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earthstellar · 8 months

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Currently combing through the Transformers Exodus novel, as I often do.

Some notes, by which I mean, this is going to be long:

Using an Abandoned Hydraulic Mining Facility as a Battle Arena: This Sort Of Happened in Real Life -- Know Your Labour History

The building in Kaon that is used by Megatron for gladiatorial battle is an abandoned hydraulics works, and on the page prior to this it refers to extremely deep slag pits, which indicates this hydraulics facility was almost certainly used for mining. The location is given specifically as "to the south of Kaon's centre".

This makes me wonder if the now-abandoned Orgreave Coking Plant may have been some inspiration to someone somewhere in building the backstory; A coking plant uses massive amounts of hydraulic machinery and components, and the location of this specific facility is to the south of the centre of Rotherham.

Plenty of Brits work on Transformers, and I wonder if any English people who may have been on the team for developing the Aligned Continuity bible/character backstories might have thought of Orgreave as some kind of inspiration.

It's worth noting Orgreave Coking Plant was famously the site of a huge labour dispute which turned into a borderline Battle of Harlan situation, called the Battle of Orgreave in 1984.

Which makes it excellent potential inspiration, both visually and in terms of historical significance in union/labour and working class struggle against the oppressive upper class- A significant theme in Transformers.

Nearby, there is also the abandoned Orgreave Colliery, and while all abandoned collieries would fit the mechanical and dark, heavy design of Kaon, Tarn (the location, not the bot) and so on, it's still worth pointing out that Orgreave has plenty of industrial ghosts (abandoned industrial facilities).

That having been said, hydraulic mining works could also refer to actual hydraulic mining methods rather than just any hydraulic machinery present, which would also explain the large pits that Orion Pax sees at the site in Kaon, and would add another level of horror: Using fluids to carry out this type of mining would be a huge hazard to bots. I'd imagine rusting was a common problem, not to mention gradual armour/frame wear, increased fall/slip hazards for most frame types, etc.

CONTENT WARNING: Here's where some medical conjecture begins, you might want to skip this section if you're sensitive to medical discussions! There is no detailed comparison to any particular real world cases in this segment, however there is brief mention of ableism in a fictional context.

This would also account for the description of optics and audials needing more frequent repair even prior to suffering any gladiatorial damage--

--In some frame types, these components/sensory systems may be more exposed to the environmental pollution as mentioned in the text, but also, would be sensitive to abrasive damage from spray back/high pressure soil/stone/crystal like particulate materials present in Cybertron's surface and sub-surface layers acting essentially as sand paper against their bodies as they worked in any such hydraulic mining sites.

This is the type of shit Kaonite workers in these mining facilities were likely exposed to on a regular basis, because they are Cybertronians and could physically tolerate this kind of thing without dying-- At least, not right away.

A combination of repeated extreme wear, chronic overwork, likely poor medical resources, and complicating factors like questionable access to healthy fuels etc. would have inevitably resulted in a generally very unwell population with high workplace casualty rates.

This was the type of life most low class/caste heavy labour designated frame types were assigned to, under the Functionist system.

I've talked about my headcanons re: hearing disabled Megatron before, and it's kind of interesting to see that canonically here, that's very much possible. Audial damage from mining, audial damage from the fighter's ring.

But in general, the Kaonite population is seriously at risk, especially medically. Same deal with other low class/caste designated regions across Cybertron. Much like many Appalachian mining populations, where COPD is as common as flies in summer, the chronically poor health of this population would be staggering in comparison to better-off polities like Iacon.

Rust in their optics, rotting their optical components from within, likely leaving many workers sightless--

--At which point they were probably deemed "useless" under the ableist Functionist system, as they would then likely be unable to work their prior jobs or would only be able to work in limited or different capacities; Any system that determines worth by perceived functionality is inherently ableist, and Primus knows there were almost certainly no disability accommodations provided or available potential repairs/treatments in places like Kaon on Cybertron.

As a result, these newly disabled bots were likely left unemployed and therefore without any income source for Shanix, therefore left to their deaths via fuel deprivation etc.--

--Unless they fell in with mob-controlled sources of materials or aid, as a last resort...

Apparently Megatron Displaced The Local Kaonite Mafia: Pit Bosses Could Be Mob Bosses Too

This is also a real thing, as a lot of productive industrial facilities (not just mining, but textiles etc.) were often tied into in local black market raw material goods and organised crime shit, owing to less than moral site owners and company bosses. (At least in the USA, it may have varied in other countries or from region to region.)

This is because if you have a productive facility, you can make a fuckload of money bypassing any common sense safety rules or proper waste/product handling or disposal protocols etc. and skip the whole regulated market and just go right to making a fuckzillion moneys from whoever will buy this shit illegally.

(This is part of why a lot of Appalachia is polluted to hell and back-- Even at the time, a lot of these industrial works and companies knew perfectly well that dumping coal ash and other horrible shit into every single river and creek available was a bad idea. They did it anyway. Why? It saved money overall and they didn't have to pay for more long distance drivers to reach actual approved waste sites etc.

For those of you who may not be familiar with this USA specific shit, let me introduce you to the concept of a Superfund Site. It's depressing. Most are former industrial illegal waste dumping sites. These places are so fucked up that even the American Government was forced to acknowledge how bad it is. Some of them are straight up literal nuclear waste sites.)

This has been a huge problem in American industrial history, because America can turn out some very, very productive sites using very, very unsafe and cruel means to force workers to work. Paying in scrip etc. were all methods to ensure a workforce could not leave. And so on.

Not to mention the horrendous impact on Native populations, the poor in general, immigrants in general, etc. who were all subject to the worst possible treatment throughout.

And there are many modern examples too-- Not just in the USA, but in many places around the world, such as Peru. Note that capitalism is often the facilitator of mistreatment, pollution, etc. and serves as the motivating factor for much of this fuckery worldwide. This also includes factors like western companies wanting to appear more "green", so they simply go abroad to abuse people in other nations and exploit their labour and raw labour products instead.

Capitalism is the root problem, on Earth and evidently, likely on Cybertron as well.

Can you imagine the amount of Shanix these fucking Kaonite mob bosses were making, possibly from selling raw materials and energon crystals mined in Kaon to other polities with fewer natural resources, arranging illicit under the table deals with large energy distributors etc. in other regions? Depriving Kaon of its own natural goods and stealing the near-entirety of their labour, constantly, endlessly?

(If this all reminds you a bit of Marx's Theory of Alienation, you are correct.)

Much of Kaon is, essentially, a Superfund Site. Dangerous industrial waste, materials, and abandoned facilities, all affecting the population in all sorts of ways into perpetuity even long after one industry dies and another rises-- Or a new industry never comes along, and you end up with even worse off sections of an already brutally deprived area, living in the remnants of an equally hellish past that was just marginally better enough to make some bots yearn for the good old days of having a job to be worked to death at.

If this is relatable or frustrating to you, you are correct. These are all real world problems. It's easy to relate to the plight of the Kaonites-- Megatron, at this time, is still largely a sympathetic figure to many.

Because of course, even from the outside, it is clear that this degree of suffering cannot be sustained. Even Orion Pax recognises this, despite his own total lack of exposure and lack of class awareness at the time in which he initially starts speaking with Megatron.

Anyway. Briefly back to our real world example, because it's important here:

All of this capitalist corruption is another example of systemic level rot; A lot of the time regulators knew that facilities were engaging in illegal dumping and worker rights abuses etc. but couldn't do anything about it due to a lack of federal involvement and lack of means or resources to raise a larger case or investigation on the scale that would be needed.

And of course, some regulators and investigators were paid off. Sigh.

It's genuinely impressive that Megatron was able to run off an industrial crime syndicate, because that shit goes very deep and has lots of tendrils that tie into pretty much everything else going on in a given area, especially in towns or regions where only one or two industries make up the entirety of everything.

It doesn't surprise me at all that Megatron gained such a large following so quickly.

Nobody else in Cybertron was willing or able to acknowledge (let alone try to address) the horrible abuses going on in Kaon.

Endless, brutal labour, often resulting in horrible deaths. No reward for any of their work, with much of their meagre pay going to the mob and likely to companies based in other polities around Cybertron, so none of the materials or money ever stayed local. No care was put into their living conditions or standard of living, with most bots being used up and worn down with nothing to show for it but the industrial hell that consumed their own region.

And by getting the organised crime rings out of the local industries and community, by turning this abandoned facility into a gladiatorial ring, that provided both a more personally rewarding use of their physical skills developed through hard manual labour and gives an opportunity to gain legitimate funds and potentially fame-- Granting a social status previously completely unattainable to Kaonites, while clearly being built up on the legacy of all of their prior labour.

No wonder the appeal to follow Megatron was so strong, even in the early days.

Not even Primus helped these people, none of the Primes helped these people--- But Megatron did.

And that is powerful, to be liberated by one of your own, someone you know truly understands the difficulty and suffering and misery of a cruel, unending grind.

All that most of these bots could ever look forward to previously was dying in a hopefully not-as-painful way.

Now, there is potential for a genuinely tangibly better future, quite possibly for the first time in Kaon's history. Certainly for the first time within living memory.

Megatron turned an immiserated local population with no hope and no prospects beyond being worked to death into up-and-coming athletic stars with a burgeoning sports industry, using their local culture and previously disparaged frame types to prove the inherent wrongness of the class/caste system to a literal mass audience.

Megatron essentially took waste from the Cybertronian equivalent of colliery spoil tips and used it to forcibly create some kind of real hope and better future for every Kaonite, both individually and gradually on a larger regional scale, while living under an oppressive system that was just as likely to kill him in the same way as it had been killing everyone else around him his entire existence.

Megatron turned an industrial hell into a revolutionary city-state.

And he started local, he started with the injustices closest to him, what was visible rot to him in the environment he grew up in. Start small, strategize, your morals are your fuel-- In part because they keep stealing the fuel we mine. Does that seem fair? Does that seem just? What sense does it make, to have a system in which your most important workers are kept deprived and struggling into perpetuity?

He is the perfect Cybertronian revolutionary, he is the figurehead the people of Kaon needed, and his words were heard planet-wide from an arena he facilitated the building of himself, that he reclaimed from decay and loss.

From the bare frame structure of an abandoned mining pit, Megatron spoke words that inspired the downtrodden and lifted up countless impoverished populations through solidarity, the collective power of the working class, the low caste bots, the low class frame types.

The people that were previously discarded, were now using their means and their frames for their own purposes, gradually weakening the grip of the Council, gradually proving to more and more bots that this system is broken and this world can be better and we deserve better, and by any means, we will obtain better. We will make it better, with or without your permission.

No wonder Megatron became so powerful, so quickly.

He appealed perfectly to his people and others in similar living conditions, he articulated perfectly the flaws in oppressive Cybertronian society, he showed that different frame types can and do have multiple uses beyond the classist interpretation of their build schematics--

--All Megatron did, fundamentally, was care.

He cared about what was happening around him, he did not buy into the idea that life has to be miserable and this is the way things are and it can never change or get better, he saw and lived the awful conditions and suffered discrimination and understood that working together for each other would improve things for all.

And he acted on this understanding. There is always someone who is first to act, because there must be.

And Megatron does not act in half-measures.

I like that they mention him getting rid of the crime syndicates, here; It gives you a good idea of his morality pre-war.

It would have been easy to collaborate with these crime syndicates for some time, to secure funds for a new gladiatorial ring.

But instead, he took out the crime syndicates entirely and opted to build his arena inside an abandoned facility.

No capitulation to capital.

No money was exchanged, not a single Shanix, no deals made. No fucking around. This is Kaon, and you are no longer powerful here.

Megatron is increasingly powerful, however, because he embodied to the people the collective power of the people; He reflected themselves and their experiences back at them. But actions like this also played a large part in gaining that trust, in proving his skills and worth as a revolutionary and potential leader. It's not enough to be like everyone else. You have to prove you're not just another asshole looking to exploit everyone for influence or other personal benefit.

If you want a collective movement, it has to be about the collective. And for Megatron, it very much was. And things like this helped him prove that from very early on.

The Council and the mobs effectively have no authority anymore; They are losing control. Megatron, very quickly, becomes the accepted authority. Kaon becomes a freed city-state, it escapes the grasp of Functionism.

Standing up to one crime syndicate may not seem significant in the grander scheme of things, knowing how things occur in the story from this point onward.

But it is hugely significant-- It is a very important thing to highlight.

Because it is "smaller" things like this which are actually massively important and impactful.

And each "smaller" thing built up, and improved things for people to the point where Kaon could function entirely independently with a better off population of previously severely oppressed peoples.

Every "smaller" thing counts. Every "smaller" thing is the entire world to someone, or to a lot of someones.

How many lives were saved and debts erased, when Megatron took out this one crime syndicate?

How immediately did that improve a lot of lives, how quickly did that endear those people to him, to his ideology, to his plans for their collective future? How fast did they start listening, when he started speaking?

This is how revolution happens.

Anyway, thank you as always if you read any of this-- I know this got very long and it is nearly 2 AM now where I'm at, so it may have lost a bit of coherency here and there.

tl;dr labour history is important, fuck capitalism (this includes fictional capitalism), and intersectional solidarity is key to collective survival in general but especially among the working class and all groups subject to systemic oppression/discrimination in various forms

#megatron #megatronus #orion pax #tfp #transformers prime #aligned continuity #transformers exodus #transformers novel #maccadam #maccadams #transformers #tfp megatron #kaon #cybertron #long post #tw medical discussion #I try to tag medical talk even fictional stuff in posts that aren't explicitly medical discussion focused #just because I know some people are not into the medical talk stuff #tw ableism

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birdsareblooming · 4 months

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why does a blonde-haired blue-eyed little girl named susie indicate fnaf?

please she's our one constant she's all we truly know

#ok for not (joking) an actual knowlage #susie is like the only constant throughout all freddy's stuff #and we know the most about her #she's the girl who haunts chica #we know this from cross continuity via the novels and frights #and her gravestone #the gravestones we get at the good ending of 6 which align with the animatronic heads at the endings of 3 #susie's grave being by the chica head #she's also the only girl so consistancy ig #we also know (in gameverse) she was the first kid who got killed and how #her dog died and peepeepoopaw used this fact to lure her to the freddy backroom #we know that via the secret in the fruitymaze minigame in 6 (pictured above in the middle)#we also know she was the first via a chica kill line in ucn: 'i was the first ive seen everything'#this seems to be consistant in canon except the movie #speaking of she's also consistant in the movie seeming as the girl playing the chica ghost has blonde hair and fits the general description #that design of susie you see above firstly showed up for the novels and then was used for the games #the fazbear frights desc is different in the drawn image but even more off in the writing itself describing her with brown hair #(but other writers didn't have all the info so it couldve been that)#also as far as we can tell via the sprite and a missing poster in the background of the movie her dog was a chiuhuahua #anyway i list all this info bc we HAVE all this info #we have fuck all about the other kids no matter the canon #so in the games the other three named kids are gabriel (freddy) fritz (foxy) and jeremy (bonnie)#technically charlie/charlotte for the puppet #in the novels its gabriel (freddy) fritz (foxy) cassidy (bonnie) and michael brooks (golden freddy)#also teeeeechnically charlie again but its a whole thing #in fazbear frights who fuckn knows. there was 6 of them and one of them was probably andrew #in the movies the other kids fit the descrption of the game kids except for that blonde kid i have no idea whats going on with him #but you know whos in all of these every time?#susie #no matter the universe william afton sees this blonde girl and decides she has to die

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smol-blue-bird · 3 months

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I feel like every writer/producer/etc in charge of every major franchise in the world is infested with brain worms that do nothing but sit in their minds all day whispering "kill off all of the fan-favorite characters! retroactively make that happy ending miserable!! destroy the expanded universe to make way for our controversial sequels!!! do itttttttttt"

#I just found out how the Star Trek novel verse apparently ends lol #the writers decided to erase the timeline from existence I guess?#they didn't just abandon it the way the Star Wars people abandoned their EU novel verse #the Star Trek people made the conscious decision to put out a book series that canonically erases the novel verse from existence #and kills off every character within it #so the only timeline left is the one that aligns with the new TV shows #which is very frustrating to me even though I have never read a Star Trek novel in my life #this is a franchise with so many alternate timelines and universes that you can easily have multiple continuities running at the same time #idk it just makes me sad for all of the authors and fans who must've cared about the book continuity #like abandoning it is one thing but canonically destroying it strikes me as a very weird and potentially fan-alienating choice #all so some loser can be like SORRY YOUR BOOKS ARE CANCELLED. ANYWAY WATCH PICARD ON PARAMOUNT PLUS

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classychassiss · 1 year

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Mentally constructing a thesis statement and intent in my head that the Aligned Continuity was a confusing experiment in multi-media story telling that ended up, ironically, very unaligned. However, the stories it was trying to tell (or rather the ones it COULD have told) in the long run offered a unique POV on Transformers that later properties like IDW2 and Cyberverse expanded on.

Comparisons with IDW1 on the surface make sense, but the closer you look into the threads and wires of whats going on, the more obvious it is that even some of the common elements are fundamentally different and I'd argue that many concepts aren't interchangeable with each other as a result of that (and I maintain honestly that the perspective of Aligned being through a VERY claustrophobic colonial/post colonial lens with intraspecies conflicts and wounds and crises versus the vast/expansive and more class and function based IDW1 mean that a lot of things that work in IDW1 dont translate well in Aligned and vice versa) This is citation needed x 100 because I need to read more IDW1 but I feel like people view IDW1 through a very Americanized lens and I think Aligned in contrast is different, but I would need to go into detail with more research lol

Aligned did a lot of things wrong or just didn't do them at all, and a good portion of that was due to corporate meddling and the very jumbled and out of order way lore and backstory came out before ultimately undoing a lot of it by RID15. But Aligned had some really great ideas and character studies to offer, including a unique take on Optimus Prime and Megatron, and I think its worth exploring the details and get into the nitty gritty as to why that is and why people keep coming back to it in the long run!

#chass blabs #I need to do more research but yeah continuity exploration stuff is inch resting #transformers #also this doesnt include the two baby shows bc theyre not based on the Exodus novel like everything else #they just made RB part of aligned because it was airing at the same time as Prime so it was to avoid confusion #except it made it more confusing #changed my mind ill tag

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senlinyu · 4 months

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I'm excited to announce that I have signed a book deal with Del Rey at Penguin Random House in the US and Michael Joseph in the UK for my debut novel, Alchemised, a standalone dark fantasy set in a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy, in which a healer with amnesia is taken as a prisoner of war and must fight to protect her lost memories and the secrets hidden among them. It will grapple with themes of trauma and survival, legacy, and the way that love can drive one to extreme darkness, and it is, as you may be able to tell, a reimagined version of Manacled.

I know I’ve been rather quiet about my publishing journey, and a lot of that has been because I didn’t want to spark any concerns or worry that I might be abruptly taking away a story that is such a deep part of myself and that I know has meant so much to so many people. This process has unfolded very slowly and quietly because I have tried to be mindful as I could be in every step of the way.

As most of you know, I have been a reader in fandom long before I ever began to write. Fanfiction is incredibly special to me, and I have tried to do my best not to undermine its legal protection or allow my works to do so either. During the last several years, there has been a growing issue with illegal sales of Manacled, putting both me and the incredible community that shares fanfiction freely in legal jeopardy.

After consulting with the OTW as well as other lawyers, it has grown clear that as a transformative writer I have limited options in protecting my stories from this kind of exploitation, but I wasn’t sure what to do; I didn’t want to just take the story down, in part because I worried that might only exacerbate the issue, but I didn’t know what other options I had. Then I suddenly had this idea of alchemy, which was peculiarly appropriate; an academic world filled with unique transmutational abilities, and a necromantic war against people who had discovered the secrets of immortality, and I could see a path to reimagining the story while still holding on to as much of the original spirit of Manacled as possible.

I began redrafting the concept privately around Christmas 2022, and then as if the universe had aligned, just as I was finishing, Caitlin Mahony and Rivka Bergman of WME reached out to me and were delightfully enthusiastic about concepts and ideas for my new alchemical world and the ways I had reimagined the story.

I'm thrilled to be working with Emily Archbold, my visionary editor at Del Rey, along with Rebecca Hilsdon at Michael Joseph in the UK, to polish this novel for publication in Fall 2025. I feel uniquely privileged that both my publishing teams are familiar with Manacled and understand how special it is to so many people, and how important it is that this reimagining captures the same spirit while also having its own wings.

Manacled is not going anywhere at present. It will remain online throughout 2024, at which point it will, if you’ll pardon the pun, alchemise for 2025 and be removed from AO3.

I'm so thankful to all of you who've enjoyed my works, and I hope that I can continue to rely on your support as I take my next steps as an author.

#manacled story #alchemised

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bby-deerling · 7 months

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Could I possibly ask for "don't you judge of my composure, cause i'm bothered every day" and Rosinante? <3

i want you to know that your mind???? perfect <3

this is my first time writing a full length fic for cora so i hope i got a decent handle on him

rosinante/corazon + who is it (nsfw, afab!reader)

18+, mdni, nsfw, wc: 821 masterlist

cw: afab!reader, size kink (duh, he's like ten gajillion feet tall)

The sky was murky and cloudy tonight, softening the moonbeams casting on your partner as he towered before you and shed his feathery coat. Whenever Rosinante returned to you after a mission, a sense of uneasiness bubbled in your veins; despite the way he trusted you with nearly every aspect of his true identity, he was tight-lipped about his trips away, and sometimes you couldn’t help but worry. Anxiety tore you apart when he was gone, worrying if he was injured, if he was even alive, or sometimes, rather irrationally, if there was anyone else. Above all, you simply missed him.

The tides of time inevitably erode at ones’ soul, carving and changing it irrevocably, and it always felt bittersweet to have missed out on the experiences that shaped your lover. Each time he returned to you, he brought back a handful of minute changes; his face was a bit more serious, his hands a bit more calloused, his clothes were a bit more tattered and singed, and making love with him felt like learning a novel variation on a theme that was burned into your memory.

His clumsiness, however, never faded, as he nearly trips over his own feet climbing into bed next to you.

You take the lead, unable to refrain from touching him any longer, climbing on top of him and cupping his face with both hands. His size had the unique ability to render you fragile; the mere sight of just how small your hands were on his face was enough to send a wave of electricity through your body, grateful for the way he was always so gentle with you despite the way he could break you between two of his fingers.

Lips softly pressing to his, long fingers entangle themselves in your hair, pulling you closer and deepening the kiss. A shiver runs through your spine as his other hand finds your waist; his warm palm sprawls across your side, and his fingers reach more than halfway around your stomach, another reminder of just how tiny you were compared to him.

When he sits up to align your hips with his, you feel swallowed whole by his presence; his back bends as he looms over you to hold you gently as he kisses you, and you both let out a shaky sigh when you roll your hips into his.

“You’re trembling.” he notes, eyes full of concern as he gently drags his massive thumb along your jawbone.

“I just missed you.” you whisper, taking a deep breath in an attempt to regain your composure and calm your shaking body.

“I missed you too.” he says, pressing a line of kisses from your cheek to the corner of your mouth, before devouring you once again, this time more desperate and passionate.

His sheer size meant he always took his sweet time with you, easing you into being able to take him. A single finger by itself required a fair amount of teasing in order to prepare you, but it was a task he reveled in, eager to open you up for him. Two of his fingers curling against your sweet spot is nearly enough to split you in half, but his movements are careful and loving. He holds your safety—and your heart—in his hands; in return for your vulnerability, he gives you his soul bared raw on a silver platter.

Grinding against the heel of his palm as he continues to massage you with his fingers, he brings you to your high, walls fluttering around his massive fingers. It’s messy and drawn out, soaking him in your slick; despite the fullness his fingers provided, you craved more.

“I’m ready for you.” you say, still catching your breath, heartbeat in your ears. He nods and frees his cock; it’s impossibly large and thick, and still makes your heart skip a beat in pure shock no matter how many times you have seen it before.

He throws his head back and lets out a deep exhale as you slowly sink yourself onto him. Taking as much of him as you can, you whimper when you feel his cock kiss your cervix, and he rubs gentle, reassuring circles into your hips. You rock against him hesitantly, allowing yourself to adjust to being stretched out this far for the first time in ages. He’s soft with you, rubbing circles into you clit and whispering praises into your ear in between kisses. The anxious whispers that had clouded your mind in his absence melt away, standing no chance compared to the sensation of how visceral and loving the way he unraveled you was.

A beam of moonlight peeks through the clouds and shines through the window, illuminating the two of you melting into each other. The sands of time could keep you apart and change you little by little, but your love existed on another plane, pure and untouchable.

#one piece x reader #x reader #corazon x reader #donquixote rosinante x reader #rosinante x reader #one piece smut #mdni #i hope this isnt too ooc

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novlr · 10 months

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could you maybe do something on characters becoming serial killers? I’m was originally going to have some sort of characters going insane thing, but I think that the whole “insane people killing” is a little stupid and borderline dangerous (saying that insane people kill all the time) so could you give me some pointers?

How to Write a Serial Killer: A Quick Guide for Writers

Crafting a convincing serial killer requires a lot of research, imagination, and an understanding of the genre. Let’s dive into some quick tips to help you create a serial killer who is gripping, unique, and emotionally complex.

Develop their backstory

The key to crafting a convincing serial killer is in understanding their past to shape their present. Explore their backstory in detail — were they subjected to abuse or neglect? Did they endure a life-altering traumatic event that set them on this dark path? Developing a compelling backstory is essential, not only to justify their actions but also to cultivate a degree of empathy, allowing readers to connect with the character on a deeper level.

Give them unique motivations

Serial killers act based on what drives them; they commit their crimes for a reason. This reason could be a need for control, a hunger for power, or a wish to spread chaos. By connecting their reason for doing things with their unique personality traits and backstory, you can create a well-rounded and consistent character.

Include misdirection and plot twists

To maintain suspense, make use of narrative devices like red herrings designed to divert your reader's attention. The clever use of these diversions can delay the unmasking of the killer, increasing tension and anticipation. Additionally, unexpected plot twists that abruptly shift your story's trajectory can not only alter your reader's perception but can also reconfigure their theories keeping readers on their toes.

Draw parallels with your protagonist

Creating a unique perspective by establishing similarities between your serial killer and your protagonist can add multifaceted layers to your story. This might involve drawing connections in their backgrounds, aligning their motivations, or uncovering shared personal struggles. These parallels not only make the plot more engaging but also heighten the intensity of the conflict between the two characters.

Use foreshadowing

Foreshadowing serves as a powerful tool in constructing suspense and subtly hinting at future events in your story — carefully place clues that can suggest the identity of the killer or indicate their next victim. But remember to maintain an air of mystery by not unveiling too much prematurely. The goal is to keep readers engrossed, continually making and remaking their guesses about the unfolding plot.

Include an emotional subplot

Adding an emotional subplot in your narrative significantly enhances the relatability of your serial killer. This could range from them harbouring deep-seated love for someone, to grappling with a fear that surpasses the dread of getting caught. These contrasting aspects of their otherwise sinister nature serve to give the characters greater depth and dimension, thus enriching their complexity.

Did you know we have a Spotify account with lots of great playlists for writers? Here's one to inspire your next serial killer novel!

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mann-walter · 7 months

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Optimus Prime’s in His Earlier Days as Prime and the Public’s Opinion on Him

If I have any headcanon about Aligned Optimus Prime, it would be that earlier in his tenure as Prime, the Cybertronians that still supported the government were split between the believing young, progressive middle-upper castes bunch, and the hesitant, pretty-much-still-functionist elites. Optimus was not universally approved of at first. There were still some more conservative folks who questioned the choice of an archivist whose name—although he did not partake in the acts or knew of them beforehand—was attached to a “terror group” as Prime. The great debacle in the Council chamber did not help. But over the course of the war, they gradually died off or became less vocal; they disappeared. And, the former group, those who believe in Optimus’ ideas, started to dominate more.

#Idk #It's just my headcanon.#Transformers Prime #tfp optimus prime #tfp orion pax #Transformers Exodus #Cybertronian politics #Cybertronian society #Cybertron #headcanon #optimus prime #autobots #aligned continuity novels #transformers aligned continuity #transformers #This is my first ever headcanon made public #I'm sorry if this is not what a headcanon's supposed to be.#Mann Walter

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cripplecharacters · 20 days

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Hiya, I'm hoping you can help me understand if an idea I have is problematic. I'm writing a fantasy novel at the moment where the main character (who is overcome by guilt for something she did by accident), undergoes a ritual to make herself look as awful as she thinks she is. I'm not 100% sure on the details of what this looks like yet, but at the moment I'm considering something like having the bones of small animals embedded under her skin. Running out of text so will continue in another ask.

Continued from first ask. The idea is that she wants people to be disgusted when they see her, because she can't tell anyone about the accident she caused, but still wants to feel punished. I'm partly inspired by my own experiences of self harm, of wanting to see a visual representation of pain. I'm wondering if this kind of disfigurement is problematic, especially considering it's not reflecting a real condition and that its not a villain. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Hi dearest asker!

It doesn't mimic anything of a disability nor is it a fantasy disability in your setting so I think it's good! It is more Body Horror than anything but what I would do is while you're figuring the aspect of the character, is research extensively and make sure it doesn't align with any real conditions. This does kinda balance on the edge of Disability As Punishment because of just the concept, but using your own experiences is what matters here!

Also here is a good post about body horror and disability that makes some good points and has good ideas too!

I actually want to reiterate from the post on how they cite stuff like Junjo Ito and Kafka on a way of expression though Body Horror which (to my understanding, if not feel free to correct me) is like you're doing. Others I would recommend is Frida Kahlo, where she does this in some of her paintings (Here & Here) and in many others.

Other movies like Swan Lake (2010) and Annihilation (2018), also take this concept and do really well with it in my opinion. (Both centered around self-harm and other things) Pain Exhibit is a non-profit online library where people who are disabled or have chronic pain all share their artwork depicting it and is another great example.

This article What Is Body Horror? makes so many good points and it cites a lot of good books, novels, and short stories. It goes into the different aspects of it and really breaks it down into sections. (I want to warn before anyone clicks on that link that it talks about extensive body horror in details). A lot of people's perception of Body Horror has long been associated with people with disabilities. So I think more stories written on actual depictions of what is and people's personal experiences it is so good!

Happy writing! (and I hope the story goes well it sounds really good!)

~ Mod Virus 🌸

#mod virus #body horror #disability as punishment #the-crane-dance

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novafire-is-thinking · 4 months

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I was going over Soundwave’s appearances in the Aligned novels for the umpteenth time, and I finally noticed something that seems to confirm he has a face beneath the visor, or at least has optics:

He [Soundwave] kept in touch with the two Minicons via a direct videolink that played as if on the interior of his own optics.

— Transformers: Exodus by Alexander C. Irvine

He’s got SOMETHING back there.

#transformers prime #maccadam #tfp #tfp soundwave #//superior//#aligned continuity #tf aligned novels #transformers exodus #⟣ scheduled post ⟢

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verycharismaticdragon · 10 months

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@mandlien: Op where is the essay 👀 @latitudeoctopus: An essay I would like to see 🙏

Glad u asked! <-guy who was totally angling for someone to ask

OG post this continues from, for those just tuning in now:

actually SQQ's first encounter with LQG perfectly illustrates which of SY's idiosyncrasies perfectly converged to make him absolutely obsessed with Binghe, in this essay i will

So, to start with, the explanation for why I think this scene in particular is more illuminating than all of SQQ's interactions with actual LBH.

That's because there's not a single scene in the novel where his interactions with LBH-the-person are not colored by pre-existing bias of already being obsessed with LBH-the-character. Like, consider the scene where he appraises Shen Qingqiu's looks, and finishes it off with:

He still couldn’t compare to Luo Binghe. (vol.1, ch.1)

despite not having seen Luo Binghe in person yet. But no, he's already convinced his beloved blorbo is of course The Handsomest Ever!

Simply speaking, we never encounter Shen Yuan pre-Binghe Syndrome (when instead of brain there's binghe). So it's difficult to tell whether any particular way he thinks or feels in Binghe’s presence is the standard for him, or owed to the fact that he already likes Binghe in at least one way.

But the same can not be said of Liu Qingge: while SY did have some interest in his character, he didn’t really think of him before encountering him in Lingxi Caves. Plus, unlike Binghe who seems to have fully aligned with SQQ’s expectations of him, LQG had given him a little shock — which prompted some re-evaluation of his prev thoughts on SQQ's part.

(cont. under cut)

Now is a good time to mention that I arrived at thinking about this scene while considering Shen Yuan's relationship with toxic masculinity — and remembering I jotted down 'Shen Yuan's fascination with masculinity' in my reread notes for this scene.

[Bai Zhan Peak] was the most warlike of Cang Qiong Mountain's branches, as well as the branch with the greatest martial ability. Every single generation's Bai Zhan Peak Lord was a world-class swordmaster, a victor of countless battles, an undefeated legend. How hot-blooded—how dashing! Male readers always fervently admired strong characters. Even though Liu Qingge never officially debuted on page, he hadn't lacked for fans, and Shen Yuan had been especially fascinated with him. In his headcanon, Liu Qingge had been a sharp and manly man, powerful and magnificent. A war god, right?! (vol.1, ch.2)

So, Shen Yuan’s fascination with Liu Qingge’s character — or rather his headcanon version of it — is about Liu Qingge being someone who (in SY’s mind) embodies masculine qualities. And what qualities are those? From this section, being “strong” (has to be physically powerful) and “undefeated” (can’t be a loser) — yeah, pretty standard toxic masc starting kit.

And something of interest here: though SQQ describes it mostly as his own feelings, even in this excerpt, he slips in a “male readers always [...] admired” — which, when considering everything else we know about his relationship to masculinity, kind of gives off an insecurity vibe. He seems to be either trying to justify his own feelings (i.e., ‘other men feel the same way, i’m in-group not out-group, i’m not failing at being a man by feeling this way [admiring another man]’), or else emulating other male fans and trying to convince himself he relates to the story the same way they do (i.e., ‘male readers admire strong characters and im a man therefore i definitely also admire the same things’).

Speaking of emulating other male fans, there’s another quality that SY seems to associate with masculinity, this one not very related to Liu Qingge — though SQQ does make a mental detour into it in the same scene, when talking about other Peaks.

Yeah, when he mentions Xian Shu, and the fact that the popularity of self-insert erotic/lewd fics about Xian Shu "compared to that of the original work” in PIDW fandom, or possibly even in general on ‘Zhongdian’ (since afaik you can publish fanfiction on Chinese webnovel sites alongside original works, you just have to tag it as such). In other words, among male fans.

But we know SY doesn’t like sex scenes, right? Hell, his favorite wife is Liu Mingyan at least in part because she doesn’t have sex scenes:

There was one more appeal factor. Liu Mingyan was the only female character for whom Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky didn't write detailed sex scenes. (vol.1, ch.2)

Of course… that’s what SQQ says in his head where nobody can hear him. We actually have evidence of him singing a different tune when among other fans:

Most of the female protagonists are stupid sexy lamps, and the male lead doesn't even bed Liu Mingyan, the only breath of fresh air? He doesn't bed the rightful empress? Are you fucking kidding me? (vol.4, ch.26, part 1)

(speaking of, this is why ‘peerless cucumber is SY’s true self’ takes baffle me. his toxicmascsona is his true self, really?)

So SY has another qualifier for ‘manly man’ in his head: being sexual (of course, in a straight way). Which is not something that comes naturally to him, as evidenced by him cringing away from any actual action even when he tries to emulate the thought pattern, e.g.:

Qi Qingqi? She was indeed slightly junior to him, and their first meeting...he'd long forgotten how it went. "Often together" wasn't quite right, though. Perhaps he at times dared to think about going to Xian Shu Peak so they could be "often together," but while he had the wicked intentions, he lacked the courage required to follow through—and he could never commit an act as depraved as stalking. (vol.4, ch.23)

Riiiight, SQQ, you totally have those 'wicked intentions' that you merely can't follow through on because you just invented reasons not to.

But that does give us an image of SY’s ideal of masculinity. Extremely powerful, undefeatable, and hypersexual… yeah no points for guessing who. I’m pretty sure SQQ even directly equates Bing-ge with masculinity somewhere, I just can’t remember the exact spot. And he also believes that any man should definitely want to be in Bing-ge’s place, like for example here:

Every man dreamed of being caught between an angel and a devil. To watch them jealously vie with each other over him one moment, then risk life and limb for his sake in the next—that was the highest, most sacred, perverted fantasy of every male organism. (vol.1, ch.2)

…though I must note, once again, “every man”, “every male organism” — but does SQQ actually feel the same way? I think that the answer is he thinks that he should, and is trying to convince himself that he does.

Which must be difficult considering he finds men more attractive than women, returning back to that scene with Liu Qingge.

In any other state, Shen Qingqiu might have declared, "What a beautiful man!" (vol.1, ch.2)

Really bestie? You would've declared it? Because I don't see you show the same enthusiasm about women. In fact, you usually jump right into how they were described in the novel, as if you don't have your own opinion.

Now, I must note that I personally don’t think finding someone attractive equals actually being attracted to them. But this does imply which way SQQ's tastes veer. In fact, we can even see that he has a type. First, he describes LQG's face as "as beautiful as a fine woman's"; then adds:

This was clearly the face of a charming young master who arranged flowers and plucked farewell willow branches! (vol.1, ch.2)

Of course, if we are talking about charming young masters with feminine looks, their bearing that of a classic Chinese gentleman (warrior-scholar ideal who’d ‘pluck farewell willow branches’)...

That firm yet humble countenance, demonstrating his noble and unyielding spirit. That pencil-straight back and stance, evincing a proud core that would rather break than bend! (vol.1, ch.1)

[SQQ] saw a glimpse of the future Luo Binghe's unique grace, that of "eyes like cold stars, a soft and radiant smile, with muted words and quiet laughter." (vol.1, ch.1)

In truth, deep down, Bing-ge's fair and clean pretty-boy type didn't really suit the tastes of "Great Master" Airplane Flying Towards the Sky. He had only assigned this sort of configuration to the protagonist to meet his stallion hardware specifications. The art of growing stallions was grounded in science, and the research was clear: women preferred men who looked cultured, pretty, and even a bit soft and feminine. (vol.4, ch.26, part 2)

…there’s no question who is superlative in SQQ’s heart. To boot, he doesn’t even realize that he’s biased about LBH’s attractiveness, as we can see from Airplane-bro’s musings above. So that’s Cucumber-bro’s type: cultured, pretty, a bit feminine.

See, a fun little discrepancy here: what SQQ sees as a masculine ideal and therefore can admire plainly — again, powerful, undefeatable, and hypersexual, — and what he finds attractive in a man, under all those layers of denial, are two pretty different things.

Liu Qingge, despite his appearance unveiling a side of both to us, doesn’t actually fully embody either type: on the masculinity side, he is missing the hypersexuality, on the attractiveness side, his looks fit but his bearing doesn’t match.

But you know who hits all of SY’s qualifications on both counts?.. yeah, once again no points for guessing, it stars with "Bing" and ends with "ge".

So: the source of Shen Yuan’s obsession with LBH-the-character is the intersection of those two factors. Like you know that old wlw joke “I can’t tell if I wanna be her or date her”? Thats Shen Yuan with Luo Binghe, but, yknow, unconsciously. He admires LBH as an epitome of masculinity, an image of a Perfect Male to strive for; he also very much finds him attractive in a gay way.

In fact, I would even say that an important component of Binghe brainrot is that he is an acceptable target for admiration. How can SY be accused of being gay over liking a horny stallion novel? So it’s totally normal that he thinks of Binghe a lot, obviously that’s just because he looks up to him! Because Binghe is such a perfect iteration of a male stallion protagonist! Who wouldn’t want to be in his place, thinks Shen Yuan, never ever having imagined being in Binghe’s place even once. Ofc that’s only because Binghe got insane game though! Shen Yuan couldn’t hope to compare. LBH is just so admirable and sexy,, for the wives of course, the wives find him sexy, not Shen Yuan, Shen Yuan is just stating facts— etcetcetc.

Point is, LBH is a man that Shen Yuan can like without shame, because he has a whole bag of above-the-board reasons to prove that he's not liking him the wrong way. A perfect target of convergence for Shen Yuan’s conscious and unconscious thoughts (and desires).

And this is how SY ended up with the years-long hyperfix we see in the beginning of the novel.

#shen qingqiu #shen yuan #bingqiu #svsss #svsss meta #scum villain's self saving system #scum villain's self-saving system #mxtx #danmei novels

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thunderwetter · 2 months

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TF One Theory - Why do the Waves stand with Starscream?

So I was thinking about this screenshot and to me, there's one very obvious reason why this shot is the way that it is:

At this point in time, Starscream leads the revolution. There's no Megatron to cause beef between the trio. They pull in the same direction.

Okay so take everything here with a huge chunk of salt, we don't know how and why the war has started and neither do we know what the whole deal with the Con insignia is, but what we do know is that D-16/Megatron wears it the entire movie, discovers a helmet with the same shape and that there's a war going on even before Orion and D-16 have any chance of starting it. A war without insignia, mind you.

This screenshot heavily implies that the war (or at least a war) has started without Megatron and instead, his three angels are the leading figures with Starscream on the throne - but why would the Waves serve him?

First of all, the easiest explanation: Soundwave cares more about their goal than he does about their leader.

In previous versions, it has been established that Soundwave is willing to serve any Decepticon leader as long as he believes in them and that they will make the Decepticons succeed. From Marvel to the various cartoons and comics, he has rarely ever taken command and usually was right by the side of whoever barked the loudest: be it Megatron, Starscream, Shockwave, Ratbat or Galvatron (to name the most prominent examples). He's often seen to favor Megatron in comparison to others, but he's willing to replace him too if he doesn't see any future with him leading them to victory. See these examples from US Marvel G1 where he helped Shockwave destroy Megatron after he went insane and IDW1, where he allied himself with Galvatron, hoping to achieve peace:

Keep in mind that both of these examples were reactions to Megatron's failures. In the Marvel version Megatron went insane after Optimus died and was incapable of leadership, in IDW1 Megatron defected to the Autobots and denounced the Decepticon cause.

In early Prime, Soundwave kept Screamer in check, however he did not contest his leadership as he later did with Airachnid. He saw Starscream as a realistic alternative or at least a temporary solution while Megatron was out of order. Once again, him following someone else was directly caused by his previous leader's inability to continue doing so.

Soundwave's loyalty is to the cause.

But what about Shockwave?

Shockwave is traditionally shown to stand in direct contrast to the others. While in Cyberverse his dispute with Soundwave is played as a joke and his disloyalty to Megatron is merely hinted at, in the comic runs he is just as treacherous as Starscream and while he's not being as obvious with it, he definitely has the intention to ursurp the Decepticon throne or more. In the Aligned continuity (specifically the Exodus novel) it is mentioned that he provoked a war between Tarn, his city, and Vos, Starscream's seeker city, to not only eradicate the seekers but also to get in Megatron's favor and prove that he is the superior second-in-command. In the Prime cartoon later on, they have an active rivalry. Starscream is constantly being pushed back, and, most notably, is the only one to trigger Shockwave's emotions. Shockwave emotes with his antennae, showing irritation and annoyance with Starscream and even openly threatens him with physical violence.

However as is the case with Soundwave, Shockwave is seen to be willing to work alongside Starscream if necessary. During the End of Prime, we see Shockwave grab Starscream and flee to Cybertron together, where they also collaborated on reviving Project Predacon for Predacons Rising. Shockwave is easily capable of killing Starscream, he could also just left him with the Autobots after Megatron's end, but he didn't. He saw more logic in sticking together. He saw use in him. Curious, it almost seems like these two can get along once there's nobody to suck up to anymore, doesn't it?

G1 also has some very interesting Shockwave moments that lead me to believe that TF One is gonna lean heavily on the G1 characterizations for Starscream and Shockwave (and most likely Soundwave, too) OR make Megatron the reason for the rivalry to even bloom.

During Countdown for Extinction, Starscream makes Shockwave believe that Megatron is dead. Shockwave, blindly loyal in this version, shows distress and despair, however he allows himself to be pushed to the side by Starscream and do as he wishes (until he realizes that Megatron is still very much alive). In The Revenge of Bruticus, Starscream and Shockwave are also seen working together out of necessity, giving us this glorious screenshot.

But all of these examples are taken under the circumstance that Megatron is a key figure. "Megatron" doesn't exist yet in TF: One - so why is Starscream the leader? Who put him in charge?

We don't know the reason for the war / the purpose of the revolution yet. We know that transformation isn't a given in this version (yet) and we know that freedom is not what it seems. D-16, B-127, Orion Pax and Elita-1 are all seeking freedom and this is what not only gets them their T-Cogs but also the ability to explore a world that's completely different from the city they know.

We know that Iacon exists - so perhaps other major cities we know, such as Kaon, Tarn and, most importantly, Vos, could be a topic and possible locations in the movie. My first thought was that maybe the revolution of this timeline started in Vos, in the Seeker capital, and it was Starscream who started it, given that in multiple version he leads the city-state.

Because think about it: What is the perfect symbol of freedom if not wings, if not the ability to fly? Even the damn throne looks like it has wings!

We've seen quite the amount of seekers in the trailer too, seekers that are able to fly and to transform. Seekers that are identifiable.

These two are somewhat getting focused in the trailer, possibly Skywarp and Nova Storm (like in Earthspark), the second might even be Sunstorm (if Hasbro even remembers he exists).

At another point in the trailer we also see a winged corpse in the foreground. I have a feeling that transformation and especially transforming to fly is going to be an important aspect in the war here.

The amount of fliers heavily implies that we are perhaps right in Vos, the center of attention, and that is why Starscream is in charge. We are, quite literally, in his realm, on his turf. He is the most powerful one around because he knows his way around the city and he can fly and maybe he also has the political power needed to engage in a large-scale conflict like the one we saw. We've seen him as a politician before, as a good one too.

Whether it's with his words or his actions, he convinced the Waves to follow him and they deemed it the most logical choice to follow him to achieve their goals - whatever these may be.

Probably Megatron will be the one to rally everyone under the same banner, establish the Decepticon insignia and potentially sow the seed for the rivalry between his three commanders, becoming the ideal symbol, both a leader and the figurehead of his revolution.

I almost wish for the tables to be turned and him snatching leadership from Starscream, but I think it's more likely that the dynamic will naturally develop...or be forced on him with some good old abuse, we know Megatron. I wouldn't be surprised to see him beat Starscream up and the Waves realize that maybe following the strongest wouldn't be a terrible idea.

But yeah! That was my interpretation/analysis of that one specific frame. I'm really hyped about this movie, in case you can't tell lol.

Lemme know what you think and if you got something to add, feel free to sneak into my ask box and leave your two cents!

#transformers one #thunderwave thinking #starscream #shockwave #soundwave #megatrons angels #transformers theory

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