#monos guide

[thetismcave]

An unlikely crossover I think would be extremely entertaining

Batman: has a ‘no metas in Gotham’ rule and an incredibly strict code against killing

Me, rubbing my hands together, about to drop mono (a twelve year old killer with fuck off strong superpowers) into his area: >:)))

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Mono Azul

* * * *

“Perhaps it’s that you can’t go back in time, but you can return to the scenes of a love, of a crime, of happiness, and of a fatal decision; the places are what remain, are what you can possess, are what is immortal. They become the tangible landscape of memory, the places that made you, and in some way you too become them. They are what you can possess and in the end what possesses you.”

― Rebecca Solnit, A Field Guide to Getting Lost

[monodramatic-cannibal]

Rules/etc for interacting with my ocs/aus

(finally gonna make one of these. Will be adding onto this list as I think of more points/boundaries. If unsure about something feel free to ask me about stuff, dms are always open as well)

Heres a link to my art request info too. Since a lot of people are requesting for their ocs interacting with mine.

(List under cut)

If asks are open, but request aren't it means you can still ask my ocs/aus things, and I will draw responses. BUT it just means I will not be drawing anything but my ocs/aus!! If I draw anyone interacting with them it will be them interacting with an anon! (moots might be an exception to this, but it's 50/50)

I’m okay with people making fanart/writings of my ocs/aus! I’m also okay with people drawing their ocs/sonas/aus with mine too ^-^! (Please keep it sfw since minors follow my account. If your unsure if I’d be okay with a specific art/writing ask first and I can let you know.) 

I’m okay with people shipping characters with mine (providing it's not a problematic ship, and that it’s a ship between adults). I’m also okay with self-shipping with my characters ^-^ feel free to tag me I’d love to see any artwork/writing. (But keep in mind the ship will not be canon for my ocs/aus. Unless it’s something we’ve decided to make canon between ocs/aus) 

(To add on to point 2) I’m also okay with people making their ocs/etc have a sibling/parental/etc dynamic with my ocs/etc. (Just as long as it’s nothing problematic)

(To add on to point 2) I’m okay with people simping/being unhinged about my (adult) characters. I will be unhinged with you. So feel free to send any rants and stuff about my characters/aus. (But please keep the rants somewhat sfw, as stated in point 1, minors follow my account.)

When interacting via asks please state which characters you're interacting with. And when it's an au version e.g I have two aus so far you can’t just say ‘for your au Nightmare’ as I will not know which Nightmare it’s for. So please state which lol. (If a specific version of the character isn't stated I will just guess)

(Adding onto point 2/4/5) I’m okay with people sending in asks where they use their ocs/aus/sona to interact with my ocs/aus/etc in a shipping context, may or may not do doodles in response depending on my mood.

I’m super okay with dumb asks! I’m also okay with people sending ideas/head canons/etc about my ocs/aus! I will try to include doodles and such if I have ideas on stuff to draw.

I also treat my sona more like an oc, so feel free to send my sona asks and such too. Even though I treat my sona as an oc, I DON’T want anyone shipping anyone with my sona, it will make me a little uncomfortable. UNLESS I have mentioned I don’t mind my sona being shipped with a certain character e.g. me self-shipping my sona with characters, I’d kindly ask people to refrain from shipping my sona with characters. 

Please do NOT use my characters/aus/etc for your own roleplays. It makes me feel uncomfortable to think that someone would be using my characters/designs. To add to this do NOT use my characters/aus for AI sites (e.g. character AI), same reason as the rp, and also AI bad.

[wholesomekillerboy]

i noticed something

[itshomobirb]

there exists not a universe where i could talk my parents into actually caring for me. because if it was possible, i wouldve fucking done it by now. and i know there's an inherent grief in thinking about how your parents aren't actually perfect, but c'mon. one of my siblings goes "i talked with dad and convinced him to compromise (on attempting to kill ur cat just to prove u wrong). think you should talk to dad, it would be very helpful ^_^" and then my dad comes up to me five minutes later and says "borb it's like you don't even love us." shaking my sibling by the shoulders like don't you understand? there isnt a cheat code, a perfect set of words that will make our parents actually love me. there isn't a way to make them care. it's complete fantasy, to think that if i just sit them down and explain well enough, that it'll magically fix them and turn them into the ideal parents, or hell, even good enough parents. that's not who they are or who they've ever been.

[happywebdesign]

Recto Verso

[blondeaxolotl]

Idk if you have done so already and I hope it's not rude of me to ask, but have you thought about making a list of all the characters you have swapped in your swap AU so far? I think it would be a very comprehensive guide for all that are interested.

Have a nice week! Cheers!

I haven't actually made a list of all the swapped characters or even thought about making one, but good idea! I keep track of the swaps mostly in my head only but since I've gotten so far with this au more than I expected myself to, I think a character guide would be quite handy. Of course it won't have all the characters, only the ones that have been swapped already/I've confirmed who they're swapped with

[littjara-mirrorlake]

Principles of Asexual Heredity in the Phyrexian Organism

We know these things for sure about Phyrexian reproductive biology:

Phyrexians reproduce asexually; it is well known that one drop of oil, from one individual, is enough to birth a population of offspring (such as all of New Phyrexia) or convert a non-Phyrexian organism.

Phyrexians natively born of the oil ("core-born") inherit mnemonic and phenotypic (appearance) information from the oil that created them. For example, core-born Phyrexians of the Orthodoxy naturally develop porcelain metal; it is an inherited, lineage-specific trait. The oil also carries ancestral knowledge such as the Phyrexian language and echoes of history.

The five suns of Mirrodin somehow caused the originally mono-black lineage of Phyrexian oil to splinter into five colored lineages. They may have all arisen from one drop of oil, but they are phenotypically diverse.

(Little canon data is given about the genealogies of core-born newts, but it would most logically follow that Phyrexians descend from single-parent lines, a family tree with continually forking branches and no unions of mating as with sexually reproducing organisms.)

The mechanism I propose for the diversification of Phyrexians on Mirrodin is mana-induced mutagenesis. As a deeply magical material, it follows that Phyrexian oil is prone to being influenced by concentrated sources of mana, such as the suns of Mirrodin (which were trapped in the core, in close proximity to the progenitor oil, during the birth of New Phyrexia). Exposure to mana can thus cause de novo mutation in glistening oil that manifests as novel phenotypic traits in resulting Phyrexians. These mutations are not random, guiding phenotypes to align with the color causing the mutation.

Then there is the issue of inheritance via phyresis, or compleating another organism which was not originally Phyrexian by introducing Phyrexian genetic material into its body. To keep it simple I will begin with mono-color infections: an organism is infected with oil from a Phyrexian whose lineage traits (i.e. white-aligned Orthodoxy lineage, porcelain) may not match their own color identity.

Hypothesis: Phenotype (what color/type of Phyrexian an infected individual becomes) is determined solely by the color of infection, not the subject's own colors. Crucially this isn't the same as color identity; i.e. one can be a porcelain Phyrexian and still have a Boros identity by gaining red-aligned values or retaining them from a pre-compleation life, even though their phenotype is white only. (Much like how elves are associated with green mana, but Simic-identity elves exist.) This phenotype color, in turn, is also what would be passed down to any newts the turned individual creates, or subjects they themselves infect.

MOM corroborates this hypothesis. A mono-black-aligned human, upon exposure to Progress Engine oil, becomes a Phyrexian with a pure blue-aligned phenotype. The changes to their color identity are additive--they retain black alignment--but their phenotype is blue only. All the transforming creatures of MOM follow this pattern.

However, Planeswalkers in ONE did not. For example, Jace was infected by Vraska, who had both black color identity and a black/Thanes-aligned phenotype, but spontaneously developed eyestalks and other traits characteristic of blue Phyrexians from the Progress Engine.

New hypothesis: Individuals with a strong enough internal concentration of mana, i.e. Planeswalkers, cause oil to mutate in vivo to align with their own color, much like how the suns mutated oil in Mirrodin's core. This further shows that mana-induced mutagenesis is color-specific. This should however create a new blue lineage, independent of the Progress Engine, also spawned of blue mana but not necessarily identical. I do not have an explanation for Jace's resemblance to the Progress Engine besides convergent "evolution."

Proposed further study (not ethics-approved): Infect a colorless Planeswalker, i.e. Ugin, with colored oil to test whether a null color identity still has mutagenic effects.

To complicate this, though, we also have examples of Phyrexians who are chimeras of multiple colors, combining traits of different lineages. Vishgraz was assembled with material (genetic and otherwise) from a white, a green, and a black Phyrexian. It makes sense that Phyrexians put together in this patchwork way could have a combination phenotype. Atraxa was not assembled from scratch, but infected with four separate colors at once. Maybe there are just four types of oil circulating in her body?

I am, of course, interested in inheritance. If these Phyrexians show combined phenotypes, what colored trait(s) do they actually pass down? Do they have individual "cells" that are still only white, only green, only black, etc., or did the colors somehow combine on the most basic hereditary unit level? Thankfully, we actually do have an example of a "chimera" Phyrexian asexually producing core-born offspring: Ixhel.

Ixhel shares multiple colors with Atraxa, not only in her color identity but also apparent phenotype (she has both Orthodoxy porcelain and Swarm copper). Two possibilities here: 1) She truly inherited both genetically; Atraxa passes down multiple colors when she reproduces. 2) Her "core" physiology is still rooted in one color, i.e. white porcelain, and the green parts were added after the fact. I don't have an answer for this, but it's intriguing to consider.

Proposed further study: Attempt to isolate the smallest "unit" of Phyrexian heredity (one single nanobot of the oil) and test if it can only store information about one color, or multiple. See if a germ is formed from only one of these units, as with eukaryotic zygotes, or from multiple.

My theories of Phyrexian reproductive biology remain highly speculative, but every new piece of data adds fuel to this fire, and I have plenty to elaborate on in later posts. If only the interplanar ethics committee would stop delaying my research.

[deadtired-highkeyenergetic]

All The Reasons Why

Sorry for the lack of updates. Been suffering from jet lag and still kind of am, staying up until 3am for an event isn't helping much, pretty sure I haven't actually slept the whole night/early morning. Anyways after all that angst here's some...uh fluff? Sad fluff but still fluff I'm pretty sure

Summary: Alcohol loosens Silco's tongue and you find out a lot more about Silco's feelings towards you than what you expected

You've never really seen Silco drunk before. He has such a high tolerance towards alcohol that sometimes you believe he's immune to getting drunk, but tonight proves otherwise because he's stumbling into your room with flushed cheeks and red ears.

"Silco?" You hurriedly guide him to your bed before he can smack face first into anything. Considering how you knew he was outside your room from the very loud string of curses that came after the sound of something smacking into your door, you don't quite trust him to navigate his way around your room.

"Hey." His speech is slightly slurred, sea foam eyes unfocused. He better not puke all over your bed or anywhere in your room for that matter, you don't want to clean up that kind of mess in your room. He does obediently sit on your bed, watching you rather intently.

"Did you need something?" You ask, not quite sure why he tried to enter your room in the first place.

"I need to tell you a secret. Promise you will not tell anyone else?" You can smell the alcohol coming off his breath even when there's a gap between you both, a testament to how much he's drunk tonight.

"Uh, sure." Well this is intriguing. Silco always kept his secrets to himself, refusing to give others a peak at the cards he held in fear of them using it against him, not even Vander knew everything about Silco.

"There is this…person who I like."

You raise an eyebrow, lips quirking up in amusement. What an opener. You're pretty sure you know who he's talking about, but there's still a small part of you that doubts it, whispering all the reasons why it isn't the person you're thinking about, hissing that you're delusional and that he's found someone better. Someone better than you.

"They are amazing in every way. They look good, they fight well, they are better than me when it comes to scaring unwanted attention away. They are kind, caring, nothing like the tough image they project to the world. They hide behind the image of a rough unfeeling fighter because they have to in order to survive, but they are always so gentle with me and the ones they care about. They always worry about me, always know when I need someone to talk to, always know when to give me space and when to offer me their shoulder to lean on. They know all my habits, know my favourite food and drink, know where to find me, sometimes I wonder if there is nothing they do not know about me." He takes a deep breath, gaze searching the floor.

"But they are atrocious at giving compliments. It is as though they cannot say nice things to other people. I know though, that they compliment people through actions. They like messing up my hair, slapping me on the back, nudging me with their shoulder, sometimes they even tell me 'not bad', but that is the nicest thing they will ever say to me. I know that when they mess up my hair they are proud of me, slapping me on the back means 'well done' and 'not bad' means 'great job'." He smiles softly and you can't help but smile back, a warmth growing in your chest.

"I like it. I like the way they cannot compliment people, I like the way they try to show their appreciation for someone by doing little things for said person, I like the way their nose scrunches when they try to say something nice but all that comes out is 'not bad'. I like the way they fiercely devote themselves to everything, from what they believe in to protecting someone they care about. One moment they are angrily hissing at someone to shove off and the next they are turning to me, asking if I am alright in the most monotonous tone ever." He laughs quietly, gripping the bed sheet.

You recall when that exact situation happened, the confused look he gave you upon hearing your question and the amusement in his voice as he told you that you could at least ask him that with some concern. In your defense, you were checking him for injuries at the same time, analysing any possible sign knowing that he would stubbornly keep any injury a secret from you.

"I like the way they awkwardly react when I hug them, standing stiffly like a brick and staring at me confused. I like the way they do their best to console me when I cry, whether it be resting a hand on my back or patting my head. I like their loyalty. I know I can entrust more than my back to them, I know I can entrust my life to them because they will never betray me, never turn their back on me. I know that they will burn the world for me, and that if the whole world turns against me they will still stand by my side and fight against the world with me. I like every part of them — the parts they are proud of and the parts they hate." His voice drops to a whisper. "But I cannot understand what they like about me. They look at me and see 'Silco', not a miner, not Vander's shadow, not a 'dirty little thing' but I am not like Vander — a strong fighter with a heart as big as his size. I am not like Felicia — sociable, gentle and kind. All I can do is plot from the shadows, skulk about at celebrations, stare at my notebook as my friends chatter the night away. I am only a 'dirty little thing', not someone to be so devoted to, cherished, or loved."

A lump forms in your throat at his words. To hear him tear himself apart, believe the things enforcers and those who hate him say about him, it makes your heart ache.

"I think they like you because of how passionate you are about the dream of Zaun." You swallow hard, struggling to find the correct words to say. "They like the way you dare to dream big, the way you strive to become more than what others think you are. They like the way you persevere through it all, the determination in your eyes that drives you each and every day. It gives them hope, encourages them to dream of what can be, makes them fall in love with you over and over again. They like the way you fight for what you hold dear, no matter the odds you face."

He shakes his head, biting his lip as tears begin form.

"They like you because of how much you care about those you love, even if you don't ever show it through words. They like the way you smile contentedly as you quietly listen to friends banter, rolling your eyes when they say something dumb and drop the wittiest line whenever you do say something. They like the way you struggle to get properly mad at them for doing something stupid, the annoyed sigh you make as you massage the bridge of your nose when you find out they've done the very thing you told them not to and the way you always threaten to leave them to suffer the consequences alone but never do. They like the smile that forms on your face when you're proud of them, the way the corners of your eyes crease when you're happy." You don't recall when you took his hand in yours but it sits there now, nestling warmly as your fingers intertwine.

"They like the quiet laugh you make when something amuses you, the messy bedhead that they always see first thing in the morning, the sleepy mumbles that fall from your lips as you stumble towards the bathroom. They like the smell of the coffee that you make, the way you bring it to them in their bed piping hot and freshly made, the gentle kiss you press to their forehead after that. They like the way you lie down on their stomach, face buried in their shirt when you're tired. They like the moments when it's complete silence but it's a comfortable silence. They like the way your first thought is always them, even when you're drunk." You pull him into a hug, the first one you've ever initiated and he freezes for a moment before returning the hug, burying his face into your shoulder.

"They like the way you're always there for them, the way you always know when something's wrong, the way you always know how to cheer them up. They like how you've memorised all their favourite things, their habits, and always surprise them with little gifts." His tears stain your sleeve, causing the damp fabric to stick to your skin but you don't care. You gently rub his back, a motion that you've since learned brings him great comfort and hear him sniffle.

"They like the way your palm fits into theirs just nice, the sound of your heart beating, the warmth of your body pressed against theirs underneath the blanket, and they want nothing more. They just want you for who you are, want you as you are, love you as you are because to them you're amazing, you're their whole world, their everything. And they're glad to know you feel the same way too." You nuzzle into his hair, holding him tightly.

He clings onto you, gripping onto your shirt as the tears flow and his body shakes with each sob. You simply continue holding him, giving him all the time he needs to let everything out and soon he's cried himself to sleep in your arms. You gently tuck him into your bed before dipping under the covers yourself, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"I love you Silco. Always have and always will."

[iamespecter]

Thinking about Little Nightmares again, specifically the respawn mechanic.

When Six, Mono, the Runaway Kid, or the Raincoat girl enter a new area, there is an eye symbol that appears on the bottom right of your screen, to load your "checkpoint". From a gameplay standpoint, that's a generic mechanic. Nothing really special.

However, when you take into consideration that these children appear as if they woke up from a really bad nightmare JUST right where they last died coincidentally-- coupled with the fact that inside the Signal Tower, there is a massive mound of flesh and eyes that's implied to be an eldritch force beyond the concept of time and space, controlling EVERYTHING-- and the angle of the player's point of view that looks as if we're simply observing these children traverse the environments...

(IT'S ALSO CONFIRMED BY THE DEVS THAT THE PROTAGONISTS HAVE A SEPARATE THOUGHT PATTERN THAN OURS. WE'RE NOT PLAYING AS THEM, WE'RE JUST WATCHING THEM. MAYBE EVEN GUIDING THEM TO THEIR DOOM IF YOU WANNA BE META ABOUT IT.)

The respawn mechanic becomes this absolutely genius, yet subtle implication that time is being rewinded by the Signal Tower, in order to accomodate these children (and the players as a whole) and make them learn from previous mistakes. Simply because they have not fulfilled their purposes just yet.

I love this implication so much that I even wrote a fic about it back in 2021. You can choose not to believe it, but I think it adds to the cosmic and psychological horror of Little Nightmares very well.

[bestest-brackets]

Now the the qualifying round is over, It’s time for the official announcement!

Introducing…

The Most in Need of a Hug Bracket!!

This is by FAR the biggest bracket I’ve ever run

The first round will likely be posted on Friday, May 9, although it is finals week, so that is subject to change. If May 9 looks impossible I’ll let you know in advance.

Anyway, the full lineup is below the cut!

Most in in Need of a Hug Bracket

Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII) vs Coco (Witch Hat Atelier)

Mono (Little Nightmares II) vs Milo Thatch (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

Hunter (The Owl House) vs Arthur Lester (Malevolent)

Jason Todd (DC Comics) vs Aoyama Mitsuo (Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen)

Bamora (Dandadan) vs Zelda (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom)

Big Man (Splatoon 3) vs Dante Sparta (Devil May Cry)

Stanley (Spiritfarer) vs Sora (Kingdom Hearts)

Mizu (Blue Eye Samurai) vs Wheelbarrow (Monopoly)

Susie (Deltarune) vs Sunny (OMORI)

Kyle Milton (The WereCleaner) vs Klemper (Danny Phantom)

Misfortune Ramirez Hernandez (Little Misfortune) vs Sam Winchester (Supernatural)

Kissy Missy (Poppy Playtime) vs Haymitch Abernathy (The Hunger Games)

Frankensteins Monster (Frankenstein) vs Mizi (Alien Stage)

Yellow Guy (Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared) vs Taranza (Kirby)

Carlos De Vil (Descendants) vs Denji (Chainsaw Man)

Rocket Raccoon (MCU) vs Soren (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn)

Sigma (Bungo Stray Dogs) vs Shane (Stardew Valley)

Evan Kelmp (Misfits and Magic) vs Heinz Doofenshmirtz (Phineas and Ferb)

Alan Wake (Alan Wake) vs Sayori (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Peril (Wings of Fire) vs Kermit the Frog (Muppets)

Boy (Hunter: The Parenting) vs Kurode (Fragaria Memories)

Siffrin (In Stars and Time) vs Maia Drazhar (The Goblin Emperor)

James “Jim” Lake Jr (Tales of Arcadia) vs Emily Pope (Control)

Alluka Zoldyck & Nanika (Hunter x Hunter) vs Kiyotaka Ishimaru (Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc)

Sanji (One Piece) vs Tom (Paralympic Mascot)

Erik (The Phantom of the Opera) vs Dys (I was a Teenage Exocolonist)

Ray (The Princess and the Frog) vs Bumble (Warriors)

Neeko (League of Legends) vs Ruffian the Blue (A Hero’s Guide)

Starscream (Transformers) vs Gideon Nav (Gideon the Ninth)

Merlin (Merlin) vs Wylan van Eck (Six of Crows)

Count Bleck (Super Paper Mario) vs Varian (Tangled)

Nagasaki Soyo (BanG Dream!) vs Eustace Winner (Ace Attorney Investigations: Prosecutors Gambit)

Asahina Mafuyu (Project SEKAI: Colorful Stage) vs Silver the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Molly Blyndeff (Epithet Erased) vs Jennifer (Rule of Rose)

Sakura Matou (Fate/stay Night) vs Towa (Slow Damage)

Jonathon Sims (The Magnus Archives) vs Hershel Layton (Professor Layton)

Thorfinn Karlsefni (Vinland Saga) vs Veronica Sawyer (Heathers the Musical)

The Princess (Slay the Princess) vs Crutchie Morris (Newsies)

Golden Cheese Cookie (Cookie Run Kingdom) vs John Thomas Ward (FAITH: The Unholy Trinity)

Deena (Nexomon) vs Serizawa Katsuya (Mob Psycho 100)

Nicky Little (Pepper Ann) vs Torbek (Once Upon a Witchlight)

Bryce Hanson (Hfj0NE) vs Zena (Dragalia Lost)

Kaladin Stormblessed (The Stormlight Archive) vs Mark Heathcliff (The Mandela Catalogue)

Beatriz (“Autistic? Me?”) vs Adrien Agreste (Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir)

Shang Qinghua (The Scum Villain’s Self-serving System) vs Arven (Pokémon Scarlet and Violet)

Nina Tucker (Fullmetal Alchemist) vs Violet Baudelaire (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

Hatake Kakashi (Naruto) vs Shoko Nishiyama (Koe no Katachi)

Kang Tae-jun (Akatsuki no Yona) vs Angela Orosco (Silent Hill 2)

Ruby Rose (RWBY) vs Venom Snake (Metal Gear Solid V)

Yassen Gregorvitch (Alex Rider) vs Ceroba Ketsukane (Undertale Yellow)

Gordon Freeman (Half-life) vs Jay Halstead (Chicago PD)

Amane Momose (MILGRAM) vs Senshi (Dungeon Meshi)

Glisten (Dandy’s World) vs Homura Akemi (Puella Magi: Madoka Magica)

Serial Designation J (Murder Drones) vs Lestat de Lioncourt (Interview with a Vampire)

Israel “Izzy” Hands (Our Flag Means Death) vs Falco Grice (Attack on Titan)

Vinicius (Olympic Mascot) vs Stanford Pines (Gravity Falls)

The Doctor (Doctor Who) vs Medkit (Phighting)

Isaac (The Binding of Isaac) vs Rob (The Amazing World of Gumball)

Monroe (Grimm) vs Jane Doe (Ride the Cyclone)

Alex Fierro (Magnus Chase) vs Lucas (Mother 3)

Flowey (Undertale) vs Frodo Baggins (Lord of the Rings)

Evan “Buck” Buckley (9-1-1) vs Nanami Kento (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Harrier du Bois (Disco Elysium) vs Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Romano (Hetalia) vs Michitaka Sakai (Kono Oto Tomare!)

[heartfullofleeches]

New y/n idea! How about a darling streamer.... but make it galaxy? Like, their either human or alien, and their a known streamer all across the galaxy! Maybe good picks for their yandere being mono or titus since (from what I remember) their the only known yanderes in space.

Ah! Cutie Alien Darling that travels across the galaxy for new adventures, settling down on earth and starting a new life exploring the wonders the world has to offer - streaming their daily activities as a sort of video journal for themselves and anyone who's interested in their journey. Human Yan's just think they're selling a bit for the most part and it's the most adorable thing-

Mono comes across their blog and see a kindred soul as they left home for the same reasons as darling, and crushes on them hard for how their lights light up at every little thing. Speedruns their human body so they can attend conventions Darling ventures to as well and meet their idol in person. Darling would be so happy to meet another wandering soul and take them out to try their favorite foods, and show them their nick-nack collection. It takes all of Mono not to either propose on the spot or scoop them up and carry them back to their ship to explore the galaxy as the universe's power couple.

Alien would believe they're an alien 100% and sprints to any meet ups they have fully decked out in merch official or not if they haven't made any. Appoints themselves Alien Darling's guide to earth and takes them around the places they adore. Piggyback rides everywhere. Treats Alien Darling like absolute royalty and gushes like the dork he is about it's so great to finally have someone else like him on this hunk of dirt - but still keeps up the totally human act. It's also human custom to kiss your new guide and bodyguard with tongue so uh pucker up, please.

Titus watches their streams to find contestants for the arena, but falls for their bizarre, yet effective charms. Sends guards to monitor them from below while he spends weeks putting together the perfect outfit for his grand appearance. Gifts them the finest minerals from around the galaxy and offers to take them on a tour of the universe for their hand in marriage. Alien Darling gives him their favorite roll of holographic stickers and Titus moves the wedding to right then and there.

-

Alien Darling: Hey, guys! Welcome to day four of cataloging my rock collection from favorite to least favorite, and showing you my absolute favorites. There is no least favorite category because I love them all so I will be presenting them from A to Z by name. This one is Aaron-

Mono: [I thought I had full grasp of the concept of love before now..... It seems I was wrong.]

-

Alien: Hey! Did you know it's customary for humans to hold hands with new friends for a minimum of three hours?

Alien Darling: Oh! No, I didn't. [takes their hand] Thank you for telling me, friend :)

Alien, blushing feverishly: Never washing this hand again - Did you know we also touch lips and if anyone asks I am your boyfriend because I am a boy sometimes and we are friends.

-

Titus: For you, my dear. A necklace containing a vial of my blood - the most sought after prize in all the known universe. You are welcome.

Alien Darling: Thanks! Here's a candy necklace I bought earlier. I ate a few of them already, but it's still good-

Titus, internally: Heavens- I can't not fuck them.

[pikahlua]

MHA Chapter 419 (not actually) spoilers translations

This week’s initial tentative super rough/literal translations under the cut.

tagline 1 死柄木の内より出づるAFO‼︎ しがらきのうちよりいづるオール・フォー・ワン‼︎ Shigaraki no uchi yori idzuru OORU FOO WAN!! The All For One that emerges from within Shigaraki!!

1 緑谷出久…！ みどりやいずく…！ Midoriya Izuku...! "Izuku Midoriya...!"

2 僕のOFAを…与一をよくも… ぼくのワン・フォー・オールを…与一をよくも… boku no WAN FOO OORU wo...Yoichi wo yokumo "[What you did to] my One for All...to my Yoichi, how dare you."

tagline 2 No.419　DESIGN　堀越耕平 ナンバー419　デザイン　ほりこしこうへい NANBAA 419  DEZAIN  Horikoshi Kouhei No. 419 DESIGN Kouhei Horikoshi

3 だが daga "But"

4 無意識領域…転弧の心が押し負けたおかげで むいしきりょういき…てんこのこころがおしまけたおかげで muishiki ryouiki...Tenko no kokoro ga oshimaketa okage de "The unconscious realm...thanks to his heart being defeated*" (*Note: This word in Japanese more specifically means "to lose by being pushed out, to lose in a competition of pushing.")

5 再び意識を取り戻すことが出来た… ふたたびいしきをとりもどすことができた… futatabi ishiki wo torimodosu koto ga dekita... "I was again able to regain consciousness..."

1 愚かな志村転弧 おろかなしむらてんこ orokana Shimura Tenko "Foolish Tenko Shimura."

2 無垢なる超自我…薄鈍の人性と永訣できぬ弱き者！ むくなるちょうじが…うすにびのじんせいとえいけつできぬよわきもの！ mukunaru chou jiga...usunibi no jinsei to eiketsu dekinu yowaki mono! "[You have] become pure superego...a weak person with the nature of a half-wit and that can't say farewell!"

3 折角導いてやったというのに！ せっかくみちびいてやったというのに！ sekkaku michibiite yatta to iu noni! "Even though I took the trouble to guide you!"

4 先生が何を言っているか　わからない せんせいがなにをいっているか　わからない sensei ga nani wo itte iru ka wakaranai What is master saying? I don't understand.

5 言ったろう君は何一つ選んでなどいない いったろうきみはなにひとつえらんでなどいない ittarou kimi wa nani hitotsu erande nado inai "I told you, you didn't choose a single thing."

6 選んだ…これは僕の選択だ… えらんだ…これはぼくのせんたくだ… eranda...kore wa boku no sentaku da... I chose... This is my decision...

7 そう思わせねば"意志力"は生じない自由意志を逆向けにする事が肝要だった そうおもわせねば"いしりょく"はしょうじないじゆういしをさかむけにすることがかんようだった sou omowaseneba "ishiryoku" wa shoujinai jiyuu ishi wo sakamuke ni suru koto ga kan'you datta "If I didn't let you think that, then the willpower [I needed] would not arise. To reverse free will, it was essential."

1 「ラリアット」万縄大悟郎 「ラリアット」ばんじょうだいごろう 「RARIATTO�� Banjou Daigorou "Daigorou 'Lariat" Banjou"

2 「ガエン」揺蕩井煙 「ガエン」たゆたいえん 「GAEN」 Tayutai En "En 'Smoke Squatter*' Tayutai" (*Note: These kanji for En's hero name individually mean "bedroom, lie down, bend down, prostrate" and "smoke.")

3 二度の接触で確信した にどのせっしょくでかくしんした nido no sesshoku de kakushin shita "Those two encounters convinced me."

4 OFA奪還には"意志力"で上回らねばならぬ事 ワン・フォー・オールだっかんには"いしりょく"でうわまわらねばならぬこと WAN FOO OORU dakkan ni wa "ishi ryoku" de uwamawaraneba naranu koto "In order to recapture One For All, I must overcome its willpower."

5 オールマイトに追い詰められゆく中捜したのさ オールマイトにおいつめられゆくなかさがしたのさ OORU MAITO ni oitsumerare yuku naka sagashita no sa "While All Might was tracking me down, I searched"

6 いつかーーー奴の"意志力"を削ぎうる魂 いつかーーーやつの"いしりょく"をそぎうるたましい itsu ka---yatsu no "ishiryoku" wo sogiuru tamashii "for a soul that could--someday--chip away at his willpower."

7 そして最も強き感情 そしてもっともつよきかんじょう soshite motto mo tsuyoki kanjou "And then, [for] the strongest emotion,"

8 イドを抑圧する事で生じる心の機能… イドをよくあつすることでしょうじるこころのきのう… IDO wo yokuatsu suru koto de shoujiru kokoro no kinou... "one that arises as a function of the heart suppressing the id..."

9 原始の欲求 げんしのよっきゅう genshi no yokkyuu "A primitive desire."

10 "憎しみ"を醸成する苗床を "にくしみ"をじょうせいするなえどこを "nikushimi" wo jousei suru naedoko wo "[I searched for] a nursery that would foster hatred."

11 それは迷うことはないでしょう それはまようことはないでしょう sore wa mayou koto wa nai deshou "There's no reason to puzzle over it anymore, is there?"

12 この時世ヒーローは本当に助けてほしい時に助けてくれませんから このじせいヒーローはほんとうにたすけてほしいときにたすけてくれませんから kono jisei HIIROO wa hontou ni tasukete hoshii toki ni tasukete kuremasen kara "Because the heroes of this day and age, when you really want their help, won't help you out."

13 助け合えるきょうだいは必要ですよ たすけあえるきょうだいはひつようですよ tasuke aeru kyoudai wa hitsuyou desu yo "It's necessary to have siblings who help each other out."

14 長女は育ちすぎていたし ちょうじょはそだちすぎていたし choujo wa sodachi sugite ita shi "His eldest daughter had grown up too much."

15 絶対に見つかってはいけない目立つ行動は取れなかった ぜったいにみつかってはいけないめだつこうどうはとれなかった zettai ni mitsukatte wa kenai nudatsu koudou wa torenakatta "I couldn't be found out, nor could I take any conspicuous action."

16 僕は後押しするだけだった ぼくはあとおしするだけだった boku wa atooshi suru dake datta "I just gave him a push."

1 両親から授かったまだ見ぬ因子を抜き取り りょうしんからさずかったまだみぬいんしをぬきとり ryoushin kara sazukatta mada minu inshi wo nukitori "I extracted the yet-unseen quirk factor you received from your parents,"

2 抑圧を増進させ よくあつをぞうしんさせ yokuatsu wo zoushin sase "I made [your father] increase his restraint,"

3 憧憬を与えた どうけいをあたえた doukei wo ataeta "I supplied you with aspirations,"

4 志村さんの息子さん…だね？ しむらさんのむすこさん…だね？ Shimura-san no musuko-san...da ne? You're Mr. Shimura's son...right?

5 ここいらは車通りが多くて危ないから ここいらはくるまどおりがおおくてあぶないから kokoira wa kuruma-doori ga ookute abunai kara There's a lot of car traffic around here, so it's dangerous.

6 そして頃合いを見て そしてころあいをみて soshite koroai wo mite "and watched for when the time was right."

7-8 少し手を��なごうか すこしてをつなごうか sukoshi te wo tsunagou ka Shall we hold each other's hand for a little?

1 ドクターの施設にあった"個性"からーーーー ドクターのしせつにあった"こせい"からーーーー DOKUTAA no shisetsu ni atta "kosei" kara---- "It was a quirk that was in the doctor's facility----"

2 可逆性を取り払い かぎゃくせいをとりはらい kagyakusei wo toriharai "[We] got rid of the reversibility [function]"

3 破滅にのみつき進む粗悪な複製品を はめつにのみつきすすむそあくなコピーを hamestu ni nomitsuki susumu soaku na COPII wo "[to make] a crude/inferior copy that would be followed by nothing but ruin"

4 君に与えた きみにあたえた kimi ni ataeta "and bestowed it onto you."

5 ハッ HA "Hah" (*Note: The is a gasping sound for hyperventilation, which repeats throughout the page.)

6 じゃあ… jaa... "Then..."

7 そう sou "That's right."

8 悲劇も ひげきも higeki mo "The tragedy,"

9 試練も しれんも shiren mo "and the trials,"

10 否定も ひていも hitei mo "and the rejection,"

11 肯定も こうていも koutei mo "and the affirmation,"

12 僕が与えた ぼくがあたえた boku ga ataeta "I bestowed it onto you."

1 全部だ!!! ぜんぶだ!!! zenbu da!!! "All of it!!!"

2 何が"遷ろわない"だ⁉︎恥を知れ！ なにが"うつろわない"だ⁉︎はじをしれ！ nani ga "utsurowanai" da!? haji wo shire! "What's this 'Your heart won't waver' [crap]!? Have some shame!"

3 心を殺し消去！ こころをころししょうきょ！ kokoro wo koroshi shoukyo! I'll kill his heart and erase him!

4 OFA奪還後に切るカードだったが ワン・フォー・オールだっかんごにきるカードだったが WAN FOO OORU dakkan-go ni kiru KAADO datta ga It was my trump card for after I recaptured One For All, but

5 最早ーーーー もはやーーーー mohaya---- not anymore----

6 僕の身体から消えろ ぼくのからだからきえろ boku no karada kara kiero "Disappear from my body!"

1 オール・フォー・ワン‼︎ OORU FOO WAN!! "All For One!!"

2 ………もう与一はいない ………もうよいちはいない .........mou Yoichi wa inai ".........Yoichi is no longer here."

1 あ（僕の中��目標は絶たれた）あ あ（ぼくのちゅうきもくひょうはたたれた）あ a(boku no chuuki mokuhyou wa tatareta)a "AAA(My mid-term goal was eliminated.)AAA"

2 あ（余韻か）あ あ（よいんか）あ a(yoin ka)a "AAA(A lingering echo*?)AAA" (*Note: This word in Japanese refers to "a lingering memory, a lingering note, an aftertaste.")

3 黙っていろ だまっていろ damatte iro "Shut it."

1 とはいえ精神のダメージが肉体に出ている とはいえせいしんのダメージがにくたいにでている to wa ie seishin no DAMEEJI ga nikutai ni dete iru The spiritual damage is appearing on [my] physical body.

2 「崩壊」… 「ほうかい」… 「houkai」... Decay...

3 "怒り"…"憎しみ"が消え去った "いかり"…"にくしみ"がきえさった "ikari"..."nikushimi" ga kiesatta The rage...and hatred have vanished.

4 死んだか しんだか shinda ka "So he died?"

5 何年もかけて必死に捜して器を喪い なんねんもかけてひっしにさがしてうつわをうしない nannen mo kakete hisshi ni sagashite utsuwa wo ushinai I've lost the vessel for which I spent so many years desperately searching,

6 弟も喪った…じゃあ次は おとうともうしなった…じゃあつぎは otouto mo ushinatta...jaa tsugi wa and I've lost my little brother... Then next is...

7 オール… OORU... "All..."

8 フォー…ワン… FOO...WAN... "For...One..."

9 ��しき最終目標へ移行する むなしきさいしゅうもくひょうへいこうする munashiki saishuu mokuhyou e ikou suru "Transition to the hollow, final goal."

10 則ち世界へ すなわちせかいへ sunawachi sekai e "That is, to the world."

11 させ… sase... "I won't let..."

1 お互い肉体に出たな おたがいにくたいにでたな otagai nikutai ni deta na "[The damage] appeared on each of our bodies then."

2 うっ… u... "Ugh..."

3 ぐうぅ‼︎ guuu!! "Ggh!!"

4 まだ…‼︎ mada...!! "Not yet...!!"

5 まだーーーー!!! mada----!!! Not yet----!!!

6 人は喪う事で強くなり ひとはうしなうことでつよくなり hito wa ushinau koto de tsuyoku nari "People become stronger through loss."

7 その物語性を確立していくんだ そのものがたりせいをかくりつしていくんだ sono monogatarisei wo kakuritsu shite ikunda "That narrative I will go on to establish."

8 ハナから喪うもの無いガキが ハナからうしなうものないガキが HANA kara ushinau mono nai GAKI ga "For a brat with nothing to lose from the outset,"

9 こうなるのも必然だな こうなるのもひつぜんだな kou naru no mo hitsuzen da na "it's inevitable that something like this would happen."

1 瀬ーーーー せーーーー se---- Se----

2 小さい！ ちいさい！ chiisai! Small!

3 緑谷への感知にかき消される程ーー みどりやへのかんちにかきけされるほどーー Midoriya e no kanchi ni kakikesareru hodo So much so that it's almost drowned out by Midoriya--

4 緑谷あ!!! みどりやあ!!! Midoriyaa!!! "Midoriyaa!!!"

1 助けに来たぞ!!! たすけにきたぞ!!! tasuke ni kita zo!!! "[We] came to help!!!"

1 シュガーーーーナックル!!! SHUGAAAAA NAKKURU!!! Sugar Knuckle!!!

2 尾空旋舞!!! びくうせんぶ!!! bikuu senbu!!! Tornado Tail Dance!!!

3 ハァ HAA "Hah" (*Note: This is a sound effect for heavy breathing.)

4 ハァ HAA "Hah" (*Note: This is a sound effect for

5 瀬呂くん… せろくん… Sero-kun... "Sero-kun..."

6 尾白くん！ おじろくん！ Ojiro-kun! "Ojiro-kun!"

7 砂藤くん…！みんな…無事… さとうくん…！みんな…ぶじ… Satou-kun...! minna...buji... "Satou-kun...! You're all...okay..."

8 緑谷 みどりや Midoriya "Midoriya."

1 待たせてごめんな またせてごめんな matasete gomen na "Sorry for making you wait."

tagline ワープゲートより現れた希望ーー…！ ワープゲートよりあらわれたきぼうーー…！ WAAPU GEETO yori arawareta kibou--...! Hope has appeared from a warp gate-...!

[stylo-90]

a guide to buying writing pencils as a gift

this is a guide to buying wooden writing pencils for someone in your life. why? just because! they're a nice little gift and way cheaper than most stuff you might be interested in buying. definitely cheaper than other fancy stationery like fountain pens. and they made John Steinbeck very excited...

Just the pure luxury of long beautiful pencils charges me with energy and invention.

- John Steinbeck

1. Vibe Management

Picture the recipient. Who are you buying these pencils for? Are we going for more of a classic Americana, 'analog living', rustic kind of vibe? Or is this person more of a stationery geek? Someone who's more artsy or more businesslike? We are focusing on writing pencils here but they have different qualities, hard and soft, subtle and dramatic, thick lacquer or thin paint. This is an analog object and the sensory qualities are important.

2. American or Japanese (or Other)

The two main countries you may be interested in are the USA and Japan. If you're an American looking to deliver some #2 nostalgia with the eraser on the end, or chasing the Steinbeck thing, you can't go wrong with an American manufacturer like Palomino (CA), Musgrave (Shelbyville, TN), or General's (Jersey City, NJ). But if your recipient is more into high-quality stationery goods of all kinds, they are probably already a fan of Japanese stationery, which is a much more discerning market than the USA when it comes to quality products. Manufacturers to check out here are Tombow and Mitsubishi Pencil (uni).

Bonus: Indian pencils. The pencil scene is big among Indian schoolgoers, and so they have a variety of different brands of pencil. The black and red Nataraj is the primary-school classic, but don't sleep on the internet fave Apsara. (Both are manufactured by the same company, Hindustan Pencils)

Ah, but aren't there different hardnesses of pencils? Nothing wrong with a classic HB/#2, but you'll find that many prefer a slightly softer and darker lead for writing - more like a B or 2B. The H end of the spectrum is harder and lighter leads more suitable for drafting than writing. An F is a nice middle ground (just a bit harder than HB). Japanese pencils also tend slightly softer and darker than American pencils of the same grade. Softer = smoother, harder = scratchier (generally speaking.

Personally I can't use leads softer than B because the dust triggers my asthma. Hadn't thought of that, huh?

3. Just Give Me the Recommendations Already!

The pencils everybody* has heard of:

Tombow Mono 100 and Mitsubishi Hi-Uni are historically the 'premium' Japanese pencils. Thick lacquer, carefully selected graphite. A single pencil will be in the $2.50-3.00 range, and a dozen will be $22-23. I recommend these in HB or (for Tombow) F.

In the Japanese 'good but not premium' category, I highly recommend the Tombow 2558 in HB, which has been called the greatest yellow pencil ever made, with one of the best erasers. The Mitsubishi 9850 is similarly a beautiful and high-quality pencil that isn't expensive. We're talking like $1.40 a pencil.

Going to American pencils, the Blackwing 602s are world-famous (among pencil people). People say the current Palomino-made ones are inferior to the Eberhard Faber ones that John Steinbeck used, but how would they know? I would stick with the 602's but go with the Naturals if you want more firm lead, or Pearls for softer lead (not for me). These will be $30 for a dozen - I guess you pay for the name, and you can't get them as singles, unless you happen to see one at your local stationery shop. But they are, indeed, very good.

Musgrave Tennessee Reds are one-of-a-kind, made from fragrant Tennessee red cedar, and with a smooth dark lead. Highly recommend, and only $14 for a dozen. But for a more affordable alternative, the Harvest 320s are $8.50 for a dozen and I think they're beautiful, with gold foil lettering and a crisp hexagonal body design with thin lacquer -rare among pencils nowadays.

There are also a bunch of specialized pencils for a variety of purposes - ones for test scoring, doing crosswords or marking up sheet music, songwriting... JetPens sells pencil samplers, while you can get variety packs from Musgrave and Blackwing. I wish I could recommend General's pencils but I haven't tried any that made an impression.

Here are the two pencil sharpeners I own and recommend:

Mitsubishi Uni KH-20 - a desktop crank sharpener that turns out a nice long point, $32

KUM No. 400-5L Stenographer's Long Point - like the name says, a tiny handheld sharpener with a long point, and dirt-cheap

For erasers, either use the one on the end of your pencil, or (since many fancy pencils don't come with erasers) take your pick. Most vinyl/plastic erasers are more than good enough, and easily better than a typical end-of-pencil eraser. Personally a simple Pentel Hi-Polymer has always served me well.

The only other accessory you might want is a pencil cap/point protector - an underrated way to keep your pencil sharp when you leave your pencil around or want to take it somewhere. EDC pencil? You better believe it! You might not give this as a gift, but I find it increases the 'usability' of a pencil in day-to-day. I like this Kutsuwa aluminum one.

Since we're gift-giving, you may be interested to know what some nice gift boxes might look like:

Musgrave has several fun variety packs, including one that looks like a pencil. They also have a $75 box made of fragrant Tennessee red cedar for their red cedar pencils, if you're like... rich. And have exquisite taste in woods.

Meanwhile, Blackwing likes to do the limited edition thing, and has "volumes" honoring this or that famous person. These are just their standard leads with fancy art on the pencil lacquer, don't buy the hype. (Unless you want to, I mean. I have a pentagonal Blackwing Vol. 10001 that I bought as a loosey at a local stationery shop and I really enjoy it.) Even if you just buy a normal pack of 602's, they are 'fancy' enough that your recipient should appreciate it, if they are the type of person you would buy pencils in the first place.

"but tumblr user stylo-90, how do I choose?"

whichever one looks prettiest to you! don't think too hard about it. (i understand the irony of saying this now)

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Wilson's Phalarope

Photo: Mick Thompson

"Phalaropes reverse the usual sex roles in birds: Females are larger and more colorful than males; females take the lead in courtship, and males are left to incubate the eggs and care for the young. Wilson's Phalarope is an odd shorebird that swims and spins on prairie marshes. The other two species of phalaropes nest in the Arctic and winter at sea, but Wilson's is a bird of inland waters, nesting mostly on the northern Great Plains. Huge numbers may gather in fall on some salty lakes in the west, such as Mono Lake and Great Salt Lake, before migrating to South America."

- Audubon Field Guide

[ron456]

BMC characters as things I heard while on a white water rafting field trip:

Brooke: My makeup's gonna wash off in the water but at least I'll go in looking slay!

Chloe, Christine, and Jenna: Yes!!!

Raft Guide: Okay, were gonna have a snack. We've got oreos and water cups-

Rich: *excited* WE HAVE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS?!?!

Michael: *also excited* WHAT?!? WE HAVE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS?!?!

*during a water break*

Rich: Don't drink from Chloe's cup cuz' she has mono.

Chloe: STOP!

(said person did actually have mono 😭)

Christine: I wonder what my senior superlative's gonna be.

Jenna: "Most likely to marry a twink."

Christine: ... I wanna argue but... I can't.

Michael: *yelling* *fake angry* YOU'D BE "MOST LIKELY TO NOT FINISH AVATAR-"

Christine: *matching his energy* I JUST DON'T HAVE THE TIME, MICHAEL!

Michael: Me when I lie.

Christine: 😑

Raft Guide: So, what sports do ya'll play?

Jake: *Lists off a bunch of sports*

Jeremy: I do theatre. I don't play sports if you couldn't tell by the fact that I'm the only one on this raft wearing a kid life vest.

*while picking rafts*

Rich: *sees rainbow raft* *excited* GUYS, GUYS- LET'S GET THE GAY RAFT!!

Michael: *singing* 🎶 Be WhO yOu ArE- 🎶

Jeremy: Heh. It's the LG-Boat- TQ. Eh, that was funnier in my head.

*after falling out of the raft and momentarily losing a croc*

Jenna: As that wave was hitting me, I was already thinking about which color crocs I was gonna get next.

Michael: *after changing into dry clothes* This actual feels so good.

Rich: *smiles* That's what she said. >:)

Michael: RICH, I SWEAR-

*playing Paranoia*

Jeremy: *whispering to Jake* Uh, most likely to immediately spend all their pay check on a designer purse.

Jake: * with no hesitation* Chloe.

Chloe: Well, actually, I'd save for a nice car.

Jake: But you still would buy the purse.

Chloe: Well, yeah!

*still playing Paranoia*

Brooke: Most likely to jump off a bridge just to see what would happen.

Michael: Christine.

Christine: Hehe, yeah.

*Rich, who fell off the raft earlier, to Jenna after falling off the raft*

Rich: You wanna be me so bad.

Christine: You cold, Jere?

Jeremy: *insanely shivering* Just a little.

Rich: I have to pee so bad.

Michael: Don't piss in the boat!!

Jeremy: Yeah, no piss boat!!

*getting out of the water*

Michael: I'm so cold!

Jeremy: *grabbing Michael's arm* I need your warmth!

Michael: AH, NO, YOUR HAND IS SOMEHOW EVEN COLDER-