i can’t confirm this with science but i like to think queen carrie fisher is using her new heavenly powers to help us enact vengeance upon the scum of hollywood
For artists who have problems with perspective (furniture etc.) in indoor scenes like me – there’s an online programm called roomsketcher where you can design a house/roon and snap pictures of it using different perspectives.
It’s got an almost endless range of furniture, doors, windows, stairs etc and is easy to use. In addition to that, you don’t have to install anything and if you create an account (which is free) you can save and return to your houses.
Suggestions like these were welcome to Red, frankly. He had no desire to see the Initiative become something like the Imperium.
A mass-limiting was easy to propose. Implementing, however…ultimately no issue, if he used his influence to spin things a little. Having the Executive Assembly on your side sure was handy.
Her knowing about the Black Fleet was hardly a surprise, she’d more or less known they technically fell under his authority just after the mass destruction of the Bouzac-originated pirates. Ensuring their now-defunct purpose of vengeance was changed to their originally more peaceful, passive one would mean he needed to talk with them as a collective, but he was very confident they would come around.
The biggest road bump, as far as he knew, was his friend. Red grimaced as he thought of Green.
“Most of what you asked, I can do. As for Green, though…not that it’s impossible to change his mind, the opposite really. But they don’t nickname him the Lord of Iron for nothing, you know what I mean?”
“I’ll get your point through his head though, Astrid, you can be assured of that.”
“Good,” Astrid replied. “If it is fear of my blade that keeps his in its sheathe, then I will gladly make it clear that I shall tolerate no more of his antics. If he would truly tempt fate further, I will gladly engage in a skirmish with his forces to demonstrate the difference between I and him.”
Having made her stance on the GDI clear, Astrid then mentioned, “I do apologize for making such blatant threats towards you and your faction, Red, but I cannot simply abide by what has transpired in this form. I hope that you will understand my motivations for doing so?”
In truth, Astrid wished to spill no blood, but the amount of destruction caused by her friends was simply inexcusable in Astrid’s eyes, with or without her Regalia, but with her Regalia on, she had the mentality of acting upon this and ensuring the GDI never engaged in such behavior again.
“I understand completely, my friend. You need not apologize about what was long necessary.” Red replies with a nod. He hugged Astrid briefly, grateful that they were able to have this sorted out.
Admittedly, he’d intended to approach Astrid on this issue a few times in the past, but always put it off due to guilt. Fortunately, he was now talking things out with her about it. So that was one thing crossed off the proverbial list.
“That reminds me, Astrid. In all these years ever known each other, I never did have my friends meet you in person. Shall I invite any one of them to Terra Hope sometime?”
Red nodded sadly. “Much blood is on our hands, that I am very much aware. And it is a deep regret of mine.”
A few of his fellow Fleet Admirals had tried to push for changes to GDI’s threat response protocols. The threats were over, they’d argued. More harsh responses would not help things.
Unfortunately, as the past few decades had proven, there was always another great threat to defeat, each a more dangerous existential threat than the last. And as always in those conflicts, morality took a back seat to sheer, bloody survival. No matter the cost.
And yet, what had the Initiative become in the process? Perhaps this loss of contact with the Bouzac was a blessing in disguise.
With the greatest primary threat now effectively powerless to reach them, it was the single greatest opportunity for reducing the severity of their judgements. In fact, they already were doing so, if steadily.
“At least my friends now have their chance to change things. The Executive Assembly has been criticizing our military responses for quite some time.” he remarked.
But there lay one problem Red could see. With himself and some others, that is.
“I find myself conflicted on one issue, Astrid,” he admitted to his friend, “if any threat does arise now, the paranoia of both myself and some of my colleagues will cause us no end of worries. How can I convince them as well?”
He knew at least that Green had pushed the hardest for what he called a “Sword and Hammer” response to hostile forces that mirrored the brutal, cold strategies of the Turian Hierarchy.
“You have me,” Astrid replied. “Do not forget, I am first and foremost a goddess of war in this form, and I can provide tactical and strategic advice if needed. I will be happy to lend my support to you in the event of such threats so that such loss of life can be avoided.”
Astrid’s put on her normal warm smile. “We are friends, after all, and I would be remiss to leave your needs alone in such an event.” Then, opening her eyes, she added, “But…there is one more thing I require from you, so that I will know for certain you are serious about this.
“You will commit the GDI into a mass-disarming of your Exterminatus-grade weaponry so that I may know for certain that you will not jump to such acts immediately when threatened. This includes the Black Fleet as well. Any and all weapons that can leave a planet broken beyond mending is to be either heavily weakened or outright removed from the GDI’s arsenal.
“I apologize for making such a demand, but I need to be certain that your faction will not slip back into such brutality again at first chance. Oh, and regarding Green’s demands…his mentality crosses into that of a paranoid dictator who brooks no opposition to his rule. I do not believe him fit to lead the military if he refuses to allow any potential opposition to the GDI’s dominance.
“Such a mentality was what led the Forerunners into being overrun by the Flood, as they had no allies capable of fighting alongside them to turn the tide. A refusal to allow growth and competition, even with themselves, is a surefire way to lead to a dictatorship over the rest of the galaxy. And if he does not relent in his mentality…I will happily smite him and the rest of his fleet off the face of creation to ensure that his mentality no longer threatens creation. Do be a dear and inform him of that, yes?”
Suggestions like these were welcome to Red, frankly. He had no desire to see the Initiative become something like the Imperium.
A mass-limiting was easy to propose. Implementing, however…ultimately no issue, if he used his influence to spin things a little. Having the Executive Assembly on your side sure was handy.
Her knowing about the Black Fleet was hardly a surprise, she’d more or less known they technically fell under his authority just after the mass destruction of the Bouzac-originated pirates. Ensuring their now-defunct purpose of vengeance was changed to their originally more peaceful, passive one would mean he needed to talk with them as a collective, but he was very confident they would come around.
The biggest road bump, as far as he knew, was his friend. Red grimaced as he thought of Green.
“Most of what you asked, I can do. As for Green, though…not that it’s impossible to change his mind, the opposite really. But they don’t nickname him the Lord of Iron for nothing, you know what I mean?”
“I’ll get your point through his head though, Astrid, you can be assured of that.”
Alright, so her armor didn’t exactly look like what Hierarch Artanis wore, but still. It was war gear that would put even the creations of the Initiative’s greatest military engineer AIs to shame.
“That is excellent news to hear,” Astrid replied. “I labored several days and nights to craft this equipment, but I find the results to be quite worth it. I did not anticipate its effects upon myself when it is equipped, however. Merely by wearing my Regalia I end up gaining perfect recollection of everything that has ever happened in war.
“Every weapon ever forged, every skirmish every fought, every individual soldier who has ever served in any army throughout all of time, every action taken in every battle from even this very second all the way back to before the dawn of time…it’s all something I know and can recite by heart without even attempting to recall it.
“Though…this does include your own faction’s many, many crimes that you have enacted to defeat your opponents. Without my Regalia, I do not know how deep this rabbit hole goes, but with it…well, suffice it to say it is rather disappointing to know that you are so willing to engage in such malicious acts, and especially making that your first resort.
“Truly, Red, for a faction so dedicated to upholding peace and stability, you tread dangerously close to being a threat to all life with your actions. I am willing to overlook it for now, as we are long-standing friends and I am only aware of it with my Regalia equipped. However, know that your crimes can no longer be hidden from me. I do not wish to raise my blade against your people, but should these acts continue, I will do so without hesitation, for it is my sworn duty to protect all life.”
Astrid’s face was calm and collected as she made this threat, and her tone indicated that she was not bluffing. It was quite clear that she had every intention on smiting the GDI if changes were not enacted regarding their SOP.
Red nodded sadly. “Much blood is on our hands, that I am very much aware. And it is a deep regret of mine.”
A few of his fellow Fleet Admirals had tried to push for changes to GDI’s threat response protocols. The threats were over, they’d argued. More harsh responses would not help things.
Unfortunately, as the past few decades had proven, there was always another great threat to defeat, each a more dangerous existential threat than the last. And as always in those conflicts, morality took a back seat to sheer, bloody survival. No matter the cost.
And yet, what had the Initiative become in the process? Perhaps this loss of contact with the Bouzac was a blessing in disguise.
With the greatest primary threat now effectively powerless to reach them, it was the single greatest opportunity for reducing the severity of their judgements. In fact, they already were doing so, if steadily.
“At least my friends now have their chance to change things. The Executive Assembly has been criticizing our military responses for quite some time.” he remarked.
But there lay one problem Red could see. With himself and some others, that is.
“I find myself conflicted on one issue, Astrid,” he admitted to his friend, “if any threat does arise now, the paranoia of both myself and some of my colleagues will cause us no end of worries. How can I convince them as well?”
He knew at least that Green had pushed the hardest for what he called a “Sword and Hammer” response to hostile forces that mirrored the brutal, cold strategies of the Turian Hierarchy.
“I see…” Red replied, pondering what the armor itself actually looked like.
For some reason, the mental image of Astrid being clad in armor resembling Hierarch Artanis’s stayed strong in his mind.
A compelling idea, that.
“Can I…see you in it?” he requested. “Just for a while.”
“Sure!” Astrid replied, before holding her right arm out in front of her, grasping its wrist with her left arm, and then shouting, “Battle Regalia Transformation!”
The next thing that happened Red could easily discern as what was quite blatantly a Magical Girl-style transformation, complete with all the twirling and individual pieces manifesting over Astrid’s body that one would expect. The process took quite some time to complete, finishing with the Sword of Justice and Shield of Hope appearing.
The end appearance showed Astrid in a very ornate set of golden armor, with many runes of protection, warding, and general religious iconography engraved into the plating, a massive two-handed sword that Astrid wielded with one hand that glowed brilliantly with divine energy, and a large, ornate shield that seemed to have a strong reflective property to it. Each piece was crafted to such incredible skill that no mortal craftsman could possibly hope to match it.
Astrid finished her transformation by swinging the Sword of Justice to one side, posing dramatically to indicate her transformation was completed. She had opted not to summon her helmet this time.
“There, my transformation has been completed,” Astrid declared, her speech patterns and mannerisms seeming much more refined and graceful than before, even her movements seemed to carry with it more grace and refinement than normal. “I hope you are pleased with the appearances of my Battle Regalia, I had labored for much time and at great cost to forge them.”
If Red had paid attention, he could’ve sworn he heard theme music playing for this new form of Astrid’s. Possibly something that Astrid had done for amusement’s sake.
Red was more than pleased, he was very impressed.
“This armor suits you well, Astrid.”
Alright, so her armor didn’t exactly look like what Hierarch Artanis wore, but still. It was war gear that would put even the creations of the Initiative’s greatest military engineer AIs to shame.
“Well, I’ll get straight to the point, my friend. Some of our people caught word of something new involving you.”
A slightly worried expression did cross his face for a moment. “I must say, if the times require you to don actual battle armor, things must be far worse than we realized.”
As long as he’d known her, Astrid had always been a pacifist. Whatever had forced her to truly arm herself for war, it was very likely something that GDI couldn’t stand up against.
“Is…is there a new hostile deity out there?”
“Not at all,” Astrid replied. “In truth, I’ve had my Battle Regalia for some time now, I’ve just never used it before. My Regalia I had forged in an attempt to help me better embody Priam’s half of the clergy. I…kinda underestimated its effect on me though.
“Honestly, I only wore it to give it a test drive, see how it worked. It resulted in me becoming a warrior goddess, which rather surprised me. It wasn’t actually necessary for me to wear it, it was just me wanting to try it out.”
“I see…” Red replied, pondering what the armor itself actually looked like.
For some reason, the mental image of Astrid being clad in armor resembling Hierarch Artanis’s stayed strong in his mind.
A compelling idea, that.
“Can I…see you in it?” he requested. “Just for a while.”
Word had reached the GDI that Astrid apparently had an alternate personality, one brought out by donning a set of armor and weapons that they didn’t know before. If reports were accurate, this second personality of Astrid’s was that of a warrior goddess charged with the protection of all life.
Deciding to check up on these rumors and confirm them, Astrid found herself visited by her old companion Red. She was in her usual outfit at this point in time, and still maintained her cheery persona. “Yo!” she said to Red. “Great to see ya again! So, what brings ya here to Terra Hope this time?”
Red smiled as he greeted Astrid.
“Well, I’ll get straight to the point, my friend. Some of our people caught word of something new involving you.”
A slightly worried expression did cross his face for a moment. “I must say, if the times require you to don actual battle armor, things must be far worse than we realized.”
As long as he’d known her, Astrid had always been a pacifist. Whatever had forced her to truly arm herself for war, it was very likely something that GDI couldn’t stand up against.
on the one hand this is a joke post because lol i have never made a good post in my life, but also, if i hadn’t made the connection
between this update and my sudden nosedive in activity, i would have been really fucking discouraged about all the shit i’ve been working on lately. i guarantee there are people on tumblr right now who haven’t made that connection, and who are trying to figure out why suddenly no one likes anything they’ve made. and that fucking sucks.
Reminder to go into your settings and turn off ‘Best Stuff First’ because my activity’s tanked a couple days ago for no reason so this stuff IS happening.
You WILL miss content with that setting on.
i ain’t joking when i say that my activity looks JUST like this too and i wasn’t sure why
I’m sure you all have seen posts like this before, but you will be missing out on a lot of content if you have this feature activated.
Fyi, folks, this account has been hit pretty hard by this change. Engagement is currently at about 30% of normal, which means that there are a lot of people missing out on informative posts like this one about original works on AO3.
In order to change this setting on mobile (it’s unclear if it’s available on desktop at the moment), view your blog by tapping the little silhouette in the bottom right of your screen, then tap the settings gear in the top right of your screen. From there, select Global Settings (iOS) or General Settings (Android), then Dashboard Preferences, and toggle the switch for “Best Stuff First.”
Thanks to everybody who follows this account, everybody who reblogs and/or likes the posts here, and everybody who joins in with events like Fandom First Friday! You’re all awesome!
Hey guys, normally I don’t reblog on this account, but I wanted to help make more people aware of this. It’s probably going to harm every single person you follow, so please consider turning it off. I’ve noticed a drop from normal as well and although I try to not let note counts bother me, I have to admit it’s pretty discouraging.
Initiative Archival Network 