Blogette Delta Zero - A Thread of Consternation

So yeah. I'm not good at names. Have a thread though I guess. Maybe I'll keep up with posting, maybe I won't.

 

Why not. Currently (finally) getting around to watching Spiderman: Far From Home. Very early... though there are some attempts at worldbuilding which are nice. I remember a tiny bit from Homecoming that I thought was... significant, in a stupid way. It was a list of several elements given as part of a quiz, the last of which was vibranium. Funnily enough the non-fictional elements were all the same group. It may have been group 5, which would even make some sense.

Well. Anyways.

Spoiler: Speculations Re: The Blip

The in memoriam segment at the beginning is... I think the wildly appropriate music is intentional. It does subtly (re) confirm that half of all life was destroyed (though we're still dubious on plants), which I think is the first canon confirmation. Also showing actual video of the destruction is... well, we did just get the wildly inappropriate music, but I feel that's something that would never happen.
Also, minor lol at 'The Blip' being the canon name for what was called 'the snap'.

Hmm. If the blip returned people in the same place as they died, as that video and Aunt May confirms, (still dunno how I feel about her being youngened. I mean, she's plausibly old enough, but Aunt May being in her 70s-80s is kind of thing) - there'd be a second secondary holocaust of all the people in dangerous places. Which is a nasty way to rain on that parade. Literally. Unless Doctor Strange stopped that (at least for Earth) in the midst of summoning all the superheroes. Or maybe it defaulted to 'the nearest safe location', which would be plausible.

According to rapid google, there are only around 500,000 people in airplanes at any given time, so only 250,000. A small number at sea... and of course a lot more on roads or in other such situations, but that part is less certainly lethal. Actually, if you're on a vehicle, do you reappear in that vehicle, or in the place it was? Did Ant-Man's van get moved, because that'd be a way of answering that.

I guess most people don't know Spider-Man is a teenager, but why on Earth would he be assumed as the new 'leader' of the Avengers, as opposed to... almost anyone else? Black Panther being the obvious standout to me.

Also, banana, 'peter-tingle'. I think that may be the first official reference to the Spider-Sense. Doesn't confirm whether or not it works on bananas, though.


Nevermind, there's an answer in the form of an in-flight documentary, clearly showing Thanos' infinity gauntlet. And using the term 'The Snap'. Just to be confusing. Also, other titles include Finding Wakanda, a Nova episode re:wormholes (still insistently being referred to as Einstein-Rosen bridges), and... Hunting Hydra, which the Amazon X-Ray Sidebar helpfully informs us 'may be a reference to the Marvel villain group Hydra'. It is. It very, very blatantly is. Also a documentary about Tony Stark. Ned is playing a video game that, while it at least resembles a video game, is the wrong kind. (A fighting game. On laptop. That he'd previously proposed playing with Peter. You'd think someone on the team would know how video games work by now.)

X-Ray also notes that Peter's shirt is a reference to the pythagorean theorem (which is almost as obvious, and that his luggage has the tag 'BFP' on it, which it suggests is certainly not his uncle's... but then comments no one knows Ben Parker's middle name. (It is easily old enough, and I see no particular reason to believe it wasn't Ben's.

KITTY AT 0:17:15

Also, yup, that's a small Italian hotel.

"This place is stinky."
"I think you mean charming."
Yeah, it's Venice.

And at last (well like 20 minutes in) plot happens. And makes one hell of a mess. I wonder how many people know of Doctor Strange, just because Mysterio bears a strong resemblance. May certainly mentions him and points out the resemblance. Others seem to be far more speculative.

I also snickered at the one guy being all 'spiderman could take him' about the water monster, given he was, in fact, there, and mostly useless.

Also interesting that flights are going out of Venice so soon. I suppose it didn't hit the airport, but still quite a lot of damage.

And apparently the Eiffel Tower may have been made as a mind control antenna.

Also comic book logic but, holy shit, Nick Fury is quick on the trigger. He says 'another person knocks on that door and we'll be attending another funeral', and I'm not sure I don't believe him.

Peter apparently studies Thor in physics class. There are... quite a few interesting interpretations of what that could mean.

Also, everyone in Fury's group balks about Peter talking about a multiverse as though it were not extremely significant.

And, X-Ray being ever helpful by telling us that there are actually 118 elements, not 4! I don't know if this was meant to be a spoiler... or for that matter, why this fact went unremarked on.

Also either Nick Fury's tranq darts don't have an amnesiac component or Peter told Ned. Which sounds like a good way to make sure it's lead next time.
... and of course Nick had the trip redirected. That actually kind of makes sense. Well also kind of doesn't because he redirected them to where he knows a giant monster will be, but is also compelling evidence as to why Peter shouldn't be given this kind of responsibility.

Mysterio rather unsubtly shifts to using that name a day after hearing it for the first time. Your intrigue score does not impress me.

Even Fury knows that Peter is unsuited for power. Aaand about the 'tried to drone strike his own bus' incident. I mean, I suppose the driver told him, simple enough. This will not stop Fury from emphatically giving him All The Power. And he still hasn't explained why he needs Peter instead of... anyone else. The... MCU model seems to be vaguely based on the comic books themselves, with their regular issues and periodic event comics, but this... this one would be a bit of a shoehorn.

Spiderman wasn't quite as useless in the second fight, at least! Still not like... super useful, though. But it's definitely counter to his abilities.

Also '<Tony> couldn't give EDITH to Fury because he'd just keep it for himself'... well, I mean, that's a lot better than any of the other options to hand. Seriously, Quentin is (as far as Peter knows) not even from the same dimension. Or, y'know, the defense department, as Quentin helpfully points out. It's not a good idea but also isn't the worst idea.


You'd think that 'kill Nick Fury' would be literally the first thing Quentin would do with EDITH if he's that concerned. Also, he's deeply concerned about the lost projector as evidence but using drones firing guns into pillars to create his illusions, which, A: you realize those are noisy, right, and B: You realize those use bullets, right? They certainly don't look like Repulsors/lasers, and even if they're caseless (could be, it's loltech), there's still... the bullet.

 

Holy shit. Why is Tony like this. Tabling the... everything, EDITH is the worst UI for a weapons system ever, and Peter's priorities are the worst. And an open-handed slap to the cheek hard enough to knock someone unconscious should probably shatter their jaw, at least. But comic book logic so whatever.

Also, it's shit. If that had been an actual kinetic kill vehicle or a Reaper there'd be a crater where a bus full of kids was.

Drones probably wouldn't help in the second fight, though repulsor armed versions might, which at least some are. They could plausibly be helpful in a superhero fight, and not entirely useless in open battle. They mostly, however, seem to be designed for assassination. Which is the thing. EDITH seems to be designed for suppressing civilians. Which is uh. Not the problem the Marvel Cinematic Universe has. Ultron may have gone horribly wrong but at least it was addressing an actual problem. It's weird. I could write more about it, but... this is an edit and the actual end of my writing, so.

 

Mysterio rather unsubtly shifts to using that name a day after hearing it for the first time. Your intrigue score does not impress me.

Even Fury knows that Peter is unsuited for power. Aaand about the 'tried to drone strike his own bus' incident. I mean, I suppose the driver told him, simple enough. This will not stop Fury from emphatically giving him All The Power. And he still hasn't explained why he needs Peter instead of... anyone else. The... MCU model seems to be vaguely based on the comic books themselves, with their regular issues and periodic event comics, but this... this one would be a bit of a shoehorn.

Spiderman wasn't quite as useless in the second fight, at least! Still not like... super useful, though. But it's definitely counter to his abilities.

Also '<Tony> couldn't give EDITH to Fury because he'd just keep it for himself'... well, I mean, that's a lot better than any of the other options to hand. Seriously, Quentin is (as far as Peter knows) not even from the same dimension. Or, y'know, the defense department, as Quentin helpfully points out. It's not a good idea but also isn't the worst idea.


You'd think that 'kill Nick Fury' would be literally the first thing Quentin would do with EDITH if he's that concerned. Also, he's deeply concerned about the lost projector as evidence but using drones firing guns into pillars to create his illusions, which, A: you realize those are noisy, right, and B: You realize those use bullets, right? They certainly don't look like Repulsors/lasers, and even if they're caseless (could be, it's loltech), there's still... the bullet.

Also, the whole Fake Interpol Thing is... certainly a scheme. A fairly blatant one.

Spider-shaped droque chute, that's cute. At least I hope that's supposed to be a droque chute.

 

Holy shit, I'm wasting so much space.

Mysterio. Well, the thing that immediately strikes me is that there are just. So many applications of perfect holography, and 'holodecks' are only the most obvious. He also strikes me as bearing at least a passive resemblance to an actual scientist rather than... a comic book scientist.

He is a comic book villain, though, what with telling people about plans long before he actually does them.

On the other hand, this means he's bound by mortal laws re: conspiracies and the concealing thereof. Even with SHIELD crippled, Fury has some pretty hefty sway, you'd think he'd consider like.. doing some background work.

 

Well that was a lot of posts! Now.


While we're here, let's go ahead use this to dump stuff. In this case, because I can't help myself, a technical breakdown of Jail's little 'contingency plan' in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: StrikerS. Y'know. ..
That one.

Spoiler: CYPHER

In addition to the documented alterations common to PROJECT MIDAS, all of the Combat Cyborgs in Jail Scaglietti's service were modified with an an additional, unauthorized subsytem of his own design. It is unknown when this system was designed, but at least some of the 'Numbers' were modified after their creation.
The CYPHER system, properly known as 'Contingent sYmpathetic Preservation, Hosting, and Embedded Rebirth', is Dr Jail Scaglietti's evolution of Memory Transfer Cloning technology, combined with study of the Recall/Resurrection systems exhibited by Al-Hazared Constructs, equal parts brilliant and twisted. It overcomes the metaphysical limitations of PROJECT FATE by simply sidestepping them, and linking to a living - or least recently deceased - mind that can be transferred rather than reconstructed. By interrupting death it achieves the closest thing to true resurrection as is believed feasible.
However, CYPHER does not simply transfer to a terminal or prepared inert body, but to one of its receiver systems - in this case installed in the Combat Cyborgs, using their own body to reconstruct the transfer being (in this case Jail). Furthermore, and this was most certainly not an advertised features, it also allows the transfer to control the receiver's body. With current understanding a linker core is required to establish a sympathetic link, and a conscious mind greatly enhances the connection, but it is theoretically possible to create a system where the conscious 'receiver' acts a relay (A>B>C rather than A>B) or a non-sapient linker core is used. Nevertheless, the former would amplify risk and difficulty and the latter is beyond current understanding. The current system also relies on heavy cybernetics, and a system compatible with ordinary humans is likely difficult to impossible. In any event there is a clear benefit of the system-as is, in which the potentially vulnerable receiver assembly is necessarily also a superhumanly competent combatant.

As might be expected, the CYPHER system has two parts, transmitter and receiver. Interestingly, the receiver contains most of the transmitter system, and could theoretically be modified to function as both with relatively light modification to MIDAS maintenance routines. The Transmitter mechanism is relatively simple, consisting of a network of neurocircuits woven around the subject's brain and controlled by a central processing node. It includes an array of recording equipment for maintaining up-to-date information on the subject's current physical, neurological, and magical state, which periodically updates the receiver's sympathetic pattern with fresh data. Like the receiver units, the transmitter can employ both conventional encrypted magical communications or a sympathetic entanglement link that is extremely low bandwidth (kilobits per second) but virtually distance-agnostic and uninterruptible. The transmitter contains slots for 20 such linkages, though it can only use up to four at a time, and can link to an arbitrary number of receivers through conventional transmissions. Jail's transmitter also contained a great deal of control mechanisms, including root access to all reciever systems, though this also overlapped with his general control cybernetics. These are the only aspects of the transmitter that is not included in the CYPHER reciever or easily repurposed from other Combat Cyborg systems.
CYPHER also, obviously, includes a biomonitor, activating on loss of neurosignal coherence, at which point it transmits a soft activation signal to all reciever units, communicating and resolving via the Transmitter AI, before finally sending a soft-shutdown. It also contains a deadman switch triggering if the transmitter is damaged beyond function, this immediately triggers a hard activation resolved among the receivers. A false trigger (due to signal loss, for instance) is unlikely, but possible. The result would likely be clone inception, but without any sympathetic transfer. The control suite also contains authorization to terminate such a 'misfired' clone upon reacquisition.
Perhaps the most crucial part of the Transmitter system is the AI algorithim responsible for calculating which receiver to activate, centralized within the Transmitter assembly itself. While Jail gave himself a great deal of control over all aspects of decisionmaking, for obvious reasons user control is not possible at point of activation, it is entirely dependent on AI. The Transmitter AI centralizes this decision making, making the process decidedly faster and less error-prone. All told expected time from triggering to sympathetic receiver activation is approximately 60 milliseconds, all happening without the conscious awareness of the receivers.

The receiver system is considerably more complicated, as it contains the bulk of the mechanisms. Indeed, 'receiver' is something of a misnomer, its function is closer to a summoner, locating the subject’s magical signature and ‘downloading’ it. The receiver equipment is centered in and around the uterus, but is also deeply integrated in the main neural structure. The primary aspect of the receiver is the so-called ‘Umbilical Processor’, which accesses and ‘writes’ psychic residue through the sympathetic link, a miracle of miniaturization less than two centimeters across that previously required room-scale equipment. This is achieved by both it’s quantum crystal structure, and, more importantly, integrating an intelligent mind. Of course, the process is potentially traumatic even without the other caveats.
When activated, the receiver synchronizes the host’s linker core with the subject’s sympathetic resonance, a relatively simple process for all it is essentially forced spellcasting. The link is then used to imprint that resonance on the Umbilical Processor’s quantum matrix, burning their thoughts, memories, habits, even linker core into it, a process tantalizingly close to hard uploading - however, the entire process is regulated by the host’s linker core and mind, as well as their own neurocybernetics, with consciousness as much (or more) within the host’s own brain as the Processor itself. Though the subject shares the host’s mind, the process is not destructive - at least, not obviously, and the host remains conscious. For a time, two linker cores and two magical signatures exist within the host. As time passes, the subject’s linker core (and thought) migrates to the developing clone body, the result of a sympathetic attraction.
The Umbilical Processor is also closely linked to the Override system, which the subject’s consciousness may use to seize control of the host’s body, using the subject’s magical signature as an authorization code. Conversely, a secondary function can ensure the subject does not control the host’s body. While undeniably grotesque, if absent motor control would be difficult to impossible due to mutual interference. Additionally the subject can employ automated motor control in addition to or instead of direct control. Long term override use is probably unhealthy, at least mentally, and certainly had disastrous effects in the Type 1 Combat Cyborgs, but its effects on an adult are less certain. At the very least it can be expected to be extremely traumatic.
Like the transmitter, the receiver features a complex communications suite, with both conventional transmission and sympathetic entanglement links for communication with the transmitter and other receivers, as well as a dedicated AI subroutine for resolving activation, which automatically engages upon hard loss of transmitter signal or other circumstances in which the transmitter cannot handle coordination. This is done through peer-to-peer negotiation, with each receiver conducting its own assessment and sharing with information with the others, which then ‘vote’ on which is deemed best. Since all these AIs are identical, they will reach identical conclusions, but this helps in patching over errors or lack of information. In the event of entanglement-only connections, a unit can only transmit truncated assessments of its state (and that of any receivers it is connected to), which limits proper assessment. However, this minimal self-assessment can still be compared to other units. In order to perform this assessment, the receiver is deeply linked into the host’s cybernetic nervous system, allowing it to observe their surroundings using mundane, enhanced, and magical senses, as well as obtain a detailed breakdown of their condition.
The assessment system is capable of processing numerous factors, combining them in a neural algorithm to generate a quality value, which can then be compared to other receivers. Weight of different factors is variable, and a variety of factors can be integrated. As programmed, the system first prioritizes the condition of the host, with any significant injury or magical strain being a massive malus, unconsciousness even more so (the effects of transmitting to an unconscious host are potentially hazardous). Following shortly thereafter is the host’s circumstances, imminent danger or combat conditions being obvious malus, (theoretically) secure areas a positive. The receiver system is most limited in its assessment of this category, as it does not have access to the individual’s thoughts, and cannot factor in threats that are not directly obvious or indirect threats. It can, however, consider its own location relative to other receivers and the condition of those receivers - if other receivers are nearby, that is a positive… unless those receivers are judged to be in danger, in which case it is a negative. Raw distance from the transmitter is also an inverse factor - further is generally better, as CYPHER is designed to survive disaster. Signal quality is also a factor - though the sympathetic preservation system is expected to function regardless of poor communication, it aids in decision making and a poor signal is likely to lead to improper assessment. Finally, individual receivers can be given their own weight and modifiers, with Scaglietti using the following order: Scaglietti using the following order: Quattro, Otto, Due, Sein, Uno, Cinque, Dieci, Tre, Undieci, Sette, Nove, Dudieci. His reasoning is largely obscure and beyond the scope of this document in any event.

Once the ‘Sympathetic Preservation’ and ‘Hosting’ functions have taken place, the CYPHER system also facilitates rebirth, quite literally, for which it is deeply integrated into the reproductive system. Upon activation the CYPHER receiver initiates the growth of a embryonic clone of the subject, the eventual recipient of the transfered psyche. The system is deeply integrated into the ovaries, capable of producing embryos of a specified genetic pattern, achieved by taking the host’s natural egg cells and replacing their DNA through tailored nanorobotics, then inducing clonal parthenogenesis, at which point the embryos can be further modified. Both ovaries produce embryos when triggered, with the second being reabsorbed unless the first fails to implant for some reason.
The uterus is woven through with CYPHER augmentations which greatly assist the process and generally make it feasible for a Combat Cyborg to carry a pregnancy to term. These include temperature and hormone regulation, as well as complex augmented placental system to prevent the transfer of unwanted nanites. Development is controlled by an AI similar to that used in incubation life-pods, synchronized with the general cybernetic control system. The amniotic environment can be altered to compensate for external events, or even accelerate or delay development. The placenta can also produce and program wanted nanites, allowing for the integration of cybernetics in the fetus. Scaglietti’s programmed plan involved massive integration, far greater than he was ever able to actually install in his own body, which would make his renewed self largely identical to a Type 3 Combat Cyborg, distinguished only by the lack of an override, and, again, having only a CYPHER transmitter.
By default, Scaglietti’s CYPHER system maintained a pair of embryos ‘on standby’, held in stasis until needed. This reinforces the sympathetic link and allows for additional ‘perfection checking’. Whenever a sympathy data update is recieved, these embryos are reabsorbed and new ones developed. It also terminates any pregnancy it did not initiate, vanishingly unlikely as this is.
The process is expected to last 200-500 days, with 250 being expected. During development the fetus is magically active to an unprecedented degree, which is expected to lead to advanced neural development. Additionally, technology and a Combat Cyborg’s more robust physiology allows for the fetus to become more physically mature before birth, somewhat more similar to a (smaller) toddler than an infant. Together, this means that the ‘newborn’ is capable of doing at least a passable job of holding a sapient mind and not entirely helpless. Nevertheless this is by far the most vulnerable period for the subject. To this end, a Delivery Automation Override is present, able to take direct control of the host if they exhibit… feelings… about being bodyjacked, or other dangerous behavior.
Following delivery, the override system is activated in with specialized routines for protecting and supporting the reborn subject, automatically initiated for safety reasons, and the override system can be controlled via telepathic command from the subject. The subject’s maturation is controlled by their cybernetics using hormonal/epigenetic triggers, which allows for growth to physical maturity in at most five years under ideal conditions, with most growth being front-loaded, though this will require regular tuning of cybernetic systems. An actual life pod could further accelerate the process, and is likely the intended method.

Despite his efforts, Jail Scaglietti survived his arrest and CYPHER was never actually triggered, let alone ‘completed’, leaving its actual efficacy something of a mystery, but there is significant reason to believe that it could have at least theoretically succeeded, although it may only result in ‘ordinary’ memory transfer cloning. Though intrusive and frankly grotesque, the potential of CYPHER also proves tantalizing. The Jail Scaglietti incident itself is ample proof of just how dangerous industrialized artificial life/biomodification technologies can be in the wrong hands, which may well include those associated with the Bureau. Details of the system have been declared A-Level secret, the concept added to the growing list of illegal technologies, and only limited research focusing on the prospect of an A > B > C relay is ongoing.
The CYPHER receivers installed in the Numbers, like many of the most objectionable cybernetics, were deemed too risky to be physically removed due to deep integration into the overall body, particularly, the chance of unfortunate hormonal interactions and the physical location of the processor near the spine were problematic. Additionally, there are significant, unresolved but quite clear legal and ethical problems with involuntarily (or dubiously) and permanently excising portions of someone’s body on the grounds that one does not approve of their involuntary body modifications. Instead, the system was disabled via firmware update preventing the receiver from communicating and flushing the database, thus ensuring that it would not recognize any transmitter signals, let alone activate. Though in itself invasive, this was at least non-destructive, theoretically consensual, and legally similar to the use of limiters. Scaglietti’s transmitter was less amenable to modification and similarly built into the brain such that it could not be physically removed, but could have its sympathetic data purged and prevented from re-updating, which was done with considerably less ethical concern.

 

I found an online Tiermaker. The world may never be the same again.

 

This website is remarkably hard to access from a new computer.

 

In a prior thread, I mentioned this idea preoccupied my mind for a reason I cannot wholly comprehend. So, here's part one of the MONSTER GIRL MLGN arc. Only time will tell how much progress I make. If any at all.

Have a Lamia Takamachi Nanoha.

This is, obviously, a preliminary outline, made in Clip Studio Paint. I haven't drawn anything in quite a long time, so it remains to be seen if I will use my usual technique of vector outlining and color fills, or try something new. By which I mean conventional, and just paint normally. I prefer(ed) the former technique because it's easier to correct mistakes, you can swap color palletes in seconds or very precisely adjust shading. It's layer intensive I guess. I'm not sure how much of a difference that makes.
(Err... wait a minute. I can't actually file where I've done this. I am hallucinating? Did I collapse the layers? Possibly the latter but there should be a save somewhere that's... fuckit, I dunno.)

Anyways, where was I? Perspective is hard. Consistency is hard. Hopefully can iron that out a bit, but there's a reason I've been obsessively looking into Blender.

Figuring out what Nanoha was going to be was both one of the harder things and yet... not actually hard at all? It's one of those decisions I can't explain. Honestly it might be just from this pose. Interestingly her Barrier Jacket barely changed at all, except of course in the conversion of her shoes to those metallic repeater bands. The wings are magic and aren't actually that geometrical, that's just an outline. I dunno if that's obvious but I felt the need to state it.

And now that I think about it, I realize the magic circle is wrong and it should probably be rings.

 

Taking a significant amount of reference from this image. Even though it's backwards. And her Movie outfit. And the wrong form for RH.


I also realized that I forgot her hair ties, which you'd think is a bit of an important thing.
But it's okay, I also forgot her eyebrows.

 

The Expanse Season 5? The Expanse Season 5, let's gooo!

I kinda got spoilered on The Thing, so that's not super surprising. Will say 21 megatons is not actually that much for an asteroid impact.

Amos :)))

Basically every scene so far in this episode has been good.

'Claiming to have brain damage is not the way to sell me on this, son.'

Cringey cowboy bar on Mars :), also, that conversation sure went well.

I like the landing sequence of the Lazy Songbird at Lovell City spaceport a surprising amount, especially how it seems so huge until it sorta goes off into the background. Lots of neat details. Although at one point it seems to fire every RCS thruster at once, and speaking of, I can't see the actual thrusters. It's not a big deal sequence but it's very neat.

Also not sure the turbolifts (no better term comes to mind) propensity for going from 60-0 is a good idea.

Augustin Gamarra Memorial. I don't remember that being a thing, but it seems important now. Unless it had something to do with Ganymede? Also holograms seem to be a thing now, and I'm not sure if they were originally. A bit unrealistic, huh.

So that's Episode 5-1.

 

Onto 5-2, and we start pretty strong with some mild piracy.
Also, the tradition of every location shot being amazing. This time it's Baltimore. Cool. And there is, of course, sadness.

Plot begins to form, in several places at once. Holden's reporter 'friend' has been abducted, there's a weapons smuggling conspiracy on Mars. And of course there's... everything else. Lots of threads.

Amos continues to be :)))

This woman and her kid keep showing up in Amos' bit.

Reporter friend nearly kills herself through not thinking about what's on the other side of that container wall.

Also I like the blister drone. It's cool. Though there also seems to be a mixture of plain standard shipping containers and slightly larger chamfered-edge ones. Not sure why you'd want the latter, maybe structural strength and/or pressure concerns? But then there should be more than one that's pressurized (a lot of goods, especially like food or seeds, don't take terribly well to vacuum in any event.)

...And indeed the first container is actually full of dirt.

Basically all the locales in the Expanse are pretty great, but the fact that the Earth scenes are also great and distinct is perhaps one of the better bits. Erich the crime boss's house/hideout in the seawall is awesome. I also love how Amos has zero points in Streetwise, and Erich's disbelief that he's really here about the house.

Episode 5-3!

Not quite as drastic an opening. Though I guess the opening conversation would be more dramatic if we hadn't already seen it. And then Drummer finds the wreck of Ashford's ship (still think he kinda went out like a chump, but oh well. And then back to Tycho station. Holden's reporter friend somehow learned that Dr. Cortazar from Protogen got abducted. They've got... electrodes on her temples, some kind of archive?

I guess Naomi and the Chetzemoka left Tycho before the kidnapping, I was wondering where she was. Also the ship names in this series are pretty good too. And oof, that docking looks... interesting. Chad random hauler pilot vs virgin Interstellar scene.

Alex remains completely and utterly unsuited for covert ops. ... lucky Bobby was there. On the other hand she did just come up with 'stalk a military supply ship in a racing yacht'

A whole lot of dramatic stuff that I, for whatever reason, don't quite feel like writing about. Like Naomi confronting her son... which went. Uh. Poorly.

And of course, The Thing happens. Or begins to happen, anyways. In a ways, it's almost an anti-climax since we've all known it's coming even if you weren't spoilered. Huh.

 

Preliminary outline of Nanoha for my Monster Girl Lyrical Nanoha project. I haven't drawn the tail things or associated wings yet. I hate the hands, because I hate hands... but from a distance I guess it doesn't look so bad. At least I don't have to draw feet.
Raising Heart I created a 3d model of, may post that soon, though it needs some 'adjustment', I think. Not perfect. Still, it's coming along quite nicely. I just need to finish up the wings and associated bands.

One of the remarkable things about this AU is how little it changes the actual story, at least so far.
To be clear, everyone in the AU is some kind of 'half-animal'. While Forms aren't always hereditary, Nanoha shares the same Form as the rest of her family..., along with ~40% of Japan and roughly 30% of the Earth population. A child is most likely to have a form similar to one of their parents, but it's also possible they'll be completely different, and different forms can interbreed, mostly.
This is because the distinction between forms seems to be epigentic, with all forms existing within the unified human DNA - but which actually develops is determined by natal conditions. Fundamentally, forms are common to all societies on Earth - but there's a caveat there.
How this system originated is a mystery. It doesn't seem to be exist in other species, at least not to the same extent. Any near human ancestors are extinct and it is difficult to establish a time frame, but one theory is that humans developed from a lemur-like species which adopted an increasing 'genetic reserve' until eventually it reached the level of extreme morphic variation seen in modern humanity. The other theories tend to involve divine or extraterrestrial intervention, and are generally taken less seriously.
Morphic resemblance to various animals seems to be convergent rather than ancestral, and while anatomic layout of various Forms varies, fundamental physiology and biochemistry remains consistent... though some theorize some type of 'genetic assimilation' this is not necessarily supported by genetic evidence and no particular mechanism has been identified.

'Lamia' probably isn't the actual term. Serpentine-Form? Ophidimorph? I'll probably keep using it interchangeably anyways. 'Ophidiomorph' is probably the proper English term, no idea what the Japanese terminology might be.

 

And, for something completely unrelated, the Prologue of my weird-what-if-Doctor-Scaglietti-(actually Uno)-wins-but-it-totally-works-out AU, which I am tentatively calling Miracle of Science. Posted in full because I can't just upload RTFs, and it's kind of rough, so I'm holding it back. I may actually post it to AO3. I'm kind of proud of that, if nothing else. I've written bits of fiction I'm satisfied with, but none have been fanfiction.

Spoiler: Nearly a thousand words of reckless disregard for gravity

The air hit Rose like a fist, sending her tumbling out of the elevator carriage.

She smiled, her spin slowing as she accelerated through the air, and spread her wings - little strips of nylon, just enough to steer, slowly recovering into a controlled glide. A few dozen meters to her right, her sister likewise stabilized, a few moments later...

[Hah, damnit, always a bit quicker.] Snow transmitted. [I'll getcha next time, Rose]

[Yeah, right.] Rose transmitted, and quickly nodded to the tower. [Race ya!]

With that, Rose veered off towards the forest of light, Snow following somewhere - no, she wasn't behind, she was gaining, coming out beneath her and sharply circling one of the smaller ribbons. Rose gritted her teeth and pressed her arms to her sides, diving in, gaining speed, before quickly leveling out, coming fast toward the same ribbon - a sliver of light at first, but growing to fill her vision. At the last moment, she pulled up, her trajectory quickly taking her up the ribbon, just another carriage as she flew close enough to touch it, close enough to hear the hum of a barrier-strip long and powerful enough to envelop the world, her flight slowing, and then...

She turned head over heels, and dove once more.

[Nice!] Snow transmitted [But you'll never win that way!]

Rose smirked, watching Snow weave a reckless figure-eight between a pair of ribbons a hundred meters below. It wasn't about winning (though she would). It wasn't, like Safety said, about protesting authority (though they were annoying), it wasn't about flying, even (anyone could fly). Rose dove after her, making a wide circle around the twin cords, then at the last moment, lining up into a dive... a car rose up along the twin ribbons below, deceptively fast, but her timing would take her -

Ten tons what the fuck ever thundered past what had to be less than a meter behind her. A fraction of a second later, and pieces of her would be on the way to orbit.

That was what this was all about - recklessness. The closet anyone could get to danger these days, anyways. She banked sharply, back through the ribbon-gate, and dove after Snow, who was now starting to get a head start.

[Damn, you're that determined to beat me?] Rose asked.

[Nah, let's just get to the Tower.] Snow replied. [That's where the real fun is.]

[Yeah, you can give some poor janitor a fright when you crash through the wall.] Rose replied.

So they fell, lazily drifting through the knot of luminous strings, for kilometers, Rose gaining on her sister - slightly, resisting the temptation to cheat. She'd never been great at the magical kind of flying, anyways. Below was the tower - the vast structure where the Cord rooted into the earth, and it was even deadlier than the Cord itself.

Snow darted into the cauldron, circling the lip of where the tower met the main Cord before climbing back over the ring. Rose couldn't take that lying down - she following, aiming for a point just before the edge - the point was to skim between the tower's inner wall and the cord, then have time to pull up and come back over... but there was an opening at the bottom too. Of course, it was... small, and would require even more precise timing, but...

Too late, doing it. Rose whipped into the cauldron, unperturbed as the prevailing winds suddenly stilled, and banked left, circling once, twice, then - there, down below, the opening, she'd need to line up just right and -

- She spread her wings to the full extent, the bottom of the cauldron coming quickly, then the gap quicker still, and in an instant, she was through. Things were silent for a second, and then she met Snow, now above her, circling in the opposite direction.

[Did you just... black abyss, you gonna lecture me about janitors?] Snow exclaimed upon seeing her.

Rose sent her the video recording. [Damn right I did, check it out.]

[Damn, how wide is that gap, anyways? Can't be more than a meter.]

A moment's thought brough up the relevant page on Riderz. [Sixty-Three Centimeters]

[Wow. Y'know the fine for making a mess in the cauldron'll be crazy, right?]

[Good think I didn't crash, then!] Rose exclaimed.

[Yeah...] Snow replied. [See that buttress on the North Side?]

It was hard to miss, there were only four of them, one in each direction, connecting the main tower to the surrounding secondary towers. They were fun. ['Course] Rose replied.

[Go under it, hammerhead along the top, then meet up by the secondary.] Snow replied [Closest wins!]

Rose sighed. Snow was pushing herself to exceed her, and it'd probably kill her. Sounds like fun. [Alright.]

[Too late, already doing it.] Snow sent back, and it was Rose's turn to be tense for a moment, as Snow came around the north first. [Done!] Came the transmission, and a brief video of a pretty neat transition. Pretty neat, but she could do better. Of course, she was quite a bit lower now, so that'd complicate things.

Rose flew wide, circling out to take a straight shot at the buttress, and leaned into a dive, gathering speed. At the last moment - she turned her speed into a climb, slowing, slowing, but passing neatly through the triangle of the joint, before she turned over in air - and over, further than she'd hoped, veering into a steep dive to recover below the buttress.

[Aw, man, close though.] Snow transmitted.

[Yeah, yeah...] Rose replied, adjusting course to meet up with Snow. [Still, the only thing that counted was the distance, right?]

[You have to actually do it to count, Rose Sesto-Calani] Snow replied.

[Hey, don't 'Sesto' me.] Rose replied. [But you're right, that's yours.]

[Ha!]

[So that's one.] Rose transmitted, smiling. For a moment, things were a nice kind of calm, and it wasn't like things wouldn't get -

[Think we've got Sec, 7 o'clock] Snow transmitted.

Ah, well, that could spoil their fun. Rose glanced to her left, and saw a light red - pink, rather -aerobarrier trail closing fast on an intercept course.

[Attention!] A woman's soft voice called out. [This is the Safety Division, you are... gliding... in a restricted airspace, please come to a steady descent at heading 160 so you may recovered.]

[Fuck that!] Snow transmitted, and veered straight for the secondary tower. Rose dove instead, heading for an antenna cluster. If they were shooting, it'd be stupid, but Safety wouldn't, so maybe they wouldn't dare get to close.

As Snow sped for a terminal collision with the tower, a network of pink strings sprang into existence in front of her, gently slowing her to a halt and entangling her in the same spell. A nice trick - Safety Girl's IS, perhaps?

[Come on. This is silly.] Safety girl transmitted. It might be, but Snow's 'sacrifice' had given Rose a few moments, which she took to get tight against the buildings, threading through the gap between two secondary towers, where Safety Girl...

... followed her easily, pulling up alongside. She looked somewhat familiar, wearing the red-and-white suit of Safety Division, fairly young, for all that mattered, with long auburn hair tied in a ponytail on one side. Maybe they'd met in a past life. Still, Rose had another trick. She channeled mana into her fists, concentrating through specialized pathways, and with a rude gesture released it into the air, veering away as she did.

From Rose's perspective, there was swiftly glowing tinge of red a few shades darker than Safety Girl's own magic, from anyone else's perspective it was... much worse. Safety girl flinched, and turned away.

Snow had the right idea, basically, she just needed time. Unfortunately, short of going loud and picking a fight in the midst of falling to her death, Rose couldn't help her, but Snow could probably free herself. And the Horizon Star would buy time. Rose picked an aesthetic-looking patch of roof, and took aim...

But safety girl was on her again, having completed a tight circle that end with her flying 'slowly' - a bit more than terminal velocity - after Rose.

[You're putting other people in danger - I'm sure you have someone you care about -]

Rose gritted her teeth and jammed the channel, Snow counted, but then again they were partners in self-victimization. Rose looked back as the girl came alongside, and pondered her chances of actually making it to impact. Four seconds. Not good. The girl began to cast, it hadn't taken half that long to stop Snow.

And light filled the sky - a flash bright as the sun speared Safety Girl, sending her tumbling - an instant later, she recovered, a glittering sphere of magic surrounding her, before another beam of burning light slammed into her, then another, then another, then another from every direction, blasting out a thunderous cacophony that tossed Rose aside, turning her dive into a disorganized tumble.

As the roof grew swiftly closer, Rose had just enough presence of mind to recognize the irony of her predicament.

 

Lamia Nanoha's wing outlines are complete. I never want to draw another wing again.

... I committed to magical wings being a critical component of how flight works in this AU.