#e-learning module

[timelesstricksteraltar]

Discover the Future of Digital Education with LSDB

Discover LSDB's self-paced online education, driving digital business innovation with flexible e-learning modules and adaptive platforms. Access 24/7 expert-led courses in business management and digital transformation frameworks, supported by a domain-focused consultancy panel.

[mentoplearning]

Trends in eLearning Development for 2025

In the ever-evolving world of education, e-learning content development is transforming at an unprecedented pace. As we move through 2025, new technologies and user-centric approaches are reshaping how we create, deliver, and consume educational content. From advanced learning management systems to immersive technologies, the way we approach custom e-learning content development is more dynamic, engaging, and personalized than ever before.

In this article, we explore the most influential trends in e-learning content development for 2025 and how custom learning management solutions, e-learning module integration, and Virtual and Augmented Reality Development Services are driving innovation.

The Rise of AI-Powered Learning

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now a cornerstone in e-learning content development. The integration of AI across learning management systems and custom platforms is revolutionizing how we personalize and optimize learning experiences.

Personalized Learning Experiences

AI algorithms analyze learner preferences, behavior, and performance to create hyper-personalized learning journeys. Whether delivered through a learning management system or standalone tools, AI ensures learners receive content suited to their unique pace, needs, and goals—raising the bar in custom e-learning content development.

Intelligent Tutoring Systems

AI-powered tutors provide real-time feedback, adaptive content delivery, and emotional recognition. These systems mimic human interaction, creating an environment where learners feel guided, supported, and engaged—especially within custom learning management solutions.

“AI has the potential to redefine learning, making education more accessible and tailored to individual needs.”

Immersive Learning via VR and AR

Virtual and Augmented Reality Development Services are redefining e-learning content development in 2025. Instead of simply reading or watching, learners are now immersed in interactive simulations and virtual scenarios.

Engaging Simulations

In sectors like healthcare, aviation, and manufacturing, Virtual and Augmented Reality Development Services allow learners to practice in risk-free simulated environments. These simulations, integrated into e-learning module integration with LMS, boost skill retention and confidence through experiential learning.

AR for Enhanced Learning Materials

AR overlays interactive 3D content onto textbooks and static materials. Students can scan a page and visualize anatomical models, machinery breakdowns, or complex workflows—enhancing the e-learning content development experience dramatically.

Microlearning: Short and Sweet

Microlearning remains a dominant format in e-learning content development, especially for adult learners with limited time.

Effective Knowledge Retention

Short, digestible learning units (3–5 minutes) are ideal for retaining information. These bite-sized modules are easily integrated into any learning management system or custom e-learning content development platform.

Flexible Learning Paths

Learners can pick and choose their learning sequence, thanks to modular design and advanced e-learning module integration. Modern learning management systems ensure these paths are accessible anytime, anywhere.

Gamification: Learning Through Play

Gamification is no longer optional in e-learning content development—it’s expected. It transforms passive learners into active participants.

Enhancing Engagement

Leaderboards, badges, and reward points are being seamlessly integrated into custom learning management solutions, motivating learners to engage consistently.

Learning by Doing

Games provide a safe space for experimentation. Business simulations or scenario-based tasks improve problem-solving, decision-making, and overall learning effectiveness—critical elements in today’s e-learning content development strategies.

Mobile Learning: Always-On Accessibility

The surge in mobile usage has made mobile-first design a priority in e-learning content development and learning management systems.

Learning on the Go

Learners today demand the freedom to access content on their terms—during commutes, lunch breaks, or while traveling. With mobile-optimized learning management systems, this flexibility is seamless.

Offline Capabilities

Modern e-learning module integration with LMS includes offline features. Learners can download content and continue learning even without internet access, a game-changer for remote and underserved regions.

Conclusion

The future of e-learning content development in 2025 is defined by innovation, personalization, and accessibility. From AI-driven customization to Virtual and Augmented Reality Development Services, the industry is embracing technology that empowers learners and enhances results.

By embracing trends such as custom e-learning content development, e-learning module integration, gamification, and mobile learning, organizations can create engaging and future-proof educational experiences. Whether you are a corporate trainer, academic institution, or online educator, now is the time to invest in custom learning management solutions and robust learning management system features.

Leading providers of e-learning content development, learning management systems, and e-learning module integration with LMS are already implementing these technologies. The question is—are you ready to join them?

[fictional-worlds-are-exquisite]

after a lot of muttering under my breath focusing really hard on my screen i suddenly gasped and went 'MY FINGERS ARE VOWELS' so that's how my night's going

[nanenna]

This Meeting Could've Been an E-mail

Sleepy King (Nanenna ver.) Masterpost

---

Diana, along with several other members of the JLD, were sitting in a meeting room. John had stood at the head of the table, having just finished outlining the situation for them, and it was grim. She knew if worse came to worse they may have to sacrifice the boy to keep the Ghost King from emerging into their world and wreaking havoc on a scale only Darkseid had managed before, but she prayed it wouldn’t come to that.

“Would not the boy also smell my father’s blood?” Raven asked.

“Unfortunately. You an’ me are gonna stay back and help plan based on what everyone else reads from the boy.”

Diana nodded along, likely that was also her role.

Bruce, in full Batman gear, came stalking into the room.

“About bloody time,” John said with a huff.

“I would hope you have brought them all up to speed on what you know of Danny while waiting.”

John made an annoyed sound, then moved to sit in a chair near the head of the table. “`Course I did, just waiting on you now.”

Bruce stood in the spot John had just vacated. “Oracle.” The room dimmed and the holo-projector  in the table whirred to life. A picture of a small family standing in front of what appeared to be some sort of business run out of what used to be a family home (something fairly common in America, Diana had learned) took center stage. Obviously it was part of a website, Diana could see the web bar with several tabs across the top of the projection, but it was zoomed into the photo.

“This,” Bruce said, pointing to the teenaged boy in the photo from behind, “is Daniel “Danny” Fenton, the boy used in the ritual last night.”

Everyone leaned in closer to look the boy over. There was nothing remarkable about him, a bit thin perhaps but that could be due to the lankiness that comes with growth spurts.

“He’s from Amity Park, Illinois. The town advertises itself as the most haunted city in America, and from what we’ve gathered they earned it. Most pertinent is that last year they were under attack by the Ghost King.”

Oracle must have clicked to the next tab, the family picture was replaced by an online newspaper article titled “Ghost King Thwarted! Is Phantom a Hero?”

“I’m sorry, what happened?” Zatanna asked incredulously.

“There must be some mistake, there’s no way Pariah Dark got free without a single person feeling it,” Dr. Fate insisted.

Oracle scrolled down the page to show several blurry photos taken of a being that looked nothing like what they’d seen last night, alongside a sketch of the being. “Either this was well researched, or somehow this whole event was cloaked,” Bruce said grimly.

“Considering this wasn’t even the most recent attack on the town and a few of them sound like JL level threats,” Oracle’s modulated voice came from the table’s speakers as she quickly tabbed through a few more news articles before coming back to the one on the Ghost King, “I think it’s more likely something is blocking the whole town from us.” She scrolled down more to show several missing or broken photos. “Especially this Phantom person that keeps showing up in every article about ghosts. Even using the way back machine there’s not a single photo of him anywhere on the internet.”

“If the Ghost King has been out,” Captain Marvel asked, “where did he go? I doubt he’s spent the last year just hanging out in a small town in middle America.”

“According to this news article,” Bruce said, “Phantom, along with help from the whole town, managed to get the Ghost King back into the Sarcophagus and sealed him away again.”

John whistled, “That’s quite the feat, even with help.”

“Are you saying Danny was chosen as Pariah’s anchor because he’s from Amity Park?” Raven asked.

“Not just because he’s from Amity Park, his parents are also self proclaimed paranormal scientists and ghost hunters.”

Oracle tabbed to a few different pages, each one with a different picture of one of Danny’s parents proudly holding ominously glowing green weapons or with vials of glowing green goo. Sometimes one in the background of another.

John squinted at the photos, “Is that pure æther?!”

“How?!” Captain Marvel and Zatanna both asked incredulously.

“They call it ectoplasm,” Bruce stated.

John scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Ectoplasm is a word scam artists in the 1800s made up to steal money from grieving widows.”

“Nevertheless that is what they're calling it. Especially of note that the Fentons run their research out of their home.”

“Where their children live?” Diana asked, horrified at the implications.

“How are they still sane?” Captain Marvel asked incredulously.

“We're not sure they are,” Batman said grimly. Oracle tabbed to a street view of the Fenton home, easily identified by the large sign on the side. The strange addition to the home's roof was an… interesting choice.

The other attendees of the meeting were becoming agitated, several of them shifting in place as they got ready to speak.

“Before this goes any further,” Bruce stated firmly, “all this to say the cult that kidnapped Danny Fenton did so with intention. Amity Park certainly needs a full investigation, but it will have to wait until after this crisis with the Ghost King is dealt with.”

“Æther exposure might explain why the kid could handle being Pariah’s anchor.” John sighed then stood up. “Alright, if that’s all the info you got…”

Bruce grunted in acknowledgement.

“The clock’s ticking.” John left the room, the others all following after.

Diana hung back to speak with Bruce. “We’ll find a solution.”

Bruce just hummed to show he heard her. She knew he wasn’t handling the situation well, a child’s life was at stake and he had to hand the situation over to others. There was only so much she could reassure him, so she chose instead to go see the boy for herself.

The JLD members that had attended the meeting were all gathered in a kitchenette discussing logistics. Diana left them to it for the moment and simply went down the hall to the room she knew the boy was sleeping in. The lights in the hallway were already dimmed, thankfully, so she simply quietly opened the door and poked her head inside. Clark was sitting on a chair next to the boy’s bed. His posture was a relaxed sprawl, but his face was furrowed in concentration. He looked up and smiled when he saw Diana.

“How are you?” She asked at barely a whisper, knowing he’d hear her just fine.

“Guilty, now that I know he mistook me for his father.”

“Sadly this is an ask for forgiveness situation.” She gently pat Clark’s arm, trying to console him.

The boy himself looked like any other teenager, dead to the world while tucked safely into bed. She only hoped they would find some solution and tomorrow he would be tucked just as safely into his own bed.

[skirter01]

AU: Dukes got a strange new teacher, Jason has a weird neighbour, Dick helped a poor civillian with two broken legs, and Tim's got a bad feeling about the knew Wayne Enterprises employee. Who knew they'd turn out to be the same person? Or... Dannys stuck in Gotham, how, why, when? To be confirmed, although, he's positive its something to do with a certain time-turning asshole. But now he's got bats on his tail and a serious case of the munchies. Good thing Sam and Tucker learned early on to slap a tracker on his phone.

----

Smol Teaser

Dick stumbled forwards, chain rattling around his foot as it pulled taunt. He hit the deck.

“No!”

Duke closed his eyes – and for a moment, he wondered what it would’ve been like if he’d just stayed home like he’d planned to – as Danny descended, mouth split into a feral smile and scythe in motion.

Then, “Bang!”

Dukes’ ears screamed as something exploded, a sonic boom erupting somewhere to his right. A fiery green blast flashed through the air, smacking into Danny like a sledgehammer and sending him hurtling into the concrete pillar in a blast of dust and debris.

Duke took in a sharp breath, eyes fettering over where the teacher landed. His eyes locked on Dick, who was staring over his shoulder from his place on the floor.

“Ha! Bullseye!” Duke startled at the voice and whipped to his right. “I am literally a God.”

Had he been transported to Men in Black right now? Because there was no other explanation for what this was right now. The owner of the voice was a young African American, with neat cornrows and dressed in a suit straight out of MIB, save for the sunglasses which were substituted for a slick pair of black framed glasses.

With a huff, the newcomer hefted an enormous smoking bazooka to rest between his shoulder blade and collarbone. He looked over the room with a grin. “Worry not ladies, knight with shining armour reporting for duty.” He proclaimed with a cheeky grin and a wink, patting the weapon’s steel side fondly, “No, need to thank me. Just doing my job.”

There was a click, and the stranger froze, “Who in the hell are you?” Jason growled through his modulator, stepping out of the shadows to the left of new guy, pistol aimed for a head shot.

The stranger’s eyes slid, acknowledging Jason’s gun from his peripheral. “Sure…” He drawled cautiously, ‘shoot the man with the bazooka. Do it.”

Jason pulled out his second gun. Head titling in challenge.

New guy grinned. “Geez, calm your tits. Names Foley, Tucker Foley.” He reached into his blazer pocket, pulling out a badge. “FBI”

The FBI?

Jason lowered his pistols. “The fuck is the FBI doing in Gotham?” Duke would like to know the same thing.

Tucker shrugged, “Shits and gigs” he said, dropping the bazooka from his shoulder, and catching its nose on his foot before he propped it up against the closest wall. He swivelled, jabbing a finger over at the downed spectre. “Mostly that troublemaker though. Do you mind if I–actually, why am I even asking you?” He stalked over to the cracked concrete pillar and jabbed at foot at Dukes downed teacher, shifting his lifeless body “Oi, Danny.”

Duke didn’t know how to break the news. “Um, Mr. Foley? He’s not–Well, he was killed by something, we don’t know what exactly. I don’t think he’s–yeah…Sorry.” Ever so eloquently put.

Tucker raised a brow, “Are you trying to tell me he’s dead?”

Duke resisted the urge to point out that this Tucker guy did actually shoot him into the wall with a bazooka. He was dead before anyway, but still.

“Obviously,” Jason grumbled, crossing his arms. “Some occult thing.”

“Right.” Tucker’s face twisted into a slight frown, and he nudged the body again. “Danny, stop foxing and get up.”

There was a groan and Duke took an involuntary step back.  

Tucker prodded Danny again. “C’mon, up and at ‘em.”

“5 more minutes.” Danny rolled over onto his side. “M’kay?”

Dick’s mouth was wide open at the scene. “Are you serious right now?”

Danny popped his head up, hair and face covered in dust, his eyes narrowed. “You’d think coming at them with a scythe would scare them off, right Tuck?”

“I told you it wasn’t going to work.” A feminine voice came from the doorway, and a woman stepped into the room. “But please, feel free to be disappointed.” She was dressed in back cargo pants, and a cropped purple tee, dark hair neatly braided down her back. She leaned against the door, “You missed our anniversary.” She said pointedly towards Danny.

Danny dropped his head back to the floor. “Can we go back to when I was just a lifeless corpse?”

Tucker gwuaffed. “You’re already a lifeless corpse, there’s nothing to go back to, stupid."

[ao3cassandraic]

Some things we learn, or have confirmed, in Murderbot ep 3 (SPOILERS, NATCH):

Murderbot can placidly ignore indirect orders, no matter how politely expressed. It can, however, choose to obey them... it does lower its helmet after Mensah leaves. (Petty little unit, isn't it? "I'll do it because I want to but not because you tell me to!") It's even learned to ignore "direct orders" from Ratthi, where they touch on human interactions. ("Get in here!" "Not a chance.")

Mensah knows this, but is bullheaded enough to keep trying. Go Mensah go! Treat that SecUnit like the person it is! Open up the team to include it!

Confirmed: Preservation Alliance isn't wealthy and needs resources. We kinda got hammered over the head with that in this ep.

Confirmed: BHARADWAJ IS NOT OKAY. Oh, honey. Somebody give you all the hugs please! (Mensah -- I assume it was Mensah -- leaving her behind, and not alone, was a good move.)

Gurathin continues with the full-on awkward. Bharadwaj doesn't want a therapy module; she wants a listening ear, Gura!

Mensah wants one too, but... Murderbot cannot be a dumping ground for her anxieties. It is right to walk away from her, though the nonverbal abruptness isn't exactly the best way to set a boundary (it's okay, Murderbot, we know you're trying, and Mensah dumping on you really was both unfair and othering -- she won't do this to any other team member, so why you?).

Pin-Lee is a pattern-seeker. It was smart of them to try to figure out whether there's a pattern in the comms satellite outages. We'll see this come back around, I'm betting.

Ratthi may be dealing with a substance-use disorder? Ouch. He's hard on himself about it, too. He has had a bit of a class-clown vibe so far, alongside a need to Fix Relationships...

... which, given the friction between Arada and Pin-Lee, is becoming difficult. I confidently forecast the said difficulty increasing.

Confirmed: tv!Murderbot has zero interest in being human. "Oh, hold on, I definitely am [more of a machine than Gurathin]." Origins ain't everything, MB, but you do you.

Gurathin's backstory is not looking like sunshine and roses. As someone who tiptoed around and hid a lot as a kid to escape my parents' or classmates' notice, I'm smelling "history of abuse and/or bullying" coming off him. Third possibility: child soldier of some kind -- that sure would explain the therapy modules. Whatever it is, though, I think Bharadwaj knows about it.

Gurathin does want to be human(e). From how he was looking at the pic of Mensah's kids, Mensah's heart is a lot of what draws him to her.

I'm enjoying the leakage between in-show shows and, um, actual show. The ending here? Classic soap-style cliffhanger (just like the first chapter of book!ASR, actually). Hell yeah let's cross narrative structures!

And we all know I have a thing about surveillance, so... we learn something about PresAlliance norms in this ep. Nobody caviled at Gurathin looking at Arada's feed after the millipede munch... but the PresAuxers and especially lawyer Pin-Lee think that SecUnit monitoring their logs (especially without notice) is Super Not Okay.

(PIN-LEE, WHY DID YOU NOT READ THE CONTRACT AND NOTICE THIS IN IT. I'M SURE IT WAS THERE. Yeah, yeah, fine, it's a hit at shitty privacy policies and ToSes, I get that, but sheesh, YOU ARE THEIR LAWYER. THIS IS ON YOU.)

Can I just say I'm in love with Noma Dumezweni's voice? The warmth, the resonance, the depth. Gorgeous.

[r0-boat]

Hello! Loved your NSFW alphabet for Wise so much. It's soooooo cool! Maybe you would do NSFW alphabet for Billy? Or maybe Hugo? Love these two so much, they're best <3

Thank you anyway, you are so-so-so wonderful!

Okokokok aaaa I really want to do Hugo however... I have a certain friend who's a massive Billy Stan Soooo This is for them

(I love you @jazzingout)

Edit 6/7(4:59mst) fixed it fully done enjoy please.

Billy Kidd NSFW Alphabet

Cw: mentions of gun play, robot sex(duhh), Marathon sex.

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

The best at it! He will treat you like royalty. Anything you want It is yours! Water? Already filling up a cup! Bath? already drawn to your favorite temperature! Would you like a massage as well to go with that glass of water?

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Hehe chest soft and squishy. Your nipples are fun to play with.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

He doesn't, which for some reason feels self-conscious about it. It's probably because he wants to simulate what it's like to have sex with someone who isn't a robot. Not in a self-loathing way more in a innocent I want to know what it feels like kind of way.

But fret not! There are solutions! It might be extremely costly but he can get some certain modules upgrades. If you want to it could even be a fun little online shopping trip.

"Ooh Babe! What about this one It's not too big yeah? And plus the fake cum tastes like strawberries~"

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Ehhhh... Not really. Billy is pretty much an open book if he had a dirty secret It probably wouldn't be a secret for too long.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Very surprising but yes in fact he does have experience. It has been a while sure but he does have that experience. Billy had a whole ass life in the outer ring before the Cunning Hares.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

He loves cowgirl. But not for the reasons you think. He likes to show off his strength and bouncy on his cock. Also yes he does like to see them jiggle.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

"hehe I like the way your boobies jiggle!"

"... Billy please it's been 10 minutes."

"Oh, Sorry I got distracted."

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Nope! Smooth as steel!

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Billy is bad with romance It's not that he can't be romantic no no not at all. It's just something he struggles with but the thing about Billy is that he learns very quickly. And he'll probably get all this information from sitcoms, and from romance TV shows.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Ah...nah It's just not the same. Plus, there's something about how human skin feels against his body and his silicone. That makes it far better than anything else

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Marathon sex, it's more of a dirty fantasy when you're a machine and can go for hours, even days. As much as the thought of fucking you till you can't walk anymore gets him going (and oh my god it does) sadly if you are you are only human And you have a life That probably won't appreciate that you literally couldn't walk anymore.

Praise kink, He is a little puppy. There is nothing that will get him going more than you telling him that he feels really good.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Billy will do it anywhere with enough persuasion, and a very good plan. Except for hollows if you're Just as a civilian and not a Hollow Raider.

Sure he'll express a little bit of uncertainty but afterward he'll express the adrenaline high was very addicting!

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Billy is a simple man.

Sexy clothes✅

Subtle touches ✅

You being cute ✅

Your body ✅

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Biting... It's not because he wouldn't like it (He would) He just doesn't want you to hurt your teeth. Same goes with doing any sort of impact play with him.

Gun play is an absolute 100% No! Try as you might be as cute as you want You will not convince him. These weapons are incredibly dangerous and you could get hurt or even... Fucking kill you. Absolutely not. This is the most stern Billy will ever be with you.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Receiving. And he wishes he could give. He wants to see what you taste like so badly, but that doesn't mean you stop grinding on his face, please, it's really hot.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

"This new Billy kid model comes with five new paces Would you like slow and deep fast and rough or maybe both??"

"Billy please stop talking like you're a product to be sold. "

"Yes ma'am/sir.... "

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Yes, fuck yes although he himself would never get the courage to initiate if you do that man his RoboCock would never be harder.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

He's down for any risk The only risk he would not take is that if you get harmed in the process like I said before no fucking in hollows. As much as he loves in public places if there's like a 99% chance you will get arrested he probably won't do it.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Yes

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Oh my god, yes. Sometimes it feels like he likes playing with you with toys, then actually doing it with you, even though he says otherwise. As soon as he gets either a simple dildo, a full-on fuck machine, or a vibrator he is very eager to test it on you the night of he lovingly calls you his little test subject.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Billy is a huge tease huge huge huge tease especially with toys even if you're begging for it He just looks so cute you look squirming and driving and begging This motherfucker will be giggling and kicking his feet while you're suffering.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

This is a personal headcanon of mine but Billy actually doesn't make any noise. Yes I know he looks like the type that would moan and whimper. But it's the fact that he is a robot. A lot of the brats and seeming out of breath is honestly just him acting. But that's a personal secret that he probably wouldn't tell you.

If you don't like my personal head canon then he moans and whimpers. Breathy, needy and whimpering.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Openly talked about his sex life with Nicole. It started off purely as accident where she overheard Billy. And she was not only very surprised but also sort of impressed and now He just comes to her for advice. (Nicole doesn't know how to have sex, probably gets all her knowledge from FanFiction)

Anbi has definitely also heard and for some reason she knows more about sex than Nicole. Why Nicole specifically? Because she's the nosy type.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Anything you want baby - Billy kidd

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

His sex drive is below average. It's not that he doesn't like it and doesn't want to do it; Believe me he does. It's just he never thinks about it as much It honestly always slips his mind. And as well as he's just pretty busy in general.

He thinks it's a very hot of your sex drive is pretty high He likes how insatiable you are.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Billy gets tired but not exhausted. And he doesn't take long to recuperate.

In fact he probably go for several sessions. However if you manage to tire him out then I'm scared for him. Actually it's less tired than more easily distracted.

[peachidin]

I'm on the run (with you)

You work at a droid shop, happily, for as long as you can remember. Until one day your mentor Peli needs your help fixing up some ship. No droids. No Droids? Who would request such a thing. 

din djarin x f!reader

Rated E - 1.4k

Divider by @/saradika

Tags: canon divergence at MAX capacity, Mechanic!Reader, Does he hate me? I think he hates me?, honestly no real tags until later in the series!

Peli screaming was an everyday occurrence. The loud shriek cut its way through the drill in your hand and pierced your ears, but you shook it off, focusing your attention back onto the broken fixture at hand. The scream came again. With a huff you slid the goggles off of your face, tossing them aside as you stood, an ache in your lower back causing you to wince. Peli’s garage was moderate in size but overrun with junk from years prior. Even the small droids had a hard time navigating the mess. Carefully, you slid past old parts and machines until you entered the clearing, a large ship docked in the center. Your eyes scanned the area, finally landing on your mentor, her curly hair bouncing as she held something aloft in her hands. 

“Peli…” You sigh out, approaching the woman while your hand reaches out to rest on her shoulder. 

There's a giggle.

Not Peli’s.

You blink as you glance around your mentor's shoulder, your wide eyes meeting identical curious ones. 

“Look how cute this kid is!” Peli coos happily, bouncing the child within her arms as it stares between the two of you. You shake your head, glancing at Peli. 

“And you got this child from..?” You ask, your question drawn out as Peli waves you off with a flippant hand. 

“He needs the ship fixed and doesn't want droids to do it.” Is all she says before disappearing into the garage. No droids? You scoff at the request, moving towards the hunkering piece of machine now parked in the center of the clearing. It was worse for wear, to say the least. Your hand skims the rough exterior, roaming over the blast marks from maker knows where. Making your way around the ship you are able to run a pretty basic diagnostic, establishing what exact tools you would need for, well, any of the repairs this ship needed. It wasn't often you got to work on such a piece of equipment, and the curiosity within you bubbled at what you would be able to learn. You quickly move back to where you left your tools prior, scooping them up and jogging back out to the ship your eyes now focused on the lowered bridge from the ship. You pause, moving slowly towards the ramp, hearing low groans and scrapes from within.

“Hello?”

You place one foot on the bridge, listening intently. As you take another step forward, fast and heavy footsteps approach you, your eyes scanning up too late as a figure now stands in your way. The beskar armor shines brightly under the sun, almost causing you to shield your eyes away from it. Your gaze travels up further, settling on the face of a Mandalorian. 

“Off.” A gruff, modulated voice breaks your focus. You blink rapidly, a look of disbelief spreading across your face. 

“I’m the mechanic. So no, I’ll be fixing this piece of junk for you since you'd prefer a human over the very capable droids we have here.” You snap back, arms crossing over your chest as you wait for some harsh retort back. Instead, you are met with the icy chill of silence. Your eyes widen, the air growing stagnant between you both. You mentally curse at your short fuse, to snap at a bounty hunter for makers sake. The Mandalorians head tilts as if he was examining you. You mentally brace yourself for the consequences of your mouth, imagining just what a trained bounty hunter could do to a simple mechanic like yourself. Instead, the bounty hunter sighs, shaking his head, and brushes past you without so much as a second glance. Air returns to your lungs, and you only now notice just how much space he was taking up in front of you. You turn your head, watching the Mandalorian enter the garage, Peli’s distinct voice reaching your ears from inside. 

They know each other. 

You aren't sure what to make of this. You’ve been Peli’s assistant since you were a child, and yet, you’ve never met this estranged masked man. As much as you’d like to linger on that fact, the ship in front of you seemed to groan, pulling your attention back to your task at hand. You pat the ship gently, smiling at it with care. “I’ll get you up and running in no time.” Your hands move on autopilot, following the long list of maintenance needed just to get this thing stabilized. You work from sun down well through the night, celebrating each little victory you overcome. Once the outer repairs seemed decent, you moved deeper inside, not noticing the lingering stare of a certain masked stranger. 

It takes you 3 days to fully repair the Razor Crest. 

It was an accomplishment, to say the least, even Peli was surprised. 

“Nice work kid, you can't get much better than that!” Peli praises, giving you a pat on the back. You smile softly, looking at the ship with pride. It was a pain to repair, to say the least. Half of the requests were nearly impossible to get correct for a ship this banged up, but you tried your best. You glance around, noting the distinct lack of a certain person. 

“The bounty hunter?” You turn to ask Peli but frown as she already was back inside, no doubt cuddling that child for the last time. 

“Here.”

You jump, whirling around to find the Mandalorian impossibly close to you. “Maker, you scared me! How do you do that?” You hiss out, clutching your pounding heart. Mando simply stares down at you, making no effort to explain further. Your eyebrows furrow, waiting for him to, well, say anything. 

“Repairs should last you awhile, just, please don't bring this ship back here in that state again.” You request, your wrists sore even just thinking about all the work you would need to do again. There's no helmet tilt, no shifting of his body, no sign he even heard anything of what you said. 

This was getting ridiculous. 

“Alright, well, good luck out there I guess.” You say awkwardly, backing away from the conversation as quickly as you could. Your turn, hair whipping behind you, until you heard the faintest mumble from the bounty hunter. You turn your head, looking back.

“What was that?”

It was as if you shot him in the leg. The Mandalorian groans, a deep and gruff noise as he begins to stride towards you once more, his chest plate almost brushing against the front of your coveralls. Your breath hitches but your feet remain planted, your back arching up to just look into his visor. 

“Thanks.” It was as if the words were acid from the way he gritted them out. It almost made you laugh. 

“That's the best you got? I worked on this thing for three days with no sleep!” You huff back, staring indignantly into that dark visor. The air becomes electric once more, and you notice his hands flexing at his side. Then, there's a sigh, the Mandalorians legs shifting as if he loosened his rigid posture for the first time in years.

“Thank you. I’m sure it was hard.” The modulation disguised his voice well enough, but you could hear the notes of exhaustion within them. Your eyes widen in surprise, your reply caught in your throat. You clear your throat, looking down to the ground before responding. 

“You're welcome.” You aren’t sure why your voice softens, why it seems to float in the minimal space between you two. A loud crash and laugh from inside the garage is enough to break the spell, the Mandalorian retreating as fast as he can, walking towards Peli as she exits the garage. 

“Gave him a little lunch, so he should be all ready to go.” She smiles, passing the small being into the arms of the Mandalorian. The child babbles happily, settling into the crook of his arm. Mando turns without another word, striding onto the ship. Peli waves goodbye to the child excitedly, and you follow in suit, raising your hand in a quick wave. It was as if you could feel that stare from within his visor, your skin prickling as the ship's ramp began to shut and eventually, locking in place with a hiss. The Razor Crest hums to life, its engines firing up and lifting the ship off the ground. The bounty hunter easily maneuvers out of the depot and shoots into the sky, dissipating after only a few moments. Peli says something you can't quite hear and claps your shoulder before she heads inside, leaving you alone with your thoughts as your eyes stay glued to the sky wondering when exactly your paths would cross again. 

[imaginesbymk]

MARSTON. ━︎━︎ ZSAKUVA STRICT PROFESSOR !

chapter thirteen - ❝milk, sugar + luca.❞

← previous chapter: chapter twelve - "the british museum." next chapter: chapter fourteen - "feast." →

fanfic info / read it on wattpad

SYNOPSIS / Andrew is adjusting his time as a full-time professor (and a part-time boyfriend) and is given an assistant for the extra load after Jeremy's departure. 

BONUS / Sakuverse character cameo (bunny boy)

──────── ✧ ────────

A N D R E W

I STOOD STILL, my mind processing the words I never thought would leave Jeremy's mouth, for all the hard work he put in to maintain his spot here at the university. I must be sleeping through my alarm right now.

"Leaving? What do you mean leaving?"

Jeremy's response did little to diffuse my confusion. "Not the university entirely," he clarified. "I'm just transferring to another campus nearby. It's a leap, no doubt, but my expertise aligns with the opportunity to head there. Andrew, you're spilling Splenda on your shoes."

I looked down and saw the contents on the tiles.

"Do you really have to go?" I hear Angela ask. 

"It's an easier commute for not just myself, but my wife is on maternity leave and the job actually pays more. I would arrive home at least half an hour sooner than an hour and a half." Jeremy smiles proudly, pulling his phone out from his pants pocket. "Have I shown you all the ultrasound photos yet?"

His words hung in the air, leaving the literature professors in awe. This sudden revelation felt like a jolt to my system, disrupting the familiar rhythm of our shared academic pursuits. I couldn't help but wonder if this would happen to me one day - transferring or even resigning. Retiring, if I ever make it to the era where I grow old and wrinkly and can be qualified for senior discounts? Or earlier in my life where I live long enough to make it to see the Great Pyramids in person?

Jean-Marc's voice interjected. "C'est de la folie, Jeremy! Have you lost your mind?"

"I'm just around the corner," he reassures. "Who knows, I may come back to add a BBC news article for the students to cite."

Brushing the sweetener off my shoes, I couldn't help but express my concern. "You're leaving Chris to handle everything on his own," I pointed out, looking over at Chris who was snacking on a bowl of fruit.

Jeremy nodded, his tone confident. "Now that you've mentioned him, Chris will be taking on the workload in the literature department. I've already begun preparing him, and setting up assignments and modules for him to oversee. He'll have a head start, and you, along with your new assistant, passed down from myself, will manage the rest of the year."

I stopped sliding away the sweetener. "My what?"

Angela unlocks the passcode of her phone. "Look, my husband did the same thing in editing before we met. He never ended up liking it so it was a waste of his time and meanwhile, his colleagues were just drowning in extra workload. I hope you reconsider this. One man down could change up the whole game."

"Speaking of one man down, Professor Fadden is at life-or-death with his job. Is it true that he's self-medicating?" Jean-Marc sat down at one of the tables, peeling a Granny Smith apple.

"Allegedly, maybe it's just that he's simply a weirdo since the jump. But people have been speculating about it for months." 

I've been quiet for a minute now. No comment. It's unfortunate, but not right to gossip about allegations. I've learned firsthand how damaging rumours can be, and how they can tarnish a person's reputation and shatter their sense of self. I've been through that storm once before, and I'll give anything to avoid it a second time.

Once I track down James Zylos and hold him fully accountable for the review, I can say that my life is calm. I have my teaching job. I have Y/N. I have an outstanding tea collection. I have a roof over my head. I've worked hard to rebuild my image, or at least cover the past of it. I refuse to let anyone or anything make me vulnerable in that way again. The shadows of the past haunt me, reminding me of the pain and the isolation it brought.

The pressure of all that can suffocate like a true crime. It's a lonely journey, one I wouldn't wish upon anyone. Perhaps it was true, given I've seen his behaviour and his physical state through his eyes, paranoid and fidgeting, but as annoying as he can get, why would I care about Professor Fadden and what he's up to?

A more important question is why the Literature department would care about a Math professor. Who told them about him self-medicating, regardless if it was true or not? Maybe someone confused an ibuprofen bottle. 

I grabbed the sweeper and dustpan and finished cleaning the Splenda off the floor, and they were still talking about it, like we were huddled in a high school hallway, exchanging each other gossip like teenagers. I felt uneasy at the thought of them reading those reviews about me, the thought of anything happening to me and them talking about it like what they were doing right now.

If all a friend can do is constantly gossip to you about another friend and nothing else meaningful, chances are they may do the same thing about you. 

And just like straight out of a movie, the next professor to walk into the lounge room was no other than himself. I remember Jean-Marc warned Angela to not let him in the lounge anymore, and the last time he was here, he was frantically stuffing anything he could grab in his pockets like he was raiding us blind. He never compensated our lounge kitchen with new packs of milk and sugar.

I sat there, my heart pounding in my chest for this man I found obnoxious, someone who does not understand time and place in social cues, as Professor Fadden entered the lounge room. The atmosphere instantly became tense, the silence hanging heavy in the air. It was as if the room itself held its breath. Did he hear them? Could he know that they were just talking about him through the door?

"We got a full house, eh?" Professor Fadden's voice cut through the awkward silence, his eyes scanning the room, catching the gaze of each person present. His words were casual, but there was a hint of apprehension in his tone.

I watched as the Math professor made his way toward the kettle, attempting to engage in some small talk. "I did quite the cardio just to get hot water. Even the kettle back at the applied sciences department is broken."

"Doesn't make it okay to just use ours," His tone seemed valid, but Jeremy's words were laced with rudeness. The response was nothing short of polite. I would have expected Angela to say something as such, but Jeremy, who was like a mentor to all of us here, fostering us with balance and leadership in the department, is now ready to depart from our group, not without a passive-aggressive comment to leave behind on some poor guy. I was disappointed.

I grimaced at their behaviour. Professor Fadden, however, appeared unfazed by their remarks. He simply shrugged off their rudeness and offered a polite smile as he prepared to leave. "A bientôt!" he said to Jean-Marc. He shuts the door on the way out.

──────── ✧ ────────

A DAY PASSES. In the early hours of this Tuesday morning, I can feel the university grow stronger and I can tell because more of the students have lined up for coffee. I noticed the flight services students in their uniforms rendered the lunch line from 14:00. The female students paced a bit in their spots but all they seemed to grow concerned about was not the pain of blisters developing on the back of their heels but of the sushi bento boxes running out so fast at the hub. People kept grabbing them because it was a couple of pounds less on Tuesdays. 

But today on this Tuesday I packed my lunch from home. Perhaps I didn't need the kettle and the organizer that kept the milk, cream or sugar packs that Professor Fadden took with him. My thermos kept my Earl Grey warm and I prepped a balanced meal. 

After finishing my meal I resumed my work and used my office hours to aid some of my students, including this one who had a complaint. 

"I know I'm two lessons behind but I have no reason to come here if this could have easily been an email," they sigh, waiting to be dismissed.

"Three," I correct them. "Three lectures behind."

"You give a lot of tentative instructions in long emails and I read them just fine."

"What? As if we've been conducting a whole thread of emails this past week? I understand, Penelope. I do. But I much rather we have this face-to-face. For a more professional atmosphere of the office would be a good change of pace for you, and for me."

"For the last time, I did not use my past assignments for this one."

"Then why am I able to cross-reference this paragraph word-for-word, then?" 

She kept protesting. I kept scolding and reasoning. No one was winning here.

After back and forth and it leading to nowhere, I had no choice but to give her the same lecture I did with Colin Jaden, or C.J... you are responsible for your tuition money. Regardless of student aid or the money coming out of yours or your parents' pockets, you do the work. No substances. No outside sources. No past assignments. 

She sighs and walks out the door right when office hours were done. She slams it and I nearly jump. Careless, disrespectful students I have this semester... and that worries me. 

If I really was some wicked thing that people claim I was on RateMyProfessors, I would have dropped their grade by 10% for just slamming my door like that. No one slams my door.

I hear another knock minutes after. "Come in."

A different student walks in with his bookbag. And he looked dressed. 

"Sorry. Office hours have concluded."

He spoke apologetically. "O-oh! I'm not a student. I actually graduated. I'm here for the new job? I'm the assistant Jeremy and Chris referred."

Right, the assistant. "Apologies. I'm Professor Andrew Marston."

"I know! I heard great things about you," Luca smiles shyly. "My name is Luca Pearce."

We shook hands. His grip is light and a bit sweaty. "Nice to meet you, Luca. I'm assuming you went through the interview process already? Any sort of job shadowing?"

Luca nods. "Yes." As soon as he realized I'm waiting to hear his credentials, he quickly continues. "I graduated from University majoring in psychology. Afterwards, as you probably know, I became TA for Jeremy before his departure."

"That's excellent." It never really occurred to me that I have never seen Luca before until now. Jeremy only spoke of his assistant a couple times without even mentioning his name. Maybe he has and I never had it to remember.

"Thank you," he smiles. 

"So just making sure, you are good with computers?"

"Yes, Professor."

"I'm talking MS Word, MS PowerPoint, Excel... then there's the University's learning management system Moodle, Outlook for the emails, do you have a keycard or a set of keys to the Literature department-"

"Yes. Again, I did graduate with a degree in psychology and been Jeremy's TA. Yes to all of it," Luca chuckles nervously. I could tell I may be coming off as too stern, as what so many people say of me. He hasn't even sat down yet. "Don't worry, Professor Marston. I'll be your shadow."

"Perfect. So, for now, I'm gonna need some help with some poetry analysis, I'd like you to cross-reference the citations using the plagiarism prevention tool..."

"Turnitin, yes. Good ol' Turnitin," Luca said brightly.

"Yes and I need help with my schedules. Especially handling the Excel tables containing my students and the scheduled timestamps for their tutorials." I motion him to come over so I can hand him the cut of my workload. "You got winter boots to break into, Luca. We're gearing up towards this new semester and I'm counting on it. Not to scare you, of course."

"I understand both parties. It's stressful for students to juggle assignments but I never imagined how stressed professors must be as well until I learned it firsthand from Jeremy."

"As long as you can work under pressure. But it's good to step back and breathe. Stress and fear of failing is common and part of the human condition. I'm glad I've found ways to work around it."

"You know what they say?" Luca chuckles. "You're married to your work?"

I could only think of the book I was reading the other night, the two-hundredth page bookmarked in The Melancholy of Resistance. "Perhaps."

"Great. W-where should I..."

"Oh, you can take a seat right there. Oh, watch your step—"

Luca Pearce knocks over the trash bin.

"Sorry. That's my fault. That's a really random place to put a trash bin..."

"No no! It was my fault, really! I—I'll pick it up—" He scrambled to gather the scattered paper, nearly knocking over a chair in the process.

I stared and watched, quite amused.

He got back up and gives me an awkward thumbs-up. I returned my focus to my desk when things seemed to calm a bit, but the moment I glanced up again, Luca drops his pen.

"Jesus—" He sighed, crouching to pick it up, his bottom pushing against the items set on his new desk.

"Careful, your laptop!"

Luca cries as he catches his laptop from falling over the edge. He pants. We both exhaled the breaths we held together.

"This sounds extremely rude, but are you in accommodated with imbalance dysfunction, some kind of neurological decline, or is this just... how you are?" I ask.

"Ahah, no, no inner ear issues. Just, um... breaking in the workspace," Luca laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

At this rate, this young man might break the workspace. Nerves. I get it. I mentally noted this young man's impression thus far as he scrambled to pick up the dropped stationary supplies... adjusting his office chair. Skittish, nervous, clumsy. If he were to work with me from now on, this is what I would have to adjust to.

He finally settled into the chair, exhaling as if he had just had a mental breakdown and came back from sobbing and cursing at his own reflection in the mirror. "Okay! Ready to work."

I walked over and handed him a stack of papers, setting my thermos down for just a second, possibly modelling how poised and careful I handle the important stuff: my students' work. Luca reached for them a little too eagerly, nearly knocking over my thermos of Earl Grey in the process. I snatched it just in time.

Luca froze, looking at me like a child who had nearly set the kitchen on fire. "I—"

I wonder how Jeremy thought of his former assistant. "No disasters on day one, Luca. You got this," I reassure him.

"Right. Of course. No disasters. Noted."

He took the papers more cautiously this time, gripping them as if they were made of glass. I sat back, shaking my head slightly. This was going to be a long semester.

"You'll be fine. It's not like I'm making you jump through hoops to be my assistant."

Luca let out a nervous laugh, placing clicking his pen. "That's okay. I would have knock those over, too."

He opens his laptop and he types in his password, and it led straight to an open tab of some game he was playing, volume at max. He jumps and punched the volume down key, the sounds of xylophone and cartoonish music and sound effects fading into the usual white noise of my office.

I almost buried my head in my hands.

"Sorry—"

"Right." I cut him off and gestured to his workspace. "Just—sit."

"I'm sat."

"Settle in, I mean. And try not to break anything. Please."

Luca followed the instruction. "Yes, Professor." He hesitated before adding, "Uh... your tea?"

I grab my thermos and raise it in salute, walking back to my post. "Oh, and we're out of milk and sugar." 

──────── ✧ ────────

[rockalillygirl]

Mamma mia here we go again…

So I have more thoughts because apparently there’s no bottom to the murderbot mindhole I’ve fallen down.

(Spoiler warning- minor stuff from several of the books, pls check tags etc.)

I’ve been reading a lot of things recently exploring Murderbot as an unreliable narrator, which I think is a cool result of System Collapse (because we all know our beloved MB is going through it in this one). There’s also been some interesting related discussion of MB’s distrust of and sometimes biased assessment/treatment of other constructs and bots.

And I’ve been reading a lot about CombatUnits! And I want to talk about them!!

Main thoughts can be summarized as follows:

We don’t see a lot about CombatUnits in the books, and I think what we do see from MB’s pov encourages the reader to view them as less sympathetic than other constructs.

I’m very skeptical of this portrayal for reasons.

The existence of CombatUnits makes me fucking sad and I have a lot of feelings about them!

I got introduced to the idea of MB as an unreliable narrator in a post by onironic It analyzes how in SC, MB seems to distrust Three to a somewhat unreasonable degree, and how it sometimes infantilizes Three or treats it the way human clients have treated it in the past. The post is Amazing and goes into way more detail, so pls go read it (link below):

https://www.tumblr.com/onironic/736245031246135296?source=share

So these ideas were floating around in my brain when I read an article Martha Wells recently published in f(r)iction magazine titled “Bodily Autonomy in the Murderbot Diaries”. I’ll link the article here:

(Rn the only way to access the article is to subscribe to the magazine or buy an e-copy of the specific issue which is $12)

In the article, Wells states that MB displaced its fear of being forced to have sex with humans onto the ComfortUnit in Artificial Condition. I think it’s reasonable to assume that MB also does this with other constructs. With Three, I think it’s more that MB is afraid if what it knows Three is capable of, or (as onironic suggests in their post and I agree with) some jealousy that Three seems more like what humans want/expect a rogue SecUnit to be.

But I want to explore how this can be applied to CombatUnits, specifically.

We don’t learn a lot about them in the books. One appears for a single scene in Exit Strategy, and that’s it. What little else we know comes from MB’s thoughts on them sprinkled throughout the series. To my knowledge, no other character even mentions them (which raises interesting questions about how widely-known their existence is outside of high-level corporate military circles).

When MB does talk about CombatUnits in the early books, it’s as a kind of boogeyman figure (the real “murderbots” that even Murderbot is afraid of). And then when one does show up in ES, it’s fucking terrifying! There’s a collective “oh shit” moment as both MB and the reader realize what it’s up against. Very quickly what we expect to be a normal battle turns into MB running for its life, desperately throwing up hacks as the CombatUnit slices through them just as fast. We and MB know that it wouldn’t have survived the encounter if its humans hadn’t helped it escape. So the CombatUnit really feels like a cut above the other enemies in the series.

And what struck me reading that scene was how the CombatUnit acts like the caricature of an “evil robot” that MB has taught us to question. It seems single-mindedly focused on violence and achieving its objective, and it speaks in what I’d call a “Terminator-esque” manner: telling MB to “Surrender” (like that’s ever worked) and responds to MB’s offer to hack its governor module with “I want to kill you” (ES, pp 99-100).

(Big tangent: Am I the only one who sees parallels between this and how Tlacey forces the ComfortUnit to speak to MB in AC? She makes it suggest they “kill all the humans” because that’s how she thinks constructs talk to each other (AC, pp 132-4). And MB picks up on it immediately. So why is that kind of talk inherently less suspicious coming from a CombatUnit than a ComfortUnit? My headcanon is that I’m not convinced the CombatUnit was speaking for itself. What if a human controller was making it say things they thought would be intimidating? Idk maybe I’ve been reading too many fics where CombatUnits are usually deployed with a human handler. There could be plenty of reasons why the CombatUnit would’ve talked like that. I’m just suspicious.)

(Also, disclaimer: I want to clarify before I go on that I firmly believe that even though MB seems to be afraid of CombatUnits and thinks they’re assholes, it would still advocate for them to have autonomy. I’m not trying to say that either MB or Wells sees CombatUnits as less worthy of personhood or freedom- because I feel the concept that “everything deserves autonomy” is very much at the heart of the series.)

So it’s clear from all of this that MB is scared of CombatUnits and distrusts them for a lot of reasons. I read another breathtaking post by @grammarpedant that gives a ton of examples of this throughout the books and has some great theories on why MB might feel this way. I’ll summarize the ones here that inspired me the most, but pls go read the original post for the full context:

https://www.tumblr.com/grammarpedant/703920247856562177?source=share

OP explains that SecUnits and CombatUnits are pretty much diametrically opposed because of their conflicting functions: Security safeguards humans, while Combat kills them. Of course these functions aren’t rigid- MB has implied that it’s been forced to be violent towards humans before, and I’m sure that extracting/guarding important assets could be a part of a CombatUnit's function. But it makes sense that MB would try to distance itself from being considered a CombatUnit, using its ideas about them to validate the parts of its own function that it likes (protecting people). OP gives what I think is the clearest example of this, which is the moment in Fugitive Telemetry when MB contrasts its plan to sneak aboard a hostile ship and rescue some refugees with what it calls a “CombatUnit” plan, which would presumably involve a lot more murder (FT, p 92).

This reminds me again of what Wells said in the f(r)iction article, that on some level MB is frightened by the idea that it could have been made a ComfortUnit (friction, p 44). I think the idea that it could’ve been a CombatUnit scares it too, and that’s why it keeps distinguishing itself and its function from them. But I think it’s important to point out, that in the above example from FT, even MB admits that the murder-y plan it contrasts with its own would be one made by humans for CombatUnits. So again we see that we just can’t know much about the authentic nature of CombatUnits, or any constructs with intact governor modules, because they don’t have freedom of expression. MB does suggest that CombatUnits may have some more autonomy when it comes to things like hacking and combat which are a part of their normal function. But how free can those choices be when the threat of the governor module still hangs over them?

I think it could be easy to fall into the trap of seeing CombatUnits as somehow more complicit in the systems of violence in the mbd universe. But I think that’s because we often make a false association between violence and empowerment, when even in our world that’s not always the case. But, critically, this can’t be the case for CombatUnits because they’re enslaved in the same way SecUnits and ComfortUnits are (though the intricacies are different).

There was another moment in the f(r)iction article that I found really chilling. Wells states that there’s a correlation between SecUnits that are forced to kill humans and ones that go rogue (friction, p 45). It’s a disturbing thought on its own, but I couldn’t help wondering then how many CombatUnits try to hack their governor modules? And what horrible lengths would humans go to to stop them? I refuse to believe that a CombatUnit’s core programming would make it less effected by the harm its forced to perpetrate. That might be because I’m very anti-deterministic on all fronts, but I just don’t buy it.

I’m not entirely sure why I feel so strongly about this. Of course, I find the situation of all constructs in mbd deeply upsetting. But the more I think about CombatUnits, the more heartbreaking their existence seems to me. There’s a very poignant moment in AC when MB compares ART’s function to its own to explain why there are things it doesn’t like about being a SecUnit (AC, p 33). In that scene, MB is able to identify some parts of its function that it does like, but I have a hard time believing a CombatUnit would be able to do the same. I’m not trying to say that SecUnits have it better (they don’t) (the situation of each type of construct is horrible in it’s own unique way). It’s just that I find the idea of construct made only for violence and killing really fucking depressing. I can’t even begin to imagine the horror of their day-to-day existence.

@grammarpedant made another point in their post that I think raises a TON of important questions not only about CombatUnits, but about how to approach the idea of “function” when it comes to machine intelligence in general. They explain that, in a perfect version of the mbd universe, there wouldn’t be an obvious place for CombatUnits the way there could be for SecUnits and ComfortUnits who wanted to retain their original functions. A better world would inherently be a less violent one, so where does that leave CombatUnits? Would they abandon their function entirely, or would they find a way to change it into something new?

I’ve been having a lot of fun imagining what a free CombatUnit would be like. But in some ways it’s been more difficult than I expected. I’ve heard Wells say in multiple interviews that one of her goals in writing Murderbot was to challenge people to empathize with someone they normally wouldn’t, and I find CombatUnits challenging in exactly that way. Sometimes I wonder if I would’ve felt differently about these books if MB had been a CombatUnit instead of a SecUnit. Would I have felt such an immediate connection to MB if its primary function before hacking its governor module had been killing humans, or if it didn’t have relatable hobbies like watching media? Or if it didn’t have a human face for the explicit purpose of making people like me more comfortable? I’m not sure that I would have.

Reading SC has got me interested in exploring the types of people that humans (or even MB itself) would struggle to accept. So CombatUnits are one of these and possible alien-intelligences are another. All this is merely a small sampling of the thoughts that have been swirling around in my brain-soup! So if anyone is interested in watching me fumble my way through these concepts in more detail, I may be posting “something” in the very near future!

Would really appreciate anyone else’s thoughts about all of THIS^^^^ It’s been my obsession over the holidays and helping me cope with family stress and flying anxiety.

[anim-ttrpgs]

Songs for Eureka Sessions: Foot Chases

Masterpost of Eureka song lists & how to choose good music for any TTRPG session.

Breach and Escape - Entropy Zero 2

The Night Prowler - Gost

Half Machine, Half Pussy - Hardcore Henry

Abraision Resistant - Monrella

Cuba Chase – 007: No Time To Die

Police Chase Music – The Bourne Identity

Highway Chase – The Matrix Reloaded

To the Top – Hotline Miami

Cerberus – Resident Evil 2 Remake

Hide E Seek – Resident Evil 2 Remake

Conflagration – Resident Evil 2 Remake

Conflagration 2 – Resident Evil 2 Remake

Expansion – Resident Evil 2 Remake

Archetype – Castle Crashers

Looming Dread – Resident Evil 2 Remake

Chase 01 – L.A. Noire

Vengeance – The Guest

Chase 06 – L.A. Noire

Chase 08 – L.A. Noire

Kelso’s Escape – L.A. Noire

A Day – The Guest

Elegantly designed and thoroughly playtested, Eureka represents the culmination of three years of near-daily work from our team, as well as a lot of our own money. If you’re just now reading this and learning about Eureka for the first time, you missed the crowdfunding window unfortunately, but you can still check out the public beta on itch.io to learn more about what Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy actually is, as that is where we have all the fancy art assets, the animated trailer, links to video reviews by podcasts and youtubers, etc.!

You can also follow updates on our Kickstarter page where we post regular updates on the status of our progress finishing the game and getting it ready for final release.

Beta Copies through the Patreon

If you want more, you can download regularly updated playable beta versions of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy earlier, plus extra content such as adventure modules by subscribing to our Patreon at the $5 tier or higher. Subscribing to our patreon also grants you access to our patreon discord server where you can talk to us directly and offer valuable feedback on our progress and projects.

The A.N.I.M. TTRPG Book Club

If you would like to meet the A.N.I.M. team and even have a chance to play Eureka with us, you can join the A.N.I.M. TTRPG Book Club discord server. It’s also just a great place to talk and discuss TTRPGs, so there is no schedule obligation, but the main purpose of it is to nominate, vote on, then read, discuss, and play different indie TTRPGs. We put playgroups together based on scheduling compatibility, so it’s all extremely flexible. This is a free discord server, separate from our patreon exclusive one. https://discord.gg/7jdP8FBPes

Other Stuff

We also have a ko-fi and merchandise if you just wanna give us more money for any reason.

We hope to see you there, and that you will help our dreams come true and launch our careers as indie TTRPG developers with a bang by getting us to our base goal and blowing those stretch goals out of the water, and fight back against WotC's monopoly on the entire hobby. Wish us luck.

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 25, 2025

Opponent control of reinforcement by striatal dopamine and serotonin. Cardozo Pinto, D. F., Pomrenze, M. B., Guo, M. Y., Touponse, G. C., Chen, A. P. F., Bentzley, B. S., Eshel, N., & Malenka, R. C. (2025). Nature, 639(8053), 143–152.

Emergence of a Dynamical State of Coherent Bursting with Power-Law Distributed Avalanches from Collective Stochastic Dynamics of Adaptive Neurons. Chan, L.-C., Kok, T.-F., & Ching, E. S. C. (2025). PRX Life, 3(1), 013013.

Fear conditioning modulates the intrinsic excitability of ventral hippocampal CA1 neurons in male rats. Ehlers, V. L., Yousuf, H., Smies, C. W., Natwora, B. R., & Moyer, J. R. (2025). Journal of Neurophysiology, 133(3), 853–867.

Separating cognitive and motor processes in the behaving mouse. Hasnain, M. A., Birnbaum, J. E., Ugarte Nunez, J. L., Hartman, E. K., Chandrasekaran, C., & Economo, M. N. (2025). Nature Neuroscience, 28(3), 640–653.

Neural mechanisms of learned suppression uncovered by probing the hidden attentional priority map. Huang, C., van Moorselaar, D., Foster, J., Donk, M., & Theeuwes, J. (2025). eLife, 13, e98304.3.

Robust encoding of stimulus–response mapping by neurons in visual cortex. Jonikaitis, D., Xia, R., & Moore, T. (2025). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(9), e2408079122.

Long-term memory facilitates spontaneous memory usage through multiple pathways. Kumle, L., Kovoor, J., Watt, R. L., Boettcher, S. E. P., Nobre, A. C., & Draschkow, D. (2025). Current Biology, 35(5), 1171-1179.e5.

Error prediction determines the coordinate system used for the representation of novel dynamics. Leib, R., & Franklin, D. (2025). eLife, 14, e84349.

Statistical learning re-shapes the center-surround inhibition of the visuo-spatial attentional focus. Massironi, A., Lega, C., Ronconi, L., & Bricolo, E. (2025). Scientific Reports, 15, 7656.

Hair Cells in the Cochlea Must Tune Resonant Modes to the Edge of Instability without Destabilizing Collective Modes. Momi, A. S., Abbott, M. C., Rubinfien, J., Machta, B. B., & Graf, I. R. (2025). PRX Life, 3(1), 013001.

Decision cost hypersensitivity underlies Huntington’s disease apathy. Morris, L.-A., Horne, K.-L., Manohar, S., Paermentier, L., Buchanan, C. M., MacAskill, M. R., Myall, D. J., Apps, M., Roxburgh, R., Anderson, T. J., Husain, M., & Le Heron, C. J. (2025). Brain, 148(3), 861–874.

Integration of Euclidean and path distances in hippocampal maps. Ottink, L., de Haas, N., & Doeller, C. F. (2025). Scientific Reports, 15, 7104.

Aversive generalization in human amygdala neurons. Reitich-Stolero, T., Halperin, D., Morris, G., Goldstein, L., Bergman, L., Fahoum, F., Strauss, I., & Paz, R. (2025). Current Biology, 35(5), 1137-1144.e3.

Compartmentalized dendritic plasticity in the mouse retrosplenial cortex links contextual memories formed close in time. Sehgal, M., Filho, D. A., Kastellakis, G., Kim, S., Lee, J., Shen, Y., Huang, S., Lavi, A., Fernandes, G., Davila Mejia, I., Martin, S. S., Pekcan, A., Wu, M. S., Heo, W. Do, Poirazi, P., Trachtenberg, J. T., & Silva, A. J. (2025). Nature Neuroscience, 28(3), 602–615.

Adaptive chunking improves effective working memory capacity in a prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia circuit. Soni, A., & Frank, M. J. (2025). eLife, 13, e97894.3.

Attention to memory content enhances single-unit spike sequence fidelity in the human anterior temporal lobe. Sundby, K. K., Vaz, A. P., Wittig, J. H., Jackson, S. N., Inati, S. K., & Zaghloul, K. A. (2025). Current Biology, 35(5), 1085-1094.e5.

Acetylcholine modulates prefrontal outcome coding during threat learning under uncertainty. Tu, G., Wen, P., Halawa, A., & Takehara-Nishiuchi, K. (2025). eLife, 13, e102986.2.

The effect of fasting on human memory consolidation. Yang, X., Miao, X., Schweiggart, F., Großmann, S., Rauss, K., Hallschmid, M., Born, J., & Lutz, N. D. (2025). Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 218, 108034.

Neural Correlates of Perceptual Plasticity in the Auditory Midbrain and Thalamus. Ying, R., Stolzberg, D. J., & Caras, M. L. (2025). Journal of Neuroscience, 45(10), e0691242024.

Hippocampal neuronal activity is aligned with action plans. Zutshi, I., Apostolelli, A., Yang, W., Zheng, Z. S., Dohi, T., Balzani, E., Williams, A. H., Savin, C., & Buzsáki, G. (2025). Nature, 639(8053), 153–161.

[love-bugsy]

meet cut(e) | jason todd

the worst thing about love

you’re just trying to get through your surgical residency, but this masked vigilante keeps showing up half-dead on your fire escape and reminding you of your dead best friend. oh well, at least he's cute.

one | two | three | series masterlist

tw: allusions to character death, depictions of grief, mentions of blood and injuries, swearing, completely ooc Jason but he’s like my own lil character now and I’m protective, i learned my medical terminology from grey's anatomy don't hate me

only jerks steal other people's writing (just don't repost, mate)

You’re awake when he stumbles into your apartment two weeks later. You stare at him owlishly; knees tucked up against your plush, non-indented couch, glass of Merlot in your hand kept carefully away from the carpet you just scrubbed the bloodstains out of. You set it gingerly on your coffee table, half convinced he’s not real.

“I got… a cut.” It seems strange for this masked vigilante - you may or may not have been doing some tipsy research on the hooded hero - to look so sheepish. All six feet of him stooped in your cramped apartment, one hand clutched to his side, that emotionless mask staring straight through you. You get up from your couch wordlessly, walking down the hallway to rummage through your bathroom. 

First aid kit and isopropyl in hand, you return to his awkward stance in the middle of your living room; his gaze intently focused on your overstuffed bookshelf. His attention snaps to you when your sock-clad footsteps meet the edge of the plush rug separating you. From this angle, you can see the stubborn, brown bloodstain that you tried to hide under the leg of your armchair - little marks… stains or rusting memories… You gesture to your couch, and he sits, taking off his jacket.

Yanking a stool over to sit in front of him, you pull up his shirt, brows furrowing at the slice in his side. He’s undressed the cut you stitched up for him before he should have, and you examine it while you clean his most recent knife wound. Your stitches are far from perfect - the scar bulging in some areas - but for such a high tension wound, it’s healed well.

Your eyes flicker up to his blood red mask for a moment, and it occurs to you - distantly - that you should probably be terrified. I mean, seriously. A part of you screams that this is how people get murdered. Another part of you thinks that this is the most vulnerable he ever gets; his shirt off, gritting his teeth through the pain of 91% isopropyl alcohol. 

Another - buried - part of you thinks this seems familiar.

Your gaze darts back down to his chest, lingering unconsciously on the end of the scar that cuts out from underneath his shirt. Your eyes catch on the ugly bruises decorating the tan expanse of his torso, some angry and purple, others a sickly yellow. He clears his throat awkwardly and your cheeks heat, returning your attention to sterilising his wound. Real classy, birdie, ogling a guy whose face you’ve never seen. He breaks the thick silence first, low voice crackling through his modulator.

“How’s it look, doc? ‘m I gonna survive?” You hide a smile beneath your exasperated look, brows knitted. Still, you can’t fully conceal the amused edge in your dry tone.

“You’re not nearly as charming when you’ve been stabbed.” He cocks his mask; unreadable. For a long moment, you think you might have actually offended him, until he huffs out a staticky laugh.

“Slashed, actually.” You scrunch your nose. Pedantic asshole. 

“Look, I’ve had a long day, which wasn’t exactly made better by having to patch up a freak in a super-suit, so just… save the witty ironicism for someone who didn’t have to clean up baby vomit all day.” You can hear the smile in his voice when he responds, mask’s gaze still fixed on your face.

“Ouch, doc, and here I thought you were happy to see me.” A little pause as you meet his gaze briefly, unable to shake the familiarity… the instinctive fondness that warms your chest. His next words seem more guarded. “So, why’re you helping me then?”  Good question. Your focus never falters from the slow concentric circles you’re rubbing around his wound with an alcohol soaked hand towel. 

“I took an oath.” He laughs again and you quash the little spark of pride that hearing it gives you. You swap the towel in your hand for a roll of bandages and a plaster, applying the latter first before starting to wrap his waist.

“My bad, doc, I thought you were helping me out of the goodness of your heart.”

You scrunch your nose, trying to suppress the smile that tugs insistently at your mouth. Reaching for a clip, you secure his bandages and help him pull his shirt down so it doesn’t catch. You get up from the stool, shuffling it out of the way for your future self to move back in front of your kitchen island. Yawning, you stretch your hands above your head, a little noise of relief leaving your mouth when the tension in your shoulders loosens. You pretend not to notice how his mask tilts, lingering on the sliver of skin exposed as your shirt lifts.

He settles backwards, leaning his shoulders over the arm of your couch so that his legs don’t dangle over the edge. You watch as he yanks your throw blanket haphazardly over his torso and crosses his arms over his chest. You’re sure he must be keeping you in his peripheral as you startle out of eyeing him warily, but he doesn’t acknowledge any of it. Maybe to save you some dignity. Padding back to the hallway, you make it halfway before pausing, words spilling from your mouth unbidden.

“You can have some coffee, you know.”

“What?” The question comes out slurred, a full night’s worth of adrenaline finally dwindling. It brings back a flash of a near empty coffee pot - last dregs dripping slowly into a blue mug held in lethargic hands. You blink.

“In the morning.” He tilts his mask, and you stumble to elaborate, “When you sneak out. You can have some coffee.” Cautious, you study his reaction, but your vigilante doesn’t move an inch - his mask’s white slits boring holes into you like he’s trying to figure you out. Or waiting for a catch. You think he might trust you more if you give him one.

“You have to wash the mug, though. And the coffee’s old.” If you focus hard enough, you can hear something percolating - the coffee in your makeshift warmer or… the tenuous thread of something like dependency. He shifts on the couch and you suppress a wince at the stress it will put on his injuries.

“I like old coffee,” he hums out blurrily, hushed static of his modulator nearly rendering the words unintelligible. You flinch, turning off the living room light instead of responding.

You’re seventeen, he’s sixteen. You give him shit for being two months younger than you. It’s so late at night you’ll start to call it morning soon, and the two of you sit on opposite sides of a diner counter.

You lean over the counter, arms outstretched, dropping your head into your clasped hands. He reaches over you, pouring out another cup of old, lukewarm coffee. He follows it up with an unholy amount of cream and sugar - just how you like it - nudging it over to you with that wry grin of his.

“Tired, birdie?” You are tired, but not as tired as he is. You think maybe Wayne Enterprises should be funding his college tuition, not this superhero shit. Superhero shit that he never talks about, except. He used to tell you everything. You used to tell him everything.

Because he’s smart. He’s really smart. Smart enough to not risk his life every night. You want to tell him that but you know he doesn’t see it that way. In that mask, he’s infallible. Instead, you hum in agreement, dragging the mug closer and taking a sip. You scowl at the bitterness.

He frowns petulantly, looking at you with tired, amused eyes. “You don’t like my coffee?” You set down your cup, wrinkling your nose at the unexpectedly loud ‘clink’ it makes against the counter.

“You’re so dramatic, blue, only you like day-old coffee.” He gives you a dry look, one that says he’s too tired to mock-argue with you. So instead, you turn on the sink behind the counter, rinsing cutlery to load the dishwasher. You both sit in near silence, broken only by his fingers tapping carefully on the counter and your absent-minded hums. 

~

You spend days agonising over a present as his birthday rapidly approaches, though you know he hates the fuss. You settle on a gunmetal grey lighter, shakily hand engraved with a bluejay. Something to replace his shitty BIC one, with its smudged sharpie lettering that barely spells out ‘JT’. 

Secretly, you look forward to the sardonic comment he'll make about how he thought you disapproved of his cancer sticks. The truth is, you don't think you could stop enabling him.

~

A month out from his birthday, he drops by after patrol with your copy of Wuthering Heights. You ask if he liked it and he says he didn’t. Something, something, overly maudlin. He’s lying. He always gets that little specific crease between his eyebrows when he lies to you.

It feels like all you see lately.

Are the nightmares getting worse?

Lie.

Stayin’ out of trouble?

Lie.

Are we always going to be like this? Am I always going to lose you when you put on that suit?

Lie.

Over and over until you snap, poking a finger straight into the crease and smoothing it out. You tell him you want the truth and he tells you he can’t give it to you. You yell at him for ten hour-long minutes, sweeping angry gestures with your arms. One of them knocks over his half-full mug - blue shards shattering in the slow spill of murky coffee. You wish you remembered what he said to you, but all you remember is watching him leave. The last time he ever did.

You wait two weeks for him to come back, recording apologetic voicemails that he dodges with clipped, sullen phone calls. Then, he stops picking up at all.

His death isn’t reported on the news.

Alfred visits you once after he dies, carrying Jason’s old leather jacket like a sleeping animal that might come alive at any second. You don’t talk - not even when he hands it to you - you don’t know what you would say. You don’t know each other, you have nothing in common, except that you loved the same person once.

Your life shrinks - going through the same mechanical motions for months on end, school, work, home. It feels blasphemous to do anything but stare at the jacket - to lift it from where it hangs on the back of your door, to make it yours instead of his - until, one day, you can’t bear to be distant from him anymore. You put it on, shove your hands in the pockets like he always did, digging around. You find an old hairtie of yours in the inside pocket and a stick of apple pie flavoured lip balm you lent him last winter. 

His lighter is in the front pocket, blue as his pale, dark eyes. Carefully, you place it on your desk, next to the one you meant to gift him. 

Two lighters and you don’t even fucking smoke.

oof okay, this one was a bit of a monster (don't know if it bodes well for this series for me to have struggled with this chapter so much lol) but i hope you guys like it. :) i might have to take a little break over the next month because of my final exams, but rest assured, doc and jay will be back again come november. tysm for reading!

with love, bugsy

[m2iconsulting]

Training of Farmer Producer Organisations by M2i Consulting

In recent years, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) have emerged as a crucial model for empowering small and marginal farmers in India. These organizations help farmers gain better access to markets, financial services, and agricultural inputs, ultimately improving their livelihoods. However, for FPOs to function effectively and sustainably, proper training and capacity-building initiatives are essential. M2i Consulting plays a vital role in this regard by offering specialized training programs tailored to the unique needs of FPOs.

Why is Training Important for FPOs?

Enhanced Management Skills: Effective governance and leadership are essential for the success of an FPO. Training programs help in developing managerial skills among FPO members.

Financial Literacy: Many small-scale farmers lack knowledge about financial management, bookkeeping, and accessing credit facilities. Training helps bridge this gap.

Market Linkages: Understanding supply chain dynamics, price negotiation, and quality control can significantly improve the revenue generation of FPOs.

Sustainable Agricultural Practices: Training ensures that farmers adopt eco-friendly and efficient farming techniques, leading to better productivity.

Policy Awareness: Awareness about government schemes, subsidies, and regulatory compliance ensures that FPOs can leverage available benefits.

How M2i Consulting Supports FPOs

M2i Consulting is a leading organization with a strong focus on training and capacity-building programs for FPOs. Their approach includes:

Customized Training Modules

M2i Consulting designs training modules that cater to the specific needs of different FPOs, ensuring relevance and effectiveness.

Hands-on Capacity Building

Training sessions involve interactive workshops, field visits, and case studies to provide practical learning experiences.

Financial and Business Management Training

M2i helps FPOs understand bookkeeping, cash flow management, and financial sustainability, enabling them to manage funds efficiently.

Market Access and Value Chain Development

Through strategic training, FPOs learn how to establish direct market linkages, negotiate better prices, and improve the value chain.

Digital and Technological Integration

M2i promotes the adoption of digital platforms for e-commerce, digital payments, and online marketing to help FPOs scale their operations.

Policy Advocacy and Compliance Guidance

FPOs receive guidance on legal and regulatory requirements, ensuring they meet compliance standards and leverage government support.

Impact of M2i Consulting’s Training Programs

The training provided by M2i Consulting has resulted in several positive outcomes, including:

Increased income and profitability for FPOs

Improved governance and leadership skills

Better access to credit and financial services

Strengthened market linkages

Sustainable farming practices and improved productivity

Conclusion

Training is a key driver for the success of Farmer Producer Organisations, enabling them to become self-sustainable and competitive in the agricultural market. M2i Consulting, with its expertise in capacity building, provides essential training programs that empower FPOs to thrive. By equipping farmers with the necessary skills and knowledge, M2i contributes significantly to the growth and sustainability of the agricultural sector in India.

[ollieoliveoboelo22]

Music of TURN

Round 19

Hangin' in the Wind

3.10: Trial and Execution

Also from what I learned, is that Matt Berninger sang this. The same singer in the Hush theme.

The motif that we hear when Andre dies (and Abe nearly dying) is present through the entirety of the episode. The episode opens with this theme on solo violin as we watch Nathan Hale be executed. We've associated it with death/hanging, and it serves as anticipation to what we know will come as we watch the gallows in Setauket constructed, the trial, the journey to the site, and the final march where it's played on fife with a drum cadence.

What we heard be mostly solo instruments play this motif, it goes into a full string ensemble as Richard saves Abe.

Just for you, I spent time humming at the piano with a tuner and this recording trying to figure out what key this is. C# minor, which usually along with the sadness of a minor key, has a lot of introspection, grief, and self-punishment. (Think moonlight sonata for reference). And then it modulates (changing keys by using similar notes) into E major, which is the relative major to C# minor. This key usually evokes dissatisfaction, a ready-to-fight feeling, but also joy and delight.

If this is confusing... welcome to music theory. This is the least daunting stuff.

Yankee Doodle

4.09: Reckoning

I did not intend for this to line up on Yorktown day, but it makes it all the better.

I don't have much to say on thematics because the moment is based off true events. But I have a gripe that the fingers of the piccolo/fife plays don't even move the same time the note change. Or worse, hold the same note.

This song really does embody the spirit of America, especially in this context. Playing the song your defeated enemy once mocked you with. At a surrender so embarrassing and ruinous that your own general does not attend and you attempt to surrender to the French to make it hurt less. Any way, I love Yankee Doodle and it should be played more often. The spotify recording is of a piece I played in high school, the ending is the best part so give it a listen.

[wandering-panacea-artblog]

Mega Man X AU OC: Solfeggio (DCRN-α1)

Name: Solfeggio

Model: DCRN-α1(Doctor Cain Reploid Number-Alpha 1) Prototype Reploid; Formely NWN-001(New Wily Number-001) Robot Master

Alias: First Reploid, Alpha, Solfeggio, Ra-Thor

Nicknames: Sol, Jo

Birth: 25 June

Age: 18(Mentaly)/100+(Actual Age)

Gender: Male

Hair Colour: Blond with three dirty Gold streaks of hair

Eye Colour: Pale Gold

Height: 1,70 cm

Species: Hybrid(Reploid/Robot Master/Yellow Devil(Ra Devil) made from Alien technology)

Family:

Doctor Nicolas Cain/Doctor Cain(Adoptive Father/Creator)

X (Adoptive Brother/Donor)

Doctor Wily(Father/Creator)

Ra-Moon(Father/Tecnological template)

Ra-Devil(Sibling?)

Forte/Bass(Younger Brother/Succesor)

Zero(Younger Brother/Successor)

Wily's Numbers/Robot Masters(Older and Younger Siblings)

Story Summary:

Mega Man Series:

Originaly a thoughless Robot Master name Ra-Thor, he was created by Doctor Wily by using alien technology found from the ancient Temple of the Moon in the Amazon Rainforest to destroy Mega Man. Ra-Thorand Ra-Moon waken up two weeks after their defeat and destruction of the temple, his body was wrecked and busted and Ra-Moon was only a small brain module/processor, in order to survive he absorbed the remains of Ra Devil to stand up and ate of Ra-Moon's processor and got back to sleep.

Mega Man X Series:

100 years later he woke up a second time a month before the discovery of X by Doctor Cain and he was found two months later by said android and man in the rainforest, they brought him back to civilization and Doctor Cain made a new body and changed his name from Ra-Thor to Solfeggio and became the first know Reploid to ever be created.

Abilities:

His abilities are similar to Venom's after absorbing Ra Devil, he can shoot "webs", wall crawl, and sense danger(spider-sense), he has super strength(lift up to 70 tons), durabilty and stamina, he can regenerate parts of his body and shape swift, unlike Venom he is is mune to fire and sonic attacks.

He also developed a keen sense smell and hearing.

Weaknesses:

He has weakness to Electricity. In Super Adventure Rockman as Ra Thor he is weak to Spark Man's Spark Shock.

Biology:

After absorbing Ra Devil, he has developed the ability to eat organic stubstance(meat, vegetables, fruit etc) and drink. 

For uknown reason he can't drink E Tanks (which are used for Reploids) and they make him feel sick and puke, he can regain his energy by drinking human energy drinks. Humans and other reploids are unaware of this, only Doctor Cain, X and few close people(Sigma is unaware, Zero learns in later period of time).

He can cry black tears and he bleeds black "blood"(goob). This is also is hidden from the others(Also Sigma is Unaware and Zero learns in a later period of time).

Name Etymology:

Solfeggio is Italian for solfege derive from the names of two of the syllables used: sol and fa. 

The generic term "solmization", referring to any system of denoting pitches of a musical scale by syllables, including those used in India and Japan as well as solfège, comes from French solmisation, from the Latin solfège syllables sol and mi. 

The verb "to sol-fa" means to sing the solfège syllables of a passage (as opposed to singing the lyrics, humming, etc).

(I took it from wikipedia)

Trivia:

After Sigma becomes Maverick from Mega Man X2 to Mega Man X4 he becomes the new commander of the Maverick Hunters.

He and Zero don't know they are brothers.

He is a fusion of Ra-Thor and Alpha (the first reploid) from the novel Rockman X the Irregular Report