#develop non-volatile

[inkwitchgames]

꒷꒦ DEMO TBA ꒷꒦

Choose from 3 origin stories that alter your knowledge and past associations with characters.

Customize your MC! Play as male, female, or non-binary; straight, gay, bi, and/or ace; cis or trans. Give yourself cybernetics, or stay natural. The choice is yours.

Decide your motivations. Is this a fight for survival, a revenge mission, or a way to 'stick it to the man'? Are you a reluctant vampire or eager to embrace the euphoria of a kill?

Develop your appetites. Young or old? Rich or poor? Human, witch…or vampire?

Pick a love interest from 6 potentials…or don't. Features 2 love triangle routes, 4 poly routes, multiple casual flings, and 2 villain romances.

Pick a BFF who'll be there for you in times of need.

And whatever you do: don't let them take you again.

Snatched up by a hunter on the day you were turned, you've known nothing of unlife but the torment of Facility 4.

Your first drops of blood suckled from a syringe, cold and clinical; the sweetness of unsterilized air stolen in panicked gasps in the starkness of the Sun Cells; the strangled curses of your cellmate, a slab of meat on a gurney with eyes of fire. For twenty long years, you've known nothing else. But when a shift in management takes place, you seize your opportunity and escape.

There's no place for vampires in the city in the sky. The Empire District, or Higher Manhattan, is a sprawling mass of chrome and excess. Platinum-plated necks are all the rage, and any attempt to separate the blue-blooded elite from their entourage amounts to a death sentence—even for an immortal.

No—Lower Manhattan is the safe haven for your kind, the city beneath the city.

Maybe you grew up there, know the streets and their secrets. Maybe it was nothing but a scary story told to you by your family's android butler. Whatever the case may be, you smuggle yourself onto a SkyRunner and descend into the Shadow Circuit, a district of perpetual shadows and rampant poverty.

You think you've escaped them.

You think you're free.

You are not.

Ramón (he/him), Your Cellmate (the rumours about him can’t be true, can they?)

Species: Vampire Traits: gentle, honorable, protective, vengeful, volatile Height: 6ft0/183cm Appearance: Hispanic male. Light brown skin and deep red eyes. Natural ear-length dark hair in a swept-back style. Dark, thick eyebrows, straight nose, full lips, and a lobe and mid-helix piercing on his right ear. Thick but short canine fangs, incredibly sharp. Generally sticks to dark, classically edgy-style clothing.

Ry (he/him), Your Pursuer (he’s still mad at you about that thing)

Species: Human Traits: cynical, empathetic, guarded, impulsive, inquisitive Height: 6ft4/193cm Appearance: Caucasian male. Fair skin and [REDACTED] eyes. Natural brown hair dyed light blond in a fauxhawk style. Sharp features obscured by his cybernetic jaw attachment and visor glasses; just the bottom part of his nose, lips, and partial cheek area remains uncovered. Almost always sporting a purple blazer, with a typical corporate shirt-and-pants combo made to suit his line of work, complete with dark combat gloves.

Dom (he/him), the King of the Streets (if information was free he’d be living on them)

Species: Vampire Traits: analytical, manipulative, patient, possessive, sensual Height: 5ft9/175cm Appearance: East Asian male. Light skin and deep red eyes. Natural black hair styled in messy cheekbone-length curtain bangs. High bridge, pointed narrow nose, diamond face shape. Very light chinstrap stubble. Slightly pointed ears with a few lobe piercings. Narrow and sharp double fangs. Tattoos along his neck, back, chest, and limbs. Signature high-collar black synth-leather jacket with a necklace.

Emery (she/they), the Cargo-Slinger (you impressed them, but never do that again)

Species: Human Traits: intelligent, prickly, private, resourceful, soft-hearted Height: 5ft4/163cm Appearance: Desi nonbinary person. Medium brown skin and eyes. Short sidecut, natural dark brown-to-purple ombré. Thick, dark eyebrows, large eyes, and rounded features. Lots of piercings including stretched ears, a septum ring, and a nose piercing. Tattoos on shaved side of scalp, neck, shoulders, upper arms, and back. Generally sports a nondescript gray poncho-style hooded raincoat.

Zoia (she/her), the Government’s Headache (you look like you might want to revolt—here, take a pamphlet)

Species: Vampire Traits: boisterous, direct, driven, fearless, organized Height: 5ft10/178cm Appearance: Biracial Caucasian/African-American female. Medium-light black skin and solid bright red, faintly glowing irises, no pupils–cybernetically altered. Natural dark brown hair in a mid-length afro. Slim, arched eyebrows, low bridge and wide nose. Full lips with dark glossy lipstick. Multiple piercings on the cartilage and lobe of her ears. Thick lateral incisor fangs almost double the length of her central incisors. Generally seen in her punk-style grey leather, short sleeved jacket with a fingerless cyber-glove on her right hand, long metallic nails, and detachable cybernetic neck fitting.

Aura (she/her), the NetWitch (my god, she hates it here)

Species: NetWitch Traits: funny, insecure, paranoid, philosophical, self-reliant Height: 5ft1/155cm Appearance: Caucasian female. Rosy light skin and cybernetic glowing pink irises, faint, hazy white pupils. Natural blonde hair dyed black and pink, styled into high, messy pigtails. Thin, dark eyebrows, long straight nose, and angular lips painted black. Pink tattoos along her ribcage, thigh, and back of neck. Heavily cybernetically enhanced, including limb replacements for her legs and left arm, and also major internal work. Signature outfit is her glossy latex deep pink ‘rave-style’ crop top and skirt/leggings.

Origin 1:

Your human life was a sheltered one of immense privilege, and you’ve had a front row seat to the politics of the Empire District. You can figure out a Blue Blood's angle easier than most, and you have a knack for standing out. 

Origin 2:

Traders and craftsmen, smugglers and mercs—and people who could afford to escape the Shadow Circuit. There's still hope in the Dead Drop, and your childhood reflected that. You know the ins and outs of bartering, weaponry, and technology.

Origin 3:

In the city beneath the city, you had to scrape out a living however you could. The gangs of the streets were your family, and your ability to speak with them as one of their own reflects that. Growing up in these harsh conditions has made you more resilient, and you're really good at blending in.

Each origin features a playable origin chapter and flashbacks, unlocking multiple scenes to interact with specific Origin NPCs through the game.

THIS IS AN 18+ GAME!!!

Contains violence, sex, abuse, mature language, etc etc etc.

The option for Open Door/Closed Door romance scenes will not censor the graphic sex and violence depicted in the rest of the game, only when it involves the MC. If you don't want to be exposed to dark themes, this may not be the game for you.

[suniverseastro]

ASTROLOGY OBSERVATION #14

Mars in the 2nd house is very possessive

Moon Aquarius is easy to sympathize with those around, although they may have many bad qualities, they will often be ignored by people because of their support in the team. Some in this group when they don't like someone and hate openly can easily recognize their feelings, these people can play bad tricks like using crowds, councils to bully

Here are some of the positions that I don't like very much, doesn't mean they will all be the same and I hate everyone with this aspect, it just brings some difficulties and disadvantages, takes a lot of time time to recognize and transform it:

1. Moon Square/Opposite Pluto: often emotionally volatile and explosive, has difficulty controlling anger, may experience more bad luck with women

2. Moon square / Opposite Uranus: actually this is one of the most horrible corners for me because as far as I know and actually it means about their separation from the mother physically or mentally

3. Venus square/opposite Mars: causes sexual attraction but often changes partners too quickly and gets nowhere

4. Mars Libra: passive in problem solving. The house in this position plays an important role, like the one who moves the pieces tactically. I think it is necessary to add other angles to strengthen this position, especially Pluto to increase ambition and determination.

5. Venus Gemini: often emotional, easy to play emotional roller coaster with others, unpredictable, interesting, but for me this is not a very good position in love, they easily find it difficult. hard to find the right person

6. Moon square/Opposite Saturn: often encounters problems in childhood such as abandonment, working in a difficult, deprived environment, shouldering responsibility, loneliness; They have quite a lot of psychological damage, rarely share, confide, and find it difficult to open their hearts to others. When they learn to be less strict with themselves and learn to accept and love themselves, the door in their souls will lead them to the good things that are waiting for them on the other side of their hearts.

7. Venus square/opposite Uranus: feel less interested in wanting a relationship Some positions I like:

Moon trine/sextile Pluto: I once wished to have this aspect because it gives the ability to read other people's psyches and understand emotions deeply and they themselves also have a protective covering for their minds. mine

Sun trine/sextile Pluto: have their own privilege in society, they can be people whose image others consider as an authority and important figure, admire; Their passion is strong and they will try to do it

Mercury conjunct/ trine/ sextile Neptune: they have acumen, speciality and development in language, can know 2 or more languages, have artistic abilities, their voices are quite cute

Venus trine/sextile Mars: they easily radiate sexual attraction to other people (regardless of gender), which makes it easier for them to have relationships

Ascendant trine/sextile/conjunct Mercury: usually curious, cheerful, child-like eager people, they often have an active, playful appearance.

Ascendant trine/sextile/conjunct Sun: confident, shine, positive energy

Moon in Sagittarius/9th: very active, cheerful, likable, open and optimistic, they respect others and different cultures and religions

Mercury in Gemini: funny people, lots of topics to talk to, easy to talk to anyone, except people they don't like

Mercury conjunct/trine/sextile Pluto: their voice has charm, weight, usually straight to the point, analytical, inquisitive and rarely afraid of knowledge and reason

Moon sextile Venus: cute girls and boys, graceful words, pleasant, non-aggressive, cohesive and peaceful

(a position can't say who you are, everything will change, maybe for the better, maybe for the worse) try to take a deep breath and try to feel the peaceful moment in the present

Thank you everyone for inspiring me to write articles on this topic. Thank you for your love for me; love you all. Wishing you all good health, peace and luck ⭐

[sexymemecoin]

The Emergence of NFTs: Transforming Digital Ownership and Creativity

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have revolutionized the way we think about digital ownership, art, and collectibles. By leveraging blockchain technology, NFTs provide a way to create, buy, sell, and own unique digital assets with verifiable provenance and scarcity. This article explores the world of NFTs, their impact on various industries, key benefits and challenges, and notable projects, including a brief mention of Sexy Meme Coin.

What Are NFTs?

NFTs, or Non-Fungible Tokens, are unique digital assets that represent ownership of a specific item or piece of content, such as art, music, videos, virtual real estate, and more. Unlike cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum, which are fungible and can be exchanged on a one-to-one basis, NFTs are indivisible and unique. Each NFT is recorded on a blockchain, ensuring transparency, security, and verifiability of ownership.

The Rise of NFTs

NFTs gained mainstream attention in 2021 when digital artist Beeple sold an NFT artwork for $69 million at Christie's auction house. This landmark event highlighted the potential of NFTs to transform the art world by providing artists with new revenue streams and collectors with verifiable digital ownership.

Since then, NFTs have exploded in popularity, with various industries exploring their potential applications. From gaming and music to real estate and fashion, NFTs are creating new opportunities for creators, businesses, and investors.

Key Benefits of NFTs

Digital Ownership: NFTs provide a way to establish true digital ownership of assets. Each NFT is unique and can be traced back to its original creator, ensuring authenticity and provenance. This is particularly valuable in the art and collectibles market, where forgery and fraud are significant concerns.

Monetization for Creators: NFTs enable creators to monetize their digital content directly. Artists, musicians, and other content creators can sell their work as NFTs, earning revenue without relying on intermediaries. Additionally, smart contracts can be programmed to provide creators with royalties each time their NFT is resold, ensuring ongoing income.

Interoperability: NFTs can be used across different platforms and ecosystems, allowing for interoperability in the digital world. For example, NFTs representing in-game items can be traded or used across multiple games and virtual worlds, enhancing their utility and value.

Scarcity and Collectibility: NFTs introduce scarcity into the digital realm by creating limited editions or one-of-a-kind items. This scarcity drives the collectibility of NFTs, similar to physical collectibles like rare coins or trading cards.

Challenges Facing NFTs

Environmental Impact: The creation and trading of NFTs, especially on energy-intensive blockchains like Ethereum, have raised concerns about their environmental impact. Efforts are being made to develop more sustainable blockchain solutions, such as Ethereum's transition to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism.

Market Volatility: The NFT market is highly speculative and can be volatile. Prices for NFTs can fluctuate significantly based on trends, demand, and market sentiment. This volatility poses risks for both creators and investors.

Intellectual Property Issues: NFTs can raise complex intellectual property issues, particularly when it comes to verifying the rightful owner or creator of the digital content. Ensuring that NFTs are legally compliant and respect intellectual property rights is crucial.

Access and Inclusivity: The high costs associated with minting and purchasing NFTs can limit accessibility for some creators and collectors. Reducing these barriers is essential for fostering a more inclusive NFT ecosystem.

Notable NFT Projects

CryptoPunks: CryptoPunks are one of the earliest and most iconic NFT projects. Created by Larva Labs, CryptoPunks are 10,000 unique 24x24 pixel art characters that have become highly sought-after collectibles.

Bored Ape Yacht Club: Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) is a popular NFT collection featuring 10,000 unique hand-drawn ape avatars. Owners of these NFTs gain access to exclusive events and benefits, creating a strong community around the project.

Decentraland: Decentraland is a virtual world where users can buy, sell, and develop virtual real estate as NFTs. This platform allows for the creation of virtual experiences, games, and social spaces, showcasing the potential of NFTs in the metaverse.

NBA Top Shot: NBA Top Shot is a platform that allows users to buy, sell, and trade officially licensed NBA collectible highlights. These video clips, known as "moments," are sold as NFTs and have become popular among sports fans and collectors.

Sexy Meme Coin (SXYM): Sexy Meme Coin integrates NFTs into its platform, offering a decentralized marketplace where users can buy, sell, and trade memes as NFTs. This unique approach combines humor and finance, adding a distinct flavor to the NFT landscape. Learn more about Sexy Meme Coin at Sexy Meme Coin.

The Future of NFTs

The future of NFTs is bright, with continuous innovation and expanding use cases. As technology advances and more industries explore the potential of NFTs, we can expect to see new applications and opportunities emerge. From virtual fashion and digital identities to decentralized finance (DeFi) and beyond, NFTs are poised to reshape various aspects of our digital lives.

Efforts to address environmental concerns, improve accessibility, and ensure legal compliance will be crucial for the sustainable growth of the NFT ecosystem. Collaboration between creators, platforms, and regulators will help build a more robust and inclusive market.

Conclusion

NFTs have ushered in a new era of digital ownership, creativity, and innovation. By providing verifiable ownership and provenance, NFTs are transforming industries ranging from art and entertainment to gaming and virtual real estate. While challenges remain, the potential benefits of NFTs and their ability to empower creators and engage communities make them a significant force in the digital economy.

For those interested in the playful and innovative side of the NFT market, Sexy Meme Coin offers a unique and entertaining platform. Visit Sexy Meme Coin to explore this exciting project and join the community.

[equalperson]

this mindset bothers Me so much, the idea that narcissists in therapy are the only ones deserving of basic decency, while those not in therapy only exist to torment others.

"people with NPD trying to heal are going through enough as it is," as if the average narcissist doesn't only find out they're narcissistic while trying to stop the shame, depression, and alienation it causes, regardless of whether or not you're self-aware.

50% of narcissists have either unipolar or bipolar depression (25/25% split between the two), 54% have anxiety, 64% have some type of addiction, and none of these things are unrelated to our baseline PD, nor do they only develop while we're "trying to heal" from it.

in a matter of fact, it's generally when our narcissism is at its worst that we struggle with these things.

when failing at even one thing can make you hate yourself, when most every relationship makes you feel detached and misunderstood, when your life is built moreso around being appreciated by others than forming an identity for yourself, it's a given that you're going to be suffering on one level or another.

but sure whatever, we should all work to "manipulate and destroy" non-recovering narcissists, because being more volatile definitely negates their capacity for pain, right? it has to, right?

[multifandumbmeg]

Subtle JJ things I noticed that keep me up at night:

1. The way they changed the styling of his clothes from season 1 to season 2. Season one he's already pretty ripped but he mostly wears these loose-fitting tshirts and cutoffs that make him look cute, lanky, and unthreatening. Season 2 he mostly wears tight-fitting tshirts that make him look CONSIDERABLY beefier and generally is seen wearing more layers- it's technically Fall but he covers up more than other characters do and it has the effect of him seeming more closed off and isolated than the others, which he is. Season three his style is somewhere in between, not super tight but not lanky and loose either, like he's found a better balance.

2. His drinking. Season 1 he's partying a lot with beer and frankly, high most of the time. Season 2 he starts carrying around the flask- presumably liquor, not beer- and drinking non-socially. Before school. At John B's "funeral". That night they're stranded with Kie and Pope on the way to Charleston. The others aren't drinking at all, nor does he offer them some, then he seemingly (to Kie) falls asleep with the open flask in hand... Like he's been drinking himself to sleep, and this has probably become a habit. This is clearly because he's depressed, and though I think John B's "death" is the catalyst, it's clearly not the only reason as it continues through season 2, for example the aforementioned Charleston trip. I think John B's death, going no-contact with his dad, living alone at the chateau, Pope and Kie's relationship, have all led him to feel extremely isolated and he's clearly coping with substances even worse than before. Not to mention he's free of his dad for the first time, completely after he leaves OBX, which means for the first time in his life he's probably processing his trauma, which is what tends to happen once you find yourself no longer in a continually traumatizing situation. That would also account for his moodiness and increasing dependence on substances. I think it's also interesting we see him smoking weed less, but drinking more heavily. I think they did this to show a marked change in his already concerning substance use from season 1 from "bad coping mechanism, gets him through the day in relatively good spirits" to genuinely concerning and potentially volatile, over-using a substance his biological was known to be addicted to. Note this abruptly ends at the end of season 2 with being stranded on the island with all the Pogues. There are zero substances on the island, but it's clear it's the happiest he's ever been. A lot goes down after they get off the island but he seems to minimally fall back into old patterns in season 3. Apart from hanging out and partying a socially acceptable amount with his friends, the only time I remember him using is when he's drinking beers alone at his house- when he gets home and everyone's reuniting with their families and when he's fighting with Kiara because of their moment. When he feels alone and scared. I'm curious to see his development in season 4.

3. His lack of fear/loss of fear in death. Bro, nobody talks about how differently he reacts to danger between seasons 1 and 2. All throughout season 1, JJ is an anxious wreck and his response to being threatened is always submission, fear, and an instinct to run. When there's guns on him he gets the fuck down. He puts his hands up. He looks visibly terrified. Multiple times you can see him VISIBLY shaking. When the thugs are attacking Miss Lana, he's trembling with his eyes closed and trying not to make a sound. He begs John B to leave while it's happening and after when he sees her reaction. Even when Barry tries to rob them, furious though he is, he follows Barry's demands and doesn't fight back until John B starts it and makes an opportunity. As Kiara so aptly puts it, "he has the survival instincts of a cockroach." He does! But everything changes when he tries to grab the money and run from his dad. Again, he doesn't want a fight. But he gets one, and he's finally tired of it. He's been beat up and threatened and stolen from one time too many, and the threat of death is no longer a more powerful motivator than his wants. So he attacks his dad back and puts him in his place. He once again puts his hands up when Barry and Rafe come for him at the Phantom, but he doesn't look as scared. John B's "death" may be the final nail in the coffin, because starting season 2? He's not scared anymore when he should be. Despite the fact that he appears to be having panic attacks and worse anxiety than ever, every gun that's pointed at him or fight that breaks out he just rolls with. One of the only times I can see his survival instincts crop up in season 2 is when Kiara yells "murderer" at Ward seconds after he straight up killed someone with a gun, which is a normal human reaction and may have had more to do with protecting his friends. He just seems numb to most of the danger. Then again, season 3, he almost seems to find a balance. He's still doing some reckless things, and no longer cowering in the face of enemies, but he also knows who the dangerous people are, and when to wheel and deal or turn away and come fight another day.

Anyway, I'm very curious to see how he evolves in season 4, now that he's establishing his own life, financially secure, on good terms with all his friends and (hopefully) in a committed relationship. Let me know if I missed any other interesting character changes patterns for JJ or any other characters from the show! I would love to read/hear what you noticed and your own in-depth character analysis. JJ's my favorite character and a super rich text, so I tend to hyperfocus on him. Also if you want to request me to make one of these on one of the other characters let me know! I would love to zero in on them and see what I missed on my next watch-through.

[monimccoythings]

Mama Wolf

Woah, I've been wanting to write f!Logan since I first saw a drawing about her. She is so butch and gruff and dreamy... And I love the fics where Logan is a dad.

tags: f!Logan and m!reader, pregnancy, Logan has animal traits, a bit of nsfw, chaotic pregnancy because Logan has a very nasty temper. Logan can be a bitch to anyone but you.

It wasn't really a surprise when you two saw the two lines on the pregnancy test. Given how horny and hormonal she had been lately.

Logan had many animalistic traits, her senses were as sharp as the deadliest predator, which was great for tracking missions. But that biological advantage also involved having to deal with less practical animal traits like heats that stroke twice a year.

Oh, you were always so eager for those times of the year, she was unsatiable. You barely could keep up, almost coupling to the point of exhaustion, but you would gladly die just to be buried between her legs one more time.

At first, she didn't know how to react. Her? a mother? Fucking Godzilla had more maternal instincts than her. But you knew better.

Despite her gruffiness and callous exterior, despite how annoyed she seemed to get with the younger mutants, deep down inside her was buried the urge and need to protect them at any costs. There was zero doubt in your mind that Logan would make an excellent mother to your child.

The first months were hard, morning sickness didn't go easy on her, and given her extra sensitive nose, any smell could really send her crawling towards the toilet with you tailing close to gently rub her back.

If anybody at the mansion thought that regular Logan was short tempered and harsh, they just hadn't met a hormonal pregnant Logan. Her already volatile temper grew in unison with her belly. Everything seemed to set her off, claws out and fangs ready to tear anyone and anything apart; some lights were too bright, some whispers where too loud, her highly developed senses were constantly going overdrive and it was driving her insane.

Despite the hormonal changes, Logan did not cry, ever. She would rather vent her pent up frustrations as she had always done: through alcohol. When Hank told her she wouldn't be able to smoke or drink for the entirety of the pregnancy, she threw an epic fit that left the medbay unusable for weeks. Only your reassuring presence and gentle kisses were enough to soothe her down.

When she started showing, Logan also felt the need to start nesting. Soon your shared bed had become a bundle of clothes, cushions, sheets and towels. She reluctantly told you that she felt calmer if she was constantly surrounded by scents that reminded her of you.

The first time she felt her baby kick Logan was stomping through the mansion, in one of her moods. It was so sudden that for a couple of seconds she didn't know what to do, her anger long forgotten. With trembling hands she slowly caressed her belly, afraid that if she made any sudden movement, the magic of the moment would be lost. That was when reality hit her like a ton of bricks. She was going to be a mom, she was going to build a family with you, her partner. That was really happening. Logan was at loss for words, but surprisingly, she didn't feel anxious, in fact, she felt extremely happy.

Logan found herself becoming more protective of her cub as the months passed, always with a hand on her swollen belly and the other arm extended, just in case she needed to use her claws. The animal in her only recognizing you as a non-threat towards the baby.

Don't think that just because she is with child she will want to stop training in the danger room or working out at the gym. She wants to keep herself in shape in case someone attacks the mansion. It takes a lot of convincing on your part (and Hank's, Charles', Jean's, Scott's....) to make her take it easier.

During the third trimester of the pregnancy Logan was more than done with feeling so swollen and out of control of her own body. Everything ached, everything sucked and she was hornier than ever. And believe me, if she gets horny, nothing will stop her from feeling satisfied. She will shove you against the bed, with impressive strength for a pregnant woman; well, this is Logan we are talking about, and have her way with you. Not that you're complaining obviously, your main concern is that she doesn't overdo it and accidentally harms the child.

It was a hard pregnancy for everyone involved, but specially Logan. It pained you to see her so uncomfortable, knowing there was little you could do to help her feel better. Yet you did everything you could to take that weight of her shoulders.

Everynight, when you two laid together in the safety of your improvised nest, with a hand on her swollen belly and her nose nuzzling your neck, you knew that you would die a thousand deaths and endure the cruelest of tortures just to hold the woman you loved in your arms and feel your baby moving inside her.

[cheerycherrycandy-resurrected]

Can You Hear The Thunder?

Chapter 2: Burn / Fire Ghouls

Rain was so excited to develop his soulmark, until he wasn't. Nothing could have prepared him for the pain that knowing your other half would always be a world away would bring. Dew has been dealing with that pain for years, meanwhile. So when the opportunity to be summoned to the surface arises, he jumps at it.

Rating: M Content: angst, parental abandonment mention Words: 3150

Link to full fic with associated tags: Tumblr | AO3

Tag list: @cosmicseafoam @ashthewaterghoul @jimothybarnes @zombiequeen777 <33

Read below, or on AO3!

Fire ghouls were volatile creatures. Forged in the deepest, hottest pits of Hell, their tempers were quick to flare and their emotions keen to ignite. After generations of misunderstandings causing untold carnage, fire ghouls had been the first to develop language. They used words to communicate and had formed the earliest example of what could be considered a civilised society. Law and conduct were highly regarded in fire ghoul communities, and throughout the millennia this had allowed their temperaments to mellow out. 

A soul mark from a fire ghoul, therefore, was strongly indicative of their form’s respect for words. They spoke to civility, and the strength of a society based on clear and open communication. The mark would show up on their mate's skin in neatly printed script; the first words that would be spoken to the mark’s host by their mate if and when they were to meet. Always creatures with strong connections to their feelings, the proximity of the mark to the ghoul’s heart would outline the strength of emotions as the words were spoken. 

From this, fire ghouls could work out a little of the situation in which they would meet. Words of greeting twined around the recipient's wrist could be the casual meeting of two strangers, whereas words across a ghoul’s torso could indicate that the words were spoken with some force; said in astonishment, excitement, or even anger.  

True to the fire ghouls’ elemental connection, their marks would show up as burns on the skin. A deep greyish brown, they looked like trails of still-smouldering ash that complemented the red-toned fire ghoul’s skin. In non-fire ghouls however, a fire soul mark was an ugly thing. Without a shared heritage surrounding language, the words could seem overly brash and direct. The beauty of the mark itself was lost, the colour appearing more the red of an unhealed burn. In air ghouls, a patch of feathers around the mark would singe away, leaving a bald spot that would never regrow. Likewise, patches of a water ghoul’s scales would curl and disintegrate as they burned. The angry red glow made the mark stand out, looking like a disfigurement to those not of the species. To a fire ghoul however, they were a beautiful manifestation of how reason and logic had helped them to overcome their basest nature and emotions, creating harmony through their words. 

~~~~~~~ 

Rain hated his fire mark. The hideous words stuck out bright red against his blue scales, the edges of them singed and deformed all along the path the words took below his collar bone. Such an obvious mark, from the day it had appeared he had wanted to claw it off his skin. It might not have been so bad, had the words been even slightly kind. 

Growing up as a water ghoul, Rain had been surrounded by happily mated pairs all his life. Everyone else in his pod had found that they had known their mates since kit-hood. As their marks appeared in their early teen years, the young water ghouls would compare their natural bioluminescent patterns with each other to work out who their match was. Rain had watched his older siblings develop the darker scales of adult water ghouls, seen their tails become thicker and their horns longer, these signs of ghoulish puberty indicating the imminent appearance of their soul marks. He remembered in painful detail the excitement in their squeaks and clicks when they had awoken with fresh soul marks on their hands, arms, shoulders, and rushed to show their parents and friends. He had seen the delight on his eldest sister’s face when her marks matched the distinctive leopard shark pattern of their neighbour, her oldest and dearest friend. 

Rain’s parents were such closely bonded ghouls, he wondered how they had coped before meeting each other. Each seemed to feed off the other’s energy when they were in the same room, they were so clearly two halves of a whole. Rain had eagerly awaited the appearance of his own soul mark his whole childhood, daydreaming of his future with a water ghoul who wore his swirling patterns, and speculating with his friends about who they thought they though each other’s match would be.  

As his own scales began to darken, he could barely contain his excitement. He was considered a late bloomer; most of his peers having already gained their marks and many their mates as well. The youngest of his siblings, Rain had begun to feel like the last ghoul left without a mate, stuck in a permanent limbo of kit-hood while he waited impatiently for his mark to appear. 

Rain knew that he would never forget the day his own mark had finally appeared though, no matter how hard he might try to. Waking up in his nest of soft seaweed, he had felt a tickling, almost burning, sensation along his chest. Having heard that some ghouls felt a tingling when their marks appeared, he had raced to the mirror to see if he could watch as the marks wound across his skin. That kind of story would make its late arrival worth it. 

To Rain’s horror, the mark that was appearing was not a glowing trail of water ghoul bioluminescence however, but rather words, and horrible words at that, branding themselves into his skin. The scales around them began to char and shrivel, a repulsive frame to the unkindness that now permanently marked his once-beautiful skin. It burned. Rain had screamed out for his parents, convinced he must be having a nightmare. 

They had burst into the bathroom, concerned by the urgency in his voice, but assuming it was simply excitement at his long-overdue soul mark's appearance. Nothing could have prepared them for the sight of their son, tears streaming down his face, with a foreign elemental soul mark, and a fire ghoul mark at that, emblazoned across his clavicle. Rain’s mother had screamed, and gathered her baby in her arms as if she could protect him from his future. As Rain’s legs finally gave out, she had sunk to the floor with him, sharing in his sobs as she gently rocked him in her lap, her webbed fingers gently stroking his hair. Looking back, Rain would recognise this as one of the last acts of comfort he had received from his family.  

Where his mother was upset, Rain’s father was angry. Rain had never seen him like this before and it scared him almost as much as his soul mark had, only making him cry harder. He had stormed out of their cave and into the water, the froth left in his wake a mimicry of his fury. Many hours later, once Rain’s mother had stopped crying and had dried both of their tears before finding him a high-necked shirt to wear around others, his father had returned with the village elder in tow.  

A senior water ghoul with ice-white hair, she was used to being called upon to decipher the meanings behind soul marks, her knowledge of the stories and characteristics they described having been passed down for generations. However, upon seeing Rain she had gasped in horror. Cross mated ghouls were so uncommon; she had only seen a few in her long lifetime, and all from the complimentary elements of earth and air. Rain’s deeply unpleasant fire mark was like nothing she had ever seen before. It was a curse upon him. 

With no helpful advice to impart the elder had left shortly after, declaring Rain a lost cause. She had suggested he find a hobby, pursue a fulfilling career, and most importantly of all: keep the mark hidden. Over the following weeks and months, Rain had become more and more withdrawn. Keeping the mark concealed had worked for a while, but before long word had got out about the unfortunate young ghoul with a fire soul mark and the foul message it contained.  

As time passed, his friends had abandoned him, some not knowing what to say to him, and others afraid his bad luck could be contagious. On what should have been the happiest day of his young life, Rain's whole existence had collapsed. What future could he possibly have now? He had gone from relative obscurity, the youngest son of a perfectly average and happy couple, to the pariah of his whole pod. Known by everyone, and yet the most alone of them all. 

Several years on from the appearance of his mark, that loneliness was all Rain had left. The uncommon strength of the soul bonds within his family only served to rub salt in the wound, and he had become increasingly shut in and withdrawn. Rain was now firmly into adulthood but still young by the standards of his pod. The only ghouls who left their family groups at his age were those who knew their soulmates and were impatient to settle down with them and begin their own families and lives together. 

Barely out of adolescence, Rain had swiftly realised he couldn’t live his whole life surrounded by so many happily paired off ghouls. He sat alone in a kelp-lined alcove on the edge of his settlement, a small space he had found far enough away that no one could hear him cry. Rain rubbed his webbed fingers along the raised scars and frayed scales of his soul mark and looked at the twirling teal patterns on his own body. There was no comparing them. 

“What kind of ghoul are you?” he asked out loud. A crab in his peripheral vision scuttled sideways as if shrugging at him. “How can you say such cruel things to me, when you have my marks?” 

That hurt as much as anything; the thought that such a callous fire ghoul was walking around bearing his glowing and beautiful swirls. Rain knew what his own markings meant – he thought they were quite flattering really. As a kit, he had been told that his future mate should be honoured to have them, that they would wear them with pride given the deeper meanings they described. Now though he couldn’t help but feel jaded about the whole situation: Rain didn’t feel kind and brave, like the intertwined motifs depicted. He didn’t feel loyal, not when he couldn’t stand to be in the same room as his family. He especially didn’t feel beautiful, not when he was so marred by his own soul mark. 

No one Rain had asked had been able to tell him anything of use about fire ghoul marks beyond what he had assumed already. They must be words spoken between them, what other significance could they hold? And the location must have a meaning, although he hoped it was different to water ghouls. The thought of a first touch, if it ever happened, being around his neck made his blood run cold with fear.  

The one hope Rain held onto was the possibility that the mark spoke more to the fire ghoul’s heritage, in the way his own patterns did. Maybe they represented their family, or perhaps who they were when the mark developed rather than who they were now? They seemed to have so much anger stored up inside of them, so full of hatred. 

“Are you just hurting?” Rain asked the rock the crab had disappeared behind. He thought about how his life had changed since the mark developed, how ghouls he had once considered friends now turned their backs on him. “How much pain have my marks caused you?” 

Rain stroked his mark more gently this time, as though he could comfort the fire ghoul through it. Maybe it wasn’t the infamous fire ghoul temper that inspired such an outburst, maybe they were just in pain too. He sighed, and picked at the seaweed beside him with a long claw. Regardless of the true meaning of the outburst now carved into his skin, he was left with just one burning question: what sort of creature was prowling the lava fields with his markings on them? 

~~~~~~~ 

Half a universe away, Dewdrop was sat mirroring Rain’s position. Perched on a rock overlooking a deep pit of rolling lava near the summit of a volcano, he brushed at the teal marks on his forearms as though he could slough them off and into the abyss below if he tried hard enough. He knew nothing of the true meaning behind them, only their current denotation of loneliness, otherhood, an instinct unfulfilled. Surely there had to be a better life than this somewhere? Dewdrop knew of ghouls being summoned to serve the Dark Lord on the surface. Maybe that was what he needed – a fresh start away from all reminders of his current life? 

There was certainly nothing about his current existence that he felt was worth keeping. Dew was the runt amongst his tribe; the shortest and slightest despite all of his prayers to the one below. Both of his parents were large and stocky, the perfect fire ghouls, and they had never understood how their kit could have turned out so different to them. Dew had the sharp tongue and quick, cutting words of a fire ghoul, but none of the brawn to back them up.  

Like many others in his clan, he bore the scars of fights lost; times where logic and reason had failed, and their species’ base nature of fire and anger had taken over. Unlike his peers however, many of his scars came not from another ghoul, but from himself and the losing battle he fought inside his own mind. To Dew, the unavoidable turquoise streaks that marked his forearms were just that; another scar. A part of his vessel that the world saw first and fixated on but that, when he closed his eyes, would melt away. He felt a similar way about the twin silvery crescents across his chest; a small victory to him inside, yet also another long-healed wound that others felt a need to obsess over. 

Dew longed for an escape from the torment that came with everyone knowing his history and his self-perceived shortfalls. He had thought that some independence and control over his own life could provide some respite, might allow others to see him outside of being his parent's unlucky disappointment of a crossmated son.  

In an attempt to reinvent himself, he had moved out from his family nest as soon as he was old enough. Instead of a fresh start though, all that had done was make his loneliness even louder and more present. Somewhere, he knew there had to be others who felt a similar pain to him. Ghouls who wouldn't see his marks as signs of failure but as just an incidental part of who he really was. There had to be other ghouls out there who would understand, ghouls who would be happy to just let him be Dewdrop. He let his lungs fill with the sulphurous air of his surroundings, the burn grounding him to reality and pulling him out of his painful thoughts. 

As if hearing his mental anguish, thunder began to rumble overhead. Dew knew what that meant: a portal was opening. A gateway to the surface, and possibly to a world that possessed the understanding his insular clan so dearly lacked. No one ever truly knew what would be waiting for them outside of the Pit, wherever He was calling them to be, but Dew had to assume it was better than here. Either way, whoever was performing the summoning might at least be grateful to see him. 

The sky grew dark as clouds of His energy began to roll across the sky before settling over the peak of the volcano. Summoning portals were rare and unpredictable events throughout the pit, their destructive nature usually tying them to natural disasters. In the volcanic region of the fire ghouls' territory, they almost always manifested atop volcanos. Heralded by thunderstorms and forged by a lightning strike, these links across dimensions only stuck around for a short time, just long enough for Him to call a single ghoul through. 

Dewdrop took off running, stumbling uphill over burning rocks and past pools of molten sulphur. He had never been this close to an opening portal before and couldn't risk missing it now if he wanted a chance at life on the surface. Nobody knew when a portal would open, they were entirely unpredictable, but it was a well-discussed theory that their creator below would choose their locations for a reason. What if He had heard Dew's despair and offered him this escape? It would be unforgivable to turn it down. 

His lungs burning with exertion and the sting of the acrid air, Dewdrop reached the summit. He inched forward to peer over the rim of the volcano with trepidation, the heat from the magma within blasting his face. He stumbled backwards in shock at the intense blast, his foot catching on a stone and sending it skittering over the edge of the crater. It tumbled into the roiling pit of fire, glowing a bright red before it was consumed by the molten rock below. Despite the searing heat, Dew shivered in trepidation.  

The roaring of thunder overhead intensified until it was so loud that Dewdrop had to put his hands over his ears. The sky above grew darker and the clouds denser, until they seemed almost solid, trapping him within. With an earth-shattering crack, a bolt of lightning burst from above. It struck the surface of the pool of lava, sending splashes of fiery lava flying in all directions as easily as a rock into a lake splashed water. The passing heat of a projectile drop almost scorched Dew's hair. Slowly, the magma began to draw back from the point of the lightening bolt's impact as though it was being pulled by otherworldly hands. The bubbling orange retreated up the edges of the crater, leaving a dark, gaping maw behind in the centre.  

Swirling darkness rose out of the pit like a fountain, reaching up with dark, grasping fingers to connect with the clouds above. Other tendrils curled towards the rim of the crater where Dewdrop stood and twined around his ankles. The smoky shadows caressed his exposed skin, feeling pleasantly cool against the burning air around him, and a voice seemed to cry out from the portal in front of him. It was simultaneously like nothing he'd ever heard before, and like the comforting call of an old friend.  

Encouraged forward by the soft caress of the portal, Dew took one last look over his shoulder, down the volcano's slopes to where his village that contained all he had ever known would stand if he were not shrouded in a fiery mist. He couldn't think of one thing he would miss, or anyone who would miss him. With a deep breath, Dewdrop jumped. 

[usgsbiml]

The Not so Colorful Orchid Bee (but yet very large). Eulaema cingulata. Plenty of the Orchid Bee clade are over the top in their green glossy fair-thee-well metallic sorts of way. But, Eulaema …;No. They are fur-bodied with small finishes or notes of metallic tucked into non-obvious places. The males do pack the usual scent holsters ready for charging with orchid based perfumes (check the legs out in these shots and figure that out on your own). (Time for a Side Bar: Perfumators have a lush and long list of words to describe scents (I, for example, prefer the exotic and overpowering intoxication of gasoline and bar oil which is both languid and beguiling) and would, in the case of orchid bees, love to have the volatiles gathered by the males analyzed through the noses of perfumators (rather than chemists.)..could be some nice new scents developed (though, actually, you couldn't wear these scents in tropical Americas (though this would be the most indiginously obvious place to wear them) because the wearer would soon be covered in orchid bees; fine if they were metallic green orchid bees, but not if they were like Eulaemas (this is perhaps too judgmental on my part)) I could go on. This bee collected by the native bee convert Tim McMahon in Costa Rica. Photo by Elizabeth Panner who is generally getting better, but did cut the nose off one of these shots. ~~{{{{{{0}}}}}}~~

All photographs are public domain, feel free to download and use as you wish.

Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200

[jh-newman-opn]

I'm wondering what's the difference between Catholicism and other denominations, I know the main things are the pipe and the virgin Mary actually being respected, but I like to hear from someone whose passionate.

Also it's really funny to think someone going like "She's Jesus adjacent but she had an epidural from god so it's not that big a deal"

(I say godly epidural because how else is childbirth a silent night)

yoooo hello friend thank you for your message :))) assuming this is continuing in some sense from earlier things said whilst reblogging so I'm gonna approach it with that in mind

So there's two good ways of visualising the difference between various flavours of Christianity:

Firstly, as three paradigms, rather than specific Church Groups per se.

Catholicism is a unity-in-truth-variety-in-practice paradigm: we all believe the same things, united under one leader and a centralised way of forming beliefs. How exactly those beliefs are put into practice (eg in different liturgy styles) is more flexible, leading to a range of "rites".

Orthodoxy is a unity-in-practice-variety-in-beliefs paradigm: the liturgy and iconography and expression of the faith is critically important as practical modes of theology (much less written teaching than catholics!), and they have a sort of nebula of hierarchies that have variable relationships with each other and variable theological approaches to a given topic. Important to note that despite the slightly chaotic organisational structure, they have maintained almost exactly the same beliefs as Catholics, but verbalised differently, which leads people to think they're different beliefs (eg. Filioque, Dormition vs Assumption).

Protestantism is a non-unity-total-variety paradigm, wherein beliefs and practice are both determined on a micro-level, leading to a rather volatile structure where schism is common and somewhat expected-- practically speaking the laity get on with things without paying much attention to the schisms, forming what I affectionately call "the Protestant soup".

This paradigm problem broadly boils down to a problem of authority-- when there is a disagreement between two arguments (which may both be reasonably proven from scripture), who decides? and how can you trust the decision? We'd say that the Catholic Church continues to be guided infallibly by the Holy Spirit, just as the Church of the early centuries was guided to correct belief on 1) the trinity 2) the canon of scripture and 3) whether gentile converts should be circumcised. Protestants reject this but imho never came up with a convincing alternative, leading to the chaotic nature of the paradigm as a whole.

Secondly, and this is a biased opinion as someone who converted to Catholicism from a historically Protestant culture, it seems to me useful to consider how Protestant theology (paradigmatically) developed from Catholicism. I know it doesn't necessarily occur to people from Prot-majority countries that Catholicism is actually the default Christianity, and that they're the innovation, but it's a really elucidating realisation. You have to see Protestantism as inherently a reaction to Catholicism, and something that has to define itself in relation to Catholicism.

To summarise: the various strains of the Reformation (Calvinism, Lutheranism, Zwingliism, Anglicanism, etc) are all based off the assumption that Catholicism somehow had "too many" beliefs, that needed to be reduced to reveal a "purer" form of Christianity.

The truth is that while Catholicism seems very maximalist, and like it has a lot of "extra" things (saints, Marian devotion, feast days, confession, bigger bible, fasting practices, monastic charisms, etc etc etc), the truth is that all of these things form a very rich, interlocking system of theology, where every belief is dependent on every other belief. How you understand Mary's role as Theotokos is dependent on a correct understanding of Christ's dual nature, which depends on a rejection of Gnostic dualism, which then gives you a proper sexual ethic and an understanding of the Incarnation, which then links back to the Immaculate Conception, which gives you the Assumption, which explains why you need to go to confession before receiving the Eucharist, etc etc. It sounds a bit overwhelming but when it starts to fall into place you see that every single thing works in this tightly symbiotic ecosystem of doctrine, all of which works to magnify God. The "extra" things are enriching, not distracting.

So when you get the Reformation, and Protestants start subtracting things willy-nilly, the ecosystem starts to fall apart and mutate in strange ways. Protestant groups then separate and keep mutating based on what each one wants to subtract. The Anglican church is a good example of this-- they started by having Catholicism, but subtracting the idea that marriage is an unbreakable covenant (Henry VIII wanted a divorce). This leads to mutation in the understanding of marriage as a sacrament, leading to 2 sacraments rather than the traditional 7, which then nukes confession, holy orders, anointing of the sick, and confirmation. If you don't have holy orders, you lose the theology of the eucharist, which in a lot of Anglican churches is now seen as symbolic (or near enough). if you lose the real presence in the eucharist, your incarnation theology is now buggered. Similarly, as we were discussing in the other reblogs-- Calvinism and Lutheranism both lose the idea of indulgences, when then loses the idea of purgatory, which means you lose a proper understanding of sanctification (theosis), leading to once-saved-always-saved, meaning the Crucifixion, instead of being this great act of Love, is now a legal transaction of salvation, which reconfigures how guilt and contrition work, and which once again buggers your eucharistic theology because the emphasis on it as a one-time event means you've lost the mystical and constant resonance of calvary through all time. All of this then knocks onto how you build churches-- the altar is now no longer front and centre, because the Old Testament sacrifice is not present anymore, so you have a big-ass pulpit and the service is centred around preaching, not around the sacrifice of the Mass. Ironically, though the Reformers aimed to have a more Christ-centric Christianity, the change in how they fundamentally do church services illustrates exactly how you actually end up with a man-centric church that puts Christ off to the side. And that's not even getting into how Luther removed books from the Bible to support his own theology.

I would say that the continuous nature of Catholicism (and Orthodoxy, to a lesser extent) from a) the Judaism of the Old Testament and b) the church of the first few centuries is really very critical. John Henry Newman's Essay on the Development of Doctrine is the seminal work on this (very readable, 100/10 would recommend). The sacramental priesthood is a continuation of the Levitical priesthood, the sacrifice of the mass is the fulfilment of Temple sacrifice (SUPER important in the OT-- the Torah goes on for pages and pages and pages about it), the Pope is the continuation of figures such as Moses and David, who are also Christ-types. I've got a friend converting to Catholicism from Orthodox Judaism and she keeps pointing out to me similarities that I didn't even know existed. On the Early Church-- you'll see a lot of quote-mining from both sides, but the key points that are really indisputable are 1) the idea that the bread and wine literally transform in some mystical way and 2) that the Church is united in an episcopal structure, with an emphasis on Rome as primus inter pares (the first among equals). What exactly this second point entails is why the East and West split-- my view is that the current fiasco in Moscow proves that the Pope is necessary but that's another essay-length post.

Doctrinally of course there's a lot of haggling over specifics eg. the Virgin Mary, soteriology, eucharistic theology, etc etc etc and my impression is that Protestants generally try to justify their beliefs in two ways: 1) Rome is entirely wrong and we're not related to them in any way (really low church baptists, anabaptists, pentecostals, etc) or 2) Rome is wrong but also we believe the same things as Rome and are completely different to stereotypical Protestants (anglicans, lutherans, presbyterians). Both of these approaches IMO demonstrate the truth of Catholicism, because group 1 are just demonstrably so far away from OG christianity that they cannot reasonably argue that they're more authentically Christian than Catholics-- at best these two are equally bad and group 2 seem to implicitly know that Rome is right, because they justify themselves by disavowing anything that isn't ostensibly Catholic and allying themselves with Catholic beliefs as much as possible. The truth is that we can get really bogged down in the specific details of oh Calvin actually said this or maybe Augustine actually meant that, but it doesn't really matter when the overall paradigmatic approach is so far removed from the first 1500 years of Christianity. The idea that you can have multiple churches believing different things and all being equally authentically Christian is a total invention of the Reformation, and quite frankly, a disservice to the lay faithful who didn't ask to be bogged down in all of this anyway.

Finally, to round off this abhorrently long answer to your question (apologies!!!)-- sacramentality and the concrete motion of grace are really important concepts. For Catholics, the motion of God's grace and divine action are really concrete things. Grace comes through the sacraments, which are literally what they say they are. Mary appears sometimes and tells us things. Miracles literally happen. The saints are part of our community and you can talk to them and ask them for things. Their bones are pieces of that which is holy. The action of God is a very real and close part of the practice of the lay Catholic that can be studied and analysed in quite a scientific manner (look up how the Vatican approves miracles, for example!), and which the lay person interacts with in the same way they'd interact with any other part of their life. There's a quote from someone (Eamon Duffy??) that goes something like: for the mediaeval Catholic, Purgatory, Heaven, and Hell were places as real as Canterbury or Dover. Part of the Protestant paradigm involves spiritualising: Christ is not bodily present in the Eucharist, but spiritually, the saints are just any and all Christians, and heaven stays in heaven until you get there yourself. It's partly why Newman argues that this kind of spiritualised belief naturally tends towards atheism-- it's lost the sense of hard reality.

Hope that's at least somewhat helpful-- as I say, you can get bogged down in long lists of where beliefs differ, but I think given the rather broad and variable nature of Protestant beliefs, it's unhelpful to try to distill them down into A List. Similarly, because Catholic beliefs are so interdependent, it's really difficult to make the case for one belief without bringing in other parts of the network, which is why Prot-Cath dialogue often ends up going in circles quoting scripture or the church fathers and nobody wins. Feel free to ask further about anything if you can face another long answer (probably won't be quite as long as this!), and god bless you. I'll say a Hail Mary for you to find whatever it is that you need to find.

[voxofthevoid]

because i'm a slut for female alphas i need to know about 58 "wield her, use and yield her" pretty please

As always, you have very good taste 💗

58. wield her, use and yield her: The years after puberty is particularly volatile for female alphas, both physically and mentally, owing to secondary genital development. Gojou volunteers his mouth to ease his new favorite student’s distress.

I've talked about the basic premise here: https://voxofthevoid.tumblr.com/post/769848214677504000/i-took-a-nap-the-other-day-and-woke-up-not

A subset of my adult!Gojou/teen!Yuuji, especially the canonverse ones, can be described as "Gojou finding dubiously legitimate-sounding excuses to be a horny creep while Yuuji rolls with it." This very much falls under that umbrella.

This fic is fully outlined, and the outlines comes up to almost 1.5k. Here's a bit of what happens after the parts outlined in that link above.

A day or two after the classroom suck-off, Yuuji's especially squirmy after a mission, and Gojou catches her looking at his mouth with a gut-twisting mixture of longing and hunger. Out of the earshot of the other two, he asks her if she wants his mouth. Yuuji makes a noise and rasps yes. Gojou tugs her into a dark alley and gets on his knees, and Yuuji's token protest is more of a question and also accompanied by her hand in his hair, pressing him closer, deeper into her crotch. This time, she throws a leg over his shoulder and grinds her dick into his mouth—sliding on his tongue, mostly. Gojou drowning in her scent, both the acrid bite of her non-settled alpha scent and the hot musk of a needy body. She doesn't come this time, but they stay like that for long enough that Megumi and Nobara come looking and see more than they want to.

Gojou's shocked but delighted to find that being found out once just makes Yuuji more shameless, in that she starts asking for Gojou's mouth everywhere and anywhere they can get away with it. Montage scenes of Gojou getting his mouth used, all without his own dick ever being involved. Work in a mention to him wanking himself raw, dragging fingers over his own tongue and sticking them under his nose to suck in the wet dregs of Yuuji's scent.

[eretzyisrael]

IDF fighter jets (@idfonline/X); Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility. (@EYakoby/X)

It’s Thursday, June 12, and we’re the closest we’ve ever been to an all-out Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. This is far from the first time you’ve read that Israel is preparing to attack, so what makes today different? Let’s break it down.

In an interview released yesterday, the New York Post’s Miranda Devine asked President Donald Trump if he’s confident he can force Tehran to shutter its nuclear program. His response? “I don’t know. I did think so, and I’m getting more and more—less confident about it.” As for a deal, he was blunt: “I am much less confident of a deal being made.”

The president has good cause for concern. Today, for the first time in some 20 years, the International Atomic Energy Agency formally declared that Iran is violating its non-proliferation obligations.

Ok, so what? While Trump is no stranger to making threats and then not following through, he has been clear thus far: If Iran doesn’t sign a deal, its nuclear facilities will be attacked.

Then there’s the numerous reports that Israel is preparing to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities soon—and without American help. CBS News even claimed this morning that “U.S. officials have been told Israel is fully ready to launch an operation into Iran.”

Such readiness, according to these reports, is what prompted Washington to begin withdrawing non-essential personnel—both diplomatic and civilian—from the Middle East. In addition to evacuations, the Washington Postreported that “the State Department recently ordered all embassies within striking distance of Iranian assets… to convene emergency action committees and send cables back to Washington about measures to mitigate risks.”

And Iran seems to be getting the hint, with Reuters quoting a senior Iranian official this morning who claimed that a “friendly” country in the region warned Tehran about a possible Israeli attack on its nuclear facilities.

Ok, so an Israeli strike is really unavoidable? Not necessarily. While these signs seemingly point to the obvious, there’s two important caveats to keep in mind.

First, as is often the case with these developments, the information that makes its way into the public sphere is a mere fraction of what’s actually taking place. Indeed, when officials leak such comments to major outlets—there’s almost always an agenda involved.

What could that agenda be? There’s certainly one that stands out: To pressure Iran into signing a deal as a means of preventing an all-out Israeli attack on its nuclear facilities.

But while a bluff is certainly a possibility, the reality is this: Even if we thought the past 18 months in the Middle East couldn’t be more dramatic and volatile—we may well be about to witness the most significant act of them all.

[sexymemecoin]

The Expansive World of Altcoins: Exploring the Diversity Beyond Bitcoin

Bitcoin, the original cryptocurrency, has long dominated headlines and market discussions. However, the world of digital currencies is vast and diverse, with thousands of alternative coins, or altcoins, each offering unique features and value propositions. Altcoins encompass a broad range of projects, from utility tokens and stablecoins to meme coins and more. This article delves into the rich ecosystem of altcoins, highlighting their significance, various types, and the innovative projects that make up this vibrant space, including a mention of Sexy Meme Coin.

Understanding Altcoins

The term "altcoin" refers to any cryptocurrency that is not Bitcoin. These coins were developed to address various limitations of Bitcoin or to introduce new features and use cases. Altcoins have proliferated since the creation of Bitcoin in 2009, each aiming to offer something different, whether it be improved transaction speeds, enhanced privacy features, or specific utility within certain ecosystems.

Categories of Altcoins

Utility Tokens: Utility tokens provide users with access to a specific product or service within a blockchain ecosystem. Examples include Ethereum's Ether (ETH), which is used to power applications on the Ethereum network, and Chainlink's LINK, which is used to pay for services on the Chainlink decentralized oracle network.

Stablecoins: Stablecoins are designed to maintain a stable value by being pegged to a reserve of assets, such as fiat currency or commodities. Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) are popular stablecoins pegged to the US dollar, offering the benefits of cryptocurrency without the volatility.

Security Tokens: Security tokens represent ownership in a real-world asset, such as shares in a company or real estate. They are subject to regulatory oversight and are often seen as a bridge between traditional finance and the blockchain world.

Meme Coins: Meme coins are a playful and often humorous take on cryptocurrency, inspired by internet memes and cultural trends. While they may start as jokes, some have gained significant value and community support. Dogecoin is the most famous example, but many others, like Shiba Inu and Sexy Meme Coin, have also captured the public's imagination.

Privacy Coins: Privacy coins focus on providing enhanced privacy features for transactions. Monero (XMR) and Zcash (ZEC) are notable examples, offering users the ability to transact anonymously and protect their financial privacy.

The Appeal of Altcoins

Altcoins offer several advantages over Bitcoin, including:

Innovation: Many altcoins introduce new technologies and features, driving innovation within the cryptocurrency space. For example, Ethereum introduced smart contracts, enabling decentralized applications (DApps) and decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms.

Specialization: Altcoins often serve specific niches or industries, providing targeted solutions that Bitcoin cannot. For instance, Ripple (XRP) focuses on facilitating cross-border payments, while Filecoin (FIL) aims to create a decentralized storage network.

Investment Opportunities: The diverse range of altcoins presents numerous investment opportunities. Investors can diversify their portfolios by investing in projects with different use cases and growth potentials.

Notable Altcoins in the Market

Ethereum (ETH): Ethereum is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization and has become the backbone of the DeFi and NFT (Non-Fungible Token) ecosystems. Its smart contract functionality allows developers to create decentralized applications, leading to a thriving ecosystem of financial services, games, and more.

Cardano (ADA): Cardano is a blockchain platform focused on sustainability, scalability, and transparency. It uses a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, which is more energy-efficient than Bitcoin's proof-of-work. Cardano aims to provide a more secure and scalable infrastructure for the development of decentralized applications.

Polkadot (DOT): Polkadot is designed to enable different blockchains to interoperate and share information. Its unique architecture allows for the creation of "parachains," which can operate independently while still benefiting from the security and connectivity of the Polkadot network.

Chainlink (LINK): Chainlink is a decentralized oracle network that provides real-world data to smart contracts on the blockchain. This functionality is crucial for the operation of many DeFi applications, making Chainlink a vital component of the blockchain ecosystem.

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Conclusion

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[hailuchiha]

My Sister's Keeper

DEAD DOVE: DO NOT EAT

!! MINORS DNI !!

!! 18 + NSFW CONTENT!!

!! ALL characters involved are ADULTS ; NO minor characters!!

Summary: Itachi took his sister when he joined the Akatsuki. To earn needed cash during missions, he occasionally pimps her out enlists her help.

prompt filled for this anon ask

non-con, pimping/forced sex work, incest, loss of virginity, dead dove: don't eat, adult content, fiction

(1.3k words)

Upon defecting the village, Itachi had taken his younger sister along, leaving their youngest brother to fend for himself till he was ready to kill Itachi. Itachi didn't really care whether or not Sasuke followed his command to do so.

He'd spared her most of the horrors during the massacre itself, having put her under a genjutsu. However, when she'd woken up days later, and with so much distance from their village, Itachi had revealed to her the full extent of his crime.

The girl, only a couple years younger than him, had been horrified, fear and heartbreak filled tears welling up in her doe eyes. Itachi resisted the urge to comfort her like he would have before all this. If her fear would keep her in line, then so be it.

Life in the Akatsuki wasn't a walk in the park either. Every day, there were different challenges and dangers. But, Itachi was glad to see his sister being able to hold her own and stay out of trouble.

One thing though, that bothered him was how fast she was growing, her body developing physically. Each day she grew more beautiful despite her heartbreak and sorrow. Often, he woke up in the middle of the night to her soft sniffles, and sometimes due to her cries for Sasuke in her sleep.

Still, Itachi thought, glumly seeing the eyes of a fellow Akatsuki member which were trained on his sister, a leer showing his teeth. Itachi wasn't a volatile man, however, seeing the man openly ogle his oblivious sister made an ugly rage rear its head inside Itachi.

Itachi was no brute. He reigned his rage in, simply resorting to keeping a closer eye on his sister. They were always either surrounded or accompanied by these vicious criminals who had defected their nations and banded together. While he'd gained the respect of the other Akatsuki members soon enough, and he knew none of them would make one wrong move towards his sister, there was no way he could relax about her near any of them. He knew better than anyone what kind of beasts these men were- Itachi knew well enough they would pounce on her given the chance.

Things became more problematic, though, as they got more independence and other men they crossed showed open interest in her. This was worse, because unlike the Akatsuki members, they didn't hesitate to approach the beautiful young woman despite Itachi's presence.

During one such time traveling alone with her, Itachi finally snapped. In the stuffy room in the inn they had stopped for a couple days, Itachi pinned her down on the rough mattress and finally had his way with her. If the inn-keeper had heard her scream, he never bothered to check in on them.

Satisfied that no man could take her virginity now, Itachi cleaned the young woman up, who had passed out sometime after the first couple rounds. He cleaned up himself as well and went to sleep beside her, pulling her towards him and away from the bloody red patch staining the mattress. For the first time in years, sleep came easy to him and he enjoyed a blissful sleep.

But that night opened up a whole new door.

------

The man grinned widely upon entering the room. He liked what he saw.

A young woman sat at the edge of the bed, her gaze cast down, half of her gorgeous face hidden behind a curtain of lustrous, raven hair. She was dressed modestly enough in navy robes, but the garment did nothing to hide her voluptuous figure.

His mouth watered instantly, and he stepped closer, almost as if beckoned.

The door closed behind him, and he frowned, turning back to see that the dark-haired man from earlier had stepped into the room with them, staring at him with a cold look as if daring him to challenge him.

Not wanting to waste any time arguing about a voyeur, the man decided to get his fill. He shrugged, looking away from the intense gaze, and moved towards the figure on the bed.

He practically drooled when she didn't move away as he invaded her space. Other than a slight flinch, she didn't make any movement to stop him when he pull at the sash holding her robes together.

The cloth fell away and revealed more of her unblemished porcelain skin, such a contrast to his tanned, scarred skin from being under the sun so much.

He eagerly moved in to kiss her plush lips but was stopped when she simply tilted her face away. A frown started to pull at his face, but before his anger could rise, the pimp's baritone voice stopped him in his tracks, practically making him jump out of his skin.

"No kissing. Have you forgotten the rules already?"

"A-Alright, alright," the man said with fake bravado, running a hand through his sandy brown hair.

In truth, he'd forgotten that the pimp was in the room, overseeing the exchange.

Instead, he pushed the woman to lay down, his anger making his touch rougher. She showed no resistance, though her eyes never made contact with his. In fact, she didn't even look at him!

She was laying right under him, sure, but her eyes were fixed to the corner of the room, where her pimp stood, watching them with a detached coldness.

Huffing under his breath, he pushed her legs apart, his cock fully erect and ready, and was surprised to see glops of thick white fluid spill from her puffy vagina.

She'd been fucked today already, maybe even right before he came.

"I thought i was your first customer today," he grunted, shoving into her soft warmth anyway, the question aimed at the red-eyed pimp.

"You are," came the response in an unbothered tone.

"Then wh-," he didn't get a chance to complete his demand.

"I used her before I left," said the pimp matter-of-factly. "Is that a problem?"

And although the raven-haired man was asking him that, his tone made it clear that his opinion didn't matter to him. That if he made this an issue of his pride, the pimp would simply kick him out and not miss his money.

Instead of responding, the farmer pulled out before pushing back in, groaning loudly at the delicious heat engulfing his cock. He began to plow the whore like his life depended on it, flicking his tongue over her hardened, peach-coloured nipples, his spit coating her breasts and making them glisten as he moved between both.

He finished almost too soon, almost forgetting to pull out before he spilled. In fact, and he didn't know how the pimp knew, but just in time, the other had stepped in and forcefully pulled him off of her, his load spilling all over the mattress and wooden floor.

Still, he wished he could have another go, but there was something in the young pimp's eyes that made him afraid to even ask. So, with shaky hands, he put on his clothes and handed him the agreed upon sum.

------

As soon as they exchange was made, Itachi made sure to alter his memory, blurring both his, and his sister's faces from his memory. After all, no matter what he was doing now, no matter what he was making her do now, he hoped for there to be a future for her sometime ahead.

His sister sprang up from bed and rushed into the tiny bathroom the moment the door closed after the farmer. Itachi didn't stop her or say anything.

As he cleaned up the mess and put on the bedsheet, he heard the shower running.

Sighing, he went to lay out a fresh set of clothes for her.

"Y/N," he called, knocking once on the bathroom door. "I've laid out your clothes. We're going out tonight, so be ready by the time I come back."

There was brief silence, and Itachi strained to hear for a moment. He thought he must have missed what she said, or that she hadn't heard him.

"Alright, Itachi," came her response, her voice tight, and Itachi knew she was holding back tears.

Now has a Part 2 (Prequel for this) that bobody asked for

[mystic-rox]

Arden Morvant

Behavioral Analysis Unit

Confidential Psychological Profile

Subject: Arden Morvant

Prepared by: Dr. Spencer Reid

Date: [REDACTED]

Classification: Former Peripheral Offender / Probationary BAU Profiler

OVERVIEW:

Arden Morvant is an anomalous profile in the BAU, an outlier in both origin and trajectory. He possesses the rare duality of someone capable of immense psychological harm yet drawn magnetically toward healing. He is not a sadist. He is not devoid of empathy. But he is someone who understands violence, too well, too intuitively; that understanding was once misused. Often unknowingly, sometimes deliberately.

Morvant didn’t kill. He didn’t mutilate. He didn’t even touch the bodies. But he set the stage, sometimes literally. He gave monsters their scripts. And when they acted, he watched.

He helped unsubs the way a composer writes music for someone else’s ballet. He never performed it. But he knew exactly how it would look.

EARLY DEVELOPMENT:

Morvant’s formative years are defined by neglect, both emotional and structural. There is no evidence of overt abuse, but neglect, particularly chronic emotional neglect, is a form of trauma that often yields either one of two outcomes: internalized shame and dissociation, or externalized control-seeking behavior. Morvant developed both.

He learned early to make himself invisible when necessary, charming when required, and useful above all else. This led to his long pattern of involvement with predators who recognized his genius and lack of boundaries, and exploited both. He wasn’t coerced. He wasn’t entirely complicit either. He drifted, and then he directed.

PERSONALITY STRUCTURE:

Morvant is a paradox. He is both self-aware and self-obscured. He knows what he is. But he doesn’t always know why. He is governed by a deep need for structure, but has a volatile emotional core beneath it that manifests in ritualistic behaviors:

• Mirror shards: Morvant keeps them on his desk—not for vanity, but to “reflect his thoughts.” It is likely a compulsive grounding tool—fractured reflections mirroring a fractured identity. There’s symbolism in it. The man who helped unsubs see themselves never really saw himself clearly.

• Violin playing: Much like my own use of chess or quantum algorithms to process complex emotion, Morvant uses the violin to regulate his affective state. He plays not to perform but to process. I’ve observed him use vibrato patterns to calm himself and harmonic tension as a substitute for verbal communication. It’s not music. It’s Morse code with strings.

He lives almost entirely inside his own mind—a dangerous thing for someone whose mind once built mazes for killers. But within the BAU, structure is externally imposed, and for the first time, Morvant wants that.

ATTACHMENT & RELATIONAL DYNAMICS:

Morvant has latched onto Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner with a fervent emotional fixation. It is gravitational. Hotch is a constant, a walking anchor, and Morvant orbits him like a lost satellite hoping not to burn up.

Possibly past relationship.

He mirrors Hotch’s posture. Matches his cadence. Defers in a way that borders on childlike loyalty. It’s a classic anxious-preoccupied attachment with clear roots in early deprivation.

His dynamic with me is different. I think he sees me less as an anchor and more as a lighthouse. He shows me his worst thoughts. His weirdest ones. He trusts that I won’t flinch. That I understand—because in many ways, I do.

CLINICAL CONCERNS:

Risk Indicators:

• Prone to obsessive fixation (cases, people, ideas)

• Tends toward dissociation under emotional stress

• Struggles to define a consistent moral compass—especially when someone he cares about is in danger

• Will manipulate for security, not out of malice, but survival instinct

Protective Traits:

• Deep remorse, even when expressed obliquely

• Profound loyalty to those he deems safe

• Highly creative, non-linear problem solver

• Appears to thrive under authority when it’s paired with emotional consistency

MORALITY & MOTIVATION:

Morvant is not evil. He’s untethered. Or rather—was. Now, he’s trying to rebuild a moral foundation that was never given to him. It’s slow. Messy. Painful. But it’s real. He wants to be useful again. But now for the right reasons.

He clings to symbols: mirrors, music, outlines of order, because they keep the chaos at bay. And if you asked him directly, I don’t think he could tell you what scares him more:

Being who he was.

Or being someone no one understands.

FINAL SUMMARY:

He’s dangerous. But not to us.

He’s unpredictable. But never maliciously so.

He’s brilliant. But he knows that already.

What he doesn’t know yet, is that he’s redeemable.

And I think, with time, and trust, he’ll prove that to the rest of the world too.

He already has to me.

—Dr. Spencer Reid

[omegaverse-seeker]

I've created two conditions for my Omegaverse: Rejection Syndrome and Pseudo-Mate Syndrome.

Rejection Syndrome is technically a variety of Depression that is triggered by being rejected by your Mate. It ranges from just feeling sad and thinking about what they got rejected for for a few hours, to spending years obsessed with the rejection unable to focus and even in physical pain from how strong the emotional pain was. The easiest cure is for your Mate to comfort you, because they aren't rejecting you entirely, but sometimes it becomes prolonged and they require medication to assist (think anti-depressants). It is possible to cure by taking their mind off of it, but due to the fixation element it's very difficult to do. Sometimes Rejection Syndrome kicks in alongside grief (like, your Mate died) and those situations are always very complex... The in-universe explanation is that it developed as a way to ensure the harmony of the relationship. You have to think about how your actions could affect your Mate. Because there can be consequences if the relationship becomes difficult

Pseudo-Mate Syndrome is basically what happens when you are so in love with someone that your body is convinced you are already mates with that person. This typically can only occur after YEARS of wanting to mate with someone. All the normal Mate stuff applies: heats/ruts sync up, you become way more intuitive to their moods (actually mating causes an empathic bond), other people's scents (especially aroused) become repulsive, etc. of course since by definition you are not in a relationship with this condition your "Mate" may reject you, causing the aforementioned Rejection Syndrome. The cures are: Become Mates, or fall out of love.

I have three people with Pseudo-Mate and all three experience Rejection Syndrome.

All three are Alphas coincidentally, but all dynamics are able to develop these conditions.

(one has RSD and low self esteem and so experiences Rejection Syndrome very easily. One loses his intended Mate to, what he thinks is Death, but she turns out to be alive and experiences the Grief variant of Rejection Syndrome. And the last has a very volatile relationship with his beloved and they fight often.)

One of these (the Last one) actually has a different Omega whom he is very close to, and regularly spends Heats with in a non sexual manner and oh boy isn't it going to be interesting when he can't comfort his friend because suddenly he stinks

THIS IS WHAT THE FUCK I’M TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!!!

As a hurt/comfort bitch, this is just great. I wish I could give you a prize. Literally 10/10.

I will be applying this to any future fics.

[yorha-number-2-type-e]

🧡 Surveillance Log: Ichihime Cult Observation Report 0625 🧡

Filed by: @yorha-number-2-type-e Status: Amused. Non-aggressive. Fully operational.

Subject: Ichihime Cult Defense Protocols Activated Summary: After casual observations and standard criticism of Bleach's narrative failures — namely, the reduction of Orihime Inoue to a post-battle prize with no reciprocal emotional development from Ichigo Kurosaki — Unit 2E has received numerous pings from emotionally compromised individuals. These individuals have responded with everything from moralistic essays to public “vigilance calls” against this unit.

Notable Behavior:

Attempted emotional manipulation through guilt rhetoric.

Public “block advisories” designed to virtue signal allegiance to the cult.

Accusations of harassment for using canon-critical hashtags in canon-critical posts.

Misidentification of this unit as a “shipper,” as though that matters in a critical dissection of poor narrative design.

Recommendation: Continue surveillance. Their reactions are… illuminating. Emotional volatility is high. Self-awareness is low. Every overreaction provides fresh data.

Personal Commentary: To the Ichihime Defense Force — thank you for your contributions to this ongoing case study. You’ve labeled me misogynistic for critiquing a fictional romance. You’ve accused me of harassment for daring to tag canon material with canon critique. You even called for my removal while providing all the visibility I could ever ask for.

Ironic. Efficient. Entertaining.

Keep coping, keep tagging, and most importantly — keep watching. Because I’m watching too. #IchihimeCultWatch