#and almost everybody has a name instead of a placeholder

[darthfruitbasket]

My Spacer Shepards' parents actually sorta fleshed out

Jane's dad, John, is a very polarizing sort of guy. You either think he's hilarious or you want to strangle him. Sometimes his wife goes between the two with a bonus of "I'm going to punch you through a bulkhead."

He's a nuisance but very good at what he does and tends towards really bad jokes and harmless pranks, like sending new ensigns to get windshield wipers from the requisitions officer. Or answering comm hails with "Hello, (x), this is Manila, how may I direct your call?" Or annoying his co-pilot until she threatens to beat him with the flight manual.

His entire attitude outside of being a shit disturber is "if you think I'm cool, you obviously haven't met my wife. And my kid? She's outta sight."

His mother was a pilot who could fly almost anything she was put in front of the controls of, and learned to fly in an old-school prop plane. She flew bombers for the future USAF and then the fledgling Systems Alliance.

His father was a medic who started in the navy, on the actual ocean, renowned in the service for being calm under fire. John swears sometimes that he sees a bit of the old man in Jane when she's on her heroics.

His mother passed her love for flying onto her sons, John and Philip. John is in command of the flight deck of an Alliance cruiser (somehow) and Phil flew fighters out of Arcturus before the Reapers wrecked shit. They even have matching sound effect callsigns: "Clang" and "Crash", respectively.

Hannah we know a little bit more about, thanks games. Jane’s Hannah’s family is Canadian, with a military service history going back to the 20th century or earlier.

Her mother was a Royal Canadian Navy officer who retired before the First Contact War, but consulted on planning expeditions through the Charon relay. Tactically brilliant, she also had the people and command skills to go with it.

Her father was a former submariner who wound up crewing on some early Alliance frigates. (Guess who was pumped about his granddaughter being assigned to the freaking Normandy? Him).

Mr and future!Admiral Shepard met during officer candidate school. She blew him off as another hotshot flyboy at first (her mother had warned her about pilots), but he had it bad. Then they wound up on the same ship for six months, and he won her over while not even trying--because he was funny and could make her smile and didn’t push the issue, didn’t follow her around like a lost puppy. When they were posted to different places, she asked him to take her dancing, and it went from there.

Anna Shepard’s father, Gray, was born the youngest of four kids and the only boy, on earth, somewhere north of Saskatoon, to a farm family. If you’d asked him as an adult, he would’ve described himself as a “pain in the ass” of a kid, picking fights, causing trouble, bored to death with some little farm town.

His father, Ian, basically strong-armed his son into signing up for military service because “boy, you can shoot a can off a fence post at thirty paces and if you stay here, you’re gonna wind up in jail or dead--go on, get the hell outta here while you can.”

So he went. Basic training, infantry training, got pulled for officer candidate school based on aptitude scores and high performance. He had a reputation for being tough, tended to be blunt; not quite suited for more stars or a flag officer’s rank or politicking.

Anna’s version of Hannah, on the other hand: If there was still like an east coast elite, Hannah was born to it. A long family line of military service that might go back to 1776 or something--and well-heeled to boot. 

Hannah (just like her mother, and like her daughter would be, later) was an Annapolis midshipman, class of 2144. She could have stayed on Earth, but she wanted to go to space. A bit of one-upmanship--she’s driven, highly competitive, has to be better--but more ‘what’s out there?’

She met her future husband, Gray, while they were sitting around hurry-up-and-waiting on an orbital station, and physical chemistry was off the damn charts. 

Their daughter was a surprise, conceived just before Gray left on a two-year tour, within a year of the wedding. They hadn’t planned on kids, but decided to keep her.

Maybe it was because he was less career-focused, a bit less single-minded and could devote more energy to her, but tiny!Anna Shepard was absolutely daddy’s girl. He dug his heels in for her when he felt Hannah was asking too much, was being too hard on her, tried to make sure his kid didn’t feel pressured into signing up for military service, because it wasn’t fair.

[starryhyuck]

can i request a best friend haechan with a corruption kink?? i love your work 🥺❤️

clueless; 2.4k+

this is so cliché and i love it

hyuck has been your best friend since you were nine. his toothy grin and curly hair practically sold you as he tugged you along for his wild adventures.

you both never strayed far from one another, even as you grew older and met new people.

you shared everything with hyuck except for one thing — your sex life. well, the lack of it actually.

you lost your virginity to lee jeno when you were seventeen, and it was probably one of the worst experiences of your life. it wasn’t jeno’s fault since he didn’t exactly know what he was doing either, but the lack of foreplay really brought you nothing but pain. he apologized after when he realized how uncomfortable you were, but the deed was already done.

hyuck’s had a few girlfriends here and there but nobody really stuck around. you knew he was sexually experienced though from the way other girls would talk about him. let’s just say you’ve heard your best friend is above average in size.

however, hyuck has never asked you about any of your sexual encounters the same way you haven’t confronted him about his. it’s the only thing you two don’t share — that is, until you get wasted on your birthday.

“donghyuckie,” you whine, leaning on him. he laughs and wraps an arm around your waist to keep you steady.

“how much have you had to drink?” he asks with an amused expression. you’ve interrupted a conversation with him and jeno. oddly enough, you and jeno don’t speak of the night you lost your virginities to each other. it would just make everything awkward, and you assume he hasn’t told hyuck either.

“jaemin’s trying to kiss me,” you mumble, not answering his question.

“jaemin tries to kiss everybody,” jeno chuckles.

you just sigh. “i need to get laid.”

hyuck’s eyebrows shoot up. “excuse me?”

“i’ve only been laid once, hyuck! and jeno was really bad!”

jeno’s face turns beet red and hyuck’s eyes darken.

“what did you just say?”

you don’t get to clarify before you’re being pulled away by renjun, who is insisting you open his birthday gift because he worked really hard on it. after you leave, hyuck turns to jeno with pure anger radiating off of him.

jeno gulps.

—

you don’t remember most of the events from your party other than the fact that you got completely trashed. hyuck is there to help you with your hangover and he doesn’t say anything when you keep complaining.

“my head hurts! why did you make me drink so much last night?”

“i didn’t make you do anything.”

you notice he’s a little more tense and curt with you today, but you don’t comment on it. he’s probably just hungover too.

it isn’t until a few days later when you realize how weird hyuck’s been acting. he hasn’t been hanging out with you often and when he does, he gets really frustrated and leaves. he keeps asking you weird questions like “you tell me everything, right?” and “what do you think about jeno?”

the whole situation’s really odd, and you approach jeno since he seems to be receiving the cold shoulder from hyuck too.

“do you know what’s wrong with hyuck? he’s been acting so weird lately.”

jeno frowns. “y/n, do you not remember what you said at your party?”

you mirror his expression. “no. what did i say?”

“fuck,” he sighs, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. “you told hyuck we slept together.”

“i did what?” you hiss loudly, causing jeno to smile politely at anyone who heard the commotion. “no, no, no. no way! i did not do that!”

“yes you did! you even told everyone i was really bad!”

“i mean, you were.”

you both sigh and you pinch the bridge of your nose. “why would hyuck care if we slept together anyways?” you ask him, and jeno rolls his eyes.

“just as clueless as ever.”

“hey!”

—

hyuck can’t stop thinking about you. this is bad. really bad.

he almost killed jeno that night for even touching you. jeno insisted that you two only slept together once and that it was a one time thing. hyuck was still troubled by the idea, and he couldn’t really fall asleep.

he kept thinking about you underneath jeno, moaning and crying for him to fuck you. and as days passed, he imagined it was him instead of jeno. pounding into you, coaxing you to your climax and whispering sweet things in your ear — hyuck wanted it to be him.

fuck jeno.

you’re super inexperienced and hyuck knows it. you get embarrassed whenever a sex scene comes on in a movie and you always grow uncomfortable whenever a random person compliments you. you also confirmed it yourself at your birthday party by saying jeno’s been the only guy who’s fucked you.

fuck jeno.

hyuck can fuck you way better. he wants to ruin you. he wants to make sure you forget everything about jeno — he wants to ram his cock into you until you’re begging for more. he wants to be your actual first, not a placeholder that jeno supposedly is.

fuck jeno.

he can make you feel good. he can show you what a nice fuck is supposed to be like. before he knows it, his hand is pumping up and down his hard cock as he imagines pounding into you. he wants to see you so pliant and submissive underneath him, begging him to fuck you harder and show you how you’re supposed to be fucked-

he groans when there’s a knock at the door.

he angrily pulls on a pair of sweatpants and swings the front door open before he can check on who it is. you stand behind it, a clear frown on your face.

his cock twitches at the sight of you.

“you asshole! why aren’t you answering any of my calls?”

“i didn’t see them,” he grumbles as you storm inside. he closes the door behind you, watching as you observe him.

“i’m sorry for what i said at the party the other day. jeno told me about it.”

so now you’re talking to jeno again. that’s just wonderful.

“it’s fine, y/n. don’t worry about it,” he sighs, moving past you.

you quickly stand in front of him to stop his movements. “i know it’s not fine! you’re clearly upset. i’m sorry i fucked your friend, okay? it was a one time thing. i haven’t even thought about jeno in that way since we did it.”

“y/n, it’s not even that!” he yells and you grow confused. “fuck. why didn’t you come to me when you needed to do that stuff?”

you blink. this was not what you expected him to say.

“what are you talking about?”

hyuck takes a step closer to you and you inhale. “why didn’t you let me show you how it is to get fucked, baby? why did you go to him? you know i could’ve made you feel better.”

you stutter. “u-um, h-hyuck this isn’t-“

“has anyone touched you since then?” he runs his fingers down your arm and you get goosebumps from his touch. “have you touched yourself?”

“i-i don’t really l-like doing that,” you murmur, avoiding his heavy gaze.

“you don’t put your fingers inside your pretty little pussy, baby?” he murmurs, forehead pressing against yours.

“h-hyuck, don’t say things like that!”

“tell me to stop then.”

there’s a beat of silence.

he growls, wrapping his arms around you and pressing your body against his. you squeak. “yeah? you wanna be fucked good, don’t you? wanna bounce on my cock until you’re full?” you whimper and hyuck goes rabid at the noise. he presses his mouth to yours and you reciprocate, not even thinking twice that you’re kissing your best friend. you moan into his mouth when his hands trail down to the curve of your ass.

“i’m gonna fuck you so good, baby,” he whispers against your mouth. “you’ll only think about me from now on.”

he grinds his cock onto you and your eyes widen at the feeling.

“see? see how hard you make me, baby? you’re gonna be filled to the brim with my cock.”

“please, hyuck,” you whine, clutching onto him.

“want me?”

“y-yes.”

he guides you to his bedroom and throws you on the bed. you stare up at him with innocent, doe eyes and hyuck is convinced he’s going fucking insane.

“you don’t know what you do to me, y/n. fuck.”

he shimmies your jeans down your legs and you wish you had worn a sexier pair of panties. hyuck doesn’t seem to mind, taking a lick up your clothed slit. you twitch at the feeling and he smiles up at you.

“so sensitive,” he remarks, pulling your underwear down. you feel bashful when you’re fully on display for him, especially since hyuck is looking at your pussy like it’s the eighth wonder of the world.

“hyuck,” you whine, squirming in your spot.

“sorry, baby,” he chuckles. “your pussy’s so pretty.”

you ignore his compliment, feeling embarrassed by the position you’re currently in. hyuck dives into you, licking and sucking at your folds. your back arches and you cry out, a new sensation filling your body. he holds you down with his arms, pinning you to the bed.

he slides a finger into you and you moan, gripping a fistful of his hair. he groans when you tug at his locks. when he enters a second finger inside your pussy and takes your clit into his mouth, the cord in you snaps. you unravel on his fingers and tongue, moaning his name as you cum.

it’s a blinding experience, something jeno never gave you. you whisper hyuck’s name as you ride out the waves of your orgasm.

when you come to, hyuck is kissing your neck. “good orgasm, baby? was it your first one?” you nod, head spinning a little. he smirks against your skin. “that’s right. i’m officially your first.”

he sits up and takes off his sweatpants, letting his cock spring up. your eyes widen at the sight of him. all those girls were right — hyuck was massive. you didn’t even know if he could fit inside of you.

“i don’t think you can fit inside me, hyuck.”

he chuckles lowly. “your pretty pussy was made for me to fuck, baby. i’ll make it fit,” he says confidently, pumping his cock up and down slowly. you watch as precum leaks from the tip. “wanna have a taste?”

“i-i don’t know how.”

he groans, fisting over his cock faster. “i’ll show you, baby. sit up for me.” you follow his orders, falling on your knees and gazing up at him. “good girl.”

you eye his cock and he motions for you to follow the same movements as him. you place your hand on his cock as he instructs, moving it up and down. your hand looks so small on his thick cock and you watch in amazement as more precum falls. you lean forward and take the tip of your mouth, surprising hyuck as he jolts. he shoves his cock deeper into your throat and you gag a little.

his hands fly to the back of your head as he slowly fucks your mouth.

“such a good girl,” he grunts. “suck my cock so well.”

you close your eyes as you take more of him in, saliva starting to drip down the sides of your mouth. you think you’re doing well since hyuck’s making all kinds of noises, going crazy at the sight of you blowing him.

he thrusts into you a few more times before pulling out, groaning when he does.

“i have to fuck you now, baby. have a big load of cum for you.”

you whimper. “but i wanted to taste it.”

he growls, shoving you back down on the bed. “i’ll let you taste it later. i need to fuck you now.”

he pumps himself a few more times before lining his cock to your entrance. he looks up at you one more time.

“you sure?”

this time, he’s not just speaking as a horny teenage boy, but as your best friend. he’s giving you a way out, but you don’t want it. you want to feel his cock in your tummy.

“yes, yes. take me, hyuck, please.”

and that’s all the confirmation he needs. he plunged into you and you wail. you haven’t been stretched like this since jeno, and hyuck is way bigger than him. you can feel the burn in your throat and you sob.

“i’m right here, baby,” he assures you, lacing his fingers through yours. “right here for you.”

the pain quickly subsides into pleasure and you try to roll your hips down on his cock. he grunts and starts picking up his pace, ramming into you.

“wanted this for so fucking long,” he confesses, biting down on his lower lip as he thrusts into you. “feel your pretty pussy clenching around my cock, baby. now you’ll only think about me, won’t you? think about how my fat cock stretches you out? how i ate your small pussy until you fell apart?”

“only think about you, only think about you,” you blubber, mind blank. you’re only thinking about how he’s pounding into you, turning your brain into complete mush.

he chuckles as he watches you envelop yourself into mind numbing pleasure. he takes pride in knowing he’s the only one who can do this to you.

“i knew you were a dirty girl,” he laughs sinisterly. he hoists your legs on his shoulders so he can fuck you at a deeper angle. you practically sob at how hard he’s fucking you. “begging to be fucked. how’s it feel? you like how my cock sinks into you? like how deep i am inside your tight pussy?”

“l-love it, h-hyuck,” you whimper. your eyes roll back at how deep he feels inside you.

you reach your second climax in no time and he groans, hips moving at a rapid pace. you feel like jelly underneath him as you let him use you any way he wants.

he shoots his load deep inside you, moaning at how much he has to give you. you feel warm and filled to the brim with his cum.

he leans down to press a gentle kiss to your lips.

“good for your second time?”

“you’re my first, as far as i’m concerned.”

he smiles in victory.

[pandoraswrld]

SHE

— in which juliet reveals her darkest fears

characters / juliet kang, boo yuna

words / 1.8k

warnings / this is sad, angsty and quite a heavy piece, mentions of past self harm, suicidal thoughts — if i missed anything please let me know!

Juliet’s always felt like this. She’s always felt like crap, right from the beginning. She’s not entirely sure what caused her to feel bad today, maybe it was the fact that she had woken up at six o’ clock today which would be the third day in a row she’d woken up after the sun had gone down, or maybe it was because she had missed two dance practices and the third was looming over her as she chose to lay in bed in the darkness instead.

With the comeback happening awfully soon Juliet knows she’s disappointing her trainers, she’s disappointing the team, heck, even disappointing the company as Jangmi would say. She wished she could get out of bed but it wasn’t that simple, something was dragging her down, she constantly felt as though she had this weight on her shoulders and no matter what she would do it would never leave her.

As long as she’s known, she's always had this weight. She was hardly the favourite child, never the girlfriend or never even the ‘best’ friend, she always thought she had little to lose. Juliet would care more about her role in life if only she hadn’t realised she was nothing but a downgrade or a placeholder at such a young age, still, she felt weighed down. Lately, the weight had become more and more suffocating and way more harder for her to deal with, like it was pushing her down into a deep river and drowning out any last positive thoughts she could conjure up.

She’s tried all the remedies. She has used her mother’s advice of getting up and out, enjoying the outside world, getting some exercise in but that never worked. She’s tried to find healthy coping mechanisms, art, dancing, singing, but now she’s not even sure if she likes it anymore. This job has taken so much from her. She used to enjoy the rush of performing on stage, the cheers would give her so much adrenaline and the fans always made her day. Now every day is more draining than the last, the choreographies bored her and she could barely muster any energy to sing.

None of those so-called solutions worked, they never did. Even the temporary relief from the bad decisions never lasted as long as she wanted it to, as long as she needed it to. Her hand fell down to her thighs, the scars were faint, a simple reminder of just how much she feels all the time. She has regrets, god she has so many. She can never get back all the dignity she had lost during those months, sometimes she questions if she wants it back. Was her dignity even worth losing? It’s not like she had much of it to start with.

Some days she wishes she just hadn’t run away and auditioned for SM, then maybe she’d still love the things that used to make her happy. Occasionally, she does imagine what her life could have been like if she didn’t audition for SM, for one she thinks her parents would love her a lot more than they do now, not that they’ve ever said it. She could’ve continued down whatever path they chose for her, making them “the happiest parents ever” and her brother wouldn’t have had to carry the burden of fulfilling the family legacy — not that having a baby at the ripe old age of nineteen was really helping that.

She liked to describe her life as a line, a long red line that would twist and knot with every significant moment. To Juliet she felt as though she could just cut the line at any point, no thoughts. Just like the fates, she was Aptropos and she had the shears to decide when things would end. She always thought, what was the point of continuing the line if all that was left were ugly little knots.

“Hey Juliet! Where we–”

She hadn’t realised it until her bedroom door had burst open but she had balled herself up into a corner on her bed, her hands were bunched up in her hair and strands had fallen all around her.

This was probably Juliet’s worst fear, someone seeing her in one of her weakest states. She didn’t want to look up at whoever just came in, simply hoping that they’d leave.

“Are you okay?” It was Yuna. She sounded uncomfortable, she wasn’t sure what she should do, Juliet was clearly not okay, anyone could see that.

The silence was thick between them. Juliet had started shaking, almost rocking back and forth in her corner.

“Juliet?”

“I don’t know what to do,” Juliet’s voice was shaky, “I don’t know what to do.”

“What are you talking about?” Yuna kept her voice soft, quickly closing the bedroom door and rushing over to the bed.

“I-I keep having these th-thoughts and I’m so scared, Leyla.” The last half of her sentence came out more like a choked sob, her English just barely coming out. She had to admit the truth to herself, she’s scared. She’s scared of everything. Every year always seems to add on something worse to the last and she couldn’t take it anymore. She feels hurt, even when she’s not supposed to be. She doesn’t know what to do anymore and she’s afraid of the places her mind can take her.

Yuna’s eyes widened, she had called Yuna by her English name, something she was so sure the other girls had forgotten about. God, Yuna hadn’t heard that name in ages but in all honesty she loved hearing it again and it warmed her heart that Juliet had remembered, even that she had called her that.

She placed her hand on Juliet’s back, finding that she was freezing cold. Yuna was not expecting the face that had greeted her when Juliet looked up. Juliet’s face had been replaced by what looked like the shell of her once bright expression. Her eyes were deep-set and dark, her cheeks hollow and her skin so pale it almost looked like she was dead. Her mind raced as to what could’ve possibly got Juliet to this state, she always seemed so happy.

“It’s okay, this will pass.” She wasn’t sure exactly what to say in this situation, if Juliet’s talking about what she thinks she’s talking about.

“You don’t understand! It won’t!” Tears ran down Juliet’s face like it was nothing, she doesn't even notice them anymore. “Do you know how many times I’ve heard that? How many times I’ve repeated that to myself in hopes that it would come true?” She knows her anger is misplaced, Yuna’s just trying to help, but she can’t help it.

“I’m so tired, Leyla, I just want to go,” Juliet swallowed thickly, “I just want to go to bed and never wake up, I’m tired of living a life that I can’t enjoy.”

“Jules...” Juliet could almost hear the disappointment in her voice, just like everybody else she’s ever dared to tell this to. She drags her eyes away from Yuna’s and down at her duvet, she really didn’t want to know what Yuna was thinking.

“Can I just talk to you? Like just... just words, between us?”

Yuna nods, propping herself up on the bed, shivering as her back touched the cold wall. She pulled Juliet into her, if there was one thing she always knew to do it was to keep her close in her arms.

“Everyone has something they hate, right? Whether it be irrational or not.” Juliet fidgets in her seat, “I don’t know about everyone else but mine’s irrational, so irrational you’d probably think I was disgusting.”

Juliet could just tell Yuna’s chuckle was slightly forced, anyone would try and laugh in what felt like such an uncomfortable silence.

“It’s showering. I hate showering, it’s so... vulnerable and I can’t stand it.” Even she had to laugh just at how pathetic she sounded. “You know I try, I do, I can’t just not shower because that actually would be disgusting and that’s not what I want. It’s just that everytime I think I’m okay I go and have a shower and suddenly every bad thought I’ve ever had comes rushing back.”

Yuna can only nod in understanding.

“Ever since Lyra left I’ve had to drown out silence with anything, usually it would be music but some things I just can’t bear to listen to anymore and it sucks. It’s like everything that happened to her was my fault and I can’t handle it. I can’t be left alone anymore, I can’t and I know this. However, there’s nothing I can do to change that.” Her tears had stopped, instead her head was turned away from Yuna’s, resting against the wall and on top of her arm.

“I feel like whenever I’m around other people I bring destruction, y’know?”

“Oh that’s not true!” Yuna frowned.

“How would you know? No offence but you’ve only been in my life for like a year and a half and clearly you haven’t seen everything.” Juliet scoffs.

This would be the perfect time to tell her about what really happened last year but Juliet quickly decided that that would be another can of worms she’d rather not open. Not now.

“Well that’s gotta stand for something, I mean you haven’t hurt me and I don’t see you doing it in the future.” Yuna’s hopeful, Juliet’s glad that she is but she knows the truth — that she’ll always push those closest to her away until it’s far too late.

“And hey, if you can’t be alone then you don’t have to be!” She squeezed Juliet’s arm, “I’ll always stay by your side and if you get sick of me I can go but I’m always available!”

For the first time in a while Juliet smiled, she genuinely smiled. It was comforting to know Yuna wasn’t going to give up on her, she knew that any of her other members would probably give her the same sentiment but she’d known them for three years and they all had their own shit to deal with, none of them would ever really stick by her side at all times. Of course she had no way of knowing whether Yuna would live up to her words but through the year she’s known her she didn’t think she wouldn’t. Yuna seemed like the sweetest, even back when she watched her on Produce she was only nothing but nice to the other trainees, and she always looked a little lonely around the dorms, she didn’t even have a roommate which wasn’t exactly helpful when moving into a group of six other girls she didn’t know. It wouldn’t hurt for them to bond a little.

She stuck out her pinky finger, “Promise?”

“Promise.” Yuna grinned, locking her pinky into Juliet’s.

[talesfromlissom]

- Teeth -

A/N: Hey everybody, Omens here. This series is part of my series for the (Y/N)’s. These works are here to establish the backgrounds, personalities, and such of each of my (Y/N)’s, as they’re all separate characters and not a blank slate. 

So far, I’m doing my three most popular requested ones which are; Hanzo, Mcree, and Genji. This is Mcree’s. I’m sure these works will have about 3-4 chapters each, with the first being the beginning of their life, to the last being present time. That being said, you don’t have to default to these (Y/N)’s either. If you have a request that’s specific like 

‘Mcree with an S/O who has a body like Genji?’. I will easily do that. These (Y/N)’s are just the default if you request something vague such as ‘Mcree goes on a date with (Y/N).’ and such. 

However, I do have placeholder names for each of these characters. If you would like a request with this specific (Y/N) you can use (Y/N)!Ambrose. Sorry if this was confusing but :)

                            |  Chapter 1 - Route Around |

Chapter Summary: (Y/N) Parkiston, like many children, lost his parents during the first omnic crisis. Travelling between foster families, (Y/N) is convinced that this one will be the last, but he ends up meeting a friendly face instead. 

!WARNING! This work contains, graphic dipictions of violence, foul language, and other sensitive topics. Reader discretion is advised. 

                                              ──•~❉+❉~•──

Rules

Overwatch Masterlist 

Ninjago Masterlist

The Arcana Masterlist

Ask Box (Requests are CLOSED!) 

                     “They broke my wings, but forgot I had claws.”

                                                               ~💮~

Life has never been easy for (Y/N) Parkiston. From losing his parents, to losing his found family, (Y/N) has grown tired of losing so many things. So he thinks back on these crucial moments of his life, just as one of the most important figures of his life stands on his doorway, practically begging for him to come back. To stay. And to not run, like the coward he was.

!WARNING! This chapter has mentions of foster care system, loss of parents, death, and violence. Please proceed with caution.

It was a common story. Omnics arose and waged war on humans. Human children lost their parents. The orphans were either kidnapped and never seen again, or taken to rough orphanages, as the foster care system could barely handle the amount of children anymore.

You were one of those orphans. You hadn’t been kidnapped yet. But you were sure you would be. The streets of Rome were a dangerous place for a scrawny 8 year old like yourself. Sure, you weren’t homeless like some other kids that managed to escape this god awful system. But you weren’t exactly in the best place either. 

Even as you were sent across seas in hopes of finding you a family, your view on the world was still bleak, and only became bleaker as you got older. 

You were now 14, a fresh new foster family that you knew would only tolerate you for two months, and a new school. The school was new, there were kids all over the place. All of them give you strange looks. You missed Greece.

As you walked down the halls with the various bandaids that littered your arms, and face. Your lower lip pouting, and your dark green eyes darting along the halls. Your hands harshly grip your backpack. The bell rings, and the hall is quick to empty, and you soon find yourself at the principal’s office. 

You sit down in the chair, your bag being slung onto the floor as you pull your phone out and pick up that new game you installed a while ago. 

“Is that angry birds?” 

You raise an eyebrow, and wonder how exactly you missed the kid sitting next to you. The kid with bright aqua hair for that matter. The kid grins, and you almost laugh because he’s missing one of his front teeth. 

You nod your head, going back to the game. 

“Cool. My favorite is the big red one.” He says. Your gaze falling onto him again, as you wondered why this kid was still trying to talk to you. 

“I’m Holland, what’s your name?” 

You don’t reply. Your voice seems caught in your throat. Instead, you grab your backpack, rip out a piece of paper and take a pencil, writing your name on it before shoving it into his chest. He reads it.

“(Y/N), huh?” Holland asks. “That’s a nice name.” 

The door opens, and Holland freezes.

“Uh...hey mom.” 

The woman, who you assume is Holland’s mother, groans. 

“Oh, you must be (Y/N). here, come in.” 

You stare at her blankly. Her smile is soft, her eyes don’t bore into you like most of the eyes that you’ve seen fall onto you. 

“I won’t bite. I promise.” She chuckles. 

You shove your phone into your pocket, and sling your bag over your shoulder as you walk into the room. She pulls the seat back for you, and you sit down, as she sits down behind her large desk. 

“So, your (Y/N) Parkiston. I’m Jill Clyde. But you can call me Miss Clyde if you’d like,” Jill says. “I’ve heard alot about you.”

You pause, fidgeting. 

You hear a creak, and it seems that Jill hears it as well, as you see Holland poking his head into the door. Jill gives him the look, and he quickly shuts the door and goes back to minding his own business (hopefully).

That doesn’t stop your heart from pounding inside your chest however. 

“I understand that you have difficulty...speaking...is that correct?” 

You don’t move for a minute, but soon, you slowly nod your head.

“Alright, I’m going to have you meet with Mrs. Holway for the time being. So you can at least be able to speak enough so you don’t have to nod your head all the time..or write your name down on paper.” 

You don’t reply. 

“You are also being exempt from any work for the first and second quarter. So you won’t have to worry about any make-up work.” Jill says. 

You hear a buzzing noise somewhere within the green room, before Jill reaches under her desk and hands you a paper. 

“Here’s the list of your classes. If there are any classes you want to change you can talk to me or Mrs Holway.” Jill says. “Class starts in ten minutes, and I believe you have your first period with Holland. I’ll tell him to give you a quick tour before you two head to class, alright?” 

She gets up from her chair, and opens the door for you. 

“And if you need anything just let me know.” 

You step out of the room, and come face to face with Holland himself. 

“Holland?” Jill asks, before Holland straightens up.

“Yeah?” 

“I’m assuming you heard everything, correct?” 

Holland heistates. “Uh...no.”

Jill gives him the look again.

“Yeah.”

“Good. Have fun you two.” 

Holland pauses.

“Aren’t you-”

“We’ll talk about why you’re waiting outside my office when we get home, young man. Just you wait.” 

Holland groans, as the door is shut behind you two.

“So, a tour huh?” Holland mutters. “Ugh.” 

“Here let’s go to the library first, I can probably print out a map of the school.” 

                                                             _

The years had flown by faster than you thought. You and Holland always got into some sort of trouble, good or bad. At this point you ever considered him a friend. Your foster parents didn’t seem to care about any of that. For a moment things seemed so perfect. You were happy, you felt as if you belonged. 

Hell it was funny that you two had even chose to go to colleges near eachother. Holland wanted to be a doctor, and you wanted to be a historian.  

So how exactly, you wondered, as you stared down at the body that twitched beneath your feet as you heard Holland gag in the background and mutter something under his breath. 

How exactly did you and Holland take out a man with razor sharp teeth who you had just seen suck a woman dry of her own blood? 

[danetobelieve]

Standing Vigil || Ricky, Rio and Winston

Location: the beach beneath the cliff’s which the Roommate Squad lives on. 

Timing: the morning of the 18th of June

Tagging: @3starsquinn, @ricky-corderbro & @danetobelieve

Description: Nell and Luce liberated some selkie skins which they gave to Kaden who in turn gave to Ricky. The boys (and Winston) give their fallen friends a proper farewell.

Warnings: no official warnings; this is as close to a funeral as we’ll probably write though so bear that in mind. 

Everything about this was wrong, and that ate at a small sheltered core of Ricky’s heart that sounded and smelled like the waves off Rinn Mhaoile. It should have been elders. It should have been all selkies. There should have been names, clan members standing in the shallows to recount stories, give benedictions, request boons from the waves for safe passage. But instead it was a single selkie, a magician, and a repentant hunter, and Ricky only hoped it would be enough to grant the souls passage to the Deep Tides. He’d woken up early enough to give himself some time to get read; traditionally burials happened at sunrise as the tide ebbed back into the ocean deep, and he’d given himself time to shower and have a cup of coffee and take some time to think. He tied his hair back with a ribbon that his mom had used, slid the silver ring on his finger that bore her mark, and gathered up the skins from where they had been sitting on a chair in his bedroom, making his way downstairs clad only in a swimsuit to start to head towards the beach, his own skin draped over his shoulders. Even though they were both human, or at least more human than he was, Ricky deeply and fervently appreciated that both Winston and Rio had agreed to help with the burial, “It’s uh…. It really means a lot to me that you guys agreed to do this.” He managed to keep his voice from sounding too choked as he hugged the skins close, “Tide should start going out soon so we should uh head down to the beach.”

Winston hadn’t slept. They knew that they were going to have to be up early and they’d tried to get an early night’s sleep but they were still trying to work out if and how they would be able to get rid of the eye in their hand, their research had dragged on into the night and before they knew it the alarm they’d set to wake them up had been blaring and they decided that it was time to get ready. They could sleep later, it wasn’t like they had work for a while. Heading down and outside of the house with their friends, Winston shivered in the cold morning air. But they were dressed equally appropriately, though they wore a hoodie to keep them warm and still felt the early morning chill in the air. “Of course Ricky,” Winston replied, looking up at Rio. He looked- Winston forced themselves to look away, this wasn’t the time to be obsessing over Rio. They had work to do. “We’re always going to be here to do these things, especially after what we have learned about this … person,” Winston could hardly comprehend a being so evil that it would do this, “they deserve to be given a proper funeral.” Winston set off, their sandals crunching through the gravel and loose sand as they wound their way down the cliff path to the beach. 

Orion was out of place. He didn’t deserve to be here. It was because of people exactly like Rio that Ricky has to do this funeral in the first place. Rio didn’t know the whole situation. Hunters had to be involved with this, right? Weren’t they always? And Rio was just like them. But as sure as Rio was that they didn’t deserve to take part in such a bittersweet ceremony, how could he say no? This wasn’t about what Rio thought he should or shouldn’t be a part of. Ricky wanted him there. So Rio needed to be there. Even if he didn’t deserve to be. And even if Winston was there, the sombering mood of the morning making it even more obvious that the two had too much going on between them. But Rio was dedicated to not making this awkward. Even if he was about to be knee deep in water wearing a long sleeve shirt and track pants. He figured he could at least roll the track pants up a bit to avoid getting too soaked. “Just let us know what you need from us.” Rio agreed with Winston, offering whatever they could to help Ricky out.

Ricky made most of the trek down to the darkened beach in silence, fingers carding over the smooth skins he held in his hands. As he crunched down the path he struggled internally with his own worthiness to complete this ritual. He was thousands of miles from his clan, he was too young, he just wasn’t the selkie his mother had been. How could he send these poor men and women off to the deep when he hadn’t even been able to do that to his own mother. “Not much.” He muttered quietly as the path gave way to the silent beach, the crash of the ebbing tide the only sound, “I can say everything that needs to be said. There just needs to be three people. To stand for them in death, and to watch over their ashes as they join the sea.” He hadn’t bothered with shoes as he’d left the house, so the transition from beach to wave he could make without stalling. Barely feeling the frigid cold of the waves he strode out until he was almost waist deep in the water, turning back to his friends “You guys don’t have to come out this far. Knee deep is fine. Just within earshot and spell-shot. We uh…. We can start whenever.” 

Winston had been feeling slightly better about everything with Rio after the night they’d spent with Skylar watching Cell’s at Work. It had been a good way to diffuse the tension, though it remained ever present. “We can of course do that, it’s an honour even if we’re not the ideal candidates,” Winston couldn’t help but feel out of place. But the fact that Ricky trusted them to do this meant more then anything else right now. Slipping out of their sandals and tossing their hoodie and t-shirt down with it, they left them in the sand and made their way forwards. The waves foamed up against their toes, greeting them and guiding them towards the sea. Wading in so they were only a few feet away from Ricky. Shivering slightly in the early morning air, Winston kept as silent as they could. “Just give me one second, I want to do this properly.” Winston took a moment to center themself, taking a long breath and exhaling before repeating the motion once more and exhaling a thin tendril of fire that they caught between the index finger and thumb of both hands, holding it there as a tight ball, Winston looked at Ricky, “tell me when you’re ready and I’ll light them.” 

Orion was more of a placeholder than anything else. Unlike Winston, Rio had no real purpose to be here. It was better that way. Too much involvement wouldn’t feel right considering the situation. His eyes were glazed over and he felt empty inside. If Rio felt this away about the senseless death of these people, people he didn’t know and had no kind of connection to, he could only imagine how awful Ricky must feel right now. He watched Ricky curiously, trying to decipher what was going on in his head right now. He was so ridiculously strong. He never let fear or sadness show up on his face. Because he always thought he needed to be strong for everybody else. It was noble, but stupid. Rio wished that Ricky would break down with him once in a while. It might help Ricky process whatever he was going through. Rio shot a glance over towards Winston, carefully studying their face as the fire they was holding illuminated it. Rio didn’t need the light to see them, his hunter sight took care of that. But he did like the way their face looked through the ambience. Though the weather didn’t bother Rio much considering his attire, the water was freezing cold against his feet. The cold continued as Rio followed in deeper, nipping at his ankles and following up to his shin, where the prickling sensation finally ceased when the water found his track pants and favored that over his knees. Here they were. At this point, Rio didn’t have much to offer to the group aside from his support. He smiled at Winston, nodding in acknowledgement of the moment before turning his focus back on Ricky. Time to get started, it seemed.

Nodding as Winston conjured an impressive ball of fire in his hands, Ricky turned his gaze back out to see, towards the pale peach fingers of a rising dawn, holding the skins out towards the sun as it peaked over the horizon, their cool weight draped over his arms. “You deserved better than this.” His voice cracked sharply and he took a brief moment to collect himself as he felt a few tears roll down his cheek, “You died far from clan and shore, from those who knew and loved you, and were deprived your chance at rest. We stand your vigil now to try to fix that.” He cast his gaze over his shoulder to look at Rio, standing cold in the water behind him, “Behind me Orion Quinn stands vigil for your past. As the light from his namesake is already long-past history by the time it reaches us, he stands in the ebbing tide to honor the life you lived.” He gave a weak smile and turned back to face the sun. “I am Ricardo Cordero, son of Clan Muirgen, and I stand vigil for your present. For the span of life you were supposed to live and was robbed from you. For the light you were meant to bring into the world, and the strength we were robbed of by your absence.” Turning to look at his best friend he wiped tears from his face with his shoulder, “And Winston Dane stands vigil for your future. The cleansing fire, not born of earth or sky, that will return you to the Deep Tides and the clans that swim in the calm and dark. We do not know your names, and cannot tell your clans that you have been rescued from bondage. But a recollection of you will be carved in the Tidestone of Clan Muirgen. Six unknown souls laid to rest. May the Deep Tides call you home, may your ancestors welcome you into those hidden shoals, and may you rest in peace knowing your vigil has been kept.” He barely managed to make it to the end of the sentence before his voice broke entirely, and he held the skins out in front of him, gripping the tops as he nodded mutely to Winston.

 It was a sobering moment. Winston was so new to all of this. The idea of all of this, of everything that was going on, it was hideous. Winston hated it. The apparently hidden and silent war that raged beneath the surface of the supernatural world. Hunters butchering werewolves, vampires killing slayers, wardens hunting fae, it was all so violent and Winston hated the amount of it that they had already seen. Standing vigil now was a bittersweet privilege. They were lucky that they were never really involved unless they stepped up. A cold bead of sweat trickled down their back as the waves of the ocean lapped against their body. Taking a deep breath, Winston slowly willed thin ribbons of fire to expand off of the surface of the ball, they hovered for a moment before weaving together and darting forward. The tendrils of flame colliding with the skin. For a moment they blazed across the surface before slowly, yet surely the skins took the flame and began to pass it along their surface. It devoured them with such veracity and hunger that Winston let the magic go and slumped in the water for a moment. The cold quickly brought them back to awareness and they watched as the skins truly caught alight. The fire growing now, greedily swallowing the pelts up. 

Orion wasn’t sure when he started crying. It had been teetering there for a while. He was familiar with the sensation, the heavy feeling weighing down his eyes as they decided whether or not the tears would fall. At some point, they had given up the fight. Probably when Ricky’s voice broke, which may have been the most heartbreaking thing he had ever heard. Rio forced his palm over his mouth, afraid that the sniffling would interrupt Ricky’s flow or ruin the ceremony. Tears rushed down his cheeks now and he was full on blubbering, the sounds of his gasping breath mumbled slightly by the hand he held tightly against his face. When Ricky spoke his name as part of the ceremony, Rio used his free hand to give a slight wave out into the ocean. Did Selkie’s believe in spirits? If they were real, were they watching over the three of them now? Once it was done, Winston set the pelts on fire. The sight was beautiful, but sad all at once. But Rio understood why they did it. What a way to go out.

The sound of the crackling flame at once stood in opposition to and in harmony with the waves crashing around his waist, and Ricky held onto the pelts until the very last possible moment, until the flames had started to lick blisters and angry red wounds onto his hands. As he released them to the dawn sky, the flames were so voracious that not a single hair fell to the waves before it was ash and he heaved a deep and rumbling sigh as he watched the twisting motes of black make their way out to sea. Turning his back onto the sunrise he trudged his way slowly through the waves back to where his two friends had been standing in more shallow water, pulling them both into a tight hug. “Thanks.” He managed to get out as he squeezed them both, “I couldn’t have made it through that without you two.” Wiping at the tears drying on his cheeks with the back of his hands he released them both and steadied himself, trying to put the face of jovial control he usually wore. “Come on. We’ll dry off and I’ll buy you both breakfast. Raise a mug of coffee in a toast. We’ve done all we can for them now.” 

[makorragal-312]

Void (Part 2)

“Go. Be with the ones you love.”

And with those final words, the room was dismissed. Keith watched as everyone in the room cleared out, ready to follow Shiro’s advice and be with their friends and loved ones one final time before they head out to stop Honerva. His eyes were particularly trained on a certain Red paladin, whom for some reason looked a bit more nervous than usual as he and Hunk were the last ones to walk out the room.

The black paladin can’t remember how long it’s been since he and Lance last talked. He honestly thought that as soon as they landed back on Earth. they would’ve been able to continue their short-lived conversation on that random planet they were on after defeating Lotor. But instead, the two of them, along with the rest of their team, were caught up in another hectic battle as they had to fight Zendak and force his troops off of the planet. That, and the fact that all of them almost got themselves killed in the process and spent most of their time in hospital beds. That couldn’t have been more than at least a month ago, a fact that makes the now 20-year-old paladin cringe.

“Keith? Everything alright?" Keith turned his head to look at Shiro, who was looking at him with concern and confusion as he held some documents. He didn’t realize just how long he had been standing and possibly staring at the doorway until he heard him speak.

"Um, yeah. I just…had-”

“Had?” Shiro asked again, a hint of a small smirk on his face.

“Have a lot on my mind.” Keith replied. He walked towards the front of the table where Shiro was and sat down at the first chair with a heavy sigh. Shiro, sensing the slight distress in his brother, set down his documents and grabbed a chair, pulling it towards the black paladin.

“Well, I’m here now. You know you can tell me anything.”

“I don’t want to take up your time or anything. You’ve been pretty busy. You know, being the new captain and all.” Shiro sent him a chuckle and placed a hand on Keith’s shoulder.

“I’ve always got time for you, bud. Talk to me.” Keith smiled. Even after everything that happened with them and the clone, it was as if nothing had changed between them. Though he doesn’t like to admit, the half-Galran was worried that his relationship with Shiro would change after he found out that he was in the astral plane. A part of him continued to blame himself for how quick he was to believe that the Shiro he saved from the space craft was actually a clone. How he could’ve spared the team so much grief if he had figured it out before he left. How he could’ve saved him during their battle with Zarkon. But as soon as Shiro woke up, he made sure to let him know that he wasn’t to blame, resulting in a tight hug and various “I missed yous” and “I love yous.” Keith let out another sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Well, it kinda has something to do with Lance.” he confessed. Shiro’s brows began to furrow as he let out somewhat of a disappointed sigh.

“Don’t tell me you guys are at each other’s throats again.” Shiro whined.

“No! No, it’s not like that. At least not this time. It has to do with Lance, but mainly to do with me? It’s complicated.” Keith bowed his head and clasped his hands. Shiro leaned forward in concern, crossing his arms over his knees as he waited for him to continue.

“When we were on that one planet, after Allura brought you back. Me and Lance were talking for a bit. It sounded like he wanted to tell me something important. But before he could say anything, we had to leave. I honestly thought that once we came back home, we could talk again. But then we had Ezor and Zethrid and that stupid game show. And then we found out that Earth was already invaded. Then the fight with Sendak and me and the team almost dying. And then us recovering and getting ready now to face Honerva. And even with all of this, the only thing I could think about was- WHY THE HELL IS THIS BOTHERING ME SO MUCH?!” Keith screamed in anger, falling back hard against the seat.

Shiro looked at him for a moment.

“Are you sure you don’t know? Because I think you just said it yourself.” Shiro responded. Keith looked at his brother, eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and exhaustion. He was so busy ranting that he didn’t realize exactly what he said. He honestly didn’t expect to be so affected by an unfinished conversation.

“It’s just…when Lance and I talked, I really felt like he was trying to tell me something important. Something that involved…me. And I couldn’t help but feel like I did something to him. But I think I know. I didn’t just abandon the team. I abandoned him. I just up and left him to handle one disaster after another. Hell! He died, Shiro! If it wasn’t for Allura, he would’ve-”

“But he didn’t. He’s okay.” Shiro grasped his shoulder and shook Keith gently. 

“He’s going to be okay.”

“Yeah. Because of Allura." Keith said quite darkly. Both his and Shiro’s eyes widened. He honestly didn’t mean to say the Altean’s name so bitterly, but for some reason it came out that way. Keith quickly stood from his chair, looking down at Shiro in worry.

"I-I didn’t mean to say it like that! I swear, I just mean-” he started, only for Shiro to rise with him, placing his hands in front of him and moving them in a soothing motion.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean it-”

“But I did! Just not like that.” Keith finished. He walked past his brother as he began to explain.

“Look, I’m not trashing Allura. I know she wouldn’t intentionally hurt Lance. But for some reason I just can’t get over the fact that she was actually liking Lotor knowing how he felt about him. How he felt about her. And I know that people are allowed to move on with other people and it may be easy for some and hard for others. If Allura feels like moving on with Lance, so be it. And if Lance is willing, so be it. It’s his choice.”

“But?” Keith stood in place, head hung low probably in shame.

“Keith, you can say it.”

“I just don’t want him to feel like a placeholder. I don’t want Allura to be with him just because Lotor’s gone. I want her to be with him because she wants to. I’m just worried that should they get together and then down the line she wants to drop out, Lance will be…He’s gonna be-”

“A rebound.” Shiro finished for him.

“Yeah. I’m horrible, aren’t I? My friend might get the girl of his dreams, and I’m demolishing it when he’s not even here. How fucked up is that?” Keith placed his head in his hand, shaking back and forth in regret. Shiro walked up and pulled him into a comforting side hug.

“Keith, you’re not horrible. If anything, you’re being responsible. You want to make sure Lance comes out okay. You want him to be happy. You don’t want him to get hurt. Keith let out another heavy sigh.

"It’s more than that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Did my mom tell you when we were stranded on that space whale?”

“The same one where you found Kosmo and aged two years? Yeah. She mentioned something about flashes?”

“Yeah. Everyone now and then, there would be these big flashes of light in front of us. We would end up seeing the past and the future. That’s how I saw my fight against-” Keith stopped. He didn’t really like bringing up the clone situation around Shiro, given the sensitivity (and he’s currently residing in the clone’s body spiritually). But Shiro being Shiro is understanding of it, despite always saying that he’s come to terms with it.

“You don’t have to explain. I get it.” Keith chuckled, grateful for having someone so understanding and empathetic for a brother.

“Thanks. But there was a moment where I got caught in the flash. It was the future. I saw me and Lance. And-” Shiro cocked an eyebrow.

“And?” he asked. He watched as Keith turned his head and looked down. His eyes were focused on a section of the floor and the older of the two could’ve sworn he saw a faint blush. And Keith almost never blushed. Shiro stared at him a moment longer as realization began to dawn upon his white floof and eventually his head.

“OH.” Shiro finally replied.

“Yeah. We had…gotten closer. And at first I couldn’t understand it. I just kept thinking ‘Why Lance? Of all people?’ But then, everything just made sense. All this time, while me and Lance were becoming less of rivals and more of friends. And now, I want more than that.” Keith stated somberly.

“And now you feel like you can’t because he’s going after Allura.” Shiro finished. Keith finally raised his head looking at the ceiling somberly.

“Yeah.” he replied, voice cracking. Shiro gripped him closer towards him. He knew this feeling all too well. When he was younger and more reckless, he thought he didn’t have a chance with Adam. Even though they had shared the same classes, were in the same units, and shared the same dorm, he had felt like he wouldn’t be able to reach him. Shiro was carefree, open, and hated being restricted. Adam was reserved, slightly ajar to others, and was fairly restrained. Yet despite all this, they brought out the best in each other and was quite the shock when people found out they were friends. He loved Adam, but so did everybody else. Guys and girls alike coming up to him to shoot their shot. Until one day he decided to just bite the bullet and confess. Instead of a rejection, he got a sigh of relief, a smile, and a “What took you so long?” Down the line, they were dating for four years, with Shiro proposing around Adam’s birthday. And were only engaged for one year till everything came crashing down. And even though the former black paladin would give anything to go back in time and change the outcome of their future, he wouldn’t change their journey for the world.

Shiro hated seeing his brother go through this. He was there to see the beginning of Keith and Lance’s dynamic. He saw them fight with each other but he also saw them fight for each other. He saw them laugh together and celebrate victories together. Even when he was within Black, he sensed the two paladins become closer than ever. There was even a moment in time where he thought that eventually there could be something forming between them that was beyond the bonds of friendship. But he remembered Allura. And how infatuated Lance was for her. And he sensed how hurt he was when she started getting closer with Lotor. He didn’t know all of the details and frankly he didn’t want to for he felt that he knew enough. But he did know that if anything, Lance and Keith need to continue that conversation they had earlier before things got more complicated.

“I’m going to try to talk to him. But I’m not gonna tell him what I just told you.” Keith spoke firmly. Shiro looked down at him, but eventually sighed.

“If that’s what you want to do, I won’t stop you. I just want you to be happy. Whether it’s with Lance or not. Okay?” Keith finally looked at him, eyes slightly glistening and a slight smile on his face.

“Okay. Thanks, brother. I love you.” Keith turned and gave Shiro a tight frontal hug, with Shiro responding by holding him tightly, his new Garrison arm stroking his now long hair.

“Love you too, little brother.” Shiro replied. They pulled away after a minute or two. Keith gave him one last smile as he turned to walk towards the door. He then stopped and turned around.

“I’m heading out to find Kosmo and chill for a bit. Want to join me?” Shiro smiled.

“I’d love to, but Iverson wants me to check these documents first. I’ll come find you later.” Keith nodded and headed out. Shiro sat down and looked at the documents, but didn’t focus on the words. He sighed and looked at the ceiling, giving a short laugh.

Adam, please help our kid. I’m getting too old for this.

[moralanxietystudio]

Buried In Words - Roadwarden Devlog

(Roadwarden is an illustrated text-based RPG in which you explore and change a hostile, grim realm. It combines mechanics of RPGs, adventure games and Visual Novels, and you can now wishlist it on Steam!)

Since the middle of December, working on Roadwarden is mostly about writing new events, dialogues and quests. There were almost no updates on social media - I don’t have time to draw (aside of some inventory icons), and by popular demand, I try to avoid deeper spoilers. I’ve written quite a bunch of stuff, but the results won’t do for exciting screenshots.

I’m  currently focused on designing and filling up Howler’s Dell, the largest settlement in the game, so there’s a LOT of important character interactions to introduce, including quests, merchants, and lore. But in the meantime, some major changes have also been introduced:

 1. The game over screens

In the original Roadwarden’s Design Document, there were no game-overs. You could get significantly hurt during your journeys, but never to the point where you’d hit a brick wall that would make the further progress impossible. You’d need to rest and heal your wounds to participate in some events, but you could always move forward.

I’ve finally decided to change it. In most situations, reaching 0 HP won’t result in an instant death. But in some scripted encounters - usually when facing an overwhelming opponent while being completely unprepared - your character will be broken.

Still, I hope to make it as player-friendly as possible. Did you forget to save your game? Was autosave ran in an inconvenient spot? You can jump back in time a bit, no strings attached.

In various European cultures, the winged hourglass is an image related to the ephemerality of life, and it has became an important part of the Viaticum fantasy setting over ten years ago. Since there’s no single “canonic” design, I’ve had an opportunity to experiment with various approaches.

 2. New “regular” font

The text has now more space to breathe, the letters have more personality, and thanks to the serifs, it’s going to be easier to keep track of the lines you read. Everybody wins:

While the majority of feedback that I’ve gathered shares my enthusiasm, I’ve also seen some words of criticism. It’s still possible that the font is going to be replaced with a different one, but I’m convinced it’s still a step in the right direction.

Even if the font is going to be replaced again, this little feature will be kept in the game. The good old “select a font” setting now showcases a small frame that explains the most significant traits of the regular font and the pixel one. Even though the pixel font looks cool on screenshots, it won’t be gentle on your eyes.

 3. Updated inventory menu

From now on, pointing at an icon in your inventory will showcase not just the item’s brief description, but also its name.

This update was essential due to the constantly growing number of items added to the game. Usually, the player will keep using or loosing some of them as they complete more quests or take a part in more unique interactions, but you may reach a point when you’ll see a couple of dozen of icons at once, and they may start to get a bit blurry. When there was maybe 20 items in the entire game, clicking an icon to see the broader description wasn’t a large problem, but it became clear that it was a short-sighted, flawed design.

 4. Redesigned armor system

I’m not gonna lie. The gambesons that were present in the demo? They were a placeholder, waiting for a better idea to show up. And here it is.

The original two “types” of armor were related to the character’s class selected at the beginning of the game - the Warrior gets the good stuff, while both the Scholar and the Mage have a piece of trash, since they couldn’t afford anything better.

I was expecting to introduce some encounters “better” armors later in the game, and also script interactions where the better armors help you survive major injuries or even death, but I felt it was not good enough. This approach doesn’t introduce much decision making, and it introduces sort of a boring stagnancy.

The new system offers three “levels” of armor. The level 1 - “A Worn Gambeson” - offers you little to no protection. If you want to be saved during some difficult encounters, or maybe get less hurt when you screw up, you want to get to at least the level 2 - “A Decent Gambeson” - which is given to the Warrior class at the beginning of the game.

Upgrading armor requires getting in touch with a tailor, and paying them to do some fixes for you. However, when the armor “saves” you, it often also gets damaged. Its level decreases.

The 3rd level of your armor - “A Fine Gambeson” - follows the same rules. Wearing it will save you from most wounds, but during this process, it may also get torn, downgraded to level 2. As the player, you have to decide how many dragon coins you are willing to invest to keep yourself in one piece.

So simple, yet so much better. And I can still decide to introduce levels 0, 4, 5... Depending on  what will turn out to fit the larger picture.

 5. Updated journal menu

The journal has received the very needed scrollbars, which appear only when there’s too much text to fit in a single window. From now on, I don’t expect that the player will just “figure out” that they can use a mouse wheel, or drag the text box. Nice and easy:

Also, when you select a chapter (like “Quests”) or a specific entry (like the “Necromancers?” quest), the button is now highlighted, what will help you keep track of what you’ve been clicking through:

Also, unlike in the game’s demo, the “People” chapter is now cohesive with the “Quests” formatting. Originally, these sections had different sizes, what didn’t look as good as I intended.

6. Dolmen updates

Just to make it clear - the game receives a whole bunch of updates and bug fixes every week, and I don’t plan to list dozens of small adjustments just because. But this one is pretty fun for me, since it shows the progressing level of attention to detail, and the evolution of the game’s design. : )

Since the day I’ve introduced this area to the game’s prototype, I was unhappy about the low amount of visual changes it had to offer. No matter what you’d type down to solve the puzzle, the only clues you’d receive were presented in text.

The updated dolmen required some rewrites and a fair bit of drawing, but from now on, once you find something that provides a significant clue, you’ll also see a visual feedback that’s going to reflect your discovery. It will help you backtrack the older information, and focus your attention on more successful guesses. Oh, something new has showed up? I guess it’s important!

7. The world map reworks

Some of those updates are difficult to spot without a looking glass. Some percentage of the “bushes” have different colors now and a couple of new shapes; the forests and trees now cast shadows; the lake nearby the Southern Crossroads has more details; the river in the east is broader; there are new hills nearby Tulia’s Camp...

But it’s the eastern part of the map that has seen some major updates. It’s filled with hills and mountains, and because of it, it provides more limited vision than lands in the west, covered with plains and swamps. Previously, this disproportion was quite a bit larger, and I’ve decided to town it down a bit. I hope that the effect I’ve had in mind is still clear to spot.

 8. More “stable” text boxes

When the player points at an icon, it usually creates a text box with a related description. From now on, more of these text boxes will be anchored to specific parts of the screen, instead of showing up in an area related to the player’s cursor. It should make the information less chaotic, and won’t cover other icons anymore. Also, there will be no more situations when the text box is partially outside of the game’s window.

---------------------------------

Thank you for taking a look at this devlog, for your support and kindness. Remember, you can also find me on Twitter and Facebook, and the game has a Steam page on which you can add it to your wishlist. Have a great day!

[fountainpenguin]

What kinds of AU pieces go in the Off the Rails collection?

“Get Flappy Reprise - The Sort-Of Musical” - That ‘fic based off the first draft script of the Musical, where Flappy Bob was actually Imaginary Gary in disguise, and Gary and Betty possibly knew he was an imaginary friend all along and they love and support him. This ‘fic would make mention of all the old songs and their ridiculousness. Also, lots of pixies in birdcages. 

The “You Deserve It” Prompt - An AU where BookwormGal’s take on Anti-Cosmo is replaced with mine, and I rewrite the almost-climax scene of Never Had a Friend Like Me appropriately. Basically, Anti-Cosmo grinds the entire “Let’s throw everybody in lava” plan to a halt, much to H.P.’s annoyance, and spontaneously throws a massive party in Amanda’s honor for zodiac-related reasons. The plan is still to kill her, but now she’s a fancy sacrifice. Norm is still going through paperwork with Sanderson and has no idea what’s going on. 

The “Only an Idea” / “Learn Your Place” Prompts - Also known as Reedfilter Rules AU. Basically, we’ve got girl pixies this time. In fact, one of them is Rani Reedfilter, the Head Pixie before our H.P. came along, and thus the reason for this AU’s name. Pixie society is very different, being less based on insect biology and probably a bit closer to what the true canon would be. Also, H.P. spent 37 years seducing Rani in order to work his way up to the vice president position because that’s just how he is, and Sanderson gossips with everybody and judges him super hard. Definitely more of a schemer than loyal lieutenant.

So it’s just a different take on the Pixies, really. Possibly worth mentioning that the reason H.P. takes an interest in Sanderson in this AU is that he and Sanderson are both Fairy/Pixie crossbreeds, with Sanderson’s mother being a will o’ the wisp. Sanderson has blue eyes, too. My favorite joke about RR!AU is that H.P. is a massive klutz who trips over half of everything and yet still tries super hard to be cool. And unlike his touch-starved Riddleverse Classic counterpart, Reedfilter Rules!Sanderson is super squeamish about any type of physical affection, and I just think it’s funny.

For now, I’ve tentatively chosen to scrap this version of the “Learn Your Place” Prompt (which covered some of H.P.’s flirting from Rani’s perspective) in favor of making “Learn Your Place” a Cupid and Juandissimo friendship Prompt. So I’m not really sure what my plans are for RR!AU, especially since between the two Pixie AUs I have, I favor the next one more than this one. So I might keep it to myself, or I still might make it its own ‘fic. I’m a weirdo that way.

“The Gyne and the Drone” - An absolutely self-indulgent story based on that moment in Fairy Idol where H.P. is referred to as “Sanderson’s friend.” In this AU (Happy Dip AU to you guys), they’re friends who met in their adulthood, and this ‘fic covers the development of that friendship. Specifically, it covers H.P.’s ascension into Head Pixie-hood and Sanderson’s parallel journey up the social ladder to being his alpha retinue drone. It’s kind of like a slow burn platonic friendship with pheromone benefits, as they awkwardly navigate around each other’s expectations and try to work out the whole preening situation when it’s not something they’ve been doing since Sanderson was a kid this time.

In Reedfilter Rules AU, the Head Pixie isn’t allowed to have a mate, and H.P. was a lowly worker who flirted his way up the social ladder after recognizing how much Rani misses the husband (“match”) she had to let go of following her coronation. But here in “The Gyne and the Drone”, only the Head Pixie is allowed to have children (Don’t worry- we’ve got other Pixie companies to avoid inbreeding). So far this ‘fic consists of H.P. sliding from his bed to the floor and whining to his dad that he doesn’t want kids because he “doesn’t liiiiiiiiike people”, and Sanderson dragging H.P. out to his first rave. I’m pretty sure that first one is just a placeholder. Second one is definitely happening.

Basically, it’s an AU where all the general worldbuilding is the same, except there are several Pixie companies and it’s kind of like one of those fantasy books with the castles and arranged marriages, but more corporate. And instead of Wolbachia there are loose hints of haplodiploidy because I am eusocial insect trash and I don’t even. For once H.P. is telling the truth when he says he’s not a dad and has no sons /shot

Don’t ask me what I do in my spare time because it’s just this.

“Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails” - A silly, stylistically-different multi-chapter story about Foop and Anti-Marigold gathering potion ingredients to turn Foop into a boy after his aging potion accidentally turns him into a girl. 

So, it’s an alternate, way more lighthearted explanation on the origin of the “magical to-die-for heart-shaped pendant” we saw in “Blue Angel” than the explanation I went with in Identity Theft. While Identity Theft and “Snips” can’t coexist in the same timeline, neither exactly contradicts Riddleverse Classic canon and in theory you could accept either one as your headcanon’d backstory for the pendant. Even so, I technically consider Identity Theft to be part of the Riddleverse Classic works for purely stylistic reasons.

“Pulling Your Puzzles Apart” - AU where Timmy considers his best friend to be A.J. over Chester, so during Fairy Idol, Norm ends up going to college with A.J. and does not enjoy it at all. The first chapter is done (Mayor’s perspective was surprisingly a lot of fun), and the outline is done with 10 chapters pinned down. Except I still have a few details about the finale to untangle. Hmph.

The title of this piece is from the lyrics of the Coldplay song “The Scientist”, and all the chapters are named after other lyrics in the song.

“King Me” - Riddleverse worldbuilding is exactly the same, but this time Anti-Dusty received his inheritance over Anti-Bryndin. Thus, Anti-Wanda was raised as nobility and heir to the High Countess seat, and Anti-Cosmo was raised in rags on the outskirts of society. Talon still exists and is still raised by both Anti-Cosmo and H.P. (though his biological parents differ from Riddleverse Classic canon). This will probably be a one-shot unless it gets too long and needs to be divided into three. It’s basically a bunch of Anti-Wanda / H.P. friendship as Anti-Wanda works out her feelings on her impending marriage to a man she’s never met. And then… wedding! I also included some pieces from one of the very first Prompts I ever wrote, which had to be scrapped due to conflicting with finalized headcanons. Nice to actually use them in an AU!

Thus far I’ve had to physically restrain Anti-Wanda from sweeping Anti-Cosmo off for immediate kisses, because she would totally do so if I let her and I suspect she’ll get away with it in the end. I only have the Anti-Wanda and H.P. chat done so far, so I’m not sure what the ending is, but I suspect it’s going to dissolve into absolute wedding night fluff. Except for the fact that my document is currently a collection of several directions to take this story, one of which involves broken wings and one of which involves Anti-Cosmo on a farm. So I don’t even know where this is going yet. It could go anywhere. All I know for sure is that it’s told from Anti-Wanda’s point of view and she’s a riot, and Anti-Cosmo becomes High Count in this piece (hence the title).

“Just Ask” - Okay, well, I haven’t really planned anything officially, but I have been entertaining some ideas of an AU one-shot where Gary and Betty both grew up in Dimmsdale independently of one another, and only cross paths at the Learn-A-Torium. It’s their summer job that they each try to juggle with a thousand other life responsibilities (such as Betty’s anxiety issues and Gary’s difficult home life). So it’s a “what could have been” piece about if the Pixies hadn’t invaded their childhoods, and had instead approached them for the first time just before the Musical. Some fun ideas in this one, my personal favorite being Gary’s overprotective biker friends, so it’ll be great if I get around to it.

Dust to Dust and “Antlers for Dummies” are both crossover pieces (with “ChalkZone” and “Milo Murphy’s Law” respectively) and would technically fall in the Off the Rails category too, if I ever do write them. The “First Impressions” Prompt is kinda a crossover too, in that it covers the Creature Convention where Cosmo and Bunsen met according to “Bunsen Is a Beast” canon, and there are other Nick show cameos around too.

Potentially more to come, since I have tons of scrapped FOP stuff and maybe I can recycle some of it. But most of what I write fits within standard Riddleverse canon, so these are the only pieces I know of right now. What sounds interesting to you guys?

[aion-rsa]

Batwoman Enters a New Era With Kate Kane’s Return to Gotham

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This Batwoman article contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 17.

Batwoman is entering a new era, one where both women who’ve donned the Batsuit in the CW-verse are alive at the same time. When Kate Kane disappeared and her suit washed up on the shore, Ryan saw an opportunity to find justice. Since then she’s taken over the responsibilities of being Batwoman, and made the suit and the persona her own. But, in universe, her time as Batwoman was always meant to be temporary, as Luke reminded her constantly. She was a placeholder for Kate, a stand-in. Ryan’s relationship to Mary and Luke have evolved past that, but the foundation of that relationship is still built on the idea of Ryan’s impermanence.

When Ryan went to Coryana to find Kate, she did so knowing that success meant bequeathing her new life and—possibly—her new relationships. She can’t really know if those relationships are contingent upon her being Batwoman, because they all formed around that identity.  And when the rest of the team fawn over the alive-again Kate, it’s hard for Ryan not to feel disposable. She moves back into her van, and only Sophie names a case against it… barely. Everybody is so happy to have Kate back that they lose all discernment, and don’t listen to Ryan when she says Kate may not be ready. They take everything Kate says at face value, even knowing what was done to her, and it doesn’t occur to them that she may still not be herself.

When word gets to the Bat Team that Roman Sionis is recruiting former Crows, Ryan investigates, and steals a laptop with his financial records. The GCPD find her and the laptop, in her van, and arrest her for possession of a bag of Snakebite syringes they clearly planted. Roman villain-spiels at her, threatens her life, then she has to convince her parole officer that she’s being set up, revealing herself as Batwoman in the process. It’s really a good moment for Ryan to finally be believed—even if she beat up several GCPD officers, which helped her case. When she gets back to the Batcave, Mary, Luke, and Sophie are locked in the lift and Circe is raiding the weapons.

Everyone was so eager to trust Kate, they let their guard down and gave her—and her dad, by proxy—complete access to everything. Roman’s plan is unclear but he has several deadly toxins and all the resources he needs from his legitimate business, the cosmetics empire, and an illegitimate one, as the head of False Face, to mass produce any number of nasty, deadly things. The Team will have to remain focused or they’re going to watch the city burn. Kate isn’t a lost cause, but she’s beyond their immediate help and there are bigger things brewing. Perhaps if Mary had asked for Alice to be with them and Kate, instead of thanking her for bringing Kate back—a wild leap to make, given Kate’s behavior— they would’ve known Circe was in control and have been able to break through to Kate more effectively.

There’s a really interesting thing happening with Alice in which viewers are given the insight into why she is the way she is, but other characters are deprived of that context. So throughout the season, we’ve come to regard Alice as a victim, but the people she’s hurt still see her one-dimensionally, as an unrepentant villain. Alice’s feelings for Ocean, and what it proves about her capability to love is what Mary and Ryan respond to most, but they almost ignore her obvious traumas. Jacob finally sees Alice but nobody else does, and it’s frustrating to watch because we see empathy being given to everyone else when we know that Alice is also deserving of a little bit of grace.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

I don’t always believe that redemption is necessary but I do feel like, when it’s done right, it can be powerful. Alice has been victimized time and again, for most of her life. She escaped one prison only to find herself in another on Coryana. The things she’s done since leaving the island are a direct result of Safiyah’s abuse. Safiyah is an abuser. She is emotionally manipulative. She blames you for things she does to you. She makes her feelings your responsibility. Everything Alice did to Safiyah was a reaction, including Alice burning everything down, and Safiyah just escalates her abuse and her violence in response. Safiyah “pays her respects” to Ocean, whom she had killed, and asks Alice to call it even. This entire interaction is abusive, but Alice recognize the pattern and she daggers Safiyah—which is less than she deserves.

Batwoman has made some really solid choices this season. I just hope that they don’t fumble the bag with Alice and Kate as we come toward the end.

The post Batwoman Enters a New Era With Kate Kane’s Return to Gotham appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[avengcrwanda]

The Last Jedi Secrets Explained: Transcript

So I watched the video shared by @sleemo​ on the secrets of The Last Jedi as discussed by the Lucasfilm story group. I made a transcript of the interesting tidbits (at least, for me) and am sharing in case you guys want to read. I have interpretations also in between so let me know what you think!

(For the Reylo force bond one, I referenced the transcript of @felixazrael​ - you and @sleemo​ are awesome!)

I’m just halfway through the video so please forgive me. Will add when I watch the rest. :)

Topics I covered are:

Kyber crystal necklace of Luke

Resistance access to First Order blueprints

Millennium Falcon dice

DJ

Porgs and their colors

Holdo Hero Silence Scene

Rey and Kylo force bond

1) Kyber Crystal Necklace of Luke

Andi: I was asking you about the kyber crystal necklace... Pablo: That's right. Andi: And it's just something that he has? Pablo: It's just an interesting prop to suggest he's been out  in the galaxy collecting clues and doing research about the history of the Jedi. So I mentioned that it was just a captured trophy from a Jedi crusader from ages past. What I'm hoping to is to just be evocative enough to pick up that thread and say, "Hey you know what, I bet you that's what this story is." And we definitely have the avenues and the channels to tell those kinds of stories.

Potential Knights of the Old Republic storyline? Revan? I just remembered all the fake leaks saying it was Darth Vader’s kyber crystal LOL. This was a case of reading too much into things.

2) On the Resistance having the layout of the First Order's ships

Matt: There's one more good Battlefront Connection. In the Resurrection DLC...(laugh on spoilers) Iden and her daughet Zay and Triv (?) actually find plans to the Dreadnought, which are then... They transfer it to the Resistance and that is what kind of helps with Poe's attack. They wouldn't have known where to plant those bombs if it wasn't for Iden and her squad. Andi: That's cool. Pablo: It's not only the Dreadnought but also more information about the First Order military and fleet. We'd like to think that's partially where the map that Rose has that she projects in order to explain what the plan is to get to the Mega Destroyer.

This explains a lot to me. I just found it so weird the Poe knew where all the canons were and that Rose suddenly had the layout of the First Order’s ships.

3) Millennium Falcon Dice

Andi: We have to talk about the dice: legendary Millenium Falcon prop. And we finally get to see it up close here. Leland: We were gonna put it in The Force Awakens and then they ended up changing it. Matt: I think they're technically there, you just don't actually see it in a shot. Leland: There was a shot where Han was gonna put the dice up. Pablo: JJ shot a scene where Han hangs them up and Rian saw that and that's why he made such a - you know - a meal out of the dice in The Last Jedi. But then JJ cut the dice appearance in The Force Awakens. So as a result, what Rian ends up referencing, is not so much The Force Awakens but A New Hope because that's the clearest thing - Andi: Right. Thats just something that people who've been fans for a long time - they just know it's there even if they haven't really seen it. Pablo: But even if they don't, the shot establishes that Luke goes onto the Falcon and reaches up so you understand that's something that's remained on the Falcon - Andi: Something sentimental. And that might be something that pops back up. Matt: *hinting voice* Maybe. Wink wink.

I’m pretty sure Luke never gave the dice back so maybe Matt’s “wink wink” doesn’t mean anything. Unless Rey is coming back to Ach-to to retrieve Luke’s stuff. Or Kylo/Ben might get it back one day? I’m not sure.

4) DJ

Andi: Speaking of DJ...who wants to tell the story of DJ? Rayne: When Rian was developing the story, he had this idea of this politically agnostic character that would be of service to them. So I feel like in the story group conversations we just called him DJ for don't join because that was his ideology - don't join. And I don't know when did we decide that that is actually gonna be his name. Andi: Instead of Ezra Bridger. *laughs* Pablo: That's what his hat says - I'm Ezra. Rayne: But that was a placeholder name that ended up working out really really well. Pablo: And it's a reference to Elvis Costello. Matt: Yeah, an Elvis Costello poster - really great kind of punk rock Elvis Costello poster. Pablo: And yeah, his hat does say "Don't Join." Leland: Which was on the action figure so that was actually revealed before the movie came out.

I’m putting links for both Ezra and Elvis in case you guys don’t know them. LOL. This tidbit we basically confirmed (as mentioned by Leland) before the movie came out. I just feel we need more DJ content. Hahaha.

5) Porgs and Their Colors

Andi: Has it been confirmed that Porgs look different based on their sex? Rayne: The male Porgs have the orange around the eyes. Pablo: Yeah, they're the more colorful ones. So Chewie's little sidekick Porg is a boy Porg. Andi: Does Chewie's Porg have a name? Pablo: No, but that's something that we could get Star Wars to hashtag. Matt: I feel that Chewie would have named it and we wouldn't have been able to pronounce it. Pablo: What if he named it Han? All: Awwwww.

I’m a fan of Porgs so this was really interesting. I noticed that the colors were different but didn’t think of attributing it to sex. And I don’t have a copy of the Visual Dictionary and Art Book (sadly, not available in my country yet) so I am putting this here.

6) Holdo Hero Silence Scene

Andi: One of my new favorite moments in Star Wars is that moment of silence. Rayne: Holdo the hero. Andi: Is there any specific inspiration that went into that, or what was the process of creating that moment? Because that was astounding. Pablo: All I know is that Rian - he had it in the story pretty early on. Rayne: We called it the Holdo the Hero Scene. Pablo: He was asking about the dynamics and the physics - Star Wars physics - could a ship do this? What does it mean? Does this upset anything? And we were like, well, the fact that the Resistance cruiser and the Mega Destroyer are so close in size - I mean obviously one's still much bigger - that kind of what allows you to have this Titanic explosion that happens. If you flew an X-wing into a ship at light speed, you're not gonna get that. You're only gonna get that if something is big as Holdo's ship, that's what it does. But in terms of how it was staged, I think we were all caught by surprise at how we did it because it was really beautiful. Matt: Especially the sound. I didn't l know that they were gonna cut the sound until the film. First time I saw the final cut - Andi: It's brilliant. Matt: It's amazing. And it's cool 'cause as an audience member it allows you to hear what everybody else says.

One of my favorite scenes - it was done really nicely. I think the silence really drives the impact home.

7) Reylo Force Bond (!!!)

Rayne: The little subtleties when you have the Rey and Kylo force connection moments, how the sound from each of their environments kind of seeps into the other's and just that simple way of telegraphing that they're connected. Pablo: And that's something Rian had in his idea from the very start - that we would use a very low tech - basically in-camera cinematic trick to understand that those two are communicating. You could have done a version where there was all sorts of wizardry shaping the screen but no. It's just the oldest cinematic trick in the book. Rayne: Eye lines and - Pablo: Yeah, and it works. Matt: Yeah, and it completely - just the eye line itself completely sells it. Leland: Plus there's some dialogue in there that Kylo Ren says: "Can you see me? I can't see you." Andi: That's why he was shirtless the next time. *laughs* Pablo: You never know. Working on his guns - Andi: *counting, exercising* Pablo: Oh, I didn't see you there. Andi: Oh, hey. Matt: He actually spent a lot of time walking completely shirtless hoping for that connection to kick in. Oh, sorry. Andi: So good, so good. Rayne: It kinda goes back to something that Larry Kasdan used to talk about when we were doing The Force Awakens. It's not in the script but when he peers into her mind, there's something profound that happens between them and the way that Larry used to describe it was there's this *emphasis* ENERGY between them like this kind of almost - and I don't want to say it - but something a little more than you expect and I think it's fun to see it play out in the story as well. Pablo: It feels like there's definitely a door opened between the two of them in The Force Awakens, where they pull from each other in terms of skills and memories. And then that is the more poignant at the end [of The Last Jedi] when that door essentially closes, it's sort of - it's The Godfather shot of the door closing between Michael and Kay. And that's like *door closing actions* Millenium Falcon door separates them. Andi: And actually the connection between Rey and Kylo made me think about the connection between Ezra and Maul that we see in Rebels. Something happens with them in the Force that links them. That's something that we've seen before. Pablo: Yeah. I think Rian and Dave share a lot of ideas and commonalities and interesting themes. The crystal foxes are an example of nature coming to the aid of those on the Light. And that's definitely part of something in Ezra's story line.

Reylos are right! Force bond in the interrogation scene! Rey pulled skills from Kylo/Ben! (although Pablo hinted at this before) 

On The Godfather reference - I've linked The Godfather ending scene above in the transcript. I don't think they mean it's the same literally. It was just shot similarly and they both show two love interests who are separated by their ideals. I haven't watched any of The Godfather movies but I read the summaries and Michael and Kay reconciled in the end. There were still some tragedies but it's important to note that the two films/trilogies are very different. Star Wars won't follow The Godfather route.

Also, I don’t think that Pablo means the force bond is gone. It’s just that they’re separated at that moment - physically and on their ideals. I feel that it’s a waste of story potential to do away with the force bond. Everyone I know found it cool.

So there ya have it! I’ll watch the rest of the vid when I get home.

[rabbiteclair]

A little too long to paste as a single passage, but it'd be interesting to hear your thoughts about designing the kappa squad in Gensokyo Channel One!

This is a pretty long answer, so I’m putting it behind a cut.

Touko and Rumi changed a lot over various drafts, but ended up kinda circling back around close to their original concepts. Here are my earliest surviving notes on them:

Orie [Touko]

Kappa, is ultimately just out to prove she's smarter than everybodyelse.

Very much wants to milk every penny she can get out of this situation, but also sees it as a way of keeping score.

A bit of a bully to her followers, and it only gets worse when she's angry.

Vengeful, and a little sadistic. Would probably kill her own mom for a five cent profit.

More of an opportunist than a grand planner—this whole thing is pretty much getting winged. Still, she's pretty crafty.

Talks like a corrupt Texan sheriff from a 70s movie involving lots of semis.

Rumi

Is the most recently-banished, and the only one who was banished because of negligence, not malice. The kappa have offered to let her return to society if she repays the ridiculous amount of money that she owes in damages.

Has a neverending supply of peppermints on her, and eats them whenever she's anxious or concentrating.

Has a robot arm from the explosion. It's really shoddy-looking, because she sucks at engineering by kappa standards, but it has a zillion weird attachments. Fascinated (and mostly great at) chemistry, though.

Overall bad at things, because she's clumsy, easily-distracted, lazy, air-headed, and all-around childish.

Other Kappa

Orie's followers. Mostly lured in by the promise of profit, and justa little afraid of her. By the time they realize that she's notexactly a great person to work for, it's too late.

Pretty standard kappa—smart, socially awkward, a bit shy.

Orisa – The tailor. Mumbles, speaks in short sentences, leaves off unnecessary words sometimes in more of a 'rough guy' sort of way than a 'Chaika' one. Dresses kinda boyishly with TEN BILLION POCKETS for sewing supplies. Doesn't care about much except making Maeri happy.

Maeri – Good with maps, tactics. Probably the one who figured out how to pull off the bombing. Neurotic, rambly, distracted.

Ririsa – Fighty. Grumpy. A bit deadpan. Short temper and impatient.

Originally, Rumi was a chemist, who was making actual bombs to blow up houses. This had a few issues--first, outright bombing things didn’t fit too well with the feel of Gensokyo to me, and second, the whole arc with the kappa attacking Suzunaan was something like them raiding a chemistry shop instead, which didn’t quite have the same impact.

... Touko was named ‘Orie’ from day one until about two days before I started posting the story. The placeholder name was a dumb joke entirely for myself, because I used to RP a character by that name who was approximately the opposite of Touko in every way.

When the chemistry angle didn’t provide enough conflict, the next idea was for Rumi to discover the TV station earlier, and feed them tips about the kappa attacks ahead of time to soothe her conscience. The problem with that was that it was pretty hard to come up with a reason for her to not just tell them everything from the start, which’d make this a much shorter story.

Next, for a very short time, Rumi was the tailor and Orisa was the bomb-maker. I don’t think I got very far with that draft? I’d forgotten it even existed until just now.

Next, I made Rumi a very minor ocean goddess who’d gotten stuck in Gensokyo instead. She was starved for faith, so the whole kappa plan was based around them staging opportunities for her to make a big show of flooding houses while they looted them, thus helping get her some faith. I still really like this angle, but I couldn’t make it work to my satisfaction. It hinged on Rumi being in the dark for most of the story, which didn’t make a very satisfying arc. The kappa were also using her as a scapegoat, which didn’t leave them with much reason to not just shoot Rumi after the big flooding.

Goddess Rumi had a rather longer full name:

Rumiwas dreaming.“Rumi-teru-tama-no-kami!”Evenremembered centuries or millennia afterward, the man's voice wasbooming, seeming to echo even over the open sea. “We bring youofferings!”He stood at the head of a small boat, barelymore than a log that had been hollowed out. Two men rowed, andsitting between them was a bucket, as tall as their seated forms, andoverflowing with rice.Two dozen more log boats followedbehind them, hanging back at a safe distance.“Ourpeople are hungry, beautiful goddess. Our traps lie empty. Webring you offerings to begyour aid!We bring you offerings so that you might onceagain be pleased with the people of Village-on-the-Rock!”Theboat drifted to a stop, only bobbing slightly on the currents. Thetwo rowers carefully rose to standing, hefting the bucket of rice outand gently setting it in the water. It just barely floated, and theygave it a shove, pushing it away from the boat. The rice was almost athird of a koku, enough to feed an adult for four months. It was nosmall sacrifice for such a modest village. It was enough to merit thepersonal attentions of even a goddess.

After that, Rumi came back around to her final version, which is fairly similar to the original, apart from her abilities. The only real thing that changed was that, for a couple of drafts, the first chapter showed Touko recruiting Rumi at her riverside shack. There are some fun bits in there, but it’s a bit too long to really quote here.

The other kappa... didn’t change much across drafts, really.

Maeri and Orisa went from being kind of jerkish to slightly amoral people in a bad situation. They also got progressively gayer with every draft, because I found their whole relationship really fun to write. ... honestly, the final draft could probably use to lose a few examples of that, since they come off as almost obsessively protective of each other to me, but hey.

Ririsa was always a violent weirdo. The only real change with her is that she was originally completely irredeemable, and got killed in the final fight at the TV station. Really, for about half a draft, I was looking for ways to write her out, because she’s the least interesting by far. She doesn’t get much of an arc, and her personality is kinda straightforward. In retrospect, I probably should’ve done so, but oh well.

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How the East can save the West

This column was written for the Unz Review]

Europe: My honor is solidarity!

“That tells you all you need to know about the difference between modern Britain and the government of Vladimir Putin. They make Novichok, we make light sabers. One a hideous weapon that is specifically intended for assassination. The other an implausible theatrical prop with a mysterious buzz. But which of those two weapons is really more effective in the world of today?”.

(Boris Johnson)

Let’s begin this discussion with a few, basic questions.

Question one: does anybody sincerely believe that “Putin” (the collective name for the Russian Mordor) really attempted to kill a man which “Putin” himself had released in the past, who presented no interest for Russia whatsoever who, like Berezovsky, wanted to return back to Russia, and that to do the deed “Putin” used a binary nerve agent?

Question two: does anybody sincerely believe that the British have presented their “allies” (I will be polite here and use that euphemism) with incontrovertible or, at least, very strong evidence that “Putin” indeed did such a thing?

Question three: does anybody sincerely believe that the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats will somehow make Russia more compliant to western demands (for our purposes, it does not matter what demands we are talking about)?

Question four: does anybody sincerely believe that after this latest episode, the tensions will somehow abate or even diminish and that things will get better?

Question five: does anybody sincerely believe that the current sharp rise in tensions between the AngloZionist Empire (aka the “West”) does not place the Empire and Russia on collision course which could result in war, probably/possibly nuclear war, maybe not deliberately, but as the result of an escalation of incidents?

If in the zombified world of the ideological drones who actually remain in the dull trance induced by the corporate media there are most definitely those who answer “yes” to some or even all of the questions above, I submit that not a single major western decision maker sincerely believes any of that nonsense. In reality, everybody who matters knows that the Russians had nothing to do with the Skripal incident, that the Brits have shown no evidence, that the expulsion of Russian diplomats will only harden the Russian resolve, that all this anti-Russian hysteria will only get worse and that this all puts at least Europe and the USA, if not the entire planet, in great danger.

And yet what just happened is absolutely amazing: instead of using fundamental principles of western law (innocent until proven guilty by at least a preponderance of evidence or even beyond reasonable doubt), basic rules of civilized behavior (do not attack somebody you know is innocent), universally accepted ethical norms (the truth of the matter is more important than political expediency) or even primordial self-preservation instincts (I don’t want to die for your cause), the vast majority of western leaders chose a new decision-making paradigm which can be summarized in two words:

“highly likely”

“solidarity”

This is truly absolutely crucial and marks a fundamental change in the way the AngloZionist Empire will act from now on. Let’s look at the assumptions and implications of these two concepts.

First, “highly likely”. While “highly likely” does sound like a simplified version of “preponderance of evidence” what it really means is something very different and circular: “Putin” is bad, poisoning is bad, therefore it is “highly likely” that “Putin” did it. How do we know that the premise “Putin is bad” is true? Well – he does poison people, does he not?

You think I am joking?

Check out this wonderful chart presented to the public by “Her Majesty’s government” entitled “A long pattern of Russian malign activity”:

In the 12 events listed as evidence of a “pattern of Russian malign activity” one is demonstratively false (2008 invasion of Georgia), one conflates two different accusations (occupation of Crimea and destabilization of the Ukraine), one is circular (assassination of Skripal) and all others are completely unproven accusations. All that is missing here is the mass rape of baby penguins by drunken Russian sailors in the south pole or the use of a secret “weather weapon” to send hurricanes towards the USA. You don’t need a law degree to see that, all you need is an IQ above room temperature and a basic understanding of logic. For all my contempt for western leaders, even I wouldn’t make the claim that they all lack these. So here is where “solidarity” kicks-in:

“Solidarity” in this context is simply a “conceptual placeholder” for Stephen Decatur‘s famous “my country, right or wrong” applied to the entire Empire. The precedent of Meine Ehre heißt Treue just slightly rephrased into Meine Ehre heißt Solidarität also comes to mind.

Solidarity simply means that the comprador ruling elites of the West will say and do whatever the hell the AngloZionist tell them to. If tomorrow the UK or US leaders proclaim that Putin eats babies for breakfast or that the West needs to send a strong message to “Putin” that a Russian invasion of Vanuatu shall not be tolerated, then so be it: the entire AngloZionist nomenklatura will sing the song in full unison and to hell with facts, logic or even decency!

Solemnly proclaiming lies is hardly something new in politics, there is nothing new here. What is new are two far more recent developments: first, now everybody knows that these are lies and, second, nobody challenges or debunks them. Welcome to the AngloZionist New World Order indeed!

The Empire: by way of deception thou shalt do war

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it.

(John 8:44)

Over the past weeks I have observed something which I find quite interesting: both on Russian TV channels and in the English speaking media there is a specific type of anti-Putin individual who actually takes a great deal of pride in the fact that the Empire has embarked on a truly unprecedented campaign of lies against Russia. These people view lies as just another tool in a type of “political toolkit” which can be used like any other political technique. As I have mentioned in the past, the western indifference to the truth is something very ancient coming, as it does, from the Middle-Ages: roughly when the spiritual successors of the Franks in Rome decided that their own, original, brand of “Christianity” had no use for 1000 years of Consensus Patrum. Scholasticism and an insatiable thrust for worldly, secular, power produced both moral relativism and colonialism (with the Pope’s imprimatur in the form of the Treaty of Tordesillas). The Reformation (with its very pronounced Judaic influence) produced the bases of modern capitalism which, as Lenin correctly diagnosed, has imperialism as its highest stage. Now that the West is losing its grip on the planet (imagine that, some SOB nations dare resist!), all of the ideological justifications have been tossed away and we are left with the true, honest, barebones impulses of the leaders of the Empire: messianic hubris (essentially self-worship), violence and, above all, a massive reliance on deception and lies on every single level of society, from the commercial advertisements targeted at children to Colin Powell shaking some laundry detergent at the UNSC to justify yet another war of aggression.

Self-worship and a total reliance on brute force and falsehoods – these are the real “Western values” today. Not the rule of law, not the scientific method, not critical thought, not pluralism and most definitely not freedom. We are back, full circle, to the kind of illiterate thuggery the Franks so perfectly embodied and which made them so infamous in the (then) civilized world (the south and eastern Mediterranean). The agenda, by the way, is also the same one as the Franks had 1000 years ago: either submit to us and accept our dominion, or die, and the way to accept our dominion is to let us plunder all your riches. Again, not much difference here between the sack of the First Rome in 410, the sack of the Second Rome in 1204 and the sack of the Third Rome in 1991. As psychologists well know, the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.

Interestingly, the Chinese saw straight through this strategic psyop and they are now sounding the alarm in their very official Global Times: (emphasis added)

The accusations that Western countries have hurled at Russia are based on ulterior motives, similar to how the Chinese use the expression “perhaps it’s true” to seize upon the desired opportunity. From a third-person perspective, the principles and diplomatic logic behind such drastic efforts are flawed, not to mention that expelling Russian diplomats almost simultaneously is a crude form of behavior. Such actions make little impact other than increasing hostility and hatred between Russia and their Western counterparts (…) The fact that major Western powers can gang up and “sentence” a foreign country without following the same procedures other countries abide by and according to the basic tenets of international law is chilling. During the Cold War, not one Western nation would have dared to make such a provocation and yet today it is carried out with unrestrained ease. Such actions are nothing more than a form of Western bullying that threatens global peace and justice. (…) It is beyond outrageous how the US and Europe have treated Russia. Their actions represent a frivolity and recklessness that has grown to characterize Western hegemony that only knows how to contaminate international relations. Right now is the perfect time for non-Western nations to strengthen unity and collaborative efforts among one another. These nations need to establish a level of independence outside the reach of Western influence while breaking the chains of monopolization declarations, predetermined adjudications and come to value their own judgment abilities. (…) The West is only a small fraction of the world and is nowhere near the global representative it once thought it was. The silenced minorities within the international community need to realize this and prove just how deep their understanding is of such a realization by proving it to the world through action.

As the French say “à bon entendeur, salut!”: the Chinese position is crystal clear, as is the warning. I would summarize it as so: if the West is an AngloZionist doormat, then the East is most definitely not.

[Sidebar: I know that there are some countries in Europe who have, so far, shown the courage to resist the AngloZionist Diktat. Good for them. I will wait to see how long they can resist the pressure before giving them a standing ovation]

The modern Ahnenerbe Generalplan Ost

The decision, therefore, lies here in the East; here must the Russian enemy, this people numbering two hundred million Russians, be destroyed on the battlefield and person by person, and made to bleed to death

(Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler)

Still, none of that explain why the leaders of the Empire have decided to engage in a desperate game of “nuclear chicken” to try to, yet again, force Russia to comply with its demands to “go away and shut up”. This is counter-intuitive and I get several emails each week telling me that there is absolutely no way the leaders of the AngloZionist Empire would want a war with Russia, especially not a nuclear-armed one. The truth is that while western leaders are most definitely psychopaths, they are neither stupid nor suicidal, but neither were Napoleon or Hitler! And, yes, they probably don’t really want a full-scale war with Russia. The problem is that these rulers are also desperate, and for good cause.

Let’s look at the situation just a few months ago. The US was defeated in Syria, ridiculed in the DPRK, Trump was hated in Europe, the Russians and the Germans were working on North Stream, the British leaders forced to at least pretend to work on Brexit, the entire “Ukrainian” project had faceplanted, the sanctions against Russia had failed, Putin was more popular than ever and the hysterical anti-Trump campaign was still in full swing inside the USA. The next move by the AngloZionist elites was nothing short of brilliant: by organizing a really crude false flag in the UK the Empire achieved the following results:

The Europeans have been forced right back into the Anglosphere’s fold (“solidarity”, remember?)

The Brexiting Brits are now something like the (im-)moral leaders of Europe again.

The Russians are now demonized to such a degree that any accusation, no matter how stupid, will stick.

In the Middle-East, the US and Israel now have free reign to start any war they want because the (purely theoretical) European capability to object to anything the Anglos want has now evaporated, especially now that the Russians have become “known chemical-criminals” from Ghouta to Salisbury

At the very least, the World Cup in Russia will be sabotaged by a massive anti-Russian campaign. If that campaign is really successful, there is still the hope that the Germans will finally cave in and, if maybe not outright cancel, then vat least ery much delay North Stream thereby forcing the Europeans to accept, what else, US gas.

This is an ambitious plan and, barring an unexpected development, it sure looks like it might work. The problem with this strategy is that it falls short of getting Russia to truly “go away and shut up”. Neocons are particularly fond of humiliating their enemies (look at how they are still gunning for Trump even though by now the poor man has become their most subservient servant) and there is a lot of prestige at stake here. Russia, therefore, must be humiliated, trulyhumiliated, not just by sabotaging her participation in Olympic games or by expelling Russian diplomats, but by something far more tangible like, say, an attack on the very small and vulnerable Russian task force in Syria. Herein lies the biggest risk.

The Russian task force in Syria is tiny, at least compared to the immense capabilities of CENTCOM+NATO. The Russians have warned that if they are attacked, they will shoot down not only the attacking missiles but also their launchers. Since the Americans are not dumb enough to expose their aircraft to Russian air defenses, they will use air power only outside the range of Russian air defenses and they will use only cruise missiles to strike targets inside the “protection cone” of the Russians air defenses. The truth is that I doubt that the Russians will have the opportunity to shoot down many US aircraft, at least not with their long-range S-300/S-400 SAMs. Their ubiquitous and formidable combined short to medium range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapon system, the Pantsir, might have a better chance simply because it’s location is impossible to predict. But the real question is this: will the Russians shoot back at the USN ships if they launch cruise missiles at Syria?

My strictly personal guess is that they won’t unless Khmeimim, Tartus or another large Russian objective (official Russian compounds in Damascus) are hit. Striking a USN ship would be tantamount to an act of war and that is just not something the Russians will do if they can avoid it. The problem with that is this restraint will, yet again, be interpreted as a sign of weakness, not civilization, by the “modern Franks” (visualize a Neanderthal with a nuclear club in his fist). Should the Russians decide to act à la American and use violence to “send a message”, the Empire will immediately perceive that as a loss of face and a reason to immediately escalate further to reestablish the “appropriate” hierarchy between the “indispensable nation” and the “gas station masquerading as a country”. So here is the dynamic at work

Russia limits herself to words of protests ==>> the Empire sees that as a sign of weakness and escalates Russia responds in kind with real actions ==>> The Empire feels humiliated and escalates

Now look at this from a Russian point of view for a second and ask yourself what you would do in this situation?

The answer, I think, is obvious: you try to win as much time as possible and you prepare for war. The Russians have been doing exactly that since at least early 2015.

For Russia this is really nothing new: been there, done that, and remember it very, very well, by the way. The “western project” for Russia has always been the same since the Middle-Ages, the only difference today is the consequences of war. With each passing century the human cost of the various western crusades against Russia got worse and worse and now we are not only looking at the very real possibility of another Borodino or Kursk, and not even at another Hiroshima, but at something which we can’t even really imagine: hundreds of millions of people die in the course of just a few hours.

How do we stop that?

Is the West even capable of acting in a different way?

I very much doubt it.

The one actor who can stop the upcoming war: China

There is one actor which might, maybe, stop the current skidding towards Armageddon: China. Right now, the Chinese have officially declared that they have what they call a “comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation” later shortened to “strategic partnership”. This is a very apt expression as it does not speak of an “alliance”: two countries of the size of Russia and China cannot have an alliance in the traditional sense – they are too big and different for that. They are, however, in a symbiotic relationship, that both sides understand perfectly (see this White Paper for details). What this means in very simple terms is this: the Chinese cannot let Russia be defeated by the Empire because once Russia is gone, they will be left one on one with a united, triumphal and infinitely arrogant West (likewise I would argue that Russia cannot afford to have Iran defeated by the Empire for exactly the same reasons, and neither can Iran let the Israelis destroy Hezbollah). Of course, in terms of military power, China is a dwarf compared to Russia, but in terms of economic power Russia is the dwarf when compared to China in this “strategic community of interests”. Thus, China cannot assist Russia militarily. But remember that Russia does not need this if only because military assistance is what you need to win a war. Russia does not want to win a war, Russia desperately needs to avoid a war! And here is where China can make a huge difference: psychologically.

Yes, the Empire is currently taking on both Russia and China, but everybody, from its leaders to its zombified population, seems to think that these are two, different and separate foes. [We can use this opportunity to most sincerely thank Donald Trump for so “perfectly” timing his trade war with China.] They are not: not only are Russia and China symbionts who share the same vision of a prosperous and peaceful Eurasia united by a common future centered around the OBOR and, crucially, free from the US dollar or, for that matter, from any type of major US role, but Russia and China also stand for exactly the same notion of a post-hegemonic world order: a multi-polar world of different and truly sovereign nations living together under the rules of international law. If the AngloZionists have their way, this will never happen. Instead, we will have the New World Order promised by Bush, dominated by the Anglosphere countries (basically the ECHELON members, aka the “Five Eyes”) and, on top of that pyramid, the global Zionist overlord. This is something China cannot, and will not allow. Neither can China allow a US-Russian war, especially not a nuclear one because China, like Russia, also needs peace.

Conclusion

I don’t see what Russia could do to convince the Empire to change its current course: the US leaders are delusional and the Europeans are their silent, submissive servants. As shown above, whatever Russia does it always invites further escalation from the Empire. Of course, Russia can turn the West into a pile of smoldering radioactive ashes. This is hardly a solution since, in the inevitable exchange, Russia herself will also be turned into a similar pile of smoldering radioactive ashes by the Empire. In spite of that, the Russian people have most clearly indicated by their recent vote that they have absolutely no intention of caving in to the latest western crusade against them. As for the Empire, it will never accept the fact that Russia refuses to submit. It therefore seems to me that the only thing which can stop Armageddon would be for the Chinese to ceaselessly continue to repeat to the rulers of the Empire and the people of the West what the wrote in the article quoted above: that “The West is only a small fraction of the world and is nowhere near the global representative it once thought it was” and “the silenced minorities within the international community need to realize this and prove just how deep their understanding is of such a realization by proving it to the world through action.”

History teaches us that the West only strikes against those opponents it sees as defenseless or, at least, weaker. The fact that the Popes, Napoleon or Hitler were wrong in their evaluation of the strength of Russia does not change this truism. In fact, the Neocons today are making exactly the same mistake. So telling them about the fact that Russia is much stronger than what the western propaganda says and which, apparently, many western rulers believe (you always end up believing your own propaganda), does not help. Russian “reminders of reality” will do no good simply because the West is out of touch with reality and lacks the ability to understand its own limitations and weaknesses. But if China stepped in and conveyed that crucial message “The West is only a small fraction of the world” and that the rest of the world will prove this “through action” then other countries will step in and a war can be averted because even the current delusion-based “solidarity” will collapse in the face of a united Eurasia.

Russia alone cannot continue to carry the burden of stopping the messianic psychopaths ruling the Empire.

The rest of the world, led by China, now needs to step in to avert the war.

The Saker

[ceakinsdesign]

Discover Why a Loyalty Rewards Program and App Should Be Your Next Move

Small business owners know there’s a battle going on for customer’s attentions. People have short attention spans these days and are always looking for something new to interest them. Loyalty rewards programs are popular because they help win back eyeballs that otherwise might not come back. Rewarding your best clients makes sense because they buy more when you do!

Acquiring new customers is the hardest part of running a business. It’s an expensive process and not one that’s easy to do on a day-to-day basis. That’s why loyalty rewards programs resonate with owners and operators. They are an easy way to hang on to the customers you already have while encouraging them to spend more. Your organization doesn’t have to stop when it comes to promoting customer loyalty.

Products Are Outstanding App Ideas

Your product can become an app, which is a fast way to reach a vast new audience. Chances are your product already has many of the components in place to transform into a business application. Tons of companies already use this approach effectively to gain mobile usage. Face facts, if you aren’t already catering to a mobile market, you’re behind the curve. A majority of internet users are on mobile devices, and the trend won’t reverse.

Speak with your app developer to cover your options. With a bit of ingenuity, she can help you deliver a compelling application to users to expand your market.

Get Users to Engage

Apps don’t mean much unless people use and interact with them. It’s crucial that you design your offering with this fact in mind. There’s no doubt that users expect engagement. When they ask a question, they want answers fast. Companies take advantage of this opportunity by providing them with excellent, custom service. Personalizing their experience is one of the best ways to keep people coming back.

Transparency Helps Increase Participation

It’s always a good idea to be transparent with your loyalty rewards program. Your customers will want to know what precise benefits they get when they join. Spell it all out, and you’ll find that your participation rates are sky high. Deliver on the advantages you outline and you’ll find that people are more than happy to continue their business relationship with your organization. It’s a challenge to keep people around, so it’s necessary to have a high standard of quality built into your program.

Increase Sharing as Much as Possible

Virality is a savvy way to get the most mileage out of your business app. Encouraging people to share will result in them spreading the word beyond your traditional platform. Your success depends on how you and your developer orient your positioning in the market. For business owners in the retail space, such as massage therapists, café’s, restaurants, and hair stylists, an app spreads the word in a way that conventional advertising cannot. Customer loyalty programs built around apps outperform alternatives because they make staying loyal incredibly simple.

Loyalty Rewards Program Apps Spur Revenue Growth and Retain Customers

Major retail stores have long wowed their fans with discounts and incentives to stay loyal. Fortunately, the tactics work for almost all business types. It’s crucial to put a personal spin on your approach, but if you’re willing to make an effort to fit your app to your market, you cannot lose. Client retention is going to remain the number one issue for all companies across all industries. Many big companies now offer multi-level reward programs that account for a vast amount of revenue. Even the smallest retailer benefits from installing a program, especially one that taps into the convenience of mobile devices.

Your Most Active Users Make a Massive Difference

Your most eager customers and users are the driving force for your sales growth. A few customers push the majority of revenues for companies, with many experts stating the 80/20 rule. That’s why loyalty rewards programs excel. They help you pinpoint and cultivate relationships with those clients who are demonstrably valuable to your enterprise.

Start New People off with a Bonus

It’s a smart idea to get new rewards members to start off with something extra. That’s an easy way to make them feel like the program is worth it. Getting feedback from your current fans is a way to find out what features they want the most. If you’re willing to come through for them based on their input, you’ll see a greater degree of involvement.

Keep the Focus on the Goals

People join loyalty programs so they can achieve progressive goals. The reward you choose is not the only factor for success. Perhaps the customer will receive a free meal after paying for ten. It may be a free haircut once every three months that keeps someone interested. What matters most is that they’re working towards their objective as they make each purchase. The goal should be something of value that they want. With an app, you can reward them every step of the way as they continue to make purchases and payments. Even relatively small rewards may have a significant impact because your customers engage with your app.

Now is an ideal time to speak to us about how we can help you craft a loyalty rewards program that will boost company sales. With the right incentives in place, your technology will spread effortlessly. Your customers are like everybody else, and they will take incentives where they can find them! We can help make the entire system seamless so that rewards become an automatic process. You won’t have to do extra work using physical systems. Instead, rely on the power of an app to do all the heavy lifting needed. Reward programs continue to carry a lot of weight with consumers. They love to feel appreciation, especially from companies like yours that they admire. Get in touch now to find out more! We’re passionate about helping small businesses establish a loyalty rewards program that works. Fill out the form below and someone from the team will get in touch with you.

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Discover Why a Loyalty Rewards Program and App Should Be Your Next Move is a post from the Colleen Eakins Design Blog | Freelance Graphic Designer

from Discover Why a Loyalty Rewards Program and App Should Be Your Next Move

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Outstanding mod does not work out the online gamer if their accuracy and precision ever in your life flows just below 00%. Fade In (available in the market only in Osu Flashlight Hack!mania) is definitely an inversion of Undetectable, generating the information reduce in as they get the underside 1 / 2 from the screen. This mod really adds b .by multiplier for the player's rank. This mod cuts down within the rank by -%, driven by preferred significant arranging. The subsequent mod names are placeholder names and can even improve. |= .). Generally known as "AR" in Edit's tune choices. Three mods can transform deal with amount the right time when triggered: Really easy: Halves the AR market value. - or as high as . With the chart just below, noticeable OD principles are supplied to allow analysis regarding timings with and without ever these mods. By using a less OD, some time amount of 1 circle can easily overlap together with the so next. |The Taiko approach is determined by Taiko no Tatsujin, an extra beat god membership involving striking drums for the overcome from the tracks item. When mastering the Taiko approach, bluish and purple surpasses, in combination with long discolored drumrolls (by getting an image just like a slider) will scroll for all information - the online gamer is certain to get a lot of matters for the a lot of hits they could accomplish. For bluish, a rim attack tab really needs to be pressed. Screenshot of "Osu Flashlight Hack!mania." Osu Flashlight Hack!mania is usually a approach just like Beatmania IIDX and DJMax where players will need to push keys certain to different blog posts depending on tracks. Beatmaps for individual tracks can easily then be given to an in-god membership uploader from the key web page. The volume of rated charts steadily grow because Beatmap Nominators position lately published charts. |the general public liberate (b). There's also an aged slot of Osu Flashlight Hack! that's been discharged to Android operating system often known as Osu Flashlight Hackdroid!. This approach origins the overall game Followers can download beatmaps within the Osu Flashlight Hack! customers via a course within the customers, known as "Osu Flashlight Hack!direct", and may also effortlessly download from spectator or multi-person fits in combination with other benefits, like more beatmap submissions and the opportunity to supercharge your in-god membership username the moment free of cost. Exploring return back well over farmville at this time, I can’t visualise what things can have originally lured me to Osu Flashlight Hack!, given that I have been unfortunate with computer mouse-quite heavy god hacks and I have not been interested in J-place or K-place. Other individuals make efforts and helped within the way, but it’s been typically a 1-mankind exhibit. The game engage in in Osu Flashlight Hack! is different from what approach you’re mastering. |the data. Never disassociate with that even so, as there are beatmaps for pretty much a variety of tracks. You will find about three actions: Go to Groups, Sliders, and Spinners (that can be found within the DS god membership). Successful Circle really adds some place for the player's multiplier. Their conventional names are "Really easy," "Standard," "Tough," and "Insane," but also may even get special names to fit the tune or symbolize a guests donation or alliance. (Increase final rank by .3) “Hard Rock” - Makes the Go to Groups small sized scaled and much harder to be. The visual community decreases more deeply any time a combo is long ample. D - Other considerations. |Orange information absolutely need person striking the midst of the drum, though bluish information absolutely need person striking along with it. Osu Flashlight Hack! has main features part of the sport for Beatmap development and submissions, along with-god membership chitchat and multi-person (instead of or Co-Op) settings. Osu Flashlight Hack! is usually a beat god membership that's controlled altogether by click throughs and motions. Now and again, on the flip side, a lot of-the like better problems and tracks, you'll will need to press, accommodate and slide your path while using the tune, or rotate And, if for whatever reason you have fed up with the big collection of beatmaps It changed that need to be a lot of including the footage for the Bleach cutting open, in combination with the icons and control keys for being altered and Bleach-ified. |292,874 website visitors to be specific. pretty much any tune from the finding, and, above all, addictive and really wonderful god membership engage in, Osu Flashlight Hack! is usually a god membership that actually really needs to be practiced regardless of your MMO style. Importing tracks, packing skin and mastering the sport is easy ample for almost everybody to take care of. Osu Flashlight Hack!mania- Simillar to Electric guitar Hero or Beat Mania, players must absolutely manage their beat all across different information within a tune. 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