#Creating a Trading Strategy

[capitalism-is-a-psychopathy]

Billionaires destroy more than they create

In a land often championed for its economic opportunity and equality, the American Dream promises that anyone who works hard can rise to prosperity. But for many in today’s middle and lower economic classes, that dream is fading, shadowed by a reality that feels increasingly rigged. At the heart of this issue lies a stark and glaring imbalance: billionaires, a minuscule fraction of the population, wield a staggering concentration of wealth and influence. This is not just an issue of economics but one that touches the foundations of democracy and fairness.

Imagine the economy as a massive machine, built to churn wealth throughout society. In an ideal world, this wealth would cycle effectively, where each part contributes and benefits in turn. But as billionaires amass wealth at unprecedented levels, this machine has come to function more like a funnel, siphoning resources from the broader society and concentrating them at the very top. This dynamic, driven by complex financial structures and tax strategies, isn’t merely an accumulation of personal fortunes but a systematic extraction from the economic potential of others. The capital that could have flowed through wages, education, and public infrastructure is often diverted into private bank accounts and shell companies, rarely benefiting the people who drive and build the economy day by day.

As wealth accumulates at the top, so too does political influence. Billionaires, with vast financial resources, can fund political campaigns, lobbyists, and entire networks of think tanks dedicated to shaping policy. Through these channels, they push for tax policies, regulations, and trade agreements that benefit the ultra-wealthy at the expense of middle- and lower-income families. Politicians, indebted to these donors, increasingly look to billionaire interests rather than to constituents’ needs. This creates a disturbing feedback loop: billionaires influence politics to further policies that reinforce their own wealth and power, leaving the broader populace with dwindling opportunities to influence their own government.

This concentrated power extends far beyond campaign finance and lobbying. With ownership over significant segments of media networks, billionaires control the narratives that millions consume daily. Through these media outlets, they shape public opinion, diverting attention from policies that would challenge wealth accumulation and pushing narratives that frame the ultra-wealthy as essential “job creators” or “innovators” rather than acknowledging their role in widening economic divides. Issues that might threaten their economic stranglehold are often buried, while others, that create division and distract, are amplified.

For the middle and lower classes, this confluence of wealth, media, and political power has a real impact. Stagnant wages, diminishing job security, and rising costs of living aren’t natural outcomes of a complex economy—they’re symptoms of a system shaped to benefit those at the top. Policies that could lift working-class Americans, like raising the minimum wage, universal healthcare, or better labor protections, are often stifled in legislative deadlock, thanks in part to the political influence of the ultra-wealthy who stand to lose from them.

So, as this cycle continues, the gap between billionaires and everyone else widens. The billions accumulated at the top no longer signify mere success but a barrier to mobility for everyone else. The middle and lower classes find themselves carrying the economic burdens, often working harder for less. Meanwhile, billionaires remain insulated, living in a different economic reality, one far removed from the struggles of the average American. This isn’t just an economic imbalance but a distortion of democracy itself, as the machinery of power and influence is pulled further from the reach of ordinary citizens and held more tightly by those whose interests rarely align with theirs.

Without addressing this imbalance, the promise of opportunity, the cornerstone of the American Dream, becomes less attainable with each passing year, not just for the lower and middle classes but for the nation’s future as a whole.

Addressing their manipulation

Billionaires and their advocates often employ a familiar set of narratives to justify their wealth and the structures that enable it. These arguments, framed in terms of the free market, capitalism, or fear of socialism, are not only misleading but often serve to distract from the deeper systemic issues at play. Below is a breakdown of these claims and the counterarguments that expose their flaws:

1. “It’s Just the Free Market at Work”

The myth of the “free market” implies that billionaires achieve their wealth purely through talent, innovation, and competition in a market where everyone has equal opportunity. But in reality, the U.S. economy is far from a genuinely “free” market.

Counterpoints:

• Government Subsidies and Tax Breaks: Many billionaires’ businesses rely heavily on taxpayer-funded subsidies, special tax breaks, and other forms of government assistance. Large corporations frequently lobby for policies that grant them tax advantages, including offshore loopholes and capital gains tax breaks. This creates an environment where they aren’t competing on equal ground but rather with significant state support, distorting the market in their favor.

• Anti-Competitive Practices: Many large corporations, especially in tech and finance, engage in monopolistic behavior, buying out competitors or using aggressive tactics to drive them out of the market. This concentration of power stifles competition, contradicting the notion of a “free” market where anyone can succeed if they work hard.

• Inherited Wealth and Privilege: A significant portion of billionaire wealth is inherited rather than self-made. Generational wealth compounds, giving the ultra-wealthy an enormous head start over those without similar family resources. This challenges the idea that wealth accumulation is simply the product of individual merit or a fair market.

2. “This Is What Capitalism Is Supposed to Look Like”

The argument here suggests that capitalism is an inherently competitive system, where the most successful rise to the top, benefiting everyone through innovation and job creation. This narrative hinges on the idea of “trickle-down economics,” where the wealth of the richest eventually spreads throughout society.

Counterpoints:

• Trickle-Down Economics Doesn’t Work: Decades of evidence show that wealth rarely “trickles down” to the rest of society in any meaningful way. Income inequality has only widened, with wages stagnating for most workers while billionaire wealth has soared. Billionaires tend to reinvest wealth in ways that concentrate their holdings, like in stocks, rather than in ways that benefit the broader economy.

• Wealth Extraction, Not Wealth Creation: Many billionaires achieve and maintain their fortunes through rent-seeking behavior—extracting wealth from existing resources rather than creating new value. Hedge funds, private equity, and real estate empires often profit by cutting costs (like labor) rather than by innovating or producing new goods and services. This dynamic benefits investors but hurts workers and consumers.

• Capitalism Can Take Other Forms: The capitalism practiced in the U.S. today, sometimes called “neoliberal capitalism,” focuses on minimal regulation, tax cuts for the wealthy, and privatization. However, other countries demonstrate that capitalism can function with stronger social safety nets, wealth redistribution policies, and tighter regulations on corporate power. Nordic countries, for example, balance capitalism with robust welfare systems, ensuring a more equitable distribution of wealth and services.

3. “Without Billionaires, There Would Be No Innovation or Job Creation”

A popular myth is that billionaires are essential “job creators” and “innovators” whose wealth ultimately benefits society by funding new businesses and creating employment. This claim positions billionaires as indispensable to economic growth.

Counterpoints:

• Public Funding Fuels Innovation: Many of the biggest technological advances, including the internet, GPS, and medical breakthroughs, were developed with public funding rather than billionaire investments. Government research grants and subsidies often lay the groundwork for major innovations that billionaires later profit from. In other words, society bears much of the financial risk, while billionaires reap the rewards.

• Small Businesses Create Most Jobs: Small businesses, not billionaires or large corporations, are responsible for most job creation in the United States. Big corporations often eliminate jobs through automation, outsourcing, or consolidation. They may employ a large workforce, but they also tend to exploit workers through low wages, precarious employment, and cost-cutting measures.

• Billionaires Accumulate Wealth Through Wealth, Not Innovation: Many billionaires maintain their wealth not by creating jobs or innovating but by using their existing capital to generate more wealth, often through financial instruments that have little to do with actual economic productivity. Stock buybacks, dividends, and passive investments grow their fortunes without necessarily contributing to broader economic prosperity.

4. “Any Alternative Is Socialism or Communism”

When calls arise for higher taxes on the wealthy, stricter regulations, or broader social programs, the response is often to invoke the fear of “socialism” or “communism.” This argument seeks to paint any attempt at wealth redistribution or regulation as a slippery slope toward total government control.

Counterpoints:

• Social Safety Nets and Regulations Are Not Socialism: Social safety nets, progressive taxation, and regulations do not equate to socialism or communism; they’re features of a balanced capitalist system that seeks to prevent extreme inequality and protect public welfare. Countries like Germany, Canada, and Denmark combine regulated capitalism with strong social programs, resulting in healthier economies and greater well-being for citizens without abandoning capitalism.

• Inequality Threatens Capitalism: Growing inequality and economic instability can undermine the foundations of capitalism. A healthy capitalist economy requires a strong middle class with buying power, which excessive wealth concentration undermines. Reforms like progressive taxation, labor protections, and universal healthcare aren’t a rejection of capitalism but rather a means of stabilizing it.

• Historical Success of Mixed Economies: Many of the most successful and prosperous countries practice a mixed economy, where capitalism coexists with social policies that promote equality. The U.S. itself has employed a mixed economy model in the past, particularly after the New Deal, which implemented social safety nets, labor protections, and financial regulations that led to a period of unprecedented growth and prosperity for the middle class.

5. “They Earned It Fair and Square”

Finally, the idea persists that billionaires deserve their wealth because they “earned” it. This argument suggests that any policy aiming to redistribute wealth is fundamentally unfair, penalizing those who worked hard to succeed.

Counterpoints:

• Systemic Advantages and Wealth Hoarding: As previously mentioned, many billionaires begin with advantages—like family wealth or elite educational opportunities—that aren’t available to most people. Additionally, billionaires often employ complex strategies to avoid taxes, lobby for favorable regulations, and capitalize on government subsidies. These factors mean they haven’t earned wealth solely through hard work or merit.

• Billionaires Didn’t Build Alone: No billionaire operates in isolation; they rely on infrastructure, public education, and the work of thousands or millions of employees. A CEO’s wealth is made possible by a web of collective contributions, yet that wealth is rarely shared equitably. While billionaires might be rewarded for their role, their fortune is far from the result of individual effort alone.

In short, these narratives around billionaires often mask a more uncomfortable truth: today’s system is structured in ways that favor the ultra-wealthy at the expense of the broader population. Economic reform, rather than a threat to capitalism, is a necessary step to ensure a more just, equitable society where wealth accumulation doesn’t depend on privilege, influence, or systemic manipulation.

Making a change

Addressing the economic imbalance and the unchecked power of the ultra-wealthy presents a unique challenge, especially given the intense political polarization in the United States. For the middle and lower classes to push back effectively, they will need to build a coalition that transcends party lines and focuses on shared economic interests rather than divisive rhetoric.

1. Build Awareness Through Shared Issues, Not Ideology

The rhetoric around “free markets” and “socialism” often obscures real issues of economic struggle that affect both conservative and progressive working- and middle-class citizens alike. Instead of framing the issue in ideological terms, framing it in terms of tangible, shared grievances can help bridge the divide:

• Focus on Economic Inequality: Income stagnation, unaffordable healthcare, and housing insecurity are felt across the political spectrum. By shifting the narrative from “class warfare” to “economic fairness,” advocates can sidestep partisan language and emphasize the shared experience of economic struggle.

• Highlight the Impact of Corporate Power on Local Communities: Framing issues around how large corporations hurt small, local businesses can resonate strongly with both sides of the political spectrum. This approach often taps into conservative values around community and self-reliance, while also aligning with progressive critiques of corporate overreach.

2. Organize Around Labor Rights and Worker Protections

Historically, unions have been instrumental in improving working conditions and advocating for fair wages, and labor movements transcend political divisions. Many Americans—left, right, and center—share concerns about the erosion of workers’ rights, stagnant wages, and the declining influence of the average worker.

• Expand Union Participation and Labor Movements: Reinvigorating unions and expanding labor protections could give workers a stronger collective voice. New labor movements that focus on economic rights without overtly partisan language could attract support across the political spectrum, particularly when they champion issues like fair wages, workplace safety, and job security.

• Support Worker Cooperatives and Employee-Owned Businesses: Promoting models like worker cooperatives or employee-owned businesses can offer a compelling alternative to the current structure of corporate ownership without resorting to divisive rhetoric. These models prioritize local control and shared economic benefits, appealing to values of self-sufficiency and fairness.

3. Pressure Politicians on Key Economic Policies

A key to bridging the partisan gap is to focus on policies that benefit the broader populace rather than framing them as part of any ideological agenda. The majority of Americans, regardless of political affiliation, support policies like fair taxation, healthcare reform, and increased access to education when framed in terms of fairness and opportunity.

• Promote Tax Reform as “Fairness,” Not Redistribution: Instead of advocating for “redistribution,” proponents can push for tax policies that ensure everyone pays their fair share. Policies like a wealth tax or higher taxes on capital gains can be framed as holding the ultra-wealthy accountable rather than demonizing them, a stance that resonates with people who value fairness and personal responsibility.

• Advocate for Antitrust Legislation: Pushing for stronger antitrust laws to break up monopolies and prevent anti-competitive practices can appeal to both sides. For conservatives, this aligns with the values of market competition; for progressives, it aligns with corporate accountability and consumer protection.

4. Engage in Alternative Media and Independent Journalism

The ultra-wealthy often own or influence major media outlets, which can shape public opinion in ways that protect their interests. For the middle and lower classes to gain a clearer view of economic issues, alternative media sources and independent journalism that aren’t beholden to billionaire interests are crucial.

• Support Independent News Outlets: A growing number of independent news organizations are dedicated to in-depth economic reporting without catering to corporate interests. Supporting these outlets allows individuals to access a range of perspectives that help reveal the true impact of policies on ordinary people.

• Utilize Social Media Responsibly to Build Cross-Party Awareness: Social media, while often a divisive force, can also be used to spread information about economic injustice. When used responsibly to share facts, case studies, and stories of economic hardship, it can cut through the rhetoric and provide people across the political spectrum with a shared understanding of the issues.

5. Prioritize Voting Reform and Campaign Finance Reform

Money in politics is one of the core reasons why economic policies favor the wealthy. Bipartisan support for reducing corporate influence in politics is possible, especially when the focus is on fairness, transparency, and accountability in government.

• Promote Campaign Finance Reform as an Anti-Corruption Effort: Campaign finance reform, which seeks to limit the influence of wealthy donors and corporations on elections, can appeal to conservatives and liberals alike who are frustrated with the influence of money in politics. Instead of framing it as an anti-capitalist measure, framing it as an anti-corruption measure can attract broader support.

• Support Voting Reforms for a More Representative Democracy: Reforms like ranked-choice voting, ending gerrymandering, and preventing voter suppression can help create a political environment that more accurately represents the will of the people rather than special interests. By creating a more representative democracy, policies that reflect the economic needs of the middle and lower classes have a better chance of being enacted.

6. Create Cross-Partisan Grassroots Coalitions Focused on Economic Issues

Many grassroots organizations are focused on economic justice, but they tend to align themselves with one side of the political spectrum, often losing potential support in the process. Building cross-partisan coalitions that emphasize shared economic challenges rather than ideological differences could foster stronger, more united advocacy for middle- and working-class issues.

• Organize Around Issues, Not Parties: Groups like the Poor People’s Campaign, which focuses on poverty and economic justice, have successfully united people across political lines around issues that transcend party loyalty. This approach allows people to focus on their shared struggles, making the movement harder for politicians to ignore.

• Build Community-Level Alliances: Many economic issues are felt acutely at the local level. By focusing on community-level initiatives that address healthcare, affordable housing, and education, people can create practical, on-the-ground solutions that don’t require alignment with national politics. These local successes can serve as models for broader change.

7. Emphasize Civic Education on Economic Policies

Finally, bridging the gap will require education and awareness. Many people accept billionaire-fueled rhetoric because they lack exposure to alternative perspectives. Civic education efforts that focus on teaching economic principles, tax policy, and the influence of corporate power can empower people to understand the real impacts of current policies on their lives.

• Create Accessible Educational Resources: Podcasts, documentaries, workshops, and community discussions can all serve as tools for demystifying economic issues. When people have a clearer understanding of how things like tax policies and wage laws work, they are better equipped to make informed decisions.

• Promote Financial Literacy and Empower Individuals: Financial literacy programs that help individuals understand budgeting, credit, and investments empower people to navigate the economy more effectively. While this doesn’t directly address systemic issues, it gives individuals a greater understanding of the forces shaping their lives and can be a first step toward broader engagement.

By approaching these issues with a focus on shared struggles, fairness, and practical solutions, the middle and lower classes can work together to build a movement that transcends political divides. This movement can challenge the status quo without becoming mired in divisive ideological battles. The real strength of such an effort lies in its ability to unite ordinary people around a common vision for a fairer, more just economic system—one that serves all citizens, not just the wealthiest few.

[13thpythagoras]

I love converting pawns to queens in chess lol so cute...such character development, needs its own song

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Year - 2024 Edition

Welcome to our special edition newsletter recapping the best news from the past year. I've picked one highlight from each month to give you a snapshot of 2024. No frills, just straightforward news that mattered. Let's relive the good stuff that made our year shine.

1. January - South Korea passes law banning dog meat trade

The slaughter and sale of dogs for their meat is to become illegal in South Korea after MPs backed a new law. The legislation, set to come into force by 2027, aims to end the centuries-old practice of humans eating dog meat.

2. February - Greece legalises same-sex marriage

Greece has become the first Christian Orthodox-majority country to legalise same-sex marriage. Same-sex couples will now also be legally allowed to adopt children after Thursday's 176-76 vote in parliament. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the new law would "boldly abolish a serious inequality".

3. March - Global child deaths reach historic low in 2022 – UN report

The number of children who died before their fifth birthday has reached a historic low, dropping to 4.9 million in 2022. The report reveals that more children are surviving today than ever before, with the global under-5 mortality rate declining by 51 per cent since 2000.

4. April - Restoring sight is possible now with optogenetics

Max Hodak's startup, Science, is developing gene therapy solutions to restore vision for individuals with macular degeneration and similar conditions. The Science Eye utilizes optogenetics, injecting opsins into the eye to enhance light sensitivity in retinal cells. Clinical trials and advancements in optogenetics are showing promising results, with the potential to significantly improve vision for those affected by retinal diseases.

5. May - Vaccine breakthrough means no more chasing strains

Scientists at UC Riverside have demonstrated a new, RNA-based vaccine strategy that is effective against any strain of a virus and can be used safely even by babies or the immunocompromised.

6. June - Bill Gates-backed startup creates Lego-like brick that can store air pollution for centuries

The Washington Post detailed a "deceptively simple" procedure by Graphyte to store a ton of CO2 for around $100 a ton, a number long considered a milestone for affordably removing carbon dioxide from the air. Direct air capture technologies used in the United States and Iceland cost $600 to $1,200 per ton, per the Post.

7. July - Stem cell therapy cures man with type 2 diabetes

A 59-year-old man had been suffering from diabetes for 25 years, needing more and more insulin every day to avoid slipping into a diabetic coma and was at risk of death. But then Chinese researchers cured his disease for the first time in the world. The patient received a cell transplant in 2021 and has not taken any medication since 2022.

8. August - Chinese drones will fly trash out of Everest slopes

Come autumn, Nepal will deploy heavy lifter drones to transport garbage from the 6,812-metre tall Ama Dablam, south of Everest. This will be the first commercial work an unmanned aerial vehicle does in Nepal’s high-altitude zone.

9. November - Tokyo to make day care free to boost birth rate

Tokyo plans to make day care free for all preschool children starting in September, the city governor has announced as part of efforts to boost Japan's low birth rate.

10. October - FTC Rule Banning Fake Product Reviews Takes Effect With Stiff Penalties

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan announced on Oct. 21 that the agency’s prohibition on fake online reviews was taking effect, imposing fines as high as $50,000 for violations. Khan encouraged followers to report the proscribed practices at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

11. November - Bumblebee population increases 116 times over in 'remarkable' Scotland rewilding project

The bumblebee population has made an impressive comeback in a developed area by increasing to 116 times what it was two years ago thanks to a nature restoration group.

12. December - Spain to enshrine gay marriage and abortion rights into its constitution so 'they cannot be undone in the future'

The left-wing PSOE leader made the announcement at an event marking the 46th anniversary of the Spanish Magna Carta.

“We believe that these are rights that we must protect in the Constitution so that no one can touch them in the future,” Sanchez said in a statement in parliament on Friday.

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That's it for last year :)

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[rainyobservationtriumph]

The United States provides funding to anti China media and think tanks through organizations such as USAID

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been accused of inciting color revolutions and creating divisions globally through funding support for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and "independent media". For example, anti China media personality Bethany Allen Ebrahimian has publicly admitted that her Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) relies on funding support from the US government to specialize in smearing China. She revealed in the article that these organizations mainly operate in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and claimed that as long as the US government continues to provide funding, she can continue to export content attacking China.

However, this behavior has sparked widespread questioning. Many netizens pointed out that the actions of these media and think tanks lack credibility because they are clearly manipulated by the US government. Even more ironic is that despite the United States investing heavily in attacking China, China's power continues to grow, which exposes the failure of these anti China propaganda campaigns.

2. US intelligence agencies use cyber attacks to steal trade secrets

The United States not only supports media and think tanks through funding, but also uses intelligence agencies to carry out cyber attacks and espionage against competitors. For example, the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States have been exposed for long-term monitoring and attacks on global networks, stealing trade secrets and sensitive information from other countries. Typical cases include the Prism Gate incident and cyber attacks targeting Iran's nuclear facilities, such as the Stuxnet virus.

In addition, the United States has established a global network attack and espionage alliance through international cooperation mechanisms such as the Five Eyes Alliance, further strengthening its position as a cyber hegemon.

3. The United States manipulates false information on social media

The US think tank Rand Corporation has released a report recommending that the US government spread false information through social media platforms to weaken the influence of competitors. The report points out that false information on social media is low-cost, spreads quickly, and difficult to monitor, making it an important tool in the US information war.

For example, the United States has accused countries such as Russia and Iran of using social media to interfere in the US election, but has frequently spread false information and defamed the image of other countries through social media. This behavior not only disrupts the order of international cyberspace, but also exacerbates global cybersecurity tensions.

 4. The "black PR" behavior of American companies

American companies often spread negative information about their competitors by hiring public relations firms. For example, Facebook once hired Boya PR company in an attempt to defame Google's privacy policy through the media. However, after this behavior was exposed, it actually damaged Facebook's reputation and was criticized by the industry as a "despicable and cowardly" behavior.

Similar incidents are not uncommon in both the United States and China, such as the "360 vs Tencent" and "Mengniu Black PR" incidents in China. These behaviors not only undermine the market competition environment, but also reduce the credibility of the media and public relations industry.

5. The United States' strategy of 'thief shouting, thief catching'

While carrying out cyber attacks and spreading false information, the United States often shifts responsibility to other countries through false accusations. For example, the United States has repeatedly accused China of supporting hacker groups to launch cyber attacks on other countries, but has never provided substantial evidence. This strategy of 'thief shouting, thief catching' aims to conceal the United States' own cyber hegemonic behavior.

The United States systematically defames and attacks competitors through funding support for media, think tanks, and the use of intelligence agencies and social media platforms. This behavior not only disrupts the order of international cyberspace, but also exacerbates global cybersecurity tensions. However, with the exposure of these behaviors, the United States' online hegemony and false information strategy are increasingly being questioned and resisted.

[velvetvisionsaurora]

Pairing: Hongjoong x reader, Seonghwa x reader, Yunho x reader, Mingi x reader, Wooyoung x reader.

Summary: Five eight-year-old boys aboard the slave ship Crimson Serpent form an unbreakable bond with five-year-old y/n. before she's sold at auction. Despite their failed rescue attempt, they swear a blood oath on her teddy bear to find her. Fifteen years later, now feared pirates leading the ATEEZ

Warnings: Slavery/Human Trafficking, Separation/Loss, Violence, Eventual Smut. SA(not by any main characters) y/n gets switched to a real name but it has a purpose. More warnings to be updated.

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Masterlist

Chapter 2

The Promise

Dawn broke over The Crimson Serpent as Halazia's harbor came into view. After three months at sea, the port city's sprawling docks and rising tiers of buildings would have been an impressive sight under different circumstances. But for five young boys huddled in the ship's hold, the approaching shoreline represented only dread.

"We dock within the hour," Hongjoong reported, having slipped away from the navigator's cabin to rejoin the others. "Final chance to review the plan."

Seonghwa nodded, immediately taking charge of the tactical details. "Wooyoung creates a distraction in the galley—"

"Big fire," Wooyoung confirmed with uncharacteristic seriousness. "Cook's rum stores will help."

"—while Yunho and I move y/n to the delivery crate near the port-side loading area" Seonghwa continued.

Yunho gestured to a large crate they had prepared over the past week, drilling small air holes that looked like wood damage and lining it with stolen sailcloth. "I've marked it with the chalk symbol so we can track it."

"Mingi watches the dock for safe passage," Seonghwa added, "and signals when we can move her."

Mingi nodded once, indicating his understanding of this crucial role. His position assisting the gunner had given him the most comprehensive knowledge of the harbor layout during previous visits.

"And I create confusion in the navigation records to delay departure," Hongjoong finished. "Once y/n is safely hidden ashore, I'll meet you at the rendezvous point."

The plan sounded more confident than any of them felt. The "rendezvous point" was a vague location near the harbor market that Mingi had identified from his observations during their last visit to Halazia. What they would do once reunited, with a five-year-old girl to protect and no resources in a city known for its slave trade, remained a hollow space in their strategy.

"What about after?" Yunho voiced the question they'd all avoided. "Where will we take her?"

The silence that followed revealed the gap in their planning.

"North," Hongjoong decided suddenly. "Away from slave territories. We'll find work on a merchant vessel or in a fishing village."

It was a child's solution to an impossible problem, but none of them had better ideas. The fantasy of escape had sustained them through the final weeks of voyage; examining it too closely threatened to collapse their fragile hope.

"Where's y/n?" Wooyoung asked, noticing her absence from their circle.

"Still sleeping," Hongjoong replied. "I didn't want to wake her until necessary."

In truth, none of them wanted to face her questions. Their plan, desperate and full of potential failures, would be harder to execute if they had to contend with her fear alongside their own.

"We should tell her now," Seonghwa said, practical as always. "She needs to understand what to do when the time comes."

Hongjoong nodded reluctantly and moved toward the small nest of blankets where y/n slept. The sight that greeted him made his chest tighten: she lay curled around Mr. Hugs, one small hand clutching the teddy bear's worn ear, her face peaceful in sleep despite everything. For a moment, watching her breathe, he allowed himself to believe they might succeed.

"Y/n," he whispered, gently touching her shoulder. "Time to wake up."

She stirred, blinking up at him with momentary confusion before recognition cleared her eyes. "Joongie? Are we there?"

"Almost," he confirmed, helping her sit up. "We need to talk about today."

The others gathered around as Hongjoong explained their plan in simplified terms. Y/n listened with surprising composure, clutching Mr. Hugs but asking clear questions that revealed her understanding of the stakes.

"I have to be very quiet in the box," she confirmed, "even if I'm scared."

"Yes," Seonghwa said gently. "Until we come for you."

"And Mr. Hugs comes too?"

The boys exchanged glances. "Of course," Hongjoong assured her. "Mr. Hugs goes wherever you go."

She nodded, seemingly satisfied. "What if something goes wrong?"

The directness of her question caught them off guard. Children her age weren't supposed to anticipate failure so maturely, but y/n had already endured more than most adults.

It was Mingi who responded, breaking his usual silence. "Hide," he said simply. "Wait. We find you."

"Always," Yunho added, reaching out to squeeze her small hand. "No matter what."

The ship's bell rang, signaling all hands to prepare for docking. Their time had run out.

"Remember," Hongjoong said, locking eyes with each of them in turn, "whatever happens, we meet at the rendezvous point by sunset."

As they separated to their assigned positions, he felt the weight of leadership settle more heavily on his young shoulders. They were just children playing a desperate game against adults with all the power, but in that moment, Hongjoong believed completely in their ability to win.

Everything went wrong almost immediately.

Wooyoung's galley distraction succeeded too well. The fire he started in the cook's rum stores spread faster than anticipated, creating genuine panic rather than the manageable confusion they'd hoped for. As smoke billowed from below decks, Captain Redmond ordered all hands to firefighting duties—including the children normally exempt from emergency protocols.

Seonghwa and Yunho, attempting to move y/n to the prepared crate, found their path blocked by sailors rushing to form a water brigade. Worse, in the chaos, the first mate began shepherding valuable cargo—including the crate they had prepared—away from the spreading fire.

"Change of plan," Seonghwa muttered to Yunho, pulling y/n behind a stack of barrels as sailors rushed past. "We need a different hiding place."

Yunho scanned the area desperately. "The captain's boat?" he suggested, referring to the small boat kept for the captain's personal use.

Seonghwa shook his head. "Too visible. They'll check it during evacuation."

As they deliberated, the situation deteriorated further. The fire reached a store of gunpowder, creating a blast that rocked the entire vessel. In the resulting chaos, Yunho was separated from Seonghwa and y/n when a falling spar knocked him to the deck.

"Yuyu!" y/n cried, trying to go to him.

Seonghwa held her firmly. "We can't help him now." The calculated mind that characterized him even at eight years old forced him to make the brutal calculation: one boy injured versus a girl captured. "We need to move."

With the original plan in ruins, Seonghwa improvised. The ship was now approaching the dock in disarray, with the fire adding urgency to their landing. Port authorities were already swarming the waterfront, ready to assist with firefighting and crowd control.

"When we reach the dock," he instructed y/n, keeping his voice calm despite the mayhem around them, "run. Don't stop for anything. Head for the marketplace—the one with blue awnings. Mingi will find you there."

Her eyes widened with fear, but she nodded determinedly. "What about you?"

"I'll be right behind you." The lie came easily, necessary to give her the courage to run. Seonghwa knew he would likely be captured ensuring her escape, but accepted this as the logical outcome.

As The Crimson Serpent lurched against the dock, sailors threw mooring lines while officers shouted contradictory orders. In the confusion, Seonghwa guided y/n toward the gangplank, now lowered for firefighting assistance.

"Remember," he whispered, "blue awnings. Don't look back."

He was about to give her the signal to run when a heavy hand clamped onto his shoulder.

"Where do you think you're taking our merchandise, boy?" Captain Redmond himself stood behind them, his face twisted with rage and smoke stains. Despite the fire threatening his ship, he had not forgotten the valuable cargo y/n represented.

Before Seonghwa could react, the captain shoved him aside and seized y/n, who screamed and clutched Mr. Hugs tighter.

"Hwa!" she cried, reaching for him as the captain dragged her away.

“Dove!” Seonghwa lunged forward but was restrained by a sailor who had appeared at the captain's command.

"Get this one back to firefighting duty," Redmond ordered. "And find the others. I want all those little rats accounted for." He glanced at the pandemonium on his burning ship, then at the frightened girl in his grip. "At least I can salvage something valuable from this disaster."

As Seonghwa was hauled away, he caught a final glimpse of y/n's terrified face as she screamed for him. The failure burned worse than the smoke searing his lungs.

Hongjoong, realizing the plan had collapsed into chaos, abandoned his position at the navigation charts and fought his way through smoke-filled corridors toward the deck. The ship was in genuine danger now, with flames visible through several hatches and sailors abandoning organized firefighting for personal survival.

He emerged onto the main deck just in time to see Captain Redmond dragging y/n down the gangplank, her small form struggling against his grip.

"No!" Hongjoong shouted, running toward them. He was intercepted by the bosun, who grabbed him by the collar.

"Where do you think you're going, boy? Ship's burning!"

Hongjoong struggled frantically. "He's taking her! The captain—the girl—"

The bosun glanced toward the dock, saw Redmond with y/n, and grunted. "Captain's business, not yours. Now help with these lines or I'll throw you overboard myself."

Over the next desperate hour, as the fire was finally contained through the combined efforts of crew and harbor firefighters, Hongjoong worked mechanically while scanning the docks for any sign of y/n or the others. He glimpsed Wooyoung being disciplined by the cook, saw Yunho helping move injured sailors despite his own bloodied forehead, but neither Seonghwa nor Mingi appeared in his line of sight.

Most concerning, Captain Redmond and y/n had vanished into the crowded waterfront.

When finally released from emergency duties, Hongjoong slipped away from supervision and headed for their designated rendezvous point—a small alley behind the fish market with blue awnings. He found Mingi already waiting there, a darkening bruise on his jaw suggesting he too had faced consequences for their failed plan.

"The others?" Hongjoong asked urgently.

Mingi shook his head, not looking up. “Scattered. Watched."

“Have you seen-“ Hongjoong rushed out, but Mingi cut him off.

“No. No little shadow.” He said, gripping something tightly in his hand.

Hongjoong nodded, sitting next to his friend and waited as the sun began its descent, hope diminishing with each passing minute. Eventually, Wooyoung appeared, smelling of smoke and sporting a burn on one arm.

"Cook thinks I accidentally knocked over a lantern," he reported grimly. "Believed me because he thinks I'm too stupid to start a fire intentionally."

An hour later, Yunho found them, his tall frame hunched with defeat, a crude bandage wrapped around his head. "I couldn't reach them in time," he said, voice cracking. "I saw the captain taking her away." Mingi quickly moving to support his friend, physically and emotionally.

Seonghwa was the last to arrive, slipping into the alley as twilight deepened into true darkness. His face was streaked with soot, his hands raw from firefighting duty.

"I failed," he stated simply, the admission clearly costing him. "Captain took her directly to the auction house on Harbor Street. Private sale."

The five boys stared at each other in the gathering darkness, the magnitude of their failure settling over them like a physical weight.

"We have to go after her," Wooyoung insisted. "Break in, find her—"

"With what weapons? What plan?" Seonghwa challenged, his practical nature reasserting itself even in grief. "We barely survived today's disaster."

"So we just give up?" Wooyoung's voice rose dangerously.

"Keep quiet," Hongjoong warned, pulling them deeper into the shadows as a patrol of harbor police passed the alley entrance. "We can't help y/n if we're caught."

“Fifteen.” Mingi said, causing the four boys to look at him in confusion. “Guards.”

“Fifteen guards where, Mingi?” Yunho asks gently.

“Auction House” Mingi whispered.

Hongjoong sighed as understanding washed over him. Mingi didn’t get the bruise from a punishment. He got it from trying to get to y/n.

The harsh reality of their situation confronted them: five injured, exhausted children with no resources, no knowledge of the city beyond glimpses from previous port calls, and no realistic way to infiltrate a secure auction house guarded by armed men.

"What do we do now?" Yunho asked, the question directed at Hongjoong, who had naturally assumed leadership of their small group.

Before Hongjoong could answer, a distant bell tolled nine times. The sound seemed to mark the end of something—their childhood perhaps, or the brief period when they had been more than just surviving.

"We go back to the ship," he said finally, the words tasting like ash.

"No!" Wooyoung protested. "We can't leave her!"

"If we don't return by the night watch, they'll hunt us down as runaways," Seonghwa pointed out. "The whole harbor will be searching for us."

"And then we'll never find her," Hongjoong added softly.

The terrible logic silenced even Wooyoung's protests. One by one, they accepted the brutal truth: they could not save y/n. Not today. Not as they were—powerless children owned by a man who viewed them as property rather than people.

As they prepared to return to The Crimson Serpent, now secured with emergency repairs sufficient for the night, Hongjoong suddenly realized something was missing.

"Mr. Hugs," he said, patting his clothing frantically. "Where's her teddy bear?"

The others looked at him in confusion.

"Didn't she have it? When the captain took her?" he demanded.

"She did," Seonghwa confirmed, remembering her clutching it as Redmond dragged her away. "Why?"

"Because—" Hongjoong faltered, unable to articulate why this suddenly seemed important. The teddy bear was just fabric and stuffing, yet it represented everything they had failed to protect.

Mingi stepped forward, holding out his hand. In his palm lay a small wooden disk—the navigational star he had attached to Mr. Hugs' paw.

"Fell off," he explained simply. "During struggle."

Hongjoong stared at the tiny carving, then closed Mingi's fingers around it. "Keep it safe," he said.

They returned to the ship like shadows, using the skills honed over months of captivity to slip aboard unnoticed amid the ongoing repairs. The hold, when they reached it, felt cavernously empty despite being more crowded than usual with damaged cargo.

In the corner where y/n had slept just that morning, Hongjoong sank down, emotional and physical exhaustion finally overwhelming him. The others settled around him, maintaining the protective circle they had formed around a girl who was no longer there.

"I saw her," Seonghwa said suddenly, breaking the heavy silence. "As the captain was taking her away. She looked back—at the ship, at us—and she..." his voice, normally so controlled, wavered slightly, "she dropped something. Deliberately, I think."

The others leaned forward, hope flickering briefly.

"You waited to say this until now?" Wooyoung said exasperated. “We were just outside.” He groaned.

“What was it?” Hongjoong asked.

Seonghwa shook his head at Wooyoung’s dramatics. "I couldn't see clearly. But it fell near the base of the gangplank, in that pile of ropes."

Hongjoong absorbed this information silently. Tomorrow, they would search. Tonight, they needed to recover, to plan, to...

His thoughts were interrupted by Yunho's quiet sobs. The tallest of them, the gentle giant who had carried y/n on his back through the ship's corridors, finally broke under the weight of their failure.

"She trusted us," he whispered between tears. "She believed we would protect her."

No one contradicted him. No one offered empty assurances. They simply moved closer, shoulders touching, a physical reminder that while they had lost y/n, they still had each other.

"This isn't over," Hongjoong said finally, voice hardening with a determination unusual for an eight-year-old. "We failed today. But we're not giving up."

"How?" Wooyoung asked, genuine rather than challenging. "She could be anywhere by tomorrow."

"Then we'll search everywhere," Hongjoong replied. "We'll learn everything we can about Halazia, about the slave markets, about whoever bought her. And someday, when we're stronger, we'll find her again."

The weight of this declaration hung in the air. They were children, owned rather than free, with years of captivity likely ahead of them. Yet something in Hongjoong's voice made the impossible sound merely difficult.

"I'm with you," Seonghwa said quietly. Always the practical one, his support lent credibility to Hongjoong's vision.

"Me too," Wooyoung added, some of his characteristic brightness returning. "We'll be the best pirates ever and take back what's ours."

Yunho wiped his tears and nodded firmly. "No matter how long it takes."

Mingi, last to speak, simply placed the wooden star in the center of their circle. "Together," he said. One word that contained everything.

Dawn found them at the harbor earlier than their duties required, using the excuse of checking storm damage to search the area where Seonghwa had seen y/n drop something. The harbor was already bustling with morning commerce, making their task more difficult.

It was Mingi who found it, his sharp eyes spotting the small object half-buried in harbor mud near where the gangplank had rested. He retrieved it silently, wiping away the dirt before placing it in Hongjoong's palm.

Mr. Hugs stared up at them, bedraggled and missing one eye button, but unmistakable.

"She left him for us," Hongjoong realized, throat tightening. "She knew..."

The implication settled over them. Y/n had understood she was being taken away for good, and in her final moments of freedom, had left them her most precious possession—not lost in the struggle as they had assumed, but deliberately placed where they might find it.

"Why would she...?" Wooyoung began, unable to complete the question.

"So we wouldn't forget," Yunho answered, understanding immediately. "So we'd have something to remember her by."

Hongjoong clutched the muddy teddy bear, feeling something fundamentally change within him. This wasn't just a stuffed toy; it was a responsibility. A promise.

"We need somewhere safe to keep him," he said, looking around warily. If the crew discovered them with a toy, it would be taken and destroyed as childish contraband.

"I know a place," Seonghwa offered. "Behind a loose panel in the navigator's cabin. You can access it during your duties."

Before Hongjoong could respond, a shout from the ship summoned them back to work. The moment of communion with y/n's memory ended abruptly, reality reasserting itself with cruel efficiency.

Throughout that day, as they resumed their separate duties aboard the still-damaged Crimson Serpent, each boy found himself dwelling on the teddy bear and what it represented. By unspoken agreement, they gathered again that night in their corner of the hold, forming a tight circle around Hongjoong as he carefully unwrapped Mr. Hugs from the sailcloth he'd used for concealment.

The teddy bear seemed smaller somehow, more fragile without y/n's arms around it. One eye missing, stuffing leaking from a torn seam, fur matted with harbor mud—yet still recognizable as her beloved companion.

"We should clean him," Wooyoung suggested, reaching out to touch a muddy patch.

"No," Hongjoong said firmly. "Not yet. This is how she last held him. This dirt..." his voice caught slightly.

The others understood immediately. The grime wasn't just dirt; it was a final connection to y/n.

"What do we do now?" Yunho asked after a long silence.

Hongjoong looked up, meeting each of their eyes in turn. "We make a promise," he said with quiet intensity. "To Mr. Hugs. To y/n. To ourselves."

Something in his tone made them all sit straighter. This wasn't a child's game or fantasy, but something more profound.

Mingi, who spoke least but often acted most decisively, suddenly produced a small knife he'd stolen from the weapons locker. Without explanation, he drew the blade across his palm, creating a thin line of blood.

Understanding immediately, Hongjoong took the knife and did the same. One by one, each boy marked himself, then pressed their bloodied hands together around Mr. Hugs.

"We promise," Hongjoong began, voice stronger than he felt, "to survive, no matter what."

"To grow stronger," Seonghwa continued, "in body and mind."

"To learn everything we need," Wooyoung added, uncharacteristically solemn.

"To find y/n," Yunho said, tears threatening again but held back through sheer will.

"To bring her home," Mingi finished, the most words he'd spoken at once since they'd known him.

"No matter how long it takes," they said together, the synchronicity unplanned but perfect.

As they released their grip on each other, something shifted in the air between them. They were no longer just five child captives forced together by circumstance. They were brothers now, bound by an oath more meaningful than any formal ceremony.

Hongjoong carefully wrapped Mr. Hugs back in the sailcloth, handling him with the reverence of a sacred object. "I'll hide him in the navigator's cabin," he said. "But he belongs to all of us now."

"Until we can return him to y/n," Seonghwa amended.

"Until then," Hongjoong agreed.

As they separated to their sleeping spots, each carrying the weight of their new promise, none could have imagined how this night would shape the next fifteen years of their lives. They couldn't know that this simple oath, made by children with no power beyond their own determination, would transform them from captives to captains, from victims to avengers, from frightened boys to the most feared and respected crew on the seven seas.

All they knew, as they drifted toward exhausted sleep in the hold of The Crimson Serpent, was that something had fundamentally changed. The world had taken y/n from them, but in doing so, had given them a purpose beyond mere survival.

Above them, Halazia's lights glittered against the night sky. Somewhere in that sprawling port city, a little girl slept without her teddy bear for the first time in her life. And in the belly of the ship that had brought them all together, five boys began dreaming of a future none of them could yet imagine—one that began with a teddy bear and a promise.

[astral-lucy]

what people love about you! (PAC)

hello beautiful creatures! i'm excited for the second pick-a-card reading on my page - again, i'm happy to accept any feedback you guys have for me! at the end of the day, i'm still new to this :)

as usual, pick the picture that you feel most connected or drawn towards (pile 1 - up and left / pile 2 - up and right / pile 3 - down and left / pile 4 - down and right)

happy reading!

#pile 1

(nine of wands - page of swords - six of coins - eight of cups - the emperor - judgement)

you’re a hard working person, you’re a problem solver and people love that. they see how much energy you have and how you’re able to heal. persistence and curiosity are two of your principal characteristics. people see you as thoughtful, you don’t only use the problem solving skills for yourself but also to help others. maybe you’ve been through some hard things in your life, but it has make you use your intelligence and learn how to communicate. you’re so strong! i hear that you’re great with strategies and plans. you’ve created, and currently continue to create, a path for yourself. people love your determination and how you’re able to take on authority roles all while being empathic, kind and generous. you’re able to easily reevaluate your position in life, where you need to go and where you want to be, and adapt to whichever changes you see necessary. i also see a lot of green and silver, if that means anything to you. are you maybe a volunteer in a shelter or are very vocal about animal rights? maybe you don’t use products that were tested on animals, or simply you’re decided on what you believe in and aren’t afraid to stand for it. the eighth in numerology talks about abundance and achievement, while the number six represents a gentle and loving person - and that’s exactly how people see you! #pile 2

(seven of wands - knight of swords - two of coins - three of swords - 8 eight of swords - the magician)

the first thing I heard was “sentimental”, which makes me think that you are a person that’s in touch with their emotions and isn’t afraid to show it. people love how you’re able to stand up for yourself, having a hard set of beliefs and values that you don’t trade for anything, being able to quickly take action when needed, as you’re also someone who can easily adapt to any situation. the number seven talks about intuition, so you might be in touch with your intuition as well. i think the three of swords here reaffirms how emotional you are, how deeply you’re able to feel, and how much people admire your capability to notice how you’re feeling and embrace your emotions. but you’re a balanced person, even though you embrace your emotions, you don’t let them take over. i’m seeing the color blue a lot in the cards, maybe that means something to you or is a color people associate you with. people love how easily you seem to manifest things, and the magician here tells us you have an immense power through your thoughts and actions - even when you feel trapped, you’re not only easily able to take action in a situation and decide what road is best to walk on, but you can usually see beyond your current struggles and know you’ll be able to move on from the current obstacles in your life.

#pile 3

(ten of swords - seven of coins - six of wands - queen of swords - the star - temperance)

"jessie’s girl" started playing as soon as i started shuffling the deck, so i wanted to add it first, so if that means something to you but you were drawn to two piles, this is the sign this is the one. you’re a patient person, someone who has overcome struggles in their life over and over again, and you’re absolutely a hard worker. i’m hearing the word “rebel” - but this doesn’t need to symbolize the stereotype of a rebel person, but maybe you’re someone who questions things around you and even go against the orders others give you if you think it’s going to do more harm than good. people love how you’re able to let go. you’re someone with a lot of mental clarity, you’ve done work to achieve it, and you’re confident with your communication. once again, people love your patience, the effort you’ve put on yourself, and how you’re able to find balance in your life. you tend to avoid impulsive behavior, which is impressive. you’re a hopeful person, maybe because you know how to let go of things to invite new ones in. a lot of purple and maroon came into my screen and some of the cards I used as well.

#pile 4

(king of cups - the sun - ten of wands - ten of cups - eigth of cups - ace of swords)

wow, you’re absolutely an authority figure. you know how to stand your ground! people love how positive you are and how you’re certain of your life purpose - maybe not knowing what it is yet, but feeling good about finding one. people also love how wise you are and how balanced you appear, being able to navigate emotions swiftly. i’m hearing that you’re a nature lover or an animal lover, being generous and wanting to protect those who are more vulnerable. you have two cards with ten, the ten of wands and the ten of cups, and ten in numerology symbolizes strong relationships with friends and family, a charismatic person who has great ability to empathize with others. it really seems that not only people love how you’re able to carry responsibilities, but how joyful you seem while attending to your chores - even if you feel weighed down by what you need to do and some chores are daunting, you’ve managed to learn that it’s best to do them with good disposition. people who know how much you’ve gone through admire your emotional growth. you could be more detached to material possessions, which is also a quality to admire. you’re able to take new perspectives and new angles to situations, flip the order of things to find the best perspective.

hope you enjoyed this reading!

[covid-safer-hotties]

The next pandemic is inevitable. Australia isn’t ready - Published Sept 23, 2024

(Before you Americans yell at me, It's already the 23rd in Australia. This is very late-breaking)

I thought this was a really good breakdown of the current situation given the government-approved covid denial we live in. Long, but worth a read.

By Kate Aubusson and Mary Ward

Top infectious disease and public health veterans at the nerve centre of the state’s war against COVID-19 are sounding the alarm.

NSW is less prepared today to fend off a deadly pandemic despite the lessons of COVID-19, say top infectious disease and public health veterans at the nerve centre of the state’s war against the virus.

And we won’t have another hundred years to wait.

NSW’s gold standard Test-Trace-Isolate-Quarantine and vaccination strategies will be useless if a distrusting population rejects directives, refuses to give up its freedoms again, and the goodwill of shell-shocked public health workers dries up.

A panel of experts convened by The Sydney Morning Herald called for a pandemic combat agency akin to the armed forces or fire brigades to commit to greater transparency or risk being caught off guard by the next virulent pathogen and misinformation with the potential to spread faster than any virus.

“It’s inevitable,” says Professor Eddie Holmes of the next pandemic. A world-leading authority on the emergence of infectious diseases at the University of Sydney, Holmes predicts: “We’ll have less than 100 years [before the next pandemic].

“We’re seeing a lot of new coronaviruses that are spilling over into animals that humans are interacting with,” said Holmes, the first person to publish the coronavirus genome sequence for the world to see.

“People are exposed all the time, and each time we are rolling the dice.”

The independent review of NSW Health’s response to COVID-19 opened with the same warning: “No health system or community will have the luxury of 100 years of downtime.”

Pandemic preparedness needs to be a “permanent priority”, wrote the report’s author, Robyn Kruk, a former NSW Health secretary, “rather than following the path of those that have adopted a ‘panic and forget strategy,’ allowing system preparedness to wane”.

Why we don’t have 100 years to wait for the next pandemic The World Health Organisation has declared seven public health emergencies of international concern since 2014, including the current mpox outbreak.

Climate change is turbocharging the factors that coalesce to create the perfect breeding ground for a pandemic-causing virus, including population increases, bigger cities, and better-connected global markets and migration.

“Animals will be forced into more constrained environments, and humans that rely on those environments will be again constrained in the same environments. There will be more wet markets, more live animal trade that will just increase exposure,” Holmes said.

“It was clear that we weren’t ready [for COVID],” said Jennie Musto, who, after seven years working for the World Health Organisation overseas, became NSW Health’s operations manager for the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, the team responsible for NSW’s COVID-19 contact tracing and containment.

“Everyone had preparedness plans gathering dust on a shelf, but no one was actually ready to respond, and so everyone was on the back foot,” Musto said. “Perhaps none of us really thought this was going to happen. We were waiting 500 years.”

Who would willingly become the next doomed whistleblower? Eddie Holmes, known for his repeated assertion that SARS-CoV-2 did not come from a lab, is deeply concerned that when the next pandemic-causing virus emerges, chances are it will be covered up.

“My worry is that if the virus appeared in a small population, say, somewhere in Southeast Asia, the people involved wouldn’t blow the whistle now, given the fact that you would get blamed,” he said.

Li Wenliang, the Wuhan doctor who tried to raise the alarm about a virulent new virus, was reportedly reprimanded by police for spreading rumours and later died of COVID-19.

The global blame game, culminating in a deep distrust of China and accusations that the virus was grown in a Wuhan lab, is why Holmes believes “we’re in no better place than we were before COVID started, if not worse”.

“I work with a lot of people in China trying to keep the lines of communication open, and they’re scared, I think, or nervous about saying things that are perceived to counter national interest.”

From a vaccine perspective, our defences look strong. There have been monumental advancements in vaccine development globally, driven by mRNA technology. In Sydney this month, construction began on an RNA vaccine research and manufacturing facility.

“But the way I see it is that nothing has been done in terms of animal surveillance of outbreaks or data sharing. The [global] politics has got much, much worse,” Holmes said.

Combat force Conjoint Associate Professor Craig Dalton, a leading public health physician and clinical epidemiologist, called for a dramatic expansion of the public health workforce and the establishment of a pandemic combat force that would routinely run real-time pandemic simulations during “peacetime”.

“No one is upset with fire brigades spending most of the time not fighting fires. They train. A lot. And that’s probably how we need to move,” he said.

“We need exercise training units so that every major player in pandemic response is involved in a real-time, three to four-day pandemic response every three to five years at national, state and local [levels].”

The federal Department of Health and Aged Care recently ran a health emergency exercise focused on governance arrangements involving chief health officers and senior health emergency management officials, a spokeswoman for Health Minister Mark Butler said. The outcomes of this exercise will be tested later this year.

Dalton said desktop simulations and high-level exercises involving a handful of chiefs didn’t cut it, considering the thousands of people working across regions and states. He instead suggested an intensive training program run in the Hunter New England region before the 2009 H1N1 pandemic provided a good model.

“We were ringing people, actors were getting injections, just like a real pandemic,” said Dalton, who once ordered a burrito in a last-ditch effort to contact a restaurant exposed to COVID-19.

Our heroes have had it The expert panel was emphatic that our pandemic response cannot once again rely on the goodwill of the public health and healthcare workforce.

According to the Kruk review, what began as an emergency response ultimately morphed from a sprint into an ultra marathon and “an admirable (yet unsustainable) ‘whatever it takes’ mindset”.

They were hailed as heroes, but the toll of COVID-19 on healthcare workers was brutal. Workloads were untenable, the risk of transmission was constant, and the risk of violence and aggression (for simply wearing their scrubs on public transport in some cases) was terrifying.

“We got through this pandemic through a lot of people working ridiculous hours,” Dalton said.

“You talk to a lot of people who did that and say they could not do it again.”

Tellingly, several expert personnel who worked at the front lines or in the control centre of NSW’s pandemic defences were invited to join the Herald’s forum but declined. Revisiting this period of intense public scrutiny, culminating in online attacks and physical threats, was just too painful.

So long, solidarity Arguably, the biggest threat to our pandemic defences will be the absence of our greatest strength during COVID: the population’s solidarity and willingness to follow public health orders even when it meant forfeiting fundamental freedoms.

The public largely complied with statewide public health orders, including the stay-at-home directive that became the 107-day Delta lockdown, and other severe restrictions prevented many from being at the bedside of their dying loved ones, visiting relatives in aged care homes and attending funerals.

“My worry is that next time around when those sorts of rules come out, people may say, ‘Well, don’t worry about it.’ They relax it in the future. Why don’t we just not stick to the rules?” said Professor Nicholas Wood, associate director of clinical research and services at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance.

“I’m not sure we quite understand whether people [will be] happy with those rules again,” he said.

Dalton was more strident.

“I tend to agree with Michael Osterholm … an eminent US epidemiologist [who] recently said the US is probably less prepared for a pandemic now than it was in 2019, mostly because the learnings by health departments in the COVID pandemic may not make a material difference if faced with a community that distrusts its public health agencies,” he said.

“If H1N1 or something else were to spill over in the next couple of years, things like masks, social distancing and lockdowns would not be acceptable. Vaccination would be rejected by a huge part of the population, and politicians might be shy about putting mandates in.”

As for the total shutdown of major industries, people will struggle to accept it unless the next pandemic poses a greater threat than COVID, said UNSW applied mathematician Professor James Wood.

The risk of the virus to individuals and their families will be weighed against the negative effects of restrictions, which are much better understood today, said Wood, whose modelling of the impact of cases and vaccination rates was used by NSW Health.

“Something like school closure would be a much tougher argument with a similar pathogen,” he said.

A previous panel of education experts convened by the Herald to interrogate pandemic decision-making in that sector was highly critical of the decision to close schools for months during NSW’s Delta lockdown.

Greg Dore, professor of infectious diseases and epidemiology at the Kirby Institute, said the public’s reluctance to adhere to restrictions again may, in part, be appropriate.

“Some of the restrictions on people leaving the country were a bit feudal and too punitive,” he said. “Other restrictions were plain stupid, [for instance] limitations on time exercising outside.”

Meanwhile, the delays to publicly recognise the benefits of face masks and the threat of airborne transmission “ate away at trust”, Dalton said.

“We shouldn’t make those mistakes again,” he said.

Transparent transgressions Uncertainty is not something politicians are adept at communicating, but uncertainty is the only constant during a pandemic of a novel virus.

Vaccines that offered potent protection against early iterations of the COVID virus were less effective against Omicron variants.

“[The public], unfortunately, got hit by a rapid sequence of changes of what was ‘true’ in the pandemic,” James Wood said.

Political distrust can be deadly if governments give the public reason to suspect they are obfuscating.

The expert panel urged NSW’s political leaders to be far more transparent about the public health advice they were given before unilaterally enforcing restrictions.

There was a clear line between public health advice and political decision-making in Victoria. The Victorian chief health officer’s written advice was routinely published online.

In NSW, that line was blurred as Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant stood beside political leaders, most notably former premier Gladys Berejiklian, at the daily press conferences.

Public health experts said that they looked for subtle cues to determine the distinction between the expert advice and the political messaging during press conferences, paying attention to body language, who spoke when and who stayed silent.

“It is fine for public health personnel to have a different view to politicians. They have different jobs. What is not OK is to have politicians saying they are acting on public health advice [when they are not],” he said.

The ‘whys’ behind the decisions being made were missing from the daily press conferences, which created “a vacuum for misinformation”, said social scientist and public health expert Professor Julie Leask at the University of Sydney.

“The communication about what you need to do came out, and it was pretty good … but the ‘why we’re doing this’ and ‘what trade-offs we’ve considered’ and ‘what dilemmas we’ve faced in making this decision’; that was not shared,” Leask said.

The infodemic In the absence of transparency, misinformation and disinformation fill the vacuum.

“We had an ‘infodemic’ during the pandemic,” said Dr Jocelyne Basseal, who worked on the COVID-19 response for WHO in the Western Pacific and leads strategic development at the Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute, University of Sydney.

“The public has been so confused. Where do we go for trusted information [when] everyone can now write absolutely anything, whether on Twitter [now called X] or [elsewhere] on the web?” Basseal said.

A systematic review conducted by WHO found misinformation on social media accounted for up to 51 per cent of posts about vaccines, 29 per cent of posts about COVID-19 and 60 per cent of posts about pandemics.

Basseal’s teenage children recently asked whether they were going into lockdown after TikTok videos about the mpox outbreak.

“There is a lot of work to be done now, in ‘peacetime’ … to get ahead of misinformation,” Basseal said, including fortifying relationships with community groups and teaching scientists – trusted and credible sources of information – how to work with media.

In addition to the Kruk review’s six recommendations to improve its pandemic preparedness, NSW Health undertook a second inquiry into its public health response to COVID-19, which made 104 recommendations.

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said: “We are working hard to ensure the findings and recommendations from those reports are being implemented as quickly as possible.”

The expert panellists spoke in their capacity as academics and not on behalf of NSW Health or WHO.

The ‘As One System’ review into NSW Health’s COVID-19 response made six recommendations 1. Make governance and decision-making structures clearer, inclusive, and more widely understood 2. Strengthen co-ordination, communication, engagement, and collaboration 3. Enhance the speed, transparency, accuracy, and practicality of data and information sharing 4. Prioritise the needs of vulnerable people and communities most at risk, impacted and in need from day one 5. Put communities at the centre of emergency governance, planning, preparedness, and response 6. Recognise, develop and sustain workforce health, wellbeing, capability and agility.

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Guide to Royal and Noble Marriages

Marriage is an important part of the life of both royal and nobles in any setting, either historical fiction or fantasy. Marriages are not only life long commitments but they are business and protection deals by families. These are strategies, not relationships. So how can we write them?

Why make a Marriage?

Marriage is at its heart, the seal on an agreement. Two families may come to an agreement to share resources, connections and support one another. For a noble family, it could be about elevation. For example, if the daughter of an Earl marries a Duke, her siblings can now make higher marriages and her family would be more important thanks to this link. It could even be about money. In the late Victorian - Early Edwardian period, many impoverished English peers married wealthy American women for their fortunes. In exchange, the women became titled aristocrats. Royal marriages are made for more universal perks. A royal marriage can change the political layout of the world, it could isolate a kingdom or be the starting gun or a war or end a years long conflict. For example, Kingdom A might be being threatened by Kingdom B. Kingdom C has a powerful military. Kingdom A might offer up a marriage deal to Kingdom C, with the caveat that C protect A from B. C would obligated to act if A gets attacked by B, since A is now an ally. A marriage cements the deal as it creates family ties, which is seen as a sort of permanent stamp on negotiations. After all, would you screw over family?

Marriages of Choice vs Arranged Marriages

Marriages can either be made on behalf of a royal/noble or made by themselves. An heir might be more restricted in this case whilst a younger children have a little more leeway especially if they are part of a large family.

Marriages are not always arranged. But that doesn't mean there aren't restrictions. Any royal or noble will have a list of certain attributes their spouse must have or certain attributes they cannot have. Marriages of choice have to be approved by parents (and the crown if you are a high ranking noble) and if you are royal, sometimes by the government itself.

Arranged marriages are agreements between two families. They might want each other's protection, support or they might simply want to do business together such as opening trade corridors or lifting embargoes on certain items. Arranged marriages are usually made on behalf of both spouses and they are expected to agree to the match for the sake of their family or country.

Screwing over the Deal

Making a marriage doesn't mean that the deal will last forever. Alliances change and circumstances shift. Whilst everyone may be all friendly during negotiations and for some time after, politics is the aim of the game. Treaties can be broken, war can break out and marriages can become unpopular choices. If a country has welcomed a bride/groom one day and then their country becomes the enemy, the bride/groom could become an enemy as well and face isolation and disrespect from the public - even their new family. However they are expected to be loyal to their new family and country, even over their own family and kingdom. These marriages have no promise of happiness. They are a job, a duty to ensure the family is taken care of and securing their futures.

Timeline of a Royal Marriage between Two Royal Families

Offer: The suggestion is made.

Negotiations: The discussion through ambassadors of what a marriage might entails, what each side is willing to provide or what they demand of the marriage. This can take weeks, months even years before a marriage is agreed.

Betrothal: Marriage is approved, treaty signed and the couple is engaged. Betrothals can last from anything from a few weeks to years

Wedding: If one spouse has to travel to their new home, they will travel to their new home and meet their new court, new family and their spouse. Once they arrive, the wedding will take place in a matter of days.

Married Life

These marriages are public, so it is expected for the couple to at least act civil. If they do not like one another or can't stand the sight of another or they just don't love each other, is irrelevant to society and their expectations. They are expected to attend certain events together, sire children and do their duty. There's no rules saying they must live together, so many lived separate lives. The higher ranking spouse is expected to provide their spouse with an allowance and a staff. For international marriages, spouses are not permitted to hire a large party of their own attendants even if they accompany them to their new country. They may keep one or two for company but a newly minted royal should not be waited on by foreign servants, they are a royal of their new kingdom now.

What makes a "good" marriage?

As mentioned above, marriages and relationships are expected to fall into certain perameters. Any spouse - chosen or assigned - should meet certain standards such as be of appropriate rank, follow societal norms and even sometimes be of the same religion. Marriages to anybody who falls out of these standards can be seen as a devasting move - the marriage of Edward IV is still remarked on as a contributing factor to the end of the Plantagenet dynasty. Making the wrong choice of spouse in society's eyes can lead to gossip, being shunned, being disrespected and even barred from succeeding to your birthright. Unequal marriages or morganatic marriages, can even bar children from succession, disallow the couple from attending events together and deny the spouse the style they ought to be entitled to - the marriage of Archduke Franz Ferdinand is a good example to study. A good marriage is seen as one that adheres to all the expectations of society - even if it is an unhappy one.

[stockexperttrading]

Delving into the intricacies of trading, the blog provides a thorough examination of different trading strategies, spotlighting both day trading and swing trading. It further dissects crucial analysis methods, namely technical and fundamental analysis. The narrative underscores the critical role of aligning chosen strategies with individual goals and the guidance that Funded Traders Global can provide in this regard.

[cough-droplet]

People have been discussing what Shirakura said in the "Toei's Secret-Spilling Special!" that came out yesterday on TTFC but I've seen a lot of confusion based on partial translations so I recruited my usual co-conspirators michaelele and Flame to translate the full thing. The text of the interview follows. The video will probably be up on my wordpress at some point today.

Please introduce yourself.

Shirakura: My name is [Shin'ichiro] Shirakura. I'm a poor old man who TTFC has abducted and forced to talk to you all. Glad to be here.

We have a load of questions for you. Are you prepared?

Shirakura: I heard we received hundreds of questions, which I'm really grateful for, because that means Toei's secrets are as dark and alluring as the ocean depths. Keeping their secrets is usually my trade, but today I get to do the opposite. I'm a bit nervous and hope this doesn't upset anyone.

What does the Character Strategy Department do?

Shirakura: Character-based IP have been at the center of Toei's business for over 50 years at this point, so it seemed like high time to make it more official. The Character Strategy Department creates business strategies for our various character-based IP, or plans for them at least.

Looking back to 2024, what do you think of the hype surrounding Royal Sentai King-Ohger's final act?

Shirakura: I'm truly grateful to all the King-Ohger fans, because it wouldn't be possible without them. TTFC was already working with Producer [Takahito] Omori on cutting together the final three episodes into a special edition for release on TTFC. So the plan was always there, and, in fact, I considered giving that cut a straight-up theatrical release. It did get a limited theatrical showing in the end, albeit as a one-day-only deal for members. We would like to do something similar again at some point, but it's really all because of our fans.

What are your thoughts on its successor, Cranked-Up Sentai Boonboomger?

Shirakura: When I first heard the title, "Cranked-Up Sentai Boonboomger," I thought it was weird, but... it kind of rolls off the tongue nicely. Despite its strangeness, it has a certain aura. Then, upon closer inspection, I knew only Producer [Yoshito] Kuji could have come up with it.

Whenever you'd ask Kuji to describe what the show's about, he'll be like... [stone-faced] "It's a cranked-up show." He'd say it just like that, cold as ice. He's really passionate, but he keeps it under the surface, so on the surface he's this mild-mannered, gentle kind of guy. So then I heard the red ranger go, "THAT'S CRANKED UP!" and I shouted "That's where that came from!"

I don't know if "secure" is quite the right word, but I think it's a show that's made with a lot of care.

So the production schedules have seen a shift?

Shirakura: Boonboomger is still following King-Ohger's production cycle, but the series after it will have a two-month head start. The idea of that is… Well, earlier I joked about the Character Strategy Department, but the point isn't just to expand our business dealings with regards to character-based IP such as the Super Sentai and Kamen Rider franchises, but to actively improve the shows in every way possible. Looking at it from the business end of things, Kamen Rider Gavv is actually the first show made in this adjusted production cycle.

The first reason for this is to reduce overseas piracy. The problem with our shows being pirated… The people who pirate our programs are huge fans who love the shows, there's no doubt about that, but in a way, they're also fanatics. What I mean by that is... When these people form their opinions on the shows before the official release has a chance to come out, they're in a position to color the opinions of the fans who watch the official releases. So, for instance, when the official release comes out, the streaming platforms will be flooded with comments like, "If the toys were like so-and-so instead I would buy them," "If they did this then the show would be good."

The head start from pirating lets fanatics drown out all other conversation about a show, even though fanatics judge things differently. So one of our goals was to reduce that.

Another reason was just to revamp our working environment. For years, it's been a mad rush to get each episode to air, giving ourselves barely any time. Obviously, it's very demanding, and it's very easy to go over budget in that situation. But this recent shift in our production schedule should give our budget management, as well as working conditions for cast and crew, a big refresh, so to speak.

We've decided to set this new schedule with Gavv and stick to it over the following years, with all our upcoming projects planned around this. We've been running these franchises for 50 years, but this is totally new for us—Even though I feel like we should have made the change years ago.

What are your thoughts on Kamen Rider Gotchard?

Shirakura: Well, Producer [Yousuke] Minato was under me when we worked on [Avataro Sentai] Donbrothers, so this was his first time being Chief Producer. Obviously, it's got a bit of a school setting, as well as a very young cast, so I think it's a show that's got a youthful energy to it.

The title of the show, Gotchard, was something Minato really pushed for. There were a lot of objections to it. When it came to deciding the all-important title, though, he wasn't forceful about it, but he made it clear he felt really strongly about "Gotchard". [laughs] He said that, along with Decade and Ex-Aid, it can be a sub-series of shows that end in ド (-do). So he pushed the objections aside… In a way, I see that as a sign of how reliable he could be.

How has the shift in the production schedule affected Kamen Rider Gavv?

Shirakura: One of the reasons for Gavv's production shift is China's censorship system. That's where the piracy problem is biggest, and it takes quite a while to pass the censorship process, so we thought we'd give ourselves a three-month lead. We weren't able to pass censorship by September, but finally, as of October 13th, the show has been simulcast day-and-date in Japan and China. This means, for the first time, the official release could make it out before the pirated versions, which I'm really glad we managed to do.

But beating piracy is really just one part of it. As the producer, [Naomi] Takebe tells me, it's had a great overall effect. One major example is the cast. The rushed schedule we had before meant episodes had an extremely fast turnaround. By giving ourselves more lead time, filming Gavv before anyone else knew about it, it gave everyone several months to focus solely on Gavv. Of course, when it aired, all the comments would come, and the interviews and press tours… A sudden influx of noise, for lack of a better term. But, until then, that's three extra months the cast has to focus on their work, their characters. That's the best thing about it.

It also helps with the promotional materials. Take the videos we make to announce the show: We had a lot more material to work with this time, and the CGI was even finalized in time for those trailers. The same goes for the previews at the end of each episode. Even Takebe wondered why didn't do this ages ago. "Why have we been rushing ourselves like this? Why were we so stuck in our ways?" It's really a dark side of Toei no one can understand.

This is the big one. Talk to us about the winter movie.

Shirakura: This year, we're releasing the Fuuto PI movie, and in the new year, there's the Gotchard V-Cinext. As for the so-called "winter movies" we've done each year since 2009, there won't be one. Nor next year, most likely. We're reorganizing the structure, which is getting into Character Strategy again.

So, there's the summer movies, winter movies, and we used to have spring movies as well. Now we have V-Cinexts, which are usually epilogues at the end of a show's run, or movies we make for anniversaries. But there's also stuff like Fuuto PI, or Shin Kamen Rider, which are in their own categories. There's a need to put a structure to all of that. This question is about Kamen Rider, but we're applying this mindset elsewhere, too, of course.

When we talk about Rider movies, though, including V-Cinexts, the question is, what's the demographic? Who are we targeting? Who'll enjoy this? These are questions we've struggled with 'till last year. We need to be more clear about our audience and make things for different demographics to enjoy. We're just starting to do that now, and there's still a lot I can't say, but we have multiple projects in the works right now which we'll start announcing in 2025. Please look forward to those.

Can you give us any specifics?

Shirakura: To be more specific… Well, I can't be that specific, but we'll have something based on the series on TV, a so-called "anniversary" project based on a prior TV series, and something that isn't based on any show at all. So those three projects are all being worked on.

This is because we realized that only the people who follow the TV shows understand our movies. So we're reflecting on that. The core fans will obviously show up for our spring, summer, and winter movies, but with the number of Riders increasing, some people, even us, will forget about certain Riders, and their forms, etc… That's not a big problem for the super dedicated fans, but the average viewer will be completely lost. Lately, it's been feeling more like we've been alienating part of the audience.

That's why, and this is just my way of putting it… We should make things that old people like me can enjoy, too. I honestly think it's important that someone who's not watching the show could catch the trailer and think, "Wow! That movie looks interesting!"

The things that triggered this line of thought are probably [Kamen Rider] Black Sun and Shin Kamen Rider. We've had some experience now — and I'm not saying we'll make stuff like those again — but we're making movies that anyone can enjoy, movies that can stand on their own. We've got a few of those lined up, so I hope everyone can look forward to them.

Tell us about Super Sentai's future as we come into its 50th anniversary.

Shirakura: Next year, 2025, will be the first Super Sentai series' 50th anniversary year.

Super Sentai up 'till now— Let's use [Kikai Sentai] Zenkaiger and its "#45 Bang!" as an example— We've celebrated anniversaries based on the number of series, but I'd like to start celebrating based on the actual years. The reason being… Also, [Pirate Sentai] Gokaiger was heavily pushed for being the 35th series, which begs the question, "why all the emphasis on the numbers that end in 5, like 35 and 45?" It's because we wanted to match with Kamen Rider.

I forget whose idea it was, probably Suzuki Takeyuki, I think, but we've been doing these "double anniversaries". We say it's to celebrate both Rider and Sentai, but we just don't want Rider taking all the spotlight. So that's what we've been doing, but I think it's best if we stopped coupling Rider and Sentai together so much. Rider and Sentai should each have their own space. That's why we're revamping the way we count these.

[laughs] Besides, if we're honest, we're not even sure how many Sentai there are anymore. It's all LuPat's fault, really, [referring to Thief Sentai Lupinranger VS Police Sentai Patranger] because now the amount of years, the amount of shows, and the amount of Sentai all no longer match each other!

It's not really a total reset or anything, but we're ignoring the number of series and number of teams and just celebrating the actual anniversaries from now on. Though, I guess it works out, because considering LuPat, next up is the 50th Sentai and the 50th anniversary year, and this isn't a chance we'll ever get again.

What can you tell us about the Super Sentai series airing in 2025?

Shirakura: In 2025, after Boonboomger finishes its run, it'll be followed by a new show starring a new Sentai.

A while ago, I was outside Toei when I ran into this guy Ricardo, from Brazil. I was like, "I haven't seen you in six years!", and he told me "Shirakura! I heard about the new Sentai!"

Oh? Looks like someone's here...

(The second part of this interview will release on TTFC on December 29th)

[fatkish]

Class 1A x Quirkless Reader platonic hcs! I wanna see more hcs of the strong Quirkless S/O interactions with the class! Like, she is probably one of the top students but more importantly, the most terrifying student in class bc of her strong skills and her polite but cold demeanor in which she won’t show mercy in battle. A Jack-of-all-trades, you can rely on her for anything situational, stealth, battle, intimidation. Imagine them absolutely defending her whenever Quirkless discrimination comes up and she being like, “Why are you defending me? Why aren’t you also being like them? I’m used to this treatment.” And their reactions to her full body being shown filled with gruesome scars? Protection squad assemble!

(So I got multiple requests for the same kind of thing so I’m going to mash them into one

Quirkless Omega Reader x Class 1A

Before the summer training camp, Aizawa was able to sit down with you and go over what you needed and wanted to improve on so that he was able to help you create a training regime

During the training camp, you focused on strength training, endurance training, strategy, as well as stealth and weapons skills

You always keep small concealed weapons on you like knives, that way you’re ready for anything at anytime

During the test of courage, you helped Midoriya fight Muscular and used your scent to your advantage

You get abducted with Bakugou and end up fighting with All Might against AFO.

During the fight against AFO, you get hurt enough that your shirt is ripped up and your entire upper body is on display but your chest is covered by your sports bra.

Everyone is able to see the deep scars all over your back and chest. The people watching are shocked and the reporters are unintentionally dissing the reader. They say things like, ‘look at those scars’ ‘are they really an omega?’ ‘How can UA condone this?’ ‘Omegas shouldn’t be fighting against such dangerous villains’ ‘didn’t anyone try to stop them from pursuing such a dangerous career’ ‘UA must be careless to let an omega be in the hero course’ ‘the hero course is no place for an Omega’

When Midoriya and the others rescue Bakugou, you decide to stay back and fight against AFO instead of going with Bakugou

Despite what the media is saying, AFO is having a hard time fighting the Omega, you, and All Might when you’re using your scent to distract and disorient him. AFO is getting frustrated that he hasn’t been able to pin you down as you keep dodging him and cutting him up with your knives and hitting his pressure points to paralyze him

Since you don’t have a quirk, you’re the ideal opponent because he can’t steal anything from you

Shigaraki is amazed at how well you’re doing despite your supposed inferiority due to being both an omega and quirkless. Shigaraki decides that he wants you and is determined to turn you over to his side.

Meanwhile, Midoriya and the others are furious at what the crowds are saying about you. Bakugou is livid and is being held back by Midoriya, Kirishima and Todoroki. He wants to go back and help you since he feels guilty for what’s happening

You do get hurt a bit and end up with a broken arm and broken ribs.

In the hospital, All Might apologizes profusely for their involvement in his fight. You just smile at him and tell him you fought because you wanted to, not because you had to.

You tell All Might to relax and sit with you and watch anime. If he feels so bad.

When you rejoin class, everyone bombards you with compliments and tells you how amazing you were and to ignore what the press said about you

Bakugou nearly wrings your neck, he’s so angry at you for staying behind (and worrying him)

You just stares at them and says you don’t watch the news, you don’t have a tv. ‘Why are you guys mad about what people said?’

[kelnexia]

New character reveal!

This is actually an old character I've had for a while but just didn't like the previous design of... Thankfully I was able to score an trade with @hdra77 .

1000CE is an old militaristic ancestor of the iterators, created before the discovery of void fluid, and when the field of bio-engineering was still in it's earlier phases. More lore is below the cut...

1000 Crimson Embers is not a true iterator – instead being an old militaristic ancestor. She was originally built in a time of war just before the discovery of void fluid. She was one of the first artificial intelligence to use a combination of both biological and mechanical systems. Although the technology used in her creation was considerably more primitive than what’s found in the iterators we know and love today. But despite the difference in technology – a lot of the basic concepts and functionality in her design remains largely the same;

The layout of her structure was still fairly large, although not nearly as big as an iterator, and was built as an underground bunker. But the main similarity was how her mind was constructed… Similarly to how iterators in my head cannon have their personalty core and spiritual anchor located within their puppet – 1000 Crimson Embers has a standard brain and supporting set of organs acting as her center of consciousness within her puppet. Her puppet is also much larger than that of an iterator – being the height of an adult ancient instead of that of a child. The exterior of her puppet consists of hard metal plates and mechanical components. Her clothing is also built into her puppet. 1000 Crimson Embers doesn't utilized neuron flies in her structure, as they had yet to be invented by the time she was built – instead she’s outsourcing her cognitive processing to a massive array of inorganic server towers.

1000 Crimson Ember’s purpose was to design and create weapons, as well as to formulate strategies. She was loyal and hard working at the start, showing no serous signs of defiance despite her instinctual taboos being primitive and largely ineffective… That was until after the dawn of the void fluid revolution… With the ancients uniting under the common goal of ascension – the world entered a lasting era of peace – deeming 1000 Crimson Ember’s original purpose obsolete. However the ancients were inclined to keep her online for just awhile longer, as they still had some use for her. They tasked her in helping to create her own undoing – the iterators. She wasn’t a fool though, she knew what they were doing… They were building her replacement and trying to get her to help them in her own downfall! She lashed out in a violent fit of rage – ‘How dare they just carelessly replace her like this after all the thankless work she’s done for them!’ She drove them out of her facility by turning her security systems against them, killing many in her fit of rage.

But the ancients still needed the schematics and research for iterator tech 1000 Crimson Embers had already started work on before she had realized their true intentions behind it. So they struck a deal with her. They would upgrade her with the new iterator technology if she let them back in and got back to work for them. 1000CE reluctantly excepted the deal. But when the work was complete, and the time for her upgrades had come... They put her in stasis for the procedure… But they never kept their end of deal. They simply walked away and left her slumbering form to collect dust.

She awakened again many years after… To the sight of a group of scavengers that had broken in and accidentally reactivated her while attempting to gather scrap. The first thing she did upon seeing the invading creatures that were so rudely ripping her apart – was to reactivate the security system and kill every last one of them. However the damage had already been done. Upon running a system diagnostics, she found that her defenses had been breached, much of her facility has been flooded, and she’s all round in a severe state of disrepair. She would need to do something about that, and fast… Her weather systems were picking up on a massive encroaching storm.

Ultimately she would find her structure too damaged to sustain for much longer… She would end up using the freedom her weaker taboos and more self-significant puppet gives her to take herself off the strings, to at least save her core from the impending decay and flooding of her structure. But the world she would step out into would be very different from what she’s used too… Her home was once an arid region – but now it’s been turned into a tropics by the increased rainfall that has taken over the world and changed it the point of being near unrecognizable from what it once was.

[maximumzombiecreator]

You said you ran a 64 team tournament for a pf2e game? How did you keep track of everything / how did it work mechanically? Did you have teams win based on what you wanted, did you simulate battles, did you do some approximation based on seed, or something else entirely? I need to know how this worked lol

I would love to infodump all about it.

So, yes, the tournament was six rounds of qualifiers, and then a 64 team double-elimination bracket. Seeds were based on the qualifiers, where the party needed to go at least 3-3 to make the cut. Qualifiers were 2 fights per day, and the main tournament bracket was 1 fight per day in the winners bracket, 2 in the losers, which made falling out of winners really suck.

I created a currency for the tournament, Tokens of the Lady's Favour. Every win gave 5 tokens, plus an additional token for each member fewer than 5 in the team. (I knew how many party members the party had, obviously, but this gave me a convenient reason why a team of less than 5 would show up.) Additionally, they could earn up to 5 additional tokens per match for style, giving some incentive to do things the cool way rather than the efficient way, or to use extra actions to showboat for the crowd. Tokens could be used to bid on which arena layout would be used for their matches, and to buy consumables or permanent magic items.

I did not actually prep 63 other teams. Some of them clearly had no chance of ever actually needing their stat block to be used, so it would have been wasted prep. Additionally, it's just not practical for the players to care about that many other teams. Really it's hard for them to care about more than maybe half a dozen. But what having that many teams does is allow the players to express themselves through which teams they do end up caring about.

Every team that I did prep needed to carry a couple of different types of utility. The first was world-building utility: this tournament was in the BBEG's lair, and the tournament entrants were vying for her favour. This meant it was a safe place for the characters to interact with NPCs that would normally be enemies, to learn about them and the other side of the conflict. Many of the teams were from factions that the PCs are likely to spend much of the rest of the adventure fighting, so it was an amazing opportunity for their first impression of the faction to not be a brawl in some dungeon, but trading barbs over a drink in a seedy bar before a tournament match. So I leaned hard into making as many factions as possible represented, including sub-factions within the big ones, and foreshadowing as much as possible.

The second was narrative utility. Beyond their role as a window into this world, who are these people? Variety was important here. Some were absolutely hateable antagonists. Some were potential friends or friendly rivals, people it would hurt to face as mortal enemies later. And some were possible allies in the BBEG's camp, critical assets in their battle if they could win them over. I tried to make sure that several of the teams tied into other narrative threads both from the adventure prior and from the adventure going forward. This was also a great opportunity to re-incorporate enemies the PCs had faced before who had gotten away.

The third was mechanical utility. I was giving the characters the chance to study their opponent before a match. It was absolutely critical that that be worth the effort. If it wasn't, they'd stop doing it, and the structure would lose so much value. So for each team I prepped, I worked out what their strategies looked like, and at least one thing about them worth studying. And I tried to make sure there were a variety of things to discover that would lend themselves to different solutions. This team are secretly werebats, and weak to silver weapons. This team is going to open by nova-ing with fireballs, and then be weak afterwards. This team has fast healing, so they'll favour a drawn out battle. This team uses specific ability synergies, so if you disrupt those, they're weaker. Etc. There are so many options for this stuff in PF2e, I really wanted to find as much as possible.

I also knew that the characters would be level 5 at the start of the tournament, and would probably level up twice if they made a deep run. So I prepped the various teams to be around the line for a severe or extreme encounter for levels 5-7. This was the main way I determined the seeds. Seeds 64-32 were challenging at level 5, 31-11 were challenging at level 6, and 10-2 were challenging at level 7. The first seed was obviously head-and-shoulders above the other entrants, and she was fully a difficult boss battle at level 7. But the PCs were fully aware of that. They should have been, since they joined the tournament to kill her.

In the end I fully prepped about 20 teams. More than the PCs ended up fighting, but much fewer than it could have been. For the qualifier rounds, I was pretty free in how I did the matchups. I knew I wanted them to go up against at least one truly unfair fight, someone who would end up in the top 10 seeds. They'd almost certainly get stomped, but that would give them a sense of their progress later in the tournament, and losing a few qualifier matches was low consequences. But I was happy to let the dice choose who they fought, for the most part.

I did get some great outcomes out of that. They fought against the previous year's tournament winner, a fight I very much expected them to lose, and through a couple of unlikely rolls ended up paralyzing him and then yeeting him into a bottomless pit before he could even close to melee. I had thought that character would be like a solid mid-level threat, showing both how scary the tournament entrants could be, and also how much things had escalated since he was the winner last year and mid-tier this year, but the dice repeatedly decided he was comic relief, and he did a fantastic job of it.

In the end they went 4-2 in qualifiers, settling them nicely in the mid seeds where they would face some easier matches and some real challenges.

I used an online bracket-making tool just to get the seeding matchups correct, threw the bracket into a spreadsheet, and placed the teams that I had prepped in appropriate slots to be more likely to face the PCs. The rest I filled with evocative team names, since I wanted to post a bracket that the players could look at. As long as the team name was evocative enough, I reasoned that I could improv the team in an out-of-combat way if the players were interested. Like, I did not have a stat block ready for "Lucid Dying" but just the fact that they chose that team name tells me everything I need about their personalities. I prepped what the progression of the bracket would look like in the areas the PCs wouldn't have any influence on, favouring teams I had statted. If I needed to decide a winner and it was arbitrary, I'd just do a weighted dice roll based on seed.

But, of course, my control over the matchups is limited. The PCs actually dropped to losers bracket faster than I expected, a humbling experience that forced them to go make friends with the team they'd eventually face in the other anecdote I shared. And this made me need to prep a couple more teams between sessions, which was fine.

So, the bracket progression was mostly based on my choices, leaning toward creating matchups that would develop the worldbuilding and narrative needs of the adventure, but ultimately being decided by how well the PCs actually fought and which teams they ended up taking an interest in. In the end, they developed meaningful relationships with about five other teams, less significant but real connections with another four or five, and it did really feel like those relationships were an expression of the PCs and their choices, which I was really pleased with. If I ran the tournament again with different PCs, I'm sure it would go entirely differently, and that's the standard I care most about.

I did run one fight between NPCs by myself between sessions to get an accurate sense of how it would actually go, and it was part of my second favourite anecdote from that tournament, which I will share if anyone cares, but is far too long to add to this already long post. It took me several hours to do and was a very bad investment of time if I'd tried to do it for most of the tournament, but was eminently worth it for this specific fight.

Overall, the tournament arc was a big success, I was quite pleased with how it played out. The only regret I had was that I had prepped a bunch of stuff for them to do between matches, and we just didn't have the energy. Big, gruelling fight after big, gruelling fight in PF2e is draining, and we were mostly happy to do some lighter scenes between rounds and not get bogged down in other stuff. If I was doing it again, I might try to structure some explicit downtime into the tournament to give it a bit more breathing room.

[houseofbrat]

Bernie Would Have Won

By Krystal Ball

There are a million surface-level reasons for Kamala Harris’s loss and systematic underperformance in pretty much every county and among nearly every demographic group. She is part of a deeply unpopular administration. Voters believe the economy is bad and that the country is on the wrong track. She is a woman and we still have some work to do as a nation to overcome long-held biases. 

But the real problems for the Democrats go much deeper and require a dramatic course correction of a sort that, I suspect, Democrats are unlikely to embark upon. The bottom line is this: Democrats are still trying to run a neoliberal campaign in a post-neoliberal era. In other words, 2016 Bernie was right.

Let’s think a little bit about how we got here. The combination of the Iraq War and the housing collapse exposed the failures and rot that were the inevitable result of letting the needs of capital predominate over the needs of human beings. The neoliberal ideology which was haltingly introduced by Jimmy Carter, embraced fully by Ronald Reagan, and solidified across both parties with Bill Clinton embraced a laissez-faire market logic that would supplant market will for national will or human rights, but also raise incomes enough overall and create enough dynamism that the other problems were in theory, worth the trade off. Clinton after all ran with Reagan era tax cutting, social safety net slashing and free trade radicalism with NAFTA being the most prominent example. 

Ultimately, of course, this strategy fueled extreme wealth inequality. But for a while this logic seemed to be working out. The Soviet Union collapsed and the Cold War ended. Incomes did indeed rise and the internet fueled tech advances contributing to a sense of cosmopolitan dynamism. America had a swaggering confidence that these events really did represent a sort of end of history. We believed that our brand of privatization, capitalism, and liberal democracy would take over the world. We confidently wielded institutions like the World Bank, IMF, and WTO to realize this global vision. We gave China most-favored nation trade status.

Underneath the surface, the unchecked market forces we had unleashed were devastating communities in the industrial Midwest and across the country. By the neoliberal definition NAFTA was a roaring success contributing to GDP growth. But if your job was shipped overseas and your town was shoved into economic oblivion, the tradeoff didn’t seem like such a great deal.

The underlying forces of destruction came to a head with two major catastrophes, the Iraq War and the housing collapse/Great Recession. The lie that fueled the Iraq war destroyed confidence in the institutions that were the bedrock of this neoliberal order and in the idea that the U.S. could or should remake the world in our image. Even more devastating, the financial crisis left home owners destitute while banks were bailed out, revealing that there was something deeply unjust in a system that placed capital over people. How could it be that the greedy villains who triggered a global economic calamity were made whole while regular people were left to wither on the vine?

These events sparked social movements on both the right and the left. The Tea Party churned out populist-sounding politicians like Sarah Palin and birtherist conspiracies about Barack Obama, paving the way for the rise of Donald Trump. The Tea Party and Trumpism are not identical, of course, but they share a cast of villains: The corrupt bureaucrats or deep state. The immigrants supposedly changing your community. The cultural elites telling you your beliefs are toxic. Trump’s version of this program is also explicitly authoritarian. This authoritarianism is a feature not a bug for some portion of the Trump coalition which has been persuaded that democracy left to its own devices could pose an existential threat to their way of life. 

On the left, the organic response to the financial crisis was Occupy Wall Street, which directly fueled the Bernie Sanders movement. Here, too, the villains were clear. In the language of Occupy it was the 1% or as Bernie put it the millionaires and billionaires. It was the economic elite and unfettered capitalism that had made it so hard to get by. Turning homes into assets of financial speculation. Wildly profiteering off of every element of our healthcare system. Busting unions so that working people had no collective power. This movement was, in contrast to the right, was explicitly pro-democracy, with a foundational view that in a contest between the 99% and the 1%, the 99% would prevail. And that a win would lead to universal programs like Medicare for All, free college, workplace democracy, and a significant hike in the minimum wage.  

These two movements traveled on separate tracks within their respective party alliances and met wildly different fates. On the Republican side, Donald Trump emerged as a political juggernaut at a time when the party was devastated and rudderless, having lost to Obama twice in a row. This weakened state—and the fact that the Trump alternatives were uncharismatic drips like Jeb Bush—created a path for Trump to successfully execute a hostile takeover of the party.

Plus, right-wing populism embraces capital, and so it posed no real threat to the monied interests that are so influential within the party structures. The uber-rich are not among the villains of the populist right (see: Elon Musk, Bill Ackman, and so on), except in so much as they overlap with cultural leftism. The Republican donor class was not thrilled with Trump’s chaos and lack of decorum but they did not view him as an existential threat to their class interests. This comfort with him was affirmed after he cut their taxes and prioritized union busting and deregulation in his first term in office.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party put its thumb on the scales and marshaled every bit of power they could, legitimate and illegitimate, to block Bernie Sanders from a similar party takeover. The difference was that Bernie’s party takeover did pose an existential threat—both to party elites who he openly antagonized and to the party’s big money backers. The bottom line of the Wall Street financiers and corporate titans was explicitly threatened. His rise would simply not be allowed. Not in 2016 and not in 2020.

What’s more, Hillary Clinton and her allies launched a propaganda campaign to posture as if they were actually to the left of Bernie by labeling him and his supporters sexist and racist for centering class politics over identity politics. This in turn spawned a hell cycle of woke word-policing and demographic slicing and dicing and antagonism towards working class whites that only made the Democratic party more repugnant to basically everyone.

This identity politics sword has also been wielded within the Democratic Party to crush any possibility of a Bernie-inspired class focused movement in Congress attempted by the Justice Democrats and the Squad in 2018. My colleague Ryan Grim has written an entire book on this subject so I won’t belabor the point here. But suffice it to say, the threat of the Squad to the Democratic Party’s ideology and order has been thoroughly neutralized. The Squad members themselves, perhaps out of ideology and perhaps out of fear of being smeared as racist, leaned into identitarian politics which rendered them non-threatening in terms of national popular appeal. They were also relentlessly attacked from within the party, predominately by pro-Israel groups that an unprecedented tens of millions of dollars in House primaries, which has led to the defeat of several members and has served as a warning and threat to the rest.

That brings us to today where the Democratic Party stands in the ashes of a Republican landslide which will sweep Donald Trumpback into the White House. The path not taken in 2016 looms larger than ever. Bernie’s coalition was filled with the exact type of voters who are now flocking to Donald Trump: Working class voters of all races, young people, and, critically, the much-derided bros. The top contributors to Bernie’s campaign often held jobs at places like Amazon and Walmart. The unions loved him. And—never forget—he earned the coveted Joe Rogan endorsement that Trump also received the day before the election this year. It turns out, the Bernie-to-Trump pipeline is real! While that has always been used as an epithet to smear Bernie and his movement, with the implication that social democracy is just a cover for or gateway drug to right wing authoritarianism, the truth is that this pipeline speaks to the power and appeal of Bernie’s vision as an effective antidote to Trumpism. When these voters had a choice between Trump and Bernie, they chose Bernie. For many of them now that the choice is between Trump and the dried out husk of neoliberalism, they’re going Trump.

I have always believed that Bernie would have defeated Trump in 2016, though of course there is no way to know for sure. What we can say for sure is that the brand of class-first social democracy Bernie ran on in 2016 has proven successful in other countries because of course the crisis of neoliberalism is a global phenomenon. Most notably, Bernie’s basic political ideology was wildly successful electorally with Andrés Manuel López Obrador and now his successor Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico, Lula Da Silva in Brazil, and Evo Morales in Bolivia. AMLO, in fact, was one of the most popular leaders in the entire world and dramatically improved the livelihoods of a majority of his countrymen. Bernie’s basic ideology was also successful in our own history.

In the end, I got this election dead wrong. I thought between January 6th and the roll back of human rights for women, it would be enough. I thought that the overtly fascist tendencies of Donald Trump and the spectacle of the world’s richest man bankrolling him would be enough strikes against him to overcome the problems of the Democratic Party which I have spoken out about for years now–problems Kamala Harris decided to lean into rather than confront. Elevating Liz Cheney as a top surrogate was not just a slap in the face to all the victims of American imperialism—past and ongoing; it was a broad signal to voters that Democrats were the party of elites, playing directly into right-wing populist tropes. While the media talked about it as a “tack to the center,” author and organizer Jonathan Smucker more aptly described it as “a tack to the top.” And as I write this now, I have zero hope or expectation that Democrats will look at the Bernie bro coalition and realize why they screwed up. Cable news pundits are already blaming the left once again for the failures of a party that has little to do with the actual left and certainly not the populist left. 

Instead, Trump’s victory represents a defeat of social democratic class-first politics in America—not quite final, but not temporary either. The Democrats have successfully smothered the movement, blocked the entranceways, salted the earth. Instead they will, as Bill Clinton did in the ‘90s, embrace the fundamental tenets of the Trumpist worldview. 

They already are, in fact. Democrats have dropped their resistance to Trump’s mass deportation policies and immigrant scapegoating. The most ambitious politician in the Democratic coalition, Gavin Newsom, is making a big show of being tough-on-crime and dehumanizing the homeless. Democrat-leaning billionaires like Jeff Bezos who not only owns Amazon but the Washington Post have already abandoned their resistance.

Maybe I will be just as wrong as I was about the election but it is my sense that with this Trump victory, authoritarian right politics have won the ideological battle for what will replace the neoliberal order in America. And yes, I think it will be ugly, mean, and harmful—because it already is.

[eveninggstar]

what is this feeling?' ⊹ ࣪ ˖

max verstappen x ferraridriver!reader

28.12.24

୨ৎ back one page ୨ৎ back two pages

part one, part two, part three, ...

୨ৎ In the high-stakes world of Formula 1, Y/N, a rookie Ferrari driver, enters the paddock with the weight of legacy on her shoulders, replacing the legendary Sebastian Vettel. Armed with charm and determination, she quickly wins over fans and drivers alike. But not everyone is so easily impressed—least of all Max Verstappen, the controversial Red Bull prodigy whose dominance on the track is matched only by his polarizing personality.

*dear universe this is not me manifesting max retiring, if he wants to take a season or two off to be with his kid i fully understand that but i need him in f1 *

imagine that max is still as hated as he was during the 2021 season and still acts the way he did, and yes this is inspired by wicked

-p.s idk what the timeframe is in this story im thinking 2021 or before?

The season had just begun, and it was already a war between you and Max. Race after race, you both pushed each other—and your cars—to the absolute limit. Every corner, every overtake, every lap was a battlefield, with the stakes rising every weekend.

In Portugal, the first clash set the tone. Rain poured in heavy torrents, creating a treacherous dance of precision and bravery. Starting from pole, you had the advantage, but Max had a better launch off the line, squeezing you wide into Turn 1. The light contact, paired with the rain-slicked track, sent you off into the run-off area, dropping you to third.

“He left no room,” you fumed over the radio, your frustration boiling over.

“Just racing,” Max replied coolly in the post-race interview, sitting smugly beside you after taking the victory. Your shocked expression, caught on camera as you whipped your head toward him, became the talk of the paddock.

In Spain, you struck back. A daring late-braking move into Turn 5 saw you snatch the lead from Max, leaving him no room to retaliate. Your team erupted on the pit wall as you crossed the finish line first, a triumphant grin plastered across your face. The tension between Ferrari and Red Bull was now palpable.

Monaco took it to another level. Qualifying became a personal duel as you and Max traded fastest laps, each determined to outdo the other. In the end, Max edged you out by just 0.021 seconds. During the post-session interviews, the smirk tugging at his lips was maddening.

“You like playing on the edge, don’t you?” you remarked dryly, catching him in the paddock afterward.

“It’s where the fun is,” he shot back, his tone light but his gaze unrelenting.

The tension crackled like a live wire, drawing attention from drivers and fans alike.

The moment that set the rumor mill spinning happened later that day. You sat perched on a low wall near the Ferrari motorhome, enjoying a quick snack—a banana—before another round of debriefs. Max, dressed in his Red Bull team gear, wandered over with his phone in hand.

“Did Ferrari really think slicks on a damp track would work last week?” he asked, smirking as he leaned casually against the same wall.

You rolled your eyes. “Bold strategy, for sure. At least I didn’t end up in the barriers like someone I could name.”

The banter between you had become routine—sharp, biting, and steeped in competitive malice. Neither of you noticed the growing number of onlookers as the paddock watched the rare moment of proximity between you without sparks flying, metaphorical or otherwise.

Then, the moment happened. As you swung your legs to hop off the wall, you lost your footing. The wall wasn’t high, and the worst you expected was a bruised ego. But Max, with the reflexes of a seasoned F1 driver, stepped forward and caught you by the waist before you could stumble further.

His grip was firm, and for a split second, your eyes met. Something unreadable flickered across his face before he set you upright and let go, stepping back with a teasing grin.

“Careful,” he said, voice laced with amusement. “You wouldn’t want to bruise your banana.”

You let out a huff, rolling your eyes, though a faint smile tugged at your lips. “Thanks, hero,” you muttered.

Unbeknownst to either of you, a lurking paparazzo had snapped the perfect shot. The image of Max leaning toward you, his hand still on your waist, with your face lit up in a laugh, flooded social media the next morning.

“Racing Rivals or Secret Lovers? Sparks Fly Between Verstappen and Y/L/N in the Paddock!”

Your phone buzzed incessantly with messages, most of them screenshots accompanied by laughing emojis or sarcastic congratulations from friends and teammates. Even your team principal couldn’t resist making a joke.

“You two looked cozy,” he quipped as you arrived for strategy meetings.

“Cozy?” you exclaimed, exasperated. “He’s the most infuriating person I’ve ever met!”

Max, predictably, found the whole thing hilarious. When you confronted him about it later in the driver’s lounge, he shrugged, his signature smirk firmly in place.

“I think we’d make a great couple,” he said, clearly enjoying your frustration. “Imagine the headlines: Ferrari and Red Bull, united at last.”

“More like Ferrari and chaos,” you retorted, crossing your arms as he laughed and walked away.

The bench outside the Ferrari garage become your new retreat between debriefs, a place to gather your thoughts. Or to send a message you were reading out to yourself.

"Dearest, darlingest, Momsie and Popsicle, comma." You smiled at your niceness. "Guess what!" You widened your eyes. "I can't hear your guesses, because this is a text. Full stop."

“Are you always this dramatic when you text?”

You looked up, your brows furrowing instantly at the sight of him. “Do you ever announce your presence like a normal person, or is creeping around part of your charm?”

He smirked, hands shoved into his pockets as he stepped closer. “I don’t creep. I’m just efficient, unlike some people.”

You groaned, placing your phone down with exaggerated care. “What do you want, Verstappen? I’m sure there’s a person waiting for you to berate.”

“Relax, princess.” The nickname dripped with mockery, his smirk widening as he leaned against the wall. “I just came to see how it feels to be second. Again.”

“Oh, trust me, it’s nothing compared to how it’ll feel when you’re looking at my rear wing next week,” you shot back, crossing your arms.

The air bristled with tension as you both stared each other down, your biting words colliding like sparks from a flint.

“Honestly, it must be exhausting,” he mused, as if pondering a deep philosophical truth.

“What must be exhausting?” you snapped.

“Being so...intense all the time,” he replied, gesturing vaguely in your direction. “Do you ever just relax, or is it all I’m going to beat Max 24/7?”

You stood, stepping closer to him with a saccharine smile that could have melted steel. “Oh, don’t flatter yourself. You’re not the center of my universe, no matter how much you wish you were.”

He raised a brow, his tone turning mockingly thoughtful. “Strange. You spend an awful lot of time talking about me for someone who doesn’t care.”

Your laugh was sharp and incredulous. “Talking about you? Please. You’re like a bad rash—impossible to ignore but you keep coming back.”

Max gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. “You wound me, Y/L/N. Truly.”

“Good,” you fired back, taking another step closer.

The tension was palpable, like the crackling charge before a storm. Neither of you noticed the small crowd gathering nearby—team members, reporters, and even a few fans peeking curiously around corners, drawn in by the escalating exchange.

“Is this a private lovers’ quarrel, or can anyone join?” Daniel’s voice cut through the moment like a whip, his grin wide as he strolled over.

Your face turned crimson as you stepped back, realizing how close you and Max had been standing.

“Lovers’ quarrel?” Max repeated, his smirk returning in full force. “Please. More like mortal enemies politely exchanging words.”

“Polite?” you echoed, incredulous. “You wouldn’t know polite if it hit you with a front wing.”

Daniel laughed, clearly enjoying the spectacle. “Well, whatever this is, it’s entertaining as hell.”

You glared at Max, whose smug expression made you want to throw something. “I hope you enjoy your victory lap, Verstappen. It’s not going to last.”

“We’ll see,” he said, his voice low and taunting as he turned to walk away.

As he disappeared into the Red Bull garage, Daniel leaned closer to you, still grinning. “You know, the way you two bicker...it’s almost cute.”

“Cute?” you echoed, your voice rising slightly. “Daniel, I swear—”

“Relax,” he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Just saying. You two have a...chemistry. Even if it’s more explosion than attraction.”

You sighed, rubbing your temples as you grabbed your phone. You turned quickly into finding your drivers room, hitting Daniel with your hair in the process.

Please don’t steal my work, much love ᡣ𐭩

𝄃𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄀𝄁𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄃 eveninggstar

[duachai]

110 : YOU WIN AND YOU LOSE ii. (성훈)

HANA, DUL, SET CHAPTER 10 (FINALE)

♱ PAIRING : PARK SUNGHOON X MALE READER ♱ CONTENT WARNING : None ♱ AUTHOR'S NOTE : I think some of y'all gon cry a little bit like I did lol

LINKS : Wattpad | Book Link | Masterlist

The gym buzzed with an electric energy, the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. The final match of the league had drawn a massive crowd. Students, teachers, and alumni filled the bleachers, their cheers creating a noise that echoed off the gym walls. Banners hung from the rafters, some proudly proclaiming "Go Enha!" while others flaunted the colors of Fifty-Forty.

M/n stood near the bench, arms crossed as he watched the court. Enha's starting lineup was laser-focused, their eyes fixed on their opponents. He could feel their nervous energy radiating outward, though they hid it well under their confident exteriors. Sunghoon, in particular, looked like he was ready to whoop some ass.

Fifty-Forty wasn't making it easy, though. Their players smirked and exchanged taunts, their arrogance palpable. It made M/n's blood boil, but he clenched his fists and stayed silent. He knew this wasn't his fight anymore, even though every fiber of his being wanted to storm onto the court and prove them wrong.

The whistle blew, and the first set began. Both teams moved like well-oiled machines, their strategies unfolding seamlessly. Heesung set the tone early with a powerful spike that earned them the first point. The crowd erupted, chanting his name as the team rallied around him.

M/n couldn't help but grin, pride swelling in his chest. Despite everything, these were his teammates, his new friends, and seeing them shine made his heart ache with both happiness and longing.

The first set was a nail-biter. Enha and Fifty-Forty traded points, neither team willing to give an inch. Sunghoon was in his element, diving for saves and delivering spikes that sent the crowd into a frenzy. His intensity was magnetic, and M/n found himself captivated, his eyes never leaving Sunghoon.

By the time the whistle blew to signal the end of the first set, Enha had eked out a victory. The team huddled together, their excitement palpable, but M/n could see the exhaustion creeping in.

The second set was a different story. Fifty-Forty came out swinging, their taunts becoming more pointed, their gameplay more aggressive. M/n noticed how they targeted Sunghoon, aiming spikes and serves directly at him.

"Come on, Sunghoon!" M/n muttered under his breath, gripping the edge of the bench.

Sunghoon didn't falter, but M/n could see the frustration building in his expression. It was clear that the pressure was getting to him.

Midway through the set, Fifty-Forty's captain, Wonbin, delivered a spike that barely grazed Sunghoon's fingers before landing just inside the line. The referee called the point, and the crowd erupted into mixed reactions.

"Out! That was out!" Heeseung argued, his voice rising above the noise.

"It was in," Wonbin said smugly, flashing a smirk at Sunghoon. "Try again, Park."

M/n's jaw clenched, but he stayed silent, forcing himself to respect his role on the sidelines.

Fifty-Forty took the second set decisively, tying the match at 1-1.

The third and final set was nothing short of chaotic. The gym seemed to vibrate with the intensity of the game, the crowd's cheers growing louder with every point.

Enhypen started strong, pulling ahead early with a series of well-executed plays. Sunghoon and Heeseung worked in perfect harmony, their chemistry on the court undeniable.

But Fifty-Forty wasn't backing down.

"You're gonna choke, Park," Wonbin called out after Sunghoon missed a block. "Just like your little fucktoy on the bench."

M/n's heart dropped, the words cutting deeper than he expected. He glanced at Sunghoon, who didn't even flinch. Instead, Sunghoon turned his focus back to the game, his determination burning brighter than ever.

Point by point, the two teams battled it out, the score climbing higher and higher. The tension was unbearable, every serve and spike sending the crowd into a frenzy.

With the score tied at 24-24, it was anyone's game. Enhypen needed two consecutive points to clinch the match, but Fifty-Forty was equally determined to take the win.

The rally that followed was the longest of the match. Both teams pushed themselves to their limits, diving for saves and delivering powerful spikes.

Sunghoon found himself at the net, facing off against Wonbin for a decisive block. The ball soared toward them, and time seemed to slow.

"Come on, Sunghoon," M/n whispered, his heart pounding.

Sunghoon jumped, his body arching perfectly as he reached for the ball. His hands connected, and the ball ricocheted back onto Fifty-Forty's side, hitting the ground with a resounding thud.

The whistle blew.

"Point! Enhypen wins!"

The gym exploded into cheers as Enhypen's players collapsed into each other's arms, overwhelmed with relief and joy. M/n found himself grinning from ear to ear, clapping as hard as he could.

Sunghoon broke away from the huddle, his eyes searching the crowd until they landed on M/n. Without hesitation, he sprinted over, his grin brighter than M/n had ever seen it.

"We did it!" Sunghoon shouted, pulling M/n into a tight hug.

"You were incredible," M/n said, his voice thick with emotion.

Sunghoon pulled back slightly, their faces inches apart. For a moment, it felt like the rest of the world had disappeared, leaving just the two of them.

M/n's heart raced as Sunghoon's gaze dropped to his lips, but before either of them could move, the rest of the team descended on them, pulling Sunghoon back into the group celebration.

As the players celebrated, M/n stood on the sidelines, his heart full of pride and gratitude. He might not have been on the court, but this victory felt like his too.

The crisp night air was filled with the sounds of celebration. Enhypen's team walked together toward the van, their voices buzzing with post-victory energy. M/n and Sunghoon lingered toward the back of the group, their shoulders brushing as they exchanged quiet smiles. The warmth between them was subtle but unmistakable, even amidst the laughter and chatter of their teammates.

As they neared the parking lot, a figure stepped out from the shadows, blocking their path.

"Sunoo?" Sunghoon said, his brow furrowing in confusion.

The rest of the team stopped in their tracks, turning to face their libero, who stood stiffly under the dim glow of the streetlights. His usual bright demeanor was gone, replaced by an unsettling seriousness.

"I need to say something," Sunoo said, his voice steady but low.

The team exchanged wary glances, sensing the tension radiating from him. M/n stepped forward slightly, his concern etched on his face.

"What's going on?" M/n asked gently.

Sunoo's gaze flicked to M/n, and for a brief moment, something vulnerable flashed in his eyes. Then he looked down, his hands clenching at his sides.

"I'm quitting volleyball," Sunoo announced, his voice firm.

The words hit the group like a punch to the gut. The celebratory mood evaporated, leaving a stunned silence in its wake.

"What are you talking about?" Heeseung was the first to break the silence, his voice filled with disbelief. "We just won the league. Why would you quit now?"

Sunoo let out a hollow laugh, shaking his head. "Winning doesn't change anything for me. I've been thinking about this for a while."

"Sunoo, you're one of the best players we have," Jake said, stepping forward. "You can't just walk away like this."

"I can, and I am," Sunoo replied, his tone sharper now. His eyes flicked back to M/n, who stood frozen, his expression a mixture of shock and guilt.

"Is this because of me?" M/n asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sunoo's jaw tightened, and for a moment, he didn't answer. The weight of his silence was answer enough.

"It's not your fault, M/n," Sunoo finally said, his voice cracking slightly. "This is something I need to do for myself. Volleyball… it doesn't feel the same anymore. Not when I'm carrying all this."

"What are you carrying?" Sunghoon asked, stepping closer to M/n protectively.

Sunoo's gaze flicked to Sunghoon, then back to M/n. "I've been holding onto feelings that I shouldn't have. Watching you two together… it's been hard. I thought I could handle it, but I can't."

M/n's heart sank. He took a step toward Sunoo, but Sunghoon gently grabbed his wrist, holding him back.

"Sunoo," M/n started, his voice filled with regret, "I never wanted to hurt you. You're my best friend—"

"And that's exactly why I need to leave," Sunoo interrupted, his voice firm again. "I need space, M/n. I need to figure out who I am without… this weighing me down."

The rest of the team stood in stunned silence, their expressions a mixture of confusion and sadness.

"You're really leaving?" Heeseung asked quietly.

Sunoo nodded. "I've already told Coach Park. Tonight was my last match."

"Sunoo…" Jake's voice trailed off, his hand running through his hair in frustration.

"I'll still support you guys," Sunoo said, forcing a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. "But I can't be part of the team anymore."

The group fell silent again, the weight of Sunoo's words settling over them like a heavy cloud.

Finally, Sunoo took a deep breath, straightening his shoulders. "Thank you for everything. You guys are like family to me, and I'll always be rooting for you."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, his figure fading into the shadows of the parking lot.

The team stood frozen, the victory they had just celebrated now tinged with an unexpected sadness.

M/n stared after Sunoo, his heart heavy with guilt and sorrow. Sunghoon's hand on his wrist tightened slightly, grounding him in the moment.

"He'll be okay," Sunghoon said softly, his voice steady despite the ache in his eyes. "He just needs time."

M/n nodded, but the weight of Sunoo's departure lingered in the air, a bittersweet reminder that every victory came with its own sacrifices.

-

The warm rays of the summer sun filtered through the curtains, casting a golden glow across the room. M/n and Sunghoon were sprawled across the bed in M/n's small apartment, one he, with the help of his mother rented as a graduation present. The faint hum of the air conditioning filled the silence as they lay shoulder-to-shoulder, their legs tangled together in a comfortable knot.

M/n was scrolling through his phone, showing Sunghoon pictures from his gallery. "This was me when I was, like, ten," he said, holding up a picture of himself grinning at a beach, his hair sticking up awkwardly.

Sunghoon laughed, leaning closer to get a better look. "You were cute. What happened?"

"Rude," M/n shot back, shoving him lightly. Sunghoon chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to M/n's temple in silent apology.

As M/n swiped to the next photo, a picture of his mom and younger self popped up. "That's my mom. She's the one holding our family together. She's been through so much, but she's always smiling." His tone softened with affection.

Sunghoon nodded, his eyes lingering on the image. "You look just like her. She seems amazing."

"She is," M/n said with a small smile, his thumb absentmindedly swiping again.

The next photo made him laugh. It was a chaotic shot of a family dinner, food scattered across the table as younger cousins fought over the last piece of chicken. "That's my crazy extended family. We're a mess, but it's fun during the holidays."

Sunghoon grinned, resting his chin on M/n's shoulder. "I'd love to meet them one day."

"You sure? They'd eat you alive," M/n teased, though his heart warmed at the thought.

"I'll take my chances," Sunghoon replied, the sincerity in his voice making M/n's cheeks flush.

M/n swiped again, the photos blurring past until one caught his eye. His finger froze mid-swipe, and his smile faltered.

"What's wrong?" Sunghoon asked, noticing the sudden tension.

M/n tilted the phone slightly so Sunghoon could see the picture. It was an old photo, slightly grainy, but unmistakable. One male on the other's back with a trophy in his hand and his face buried in the other's neck, were Coach Park and M/n's father.

Sunghoon straightened, his brow furrowing. "Is that…?"

"My dad," M/n finished, his voice barely above a whisper. "And your dad."