#Temporal Boost

[fierykitten2]

I opened a new tab that’s being held at the top of my tabs collection and me being me I now have to close a tab too so everything else stays in line. I was looking at my tabs to see what I could close and I noticed the preview for Temporal Boost on AO3 had the stuff that’s normally red be blue while the preview for Adventures in the Pokémon Universe on AO3 was the normal colours so I went to investigate and not only did AO3 log me out even though I’ve used it recently (to read fanfic, sorry I haven’t updated in a while) but

Why are they saying they could have adult content? Okay it’s probably because of the “Graphic Depictions Of Violence” warnings I put on them for *thinks about them for a bit* Crown getting badly damaged off-screen and Falcon and Samus throwing each other in a heated fight (bearing in mind that’s probably the darkest either of them get I can probably remove the warnings. Look I didn’t know what counted and for AitPU I think I assumed that one moment was enough to give it a warning about violence)

[intemporalities]

Tag Dump Part 4

Yeah. I need a 4th part of this. Ahahahaha. Help.

[gamerwoman3d]

A Land Before Time

🔞 An MK1 x Reader 🔞

▸ includes: Liu Kang [mk1 versions] F! Reader◂

Author's Note: This was based on a sex dream that I had, that I feel @genesiswrld SHOULD have had, because Liu Kang is hot but Bi-Han is my squishy. Not saying the dream was wasted on me, just that it was misplaced 😆

Female anatomy used.

Imagine for a moment that this New Era is real, and the existence that you're currently living is also real, and contains the New Era inside it as a game - but you find a technical way through the use of coding and quantum tech, to enter Liu Kang's New Era, “cool world” style, as something of a god/goddess.

Because you live in our shared reality, the one in which the game was created, you can in fact “code” the New Era into anything you like, within reason. But you have to get past the guardian. Liu Kang and Geras are gods there. But here, they are just characters, with Geras also partially functioning as a type of uncrackable password manager/encryption software. You can give your own self all sorts of powers to take into the New Era; but you can't change the core game unless you can get past Geras and Liu Kang.

You would either need their permission, or you'd have to force/brute force them to comply.

You can literally step from our world into the New Era and live there, immortal, with godlike power. And you do that. You use the code and give yourself the boosts you think you'll need to defend yourself if necessary.

Because you have the capacity to travel to any physical point in the timeline, as well as any temporal point in the timeline, you choose something you think will be easy to start. A time with fewer enemies, a time that you wanted to see in your own world, once.

🔞 Spicy/Explicit after the cut 🔞

When you first stepped through the portal into the New Era, the pristine sands beneath your feet were deliciously toasty. You could not help but to remove your footwear and sink your toes into the sand. The air here is pure, and filled with the strange buzz of unseen insects in the distance. The soft swirl of sand in the hourglass before you quieted. Without the hiss of sand, an absence of familiar noises from your past life became distinct; no motorcars, no hum of electronics, no trace of people, and a distinct lack of birdsong.

If you peer into the reflection of the hourglass over Liu Kang’s shoulder, you can see glimpses of early six-limbed proto-vaternians being gently guided into evolution in a neighboring realm. Liu loses his concentration on the sands as he sees you. Nothing devastating happens in the universe in that instance; there is simply a pause in the work.

Liu Kang knows immediately that you are not supposed to be here, standing before him and the hourglass.

He knows because he has not yet created humans.

Outside of the very meticulously kept garden that surrounds the hourglass, dinosaurs still rule this earth. Even birds have yet to grace the planet.

“How are you here? Or perhaps I should ask, are you truly here? Is it possible that even gods can still have dreams, or hallucinations?”

You tell him you are from a timeline before his own. You are older than his entire universe, older than Kronika, than Geras, older than the hourglass. And while you yourself did not create his universe, you were alive at the time it was conceived[1].

You tell him you shared a planet with, and walked among, the beings that created his universe. His universe is based on what your people knew of their own universe. Your feedback may or may not have influenced these creators; but you have some access to their same power of creation, and have come to use the hourglass to enhance his universe for yourself.

You came prepared to fight if necessary. Liu Kang would be very particular over who has access to the hourglass.

You may even fight a few rounds if you're curious to test your code enhancements - at least until he understands that you do have the power to control parts of his universe already, and the power to defeat him if he made it necessary. Through the encounter, he learns that you aren't lying about being from an even older timeline responsible for creating the hourglass.

But whatever it is that you want to change about the New Era, he likely won't let you without a fresh fight. And another fresh fight, and another, for every single little change you think you could want.

“We don't have to fight. We can compromise.”

For Liu Kang, it has been a lonesome existence, living out the creation of the new era in solitude. Geras can offer Liu Kang company in much the same way as an AI Assistant bot can offer a human company. But you know the depths of loneliness must be unbearable for a creator who is utterly alone in the universe across all of time. You know this, because even in your own world, the mythologies of all creator gods often began with the creation of people.

Even the gods of your own reality were so unbearably lonesome that they, in myth, created all of your ancestors, either for companionship or worship.

Your offer of company is accepted graciously, the moment he understands that you won't be withholding your companionship to exchange for the powers of the hourglass. But to settle conflicts over what happens in the hourglass, you both have an idea.

Gambling, games, and wagers. But instead of betting on who will win a physical fight between you both, you gamble on which of you can bring the other the most pleasure.

You're both seated in the zen garden, where the tropical heat has warmed the sand. Sheets of some soft fabrics are laid out in a manner similar to beach towels, allowing you both to walk and sit without burning your thighs or disturbing much of the sand.

He has a very smug “I know I've already won” look on his face the moment you suggested a contest based on sexual pleasure instead of kombat. You might think billions of years of being pent up would give you an advantage over him, but it doesn't; your customized form in this new era was generated anew when you stepped through the portal into his era. This particular body has yet to experience such pleasure at all, and will react, on a neurochemical level, at its most basic “code,” reacting the same as it would if falling in love for the first time. It will, in a nutshell, intoxicate you with want and pleasure, as if you yourself had never experienced it before.

But you didn't realize this. Your overconfidence proved your ignorance.

“You decide the winner. I trust your judgment will be fair. Or at least I don't trust my own judgment call to be unbiased,” you say.

Liu Kang smiles.

“A designated judge will be unnecessary,” he says, "I am certain we will both agree on who has won the challenge.”

He looks off in the distance before continuing.

“I would appreciate it though if we could choose some less intimate positions, at least at first. I'm still not over the grief of losing my dearest friend, and my beloved. I'm not sure how I might react, looking into the face of another, knowing I shall never have these moments with her. It isn't that I don't realize the finality of her destruction; but giving this kind of pleasure to another is a turning point that I may never be ready for.”

You slide closer to him and caress his shoulder, enough for him to feel your inner warmth.

“Grief is made of the same stuff as love. It's just the love-stuff that's leftover with nowhere to go,” you say.

He lays his head on your shoulder, pulls your hand to his cheek and tilts his face into it. Peace painted across the features of his face as he melted into your touch. His relaxation left you with an indescribable euphoria that deepened with each breath.

“Thank you for saying so. I feel more comfortable now, knowing that you understand,” he says.

“And I'm glad you said something. I like it when you tell me what you want. We can do this however you like. After all, this is a kontest for providing pleasure; not receiving it,” you said.

“Buy you will be receiving it,” he gloated, “and I shall be providing as much as you can possibly stand.”

“Ooh,” you teased, “Promises, promises! Hah, I like it. I feel good about you taking the lead, if you would?”

“Of course,” he said.

As he smiled up at the heavens, he closed his eyes and bit his lip. His eyes squeezed hard enough that the apples of his cheeks warped around the outline of his eyes. He took a deep breath that sounded as if he swallowed an antagonistic laugh.

“You aren't allowed to hate me when I show you how easy this is,” he said.

He turned his body towards yours, guided your body into facing away. You removed just enough clothing to feel his touch, to not hinder him from penetrating you if he chose. The fabric that you left over the top of your glistening pussy was delightfully thin and stretchy enough to move to the side in a pinch.

You spread yourself face down across the sheets of fabric. The warm sand below the soft fabric gave way, cushioned your ribs, and pressed its warmth up into your breasts.

He crawled on top. His weight on you pressed you slightly deeper into the fabric-covered sand. The heat and weight of his muscular legs across the backs of your thighs alone was enough to make you crave completion. But then, his clothed erection pressed against the cleft of your pussy until your slit pinched around the thin fabric. He slotted himself into the fold of fabric and held you there, wedged between the hot sand and his heated, immovable body. You squirmed into him, only to discover that you couldn't move if you wanted to, with your legs pinned to the sand.

You turned your face to the side to look over your shoulder at him. He wore a smug expression as he looked down at you.

You could feel your clit throbbing against… the hot sand? or his shaft. You could not tell. Both were equally firm and toasty.

He was hard. Slotted against the fabric, he nudged his erection firmly against you, the head nestling between your folds to swipe against your clit. His breath deepend, you could feel the air from his nostrils against your neck, just below the ear.

Against your back, you could feel his chest expand and cinch with each breath. You were caught in heat, trapped between his muscles and the sand. You liked this, being at his mercy. He rested his chin on your shoulder and huffed, resting his entire weight on you as he hunched. The cock knocking repeatedly against your throbbing clit had you squirming, whining, whimpering as you held your squeals of pleasure in. He ran one hot palm along your side. He caressed and groped your glute before freeing his cock from its cage of fabric. He hooked a finger around the strip of stretchy fabric above your mound and slipped it to the side.

The bare cockhead slipped between the fabric and your clit. Liu Kang let the fabric snap back into place, catching against the bottom of his shaft. Your pleasure built up as he rolled his hips and frotted against you, fucking the gap between your panties and your clit.

You balled your fists, grabbing handfuls of sand through the fabric sheets. He repositioned slightly so that you could feel the wet swiping of his heated cockhead against your clit more intensely. Your fingers came undone from the fabric and all ten digits splayed out in a fan shape as your quiet whimpers suddenly broke into a muffled outcry of pleasure.

His hands found yours. He covered the tops of your hands with his palms and threaded his fingers between yours, gripping each hand with interlaced fingers. You felt the tips of his fingers curl past the webbing between your digits to press against the insides of your palms. He pressed your hands, and his, to the sand, to pin them where he wanted them - where you could push back into him, but not escape. Not that you'd want to.

Your skin tingled anywhere he touched it, and the skin where the pads of his fingers glanced against the inside of your palm, threaded along the webbing of your fingers, was exceptionally sensitive in a way that made you feel safe, loved, cared for deeply, and connected.

The warm weight of his body on yours made you feel safe, while the cock massaged between your pussy lips. His thrusts massaged them open without penetration until you could feel every fiber of yourself unwinding, melting into the sand.

You looked back at him, only to see that he was still gazing at the side of your face, waiting for you to open your eye. His smug, slight smile never left his visage. He squeezed your hands with a pleasant pressure, as if he were wringing them out. You realized in that moment that you were swollen inside, and quivering at the entrance.

Then he stops moving, intentionally. You feel him, all over you, weighing you down, trapping you in the imprint of fabric in the hot sand. You feel your heavy, puffy cunt lips throbbing against his stationary cockhead. You're sensitive as fuck. Even your heartbeat rocks your clit against his cock too much.

He breathes. He breathes out through his nose, his gentle panting breath trickles underneath your ear, down your neck. His chin follows, as he rests it in the crook of your neck with his jaw at your shoulder. His skin just feels like skin, yet you're electrified by it. You're so sensitive in your new form. He could stay like this all day. You cannot. He knows. You know he knows.

You know because when you look at him, his unchanging, stoic “I told you so” smirk is so purposefully calm, that you could consider it antagonistic. Even just this look he gave you had you dripping wet for him, to say nothing of the thick smooth, hot cockhead nestled against your clit, or the warm shaft that your heavy, fevered wet pussy lips spread themselves over. You give a defeated cry of pleasure and gave in. You tap out against the sand, to tell him he's already won, and he responds by firming up his grip on your hands and moving in for the kill. He devours your neck as he nudges your clit around and fucks you, alternating between the two activities until you cum beneath him.

Your orgasm does not slow him down. He slips his cockhead against the fluttering entrance of your cunt and pauses, as if testing something, as if something changed. The slick hole winks against him and he sinks inside to stay.

“You're so creamy after you've cum,” he purred.

His cock feels amazing, warm and firm and deep, exploring inside you. He pressed it past a spot inside you where the pressure feels so good that you feel you might die unless it, that spot in particular, is beat to hell. He pressed past it, but drew back, stroking slower and deliberate against this inner spot. You felt a sudden dying urge to feel him hammer his cock into this weak spot inside you. The change in your whimpers gave you away.

“This little spot right here is particularly velvety,” he said, “it's just gooey… no. Buttery. Right here.”

He let his cockhead glide against the spot in several slow deliberate strokes for emphasis. You groaned brokenly into the sand and bucked back into him. You had chills. You had goosebumps even on the hot sand. He held and pinned your elbows to your sides. Your nipples stood erect beneath you, the tips ground into the fabric as you bucked backward into him. He paused, held you down, let you rock and buck until the fit of passion washed over you, and you could still yourself. He didn't shush you. He just pulled back until his cockhead hovered a hair away from that sweet spot and he waited for you to collect yourself. You caught your shuddering breath, but couldn't look at him without feeling like you might cum again. You looked, and groaned deep. He acknowledged your desperation.

“I'm going to start fucking that velvety, buttery spot now,” he whispered toward your ear, “I do not know when I'll stop.

Scream if you need to. I've yet to create a single person that could hear you.”

His cock pinpointed that part within you that most yearned for it the instant he buried it in you. He pressed himself against it and wrung you out. You felt it as your own cum for him seeped out, dribbled down onto the fabric and soaked through the fabric into the sand.

Every stroke is devastating. You're loud as fuck and no one else can hear it. The skies open up and it rains on the two of you, mostly upon his back. Judging by his gentle moans, the rain itself seems to give him pleasure as the droplets hiss against his back, only to turn into steam. You could swear that you're causing it, that this rain is your rain. Suddenly you are cumming because it is raining, and it is raining because you have cum. When your palms tremble, he re-interlaces his fingers with yours to squeeze your hands in his, wringing you out, wringing out your anxiety, wringing out your pleasure, and possibly wringing out the very act of rain itself from the sky above. You couldn’t explain it, but somehow you knew.

You became the rain. And the rain became you. The rain became a goddess, and the goddess was you. The wetter he made you, the more the world flooded. He had no intention of going easy, but you found yourself clenching, squeezing, sucking him in, working yourself against his body as he worked you apart with his.

“That's it,” he huffed, “now, you're getting it.”

His breath grew ragged.

He said, “Rain.”

You nodded, not fully understanding.

“Rain on me,” he said.

Your eyes widened. He knew. You knew he knew. Rain pummeled your bodies in a deluge as you felt, not just the tension of your body snap, but the tension of your sudden ascent to godhood burst into creation, almost as a miniature version of the big bang. Untold energies from deep within your soul burst forth and spread out in all directions, spreading your power throughout all the realms, both giving you power over all the rains in the entire universe, and giving the entire universe the gift of your rains.

But you couldn't focus on the sensation of becoming a god, as Liu Kang fucked another blinding orgasm from you. This time, his composure cracked, and he came screaming with you in tandem, hot against you, his inner flame temporarily quenched by the deluge of your pleasure. The two of you thrashed against each other with abandon, riding out your pleasure together, before collapsing boneless into the soaked fabric atop the muddying sands.

The rains subsided gradually as the two of you caught your breath. You moved to roll over, and Liu rolled off of you onto his rain-soaked back. He closed his eyes and let the pitter-patter of the rain wash over his body, cooling him, turning to steam in the air around you both. You rolled onto your back beside him, then onto your side to drape yourself around him.

“Wow,” you said between heavy breaths.

“...Yeah,” he replied, still panting.

When you caught enough of your breath to speak full sentences, you could only think to ask one question.

“Did you just make me a fucking rain goddess?” You asked.

He nodded and laughed.

“You didn't think I'd let the first hot sex in my new era be mediocre,” he said.

“Holy fuck though,” you said.

‘Literally?” he teased.

“Okay yeah literally, but I'm starting to think I won that one,” you said.

He just closed his eyes and smiled.

“Okay wise guy, who won?”

He bit his lip and jerked his thumbs towards his chest, gesturing to himself.

“Ugh. You're impossible. Round two!” You demanded.

“You're losing this one too,” he said.

He rolled on top of you and peppered you with kisses. He promised you a second round, and a third - if you survived the second.

But first he needed to check progress in the hourglass. You peered into it with him and saw proto-vaternians in their pre-paleolithic era. A group of them surrounded a cairn, upon which sat a strange skull decorated with stones and feathers. You asked Liu Kang what it was; he told you it was a representation of you. You were the very first art, the very first goddess. You were the first to collect worship and be created in such a manner. You arrived in the new era just in time. The ancestors of the Vaternians had just created and worshiped their first god, which happened now to be you.

Had it not been for your intervention, Liu Kang would have been forced to grant this worship to the one you knew as Rain.

[To be continued.]

[Need more MK1 smut? Check the pin 📌]

[Need more Liu Kang smut? Check the Choose Your Own Adventure, below!]

[christian-oc-tournament]

Please vote based on the picture AND the description!

Cassidia Reynolds [Shades of War @evelynmlewis]

Cass is (initially) a 17 year old girl who has been homeschooled and lives in the countryside on a farm. All her life she went out to the forest and there she met her friends the Sylphs who are actually faelike angelic spirits of the forest that live in the trees and take the forms of various types of animals. One day Cass has a vision prophesying the fall of Telel, and when this happens the Sylphs show her that she must help save Telel by finding a powerful magic weapon called the Heart. Cass runs away from home after being dismissed by her parents and laughed off by the army. That is only the beginning of Cass's story; she is very immature at first. She later gets a boyfriend, and puts the fate of the world in jeopardy trying to protect him. After this her relationship with the Sylphs is strained when they tell her that she needs to break up with him in order to fulfill her destiny and ultimate fate to save the planet and restore the power of the Heart. This leads her to pursuing her destiny in her own way, (basically in rebellion to God) and she ends up becoming an unreliable prophetess out of fear of losing her boyfriend, and mucking some things up by the middle of book 2.

Christopher [Ragunoe @scribbly-bear]

Christopher is a teenager living in a world with magic, his magic allows him to drain a small amount of "essence" so to speak, from people to temporally strengthen himself. He and his younger sister were adopted by a couple, however he was able to figure out that they had only really adopted him because it would be cruel to separate him from his sister. He eventually explodes at his parents about it when they suggest he goes to a school summer camp event. He claims they're just trying to get rid of him. The conversation ends with Christopher storming out of the room. He consents to going to the summer camp. On the way there, the bus crashed and kills Christopher. He becomes a ghost born of hatred and revenge. He kills his parents and manipulates his sister. Together they use Christopher's magic (now boosted on by being a ghost and an evil ancestor) to drain power from all the worlds to resurrect him.

[pinkestmenace]

Edit: Expanded reference sheet

WOOOO! Done just in time! @kirbyoctournament

Name: Olympea, the Pummeling Peacekeeper

Gender: She-himbo, She/Her

Age: Never ask a woman her age! (She's an adult.)

Occupation: Warrior/Hero of Yore

Species: Puffball/Starborn/Star Child/whatever the Kirby species is called.

Uh-oh, due to a temporal anomaly the Hero of Yore Olympea suddenly finds herself transported alive and well from Ancient Halcandra to the Kirby OC tournament! She doesn't know what's going on, but she'll roll with the punches and treat it like a fun dream vacation of sorts. She does like meeting all sorts of new people and trying new foods, weapons and technology. She'll have so many stories to tell her friends when she returns! It's probably for the best if she doesn't learn what disaster befell the four heroes in the regular timeline, though...

Some ground rules, just in case:

I would love seeing people's OC's interact with her! Asking Olympea questions is okay, but this is not an ask blog/rp blog and I'm not looking for extended roleplay. I may not answer your question. If I see potential for an interesting interaction I may draw it, but I can't promise anything. (Keep in mind if I don't respond right away -> 1: I'm timid and get anxious easily. 2: I may not have figured out that part of her story/the history of Ancient Halcandra yet. 3: The answer would have contained a spoiler for my fics. 4: I'm very slow at drawing.)

I'm joining this tournament for fun, so thank you for understanding!

Propaganda and Answered Asks:

Arrival

Found cupcake!

Ask (giant cupcake): quanblovk

Ask (kettlebell): graycoin

Ask (pet rock): anonymous

Ask (punching): anonymous

Bonus: Punch!

Ask (green bean): maybeher0

Ask (fic canonicity): anonymous

Propaganda/gift art for my competitor: zeros-witness and Rimuri

Ask (unexpected cursed hands): morp

Off to the loser's bracket

'Tis pride month! Thou knowest what that meaneth.

Bonus: Rock Rider Olympea

Weatherproof outfits

Grillmeisters

Overview:

While she's not very big, intellectual or attuned to magic, she is unbeatably chipper and physically strong. She loves fighting and gleefully uses a variety of lovely accessories/weapons like a giant club, enchanted glaive, magitech gauntlets, etc. Her left glove allows her to access a dimensional storage. Teases hard, punches even harder. Actually quite feminine when off the clock. Loves magitech gadgets a lot. Doesn't think science or magic is better, because their society needs both. She's definitely not insecure about her height. She'd also never conjure a giant squeaky hammer to bop you over the head if you call her short.

Likes: Vegetables, Nectar, Trying new foods, The colour green, Flowers, Butterflies and moths, Pretty/cool/badass women, Her club, Brass knuckles, Tinkering, New gadgets, Teasing her friends, Seeing a certain winged magenta knight open up and feel genuine joy

Dislikes: Being mistaken for a child, Being called stupid, Stuck-up people, Seeing her friends being hurt, Strangers flicking her antennae, How much dust and scales her wings leave behind

Abilities: Able to fly. Very physically strong. Innately has access to Suplex and Hammer, but mainly uses her trusty club. Her boots and gauntlets let her emulate elements of Hi-jump, Laser and Mecha. (The boosted jump, laser finger guns and palm blasts, respectively.)

Weaknesses: Can't fly quickly. Stubby little arms limit her great strength with little reach. Distractable and a little naive. Can't resist eating strange and exotic snacks no matter the source. Seeing cute girls (she HAS to show off).

Fighting Style:

Her gauntlets are good for punching and the palms can release blasts of energy as well. They're mainly so she can hold large weapons well, since her actual hands aren't very big.

Her moth wings aren't very big either, so while she can normally fly and can still break her fall when she's armoured, she prefers to zip around close to the ground. It's often faster and easier to run and jump when she's fighting. Especially when she's wielding her heavy club. Her boots help her boost and maneuver quickly.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that because she prefers close range combat and isn't proficient with magic she can't attack at a distance. Her gauntlets possess finger laser guns and she can use her left glove (which she also wears under her gauntlet) to access her weapon hoard at all times. Who knows what else she keeps in there?

Even her civilian outfit isn't harmless. She still has access to her innate Suplex and Hammer abilities, after all. And those shoes have steel toes! Of course, the platform heels are just to keep her delicate wings from scraping across the ground when folded. No other reasons. (Like being taller.)

Design Thoughts:

Olympea is the first of the Heroes of Yore who came to me. I was thinking about how to describe the Heroes of Yore and knew I wanted at least one to be a woman. Suddenly her name resounded through my head! Then I just started associating. Olympea sounds like Olympics, so she must be strong. Pea calls to mind small, round and green, so what if she's (mostly) the same species as Galacta Knight? Peas are famous for research on genetics and alleles, so what if she was born, not formed like him? Maybe she doesn't have a lot of magical affinity. Then she needs weapons. Pea, peace, pea shooters, peas in a pod, peacemaker, pea-smacker. Let's give her a hammer, no, a club! She's strong, so what if she packs a punch? How about some gauntlets for punching? She can have a gun, wait, let's put the gun (pea shooter!) in her gauntlet's finger! She needs storage for her weapon hoard (girl needs to accessorise!) so what if her enchanted gauntlets let her access dimensional storage (peas in a pod)? Hmmm, does she have wings? There's a bug called a pea moth, so she has moth wings now. Her ponytail is twisted like a dried pea pod and not-so-coincidentally looks a bit like a cocoon when down and a boxing glove while up in a bun.

I maaay have gone completely overboard with the whole pea thing, but such is life. Although there is a bit of Hammer Lord in there as well. She doesn't hate magic, she just doesn't have a lot of affinity for it. She does enjoy tinkering and building weapons. This is how she ended up relying mostly on technology instead of magic.

She's not a knight and has no mask, because while many people depict all adult puffballs as masked knights (probably influenced by the Star Warriors from the K:RBAY anime) I personally don't think this has to be universal for their kind. How sad it would be if all they were destined for was fighting! ...And then I made her a warrior anyway. Oh well.

[jellyfosh]

Yo redemption squad do y’all ever just wanna go fucking apeshit like AHHHHASHDHJEHJSBVJSGFJSBFHSNCHDKDHSJSHCNNSHCNSN NDNCNENNVBSNCHDDNHVJDGCNDHDNFGDNDNMHFJFVHMFHFJFHFJFHFJFHFNVHFHFHFHHDGFHDFGFH

There are times where they did end up going Ape shit but with good reasons. It involve saving the CG or when they’re in desperate measures good reasons.

Dark’s subconscious will automatically go to muscle memory of who he used to be when Alan made him to Kill Chosen. There, his temporally powers are activated with full intent giving him back The Dark Lord for a while.

Chosen will release all restraint of his powers and go how he was when he at first escaped Alan and went on a internet rampage. I’d feel like if Chosen didn’t hold himself back, his powers increase its danger. Addition to his emotions, his fire from normal heat will turn to pure hot blue.

Navy will go on full rage mode Gladiator style. Complete abandon and full on savagery. To the point his prosthetic will show his tattoos and his powers are temporally boosted. (Had a little trouble on this part but just focus on the tattoos and not the arm)

Mango however wont go back as KING in his Ape shit. However that doesn’t mean he wont go easy. He’ll go ape shit in his own way and style, He wont become who he was. But he’ll give you a bad time. Starting by SUMMONING A ENDERTITANN!!! (It was suppose to be an Enderman but end up looking like a Titan instead, but that still counts.)

[1perplexed1]

Ignore how 80% of my posts are komahina for a sec

I like insane Komahina, in the sense that both sides and one-sided is cool too. So lemme rant for a sec

Realistically speaking, Nagito’s mindset is already unstable and corrupted. Because of his trauma and constant luck cycle, as well as his body being a literal ticking bomb, of course the guy wouldn’t think about anything other than expecting his life to go south easily.

If we talk about komahina where Hajime is the Ultimate Everything, I wouldn’t be surprised if in a universe, Nagito is weirdly possessive, wanting to cling onto the one person who cancels out his bad luck, technically? Of course he’d want to keep that to himself, he’s greedy and still selfish. His frontotemporal dementia being a part of that because it reflects on his personality (out of pocket statements or comments, lack of second thoughts, lack of general empathy, conflicting opinions/ideas, etc.), because it does affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain (“Many possible symptoms can result, including unusual behaviors, emotional problems, trouble communicating, difficulty with work, or difficulty with walking” -https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/frontotemporal-disorders/what-are-frontotemporal-disorders-causes-symptoms-and-treatment#:~:text=Frontotemporal%20disorders%20(FTD)%2C%20sometimes,work%2C%20or%20difficulty%20with%20walking)

Hajime on the other hand, you’d think the guy wouldn’t care for someone so predictable, but those two conflicting personalities would lead to obsession in a way. Hajime would constantly argue whether he cares about Nagito (Hajime) or finds it pointless to waste his time on him (Izuru), because Hajime and Izuru are technically the same person, not just split personalities (Same body, same brain, locked away memories and lack of emotional reactions make him seem like a different person but it’s technically still him with a few blockages and boosts), so constantly thinking about him and Nagito constantly clinging to him would create some sort of problem, with Hajime either growing annoyed with Nagito’s constant clinging and continuous thoughts about him, or just really obsessive on him, and Nagito never wanting to let go of Hajime in desperation for a normal life

[i-never-forgot]

inches closer while staring at you with big, sopping wet eyes... what would your goobers think of my goobers...

Immediate ProtectivenessTM. More children for Momiana to adopt.

Lu in particular would take a shine to them because he sees a lot of himself in both of them, and their closeness to each other reminds him of his relationship with Eliana - especially how protective they are of each other. He sees a bit of his temperamental streak in Gaia, so he tries to help him find ways to manage it a little better so he can keep a cool head in tense situations; and he also sees his timid streak in Salem, so he encourages them where he can to try to boost their self-esteem so they can stand on their feet a little more assuredly.

If it ever came up, Eliana would feel for Gaia's conflict regarding Grovyle revealing their inevitable disappearance after restoring Temporal Tower. She struggled with it more in the realm of having to admit it to Lu (which she didn't outright - she hinted at it while they made their way up the spire, told him how much she cared about and appreciated him for everything he did for her, and he took it as a just in case they both didn't make it type confession so he reciprocated) rather than Gaia's point of view of being forced to fulfill a promise he didn't remember making, but that line of thinking did cross Eliana's mind. She would still make that sacrifice to restore the future even with her amnesia, but she wondered what she had done to be stuck in that position in the first place. It's not until she regains her memory that she's fully able to reconcile that "misfortune" into "destiny" (in the context of her dedicating herself to the task no matter what happened to her in the process rather than "fate").

Eliana, like Lu, tries to prop up Salem, although it's more in a playful and affectionate manner rather than meditative/introspective. Teasing them just a little to rile them up and to feel more comfortable speaking up for and defending themselves.

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

Do Gallifryans/Time Lords have a similar chromosome structure as us humans? Are there any vast differences? I'd imagine they have at least double the chromosomes we have, or perhaps don't even have pairs, rather groups of three (e.g. XYZ) or something alike.

Chromosomal Structure

🧬 Gallifreyan Chromosomes + triple helix

Unlike a human's double-stranded DNA, we know that Gallifreyans rock a triple helix with 69 chromosomes arranged in three sets of 23. This triad structure introduces a level of genetic complexity that includes basic abilities related to time phenomena and psionic capabilities.

🌌 Rassilon's Strand

However, Time Lords take it up a notch. Upon completing their education at the Time Academy, Gallifreyans undergo a transformative exposure to the Eye of Harmony's time energies, integrating what we'll term as 'Rassilon’s Strand' into their genetic makeup. This is what makes a Time Lord.

This fourth strand provides the following abilities:

More stable regenerations: Slightly less worry about turning into a sentient cactus or something.

Time sense boost: Like becoming a living clock.

TARDIS BFFs: This strand is why they can bond with their TARDISes. Without it, time travel would be a no-go.

Matrix connection: Keeps you constantly logged into Gallifreyan Ancestral Memory Facebook.

🔬 Detecting and inheritance

You can't just spot this extra DNA strand with regular equipment - you need some fancy temporal scanning tech to see it. It's a form of temporal encoding, where the genetic information transcends physical structures and resonates with time itself. Plus, because it's artificially added and 'earned', 'Rassilon’s Strand' isn't passed down through genetic inheritance/normal reproduction.

🏫 So ...

So, in short, Gallifreyan/Time Lord DNA is like the deluxe edition of genetics. More complex, more strands, and packed with stuff that make time travel a genetic obligation.

Hope that helped! 😃

→🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (WIP) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine/Monitoring Guides →📝Source list (WIP)

-------------------------------------------------------

》📫Got a question / submission? 》😆Jokes |🫀Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts 》📚Complete list of Q+A 》📜Masterpost If you like what GIL does, please consider buying a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious for future projects, including complete biology and language guides.

[anonymousewrites]

Portal to My Heart (Book 3) Chapter Eight

Loki x Reader

Chapter Eight: To the World Fair

Summary: Loki, Mobius, and (Y/N) head to Chicago to try to find Renslayer and find someone far more surprising.

            “Loom status elevated,” reported the computer.

            Casey sighed from in front of it and put his head in his hands.

            “So we can’t get into the controls of the loom?” said (Y/N), crossing her arms.

            “Without He Who Remains’ temporal aura, I don’t know,” said Ouroboros.

            “Can’t you hack it?” said Loki.

            “I’m flattered that you think so,” said (Y/N). “But I haven’t had the time to completely get a handle on the TVA’s technology, especially since time is such a weird thing to monitor. It’s completely different from other data media.” She sighed. “And He Who Remains is a little bit smarter than me. A little bit.”

            “Well, he is thousands of years old,” said Mobius encouragingly.

            “Focus,” said B-15. “How much time do we have?”

            “It’s stable right now, but the branches Dox pruned are growing back,” said Ouroboros. “So if we can’t get in there and increase the diameter of the Loom’s intake ring enough to boost the throughout multiplier and clear that knot of unrefined time—”

            “Wait a second, wait a second,” said Loki. “Simplify that.”

            “Too much time is going through a small area. We need to make the area bigger. We do that by widening the diameter of the rings on the Loom,” said (Y/N). “It’s not used to having so many timelines passing through.”

            “Ah,” said Loki, nodding alongside Mobius.

            “And if we don’t, then the Loom will fail. And the TVA’ll be destroyed,” said Ouroboros. “And we’re all gonna die.”

            “There has to be another way,” said Loki, not exactly liking that idea.

            “No. We’re all gonna die still,” said Ouroboros.

            “No one’s gonna die,” said B-15 to keep the group from spiraling. “There has to be a viable option.”

            “What about Miss Minutes? Can she open up access to the Loom?” asked Casey.

            “Conceivably,” said Ouroboros. “She has administrator access to the entire TVA.”

            “She can have access to the whole universe,” sighed Mobius. “But she’s gone AWOL, and how are we gonna find a little rogue cartoon clock that doesn’t want to be found?”

            “Not to mention she worked with He Who Remains so she definitely doesn’t like Loki and I,” said (Y/N).

            The blast doors on the TVA creaked ominously as the Loom rumbled with pressure.

            “One issue at a time,” said Loki. “We find Miss Minutes first before anything else.”

            “We know Miss Minutes sent information to Renslayer,” said (Y/N). “She could be with her.”

            Casey nodded. “Here are the two Tempad hits on the trace.”

            “We find Renslayer; we find Miss Minutes,” said Loki.

            “That’s gonna be an awkward reunion,” said Mobius. “Face-to-face with the woman who tried to kill all three of us.”

            “Well, maybe she got it out of her system. Let’s focus on that cartoon clock,” said Loki.

            “And if she hasn’t, I’m down to fight her,” said (Y/N).

l

            Loki, Mobius, and (Y/N) stepped out of the Time Door. Mobius and Loki both had suits and bowler hats on, with Mobius in his usual browns and Loki accessorizing in green. (Y/N) had on a white blouse paired with a long blue skirt and jacket. Underneath her skirt, she made sure her shoes were comfortable enough to run in (she anticipated having to run since they always got into trouble).

            “Okay, we got a hit on the Tempad going from right here—Chicago 1868—to the same point—1893,” said Mobius.

“Why would you go to the same thing twice?” remarked Loki.

            “Maybe to monitor something?” said (Y/N).

            Mobius shrugged. “I’m trying to connect the dots. This isn’t a pivot point in history.”

            “Any major figure arises from here?” asked Loki.

            “No. I mean, you had the Chicago fire, but that’s 1871,” said Mobius. “Let’s go to 1893.” They turned a corner, he opened another Time Door, and they stepped through to another time.

            This time, the streets of Chicago were bustling with life and activity, and a fair had been set up. Carnival music played, and people were gazing at experiments and exhibits lined up everywhere, eating good food, and spending time with one another.

            “This can’t be the same place,” said Loki.

            “Oh my god, it’s the World Fair!” said (Y/N), smiling as she looked around herself. “Look at all the new technology being demonstrated and discovered! History is being made here.”

            Loki smiled fondly as he gazed at her. It was nice to see her so happy since she loved tech and everything about it.

            “I always wanted to go to one,” sighed (Y/N). “But when I was younger they didn’t happen. I was so excited when Stark Expo opened up again in 2010.” She frowned. “But then Hammer’s suits went haywire and tried to kill everyone. That wasn’t fun.” She shrugged. “But up until that part it was fun.”

            Mobius and Loki just stared at her.

            “Well, this does make sense as a destination,” said Loki.

            “Yes,” said Mobius.

            “So we’re thinking that they went to 1868 by mistake, then went twenty-five ahead because this is where they wanted to be?” asked Loki.

            “No, no,” said Mobius. “I wouldn’t describe Renslayer as accident-prone. Plus, if she has Miss Minutes to help her, there’s a purpose to them going here earlier.”

            “Then I’m probably right, and Renslayer and Miss Minutes did something here in 1868 and jumped forward to monitor what had happened,” said (Y/N).

            “We’ll need to figure that out, then,” said Mobius. “If they’re here, we’ll find ‘em.”

            “If they’re here,” said Loki.

            “Let’s stay positive,” said (Y/N).

            “It’s time to do some good old-fashioned legwork,” said Mobius. “Clues, breadcrumbs, that sort of thing.”

            They passed a newspaper boy who shouted out headlines. “Ghost Clock continues to haunt Midway!”

            “I think I just heard a breadcrumb,” said (Y/N), turning around.

            “Hey, let me see that,” said Mobius, pulling out some money and buying a paper.

            On the cover page lay a black and white sketch of Miss Minutes, little animated face and all.

            “I think (Y/N) was right,” said Loki.

            “Oh, yeah,” said Mobius, nodding. “It’s time to get looking.”

l

            We’ve been to Chinese Pavilions, Bulgarian Curiosities,” said Mobius as they walked out of the latest attraction they visited.

            “A not-so-quick-detour for snacks, yes,” said Loki, raising an eyebrow.

            “Yeah. The Cracker Jack concession stand is a high-traffic area,” said Mobius. “It was necessary and logical to go there.”

            “So the fact that it’s tasty is just a bonus?” teased (Y/N), popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth.

            “Exactly,” said Mobius. “Loki wouldn’t know since he hasn’t tried it.”

            “Okay.” Loki ate a piece and made a face. “It tastes like ash.”

            “Is chocolate a better earth-snack?” asked (Y/N).

            “Most definitely,” said Loki.

            (Y/N) chuckled before finishing off her popcorn. “Alright, Mobius. Enough sightseeing. We do have to focus, even if everything here is super cool.”

            “I’m not sightseeing,” denied Mobius. “You two are just people of action, which is fine, but I take a more slow, deliberate, cerebral approach because I see everything, I notice everything.”

            “You have cracker jack on your chin,” remarked Loki.

            “So damn sticky,” said Mobius, wiping himself off.

            Loki paused in front of another attraction. “This has to be a joke.” It was a Nordic room with food and drinks inside, and the columns outside were carved into Odin, Balder, and Thor.

            “Does it make you homesick?” asked Mobius.

            “No. It’s completely inaccurate, first of all,” said Loki.

            “What, you don’t think that looks like Odin?” said Mobius.

            “It’s embarrassing. It’s a crass generalization,” exclaimed Loki. “I mean, you can’t reduce an entire culture down to a simple diorama. Such poverty of imagination.”

            “Are you just mad you’re not up there?” said (Y/N), hitting the nail on the head.

            “No,” lied Loki. “And why’d they include Balder? No one’s even heard of him,” he muttered.

            “Sure they have. Balder the Brave,” said Mobius. “You know, sometimes I forget that you’re one of them. You are one of them. It blows my mind.” He patted Loki’s shoulder and walked away.

            Loki stared at the statues. “Thor’s not that tall.”

            “Don’t worry, Loki, if you were up there, I’m sure you’d be the best looking,” said (Y/N), chuckling at his irritation. Loki straightened proudly at the compliment.

            “So, what we haven’t been to is the Ottoman Hippodrome, where the Ghost Clock was spotted. And the balloon park,” said Mobius. “That sounds like it could be fun.”

            (Y/N) and Loki turned to him and spotted a sign outside of another building.

            “Mobius, look,” said (Y/N), pointing.

            The sign read “Victor Timely’s Astounding Temporal Marvels.” It seemed too significant to be coincidence.

            “ ‘Temporal’ seems too good a word choice to be true,” said (Y/N).

            “Can’t be a coincidence,” said Mobius.

            “That’s where we’ll find Renslayer,” said Loki.

            They walked into the dimly lit room and pushed through the crowd. Polka music rang through the air, and a few couples were dancing while they waited for exhibitions to begin. (Y/N) wanted to relax, but the idea of seeing a variant of HWR was stressful. She had no idea what type of person to expect since, from experience, variants could be very different from one another or very similar.

            “I think she’s here,” said Mobius.

            “You think?” said Loki.

            “Well, I don’t know. She does like a good drink,” said Mobius. “And so do I.”

            “Found her,” said (Y/N), pausing in the crowd.

            Mobius moved towards her, but Loki and (Y/N) grabbed her back.

            “Don’t let her see you,” warned Loki.

            “Not yet,” said (Y/N).

            The lights dimmed, and the stage curtains drew back to reveal a device that reminded (Y/N) of the loom. It was rudimentary, but it had certain similarities that made it clear whose mind had created it.

            “Is that the loom?” said Mobius in surprise.

            “I think so,” said Loki.

            “Definitely similar,” said (Y/N).

            “Time is everything.”

            (Y/N) stilled beside Loki as a figure took the stage. The lights were still off, and the person was just a silhouette, but the voice was the same, and (Y/N) couldn’t help but stiffen. This was Victor Timely, but her mind screamed that it was He Who Remains. She reached out and took Loki’s hand. He gratefully received her and held her tightly. Together they would be strong enough for whatever happened.

            “It moves…” Timely stepped forward. “…through each and everyone one of us.” He raised a lantern, and the single light bobbed by his side. “It shapes our lives. Our futures. But perhaps we can shape—” the lights switched on, and Timely’s face was illuminated. “—it.”

            (Y/N)’s eyes hardened as she saw Timely/He Who Remains’ face. It was the exact same face, even if hidden behind more hair, a mustache, and glasses. It was him.

            “It’s him,” said Loki quietly, almost hesitantly.

            “Who?” said Mobius.

            “He Who Remains’s Variant,” said (Y/N).

            “Ladies and Gentlemen,” said Timely.

            “What?” said Mobius. He frowned. “You made him sound like this terrifying figure. He—”

            “Don’t be shocked—” continued Timely onstage.

            “He is,” said Loki gravely.

            “—When I tell you that time is the future of energy.”

            “And just what would you know about the future, boy?” jeered a man in the crowd.

            “Great question, great question,” said Timely. “And the answer is…more than you might think.” He stammered over his words nervously, but he spoke with strength nonetheless.

            “We can’t just stand here,” said Loki. “It’s one of the variants that He Who Remains warned us about. It’s coming; it’s beginning.”

            “Loki. We don’t know what this man is like, yet. Not all variants are the same,” said (Y/N). “Remember President Loki? Or Boastful Loki? They weren’t exactly just like you.”

            Loki shivered at the reminder. “It’s a fair point. But we must keep our guards up.”

            “Fair enough,” said (Y/N). She would never suggest being careless around someone they didn’t know.

            Timely took the lightbulb from his lantern and held it in the air. “Why should we toil in the dirt for coal and petroleum when the energy of the past, present, and future flows—” He put the lightbulb on his device, and it glowed faintly. “—all around us?” He gestured to his device. “My Temporal Loom inverts the Temporal Decay of the electricity flowing through it, lowering its entropy, and gathering its fine threads of power, which it then weaves into elegant ropes of voltage. A chaos. A chaos of particles is transformed into—” Timely snapped his fingers “—order. With my device, the wattage Edison used to light a single bulb—” he pulled out another lightbulb and screwed it into place “—can light the whole of Chicago.”

            “So you can light a few bulbs. Big deal,” jeered the same businessman from before. “You’ll need a lot more than that to light a whole city.”

            “Don’t misunderstand me, sir,” said Timely. “I do not want to light a…city” He pulled a lever, and two more curtains fell to reveal coils of wires. “I aim to light…to power…the entire planet. So, call it a dream.” He pulled another level, and electricity crackled to life. “Fine. Sneer.” He jerked it again. “Laugh it off as pure science fiction. But if it can be dreamed, it can be achieved. Because all science is fiction until it’s fact!”

            With a final twist of the lever, the entire loom burst into light. The blue-purple electricity crackled with pure energy. Beside Loki, (Y/N) tensed, and her nerve endings bristled. Her head ached slightly as she felt the energy in the air press in around her.

            “Welcome!” declared Timely as electricity surged around him. The crowd clapped wildly at the display of power. “Welcome to the future, my friends.” He bowed as the machine shut off while his display ended.

            “We need to bring him back to the TVA,” murmured Mobius.

            “Are you out of your mind?” said Loki. “You can’t trust a variant of He Who Remains in the TVA.”

            Even (Y/N) was hesitant to go that far. “It does feel a bit risky.”

            “That’s a later problem. We have a very serious now problem,” said Mobius.

            “The Loom,” murmured (Y/N) and Loki.

            “Yes, and his aura is the only thing that can get us access to the Loom,” said Mobius. “And who knows what else we can do.”

            “Thank you, thank you,” said Timely, bowing and descending from the stage. “Thank you, sir, thank you.” People came up to him, surging through the crowd to shake his hand.

            “Were we ever gonna get Renslayer or Miss Minutes to help us?” said Mobius. “I mean…Where is she?”

            “Mr. Timely. A moment, please,” said Renslayer, stepping out in front of Timely.

            “Of course,” stammered Timely.

            “We need to talk about your future,” said Renslayer.

            (Y/N)’s eyes narrowed. Renslayer was planning something, and if Miss Minutes was with her, then it couldn’t be anything good. Especially since it involved a variant of He Who Remains.

            “She’s talking to our guy,” said (Y/N) urgently.

            “Come on,” said Loki, letting go of her hand but taking her by the arm to help guide her through the crowd. Mobius followed behind.

            “Well, certainly,” said Timely. “I would enjoy that.”

            “Step aside,” said a man, pushing Renslayer away.

            “That’s quite a device you’ve got there, Timely,” said the businessman from before. “But I still have some doubts.”

            “Oh, it’s still a prototype,” stuttered Timely. “Albeit, one that many wealthy investors are competing to acquire.”

            “No. No, I was thinking more along the lines of a partnership,” said the businessman. “You give me the patent rights, and I’ll facilitate production.”

            “No. I don’t do partners,” said Timely. He stepped away. “Excuse me. Thank you for coming.” As he went through the crowd, more people congratulated him.

            “Excuse me, Mr. Timely, a word. Forgive my bluntness, sir, but I must have your Temporal Loom,” said one man. Other men around him nodded.

            “Look, it appears my presentation has piqued much interest,” said Timely deferentially. He cleared his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen, I will be taking all formal bids.”

            “Perhaps five hundred dollars would conclude the bidding?” said one man.

            “I’ll give you six,” said the businessman from the beginning.

            “Seven,” countered the other man.

            “Eight.”

            “Eight-fifty.”

            “Step aside, hornswaggler, I was here first.” The businessman looked at Timely. “One thousand dollars.” The crowd gasped. “That’s my final offer.” The other man backed off. “I suggest you take it.”

            “I believe we have a deal,” said Timely.

            The businessman chuckled and snapped his fingers. One of his companions held out a bundle of cash to Timely, and he took it. “Pleasure doing business with you,” he said. He started to leave.

            Mobius, Loki, and (Y/N) pushed to the front of the crowd, and a man jostled (Y/N) as he walked by.

            “Hey, watch it,” he sneered. He towered over (Y/N), Loki, and Mobius and glowered down at them. “You bumped into me.”

            (Y/N) scowled. What a liar.

            “I do apologize,” said Loki, putting a hand on (Y/N)’s shoulder and moving in front of her. “I can assure you that any physical contact was purely incidental.”

            “Come on, he’s getting away,” said Mobius. “Will you handle this, please?”

            “How about we settle this outside if you don’t want to let that rude bitch apologize?” said the man.

            (Y/N) crossed her arms, unimpressed. Mobius shifted back. That was the wrong thing to say. Loki’s eyes narrowed, and he smirked.

            “Outside?” he remarked. “Excellent suggestion. I agree.” He waved a hand, and in a poof of green smoke and magic, the man had disappeared. “Come on,” he said to Mobius and (Y/N) as the crowd gasped.

            “The amazing Loki, everyone! He’ll be here all week!” said Mobius to cover for them.

Taglist:

@alexpangender

@technikerin23

@kikster606

@neenieweenie

@h-l-vlovesvintage

@chronicallybubbly

[fierykitten2]

Finally got back to working on Temporal Boost and I’ve started writing a fight scene between the Proto Beasts and the strange thing is, I’m too invested in this to work on anything similar for the Neo Swords right now (I’m really enjoying exploring Fire’s personality here)

[loki-who-remains]

Interesting thing about repetitiveness. The Loom isn't suited for that many new time branches, this idea has been put out there in episode 1 and has been repeated in every episode, sometimes more than once. Here are all the instances this has been mentioned:

s2e1:

The branching is overloading the Temporal Loom

It's not constructed to weave together so many new branches

I need to close the blast doors to protect the TVA, while I figure out how to retrofit it to handle all those branches

s2e2:

The Loom is in rough shape. But I'm trying to figure out a retrofit device to handle all those new branches

s2e3:

We can't get in there and increase the diameter of the Loom's intake ring enough to boost throughput and clear that knot of unrefined time

We need to scale the Loom's capacity to manage all those new branches, otherwise it will fail

s2e4:

The rings of the Loom aren't wide enough... We need to make the rings bigger, so more branches can fit through

I appreciate OB's (and Casey's) thoroughness and patience with all the non-tech people around him for explaining the same thing over and over again. At first I though it to be rather strange, 'cause information is usually given for viewers to have a proper picture.

But the season isn't just about time loops, it's about repetitiveness itself. They repeat the same things but it's different every time. For the characters the repetition helps with learning. Even Sylvie recognises this in ep3, 'This is all very familiar, isn't it?' And it happens pretty often.

To viewers it shows how different the context might be. Loki uses the time cube to play a bad cop with Brad, but Miss Minutes uses the same tech to violently kill many people. Loki's conversation with Mobius and the other with Sylvie in the same pie room feature different dynamics and body language but both start out about Mobius.

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 44, 2023

Rhythmic temporal coordination of neural activity prevents representational conflict during working memory. Abdalaziz, M., Redding, Z. V., & Fiebelkorn, I. C. (2023). Current Biology, 33(9), 1855-1863.e3.

Which processes dominate visual search: Bottom-up feature contrast, top-down tuning or trial history? Becker, S. I., Grubert, A., Horstmann, G., & Ansorge, U. (2023). Cognition, 236, 105420.

Neural dynamics underlying associative learning in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus. Biane, J. S., Ladow, M. A., Stefanini, F., Boddu, S. P., Fan, A., Hassan, S., … Kheirbek, M. A. (2023). Nature Neuroscience, 26(5), 798–809.

A reservoir of foraging decision variables in the mouse brain. Cazettes, F., Mazzucato, L., Murakami, M., Morais, J. P., Augusto, E., Renart, A., & Mainen, Z. F. (2023). Nature Neuroscience, 26(5), 840–849.

Spike-phase coupling patterns reveal laminar identity in primate cortex. Davis, Z. W., Dotson, N. M., Franken, T. P., Muller, L., & Reynolds, J. H. (2023). eLife, 12, e84512.

Is all mental effort equal? The role of cognitive demand-type on effort avoidance. Embrey, J. R., Donkin, C., & Newell, B. R. (2023). Cognition, 236, 105440.

Ventral striatum dopamine release encodes unique properties of visual stimuli in mice. Gonzalez, L. S., Fisher, A. A., D’Souza, S. P., Cotella, E. M., Lang, R. A., & Robinson, J. E. (2023). eLife, 12, e85064.

Computational complexity drives sustained deliberation. Hong, T., & Stauffer, W. R. (2023). Nature Neuroscience, 26(5), 850–857.

Mathematical Model of Synaptic Long-Term Potentiation as a Bistability in a Chain of Biochemical Reactions with a Positive Feedback. Katauskis, P., Ivanauskas, F., & Alaburda, A. (2023). Acta Biotheoretica, 71(3), 16.

Geometric determinants of the postrhinal egocentric spatial map. LaChance, P. A., & Taube, J. S. (2023). Current Biology, 33(9), 1728-1743.e7.

Learning at your brain’s rhythm: individualized entrainment boosts learning for perceptual decisions. Michael, E., Covarrubias, L. S., Leong, V., & Kourtzi, Z. (2023). Cerebral Cortex, 33(9), 5382–5394.

Retinal motion statistics during natural locomotion. Muller, K. S., Matthis, J., Bonnen, K., Cormack, L. K., Huk, A. C., & Hayhoe, M. (2023). eLife, 12, e82410.

Neural dynamics and architecture of the heading direction circuit in zebrafish. Petrucco, L., Lavian, H., Wu, Y. K., Svara, F., Štih, V., & Portugues, R. (2023). Nature Neuroscience, 26(5), 765–773.

Elucidating a locus coeruleus-dentate gyrus dopamine pathway for operant reinforcement. Petter, E. A., Fallon, I. P., Hughes, R. N., Watson, G. D., Meck, W. H., Ulloa Severino, F. P., & Yin, H. H. (2023). eLife, 12, e83600.

Principles for coding associative memories in a compact neural network. Pritz, C., Itskovits, E., Bokman, E., Ruach, R., Gritsenko, V., Nelken, T., … Zaslaver, A. (2023). eLife, 12, e74434.

Critical Drift in a Neuro-Inspired Adaptive Network. Sormunen, S., Gross, T., & Saramäki, J. (2023). Physical Review Letters, 130(18), 188401.

Dopaminergic prediction errors in the ventral tegmental area reflect a multithreaded predictive model. Takahashi, Y. K., Stalnaker, T. A., Mueller, L. E., Harootonian, S. K., Langdon, A. J., & Schoenbaum, G. (2023). Nature Neuroscience, 26(5), 830–839.

Inhibitory control of sharp-wave ripple duration during learning in hippocampal recurrent networks. Vancura, B., Geiller, T., Grosmark, A., Zhao, V., & Losonczy, A. (2023). Nature Neuroscience, 26(5), 788–797.

Optogenetics reveals paradoxical network stabilizations in hippocampal CA1 and CA3. Watkins de Jong, L., Nejad, M. M., Yoon, E., Cheng, S., & Diba, K. (2023). Current Biology, 33(9), 1689-1703.e5.

The cholinergic basal forebrain provides a parallel channel for state-dependent sensory signaling to auditory cortex. Zhu, F., Elnozahy, S., Lawlor, J., & Kuchibhotla, K. V. (2023). Nature Neuroscience, 26(5), 810–819.

[shamandrummer]

The Key Benefits of Drumming

Drumming offers a wide range of physical, mental, and emotional benefits. Here are some of the key advantages:

Physical Benefits

Cardiovascular Exercise: Drumming is a form of aerobic exercise that can help improve cardiovascular health. The physical activity involved in drumming can increase heart rate and promote better circulation.

Improved Coordination: Drumming requires the use of both hands, often in complex patterns, which enhances hand-eye coordination and overall motor skills.

Muscle Development: Regular drumming helps in building and toning muscles, particularly in the arms, shoulders, and core.

Burning Calories: Drumming can be an effective way to burn calories, similar to other forms of physical exercise.

Mental Benefits

Cognitive Enhancement: Learning and playing complex rhythms can improve cognitive functions, including memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills.

Stress Reduction: Drumming is known to reduce stress and anxiety. The rhythmic and repetitive nature of drumming can have a meditative effect, promoting relaxation.

Mood Enhancement: Playing drums releases endorphins and other feel-good hormones, which can elevate mood and combat depression.

Improved Focus: The concentration required to keep a steady rhythm and coordinate different limbs can help improve focus and attention span.

Emotional and Social Benefits

Emotional Expression: Drumming provides an outlet for expressing emotions, which can be therapeutic and help in processing feelings.

Sense of Achievement: Learning new drumming techniques or mastering a complex rhythm can boost self-esteem and provide a sense of accomplishment.

Community and Social Connection: Participating in group drumming sessions or drumming circles fosters a sense of community and belonging. It can also improve social skills and teamwork.

Cultural Awareness: Drumming often involves learning about different musical traditions and cultures, which can enhance cultural awareness and appreciation.

Therapeutic Benefits

Drum Therapy: Drumming is used in various therapeutic settings to help individuals with mental health issues, PTSD, addiction recovery, and other conditions. It can improve emotional regulation and promote healing.

Motor Skills Rehabilitation: Drumming can be part of rehabilitation programs for individuals recovering from strokes or other injuries affecting motor skills.

Educational Benefits

Enhanced Learning Abilities: Drumming can aid in the development of language skills, mathematical ability, and spatial-temporal skills, especially in children.

Discipline and Patience: Learning to play the drums requires practice, discipline, and patience, which are valuable skills that transfer to other areas of life.

Overall, drumming is not only a fun and engaging activity but also a powerful tool for enhancing physical health, mental well-being, emotional expression, and social connectivity.

[pokemon-ash-aus]

So, my personal theory about the Paradox pokemon is that their existence is a result of Tera energy. They have only been documented en masse in the bottom of Paldea's great crater, where there happen to be many large clusters of Tera Crystals, and the facility containing the time machine that brought so many of them here is built within a particularly enormous cluster.

Perhaps it could be that, when a very, very large amount of raw Tera energy is discharged, it causes fold-type temporal rifts. These rifts combine a pokemon of the present with aspects of the future or the past to create a brand new pokemon. It could also explain their reported vicious streak; having just come into existence, they lack the inherent socialization with humans that most pokemon nowadays have evolved to have.

The supposed "time machine" device could thus potentially work by forcing these Tera energy discharges, and localizing the rift into a pokeball. The biggest issue with this theory, though, is why the place hasn't been obliterated by Dialga yet, if it should happen to work like this.

Peach: I hate you and your entire bloodline.

Peach: Of course the tera crystals are a source of energy, but look at the energy they currently provide. It’s a boost to a single type at a time. In order to harness that Energy to jump through fucking time? That’s downright ridiculous.

Peach: I get what you’re trying to say, but everyone here needs to understand the differences of harnessing energy and jumping through time. It’s not the same thing and it will never be the same.

[eruden-writes]

The Unexpected Human Problem - Part 28

Part 1 | Part 2| Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5| Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31  (coming soon)

Tag list: @ajarofpickledtears, @boogeysmoth, @omg-the-nutella-queen

☆ ☆ ☆

Summary: The night her abductors die, Rayelle finds herself running for her life. She doesn’t know where she is, what is following her, where to go. All she knows is she’s not on Earth any longer and the thing chasing her has the capacity to kill.

Tai'qdei never anticipated finding a human when he took the job of tracking and subduing a small contingent of smugglers. It was only when the human attacked and fled fled, Tai'qdei - hopped up on the euphoria of a successful hunt - gave chase, instinct burning at his center.

Will sense return to Tai'qdei before he catches Rayelle? Or will Rayelle be subjected to the yautja’s natural inclinations?

And what happens afterwards?

☆ ☆ ☆

The next time Rayelle roused, it had to be the next morning. Late morning. Maybe afternoon, she thought, as she laid in the bed. Tai'dqei was gone. Most likely, he let her sleep since he'd put her through the ringer yesterday. Multiple times.

Faintly, she realized she wasn't even sure if their continuous fucking had really only been a day. They had stopped to eat or wash at intervals. But, invariably, their hormones would pique and they'd find each other wrapped up in the other.

As she worried at her bottom lip, Rayelle wondered if their carnal hunger stemmed from uncertainty. How long did they really have to be together? Would they soon be separated by time and space? Or was their eagerness born from sexual tension and, in her case, a blessed stamina boost from some futuristic rejuvenation process?

Whatever it was, they had gotten the bulk of it out of their systems. For now.

Sitting up in bed, Rayelle winced as her abdominals twanged with pain of exhaustion. A sweet delicious pain, but still a little uncomfortable.

The door to the room hissed open and the familiar footfalls of Tai'dqei announced his entry, before his soft words broke the quiet, "Rayelle, are you awake?"

"I just woke up." Rayelle flashed Tai'dqei a smile, but something in his demeanor made her sit straighter. Even as he neared her, she could see his mandibles fidget, his fingers flex. Clashing thoughts hurtled through her head, hope and dread. "What's wrong?"

A pang shot through Tai'dqei's chest, hearing the longing anticipation in Rayelle's voice. He paused a little ways from the bed, giving her ample space to get to her feet if she so chose. Even as the lump formed in his throat, threatening to make the words dissipate, he answered her, "The Temporal Authority Council wishes to speak with you."

As he expected, Rayelle scrambled off the bed. "Am I going to be told if I can go back?"

Tai'dqei swallowed down the unfair, bitter feelings at seeing her so excited. Now wasn't the time. He tried to stow the hurt as far down as he could, imagining it taking residence beside the now dull pain of losing Ah'ke. "They didn't say. They just asked for your presence as soon as you're available."

Rayelle nodded, trying to restrain the excitement building in her chest. With the excitement, something else swelled. Something that would make Rayelle cry if she stopped to focus too long on it. That very feeling kept her from looking too closely at Tai'dqei, from brushing up against him. If she touched him, she thought she'd break down into tears, all the same.

Too many thoughts, too many feelings, careened around her head. Taking a deep breath, she tilted her gaze up at Tai'dqei, forcing herself to look at him. "I'll shower and get dressed, then we can eat before going to see the Counsel?"

There was half a beat, before Tai'dqei could answer her. He was too tempted to ask hard questions, too sobered by the potential of losing her to tease about joining her. An uncertainty wavered in the air around both of them, weighing on their shoulders. Right now, he needed to give her some inkling of support, without making the pain worse for himself.

Instead of offering to join her, Tai'dqei simply nodded and chose an alternative, "I'll cook something up while you get ready."

As Rayelle said a weak thanks, watching Tai'dqei turn and leave the room, she fought back a burn at the back of her eyes. She forced herself to gather clean clothes, to head out of the bedroom and into the bathroom.

Briefly, she caught the sound of Tai'dqei moving implements in the galley around, muttering to himself about what to cook. Or maybe he was on a comm with Ah'ke. Rayelle ducked into the bathroom before she could be certain.

It was hard to focus as she started up the shower. Her thoughts chased one another, tumbled over each other. She might be able to go home, be able to see Elliot and Skylar again. If that was the case, what was she going to do? How was she going to make sure Evan wasn't going to hurt them? Or try to hurt her own self, again?

While part of her mind raced through options, trying to remember the restrictions of the past, another part of her thoughts lolled over Tai'dqei.

They both knew this would come... eventually.

She was just glad Ah'ke had showed up soon after the liberation of the resort. Ah'ke said she was there to tend to the wounded, but Rayelle was pretty sure she was there for Tai'dqei. He probably told her what was going on between them. What would happen when the TAC got back to Rayelle about her options.

Scrubbing at her face, Rayelle wicked away moisture, trying to convince herself the warm droplets weren't from the few tears that had crested from her lashes.

She wasn't even sure if she was going home! For all she knew the Temporal Authorities would decline her and then... She'd have to live with knowing she could never return. Or fight and find a way back.

With a harsh shake of her head, Rayelle focused on taking one step at a time. First, finish her shower. Second, go eat. Then head to the TAC agents set up on Rerli 3. Any plans beyond that would have to wait, until she knew what was going to be allowed.

Another twenty minutes passed, before Rayelle emerged from the shower. Dressed in a fresh outfit and with hair slightly damp, she headed into the galley area. Tai'dqei turned at her entry, as if he'd been listening for her. "Good timing, I just finished some... oatmeal."

Rayelle couldn't stop the smile that curved at her lips. During their brief reunion, they had talked about a number of things, including foods. She couldn't recall how oatmeal came up - perhaps some teasing remark about something that was good on a cold day? - but it had. And it seemed Tai'dqei had endeavored to make some, probably with the guidance and resources from the humans on Rerli 3.

"Thank you," she said, as she accepted a bowl from a rather large pot of the still simmering food. The spicy sweet scent of cinnamon and sugar and cardamom drifted up on the steam. He definitely had help, she mused with a smile.

The gesture made something in her chest twinge. Ignoring it, she took the warm bowl to the table, Tai'dqei following with his own serving. Sitting down, side-by-side, the two would eat quietly. Neither really tasting the food, with their minds focused on other things.

Each bite, every passing second, got them closer to a possible end. What were they going to do? Both of their minds prepared for the worst. For the sad and lonely path, for the aching and the pain.

"Tai'dqei?" Rayelle finally hedged, placing her spoon at the edge of the bowl.

Her eyes didn't tilt up toward him, he realized, as his attention focused onto her. "Hm?"

A lump formed in Rayelle's throat, a tangle of words that she wanted to say but was having a hard time getting out. She couldn't bring her eyes to meet Tai'dqei. Even as he shifted in his seat, giving her his full attention.

"No matter what happens... I... I am glad, you know. That we..." Despite her mental grip on herself, Rayelle couldn't stop the tears. Couldn't stop the crack in her voice. Her shoulders hunched and shook, quiet tears slipping down her cheeks.

It only took a single crack for Tai'dqei to slowly, softly, lean over to her. Rayelle her head toward him, about to apologize, but quieted as he gathered her up in his arms, pressing his forehead gently to hers. In silence, she stared up at him, finding the weight and texture of his forehead against hers both enjoyable but heart wrenching.

Rayelle realized it took him a long breath, before he said something in a painfully even voice. "I understand."

Those two words hung heavy in his mouth and struck her hard in the chest. As true as they were, his heart ached. Something in his bones told him she was leaving. She would be returning to her time, her world. He tried to shrug it off as paranoia or just being prepared for the ache of losing her. But instinct told him she'd be leaving. Their time together was dwindling painfully short.

As much as Rayelle didn't want to admit it, she felt the same sense of an end coming, as well. Perhaps that's why she threw herself against Tai'dqei, her arms wrapped tight around his neck, still quietly crying.

They sat like that for a little while, both memorizing how the other felt against them. Tai'dqei committed to memory Rayelle's plush softness, her warmth, the scent of her, the feel of her smaller body shifting minutely against his. Rayelle basked in Tai'dqei's arms, his body heat, the certain solidity of him wrapped around her.

It wasn't until Rayelle carefully disentangled herself from him, wiping at her tear-streaked face, that Tai'dqei spoke once more. "Are you ready to go?"

"No, but I don't think I ever will be," she mumbled, turning doleful eyes up at him. It was silly to already be crying, to already feel as if they were saying good-bye. Still, she offered a watery smile while giving her head a shake. "But I have to know."

Tai'dqei nodded, his own mandibles pulling upward in a reciprocating smile. Like hers, it didn't reach his eyes.

Once Rayelle dried her tears, she pushed back in her chair and stood. He followed her lead, feeling slow and heavy despite his lack of armor. Tentatively, she held out her hand to him, half-expecting a gentle wave-away the longer he stared. But his hand soon encompassed hers, swallowing down the premature grief as he burned the memory of her palm in his into a permanent memory.

Together, Tai'dqei and Rayelle left his ship, hand in hand, enjoying whatever time they had left to touch.

—

It took far shorter for the Temporal Advisory Counsil heads to call on Rayelle than she expected. With Tai'dqei by her side, the two were led into an auditorium that had been converted into a sort of hearing room for the head committee. It was a huge room, filled with rows of chairs and a stage. People bustled in and out, carrying stacks of papers, addressing one of the five non-humans sitting at a long table on the stage floor.

As chaotic as it was, it somehow reminded Rayelle of a high school, during some big function. There was a method to the madness. She just didn't know what it was. From the way Tai'dqei held tightly onto her hand, he didn't seem to know, either.

"Ah, you must be Miss Brooks, yes?" One of the five obvious leaders looked up, offering Rayelle what she hoped was a friendly smile. It was hard to tell, since their form seemed to constantly shift. Not that Rayelle could put a finger on how. It just seemed they were... changing. Her mind turned to aliens capable of dimension hopping and time travel, wondering if they were one of them.

What she did manage to register was blue skin and six glowing eyes and two smiling mouths, one right atop the other. Or maybe that's simply how they wished to be perceived? She shook her head, trying to dislodge the complicated thoughts concerning dimensional transmission.

"Yes, I am. I'm supposed to meet with the Temporal Authority Council," she said, diverting toward the stage stairs as the alien waved her in that direction.

Tai'dqei followed her, if only thanks to the fact she still grasped onto his hand. Or maybe he was holding onto her for dear life. That sense of instinctive dread swelled in him. On top of the misery he was doing his best to keep at bay, the busy nature of the area grated on his nerves. His shoulders hunched, tension winding down his back.

The blue shifting alien abruptly nodded, before turning to one of their colleagues. "Oh, ah, Sh'thal, I believe you were handling this case?"

"Which case?" From across the stage, another alien looked up. Their skin shone like purple glass, little specks of light flickering beneath the surface. Crystalline eyes looked to the blue energy alien, blinking owlishly, as if they were readjusting their thought process from one task to another, completely unrelated, one. Even as they tilted their attention to their co-worker and Rayelle, four of their six hands continued to presumably sort through holo-pads.

"The temporally displaced human, Rayelle Brooks of 2022, Missouri, United States." Sh'thal still stared, no answer. Tai'dqei and Rayelle exchanged a look. The first alien sighed, crossing their noodly arms as they said, in an almost deadpan voice, "The one a yautja brought in."

"Oh!" Tai'dqei's stomach dropped - Rayelle's heart twisted - as recognition struck the crystalline alien. She turned to one of her six wrists, inputting data and pulling up a holoscreen. "One second!"

Rayelle glanced up at Tai'dqei, who had - at some point - released her hand. The sudden realization sent a chill through her, but she shoved it away. It didn't mean anything. That was just some attempt to build a new wall between herself and him. Instead, she focused on him in the moment. The physicality of him. The way the lights of the room played off his skin and the metal rings on his tendrils, the barely-there scars that ticked along his arms and knuckles.

He'd been staring off into space, watching the crystalline alien - a Corizite - scrolling through files and messages. Vaguely, he wondered if she was just delaying bad news. Guilty hope fluttered through him, at the mere idea of it. Feeling Rayelle's eyes on him, Tai'dqei tilted his attention down to Rayelle, eyebrow ridges raising with curiosity.

"I just enjoy looking at you," she answered softly, so low that no one else could hear her comment.

To that, Tai'dqei made a scoffing grunt and playfully pushed at her, but couldn't help the way his mandibles quirked upward, just slightly. They'd come so far, she realized, to the point she could catch such expression changes. Returning the gesture, Rayelle pushed back at him, giving a short laugh, before leaning into him. Tai'dqei didn't fight it. His arm came around his shoulders, hand resting on her far hip as he relaxed against her.

For a brief moment, the hustle and bustle around them died away.

Until the Corizite turned toward them with a triumphant trill.

"It has been decided that Miss Brooks may return to her time, if she so chooses." Sh'thal looked up, their countenance beaming as they closed out of the file. They clapped two pairs of their hands together, giving off guidance counselor energy as they chirped, "Isn't that exciting?"