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jovial-thunder · 3 days

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Pre-alpha Lancer Tactics changelog

(cross-posting the full gif changelog here because folks seemed to like it last time I did)

We're aiming for getting the first public alpha for backers by the end of this month! Carpenter and I scoped out mechanics that can wait until after the alpha (e.g. grappling, hiding) in favor of tying up the hundred loose threads that are needed for something that approaches a playable game. So this is mostly a big ol changelog of an update from doing that.

But I also gave a talent talk at a local Portland Indie Game Squad event about engine architecture! It'll sound familiar if you've been reading these updates; I laid out the basic idea for this talk almost a year ago, back in the June 2023 update.

youtube

We've also signed contracts & had a kickoff meeting with our writers to start on the campaigns. While I've enjoyed like a year of engine-work, it'll be so so nice to start getting to tell stories. Data structures don't mean anything beyond how they affect humans & other life.

New Content

Implemented flying as a status; unit counts as +3 spaces above the current ground level and ignores terrain and elevation extra movement costs. Added hover + takeoff/land animations.

Gave deployables the ability to have 3D meshes instead of 2D sprites; we'll probably use this mostly when the deployable in question is climbable.

Related, I fixed a bug where after terrain destruction, all units recheck the ground height under them so they'll move down if the ground is shot out from under them. When the Jerichos do that, they say "oh heck, the ground is taller! I better move up to stand on it!" — not realizing that the taller ground they're seeing came from themselves.

Fixed by locking some units' rendering to the ground level; this means no stacking climbable things, which is a call I'm comfortable making. We ain't making minecraft here (I whisper to myself, gazing at the bottom of my tea mug).

Block sizes are currently 1x1x0.5 — half as tall as they are wide. Since that was a size I pulled out of nowhere for convenience, we did some art tests for different block heights and camera angles. TLDR that size works great and we're leaving it.

Added Cone AOE pattern, courtesy of an algorithm NMcCoy sent me that guarantees the correct number of tiles are picked at the correct distance from the origin.

pick your aim angle

for each distance step N of your cone, make a list ("ring") of all the cells at that distance from your origin

sort those cells by angular distance from your aim angle, and include the N closest cells in that ring in the cone's area

Here's a gif they made of it in Bitsy:

Units face where you're planning on moving/targeting them.

Got Walking Armory's Shock option working. Added subtle (too subtle, now that I look at it) electricity effect.

Other things we've added but I don't have gifs for or failed to upload. You'll have to trust me. :)

disengage action

overcharge action

Improved Armament core bonus

basic mine explosion fx

explosion fx on character dying

Increase map elevation cap to 10. It's nice but definitely is risky with increasing the voxel space, gonna have to keep an eye on performance.

Added Structured + Stress event and the associated popups. Also added meltdown status (and hidden countdown), but there's not animation for this yet so your guy just abruptly disappears and leaves huge crater.

UI Improvements

Rearranged the portrait maker. Auto-expand the color picker so you don't have to keep clicking into a submenu.

Added topdown camera mode by pressing R for handling getting mechs out of tight spaces.

The action tooltips have been bothering me for a while; they extend up and cover prime play-area real estate in the center of the screen. So I redesigned them to be shorter and have a max height by putting long descriptions in a scrollable box. This sounds simple, but the redesign, pulling in all the correct data for the tags, and wiring up the tooltips took like seven hours. Game dev is hard, yo.

Put the unit inspect popups in lockable tooltips + added a bunch of tooltips to them.

Implemented the rest of Carpenter's cool hex-y action and end turn readout. I'm a big fan of whenever we can make the game look more like a game and less like a website (though he balances out my impulse for that for the sake of legibility).

Added a JANKY talent/frame picker. I swear we have designs for a better one, but sometimes you gotta just get it working. Also seen briefly here are basic level up/down and HASE buttons.

Other no-picture things:

Negated the map-scaling effect that happens when the window resizes to prevent bad pixel scaling of mechs at different resolutions; making the window bigger now just lets you see more play area instead of making things bigger.

WIP Objectives Bullets panel to give the current sitrep info

Wired up a buncha tooltips throughout the character sheet.

Under the Hood

Serialization: can save/load games! This is the payoff for sticking with that engine architecture I've been going on about. I had to add a serialization function to everything in the center layer which took a while, but it was fairly straightforward work with few curveballs.

Finished replacement of the kit/unit/reinforcement group/sitrep pickers with a new standardized system that can pull from stock data and user-saved data.

Updated to Godot 4.2.2; the game (and editor) has been crashing on exit for a LONG time and for the life of me I couldn't track down why, but this minor update in Godot completely fixed the bug. I still have no idea what was happening, but it's so cool to be working in an engine that's this active bugfixing-wise!

Other Bugfixes

Pulled straight from the internal changelog, no edits for public parseability:

calculate cover for fliers correctly

no overwatch when outside of vertical threat

fixed skirmisher triggering for each attack in an AOE

fixed jumpjets boost-available detection

fixed mines not triggering when you step right on top of them // at a different elevation but still adjacent

weapon mods not a valid target for destruction

made camera pan less jumpy and adjust to the terrain height

better Buff name/desc localization

Fixed compcon planner letting you both boost and attack with one quick action.

Fix displayed movement points not updating

Prevent wrecks from going prone

fix berserkers not moving if they were exactly one tile away

hex mine uses deployer's save target instead of 0

restrict weapon mod selection if you don't have the SP to pay

fix deployable previews not going away

fix impaired not showing up in the unit inspector (its status code is 0 so there was a check that was like "looks like there's no status here")

fix skirmisher letting you move to a tile that should cost two movement if it's only one space away

fix hit percent calculation

fix rangefinder grid shader corner issues (this was like a full day to rewrite the shader to be better)

Teleporting costs the max(spaces traveled, elevation change) instead of always 1

So um, yeah, that's my talk, any questions? (I had a professor once tell us to never end a talk like this, so now of course it's the phrase that first comes to mind whenever I end a talk)

#lancer tactics #lancer rpg #indie game dev #made with godot #godot engine #godot 4 #Youtube

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livepasthope · 1 day

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r/Relationships

u/catholic_firefighter

I (M36) saw someone who looks like my dead wife (F26) while out with my son (M13) and my girlfriend (F40).

So, some context. I'm a single father, my wife died a few years back after she got hit by a car. We got married at 18 because she got pregnant and then I enlisted in the army. Fast forward a few years after I re-upped a few times (it's not important why), my wife abandoned me and our son. I moved to LA and met my crew and my best friend (M32). A few months into living there, I had to reach out to my wife for an application thing (it's a long story) and we ended up sleeping together. My son was so happy to see her return. Then we thought she might be pregnant again so I was planning to re-propose to her (because I love her not because of the pregnancy), so I planned this whole dinner. But at that dinner she told me she actually wanted a divorce. And that she didn't think she could be a mom to our son, let alone a new baby. Then, before we could really resolve any of that, she got hit by a car and died.

So fast forward to the present, I'm still single, I mean I have that girlfriend (F40), but I'm basically single and haven't really had any serious relationships. The three of us (my gf, my son, and I) were out the other day and I saw this woman (F38) working in a shop who looks exactly like my dead wife. I was shocked, to be honest. I just couldn't stop thinking about her and my dead wife. I remembered the last time we (me and my dead wife) had sex, it was great, I talked about how happy my son would be now that his mom was back. (I was happy too, obviously, she was my wife! And we'd just had sex, which I love, sex with my wife I mean. It was the only good sex I've ever really had, haha, I mean I did marry the first girl I slept with so what can I expect. And I haven't really been having sex with my current girlfriend, but that's just because of the whole ex-nun thing.)

Anyway now I'm at this restaurant waiting for this woman from the shop (F38) to meet me for dinner, and I can't help but feel like I'm doing something wrong. I can't even tell who I'm betraying, but I know what I'm doing is wrong, I know that something about me is wrong, but I can't figure out what. Any advice?

Edit: Of course my son doesn't know anything about this, my best friend (M32) is watching him and they both think I'm out with my girlfriend.

Edit: Y'all are so kind, but I haven't been raising my son all on my own, I have the help of my best friend (M32).

Edit: Everyone saying that I'm an irresponsible father since I'm a single parent in a dangerous profession, y'all don't have the full context. I absolutely wouldn't risk leaving my son to be an orphan, that's why if anything were to happen to me, my best friend (M32) would get full custody.

Edit: I thought this would be pretty clear from context... but I'm heterosexual? Like, I made this post for advice on my relationship with my girlfriend and my dead wife's doppelganger? Dont get me wrong, I'm a huge ally! My best friend even just came out as bi and I think that's great! But yeah, I'm straight so...

Edit: Yeah the friend that came out as bi is the same friend that gets custody of my son, not really sure how that's relevant though.

#hey everyone. there was an episode of television tonight.#911

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boliv-jenta · 3 days

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Joel Miller x Jackson Dr reader

Fluffy little one shot.

Warnings: Depictions of small surgery. Mentions of cancer. Drug use.

Carpe Diem

The days at Jackson's clinic were never boring. The community ran pretty smoothly but when you have that many people living and working together things will happen. Accidents, fights, STDs, common bugs spreading like wildfire. Children are still children even post-apocalypse. They still eat what they shouldn't and shove things up their noses. Experimental teens will eat things they shouldn't and shove things where they shouldn't.

Between being an inner city ER doctor before the outbreak and Jackson’s small town vibes, you'd seen pretty much everything. Not much surprised you. Until the night, you were getting ready to go home and came face to board chest with Joel Miller.

Office hours were over, the day had been pretty quiet. A mildly sprained ankle. A pre-natal check up. There hadn't been much tidying to do. After spending the previous day helping repair some homes that took the brunt of a summer storm, you were looking forward to a hot bath to soothe your aches. The thought of the warm water loosening you up, held your attention as you moved around, locking up on auto pilot. Finally moving to the front door you open it just in time to have Joel shoved at you down the few steps by Ellie who called back “Be good!” as she ran off.

“Sorry.” Joel's hands ghost your sides as you right yourself from the impact.

“What was that about?!” You laugh still watching as Ellie disappears down main street.

“Er…I have something I've been meaning to get checked out. Ellie found out and wanted me to come.” Joel took note of your backpack on your shoulder. “But I can see that you're ready to leave. I'll swing by another day.”

“No, you will not.” your authoritative tone startles Joel. “I've known plenty of men like you. That will avoid the doctors at all costs and say they are ‘fine’ even when they are hurting. By some miracle you are at my door so you will go inside and be treated, Mr Miller.”

Joel's hands rise with his palms up in surrender.

“Yes, Doctor.” He gives you a smile as he steps into the hallway.

The smile that tugs at your own lips is hidden from him as he makes his way to your office. Even if he doesn't seek treatment for himself, Ellie is no stranger to your office.

“So what can I help you with?” You slip into doctor mode after taking a minute to admire how Joel fills out the seat in front of you.

“Er, I have this lump…” Joel starts from under his thick lashes as he looks intently at your desk. “...I've had it a while.”

“How long is a while?” You query.

“About six months.” Joel admits sheepishly. “It's only been sore for like a week.” He adds in a weak attempt at a defence.

“Alright.” You try to keep the annoyance out of your tone. “Where is it?”

Joel seems relieved that you haven't landed into him more. “It's on my back.”

“I'll close the curtain to give you a moment to remove your shirt and lay face down on the bed.” Joel knows there's no room for argument so he makes his way over.

With the curtains closed, you begin to wash up. While you scrub your hands you can help but notice Joel's silhouette in the mirror over the sink. His thick arms bend and flex as he removes his shirt and t-shirt.

Joel had always caught your eye and the two nurses who worked with you were convinced that you'd caught his. Joel was well respected around the community. He was dependable and selfless with his time. He didn't always make the effort with small talk but there was a lot going on under his gruff looking exterior once he let you in. Since he held a conversation with you quite often, that was enough evidence for your co-workers to be convinced that Joel was infatuated with you.

“Are you decent?” You call out, approaching the curtain.

“As I'll ever be.” Joel calls back.

Joel's sense of humour always brings a smile to your face. Even the dad jokes he teases Ellie with, brighten your day.

“Let's see now. No redness. Am I alright to touch you?” You ask, your hands ready and waiting for Joel's permission.

“Yea..yes.” Joel clears his throat and shifts a little on the bed.

Another smile finds its way onto your lips as you wonder if Joel is a little nervous around you in the same way you are around him. Like how you become more self conscious as you want him to see the best version of you.

“Mmmm….uh-huh…okay. You should have come sooner…” It may not be very professional but you wanted to give Joel a little scare. He tried to stutter out ‘why’ before you continued. “...this could have been something bad. Luckily for you it's just a cyst. I can remove it and it will heal up nicely if I get it all.”

Joel's broad shoulders rise and fall as he sighs in relief, the action sends a ripple of flexing down the muscles of his and your hands long to follow them. “Thank you, Doc.”

“Don't thank me just yet. We don't have any local at the moment. I have something to take the edge off but it's…erm…experimental at best.” The best words to describe your new ‘treatment’ escape you.

“Well, what is it?” Joel had turned to face you now. His toned, tan chest is on display with a sprinkling of hair and adorable freckles that you could trace with your finger tips.

“It's CBD.” You tried to sound professional.

“Pot?!” Joel huffs a laugh.

“It has many practical applications. Some patients report it has pain relieving effects when ingested.” Your tone becomes defensive.

“Ingested? You want me to eat it?” The bemused look on Joel’s face cracked through your facade.

“Well, yeah. Damn, Joel, it's not like I can just go out and grab some pain killers. And are you telling me that a man of the world such as yourself has never tried weed before?” You arch an accusatory eyebrow at him.

“Maybe once or twice back in the day.” He gives you a knowing smirk.

Ignoring the goose pimples that break out on your flesh at the sight, you push forward. “Well, then, it's up to you. Let me just cut into your back? Or let me do it while you're high?”

“I didn't peg you for a drug pusher but I'll take the second option.” His voice is decisive until he adds. “Just promise not to take any notice if I start talking all loopy.”

If Joel feels the incision, he doesn't mention it. He'd been lying almost comatose on the bed for ten minutes before you decided to go ahead.

“How are you doing, Joel?” You speak a little louder to grab his floating attention.

“M'good.” He almost slurs.

“Good. So you can't feel anything?” You follow up.

“Nope. Just your magical hands. They're so soft. You're so soft and sweet and pretty…shit! I shouldn't have said that. You are very, very pretty, though. And smart. God, and funny!” The words just run off Joel's loose tongue.

“If you think all those nice things about me, why didn't you come sooner?” With the cyst removed all you have to do is sew Joel up. Sober Joel will probably appreciate you keeping him on the topic of the matter at hand.

“Because I think all those things, I was embarrassed.” The last part is muttered against the bed.

“So you risked it becoming serious, rather than see me?” The final stitch goes in as you shake your head.

“I've had something similar before. Plus what else can a lump mean? Cancer? We ain't exactly equipped to cure that.” The laugh he lets out is bitter.

The fingers checking the stitches stray to stroke his skin softly. “So why did you come today?”

“Ellie.” He responded.

“Well, yeah. I saw that and I know she can be very formidable but surely…”

Joel cuts you off. “No, not like that. If it was something bad, even if we couldn't stop it from…maybe we could have slowed it and I could have gotten more time with her.”

The second the words leave Joel's mouth, your professionalism leaves with them. Your hand lays fully against his bare back. “Joel…that's…beautiful. Ellie is lucky to have found you.”

Shifting to sit up Joel catches your hand as you pull it back. “Thanks, Doc. Maybe now that I know I have more time, you might let me spend some of it with you?”

Despite your best efforts you were sure that your thoughts were clear on your face. “I'll need to check those stitches in a couple of days. If you still think I'm pretty when you aren't high as a kite, we'll talk then.”

“It's a date.” Joel says with a lopsided smile.

“No, it's an appointment!” You chide him.

“Do you make house calls?” Those deep brown eyes burn whiskey gold in the setting sun as they widen into the most pleading puppy dog eyes.

“I think I can in this case.” You give him a smile before heading off to get dressings for his wound.

A few days later, you climb the steps of Joel's porch. The door swings open and Ellie shoots out, again calling out ‘Be good!’ behind her. The scent of honey and tea brewing flows on the wind from the open door. Joel soon fills the gap with his wide frame a second later.

“Come in, Doc. You hungry?” He throws over his shoulder as he leads the way to the dining table, already set up with sandwiches and a freshly made cake.

“What's all this?” Your light laughter joins the honey on the breeze.

“I told you, it's a date.” Joel smiles confidently. “The only thing is that I forgot to put the iced tea on. So we've got some time to kill while it cools.” Joel steps closer keeping his hands on his hips.

“How do you suggest that we pass the time?” It’s your turn to step closer, your hands find your way to the soft flannel on Joel's chest.

“I got a couple of ideas.” Joel's large hands smooth around your waist.

“Are you always this forward, Mr Miller?” Joel's lips are temptingly close to yours as you speak.

Joel obviously notices too as his eyes flicker downwards. “I had a health scare recently. It inspired me to seize the day.”

The air between you is charged with your teasing banter and gentle touches. “Really? What does your physician think of that?”

Joel moves closer still. “From the way they had their hands on my last me I saw them, I think they'd approve.” Once the words are out, his lips are on yours.

The tea is more than cooled by the time you and Joel finish making out on the sofa like teenagers.

Tags: @kirsteng42 @prolix-yuy @hquinzelle @fangirl-316 @gracie7209 @jedifarmerr @doommommy @scorpio-marionette @sturkillerbase @harriedandharassed @aynsleywalker @mswarriorbabe80 @rise-my-angel @adancedivasmom @kinda-nobody @movievillainess721 @munsonownsmyass @mandoloriancookie @faceache111 @elegantduckturtle @manazo @simpingcowboy @pedrit0-pascalit0 @yourcoolauntie @pedrostories @geekrenaissance @its-nebuleuse @sherala007 @vabeachazn

#pedro pascal character fanfiction #joel miller x gn!reader #joel miller fluff

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surr3al1sm · 3 days

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My take (or well ig dispute) on the Traveler is Jack's dad theory

Honestly, I've been having these thoughts on this theory ever since I saw the post, but now seems as good a time as ever to actually talk about it. *Slowly looks behind me while the Night Swan event is looming behind my back* Disclaimer: for this post I am completely putting aside my theories on who Jack's dad could be, and the fact I am a WanderRose shipper. These factors so not exist to me right now.

This has become an essay so I'm going to create a little cut off to save your feed lol. Please do read it though if you have the time.

The clones/reflections Starting out I would like to talk about the clones that appear in Treasure and Rock Your Body that seemed to be the root of this theory. They also mentioned Locked out of Heaven, but those are reflections in a mirror and not clones.

I don't think Jack has the ability to create clones. Period, done that's it. I know that in Treasure we see clones of Night Jack dance alongside him, but I don't think these come from Jack's magic (or lack thereof) at all. As Treasure is a map where Night Swan shows Jack what he could have been, what he could be if he just joins her side again. So I think that just like everything else in Treasure, the clones were created with Night Swans magic and have nothing to do with Jack's abilities. I think Night Swan can create clones of herself if she wanted to, but she doesn't because she has her minions to do the dirty work, so she utalizes this ability to give Jack an idea that if he joins her side that he too can shape people's mind in a way where they'll think just like him as if they were clones of him. Which would be another case of Night Swan thinking Jack wants something while he really doesn't.

Overall I do not think it would make sense for Jack to be able to create clones, since it would do absolutely nothing for the story. Plus if he does, why wouldn't they have used that by now? They could have utilized this in Majesty or something to show that he can, since they didn't hesitate with the portal thing Night Swan had going on. On the other hand I feel it would make more sense for Night Swan to be able to create clones as that puts her magic level around the same leven the Traveler has. Which makes her an even better antagonist in my opinion. Also they could actually do back story stuff with that but I'll get into that later.

The blatand cheating or at least very suspicious implications?? This one is just ovbious to me, like it doesn't matter if he was with Night Swan first or with Si'ha first in this case. Wanderlust and Jack are very much around the same age i think, presonally I believe Jack to be younger but that doesn't really matter right now. Either way, this means that the Traveler would have been with a woman, had a child and then up and left her to have a child with another. That's AITA redit story typa shit that I don't think Just Dance is going to pull. Let alone when those two women are the Queen and probably one of the most powerful sorceresses in the entire danceverses.

But let's disect it for a moment anyways. Option 1: Wanderlust's older, Jack's younger right. This would mean that the 2020 story line happened as we know it right now. The Traveler searched across all of the danceverses for Si'ha Nova and eventually he found her. They fell inlove, they got married, they had Wanderlust. The most popular love story of the danceverses. And then the Traveler gets up like what a few months, a year, into his happy family and cheats on Si'ha Nova with Night Swan (who might not be evil by now, but still). Now you can argue that they got divorced and shit but that's highly unlikely in my opinion. Since a big part of the Traveler and Si'ha's characters is their love story. Plus even then there would have to have been some emotional cheating because you don't just fall in love with someone enough to have a child with them that fast. Yes, you could argue that Jack was a child created out of wedlock but that's really reaching at that point isn't it. Option 2: Jack's older, Wanderlust's younger. This just means we can throw the entire backstory of the Traveler and Si'ha Nova out of the window. Why would you get with someone while actively searching for the so called love of your life? It just doesn't make sense to me. And you can't even argue that it wouldn't have happened because there is no way that Jack is that much older than Wanderlust.

Overall I think that the implicastions this brings is too much for Just Dance. I know that there's songs about being cheated on in the game, but why would they build up such a love story just to throw it out of the window?

Jack's design This one is 100% from my side, but as someone who lives for character design I'm going to be real. If the Traveler was Jack's father we would have seen that in little hints in his design, even if Night Swan wanted to surpress that as much as possible for some reason. Ubisoft is one of the big game design companies and would know to incorperate at the very least a small little detail hinting towards it. Something like a little bit of blue or a triangle or something you know. Plus this is something I'll always point out but: it would make even less sense for him to have bright red hair. I know that genetics probably work wildy different in the danceverses than here, but come on. I highly doubt that a character who's parents both have dark hair would have bright red hair without any good reason for it. You want your characters to at least resemble their parents. Why would they do that with Wanderlust and not with Jack? That doesn't make any sense.

Afterthought Honestly, if they do end up adding it. It just feels like a weird afterthought they put in for people to stop shipping WanderRose. It's the only ship they seem to have beef with and I feel like they would be adding it just so they have a good reason to have beef with the ship. It genuinely doesn't feel like they properly planned for it or anything. Honestly, if you're going to be that petty about a ship you should really reflect as a company lol.

What could they do instead? I do have an idea for that, because there was a lot of Night Swan and the Traveler teasing going on in the y2k season, and while I think one of the maps we're getting will be Sweet Dream there's still a second map. If they want to get into the backstory between Night Swan and the Traveler, I think that it would be really cool if they like studied flow under the same master or something and that's where a rivalry started. They could still do something with the two, but it wouldn't have to feel lazy and rushed just because they don't want a ship. But that's just my thoughts on that matter.

In conclusion The Traveler...

And being honest? I don't think we're going to find out who Jack's father is. I think we might just be getting two solo maps of Night Swan. Or maybe even Sweet Dreams and Lose Yourself, proving that that's preETDV Jack.

But those are just theories, a game Just Dance theory. If you have anything you'd like to say or if you wanna duke it out with me about this. Feel free to. I like hearing other peoples opinions on things like this.

Okay really if you have made it this far. Thank you?? How did you get through all that bullshit jezus- I truly didn't intend for this post to become a sort of essay, but it appears it has. I hope everyhting made sense since I tend to explain shit in weird ways.

Anyways have this meme because I'm like super relevant and a totally normal person.

#I should start making essay youtube videos istg LOL #This theory has us all stressing lol #jack rose jd #jack rose #jack rose just dance #jd the traveler #the traveler #night swan jd #night swan just dance #just dance #just dance fandom #just dance 2024 #just dance coach #jd #just dance theory

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meraki-yao · 16 hours

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I just... today (10th May) is such a good day.

The sequel announcement was like freaking ambrosia: I felt so energetic and happy and bright, the most lively I've been in months.

And with that renewed energy, as well as other stuff that I managed this semester, today's exam became the most confident I've been in a Math exam since I was 11. I am so, so rarely confident in my academics, especially math, a subject I've struggled with both academically and mentally since starting school at 6.

I can't explain the value and comfort this book and movie, and by extension the fandom and community brought to me. Before the movie, the happiest I've been was in January 2022 from my secondary school send off/farewell. And after that things got really bad for me.

I'm scared of having good days. I feel like they're not here to last. Even during RWRB lead up in July and August, while I have never woken up this quickly or happily, there was this fear of losing this, and the condescending snark of never getting to experience this again.

Today proved those thoughts wrong.

My happiness came back. Just like in July and August, I have something to wait for, something to hang on to, something to live for . And look at us! We're all still here despite the setbacks from the strike and the necessary, stupid discourse and drama. We're fucking stronger than ever!

I don't know... I just, it's like this proves waiting, trying your best, doing honest, genuine work, will give you back the most wonderful gifts.

We have a phrase in Chinese, 苦盡甘來 Ku Jin Gan Lai, which literally means once the bitterness has passed, the sweetness will come. That's what this feels like.

I have a lot of feelings and a lot of thoughts, and a lot of posts to reblog (there's over 300 posts in my draft what the fuck) but unfortunately I have a final exam 11th May 1830-2130 (and it's fucking Law and Management. LAW.) So I'm gonna have to deal with that first. But once I've free be prepared for me to go fucking insane with unbridled joy

#rwrb #red white and royal blue #rwrb movie #rwrb rambles #personal #meraki rambles

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gfl-neural-cloud · 23 days

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Guys, do you ever just... wake up one day and find that a thing you enjoyed, a thing that you loved, is suddenly a dead fish? And no matter how much you poke at it, wait patiently by it, and just generally hope for it to come back, it stays painfully dead in the water?

It's possible I should have seen warning signs coming when I stopped caring about character events after 416 Clukay (that is still the goofiest anime name I've ever seen, and anime used to be full of goofy names), and somehow kept Jiangyu's event stuck in limbo for two months because I barely interacted with the game beyond completing dailies. But at some point last year, probably a few weeks after my last post, I just... stopped caring about Neural Cloud altogether. Like a sudden onset of gacha burnout, but without the violent rage and disappointment that usually causes it. Not even the anniversary event could bring it back.

It's kinda depressing because this has spread beyond PNC to Girl's Frontline as well, which I've also been playing devotedly since day 1. (It doesn't help that Fixed Point was the most depressing event to date. I know the joke is that it's really called Depression Frontline and that our primary adjutant is just ptsd, but you can only keep writing sad sack stories for so long before it stops being worth it). Ironically I've picked Arknights back up, which I'd previously dropped. So maybe there's still hope.

Anyways, that's unfortunately why I've gone awol. Neural Cloud no longer sparks joy and the memories of all the fun I've had aren't enough to keep me around. And let's not get started on trying to run a fandom-news side blog on a volunteer basis without love and passion.

With all that said, take care of yourselves, folks. Depression and burn out are real.

#I've been meaning to post something like this for months #I was so excited when pnc came out. the beta test was so much fun. rossum sector still has the best ost #I even bought the persicaria nendo!#little did I know that six months later I would just stop caring #it really sucks but there's nothing I can do #who knows maybe in another six months it will all come rushing back

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cassandrva · 16 days

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let's talk about the fish/water/christ symbolism in the game of kings. with spoilers

fish (as ιχθυς) is an acronym for christ, and it's the first food jesus eats after being resurrected, right? it symbolizes rebirth, life, and christ himself. i personally think fish are slippery and cold-blooded too, but that's neither here nor there.

now look at how the game of kings starts: "lymond is back". we immediately know this book is about returning, it's about rebirth. in fact, the first thing we see is the man himself submerged in a body of water and coming out on the other side, after a baptism of sorts, as the character he will play for most of the book: lymond the outlaw, lymond the traitor.

the first words out of his mouth are "i am a narwhal": he identifies himself as a fish right away, and not just any fish but the unicorn fish; the unicorn of course being scotland's national animal. in perspective, he tells us everything we need to know about him: his status as a christ figure, his destiny to be reborn, his complicated relationship with his country.

the next time he's in a body of water, it's the second chapter and he's dying from a head injury in a bog. he's washed clean, this time, too: from his own identity. he's free to inhabit another character from the lymond constellation. it's also pretty funny that he's found by sym while he's going fishing ("you’ve hooked a twenty-pounder this time, my lad"), and he's nursed back to health by someone named Christian. not subtle.

lymond seems to be pretty into this whole fish and rebirth thing, does he not? he wouldn't lie to us. he wouldn't pretend to embrace life while actively seeking death, right? anyway, no relation at all, when the baby queen mary tries feeding him a fish he pretends to eat it and secretly throws it away. the fish is described as struggling and barely alive, which again i am sure is a coincidence.

then some stuff happens, and the next time lymond is offered fish he doesn't have it in him to keep pretending. he doesn't want the damn fish. newsflash, asshole (richard): he really, really wants to die. this is my favorite scene for many reasons, and one of them is the perfect juxtaposition of its literal and symbolic meanings: richard says he wants to see lymond hanged, but what he does is to drag him away from the tomb-like dovecote and towards running water, makes him eat the damn fish again and again until the miracle is complete. he's holding on to his brother with both hands and teeth before he even realizes he's doing it.

when it comes to an end the fish is off the hook, christ is off the cross and for once he's not sacrificed for the sins of others, and we close on him in his mother's arms in a beautiful literary pietà.

there's so much stuff i purposefully didn't mention and probably didn't notice, this is just a tiny example of the gorgeous figurative and thematic cohesion in this novel. i love it. thank you dorothy dunnett.

#lymond chronicles #the game of kings #the amount of symbolism in 4.3 knight adversary makes it almost look like a tarot card #something between the star and the knight/king of cups #i have a lot to say about tarot too #probably for a later post #i seems like you can't run out of things to say about the game of kings it's sooo well done #dorothy “three meanings at least per line” dunnett #if you think i'm annoying just know i've been talking like this on discord with the book club for the last two months and a half #thank you book club #anyway this is a rambling mess but you get it. you get it #ughhh lymond my brain will never be the same #lymond #the lymond chronicles

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whollyjoly · 17 days

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for some reason i can't explain i know saint peter won't call my name

nothing that lives, lives forever - an immortal soldier!alton more au

(1.1k of snippets from my old guard(ish) au where alton more is old, too old, and has been living and fighting far longer than anyone should. full description/other thoughts at the bottom. tw: blood, violence, mentions of death)

Alton clicked the lighter closed, running a thumb over the silver case. The night was warm, sticky in a way that he never could get used to. He sucked in a breath from the cheap cigarette, letting his head fall back against the rough side of the barracks.

It was quiet. Typically, there would be no end to the commotion coming from the small building, one of many that littered Camp Toccoa. The wall of sound was ever-present, no matter if it was shouting or laughing or snoring. But whatever the cause, there was always noise.

No matter if it was a blanket of noise he knew well, unchanging except for the language and the scenery. Soldiers are soldiers, and some things are a constant. It could almost be comforting, if it didn’t also mean that the need for soldiers was a constant as well.

However, tonight was a Saturday, and it was one of the few weekends that Sobel had allowed Easy the use of their weekend passes. Almost every man in the company had jumped at the chance to get off base, to travel home if they could and spend time with loved ones. The ones with farther-flung hometowns had spirited off to Atlanta, happy to spend their time drinking and dancing and fucking instead of slogging through another run, three miles up, three miles down.

Normally, Alton would have joined them in their carousing - it was easier to pass the time with the effortless camaraderie built during a training camp than bored and alone.

But today had been a bad day. The sound of swords and the shift of sand beneath his feet followed him out of his nightmares, the humid summer of Georgia morphing itself into the baking, dry heat of the desert.

His shouts must have been real, because when a hand came to shake him out of his dream, the first face he saw was not that of a grouchy NCO, but of a blood-caked Saracen, eyes alight with righteous fury.

Alton didn’t think. He had grabbed the knife from under his pillow, an old thing that had been sharpened more times than he could begin to count, and was on the man in less than a breath, pressing the blade into the side of his neck. The familiar thrum of blood beat against his fingertips, the grit of sand scratched his gums. He knew what he had to do, had done it a thousand times, a thousand thousand times, what was a little more bloodshed spilled across his feet-

Alton had blinked, and came to himself in a rush.

Instead of an unnamed Saracen, the ashen face of Johnny Martin stared up at him, eyes wide behind the knife.

Alton drew back his hand, retreating almost as quick as he had lunged earlier. He mumbled a quick curse and apology as he stepped out of arm’s reach from the man. It wasn’t until Martin’s eyes widened even farther that Alton realized his tongue was slipping out Arabic of all things.

Usually, Alton was better about remembering himself, who he was almost as important as where he was. But for whatever reason, his demons had decided to catch up with him that night.

After a quick smile and some quip about the Krauts in his dreams, he managed to wave an only-slightly-mollified Martin off. The shorter man apparently hadn’t forgotten it though, if his watchful eyes during chow that morning were anything to go by.

Alton was just glad that no one else was awake to see it, at least. That was the last thing he needed.

And so, instead of joining in on a weekend of broads and booze, Alton found himself waving away the invitation by an eager Smokey and bemused Alley. When the horde made their way out of the barracks, fantasizing in bawdy terms about their planned misadventures, he felt like he could breathe easy.

Fucking finally.

Alton took another drag from the cigarette. He watched the smoke curl, up and up until it faded into nothing amongst the darkening sky.

The lighter was a welcome weight in his hand, grounding him to this time, this life.

The design was worn by now, details barely visible after a half century of worrying. It still managed to amaze him, sometimes, what people could do with the smallest of canvases. Alton didn’t feel the same wonder however, wasn’t as mesmerized by the beauty man could create as he once was.

But in the quiet moments, he could still appreciate the time some French craftsman took to transform a hunk of metal into a small token carried around by a dead man.

Luz had spied the lighter one weekend, and laughed at him for using something so old-fashioned. Alton just shrugged, not caring to admit that he was still getting used to having a light at his fingertips. It wasn’t all that long ago when he was still lighting a pipe with a flintlock pistol, and not so long before that when he would carry around a flint and steel.

Time was passing all the more quickly these days, technologies changing and advancing, and everyone was obsessed with needing things to be quicker, cheaper, simpler. Alton scoffed. He could hardly find it in him to care.

He glanced down at the lighter in his hand, shifting it back and forth in a practiced motion and watched as the light skittered across the sides.

It had shown flowers, once. A veritable garden of carnations, daffodils, and lilies of the valley, with leaves spilling across the front panel onto the back. They represent good fortune, he was told. Good fortune, luck, and hope.

When the merchant described it to him, eyes ablaze with a passion known only to those with wares to sell, Alton didn’t try to hide the snort that escaped his throat.

Fortune and Luck had abandoned him long ago, and hadn’t returned since waking up in a battlefield abandoned by all but the dead, sword in his chest and blood in his mouth.

And what the fuck was Alton supposed to do with hope?

It was the quote on the back that had caught his eye, all those years ago in a street market in Reims. The beveled edges had faded with time, the familiar letters Alton traced were more memory by now than any physical mark. Une vie honorable est une vie éternelle.

An honorable life is an eternal life.

Alton couldn’t help but stare at the message, both then and now. He hated that goddamn word. Immortal. Unending. Eternal.

They were such flowery words, used by people who craved what they couldn’t have, what they shouldn’t. The romanticized idea of the everlasting, the fountain of youth, the gift of life! Alton was sick of it.

This wasn’t life. He was a fucking dead man walking. And he sure as hell didn’t do anything honorable to deserve it.

months ago, while thinking about the absolute insanity of the almost...cavalier? attitude we see alton more have over the course of the series, an idea hit my brain: what if there was a reason nothing seemed to phase him - not panzers, not being a breath away from a car wreck, not bastogne, not speirs? what if this wasn't his first war? that thought spiraled me into a minor insanity that is this: my immortal soldier!alton more au, loosely inspired by the movie the old guard (2020). the idea is that, once upon a time, there was a soldier in a land many centuries ago. one day, he died in battle. and then, he woke up. and then he died. and then he woke up. over, and over. drawn to countless battles, conflicts, and wars, each one etching itself into the core of his soul. a never-ending cycle...until one sweltering summer, where he found himself at a training camp at the foot of a mountain. anyways. at some point, i plan on writing this as a full story, but that is admittedly a long ways away. however, in celebration of alton more's birthday today, i wanted to post my favorite scene that i've written for this au! it's set sometime at the beginning of the story, in the early days of camp toccoa. mostly, it's just a character study of this version of alton more. hope you enjoyed! and of course - happy birthday alton more!

(song insp.)

taglist: @sweetxvanixlla @coco-bean-1218 @bucky32557038ww2 @georgieluz @samwinchesterslostshoe @xxluckystrike @next-autopsy @ronald-speirs @land-sh @ronsparky @panzershrike-pretz @theredrenard @kyellin

#happy alton more day!#holy shit im actually posting this...i've been sitting on it for MONTHS #but YEAH its just...the gothic romanticism about the physical embodiment of war and soldiers and the concept of death you know??#what it means to feel and to live and to connect to those around you when it all feels so fleeting #fleeting not just due to the nature of war but also the nature of immortality #or something #...look i have a lot of thoughts about this story okay #it kills me #its also known in my brain as the “how immortal soldier!alton more made friends” story #because literally thats it thats the plot #OH WAIT did i forget to mention that speirs is also an immortal soldier in this story??#oh yeah thats the best fucking bit - they met like centuries and centuries ago on the wrong ends of one of the various punic wars #(where speirs was known back then as...wait for it...TERTIUS)#its good goddamn shit okay #also explains why alton is so fucking unflinching towards speirs at any given point and why they were so petty about the photo albums #ANYWAYS if anyone wants to hear more about this!! come stop on by!!!#also yes the title is a reference to the old guard #as is the reference to the siege of jerusalem which is where joe and nicky met #immortal soldier!alton more #alton more #easy company #band of brothers fic #mine #band of brothers #bofb #hbowar #em's moodboards #em writes #jesus christ i guess that's a tag now #alright here we go out into the void

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spllwys · 4 days

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i'm going on exam season lockdown as of today, which means no more gifs/edits/anything else because i spend way too much time on them for an engineering student in the trenches lmao. posting this not because i think anybody will notice or care, but so i can hold myself accountable and get embarrassed if i break the pledge. see you on june 3rd for a ghovie creativity extravaganza

edit: besides the ghovie trailer 😭 i cant restrain myself from that one

#actually june 4th because i will be drinking on june 3rd from the moment i close my semiconductors paper #cold turkey on gif making KHBJDGVSCDH RIP #genuinely its such a relaxing thing to do that i find myself prioritising it #and unlike other chill activities it gives me the illusion of productivity #i really need to be getting that from my work and not silly bands #anyway. see u #also in my 4 years of making edits like this in many different circles i've never once felt the need to mention a like/reblog ratio #and i'm fully of the opinion that people can do whatever the hell they like and i never expect interaction #i'm grateful for what i do have #but what primarily motivates me to do this is people sharing their love for whatever is on the post #in the tags or elsewhere #i'm not talking praise or thanks or anything to me i mean 'i love this song' or 'papa looks great here' skdcvkdgvs #'this is my favourite band' u know? it's sharing passion with other people and having them share theirs with me #and in all the 4 years and many many fandoms this (ghost/st) is by far the worst for interaction like that #i'd say ghost especially skhjcsd #and this tag rant isn't a request or a 'please interact more!' or anything like that it's just #a reason as to why i'm a bit discouraged that i'm chatting about to nobody #oh yeah and especially seeing photos posted with no source and no edits get 5x the notes you'd get #the quantity of notes doesn't matter to me but the discussion and tags do #just checked my notes in the middle of typing this and someone rbed some papa ii gifs with #'hope he's steady on his feet the way i would run into him'#KDSGKDSD that's what i'm on about 😭😭😭😭😭#makes me smile knowing something i posted made somebody feel joy abt a silly band and then shared that with me through the tags #i'm aware i've been here for just over one month so shouldn't be making judgements just yet #but sometimes i wish there was more of that

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raiiny-bay · 1 month

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some things i never finished

#hi. again.#i'm gonna try very hard not to disappear again but. idk.#it's been kind of a busy month & i've had like. zero motivation to be on my computer let alone make literally anything #sooo yea. idk man #as much as i want to make some big elaborate edits for kel's birthday & the boys' anniversary idk if it's gonna happen #i mean. i will make them but i doubt they'll be done on time #it kinda sucks bc i really wanna be here & like make stuff bc it's my favorite hobby but #yea idk #um i did recently go to the coast though which was fun. found lots of cool rocks. & i do mean lots #no idea where i'm going to put them bc my shelves are already covered in rocks but #i will figure it out #n e way. gonna try to catch up on some posts & maybe like. make. something. lol #rainyrambles

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birdietrait · 3 months

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there are a few new ocs bouncing around in my head

#birdie rambles #i've been having crazy detailed dreams lately...they're like movies with actual plots #i haven't been in one of my own dreams for months now. idk if that means something ? SJKDSJ #but from each dream i've been pulling different aspects and building this story and i lovee it #it's this sort of. sci-fi post apocalyptic world and the characters are a crew of misfits :0)#LOVE a good crew of misfits

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adelle-ein · 6 months

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idk man i've reblogged and said things about how certain people on this site and the bird one are putin defenders, syrian/ukranian genocide deniers, outright white supremacists, avowed antisemites, etc. pointed out the ways in which the current moment is being happily hijacked by white supremacists with very strong and obvious agendas. and some of you guys have reblogged and liked those posts, and then immediately gone on to continue reblogging violently antisemitic things from the very same people. so i don't think it's sinking in tbh

(and like, the posts in question are never anything useful or links to articles or anything remotely "worth" platforming genocide deniers, just the usual "DON'T SCROLL PAST THIS, POSTING IS ACTIVISM" shit)

#if i had a nickel for every kpop blog making weird inflammatory posts about how the most important thing to do is Keep Posting bc donations #and calling reps are wastes of times #i would have many nickels #not even just this last month i mean like just in general it's a very popular position among that crowd #seeing people say ''we're winning'' about something like this is just....sick doesn't begin to describe it #i've lost so much respect for so many people. people i've known for years #who will apparently turn around and retweet fucking hasanabi and even jackson hinkle and other nazis #btwn this and the heard trial debacle last year the mask has been ripped off the online left tbh #and because people are going to call me a zionist for this (since they know they're not allowed to say kike) i'm not fucking talking about #antizionism i'm talking about ''ship the jews back to brooklyn'' ''israelis control the world media'' ''jews expressing concern about risin #antisemitism are personally killing palestinians'' ''the hamas attacks didn't happen/were justified'' invoking the holocaust joking about i #etc etc etc etc #just mask off shit #it's the genocide deniers who have really broken me i had no idea how many of this website's big funnymen think putin is a cool dude #but they care about palestine. allegedly. hm #txt #inb4 people come to me with ''it's so easy to not be an antisemite why can't people do it :('' no actually it's hard #that's why they won't do it. because it's too hard for them.

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feluka · 10 months

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i'm going to be embarrassingly open about something very personal right now: as stupid as this sounds, the finale of GOS2 has entirely reverted me to the moment in my life when i was a bright-eyed lovestruck teenager who put *all* my plans and hopes and dreams for a better future for myself into one relationship, and then got horrifically dumped in a way that made me feel entirely worthless as a person for a long, long time

#like suddenly i can feel it like it was yesterday that it happened to me and i just feel something awful in the pit of my stomach #and want to curl up and sleep and not talk to anyone for at least several months #which is a sign of good fiction when it makes you project THAT STRONGLY onto a character. it means they did something right #but good god it doesn't stop it from hurting OWWWWWWWWW #god i swore i's try to keep the gomens posting to a minimum because #i know the dash is about to become intolerable for people who don't care about it because so many people are talking about it #but at this point i would say. if you find this annoying i really wouldn't fault you for unfollowing!#bec i feel like i've just gone on an entire spiritual journey in one night and i'm only going to get more annoying about it lol #gos2 spoilers #also im pretty sure she won't see this considering she's never been on tumblr (or any social media really)#but if she somehow does: hi! i'm still damaged! no hard feelings tho!

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sysig · 13 days

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Tainted batch (Patreon)

#Doodles #Just Desserts #Villainsona #Fine nevermind >:(#It's so weird to be posting vent-adjacent stuff while I'm doing so well currently haha #I started this months ago and have significantly improved my mood since then pfft ♪ I'd hope!#There wasn't anything specific at the time anyway just a thought circling around that I figured Charm would be more affected by #Considering most things for her are heightened in comparison haha <3 She'll get therapy someday #She also deals a lot in sublimation through art! And sometimes that means literally taking the materials and using them elsewhere #Honestly it's pretty cool that she can reconstitute her art :0 Drawing is a little different haha #I hadn't realized it'd been as long as it's been since I last drew Cirrus :0 #Oh yeah Cherry Shortcake actually has a first name now lol #A few residents do! If you remember my mention of Aria from a while back - Marshmallow Fluff - I think those are the current three?#Still haven't really pinned down a naming convention haha...I've been thinking about three-letter last names for what feels like forever now #She was also an early contender for Digitally Rendered Resident huh... I could at least stand to name the others that have gotten that lol #So many things I wanna do with her - really want to finish her Biased Narrator fic sometime just dunno how to end it hrmngh #Anyway lol she gets a one-panel cameo and takes over the post pft no! Charm time!#Evil Time Charm time - kicked up her pulse as soon as she remembered #She kinda sorta remembers what happened but more than that remembers the Emotions - feeling Laughed At #And clearly it's [this specific thing]'s fault that she feels foolish! Avoid [this specific thing] and never feel foolish again Guaranteed!*#*Not actually even remotely close to a guarantee lol instead she's just avoiding something that at one point made her feel good #So easy to turn a positive memory into a negative one with just a change of framing huh?#I can't think of anyone in her life who would exploit that fun little feature in her outlook not even one!

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paigemathews · 1 year

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Time for another Paige powers post! (Also, this is over two thousand words and I didn’t really know where to cut it, so I didn’t. I am very sorry.) According to canon, there’s a couple of different factors going on with witches’ past lives and their current powers.

You typically have the same powerset across lives. (Piper with molecular-based powers; Prue and Paige with telekinesis; Phoebe with psychic powers.)

The choices you make and the way that you use your powers, however, dictate the strength, advancements, or devolvement that your next life’s powers will take.

If you misuse your powers, you’ll lose them in your next life. If you use them well, they’ll grow.

P. Russell misused her pyrokinesis, but didn’t really misuse her divinization. When she reincarnated into Phoebe Halliwell, she lost her pyrokinesis but gained premonitions instead.

P. Baxter didn’t misuse her power of molecular deceleration in her lifetime. When she reincarnated as Piper Halliwell, it evolved into molecular immobilization.

Either way, we never see a witch outright all lose their magical abilities between lifetimes, even if they misuse them.

Now onto Paige. Obviously, Miss Paige was the Evil Enchantress, who had telekinesis (that Paige retained) and Conjuring the Elements. In A Knight to Remember, we really only see the Evil Enchantress use: telekinesis, aerokinesis, and electrokinesis. Considering Paige’s apartment was on fire, she also presumably used pyrokinesis. Even if Paige lost the powers that the Evil Enchantress misused, that still leaves cryokinesis, geokinesis, and hydrokinesis that she could have displayed. So some thoughts on the possibilities.

Paige gets cryokinesis, which actually might be one of my favorites. We already saw a link between cryokinesis and telekinesis with P. Bowen’s past life, so it makes sense. Plus, the angst potential for Paige getting a power from Prue’s past life? Prue was supposed to eventually gain it again, but instead Paige gets it. Also, cryokinesis is so cool and I wanted to see more of it.

For actual usage, Paige being able to freeze demons in a very different way than Piper. Admittedly, it might be too similar to Piper’s from a narrative sense but I think that they could work around it. We didn’t see it very often, so they could expand on it. At the very least, she’d definitely would use it to freeze drinks during some of those heatwaves while Piper and Phoebe go Paige!! And she just rolls her eyes what??

We’re gonna skip past geokinesis for a minute, but Paige gets hydrokinesis in the season five premiere. Honestly, you can really take your pick of how she gets it, but it’d have to be a bit more of a Paige episode.

You could have her be the one transformed into the mermaid and be able to control water. They think it’s a mermaid power until Mylie tells them its not.

Piper is drowning and Leo isn’t there, so Paige is trying to heal her but actually draws the water out of her lungs to save her.

The Sea Hag sees herself in Paige, a young hybrid witch that is undeniably othered from those who she should be able to relate to. (You can change up the backstory however you want, the one I linked is just focused on the Little Mermaid allusions.) She senses Paige’s power and wants to mentor her.

When Phoebe is fleeing, Paige can either stop her or dives in after her and finds that she can actually get there.

You could definitely do something with Paige having hydrokinesis and Patty’s death by drowning. Plus, it’d be a cool power to see utilized more. Imagine Paige draining the water out of the air to create a wave or using it to immobilize demons by bloodbending. Again, we didn’t really see a lot of it, so they could definitely expand on it!

For geokinesis, this was actually one of my least favorites but now that I’ve though about it, I think I’d vibe with it. In I Dream of Phoebe, Paige could have discovered and raised Zanbar or destroyed it, one of the two. You could also do something with earthquakes since the girls live in San Francisco. I’m gonna be honest, I’m not really sure exactly how to do this one but I definitely think that you could.

I think that it’d be cool to connect geokinesis to phytokinesis, aka the manipulation of plants. I know that it technically isn’t included in Conjuring the Elements, but I think that it should be. She could manifest it in the beginning of season five and struggle to really do something offensive with it. She’s trying so hard, but she just sprouts a flower at a demon and he laughs while Piper just sarcastically asks if that’s it while Phoebe goes Paige! And her sisters don’t really realize that Paige is actually struggling and trying and that they hurt her feelings, so she keeps trying and finally manages to use it offensively but it still feels off somehow. And then in Lucky Charmed, her power is blooming in the leprechaun's forest which she doesn’t really realize. In Cat House, we see that the flowers and decorations and stuff in the past, especially during Piper and Leo’s wedding, are like dying during the conflict and then when they resolve it and Phoebe and Paige are leaving, we see Paige pass by or look at it and it just grows so beautiful. Which brings us to Nymphs Just Wanna Have Fun where Paige is transformed into a nymph and she actually gets to see the beauty of her power and she’s just so happy when she can love her powers instead of having to find a way to fight with them. Piper and Phoebe are trying to talk some sense into her and she finally breaks the dreamy nymph look to be upset before reverting back to that dreamy, dancing girl. Paige is ultimately the one who saves the day in the Eternal Spring by using her powers offensively and becomes a witch again to do so. Before she leaves though, one of the nymphs gently touches her arm and tells her there is power in your magic, but it is also a source of extraordinary beauty. you don’t need to only pick one. and then the sisters leave and we see in the last couple of minutes that Paige intentionally blooms flowers in the manor and gives them to her sisters, who are just happy that Paige has found that happiness in her magic.

Honestly, you could also still give her one of the powers that she did misuse and strip the others. (You could also actually give her multiple elemental powers if you wanted to. I will say that I’d prefer them not making her the Avatar just bc then it’s a matter of why does she even need the Power of Three but you still could.)

For aerokinesis, you could incorporate it into the show with how they already use it. She uses it against the Evil Enchantress, which the sisters figure is just how past lives and powers work. From there, you have two options: Leo kinda just goes 😶 that is not how that works and they figure it out there or the sisters end up traveling back in time later in the season (1920′s episode!!) and run across their past selves (also Paige’s 1920′s self!!). Phoebe tries to use her past life’s powers and it doesn’t work and their past lives are just like 🤨 it doesn’t work like that. And then they have P. Russell, before her turn, and P. Bowen (if they can get Shannen back; if not, she’s out of town for some reason or another) to help Paige learn the trigger for her aerokinesis. Also, I feel like there’d be a lot of fun plotlines because that is a big power and imagine trying to learn how to control it. Paige accidentally hurting someone with it and being afraid of it? Paige causing property damage, such as blowing all of the lights, and then a shadow demon being in the manor. Paige learns how to fly with it and offers to fly with her sisters and Phoebe is like 😬 i already learned my lesson on that one.

Especially because it’d be such a dangerous power! Girl literally controls the wind. She could obviously use it in big showy ways, knocking a demon across the room, flying, etc. But even the more subtle ways, like creating a breeze to distract someone by making them chase down papers or bringing something to her, etc. Plus, not only does she have to grapple with it as her evil past life’s favorite power, but Shax had this power. She has the same power as the sister she never met’s murderer. Ooh, imagine if she actually learned about it early season four and Piper and Phoebe’s reactions and her knowledge of Shax and learning about her evil past life. Potential there.

Okay, but moving on from aerokinesis, electrokinesis! I always have a mixed reaction when it comes to people trying to argue that. Well, not even witchlighters but Chris specifically should have electrokinesis bc his dad was an Elder when he was conceived, but the show very well could have made that canon if they wanted to give Paige electrokinesis. (But it’s not so if anyone ends up in my inbox about Chris and being half-elder, imma lose it.) Imagine, Paige isn’t sure why she has this power that she used for evil and it turns out its because her past life combined with her current life’s whitelighter side meant that she had it, even though she shouldn’t. The juxtaposition of her evil past and her good heritage working together when no one knows if she should really have it. I mean, Paige literally nearly killed a man with her Whitelighter powers by trying to telekinetically orb that guy’s heart out of his chest, so having the ability to literally throw lightning??

But also I am obsessed with electrokinesis and I think it’s cool af. It obviously has a lot of combat uses, along with being fun to see in the everyday. Paige accidentally shocking her sisters a little bit or having to deal with the static electricity with her powers. Again, losing power in the house and having to figure it out. Cole using that to manipulate Phoebe or try to turn the sisters against Paige with that. Paige zapping people a little bit when they’re being annoying. Paige no-selling the shock cages, bc hel-lo she can simply absorb the electricity instead.

And finally! Pyrokinesis. Gonna be honest, I don’t really like the idea of Paige having pyrokinesis, it feels too connected to Phoebe. (Abi, didn’t you connect half of these powers to the other sisters anyways? Yep!) Phoebe and pyrokinesis is a thing across seasons, so if you’ve giving a sister that power full time, I just feel like it has to be Phoebe. Also, we see so many freaking beings with pyrokinesis that we really don’t need a sister to have it. It just feels boring at that point. But still! I have committed, and thus I’ll give some ideas.

Paige not knowing that pyrokinesis is associated with demons until her sisters tell her and Cole using that to cast doubt on Paige in season four instead. Paige learning how to use a power that has been used against all of them time and time again. Taking a power so deeply attached to evil and giving it to not only a good witch, but a Charmed One and a Whitelighter hybrid.

Paige’s witch and Whitelighter side combining pyrokinesis and photokinesis so that she can create light that burns. The contrast between good and evil in this new sister and if you can really trust her.

Paige bonding with Tyler Michaels over his power! She helps him realize that he is a good person and a good kid. Depending on how long she’s had her power for, she helps teach him how to control it or he shows her some tricks that he’s learned.

We bring in witch hunters more often, maybe even as a season plot. They’re trying to burn witches and they narrowly evade them time and time again until they’re trapped and they can’t get out, but Paige controls the fire that she didn’t make and turns it against the witch hunters. Paige not being able to burn! (Paige befriending a Phoenix witch and learning about the power of a witch taking the fire that was meant to destroy them and their kind and instead making it her own source of power.)

Okay, actually, Paige with pyrokinesis is a lot more of a vibe than I thought lmao.

But seriously, Paige with an elemental power would have been so good! She never really gained another power, but she was canonically a powerhouse in her past life. Plus, at least one of the sisters should have gotten an elemental power considering three out of four canonically had an elemental power in her past life. It doesn’t hurt that the elemental powers were so cool! But yeah, I’m back on my Paige should have had another power soapbox again! :)

#charmed #paige matthews #powers #abi speaks #charmed meta #this is my. fourth? post about paige getting powers i think #and i STILL havent gotten to the one i've been saying i will since the first one lmao #i'll eventually get there #but paige could have had such a cool development and they did nothing!!#i also spent literally over two hours on this so if you wanna be nice and reblog it'd make me happy #i had other things that i needed to do today but i guess?? now i will not be doing those bc i have work in an hour #but anyways back to the paige powers thing should i start tagging these? i have a little list of the ones ive suggested in the drafts #should i like link them together or something? i wasnt expecting there to be this many of them #i already suggested five different power ideas #this adds... seven. whoops #and again i still have not gotten to the one ive been meaning to mention for the lastttttt #eight months. oof thats bad #i am v slow at posting #i'll eventually get around to it tho

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