#like from knowing that base; you can expand and branch out and still make it feel engaging and new and different

[darabeatha]

[aishangotome]

Azel Radwan: Dramatic Ending Epilogue

Dramatic Ending Ch. 25 His Side Story

Thank you @passthechloroform for providing the video for this chapter!

Tanzanite, with its god gone, did not change overnight.

People still revered Azel, and the markets were lined with commemorative coins and statues of him.

But to say that nothing had changed would also be untrue.

Before, every three steps you took in the city would lead you to a divination shop, but now their numbers had dwindled.

Instead, you could stumble upon bookstores, which had been impossible to find before, no matter how much you wandered around.

(Just as the letter said…)

(Tanzanite now presents a golden opportunity for booksellers to expand their market.)

*flashback*

Akatsuki: You want to do business in Tanzanite?

Emma: Yes. I thought that if we open a sales channel now, we might be able to establish a Tanzanite branch eventually.

Emma: Wouldn’t it be easier for the Owner, who travels to every country on the continent, to operate with several bases?

Akatsuki: …That makes sense.

Emma: Right? Actually, it seems Tanzanite is making a national effort to attract booksellers…

Emma: I think it’s a good opportunity to make a lot of money.

Akatsuki: Do you want to go?

Emma: If you’ll allow it.

Akatsuki: I’ll allow the business.

Emma: …!

Akatsuki: But, I won’t allow any unhealthy relationships before marriage.

Emma: Wh-What do you mean?

Akatsuki: Your objective is the dead god.

Akatsuki: He even sends you letters every time. How unsightly.

Emma: …Then, would you allow a healthy relationship?

Akatsuki: …

Akatsuki: If anything happens to you, I’ll kill that god.

*flashback over*

(I can’t tell the Owner about that night, not even if my mouth is torn apart.)

Just remembering it made me blush, and I shook my head as if to dispel those thoughts.

My objective today was market research –– to assess the demand and see what kind of books were needed. That was my job.

(Huh? There’s a crowd over there.)

(It doesn’t seem to be related to bookstores, but this is also part of market research.)

(I might be able to learn about the current trends in Tanzanite, so let’s go.)

I never imagined that my casual decision to join the crowd out of curiosity would ––

––lead to a tragedy later on.

-

Azel: …And?

Emma: …It was a soap shop.

Emma: They sell soap made by a famous perfumer, and it seems to have a reputation for smelling very good.

Emma: I thought I’d like to try it too… so I reached for it.

Azel: There must have been other selling points besides it smelling good.

Emma: ………… That it can captivate the person you’re interested in.

Azel: Sigh… Why do you fall for such obvious traps?

Emma: Because I wouldn’t think something like that would be sold openly in the city!

(This sense of déjà vu… I remember this.)

When I used the soap I bought at the market in the bath, my body started to feel strange by the time I got out.

The enchantingly pleasant scent gradually induced a feverish heat, making my skin unbearably sensitive.

The mere rubbing of my negligee against my skin made my stomach tingle strangely, and my heart pounded like a drum.

I felt like I could faint from shame at any moment.

Azel: Listen, Tanzanite is famous for its songs, dances, and harem.

Azel: It’s not uncommon for people from the harem to sell shady goods in the city to earn some extra money.

Emma: …I didn’t know that.

Azel: Think of “captivating the person you’re interested in” as a catchphrase for aphrodisiacs. It was a good lesson, wasn’t it?

(I never thought I’d experience this feeling again.)

The effects of this aphrodisiac seemed to be even stronger than the perfume mixed with the aphrodisiac ingredients from last time, and if I let my guard down, indecent sounds would escape my lips.

(…I want to cry…)

Azel: Hey, don't make that face like you're about to cry.

Azel: The quickest way to get rid of an aphrodisiac is–

*flashback*

Azel: In reality, an aphrodisiac will naturally leave your system with time.

Azel: All you can do is sleep or distract yourself, those are your two options.

*flashback over*

(I’ll just hide in the kitchen like last time, that’s what I’ll do.)

(I can’t let Azel see my unsightly behavior.)

In the middle of his lecture, I turned my back on him and reached for the door as if to escape.

Azel: Where are you going?

Emma: To cook.

Azel: Huh?

Emma: I’m going to cool my head, so please don’t mind me and go to sleep, Prince Azel.

Emma: Good night!

-

Emma: …Why are you following me!?

Azel: …I’m not following you. I’m thirsty.

Azel, who had followed me to the kitchen without a care in the world, poured water into a ceramic cup, just as he had said.

Even after taking a sip and wetting his throat, he showed no sign of leaving.

Azel: Do you want some too?

Emma: …

(Last time, you confined me here and left on your own.)

(…Thinking about it now, that was probably an act of mercy to prevent anyone from seeing my embarrassing behavior.)

(I’d like you to show me the same mercy this time…)

Azel: What is it? You’ve been staring at me.

Emma: You know what I want to say, right?

Azel: Not at all.

Emma: Leave me alone.

Azel: This is my castle.

Emma: Are you okay with being attacked by me?

I tried to push Azel out of the kitchen, but–

(H-He won’t budge…!)

He looked at me with a mixture of amusement and pity.

Azel: What are you doing?

Emma: You wicked god– Ah, no, you’re not a god anymore.

Emma: Um… Wicked person!

Azel: Congratulations on increasing your debt through insults.

Emma: …I understand. You don’t want tomorrow’s meal, then. It was going to be a special dish with meat.

Azel: If that’s what you wish, I’ll obediently return to my room. Goodbye.

(This tactic was the most effective after all.)

Azel briskly headed for the exit, but he turned around before leaving the kitchen.

Azel: However, you should know what an aphrodisiac is.

Azel: It’s actually easier to let it out than to endure it.

(…I know.)

My body, forcibly heated by the aphrodisiac, was aching to the point that I wanted to scratch it, and I unconsciously followed Azel's hand with my eyes.

(If I could just have his hand touch me…)

I slapped my cheeks with both hands as if to resist the temptation and shook my head.

Emma: Thank you for your concern. But I’m fine.

Azel: Why are you so stubborn?

Azel: We’ve already crossed the line.

Emma: …That’s true, but…

Emma: If you touch me like that night, I’ll probably become a mess.

Azel: It might be a good lesson.

Emma: …If Prince Azel were to hate me, I wouldn’t be able to recover.

Azel: Why would that happen?

(Because…)

Emma: You don’t have good memories of aphrodisiacs, do you?

*flashback*

Emma: In the first place, I’ve never used or even seen an aphrodisiac, so I don’t know what it’s like…

Azel: Huh? You’ve never seen one in your life?

Emma: Of course not!

Azel: There are people like that?

*flashback over*

(Because of his position as God, people around Azel-sama tried every trick in the book to get him interested in women.)

(I’ve never asked for details, but I’m sure he’s been tormented by unwanted aphrodisiacs.)

Azel: …Indeed, as you said, I’ve been through a lot with aphrodisiacs.

Azel: I have nothing but unpleasant memories of being forced to watch women lose control in front of me.

Emma: Then–

Azel: But you’re not…

Azel: …

Emma: …Prince Azel?

Azel: ..............

Azel: I hate being attacked.

Emma: I think anyone would.

Azel: That’s right. So I came up with a great idea.

(Huh, the atmosphere suddenly became ominous.)

Even though he was supposed to be heading outside, Azel came back to me for some reason.

When I casually tried to move away, he wrapped his arms around my waist.

Emma: Ah…

An unfamiliar sensation set my entire body ablaze with shame, and I reflexively pushed back against his chest.

But instead of moving away, Azel brought his lips to my ear and breathed a sigh.

Azel: It’s fine to attack before you’re attacked, like this.

Emma: That’s not good, not good at all… Mm!

My ear was nibbled, and indecent gasps melted into the kitchen air.

Emma: No… This really… won’t end well… so… Ah.

The hand that had been resting on my waist slid down and slipped between my legs, along with my negligee.

With just a light touch, my vision went white, and my body trembled as my strength gave out.

Azel: How could you say you were fine in this state?

Azel lifted me up as I collapsed on the floor.

Emma: …I could… evaporate from embarrassment right now…

Azel: If you haven’t evaporated yet, you’ll be fine.

Azel carried me outside and headed for his room with quick steps.

Even the wind that enveloped my body brought me slight pleasure, and I felt a sensation of honey dripping from my lower abdomen.

Emma: ………… Prince Azel.

Azel: It’s not unpleasant or uncomfortable.

Azel: …You’re different from other women.

Just as he said, Azel didn’t seem uncomfortable at all. In fact, his slightly unfocused gaze seemed to reveal his true feelings.

Azel: I can stop if you’re seriously against it.

(Honestly, I’m scared… but…)

(…If… Azel… doesn’t mind…)

I grabbed Azel's clothes and exhaled as if to release the intense heat within me.

Emma: …Touch… me… please…

-

As soon as we returned to the room, Azel stripped me of my negligee and sat me on the bed, embracing me from behind.

Emma: Gasp... Ah...

The mere act of his palm cupping my breast sent a jolt through my core, and when he pressed against my hardened nipple, my vision blurred to white.

Each time his lips grazed my ear, a sweet nectar overflowed in response, and my whole body trembled as his finger, coated with it, slipped inside me.

Even after all this, the aphrodisiac still lingered in my body, and my hips moved involuntarily, matching the rhythm of his finger swirling within me.

Emma: Nn... ...Aah...

Azel effortlessly supported me as I slumped against him, limp.

Azel: Are you alive?

Emma: Barely... alive...

Azel: That's good to hear.

Azel: Learn from this and never touch those "captivate your beloved" concoctions again.

Azel: Besides, even without using such things––

Azel: ...

Emma: ...Even without?

Azel: Why are you so focused on that part?

Emma: Nn...! Don't touch me th-there... aaah!

He hooked a finger around the sensitive swell, now slick with nectar, and another burst of wicked pleasure exploded from my core.

My breath hitched, hot and ragged, and my consciousness almost drifted off into a dream.

Azel: You make that kind of face too, huh?

Azel: ...I feel like I'm the one who's been ravished, even though I'm the one who attacked you.

(I'm... too scared to ask what kind of face I'm making... but...)

Azel's expression as he gazed at me was so alluring it made my heart ache.

That unexpected, worldly expression, so far removed from his usual sanctity—

Our eyes met, and our lips found each other as if drawn together by an invisible force.

(I've had enough of aphrodisiacs... )

(But if it means I can see that look on your face when you desire me... maybe it's not all bad.)

---

(Suspicious Solicitation)

※ This letter has been sent to all booksellers ※

In Tanzanite, a city overflowing with tourist attractions, bookstores are opening one after another.

With the decline of divination, once a symbolic industry of the nation, the demand for knowledge is on the rise.

Furthermore, the nation is currently offering generous support to foreign booksellers, allowing you to start your business immediately.

Tanzanite is now a dreamland where anyone with the skills of a bookseller can easily become a business owner – an opportunity no one in the trade would want to miss.

So, what do you think? It's piqued your interest, hasn't it? It would be a shame to let this big-money chance slip away.

We are currently offering passage to Tanzanite at a special price.

If you are interested in visiting, please contact us at the address below.

P.S. This letter has been sent to all booksellers. Don't try to investigate this offer with your colleagues out of suspicion.

Also, we don't particularly need you to come quickly, nor do we necessarily want a reply.

Don't misunderstand... Absolutely do not misunderstand.

Azel Radwan

--

FIN

.

.

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Both Endings Epilogue

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to leave me a tip here or buy me a coffee through the "Leave a Tip" button on my navigation bar!

[alexanderlightweight]

You're back! I'm so utterly delighted that you're feeling better <3

I would love to see either another snippet of Elysium's Tears or a bit of the verse where hair holds power for the nephilim. I adore the scenes where Alec gives Magnus a bracelet of his hair (and also the earlier one with Clary's bone bead dissolving because she didn't earn it no matter what Jace and Izzy say lol).

Thank you for sharing your wonderful ideas and writing with us!!

hi laws! i'm so happy to be back too, its insane how much it lifts my mood to be writing and on here again.

so I know you like both but I do know how much you love the hair!lore verse so this is a bit in the future and also because I wanted the excuse to finally expand on some warlock lore. it's really easy to be fluid with nephilim culture based on verse but I wanted to build a stable base for warlock customs and cultures that can branch differently out depending on the verse but has the same foundation. because I think it's a far longer legacy than nephilim and therefore it deserves something lingering and lasting as the cornerstone. which means I was really picky about it and then picked my favorite.

so this bit of warlock culture is actually universal in my verses. I also know that you enjoy the cultural tidbits so ^_^ I hope you enjoy <3

~lumine

-

my path is set

It thrills Magnus, to discover that even after he’s left the Institute — left Alexander ruined for all others and still aching for his touch — that he can still feel him through the soft hair coiled around his wrist.

Magnus had lingered, satiating not just the wards until they were primed — full of rich energy and deep magic — but his own desires.

Magnus had wanted to bring him home.

Take him to bed properly, with silk soft under his bruised back rather than the rough stone of an altar.

Instead Magnus had to leave him there. 

Oh he helped him to his room first, unwilling to let anyone else see or touch Alexander like that.  Had even let himself in, tucked a barely conscious Alexander in with magic and a smirk. Knowing that he would wake covered in the evidence of Magnus ardor and his own passion. 

It’s also convenient that there’s no one to stop Magnus from leaving, the strands of Alexander’s braid still wrapped covetously across his skin.

Magnus wonders at the magic imbued in it and marvels, relieved that it doesn’t fade even when the portal closes, cutting off any true connection.

But the bracelet stays, tying him to Alexander.

It will keep him tied to Alexander long after the residue of the sex ritual fades and the bruises and marks heal.

And it will bring Alexander to him again.

Magnus is sure of it, with the way he feels an almost-echo when he imbues magic upon the braid.

—

Magnus doesn’t sleep that night.

Instead he reaches out to Ragnor and Catarina, requesting all of their notes and encounters regarding the culture of shadowhunter customs.  It’s suddenly deeply important for him to know so that he can match Alexander in turn, even if Alexander might not understand at first.

Because Magnus is going to match him in his own unique way.

There are parts of warlock culture that while not hidden away, aren’t advertised to the outside.

Warlocks are somewhat insular after all, at least from the other races. 

However there are no rules keeping Magnus from displaying his own accomplishments. The way Alexander does with his braids and charms and hand-hewn beads.

Warlocks display their accomplishments in the bones of those who came before.  Honoring them with legacy, so that parts of them will never be forgotten or wholly wiped away.

The nephilim used to try to and burn their bodies for this very purpose, to deny them their legacies. It's part of why heavenly fire is used to dispose of 'so-called-criminals' caught by the Clave.

It makes Magnus darkly pleased, to realize that someday he will drape Alexander in the very essence of what his boy’s ancestors despise.

And Alexander will delight in it.

Magnus can tell from the way his fingers had lingered on the bone armbands — that Magnus hadn’t bothered to take off— and caressed bone and skin together. How he'd moved towards the magic sparking off of Magic rather than away.

And considering that Magnus has personally reformed — and possibly wiped out — the Council of the Elder's a few times, he has still always made sure to respect the legacy of his own kind.

Which means he has quite a collection to choose from and the ability to make as much more as he wants.

Platinum and bone are the pride of warlocks — and true, Magnus doesn’t know a single warlock who wouldn’t kill for abyssal gems — but platinum and bone have always been theirs in a different way.

Especially bone.

Even before they ever discovered platinum, warlocks had their bones.

For a moment, Magnus wonders what feeding Alexander the marrow of an Elder would do to him, and then decides that as delicious a delicacy as it is. 

He’d rather not risk it.

Not until he finds out how sturdy his shadowhunter is.

Magnus is going to want to keep him for quite a long time, after all.

—

AN:

Soooo... i think i’ve hinted at it but in the background of both warlock and nephilim culture is cannibalism. In most verses nephilim cultures don’t continue the trend especially because they’re short on nephilim and warlocks rarely use it except for specific things but i don’t actually think cannibalism is that big taboo in the shadowworld. There’s too much blood related stuff. Like raziel’s blood and vampires and sires and blood etc. and werewolf biting each other etc. 

So for warlock in the case of the Elders. I won’t fully get into it here but cannibalism is always involved in elder council rituals once an elder is deceased.  Magnus/Cat/Ragnor have in a few different verses had to weed out or recreate the council of elders from scratch. No one actually knows whats causing it, but everyone knows that those three (though sometimes they take turns because they hate it) are the longest surviving  elders. So they’re pretty respected because they have a higher rank, even if a newer elder is older than any of them. Which does happen sometimes.

Magnus is not in charge of the council, he doesn’t want to be. 

But anyways. 

So the bone thing is actually across all verses for warlocks. Because its a way they’ve always been able to share wisdom with future warlocks because even the recluse warlocks look out for their own. It’s a legacy thing too. They can’t have children. They pass on their bones to leave behind something that another warlock will connect to in a way. It’s very important to them and while all warlocks wear at least one piece, not all warlocks have the ability to handle a lot of jewelry. Depending on how powerful the magic of who it was from.

There isn’t a single faction of the shadowworld that doesn’t keep trophies of their kills. It’s not like every single person does it but it is a practice in every race at some point in time. And warlocks also use pretty much anything as potion ingredients (that fact is actually canon, werewolf teeth and hair and nails lol and vampire as well lol) or magical artifacts. 

In this though, shadowhunters carve their charms into demon bones or non-sentient magical beasts/creatures (which is actually a pretty big deal. They have to harvest a bone or horn/fang basically something with a non-adamas blade so it doesn’t disintegrate.  It’s why you have to be a really good hunter to have so many charms because you’re given one from the clave on your first kill but you have to make all the rest yourself. Its a skill thing.  Alec is really skilled which is surprising because he’s an archer. He should have a harder time getting things from so far away but he’s pretty tricky with his traps. (also shadowhunter charms and beads carved from anything but demon bone/magical creatures are banned. The circle (and some houses and shadowhunters ofc secretly which means parts of the clave too) did make charms from downworlders. Which is literally illegal in the accords. It wasn’t illegal before the accords... which should say something.) 

Anyways, yes Magnus is planning on going full on warlock culture and then teach alec because his alexander deserves knowing how a big a predator he caught.

Alec is so fucking thrilled. He’s out here living the best life the minute magnus walks in just radiating old, necromantic power and he’s like... wow. He’s amazing, he’s impressive.

This will also eventually come up especially in pray to the hunters verse because uh. Alec is going to be so very into Magnus’ old bone legacy jewelry with whats basically ancestral magic for warlocks.  Magnus has never been so attractive to him and Magnus is always unfairly attractive to him.

Also if you’re powerful enough you can draw on the magic or specific things unique to the warlock of the bones you’re wearing. 

Magnus just really likes the idea of Alec dressed in a bunch of powerful warlock bone magical artifacts something that would absolutely horrify most nephilim

[vm-haunts]

Me: haha I'll just make up a timeline for this crazy crossover idea.

Me, a week later: what the fuck what the fuck how did I end up with so much plot how is it still expanding oh my god stooooop.

Aaaanyways. I don't know if I'll ever got it properly written, but this monster of a plot bunny now covers several major events and I'm losing my mind...

But anyways, cliff notes version on the plot and how far it stretches:

..

College trio was involved in the dionesium (aka Lazarus water) research, and somehow they're actually the more ethical bunch. Which is saying a lot considering.

DP events happened but they encountered and got help from several DC magic users during it. Budding occultist Sam for the win. (no agit yet and no phantom planet either)

The GIW got somewhat reformed, thanks to the help of Team Phantom's JLD friends. However at some point they got new management. Now instead of destroying ghost, the new comers are interested in the correlation of ecto-contamination, liminality... And secretly, in the increased success rate of induced metagene activation in liminals. Yikes, they somehow got worse.

Again, the Fenton parents are somehow the ethical ones here, despite everything. They refused to work with the new branch of GIW, stuff escalated (don't they always), and now they're dead. And in ghost jail. At least Vlad is there with them for the heartwarming reunion.

So Team Phantom ended up faking their death and goes on the run while raiding GIW bases, and along the way they found a weird guy (Jason). Weird guy's mom showed up and. Well guess they're involved with assassin cult's power struggle now, at least they get to help a guy out.

More shenanigans later they ended up with some monks in the Himalayas, and- wait Danny what do you mean you know them? Oh yeah Plasmius's little stint with the Infi-map... Gotta love time travel.

Anyway, after Danny got scammed for long overdue property damage fees and Jason got a pair of cool swords, they met Talia again and she brings news! Totally no ulterior motives or anything :) (Sam called her out to her face and she just smiled)

Jason, considerably more chill in this au, is still unhappy about... Well. Everything in Gotham.

Cue the Red Hood stint but with much more control and less blood shed. Which ironically made RH more intimidating because he moves like a ghost(duh). Especially when Jason's main act of revenge is 'pranks', which reads as mild psychology warfare actually. But hey the bats did that to themselves, he did nothing wrong (besides being a drug lord).

Red Hood peaceful mode does however attracted some unwanted bird themed attention, the Owl's not the Robin's. And well, undead Talons sneaking around undead experts, what could go wrong?

Everything apparently. Because on top of the Rh stint, Jason is somehow also infiltrating the Court of Owls now. As his real identity Jason Todd-Wayne no less. But the real suprise is Danny running into his parent's old researches, and. Well, the poor talons need help, might as well join in with the infiltration.

Some more shenanigans later it ends in Jason and co. quietly turning the talons against their old masters, and oh boy did they overachieved the goal of getting a foot into Gotham's crime world. Must be Danny's Fenton luck.

Ol' Batsy is very very not happy about that development by the way. But he can die mad about it as far as Jason is concerned.

...

The end. Of part one.

Stay tuned for part two, where we cross AGIT with crisis.

And massive thanks to @taddy-cat, a large part of this is inspired by the lovely discussion with you!

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

Ok but that ask about Reader and Foul Legacy watching the stars gave me an idea:

Sparkly moth deserves an astronomer/astrologist Reader, who's completely in awe with the stars that cover the abyss and it's denizens, and loves the patterns they form, like constellations they don't know but want to comprehend. Imagine them mentioning that if they discover a new constellation or star, they'd name it after Foul Legacy.

Also, this quote is really sappy but "my fate written in the stars" sounds like a super endearing way they'd describe Foul Legacy at some point

listen listen LISTEN, you're part of the Rtawahist Darshan at the Akademiya, too

the Sages certainly don't agree with your study of the Abyss- too dangerous, they say. it's against everything the Archon of Dendro stands for! and yet, they can't exactly stop you. it's an area of knowledge that needs expanding on, now perhaps more than ever, and technically you are still studying the stars. even more irritating is just how wonderfully all of your papers are written, so they reluctantly oblige and allow you to continue your investigations. of course, you're not telling them everything. while some of your fellow scholars might scold you for it, you know it's best to keep a few things secret- such as the lovely creature you found while exploring, this curious Foul Legacy who seems so monstrous yet acts so sweet. no no, you couldn't possibly inform the Sages and send him off to be tormented and experimented on, and Legacy seems to think the same

so for now, he's your special secret

you spend a lot of nights awake together, trying to scale the grand tree that holds up the Akademiya. you can see the stars best from that position, of course, all the way at the top, perched upon the highest branch. if you're too tired that day, Legacy scoops you into his arms and flies, delicate wings glimmering just like the stars as he gently sets you down on the branch. here, you can point out everything you know, then ask him if the Abyss has them, too. some stay constant, others are mirrored, and more still are completely new. you promise to chart them all with him, making the first ever rough map of the Abyss based on the patterns he tells you, the speckles of light flecked across his wings

sometimes, if you tilt your head enough and think sideways, you can almost see your fate written out across them

[rainbowvally]

Small Trolls Rant Thing

Don't at all hold any hate for Viva with this, I was just reading some stuff and it got me thinking about it and I just wanna put it out somewhere. Maybe someone will like change my mind or something even??

Unpopular opinion?? I feel like Viva had no reason to exist as a character. 💔

She didn't really do anything/bring anything new to the table or even really effect Poppy much? Taking her out probably wouldn't change a lot past giving more screen time to the giant gap in information we were left with. And allowed for more focus on the accountability that we didn't get to see taken you know.

It's a kids movie and all but like ahh I know they can tackle these things better than this. I still love the movie but Viva is such a ?? for me.

The first film did such a perfect job at giving both leads balance. The second one handed the focus to Poppy, but Branch was still important as a strong support. Why wasn't he allowed to solely take the wheel this time with her as the support? Like why did they need to shove something in for her you know? It just bugs m, and it's something that ultimately made things confused with some past information? She was just not necessary to me I guess. 😭

As a character I don't hate her or anything but the idea of what we could have used her time for is just so hmm. Like there's so much there that felt missing in the end, even though I love the film.

Like why did she get a whole song and back story drop scene just for her to not really be anything?? While we didn't get any sort of information on how the main problem even started. That just feels sort of crazy you know? Like there's no point where we learn why and how they got Floyd. I guess it leaves us in the same position as Branch with not knowing that, or what any of the brothers' journeys were for the last 20 years butttt ahhhh

There wasn't really anything fresh that came with her as a character either to be honest? Cause I mean on a base level she's just Branch but not pessimistic? Like her situation is similar where she's living in fear, and it's stopping her from doing things; there's basically just less there than with him? If that makes any sense? Mhhh It's just a shame.

What did she even ultimately do for Poppy as well that she maybe could have found through coming to understand Branch's situation once the rosed-coloured glasses fell off?

It feels like while a lot of fans are invested in learning more about the brothers the company's kind of running with the sisters at the moment? Which is just odd; the balance has always felt so well done but something just feels off right now to me. It's weird.

Last note: Poppy has multiple friends they could build upon that could give her a sisterly relationship. She already had one going on with Bridget so. Could have focused the energy with Viva on her connecting with the brothers beyond the idolization? I don't know! It just feels so ahhh I don't hate her but I don't understand her inclusion? Viva's part ends up feeling so random the more I think about it all. I feel like the movie's so good, I love it so much and it's like full but also weirdly empty? Like I know these characters by the end but I also don't as well. I feel like I know more about her than I do some of the brothers sometimes and they're like pivotal characters. The movie's entire plot wouldn't exist with out them.

I literally don't even know how to conclude my thoughts so I'm just cutting it off. I guess I just really need more canon information and stuff? I do hope they expand on her more I guess.

[lilyblackdrawside]

Leizi, the power of upgrades and performance in alternate game modes

Long post. Click to expand at your own risk. There are no images or sound files to break up the text.

Leizi was released in Stories of Afternoon in the first year of the game alongside Ceobe.

Ceobe was and is a very popular and powerful operator, so a lot of people ended up also getting Leizi in rolling for her and she was widely written off as being terrible.

That is probably what happened. I wasn’t there.

But I do know that she was seen as bad and for a long time really was pretty bad.

She introduced the Chain Caster branch to the game, which at the time was just Caster like everyone else.

This is one of the few branches that underperformed so badly, they buffed it.

The others are Dreadnought Guards and Splash Casters, both of which were graced with some stat buffs when Dossoles Holiday happened.

Chain Casters however got a whole other treatment:

On release, they had a damage falloff of 25% per jump.

A year later when A Walk in the Dust happened, this was buffed to 20% when Passenger came out (who was also widely mocked for being kinda terrible. He wasn’t as bad as people made him out to be, but really not great. I was around for this one.) and then half a year later with Dossoles Holiday this was changed again from 20% to the 15% we still have to this day.

They also upgraded the Slow on hit from 0.2 seconds to 0.5 seconds.

Chain Casters had a ZERO POINT TWO SECONDS SLOW for two years of their existence.

With the right module, they can have a 0.8s Slow now, same as Decel Binders.

Dossoles also brought a roughly 15% increase in base atk for our two Chain Casters, which together with the Slow buff and Falloff reduction made Passenger pretty good and Leizi kinda decent.

Another half year later we got the ChaX Module with Near Light, which further improved the Slow to the aforementioned 0.8s and the damage falloff to just 10% per hit now.

To illustrate the impact the damage falloff reductions had, here are the numbers per jump:

25%: 100% -> 75% -> 56.3% -> 42.2%

20%: 100% -> 80% -> 64% -> 51.2%

15%: 100% -> 85% -> 72.3% -> 61.4%

10%: 100% -> 90% -> 81% -> 73%

The final hit is now doing 50% more damage than it used to after all these improvements.

Passenger’s 5th hit with his S2 deals 31.7%, 41%, 52.2% and 65.7% respectively.

A quarter year after Near Light we got Integrated Strategies 2: Phantom & Crimson Solitaire which introduced the Hand of Diffusion collectible.

This item causes Blast, Splash and Chain Casters to gain 2 sp whenever they hit an enemy.

The intent is obvious: All of these branches can hit multiple enemies per attack, so they can gain a lot of sp to fuel their skills. Certain operators can use this better than others and Passenger is the one who made it infamous with his S3, which places a lingering zone of rapid-fire lightning strikes that just by having three enemies in it for its full duration of 4 will generate more sp than was used for the skill.

Half a year later, Lingering Echoes introduced Module Upgrades to a generally favourable reception.

It also introduced Stationary Security Service to a generally unfavourable reception.

Yeah we used to only have the basic modules a long time ago. Can you believe it? And even longer ago there were no modules at all!

Anyway.

When it comes to module upgrades, there are two employees at Hypergryph who handle them.

There’s Good Module Guy and Bad Module Guy.

Bad Module Guy brought us all-time classics like May’s and Utage’s modules, Dusk X,Fartooth Y and Archetto X.

Good Module Guy got us Hellagur X, Dusk Y, Passenger X, Bibeak’s, Gladiia X, Aak’s, Greyy’s and of course Leizi’s.

Leizi’s talent makes her do 123% damage to unblocked enemies.

Her module upgrades this to 126% damage and gain 1 SP when attacking unblocked enemies at level 2

and 129% damage and gain 1 SP at level 3.

The level 2 upgrade is the critical point here. She basically gets half a Hand of Diffusion always.

This means up to 4 sp per attack!

At this point, I should probably go over her skills. What little there is to go over anyway.

As the first Chain Caster, she is very simple. The most simple among them to this day still.

Her S1 is ATK Up Gamma, it’s whatever.

Because her S2 is Thunderclap: +150% ATK, damage falloff negated. That’s it.

It also turns her lightning from blue to red, which is rad.

As a year 1 operator, the +150% ATK buff is massive. It’s on the level of operators like Mostima and SilverAsh.

It’s not like these days where you get +260% ATK on a 25 sp cost skill and also fifty other bonus effects.

And that’s the sticking point, really. Because Leizi’s S2 lasts for 35 seconds and costs 80 SP.

You’re paying 80 SP for - these days - pretty much just +150% ATK, because after all these buffs the damage falloff of 10% is very manageable.

Of course, back in the day the falloff negation was much, much better than now (I don’t want to underplay it, but compared to on release it doesn’t amount to nearly as much of a damage increase).

Instead of doing 273.5% damage on a fully-chained hit, she’d do the full, proper 400% with S2 active, so under the best conditions it presented a damage multiplier of x3.7.

Nowadays with module, it’s „just“ x2.9. So all these trait buffs really made a difference.

But yeah, the cost is atrocious. Real Year 1 design right there.

And her module helps a lot with patching it up. With an attack interval of 2.3s, she can generate a lot of SP with proper placement and busy enough lanes, so now she can use her skill more than once per stage!

This has made her quite adequate for regular gameplay, but where she really shines is in certain alternate game modes.

Specifically SSS.

Now, I actually really like SSS. I’m the one SSS fan on the planet. I’ve enjoyed it from the start in its first incarnation, thought the Danger Level nerfs weren’t needed and really just want them to make the old dungeons available for playing. Or bring some of the bosses back. A lot of them could work really well even outside of the mode.

Anyway, in SSS you can give operators +200 ASPD quite easily and Leizi does a lot with it.

This much ASPD lets her attack every 0.77 seconds, which is just under her 0.8s Slow duration, so that’s permanent now. It also makes her generate sp three times as fast and now her skill has like no downtime anymore.

SSS also loves to throw a ton of enemies at you, so a Chain Caster’s Splash-Caster adjacent nature really shines in this mode and she can always make the most of her chain attacks.

I always bring her and she’s always the core of my strategy.

They’ve tried to stop me from using Leizi and other arts-damage operators, but even in the currently-running Leithanien dungeon she’s viable. Even on Emergency mode.

You cannot stop Leizi.

She’s really the SSS all star, which is kinda poetic since the update that introduced the mode also gave her the upgrade that she really needed.

Integrated Strategies also makes it easy for her to shine, since some of the versions also make it really easy to get attackspeed increases. Unlike Passenger, she already has The Hand! (Though he obviously vastly outperforms her if you get it)

Lastly, I also want to touch on her personality. I quite like her constantly harsh tone, her aggressive and confident nature and expressions. It’s very charming.

The way her 3 star victory line makes it sound like you didn’t even clear the stage properly, how her 4 star victory line is „Well done.As my standards are quite high, you should be proud of yourself.“ so she’s still hardly praising you and more going on about how hearing so little from her is basically worth as much as other operators exploding from the sheer joy of clearing a Challenge Mode stage.

Both of her portraits are also excellent, the E0 one displaying her stoic, untouchable stature and the E2 one flaunting her superiourity.

And then they FUCKED IT UP with her alt outfit by giving her a soft expression. YOU CANNOT DO THAT! Imagine seeing that artwork with her 3 star victory line IT DOESN’T WORK!!!!

Leizi went through a very unique progression over the course of the game’s lifespan, going from barely functional, to kinda okay to being a solid operator in the regular game and excellent in some side modes.

Maybe there are other operators like her, who look just alright on the surface, but just need a little something to stand out that an alternate game mode might give them. Could be worth giving someone you’ve been setting aside until now a second look.

[multiversetravelingjournalist]

Honkai: Star Rail Path Languages.

I was hit with the idea of an Aeon and Emanators of a path speaking a language unique to that path that might not be found anywhere else in the setting that could be used for Aeon-to-emanator and/or emanator-to-emanator communication and embody that path's philosophy. For Example:

Destruction being made from the remaining fragments of other languages of the speakers who dedicated their lives to this path. In other words, the members' languages get reduced to a specific phrase that is only used in that context alongside of the other phrases from the other languages used in other contexts. Hopefully, this gives the language of Destruction a patchwork feeling similar to how I head-canon the followers and Emanators' aesthetic being similar to Nanook, a kintsugi patchwork/hodge podge of pieces barely held together yet working exactly as needed. There is also the possibility that morphemes in this langauage are incredibly long and use destructive morphology to reduce the word till the inflected form is shorter than the root form. Perhaps the "roots" are composed of other roots all glommed together with subtle differences of meanings depending on how the fragments are arranged before being conjugated.

Propagation being a self-permutating language that changes with each generation of the Swarm that is born. That an individual's language can be used to trace their lineage back in different branches. That all idiolects have different forms based upon which stage of an individual's lifecycle is being perceived and/or experienced. Not to mention that all of them have a metric-ton of derivational systems to allow new words to be created for new concepts the swarm comes across.

Abundance has roots that start out small but then collect morphemes that make the inflected forms even larger the more concepts a speaker wants to express with that word. Like trees, each morpheme has a unique word form when inflected that makes it unique and require memorizing. Perhaps sentences in the Abundance language act like actual trees in that each utterance can branch off other ones and create a fractal of possible sentences and speeches that are somehow spoken at the same time.

That's about it. I don't know if I will also cover the languages of the various planets, species, and/or groups of the setting. Granted, I was tempted to develop Adventurine's people's after reading more about the Avgin on the Wiki. Also, the Trailblazer is able to understand all of these languages... for some reason, lol.

Still, I have always had that drive to create languages for god-like beings and I feel surer of what those languages could be like with the Aeons than anything else. Perhaps expanding this project further could give me insight to making the languages of other such beings from other franchises as well.

Anyways, this is all I have to say for now. I might come back to this. Till then, I will share this with all of you HSR fans and fellow conlangers in the hope that at least one of you would feel inspired enough by these ramblings to expand on it (just link me the ideas when you do).

With all that said, I wish you all a pleasant day. Take care and till next time... ;)

[alltimefail-sims]

https://www.tumblr.com/alltimefail-sims/748883412368179200/i-thought-what-you-said-about-using-granite-falls?source=share where would you put forgotten hallow and glimmerbrook?

Again, not 1:1 here, but I personally imagine Forgotten Hollow would be in a state like Massachusetts/Connecticut/Delaware. I'm a history nerd at heart, and due to the Colony lore surrounding Vlad I can't help but personally headcanon Forgotten Hollow as a part of the original 13 British colonies. Anywhere in here would work:

Knowing what we know about Glimmerbrook, the (alluded to be) original Mesopotamian-adjacent spellcasters, and the accidental invention of vampires, we can confidently say that spellcasters predate their companion occults by a significant margin. Because of this, I see the OG Spellcasters as existing most prominently all over the Eastern part of the world (Europe, Asia, Africa, etc.), but not specifically central to any one area. They've had lots of time to travel and expand their kind for one thing, but also I think magic comes in all different forms and therefore is just accessible to every person/place/culture/ethnicity/etc. You get the idea!

For me, Glimmerbrook has always felt more like a place a lot of spellcasters fled to after the initial magical war, not a place of origin for their occult type. But as for where it is specifically in our real world, I group Glimmerbrook, Windenburg, and Henford together and would palce them all somewhere in central/western Europe!

But again, I don't think Spellcasters as a whole are isolated to one location! In my mind, the "newer" an occult is, the less likely you are to find them outside of their "source location" that houses peers of their same condition. This is why Werewolves, being the newest of the three, are still mainly based in Moonwood Mill and why the oldest and most prominent vampire clans are still located in Forgotten Hollow but do have a few other established clans that have branched out elsewhere (in places like San Myshuno, my NYC adjacent world, for example).

Because spellcasters are just sort of everywhere, I imagine there are well-hidden entrances to the magic realm all over the world and various ways to access the magic relam that don't require you to go to the portal in Glimmerbrook or any portal for thag matter - thus the stone they cary around, for example. Glimmerbrook just happens to have the largest and most obvious entrance because it was really never meant to be there in the first place! The Glimmerbrook portal is the remaining evidence of the spellcasters who had to make a hasty escape in the realm explosion and ultimately created a tear of that size in our world. There was no thought behind the location, the tear was just the result of a quick escape, thus why the location of Glimmerbrook has little to do with how spellcasters behave, speek, look, and so on. This would also explain why no one lives in the magic realm any more, and why Glimmerbrook is so unremarkably magical in its appearance by comparison. Today the Glimmerbrook portal is protected and monitored by the sages and other high ranking "protectors," but by and large Spellcasters have come and gone from Glimmerbrook over the years with no issue and no attachment. Some spellcasters weren't even in the magic realm, nor did they live there, when the explosion happened! Although some families have chosen to stay in order to be closer to the realm's entrance and their family's history to the realm itself, for the most part it was never intended to be a place spellcasters would be forced to stay forever; they don't need to live in Glimmerbrook to find individuals like themselves, as they're all over the world!

I hope that all made sense and that I didn't get too redundant; again I don't want to get into the governances of the magical world that I've made up unless people are really interested haha, so I tried to keep this as short and concise as I could. As always feel free to ask for clarification! Thank you so much for this ask!!! ❤

[practically-an-x-man]

It's another TST and my brain can't focus. So...

please tell me a little about how you make your own mark on canon works for your fanfictions? I know Fanfic writers usually have a lot of the worldbuilding done already, but how much do you shift things around for your stories?

Thank you so much!!!

Talk Shop Tuesday

Oooh, that's a complicated one. It really depends on the story and how much the characters really can impact canon, but it's generally a combination of two things

How the characters I create or include would reasonably interact with the story. They don't know it's a story, it's just life to them, so it makes no sense for them to just be swept along with canon and sit in the background unless there's a reason for them to choose to sit in the background. But at the same time, they don't know what is "canon" and what is "not canon" for the plot, so they can't just change every plot line for the hell of it

How I can expand on the themes that have already been established. This is partly related to the characters, since I create my OCs as tools to expand on those themes, but it also branches out into the rest of canon

Basically, I use canon as a jumping point, and it's rare for me to just change something about canon just because, but I won't shy away from changing the individual scenes or the shape of the story based on how the OCs play into it.

Y'know, like... Night at the Museum gives us a lot of Egyptian mythology, but those themes could still be expanded. Enter Katherine - an artist with ties to Egyptian myth, in a museum where art comes to life under magic powered by Egyptian gods. She is a conduit for the core themes of the movies, and that allows me to use her to dig into those themes without outright rewriting canon from scratch. The third movie still happens even though she's there, but her presence allows me to expand on the connection to Ancient Egyptian lore and legend.

Or Jasper: a nurse with empathic powers, placed into AHS Coven. I admit, those details are intended as a fix-it for Kyle and how he's treated in canon (he's very much neglected after the whole necromancy plot, the show focuses less on his experiences and how difficult those must have been, and more on this weird love triangle between Zoe and Madison), and Jasper being present in the story is going to affect canon, but they don't have the foresight to know that Kyle is going to die or be brought back - they can only react to it when it does happen.

Even with my newest OC, Spider - A Quiet Place is based on how people would have to survive in a world where any noise is deadly, and the canon characters all get around this by being as quiet as possible. So how about a character that reflects not that silence, but the creatures that make that silence dangerous? How about a character that uses sound to his advantage rather that hiding from it? He doesn't control the Death Angels, and he only has a limited level of impact on the decisions other characters may make - but since we've never seen in canon how the creatures react to some of the things Spider will try, I can do a bit of worldbuilding on that front.

I'd say as a whole... I don't really rewrite canon so much as I expand on it. I take the scraps of worldbuilding and symbolism I can see from the original media and just... add my own flair where I can.

And of course, sometimes I come up with plots all from scratch (like Desert Song, Smoke and Mirrors, and most of my oneshots and side pieces), and that's where you can see a bit more of my personal technique with plot and worldbuilding.

[satoshi-mochida]

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien: Enhanced Edition launches October 17 - Gematsu

Romance visual Kimi ga Nozomu Eien: Enhanced Edition will launch for PC via Steam on October 17 with English and Japanese language support, aNCHOR announced.

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien first launched for PC on August 3, 2001. Kimi ga Nozomu Eien: Latest Edition, on which Kimi ga Nozomu Eien: Enhanced Edition is based, launched on March 28, 2008. Kimi ga Nozomu Eien: Enhanced Edition will be the game’s first official English release.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:

About

Experience the visual novel that shook a generation. Kimi ga Nozomu Eien (The Eternity You Desire) comes to Steam in an enhanced edition, offering a poignant journey through love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships.

A Classic Reborn

First released in 2001, Kimi ga Nozomu Eien quickly became a cornerstone of the visual novel genre, influencing countless stories that followed. Now, everyone can experience this incredible story in English for the first time.

Key Features

Massive Narrative – Immerse yourself in a mature, dramatic storyline that explores the depths of human emotion and the consequences of life-altering decisions.

Unforgettable, Realistic Characters – Connect with a cast of deep, well-developed characters whose growth and relationships evolve throughout the story.

Expanded Content – This definitive edition includes the original game plus three afterstories and a full-length retelling of Chapter 1 with new endings for each heroine. It also includes the the bonus episode Kanashimi wa Kaze no You ni (Sorrow, Like the Wind) from the first edition printing of Kimi ga Nozomu Eien: Latest Edition!

Hours and Hours of Gameplay – Dive into a rich, branching narrative that offers tremendous replay value and multiple endings to discover.

Story

“Time is both the kindest and the cruelest thing… It heals the wounds in my heart, but steals away my love for you.” Choosing one person always means hurting someone else… A realistic love story about a boy who’s growing up. Narumi Takayuki is a young man in his last year at Hakuryo Hiiragi academy. There’s not much time left before he graduates, but he still has no idea what he’s going to do with the rest of his life. He spends his days not doing much of anything in particular, and feeling a vague sense that he’s running out of time. One day, his classmate and female friend Hayase Mitsuki invites him and his buddy, Taira Shinji, to a summer festival. There, she introduces him to a friend of hers, Suzumiya Haruka. Haruka is an extremely shy, introverted girl, and since Mitsuki’s trying hard to make her feel like part of the gang, Takayuki does his best to make her feel comfortable as well. But for some reason, instead of thanking him, she goes out of her way to avoid him. He leaves the festival frustrated and annoyed. Days later, though, Haruka calls him out to the hill behind the school and tells him that she’s in love with him. Knowing how much courage it must have taken a shy girl like her to ask him out, he says finds himself unable to say no. The two begin dating, even though he’s not really interested in her. Just like he predicted, his conversations with her are strained and awkward. But as time passes, the two of them grow closer, and Takayuki finds himself falling in love with her sweet, innocent nature. And then one day…

Additional Information

This work is an all-ages version of the original game based on Kimi ga Nozomu Eien: Latest Edition. As the player, you will take on the role of the protagonist (Takayuki Narumi) and deepen your relationships with the heroines. There are no right or wrong answers to the choices you face, and you’re free to follow the story however you desire. The voice recordings used are from Kimi ga Nozomu Eien Latest Edition and existing consumer versions. We have also updated the menu screens for a more modern experience. This version of the game can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of whether they’ve played the game before.

[backslidesims]

a slightly different post regarding some refurbishments made to the walker's lot. i preface this with two thing: a) i could have announced the change within some kind of storyline but i am still not great at storytelling so i have just decided to make a post like this and b) i am not a builder and i typically use the premade lots and eventually decorate and add to them like here so no judgement on the fact i am playing in a very basic base-game house lol.

you probably recognise the the green home of this lot. this is where the walker's have been living. since living there, they have put a lot of effort into saving in order to expand this home to cater to their family needs...

and they have put a lot of effort into saving with my mod that increases the bills from 1.3% of assets to 15% of assets - when 15% starts getting too easy, i can increase it to 20%, 25% etc which is exciting as i like a challenge with money.

with their savings they have built an additional home on their lot (maybe something granny annexe-esque - i feel like that's a very british term lol but it is just a smaller additional home like what the sekemoto's have too). i enjoy doing this in my game play because i do not like moving sims out as i like playing with them all but the idea of having the whole entire family as they begin to branch off e.g., when francesca and / or gabriel have partners and / or children, it feels a little unrealistic for them to live under one small roof.

i thought i would introduce the construction that has took place on the walker's lot because otherwise i think it would have been strange for all of a sudden to have a new house there. also, it will probably make things easier storytelling wise when sims start moving into the additional home / granny annexe.

this was such a ramble however, i did enjoy sharing about how i go about my legacy gameplay and also about my bills mods i use. i cannot play without harder bills so i want to share if people do not know about the mod. it can be found here (you might noticed the 15% of assets bills are not there - i edited the package file as when starting out, i felt 10% was too easy by 20% was too hard. if anyone wants pointers on editing the package file, let me know and i can explain.

ah omg such a long post. if you read this far, thanks! i know it is probably not that interesting but i enjoy sharing the silly little ways i find joy in this game.

updated family tree found here.

[ariel-seagull-wings]

KEVIN ‘KEV’ TANAKA (IDW GHOSTBUSTERS COMICS)

@moonbeamelf @bixiebeet @spengnitzed @professorlehnsherr-almashy @angelixgutz @amalthea9​

“Kevin Tanaka (also known as Kev)  is the latest member of the Ghostbusters' New York branch support staff. Kevin is visually based on Ghostbusters Wiki administrator User:Mrmichaelt and his name  name appears to be a nod to the male secretary of the same first name in the 2016 movie Ghostbusters: Answer the Call.”

“It's no secret that you love the ongoing IDW Ghostbusters series. What elements are you looking forward to continuing in the next year or two? What are your feelings on Kevin Tanaka?

It has its moments. I'm really conflicted about what I want to see. On one hand, I'm very eager to see the Ghostbusters go up against these Predators that Tiamat talked about in the Crossing Over maxi-series and will Ray figure out a way to safely remove Jenny Moran from the Containment Unit? I'm wondering if 2021 is finally the year Erik Burnham fulfills a promise to Dan to do a Christmas annual featuring Krampus. Or will Chi-You, Rodefhiri or the Sandman return to exact revenge? Could there be surprise returns by gods like Hel or Aibell, could be. Will Special Agent Holtzmann finally make her debut? And last but not least, there's my, I guess, unhealthy love for the Chicago Ghostbusters. I'm always down to see more of them. Of course, there's the white elephant in the room with Afterlife. I wouldn't object to seeing the comic integrate the gunner seat into Ecto-1. I can see Ray doing it just because it would be fun, not for any strategic reasons during a bust on the go.

On the other hand, I ended up really loving the Year One mini-series after some initial concerns that it could be too revisionist and hurt the movie canon. That anecdote of when Ray and Egon first met was really special and is in my top 3 favorite moments of the overall comic series since Erik took over as the writer. I'd kill to see more of Year One as there's so many other things they could explore in year one. They only explored the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the surge in calls they dealt with after catching Slimer. They could go explore when Peter and Ray first met. They could do a longer Janine story similar to Winston's issue and expanding on that 2 parter in Volume 2. Heck, they could do a Year Six or Seven mini-series set during/after the events of Ghostbusters II. They could do a Year Nine about the IDW canon's version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game. The possibilities are endless. Year One also satisfied my hope to see the series get back to basics so to speak and get away from the crossovers. I get the crossovers are IDW's bread and butter and they've saved the Ghostbusters comics over the years but I was burnt out on them and no real desire to see another one even though it's been almost a year since the finale of the most recent one, the Transformers one (sorry Erik!).

Kevin. Tanaka. Y'know, I still can't believe that happened. I'm just some dude that spends way too much time on a wiki. To be acknowledged like that and become a part of canon is both humbling and mind boggling. I didn't know that was going to happen. It was a complete surprise. Dan just asked me for a reference photo out of the blue. I figured I would be for a hard to see face in a crowd. Then Ghostbusters International #3 was about to come out. You [Devilmanozzy] sent me an email while you were going over the preview pages. I was intrigued and wanted to know what you were being so cryptic about. I got a panel! And Ghostbusters International #4 came out and I think my soul left its body temporarily when it was apparent Kevin would be a recurring character. I love Kevin, but he's an ideal version of me at best. It's scary how close his dialogue is to how I talk. I never told Erik this. But in that issue when he meets the ATC team and Erin flips out on Kevin and Kevin quips he gets by, I had a very similar experience of being mistaken for a different Michael but in a bar really close to when that issue came out in stores and I was weirded out. Or Dan, he only had like two reference photos of me and it was amazing yet again scary how close he got to making Kevin look like me. Not even considering my connection to Kevin, the backstory of his handicap and firefighter family was really intriguing. His love of Boston sports not so much.

(...)

I'd never beg Erik for it, but it would be cool if someday PCOC signs off on letting Kevin use the ghostbusting equipment. More so since Janine is now part of the machine.”

[enflaem]

i need to talk about himeko's interaction with hi3 himeko's sword because i've been thinking about it so much while listening to nightglow and im spiraling. ofc, the interaction is there as a little easter egg to himeko in the everlasting flames short, BUT i'm interpreting it into my portrayal in two ways.

the first is a "rebirth" that comes the moment himeko begins her work on rebuilding the express — for a literal interpretation, the fire could specifically be related to necessary tools used; however, i like this to be more metaphorical. the rebirth in the fire being the moment that a new purpose ignites a fire within her. as i talked about here, himeko felt incredibly lost up until the point she found the express and was able to successfully repair it. returning it to its home, the journey that was to come by doing such, became her new purpose: one that she will always face with a smile, no matter what the future may bring. in many ways, the warmth the express first showed her, paired with the unstoppable force of curiosity's flame, makes her life begin anew.

the second is in regards to the imaginary tree and will have some hi3 spoilers for those who havent played yet so skip this read more section if you prefer to avoid spoilery headcanon ramblings fndsjakf,

while it's never clearly stated what exactly happened to himeko, we do know she was lost in an imaginary space. the imaginary tree, ever expanding with its branches of different worlds, timelines, "bubble universes" swallowed up from the sea of quanta; as shown with otto, anyone who dares meddle with the tree will die, absorbed into the roots of the tree to potentially begin anew somewhere else. while one does not have to die to exist in another timeline or world (ie, bronya/seele/mei) there is a certain... finality when one is lost within the imaginary spaces. furthermore, it seems time within the imaginary trees branches does not have to follow a definitive timeline: one can be lost in one world, and be reborn again in another within seconds. one who has been dead for centuries can be saved in another timeline, another bubble, without impacting any of the others. though it is still mostly "speculation" based on VA similarities/story excerpts, luocha appears a similar case: another otto, whose life before seems incredibly vague and hidden in secrets (especially with the coffin. pls do not let that be my queen kallen i BEG of you mhy)

this just makes me think that himeko's death & that final moment we see in everlasting flames was sort of... like the last tie of her to that world being snuffed out. kiana would carry on her legacy, carry on that flame of passion for the world she had hoped her students would share. in that moment, the imaginary tree created life anew; the himeko we see now in hsr, completely unaware of the himeko that welt yang knew from his world, but with an overwhelming feeling that she does not entirely belong where she is...

[straynoahide]

semantics come from linguistic convention, basically words mean what they do because we agree they do out of customary usage.

every word has an etymology, or origin, but semantic change is a constant of language. so etymology is insufficient to explain a word's meaning. the word "sake" (as in, "for god's sake!") meant "thing", now it doesn't. "vagina" meant sheath, now it doesn't.

depending on what demographic, community, you may have different conceptual systems for the same terms, even during the same period of time. nowadays, some are cross-cultural and cross-linguistic with the advent of multinational 'internet culture', so it is harder to keep track of these things.

"sentience v sapience v sophonce" actually is an interesting elaboration, a three-tiered distinction over the two-tiered distinction if you collapse any possible distinction between sapience/sophonce.

sophonce is a neologism with a greek root, although it is latinate, coined by a collaborative worldbuilding project called Orion's Arm, and "a project by nerds" doesn't quite translate it. it's a sci-fi fictional setting and their webpage is a bit old styled but it still includes thousands of articles expanding history, culture, 'galactography', etc, for tens of thousands of years into the future. it is a treasure trove of interesting ideas, some very original and philosophically relevant now with the development of AI.

many deal with a branch of philosophy called "noology", the study of the mind, thought, and knowledge.

they have developed terms like hypersophont too and tiers of possible levels of super-human intelligence based on what makes human intelligence different from animal intelligence, including the intuition that this is not like a linear ascension.

so the three-tiered distinction conveys something like this

sentient = could include literally invertebrates, sensory functions, but not necessarily able to form thoughts. subjective experience can go from vivid and detailed to very rudimentary (like a jelly that only "notices" light and dark)

sapient = intelligence, but not at the level of human intelligence. canids, felids, corvids. more importantly, primates, great apes. because there are currently important ethical questions that ponder what "personhood" and non-human personhood in particular is. is an ape that knows itself is itself and can do sign language* a person? maybe not, but they're not just sentient like a grasshopper is.

(*animals can sign, althought it's not really 'language' because animals can't really do grammar/syntax)

the current best estimate for that threshold, scientifically, is self-awareness btw. self-awareness is the ability to have, in one's mind, the notion of self. self-awareness is also called "autoscience". some non-human animals are able to do this.

sophonce or whatever word you wanna call it, would imply something more, something currently only humans possess. metacognition is not just self-awareness.

but metacognition takes it a step further, it implies associations around that, the ability to form knowledge about oneself, to turn oneself into a concept, and think about it.

this conversation would reveal someone is self-aware:

+hey you spilled your coffee -ah right, i see the spot, i hadn't noticed. i wondered why suddenly my knee felt hot. the fact they can associate an internal feeling (hot, cold) with the experience observed by someone else, as happening to them- that requires a concept of the self as the thing that experiences things. but only this conversation would reveal someone is metacognizant: +hey you spilled your coffee -oh fuck, i actually love coffee, now i have to get another one +do you really love coffee, though? -hm i guess you're right, i actually have a caffeine addiction, but i don't want to say it because i feel bad about it. only humans can form knowledge about the self and know things about the self, and have "recurrence" in thoughts. they aren't just thinking about coffee, they're thinking about what they're thinking about coffee (they're reflecting on the fact their euphemism reveals an avoidance to admit a problem).

that's what is so far human-only in terms of intelligence.

i am on my knees tears running down my face knuckles raw and bleeding and BEGGING people to learn the difference between sentient and sapient

[bonvoyagenoona]

Hey lovely Cheryl,

I hope you're doing well. I really love your writings especially matchmaker and the cul-de-sac cons. I'd love to know what you think about the avoidant attachment style, and who of the characters you wrote about has it.

It's my attachment style and I've been talking with my therapist about emotions and how I find it difficult to understand them or understand people overall. Tbh, I feel alone because of that, maybe some of your characters will give me comfort if they're the same as me.

Thank you ❤️

Hi wonderful anon!! I have to apologize deeply for this late reply. I saw it come up in the moment, but I sat on for a while because I wanted to make sure I had the time and space to flesh out my ideas. Given the holidays and the end of the year, I have some time to catch up on some of y'all's awesome asks, and I'm so excited to expand on this one!

Some background context: I got an MA in Clinical Counseling but never practiced. I went the experimental psychology PhD route instead. Therefore, whatever I share should NOT be used as any kind of diagnostic tool or feedback. However, as a writer with that background knowledge, I do find case conceptualizations to be a super helpful tool for character development for creative purposes only. Click here to read more about how I utilize case conceptualizations and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy principles in my writing!

If you're interested in my thoughts on avoidant attachment, keep reading after the jump!

Thanks again for reading Matchmaker and The Cul-de-Sac Cons, and hope my response does your question justice!

Alrighty, let's dig in!

Avoidant Attachment

Attachment theory is a branch of psychology that observes how humans process emotions and form bonds with others.

Based on this theory, we all learn how to form attachments to others early in our development. When we are children, we pick up cues from those around us, and certain behaviors are rewarded and punished. We often give those cues unconsciously, and we learn unconsciously as well. This is why it can be hard for us to describe our behaviors or feelings later in life. Becoming self-aware, whether through reflection or guided therapy, can help us learn different ways to understand ourselves and find meaning to those unconsciously developed patterns.

Verywell has a great article and visualization of the stages of attachment according to typical early childhood development:

When folks develop balanced attachments with others -- ones that reinforce healthy emotionality, psychological safety, and appropriate boundaries -- we form secure attachments.

However, there can also be instances in which folks develop insecure attachments.

Different factors can influence the development of insecure attachment. Children may naturally not form attachments or preferences. Loved ones may not reinforce those attachments. Loved ones may also over-reinforce attachments. Depending on those factors, we can form different types of attachment, and attachment theory lists out 3: ambivalent (or anxious/anxious-ambivalent/preoccupied) attachment, disorganized (or fearful-avoidant) attachment, or avoidant attachment.

Avoidant attachment, also known as anxious-avoidant attachment or dismissed attachment, is a style of attachment in which emotionality was invalidated. Caregivers may have distanced themselves when children became emotionally heightened, regardless of if that emotion was positive or negative. Children in these experiences may have attempted to reach out to caregivers for support, or to share in celebration, but caregivers may have responded to that by backing away from showing any emotion at all. Caregivers may be abusive or neglectful, but they may also still be present -- just not emotionally available. As a result, a child in this environment may grow into an adult who acts like a "lone wolf" -- one who is completely self-reliant, and one who may still be able to navigate social situations deftly, but who does not express or welcome any kind of deep emotional response.

When it comes to romantic relationships, folks with avoidant attachment may not trust others or find solace or comfort in others. They maintain independence out of self-preservation. In essence, that person has learned that no one will provide them with security in times when they feel vulnerable, so they'd rather not form deep emotional connections with others to ensure their own psychological safety.

Check out The Attachment Project and Verywell for some great introductory info!

And check out Dr. Steph Anya for a great explanation and breakdown! I learned about Dr. Steph Anya after I somehow ended up binging Love is Blind and discovering Therapist Reacts-type videos. I also love Cinema Therapy, which essentially does case conceptualizations on a ton of different fictional characters!

A Note On Therapizing

Not to say you are doing this Anon, but I do want to note that when we use these labels, it's often when there is a long-showing pattern of behavior that is consistent across all kinds of environments.

I want to be extra careful when it comes to pseudo- or over-diagnosis. Again, anything I say or write or share should NOT be used as diagnostic criteria. And I share that because I really want to be ethical here. There is a difference in showing proclivities toward certain behaviors or patterns vs. having significantly severe symptoms that meet the actual diagnostic criteria for disorders as stated in clinical manuals like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, currently in version 5-TR or "text revision", or the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM). Clinical professionals need more information, like how long your symptoms or behaviors have lasted, how repeated those patterns have been, and how big of a negative impact those behaviors have had on your life, i.e., have you lost a job or caused physical or psychological harm to yourself or others.

There is a growing trend of self-awareness when it comes to mental health and clinical counseling/clinical psychology. But there also seems to be a trend of folks using therapy language to diagnose all of their behaviors.

Etymology Nerd has a great discussion on this!

With that being said, I think that we can show certain tendencies, and I think that's a more appropriate way to use this clinical jargon in an ethical way. I'll focus on my fics here to answer Anon's awesome question, and feel free to reach out if you have more questions! I'm not as active at the moment, but I do try to answer questions from time to time!

Avoidant Attachment Tendencies in Matchmaker

When it comes to Matchmaker, I definitely think Yoongi displays elements of avoidant attachment.

First, he doesn't really show any strong emotions to anything. He and Y/N-slash-You create their bond based out of curiosity, experimentation, and physical/psychological need, but in all of their escapades, he never expresses how he feels about their bond, or about Y/N. He merely comments on what he physically enjoyed during their sex.

He doesn't express sadness whenever he seems to feel abandoned by Y/N. Instead, he just detaches and moves on to something else to occupy his mind and time. He finds another person to have sex with, or he voices frustration at Jungkook's presence, or he ends dinner abruptly and disappears into his room, but he never actually tells Y/N that he's hurt.

He doesn't express joy when he, Y/N, and Jin make breakthroughs in their work together. He makes sarcastic comments and jokes, and he seems to like the work that they do together, but he doesn't really take time to stop and reflect, or even say thanks to the team.

He can't even bring himself to share excitement about the spaces where emotionality is not only required but expected. Take his Cabernet Canvas class! Painting is meant to be an emotional exercise, one where artists are expressing their innermost thoughts and feelings. But, like with everything else, Yoongi keeps this hidden -- so much so that Y/N and Jin don't even believe that he's taking the class until he finally allows them to join him.

Contrast that with Y/N.

Y/N expresses tons of emotions! She definitely holds herself back, but that's to follow Yoongi's lead. That shows that she can read him and temper her own responses to meet him where he is at. She does the same with Jungkook; when he is acting way out of pocket, she calls him out on it, and she talks about how it's impacting her. In the beginning, she is cautious, but that's because she doesn't really know him, so it would make sense that she doesn't trust him outright. She actually lets him in quite early, allowing him to buy her dinner and listen to her vent about her frustration.

And, further, compare and contrast that with Jungkook.

When it comes to romantic relationships, Jungkook is definitely a bit of a player. But that's also because he's kind of following the boys' lead. He actually forms quite close relationships with the rest of the guys, despite having a caregiver who is closed-off.

Pay attention to who that caregiver is: his mother!

So I'd say that Jungkook seems to be detached from women in his life, but because he is able to express jealousy and frustration -- even when he doesn't necessarily know the words for them, or if that's what he's even feeling -- he doesn't really show avoidance.

Both Y/N and Jungkook want to be let in, while Yoongi preemptively cuts things off before they get too heavy. Yoongi comes closest with Y/N, and he's still got a lot of reflection and practice to do to build up that emotional capability.

Avoidant Attachment Tendencies in The Cul-de-Sac Cons

When it comes to The Cul-de-Sac Cons, I think that Y/N-slash-You-slash-Senna-slash-Sel (lol) shows avoidant attachment elements, but I'd say they're even weaker than the tendencies that Matchmaker!Yoongi evoked.

I did try to write her to be a little more "textbook". She has caregivers who are emotionally unavailable. The one person in her family whom she is closest to -- her cousin -- gets cut out of her life when she is young. As a result, she prefers to live life on her own terms, disappearing from her town and living in the shadows out of self-preservation. She isn't emotionally equipped to lose people like that again.

Once she meets Jungkook, she is immediately annoyed, lol. She dismisses him outright. It's only in a damn hostage scenario that she allows him to exist around her! And because they also go through quite a traumatic experience with each other, you could also say that that closeness is really more of some sort of trauma-bond. It was created in a crucible out of necessity. When that immediate threat to her life was finally gone, she considered cutting and running immediately.

However, she eventually did let Jungkook in, and they did have a substantial connection. She was able to form a close relationship to someone who arguably reminded her of her cousin -- someone who was willing to stick by her, who showed her positive reinforcement (especially when she was doing her job or playing her role well), and who saw past that tough exterior. So this is why she has that tendency. She was able to form the connection. The attachment issue isn't pervasive in all areas of her life.

And she's even able to fake it til she made it with Hobi. She felt fondness for him, even if he did start out as a mark. He actually shows her that she can be emotionally vulnerable, and that he is a safe space for her to express that vulnerability. It's a big reason why she embarks on that journey with him.

And this is why she's so torn throughout the rest of her journey. She has feelings. If she didn't, she wouldn't have mourned losses or left the red spatula. She never detaches completely. She loves, and expresses that love in so many ways, even if through lies and cover stories. She shows that she has the capacity. Perhaps she actually feels safer expressing those feelings after giving herself guardrails: "it's fake", "it's temporary", "it's for a job", "I have to do this to make it out of here alive".

Summary

So, what do I think?

Well, Attachment Theory is an incredibly useful framework to understand how we humans connect to one another. And it gives us a useful vocabulary to describe these patterns of behavior, and the emotional and life-altering outcomes that result from those patterns.

But I also think that humans are infinitely malleable. We are ever-learning creatures. We are not locked into these attachments. We might have to do some learning and growing, but with self-awareness, practice, and time, we can let people into our lives.

I know because I wrote these stories out of my deepest insecurities, and I now find myself in the healthiest attachments I've ever been in with family, friends, and a significant other.

It was helpful for me to use Attachment Theory to understand what I might have been experiencing, but I don't think my personal insecurities of fears of opening up to others stemmed from malformed attachments in my youth. I think my parents and caregivers are a little more emotionally reserved than I am, but they certainly weren't stoic, abusive, or neglectful. And I think my insecurities are just that -- basic, average, run-of-the-mill insecurities that we all have.

And sometimes, we get hurt when we are learning. We connect with folks who don't match our energy. How do we learn how to measure that? How do we learn how to show up for them? How do we learn how to disconnect if that's what we really need?

It's also good to remember that we are forming these attachments to each other in dynamic systems. The people I form attachments to are on their own journeys as well. Maybe they're learning how to regulate, or where to put their guardrails.

So, back to you, dear Anon.

Keep exploring! Keep learning! And keep heart!

I love and commend you for doing some self-exploration. Take stock of where your safe spaces are and practice being vulnerable. Practice being there for others when they feel vulnerable. You don't have to say or do anything you don't want to, and you don't have to say or do anything specific. Just be.

For others, like Anon has, if/when you feel ready, you can even reach out out to a therapist or clinician. They're like gym trainers, but for your heart and brain. Try different ones out until you find one who makes you feel comfortable, and just practice making those connections. The therapeutic space is a great place to enhance those muscles! And I just know you'll see how bringing what you learn into your personal world can make a world of difference.

We as humans have infinite capacity for love and change. If we stay true to ourselves, try our best to connect with others, lick our wounds when we get hurt, dust ourselves off, and try to connect with others still, we will find amazing friendships and partnerships. It might not be on your expected timeline. It might take ages. And our connections might be fleeting. But there's magic in all of them!

I mean, look! With you reaching out with this comment, you made one here! And I for one am very grateful for the magic you brought me, so thank you! ❤️

Wishing you all the best in your journey. Your future friends and loved ones are so lucky!