#but. regardless of the limitations of space and tech

[fisheito]

i'm not sure this will work cause the machine might hate it (work area is tiny) , but it can't be said i didn't try

OH MY FLORKINGNGI BKROB iT's GLORIOUS.........

[ranger-ribbons]

General Ranger Headcanons

Ranger Teams are protective of their youngest members and their Reds. Sometimes, this does coincide, but for the most part, the youngest and the Red are separate people

Red Rangers generally have zero self-preservation instincts, either because of trauma or daredevil personalities

Blue Rangers can be the 'tech wiz', but generally, they're just extremely intelligent

Rangers all have a pretty solid relationship with gender and pronouns. Mostly because they see and fight aliens literally every day and have decided they have Bigger Things to worry about

Reds, Yellows, and Blues are usually always there on the Ranger teams, so it's common for them to be close

Rangers have a list that they pass down to the younger teams. This list details little things like how to help give each other strength to what pain medications can help the aches and pains go away fastest, because yes the suits take most of the blows, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt later

Some Rangers have PTSD, some have anxiety, some have depression. There are, in fact, numbers of former-Ranger therapists that the Rangers all know by heart

Teams don't really drift apart, they stick together because who else is gonna understand what it's like to witness the people you hang around daily almost die every other week?

Rangers drift toward other Rangers. It's due to the Morphin' Grid power they've been imbued with and the Morphin' Grid's pull to itself

There's a point in every Ranger's fight that shift-sleeping becomes the norm amongst teams. It's to stop nightmares, but also because of the paranoia that strikes when you're in fight or flight mode too long

Rangers from space or space-adjacent stick together

Rangers in general stick together, always. Where one Ranger is, another is typically not far behind. Some teams go so far as to get houses together, others just in the same neighborhood or town. Never far from each other, and never away for too long

The Power will never, can never abandon its chosen people. Once it makes its choices, it will not deviate. It doesn't stop looking out for its chosen ones either. Once you've bonded to the Morphin' Grid, you're stuck for life, regardless of being active or not

In Universe, people write fanfiction about the Rangers. Yes, they read it, sometimes they even like it. (Megaforce and down in particular find it hilarious)

The scone the Rangers find out about their Super Sentai counterpart shows, it's on. Some find them hilarious, some find them uncomfortable, but it's all in good fun for all of them

A list of common triggers is passed around to the Ranger teams, including but not limited to: loud noises, bugs, fog, robotic voices/static

Some of the Rangers (especially those who've been fighting for years) get therapy animals

Rangers have problems connecting to people who aren't Rangers or don't know about Rangers. Similar to military or police or doctors, Rangers are never truly off unless they're inactive and even then, it's a roll of the dice as to if they'll be pulled back in. Most of them have been doing this since they were teens, so they never truly got a chance. Preston Tien, Ninja Steel Blue, once described the experience as "playing with a half-deck whilst the other decks are rigged against you" and most of the other Rangers agreed

Every Ranger knows the pain of Nightmares, which is a big part of the reason shift-sleeping became so common amongst teams. Sleeping disorders are also common, which is not easy for the Rangers to deal with. When you're trained from a young age to be fighters and saviors of the planet, you don't walk away without trauma

Rangers who've gone Evil (or started Evil) and come back to the side of Good have each other's direct lines, Tommy Oliver, Karone, Trent Fernandez-Mercer, etc, all of them share a similar fear of suddenly turning evil again

Rangers do not like Zordon for his express need to put teenagers into a war that isn't even their's

[north-peach]

hello transformers hyperfixation, it's been awhile.

Okay, so some of y'all with me at the devil's sacrament, specially follow me for the transformers stuff.

i am so sorry to yall cause i've been dancing with pretty much every single other hyper fixation beyond that, so this one's for y'all!

Mecha Pilot!Jazz AU! Specifically, the one by @keferon

yall

this is now gonna be a significant part of my personality, cause it has me in a chokehold. I have read every single one of the 46 fics on ao3 and spent twelve hours combing through tumblr so BUCKLE IN.

For fic-ish headcanons and brainstorming ideas because this ain't a fic.....yet.

.

MechaPilot!Jazz, who is first generation and has done so well with a mecha, barely any body-dysmorphia due to the transition from small, quishy human to giant metal being with- while similar- different anatomy.

He's good. He's so good.

He alive too, which is a pro in this project considering what i imagine has led to a considerable body count, especially if you factor in a drift aspect of the mech.

getting your body to withstand the movement, your brain to operate a very large machine to combat efficiency, dealing with either being hooked into systems so hard you feel the pain, or don't, but you still remember the way it felt when you were stabbed, only to walk around after mission's end like nothing happened.

Jazz lives and breathes in this mech and his superiors are pleased.

However, this means that Jazz gets the experimental tech. He gets the new gadgets, the customized weapons, gear, he gets special treatment.

This, in part, is both good and bad.

The freedom Jazz gets is great. He gets his mods, his music and for starting out as an orphan without any documented education, that's pretty great for him.

On the other hand, the constant supervision at base, the medical exams, the doctors, the politicians- regardless of the paycheck, of the food, equipment, Jazz hates that the cons are so negative, but the pros really do make up for it.

His mecha is his baby.

However, all good things must come to an end. Just like Viktor was consumed by Vortex (and haunting the narrative just as surely as he was the mecha), just like Ratchet reached his limit with all the dead bodies piling up, just like how Blurr's death meant the end of Shockwave's life, just like- well.

With the ever-increasing numbers of dead, if not missing people, with the alien invasion of Earth in a precarious balance of giving and gaining ground.

Something had to be done.

Jazz had always known- the longer he'd survived, that he thrived, the more he became one with his mecha, the more he excelled, and surpassed expectations- it was always going to be him. He was the best the program had to offer, after all.

With the increased number of brass walking through the base, with the extended hours in the medical halls, with the bigger and better technology that was integrating into his baby and how Jazz's own body was made better, well.

It was only a matter of time.

He's told the program is expanding to space.

He's told it'll be him to lead the way.

An outpost on one of the moons or asteroids in the solar system.

A mecha program, beyond the confines of their own planet.

Jazz cannot refuse.

So he does as he does best.

He puts on a smile, jams out his tunes and does his absolute best to make sure First Aid knows he's the squirreliest nerd he's had the pleasure of meeting. Even if he is a bit too engrossed with the alien's anatomy in all it's gooey and tentacled glory.

Ratchet gets a phone call, some good old-fashioned teasing on his secret boyfriend he still hasn't met and a promise to drop by for a visit. One he hopes he can keep.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe get smuggled out of the base to street race in fast cars at fast speeds and Jazz makes sure their asses are covered so they don't get caught.

Hot Rod gets Jazz's old comics, Wheeljack gets the confiscated "illegal" contraband Jazz can smuggle out (the more flammable, the better), Onslaught gets locked in a closet with Blast Off, Nightbird gets a human-size set of ninja weapons that brings a smile to his usually blank face, Swindle gets a pair of fluffy dice and Brawl is presented with a new pair of boxing gloves.

Jazz bargains for Cosmos to be brought down from his lonely space station for a week of down time, and sics Red Alert on him because Cosmos needs friends beyond Jazz and Red Alert needs someone who can keep up with him.

As Cosmos once said, nothing better to do in space then to imagine all the ways everything could go wrong.

Jazz has high hopes for the two of them.

He also takes the time to go visit Blaster, bent over his workbench as he works on his smaller, deployable drone mechas.

Eject and Rewind are powered down on their recharge pads while Steeljaw remains in several pieces, his mechanical paws carefully laid out and disassembled.

Jazz pokes around, suggests some cool feature Blaster's new project could have, such as a rhinoceros base form, because the man's already got a lion, amirite?

A dozen mecha pilots. Thirteen if you count Vortex and First Aid as two.

Expansion into space means expansion of the mecha program. Jazz isn't sure how to feel about that, but regardless longer missions in his baby can excuse a lot of unpleasantry. Especially in the name of preventing the amount of mass casualties and reshaping of landmass on the planet they're currently trying to live on.

Still, a custom shuttle, more spaceship designed for his baby then himself, an AI as a pilot, five years of supplies and material and equipment, all double checked and tripled checked is a whole lot of freedom for one guy.

The aliens deciding the moment Jazz's ship- the one he affectionately calls Cowboy Bebop- is set to launch on his first official mission to cause a mess is pretty much par for the core.

Cosmos coming in clutch, leaving Red Alert behind on his space station to assist Jazz's mission give him just enough time to send confirmation and data back to base that the aliens are entering their solar system via a giant space door.

One that Jazz falls through, riding the wave of destruction from the ships that were attempting to enter their solar system and he thanks anything or anyone that is listening that his Bebop makes it through safely, his own fragile body protected by his mecha.

Landing covertly as possible on an alien planet God knows how far from Earth is probably the most exciting and nerve-wracking thing he's done in the last decade.

Which is saying something, considering the life Jazz lives.

In the end, Jazz will label this is the best day in his entire life, all thirty two years of it, including the last eleven years of piloting his baby through all her ups and down and close calls.

You see, this day, which has led to him being launched to God knows where in the vast, unmapped corners of the universe, to another devastated planet that Jazz has no idea is even in the same galaxy, has a native people he needs- maybe?- to avoid, has a bug problem-

Had a bug investation, oh God if this is what defeat looks like Jazz can't even begin to argue with Shockwave's increasing demands and general creepiness.

Jazz is stuck and on his own, at least, until he meets Prowl.

Prowl changes everything.

Because you see- not that Jazz noticed for a good solid bit of time there- Prowl is not a human. Not only is Prowl not a human, he is NOT a pilot in a mech suit, PROWL is a MECHANICAL LIFEFORM from a MECHANICAL PLANET.

Jazz is going to forgive himself the amount of time it took for him to notice.

In hindsight, a mecha being that pretty? That expressive? The different between the two of them? Jazz should of noticed, but considering the day he's had, a bit of leeway is the least of what he deserves.

Outrunning, outmaneuvering and outsmarting the aliens- Quintessons?- to get Prowl's damaged form onboard Bebop and away to somewhere not crawling with bugs is going up there, straight up to top three moments Jazz can't believe his bullshit worked, right next to an impromptu team up with Vortex, when First Aid was definitely passed out in the pilot's seat.

(Jazz knows how Viktor piloted that mecha, very little has changed since he became Vortex)

Jazz being given directions, a translation data thing, and safe harbor with others, just like Prowl was not in the playbook but he's flying by the seat of his pants here and honestly? Since no one knows where Earth is, he can't get back and it's not like the Quintessons aren't pulling their special brand of bullshit on them as well.

So he helps out.

To the amazement, horror and confusion of everyone around him because oh, yeah.

Jazz hasn't told anyone he's a squishy, operating a shell.

Exactly like their stories of a specific boogeyman.

Nightmare fuel for their entire race.

...

He debates on telling Prowl, sometimes.

When the mech seeks him out, when he gets him to blush when Jazz teases him. When he gets in over his head and can't deny he's fallen head over heels for the second alien Jazz has ever met.

His luck is gonna run out one day.

With the weird truce and meshing of both Autobot and Decepticon troops, he can only hope- or dread- it'll be Prowl. An Autobot over a Decepticon.

Still, Jazz knows he's exactly the kinda guy to push his luck, to get a mile outta that inch he's been given and he ain't about to stop now, no matter how guilty he feels.

[vexwerewolf]

I’ve been wracking my brain for a while to try and make a Melee and/or Grapple Manticore build. Just standing directly next to things and being a menace. I was wondering if I could get your thoughts on something like this. Thanks for reading regardless if you respond to this one. Love reading your stuff.

Luckily for you, this concept did spark joy.

-- HORUS Manticore @ LL6 -- [ LICENSES ] IPS-N Blackbeard 2, HORUS Manticore 3, IPS-N Tortuga 1 [ CORE BONUSES ] Improved Armament, Titanomachy Mesh [ TALENTS ] Duelist 3, PANKRATI 2, Skirmisher 2, Brawler 1, Combined Arms 1 [ STATS ] HULL:4 AGI:2 SYS:0 ENGI:2 STRUCTURE:4 HP:19 ARMOR:2 STRESS:4 HEATCAP:9 REPAIR:5 TECH ATK:+1 LIMITED:+1 SPD:4 EVA:8 EDEF:10 SENSE:10 SAVE:13 [ WEAPONS ] FLEX MOUNT: Chain Axe FLEX MOUNT: Chain Axe HEAVY MOUNT: Nanocarbon Sword [ SYSTEMS ] Synthetic Muscle Netting, Lightning Generator, Beckoner, Siege Ram

I call this one YOUR PUTRID FLESH WITHERS UNDER THE UNBLINKING GAZE OF MY DIVINE CONTEMPT. We're making a Manticore build; this is not the place for subtle or pithy names.

This is a melee-only build, which I normally recommend against. I think it's good for a build to have at least some sort of ranged attack capability, but in this case, there's just no room for it. We're ride or die here, and diluting the build by hedging our bets is just going to tip the scales towards "die."

You are not particularly fast, so we've got the Pankrati valiant charge and Beckoner to help you close gaps. What you want to do at that point is slam in as fast as you can and try to connect with a Main melee attack (Duelist gives you an accuracy to help with that) - not your Heavy, one of your Mains. You then immediately use Duelist 3 to spend the Blademaster die you just earned to free-Grapple the target, and then you use Titanomachy Mesh to follow up the free-Grapple with a free-Ram (and because they're Grappled, Brawler 1 turns on, making your Ram more accurate, and because being Grappled causes them to become Immobilized, Pankrati 1 also turns on, making your Ram EVEN MORE ACCURATE). Knock your enemy Prone but do not knock them away.

To summarize: your target has taken Main Melee damage from you, become Grappled, then been rammed Prone. Because Grappled causes Immobilization, they cannot use their regular movement to stand up from Prone, and because of Synthetic Muscle Netting, unless they're larger than you, they cannot ever gain control of the grapple.

If they don't have weapons or abilities that knock you away, they have two real options to get away from you. The first is to spend a quick action trying to escape the grapple, which they can fail, wasting the action entirely. Even if they succeed, they still either need to crawl away provoking your Overwatch (use your Heavy for this) or use their entire regular movement to stand back up, then their other quick action to Boost away, again provoking your Overwatch.

The second, if they're the same size as you or larger, is to Ram you back. This is more effective, since your Evasion is low, and knocking you away will break the grapple. This still only leaves you one space away from them, which is still within Threat of your Nanocarbon Sword, and unless they have a modifier that deals damage on Ram (which, to my knowledge, no vanilla NPC does), they've spent 2/3rds of their turn just getting 1 space away from you and standing upright. If they decline to move away from you, you can just stand up on your turn and Skirmish 2 spaces towards them to do the whole thing all over again.

If they are a melee class, their best bet is to focus you down, but with 2 Armor and resistance to two types of damage, that's harder than it looks - and if they're focusing on you, they're not attacking your team's squishies, which is the whole point of the Defender class.

If they're a ranged class, they're fucked. With you up in their grill, their attacks against everyone including you become inaccurate. Artillery NPC classes don't tend to have much HP, and rely on staying far away from players. If a weapon has Ordnance, they can't even fire it at you at all if they're in engagement.

On your next turn, if your target is still grappled, activate your Lightning Generator, and then Barrage. Your attack sequence looks like this:

Chain Axe -> free Ram (Duelist 3), no knockback -> free Ram (Titanomachy Mesh), no knockback -> Nanocarbon Sword

Against unarmored targets, this has a damage floor of 9 assuming all attacks hit, and will slam for 5 even if all your attacks miss. Lightning Generator will do different amounts of damage depending on whether you're in the Danger Zone, but Charged Exoskeleton will always trigger off of Lightning Generator (if you choose) and will always deal 2 AP.

Note that if you're in control of the grapple (which, thanks to SMN, you usually are), you can still make your standard move. This means you can drag your victim 4 spaces towards or away from your friends.

When you turn on your ult, enemies have an even more miserable time, because now not only are there two forms of damage you're resistant to, you're also resistant to Heat (which means you can Overcharge for half price). Worse, any Heat or Energy damage you take now increases a doomsday clock.

Be warned that this build only has 19 HP, and even with 2 Armor you're not going to last forever, but on the other hand, enemies must focus on you or you'll just be able to tear them apart one by one.

[leohtttbriar]

the thing i generally find frustrating about the "watsonian/doylist" framing prevalence (and other sort of "literary" interpretive frames people use, with full awareness or not) in fandom spaces is that this frame is often characterized as an extremely important way to interpret a text and i find that this characterization and the prevalence of this "literary theory" is limiting and creates a binary where i don't think one really exists and veers toward anti-intellectual ideas like the "all interpretations of a text are correct" instead of what it should be: "in order for an interpretation of a text to be persuasive, the analysis and concluding position need to be completed with rigorous attending to many aspects of the text".

and like in literary criticism they're aware this distinction exists but no one ever calls it that and no one in literary criticism approaches a text from either a watsonian or doylist point of view because that would be silly because you have to approach a text from the point of view of understanding it, in every way you can, before you can properly comment on it and integrate it into a larger conversation as well as contribute your own thoughts to that conversation and if there's a theory underlying an analysis and argument in a lit crit paper it's typically something like "feminist" or "materialist" or "post-colonial" or "pyschoanalytics" or "historical linguistics" and "cultural poetics" and these are always frames for interpretation and generation of an idea sourced in the text to varying degrees of textual reference-through-higher-abstract-discourse. no, fandom posts don't have to reach the level of academic literary discourse and they certainly don't have to do a post-colonial focus on the persuasive tech-poetics of a trek episode (wouldn't want to see that tbh unless they've done all the necessary fundamental reading) but it does get annoying how piecemeal people can be in their approach to a text. people will hear a "literary theory" and be like "this is the way to read. this is how i will do it" without realizing that's already a very very specific interpretive choice that will lead to specific ideas that they'll think are entirely "valid" without any perspective on how they arrived at their position, the limitations of their framework, the limitations of other frameworks, or awareness to precisely how they're generating an idea from the source--and then conceptually they've accidentally made the source and their idea the same thing.

i know most people think english classes are like a dead poets society sort of dark-academia aesthetic and not like places of rigorous application of rational thinking. and whether or not one has a graduate-level education in literature studies, because i've seen plenty of people without lit-degrees able to read a text in a critical way that doesn't fall back on a simplistic framing, i still think it's important to know what literary criticism is and what it teaches people to be able to do. and it's not just being like "i used death of the author to read this". or "here's the watsonian 'explanation' and here's the doylist." it's about being able to treat the text as a complex thing that requires compound approaches and a development of a position and an awareness of your own position and the implications therein. it requires a lot of thinking.

and like no one needs to do this for their quark/odo sexual fantasy meta. but i think it's good for people to know what critical reading is, regardless.

[pokesquad-asks]

Been a hot minute since we put ourselves out there, huh?

We travel the stars, I don't think we ever stopped being "out there"

True that. Regardless!

Welcome to our blog, dear lurker. I'm Denko, and the blue text there is my hubby, Jake! Witness our adventures and shenanigans at zero cost or latency! Multiverse tech is funny like that-

So, what else goes in a pinned...

I think introductions. Beyond names, anyway. I'm a space courier, meaning I deliver stuff across galaxies. I'm also not a pokemon, I swear-

Says the Riolu-faced shapeshifter

Shaddup-

As for me, I enjoy roaming around the earth and tagging along with Jake during deliveries. If you ever see an oversized shiny zeraora running around, that's probably me.

Except for when it isn't

Except for when it isn't. Multiverse, man-

// ooc under cut \\

This is a collaborative blog between @strikedenko (//ooc) and @foxfirestarlight(\\ooc). These are some old muses from twitter before we abandoned it, and finally we're getting around to putting them here-

Anything goes, including pelipper mail and magic anons, at our discretion. Union circle is also on, but will be limited for lore reasons. NSFW is strictly off limits.

Some other characters might join in, who knows :3

Disclaimer: This blog may consist of fourth wall breaks and meta horror content. They will be tagged with '#cw fourth wall break' and '#cw meta horror' respectively.

[fandom-shitposter]

Tech logic

I appreciate that fandom doesn’t always lend itself well towards logic, emotions run high and get in the way of detached thought, but it’s overdue in this case

When Tech chose to fall he was on Eriadu, but that’s not a location under Hemlock’s control. We know this because Tarkin has a good bitch at him when he turns up late for the meeting there

Hemlock may have had Tech’s goggles in his possession later on, but it wouldn’t have been *his* people who went looking around the site of the monorail collapse, it would have been Tarkin’s

Tarkin makes it perfectly clear that he wouldn’t piss down Hemlock’s throat if his lungs were on fire, so he certainly wouldn’t have handed him anything that he thought he might have been able to gain any sort of advantage from, regardless of the condition it was in

So he gets the smashed up goggles and a ‘that was all we could salvage, such a shame. Anyway’ and gets packed off back to Tantiss

Not only does Tarkin dislike Hemlock but he couldn’t care less for the project he’s working on, he’s solely focused on his own work and considers Hemlock’s an unnecessary drain on the limited funding available

That doesn’t help to clear up where Tech is now, but he was never in Hemlock’s possession

***

But if Hemlock didn’t have Tech how come CX-2 used the same words and cadence when he talked?

For the same reason so many of the Knights of Ren background CX units had so many of Tech’s design features, with goggles, visors, and helmet shaping repeating amongst the crowd

Distraction and fan baiting, for the sadistic joy of stringing people along until the last possible moment and then spitting in your eye. To make you think that Tech is gone with zero hope of ever returning. To try to put off any fans who've shown themselves to be getting close to working it all out

But CX-2 sounded like Tech for the exact same reason Tech sounds like Tech. Because that’s the way he'd been programmed to speak. Which is also the reason Omega speaks with a space NZ accent

Just because all of the focus on reprogramming clones is put on Crosshair, the CX units, and Hunter (briefly) doesn’t mean it doesn’t go back much much further than that, back to before we ever met CF99. Hemlock is using the technology and data the Empire took from Kamino. The progress on his projects only stalls once Nala Se stops assisting him

Experimental Clone Force 99. Emphasis on the Experimental. Just because they give us a few details about one aspect of that work doesn’t mean they told us everything

Just like Hemlock juggling multiple projects on Tantiss, Nala Se was doing the same thing under Kamino, with her own female clone medical assistant by her side. And on Bora Vio before that

***

This show has taken scenes from multiple other franchises all the way back to the Clone Wars arc, but what it uses most of all is The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit

They keep repeating an overhead circle motif – a ring or a set of concentric rings. Coming back to it more and more often the closer to the end we get. It even appears as a design on the shoulder of a street seller on Pabu in the finale

CF99 dying with Tech is the SW equivalent to the Fellowship of the Ring being broken. They’re no longer together but the quest goes on regardless. Just with a focus on some of the other characters and in a show we won't be supposed to think is related to Tech because it isn’t a clone centric show

Not only is Tech still vital to the resolution of the bigger story, but there’s still so much plot that's been set up and then left hanging, and they continued to set up new things to come back to later on right up to the finale episode so it’s clear that this story is far from over

There may not be any more clone based shows, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be shows with clones in them. Like Rebels. That wasn’t clone centric, but they were still a key part of the overall story

[hautsreadsmarvel]

“Fantastic Four” (1961, issues 13-17)

Disclaimer: I complain a lot here, but I actually think these issues are pretty solid. Yes, even issue 13, regardless of my stance on its unsavory propagandistic tones.

By all rights, I ought skip issue 13, “The Red Ghost And His Indescribable Super-Apes!" Four things:

This issue introduces Uatu the Watcher, a member of a nigh-omnipotent advanced civilization whose members each passively observe other worlds; it also introduces the place he dwells in - the Blue Area of the Moon, which shows up blue on photographs due to the blue ruins there, and has a breathable atmosphere bubble thanks to its advanced tech.

A [Red Menace villain] manages to replicate the F4’s power-granting event by flying a rocket containing himself and his three trained primates into the radiation belt. He gets selective intangibility, his pets gain super-strength, shapeshifting, and magnetic ray projection (which works on the Torch presumably bc there are metal elements in his suit). Tragically, I have been informed that the Red Ghost and his Super-Apes are recurring villains.

Johnny gets a special space suit that lets him flame on (and on and on and on…) in space.

Technically, the F4 are the first Americans on the moon. Sorry, Neil and Buzz. The Red Ghost maybe beat them there though? I’m not sure.

Issue 14 starts w the F4 returning from the Moon and immediately being paparazzi’d. On one hand, I’m sure this portrayal of women is partially explicable by authorial sexism; on the other hand, given the women I know who thirst over John Krasinski… yeah, I guess that’s true to real life.

Torch rescues the others by thermokinetically stimulating a controlled cyclone that pulls them to the roof of the… wait, is it called the Baxter building? I don’t think they call it that yet, but I guess that’s something else I already know about the F4 too.

The Human Torch really said “kys”, lmao.

Anyways the plot is that the Puppet Master returns, puppets Namor into puppeting Sue into becoming Namor’s hostage, then has him issue a challenge to the other Fantastics to rescue her. They beat him, and in the process release a gigantic octopus that beats the Puppet Master, who for some reason was on a nearby submarine (range limitation to his figurines’ powers?)

There’s a lot of kooky underwater creatures and technology at Namor’s disposal, but “giant octopi”, “giant oysters”, “giant undersea organism that fires off spikes when disturbed”, and Atlantean remote-projection technology all kind of make sense to me. The ones that really drew a scoff out of me are the ones that clearly exist just to give Namor powers w/o really giving him powers…

…like, you know, the mento-fish? Like you learned about in school? Fellow fizzes when you pop it in a soda. But also like, the mento-fish didn’t need to exist - Namor has a gizmo in his lair that lets him remotely project an audiovisual of himself all the way to the F4’s HQ.

Hey, what about the hypno-fish? You remember learning about hypno-fish, right? ??????? Why not just have this be technology? See, these being fish poses two problems: one, we now have to accept that these species can just be found in Earth’s oceans whenever a new story goes forward, and two, Namor can mimic the powers of any undersea creature - so now, Namor should have hypnosis, touch-range air bubble projection, and global-range telepathy. Why does he need to command the fish to do these things when his mimic-power should let him do this stuff anyways?

(Flinging my manipulator appendages in the air and gesticulating wildly) ???????

The “Thinker”, a villain* makes a super-smart computer bank that can predict the future w impeccable accuracy. He uses it to convince gangsters to join up w him and strike the F4’s HQ during a time the computers predict they’re all out of town, and a similarly predicted plunging meteor causes a blackout that disables the HQ’s defenses. However, Johnny is unhappy as a circus performer, Reed is unhappy having a boss at General Electric, the Thing is unhappy to discover that wrestling is scripted, and Sue finds that she doesn’t like acting in Hollywood as much as she thought she would. Thus they reunite and come back to their skyscraper, only to find it transmuted to crystal…

Since the Thinker is a villain, he has access to one of the shared powers all villains seem to exhibit at some point or another: hypnosis (the other two being “magnetism that is basically just telekinesis” and “owning a private aerial or nautical vehicle”). Moreover, he’s co-opted Reed’s science notes and devised weapons based on them, including the android pictured on the cover. Obviously the Four break thru all his traps, goons, and monsters… but this is “just as planned”.

Somehow, though, Deus ex machina saves the day, but in a way totally opposite to prior DEMs so far; instead of a hero pulling a new power out of their ass, the villain inexplicably loses efficacy w one of theirs:

Why is this outside the Thinker’s predictions, when it was able to fully account for all the “human element[s]” before? If your villain is too omniscient to fail, but you need them to fail… then why not just make the Thinker not omniscient? Examples would include but not necessarily be limited to:

Make the Thinker’s predictions have noticeable but minor holes elsewhere that start to show up ~midway thru the plot, so that there’s still room for him to be caught by surprise. However, he remains confident in his predictions because he’s either not aware of the holes, considers them so minor as to be unimportant, or is too arrogant to back down now that his plan is succeeding.

Have the Thinker start to bluster and sweat more as the F4 break thru his gauntlet ever so slightly faster at each stage than he thought they would progress, thereby indicating that reality is diverging from his predictions the closer we get to the end-stage.

At a whopping 22 pages, this one is only a little smaller than a Marvelverse book.

The F4 realize they’ve all been intermittently shrinking and then returning to normal size recently. A mocking voice claims they are putty in its hands, and another voice later warns them to ware of DOOM. Shortly after they realize they may need the Ant-Man’s help, that very hero arrives on the scene and provides them some shrinking and reducing precursor molecules. He then faffs off to “try and learn what [he] can in [his] own way--back at [his] lab”, which feels confusing bc what can he do about this at his lab? Anyways, as it turns out, DOOM survived his shrinkening, entered a “micro-world”, and took it over. The F4 use Ant-Man’s shrinking formula to chase him, get subdued, shrunken further by DOOM’s shrink ray, and imprisoned w the shrunken royal family he disposed of priorly.

Fascinatingly, this issue contains one of the few times in any fictional media I’ve ever seen acid not portrayed in some lurid aposematic color. Neat!

Just as fascinatingly, the micro-world has other planets. I wonder if you could see a Tok spaceship thru a microscope.

Dang, the writers really don’t know how to do anything w Sue. On that note, I feel like what she needs is something that gives her soundless 3D movement - like the Vulture’s flight tech! That would solve so many of the issues that lead to her getting detected or captured easily, and would let her scout for the team much more effectively. Alas, the Vulture tech is magnetic, and magnetism is predominantly a villainous technology.

In the climax, Ant-Man returns, follows them into the micro-world, immediately gets captured, and… doesn’t really assist them in overcoming DOOM or repelling the Tok lizardmen, the F4 do that themselves. After being disarmed by Sue, DOOM escapes and returns to the regular size-world, as do our heroes shortly after. This ending leads directly to…

Yes, all of those traps really show up in this issue! I don’t find them very exciting, despite knowing that these would be a real treat to face in an adventure game - the Comics Code Authority guaranteeing that the heroes must always win simply makes it so that any villainous trap gauntlet involves no tension nor threat.

I haven’t highlighted the banter between Torch and the Thing recently, so rest assured that it is still here and I still like it very much, especially since it’s obvious now that it is just banter to them.

Reed devises a gizmo w such finely tuned sensory capabilities as to make any scientific laboratory in the world weep. Unlike most super-tech, I can believe that someone irl could eventually create this (non-invasive and remote imaging tech gets more and more science-fictional every year).

Meanwhile the Torch develops a new pyrokinetic technique. I’m not going to call it an asspull, both because using thermal projection for sonar isn’t super far-fetched if you have such fine pyrokinetic control, and also because we don’t even know if it actually works. The other two also have no luck finding DOOM, but one does not find DOOM; it’s the other way ‘round.

By settling for being an annoying little shit to the heroes rather than actually trying to defeat them, the devilish Doctor cleverly outwits the cosmic force that is the Comics Code Authority and scores his first real W.

Sadly, he then tries to actually defeat the Fantastic Four by abducting Alicia to his private aerial dreadnought, and then to defeat the USA (AMERICA! AMERICA! MAY GOD THY GOLD REFINE TIL ALL SUCCESS BE NOBLENESS) by disabling their factories and missiles - thus causing the baleful glare of the almighty CCA to swing back to him. Thus naturally our brave heroes defeat him, but DOOM escapes yet again to wreak havoc.

Extra pictures: DOOM does not know how to spell “earnest”, and also he looks like a muppet sometimes. And you can do judo on DOOM... maybe he's secretly an ant, under that mask?

*for villain reasons, you wouldn't understand.

[yayforocs]

[New Name]

No it has not been six months since i last wrote about nora absolutely no way what do you mean time passed-

Anyway i wanted to write and see what aron's thoughts on nora were :0 so it's short, but it was very fun to feel out! and it was nice to write aron again =7=

enjoy!

----

Aron stared at the empty space in front of her, hand stuck in a partial raise, the wave unneeded now.

Her double had left so suddenly, it took the realization that her senses weren’t matching where she was to put together that the other was leaving. She’d stepped outside of the cave, but instead of feeling the cool shade on her skin, light breeze wisping past, and soft dirt beneath her feet, she’d smelled heat, and could have sworn that it sounded as if she were in a small room- and felt it too, with the lack of wind. Once her brain caught up to what was happening and she whipped around to say goodbye, she was met with a blinding flash and empty air before she could get a word out.

…Which, understandable, she guessed. Her other (-wait, ‘’other’’, that’s what Kale had referred to Kid as initially. She tucked that thought away for later.) never really liked her, not from the moment they’d met, and the disdain had never let up once, and especially not on this mining trip.

Which. Also understandable.

The world didn’t seem keen on being kind to helsmits, after all. She didn’t know much, as the information she’d had access to had been a tad limited, but once her helsmit had first appeared and her headband identified what the person she was looking at was, well. She had to ask it to define ‘helsmit’. It gave a few different definitions- something about a missing half, another about issues that became so prevalent and permeating they spawned a whole new being centered around it, another about actual clones, among others. None of them seemed favorable to the doubles, regardless of which was actually true.

…And there was whatever had happened there with the health potions, which had… brought up unpleasant memories. Of things that had never actually happened of course, but the possibility that suddenly screamed in her mind that an old nightmare of health potions given with blind trust being swiftly turned against her could come true made her flinch when it had been snatched from her like that. She’d thought she’d been doing a good job keeping her conversational distance and giving space and time and letting the air be more casual, but then there was the skeleton and the fall and the mobs and-

Maybe it was just embarrassment? Gods knew Aron snapped sometimes when she messed up, or at least felt like she’d messed up. (“I like making you angry. You function better,” Kid had said once, but she felt like she disproved that within the hour when she found out about Sytri.)

(...Still stings.)

Aside from that… Aron’s eyes darted around as she used her tech headband, navigating UI menus only she could see, and stopped when she pulled up a literal mental note she’d made.

It was a name change.

Last time Aron had seen her double, the headband had simply identified her as:

[Aron] [Human, Helsmit]

This time, the headband had different information for her.

[Nora] [Human, Helsmit]

She’d wanted to immediately ask, but given Nora’s general disposition towards Aron at any given moment, figured it would be a bad idea. Aron had ended up giving in eventually, and sure enough, it had gone about as well as she had figured it would. She’d changed what the marker on Nora would show for her afterwards, making the name ‘Nora’ a footnote on it and editing the main label to still read ‘Aron’, just to keep it how it was. Hopefully it’d remind herself not to use the new name.

As it currently stood, though, she also had a small note with the new information on it, as well as some other notes and thoughts on the helsmit.

Be nice. Likes redstone a lot! Probably! I think! -Try to ask about any projects at some point -Maybe share something first Not great at combat actually. Maybe she’s more of my creative side? Does she like fireworks too? ASK KALE KID OR TAB ABOUT IF THEY HAVE HELSMITS. -actually a good thought. They’re not from here, do they get one too? They probably know something. Advice would definitely help Figure out which definition Aron is!!! Clues: -Hates me -Can travel to me!! So not the other half one -...Can I travel to her actually? Test eventually - - - Maybe can try talking about random stuff and see how she responds? Don’t think she’s just a clone. NAME CHANGE!! 3/23 Headband showed her as “Nora” instead of “Aron”. -DON’T CALL HER NORA. OR ARON. ALSO DON’T ASK ABOUT IT AGAIN.

She read the list over once, and then again, and then added ‘Accepted help when hurt! Doesn’t mean much, but still’ to her list of clues, sticking it as a subnote underneath ‘Hates me’.

She then read it over a third time and, satisfied, closed it out.

Maybe this run hadn’t been… all that bad, considering that objectively, it had been a decent mining trip. Her twin- no, that sounded wrong actually- her double had gotten all the redstone needed, and she herself had gotten all the iron she’d been wanting, as well as her own redstone, and a heap of gravel that she’d have to go through later. She didn’t mind. Having something to do was always nice, regardless of how monotonous the task may be.

Gave her more time to think, anyway.

She glanced up at the sun’s position, and realized it was lower than she’d thought it would have been. With a pop, she tugged on a cord that snapped her wings open, then pulled out a firework. And then she paused, firework at the ready.

Her eyes flicked to the sun again, squints.

Should she?

She wasn’t really sure how it worked, she’d never done it before.

…No. Not right after that, at least.

Maybe later.

Her eyes set forward again, and she took a second to blink spots out of her vision.

She’d go home, with her new supplies, and her new experience with her helsmit, and she’d think it over for a while while she worked on her new project, that’s what she was going to do.

…And brew two new health potions to make up for the ones used. She never did get the other one back- but maybe Nora could use it later. Maybe an extra as a gift wouldn’t hurt Aron’s chances with her helsmit.

Maybe.

She lit the fuse, and took off.

[cindyngx]

Technology Bias - Fuchs' 6 Dimensions of Critical Theory

After reading Rethinking Cyberfeminisms by J. Daniels, Automating Inequality (Introduction) by V. Eubanks, and watching Nicole Brown: Race and Technology, these are some of the questions I've come up with using Christian Fuchs' Six Dimensions of Critical Theory frameworks:

1: In Automating Inequality, Eubanks argued that technology can put many underrepresented groups/communities at a disadvantage. How are biases presented within these automated systems, and what can we do to prevent biases?

Some bias automated systems presented today that causes harm to marginalized communities can include but are not limited to, welfare programs, criminal justice, and hiring procedurals. These systems show signs of biases and inequality through algorithms and automated decision-making code that tends to target low-income individuals or people of color. To be more specific, welfare programs often deny or push back grants/benefits to those who needs them the most simply because of a system glitch. On the other hand, automated decision-making in hiring algorithms may rule out candidates from underserved communities, resulting in an economic opportunities limitation. In order to prevent or minimize these biases from continuing, several steps can be taken to increase system fairnesses. Firstly, governments and companies should increase public transparency and accountability by disclosing how their automated algorithms function as well as being accountable for their bias actions or results. Secondly, governments and businesses should increase human intervention during decision making instead of depending solely on automated decision-makers. Thirdly, government and companies should include diverse perspectives from different backgrounds when developing automated systems to reduce bias.

2: In Rethinking Cyberfeminisms, Daniels questions the idea that the internet is a safe space for empowering women. How does this belief conceal the ongoing gender disproportionate in the digital world?

Digital media platforms are often advertised as a safe space for all individuals to express their thoughts and even gender identity. However, even in today world, one of the biggest concerns that continue to occur is online harassment and cyber bullying. This issue often target women, women of color, and even those in the LGBTQ+ community. One of the reasons behind this issue ties back to gender inequality in the tech industry today. Most tech companies are dominated by men regardless of advocation for women in techs. Due to the lack of gender diversity in technological development, most algorithms and AI development tools are often designed in disregard to women's needs. As a result, we often see AI systems such as voice assistant (Siri) defaulting to submissive female voices, or facial recognition function performing poorly on people of color.

3. In Race and Technology introduced by Nicole Brown, the assistant professor discussed racism in the tech world as well as the political economy. How do money-driven part of business causes racial and gender inequality to persist?

It is uncommon to witness deceptive business practices in today's world regardless of how big a company may be or the many regulations that has been passed. This tie back to the lack of gender diversity in tech companies, which results in poor technological development. For example, the majority of tech executives are made up of white males, therefore, judgements and perspectives of marginalized groups are often neglected. As a result, bias in products such as surveillance cameras sold to law enforcement agencies has a higher percentage of misidentification between Black and Brown people which leads to wrongful arrest and over-policing. Overall, gender and racial inequality continue to persist today as greed often overtake ethics, causing businessmen to commit wrongful acts although they didn't mean any ill intention.

4. What are some ways people can practice to fight for equality, inclusivity, and a fairer system within the digital world?

To fight for equality and inclusivity is a work of a nation, not just an individual alone. This process requires a great amount of policy reforms as well as advocacy and activisms of collective groups. In order to minimize bias in technology, we can demand changes by speaking the truth and exposing unfairness in technology products. Furthermore, companies should place a higher priority for policy reforms and be held accountable for any bias decision-making. Additionally, to ensure that the future of technology is just and fair, it's crucial that we promote and encourage women and people of color to pursue careers in tech. Finally, we as users of digital products should take actions by educating ourselves on the important of utilizing technologies responsibly and how to recognize biases in the digital space.

Brown, N. (n.d.). Race and Technology. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8uiAjigKy8

Daniels, J. (2009). Rethinking Cyberfeminism(s): Race, Gender, and Embodiment. WSQ: Women's Studies Quarterly 37(1), 101-124. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/wsq.0.0158.

Eubanks, V. (n.d.). Automating Inequality. uCoz. https://tetrazolelover.at.ua/virginia_eubanks-automating_inequality-how_high-te.pdf

[legionofpotatoes]

Thing with ray tracing, too, is that it's already becoming a technology that's slapped onto games with the expectation that it just automatically provides competent lighting with minimal tweaking required

Like, the new Indiana Jones game? Almost every single specular highlight in that game is blown the fuck out for no reason. Day scenes are presented as if you've been dungeon diving for the last 5 hours and are only just now seeing sun again for the first time, regardless of the fact that the last 30 minutes of gameplay have been in broad daylight). Interior lighting looks mostly fine, which I assume is where they invested most of their attention, but the outdoor environments just look so gross

It also feels like we're losing the lessons of photography and knowing how to properly light scenes. The late 2000s were the era of "piss filter" gaming, now we've circled back around to the era of "piss filter global illumination". Sickly yellow sunlight dominates so many color palettes now (looking at you, Dragon's Dogma 2) and ray traced bounce lighting ends up diluting the contrast of many scenes, making them feel bland and washed out despite the accuracy of the actual rendering

I love graphics tech from the standpoint of seeing how far we've come and all the crazy things we can render in realtime now, but it's such a shame that the artistry necessary to create truly compelling visuals is being lost in "look at how fancy we can make the lighting, at the expense of 75% of your fps"

I haven't played the new indy but I know what you mean with the light sensitivity type reactive systems being hardcoded into games and propped up by insane on-the-fly tech that creates constant whiplash. many similar types of issues all throughout the triple-A sector as you describe.

(there's a whole rant I need to go on irt to the incredibly gorgeous handcrafted lighting in veilguard's cutscenes clashing with its dogshit handling of atmospheric falloff and ambient occlusion in sweeping open-world areas that utterly fail the intended art direction in crucial moments. great example of focused craft trumping standardized outdoor global illumination techniques in the same fucking game)

and yeah the piss filter was horrendous in hindsight but it was more of a byproduct in engine limitations maybe? I can't say. But there was still real play and experimentation with light and shadow within those confines quite often. And there still is! it's just too many tools now and too much automation and too unbridled a pursuit over these minutiae which have a staggering knock-on effect on the consumer end, yet are barely considered in those terms.

I really like screen-space reflections and baked-in lighting :) I want to chew through nvidia's walls and pull their CEO's hair out

[movedwercs]

The conclusion of the phone call was the gradual cessation of screaming and shooting. Doors could be heard opening and closing, followed by the screams of men and women. What followed was either yells for compliance or gunfire.

Eventually the crinkling of foil and crunching remained.

And then that too stopped.

Quiet.

Followed by breathing, two distinct patterns of breathing. Which quickly turning into sobbing.

Disconnect.

------

The scent of smoke is dampened by the heavy rain. Whatever fires had been ignited have long since been snuffed out. What's left here is a dozen cement buildings with two of those buildings being completely demolished - some sort of security outpost. A couple of burnt, broken bodies wearing body armor could be seen on the ground with all shot through the head.

A relay station, presumably for communications, was bombed into rubble, which seemed to have been supplying this town.

The property destruction is less deeper in, though everything within the town is in disarray. Whatever group struck them hit hard and left quickly. A muddy imprint of what was likely that from a transport cruiser could be seen on an apartment-like building nearby - and a whole lot of muddy footsteps. The rest of the town was looted; it wasn't a small operation at all.

A pair of kids could be seen in the cover of what seemed to be a communal food hall, a teenage boy and a younger girl staring at the skies nervously.

(( not sure if you just wanted to take it from prior. or if you wanted a continuation but just in case here aha. ))

>>It's some three days before you find the sight of the raid. The radio call must've spooked whoever's been piloting ships along the coast, cause the skies are empty. You've got a swirling vortex of ideas in your head about this, foremost among them being that it takes a local to be able to pilot a drop ship through the gravitational anomaly that drags, sometimes crushes, most ships out of orbit; doubly so if they're taking the South Curve outside of the port. It takes a local to know where the port isn't watching, and if there IS a local involved somehow, it really pisses you off that someone would work for any of the corporations.

>>You're picking through the rubble at the edge of town, everything is smoldering and wet, even the air, but at least it's not raining. Lemmigan sensed no danger, and flew off when you landed. You jab your staff, a thing made of bleached, petrified wood, into the collapsed doorway of a building. This is one of those stop-over towns on the Safe Way, the deceptively-named path that takes road traffic south without crossing paths with the bandit clan that turns human skin into tents. An old Castle-Tech relay station lies in absolute pieces on the outskirts of town. You'd been here only a few months before to help them get it running again, at the behest of the port's new mayor. Now it's in pieces.

>>There's a measure of detachment in your investigation, one that doesn't really register to you, because this is just how it is here. You can make all the plays in the world to make Wayouddy a safer, more cooperative place, but the planet won't ever shake the savagery it's hosted for centuries. Once an outlaw's planet, always an outlaw's planet. There's no making out specific boot-prints, and the building they landed on did NOT survive take-off, leaving you with few clues as to the attackers. But the galaxy is treacherous to navigate, and the corporations don't tolerate competitors crossing through their territories, not that that stops anyone. Regardless, you're relatively sure the list of suspects from abroad are limited.

>>Part of you wonders if you're being too trusting of Hermes, your genetic "Auntie," and the progenitor of your cursed-ass bloodline, but as you look up into the clouds, you catch the massive shadow of her space-station, caught in the white light of the nearer moon. The winds dance through your hair, carrying moisture and the smell of burnt bodies, telling you, "No, it is not her. She will not hurt me in such a fashion." You want to be satisfied by that answer, so you force yourself to let it lie, and turn your thoughts to other potential culprits.

>>"We are betrayed," says the dropping pressures in the air. "A dark man has brought new energy here. People who bend light and kill in shadows. Haptagud." You don't... know that name. You've heard of the corporation, but they operate clear on the other end of the galaxy, small by the standards of the mega-corporations, a producer of industrial equipment, you think.

>>"That makes no sense, love." You say out loud, to the planet. But you turn a corner, and wander deeper into town. There's been looting, signs that look more like a riot than a raid, were it not for the coordination of the attackers. The attackers didn't even tear down the scanty walls around the town. From the center of the main thoroughfare through town, you have a clear look down the four cardinal directions. At one corner is a burnt-out bar, filled with as many out-going bullet holes as penetrating ones.

>>A number of dead bodies lie around the ground, their crimson-red armor soaked and soot-covered, the color of dried blood and mud now. You turn one over, and sure-enough there's a Haptagud icon on the collars. These aren't just mercenaries or a contracted PMC, though, you realize with some measure of dread. The men and women lying on the ground around you are wearing high-end body-armor, full-plate, with burnt-out energy shields that speak to the positions these corpses filled: These were from the corporation's army itself. These were soldiers, not security.

>>The inside of the bar features more dead soldiers, and a smoldering barricade built-up around the bar's counter. A number of blackened skeletons lie behind it, scorched guns still in their hands. The smell overwhelms you at first, and you cover your mouth and nose with your tatters of a scarf while you poke around them for an intact bottle of liquor. The bodies before you are marked with coats of fire-proof hides and scavenged metal, things of the land, but you push that thought out with a satisfactory bottle of... something with a burnt label. You take a swig.

>>Outside, the rain resumes, cold and hard and pounding, as if Wayouddy has seen the carnage through your own eyes, moved by grief in a way you're now numb to. That notion, the desensitization, finally cracks through, but you plug that crack with more... whiskey? That's definitely whiskey. You move your way back outside, the brim of your hat hanging heavy in the downpour, and move up the street. The mayor used the first floor of his house as a sort of communal meal-room, hosted breakfast for the small town of twenty families every time he could wrangle eggs from the caravans.

>>You're surprised by the ping of a gunshot when you stick your head in, though. It ricochets off the door frame, splintering the hardy wood and spitting wet splinters. "Oi!" The voice behind the barrel is shrill, and it cracks as it threatens from a barricaded corner of the room, "Come any closer and I'll blow the stupid hat off your head!" You lean back outside and groan, complaining to fate herself. You... don't like kids. Wayouddy's no place for kids, even though they're as much a part of her as anyone else, you're personally not good at dealing with them. You've never been able to relate to kids.

>>So you press up against the outside of the wall, just to the side of the door, and call back, "You put a hole in my feckin' hat an' I'll sew yer feckin' skin over it!" The only response you get is a scared peep, and another gunshot.

>>"I mean it, you red devils already killed my pa!" There's a scuffle and a whisper, and then, "And her pa, too!" You rub your temples and groan again.

>"I ain't killed no one's pa, ya feckin' dingdong! Do I SOUND like an outworlder?" You sling your staff over your back and set your jury-rigged body-shield to project its entirety into a hard-light wall around your left arm, a sort of mock riot-shield, before you grab a loose plank of wood. Just in case. Then you pivot hard into the door frame. "Now put the feckin' gun down 'fore I knock you cold an' show you how a REAL Wayouddy greetin' with a gun is meant to go!"

>>Two more bullets ping off your energy shield as you close the gap with a preternatural swiftness, smashing your grimy sneaker down through the table-barricade, splitting it in two. That's when the second voice finally speaks up, shouting, "JEB! That's the Desert Witch!" That gives you AND the boy, Jeb, pause. You look down at the makeshift camp the duo has set up, at the sun-kissed pair of brats before you, as Jeb drops the gun with a whimper.

>>"I'm REALLY sorry! Please don't kill us, Miss Witch!" The boy is a mess of soot and brown hair, and a pair of ill-fitted coveralls. An adult's energy-shield hangs off his belt like a canteen. Beside him, a sun-burnt blonde girl is pressed up against the wall, on a bed of old, wet blankets, her arm in a sling, and poorly at that. You groan in frustration at this whole situation, mostly frustrated at how you thought, 'this would all be easier if there had been NO survivors,' and throw the plank of wood into a far wall, splintering it to pieces.

>>"Get up, boyo! I ain't gonna kill kids! What kinda monster d'you think I am, even." You turn and look at the little girl, and tilt your head at her, saying, "Both of you, up! It ain't safe to stay here." You watch them pick themselves off the ground, the girl with a broken arm, and Jeb, who hasn't stopped shaking since you laid eyes on him. The rain patters against blown-out windows, saying, "They are ill." "Come on, now, up!"

>>Jeb looks like he's about to protest, but you grab his collar with one hand, and slap the back of your other hand to his forehead, and sure enough, "Yer sick as a dog, an' you-," The girl comes closer, holding a backpack close to her chest. The name "Nellie" has been embroidered into the top flap. You take her temperature next, "Yer sick as all hell, too." Letting go of Jeb's collar, you turn away from them, looking out through the town-hall door and down the ruined street. Somewhere inside of you, some bearings are found, and you blow out a head of steam, your shoulders slumping a bit. The adrenaline's gone, and with that comes a better handle on your frustrations. Corporate shenanigans can wait, you have a reputation to uphold as the 'desert witch.'

>>You turn back around and drop to one knee. Jeb is lanky, growing taller than the lean diet of a Wayouddy frontier town can keep up with, and Nellie looks younger than ten. You soften your expression and put a hand on Jeb's shaking shoulder. "Yer a good lad, takin' care of this one here." You nod at Nellie, and pick up Jeb's (father's) pistol, putting it back in the holster on his oversized gun belt. "But you can't do diddly-shite with the sniffles screwin' up yer gun hand. There ain't nothin' left here, not fer now at least, an once the smoke's gone, the drogs'll come." The kids both seem to tense up at the mention of Wayouddy's most prolific predator-species. "An' then you ain't gonna be able to carry on."

>>They're quick to gather what survival materials they've hoarded up over the last few days, but midway through packing, Jeb stops and asks, "What do you mean, carry on?"

>>You move over to help him cram the rest of his things into his bag, and tell him, "Revenge is a loser's game here. Blood fer blood only pays in blood, especially when yer lookin' fer outworlder blood. You might as well get revenge on the sun, ay." Jeb cocks his head, confused, but you cut him off. "The only good revenge a pair a' young people like you can do, in a rotten dice-roll like this, is ta' live. You keep on keepin' on, an' if you don' let this kill who you WANNA be in life, then you got somethin' better than revenge."

>>Nellie pipes up, "What's that?"

>>"You get ta' keep rememberin'. Rememberin' where you came from, WHAT you came from, an' how much stronger you are fer survivin' it." You start herding them towards the door, fumbling around in your messenger bag for a Saintworks Flare. Gorgetown, a Saintworks oasis town about two days' drive from the port, is a bit far to the northwest of here, but you feel compelled to get these kids the most effective treatment possible, as quick as possible; and you need answer from Hermes, anyway. "It's a kind of adaptin' to the situation. I ain't good at explainin' it, but you'll do yer pa's memories more justice if you live long enough to learn the lessons they taught ya."

>>The flare is one part actual flare, one part high-altitude broadcasting signal. The comms-link in your ear, hanging loosely so that you can actually hear things over the music you usually play through it, mumbles a confirmed sighting, while you move the kids out of the crowded ruins of the sacked town.

>>"Livin' is its own form a' revenge, I guess I mean t' say." You sigh, your head suddenly slamming with a headache. "Live long enough an' you'll see what I mean."

[colonelrajyavardhanrathore]

Hearty Congratulations to the Disabled Community on International Disabled Day: A Tribute by Col Rajyavardhan Rathore

International Day of Persons with Disabilities, observed on December 3rd, is a time to honor the resilience, achievements, and unique contributions of individuals with disabilities. On this day, Colonel Rajyavardhan Rathore, a celebrated soldier, Olympian, and leader, extends his heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all disabled individuals, commending their courage and determination to overcome challenges and lead extraordinary lives.

A Day to Celebrate Strength and Resilience

International Disabled Day was established by the United Nations in 1992, emphasizing the need to build inclusive societies where every individual, regardless of ability, has equal opportunities to thrive.

Why This Day Matters

Recognizing Talent: It sheds light on the exceptional skills and achievements of disabled individuals.

Fostering Inclusion: Encourages governments, organizations, and communities to promote accessibility and equality.

Spreading Awareness: Highlights the challenges faced by disabled people, advocating for their rights and dignity.

Col Rajyavardhan Rathore’s Message of Inspiration

Colonel Rathore has always been a strong advocate for inclusion and empowerment. On this occasion, he expressed his admiration, saying: “The strength and spirit of individuals with disabilities inspire us all. They remind us that challenges are just opportunities to rise above and achieve greatness.”

His Commitment to Inclusion

Col Rathore has consistently worked to bring attention to the needs of disabled individuals. From promoting accessible infrastructure to supporting para-athletes, his initiatives reflect his dedication to building an inclusive society.

Celebrating the Achievements of Persons with Disabilities

Disabled individuals across the globe have made remarkable contributions in various fields, breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes.

In Sports

Indian para-athletes like Devendra Jhajharia and Mariyappan Thangavelu have brought glory to the nation, proving that determination knows no bounds.

Col Rathore has always championed sports as a medium of empowerment, encouraging para-sports programs across the country.

In Technology and Innovation

Visionaries like Stephen Hawking, despite severe disabilities, have revolutionized science.

In India, inclusive tech startups are providing job opportunities and reshaping the corporate landscape.

Empowering Disabled Communities

Colonel Rathore emphasized the importance of empowering disabled individuals to lead independent and fulfilling lives. Here’s how society can play a role:

Promoting Accessibility

Ensuring public spaces, transport, and digital platforms are accessible to all.

Advocating for assistive technologies to enhance mobility and communication.

Encouraging Education and Employment

Special scholarships and vocational training programs can equip disabled individuals with the skills needed to excel.

Companies must adopt inclusive hiring practices, valuing talent over physical limitations.

Government Initiatives for the Disabled in India

India has made significant strides in creating a supportive environment for disabled citizens.

Accessible India Campaign

Launched to make public infrastructure, transportation, and information systems accessible to people with disabilities.

Reservation Policies

Employment and educational reservations ensure fair opportunities for disabled individuals in various sectors.

Support for Para-Sports

From increased funding to international training opportunities, India is empowering its para-athletes to shine globally.

Col Rathore’s Call to Action

Col Rathore believes that creating an inclusive society is a collective responsibility. On International Disabled Day, he urges everyone to:

Raise Awareness: Educate communities about the abilities and rights of disabled individuals.

Offer Support: Volunteer time or resources to organizations working for disability rights.

Eliminate Stereotypes: Treat disabled individuals with dignity and as equals, focusing on their abilities rather than limitations.

Conclusion: A Salute to the Spirit of Resilience

International Disabled Day is not just a day of recognition — it is a celebration of courage, perseverance, and humanity. As Col Rajyavardhan Rathore aptly puts it: “Disabled doesn’t mean less capable; it means differently abled. Let’s celebrate their achievements and create a world where they thrive without barriers.”

This day reminds us that by embracing diversity, we can build a more inclusive, compassionate, and united world.

[ethmaron]

mer au ramblings under cut ↓

i was thinking about the mers and their behaviors in particular-- i can't remember if i've ever really talked about it (if i have it's on one of the older posts? probably under one of the asks from capricorn) but bc i had spotted that recent thing i drew in my canvas library the mers are so cat-like in my head. or something. i do think they hide under their tails a lot when they get upset or embarrassed and stuff but that's probably more coming from i think they hide away in little caves and stuff normally and its like just a placeholder behavior sorta deal. they like the dark and small spaces bc like tims got that cave he likes to go to a lot (he takes kon there eventually--idk if ive ever mentioned tims little hideaway lol)

i do think they also like to smack each other with their tails as a playing thing which is fun until its a human and they get absolutely wasted by 30+ lbs of pure muscle. i do think it would be hilarious if in some of the first interactions dick smacks someone and there is very quickly rules established. he ends up only being able to play with jason until he goes . "missing". (tbh this is making me think about little dick and jason and im getting very teary. thinking about bruce deciding to reach out to the humans as a way to help protect both himself and his sons from poachers and stuff. gets them access to medicine.)

i DO think that dick and jason woulda been much closer in this though and i feel like being honest mers kinda have shorter lifespans in the wild? (bruce is probably still pretty young by human standards i think, but is getting up there by mer standards) limited access to food + getting into fights + poachers. actually the fighting aspect is interesting to me because i dont think i've thought much of it before? the only natural defenses they have are teeth, nails and tail. i think mer fights would probably be very quick and typically escalate fairly fast. (also realizing bruce would definitely be a killer in this au by virtue of protecting his territory + his family. wonder if it would turn into a more he doesnt want his kids to have to ever kill? but idk bc that would be a part of the lifestyle of a mer, and they would need to know how to defend themselves anyway) weak points definitely tail fins and throat. fins specifically because they cant swim without them so they'd just kinda sink and rot at the bottom of the ocean if they dont have someone helping them; which is to say in the case of shredded fins because jason kept his fins but theres holes in them which Does effect his swimming speed but only because of the holes and not the material of his fin (i do think the humans have tech that could theoretically replace tail fins in order to help them swim again but they wouldn't be as durable as their natural fins. wouldn't be able to tolerate fast swimming. probably what would've happened to babs--i don't think ive ever addressed her in this au? i should go and design some of the people that are missing. i think shed be reallyyyy pretty.) but i think that once a fight is determined to be to death they just go for the throat/gills.

regardless that is to say that the hiding behavior i think is funny and i do fully believe the first time kon or jon sees it they immediately make a cat comment and then show pictures. depending on who the mer is/their landside education they dont even know what cats are which would be kinda funny i think. hilarious to me if damian convinces jon to bring a cat because he wants to meet it (he definitely still loves animals--probably bffsies w some of the sharks and other animals in their territory.) I DESPERATELY WANT KON TO BRING KRYPTO oh god kory would have a heart attack if he snuck krypto in. bart would love him. i think tim and cassie would be a little ehhh about him but krypto so sweet just a little baby .

i had talked about a while ago that i should try to work bernard in--i think itd be kinda silly if there were a bunch of tims like comic HS friends that are just interns or something in different areas of the facility and stuff and they all end up kinda becoming friends anyway. bernard, darla, ives, etc. idrc if it doesnt make sense this entire au is a trainwreck anyway lol

ACTUALLY very funny to me i was thinking abt how tim gets a little demanding in getting carried/carted around on land and he finds out kinda quick most the people there can't actually lift them up (kon can technically lift tim/bart/cassie but he Struggled at first). him asking ives to take him to a different tank and ives just gives him a really long look before getting a wheelchair and helping tim drag himout of his current tank LOL i think there would be lots of cursing and sniping from both sides .

ill wrap this up but now im thinking abt mer courtship stuff--idk if ive ever talked about that here? its kinda silly LOL

[dwncata]

i need to start posting oc drabbles so i can link the carrd to them,,

Here's the gay engineer having an autistic meltdown while the other gay engineer tries to get him out of it (,and kinda has a moment in trying to do so)

Written at 12AM brain not having filters on have fun yall,,,

--

"...Take it, then. You'll be able to handle it better."

Xander shoved the board on his desk towards Alex, turning away to his phone as he continued to look for other solutions.

"...Xander, breathe."

The feathers under his eyes creased against his visor, his teeth gritted.

"I am. Take the board."

Alex sighed with a sting. "I'll give you some space, then."

Xander felt his brain sinking in static. He didn't want to deal with it, though; he simply kept looking for any resources he could.

Alex left the room for a while, and the silence sat heavy in the room like lead. Xander finally started background processing the interaction, growing too impatient to properly handle the iron anymore.

Alex eventually came back into the room, albeit just to clean up a couple things. Xander spoke before thinking, the only thing that filled his mind:

"...I apologize for my actions."

While Alex did appreciate Xander recognized his aggression, he knew this tone of voice all too well. "I understand and accept your apology; how do you feel now?"

As expected, Xander defaulted to that damn line. One he never uses around anyone but Alex, when he has no algorithms or script he can follow.

"...I don't know what to do."

It didn't have to be properly used in context, and would be the only response he'd have to any input. If he were to leave this state, Alex would either have to leave him be for a while, or slowly try to coax out any other words- neither were ideal, but fuck it. Sensic plane or not, this was bound to happen again, it's part of how Xander worked... and Alex knew leaving him to fester in this state didn't usually end well.

"I'm not upset with you. I do love you, you know. Things happen, we move on, it's okay."

"...What do I need to do."

And so the search for a needle in the haystack began.

"Do you think I should be mad at you right now?"

"...I misbehaved and I apologize."

Here we go...

"You were frustrated, and I didn't know how to handle it either. It's okay, we're past it."

"...What do I do."

Like being booted out to the main menu when BEI's systems fucked up...

"...Let's leave this room, then. Do you need a minute?"

"It's up to you."

...Great.

"I'll say we take a break, then. Come on, we'll cuddle for a bit."

Xander sat tense and still on the bench stool like a damn brick.

"It's okay. Take my hand, it's okay."

Xander felt fucking awful for this. He wanted to just function like a fucking person, leave behind an incident Alex didn't care about, and go cuddle with his fucking boyfriend. And yet here he was, unable to fucking budge.

Alex slowly took his hand. "I love you. It's okay. C'mon, let's go..."

Xander was able to force himself to stand, and take a step every couple seconds. They went back to the living room; Alex laid on the couch, motioning for Xander to lay with him.

Xander stood still, watching the motion a few times. "It's okay, I love you. Come here."

Xander slowly sunk down, laying still next to Alex like a wooden board.

Regardless, Alex wrapped his arms around Xander. "I love you, it's okay. I'm not mad at you." He gave a soft kiss on Xander's neck, and it managed to bring him back just a bit.

"...I'm sorry I'm wasting so much time right now."

"You aren't, I don't have anything I have to do; I'm following you in all this, remember. We don't have a time limit. It's okay to breathe."

"...I just got overwhelmed. You were trying to help and saying a lot of information, and my head was already hurting..."

There we go, finally past the blank 'im sorry, its my fault' bullshit.

"That's valid. You were rightfully frustrated; BlackEye tech can't make good on the promises they make for their products, who could imagine. It was just the way you shoved it over; It felt more like you were upset with me personally for backseating, kind of. But--"

"Right, sorry. That wasn't okay."

Xander slipped out of Alex's embrace, his mind feeling it was being crushed in like a ball of tinfoil.

"I'll leave so you can get a minute--"

"Xander, that isn't--"

"It's okay, I'm sorry--"

Alex wasn't having this; before Xander could shrink away, he grabbed his hand. "I don't want time to myself. I'm worried about you."

"...I don't know what to do."

God fucking damn it.

"I didn't say that to make you feel bad. I wanted to clarify it was a moment I didn't know what to do, there's many things like this, isn't not something that's your fault specifically. I care about how you feel, and all I want right now is to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine. I'm isolating now so my emotions don't influence my actions more than--"

"God fucking DAMN IT- I love you, but you're so fucking childish sometimes."

Alex's grip on Xander's hand tightened as he yanked Xander into his embrace; arms locked so he couldn't budge.

He felt like shit doing this as a means of grounding him, but... shit, it was the only means he knew would work. He bit down on Xander's neck, holding it for a while before trying to talk again; Judging from the way he shook, he at least wasn't buried under 12 layers of haze anymore.

"Of course this is the only thing that works, damn it... Get that fucking visor off your face. I hate how you try to hide yourself like this."

Xander hesitated, meekly reaching up and removing the visor across his face, placing it on the table nearby.

Alex's temper came back down the second he saw that beautiful gleam, before turning to sorrow as his pupils locked onto his own.

"...Still not letting them go, huh?"

His gaze darted away; at least his response had substance.

"...I don't know, it's... not a priority right now."

They did meet within the company, it's not like Alex had even seen him without that damn logo staining his eyes like a burned brand. Hell, Alex still had his; it only ever came to mind when he saw it in Xander. Maybe that's another reason he kept them hidden, he always tried so actively to avoid any tinge of conflict- regardless of fault.

“Right…”

His embrace tightened, seeped now in grief and hollow desperation. “I love you, sweetheart. I'm sorry. I… Don't blame yourself for this, please. I just wish I could help you better. You matter a lot to me, you know.”

Xander was back to about 50% operating capacity, give or take. “I love you too, I… Don't know why I get like that, I know it's stupid.”

Alex sighed, and slowly reached up to pet Xander's head; making sure to run his fingers through his hair a bit, just the way he liked.

“No, it's valid. Frustration isn't an easy thing to deal with. It's okay, we'll deal with it later. You, and how you feel matters way more to me than some issue like this.”

Xander wasn't sure how to respond, but the haze was dissipating more- but instead of returning to his previous state, he just felt his energy leaving with it. “I might need a break after all, actually…”

Alex didn't relent in his hold, falling back onto the couch with Xander in his arms. “Sounds good to me.” He gave Xander a little peck on the top of his head.

“I'm here. I love you.”

As reassuring as he was able to sound here… Alex didn't like how he handled this.

[winsoldwinsold]

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