#brains that make connections

[astercontrol]

OMG just ONE more crossover i swear

"So, you're the new security program, I hear."

"Yes I am, mister… Rinz… what was it again?"

"Oh, nevermind what. I just… I just really need all this extremely dangerous coding cleared OUT of me, sir..."

"Not exactly my job. SIR. I can recommend a debugging program, if you like."

"Oh, thanks! Sure! No worries. Sorry, officer, I didn't mean to bother you specifically, you just happened to be here…"

"Indeed I did, mister Rinz. So, what's dangerous about the coding, if I may ask?"

"…Everything! I don't even know what exactly it was written to do, but, officer, it has taken over my actions, again and again, and made me do things I promise I'd never ever actually want to do-- things I don't think I even physically COULD have done on my own-- it has caused SO much destruction you can't even imagine--"

"Virus made you do it, eh? I can't say I haven't heard that as an excuse before. You got a criminal background I could glance through, for reference?… Never mind, I'm already pulling it up from your energy signature… Oh…. Oh my."

"I swear it's not my fault that coding is there…"

"You didn't, perhaps, make the genuine mistake of choosing to go someplace you had good reason to suspect you COULD pick up a dangerous packet of data like this?"

"Please, I didn't choose THIS! Can you get it out of me, or not?"

"…I know a fellow who can. One of the IGORithms... I'll send you to him straightaway, mister Rinz. I've looked through your rap sheet and… well, it's impressive, I can tell you that, but I have to admit, I agree that it smacks less of malice aforethought, and more of incompetence not-thought-at-all. I'll let you off for now. Keeping an eye on you though."

"Thanks so much, officer. Um… where's the debugger fellow you're going to refer me to?"

"I'll take your disk to him myself."

"… Take my disk?"

"You know. Just so you don't leave town."

"Ugghhh. …All right. It's not like I've much choice, have I. Here you go."

"Hmm! Interesting piece of hardware, my good chap. Is that… a sea-turtle engraved on it?"

"It… it came with that decoration, sir…"

"Not a User-believer, then, eh. A Turtle-believer."

"I don't really believe in much of anything, sir, except something that has it out for me… I can't even remember anymore, I've been through so much…"

"Never mind that. I think we're done here. I'll just take this for now, mister Rinz… ah! here it is. Rinz-wind."

"Yes, officer… what's your name again?"

"Not important. All security programs do the same job, in the end…. I'll see you around, mister Wind. I've got my eye on you."

[zillychu]

Consider for a moment: A slow-burn identity reveal “no one knows” AU with an emphasis on ghosts being taken seriously as an actual, world-changing threat.

Ghosts are treated as an exceedingly dangerous, but unavoidable force of nature. They can come and go without warning, through naturally occurring spontaneous portals. They're territorial, driven only by obsession and hunger for the living. Particularly powerful ghosts are on par with natural disasters.

Life goes on because there's simply no other option. All major buildings have varying levels of ghost shields, some stronger than others. Just about everyone has some form of personal shield, weapon, or general deterrent. For the most part, humanity takes this apocalypse in stride, barely keeping it all together because there's just enough safety to keep them all sane.

Which is why the rumors of Phantom being able to fully mimic a human body incites panic in Amity.

Phantom was already a nightmare as it was–one of the most powerful and intelligent ghosts on record. His territorial fights with other ghosts for haunting (hunting) grounds in Amity have made global news several times already. Powerful ghosts could appear more human–but to think he was transforming down to a cellular level? Hiding among them? Bypassing ghost shields and alarms? Picking them off one by one?

The focus is mostly with Lancer's class, and how the school deals with this new threat on top of everything else. Everyone is a suspect, no one is safe, and Danny Fenton in particular gets slowly more and more exhausted, apathetic, and… unnerving.

The stress, the lack of sleep, the fighting, no one to turn to, not even his best friends or family–it takes a toll on him. Starving himself doesn't help, but he refuses to do more than take small bites from the ambient life energy and emotion of the living around him. Nothing that won't actually do lasting harm. He begins to slip up more and more, which Sam and Tucker begin to notice but haven't quite connected the dots yet.

But, well. What else can Danny do when Pariah Dark comes knocking on Amity’s doorstep, and his whole class is in the line of fire?

[radiance1]

Another link to this post. Meet the parents style.

So, Danny and Jason have been fake dating for a while now, and ended up marrying each other solely for tax benefits. Also, they got cool ass fucking friendship rings that they just couldn't not wear everywhere and being married is convenient so...

Anywho, so Jason has met Danny's parents but Danny hasn't met Jason's parents. Danny knows that he has some ties with the vigilantee scene due to being a Crime Lord-he still doesn't know what to think of his parents connecting the dots immediately when they only met him once while it took him more than that while living with the guy.

He thinks Jason may have been an ex-vigilantee at some point before turning to crime.

Then Danny gets blinded by rich people aura when he finds out that his bestfriend is the long thought dead child of Bruce Wayne. Frankly, he's insulted.

You mean to tell him that his could've been buying ice cream from that high class place all this time!? He shook (literally he grabbed and shook him) that point into Jason, he doesn't care that Jason never told him he was rich but he could've at least bought some high class ice cream once in a while.

Jason who was busy solidifying his power as a crime lord, avoiding his family and making sure not to leak his identity at all: I'm a literal crime lord, and the only thing you care about is me not buying you ice cream?

Danny: YES!!!!

Jason: Dork.

Right anyways, so Jason takes Danny along to meet Bruce and his fam but did say as soon as he started being uncomfortable they're leaving. The batfam is a bit blindsided by Danny, because they thought Jason was bringing his partner but its good to also get a feel for Danny's personality.

Danny and Jason did what's normal for them when Danny starts getting comfortable around the manor full of things that cost waaay more than his rent. Like half-heartedly insulting each other, being snarky, leaning on each other and other such things.

The batfam start thinking that there's more there than they know of. So they start watching a bit closer and ask a few round about questions that fly over Danny and Jason's heads. They just forget they're married often, unless it's regarding taxes.

All of this sends the wrong message when they walk into the same room and, being nosy, one of the batfam comes up to the door and uh. They hear the bed moving quite a lot.

So.

Meanwhile, Jason is trying to wrestle with Danny because this man does not pick a lane. He'll either be the human octopus (who is cold as hell) Jason has ever seen, he'll try to kick him off the bed in his sleep as if Jason personally offended him in some way, or he'll sleep in some wacky position that interrupts Jason's sleep. The last one is tied to the other two, however.

So, Jason has to frequently wrestle this man into a proper position where they both manage to get some sleep and it wouldn't have been so bad if Danny wasn't a goddamn sleep fighter. He would know, he had to nurse a bruised jaw for a few weeks.

Why do they sleep together? Listen, when you're in an apartment with not a lot of money, you gotta cut costs where you can alright?

[bacchuschucklefuck]

she turns, makes direct eye contact with you, smiles,

[smash-chu]

Long distance loneliness

[favvn]

Isn't it interesting that Spock refers to his friendship with Jim as shameful when he is infected by a virus that reveals one's inner feelings/desires? That he calls Jim "my friend" while he is in the blood fever of pon farr and shouldn't be able to speak at all? That he tells Jim he has always and ever shall be his friend while dying to save everyone? And then repeats the phrase mostly word for word after he is brought back to life and slowly regaining his memories (I think?? I shouldn't be posting this because I am still only on season 2! but I can not ignore the circumstances of when he uses the term "friend")

And later, by the third season in the episode Whom Gods Destroy, they refer to each other as brothers without anything altering their inhibitions.

Like. My point is they are not declared as lovers until the t'hy'la footnote, but they are declared as friends and as brothers throughout the series. Their love can not be openly declared in the show or movies but exists literally in the margins, outside of the boundaries.

[mikewheelerlikesboys]

Okay so I’m rewatching season 1 and I have to bring something up, so obviously the line “only love makes you that crazy sweetheart” is super important to us as bylers because of the crazy together scene. But, I think we need to talk more about the line right after that

“And that damn stupid”

This line is clearly directed at Jonathan beating up Steve, she’s calling it stupid and saying love makes that happen. Now let’s think back to just 2 episodes before.

Mikes response to Troy making fun of Will.

And then to add onto that, the scene where Troy and James track them down in the woods, in retaliation to when Mike shoved him, happens directly after the “and that damn stupid”

[kyouka-supremacy]

Alright what's up with the last two Hoshikawa arts and Akutagawa and Chuuya wearing hats that are suspiciously similar to the Hunting Dogs one

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

At rest, your lungs wish to deflate, and your ribcage expands outwards.

[astercontrol]

a Von Neumann machine is a machine that can reproduce, creating copies of itself that in turn create copies of their own

the name comes from German "neu" (New) and "Mann" (man) since the machine is similar to mankind, in its ability to make new instances of itself

The "von" (meaning "from") indicates the continuing nature of this process: that further new instances can in turn arise "from" the "new man"

(disclaimer: that is all bullshit. The machine was named after a guy who just happened to have a very fitting name)

[old-desert]

doodle-badoodle

[welcometogrouchland]

It's mostly the fault of poor editorial practices that B&R is so heavily misaligned continuity-wise w/ the main batman book. But walk with me for a minute:

You are Damian Wayne. You are 14 years old and have had one of the worst years of your life last year. Which is saying a lot.

Your brother, one of the people you were closest to, got shot in the head and forgot who you were. Your best friend went to space for a week and came back 3/4 years older than you, taking away your previously established dynamic and leaving you to have to bond all over again w/ a new one. You may or may not have gone wayyy too far with your new superhero team, who now all hate you, because you fucked up big time*

And worst of all, when you do try to do the right thing, you end up forced to watch Alfred, a father figure to you, the only one at your birthday that year, the person who has been so patient, loving and trusting with you, even when you probably didnt deserve it...die. you watch him die, and feel it's all your fault.

And your dad never corrects you on that last point. So you run away.

First to your mom who can tell something's up with you, she knows you don't give up that easy, you decide not to stay with her because you remembered how actually, neither of your parents are good at communicating with you despite their best efforts, so now you're 14 and flying solo.

And you do fly solo. For a while. Make new friends, new enemies. You think you're better off for it. You've got your best friend and your brother back. They're not around as much. It's fine.

And eventually your dad tells you that it's not your fault that Alfred died. Bit late but it's appreciated. Really. There's a bit of a hiccup where you get possessed by a demon and wage war against your father but after that, all in all, you two are...together again.

You start to think maybe you want to give him another chance, for the two of you to be father and son.

And in a change of pace, it works out! It's going good, mostly. He insists you go to highschool, you resist, feel like he wants you to be something that you're not (wants you to be normal), but eventually you acquiesce for your own reasons. He cheers you on at soccer and nosies around at your fundraising events with the other parents and gives you a stern talking to about your choice of girlfriend. Because he cares.

Except all the while this is going on, your dad is currently having his brain slowly taken over by an evil version of himself that he created and every time you look away he's slowly tearing your family apart (your brothers are just barely keeping it together. The ones who didn't get lobotmized that is Jesus Christ). You keep taking his side in these conflicts, for whatever reason. Maybe because he promised it would be different this time, and it isn't** and you're going to stick with him until he keeps his word for once.

But at the end of the day?

It's like your brother says. You're not the one who saves him. Broadly speaking, you've made things worse and needed others to come save you. And what else is Robin really for? You thought it was about redemption and teamwork but guess you're wrong. It's about saving your self destructive, apparently two-faced and erratic father. And you can't even do that right.

* TT (2016) by Adam Glass is a racist ooc mess, but unfortunately it's still canon so I'm referencing here, though like a lot of works authors clearly wish weren't canon but are, it's been subsequently glossed over. Win? Maybe? Or not?

** again Zdarky's characterization of Damian is so outdated as to be ooc, and considering the way he constantly and explicitly uses it to illustrate Tim's strengths as robin, I'd argue there's. Also implications there. But the batshit insanity of the main batbook compared to B&R rn is crucial for this post, so I'm attempting to justify it. This time..

[radio-zephyr]

It took a while but I finally realized that qbad most likely becomes immune to whatever he died of, died from guillotine in the french revolution -> can't be killed that way in the qsmp prison, and now died from radiation+soul vultures -> told mouse he would be immune to radiation when he came back/told pomme and dapper the nuclear creeper wouldn't have killed him.

[livwritesstuff]

this one goes out to my 14yo cousin who walked me through ariana grande's entire dating history over lunch 🙃 i personally could have lived my whole life without this information but here we are

I definitely think that Steve never moves away from the pop music thing. It’s not that he has a specific love for pop music – he’s just never really cared too much one way or the other, and that one top 40s station has been a preset in his car since he bought it a decade ago and he really can’t be bothered to change it.

Combine this with the fact that Hazel is not only a pop music girlie, but also loves celebrity drama, and you get this conversation when Ariana Grande’s new song starts playing during a car ride:

Hazel: You should turn this song off.

Steve: Why?

Eddie, though gritted teeth: Don’t ask why. Just turn this shit off.

Eddie: Fuckin’ sounds like walking into a Forever21.

Hazel: ‘Cos Ariana Grande is canceled.

Steve: Since when?

Hazel: Since she’s a homewrecker.

Steve: 

Steve: Huh?

Hazel then proceeds to explain the entire fiasco to her dads, who are both pretending to not care one way or the other about this random celebrity even though they secretly love the tea.

Eddie, the second Hazel is done: Yet another way this chick is like Nancy.

Steve, perplexed: What do you mean another way??

And that’s why Nancy gets a text from Hazel that says:

my dad thinks you’re like ariana grande.

also, why’d you cheat on pop?

[caeslxys]

I’ve mentioned this elsewhere but it feels relevant again in light of the most recent episode. Something that’s really fascinating to me about Orym’s grief in comparison to the rest of the hells’ grief is that his is the youngest/most fresh and because of that tends to be the most volatile when it is triggered (aside from FCG, who was two and obviously The Most volatile when triggered.)

As in: prior to the attack on Zephrah, Orym was leading a normal, happy, casual life! with family who loved him and still do! Grief was something that was inflicted upon him via Ludinus’ machinations, whereas with characters like Imogen or Ashton, grief has been the background tapestry of their entire lives. And I think that shows in how the rest of them are largely able to, if not see past completely (Imogen/Laudna/Chetney) then at least temper/direct their vitriol or grief (Ashton/Fearne/Chetney again) to where it is most effective. (There is a glaring reason, for example, that Imogen scolded Orym for the way he reacted to Liliana and not Ashton. Because Ashton’s anger was directed in a way that was ultimately protective of Imogen—most effective—and Orym’s was founded solely in his personal grief.)

He wants Imogen to have her mom and he wants Lilliana to be salvageable for Imogen because he loves Imogen. But his love for the people in his present actively and consistently tend to conflict with the love he has for the people in his past. They are in a constant battle and Orym—he cannot fathom losing either of them.

(Or, to that point, recognize that allowing empathy to take root in him for the enemy isn't losing one of them.)

It is deeply poignant, then, that Orym’s grief is symbolized by both a sword and shield. It is something he wields as a blade when he feels his philosophy being threatened by certain conversational threads (as he believes it is one of the only things he has left of Will and Derrig, and is therefore desperately clinging onto with both bloody hands even if it makes him, occasionally, a hypocrite), but also something he can use in defense of the people he presently loves—if that provocative, blade-grief side of him does not push them—or himself—away first.

(it won’t—he is as loved by the hells as he loves them. he just needs to—as laudna so beautifully said—say and hear it more often.)