#TWH Respond

[lettalady]

20 Questions for Writers

Felt a little like rambling through some answers about writing and AO3. Feel free to play if you're up for it!

How many works do you have on AO3?

200 at the moment, though of those there are a few that are prompt challenge works because they were hardly enough to be considered a full story on their own.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

985,325 words and counting, which makes me want to pull the word counts from the various WIPs that haven't made it to AO3 yet but ♫ patience is a virtue ♫ (that I'm clearly struggling with at the moment).

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I've written for the Hiddleston, Evans, Brühl, Mikkelsen fandoms - and have a few WIPs that haven't made it to the point of being posted yet but are in development. (And always am open to prompts though I haven't posted anything about the word prompt challenge in awhile... hmm)

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

You've Only Just Arrived (actor!TWH) Unsettled (actor!TWH au) The Long Journey Home (TFATWS Baron Zemo/Sokovian reader/Bucky Barnes) A Turn of the Knife (Ransom Drysdale/ Knives Out prequel) Close Quarters (actor!TWH)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes. Nearly always and likely far too soon after they're posted. Comments are fantastic for learning what pieces of the work really resonated, or what needs to be amended going forward because it didn't land the way that was intended.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Where we've left off in Unsettled probably allows that story to claim the title (which arguably that story wins angstiest anyway), but standing alone I'd say there's a fair few oneshots that could qualify. If you consider snippets of What If, there's one from the LJH world that would win hands down, but I don't consider those snippets as full fics...

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Completed works - probably Lakeside or The Journalist (proper). Where we've left off in You've Only Just Arrived is setting us up for the happy ending that will inevitably occur.

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

I've had a couple comments that stemmed more from misunderstanding than seemed grounded in hate. It was easily clarified and the issue remedied (at least for the first thing that springs to mind).

9. Do you write smut?

Yup.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Haven't had the opportunity yet, but never say never.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes. Quite a shitty feeling when your work is posted without your consent. Please don't do that.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not to my knowledge.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

The Heart of a Villain (jaguar-villain!TWH)

14. What‘s your all-time favorite ship?

I very much enjoy creating [insert character here]/ reader (or original character) ships within various fandoms. My current favorite ship I'm working on isn't even posted yet, but head over heels for villain!Brühl. In terms of a ship I'll always love, though I haven't written for it, is Evelyn & Rick O'Connell from The Mummy (1999)/ The Mummy franchise.

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Never say never. I've had a few peter out from my attention being drawn elsewhere, but fully intend on going back and finishing out what I started.

16. What’re your writing strengths?

I'd estimate that when the dialogue flows it flows really well? When I reread that's what I tend to enjoy the most, along with the emotional connection to the characters. Then again, having lived in those worlds in order to write them... biased opinion. So very biased.

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

It varies fic to fic honestly. Sometimes the scene doesn't want to be described and it's like pulling teeth to get anything in there. I'd classify the umpteen ongoing WIPs as a weakness as well. The urge to chase the other characters, the other story, and let the ones active/in progress languish... it's something I'd like to improve on, at least.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I've used it as a storytelling element in a few works at this point. I tend towards including the translation in { brackets } for clarification - so long as the characters know the language they're speaking or overhearing. (And please please if you spot anything that's not correct I'm always open to amending the errors!)

19. First fandom you wrote for?

First ever isn't posted here, or to AO3 either. I doubt I'll ever pull the docs and notebooks together to transcribe the Backstreet Boys works - but I suppose never say never holds in that situation too. First that is here and AO3, after I gave myself permission to start writing again, is You've Only Just Arrived.

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Too difficult a question. There's too much of me in the words, in the characters. I love each of them for varying reasons.

[rage-cupcakes]

This is the circle I need squared, by the way.

It projects that electricity demand from data centres worldwide is set to more than double by 2030 to around 945 terawatt-hours (TWh), slightly more than the entire electricity consumption of Japan today. AI will be the most significant driver of this increase, with electricity demand from AI-optimised data centres projected to more than quadruple by 2030.

Like the only argument I've heard is that this is for training, not responding to prompts, and I gotta ask why you think the training costs should be excluded here.

ed zitron, a tech beat reporter, wrote an article about a recent paper that came out from goldman-sachs calling AI, in nicer terms, a grift. it is a really interesting article; hearing criticism from people who are not ignorant of the tech and have no reason to mince words is refreshing. it also brings up points and asks the right questions:

if AI is going to be a trillion dollar investment, what trillion dollar problem is it solving?

what does it mean when people say that AI will "get better"? what does that look like and how would it even be achieved? the article makes a point to debunk talking points about how all tech is misunderstood at first by pointing out that the tech it gets compared to the most, the internet and smartphones, were both created over the course of decades with roadmaps and clear goals. AI does not have this.

the american power grid straight up cannot handle the load required to run AI because it has not been meaningfully developed in decades. how are they going to overcome this hurdle (they aren't)?

people who are losing their jobs to this tech aren't being "replaced". they're just getting a taste of how little their managers care about their craft and how little they think of their consumer base. ai is not capable of replacing humans and there's no indication they ever will because...

all of these models use the same training data so now they're all giving the same wrong answers in the same voice. without massive and i mean EXPONENTIALLY MASSIVE troves of data to work with, they are pretty much as a standstill for any innovation they're imagining in their heads

[sunaleisocial]

Closing in on superconducting semiconductors

New Post has been published on https://sunalei.org/news/closing-in-on-superconducting-semiconductors/

Closing in on superconducting semiconductors

In 2023, about 4.4 percent (176 terawatt-hours) of total energy consumption in the United States was by data centers that are essential for processing large quantities of information. Of that 176 TWh, approximately 100 TWh (57 percent) was used by CPU and GPU equipment. Energy requirements have escalated substantially in the past decade and will only continue to grow, making the development of energy-efficient computing crucial. 

Superconducting electronics have arisen as a promising alternative for classical and quantum computing, although their full exploitation for high-end computing requires a dramatic reduction in the amount of wiring linking ambient temperature electronics and low-temperature superconducting circuits. To make systems that are both larger and more streamlined, replacing commonplace components such as semiconductors with superconducting versions could be of immense value. It’s a challenge that has captivated MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center senior research scientist Jagadeesh Moodera and his colleagues, who described a significant breakthrough in a recent Nature Electronics paper, “Efficient superconducting diodes and rectifiers for quantum circuitry.”

Moodera was working on a stubborn problem. One of the critical long-standing requirements is the need for the efficient conversion of AC currents into DC currents on a chip while operating at the extremely cold cryogenic temperatures required for superconductors to work efficiently. For example, in superconducting “energy-efficient rapid single flux quantum” (ERSFQ) circuits, the AC-to-DC issue is limiting ERSFQ scalability and preventing their use in larger circuits with higher complexities. To respond to this need, Moodera and his team created superconducting diode (SD)-based superconducting rectifiers — devices that can convert AC to DC on the same chip. These rectifiers would allow for the efficient delivery of the DC current necessary to operate superconducting classical and quantum processors.

Quantum computer circuits can only operate at temperatures close to 0 kelvins (absolute zero), and the way power is supplied must be carefully controlled to limit the effects of interference introduced by too much heat or electromagnetic noise. Most unwanted noise and heat come from the wires connecting cold quantum chips to room-temperature electronics. Instead, using superconducting rectifiers to convert AC currents into DC within a cryogenic environment reduces the number of wires, cutting down on heat and noise and enabling larger, more stable quantum systems.

In a 2023 experiment, Moodera and his co-authors developed SDs that are made of very thin layers of superconducting material that display nonreciprocal (or unidirectional) flow of current and could be the superconducting counterpart to standard semiconductors. Even though SDs have garnered significant attention, especially since 2020, up until this point the research has focused only on individual SDs for proof of concept. The group’s 2023 paper outlined how they created and refined a method by which SDs could be scaled for broader application. 

Now, by building a diode bridge circuit, they demonstrated the successful integration of four SDs and realized AC-to-DC rectification at cryogenic temperatures. 

The new approach described in their recent Nature Electronics paper will significantly cut down on the thermal and electromagnetic noise traveling from ambient into cryogenic circuitry, enabling cleaner operation. The SDs could also potentially serve as isolators/circulators, assisting in insulating qubit signals from external influence. The successful assimilation of multiple SDs into the first integrated SD circuit represents a key step toward making superconducting computing a commercial reality. 

“Our work opens the door to the arrival of highly energy-efficient, practical superconductivity-based supercomputers in the next few years,” says Moodera. “Moreover, we expect our research to enhance the qubit stability while boosting the quantum computing program, bringing its realization closer.” Given the multiple beneficial roles these components could play, Moodera and his team are already working toward the integration of such devices into actual superconducting logic circuits, including in dark matter detection circuits that are essential to the operation of experiments at CERN and LUX-ZEPLIN in at the Berkeley National Lab.

This work was partially funded by MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Advanced Concepts Committee, the U.S. National Science Foundation, U.S. Army Research Office, and U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

[unpluggedfinancial]

Bitcoin as the Global Economy's Decentralized Nervous System

Bitcoin is often compared to revolutionary technologies, but one of the most compelling analogies is that of a decentralized nervous system. Just like a biological nervous system processes signals and keeps the body functioning, Bitcoin processes transactions and helps shape the future of the financial landscape. This comparison provides a lens through which we can understand Bitcoin's structure, resilience, and role in the global economy.

A biological nervous system is a complex, distributed network that autonomously processes information and helps maintain balance within the body. It consists of neurons, which transmit signals, enabling quick responses to both internal and external stimuli. Importantly, the nervous system doesn't rely on a single central control point; rather, it is a system of connected parts working together, ensuring the body can adapt to changes efficiently.

Bitcoin operates in a manner strikingly similar to a nervous system. In the Bitcoin network, nodes are like neurons, each one storing and verifying transaction data. Miners are like processors, validating and adding new blocks to the blockchain—akin to how neurons transmit signals across the body. As of 2024, over 17,000 nodes participate globally, ensuring that the network remains independent, secure, and highly adaptive. Just as the nervous system responds to external stimuli to keep the body in balance, Bitcoin reacts to shifts in demand, regulations, and economic pressures, making it a resilient digital asset.

Decentralization and Resilience

Decentralization is a core strength of both biological and financial systems. In the nervous system, decentralization allows the body to respond to changes and stresses without over-reliance on a single control point. Similarly, Bitcoin's decentralized network is resilient to failures and censorship. No central authority controls Bitcoin, making it harder to manipulate or shut down. Like the body's ability to adapt through distributed nerve responses, Bitcoin's resilience comes from its widespread network of participants, ensuring no single point of failure can bring it down.

Bitcoin has demonstrated its resilience through multiple real-world economic events:

During the 2020 economic crisis, Bitcoin's price rose from $7,000 to over $29,000 as institutional investors sought inflation hedges.

The 2023 banking crisis saw Bitcoin surge as traditional banking stability was questioned.

When China banned mining in 2021, the network quickly adapted as hash power shifted to other regions.

Through the 2022-2023 crypto market downturn, Bitcoin's network continued to process blocks consistently, demonstrating remarkable stability.

Adaptive Mechanisms

The nervous system's ability to maintain homeostasis finds its parallel in Bitcoin's difficulty adjustment mechanism. Every 2,016 blocks (approximately two weeks), Bitcoin automatically adjusts its mining difficulty to maintain a consistent 10-minute block time. This self-regulation has proven remarkably effective: despite massive fluctuations in mining power—from small networks of CPUs to vast farms of specialized ASIC miners—Bitcoin has maintained its steady pulse of block production.

Challenges and Evolution

While the nervous system analogy is powerful, Bitcoin faces unique technological and societal challenges. The network's current capacity of 7 transactions per second (TPS) pales in comparison to Visa's theoretical 65,000 TPS. However, just as the nervous system evolved specialized pathways, Bitcoin is developing its own solutions:

Layer 2 networks like Lightning enable millions of instant micropayments.

Taproot upgrade improved privacy and smart contract capabilities.

Proposed soft forks could further enhance scalability while maintaining decentralization.

Energy consumption remains a significant consideration. Bitcoin's proof-of-work system currently uses approximately 130 TWh annually—comparable to Argentina's energy consumption. However, this has driven innovation in renewable energy adoption, with about 50% of Bitcoin mining now powered by renewable sources. This evolution mirrors how biological systems became more energy-efficient over millions of years.

The Future of Financial Networks

Bitcoin's decentralized structure makes it analogous to a global nervous system, highlighting its adaptability, resilience, and independence. As traditional financial systems grapple with digital transformation, Bitcoin's network effects continue to strengthen. With over 300 million users globally, its adoption follows patterns similar to other networked technologies, from telegraphs to the internet.

The network's continued evolution will likely see further development of:

More efficient consensus mechanisms.

Enhanced privacy features.

Improved scalability solutions.

Greater integration with traditional financial systems.

Understanding Bitcoin through the lens of biological systems helps us appreciate its fundamental characteristics: resilience, adaptability, and decentralization. As the global economy continues its digital transformation, Bitcoin's role as a decentralized financial network becomes increasingly relevant. The future will reveal how this digital nervous system adapts and evolves to meet the world's changing needs.

Take Action Towards Financial Independence

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[sequinsmile-x]

I don’t mean this as hate, I love your work so much and am super grateful for it 🥰 (and I know this is really my issue, I can just not engage with your work) but I kind of really loved that you weren’t a smut writer. You wrote amazing pieces of angst and fluff without having to rely on smut to hook people in (which imo is much harder to do). The point of this comment, I guess is to tell you I valued you so much without the smut and you’re more than that. Again no hate, I don’t mean any upset.

Hi anon,

I know you didn't mean to offend me with this, but it has upset me somewhat.

I have written 704,000 words of fanfic for this fandom. And that is actually just what is on my Ao3, there's about another 40,000 here on tumblr that has never made it over. Do you know how much of that almost 750k words (that I wrote for free) is smut? Less than 5,000.

I appreciate it's not everyone's cup of tea, which is why it's tagged, and as you pointed out yourself - you don't have to read it. But I wanted to try something new. I think it's fair to say we all know I'm never going to write explicit smut. I read it, don't get me wrong, but it's not something I see myself writing.

The use of the past tense saying I wrote amazing pieces of angst and fluff, and that you valued me without it, is what has upset me. I will still continue to write works without smut. I have 74 works on AO3, and ONE of them has smut. One.

My new fic will have it, but again it will form part of the story and, in my opinion, won't take away from it. It will add to their eventual love story, and form part of how they grow together. I'll tell you right now it won't be explicit. I rated the fic as 'M' because if in doubt, I always rate higher than it is, because it's my responsibility as a writer to make sure my readers know what they are getting into. It's actually more likely to count as 'T'.

Anyway, I hope you continue to enjoy my works (the ones without smut anyway) and I hope you understand where this response is coming from.

At the end of the day, I am someone who does this because:

a) writing is a hobby I can enjoy without being limited by my disability.

b) I love seeing people's reactions. It makes me happy. Usually.

I hope you have a nice rest of your day.

[draftmare]

Sydney is back on her meds “full time” and the super high dose of 30 mLs to boot. Vet wants me to do 5 days straight (started yesterday), and then every other day for a week before we re-asses. This is to treat both the bumps from the cancer, and to see if we can have a break through with this cough she has been fighting all summer after it didn’t respond to a super high dose of Zyrtec. We tried to start the high dose earlier in the week, and then Sydney gave us all a scare on Wednesday coming in and standing all wonky. Sometimes she just stands wonky, that’s part of her having PSSM, and is especially not unusual this time of year when the temps are getting chilly at night and warm during the day. However, her wonky stance is usually parking out like a TWH, and this time around she was rocked back like a horse with navicular…or founder…and you know what the side effect of a high dosage of dex is? Thankfully there was no heat, no pulse, and she was sound, but the vet decided that we would skip her dex dose that day. Which means we had to start all over with the 5 days as of yesterday.

Why do the best, most sweetest horses have all the issues? It’s just not fair.

[chaifootsteps]

Grug, when he chose to run away and hide: I watched everyone else die and this is the way I will keep my family from also dying horribly. TWH Hiccup: Well we won and no one died so bye Toothless! I have to stop being selfish. Or something.

THW has only the flimsiest notion of characters doing things as a response to other things that happen to them. I think there’s like...one moment, maybe two or three, where something happens and the characters respond in a reasonable, logical way. 

“Too many dragons? Bring in more dragons. Hunter sneaks in and burns down house? Leave home of seven generations and don’t use any of those thousand plus dragons to defend self. Win big battle easily and no one gets hurt? Send dragons away forever.”

It’s not even a rough draft, it’s scribbles in the margins of the rough draft.

[winterfrostlovetriangle]

Hayyy❤❤I have a request but if you don't want to write it it's really okay I know things are crazy right now but mabye the a fic were Tom is away for filming and the reader sends him a video of his daughter saying "dada" I just can't get it out of my head, love you and your writing ❤💞💞

Hi! Thank you so much for the ask! I thought it was adorable! I will admit I read your request wrong and realized it after the fic had been written. Also, I gave the daughter a name. I hope you still like it. 

Masterlist

A Light in the Dark

Finally, after 14 hours of filming, Tom found himself back in his rented apartment. He was in Los Angeles filming for his new movie, and the workdays were grueling. However, Tom adored his profession, even when it took him away from his family for long periods of time.

The mere thought of you brought a smile to his tired face as he lazily kicked off his shoes by the front door. You were the most amazing wife, never complaining too much when he was away for months at a time. You both knew what you were getting into when you got married. You were always supportive and he considered you a saint for putting up with his way of life. Tom knew you didn’t like it when he was gone for too long, but he also knew that you would never want him to give up what he’s worked so hard for. 

Checking his watch, Tom realized he had just enough time to make a cup of tea. Once settled on the couch, he set up his laptop for Skype, he’d been looking forward to this all day. He sipped his tea and waited for your icon to pop up. Your smiling face finally lit up the screen, and he immediately returned it with one of his own.

“Hello, darling. I miss you.”

You studied Tom for a minute before responding. “Hello, love. I miss you too. How are you? Eating well? Sleeping at all? 

Your rambling earned a small chuckle from your husband. “I’m alright. Just tired.” He cut you off before you could continue. “How are things?”

You caught Tom up on all the news from home and he shared a few stories from filming. He tried his best to keep from yawning, but finally, he couldn’t help but let out a large one. Smiling sympathetically, you blew him a kiss. Tom caught it and put it to his lips. You stared at each other for a moment, your eyes suddenly brightened. 

“Oh, stay right there,” you told him, hurrying away. You came back on camera carrying your six-month-old daughter. 

Tom’s smile widened when you sat down. 

“We learned a new word today. Alright, baby girl. Who is that?” You bounced her a little bit and pointed to the computer. 

Rosie smiled and gurgled, but didn’t say anything. Tom laughed and waved. 

“Hello, princess.”

You huffed slightly, “She’s been saying it all day. Come on, monkey. Let’s try it again.” You pointed at the screen again. “Who’s that?”Tom made a funny face causing your daughter to giggle. “It’s okay, darling. I-”

“Dada!” 

Your husband looked shocked, and you could tell he was trying not to cry. 

“What’d she say?” He looked at Rosie. “Who am I, love?”

The little girl laughed again and clapped her hands. “Dada.”

You cheered and clapped her hands. “Yay, that’s my girl.”

Tom grinned from ear to ear and wiped his eyes. You picked up your phone and typed something in. Tom’s phone dinged a minute later. He looked down and then back at you curiously.

“Check it later,” you told him. “Alright, my darling husband. Go get some sleep. We’ll see you soon.” You picked up Rosie’s hand and waved to Tom. “Say bye, Daddy.” 

“Bye, baby. I’ll see you later.” He waves at her and blows a kiss to you. Good night, darling. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Later that night, you got a text from Tom, thanking you for your video of Rosie saying “Dada” multiple times, with a big toothless smile on her face, You responded back with a heart. Tom watched the video over and over again until he fell asleep with a smile on his face. He couldn’t wait to get back home to his family.

Thank you to my beta @fortheloveoflamp

#tomhiddleston #fluff #tomhiddlestonxreader #tomhiddlestonxdaughter #twh #request

[madmaudlingoes]

The Wild Hunt is doing an informal, non-statistical survey about American Pagans and voting. They’re not asking for any identifying personal information or which candidate you’re voting for. Witches and pagans might be interested in responding!

[yespolkadotkitty]

I am not too proud to participate in the 1000 Celebration! Here is my request: Pairing with Himself, TWH, of course, and here is my opening sentence: “She still felt self conscious about her height (of lack thereof) in comparison to Tom—she couldn’t see how being a full foot shorter than he was an attractive feature to a man who literally and figuratively stood head and shoulders above the crowd.” And go! I can’t wait to see what you create! Smut is lovely but not required. PS & no pressure

She still felt self conscious about her height (of lack thereof) in comparison to Tom—she couldn’t see how being a full foot shorter than he was an attractive feature to a man who literally and figuratively stood head and shoulders above the crowd.

Whenever she brought it up, Tom chuckled. “Have you never heard that the best things come in small packages?”

And she would grumble that he  only said that because he’d never experienced being called names like “half-pint.” And then he responded by cataloging every thing he loved about her, including her  petite stature. Sometimes he accompanied this by removing her clothes at the same time, whispering poetry across the landscape of her skin, his breath gentle, his words urgent. And often when she curled into his long, lean body, when he gathered her close and held her, and her head fit so perfectly into the curve of his shoulder, she felt that being short was perhaps not so bad after all.

[lettalady]

November Notes & Nothings - leather

[ I figure I’ve spiraled out of simply posting TWH things for these drabbles (and gotten thrown head first into a marvel moment) so why not play with something from the latest installment of WISH? ]

Frustrated doesn’t even begin to cover it. 

They had how many years and a patient teacher. You’re stuck with a crash course in control from the pair of them, and have just about had it with their endless bickering - and the kids gloves they refuse to remove. The most you can say for either of them is that they don’t let you wallow in a failed attempt at what they’ve taught you for long. 

It’s when Loki repeatedly stops you from following a particular thread, which is the best way you’ve got to describe the feeling of the magic you’re pulling from him, by overloading you, that you snap. It’s not even that it temporarily makes your nerves scream, or that you sometimes stumble. It’s that he gets this look on his face, every time. Like he’s laughing. 

“Stop -“ you’re nearly shaking as you jab your pointer and middle fingers into his chest, stabbing at him with those darkened fingertips of yours, “using me. For your. Entertainment!”

Loki tips his head, unblinking in response to your anger, “Careful, my agent.” 

Careful. Careful!? You grind your teeth, remembering all too well what typically happens when he adopts such a manner. It makes you pause, your jaw clamped shut, but only for a fraction of a moment. That self-satisfied smirk ghosting across his lips makes you snarl right back at him in return, “Fuck careful. And fuck this.” 

You barely glance at Thor as you turn, disgusted with the pair of them. They can keep right on bickering. You need air. 

Aiming for the doorway to the room and whatever lay beyond, you continue ranting, mostly because for the life of you you can’t figure out how to stop, “Fuck all of it. I--”

Loki’s leather clad arm stalls your forward progress, snaking around your midsection, causing your upper body to lurch with the sudden block. His other arm slides into place and you feel yourself being hauled off your feet, your attempt to walk away from him forcibly stalled. He takes a few exaggerated steps, rocking the pair of you as he drags you away from the hallway, away from the doorway, away from Thor. Where he’s headed, or if he’s just attempting to corner you again to trap you in preparation for further argument, you hardly care. 

Fuck arguing. Fuck being manipulated. You writhe against him, trying to find purchase again, trying to find your way free of the steel bands wrapped around your waist. 

“Stop.” He snaps, his body jerking in conjunction with the word. 

You don’t listen. You refuse. Enough. Enough. If you could just peel yourself away, even for a second. 

Even trying to elbow him in the chest has no effect. “Fuck you!” 

“Fuck me?” He takes another jarring step before setting you down, maintaining one arm firmly around you while quickly using the other snare the arm you’d just used to try to wedge yourself away from him.

No more elbows to the torso for the time being. You’re slightly out of breath for trying to struggle for your freedom. He’s also breathing hard, but you suspect not for the same reasons. Once again he’s enjoying this. He’s playing games, even in the face of your fury. “Let me go, damn you. Let go of me.” 

You feel his body twitch as he shakes his head, though you can’t see the motion. His voice comes again, closer to your ear. “No. I’m trying to help you.”

“Help.” You snort out a hard laugh. Keeping you braced against him like this?  “How is this helping?” 

He he adjusts his grip to find your wrist and then dig into your palm. He wants to force you to open your fist? You try start to writhe against him anew, not that it does you any good. He shifts his stance with every motion, reclaiming every bit of space you win, keeping you locked against him.

“Look. Look!” 

You shake your head, refusing his insistence. You know what your fingertips look like now. The blue-black smudges that marred your fingertips are hard to forget. And then there’s the few digits of the hand he’s trying to pry open - the darkness starting to creep down your nail bed. He’ll wind up breaking your fingers if he’s not careful.

“This does not control you.”

“Neither do you.” You fire back.

You feel him shift his jaw against yours before he lifts you off your feet again. He’s headed towards the side of the room. Good. As soon as he draws close enough you can use the wall to your advantage -- kick off it and hopefully throw him off balance enough to gain your freedom again.

Guessing your mind, Loki leans forward to force your feet down, half-dragging-half-turning you backwards to get you close enough to face the wall without having room or time to kick out. Damn him. As he continues to wrench your fist open he pulls your arm out, reaching until your knuckles hit the unforgiving surface. 

He means for you to cooperate. Far from gentle, he presses hard on the back of your hand, on your bent digits, trying to get you to splay the evidence of what’s happening to you on the wall beneath his hand. “Stop. Fighting. Me.” 

“No!” 

Your joints ache, protesting to the pressure he’s applying, the way you’re being forced to shift your weight forward onto your hand and into the wall. “Go ahead,” you growl. You don’t want to look at your hand but he’s not leaving you much option. It’s painful enough without watching in fascination as he threatens to crush it. How far will he go? How far will the bones, the joints, allow this to go before yielding, popping, rendering your hand useless? “Do it. Push harder.” 

Taunting him now is stupid, so very stupid, but you can’t help yourself. 

He gives your midsection a squeeze, using his chest to jar your arm, timing it with a jerk of his hand - all of it jarring two of your fingers straight beneath his hand. “Stop it,” he hisses, “or I will.” 

He will? Promises, promises. Yet another threat, another attempted manipulation. Yep, that’s the perfect way to get you to do what he wants. “Then do it, asshole.” 

Loki leans against you as he responds, your hand screaming from the additional pressure that results and pulling an unintentional whimper from you, a low snarl almost bitten into your ear, “You will stop calling me that.” 

A white hot pain rockets through your hand, traveling up your arm and momentarily blinding you. Bastard! He’s done it? You called his bluff one time too many and - you give your head a little sea-sick shake, finally relaxing within his grip. You swallow, blinking the tears away and force yourself to look at the damage of your stubbornness.

Your five fingers are dispersed beneath his -  not broken, you realize as a tingling pain brings feeling back to your hand, but each slightly more blue than they were before. The darkness that had once simply dusted your fingertips is now up to the first knuckle on each finger.

He used a shock of raw power to do what he wanted. To get his way. Again. 

[fandomwtightsunderneath]

Ragnarok 4D | TWH

Summary: During James Corden’s 4D debut of Thor: Ragnarok, Tom doesn’t realize that his girlfriend is in the audience.

A/N: If you guys haven’t seen James Corden’s Thor: Ragnarok 4D, PLEASE GO CHECK IT OUT. It is TOOOOOOOOOO funny. There are SOME Ragnarok spoilers, please be aware.

Word Count: 1766

[Y/N] couldn’t contain her excitement. She had kissed Tom goodbye earlier that night, telling him that she was going to go out for girl’s night. She knew that he had been exhausted from the Press Tour for Ragnarok and that if she had asked he would have accompanied her, but he had one more interview scheduled for that evening.

What she didn’t tell him was that she was sneaking out with her best friend to an early screening of Thor: Ragnarok. Not that she didn’t want to tell him what she was doing, but more so so she could fangirl over her favorite Tom character, Loki.

When she finally met up with her best friend, they couldn’t help but notice more security at the theater than usual. They were checking everyone’s IDs, they were checking everyone’s bag, they were insisting that everyone’s phones where turned off and put away.

[Y/N] scoffed at the idea of having her phone out during a movie. “Why would anyone have their phone out during a movie?”

“I know right?! Having your phone out during a movie just plain rude.” Her friend, [Y/B/F], agreed.

Pausing only for a moment to hand over the tickets to the ticket checker, “plus… pirating is stealing!” [Y/N] continued.

“Spoken like a true actor! You already know what some of the movie secrets are.” [Y/B/F] nudged her slightly. It was true, [Y/N] did already know some of Marvel’s secrets, considering the fact that she had been casted to play a part in the next Thor movie. (A/N: NOT IW COMPLIANT)

“I think pirating are less about the plot and more about the hot pieces of ass that cover the screen! It’s not like everyone gets to go home to the real thing, [Y/N].” [Y/B/F] teased.

Finally walking through the theater to find their seats, [Y/N] couldn’t help but smile and blush. When she had been called back into the studio for a costumed audition, she hadn’t accounted for the script read to be done with Tom Hiddleston.

She was even more shocked when Tom had asked her on a date. The rest had been history, but the mere mention of Tom had [Y/N] blushing.

The two of them had been over the moon in love with each other.

The lights in the theater began to dim, signalling the beginning of the movie. (A/N: I know there are like 15 minutes of trailers, but for the story’s sake I’m omitting it - even though trailers are the best part of the movie-going experience)

Just as the studio production logos came on screen, the film roll stopped. Everyone in the theater began to murmur in concern. Suddenly James Corden’s face popped up.

“Hello everyone… this is TV’s James Corden. Now you’re probably wondering, ‘what happened to the movie I was just watching, Thor: Ragnarok?’. But what you don’t realize is that… you have purchased a ticket… to the future. Ladies and gentlemen… live on stage, it’s television’s James Corden.” Everyone began to go crazy at the mere sight of James walking up.

[Y/N]’s face broke out in confusion. “Wasn’t Tom suppose to have an interview with this guy tonight?” [Y/B/F] questioned.

“Yeah… I’m so confused right now.”

James began explaining how instead of the movie being played as usual, the audience was going to get a special viewing. Even as the crowd began to clap awkwardly, James smiled through it.

His eyes quickly scanned over the crowd, before landing on [Y/N]. She had already interviewed with the crazy brit once or twice before, during the cameo stages of her Marvel films contract. James almost beamed at her before raising his finger to his lips in a silencing manner. Nodding her head, [Y/N] understood - something was about to happen and he didn’t want her to speak out just yet.

As the crew hands began to set up the tiny makeshift stage, [Y/N] could feel her heart race in anticipation.

“Once upon a time… on the planet of Asgard lived Thor, the God of Thunder, who wielded his trusty hammer…” James read from his book.

Suddenly the audience broke out in cheers, [Y/N] and her friend whipped their heads in the direction of person joining James on stage. [Y/N] couldn’t stop the laugh that ripped through her when she saw Chris run out in a poorly made costume.

As Chris began flexing and posing with Mjolnir, a camera testimonial played on the movie screen.

“OMG. [Y/N] IT’S ACTUALLY HEMSWORTH! YOU NEED TO INTRODUCE ME!” [Y/B/F] gripped onto [Y/N]’s arm.

As the crowd calmed down a bit James continued, “Thor fought alongside his brother, Loki, the God of Mischief.” [Y/N] could have sworn she saw James throw a wink in her direction.

[Y/N] found breathing a bit more difficult. Then Tom emerged, just as poorly dressed as Chris. As “Loki” came out, Tom’s testimonial played.

[Y/N]’s face broke out in the largest smile imaginable. “OMG! [Y/N], did you know that he was going to be here tonight?”

“No! Of course not! I thought it was going to be James’ usual trolling interview! I should have known James was going to step up the trolling.” [Y/N] laughed. James caught her eye again, giving her a mocking bow.

James continued with his production of Thor: Ragnarok. Everyone in the theater ABSOLUTELY loving it.

When “Loki” whipped his hair, causing the wig to fall off, [Y/N] found herself falling out of her seat laughing.

Even through terrible costumes and wigs, simple backgrounds and props, hilarious camera testimonials, and horrendous acting, the crowd could NOT get enough of Thor: Ragnarok 4D.

After the cast took their bows, and James pushed everyone aside to take his dramatic bow, James announced that the cast was sticking around to answer some fan questions.

“That was the best thing I’ve ever seen! I can’t even right now…” [Y/N]’s friend pretended to faint in her seat.

The audience didn’t seem to mind at all that their movie experience was ruined, they reveled in the fact that they could see the actors in action.

James moved the set around so there were chairs for everyone - even though they were all still in costume. [Y/N] quickly noted that James had purposely left a chair open right next to Tom.

The audience took turns shouting out questions, before one particular question caught [Y/N]’s attention, “this questions is about the next Thor movie. I know you guys aren’t allowed to disclose too much, but what can we expect in terms of Loki? I mean he’s a changed character now!”

Tom chuckled slightly before picking up his mic, “well it’s always refreshing to hear that the fans have picked up on Loki’s growth as a character. Yeah, he’s no longer the same prince who feels like he’s entitled anymore. He’s just happy now that he’s considered his brother’s equal. As for the next movie there will be something big happening in his future.” He had answered as vaguely as he could.

“Does this have anything to do with [Y/N]’s character? We know that she’s been cameoed in a few movies already.” The same fan countered.

[Y/N] could feel her friend elbowing her.

Before Chris or Tom could answer, James jumped in, “it’s so interesting that you mention [Y/N]…” Tom’s eyes lit up a bit at the mention of his girlfriend.

“I’m so sorry Tom… We truly didn’t plan this…” James giggled. (A/N: James doesn’t chuckle, he doesn’t laugh… James Corden fucking giggles)

Tom was about to question him when the spotlight suddenly lit up where [Y/N] was sitting. Giving him a pathetic wave, the crowd cheered. [Y/B/F] began shoving [Y/N] out of her chair, and pushing her in the direction of the stage.

[Y/N] could see Tom shaking his head while smiling. Speaking into the mic as [Y/N] approached the stage, “oh no… no no no… please don’t say you just watched that performance.”

One of the crew handed [Y/N] her own mic. “I’m sorry my love….” she responded with a giggle.

“Ladies and gentlemen! [Y/N] [Y/L/N]! For those of you who don’t know… [Y/N] has had a few cameos in some of the Marvel movies. AND she is Tom Hiddleston’s girlfriend!” James introduced.

Someone in the back of the room yelled out, “WE KNOW! THEY ARE OUR OTP!” Everyone broke out laughing, even the cast.

James couldn’t help himself, “if [Y/N] and Tom are the OTP, then believe me when I say it… Chris and Mark were their biggest shippers.” The pair of them couldn’t help but nod their heads in agreement.

“Hi everyone!” [Y/N] waved as she took her seat next to Tom.

“That’s why you left an open chair next to me!” Tom exclaimed looking at James.

“If it’s any consolation, mate. I didn’t know she was going to be in the audience. I only found out right after I walked out in stage.” The audience laughed at the tv host.

“You told me, you were going out with your friends!” Tom said taking her hand into his. (Insert crowd ‘awwwwwww’ing)

[Y/N] pointed out [Y/B/F] who waved at Tom, “I was going out… I wanted to watch Ragnarok. You know how Loki is my favorite.” (Insert another ‘awwww’)

Chris spoke up, “Loki’s your favorite [Y/N]? You wound me!”

Mark couldn’t help but chime in, “yeah…. Loki? What about the STRONGEST Avenger?” (A/N: LOL… Ragnarok killed me with that)

[Y/N] peered at the pair of them, “nope. Sorry boys. I love a man who has amazing wig work.” She couldn’t help but laugh again at Tom’s faulty wig.

Tom brought your hand up to his lips, gracing your knuckles with a soft kiss. The crowd began to roar in excitement.

When the crowd calmed back down the same fan spoke up, “so… [Y/N]’s character?”

[Y/N] smiled apologetically, “yes… sorry. Got so caught up in this whirlwind of a performance.” she jabbed lightly at James.

“My character meant to play a larger part in Loki’s development. Sigyn is going to remind him to stay grounded.” [Y/N] replied, remembering the face of professionalism.

“Sigyn? As in Loki’s wife, Sigyn?” Someone in the oppose corner shouted.

Tom was quick to respond, “we can not confirm nor deny that.”

But before they could react Tom slipped into Loki. He stood - whipping his hair and pulled [Y/N] to him, “but I will say this, mortals. A Prince could never become King without a Queen at his side.”

The crowd broke into a frenzy while Tom and [Y/N] shared a knowing look.

[jorvikzelda]

Yeah. We shouldn't be looking at the increased number of horses as a sign of rushing either, because they've actually hired more horse artists - Esme said in a stream sometime during fall/winter 2022 i think that there are currently four (though earlier this year one was injured and couldn't work, not sure about their status now).

I think one thing that might be beneficial is the horse artists working on horses all together rather than one person making the entire breed. There's a pretty large difference now between different artists' styles - compare Lisa's 2022 horses (Paso Fino, Belgian) with Nomi's 2022 horses (Appaloosa, Haflinger, TWH) with the third artist's 2022 horses (Welsh, Shire). Those breeds were made in pretty drastically different and easily discernible styles, both in animation and in texturing (even though I'm fairly certain the people animating the horses are not the horse artists themselves - I do believe there are different animation teams that work with each artist but I'm not entirely clear on that situation). I'm not sure how that would work with workloads etc and since they all do have such different styles it might not work out well, but I think if they at least gave each other feedback and responded to the others' feedback on their horses it would smooth out the differences in style and give each horse at least part of everybody's biggest strengths.

esme silverforce: "horse production isn't rushed, they all have the same production time and we even add more time if needed"

so... its an art direction problem, when horses dont look quite finished or something is off. not a staff being rushed problem. just in case anyone is interested in the word from the horse's mouth

(solution: having solid art direction and guiding any less experienced artists towards a result that matches the quality and style intended. the feedback should come more from the internal art director and senior artists than from players) (hire me sse i will fix your company)

[thewritershelpers]

Hi, how are you doing? I'm writing a story about a kidnapping but I'm planning on having some Stockholm Syndrome involved with it. Do you have any tips on writing a character gaining Stockholm Syndrome?

I don’t know if you’re ready to hear this but: Stockholm Syndrome is not a term recognized by the APA, as in, a large portion of trained psychologists don’t see it as a real phenomenon or as a particularly valid one (American Psychological Association) ((The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 121,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. This doesn’t make it perfect but it is often an excellent source for psychological questions/issues.)) (((you know APA style, for citations and stuff? Yeah, that came from them)))

Yeah, I said that. You want to know why? Because the majority of what people think is Stockholm Syndrome is thanks to a lot of media and very little science. Let me tell you a story: an escaped convict decides to rob a bank, take a few hostages, and demand the release of a buddy. The police in Stockholm, Sweden, say nope, we’ll outwait you (and/or potentially risk the hostages’ well-being). This lasts for 6 days, and when 1 of the 4 hostages is on the phone with the Prime Minister, she quite literally says “I fully trust [convict]...I am not desperate. They haven’t done a thing to us. On the contrary, they have been very nice. But, you know, Olof, what I am scared of is that the police will attack and cause us to die.”

Yeah, she said that. She was one of three women being held hostage, with one man. They all shared accounts of their captor being kind and consoling, despite the fact that, y’know...he had caused all this.

Fast forward to the next year, as people are reporting on it and studying it, and you’ve got a (male) psychologist associating their reactions and relationship with their captor to what is commonly seen in “victims of the shock of war”. The term Stockholm Syndrome is coined, more or less in an attempt to understand why 3 women and 1 man might be more amicable towards their captor (who treated them well) than the police who endangered their lives during the entire ordeal. 

“The hostages’ seemingly irrational attachment to their captors perplexed the public and the police, who even investigated whether Enmark had plotted the robbery with Olofsson. The captives were confused, too. The day following her release, Oldgren asked a psychiatrist, “Is there something wrong with me? Why don’t I hate them?”” continues the article from History.com.

SO long story short: what you think you know to be Stockholm Syndrome is almost undoubtedly inaccurate and fictional. Their reaction is most definitely not normal, but it was not also some crazy captive-love-induced phenomenon. That idea came into being later on with a couple different abduction stories I’m not going to get into.

What most psychologists do relate Stockholm Syndrome to most is the experience of POWs who begin to associate their well-being with their captors not being as bad as they could have been. It has to do with a captor threatening their life and then deciding not to hurt/kill them, which sparks an overwhelming sense of gratitude and attachment. Is it inherently romantic? For the most part, nope. 

So, if you’re writing a character with elements of Stockholm Syndrome, what you want to keep in mind is this: there needs to be a real, valid threat from the captor/abductor. They have to have all the control and power in this situation. They then, for whatever reason, decide not to enact that threat. Whoever has been captured must FIRST experience gratitude, gratitude born from a survival instinct, not a romantic one. After all, it’s basically an abusive relationship that starts off obviously, glaringly wrong; “Victims live in enforced dependence and interpret rare or small acts of kindness in the midst of horrible conditions as good treatment. They often become hypervigilant to the needs and demands of their captors, making psychological links between the captors’ happiness and their own” according to Encyclopedia Britannica. And then, what really cinches it as “Stockholm Syndrome” is the negative attitude towards the “rescuers” or authorities that threaten the balance of the captive-captor experience. 

I hope that helps and didn’t rock your boat too much. With this understanding of Stockholm Syndrome, you kind of have to ask--is Beauty and the Best actually an example of it? I would personally argue that Tangled, and the relationship between Rapunzel and Mother Gothel, has more accurate elements of Stockholm Syndrome, if only because of the power imbalance there that doesn’t exactly exist with Belle and the Beast. But that’s a post for another day.

-S