#so inpired

[originalartblog]

Remember when I pitched the concept of Chuuya developing a fear of lightning/electricity after the events of Storm Bringer and the Dragon's Head Conflict?

Thunder doesn't bother him, he deals with loud noises on the daily. No, it's the lightning itself that gets to him.

So obviously the solution is to close his eyes and wait for the storm to pass while berating himself because he should be better than this.

[moonlightflower-queen]

Reunited, after years have passed for the princess but only moments have for the queen.

[cornix-the-void-crow]

More of RHD au Al

And some musings with the outfit layers

Because he cannot be captured on digital photography, Velvette has the whole set up with old photo film cameras. Also 1930s fashion in some ways blends well with modern trends, so Al is spared in that regard. Small mercies

[boobo13cambridge]

Prompt? Blurb? Un poème?

Jamais je n'aurais imaginé qu'un jour je deviendrais l'épouse du président de la République française, mais c'est maintenant ma vie. Quand j'ai rencontré Kylian une soirée en Espagne, je n'aurais jamais imaginé qu'il deviendrait l'amour de ma vie et mon âme sœur.

Passer 20 ans avec quelqu'un est une épreuve que très peu de personnes survivraient. Pendant ces années, je pense que nous avons vécu des milliers d'épreuves, certaines qui avaient l'air insurmontables, et avaient testé fortement notre amour.

Si je devais décrire notre amour, je le définirais comme une fonction quadratique : des hauts infernaux et des bas glaciaux ; des championnats et des sifflets. Je n'ai jamais regretté aucun moment avec lui.

Je regarde dans le miroir et je vois une femme avec des rides qui décrivent les années de joie et de tristesse ; je vois une femme qui a connu les épreuves de la vie.

Maintenant, cette femme va entamer l'épreuve la plus difficile de sa vie. Je ferme les yeux et je respire. J'essaie d'évacuer la tension et l'anxiété qui serrent mon cœur. Je sens des mains envelopper ma taille. Je sens un baiser sur ma tête, un parfum masculin envahit mes sensations. Je suis calme mais mon cœur bat fort. Je me sens en sécurité mais je frémis quand sa voix souffle dans mon oreille.

Je suis juste une simple femme mais je suis maintenant la République.

[the-dragon-girl-27]

Also cuz I just posted an animation of this guy may as well post this funni I made a while back

I'll post this here before someone compares this man to Tenma Tsukasa on here

(this man is what the Sekai fandom WISHED Tsukasa was like lmao he's a pathetic emo angsty edgelord)

[priscirat]

were the seats always this close ?

[shr1mpdip]

guess who went swimming without permission

[hyponautica]

rain world fans trying to figure out what the glyphs mean

[stheresya]

I don't understand how anyone can like the darkling he is an abouser.

Well, you see, fictional characters are narrative tools and not actual people, therefore I don't have to like them based on their moral virtues. I like characters that are conceived in a way that make me see the human condition in all its complexity and oftentimes ugly aspects, all portrayed with an intensity, a nuance and a beauty that only art (and that includes storytelling) allows.

Hence why I love the Darkling. He is a very intensified version of a lonely, damaged and idealistic person placed in a fantastical and hostile setting. He is the fantastic. And his actions are very much influenced by what he is (an ancient grisha) and what he suffers (anti-grisha persecution). The biggest question we may ask concerning the Darkling is whether the ends justify the means, because there's no denying that his goals are noble even if some might consider his means cruel. The narrative decides that no, the ends do not justify the means. I personally think his means are far too complex for us to completely dismiss it as unjustifiable.

I can't speak for everyone who loves the Darkling, but for me there's something very cathartic in a character who is filled with rage at a world that has been nothing but cruel to them. If he was a heroic character, the narrative would have him try to reconcile with that world, to forgive and forget, because heroic characters are often used to reinforce the ideals of the society where they were conceived, even if those ideals are harmful, so as to not inspire people to disrupt the order of things. So to see a character like the Darkling who has been enduring so much pain for centuries just for being different, it's oddly satisfying to see him snap and unleash his wrath on that world, to see him set on taking what he is owed, even if it hurts people in the process. He is not good, but he is not necessarily evil either, all he wanted was for his people to not live in fear anymore and he couldn’t see other means to achieve that end besides making himself powerful and striking anyone who got in his way.

He is lonely due to his ancient condition, he doesn't know what it's like to live in peace, he is traumatized, he is resentful, but more importantly, he is idealistic. Despite every odd being against him, he still perseveres in making the world a better place through whatever means he sees fit, however extreme they are. That's why I think he is the most fascinating character in the grisha trilogy.

[princemick]

JACK -- friday , 2023 Azerbaijan GP Photo by Joe Portlock

[jazmazkaz]

Marceline the Star ☆

I figured out her existence and now it’s my mission to become her

tw for light blood under the cut

( ＾∀＾)

[endlessshower]

took a wee break, slowly getting back into things~

in the mean time, have an oldie i turned into new. This is a private race i made long ago, lil fae like creatures that live in a realm of endless rain called Rainians

art (c) @endlessshower

[nameless-is-nameless]

@drygrasses ‘ barbarian Janos had a bad time and got some cool new scars 👀

[thedeadthree]

— OCS AS MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURES

TAGGED BY the dears @denerims, @chuckhansen, @marivenah, @dihardys, @leviiackrman, @adelaidedrubman, @belorage and @roofgeese to take this cutest uquiz for the loves! ty so much! <3

TAGGING: @feystepped, @griffin-wood, @risingsh0t, @queennymeria, @kingsroad, @unholymilf, @bloodofvalyria, @stormveils, @celticwoman, @rocketsummer, @roberthouses, @confidentandgood, @arklay, @aartyom, @anoras, @swordcoasts, @shadowglens, @shellibisshe, @loriane-elmuerto, @jackiesarch, @aceghosts, @florbelles, @belorage and you!

KITSUNE (FOX SPIRIT)

You are neither good nor evil, you play by your own rules. You are capable of living a great many years, and can accumulate plenty of wisdom throughout your lifetime. People might fear you because you may possess or seduce them, and are almost always likely to have the upper hand in a situation. This is fair, since you tend to be a trickster. Nonetheless, you are also honorable and will repay any debts and fulfill any promises you make.

DRAGON

You have a hard exterior, but you’re really a softie inside. You can be very confrontational and might pick fights here and there, but you also know when to yield and find a compromise with your enemy. Fiercely protective, you keep your most treasured belongings, people and memories close to your heart. Nothing can stop you when you’re feeling protective. You’ll come with the full force of fire and skies against anyone who threatens your kingdom.

LADY OF THE LAKE

Your past has not been kind to you and you come from tragic beginnings, but you are pure of heart and devoted to helping those who are as lost as you once were. In some ways, you might feel trapped where you are in life, but you are able to make the most of what is available to you. Ultimately, you are capable of great decisions and can decide who wields power. You choose to be loved rather than feared.

PARI (FAIRY)

Mischievous and cunning, you are a pretty-faced creature capable of deception, but ultimately good at heart. You cast love spells and weed your way into people’s lives, pulling strings. You are a lone wolf and a traveler, moving in and out of people’s lives seamlessly. But although you are ambivalent, your intentions are good. You may fall quickly in love with people but will be quick to leave them as your love may sting.

MERMAID

Your enchanting beauty would be enough to inspire the greatest artists, but you yourself are an artist as well. Unfortunately, it might get to your head a bit as your hold yourself in the highest regard in both looks and talent. You are deeply misunderstood and feel the need to compensate and are therefore constantly performing for people. People might accuse you of manipulation or lying, and at times it’s difficult for you to reflect on what you’ve done wrong.

GNOME

You are a bit of a homebody and can be quite timid, but you’re always on people’s paths. Everyone who meets you likes you. Sticking to one place suits you, and you aren’t very open to major changes. You can be quite crafty and inventive, people come to you when they need help fixing things. You are also a trustworthy guard of people’s homes and secrets.

[ionroir]

PAKs, Control Brains, and the Collective (they’re all connected lads)

[this is all just my personal headcanon]

It is commonly stated that PAKs hold an Irkens personality, and can imprint it onto another living thing or advanced computer. This is somewhat true.

When it comes to personality and memory, PAKs work in tandem with the organic brain. They work off each other to create both a ‘thought version’ and a ‘code version’ of an Irken’s memories, filling in each other’s blanks. They are constantly ‘updating’ each other, but you need both the PAK and organic brain to get the full picture when it comes to memories. This is why in trials and existence evaluations the Irken is still connected to the PAK when memories are being viewed, it wouldn’t be fully accurate otherwise. Going of organic memories alone leaves room for lying or misremembering, and going off of PAK memories alone would leave you with a very streamlined, exclusively Empire focused perspective, which can be incomplete, out of context, or otherwise inaccurate.

Only the Control Brains can fully process an Irken’s memories, as they are the only AI powerful enough to do it (it also helps that they have the power to bypass PAK defenses - unlike more unauthorised methods) Via the Control Brains is also the only legal way to access and download memories, and it is very invasive and uncomfortable for the Irken in question. Attempting to do illegally to someone else would land you quite a severe assault charge.

In terms of personality, the PAK by itself contains.. a version of the Irken’s personality, but not their entire one, only the ‘Empire Approved’ parts. The ‘efficient’ parts, which would make them a Good Irken and Soldier in the eyes of the Control Brains. The PAK personality is still unique to each Irken and bares resemblance to their actual personality but it’s also less whole, more robotic. There are a few reasons for this.

The first (and main) reason is that while you can code a personality into an AI software, no computer holds the processing power to wholly translate and replicate a pre-existing organic personality to a code while simultaneously keeping up with the personality as it grows and evolves (and doing everything else the PAK does.)

This ‘simplified’ personality has some uses though. An Irken who is good at hacking can actually upload it into a computer/device, which can give them (well, that version of them) control of the system.

This is the sort of thing Tak did with her ship. (The PAK personality works a little different when there are defects in the PAK though - hence why Tak’s ship is closer to her actual personality than it would normally have been)

The second reason is simply that from the Control Brains’ perspective it’s easier to control a PAK when its main code is more predictable and also aligns perfectly with your goals all of the time.

The third reason is linked to the second one, and that is the Collective.

The Collective is the complete source of post-PAK Irken knowledge. It (or at least, part of it) is where existing PAKs get their occupational encoding and also where non-defective PAKs have their ‘personality’ and PAK memories uploaded when their Irken dies. The Collective is essentially the universe’s most complex computer and it is also what powers the Control Brains.

So what are the Control Brains? They are the sentient (semi-sentient?) part of the Collective. The main three brains run the judicial system on Irk, and they can be split/duplicated into less complicated smaller brains which can be allocated to other tasks as needed.

The Control Brains always make decisions based on what will bring the most benefit to the Empire. They are the closest Irkens would have to a god/afterlife and they are treated as such, and they aren’t discussed too openly. Their decisions are final. After all, they are the combined consciousnesses of the Irkens’ past and present, if they act for an Empire, surely that’s the best way for them to be?

Well, not really. As I said earlier, only the simplified PAK personality is updated into the Collective, and be default, the Brains. And only ones that aren’t deemed defective at that (and the number of ‘defectives’ being found is only growing)

So.. the Control Brains are made up of consciousnesses that the Control Brains deem appropriate, but only as collected by the machines that are built to streamline everything to the Control Brains’ goals, which the Irkens believe are the ultimate goals of their race.

But in actuality it is a vicious cycle of constantly furthering an empire that benefits nobody all because of a semi-sentient super computer based on biased an incomplete data which is being allowed to make decisions for a people that it isn’t actually as much a part of and isn’t acting in their best interest as much as everyone seems to think.

Now surely, some Irkens have figured this out with all their technological knowledge? Surely a few have managed to get past PAK blocks and share their realisations? Well, of course. But anyone doing that would be committing treason, blasphemy. Anyone doing that must be defective.

And the Control Brains have no tolerance for defectives in the Empire.

[because-its-eurovision]

@pastlink tagged me to make a moodboard using the first 9 images that show up on my pinterest feed 🖤

no pressure tagging @thisisntaparty @drippinlou @paleangels13 @theflyingfeeling @ladysorbus @fangirlinglikealoon