the-apocryphal-one reblogged
the-apocryphal-one reblogged
Cyberpunk Beauty & the Beast?
Once upon a time, far in the future, the son of the CEO of a Major Technology Corporation comes of age and takes over the family company. He learns that the company has been doing some Very Bad Things and wants to put a stop to it. Another top executive tries to convince him that these Highly Unethical and Dangerous Technologies (such as the city’s incredibly intrusive surveillance system) are vital to the company’s continued existence. When he refuses to listen, she takes advantage of the technology that plugs his mind in to all the company’s computer systems, leaving his mind trapped in cyberspace while his body’s stuck in a comatose state. She can’t kill him--there are certain things that only the CEO has access to--but she can keep him trapped in this mental torment, and revive him every once in a while to see if he’s finally willing to hand full control of the company over to her.
Some time later, Rival Corporation falls on hard times, leaving technology genius Beauty out of work. Her father hears of a job possibility for her, and goes to a house in one of the city’s elite neighborhoods to see if he can arrange an interview--to no avail. The employer never shows, and the house is strangely empty. But her father does see roses growing in a highly secured greenhouse. Real plants are a near-impossibility in their ultra-technological world, but Beauty loves the flowers, and her father can’t resist bringing her a little something to cheer her up after his failure.
He make it all the way to the bush itself before the alarms go off and the house’s security system traps him inside. The House’s AI doesn’t alert the authorities, like these systems are supposed to do. Instead, it puts him through an interrogation--how did he get inside when the greenhouse was guarded by top-of-the-line surveillance technology? He explains that his daughter the computer genius taught him a few tricks, and begs for mercy since he only intended to take one flower. The AI demands the father bring the girl here to the house; if he doesn’t, the AI will alert the authorities about the theft and their lives will basically be over.
Beauty answers the summons, expecting the worse--and gets a job offer from the AI. It turns out the AI is running a vast corporate espionage network; it has made its agents invisible to the surveillance systems and digital networks in the city. But to take down the Major Technology Corporation, their network needs a physical someone who isn’t invisible, someone who can be seen who can speak to the right people, open the right doors, operate the right technology with the skill of an expert--and Beauty’s the only one qualified for the job. When Beauty learns exactly how Major Technology Corporation is using its vast surveillance network to do Very Evil Things to the people of the city, she signs right up.
With the help of the AI’s invisible servants, Beauty undertakes missions to undermine the Major Technology Corporation. The AI isn’t like any artificial intelligence that Beauty’s ever seen. For one thing, its access to city-wide systems is unparalleled in her experience. For another thing, it has opinions and a moral compass that aren’t like anything she’s seen in technology (what AI has a love of roses?). It seems almost...human, and she’s astonished to find herself developing a friendship with it.
Eventually, they manage to gain access to the highest levels of the company’s technology, where Beauty destroys the Evil Mainframes, liberating the city and taking down the Major Corporation. She also finds a man plugged into the system itself, and rushes to disconnect him before the crashing system erases his mind with it. She learns the man is the lost CEO of the company--and her mysterious AI employer. The Evil Executive had no idea that leaving the CEO helplessly connected to the company’s computer systems gave him complete access to all their surveillance and security technology, and he took advantage of that to bring down the company.
With the evil technology destroyed, they save the city, reform the company, and eventually, get married. Happily ever afters all around (or as much as one can get in a cyberpunk world).
the-apocryphal-one reblogged
If I were making an element-wielder story, I'd switch things up a bit:
- Fire-wielders would be native to the coldest, snowiest places
- Water-wielders in the deserts
- Earth-wielders in archipelagos, swamps, etc.?
- Air-wielders are miners and mountain-dwellers, both in the caves and on the heights
Because while it's cool to be able to control the most common and readily-available element around you... Humans can do that with plain old skill and ingenuity. If I lived in a hostile environment and had the option of a little magical bonus, I'd channel it into controlling the thing I needed and didn't have.
- Live in the freaking Arctic Circle? Controlling ice gets you structures, but being able to summon fire gets you life
- In a hot, dry environment? Being able to pull water out of the air or soil would be incredibly important
- I'm not sure exactly what environment would need earth the most, but one where you couldn't trust solid ground to provide itself seems like a good candidate. Also good for finding save channels when sailing!
- If you live inside or on top of a mountain... Sure, controlling stone and earth would be nice, but being able to summon and/or clean your own air supply is priceless (not to mention, if you can sense airflow, you can always find your way out)
Of course, this also means that when an element-wielder travels to someone else's environment... They become incredibly OP. It's like they trained their muscles in triple gravity and now suddenly they're on Mars. So much potential there too, though...
In a war, for instance, the invaders would definitely have the aggressive upper hand--BUT they don't have the survival advantages of the defenders (elementally OR in terms of what environment their culture's adapted for). You could do a LOT with that, I think.
the-apocryphal-one reblogged
in Rak’tika
A speedpaint video of this will be available at my Patreon on April 1st 😊
the-apocryphal-one reblogged
modern au, I guess…..?
the-apocryphal-one reblogged
“Life is a balance of holding on and letting go.” @rianjoseph @starwars
the-apocryphal-one reblogged
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Japanese Pronouns and Modes of Address (Blue Lions)
Out of sheer curiosity, I decided to take down some notes on how the Blue Lions class address each other in the Japanese version of the game, as well as noted down the Japanese pronouns they use to refer to themselves. Spoilers follow for Azure Moon.
Notes and an analysis of the infographic follows under the cut! Please don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s anything I missed and the like!
the-apocryphal-one reblogged
dimilethdisaster
Anonymous asked:
I saw that Dimileth ‘I can see ghost’ child ask so I imagined what if their kid could also see the souls of the dead. Their kid would see Lambert smiling at Dimitri and Glenn floating around Felix when they go to Duscur, Rodrigue greeting them when they walk past the bridge, and would come across and talk to Jeralt in the Monastery.
yes please just… their kid knowing far more than they ever should about everyone’s childhood/past - about dimitri’s dark phase, about byleth’s origin story, about the war. imagine if they went to the imperial capital one day and were able to see edelgard ;;
damn haha now you kind of make me want a fic for it if i didnt have too many ideas i need to write already
the-apocryphal-one reblogged
There’s a double agent theory going on that Kylo knew all along that Palpatine’s the BIG threat, that’s why he sacrificed himself when he was young and joined the dark side, got close to Snoke by killing Han, all for a good cause, to end Palpatine once and for all. That’s what he meant when he said: Grandfather, I will finish what you started.
I know it’s a long shot but just wanted to share it here
the-apocryphal-one reblogged
the ocean breathes salty - art by jigsocks
the-apocryphal-one reblogged
A Reylo battle and other Ep. IX predictions
@reyloawayfromhome thank you for the ask! This is a fascinating question.
I just saw a great meta on this by @roxannepolice, with excellent replies from @postedbygaslight and @unexpectedreylo. I highly recommend reading their thoughts, since they informed my own.
I agree that Ep. IX requires an epic lightsaber battle, and the emotional stakes will be the highest if the battle is between Ben and Rey. And a Reylo fight does makes narrative sense. (That said, Redeemed! Ben and Reylo are still 100% endgame. It just means that there may be more conflict before they reconcile).
Having another Reylo fight raises plenty of interesting dilemmas, including: who wins? On the one hand, Rey already won their previous fight. So that’s not terribly interesting, IMO.
At the same time, I agree that they’re not going to let Rey lose to Ben, either. The ST has strong themes of female empowerment and agency.
A Reylo fight in Ep. IX raises so many questions, and it made me think hard about what could happen in IX. So this actually ended up as a detailed predictions post. Here goes!
Our epic lightsaber battle will (probably) be Ben v. Rey.
There are no other clear candidates for an epic, emotional lightsaber battle. The only other option is Reylo vs. the KoR but I am deeply ambivalent about how much of a role, if any, the KoR will play in IX. It’s too late in the game to make us care that much about them.
If the KoR do appear– and that’s a big if– I predict that they will be a part of the final climactic battle. So when Finn, Poe, Rose, Lando, Chewie, and their allies are busy fighting the FO fleet, Rey and Ben might deal with the KoR and/or Hux.
Of course, this begs two questions..
How will a Reylo battle happen? How will they recover from it?
I’m doubtless going to get some things wrong- but what the hell, it’s fun to think about. So here are my best predictions, guesses, and wishes for how things will happen.
the-apocryphal-one reblogged
⋆⋆✦ ✧✦ ☾ ✦ ✦✧⋆⋆
the-apocryphal-one reblogged
emeraldboreas-deactivated201809
YOU GUYS HAVE TO READ THIS
A nearby parish was passing out these amazing suggestions for Lent. I am in awe of the holy snark. Seriously, stop and read them. I’ve bolded the funniest ones, though they’re all good ideas.
Pick one from each category for Lent.
FASTING FROM BAD THINGS
- Drunkenness
- Gossip
- Pornography
- Complaining–try accepting the cross you’re given instead of objecting that you’d rather choose your own.
- Smoking
- Masturbation
- Calling your sister an alien
- Negativity
- Being snarky or short or cold or whatever it is you do that makes talking to you an act of charity
- Laziness–try exercising for Lent
- Arguing
- Being picky–eat whatever is set before you
- Judging people
- Comparing yourself with others
- Anger
- Immodest clothing
- Impure books/television/movies/music
- Lying
- Cursing
FASTING FROM GOOD THINGS
- Snacking
- Television
- Lunch
- Makeup
- Soda
- Chocolate
- Shopping (the frivolous kind, anyway)
- Secular music
- Sweets
- Hitting the snooze button
- Secular reading
- Meat
- Naps
- Junk food
- Fast food
- A reasonable diet
- Coffee
- Cream and sugar in your coffee
- Social media
- Sarcasm (note that sarcasm is in the “good” category)
- Scratching
- Your pillow
- Hot showers
- Hot food
- Salting your food
- Staying up stupid late–give yourself a bedtime!
- Wasting your life on the internet
- In that vein: youtube
- Wearing your favorite color
- Alcohol
- Kissing
- Gum
- Checking your smartphone when you’re with people
- Driving when you could walk
- Idle curiosity–try not reading every sign you pass or googling every question you have. If it doesn’t matter, be content not to know.
- Anything that’s about popularity–checking your blog stats, posting things on facebook that are clever but not edifying
PRAYER
- Daily Mass–maybe even daily!
- A chapter of the Bible a day. You can get through all 4 Gospels if you read 2 chapters a day and don’t skip Sundays.
- 10 minutes of meditation a day
- Chaplet of Divine Mercy
- Join a Bible study at your parish
- 20 minutes of Spiritual reading a day
- The Rosary–a decade or even a whole Rosary each day
- Go to your Church’s Lenten mission
- Stop by an adoration chapel on your way home each day
- Don’t turn on music while you drive–pray instead
- Subscribe to some solid Catholic blogs
- The Liturgy of the Hours–once a day or seven times, if you like. My favorite is the Office of Readings (Matins).
- Wear a crucifix
- Spend the time you would have spent watching TV reading the lives of the Saints or watching documentaries on the Saints
- Go to confession–every week, every other week, for the first time in 30 years….
- Pray the Stations of the Cross every Friday
- Get up early to pray
- List 5 things you’re grateful for every day
- Journal
- Blog!
- Be intentional about your time–make a schedule (with prayer featuring prominently) and stick to it
- Go to an art museum or a botanical gardens once a week and just rejoice in beauty
- Break your fast with the Eucharist every day–don’t eat until you’ve been to Mass
- Pick a virtue to strive for each day
- Spend 10 minutes each night talking to the Lord about your day–thanking him for the good and the bad, apologizing for how you fell short, asking for the grace to be better the next day
- Listen to Christian music while you drive
- Listen to Catholic CDs while you drive
- Pick a Saint to be like and do it
- Lectio Divina
- Pay attention at Mass
ALMSGIVING
- Donate the money you would have spent on whatever you’re fasting from
- Spend the time you would have spent watching TV with your family
- Visit a nursing home–and bring your little ones if you have them. Nothing takes the awkward out of talking to old people you don’t know like a baby.
- Step up your tithing game from 10% to 15%
- Invite a priest or religious to dinner
- Do that rice bowl thing
- Save up all your change (and maybe even your singles) and give them to charity.
- Write letters to your grandparents
- Call your mother
- Volunteer once a week–soup kitchen, shoveling snow, the nursery at church, whatever!
- Give someone a compliment every day
- Take someone to lunch every week–a lonely coworker, a neighbor you don’t always love, one of your children
- Perform an act of charity every day–do the dishes when it’s not your turn, take your kids to that awful playground they love so much, talk to your parents in multiple-word sentences, pick up litter
- Tell someone about Jesus
I like her too.
the-apocryphal-one reblogged
chandrilasky-deactivated2018052
Luke kneels in the Falcon as he holds Han’s dice and looks on the past with pain, guilt, and regret. He vows that he’s “never coming back.”
He was wrong. He sees Leia and he knows.
Leia kneels at the abandoned Rebel Base as she holds the dice Luke gives her from Han, and thinks on the past with pain, guilt, and regret. She says her son is never coming back.
She was wrong. Luke tells her and she knows.
Ben kneels in the Rebel Base after all he’s done, holding his father’s dice as he thinks on his deeds with pain, guilt, and regret – hanging his head in shame.
He must feel that all is lost. He may have thought he was never coming back.
He sees Rey and looks up – and he knows. He knows he’s fucked up. But Rey shows him….
And in that moment perhaps he knows. Perhaps there is still a way to come back.
The dice disappear as a reminder that even if the things that physically manifest and remind us of our pain are destroyed…. the past can never leave us.
No matter how much you try to push away the past, it can never truly disappear. It is always with us in our memory. It has shaped us, even if we hate it, even if people failed us, even if we are traumatized by it.
And perhaps he realizes his statement, that he would destroy it all, that he can’t come back to the light (as Rey’s vision suggested and so he protested) is also wrong.
Just because you don’t see the sun after it sets, doesn’t mean it isn’t there through the night, coming back around again to rise…
the-apocryphal-one reblogged
You know what would make a good story?
Just Kaze, Rinkah, and Corrin trekking all the way to Shirasagi Castle. I mean do you even see how long the distance is?
There’s no way that journey was uneventful! Like man, all the possibilities!
(warning: spoilers under the cut)