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dr3c0mix · 11 months

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umm is it possible to get a yandere! male!siren x shy!gn reader?

Fish Bait

Yandere!Siren x GN Reader

CW: Kidnapping, assault, minor stalking, murder, thalassophobia maybe?

🌊 You are quite shy when it came to talking to people. You found the whole 'socializing thing' a bit overwhelming considering how rough and loud the rest of the people in your academy was.

🌊 You much preferred staying by the shore with a nice book or drawing book to enjoy the sound of the waves with. The ocean breeze and wailing of seagulls never failed to relax you.

🌊 One day, you heard the strange sound of splashing by the tide pools along the more rocks area of the shore. You thought it was a fish or some other animal that got stuck in one of the pools after the tide retreated and got up to help it out.

🌊 But what you saw was no animal, well, half animal. In one of the pools was a man with the lower half of a fish, his scales glistened wondrously as it splashed in the water.

🌊 The man looked at you with wide eyes and froze. You put your hands up to show you meant no harm.

🌊 "Please! Spare me! I just want to go home!"

🌊 "Calm down! I won't hurt you!"

🌊 He shook with fear as your hands drew closer to him.

🌊 You then pulled him up from the pool and carried him to the sea, he stares at you as you gently lowered him unto the water.

🌊 As soon as his tail was submerged in the sea, he swam out of your grasp and went a distance away from you, part of his head peeking out of the water as his red eyes looked at yours.

🌊 "Well...safe travels.." You mutter, wading back to shore, but the merman peeks his mouth out the water and shouts to you.

🌊 "You're not going to ask anything in return?"

🌊 You look back. "Uhm..no, I'm fine, thanks anyway.."

🌊 "Hmm, you know...you can come with me to my home. I'll grant you the power to breathe under water and you can enjoy the treasures I have there. What do you say? It's the least I can do for what you've done for me!"

🌊 "Nah, I'm good. Be safe though, I heard theres pirates that hunt merfolk nowadays..." You continue your way to shore but the merman swims quickly to your side.

🌊 "Don't you want to be rid of those insolent fools you call schoolmates? I can give you a life people only dream of!"

🌊 "I'm not really..interested..."

🌊 "...You're not?"

🌊 "Yeah..."

🌊 "...Oh..uh..ok...wow-um..well, bye I guess..." The man stutters before sinking his head back into the water.

🌊 You sigh, that was some encounter. You doubt you'd run into something like that again...

🌊 Boy howdy you were wrong.

🌊 You'd spot the strange boy again and again, always hiding back behind the rock or piece of driftwood he was watching you from.

🌊 Sometimes you'd also find trinkets and beautiful stones laid on the shore. You never took them though; you didn't want to take something someone probably lost. The merman would grumble to himself every time you ignored his baits.

🌊 You'd also see him again trapped in the pools, feigning sorrow that poor little him got stuck again during another low tide. What ever shall he do?

�� Your days would go on like this, the merman desperately trying to lure you into the sea but to no avail due to your shy and polite nature.

🌊 Him basically stalking you turned to him directly talking to you and trying to get you to go with him in the water.

🌊 "Oh dear, I've been stuck at this reef for ages! I just can't get out! Could you help me please? I promise not to drown you!"

🌊 "No thanks, I'm on the last chapter of my book..."

🌊 "My, my, it's so lonely in the ocean, not a playmate in sight, come down with me so we can really get to know each other yeah?"

🌊 "I don't really wanna get my clothes wet..."

🌊 What you thought was a potentially dangerous creature of the sea became a whiny, attention-seeking drama queen.

🌊 Eventually, you'd learn his name is Caspian. He gave up a bit on trying to lure you and settled on making small talk with you.

🌊 Most of your conversations would revolve around your cultures, how you two lived compared to eachother.

🌊 "So those silver things with teeth aren't combs? Interesting...tell me more!"

🌊 He more or less looked up to you because of the knowledge you'd tell him, even though it was all basic things ever human knows, but he wasn't a human so, I guess it's alright.

🌊 He'd try to crawl onto shore to see what you were reading or drawing. You'd have to scoot away from him because he was dripping wet, and you didn't want your paper to get soiled.

🌊 Please read to him! He loves it when you read out loud the books you bring!

🌊 Life seemed pretty content with you having a friend to talk to, one who's not judgmental of your quiet personality.

🌊 That was until one day, you heard laughing and shouting from your usual spot.

🌊 You saw your classmates, waist deep in the water trying to drag Caspian to the shore, the merman snarling and biting the air around him angrily as the bullies degrade and laugh at his attempts to wriggle out of their grasp.

🌊 "Look at this, boys! With this ugly thing we can buy the whole pub if we wanted to!"

🌊 "H-hey! Leave him alone!" You shouted, dropping your things as you ran to help your friend, but one of them punched you with in the face and grabbed you, about to hit you again.

🌊 "What? You're gonna let this siren kill everyone that comes to this beach? God you're dumb! No wonder why you have no friends!"

🌊 He was about to give another blow when you both heard a shrill cry from the ocean.

🌊 The water pooled with crimson as only the splashing of limbs can be seen form the shore, cries and gurgles are heard from the writhing gore. Your classmate rushes into the water to save his friends before the violent splashing stops and the red patch of bloody water extends towards him and around him until you see him get yanked below into the water, a splash of a fish tail verified in your mind that it was Caspian.

🌊 You could feel your heart pounding as you see the siren lift its head from the water, his blood red eyes staring at you again with razor sharp teeth bared.

🌊 "P-please...don't hurt me..I didn't lead them to you I swear!" You cried as he crawled to your shivering form.

🌊 You held your breath as he pulled you in a wet hug, your clothes getting stained by the salty, bloody water.

🌊 "Oh my darling~ I know you would never hurt me~ But we're not safe here anymore..I fear I'll have to take you somewhere safer...somewhere away from those disgusting creatures."

🌊 You couldn't even react before you were pulled into the water forcefully, you kicked and swam all you could to get him to let go of you, but soon enough, your whole body was under the water. The only thing that was left of you were your things by the sand, and bubbles that rose to the surface before stopping.

🌊 "You'll be safe here my love, my most wonderful treasure~"

this one was by far one of my favorite bois ive written, he's so mhmhmghghghmmmhmhmmhhh

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ranchthoughts · 6 months

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An Update to the Kissing Multiverse!

The first version is here, second version here, third version here. There is also a little bonus stat crunching here. My tag for this project is here.

Well, Only Friends and Dangerous Romance are over, so I am back with another GMMTV Kissing Multiverse update for you all. And boy howdy it is a doozy. We've added 16 shows, 19 actors, and 33 unique kissing pairs!

Rules

Must have visible lip to lip contact

Must be shown on screen in a GMM tv series (no kisses from ads, promotional content, trailers*, movies, etc.)

*please note this means none of the GMMTV 2024 trailers count

Breakdown by Show

The data set now includes 77 shows.

(full list in alt text)

Breakdown By Actor

The data set now includes 131 actors.

(full lists in alt text)

Results and Discussion

Unique vs. Repeat Kissing Pairs

Last time round we learned that the vast majority of GMMTV kissing pairs are one-offs and that mixed gender pairs were less likely to repeat. Those conclusions hold true for this update.

There are 169 "unique" kissing pairs in the dataset, and of those, 156 (92.3%) appear only once, in one show. 13 pairs (7.7%) appear at least twice.

The 13 pairs that appear in more than one show are:

Book/Force (in A Boss and a Babe, Enchante, and Only Friends)

Bright/Win (in 2gether and Still 2gether)

Dunk/Joong (in Hidden Agenda and Star in My Mind)

Earth/Mix (in A Tale of Thousand Stars, Cupid's Last Wish, and Moonlight Chicken)

Fiat/June (in The Gifted and The War of Flowers)

Film/Gun (in Not Me and Three Gentlebros)

First/Khaotung (in The Eclipse and Only Friends)

Gun/Off (in Not Me, Puppy Honey, Puppy Honey 2, and Theory of Love)

Lee/Mook (in My Dear Loser and The Jungle)

Louis/Neo (in The Eclipse and Fish Upon The Sky)

Marc Natarit/Pawin (in Dangerous Romance and My Gear Your Gown)

New/Tay (in Dark Blue Kiss and Kiss Me Again)

Phuwin/Pond (in Fish Upon the Sky and Never Let Me Go)

The kissing pair that has appeared in the most shows is Gun/Off, with 4 shows out as of now (and 2 more in the works!).

10 out of 13 of these repeating pairs (77%) are same gender pairs, specifically BL branded or brand-adjacent pairs. Once again, an interesting look into the GMMTV het vs BL system.

All in all, 97% of mixed gender pairs and 85% of same gender pairs appear only once, in one show.

Same Gender vs. Mixed Gender Kissing Pairs

Of the 169 "unique" kissing pairs, roughly 60% are mixed gender pairs and roughly 39% are same gender pairs. This ratio has shifted slightly from the last update (when it was 59% mixed gender and 41% same gender) as I have added more het shows to the sample.

Now to look at the shows themselves: 35% of the shows had only same gender kissing pairs, 47% of the shows had only mixed gender kissing pairs, and 18% of the shows featured both. You will notice that this is a 8% increase in favour of "mixed gender kissing only" shows compared to the last update which is due to the number of het shows I added this update.

Most Kissing Pairs Per Show

The average number of kissing pairs per show is 2.4.

The shows with the most different kissing pairs are:

Only Friends (16 different pairs)

The Warp Effect (15 different pairs)

Friendzone (11 different pairs)

The Jungle and U-Prince (9 different pairs each)

The Player (7 different pairs)

Not Me, Three Gentlebros, and 3 Will Be Free have 4 different kissing pairs each, and then all other shows have 3 or fewer kissing pairs each.

Welcome Only Friends to the top of the ranking! 🎉 A well deserved placing. I would like to take a moment to hone in on the distribution of kissing over the course of the series:

We hit 9 kissing pairs in ep. 9, 10 pairs in ep. 10, 11 pairs in ep. 11, and 12(+) pairs in ep. 12. Very satisfying.

The Power of Jojo

Jojo, every series:

You get a kiss and you get a kiss! YOU ALL GET KISSES!

(inspired by @dribs-and-drabbles here)

As we've learned over these past updates, Jojo has an outsized impact on the number of kissing pairs. He has directed roughly 10% of the shows in this sample, but his shows account for nearly a third of all kissing pairs (32%). Half of Jojo's shows are in the top 6 for most kissing pairs per show (Only Friends, The Warp Effect, Friendzone, and The Player).

The average number of kissing pairs in a Jojo show is 7.4, compared to 1.8 for non-Jojo shows.

Interesting to note: last update, the average number of kissing pairs per show for Jojo shows was 6.0 (1.4 lower) and the average for non-Jojo shows was the same (1.8). Only Friends had quite the impact.

(note: in this section, I am just looking at kissing pair iterations here not at unique kissing pairs, e.g., Phuwin/Pond are a pair in two shows (once in a Jojo show and once in a non-Jojo show), so they are counted twice.)

Most Kissing Partners

First, to put this in context: 50.4% of the actors in this sample have only had one kissing partner. The average number of kissing partners per actor is 2.6 (an increase of 0.3 from last update - again, possibly due to Only Friends).

We've had some significant changes in the leader board this update. Previously, our top 5 were Joss (10 kissing partners), Lee and Namtan (9 each), and Ohm and Nanon (7 each).

Welcome our new leader, Lee, with 12 kissing partners!

Krist takes the second spot (11 different kissing partners), followed by Joss (10), Namtan (9) and First (8) to round out our top five.

Next we have Gigie, Mild, Nanon, New, Off, and Ohm with 7 different kissing partners each; Film, Mond, Mook, Neo, and Singto with 6 kissing partners each; and Bright, Fluke Pusit, Jan, Khaotung, and Mark Pakin with 5 kissing partners each. There are also eleven actors with 4 different partners, and fifteen actors with 3 different partners each.

This update sees an astonishing 6 new kissing partners for Krist and 3 for First, catapulting them into the top 5. The impact of Only Friends can't be denied either - it increased every one of its actors' total kissing partners, and pushed Mond, Neo, Khaotung, and Mark Pakin up into the upper echelons, along with First, of course.

Most Kissing Partners in One Show

We have a new reigning champion for "Most Kissing Partners in One Show"! Thanks to his tireless hard work in Only Friends kissing 5 different people, Neo rockets to the top of the list.

We now have seven people who have kissed 4 different people in one show thanks to Only Friends (First, Mark Pakin, and Mond in Only Friends; Fluke Pusit, Gigie, and New in The Warp Effect; and Plustor in Friendzone), and eight cases of people kissing 3 different people in one show (Book, Force, and Khaotung in Only Friends; Joss and Namtan in The Player; Joss again in 3 Will Be Free; Krist in The Jungle; and Singto in Friendzone).

Please note that all of these instances (except for Krist in The Jungle) happened in Jojo shows.

In total, there are 52 instances of people kissing more than one person in a show, and 31% of actors in the sample have kissed more than one person in a show at least once.

Which of the GMMTV boys has kissed the most guys?

Last update we had a five-way tie for first place between First, Fluke Pusit, Neo, Plustor, and Singto, with 4 men kissed each. Only Friends has significantly changed the situation.

Congratulations to First for taking first place in the men kissing men category, with 7 men kissed! Next we have Neo in second place (6 men kissed) and Khaotung in third (5 men kissed).

First has kissed Gawin (Not Me), Force (Only Friends), Khaotung (The Eclipse and Only Friends), Mark Pakin (Only Friends), Mix (Moonlight Chicken), Mond (Only Friends), and Ohm (The Shipper)

Neo has kissed Drake (Only Friends), Force (Only Friends), Louis (The Eclipse and FUTS), Mark Pakin (Only Friends), Mond (Only Friends), and Title (Only Friends)

Khaotung has kissed Book (Only Friends), First (The Eclipse and Only Friends), Mond (Only Friends), Pawin (55:15 Never Too Late), and Pod (Tonhon Chonlatee)

There are now seven men who have kissed 4 men each: Fluke Pusit, Krist, Mark Pakin, Mond, New, Plustor, and Singto. Special shoutout to Mark Pakin, Mond, and Plustor for racking up all these kisses over the course of one show each (Only Friends, Only Friends, and Friendzone respectively).

Finally, there are eight men who have kissed 3 men each, and eleven who have kissed two men each.

The Kiss Web

Behold... the Kiss Web, newly updated:

And, as usual, some colourful breakdowns too:

The reach of the top 5 kissers: Lee, Krist, Joss, Namtan, and First.

The kissing webs of the top three shows: Only Friends (in pink), The Warp Effect (in blue), and Friendzone (in green). Yes these are all Jojo shows.

Some "kissing triangles" (no squares this time because there were too many to show). Note the triangles completed in the course of one show: Nat-Plustor-Singto (Friendzone), First-Khaotung-Mond (Only Friends), Mark Pakin-Neo-Title (Only Friends), Fluke Pusit-Gigie-New (The Warp Effect), and Joss-Mild-Tay (3 Will Be Free).

I’ve been having fun Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon-ing around this web and I’d like to propose a challenge to you all: what is the longest chain between two people (with the most people between them) possible? Basically, reverse Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. Bonus points if there is no quicker shortcut between them.

If you’d like to play another little game, see my post here.

Contributing authors: @airenyah, @alsoran, @alwaysthepessimist, various anons, @bengiyo, @burnsuncomet, @callipigio, @cangse-sanren, @catboykacchan, @catboyjosten, @catsundmaus, @chickenstrangers, @crowie, @dribs-and-drabbles, @ffirstkhao, @foralleternityidiot, @isaksbestpillow, @jeonghanurl, @kattahj, @kpinhiding, @lurkingshan, @maibpenrai, @maybeitdontmakesense, @nieves-de-sugui, @non-binarypal7, @sammie-lightwood-bane, @sollucets, @userneos, @theselightsareblinding, @tiistirtipii, @waitmyturtles, @williamrikers

Data visualization consultants and beloved proofreaders: @chickenstrangers, @dribs-and-drabbles, @wen-kexing-apologist

Asked to be tagged: @blmpff

#kissing multiverse #gmmtv kissing multiverse #ofts #thanks for coming along on this journey with me!#and big thanks once again to those who contributed kisses #it will be a while till the next update - gotta let some more shows come out - but this project isn't done yet!#I would like to make a specific request - does anyone know what kisses happen in Wolf?

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genericpuff · 5 months

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All That Glitters is Not Feminism - An Analysis of LO's Brand of "Feminism" and What Remains of its Fanbase (A Prologue)

So I referenced a certain article in a recent reblog/ask response and I just need to talk about it because what the actual fuck-

This has to have been written by either a bot or a hater who's reached peak god tier level at playing the long con sarcasm game because NOTHING about this feels sincere or even factual. Much of it almost has to be read in a mocking tone for it to make any real sense.

It says "Lore Olympus" (literally in quotations) in just about every single paragraph over and over again and every single talking point revolves EXCLUSIVELY around Persephone, which I suppose comes as no surprise considering that seems to be all the comic - and its fanbase - cares about at this point.

I really love (/s) how Persephone's "evolution" is being naive and then 'blossoming' into an independent woman who relies entirely on the rich man who groomed her to solve all her problems.

Also all she's done since becoming Queen of the Underworld is abuse lower class people. That's the stuff feminist dreams are made of <3

While we're talking about the main leads, "poster child" is definitely a word for Hades, I think a more appropriate term would be "literal child". And boy howdy, 'god of consent' sure is a title to give the guy who ripped out a lower class satyr's eyeball and beat him half to death.

This man owns slaves, btw. And both he and his "powerful wife" are equally horrible to lower class people, especially women.

This is hands-down the funniest section of the article and we're only three bullet points in.

Thetis and Persephone have never even so much as spoken one word to each other outside of the courtroom that Thetis technically put her in after plotting against her for an entire season.

Eros is a man. Nothing wrong with that but it comes with the unintentional icky hilarity of implying that because Eros is the gay best friend, that means he's a woman.

They literally don't read this fucking comic-

Everyone always relies on this weird talking point of Demeter not being able to "let Persephone go"... y'all, she just didn't want Persephone to outright move to Olympus, she wanted her to commute. That was it! That was literally the only problem! She wasn't preventing Persephone from pursuing a higher education or telling her she wasn't allowed to work, she literally fucking encouraged it! And with the added later context of Persephone killing a bunch of mortals - and, ironically, the fact that Persephone was assaulted/put in harm's way by TWO SEPARATE MEN in the first two days of her time in Olympus - yeah, I don't blame Demeter for not wanting her daughter to move cold turkey actually LOL

Also hilarious that they claim Rachel has turned "tradition" into "innovation" when the only thing she's managed to do is set back modern feminism in her young adult readers by 80 years and re-establish misogynist brainwashing in her adult ones. Rachel, your fanbase was literally shipping a victim of abuse with her abuser just a few days ago.

oh boy this is uh

this is some cult shit ngl

and the "rewriting the script of Greek mythology" part is VERY concerning knowing what we know about Lore Olympus and who it was written by. This is literally cultural appropriation, full stop, and it exists because Lore Olympus - and works like it, made by people like Rachel - exists.

I can't even commit to the original theory that this was written by a bot because it all feels very pointed and intenetional. This is being written by someone who, at the very least, REALLY sucks at media analysis and writing, because the entire article is just "Lore Olympus, buzzword, Lore Olympus, buzzword, buzzword, Lore Olympus", it's like a white knight incantation for guilty virtue signallers who have zero clue what they're talking about. And at worst, yes, it's appropriation from someone who doesn't mind taking a culture's stories and myths and promoting their erasure by people outside of the culture like Rachel.

And that's it, that's literally the article lmao

*EDIT: There was a section here before addressing the writer of the article from a very opinionated POV that, while isn't unusual for what I do here, did feel necessary to remove after I was contacted by the article writer who addressed the flaws in their original article and is now seeking to correct them with revisions/an article rewrite. So I felt it only fair as a compromise to at least remove that section as it really doesn't have a whole lot to do with this post as a whole and can be removed without entirely ruining the flow of this analysis. If/when that article is rewritten, I'll be revisiting this post and my overall analysis !

And honestly, it's all really telling, because this does accurately reflect the state of the LO fanbase.

Not only do many of the people who defend this comic like it's their job not pick up on the blatant misogynist tones that are going on in its narrative (I can't even call them "undertones" anymore, they're no longer that subtle) but whether or not they even read the comic at all is up for debate with how much stuff they tend to get wrong in their own arguments and justifications. And this is something that's VERY regularly seen in the fanbase discussions, readers will constantly be unaware of things that happened because they skimmed through it at lightning speed just to see if Hades and Persephone kiss and so they can get the top comment on Webtoons so they can be "ahead of the fanbase". It's no wonder that Rachel has gotten used to getting away with retconning things because her fanbase didn't even read what she established the first time.

Rachel's fanbase was literally defending the romance ship of an abuser and his victim on the newest FP episode preview. When that FP episode came out two nights ago and Hera said, point blank, that he didn't love her but abused her, I could only think of that portion of the fanbase who was very audibly simping over Kronos in the IG comment section. Are they actually having their moment of shameful clarity now? Or are they just gonna move the goalposts and pretend that didn't happen?

I don't want to say anything bad about Shelby here because she really seems like she's fighting for her life on this site that she's trying to get off the ground, but a lot of her other articles also come across as very one-note while being peppered with buzzwords that make it seem like what she's talking about is "progressive" when it really isn't. Case in point, Lessons in Chemistry has been commonly criticized for not actually appealing to the demographic that its Mary Sue-ish main character is supposed to represent - women in STEM career fields.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Lore Olympus is not 'feminism', it's white feminism that is designed to appeal to predominantly heterocis white women who think the solution to misogyny is to willingly submit to it and accept the status quo - that it's "empowering" if the woman is smiling and having all her needs paid for by a man. Sure, I can accept that different women will be looking for different relationship dynamics, some women genuinely are happy being in a relationship where they support their husbands first and foremost. But can that truly be called feminism? Or is the real feminism the choices we make along the way that we should be given the freedom to make?

It says a lot about the folks who tend to regularly prop up LO on a pedestal like this as some "revolution in feminism" despite the contrary after spending more than just 30 seconds skimming the attention-grabbing art, and Shelby is just one of many. She's not the worst of the bunch, though.

That goes to someone else who I want to give proper light to in their own essay. Someone who definitely earned a good stern talking-to this past week and has, thankfully, had consequences dished out to her for her horrible actions towards queer POC writers.

If you know, you know. If you don't, buckle up.

#lore olympus critical #lo critical #anti lore olympus

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lovelylogans · 8 months

Text

the parent trap

the masterpost

“So,” Remus says slowly. “If your Dad is my Dad…”

“...and your Pa is my Papa…”

Remus stares at the seam of the wedding photo, made whole again after more than a decade. His Pa, Patton, familiar with his cowboy-handsome, weather-beaten face and his dimpled grin and his big, calloused hand resting over his new husband’s, even if Remus has never seen him look this smitten ever.

“And we’re both born on October 11… then, Roman. You and I are… like… brothers.”

And his Dad—Janus—smiling coyly, handsome in the way of magazine models, so completely a stranger to Remus with just this scrap of a photograph to serve as any way to know him, really know him. The way Roman knows him. The way Remus has been dying to know him all his life.

“Remus,” Roman breathes out, disbelieving. “We aren’t just brothers. We’re twins.”

Remus wonders, in a daze, if seeing the opposite life he could have had is as strange for Roman as it is for him… if they’d just been switched at birth, it’s the life Remus could have had, knowing his Dad instead of his Pa, but then…

But then it clicks.

“Roman,” he says, turning to grin at his brother—his brother! “I have a completely perfect, totally awesome idea!”

or: it's a parent trap AU for @tss-storytime with fanart by @tastic-in-its-finest!

warnings: pranks and practical jokes, smoking, drinking, brief mentions of underage drinking (in the context of a child trying a sip of wine), sibling rivalry and bonding, please let me know if i've missed any!

pairings: janus/patton, logan/virgil, brief patton/male oc

word count: 80k

notes: a few notes before we begin: first, thanks so much to morgan for their fanart for this fic!!! it's so cute, please like and reblog and do all that fun stuff!!! second, thanks to the folks over at the big bang for organizing this whole event—i know firsthand how complicated that can get, and you are so appreciated!!! this is technically a '90s au, but a '90s au in terms of the fashion and lack of social media/cell phones, not any of the homophobia. i hope you all enjoy!!!!

chapter one: prologue Across the world from each other, two very different families help two very similar boys pack their bags.

chapter two: welcome to camp walden! Welcome to what we like to think of as the most beautiful spot on God's green earth—Camp Walden.

chapter three: en garde The boys come to blows. (With practice épées, but in their minds, it’s equally as serious.)

chapter four: riposte The boys come to blows. (With words and stitching.)

chapter five: black card The boys come to blows. (With a temporary reversal of gravity, oodles of chocolate sauce, and finally, some semblance of adult interference.)

chapter six: isolation station The boys spend a great deal of their time considering coming to blows. Until suddenly, they don’t want to fight at all anymore.

chapter seven: operation augustus The realization of having an identical twin does quite a bit to spur some out-of-the-box levels of creativity.

chapter eight: let's get down to business! The boys begin to plot. Camp Walden trembles in fear.

chapter nine: to defeat… the family civil divisions of napa and london respectively! The boys plot. The world all over ought to be trembling in fear.

chapter ten: domine dirige nos Remus spends a great deal of time weighing the most British way to say hello. He’s going to have to repress throwing in a what’s all this then, guv’nor? the entire time.

chapter eleven: eureka! Roman spends a great deal of time weighing the most American way to say hello. He thinks he probably shouldn’t come right out of the gate with howdy, y’all!

chapter twelve: a wench in the works This absolutely was not in their multitude of blueprints!

chapter thirteen: riding is magic and friendship is power and love is everything to everyone Roman gets to meet his pony. He should, by all rights, be much more excited about it, but someone had to go and ruin it for him.

chapter fourteen: in which virgil attempts to hold a poker face (and fails miserably) Virgil curses being so observant.

chapter fifteen: all of my change spent on you Remus has a particularly fun run-in. Well. Fun for him.

chapter sixteen: so your sons have swapped places and are in foreign countries This particular subject was not covered in the parenting books.

chapter seventeen: hopped off the plane at lax with a dream of civil reconciliation with my ex-husband Remus plots. Grandfather aids and abets. Janus panics. Logan suffers them all.

chapter eighteen: small world and getting smaller Janus is officially the father of the two most troublesome twins in the galaxy.

chapter nineteen: you got me tripping, stumbling! sinking, fumbling! Patton makes a splash.

chapter twenty: the queen elizabeth the second the second The twins attempt to revive the past. The parents wish to change it.

chapter twenty-one: i said a boom chicka boom! Logan’s swept off his feet. As is Maddox, in an entirely different way.

chapter twenty-two: i said a boom GO TO YOUR ROOM The twins’ plots bear oh-so-satisfying fruit.

chapter twenty-three: where dreams have no end A hello, a goodbye.

chapter twenty-four: the concorde(ance) A goodbye, a hello.

chapter twenty-five: epilogue Two very similar boys help their two very different families assimilate into one.

#tssstorytimesubmission2023 #my fic #my fanfic #sanders sides fanfic #sanders sides fanfiction #sanders sides #moceit #analogical #creativitwins #roman sanders #remus sanders #patton sanders #janus sanders #virgil sanders #logan sanders #remy sanders #emile picani

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carionto · 7 months

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A Proper Welcoming Party - Epilogue

Always Rig to Blow

Parts 1 2 3 and extra context

Jumping short distances with an emergency activation is generally safe due to the simple fact that the universe is so vast that 99.9999% of the time you'll end up in empty space.

This group of Big Thrashers raiders - Gobsmack's Gobbers (Big Thrasher named everyone and objections meant death) - found themselves in a nightmarish cluster of icy planetesimals, heavily illuminated for some reason, and criss-crossed with makeshift installations and contraptions whose purpose one could only guess at.

Alarms rang out of imminent collision as one of the ice rocks was hurtling towards their general direction. Barely composing themselves, the crew managed to fire up the engines and perform evasive maneuvers, but only just. And only for a brief moment - they were in a navigational nightmare, the likes of which even the most hardcore simulations only ever run as an example for places you never, ever, EVER fly into.

To add to their distress and confusion, the raiders were hailed by a lone Human vessel, which was darting with unbelievable agility through the impossible and ever changing field.

"Howdy there, names Abigail, you boys are lost I'm guessin'. Keep moving for a bit more, I'll turn off the Intermediate track config."

The Gobbers were stunned and blinded by a sudden outburst of hundreds of massive jets streaming immense propulsion force from all of the moving icy objects. Viewed from afar, a magnificent sight to behold - cascading lights, reflections, fiery cones, and sparkly clouds from escaping ice particles. Viewed from within, pure terror, a torturous miasma of fire, ice, dust, and raw force of power emanating from whatever is powering all these massive engines.

Merely a few seconds later though, complete silence. Peaceful even.

"So... bad jump, eh? It happens. Real poor luck ending up here though, gotta say. You should buy lottery tickets beating the odds like this!"

Abigail snort-laughs.

"If ya want, hook up to any of the track-layer movers, those things you just saw that, well, move the track pieces around. I hear our generators can fill up your wee batteries or whatever you got in minutes. Sorry I ain't got much else to offer, still working out the logistics for food and drink stalls here. Hard to get any sponsors so far out, you know?"

The raiders did not.

The more quick witted of the crew had already scanned the whole... mess of whatever this was, as well as Abigail's vessel, and realized something - all these engines mounted on some useless rocks, and her craft in particular, were extraordinarily powerful and tough, and most importantly - not attached to things with giant rail cannons. Big Thrasher wasn't here, so they were allowed to speak up and convince the others using evidence based facts and to make decisions as a group.

The pack of about a dozen ships had made a decision - they would plunder this area, take the Human as a trophy, and form a new Pirate Fleet with their soon-to-be enhanced ships. Abigail did not respond how they expected her to when they made their statement.

"Ooh, so like, you wanna have a competition, eh? See who's gonna be on top of the food chain. Alright."

An excited grin forming on her lips with that last word. A second later, every engine fired a searing jet of energy to once again engage the race track. This time on Expert difficulty.

Two of the Gobbers' ships were instantly crushed between colliding ice rocks, sending a shower of dust and debris all over the place, the rocks bouncing around (with the aid of the engines) to create a true chaos field of death.

It was a struggle to find any valid escape vectors in this ever changing vortex, but a few of the crew were working on a plan. The pilots just needed to keep the ships alive long enough. Meanwhile, Abigail was practically dancing around the field in her customized vessel, named Victor in bold neon lettering on its left flank. Whenever she spotted an opportunity, she manually fired off certain engines to make life for these pirates just a tad more unsurvivable than it already was.

Just as she had split three more ships in half with a particularly slim and sharpened icicle (the size of a small container ship) Victor came to a halt. All systems fried - it was a targeted EMP. Due to the prevalence of shielding technology, electromagnetic pulses were generally not that useful, unless you could generate one powerful enough to overwhelm the entire shield system, but that would be the equivalent of a star shooting one off, so they were rarely fielded. But as ramshackle pirate fleets go, you mount and use whatever you can get your hands on.

One of the more tech-savvy of the crew remembered that they had yet to encounter Human craft with shields, and that one of their ships had an EMP cannon. Being able to put two and two together at a greater pace than their former "Admiral", this one cleverly found a way to quickly defeat the Human.

Another crew member, who liked to dabble in the digital realm, initially dismissed their surprisingly easy access to the engine systems, thinking only a poorly set trap would use "Password" as the passcode for full system access. Once the excitement was slightly lesser from Abigail no longer making it worse every second, did they think to give it a try anyway.

And it worked. The UI was comically simple, again, most would dismiss a screen that just had five buttons on it labeled - [Beginner] [Novice] [Intermediate] [Expert] [Reset] - as a trap, but getting the sense this Human liked things simple, they pressed the Reset button, and once more the fireworks of engines and particles illuminated the area before halting the movements of the race track entirely.

Relieved beyond belief that the nightmare was over, the pirates, formerly know as Gobsmack's Gobbers (they'll come up with a new name soon, they just wanna get rid of Big Thrashers legacy as quickly as possible) set about to strip the place for all it was worth.

All of the pirate ships had indeed taken Abigail up on her previous offer and one of them was the first to finish recharging their hyperdrive, and was about to set out to go and retrieve Abigail's craft, when it suddenly burst back to life and a modified looking escape pod shot off to a fair distance from the track and the pirates who had all latched themselves to it. She opened a comm-link to the pack of raiders:

"Ehmps are annoying, but we got redundancies for a reason fellas. Also, you didn't think this place wasn't set to blow if I couldn't deal with ya'll in a bit more controlled way, did ya?

Well, cuz it is.

Rule #1, buckos - Always rig to blow."

With the flick of a switch and the brightness of a star, Abby's Action Asteroids (trademark never made it through), alongside a half-dozen of the remaining Raider ships, was no more.

Victor, or what's left of him, a shabby escape pod. Hector, sound asleep, she'd just given him a can of wet food before the whole... excitement started. And Abigail - miffed, scuffed, and a little drained, was looking to see what she hadn't "modified" or outright removed from the pod for her other "ideas". Fortunately, basic life support is intact, thrusters and quantum comms though... not so much. There's enough to cobble a regular transmitter and the cryo-stasis module appears intact.

"Welp, looks like it'll just be me, Victor, and Hector, ain't that right? (Oi, at least turn one of yer ears at me). Fine, then it'll be me and Victor. A-hem:

Dear diary, I hope somebody is less than a light-month out from here, cuz I got a fair to attend. They'll be showing off the newest burst jets. Imagine - you're going 0.002C, full stop, 180 turn, then back to 0.002C in under 10 seconds! Sure, any organic'll become a puddle, but at race-track speeds - think of the cornering we can do with that! Anyway, there's food for maybe a week, so imma join Hector now. (C'mere ya bum, we're sleepin' together). The end.

P.S. If you're the popo, it was totally self defense, I got the footage right here, I am not responsible for where the debris goes."

#humans are space orcs #humanity fuck yeah #humans are deathworlders #humans are space australians #humans are space oddities #story #scifi #carionto

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askmerriauthor · 9 months

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regarding pokemon sleep, it looks like you’re just looking for things to complain about. it’s designed to be this chill thing you check on during the day and leave running at night. to play it, all you have to do is sleep and feed your pokemon. no one’s telling you you to have to be the very best at it or pressuring you into paying for stuff, let alone the game itself.

If I was just looking for things to complain about, I'd still be out here whinging over Pokemon Cafe's delightfully charming art style being absolutely wasted on a junk puzzle game instead of a full RPG or cozy slice-of-life Sim.

Regarding this post here.

Hi, I'm MerriAuthor. Apparently we haven't met because anyone who follows my blog would know that I've worked in game development well on 20 years now. I've worked across the industry from little nobody indie houses, to overseas gacha-fodder, to big ol' AAA major studios. Video games and their design are a big part of my life and, boy howdy, do I have some FEELINGS about the direction the industry as a whole has gone in as the years go by. Especially in regards to the predatory monetization of gaming and how it actively preys on children, uninformed parents, people with addictive behaviors, people with hyper-competitive personalities, and similar behavioral traits solely for the purpose of making money at their expense.

it’s designed to be this chill thing you check on during the day and leave running at night. to play it, all you have to do is sleep and feed your pokemon.

As with the previous person I spoke with on this topic, that is the base function of the game. But it's by no means the design of the game. Pokemon Sleep's entire game play rotation and marketplace are designed around encouraging the Player to interact with it as much as possible within an intentionally limited time frame. Meanwhile, the game's own time scale is such that it expects Players to log hundreds if not thousands of hours of interaction with it. Its own base gameplay loop is a weekly schedule and its shop schedule is monthly. Some Pokemon require a bare minimum of 150 hours of logged sleep to even access. Pokemon Sleep wants you to be in it for the long haul.

It's also based on collection; nearly every facet of the game is listed numerically and with a percentage value or progress bar, which are functions designed to produce urgency to complete them in the Player. Human brains don't like seeing an unfinished goal, especially one represented so overtly as an unfilled progress bar or a percentage value with a decimal. Want to have your favorite Pokemon as your napping buddy but don't want to put in a ton of effort playing the game to boost up your Snorlax's power score? Better hope it's one of the low-tier Pokemon assigned into the lower brackets of the gameplay progression, because otherwise you're never going to see it. Though you could always just fork over some cash. Nearing the end of your week with Snorlax and you're just shy of a milestone you've been aiming the entire week for? Good luck! You can pay money for that extra little boost, and once you've done it you'll resent its absence enough to want to buy it again! Do you want to level up that cutie first Charmander the game gave you at the very beginning specifically to ingrain itself with faux emotional value into your favorite Charizard? Want your Eevee to evolve into one of its most popular Eeveelutions? Want a Lucario, period? You'll need to put in hundreds of hours of consistent sleep to save up enough Sleep Points exclusively toward that goal... or you can just buy access to it immediately, through first purchasing access to the Premium Subscription! A Premium Subscription which, again, doesn't auto-cancel if you delete the app and can't be canceled through the app itself, for all you distracted parents who don't pay attention to fine print and wonder why your kid's game is running up a bill on your credit card each month after the 14-day free period - just long enough for you to have forgotten all about it in the first place. Snorlax wants a specific kind of Berry this week, but none of the helper Pokemon you recruited gather that berry, or they do and are just too low on Energy to manage it? Aren't you lucky! The shop will just sell you solutions to these problems the game itself created specifically to get you to shell out money!

no one’s telling you you to have to be the very best at it or pressuring you into paying for stuff, let alone the game itself.

Here's some screen shots from the game's own app page. Buttons to make purchases and drive interaction - the app store, sleep pass, how many dream shards you have, a prompt to buy more inventory space, your missions, your current goal, the progress meter and rarity values of your Pokemon's sleep styles, your collection and their levels, etc - are all constantly and prominently displayed. The entire first day of actual gameplay in the app is a tutorial explaining how it wants you to do more than just sleep and passively collect to the point that it literally sets a daily schedule of activity for you. The mechanics explanations are so egregiously long that the Professor character literally apologizes to the Player for being so long-winded about it. Oh, an adorable moment of self-depreciation and understanding! How humanizing and encouraging of empathy from the user, done with a cheeky wink and nod. Now that we've softened your emotional state ever so slightly, here's some more microtransaction-driven gameplay elements!

If this was really just a cute little game to idle around with for its own fun, there wouldn't be a cash shop, nor would the game require a consistent internet connection to its servers. The big thing with games like these is that they're not made for the Player's benefit or entertainment. They're made to make the parent company profits. That's it. If the Pokemon Company didn't think they'd make substantial returns on the investment of development, support, marketing, and online distribution costs to put this game out into the world, they never would have made it. That is a core reality of any product put out these days. I just spent this last week helping my studio's marketing and sales team make sales projections for one of our upcoming titles, figuring out how much we could reasonably charge our potential customers literally down to the penny. And the game we're selling isn't even a service with any kind of microtransactions or DLCs. Profits are fundamental in any studio production and, where microtransaction apps are concerned, are the core focus of why the app exists.

If you're perfectly happy with playing Pokemon Sleep as an idle "pop on every once in a while, poke for a few minutes, then forget about and never pay a cent" kind of game? Totally fine, you do you. But understand that Pokemon Sleep doesn't want you as its player and will not cater to your experience. The core gameplay of Pokemon Sleep is already designed to actively degrade into a subpar experience for those who don't pay to play and that rift will only become more pronounced as time goes by. Everything around the cash shop exists for no other reason than to encourage you to use the cash shop. Over time, the gameplay will further contort itself to drive more interaction with and reliance upon the cash shop as the app sheds its non-paying users who just tire of it and move on, instead doubling-down on the lingering, paying users who have already proven themselves a reliable stream of revenue. That is how these things always go and have always historically gone.

There's also the consistently apt adage of "if you're not paying for the product, you are the product". Pokemon Sleep requires an internet connection any time you want to interact with the app - there is no offline mode. Further, the actual fine print in the terms of service (not the bubbly, legally-meaningless assurances put into the game text itself) addresses that it will collect and may share your device information, user ID, and app activity (ie, the schedules, timing habits, and spending habits the game itself has ingrained into its interaction with the Player) for analytics and advertising purposes, and that they're okay with sharing (ie, selling) that information to third parties without naming who those third parties are. And boy, does the game really want you to link your Google, Apple, and Facebook accounts to it as part of its core functionality! Worth keeping in mind as well is that the app requires constant access to your microphone and can pick up sounds as minor as a sheet rustling when you turn over in bed. The game's bubbly, meaningless text assures you that it doesn't save or transfer the snippets of sleep recordings it makes of you each night, but it makes absolutely no assurances whatsoever in the fine print that it's not using your microphone for other purposes. It does, however, point out that it will be making use of your phone's functions even when you're not using the app.

So, yeah, I'll just still be over here not playing Pokemon Sleep and encouraging others to do the same, as well as pay closer attention to the nature of so-called "free to play" games.

#pokemon #pokemon sleep #game design #game development #microtransactions #corporations are not your friend

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muddyorbsblr · 2 years

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a heart like yours part 1: the mission

Summary: You're on a mission with Steve, Wanda, Natasha, and Loki to apprehend a healer who's been performing extreme acts of vigilante justice. Your altercation with her makes your life take a turn for the worst.

Pairing: Steve x Reader; Loki x Reader (eventually)

Word Count: 3.2k

Warnings: cringe bf Steve and his god-awful nickname for you, childish petty jealous bf Steve, angst [let me know if i missed anything!]

"Hold on, so why are you going on this mission with the rest of them? And Romanoff, too?" Tony asked Steve, who was currently briefing the entire team on the mission that would start in the morning. "I mean okay I understand Rock of Ages and Maximoff because they have magic that can fight against this…what does she call herself again? The Sin Healer? Can I just say? Terrible name."

"Craptastic," you butted in, leading Tony to bump fists with you.

"And you," Tony pointed your way. "I understand you going. You speak the language like a local. But your boyfriend here?" He pointed at Rogers. "And Romanoff?" He pointed Nat's way. "I don't get it. You're better off replacing yourself with Thor on this one, Capsicle."

"I can assure you that I can keep Lady Y/N safe, Steven," Thor spoke from his chair, munching on a pop tart and effectively getting crumbs everywhere. It was a godsend that the staff were so efficient in the tower or else he would've caused an ant problem years ago. "You have my word that between my brother and I, we'll bring her back in one piece for you. Isn't that right, Loki?"

"That is correct, Brother. What ever magic this Sin Healer wields, I should be able to deflect it with no issue. I will stay close to Y/N and ensure that she will not be in any grave danger." He gave you a soft smile that you couldn't help but return, causing Steve to let out a barely audible groan. Despite all your reassurances throughout the eight months that you'd been together, Steve still maintained quite the sour attitude when it came to Loki's very obvious soft spot for you.

You were the only one that he didn't speak to with an air of superiority, as if he was looking down on you, as if he saw you as someone with an inferior mind. And you were also the only one who didn't treat him like he was a time bomb set to go off if you so much as breathed wrong around him.

That, and he called you by your first name. With the exception of his brother, Loki only ever called everyone by their last names.

The thought of him protecting you grated on Steve's nerves something bad, and he'd never tell you, but that was the only reason he assigned himself on this mission. It was no secret to him that you liked the god, perhaps even held a tiny crush on him when he moved into the Tower two years ago, something that you'd never admit to so he never bothered asking you.

But what was also no secret to him that was for some reason completely oblivious to you, was that the god had feelings for you. Maybe even loved you.

Despite what the rest of the team might think, he wasn't some naive old-fashioned "howdy how do you do ma'am" rootin' tootin' naive boy from the 40s anymore. He put in the effort to adjust and understand the world around him. And that included the cues that anyone displayed, human and god alike, when they were hiding their feelings.

"I will go and I will stay close to Y/N," he insisted, reaching over and weaving his fingers through yours. "We're gonna be fine, babe." He really said it more to himself than to you, but it got you to send that smile his way, and that was enough. "Natasha and I are joining this mission because the Sin Healer can turn people into her own personal puppets and with the power she's been displaying, she might have a troop at her disposal. Those who aren't going will stay in the Tower on comms to assist remotely. As for the rest of us? We leave at 0500 hours."

You barely slept that night, thinking about various strategies that you could employ to weave your way through the crowd and smoke out the Sin Healer.

Honestly the biggest atrocity at the moment was that sad excuse for a villain name. If she wanted to sound menacing she shouldn’t have tried to sound like she was Christ Incarnate—

"Y/N, Couchie, go to sleep, I'm begging you. I can hear the wheels in your head turning," Steve grumbled, throwing his arm around you and spooning you. "We have 12 hours to battle plan on the jet, and I don't want you falling asleep mid-flight again. Last time you nearly split your brow on Laufeyson's armor."

You groaned at the memory. No one wanted to take the seat next to him, still acting like he was two steps away from throwing them out the emergency exit doors mid-air, so you parked yourself in the vacant seat, much to your boyfriend's panic and dismay. Next thing you knew, you were waking up with the raven-haired god holding you in a gentle and cautious embrace, one hand supporting your head, and your faces inches from one another.

Naturally, you righted yourselves within seconds and pretended nothing happened. Really, nothing did. But it did paint quite the suspicious picture to anybody looking at it from an outsider's perspective. It definitely caused quite the argument between you and Steve the minute you entered your apartment in the tower, with him asking you point blank if anything was going on between you and the Asgardian.

You two nearly broke up that night. Had it not been for Steve apologizing hours after he stormed out of your place, telling you that Loki himself had approached him and explained that he only held you like that because when the jet hit some turbulence, your head had swayed so dangerously close to the metal adorning his armor and he didn't want you slicing your face open on it.

"I'll just make sure I don't fall asleep next to Loki then," you retorted.

"Just try to sleep, baby," he murmured, pressing a kiss to your shoulder.

You tried. You failed. Something in you had a niggling feeling that this mission would end badly for at least one of the members of the team.

And a large part of you felt so conflicted because instead of worrying about the well-being of yourself or your lover, or even your friends Nat and Wanda. No. Instead you found yourself foolishly worrying about undoubtedly the most powerful person on this mission. The thousand-something year old god who could probably perform this mission in his sleep, the one who didn't need worrying over.

That silent unnecessary worrying was what led to where you were now, head leaned back against the wall of the Quinjet, strapped in as secure as can be (maybe a touch too tight for comfort) thanks to your overly cautious boyfriend, trying desperately to catch some winks while you and Steve waited for the rest of the team to board.

"I told you to sleep earlier," he gloated in a tone similar to that borderline annoying 'more superior than thou' tone that he used in that star-spangled PSA.

You felt someone occupy the seat next to you. "Hey, Couchie." You groaned at Nat's teasing. Everyone who knew the nickname Steve had taken to calling you had their opinion on it. It was atrocious. And you had to agree.

Unfortunately he insisted that the name would stick, continually using it with his soft voice and puppy dog eyes. He said that he came up with the name because as a kid he always preferred to sleep on the couch because it was the more comfortable than his own bed, so couches were a haven for him, a place that reminded him of safety. Security. Home. "That's how I feel with you. So I guess you're stuck with it," he explained back then with a sweet smile on his face.

And stuck with it you were. As cute as the backstory was for it, the only thing you held on to was he liked to fall asleep on couches. So did that mean that I bring him to sleep? you thought to yourself once. You didn't know whether to be flattered or offended.

"You wanna use my shoulder as a pillow or should I empty my seat so that Laufeyson can stay here instead?" Your eyes shot open to glare daggers at the master assassin, who had a smirk on her face as she stared at you right back. "He even stashed the metal on his suit to wear later when we actually land. Pretty sure he did that for you."

You groaned again. A few months after Loki moved into the tower, you had a few too many drinks with her and Wanda, letting slip that you found the god "devastating infuriating panty-dropping levels of attractive". They relentlessly teased you now every opportunity they had, and that incident with you falling asleep on him was just the cherry on top.

But what really fueled their jokes was something unknown to you. Shortly after you started dating Steve, the two women had stumbled upon the god asleep in the library and Wanda had the devious idea to try reading his mind. He was dreaming of you, dancing with you and whispering confessions of undying love in your ear. She immediately exited his mind after, and told Natasha everything she saw.

Natasha stood up and vacated the seat next to you right as Loki stepped into the Quinjet, signaling to the empty seat with her eyes which caused the god to look at her with a confused suspicion. She hid her smile as he took her cue and strapped himself in beside your sleeping form, taking her seat beside Steve, who was now visibly seething at the sight of his girlfriend once again dozing next to the god of mischief.

"You could've stayed there, instead," he grumbled at his friend. "You and Wanda could've flanked her."

"Flanked who?" Wanda asked as she took the seat beside Natasha. One look in your direction, at the god who was currently eyeing you the way people looked at puppies, and she knew exactly what Steve was talking about. It was as if you were something so precious and deserving of love and he just wanted to hold you. "Oh. I see," she said with a sly grin as she strapped herself in.

As the Quinjet took off, the sudden jostling of the aircraft forced you to sharply throw your body forward, pulling you away from your leaning position against the metal wall. Had it not been for the seatbelts keeping you strapped in, you would've gone flying through straight into Natasha. But then they all watched as your body recoiled against the straps and your head throw back towards the wall again.

The three Avengers sitting on the other side of the aircraft watched as Loki leaned over and put his hand up to catch you before your head hit the wall and you awoke with a sharp gasp as he did so, your eyes widening as you saw that, once again, your faces were inches away from one another.

"You nearly knocked your head on the wall," he explained, keeping his voice even as he pulled away from you. "You need to be more careful where you fall asleep, Y/N. There may not always be someone to catch you."

"I'll keep that in mind," you answered softly as you kept your eyes front, noticing that your boyfriend was currently looking at you with simmering jealousy. 'What?' you mouthed. He merely pouted and turned to look away from you. "Child," you murmured to yourself.

"He is," Loki spoke in a low, hushed voice. Had you not been seated so close together you wouldn't even be able to hear. "You're far too good for him, darling. You deserve a partner who would at the very least check on you instead of sulk as if he were a toddler in a soldier's body."

You pursed your lips to keep the chuckle from escaping. But you nearly choked on your own spit at his next words.

"And you most definitely deserve better than someone who would call you such an atrocious moniker. A woman like you deserves to be likened to sirens. Muses. Goddesses. Not furniture."

You were grateful you weren't drinking anything because otherwise it would have most likely sprayed the three people sitting across from you. You let out a few wheezy chuckles before composing yourself and sitting back upright.

"I overstepped," he murmured. "Apolo--"

"Don't apologize," you whispered back. "It was funny. And you're more than welcome to poke fun at the name. I do."

You struggled to keep your tone light, your mind lingering on his words. Sirens, muses, goddesses. Did he really see me like that? You hoped he did, you always hoped he did. But you'd also always known better than to hold on hope for the impossible.

And Loki Laufeyson loving you back? Yeah. That was impossible.

That was precisely why you chose to say "Yes" to Steve asking you out in the first place.

It was another ten hours before you landed in Sorsogon. There was a clearing that was just large enough for the Quinjet to land in, about two miles away from the nearest cluster of houses. You all walked towards the little cottages cautiously, trying to stay hyper aware of your surroundings just in case the Sin Healer had puppeteered some unsuspecting villagers to be her foot soldiers.

Once you reached the cluster of cottages, Steve spoke up. "There are six cottages. Let's all take one each and take the last one together?"

His instructions infuriated Loki. What ever happened to "I will go and I will stay close to Y/N"? Now he sent you into an old cottage in the middle of practically nowhere all on your lonesome? He decided to enter the cottage closest to the one you chose so that if you needed backup he would come sprinting, keeping true to his word last night of keeping close to you and ensuring that you weren't in any grave danger.

When he was satisfied that there were no signs of life in the small house, he exited the cramped structure and made his way over to yours. He already knew that the other houses were empty thanks to the benefit of his heightened senses, but a selfish part of him chose not to help your three teammates and instead look out for you in silence.

And then he heard you speak and it was as if he felt his heart stop beating. He listened closely to the conversation, translating what he heard in ease thanks to his Allspeak.

"Hindi po kita sasaktan," he heard you speak. I mean you no harm.

"Kilala kita," an elderly sounding woman answered. I know you. "Nakikita kita sa balita kasama mo ang mga Avengers." I see you on the news with the Avengers. "Masmaganda ka sa personal." You're more beautiful in person. "Parang dyosa." Like a goddess.

He smiled to himself. That she was.

"Salamat po. Kung hindi po masyadong abala para sayo, pwede mo po ba kaming tulungan?" Thank you. If it's not too much of a bother, I was wondering if you could help us?

"Syempre naman. Ano kailangan niyo?" Of course. What do you need?

"May hinahanap po kami. Tawag niya sa sarili niya ay…Sin Healer. Marami na po siyang nasaktang tao." We're looking for someone. They call themselves Sin Healer. They've hurt a lot of people.

"Dumaan siya dito kaninang umaga. Kaya lumayas na ang mga kapitbahay ko. Nanatili lang ako dahil…matanda na ako, tumanda akong mag-isa. Wala na akong mapupuntahan."They were here this morning. That's why my neighbors ran away. I merely stayed here because I'm old, and I lived my whole life alone. I have nowhere to go.

There was a pregnant pause before the old woman spoke again. "May kalungkutan akong nakikita sa mata mo. Ang kasama mo sa buhay…hindi ikaw ang mahal? At ikaw naman…nasa iba ang puso mo?"There's a sadness in your eyes. The person you're with…they do not love you? And you…someone else has your heart?

"Ang kinakasama ko po…alam ko naman po na nagpapalipas lang siya ng oras sa akin. May iba na syang minahal at…wala na siya sa mundong ito, at inaantay na lang nya na dumating ang oras nya para magkasama na sila muli. At yung minamahal ko…alam ko naman na wala akong pag-asa doon. Walang parte sa akin na may karapatang makatanggap ng pagmamahal nya." The man I am with…I know that he is only passing time with me. He loves another and…she's gone, and he's only waiting for his time to come so they can be together again. As for the one I love…I know that there's no hope there. There is no part of me that deserves his love.

You sounded like you were on the verge of tears with your last words, and the dull ache in Loki's heart grew sharp and devastating. He burned with rage at Rogers for how dare he simply see you as someone to pass the time with? He loathed the man who thought you undeserving of his attention, his affection. If you were his--

But that is the tragedy of the situation, isn't it? he thought bitterly. She's not mine. Much as I long for her to be.

"Saan ka natuto ng lengwahe namin?" the elderly woman asked. Where did you learn our language?

"Ipinanganak ako dito. Ipinalaki ako dito. May mga kamaganak ako na tiga-Sorsogon." I was born here. I was raised here. I have relatives in Sorsogon.

"Ibig sabihin pamilyar ka sa sumpa ng puso?" Does that mean that you are familiar with the heart's curse?

A moment of silence passed before you answered in a solemn voice. "Hanggang sa maihayag ang katotohanan, ay mananatili kang parang patay. At pag lumipas ang pitong araw na hindi ka pa nagigising, ay mananatili kang tulog habangbuhay."

A chill ran down his spine as the words sunk in. Until the truth is revealed, you will remain like the dead. And if seven days passes with the curse unbroken, you will never awaken.

He heard your muffled cries and it was as if his entire world stopped when you whispered, "Ikaw." You.

"Ang siyang makakagising lang sayo ang siyang minamahal ka ng buong puso. Siya na nagmamahal ng puro at totoo." The only one who can wake you is the one who loves you with their whole heart. The one whose love for you is pure and true.

"Parang sinigurado mo na mamamatay ako." It's like you made sure that I would die.

And then he heard you through comms. "If anyone copies, I've been compromised. She got me."

"Y/N?!" Romanoff and Maximoff yelled from their ends.

Loki heard a thud from inside the cottage, feeling like his own heart had stopped beating as he went off sprinting inside. He had no care for the elderly woman who was now casually walking out the back door plainly within his view.

His only focus was your nearly lifeless form on the ground.

A/N: Ahhh it's begun! I can't wait to finish writing and share the rest of this story with you all. It was so much fun to write a good bit of this chapter in my mother tongue and weave it in as a plot element. Currently writing an outtake for 'relinquish the crown' but after that I'm diving right into Part 2!

Also a big thanks to @lokisgoodgirl for that nickname. I asked for cringe and you, my friend, DELIVERED. It's so cringe it needs its own warning and I wouldn't have it any other way 🤣

Taglist: @lokisgoodgirl @lokischambermaid @imalovernotahater @redbluekjw @lucylaufeyson3 @thomase1 @springdandelixn @fictive-sl0th @mochie85 @laliceee @xorpsbane @gigglingtigger @silverfire475 @cabingrlandrandomcrap @vickie5446 @salempoe @lokixryss @sinsandguilt @lokidbadguy @alexakeyloveloki @glitterylokislut @arch-venus25 @freefrommars @littlemortals @cakesandtom @girl-of-multi-fandoms @mischief2sarawr @thedistractedagglomeration @five-miles-over @goblingirlsarah @peaches1958

#loki x reader #loki fanfiction #loki fanfic #steve rogers x reader #marvel fanfiction #mcu fanfiction #loki x female reader #loki laufeyson

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altschmerzes · 4 months

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THE 13 BOOKS I READ IN 2023 IN ORDER FROM BEST TO WORST + THE PROTAGONIST'S SUPERLATIVE. PART 2.

6. A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engel. a timeless classic that i love love love. meg is such a fun protagonist and i really enjoyed experiencing this as an adult again. the whole like… helpless devastated rage she feels when she realizes that adults can't just. fix everything? that sequence will always rattle me around like a mason jar fulla beans. she's such a like… man. the way the narrative was like. this isn't fair. it isn't right. it's happening anyway. i'm so sorry, but it's happening anyway. that really got me.

Protagonist: Meg Murry. Most Likely To Have A Profound And Life Altering Impact On Adolescent Weird Girls Who Read Her Book.

7. Whiskeyjack by Victoria Goddard. third book in the series, slightly less fun than the others but only very slightly. i cannot emphasize enough how difficult it was to rank like, 2-8. had some VERY fun stuff with like…. things you learn that then go back and recontextualize everything else. ended on a scene that made me fucking sob which is always a plus in my book. themes of FAMILY and LOYALTY and SACRIFICE. my fucking beloved. yes please. the pov character continues to have a horrible little time. also love that.

Protagonist: (again, series has dual protagonists, so switching back) Peregrine Dart. Most Likely To Be The Unwitting Conduit Of The Deus Ex Machina. Deus Ex Dart.

8. One By One by Ruth Ware. just a really good classic mystery thriller. i love a mystery thriller, and ruth ware seems to always hit for me. managed to pull off a pov switch between two pov characters one of whom had a massive, MASSIVE secret without it seeming completely nonsensical once revealed or relying on the pov character talking in deliberately obtuse or evasive ways that would be really tiresome and insulting if carried through. there was a set of tech bro startup characters that were obnoxious and infuriating in exactly the way that those people are in real life, so points for that for SURE even though i did wanna throttle them.

Protagonist: Erin (Lastname). Most Deserving Of A Tropical Vacation.

9. The Ritual by Adam Nevill. this is the most brutal book i have read in recent memory. possibly at all. this guy gets put all the way through the wringer physically and emotionally and it is visceral in the way it is described. the protagonist was a profoundly unpleasant person a lot of the time but this was deliberate and really engaging, honestly. there were some moments of stark self-reflection from him about the ways in which he did not like who he was and the things he did, and when he recognized how like. unfair and cruel he was being to the others in his head. wasn't as good as the movie, imo, but the changes that they made between the book and film made total sense given the sheer level of interiority in the book. and boy howdy how much interiority. whoof.

Protagonist: Luke. Most Surprising Survival.

10. I Am Not Who You Think I Am by Eric Rickstad. i think the most damning thing that can be said about this book is that i literally can't remember almost anything about it. it was compelling in some ways and there were a few very specific moments that i was really gripped by but most of it was like. a really flat letdown. it was interesting enough as a mystery that i finished it but i don't even really remember why, now.

Protagonist: Wayland Maynard. Most Forgettable Guy.

11. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. just. ugh. dystopia ya in a bad way. too complicated and not well established. dumbass colour coding system. it could've been so fun, i love traumatized teenagers with powers and an evil government in all sincerity but this just did not do anything good with it. it looked like it COULD have but it DIDN'T. the love interest character was a DICK. there was some weird gender takes that popped out of nowhere. jump-scared by gender. did enjoy watching the movie though because it was fucking insane and gave me a scene where the protagonist and the love interest shared a passionate embrace over what fully appeared to be the dead body of the love interest's theoretical best friend. amazing. no notes.

Protagonist: Ruby Daly. Most Likely To One Day Decide She's Tired Of Being Nice And She Does Want To Go Apeshit Actually.

12. Reputation by Sarah Vaughan. [VIDEODROME PRESCREEN AUDIENCE REVIEW WHERE THEY JSUT WROTE 'SUCKED' AND GOT SO UPSET ABOUT HOW BAD IT WAS THEY MARKED THE WRONG GENDER] this book was BAD. the writing was bad. the characters were bad and not on purpose. the politics of the book were uh. whoof. what if white girlboss feminism was a novel. points for some of the hardest i've laughed tho at Nice Dick Mike the journalist that the protagonist cannot respect after she sleeps with him and Lady Cop With Bangs, the traitor to womanhood.

Protagonist: Emma Webster. Most Likely To Submit An Extremely Long Post To Reddit Dot Com Slash Am I The Asshole That Leaves Out A Lot Of Like, Extremely Critical Information That When Uncovered All Makes Her Look Really Fucking Bad While She Seems To Still Think It Was Entirely Irrelevant And Honestly Unfair To Even Consider. Gd Forbid Women Do Anything.

UNCATEGORIZED: 21st Century Jocks: Sporting Men And Contemporary Heterosexuality by Eric Anderson. there was simply no way to rank this among the others, it was too completely different. they were all very different books but this was just. entirely different. had a wonderful time with it though!! gave me a lot to think about as someone who thinks a lot

thank you for joining me on this journey. i loved reading books again this year and would wholeheartedly recommend anything ranked 1-9 on this list, provided you like the genre/vibe.

#gav gab #book club with gav #long post

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perpetualexistence · 3 months

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Sea Monster AU: A Deal with an Eel

I'm so very proud of the name of this part. Rhyming gives me too much joy. As do memes.

Anyways, we're cooking with petrol now fellas. Once more I told myself I'd mostly copy and paste a paragraph I already have, and then I went ahead and elaborated on it. Whoops. On the plus side, if I do make this into a fic I'll have a lot of the heavy lifting cut out for me.

There's no scene with dialogue in this one, but boy howdy is there trauma. This is where it starts to get messy and gorey, so read at your own risk. I don't go into too much detail (saving that for the fic), but still. If you want to avoid the worst of it, you can stop reading where it says 'From there? A bloodbath.' and pick up again at 'Noah doesn't do so well for the first few days after that.'

TW: Gore mention, Alejandro being a manipulative ass, Cannibalism (Don't know if it really counts since it's a merfolk eating humans, but I'll just put that there just in case)

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Noah's in quite a bind since his former best friend is now threatening to murdering him for the sake of reputation. He's never been one for words that aren't sarcastic quips, and those are probably going to get him killed faster right now. Alejandro's always been the one who was better with words. Can't exactly ask him for advice right now.

From what he knows about Alejandro, Noah can piece together that the eel likes power over others and acclaim. And apparently eating people. Whatever he's going to offer, he's going to have to make himself useful for a long period of time. Noah doesn't want Alejandro to just decide it's no longer worth it to keep him alive.

He also know there's no way he can just let Alejandro do whatever he wants in Lake Wawanawkwa. For as much as he hates his hometown, he doesn't want any of the people in it to die. Not to mention having people 'mysteriously disappear' around his hometown would probably be bad for business and serve as the final nail in the coffin for the town.

It's just his luck that Alejandro found his way to Noah's hometown first. This seriously couldn't have happened to the Big City instead?! It's got plenty more people to lose. Definitely more who deserve it. Or literally any other town that surrounds Lake Wawanakwa. The lake's the size one of the Great Lakes. It borders the US and Canada so it's got plenty of manned cargo ships and dumb asshole tourists. Noah wouldn't be surprised if Alejandro chose it for that reason.

...

Noah might have just found two problems that solve each other.

It's cruel. He's surely going to have nightmares trying to live with himself. But it will quell Alejandro's appetite, preserve the few people Noah actually cares about, and buy him enough time to figure out how to take Alejandro down permanently.

Noah tells Alejandro that if he keeps Noah around, then he'll will help Alejandro hunt.

Noah can hack into shipping routes to find ships that are going to be isolated. Check for when news about 'mysterious disappearances' starts getting more public. Use social media to find out when any touristy assholes with their big yachts are coming to one of the nearby towns for a visit. Sure, Alejandro could settle for just the waters around his town first. They'd be easy pickings with no one taking notice until most of the town was gone. But if Alejandro really wants to make a name for himself? Start with mysterious disappearances of ships in deeper waters first, and then work your way up towards the bigger towns. More challenging prey, but much more of them. Besides, Alejandro loves a challenge, right?

Noah's sick to his stomach. Alejandro just blinks at the sheer cojones of this small human that he can feel is trying not to shake like a leaf. And he beams because this is going to be a marvelous partnership.

Alejandro's not happy that he'll be forced to let Noah go for this first meal so that Noah can actually find a good ship for him using his computer. He does remind Noah that until then, Alejandro won't really have a choice but to hunt on his own. And that his new size require quite an amount of energy to maintain. And if Noah tries to use this time to set up a trap? Well, even if Noah could find something that would hurt him, Alejandro would make certain that he's not the only one who loses.

Now, off Noah goes. Alejandro knows he's got a lot to think about now. Oh, and he does expect Noah to come back again tomorrow for their regularly scheduled reading time. Alejandro's simply enthralled by the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr.Darcy, and must know how it evolves!

Noah's thrown back at how Alejandro can just flip his mood around so fast. And Alejandro insists that the deal is just business. The friendship is for pleasure, and he sees no reason to stop it so long as they make sure business is always handled first. Leaving a very confused Noah to process what he's just done.

Cut to a short timeskip where Noah finds a decent sized ship he's willing to sacrifice to Alejandro. He tells Alejandro all the details, to which Alejandro thanks him. Noah's ready to turn tail and not face what he's just done when a large hand suddenly cuts off his path. Alejandro insists that Noah has to come with him. He needs to make sure Noah hasn't just created a trap for him. Besides, it'll be fun. He even got a small boat for Noah so that he can push Noah along to the hunt.

Noah wants to know where Alejandro got the boat. Alejandro wants to know if he really wants the answer to that question. Noah decides he probably doesn't need to know.

Noah knows that he has no choice, so he reluctantly gets on the boat when the time comes. Alejandro pushes the boat from under the water so that Noah can go faster that the boat could go on its own. He's so eager that he's letting out 'little' shocks in the surrounding water. So Noah's not going to be jumping out of that boat to flee even if he was stupid enough to try.

Once they're close enough to spot the ship, Alejandro leaves Noah close enough to see what's happening on the ship, but not close enough to put him in any danger. Alejandro swims under the water and Noah watches as electricity suddenly courses through the ship. Alejandro's just fried all the systems, making communications to other ships impossible.

From there? A bloodbath.

There's shouts of alarm from the crew at the electricity that just coursed through the ship. Quickly turned into fear when Alejandro emerges from the water. They beg for the sake of their families, pray to whatever god(s) they worship. Alejandro does not hold back. He grabs and squeezes sailors to death, dropping their bodies so he can move onto the next one. He tears them apart, bites them in half, swallows them whole, throws them into a wall to watch them splatter. He switches between kills as fast as he goes through sailors. It's almost wasteful if the point is to eat enough to be content for a while.

That's what clues Noah in to the fact that this isn't just a hunt. It's a performance for Noah's benefit. Because Alejandro is constantly looking back to make sure Noah's still watching (as if Noah could tear his eyes away from the sight). Alejandro's testing Noah's resolve. This isn't a test that he can afford to fail. He forces himself to keep watching.

When Alejandro is done feasting, he makes sure to sink the ship to hide the evidence of what he's done. He makes his way back to a Noah who absolutely fails to hide his fear this time around. It was one thing to stand up to Alejandro when what he said was just a threat. It's a much different story after seeing exactly what he's capable of.

Alejandro apologizes for pushing Noah so hard so fast. He promises that he'd never do the same to Noah so long as he keeps up his end of the deal. He reaches his finger close and gently uses a knuckle to brush aside some of Noah's wet hair. He gently nuzzles that knuckle against Noah's cheek, taking care not to get any blood on him. Alejandro promises Noah won't even have to find another meal for a week or two. He won't even need to come the next time around if he doesn't want to.

Noah's more than happy to take him up on that offer and just head home. To which Alejandro cleans himself of any unsightly gore, and takes Noah back.

Noah doesn't do so well for the first few days after that.

He's definitely avoiding the cove, and he's avoiding his family too. The biggest thing eating at him is the guilt that there's a very good chance the people Alejandro ate didn't actually have it coming. He just made assumptions based on who they worked for. Even if he never has to witness it again, he still knows innocents COULD be on board. This is all his fault and is the problem he made for himself. It's his responsibility to do something about this. So during his spiraling and attempting to find some way to salvage this, he comes up with a new idea.

Noah drags himself back to his spot. Alejandro's clearly been waiting for him and perks up when he spots him. Before Alejandro can say anything, Noah lays down some new terms. He's going to keep going to the hunts. BUT. He wants to be able to get on the ship before Alejandro starts slaughtering. He can use the boat to fake being a castaway or a stupid tourist who didn't put enough fuel in his boat. Anything to get whoever's on the ship to let Noah on without raising suspicion. Whether he's faking being hurt or being in trouble, he'll use that to try to determine the kind of people they are. If he manages to find someone who doesn't deserve to die, then Alejandro spares them.

Alejandro stops Noah right there. Because Alejandro likes Noah, but he can't just let Noah dictate exactly who does or doesn't get to die. No one gets to control Alejandro like that.

Noah points out that any survivors could just be used to spread stories around. If Alejandro plays his cards right, he could be viewed as a vigilante rather than a monster. It might lead to fewer people attacking him in retaliation.

Besides, Noah calls him out for doing the hunt like that for his benefit. He knows Alejandro likes an audience. So if he wants to keep Noah as a willing audience, and as anything even remotely resembling a friend, he'll agree to the new terms. Otherwise Noah will only come by to give him targets and that's it. All business, no pleasure.

Alejandro really doesn't like the fact that Noah's figured him out like this. That display should have completely cowed Noah into submission to any demands Alejandro makes in the future. Because he definitely had plans to consume more ships than Noah was for now 'allowing' to while still keeping his companionship. On the one hand, he admires Noah's intelligence. On the other hand, it means that getting Noah to do exactly what he wants is harder. Still, Alejandro agrees to these new terms. He'll get Noah completely under his thumb one way or another.

The deal has been struck. Now it's time for the routine to begin.

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anxiety-elemental-kay · 9 months

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TriMax Vol. 5, Part 1: Vash Time

MY FAVORITE VOLUME LET’S FUCKING GOOOOOOOO

This is going to be especially interesting to talk about because from what I’ve read this is the volume where I’ve seen the most variety in interpretations. I’ll go over what I think is happening and why. I’ll be splitting my volume 5 thoughts into two posts, because I have So Fucking Many. This first one is just focused on Vash, the second will cover everything else. Because Vash is my blorbo and I have many thoughts. I am normal about this man and this franchise.

LOST JULY

[ID: A crop of a page from TriMax Volume 5 chapter 3. Vash is unconscious, wearing a straight jacket of some kind and strapped down to a table. His right arm is extended and held in an unknown device, surrounded by syringes and wires. Conrad and Knives are looking down at him. End ID] I’ve seen some disagreement about whether or not this was just Knives taking some kind of measurement, or if it continued into full experimentation on an unconscious Vash. I don’t think it’s clear either way, though I’m inclined to think more was done to Vash than just measuring his gate. We never see Vash use his powers before July, so I’m left to believe Knives did something to him to open his gate or make it so Knives could manipulate it. It could also be that once Knives wanted to know how powerful Vash was first before forcing his powers. There is room for interpretation: Vash could not utilize his powers on his own, didn’t even know his body was capable of something like this before July. It’s likely Knives didn’t either.

It’s not clear to me if Knives wanted Vash to manifest and fire the Angel Arm, or if he only wanted to transform him enough to frighten Vash, remind him that he isn’t human. Across panels the transformation is inconsistent, sometimes the barrel has formed, a panel later we can see Vash’s hand again. It’s not clear to me if this is an error, or if Vash is actively fighting the transformation. I did read another post that suggested Vash fired the Angel Arm in a deliberate attempt to hurt Knives without thinking/knowing about the damage it would do to July. Which. Top tier suffering. Something something impulsive choice made during a highly stressful and emotional moment with devastating long-term consequences leading to hyper-vigilance and self-flagellation.

THE NATURE OF VASH’S POWERS

Outside of the Fifth Moon, this is the first time we get a good look at Vash’s powers. Sure he has faster reflexes, greater intelligence, and (.) than humans, but those are more passive. They’re just part of who he is and how he moves through the world.

The wings though? Oh, boy howdy. They first appear when Hoppered nearly kills him. We see here (and later) his powers rise up when his life in danger. This response appears to be autonomic, entirely outside of conscious control. In fact when we get the reveal of Turbo Trauma Chicken Mode, Vash’s eyes are blank. The lights are on but no one is home.

The next chapters he spends in this state, and it’s unclear how aware he is of his surroundings or what he’s doing. When he tries to manifest and fire the Angel Arm, Elendira stops him by impaling it (and Legato’s weird monster) with a nail. Then Vash’s iris becomes visible again, either because of the pain, or the realization that he’d almost used the Angel Arm again.

Then he grips his transformed arm with his left, and this happens:

THAT’S SOME GOOD FUCKING BODY HORROR

[ID: A page from TriMax volume 5 chapter 6. Vash is kneeling, drawn without any clothing details against a black background. His left arm, flash and blood and not his prosthetic, is gripping his right near his shoulder hard enough to make it bleed. His right arm is a mutated mass of crying eyes, screaming mouths, deformed arms and hands, and long fleshy tendrils. End ID]

Another one of my favorite pages because holy shit that’s gross and terrifying and exactly the kind of shit I’m here for.

I interpret this moment as taking place in Vash’s head/a mindspace shared with Knives. Vash looks naked, but he has his original left arm, no black hair (briefly), and his body is outlined like he’s wearing clothes. That plus the black background and the presence of Knives makes me think this is meant to be how Vash sees himself and his powers. This is what it feels like to be Vash, part of his body has become a grotesque horror beyond his control. It’s repulsive and horrifying.

Quick side note: we also see this effect briefly during the Lost July flashback:

[ID: A crop of a page from TriMax Volume 5 chapter 3. Two vertical panels. In the first we see an unknown surface pierced in two places by fingers with long, broken fingernails. The second panel shows the gaps widened, the surface tattered, revealing a dark mass of screaming mouths and crying eyes. End ID.]

For two panels we see similar masses tearing through something, a representation of his gate opening for the first time? Back then they’re also shown screaming and crying, even as the mass breaks through with long, broken fingernails. It seems to represent now just Vash’s power, but also his own terror and grief. In the present, in Vash’s mind, the mass of his arm is screaming and crying, mirroring Vash. When Knives speaks I get the impression this is a telepathic conversation happening in the present. It reads to me like Knives preying on Vash’s vulnerable state to try to win him to Knives’ cause. Vash confesses he doesn’t know if humanity can be “saved” or if his way of life is correct. (Love a character who expresses doubt about what appeared to be a firm belief!). What he does know is that the people of July, the ones he killed, were kind to him. Above all else that’s the impression he’s left with. They were kind to him, and he killed them.

He’s able to calm his powers, becomes conscious and mobile enough to try to protect Hoppered from Legato-controlled zombie Midvalley, until Elendira decisively ends the fight.

VASH AND THE DEAD

Here’s two moments I want to point out in the final chapter:

[ID: A crop of three panels from TriMax volume 5 chapter 6. In the first we see Vash reaching down with both hands towards Hopper’s limp hand. In the second we see Vash take Hoppered’s hand gently in both of his. In the final we see Vash’s face, with an unclear expression, looking down at his right hand holding Hoppered’s. End ID]

[ID: A crop of three panels from TriMax volume 5 chapter 6. In the first we see in the foreground two silhouettes of cross-shaped gravestones, one with a saxophone hanging on it. Behind them we see Vash bowing with his hands together. Wolfwood is behind him, holding up a small cross. In the second panel it’s a closeup of Wolfwood’s face, he’s wearing sunglasses and holding his cross. His speech bubbles say “Yer bowin’ with yer palms together? Wrong religion, pal. Look, those are crosses.” In the last panel we see Vash’s face, he’s looking to the side with a small smile on his face. His speech bubbles say “I can put more feeling into it this way. Is that so wrong?”. End ID]

We see Vash hold the hand of a dying/dead man, one who just wished him eternal suffering. Then we see that he’s buried both Hoppered and Midvalley, probably with Wolfwood’s help, and given them last rites. How often do we see a protagonist of an action series take the time to put his enemies’ dead to rest? Vash saw both Hoppered and Midvalley as people, even though he didn’t know them, even though they tried to kill him and hurt both innocent people and the ones Vash personally cares for. He took the time he could have spent helping the living to care for the dead.

It bothers me when people reduce Vash’s philosophy down to “no killing” exclusively, because this scene shows it’s about more than that! It’s about even seeing terrible people as human, ones who should be comforted as they die, who deserve burials and late rites. Yes not killing anyone is important, because death is final and robs a person of a future and a chance to change. It’s not the end of the conversation though.

I think this distinction is important, and is related to something I know I’ll want to talk about near the end of the manga.

CONCLUSION

I just. I have a lot of emotions about Vash the Stampede. Someone please get this man some space antidepressants and a hug.

#trigun #trigun maximum #trigunbookclub #kay writes things

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fleet-admiral-hiba · 1 year

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Howdy again! I'm here with a request please and thank you! What are the reactions of Charlotte family at their darling becoming a devil fruit user. They'd been kidnapped for a full year and while they were on the island, they found a tree with a devil fruit(Not knowing what it is) they eat it. Now, I don't know if you have a devil fruit idea, but I was thinking of a Horror-Horror-No-mi. A fruit made by me that gives the user the powers of Alucard(Hellsing) and Alastor(Hazbin Hotel.) Love you!

Love the idea of the Devil fruit.

BIRDS OF PREY

Oh boy, that was indeed a surprise. Especially when you came back complaining about a fruit that had a bad taste. Immediately, alarm bells start ringing. Only DF taste bad and you must have eaten one.

Now it's just a question of knowing which one. It came totally as a surprise. You didn't mean to do that( maybe you did cause Flampe had been giving you a tough time).

She startled you, when you were carrying a home made cake, that was now ruined. Crying while she mocked you, your eyes turned cold, shadows starting to stretch. She didn't know what was happening, but seeing numerous eyes looking at her with malice, and you standing there, cold gaze piercing her, she was scared.

So much so, that she started to beg for forgiveness. It was Galette that snapped you out of this state, and looking at your tear stained face and at Flampe, she could guess what happened.

But what her sister told her made her surprised. A sweety like you, having a power so resourceful like this.

Still,you were pampered that night,as an apology for the ruined cake. Flampe learned not to cross you, especially now that you were under the elders wing.

Don't you worry darling, you will master the power soon enough

#one piece #one piece fanfiction #one piece headcanons #one piece imagine #one piece scenario #yandere charlotte family

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love-minor-poltergeist · 2 years

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Howdy! Could I request some HCs for the Devil with an S/O who is very cuddly and affectionate, but can’t stand the natural heat his fur retains/radiates? -🎃

A/N: Have a boyfriend who’s a walking space heater, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. They don’t account for hot Hell is and how hard it’d be to cuddle your demonic boyfriend because of it (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞ I had a lot of fun with this prompt! I may have gotten a little bit carried away, though (again..) (*ﾉ∀`*)

┍━━━━━♥♠♣♦━━━━━┑

The Devil x Affectionate! Reader:

Adoration– pure like freshly driven snow– is rare in Hell. Most relationships are ones built on the foundation of convenience or lust for power.

The Devil, at first, had assumed your affectionate behavior had meant that you had wanted something from him. It’s a bit depressing, but love without anything in return was a foreign concept to him.

The first few times you gave him sudden kisses or gently massaged his shoulders, he had turned towards you with lidded eyes and a small questioning hum. He had assumed the affection just meant you wanted something; it was easier to catch flies with honey, after all.

Imagine the confusion this poor man went through when you told him you just wanted to be sweet to him. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had loved him so tenderly. Let alone treat him with genuine kindness (well. Save for his family, and we all know how that ended-).

Once he gets the memo, though, the Devil becomes putty in your hands. He’ll let out tiny chuffs like the overgrown cat he is at the sight of you, accepting any and all kisses or head scritches you offer his way. Once he REALLY gets into it, the Devil’s tail will begin to wag as he rests his body on top of you; his engine-like purring rumbling in your ears.

He gets so spoiled by it that the demon begins to expect it everytime he sees you! Which is really cute for you in private, but embarrassing for him in public. It’s hard to maintain a terrifying reputation when onlookers catch the way his pupils dilate and his ears perk up.

The Devil wants any and all crumbs of affection you offer him… Which makes it all the more a slap to the face for him when you begin to weasel your way out of his grip during your nightly cuddles. On the outside, the Devil is letting out a displeased hum; tail flicking in agitation. On the inside, this man is so UPSET. Where are the cuddles and snuggles that he craves from lover? He thought you liked him?! You cruelly neglect your lonely husband? Jail! Jail for lover for one thousand years!

It’s not too far off from an unhappy cat being overdramatic when you try to nudge it out of the way.

He’s not completely devoid of reason, however. Oh, you just don’t like how uncomfortably warm he is? Sure, that’s fine. He absolutely gets it! He’s still unhappy that he can’t just hold you for eternity for as long as he desires lest he wants you to pass out from a heat stroke.

He’d relent if you gently tell him to let go after cuddle sessions or squirm away once you get too warm, but that doesn’t mean the Devil would stop being greedy. He’ll quietly let out displeased mrrs until you move to massage his temples or rub the place near his horns just right.

The Devil may even try to barter for more cuddle time if he’s in a more persistent mood. Well, the word ‘barter’ is used loosely here. It’s more so he’ll try to bribe you to hold on a little longer.

I.E. “Honey, I need to take a breather. It’s gettin’ a little warm-”

“‘ts fine, love. I’ll send one of the boys over to fetch you some ice water for you.”

“...Baby, that’s not what I meant.”

The natural heat he exudes doesn’t just stop at his fur. Even his kisses feel like your lips are being embraced by a roaring fire. It can get overwhelming rather quickly! The Devil would pull away if you tap him. Though he’ll still rest his forehead against yours as you take in shaky breaths, his hooded gaze greedily drinking in your flushed visage and his purring loudly sounding off in your ears.

May the Lord have mercy on you. The soul is willing, but the flesh is weak... And your beloved is a man a bit too okay with letting you cook for a while if it meant he could squeeze out all the love he can get from you.

┕━━━━━♥♠♣♦━━━━━┙

#my writing #requests #cuphead #cuphead dont deal with the devil #cuphead: ddwtd #cuphead: don't deal with the devil #cuphead show #self ship #x reader #reader insert #gender neutral reader #gender neutral imagine #ch the devil/reader #the devil x reader #cuphead the devil #sfw #cuphead headcanons #headcanons #cuddle headcanons

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fangirlingfromdownunder · 11 months

Text

A.P.U Comfort

Summary - Part 18 in the Comfort series

Pairing - Dean Winchester x Reader, Reader x Sam (platonic), Reader x Bobby (father-figure)

Warnings - mentions of miscarriage

Series Masterlist | Masterlist

A/N - G’day guys, I just wanna start by thanking you for all the likes, reblogs and follows since my last post, I really appreciate it. I hope you like this one too. Beware though, this one is a little longer than usual – I got a little carried away as I had a particular episode in mind that I wanted to rewrite for this situation. The GIF below is a major hint at what we're diving into. Until next week, enjoy!

Meanwhile in Sioux Falls…

“I don’t know what to do, Bobby. I don’t know how to help her feel better when I don’t know how to shut off the pain myself. She’s a shell of herself…I just want to see her smile again. She would’ve been an amazing mother, you know.”

“For a start, you don’t shut it off. You share it. You confide in your girl. Let her confide in you. ‘Cause you’re no better. Sam said it’s like living in a morgue and now I can see for myself what he means. You will both be great parents when the time is right. Neither of you is the type to give up on anything when it comes to helping others, you just need to apply that same passion to yourselves and each other.”

“How?”

“You love her and you let her love you. In the meantime though let’s go see what Jody claims is so urgent.”

They gear up and get into the Impala and drive 20 minutes to a cafe in Hartford, where Jody had said to meet her.

“Howdy boys, thanks for meeting me.”

“Anything for you, Sheriff,” Bobby says as he exits the car.

“Hey, Jody.”

“Hey Dean, glad to see you’re holding up okay. If you and Y/N ever need a home-cooked meal or company be sure to drop in. I’m here for both of you.”

“Thanks, I’ll be sure to let her know when I get home. So, what’s the case?”

“This is a small town. Only crime to speak of being the occasional cow tipping. Then last week...four people go missing.”

“All right, so, what makes you think this is our kind of weird?” Dean asks

“I've got a witness who says he saw someone lift an S.U.V. to nab a girl last night. Now, normally, if somebody would tell me that one guy lifted an S.U.V., I'd tell him to take a flying leap, but after what I've seen…”

“Nothing's impossible,” Bobby says.

“Uh-huh.”

“And this matches up with the other missing how?” Dean asks.

“Well, four abductions, strong evidence left at every scene -- literally,” Jody says as she pulls out a folder full of photos and case reports and spreads them out on the table between them.

“So, the first vic was a pastor?” Bobby confirms.

“Yeah. The door of his study was punched in. And then, the next two…an engaged couple.”

“Locked bedroom window was ripped open,” Dean reads out.

“Mm-hmm. And then we have our waitress here with the topsy-turvy ride.”

“Any other connection among them?” Bobby asks.

“Yeah. They were all members of Good Faith church here. My, uh, my church group back in Sioux Falls was in a tizzy over it.”

Dean gives her an inquisitive look and says, “I didn't peg you for churchy.”

“Yeah. You know… all this stuff I’ve seen recently kind of makes a higher power seem relevant.”

“Okay, so, we have, uh, missing church folk and super strength. Maybe angels harvesting vessels? Could be a Buddy Boyle type thing,” Bobby says.

“Wh-- angels? You're joking.”

“Don't get your pants on fire. They suck,” Dean says, “you said there was a witness?”

“Yeah, well...more or less.”

“We’ll be needing to meet him,” Bobby states.

Jody scribbles an address down on a napkin and slides it across the table to Bobby, “This is where you’ll find him. Not sure how reliable he’ll be. Anyway, I’ve gotta get back to work. Good luck, and keep me updated,” she says as she gets up and makes her way out of the cafe.

Dean and Bobby tidy up the files and head back out to the Impala and drive to the address Jody gave them. They walk up to an alley filled with makeshift tents and trolleys full. They walk around the back of a restaurant and find a messy-looking man sitting on the ground leaning against the brick wall. They clear their throat and flash their fake FBI badges at him.

Dean takes a seat on the couch the man led them to and says, “So, tell us about this missing girl you reported.”

“Honor. Her name was Honor. Nice girl. Always left me meatloaf.”

“Why don't you tell us what you saw that night?” Dean says.

“I heard a big noise, got woke, and there's somebody over there lifting a car up.”

“And did you happen to see who it was?” Dean asks.

“I was too far. But I saw a light go off.”

“A white light?” Bobby asks

“Blue. Blue like fire. But not. Then she was…she wasn't there.”

“Could you think of anything else?” Bobby asks.

“No.”

“Okay. Well...thank you for your time,” they both say as they stand up and see themselves out.

As they get into the Impala Bobby says, “Okay. So, no white light.”

“No angel. So Jody said that they were all part of the same church?”

“Yeah.”

“Ready to get your worship on?” With that, Dean pulls out into the street and speeds off towards Good Faith Church in the centre of town. He pulls into a park in front of the large religious building. They take in the multicoloured stained glass windows showcasing stories of the bible as they walk through the heavy wooden doors. A short lady with shoulder-length blonde hair welcomes them.

“Welcome to Good Faith Church, I haven’t seen you at our services. Are you new to town?”

“Something like that,” Bobby says as he shakes her hand.

“Well then, can I interest you in a tour?”

“Sure,” Dean says with a nod.

They follow her around the halls of the chapel and listen as she tells them stories of their faith. At the end of the tour, she leads them into an office and offers them to take a seat. “We hope you enjoyed the tour. Any questions before we get you boys registered?”

“Uh, yeah, look, Ms Futchko,” Bobby says.

“Oh, please... Bonnie will do just fine.”

“Bonnie. Okay, we...love the church. We do. But...Well, we've heard that a few members have gone missing, and, to be honest...that kind of scares us.”

“Let me assure you, with our increased security, Good Faith has never been safer. And those people who have gone missing, well, they are front and centre in our prayers.”

“What a relief. Now, you must have been, uh, close to them,” Dean cuts in.

“Well, we do share the A.P.U. bond.”

“The A.P.U.?” Dean asks.

“Our chastity group...‘Abstinence Purifies Us.’”

“Oh. W-wow. You mind if we sit in on that, maybe see if it's for us?” Bobby asks.

“I'm afraid it's members only. I'm sorry, but it can get pretty personal.”

“Then count us in,” Bobby says.

“Well. I'll be a squirrel in a skirt. I'll be back in a jiff with the papers.” Bonnie walks out of the office to collect the papers, leaving Dean and Bobby sitting alone.

“A chastity group?” Dean asks.

“Dean, listen, if all the members were in A.P.U., then maybe whatever took them is stalking virgins.”

“And that Slim guy said he thought he saw fire. So, what are you thinking, dragons?”

Bonnie returns with two clipboards interrupting them. “All righty. You can just sign there, and your purification can begin.”

“Purity pledge?” Bobby reads out.

“It's a commitment to your virginity.”

“I don't think we can really un-ring that bell. You know what I mean?” Dean states with a smirk.

“Oh. I see. Well... If you just ask for God's forgiveness for your sins and make a new vow of chastity, well, then, you'll be born again as a virgin in his eyes.”

“So, you just hit the "virginity do-over" button, and all is good with the man upstairs?” Dean asks.

“It's not a button. And...this isn't just a piece of paper. I mean, this is your clean slate, your chance to be a virgin until marriage.”

“You know what, I’ve had my shot. Been married and all that, so I’m out. But you’re recently engaged, might be the perfect time for you. Sure your girl would be thrilled with the prospect of a pure white wedding,” Bobby says handing back the clipboard unsigned.

“Well, you had me at clean slate. Let's do this,” Dean says as he signs his name and hands back the clipboard.

“Congratulations, Dean Winchester. You are now a virgin.”

Dean gives her a tight smile and glances at Bobby. Bonnie takes the clipboards and leaves to start setting up the session.

“You think Y/N will forgive me for this?”

“Depends…you planning on honouring your pledge?”

“As you said, it might be just what we need right now. Gives me more incentive to get her in that white dress already. Clean slate, new plan, the start of a happy future for us.”

“Alright. Well, you go get pure. I’m gonna hit the library.”

Dean hands Bobby the keys to the Impala and makes his way to the room Bonnie had shown them earlier where the meetings are held. When he enters the room he sees a group of women setting up folding chairs in a circle and laying out trays of food and coolers on a couple of folding tables along one wall. He helps set up the chairs before they all take a seat.

One of the ladies claps her hands and looks around the circle smiling. “Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Suzy. I thought we'd begin with a silent prayer for our missing friends.”

Everyone closes their eyes in a silent prayer except for Dean who is still watching everyone. After a moment he joins in and ducks his head quietly.

“Amen. Now, does anyone have anything that they would like to share?” Suzy asks. “Why don't we hear from our new friend? Dean, what brought you here to reclaim your virginity?”

“Uh, hard to say, exactly. Yeah. Sex has always felt, I don't know, good, you know? I mean, really, really good. But, uh...Sometimes, it just makes you feel bad, you know? But, you know, when you get down to it, what's the big deal, right? I mean, sure, there's the touching and the feeling all of each other, my hands everywhere, tracing every inch of her body, the two of us moving together, pressing and pulling...Grinding. Then you hit that sweet spot, and everything just builds and builds and builds until it all just...Yeah. Uh...But the whole thing was just a little too, uh...sticky. So, uh, I got my V card back. The end.”

The meeting continues with an air of discomfort after Dean’s confession. Dean watches everyone intently for the rest of the meeting. Once it’s over he helps tidy up the chairs and create small talk with some of the ladies to search for leads.

He makes his way over to the leader, Suzy and says, “Hey, Suzy right? Great meeting. But I uh, I gotta say you look so familiar.”

“Yeah, I-I'm pretty sure we've never met, Dean.”

“Alright.”

“Wait, you're new in town, right?”

“Uh, yeah. New to town. New to this whole chastity thing.”

“Well, I provide individual counselling. If you ever need to talk.”

“So, everybody in the group, they dish to you?”

“They confide. Abstinence is – it's really rough without support and education. Hey, you know what? I have some great books on the vow that really helped me. I-I live close. I'll just go grab them.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. With a, uh, with a kidnapper on the loose?”

“No, I'll be fine.”

“Tell you what, why don't I walk with you just to be safe, okay?”

“Alright, if you insist.”

They walk side-by-side back to her apartment. When she opens the door for them she says, “Make yourself comfortable.”

Dean watches as she takes off her hoodie leaving her just wearing a camisole. She sits down on her couch with her back to Dean. His cell phone rings, but he declines it quickly. He approaches Suzy on the couch and notices that she is crying.

“I can't stop thinking about my friends. I'm so scared for them. Will you pray with me, Dean?”

“Sure.” She takes his hand in her own and bows her head. Dean lightly squeezes her hand and awkwardly bows his head in response.

After a while, she gains her composure and stands up abruptly. “Well, I’ll get you those books. Just give me one minute.”

Dean gives her a soft, awkward smile and stands up. He looks around the room. He sees a drawer slightly cracked open. He opens the drawer wider and in shock pulls out two Casa Erotica DVDs. His phone rings again, and when he sees the caller ID he’s quick to answer.

“Hey, sorry I left without saying anything, I had to come help Bobby with something.”

“I know, it’s fine. I just need to ask you something,” Y/N says over the phone.

“Shoot,” Dean says as he places the DVDs on the cabinet and makes his way into the hall.

“Is there more to our relationship than sex?”

“What makes you ask that?”

“Just tell me the truth, Dean.”

“Of course. You make me feel safe, happy, and hopeful. All feelings I haven’t felt since I was four. You make me want to be a better man. You give me a reason to live and fight harder to get to the other side of this dangerous, messy life we lead. You make me believe there is a way out. I don’t tell you every day, even though I should, but I love you.” He looks back at the door briefly, the images from the DVDs filtering through his mind distracting him. “I just…since you lost the baby…I guess I’ve felt lost. Like maybe there isn’t a way out or a future for us.”

“Dean…don’t say that.”

“You wanted the truth…I knew I never should have got my hopes up. You let me believe and then you let me down, again.”

“Don’t you dare blame me! I wasn’t sure either, and you’re the one that convinced me! You’re the one that told me it would be okay. I know you’re hurting, Dean, but so am I.”

“Hunters just aren’t meant to have relationships or families or futures.”

“Dean, baby, please. That’s not true.”

“Look around, sweetheart, it is.”

When the line goes silent he puts his phone away and goes back into Suzy’s apartment.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Tag list: (Leave a like or comment on this post or let me know below if you want to be added to the tag list for this series)

@bitchwitch1981, @muhahaha303, @justrealizedimmascifygurl, @mcdowell-123, @leigh70, @marvelsmarauder, @losa12308, @tapedeck-hearts, @luvjaida, @peachtxa, @ambearsstuff, @shadow-of-a-cloud, @slut-for-buck, @iprobablyshipit91, @sassy-pelican

#dean winchester x reader #dean x you #dean winchester #supernatural #spn #dean winchester fanfiction #dean winchester imagine #dean winchester fic #dean winchester fluff

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tangibletechnomancy · 5 months

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The problem with AI and the entertainment industry in particular is that...okay, fine, technology marches on. Digital art made physical ink-on-cels animation into mostly a hobbyist novelty (though boy howdy did it ever make it an impressive one). Photography turned portrait painting into a luxury, rather than something everyone who could afford it saved to do at least once for every family member because it was the only way to keep their likenesses alive. Photo editing has gone through so many changes that it's almost unrecognizable compared to what it looked like as recently as the 80s and 90s, and the older methods are, again, super impressive hobbyist passion projects now. Digital painting made physical painting less viable in an economy of scale, but way more impressive as an art form. These kinds of changes always really fucking suck for some people, but you can't really prevent them without stifling human development in general.

But.

The entertainment industry wants to make it suck way more than it has to for everyone but their executives and shareholders. They want to have their cake and eat it too. They want to take advantage of the inherent marketing power of celebrity culture without ACTUALLY involving, let alone paying, the people whose names and likenesses they're using. That, I hope we can all agree, is vile.

Now, the logical endpoint of this is that we push back against that, and as an alternative we get more fictional celebrities in the near-ish future, and as a Vocaloid fan, theoretically, I dont see much of a problem with that. Theoretically, at least. In the best case scenario, I think it could be a lot of fun! But the problem is, well...

See, in the early days, Vocaloid producers tended to take a very backstage role. Very few people were fans of specific producers; they were fans of Miku or any other character. Eventually, though, producers just kind of came more into the spotlight on their own because everyone has their own style and taste. We still love the characters, but we all started to notice when half our favorite songs by Miku were produced by the same person, well, perhaps we were fans of that producer as well!

But in American-born entertainment culture...

You may notice that CGI was conspicuously absent from my Technology Marches On breakdown. That's because while, yes, it has made for an interesting highlight of practical effects, with love for the work and nostalgia for their jank the same way other new art media has shone a spotlight on its predecessors, it hasn't actually gotten to be recognized as an art form the way the others listed have. We've barely moved on from the attitude that got Tron disqualified from the Academy Awards for SFX because "the computer did those effects, not you" (in 1982). In fact, I'm strongly of the belief that if Disney were a halfway decent company, they would be bragging about how they're pioneering photorealistic animation, rather than trying to pass off 90+% CGI animated films, usually (but not always; see: The Lion King remake) with live celebrity actors' faces composited in, as "live-action". Instead, they treat the VFX department as mindless dancing monkeys, and perpetuate the idea that VFX is just "select material, press button, get polished scene" - because to brag about it as its own art form might imply that the people doing it are skilled artists who deserve to be paid fairly and treated like human beings, and oh, we can't have THAT, now can we?

VFX labor is all hidden; very few people have a favorite VFX artist or director, instead we treat the artists, who put the time and effort into wrangling code and semiconductors and routines and layers into creating a professional-looking end product, as just part of the machine themselves, to save the companies some money - and culturally, I fear we're well on the way to regarding AI exactly the same way but worse.

As such, I fear that we wouldn't have the same effect with any digital idols produced by Silicon Valley.

Now, I don't fear virtual celebrities being able to fully replace human ones. Half of the draw of celebrity culture is the illusion of human connection. As much as the word "parasociality" has grown to be associated with only the negative effects of this, in reality, it's also the driving mechanism behind why representation matters. It's fun to be able to feel a connection to a fictional celebrity, but it doesn't replace the feeling of knowing that your fave is a human being with a real life - ...whether you use that knowledge for better or worse.

What I do fear is the fight against using AI to replicate real humans without their input, or with their manufactured consent, being long and drawn-out and doing a lot of harm before we can fully put a lock on it, and virtual celebrities being used to hide the work that the human directors and producers put into them for the sake of saving a parent company a buck.

#not art #it's always #ALWAYS the damned devaluation of newer art forms that causes all the problems

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