#(I'm on mobile so I can't cross reference)

[rosetintedgunman]

" i know i can be an asshole, but... you always see the good in me. "

— u can make a new thread if you’re ok with abysmally late replies but i would also treasure a drabble 💕

@crushng (Starter prompt from here)

(Truthfully, with everything going on atm, a drabble probably works better for you)

-

The Roller was buzzing with activity. Groups of people could be found in each of the areas, and Gin was thriving with the attention from various guests.

However, Wilford was nowhere to be seen, and that ultimately paid a price when Gin got a little too snappy at a waitress in the diner who didn't make his preferred milkshake just right. Panic ensued to try and calm the regular down, but no one could do it.

That is, until a glass slammed down on the table in front of Gin.

An uncharacteristically irate Wilford was glaring down at him from behind the diner's counter. He was dressed in a neatly pressed shirt, with a fancy pastel pink bow and a pastel rainbow suspenders. While similar, it was a far cry from the more casual look Wilford wore in the Roller. Even his curls were tamer than usual.

"I hadta cut an interview short when I got a call that someone was havin' a temper tantrum."

Ah. That explained it. Still steaming, Gin opted to play it wise and bite the tip of the straw instead of bringing forth the wrath of Wilford. After all, the man was a paradox in and of himself. There was a lot that was a mystery. If Wilford could effortlessly create a place like the Roller, could form and destroy wormholes at will, without even considering a "pocket dimension" that he appeared to hide things in, this was a match that a black hole was not guaranteed to win.

(Besides, then no one would make the special milkshakes anymore if he was banned from the Roller when Wilford revived himself. :( )

One particularly loud slurp from Gin, followed by a low warning of "Manners" had the regular jolt back into the moment. At some point, Wilford had moved to take the stool beside him. Or maybe a blink had transported him there. Regardless of his method of sitting, Wilford was calmer in himself. The bowtie had been undone and loosely tucked into his shirt pocket, and he was in the middle of ruffling his hair back into place when he noticed glowing eyes on him. The reporter sighed.

"Look. Ya need ta relax a little more." He was speaking slowly, something Gin noticed when Wilford was trying to choose his words carefully. "Everythin' doesn't hafta go th' exact way ya want it to. If a drink isn't made right, who cares? Sometimes ya discover new things from a mix-up in th' menu. But ya need ta apologise ta that young lady." Gin tried to protest, but his drink was gone. Literally.

"Now."

-

One begrudging apology to a (rightfully) terrified waitress later, Gin slumped back onto the bar stool. In a blink, the drink reappeared and he was too sullen to care how or why he was being treated like a child.

Curiously, this time around Wilford kept quiet. It allowed Gin to reflect. This was the first time he had properly gotten in trouble in the Roller. And even then, it was just a light scolding and a punishment of giving an apology. Gin had caused such a ruckus that Wilford had to cut a shift in the studio short to deal with it, and he didn't leave after that.

By the time Gin was down to the final quarter of the milkshake, he sighed. "I'm sorry. I know I can be an asshole but... you always see the good in me."

There was a clink of glass being placed on the counter. Wilford, who had somehow gotten a glass of fizzy orange in the middle of all of this, gave Gin a smile that one could swear had a hint of sadness to it.

"That's 'cause ya feel like ya don't see it in yerself. Ya feel ya don't deserve bein' treated nicely when yer mean ta others or push 'em away fer whatever reason ya try ta justify. Not that I'm tryin' ta be some sorta psycho-doctor-whatchamacallit or anythin'. I don't know shit 'bout that,' Wilford laughed, "But it's somethin' I recognise. 'Spose ya could say I've seen it a lot over th' years."

If there was a moment for Gin to ask a question to finally try and learn more about Wilford himself beyond the persona he presented, it was gone before Gin could register the implication of the words.

"Ya deserve ta have friends, y'know. Not everyone hasta have some sorta 'purpose' or some sorta 'end goal'. Be someone's friend fer th' simple reason of 'just because'. There's nice folks out there. Even if they don't know th' story, they're still pleasant company ta have. An' when ya spend time with people like that, well... Ya start realisin' there's a lot more good in there than ya noticed."

[morganacorp]

"Everything okay?" Lena asked as she came out of Kara's bathroom, finding Alex and Kara with their arms crossed and worried looks on their faces. As soon as she was in front of them, she saw Alex's face harden and Kara's eyes became accusatory.

"Have you been working with Kryptonite?" Alex asked with a cold voice, the same one Lena knows is reserved for criminals.

"I- what's happening?" She chuckled, confused and feeling exposed. One moment she had been hanging out with Kara, some romantic vibes between them, and then the next moment she was being questioned by the Director of the DEO.

"Answer the question, Lena." Kara said barely above a whisper.

"Have you been working with Kryptonite, Lena?" Alex asked again.

"I have." She frowned and Alex rolled her eyes while Kara looked down. "But it's not-"

"You said you wouldn't make any more kryptonite, Lena. You said you'd let Kara know if you made more." Alex said, obviously angry.

"how do you know I'm-"

"We caught the radiation signature in your apartment." Alex said and Kara simply stood behind her, unable to look at Lena.

"That's impossible, I've been working on it in my lab, and I've taken all the-"

"How could you?" Kara finally broke her silence, looking up at her with that self righteous disappointment that was so typical of Supergirl.

"Kara, I'd never do anything to hurt you-" Lena frowned.

"You made kryptonite again." Kara said with bitterness, a heavy tear dripping down her cheek.

"And you just jump to the conclusion that it was to hurt you." Lena scoffed, a bitter smile on her face. "I'm a Luthor, right? You've never trusted me and never will." She whispered and walked to get her coat before her own tears made an appearance.

"You can't leave. Where are you going?" Alex said with an authoritarian voice.

"You're welcome to arrest me if that's what you think you should do, Director Danvers." Lena said simply, walking out the door of Kara's apartment.

Years of effort pulling her walls down gone in an instant, all of her alarms and protections coming back to wrap her heart in barbwire to protect it, even if it was already bleeding.

"Director Danvers." A DEO agent told Alex, bringing a heavy looking briefcase to her while she worked with Brainy and Kara in her lab. "A messenger brought this for you, it's from Miss Luthor."

"Did Lena bring it?" Alex asked worriedly, looking over at her sister.

"No, ma'am."

"Thank you." She said and the agent walked away.

"Can you see inside?" Brainy asked and Kara shook her head.

"It's lined with lead."

"Kara, you should step back in case this is-"

"she wouldn't, Alex."

"You said the same about her making kryptonite." She mumbled and moved the briefcase away from Kara. She opened it slowly and looked at the contents confused.

"What's in there?" Kara asked curiously.

"it's-"

"it's brilliant." Brainy said, grabbing the tiny red box that wasn't bigger than a bar of soap and looking at it curiously.

"What is it?" Kara asked and walked closer to inspect the artifact too.

"It's- Lena has perfected the nano suit I created for you by teaching the nano technology how to filter Kryptonite. This should be sufficient in case of mild exposure." Brainy smiled, fascinated by Lena's work. "This is basically her combining the armor suit with the one we made, making it the best of both worlds, so to speak."

"Oh..." Kara sighed.

"Oh... Shit." Alex whispered sadly, watching something on the computer.

"what is that?"

"her lab logs." She said sadly, showing her the screen.

"Lab Log for a personal project. Video for my personal reference only, and for DEO registration as Kryptonite will be used. Day 1 on the project to develop filtering nanotechnology for Supergirl. I will create a suit that will keep Supergirl safe from kryptonite exposure, eliminating the limited mobility on the armor suit." Lena's voice said and the camera footage showed her arranging different kinds of chemicals and other stuff she'd need. "Step one will be creating supercharged kryptonite to ensure the maximum protection of the suit. A safe decontamination protocol has been established in case of emergency." Lena explained and started the process.

"This is dated... This was the week after you were attacked by kryptonite at the museum."

"She wanted to protect me." Kara whispered, feeling her heart breaking in her chest. She had been caught by surprise and barely made it out alive thanks to J'onn and Nia, but she had to spend two days under the sun lamps to recover from the horrible beating she took. Lena stayed by her side every minute.

"What's in that box, Alex?" Brainy asked and pointed at the larger box in the briefcase.

"The kryptonite Lena made... It's a lead box." She said, swallowing hard.

"I have to fix this." Kara shook her head and flew out of the DEO as fast as she could, making her way straight to LCorp.

Lena was sitting on her white couch, looking defeated and exhausted with a drink in her hand. She didn't notice Kara at first, but when she did her face hardened, becoming a perfect angry mask made of marble to protect her.

"Lena."

"Please leave." She said with a cold voice loaded with emotion.

"We need to-"

"I'm moving back to Metropolis." She said coldly. "I made a mistake by moving here. The first of many mistakes, in fact." She said bitterly. "I will send all the devices and prototypes I've created for Supergirl and the rest of your super friends to the DEO for you to dispose of them accordingly. You'll realize that some of them are finished and others aren't, but what you do with the technology is up to you." She said and Kara stepped closer.

"Lena, let me talk to you-"

"There's nothing to talk about, Kara. You have never trusted me, and it's obvious that the shadow of my name and my brother will always be present between us. I can save the world by your side ten times, and yet there will always be a black stain on the white sheet: my family." She rationalized, walking to pour herself another drink.

"I trust you with my life, Lena. You know it."

"As soon as you learned about the kryptonite you assumed I wanted to hurt you." She scoffed. "That's not trust, it's the opposite." She said looking coldly into her eyes. "I'll always wake that sentiment of suspicion on you, Kara. It will always be there with you and your sister, and even your friends-"

"they're your friends too! They're-"

"they have always been your friends. I was just one more who got to tag along." She said and cursed herself for allowing a tear to escape.

"Lena, you know I love-" Kara whispered, stepping close to Lena and wiping the tear away with her thumb.

"don't you dare finish that." Lena warned her coldly with a quivering lip, the raw hurt in her voice making Kara realize how badly she hurt her. "Please go and stop hurting me." She whispered. "I'll disappear from your life and everything will go back to normal." She said, full on crying now. Kara always knew how to unlock her emotions.

"I don't want you to disappear from my life." She sighed, cupping Lena's face like it was a fragile thing. "You are my life."

"Miss Luthor, the helicopter is ready to take you to the airport." Lena's assistant said from the door, a little shocked to find Supergirl wiping her boss' tears.

"I have to go." Lena said, closing her eyes for two seconds to enjoy the warmth that Kara's hands brought to her face, the same warmth she brought to her life.

"Stay." Kara asked her softly. "Stay with me."

"Goodbye, Kara." She whispered and walked way using every ounce of strength in her body. She sobbed in the elevator ride and tried to look put together enough while getting on the helicopter, ignoring the red cape waving in the wind while Kara watched the love of her life leave her behind.

[eros-vigilante]

issues w/ the octopath fandom, racism, and ableism

whats from the source

octopath does some racist bs quite frequently.

cotc (the mobile gacha) has an entire storyline filled with anti-indigenous and racist tropes.

the mainline octopath games have yet to design a traveler with curly hair, and frequently whitewashes the tan and dark-skinned characters in official artwork (compare these with the real ones; here's partitios official cotc splash art). ochette's hair especially is straight-as-a-ruler and silver. also worth considering eye colors. partitio is sad because his concept art had only one design where he's white and a couple even had dreadlocks, and yet his splash art refuses to match his sprite colors.

the beastlings... i'm white and have done more research on the tropes in cotc since i play it more, so while i did have thoughts of my own while playing, here is a better post i found that lists off all the bad choices about them.

also worth mentioning kaldena. one of the few dark-skinned characters in the game is a villain (and also has straight silver hair). other people have also broken down what choices in temenos' story around this were bad better than i could. i can't find a post with a quick search so if you want to reblog this to talk about it i will reblog/link it.

ableism. while i am a big fan of the autism-coding in the franchise, it's still true that there are a lot of jokes made in the games at the expense of osvald and cyrus (moreso cyrus). it's setting accurate for people to be mean to autistic people, but you're still supposed to laugh at "i guess cyrus isn't actually that smart!" which pushes the idea that autism affects intelligence and maturity. i think overall the autism representation is great (pspsps my essay) but it's definitely the source of some awful shit i've had to read people say about cyrus and osvald.

edit 1: friend reminded me of something i forgot that i only learned after talking to it about it a while ago: therion's story is actually really really weird in how it tries to frame cornelia and especially heathcote as helping therion when what they did is enslave him.

whats from the fandom

fanart whitewashing. there is a lot of fanart of therion and partitio with pale skin tones. there is fanart of olberic and ochette with significantly lighter/barely tan skin tones. i'm not going to find any to link because harassment and arguing is not the point of this post, but if you've looked through fanart you've seen it.

here's their skin tones blended. even with the highlights included, they're not white. i get it, their splash art is very ambiguous from the colorism, so if you weren't using the sprites: here's your new references.

ableism directed at cyrus and osvald. i've seen people complain about osvald's personality writing and then cite ptsd and autism symptoms, so many people call cyrus stupid, an idiot, or imply he is not mature. people assume/default hc that he is bad at adult activies. he is a thirty year old professor. it is his job to be mature, good with children, smart, etc. this is infantalization of an autistic character. it's a default assumption that the autistic man is below-average at adult functions.

infantalization of ochette. there are hcs and portrayals of ochette to be far less responsible and mature than she is in canon. she is the protector of her island, it is a theme of her story that she was forced to grow up more mature than everyone else. yes, she is funny, cheerful, energetic, but some fandom portrayals of her reduce her to just that, like she's a puppy. always being irresponsible, impulsive, etc. this matches to her dynamic with castti going from the sweet found family of their crossed path into "castti is the mother who needs to rein in this wild child"- and also consider how it looks to portray the only (consistently portrayed as) dark-skinned character as wild when she is responsible and mature in her story. similarly to cyrus, people tend to default to hcs that she would be bad at normal adult activities just because she has 'childish' traits.

what do you want me to do about it

eyedrop skintones from sprites or go darker for the guys who aren't white. consider changing their hair up, like using the concept art design for partitio. drawing characters of color differently from canon doesn't solve the racism in the game industry, but it is good practice for drawing poc and representing them more accurately.

don't... insult the autistic characters. there are things cyrus is canonically bad at that have nothing to do with his autism, like singing, but don't act like he's bad at everything that's not part of his interests. real people act how osvald does due to trauma. neither of them are two-dimensional in personality, they're written with nuance and a range of emotions outside of Being Autistic.

respect ochette more. are you portraying her as only silly or the savior of her home, or both? would someone who hasn't played ot2 know that ochette has overcome challenges based on your portrayal of her, or would they think she's a comedy relief?

learn about racism. learning about what kind of racist tropes are common in media and games helps a lot with recognizing it in other places, like the beastlings or kaldena. and most of all, learning about racist stereotypes and tropes makes you less likely to perpetuate them unintentionally.

putting the cotc racism essay down here so i can say that it has spoilers for Bestower of Power if you're a cotc player. it's different from the post i linked at the start; way more focused on just the anti-indig stereotypes in the villain's design.

the last thing i want to say is oh my god i love talking about this stuff so much. if you are confused about ANYTHING i talked about or want to talk about it more, or add your own experiences, or ask for recommendations, i love that shit. i made this because i believe most people who are really active in this fandom don't do this kind of stuff maliciously, and would benefit from just having a chance to talk about it. for some reason i am very into explaining/taking apart bigoted language, where it comes from, what it means etc. Please

[soursvgar]

Their favorite pet names ♡

demon brothers x gender neutral reader

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

ෆ Lucifer ━ Darling, Dear

Make no mistakes, Lucifer always prefers hearing his own name, specifically when it's being spilled out of your mouth as a lingering whine, demanding him to avert his attention to you. However, if he already has to settle for a pet name of some sort, he would prefer a good old fashioned term you would use to title the first line of a letter with, if the two of you were star crossed lovers mailing each other through different worlds. (Because he's just dramatic like that, but the truth is, it makes him blush.)

"When you intimated you need my assistance, I didn't reckon a bake sale is what you had in mind. May I remind you of the outright failure we experienced when we attempted to bake hellfire mushroom rolled cigar cookies?" Lucifer shakes his head, sensing defeat from merely facing the ingredients laid across the table. "Well, I haven't invited you here to cook, don't worry. Your role is to supply entertainment and mental support, and also to stand guard in case Beel tries to infiltrate our mission." You reassure him with a grin, carefully tying an apron around his waist. "Now, be a dear and fetch me the recipe?"

Lucifer is quite stunned at your confidence to speak to him at this level, regardless, he cannot deny your dauntless attitude tugging at the strings of his heart.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

ෆ Mammon ━ Babe

No explanation needed, it just makes sense. Use a confident, possessive tone when you say it and watch him quack and become as red as the roulette in the casino. In return, he will probably use a bunch of embarrassingly cringy pet names on you.

"Whaddaya mean you don't want me callin' ya my sweet snuggly crow princess in public?" Mammon frowns, huffing at the rejection of his advantages. "I think crows are cute, and so are you. Cute! My sweet snuggly c-" His sentence is cut short by your lips crushing against his own, leaving him with a loss of words and rosy cheeks. "Come on babe, stop being silly."

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

ෆ Leviathan ━ Weapon of (m)ass destruction

He doesn't have a preference, simply because anything you'd choose to call him feels like someone tore a rift in time and space and crowned him king of the three worlds. With that said, he particularly likes silly ones, or just anything normies wouldn't regularly use. It makes him feel special because you definitely haven't used that on anyone else.

"Hey, let me use your phone for a second. I'm gonna call myself since I can't find my cell." You mindlessly announce, grabbing his mobile device after a couple long minutes of patting the bed in hopes of finding your own. "Huh? w-w-wait, let me do that!" Leviathan hurries to try and eject the device out of your grip, but to no avail. Your fingers had already clicked their way through the different screens, leading you to his contact list. "Hm? You saved me as 'Only second to Ruri-chan in beauty'? Aww, Levi!" You coo, messing his hair. "Now I feel bad I only saved your contact as 'noob'."

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

ෆ Satan ━ Kitten

It is most likely a given (or a chewed up headcanon), but Satan is the embodiment of a cat and likes to be recognized for it; privately, of course. Rumor has it that if you call Satan by the following pet names of kitten, kitty or anything that resembles, it will awaken his inner feline and bring him to rub his cheeks against you, asking to be petted.

"Come here, kitty kitty." Satan looks up from his book at the melody of your voice, at first searching around to scope if a real cat is nearby. But with his sharp mind, he reads the situation almost immediately, cocking an eyebrow at your hopeful expression. "Huh? Are you referring to me?" You nod, holding out an arm as you gesture him to come closer. "Pspspspsps" Satan heaves a sigh, placing a bookmark inside one of the pages before he closes his novel shut and paces towards you. "Such a good kitty!" You praise, holding in your chuckle.

"Say one word to anyone about this, and you're dead meat, human. Understood?" Defeated, he tilts his head towards you and nuzzles against your extended palm. "Now... scratch behind my ear please?"

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

ෆ Asmodeus ━ Prince/ss

No surprises with this one, Asmo is royalty and believes he should be addressed accordingly. He doesn't mind which version of the word is being used, as long as it comes with the acknowledgment that he's the most ethereal, majestic creature your eyes ever had the sanctified right to witness.

"No, no and no! None of these are on theme. I usually find good keeps in majolish, but this season their clothes are all off." Asmodeus falls into the velvet chair allocated at the store's fitting booths. You had accompanied him on a shopping trip prior to an event at RAD as he was in need of a new wardrobe for the occasion. "I kind of liked this outfit. I think it suits you!" You sheepishly smile, praying to be leaving the store before sundown. "Suits me is not enough! It has to be dazzling, breath taking, absolutely stunning!" He huffs, displeased at the selection of items at hand.

"I mean, it's the person who makes the clothes, not the opposite. It doesn't matter what you wear because everything looks so good on you, princess." The corners of Asmodeus' mouth stretches into a smile, but it differs from his usual smug, conceited one. It was a humble display of contentment at your compliment. "That's correct!"

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

ෆ Beelzebub ━ Babycakes, Pudding, anything food related

Think about it, what is one of Beel's biggest pleasures in life? What does he yearn for so much, that he can't clear his mind from it to the point it is brought up in every conversation he's having? Food. So it's only natural that using food related nicknames will make him feel as important to you as food is to him.

Beel licks his lips as his eyes skim through the grocery list. You had brought him along with you to a human world supermarket, assuming you'll be able to keep him at bay, except... you forgot to take one variable into consideration.

"Cheese, cheese! Come try our cheese!" You were doing a good job holding him back from finishing a whole tub of blueberries, but the announcement called from afar by a samples vendor made his ears perk up. It took all of your magical energy to stop him from storming that poor salesperson like a hungry wolf, but you've managed. "I'm so sorry, y/n... you know it's hard for me to resist human world food, and for free too..." Beel was pouting at you, genuinely feeling guilty for scaring the unfortunate human. "I know you're trying your best... you were doing so well today, my little cinnamon roll."

"Mm, cinnamon rolls... can we go get some now? Please?"

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

ෆ Belphegor ━ Baby, baby boy

With every cell in his body, Belphegor loves being babied. As the youngest brother, he's often spoiled by his siblings and gets away with a lot. He's allowed to slack off, be rude or partake in the usual pranks and leave nearly unscathed because he's just so cute. Naturally, his pick to be called by his lover will be along those same terms of endearment and he will absolutely melt whenever you use them to address him.

"Five more minutes, I promise we'll make it in time..." Belphegor mutters sleepily, sheltering you between his arms as he snuggles closer to you. You take a peek at the clock, five minutes had turned to fifteen, but your weary demon refuses to let go of the bed, or of you. Sighing, you accept your upcoming fate of being scolded by Lucifer for your tardiness and reach to caress Belphegor's warm cheek, earning a soft hum in return. "You're gonna get us both in trouble, baby boy."

[themathomhouse]

I need people to stop acting like me getting a wheelchair would be a bad thing.

I have chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, suspected hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos, and a smattering of other illnesses which combine to leave me constantly exhausted and in pain. I'm often housebound, and on my worst days I'm bed-bound.

I've had some adaptations to my house to help me with standing up for more than a couple of minutes, and I'm being assessed to get a carer. People have fully understood without me explaining how these things would really help me and improve my life.

I've also been pushing to be seen by the NHS wheelchair team. Standing and walking is just exhausting, and it's often the reason I can't go to different places. Getting around the supermarket would be so much less of an energy drain if I didn't have to walk. I'd be able to do more than one or two things in a day without risking an energy crash, or making my pain worse, or my joints collapsing and me falling over.

A wheelchair means freedom. I love my house and my cat, but being able to go out more often would be incredible. I'm sure it would do wonders for my mental health.

But so many people react with sadness when I say I'm waiting for assessment to get one. I hired one from the red cross once, and when I returned it the staff said getting "trapped" in one would be "sad", especially given how young I am. People have said things like, "oh I'm so sorry you have to do that", or "that must be so hard."

Part of the reason I struggled to get referred to the wheelchair team in the first place was because doctors would say, "oh you're so young", or "let's only look at that as a last resort."

Mobility aids do not represent giving up. Quite the opposite. As things stand right now, I can only do shorter trips and I can't walk far. Can't stand in queues or to look at things. I love museums and stately homes and aquariums and zoos and parks and gardens and shopping and concerts, but I can't get round them to see them.

A wheelchair isn't a trap. Ableism is a trap. A wheelchair could let me fly.

[midnightkolrath]

Looking over 'Fire Inside' abit more deeply

Well, with my first impressions I put out when the full lyrics weren't out yet and I was playing it by ear....

Well NOW the lyrics are out there, so you know what that means. Time for me to look them over and see what each part may mean...in my own thoughts, of course.

Putting under a Read More because it gonna be a kinda long one. I thank anyone who takes the time to humor me in reading my thought dumps;;

Video note: Visuals show Dante during this first part, so its likely meant to be taken in his perspective...buuut I'll take time to see it in the eyes of both twins, whenever possible. It later swaps to Vergil visually for a section of lyrics too, buuut I'll probably condense both twins there too. I'll color code each one based on how the video had either Dante, Vergil or Both in visuals.

I'm also obviously gonna go over each lyric once, since songs are songs and repeat their chrous, ect. I probably won't note down EVERY bit of lyric, but pretty much ones that I have thoughts on.

I know its been stated that the song is pretty much about Dante and Vergil, buuut some other thoughts/ideas sneak in too.

Also another note: I know this song was made for the mobile game, Peak of Combat, but the fact that it takes place around the DMC3 era with some...[cough] liberties, I'm gonna focus alot on that.

-

Darkened Dynasty Endless Rivalry Meeting Violently You can't change me

[Darkened Dynasty] may be referring to Dante's general thoughts about his father during this point of time, as the setting is based around DMC3. Dante has distaste towards his father at this point in time, even telling Vergil that he "has no father" during their first encounter. He really has sour feelings against his father's side, so he may feel that its on the darkened end for him.

On Vergil's end, it may be him feeling that his lack of power that he feels he has is affecting him in a sense that he feels he can't live up to his father's legacy while also having feelings of failure in protecting his mother. Hell, his whole quest to gain power is majorly in part due to the trauma he suffered following his mother's death and the fact that he had to force himself to grow up almost immediately after his family was attacked by demons. He was 7-8 years old then and had alot of time roaming alone to stir and think about it. The conclusion of him personally thinking he was a failure in several cases to his family while thinking he should take up his father's power because he feels himself best to utilise it....alot of layers there. I could go on more here but we'd be here for ages, lmao

[Endless Rivalry] is obviously referring to the rivalry between the twins. When you think about it, Sibling Rivalry is pretty endless…regardless if its on a lighter end or not. Its always gonna be there, in one shape or form. Of course, by this point during DMC3, the rivalry of Dante and Vergil is at their peak on the goal of just wanting to best the other in pure combat. In the first fight, there's really only aggression with the goal of putting the other down. Of course, it eventually simmers down into a more casual rivalry with a light competitive edge by the end of DMC5, buuut you know.

[Meeting Violently] is pretty much how Dante and Vergil pretty much always meet when crossing paths....the DMC1 prequel novel (well, before Gilver was retconned as a clone made by Mundus), the DMC3 manga and game, DMC1 with Vergil as Nelo Angelo, and DMC5 after Vergil reunites himself. Though the tone is different per each situation, its like they're destined to always meet again this way...though after DMC5, that'll likely change with their relationship slowly turning around.

-

First its Ebony Then its Ivory Making Revelry You can't save me

The [ebony and ivory] lines are very much obviously Dante's perspective, with how he always pulls them out for a fight...buuut seeing as how the twins often clash, I would see this from Vergil's perspective on what he may see while they fight.

[Making Revelry] is a fun one, because revelries tend to refer to parties....which Dante and Vergil quip about during their first fight in 3. Dante jokes about how much the "party" Vergil set up for them sucks, while Vergil responds with how he was "so excited to see him that he couldn't concentrate on preparations for the bash". So this line can be referring to their clash as a "party" they're making together through combat.

[You can't save me]...oh boy. I wouldponder this one for Dante's case, but here I can't help but think about the end of 3 and how Dante was able to save his brother from falling into the demon world. I do wonder if Dante thought, in his perspective that he knew he couldn't save Vergil but he still had to try. In Vergil's case...I think he felt the same. He threw away the sheath to Yamato upon preparing to fight Mundus after all...which usually means that either it wasn't going to be a fight he was going to back down from....or he knew it was a slim chance of victory. He tosses aside Yamato's sheath in DMC5 as well, before splitting himself into V and Urizen....which makes me believe in both cases it was moreso that he knew he likely wasn't going to survive as his full self again...or he wasn't backing down his decision.

-

Can't stop and I will never hit the breaks All nine levels and no matter what it takes All these places and their shadow figured shapes Bouta make their last mistakes There are no more escapes

Now this whole part screams Dante for me, honestly...which I mean, makes sense.

[Can't stop and I will never hit the breaks] is like Dante hyping up to do what he does best in demon slaying. He's usually a loose cannon, especially at this age, so it makes sense.

[All nine levels] is a cheeky one, because its very likely referring to the 9 circles of hell in Dante's Inferno. Which...you know. Is where Dante got his namesake alongside the Divine Comedy. (Well its moreso the poet himself, who uuuh practically wrote self insert fanfics but ya know-).

The rest of the lyrics is pretty much Dante raving about getting to kick demon ass as per usual. Like hell yeah, slay those demons. I could see this as a like on Vergil's end too, with how he's usually ruthless against demons that get in his way.

-

Branches Entwine Through the dark so we can find Ourselves in time

Before we lose our mind

These bunch of lyrics have me thinking on how this may refer to Dante and Vergil's paths always being intertwined with each other as the sons of sparda. DMC3 has a moment of Dante even pointing out that they're the halves of the same whole, with carrying the soul of their father's legacy. So...its like destiny. Even if its not a direct involvement too...Nero came from Vergil, so Vergil's shadow is felt in nearly every game one way or another. (2 is practically the only exclusion but....2 is 2 soo...).

I also wonder if it could also be referring to how the twins may be looking to find 'themselves' in time before their next conflict....before its too late. Dante goes through an arc in 3 to find a reason for himself to ultimately keep going and attempt to stop his brother....and it keeps going from place to place from there. Vergil mainly has his big arc in 5 and pretty much the VoV manga, since V is a part of himself. It took Vergil longer, but with Bury the light, he did manage to eventually find himself again. DMC5 could've ended up in the 'too late' puddle had Nero not intercepted the two, but thankfully that wasn't the case and the two brothers are reunited on a lighter field where they easily could've killed each other.

-

All lain aside It's written in our blood Two souls divide

[Its written in our blood, Two souls divide]. Now this not only has me thinking about the whole two souls line near the climax of the game, but also the fact that the tower needs the twins' blood to open the gate to the demon world. (Also Lady's, but you know, parts of a whole puzzle).

-

Our roots beneath the flood We've lost control Angels with bells do toll No we can't hide The fire inside

[Angels with bells do toll] has me thinking about the tower in 3 and how it has bells which, iirc, represent the seven deadly sins. I think they're also meant to be like angels screaming/singing when rang which uh...I guess its not so much a fun fact, but its what I think of here. Still having that DMC3 ties here, lmaooo

[No we can't hide, The fire inside] is the main chrous and where the name of the song comes from and it pretty much sums Dante and Vergil's rivalry relationship. There's always gonna be that inner fire inside each of them that sparks that very rivalry.

-

Another casualty Done waiting patiently Call me your majesty Don't take too long

[Another casualty, Done waiting patiently] is like...for me, its either referring to the fact that...you know. Many people likely died when the tower was risen up in 3 and how Vergil was pretty much done and set towards his path at that point. OR the many demons Vergil had slain while getting where he needed to go in the tower while waiting on Arkham to let him know that Dante still had and was taking care of his half of the amulet.

[Call me your majesty] has me pondering if its a foreshadow towards Vergil splitting into Urizen, who takes the mantle of Demon King. With V fusing back with him to bring about Vergil's rebirth...he's still technically a Demon King, right? He ate the fruit to carry that title, so...well. I mean. Its not like the demons in the demon realm would accept a son of sparda holding the title, until he'd put them in their place over it. Man, now I'm curious about that. Maybe one day we'll see that in play...maybe not. Its a silly side thought.

[Don't take too long] has me wondering if this is Vergil waiting at the top of the tower in 3 for Dante to come along so they can have their clash...or Vergil's inner thoughts on telling himself not to take too long in gaining the power he wants.

-

It's my reality Under the canopy Of moonlit tragedy I don't belong

[It's my reality, Under the canopy, Of moonlit tragedy] are lyrics I wanted to cover all in a row here. I think they may be referring to how Vergil sees his own reality under the cover of not just conflict with his brother at the top of the tower in the path of gaining power...atleast that's how I see the moonlit tragedy connecting, obviously...but also...the attack against his family back when he was a child took place at night. (Atleast that's what I take from the context of the depiction from VoV), so...moonlit tragedy could also refer to that. Probably thinking abit too hard there, but I can see it appliable there too.

[I don't belong] has me thinking abit on how this may be referring to how Vergil thinks he doesn't belong among humanity (he looks down on them after all early on), OR how he personally feels he doesn't belong with his brother. He did put out an offer to Dante in the DMC3 manga to join him in his personal quest, but Dante obviously turned it down. The lyric kinda reminded me of that. They're all the family they have left for each other, but their souls and goals are so at odds that it just wasn't meant to be....until DMC5 that is. Now they're together through thick and thin.

-

Can't stop and I will never veil my name Buried lights and I've hidden all my shame Will keep fighting till there's nothing left to claim Watch my blade is taking aim And you're gonna end in flame

[Can't stop and I will never veil my name] has me thinking about the lyric from Bury the Light. 'I am the reclaimer of my name'...I'm curious if its a cheeky reference, and I wouldn't doubt it. The lyric has me think that this is Vergil stating that he won't stop on his path to power and never lose sight of his goals...but alas, with how DMC3 ends, he not only ends up losing that for himself but he literally does lose his name. Mundus reshapes him into Nelo Angelo rather than 'Vergil'. So with Bury the Light, and how there's a lyric about how he reclaims his own name, I've kinda always seen that as him reclaiming who he is...especially after his rebirth.

[Buried lights and I've hidden all my shame] is another cheeky Bury the light reference I'm sure. I wanna do a deeper dive on the lyrics of that song down the line, especially with how Casey himself has put down the general meaning and storytelling of it. But here I see that Vergil's trying to bury parts about himself...namely the trauma he's had to endure in his childhood. The "shame" he sees himself having, all to do with that one tragic moment. What matters to him is power and never having to feel so weak and helpless again....as much as he even shoves the real reason for wanting power in the first place. Its why V laments about it in the VoV manga, I feel. Vergil is never one to really show any hint of vulnerability for himself...with us only being able to even see it through V.

[Will keep fighting till there's nothing left to claim] is a lyric I think just generally just fits Vergil. He wants power and won't let anyone stand in his way for his pursuit of it. Urizen is like a VERY clear showcase of that. I'm also thinking about DMC3's ending with him trying to take on Mundus and being so determined to even try. Plus his final fight with Dante and wanting to claim force edge.

-

Inside of me Don't push beneath Now I must prey Don't drift away

These lyrics, I'm like...I'm thinking about Devil Trigger (Which is more Nero's theme, but I'm mentioning anyway due to the lyrics I'm thinking of) and Subhuman....and how there's parts that refer to struggling to control the inner demons inside. I always thought about how Dante, Vergil and Nero have their DT forms and how that side of them is probably hard to control at times. Vergil, I feel, eventually controls it more sooner (Which makes sense since he picked up on getting DT first over Dante).

-

I'm not possessed I just can't rest All trees decay Endless dismay

[All trees decay, Endless dismay] has me wondering like...whoa is this referring to the 'family tree' and how the Sparda family is pretty much just....broken in many respects. Tragically. Part of my mind brings me to the tree in DMC5 but I have a high chance on it not referring to that. :' P

Dante also ends up losing Vergil at the end of 3, which contributes to the whole 'family tree being symbolizing as decaying' because...wow, Dante lost the other other family member he had left. And it affects him ALOT afterwards.

-

I've said before that there's a reason why I like this song and its grown on me and I think I've showcased why abit, hah. Its good when you dig deeper into it, just like Devil Trigger and Bury the Light.

[h3lfaerie]

Hey Fae! I was wondering for PoA what kind of like armor you were writing hiccup in? Is it like his HTTYD 2 armor? or like a cross between HTTYD and HTTYD: THW ? 100% you don’t have to answer i’m just curious

(also hope calling you fae is fine :))) )

Okay, first of all-

Being called Fae is now my new favourite thing. Excuse me? I am now using that. Thank you so much!!

As for Hiccup's armor, I really like to think he has a variety of gear depending on things like vocation, manner of tasks, expeditions, the freaking weather.

Normally when I refer to the black-scaled armor I'm referencing his gear from The Hidden World. Particularly in Chapter 4, when the Reader's blade gets embedded in the plating.

However, when I was originally writing that scene, I was kind of still figuring out how and where to search for concept art and failed to see that the area around his waist is predominantly (from what I can see?) cured red leather. Which would arguably warrant an injury that is... a whole lot worse than "just a graze", considering he outright leapt at the FMC from Toothless' back mid-flight and impaled himself in the process.

So, considering that it was a pretty important injury that we can see has some pretty harrowing consequences later on, I couldn't really change the placement. So I tried my best to 'alter' that particular part of his gear to have similar plating as the rest of his get-up. I mean my guy has a freaking cod-piece and chose not to wrap himself from head to toe with that obviously very durable combination of dragon scales and (likely?) Gronkle Iron?

I've noticed other members of the gang have the plating all throughout their design, without it impairing their dexterity. So, I can't really see the reason behind those big red "stab be here" areas in Hiccup's design, other than cosmetics.

So, I have done my best to describe his gear as true to canon as possible with the exception of those patches of red leather. It's quite funny actually because Astrid seems to have that very same area in her gear reinforced.

And we've seen her perform some Olympic Level Acrobatics in THW, so it doesn't seem like said design choice would impair Hiccup's mobility.

In short, Hiccup's armor (in the segments where I've described him wearing this particular get-up) is relatively true to canon with the exception of the "stab me here" patches that are instead a reinforced segment of his gear, layered on the same way we have seen on Astrid's design.

So far I've described Hiccup's outfits in detail for three very district reasons: his gear, because he got stabbed, his slutty little regalia in Chapter 5, because he got stabbed again and shirtless (no explanation necessary).

I particularly love his 'amalgamation' outfit, where he seems to have retained some parts of his armor from the second movie like the pauldrons and the gauntlets while also tying in this gambeson tactical brown tunic thing (lovely description, I know).

I can provide an even bigger info dump but I feel like this is enough for now 😂

Thank you so much for your question ❤️ As always, thank you also, for enjoying my writing.

I did not expect PoA to receive so much love and I am unbelievably grateful. I am leaving you with sexy masked Hiccup pics, because... Sexy masked Hiccup.

Love you, byeee~

P.S. Okay, but imagine him doing biker antics.

[animehouse-moe]

Mobile Suit Gundam - The Witch From Mercury S2 Episode 10: The Woven Path

So two things to start. I apologize for not getting this post out until today, but it was Father's day on Sunday (I'm not a father) so was spending time with family. Secondly, really cool that Ryusuke Tarou did an end card for GWitch. They're a super cool illustrator that has just what you need when you want to see all your favorite characters happy and free of trauma, living it up in the modern day. Their Twitter is full of fun and wholesome illustrations.

Anyways, the episode at hand. A lot going on, a lot of callbacks and references, and a lot of importance pieces. Unsurprisingly, that means a lot to talk about! Well, waste not want not, I'll get started.

If it wasn't already clear, Quiet Zero is a very large piece of religious symbolism coupled with the concepts of life and death, and it's not exactly subtle. The episode starts off with a Gundnode that is placed squarely within the cross that appears on Quiet Zero, evoking comparisons to crucifixion in regards to the sins that innocent Eri is forced to bear.

From the unsuccessful attack on Quiet Zero that brought the Gundnodes out, we bounce around establishing where all the characters begin at this episode. Finding Miorine holed up in her room, the Earth house puttering about getting prepared to follow Suletta into battle, and Suletta herself talking with Elan.

I thought they did a really good job of handling the interaction between this pair, as Suletta sits on the same bench she waited at her Elan for. The current Elan doesn't sit down though, rather he faces away from Suletta. I think it's a nice touch to keep this pair's relationship distant and on different wavelengths, and in part to show this Elan running away from something yet again. It's a great little piece to his character, that thanks to Suletta's words and Norea's book, allows him to see why someone would rally against the fear. For something greater than themselves, something that they want to protect or save.

Skipping ahead a little bit between the buildup, Guel comes to Suletta to offer her a chance at redemption. Just as she did for himself, though this time in the form of a duel.

I think it's great, and I also think it's a solid callback to Utena. I also hear there's a similar scene in an older Gundam series, but I'm a first time watcher (essentially) so I wouldn't have known otherwise. Anyways, choosing fencing as the form of combat was a really great decision on Guel's part. Half ego, half character, he challenges Suletta to a form of duel that can't be fibbed or faked, one that relies on the moment itself rather than careful planning or preparation. He wants to fight Suletta to prove himself, but to also allow Suletta that opportunity. He doesn't want to hold Miorine over her, nor does he want Suletta's pity. He wants to stand alongside her, to be shown to be equals through the purest comparison possible. I love it, I really do. I love how much our little Bob has grown into a man, but truth be told, thanks to that piece towards the end of the episode, I'm scared for him.

Anyways, here's the super smooth fencing sequence.

So, Suletta wins the duel, and with it the chance to talk to Miorine. I think it's very endearing, and like many have said prior to me, does a great job of allowing Miorine to quite literally open her own door. Before that though, she's crushed under the weight of her own actions, unable to move forward. Suletta doesn't offer her mother's hollow words to justify sacrifice, but rather approaches Miorine as someone who shares a terrible burden as well. I could say a lot more, but I'm going to summarize with this: it's the inverse of Suletta's experience at Plant Quetta. It's Suletta reaching out a caring hand to support Miorine through her fear of violence and death that stains her vision red. Suletta herself admits to her actions at Plant Quetta to establish that comparison for this moment.

Through this conversation, she uses a lot of the words that her mother gave her. That she was protecting someone, that it was the right thing to do. She does very well at realizing her mother's grasp on her in her own way, and in experiencing senseless death first hand, comes to understand how terrible it is. And of course, Suletta is a curse breaking machine through this second cour/season, as she continues to reference her mother's words in opposition to them. What I really love is how she's internalized the original phrase, and subconsciously uses it now, in her own ways, to uniquely support and encourage the characters that need it. It changes bit by bit each time we hear it, but it's still there, and it's still Suletta's version.

Suletta does successfully encourage Miorine, and coaxes both a potential death flag and future date out of her once-again fiancé, and we get a really impactful scene of Miorine moving forward to open the door on her own.

While the act is her own, she still has Suletta waiting on the other side to support her. Suletta still extends a hand out to Miorine, like her own mother did back on Plant Quetta. But rather than excusing or justifying Miorine's actions, she's accepting them alongside Miorine, providing a hand to hold onto while she fights onwards. What I really like with this scene is its subtleties. Suletta's hand reaches out further than Miorine's, but despite that action of reaching out, she places her open hand beneath Miorine's to allow Miorine to reach out for Suletta as well, and when Miorine does reach out, there's hesitation at first. And then there's the ending scene of their hands intertwined, where they both appear in the center of the frame without one side greater than the other. Really small details, but I think really important in regards to how the pair are interacting with and approaching each other. It's incredibly cute, and is only further bolstered by the use of a piano rendition of the opening song that punctuates this entire interaction.

With Miorine out of her room, the plan to begin an assault on Quiet Zero can begin, as Suletta climbs into the monster Calibarn to prep.

There's not a whole lot to comment on as Miorine retakes the reins of the Benerit Group, and even pays a visit to Shaddiq prior to the Calibarn testing. The real impactful piece is Miorine during Suletta's permet score testing. Despite the pain that Suletta's in as she climbs the scores, Miorine is the one that pushes her through to success. I think it's really great how much confidence she has in Suletta through this sequence, and that it all melts away when she reaches the needed score.

And with that success, the Earth house bolstered by the Benerit Group sorties to challenge Quiet Zero. It's also here that my panic attack for Bob begins. He's sortied in his own Dilanza when a Schwarzette appears and fires on him, with his own brother piloting. I'm scared for two reasons: the last time Guel fought family in space his father was killed, and his brother is piloting a Gundam. This means only one of two things, Bob dies, or his brother dies. I can just barely bare Guel losing his brother as well, but losing Bob himself would be heart crushing at this point.

Anyways, onto Suletta and Calibarn rallying against Quiet Zero! I really liked this piece because you can tell that Eri is in fact, holding back against her younger sister.

Also, Calibarn is Caliban from Prospero

Yeah, that's on me, I forgot to add it in the last episode where the name was revealed. I was more so irked by the fact that it was the convenient existence of another Gundam, that I completely spaced out on the fact that Calibarn was foretold by the existence of Aerial and Prospera. So yeah, my bad, but GWitch is still holding itself close to Shakespeare's Prospero, with the ideal of bringing Ericht back to life (which is a power that the play version of Prospera does wield).

Anyways, how is Eri holding back? Well, glad you asked! It's pretty clear to see in this one sequence here. The Gundnode has several arms which wield several beam sabers against Suletta and Calibarn's one. Child's play to understand that Eri could have ended the fight then and there, but instead opted for a more even playing field for Suletta. Really nice touch to show the love that Eri still has for Suletta.

And the icing on the cake, Ericht now appearing above her own casket. The whole idea of a cradle existing within her own casket, where she typically resides is a lot, and speaks to Prospera's grief for her lost daughter, so this sequence takes a different approach. Suletta's only ever seen Eri as Aerial (well, she used to, now they're separate), so the concept of her being "dead" doesn't ring true for her.

It's here that we find our episode's end though. Left on a cliffhanger, waiting to discover the fate of many of our characters, and what will become of Suletta and Ericht. Lots of great stuff, and I'm very curious to see if GWitch will stay true to it's Shakespearean roots.

[fangirlfrom-hell]

A Day Full Of Emotions (Also the first time Jay sees Becca dance) || Jay Halstead x Healstead Sister || Healstead Sister one shot

*re-posting this because I'm stupid and accidentaly delated my blog 🫠

Summary: There is a big art festival happening in Chicago and Becca will dance a solo for the first time in front of people. Jay has to work as a cop and can't be with her all the time as he wished. A bomb explodes in the event and everything becomes a mess. Bomb references to Season 5, episode 2.

Becca is Halstead sister. Remember she's a theatre girl. I might write something short about Hailey and Kim trying to do Becca's hair, because that's cute.

The song Becca is dancing is In- A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly, but only the part of the drums. Minute 6:29, for a better reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCkHanF4v1w

It was finally Saturday and the weather was perfect to be outside. It seemed like luck was on Becca's side, but she wasn't feeling very happy. In fact, she was feeling sick, nauseated. She laid on bed staring at the ceiling, until someone knocked at the door.

-"Morning, kiddo!" It was Jay. -"I'm sorry to wake you, but it's getting late and I need to get ready to work, so...".

Becca used to sleep in Jay's room whenever she stayed at his place. He always preferred to sleep in the couch, so she could be confortable in a proper bed.

-"Oh, yes. I'm sorry. It didn't crossed my mind". She said while standing up.

-"Don't worry. I'll just grab some clothes and get dressed in the bathroom. You can get ready in here...in fact, why are you still in bed? I have to drop you at your teacher's house on my way to the bullpen".

-"Yeah, about that...". Becca said scratching her eye. -"I don't think I'm going...".

-"What do you mean you are not going?" Jay didn't even let her finish the sentence. -"You've waiting for this day to come".

-"I'm not feeling so good. I have a stomachache and it feels like I'll throw up".

Jay instinctively touched her forehead to feel if she was irritated or had temperature, but everything felt normal. He immediatly knew what was goinng on.

There was a big art carnival happening in Chicago that day and Becca was going to participate in a dance group that would be moving around the park performing in different spots Mobile Dance, they called it. Her teacher gave her a solo and she was ready to do it, but it would be her very first time performing in front of an audience and the idea suddenly freaked her out.

-"You're good. You are just nervous". Jay said smiling.

About an hour later, Jay was helping Becca to put her backpacks inside of the truck, getting ready to leave. She was unusually quiet, but he didn't want to force any conversation.

-"Is Will coming?" Becca asked in the co-pilot seat.

-"I don't think so". Jay sighed. -"He has a shift at the hospital". Jay lied to Becca, not knowing if that last statement was true. He was mad at his brother for always puting their sister aside. He was also tired of lying for him, but he did it to protect Becca's feelings.

There was no reaction from Becca. The silence among them took over again.

-"I'm so sorry I can't go with you through all the stations. Since it is a huge event for the city, Platt asked us to be there patrolling. There's never enough cops for these things".

-"For the millionth time, Jay: don't worry, It's ok. I understand for real".

-"It's just that I don't feel confortable changing plans with you like this". -He continued with guilt.

-"Well, it's not like you won't see me, anyway...".

-"No. I'll be there in the third stop you make, that's the part of the park I'll patrol. I have my event map with the exact place and hour. I'll be in the spot a few minutes after you arrive to make sure to be in the front when people start to gather around".

-"And you won't get in trouble for that?"

-"I asked Platt, she agreed...in fact, she got a bit excited, don't be surprised if you find her among the crowd too". That made Becca blush in embarrassment. She hadn't tought there would be so many known people around. -"I'll be in my uniform, just rememeber that if you look for me".

That made Becca giggle, she always thought her brother looked funny on his police uniform.

-"All right, Bec. We're here". -Jay said while parking the truck. -"Is there any other of your friends coming here before the show?". He tried to ask casually. He didn't like the idea of leaving his little sister alone with someone he barely knew, even though it was her teacher. Anyway, he didn't have any other option, he had to go to work.

Above all, he didn't have the hability to do her artistic make up, nor to comb her hair as it was instructed: to braids up, one on each side. They should stick back to the head forming a circle. The idea was that they looked like horns. He tried, but failed miserably. Kim and Hailey wanted to help and gave it a try but ended up cursing whoever had the idea of that hair style. That's when Becca talked to her teacher and she proposed Jay to take care of her. She knew about Becca's family situation and was genuinely glad to help that little joyful kid.

-"No". Becca answered her brother's question. -"They all are going with their moms". That last piece of information was unnecesary, but she couldn't help it. She had certain grudge inside her chest, though she probably wasn't aware of it. Jay knew better and remained silent, thoughtful.

-"Hey! I will be there!". There was no more he could say.

-"I know". She smiled. That made Becca get out of her own mind.

The carnival was already full of people when Becca and her teacher arrived. They gathered with the dance group a few minutes before it was time to start. She looked around and found Kim among the cops, they waved hello when their eyes met. Burgess immediatly send a text to Jay: I just saw her, everything's ok. She looks fine . As the overprotective brother he was, Jay had his own security plan and the team was helping him to keep on eye on his sister.

As the hour drew near, Jay started to feel a mixure of excitement and nervousness. Involuntarily, he started to approach the place his sister would dance.

-"Isn't a little bit early?" Hailey asked following him.

-"Yeah. I don't know, I guess I don't want to miss it".

-"And you need to make sure she sees you". She guessed.

-"She needs to know someone is here with her, for her".

-"Well, she has a whole elite squad looking after her around the park and waiting to see her perform. She's not precisely alone...but I know what you mean. You are a good brother, she's very lucky to have you".

Jay just stared at Hailey, not knowing how to react or what to say, since he wasn't good dealing with these kind of feelings. The distant voice of a woman caught their attention before the moment became unconfortable. It came from a microphone afar: "...Come, everyone. Follow us to the mobile dance...". She was carrying a speaker.

-"It's them". Jay said looking at the horizon, searching for his sister among the heads of the group that was approaching them. He was nervous and couldn't hide it.

"...We are a dance group created by several institutions, dedicated to spread this art to every corner..."

-"There!" Hailey said pointing at Becca when she found her. -"So that's how the hair was supposed to look, uh". She laughed.

Becca was wearing a black leotard and black tights, nothing more. Her ballerina shoes were color red. She looked relaxed, but Jay didn't buy it, he knew how good she was to hide her feelings and emotions.

A lot of people began to gather while the woman with the microphone invited them to the show. Becca was moving her head from one place to another, eyes wide opened: "He said he would be here!", she said to her teacher. And he was right in front of her, on the other side of the circle that was now formed around the pallet where the dancers would perform. When their eyes met she greeted him effusively.

There was a ballet performance first, something classic with four teen ballerinas; then there was a tap number, a cheerful piece. All of the girls were presented as part of Becca's school, but Jay wasn't really paying attention to any of them, he just applauded by inertia at the end of each song. His anxiety for Becca grew after each number and Hailey noticed, thinking that was a cute gesture coming from a man like him.

-"Now..." -The woman on the microphone spoke. It was time for the third number. -"...presenting a choreography by Martha Bennett...".

-"That's Becca's teacher". Jay tensed up, touching Hailey's shoulder.

-"...Becca Halstead".

Jay's applause was considerably louder than everyone else's while the girl got into position. The music started to play, it was a psychedelic mix with drumbs. She was moving with very precise and abrupt movements, very mesmerizing.

-"Wow!" Hailey expressed. -"I've never seen her like this. She's usually so tiny, cute and shy".

-"I didn't...knew she could do this". Jay answered without taking his eyes off his sister. Many feelings began to form inside of him.

-"She's a whole different person".

When she finished, the public applauded in a normal way. It was Jay and Hailey who did it most effusively, even shouting with excitement. Becca turned to them a little bit embarrased and gave them a forced smile.

"Thank you for staying with us, this is Mobile Dance..." They announced through the microphone when all of the numbers were over. "...Please tag us if you post our dances online...".

As soon as she could, Becca ran to her brother's arms and he hugged her tight, lifting her a little bit.

-"You killed it!" Hailey said to the little girl.

-"Thanks...I actually messed up in like a lot of parts...".

-"Don't be so hard on you! You did great!" Her teacher yelled from a few steps far.

-"I think you were perfect. I'm actually very...impressed". Jay said with pride.

-"You are?"

-"I'm really proud of you". Becca smiled with teary eyes at her brother's statement.

-"Hey! Why don't we take a picture of you two?" Hailey proposed with her cellphone in hand. -"Seems like a day to remember".

Jay and Becca posed to the camera, both showing a bright smile.

-"You should take one with us too". Becca invited her brother's partner.

-"Uh--". She hesitated looking at Jay, who nodded in agreement. -"Sure".

-"There you go!". The lady who helped them take the photo said. -"Sush a beautiful family".

-"I-- should go back to our spot". Hailey said before running away.

At the same time, the dance group was ready to move to the next station. Becca's teacher called her to go.

-"I'll see you later, ok? I'll take you to dinner, whatever you want". He said as Becca was walking to her group. Jay's heart started to beat very fast as he saw his sister depart. -"Be careful, all right?".

The girl just answered with a thumb up. One of the moms in the group noticed the scene and addressed Jay: "Don't worry, Detective. She's not alone. We are taking good care of her!"

At the other side of the festival, Burgess, Atwater and Ruzek were walking the place.

-"So where am I getting these pastries for the boss?" Kim asked with a laugh.

-"Uh, Voight likes Ferrara's". Kevin answered. -"I personally think that Scafuri's better".

-"Is that what you think?"

-"Of course".

-"Ferrara's it is". She concluded.

-"Ferrara's it is". Adam repeated.

Kevin got apart from the group for a few seconds and noticed something strange: a van parking in a closed alley. His instincts told him that something was wrong.

-"Hey, we got a dark van with no plates, 5 o'clock". He said in the radio.

-"All right". Adam answered the call. -"That alley was supposed to be closed to traffic".

Two man got out of the van and started o walk way fom the place.

-"Hey, yo, genteman!" Kevin yelled trying to stop them, but they started to run. The officer ran after them.

-"Kim, you seeing this?" Adam asked.

-"Go! Go!" She said as they reached the van. There was smoke coming from the inside, as soon as they looked out they knew it was a bomb.

-"Son of a bitch! Clear this area and go". Adam ordered. -"I got Kev!".

-"50-21 Eddie. 10-1, 10-1. Roll us a bomb squad. We've a van with a possible explosive device.

Jay and Hailey listened to the call on their radios as an explosion sounded in the distance, alarming averyone around.

-"Shit!". Jay said. -"Let's clear the area".

-"Move! Move! Everybody get out!". Hailey started yelling.

-"Sergeant?" Jay talked to his radio as he was moving people with his free arm. -"My sister was heading to the North part of the park, do you have eyes on her? I need to know if she's ok".

-"Negative" -Platt answered. There was a lot of noise in her background. -"Don't worry, Halstead, I will find her".

As soon as she ended the conversation, she started to look around for the girl, but everything was a mess. People was running around in all directions, it was hard to see their faces. At that point, most of the 21st knew who Becca was, so it was easy for Platt to order some of the cops to be aware in case she crossed their ways.

Minutes later, one of them called on the radio "Sergeant, we found the girl". The crowd had already thinned, as most of the civilians had been evacuated, so it was easy for Platt to find them.

-"Thank God!" She exclaimed when she saw the little Halstead sitting under a tree.

-"We found her on the floor. She's a bit hurt, but nothing to worry about. She must have fallen while running, some people stepped on her". The cop informed. -"She wasn't alone, she was with her teacher. It was hard to convince the lady to go".

-"All right". Platt sighed. -"I'll take care of this now. Thank you, guys!"

-"Becca, it's Trudy. Do you remember me? Your brother sent me to find you. Are you feeling all right? I heard you were a bit hurt".

-"I feel a little bit dizzy, but I'm ok".

-"I think we should go to the hospital to check you, just to make sure everything is really ok".

-"No, I---Where's Jay?"

-Your brother is working right now. They got a heavy case and he needs to be there with the team. He's very worried about you, and I promised him I would find you and take care of you. So, would you let me take you to The Med? I will be right to your side all the time, I promise".

The next thing Becca knew was that she woke up in a different place. She was lying down in a sofa, facing the wall. As her eyes began to slowly open, she heard a distant conversation: "The doctor was worried for the hits in the head, but she said there is no damage, appart from some bruises and scratches she's completely fine. She asked me to call your father to know if he was home, and also to let him know she was fine. She didn't want him to pick her up, tough. She waited for you."

She turned around when she heard a door open and some foot steps approaching. Thet's when she noticed she wasn't wearing her dance clothes anymore. Instead, she was wearing a gray sweater with the CPD logo printed on the front. That's when she realized she was in the bullpen, the coffee room to be precisely, it looked so different at night with the lights off.

-"Hey there, sleepy beauty". Jay said crouching down to her level. -"I was told you were waiting for me. Sorry for the delay".

-"What time is it?" Becca asked standing up.

-"Hey, hey, hey, slow down. You hit your head, you gotta take it easy. How are you feeling?".

-"I'm fine, I'm just sleepy and tired. Sergent Platt took me to the hospital, The Med. Guess what: Will wasn't there". She said simply, while stretching her arms. Jay stared at his sister with sorrow.

-"Come on. I'll take you home, you need to rest properly". He stood up, but the girl didn't follow him. She just stared at the floor, immersed in her toughts.

-"Bec...".

-"Yeah, sure. I'm coming".

It was strange for Becca to see the building that empty. There was not a soul in the reception, except for Trudy, who was already leaving, and Hailey who was waiting for Jay to give her a ride.

-"Look at you, girl. Rocking the CPD sweater". Hailey said hugging her with one arm as they walked to the exit.

-"Can I keep it?"

-"Of course you can, sweetheart. It suits you well". Platt said with a smile.

-"I can't thank you enough for today, Trudy. Really, thanks for taking care of her".

-"Don't worry. It was my pleassure, Jay".

Jay was at the wheel driving unusually slow, Hailey was his co-pilot. Becca was in the back seat, her head agains the window. The road was dead silent. It could be because it was late and everyone was tired, but Jay knew her sister was holding something, that she wanted to say it but didn't know how to.

-"It was a day full of emotions, uh?" Hailey threw the question into the air. She was also feeling the tension between the siblings.

-"Yes it was". Becca answered with a dry tone.

Hailey turned to look at Jay, as he looked at his sister through the mirror.

-"Ok, Bec. Talk to me, what's on your mind?" He asked tenderly, not caring about his partener's presence.

-"He was there, Jay". Becca spit it out.

-"Who?" He was very intrigued.

-"Dad". She answered after a few seconds of silence.

-"Where?"

-"In the park. Dad was in the festival. He saw me dancing, Jay". Becca frowned. She had to wipe away a few tears before they rolled down her cheeks. She didn't want them to see her cry about it.

Without noticing, Jay started to drive even slower, his mind going in circles. Hailey passed her hand to the back part of the truck to touch Becca's knee in a reassuring gesture.

-"Here we are". Jay sighed as he parked the truck in the usual spot, away from the house. -"Hey, today's plans were ruined, but we can have luch tomorrow". He turned to his sister. -"You choose what you want. We can also have a movie day if you wan to".

-"I like that". She smiled. -"Can I stay with you tomorrow?".

-"Sure. Just make sure you grab your uniform. For now, let's go, you shouldn't be out of bed. I'll walk you to the porch". When he got out of the car, he turned to the co-pilot seat: "Sorry for the waiting. It won't take long, Hails".

They were in the middle of the street when the door of the house suddenly opened. Both of the siblings freezed, their dad was there, standing in the door frame. Jay felt a heat inside of him that didn't let him move, he only reacted when Becca touched his hand.

-"It's ok. I can carry my bags". She said as she took them carefully from her brother. -"You don't have to say or explain anything. I know".

Becca hugged her brother goodbye: "See you tomorrow. Don't forget!". And she walked to the entrance, nervously.

Unwittingly, Jay was giving small steps back, until he made sure that the little girl crossed the fence and he turned back straight to the truck. Hailey saw everything, and even when she was not so sure of what was going on, she felt sympathy with his partner.

The two detectives stared to the front, watching how Becca was received by her dad. She stopped in front of him, they were having a small conversation. Jay was in a defensive position, ready to act if he needed to. Unexpectedly, they witnessed how Mr. Halstead hugged his daughter for a fragment of sencond. From the distance, Jay could tell Becca was crying. He was also submerged in a sea of ​​feelings.

-"A day full of emotions indeed, wasn't it?" Hailey broke the silence when the door of the house closed. She had a very strong impulse of hugging him, as if she knew he needed that kind of containment.

-"Yes is was". Jay answered swallowing his tears.

-"Want a beer and talk/not talk about it?" She offered.

-"Yeah. That would be helpful".

Thanks for reading. If you liked it, it would help my soul if you give it a like, comment or share 😌♡

[catboybiologist]

Hi! So as someone who has done a bachelors in microbiology and biotechnology I would like to hear your thoughts on the definitions of both male and female i.e male being the sex that is capable of producing the numerous smaller mobile gametes; presence of the y chromosome (XY, XXY) etc. Do you think that it is a concrete definition? Do you think that sex is on a spectrum for homo sapiens. Much love and congrats on your journey! /gen

Almost by definition, since intersex people exist, sex does have to be on a spectrum or at least have exceptions to any binary classification.

So let's strip down to the bare bones. Yes, for fertilization to occur, you need an egg and a sperm. In novel species with dramatically different reproductive systems as us, the size of the gamete is what is used to classify male vs female vs hermaphroditic (or as JK Rowling would say, the woman is the producer of the large gamete). If you want to define this as biological sex, then go ahead. It does have to be this way in a laboratory context for genetics, establishing crosses and tracing hereditary traits, because of course it does.

(note that I'm using hermaphrodite as a purely gamete based definition, I know the terminology sounds weird or bad, that's the point).

Under the gamete-centric system, we can end up with concrete a trinary classification, and in mammals like humans, one of those classes is exceptionally rare (although it's the predominate one for many).

Couple problems here.

The first is that this is commonly associated with other markers that we consider "biological sex", but not always. You brought up some examples- Klinefelter's, or individuals with XXY, presents as someone who is capable of producing sperm, but has low levels of any sex associated hormone, and gains secondary sex characteristics that aren't fully consistent with any classification. It's a fairly common intersex condition. People who have it are normally classified as "male" due to genitalia, but often developed breasts and other soft tissue features we wouldn't consider male. So in this sense, gamete production is correlated with, but often not strictly associated with, other biological markers of sex.

The extension of this problem is, which "biological" markers of sex are perceived as gendered to society at large, and whether those are directly tied to gamete production. The answer is that some are correlated, and some even aren't. This point is a bit beyond the scope of what you're asking since it deals with gender, but it's important to note that no one perceived gender based on gametes, because gametes are an internal cell.

Another problem is how even completely cis and sex binary people can be left out by infertility. As mentioned before, gamete production isn't always tied to other markers of sex. Someone incapable of producing a gamete will most likely still show many other characteristics of one sex or the other.

It's why the terms "male", "female", and "hermaphrodite" feel so clinical and removed from normal speech. Yes, those are the terms we use when referring to people as gametes. But it's hard to extend that beyond this classification. It's useful for parentage, but can't really be a strict classification beyond that.

The overall theme here is that these are all correlations and clusters of traits that will always have exceptions, and you always have to cherrypick what's "biological" or not.

Thanks for this ask, it was fun to answer! I hope it was clear enough, it was mostly written pre-coffee. I'm also sorry it wasn't a very clean answer lol.

[itshype]

Ao3 WIP Tag Game!

I was tagged by @nonamemanga a while ago but I didn't have time to do this until now! Thank you for thinking of me!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? Thirty Eight! (37 on my account and 1 that is currently anonymous!)

2. What's your AO3 word count? 170,914 (oooh!)

3. What fandoms do you write for? Netflix's Wednesday (2022), DC Comics (Mostly Batman), Danny Phantom. Other fandoms I have written for but I wouldn't consider myself as currently writing for are; Disney's Descendants first film, Teen Wolf, Fantastic Beasts and where to find them the first film and Netflix's The Witcher. If we're counting my long-abandoned fanfiction account I have also written Dr Who fic, I think maybe a Sherlock one and Without a Trace (2002-2009)

4. What are your Top 5 Fics by Kudos?

In ascending order:

5) Hang On, I Still Need You (Descendants)

4) The Captivating Case of Percy’s Imaginary Date (Fantastic Beasts)

3) Bad Boys, not Bad News (Teen Wolf)

2) Espy Me, While I Watch You (Teen Wolf)

1) a language they cannot understand (Teen Wolf)

5. Do you respond to comments? If I can think of something to say! I can't always though unfortunately.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I generally write the most unrepentant fluff so I think Once Bitten, Never Shy? But I still wouldn't classify that as angst.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Again, most of them are pretty happy! I'm not going to reread 38 fics to check but the overall fluffiest, happiest AU I've written that comes to mind is The Only Garden My Heart Will Ever Grow In.

8. Do you get hate on fics? I don't think I've gotten hate in my comments but I did get an unkind comment on Tumblr fairly recently saying I needed to get a lot more feedback before publishing (I do have betas) - amongst other less friendly suggestions.

9. Do you write smut? No sorry. When reading fics I'll be like "Hmm this unsafe-kink, publicly-set, PWP is a little too vanilla." But when writing I'm like, "They kiss...with the tongue....I guess."

10. Do you write cross-overs? Yep! A bunch! I haven't always loved crossovers but over the last few years I've really come to enjoy them. On my account is a few DC x DP fics (Danny Phantom and DC Comics) and one, very poorly written Batman and The Witcher I never want to think about again.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated? Niet.

12. Have you ever cowritten a fic before? Yes! Not all of them are published and I don't think I currently have a cowritten fic on my ao3 account but yes, as a process. I enjoy it but also find it challenging to blend writing approaches and deal with time zones.

13. What is a WIP you would like to finish but doubt you ever will? All my fics are completed. However I just begun a new AU (Wyler) that's VERY ambitious so we'll see how that goes.

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship? Malec. Have I ever written a Malec fic? No. Will I? Probably not. The fandom is low key intimidating. But in my heart I have so many AUs.

15. What are you writing strengths? I think my comedy and worldbuilding?? Maybe? I'd feel more confident if a reader of mine weighed in on this.

16. What are your writing weaknesses? Length. It took me almost the whole year to get to the end of A Standing Reservation in the Eye of the Storm. I'll never be one of those people who can smash out 30k in a few days.

17. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I'm not 1000% sure what this question refers to. I think it's important to check that any real-world language is written correctly. But with real-world languages AND conlangs, ensuring readability is so important. My preference is probably the sentence in English with the dialogue tags something like "he said in flawless Mando'a" but an immediate translation in parentheses at the end of the paragraph (hover text is good but doesn't work on mobile) is decent OR have the in-text reply make the dialogue fully evident:

"3456 234567 2345?"

"Oh, I love this song too, I'd love to dance with you!"

Encoded footnotes are alright, and my detested option is full separated out glossaries that give the meaning of each word used for me to string into correct order for each sentence. A headache.

18. First fandom you wrote for? Can't be sure...I think I was involved in a Five Find-Outers and Dog fanfic (not that I used that word) as a child that never made it near a computer, let alone the internet.

19. Favourite fic you’ve ever written? OH easily A million years ago, last night & at the end of all things (also known as AMYAL). The words flowed and I loved every moment. However, I did also love writing Espy Me, While I Watch You back in 2017. I wish the third story in the AMYAL verse came 1/3rd as easy.

20. What fic would you want to rewrite one day? None! Often after a fic is fully published I never think about it aga...That's all a total lie and I feel sad DAILY over the complete hash I made of Pry This Home From My Cold, Dead Mountain because I loved my au so much and I failed to show anyone why. It was just NOT good.

Tagging: @suchaladyy, @cosmic-lullaby, @katwitchwriting, & @writerrose1998 + @ohnomybreadsticks (If you'd like to be tagged please lmk and I'll add you ASAP!)

[overlyimmersed]

So I'm just laying about, chilling with my kitties, and my brain is idly processing. As one does. And something came to my attention...

Now, I will note that I'm on mobile, so I may be subject to more errors as I can't cross reference the anime on my phone.

I'll preface by saying that, as far as I am currently aware, the only time Fairies' wings move idly at all is when 3D models are used.

The thought that occurred to me is; I think only Fairies that have the buterfly-like in-out natural movement flap or flutter their wings while idle or flying. Up-down movements like Helbram dont do that. I'll be going to Grand Cross for research on this, cuz mobile.

Now, Helbram's wings do have some idle motion here, but I'm pretty sure thats just gravity related, and he's not actually moving them himself on purpose. Though Helbram is the only Fairy we actually have who's wings move this way.

Gerheade has a similar configuration - that is, the style and positioning of the wings themselves - but her Grand Cross model shows that she has an in-out movement type.

Also this model is...bad. the wings aren't moving from the joints the just look like...elastic...this just looks bad -.-

Grand Cross doesn't give us a lot of Fairies to examine exactly 5, actually. 8 models, though, if you count the different versions of Harlequin and Elaine. Harlequin having no wings, new wings, and fully evolved wings, and Elaine having wings and no wings. Then there Gloxinia, Helbram and Gerheade. Obviously, the no wings versions are irrelevant to this post, though.

Both of them were hard to capture cuz their wings are too damn big for the screen!

Even Elaine, who I've noted before to have unusual wings in many regards, flutters a little bit while idle. Though much less than the others.

My ongoing research suggests that Gerheade's wings are actually quite average, so we can assume most Fairies' wings move similarlly. That assumption matches up with what I can recall from other media instances where 3D models were used for background Fairies. This happens a lot in the later seasons of 7DS and in the movies.

[don-dake]

李若彤 (Carman Lee) & 吕頌賢 (Jackie Lui) filming promotional material for Chinese mobile game, 《剑侠世界3》 (“World of Sword Heroes 3”).

「李若彤 — 峨眉掌门」 “Carman Lee — Ermei Sect Leader”，「吕颂贤 — 武当剑客」 “Jackie Lui — Wudang Swordsman”.

Also chuckling at the sign that says, 「武林拍卖会」, which roughly translates to, “Martial Arts Clique Auction Meeting”.

I guess this whole promo is meant to be humorous! 😸

「快来听下三位港星的原声吧」

“Come, let's listen to our 3 Hong Kong celebs' original voices!”

Narrator says this ↑ in Mandarin.

Okay…! If anyone has difficulty differentiating between Cantonese and Mandarin ever, well…sorry but this video will not help you…prepared to be stumped again! 🤪😹

Our 3 HK celebs here are speaking in either Cantonese, or Mandarin that's so heavily accented with Cantonese that it almost sounds like a new dialect!

Thank goodness for subtitles! Heh! 😸

****************************************

Video in a Nutshell: “Wudang Swordsman” (吕頌賢) making an opening speech on what the “Wulin” (武林) is all about.

Enter “Dubious Monk” (李國麟, apparently reprising his role, 鳩摩智 from 《天龍八部 97》 — “The Demi Gods and Semi Devils”) looking to cause trouble.

After some arguing between the 3 of them, obvious abrupt cut in video, and scene changes to “Ermei Sect Leader” (李若彤) contemplating which faction, Shaolin (少林) or Wudang (武當), she should join. 吕頌賢's for 武當，李國麟's for 少林.

****************************************

吕頌賢 starts off saying his lines in purely Cantonese. 李國麟 (Joseph Lee) takes over and retorts in very heavy Cantonese-accented Mandarin, 吕頌賢 then (felt obliged?) replies back in the same fashion…(吕頌賢's Mandarin is way better than 李國麟's though! 😺)

While 李若彤 decides to stick to Cantonese…for starters at least! But when bombarded with 吕頌賢 and 李國麟 yelling from both sides, she yells out 「停！」 (“Stop!”) in something that sounds like it's in-between Cantonese and Mandarin! 😸

Her subsequent lines are finished through a Mandarin dub (why I'm not sure — 李若彤's Mandarin is actually not too bad, better than 李國麟's definitely! 😸 — maybe because it's the closing lines of the video),

「我很想听懂你们在说什么可是臣妾做不到啊！」

“I really want to understand what you all are saying but I (this humble servant) can't!”

****************************************

This entire scenario is meant to be a joke/parody.

Occasionally, I'll get hit with a bout of nostalgia, and childhood favourite actors and/or characters from favourite '90s shows will cross my mind.

One thing led to another, checked out the 微博 (Weibo) a/c(s) of favourite people recently just to see what they were up to nowadays, and learned about this (project).

Not a mobile gamer (and Chinese mobile games are pretty much inaccessible for the rest of the world anyway), don't really care for what this game is about frankly speaking, but, nice to see Carman and Jackie in a project together! 😺

Carman and Jackie were at their most popular in the mid to late '90s with TVB (Hong Kong TV station) hits like 《神鵰俠侶 95》 (“The Condor Heroes 95” aka “The Return of the Condor Heroes”) for her, and 《笑傲江湖 96》 (“State of Divinity” aka “The Smiling Proud Wanderer”) for him.

Their goodwill earned from that time is apparently still working for them today! Capitalising (not criticising them, just stating as fact — celebs have to earn their keep too, I totally understand!) on the Nostalgia Train is still worth some moolah!

Those who are familiar with their '90s stuff will realise that this whole mobile game promotion is quite relying on the target audience reminiscing about '90s HK 武俠 (Wuxia) series to propel it forward; lots of references to these series in the promotional videos alone!

[chronal-anomaly]

alright.

I'm pinning down these thoughts long enough to actually post a headcanon about this. PLEASE ask questions if it doesn't make sense because I am not, in fact, an astrophysicist ( but also let me have my fun ).

I referenced in this headcanon that time exists as a hallway of sorts, as the space between timelines. It appears as an empty void of space and stars, and Lena cannot see into the "doorways" as she exists in the hallways. I'll break down a little bit more into her 'experiences' in these hallways as another hc because that would be much too much to deal with in one post.

So while Lena was 'lost', she existed in two states ( For this headcanon at least ). One was 'in timeline' and the other was 'floating'.

'In timeline' references time that she's connected to a certain timeline. She's opened the door ( or it's been opened for her ) and Lena watches this timeline flow on. There's a few different states here, too, but again, I'll elaborate later. In this "mode", she observes time go on naturally around her. Minutes are 60 seconds, hours are 60 minutes, etc. Everything ticks by as we would experience in this timeline. Sometimes she's able to interact with the people in this timeline, sometimes she's separated by a 'veil' of sorts so she can only observe. Again, that's for another hc.

'Floating' refers to the time spent, well, floating between the different timelines, in time/the hallway itself. There was a huge amount of time spent just floating there as she fought off the insanity that was cosmic isolation - there was no way of measuring her time Floating, as it ticked by different than anything else. Lena could spent minutes here, and they'd be considered days back in Overwatch's time. Similarly, years could tick by in Overwatch's time, and it would only feel like a few minutes. For those familiar with Interstellar, it's a very similar concept of the "Every 7 minutes here is a year on Earth".

There was no way to return to Lena consistently back to Overwatch's time. Her existence would always return to that hallway, to that void, to time. There was no plucking her out, dusting her off, and returning her back to when she was. So Winston built the Chronal Isolation Chamber ( pictured below ), a chamber designed at the same plane as time, as the void. Instead of bringing Lena back to their timeline, he threw a floatation ring to her for her to at least tread water while he devised the accelerator.

The Chronal Accelerator is the same mentality. It bridges the gap between time and Overwatch's timeline in a more mobile format. It's not as strong as the Isolation Chamber, so if there's damage or extreme stress, Lena will be taken back to the chamber and kept there until they can solve the problem ( if she's still in the OW timeline ).

Lena Oxton does not exist in this timeline any longer.

Her permanent state of being exists in the void, in time. She will be there forever. The accelerator allows her to interact and be in this timeline, but she never stay here permanent without the accelerator ( it's another reason she's so protective over it ). If it is damaged, she is launched into a sickening tilt-a-whirl of existence between, in the most violent way imaginable. If someone damages it to that point, she is unlikely to ever forgive them (see: Doomfist) because the act of rubberbanding between timelines is so dramatic. Time reclaims her, and Winston starts over again. Lena will hold onto that grudge forever.

As far as the Accelerator works, there's a computer chip surgically implanted in her central sulcus of her brain, where movement planning occurs. This allows her to control her presence in the timeline. When Lena Blinks, she essentially pulls herself into the hallway, sprints through it, and reopens that portal 10 feet away. More than 3-4 seconds in time, however, and she risks potential physical and mental side effects, so she can't cross, like, a football field this way. The recall works similarly, Lena sliding into the time where the influence of the timeline does not exist, curing her of any damage/debuffs, and sending her on the way again.

This factor is another reason Lena won't age. There's no progress in time, not like there is in the timeline. So as she exists, separate, she watches as her friends and family slowly ages, knowing that she'll still be around when they're gone. She also doesn't celebrate her birthday anymore, because can you really celebrate your birthday if you weren't on Earth's timeline for a whole year?

Anyway, I'm sure this doesn't make sense but I've also had 7 years with this stupid space lesbian ping ponging in my skull, so I gotta put it somewhere.

[rosencrypt]

I have 140 posts saved in drafts! That's too many, so it's time for organisation:

That is:

posts that contain multiple links (like lists of articles) to be investigated later

text posts that I want to pay proper attention to

music I wasn't able to listen to when it crossed my dash

large images that need a lot of tags (tricky to do accurately on mobile)

things that require a lengthy time investment, like recommendations of webcomics to read or games to play

posts I like, usually art, that I can't reblog yet because they refer to e.g. a game I haven't yet played. Stars! can't reblog it. Not today. There's a lot of e.g. FFXII and Chrono Trigger in here.

RPG games to print and play

creative references, like D&D mapmaking articles or creative writing prompts

text posts I typed up and never got around to posting, and now it's like 8 years later and my RWBY volume 3 reactions are out of date :P

stuff I can sort out right away!

Useful to take stock. I'm going to try to get my drafts down to <100 by the end of the year :3

How many drafts do you have? Why do you keep them? The Answers May Surprise You etc.

[patheticperipatetic]

My nephew wrote me a letter so I did the only sensible thing and got out my mom's typewriter. It's electric, but the belt no longer functions so I have it limping with three rubber bands but I got 5 letters and 4 1/2 envelope addresses out of it before they gave up.

For Patrick, he's obsessed with Pokémon go so I subscribed my emails to a mailing list from Niantic (this is a bigger deal for me cuz I hate signing up for receiving ads) and typed up the next months special events. I insisted to refer to the game as "Niantic's cell phone telephone mobile application known as 'Pokemon Go' (by the Pokermins Company)' every time.

For Evan, facts. They ranged from scientists can use the wiggling of stars to detect black holes to "if you close your eyes you can't see" and ended with me mentioning that it is possible for your atoms to align just right with quantum physics that you fall through the floor but the chances are effectively impossible. "once when I was 7 I fell through the floor" was the next fact.

Elizabeth got jokes I stole from the innernet. Run of the mill stuff. Whyd the chicken cross the road? Be-caws. Stuff like that.

Her brother can't read so I typed up the lyrics of Never Gonna Give You Up.

I would share these letters but I'm not going to. Instead...

My brothers girlfriend made a joke that her letter must have gotten lost in the mail. So for a week I saved in my notes app links to things I would have normally put in the group chat.

The typewriter struggled through this one. It died like three times on this page so I didn't include all the links like I originally wanted. I wanted the whole page covered with urls. Every time it died I had to open it and reset the rubberbands which had fallen off or snapped. I gave up on screwing it back together and just let gravity keep it.

There's a company that sells the specific belt for the typewriter and I'm waiting for those to come in.