#hope is an essential mineral

[ramblebramblefun]

Itachi considered the carrot gravely. It was, he judged, about the length and thickness of an adult man's forearm.

He recalled the enormous cabbage that Eri-sempai had been in the process of massacring on the coffee table when Wolf-taichou dumped him in the living room.

Friends got each other... gifts, correct? And he and Eri-sempai were friends now. Wolf-taichou was quite insistent.

Eri-sempai clearly had a preference for over-sized produce, so an unusually large carrot would be a good gift that was not weapons. Eri-sempai had plenty of weapons. Mostly knives.

Hm.

You could eat carrots.

Sustenance was a useful thing for a carrot to be. Therefore an extremely large carrot would be a practical gift as well as well-suited to Eri-sempai's preferences. Itachi liked practical gifts, even if he did not like carrots.

He nodded to himself. Yes, this was perfect.

[slightlyloomingone]

Solarpunk Aesthetic: Brazilian Clay Water Filters

I dithered a lot trying to decide on something to post about for Solarpunk Aesthetic Week, but at the end of the day I'm a Brazilian and I like to talk about Brazilian things... so here are some Brazilian Red Clay Water Filters! These are considered to this day one of the most reliable water purification systems in the world, and used to be very popular in the past all over Brazil before the rise of mineral water coolers in the 90s and early 2000s. The Red Clay keeps the water cool and they use a ceramic candle to filter water.

Nowadays, Red Clay filters live mostly in our memories of Brazil in the 80s or 90s (and in memes like "this represents Brazil more than Samba or caipirinha"), although there has been a bit of revival as design pieces, which is why these pictures are all decorated or integrated with planters. You can still find functional models like this for sale, however. But I believe Red Clay Water Filters belong in a concept of Brazilian Solarpunk for two reasons:

Although I couldn't find sources for the claim, it's widely believed here that this model was created in Brazil, with some speculation that the use of Red Clay and the characteristic shape of the filter originate from the use of red clay in ceramics by different indigenous cultures in Brazil (there is a type of water jug called moringa that evokes the idea of a red clay filter and has been around for centuries)

Brazil has a long history of water insecurity and poor sanitation all over the country, but personally I am more familiar with this issue in Northeast Brazil, where a combination of a challenging environment (especially in the sertão) and historical neglect by the government means the population in the rural areas was constantly facing intense droughts every dry season. In this context, I consider the existence of a reliable system of water filtration an essential aspect of Northeast Brazil's culture of resistance

This got a bit long, but I hope it made for an interesting read for anyone taking part in Solarpunk Aesthetic Week, or who just ended up here by chance. I mostly engage with Solarpunk through original fiction (still unpublished), but because of my introduction to it it's very hard to separate the aesthetic and movement from my own culture. Here's to continuing to imagine a future together!

[silverflqmes]

໒⦂ 𝐀𝐓 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐈’𝐌 𝐓𝐑𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆.

synopsis. you’ve been having a hard week with your studies, so hajime has taken it upon himself to lighten the load a bit, even if his actions are minimal.

genre. comfort + fluff

tw. discussion of bad eating habits, mentions of starvation and codependency.

for @melukonova <3

hajime iwaizumi x gn!reader.

⌗ the last thing hajime likes to see is you blue. it just hurts his soul to see you distressed and under pressure like you have been as of late.

⌗ so when you’re not taking care of yourself, that’s his cue to step in and make sure you’re getting your daily needs fulfilled, that way they aren’t neglected in a way that can get you sick.. which is the last thing you need.

⌗ when he sees your water bottle or sippy cup empty ( i have a starbucks venti sized one bc ppl often say it encourages you to drink when a straw is in sight, so i use that even if i have to refill it a few times ), he’ll take it ( you probably won’t notice anyway ) and fill it back up for you.

⌗ haven’t been eating enough or depriving yourself until you finish that one assignment / problem you’ve been stuck on? this is your reminder to eat or he’s bringing you to the kitchen because he cooked you a gourmet meal with all the minerals you need to keep you going. do not deprive yourself of food! you need your energy.

⌗ can’t finish it? that’s okay. you eat what you can, even if it’s just a couple bites — so long as you eat, he’s happy! he made or brought it just for you with your needs in mind to be able to work as effectively as you can without forcing your body through it. and if you’re worried about wasting food if you didn’t finish, don’t worry, he’ll take them to stray cats and dogs.

⌗ tough time doing chores? that’s okay, he’s there through it all. even if he’s a voice on the phone or text messages, he’s there until you get through all of them.

⌗ words of encouragement? they might not be the usual ones you hear, but he’s got you covered.

⌗ if it gets too much and you really can’t handle the pressure, he’s rushing over to your doorstep, no questions asked.

⌗ when you open the door, he’s got his arms out already to hug you for as long as you need it.

⌗ and when you truly can’t take it anymore, he’s there to turn off the computer, close the textbooks and notes you left open, and takes you to the bathroom into a warm bath he prepared to wash your worries away before bed.

it’s after eight and you’re already brimming with anxiety. the last meal you had was that half-assed sandwich you threw together this morning before rushing out the door for school.

your stomach was growling, but you had to finish this assignment. it had been put off one too many times already — today was the due date, it had to be done if you wanted a good enough grade to satisfy yourself. even if that sadly meant denying yourself of your essential needs.

having had enough distractions for the day, you silenced your phone with do not disturb, in hopes of finishing your work faster.

unfortunately, you hadn’t considered the consequences of that.

headphones in, blaring your usual study playlists, you hadn’t noticed the knock on your door. hadn’t noticed the fresh air spill into your room from the crack in doorway, and hadn’t noticed your boyfriend in the doorframe.

a tupperware of takeout food in one hand and what looked to be a biodegradable dixie cup of tea in the other. yet he was still invisible.

it wasn’t until he placed the food down to squeeze your shoulders, that you finally acknowledged your his existence.

“oh- haji, i didn’t hear you come in..” you sighed in relief, relaxing your eyes as you removed your headphones to hear him properly. “what’re you doing home early? i thought you had work until late..”

the olive eyed male rose a brow before letting out a quiet hum. “they let me off early today so i got you your favorite and some peppermint tea.” he answered with a smile, averting his gaze to the screen before you. “still at it, i’m assuming?”

a small laugh left your lips. “still at it.” you confirmed, rubbing the building sleep out of your eyes. “got a lot due this week so i wanted to finish quickly to have more time for us this weekend.”

“of course,” he almost wanted to say, as it was expected — given it was your usual reasoning, and a decent argument. spare time was always good, however you deserved rest too, and it wasn’t like tomorrow wouldn’t be a possibility to finish the rest. “i get it.” he responded finally before kissing your temple. “although i think you’re due for a nice meal and some shuteye for working as hard as you have.” he finished tenderly, closing your notebook for you.

it made you whine a little when he did, as you were insistent on finishing, but the kisses and squeezes on your shoulders had you giving in.

you supposed a small change of plans wouldn’t hurt too much.

and so he pushed the container in front of you, sliding the tea closer before pulling up a stool you normally piled textbooks on. perhaps he emptied it while you weren’t looking.

with a soft exhale, and perhaps the growl of your stomach, you pried the lid off, basking in the tempered steam and smell. hajime just knew you too well.

your face heated a little at the thought as you leaned in close with your chopsticks, muttering a soft word of thanks before digging in.

iwaizumi, having eaten already, simply kept you company, rubbing your back gently before leaning in to whisper. “you did amazing today, i’m proud of you.” a warm smile. “don’t forget that.”

notes. hi sky, little late but i tried to write this as quick as i could for you since it felt like an emergency request by the time frame and wording</3 anyway i hope this helps and that you feel better mami, be sure to take care of yourself when you study or i’m sending BALD iwa. let this be your warning because it’s important to eat and drink water and have sufficient rest while studying, cuz how else are you gonna remember😐

↳ return to main masterlist . request rules . send an ask

[cipheramnesia]

I hope I am not just a blogger to you, but also an important part of a balanced breakfast, rich in essential vitamins and minerals, and packed with the energy you need to make it through the day.

[writingquestionsanswered]

Do you have tips on writing lullabies? It's for a mom character from my story who often sings lullabies to her kid. I'm not exactly the best at writing song lyrics, so I would appreciate some tips on writing lullabies.

Tips on Writing Lullabies

First, I want to say that most traditional lullabies like Rock-a-Bye Baby, Hush-a-Bye, and Hush Little Baby are in the public domain, meaning that it's okay for you to use them in your story. If your story is set in our world, you may just want to have your character sing a traditional lullaby rather than writing your own. Just double-check that the song isn't anachronistic and that it is, in fact, in the public domain.

If you're writing a story set in an imaginary world, or there's some other reason why you feel an original lullaby would make more sense, it helps to understand a little bit of what lullabies actually are. The earliest known lullaby was recorded on a clay tablet in cuneiform script 4,000 years ago in Babylon, what is now modern-day Iraq. Like many lullabies over the centuries, it is a little dark and comes with a message for the baby: essentially, stop crying or you'll wake up the house demon. Many researchers believe that part of the function of a lullaby is to help the parent vocalize their fears in relation to the baby, whether that fear is related to the baby's mortality, the potential danger of crying (attracting predators or angering others), or even more personal concerns bothering the mother.

So, a good place to start is with your story's setting... where does the parent character live? Where did they grow up? What concerns do they have or might their parents have had (or the parents of that town/village/culture) that would make it into a lullaby?

For example, let's say you're writing a fantasy and the parent character comes from a village at the foot of a mountain range where mining is the primary industry, and heavy rains fall in the winter months which sometimes create dangerous conditions in the mine. From here you can imagine a parent sitting at home, rocking their baby to sleep while they wait for the other parent to return from the mines... but because it's raining, there's now the fear that the other parent won't return because the rains are so dangerous. How might that translate into a song? How might the parent vocalize these fears in some way to the child?

Some other things to keep in mind are the typical sound and structure of a lullaby:

-- 6/8 time signature with no more than 5 notes is common -- slow, melodic tones reminiscent of a heartbeat -- rhythm that works with rocking or gentle swinging -- few words, repeated over and over

You might even look at existing lullabies and use them as a template. Let's say I want to create my miner-related lullaby using Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as a guide:

Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. When the blazing sun is gone, When he nothing shines upon, Then you show your little light, Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

So, maybe it could be something like...

Rain, rain, the winter rain Mother's in the mines. May she find her way to you her darling Valentine. Rain, rain, the winter rain Father's turn will come. May the sun be shining soon, for now the day is done. It's simple and it tells a little story... these parents take turns working in the mines, and it's dangerous work. The parent left behind is always hoping the other parent will make it home to them, and that the rain will stop so it's not so dangerous.

Another example worth noting is the lullaby from The Hunger Games, Deep in the Meadow. (You can read the lyrics here.) This lullaby is lighthearted on the surface... it paints a beautiful picture of a meadow where the child will be safe and loved. But the darker undertone is that the meadow is the safe place while the rest of the world the child lives in is not safe, and that obviously hearkens to the specific world that Katniss and her family grew up in.

And while we're on the subject, although it's not a lullaby, the ballad The Hanging Tree, also from The Hunger Games, has a similar origin in terms of matching theme to setting. (You can read about it here, CW for dark themes.)

I hope that will help you figure out a lullaby for your story!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[funny-friends]

pairing up fictional women who dont make sense together is like essential vitamins and minerals to me. if i dont do this i die. hope you understand

[riddlerosehearts]

can i be honest and just say that the snow white remake deciding to get rid of the romance is SO incredibly annoying to me because like... snow white's prince is what people like to claim the princesses are. he doesn't have a canon name, he doesn't show up anywhere except at the beginning and end of the story, literally all he does is sing to snow white and kiss her, he essentially has no personality and his one and only purpose is to be a love interest. rachel zegler claims that the original snow white has no function beyond "someday my prince will come", but really, she's an abuse victim who chooses to be kind, to have hope and to dream of love, and to take control of her own life by doing housework for the dwarves in exchange for being allowed to stay with them. the prince is the one who has no function beyond "one song", other than to rescue snow white and make her happy!!

but the thing is, he wasn't planned to be such a nothing character!! walt wanted to do more with him, if only they hadn't had so much trouble animating him at the time. and i was hoping so badly that the remake would flesh him out and give snow white a truly beautiful romance with her prince, like she deserves, because there is nothing wrong with an abused teenage girl, or any girl for that matter, wanting to find true love! but disney has decided that actually there is, i guess?! i was hoping maybe they could be childhood friends who met before snow white's parents died, because in the original movie it seems possible, to me at least, that they already knew each other and that's why he was so comfortable sneaking past the castle walls and joining in on her song, and why she was so immediately enchanted by him. that maybe the reason she was surprised at first and tried to run from him was because her abusive stepmother didn't want him around and might harm him. or if not that, maybe he wants to work out a trade deal between his kingdom and hers and he comes by and introduces himself like a normal person instead of sneaking in. but instead they're just getting rid of him entirely and at this point i'm surprised the cinderella remake gave kit and ella such a beautifully developed love story instead of just removing prince charming and making cinderella some kind of shallow girlboss.

and then also, they're not including the dwarves all because peter dinklage complained that it's stereotypical to have a story about dwarves living in a cave when, um, they literally fucking don't?!?! it's kind of a pretty significant plot point that the house snow white is staying in is their house and they just work as miners 😭 i'm so tired of celebrities who probably haven't watched a disney movie since they were in diapers thinking they need to say shit like this. AND this whole decision is not even working out for disney because now they're also getting slammed by actors with dwarfism who are understandably disappointed at losing the chance to audition for those roles. when they could've just idk, kept the dwarves and taken the opportunity to be inclusive and give work to a highly underrepresented demographic instead of removing them based on blatantly false information?? and if the dwarves working as miners is still considered stereotypical/harmful, then why not... give them a different job that isn't?

sorry it's just. ugh. disney would be nothing without snow white and every single time i see promotional stuff for the remake it's all just the cast and crew disrespecting snow white and trashing it and saying they're making it better by cutting out its most important elements. i have nothing to look forward to with this movie anymore (not that i was looking forward to it that much to begin with) because apparently the only thing it shares with the original is its title character, and i'm sure she'll also be nothing like her animated counterpart.

edit because i didn't really expect anyone to see this: idk if the whole "getting rid of the romance" thing is true because after writing this i remembered that i've also heard something about the prince getting replaced with a new "robin hood-esque" love interest named johnathan?? so if they're still keeping him then there will still be romance i guess, it just won't be the classic fairytale romance snow white is associated with, and my frustration toward them choosing not to develop the prince into an actual character still stands. ESPECIALLY SINCE i also read that snow is supposed to "ride into battle with him"?! snow white?! imagine if in cinderella (2015) they changed prince charming into a roguish robin hood type and had ella fight battles with him. it would've been so weird and so far removed from the animated cinderella in a very jarring way. i hate it. also, because of an annoying tag i got on this post i also feel the need to add that i do NOT have a problem with "political correctness" or rachel zegler being latina lmao. i do, however, have a problem with her insulting the original snow white while openly admitting that she has not watched the movie since she was a child.

[yes-i-write-fanfiction]

okay hear me out... Miner Optimus

He's cold constructed, just like the others, so he has a certain resemblance to Megatron

Speaking of Megatron, those two are- WERE best buddies, despite the high risk of their job and the deplorable conditions in the mines, when they were together the days became more bearable.

They both could talk for HOURS about their dreams and hopes for a better future.

But...all that is in the past, now those days are just distant memories, the great war is a horrible present

Two bots, once friends, now fight each other

Both fight for the same goal, the same dream: a better future. But it is obvious that their methods and ideas are more than different

The two faces of the same coin

I love this idea??? The idea of a low-caste cold construct becoming a Prime is just *chef's kiss* perfect because it messes up both the caste system and undermines the idea that cold constructed bots are lesser compared to forged ones. After all, if the Matrix, a fucking holy artifact, can chose a cold construct, then does that not essentially serve as proof that Primus is ok with them? That they are just as valid as forged bots?

Also, it's interesting to compare how Megatronus and Orion eventually rise to their future positions. Orion gets the Matrix and is basically given a cheat code, a free upgrade and the influence that comes with the position of Prime. Megatron? He's got to claw his way all the way up, use all of his cunning and wit, unable to rely on pure luck or any sort of divine intervention. In a way, I imagine that this makes him feel bitter towards Optimus, who seemingly was jus given everything on a silver platter.

[herosplatling-replica]

Rhythm Doctor Fic Recommendations (Part Two!)

hi there! it's been quite a while since part one of what is essentially becoming a series of uplifting writers in the rhythm doctor community, and we're now as i'm writing this at a whole 78 fics!!!!

it's been amazing seeing this fanbase grow, and especially fun reading through what everyone writes. so here i am once again, giving you the scoop on some of the best fics i've read! ヾ(≧▽≦*)o

please go give the writers some love and leave some comments on their work, especially the incomplete ones!!! read below the cut for your reccs!!

for real though comment on these. they're all so good

Moments of Reprieve by @emphasis-on-the-oopsie/SnowyShipsLogicality: (Rated G, Paian-centric, 4+1 fic and domestic fluff, 2,758 Words; Completed)

4 times Ada kissed Ian (+2 times he kissed her)

morning laps for lovebirds by Tigroou: (Rated G, Miner Scales-centric, fluff & slice of life, 1,623 Words; Completed)

Lucky liked to run laps with the hospital team. Except today.

Smoke Signals by @sirwow: (Rated T, Cocole-centric, RD Connections Converged, 3,089 Words; Completed)

A Prelude story- Cole and Nicole's first meeting, the totally normal way Cole got here.

like real people do by @midnight--ink/magic-at-midnight: (Rated G, Paian-centric, fluff & first kiss, 2,367 Words; Completed)

Eight years was a long time to get to know someone, and he had spent those years memorizing all of Ada's traits and quirks and idiosyncrasies. He knew how much milk and sugar she liked in her coffee, the way she snorted when she laughed, which movies always made her cry. He knew all of her worst insecurities and how she covered them up with a smile. He knew how, whenever possible, she would take a few extra minutes to chat with the patients or reassure their nervous loved ones before an operation. So he watched her quietly, and he swallowed down the words that had been tangled in the back of his throat since their college days: I'm in love with you.

The Masque of the Mauve Death by @lolatulips/FieldofRoses2992: (Rated T, Intern OC, RD Possession AU, 8,912 Words; Completed)

A plague of Possession has hit Middlesea Hospital, afflicting its patients and doctors with a never before seen set of perils to traverse though and undo. Uuuunfortunately, one of the Hospital's main hopes for some return to normalcy is the newest Intern, Marie Sanglante, who would much prefer to just kick up her feet and watch the madness unfold as comfortably as she can while Ian and Ada manage with the worst of the work. (Or, well, mostly Ian) After all, what's a little plague to someone with control over space and time like her? It's not like she can be affected by it anyways, right?

mandarin peels on abandoned paperwork by @angelictactics/@herosplatling-replica: (Rated T, Paian-centric, RD Possession AU, Confession of Love, 2,590 Words; Completed)

things you said when you thought i was asleep (RD Possession AU by @possessable on tumblr!)

Helping Hand (Tumblr Mirror) by @hear-that-music-in-the-air: (Rated G, Ada & Ian focused, 1,566 Words; Completed)

After seeing Ada struggle with the rhythm treatments and get reprimanded by Edega, Ian comes up with a way to help her out.

prestissimo by @angelictactics/@herosplatling-replica: (Rated G, Intern OC, depiction of an anxiety attack, 3,357 Words; Incomplete as of 4/5/24)

(musical notation and terminology) extremely quickly; as fast as possible The Internbot™ is taken on a test run.

Conversations Behind Closed Doors by @hear-that-music-in-the-air: (Rated G, Ian POV, Ada & Ian and Edega & Ian focused, 1,661 Words; Complete)

Displeased with Ian's lack of progress on the rhythm defibrillator project, Edega calls him into his office, and presents him with an ultimatum.

Aerophobia by @i-want-to-do-things/Amiiiiiiiii: (Rated G, Paian-centric, Fear of Flying, Fluff & Slice of Life, 848 Words; Complete)

Ian is the kind of guy to be terrified of flying on a plane

eisoptrophobia by Tigroou: (Rated G, Miner Scales-centric, Slice of Life, Introspection of Body Image, 1,948 Words; Complete)

“I just noticed,” Miner finally said, “that you don’t look at yourself in the mirror.”

A Gift From the Heart by @angelictactics/@herosplatling-replica: (Rated T, Polyrhythmcule-centric and Cocole Loghailucia & Miner Scales featured, Valentine's Day Fluff, Slice of Life, 8,226 Words; Complete)

Valentine's Day (noun) Definition: Holiday observed on February 14 (Wednesday) to celebrate love and friendship

Last Cup of Coffee by ReneeDokobora2042/@rendekobora: (Rated G, Cocole-centric, Fluff, 2,689 Words; Complete)

Nicole gets informed that she can be discharged, and she doesn’t wanna break the news to anyone… especially Cole.

helping hands by Tigroou: (Rated G, Lucky-centric, Slice of Life, 3,406 Words; Complete)

[“I’m just asking,” Ada said carefully, “but have you thought about speaking to a therapist?” The silence that answered her was more deafening than any roar he could have uttered in her ear. “You want me to talk to a shrink?” Lucky said incredulously, making her wince.] or, one night leads to an important conversation.

Middlesea Slices by Pokemod123/@pokeart123: (Rated G, Intern OC, Slice of Life, Episodic, 4,762 Words; Incomplete as of 4/5/24)

Every day at Middlesea Hospital is uniquely chaotic. Join Mal Prachett, the Rhythm Doctor Program Intern, as they try their best to navigate work, friendship, and the malleable nature of space-time itself. This will mostly be episodic slice of life content. Anything that veers from that will be clarified in the pre-chapter notes. Because each chapter is a oneshot, content warnings will be placed in the notes as well.

Reality Bending Beat by @i-want-to-do-things/Amiiiiiiiii: (Rated G, Intern OC, Slice of Life & Mystery, 1,131 Words; Incomplete as of 4/5/24)

There seems to be a new intern in the hospital! They seem to be a bit odd, dont they?

In Dreams by @hear-that-music-in-the-air: (Rated G, Ada & Ian focused, depiction of nightmares, 2,143 Words; Complete)

About a week after Ian's "talk" with Edega, and a number of sleepless hours attempting to continue his work on the rhythm defibrillator, the nightmares begin. Ada starts to worry. Sequel to "Conversations Behind Closed Doors"!

A Hollow Voice by @lolatulips/FieldofRoses2992: (Rated T, Intern OC, Robot AU, robot gore and death, 3,669 Words; Complete)

A robot Marie stumbles upon a broken and dying android in the middle of a drizzle and decides to do whatever she can to help, despite everything telling her it would be worthless to do so.

Wet Socks by @hear-that-music-in-the-air: (Rated G, Ada & Ian focused, for Week of Spring on RDL!, 1,914 Words; Complete)

Ian is not a fan of hiking, or anything generally outdoorsy. Unfortunately for him, Ada is very persuasive.

Blossoming romance outside of fitness room by @granat-sof/GranatSof: (Rated G, Miner Scales-centric, Fluff, Romance, & Slice of Life, 7,679 Words; Incomplete as of 4/5/24)

An assortment of various fluffy stories about Lucky and Miner having a life together after leaving the hospital. A continuation of a comic made about them. A LOT of headcannons and toothrottingly sweet romantical crap included.

Cough Syrup by @angelictactics/@herosplatling-replica: (Rated G, Polyrhythmcule-centric, Slice of Life, Sickfic, Domestic Fluff, 5,787 Words; Complete)

Ada wakes up with what sure as hell feels like the flu.

Connections Converged by @sirwow: (Rated T, featuring Miner Scales, Cocole & Loghail, RD Connections Converged, 7,773 Words; Incomplete as of 4/5/24)

A post act 5 story continuation, exploring new shenanigans, the lonesome characters, and ever growing tension across the hospital as everyone gets closer or further.

okay thats all my recent fic recs good night everybirdy im disintegrating as we speak xoxo 🥰

[theboywithburninghands]

Hey guys, here’s the next chapter of my Arranged Marriage Funnybunny AU. Hope you enjoy it. It’s a bit short but I love it, especially the first half. Oh yeah and uh @fernstarsblog your tag as always

T/W: Era appropriate sexism (just in case), implied vomit

Primum Peccatum Ch. 4: Hit The Road, Jax

The next day, life resumed as normal. Or at least, a reasonable facsimile of normal.

Vladimir and Mirella were sated by Pomni’s assertions that she was charmed by Jax Krolik upon meeting him, and thus had a change of heart. There were a few “I told you so’s” and apologies issued by both sides. Pomni truly did feel awful about the words she had spoken to her parents, especially her mother, but it seemed that those ugly feelings were muted by excitement about the coming ceremonies.

Pomni’s mother drafted about a dozen letters to all of her relatives, most of them for her Silurian cousins that lived in the sprawling burg of Angel’s Peak in Telychia. Mirella always expressed a desire to holiday in Angel’s Peak, but Vladimir turned her down each time, claiming it wasn't worth the onerous process of renewing their papers. Pomni was always secretly grateful for this, since a city that size would surely send her into hysterics with its overabundance of people and noise.

Vladimir, who had considerably less living family to worry about, had taken to completing all the necessary paperwork for the wedding. Predominantly monetary matters that required careful scrutiny, inheritances, the dowry and the like, but also billing and housing concerns for the construction team that were building Pomni and Jax’s manor on the other side of Primum Peccatum.

As for Pomni, she spent the morning pondering. This Jax Krolik seemed genuine enough in his assertions that the wedding would be a formality and nothing more. As he had stated yesterday, had he been more inclined to have Pomni fill the role of housewife, there was little Pomni could do to stop him. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the beastman was hiding something behind that Cheshire smile.

Perhaps that was prejudiced of her. She should give Mr. Krolik the benefit of the doubt at least. It was a dreadful stereotype that beastfolk had hidden, malevolent intent behind their actions. This generalization was only furthered by the inane propaganda that walnut-brained politicians and mad street evangelicals spewed, fantasies about beastfolk eating human flesh in secret or stealing human babies from their cribs.

Pomni, now restless, left her bedroom, and after her father turned down her assistance with the paperwork, she decided to go and visit Mr. Kinger.

Kinger Rooker was a 48-year-old shapeman who resembled a king chess-piece that lived in the manor neighboring The Shutnyk estate. He had a wife for some years, a shapewoman with the visage of a queen chess-piece, appropriately enough named Queenie. She had passed away in her sleep when Pomni was only four, something about not getting enough minerals, an essential part of any shapeperson’s diet. The Rookers earned their fortune through the publication of various encyclopedias and almanacs, the most famous and successful of which was The Essential Encyclopedia of New Hirnantian Insects, which could be found in just about every library in the country and was a must-own for any aspiring entomologist. Pomni had read the book cover to cover multiple times now, and she hardly considered herself interested in insects.

Kinger refused to remarry and had no children, and was content living out the rest of his days as a widower, preferring to donate his fortune to the state upon his death. But, despite his solitude, he had become close friends with Pomni and her family over the years, as the young Ms. Shutnyk often ran into Kinger in the midst of bug collecting when she went out exploring the pine forests of Primum Peccatum. He had been over to the Shutnyks’ for dinner just about every winter solstice.

Pomni’s most distinct memory of these holiday visits was when she was five years old. Before eating his plate of spaghetti carbonara, she saw Kinger sprinkle some sand onto his food from a small bottle, and eat it no issue. She wasn’t allowed to speak unless spoken to at the table, so hadn’t the chance to ask why he did that. When her parents took her shell hunting on the island’s coast a few days later, she grabbed a handful of white sand off the beach and tried some for herself. She learned a valuable lesson about the difference between humans’ and shapefolk’s dietary needs that day.

Pomni walked over to the Rooker estate, thankful to be wearing a plain black dress and her usual sunhat instead of that gaudy red thing her mother put her in yesterday. It was a sunny day, the sky full of feathery clouds, and the breeze was cool. Pomni intended on telling Mr. Kinger that she was going to be married soon, and would be moving to the other side of the island. But this was by no means goodbye, as she would visit him frequently. She pondered telling Kinger about the plan she and her “fiancé” had hatched the previous afternoon, but thought better of it. Kinger was by no means a quisling, but he did tend to blurt out whatever was on his mind. So best not.

Pomni turned off of the dirt road onto the brick path leading to The Rooker Estate. His front garden had gone to seed, taken over by enormous weeds nearly two decades ago. If she had more of mind for gardening, Pomni might have offered to pull up the weeds and start a real garden for Kinger, but she knew Kinger wouldn’t look after it. His heart lay with insects.

She tapped the toes of her pumps on the bottommost stone step of Kinger’s front porch, chasing off any dirt that clung to their soles, and rapped on the door with the tarnished brass knocker.

“Mr. Kinger! It’s Pomni Shutnyk, I have an… important development to share with you!”

A voice from inside sounded out.

“Ms. Shutnyk! Good heavens, it’s been ages! Come in, the door is open!”

Pomni couldn’t help but smile a little. They had seen each other the previous weekend. The old codger’s memory could be spotty. Her father was around the same age as Kinger, but his mind was still quite sharp. Pomni suspected that the memory issues had something to do with grief. She pressed down on the handle with her thumb and opened the door.

The best way to describe Kinger’s manor was organized chaos. Most every surface was covered in papers of all sorts, postage, scraps of writing, files of important documents, diagrams detailing the anatomy of insects or other animals. The only completely bare surfaces in the foyer were the steps leading to the second floor and the mud mat, where Pomni sat and took her shoes off. It was dusty, certainly, but there was no rubbish or moldy food or pest droppings. Pomni was fairly certain that she could ask Kinger to find a sketch of a certain kind of beetle that he made 17 years ago, and he would be able to find it amid the mountains of parchment.

Pomni coughed politely. She was lucky enough to avoid inheriting her father's beastly dust allergy, but this much dust did irritate her throat somewhat. She took her sunhat off and placed it upon one of the document stacks by the door, clearing her throat.

“Come to the kitchen, Ms. Shutnyk!” Kinger called out. The kitchen was where Pomni had most of her chats with Mr. Kinger, as he had converted the dining room into his office after converting his office into his insect habitat. Pomni carefully walked over the stacks of paper into the kitchen.

The kitchen probably had the most free space in the entire manor, enough room on the counters and stove top for preparing and cooking food, and the end two-seated end table was always unoccupied, for eating a meal or enjoying a cup of tea. That didn’t stop the clutter entirely, however, as by the door to the dining room, a few stacks of paper that hadn’t quite fit on the dining room table or in any of the other designated storage spaces, sat on either side

Kinger sat in one of the end table chairs in his usual purple nightgown with mink, raising his usual cup of plain Permian red tea.

“We were just talking about you, Ms. Shutnyk.”

“We-?”

Pomni froze mid step. In the other chair sat a purple rabbit in a gray waistcoat, lighter gray trousers and black socks, with a crimson ascot just below his chin. Surprise flashed for a moment in his yellow eyes, before his wide, toothy smile spread across his face.

“Well if it isn’t my fiancée!” he declared, raising one hand skyward and keeping the other on his teacup. “Yes, I was just telling Mr. Rooker about our meeting yesterday afternoon!”

Pomni blinked her eyes, both from irritation and the fact that she was still reeling from shock.

“Mr.- Mr. Krolik. What a… what an unexpected surprise!”

“Surprises do tend to be unexpected.” Jax replied evenly, sipping his tea.

“And what, may I ask, motivated you to visit The Rooker Estate? Not one day after we met at my home?” Pomni asked through clenched teeth.

“Visit? Oh, I’m not simply visiting, dearest.” Jax said.

Kinger nodded. “Jax here is renting the guest room. I forgot I had left the lease open, but he’s already given me a month’s rent. In cash!”

Kinger picked up a small bag of crowns tied off with red string off the table. The coins jingled.

“That’s… Would you excuse us for one moment?”

Pomni grabbed Jax by the hand and marched him into the foyer. His glove was damp with sweat.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she hissed once they were safely out of earshot. “This was NOT part of the agreement.”

“If I recall, the agreement was ‘I was to leave your house and not return until the day of the ceremony.’ This isn’t your house. In fact, you’re the one who arrived here uninvited.” Jax said.

“You moved into my next door neighbor’s spare room! I knew you weren’t to be trusted..!”

Jax, still holding Pomni’s hand, lightly tugged her wrist so she focused back on him.

“Pomni. If this ruse is going to work, we have to actually appear infatuated. Would you not think it a little suspicious if we both spent the next few weeks avoiding each other?”

Pomni chewed her lip. He… made a valid point. She was never particularly skilled at pretending she was interested in something. If it bored her, it bored her, and no amount of reprimanding from her parents could make her convincingly play-act interest. So perhaps this was for the better…

“Could you please let go of my hand? Your glove is… extremely sweaty.”

Jax looked down. He did still have his hand over hers.

“This outfit isn’t exactly breathable. And if I’m not mistaken, it was you who grabbed hold of me, n’est ce pas?”

He relinquished his grip either way. Pomni wiped the perspiration off on her dress, looking rather ill.

“You really want to live here just to maintain a charade? Wouldn’t you rather stay at an inn?”

“Prolonged stays at inns are costly. Here, I get my own room for a meager fee.” Jax said, tucking his hand into his jacket pocket. “Besides, I quite enjoy Mr. Rooker’s company.”

“He is a charming gentleman…” Pomni agreed. “But please, Mr. Krolik. He is not a sideshow, he- are you quite alright?”

Jax pressed the hand that was just entwined with Pomni’s against his abdomen. His yellow eyes had grown wide and staring. His gaze flicked to Pomni and he managed another, considerably weaker smile.

“Pardon me. I’ve been battling dyspepsia for a while, I- HURK!”

Jax put a hand to his mouth and hurried up the stairs, ducking upstairs towards the lavatory.

Pomni looked up the dusty stairs for a moment before sighing. “Ah… I suddenly have no more desire for company.” She called out. “Mr. Kinger? I’ll be back later, I just realized that I have an urgent errand that requires my attention.”

“Very well, my dear, but do come back soon!” Mr. Rooker replied.

Truthfully, she did feel quite peccant for leaving Mr. Kinger with Jax, but… truthfully, once her sanctuaries had been breached, she had little desire to remain in them. She would have to invite Mr. Kinger over to her house as an apology, even if that did go against her typical routine…

“Farewell! And… farewell, ‘darling.’” she drawled. Jax did not reply. She picked up her sunhat, shaking any dust from it, and slid her shoes back on before exiting the manor, profoundly unsatisfied.

As she walked down the weedy path back towards her manor, a shapeman with an enormous set of dentures for a head in an impeccable red suit jacket, black pants and white gloves, stepped out from inside the manor. He had not a speck of dust on his clothes. He pulled a silver pocketwatch out of his jacket, examining it. There were no needles on the face of the clock, nor numbers.

“Hm… yes. I believe this will be fine.”

He snapped the watch closed, walking back into the manor. The door drifted closed behind him, certainly caused by an errant breeze.

[windvexer]

Hi there! Hope you're doing well.

I was wondering how to remain in a magical state / altered state of consciousness / trance state while you are doing a spell. I've noticed that I can get into the state (either through meditation or physical activity) but I'm no longer in it when I have to open my eyes or sit down to do the spell. It's like the transition to another activity breaks me out of it. Has that ever happened to you? Is there a way to fix it? Thank you.

Listen I see what you're saying but are you sure it's important?

I mean I agree that if you want to stay in this state, that is a valid goal.

But I dunno, I'm not really that focused day-to-day and I can still run my life more or less competently. I don't really find that I have to be completely focused in ASC during a spell in order for the spell to work.

Anyway, my actual answer to your question is get something that limits/inhibits your vision. I've seen these things on Etsy which is a decent example of what I mean, I've actually never used them but I bet they'd work.

(I'm in the process of making something of a similar concept for myself, a process interrupted by the fact that I have lost 100% of my lace-weight crochet hooks).

Realistically, most of the time, I wear sunglasses and a big hat that goes down over my eyes.

Avoid fully opening your eyes. Where possible, work in dim light. Interrupt your vision as much as possible, but only when safe to do so.

Working in darkness helps very much.

Do not move normally. Move in stutters and jerks. Make your body feel like the unrefined clay flesh of your spell, partially formulated, bubbling up from the rich mineral well of existence, full of potential and yet somehow shapeless.

Move like a zombie.

Play rhythmic music. This probably should be music you only play during spellwork. Drumbeats work well.

When transitioning into another activity, do so in such a shambling, half-blind, wet-moth manner that it hardly feels like a transition at all.

Other sensory cues, such as the scent of an essential oil, may be very helpful in maintaining your trance state from one activity to another.

Training yourself on certain cues that you can re-activate at any time (such as counting down from a # to 0, and repeating 0 to yourself when re-accessing trance) can also be helpful.

Best of luck!

[ramblebramblefun]

Eri has finally cracked it.

All along the edges of half-baked lesson plans, descriptions of jutsu that she's never heard of and seals curling in on themselves forever, Uzumaki Raiko had laid out the future.

She knew about the Kyuubi attack.

She knew that- No. Eri can't tell him. It would- no. He's doing... He's doing better now, so much better, this would-

What horrible things to know. Is this why Sensei left?

Sensei's plans all seemed geared to stopping the Kyuubi attack. Everything that 'happens' after that is less detailed, a bullet point list rather than a terrible story

She'd predicted Kakashi and all that... Well, she'd known about Tenzou. The Sandaime hadn't even known about Tenzou, the boys had said.

Naruto seven. Shisui dies in ambush. Uchiha Massacre.

Naruto Uzumaki is seven years old. Fuck, sensei had been gone before Kushina-san was even pregnant, how did she-

Uchiha Massacre. That sounds. Bad. Sure, they're not the most... Well-liked, but...

Before that, though, there is only one Uchiha that Eri knows of that is named Shisui. They most definitely do not move in the same circles, but someone that high profile... Surely everyone would have heard if that guy was dead?

---

Eri never saw herself becoming a stalker.

She never saw this coming either. She'd thought that Muta was dead, dead, dead, but that was definitely his chakra behind the mask and his sword in her stomach and his voice saying, "Stay put," like she's some kind of dog, and gods, Eri has never been so angry in her entire life.

That fucking traitor.

Unfortunately for what is definitely fate trying to stay true to form, Muta's out of the fucking loop.

---

Stasis seals don't fix anything, and she does still have to move carefully, slowly, and she tracks that bastard down to see Shunshin no Shisui on his knees, and she should have sent a pigeon, fuck-

The first training session Team Two ever had, Sensei made them do the Kawarimi until they threw up.

Eri kind of wants to throw up now. Her (empty) eye is burning. And then-

---

This guy. Really is an elite. Not even a moment and he's back on his feet and whooshing them away.

He's holding her princess style. She does not feel very princessy right now. Actually, she's going to-

---

She does not throw up all over the fastest man alive, but it is a very near thing.

He holds her hair out of her face. That's nice of him.

She is so fucking-

---

The infamous Shunshin no Shisui looks, to her professional eye, almost as bad as she feels. He's very pale and she can't tell which one of them is shaking worse and he's staring at her like she has, like, three heads or something.

This is not a genjutsu, Uchiha. Your eyes are not necessary.

"Kakashi." She starts, and abruptly feels very proud of how steady her voice is. She doesn't feel very steady. She's pretty sure that she's older than this guy, though, so she's got to be steady. Gotta be steady...

"Kakashi." What was she going to say again?

Shisui shuts his gaping mouth. And opens it. And shuts it.

Finally, leadingly, "Kakashi...?"

"Kakashi," she says, grabbing her thoughts with all the strength blood-loss has left her, "is going to be so mad at me."

Shisui makes a very strange noise. He's also started to look blurry, which is, in her professional opinion, not a good sign.

"I need to go to the hospital," she decides. Not... Wherever they are. There's a river.

Shisui jumps like he's been electrocuted. That would be funny. She should learn some lightning jutsu. Sensei was good at them. She could Thunder Dome Muta. Bastard. A thousand smites upon him, or whatever Sensei used to say...

---

She wakes up in the hospital, feeling somehow even shittier than she did...?

Whatever. Shisui is still here. He doesn't look dead.

"Sensei better be proud of me," she mumbles thickly, and goes right the fuck back to sleep.

[flock-talk]

Transparency With Parrot Food Manufacturers

There's been a significant rise in the expectation of transparency between pet food manufacturers and the general public. Dog food manufacturers, for example; have AAFCO, feeding trials, and an array of nutrient digestibility charts, base nutrient expectations, and sanitary guidelines to follow which a lot of brands then openly share with the public. These standards help pet parents make more active choices in what they feed their pets, tailor their pets diet to meet their individual needs, trust that their food meets a base line of nutrition, and that the food was produced in a sanitary manner. The dog food industry is far from perfect and even these regulations have their flaws and the tests aren't without fault but it is a good base for us to compare to when we're trying to sort out what we want from other pet food manufacturers. In this case I'm focusing on parrot pellet manufacturers.

I had a few different goals heading in to this.

I wanted to see how transparent pellet manufacturers would be with sharing information that is common to ask dog food manufacturers (information is not confidential, revealing formulas, secrets, etc.)

The availability of nutrient analysis charts (breakdowns of how much of each nutrient is in their pellets)

What standards parrot food manufacturers held themselves to

If any feeding trials were performed on their pellets

And to preface this with my own bias, I am pro-pellet, I currently feed pellets.

Before we get too deep in to this let's break things down a bit.

As it stands there really aren't any regulating bodies above parrot food manufacturers as far as I could find. There doesn't seem to be much of any standards when it comes to their sanitization or product quality, the best you get is the FDA/ CFIA which basically just make sure a food isn't outright toxic. As it stands there haven't been enough studies done on parrot nutrition for there to be a governing body stating what the minimum nutrient requirements are for parrot food, we simply do not actually know what those requirements are yet so there cannot be a set standard for it. This unfortunately leaves us open to a lot of problems, if there's no nutritional requirements and no standardized testing then we're really just putting a lot of trust in to a company that wants to turn a profit. We're hoping that the food that says it's nutritionally complete is what it says with no evidence to show for it, and no science to confirm it.

So with that said no parrot food can actually claim to be "100% nutritionally complete", we do not know what nutritionally complete looks like for parrots, there is no science to back up those claims.

So I set out and emailed every parrot pellet manufacturer I could think of and asked them the some questions.

"Does your company do feeding trials? If so, is that data available to the public anywhere?"

"Do you have a nutrient profile available?"

Feeding trials are very simply a test where you feed a set of animals exclusively one diet and then monitor them to see if the food is capable of providing the base essential nutrients needed to live. Usually they do blood work, urine and fecal alongside regular physical exams to monitor things like nutritional deficiency, ailments, and nutrient digestibility. This helps show that a food is capable of providing what the target animal needs to survive without causing health problems and provides vital information on what amount of vitamins/ minerals in the produced food are actually being digested and absorbed. These tests are common among well-known dog food companies and most are more than willing to share that data to give their consumers peace of mind with easy transparency.

And let me tell you I am beyond disappointed at what happened when I asked parrot food manufacturers the exact same thing.

TOPs: No nutrient profile listed on the website, does have a detailed breakdown of why every single ingredient was added though. Happily discloses that parrot nutritional science doesn't have all the data to claim any food as 100% nutritionally complete and advises for the feeding of fresh foods in addition to their food, didn't specify exactly how much of each to maintain optimal nutrition.

I emailed them three times and never got a response back from any of them.

Harrisons: Does say you can feed 20% vegetables by weight while the pellet should be 75%, has an easily available nutrient analysis on their website.

also emailed three times with no response back.

Caitec: no nutritional analysis listed on their main website, website did not state how they want their product to be fed, product packaging states that veggies should be a treat/ addition and lists the pellet as a "complete diet".

emailed three times with no response back.

Lafeber: Primarily promotes mixed seed and pellet formulas, doesn't state any risks of parrot's selective consumption (study on that problem), does promote the feeding of fresh produce in conjunction with their formulas at 20% of the diet, no nutrient analysis on their website.

emailed three times with no response back.

Zupreem (Compana Pet Brands): did respond back but they phrased their response in a way to dance around the subject, after some pushing they confirmed they do not do feeding trials. Encourages use of fresh foods with their formula, at least 60% pelleted diet recommended. Had an extremely small nutrient profile that just skipped over the important nutrient requirements like the Ca:Ph. I asked for a nutrient profile which they did not want to provide but were able to tell me that the naturals pellets have 0.59% calcium

Roudybush: Says fresh foods can be fed but "as a minor part of the diet", does say that science doesn't have enough information to make a product tailored to each species of bird, did make changes to their formula recently to remove menadione in favour of alfalfa due to it's potential toxicity. does seem to be evolving as science progresses. Ingredients list wasn't listed on the website, nor was a nutrient profile.

did not reply to any emails.

Tropican (HARI): I was hopeful for this one by the way their website boasts about their feeding trials and research. So so hopeful.

Talks about doing feeding trials openly on their website, recommends 70% pellet to 30% fresh foods (by caloric content not weight) but mentioned that their birds eat 100% pellets. Easily accessible albeit basic nutrient profile but it covers the main things.

After my email Mr. Hagen actually ended up calling me and what I was hoping would be a motivating call ended up being very hostile. Whenever I asked questions about data or results of a feeding trial I was immediately shut down, the topic was changed, I was interrupted mid-sentence over and over again. I was able to get small tidbits of info that were as vague as "we've fed multiple generations of birds on this food" and "we do annual weigh-ins". He would casually mention data from a study he had done but then dart away if I asked for the name of the study so I could read it later. It was an extremely off-putting phone call. Completely unwilling to say how many birds were in a trial, how many years the trial went on for, if there was bloodwork or nutrient digestibility charts, nothing at all. He also casually mentioned that once the birds are old enough they get sold to stores which was very unnerving to me.

So I guess they maybe do legitimate feeding trials but they will under no circumstances offer that data to the public? I don't know. They wouldn’t provide any published articles or data to actually prove that the trials exist and I will definitely not be contacting them again to find out. They suggested I was trying to steal their formula and lying about my identity. I'm not going to try to get a simple answer out of them again.

Mazuri: recommends 20% fresh foods 75% pellets, nutrient profile available on the website.

did not reply to any emails.

Pretty Bird: Does not do feeding trials, prompt to reply, at least knew what a feeding trial was. Couldn't find feeding recommendations on the website, no nutrient profile aside from the generic guaranteed analysis having a few add-ons but still skipping on the important nutrients you'd want to know about.

Kaytee: Did not know what a Feeding Trial was. Thought I wanted samples and offered me a coupon. I had to explain to this animal food manufacturer what a feeding trial was. Unsurprisingly they do not do feeding trials. Website had no listing of a nutrient analysis. Recommended 70-90% pellets to some fresh foods. In their own published article they went over how damaging seed diets are for parrots but then they also sell seed-only diets with the ingredients they were specifically bashing in their own article. When I asked for a nutrient profile this is what I was given:

"Nutrient levels are calculated based on ingredient data, feed compendium tables and direct diet analysis. Actual levels may vary slightly due to ingredient and analytical variation."

Kaytee exact naturals cockatiel pellet:

"0.4% Calcium 0.2% Available Phosphorus (non-phytate P) 0.1% Magnesium 120 ppm Zinc 140 ppm Iron 700 IU/kg Vitamin D3"

and that's just extremely limited information. I'm glad they were willing to provide something but in comparison to some of the others it's just not a lot of data.

Psittacus: advises for the use of grit in parrots, recommends 100% pellets but says you can feed a minimum of 70% to make room for fresh foods. Their response to feeding trails was really vague: "our products have been evaluated and tested in our centre as well as collaborating centres. This information is for internal use and it is not published anywhere". Wouldn't say what tests were done or elaborate further than that in any way. I then inquired for a detailed nutrient analysis chart saying that Mia's calcium has been a bit of a struggle (since it has been), curious if their brand may have more calcium than the ones Im using now to help her out to which they replied with "our food contains the calcium levels appropriate for him/her". (you literally cannot say that, you haven't run tests on my bird, you haven't worked with my vet regarding my bird, you cannot guarantee a blanket statement like that.). They did offer me a link to this catalogue which has more detailed info on their pellets production and a more thorough nutrient analysis chart.

I am shocked by the responses I received. I am disappointed in parrot food manufacturers. I am frustrated with parrot food regulations.

I knew I wouldn't get much out of these emails since the standards for parrot food are so low but the amount of companies that just pretended not to get my emails or didn't even know what a feeding trial was is ridiculous. The amount of companies that were making claims that science can't back up, or making claims that science actually disagrees with is astounding.

The complete lack of transparency is terrifying.

[lets-try-some-writing]

Do you have any headcanons about Megatron when he was a miner? Specifically about disability? Also do you have any headcanons on the workings of Cybertronian mines?(mining ethics are one of my special interests lol)

I have spent the past hour reading about mining operations and overall functions. And yet I can't even bring myself to be mad about it because it was so interesting. With that said I hope you enjoy this little bit of writing! I really love world building!

Mining Operations on Cybertron

Recruitment

D-16 was picked up and sent to the mines the moment he emerged from the well of allsparks and was unable to provide the guardian his name. There was no welcome package or even any explanation as to what was going on. He was just shoved into a large transport alongside the other unfortunate mechs who came out of the well without names and ferried off.

He arrived at the mines confused and innocent, however that swiftly changed after his recruitment. D-16 was put into a scout group composed of other freshly forged mechs and one to two older mechs used to the job. He spent the first couple years of his life in this group, scouting the surface for possible energon deposits and climbing into treacherous pits to examine them for his "employers". After watching several members of his scouting group die to accidents and natural hazards, he quickly learned that his life was worth next to nothing and that he and his brethren were seen as tools, easy to replace and disposable.

It was during his time as a scout that he learned about the castes and the functioning of Cybertronian society. During one of the few times he was allowed to enter into the city for some purpose or another, he was enlightened to the true difference in lifestyle for those above ground. He saw mechs living on the streets, stealing and scavenging, but at least still able to retain their freedom. He witnessed nobles parading around doing whatever they pleased and indulging in every luxury. And then lastly he saw the average middle caste mechs, working day in and day out just to live a reasonable life but never achieving anything notable for the most part.

He saw the huge gap between the elite, the middle caste, and the low caste bots and he despised it.

Open Pit Mining

After proving himself capable through training several batches of new recruits, D-16 was "promoted" and sent to work with the pit mining crew. His job essentially amounted to digging out the hole in the ground that the more experienced miners would then use to construct a proper mine.

It was dull work. Day in and day out he would swing his pick and use his saw to chip away at the metal of Cybertron's soil and haul it away to be processed. The dusk clogged his vents, making it hard for him to cool off properly. There were several occasions where other less sturdy mechs outright died due to overheating. D-16 very nearly died himself, if it weren't for an older miner taking him out of the sight of their overseers and cleaning his vents for him, he would have perished.

The energon rations were also subpar. The quality of the energon was absolute rubbish and exchanged any form of pleasant taste for nutrient value. Still, as a large mech with rations containing not nearly enough energon for a mech of his size, he consumed his rations as quickly as possible to avoid the very common fights that broke out. More often than not, the larger mecha were given rations meant for bots half their size, often leading them to fight and steal others rations. D-16 abstained from such things, even stepping in at times, but the sight did serve to further cement his distaste of the caste system even further.

Thankfully D-16 was never seriously injured or suffered from any noteworthy energon deficiency during his time as a pit miner. And by Primus is he thankful for it. He saw what happened to mecha who had a health problem that couldn't be fixed with a weld, patch, or small energon transfusion.

As the overseers of the mining operation still had to adhere to some basic laws, a medical team was called in every few weeks to look over the miners and tend to any injuries that were worth being seen to. D-16 quickly came to the conclusion that anything that cost more than a handful of credits to fix was something that medics were ordered to ignore. He could only watch in horror as one of his fellows, an unfortunate mech who had his leg torn straight off in an accident, was left to bleed out.

When he tried to help the dying mech he was pulled away by some of the older miners who hushed him and pointed out other younglings who were attempting the same thing. D-16 was once again left horrified as the mecha attempting to help the suffering miner were beat for their efforts and ordered away. There was nothing D-16 could do as his fellow miner died right before his optics even though there were medics less than a few meters away.

Underground Mining

After yet again proving his worth by working hard and training up the newbies who came from the scouting groups, D-16 was "promoted" once more and joined the ranks of the elder miners. He really wasn't all that old, but often life expectancy within the low castes, especially the mines, is not exemplary. Not only that, but if he thought that being a pit miner was dangerous, then his new station as an underground miner was infinitely more so.

Underground miners died to accidents, cave ins, injury, and any number of others things regularly. Some were even grabbed by creatures in the deep and others straight up vanished after falling into particularly large crevasses. There was no guarantee of survival, not even for miners with centuries of experience.

Thankfully the elder miners were kind and put D-16 on excavation duty until he was accustomed to the darkness and the dangers of the underground. And soon enough he learned what was required of him and joined his elders in mining away.

During his time as an underground miner he was made aware of some of the more intimate customs of his caste. He was taught to listen to the hidden songs of his comrades and swiftly figured out how to add to them. He learned how to snatch small portions of unprocessed energon and how to not get caught with it. And later, one he had lived more than a few years underground, he was invited to join his elders in their small celebrations and story telling sessions.

Through all this he really began to feel like he was part of a family, an odd family, but a family all the same. Hence he started doing what his elders had done for him, teaching the younglings and protecting them until they understood what was required of them. And against the better wishes of his peers, D-16 silently began planning for change.

Processing

Eventually D-16 became trusted enough to be "promoted" to the processing division. A function that was considered a great "honor" among miners due to how reading and writing were a skill taught upon the "promotion" being given. And while innocent enough for other miners, ones complacent with their place in life, for D-16, learning to read and write was a game changer.

During his working hours he would crush the energon crystals collected and send them through the purifier. But when off the clock D-16 watched, listened, and asked questions. He would talk with the dock workers and haulers that came to collect the energon, and through them he gained some contraband reading material. By working hard and winning a few card games against the shuttles that came by occasionally, D-16 was given the tools needed to write. With these two things, D-16 wrote his first set of poems, ones depicting his life as a miner.

Under an alias D-16 started to stir up the masses with his works that slowly stopped being poems and instead turned into controversial essays on the working of Cybertron. It wasn't a grand following by any means, but he was getting the average mecha to begin asking questions. And while he didn't know it at the time, his writing became the foundations of his revolution.

His peers kept his writing habits a secret, but eventually word got out to the overseers and D-16 knew he was done for. He was hauled out of his quarters and had the life beaten out of him. He expected death, but instead the overseers saw his build and had another plan in mind for him.

Before D-16 could even process what had happened to him, he was already on a transport to the Gladiatorial arena.

Extra

Long after his time in the mines, Megatron's vents still ache on occasion due to the constant abuse they suffered during his early years. He also feels phantom chills where old wounds he had carefully hidden from overseers once burned. And on top of that, he regularly finds his joints flaring up in pain from his time doing heavy labor nonstop.

He takes pain suppressors when he it becomes unbearable but his aches and pains are lingering scars from his origins.

[that-ari-blogger]

Build Up

This might be an odd take, but the finale of She-Ra and the Princesses Of Power's first season is a two-part episode.

I don't mean this as a technicality. To my knowledge, Light Hope wasn't originally named "The Battle Of Bright Moon Part 1". I mean that in terms of animation and storytelling, this episode feels like the first part of a finale.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the animation for this episode feels like yet another step up from previously. But now, instead of the lighting and art itself being improved, it is the little things. The scene transitions, the expressions, everything feels so much smoother.

For example, the first meeting of Bow and Glimmer with Swiftwind has some fantastic emotions on display that aren't revolutionarily, but take a serious level of skill. That's what good craft is, the little perfections that so often fly completely under the radar.

In that same scene, the little comedy moment of Glimmer noticing her mother and glitching is so fluid. I'm not an expert on animation technique, but even I can notice how this makes previous episodes look choppy in comparison.

The effect that this has is rather interesting, because it creates momentum. The fact that everything flows together so well allows the episode to build up speed and anticipation without actually altering the pacing, mostly (I will come back to this).

For another example of how this works in another, more condensed way, take Jimmy Dean's Big Bad John. Have a look at these two verses:

Every morning at the mine, you could see him arrive He stood six foot six, and weighed 245 Kinda broad at the shoulder, narrow at the hip And everybody knew, you didn't give no lip to Big John. Through the smoke and the dust of this man-made hell walked a giant of a man that the miners knew well grabbed a saggin timber, gave out with a groan And like a giant oak tree, he just stood there alone, Big John

The BPM (Beats per minute) of these verses is exactly the same, and Dean doesn't sing faster to cram more words in. Instead, the technique on display is enjambment. In the first verse, each of the thoughts is disconnected as a description of the song's eponym is given from a place of relative safety. But later on, the danger becomes evident through the fact that this is one thought that carries through, gaining that momentum as it does until that moment of breath in the verses final two words. A moment of breath that John is giving those miners.

The point I am making is that flow is a part of pace just as much as actual timing of events, and a minour shift in animation to give the characters more of that sense of motion within scenes creates dynamism that really helps the buildup of tension of the episode.

The pacing is sped up, but only slightly, and it is through the scene composition. The mirroring of Adora and Catra here through the length of the shot is clever. What I mean by this is... complicated. There are several points in the episode where Adora and Catra get incredibly short and punchy scenes back-to-back-to-back, making the whole thing feel like a singular item.

This also helps the pacing, but instead of through events happening faster, it creates an illusion of speed through scenes themselves being shorter.

Essentially, Lianne Hughes and Josie Campbell, the director and lead writer of this episode, really show off just how good they are at their jobs in this episode. Once again, the expertise comes out not just in the set pieces, but in the subtlety.

Speaking of subtlety, Light Hope.

Light Hope is a robot, kind of. She's an illusion that you can walk into and is programmed with a set objective. Pedanticism aside, Light Hope is a robot.

The problem with that is that her way of speaking is... robotic. There is an extreme lack of emotion here, making her difficult to read. But there are a few minour details.

"Your... friend?"

Moria Gorrondona's voice acting here is stellar. Because Light Hope does emote, just only in tiny ways. She is a complex character trying to appear simple. And that cracks in this line.

At first, this seems like confusion. Light Hope is a robot, so this is probably a new concept to her. But there's also some concern in her voice, and why is that there?

I think Light Hope is a phenomenal character, but I don't like her as a person. Admittedly, this is in hindsight, as watching this episode on a first viewing, it is easy to miss these elements. But Light Hope is just as manipulative as Shadow Weaver.

Everyone you will ever meet is either running towards something, away from something, or both, be it a goal in life or a feeling of worthiness or a sense of guilt. And people will usually take the path of least resistance towards or away from that thing. Often, a person seeking to manipulate you will provide a path for you to run, but it will come at a price.

Light Hope, in this scene, messes with Adora's head. She fools around, annoying Adora and keeping her talking until she gives her something of use.

"I need to figure out how to heal her."

Adora gives everything to Light Hope with this line. Most obviously, she gives her current goal. But she also, through her vernacular, gives her fear. She needs to figure it out. Adora is running away from failure and loss, and Light Hope pounces on that fear with pinpoint precision.

"She's hurt because of me. I messed up. I got Glimmer and Bow captured and Entrapta... It's my fault, I have to fix it."

Again, Adora is putting her whole heart out there, and showing vulnerability. I want to stress that this doesn't make Adora weak at all. The ability to be vulnerable takes bravery, and it marks out both Light Hope and Shadow Weaver as lesser for using Adora's against her.

"You do not yet realise the power you have. You are distracted by your attachments. There was one before you who could not let go. Her name was Mara."

Light Hope has seen Adora's memories, she knows what Adora knows, and Adora has just told her about her fear of failure. So, what does Light Hope do? She shows Adora someone she believes to have failed and says, "this could be you."

She-Ra is a tragedy desperately trying to happen, or rather, its a story about subverting tragedy. Everything is set to self-combust as the character arcs drive themselves into the ground. Love prevents this, and so Light Hope seeks to counteract that love.

Let's talk about the reveals in this episode, because they also contribute to that feeling of this being the first part of the season finale. This episode gives an information dump about the first ones, and while a lot of it turns out to be untrue, it is answers, for the moment.

Most notably, the series is now a sci-fi story, instead of an epic fantasy story. I know those terms are loose and ill defined, but you get the idea. This episode sets up the Horde landing, the First Ones being also from space, and the empty dimension.

But there is one majour moment that makes this feel like part one of a finale. The downfall of Shadow Weaver.

This scene is really cool, as it's when Shadow Weaver fully unravels. She loses her authority when Hordak gives that to Catra, and she loses her access to her magic in the same moment. Shadow Weaver is a character who covets power so taking these two away is a gut punch, and despite Catra being a villain at this point in the story, this scene is cathartic as all hell.

It isn't a hot take to say that this is when Shadow Weaver is at her most abusive. She loses, and starts spitting insults, for no reason other than self-gratification. She needs to feel powerful and so she tries to get that feeling by belittling someone she percieves as weak. She has been doing this the whole series but now she is unhinged.

Once again with Shadow Weaver, the things she says are unnervingly realistic, I know for a fact that certain people watching this episode have heard some of her words before, aimed at them.

But the reason this is so cathartic is because Catra isn't scared. Scorpia is scared in this scene, and nothing has even fazed her in the entire season so far (she's been surprised, but she's never hidden behind anything). But Catra is winning, and completely above Shadow Weaver's nonsense.

Shadow Weaver's last mode of control was her hold over Catra, and it's the mode that the audience has seen the most of. So, watching that get so thoroughly shattered is satisfying.

It's important to me that when Catra deals the final blow, she is striking downwards. The power dynamic is reversed, and now Shadow Weaver has to look up to see her, showing Catra has moved beyond her, at least for now.

Also, as a tiny detail, this is the first time we have seen Scorpia go through several emotions. Fear is the obvious one, but also grim determination, and anger. The blink and you'll miss it expression as she carries Shadow Weaver away is fantastic. Here, Scorpia is pissed and its awesome.

Finally, Swift Wind is introduced in this episode, which is... complicated. I don't find him funny or endearing, and since he is so desperately trying to be both, I'm not really left with much for the rest of the series. In this episode, however, I actually like Swift WInd's introduction. I think being a riff on Dobby the House Elf (sue me Galbreath, I dare you) is actually used to better effect here. Instead of his rebelliousness being just a comedy thing, its also used to motivate Adora with a peptalk.

"What good is all your power if you don't use it to help the people that you love?"

Swift Wind gets flattened in the rest of the series, but I think here, as a kind of eccentric heart character would have been a really interesting take on him and might have made him more popular with the fans.

Final Thoughts

I haven't spoken about the stakes in this post, and that's because that's what I will go into next week. Suffice to say that they build steadily over the course of the episode to set up the finale.

Next week, I will be looking at the actual finale of the season. The Battle For Bright Moon, so stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[bootyyy-shaker9000]

random TMNT headcanons that I conjured up while on sick-brain

notes and contents: for any/all iterations, non specific. a lot of self indulgence (Gender-Neutral! Reader), relationship is intended to be platonic, but it's pretty much up to interpretation. physical affection. mentions of turtle biology.

MASTERLIST, RULES FOR REQUESTS

• Being friends with the turtles consists of sending them a message while you're up late at night asking if they wanna grab some food, drive around aimlessly or somewhere specific that sounds unheard of at such a late hour, and them saying "aw hells yeah" and meeting up with you as soon as possible.

• It's more often than not that his mattress breaks and tears from the blunt edges of his shell digging into the material. Or if he lays on his back more, there'll be sagging depending on where he lays the most that will be bigger than the average butt dip. Basically, sleeping in his bed means you'll get the occasional spring jabbing into your ribs or end up rolling into a dip whenever he moves. It isn't exactly easy for him to get a top notch mattress in the first place so good luck with that.

• If you're a manga/anime geek looking for which guys to geek out to then Leo and Mikey are your guys. They have a handful of volumes from different manga that they found from rummaging up top, but none that are from the same series so they have a lot of mismatched knowledge on them. Casey is the one that indulges them in all the anime that he loves and it isn't uncommon to find the three gushing about the respective shows they're watching together. If you're into that, they'll let you get in on the action! But you're only gonna be watching it in sub. None of them will budge for dub, soz bro (unless you have an impairment that requires otherwise, then they'll make the exception for you obvs).

• Heavens hope that you're a human radiator because these guys Need That. He will be clinging to you the majority of the time if you give him the permission to. He'll even do the cricket thing and rub his legs and feet against yours to build up some of that cozy-cozy heat. And if you're not naturally warm-bodied? Then expect to be bombarded by plenty layers of blankets if you're hoping to cuddle with him man, you're going to have to make up for the loss of heat somehow. He might get a little petty about it, might not. I mean, you humans ARE supposed to be warm-blooded but whatever 🙄

• He's almost always cold to the touch (tends to be worse during colder months), but if you've had physical contact with him for long enough, e.g. you had a hand resting on his thigh or face pressed to his plastron, the spot warms up under your touch easily and lingers for a while after pulling away. So if you've been cuddling with him for long enough under a bundle of covers, you're eventually gonna have a toasty turtle (fat chance of you getting up for whatever reason now pal, rip to your bladder).

• The guys don't get the proper amount of exposure to light as they should do for turtles, as they require appropriate levels of vitamin D to allow the absorption of calcium from the gastrointestinal tract. Calcium is the most important mineral in a reptile’s body and Donnie knows this, has done for ages. One day he confided in April about it and now, to this day, April buys them all vitamin supplement gummies that she's adamant about them keeping up with. Fuck knows how they managed to make it this far without them man.

↳ Eventually, April invested in getting them an appropriate basking lamp fitting for the four of them because she was seriously concerned over them never having one in the first place. (Fact: UVB (Ultraviolet B) is crucially essential for turtles because the lack there of can disrupt proper shell and bone growth, as well as making them ill and die long, slow, painful deaths from metabolic bone disease. Seriously I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY MANAGED SO LONG WITHOUT IT). After being educated by Donnie and doing her own research on testudine biology, she became greatly paranoid over their health for the long-term and still is to be honest. She just really wants her boys to be okay and properly looked after :/

• Hugs are really appreciated amongst the four. They're nice, loving and Warm. Whether it's a quick side hug or a long embrace, he's ecstatic enough just to have his cheek nuzzled against your warm one and you encased in his arms.

• With nerves in their shells that lead back to their nervous system, the guys can feel their carapace and plastron being stroked, scratched, tapped, or otherwise touched, and let me tell you each and every one of them would be oh so grateful if you gently did as such. It's less likely you'll have him asking for it, but he definitely wouldn't complain if you casually start stroking over the scutes in his carapace. Scritch scritch a little bit too, that'll definitely hit the spot. Get a body scrubber and some skin-sensitive soap, scrubbadubdub on that shell and you'll get a happy (and partially clean!) turtle.

↳ Linking back to the cuddling, he definitely wouldn't mind being a little spoon. The warmth of your body seeping through his carapace is the quickest way to getting him settled, cozy and maintaining his general body temperature. 

• Occasionally, if they're feeling too cramped in their shells, they'll exhale air out of their lungs which makes a noticeable hissing sound. It'll happen at any time, any place. Don't be too spooked when you witness this for the first time, you'll get used to it. Eventually.

• Kind of expected, but Leo will make brews for everyone often if you're all hanging out together in the lair. He'll only make tea, and if you wanna keep your cards right - and be a nice enough friend - you'll accept it every time. He'll jazz it up with different flavours that they've got in store so it isn't the same drink every time, but if you're in the mood for something more caffinated, you're looking at the wrong guy to make it. He just doesn't think coffee's all that great and subtly tries to urge those around him to avoid it because he cares :) don't take it personally :)

• They have a massive intrigue towards hair - because they don't have any! Yeah sure, dad has fur, but there's something different about their human friends having hair long enough to play with. Dude, if you have hair and are comfortable with others touching it, the turtles'll play with it all the time. Just sit yourself in front of him on the floor while he's on the settee and just let his fingers roam the surface area of your head. Got a buzz cut? He'll run his palm across it over and over again 'cause Woah it tickles. With hair that's any longer, he'll card his fingers through it, tussle it, lift it up just to let it run over his hand and/or braid it if he's been doing it for long enough to learn how. He'll honestly have a blast with it and so will you. Trust me on this, I'm doing you a favour here (they've already been doing this with April and Casey for years, it won't take them long to rope you into it too).

• Cuddle piles?? Hello??? Dude, huddling together during a movie night with the gang just to finish it off with falling asleep holding onto one another because you're all close enough and shameless towards being that affectionate with each other?? Catch me joining in on that shit.