#it's the worst form of web development

[stxalq]

because seventeen years of implementing the same wordpress brochure template over and over again with the same three-line jquery snippets is going to leave you woefully unprepared for how far web application development has evolved. we're on our fifth or sixth language; third or fourth client/server paradigm; state management finally settled on some flavor of one-way, flux-ish design; we've tried templating at every layer in the stack and in every language; every new browser automation system feels like another coat of paint on past systems; you can deploy anywhere from a naked and vulnerable file server to an entire fleet of self-managing vm instances; you want your data in a lazy-loading table with prefetching, persistence, and live updates? cool we got you; you want that data reimagined as a stacked area chart with embedded controls for filtering and time range adjustments? done; a full office suite? encrypted media streaming? rbac enforcement? a rad synthesizer? you wanna play doom? you want all of that as a native mobile app? it's already been done

modern javascript builds only look bloated when you've never managed to make the jump from jquery() to document.querySelector(), let alone engaged with any of the other developments in ux and ui design or user and business expectations over the last twenty years

the guy who would prefer an echo chamber of js-bashing and confusing ux vs ui has an unsecured website (with an unmasked whois and open file system access) and probably shouldn't be your source of industry knowledge on web application development and deployment

[thefiery-phoenix]

YANDERE OVERHAUL HEADCANONS

He'd be attracted to people who don't have that 'sick disease' also known as a quirk. He'd want someone who's pure and clean and the minute he sees you and your quirkless form, he thinks you're an innocent naive helpless little darling that he NEEDS to protect since the pro heroes suck at doing their job

The idea of him keeping you locked away and isolating you from the rest of the world so you can rely ONLY on him for everything is really tempting and appealing to him (Sadistic prick)

If you had a really strong and useful quirk, he'd still be attracted to you though. Just, he'll make sure to get rid of it and rob you of it by stealing it so he won't have to see you 'suffer'. And THEN, he might lock you up and leave you in isolation 

If you're someone he decided to protect from everyone else, oh man... I PRAY for ya. He'll try befriending you and worming his way into you life and pretty soon, he'll ask you to come live with him. You agree but when you start rebelling against him, you'll be restricted from using your favorite things and lose your freedom

He thinks that he'd doing everything for the sake of your 'best interests' and to be honest, he knows more about you than anyone, even YOURSELF, considering the amount of time he spent stalking you and asking his men to keep an eye on you. He's like a doctor, but a really creepy and short tempered one. He'll give you regular checkups so expect constant fussing by him over you since he thinks proper health, nutrition and hygiene are a TOP priority 

If you're behaving well, you'll get all sorts of things you want but you'll have to EARN them by gaining his trust and behave good around him since there's only so much fun one can have when they sit and stare at a wall for 24 hours everyday 

The WORST thing this sicko might do is try convincing you in his sick and twisted way that he's NOT treating you bad. And after a while, you'll fall into his trap and web of lies and you'll start believing him and start feeling guilty if you misbehave around him. Damn does this dude know how to pull out an UNO Manipulation card 

Punishments are simple if you try escaping or behaving badly. If you yell and scream at him and throw insults at him, he'll just ban you from using your favorite things and it'll be a really LOOONNGGG time after you get them back. You won't be getting them back till you apologize and admit that you were in the wrong. If you manage to hit him or kick him, you'll be denied of his attention for a while even after you cry out an apology

He isn't going to punish you physically but his punishments can take a really HUGE toll on your mental health and state of mind and so.... like I said, for the sake of your sanity just don't argue with Bird Face and agree to everything he says 

If you manage to attack him with a weapon (One, HOW TF did you manage to do THAT!? And 2, that's actually way cool Hehehe.... okay, I sound like an evil twin of Sangwoo,imma stop nowTvT) , you'll be isolated in a room with white walls and he'll only come by to give you your meals and THAT'S IT. No screen time, no favorite things, nothing. He'll isolate you till you're practically BEGGING him for forgiveness 

This dude ain't a Romeo so don't expect him to be all lovey-dovey with you. But occasionally when he feels like it, he might hold you and hug you from time to time and say how glad he is to have found you, his little pure angel to care for and protect. Who KNOWS what would have happened to you by now if you didn't come under his care?

He'll let you roam around the backyard ONLY (Not without you having at least a dozen of heavily armed bodyguards keeping a close eye on you) and if you still complain, he's gonna make sure you're grateful for letting you at least step out of the house 

He'll let you look after Eri and Eri just ADORES you. She sees you as a parental figure and I won't be surprised if she develops platonic yandere tendencies and feelings towards you. She'll be sad and pouting when you won't focus your attention and honestly, WHO can resist her CUTE adorable little face? I sure as heck can't....

So... Mr Bird Mask is really SCARY yandere who can haunt you in your dreams and become your WORST nightmare unless you abide by his rules and laws. And THAT children, is today's moral of the story UvU

"Angel.... I'm doing this for YOU now it's time for your daily checkup. Don't be a brat, I only want what's best for you~"

[chiropterophilia]

i love fics where Peter has weird fuckass spider quirks. So,, in honor of him not being able to leave my brain for the past week, here are some headcannons

• He can hear things through vibrations. Not really hear, but make words out of people are talking. Like, if someone is talking into his hair, he’s going to be able to clearly make out what they’re saying.

• He has a strong bond with the other spiders. He’s kind of like a parent to the younger ones; like with Miles! He’s really protective over him, and a lot of time after battles he carries Miles on his back. Sometimes he even web swings like that.

• For every spider person that’s like an older sibling/parental figure for the younger ones, they make comforting motions. They’ll rub the youngest wrists— like an inch under where their web shooters are —and up the rest of the forearm. It’s like a safety gesture :]

• He hates actual spiders. Naturally, irl spiders are territorial, Peter unfortunately discovered that he is indeed the same way. He hates regular spiders, but he can’t bring himself to kill them. He just sets them outside as far away as possible

• Peter is scared of every love interest he has. He thinks it’s just anxiety and he’s nervous around them— which he is —so he ignores it; in reality it is fear. In nature, female spiders will eat the males as a form of rejection, they’ll also eat them after sex; this leads to him having a constant feeling fear in the back of his mind that he doesn’t really acknowledge, it’s a mixture of the fear of rejection and the fear of being cannibalized

• Peter has retractable fangs filled with venom

• He didn’t like Black Widow when he first met her. Did he have a reason? No. His biology was just telling him “hey. she’s a woman, and her names black widow. maybe she’s not chill. be careful.”

• He has spinerettes AND web shooters. His spinerettes formed later than any of his other abilities (they also formed after he already became Spider-Man) so he already had working web shooters

• Peter doesn’t use his spinerettes often, he needs a lot of protein and food for them to be strong enough— or even for him to have enough — to use. He’s a broke guy living in New York. So, no organic webs for him.

• Personally, the spider that bit him was for sure a woman

• Related to that, since he is a biological male who got bit by a female spider, he’s developed qualities from both sexes. • The anxiousness and need to please is from the male, who is on edge of putting his lover in a bad mood. Probably because she’ll eat him. • BUT, he also has odd urges (related to eating people— sorry he’s so freaky.) depending on who he’s with at the time, dating or interested in

nsfw under cut!!

• His spinerettes are extremely sensitive. It’s basically like a really inconvenient gspot. When rubbing the skin around the hole, the feeling is so much less intense. If he’s stimulated directly on the opening, it’s like a jolt through his entire body for however long the sensation lasts. The hole is usually small, about the size of a tiny bracelet bead; when they’re stimulated, they can open up a bit to like, half the size of a dime.

• Yeah, he “webs” and you know exactly what i mean when I say that.

• When mating season rolls around, which is sometime during september I believe, Peter goes through the worst of it. For like a week he gets turned on by practically everything around him, so he has to just, stay locked in his apartment and use his precious precious pto (paid time off)

• When he turned eighteen, the female part of his spider biology started kicking in. Whenever he was romantically interested in a man/masc person, he would have horrible urges to “bite” them. If they did anything that even minutely inconvenienced him, he got pissy the entire rest of the day and had even more of an urge.

[hyperesthesias]

Can you actually write something smutty for Viktor? Or just a guide on how to? I really want to write some Viktor smut, but I'm worried I won't do his disability justice as I'm able bodied and a dumbass

Of my twelve years on this webbed site, this has got to be the best ask I have ever received lmao

I would be happy to help, friend. I'll answer this in two parts.

Yes, I am planning on writing Viktor smut for Viktor x Anya. I had a lot happen in the year since I made the post you're referencing, but I've finally been able to get back into fandom stuff. I wanted to lay some backstory with them first though, as I am apparently a PWP kind of person lmao. It's coming soon! (No pun intended).

You've taken the first great step in recognizing that your experience and knowledge may not be congruent with potential portrayal, and therefore asking for advice. I don't mean to sound patronizing at all. I am an author and I have seen many professional authors that don't do this, so you're already ahead of the game! I wouldn't consider that dumbassery in any way, shape, or form.

I'll put the rest under a cut due to the nature of this post.

*Disclaimer to this is, of course, I don't speak for every disabled person, this list isn't extensive, and these are my opinions.

I, personally, operate under the assumption that Viktor has Post Polio Syndrome. Looking at photographs (x, x, x) it's pretty clear the animators used PPS as a framework for Viktor's movements and posture, as well as his mobility and assistive devices. People with PPS often develop need for braces, canes or crutches, and treatment for scoliosis -- all of which Viktor has. You are more than welcome to headcanon something different, as I don't believe the writers or animators have ever confirmed or denied PPS, but based on my own experience and research, I would bet money on it.

That being said -- regardless of PPS, or otherwise -- the first thing to consider when writing smut for any disabled character is fatigue. It may not be the obvious thing, as mobility devices often are the first thing to catch an observer's eye. But there is so much that goes on beneath mobility devices. Fatigue is a big one.

Consider the worst flu you've ever had -- all the time, every day, even in your sleep. It can be maddening, like you can't get any relief -- even if you take pain reliever or use other analgesics. Most people with a severe flu aren't exactly in the mood to be frisky, especially spontaneously. Many physically disabled people rely on preplanning. Having a date night where they can plan for extra pain reliever, or where they can schedule the rest of their day or week to conserve energy for a special night. The psychological energy that people need to conserve alone can take a lot of effort. Being disabled is also mentally exhausting, especially when you have a partner and their needs to consider. Giving a disabled person time to prepare for sex (or other tasks) is essential.

Related to that, is the fact the energy levels aren't always consistent. A disabled person and their lover could be going at it like rabbits for a while and then suddenly the disabled partner may need to stop because their "battery" (their physical energy levels) has run out. They may need a break for a few minutes, or they may just need to end the sexual encounter altogether.

The worst thing you (or your character) could do is take this personally. It has nothing to do with their partner, it's their body that is (frustratingly [on many levels]) not cooperating.

Something to toy with (no pun intended) when writing characters with energy level deficits is vibrators. Twice the work with half the effort. Don't be afraid to write smut with toys and vibrators -- it doesn't even have to be kinky. Toys and vibrators are normal and vanilla, all things considered. The only reason they haven't been normalized is because of patriarchal standards as to what sex is and is supposed to be.

The second thing to consider is physical limitations of positions and potential discomfort. I've seen several fanfic writers describe situations and positions that Viktor simply would never be able to do (e.g. lifting his partner onto a table or desk).

Viktor doesn't have a lot of strength. That's not to say he can't be rough or that all smut has to be vanilla. But realistically, it's absurd to think that he can lift someone else or manhandle them with any force, or thrust at the speed of light (💀). He also doesn't have any balance whatsoever post Act I. During Act I, he's able to hobble somewhat without his cane, as long as he has something to hold onto, as seen in episode three. But in Acts II and III, his balance issues combined with scoliosis would make any positions where he has to stand much more difficult.

Therefore, if you're wanting to write a scene somewhere outside of a bedroom (e.g. the lab, his office, etc.), he'd need something to balance himself. Seated sex is a great concept to play with -- very disability friendly and offers many options for all sorts of scenes. Desk/table sex is also realistic, as long as your character lifts themself onto the desk or table, and he's able to lean on it.

Scenes that take place in the bedroom also have their own limitations. He has zero use of his right leg, which means he'd need more time to get in and out of different positions. Missionary would take a toll on his back, I'd imagine, from being hunched over -- not that he couldn't do it at all, but that was more of a sidenote. Having your character straddle him, while his back was supported, is probably the most comfortable position I can imagine. Or spooning. Or maybe doggy, though I think his back and hips might get tired. But I'm just spit balling at this point. Utilizing objects from the setting is important -- pillows, having your character bent over the back of a couch, etc. This is where creativity comes in -- it's just important to keep in mind where his limitations are located on his body: his back and his leg/hip.

There are also adaptive devices for sex and disabilities.

One final thing I want to say is: don't overcorrect. This is common. It's one thing to keep a character's disability in mind, but it's another to make a disability the entire character. Just because Viktor is disabled doesn't mean he can't have the filthiest, most disgusting, raw, life changing, I-should-visit-a-confessional type of sex. However you headcanon him to be in bed is exactly how he can be. If you see him as a cruel Dom, he absolutely can slap the shit out of whoever has the pleasure of being beneath him, while he makes them beg for his mercy -- with his back and leg supported. If you see him as a bratty sub, he can be that, too -- while he lies there with a back pillow to relieve pressure off his spine. If he's the plainest, blander-than-vanilla type of lover, that's exactly what he is -- while he takes a few extra minutes to move from one position to the next. If he's any combination of those things, more power to you.

The point of writing a scene, is the point you're trying to make. Meaning: a lot of writers worry about conveying ideas and settings perfectly and with detail, while losing sight of the main point of their story. Rarely will you ever have to add paragraphs to a piece of writing in order to convey something, especially if it's not the main point. Often, it only takes one or two sentences. Keep the main point of the scene in mind. If you're writing a fic where Viktor and your character are secretly getting it on in the lab, then the point and the idea of that scene is the forbidden sex they are having. Not necessarily his limitations. You can easily acknowledge Viktor's disability by saying something like: 'Viktor sat on a chair at the far end of the lab, away from the door's line of sight. He leaned his back against the seat, allowing his spine to settle, before he coaxed his lover onto his lap. His lover straddled his legs, reaching to kiss his neck, while his hand trailed up their thighs...' You've successfully conveyed the limitations he has in two sentences, while maintaining the focus of your scene, and without reducing Viktor to a caricature of his disability. Less is more throughout your fic.

As a side note, which is completely my headcanon -- and something I've vaguely alluded to in my Viktor x Anya fics -- is that Viktor also has erectile dysfunction as a result of the PPS. Polio is a neurological virus, meaning is attacks the nerve cells, the main cause of the atrophy in PPS. It isn't common, but it's not uncommon for males with PPS to struggle with ED. As such, in my own personal stories, I have mentioned that Viktor takes medication to help with it. Sildenafil (the generic for Viagra) is a medication that specifically targets nerves.

That's my own person interpretation, though, and has no bearing on what we seen in Arcane lol.

To close this off for now, I want to reassure you that your efforts count and they matter. No one will write any depiction of disability 'perfectly'. Disability is unique to every person, and one person's spinal disability will look different to another's. Even people with the exact same diagnosis and prognosis will differ in how they experience it. You're not a dumbass. You're very intelligent to recognize the need for external resources. Enjoy yourself, enjoy the work you write, and keep asking questions.

If and when you decide to write your Viktor smut piece, I would love to read it. And likewise, if you'd like to read what I write I'd be happy to send it to you! If you're comfortable coming off anon, you can message me privately and we can talk more!

[itchywebreviews]

Exit/Corners - a game review

Are you looking for a game to scratch your Zero Escape itch?

Exit/Corners, by Canadian-based Moon Moth Games, is a free visual novel/puzzle game available on itch.io and playable in web browsers.

You play as Ink, a student who wakes up alongside four other strangers to find himself kidnapped and locked inside a mysterious abandoned hotel that's rigged to explode. They can escape, as long as these 'Contestants' solve a series of riddles and puzzles within a 24-hour time limit. Or, they can die.

Without spoilers, this game surprised and delighted me. It's 29 episodes, takes several hours to complete, and has detailed art and a custom soundtrack. I can strongly recommend it to anybody who enjoys character-focused mystery stories and simple but satisfying puzzles (and who doesn't have an issue with dark themes or depicted violence).

None of the puzzles felt 'unfair', as the game has a great hint system where you can ask the other Contestants for advice or their opinions, which gives you extra insight into their characters as well as providing hints. If you get really stuck, ask them enough times and they'll eventually spell out the answer for you.

The relationships that develop between the Contestants, positive and negative, form the emotional core that the plot needed to keep the reader invested. At first most of the characters are abrasive, stressed, and either insulting to or dismissive of each other. The only friendly face is Aether, the girl who woke up in the same room as you, but she has her own secrets she's keeping. As you can imagine from people picked to play a deadly game, all of them have hidden depths that they're unwilling to trust the other Contestants with—including Ink. Uncovering the pasts of each Contestants is as much part of the mystery as who brought them together, and why.

Generally I found each backstory reveal satisfying, placing each character's previous actions in new context. There was one particular reveal that worked so well on a meta-level that I felt genuinely called-out by the fact I hadn't realised what was happening. Actions that felt unrealistic or confusing could often be explained through later information, as well as the high-stakes situation revealing the best and worst sides of each Contestant.

The mystery plot was excellently foreshadowed. As new information is revealed, through Ink's internal monologue the reader is also gently reminded of relevant points they may have forgotten—allowing them a chance to put the clues together as Ink does without being excessively heavy-handed. Many of the biggest twists were hard to predict, with enough clues that I could guess some of the elements, whilst the actual unveiling left me staring at my screen in shock as my mind went over all the clues I'd overlooked or missed. The plot started slowly, picked up the pace as revelations started stacking on top of each other and revealing the shape of the plot, and in the last few chapters definitely sped up as the different mysteries converged together. The ending felt a little rushed, but each major plot thread and mystery was neatly resolved when the true purpose of Exit/Corners was explained.

This won't be a game for everybody, but for a completely free game that doesn't even require a download? If any of this interests you, give it a try. It might surprise you.

Spoiler-free warnings: This game includes depictions and discussions of graphic violence, depictions and discussions of mental illness and suicide, derogatory language, and internalised bigotry.

What's next for Moon Moth Games? Although they have a demo for an upcoming game called 'Séance: Spectral Noise' on their itchi.io page, there have been no official posts since March 2022. A twitter post from January 2023 stated the project ran into legal difficulties. There have been no subsequent updates.

[unfriendlyamazon]

You wrote Siegfried sucking cock so I’ve been summoned as one of the other four Siegfried fans in the world. Please share some of your headcanons! If it’s not too much trouble of course. I thank you for work and wish you well either way! I hope you find money in your pocket exactly when you need it!

I have been WAITING for someone to ask me about Zigfried von Schroeder so let's fucking goooooooooo

It's been a minute since I've watched the Zigfried season which I actually do like to watch. The other duelists are even more gimmicky and useless than ever BUT i love kaiba land and we get to see lots of kaiba land america, i think zigfried is a really fun low stakes villain, and you get to see seto kaiba act wild in a low stakes way, and one of my favorite parts is yugi sitting in the stands not planning to duel and being told he's going to have to, so it's a fun breather season in between a kind of intense waking the dragons and final millennial duel. my sub watching hasn't reached this season yet, so be aware i mainly watch the dub.

SO zigfried von schroeder. what's his deal?

zigfried, first and foremost to myself, is pathetic. i love that about him. he's seto kaiba with no redeeming characteristics. he doesn't love his brother, he can't win, and while i need to remember he does successfully hack kaiba corp and cause some chaos, but the truth is seto doesn't even really remember him. zigfried sees himself as seto's rival, sees himself as right and just in his battle, but the truth is seto kaiba is just more popular and cooler than he is, and seto only remembers his bad fashion sense. amazing. perfecto.

usually when i write zigfried, he is cut off from his family's money due to his constant failure, meaning he's even more driven to chase seto's coat tails, and even more useless at doing it. zigfried is such a good parallel to seto intentionally, they are clearly foils to each other, but one place i really like to explore is their relationship to pegasus. i've mentioned before i think before pegasus was seto's main villain, he was probably his hero, and i also think it's obvious zigfried styled himself with pegasus' influence, and in fact they both bring forth their similar technology at the same time, meaning they probably had similar ideas for their career in relation to pegasus. i think there's a lot to break down in that relationship web, especially with zigfried chasing daddy's approval, and seto being decidedly against any paternal influence.

and of course, zigfried sucks cock. to me, he's gay as the day is long, very into humiliation and kink, very active in the kink scene and into some extreme stuff. there are things i'm not personally into so i don't know how often i would write it, but there are character truths and i am merely their narrator. i can't track down a small fic i did kind of as a relationship examination of zigfried and marik of all people, so i'll have to edit and post it to ao3 for folks to read. however i do have a main continuity seto/zigfried (which i refer to as hackshipping instead of its, ahem, more problematic moniker) fic that features more degradation if you're interested. thanks to my gf's au that i write fanfiction just for them, i got sort of into the idea of zigfried craving seto literally killing him, so there is a streak of violence to their relationship. i know i'm kaijou on main (and i have considered a few seto/joey/zigfried ideas, which is kind of what worst kids is for) but to be honest a lot of the degradation kink i see people respond to for kaijou i reserve more for seto/zigfried.

my biggest question about zigfried is kind of central to his plot. he and seto had developed the same technology at the same time, but seto got there first. zigfried assumes seto stole from him, which i'm going to assume because seto is a main character in a show about friendship, that didn't happen, and i also don't think seto would steal from someone else, in my head that's a form of "cheating", which seto is opposed to, but also the show never goes out of its way to be like well that didn't happen. so sometimes i watch the season like, okay but did he? (he didn't, but it's fun to play pretend)

bonus: i have a trans headcanon for mokuba where she starts to transition as a teen, and i actually like to put her and leon in the same space, especially as they get older. they have a lot in common as well and i think they could talk about a lot of things. sometimes i imagine a t4t wedding between mokuba/leon where they have to navigate their relationships with their brothers, who are blowing up the wedding venue to get back at each other. maybe one day i'll play around with that.

[thelarriefics]

FAKE RELATIONSHIP FIC REC, Part II: Below you will find more fics that have themes of fake/pretend relationships. (Part I)

📖 The Greatest Thing by @infinitelymint (163k)

“What’s that on your finger?” Louis asks, his voice higher than usual, slightly panicked as though he’s realised something that Harry hasn’t even begun to comprehend. Harry looks down on his right hand then, sees nothing and moves on to the left, and— Oh. A ring. Or, Harry and Louis haven’t spoken since the band broke up when a dangerous combination of Niall Horan, tequila, and an ordained Elvis impersonator means that the two of them have to embark on their biggest publicity stunt to date - together. (aka the semi-canon accidentally married in Vegas fic that has been seven years in the making)

📖 Lightning Strikes The Heart by @fournipplesau & @justalarryblog (130k)

Shrewsbury, 1814 Dearest reader, I present to you your new bulletin of news regarding Shrewsbury citizen's activities. My name is Lady Merriweather and I will be in charge of the updates. I will make sure you are to know all the important details of what is to happen this season. You must know that you do not know who I am and you never shall. But be forewarned; I certainly do know you. I advise you to be on your best behaviour, lest you want the whole town to be privy of your business. As expected every year, the Lockhart House hosts the season’s opening ball, and its invitation is the motive of the hustle in town, and every family hopes for the invitation. This year is no different, but this year everyone's attention is focused on the new Duke of Montgomery, His Grace Harry Edward Styles, and whether he will attend it. All the omegas will be in their best manner, behaviour and clothes as it is expected. And here, dear reader is where we will find out which young omega might succeed at securing a match, hoping to not become a spinster. Place your bets.

📖 Mistletoe's For Two by @ireallysawanangel (90k)

After an encounter in a coffee shop with the rudest man he's ever met, Louis hopes the city is just big enough that he'll never bump into him again. When he spots that man at a bar the following evening, a plan begins to form. They both need dates for their respective Christmas parties and decide to use each other for their own benefit. They'll help one another through the holidays and then 'break it off' on New Year's, then agree to never see each other again. Developing feelings was not part of the plan. Or, an enemies to lovers fake dating advent fic.

📖 this charade (was never going to last) by @scrunchyharry (68k)

On the surface, CitizenX, an international caritative nonprofit, looked like any other nonprofit, funding humanitarian missions worldwide and striving to make the world a better place, one donation at a time. At least, that was what Harry thought, until he was hired as a computer specialist for a spinoff agency called carish, whose true purpose was to reveal CitizenX’s tangled web of lies. As if the whole ‘industrial spy’ business was not stressful enough, Harry found himself in a hatred-at-first-sight relationship with one of his new coworkers, Louis, a man intent on detesting Harry. When the worst happened and Harry and Louis found themselves thrown together in hiding, with only each other to rely on, Harry never could have predicted the turn their relationship would take. Nor could he anticipate that it would all be taken away from him and he would have to decide how far he was willing to go to get Louis back.

📖 another dream but always you by @nobodymoves (60k)

Harry is a Dreamwalker; he has the ability to visit people in their dreams and help put them on the right path. He's assigned to Louis, who's struggling after the break-up of his band. It's an unusual assignment from the beginning; Harry has a crush on Louis, and Louis's subconscious immediately decides Harry is the love of his life. When Dreamers cast Harry as their love interest, he can usually redirect them, but Louis is insistent on being Harry's boyfriend, and despite knowing they have no future, Harry wants to keep up the charade.

📖 Glitter in the sky, glitter in our eyes by @softfonds (59k)

What happens when a Duke who will only marry for love and a courtesan who only sells it create a public ruse? Well, nothing boring for sure. An Edwardian AU.

📖 I Keep Looking For Magic by @lululawrence (36k)

Harry loves Christmas, but this year is special. After ten years of boyfriends all failing to ever meet Harry's family, Harry has a fiance to introduce and things are looking like they will be perfect. Until they break up. Harry cannot go home alone when he had promised to bring a significant other again. This leaves him with little choice but to find someone to pretend they are his fiance. Surely nothing could go wrong with this plan.

📖 Lies & Liability by @evilovesyou (34k)

Harry Styles has only three wishes when he leaves River Dane Manor to go to Town for his first season: that his sister has rented a townhouse that will provide him as many of the comforts of the country life he has grown accustomed to as possible, that he will not trip and fall when he is presented to Her Majesty the Queen, and that he will enter matrimony out of true love, no matter how favourable the match with any which alpha may be.

📖 Pray To God This Won't Be A Mess by @xogucciblue (28k)

When Louis is outed just weeks before his hotly anticipated second album is set to drop, Harry agrees to hold his hand in a few pictures to cool down the media hype. That's all it was supposed to be.

📖 Went Down In Flames by @itsnotreal (26k)

Louis was in an absolutely shit storm. He had let it go on for too long. Let it go too far. But he had a plan. And tonight, said plan was going down. He was going to tell the boys he was proposing this weekend. ‘Harry’ would turn him down, albeit gently, and Louis would play the heartbroken boyfriend. He’d gotten this far. All he had to do was lock himself in his bedroom and cry a little. He’d been in a few plays growing up. Piece of cake. Except. It didn’t go that way. Of course, it didn’t. Because the universe, the beautiful chaotic bitch that she was, just had to have an actual Harry Styles and he just had to be Niall’s best friend.

📖 And I’d Marry You Harry (Because You Forced Me) by @2tiedships2 (24k)

The Proposal AU featuring Harry as Sandra Bullock, Louis as Ryan Reynolds, and all the fun a fake relationship and forced engagement can bring.

📖 if it looks like, feels like, tastes like love...  by @tempolarriefix (16k)

the one where harry and louis hate each other but pretend to date to be able to live in university 'family housing', zayn and liam are their nosy next door neighbors, and niall is the friend who made it all happen.

📖 Wed’n Walk (Or, We Went to Amsterdam Together) by @hellolovers13 (11k)

When Harry had first started planning his honeymoon to Amsterdam, he had not envisioned ending up there with his best friend. Or getting fake-married to him for 24 hours.

📖 Not Another Lonely Christmas by @haztobegood (8k)

Harry should be more nervous that he’s bringing a literal stranger to meet his extended family, but he figures it can’t be much more awkward than Aunt Sharon’s Christmas parties usually are. Instead, he’s looking forward to having an extra person to buffer the conversation. A knock comes one minute after eleven. He lets out the breath and opens the door. “Hi there— Louis?!” Or, the one where the friend Niall sets up as Harry's fake boyfriend turns out to be Gemma's best friend Louis

📖 Christmas Pretenders by @larryatendoftheday (4k)

When Niall convinced Louis to come home with him for the holidays as his fake boyfriend, he never expected he'd run into the loveliest man he'd ever seen. Or, twist on the fake-dating for the holidays fic, where the real love interest is the fake-boyfriend's best friend.

[7grandmel]

Character Archives - [FILE-05]

President Haltmann

"...Sir, it's strange...I don't really remember who I executed today."

The tragic accomplice to The Voice Inside Your Head [FILE-03] and CEO of the Haltmann Works Company: it's about time to talk about President Max Profitt Haltmann. While in many ways little more than a pawn in The Voice's schemes, a figment transported out of SiIvaGunner's computer purely as a way to optimize the rate of military production, Haltmann grows to stand on his own two feet during the course of the Christmas Comeback Crisis - an act that would end up costing him greatly.

Haltmann's appearance and characterization is taken directly from Kirby: Planet Robobot, one of the biggest influences toward the SiIvaGunner storyline in which he's featured. Much like in said game, he remains externally driven by capital gain and raw development, yet is internally conflicted through his emotional tie to his lost daughter, Suzie. Due to his nature as a figment, as a fictional character from pre-existing media, The Voice knows this well in advance when his takeover begins and comes to the businessman with a proposal. The two will work together to enforce The Voice's totalitarian regime, and in return, he will bring Haltmann his daughter. Haltmann complies - he doesn't know the most about this SiIvaGunner channel, and is in some ways unsure of The Voice's true goals, but aids in running the takeover in hope of the light at the end of the tunnel. As their partnership continues, however, The Voice's arrogance and ego becomes more and more evident to Haltmann, and he soon realizes that his partner has no genuine intent to respect his end of the bargain. Haltmann overthrows The Voice with a new goal in mind: to maximize the SiIvaGunner channel's profits to degrees absurd enough, to eventually allow him to bring her back.

Through his takeover of SiIvaGunner, Haltmann began valuing stability, development, and efficiency more than ever before, beginning projects such as to how to properly replicate and channel SiIvaGunner's imaginative mind and ways to replicate Wood Man's [FILE-04] ability of interdimensional travel. If The Voice Inside Your Head is a manifestation of the angry, discordant side of the SiIvaGunner fanbase, and Wood Man represents the free spirit and creative will of the SiIvaGunner team, Haltmann could then be seen as representing the third piece of the dynamic - the team members who operate in silence in hopes of maintaining the ship. Haltmann was willing to work with The Voice Inside Your Head, the worst form of creative toxicity taken corporeal form, in pursuit of an unattainable pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - perhaps, then, not so different from the SiIvaGunner team members who have fought through controversy and fan discourse, time and time again, to keep the thing they love afloat, to allow the channel to reach some greater nirvana at the end of it all. To many, SiIvaGunner is more than a weird creative outlet, it's something with legacy, with expectations to meet, from all corners of the web. What Chad Warden [FILE-02] once said may ring true, to let the team do whatever they please - but will that allow the channel to meaningfully progress?

In the end, Haltmann fulfilled his purpose as intended by The Voice, complying in their partnership for as long as he was useful to him. Yet with his surprise revolution, and through his ongoing under-the-hood efforts - through the Haltmann's Archives, through what the R&D team accomplished, and through his continued effort to maintain absolute quality of the SiIvaGunner channel - his impact on the channel is unmistakable. Few may now remember him - fewer still after the fate that befell him - but Haltmann and his team held the SiIvaGunner channel alive when nobody else could.

[thatpodcastkid]

Magnus Archives Relisten 22, MAG 22 Colony

Oh no.

The Mag 22 analysis that nearly killed me, spoilers ahead.

Facts: Statement of Martin Blackwood regarding an encounter with the being he believes to have once been Jane Prentiss. Statement given March 12, 2016.

Statement Notes: Oh no.

"Writhe."

I pointed that out in my analysis of the first Jane Prentiss statement. It's the perfect verb. It evokes the image of the worms crawling from Jane Prentiss, towards the victim, and into their skin. Prentiss doesn't just represent the fear of insects, but also trypophobia. The creatures dig into your skin, scar you, leaving the victim full of holes. Those holes are where they live, where they writhe.

The sfx begins when Martin says the worms writhe. The additional sound effects have been used sparingly in these early episodes. They're only used when key figures have been introduced, when particularly powerful horrors take action. The crawling effect doesn't begin until Martin says "writhe" because that is when he reveals the true essence of Jane Prentiss and what makes her so dangerous. It's not the worms, but the way they writhe.

It's important that Prentiss didn't break down the door. She could've at any time. She could have easily sent worms up through his pipes or the ventilation system. But she didn't. She didn't want to infect him or kill him. She wanted to keep him locked away for thirteen days becoming paranoid and sick and terrified. She wanted him afraid. She wanted him to tell the Institute how afraid he was.

Building on that, as mentioned in my MAG 6 post, Jane Prentiss seems selectively lucid. She's aware enough to lie to Jon through Martin's phone, to follow him through the underground to his flat, and to wait outside his door strategically making noises to keep him trapped. Yet, by MAG 40, her actions seem to be more controlled by the hive than her.

The only thing that was really confusing me about this episode on the first listen is why Prentiss would be in the basement of Vittery's home. The two statements seem unrelated. However, after developing my MAG 16 theory, I realized that this is why Cane placed the spiders in Vittery's first apartment. She manipulated the scenario so that Vittery would die in the new flat, meaning Martin would have to go investigate, where he would encounter Prentiss, and then be dragged into the ensuing violence.

The final text from Prentiss is what really go me. "Keep him. We have had our fun. He will want to see it when the Archivist's crimson fate arrives." Not only does she know what will happen to Jon, but she knows Martin will be forced to watch. She knows.

Entity Alignment: Prentiss and the worms are obviously affiliated with the Crawling Rot, and the manipulation I discussed earlier ties in the Web. But this episode also highlights the connections between the entities and the existence of the One Entity. Like I said, Prentiss could have simply killed or infected Martin, but she chose instead to isolate him. By making it so being alone is the only way he could be safe, Prentiss pushes Martin further into the Lonely. Martin is not predisposed to serve as a Corruption avatar, so the Entity would not force him towards it. Rather, it utilizes Prentiss and her abilities to push him towards his true destiny as a Lonely avatar.

Character Notes: The diction in this episode drives me nuts. Martin wants to do the investigation "for you," he's getting proof "for you." He's putting his life in danger and dedicating to the world's worst job all because of Jon. My little heart.

This further establishes my theory from the MAG 16 post that Martin and Jon's relationship was part of Cane's manipulation. This is the episode Jon starts ingraining Martin into his life (giving him a room in the archives, taking special note of his safety, believing his account of the supernatural, etc.), forming the roots of what would eventually become their relationship. But the events of this episode were prompted by an investigation into Carlos Vittery, found dead encased in webs.

Jon's dismissal technique is more prevalent in this episode than one may initially realize. In the first live statement, "Alone," Jon encourages the statement giver to speak and stresses the need to record what happened. Although he likely already believed that statement giver because they were using the tape recorder, he likely had some doubts or he would have dismissed the whole thing out of fear. Yet, by this episode, it's been established that Jon believes in Jane Prentiss' abilities, but he still tells Martin he doesn't have to give the statement. He discourages Martin from giving an account of what may be the most real and relevant encounter they've had. But Jon denies things he's afraid of. He knows Prentiss is real, and he's terrified, so he wants to act like nothing happened.

[scoutofmymind]

Hello! I just discovered I’m Your Man, and I’m so full of fondness for this story, I mean this is incredible. I read the lore and saw the visuals as well, this story is so so special to me. I was wondering (and hoping) if you were planning to write for this story again? Sending my love and appreciation your way <3

Hey darling! Thank you so much for reading, and asking me about it! I loved writing for that piece, it was a lot of fun, and I conjured up a lot of lore for it — I can’t promise I’ll finish, or that I’ll do an official second part, but under the cut I’m just giving you what I have that I never published (or finished) of a part 2.

Fair warning, I didn’t take the time to proof read too much or edit. This is essentially a kind-of first draft, so it might be messy, or worse, has plot holes. 💋

Evenings were easiest, though that was rather like saying drowning was preferable to burning.

They brought the blessed relief of shadows, of carefully maintained distances, of words swallowed behind silver spoons and crystal glasses. The gilded dining hall stretched endless between you and your father, though the space never felt quite vast enough. The table itself was a battlefield dressed in finery —every elaborate centerpiece a fortress, every candle flame a warning signal, every piece of silverware a potential weapon or witness.

Almost ironically — or perhaps deliberately, knowing your father's appetite for subtle cruelties — he'd begun stationing Luigi among the dinner guards.

The Grims stood like living statuary, paired in perfect symmetry along the walls, their muzzles gleaming dully in the candlelight.

Your father had always appreciated aesthetic suffering.

Each guard was positioned precisely, their shadows stretching across the imported marble in careful geometry.

Luigi stood sixth from the left, and though his stance matched his fellow Grims perfectly, you could read entire sonnets in the minute differences — the slightly looser grip on his weapon, the barely perceptible shift of weight when your father spoke too sharply, the way his eyes tracked the servants' movements with concern rather than suspicion.

Keeping your gaze from finding him had become an exquisite form of torture.

You'd developed an entire language of not-looking; studying the ornate ceiling frescos until you'd memorized every painted cloud, counting the crystalline drops on the chandeliers, examining your reflection in the soup as though it held state secrets. But your eyes were treacherous things, drawn to him like compass needles to true north.

The worst part was knowing your father watched you not-watching.

He sat at the table's far end, a spider in his web of calculated ceremony, measuring the space between your glances with the same precision he used to measure the kingdom's borders.

Each time your eyes skipped too close to Luigi's position, your father's wine glass would pause halfway to his lips — a gesture that carried more threat than any spoken warning.

Still, there was a bitter comfort in these evening performances.

At least in the dining hall, everyone wore their masks openly — your father's benevolent tyrant, your own dutiful daughter, Luigi's obedient hound.

The honesty of pretense, served alongside each carefully plated course.

"Father, why do we need the hounds here whilst we eat dinner?" You ask, letting sweetness drip from each syllable. The question is crafted with the same delicate precision as the sugar sculptures adorning tonight's dessert course — beautiful, fragile things designed to shatter.

Despite his perpetual softness toward you — or perhaps because of it — you'd seen what lurks beneath your father's facade.

Since your mother's death, you've watched him transform like iron in a forge, folding and refolding into something harder, sharper. The man who once read you bedtime stories now reads execution orders with the same cadence.

Your father's hand stills, fork hovering above his plate, and the silence stretches long enough that the candle flames seem to hold their breath.

"Tell me," he says finally, his voice carrying the same tone he uses when addressing servants who've broken valuable items, "would you question why we keep shields mounted on our walls? Or why the castle keeps its gates?" He sets his fork down with a loud precision that makes you flinch. "These creatures serve their purpose. Nothing more."

You cast your gaze upward to catch his, and the temperature in the room seems to drop as he continues, "They may walk on two legs, but make no mistake — they are tools, not beings for contemplation. The muzzles aren't decorative, they’re necessary. Like chains on a door."

You feel Luigi's presence across the dining room, steady as heartbeat, though you dare not turn, your fathers gaze flicking past your shoulder, and his lip curls slightly — the same expression he wears when discovering rats in the grain stores, a hand reaching for his pistol.

"Perhaps," he says, "you've spent too much time in the gardens. Your mother's softness speaks through you, and while it was charming in her, it has no place in our current Kingdom."

The mention of your mother falls like an executioner's axe, and he knows it.

Later, you find yourself shivering in the east hall, the long stretch of marble flooring illuminated by candelabras lining the ornate wall, their flames cast dancing shadows across centuries-old tapestries, each flicker a potential betrayal of this stolen moment. "Miss you," Luigi whispers earnestly, his voice barely stirring the air between you.

The winter's chill seeps through the very foundation beneath him, but even this bone-deep cold is preferable to his former post — outside the vacant North Tower where a new pup now stands, facing the harshest winds winter could devise, just as Luigi once did.

The east wing's bustling nature should have made it impossible to pluck Luigi from his duties, each passing shadow a potential witness, but like all obstacles your father erected between you, it only stood for a night or so — after all, you'd learned long ago that the busiest places often held the best hiding spots, and that most eyes saw only what they expected to see.

The castle's rhythms were as predictable as tides.

Every third hour, like clockwork, the kitchen staff would parade through the east hall with their thunderous carts of dishes and linens, and the noise would draw the attention of even the most disciplined guards, and the temporary chaos of bodies and movement provided perfect cover.

You'd learned this during your childhood wanderings, watching from hidden corners as the entire wing transformed into organized mayhem, and more importantly, you'd noticed how the guard stationed closest to the kitchens would habitually step aside, pressing against the wall to allow the procession through.

Luigi, being the newest addition to this post, had been stationed precisely there — a placement likely meant as another punishment, subjecting him to the constant disruption.

It was almost too easy to time your requests for his escort to these moments, when his temporary step away from his post would go unquestioned. After all, what guard would refuse a princess seeking protection during such chaos?

And if your chosen paths happened to lead away from the bustle rather than through it, well — that was simply a matter of comfort and propriety, wasn't it?

The library's defunct servant passages would be perfect — specifically, the narrow maintenance corridor behind the east wing's reading room, originally designed to allow servants quick access for tending fires and delivering books, it had fallen into disuse once the castle modernized its heating systems.

Few remembered these passages existed, their entrances cleverly disguised as decorative panels in the library's ornate woodwork.

What made it ideal was its location between the library's outer wall and inner chambers — the thick stone masking any sound, while the regular creaking of the building's ancient architecture provided perfect cover for any subtle movements.

Your fingers tremble with practiced urgency as you undo the cruel leather straps, each movement gentle despite your haste. The muzzle comes away with a wet sound that makes your chest ache, revealing the constellation of puncture wounds across his cheeks — fresh rivulets of blood trace familiar paths down his jaw, marking today as one where he couldn't hold his tongue.

"My stubborn boy," you breathe, already dabbing at the wounds with your handkerchief. The white silk comes away crimson, like all the others hidden away in your chambers. “Can’t keep anything to yourself.”

Luigi catches your wrist, stilling your ministrations.

Even in the dim light of your hidden corner, his eyes hold that same burning intensity that first drew you — not the dutiful blank stare of a Grimguard, but something wild and unbreakably human.

You lean forward, pressing your forehead to his, breathing in the metallic tang of blood and leather and him. This close, you can feel the slight tremor in his frame — exhaustion from standing at attention for so long, “Will you ever forgive me for putting you in this danger?” You whisper, your nose nudging his.

Despite the fresh wounds, a crooked smile tugs at his bloodied lips — the same reckless grin that gets him in trouble during training, as he reaches up with scarred knuckles to touch your face, his calloused fingers impossibly gentle for someone who's been trained to kill.

"Not your fault," he murmurs, wiping away a tear you hadn't noticed falling. His smile turns sharp, almost proud. "They tried to grab my collar and I caught his hand." He chomps his teeth dramatically at you, the bright white enamel bloodstained from the wounds on his cheeks.

You've seen him in the training yard, snarling defiance even as they force the muzzle on him.

Watched him stand proud with blood running down his chin because he refused to stay silent when ordered.

But here, with you, his fierce edges soften, even as he bears his bloody teeth in a playful grin — like a wolf pup showing off its first kill, eager for praise rather than fear. The same smile that terrorizes the guards transforms into something almost innocent when directed at you, even as he growls, "Let them hurt me. I hurt them back worse."

You reach out to trace the fresh thorn marks on his neck, each puncture a reminder of how close they come to going too deep. "Luigi, please," you whisper, voice catching. "They'll kill you if you keep this up. Father already talks about how you're more trouble than you're worth."

His playful grin falters for just a moment, something vulnerable flickering in his eyes before the wildness returns. "Let them." he says, but his voice lacks its usual bravado. His hand catches yours where it rests against his wounds. "I can't-I can't just submit like the others." He struggles with the words, frustration evident in his clenched jaw. "Rather die standing than live on my knees."

"You don't understand," you plead, gripping his forearms. "There are worse things than the thorns. I've seen what they do to the ones they decide to break. The ones that disappear into the lower chambers." Your voice drops to a horrified whisper. "Sometimes we can hear them screaming for days."

Luigi goes very still at that, his breathing shallow.

For a moment, real fear crosses his face — not for himself, you realize, but something else.

Or someone else.

But he only allows himself a heartbeat to sit with that grief before he's pressing his face into the crook of your neck, inhaling deeply. This part of his ritual is as familiar as breathing — marking you with his scent, erasing any trace of the suitor who dared stand too close today.

The gesture should seem animal, primitive, and perhaps it is.

After all, that's how they raised him.

Chained and muzzled, trained with thorns and pain until human and beast blurred together; yet, there's something achingly human in the way his hands tremble against your back, in how he breathes your name like a prayer against your skin.

Flesh and bone and something wilder — something they couldn't beat out of him no matter how hard they tried.

You could feel the heat radiating off of him, wild hearts beating in tandem, hands roaming two bodies that ache for each other but have been kept apart for far too long. "How much longer?" he murmurs against your neck, the words half-growl, half-plea. His fingers trace idle patterns on your back, but there's tension in every line of his body. "Until we can stop hiding?"

You know what he's asking — about the plans you've whispered in the dark, about the ship waiting in the southern harbor and the loyal Grimguards who've agreed to look the other way, about the small fortune in jewels you've slowly been converting to untraceable coin.

Three more weeks until the spring festival, when security will be distracted and the crowds will provide cover. Three more weeks of watching him bleed, of forcing yourself to smile at what your father has called the Destined Suitor.

"Soon," you promise, running your fingers through his hair, careful of the fresh bruise at his temple. "Just a little longer.” You pull back just enough to cup his face in your hands, forcing him to meet your eyes. "Three weeks," you whisper. "Then we'll be free. No more thorns, no more hiding. Just us."

The wild hope that flares in his eyes makes your chest ache. It's the same look he had when you first suggested running away together — like he couldn't quite believe someone would choose him, choose freedom with a broken weapon over a crown and a kingdom.

“Just us.” Luigi echoes, a nod following an earnest hum. He transfers his trust to you, not just in this very moment but in all of them. In every moment he leaves his post to be with you, in every moment he ‘s vulnerable, the whimpering pup who snarls and spits and makes itself as big as possible when threatened.

"Are you scared?" you whisper, Your fingers trace the raw edges where metal has worn his skin thin. His slight head shake carries a practiced indifference, but you notice how his throat tightens, how his fingers curl against your dress. You've seen what happens in that arena — watched pups tear into each other with desperate fury, their humanity unraveling thread by bloody thread as the crowd cheers.

"No," Luigi says, but the scars around his cheeks tell a different story. They're deeper now, darker — a map of defiance etched into flesh. Each time you remove his muzzle, each precious moment he claims his face as his own, the wounds carve themselves deeper.

His attention drifts to your face, and something in his expression softens. There's still a boy beneath the scars, beneath the kingdom's attempts to forge him into steel. "Are you worried for me?" His hand lifts, catching a strand of your hair between callused fingers. Even now, with hands trained to break bone, he touches you like you're made of gossamer.

Like he's afraid his violence might stain you.

"The Teething doesn’t hold a match to the Muzzling.” He recalls the sparring he’d done with his first muzzle, even before it’d been thorned — heavy metal weighing his head, obscuring most of his sight, meant to train him for endurance before his permanent one.

"What's any of it good for?" The wonder slips out before you can catch it, fragile as a dying breath. Your fingers trace the cruel architecture of his muzzle laid off to the side, and you remember a different kingdom.

You'd grown up believing in fairy tales — in a land where the castle's shadow meant protection, where your father's crown symbolized wisdom rather than power. You remember running through meadows that bloomed eternal, your shoes stained green from grass that seemed to stretch into forever, and how the gardeners would weave you crowns of daffodils, the air always smelling of spring's promise.

Now those same fields lie buried under sheets of unforgiving ice.

The flowers have long since withered, their graves marked by frost. Even the earth itself seems to have hardened, frozen to its core like your father's heart. Sometimes you wonder if you dreamed that gentler kingdom, if it ever truly existed beyond your childhood memories — or perhaps this is what kingdoms always become, when kings forget that crowns should weigh heavy with responsibility rather than pride.

You watch his eyes drift back to the crystal chandelier above, searching for wisdom in its scattered light. "I think-“ His tongue clicks softly against his teeth, followed by that drowsy habit of his, lips parting in a yawn he'd normally have to suppress. Without the muzzle, he can indulge in these small freedoms.

"I think it is necessary."

The words hang in the stillness between you, and your fingers weave through his dark waves, each curl a small rebellion against the military precision they demand of him, but you don't interrupt this rare moment of vulnerability. He's still learning to trust his voice, to remember that language can be wielded as skillfully as teeth and claws.

"I think," he continues, each word carefully chosen, "the kingdom needs teeth." His eyes hold a wisdom that makes him seem ancient despite his youth, although he struggles still to find the words. "Without the Teething, they might forget what power looks like. And when they forget-" He pauses, and you see him wrestling with memories he hasn’t shared yet. “That's when real monsters want to play. At least with us, with the hounds, everyone knows where the danger lies."

The terrible logic of it makes your chest ache.

He's learned to see his own subjugation as a form of protection — a controlled violence to prevent unchecked chaos. The clear-eyed understanding of a young man who's seen too much of the world's darkness.

"When they know what we can do — what we're made to do-“ his voice grows softer, almost gentle, "they stay in line. They don't hurt each other in the streets. They watch us fight instead." His fingers tighten in your dress, betraying the conviction in his words. "Before the hounds, before the muzzles. There was so much blood. At least now-“ he swallows hard, "there are rules."

You hear what he won't say, that he'd rather bear the thorns himself than watch the kingdom tear itself apart — that somewhere he's accepted his role as both warning and sacrifice, carrying the weight of controlled brutality to ward off something he fears would be far worse.

It's the logic of someone who's been taught that peace can only exist in the shadow of power — and perhaps has seen enough to believe it.

Still, it would never stop him from pushing the envelope.

His acceptance of necessity didn't breed docility.

He’d always bite the hand that fed him.

But to show him kindness without permanence would have been a cruelty worse than leaving him.

Furthermore, Luigi was devastatingly easy to love.

He was rough around the edges that needed it — calloused hands, scarred knuckles, the way he'd bare his teeth when startled; but he was soft in all the ways that mattered.

How he'd fold your blankets in the morning, the gentle way he'd test bath water with his wrist, how he hummed old lullabies while he clung to you in your sleep, always mindful of your feelings, still, despite years of being trained as a demonic pet rather than human.

Against all odds, against the leather and steel they'd forced between his teeth, against every lash and command, Luigi had clung to his humanity like a drowning man to driftwood. It lived in his laugh — starting rusty, as if remembering how, then building to something wild and free. It showed in his breathing — no longer the measured pants of a trained beast, but deep and steady and sure.

If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them in terms of lore or where I planned on going with the story. Like I said, I loved writing for it! I just can’t promise a continuation beyond this and I apologize! But that’s also not to say I never will.

[binaural-histolog]

A Note on Notifications

I have been writing about habit formation on the newbie guide. This section turned into a bit about notifications and content, and how they turn into habits. This turned into a WTF moment when I started to poke at how much habit formation is based around content, but at that point it's a rant and it had to go.

There are four stages of a habit:

Cue: the trigger for the behavior.

Craving: the desire to have an internal drive fulfilled.

Response: the actual action performed as part of the habit.

Reward: the satisfaction of the craving.

You would think that you can build up a habit by setting up a notification and then doing the habit when you get notified. But if you rely on notification as the cue for the habit, it supports repetition but hinders habit development. In essence, the habit being developed is "do the action described in the notification" rather than internalizing the actions and building automaticity.

The sad thing is that this is probably the best case scenario. The worst case scenario is that the notification is not a meaningful cue for the habit, because so many notifications don't cue for any kind of response. They are either informational, or worse, promotional.

This is a problem with notifications generally. Notifications are driven by the application. They push content, generally without determining how useful or relevant it is, and can easily overwhelm users in a sea of meaningless spam. This leads to alarm fatigue and an expectation that notifications are ignorable. If there is no response needed to the vast majority of suggestions, every ignorable notification is training the user to ignore notifications.

To ensure that notifications can serve as a useful cue, notifications should be meaningful. Ideally, notifications should be directly actionable with an immediate response. If a notification is not meaningful or actionable, especially if it does not come from a human, then it's most likely useless.

If a calendar event is set and there is a notification 10 minutes before the event, the immediate response should be "getting up and going to the place of the event" or "wrapping up conversations and work in progress." If the notification is a commitment reminder, the immediate response should be to do the commitment. And the appropriate immediate response to a useless notification is to disable notification for that app.

Notifications have a useful place, but they are inherently an external push from the environment, and therefore an attempt to coopt attention. Even when they do work, they prioritize responding to or acknowledging the notification when the environment doesn't warrant it: if the phone rings, you have to either answer it or press the button to make it go to voicemail, even if you're driving.

More insidiously, notifications often push content.

Content is attentional junk food. Take a moment to look around your environment and notice how much content is pushed; it can be quite shocking to realize how many attention systems can go into a single web page. Try browsing Youtube with UnTrap, SponsorBlock, and DeArrow enabled and see how your experience changes.

Habits form around consuming content quite easily: when you're bored or stressed, you reach to consume content and are rewarded with happy puppies and cat pictures. From there, content will come to you. Between recommendation systems and feed algorithms, you just have to click or scroll to be fed new content. Most of it is bad, but occasionally there's a useful nugget in there, and that "search" and that seeking behavior becomes the primary activity and keeps you coming back for more. You are never truly satisfied or filled by content, and there's always more of it.

If you want to understand the power of habit formation, try removing content for a day. Unplug the television. Go somewhere without your phone, and count how many times you reach for content without even thinking, and how automatic and unconscious that action was. Uninstall Tiktok and other social media, and see what the craving for content is like when it's unfulfilled.

Habits are powerful.

[rxbelling-hxrald]

Babble about the foundations of the realms and their connections.

I've referred to Dan and the demons he fights traversing through portals to access realms. I'm sure some of you have at one point or another asked yourself 'Just what the heck are these and how do they work?' Hopefully this will provide some clarity.

First things first, what are the realms? Simply put, they are their own individual universe that form the 'Multi-Verse'. Each and every universe have their own histories and events going on, obviously even those beyond what Dan himself is involved in. These spread out further than even the likes of Sonic/Mobian themed verses which is what allows Dan to interact with crossovers and other verses, the one common link that I use to make sense of his presence and reason for being able to visit such places.

The demon realm? It in of itself was once a normal universe too. However in my setting, this is categorized as the universe with the worst fate, an ultimate dark AU so to speak. Everything going horribly wrong in it's development and how it's inhabitants are effected as the millions of years passed. Some may assume by me calling it 'the demon realm' it's meant to be some sort of multi-verse hell and while it could be considered to take the role of it with how it does represent all the worst aspects, it has no spiritual or religious connections. It's purely there as a truly tragic place where now the power that has dominated it and holding it's very existence together has now not only twisted life into a naturally dangerous and corroding presence, it's even beginning to corrupt the element of space itself.....there's been nothing left for this terror to spread for so long but now it's able to finally tap into the links of other realms.

There's more to the demon realm aspects and the power in charge of it but that's a separate topic. I can go into that at another point if people want to know more there.

Going further, my concept of the realms being connected are through the one common denominator. Life. Or more accurately all of the components, whilst having adapted and shifted in each realm differently, such as it melding with the earliest forms of Chaos in Sonic themed verses, which eventually caused that unique presence in each verse to grow and develop in it's own way, however they all share the primary core components. As life naturally flows through space and time, these universes teeming with it practically form their own 'bubble' which is what keeps them separate from the deepest vastness of cold hard space and other universes always too far to reach normally.

Much like how we need air, these universes in their 'bubbles' need to maintain the natural flow of life. As a result, life flows into them, forming a tunnel like link into them and with how many realms there are? There's tons of links and bubbles that have caused a giant multi-verse keeping them all directly but quietly connected to one another, with such a simple and non energy based flow it's why none of these realms have really ever been aware of the links between one another.

If I've lost you, try to imagine the multi-verse is like a vast, mixed up spider web with several threads, with key points being the 'bubbles' and the threads between each point being the flow links.

So we essentially have a giant universe, containing several smaller ones that are all quietly linked together by the basis allowing them to exist and develop. So the links between universes are massive airflows, however, we all also know a universe contains countless planets and other bases that are sustained too, even if there isn't something directly 'living' on it. So now there's even more smaller links between each planet with this 'life' flow that all eventually in some form or another connect back to the main thread back at the realm's bubble.

This is why everywhere Dan goes or can visit, there's always at least one portal or gateway he needs to find and close in order to prevent demon access to the planet he's on. Scattered every which place with no true way of knowing where the gateway actually is, it could be anywhere from high up in the sky to below the surface.

Travel through these links is possible assuming one has access and can open them up, however there is no control over your destination in normal circumstances, you'll naturally be pushed and shoved about with the flow, like your going through a pipe with a powerful air flow, sometimes it's gonna push, sometimes it's gonna pull. It's a very uncomfortable experience.

I've ranted enough and I feel I've given enough context as to how this works and hints to the demon realm's history, there's certainly some potential ramifications to be had too but I'm gonna leave that for you to guess and if not? Well time will eventually show whenever I get around to doing a major thread involving Dan's efforts in the War of Shadows.

Of course if you'd like to know more or have questions, never be shy to ask.

[mrkestis]

Cloak of Deception - James Luceno

A Star Wars Book Review

(Spoiler-free with spoiler section)

Summary: Greed, corruption and bureaucracy!The cracks are starting to show at the edges of the Republic where the nefarious Trade Federation enjoys monopoly on all commerce. As their opposition, the Nebula Front, becomes increasingly more violent, Supreme Chancellor Valorum calls for an emergency trade summit where solutions will be discussed.

But something moves in the shadows, pulling strings on all sides in order to escalate the conflict. Assassinations, robberies, kidnappings and terrorism are the least of the Jedi Order’s problems when the Sith start to reemerge from a dark and distant past.

Rating: 3.25 ⭐️

My thoughts (spoiler free):

The main character of this book is the political climate in the Republic right before The Phantom Menace. I now know exactly why the taxation of trade routes was such a big deal and how Sidious came to work with the Trade Federation. I was expecting this book to be about Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, but it was mostly about Valorum, Palpatine and Nute Gunray. Unfortunately there isn’t much character introspection or development to be found since the story mainly focuses on politics, but if that’s something you enjoy it’s still worth the read.

There’s a lot of scheming going on. Palpatine isn’t just playing both sides like he does during the Clone Wars, he’s playing ALL sides. He has Valorum in his pocket, acts as the Naboo politician, gets cozy with the Trade Federation and their opposition, and of course he’s still playing nice with Darth Plagueis in the background while secretly just working towards his own goals. How does he even keep up with it? Does he sleep? Does he eat? There are so many twists and turns that even I as the reader can barely keep up. But it’s interesting to see how perfectly he spun the web which brought down the Republic, even if it’s horrible.

The worst part of the book is how Luceno describes women, which is a shame because otherwise I really like his writing. It’s simplistic yet immersive, and I have read other books by him where I haven’t reacted to his portrayal of women. But just look at this passage describing Luminara Unduli:

”She was perhaps one of the most exotic women Obi-Wan had ever seen. Her face was triangular in shape, and the lower portion was tattooed in small diamond shapes that formed a vertical line from her lush, blue black lower lip to the tip of her round chin.”

It so unnecessarily sexual and weird…

Some of the depictions of Jedi were also strange. There was an instance where Jedi chose to fight instead of negotiate which led to the death of innocents, and Qui-Gon felt weirdly violent and rash. I understand that this book prioritises plot over characters and their inner feelings or turmoil, but it felt out of character for the Jedi.

One thing the author did right was the aesthetic and atmosphere of Coruscant and the senator life. I was obsessed with Padmé when I was younger and would often create senator OCs, and this book scratched and reawakened that urge within me. It’s such a fun environment to explore!

This book actually reminded me a lot of the canon book The Living Force by John Jackson Miller. Both books are about the political situation in the Republic right before The Phantom Menace, deal with unrest and some sort of criminal in the outer rim, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are catalyst characters, the entire Jedi council is present in some capacity and there’s a looooooooot of cameos. It also reminded me of the Rako Hardeen arc from Clone Wars since there’s a complicated assassination plotline.

Overall, not the best Star Wars book I’ve read, but if you want to understand the politics of The Phantom Menace and if you like the Coruscant and senator vibe I still recommend.

My thoughts (SPOILERS AHEAD!!!):

Let’s talk cameos! The one I reacted to the most was Vergere, since I only know her as the fallen Jedi who worked with the Yuuzhan Vong and tortured Darth Krayt, so it was strange to see her just…be here. Tarkin was also unexpected, and while I don’t really like his character it’s nice to see original trilogy tie-ins.

I learned a new Star Wars fun fact because of the character Bail Antilles, who was the senator from Alderaan in this book. Why are there two senators from Alderaan named Bail you may ask? Let me tell you, it’s because in early drafts of Star Wars Leia’s father was named Bail Antilles, but when they chose the name Alderaan for her home planet they changed his last name to Organa to avoid confusion. This was established in the novelisation of A New Hope, but later sources accidentally used the name Antilles instead. This was solved by the creation of the separate yet strangely similar character Bail Antilles. He was also one of the candidates to become chancellor in The Phantome Menace. That concludes my Star Wars fun fact of the day.

Seeing Padmé in the end was nice, and it just hit me that she had only been queen for five months during the events of The Phantom Menace. And she was only fourteen! How the hell did she manage that?

The end where Sidious talks to the Trade Federation about which planet they should invade was also so funny. This is how it went:

Sidious: You should put a blockade around Naboo.

Nute Gunray: Why?

Sidious: Because that’s where that bitch Palpatine is from.

[adsproject]

Final Reflection

Alohaaaa! 🤙 Welcome back to my blog! Alas, this will be my last post on this blog, unfortunately. I have overcome many hurdles, and I am proud of where I am today, my project, and what has led me to this point. This journey was not easy, but it was definitely worthwhile and memorable, thanks to all the support I received. I want to personally thank everyone who has participated in my Instagram polls and my usability testing survey. Shout out to y’all!

1. What were your thoughts about your research topic going into the first week of the semester?

My thoughts during the first week of the semester about my research topic, job displacement in web design, were that AI will not replace human designers or artists as a whole because they lack empathy and the ability to form meaningful connections with humans, both interpersonally and in person. However, I didn't think I could win this battle against AI due to my inexperience. I have the skills, sure, but they are elementary at best. Prior to this project, I had some experience working with Figma and creating my first website prototype through my CM 316 (User Experience) course. I also practiced more coding in HTML and CSS in my ART 320 (Web Design & Development) class. In the end, I created a website prototype, so no coding experience was actually needed.

2. What are your thoughts now about your research topic and your project/practicum?

My current thoughts on my research topic are that AI can be used as a tool to brainstorm during the ideation step of the design process, generating ideas or inspiration for wireframes and similar tasks. However, it should not do the work entirely for you. It's the same with templates; you don't just submit it as is. You have to add your own personal touch and style, and replace the content with your own words. Regarding my project, I never thought I would beat the AI, so it was a pleasant surprise to win against it. I had many ups and downs, and at one point, I thought this project was impossible to complete and that I wouldn't graduate on time. Nevertheless, I'm so glad I reduced its scope, making it less overwhelming and daunting. Best decision I ever made. I somewhat regret not being able to complete my original deliverable of a website, but maybe I can create one in the future. Some things are just not meant for you at the moment, but they can come to you later.

3. What did you learn about yourself as a creative through this journey?

It was challenging for me to meet my own deadlines, so I kept giving myself extensions, as the project was self-directed and mostly independent. I always thought I was behind, and it really made me doubt my abilities and timeliness. However, I learned not to be as harsh on myself, even though we are our own worst critics. I once saw a quote that said, “Make it exist first, then you can make it good,” or something along those lines. That really resonated with the perfectionist in me because I am always so focused on the little details, like spacing and alignment, when I should really be focusing on the broader picture.

4. What did you learn about the creative and production process?

If you don’t already know, the creative process has three phases: pre-production, production, and post-production, also known as the three P’s. What I learned is that you just need to trust the process. There will be some bumps and hiccups along the way, but that is to be expected, as no one is perfect and is bound to make mistakes. You also have to remember that you are still a student, so you're still learning; it’s okay to make mistakes. From planning to execution, every phase of the process is vital, but the bulk of your project will be the production phase. During the production phase, it took me approximately one to three days to work on the lo-fi wireframes and five days to complete the hi-fi wireframes and prototype together. I learned to be patient with myself and the process. Locking in wasn’t easy, but once I was in the zone, nothing could stop me, not even hunger.

5. What advice would you give new senior capstone students?

My advice is to get started as soon as possible and really plan ahead. The pre-capstone is essentially your blueprint for your project, which is necessary for any project. You really need to thoroughly and thoughtfully consider what your project entails, including the specifics for each phase, or at least a general outline. Also, make sure to have backup plans in case your original plan doesn’t work out, like me. My backup plan was to create a website prototype, since I saw other classmates doing the same. Ergo, at least have a plan A and a plan B. The more plans you have, the better prepared you are, and you have more options to choose from. Also, be truly interested and passionate about your research topic. Additionally, I suggest delivering something you’re familiar with, so that you’re not just learning an entirely new skill from the beginning. It’s good to challenge yourself, but the final product may not turn out as you wanted.

6. Where to now?

After graduation, I was referred to work for the local Hawaiian government as a web designer. I still need to follow up with them if the offer still stands. Regardless, I plan to work in-house at a local or remote company, at a local or remote agency, or as a freelance web designer. I dream of working at top companies like Google, Microsoft, or Adobe. If all else fails, I could start up my own web design studio called "Webko," meaning "my web(site)" in Ilokano. I am trying to apply to as many jobs as possible, but I want to focus on graduating first.

Here’s a TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) version:

Initial Beliefs: AI won't fully replace human designers due to a lack of empathy, but I felt that I was inexperienced and wouldn’t win. In the end, I triumphed.

Current View: AI can be a brainstorming tool, but it shouldn't replace the designer's personal touch and creative vision.

Project Experience: Faced challenges but ultimately reduced project scope, which made it more manageable.

Personal Growth: Learned to be less harsh on myself and focus on completing work rather than perfecting details.

Creative Process Insights: Trust the three phases—pre-production, production, and post-production—and be patient with the process.

Advice for New Capstone Students: Start early, create detailed plans, have backup options, and focus on topics that genuinely interest you.

Future Plans: Seeking work as a web designer with hopes of joining major companies or starting a freelance studio called "Webko."

"Don't be sad it's over, be happy it happened." - Dr. Seuss

Again, thank you for following me on this creative journey! I appreciate all of you. Good luck to everyone on their future endeavors! Peace ✌️

[namjhyun]

DRAMA REVIEW | Love in the Edge of Divorce (2025)

If you are going to watch Love in the Edge of Divorce, all logic and mental preservation must be put aside. I like to think of this story as a melodrama in a web drama form, which to be honest it's not a good combination but each episode it's like 15 minutes long (including the opening and ending credits), so it's not all that bad.

While I liked leading lady, I wished more than once that her threats on divorce would be make good. Leading man is a walking red flag: domineering (in the worst way), quick to jump to the worst conclusions, and spew hurtful words, only to change his mind five seconds later. No, really. Remember each episode it's 15 minutes long.

There are some elements that make this story fun but I wish they would have used the 31 long episodes to develop a proper story instead of giving 15 minute chapters with repetitive issues.

The music is a great, tho. Really enjoyed the soundtrack and even download it to listen in the future.

Other than that, I can't say much. I think this might be a drama to watch while you are cleaning the house or ironing, so you don't have to pay much attention but won't miss anything.

[boundlss]

IMIRAY: PART I

Part 1 of a hopefully pretty extensive series of posts detailing the world in which my homebrew DND campaign is set! This one will probably just be the basics and listing important locations / setup things ... Anyway, I know people don't often read longer posts about things that aren't relevant to them, but I like talking about things!

Imiray is an isolated planar world that was originally created as a "gift" for the Old Gods who won their way out of the infinite layers of the Abyss. Steeped intrinsically in magic of Celestial and Abyssal influence, Imiray exists as one of many interconnected planar spheres in the complicated web of worlds given to Abyssal creatures powerful enough to become Gods.

It is, however, unique in that the Gods who won the world no longer rule over it---instead, Imiray boasts a much less stronger pantheon of twelve deities who preside over the land and the people in it.

The world, largely run by humanoids, is divided into six major geopolitical players. Each of these nations has their identity represented in the form of a dragon or dragon-like creature, though the identity of any people can manifest itself physically like this.

BASIC INFORMATION - LOCATIONS.

AIVA. Once a large and sprawling nation with beautiful land and prosperous people. Because of a calamity that happened a century ago, though, most of the land was rendered untreadable, and infected with a vicious disease known only as The Fading, which rendered people both physical and mental ghosts of themselves at its worst. Shaken by the calamity, most of the remaining population of Aiva crammed southward into its capital city of Aerath, securing the help and support of the nearby Avariel Elves on their floating islands and the Tritons and Sea Elves who lived just off its coast.

EPHELION. A cold dictatorship where research and progress are valued above all else. In the past, they tended to favor those with innate or learned arcane prowess, but recent developments in technological advancements have changed the focus of their culture at large to be focused on "improving the ordinary human"---though there are large swathes of the common people who disagree with this. Their calamity-causing attack on Aiva in the past has taught others not to mess with them, but they continue to relentlessly pursue advancements in competition with their tense political ally, Oskolda.

OSKOLDA. A sprawling desert whose civilizations have largely migrated underground, mutating due to the influence of the sprawling underdark. Only its capital city remains on the surface, a strange and vibrant cacophony of light and noise from the surface-dwellers who consider themselves the last true Oskoldans and sell their souls for a chance to stay on top even despite the strange and unnatural heat. Their charming and benevolent God offers protection to the surface's residents if they can only pay the right price---and if not, hopeful survivors will always have a chance to try their luck.

VASKAL. The most newly formed nation from a revolution against Oskolda. The residents of Vaskal are secretive, owing in part to the strange crystal relics that were erected there in a past conflict between gods that seem to ward off every school of magic. The hierarchy of Vaskal is slow to trust, and its still-reigning Queen forbids the use or word of these anti-magic crystals to reach further than the borders of Vaskal. Most passing through would be forgiven for mistaking Vaskal as entirely empty, but the people who walk through the shadows have their own clandestine technological empire brewing under the surface.

MIRI. A nation very few enter and even fewer leave. No one outside knows what goes on in Miri, only that control of its government was seized five hundred years ago by a laughing God who bent the nation to its whims. Rather than the semi-tropical paradise it once was, Miri is a microcosm of the Feywild contained neatly within the country's borders, owing to the Archfey on the throne. Those born there are unable to leave, and the Mischief-Maker who calls himself Queen sees to the personal extermination of nonbelievers.

HANAZIRA. Formally known as the Free People of Hanazira, they are a collection of nations who formed an alliance to better stand up against global powers such as Ephelion. Outsiders criticize Hanazira for its roots sunk deep into traditional ways of living, but Hanazirans adapt what the rest of the world creates to suit their own needs. However, their way of life has been steadily more endangered by a strange chasm in the ground housing what they refer to as The Beast, which haunts the minds and torments the souls of anyone who steps near---and its influence is beginning to spread.