#Marius your a doctor

[eli-am-confused]

Tim: Oh, officer it’s just awful! He just suddenly dropped dead! I think he had a heart attack or something!

Based on a post made by @gunpowderdtim because I just couldn’t help myself

Bonus:

Marius: Yup, totally dead. Heart attacks am I right? Welp nothing to do about it now, looks like our job here is done.

[wheresmyfuckingchair]

Happy fuck you and your train Friday, to all my friends who celebrate

[saym0-0]

marius has gone through all the training for a medical doctorate countless times on countless planets but right before the ceremony where he actually gets the title the mechs 'accidentally' like. start a war or something and have to get off planet quick

[bag-0f-b0nes]

All the mechanisms described with the first adjective I think of

Jonny d'Ville: feral

Gunpowder Tim: destructive

Ashes O'Reilly: hot (in every way)

Nastya Rasputina: cold (physically)

The Toy Soldier: silly

Raphaella la Cognizi: smart

Ivy Alexandria: smart²

Drumbot Brian: copper

Doctor Baron Marius von Raum: questionable

Bonus:

Doctor Carmilla: scary

Octokittens: small

Stowaways: bastard

Skuzz: mysterious

[asthe-crow-flies]

headcanon that actually marius isnt a doctor not cause he doesn’t know how but because he always drops out of med school right before graduation so as to avoid having to swear the hippocratic oath

[cosmic-mj]

Killers and renegades, liars and thieves. Welcome! We are The Mechanisms, the crew of the starship Aurora. Roving through the galaxy, having fun, violence, adventure, violence, violence. Allow me a brief moment of self indulgence to introduce to you the crew of our mighty starship.

There's Drumbot Brian, our pilot.

Ashes O'Reilly, quartermaster.

Gunpowder Tim, our master at arms.

Baron Marius von Raum, ship's doctor.

Nastya Rasputina, ship’s engineer

Raphaella la Cognizi, science officer.

Ivy Alexandria, our archivist.

And the Toy Soldier, who is as usual, present.

And last, but the very opposite of least, myself. Jonny d'Ville, your humble captain First Mate!

[blotb0x]

she/he drumbot brian who will be ur boyfriend but ur wife he/him gunpowder tim who only refers to himself as a girl she/he/they jonny dville who will never change how she looks but if their pronouns are different that day he will shoot you when you get them wrong they/them marius von raum who only describes their gender as doctor any pronouns ivy alexandria who uses the same pronouns as whoever is the protagonist of the book they're reading at the time no pronouns toy soldier who can only describe the toy soldiers gender as the toy soldier, and will only be referred to as such they/them ashes who disregards other pronouns and if referred to in any other way will set you on fire to then also remove your pronouns she/they raphaella who also uses he/him but only if stealing another persons pronouns to fuck with them she/her nastya who uses those pronouns in the way people refer to boats and machines as girls

[lavandulawrites]

Tears of Themis and why you should play it

Tears of Themis is a mobile otome game from the company HoYoverse/MiHoYo who brought us the games many know and love: Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, Honkai Impact 3rd and Zenless Zone Zero.

Tears of Themis was released in China in 2020. The game has 4 male leads. The game is a romance game with crime solving elements and is set in the fictional city Stellis in the year 2030. You play as a junior attorney MC who has the code name Rosa (her real name is customisable) and with the MLs you work together to solve crimes and mysteries.

Both the story and characters are extremely well written and it’s a breath of fresh air compared to other otome games. The story is fun, romantic and thrilling. There are times where you will kick your feet in excitement, gripping your phone in suspense and other times where you will shed tears. The game explores multiple romantic genres/tropes and its psychological elements are interesting. It’s a game for both experienced otome players and those who are new to the genre. It is free to play and it’s rather easy to obtain the story cards you want.

The MC is kind, empathetic, stubborn and intelligent, in other words quite likeable. She is a true girlboss.

The first male lead/love interest you met is Artem Wing, a 29 year old senior lawyer and MC’s partner. He is a calm man who works hard towards his goals. The media calls him an emotional less robot, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. With his sometimes awkward demeanour when it comes to his crush (MC) is rather charming.

The second male lead/love interest you met is Luke Pearce, a 24 year old private detective and the owner of an antique shop. He is what one could call a golden retriever with his playful personality and his overprotectiveness over the MC who is his childhood best friend. His enthusiasm is a very likeable trait and it’s easy to get attached to him.

The third male lead/love interest you met is Vyn Richter, the 27 year old famed psychiatrist with two doctor grades and a mysterious past. His intelligence is remarkable and he is a master with his words. Vyn is man of many talents and he is always looking for a way to impress MC. He is rather cunning and has an enigmatic aura which draws you in.

The fourth and last male lead/love interest you met is Marius Von Hagen, the 21 year old heir of a multibillion company and an art student. He is what you may call a playboy with his teasing personality and his charming appearance. He is as all the other love interests extremely intelligent. He loves teasing the MC and it’s hard to say no to his puppy eyes.

The game play

The game consists of a main story with multiple chapters and side stories with the different characters. There are also events.

In order to unlock the different episodes you battle with cards which you can obtain by “pulling”. The SR and SSR cards each have their own stories. The card battles are easy to get the hang of.

So do like our girl Pela and play Tears of Themis<3

[vaperarmand]

iwtv fanfic friday <3

happy weekend reading!

all human decisions by LuckyDiceKirby (@luckydicekirby) m, 19k

Daniel’s bastard maker had the advantage over him: he could travel by daylight. By the time Daniel woke at dusk, sprawled on the couch and actually literally tucked in, there was no sign of him. Well, fuck Armand. Daniel might be a newly minted best-selling conspiracy theorist whose sanity was being publicly debated on every existing social media platform, but he was still a journalist. He could track down one monstrous extremely divorced serial killer, easy.

(armand is sooooooo annoying in this. he's everything to me.)

colour me your colour, baby by hederabug m, 2.6k

“Daniel.” Daniel hears the soft, but insistent voice first as a distant call, as if she’s submerged in water. She breathes air when Armand’s hand grabs at her shoulder. “Wake up, lover.” Armand is on all fours, hands and knees on the bed above where Daniel’s still lying down, so they’re face to face. Armand’s brown eyes are glinting with some manic light, her face cast in shadow, striking chiaroscuro, lit only by the dull amber glow of the bedside table.

(rest assured i will be doing a dm yuri theme week soon and rest assured this will be on it. but it was too good not to include here. i need like 17 more fics in this series)

With His Heart Still Intact (They Didn't Do It Right) by CaravanOfCrows (@asthedeathoflight) t, 6k

A series of collisions; in which free will exists but fate isn't going down without a fight. (surely Armand and Daniel only have extremely normal feelings about freedom and agency and destiny)

(WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE DM SOULMATE AU AGAIN. CAN WE TALK ABOUT IT PLEASE)

marketplace heart-eater by eggalbumin m, 6k

Daniel picks up a blade from the stack of discarded tools in the kidney tray. It has blood on it. “I’m a little scared to ask,” he says, with the aura of someone who isn’t very scared of asking at all, “but who’s blood is this?” Mine. Yours. My master’s, twice-diluted. Why does it matter anymore? It’s poison either way. “The doctor was just showing me how to do incisions. It’s fascinating work.”

(really fucking awesome armand character study. the first time i ever found marius compelling due to the fact that he's written from the lens of armand's tangled knot of being. like i think he should be killed with hammers as much as the next guy but he makes for such a fascinating narrative concept)

did you believe in the glass city by tei @bloodripelives nr, 5.9k

"Yes," Armand breathes. "Yes. Is anything they did to me worse than what I have done to you?" Daniel wants to say yes, but shit, he's not even sure what Armand had done to him. And whatever it was, he is sure that he would have let him do worse.

(daniel tracks down marius for the sake of armand's tangled knot of being. it goes as well as you would expect. so fucking beautiful and soooo fucking compelling. made me cry at least twice. read it now)

[eros7hanatos]

➽ Things NXX members do when you get sick 

Warnings: established relationships, character and reader live together, pure fluff, SFW, reader doesn’t have to be Rosa, gn reader

Word count: 754

A/N: some fluff to clear my thoughts and make me less stressed TT, I’m in love with all of them.

Luke Pearce

A little panicked, as soon as you stumbled out of your room to go on about your day, your face flushed for no apparent reason he yelped, “No way you’re going anywhere today! You’re staying at home and recovering!”

Literally rushes to the convenience store nearby to buy you medicine. You wake up from your nap to see him drenched in sweat with a plastic bag in his hand and a smile on his face.

Knows your favorite foods that you eat when you're sick and tries his best to make it but, well, he’s not the best cook. So he buys some instead. 

He makes sure that you take your medicines on time and always stays by your side.

Drowns you in hugs and kisses, no matter what you say or do can make him stop. “Luke! You’re going to get sick as well!” he continues to drown you in love and affection.

Such a cutie, trying his best to take care of you. Cheers you up by telling stories, either from his past or funny stories of you guys.

Artem Wing

Immediately pulls you back to bed as soon as he feels your temperature. “You have a fever. You need to stay home and rest.”

A lot calmer than Luke or Marius.

Has basic medicine at home, since he’s a workaholic he takes medicine and works from home. Quickly drives to the nearest convenience store to buy more medicine, if needed. He won’t do anything like that to you though. Insists you stay in bed.

Offers to clear up work or studies for you if on a deadline or urgent. 

Home cooked meals, he’s a great cook, I just know it. 

Such a serious and worried cutie, tries his best to help. Offers his arm for support wherever you go and feeds you water every 30 minutes.

Vyn Richter

Notices something is off almost instantly. “You don’t look so well.” “I’m fine.” after a few moments of silence, and of him inspecting you, “You’re sick. You need to rest.”

Definitely the calmest in the group. I mean he’s a doctor. Psychiatrist, but he still has the general medical knowledge.

Has ALL the medicine you need, throat lozenges? check. Tylenol for headaches? check. No convenience store run for him. 

Brews you herbal tea depending on your symptoms and omg are they delicious and cures your sore throat almost instantaneously. Reminds you to take your medicine on time, never misses one.

Acts as an actual doctor in hopes of cheering you up, “It seems like you’ve been overworked for too long, too much stress. I prescribe you 3-5 days of rest.” “Yes, Dr. Richter~” you play along, having fun. 

Marius von Hagen

At first he panicked when he felt your body rising in temperature. “Ah! Jiejie, why’re you so hot?” You laugh at his wording, even if your throat hurts. “I know I’m hot, but thanks for the reassurance” you tease him back. “You have a fever, Jiejie!” he says, touching your forehead, ignoring what you just said.

Such a drama queen. Has Payton bring every single medicine they could find in that huge mansion of his as well as send Payton to go buy every single medicine on the shelf of the nearby convenience store. 

Was about to call the ambulance, which you refused of course, “It’s just a fever! Rest and water is all I need!” He insists on driving you to the hospital. After a talk with Payton, both of you begging Marius that it’s not that bad, he reluctantly agrees.

He contacts AT LEAST 3 doctors to come immediately to treat you. All of this makes you even more tired, you decide to lie down and take a break from all of his… worried actions…

He finally finds you in his room, all wrapped up and sleeping. He stays by your side the whole time, offering help when not even needed. 

“Where are you going?” “To the toilet.” “Let me help.” He helps bring you to the toilet, just as you step inside he doesn’t leave. You raise an eyebrow. “Um?” “I can help!” “I don’t need help anymore! I can pee by myself!” “but-” “Marius, get out!” ”forgive him. He just worries about you <3

Once you get better though, ohoho, he’s teasing you about this every chance he gets. You soon miss the quiet days of your fever and how he was always worried and listening to you. Now he’s back to his teasing and antics.

[chaoticmannamedoliver]

I know i already posted the art as a reblog to a post @neitherabaron made, but i wanted to post it as its own thing, too! :D

Its a redraw kinda thing of the one selfie kofi n Jessica made, but like - make it their mechs!!

That toy soldier looks SO much like young jess to me , its scarry as hell kcjsjxbdjd

Also. Marius with glasses, your honor. Marius. With. Glasses. Doctor man look so soft.

(I posted it on Twitter too, and Jessica liked it, n that made me happy n yea, hehehe)

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Magic and Genetics

So, this is not like 100% finished and will be more musings than a full theory. The main reason is that we, as humanity, just don't really know that much about genetics. Like, we get the gist of it, but we can mostly only say: "it's complicated" about it.

Which is true. Like, the idea of dominant and recessive traits the way most people are familiar with (like the eye color chart for blue eyes and brown eyes) is super oversimplified and inaccurate. Like, there are 2 major genes that affect eye color and then there are 8 more genes that affect eye color, hair color, and skin color, but we aren't really sure in what way. We just think they do from observation. Usually, genes behave in a way that is in line with the dominant and recessive traits charts, but there are exceptions to it. Again, we just don't know much about this field.

Because of this, I can't really come to conclusive conclusions regarding exactly how many and which genes affect a person's magic in the world of Harry Potter. What I can do is use the book evidence to try and create a pattern of how magic behaves genetically.

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, nor did I study genetics in any professional capacity, this is from online reading and self-study. And most importantly for fun 😊

Why do I think magic is influenced by multiple genes?

So, JKR stated in an interview she thinks of magic as a single dominant gene. This is impossible, since if that were true squibs and muggleborns wouldn't exist and the chart for the likelihood of a child being born with magic would look like this:

And that's just not what we see in the books...

This is all without mentioning how squibs like Arabella Figg can see dementors while muggles can't:

“A Squib, eh?” said Fudge, eyeing her suspiciously. “We’ll be checking that. You’ll leave details of your parentage with my assistant, Weasley. Incidentally, can Squibs see dementors?” he added, looking left and right along the bench where he sat. “Yes, we can!” said Mrs. Figg indignantly.

(OotP, page 143)

This means that squids do have some magical genes that muggles don't.

Additionally, from what we know about wizards as a species they have other differences from muggles that would effect their genetics in less obvious ways, for example:

Wizards heal faster, so cell regeneration is different than muggles.

Wizards have a completely different set of illnesses than muggles, so their white blood cells are also different.

Their brain cells likely live longer since they have an overall longer life expectancy.

Since they can see magic, like dementors and the Leakey Cauldron, we know the sight receptors are different.

Their nerves likely also function differently since they can sense magic in a way muggles can't.

To name a few.

And this is all without going into the fact wizards can reproduce with other species (goblins, veela, and giants to name a few) which actually implies a common ancestor to all of these races, but I'm not going into that can of worms.

What I am going into is how magic works genetically and how predictable it is. As in, if I know the magical status (pure-blood wizard, half-blood wizard, muggleborn wizard, squib, or muggle) of two human parents, can I tell how likely their child is to be a wizard, a squib, or a muggle?

What are squibs?

We don't know of many squibs in the books, these are the list of the known squibs:

Argus Filch

Arabella Figg

Marius Black

Dolores Umbridge's brother

Molly Weasley's second cousin

Squibs aren't a subject wizards like talking about, even not wizards who don't mind muggles like the Weasleys:

"Er — yes, I think so. I think Mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

(PS, page 73)

The definition of a squib is a child without magic born of a magical parent. If we look at the list of squibs above, all of them except Umbridge's brother are pure-bloods. This is kind of important because of the limited genetic pool of pure-bloods.

I tried calculating the inbreeding coefficient (basically how likely it is that a specific genetic trait is identical in both parents. The number ranges between 0 and 1) of the pure-bloods in the Wizarding World. We don't have much information on most families, but even looking at the Black family tree, they aren't really inbred (except the Gaunts). The closest relation there is the marriage between second cousins Walburga and Orion. So the inbreeding coefficient of pure-bloods would be above zero, but not high enough to cause serious health detriments for the most part. But, this doesn't mean wizards don't have a problem with a limited genetic pool even without close inbreeding.

Looking at that same Black family tree, we see a lot of familiar names: Flint, Crabbe, Burke, Potter, Crouch, Longbottom, Weasley, Prewett, Malfoy, McMillian... Basically, all pure-blood wizards are related. Some more closely than others, but they are all related. It means that among pure-bloods there is less genetic diversity which tends to cause illnesses and weakness in children over the course of multiple generations.

Such illness can, for example, come in the form of a squib. If the child just isn't capable of having full access to magic, due to their limited genetic pool, they will be born a squib.

But what about Umbridge's brother?

Well, here's the interesting thing. When looking at accounts of children of a pure-blood and a muggleborn, they are all always magical (and usually quite powerful, but more on that later). Umbridge's mother though is muggle. I believe a muggle parent would also have a higher chance of a squib offspring since they don't have magic. Essentially, Umbride's brother received some of the magical genes from their father, and some muggle genes from their mother, leaving him somewhat capable of interacting with magic, but not casting it — a squib.

Essentially squibs have a higher chance to be born from two pure-bloods (due to lack of genetic diversity) or from a wizard and a muggle. If we look at the books, we actually never see a squib being born from a pair of two wizards where one of the parents is half-blood or muggleborn (since they bring new genetic diversity and make the offsprings much likelier to be magical).

What are muggleborns?

So, we covered that squibs are rare and are caused by the lack of genetic diversity in the pure-blood families or by receiving non-magical genes from a muggle parent. But what about muggleborns? How could they genetically exist?

Well, I discussed here the actual percentages of different blood statuses across the Wizarding World. And the percentages looked like this:

57.5% Pure-Blood and Most Likely Pure Blood

22.5% Half-Blood

15% At Least One Magical Parent

5% Muggleborn

And as I covered here and here, I believe magical Britain is approximately 0.01% of the muggle population. This means that muggleborns are incredibly rare in the muggle population and have an overall very low chance of being born. But under what circumstances would muggleborns be more likely?

We know, for example, that the brothers Colin and Dennis Creevey were both born magical. It means, that their parents had genes that make them more likely to have magical children. This means Petunia had a higher chance of being born magical than, say, Vernon, it was still a low chance, but it was more likely.

Now, I'm not the first to raise this theory, but I believe these muggles that have a slightly higher chance for magical children like Mr. and Mrs. Creevey are descendants of squibs. We know that:

"Squibs were usually shipped off to Muggle schools and encouraged to integrate into the Muggle community. . . much kinder than trying to find them a place in the Wizarding world, where they must always be second class..."

(DH, page 136)

So, squibs have been sent for generations to live among muggles. It means that there are multiple "muggles" running around that are actually squibs. They might be able to see dementors or notice something odd around the Leakey Cauldron, but not enough to produce magic. But they still have magic in their genes. And when they have kids, sometimes, through a fluke of luck and genetics a muggleborn can be born.

This means all muggleborns are distantly related to wizards in some way, but still the muggle blood adds some much-needed genetic diversity that makes them less likely to have squib children.

What would magical genes look like?

So, we talked so far about how to predict the likelihood of a child having magic or not. But we also know not all wizards and witches are magically equal. You have crazy powerful individuals like Voldemort, Harry, and Dumbledore. Hermione is an incredibly skilled and talented witch, often the first in class to get spells right. And then you have wizards like Crabbe, Goyle, or Merope who are barely more magical than squibs. Then you have unique magical gifts like being a parselmouth, metamorphmagus, or seer are all inherited, and therefore genetic.

So, let's start with the power/talent difference between wizards that we see. I think this, like squibs, is correlating to the lack of genetic diversity. Sure, you have pure-bloods that are magically powerful or average, but if we look at the most magically powerful wizards in the books — Harry, Voldemort, and Dumbledore — they are all half-bloods. They all have a higher genetic diversity.

Hermione and Lily, are also examples of this added genetic diversity raising the likelihood of magical talent. Both muggleborns, both referenced as talented and bright multiple times. Snape, another half-blood is also referenced often as an incredibly talented wizard.

Actually, Nymphadora Tonks is one of the best pieces of evidence for magic weakening over pure-blood generations and becoming stronger with the new blood from muggles or muggleborns.

The Black family had the hereditary magical gift of being metamorphmagi. This gift has been lost for multiple generations, the first Black to be born with this gift in recent history is Tonks. And it makes perfect sense, Andromeda, a pure-blood with the genes for being a metamorphmagus, marries a muggleborn, Ted, who has the much-needed genetic diversity, so their daughter is finally durable enough for the metamorphmagi magic to kick in.

The Gaunts are another example of just how much the lack of genetic diversity affects a wizard's magic. All three, but especially Mereope, are portrayed as barely skilled with magic, almost squibs. But then we have Tom Marvolo Riddle, magically gifted so much beyond most wizards because he had the added genetic diversity from his muggle father.

Parseltongue seems to be a more dominant trait than the metamorphmagus ability. As even an almost squib in the Gaunt family can speak it. That being said, the Gaunts are implied to be incredibly incestuous, so perhaps it's just a matter of both parents speaking Parseltongue that causes this gene's apparent dominance.

We also know these genetic traits are only passed to wizards. So a squib from the Gaunt family, would not be able to speak Parseltongue. So, while it is a separate gene, it is connected to the other genes that affect magic. That's why a muggleborn born from a Gaunt family squib line, could potentially be a Parselmouth. They won't necessarily be a Parselmouth, but they have a chance to get the gene.

Conclusions

So, let's put all of it together into a series of rules* to how magic seems to work genetically.

*Rules is not exactly the correct word. It's more like, how it would usually behave, but there are flukes to genetics and everything is possible.

Two magical parents would almost always have a magical child. Pure-bloods are more likely to have squib children than half-bloods or muggleborns due to lack of genetic diversity.

A child of a muggle and a wizard has a higher chance of being born a squib than two magical parents. (The chance is still pretty low though and the child is more likely to be magical)

Muggleborns are the result of at least one parent who is a muggle that descended from squibs and has magical genes.

If both parents are squib-descendant muggles, all their kids might even end up magical. (Like the Creevey brothers)

Being a parselmouth, metamorphmagus, or seer are all unique genetic traits that are passed in a separate gene but dependent on other magical genes. Each one of them behaves differently as a gene.

Genetic diversity promises a higher chance of naturally magically gifted children. (It doesn't promise they will be more gifted, just makes their chances better)

Blood purity and a limited genetic pool cause magical children born to these lines to be overall weaker. (Again, there are exceptions, this is just about chances)

[yumeinati]

Mechanisms Cover Project

Hello Mechanisms Fans!!!! i'm sure you're probably wondering, "But Mak! Don't you already have a server dedicated to Mechs Covers?" And you're right!! But!! Myself and my friend @legendary-dumpster-fire , who I started that server with, have decided we wanted to make our own official project where we have chosen individuals for the characters!

We're looking for individuals to play...

Jonny d'Ville, your humble captain first mate!!

Ashes O'Reilly, quartermaster!!

Gunpowder Tim, master at arms!!

Marius von Raum, the ship's...doctor!!

Drumbot Brian, the ship's pilot!!

Nastya Rasputina, the ship's engineer and girlfriend!!

Ivy Alexandria, the archivist!!

We're doing everything through Casting Call Club, which will be linked at the end of this post! There aren't many requirements, you just need a proper microphone and a Discord account, alongside submitting lines and verses for the audition!

If you have any more questions, don't be afraid to message me here on Tumblr or on Discord!

[siderealscribblings]

and is there any chance for us to get GoD spoiler for the christmas eve as well….

Suuuure have the whole first section including a very jealous Zhongli.

"Set up the tents on the far side of the shore; make sure you check the party against the full log!"

A gust of healing magic from the Adepti had Vautrin hobbling around the makeshift refugee camp set up on the shores of the lake. Hundreds of researchers and guests sat clustered around campfires, drying their soggy clothing and sipping on tea brought by helpful melusine. If Carole's sisters had a hard time winning over the Fontish, they had no trouble endearing themselves to guests from other countries who seemed happy to entertain the little creatures. Or maybe they were just happy to be alive; Vautrin's divers had yet to recover any bodies other than the body of the rogue scholar, but that still didn't mean everyone had escaped unharmed. Doctor's tents were treating cuts, broken bones, and bruises, but Sigewinne had her hands full trying to keep her most stubborn patient in place. 

"Sir, you should really keep off your feet," Siegwinne huffed, trailing behind Vautrin as he approached a tent surrounded by a small pack of gardes and armed Eremite mercenaries, eyeing one another warily. 

"There will be time for that later," Vautrin said, stepping past Marius and ducking his head in the tent. The man who had tried to kill himself and Eponine was sprawled out on a table, his skin sallow and waterlogged and eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling.

"You mean to say this man was expelled?" Neuvillette huffed, glaring at the scholars across the table. "How convenient that the Akademiya has nothing to do with two attacks on the Hydro Archon's subjects in two days." 

"Your Grace, as I have said, this…renegade was disfellowed for disgusting crimes against our own people," the head scholar said, turning her nose up at the man's corpse. "Whatever mayhem he caused in your country, it was caused without our knowledge or consent." 

"Odd that the legendary Matra could lose a single man so quickly," Neuvillette huffed. Behind him, a tall Liyuen man observed the situation silently, eyes flicking to Vautrin as he stood quietly off to the side and waited to be addressed. Neuvillette seemed more agitated than usual and Vautrin didn't want to step between him and his defendants just yet. 

"He is…was a fugitive from justice; the Matra were on his tail for months before this and lost him as he fled into Liyue," the scholar said, turning her attention to Neuvillette's Liyuen guest. "Perhaps he found the cause and strength to attack your Archon there…at any rate, he is dead." 

"My captain says he was attempting to steal our technology in the chaos," Neuvillette said, nodding to Vautrin who took a shaky step forward. "Technology the Akademiya showed interest in during the demonstration." 

"With the greatest respect, M. Neuvillette…our scholars do not need to resort to petty thievery to advance our scientific programs," the scholar said, bristling a little at the implied accusation. "We have wonders of our own and the means to make them…means that Zandik lacked after being disfellowed. From what I know of his reputation, I would wager he was trying to establish a new lab with technology he stole." 

Neuvillette looked barely convinced, but it was clear his mind was elsewhere. "...do you have paperwork that corroborates your claims?" 

"In triplicate," the head scholar said. "I will petition the Matra to send all relevant documents to you as soon as I return to Sumeru…assuming I have your leave to depart." 

"There is insufficient evidence to detain you…and despite this ugly turn of events, you are still welcome to remain in the city until the festivities end tomorrow," Neuvillette said. "You are, after all, Lady Furina's guests…" 

"Thank you, my lord." The scholar bowed, departing with her mercenaries before Neuvillette could change his mind.

"Are you well, Vautrin?" Neuvillette asked, his glare softening as it turned on Vautrin. "M. Eponine said you were stabbed…and received a Vision from heaven." 

"All in all, not a bad day," Vautrin coughed, rubbing his side. "Is Eponine's family alright?" 

"Shaking off a near death experience like only eight year olds can," Neuvillette sighed. "Last I saw them, they were being entertained by Amelia and Elizabeth so I'm sure they'll live…are you well enough to assume command of the rescue effort?" 

"Sir," Vautrin said, saluting with a slight wince. "I will have a report on your desk by tomorrow morning." 

"Tomorrow afternoon will suffice," Neuvillette said, glancing at Zhongli. "I will be busy until then." 

With that, Neuvillette swept out of the tent, Zhongli close behind him.  

"Strange to think that one human caused so much chaos," Neuvillette muttered to Zhongli as they walked through the lingering crowd of refugees that had not already departed for taverns to tell the story of how Lady Furina saved everyone from a Hypostasis. He was sure to plant that nugget with Fantine and Marius, letting the little gossips spread the little lie.  

"Humans are capable of great and terrible things…especially in numbers," Zhongli mused. 

"You think this Zandi acted with help?" 

"He already enlisted assassins to send your security forces into disarray; I would guess he has some other sponsors or accomplices still unaccounted for," Zhongli said. "Your investigation is only beginning, I fear." 

Neuvillette sighed, steam escaping from his nose. "More work for after the festivities…if I never plan another party like this, it will be too soon." 

"Lady Furina might compel you regardless," Zhongli chuckled. "I assume she is alright?"

"Unharmed…more irritated that the creature destroyed her laboratory than anything else," Neuvillette lied. Furina had, after some haggling, been returned to the Palais for her own safety, but more because a second near-death experience rattled her more than a goddess ought to be rattled. One of them needed to be a symbol of strength for her people, and at the moment it wasn't Furina. 

"Good…I didn't think a Hypostasis would prove to be much of a challenge for her skill," Zhongli said, leading them over to a small glen where Hu Tao sat with her head pillowed on Xiao's lap under a tree. 

"Heyyy…can we go home now?" Hu Tao whined, opening her eye to look up at an exasperated Zhongli. 

"You said you had enough energy to transport Neuvillette…" Zhongli sighed. 

"Barely," Hu Tao said, rubbing her eyes with a wince. "And I'm clearly paying the price for my delusions of grandeur so spare me the Fussy Dragon routine." 

"Hmph! Perhaps you would prefer the Fussy Crane routine?" Cloud Retainer huffed, returning with a bowl of rags soaking in a fragrant liquid. 

"Aiya, my head hurts; can't you just leave me alone?" Hu Tao grumbled as Cloud Retainer replaced the cloth on her forehead. 

"Once we're sure that a headache is all you're suffering from," Xiao sighed, Anemo energy dancing on his fingertips as he siphoned something dark out of Hu Tao's temples. "What were you thinking, opening the door between worlds for a couple of human souls?" 

"She was thinking she could prevent a war between Liyue and Fontaine…and I trust she has accomplished her goal," Zhongli said, glancing at Neuvillette. 

"War was never an option; whatever difficulties might have risen out of this would have been settled between the pair of us," Neuvillette said brusquely. "I see no need to involve mortals in disputes between gods." 

Zhongli suppressed a small smile. "Good…that said, I think I'd like to take my adepti somewhere a little quieter for the night. Assuming we're no longer needed for rescue operations?" 

"No, you've done enough for us for the moment," Neuvillette said with a small bow in Cloud Retainer's direction. "I am told Lady Cloud Retainer's skill was instrumental to our people's safety." 

"Well…one had some help in that respect," Cloud Retainer said, eyes wandering over to a Mondstatian bard playing for a group of waterlogged children near the water's edge. "But one is glad to be of service…if a touch disappointed that one will not have the chance to wear the outfit one created for the second gala." 

It would have been bad optics to host a party on the night after a disaster and this party was already struggling with optics for a number of reasons. The parade and ceremony the following morning would be the final official event, where Furina would "commune" with the Oratrice to receive a new vision of Justice (coincidentally her vision). He knew she must be disappointed; she was already crestfallen that so much of her party had been ruined by malevolent forces that had kept them apart all weekend. There was a personal element of disappointment Neuvillette could sense coming from her; much as she tried to be selfless, she was not immune to being unhappy that her birthday party had been all but ruined. 

"You are of course welcome to attend our parade tomorrow morning," Neuvillette assured her. "I must apologize again for our rather strained first meeting; you have since proven yourself to be above suspicion and a friend of Fontaine through your actions." 

"Alright, that's enough flattery," Xiao muttered under his breath, though not quietly enough for Neuvillette's ears not to take notice. 

"Flattery implies I'm doing anything other than expressing my most sincere gratitude," Neuvillette said, accepting Cloud Retainer's offered hand and watching as Zhongli's eyes sharpened into reptilian slits. "In Fontaine, we are never shy about appreciating women of exceptional skill and eloquence." 

"Oh…w-well, one is always glad to hear her efforts are appreciated," Cloud Retainer chuckled, even as Zhongli's jaw tensed the longer their handshake went on. 

Ah, so Rex Lapis isn't as unflappable as he seems, Neuvillette thought, sparing the Archon a curt nod before deigning to let go of Cloud Retainer's hand. 

"No one appreciates Cloud Retainer quite like I do," Zhongli said, one arm snaking around her waist possessively. "Thank you for your hospitality, M. Neuvillette; I'm sure you have many things to concern yourself with and I do not want to keep you…perhaps Lady Focalors and I might have a few words in private before we depart?" 

"Perhaps," Neuvillette said. When it snows on the hills of hell. "I will let you know if she has time after her communion with the Oratrice tomorrow morning. Until then, please enjoy the remainder of the festival." 

Hu Tao watched Neuvillette go, waiting until he was out of earshot before looking up at Zhongli still clutching Cloud Retainer around the waist. "You're not as subtle as you think you are."  "I had no intention of being subtle," Zhongli muttered, snapping his fingers and manifesting his teapot and vanishing them all in a puff of steam.

[ceaseless-rambler]

Instead of cleaning, I bring to you:

Which mechs could kill Macbeth?

Jonny: While I consider his gender to be "cowboy" and nothing else, the prophecy probably considers him a man. We know he has a mother and a father, and there's no evidence of unconventional birth or that his father was his birthing parent. Jonny d'Ville could NOT kill Macbeth

Nastya: Not a man, canonically unconventional birth. Nastya Rasputina COULD kill Macbeth

Ivy: Not a man, no evidence in any direction for other caveats. Ivy Alexandria COULD kill Macbeth

Ashes: Not a man, no evidence in any direction for other caveats. Ashes O'Reilly COULD kill Macbeth

Brian: No information about birth circumstances, probably a man by prophecy rules. Drumbot Brian probably could NOT kill Macbeth

Toy Soldier: Has technically been described as a man even post-pronoun change, but is also genderless and was not birthed at all. The Toy Soldier COULD kill Macbeth

Tim: No information about birthing circumstances, as funky as his gender is to us he's probably a man for prophecy purposes. Gunpowder Tim could probably NOT kill Macbeth

Raphaella: Not a man, no evidence in any direction for other caveats. Raphaella la Cognizi COULD kill Macbeth

Marius: Kofi Young has confirmed that Marius's birthing parent is nonbinary. Marius von Raum COULD kill Macbeth

Carmilla: Not a man, no evidence in any direction for other caveats (as far as I'm aware. Not super well versed in Carmilla lore). Doctor Carmilla COULD kill Macbeth

Aurora: Not a man, birthed by a moon but I'm pretty sure the moon counts as a woman. Aurora COULD kill Macbeth

It's be really funny to me if Jonny was the only one who couldn't kill Macbeth he'd be so mad. Really desperately want that to be the case. Brian + Tim trans your genders or become canon C-section babies right now

[kissofthemis]

Hello, hello! May i ask a headcanon someone tries to flirt/harrass the nxx boys and the reader comes to save them! We love a badass reader ᕙ⁠(⁠⇀⁠‸⁠↼⁠‶⁠)⁠ᕗ

Reader to the rescue! (*≧∇≦)ﾉ

"Wow, you're a doctor?"

Immediately you felt your stomach sink as you heard the tone in which this stranger cooed at Vyn. While out and about, neither of you had expected to run into one of Vyn's patients, who politely had referred to him as "Doctor Richter."

Sometimes you forgot how shameless other people could be, until presented with situations like this one.

"Indeed," Vyn replied curtly but politely. "But I'm afraid I'm not taking new patients."

That should have been the end of the conversation. Vyn, in his eerily calm but always courteous manner, had made his point clear.

Sometimes you forgot how shameless other people could be when they refused to take a hint.

"Oh, but doctor...!" The overly exaggerated whine grated against your ears. "I've got this odd spot, you see, and I'm worried," she whimpered, following after him. "Could you take a peek... down there... for m--"

You stepped up to block her path, arms stretched wide to make sure she wouldn't sneak past you. "My supervisor is busy," you told her flatly, barely able to swallow the venom in your tone. "If it's that concerning, surely I could take a look?"

She didn't reply, just stormed off with a huff and muttering choice words under her breath. With a sigh, you turned around to follow after Vyn, only to find that he had snuck back to your side when you were distracted.

"Supervisor?" he murmured, with a small smirk creeping onto his lips. Leaning over to whisper directly in your ear, he breathed, "Don't tell me, you want to be my assistant?"

"..." You swallowed hard as you fought to regain your breath, flustered at his proximity and his teasing. "Please don't hire me unless you want us to be sued for medical malpractice."

~♡~♡~♡~♡~

"Too much of a big shot to say hello? Didn't know Mr. CEO would turn out to be such a stuck-up prick."

Your eyes flickered nervously between Marius and the young man who was heckling him. His finely combed hair and well-tailored clothing revealed his wealthy status, but the harsh words coming from his mouth were hardly better than what one might hear in a middle school locker room.

"Marius, do you know him?" you whispered, trying to keep up with the CEO's long strides as he walked away wordlessly.

"Not really," he mumbled with a shrug. "Might have gone to high school with him, or something. He looks like a brat that would come out of that school, anyway."

A tug pulled at your heartstrings. You knew Marius was trying to act nonchalant so as not to feed the beast behind him, but you also knew that his teen years were a sensitive subject. He'd gone abroad for his studies, claiming it was solely to help further his career in art, but...

You knew he had been painfully lonely his first year of high school, in an overly sterile environment of rich heirs and dirty money that refused to befriend the youngest von Hagen.

"Awfully cocky for a guy who was second choice for his position," the former classmate continued. "I feel sorry for that brother of yours. Of course, assuming you didn't--"

Marius stiffened at your side.

Nobody brought Giann into their taunts.

Nobody.

Before Marius could say a word in his or his brother's defense, however, you stormed up to the rich brat with a fire in your eyes. "Excuse me, but if you want to keep flapping your jaw, you'd better start saying something intelligent," you snapped. "Mr. von Hagen is a very busy man, and he has a tight schedule. Time is money, and his time is very expensive." You lifted your chin and squared your shoulders, trying to make yourself look larger and more professional. "Do you know what his hourly rate is?"

The number made the young man's face drain of color.

"Now then, if you--or rather, if your daddy's wallet--can afford to schedule an hour with Mr. von Hagen, give us a call. If not, perhaps read a book or two. What a shame that you have such a big head, only full of hot air."

With that, you spun on your heel and stalked off after Marius, who had paused up ahead to wait for you.

"I'm so sorry!" you whispered as soon as the heckler was out of earshot. "I couldn't stand by and let him be such a jerk!"

"Don't apologize," Marius insisted. "Actually, it was a bit..." His voice trailed off, and instead of finishing his sentence, he checked his watch with a cough. "We're late."

"Marius, is your nose bleeding?"

"Now's not the time, Y/N!"

~♡~♡~♡~♡~

"Don't you look all stiff? C'mon, let's have a bit of fun."

In hindsight, you should have told Artem that the dress code for "dinner and a movie" was casual. Laid-back. Just two friends having a relaxing evening.

In your defense, however, most people wouldn't interpret "dinner and a movie" to mean "arrive in a suit and tie."

Even after coaxing Artem to take the suit jacket off, he still looked out of place in his dress shirt and slacks. The restaurant was nice enough where you weren't too concerned, and nobody could see the two of you in the dark theater, but as you walked along the city streets to find a bite of dessert....

Well, you'd attracted some unwanted attention.

"I have plans." Artem's reply was curt.

"Aww, this cutie here? C'mon, of course you're invited!" You instinctively covered your face as the reek of some sort of alcohol assaulted your senses. Wine? Vodka? Tequila? You didn't know or care. It was overpowering.

"We are not interested." Artem's tone was harsher, more insistent this time. He couldn't have been any clearer that he wanted nothing to do with this situation. "Let's hurry, now. Before the shops close."

"Aww, isn't that collar of yours so tight and hot? I can loosen you up real good, and my hours go all night lo-"

"Can't you catch a hint?" You smacked away the hand that was reaching for Artem's bicep. "He's being polite because he's considerate of your feelings, but I'm not! Go find someone else before I hook you up with Chief Darius for the night!"

That seemed to be enough to finally give you and Artem space to leave. Still fuming, you gritted your teeth as you walked a step behind Artem, eyes flicking wildly around the streets.

"I think you can relax now," Artem told you after a couple minutes. "Just one drunkard. It's still too early for most people to be in that bad of shape."

You sighed and unclenched your jaw. "I'm sorry. It's my fault for suggesting a place so close to North Stellis."

"No need to be sorry," Artem assured you, and the warmth in his voice helped you relax. "I rather like it out here. You can see the stars more clearly than you can downtown."

You turned your eyes up to the night sky, and a soft gasp left your lips as you took in the spectacle of stars and moonlight above you. "You really can! It's beautiful!"

"Yes," Artem murmured in agreement. While looking at the sky, you couldn't quite see his deep blue eyes gazing in your direction. "A captivating sight indeed."

~♡~♡~♡~♡~

"Are you some kind of con artist? You're the worst!"

The shrill shriek from the lobby startled you so much that you almost dropped the box of bits and pieces you were carrying.

"You can take it to an appraiser for a second opinion, but I--"

"No way! Pay to have some buddy of yours lie to me, too? You're scum!"

Luke had mentioned that he'd been swarmed with customers lately, both those looking for repairs and those browsing for antiques to purchase. You had offered to lend a hand to take some of that burden off. At first, he had hesitated, but when you mentioned you wanted to hang out with him more...

His mood turned 180 degrees, and he invited you to help him organize materials and keep him company this weekend.

Initially you had thought Luke was just too proud to admit he needed help. But now, you couldn't help but wonder, "How many visitors throw fits like this woman?"

"Is everything okay over here?" you asked at last, setting the box down next to Luke's desk.

The brunet cast you a look that screamed at you to step back. But if someone was causing a ruckus, you didn't want to leave Luke to handle it alone. You had offered to help out, and you were going to stay true to your word!

"Do you work here?" The woman whipped her head around to glare at you, a harsh look full of malice and frustration. However, you sensed something else in there too: anxiety. "Are you here to call my boyfriend a liar, too?"

"I didn't say he was a liar," Luke clarified, interjecting before you could respond. "I just said--"

"You said this was a fake!" she snarled, turning her anger back onto Luke. "My boyfriend said he searched high and low to find me an authentic, vintage music box! You're spitting in the face of our love! Who do you think you are?!"

"I've been collecting and repairing antiques for quite some time--"

"As if!" she scoffed. "You're like what, 25 at most? 'Quite some time' my ass!"

Clearly, she did not want to listen to a word Luke had to say. She had already decided he was a scammer and an anti-romantic. Judging from Luke's expression, his patience was also wearing thin.

"Excuse me, miss? May I say something?"

She stomped her foot as she spun to face you, and for a moment you thought she was going to bite your head off to make a point to Luke. Luckily, your head was still on your shoulders for now, so you figured you would try to get as far as you could before one of those two snapped. "This man here is also a professional detective. He has a great eye for detail. I'm sure he has a reason for saying this box is not authentic." You saw her nose twitch, and you braced yourself for her to start spewing flames again. "Luke, why don't you point out which specific details are not 100% accurate to an authentic antique? Here, I'll bring over an extra magnifying glass."

Slowly but surely, Luke was able to point out a couple of minute differences that were hard to discern for an untrained eye. "While it's a beautiful replica, it's not a true, authentic piece," he declared finally. "Replacement parts will be easier to find for this model, as it's more modern, but... I think your boyfriend just got unlucky."

"So the seller... was the liar...." Her demeanor had changed entirely from when you first found her. She seemed dejected and remorseful, but also a little... relieved. "I thought it was off, you know. The coloring... Anyway, I kind of hoped you'd tell me I was wrong. I'm glad you were honest." She chuckled and shook her head. "I'll talk to him about it. We'll figure something out. Thank you, Mr. Luke, and sorry I called you a scumbag."

Once the door closed behind her, Luke drummed his fingers against his desk and called your name. "You didn't have to do that. I could have handled it."

"You looked like you were about to hit her."

"I would never hit a woman."

"Sorry. You looked like you were about to dislocate her arm."

He sighed. "I'm annoyed... but I'm grateful." He cast you a beaming grin, his sharp canines glinting in the half-light of the sunset. "Now help me clean off one more shelf, and then it's pizza on me!"