#but there are long spans of Super that are essentially a

[shima-draws]

I've been teasing her for months!! But at long last her ref is complete 🌷

I actually DON'T have a 5 page essay on her backstory this time (like I did for Ilari LMAO) but I do have some info about her if anybody is curious!

Name: Ione

Age: 25

Hair color: Silver

Eye color: Orangish-yellow

Element: Light

Grabbing info from the few posts I've talked about her already, Ione was originally a very famous singer, pretty much an idol within the world of ATS. She'd hold huge concerts that were always sold out and people from around the world would flock to see her perform. Eventually tho all of the attention started to attract the wrong kinds of people, and sooner or later Ione was "scouted" by a very rich man who wanted her all to himself. She was manipulated and blackmailed into signing a contract with him that would essentially end her touring and make it so that she would become a private singer for him. He basically chained her with this contract and so she disappeared from the public eye.

Ione soon discovered that other people with similar talents had also been gathered and trapped by this man's contracts. Among them was a prodigy violin player who she grew very close with. The two of them struggled under the demands of this man, and eventually violin boy started to get physically abused by him 😭 Things escalated to the point where Ione decided she wanted OUT and was determined to do anything to escape. This led to a very...traumatic event that caused her to go mute by choice.

When Ione finally makes her escape, thankfully she's changed so much that people don't recognize her in public (mostly her hair! It used to be short and didn't cover one of her eyes before). Shortly after she runs into Nahu and his group, and is unceremoniously recruited to join them lol (Nahu can be VERY persuasive). Ione communicates with them through sign language, which luckily a couple of them are fluent in--Ezio and Sage to be specific. They then teach the others in the group sign language too. It takes Nahu a bit to get the hang of it bc he has like, no attention span whatsoever, but being a dragon elemental helps since his senses are super attuned all the time, so he can generally tell what Ione is feeling and what she's trying to convey when she talks to him :")

Over time Ione grows closer with them, and like everybody else is hit with the Found Family, and realizes that yeah. She'd do absolutely ANYTHING for this group of crazy weirdos. She starts to fall in love with Nahu (bc who WOULDN'T), and slowly gains the courage to use her voice again. This leads to secret meetings with Sage, who helps her relearn how to use her vocal cords.

Eventually her past catches up with her, of course, but the group all bands together to set her free from it. She has to face off against violin boy, who thought she'd abandoned him and got Messed Up Mentally as a result, so THAT'S a thing she's gotta deal with. But she's able to reach him by singing for the first time in over five years, and everyone absolutely loses their shit at how beautiful her voice is and they all cry and it’s very emotional!!

Even after regaining her voice she still prefers to stay quiet most of the time, as that is what she's comfortable with, but she's totally okay with speaking when she needs to. Also I need to mention this but bc she used to be like. An idol. Obviously her routines consisted of both song and dance so she's a pretty good dancer. Out of everyone in the group, Ione is the ONLY person Ezio will dance with (and he is a very VERY good dancer himself, but will only dance with someone who can keep up with him, which Ione can). Everyone is very jealous of this, ESPECIALLY Nahu lol bc he wants to dance with Ezio too 😂

Ione's a light elemental! I haven't given a LOT of thought into her powers yet but I do know that her singing makes her stronger and also gives her powers a boost, which in turn helps the rest of the group. She also can ride on these light waves--I will have to draw them sometime bc I can't really explain them in words, it'd be better to show them visually lol

And that's her!! My flower light mute girl <33333

[zayne-li]

Zayne and Siming

First of all, if you’re unfamiliar with the lore of Love and Deepspace, and don’t want to be majorly spoiled for just about everything (mainly Zayne’s lore), then I suggest you skip for now until you learn more. Unless you don’t care about spoilers, then go ahead.

I think that to all of us, so far, other than Sylus(who can blame him, he’s new), Zayne is the most confusing character to the Western audience. Rafayel tells us he’s a mermaid every other sentence, and Xavier has more than a few clues pointing to the fact that he’s a time traveler from another planet and possibly immortal?

Zayne’s main thing that seems to be talked about frequently in his cards and events are more so things related to Gods, fate, and fortune telling. And for me, for a while, this didn’t make a ton of sense to me, because I felt like I didn’t really have anything super specific to compare it to, but clearly he’s not just based off of anything random, you’re meant to recognize him as some specific God of Fate/reader of fate. And then Infold released this video when they released Master of Fates, and I realized that in Chinese, the myth was called Da Siming, which is a real Chinese god. So I got to work. Welcome to my Ted Talk on why Zayne’s entire story, mainly focusing on his main story counterpart, is still Siming in modern day Linkon City. 

Disclaimer: I am no Chinese mythology expert, this is simply what I’ve learned from Google and what that video Infold released tells us.

Who is Siming?

Siming is a Chinese deity or deified functionary of that title(meaning this title can pass from person to person) who makes fine adjustments to human fate (meaning you can pray to him for things as small as a chest cold etc)

He is referred to in Chinese as almost a secretary, his job in allocating human lifespans is almost a bureaucratic one. Think a guy in an insurance office.

Siming's main duty/power is the balancing of yin and yang, specifically in regards to human health/lifespans. He has the power to either shorten or lengthen life essentially as he sees fit (as long as it doesn't fuck things up too badly).

There can be more than one Siming at a time, who take on slightly different roles. Such as Da Siming(Greater Siming) acting as a Priest of Death, and a Shao Siming(Lesser Siming) acting as a Priest of Birth (this is just an example taken from a movie)

other titles (aside from Master of Fate) include Director of Allotted Life Spans, and Director of Destinies

While the 'job' of Siming can be passed down to multiple different people, the length of time they end up serving as Siming can result in different qualifying titles being added to them. 'Da Siming' (which is the one Infold told the story of when they released Shifu in that video apparently no one watched) would be more revered. "Da" means big, or greater, meaning he held that title for a great period of time. Bitch was tenured.

The 3 deathbringers

Essentially 3 spirits who take residence in the 3 energy centers of the human body. (head, chest, abdomen. probably only the chest would be relevant to us, given that Zayne is a cardiac surgeon)

these spirits enter the human body at birth, and seek to hasten the death of their hosts. 

Siming controls the process of these deathbringers killing their hosts, he may or may not permit it. 

to regulate this process, Siming relies on reports given to him by the deathbringers, which are brought to him on specific dates. Based on what he learns he may or may not use that information (and possibly other information) to decide whether or not to shorten or lengthen that specific persons lifespan. 

This bitch is not making sweeping decisions, he's looking at every individual person.

humans are believed to have various things available to alter the judgment of Siming regarding their fates, such as interfering with the reporting process, praying to Siming or his superiors, or following treatment from a doctor to improve the yin-yang balance, and thus extend their lifespan.

Other things:

There's a story about an ancient man who finds a skull on the ground, and mourns the fact that this person never had a proper burial. He lays down on the skull and uses it as a pillow, then has a dream where the skull comes to him and tells him about the tranquility and happiness found in death. The man tells the skull that he could petition Siming to bring him back to life, and then he would be able to return to his family. The skull denies he would want that, asking rhetorically to the man, 'why would anyone in such a peaceful and happy place as death ever want to return to the suffering of living?'

Where do we see these elements pop up in Zayne’s story?

Now, we already know that at the very least Zayne’s Master of Fate myth is heavily based on this deity, and you can see some elements of Siming in Foreseer as well. Foreseer most likely takes place in the far future from Master of Fates given that he resides on Philos, and we know that Philos is the planet humanity started inhabiting only after Earth was destroyed. Philos is also where both Xavier and Sylus are from. This is no Xavier lore post, but if you know anything about his lore, you know that he’s come back in time from the future. There will be a section on Foreseer below, but for now I want to focus on why I believe Zayne is still Siming in present day Linkon City.

The story of the man and the skull immediately brought me back to the World Underneath: Snowy Stairs, where Carter is actively trying to recruit Zayne to Xander Sciences for the purpose of bringing people back from the dead.

Snowy Stairs

First, we see Carter come across (well he’s kind of stalking him actually) Zayne who is consoling a child about the death of their dog, Pilot. The child is asking him to do something to save the dog, and Zayne simply tells him that he’s already dead, while Carter pulls out a Protocore and tells the child that he can bring the dog back to life with it.  

Carter and Zayne then have a mostly one sided conversation about the morals and ethics of using Protocores to bring people and animals back to life. Carter asks Zayne if the natural law is an unshakable moral boundary, or if it’s a comfort people use. 

I see two things here: As Siming, the ability for humans to bring themselves back to life despite the natural law would be a great disruption to the balance of fate, or yin and yang, which would explain why Zayne is so against this process, even though he himself was clearly interested in it at one point for the sole and selfish reason of keeping MC from dying. It seems to me that although Zayne is Siming, MC has some sort of destined death associated with her that is outside of his jurisdiction. Possibly because he has shirked his duties in order to keep her safe in the past (shielding her with umbrellas instead of killing her like he was supposed to as the Master of Fates.)

Carter then tells Zayne of a patient who is on the verge of death and asks him to come take a look and help them at Xander Sciences. Zayne does not appear, and though they seemingly have all the tools to save the man, they still fail. Is it maybe because as Siming, Zayne truly does alone have the power to control life and death? 

Carter then shouts as Zayne gets up to leave: “Our job is to save people. If we can control life and death, why shouldn’t we?!” Which is another clear reference to the job of Siming and the delicate balance he maintains. 

Side note, something else they’re referring to in this part is possibly this procedure of bringing life back has something to do with the creation of Wanderers? Unsure.

Then, Zayne oversees a couple essentially praying to have their son back. Siming controls life and death, and may respond to prayers if he so chooses to. He doesn’t bring the man back to life, but instead cleans the body so that the parents may properly say goodbye to their son. 

In this anecdote what we learn is that Zayne alone is seen as capable of controlling life and death, and it is implied that in whatever research he did on this subject, he found a solution. One that he rejects, possibly because it is a process that can and will result in creating Abominations, as seen in the Dawnbreaker anecdote. Wanderers/Abominations may be like the undead, resulting in these people not finding the proper peace in death. 

Other main story things

Mainly what I’m seeing in main story/event stories is that we are talking about Siming a lot with our present day Zayne, in terms of Gods of fate, and etc(Spceifically I’m thinking about the silk balls event, where that was the main focus of the conversation with him).

Foreseer/Master of Fates

Like I said, I don’t want to go into too much detail on Foreseer, but the fact that he has the power to see into Fate, and has superiors (Astra) tells me that he at least has some of the same powers as he did when he was the Master of Fates. Master of Fates seems to be a more peaceful era of his life as Siming, where I am assuming that all of the slips and scrolls MC is helping him record are indeed related to his ‘reporting’ as Siming, going back to the idea that Siming is more or less a sort of secretary, a record keeper. I believe he fell out of favor with the Gods when he chose to protect MC instead of killing her as he was told by either one of his deathbringers, or one of his superiors(I’m inclined to think it’s the latter).

I believe that after the moment when he chooses to protect MC rather than kill her as he said he would, he went on the run. We later find him as Dr. Zayne, and something happens in the story(we don't know yet) which results in him becoming the Foreseer. 

Foreseer was supposed to let her die as well, or possibly never even meet her, but he instead chooses to finally accept the consequences of his actions as Master of Fates and possibly Dr. Zayne and instead sacrifices himself so that she can live as a sort of. Equal exchange. 

That's uh… that's all I got right now! Will possibly add more to this post later we shall see. Basically I feel like I’m just seeing a lot of parallels between all of Zayne’s major character beats/themes and this specific Chinese deity, and by the Rafayel Precedent(telling us he’s a mermaid and then turning out to be a mermaid), I would not be surprised at all if Dr. Zayne in the main story ends up just being Siming.

[madcatlad]

Aaron Needs Friends

Having him be aloof and mysterious was cool for the first few adventures, but for the amount of time that Aaron was traveling with Aph he should have been making SOME sort of relationship with her squad. This man was present since BEFORE Garroth was lost to the Irene Dimension. Yet all anyone had to say about him was "I didn't know much about him" "he was a good man". The group didn't even need to know him all that well, or be super close. He didn't need to expose all his secrets or be particularly socialable. But you're telling me that during the span of time that Aaron was around the same people, all the time, risking their lives...and he didn't interact with them on a more personal level? He ONLY interacts with Aphmau. That just isn't human nature.

I vaguely remember multiple characters getting shamed or dismissed for being concerned about his intentions. But looking back that is completely valid! From Aph's perspective, Aaron is a good guy who had proved himself, and doesn't need to explain himself ever. From everyone else's perspective, he is a complete stranger, with vague intentions and questionable goals, who they have know for at least a year in close proximity but goes out of his way (quite literally every single time) to interact with NO ONE but Aphmau.

Suspicious Behavior. That or he seems rude. But their distrust of that kind of put out is not unbased. Especially when his past comes to light, yet he is still no more than a stranger, and shown to be purposefully secretive. Suspicious Behavior. But the cast is supposed to ignore all that because...? "He's a good guy" how would anyone else know that?

I mean he doesn't have to open up to them in great lengths and cry about his tragic life, but by time he died he should have had a surface level relationship with the main gang. More than never knowing jack about him as a person. Training/mentoring with Laurence, amicable acknowledgement with Garroth, maybe teasing flusterable Katelyn. A joke or two outside of Aphmau. Just any amount of relationship outside of Aphmau. Please.

Otherwise his mysteriousness becomes an archetype instead of characterization. And it became more of a hindrance to the story, especially later on.

Having Aaron never build relationships with anyone BUT Aphmau sets him aside in a way that is very odd. Aaron is essentially NOT a character, but a plot point. He only exists to advance the plot, add suspense, or subvert the plot. But he himself had no character- other than grief.

And it especially took away from the significance of his DEATH! When he died the only person really grieving HIM was Aphmau. Everyone was sad for HER. It made so Aph could be sad but - "oh nobody else understands my grief". While Aph was grieving nobody could really grieve with her. It isolated her in a way so jarring and disconnected from the story it felt more like a plot diversion than a plot point. And everyone just continued with their respective plots, yet the STORY had to come to a screeching HALT after Aaron's death because aph was mouring and she is quite literally OUR EYES.

There in lies the problem. NOBODY could mourn for Aaron, because he was a stranger. But HE DIED! He died without ever getting to grow or build new relationships as his story was clearly building up to do. HE DIED with no mourners! What kind of depressing precedent is that?!? "You don't need to grow past your grief, and build new relationships after great lost! You just need to be HOT and (somehow impregnate) the main character! Plot 😃".

What a Lackluster death for a character!! A main character!!! To be mourned by no one. It should have been Aaron's death that brought the story to a halt, the fact that they had lost HIM. Not that Aphmau had lost him.

Aaron's death should have affected the entire cast, or at least the main one who had traveled with him so long! Yet everyone else is allow to move on as they would because essentially they lost nothing.

Yeah, we were all sad when Aaron died as kids. Because Aphmau was sad (that scream was something else). And, yes, Aaron's death was sad. But imagine how devastating it would be if EVERYBODY knew him- to some capacity- if everyone mourned his passing. Imagine how much more significance it would bring to his SACRIFICE.

Aaron was a man with nothing to lose from DAY ONE. BUT HE STAYED THAT WAY! He never grew! What kind of sacrifice is it for a man with nothing to live for, no mortal ties, to sacrifice his life.

It dumbs down his death to in essence, achieve his ONLY goal in life: revenge, and make his girlfriend-not-girlfriend happy.

He A STRANGER. Not because HE necessarily wanted Garroth back, but because Aphmau wanted Garroth back. It doesn't work well. Aaron should have sacrificed himself for Garroth because HE wanted to, because HE cared for Garroth.

It objectified him in a sense. His decisions- his world revolves around Aphmau, and only her? (And Zane strangely enough). He has free will but his choices like agency, desire, depth. He's a means to and end, hardly a character. He experienced no growth, no change, no discomfort.

He only experienced pain and Aphmau. Tragic.

[roleplayhonestybox]

Just had the weirdest experience ever of my RPing career.

Dude I’ve been writing with for a long time, probably the better part of half-a-year, just sent me a zip file. Inside of it, it contained one document and then a folder. The document said READMEFIRST, so I did. He also reiterated when he sent it to me to read the doc first.

Let me preface that this guy has been nothing but a gentleman for the entire half year I’ve known him. We’ve vibed together since day one. We’ve never shared photos of one another. He’s literally been my best friend and best RP partner for the span of time. Our writing styles work so well together and I just. I really thought he was awesome. And now, I’m just sort of broken and at a loss as to what I should do.

The document I opened started with a single-typed page. He essentially went into detail saying this was a half-year anniversary gift. I couldn’t remember for the life of me the day that we met, but he remembered, which I thought was shocking. He said that he’d been collecting these for a long time as sort of like a memento/gift of our time together, which I thought was so super cute. I literally thought this man was rizzing me.

He went on about how he loves how open I am, how we mesh, great partner, blah blah blah. All the usual stuff. Says how excited he is for the next six months, and hopes I enjoy.

I open the next folder, and it contains another document and 134 images.

I have my settings to where my image icons are set to small so I just see the file and the name, so I didn’t see the images immediately, but they were numbered 1-134. So, I go to open the document. My brain was on overdrive by this point. I thought he somehow was commissioning people for artwork of our characters (he told me he’s loaded prior and loves to support artists), and I was just so excited.

Open the document. And it’s just. Pages and pages and pages of detailed descriptions of him LITERALLY. GETTING OFF.

It would be, like: “[date it happened] 1. [roleplay excerpt of mine]” and then it would go into gratuitous detail of how his orgasm felt, what he was thinking of, and imagining me as my OC in that instance, and then rate it out of 10.

I only skimmed, but I caught sight of him sometimes going back to previous passages that he denoted as his “favourites”. So he’d go into detail about how different or better it felt.

I thanked the good Lord above that I had my image files small because that meant that I had over 100 unsolicited dick pics (including…him finishing) sent to me immediately. I didn’t open a single file to check and see if it’s not just an elaborate prank because this happened probably an hour ago and I don’t know what to do.

He messaged me about 20 minutes after I said I was unzipping the file and basically said: “Well, what do you think?”

I honestly don’t know what to think. I haven’t said anything back to him, and he hasn’t messaged me, again. I don’t know what to do, either. I really love what we have and our characters. If he would have told me he liked me, I may have felt flattered and maybe beige flags but still, like…he has never once said or done anything out of line. He’s been so patient and great and just. I am literally sitting here in shock.

I even cried a little bit because I just feel?? Extremely violated?? And it’s just so out there and strange and I don’t know what to do. I just needed somewhere to vent. I feel like I have to block him, but now I’m wondering it he’s capable of anything else? I use a VPN and haven’t given him any information that could dox me. And, also thank God that I use a separate account to RP with.

Should I just ghost him? Should I confront him? Should I just block? Should I change my RP account completely? Has this happened to anyone else before? 😭 If anyone has any advice, I will surely take it…

BLOCK HIM. REPORT HIM.

I wouldn’t confront. I would remove yourself entirely from that situation and prioritise your safety.

Please anybody add advice. The mods here are more than happy to try and help the anon if they want to contact us in DMs.

[kanekoii]

a breakfast date with shu yamino (100 follower special)

lyra’s notes -> did i write out the whole damn date with him? perchance. it’s my 100 special so it’s gotta be good yk?

pairing -> shu yamino x gn! reader

genre -> a long ass scenario fic

song -> stops making sense - dayglow

warnings -> food mentions throughout, one singular use of name “darling”

the sun wormed its way through the curtains of your room on a warm morning. it was still relatively early, you figured to yourself as you essentially rolled out of bed and checked your phone, seeing a text from shu asking if you wanted to get breakfast with him in an hour and a half or so. even if he was your boyfriend and had been for a few months now, he never failed to make your heart flutter a bit with his romantic actions. once you texted him a reply that you would be happy to meet him for a date, you got in return a purple heart emoji.

shu had woken up not much before you had, just wanting to take you on a date that spanned a whole day like in his dreams. when you agreed, he couldn’t be happier as he jumped out of bed and began getting ready. he hummed to himself gently as he styled his hair and put together an outfit. he usually wears glasses when not streaming, so he’d have those set aside on his bathroom’s counter while he washes his face using the sink. he was still in his pajamas, just lavender purple plaid pants and a plain black shirt. his hair was messy and his eyes still held the smallest traces of sleepiness in them as he looked at himself in the mirror before running a shower.

you dressed in the clothes that made you feel best, that’s how shu liked it anyway. he’s happy when you’re comfortable and happy with what you’re wearing, so you dressed in that. the restaurant he suggested was a bistro in the nearby city’s downtown area. wouldn’t it be such a perfect day to walk or bike there, you thought to yourself as you strolled a few streets down to shu’s apartment. when he opened the door, you got a good look at his outfit for the day: black jeans, black combat boots, a dusty purple colored t-shirt that was slightly baggy on him, a deep purple belt around the waistline of his pants, only visible because his shirt was tucked in slightly, and a necklace with a penguin charm on it. his hair was tied into a messy ponytail at the back of his head, purple streaks poking through at some points. the front of his hair was relatively the same, pink streaks framing his face. the only different from how he usually did his hair was that his blonde bangs seemed more tamed than usual and hung over one of his eyes a little.

he squinted since he didn’t have his glasses on yet, but he was very vocal about the fact that just because his vision was blurry didn’t mean you weren’t the most attractive person he’d ever seen! he’d stumble around before he put on his glasses, deep purple eyes no longer squinting and able to fully see how absolutely adorable you are! when you asked if he wanted to bike to the bistro he suggested only to be met with the question of if you had brought your bike at all, shu couldn’t help but kiss your forehead! he knows it’s cheesy but just seeing you think and try to figure out things is so endearing to him! he’s super big brain, and you are too to him, even if you aren’t the smartest in reality.

his question of “can we both just use mine?” surely didn’t signal you that you would be sat in the little basket on the back of the seat, wrapping your body around him for support as the both of you laugh from joy and adrenaline. he had put on a jacket before you left, just plain black. you buried your face into the hood to avoid the air whipping your face (seeing as he was biking pretty fast by now) and inhaled his calming scent that was present in the fabric, in his hair, on his skin. he smelled like a campfire. not a bad kind of fire, a warm and comfortable one that reminds you of warm summer nights spent with friends around a fire, laughing and sharing stories and eating s’mores until the sun had risen.

breakfast with shu wasn't anything particularly special, just the both of you ordering filling breakfasts and a caffeinated drink of choice. for him, it was coffee with a vanilla flavored cream to balance out the bitterness of it. he couldn't help but smile so happily when he spends time with you, offering you a freshly picked flower upon leaving the restaurant. he knows you have things to do but he wanted to make your morning a little bit better by tucking the fresh flower behind your ear with a quiet “i love you so much. have a nice day, darling”.

[kiok0r0]

"Hey Kioko, how's the new job?"

I now understand why people advocate so strongly for universal healthcare. Insurance is such bullshit. But aside from that. This is a terrible job.

"It's only been two weeks. What's going on?"

Okay.

So I didn't think this through.

More under because the rant's long

This job I'm at is at a clinic. They're open three and a half days each week, it's typically 30 hours per week. I've got no experience or knowledge of medical terminology and medical computer programs. I admitted this in the interview we had. I was way too over the moon when they IMMEDIATELY HIRED ME AFTER ONE INTERVIEW. Why do I know they immediately hired me? They sent me forms that jobs normally send after someone gets hired. That should have been, you know, two red flags. But again, they wanted me to come in for a work interview, so I thought maybe they wanted my paperwork beforehand so I can do the work interview.

No, I literally missed the signs. I mean, I thought it was weird but I sort of thought they were super eager. And then after that work interview, they asked how soon I could start.

"I want to at least do my two weeks at my other jobs." Since, to be honest, while I hated one of the jobs, the managers at both places have been super kind.

"Can you ask if it's possible to leave earlier?" The doctor asks without hesitation.

Also another thing to say, I don't have a lot of work experience. I've been hired on the spot for one of my other jobs and didn't have a job at the time so I didn't really need to do a two week notice. But a two week notice is a courtesy. And again, while I didn't like the job, I really liked the managers. They have been patient and flexible with me and didn't pressure me to do things I couldn't do. So I felt rushed and slightly offended. But I brushed it off. Maybe they just thought I would be a good fit for the position and really wanted me to start soon.

So I started Tuesday. Realized I had to leave to celebrate my brother's graduation this week. Here was what the doctor did when I told him that I would be gone Friday and the first half of next week:

I have essentially did a speed run of the basics of the tasks I'm supposed to do the four days I've been in so far.

It's not even the end of week 2, mind you, and I haven't done a complete week at this place yet. Sure, the doctor's not expecting me to be an expert, but when I am the only one working at the front desk and I have no experience in the medical field or know how to do insurance claims maybe there should be a lot of training.

There is none. I have been taught way too many things in the span of four work days that takes thirty minutes to explain to me. And then it eats away my time because a new thing arises that the doctor didn't teach me.

He's expecting questions from me. I have so many and he's not available at all times. And I don't know how to tackle a lot of things without asking for help. There is no one available all the time. I am floundering. I'm spending way too much time after closing to figure out what to do by myself.

No one is teaching me how to read insurances. No one is teaching me how to explain to patients why their bill is like this. No one is teaching me how to be good on my own. This is the worst job with training. I'm essentially the face of a clinic who's trying to maintain people's health. And I have to learn "along the way"?

I don't know. I feel that when I'm in charge of looking at someone's expenses for their health, I feel there should be someone that should be training me from the moment I get into the office and the moment I leave.

I told myself I'll give this a chance. I wanted to give myself a year, 6 months at the bare minimum. Now I think I'll give it 3 months.

Oh and they told me my position is "office manager" when I had to tell someone what my position at the clonic is other than being just being an office clerk. Which. Was the job title on Indeed.

[fluidstatick]

Dear Left-of-Center American,

So you're not in a swing state, you hate the electoral system we've got, and you want to cast a protest vote, or abstain entirely.

Consider this:

If you vote blue, you suck the joy out of the other guy voting red.

Walk with me --

Biden's terrible, you said, repeatedly, last week. He's always been terrible. And I don't disagree with you. He's done a lot of bad things. There's blood on his hands. That's true of every president America has ever had. (Yes, Carter too. Don't get distracted. Stay with me, here.)

Now that Biden's dropped out, you still don't want to vote. Harris has done a lot of shady things. You point to Haiti, California's prisons, her voting record on various and sundry policies that you like or don't like. But I'm looking you in the eyes. I'm holding out my hands. I'm asking you, gently, to step away from the receipts and look at the basic arithmetic of the two party system.

Yknow that person? The one that looks at you funny, like you're either pitiable or disgusting -- Yeah, that one. Maybe you can think of a few. The terven evangelical lady who won't stop sending you anons about gender essentialism and hellfire. The old man you keep running into on the city bus, who loudly scoffs to the guy two seats over "these damn liberals have no shame anymore." The college jock with the massive lifted pickup truck covered in maga stickers. The grey suited board member on c-span who stares dead-eyed at nothing while one of your comrades tries to explain to him why he should care about other people. You know the ones.

Those people vote. They love voting. If they go to church, their clergy encourages them to make godly decisions at the polls. It's a sacred privilege, but it's also fun for them. They love their superhero candidate. They're voting for International Prom King. They're simping over their man so hard it's their entire personality from May to the following January and beyond.

Those people that don't like you started planning for the 2024 election the moment they understood they couldn't scream and curse Joe out of the white house. This is every competitive sport on earth combined for them. They vote because they love the idea of helping their guy score the ultimate super mega touchdown of all time. These people gameify their elections. They're giddy about watching results pour in.

When I was very small, I listened to my lifelong democrat parents criticize Bush Sr. They didn't think I understood what they were talking about, but I knew the man was powerful and was making decisions that made things more difficult for people. I watched Bill Clinton make life easier for my parents, and Americans like them, for eight solid years. (Yes, I learned about bombs and lobbyists and oil subsidies, too. Don't get distracted.) I watched Gore lose the 2000 election, slowly and painfully over the course of weeks. I learned about gerrymandering and voter suppression and swing states and delegates.

And then. When I was in my late teens, too naive to know better, I dated a staunch conservative. The first presidential election I was old enough to participate in was 2004. I was living with the aforementioned conservative. When our voter's pamphlets arrived in the mail in mid October he handed mine to me and said, grimly, "You're gonna vote for Kerry, aren't you?"

I said "of course I am."

He tossed his voter's pamphlet in the trash and said "See, you liberals annoy me. What's the point of me doing my civic duty as an American id you're just going to cancel it out by voting for a socialist?"

(Kerry was not a socialist.)

Bush won a second term in 2004. It wasn't nearly as close as Bush/Gore, because Americans were still deeply paranoid about terrorism, preoccupied with Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. Kerry ran on economics. Bush ran on Islamophobia. But I pissed off my conservative boyfriend, his parents, and half of his friends. We broke up not long after that.

And my point is: If you can't convince yourself to show up at the polls in support of the Democratic nominee, and you can't imagine your deeply red state flupping blue, or your historically blue state drifting purple: Imagine looking your most obnoxious bigoted neighbor in the eye and telling them "I voted for the one you don't like. If you think about it, it's like you didn't vote at all."

Is that how voting works? Of course not. Will it piss em off? Yeah, probably.

Vote to spite an asshole with a punchable face, if you want. Just fuckin' vote.

[stuck-in-the-ghost-zone]

@intertexts okay before i answer the second trigger question i NEED to talk about the trickster/clarence/mal backstory. fuck . okay. you know the drill. nhw essay under the cut:

ok first off this is the required listening for reading this post bc ive imagined all of this in the form of an animatic (trickster pov). there was like a 4-hour span of time at work one day last week where i just had this song on repeat and zoned out thinking abt this while i did absent cleaning tasks. so thats how u KNOW im insane

ok so i still havent thought of a name for the city. but ive been thinking about this city as a parallel equivalent to the spirit world. ironically, its a city that doesnt have a huge parahuman population, so its relatively quiet. the cape presence is pretty small. the lead hero in the city is Whisperer (aka clarence albert), a striker/mover/stranger. he can fly, turn invisible (NOT intangible!!!!!!!!), and if he can get a hand on someone he can calm their emotions just by touching them. it's effectively like a tranquilizer, except theyre not asleep theyre just not feeling whatever strong emotions led them to causing trouble in the first place. (thinking abt this like a touch-based version of the calm emotions spell in dnd, its concentration so the effect is limited to when hes actually touching someone. when he lets go, theres a small window of time before they reorient themselves and are back to whatever they were feeling before) (this is to parallel the idea that the whisperer can pull chaos spirits out of possessed people like william did to atlas).

anyway. distracted. Whisperer's partner was originally a rogue named Ghoul, a huge hulking Brute cape who didnt really cause many serious problems but was a huge disturbance to the local people just beacuse of his monstrous appearance. Clarence confronted him and Ghoul dropped his changer form to reveal mallard conway, a man who had only recently triggered and was essentially.. lost. directionless. he didnt know what to do with his powers, since they were so... different. hes a master/changer/brute, with the ability to create strong illusions and influence people in his regular form, but can change forms to be a hulking monster with brute strength. essentially both brains and brawn in one guy. clarence asks him something along the lines of "well if you have nowhere else to go, why not come wiht me?" and basically. takes him under his wing? i guess? its not like he trains him, but just by being around clarence, mal learns what its like to be.. good. not selfish and heartless. clarence isnt much involved with capes from other cities since their own is pretty quiet, so his main focus is to just kind of keep the peace. keep the balance.

this goes on for... a long time. clarence and mal (whisperer and purgatory << mal's new hero name) are basically inseparable. call it love, call it brotherhood, call it a one-sided hero worship crush on mal's end. who knows. theyre secretive, not in the public eye much unless they need to be. UNTIL. some new villain triggers and is an IMMEDIATE s-class. now i have a couple different ideas for how and why exactly the trickster triggers and where he comes from but honestly im okay with leaving it a mystery for now. one day he shows up like a natural disaster. it becomes a situation VERY similar to nilbog- the prt forces get called in, they try to take him down with non-capes first since hes a high leveled master and they dont want him to immediately gain super powerful puppets to control. this,, does not work and basically just feeds him fodder to make his numbers grow VERY quickly. Whisperer and Purgatory (mostly whisperer) can't sit back and watch this Trickster guy just keep absorbing innocents into his masses and use them to do his dirty work anymore, so Whisperer wants to confront him. I think Purgatory tries to hold him back at first (mainly due to the fear of losing him, but he words it as "we're not supposed to, if either of us get caught it would be so much worse for everyone involved"). Whisperer does not listen to him and goes anyway; hes convinced that with his power, all he needs to do is touch Trickster and everything will be so much easier to handle once hes out of commission. the fight DOES NOT GO THIS WAY. clar and mal actually are able to fight their way up to the trickster, clarence gets a hand on him.. but his power doesnt work. theres this moment where the trickster freezes like maybe something did happen, but then clarence realizes like... he cant feel anything. i think usually he can tell what sort of emotion he's repressing when he uses his power; sort of innately understands what sort of effect hes having on a person, but with the trickster it jsut feels like. nothing. theres nothing there. and then he starts laughing and breaks the silence and turns around to grab clarence and hurt him in some way. mal is preoccupied; hes fighting off puppets as theyre sort of swarming the area, allowing clarence a moment to use his power... and then he sees whats happening.

i dont think trickster is particularly strong on his own. but. i mean. his name is trickster. i think he probably keeps some sort of secret weapon on him. knives in his coat to make the "ive got a trick up my sleeve" joke. he slashes clarences throat, doesnt even bother trying to control him. what would he want with a power like that anyway? clarence is basically his antithesis- calming instead of chaos. that sort of power is almost like an insult to him. so he kills him. clarence is laying there bleeding out, trickster is laughing over him, mal drops everything and runs over to clarences side, trying desperately to talk to him or stop the bleeding or ANYTHING. he dies in mals arms. mal fucking. fully snaps. instant brute form, he wants to tear the trickster limb from limb, kill anything that moves around him etc etc etc. in his rage, hes not really fighting very well, hes leaving himself vulnerable, theres a lot of openings etc etc. trickster fucks up his face pretty bad (this is how he gets those big scars like he has in canon).

however, MALS powers are more fun so he doesnt outright kill him. its harder to take control of him both because of his current rage state and also the fact that hes also a master and part of mals power kind of cancels out some of the tricksters control. so instead of puppeteering him right away, trickster forces him out of the city. he of course tries to keep going back in, but at that point the PRT has made the decision to put the city under quarantine and just let him take it. they keep mal from going back in. (clarence's body is still in there. he doesnt even get a burial.) . you know how mannequins main thing is that he was originally a hero that was driven crazy by the simurgh attack that killed his wife and daughter? yeah thats what happened to mal. he was just totally unreachable after this. clarence basically saved his life, was his best and only friend, was his mentor, was the person who taught him how to be good... and now hes gone. what else does mal have left. he goes back to being called Ghoul. he joins the s9. his rage and grief eventually settle into a manipulative calm, and he starts using his master powers more than his brute powers, to get what he wants from people.

aaaand then . years later. he sees the new wards team on tv, and theres a hero with a cape that looks achingly familiar. surely it cant be him, clarence is dead, has been dead for years... but there he is. theres his costume. this new hero is even ghost-themed. as smart and manipulative and greasy as mal is i think theres a fundamental piece of him thats just. really irreparably unhinged. seeing something that reminds him of clarence again drives all common sense out of his mind and he defaults to "thats him" even though he would logically know that its not. and thats why hes so obsessed with wibby. he knows this new cape calls himself Wraith, but like. capes change their names all the time! mal even did it himself once! maybe if he calls him Whisperer enough times, he'll remember who he is.

theres some more to this plotwise that mostly just deals with. the plot. but i feel like this is a good setup for mals whole thing :]

[kohakhearts]

hey taylo my bestie hello please elaborate on the goh cubone jn subtle storytelling thingy

COMING TO THIS SUPER LATE SORRY MAN SCHOOL WAS KICKING MY ASS BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING. IM SO FUCKING GLAD YOU ASKED.

ok so jn015. our intro to goh's family unit, notably his parents. goh explains his dad is a systems engineer and his mom is a programmer. they work together and run their own company (and appear to be a two-man team, when we actually see them at work). right off the bat, ash is surprised that goh has to call to warn his parents he's coming home. goh essentially says he doesn't want to be a bother to them. he's very casual about the whole thing. it apparently doesn't bug him at all. in fact, he goes out of his way to get them and his grandmother gifts and generally seems to be looking forward to seeing them.

he IS disappointed when they turn out not to be home when he gets there, but in true pokemon anime fashion, this is not dwelled on for long. he says it's fine, he doesn't want to make his parents worry, and also his parents are great and scorbunny's gonna love them. so instead of moping about it, he goes out and gets involved in his little park adventure, where he runs into a cubone being targeted by a bunch of mankey.

this is the only time in the main-line anime that cubone's dex entry is given. it is not the first time a cubone has shown up, though, which is...strange, but i'll roll with it. here's what the dex says (sourced from bulbapedia):

Cubone, the Lonely Pokémon. A Ground type. Cubone wears a skull as a helmet, concealing its face as it sheds tears for its long-lost mother. It cries loudly to express its loneliness. It also always carries a long, thick bone.

REALLY interesting choice for Pokemon Of The Day (literally bc it's also the who's that pokemon feature) for the episode where we're introduced to goh's parents.

it's also like...obviously not the only time where we see goh decide to help a pokemon, but i do think that his captures (especially early on in the series) that are framed in this way (i.e. they span over the course of an episode, wherein he befriends the mon before catching it. he doesn't have many catches like this in the series!!) seem to serve a purpose of like, really emphasizing certain traits he shares. before this, we had scorbunny - who is a bit of a loner, kind of the "odd one out," but is determined and stubborn and doesn't really want charity, either (but latches very quickly on to the first human who shows a genuine interest in it). now, we have cubone. the lonely pokemon.

i feel that the WAY he approaches cubone is...interesting? like he's sad for it. his facial expressions are very telling. and this is the first time we see him choosing to help a pokemon without ash around (something we know he never really would've done before meeting ash; and i've mentioned this before, but i do think a lot of his "well, you can't just help pokemon because you think they need it, they need to learn to be independent and help themselves" attitude stems from the fact that he was forced to be independent and help himself from a young age. so i think it's actually pretty profound that one of his first major overtures to a pokemon without ash pushing him is in a situation where he is acting more the parent to his parents than the other way around. he's literally on the way to delivering them dinner to work. and his gift for them is gloves, because it's cold). that tells me he is really affected by what he's seeing. he's empathetic to it (he also never tells it to stop crying or anything when they're looking for its bone, which honestly doesn't seem all that in-character for him at this point. just look at the way he talks to scorbunny a few episodes later when it's trying to learn ember, right?)

anyway, this being the only time it gets a dex entry is already like, kind of in your face enough imo. but then he also catches it. and at the end of the episode, when his parents are talking in the kitchen (and notably they are, again, separate from the other characters - more so onlookers than active participants in the family), his dad specifically says this

like i don't know how much more obvious than that they can get with saying they were trying to draw a parallel between goh and cubone. but lonely - anyone can feel lonely. that's just one aspect of the comparison. cubone is lonely because it misses its mother. because it's an orphan.

isn't it a little...ironic...that goh's parents would be the ones drawing the comparison in the end? but that's the point, i think. i mean, goh's not an orphan. but his parents chose to continue living a lifestyle that reinforced his loneliness and ensured a degree of separation between them. they share with each other their concerns for him, but never voice those to him. obviously there's love on both sides, but emotionally speaking - there's next to no connection there. goh idolizes and idealizes his parents, and goes out of his way to take care of them; in turn, his parents share in a secret concern for his wellbeing and compensate for their guilt at making him feel isolated by supplying him with whatever they can materially (mr six computer monitor set-up in his bedroom at age 7. what the fuck). so he's not literally an orphan...but emotionally? well. that's a whole other can of wurmples :pensive:

anyway, tl;dr he's not a real orphan. but i'll give him the honour because he does kinda have that orphan complex going for him <3

[glaciertea]

Masterlist here

Tales the Songs Weave

Ch.23<< >>Ch.25

Notes: He realizes his mistake...

Chapter 24: I'm With You Throughout It, Choose... Busted and Blue

Word count: 3.5K

There he was, locked in his bedroom, languishing all that had taken place.

The room was dark; nothing was able to be seen in or out of it. The only noises that were made in the room were his soft breathing or his footsteps when he got up to stretch his legs.

After the ordeal with Spot, things were a bit difficult at the HQ. Word certainly spreads quickly. The building could be close to ten thousand stories high, but everyone will know everything within a span of six minutes or less. From the whispering disdain to the raucous doubts from the spiders, Miguel was in scalding hot waters, and no one was willing to pull him out.

Peter, Miles, and Gwen ended up using Lyla to present to the hollow man their experiences and scientific research on what they detected during the whole exhibition. Nobody else bothered to show, not planning to deal with Miguel's reactions.

Though some of them wanted to see the look on his face when he was told that he's wrong with concrete evidence, they didn't have the patience or care left for it.

Miguel's sullen eyes glazed when he saw Miles and Gwen's world still standing. The reason why Mayday even exists is because of Miles himself. All of it was flashed and clarified left and right.

It didn't make it any better either when that itch that forever trapped him in turmoil vanished after everything essentially settled down. Now his inner conflicts battered him even more.

Was that sixth sense truly for you? Was this red herring he'd been following for months on end—this entity that's been swallowing him whole this entire time—meant for you? or for the Spot and the damn collapse of the canon? 

He didn't want to believe it, but it disappeared when he came back to the apartment that first night. 

It was all too much.

Halfway through, he wordlessly stood up and sluggishly stepped out of his office, leaving the three clouded and lost. They didn't go after him, as much as Gwen wanted to hammer it into his thick skull.

“Kinda unfair how he leisurely walks away after what he did to you.”

Miles could only shrug. “As long as he understands that he's in control of his future, I guess I can forgive.”

Days crawled by, as Miguel wasn't in the public eye. Somehow, less than before. A handful of spiders did question the main crew who was at the incident, what became of Miguel, and what exactly would happen to the society.

Most went about their lives and, rightfully, weren't ready to really go back to this life. Peter took charge by being an unofficial spokesman, reassuring that they would find a way to refurbish what the society primitively stood for. 

He ended up begging Jess to become the new leader because she knew the highs and lows and the ins and outs of the establishment. She was reluctant with the offer, and Peter acknowledged it, noting to take her time and giving her the much-needed space to relax and prepare for the birth of her child.

And as for his old boss? Not even Peter knew where he was.

But he was still there. Hearing in on all the discussions about this place. He couldn't bear to show his face. Riddled with guilt and utter anguish, he had to hide from the ambivalent conflicts he created.

Lyla was, of course, the only one to be aware of his presence, but she promised to keep his location a secret. So whenever Peter B. or anybody else remotely asks if she can track him down, she raises her arms and waves them in front of her face.

“Not even I can find him, and I'm this super-intelligent creation,” was the go-to excuse.

A couple tried to contact him; even Peter got Jess to attempt, but despite her dangling this grudge over him, she gave it several tries and turned up empty-handed each and every time.

Miguel would let the watch go off for a bit before managing to sever all communications from everyone. Now, when they would try, the line would go dead straightaway. He simply couldn't do it.

It got to the bottom line, where they gave up on their search. There were some braver ones to stop by his apartment, but their spider senses would flare up, ultimately making that area a ‘no trespassing’ zone. The speculation of him hiding in there did rise, but died down when Lyla broadcasted fake recordings of the empty rooms whenever they held suspicion. Going as far as to even make it appear as life footage.

He was grateful for her and her effort.

Miguel didn't know how to face them. He couldn't eat; nightmares kept him up for the long nights, and his thoughts made sure to go into overdrive. It got to a point where he couldn't take the silence or even his own breathing. He added music to the ambience, thankful you allowed him to keep them. It did help preserve some of his sanity—whatever was left of it.

As different chords and harmonies filled the air, he lay up with a baleful stare at the ceiling. His head was rampaging, and his ears took in every note, letting it settle into his flesh and bones. He let thoughts run out in the wild, not caring what they breached.

The canon; all he sacrificed... his osita.

You.

You were one of the main ones he didn't bother to try and push away in his rifling mindscape unpleasantries. In fact, you never left.

He didn't notice you texted him right away. The first couple of nights, he crashed hard onto his mattress and slept, allowing his body to recover.

Then the flood of messages poured in, and he would only stare at the first few words and swipe away each one once you sent. He couldn't do it.

He didn't have the right words to say or how to accept your worries and concerns. It scared him, and it terrifies him that you still have this gentle spot for him after all he has done to you. It wasn't fair; it's not fair that he couldn't fully give you what you wanted.

Each message you gave chipped away at his already destroyed heart. Yet he would mentally respond to them with a very distant reassurance. He didn't have the courage to face you, even though he wanted to.

He didn't deserve your emphatic words, but damn it, did he want to read them? He held an urge to see what he had fully said to him. Hour after hour, day by day, he wouldn't click. He would only wait with full anticipation when your face popped up on the screen. It was some cruel punishment he bestowed upon himself. An infliction that he truly deserved.

Then one day, he finally clicked and scrolled up to read. His wants swelled for you, and his desires to reach out were strong, though he resisted.

Every day, he clutched onto your words, desperately needing something to keep him sane. Like before, he kept his phone on your screen, only clicking out when you began to text, because his cowardice got in the way. He would only go back and read the new ones when he knew you'd be busy with your job.

He was indeed a true coward, but he wasn't going to cause any more grievances towards you.

He was scared to bring you down anymore. So all he could do was watch from afar.

Then one day, they stopped coming in. A spear of despair and anxiety pierced through him, aimlessly waiting for you to contact him. His knee would bounce at unsteady tempos, or he would pace across the room, his phone propped up, eyeing the screen for the three bubbles to pop up.

“Please… please, mi Luna.”

Nothing came from you. Not a single peep. 

And yet, he still believed he deserved it. He drove away the last piece of love he had left, and there wasn't much he could do.

He had nothing.

Eventually, after a few weeks, he began to sneak out of his apartment, taking air shafts and hallways that no one knew up to his office. He still missed his osita and would go chat with her for a couple of hours before heading back. He was able to spew whatever he wanted off his chest with no hassle because the space was barricaded and blocked off from the others.

He only knew it was because he eavesdropped on a discussion between Peter, Jess, and a few spiders about what to do with his section. 

Jess was visiting, showing off photos of her baby boy, Gerry. Peter B. couldn't control his excitement, gushing about all the playdates Gerry and Mayday could have, and the rest cooed, congratulating the new spider-mom. 

Topics lead down one road to another; things are tossed in here and there, and the discourse of Jess leading came into play. The ones surrounding her commended her for being more level-headed and comprehensible in how she handles situations. Overall better fit to be a leader.

Miguel's eye did twitch, but he bottled it up.

Debates were thrown about what to exactly do when Hobie suggested they tear it down and turn it into something more impactful. A statement of some sort. Agreements did weave their way into the air when Peter suggested they leave it. They raised their eyes and eyebrows at that, arguing why they wouldn't want to leave a place of bad memories and faith up if they decided to move forward.

And his rebuttal was simple.

“It is still technically his world. We can't really hijack all of his stuff. He created it, and yes, we may now have some… unrequited sentiments about the office; we should at least leave something more personal for him if he ever decides to return.”

Some were on board, a couple opposed, but after a few more convincing statements and negotiations, they obliged to keep it, and it's up to the person if they want to try and meander down in that direction.

Miguel was slightly glad to have someone try to pull him out.

Only one monitor remained on, the others collecting bits of dust bunnies because there was no reason to have them up anymore. Miguel rambling to Gabi felt oddly therapeutic in a sense. He knew she would be one of the last few to judge him.

Well, possibly the only one. His eyes did occasionally wander over to you. He was only able to watch a few seconds of the video before clicking it off. He did still have your messages open, waiting for you.

He doesn't know exactly how much time has passed by either. He knew it still had to be summer because of the time stamps from you, but this season felt more bleak, with more gray clouds above, covering up the skies. Where was the beacon of light? And even if it were to have been shown, would he have merited that warmth?

All he knew was that this was all he had left. Those couple of hours turned into days, residing next to the one and only monitor. Blanket near him, falling asleep to the sounds of laughter. If this was now going to be his future, then so be it. He would take the mass, doing whatever self-reflection would get him by. Or was it self-pity? He decided to go with the latter.

Lyla would eye his deteriorating state, teleporting foods next to him, but not much communication came from her end. She went on helping the others reprogram and rebuild the HQ, mostly being around Jess, who did consider leading and reestablishing the structure.

All seemed to fall into line. They omitted to seek out Miguel anymore, the spider-beings thrilled at the now-new endless possibilities after learning that they don't have to conform to and rely on this made-up entity. A new beginning was starting for them all, and they couldn't have been happier to be able to control their future.

And there was one who wanted everyone to have a future of their own. Everyone.

Miguel sat on his knees, perched up on his control panel, his eyes going back and forth between the hanging screens. He was slowly dozing off when he heard a certain sound coming from behind.

“I figured you would've been hiding in here.”

Miguel discreetly straightened up, forcing himself awake, and continued to blankly gaze into the blacked-out PCs around him. He pretended not to register Peter, but at this point, it didn't matter if he did. Nothing mattered.

“You know hiding away for months on end isn't the best way to handle your problems.” He climbed up on the platform, dropping to his knees, and turned to the flashing images. “There have to be days when you combat them.”

Miguel didn't vocalize a single sound; only his placid breathing was the only thing escaping from him.

“Lyla told me you would be up here. Don't worry, she made sure to catch me when I was alone.” He ruffled his own hair and lightly chuckled. “Her and Jess have been chit-chatting about new implementations and all.” Peter's eyes scanned for any change of emotion, but nothing was coming from it. So, he kept going.

“Yeah, she's been busy with that, so she asked me if I could be the one checking in on you. I honestly felt honored when she asked me after all that happened, but hey.” He raised his arms above his head and yawned. “Speaking of Jess, her son Gerry is so adorable. Not as adorable as my Mayday, but he's definitely up there.”

He knew Miguel wasn't going to open up so easily. He had already mentally prepared himself when he was making his way. It didn't have anything planned, but he felt that was the best way to come about this. To speak from the heart more than the mind. 

Peter believed that's what he needed. He doesn't need a worker or anything grandiose. He needs a friend to just talk to him and tell him how it is. And there was definitely a lot to unpack, so Peter let whatever his thoughts came out in slow, moving low tides.

“You know what? It's okay. It's okay, Miguel. We fuck up sometimes. I know I definitely did during that whole thing.” Peter frowned when he thought back to how he hurt and betrayed Miles, but he pushed on. “I mean, mine was bad, of course, but you fucked up in the worst possible of ways—but you'll get through this.” 

Miguel tilted his head with a burning sense of death in his eyes before going back to his osita.

“I know it's not the best way of looking at it, but it's true. Everyone keeps trying to out you as this sort of liar, but I have to remind them that you didn't build it on this lie.” He twisted his body to look at the entrance and settled on the bottom before choosing to lie down on the metallic floor. “You built it up on your paranoia. Your fears.”

His muscles tensed at that. Was it his fears? The canon was always a subject that seemed correct and made a ton of sense. One thing leads to another, and so on and so forth. A very structural ‘A’ goes to ‘B,’ and ‘B’ to ‘C.’ So was it truly his constant anxiety about wanting to keep billions alive? Was it not him merely trying to do the right thing that kept this idea up and running?

He turns to your minimized video in the corner and thinks about the night he ended it with you. That was him doing the right thing. Right?

“Miguel, I know you don't like hearing the same thing over and over, but I feel like you're going to need it.” Peter got more comfortable, intertwining his fingers together and placing them behind his head. “It's okay to be scared of the unknown, but now it's up to you if you want to face them head-on. The world is a big place, and the future is an endless zone of things that can be great.”

His eyes shut, enjoying the peacefulness of silence. It has been eventful for Peter, so it was nice for him to take it easy for a bit. “I know it must be hard. To believe in this one thing for so long only to have it proved wrong. Not to add insult to injury, by the way.” Miguel didn't bother to look down.

“But it can be an eye-opener to come at these things differently, and that's what I believe you need.” Peter grunted, sitting back up, letting his legs dangle and his mouth roam free. “You're so used to control, so used to having this hold to make sure things run smoothly, but if you were to look closely, you could see the serrated lines in the seams of the walls. Those cracks were creating a rift in the structure.”

Peter cocked his head before gesturing to Miguel to take a seat when he saw the corner of that red iris.

Miguel brought up the holoscreen and sank down next to Peter. He and Gabi were front and center, as the video with you two stayed hidden in a corner. All that was created and caused, all the blood on his hands—was it for nothing?

“Do you think... Do you think people like me deserve this? Another chance at life.”

Peter puffed out a huge gust of air and ran his fingers through his scruffy hair. “I mean, I would believe so.” He glanced at the child and then towards a familiar face and Miguel, when a determined gleam covered his face. “You know what? Yes. People who have been lost for so long and are wanting to change do deserve a second chance. I was given that second chance after running and doing so much damage that, after Miles and all that happened, I realized that I could have that too.”

He straightened up his stance, that driven look never leaving.

“And you can too. It'll have to start with you needing to make amends. From Miles to Jess, hell, nearly everyone in this place.” Peter eyed the holoscreen with him when his view landed back on your face. “And you need to make them with the person who was helping you break open. Who is willing to take a peek at those walls.”

“She would have looked deep into it.”

“So that wall was a shield. Maybe those cracks needed to make a rift to break down and see the full thing.” Peter grinned when his friend started laughing in front of the camera.

Peter was always the advocate for Miguel because a certain spider taught him he could see the potential in others once they put that faith in them. And he was always ready to see Miguel at his highest points that he could get to.

There was silence for a while as he expanded the video, having him and Gabi in the corner. His eyes never left you. His thoughts never deserted you. You were willing to stand by him and walk beside him. Those gentle and genuine eyes, that love you held for him. 

The love he holds for you always shines.

“You don't have to let the past dictate a huge chunk of you. It's how you go about handling these things, you know?”

Miguel twisted his neck, his heart thumping and his mouth agape. The gawking stare made Peter shift, but he realized what he said. 

“Go to her. You have a lot to do and fix, but I think this would be a good start. She would be a good start to the future for you. Learn to be a better you. It's never too late to start.”

He didn't know what to say; he couldn't think of the right words, but Peter was possibly right. Possibly.

He could possibly get one thing right.

“Do you think she'll even want me back?” But the self-doubt was still heavily engraved.

“That's something you're going to have to seek the answer to for yourself. There is no fancy algorithm or canon to decode that.” Peter brushed some lint off his robe and smiled.

“Now go get cleaned. You reek, buddy.” He patted his back and waved his hand in front of his face. “I'll still keep your location hidden until you're ready to face the rest.” Peter stood up, pulled Miguel on his feet, and put his hands in the pockets of his bathrobe.

“Tell her I said hey, and that Mayday wants to hang out again.” 

The giant nodded before pulling him into a hug. “Thank you, Peter.” 

“Of course. But please, go shower. I actually prefer you smelling like too many coffees and stale empanadas.” He gently removed himself and patted his shoulders.

Opening up a portal for him to go freshen up, Peter gave him a thumbs-up and a wink. “Take care of yourself and do for yourself.”

Miguel was going to hold on to those words. He knew he should.

There was more to this, and he wanted to grab it. He wanted it. And he was going to make these mistakes right. 

He was going to make this wrong... right. 

One string fell loose.

[spnfanficpond]

New Member Spotlight - March 2024

The Pond is always growing and we want to make our new members feel welcome! Here’s a list of recent additions to our fishy family, along with a little info about them!

Guppies, Jellies, and Mutuals, oh, my!

@samanddean76 -

Other SM names? - Same name on AO3 and Discord

OTP? - Wincest and/or J2.

Looking for in the Pond? - To be around other open-minded and creative people so that I can see how far I can be inspired to go with this writing thing.

Pairings you read? - All of it. I love Wincest, Wincestiel, Sabriel, Destiel, Jammy, and J2.

Genres you read? - Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Smut, True Mates, Soul Mates, Unrequited Love, and A/B/O is my favorite way to combine all of the above.

Favorite writer(s)? - nyxocity. She started on LiveJournal with the first episodes to air and transfered a lot to Ao3. Her work in both SPN and SPN RPF is some of the best I've ever read.

What do you like to write? - A/B/O, AU's, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, True Mates, Soul Mates, Revenge, and All The Feels

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - Joyous Memories Amongst The Sorrow

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - A full on, hard-core revenge story where nothing is softened, the focus doesn't shift away, and there is no doubt as to what was done. Haven't tried it yet as I'm not sure I'm ready to embrace the darkness required to write it. Also, I don't want to scare off my readers. How you can help? Encourage me to finally tackle that next seemingly impossible challenge.

@kayleighwinchester -

Other SM names? - KayleighWinchester (AO3)

OTP? - Awful as it sounds, Dean and my OC! Beyond that, absolutely Destiel.

Other fandoms? - I'm pretty active in the band Ghost's TikTok fandom! I used to be *huge* into Harry Potter, but that's definitely faded in the last few years. As it stands, Supernatural has definitely become the main obsession.

Looking for in the Pond? - I'm mostly here for the community! My fanfic writing has mostly been just for me and shared with a few close friends in the last few years - publishing it anywhere, especially in the really rough state it's in at present, is super daunting! I'm always looking for more people to bounce ideas off of, chat with, and generally obsess over the show with, as well as finding new stuff to read!

Pairings you read? - I'm especially fond of reader inserts, and they were my first big step into fanfic! When it comes to ships, I tend to stick specifically to Destiel, since it's my OTP, but I'm always willing to branch out!

Genres you read? - I love angst! Writing was, for a long time, my free version of therapy, so reading and writing angst was always a huge thing for me. I also love smut and fluff. ...Essentially, everything. Depends on the mood!

Favorite writer(s)? - I always have to boost TinkerbellBleu on Ao3, even though she isn't active anymore. She wrote an amazing DeanxOC fic, essentially turning episodes 1, 2, and part of 3 into full-length novels. I adore her writing and hope she comes back soon!

What do you like to write? - Most are CharacterxOC, and I have absolutely no self-control, so they are almost always ridiculously long. As it stands, I've been incapable of not just writing a fic that is supposed to span the entire show, because there's just *so many* good moments, good scenes, good storylines, etc. There's never one specific 'theme'; I write everything! I do enjoy writing angst, though.

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - Smut! I've made an *attempt*, but never one that I actually kept. Generally, it comes down to a lack of confidence; I'd love some critiques if I ever get around to it!

@whiskeyjuniper -

Other SM names? - Whiskeyjuniper (AO3)

OTP? - DeanCas, Midam, crackship DeanChuck

Looking for in the Pond? - Sprint buddies!

Pairings you read? - DeanCas, Midam, crackship DeanChuck

Genres you read? - Horror

What do you like to write? - Horror, Weird

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - a happy place to dream about

@bloodydeanwinchester -

Other SM names? - Same name on Discord, alovelyhorror (AO3)

OTP? - Destiel

Looking for in the Pond? - Looking for a place to talk to other writers and participate in sprints.

Pairings you read? - Almost exclusively Destiel

Genres you read? - Angst with a happy ending is my favorite but I also love some good horror. my favorite trope is probably time travel.

Favorite writer(s)? - sobsicles and komodobits on ao3

What do you like to write? - mostly into writing longer destiel canon/canon divergent fics (although i do have an idea or two for aus)

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - When the Night Is Over

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - The thing I'm most focused on wanting to do now is to finish the longer fic that I’m currently working on. I'm struggling with keeping up motivation now that I'm right in the middle of the fic!

@notanotherthembo -

Other SM names? - Same name on Discord

OTP? - Dean/Cassie

Other fandoms? - TWD, TOWL

Looking for in the Pond? - Beta readers, homies, amazing writers to talk shop with

Pairings you read? - Sam/Femme!Reader, DeanCassie, Sam/Dean/Femme!Reader, Wincest

Genres you read? - Smut, Rivals or Enemies to Lovers,

Favorite writer(s)? - @uncouth-the-fifth is the GOAT

What do you like to write? - Crossovers, specifically ones that feature Black femme characters as the romantic lead

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - Clap Your Hands If You Believe

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - Reader inserts! I'm working on one right now that I need a beta reader for. I'm also considering finishing up/rewriting an old Spn/True Blood crossover series that I haven't touched in years.

@bigmouthlass -

Other SM names? - darali_starscream (AO3) & Darali (Discord)

OTP? - I write Dean/You, and Dean/Donna should've lived happily ever after.

Looking for in the Pond? - Get a better handle on fandom stuff, meet some other like-minded obsessives.

Pairings you read? - Dean/anyone. He fascinates me.

Genres you read? - Smut to start, anything interesting and well-written.

Favorite writer(s)? - @thoughtslikeaminefield, @sam-is-my-safe-word , @talltalesandbedtimestories, Edge_of_Clairvoyance (AO3), and @rizlowwritessortof

What do you like to write? - They start as smut, and insist on growing plots.

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - Stairwell Drums

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I'm trying to get comfortable writing Sam; he's harder for me to feel at ease with. Also slash generally, it doesn't come naturally to me.

That's all for this month, folks! (If we're missing anyone, let us know and we'll add them to next month's list!) Make sure to say hi to the newbies and make them feel welcome! Thanks to all from @manawhaat, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, @spencereliotwinchester and @heavenssexiestangel!

[miraculous-pyromaniac]

BEHOLD MY PJO/HOO ORIGINAL CHARACTER

This wonderful artwork was done by @justanotherpersonsuniverse they're a wonderful artist and writer whose works I enjoy a ton. If you're into miraculous ladybug, Splatoon, or good art and vibes in general I would guide you towards their blogs.

This is Bellerophon Heimbald, sometimes called Camp Half-Blood's Benchwarmer Hero, but most of their friends just call them Bell

A strong wielder of They/Them pronouns, Bell is a child of Euphrosyne, goddess of mirth, merriment, and joy.

Alright, this post is a little long, so ima make a break here. Bellow this is more stuff about the OC and some semi-relevant rants on greek myth lore

They changed their name to Bellerophon because they were Bell before but wanted a less gender specific full name. Also, Bellerophon is Bell's favorite Greek hero because they really love horses and pegasi, and dream of one day riding on Pegasus, the majestic flying god-horse.

Bell gets super fucking jealous of Reyna.

Bell made the unique decision to declare themselves as a Champion of Hestia, a title and role that notably doesn't exist. Despite this, Bell stubbornly insists on their role as a protector of homes and families. They will insist on being sent on, or sometimes sneak out to go on, quests relating to saving the families of her friends and fellow campers. Such endeavors include, but are not limited to, 'my godly step mom kidnapped my Mom for having too many kids with her husband', 'My Dad keeps sending me bloodstained notes and his fiancé says he hasn't left the house since I left for camp', or 'the Titan Army kidnapped my mortal siblings because I'd been feeding them false info while pretending to spy for them'. Bell will also eventually be accepted as Hestia's Champion and will be sent on quests to solve squabbles between the gods that have really been killing the vibe on Olympus. Things such as 'My husband thinks I'll fall for this shit again so I made a doll to replace him', 'That bitch banged my daughter and I might start a war over it', or 'oh fuck I lost the moon'.

The PJO storyline spans many years and this is only a screenshot of time for Bell's character. They're about 16 in this art, at around the time of The Battle of the Labyrinth book.

Bell's godly parent is not a well known goddess, Euphrosyne is one of the Charities, a trio of goddess siblings who serve as Aphrodite's attendants. The best way I can relate who she is is that she's the daughter of the Titaness of water-meadows, Eurynome, who raised Hephaestus after he was baby-tossed off Olympus by Hera. Her father is of course Zeus, though it might not have been adultery. Hesiod claimed that Eurynome was Zeus's third wife after Metis, who he absorbed, and Themis, who Zeus divorced after birthing at least 2 (possibly 3) sets of triplet goddesses. One set of those triplets was the wrinkly goddesses now known as the fates, who scared their parents so much that Zeus got a divorce and Themis stopped having kids and went to law school or something or other.

In any case, my point is that Bell's demigod powers aren't flashy or destructive like the show's main cast. Bell can innately sense when those around them feel positive emotions, a kind of joy empathy radar. They can also induce and amplify positive feelings in others, though its not effective most of the time. Their only other powers include a slightly dulled sense of pain and a resistance to poisons.

A few years into their story, Bell will end up gaining the blessing of Hestia's hearth fire. This blessing grants Bell several powers that are all defensive due to the nature of Hestia and her flames. Bell's wounds will instantly cauterize in battle and heal faster after the battle is done. Poison has way less effect on Bell, combines with their poison resistance from their demigod powers this essentially makes them immune to all non-divine poisons. Their regular body temp is also increased to around 107°F, making them very popular with the Hypnos kids during winter months. This obviously grants an aspect of fire resistance to Bell, but not immune like Leo, at about the same level as Hephaestus kids.

That spear is their primary weapon, a cross shaped Japanese style spear that Bell found wrapped up in the camp armory. It also happens to have been cursed by the man who forged it and is a very dangerous object.

That leather bracelet is actually a size changing celestial bronze shield in it's smallest size, a small disk of metal attached to the leather arm strap. It was gifted to Bell by their mother Euphrosyne. It was forged by Hephaestus, who was convinced to make the shield by his wife, Aglaia, who is also one of the Charities. Aglaia didn't just do that as a favor for her sister though, but that's not super important.

Yes, Hephaestus got remarried canonically, in both mythology and described in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods.

Bell is the main character of a PJO fanfic story I've been creating with my best friend. Though, while Bell may be the main character of their story, they are ultimately a side character in the PJO/HOO stories. My goal for Bell's story is that that it's written into the sidelines of the story the book tells, this story is the one that happens when Percy is off on his quests, or during the non-summer months when most characters are with their families, or in the gaps of time between books. I'm having a ton of fun developing a story like this, filling in the background of an already great story.

I've been writing and developing Bell's story, as well as a couple other OCs of mine, for about the past 6 months or so and this is the first time its being seen publicly. I've been trying to write a whole book/questline of story before releasing as my current fanfics update one every blue moon and I feel bad about it.

This is only 1 of the 4 Camp Half-blood OCs i have for this story and, even further, only 1 of the 10 OCs I plan to put story focus on throughout my whole plotline. Hyperfixation went crazy.

Alright I think that's enough random powers, no-context plot points, and Greek myth lore rants for one post. Ima hit the post button now but again go check out @justanotherpersonsuniverse their stuff is amazing

[ckret2]

Looking at all the stuff you said in that recent reblog of yours and just nodding my head in so much agreement. Like, the Gravity Falls canon is so fun but if you (the royal you) poke at some of the more conspiratorial elements of it...it can SO very easily veer into 'Not Okay' territory, depending on how one approaches it in their fanworks.

Especially the fact that Bill is literally based off the triangle symbol that is often used to represent the Illuminati, and...well, there's a lot of Not Okay stuff tied to them that we don't have time to unpack.

It's just good to be VERY careful and find a balance between the borderline Not Okay stuff canon gives us and finding an approach that is...let's say CLOSER to okay. This is a long winded way of saying I agree with the stuff you said 👍

Yeah, especially with Mr. Illuminati-Face here, so many of the ideas that are very lightly brushed over duck so close to some really awful real-world ideas—but in most cases, what's actually presented in canon is so quickly passed by that like... it only really works because you don't think about it too hard. Wading any deeper into it is like walking into a minefield. (Here's the part where I guiltily confess that one of the lines that always gets a wheeze out of me is the super fleeting mention of "Ronald Reagan's masters," and I think the reason it always gets me is because it's SO blink-and-you'll-miss-it, combined with a heap of dark comedy "OH NOOO PLEASE DON'T HAVE HIM SAY THAT". But do I want to engage with that idea? God no.)

If you give serious credence to half the claims Bill makes or that are made about him (much less the things without him that get peppered in), then you're essentially saying that Gravity Falls is the kind of world with secret globe-spanning history-controlling government-running overlords that's being espoused by, most prominently, right wing q-anony antisemitic racists... and like, that's not the kind of world I want to celebrate and play around in. I don't want stories about the kind of world the worst conservative politician believes is real.

And all those more serious issues aside—just from a sheer characterization perspective, Bill is a goddamn liar. Mr. Illuminati-Face Overstuffed-Resume Dress-For-The-Job-You-Want. If all his big claims are treated like unadulterated truth, that ignores a lot of opportunities to say he was lying or distorting the truth in a way that makes him more interesting.

Read up on the actual real Illuminati that actually existed before their name got hamfistedly shoved into every gross conspiracy theory you can imagine, and they're just... such a not a big deal. It was like two dudes that used the mystique of LARPing as an ancient secret organization to dazzle a handful of people into reading a few mildly politically spicy pamphlets, and then got shut down. They didn't do anything but talk to each other about how important they were (they weren't) and wank off to their own sense of intellectual superiority.

I feel like that's a good metaphor for how to treat Bill Cipher's position in human history. The conspiracy theory talk has to be treated like self-congratulatory hot air. Yeah, he's like the Illuminati—in that, like the Illuminati, he wildly oversold his importance to the people he was trying to recruit, and his actual influence has been consequently overblown compared to the underwhelming truth. His face is everywhere, signifying nothing of any real importance. The echo of his historical bark is much worse than his historical bite.

If we're leaning into Bill's conspiracy theory vibes, then let's really lean into them: and the truth is most conspiracy theories, like Bill Cipher himself, are full of bullshit. He's a gold-foiled nothingburger.

[tmgstudios]

Tips on Consuming Podcasts for Those With Short Attention Spans

hi there! your local podcast guy with adhd here! for a while i struggled to consume podcasts because of my short attention span, but over time i have developed a few tips and tricks and am now absolutely in love with the medium. these aren’t in any specific order, and hopefully some of these can be useful to others as well!

1. check out podcasts that have visual aspects

whether its the occasional visual bit or a set thats super interesting to look at, visual stimulation is key! i personally love the sets of tmg studio’s podcasts, so that plus the occasional visual bits mean i don’t get under-stimulated as quickly! this doesn’t always work however, so feel free to take it to the next level;

2. engage in something else visually stimulating while listening to your podcast of choice

for me this is usually video games. something like minecraft, that requires attention but not reading, tends to work the best personally, but i’m also definitely not against plowing through something like dead cells or hades as i laugh along to my favorite podcasts! it doesn’t have to be video games for you, whatever media/activity will allow you to be visually stimulated while not blocking your audio should do the trick. some of my friends like to play mobile games like subway surfers, and others like to play something on their browser like flight rising (specifically the coliseum. podcasts are a great way to get some coli grinding in)

3. listen while in motion

so this one might be a little confusing on first glance, but i literally had no other idea on how to write it. essentially, this means listening while physically in motion. whether you’re on a walk, folding laundry, or eating dinner, being physically in motion can help stimulate your brain.  this can ALSO extend to listen while in a moving vehicle, like a car or a plane. i personally love listening to podcasts as i stare out the window on road trips or plane rides. i have a ton downloaded just for this purpose. some people like to listen to podcasts while they drive, so that’s another thing you could try, just be careful it doesn’t distract you from the road to much!

4. take breaks

podcasts can be long, and you absolutely do not have to listen to them all in one go! 20 minutes here, 30 minutes there, break it up however you need to. 

5. listen to podcasts you know are going to hold your interest

this might go without saying, but be sure you’re finding podcasts that cater to your interests. if you try to muscle your way through a podcast you aren’t interested in just because it’s popular/your friends like it, you won’t have a very good time. you like horror? listen to a horror podcast! dnd? find a dnd one! are you like me, and story-based podcasts stress you out? find a comedy podcast! the possibilities are endless

if you’ve got any tips & trick to add on, please please do so!!! i really love podcasts and the amount of people i’ve talked to who say they want to get into podcasts but just can’t sit through them, and it makes me sad. 

podcasts definitely aren’t for everyone, so if these tricks still don’t work for you, that’s ok! there are plenty of other forms of media out there. but that said, i hope anyone who’s wanted to get into podcasts but been unable to due to the medium gives these tips a shot!

if you’re not sure where to get started in terms of what podcasts to listen to, hit me up! i absolutely love podcasts, and while i tend to be a comedy guy myself, but have plenty of friends into other kinds of podcasts, and with all that knowledge combined i’m sure i can find you some good recs

good luck and happy podcasting!!

[heaven-s-black-box]

Notes- Dan Feng & Scientist (Prequel to Reason)

Return to File

Recovery date: April 22nd, 2024

Description: Hello I'm the one who requested the story where the reader is Dan Feng's child and I really liked it, I'm not exactly asking for a part two but rather a prequel exploring the relationship of Dan Feng and the reader's mother before the reader was born, of that's alright with you that is.

Notes: Recovered in conjunction with an anonymous researcher, we thank them for their contributions. I hope you don't mind this being in headcanon format, it was the easiest way for me to write this.

Back to directory

Reader's mother was a scientist who was best friends with a Vidyadhara/human couple

She was friends with Yingxing who introduced her to Dan Feng

She brought it up completely off handedly while doing theoretical research on it and Dan Feng was like “let me know of I can help”

Seriously, Dan Feng was willing to bring Baiheng back to life, he would definitely help a researcher try and give biological children to Vidyadhara

To ensure the fewest repercussions from their work, the child is mostly human (using the scientists DNA) with select sections of Vidyadhara DNA (Dan Feng)

Essentially they made sure the child would have a mortal life span and wouldn't inherit any of Dan Feng's abilities, but that when applied to couples the child would be no different from a naturally conceived offspring

I think their relationship was very friendly, the scientist definitely became close with all of the High Cloud Quintet

Dan Feng could have just received regular updates, but he tried to be as involved as possible

He would visit the lab with lunch and have the scientist explain what was going on, he was super excited when the fetus started to develop from the initial cluster of cells

If you’ve ever see the episode from “Bones” where Brennan asks Booth to father a child for her, that’s basically these two but without the romantic feelings

I imagine the scientist at some point the scientist got married and Dan Feng would attend

When reader’s mother dies, Dan Feng organizes her funeral according to her wishes

The scientist dies kind of young in the same event that killed Baiheng, the war against Shuhu, so Dan Feng tried to both bring her back so she could finish her work and bring Baiheng back

I mentioned in the fic that the hybrids development is super slow, Dan Feng is the only reason the project wasn’t terminated after the scientists death

The scientist sets up automatons to run everything, in case of her untimely demise, and Dan Feng just has to keep an eye on everything because at this point it really is just a waiting game

Then he gets executed and Jing Yuan keeps the project going both because he believes in the idea, and to honor his two friends

The child finishes gestating, as indicated by predicted vital signs and brain activity, around the same time Dan Heng is born (aka Dan Feng is reincarnated)

Obviously this experiment doesn't produce a viable way for Vidayadhara's to have children, the gestation time for the child is too long, and maybe there's ways to make it viable but no one's allowed to look into it for the same reason searching for immortality is banned

[manonamora-if]

Twine support please Super Manon🙏

How do I make the title at the top of the chapter flicker?

YAY an animation question :D

Preface: animations are great and fun to add to the ambiance of the project, BUT are not always accessibility-friendly. Try to consider this when starting a project (and include a toggle for animation, similar to the notification toggle here).

There are many many different ways to make a text flicker, it really depends what you mean by flickering:

SugarCube Add-On shaking the text

Greyelf had compiled a bunch of different text animation here, that you can find in Harlow. A handful makes the text flicker/move.

HiEv's glitchy code (can have subliminal messages)

HiEv's drunk code (less flickering, more blurry)

HiEv's blinking code (flickering, but not forever, can be made so)

And then, there are probably hundreds of codepens or the-like on the internet animating text to flicker (search "CSS flicker text" for a few results, here's one making it look like a neon sign!).

Note: whatever CSS/JS code you will find online that is not created specially for Twine will need to be tweaked. This has to do with the built-in CSS/JS code in the format used.

But, let's do a simple flickering animation as an example to talk about the base of CSS animation.

As always, the basic code can be found in my Paste-Bin (because Tumblr sucks).

CSS ANIMATIONS - The Basics

Animations created with CSS needs essentially two things: a '@ keyframes' (damn you Tumblr) and the 'animation' CSS rule. The first defines the way the animation will go, the second will link that animation to the relevant block and indicate other information (how long it lasts, whether it loops, whether there is a delay, etc...).

And for it to work, you'd need a container to target (like a span or a div) wrapping the text.

Keyframes

All keyframes are built in the same way:

@ keyframes animation-name { keyframes-selector {css-styles;} }

You will need to indicate :

a name. Here, let's take flicker.

a selector a.k.a the percentage of the animation duration where something changes. It can be done in percentage (0-100%, you can have whatever number you want) or with "from/to" (same as 0 and 100, any other stop needs to be in percentage). Here, let's have the flicker happen half-way through.

a css-rule which changes the style. It can be anything, from changing the colour, to the size, to its placement*. Here, flickering the text will mean changing the opacity.

So, for the example, we will get this:

@ keyframes flicker { 0% { opacity:1; } 50% { opacity:0; } 100% { opacity:1; } }

*Note: some CSS animation (like placement or rotation or transform) will need for the target item to be displayed as a block or positioned in absolute. The more complex the animation, the more you will need to test and tweak.

Animation Rule

Now that we have an animation, let's link it to the targeted item. The animation CSS rule is a compiled version of 8 different rules (animation-[insert rule name]). the most important ones are the following:

animation: name duration iteration-count;

Here's what you need to define:

name [also animation-name]: the name of the keyframe animation. Here, we defined it as flicker.

duration [also animation-duration]: the duration of the whole animation. Let's make it 1 second here.

iteration-count [also animation-iteration-count]: how many times the animation goes. Since we would want it to flicker forever, let's make it infinite.

If you want to go further, you can also defined the following aspects:

timing-function [also animation-timing-function]: indicates the curve of the animation speed (slow start, slow end, etc...)

delay [also animation-delay]: delaying the start of an animation.

direction [also animation-direction]: whether an animation should be played forward, backward, or alternating.

fill-mode [also animation-fill-mode]: define whether an animation takes the styling in the start of the animation or the one at the end.

play-state [also animation-play-state]: define whether the animation is playing or paused.

Going back to out example, we have defined the animation rule as such:

animation: flicker 1s infinite;

In the meantime, I have wrapped my text in a div:

And included the css rule to my stylesheet:

.flickering { font-size: 50px; animation: flicker 1s infinite; }

Now to check if it works!

Yay!

Now go forth an create weird animations :D