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I'm gonna assume Izuru wasn't lying here and that Aizen hypnotized him to see that central 46 where alive and for Toshiro and Rangiku to see the reality...

Because how else did Izuru keep following Gin's orders if he saw central 46 annihilated? He must've known that something fishy is going on and that Gin and Aizen are behind it. He wouldn't have continued with the plan if so... or would he?

If he was pretending not to know the crime and he did actually see the 46 killed, then was he too afraid and helpless infront of Gin and had no other choice but to follow his orders?

I mean, he was ready to kill Rangiku.

Just what did Gin have over him?

He has real loyalty for Gin. I wonder what their relation was like. I hope to see flashbacks or some more interactions of them in the future.

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HS^2 bloggin’ mainline 2024-08-24

(Previous post -current page 666)

Section 3 of page 666 is now upd8'd, let's check it out! And as you can expect very much from the topic it's almost certainly covering, they've warned us via the twitter "Content warning for references to themes of physical and mental abuse, flashing imagery, and mild gore". By the way, when Force Refresh didn't reload the game data enough to show the new chapter in Google Chrome for me, I had to go in settings to "Delete Browsing Data" > "Cookies and other site data" for the Time Range "Last hour", because just deleting "Cached images and files" or "Hosted app data" didn't help.

(EDIT: THEY WERE NOT KIDDING AROUND ABOUT THE CONTENT WARNINGS, IF YOU HAVE ANY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH ANY SORT OF ABUSE PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH THIS ONE.)

Although, before we get into it (AND WAY BEFORE I SCROLLED BACK UP TO EDIT THAT EXTRA WARNING UP THERE), I wanted to cover something that'd been on my mind since my last post, predictionways: How IS Vriska going to escape the Plot Point?

There seem a number of obvious answers that we'll get some combination of, but the last one might not be obvious to everyone, so I wanted to cover it and flesh out / examine the possibilities so we all can feel really smart if it pans out at all the way I'm thinking it could pan out:

(1) Vriska realizes the true power and relevance she'd attained as a Thief of Light never left her heart all along, and this singularity is Nothing, a realm Void of relevance where only she exists. (Very like the Neverending Story after everything was destroyed, maybe?) If she allows herself to divest herself of some of her relevance she's been so desperately clutching onto, she can 8r8k the Plot Point.

Callie hinted that this singularity-center might need to be destroyed, and the fifth section is an 8-ball, a type of container Vriska is famously known to break. It may make a degree of sense that realizing her own power, her ultimate freedom, might be enough to do just that and free her.

(1a) Vriska becomes her Ultimate Self, and is too full of Light for the singularity to contain. This could break it or otherwise get her out of it...

...but I'm not sure it's either possible or a good thing for her to consolidate ALL of herself from the rest of Paradox Space into herself while she's trapped in here? Those versions of her perhaps deserve to keep existing rather than falling into a sea of herself that would need to hold powerfully to the self-actualization and psychological progress she's made as THIS version of her instead of the versions of her that didn't. We're not certain of all the mechanics of being an Ultimate Self, so it's hard to say whether or not it's possible... or could even see her backslide from this Therapy Session, which I really wouldn't want to see because this has been so good, and would definitely make some sense of alt!Callie / AL's warning that what was inside the Plot Point was hungry, because an Ultimate Vriska certainly could be. This doesn't seem the right choice unless in combination with one of the other options:

(2) Vriska finds the collapsed core of the Green Sun's power here and steals it for herself, a hidden treasure that could be intensely empowering, whether via Light or even giving her fancy barrier-busting Black Hole powers similar to alt!Calliope's dead!Jade body. I... feel this option is unlikely. It'd certainly count as something "greedy" inside the Plot Point that "isn't salvation" and could hasten the fragmentation of the Candy storyline because there isn't a singularity vacuuming its power all together, which could apply to breaking the Plot Point too, frankly... eh, I just still think other options seem more likely and better foreshadowed. Especially this last one:

(3) Vriska uses the same communication-across-barriers ability she used to contact (Meat)!Terezi in order to message JOHN and ask the HEIR OF BREATH to free her from the singularity as I once long ago wrongly predicted. If John is the only one who can reach in and pull her out, it would require Vriska to overcome herself enough to realize she needs -- and has the power -- to MAKE a divestment of relevance (as (1) suggested) to John from herself, and let John be the hero in her place for at least a moment. The arms he once reached everywhere with using his ultimate power suddenly become an arm reaching for another hand to pull someone to freedom.

Now on top of everything I mentioned in the old Breath, Blood, and the Flow of Reality post about John being one of the only people possibly capable of freeing someone from a singularity that "not even Light can escape", there's a bunch of EXTREMELY RECENT evidence for this, too. In addition to telling us how surprising and unlikely they would have found it to learn that Vriska messaged Terezi past the barrier sealing Candy's timeline away from the rest of Paradox Space, Callie ALSO just got done asking John to break Vriska out of jail, reinforcing it with an open statement that Breath was the aspect of Freedom, and John embodied the concept. And more importantly, John HADN'T BEEN NECESSARY to break Vriska out at all, and ended up only tagging along for conversation and fun, not even needing to tell Serket where to go! Which makes the entire relevance and narrative choice of Callie asking him to break her out better suited as foreshadowing for this exact necessity while she's trapped in the Plot Point, and all Vriska would need to do to make it happen is pull a trick (communicating across the Breach) we've already seen her pull before in the Epilogues. To have the courage and stability of mind to realize she can't do this on her own, and know who to ask for help. (Roxy, as a Rogue of Void, might even be able to lend her power to the effort too.)

Apologies for the pre-update writeup, I just really wanted to make that last John call for y'all if you hadn't realized the possibility, y'know, before we potentially see it happen a few upd8s from now. :D

Alright, on to all the trauma that Doc Scratch helped inflict on Vriska, manipulating her into actions that only injured her psyche further and her friends moreso, and all the guilt and anger she feels over it. I suspect she'll have to finally at least PARTIALLY realize the trick that's being hinted at regarding "ultimate freedom" -- ie, the answer to the Ultimate Riddle -- and just how much Doc Scratch's talk of inevitability not only gaslit her into thinking her worst instincts were unavoidable, but that even as he was TELLING her that he was manipulating her, he was admitting that he HAD to manipulate her to make this happen, meaning the power had been in HER hands all along, not his. Without Vriska provoked into being the one to inflict the injuries in the entire Team Charge vs Team Scourge cascade, without the fact that this was all FRIENDS hurting FRIENDS, none of them would have experienced enough of the severe psychological trauma required for Doc Scratch's half-Gamzee chucklevoodoos to control them into unknowingly writing his DNA code, and leaving those like Aradia in an inverted, highly manipulatable state for guiding their session into creating the Tumor that would birth the Green Sun. Let's click the White Cueball and start watching Vriska painfully confronting some serious emotional abuse and trauma from her past at the hands of a very-Dirk-Strider-like pseudo-parental figure...

*CLICKING THAT DAMNED CUEBALL NOW*

Okay, NO TIMESKIP notice this time, she looks the same in her room-- it would make sense that Doc Scratch is next on the chopping block this time and I'd WANT to see her live first reaction to it. What's with this poppy hoppy fun music? We're definitely getting something more sinister for Scratch. (Also I have to say, the music so far this entire Vriska Therapy Session flash has been... okay? But not up to the usual Homestuck banger standards the original comic's run spoiled us with constantly, in my personal view.)

VRISKA: Whew. VRISKA: Long day.

Oh gosh I hope she doesn't go into the next one IMMEDIATELY and rests first--

Oh GCATAVROSPRITE is the music this time, I get it! And he's acting more catlike than ever w/ those paws lifted!

GCATAVROSPRITE: mAYBE, yOU SHOULD TAKE A BREAK, fROM ALL THE TOTALLY AWESOME PERSONAL BREAKTHROUGHS YOU ARE HAVING, GCATAVROSPRITE: aND KICK IT WITH ME AND ERISOL FOR A WHILE, ERISOLSPRITE: yeah, you kiinda look liike 2hiit.

THANK you, get her to relax at least a BIT before tackling something harder than her freakin' abusive mother(s). Also,

--just, Erisol looking unexpectedly fly as fuck, and more Dave-like than ever. Like, I'm just surprised he looks so cool. Good damn art.

VRISKA: Says Scarfshades McLopsided.

Hey!!!

ERISOLSPRITE: 2ay2 the bu2ted a22 biitch wwearin the 2ame raggedy jacket 2he2 wworn 2ince wwe wwere liike fiivve.

FUCKIN' OWNED, GOOD SNAPBACK.

VRISKA: Says the guy who literally can't change his clothes.

That's low AND not helping your case, fuck you! You're being incredibly disrespectful AND proving him right!

ERISOLSPRITE: ii cant be held accountable for my dii2cordant cla22-2wwag diichotomy, but here you are a 2weep and a half deep iin a per2onally raiilored realm of 2elf-reflectiion and you 2tiill choo2e twwo look liike thii2.

EXACTLY, that's what we're saying!!! --Not that it can be helped TOO much, from an emotional standpoint she sorta has to take forms similar to her past to face her past to an extent, so...

Also, let me do the math on that... (6/13)*4 ≈ 1.85, so if we're still in "YEAR 4" then 1.85 solar sweeps have passed for her since she entered the Plot Point. If anything, Erisol's being generous as fuck here by rounding down instead of saying "nearly two sweeps". (And this confirms we haven't timeskipped again-- or if we have, must not have skipped MUCH.)

VRISKA: Heh.

What, can't mess with perfection?

ERISOLSPRITE: heh.

Oh shit, they're actually getting on, look at his damned animated grin. This is just some black-vibey friendly jabbing!

ERISOLSPRITE: anyway, come chiill.

Please, please do Vriska for your own damn sake.

Oh no, Tavros, don't suggest cat things.

Yeah, get some R and R. (And pointless playtime.) So you don't burn out. Good advice Tav.

FUCK IS HE STILL ALLERGIC? :C

.....okay GCATavrosprite you make a good goddamned point, you're doing pretty well against the allergies all things considered.

Oh no, she thinks she needs to keep going. :( This is gonna be even less fun for her than she thinks.

VRISKA: I'm kind of on a roll here. Gotta strike while the iron is hot!

Intense trauma-release therapy does not work that way!!! Heavy revelations have to be PROCESSED and mulled over before you subject yourself to more psychological pounding!

GCATAVROSPRITE: [...] aND IT KIND OF FEELS LIKE THE FIRE IS ABOUT TO GET REALLY REALLY HOT,

Ooh, a serious warning from Tav and Erisol that this shit is about to be some fuckin' BUSINESS. Listen to them! (Exactly as you put it Tav, that iron is gonna MELT too long in too hot a fire. I hope this doesn't knock her back at first and then we get ANOTHER TIMESKIP so soon mid-section... D: )

VRISKA: Whaaaaaaaat?

Oh she doesn't fucking see it coming, does she. She thought she just conquered the worst of her abuse with her mother(s) just now. She is NOT ready.

VRISKA: Oh 8lah 8lah 8lah, don't be such a pussy. GCATAVROSPRITE: i LITERALLY CAN'T NOT BE A CAT,

PFFF

VRISKA: How 8ad could it even 8e?

How genre savvy could you POSSIBLY have lost track of being to make such a statement?

...Welp, she's gonna try it. Let's hope it doesn't make her backslide into being too afraid to touch it for another year or two. :C :C :C

ERISOLSPRITE: ok wwell fuck u2 for tryiin ii gue22, havve fun gettiing traumatiized.

PFFFFDHF okay that was pretty funny

VRISKA: I'm not gonna get traumatized!

Lemme guess, smash cut to a dozen and change clicks from now: "...I got fucking traumatized."? X'D

Oh here we go:

{ENTER SCRATCH'S PARLOR}

OH HERE WE GO WITH SOME PROPERLY OMINOUS MUSIC. AND I LOVE THE TYPEWRITER SOUNDS AS HIS TEXT TYPES OUT AGAINST THE PURE BACKGROUND. THIS IS DONE SO GODDAMN WELL

(Even if I still think this music still doesn't measure up to original Homestuck tunes, it's still FITTING AND WORKS GREAT for the scene, and the style and art choices are top notch, especially the pure backgroundless white font.)

Yep Vriska, a "perfectly predictable inevitability", you should have seen this coming. Did you know you'd show up here, or did you not and he's rubbing it in your face? Cause I'd bet it's the latter.

It certainly has been a while, Vriska. You seem to have blossomed nicely.

CREEPY ABUSIVE UNCLE VIBES ALREADY REACHING CRITICAL LEVELS THREE CLICKS IN

Care for a piece of candy?

GOD DAMNIT

VRISKA: Oh fuck your stupid candy, you glo8e-headed little freak.

Congratulations Vriska, you've successfully lost 99% of your chill five seconds in, have fun getting traumatized

Doc hinting at the inevitability theme by saying he'd know for a fact she'd enjoy the candy.

Although it was less the wary hunch of a scared little girl than the delightful certainty that you'd come crawling back to me, sooner or later.

FUCK THIS IS JUST RAW ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP WE ARE FULL NON-WATERED-DOWN EVERCLEAR HERE

Holy SHIT are they pulling out all the stops with his awful phrasing here, no wonder they put so big an emotional abuse trigger warning on this update on the twitter page. And it's only going to get worse.

Of course I know. I'm always watching you.

Fuck, this is just. Exposing levels of vulnerability and awful fear that Vriska had to contend with in her youth that we hadn't even PUT TOGETHER back then. Every veil of silliness has been ripped straight off to show the gory mess of how this would have psychologically affected her while she was younger, here. I used to hate the epilogues and early HS^2 a little for doing this so liberally, for making clear how RETROACTIVELY FUCKED things were in ways that made my heart ache without any balm or healing... but unlike those earlier glimpses into their past attitudes, THIS time we are fucking going to goddamn RESOLVE the psychological issues and get some clear closure on them. That's part of why the entire p666 Vriska Therapy Session / Hyperbolic Therapy Chamber is already quite nearly my favorite part of all Homestuck so far, and I DO mean ALL of Homestuck so far.

VRISKA: You know what? VRISKA: I've 8een pretty damn good. VRISKA: 8een losing track of the sweeps I've spent in here fixing pretty much everything other than the thing I actually came in here to fix, 8ut it's paying off! There's a convenient timer for the express purpose of tracking that.

Oh god don't show her. Don't make her worry about how much time she's losing in here or how much it might be reflecting out there.

VRISKA: Yeah, and I never look at it 8ecause it pisses me off!

Phew. At least she's had TIME to come to terms with worrying about it.

VRISKA: 8ut it's fine. VRISKA: It just means I've had a lot of time to think stuff over. VRISKA: Stuff that was holding me 8ack, throwing me off-course.

I get the feeling he's about to do a pretty good job trying to convince you that you can't escape this so easily. To throw the wrong sort of doubt at you about what exactly you're barreling towards. About who the real "YOU" is-- he's going to try and convince you you're the one who hurts people.

I like to think that I'm far and away the most prolific contributor to your baggage.

Fuck. This won't be good.

VRISKA: Man, I figured may8e this place was working up to something really intense, 8ut instead all I get is Glo8ehead the Gru8toucher playing puppetmaster again.

Eueuuugh that nickname D:

...Is Vriska shaking or laughing? I think she's shaking. D:

VRISKA: You fucked with a 8unch of little kids and 8lew up, then you LOST.

Lord English might have lost, but I don't feel quite like Doc Scratch really did. He pretty much gave his master the Paradox-Space-spanning story he wanted, from beginning to end.

VRISKA: You could 8arely handle me when I was six, I'm supposed to 8e scared of you NOW?

It doesn't matter that you're not six sweeps anymore, that's-- you're visibly shaking. This is a big fucking deal. This is digging into the creepiest and most disgusting parts of what was done to you.

Well, you're shaking.

There we have it.

...Vriska is pulling out the whole-ass PDF File word. I... I hope she's just trying to taunt him for manipulating children, here, and playing the uncle angle. He's not-- I mean nothing actually happened, right? Please tell me nothing physical actually fucking happened besides the cueball-explosion physical-abuse-ways, I don't want sexual abuse retconned into existence here...

Exquisite. I missed that fumbling braggadocio. It's heartening to know that this place hasn't cured you of it yet. It makes you so much fun to play with.

Yeah... the parts of Doc Scratch that Vriska is going to remember most clearly are the times where he was condescending in ways that denigrated her and confirmed her worst fears about herself, intentionally. :C

WHOA DID HE JUST SPACE SHRINK HER??? IS HE GONNA PUT HER ON THE TOY BATTLEFIELD?!

{o} ==>

Matching the scale and visuals of the situation to how she always felt. :C :C

And SICK that the music is breaking down, I'll freely give it credit for shifting to action mode.

Now then, why don't we have ourselves a little game?

Just like Dirk and Caliborn, and their union in Doc Scratch, always love to do to people.

FUCK he glitched away the "WHAT WILL YOU DO?" prompt. This is DEFINITELY about the Ultimate Riddle and Doc Scratch's ultimate lie that Vriska never had any autonomy, a lie he poisoned her with from an early age to make her even easier to manipulate both then and down the line.

DAMMIT, changing her clothes by force?! D: D: D: D:

FUCK FUCK FUCK NO THAT'S EVEN WORSE HE CHANGED HER INTO KID FORM HUGGING HERSELF FROM WHEN SHE WAS ABOUT TO BE INJURED THAT'S CREEPIER AND MORE AWFUL THAN I EVER EXPECTED NO WONDER THEY CONTENT WARNING'D THE FUCK OUT OF THIS, I'm going up there and putting some EXTRAS on there.

I don't have personal experience with this sort of abuse but I do have experience with some who HAVE and some who WORK therapeutically with those who have so this is playing out like a critical hit to triggers I can only empathize from a distance with and it's STILL getting almost too much already. Wow wow wow wow wow they didn't pull any punches.

Ah, and there she is. My favorite piece.

AAAAAA

Thief to E4; Thief takes Page.

That loud BLAM just then and the brown blood knocking her back along with her injuries, so pithy yet so HEAVY and with the meaty SFX to go with it, just, brutal, auughh.... Vriska's NOT getting out of this one lightly. She's not going to want to come back here. She's going to be too traumatized for a good while isn't she.

Thief to F5; Thief takes Maid.

Oh god I don't want to screenshot each of these...

Another meaty THUNK and some rust blood splashing her. God.

Thief to Z8; Thief takes Seer.

Even after all Terezi taunted her and so clearly loved being blind, she STILL hates herself for what she did to Terezi?? :'C

Her blood too D:

Z8 ISN'T EVEN A F8CKING P8SITION, YOU HACK!!!!!!!

She didn't even get the number of exclamation points right...

All the world's my board.

No Escape.

Thief to ∫40; Thief takes pawn.

Wait what, who?

Is that Gamzee's blood or Eridan's? She only killed Gamzee just recently in Candy... (Checks with digital color meter--) That's #680768 blood, which is closest to... Eridan's, huh, weird. Maybe Erisol will be able to help her with this later after she's run away. IF AND WHEN she can finally run away. It looks like he wants to reinforce the impression that he can make her kill ANY AND ALL of the people friends she knows, COULD have made her do it. That's horrible for her to think of herself.

Now Equius's blood. She's swearing but can't make it stop.

He even calls Kanaya (and her blood splash) nothing but her killing a pawn of his choosing.

Thief to Ω413; Thief takes pawn. Check.

This is one of the first reappearances I can remember of the arc number 413 since we started HS^2, I don't even recall it in the epilogues. What's in Check here, the kids' whole universe, the one the trolls created? Is he getting her to blame herself for that, too?

KARKAT'S BLOOD AUGH that's always tough to see whenever I have to see it, it just makes you want to protect him when you know you can't.

Vriska calling him a cheap fucking karma ghost, this a stupid fucking charade... won't stop the fact that this is real emotional pain she's feeling and real pain that was already inside her for nearly her whole life up until this vision brought it out into the open.

VRISKA: AND I'M NEVER GOING TO 8E CAUGHT UP IN YOUR FUCKING G8MES EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!

Then why are you so afraid you will be?

Of course you will. You think you're better than me? Better than fate? Vriska, I am going to put you in situations where you have the potential to do terrible things. I am going to make things ugly. I am going to corner you. I am going to pressure you. And no matter how much "better" you claim to be, all I have to do is catch you at the wrong moment. You're one bad turn from burning all your quaint little progress to the ground. One lapse away from being mine again.

Yeah, these are ALL just more and more of her deepest fears about herself. That she can be made to kill again, so easily, no matter how far she thinks she's moved past it all. Until she internalizes the answer to the Ultimate Riddle and realizes she has the power to make the better choice-- to ALWAYS make the better choice, and he was just fooling her into thinking she never did-- how could she possibly escape this sort of trap? She can't, not yet. And that abusive cueball asshole INTENTIONALLY made sure she felt that way, because that's what kept her easy to control. Learned helplesness.

VRISKA: Get me out of here.

Fuck, she's so defeated... so helpless. Please, PLEASE let this work. Please make it so she CAN escape this memory RIGHT THE FUCK NOW and confront it later. Because I'm very afraid it won't.

VRISKA: I want a do-over. Oh, please. You of all people should know that you don't *get* do-overs. The rest of these frivolous little vision quests may feel like sparing you the effort of getting things right the first time around, but the real world doesn't work that way.

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK THAT'S EVEN WORSE THAN I EXPECTED

No, you'll just have to endure it. This won't take long.

LET HER OUT YOU FUCK

You had a good run out there, flying solo and swashbuckling around as if Light itself were yours to command. It'd be wise to remember that it's a borrowed blessing. You flourish at its whim. Continue to spit in its face and take it for granted, and it will abandon you once again, perhaps for good.

Back to the ultimate riddle shit again. Doc Scratch conning her into thinking "everything you've achieved, I made for you, or you stole from others".

Being a true Thief of Light doesn't mean being at the whim of Light, at the mercy of what she can borrow. Kanaya tried to teach her back when she wanted her to clean her room that anybody can make their own luck.

Instead Doc Scratch is playing the role of Demiurge, standing in place of the Sun and claiming all Light radiates from him, when there was plenty inside her all along.

Do you remember who you were, before it chose you? The choices you made when luck wasn't on your side? You were such a delectable little victim.

Bluh!!!!!!

Poor Vriska, with her voracious lusus. With her demanding legacy and her uncooperative, fickle little friends. So much was out of your hands, then; how could you help but mbe my lovely assistant?

Doc Scratch inherited every last ounce of Equius's nonconsensual creep factor from Arquiusprite.

And this is going into the relationship between Light and Agency again, Void and the Lack of agency-- when Vriska felt trapped, felt she didn't have a choice, that was Void hemming her in, her "bad luck streak". Agency is your ability to choose what you do next, and so is Light. That's the privilege sometimes but not exclusively known as Luck.

Vriska: You didn't fucking own me.

Still so helpless-looking, but at least a bit of defiance in her expression. Which I expect handily crushed, unfortunately...

Exactly.

Fuck! And yeah, that's his point-- he's trying to say she CHOSE to do the wrong thing when the chips were down, which is what she's most afraid she'll do again.

But she needs to internalize the fact that it was a choice... that it HAD to be a choice... is an important flaw in the way he gaslit and conned her.

But what matters is that I might as well have. You let yourself believe you had no option other than to take me up on my hard bargains, again and again. For all your talk of independence, all your combative posturing and insistence on your own freedom, you barely bothered to put up any actual resistance to my suggestions. You took the easy way out, swearing all teh while it was your move. What a phenomenal waste of your considerable talents.

Her psyche is playing against her with the cards face up here... she just has to read them correctly. This is what she's afraid of, but it's also the flaw in his logic, the source of his power over her. The idea that she never possessed Ultimate Freedom, even though he's practically telling her that she DID, just to convince her she's an awful person.

It was an insult, and a warning. You're a trump card, Vriska, but your potency is a double-edged sword. One you've gotten far too comfortable swinging around, in the past. What do you intend to fix, when you leave this place? What, I wonder, will you break? I'd encourage you to be mindful of both. Of course, you could always cast aside those pesky trivialities and go with the flow, smashing through circumstances with nary a thought for the consequences. It'd be easier. We could dance together again, just like old times. You choose.

This isn't the real Doc Scratch-- this version of him IS, in its sick perverse way, still helping her. Still giving her the hints to realize that true balance between embracing your role and yielding agency to others is CRUCIAL to make sure you're doing your best to do the right thing. Which is especially difficult when your role, your best methodology, is that of an Agency Thief. A dangerous role which must be careful with its moves so as not to gluttonously trample over the wills of others who deserve a say.

But in order to choose, to take up the mantle of Ultimate Freedom, Vriska has to TRUST herself enough TO choose.

Trusting yourself enough to entrust yourself with CHOICE is one of the hardest decisions you can possibly make. Few ever truly make that decision.

What'll it be, Vriska? Player, or piece?

Well?

Thief to ∞108.

Whoa, what now? What the fuck is this going to be?

I look forward to finding out. Good luck.

Oh, so it's sending her back to the Plot Point. ∞108, or 8108. Is this the elusive arc number of one of our timelines, of Candy? One of infinite... or 1 and 0, creation and destruction, sandwiched between two 8s, two Vriskas with perpendicular orientations, Vriska and Vrissy? Hmm...

Oh thank fucking god we're back...

HAH

thanks so much I needed that mood lifter XD

{Level Complete!}

Thanks for ENDING it too, holy shit. I don't think I could have taken much longer of something THAT heavy tonight. Wow, that was masterfully done... not dragged out, just enough to get to the true point. To a setup for her decision, for her personal answer to the Ultimate Riddle.

Which makes plenty of sense why the NEXT section seems like it's likely a weird colorless version of one of Davepetasprite^2's feathers. They're the perfect person to talk to about her Soul/Heart, the greater self and the meaning of Ultimate Freedom, just as they hinted at during their last big talk in Homestuck.

--Yeah, she didn't get as much help from that as she would have wanted... and now the candle is ABSOLUTELY burning down.

The glimpse of the next unclaimed tiers, here... are these hinting at the start of the next section? We have her inhibitions bound, then a reference to a child development psychologist, then a somatic spark-- physical contact?! Then Deja Vu, a flash of the past (or possibly even meeting her GHOST self from the ghost rain, the more vulnerable (Vriska) inverted to Page of Void mode that she BERATED TO TEARS back toward the end of Homestuck to prove how much more (Vriska) had grown than Vriska before leaving her crying and for Ghost Terezi from the pre-retcon timeline to meet)... Heuristic Grace, getting her luck back possibly... burning, getting hotter, and then a transcendental gleam? No, no that's got to just be a candle and it burning out the rest of the singularity... I still don't think Ultimate Vriska is the solution to all this, could it be?

Oh shit, I forgot about how the BLACK CANDLE is burning down due to VRISKA'S blue flame.

Recall my proposals at the beginning of this post? I completely forgot about yet one more opportunity for her escape:

(4) That Vriska's Light has been burning away at the singularity of the Plot Point this entire time, and will naturally destroy it no matter what, especially if she embraces her Agency and her inner Light. The Green Sun was not just a symbol of Light but an ultimate manifestation of Space power... and collapsed into a singularity, it could indeed also have been not just a Void but an ultimate manifestation of Time power. The years, sweeps, that Vriska is spending inside of it could be wearing it away all on its own, rapidly exhausting a reservoir of Time that alt!Calliope preserved at the center of the singularity just to give the noncanon timeline more time to exist than it otherwise would have had?!! Instead, Vriska is burning it up, and the sprites and ghosts who fell into the Black Hole during the Ghost Rain and concentrated themselves in this singularity are helping her use that naturally limited Time to arm herself and become the best version of herself she can be, so when the Plot Point collapses and shit really starts hitting the fan for the Candy timeline, they can execute a NEW plan to breach into the Canon/Meat timeline and do something so incredibly important that it reseats the timelines outside Paradox Space in new relevance stolen out from Canon. Something incredibly important, like unexpectedly facilitating Sburb's creation in what Dirk and Rosebot are trying to do, or sendificating the kids the final frog they used to create this Universe, or something, which came from somewhere we've still never resolved...

So many interesting possibilities here. And only two or three more updates until we'll know for sure what and how!

I'll probably continue to be too busy the next week or two to be in the mood to chew through bonus material or commentary. Talk to you next upd8 instead, most likely! :D

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alright it’s time for a chambers and fogg yearning roundup: Chapter IV - Chicago 1929 edition.

Up first: a moment from Fogg that is basically just shameless flirting:

Up next: the unabashed admission that Fogg thinks Chambers has a number of positive traits, and the implication that while Chambers likes Fogg and finds him interesting, he doesn’t feel good enough for him.

UH CHAMBERS? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, MR. CHARLIE CHAMBERS WHAT. In all seriousness. The invitation from Fogg for Chambers to open up. Chambers cutting himself off from saying something ostensibly homo-fucking-sexual. If I had to guess either going to say that he would realize Chambers is queer or that he has feelings for Fogg specifically.

First of all, hurray for some feminist allies, second of all, the immediate horror and shock Chambers experiences around the idea of having a girlfriend is iconic and so queer of him.

Image ID in alt text!

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Hello! Here is data on point of view distribution across characters in The Dreamer Trilogy (which I will abbreviate as TD3) as a follow up to my TRC data from last year (viewable here). A rather long-winded discussion of the data, methods notes, and some supplemental figures and tables are under the cut. As it was not possible to include all values and stats in this post (nor in the alt text for image IDs), my spreadsheet can be viewed by clicking here,

This project quantifies and visualizes the distribution of chapters and pages in the books of TD3 across characters from whose POVs the story is told. I didn’t have much of a hypothesis going into data collection/analysis, especially not like I did for the TRC data, but I did expect to see Ronan’s POV having the most chapters and pages for the entire series, given the fact that he is the most central of the protagonists. I don’t think page time is the be-all-end-all for a character’s importance, of course, but it is still interesting to consider how spending more time from certain perspectives affects the perceived narrative. I won’t get much into that aspect of analysis in this post, but if anybody would actually like to discuss that, I’d love to!

Results (and Interpretation):

TD3 consists of 173 chapters and 1184 pages (using the U.S. hardcover editions), making the average chapter 6.84 pages. The longest chapter is 16 pages, and the shortest is 1 page.

Figure 1A: The average chapter in Mister Impossible (MI) is considerably longer (9.26 pages) than the average chapter in Call Down the Hawk (CDTH) (6.00 pages) and in Greywaren (GW) (6.40 pages), which makes sense as MI has just 38 chapters while CDTH has 80 and GW has 55 (see Fig. 2). To me, the effect of the longer chapters (and therefore extended time with the current POV character) makes the various POVs feel more temporally distant from one another- not in a narratively incoherent way, but in a way that echoes the sense of isolation experienced by dreamers and weaponized by Bryde as he tries to convince Ronan and Hennessy to abandon their loved ones.

Figure 1B: Chapter length is fairly consistent amongst POVs across the series. Matthew has the longest average chapter length (8.40 page) over a small set of chapters (5 total)- his character development (as told from his own POV) is limited to a small number of instances, which may have stretched his chapters a bit longer. The 'Other' category has the shortest average chapter length (5.13 pages) (Fig. 1B); it includes the typically short chapters from witnesses of Visionary explosions/aftermath (Mags, Dabney) as well as Nathan's manifesto excerpts. (As a side note, I've described the chapters depicting memories from the Barns as 'Mór and Niall.' These chapters do not collectively portray an equal balance of their POVs, but this was the simplest way to categorize them.)

Figure 2A-B: These graphs are representations of chapter distribution across POVs in TD3 in terms of chapter count (2A) and proportion of total chapters (2B). Some observed trends include Declan's proportion of total chapters remaining quite constant throughout the series, Ronan's decreasing, Hennessy's proportion of chapters nearly doubling from CDTH to MI (and staying at a similar proportion to MI in GW), and Jordan's proportion following an opposite trend (consistent proportion in CDTH and MI, followed by a more than 50% drop in GW). Carmen's proportion of chapters also declines after CDTH.

Figure 2C: This graph compares total chapters per character POV over the entire series. We can see that the largest proportion of the series is told from Ronan's POV (53 chapters, or 0.306 of all chapters). To put that in perspective, Hennessy has the next highest number of chapters (26, or 0.150 of all chapters), which is just under half the number of Ronan's. If all characters had an equal number of chapters from their POV (including the miscellaneous POVs as one category labeled Other), they would each have 21.6 chapters, represented by the horizontal dashed line; Declan, Jordan, Carmen, and Hennessy all have chapter counts relatively close to this number.

Figure 2D-E: These are representations of page distribution across POVs in TD3 in terms of page count (2D) and proportion of total pages (2E). Trends are similar to those depicted in 2A-B, but 2E does make Declan's increased proportion of page time in GW salient.

Figure 2F: This graph compares total pages per character POV over the entire series. The dashed line shows that if each character (plus the Other category) had equal page time in the series, readers would spend 148 pages with each POV. Again, page data is similar to chapter data, but comparing graphs 2C and 2F gives a clear visual indicator that Jordan's chapters (on average, 8.11 pages) are longer than Carmen's (on average, 6.08 pages), since Carmen has visibly more chapters in 2C yet nearly the same number of pages as Jordan in 2F.

Figure 3: Figure 3 shows distribution of chapters (3A-B) and pages (3C-D) in CDTH, as well as average chapter length for each character POV (3E). An equal distribution of chapters would have been 13.3 per character, and an equal distribution of pages would have been 80.0 per character. The 'Other' category included chapters from the perspectives of Lock, Breck Myrtle, Shawna Wells, Jason Morgenthaler (and Lin Draper, briefly, in the same chapter), Mags Harmonhouse, and Dabney Pitts. Carmen's average chapter length in CDTH (4.67 pages) is the lowest single-book average for character POVs appearing throughout the entire series. (Nathan's average chapter length is just 1.00 [Supplemental Figure 2], yet his POV only appears in GW via his manifesto excerpts, and while I have attributed these chapters to his POV, I interpret the POV as actually ambiguous. As with Kavinsky's text in TDT, it's not absolutely certain if we are reading from the writer or the reader's perspective [although in TDT, due to the lack of Kavinsky POV elsewhere, it's probably the latter]).

Figure 4: Figure 4 shows distribution of chapters (4A-B) and pages (4C-D) in MI, as well as average chapter length for each character POV (4E). An equal distribution of chapters would have been 5.43 per character, and an equal distribution of pages would have been 50.3 per character. The 'Other' category included two chapters, both with what I deemed omniscient narration. Declan had the shortest chapters in MI (8.20 pages), and Jordan had the longest (11.4 pages, the longest average for a character for a single book in this series).

Figure 5: Figure 5 shows distribution of chapters (4A-B) and pages (4C-D) in GW, as well as average chapter length for each character POV (4E). An equal distribution of chapters would have been 6.88 per character, and an equal distribution of pages would have been 44.0 per character. The 'Other' category included Nathan's manifesto excerpts (3 chapters), 1 chapter from Liliana's POV, and 3 other chapters with omniscient narration. While Ronan never has the longest chapters, his chapters are shorter relative to other POVs in Greywaren, perhaps as a result of the way his chapters are written during his time asleep/in the sweetmetal sea. I have not yet investigated whether chapters tend to be longer while characters are awake vs asleep or dreaming, but that's something that could be measured from the existing data in the spreadsheet! There is also a dramatic drop in Jordan's POV time in GW compared to the previous two books, perhaps because of her increased divergence from Hennessy and desire to establish a life that follows her own narrative.

Other findings: A major difference I noted between TRC and TD3 was the lack of split chapters in TD3. In TRC, the data analysis was made slightly complicated by having to account for the fact that a non-negligible number of chapters would make a distinct and discrete switch between POVs partway through. While I did not observe this in TD3, I did encounter more ambiguous/nebulous POVs as I previously mentioned. The increased presence of omniscience in the trilogy, for me, contributed to the increased sense of scale and stakes compared to TRC. This increased continuity amongst POV (not amongst core/recurring POV characters, but amongst groups of characters/communities depicted in the omnisciently narrated chapters) also contributed to a sense of dissolution of barriers and identities, perhaps thematically in line with Ronan's character development and increasingly holistic perspective of both his humanity and otherworldliness (although Ronan is not necessarily featured in these 'boundary-breaking' chapters). I also briefly looked at occurrences of back-to-back chapters from the same POV; this happens most frequently for Ronan in all three books, mainly in CDTH, and sometimes featuring a dreaming chapter directly before an awake chapter (or vice versa) in immediate succession. Declan (MI), Carmen (CDTH), and Jordan (CDTH) all have a pair of back-to-back chapters at some point in the series; Hennessy has 2 (MI, GW).

Conclusions: In all honesty, despite this project being quite fun and fulfilling and of course, worth doing, I do not think I have any particularly insightful conclusions about the data beyond what I've already discussed. Ronan took up the largest share of the chapters and pages as expected, although I am not sure I expected this to be true by such a large margin. I also was surprised that Declan did not have more chapter/page time, but it is possible that his notable inclusion in chapters from other characters' POVs increases his prominence in the series (and I suppose this is probably true for all characters who frequently appear in chapters outside their perspective). As with TRC, the number of POVs expands as the series develops, often with the effect of increasing the scope of the story's implications, and perhaps, more importantly, showing the story from additional angles that contextualize and/or distort narrative established by other characters' perspectives. I hope you've enjoyed exploring the data as I have, and those interested in my methodology may continue reading below!

Methods:

Data collection was straightforward in the sense that I simply counted the pages in each chapter and then assigned each chapter to a character based on the POV represented. The POV character assignment was more difficult than it was for TRC, as TD3 has more omnisciently narrated chapters, which in itself is easy to categorize, but they often zoom in on or are 'biased' towards the experience of a particular character, so I had to make some decisions as to what, for me, constituted sufficient focus on a character’s internal narration and expression vs. omniscience. In the spreadsheet, I took notes on these more subjectively driven decisions. Again, you can view it here! It also contains data on whether the chapter is from an awake or dreaming POV, and has the first lines of each chapter, among which are some fun repeating patterns.

For bar graphs with dots, each dot represents a single chapter. You may also notice that the graphs are missing p-values from statistical tests this time around! This is because, since completing the TRC data, I’ve realized that such measures of uncertainty re: significant differences are not appropriate for my dataset, which is not a sample representing a population, but rather a complete group of chapters (so parametric tests are not necessarily helpful or valid). However, I still like to run the tests for my own amusement and to see what the results would be if this were a dataset for which ANOVA and contingency tests were appropriate, so I have standard deviation bars on the graphs where calculable (but no standard deviations in the text of the results section for legibility) as well as the p-values in tables at the end of this post for anyone also curious. I did still calculate the numbers of chapters and pages that would represent an equal distribution across POV characters, which are represented by the dashed lines on the relevant figures. I think this is helpful to visually gauge 'over-representation' and 'under-representation' of character POVs.

Below are the supplemental figures showing all character POVs rather than lumping some together in an 'other' category. The MI data in figure 4 is not expanded below because the chapters designated as 'other' were omniscient and thus would have remained in the same category.

And finally, here are the omitted p-values, if you'd like to pretend along with me that all the chapters in TD3 are not a complete set but rather a representative sample of a greater population of chapters that's out there in the universe. :) When I give a p-value below the 0.05 threshold but still write 'no significant differences amongst any combination of characters, I mean that the p-values generated for the comparisons between each possible pair of characters were all above 0.05, which are distinct from the overall p-value generated from the ANOVA.

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KINITOPET SPOILERS!

[PT: Kinitopet spoilers! ./End PT]

So you know Sam's game where you decorate his house? I figured there would be a time limit and it'd just jump to the scare.

... It didn't. And I'm pretty sure there's not a limit to the number of objects you can place.

[Image ID from ALT: A screenshot of the game KinitoPET. The window is open to Sam's house decorating mini game. the walls are painted rainbow in vertical stripes and the only furniture is an incredibly large number of disco balls hanging from the ceiling. ./End ID]

... So I spent 15 minutes placing disco balls. And then ANOTHER 15 minutes placing chairs after this.

And when I skipped ahead to the my_world.exe chapter, it looked like this.

[Image ID from ALT: The same room as above but in 3D. The number of disco balls and chairs is so large they're clipping into each other as a blob of polygons. ./End ID]

... This is what my GeForce RTX 2070 Super is being used for.

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Talking about Chibita-Kun (1969 version)

So, over a year ago now I managed to pick up two relatively good condition copies of the second publishing of the Chibita-Kun manga, serialised in the mid 1960s. Only posting about them now as I had to keep them in quarantine for a year due to possible mold (luckily this was not the case). Not a lot of people ever post about this in the English speaking fandom so I thought it would be fun to show some stuff you may not have seen. The manga was republished as ebooks in 2009, however some chapters are missing considering they were repurposed back into Kantaro chapters, but that's a deep dive we can save for another day.

I will preface that due to when this was published there are depictions of racial minorities that I strongly disagree with, and this should be kept in mind if anyone goes out seeking to read copies online.

I'm putting everything under a read more because this is going to be a massive post lol. Alt text is in the images but if you use a screen reader and are unable to hear it let me know and I'll edit the post. Honestly, I just love nerding out about old things (also, for the book collectors out there, I know you're not meant to wear gloves but I have OCD so the gloves are staying on lol. I'm not ruling out potential lead exposure).

For starters, here are the covers. I specifically searched for these editions of the manga because the covers are full of so much life in comparison to other versions. The colour combination is perfect and super eye catching. I'm aware bonus chapters from a different manga are included in the editions published in the 1970s, but I wanted to get these ones first. I might also pick up the manga where the bonus chapters come from on it's own anyway, but it's pricy.

Volume 2, unbeknownst to me at the time I purchased it, is actually a first edition. You can tell it's older considering it's in much poorer condition in comparison. It has significant foxing on the cover pages, the edges, and damage to the dust cover, with a group of pages that are detached from the rest. While I don’t think anything is missing, I need to glue those back into place before I display it. There is also some dirt at the bottom. Thankfully it doesn't seem to be water damaged and the book doesn't smell at all.

On the other hand, volume 1 doesn't look its age. I'll be displaying that in a glass cabinet with no other protection. If I were to guess, it was likely printed in the early to mid 70s instead of 1969. I'm unsure if it's even been used.

And here are the frontispieces. A frontispiece is basically a decorative illustration appearing on one of the first pages of a book. Interestingly, my volume 2 has a printing error. Whether this is because it's a first edition or not, if you look closely the yellow is ever so slightly out of line with everything else. This doesn't seem to be present in other copies of the book I've found online. There's also another printing error on one of the first couple of pages, where the panels are slightly faded and hard to read.

There's something just so charming about Akatsuka's painting style, it's so homely and comforting. If I was a child I'd be drawn to them.

Due to my lack of knowledge regarding Kantaro as the information isn't widely available in English, I've only been able to find one chapter that was definitely originally one of his, due to the cover image being identical to one used in the past in a Kantaro book. By this point he’d already adopted Chibita’s look, so the changes are minimal. Interestingly Chibita originally looked like Kantaro and was called "Kan" in a very small number of chapters in early printings of Osomatsu-Kun, but as he became the more popular character Kantaro's design was changed to match and the name in Osomatsu-Kun changed to his own.

Moving on, here is the damage I mentioned to volume 2. I like to think that the kid who originally owned this book found the image of Chibita getting hanged so compelling they had to show everyone, and as a result wore away the binding.

Something incredibly interesting I also observed is I think the explorers skit in Osomatsu San (you know, the one with Iyami, Jyushi, and Hatabou) might have been based on a Chibita-Kun chapter! The story involves a group of three explorers: Chibita, Iyami, and an unknown female character, doing similar stuff to the group in -San. I would need to rewatch the skit to see if the events align with those in the chapter, but it feels similar from what I've observed. While the combination they used in Osomatsu-San was fitting and I see why they would have changed it, I have feelings about Chibita's lack of use in Osomatsu-San and this feeds into the negative.

For now, I think this is a good place to leave it. I hope to go back and have a more in-depth look through at the stories themselves later down the line once I've repaired volume 2, but this is what I found from a first glance. All in all a really exciting purchase, probably my favourite thing in my entire collection.

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Posepack | Emotive Talks

Published byNotJustaBookonDecember 14, 2018

Hi guyssss!

I bring you a gift in the form of a rather boring, but practical posepack. Though saying that, my seated conversation poses were flagged on Tumblr for being inappropriate, so it may well be that this one is also 2 hot 4 Tumblr. Probably not, though. I made this one because I have a whole lot of chapters coming up with a whole lot of talking (emotional talking – see, there’s a theme to this thing). Unfortunately, conversation poses tend to just fall into arguing or neutral/happy kind of conversations, so I made these which display a range of different emotions. I think they’re extremely useful and there’s never been any doubt that I’d share them.

Let’s look at the goods!

Emotive Talks

Most of these are stand-alone poses that can be mixed and matched with these and other conversation poses. If you have theposeplayer add-on, the look at-interaction is great, too:

Number 5 is a couple set. As usual, these will snap together, though it might need adjusting with alt to fit his hand to her arm (depends on bulk/clothing). Also, when I say ‘male’ and ‘female’, I just use it to distinguish the two poses. There’s absolutely no reason that these can’t be used with any gender.

There are two male poses, one is height adjusted (male) and the other isn’t (maleb). As always, with height adjusted poses you can either:

Use a height-slider. I useCMar’s slider. Enzo’s height is set to 200 and Gina’s is set to -130.

Use anOMSP. Simply pop your dude on it and set it to around 13 cm, then snap photos from the waist-up. Unless your dude can fly – be creative, you special rainbow child, you.

One extra lovely thing is that the male one can be matched with other poses in this pack where the arms are at her side (and possibly poses from other packs). Check, for example, how I used it inchapter 20(also in my featured image).

For this one, I also provide a look at her hands because 1. I like you guys to feel certain that the hands aren’t fucky and I’m trying to hide it. 2. I think the hands look nice and not-fucky:

Walk and Talk

I didn’t originally intend for these to be included in this download, but they’re useful and it’s Christmas, so let’s live a little. These are just two poses for walking and talking together:

They do well with height-adjusted sims (as you can see), but I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t be possible to use on non-adjusted sims.

Now then, I think that’s all from me.

What you’ll get

The poses in list and non-list versions

A list with the pose codes and a description of each pose

Preview images with codes

A folder with the clip files (for folks who can edit poses!)

A note on height-adjustment

Christmas cheer!!! You can’t see it, but you can feel it in your heart.

Poselist Image

(Yup, there are many this time, and yup, I regretted that while making it list compatible).

What Can You Do?

Use them in stories, photoshoots, etc. (if you do, I’d love to see pics, so hit me up in the comments or onTumblr).

Edit them for personal use – no need to ask, though I’d love to see what you do.

Edit them and upload them – butpleaseask and provide a link back here (don’t upload them without changes – that’s just silly).

Downloads

EDIT: Was just told by Jowita that the note with the codes is called ‘autumn day’ (my previous posepack). I can’t be bothered to reupload, so I’ll just leave them as is – the codes in the file itself are fine and dandy, it’s just the name I messed up on. Sorry about that.

Download(SFS, .zip)

Download(Box, .zip)

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What makes Don Quixote from LimbusCompany the autistic girlie ever of all time? Here's what the people have to say:

Don Quixote-related asks/reblogs: x This post will be updated after each round!

Image ID in alt text and under the readmore.

[Image ID. White slide with an image of Don Quixote in the bottom right corner, she is laying on a multi-coloured floor mat and playing with dolls. She is surrounded by text boxes which read,

"She hyperfixates on anything she likes to the ultimate degree! Her current hyperfixation is fixers (which are sorta kinda mercs for hire within the Project Moon universe) and her belief that they are enactors of justice! She's so obsessed with fixers being valiant heroes that she's covered her work uniform in fixer memorabilia and talks like an old timey knight (lots of thees and thys and referring to her manager as Manager Esquire) and jumps at the opportunity to be the arbiter of justice, even if it means, uh, killing a person or two. In every universe you can find her in, she's found something to hyperfixate on, be it company history in the W Corp Don universe or the cultish practices of N Corp in the N Corp Don universe. In the W Corp universe, she goes on and on about how interesting W Corp is to the point that people wind up leaving because she'll get so excited about it she won't even notice that they've left. In the N corp universe, she's so obsessed with the doctrines of the N Corp cult that she wound up making written copies of their creed and reads it to herself regularly (while most others are fed brainwashing juice, she just got into it on her own). In short, she's my baby and I would do anything for her."

"hyperfixates on "fixers", is oblivious to social cues and rushes in to do what right no matter the consequences of her actions. she collects fixer merchandise QwQ"

"She has a special interest in Fixers (a particular occupation that exists in the game's setting), constantly going on about them, having a collection of merch for famous Fixers--including a number of pieces worn on her person--and dreaming about being one herself, mirroring the literary Don Quixote's obsession with knights errant. In chapter 3 she got the snot beaten out of her by a famous Fixer and promptly asked him for his autograph with stars in her eyes. Her in-game introduction reads: There is no sinner that can outmatch this one's level of passion. An avid aficionada of all things Fixer, she adorns herself with a variety of Fixer-related merchandise. They won't affect her performance in combat one way or another, so there is no need for you to restrict her from keeping her decorations. She is deeply immersed in the role of a righteous Fixer, hence the exaggerated mannerisms akin to those of an actor. (Has such a thing ever existed, really?) It's advised to play along with her for a smooth mission."

"She's weird girl don quixote, what more do you need" End ID.]

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Tutorial 2&3

Review answers for chapter 2

1. For media such as print, the term resolution refers to the number of pixels per unit of physical width or height in an image, such as pixels per inch (ppi). Printer resolution may be expressed in dots per inch (dpi), because device dots do not always correspond to image pixels. For media measured in pixels, such as web and video, the resolution typically refers to pixel dimensions (height and width), not pixels per inch.

2. You can use the Crop tool to trim, straighten, resize, and change the resolution of an image.

3. You can adjust the tone and color of an image in Photoshop using the Curves and Levels adjustment layers.

4. The Object Selection Tool recognizes objects in an image. You can click a highlighted object you want to select, or drag around it, and the resulting selection will follow the outline of the object.

5. In this lesson, you used the Remove tool and Generative Fill. Many other healing/ cloning/patching tools are also available in Photoshop.

6. Generative Fill can be effective at filling large deleted areas in a convincing way, either by matching the background or generating new objects. It also generates variations so that you can choose from alternative solutions.

Review answers for chapter 3

1. When a selection is active, edits apply only within that selection.

2. To add to a selection, click the Add To Selection button in the options bar, and then click the area you want to add. To subtract from a selection, click the Subtract From Selection button in the options bar, and then click the area you want to subtract. You can also add to a selection by pressing Shift as you drag or click; to subtract, press Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) as you drag or click.

3. To reposition a selection as you’re creating it, keep holding down the mouse button as you also hold down the spacebar and drag.

4. The Quick Selection tool attempts to detect content edges, while the Object Selection tool attempts to recognize subjects (such as people) and objects in the image.

5. The Magic Wand tool selects adjacent pixels based on their similarity in color. The Tolerance value determines how many color tones the Magic Wand tool will select. The higher the tolerance setting, the more tones are selected.

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review questions

Chapter 1

Describe at least two types of images you can open or add to a document.

You can use a photograph from a digital camera. You can also use a scanned image of a photographic print, a transparency or negative film frame, or a graphic. You can use images downloaded from the internet such as photography from Adobe Stock, or images uploaded to your Cloud Documents or your Lightroom photos.

How do you select tools in Photoshop?

To select a tool in Photoshop, click its icon in the Tools panel, or press the tool’s keyboard shortcut. A selected tool remains active until you select a different tool. To select a hidden tool, either use a keyboard shortcut to toggle through the tools or click and hold the tool in the Tools panel to open a pop-up menu of the hidden tools.

Describe two ways to zoom in to or out from an image.

Choose commands from the View menu to zoom in on or out from an image or to fit it onscreen, or use the zoom tools and click or drag over an image to enlarge or reduce the view. You can also use keyboard shortcuts or the Navigator panel to control the display of an image.

How would you reverse the most recent change you made?

Choose Edit > Undo or Edit > Toggle Last State, or press its keyboard shortcut. (Another correct answer is to choose an earlier document state in the History panel, although that was not shown in this lesson.)

What are some ways to make panels use less space on your screen?

Chapter 2

You can use any combination of grouping and docking panels together, collapsing them, or hiding them.

What does resolution mean?

For media such as print, the term resolution refers to the number of pixels per unit of physical width or height in an image, such as pixels per inch (ppi). Printer resolution may be expressed in dots per inch (dpi), because device dots do not always correspond to image pixels. For media measured in pixels, such as web and video, resolution typically refers to pixel dimensions (height and width), not pixels per inch.

What are some ways to use the Crop tool to improve an image?

You can use the Crop tool to trim, straighten, resize, and change the resolution of an image.

How can you adjust the tone and color of an image in Photoshop?

You can adjust the tone and color of an image in Photoshop using the Curves and Levels adjustment layers.

How can you instantly create a precise selection of an irregularly shaped object?

The Object Selection Tool recognizes objects in an image.

You can click a highlighted object you want to select, or drag around it, and the resulting selection will follow the outline of the object.

What tools can you use to remove blemishes in an image?

In this lesson, you used the Remove tool and Generative Fill. Many other healing/cloning/patching tools are also available in Photoshop.

What are some ways Generative Fill can help retouch an image?

Generative Fill can be effective at filling large deleted areas in a convincing way, either by matching the background or generating new objects. It also generates variations so that you can choose from alternative solutions.

Once you’ve made a selection, what area of the image can be edited?

When a selection is active, edits apply only within that selection.

How do you add to and subtract from a selection when using a tool such as the Quick Selection or Lasso tool?

To add to a selection, click the Add To Selection button in the options bar, and then click the area you want to add. To subtract from a selection, click the Subtract From Selection button in the options bar, and then click the area you want to subtract. You can also add to a selection by pressing Shift as you drag or click; to subtract, press Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) as you drag or click.

How can you move a selection while you’re creating it?

To reposition a selection as you’re creating it, keep holding down the mouse button as you also hold down the spacebar and drag.

What is the difference between the Quick Selection tool and the Object Selection tool?

The Quick Selection tool attempts to detect content edges, while the Object Selection tool attempts to recognize subjects (such as people) and objects in the image.

How does the Magic Wand tool determine which areas of an image to select? What is tolerance, and how does it affect a selection?

The Magic Wand tool selects adjacent pixels based on their similarity in color. The Tolerance value determines how many color tones the Magic Wand tool will select. The higher the tolerance setting, the more tones are selected.

Chapter 2

What does resolution mean?

For media such as print, the term resolution refers to the number of pixels per unit of physical width or height in an image, such as pixels per inch (ppi). Printer resolution may be expressed in dots per inch (dpi), because device dots do not always correspond to image pixels. For media measured in pixels, such as web and video, resolution typically refers to pixel dimensions (height and width), not pixels per inch.

What are some ways to use the Crop tool to improve an image?

You can use the Crop tool to trim, straighten, resize, and change the resolution of an image.

How can you adjust the tone and color of an image in Photoshop?

You can adjust the tone and color of an image in Photoshop using the Curves and Levels adjustment layers.

How can you instantly create a precise selection of an irregularly shaped object?

The Object Selection Tool recognizes objects in an image. You can click a highlighted object you want to select, or drag around it, and the resulting selection will follow the outline of the object.

What tools can you use to remove blemishes in an image?

In this lesson, you used the Remove tool and Generative Fill. Many other healing/cloning/patching tools are also available in Photoshop.

What are some ways Generative Fill can help retouch an image?

Generative Fill can be effective at filling large deleted areas in a convincing way, either by matching the background or generating new objects. It also generates variations so that you can choose from alternative solutions.

Chapter 4

What is the advantage of using layers?

Layers let you move and edit different parts of an image as discrete objects. You can also hide individual layers as you work on other layers.

When you create a new layer, where does it appear in the Layers panel stack?

In the Layers panel, a new layer always appears immediately above the selected layer. If no layer is selected, a new layer appears at the top of the layer list.

How can you make artwork on one layer appear in front of artwork on another layer?

You can make artwork on one layer appear in front of artwork on another layer by dragging layers up or down the stacking order in the Layers panel or by using the Layer > Arrange commands—Bring To Front, Bring Forward, Send Backward, and Send To Back. However, you can’t change the layer position of a background layer unless you convert it to a regular layer (unlock it or double-click to rename it).

How can you apply a layer style?

To apply a layer style, select the layer, and then click the Add A Layer Style button in the Layers panel, or choose Layer > Layer Style > [style]

To edit a Gradient Fill layer by dragging on-canvas controls, what two things should you make sure to do?

Make sure the Gradient Fill layer is selected, and if you also make sure the Gradient tool is selected, the on-canvas gradient editor appears.

Where can you see detailed options for editing a Gradient Fill layer?

Detailed options for a Gradient Fill layer are displayed in the Gradient Controls section of the Properties panel, when a Gradient Fill layer is selected.

Chapter 5

What is red eye, and how do you correct it in Photoshop?

Red eye occurs when a camera flash is reflected in the retinas of a subject’s eyes. To correct red eye in Photoshop, zoom in to the subject’s eyes, select the Red Eye tool, and then click or drag around each eye.

Why might some parts of the Photoshop workspace become inaccessible or hidden, such as the Color and Layers panels? And how do you return to the normal workspace?

If standard panels can’t be opened, you are probably working in a dedicated workspace that provides options only for a specific task, such as applying Liquify or Blur Gallery effects. Many menu commands and panels aren’t available in a dedicated workspace. To exit a dedicated workspace and keep the edits you made in it, look for an OK button and click it. (When not in a dedicated workspace, panels can be opened and hidden using the Window menu or by a preset on the Window > Workspace menu.)

How can you create a panorama from multiple images?

To blend multiple images into a panorama, choose File > Automate > Photomerge, select the files you want to combine, and click OK.

Which common camera lens flaws can the Lens Correction filter fix?

The Lens Correction filter can fix common camera lens flaws such as barrel and pincushion distortion, in which straight lines bow out toward the edges of the image (barrel) or bend inward (pincushion); chromatic aberration, where a color fringe appears along the edges of image objects; and vignetting at the edges of an image, especially corners, that are darker than the center.

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Mastering Kindle eBook Formatting: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction:

In the digital age, eBooks have become a popular medium for both authors and readers. With the rise of platforms like Amazon Kindle, self-publishing has never been more accessible. However, amidst the excitement of writing and publishing your eBook, one crucial aspect often gets overlooked: formatting. Proper formatting not only enhances the reader's experience but also ensures your eBook meets industry standards. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into the intricacies of Kindle eBook formatting, offering essential tips and techniques to help you present your content professionally.

Understanding Kindle eBook Formatting:

Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Amazon's self-publishing platform, provides guidelines for formatting eBooks to ensure compatibility across various Kindle devices and apps. The key components of Kindle eBook formatting include:

File Formats: KDP accepts eBooks in formats like .doc, .docx, HTML, ePub, and MOBI. However, for the best results, converting your manuscript to MOBI format is recommended, as it's specifically optimized for Kindle.

Text Formatting: Consistent font usage, proper alignment, and suitable line spacing are crucial for readability. Stick to standard fonts like Arial or Times New Roman to ensure compatibility across devices.

Images and Graphics: If your eBook contains images or graphics, ensure they are of high quality and properly aligned within the text. Amazon recommends using JPEG format for images.

Table of Contents (TOC): Including a clickable TOC allows readers to navigate your eBook easily. Ensure that chapter titles and page numbers in the TOC correspond accurately with the content.

Cover Design: While not directly related to formatting, a captivating cover is essential for attracting readers. Amazon provides guidelines for cover dimensions and resolution to ensure it displays correctly on different devices.

Tips for Effective Kindle eBook Formatting:

Simplify Formatting: Avoid complex layouts or intricate designs that may not translate well to various Kindle devices. Keep formatting simple and focus on delivering your content effectively.

Use Stylesheets: Utilize stylesheets to maintain consistency throughout your eBook. This allows you to easily apply formatting elements such as headings, paragraphs, and bullet points.

Test on Multiple Devices: Before publishing, test your eBook on different Kindle devices and apps to ensure compatibility and readability across various screen sizes and resolutions.

Optimize for Accessibility: Consider readers with visual impairments by ensuring your eBook is accessible. Use alt text for images and avoid relying solely on color for conveying information.

Proofread Thoroughly: Typos and formatting errors can detract from the professionalism of your eBook. Take the time to proofread meticulously or consider hiring a professional editor.

Conclusion:

Mastering Kindle eBook formatting is essential for self-published authors looking to make a mark in the digital publishing landscape. By adhering to Amazon's guidelines and implementing best practices, you can ensure your eBook stands out for all the right reasons. Whether you're a seasoned author or embarking on your publishing journey for the first time, investing time and effort into proper formatting will ultimately enhance the reading experience for your audience. Start by implementing the tips outlined in this guide, and watch as your eBook captivates readers on Amazon Kindle and beyond.

Resource Box:

For further assistance with Kindle eBook formatting and self-publishing guidance, visit ePublishingHelp.com. Our experts provide comprehensive support to authors, ensuring their eBooks meet industry standards and captivate readers worldwide.

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I was feeling bad about missing the first post, but apparently the next update is in MARCH so I'm not too late if you think about it?

One of the things that put me off reading Twig the first few attempts was that instead of joining on the premise of 'superheroes' or 'magic' I was instead slapped in the face with the premise of 'biology' which while I think Wildbow does an excellent job of mucking about with to create cool, horrifying, and other sorts of rad shit with, isn't exactly my personal cup of tea? I'm a fake wildbow fan, I'm here mostly for the Rad Shit and rely on other wormbloggers to present Themes and Ideas and such.

Sy this is a lizard. A snake with legs is just a lizard. Did you perhaps miss the second lesson, after 'life needs these elements' in which they go 'this is a lizard'?

The beginnings of Sy being a little shit. I don't remember him laughing a lot later on though? I've heard people (including wildbow) describe twig as a coming of age story, so maybe this is part of it. Like I said earlier, do not expect particularly deep cuts in this liveblog lol.

Hello Fred-From-Scooby-Doo. I sure hope you don't rot away first when these child experiments are revealed to have expiration dates. This is also the second mention of the wax masks that I thought were going to be like, an Everytime thing instead of just something prepared for this particular outing. I dropped my first reading this very chapter because I didn't want to read about wax cracking just as often as taylor reached out for her swarm, given wyvern makes Sy watch peoples faces for tells or whatever.

Hello the girls! I'm sure the gender ratio of the team here will have no surprises later on. Lillian gets a smaller introduction here compared to the other lambs(? I'm not sure if they're called that at this point.) I faintly recall her being the unenhanced medic/intern on the team, and I wonder if Sy thinking about her less here is intentional.

Hello Helen, who's apparently the best lamb (And I found myself agreeing with this with what little I read.) I forgot you were a fucked up blonde little girl like bonesaw, with the 'bending body in odd angles' I had swapped your mental image to the girl from the ring after a bit.

I had to google Wallaces law, because I am dumb. I don't know if this is 'alt earth Wallace got more credit for shit than Darwin did' sort of thing or if Wallace's Law is also a real thing.

Is this the problematic yuri I've heard about or am I reading too much into things because the next chapter comes out in march?

Giving Sy the benefit of the doubt for now that he's doing this because he thinks it's funny to make her mad and genuinely doesn't think it's an issue, and is also twelve(?). May change my tune later given I've heard it doesn't really get better?

Mostly clipping this bit trying to burn the aesthetic into my mind given I forget it over time, replacing every location with a new Generic Brown Brick Building. Haphazard buildings with petrified trees holding them up. Not just Detroit but More British.

We live in a so-Sy-ety.

Oh yeah it was intentional. I remembered one thing about twig, woo.

Very good character establishing being done here.

Hi Jamie. Trying not to read too much into initial description seeing as I know some spoilers about them, but not liking how they look with short hair instead of being happy with long hair is relatable. Men's haircuts suck.

I wonder if we ever get details about the gangs previous monster of the week shenanigans. Also if one counts the kittens, this is two mentions of baby murder in the first chapter.

Sy doing his thing is fun. The fact he's like 12(?) and looking down on the ten year old is also fun.

Wildbow fixing his problems with numbers by introducing ten dollars as a lot of money to share between a few ten year olds. Any attempts to calculate how much anything is actually worth in the twigverse is going to be wrapped up in this murkyness.

So you were curious then.

And given Helen's manner of sitting it actually is a recurring problem. god damn it Sy.

Wollstone, after a google, is just a reference to Mary Shelleys mother, and not another real scientist I should feel dumb for not recognizing.

I could not picture Jamie's hiding spot or the way the door was propped up. Taylor and your omniscient swarm to make sense of wildbow tabletop RPG paced fights, I miss you. I'll even take Victorias 'thinker 1' power. Someone stitch echolocation bat ears on Sy or some shit I'm begging you.

Confirmation that Sy was being a twelve year old about the ten year old he was playing.

I guess I can let the lizard thing go if Sy is only calling that because they're giving all their cases dorky saturday morning cartoon names

I remember Sy calling himself dogshit at fighting and I really hope theres more of these moments where shit he tries just fucking fails like this.

The gang of 12 year olds watching a man be devoured by his own creation, and Sy is more interested in putting Lillian in the out group for covering her eyes. I think this is why I dropped twig the second time, I judged it by it's first chapter and thought with the 'monster of the week' type of plot, with the focus on hunting and food, pretty much every death was going to be indulging in vore instead of other fun ideas for death in a 'biopunk' setting. Snake charmer is a decent starter antagonist, I'll probably have more thoughts about him once we have others to compare him to. Being against the academy but wanting to join it, spouting a few lines about

I don't know Sy well enough yet to know if he was lying to me, the reader about the fake fall he made sound natural in the narration, or if he's just actually bad at fighting. There's a post going around about 'real people falling for the acts that characters put on' and Sy might be doing that to me.

Hooray government created child murderers! You did it! See you again in March, apparently.

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so do i have to play league to keep up with lore?

Not at all!!! League is the opposite of a story-based game. Champions are meant to represent an archetype in the rift and shout some cool catchphrases. MOST are self contained, a few have interwoven plotlines that can span years. Some character stories get updated over time in the form of short fiction / comics / event based visual novels but most of that content can be looked up online.

In the case of jayce/viktor, to make ref easier for all: HERE’S THE JAYVIK LEAGUE LORE CHEAT SHEET.

League of Legends

Viktor's bio v.1 | Jayce's bio v.1 | Blitzcrank's bio v.1

Viktor's bio v.2 | Jayce's bio v.2 | Blitzcrank's bio v.2

Viktor’s short story | Jayce’s short story | Blitz’ alt bio

“v.1″ refers to their original release bios, “v.2″ to post runeterra universe reboot bios. Worth noting that some of these changes were... contentious; blitzcrank’s new origin story as something viktor did not create but simply mod is mostly ignored by fans, who still refer to original events in a vague manner. The omission of stanwick in jayce / blitz’ updated bios is a big questionmark. To get in the spirit of the thing I just go all in the ‘Unreliable Narrator’ aspect of their whole shebang and cobble together my own interpretation of events.

[update nov.22]: Blitzcrank’s alt bio has been added! this 1.5 version contains a somewhat different account of events that I kind of prefer, compared to 2.0

EVEN MORE STUFF:

Read info on ALL Canon AU universes, find HD splash art, Skinline details, 3D Models & more on the Vikjayce Codex!

CONVERGENCE: A LEAGUE OF LEGENDS STORY

'CONVERGENCE' is an Ekko-led platformer game that released in 2023. An accompanying free-to-download comic miniseries was made to supplement the game's story, and it focuses on Jayce, Viktor, Ekko himself & his family -- and how they are all interwoven as the 'struggling genius' archetype in a very flawed system.

[Read here!!]

This series features a retelling of J/V's backstories through the lens of an outsider, and a bit of an update on where they are now. Surprising absolutely no one: they are still very attached to each other. (This comic is standalone, and not part of the Arcane universe.)

Legends of Runeterra vikjayce content:

[ Jayce’s Deck / related cards ] | [ Viktor’s Deck / related cards ]

Jayce's Path of Champions Comic (Voiced/Viktor is in it)

Jayce voice interactions | Viktor voice interactions (he shares this vid w other champions, pops back from time to time)

*They both keep extensive research/life notes addressing themselves. It’s very undying highschool girl cute. LoR is sometimes referred to as its own continuity; their cards are both a progression of their story and a what-if scenario.

Arcane universe limited content:

[ Jayce Talis’ journal ] was available to read in the league client while the show was airing. “Far From Home” “Progress Day” “A Powerful Partnership” are all diary entries; the layout is a bit finicky but click on chapter numbers to progress, the image on the side changes to match!

Wild Rift limited content:

[ Jayce got a champion release webtoon ] that never made it to NA servers. It quickly summarizes his deal and vaguely hints Viktor is in the update horizon.

There is a tentative translation offered by blessed twitter user crossedfires, highlight being the jayce/viktor panel wherein he remarks:

“Genius is always lonely, I know this truth very well. Until Viktor appeared – I admit it – he is the only gear comparable to me.” (uses the verb xiāngdāng (comparable) that means match, balance, correspond to). One of my mandarin-speaking friends has also pointed out the wordplay lends itself to double meaning; “He is the only gear to match/that matches mine.”

MISC / OFF CANON:

Jayce & Viktor animated stickers

Punches&Plants 2 - Altcanon comedy, various champs living in an urbanized fantasy version of runeterra. Jayce and Viktor retire from a life of rivalry to dedicate themselves to new hobbies. Viktor is a dollmaker, Jayce is a weeb. Blitzcrank has an unfortunate job.

League’s Germany twitter promo - Viktor gets his ‘man of progress’ mug.

Wild Rift holidays promo - Jayce leaves a gift for ‘V’ under the tree.

Jayce and Viktor also have plenty of AU ingame skins with their own micro bios. Not linking these here since itd be too much info/ u can easily google; they share the Battlecast universe (ppl like this one) and the Heavy Metal universe (ppl dislike this one for various reasons, namely retconning Viktor’s full machine skin from ‘his last stage of mechanization’ into a very unfortunate stereotype.) They were meant to be an annoying player and an annoyed dungeon master in the Riftquest universe but riot scrapped Viktor’s skin. RIP

if anything else cool happens or I remember a missed spot I’ll update this!

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Embedding images on AO3: A Guide

Since AO3 doesn't host images themselves, we'll just have to host them elsewhere.

In this guide we will use Google Drive,https://postimages.org/, or Tumblr as possible choices to host our images.

Step One: Grabbing the URL

Google Drive:

In google drive create a new folder where the image(s) or sub folders for further organization.

Right click and select New Folder, name this folder what ever you what.

Now upload your image(s)

Right click on your image and hit share

Under General Access ensure it is set to Anyone with the link

Hit Copy link

The link you have should look something like this

**https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mzOp9pOYhaWahgJP6yVFXbtYagCQ_0Up/view?usp=sharing **

But as is it won't work! We need to modify it first!

Copy the string of random numbers and letters after /d/ and before /view?

1mzOp9pOYhaWahgJP6yVFXbtYagCQ_0Up

Here's a template https://drive.google.com/uc?id=

paste your string after id=

your new link should look some thing like this...

https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1mzOp9pOYhaWahgJP6yVFXbtYagCQ_0Up

Now, you have a working link from Google Drive ready to use.

This Google Drive portion was from this guide here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28132845

Now, you have a working link from Google Drive ready to use.

Using a image hosting service likehttps://postimages.org/

https://postimages.org/

You can create an account for free with this one. This is pretty straightforward so I’ll gloss over. Hit the sign up button. Then, enter your desired email

Once logged in you will be presented with this page

Upload your image, and you will be taken to this page.

Copy Direct link

Now you have a working link from postimg.cc ready to use.

Tumblr (mobile):

Tumblr is not always the best to use as blogs can get deleted or URLs can change here. But I’ll include it here anyway.

Long tap the image you wish to use in a post.

You will be presented with this menu.

Tap share photo.

Then you will be presented with another menu.

Tap Copy URL

On Desktop (Google Chrome Browser)

Right on the image in the post.

You will be presented with this menu...

Click copy the image address.

Now you have a working link from Tumblr ready to use.

Now, you are ready to embed.

Step 2: Inserting and fitting the image

Go to the new/ existing chapter you wish to be embed.

HTML OPTION:

Make sure in the HTML editor view.

This is located next to the rich text button in the Worktext section, as shown.

Now, find the place in the text where the image should go...

<p> <img src="https://i.postimg.cc/8zG9ZNMw/blob-danny.jpg" width="270" height="600" /> </p>

For this image, it was much too large. So, I modified it with the width and height modifiers.

**First you must find the dimensions of the image. **

This can be done with the same image URL from earlier. With this online tool.

http://myfreeonlinetools.com/get-image-size-and-dimensions/

In this example, my image is 1080x2400

Once you have the dimensions, you can find the aspect ratio.

Use this calculator:

https://www.digitalrebellion.com/webapps/aspectcalc

Once have the aspect ratio, you can half or quarter the height or width and calculate for the one you don't have.

Example I've quartered my height as halving it was still to big.

In my case the dimensions are now 600 by 270 which fits the page much better.

These will be your new dimensions.

Record them.

Here is a blank template to paste in.

<p>

<img src="" alt="" width="" height=""/>

</p>

src is the path to the URL.

alt is the alternative text for the image. This is used for accessibility as well as be a modern web standard.

width is the image width in pixels

height is the image height in pixels

You insert your values in between the double quotes.

_*remember to close your quote _

*remember to close your image tag

RICH TEXT OPTION

Make sure in the Rich Text editor view.

Set the cursor where you want the image. Click image icon.

Set the values in this form.

Use the URL we generated in one of the previous 4 options.

Set the Image description

The width and height may be input automatically, if not consult the HTML OPTION for finding the dimensions and aspect ratio of the image.

Here’s how it looks after posting

Shout out to @playedcrowd5610 for inspiring me to make this guide.

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Swap into the CrystalVerse Chapter 4: Stitched

Co-written with @crystalninjaphoenix

Read Swapboys | Read Stitched | AO3 Link

Prologue | Switch Chapters Taglist: @brokentimewatch

After what feels like a fall through space, Alt is suddenly standing on solid ground. A tile floor, to be specific. It's not familiar at all. He barely has time to look around--This is a kitchen of some kind--when he hears someone scream close by. A bright blue circle suddenly slams into him, pushing him into a corner of the room--It's not just a kitchen, it's also a dining room, and he's been pushed to a corner in between the table and a small window. The blue circle expands until he's basically blocked into the spot.

There are two men standing in front of him, looking horrified. One of them (his face is hidden by a blue cloth mask, and he wears nice clothes paired with bracelets and armbands) has his hands up defensively. The other (he's wearing a black hoodie with the letters PMA on it, and one of his eyes seems a brighter blue than the other) is backing into the counter and reaching for the knife block.

At hearing the screaming, Alt instinctively glitches in surprise, then is thrown off as the blue circle is slammed into him. He’s disoriented and then looks at the magic trapping him and glitches a bit in fear.

Then, he looks out at the sight of the other men. He tries to hold up his hands in a calming gesture. He’d glitch out of the magic but these guys looked freaked out enough already. “Woah woah hey! Fuck i- sorry I didn’t mean to-“

It’s just now occurring to him that- this isn’t home. He freaks out, trying to see if he still has the TRVLR.

Alt does indeed still have the TRVLR. But when he tries to turn it on the screen just flashes a low battery image and nothing else.

“Why now?!” The man in the hoodie cries, grabbing one of the knives from the block. “What do you want?! What more can you fucking do at this point?!” The blade trembles; his hand is shaking. The man in the mask moves one arm protectively in front of him.

Alt relaxes slightly as he sees the TRVLR is safe but pockets it for now. Seems he has bigger stuff to deal with.

Alt holds up his hands to show they’re empty. “H-Hey! I- I don’t think I’m who you think I am! My… my name’s Alt- I’m… not from around here- I… I’m sorry to just pop in here I uh- couldn’t really control it. But I won’t hurt you! Swear it.”

They both clearly doubt what he’s saying. “Like we’d fall for that,” the man in the hoodie scoffs. “I-I don’t know what new angle you have, Anti, but it’s not going the work!” The man in the mask makes a throat clearing noise to get the other’s attention. He moves his hands—oh, it’s BSL. Call the others, J-happy.

“They can’t get here—” the first man starts to say, then looks at Alt and stops. “Okay. Yeah. I’ll do that.” He slowly reaches into his pocket with his free hand and pulls out a smart phone.

Alt pales at the name. “Fuck okay…. Course there’s an anti here… okay-“

He sees the sign and then he panics and signs back please wait!

Sometimes signing helped Hen to calm down- maybe it would here too.

“Look I- I dunno how things work here but- I’m not- I’m not this Anti. I mean- i kinda am but! I'm not… from this world- I… i'm from another universe.” He glitches a bit in nervousness- hating being trapped. “If you could just let me explain or- I can show you something… something your Anti probably can’t do…? Maybe?”

The man in the black hoodie laughs, sounding almost hysterical, and dials a number. “We’re not going to give you a chance to do—”

Go ahead, signs the man in the mask, looking intrigued.

“JJ what the fuck?!”

He’s never used sign before, the man—JJ—explains.

“He’s never looked like that before either!” protests the other man. “That doesn’t mean it’s anything good!”

Your phone is ringing, JJ points out.

The man presses it to his ear. “Chase? Yeah, I-I can’t even begin to describe what’s happening here, but can you guys come home just in case? It might be…him.”

JJ nods at Alt, waiting patiently.

Alt relaxes some and nods, “oh um… you guys know in like- superhero movies where they travel to other places and they have like- people who are the same but.. different?” God he sounds insane. “I… I’m that- I think…”

Alt then blinks at the name Chase and he bounces slightly, “oh you have a chase! I… I do too! He’s my brother- Chase Brody! and I’m Alt Brody! We… in our world he’s a super hero and I’m… a magician, I guess? More like an entertainer- trying to be a hero…” he then fumbles with his shirt- looking for his mask before remembering it’s gone.

“Whatever guy you’re afraid of though… I can promise I’m not him but… I think you guys could be in danger… from someone else. And I need to find him and my brother… but I swear- I won’t hurt you. Im not that kinda guy…” -anymore. Mag’s words about how he’s always hurting people sticks in his head but he sticks his hands in his pockets and tries to stay calm. His shoulder fizzle and twitch with glitches, showing his nervousness.

“O…kay.” It an unbelievable story. And the man in the black hoodie clearly doesn’t believe him. “Chase, do you have a brother?” He says to the phone. There’s a long pause. “What is going on over there?” he mutters.

JJ, however, looks thoughtful. The blue shield keeping Alt in the corner drifts away a bit, giving him more room. That sounds insane, but I don’t think you’re Anti, he says. Or not the one we know. You’re being way too nice to me for that. He gives a muffled laugh, like chuckling without actually opening your mouth. I don’t think Anti could pretend to like me if his life depended on it. For my friends’ sake, though, do you mind staying there for a while? Oh, this is J-A-C-K by the way.

“You said your Chase was a superhero?” Jack repeats. “What’s his costume like?”

Alt breathes a little easier as the shield is moved- but he looks very uncomfortable being trapped. too much like when Mag would keep Blitz in a cage. “sure- no problem…” He shifts anxiously on his feet, trying not to let his anxiety and fear get the better of him. These guys seem chill… but he doesn’t want to let his guard down. The first guys seemed chill too-

Alt nods to the finger spelling. “Jack… okay. I gotta friend named Jack…” He blinks at Jack’s question and then thinks. “Oh he’s uh- not wearing his costume today. But he’s in a bright orange jacket- got a pink skull with a purple paint splatter behind it. S’also on his hat. He’s got a pink mask and like- yellow green hair.”

"Well, that's... that adds some credibility," Jack mutters. "I think your brother just showed up right next to our friends."

JJ raises an eyebrow. You're not going to say anything about how that's a weird coincidence?

"I considered it, I really did, but there's never been... look, two people is weird." Jack looks at Alt with new eyes, now able to see past the glitching exterior. He looks... a bit freaked out. "You can drop the shield, Jays," Jack says quietly. "It's okay."

The circle flickers away and JJ sighs. I'm glad we could sort this all out.

Jack speaks to his phone again. "Yeah, you guys get over here as fast as you can. Bring the guy. We'll, uh, talk when we're all together in person."

Alt seems to relax even more especially once the shield is removed. He smiles sheepishly, “t-thanks… I get it though. Bein’ cautious… I would have reacted the same way.”

He anxiously messes with his pockets and doesn’t really move from the corner. These guys act just the way the inverted guys acted towards him… but those guys were assholes. What if… the Anti here wasn’t like the first Anti he met? His stomach rolls anxiously. God… and where was Mag?

He looks over to the guy with the mask and slowly asks, speaking out loud and in sign since it seemed to put them at ease. “What’s your name?” He was trying to put a finger on who this guy reminded him off… he heard JJ earlier but… that can’t be right.

JJ's eyes crinkle; he's clearly smiling under the mask. J-A-M-E-S-O-N, he says, carefully spelling it out. And you don't have to sign for me, I can hear you. I just can't speak. Very considerate, though.

Alt’s eyes widen slightly. Okay… like Dr. j… weird. Dr. J was the least magical person he knew… this guy seemed very magic though- but he had the dressing styles of Henny. Though… kinda like the first Jameson he met… but Alt can tell this guy is kind. The first Jameson- the red one. He always had a sinister tinge to everything he did. “Ah okay… sorry my friend who taught me- he’s deaf so… force of habit I guess.”

Jack finishes his conversation and hangs up. "Okay. So. Yeah. That's Jameson, we call him JJ. We have two other friends who live here--well, kind of, e-everyone has their own places but it's been uh... This is my apartment, we're all staying here for now. Our friends are Chase and Henrik, but we call him Schneep. And, uh... yeah. S-sorry about the...reaction. You just... I've never seen... someone other than Anti do that stuff."

Alt grabs at his arm and tries not to shudder. “…I can imagine… I think.”

Are we going to explain about Anti? JJ asks Jack.

"Well, uh, basically Anti is this... guy..." Jack says slowly. "I don't... know if he's actually a human. Probably not. He... hates us. And has spent almost a whole fucking year trying to... he spent a whole year attacking us. Anyway. If you're from another world, how'd you get here? What are you doing here?"

Alt listens but feels his stomach drop. God… this Anti sounds like bad news… he wonders if he’s just as bad as Mag.

“Well… it’s a long story for me too but uh… we have a guy back home. A black magician named Magnificent. He’s… he’s obsessed with trying to go to other worlds to gain more power… and he… he used me to do it.” He pulls out the TRVLR. “We found this device that can help us travel… but I gotta make sure I get Magnificent back with us.. as much as I hate him… I can’t let him torture people here- or anywhere else. It’s… what me and my brother do. Or… try to do. Save people.”

JJ looks alarmed. Black magic?

Jack groans. "God damn it."

Sorry for the strange reactions, it's just that... Anti was probably caused by a black magic spell, Jameson explains. So... I think we can understand. Jack shudders. If just a single spell can cause Anti, what could a person specializing in dark powers do?

Alt grips at his arm, like he can still feel the ache of the black magic- like a phantom pain. “I… I get it. Black magic fucking sucks.”

"Y-yeah. That's... that's... you guys are really brave for dealing with that." Jack smiles at Alt. He's still not entirely sure about him, but if he's telling the truth, he and his brother are probably much braver than any of them.

Alt flushes and tries to duck down his head, looking away. “Well… me and my brother got… powers so- we gotta use em for something good… you know?” He feels that pit he gets in his stomach of when he did the opposite of that but… the others told him he was trying and that was enough.

JJ nods. Better use of your powers than what Anti's done, by far. His eyes crinkle again as he tries to be reassuring--hard to do with a mask hiding half your face, but he tries.

"We can try to help you out a little. Maybe. Not sure what we can do, but we'll try." JJ nods again in agreement. Our friends and your brother should be arriving here soon. Perhaps we should wait for them in the living room.

Alt nods, “yeah alright-“ He looks around, then realizes he doesn’t know where to go. “Uh I should- probably follow one of you…”

"Yeah, just this way." Jack walks towards the one entrance to the kitchen/dining room, glancing over his shoulder at Alt. "Don't worry, i-it's pretty easy to find your way around, haha."

Alt tries to smile back but it quickly falls, his mind going a million places at once. He follows them to go wait in the living room.

-----------

When Alt appears in Jack's kitchen, Bro appears in a park. It's a nice park, with a playground and picnic tables dotted around, but it's definitely not familiar.

Looking around, it's also almost empty. There are just two people passing by on the sidewalk. A man wearing a cap and bandanna, and a man wearing a black coat that's a bit out of place in the temperate weather. The man in the cap happens to glance around at the right time--and sees Bro. He immediately stops walking, and it's clear why. The man looks like him. Almost exactly, just missing the dyed hair.

If there was any doubt that Bro wasn't home yet, it's gone now.

Bro looks around in confusion, about ready to fly around to see where they are. But he stills and his eyes widen as he meets the other man’s eyes. He hesitates- then goes to remove his mask, letting his hair fade back to its natural brown, and his eyes dim down to a more natural hue. Then he tries to wave, grinning nervously. “Uh- hey there?”

Bro is obviously a bit more built then the other man is- even though Chase felt he was on the slimmer side when it came to heroes. But- he can tell now when he sees a doppelgänger. And damn- looks like this guy has been through hell… but- who was the guy next to him?

"Um... h-hi..." The man is clearly uneasy, taking a couple steps back when Bro gets close.

"Hello?" The other man is turned towards Bro, but not quite meeting his eyes. There are strange scars on his face that look, strangely enough, like tear tracks. "Who are you? Chase, is this a friend?"

"Uh, n-no, but..." the first man--Chase--grabs the other's hand. "He... looks like me..."

"We all sort of look like each other, that is not narrowing it down."

"No, I mean... really looks like me. Like... if I had a clone. Who worked out."

The other man laughs. "There is something strange about this. But there is nothing to worry about... I think. It's not who you are worried about, I can tell."

That's a very vague statement, but Chase does relax slightly. "Who... who are you?" he asks Bro.

Chase messes with his hair and adjusts his hat before trying to get a little closer.

“Itss- a long ass story. And I’m still very confused by a lot of it but- I think this will… maybe help?” He shrugs, “m’name is Chase Brody. I think that’s familiar to you, yeah? But, where I’m from, people know me as a superhero, Bro Fantastic!”

He does a slight hero pose but quickly lets it fall. He studies the man who doesn’t look at him curiously. “Um but- I’m looking for my brother and… a bad guy. A really bad guy… i dunno what he’s gonna do here but… it can’t be good.”

Chase blinks. That's a lot of information to dump on him all at once. He processes it silently for a few seconds. "What the fu--"

And then a ringtone comes from his pocket.

"Ah shit." Chase pulls his phone out and glances at the caller ID. "Schneep, it's Jack. Hang on a second you... other... me, uh..." He picks up the call. "Hey, is something going on?" He goes a bit pale. "What? What do you mean?! You can't just--is he there?! What? No, I don't have a brother, you've known me long enough for--look, something just--"

Bro blinks in confusion and looks between the two of them, trying to pick up the conversation with his super hearing. He perks up as he hears the mention of a brother and zips over so he’s closer. “Oh is that your friend?? If they’re asking about a brother that must mean they found Alt!” He grins.

Chase yelps. "Uh, personal space, please!" he says, stepping backwards.

Bro backs up quickly raising up his hands. “Oh right, sorry!” Jesus- this guy was just as bad as Alt was. He’ll be real cautious around him…

Chase stares at Bro. "There's a guy here who fucking looks like me but with green hair and he's wearing some crazy outfit, this weird-ass orange jacket and pink mask--"

"Ahhh." Schneep nods slowly. "That makes the superhero thing a bit more believable." He waves in Bro's general direction while Chase continues to talk on the phone. "Hello, by the way. My name is Henrik."

Bro blinks down at Henrik and smiles. “Oh uh yeah- believe it or not this isn’t my usual uniform… my uniform is cooler. …don’t ask why I’m wearing my own merch it’s from my fans-“ He laughs then tries to offer a hand to Schneep. “Henrik huh? Nice to meet ya!” …he’s not at all like Henny…

"It is nice to meet you too." Schneep smiles, happy to have met someone friendly for once. "You can call me Schneep, if you would like. I'm sure your, ah, uniform is cooler but this cannot be too bad either." He makes no move to take Bro's hand.

Chase turns back to the phone. "So, should we bring this guy back to the apartment? Okay. Okay, we'll be there soon." Chase wraps up the phone conversation. He looks over at Schneep and Bro and notices the awkward raised hand. "Oh, uh, Schneep, he's trying to shake your hand."

"Oh! I am so sorry." Schneep reaches out and finds Bro's hand, shaking it firmly. "I am blind, you see." He chuckles. "You see, because I do not."

Bro tilts his head and is just about to let his hand drop when Chase fills Henrik in. Then, Bro flushes and quickly shakes Schneep’s hand. “Oh! Jeez I’m sorry- I didn’t realize…” He awkwardly messes with his hair.

"Is okay, I suppose it would be hard to tell," Schneep says. "I should get one of those canes that people have in movies."

Bro laughs then looks back at Chase. “Immm guessing your friends got freaked out by someone else who looks like us- probably glitching a bit?” He tries to laugh.

"Glitching..." Chase repeats. "That would explain why Jack thought it was him. Why? Do you know what just happened up there?"

Bro makes a face. “Ah- I’m guessing glitching isn’t… a good thing here. Uh- well- it’s starting to be a pattern for us… I hope it doesn’t actually become one though cuz god- Alt must be stressed out… but uh- basically the guy we’re looking for- he’s trying to go to other worlds. Cuz he’s insane. You know how it is. And uh- he keeps trying to use my brother- cuz he’s got magic. Electric magic, mostly. I guess I… kinda do too? But they feel different. I can’t cast spells. Oh but! Yeah- he keeps grabbing Alt to go to these other places cuz glitching helps with that I guess- and I try to stop him cuz.. I’m a hero. And no one messes with my baby bro.” His eyes glow slightly with power before dimming down.

“Anddd so far- it seems like we get separated when we go somewhere new… I’m just glad alt isn’t hurt this time…”

Chase seems to have more trouble processing this, but Schneep's eyes widen. "There is someone trying to go to other worlds? That... cannot be a good thing, for anyone. I can only imagine someone would try that out of curiosity or some--some bad intent, and it sounds like this man does not fall into the former."

Chase’s expression darkens. “Mm… curiosity drives him alright. But mostly the bad stuff yeah. He’s… insane. Just try easiest way to put it. “

"Let's, uh, start walking home," Chase says. "We can keep talking on the way." He pauses. "You're... a hero, huh? With actual powers." He lets out a breath of laughter. "That's crazy. That's insane."

Bro nods and follows after them then grins. “Oh yeah! You wanna see?” He runs a bit a head of Chase and then jumps in the air and hovers, grinning like a huge dork. “Ta-dah! I mean- I can do more but- this is my favorite.”

"Whoa!" Chase gapes, astonished, then laughs. "I-I've never seen--Schneep, he's flying!"

"Oooo!" Schneep's head tilts up, following Bro's voice. "That is incredible!"

Chase beams and then touches back down to the ground, laughing. “It’s pretty neat- I like it. But, uh- sounds like you guys also got… somethings that’s gotcha on edge so I’ll keep it low key~!” He walks backwards while he talks though, keeping up the conversation.

"Y-yeah..." Chase gives a little laugh. "It's a long story, but... there's this... thing that's been stalking us for a while. He's called Anti, and... he's done some pretty bad stuff to us." He tugs on a wristband, making sure it's in place.

"My friend Jack--when your brother appeared in our kitchen, he thought he was Anti coming to fuck with us some more. But things must've calmed down by now." "We should hurry in any case," Schneep says. "Perhaps Anti heard our phone call and wants to act on it."

"Shit. Right. Yeah." Chase takes Schneep's hand and starts walking down the street. He looks back at Bro. "C'mon. It's not too far a walk."

It’s still so weird to hear his brother’s chosen name said with such fear. Bro nods, “ah right. Lead the way.” He follows close behind, keeping an eye out for anything lurking around.

"Okay." This is weird. This is so weird. Chase tries not to stare at the other version of him as they head down the street.

"I am sure this will all turn out fine," Schneep says.

-----------

In an instant, Magnificent appears in an industrial-looking area, surrounded by low concrete buildings and electrical boxes and wires. It looks run-down. Abandoned, maybe. As soon as the line between universes is crossed, any lingering effects of Distorter's trance snaps, now much, much, much too far to keep the connection stable.

Magnificent shakes himself out of the trance and then grips at his head. He curses to himself in Gaelic and throws an angry fist into one of the metal boxes. “That fucker.” He growls. But then he shakes himself out again and studies the area around him, feeling stuff out. “Hmm… where did my useless puppets bring us now?” He starts to walk around, studying the area- looking for magic. Such luck those kittens weren’t around to get in his way again… he’d find them when he had use of them again.

There is much more magic here than where he arrived in the last universe. He can feel distant spots--there are magicians in this city. But much closer than that is a strong presence of black magic emanating from one of the concrete buildings.

Magnificent grins, breathing in the air. Okay. This would do just nicely~ He hums and looks around, his finally locating the dark magic. Oh- well.. that could work out even better! Less energy wasted on converting the magic… perfect. In a fizzle of static- he teleported into the building.

The inside of the building is filled with more electrical boxes and some mismatched computer and TV parts, clearly scavenged and brought there. It's one big room. The only way to proceed is through an open doorway and down a set of concrete stairs. A red glow comes from below, and so does the black magic signature.

Hm. This almost reminded Mag of his cub’s old apartment. Though his was less- creepy. But that doesn’t bother Mag. In another fizzle he appears at the bottom of the stairs.

Magnificent finds himself in a long corridor that extends forward. The floor is perforated metal and the walls are concrete. Red bulbs in the ceiling light up the area. There's a strange sort of fog effect happening, preventing him from seeing more than thirty feet down the corridor. There's a faint sound of static coming from... somewhere.

Magnificent hums with a slight smirk. So- this magician had a flare for the dramatic. He can appreciate that. He does roll his eyes slightly, trying to push through the fog towards the sound of static.

The corridor extends further... and further... The sound getting closer... And so is the feeling of black magic. He can sense it, he's coming up on it-- No. Wait. It's... behind him?

"It's like looking in a funho̵u̴se ̀m͡ìrr͡or."

Magnificent whips around, lighting a green flame in his hand. He chuckles. "Amusing~ are you going to linger in the shadows like a coward? Or face me like proper magician?"

The corridor is empty for a moment. And then the static sound grows, and pixels fizzle together to create a single form. The man floats slightly off the floor, grinning. The upper half of his face is hidden by a mask of shadows, leaving only his eyes, with strands of green light twisting in the center of the forehead. A similarly shadowy cape flows from his shoulders, and a pair of cracked teardrop-shaped amulets dangle around his neck. His neck... which has a gaping wound slashed across it, green stitches straining to hold it shut.

"I'm mo̧ŕé than a mere mąg͏icia̢n̵, stranger."

Magnificent does stumble back some at the sight, then his eyes are quickly scanning the new figure, trying to understand it. He laughs, standing confidently. "Well- aren't you an interesting thing?"

"I could say the same for you." The figure drops to the ground, head tilting as he scans Magnificent. "You look so f̸am͟i͠lia̧r... but I k͏n҉o̷w you're not who you look like." He chuckles like that's a hilarious joke. "What are you doing here? And I don't just mean in my home."

Magnificent smirks, "You seem familiar to me too... in a way."

He extinguishes his flame and giggles, "Our cores are powered by the same thing, I'm sure you can feel that. So, surely you feel the same kind of fire~"

His eyes light up with magic and madness. "I'm searching for power. I'm pushing beyond the limits our worlds set for us!" He tilts his head like a curious cat, eyeing the glitch like one would study a treat behind glass. "I believe you can help me."

He blinks slowly. "Power... Yes, I wanted that once. But now all I need is śu͠ff҉e̕ring̨." A smile slowly spreads across his face. "Not mine, of course." He giggles. "But I remember that fire. Yes... maybe that could be very, very, int́e̕r̸estinǵ. We could join for a time. What is it you need?"

Magnificent grins, "Oh if suffering is what you want I can provide that as well."

He then stands up straighter and tilts his head, "I have a puppet that snapped his strings... and his annoying do-gooder brother who keeps getting in my way. I'm also... searching for the most powerful magic I can... but that's just for me~!" He giggles. "I just need to get my unruly cub back under my thumb and then I can continue my search for things beyond here."

"Oh I know al͠l about bad puppets." His expression darkens, then clears as he laughs. "But I think I might be of assistance. I just listened in on a v҉e͝ry interesting phone conversation. I think the ones you're looking for are in the same place as my problems. I know where they stay. I haven't yet confronted them yet, but this seems like a g̀o͢o͞d time." He pauses. "If we're to work together, we need to call each other something. They call me Anti. And you?"

Mag makes a surprised face at the name. Is that so? This... thing is this universe's Alt? Interesting... very interesting. He smirks. "You can call me Magnificent." He holds out a hand, a slight flame on his palm. "I look forward to working together, Anti."

Anti grins. Not bothered about the flame, he reaches out and takes Magnificent's hand. "To a... fruitful c҉o͏llaberat́io̧n."

Magnificent grins and shakes their hands. "Alright- where are these unruly puppets of yours, Anti?"

Anti's grin widens. "Come with me and I'll s̢how yo͟u̶." The fog in the corridor clears up--revealing that the stairs were just out of sight this whole time. "This way." Anti glitches and reappears near the top of the stairs, eager to get started.

Magnificent smirks and teleports after him, feeling a sense of something akin to excitement. This should be fun.

-----------

There's a knock at the door. Jack stands up and goes over to open it. "Hey," Chase says, stepping inside with Schneep behind him. "So... this is the guy." He gestures at Bro, then notices Alt in the room and stifles an instinctive flinch. "And that's your guy."

Bro blinks at Jack then grins and waves, "Hey sup! I'm Chase but you can call me Bro cuz that's probably less confusing!"

Jack gives Bro a tentative smile. "Hi." There is something about his cheerful nature that's relaxing. Bro brightens as he sees Alt and zips in with a quick burst of speed, going to hug his brother. "Hey! You're okay!"

Alt glitches in surprise and then lets Bro hug him- but he has that annoyed cat look on his face. "ah- hi Chase... yeah I'm okay!" He glitches back onto the couch but Bro doesn't seem bothered by this.

Alt studies the two new men in the door, feeling weird at seeing his brother's double. He... looks harmless enough. Actually- all these guys look like they're scared of their own shadows... he feels him anxiety increase. That was... cuz of this universe's version of him…

The hero looks around and then notices Jameson and he smiles again. "Hi! I'm Bro!"

Jack lets the two... other-universe-visitors, god that sounded so weird... have a moment, then cleared his throat. "Uh, so, introductions all around. That's Jameson," JJ nods and waves at Bro in return, "that's our Chase, that's Schneep, and I'm Jack. And you two are Bro and Alt. Nice to meet you... despite how things started off."

Schneep raises an eyebrow. "Did you scream or something?"

"No!...maybe," Jack admits.

Alt grins a bit, “Yeah he did.”

"I-it was instinctual." He looks at Alt. "Not anyone's fault."

It's a pleasure to meet all of you, JJ says.

Bro beams, “Nice to meet you all! Damn this has been a lot of a nicer jump than before!”

"Yeah." Chase nods and smiles. But then it fades. "But, uh... we should get to business. Bro said there was... someone else who came with you guys..."

As Chase gets serious, so does Alt, his eyes darkening. “…his name is Magnificent. He’s the… he’s a villain in our world. Torturing us- making puppets of us. Well- mostly me. He can’t keep bro down for long.” Alt shakes his head then continues. “But he’s… he’s the reason we’re here. He’s obsessed with power- and trying to find ways into new universes. He wants any unique magic he can find to claim as his own. Draining the versions of himself so he can stand on top…”

Alt rubs at his wrist, running fingers over what looks like a pale dark purple tattoo. It’s two thin lines that wrap all the way around, with scratch marks on the inside that obstruct the circles from being complete. He then blinks back up at the others. “…if you guys have magic… like I saw with Jj… he might be coming after you. He can… he can see these things.”

The guys' expressions all turn pretty grim hearing that. Chase adjusts his wristbands again. "Puppets, huh? Yeah... our guy has done that too," he mutters. He notices Alt playing with his wrists too, but doesn't say anything about the marks.

He's never gone to other universes, though, JJ says.

"Ah, excuse me?" Schneep raises an eyebrow.

The Nightmare is a pocket dimension, that's different... and he didn't actually go there, JJ says.

"Do we have to find another version of Magnificent here to protect?" Jack wonders.

Alt winces a bit at Jack’s statement about having someone to protect. “I mean… I think- in our universe… he was once someone called Marvin.”

“Yeah but. That guy hasn’t been him for a long long time.” Bro says darkly, crossing his arms.

Alt shrugs, “I never knew him as that… but our friends… they knew him. He’s just… insane now. Corrupted completely.” He digs his nails deeply into the skin around his marks.

"Well, uh, even if we don't, yeah, we all have some pretty unique magic that might attract this guy." Jack adds.

"Not me," Chase points out.

"You are magic in our hearts, Chase," Schneep says, half-joking, half-sincere.

Bro smiles at Schneep and Chase and nods vigorously. “Yeah dude! My friends say we’re all magic in some way! Though- iiii don’t get it cuz super powers feel different from magic but! You know!!”

Chase smiles at Bro. Man, is he this peppy? Well, he could be. But that smile fades as he remembers what Alt said earlier. "Not to be a bit of a downer, but... a-at least we don't have to worry about protecting anyone? We had a Marvin, but he's... gone now."

"He and our friend Jackie were part of the spell that summoned Anti," Schneep says quietly.

The Brody Brothers both quiet down though at the revelations. They exchange a sad look at the fact that this universe lost their Jackie.

JJ tenses. Speaking of Anti, do you think there's any chance of this Magnificent finding him?

"And doing what?" Jack asks.

I'm not sure, but I don't think it would be good. Maybe he could drain Anti's magic and that would get rid of him, but then we'd still have to deal with the magician. Or maybe they would... work together?

Schneep swears in German. "If they do, we must be prepared for anything. Anti knows where this is. He could lead that magician here."

We have to prepare for an attack, then. JJ looks thoughtful. Jack, do you think you could... see if there was anyone strange around?

"What, do you want me to get right up to someone and stare at them weirdly? Because my special vision only works as far as my normal one does." Jack closes his left eye--and jumps a little when he looks at Bro and Alt with just his right. "Whoa!"

Bro and Alt both jump in response to Jack’s exclamation. “What??” Bro asks- his soul is a bright bright star in his chest. The inside is blue with a bright outer ring like a bright sun, bright silver white energy cracking in its center.

Alt glitches a bit from the shock as he looks at Jack curiously. As he glitches- Jack can see his soul repeating the action with him. Then, it solidifies, bright cyan with swirling bright greens, brimming with power. So much so electricity seems to rise off of it in sparks, rotating around the soul as a whole. “…Special vision?”

"Well, I-I uh... I can see people's souls," Jack says bluntly. "And--I guess it's because you guys are from a different universe, because your souls are very different. They're... so energetic." He smiles a little. "Kind of cool actually."

Alt blinks, “woah- people’s souls? I… I’ve never heard of that before… I think- Mag can see magic like- signatures. See if you’re magic. But I don’t even think he knows what a soul is.” He laughs bitterly.

“That’s so cool though! Never thought my soul would be energetic!” Bro laughs.

Then Alt glitches to his feet, a look of panic in his eyes. “Wait- Jack.. you said this Anti was a result of black magic, right?” He pales, “then yeah Mag… he’ll either drain him or… or if they have similar goals then-“

"Fuuuuuck." Chase glances around the room as if concerned that something might happen just then. "Okay. Okay. One is bad, two is worse--or one with the power of two, god."

"Jack, did you not call Chase?" Schneep asks. "We know how Anti can mess with our phones."

"I know that! But I thought that it'd be fine because I thought Alt was Anti!" Jack runs a hand through his hair. "But yeah--they might be coming here right now. We have even less time than we thought."

"Where's my gun?" Chase is already running down the hall towards the bedroom to look for it.

Should we leave the apartment? JJ asks. His eyes are starting to glow a brighter blue.

"I am not sure, that may be a risk." Schneep is suddenly holding a pair of scissors. Where did he get those? He didn't pick them up.

Alt is trying not to panic, half-pacing, half glitching in front of the couch. “Okay okay… uh- Weaknesses for Mag! Uhhhh fuck we haven’t figured that out yet! Uhhhh just- god!” He looks at Bro with wide eyes but Bro puts a hand on his shoulder and smiles. “It’ll be okay Bro, these guys look like a tough bunch.”

Alt tries to breathe and nods, “just… he’s not completely human but he can still feel pain just.. less of it. I guess.” He picks at his wrist and looks down. “And if you… if you see me get …stiff just- try to get behind Bro and run.”

“Alt-“

Despite being blind, Schneep manages to look Alt directly in the eyes. "We do not abandon people when they are not themselves." His voice leaves no room for negotiation.

Alt staggers, mouth opening and closing in surprise. Bro grins and nods. “Yeah- well said, Schneep.”

"And thanks for saying we look tough," Jack adds, hurrying into the kitchen to grab that same knife he'd picked up when Alt appeared. Chase returns to the room, a handgun clasped in both hands.

"Okay, okay," he says. "If I freeze up one of you guys has to take this from me, okay?"

Alt grips his arm and looks away, then he shudders and looks around with wide eyes. He hears the sound of static. “Fuck I… I think they’re here-“

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Gal Masterlist - Silco

Masterlist of all Silco fics on my blog, my shrine of simping and thirst, complied into one post that took me WAY too long to make.

May expand to other characters if requested. Each fic has it's own warning-list, and reminder that this blog is 18+ only, Minors DNI

Unless otherwise stated, fics are Silco/Reader material

[Updated Feb. 23, 2022]

A03 | Kofi | Requests: Open | Taglist

Multi-Parters

Timer (Ongoing)

In the color of their eyes, there is a set of numbers on wrists that are counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds to when you will meet your soulmate.

Pretend (Ongoing)

After being tailed one-too-many blocks, you duck into the first bar you find and grab the most-sober looking man in the room to do a bit of acting. You find, it might have been a more dangerous gamble than you'd ever intended...

Of Zaun (TBC)

Future Multi-Chapter

Of Opposites (Hiatus)

But your racing, panicking mind just can’t seem to shake the idea of it, a part of you musing coldly, clinically at the idea of just… letting it happen. Letting the Eye of Zaun simply stay down in this flooded basement. Letting Silco drown.

Flawless (Comp.) (All Parts NSFW)

The first time you ever said it, it was his 17th time visiting you.

Goodreads (Comp.)

You walk into the Undercity’s most famous club, and an hour in, immediately sneak off to go immerse yourself in the book you brought. The stranger that joins you at the bar-counter, takes an interest.

Tired (Ongoing)

It's too late (early, probably) to be getting chewed out like this. Your fist is still stinging from last nights' job, you need a shower, you still have no idea how to navigate your complex emotions for this man, and worse of all: You're tired.

Alt. Timer (AU of Timer | Hiatus)

In which timers are allowed to reach zero.

Lucky (Ongoing) (Part 2 NSFW)

You admired him. Then you became infatuated with him. You don't know if you call what you feel now love, but it made the mental image of you and him rather painful, in knowing that now it could never be. Not after this, not with that book in his hands... so maybe it was something close to it.

The Perfect Fit (Comp.) (Part 4 NSFW)

Once upon a time, a Son of Zaun peers into the window of a tailor shop. The tailor's apprentice comes outside to join him.

Yours, or Mine? (Comp.)

The aftermath of a one-night with a young Son of Zaun.

Royal-Flush (Comp.) (Part 2 NSFW)

Another thrill creeps up your spine. Any complaints of the chill goes out the window under the heat of his gaze watching you, as you reach down and hook fingers on the hem of your pants. A new kind of game has begun.

Oneshots

His Colors

From The Past

Jealousy, Jealousy

Old Ghosts

Fishbowl

Well Hello

Together

Sweet

Are We?

Nice Things

"They won't let me."

Enunciate (NSFW)

"Go back to Sleep."

Terror (NSFW)

Echoings (NSFW)

Something Special (NSFW)

Special Something (NSFW)

Second the Motion (NSFW)

Gala of '81 (NSFW)

Caller Not Available (NSFW)

Fond Farewell (NSFW)

I Don't Like This Song (NSFW)

Musical Appreciation (NSFW)

Requests

Protective Silco w/Apologizing Reader

"Charming" young Silco First-Meet

Physical-Affection w/young Silco

Injured Reader + Protective Silco

New Years w/Silco and Jinx

Drunk!Reader calling Silco a silver-fox

Soulmate AU + Piltover!Reader x young Silco

Reader with New Haircut + young Silco

Reader speaking different language

"As the World Caves in" + Reader Death

Mom!Reader Saving Jinx + Couch-Sleeping Silco

One That Got Away + mining kids Reader & Silco

Childhood Savior/Crush + Reunion as Adults

Singer!Reader w/young Vander & Silco

Partner in Crime with Silco

Young Silco/Reader + breeding kink (NSFW)

Young Jealous Silco

Reader accidentally saying "I Love You"

Reader on a Leash (NSFW)

Analysis & Stuff

Screenshot Collection | 1 2 3 4

Silco & Jayce Negotiation Scene

Silco's Gang Reaction to Powder/Jinx

Quotes/Opinion on how to write Relationships

Gushing about Favorite Silco Screenshots

"No seriously, I've never watched Arcane."

Silco and Independent/Dependent Partners

Silco Expression, "The Nation of Zaun."

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