#i feel like being in the same space as artifacts is like...when people say the veil between worlds grows thin in places. but for time.

[venture4treasure]

"Footnote"

Words: 1065

Premise: Venture and Ex-Talon!Reader talk about history to-be.

Warnings: Scars, Description of violence 

Sprawled out across Venture’s lap with the afternoon sun warming your back is one of the most pleasant ways to spend your down time. You shove your face into the pillow between you and Venture, mind begging for a nap. They rest their hand on your back, tracing down the shape of your spine, you melt into the feeling. Their hand sneaks under your shirt and trails back up your back. You can feel their calluses against your skin, scratching an itch you didn’t realize you had. 

You hear their breath hitch and you lift your head to see what’s caught their attention. Their hand is stopped at the edge of a large scar that tore across your back. The scar tissue is smooth and pale, dipped slightly lower than the rest of your skin. It's also violently jagged and marred, few things could leave a scar like that.

“You can touch it, not like I can feel anything there anymore,” you laugh, trying to bring up the mood. You drop your head back onto the pillow.  

“I did this to you,” Venture frowns, ignoring your comment.

You roll over, turning your back against the couch. Venture’s hand finds its place on your stomach instead. You're a bit annoyed that your afternoon took a turn like this — you could be napping right now. And recalling the story of the scar isn’t nice either, the reminder is enough to make the area tingle with a phantom pain you shouldn’t even be able to feel. 

Nobody forgets how it feels to be on the receiving end of a proper fight with Venture, the tremors and rumble from their drill. The feeling of plates and threads meant for cutting stone against flesh. It’s unforgettable. 

—

You’d genuinely believed you were going to die that day. 

You had been with Talon back then, out in the field to find whatever it was that your commander sent your team out to find. ‘You’ll know when you find it’ was all the details you were given – you’d nearly rolled your eyes at him when you’d been given the order.

The search crossed paths with Overwatch and the Wayfinder Society. It was unlucky that both groups would be at the same site your team was assigned to. You were all ill-prepared to handle Overwatch, much less both organizations at once. You had call the shots, you told your crew to retreat and that whatever consequences Talon had for your cowardice would be easier to handle than if Overwatch had gotten ahold of you guys – despite being Talon-affiliated, your team weren’t bad people and definitely didn’t deserve to be doomed to whatever fate ‘good guys’ wrote for them.

You would’ve gotten away too if Venture hadn’t caught you – your first meeting. They had been mad, screamed and shouted about artifacts and history. You didn’t really register anything about what they were saying, the sound of rushing blood deafened you. You had every intention to put a bullet in their head and book it before any backup arrived. Unfortunately, ever stubborn and skilled, Venture didn’t withdraw at the notion of a gunfight. They fought well with such an unconventional weapon. Impressive in retrospect, but horrifying in the moment. There was no way for you to land a good shot with the way they were moving and defending. No matter how much you backed up, they closed the space between you two faster. 

Too close, you had managed to keep Venture from slamming their excavator into your front point-blank by swinging your rifle at it. The drill sent painful tremors through your arms when your gun made contact – if you had a spare moment, you’d wonder how Venture was even holding it. Having traded your weapon to save your life, you couldn’t do anything when Venture swung again except dive out of the way. 

You weren’t fast enough, the drill ripped through the clothes and flesh of your back and sent you face first into the ground. You had screamed, raw and fear-filled. It seemed to snap some sense into Venture, who shut off their excavator, the silence without the engine was suffocating. They approached you and you could see your own blood drip off the ridges of their weapon. They had a scowl on their face as they radioed their location and reluctantly threw their jacket on your wound and pressed to keep you from bleeding out. They mumbled about how it was the ‘right thing to do’. 

—

“I was on the wrong side of history then,” you shrug, your feigned nonchalance breaking Venture out of their remorseful thoughts. They chuckle a bit. 

“There’s no real wrong side of history,” Venture smiles down at you, their mind now on a different train of thought, “history is written by the winners, and everyone wants to win in the present”. 

You swat at the air, “technicalities and whatever. You think you’re the good guys, no? So, therefore, you should think that I was on the wrong side of history. Simple”.

“Uh-huh,” they say, amused at your logic. 

They watch you with a soft expression, wearing the golden hour sunlight so prettily. Your heart stutters at the sight. 

“Look,” you swallow, “it’s my eternal joy to be able to spend my life as yours”.

“Aww, that’s sweet,” Venture coos, unsure where the unprompted affection is coming from, but happy to hear it nonetheless, “I love you t-”

You pull at their shirt, tugging them down to meet them halfway for a kiss. They give into you easily. 

“Sloan- No,” you correct yourself, “Venture”.

Your voice saying their call sign catches their complete attention.

“Venture,” you reiterate, your hand tangling in theirs, “your story was meant for the history books. Venture will be remembered for years and years after we’re all long gone. Venture of the Wayfinder Society, Venture of Overwatch, you’re destined for the spotlight in history. Maybe you’ll even get your own chapter,” you laugh.

“Right or wrong side of history, I’m happy to be just a footnote in your story”, you add softer, “as your lover”.

Venture hisses something in Spanish – you’re certain it’s a swear. 

They squeeze your hand, “Amor, I’ll make sure my story is a good one so you can be proud to be a part of it,” they promise with unwavering conviction. 

“I know,” you breathe, “I know you will, Sloan Cameron”.

Author’s Note: Reader’s fight with Venture was when Overwatch was first building relations with the Wayfinder Society. So, new and inexperienced, Venture mostly fought on instinct and emotion. They aren’t as violent anymore in fights. 

If you made me write out the entire story in my mind, it’s enemies to lovers. Slow burn, but picks up pretty fast once Reader and Venture’s relationship shifts from negative to friendly. During Reader’s time as a captive, Venture is constantly dropping by to share information about artifacts, at first to guilt-trip Reader and later it evolves into a daily routine to share about their day to Reader. Eventually, this relationship convinces Reader to spill what they know about Talon. Venture convinces Overwatch to let Reader go. Now they both live together and fall in love and all that good fun. Cheers! 

Hope it’s not too out of character… I haven’t been able to consume much Venture content lately :( It got harder and harder to get the confidence to write again, so I sat down (reminded myself that I am supposed to be less critical of my writing here) and just wrote whatever I wanted :)

[bloodyinkandquill]

Mach x Reader (HEHEHEHHE)

first off I have very strong opinions on this being a Mach self shipper so this is self indulgent

- So first off, Mach gets misscharacterized far too much, she’s serious sure but she’s also got a silly caring side!!

- When you first get together she remains pretty stoic, wanting to take things slow, though with her perception of time being warped beyond recognition how slow it really is really depends

- She’s fine with basic PDA but she doesn’t want anything extreme, holding hands, kiss on the cheek when others are around is about as much as she wants

- However in private Mach can be very touchy, as long as you’re ok with it, she doesn’t like being touched but she’s also touch starved and your touch feels different, a good different

- Hugging, cuddling, snuggling, kisses all over, she loved being close to you, though she is afraid of hurting you due to how strong she is, also with her height she’s completely fine being big spoon but every one in a while she does wanna feel small and be held

- Her love language is probably quality time, she doesn’t mind what yours is but to her just doing things with you, or just being in the same room doing different things but together feels so soft and sweet to her

- Not big on pet names, maybe one or two either basic or one specific one she gives to you, and on her she’s fine with them but does think just hearing you say her name is more romantic, speaking of her name she doesn’t mind if you call her Mach or if you call her Carolina but sometimes she does prefer Carolina as it’s a more reserved and personal name

- Mach gives you such interesting and peculiar gifts, flowers you’ve never heard of, an artifact that gives you maybe good luck or keeps you safe, she gives you things ‘as unique as you’ in her words

- She doesn’t need to sleep as much as you, so she’s fine working on things in a chair by your bed, every few nights she may join you, even if she doesn’t actually sleep, just holds you closely but carefully

- Honestly Mach is not a great cook, if you can cook however she eats whatever it is, you being able to cook would be so endearing to her, again she doesn’t need to eat as much as you but that isn’t to say she can’t eat, if you want her to eat a meal with you, she will

- Danger? Don’t know em! She will never let anything hurt you, she’s very cautious, and a little too protective some times, she’s worried to let you board the elevator because you could get hurt, same with running any of the courses, but she trusts you even if she’s anxious, if you do get hurt she goes full mother hen, your a mortal she sometimes forgets how much an injury would truly affect you, so a simple scrape can make her panic

- On that note Mach’s protective of who goes around you, MR is anywhere near you she teleports you away before destroying him. Then certain floors she’s very cautious of due to their inhabitants such as Shop Space as Enphoso can be violent, or Funny Maze as Scary Mike hurts people who enter his residence

- Takes you on whatever date you want, you wanna see a pretty planet? You were on course yesterday. Nice dinner out? Reservations been there for weeks. Go to the beach? She’s found you two a secluded spot no one else will bother you and a swimsuit that fits you perfectly in a matter of seconds.

- Please put your body weight on her, it helps ground her and makes her feel close to you, and she doesn’t have to worry about hurting you if you’re the one on her

- Due to all the shit Mach’s been through sometimes she needs your help to return to reality or just needs to cry in your arms, she misses her siblings a lot and is still terrified of her great grandfather so she needs comfort sometimes

that was a lot longer than i intended, hell i still have more to say, do please let me know if you want more Mach head canons!

[chribby]

pluto in aquarius rambles

Pluto in Aquarius = Power to the People

Pluto = Power

Aquarius = Human, the Water Bearer, rules Groups of people, and demagogues.

I have several predictions based on Pluto in Aquarius. Pluto in Aquarius will be ruled by a Saturn in Pisces when it moves on Jan 20th, 2024... and as we can see, people are receiving reprecussions (Saturn) based on their Beliefs (Pisces)

Previously, I’ve predicted that it would be the Fall of Silicon Valley. In fact, while Pluto was briefly in Aquarius this year, Saturn stationed in Pisces on March 7th (One day before my birthday, lol) and Silicon Valley Bank ended up doing a bank run.

EDIT: 02/23. I just checked. Saturn did go into Pisces 03/07, but Pluto wasn’t in Aquarius until 03/23. I do consider Pluto to rule financial systems, and I do think the Saturn transit did spark the bank run, but I wanted to correct this! I am sorry! Pluto spiked the same bank run on Black Monday 2008, and led to the subprime mortgage crisis. So, Saturn-Pluto, but NOT Pluto in Aquarius. I apologize.

I think it’s fun to use astrology in tandem with what we’re experiencing because as above, so below. But, it’s more fun to be able to recognize the energy that you’re looking at.

So, here’s a little loose list of things that I think will happen during Pluto in Aquarius.

1. Power (Pluto) to the People (Aquarius) = Our reliance on these big corporate structures (Capricorn) will lower and lower, especially as we see ourselves getting punished for speaking about what we believe in. I feel like we will question sources of power, and then look into finding our power within ourselves. I feel like there will be more demagogues lol. But mostly, it will be people turning to their communities.

2. Political Revolutions - Last time Pluto was in Aqua was from 1778-1798 and I swear to god they got that bitch cracking like CRAB LEGS. They had

Irish Rebellion

Settler-Indigenous Wars

Indigenous rebellion against spanish colonization

Haitian Revolution

Northwest Indian War …

Like THEY WASN’T FUCKING PLAYING. So, you already know what time it is. I guess my question is how will the INTERNET play into this?

3. Ass play is about to be as common as kissing in my opinion.

4. Here’s more general predictions lol

cyber crimes, technological terrorism worse than data breaching, pen testing (Pluto = Terrorist activity)

online tombs

cyberpollution

Camgirling is about to change in a new way.

Digital sex work

Digital smut (erotica writers? You’re up)

Digital Decay will be addressed. We will see the first ruined images due to natural jpeg artifact build up

Digital Third Space/Metaverse will be expanded upon. Focusing on a decentralization of both this technology and the need for this “digital third space” will help this from being some terrorist rich kids fantasy.

4. OH AND LIKE I FUCKING SAID. SILICON VALLEY WILL FALL.

5. 3D is up, more focus on 3D. I saw a tweet about that, but I think that a lot of the kids will be more advanced at 3D vs how we as kids went towards digital art? Idk how to make that make sense but yea.

6. Cybertheft. Feels like there is about to be A GLARING VULNERABILITY LOL THAT JUST WENT UNCOVERED UNTIL NOW and it will get EXPLOITED AND TORE TF UP

7. Everybody thinks they’re fuckin Jon Stewart … one thing I haye about us Aquarii we don’t know how to shut the fuck up sometimes…

8. Streamers held the long con enough for people to forget responsible pirating, but this will turn on its head during this transit I think…

9. Looking at the internet….

Pluto rules generations. So pluto in Aquarius will be a new generation. And they will be weird as hell.

Pluto in Scorpio = When World Wide Web was created.

Pluto in Aquarius = WWW Square. And I feel like now, we’re looking at the damages and transformations the internet underwent since the web was created. It feels much more hollow.

I think Pluto Squares tell us how to fix things. Just saying.

This is all I have… for now….

[baek-at-it-again95]

Walk The Plank (KHJ x fem reader)

Chapter 16: If Without You

You had grown up hearing tales about the infamous pirate crew ATEEZ—the fearless, power-hungry men that roamed the seas in search of the most valuable treasure they could lay their hands on. You almost didn’t believe the stories your mother had told you as a child...not until you wound up on their ship  

Warnings for this chapter: tall heights, soft mingi lol, angsty!

A/N: HI ATINY BABIES! It’s been a while! I wrote half of this before seeing TXT and then my brain was fried for the weeks following... I hope you are all enjoying your summer so far <3

Previous: Chapter 15, Masterlist

Chapter 16: If Without You

"I have something I want to show you."

You follow Hongjoong as he leads you outside, a comfortable silence falling between you. It's a nice break from the previous chaos. 

You pass by a flower field that is beautiful in the moonlight, and you realize that the building you just left is surrounded by a farm. It's on the outskirts of a city, which looks like the Sector One you had jumped from moments ago. You space in and out as you follow Hongjoong, sometimes glancing at his hat from behind, wondering if he knows you're looking at him.

"You were not lying when you said your Sector One was similar," you mumble. He looks back at you, waiting for you to catch up to his side before answering.

"Did you not believe me?"

"No, I just...did not imagine there could be so much of the same thing in all these different worlds."

"Humans are very repetitive beings," he replies, wide eyes glistening in the moonlight. "Their history seems to repeat in similar patterns, whether from one world or another. Things that are present in one are present in the next."

You look at him curiously. "Do you think that is a good thing?"

"I believe it can be a good and bad thing. For example, bad, because you, me, and our alternates seem to be wanted in different timelines." You play with your fingers nervously at his statement. "But also good, since we are together in those worlds, as well."

"So perhaps it is beyond just a simple repetitive history. Like... fate," you suggest.

"That is true. Though, I would rather it not be."

"Why?"

"Fate is such a set concept. Like there can only be one option and one outcome, you know?"

"I see. You do not like your fate, if this is what your fate is. Correct?" You look at him with a frown.

"Yes. I would rather this life not be destined for every alternate version of me."

"Well, like there are different versions of you, I believe there can be different versions of fate," you reply. "I am sure that somewhere, an alternate of you and your lover are together. And they are happy." You keep your eyes on the ground as you exit the fields of the farm. The ground transitions from dirt to the same kind of odd, smooth ground from the previous city.

"I can believe that," Hongjoong says. "Actually, I know that we are together, happy somewhere. I have seen them."

"Oh, that is nice to hear." You give him a sad smile. Had he seen his alternate with his lover somewhere in the world you had just jumped from? Or maybe he's jumped worlds before even meeting you. You wonder what other kinds of artifacts aside from the Cromer possess such a power. What do the Guardians use to jump? Does each world have its own version of the Cromer, like they do people? 

He nods. "I hope they stay together." Hongjoong pushes open the door to a tall building you hadn't even realized you arrived in front of. "Come on," he whispers, holding it open for you.

Hesitating for just a moment, you enter the new structure. He gently takes your arm, leading you down a narrow walkway into another door. In this one, there are steps going around and around, spiraling up to a ceiling you can barely see. You begin to ascend them quickly but slow down soon after. It feels as if there is no end to them as you continue up, so after some time, you abruptly stop in the middle of a platform.

"Need a break?" Hongjoong asks, smile on his face as he watches you catch your breath. 

"No, no. Are we almost there, though?" 

"Yes. Here." You reluctantly follow him up one more set of stairs and he opens a door, taking you outside. You cautiously step out and look around.

"Wow." From here, you can see all of this Sector One. Little lights in the windows of the many structures sparkle like stars, making the ground look like a mirror of the sky. The lights expand across your entire line of sight, and the moon looks huge as it looms over the city, casting its low light over the buildings. "This...is beautiful." You can't tear your eyes away from the view. Unlike the last time you were high above the ground, you are not scared. You feel free. 

"Isn't it? I used to come up here a lot when I couldn't sleep."

"We are all so similar." It reminds you of the time your captain found you out on the deck, watching the reflection of the moon in the waves. He told you the story about his journey to Twilight Cove and you had fallen asleep right there, on the steps to the quarter deck. You smile to yourself.

"What do you plan to do once you get home?" Hongjoong asks. 

"Oh, I have not given it much thought. I was not even sure we could get home before this."

"I see. There is one thing you must do when you go back, though."

"What would that be?"

"You have to break the Cromer."

"What?" Your breath catches in your throat. "But we searched so long and hard for it. My father's entire life of research is in our hands, and you want me to break it? As if it is nothing?"

"Y/N, I understand why this would be upsetting. But your life will continue to be in danger as long as you have it in your possession. Once you rid yourself of the artifact and its effects, the guardians will likely not be able to find you."

"But Hongjoong—"

"I know, darling. It is your decision, and I will not be there. Just...think about it, please. I do not want you to live a life like me where you just run and run." He runs his fingers through his dark hair and you sigh, nodding. 

Hongjoong then points to the sky, taking you away from the subject of the Cromer.

"Do you see that star right there?" He comes next to you.

"The brightest one?"

"Yes, that one. It reminds me of her. Sometimes I feel like giving up, but I know she wouldn't give up. So, I can't."

"Hongjoong...I did not know her, but I feel like she would want you to live freely. Without worrying about her. Just as you do not wish for any harm to come to her, she is probably hoping the same of you." He lowers his gaze to the ground. 

"I know, but I am selfish. I have thought about giving up, but after these past few days, I remember why I want so badly to be with her again. And if I can't, I will die trying." Your eyes widen at his confession.

"I see." You notice in the distance how an orange hue has begun to appear in the dark sky. 

"Y/N, I need to tell you something." 

"What is it?" you ask, still watching the skyline. You begin to see pink along with the orange.

"It has been nice to see you again."

"Again?" You turn to look at him.

He hesitates. "Y/N, you are my lover. In every universe."

The world seems to spin at his words.

"Hongjoong—"

"I know I am not your Hongjoong. And you are not my Y/N. But being with you has given me some peace. To know you are just as lovely as I remember, beyond time and space. It has not filled the hole in my heart, but helped patch it." You just stare at him, your jaw opening to say something but closing again. "Forgive me for keeping this from you...I just did not know if it would cause any issues earlier on."

"I suppose for me to be in love with the Hongjoong in my world and you to be in love with the Y/N in your world makes sense. It is just quite overwhelming to think about."

"I understand. How do you think I felt when you suddenly appeared and helped me escape that Guardian?" He laughs. 

"Terrified!"

"Yes. Thank you, Y/N. For everything."

"No need to thank me." You brush him off. "I did not do anything." 

"Yes, you did. Y/N, you're amazing. You saved our lives and you have been so strong through it all. And again, you reminded me of what's important to me. So, thank you."

"Thank you." You pull him into your arms and hold him tight. "For everything. Good luck finding...um...me." Hongjoong laughs at you, pulling back.

"Here." He pulls the Cromer from the inside of his coat, handing the shiny object to you. You accept it carefully.

"Hongjoong, how can I be sure I can go home now? You said it works best when I am in danger..." He holds onto both of your arms as he speaks to you.

"Trust me, Y/N."

"I do, but—" He places a chaste kiss on your cheek.

"And don't be mad at me, please. Understand this is for you to get home."

"But why would I be—" Hongjoong scoops you up, bringing you to the edge of the rooftop. Your eyes widen and your heart feels like it stops as he holds you over the wall. "No, Hongjoong," you plead. "There has to be some other way. I do not like this method."

"Trust me. Until we meet again."

"Kim Hongjoong I swear—AH!" You scream as he lets go of you and you close your eyes, hugging the Cromer tightly to your chest. You hear nothing but the wind in your ears as you descend. Home. You have to go home. You think about your crewmates and the captain you miss so dearly, along with the ship you had gotten so used to traveling on. 

Are you still falling?

You can't feel anything particular around you, and you're scared to open your eyes. But you know you have to eventually. With one deep breath, you open them slowly. You make eye contact with Hongjoong. Your Hongjoong. You take in his eyepatch, his hook, and his scruffy mullet that you missed. His telescope clatters to the main deck and it brings you out of your daze. He runs over and cups your cheek with his hand.

"Y/N?"

"Joong!" You practically knock him over as you bury yourself in his arms. He pulls you away, inspecting your face and your body for visible injuries. Tears prick at your eyes, and you sniffle.

"I am okay." You watch as a tear falls from his eye, too, and he pulls you back into his chest.

"Y/N, I was so worried about you." He places a kiss on top of your head.

"I was worried about you, too. I missed you so much." His embrace is enough to calm you completely, his familiar scent comforting.

"What is going on out her-" You hear Mingi's voice from behind you and you turn to peek at him with your blurry, tear-filled eyes. "Shit." He disappears back into the captain's quarters and comes back out with six other men who you missed equally as much.

"Y/N!" Wooyoung shouts, running over to hug both of you. "I knew you'd be back with no problem." You roll your eyes, smiling. 

"Where is..." Yeosang starts.

"He is home. I have a lot to tell you all."

"We do too," San says. "Mingi cried a lot while you were gone." You watch as Mingi jabs his laughing crew mate in the side, and you have to hold in your own laughter.

"I am flattered." Your eyes then catch a glimpse of the Cromer on the deck. You must have dropped it when you saw Hongjoong.

How are you going to tell them that you need to destroy it...

Taglist: @foxinnie8 <3

[alienteashop]

ALIEN ROMULUS

SPOILER WARNING

From Below the Cut

just want to say this is all my opinion but let's get into a rating from me lol

So overall I set a rating for Alien Romulus to a 8.5/10

This movie to me was great. there were a few drawbacks overall in which I feel took away from some of the horror elements in this movie like the amount of references to all of the other movies before it, and when I say all, I mean ALL of the movies both new and old

The thing about this movie is that I both hated and loved the fact that it was a mash up of every single alien movie before it, love in the fact that the tech was the same as the original movies (something people complained about in Prometheus) and that the original alien designs stayed the same in both looks and mannerisms

The thing I mainly disliked was the fact it was a mash up of every single movie, don't get me wrong some were really good and well done but others were kinda... cringe? In a way that you almost get second hand embarrassment from knowing them but in a laughing way

The actors I think did an amazing job and the general cinematography is great, it feels modern without taking away the old charm and tricks

The settings and placement of the general look and feel of everything was great with certain references to all movies and I believe even the game

Now I'm going to talk about the scenes in specific

just so everyone knows I'm not doing a summery I'm just talking about my favorite and or least favorite scenes

--

So in the beginning I just want to praise the use of the colony, an ALIVE colony I might add, and even though it's only a short part I do like the little insight you learn about the lives of the people and main characters, I also do like the clothes and lighting of these scene(s)

However in the beginning beginning aka the opening, they get transported fossilized rock and take it into research or whatever, not much is known other than the fact that the alien is back lol, it did kinda remind me of dead space with the artifact and it bringing the aliens along

And I think it was coolI also love the use of the androids in this film, with Andy being known as an android in the very beginning which proves to be useful later (Also I might add I do find the brother sister dynamic of the two bittersweet)

As for the facehugger scenes I absolutely loved them, I do think it was a little cliche with the whole body temperature thing and the fact that they couldn't see them because Andy said that if they sweat at all they kinda die and I felt like you would definitely sweat at that temperature especially with that stress but honestly it's kinda the nerd in me

However for the alien scene I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT I loved the use of a cacoon and the remembrance of acid for blood playing an important impact

I don't like the use of pressure in here I do feel like in space the pressure would definitely kill faster than it did/didn't but I appreciate the mention of it mainly in the ending scenes where her helmet is cracked and she didn't die? Maybe I need to catch up on space and pressure but idkkk anyway still the nerd in me

My favorite scenes were in the beginning they were walking down the halls and the lights was muahhh chefs kiss loved the tension and shot

I do genuinely like the lab part in the movie where the black liquid goop was shown as something good but was actually bad as seen with the rat transforming into its own thing

Because in the end although the Xenomorphic are parasites they are their own species in the end meaning they are going to be separate form whatever you put them in (idk if that made sense)

Now I will say I was a little hesitant when I realized in the end it was going to be a spin off of alien resurrection (aka alien 4) but I will say they did it amazingly

I do absolutely love their take of the human alien hybrid baby and the love the thing of the creature/baby eating its own mother like many species do and the creatures design is something that I will admit truthfully disturbed me the uncanny but also very human face and expressions made my skin chill a bit

I did not like the acid seen I feel like it could have been better

Final notes

--

I wrote this in my car directly after the movie so it's a little scatter brained but I needed to get it out lol

Okay truthfully that was all I really wanted to talk about I genuinely love this movie and thought it was great, and I will say that I'm just waiting for fanfiction of xenos of that one scene in the elevator where it caught Rain with it's tail, I feel as if people are going to eat that up 😂

Overall 8.5/10

Some cringey lines and scenes which are sooo obviously ripped from the past movies along with concepts but I think the movie was great and a fun time for sure

--

Also a thank you to @ozzgin for hyping the movie up for me 😆

[enkisstories]

Gingerrose in 30 pics

So here is another look back on the first story one of my couples appeared in.

It's set in the Star Wars universe and branches from canon halfway through The last Jedi. For those unfamiliar with the movie, in the broadest strokes it is about the last defenders of the Galactic Republic being on the run from the evil space empire.

In my story the heroes get joined by a disgruntled General of said empire. General Hux hasn't grown desillusioned about the First Order, he is just very, very pissed about a succession issue.

In the beginning Rose and Hux are only ever part of group conversations. He's partially responsible for her homeworld's destruction and caused her sister's death a handful of days ago. And she's even more evil in his book, having bitten him. No, these two do not have anything to say to each other.

The group is chasing after an artifact that will lead them to a place of power, power that they must not let fall into their enemies' hands. At one point they have a group meal, and the sims separate themselves onto different tables. Rose and Hux end up at the same table, alone.

The silence is more suffocating than Rey's first attempt at mac 'n cheese.

Soon after that meal the group passes time by playing a vintage computer game. Both Hux and Rose think they have won and cheer loudly. For a minute or so they have forgotten whom exactly they enthuse with here...

...but on the next planet it's back to strictly avoiding each other again.

(Spoilered for length)

At this point Rose & Hux isn't on the table yet. To the contrary, Hux gets flirted at regularly by Poe, much to the dismay of that one's boyfriend.

Finn confronts Hux about this. The General admits that there may be a mutual attraction, but also that he couldn't be any less interested in pursuing a relationship with Poe. He also casually drops the info that he doesn't "sleep with people for recreational purpose" while not ruling out the possibility of romantic attachment in general.

The heroes solve the riddle of Exegol and succeed in de-powering their arch-nemesis, Kylo Ren. It is time to part ways with Hux, but the rebels cannot just let an enemy of that calibre go free.

After everything they went through together, Hux offers the heroes to join him to rule the world together. They extend the same offer to him - join us and help free the galaxy.

In the end there is no common ground to be found. Rose electroshocks Hux and he gets taken to a secret prison.

A few months later Hux has escaped crater prison, but so has a monstrous, telepathic plant called Godmother. The First Order and the rebels once again join forces, this time semi-officially.

The brief time with his own faction has once again reminded Hux that despite his rank he is very much an outsider at home. The only ones who ever treated him respect have been the rebels. Hux is looking forwards to working with them again, to the point where he buys those "enemies of order and civilisation" chocolate treats upon the reunion. But Poe sees something even sweeter and the flirting begins anew.

When the group walks to their space ship, Hux and Rose hang back significantly and even feel comfortable enough around each other to chat.

Zooming in I caught them holding hands like this and that pretty much sold the pairing to me. Now I just had to make it work somehow.

To combat Godmother, the heroes need a full genetic profile of her. Problem: Their enemy already controls the government and the part not yet controlled is busy sweeping the goings on under the carpet. Most of their investigation consists of breaking into places.

During one such forays into a restricted zone Rose breaks a computer and with that leaves evidence of them having been here. When Ben yells at her for that, the other four unite against him, acting as a union.

Then comes the infamous Rylothberry wine incident, where everyone gets drunk, Poe and Hux duel with lightsabers and Rose walks into their blades. Poe's blade almost cuts into Rose's shoulder. Hux blocks with all his (drunken) might.

What could have been the beginning of a love story ends instead in Hux agreeing to a threemating with Finn and the stricken Poe.

Finn hopes that once the other two have acted on their desire, they can move on.

Next door Rose confides to Rey that she has a crush on both Finn and Hux, but hadn't said anything, willing to wait which one would get together with Poe.

Now she has lost them both and it hurts.

The group has to retreat to an underground bunker, where they continue their work. Hux and Rose become lab partners. They enjoy the quiet hours working together, still not talking much.

Hux overhears Rose receiving a call from a distant uncle. Turns out she has jokingly asked for an arranged marriage as a child, when she had thought to be too shy to ever pursue a boyfriend. Now the uncle has found her a partner.

Since Rose' homeworld is officially occupied by the First Order, Hux and Ben change a law to void the marriage contract.

Rose is perplexed. What made these two think that she'd agreed to this wedding?

Although he has been a fool, this one time Hux has meant well, what results in the first kiss of the lab partners.

Rose repeats her offer to the General. The bait has become tastier, but he's not quite ready to jump ship.

Things spiral downwards when the group has finished an experimental antivenom to Godmother's mind control. Both Rey and Hux had temporarily fallen victim to her, so Rose sees no choice but to test the antivenom on one of her friends and she picks Hux.

The choice is logical, but a sacrifice on a personal level, especially since the subject surviving wasn't a 100% given.

Silence rules again between these two, only this time cut by the occasional snark.

Rey and Hux find themselves exiled from the bunker due to their lingering infection. They find shelter in a landspeeder factory, where Hux does some growing up.

Among other things he gets over his aversion to kitchen work, learns to bake and realizes that he has a lot more to apologize for than Rose has. Right or wrong, he needs to make the first step.

The duo returns to the bunker, where they have been sorely missed. Everyone admits to have acted on emotion rather than rationally.

This is the last scene Rose and Hux have together in this chapter. He will stay behind to coordinate the planet's defenses, while Rose joins the group that confronts Godmother in person.

Time passes. An elaborate scheme makes Rey Palpatine the new Supreme Leader of the First Order, supported by Ben and Hux. This leads to a civil war and an extended siege on the planet Batuu, that threatens to become the site of a second battle of Jakku.

Rey's faction of the First Order allies with the Resistance and so Rose and Hux meet again on Batuu. Watching an Admiral swing around his grandson, they think of children of their own...

The couple is seen all over town, not hiding their relationship in the least.

Rose continues her work as commander of the engineering corps. Poe coordinates Batuu's aerial defence.

Meanwhile Hux and Finn form a crime battling unit, essentially acting as cops, a lifestyle that agrees with Hux a lot. Together they manage to destroy a criminal syndicate that not just plagued Black Spire, but also aided the rival faction of the First Order.

During the investigations it comes to light that Finn is the son of a crimelady from Batuu, who fled the planet.

Eventually the topic of children and with that of sex comes up. Hux is afraid that Rose might leave him if he doesn't feel the desire as often as her. He admits that his low sex drive had always been a source of pride to him, a cut above crude nature.

The problem is solved by all four agreeing to a semi-open relationship that only involves them, but no outsider.

Rose and Hux then win Batuu's first lightsaber tournament in the category non-force sensitives.

These duels normally have a clear winner, but a glitch in the game caused the finale to end in a draw. Never has a glitch been more welcome!

Although the letter of their alliance doesn't require him to, Hux shares a patent of his with the Resistance: He teaches them Hyperspace tracking, not just the makeshift counter Rose has already worked on, but the full technique.

At this point he believes in a co-existence with the annoying Republic and in Rey's ability to rule the galaxy.

However, after the civil war ends with Rey's faction being victorious, the First Order lets through that they are not interested in cooperation. They rebel against Rey in more or less subtle ways. The last straw is a trooper arresting Poe for having grown a beard - his ID no longer matches his appearance.

Hux publicly admonishes the trooper, only to get attacked by her.

Hux and Poe return to the Resistance base, where Rey is already waiting for them.

The reforming experiment has failed, the best they can hope for is for more First Order leaders to defect and help bring down the structure.

Rose and Hux - now a Commander of the Resistance - part ways again when Finn wants to explore his heritage and Rose and Poe go with him. Much to his relieve the crime syndicate lead turns out to be a red herring - the woman in question has been his nanny, not his mother.

The friends meet again at the Chapman farm on Batuu, where Finn meets his real mother and younger brother.

Rose, Hux, Poe and Finn decide to stay on Batuu. Poe will marry Finn, and Rose and Hux will build a home close to the Chapman farm.

---

Sources:

A new hope on Exegol

Godmother strikes back

The return to Batuu

These are chapters 5 - 7 of a story with my sims in the Star Wars/Batuu setting. Chapters 1-4 were starring my OCs with the occasional appearance of Kylo Ren and Rey as npc.

[meet-again-in-another-life]

The Golden Goddesses

The nature of the Golden Goddess remains mostly unknown. For this AU, however, I wanted to clear up just a little bit. Functionally, they will be very similar to the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece (in the way that sometimes they just do things because they feel like it and other times their actions will actually be for a grander impact on the world). I'll be covering their "personalities", their actions, the nature of their existence, and designs. Most of these are headcanons, but strongly based off of canon implications. Expand for more.

The Creators of the Triforce

Because they no longer have the presence of the Goddess of Light & Time, Hylia, they have very limited influence over the flow of time (Nayru being the only one who can still do anything close to manipulating it). The three of them can witness the split of timelines and entire other realms and universes of Hyrule, but they can only interfere within their own powers. Not even they can prevent an artifact of Hylia's (such as the Ocarina of Time or Gate of Time) or Hylia herself from altering time. They have to work around it. They can, however, go back and "replay" hundreds of years if they so wish to witness events and try to learn from them and gain a deeper understanding of the mortal worlds.

Because of the issue stated above, they do what they can to have an iron grip on fate and destiny in Hyrule. It is very rarely that the mere possibility of things being different from how they wish is achievable, to the extent that their intervention has prevented the timeline from branching out far too much. (Although, time has in fact branched out more than may be initially thought. Their interference in this AU is the straw that breaks the camel's back; that being, time and space themselves).

The Triforce is made from their very essence. Some say this essence is functionally the same as a mortal's blood. This is what allows Hylia's descendants and the goddesses' chosen to possess the Triforce within their body at certain points in the timelines. Each of them left their piece for their own reasons, but as a whole made the decision to create the relic regardless.

They operate with their minds very closely knit. They can telepathically speak to each other, sense the state of one another, and the like.

Being incapable of experiencing human emotions, the Goddesses often act in a neutral manner. They reflect almost solely the ideals they embody. This is what allows them to be flawed but still revered as "good" by the people of Hyrule despite their grand mistakes, which is why they are not at the ranks of Demise in myth.

After Demise's curse was put in place, they were unsure of what to do other than watch it play out. When Ganondorf split the Triforce in OoT and it went to the three respective holders, they recognized the perfect vessels for each of their pieces and goals; thus decided the fate of the cycle shall rest on the Triforce's chosen and repeatedly granted it to them across lifetimes.

Because of their usual inability to agree upon courses of action, they typically have time compromise and resort to extreme solutions (which range from creating the Light Spirits to creating the Great Sea). Despite this, the three of them prevent each other's destruction at their own hands.

Although they seem to have reoccurring symbols and associations as individuals, these will cross over often (for example, the Rito as evolved Zora in the Adult Timeline are associated with Nayru: but they are also associated with the earth and air). The information below is from a general sense.

Din, Goddess of Power

Appearance Description:

Din appears to be made from golden fire but emits a red aura. She has golden stones along her back.

"Personality" & Nature:

Din has the least understanding of living creatures and their emotions (out of the three). She acts entirely out of her own instinct and impulse, Nayru being the only thing she has close to self-control.

Notable legends and deeds:

She left the Triforce of Power to test humanity.

Din is attributed to having helped create the Goron tribe when she and Farore's work clashed as she carved mountains. In the case of this AU, she is also the one who allowed negative forces to be given a living form as demons (although Demise would go on to create monsters himself).

Believed in New Hyrule to be the one who warned OoT Zelda in the Adult Timeline of the formation of the Great Sea. Mostly because she was the one to jump on the idea when Nayru even vaguely suggested it.

(I am attributing most timeline inconsistencies to her boredom. I'll probably update this with more detail on that later).

Associated forces and elements:

Fire & Earth

She is associated with the boar, hence why Ganondorf becomes one when consumed by his lust for power.

She is often associated with mountains; particularly volcanoes. She is also associated with the colors orange and red.

Historians in TP's era believe that she may be, contrary to previous beliefs, the same Goddess of Sands worshipped by the Gerudo Tribe during the Era of the Hero of Time. She is often depicted with a snake in this era.

Her blessing increases the strength one might already have tenfold.

Most songs written in her honor use percussive instruments.

Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom

Appearance Description:

Nayru appears to be made of golden ice but emits a blue aura.

"Personality" & Nature:

Nayru values order and balance above all else, thinking of what can be interpreted as the "greater good" first and foremost. This leads to her being the most "sensible" of the trio, and being the one to usually exhibit "tough love." She is calm, collected, and blunt.

Notable legends and deeds:

She left the Triforce of Wisdom to guide humanity.

She is believed to be the creator of order, magic, space, and the concept of time; but her power over time itself is limited with Hylia gone.

SS Zelda has vague memories of Nayru. She believes Nayru may have been the one to create Hylia in the first place, knowing that certainly someone would try to abuse the Triforce's wish-grantint abilities. It was in need of a guardian, so she left one behind. However, Nayru was not one who understood the concept of life as Farore did; leaving Hylia to be somewhere between human and goddess, an incomplete and imperfect guardian. She gave Hylia most of her time-bound abilities, and a part of this never came back to her.

In the Era of Hylia, she gifted Hylia's people with some of her own power (considered magic at its purest base form) through the runes that would later create the ancient technology used in the war against Demise and the battle against the Calamity 20,000 years later. The people who harnessed it directly are those who became warriors chosen by Hylia, the Sheikah (although it was not Nayru, but Hylia who gave them the symbol of a tear alongside that of a watchful eye like Nayru presented them with).

She is believed to have given Farore the idea of the Parella, who would later evolve into the Zora.

Associated forces and elements:

Water & Ice

She is associated with owls, hence notable sages such as Rauru being associated with the wise creature.

Although Hylians in most eras have forgotten that Hylia is no longer an immortal being, Nayru is the closest Hyrule has to a replacement for the Goddess of Time; she was the closest of the three to Hylia. Similarly, she and Hylia are both often associated with love (Nayru with parental love, Hylia with romantic love) despite both seeming initially distant in the average eye.

She is commonly associated with magic itself, being the one who created it. She is associated with order, as well, being credited for its existence in Hyrule.

Her blessing allows the mindfulness and wisdom of an individual to have much greater potential, as well as gives the holder a deeper understanding of magic.

Most songs written in her honor include strings.

Farore, Goddess of Courage

Appearance Description:

Farore appears to be made of golden leaves scattering along the wind, with arms and a face appearing to be made out of golden branches and bark. However, she emits a green sort of aura.

"Personality" & Nature:

▪︎ Farore is the most merciful and "good" out of the three of them. She is also the most idealistic, valuing life and hope more than anything else (to such an extent that it may put her at odds with her sisters). She is, unsurprisingly, just as headstrong as Din.

Notable legends and deeds:

She left the Triforce of Courage as a hope for humanity.

She is often accredited for the existence of mystical creatures in Hyrule as well as humanity.

At the end of the initial three timelines, Farore supposedly created the Zonai to protect the threshold between the mortal realm's skies and the heavens (the Sacred Realm). They were given the Secret Stones and ability to draconify as a means of accomplishing their roles as something functionally similar to angels or other spirits in the franchise, but when the Zonai descended to what was once the Old Hyrule (declined by then after the curse went on for so long) they forgot of their origins and began to become closer and closer to lower mortals. The presence of dragon bones throughout Hyrule in BotW's era is because of many Zonai draconifying when they were not as spiritually "ready" enough to complete the ritual properly and ended up perishing soon after taking dragon form. This is what left behind only a few Zonai and a handful of stones.

Associated forces and elements:

Forests & Storms (winds and lightning)

She is associated with dragons, hence the Zonai's draconfication ability and worship of dragons.

She is often associated with life itself. Hence why beings close to the life of the earth, such as the Kokiri, are so close to her and much more aware of the spirits she put in place to defend life.

Her blessing gives a pure heart boundless courage and the ability to ward off evil.

Most songs written in her honor include wind instruments.

Their Role in the AU

Although they will not be directly seen often, space and time cross paths because Nayru reluctantly thins this fabric of the order she created via summoning the Mirror of Worlds across space and time. This is done once the trio decides to create the ultimate test to decide the fate of Demise's Curse with as little direct intervention as possible.

Farore and Din have argued since Demise's Curse was set. Din has wanted to destroy Hyrule (including the demons) to start over, if Hyrule is not strong enough to outlast the curse. Farore, on the other hand, wants to eradicate only what she deems as evil and set their chosen above all else. Nayru comes between them time and time again to prevent their clash from causing any destruction, leaving things mostly in the hands of mortals: only interfering in the way she deems fate must play out.

(Everything above is subject to change).

Note: Hylia will be receiving her own respective post. When completed, I will link it here.

Primary AU Info Post.

[nokikissa]

just some nerd shit thoughts and lamentations about dnd podcasts I listen to

I'm like so disappointed, there's one podcast (Cast Party) that's first season was like among one of my favorites I listened to, it was one of the ones where I got excited when there was a new episode!

Then at one point they started doing like side campaigns with different dm on the off weeks, and I didn't really care for those, assumed it was probably just me not vibing with the different dm's style...

But now they've started a season two with the same dm as first season, same player + two new ones, and I'm like multiple episodes into that and...

I don't care for it.

I think I'll drop out of listening to that one.

And that's rare for me, I've listened to and continued to find enjoyment of like The Adventure Zone which is like a poster boy for dnd podcast people liked the first season of but dropped out afterwards based on how many people I've seen say as much lmao.

And anyway it kinda bums me out! I used to be so excited when there was a new episode of the podcasts, like put it on top of the listening list type material. And now its like there's a new episode and I'm kinda just hmmm well is there anything else to listen to :/

And that got me kinda pondering about like what is is that I'm not vibing with that? And that reminded me of how in one of the The Adventure Zone Q&A episodes after they had done the mini campaigns after the first season Griffin talked about how it was kinda hard in the sense that they had just come from multi years campaign with a lot of like high stake/big moments in it and like the first instinct was to be all oh yeah more of the big moments and so on but those big moments worked cos they were built from all that came before, you can't just immediately aim for those things, and they felt that they came to some of the mini campaigns with kinda too thought out characters, you gotta leave space in the characters for them to grow and get build during the campaign.

And I kinda feel that's the issue with the new cast party season to me. Everything feels I dunno, too thought ahead and planned with the characters and plot?

Like almost every podcast the best season is the first one where everyone is like "Hey we decided to give this a shot, let's see how this goes" and the premise of the season is like initially pretty simple and characters are somewhat easy to explain and understand, but then as the season goes on and everyone finds their footing more convoluted stuff gets added on top of the simpler initial stuff.

Like The Adventure Zone started with three adventurers joining a secret organization hunting and destroying dangerous corrupting magic artifacts, Dungeons and Daddies started with group of stereotypical dads and their kids being transported to magical realm and needing to find their way out, and well even first season of Cast Party started out with group of hollywood actors and film crew gets transported to magical realm and need to find their way out. Simple. Easy to understand. All of them did add more convoluted and complex plot but that came gradually.

But second season of Cast Party I dunno how to exactly explain the plot simply? Something something group of people in a fantasy world start having memories of people in real world and they all have same symbol on their hand idunno? I'm not sure what's going on in it, it feels too convoluted from the get go for my tastes. And that doesn't hook me in.

And also 6 players is too much imo my sweet spot player amount for dnd podcast is 3-4 players 😞

Does this post have a point? Not really, just me whining that it's a bummer I don't like the second season of the podcast even tho I tried to get into it.

Annoyingly this means I'll need to find new shit to listen to I guess auugh.

Or maybe I'll just do a millionth relisten of Taz Balance.....

[quartxio]

What type of magic does each artifact grant? Do the artifacts have any negative affect the user? If so, are all the negative effects different? Is magic something someone can be born with? What are the dynamics between Quincy, Suzie, and TJ? What's Rebecca like? Does Teneson still have feelings for Rebecca and if so, does she like him back? Does Rose wield a unique kind of magic? What makes her powers different? If they aren't, can she wield multiple magics better than the average person? Where did Rose come from before meeting Mr. Riffraff? Is Charles evil in this AU? Which planet is TJ, Suzie, and Quincy from? Is there a hierarchy based on which planet you're from? What is Joseph Bright like and what are his motives?

I'm sorry for overwhelming you, I love this AU. One day I want to make one with my characters too! Doodle World: Starfall is an inspiration. (In my opinion.)

- magic follows the Doodle typings, so each Artifact grants a holder a specific power over a type. the main reason there's such a big race for them is because depending on the Artifact, the holder is allowed a level of influence over the Doodles of the Artifact's type; for example, if someone were to hold the Artifact of Minds, they could influence mind-type doodles to do their bidding, though they'd have to be at least past the novice stage of magic to actually be capable of doing that at all

- humans never naturally obtained magic, so if they hold onto the Artifact too much, they'll start to burn out in energy and grow weaker, and it'll eventually warp their bodies and minds into something inhuman. the negative effects are all the same between the Artifacts

- unless there was divine intervention, humans cannot be born with magic, it is always something learned

- at first, they have a pretty tense friendship due to Quincy being a rich snob that doesn't know how to talk to other people in a not rude way, Suzie being very very quiet 90% of the time and TJ talking way too much, but they become close friends after saving each other numerous times and sharing their dreams and insecurities. Quincy is the smart ass and often straight man of the group that is the one to take on Doodle battles head first when their group is challenged, TJ is the confident one that wants to show off his magic skills which either goes well or doesn't, and Suzie is the quiet kid that knows a lot about the world around them and helps them get out of situations involving the environment. in short, they're all smart but they share one brain cell in dangerous situations bc that's what kids do™

- Portia inherited a lot of her personality from her mother; Rebecca is outgoing and encouraging, not afraid to give Portia a push in the right direction when she falters. hidden beneath her bravado though is guilt for being involved in the imprisonment of Somniere and Verdrok, but DoodleCo and its cities are so reliant on them that she has decided that taking any action would create more problems

- Teneson and Rebecca have a bit of a strained relationship; they have feelings for each other, but both want to keep it professional since their line of work is very very dangerous

- Rose wields the power of the stars, she's on some anime magical girl shitttttt 🔥 what makes her different is her ability to conjure starstuff and utilize space itself, which is something humanity can never do without their machines. however, she can't wield humanity's magic at all because her body is composed of starstuff as a Constellation, so she is physically incompatible with it

- before DW: SF, Rose came from some distant universe where she lived as a cosmic archivist. she came to this universe with a desire to expand her library of knowledge and to find new life to document

- Charles follows the idea of "necessary evil", and he doesn't take pleasure in what he has to do to keep all of DoodleCo's cities running, but what other choice do they have? so i wouldn't say he's evil, just forced to commit it for the sake of his people

- TJ is from Eria while Quincy is from Earth. i have no idea where Suzie comes from yet

- there is no hierarchy

- Joseph... i actually haven't thought about him yet, but given his nature in canon i may make him somewhat similar to Rose. someone who does not belong, but unlike Rose, manages to blend in among the public. for his motives, i imagine he may be something of a herald for something otherworldly, like some sort of black-hole doodle, but this may change! so take this with a grain of salt

thanks for asking me these questions!! i feel appreciated that you're so interested in my AU, and im glad to be an inspiration :]

[soot-and-salt]

ooh also 15, 16, & 17 for "there's a sting in the way you kiss me" !!

Spoon, anything for you. That is low key one of my favorites, I am so sorry for how much I am going to talk your ear off now.

(Question from this list of fanfic author questions - come ask me more!)

15. Talk about the characters' struggles & how you decided on those

Weirdly, I wrote two very similar radiostatic fics within like two weeks of each other here? Both exploring the same thing (the fallout of their relationship) but in two very different ways. I just... like hurting them, I guess.

I wanted this one to be different from Come Closer, Don't Fight which was very heavily Vox being the aggressor. At the time (she said as if this was a historical artifact and not like two months ago) I didn't see a lot of fics that showed Alastor's feelings in the break up? I love giving Alastor feelings and seeing how he (doesn't) deal with them.

So we have Vox, who loves Alastor. Loves him beyond reason, beyond sense, but knows nothing will really come of it. And then there's Alastor, who loves Vox but doesn't know that's what it is. He doesn't recognize the emotion, the fondness, and what it has grown into.

Alastor kisses Vox back, when Vox finally lets himself try it. There is definitely a moment of "yes, this is happening" before Alastor remembers himself and hurls the man into the furniture. Vox throws himself about Alastor's mercy, believing in that love, and Alastor refuses to let himself be weak. He HAS to make an example of Vox. He HAS to push him away. I just don't think either thought it would be so painful.

16. Talk about the fic's biggest moment & how you came up with it

There's a lot in the fic that's handwaved or faded to black. The initial throw Alastor does to stop the kiss, or the actual fight at the end. I kind of like leaving that as space that can be filled in by the reader (and we certainly see it in how badly injured Vox is at the beginning). I think the biggest moment, to me, might be when Vox doesn't let Alastor's threat display scare him. He loves him SO MUCH that he willingly embraces his monstrous demonic form and begs him to love him back, to FEEL something for him.

I think it says a lot about them in that moment. How immovable Alastor is, how SCARED he is to feel again, to show this weakness even if it's Vox. And then Vox cares so much he puts himself in harm's way to try and make him understand. It's an incredible act of faith on his part and it almost gets him killed.

I just find it to be rather poignant that no matter how horrible, how deadly, how monstrous Alastor made himself, Vox chose to take him in his arms and hold him.

17. Talk about the fic's ending. Why did you end it where you did?

I like giving Alastor emotions. He is wildly unprepared for them, has no idea how to react to them, and at the end of this one he's dissociating so much he doesn't even realize that HE'S the one crying.

I wanted to make it clear that this HURT him. He loved Vox, in his own way. Vox got in under his armor and made himself at home. To drag him out of there destroyed Alastor. A lot of people write Alastor during their break up as callous or confused or angry. The offer of the partnership with the Vees or Vox confessing his feelings. Here, it's almost mutual destruction. I wanted to show that this was possibly one of the worst things that had happened to him in a long time and he knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was by his own hand. He hurt Vox, hurt the man he loved and trusted, and obliterated that friendship. All for his own pride.

I dunno, I just feel like it's more interesting if Alastor has feelings for Vox too and, despite that, STILL chooses to do this unthinkable thing to him.

I swear to you, one day I will write something that gives them a happy ending.

[and-his-hands-were-24-crows]

Here's a thing I've been kicking around in my head for a couple of days. Not particularly well-organized, but fuck it... we'll do it live.

So, back in the pre-social-media days of online spaces, relative anonymity was a lot easier. It was also the default. We didn't put our real names on any of our accounts, personal branding wasn't particularly a thing, and everybody just kind of was whatever they wanted. We had chatrooms and message boards and we made friends with random people who we'd never meet and whose names we probably didn't know.

In the latest of the 90's and earliest of the 00's, I was pretty active on some message boards as a member and later as a moderator. And, while I'm not sure I recognized it for what it was at the time, I was goddamn elated every time somebody "incorrectly" assumed my gender. I got to be in this space where I interacted with people on a daily basis who would read me the way that I sounded online, and usually that way was something other than how I was read in person.

I miss this.

I'm thinking about it because being on this site--and I've only been here a handful of months--is probably the closest to that vibe that I've experienced in quite a long time. At the same time, I've found that now that it's generally fine to talk openly about gender and one's relationship to it (because when I was growing up we didn't have the language, nor did we have much security in talking about it outside of close social groups), it's difficult to convey the nuance of that relationship without, at some point, in some way, saying how I was assigned in the first place.

I don't know that this is an inherent negative, but it strikes me as almost paradoxical that in being able to be open about how I feel about my gender and my presentation and how great it feels when people are "wrong" (and "wrong" here is probably an artifact of old thought patterns that are no longer beneficial or applicable), I lose some of what the older variant of online anonymity gave me. I like being able to talk about it and find people who get it, and I also miss just existing and letting the perception be whatever it was. People usually felt right about me. It was validating in a way that's different from this.

I hope you enjoyed this zero-structure essay. This is about as well as I can articulate things right now. //vague hand gestures//

[dandelion-wings]

More of the darker end of the Bindings AU, because this has been in my head for ages and I wanted to get the whole thing down. That said, it starts kind of vaguely/roughly, because @theabysscomeshome and I haven't nailed down exactly the circumstances of Crepus' death (even having Dottore involved is mostly stuff I've been spinning in my own head, we haven't hammered that out and there are holes around Diluc then taking the Delusion-equivalent here), and also I have not done the heavy lifting on the magical worldbuilding that I feel like those details need. XD;; But! This is, as in canon, a fairly important bit of backstory for both Kaeya and Diluc.

---

Father's papers are more and more troubling the deeper that Diluc reads into them. Purchase records, business contracts, private correspondence with people he never should have dealt with--there's so much here that Diluc never knew. So much that Father hid for him. It's almost a relief to finally find the books on Abyssal magic.

Diluc skims through the parts on summoning and binding with barely a glance, though his father's notations are all over them. Those are old; he wants the section with bits of paper studded all through, the way Father always marked whatever he was currently studying, only moving his notes into the margins once he was sure of them. It has a bit more on bindings, but only those imposed after the fact instead of during the spell. The bulk is about making existing artifacts, ones whose spirits were imperfectly summoned and thus are dangerous, safer to wear and to wield.

Slowly, dragging himself through the antiquated and technical language, Diluc starts to put together the intent of his father's abbreviated notes. He'd always intended to use the artifact that had killed him, that fragment of the Abyssal spirit called Il Dottore. But he'd intended to do it with precautions. Harnessing some of Kaeya's power into new bindings, his notes say, taking advantage of- oh, that's a page number-

'Even the most well-restrained spirit takes up space within the magical aura of the one who wields them,' the book says. 'Thus the foolishness and difficulty of attempting to wield many artifacts at once, particularly of different natures. Such an array blunts one's own magic. Moreover, multiple spirits attached to the same wielder will blunt each others' powers, limiting their mutual abilities, just as a talented enough pairing of wielder and spirit can blunt the bond of a weaker pair and thus limit their spirit's power.

'This can, however, be used to make poorly-restrained spirits safer to wield, for a short time, though such practice is not advised. It may even allow a well-tuned pair to interfere with the connection of a predatory or possessive spirit to its unwitting and endangered host, allowing the human life to be saved."

Beneath that is a series of diagrams and abstruse equations. Diluc hasn't studied deeply enough into these arts to understand all of them, but he knows who can. A sick feeling gathering in the pit of his stomach, he reaches up to peel the eyepatch away from his right eye.

:Could you have done this?: he asks Kaeya.

A moment's pause, the always-odd feeling of Kaeya's eye moving in his socket as it flicks over the page, and then, with an odd reluctance, :I suppose.:

:But you didn't know you could?:

Another, longer pause. The sick feeling in Diluc's stomach grows stronger. It doesn't mean anything. It can't. Kaeya is simply being reticent because he was shocked by the day's events. He's been silent since that last burst of power that drove Ursa away, since Diluc knelt down and put his blade to his father's neck to keep the spirit-fragment in that cursed artifact from achieving full possession. That was shocking for both of them.

:You didn't order me to,: Kaeya says at last, and there's still that reluctance, joined by vague unease. Not fearful, exactly, but-

No, it is fearful. Diluc can't lie to himself when he can feel it creeping into his own body, his own nerves, his mouth going dry and his heart beating faster as giving Kaeya access to his eye inevitably bleeds over.

:Did you know you could save him?: The silence in his own head seems to resound, and Diluc doubles down, turning it to a command, calling up all the strings of the bindings upon Kaeya and twisting them. :Answer me!:

:Of course I knew,: Kaeya says, and laughs, that horrible echoing sensation that's halfway Diluc's own laughter and halfway his own voice. :What do you think spirits do in the Abyss, other than shove each other around? Il Dottore is far beyond me, but that fragment was nothing at all.:

:Then why didn't you?!: That comes out a command, too, a roar of anguish in his own head, the memory of his father's blood on his hands rising up into tears that spill from his left eye alone.

He spins away from the research and his gaze is arrested by the mirror across the room, the small one on the wall where Father used to pause to straighten up before stepping out of the office after he took one of his secret little afternoon naps. His left eye is red from crying, his cheeks flushed and damp. The right is Kaeya's, deep blue in stark contrast to his own orange, the four-pointed pupil at the center small against even the lantern's dim light. It seems to stare back at him, meeting his own eye, as Kaeya's answer is wrenched forth.

:Why would I?:

The bitterness in that question stops Diluc cold. He instinctively opens his mouth, closes it again, tries to organize in his own head the command, the clear question, that will draw out some reason for all the senselessness of his father's death--and doesn't have to ask.

:Your father is the one who dragged me here, after all. Summoned me by force and wrote binding after binding into my anchor, so that I would be perfectly safe and perfectly friendly for his precious, golden son. Did he tell you that, Diluc? Or did he just tell you he was giving you a present?:

Sarcasm drips from the words that Father had said the day he'd presented Diluc with the earring. He'd never said outright that Kaeya's anchor was one of the old artifacts that still floated around Teyvat, accessible only to the wealthy and the fortunate. He'd only implied it. The spirit inside had been alone for a long time, he'd told Diluc. Lonely as Diluc had been lonely, separated from the children of the Winery by his rank and from Jean by his mother from the other well-off children of Mondstadt by his awkwardness and the constant training to become a Knight.

:I had my own father, you know. Not that you do know, since I was never allowed to tell you that. He may not have been any better than yours, but he was mine. And your father took me from him to turn me into a weapon, so that you could look better for the Knights.:

:That's not-: It is true. In a horrible, twisted sense, a complete misinterpretation of the man Father was, of the bond Diluc and Kaeya share. But it can't be anything but true, because Kaeya's bindings forbid him to lie. The thought that this might truly be how he sees things pricks at Diluc's heart. :You're not a weapon, Kaeya. We were friends.:

:'Were,': Kaeya quotes back, in his own mental voice, and laughs again. The bitterness in it roils in Diluc's own stomach. :Not much of a friendship, was it? Not that it could have been, when I never had a choice.:

That does more than prick; it hits like a physical blow. Kaeya has been his best friend, at times his only friend, since the day Father handed his earring to Diluc. It's not only his powers Diluc has come to rely upon. His magical knowledge, his quickness with words, his occasional advice and his more frequent teasing, equally likely to be useful if Diluc puzzles out the meaning behind his words.... He's been a part of Diluc for so long that this sudden revelation feels, for the second time today, like his heart has been cut from his chest.

"If you don't want to be here," Diluc says aloud, his voice cracking, "I'll send you back."

He isn't sure whether the hammering in his chest is his emotions or Kaeya's or both, whether the way his hands clench into fists is his own furious hurt or Kaeya seeking subtly for control. It doesn't matter. He reaches up and rips the earring from his ear, ignoring the sting. Ignoring, too, Kaeya's voice, suddenly alarmed.

:Diluc, wait-:

Ruthlessly, he closes Kaeya out. The bonds between them snap them thread by thread, every binding that had brought them together ripped in half and left to fray away from Kaeya's soul. Fire gathers within him and flows through his hand into the false metal of the earring. It grows hotter and hotter in his grasp as he tears the last vestiges of the bonds away. When he looks down the metal is softening, the gem starting to crack and char. So is his palm beneath it, he only belatedly realizes, and his fingers clenched around. The pain registers all at once, searing through the betrayal and the grief.

He hurls the earring into the fireplace. It continues to melt, sparks bursting around it and catching on the half-burnt logs, until it's glowing too bright at the heart of the flames. The edges have deformed, false metal flowing like molasses, the false gem cracked across and dull. Diluc sends another pulse of magic into the center of the blaze, and it vanishes, all at once, into a burst of dark shadow as difficult to look at as the metal's glow. A moment later, it's gone.

Looking down at his hand, Diluc sees the burn stretching out across his palm, deep into the flesh and already oozing pus and blood, and the bubbled blisters on his fingers. He flexes his grip and feels the burn pull at damaged muscle and tendon. Yet it doesn't hurt nearly as much as the scoured-out place inside him where Kaeya and Father both had been.

Diluc sits down in the chair at his father's chest and buries his face in his arms amid his father's damning papers. Tears flow from both eyes, now, as he begins to sob.

[yellowhollyhock]

Leo and April

Out of all the 03 turtles I feel like April had to earn Leo’s trust, he was always gonna be polite to her but there was a wall there, and that kind of makes it all the more precious when he does come around.

Leo doesn’t like change. A big part of his training with the Ancient One was learning how to be okay with it. And the very first episode is literally called “Things Change.”

Some of those big changes for the turtles are losing their home and gaining a new one, and meeting a human who actually becomes their friend. Both huge deals for teenagers.

Leo doesn’t initially like sharing his space with April. He even seems a little jealous when she gets along with Splinter. April has some reservations about sharing her space with five new people, too. The issue really does seem to be the space and not anything against each other, but still it takes them a little time to warm up. However, when they do. Neither of them do anything halfway.

The Auggie’s artifact episode I think is a big step. They’re on friendly terms before, but in this episode Leo starts teasing April. He doesn’t show his sense of humor to most people right away. I headcanon this is where he starts seeing her less as a civilian and more as a friend, because he’s vocally impressed by her gymnastics and the thing he teases her about is her whole “jungle girl” routine. Which is, uh. The exact flavor of dork that we’re used to seeing from Leo. He sees Her being a leader, taking the situation seriously, and really getting into her role (having fun being serious) and he’s like oh! That means it’s my turn to be the annoying brother! And then she throws mud at him, fighting back which he respects. From that moment on they’re equals. Later in the H.A.T.E. episode he pauses his favorite activity (private training with Splinter) to help her impress Casey’s mom, and during his big arc she’s the first (only?) person he confides in.

Side note, while I think he does see Casey as a friend, he never gets as comfortable with him as he is with April. Side side note, Leonardo never seems as comfortable with Any of their other friends as the rest of the guys, exceptions being April and Usagi. Guess you have to show yourself competent at leadership and/or ninjitsu to unlock the highest level of Leo’s friendship.

Something especially precious about these two is that they take each other seriously. Like, they tease one another, same as the other guys. But they’re both a bit more sensitive and serious, and because of that they’re also more careful with each other. Leo deserves one sibling who really buys his serious ninja routine, and April deserves friends she can have calm conversations with (her life became such chaos so fast somebody get this girl a pedicure—)

And speaking of pedicures, because they are both more serious and calm, Leo having gotten over his initial jealousy, I totally think they would have self-care nights together. Let April teach Leo about facials and ice baths for their feets. Let them eat chocolate and listen to relaxing music and enjoy not having to say anything to anyone for a whole evening. They’ve beyond earned it.

I think I kind of already covered favorite moments—uh. Fave concept, Leo April and Mikey have a book club. They would take turns picking because they all have such different tastes and IMAGINE APRIL AND LEO BOTH accidentally getting really into comic books and trying not to admit it to each other—dang it I have to write this now—

[trashcankitty12]

What was the ancestral witches and Valtor's relationship like? Which one of them was Valtor' favourite mother and which one was his less favourite? Did they ever love him or saw him as their son and did Valtor ever love them? Also what did the ancestral witches tell Valtor about how they found him? Did he ever find out that they were responsible for his parents' murder? Why did they make him call them mothers and not mistresses like the others? I'm sorry for asking so many questions at the same time, but I have always been curious about Valtor's relationship with his mothers since I have started reading your stories?

Putting this under a read more because it's going to be long:

Also this is only for my stories, okay? In canon, I can't say much on that other than speculation. Which is to say: it was most likely an abusive parent/child/experiment/master relationship and not at all pretty.

Their relationship was beyond horrific. The Ancestral Witches treated Valtor like a weapon or a soldier that just referred to as a 'son'. There was no love, no affection. Just orders and punishments if those orders weren't carried out to their liking.

It was volatile and abusive and honestly it's no wonder Valtor became what he did. It's all he knew.

I honestly don't see him having a 'favorite' out of the three because the closest 'traditional' mother figure he had, in my stories, was Mandragora. She and Darkar are the ones who took care of him when he was younger, though the Ancestral Witches were ever present and quickly started their 'lessons' on the boy.

Mandragora was the one who taught him healing spells and how to bandage himself up. How find simple joys (though he'd have to hide those from the Ancestral Witches).

His least favorite, however, is easy to pick: Lysslis.

Yes, Belladonna cut him down with her words and her tone of voice and had no problems with nearly freezing him to death or leaving him without food or water. And Yes, Tharma took far too much pleasure in striking him down with lightning or her own hands...

But Lysslis?

Lysslis made even his sleep an unsafe space. Nowhere was safe from her. And she made sure he knew that.

I highly doubt there was ever any love from the Ancestral Witches to Valtor. They saw him as a means to an end, their 'shortcut' to becoming goddesses and recreating the entire magical dimension. Nothing more, nothing less.

But... I suspect Little!Valtor, before everything really sank in for him, had some love for these witches. He grew up hearing that they saved him when his parents were killed, that they made sure he received care and training and support.

So he did have some love for them at one point... But that love would quickly turn to a sort of weird hate-you-love-you thing that many with abusive parents have. That weird state of you feel like you're supposed to love them and a part of you does because that's your parents, but you absolutely hate them too because of what they do and say to you. (At least in my... Experiences. It's a weird state of being and therapy helps unravel it if you can access therapy.)

Valtor mostly just wants to prove himself at this point to his 'mothers'. To prove to them and himself that he was worthy of their time and attention... (And then he starts wanting to cut himself loose, but that's a bit difficult when you've already put yourself into a blood bond... And had other bondings done to you...)

So they had Valtor grow up with the narrative that Marion's parents initiated an attack on Obsidian while his mother (and carrier of the Dark Dragon at the time) was still recovering from childbirth and that it was the soldiers of Domino and their royals who essentially destroyed all of Obsidian and ruined the once great realm.

But the Ancestral Witches and their group of powerful dark magic users managed to save some of Obsidian's people and artifacts, as well as keep the castle from being destroyed and keeping an infant Valtor safe and sound. From there, they decided to raise him and keep him close. For his safety, of course.

(And then they chose Mandragora and Darkar to watch over him because they had the most experience with childcare and because both had once been sworn to protect the royal line of Obsidian.)

As for him referring to them as his 'mothers'? They felt that if he grew up feeling some sort of 'connection' to them, he'd be more easily 'trained' and 'educated' and would 'fall in line' better. After all, what child doesn't want to impress their Mommy?

Griffin did find out the truth about what happened on Obsidian all those years ago, but when she tried to tell Valtor, he didn't exactly believe it.

Or rather... He didn't want to believe it even though deep down he knew she was being truthful.

However, at this point, leaving wasn't much of an option for him and he was already too caught up and invested in trying to take down Marion and the Company of Light. So... Nothing really came of that...

(Yet.)

[luckystarchild]

Okay this might be an odd question but what is Hiruko up to when he's not "on screen" in the story? What's a day in Hiruko's life like? Is he on his own all the time? Besides y'know plotting his next move;;

Probably heading to spoiler territory but I had to ask, this has been keeping me from sleeping Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑)

This is what I imagine Hiruko doing when he's not on screen in the story, just idly waiting for his next scene ʱªʱªʱª(˃̣̣̥˂̣̣̥)

He's got a specific place where he hangs out. The nature of it has been hinted at in the story, but we'll describe it in the story eventually, so I won't spoil it here. Let's just say it's remote and very private.

I think he's filled that space with a lot of artifacts and relics from his past, from the pasts of the Not Quites, and records of various kinds. Trying to avoid spoilers, but he's a bit of a magpie and collects a lot of stuff.

I think he spends a good bit of his time spying on people and nudging things in the directions he wants. Bit of a voyeur, that one.

Sadly, he's alone almost all of the time. It's not great for his mental health. Hiruko's life is a sad one. When he's around others, he's inevitably not being honest with them, so even with company he feels a sense of isolation.

Random headcanon: I think he's donned a disguise and joined a D&D league somewhere. It's a lot of pressure to puppeteer others. Sometimes it's nice to be part of someone else's story for once. He plays a selection of video games for the same reason.

Hope this was enough!

[mystrixstory]

My 4 am ramblings of space and stuff

Cosmis background radiation: CBR is radiation that is an after effect of the Big Bang. In the immediate seconds folllowing the Big bang the now (infinitely) growing space wasn’t really “Space” at first at all, as everything being made was too hot to have just about anything be created, only small particles such as quarks could survive this Cosmic Goop. This is because mainly in part the atoms that were created were too hot and unstable for the electrons surrounding them to, well, actually curround them and they couldn’t stay around for long, thus plasma was created and the universe was essentially this plasma for the next couplse hundred thousand years. Then, finally, once things did start to cool down as space as we know now it started to expand increasingly far and fast, we started to get gas! Hooray!

This gas was made up of the more known particles like protons and neutrons and other happy go lucky ones. And ever so slowly this gas began to combine and shrink due to gravity, and that’s how stars are born! 

   But what about the Cosmic Background Radiation mentioned in the beginning? Well we don’t see much of it today as it’s been stretched and pulled through quite literally, millions of lightyears of space and time. But that doesn’t mean it’s all gone because we can actually see it in none other than TV static! That old staticky, and quite frankly loud as shit, stuff that appeared when the channels ran out is in fact an artifact of ancient space. How cool is that?

Though it may not be the only left over remnant of historical space, it is mainly the only one we can see with the naked eye via television becaue our eyes can only pick up that kind of radiation. 

Ok not only is that all fascinating and cool, but I’d like to talk about infinity a bit more too.

Most people hear about infinity and how it’s forever and forever and they go “Oh ok, that’s all I need to know about it!” And then they just move on. But it’s so insane when you actually think about it. Because while time and space may be infinite, PARTICLES AREN’T. At least as far as I know and heard they’re not, but still! If particles aren’t infinitely made, or at least their blueprint for what  they make isn’t. Multiple world theory? Multiple world theory.

See, there was thing one thing this one person said in a documentary I watched about infinity, and it basically goes: if you put an apple in a air sealed box and then don’t touch that box ever again, that apple will first decay, then turn to dust, and after millions of years that dust will turn into something else (supposedly) and then that object will form into something else and so on and so forth. The point of this is to show that particles just don’t fade away, they create and will continue to create until the theorized end of time itself. So, if the universe is infinitely expanding, but not the particles, this very well could mean that there are copies of worlds extremely similar to ours, enough so that it could contain life, and if they can contain lifet who is to say that that life isn’t like us humans. If there’s multiple versions of earths like ours, this (in my opinion) could explain why we may sometimes get feelings like deja vu, because ourselves on another earth in this plane of existence are going through that same moment. This also could explain things like the Mendela effect, though from what I understand that’s just a big social mishap of everyone’s brains getting things mized up as they quite often do, and humans being the social beings we are tend to group together the moment we don’t understand something. 

This was supposed to be just notes of CBR but I got distracted by infinity and theories and stuff but ANYWAY