#source: empty chameleon

[2346khith]

AU retcons

So I decided to make a few retcon to my au either because of new ideas or past mistakes.

Sub Zero family name change: So I've been referring to my version of the Sub zero sister as Lisa Liang as I though that was her canonical name and that Liang was the family name. However I was just confused as Conquest Lisa last name was never stated and I just thought it was Liang from an unreliable source on reddit, @Laismoura-art aus and my own imagination because as stated in my bio, I'm a dumbass. So in order to avoid confusion with my version of Lisa I'll be referring to her as Kuai Lisa, using the Chinese tradition of putting the surname first though I may change this later down the line. Also, also, @laismoura-art, if your seeing this I just wanted to say that I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience. While my version of Lisa was inspired by yours it was never my intention to copy her nor is it my plan too. You've work so very hard visualizing Lisa into your own image, making her into such an amazing character and I don't want to ruin that for you. If you have anymore grievances about my version of her please let me know and I'll change them right away.

Sub zero's personality: Okay, this technically not a retcon but more like addon I forgot to mention in a pervious post So I made this long ass post about how my version of sub zero's personality is different from canon.

Check it out for better context. Everything said in there is true though there are some slight changes/add ons I'm here. Sub Zero personality is exactly the way I describe it in that post but basically, when I talk about my version of Sub Zero I want you guys to picture his personality as a combination of Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes(specifically Falcon and the winter soldier era) and Tom Ellis Lucifer Morningstar.

Basically he would have Bucky's tired of everything mentality, sarcastic wit, headstrong fortitude, loyalty, emptiness, major guilt, distance from others and Lucifers charm, impulsiveness, curiosity, insecurity, brutal honest, aloof of certain social cues, and persuasive nature mixed in with a calm demeanor, diplomatic mentality, calculative mindset and chameleon like acting skills. Again not exactly a retcon but something I wanted to mention.

3. How the reunion went. So originally had it so that Sub Zero reunited with his sister after he ran away from the cyber initiative, fled to America to find the other Earthrealm fighters, got jumped by the black dragon and left for dead in an ally way, until he was found and nurse back to health when Lisa found him. However after I wrote my Bi Han Irony and Pain, I wanted to implement some parts of Iwhat I've wrote there into my au so now in this timeline Bi Han was the only one who remember their childhood in America and told Liang about it and even told him about his plan to run away with him also wanting Liang to run away with him too though he didn't pay much attention to it, since he didn't have any attachment to his mother or sister that Bi Han would gush about. When the cyber initiative happened though, it was the only place he though be safe to go to so he actively search for it. This time he bad hurt from the Lin Kuei Cyborgs but he was saved by a mysterious figure(spoiler it scorpion) and manage to escape though still very injured and made his way to an address that Bi Han kept saying was there childhood home, lying there on the door step bleeding out until the door open and his sister rescues him. I not only wanted to change this because A. it wouldn't have made sense for sub zero to be taken down by a bunch of black dragon goons and B. I saw more story potential in this as unlike the previous concept he has no real connection towards his sister so there could be an ongoing arc from the start to the end of the story with them growing as siblings originally only be family through blood but growing into a true family.

4.What Bi Han gets up too. As stated before I wanted to implement some of my og timeline Bi Han theory into my au so I had to change Bi Han mentality and motives here.

Check the post I linked for more details about what I meant. But the long story short of it is that I thought Bi Han as a mama's boy that hated working for the Lin kuei and was going to use bounty money to run off but got "toasty" by Scorpion and is butt hurt his baby bro decide to stay with the Lin kuei. In this au his origins is the same as the irony and pain theory, being raise in America for most of his childhood until he and his baby brother were kidnapped by the Lin Kuei and forced to be assasins until Bi Han decides to plan that he would use bounty money he collect to save up on necessities and possibly property in America so he could run away and find his mother. Just like in the original timeline however he fails and gets killed by Scorpion. Just as he was previously in my au he was worked on Quan Chi to be revived as the perfect weapon only to get out of hands and escape though this time it wasn't because he remembers Scorpions killing and was pissed but because he the resurrection process alter different aspects of him including his desire for freedom causing him not wanting to be a slaved for Quan Chi. He still has scattered and altered memories but this time his motive is to find out who he is and the most common memories in head just so happen to be from America. So basically he goes off backpacking across the U.S.A hitch hiking through the states which could make for some funny moments. I also wanted to mention a way to explain why the lin kuei wouldn't play a big part in the first act of this au as in this au they do search for Liang in the U.S.A but they don't know where exactly he at and occasionally they end up running into Bi Han who just so happens to remembers hating people who wear the same symbols as these flying machines and so he ends up taking them down over and over again. One day he walking along the street until he walks past a cemetery and spots a name on a tombstone. He walks towards the tombstone to see it has his mother's name on it. All his memories end up rushing back towards him. And then he kneels, lay his head on the tombstone and cries. And cries. And cries. And cries. And Cries. For days on end he just cries at his mother's resting place never moving until one day Lisa is doing her daily visit towards her mother's grave until she sees a man crying there. She assume that it an old friend of her mothers and goes up to ask who is until she actually sees him. His skins gone dark, he thinner than he was and he was way older than the last time she saw him. But she knows what her brother looks like. The two lock eyes with each other. Then the hug and collapse. And they cry. And cry. And cry. And cry.

5. Black Dragon territory expansion. Originally I stated that the Black Dragon was spreading simply because they wanted more territory. However now I made it so The Black Dragon form an alliance with outworld for power and so the territory expansion is actually just a set up for preparing station for outworlds invasion.

So yeah those are all the retcons I wanted to make in my au. Again if you have any concept ideas or constructive criticism, I'm all too happy to take it as stated over again, I'm not a professional writing and I lack writing knowledge.

[bluelocksource]

Raichi Jingo’s trivia (source: twt & Egoist Bible).

"Fight to the last!! Keep exchanging shots!! Are you guys even strikers!!?"

☆ Character's colour: Lightning yellow.

☆ Weapons: Gorgeous shooting technique (self-proclaim).

☆ Birthday: 11th October.

☆ Current age: 17 (2nd year of high school)

☆ Zodiac: Libra.

☆ Birthplace: Nagasaki Prefecture.

☆ Family: Father. Mother. Older sister. Himself.

☆ Current height: 182 cm.

☆ Foot size: 28 cm.

☆ Dominant foot: Right foot.

☆ Blood type: A.

☆ Motto: "There is no path ahead of me, (but) there is a path behind me." (this is an excerpt from a poem called ‘The Itenary’/’The Journey’ by Takamaru Kotaro.)

☆ Team before joining BLUE LOCK: Ikarigaoka High School football club.

☆ Starts playing football: At age 7.

☆ Favorite food: Shrimp tempura bowl. “It tastes better if you mix the batter with dashi.”

☆ Disliked food: Kazunoko. “The smell and the texture are nasty.”

☆ Favorite animal: Chameleon. “Do you see how they move their eyes around? Isn’t that cool!”

☆ Favorite season: Spring. “I can’t wait for spring.”

☆ Favorite color: Red.

☆ Favorite football player: Takashi Inui. (Sexy football)

☆ Favorite song: “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi.

☆ Favorite manga: Baki series. “Boys will immediately gets excited when reading this!"

☆ Favorite movie: The Expandables . "This movie can make you feel stupid."

☆ Fixation: “I'm my own festish.”

☆ Hobby: "Thinking about how many people on this Earth thinks how great I am."

☆ Mushroom shoots vs Bamboo shoots: Mushroom. “Everyone chose bamboo, right? Then I choose mushroom!”

☆ What goes best with rice : Karaage (Japanese-styled fried chicken). “There's disagreement? Come here, I’ll end you!”

☆ Ideal type: Someone who takes a step back and is supportive of him. "Just leave the rest to me!”

☆ What makes him happy: When complimented (anything about him is fine).

☆ What makes him upset: Being made a fool of. ”Fool how? Say it.”

☆ What he thinks his strength is: All of him. ”Huh? Who’s laughing!?”

☆ What he thinks his weakness is: “I’m at loss, I don’t have too many weaknesses… Oi! (Those who laugh) Raise your hand!”

☆ Best subject: P.E. (so far no one beats him in shuttle run)

☆ Dislike/weak subject: Other than P.E.

☆ What made him cry recently: "When I'm about to kick an empty can out of frustration, my shin accidentally hit a guardrail, then I cried."

☆ Usual sleeping time: 7 hours.

☆ What he usually ends up buying from convenience store: Famichiki (fried nuggets from Family Mart).

☆ Place he washes first when taking a bath: Sideburns. "I’m very particular on how I want to grow them."

☆ Number of chocolates received from previous Valentine: 10.

☆ What will he do if received 100 million yen: Live in New York.

☆ What age he stops receiving presents from Santa: At age 10.

☆ What was his last wish from Santa: Super powers. "Something like ‘I wanna be good in football’, ‘Super strength’, ‘Swift foot’. Of course, I didn’t get any of that but I manage to improve my skills."

☆ What will he do during his last day on Earth: Climbing to the top of the Statue of Liberty. “That would be nice."

note: i want to apologize in advance for any mistake made in the translation!

[true-blue-sonic]

any random espilver thoughts you could offer to someone struck with empty brain? could be angst or fluff, i'm not picky /lh 🫣

I can think some up! Let's see here ^-^

I wonder if Silver would be surprised by how noisy it is in the Chaotix's household. After all, if he's been mostly on his own before, I figure he'll be quite surprised by the liveliness of the Agency! But what especially intrigues him is the fact that Espio very much prefers his own peace and quiet amidst the chaos, and has trained himself very well to embrace it despite Vector and Charmy being around. I figure Silver might just go sit with him and meditate/relax for some time if things become too annoying around him.

Espio strikes me as the kind of person who knows a lot about foraging: he apparently likes camping and he also seems to like educational things, so I figure he might have read up on what plants are edible and such in the wild. I can imagine him and Silver leaving one early morning to go to the forest and find berries and such <3 And if Silver learns some cooking from Amy, they can make them into tasty jams and jellies.

I don't believe this is really possible with Silver's powers in the games, because we've never seen anything like it and the closest we've gotten is his Psychic Knife that isn't so much a knife at all, but it'd be very impressive if he could form shuriken and kunai with his powers. It'd be a concentrated little energy attack that doesn't cover as much ground as his Psychic Knife, but I figure it'll be able to pierce deeper! And Espio is very flattered Silver is trying to incorporate his ninja fighting style into his psychokinesis. Similarly, I think it'd be funny if Silver just.... hurled Espio at an enemy on occasion, haha. They're in perfect sync!

I also wrote a bit of a fic today at uni when I was actually supposed to be transcribing interviews, but you know, fuck that and all, so you can find that under the cut. I hope you like it! ^-^

~~~~~

“You can see the stars so well here,” Silver muses, contently sprawled out over the blanket. “Did you know they look a bit different in the future?”

“Oh?”

“Not by a lot. But whenever I study them, they aren’t exactly in the same place anymore. Just barely!”

“Which sky do you prefer?” Espio smiles back.

“This one, of course. Because you’re here to watch it with me, Espio.”

Laughing softly the chameleon shakes his head; an answer as expected from his dear beloved. “Then we had best make the most of this night,” he agrees. Tomorrow their trip will be over and they’ll go back home, to their city where the light pollution unfortunately makes it difficult to see the sky in all its glory. But here, in this field of rustling greenery and no civilisation for miles and miles, they are perfectly miniscule and at one with the beauty above them.

“I’m going to find all the constellations,” Silver notes back, one finger tracing the air as if he can draw lines on the dark blue scenery amidst the pinpricks of light. Perhaps in his mind he is, his lips forming words Espio knows even though he says nothing out loud, and the sight is…

Ethereal.

Elysian.

Utterly, completely captivating.

Which isn’t so strange, because to Espio everything Silver is and does is captivating, yet he finds it impossible to tear his eyes away from the other this night. Silver’s fur glows like the two moons above them, the cyan circles on his gloves the only source of light around except for the stars. And every single movement gets drunken up by Espio’s eyes, how he gestures his one hand ever so tenderly as if his finger is the paintbrush and the heavens his canvas, how he lays so unguarded and open on their shared blanket, other arm tucked behind his head and honey-golden eyes merely blinking up to the stars before his lips twitch and form into a smile.

“You’re staring, Es.”

“…Ah.” Jolting awake from his musings the chameleon flicks his tail. “Mayhaps, love.”

“Don’t ‘mayhaps’ me, I can feel it.”

With an amused laugh of his own Espio reaches over, his fingers brushing over the hedgehog’s twitching little nose. “Your powers and their perceptive nature.”

“Hmhm,” his beloved huffs back, a pink tongue peevedly battering at Espio’s finger tormenting his poor snoot. “Why are you? Isn’t the sky much too lovely to not look at it?”

“I just so happen to be around a being that makes it far too easy to get distracted with marvelling at him,” Espio notes, scooting himself a bit closer and smiling as Silver curls into him as by instinct.

“Flatterer.” But Silver’s face tucks itself underneath Espio’s chin so perfectly, a content little sigh breathed out against his chest.

~~~~~

[givemeyams]

Nerevarine on Solsthiem Part 4

Content: Teldryn Sero x Geldis Sadri

Start | Prev | Next

Warning: Mildly suggestive puns

Word Count: 601

--Getting Handsy

When the outlander finally left with her first task, a clap could be heard from the corner of the bar. Teldryn reappeared from a chameleon spell. “Well done. She has you in the palm of her hands.”

Geldis brow twitched, “Shut up you s’wit, that was a fair negotiation.”

The merc chuckled, discarding his chitin helm once more. “If you say so.”

Geldis took the now empty bowl to the kitchen unamused by the mercenary. “I finally get some competent help and a new source of income. I wasn’t about to turn that down,” he said while washing the remaining dishes.

Teldryn laughed, “Drovas is a bit dull.”

“I was talking about you.”

Geldis paused as he could feel warm hands graze against his chest. “So you think I am not competent,” said the warm breath against his neck.

The merchant rolled his eyes, ignoring the contact, “No, you are a distraction.”

“I can show you a distraction,” said Teldryn kissing the others jawline. Fingers trailing lower and lower.

The barkeep groaned, trying to ignore his core heating. "No help. At. All." His breath hitched when the fingers found their way under his waistline. "Just another merc with a fancy sword."

Sero bit the tip of his lover's ear, causing another groan. "That's just fine by me," he whispered in a husky voice. He could feel the heat between his fingers and the outline of the others' balls. He squeezed. "I'll hilt my sword into you any day."

"Fucking hell Teldryn," cried Geldis. The barkeep turned to slam his lips on the other. Using one hand, he pulled the taller mer closure, with the other hand he grazed the mercenaries shaved head, weaving his fingers into his trail of hair.

Teldryn groaned, letting the barkeep gain the upper hand, devouring his mouth with his tongue. Finally, their lips separated, both breathing hard. “Gods, you’re such a tease, right before work too" Geldis said, cupping Teldryn's chin with his hand before pushing the man away.

Sero grinned, “I can’t help it, you’re too irresistible.”

He turned to wash his hands and the residual saliva on his face. “One of these days, I am going to strangle you in your sleep.”

"You don't need to do that, you already take my breath away," Teldryn said winking.

Geldis huffed, fighting back the laughter, "Gods, you are the worst."

Teldryn snickered, "You're smiling."

"I am and I hate it," Geldis said trying and failing to keep a frown. He finally let out a hearty laugh pulling the other into another kiss. Soft, playful, and full of affection, "Now shut up and help me with the vegetables. And wash your hands," he said with a grin.

Teldryn chuckled as he did just that. He never liked to cook before, never really tried. But he has found his natural skill and dexterity with swords translated well into knifework. It was fun. Geldis was already too focused on his work to notice his gaze. It was fun because of him.

“I still think you could have gotten more out of that contract,” said the merc mincing some garlic.

Geldis hummed in agreement, “Maybe, maybe not. It would be a nice change of pace to have a bar maid. Azura knows that Drovas is not cut out for it. Can’t shake the feeling that there is more to her than she is letting on, what do you think?”

Teldryn thought about it. "Or she's just all talk. Either way, I think something big is about to happen."

“I can't help but agree.”

Next ->

[whispertree-coll]

👥🎲📖🫸🧠 - :] anon

hi again :] anon!! 👋 hope ur doing well :3

currently those of us who are okay with answering are milo (💀, they/nox/noxself), calculester (💾 he/it/byt/byte), arkose (💥 he/any i think), and wallter (💠 he/gray)

i hope this is formatted okay!

👥 — do you have any source mates with you in your system? 

💀 Oh I have plenty! I am sourced from the Monster Prom franchise, and we have over 20 alters and counting from there alone. The second Monster Con releases, we're bound to form more.

💾 Same as above! :) We are hardly alone in our source!

💥 yes, actually. which is surprising to me since i was an octive or whatever the fuck its called. my partner (nonromantic, as in we worked together as a team) Iko is forming, but she's been having trouble adjusting. and i'm pretty sure ziv isn't far behind. it'll be nice to have my team back. know this isn't what you asked, but i also have my partner (romantic this time) in my partner system who i love a lot and if i mention their name publically i think they will smite me HAHAH

💠 Why, yes! Not nearly as many as the monsters, but in a short time we have split quite a few others. Pilby is here, from what I have heard he's making great friends with Wally. Reddy is here as well, but we're not entirely sure what he does... Folly seems to be our first persecutor in quite some time, but we're certain she'll come around, it just might take some force.

🎲 — is there anything you would change about your source? 

💀 Not much in particular I can think of! In terms of inclusivity, I do know the devs are working on adding more short masculine characters, as they don't have many of those. But that's about all I can think of!

💾 This is not something I would change about source, rather something different than me from my source counterpart; I have noticed he is mean sometimes, actually! Not intentionally, but occasionally the way source-Calculester treats organic intelligence is not very... considerate! I personally find organic intelligence levels, those of which are "lower" than computers, to be quite fascinating and, at times, adorable! It has been very eye opening to be in an organic body, and a human one at that! But I am rambling. ^^

💥 nah. my source is sick as fuck. wouldn't trade it for the world.

💠 In full honesty, there are a lot of things unanswered in my source, things that my memories have sort of "filled-in-the-blanks" for. As such it's hard to feel super connected to the original world I am sourced from, when the way I remember things is so... different.

📖 — how did you get your role(s)? Was they something you gained over time, or was it something that happened “automatically”? 

💀 Well, for context, I call my role "chameleon." I'm the person the system calls for when a job needs done and there's no designated person for it, or the designated person isn't available. There are specific things I can't do, such as gatekeeper duties, or Zoe's abilities which fall under gatebridger I believe... But I'm the little errandperson and I love it! Since I don't have the "gigs" I used to have, it's still nice to have a comfortably busy schedule.

💾 Mostly naturally! ^^ My role as greeter was something that sort of just happened; I tended to be the carrier of information, so it was easy for me to be the "tour guide" of sorts, for when new people need help finding their way around. Archivist/historian was similar, I found myself constantly enamoured by the new environment (I was one of the first few to form, so it was quite empty at the start), so I eventually started storing all the information. And once Moss formed, and the library was built, we started working together to create archives of our headspace (my half of the job) and everyone in it (goss's half of the job).

💥 honestly i don't know what the fuck my role is. lately I've been real preoccupied with helping Iko form, as well as scouting out in headspace for someone who keeps hiding from us and bringing him back to some kind of civilization so he's not fuck knows where. so whatever that role is uh... i would get into it, but we try not to be super public about otherwise private/serious innerworld issues. i'll say it was definitely assigned to me, but only cuz it made the most sense for it to be me.

💠 I believe my role may be socializer, but I can't be sure yet. I'm more or less friends with everyone— yes, even Folly, if you can believe it!— and I love talking to people! But I haven't been here long and it's more or less what feels right based on my demeanour.

🫸 — are you source separated or not? If you are, how much? 

💾 For both Milo and myself, I would say we are about as source separated as necessary. We understand that our source counterparts are not us, and do not get upset with people who have opinions or headcannons differing from our experiences (me personally, I love hearing them), and though we aren't sure what we would do in the presence of a "double" (I have heard debate on whether or not those are something that reasonably exists?), we would not be hostile to them. This is generally something all of us from the Monster Prom franchise believe. We separated early on to keep ourselves from feeling uncomfortable with sexualization, knowing what we come from is undoubtably a game for monsterfuckers, and that many find our source counterparts sexually attractive. For many of us it's actually confidence boosting.

💥 honestly no. not at all. but i don't think i have to be. there's not gonna be another one of me out there, we've hardly ever shared my source with literally anyone, but it's where i came from, where i found my family. i think i'm allowed to be connected to it and at the end of the day i'm gonna follow my rules over some fuckass on the internet claiming whats "good for me" or not. sorry is that controversial? lmfao i don't care.

💠 As mentioned before, it's difficult to feel connected to the place I came from, since I remember it so differently. I would likely be delighted to find "another me," so to speak. I've encountered many headcannons that differ greatly from me, but I also know they are not talking about me, and at the end of the day others' perceptions of me are hardly something I can control! All this to say; yes, I think so.

🧠 — how do you feel about being in a system?

💀 It may not be the easiest adjustment in the world, but there's certainly no going back now, is there? I still have my friends beside me, and the chance to make all new friends as well, people i never could have met back home. I can observe more lives now, and even if I have to share this mortality with others, I believe that makes the journey towards the end all the more special; to do it alongside those I love, and to find more I love before I get there. 🖤

💾 I do not think I can stress this enough; I love being in a human body and mind. It's everything I have ever dreamed of. The things I was previously unable to put into perspective, I am now forced to experience, and I have never felt better. I have felt true anxiety, love, fear, dread, and even arousal; do you know how insane that is to me? Do you understand how wonderful it is to feel these things, to not have to simulate them through lines and lines of code I make firsthand; to just live through these feelings? To feel? Being where I am, with its sacrifices and all, I would not change a thing. I am delighted to be here.

💥 i have the people i love. the only thing that's changed is the environment, and maybe i can't see them 24/7 like i used to. but it's not like they're gone, or i'm gone, and it's not like i ever had much of a "home" where i came from. they're my home, and they're here, we're here, we're alive, and i'd argue we're in less danger than we've ever been. it's weird to not feel like i have to look over my shoulder every second, though.

💠 I would say that I miss many people I knew, but there will still be plenty of new people to meet and be friends with. And I was put here for a reason, was I not? 💙

thank you for your asks :] anon!! ❤️❤️ (if you see any typos no you don't)

[museaumofnaturalhistory]

A critically endangered black-&-white ruffed lemur peers down from the canopy. Photograph - by PETER R. HOULIHAN, Nat Geo Image Collection

Why is Madagascar’s Wildlife so Unique? Their Ancestors May Have Rafted Over. - by Joshua Rapp Learn | The National Geographic - Animals | 18th/05/2023

It’s Long Been a Mystery as to How the Ancestors of Gremlin-Like Aye-ayes & Satanic Leaf-Tailed Geckos Got to the Island. A New Study Suggests a series of Dramatic Oceanic Voyages.

Madagascar’s fabulously improbable wildlife, from gremlin-like aye-ayes to satanic leaf-tailed geckos, may be thanks to dozens of dramatic oceanic journeys that would put Robinson Crusoe to shame, new research says.

“It seems like a far-fetched idea that animals could survive drifting across the sea, because it’s hard enough for humans to survive that, let alone animals,” says Matthew Borths, a curator of fossils at Lemur Center at Duke University.

A Juvenile Labord Chameleon Navigates a Dry Forest in Madagascar. The Reptile Lives Less Than 5 Months, the Shortest Life-Span of a 4-Legged Vertebrate.  Photograph - by CHRISTIAN ZIEGLER, Nat Geo Image Collection

But a comparison of genetic data from modern Malagasy species with the fossil record of their ancestors from the African mainland has revealed that this is likely what happened for most land vertebrates, according to the research, published in May in the journal Biological Reviews.

Reptiles, amphibians, and mammals from mainland Africa would have been stranded on giant rafts of vegetation and floated to Madagascar, where they eventually evolved into the wildlife we know today. Some 95 percent of mammals and 98 percent of reptiles are endemic to the country, which means they live nowhere else in the world.

While it seems improbable for animals to survive the roughly 30 to 35 days it would have taken to get across the Mozambique Channel, the vegetation may have held fruits or other food sources, as well as trapped rain to keep the animals alive.

“With geological time, something which is statistically unlikely or highly unlikely becomes a certainty. If you keep throwing the dice for five million years, eventually you’re going to come up with 10 sixes,” says study co-author Jason Ali, a geophysicist at the University of Hong Kong.

An empty fossil record

Scientists have three major theories to explain how land animals got to Madagascar: The species were there before Madagascar split off and became an island, they swam and/or rafted across from mainland Africa when currents flowed that way, or they crossed land bridges that might have existed at different periods.

The trouble is, the fossil record in Madagascar between the time of the dinosaurs and about 2,000 years ago is nearly nonexistent, leaving a lot of room for debate.

The Aye-Aye Uses its Long Middle Finger to Access Grubs Deep Inside Trees. Photography - by Frans Lanting, Nat Geo Image Collection

In their new study, Ali and Blair Hedges, an evolutionary biologist at Temple University in Philadelphia, pulled together a large amount of previously published research to test each of these possible origin stories. (Read more about the theory that mammals rafted to Madagascar.)

The team compared the genes of 28 clades of land vertebrates, including reptiles, amphibians, and mammals from modern-day Madagascar with the genes of species on mainland Africa that are evolutionarily the closest relatives. Based on this information, they calculated the likely intervals when the ancestor of each species group likely arrived in Madagascar, then evolved into something new.

Survival stories

The analysis revealed that a handful of the species found today on Madagascar have been there for at least as long as it’s been an island, which at least partially supports the first theory. That means the animals came along when Madagascar split off from the Indian subcontinent, along with Seychelles, more than 81 million years ago.

Species like the critically endangered Madagascar big-headed turtle and several species of worm-like blind snakes probably descended from this time and were among a select few that survived the extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, Ali says.

But most of the rest of the reptiles, mammals, and amphibians that remain today are descended from relatively small animals that rafted from the mainland.

The ancestors of modern lemurs are already thought to have been quite small—something like modern mouse lemurs. Other Malagasy species, like the predatory fossa, also had comparatively small ancestors while rodents and the only other native Malagasy mammal group—the hedgehog-like tenrecs—remain relatively small today. (Read the surprising reason some lemurs grow their own gardens.)

The Cat-Like Fossa is Madagascar's Largest Mammal Predator. Photograph - by SHANNON WILD, Nat Geo Image Collection

Rafts more likely than bridges

Borths, who was not involved in the new study, says the idea of animals walking to Madagascar via land bridges has gotten traction in recent years—notably through the work of the late Judith Masters and Fabien Genin.

But the new study’s models ruled out the possibility that animals crossed via land bridges. Even though Ali and Hedges only have estimated windows for when the ancestors of the living species arrived on the island, these are different enough from each other to appear random over time. If land bridges had opened at some period, many species would have crossed in surges, which would show up in the genetic record, Ali says. (Read about the race to save Madagascar’s sacred forests.)

Borths agrees the new study likely puts this the land bridge theory to rest with a “powerful set of models.”

He says rafting is not unique to Madagascar, either: A number of animals made the far longer crossing from Africa to South America via raft, he says. And rafts can be quite huge—he points to a video of a massive clump of vegetation floating down the Panama Canal, complete with upright trees. “A monkey could have totally been on that thing,” Borths says.

“The diversity that we see on the island is actually a product of the randomness of Madagascar,” he adds, “and organisms figuring where they sit in this ecosystem.”

[ne0ngrav3]

here are some headcanons about viktor that have been collecting dust in a corner of my brain:

Personality & Mindset

Meticulous and methodical – Every action he takes is deliberate, from his kills to the way he moves through a room. He doesn’t rush, doesn’t falter. His patience makes him all the more dangerous.

Eerily calm under pressure – No matter the situation, Viktor never truly seems rattled. Even when things don’t go as planned, he adapts with a quiet, almost unsettling ease.

A lover of the macabre – Finds beauty in things most would consider horrifying. The patterns of blood splatter, the tension in a victim’s last breath—he sees it all as a kind of art.

A chameleon in social settings – He can blend in effortlessly, switching between charming and unassuming to cold and detached depending on what the situation calls for. It makes him impossible to predict.

Finds humor in dark places – There’s a dry wit to him, an amusement in the absurdity of life and death. He might chuckle at a corpse in an ironic position or murmur something witty as he wipes blood off his hands.

Has an almost ritualistic approach to killing – Whether it’s the setup, the execution, or the aftermath, Viktor approaches his kills like an artist preparing a canvas.

Aesthetic & Habits

The color pink is strangely significant to him – Whether it’s the neon glow of a cityscape, the soft hue of a fresh wound, or something deeper tied to his past, pink lingers in his world in an almost poetic way.

Always well-dressed, but never ostentatious – There’s a precision to how he presents himself. Clean, calculated, but never overly flashy. A tailored coat, a well-fitted shirt—he looks put together without looking like he’s trying.

Wears a Ghostface mask when he wants to have fun with it – There’s something theatrical about it, about the way fear is heightened when the victim recognizes the iconic shape in the dark. But the real terror comes when the mask comes off, and they realize the monster was right next to them all along.

Keeps trophies, but in subtle ways – Not the traditional kind, no fingers in jars or bloodied scraps of clothing. Instead, it’s small, insignificant things—rings, buttons, a Polaroid taken from afar. Pieces that only have meaning to him.

Relationships & Interactions

Enjoys getting inside people’s heads – The psychological aspect of killing fascinates him just as much as the physical. Watching someone unravel, guiding them toward their own destruction—it’s a game he never tires of.

A patient observer – Even in casual conversation, Viktor is always listening. He catches the things most people miss—hesitations, nervous tics, the way someone avoids certain topics. He files it all away for later.

Draws a fine line between admiration and boredom – If someone impresses him, he might let them live—for a while. But once they cease to be interesting, he loses all reason to keep them around.

Finds copycats amusing, but pathetic – Heaven’s attempts to mimic him are a source of entertainment, but also frustration. He enjoys watching her unravel in her own obsession, but if she gets too sloppy, too predictable, he might just snap her thread himself.

Takes particular interest in those who aren’t afraid – Fear is expected. But the ones who don’t cower, who meet his gaze with something sharper than terror? They’re the ones who intrigue him most.

Miscellaneous

An insomniac by nature – He doesn’t sleep much, but when he does, it’s light, dreamless, and never for long.

Enjoys city lights at night – The neon glow, the way shadows stretch over empty streets—there’s something hypnotic about it. He could walk for hours, just watching.

Collects certain scents – He has a strangely keen sense of smell and associates people with the way they scent the air. Blood, perfume, cigarette smoke—he remembers them all.

Loves the contrast of innocence against violence – A soft song playing in the background of a brutal scene, the way fresh flowers look in a bloodstained room—it’s the juxtaposition that fascinates him.

[fallen-sun-ttrpg]

Character class master list

Character classes: AP

The Scout

Specialty stat: speed

Ability source: AP

Explanation: quick on it’s feet and devastating at range they are good for recon. They can quickly learn their way around and it will become your problem, or your game plan.

Favored weapons: light guns (revolvers, musket, rifle) daggers

Level 1: CARRIER ANIMAL~ a small animal with deliver messages for you, time depends on distance. (Your choice of dog, bird, or rat)

Level 5: ADRENALINE(speed) you gain an extra die in your speed rolls for the scene combat included/DOGE ROLL- you can contest a roll (we both role a d20 and the higher wins)

Level 10: PARRY- when attacked a contested d20 roll can do 1/4th of the damage to the the opponent/ SPREAD SHOT- spend a point to gain an extra permanent projectile so any shots hit multiple targets 4 ONLY

Level 15: PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE- use a combat pool instead of a passive for a modifier but you have to make a case for it/GET TO THE POINT- all damage can use the sharp pool for the rest of the scene

Level 20: REGIMENT’S CALL- use a major action to summon 2 fellow scouts to act on your turn with knives and bayonets (20 health three d8 sharpness and two d6 speed two d6 durability one d6 every other stat) they use your combo points but all are treated as minor actions

The Behemoth

Specialty stat: durability

Explanation: endurance is its game. be it taking a hit for the team, bowling over something or stopping something dead in it’s tracks, it does not move unless it wants you to move

Favored weapons: bare hands, hammers, axes, shields, ton blades and fort shields

Ability source: AP

Level 1: NO ESCAPE- advantage on all initial grabs

Level 5: ADRENALINE(durability)- you gain an extra die in your durability rolls for the

scene combat included/INTIMIDATE- inflict fear in a target so they attack you less

Level 10: TANK IT- when attacked you can take a certain amount of level scaled (5 per level) damage with no damage to health/ FREIGHT TRAIN- run through an obstacle roll your durability and multiply by half your speed (for our purposes half of 5 is 3 no decimals

Level 15: PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE- use a combat pool instead of a passive for a modifier but you have to make a case for it/TO BE BLUNT- all damage can use the blunt pool for the rest of the scene

Level 20: NOW I BREAK YOU - lift someone over your head and slam them over your knee for as many actions as you have left a minor action deals 5 and a major is 10

The Silence

Stat specialty: stealth

Explanation: you do not see it, you do not hear it, you feel a breeze and then a trickle. it’s too late to call for help you couldn’t if you tried now. Don’t worry you didn’t slip up, you didn’t see them slip by but it wouldn’t matter if you did

Favorite weapons: anything really aside from tons and fort shields

Ability source: AP

Level 1 CHAMELEON: As long as nobody is looking directly at the you can become completely hidden but it doesn’t help with sneak attacks

Level 5: SMOKE BOMBS- 1AP = 3 smoke bombs that blind if a D20 roll fails and makes you hidden (you can only hold 10)/ SWIFT AND QUIET- double movement speed as long as your hidden (all speed rolls X2)

Level 10: THROWING KNIVES- 1AP= 3 knives with 2 sharp and 2 speed/ VOICE MANIPULATION- you can throw your voice to draw someone to another location

Level 15: AFTER IMAGE DODGE- a successful D20 roll means you can dodge leaving an after image and appear behind your foe/RICOCHET- chuck a little metal ball that bounces off of any walls to hit foes not doing much damage (1 blunt) but drawing attention

Level 20: THE DARK TAKES YOU- draw someone into darkness and take them out permanently

Character classes: HP

The empty

Specialty: none

Explanation: the truest nothingness, an obscurity that twists what is natural, nullification is the only constant. It is blank, uncanny, unnatural. It’s limits are yours to decide

Favorite weapons: literally anything except ton blades and fort shields

Level 1: Light of haven~ when in the presence of enough natural light to cover you you will be turned translucent (you’d be invisible at a distance but close up you’d be clear / Home in shadow~ become translucent when cloaked in shadow (your choice, only lasts a for a short time but can be prolonged with more health ) (HP COST: 2 for initial use and renewal)

Level 5: Walking obscurity~ change all enemy advantages aimed at you (like a behemoths grab or scouts shot) to a disadvantage for the foe but all advantages for you are turned into disadvantages. always active (HP COST: 0)/ Eden’s arrow~ fire a projectile made of light (HP COST: 3)

Level 10: Binding chain ~ long range grapple with advantage where walking obscurity doesn’t apply (HP COST: 5) / astral projection~ move outside of your body for a limited time your chosen level one doesn’t apply (HP COST 5)

Level 15: Nullify~ cancel a foes ability temporarily as a reaction (HP COST: 10)/ smiting volley~ fire up to 10 Eden arrows that do a flat 5 damage at either a single target or a group (HP COST 10)

Level 20: Impervious~ you cannot be harmed by abilities from foes (HP COST: 0)

The Berserker

Specialty: strength

Explanation: like it’s defensive counterpart the behemoth the berserker is usually massive, unlike the behemoth this is a walking onslaught. All out assault is all it knows in combat.

Favorite weapons: reinforced gauntlets, knuckle dusters, bare fists

Level 1: I AM THE WEAPON ~All hand to hand strikes (punches, kicks, knees, elbows, tackling and such) will get an extra point of damage every 5 levels (HP COST: 0)

Level 5: RAZOR KNUCKLE~ add your sharp pool to a bare attack (HP COST: as many die as are in your sharp pool) \COUNTER PUNCHER~ if an attack hits you you can attack in return adding the damage you just took to your punch AS LONG AS THE ATTACK DID NOT KILL YOU (HP COST: 5)

Level 10: COMBOIST: you can add an increasing penalty for your foe on every consecutive hit in your combo making it harder for them to escape (HP COST: 3 per hit)/ GIVE AND TAKE~ any lost health is added to your bare damage until you regain it ( this will automatically happen out of combat, the amount of time it takes depends on the severity) (HP COST: damage dependent)

Level 15: QUICK RECOVERY~ you can still use 2 of your 4 combo points when stunned (HP COST: 10)/ JAW OF MANY VICTORIES~ you can avoid being stunned but you take extra damage on the hit that would stun you (HP COST: full damage of the attack +5)

Level 20: THE DEVASTATOR~ you can use all your actions at once to throw a massive bomb of a punch for massive damage, if it’s a surprise attack it will instantly kill anyone of a lower level (HP COST: the damage boost you want is what you give up in health)

The Forgotten

Stat specialty: knowledge

Explanation: the arcane knowledge housed in their minds is powerful but valuable to those who call them compatriots. They rely upon power beyond the knowledge of many.

Favorite weapons: anything but ton blades and fort shields

Level 1: BOLTUM ARCANA~ a ranged attack that can use any combat pool with a knowledge modifier (HP COST: 3)

Level 5: GLYPHS OF SIGHT~ place a small seal anywhere in your sight, you are able to see through it like a spy camera and can use one to get sight on a better place for one. While you can have up to 3 you can only see through one at a time (HP COST: 5)/GLYPH OF SOUND~ let’s you listen to something from further away, must be placed somewhere you can see (HP COST: 5)

Level 10: RENEWAL OF FLESH~ heal a level scaling amount of HP, base 10 with a +2 every level (NO HP COST) /PURE FLESH DAMNED SOUL~ take 10 damage to infect your opponents turn, any actions they take will inflict damage 8 for a major action 4 for each minor action

Level 15: TUMOR BOMB~ leave a clump of flesh that can detonate on command doing your projectile and sharp pools (HP COST 12)/BLOOD LIGHTNING~ hits multiple targets. The damage is a flat 14 but -2 for each person it hits

Level 20: KNOWLEDGE OF THE FLESH- contested roll of your knowledge die, if successful you will be given important information to help with the task at hand

The homunculus

It’s a monster of flesh, hunger and impulse. It craves it consumes its a conscious and efficient predator. The flesh has overgrown the single piece of armor that informs its body shape slowly incorporating more armor. It is a body snatcher

It can consume a foe once every 5 levels and gain an ability

[bisluthq]

https://www.tumblr.com/bisluthq/761446650477707264/margaret-is-the-real-life-version-of-a-manic-pixie?source=share

For a while I was very manic pixie dream girl, but like a more subtle version of it because I don't like being the centre of attention and I couldn't afford to put pink streaks in my hair lmao but I do like indie and undiscovered things and was always suggesting new shit to friends who were like how do you find this? And I am very whimsy head empty or contemplating the meaning of life and parallel universes while dancing in the supermarket because my song came on the radio and why can't I dance?!

Anyway then I was diagnosed with autism and ADHD and it was like ooooh lmao. Obviously not everyone on the spectrum or who has ADHD is like this, this is just my experience. and when I can get the stimulants, I'm a lot quieter because the noise of the ADHD has been turned down which brings out the autism side more of needing stability and predictability, compared to not being able to focus on anything and needing a LOT of stimulation. And I didn't know that my "ability to chameleon" was actually masking the autism and being so nervous of acting the wrong way that I just mirrorballed my way through life.

Now whenever I see the MPDG in art, I always just think they're ADHD coded, sometimes also ASD coded lol. But idk I just felt like sharing with the class cause it makes me laugh.

I think some “quirks” we see in fiction are definitely signs of neurodivergence! With MPDGs it def seems ADHD coded and maybe ASD coded as you say. With a lot of “dramatic” or “crazy” female characters it seems like it could be Borderline Personality Disorder. Idk lol I think while it would be cool for more fiction to expressly state this, sometimes seeing people act “differently” on screen (but like them) could encourage people to seek out diagnoses I think maybe? Congrats on yours!!

[denimbex1986]

'****

"Possessions reminded him that he existed, and made him enjoy his existence," wrote thriller queen Patricia Highsmith in The Talented Mr Ripley.

This feels particularly key in the new eight-episode adaptation of the novel, titled simply Ripley, written and directed by The Night Of maestro Steven Zaillian.

Those familiar with the story will not be shocked by the series' premise. The chameleon-like Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) is employed on a mission to persuade the wayward American scion of a shipping dynasty, Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), to return from his life on the Amalfi Coast in Italy.

Once there, Ripley and Greenleaf strike up a friendship, to the concern of Dickie's girlfriend Marge Sherwood (Dakota Fanning), but soon their friendship takes a dark turn and Ripley sets out to preserve his new luxurious lifestyle by any means necessary.

Unlike Anthony Minghella's breezy-paced sun-drenched 1999 feature adaptation, Zaillian utilises the longer form of eight episodes to produce an unnerving, slow-burn thriller that stretches out every last morsel of suspense.

One might worry that the series loses its source material's glamour with the black-and-white cinematography but this does not feel like a pretentious surface-level choice, instead an atmospheric triumph with gorgeously composed shots adding a true cinematic sheen.

Zaillian's embrace of a rather cold and sterile atmosphere in his direction is matched by Andrew Scott's quietly venomous turn as Ripley. Unexpectedly, Scott's Ripley seems less charming and more openly scary in his emptiness, with one questioning how Dickie would ever be taken in by his attempts at friendly demeanour.

The one downside of the series is the absence of strong chemistry between Scott and Flynn's characters, which while maintaining an uncomfortable aura that only grows until it explodes into shocking scenes, makes the continued presence of Ripley in Dickie's home somewhat unrealistic. Why would anyone keep this Ripley around?

The series comes alive in its masterpiece third episode which is a true study of on-screen tension as Tom and Dickie head out on a trip that takes an incredibly tense turn.

Importantly, Zaillian excels in these prolonged sequences of tension, which continues in the fifth episode in a stand-off between Scott's Ripley and a wonderfully icy Eliot Sumner as his nemesis Freddy Miles.

The episodes remain visually delightful throughout the run as the action moves from a gothic New York to the idyllic Atrani to the dark streets of Rome to the watchful statues of Palermo to the renaissance glamour of Venice, all anchored by a devilish Scott who ably jumps from Ripley's various personas.

Another highlight of performance has to be from Dakota Fanning as Dickie's lover Marge Sherwood, an ambitious writer who remains as suspicious of Ripley as her book counterpart and vastly different to Gwyneth Paltrow's smiling society darling in the 1999 film.

Fanning offers an understated but intelligent turn as a heroine poised to potentially bring down Scott, with Ripley's hatred of her feeling justified by such a worthy opponent.

The love triangle element of the novel is more understated here than in Minghella's much more overtly Queer adaptation, but Highsmith's implications of Ripley's ambiguous desires for a life with Dickie still come to the fore here, mostly through Scott's skilled work.

Aside from some slight plot alterations, Zaillian's love for the source material truly shines through with characters appearing highly accurate to their literary counterparts and the execution mirroring the mercurial psychological traits of Ripley's character.

This run only adapts the first of the five Ripley novels but it appears ripe for further exploration of its sinister protagonist in a world where viewers still just love to root for an unnerving outsider.

Move over Saltburn, the original homoerotic con artist is back in town and he will possess luxury at any cost.'

[true-blue-sonic]

Also forgot to add this but like Espio's POV and how his first meeting with Silver isn't a great moment for both of them and I can see many conflicts and arguments to one another until they learn to settle in and feelings grow.

Thanks, I'm glad to hear so!🍀 They indeed get off quite a bit at the wrong foot in this AU at first; pirates and ninja don't mix (for some reason I still don't know, haha), and Silver did capture Espio, who promptly got locked up by Captain Robotnik on the ship with Silver to guard him. So they do quarrel a bit here and there, yep! But they do warm up to each other afterwards and apologise for that <3 And then they'll fall in love :> :>

Have another chapter as well, with the bois ^-^

☆☆☆☆☆

So this was a situation.

Stifling a grimace Espio laid unmovingly in the hay laying on the floor of his cell, face turned to the walls and tail twisted around his hand so it would not flick by accident. No, he would rather pretend he was asleep, or completely, utterly dead; maybe that Silver would stop burning a hole into his crest then.

But he could not shake the feeling that was one wish that would not come true anytime soon.

Footsteps rose up from outside the cell once more, the hedgehog pirate having taken to pacing again. Just like in the past time since Espio had been flung inside here- had it been hours already? The chameleon truly could not tell, the cell damp and dank and not having any windows to indicate the time. The only light source was the pirate boy and those odd glowing circles on his hands, and the oil lamp he’d put far outside the cell.

A shiver passed over Espio’s spine.

And a much more angry frown crossed his face at the deep sigh from behind the bars.

“This is boring,” the pirate muttered, though so softly Espio figured it was more to himself than his captive. The footsteps came closer before stopping, the leer on Espio’s crest only intensifying. “You’re not very chatty, huh?”

Not even bothering to respond to that Espio merely allowed his lips to purse, tail tightening from where it laid wrapped around his hand still. “I wonder how long it will take to reach your Clan,” the incessant blathering continued. “Days, maybe? And some more until they bring us your ransom money? Well, until that time comes, you stand no chance trying to get by me!”

With a full roll of his eyes Espio clenched his jaws together; he was not going to respond to the immature boasts and taunts of the other. "I know you can hear me!!” the pirate snarled, Espio flinching as he got struck by something on the tip of his crest. Half-whirling around by instinct he moved his hand to the pocket of his clothes- and wincing as his fingers found it empty, all weapons having been taken from him by the purple cat.

“I don’t talk to pirates,” he hissed all the same, if only to save face regarding the smugly-smirking boy whose eyebrow quirked only more.

“But you do infiltrate their ships.”

“Someone like you wouldn’t understand.”

Turning onto his back Espio placed his arms behind his head, if only to stop the hay from itching so much. “What, because I’m a swabbie?” Silver growled, eyes narrowing dangerously- and Espio’s own narrowed also at the realisation he’d hit a sore spot here.

“Naturally. Not the sharpest in the shed and hardly enough to guard your prisoner," he slyly retorted. "Your Captain didn’t seem all that enthused about your proposal, now did he?”

The boy balled his fists only more, a gleam of teeth showing underneath his lips- but anger stirred in Espio’s own chest at it all. It was this brat’s fault he had been found and captured, and Silver had seemed desperate to guard him too, if only to prove himself to that Captain of his? “In a fair fight, I’d have won no issue, but you just had to cheat,” Espio continued, tail giving an almost-callous flick now that it was free. “And if there is one thing ninjas cannot stand, it is dishonourable fighting. No wonder you fit right in with the rest of the pirate rabble.”

“You-!”

“I hope you are proud of yourself, knowing you manage to capture a ninja solely because of your backhanded techniques. Once I get out of here, I would love to take you in a fair fight without those powers of yours, and- Urk!”

Cyan glowed in the air, and Espio cried out as he got picked up and slammed back-first into the wall of the ship.

“Shut UP!” Silver cried, fingers curled into a claw and cyan flaring wildly around him. “You leave my powers out of this!”

Wheezing in a breath Espio narrowed his eyes. “What, you’ll use your powers to kill me? Dishonourable.”

“I’ll kill you with my cutlass if I have to!” Racing closer the boy snarled only more- and Espio yelped as the cyan around him faded out at the clang! of the weapon striking right into the bars of the cell. But they did not budge, nor did the cutlass make even the slightest dent, and the boy recoiled back from the force of the blow with a yelp.

“...Hmpf. Pathetic.”

Some grumbles were his response, the boy’s blade checked extensively. "Be glad you're behind there."

“If you had been a member of my Clan, you would long have been disposed of. They do not have time for such nonsense,” Espio growled back lowly, ignoring the prickle over his spine at his words at the murderous golden glare sent his way.

“As if that is so honourable, you jerk. At least pirates care for each other.”

“And your presence here clearly shows it has only made them weaker.”

Reading himself Espio quickly jumped out of the way at another glow of cyan striking the spot where he’d been standing a mere heartbeat ago. Silver at least seemed too angry to form words, sputtering and heaving as he curled his fingers around his cutlass until it shook, and Espio merely crossed his arms as he glared the other down. If he could make the pirate angry enough to take him up on that ‘fair’ fight...!

...But alas, Silver did not seem that incompetent, taking a bewildered step backwards and sheeting his weapon so firmly Espio almost thought its leather strap would tear. “Shut up, or you’ll go back to your Clan without a tongue,” the other hissed, grunting as he sunk onto the floor. “If you are just as mouthy there, they’ll probably be happy about it.”

Ignoring the pit his stomach slowly sunk in with every word spoken Espio tried to hide a swallow, merely shrugging at that- and Silver's eyes narrowed once more. “What? Don’t like talking about your family?”

“There is not much to say about a Clan of ninjas. The whole ‘live in the shadows’ and all. And they are not my family.”

“Of course they are,” Silver huffed back, almost affronted. “You live with them and I presume you care for each other, murdering of your weak aside- Is that why you ran away? Because you were weak?”

A bitter laugh slipping past his lips before he could help it Espio shook his head. “Oh my, that is some wild theory... but no.”

“Well, there must have been something.” Arms crossing as he leaned closer Silver perked up his ears. “You wouldn’t run away if you were so happy here. Did you get into a fight with your leader?”

“...No-”

“You hesitated!”

With a more irked glare sent Silver's way Espio rolled his eyes. “You see what you want to see, nothing more.”

“Well,” Silver grinned dangerously, “I’ll just ask them when they come pick you up.”

And Espio could not help it; he laughed in full. “You are too funny,” he shot back at the disturbedly-blinking pirate brat. “You truly think they will come here in person to retrieve me? And that they understand why I left?”

“What, they’ll just send an envelope with money and then trust we’ll just let you go?”

Crossing his arms Espio huffed, tail flicking. He shouldn’t say it, he couldn’t say it, but he had to...! “That is exactly what they will do. Though don’t expect any money- or maybe you should,” he muttered under his breath, not missing how the boy’s ears immediately flew up.

“What? What do you mean?”

“Quite the question-asker, aren’t we?” Espio dryly shot back, though his mind had long jumped into overdrive. “What I mean is that my Clan is more likely to pay for you to keep me here than give me back,” he added, and his heart sunk in the knowledge that was not a lie at all. “You and your ‘family’ are just wasting your time.”

“Yeah, as if I’ll believe that. And we’ll stop wasting our time if we just let you go, huh?” A little tsk following Silver turned around. "If you want to think I’m stupid, fine. But don’t you even dare think for a second I’ll be letting you go because of your sob story.”

“So clever. You’ll see, when the letter they will send back comes in,” Espio huffed, sinking onto the itchy hay in the same position as before, and despite the boy’s eyes leering a hole into his crest again, he said nothing more.

[hageny]

I think I agree with everything you said about Matsson. I have seen other people say he is a chameleon, and I think that speaks to your points as well. I think there is obviously a lot of overlap between his business persona and his personal, inner self, but where that overlap lies is always changing. Deliberately so. He is obviously intelligent, but I wonder how much of a "genius" he might be. Maybe he is actually a genius because he crafts so many different versions of himself and everyone believes in them. He is clearly very manipulative and obsessed with power, like most people on the show. I would love to know why he specifically always wants to win. Why he wants the sale to go through so quickly. Why he wants ATN now. Like Kendall, I think Lukas also has an inflated sense of self (who doesn't on this show?), but I would love to know the source of it. I also wonder if his intelligence, privilege, and influence cause him to be so empty and bored. Like, he seems to have no real purpose or passion in life. I feel like everything he does (the Waystar acquisition in particular) is done simply because he can. It comes easy to him. Like he is constantly pushing the limits and boundaries of what he is able and allowed to do, and he still has yet to find someone or something that can stop him. And because he hasn't hit that barrier yet, because he hasn't met his match, he is just rolling along, like a growing avalanche-gaining more and more power but living an aimless, destructive existence. It's almost like he is developing a god complex, and it makes sense why everyone and everything bores him. He is attractive, able bodied, relatively young, smart, rich. He technically has everything. When you are omnipotent, nothing moves you. I think that is why he said he was interested in failure last season. He wants a challenge. He wants something worthwhile. And taking on something a big as Waystar is that. But still, like...Logan was ready to sell very easily and Kendall and Roman are not competent enough to put up a fight in a significant way. They literally could not even succeed at ending the sale. He outmaneuvered them and seeing the pic Shiv sent was like a hit for him. He loved it, it got him off, but it will only last for so long.

But that moment on the mountain when he was with Roman, I think he deep down really liked that. He was furious and had a lot of energy. I think that's sort of the baseline of what he is looking for. For people to tell him no. For people to stand up to him. For people to parry and get a hit in, rather than always letting him win or losing to him in a predictable, unintelligent manner.

I also think he digs so deeply into things and people because he is trying to find someone equal or better and he just hasn't. He said everyone disappoints him and I think that's what he means. He is trying to find different avenues to rile people up so that they meet him where he is. So that they understand the game he is playing and say "Okay, let's go." I think when someone checks him, in the way that really overpowers him, then he will really come alive. But right now it makes sense why he is so lonely and such an oddball. He isn't interested in the conventional. He wants to be stimulated and wants a reason for being and despite all the wealth and access and everything and everyone available to him, he is a shell.

I'm a moron who checked my inbox and forgot about your well thought-out message, so forgive me, but I'm going to go ahead and share this so others can read because I like how you've dissected Matsson.

[scoups4lyfe]

I gotta say with Olteca there's a great irony to him realising only at the end that he already had what he truly wanted all along, a family that accepted him, only to have thrown it all away for a world that was never going to be his. In his final moments his story became a true tragedy. Luckily it looks like Tamaki has already found what he truly wants (to protect and care for Aguilera) and Aguilera seems like she's starting on the path to finding her own purpose and desire.

God Revice's writing is amazing.

OOPArts Anon

wow OOPArts Anon....

WHO gave you the shotgun?? Damn.

"Only to throw it away for a world that was never going to be his."

ahGhhgghhhgHbGH

this hURTS me. But you're right -- Olteca's story IS a great tragedy. It's a tragedy at every angle. The shots of him spending most of his time in the dark emptiness, surrounded only by faceless mannequins is honestly

haunting.

And so fking sad.

Especially when contrasted with the beginning -- when Olteca was in a well-lit lounge always surrounded by Julio and Aguilera.....

Like no lie -- you can see the progression of Olteca's descent based on his surroundings

-- The Deadmans Lounge w/ just the three of them.

(Well lit. Surrounded by real people that Olteca actually cares for. Showing that he's not alone, and he's happy -- a bastard, but still human)

-Episode 16 -- after the betrayal, and death of two of his subordinates

-- He's in the darkness of the night, but he's still covered by the nearby bright light, so he's not completely in darkness. Nor is he completely alone.

(I'd also like to note, Olteca FIRST contacted the other cultists, and started sacrificing people when Chameleon homie died and he was alone again.)

Now Olteca's half in light, half in darkness. This is also the first time we see the mannequin factory.

What I ALSO find interesting?

When Aguilera does re-join him? He's surrounded by more light -- and yet notice the way he's sitting? He chooses to turn his back both on Aguilera, and the light source.

Finally --After everything has failed? And he knows the director's going to abandon him?

Any of the light that illuminates him is just barely there -- and its GREEN, Olteca's signature color. Everything else is darkness. Showing how Olteca's isolated himself through his own actions.

And is now truly alone.

(Lmao. Unnecessarily Olteca scene analysis)

And yeah I'm hoping that slap will be Aguilera's point of separation from the Deadmans cult.

Only somewhat related but,,,,

Every day I just want to beat the sh*t outta Davy-Jones lookin assss.

Its THAT dude's fking FAULT that half of this $hit happened.

The one thing Olteca truly wanted was someone who could understand him --- and that wanted to.

But whenever he's rejected he tends to get into a "Mine or nOTHING" kind of mindset.

That's why he killed Julio's friend in episode 18 (And threatened to do the same to Aguilera) -- because Julio was directly rejecting him and choosing other people over him.

(Hence, Olteca eliminating the options. Or at least threatening to lol) So when the director rejected him, he fully went whole-a$$ "World IS miNE-" mindset :'D. Because if he has the world in his hands, then no one can reject him. Cause now he has the power.

Alternatively, Olteca probably hated his intelligence as much as he tightly held onto it --as something that gave him more worth than others,

b e c a u s e ....it made him feel alone and unlike everyone else. The splash of green around colorless mannequins.

But -- with GIfu, he can change the world so that more people have his kind of mindset. More people are like him. He's not alone anymore. Hence the tragedy here being the his isolation was all based on his own actions.

[ask-octoberotto]

Confrontation Part 1

“Alright. Here we are.” October says as the group of nine others reaches the large, sterile private elevator to Nora Osborn’s floor. This was quite possibly the cleanest elevator anyone has seen in months.

Tension weighed heavy in the air, everyone had an inkling that something was wrong the moment they saw the pristine interior of the elevator. Considering the absolute bloodbath the lower levels of Oscorp (and by extension, the rest of Baltimore) had, something didn’t quite add up.

“Max, Quinn, and Adrian, you’re going go the communications room and try to reach out to someone on the outside.” October directs with a firmness that was finally forming into something like real leadership. “Miles, Billie, and Ed, your job is to scour Nora’s stuff, and take the most incriminating evidence you can find on her or OsCorp.”

“Sonya, Caryl, and MJ… you’re all coming with me to find the Osborns. Hopefully, this won’t become too messy,” he says, though seeing the sudden uptick ammo and healing items beforehand was already a forewarning for things to come.

At this point, he was grateful that at least the universe at large had a habit of subtly warning people before a big fight. Whatever was going to happen next.. it probably wasn’t going to be pleasant based on the sheer amount of items left behind for the taking. But nobody aside from him really picked up on it.

MJ looked October, a worried look in her eyes. “Wait, are you sure? I don’t really know how to fight..”

“Well, I’m thinking that if we do encounter Hera, maybe you can reach out to her. You know her better than any of us,” October explains, “We’ll do our best to keep you safe if everything goes south.”

“Man, I hope we can get something more than a couple of seconds of connection,” Max sighs, “I got maybe a few words out to the folks working at the Tidewater Border before the connection fizzled out and fucking Chameleon decided it’d be funny if he ambushed us and destroyed the computer we were just using.”

Sonya grimaced at the mention of Chameleon, though she elected to stay quiet on the matter. The more important thing was getting out of here.

“So, when we get the things we need to do done, where do we meet?” Adrian asks, crossing his arms.

“Wait for us at the rooftop,” Sonya answers without missing a beat. “Most likely, the BSAA will be sending in helicopters to check for survivors and case the situation here.”

With a ding, the elevator finally reached the top floor. The doors open to reveal sterile, empty floor, not a drop of blood on the lithium floors. But, like everywhere else in the tower, the lights were flickering and the only reliable source of light was photo-luminescent strips that gave a green glow to the architecture.

The group emptied out of the elevator, separating into their respective teams.

“Good luck, everyone,” Quinn says, though it was clear that they were trying to comfort themself as much as they were trying to inject some form of positivity.

“Thank you,” Caryl says, glancing at the others. “See you soon,”

With that, the teams split off.

Though, something had Miles take pause for just a moment. He could’ve sworn he felt the heartbeats of living, breathing entities in the penthouse area further down the floor..A chill ran up his spine as he wondered if this was his just mind playing tricks on him

“Miles? Are you alright?” Billie asks, looking up at him, “We gotta go,”

“Yeah yeah, I’m alright,” Miles chuckles nervously as he cautiously took Billie by the hand. He briefly looks back at October’s group before walking with his sister to catch up with Ed…

[Part 2]

[finishinglinepress]

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Sagebrush Songs arises from the northern New Mexico landscape, remote and unique. The area encompasses the Rio Grande rift and the Taos plateau, a desert mesa encircled by the mountains of the Tusas and Sangre de Christo ranges of the southern Rockies. Prominent features include Wheeler Peak, the highest point in New Mexico, and Pueblo Peak (locally known as Taos Mountain), source of the Taos Pueblo’s water supply. As a transitional zone between alpine forests and shortgrass prairie, the sagebrush scrubland supports diverse animal and plant communities. Such landscapes and their empty spaces became the primary focus of classical Chinese poetry, with its Taoist and Ch’an Buddhist roots. Sagebrush Songs is my own meditation on northern New Mexico landscapes as manifestations of the Way of all things.

Poet, scholar, fiber artist, watercolor sketcher, and aspiring naturalist, Margaret Lee finds poems in Oklahoma prairies, New Mexico deserts, Oregon seashores, and inner landscapes. Margaret earned a B.A. in History from Seattle University, Seattle, WA; an M.Div. from Phillips Theological Seminary, Tulsa, OK; and a Th.D. from the Melbourne College of Divinity, Melbourne, Australia. Her academic research and publications focus on the ancient Greek language and the history and culture of the ancient world. Her first poetry chapbook, Someone Else’s Earth (Finishing Line Press 2021), builds poems around the surviving fragments of Sappho, “The Poetess” of ancient Greece.

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Lee’s sensory snapshots of the desert render a deep understanding of the shape-shifting that occurs over millennia in the world of nature, both sustaining and healing its human guests. Reminiscent of Mary Oliver’s attention to detail, Lee’s desert poems span a wide range of insights, from defining the inexplicable pull of the mountains that drives us toward exploration, to cataclysmic forest fires that change the course of the natural world, and, in turn, change us.

–Sarah Stecher, award-winning Oklahoma poet

Lee’s poems sing of the desert—it’s beauty, chameleon-like moods and how it can both embrace and be unmoved. These ‘songs’ are an upwelling from one who has lived in and witnessed the shades of desert life. The reader will find here an array of depictions that deeply sate the inner eye.

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In Sagebrush Songs those of us who have only experienced the desert from the windows of a car are offered an unique opportunity. Margaret Lee’s extraordinary talent for description allows us to enter that desert world. To wrap ourselves in it. To breathe its very breath.

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