#And how they're all leading experts in their field

[aidoxl]

Lord Evrard: We're all together now.

Friar Dorian Horbrooke. "Dr. Horribilis" polymath, philosopher, scientist, theologian. A genius that some call a wizard with unmatched expertise on ancient texts.

Gerard de Vendhuile. Architect and artist of the future. Your mind knows no bounds and travels places some can only dream of

Langward Ardene. Physician and surgeon who has written about the unwrite-able. Leagues above your counterparts because you know there's more to everything than meets the eye.

Barnabas of Ballechey. Astronomer and alchemist you're one of the few people who has seen visions of places beyond. Cracks that have led to our coming here.

And there's Prince Warin. Manipulative smartass. You hear me? He's clever and got his people under his thumb. Hello? Y'all paying attention to me? He's willing to do anything to get what he wants and he never stops wanting. Keep your guard around him. Did I mention he was manipulative?

[outercrasis]

Change of Plans

Pairing: Adrian Chase (Vigilante) x F!Reader ++ Word Count/Rating: 5.4k / E

Summary: You know Adrian is Vigilante. Now you just have to prove it, but things don't pan out like you expect them to.

Warnings: Sex pollen (there's like inherent dubcon bc of that, but they're both so into it), vaginal sex, light angst, honestly this is so fluffy and emotional bc I can't ever help myself lmao

You knew it. You fucking knew it. 

You’ve had your suspicions – Adrian’s unexplainable injuries, him bailing on you with short notice all the time, his complete avoidance of any and all questions. At first you thought he simply didn’t want to be friends anymore and this was his shitty way of ending things. Then you started to notice the pattern.

Anytime Adrian Chase is unavailable, someone reports a sighting of Vigilante.

Tonight’s the final straw. You were looking forward to hanging out with Adrian and watching bad movies all week, only for him to send a text at the last minute saying can’t hang. have to stay late at work. 🧜🏻‍♂️😿

Except when you called Fennel Fields to fake a family emergency so he could get out early, you learned that Adrian wasn’t on the schedule today and he certainly wasn’t pulling any extra hours. Then you saw the video on twitter. 

It was short, just a few seconds long, but it was enough. His voice. His stupid, infuriating voice. You’d know it anywhere. Combined with your already suspicious mind, you have to prove it – which leads to now. Sitting in the dark of Adrian’s apartment, waiting for him to get home.

You've come prepared. Bringing all the snacks and drinks you originally picked up for movie night, you have no reason to get up from the chair you've chosen to camp in. Tucking yourself into your favorite blanket, you're in it for the long haul.

Movies never show how boring it is waiting in the dark for someone to show up. They always skip to the good part and provide the immediate pay off. Seconds pass like minutes and minutes pass like hours. You could pull out your phone, but you don't want to chance alerting Adrian of your presence in any way.

Part of you is still having a hard time reconciling this. Despite all the evidence, there's still that voice whispering doubt that you've made this all up and are going to look insane once Adrian gets home. Adrian will laugh at you for your crazy theory and then either kick you out or relentlessly laugh at you. Either option is not preferable.

Another option crosses your mind. You try not to dwell on it, but it's impossible to ignore in the dark. What if Adrian isn't alone when he comes home? What if he's been spending time with someone he likes more? You don't want to fully consider the fallout of that – likely copious amounts of ice cream and a romcom marathon.

Enough time passes that you eventually begin to nod off. After a long week it's only natural. You drift into the weird liminal space between wakefulness and sleep, consciousness bobbing along like a ship without a motor.

Jarring is an understatement when you're woken by Adrian loudly returning home. He storms in through the sliding glass door, slamming it so hard that it pops back open again slightly. It's a rude awakening, but the adrenaline now running through your veins is a great boost.

He's hunched over the dining table, arms extended with his hands flat. You can see his heavy breathing from here. You don't need to be an expert in body language to tell that he's upset about something.

It's not until he tears his mask off, fully confirming what you already know to be true, that you gasp. You can't help it. Despite every suspicion, seeing him there is a shock. The fear of losing Adrian to someone else melts and is swiftly replaced by a fear of losing him in a far more permanent way.

Adrians's eyes go wide and you yelp as a knife suddenly arcs through the air at you. Acting purely out of instinct, you duck and the knife embeds itself into the chair where your head previously was.

“What the fuck?” you yell, frantically looking between the knife and Adrian. “You could have fucking killed me!”

Adrian stares at you. “You aren't supposed to be here.”

That stupid fire in your gut that convinced you this was a good idea in the first place sparks again. “Actually, this is exactly where I was supposed to be tonight until someone bailed on me. Again.”

You're not even sure Adrian realizes how often he's been bailing on you these past few weeks. You know how he works – completely single minded when he wants to be. Whatever he's been doing as Vigilante has kept him busy.

“You aren't supposed to be here,” Adrian repeats again. The look in his eyes is wild, his breathing still erratic. It doesn’t even seem like he's put the pieces together on you figuring out his secret identity. Whatever footing you thought you had has been swiftly pulled out from under you.

You take careful steps towards the dinette like you're approaching a scared animal. “Ade? Are you okay?” You lift your hands, showing him that they're empty. The last thing you want is for him to think you're a threat.

He doesn't move. It's unnerving. Adrian is always moving, fidgeting, talking. Some days you want to strap him down to keep him in one place. If it weren't for the continued heave of his chest you'd think he became a statue. 

A half a step away, he speaks again. “You have to go. Now. Otherwise I can't-”

“I'm not leaving you, Adrian. You're scaring me.” As angry as you are over all this, your concern for him overrides it.

His hands ball into fists. “Fuck, I'm sorry.”

“Sorry for wha-”

You don't get to finish your question before Adrian is on you. His mouth crashes onto yours, all teeth and desperation. You feel every hard line and contour of his costume pressed against your body. His hand engulfs your jaw, keeping you firmly in place.

So this is what kissing Adrian is like. You never imagined it quite like this, but you aren’t complaining as he overwhelms your senses.

He tastes faintly of mint – a sharp contrast to the rubber and cordite smell of his suit. His hands are seemingly everywhere all at once while all you can do is hold onto him. There's a fuzz in your ears as every sound except for those coming from Adrian gets blocked out. 

The burn in your lungs finally forces you to break the heated kiss. It doesn't stop Adrian. He simply moves down to your neck, sucking and biting it in ways that are sure to bruise. He's mumbling into your skin the whole time but it's nothing you can make out.

“A-Ade?” He doesn't stop. You want to sink into this. Give in completely and let Adrian have his way. It's not right though. Adrian isn't quite right and you need to know something, anything before this can continue.

“Ade.” He bites a little too hard on your neck. “Adrian!”

You push and shove his concrete wall of a body, not stopping until he finally does. It's a small consolation that he looks abashed.

“What the fuck is going on?”

To say that Adrian looks delirious would be kind. His eyes are glossy, hair sticking up in all different directions, and a deep flush running down his neck. Whatever is happening, it's impacting his ability to think straight.

“I'm sorry,” he mumbles. “I got hit with some kind of dart and I feel like I'm on fire. I came home to deal with it myself but then you were here and you said you wouldn't leave and-” 

His explanation gets caught in a high pitched whine. Adrian pulls you flush against him, nearly crushing you in a hug as he clearly attempts to restrain himself. You realize that the stiffness you felt before was not an athletic cup in his suit.

“How can I help?” you hear yourself ask. This is probably, definitely, stupid. 

You're still pissed at him for not telling you about his double life. You're still trying to process the fact that he has a double life. Despite all of that, he's clearly suffering right now and you can't walk away. He's still Adrian. He's still your best friend. 

He's still the idiot you love.

“You don't-”

You cut him off. “Well I'm going to, so tell me how to help.”

Adrian looks like he could cry. Whatever he had expected his night to be, it clearly wasn't this.

“Need you to touch me.” His words come out as a whine. Whatever this is affecting him, it seems to come in waves as Adrian's control start to slip again.

“You're sure? This isn't just whatever was in that dart?” You have to know there's some real part of Adrian that wants this. If it's just a drug controlling him, you can't do that to him or yourself.

Adrian pulls your hand, marching in the direction of his bedroom. “I've jerked myself off to the thought of you since the first day we met.”

Well. Not exactly poetic, but you certainly feel better about the current situation. 

The moment you step inside his bedroom Adrian is on you again. His tongue presses into your mouth while his hands work on removing your clothes. It's desperate and ungraceful, but you'd be lying if you said it was a turn off.

You know part of it is just the drug. Its effects are evident in Adrian's shaky hands and nearly possessed need to remain in contact with you. You know Adrian well enough to know the parts that aren't. He's making a valiant effort to ramble between kisses, trying to convey how beautiful you are and how long he's thought about this. Although all lights are clearly green he still checks in before he tears your underwear off and mumbles a quick apology.

You're suddenly off your feet, falling backwards onto the cushion of his bed. Shock is replaced by a wave of heat rolling through your body as you take in the new view.

Adrian is standing above you fully clothed in his Vigilante suit except for the mask. He looks imposing, the armor only making him that much bigger than he does without. He's palming his cock through the thick fabric in a futile attempt to take any of the edge off. 

You never would have considered it, but Adrian in his getup while you're beneath him completely bare is certainly doing something for you. You wonder if he'd ever fuck you in the mask. The thrill of it would likely be worth missing out on his gorgeous face.

The stare he seems to be caught in is more than a little flattering. Gears are clearly whirring in his head, but it's like he can't decide which is the next best step to take. He looks like he wants to eat you alive. 

You drag a hand down along your body, thrilled as Adrian’s eyes quickly lock onto the movement. It’s a leisurely pace, even circling back up once or twice before finally making the descent towards the apex of your thighs.

You barely graze the short curls there before Adrian drops to his knees and bats your hand away. 

“No fucking way am I letting you do that.” He tears off his gloves with his teeth and unceremoniously sinks a finger into your core. You feel even better than he imagined and you both groan in a filthy harmony.

Adrian doesn't have much tact – falling somewhere between what would be ideal and jackhammering. You've certainly experienced worse. You know he's not some blushing virgin, nor is he a selfish asshole, so you're willing to chalk this up to the desperation of the drug in his system. It's only confirmed when he speaks.

“I'm sorry. Fuck - I want to take my time with you but I need-”

“It's okay, Ade. Let's get you feeling better first, yeah?”

Adrian groans, the word first ringing between his ears. He's not lucid enough to parse out what that could mean, but it sounds promising. “You're too good for me.”

His head falls against you, which quickly turns into him mouthing at your inner thigh. You really hope it's not just the drug that's made him so oral-focused. 

There's the jingle and snap of a belt coming off. You prop yourself up on your elbows in time to see Adrian pulling his pants down just far enough to let himself free. If you had any shame left at this point, you'd be embarrassed by your gasp.

Precum leaks freely, sliding down his considerable length. The head of his cock is red and clearly bordering on, if not actually, painfully aroused. “Thimble” your ass. 

Before you can give his dick any further consideration, Adrian grabs your hips and drags you to the edge of the bed. The need pulsing in his veins is reaching a fever pitch.

There isn’t much ceremony as he presses into you, folding over in a bout of sheer ecstasy. You wish you could bottle the moan that’s pulled from his chest. Tears catch in the corners of your eyes and you’re not sure if it’s from the perfect burning stretch of him or if it’s from the overwhelming feeling that this is finally happening. 

“So good for me. Knew you would be. Oh fuuuck, you're squeezing me so well…” Adrian rambles. 

Being inside you seems to have taken the edge off for the moment. He’s as gentle as he can be, trying his best to give you time to adjust. His mouth laves over your skin, finding your breasts and making your back arch up into him. It provides exactly what you need.

“C'mon, Adrian. Fuck me,” you say. Whatever control he was clinging to shatters. 

Adrian sets a devastating pace. He regrets not being able to take things slower. He'd always imagined being able to tease, slowly working you up and making you laugh, until the moment where he finally got to ravish you. 

The regret doesn't last long. Not while he feels the heat of you wrapped around him, your clear sounds of pleasure beneath him. The worry that he's somehow taken advantage of you lessens with each stroke.

You look heavenly laid out beneath him. Your fingers dig into his scalp, sending tingles down his spine. He's already addicted to your little moans and whines, knowing that he'll die if he never gets to hear them again after this.

He's imagined this countless ways and countless times. None of them ever involved highly unregulated and experimental sex drugs, but then he supposes that's on him for not being more creative in his fantasies. He still didn't come close to how good this would feel.

“I can't- I'm not going to last,” he grunts.

You tug the hair on the back of his head lightly. “That's okay. Let go, baby.”

Adrian unravels at the pet name. His brain and baser urges can't fathom pulling out at this point, instead pounding deeper in as he lets himself go. It's almost enough to push you over the edge with him.

His body is heavy on top of you, half collapsed and boneless. “Holy fuck.”

“Better?” you ask. 

“Mhmm,” he hums.

Your breath hitches as Adrian begins to slowly rock his hips again. You expected he would need a moment to recover, but he feels just as hard as when you started. Thrill mixes with concern as you wonder just how long Adrian will be in this state for.

“Not done with you yet.”

His hand slips down between your bodies. His thumb gently swirls over your clit. This slow and sensual pace is so different from the violent pounding you were just receiving that it's dizzying. It's not long before you’re back on the edge of ultimate pleasure.

Adrian nips at your neck, immediately soothing it with his tongue. “Your turn. I need to see how pretty you look when you come. Please, please, please,” he begs, still breathless from his own release.

His sweaty forehead presses against yours, locking eyes with you. With that, one more swipe of his thumb, and one more please, you're crying out as your cunt clenches around him. He continues his gentle rock, working you through the intense orgasm.

Adrian’s wild grin greets you as you reopen your eyes. He leans down to give you a messy kiss as he ramps his speed back up. “You're so fucking hot. I nearly came just watching you. I know you're not on any sex drugs but I'm going to make you do that as many times as I can. Hottest thing I've ever seen.” 

You have absolutely no idea how long these drugs are going to last in Adrian's system. What you do know at this point is that you need to be ready for a long night and you're going to need to get creative. Who knew you'd be speedrunning a number of fantasies with him on the first night you're together? It's like taking a crash course in each other’s sexual proclivities.

At a certain point you lose track of the positions and angles you find together. You take him in your hand or mouth when your pussy needs a break, but draw a hard line at your ass. There's no world in which Adrian has enough patience for that to be a pleasurable experience.

Thankfully, each orgasm seems to take the edge off for longer and longer. After this, you expect that Adrian will be drained for days. If you didn't know about the drug in his system you'd be terrified by his stamina and recovery. The human body should not be able to produce that much cum in one night.

You're completely exhausted. There's no world in which you won't be limping tomorrow and potentially for days after. The discovery of lube in Adrian's nightstand halfway through your marathon was an absolute godsend but could only do so much.

The bottle now lies empty on the floor alongside the pieces of Adrian's Vigilante costume. Those came off at random, whenever he felt too restricted by them remaining on. You're not sure what to think about the jolt that ran through you looking at all his weapons laid out on the floor. You really hope he was too delirious to notice at the time.

Adrian is currently pressed into you from behind, spooning you. He's not moving, just taking pleasure in being buried inside you. His face is pressed back into the crook of your neck, very obviously smelling you and your hair. It's sweet.

You find his hand and intertwine your fingers with his. You'll ruminate more on the size and feel of them when your brain is more operational.

“Feeling better?” you ask, voice thick with fatigue.

“So much better. I thought my dick was going to explode earlier but now it just feels normal.”

You chuckle. “I'm glad your dick didn't explode.”

“Me too! I can't be the guy with the exploded dick. How would I pee?”

Your body relaxes further into his arms as sleep begins to pull you under. “I dunno. I'm glad it didn't,” you tell him. “You have a really nice dick.”

You can feel it flex inside you at the compliment. You don't think he did that on purpose. You'll have to investigate that more at a later time. 

“You really think so? You're not just being nice?”

You snort. “Yes. Your dick is very nice and has made me very tired. Wake me up if you need something.” With that, you slip off into a deep sleep as exhaustion takes hold. 

Adrian holds onto you tightly, still disbelieving that any of this is real. You're even better than he could have imagined. The two of you never avoided sex as a topic but you also never dove deep into it either, and Adrian’s chest always felt weird whenever he thought about anything past vanilla involving you. 

Despite his want to stay wrapped up and buried in you he also knows he's taken more than his fair share tonight. Adrian slowly climbs out of bed, careful to make sure you stay asleep.

He takes stock of himself as he stands. His head feels clearer than it has in hours and his veins are no longer searing. He has no open wounds or bruises. His dick doesn't even feel that bad. This is definitely not Vigilante’s worst night. He has no idea how he's going to discuss that with you. 

He maneuvers in the bathroom just from the ambient light out of the bedroom. It's good this is his own place or he definitely would have knocked things over and woke you. 

Adrian cleans himself up and wets a washcloth to do the same for you. A single small noise escapes you as he does this, but you otherwise remain fast asleep. He decides it's worth the risk to pull one of his shirts over you as well.

His heart stutters at the sight of you in his bed and in his clothes. Adrian doesn't like reflecting on his feelings often. Years of forced therapy and people staring at him like he'd grown antennae out of his head whenever he tried to express an emotion really stamped that out of him. You make him want to try.

You appeared in Adrian's life unexpectedly and cemented yourself in it quickly. For whatever reason, you were charmed by what others regularly told him was weird and off putting. Faster than he'd admit, he had to reassess his entire BFF tierlist.

From the start, there had been a soft and saccharine hope that this could be something more. The second it was felt, it was buried, but it never went down deep or stayed there for long. Like an annoying but resilient weed he couldn't ignore. You probably wouldn't appreciate that comparison.

Adrian was left stuck – wanting more and not wanting to ruin your friendship. He really hopes tonight changes things.

Your brow furrows, arms reaching out to where Adrian should be beside you. He slips a pair of boxers on and joins you back in bed. He was going to grab a glass of water for when you woke up, but how can he deny that?

You snuggle into his chest and throw a leg over him. Adrian kisses the top of your head and settles in. He's asleep in minutes.

×××

It's early afternoon when you wake. Your body is starfished, left arm and leg splayed over Adrian. His gentle snores tell you that he doesn't mind. 

You reposition and tuck yourself alongside his body. He's a furnace and you're happy to soak up some additional heat. While you move, you realize that you have a shirt on despite definitely falling asleep naked. It's the Fargo shirt you got him for Christmas. You smile.

It's not long before Adrian is waking up too. He's quick to pull you in closer and kiss your forehead. “I'm not dreaming or dead, right?” he asks.

“Not that I'm aware of.”

“Okay, good, cool. I just thought I'd make sure. I've had a few dreams like this and it really pisses me off when I wake up for real and you're not here.”

You tilt your head to look up at Adrian. You may need a pinch of your own to make sure you're not still sleeping.

“What?” Adrian asks. “Is there drool on my face?”

You chuckle. There is actually, but you don't tell him. Instead you shift so that you’re now laying directly on top of Adrian and lean down to give him a soft kiss.

He responds immediately, arms wrapping around you and one hand finding your ass. You end the kiss prematurely. “Don't even think about it. I'll be lucky if I can walk today.”

You could frame the grin on Adrian's face. He sneaks in another quick kiss and then holds your face in his hands, seemingly inspecting it for something.

“What?” you ask between mushed cheeks.

“You're okay? I didn't hurt you, right?”

You roll your eyes. “No. You just fucked the shit out of me and now I'm tender.” The shit eating grin returns to his face.

You spend some more time in bed, poking fun at each other and goofing around. It feels no different than any other time you've spent with Adrian except for the new level of affection and the teal colored elephant in the room that you both dutifully ignore.

Eventually, the need to pee surpasses the joys of staying in bed. You take one wobbly step before Adrian is lifting you into his arms. You let out an undignified yelp.

“You looked like a baby deer,” Adrian tells you happily as a way of explaining his reason for the sudden lift. It's an embarrassing comparison, but you'll take the help. If he doesn't actually see you waddle, it may prevent Adrian from singing “Side to Side”.

He's more than happy to carry you out to the living room after, even offering a pair of his boxers to make up for your ruined panties. You'll steal some money from him later to replace those.

You demand Adrian bring you the blanket from the chair you camped out in last night and some of your snacks. The knife is still embedded in the back of the chair. You look away and busy yourself with locating the remote.

You're quick to find a movie, choosing something at random. Netflix original that had no marketing and no one has ever heard of? Perfect. Something to fill the room with noise.

Adrian drops the blanket over your head. 

“Hey!” you yell indignantly. By the time you have it off your head he's disappeared into the kitchen. The hum of Adrian’s keurig machine starts up, eventually turning into a spitting whir and two watery cups of coffee. 

He settles beside you on the couch and focuses on the movie. You aren't. Leaving the bedroom popped some kind of bubble in your mind, bringing you back to last night. 

Adrian is Vigilante. There's no denying it. You thought there would be a euphoric feeling along with the discovery – the absolute satisfaction in being right. Instead there's a pit in your stomach. Adrian is Evergreen's most wanted. A person who you once heard laughed while chopping a guy's arm off. Someone any normal person would be terrified of. So why aren't you?

You take a sip of your coffee. It's exactly how you like it. 

He's quiet, which is starting to freak you out more than anything else. You've only seen him go completely silent while watching Fargo or the Planet of the Apes movies. This random garbage is certainly not capturing his attention like those do.

Looking around the room, you catch a glimpse of his mask on the ground where it was discarded last night.

“So, can we talk about it?” you ask tentatively, still not quite looking at him.

“Talk?” Adrian says. “What do we need to talk about? How great this movie is? Because if you want to talk about that we should probably finish it first.”

You roll your eyes. Unsubtle as always. How he even kept this secret for so long is a genuine miracle. 

Your legs are unsteady but you do just fine in getting up and grabbing the mask. You throw it at him, somewhere between gentle and hard. 

“That.”

“Oh right! This old thing. Not much to talk about there.” He tosses it onto the coffee table. “Let's just go back to this amazing movie. I think we're coming up on a big action sequence.” 

You move to stand directly in front of Adrian, tilting his head up so that he's forced to look at you. The look he gives you doesn't help your conviction. He's nearly begging to not discuss this. Unfortunately for him, there's no amount of puppy dog eyes that can get him out of this one.  

“I won't pretend like I'm not upset, but I'm also not walking out the door either. I just want to talk, Ade.”

Hearing his nickname seems to at least somewhat relax him. It's quiet for a moment, both of you struggling with where to start.

“How long have you known?” he asks.

“I've known for a while. I finally gathered enough courage to confront you about it last night.” You sit back down beside him. 

“How?”

“I'm not stupid. You would bail on me and then there would be a new post online about Vigilante. I listened to a few videos of you talking to confirm and voilà. I know Vigilante’s secret identity.”

“Fuck! If you figured it out then someone else definitely has. This is so fucked. What am I going to do…” Adrian continues his worried monologue, sinking his fingers into his hair. You didn't realize how important the secret identity was to him.

“Adrian? Hey. Ade, look at me.” Your voice is commanding enough to stop his spiral. “First of all, that was rude as fuck. If I've figured it out then others definitely have? I am relatively smart, I'll have you know. Second, no one else is going to figure it out.”

“How can you say that?”

“Because I've spent a disgusting amount of time paying attention to everything about you. In and out of your suit. It would take a miracle for someone else to have paid the same amount of attention to you and put the pieces together.”

Adrian pulls his head out of his hands to look at you. “Now who's rude as fuck?” His tone is teasing. “Other people look at me. Plenty of other people want a piece of this.”

He gestures down his body. Your gaze gladly follows, which only makes you burn with embarrassment when your eyes meet Adrian's again. You want to hate his cocky grin, but you're also enjoying this new form of confidence from him.

You're not quite sure where things go from here. You have a million questions to ask, but you don't know if you're ready to hear the answers or if he's ready to share. Starting with familiar territory should help you think.

“So um, what exactly happened last night?” you ask, hoping for more details about how he ended up getting dosed with sex drugs. Or how those are something that's apparently real. Do you have to worry about that now?

A panicked look overtakes Adrian. It's a good thing he wears a mask as Vigilante – he's far too expressive and pretty to scare someone without it. 

“Why? Are you-? Oh fuck, I wasn't trying to-” he blurts.

“No, no! I'm not regretting it or anything like that. I hope you don't-”

“No! I don't either. It was great, you're great. Best sex I've ever had not even including the drugs, although they really enhanced the experience.”

You can't help but laugh. The absolute absurdity of all of this has finally and fully caught up with you. You don't know why you ever expected a normal confrontation or a normal confession with Adrian. Instead you're discussing sex drugs and reassuring each other that neither of you feels taken advantage of. This chaos feels fitting though, like it could have never gone any other way with him.

Adrian starts laughing with you, awkward and clearly forced. “Why are we laughing?” Adrian asks through his fake guffaws.

You reach out, placing a hand on Adrian's arm. “I'm- I'm sorry. I swear I'm not laughing at you, Ade. This is just- it's a lot.” 

You manage to calm yourself back down. “I don't regret last night and I'm glad you don't either. If this is going to work though, I have a lot of questions I need answered.”

Adrian sits up straight, eyeing you closely. “You mean you're not afraid? You want this? Me?”

It's probably a bad idea. After all, Adrian is no longer just your friend, the lonely busboy. Adrian is also a wanted and dangerous vigilante. Getting involved with him could result in things worse than a broken heart.

You look him over. His bright green eyes, nothing like you'd imagine the eyes of a killer. The light dusting of freckles that cover his skin, far too soft for some psychopath. The strong line of his jaw and neck, begging to be traced and kissed. His strong arms and hands, which managed to hold you with care even while not in his right mind.

Logic be damned, you know what you want. “Yeah, Adrian. I want you.”

Adrian pounces, knocking you back along the cushions and covering you in sloppy kisses. “Where do you want me to start?”

Thanks for reading!! Reblogs and comments are always appreciated 💕

[vinnybox]

Thinking about Steb's weapons and also a bit of him as a character (Gaaah pockets!! <333) in Arcane S2... AUGHH

Arcane S2 Spoilers and character rambling undercut

First of all I need to mention how we can see weapons are also used as a way to communicate a character's traits in Arcane. I AM ALSO IN NO WAY A WEAPON EXPERT NOR DO I KNOW MUCH ABOUT WORLD OF LoL. THIS IS ALL FROM VERY BASIC RESEARCH AND ASSUMPTIONS.

SO!!! STEB'S WEAPON!!!! TONFA!!!! They're versatile as both a weapon for defense and offense. This video shows some of the ways it can be held and used. Along with this and this video! They can be quickly switched for defense, offense, and also be used as more like a hammer or a baton too for breaking glass, etc, which I think comes in handy if they need that.

WHAT IM TRYING TO SAY IS... Steb is very versatile like the Tonfa. The added bonus is that he is most likely a field medic as he's VERY often the first to jump into helping someone without hesitation and is usually seen checking their well-being. First with Caitlyn after the attack at the memorial, and then again with Heenot (Despite what could have been a trap but he rushes in first before anyone else).

It also shows that he's not only brave but also willing to risk his own safety to ensure other's well-being. He also doesn't hesitate to take the lead as well when the situation calls for it (Like in the finale EP where he's the one leading others to take action once Jinx and Ekko's group arrives, and also during the memorial where he's the one to get on stage and tackle the leader down.)

This was the post that made me realize it :] TY!!!!!

Also during their search for Jinx, he looks like the one carrying the most supplies as well (give or take since we didn't get to see a whole lot)👁️👁️What's in there... probably medical supplies and other necessities for their uh. Search through the undercity.

And of course, he's also seen using firearms (A rifle I think? Correct me if I am wrong) and what I assume to be a combat knife. I think both of these are just mandatory for most enforcers, but I just wanna stare at him <333

Anyway, that concludes my rambling for now. There's a shit ton I could probably talk about more and this is just scratching the surface, but PLEAAAAAAASE feel free to add to this post your headcanons or anything I didn't talk about I would LOVE to hear what other thoughts are there to add to my brain collection :3

Tacking on, I love how expressive he is despite his subtle body language and zero dialogue when we first meet him <33333 WE LOVE YOU STEB!!!!!

[snixkers]

Wrinkles like Rivers

Pairing: Alex Blake × Fem!Reader

Hurt/Comfort

For: @olderwomenaremyfavs

Content Warning: References to canon violence (drugs/crime), age gap (reader is in her 30s, Alex is in her 50s), very brief suggestive comment, insecurity over appearance

Summary: At a work function, Alex feels like the other agents have her beat, in more ways than one.

Author's Note: Omg! This is my first fic posted on this site, so I'm super excited! Hope this is what you were hoping for!

Feedback is always welcome!

Requests are OPEN

It was another Bureau function, and the atmosphere was relaxed and casual. Agents usually consumed with the worst of humanity were able to escape, just for a bit, and find comfort in a night out. You mingled with some people, recognizing names but not faces from your girlfriend's stories.

For some reason, these events seemed to have the opposite effect on Alex, who usually ended up silent and brooding in the corner. You could tell she was thinking about something, but she always brushed it off so confidently that you were certain you were imagining it. After all, she was the profiler, not you.

Tonight was a different story. You could see it in her tense shoulders, her narrowed eyes, and her half-smile. Her glass was still full, although that wasn't unusual for her. Even though it wasn't your profession, you were certainly a profiler when it came to her.

You excused yourself from an agent telling you stories about her escapades busting a drug ring, making your way back to the woman watching you with rapt attention. She blinked out of her stupor when she noticed you, quickly throwing on a smile and wrapping her arm around you. It was a nice attempt, but you couldn't be fooled.

"Alex," you began, "is something bothering you?"

She shook her head, although you anticipated that reaction. Alex always kept her emotions sealed away in a vault that you rarely were given the key to. You sighed, wrapping your hands around her wrist gently and leading her off to an empty hallway.

You decided to try again, within the comfort of your sole presence.

"Alex, I know something's bothering you. And I'd appreciate it if you'd let me help."

She let out a sigh, her smile fading slightly as she fiddled with the ends of her hair.

"It's not important."

You had to resist the urge to roll your eyes. Alex *was* important. She could tell you that the sky was green and you would agree.

"Alex, please. I want to know so I can fix the problem."

She sighed, avoiding your gaze and taking a small sip of the wine provided by a rather wealthy colleague of hers.

"Watching you talk to all of those other agents, it's just hard for me. They're young, they're good in the field. Their stories are more exciting."

Your heart melted in your chest, trying to soothe any insecurities she might have.

"I don't care. You've been in longer than they have. You're more smart logical and strategic. Plus, I like a woman with a little experience."

She held back a snort at your words, but her eyes still held traces of doubt.

"It's not just about the brains. Just look at me. I mean, you could date anyone you want. There must be someone out there who's younger and prettier."

You frowned, the warmth in your chest quickly evaporating. "Alex, no. I love you. I love everything about you. I love the way your eyes crease when you laugh. I love the wrinkles on your forehead. I love the gray hairs you're hiding. Do you know why? Because to me, that stuff makes you even more beautiful."

Her gaze softened, and you could practically see her trying to come up with another excuse for why she wasn't good enough. You shook your head, leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.

"I'm always going to pick you, Alex."

She nods, taking a deep breath and kissing you back a little deeper, trying to convey the gratitude she felt. Luckily, another part of being such an expert on how she felt was that you already knew.

You smiled back, glancing over at the party.

"Should we head home?"

She nods in agreement, wrapping an arm around your waist and leading you back out to the party, the both of you clinging to each other the way you always would.

"Absolutely. Garcia told me about this game called 'Wordle', and I want to try it out."

[roseapprentice]

Please don't fall for the line, "But health insurers only take this tiny % of US healthcare expenses!!! They're such maligned innocents uwu."

I have news for you:

THE MONEY THAT INSURERS COME AWAY WITH ≠ THE POVERTY THEY LEAVE IN THEIR WAKE

Insurers create poverty when I can't contact my doctor for a vital prescription because his secretary spent all day submitting and revising prior auth forms instead of answering the phone. The money for her labor gets flushed down a burocratic drain, and the insurer doesn't get a cent of it. Money goes to the time my doctor spends begging his employers to hire more secretaries, and the time his employers spend coming up with reasons to say no.

Money goes into the time pharmacy workers go back and forth with patients about why we can't have the medication we need to walk, or live, or think. It goes into the time they play phone tag with the doctor, then the insurer, trying to figure out where the care got blocked, so they can give us a clue how to unblock it.

Money goes into the time professionals spend convincing me not to self-harm when I can't get the meds my doctor prescribed, psychiatric or otherwise.

Often I'm denied a medication that only costs a few dollars out of pocket with the right coupon. Medicine I could afford, if buying medicine out of pocket when you have insurance didn't create more red tape than it cuts through. If I spend hours in therapy because an insurer cheated me out of $8 of medicine, even the insurer loses money. But they net more gain than loss, because most patients don't have time to fight them like I do.

If my body weren't worn out from years fighting this battle, my thyroid would probably be dying more slowly. Society would have to pay for fewer blood tests and doctor's visits, for lower dosages of levothyroxine.

If my insurance covered more frequent thyroid tests, I'd spend less time symptomatic. My kidneys would be safer, and so would every system in my body that works better when it's easier to move. In a million little ways, the restrictions insurers place on our care will land society with heftier medical bills down the line. Bills for treatment that many of us won't want if we get sick properly at 80 after long life.

Then there's the cost incurred when medical workers are bone-weary and soul-weary from fighting for us, and they make expensive mistakes. There's the lapses in care because so many workers get worn away to nothing and leave the field understaffed, leading to preventable emergencies and hospitalizations.

Part of what makes the insurance industry so ghoulish is that they could still rake in millions in decent ways. Fewer millions, and more slowly. They could ensure that seniors can refuse unwanted care; it would cut costs massively while reducing cruelty. They could offer better preventive medicine. Ensure easier access to group counseling, so paid experts can stretch their time farther and more people can find a support network. There are ways to make medicine cheaper while also making it kinder. Execs have chosen an antagonistic stance toward patients and doctors because it pays off somewhat bigger and a lot faster. It looks better on a quarterly report. The fight that's resulted is wildly expensive for everyone.

THE MONEY THAT HEALTH INSURERS BRING IN DOES NOT REFLECT THE COST THEY INCUR ON OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

...let alone the cost they incur on the human beings trapped inside it

[queermania]

why am i not writing thinkpieces on the genocide happening in gaza despite not being palestinian, not being an expert in any field even remotely related to what's happening, and not being a journalist of any kind? well this might sound crazy but i figured donating my money to esims/relief efforts and using my time to contact my representatives might be more effective than just making sure everyone knew my uneducated thoughts on the matter. sometimes knowing when to shut the fuck up and not spreading a bunch of misinformation is actually a virtue.

i'm trying not to be uspet about things like this message because i know they come from a place of grief and a feeling of helplessness. this genocide has been going on for a long time and it often feels like nobody cares anymore, if they ever did, but somebody feeling grief over another tragedy doesn't diminish what they feel about palestine or what they're doing about it.

i could perform outrage and anguish on social media for you all day but that wouldn't get any of us anywhere. and i'm not saying that you're not allowed to express you anger or even that you shouldn't. i'm saying that i don't personally find it constructive, for me. all it leads to is spirals and traps that just leave me incapacitated and useless. i would rather do something tangible.

and that is different from the grief i feel over this singular event of a popstar passing away. there is nothing tangible i can do about it or even that i would if i could but that doesn't mean i don't have feelings about it, especially because of how close to home it hits, which is really what i was talking about in my post.

so i am sorry that you are in pain. and i'm sorry that it's so overwhelming that you don't feel like it's possible to hold space for anything else at the same time. but i can. and i am choosing to deal with my grief for these two things in different ways because they are very different things.

[a-small-batch-of-dragons]

Survival | Coda

Okay, so, I just read Survival, and. yus. (/pos) All I keep thinking about is what if the Others encounter (their) human Virgil having an anxiety attack or feeling very overwhelmed & panicked? Like...how would they handle that? Would they have help from someone who knows a bit more about humans' nervous system? Would they also kinda freak out because they don't know how to help Virgil calm down? – anon

Read on Ao3 Part 1

Warnings: panic attack

Pairings: none

Word Count: 1682

"Roman? Remus, report to Engineering Main Hub." "What did you do," Roman mutters as they leave their stations, eyestalks flicking back and forth, "what didn't you do?" "It wasn't me! I didn't do anything wrong!" "You know that just makes you sound more suspicious, right?" Or, Virgil has a panic attack, and Roman and Remus are called in to help.

"Roman? Remus, report to Engineering Main Hub."

"What did you do," Roman mutters as they leave their stations, eyestalks flicking back and forth, "what didn't you do?"

"It wasn't me! I didn't do anything wrong!"

"You know that just makes you sound more suspicious, right?"

"Look, all I'm saying is that it wasn't my fault that the quantum field generator was out of alignment this morning because I spent four matrons aligning it last shift and when I left, everyone including Lieutenant Alvarez signed off on it saying it was fine, so if it's messed up again, it's not on me!"

"That's a lot of words for 'I don't know what I did this time.'"

Remus shoves him as his mandible chitters and the two of them manage to make it the rest of the way to the reporting station without breaking anything. It's a close thing, but they manage it. The supervising officer looks up and sighs, gesturing toward the ducts.

"You two are close with Human Virgil, aren't you?"

"We're friendly," Roman says, "but I wouldn't say close."

"That's good enough."

"What's happened with Virgil?"

The officer sighs again—that's probably not good. "I don't know exactly what's going on. Medical Officer Patton is over there, he's got a better grasp of humans than the rest of us on staff here, ask him."

"With all due respect," Remus points out, "we're not exactly experts on humans either, I'm not sure we're qualified to—"

"Well, the human's the one asking for you, so when they're in a state where they can talk coherently again, you can ask them."

Three things occur to both of them at rather alarming speeds.

One: Virgil is asking for them specifically.

Two: Virgil is not currently in a state where they can explain why they've asked for the two of them specifically.

Three: Virgil is so much in a state where they cannot speak coherently that a medical officer has been summoned.

"Where are they?"

The officer jabs a tentacle toward the ducts and they're off, dodging other crew members and murmuring apologies for their brusque journey across the floor, mandibles chittering rapidly. Sure enough, by the time they round the corner to reach the stairs leading up to the overlooking platform, they can hear the soft voice of the medical officer murmuring something.

"That's it, you're doing very well. Keep trying to take deep breaths, okay? That will help stabilize the oxygen levels in your body, which will help bring about the end of this."

"I know that—it's just—I can't—I—I—"

"You can. I know it seems hard right now—"

"No shit!"

"Medical Officer Patton?" Remus calls as they reach the top of the stairs. "We were called, is everything…?"

Roman shoves Remus aside as he too makes it to the platform, trying to see what's caused Remus to stop so suddenly. He then slams to a halt when he sees the bright blue of the medical officer's uniform nearly covering a small, curled-up ball of dark fabric that appears to be shuddering. Before he can ask if this is another stage of human development they're unaware of, part of the blob lifts and he lets out a soothing rumble before he realizes it.

Virgil, their human, is curled up so tightly in a little ball that it must be painful, and his face is all red and blotchy and—leaking?

"Virgil?" Remus's voice drops to the low register they use to communicate with fresh hatchlings, crouching down to make his silhouette smaller. "What's going on?"

"You—you came—you actually—actually—"

"Easy," Patton says gently as another horrible noise leaves Virgil's lips, "don't try and speak too much, you'll over stress your system. Here, let me—"

He reaches into the small toolkit on his belt and retrieves a comfort canister. A light hissing fills the air as it decompresses, the blanket within growing larger and larger until he can drape it over Virgil's shaking shoulders. The human lets out another thorax-wrenching noise as he huddles under the soft blue fabric, taking a fistful and bringing it to cover his mouth.

"What's happening?" Roman asks, crouching down too. "How long has this been going on?"

"I was called a few malton units ago," Patton explains, his eyes still on Virgil curled up under the blanket, "about a crew member in distress. He appears to be otherwise uninjured. I believe this is an exacerbated response from his nervous system."

"Is this related to his parasite?"

Patton's head whips around. "Parasite?"

"Not a literal parasite, uh, Roman, help me out—"

"I think he calls it anxiety? It's not actually a parasite, he just described it like that to us once—"

"Ah, yes, anxiety, I'm familiar with the term in humans. Yes, I think this is part of it. It's not uncommon for humans with anxiety to experience periods of time where their systems is overloaded with instincts that are not applicable to their current situation."

"Their system attacks itself?"

"In a manner of speaking. I believe human experts refer to them as 'panic attacks.'"

Roman blinks with both eyestalks. "Well, that sounds…unpleasant."

"No shit," comes Virgil's voice through the blanket, "it's a bitch and a half."

"Do you normally measure inconveniences in female dog lengths?"

"Figure of speech." The rattling breaths haven't stopped yet, and they can hear a few more drops of liquid hit the grating. "Shit."

"How can we help?"

"Protocol suggests surrounding the crew member with those familiar to them," Patton explains, "who may be able to offer comfort and security."

"O-oh."

The human thinks they're…safe? They've not had more than half a dozen conversations and they're nowhere near approaching brood mate status, they've not even seen each other that many times off shift. But Virgil is extremely distressed and if they can help, well, what are they supposed to do, refuse?

"What do we do?"

"Virgil?" Patton rests a hand carefully on the top of the blanket-human pile. "Roman and Remus would like to help. What would you like them to do?"

"Can—can you come closer?"

Both of them skitter along the platform and bracket the pile on either side. Patton removes his hand and shuffles back to give them space. Roman bumps an eyestalk against Remus as Remus lies flat, making it easier for Virgil to see him without having to move his head so much.

"Hi," he chirps, some of his feelers playing gently with the edge of the blanket. "We're right here. You look like a hatchling all curled up in the blanket."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Do you know a lot about how our species nests?"

"No."

"We make these really big colonies that are just devoted to rearing the young. We gather supplies from everywhere we can to make the environment as safe for them as possible."

"Which in Remus's case, means getting rid of all the dangerous things he hoards like a ravenous purple worm."

"Hey!"

"It's true," Roman says, stroking the blanket, "but once that's all done, we get these big bunches of fluff from the canyon lands and make nests out of them, kind of like this. Then we wrap the young in them so their limbs can get used to having ambient pressure and sensation in a safe way before they're big enough to try moving on their own."

"That's why I said you look kind of like a new hatchling, all bundled up."

Virgil sniffles, wiping at his face. "That sounds nice."

"Why are you leaking," Roman asks gently, "is there something we can patch?"

"'M not leaking, 'm just crying."

"Crying is something humans do to cope with overwhelming emotions in their systems," Patton adds quietly when they still look confused, "it helps with the release of extra things that re-stabilizes them."

"Oh. Keep doing it, then."

A watery huff. "I'm not gonna be able to stop anytime soon, don't worry."

"Do you want us to keep talking?"

"Y-yeah. Um, what are the canyon lands like?"

"They're these massive stretches of bare rock that reach from one side of the planet to the other. They're very treacherous for single or even double exploration teams, so we have to go in really big groups to be able to get around them safely." Remus's eyestalks wave back and forth. "There's not a lot of cover out there so we gotta be able to have eyes in all directions."

"It also gets really hot because of that," Roman adds, "so we take turns being at the top of the group."

"What do you mean, 'at the top?'"

"Oh, sorry—we travel in a horde when we go out in groups that big to make it easier on our legs for long distances. The ones at the bottom provide the power to keep the group going, the ones at the top are the eyes for the rest of us, and the ones in the middle provide stability to make sure no one gets left behind."

"That's…cool."

"But it gets really hot at the top so we change positions every so often to keep the group moving and stable."

"I don't get hot as easily as Roman does—"

"Hey!"

"—so I get to spend more time at the top."

"You just hate having to walk for yourself when you don't absolutely have to."

"I'll have you know I'm still the winner of the Marsh Dash for three galactic cycles in a row and you've never gotten in the top 200."

"Yeah, but that's for your pride."

Remus chitters in an affronted way and Virgil makes another little one of those watery laughs. The engine hums around them, just like the thriving colony of a healthy hive.

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[starkandthewaynes]

Ghosts from the past Pt. 7

All the founding members of the Justice League and Dark team were seated around the conference table, with the bats, three young adults, and a toddler. "Batman, what is going on?" Wonder Woman asks as two of the young adults stand up, powering on their presentation. The first slide read: The American government is trying to declare war on ghosts???? Tucker smirks at the clickbait title. "Danny, Jazz, what haven't you told me?" John Constantine asks his niece and nephew. "We're getting there Uncle John." Danny says, crossing his arms. 

Sam nods as she hits a button. "First thing you have to understand, Ghosts, just like people, can be good or bad, and they can reform. They are sentient, they have their own ruling systems of government and laws, and culture. They are a people simply on the other side of the veil." Sam says as pictures are shown of the ghost zone. "Now the Ghost Zone or more widely known by Ghosts as the Infinite Realms is essentially a mirrored dimension to our own, and there are scientists who have punched a whole into this dimension without the citizen's permission. This portal has led to our hometown, Amity Park, being ground zero for the paranormal." Sam says, as the slides continue.  "Now because biased scientists are considered the lead experts in the field of ecto-ology, the united states government has passed laws called the ecto laws and have created their own ghost hunting branch," Tucker says as everyone in the room's stomachs filled with dread. 

"The ectolaws state that any beings that are made of or consume ectoplasm in any form are non-sentient and therefore cannot feel pain, they deem it is acceptable to capture and experiment on the beings from the Infinite Realms." Sam says, as Danny wants to run out of the room. "And they have already done so to the ruling monarch of the Realms." Sam says as Danny stands up, taking a deep breath. "Danny?" Sam asks, as Danny stands up on a chair to be seen by everyone. "My name is Danny Fenton, and the Dr.s Fenton, my adoptive parents, are the scientists Sam talked about. Their portal didn't work, until I hit a button on the inside. It gave me a shock, and I woke up to what the ghosts call a half, half-ghost, half-human." Danny says, his eyes watering, but he looks at JJ. 

"After a year of me being my towns only hero, another ghost awoken the evil ghost king, Pariah Dark, a ghost so feared his real name was erased from our history." He says as Jason nods. "He, he took my town into the Infinite Realms, where I then defeated him in single combat. I became the new Ghost King." Danny whispers, looking down. "And now my friends are getting hurt because I can't protect them, because I was hurt." Danny says, sniffling. "And, and I gotta help them, I wanna help them, they're my friends. "I was captured, and then, the Dr. Fentons cut me and hurt me really badly. And, and after they were done, they handed me over to the GIW, where I was hurt and drained." Danny says, as tears go down his face. "Pawpaw had to rescue me, he had to turn me into a toddler to keep me safe, and then Jazzy took me to Gotham." Danny says, as he wipes his eyes. "I need your help, to help my friends, I don't want what happened to me to happen to them, so pwease help, you're my only hope." He says, as he runs to Jazz's arms, crying even more, so she and Red Hood leave. 

"How did the meta-human protection laws miss this?" Superman asks as Sam sighs. "The GIW built a firewall to keep Amity Park separated from the rest of the world. They captured a ghost of technology to create it. Nothing gets in or out unless you have access to ectoplasm." Tucker explains as Sam is watching the door. "He'll be okay, Sam, it's Danny." Tucker says, as Sam shakes her head. "We don't know if he's stuck like that, Tucker!" Sam shouts as Tucker sighs. "I know that, but getting upset won't help him at all." Tucker says as Sam growls. 

"What do you mean?" Wonder-Woman asks as the two friends nod. "Danny was 14 when everything started. We tried calling you guys, to get help, but we kept getting a busy signal, so Danny took on the role of a hero all on his own." Sam says, her voice telling how much she cares. "We were his backup, but there were so many times where we couldn't help him or we just got in his way. Tucker and I were on our family's vacations when he was taken. and by the time we got back, Danny and Jazz were packing, and Danny was a baby." Sam says, as Tucker holds her shoulders. "He's gotten a little older in just the year they've been here. He looks like a three or four-year-old." Tucker says as Sam shakes her head. "We should've seen the signs." Sam says as Tucker shakes his head. "We couldn't have known." Tucker says as John stands up. "I want you two to hear this and listen well. My nephew and Niece don't want you two beating yourselves up over what's happened. You're here now, you're doing your best to help. And as far as his age is concerned, I've had a chat with Chronos about it, the spell will eventually dissipate as Danny gets safer and safer. He's already 6 or 8 since finding Hood and the bats." John says as the two young adults look hopeful. Thank the Ancients. 

@blacksea21090 | @ashenfairytale | @pastalavistamf | @runoverghost | @emergentpanda-blog | @bobred18 | @blankliferain

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[sepublic]

Metroid and F-Zero GP

So un-ironically I'd really like the F-Zero GP anime to cross over with a Metroid show; Specifically, let’s make it canon and even a recurring element within the series.

Because it takes place in space, in the future, there's a Galactic Federation, Captain Falcon is a bounty hunter. And the way I'd incorporate it would be as seamless and natural as I could; Like these are just new characters, the same way Rundas or Sylux would be. The fact that they're F-Zero is not made loud and apparent, not that I'm ever against those types of crossovers... But it'd be a fun writing exercise to try merging these stories organically, even making crossover elements and individual episodes relevant to Samus' character arc.

So there's a couple of F-Zero elements that might show up here or there, a reference to the races. There's an episode where Samus has to face off against yet another bounty hunter, this one being expert marksman Pico, whose fighting style revolves around his perfect aim, and eludes her due to his distant nature as a sniper. Dark Million shows up and maybe it’s the criminal organization that disastrously hired Kanden for the Metroid. And eventually...

Well, I'd discussed the idea of Samus going to Earth, the Earthians' ancestral homeworld, after the events of the Fusion arc. It's her way of reconnecting with her Earthian side, with the ancestry of Rodney and Virginia, after focusing so much on Chozo affairs. In a way it's Samus re-exploring her identity after becoming part-Metroid, who she is as a person, all that stuff; And it sets her up to occasionally question her Chozo heritage, who they raised her to be, which transitions nicely into the Dread arc and the Mawkin representing the worst of the Chozo.

But before that, Samus is interested in tracing her Earthian genealogy and all that. Considering the kind of life and community she might've had if the Space Pirates never attacked K-2L. I'd love for Anthony Higgs to be present here, but his standing in the Federation would make it really awkward for him, so I'm not sure how it'd work out; I'm working on the idea of Samus getting pardoned thanks to Adam helping her leak the BSL corruption, which leads to public outcry defending Samus, as a callback to Fusion's ending monologue about people who understand. Even so, Samus is still on uneasy terms with the Federation, so I dunno if Anthony could make it.

We get an episode or two about Samus awkwardly trying to be Earthian and it not exactly working out? Is she just a tourist here? She has an existential conversation with Adam, who is also possibly struggling with the fact that he's no longer human, but a machine. So like Samus he's rediscovering himself too, and maybe Malkovich had a life and/or ancestry on Earth he left behind...

Eventually, this segues into the next storyline; Samus decides to visit Mute City, a popular site for tourists and immigrants alike. In F-Zero GP continuity (which differs from the games), Mute City is just a renamed New York City, meaning most of the action takes place on Earth. Samus crosses paths with Captain Falcon, a fellow bounty hunter like herself. She also witnesses the F-Zero races, questioning how they're even legal; This could tie into Samus questioning everything she's believed in regarding the Galactic Federation. Are these death races, performed for the entertainment of the upper classes, just further proof that Sylux was right???

This also gets me to another thing; I'm interested in Joey Apronika, from the Samus and Joey manga. I'd also like to adapt that, with various story arcs spread out across the Metroid show; It's not done all in one sitting, Joey is a recurring character. And being human, he could maybe show up alongside Samus, as she explores reconnecting with her 'human' side and understanding just what she's made up of now.

Joey wields the Field Knuckle, which is basically a tech gauntlet that allows him to generate protective barriers around his fist, himself and others, etc. This comes in handy for just punching enemies really, REALLY hard. And this reminds me of the Falcon Punch...

F-Zero GP follows its own take on the classic roster, with Captain Falcon's true identity being Andy Summer, not Douglas J. Falcon. However, it's also established that the title of Captain Falcon is a mantle, passed down from mentor to apprentice; Andy is not the first, so it's possible, if not implied, that his predecessor and/or the original Falcon was Douglas. The anime ends with Andy sacrificing his life to defeat Black Shadow, and the main character Ryu Suzaku becomes the new Captain Falcon.

Yeah, did I mention? F-Zero GP follows a similar premise to the Samus and Joey manga, in that we have a plucky young rookie, who is mentored by the mysterious face of the franchise. Interesting! The F-Zero GP even ends with a "To be continued...?" tagline.

Now, with Ryu as the new Captain Falcon, shouldn't he have his own successor considered, just as the show up until then was him and the previous Captain Falcon going on the occasional adventure together? Enter Clank Hughes, a young, tech-savvy boy who has a visor he can scan things with...

In the epilogue, Clank is a grown-up young man, and explicitly named as Ryu's successor; He will eventually become Captain Falcon. In the meantime, he learns from Suzaku, who fits quite nicely into his new outfit and identity.

Clank Hughes bears a decent resemblance to Joey Apronika... Joey fights similarly to Captain Falcon... Clank has his own scan visor, not unlike Samus Aran. Thus, I've considered two different options for how I want to approach the mantle of Captain Falcon in a Metroid show:

The first is to follow up directly where F-Zero GP ended, with Ryu as Captain Falcon, albeit more muscled and chiseled now. Him and Samus have some bonding moments and parallels; They both have young apprentices who look quite similar to one another! They both carry on where their friend(s) have died, and are quite lonely and out of their world;

See, Ryu Suzaku is not from this century; He's from the 21st century. This was back when Earth had yet to make contact with the Galactic Federation; He used to be a regular police officer and racer, but when he got into a car chase with escaped convict Zoda, Ryu was badly injured. It left him in a coma so severe, that doctors gave up and decided to put him into cryogenic sleep, and wait for the time when medical tech had advanced to heal him fully.

This would happen 150 years later; Ryu gets revived and makes a full recovery thanks to Doctor Stewart, and is a man out of his time. The only people from his time are his fiancee, who also went through the same treatment... And Zoda, who also got the same treatment.

Point is: There's a lot of people that Ryu left behind! And while this concept does make me consider a 'Frozen generation' of others who also waited things out cryogenically... It's still not a lot to work off of. So for Ryu, he's trying to reconnect with his lost past, and Samus is trying to explore one aspect of her ancestry. These are difficult things to bond over, as is them not being able to relate to a lot of people over their experiences.

Likewise, as Samus worries about destroying everything she touches (wait until she unlocks her Metroid DNA and that happens literally!), she's concerned about possibly hurting Joey, and Captain Falcon is someone who can listen and understand. He even calls back to when Clank was a young boy, just like Joey himself!

As for Clank himself, he knows he's got big shoes to fill in; He bonds with Joey over their mentors, although Clank has known his for much longer, and is tbh closer to him. Still, he gives Joey much-needed reassurance as an older brother figure. Captain Falcon helps Joey master his Field Knuckle, imparting the technique of the Falcon Punch; Its nature in Metroid might be technology, secret martial arts, a mix of magic and pseudo-medical science, IDK. Ghosts canonically exist in Metroid, as do telepaths.

Clank's scan visor compliments Samus' quite nicely, and the arc comes to a close with Clank, who has been considering how HIS successor will be, realizing Joey is a pretty good candidate! Joey's too young and Clank isn't Captain Falcon yet, but there's setup for his own future to look forward to... Captain Falcon, Clank, and a couple other F-Zero characters also return every now and then, depending on how long the show keeps going after the Dread arc's conclusion.

That's Plan A... For Plan B;

Clank Hughes is already Captain Falcon. Samus sees a fellow bounty hunter who also has a scan visor incorporated into his helmet. Cap helps Joey master his Field Knuckle in ways even his father, whom he inherited it from, didn't; Captain Falcon and Samus both bond over mentoring this young and impressionable kid, it makes Samus feel a lot less scared and lonely handling Joey. And Captain Falcon sees a lot of his younger self in Joey.

Eventually, Falcon elaborates on his backstory; His true name is Clank Hughes. He is not the first Captain Falcon, just another in a lineage. His predecessor was Ryu Suzaku, who gave his life to protect innocents... Cue a flashback to the first Metroid Crisis; Space Pirates have deployed some Metroids on the F-Zero Grand Prix, because they're petty like that.

Clank is present racing alongside Captain Falcon. It's a pretty tense scenario, civilians are being attacked by Metroids, some of the racers find their vehicles being drained by the vampires, which leads to crashes. The Blue Falcon gets attacked by Metroids and is damaged; Captain Falcon can't get the cockpit to open, he's trapped inside...

They're on a racetrack atypical of the usual ones; A ring contained within a stadium, built on the premise of high-speed circular racing. With the speed that racers go, they can heat up the track really fast. To make up for this, beneath the stadium is a giant cooling reactor to keep the racetrack from melting... How does Captain Falcon know of the Metroid weakness to cold? This could be after the first wave of attacks, when the Galactic Federation has already posted PSAs about this vulnerability.

Falcon messages Clank, explaining the emergency eject has been disabled; There's no getting himself out of this situation. But for everyone else...

In some really expert maneuvering, he drives the Blue Falcon into the Metroids, letting them cling onto his vehicle and start draining it. He even bumps into other racers, the speed and force tearing off the Metroids, who then choose the Blue Falcon instead. Hell maybe he even drives onto the abandoned seats to lure the Metroids away from the audience.

With all of the creatures latched onto his vehicle and its power draining fast, Falcon makes a final send-off message to Clank, declaring him the new Captain Falcon. The entire scene is in blatant, shot-for-shot homage to the previous Falcon's heroic sacrifice, down to an instrumental version of the song that plays; Captain Falcon activates the boosters, ramming through doors and into an underground track leading to the cooling reactor.

Captain Falcon rams the Blue Falcon into the center of the cooling reactor, freezing the outside, as well as the Metroids latched on. His helmet flies off, revealing an older Ryu Suzaku, who charges up a Falcon Punch that he rams right into his console; The force is so great it causes the Blue Falcon to explode, shattering the frozen Metroids. We get a final shot of Ryu smiling in his heroic sacrifice, just like Andy Summer, before disappearing in the explosion.

The detonation leads to a chain reaction within the cooling reactor; This causes all of the ice to funnel upwards and through the racetrack above, leading to some very pretty snowflakes falling around the stadium. Clank Hughes mourns Captain Falcon, and vows to fulfill his role, just as Cap did the previous one before him!

Cut back to the present; Earlier, Hughes had expressed admiration to Samus for ending the Metroid Crisis. You can see he really, REALLY means it. He imparts his own advice to Samus about keeping the hearts of your friends alive, and their sacrifices not in vain, and he knows what it's like to lose multiple father figures; Samus takes that into consideration (and it sets up Samus having to deal later with a 'father figure' she takes great shame in). Samus and Captain Falcon's friendship is furthered, since he basically takes joint custody with her over Joey, and realizes Joey has the shapings to become a Captain Falcon himself!

The training won't begin, not yet; But it's an invitation for Joey to consider. And it's something for Samus to look forward to; Joey doesn't have to follow in her lonely footsteps. But with Captain Falcon, he's got a lot of friends and confidence and charisma... Adam reminds Samus not to be so dismissive of herself though. Who knows?

(One of my main reasons for hesitation with Ryu being posthumous and Hughes having already taken his position, comes from me... Honestly not wanting to crush the hearts of fans who grew attached to Ryu, and really wanted to see him be Captain Falcon. Granted a badass heroic sacrifice helps to assuage that disappointment but still. And also yeah I kinda DO want to see Ryu as Falcon, myself!!!)

As a side note: There's also a storyline about Rockets, a racer from Samus and Joey, competing in the F-Zero. He's an antagonist, hoping to use the prize money to help fund his boss Greed's operations and all that. Jody Summer is also present, and things could get complicated given she's a member of the Galactic Federation, which has VERY tense feelings towards Samus because of the BSL incident; She probably leans towards sympathizer, but it's still awkward. And at some point Captain Falcon has to clarify she's the sister of a previous Falcon, so Jody's family to him too.

[cerastes]

Since you like talking about relationships, I've got one I've been rotating in my head but can't really figure out: Kal'tsit and Muelsyse. They're both extremely long lived and, judging from Mumu's song, it's a major source of pain for her. But their personalities, at least on the face, are so totally different. I imagine they'd take quite a while to figure each other's shit out, since neither seems inclined to speak clearly or trust anyone more than necessary, leading to a dynamic that evolves quite a bit, and for a long time, perhaps to the confusion of less observant peers.

With both being practically the urban fantasy equivalent of long lived archmages with aching hearts, as well as experts on their particular fields, there's quite a few parallels one could make between them and their interactions would be very fascinating indeed!

However, I think you touched upon something that I think is both important and a bit different from how you put it: A main difference between Kal'tsit and Muelsyse is, in fact, that Kal'tsit does allow herself to trust in others, while Muelsyse keeps her cards close to her chest, even among those who she supposedly trusts.

Kal'tsit isn't naive, but she does in fact allow herself to trust others... A whole lot, in fact. She believed and trusted Theresa, and still tries to carry out her goals, she trusts in Amiya, not just because Theresa chose her, but because she really believes she's got what it takes. She trusts Rhodes Island Operators so much that, even though she's a powerhouse herself, she doesn't handle everything that Rhodes Island has going on and even has some Operators she implicitly trusts enough to let them handle some seriously dangerous stuff either under her or by being her extension in other endeavors she can't be there for personally, such as Margaret Nearl and Elysium. Reluctantly, she trusts in Doctor's abilities and temperament, in part out of necessity, in part because love it or hate it, Theresa did trust Doctor quite a lot, and so she'll trust in Theresa's trust.

Muelsyse, on the other hand? Her 'trust' is hugely utilitarian. Her choice of joining up with Rhine Lab was born out of necessity, as she judged that Kirsten and company would be her very best bet to achieve her own goals, but that backstabbing environment doesn't particularly allow one to make good friends or trust anyone too easily. In fact, during Mansfield Break, Muelsyse quite literally couldn't compute why Silence would be helping Anthony (Mountain) without ulterior motives: The fact that Silence would do it first and foremost out of the goodness of her heart was unbelievable to Muelsyse, because it goes against everything she's learned, especially in Rhine Lab. In a way, one could argue this is where she started changing a little, and it brought to mind how Saria was legitimately trying to be there for Ifrit because Saria legitimately holds affection for her, which Muelsyse thought was a load of barnacles before, at least without any sort of further objective or ulterior motive. Hell, Muelsyse's character song is a perfect fit for her: Chipper and energetic, yet, the lyrics are very sad and lonely.

I think a dynamic between Kal'tsit and Muelsyse would fundamentally be very... Curt, initially. All business from Kal'tsit's end, because Muelsyse has yet to earn her trust, all plastic smiles and idle hands from Muelsyse, because unless Kal'tsit can verifiably be of use to her beyond being a bigwig at RI, she doesn't need to know her.

But Kal'tsit grows on you, you know? Doctor's not the only one with those people skills... Perhaps they are at another level altogether, given they can handle even the freakiest freaks and weirdos and wrangle friendship out of them, but to say Kal'tsit isn't formidable in the arena of trust is but a lie. She'd get in, I'm sure. Muelsyse would see someone akin to her in ways other Terrans simply could never achieve, and while they are very different in terms of demeanor... Well, so are Kal'tsit and Closure, and Kal'tsit and Warfarin, two good friends of hers. Kal'tsit can definitely deal with Muelsyse's antics, and I think Muelsyse would enjoy seeing someone so similar to her in so many ways that can also allow herself to trust others. Maybe Kal'tsit could be important in just that: Muelsyse allowing herself to trust more.

[bubble-popping]

day 21 i'm so consistent :) we'll see how long it rly lasts. more cryptid c!dream :D

He decided his best shot, since the thing could fucking teleport, was consulting an expert in the field. "Ranboo, I need your help." The chill of Snowchester was nothing compared to the literal Arctic, especially with his many layers of clothing and furs. The dual-toned ender hybrid stared at him, wide-eyed and speechless for a long moment. "Um. That's... probably the last thing I expected you to say. What, uh, what do you need my help with?"

"I have a pest problem, Ranboo, and I require your specific level of expertise." He explained so eloquently, yet Ranboo seemed even more confused than before.

"Oookay? Um, lead the way, I guess? I don't have anything special to do today, sooo..."

Exactly twenty minutes later, the two were trekking through the snow towards Techno's cozy cottage.

Techno looked over the horizon and smirked. "Perfect. It'll be here soon."

And the way he said that had Ranboo even more on edge, reluctance in his voice when he asked, "Um, what is it?"

"You'll see. It always come out at night," the pinkette said, nonchalant and cryptically terrifying at the same time.

"Oh. Okay."

The feeling of dread only worsened as they sat in Techno's living room in utter silence, not even a crackling fire to quell the awkwardness and tension. However, Techno just looked deep in concentration. His eyes were closed, body leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. He almost looked to be meditating, if not for the serious crease in his brow and stiffness in his muscles.

Ranboo really wanted to ask what the hell was going on, why he of all people had to be here, and how it was possible that The Technoblade needed help with something. Finally, after far too long of suffocating silence, Ranboo opened his mouth to speak-

Only for a sudden smash! to startle them both. Techno sprang to his feet and took Ranboo by the arm, hauling him up as well and pointing a finger to his lips. "Stay quiet. Don't spook it."

Ranboo quickly nodded his head and made no complaints as the clearly unhinged man led him to the basement trapdoor--resolutely ignoring how horrific that truly sounded--since he very much liked the fact that his head was attached to his shoulders.

Techno produced a torch from his inventory, marginally adding to the light of the torch already there. Some feet away, near the back of the room, laid the pieces of a broken glass bottle. As they walked closer to investigate, Techno grabbed his sleeve, halting him in his tracks, then gestured with his torch something off to the side.

Well, someone, actually.

Someone that Ranboo thought he recognized, though he wasn't sure why.

He addressed them, a simple greeting, but in a foreign tongue Techno could never hope to understand.

They jolted, retracting from rummaging in a chest to stare unblinking at the two. Their ears were perked, tail raised, the same pose they usually took just before they vanished.

Except, this time, they broke into a wide grin. They responded, just as indecipherable and not too unlike the guttural sounds of regular endermen, but in what Techno assumed to be an enthusiastic tone.

Ranboo too smiled, pointing to himself before pointing to them. Again, they replied, having lost interest in the chest enough to fully face them.

"So, what's up? What's it sayin'?" Techno interrupted, reminding Ranboo of the whole reason he was brought here in the first place.

"Oh! Right, so, this is a Farlands enderman, Farlander for short. They're super rare, especially so close to the server spawn. I'm not really sure why or how he got here-"

"Ranboo, Ranboo, it's great yer makin' friends and all, but can ya ask why he keeps trespassin' on my property?"

"Uh, I can try? I'm actually pretty bad at speaking Enderian besides the basics. I can understand it perfectly, even though he's got kinda, I guess what you guys would call an 'accent,' but anyway, holding a conversation is a whole different-"

The Farlander spoke again, surprising the duo to see he'd gotten closer.

"Oh, perfect! He understands English!"

"Wow, that's really convenient. Well, what'd he say?"

"He said he really likes honey."

Techno blinked, glancing between the two enders. "What does that have to do with my basement?"

At this, the Farlander took out a glass bottle as if demonstrating something while he explained.

"He saw how mad you got about what he did to the hives so he got the idea to harvest the honey in bottles like he saw you do before," Ranboo translated.

"That's it? Ya just wanted honey? Ya coulda just asked!"

He deadpanned and muttered something.

"You wouldn't have understood him. Plus, he didn't say this, but you'd probably be pretty freaked out if he just appeared one day trying to ask for honey in Enderian."

"I was pretty freaked out when this thief snuck into my basement and started stealin' my stuff! It wasn't about honey then, now was it?"

The Farlander fidgeted with his nails, sheepishly saying something under his breath.

"He was just really hungry and needed food, but he's sorry for scaring you."

"Scared? Of this oversized fluffball? Not a chance, I was merely confused. But nonetheless, I accept yer apology."

He beamed, showing off sharp canines, as his tail wagged behind him.

"Well, seems like you guys have this figured out now, so I'm gonna-"

"Ah-ah, not so fast, Ranboo. I wanna know what this guy's plan is! Are ya just gonna keep stealin' from me?"

The Farlander seemed to have a sad look on his face when he spoke now. Ranboo placed a hand over his heart, clearly touched by what he said.

"He'd gotten separated from his haunt in a blizzard. He tried looking for them, but hasn't found a single trace, so now he's alone trying to fend for himself."

"Yeah, sounds exactly like the kinda tragic backstory a traitor gives ya before stabbin' ya in the back."

"I'm... not gonna try to unpack all that, but it is serious for endermen to stay with their haunts until they're ready to go out on their own."

"I fail to see how's that my problem."

"Dude..."

"Yer the other enderman here! I dunno the first thing about takin' care of-"

Their argument was interrupted by the Farlander abruptly throwing his arms around Techno's shoulders and hugging him. The pinkette scowled at Ranboo's smug expression.

"Looks like he's already made up his mind."

And that was how Techno accidentally acquired a roommate.

[nerdynanny]

PHANTOM FALLS

An AU cooked up by @sonxflight / @plxsmius and I cooked up. This post is for reference and I guess if folks want to join in they can? We don't own this concept, but here are some fun headcanons/canons for this AU. Ours has a scooch of Samurai Jack tied into it.

Stanford, Jack, Maddie, and Vlad all went to college together. Ford goes to the University of Wisconsin on a scholarship and rooms with Vlad and Jack. They're the nerds of the school, and often play Dungeons, Dungeons & More Dungeons [with Vlad and Ford swapping DM roles].

A transfer student Ryou [aka 'Jack'] takes the last space as their roommate and joins them in being well known nerds on campus. Ryou majors in medicine while Jack, Vlad, Maddie and Ford all major in paranormal studies. Ford eventually broadens his horizon, obtaining two additional PhD degrees. He'd eventually add nine more to fill out the full twelve he'll have in his 60s.

The portal incident happens-- but Ford is inspired by the Jacks to sneak into the hospital that Vlad is being kept in-- to liberate him. He also spells out how horribly that their botched experiment could've scarred him-- making it clear to Jack that he fucked up.

In order to break in, Ford contacts his brother-- an expert at getting into places where he's not wanted. The two are extremely abrasive with each other, but Stan agrees to help out of the challenge to break into the hospital.

The group gears up, and with Stan taking the lead-- they go and break Vlad out from under government watch. Vlad was holed up by well suited agents, and told none of his friends had came to visit. He's still struggling with his identity-- and confides in Ford about his half-ghost status.

Ford agrees to help him find a cure while he goes to work on his PhD-- moving to Gravity Falls to study the paranomal and strange. He pioneers the field of cryptozoology and weirdology. Ryou moves in as his partner and he eventually brings on Fiddleford as his assistant for his experiments.

Ryou spends a lot of time away-- though Ford doesn't mind. He's met a being from another dimension-- his Muse.

Jack and Maddie settle down, but keep in contact with Vlad, Ford, and Ryou. Eventually Ford goes silent, resulting in his friends becoming concerned. When they finally manage to get to Gravity Falls, they find Stan living in Ford's place.

He claims there had been an accident, that he'd lost two fingers and a lot of his memories. Ryou recognizes Stan. But he helps the man cover for the sake of helping. He figured Stan had a good reason to pretend to be his brother-- and learns the truth of the accident.

The two of them work tirelessly for the next twenty years. During which time Jack and Maddie had children, who were teenagers by the time Mabel and Dipper came to visit their Grunkle for the summer.

Eventually Stan and Ryou-- funded by Vlad [as a silent partner] fix the portal. Thirty years have passed for Ford-- and he's not keen on seeing his brother stole his life. But it seems they have bigger worries.

Bill has spent time trying to gain access to the Ghost Zone, and thus-- the real world. His Weirdmageddon poses a far larger threat.

[digitxlagency]

The Role of User Experience (UX) in CRO: Why Design Matters

In today's competitive digital landscape, businesses are constantly seeking ways to enhance their websites and drive higher conversions. One of the most effective methods for achieving this is Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO), and at the heart of any successful CRO strategy lies User Experience (UX) design. But why does UX matter so much when it comes to improving conversion rates? Let’s explore the critical role of UX in CRO and how focusing on design can make all the difference.

The Importance of User Experience

User Experience encompasses the entire interaction a user has with a website, from the moment they land on a page to the completion of a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. A seamless, intuitive, and pleasant experience ensures that users can navigate a site with ease, ultimately leading to higher conversions.

When the importance of user experience is overlooked, businesses run the risk of alienating potential customers through confusing layouts, slow load times, or poor mobile optimisation. In contrast, a well-designed website can dramatically enhance user satisfaction and increase the likelihood of conversions, making UX a vital element of any CRO strategy.

The Role of User Experience in CRO

So, what role does UX design play in CRO? At its core, UX design is about reducing friction points—those moments where users experience confusion or frustration. CRO aims to optimise these moments to increase the chances of users completing a desired action.

Here’s how UX directly impacts conversion rates:

Ease of Navigation: A clear and simple navigation structure enables users to find what they’re looking for quickly. If visitors have to dig through multiple pages to reach their goal, they're likely to abandon the site.

Mobile Responsiveness: With more users accessing websites through mobile devices, ensuring that your site is fully responsive across all devices is crucial. A mobile-friendly design enhances UX and can significantly boost conversions.

Visual Hierarchy: The way content is presented matters. By guiding users' eyes to key areas such as calls-to-action (CTAs) or important information through strategic design choices, you can improve user engagement and increase conversions.

Page Speed: Slow-loading websites lead to user frustration and higher bounce rates. Optimising UX involves reducing page load times to keep users engaged and on track to conversion.

Trust and Credibility: Well-designed websites build trust. Elements such as clear messaging, professional design, and easy-to-find contact information contribute to an overall positive user experience, which, in turn, increases conversion rates.

Design Matters for CRO Success

When CRO and UX come together, the results can be powerful. For instance, simply improving the placement and design of a CTA button or reducing form fields can result in a significant uptick in conversions. This is where the expertise of a specialised CRO agency in Australia comes into play, offering tailored strategies that combine data-driven insights with exceptional design to optimise user experience and drive business growth.

At a CRO agency, professionals understand that UX is not just about aesthetics; it’s about understanding user behaviour, analysing data, and implementing design changes that resonate with your audience. By partnering with experts, businesses can ensure that their website is optimised for both usability and conversions.

Conclusion

The importance of user experience in CRO cannot be overstated. Good UX design is essential for keeping users engaged, guiding them through the conversion funnel, and ensuring they leave your website with a positive impression. Whether you’re aiming to reduce bounce rates, increase sales, or grow your subscriber base, focusing on UX design is the key to unlocking higher conversion rates.

If you're ready to elevate your website’s performance through enhanced UX design, consider reaching out to a CRO agency in Australia that can help you optimise your digital strategy and drive meaningful results.

[dsudis]

For the ask meme, how about P (Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).)

Ahhh man that is so much pressure! Inventing a whole new AU!

Okay, this is almost certainly not a new AU concept but! One I do not see enough of!

Your blorbos are a Gate Team out of Stargate Command. You get to decide which ones are military or civilians or aliens, what their specialties are, and which one keeps dying and being resurrected, and they go have weird hijinks on alien planets that all look pretty much like the outskirts of Vancouver, featuring populations of humans transplanted by ancient alien/gods!

So for instance if I was gonna do a Sandman Stargate AU

(I'm not!)

Hob is the anti-Dr. Jackson--he seems to die on a very regular basis but he's never actually dead. If you think he got killed on an alien planet you need to go back and look for him again because he will be there! Not at all dead!

Dream is some sort of civilian expert--an anthropologist specializing in common narratives and the way stories show relationships between societies--who somehow got recruited from the UK and displays a constant vague distaste for all the military everything and all the violence right up until the chips are really down and then he reveals himself to be terrifyingly badass actually

(he just dies the once.)

In season 3 it's revealed that Dream's younger brother was a mililtary member of a Gate team who disappeared under hushed-up circumstances and that's actually why Dream got himself into the program, to find out what happened to him--and it turns out he went AWOL voluntarily and is living very happily on an alien planet somewhere, but a lot of people get killed in the string of missions that lead to them finding that out, and he refuses to come back and relocates to a different planet as soon as they're gone so he can never be found again)

In the pilot episode Matthew's there as a military intelligence type guy on their gate team--the obligatory American to Hob and Dream and Jo's Brits--and then he gets killed but Dream figures out how to use a weird alien artifact to save him, except he gets transferred into an alien bird's body instead of it fixing his own body

Jo is British Army, from a long line of family members who have died in military service, usually doing something really weird and secret

her dad was on an early gate team, maybe even the first one--the one from the movie, that went to Abydos and fought Ra and thought that that was the only destination the gate could go to. He was killed there, and Jo wasn't told what really happened to him, but she knew it was something other than what they told her--and she was vindicated when she was recruited into the Stargate program by somebody who was with him on that last mission.

(Her dad was also an asshole, this is not like a touching vindication of him as a hero, he was a complete dick and a terrible dad and probably would have been an even worse one if he hadn't died, but that didn't mean Jo wasn't going to find out the truth and follow in his footsteps.)

Episodes 2-5 include a tragicomic subplot about Matthew's plight as a dead human and live alien bird and whether he's allowed to still be on the team or is just going to be a mascot in the SGC, and meanwhile a new charming blond American guy is temporarily assigned to Hob and Dream and Jo's team, and it's when Corin reveals he's an alien plant and tries to murder Dream that you first see Dream really turn on his badassery

after that they get young Lt. Rose Walker as their obligatory American for the rest of the series. Matthew is also on the team but they prefer to field four people who can all do stuff requiring thumbs.

See! Easy peasy! Go forth and write Stargate AUs for your favorite fandoms and characters!

Haha no I am not writing this what are you talking about

[whotookmysenbon]

You've mentioned wisteria and deathcaps so far, so I'm guessing you're more a fan of plant-based toxins than animal- and metal-based ones like what Suna uses. Do you have a favorite to work with?

Ohohoh. Finally, a good fucking ask. Yes! I use mostly plant and fungus based poisons rather than metallic animal sourced poisons. This is for a variety of reasons. I'll break it down by type. (Editing note, throwing this under a read more cut because I got carried away and wrote an essay. Ino says it's rude to clog people's feeds with unwanted ridiculously long posts.)

Metallic poisons.

These are rare in Konoha because of the elements needed to make these poisons. Suna uses them occasionally but mostly it's Iwa and Kumo that are known for their metallic poisons. I don't use them because they're almost impossible for a cloak and dagger assassin like myself to use reliably. I'd be better off just dumping a bucket of acid on someone. They take weeks or even months to show symptoms, but once it's there you aren't stopping it. Metallic poisoning is almost always a 100% fatality. Lead, Chromium, Arsenic, those are all used in infiltration assassinations. The long plan, make it look like an accident type. Although, there was a case in Suna a while back about the Kazekage's brother nearly being taken out by a fast acting Mercury based poison, so I guess there are exceptions. You have to be careful with that though, because it is impossible to build up a resistance to metallic poisons. There is no antidote, no cure other than ripping the poison from the body via either extreme dilution or a prodigiously skilled medical nin.

Animal sourced poisons and venoms

These actually used to be Konoha's calling card, in the second shinobi war. Our huge centipedes are still used for venom occasionally when we want to make an example out of someone and make it clear Konoha did this. There's a problem with them though. The lesser problem is most animal venoms and poisons, while extremely fast acting, are curable with an antivenom or antidote. Still, with how fast they work it's pretty easy to circumvent that. It's not like puff-adder or water cobra antivenoms are included in field kits. No, the real reason this is far more rarely used is because the last real animal sourced poisons expert was Orochimaru. He used poison in everything in the second shinobi war and it kinda became one of his signatures. Then he passed the mantle of venom specialist onto Anko (who still technically holds that title to this day but rarely uses it) and retired to work on his ninjutsu and medical studies and we alllllll know how that ended up. Long story short, venoms and animal based poisons like from frogs and whatnot are far, far more heavily regulated because of how Orochimaru used them (which is stupid, a weapon is a weapon, it bears no hold on the wielder) and a pain to get ahold of unless a mission specifically requests it. So despite Konoha's surplus of venomous giant insects and tree snakes and home to the whole poisonous insect division with the Aburame, we tend to shy away from those stuff. (Except in war time, in which anything goes and if the only thing I have to tip my senbon in is rubbing them on the backs of whatever brightly colored frog I find, I'm gonna use it.)

Plant based poisons:

My specialty! Plant and fungal poisons are many, and easy to misdiagnose. Really fucking easy. Oh you have a fever and some stomach pain? You think you have a cold SIKE IT WAS SHROOMS AND YOUR FUCKIN DEAD-

And! With the forest of death and Lord First's leftover chakra absolutely everywhere, Konoha is great for growing poisonous plants. I personally prefer hemlock and nightshade because they get the job done fairly quickly, and are easy to slip into food. But when I get to have a little more fun with the target... Datura is hilarious, especially when mixed with wisteria. Because what's more fun than killing some asshole in cold blood, when you can make that same asshole wander in circles for three hours screeching at hallucinations and shitting himself and then choking on his own blood. Anyways. There's my little expose. Oh! Chakra poisons are also a thing, but nobody knows what the fuck they are or how to counter them really. Mostly the Aburame are familiar with them and hate them because it kills their freaky bugs.

[chaos0pikachu]

Hi Pika, I don't know if you've been following gmmtv's take over of wabi sabi, I just want to ask you: given that so many companies are part of TBLC which is like a Thai BL content association, do you have any idea why gmmtv isn't a part of it? BOC, DMD, Star Hunter, Copy A Bangkok, Channel 3 are all part of it, I'm just wondering why gmmtv isn't even thought it's the biggest bl company? Wabi Sabi was/is a part of it. (idk exactly)

I can't emphasize enough that I am NOT an expert on this snaps lmao so anything I say that isn't like a direct link to an article or further reading source is speculation on my part. You're a sweetheart Anon but I just wanna let you know that like if you wanna know about the American publishing or entertainment industry but I don't wanna present myself as like ~an expert~ when my ass ain't ya know?

So my short answer is fuck if I know lol I hadn't even heard of the TBLC till this ask

For folks interested in it, here's the livestream they hosted for it (it's 45ish minutes) and it doesn't have subs though. But it seems to be connected to Thailand's soft power committee, here's an article on that:

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who chairs the committee, tasked deputy chairwoman Paetongtarn Shinawatra with leading two national initiatives: One Family One Soft Power (OFOS) and the Thailand Creative Content Agency (THACCA). The goal of the initiatives is skills training to create 20 million jobs that will generate annual income of 4 trillion baht. OFOS and THACCA will be implemented in three phases: First, to boost human resources, 20 million children, adults, and seniors in under village and community funds will get free training in fields such as food, Muay Thai, arts, performance, singing, design, fashion, e-sports, and more, free of charge.

For folks who may not know, soft power is a term coined by political scientist Joseph S. Nye Jr. in his article Soft Power published by Foreign Policy magazine.

"In the 1980s, political scientist Joseph Nye Jr. coined the term soft power, defining it as a country’s ability to influence others without resorting to coercive pressure. In practice, that process entails countries projecting their values, ideals, and culture across borders to foster goodwill and strengthen partnerships." (source)

Soft power is a form of governmental influence internationally, and works conjunction with "hard power".

Examples of "soft power" are the American space program, athletes performing at the Olympics, and on the media side, military propaganda films like Captain Marvel, (yes I consider Captain Marvel a military propaganda film the film opens with a freaking air force ad lmao).

You see other countries using similar tactics as well, for every Top Gun there's China's Wolf Warrior 2 or Hidden Blade. For South Korea, BTS and k-pop is most definitely used as a source of soft power. This is just something governments do.

Okay so like, gmmtv and BL we've been hearing for a minute now that BL and GL are part of the Thai governments plans for soft power.

Mile and Apo have spoken about this specifically when promoting Man Suang and here's a recent video of them working in conjunction with the government on Shine:

(source)

Even Mew's talked about Thailand's soft power in interviews before (context, Mew was the first Thai musician to break into the American Billboard charts):

(source)

It's not just BL either, Idol Factory's Freen and Becky of The Gap fame got in on this too:

So like, it sounds like this meeting/committee in general is just an extension of the Thai governments plans for expanding their soft power which includes how to better support this now highly in demand industry (BL/GL shows) b/c the government sees its international value.

I can only assume that like, gmmtv feels it doesn't need~ government support as a production company? They're the biggest BL studio in the game and have an annoying stranglehold on territories like America and Latin America already. It doesn't really matter what the quality of the shows even are, gmmtv have that sweet parasocial grip on audiences.

[my forever frustrations with gmmtv and how they sell idols and parasocial relationships not BL/GL shows is a totally different post so lemme stop]

Other companies don't really have that same hold on international audiences. At least not consistently? And the biggest concern is funding.

I think anyone with eyeballs can see Kinnporsche is the best well produced BL that's come out of Thailand (argue with the wall) in terms of overall technical quality. But that level of quality is expensive, the CGI in The Sign is freaking expensive, The Next Prince's pilot is so obviously pricey as all fuck you can tell the studio is banking on it selling.

Which is why studios like Idol Factory, Domandi or BOC only come out with a one or two shows a year in comparison to gmmtv's like 16. They need funding, not just for filming the show but also marketing. Filmmaking is hella expensive.

[I'm not talking about whether y'all liked this show or that show, I'm talking about technical quality, shows like Kinnporsche, The Sign, Pit Babe are all better on a technical level than stuff like 1000 Stars, Only Friends or Cooking Crush.]

Why didn't gmmtv attend the event or participate, baby I legit do not know. I can't answer that with any sort of certainty only their execs could answer that, I can only guess.

And my best guess is b/c the company feels confident they're fine on their own. They don't need funding assistance, nor assistance reaching an international market (tho maybe some assistance in getting their contracts straight hope Ossan's Love doesn't face the same distribution issues as Cherry Magic lmao).

For more information on the event itself I really liked this post on reddit that I felt broke everything down very well.

Anyway sorry this got so long Anon but I hope it at least provided some interesting information!