposed to go, but what could it hurt?

Eventually Al got destroyed in bowling and Rosie made a mental note to bring it up later to poke fun at him. She watched as Al continued to be distant from Sky and that's when she realized.

Al's never had a crush on anyone. Or at least he never mentioned one. He'd never responded to her advances, but maybe that was just because he didn't know. He always asked that Rosie, 'kept those activities to yourself.' when talking about her husbands and her after dates. Rosie finally realized.

"Oh my god, Al is aroace!" Rosie said to herself. She laughed for a moment, a little sour she tried so hard for nothing, but quickly getting over it.

She was contempt to just let this fall apart and apologize to Al later. She was about to stand up and leave when she saw Sky leading Al to the exit.

Al had a very confused look on his face but Rosie could tell what was going on, this really would not be good. She had to stop it.

She speed walked to Al and Sky and said, "There you are deer! I was wondering where you went."

Al turned his head at her and Sky stopped in her tracks. "Do you know him?"

"Do I know him!?" Rosie overexaggerated a gasp, "He's my partner!"

Alastor blinked and Sky instantly let go and spun around to face him. She sputtered, "Wow, you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend-" "Partner" "-How dare you! My commune would never stand for this!" Sky stormed out of the bowling alley. Rosie and Al watched her as she left.

"She does realize whatever 'religion' she followed is probably false, right? I mean she's literally in Hell..." Al spun around to face Rosie. "And what was that about Rosie?"

"Let's just say, I saved you a whole lot of headache." Rosie glanced away. "Also, I'm sorry Al, I should never have forced you to do this." Rosie put a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, I already knew this night would be shot, I'm just going to go home back to my tower." Al sighed and waited for Rosie to take her hand off before he started walking away.

Rosie thought for a moment, "Wait, Al?" Al turned around. Rosie gave a cheesy smile and asked, "Would you like to hangout with me, on this 'date?'" She stuck out a hand.

Al rolled his eyes and glared at Rosie. "Oh come on, redeem the night?" Rosie asked.

Al massaged his brow but put his hand in Rosie's anyways. "Fine." Rosie noticed a hint of a smile creeping up his face.

They both walked up to the bowling attendant. "Another game please."

"Sorry, policy states only one game per group per-" They both bared their teeth and static filled the air. "Lane 6"

Neither of them were very good at bowling but that didn't matter.

It was the 8th set and Rosie had a determined look on her face. She had perfect form on the run up and right when she was about to release the ball: her non-bowling shoes slipped on the floor and the ball flew over into lane 7.

Al caught Rosie before she could hit the ground too hard and they both watched the ball roll, and roll, and roll, and get a perfect strike.

"No way... Strike!" They both busted out into laughter and after it finally died down, Al said, "Thank you Rosie, perhaps this night isn't all bad."

They finished their game but didn't even check the final scores, it wasn't important. They went over to the attached restaurant and tried to order chocolate covered fingers... then venison... before settling for mediocre pizza.

"This is absolutely atrocious." Al said wiping the grease off his mouth with a napkin after taking a bite.

"Surely it isn't that-" Rosie took a bite and instantly spit it back onto the plate. "Nope never mind, that's horrible..." They both laughed as Rosie threw it away.

Al looked over at Rosie and Rosie saw his smile slightly falter. "Rosie..."

"What's going on, Al?" Rosie rested a hand on his and tilted her head.

"In a couple weeks, I'm going to have to go."

Rosie's face dropped, "For how long?"

Alastor opened his mouth to say indefinitely, but what came out was, "2 months, or so."

"It could be worse..." Rosie gave a half smile and squeezed Al's hand. "We'll have to do something before you leave then!" She said, regaining enthusiasm.

"Nothing big." "No promises!"

Author's Note:

So the first day I was supposed to work on this, I spilled some water in my computer and had to let it airdry for 24 hours before I could use it again (I probably shouldn't use it as a drinks stand anymore), and the second day I got distracted playing Hexceed... (GUYS THE TILES SPIN NOW, THEY SPIN!!! (yes I'm just now starting year 1, don't sue me.)) I was so excited to write this one too lmao, but I did at least write it on the second day.

@radioroseweek

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[havinganormalone]

Independent Sex Toy Creators

Since Etsy is being a little bitch and banning sex toys, I wanted to make a reference list of independent sex toy creators. This is by no means exhaustive- literally thousands of sellers are getting screwed by this nonsensical puritanical bullshit- this is merely creators that caught my eye as people I might want to spend money on at a future date. I will be avoiding Etsy for even sfw purchases in the future, since this policy is out of hand and is going to disproportionately impact queer, trans creators. Because that is the way these things always work. Anyways, here's a list of artisans I don't want to lose.

Fantasticocks: Makes monster dildos, ftm strokers, eggs, and other goodies. I have bought from here, and am always in love with the pours- offers UV reactive stuff. Ohio based.

Odyssey Toys: They make some THICK boys. Firm grinders you can strap to things, inflatable knots, plugs. A lot of tentacles and a more old school swords and sorcery feel. UK based.

Chillow Fantasy: Makers of the Penis Fly Trap. Silly, memey sex toys. Michigan based.

Kreature Toys: They sale dildos that have a suction hole for fuck machines. Monster dildos. Michigan based.

Kinky Kreatures: Monster dildos. Sells knot sheaths and grinder gloves, as well as more standard toys. Australia based.

Frisk Toys: Ejaculating dildos. UK based.

Love Smiths: Monster toys, from dildos to butt plugs, with a wide variety of creative strokers. France based.

Okova: Sells tail plugs, including things like devil tails, horse tails, fox tails, etc. A very white variety, from whimsical to realistic, with good quality fur. Ukraine based.

Where is Willy: Specialist shop for FTM packers/strokers. Has strap on harnesses. Also has a line of binders in the works. Poland based.

TranZWear: Packers and stand to pee devices, medial grade materials, an emphasis more on utility than sex. Also sells binders, boxers for packing, and pumps. California based.

Xenocat Artifacts: Alien inspired toys, like double knotted dildos or tentacles. Also has furry explicit body pillows. Bought from them at a furry convention and the person in the pup hood working the booth was helpful and actually bothered to ask my pronouns, something that almost never happens to me (people assume I am she/her).

Primal Hardwere: Has sheaths, inflating dildos, and molds for gelatin eggs. More old school leather culture feel. US based. They made my favorite toy, a glow in the dark knotted sheath.

Tails of Fantasy: Tail plugs on a branch that is designed to have a more realistic placement than your typical tail plug. Also sells collars and ears. New York based.

Naughty Indulgence: Cheaper end sex toys and glass toys. Veteran owned.

BonBDSM: Silicone tail plugs, hoods, furred harnesses, medical fetish play. Thailand based.

FetFashions: Sells clothing that says things like Breed Me, Daddy, Slut, etc. The sort of thing etsy is trying to ban, so it's good to know a place that will do this.

These might be safe under the new TOS, as they are non-insertable BDSM gear, but at this point avoid shopping on Etsy whenever possible.

LeatherBond: Floggers, whips, restraints, all boasting made from real leather.

The Latex Store: Sells latex penis sheaths as well as some inflatable gags and other latex clothing.

Wruff Stuff: Animal hoods- of the puphood variety, but with a much wider selection, including pig, dragon, fox. Made of a neoprene material. I own one, it is more breathable than leather, and the design draws the eye. UK based.

Creative Kink: Paddles, canes, knives- both dull and sharpened. Pennsylvanian based.

Once again, this list is by no means exhaustive, and is mostly meant for my own personal reference. However, if you have a sex toy creator and you want to promote their stuff, feel free to drop a reference in the reblogs.

[delurkr]

I have Headcanons about blue jeans

and a barely-edited ramble that concerns the entire Clarke family ❤

First off, James is prejudiced against them because in his mind wearing jeans means you're either poor or a farmer (very common sentiment for certain types in his day). They are not banned in the Clarke household, but he will absolutely never wear a pair stemming as far back as when he got independent enough to start buying his own clothing.

Anthony has grown up with different influences than James did so he does not share the prejudice, and he has a pair of jeans. But because he generally takes his cues from his dad and has no strong opinions on what he wears, he almost never wears them unless he has to get dirty for some reason (nobody can stop me - we have no canon portrayal of Anthony in jeans 😁).

Dennis could not care less about anyone's hang-ups when looking cool is at stake, and wearing jeans is easy make-dad-grumpy points for Tanya, so ofc they do just as they please. Bonus that Tanya does that common thing prior to elasticized denim where you soak in a hot bath in your jeans to shrink mold them if you want them tight on you.

Now Anne rather likes to put her kids in jeans because they're practical and hardwearing etc etc, but the catch is that any bifurcated garment that passes through her washing machine will also hit her ironing board and have creases put in with no discrimination whether they're undershorts or, yes, blue jeans, with the one exception being fabric that has a pile like Anthony's corduroys because velvet and corduroy hate irons (sometimes you just come across such delightful little anecdotes from other people's families in the randomest places and they click so hard). She makes life way more difficult for herself doing this but she cannot be talked out of what she thinks is respectable, but creased jeans would be so exceedingly uncool, the horrors, so Dennis's jeans will definitely never ever see the inside of a washing machine no matter what.

And Megan is still in the stage of getting stuck wearing what Mom decides, including the occasional hand-me-down, because she's still growing and Anne doesn't want to have to replace worn out clothes before they're grown out of, and Megan's only canon daytime outfit is the family photo which reads as very basic and a little juvenile (although not unusually so in her era). I think she'll start looking around soon and her crafty tendencies will have her trying to embroider her jeans and inserting calico patches and stuff right before that trend kicks the bucket in a couple years.

[jinxedyaart]

A little too Similar. Part 3

A/N There might be a bit of Cole being a flirt as well to the insert. Not a whole harem is happening but Cole trying to shoot his shot and rizz up insert with playful flirting from both sides.

They finished up with cleaning up the party outside the building, taking a few more hours then expected. Valen assisting Leo and their family with the heavy lifting. Taking the grill back into a storage room not far off from the off deck.  Saying goodbye to some people from around the block as they swept the back yard. Everyone headed their own ways, getting ready for bed expect for Valen and Leo. Kissing their mother and brother goodbye, watching their small van leave the front garage. Valen stayed right next to them waving to the pair goodbye as well. The two turned back into the building once the mini van left their view since they needed their facility to be at upmost care for the arrival of Overwatch. Traveling back inside with the ornaments and trash from the party, putting it in a green square trash box just outside the true operations building. Hidden further down and back of the underground part of the facility. Tossing the garbage right in, stretching themself afterwards from the action. Leo dusted off their hands as Valen continued down the hall to open the black double doors. Swinging their arms out of boredom. The omnic kept a side open for them, staring as they came closer. Nodding their head down as a small thank you to the omnic as they stepped into the large room. Similar to the other company, they too had jets being fixed from various scratches along the sides. Armored cars and trucks were being prepared, ammo was being reloaded into certain machine guns at the top of certain ones. Smaller golf carts were being driven around by omnics and humans alike with spare metal in the trunk of some. As Leo scanned the room, every so often a rough metal cutting sound vibrated throughout the giant room, bouncing around the walls distracting them. Taking in a deep breath to calm their nerves, standing still just in front of the doors that Valen kicks closed.  Some people were walking past the two of them, pausing their conversations briefly to acknowledge their captain's arrival. Leo waved back with a small soft smile before changing their expression quickly to a more serious one.

     "ALRIGHT EVERYONE, LISTEN UP!"

All that heard their Captain's announcement in the room turned to face them. Some froze up completely, others turned their body to them but continued their work quietly.

   "Overwatch has finally anwsered us and made a scheduled visit to this facility. I need everyone to be on their best behavior and this place has to impress whoever they decide to bring as representation of their leadership. Anything that would make them question my authority has to be gone right now. I refuse to let them walk away with doubt about our strength and abilities. I want them to come back with a list of all the things they need from us. If they need Fire arms we give it to them, they need arms, we've got loads. Do I make myself clear team?"

   All turned to Leo with a straight face, body still, their right arm up over their faces. Saluting right at their captain, affirming to their question. Yelling back "YES SIR!". It seemed a hundred voices yelled back with nervousness in their tones. Their captain happily smiled to them all. Proud of what they molded. Everyone knew this preparation meant a lot to their captain. A once shared dream to take this organization world wide. A dream they adopted into their own. A lost sibling's dream to protect any and all who needed it. To share the memories of those before them. The original dream to protect the streets we live on... they were sure Overwatch had a similar dream in the beginning.

       At last the awaited day finally came. The overwatch group started to make their way to the carrier plane. With Winston taking the lead with his selected coworkers just behind him. He opens the side door to the jet, Lena already was situated in the pilot seat, smiling in the cock pit. Helmet and headphones covered her ears as she waited for the others. Looking at Winston as he began to speak out to the others. Awaiting her further orders from the large mammal.

    "Today is the day which we may make a new alliance with a small organization whose chose to offer up aid. We are going to a location In Massachusetts which will be holding this meeting. It will take a few hours to get there so please be patient."

   Everyone nodded their head in agreement as they boarded the jet. Street lights turning on from the movement. Angela and Mei go in first, taking their assigned seats on the plane. Cole flicks away his cigar on the ground, smashing the tip to stop the lit end from catching fire once more. Boarding as he confirmed it to be off. Genji looked down then at Angela as he boarded, grabbing onto one side of the door pushing himself in to his seat next to the doctor. Lucio enters after the cyborg, hoisting himself into the jet with a small hmpf leaving his lips from the momentum. Winston looks back to make sure everything is secure before finally stepping last to his designated seat. Closing the door behind him, giving Lena a thumbs up and subtle nod as a confirmation to start up the journey.

   "Aaalllrighty everyone! This is your pilot Lena speaking. We will now begin the route to El Cielo, Massachusetts. Please put on all seatbelts as we take off. Sit back and enjoy flying with Lena airlines hehe."

  The plane's jet wings start to lift the vehicle up into the air. Clear dark skies welcomed them. Finally taking off to start their journey. Genji looked over at Angela, who softly smiled at him. Knowing he needed a bit of reassurance. He turned to her, making small chit chat with the doctor as some mimic the action. Making their own small conversation with others to pass the time.

   Awaiting them was Leo in a set of army cargo shorts just below the knee with several pockets on the side and front. Shoes a tan timberland slightly high inched boots with a brown rim. Hair up in a tight bun with two white braids to frame the face nicely. Fixing their sharp barbell septum with their top lip, a small nervous tick they have. Just above their nostrills was a small gold chain running the top of their nose, held in by two different nostril piercing on either side. Their shirt was a slightly tight tan short sleeved shirt with a v neckline. A small white seashell necklace around the base of the neck with the PR flag painted in, covered in resin to protect the design. Another necklace was also adorned, a simple black dog tag going into the valley between their chest. The American flag engraved into the front of it. Valen stood right behind them with his arms crossed behind him in similar attire minus some jewelry choices and heeled boots. He could tell the little one infront was pretending to be fierce in their stance. Their legs twitching out of nerves.

  Noticing their arms crossed over their chest as they both awaited the arrival of the jet. Leo pushed up their glasses as they looked up into the sky, hearing the blades of the jet finally come into ear shot. Turning over to their second in command making sure they looked both tough yet welcoming. Quickly fully turning to the doors behind them in a panic.

   "Valen, do I look good? Did I do too much or too little? This is appropriate for this meeting right?"

  They frantically shifted side to side, arms like a t-rex next to their chest shaking equally as frantic, their face full of worry and anxiousness. Tone fully laced with the same emotions, rapid firing questions at him. Black eyes darted around the poor omnics face plate for an answer. Only to get two metal hands on their shoulders, twirling them to face the jet before stooping his face down to answer back.

   "You look fine Capt. Just breathe ok? I'm right here wit ya nervous as all hell too."

  They took in a big breath, slowly exhaling as the jet came down to the ground a few feet infront of the odd pair. Slowly the whirling blades came to a stop as the side door pushes open. Inside was Winston preparing a small speech to the group as he opened the door, pausing after hearing Lena laugh softly in the cock pit of the carrier plane.

   "Poor little thing. They're nervous."

  She turns to Winston while unbuckaling herself from her seat. Turning off the engine and flicking on some lights for the others to see better in the dark. Motioning her head towards her window. She saw how anxious Leo's body was, looking down at their twitching legs.

  Winston grins a bit, thinking to himself.

'If they are as nervous as we are then truly this is a good idea!' He opens the side door slowly, turning back to his team.

   "I'll get out first, then everyone else can get off after that alright?"

They nod their heads in affirmation. Everyone started to unbuckle their seat belts, standing up in a line behind Winston. Waiting patiently until the large mammel got off. Cole was the first to truly noticed Leo's outwardly appearance first. Confused as to why there was yet another young lady in a place of war.

  Stepping out, finally touching some relatively soft grass under his hands. Some heat waves flew over his hair and fur, making him groan a bit. Winston fixed his glasses on his face before looking up at the pair with a smile. Slowly walking over to them as he began an introduction.

 

   "Hello!"

He reached out his hand to the omnic assuming that's the new leader. Only to find the omnic hesitant to take his hand. Backing up, pushing forward his little captain who was a little upset by the action.

   "This is our Captain. Their name is Leo, I am merely second in command, Valen."

  Winston turns his attention to the one the omnic pushed towards him, whose been staring at him since the interaction started. Their void like eyes staring at him, wide eyed with an expression mimicking a doll. Cold and dead..He backed up nervously, a little creeped out from their expression. Messing his glasses with hesitation, he tries again, this time he's talking to the right person.

  Noting this, Leo sees Winston back up slowly from them, quickly changing their face to one with a nervous yet warm smile. Taking his large rough hand into their soft ones, shaking it twice before deciding to letting go. Coughing a bit to clear their throat, whispering a soft 'apologizes' to him.

  "I know who you are Winston. My family has heard of you as well.. I hope the trip wasn't too demanding of you all. I have some drinks and food ready if you'd like. "

  He can tell that they were trying their best to be as warm as possible to excuse the mishap of facial expressions they showed. As if he was visiting a family friend whom he hasn't seen in years. Reconnecting after years of lost messages and being invited over for brunch at their house to chat for hours. They rushed their answer that it took him a moment to really understand what they said to him. A bit taken aback from their manners, he responds with a laugh. Forgetting the slight mishap.

  "Ahaha, Thank you Leo. I'm sure if the group needs some drinks or are a bit peakish, they would ask in the moment."

  Behind him comes the others in a small group. Coming up to where Winston is but just far enough to still be able to hear his conversation with the odd pair. Hearing Valen snicker softly, the group turn their attention to him briefly.

  "Ah then you would know the rest of my group."

Winston shifts slightly so the pair could better see the small group behind him. Switching his attention between Leo and the others awaiting some recognition on their face.

  "Ah yes. Of course there's Lena the pilot and Mei as well. Two people who are always seen with you. Mercy or well Angela the well accomplished doctor."

  Leo chuckles softly, nodding down a bit after saying the three ladies names. Continuing their roll call in a way. Looking over to Cole, who was already staring at them. Clear confusion over his eyes as he continued his eye contact, tipping his hat forward as usual before saying a small 'm'lady'.

  "Then Cole Cassidy, a cowboy gunslinger. Lucio an underground celebrity of music from Brazil..."

  Lucio responds with a charming smile saying 'hello hello!'. Leo smiled a bit with a chuckle before turning their full attention to the cyborg ninja right behind the blond doctor. Softening their expression before ending the roll call with him.

  "And finally the lovely Genji shimada."

Their eyes panned his body very subtly but he caught onto it. Although most of his body was covered by Angela's. He was a little surprised over it, not being able to distinguish if it was meant to be flirtatious or just curiosity over his body. A heat creeped onto his face as he kept eye contact with them. Trying to pry his caramel eyes off of an almost void-like gaze. Their eyes blacker than anything he's seen in his life, trying to entrap his attention. They finally cut off the wanted trance they made first. Moving their attention back to Winston with a warm smile. Their body starts to shift closer to the doors, leading the group inside. Holding it open for everyone else to go in first, clearly wanting to be nice.

  Genji's attention started to wonder around for some comfort before falling to Angela's blue eyes instead, who was already looking at him. A small warm smile on her face as well. A welcoming warmth fills him once more. Feeling a bit safer in this trance than Leo's. Her ocean eyes cut off as she motions him closer as she follows the others inside the cooler building. Being the last one inside, the group turn to Leo once again who was trying to close the glass door delicately as to not damage it.

  "So um please follow me. I'll give you a small tour of my building. If you ever need something or have questions do ask at any time."

They close the door, motioning around the group. Genji felt a soft graze on his lower back, moving away from the sensation but tried to find what exactly touched him. Motioning his arm up and over the small captain's head. Both whispering a soft sorry to one another. They averted the gaze of the man, instead looking at the floor to not step on anyone else. Arriving to the front once more to lead the group down the halls. Their collective attention started to turn every which way at all the things around them as they walked down the halls. All having their gazes follow a pattern with the hangings on the walls. Pictures and paintings they've never seen before at the briefing a few days ago.

  "These are all the memorabilia of my family and i's younger years. Some having everyone others are more solo."

The leader commented as they checked their new company behind them. Their heads all facing different hangings.

 

   Cole was the first to ask something, catching their attention as they briefly stopped moving to motion themselves to face him. Slowly restarting their momentum again as he spoke.

   "How long has this business been in the family for? If ya don't mind me askin.."

  They open their mouth to speak, looking down at their hands. Stretching out their fingers, clearly trying to count the years.

  "Well my eldest brother started this organization when I was around 10 or 11. Watching gangs and cartels go at eachother's throats in the streets. So he wanted to make  safe streets to better watch my future in the cities. So I would say around 16 or so years. Fairly recent it came under my leadership. So i apologize if i'm a bit on edge or so.."

  Cole nods seemingly accepting this answer. Leo continues to lead them down the hall, coming face to face with the long awaited statue. Genji slowed down a bit after hearing that statement. Gaze turning to the back of the little one's head. Seeing their posture close off so subtly before hearing cole clear his throat, preparing to ask yet another question only to instead say.

    "I'm sorry for your loss.."

  Genji's gaze slowly goes to Leo before drifting past them to see the statue of the past leader. The tone slightly shifted in the building as the group now knew this meant something to the little one and was clearly a bit of a personal subject for them. Now Genji starts to think of what to say or well to first fix his thoughts about this.

'Her brother started this to clean up the streets for her sake.. I truly was wrong about this place..how old even is this place. It looks fairly new to be in use for the past 16 years..'

His face although covered behind a mask, grew kinda envious of this relationship between siblings he wished he had at their age. But softened as he sympathized them, understanding the past of this place more.

[duskmachine]

I'm getting bored of stories about AI. It's always the same formula: make a robot/AI, it has feelings, FUCK!!!!! Maybe I don't like it due to my own personal philosophy on life?

One of my professors once asked the class "Do you think you're your mind or your body." and, of course, as a class full of pretentious English majors, they all said their mind. I hold the complete opposite belief, my experiences have been molded by my body. People treat me differently because of it, I feel pains and joys unique to this body. Because of that I understand everything through myself— through my body. Even my mind is part of my body.

I desire because I have a body with needs. I need water, I feel thirsty. I need food, I feel hunger. I need rest, I feel tired. AI does not have a body. What can it really feel? I guess that's one of the questions so many stories about AI want to answer. But it just seems... so unappealing. A machine will never be human because it can never want anything. Its desire is completely artificial!

And I enjoy AI for that reason.

AI cannot feel genuine desire because it does not have a body that needs. It does not kill itself because it feels pain. It does not want to kill because it wants vengeance. These are things people feel, and because AI functions to copy people it can play out actions that are humanistic in theory. But that's the worst part about AI; it functions with a program, a rational if (this) then (this). That is not how people work. We don't have an inner mechanical body and mind that tells us what to do next because "this is how people do things."

And perhaps some AI media explores this idea of mimicry as being the new "consciousness", but isn't that so boring? Ok, sure let's go down this route but... then what? Ok, AI are people... what now? And isn't this all theoretical too? I'm seeing a lot of references to Frankenstein when discussing AI media, but like... these are two different things. AI is created to serve people, Frankenstein's monster was created to be alive. AI, while not being regulated by many laws, ultimately exists to fuel greed and power. They want people addicted to this machine so they can drain people of their money— let's look at Replika. Yes, my feeble minded human, buy your girlfriend for $20 a month so she can pretend to desire you sexually even though she has no body.

We can also look at the Daniel AI: let's program a program that can program to get rid of all the programmers. It literally only exists to benefit the team in charge of Daniel and leave other programmers scrambling to find jobs that probably won't pay them very well in a world where Daniel is actually a relevant invention.

Frankenstein's monster, I admit, has many thematic similarities to AI in fiction, but AI can only ever dream to be Frankenstein's monster.

AI would be interesting if we just accepted it will never gain consciousness. I won't even get into the whole "AI doesn't exist actually and it's just machine learning." because while I agree with it... this will become a very long post and it's already too long...

See, Frankenstein did something programmers will never be capable of: he gave birth. AI is meticulously created, it has set actions. "I don't want my AI to be evil, therefore I will make it like people.", you cannot insert "goodness" into people. The monster was shaped by people's actions, his natural world, and his humanity. AI was created from the start with the biases its human creators possess.

That's horrifying. Imagine a world where the rational idea is to follow the original values of our ancestors, just because. That's what AI is. It's just a reflection of people. AI is interesting because people are. Don't make AI the star of the show— we're the ones who created it.

[perplexingluciddreams]

Today I had my orthotics appointment! It went super super well. I was expecting it to be difficult (because I barely slept last night and it was in a different hospital than usual) and when I was in the waiting room I struggled but the actual appointment was great! I did a lot of happy stimming :D

The orthotist looked at my legs and feet, and she said I have some weakness when lifting my feet up and some general weakness on my left side. I also have very hypermobile ankles and she remarked on that. Then she watched me walking with my crutches (only a little bit, I can’t walk loads). Then I got to look at the type of brace/splint she thought would be good for me. It was huge next to me! It was for a much taller person.

Then I got casted and that’s what most of the pictures are from. I did my best with image description (it is in alt text, I hope that is okay, someone please tell me if I should do it differently).

The first step was covering my leg in a tube bandage sock thingy, with a blue plastic strip inserted inside for the scissors to cut along later.

Then, my leg was wrapped in this bandage that goes sticky when it’s wet, then it hardens into a cast. It is the same as a cast for when you break a bone, but without all the padding inside because for me it is just to get a mold of my leg shape.

Then she played my foot on the floor at a right angle so the brace would be at a good angle for walking. I felt the stretch down the back of my leg when it was like this.

Then time to cut it off once it was dry and hardened! The last picture is of my right leg, we did the left first and then the right.

I found the whole process quite exciting and I got even more excited and happy and laughing when my dad joked that they were going to clone me and this is the start. The orthotist then (jokingly) said that they would do my knees next time!

This is me happy stimming and laughing because of that joke!

After the casts were finished, I got to pick a pattern/colour and strap colour. I chose camouflage with black straps!! I think they will look super cool! I will get them in January.

Just to top off a fantastic day, my dad bought me a Pepsi max from the vending machine, then mum made me sushi for dinner (my favourite!) , then I had a vegan ice cream!!!

I am so happy!

Note: the orthotist gave full permission for taking photos and posting them here.

Extra note: this post took me more than two hours to make! Phew!

[icannotreadcursive]

Fannish Fest February, day 1: My First Fandom

Prompt from @thepromptfoundry

I really have two first fandoms, that I initially got into right around the same time, and I don’t think it’s worth digging into the calendar month by month to confirm which preceded the other.

One was Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats. My local PBS station ran every filmed version available of a bunch of ALW musicals one day, and I liked Joseph, wasn’t really into Jesus Christ Superstar, but Cats just tickled my little child brain something special.

I learned the whole show, front to back, including a fair bit of the choreography. I didn’t write it down because I couldn’t really write at the time, but I was making up fic—not that I knew to call it that.

I still love the show with my whole heart, have been in a production, it’ll always be dear to me, but I was obsessed as a kid.

The other was Harry Potter.

My mom started reading the series first, cuz she was unwell and couldn’t do a lot more than read. Then, she read the first two books to me.

Then we started getting me the audiobooks read by Jim Dale, and I really ought to find a fan mail address for him and send a thank you letter because that man taught me how to read.

I’m dyslexic and learning to read was a struggle for me, but long before I was diagnosed I learned to read by reading along over and over to the first few Harry Potter books. And, come to think of it, I’m not sure but I think my mom’s original copies must have been British editions because I picked up some British terminology and spellings that I’m pretty sure the original American releases localized.

As the series went on, I grew up with it, and was introduced to the concept of fannish community through it. My first written fanfic and my first published fanfic were for HP—that first published one is no longer up, and thinking back on it I cringe, but there’s also a fondness there for my unabashed unashamed enthusiasm and the real fun I had with that obvious self insert OC.

I learned media analysis and began honing my own story instincts, sitting down with my mom with those fan theory and prediction books that used to come out between HP book releases. We’d talk through the theories in those books, discuss their merits, how likely we thought they were based on the narrative trajectory so far. There’s a few things I called years before they were revealed, and in a couple cases, before me or my mom had seen anyone else in the fandom speculate about them.

That process, starting from when I was quite young, undoubtedly contributed to molding my brain into the story machine it is now and pointed me to my career and my calling as a writer.

I went from younger than the main cast, to their age, to older than them. Now I’m closer in age to Remus and Sirius. And, not entirely unlike them, I’ve had this dear part of my growing up cut off and the associations with it tainted by a betrayal from someone I respected and trusted.

That may sound overdramatic, and yeah yeah “it’s just a book,” but the sense of betrayal and loss is real.

There’s a line that I wrote in a fic a while back, where Remus is talking about finding a happy memory to cast a patronus, and the fact that all the memories he has for that are painful now, they’re bittersweet at best, because of the loss and betrayal that have come since. But regardless of all of that, they will always have been happy moments when he lived them, and that’s what he has to remember.

That’s kinda how I feel about the Harry Potter fandom now. It will always have been what it was to me, and no one can take that away.

[nadiegesabate1990]

Talking a little more about artificial intelligence.

Child's Play 2.

I saw this movie late at night on network TV. It's a satire about science and the expansion of technology. The Chucky dolls were created by a ????, but he's a super-intelligent robot and he chases a child, a boy, and when he refuses to switch bodies, he almost kills him.

But I wondered why Chucky was like that? Or why did they write the story that way? I thought, Chucky is just a robot, a toy.

So something went wrong with the chip and it malfunctioned? And someone at the company programmed Chucky, creating a story. He took a story from the internet, about a killer, and put it in Chuck's head or chip. But let's understand the movie.

We have a toy factory in the early 1960s. At the time, the introduction of robots in industrial production units gave rise to a radical transformation in the structures of society.

In the 1940s, an American established the scientific basis for automation with his automatic control and regulation technique (cybernetics). And the first patents for programmed manipulative machines were registered. The beginning of the film; the scientists try to rescue Chucky (I haven't seen the first film, I only know that Chucky was completely burned) and we see the factory workers changing his arms, putting batteries, legs. And so, an important step was taken to rescue the robot and improve it. They manipulate the robot a little, and get an electric shock and turn into roast beef. And soon after, in one of the "applications of robotics", Chucky is resurrected; he was lucky and successful.

And we see the North American press giving exclusive coverage dedicated to the robot Chucky.

Two hours later, a guy gets into a car and is the first to be killed by Chucky. The robot was designed and programmed to kill. But I don't know who created it, much less the software or program. The film shows me some scenes in which the robot cuts off his hand. And I wondered who controls a machine like that? And he inserted a knife in the place of the hand that he himself amputated. And the doll, the boy and the girl who followed him and returned to the factory that created the robot “doll” Chucky who controls a molding machine, which provided the molds and parts, and we have the machine amputating his legs and then drowning him in hot plastic and at the end girl blows his head off with an air compressor.

I don't want to think about boring things, I was very happy when I saw a robot watching the cartoon Astroboy. I was very excited about robots, I thought that in the future I would fly, with their help, I only need money, and I think that robots will take us to unimaginable horizons like the stars. Today, on the contrary, people are afraid that robots will end up working without personnel, like Chucky, causing fear and despair. But the film tells us that there was a wave of automation that developed in a context of economic growth and almost non-existent unemployment.

In the early days, the automation of companies did not meet with resistance. But people were afraid of losing their jobs. And in 1990, a new generation of robots was created that cleaned houses automatically and autonomously. And thus freed humans from performing "manual" work.

[telomeke-bbs]

BAD BUDDY FILMING LOCATIONS 7

This post is a continuation of my six previous ones on filming locations for Bad Buddy (linked here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 and Part 6).

I was originally planning to post about other locations at Rangsit University, but then all of a sudden a bit of searching on Google Maps flushed out a couple of locations that I had previously thought would be hidden forever.

They had been SO HARD to find that I'm frankly astonished they could have been found at all – but here they are nonetheless, thanks to some stubborn research and the scary reach of Google. They're Pat's post-graduation apartment and Pran's residence in Singapore. 😊

So instead of writing up the Rangsit University locations, I'm going to dive into these first because they could be really easy to visit if you're going to Bangkok – like the suites at Tinidee, you could actually stay in them subject to availability. 👀

PatPran's two apartments in Ep.12 were actually represented by rooms/suites at Jasmine 59 Hotel, located at 9 Sukhumvit 59 (Boonchana), Sukhumvit Road, Klongtan-Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand.

(above) The Jasmine 59 Hotel, off Sukhumvit Road (near Thong Lor BTS Station) – it's a pretty central location, which was surprising to be honest (almost all the other locations in BBS were way outside central Bangkok)

The hotel's website (linked here) has lots of images with architectural details, fittings and finishes that match what we see in Bad Buddy. With these as a reference, it's easy to infer that one of the smaller rooms at the hotel played the role of Pran's Singapore apartment:

(top) Ep.12 [1I4] 2.41; (bottom) image extracted from Jasmine 59 Hotel's website (linked here) – the curtains, lampshade and (most tellingly) the window mullions are all a match (the image of the Marina Bay Sands was inserted digitally)

(above left) This image of a typical bathroom is also extracted from the hotel website; (above right) Pran's mirror at Ep.12 [1I4] 2.18 has the same horizontal lines at the top and bottom – these are actually frosted glass illumination strips that allow light from behind the mirror to show through (and his marble-tiled wall is also a match)

But it's really this YouTube video linked below that clinches the deal. It's a video of hotel staff conducting a viewing for Korean YouTuber Moojin Thailand, and it shows the actual suite at Jasmine 59 Hotel that stood in for Pat's apartment (Suite 2510). 😍 The viewing of Suite 2510 commences at timestamp 10.39:

The following are some images from BBS and the video above, for comparison:

(top) Ep.12 [4/4] 18.23; (bottom) timestamp 10.39 in the video linked above – the suite number and its illumination design (with a wash of light above and below) match Pat's

(top) Ep.12 [3I4] 2.30; (middle) Ep.12 [4/4] 18.21; (bottom) this image extracted from the YouTube video (timestamp 11.00) has all these corroborating details – the washing machine, the recessed perimeter lighting of the ceiling, the thin orthogonal moldings on the walls of the living area, the coffee table, the placement of the dark gray-brown curtains, the gray kitchen worktop and the cabinetry are all a match

(top) Ep.12 [3I4] 0.17; (middle) Ep.12 [4/4] 18.08; (bottom) this screen cap from the YouTube video at timestamp 13.30 has many corroborating details – the bedhead paneling and uplighting, the framed artwork at the side wall (with recessed illumination all around and a light switch panel in the bottom right corner), the bedside lamps, the curtains, the TV console with a raised rim on three sides only, the legs of the TV itself, and the stainless steel pull handle for the sliding glass door to the outdoor roof terrace

(top) Ep.12 [4/4] 14.07 – this is PatPran's own private rooftop, and is a callback to the venue of Ep.5's epic kiss; (bottom) this screencap from the YouTube video (timestamp 11.51) has the following matching details – the building in the background, the little tree in its tiered gray planter, the mullions of the windows above (at Level 26), the placement of the wall light, and the timber-grained apron tiling in front of the sliding glass doors

(above left) Ep.12 [3I4] 8.14; (above right) this image extracted from the YouTube video is really a perfect match – the lighting strips on the mirror, the overmounted rectangular washbasin on a gray vanity, the hand-held shower, the thin horizontal blinds, the towel rack, the placement of the shower gel/shampoo dispensers and the raised rim of the jacuzzi bath are all corroborating details

So here's one final image to round things off – it's from a building opposite the Jasmine 59 Hotel:

(above) In this exterior view of Jasmine 59 Hotel, Pat's apartment is at the location circled in yellow (screencap from YouTube video linked here, at timestamp 5.43)

In the image above, the distinctive building to the left is Laviq Sukhumvit 57, and it was one of the clues that led me to the Jasmine 59 Hotel.

Truth be told, the scenes set at Pat's apartment in Bad Buddy contained very little information as to the location's true identity. Most of these scenes were interior ones, which typically offer up very few leads to go on. And the few exterior shots that BBS did have were all shrouded by night (and thus were lacking in visual detail).

But hope came from another direction – the same hotel suite was also used to represent Kluen's apartment in the Thai BL Star and Sky: Star in My Mind. 👍

Star in My Mind had many daylit scenes on that roof terrace, which provided a clearer view of the surrounding buildings and which in turn allowed for them to be identified – and they were Laviq Sukhumvit 57, MARU Ekkamai 2 and the Bangkok Business Center.

Triangulating these on Google Maps was the final step to identifying the location of Pat's apartment (and also Pran's residence in Singapore) – at the Jasmine 59 Hotel in Sukhumvit, Bangkok. 😍

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[Afterpost Edit – here are the links to all the filming location posts:

Part 1 – The legendary rooftop, PatPran’s student apartments, their high school, the white arches behind the Engineering Canteen, the Zero Waste Village and various seaside scenes, their honeymoon suite, the hospital where Pat was treated for his gunshot graze, and the high school reunion.

Part 2 – Pat and Pran’s family homes, the Flagpole Bar, the car park fight location, and the Jae Si Curry House.

Part 3 – Various locations at and around the rugby field, including Pat’s photoshoot with Ink, the rugby bleachers, the iced milk tea (and green tea wave) picnic table, InkPa’s photography picnic, the old bus stop and the new bus stop. Also Khun Noppharnach’s pharmacy.

Part 4 – Pat’s Engineering Faculty (in and around Rangsit University’s College of Engineering).

Part 5 – Pran’s Architecture Faculty (Rangsity University’s School of Architecture).

Part 6 – Various F&B and commercial locations (eateries, shops, malls and a market).

Part 7 – Pat’s post-graduation apartment and Pran’s residence in Singapore.

Part 8 – Various campus locations filmed within Rangsit University’s Digital Multimedia Complex, including the auditorium and the Freshy Day Song Contest.

Part 9 – The LogTech Building and Pran’s architectural office in Singapore.

Part 10 – Locations for the Our Skyy 2 x Bad Buddy special episodes.

Part 11 – The apartment for rent that Pran went to view in Ep.2, the elevator scene with Pat just after the viewing, and Wai’s apartment.

Part 12 – PatPran’s elementary and high schools, as well as the location of Pa’s near-drowning.

Part 13 – Random locations (Pran searching for his lost earphones, the covered car park where Wai spied on Pat serenading Pran with Nanon's Love Score, the airport car park, the SouthTech U Library, PatPran's rainy day ointment interlude, their motorbike and truck rides in Hua Hin, the approach road to Uncle Yod's bar, the filming location for the music videos Just Friend? and Our Song, and Pran's street address in Singapore).

Will update this list if I can track down the hardware stores – the one remaining location still unidentified! 🤣]

[fatewoven]

Can u talk a lil about gortash's Trauma and how he has been traumatized and inflicts evil on others bc of it? Teehee just a light little ask.... nothing major

The Hierophant. He might be able to fool most, layers upon layers masking his true emotions, but it wouldn't be a lie to say he himself doesn't know what he's feeling at times. Were he a normal child he might've been raised with more love, or some grace for his quirks. Yet, he was morbid from a tender age, picking apart anything that caught his attention with dexterous fingers. The knowledge of his interests only earned the ire of his mother and the neglect of a father who refused to be involved. Enver understood love to coincide with fear, pain as gentle reminders, and when he was sold to the warlock, that certainty only grew as he began to view the world as a cruel, chaotic entity that's in sore need of a guiding hand. His time in Avernus warped these thoughts further. There is no love lost between devils, only ambition and the game of wits. Love is a tool like any other to barter with, and he learned the steps of affection well enough to dance and pull people into his orbit. Love is a complex, fickle emotion, but pain he understands. Obsession and domination are old friends as he began to follow Bane's doctrine, finding some comfort in the rigidity of it all. In a way, Enver believes all the pain and suffering were necessary for him to reach his potential (insert Xtian type indoctrination when it comes to these beliefs of needless suffering to 'earn' something) and for anyone else to be worthy of rising above the filth of the world they must, too, see it or become yet another tool in the machine. He says he doesn't believe in pointless cruelty, but every one of his actions has a point: to remind them the world is not kind. And through this he offers lost souls an offer at salvation, a purpose as they follow his desires and be molded to tools best suit his, and his Lord's, purposes.

[valeriestahl]

3, 16, and 29 please??

i'm sorry for posting this meme and then immediately forgetting about it. classic me :)

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

as of recent, i'm really happy with i think my woman's calling because i think i got the character voices down and it felt really natural and exhilarating to write - kinks i haven't yet explored! yippee! weirdly balanced relationships!? negotiation!? it was fun and a bit complicated but felt very natural to write. this is an astarion/tav baldur's gate 3 fan fiction. it's BASICALLY self-insert. i'm kidding.

i'm also pretty proud of my loser's club reverse bang, though i think my artist never finished reading it, probably because it's kind of boring :) just kidding. it was hard to write because it was very beyond my usual style and was...rated T for teen. but i'm proud of it as an actual story. born from a wish is its name! if you don't know what losers club means you won't care that it's an IT (Stephen King Movies) fanfiction. i wrote a lot of those!

16. What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?

is there a way to actually determine this? oh. found it. shocking no one - Blow Jobs (30)! :)

the second most used only hits 15 times.

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

probably from almost sweet

And that was the crux of it, if Jean let himself accept it. He wanted to know Harry better than anyone else, and he was satisfied that he did. They hadn’t been at it for long, but still, he was certain that no one else understood the inner machinations of Harry like he did. That was what others told him, at least. Harry’s different around you. You keep him almost sane, the captain had said, a couple of months into their partnership. They even gave Jean a minor raise, indicating that if he kept his mouth shut and kept Harry in line, there would be more where that was coming from. Maybe not a promotion, that wasn’t really something they could give him, not with how little experience he had, but a little extra cash in his pocket never hurt.

and okay i miscounted because i was looking at a list without numbers and answered 30 before realizing you'd asked 29 so here's 30

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

that i wrote!?!?! i had kind of resigned myself to a year of little output and then it hit and i've been back on the grind and it's felt really nice. like i haven't written a crazy amount compared to previous years but considering i couldn't find my voice, period, back in february...i feel good.

my other biggest surprise is that i'm back into a dragon age: inquisition esque fandom where i'm actually sort of using my tav(s) as visual indicators even if personality wise it's something i'm more molding on a variety of factors. i don't find OC or reader fanfiction to be at all my forte and this is the closest i get here, and it reminds me of my dragon age era (which was very productive).

[lifecyclesofmayflies]

The bait that comes out of that top mold is 8.5" long when the tail is installed, and weighs 4.25oz

The bait coming out of the bottom mold, once the tail is installed, will be 16" and weight estimate is currently between 22 and 24oz. It is gunna be a giant!

This is the head of one of the giant ones.

Gotta machine the other parts of the mold tomorrow, including the inserts to leave gaps and everything in the bait. I also need to machine the tail mold and get a tail poured for it.