#but i suppose he does get mentioned in the first paragraph so. well

[batsplat]

Hi! I saw you mention how Honda tried to kill Marc and Joan in your latest Marc post and I was wondering if you could elaborate on that? I am fairly new to MotoGP and I keep seeing and hearing fans and experts speak of Marc’s last years at Honda in this way, implying the bike was absolutely terrible, but I cannot seem to find any explanation as to how bad exactly and why everyone keeps using the specific “It tried to kill them!” expression… 😭 If you have the time and/or interest to only, of course! It does interest me considering Marc had been riding his Hondas for so long at that point and also with how well he is adapting to the Ducati now, it just seems incredible to me that he would have any such problems with a bike!

(x) haha yeah of course. I feel like this is one of those motogp stories that I know so well by now I could recite it in my sleep, so it's no real bother to quickly type it out

honda has traditionally been one of the Big Names in the sport, and got a... decent-ish haul of titles this century even before marc joined the premier class (2001-3; 2006; 2011) (could've been better hehe). the pedrosa/stoner partnership helped develop a very good bike in the form of the RC213V, introduced at the start of the 2012 season for the new regulations (aka the 1000cc era, which we're still in). when marc joined honda, this was on balance (if by a fairly slim margin) the best bike on the grid. over the next couple of years, honda would go from initially establishing a more sizeable bike advantage over yamaha to running into trouble in the 2015 season - and for a while it looked like those troubles would continue into 2016. that year brought on a massive change to the championship in the switch back to michelin tyres and how all bikes would be forced to run on 'spec electronics'... basically it represented a big shake-up in the competitive order, and it took a while to see how well each manufacturer had managed to respond. but 2016 turned out better than expected for honda while its long-time rival yamaha increasingly struggled - and was soon replaced by ducati as honda's primary challenger. the ducati project generally seemed more on the cutting edge of the bike development than honda was, especially given how much attention they seemed to be paying to improving the aerodynamics of the bike... but, well, marc won a bunch of titles during that time, so whatever. 2013-14 and 2016-19 champ, honda was on paper the dominant force in the sport, all was well

except... except there was already trouble looming on the horizon. 2019 was the first year in which marc was the only honda rider to win a race. it might have been a close to flawless season from him, but this was clearly a bike that was increasingly suited to one rider and one alone - a bloke who happened to have the kind of freakish natural abilities to ride around the glaring issues of an increasingly temperamental bike. (it should be noted that marc too was crashing far more than was advisable in order to find the bike's limits, as he does have a tendency of doing - he just managed to not do it in the races. see here on the question of marc and 'lucky' crashers.) though it wasn't just a question of marc being able to harness a naturally tricky package... the bike was specifically developed around him and his unique riding style, which meant that honda was inevitably increasingly reliant solely on marc marquez. honda didn't sign up dani in a test rider role upon his retirement at the end of 2018, letting ktm snatch him up instead... and they missed out on what could have been valuable feedback from jorge, who never adapted properly to the bike and was struggling with injury throughout that 2019 season. now, okay, this isn't ideal for a manufacturer, but also you can't complain too much when your number one rider is so good he's singlehandedly winning the team's and constructor's championships for you. honda and marc reaffirmed their mutual devotion with a staggering four year deal at the very start of 2020 for 2021-24, so it was essentially a half decade long commitment to each other... felt pretty insane, even at the time. both sides decided their fates were to be inextricably tied, and put pen on paper to confirm as much

and then marc got injured. within the span of a week in 2020, honda was essentially banished to competitive wilderness, perhaps not helped by their controversial decision to replace the outgoing three time premier class champion with marc's younger brother to complete their factory line-up. 2020 was basically a write-off as soon as it started - and not only did that mean honda wasn't winning in the short-term, but they were bereft of their lead rider who had been responsible for determining the development direction. the crisis was compounded by the impact of the pandemic, which hit all of the japanese manufacturers particularly hard - as well as exacerbating existing issues within the honda project, which at times approached development too conservatively and were not proactive enough in poaching rival engineers to provide new insight as needed. as a result, when marc returned in 2021, he was provided with a bike that was already in a pretty sorry state... but also one which, given how his arm was still causing him considerable problems, he could not ride to its fullest potential. marc still comfortably outperformed the other honda riders and was able to bag a pair of heroic wins at his specialist circuits of sachsenring and cota (tracks that honda was still well-suited to and also mitigated marc's right shoulder struggles as a result of the anti-clockwise layout), as well as an extra win at his strongest clockwise circuit of the calendar, misano (though he was helped by the two factory ducatis ahead of him binning it lol). right after that, he suffered a recurrence of his past problems with diplopia as a result of a training crash and was ruled out of the rest of the season... but you could still say there was a little bit of hope for better things to come

but things just kept going from bad to worse, to the point where you eventually lost track of the number of times you heard the descriptor 'worst weekend in honda's history'. initially, it looked like 2022 pre-season testing might be quite promising, and the honda did have a grand total of one decent-ish race (where marc wasn't actually the highest honda finisher, very very rare in the post-dani days). so there was initially some optimism around the radically redesigned bike, with a completely reworked chassis and new aero and new swingarms and so on. the bike was supposed to be more powerful as well as more rideable, but this ended up being far from the reality. at the very next race in indonesia, marc suffered a vicious highside that brought with it a worrying return of the diplopia, so soon after the last occurrence, and meant he was again sidelined. the other honda riders weren't doing much better, either scrapping for lower points positions or crashing themselves. after struggling on for a while, marc made the decision to get another surgery for his arm, postponing his season indefinitely. once again, honda was directionless, and it was hard to see any clear improvements or even where any improvements were supposed to come from

the situation was so obviously catastrophic that marc actually returned to the paddock before being fit to ride again to essentially inspect honda's progress and to have meetings with key honda personnel. in austria, he held a special press conference to discuss his visit - and then said press conference had to be cut short by a storm threatening to rip honda hospitality apart. which feels a little on the nose, but anyways. marc made his return after his successful surgery, and even he could only work so much magic with that bike... his strongest race was at phillip island, where he bagged his one podium of the year and was still in victory contention on the last lap. honda had also managed to secure two high profile rider signings for the following year - the two suzuki lads who had been left in the lurch by the manufacturer deciding very suddenly to leave the sport. 2020 world champ joan mir went to the repsol honda team, and alex rins, who was really too good and too highly rated for this gig under normal circumstances, ended up with the satellite lcr squad. the hope was that at least now they might have a better chance at having more than one competitive rider, who should also be able to provide development feedback and serve as a benchmark for marc post-arm injury

and then came 2023. honda's 2020 was horrible. its 2021 was embarrassing. its 2022 was disastrous. its 2023... well, that was just apocalyptic. this time there were no pre-season false dawns. honda's most dramatic problem wasn't that they had built a bike that was too slow (although it was also that), or that they were so obviously behind the development curve in several different areas (which they very much were) - it's that they'd built a bike that was so unreliable and prone to errors that by this point it was horrendously easy to crash. a lot of this is about grip and the way the tyres interact with the surface: if you're not getting enough feedback from this interaction, then you will not be able to get enough feeling to know when you have to make a correction to prevent the bike from throwing you off... even if you are marc marquez. the rear wheel issues and the lack of edge grip are particularly nasty, because they make highsides a lot more likely - you know, the crashes that throw you in the air and are particularly likely to seriously injure riders. so you have a bike that is not only extremely likely to throw off its riders, but is also likely to do so in a particularly painful, dangerous way. plus it was exhausting to ride, and, it has to be stressed, really really was not fast enough

the season does actually start with a slight glimmer of hope, with marc's pole at portimao (courtesy of a bastianini-provided tow) and a sprint podium... and then he crashed out in portimao, taking the home hero with him and fracturing his hand. as a result, marc was again out with injury for a few races - including at his beloved cota, where rinsy ended up securing honda's first and only win since end of 2021 (admittedly pecco did help the cause by crashing out of the lead). this did lead to some debate about how maybe the bike wasn't all that bad after all... but, well. obviously it was

from then on, it's all just misery. after the first race, joan doesn't manage to finish a sunday race in the next nine grand prix weekends - but he also only makes the start in five of those, partly courtesy of a finger fracture he picks up at mugello. alex rins breaks his leg at mugello, an injury he is still limping as a result of, and only managed to start two more races that season. marc shows up to his best track on the whole calendar, sachsenring, the one it should be impossible to beat him at... and he crashes five times that weekend before eventually withdrawing from the race. he's out for two races with rib and finger fractures

this is the breaking point. if marc can't win at the sachsenring and is hurting himself this badly while even bothering to try, the situation just feels increasingly untenable. this wasn't good for either marc or honda - what they needed by this point wasn't a star rider impatiently and miserably watching his remaining competitive years tick by, they needed to rethink everything they were doing and essentially start from scratch. for a long time, an idea of a split between honda and marc felt unthinkable, partly because of marc's deep loyalty towards that team, and also partly due to the more practical matter of his contract running until the end of 2024. but, well, the unthinkable became ever more thinkable as the season progressed. by necessity, marc had to change his approach after the sachsenring debacle, dialling back his competitive instincts and riding the bike at a slower pace in the ignominy of the lower points positions in order to not continuously injure himself. at times, it felt like he was riding slow out of protest - a very pointed 'well either I crash or I'm uncompetitive' - as honda continued to falter. a post-race test in misano prompted a further moment of crisis... marc was so deeply unimpressed by the 2024 prototype he had tested that this inevitably will have helped push him out the door and to gresini ducati. it's hard to exaggerate how bonkers this was... one of the greatest riders in history breaking their contract with their factory - and not just any factory, with honda - to instead go ride year-old satellite machinery. the move was obviously a good idea and the right thing to do, but that didn't make it feel any less crazy that it had actually come so far. how the mighty had fallen etc etc

y'know, joan has a good line about honda this year that he's trotted out quite a few times, where he says nobody leaves honda in a better state than they join it. the bike this season is somehow even slower, though *taps on wood* at least its homicidal tendencies haven't caused any serious injuries thus far. it's been a pretty miserable decline... it's not just the bodies that are getting hurt - it's also demoralising for the riders, and it becomes very easy to lose confidence in your own ability, to be unable to trust your feel for the bike, to become scared of when it will next throw you off. it becomes increasingly hard to motivate yourself, to keep coming back for more... great riders can get a lot out of poor bikes... but there is a limit. even for marc, that honda was a bridge too far

and of course marc's adaptation to the ducati is impressive... but it is a very very good bike! not just in the sense that it's fast - it's also good in that riders with very different riding styles are able to get a lot from that package. what marc is attempting to do right now is to extract performance from a package that is fundamentally there to be extracted: in spite of the increasingly obvious disparity with the gp24's, he is still riding a bike that won the championship last year and as a result doesn't have to ride wildly beyond its limit to make it go fast. he's done an excellent job of adapting his riding style to the demands of the ducati after such a long time on the honda, but fundamentally what he's trying to do here is study all the other ducati riders, see how they go fast, and put his own spin on it. once he's completely finished with the adaptation process (and yes, I'm aware he says he already has), he'll continue doing stuff with that bike that nobody else could... but from a better baseline of performance. I mean, look at where the other gp23's are this year - it's not great, but it's not honda levels bad. both in terms of their pace and in terms of whether you feel like the bike has been infested by a malicious spirit

a useful way of framing it is that you can measure how good a bike is by several different metrics. let's keep it simple and say two of those metrics are whether the bike is fast and whether it is rideable... whether it is user-friendly, if you will. the honda bike of the late 2010's was both fast and not particularly rideable - and you can say something similar of the ducati in times past. so for instance in 2007, at the start of the 800cc era, ducati does a great job in building a very quick bike... but they still had to have the stroke of good fortune to sign the perfect guy to take advantage of that speed, casey stoner. again, undoubtedly that was a very fast bike, but it's also extremely capricious - and even pretty highly rated riders couldn't get anywhere close to pulling off the kinds of performances casey did. but then, over the next few years, ducati fucked it and the bike gradually became worse pace-wise compared to its competitors while still being a nightmare to ride. which is why you have even casey in 2010 struggling to get much out of the bike, cf how he ended up finishing fourth in the championship standings behind a guy who had broken his leg during the season. and then ducati spends several years completely out at sea until 2015-ish. even the most adaptable rider who is able to push bikes beyond the limits of what should be possible cannot completely overcome a dramatic pace deficit. at some point, it just becomes too big an ask - and the honda's decline has been even more dramatic than what post-casey ducati suffered. there's a limit, even for marc... who could be fast last year, who did still manage to do exciting things with that bike. but more often than not, when he pushed, he crashed. now at last, marc can go back to simply attempting the improbable, not the impossible

[occamstfs]

Those Holi Days

It's a tad early but so is the Spring, Here's a Holi inspired racial TF ! -Occam

Robert is beyond nervous about going to the city’s Holi celebrations. His best friend Pranav begged him to come and have some fun but Robert absolutely hates sticking out which he is sure to do. Pranav swears there are always other white people there but Robert remains unconvinced as he looks through his closet getting ready. Shuffling through he sees dress shirt after dress shirt of a wardrobe meticulously designed not to stand out.

He sighs as he throws on a white t-shirt as recommended by his friend, best thing to wear for the chalk. He sighs thinking of how confident Pranav is as he ensures his shirt sits so no one can see his small gut underneath it. Feeling a pit start to grow in his stomach about going he rushes out the door before he convinces himself to stay in.

On the brief walk over he fights with himself in his head weighing pros and cons. He does not like how intimate it is sure to be, Robert does not like crowds or parties. He read up on Holi of course and this is sure to be quite a hectic event. He starts writing up paragraphs on his phone to chew Pranav out for getting him out of his comfort zone to go to something he’s so sure he will not enjoy.

As he approaches the park he hears some kind of Indian pop music blaring from speakers set at the center of festivities. He must have been quite absorbed in his phone as only now does he notice how thick the air has become from the colored chalk in the air. His heart freezes in his chest as he sees he has already arrived at the outskirts of the Holi block party.

As Robert looks out across the crowd however, he can’t hold back a smile seeing just how much fun just about everyone is having. Technicolor powders are flying through the air creating a storm of vivid blues and dazzling reds above the crowd. Dust begins to settle in Robert’s hair as he looks for Pranav at the event.

He doesn’t immediately find his friend, although to Pranav’s credit there are a not insignificant amount of other white guys present in the park, some of them even seemingly dressed in traditional kurtas. He even sees another one of his friends, John, out there seemingly having an absolute blast. John was always a quiet guy but is almost moshing in the middle of the colorful crowd. Robert almost starts to get his attention before second guessing himself, when did John start growing a beard? He was always the clean cut type but under the blue powder covering his cheeks there is some clear stubble. It almost looks darker than the hair on his head even which must from the powder staining it. 

Robert continues watching his friend have a blast smiling as the jubilee feels almost contagious before realizing, shit? Was he supposed to bring chalk for this? Pranav didn’t mention anything- As soon as his mind turns to Pranav however, orange powder is slammed on his head as if it were an Easter confetti egg and his vision is obscured. 

“Gotcha Robert!” Pranav shouts in a jaunty manner having successfully snuck up on his dear friend. He ruffles Robert’s hair shedding the powder down onto his clothes as he wipes the powder off his eyes as he switches into his prescription sunglasses. Pranav continues to shout over the music as Robert cleans himself off, “you’ve survived your first color attack friend! How are you liking the festivities so far?”

Finally able to see again Robert blushes as he is standing far closer than usual to Pranav to hear him over the crowd replies, “well I haven’t done much so far but it does seem like a lot of fun!”

Pranav smirks, hearing his friend inch closer to agreeing that he was right. He puts his arm around his friends shoulder and continues, “Ah! Sounds like a chance for me to say told ya so is approaching, my friend!” He starts to point around showing Robert all the stands and activities going on around the park though Robert subconsciously tunes him out as the din of the crowd rises in his ears.

He’s not anxious? Red chalk splatters the pair, Pranav laughs as Robert is suddenly feeling adrift in his own head, but not uncomfortable. It’s almost like he's sluggish which should be off putting at such a high energy event.  He should be incredibly anxious right now. But all he can focus on is the raucous revelry of the crowd ahead and Pranav’s arm resting on his back, even this intimacy should be causing him alarm.

The hair of Pranav’s arm brushes Robert’s neck and he stops just sort of moaning in response. Keeping quiet he continues to find his head increasingly groggy. Looking towards Pranav’s face as he sees his friend beam talking about pani puri as he wipes chalk from his beard. God, he’s just so hot, why can I not be more confident like him.

There’s a beat before Robert out loud says, “what the fuck,” catching Pranav off guard. “Oh sorry Rajert? Did you-”

“What did you call me?” Robert asks quickly.

Pausing, worried about his friend, “Robert? Your name?”

Now embarrassed as he was clearly ignoring the friend who invited him to take part in his own culture he quickly apologizes to Pranav and imploring him to continue. Which he does, “I was just saying, I told you that there would be other white dudes here dosti!”

Fighting off his fogginess to keep up Robert agrees, “Yeah you were right! I just saw my friend uh? My friend, uh, Janat?” He stares confused at the crowd scanning it to see his friend once more as Pranav glances down at Robert with a sly smile, eyebrows raised in questioning, “Janat is Bengali, Robert?” At this moment Robert finally sees him, no surprise he didn’t recognize his friend who in the few minutes since seeing him he has ripped off his shirt.

Janat who Robert would have sworn was a guy even more milquetoast than himself is now absolutely covered in chalk as it creates patterns down his now muscular back, sweat creating rivets of dye only seeming to increase the vascularity. Robert stares at a man he will never know as John again, as he creates a torrent of dust in the air, twirling t-shirt he must have ripped off above his head. The crew cut that once rose above his head has grown into a thick ponytail as a moustache pushes itself into existence. Robert cannot look away from his friend as he shows off his muscular body as powder continues to flow through the air. He tosses his shirt to the floor keeping his arm raised as he starts waterfalling some drink from his friend. Robert’s eyes trail down his veiny bicep to see his now-exposed pits. Knowing Janat constantly shaves to keep body looking tight, he watches as hair begins to poke out from under his pits.

Pranav, almost out of jealousy, speaks up to get Robert’s attention away from their friend, “Ah yeah Janat is a real party animal huh? But we don’t need to do all that eh dosti?” His beard, tanned skin, and of course red Holi powder hide his blush as he blocks Janat from view and starts rubbing Robert’s shoulder. Robert in turn looks back to Pranav and smiles. Before hearing his Pranav speak up once more “Woah Rajert! When did you start growing out your own little beard! It looks nice” Both men move their hands to feel Rajert’s face as he freezes up feeling stubble on his hitherto perpetually clean shaven face.

Rajert reaches for his phone to see his reflection but doesn’t even need to as he sees his new appearance in his lockscreen. Now a picture of him and Pranav, which is in and of itself odd, he sees the two of them standing at a pier looking like he always does. Save for the stubbled face that will now always greet him. But, that can't be right? He’s blonde? Or at least brown right? His eyes dart again to his face in the photo and sees not only does stubble now darken his cheeks but the hair rising above his head is similarly black.

Rajert reaches to his head, once more shaking powder out as he tries to rip a strand of his hopefully blonde hair free. Pranav shouts seeing this, “Woah yaar! What are you doing? Is everything alright!?” The two of them see a long strand of midnight black hair between Rajert’s fingers. Pranav suddenly worried that Rajert is entering a state all too familiar starts to try and lead him away from the crowd before he starts hyperventilating. “I’m so sorry Rajert! I was wrong, this is too much for you here, let's go get you some shade!” Pranav grabs his hand and starts dragging him out of the crowd.

Rajert knows the crowd isn’t the problem though. He was having a good time, but something happened? It was something about his hair right? He struggles to audit why he has suddenly frozen up as he is pulled through the crowd. There is a buzz in the air as the music and cries of joy continue to crescendo. Rajert feels a warmth in his chest, as well as in the hand now clasped by Pranav. He smiles as he is led and looks at the arm pulling him feeling safer by the moment.

Neither of the two notice as Rajert’s arm begins to look starkly similar to the one dragging him. The hand begins to grow in Pranav’s grasp as the thin blonde hairs dotting Rajert’s arm begin to grow thicker and darker. It begins to spread up his forearm, curling as they look and feel remarkably like the arm that brushed his neck oh so recently. Neither notices though, as Rajert remains firmly in his own mind. Stuck with the image of Janat dancing in the crowd, he seemed so free. His shirt above his head as he shows everyone around just how much of a man he is. Rajert’s eyes start to glaze as he thinks again about his pits, man. I wonder what he smells like?

“Chod!” Rajert shouts as he again feels his mind drift to such horny thoughts. Neither man noticing as Rajert has just defaulted to a Hindi swear. Pranav in his part is just concerned about his friend. Yes, just a friend. He leads Rajert to sit against a tree, hiding how much tanner his arms have gotten in this short trek as he checks in. “Yaar? Do you want me to go get something to drink?”

Rajert nods as he responds, his throat feeling dry, easily attributed to the significant amount of chalk inhaled. “I’m a little lightheaded Pranav.” Concern is immediately painted across Pranav’s face even thicker than the dye as he plans to run off to get his dear something to drink and eat, it must be a blood sugar thing right? “I’ll be right back Rajer!” He watches as Pranav quickly makes his way through the crowd in search of the cure for his condition as his mind begins to swim even deeper. 

Rajer watches floes of Holi powder stream above the crowd, trying to distract himself from how weird his clothes feel against his body now that he’s sitting down. He feels his sleeves pushing against his biceps as if he’s ever lifted something heavier than a textbook. He pulls at his shirt to relieve the tightness, catapulting more dust into the air. His eyes glaze over as he watches the colors dance in the air. Across the pavilion Pranav nervously watches Rajer, easily noticing that he seems to be filling out his clothes much better. He reprimands himself for thinking with his dick while his friend(?) is in such a state, though this is the Festival of Spring after all with all that implies.

Back at the tree Rajer feels a thought burst through the fog to the forefront of his mind which he immediately puts to words. “Ah, this reminds me of my first Holi.” But no, this is my first Holi right? He sifts through his memories to assure himself. What he finds inside is impossible. 

He remembers being a young boy traveling into Delhi for the festivities. He remembers seeing the colors dancing in the air as millions of hands toss dye in the air. As he does he feels his feet begin to grow in his powder covered shoes. 

He remembers moving to the states with his older brother in late December. Feeling totally apart from hsi culture until that magical day in the Spring. Finally having Pani Puri once more with his community as he did his best to keep the chalk off the dough, laughing with his brother. He kicks his shoes off while he still can as he sees his larger feet start to rip apart his chalk-stained socks. 

“Offo!” He shouts as he strains to pull off his socks, revealing tanned feet covered in thick black hair, his soles already wider than the shoes he removed in the nick of time. Well it is certainly not his first time being barefoot at Holi! He laughs remembering how crazy he has been in the past! In fact, he was barefoot at the big Holi festival in college, the one where. The one where he met his yaar, Pranav?

At this Pranav returns and upon seeing Rajer now barefoot he forgets the dire state that he was left in. Instead Pranav eyes his thicker thighs straining the jeans. His calves seem to be sticking out farther than they should, Pranav wonders why his yaar has put on clothes so tight on a festival day before suddenly finding the most strained part of Rajer’s clothing, his crotch. It’s almost like he’s stuffed something in his pants. Pranav quickly changes the subject to avoid creating a similar bulge for all to see, “have you been working on your tan Rajer?”

Rajer smirks before answering, “Well only one way to see!” As he struggles to get his larger body out of the small shirt he put on this morning. Unable to even raise his arms without tearing he instead opts to rip the shirt off in its entirety. As soon as his sweaty skin meets the air it shows the same dark brown tint that Pranav sees when he looks in the mirror. Pranav stares at Rajer’s tight muscular torso as he flexes to show off. He doesn’t notice as Rajer’s eyes quickly darken from the light blue eyes once magnified by his glasses, to a brown dark enough that they may as well be black. “See! Same as I’ve always been Pran!”

Pranav reaches down to help Rajer to his feet, finding him far heavier than when he was dragged by Pranav to this spot earlier. With a heave he gets Rajer up, only to find he is now looking up at him. Suddenly Pranav finds himself adrift in his own mind, the sight of the man before him immediately causing his cock to pulse in his pants sa he tries to reconcile what has happened. Seeing the confusion Rajer asks, “haan Pran? Everything alright?” Pranav hears a thick accent that he would have sworn Rajer didn’t have this morning. “Rajer, you are feeling better now?”

Rajer stops his flexing as he takes this in and answers in perfect Hindi, “did you call me Rajer? ‘S a weird pet name for Rajesh yaar.” Rajesh reaches to wipe chalk off the face of a man he can only describe as his love as he notices the growing bulges in both their pants and smirks, asking in Hindi. “Ah! Do you want to find our own way to celebrate the spring Pran?”

In a reversal of this morning Rajesh puts his arm across PRanav’s shoulders and puts some of his weight on, which Pranav now struggles to carry. This knocks him out of his stupor, “Chod Raj you are so heavy!” Rajesh smirks and moves behind Pranav, pressing his bulge into his lover’s back as he whispers into his ear in Hindi, “why don’t we head back to our place eh? Maybe we could have Janat over?”

Pranav blushes at the idea and pushes Raj back as he eyes him hungrily. “Well we should certainly get out of here before your cock bursts your zipper off.” The two begin to head off back towards their now shared apartment, their pace increasing as the excitement in the air continues to get them going.

Pranav looks up at Rajesh’s chalk covered smile, “Glad you came after all eh yaar?” As they enter their apartment careful not to get chalk over everything they own they finish the little disrobing they have left to do as Rajesh replies in his true mother tongue, “wouldn’t miss it for the world.” As they forcefully begin smear chalk between their bodies, creating new colors as they celebrate Holi in a far more primal way than dancing in colored powder. 

They feel each other as if it were the first time they had fucked, not knowing it truly is. Rajesh feels his body continue to grow as he pushes Pranav into their bed. Pranav runs his hands across Rajesh’s powerful thighs as his hands are increasingly impeded by ever thickening hair as he prepares for another round of celebrating new beginnings.

[unveiling-unguarding]

Let's fix the story of Dragon Age: The Veilguard pt. 1 - Prologue

I have spent the last week-ish just stewing and thinking about all the things that bugged me about Veilguard's story. Things I knew would bug me going in, having seen the gameplay reveal of the intro mission, but thought would fade as the game got over the hump of an awkward start. Nope.

This game, unfortunately, has such massive structural problems that I need to try to rework the basic skeleton of the narrative for my own sanity. So while my first instinct would quite frankly be to scrap the whole premise of what we got, I'll stick to doing some amateur developmental editing.

First things first, Bioware seems to not understand why people have wanted origins back in Dragon Age and are content to give lip service to various backstories without implementing the real reason people loved them - they mattered narratively, were intrinsic to the plot and various subplots, and provided solid character motivation at the very beginning of the story. For example, the human noble origin starts your warden's story off with the betrayal and murder of your parents at the hands of supposed close friend Arl Howe. So now you have very personal motivations to leave your home, become a Grey Warden, and be an active participant in the political landscape of Ferelden. Same goes for each of the origins you can play, each of which introduces the player to subcultures and subplots important to the setting.

Like Veilguard, Inquisition didn't do well with this, but it was fine since the real narrative hook for why the player's character becomes the protagonist is them gaining the anchor and stepping out of the fade in the wake of a world-altering calamity under uncertain circumstances. And most importantly, the game allows you to roleplay how your character feels about the whole thing. Rook, on the other hand (heh), is a character who only gets a short paragraph, functionally identical no matter the faction, about pissing off their higher ups before being recruited by Varric. Supposedly, Rook travels with Varric and Harding for the better part of a year before the game takes place, a timeframe we only learn a couple hours into the game.

This is all coupled with some painterly cutscenes where Varric gives us the lowdown on Solas and his plans. Which is fine, but does the bare minimum and gives our player character no personal stake in the story. We are left to infer our pre existing relationship with Varric (and Harding) and our Rook's reasons for stopping Solas. You can kind of define those reasons later on, but they are rather shallow and the game does not give them their due emphasis. Not to mention this comes at a point in the story I'd argue is way too late.

What should have happened to start the game was a mission that allows us to both define Rook's relationship with Varric and their stake in the story. You could conceivably come up with any number of specifics for this prologue mission, so I'll forgo getting too into the weeds, except to say that it should in some capacity involve Solas' agents that were seen and hinted at during Trespasser. Since the game insists on allowing Rook to be from one of six factions (a seeming holdover from the pivot away from a live service model for the game), the game should start off with a mission about narrowing Solas' ritual location down. Allow us to banter with Varric about the months leading up to that moment. Allow us to elucidate our feelings on what Solas plans and our taking leave from our faction. This would provide a great opportunity for have race or faction reactivity upon learning he was last seen in Minrathous, whether you're an elf or qunari hesitant to go to place that is generally hostile toward people like you or a shadow dragon eager to return home.

This would be a perfect lead in to contacting Neve Gallus for help and the existing opening mission, if you absolutely have to keep it in the game. I am still annoyed about John Epler stating that they wanted the beginning of this game to feel like the ending of a previous game. Why? That's the opposite of how a story should start. A story should start at the beginning, especially when one of their stated goals was to onboard new players to Dragon Age. It hamstrung them into leaving our main character's connection to Varric and the plot nebulous and undefined while they felt the need to shove in extremely awkward and on the nose exposition to tell the player about the veil, Solas, and ancient Elvhenan. Let the beginning of your story breathe, goddamn it.

Next up we'll talk about how the story handles Varric and why it's such a stupid fucking plot twist.

[pseudoartistpostsstuff]

Yandere time and hyrule headcannons

I'm not sure if you've seen the hype around sky being in his undershirt and being ✨pretty✨ in the recent update, but could I please request reader fawning over Yan!sky in his undershirt or some general hc's for him?

Thank you both for requesting!

Notes: I wasn't that online on tumblr around that time, so I only saw it now lmao.

Anyway, I did both headcannons and a oneshot, hope you'll like it!

Also, yes, I merged those two requests since headcannons can be piled into the same post.

I'll probably sound redundant in a lot of these, simply because I didn't write this at one go and when I got to it again I may have forgotten that I wrote it before. My memory is not the best, forgive me.

There are more headcannons for Time because he's my favorite, sorry.

I need a master list, seriously.

Edited before sleeping, I'm sleepy and probably messed up one or two paragraphs of this.

The oneshot in question.

TWs: Yanderism, Mentions of food and bad eating habits and a little of my fairy/fae brain rot.

Don't mind grammatical errors, please!

Headcannons for yandere Sky, Time and Hyrule.

Yandere! Lu! Sky x Reader

For starters, Sky is sweet, but he is very manipulative.

Therefore, don't be surprised if you notice you stopped doing many of the things you used to do when you first got through the portal.

Most of the time it's not even bad things!

He might team up with Hyrule and Wild to take care of your main health, like eating habits. If you're a picky eater then expect Sky to slowly transition you into eating a little bit of everything, in no time you'll be eating like Wild does.

Then again, he'll also make sure to get the ingredients to the foods you do eat without struggling, also getting Wild to make a separate meal for you, should you not eat that one specific recipe Wild made for dinner.

You'll probably be getting help from him when it comes to self-care habits as well, like, the max of skin care and hair care you can get at Hyrule. He will make the effort to talk to people who know more about your skin and hair type, those who have it and take care of it well.

But, we can't ignore the genuinely bad things he will try to influence you into doing...

Privacy? Gone.

Not only will he be around you most if not all of the time, but he will also always be paying close attention to you and what you're doing.

So if you believed keeping a journal in your language would help you keep some things to yourself, then think again. The privacy of using your language instead of hyrulean to write in your jornal will soon turn into a mere illusion. Despite being more quiet and seemingly the less imposing of the Links, Sky has already gone, and will keep going through lengths for you, which includes learning the language you use.

Of course he noticed you kept a private journal, and despite you trying to lie about the contents of it, it's only a matter of time until he is skillfully scanning through the pages with his eyes like he's reading his favorite book. Memorizing any and all information he can find about you.

As manipulative as he is, he is also delusional, he doesn't have any idea of what he is doing, he simply doesn't know that what he is doing is wrong on so many levels.

He's not doing anything on purpose, he's just trying to protect you and get you to like him, like a normal guy!! At least, Zelda liked it when he did this with her back then, just how different are you two?

Genuinely, Sky would have a hard time figuring you and your emotions out. You're a human being after all, and he respects that those things are not supposed to be easy to figure out. In fact, he highly respects and appreciates that you're complex.

Not that he'll respect boundaries, nope, no way.

You're a puzzle he's very much looking forward to figuring out. Honestly, the only puzzle he'd ever want to figure out.

So, I'll probably elaborate this later, but the chain as Gods. Sky would be very much a Thor. That means silly blonde lightening man.

Imagine hylians from Sky's era used matching earrings alike engagement rings, like, Sky just randomly inviting you to an overly nice picnic, just to hand you blue earings just like his.

And if you don't have your ears pierced anywhere it'd be even better in his eyes, since he'd just adjust it to be a "normal" ring.

It was actually an engagement ring, but you didn't know that, or any of the other Links, really, since this tradicional custom got lost in time.

Yandere! Lu! Time x Reader

I think pretty much everyone knows Time is a teasing bastard.

Don't get me wrong, he can be pretty mature, but trust me, it's not really common for him to act like that.

Time is used to pretending, he used many different masks to become different races in his journey, that was needed from him at the time, the same way that being the mature one is being needed from him right now.

Just because he is deeply traumatized emotionally and physically from his job as a hero doesn't mean his personality is lost as well.

It didn't change that much since he was a child, not really.

He is addicted to making you flustered, so if you get flustered easily I'm sorry for you.

If making you blush is a challenge then I'm just as sorry for you, because Time isn't quite known for giving up easily.

And he's good at making people embarrassed, too.

The amount of women who were in love with him is everything I need as proof.

But the worst part? He doesn't have bad pick up lines.

Look, Time is a toucher, so yes, his love language is physical touch, that makes sense to me.

That doesn't mean only cuddling, of course, it can mean cuddling and hugging when you're alone, but do expect a few more things.

I was gonna say hand holding in public, especially in crowded places, but you know what? Guiding you by holding the back of your neck is simply easier to him, and a lot more obvious "back off!" to strangers who look at you for far too long.

Also, randomly leaning against you, the two of you may be just walking and suddenly you feel a large mass lightly leaning against your own body, almost making you stumble. you might just be standing in front of the dinner table, reading a recipe book and once again you just feel that familiar presence right behind you, but instead of hugging you from behind he's just there, like he is reading the book along with you.

Remember how you were reading that one recipe book? Well he might give it a try and help you make something in the kitchen just to spend time with you. Like, you're just pouring ingredients in a bowl and he's there "helping" you by wrapping his arm around your waist to give you "emotional support", as he calls it.

He is, in reality, just standing there watching you cook, trying his best to resist the urge to distract you and simply annoy you, because he is still trying to make it seem like he is a mature, grown man, and definitely not one who is eyeing the flour in his reach and thinking about launching a handful of it at you.

You did see his hand slowly reaching for the flour in the corner of your vision. He only stopped once you threatened to scoop out his remaining eye should even a speck of flour hit your face.

Yet, Time is a creative man, flour was only one of his plans.

He's got wandering hands and wandering lips. And he can and will make use of those just to distract you.

And that's how Time became banned from the kitchen when you were the one cooking, only being able to join you for cleaning later.

So yeah, his love language is physical touch, but it is also disturbance.

In that matter, he's not very different from Wind when you two are alone. If you ignore his flirtatious moves, that is. But he's quite different when you two are with the others, especially if you've done, or is doing something to annoy him, then he has to keep up that mature facade of his.

He believes the others won't take him seriously should he reveal his actual personality, so really, when you're around others you'll only get glimpses of it from time to time.

It is mandatory from the Links to be stubborn, but Time takes the cake.

Maybe it is his age, but he will never change his mind, ever. No point in arguing.

So when he is silly, he is silly, but when he is serious he is terrifying, no exaggeration.

The worst part is that older people have a lot of respect in Hyrule, so no matter what he says, his word is law.

Now, don't get me wrong, by now, pet names are just a thing Time always does with you, in a way you barely hear your own name coming from his lips unless he's being really serious about something.

But actual words of affirmation? Not his thing.

He'd much rather be as clingy as glue to you when you're alone.

But, not like Sky's soft, light cuddles. Time Will basically smother you.

Seriously, it may be his sheer muscle mass, but he'll drap himself over you in a way you'll feel yourself surrounded by him.

In fact, the first time he did it you probably almost suffocated.

You'll get used to it eventually, though. Hopefully.

He's pontual and very strict as well, he and Hyrule are probably gonna be bickering in most matters involving you, like, for example, "five more minutes" naps.

Don't even try to trick him, you'll hear stuff like "I was your age once" and shit, the man will act like he's a hundred years old or something.

Then again, he might be, after all, he is older in mind than he is in body.

He was forced to mature quicker and went through a lot of trauma, that, and he also had to go back in time a lot of times.

Now that I think about it, he probably lived for longer than your grandparents. Just saying.

Yandere! Lu! Hyrule x Reader

Don't get him wrong, Hyrule is very much full of love, really. He cares about everyone equally.

Yet, as corny as that is, your name isn't "everyone", you're not anyone, you're you, how could he even think about possibly treating you the same way as he treats everyone else?

You're put on a pedestal, everyone else is treated equally by him, except you, you are treated like you are divine and not mortal like he is.

So you'll feel like a toddler 24/7 around Hyrule, he is not as stubborn as Time, he's just… Persistent.

The other Links will find themselves teasing him for it a lot, even if deep inside they are just the same.

Play nice, walk on the line and you'll have a Hyrule at your beck and call. If you know how to do it right, you will be able to use his babying to your own benefit, because trust me, his persistence can work on the Links much more than yours, after all, they trust him for being another Link.

I feel like he'd also help you keep pets, it may be his fairy nature, but he is just good with animals, especially with forest animals. Be them small or big.

Although he definitely has a soft spot for smaller pets, even more if you're the one asking him to bring along a pet you found.

Surprisingly or not, Hyrule is probably one of the most protective Links if you happen to lean more towards the naive/vulnerable side of the spectrum.

It's a general fairy headcannon of mine, but since fairies take care of forest and the animals there, specially the smaller or more vulnerable types of animals, then it's not new for them to be also quite protective towards humans close to them.

Bonus points if they have those traits.

But then again, you're Hyrule's darling, you may be as strong and independent as a Link yourself, but he'll still see you as in need of his care and attention at all times.

That also may or may not be another reason why Hyrule treats you like a toddler.

So yeah, coddling. Lots of it.

Hyrule is also a fan of small things, trinkets. Natural or shiny... Precious or useless... In his eyes all are treasures.

Treasures you'll find your bags and pockets full of.

He is absolutely a rock, cristal guy.

Imagine, you're just walking to another village, and suddenly Hyrule stops walking for a few moments, just to speed walk towards you again just a bit later, cleaning something he is holding in his hands with the help of his sleeve.

Then he hands you a small, clear rock, grinning.

Better get used to this, it's probably gonna happen at least once every day.

So yeah, love language is gift giving and acts of service.

I feel like he's very awkward with words of affirmation, he didn't spend a lot of time saying or hearing those, after all. Like most of the Links.

[ticklingheart]

. × (Not so off) day off

pairing : nurse/caretaker!reader × spencer reid

genre : fluff / just how reader and spencer met, lol

content warning: mentions of Alzheimer's and schizophrenia, mentions of medicine

summary : It's your day off, which usually means you are not getting called into work. But when you do get called, it's not like you have the option to say no.

a/n : watched the episode where spence was trying to find a nurse/caretaker for him mom (11?12?×12) and immediately thought that it could be such a cute way to meet spencer, lolll, anyways, hope you enjoy it.

! english is not my first language ¡

It was a cold afternoon, which were your favorites, especially on your day off. You were sitting on your couch, book in hand, and a hot coffee just waiting to be drank. You were trying to read since you were just running your eyes through the words and not actually internalizing them. You realize it way too late and were about to restart the paragraph when your phone rings. Checking the ID of the caller, you see your boss's name. Why on earth would your boss call on the afternoon of your first day off in weeks?

You pick up with a confused "hello," but your boss interrupts you. You weren't exactly paying attention until you heard the words "go to the address I sent you, now."

It was your first day off, and you were not, at all, not even a little bit, in the mood to go to work. You even consider asking if anyone else could do it, but, unfortunately for you, you also weren't exactly in the position to challenge or disagree in the slightest with your boss.

So, with a "Yes, sir. I'll be there" you hang up the call, and, in special agony, you get up from the cozy, warm spot in your couch, placing the book where you were sitting. You'll have your actual complete day off eventually. Not now, though.

After a quick shower and change of clothes, you walk out of your apartment, checking your phone for the address your boss sent you, and thank whoever is out there for it not being too far from your workplace and home.

After stopping by at work to clock in and get what you needed to go over to the address, you get to the place you were supposed to be.

You knock on the door once. No response. So you knock again, praying that there was actually no one so you could just go back home.

Suddenly, a tall, handsome man opens the door for you. You analyze his appearance quickly: brown colored hair falling ever so slightly in his face, a professional work outfit, and a tired look.

- Hi. - you introduce yourself, and he does too. You wal inside in a shy step, noticing a certain disorganization. Nothing you weren't used to.

— Sorry about the mess, we had a little accident this morning. - he says with an apologetic look, guiding you over to where his mother, your possible future patient, was seated on the couch.

— It's okay, Dr. Reid, accidents happen. Hi, Diana. - you introduce yourself to her, not expecting a fancy or coherent response, and you weren't certainly surprised when she got up and just left. Her son, Dr. Reid, starts apologizing, but you interrupt him. – Don't worry, this kind of interactions happen, there are days and days. We could talk, or would you prefer for me to come back another time?

He runs a hand through his hair, deciding to talk.

— We should start with the basics then. What kind of medicine is she taking?

Reid proceeds to talk about his mother's conditions, and how it progressed over time. Nothing way out of the ordinary, also presenting his mom's medicine, which were pretty standard for the treatment of Alzheimers and schizophrenia.

— Well, Dr. Reid, I think we're done here. I would be happy to show up tomorrow.

— Really? - he questioned, genuinely surprised, murmuring 'thank yous' with an unexpected hug. His arms were warm, cozy even. It didn't last long, as Reid apologized and walked you out. You were definitely coming back.

[moreespressoformydepresso]

So I was thinking (shocker I know) about Gaul's theory about humanity. That people, when cornered, lose their humanity and become monsters. More specifically, I've been having thoughts about the moment that "confirmed" this theory in Snow's head for a while now and decided to put them into words. Which might be a terrible idea, but I never claimed to be smart.

According to Gaul, people who are cornered will do anything to survive and lose all sense of humanity to do so. The Games are supposed to be a constant reminder of this, which already raises a few questions that I was going to pose before getting to my actual thoughts here until it evolved into a whole separate train of thoughts. I'll make it a separate post instead but long story short: If it was supposed to be a reminder of this "truth" it was a sloppy, embarrasing failure at best (and also that's not how science works). Regardless of that though, the moment that solidified this delusion is his brutally murdering Bobbin while escaping the arena with Sejanus. There's a problem though. Or rather, there's several problems. Firstly, Snow chose to bash Bobbin's head in until he was unrecognizable. Chose, because he didn't have to do it. If you want my more interesting/unique(?) thoughts skip the next paragraph.

Most people would have knocked Bobbin out at most and then kept running, Snow chose to keep hitting with the wooden plank. He did this not because he lost all his humanity, but because he is a deeply disturbed individual. His formative years were filled with war and propaganda, and his family's proud name being dragged into the mud by his living situation understandably gave him a complex about power and wealth. He needed to feel above other people to cope, and the Capitol provided. Now, that does not in any way excuse his actions (and if anyone's interested I have several essays worth of thoughts on that and all the ways in which it makes me adore Collins and hate extremes in fandom), but it does explain them. Moreover, that complex and stubborn pride in his family's former high status likely fed into his belief in Gaul's theory. If it's true for someone of his status, it must be true for everyone.

Now, the actual reason for this post

Gaul's theory is that people lose their humanity when they're cornered. Emphasis on cornered here. When people are put under pressure, they will act in depraved ways. From Snow's perspective of reality, this is true because when he was cornered he brutally beat a child to death. But was he cornered though? No. Sure, he was in a scary situation, but he was not cornered. There was one child with a knife chasing after him. A starved, dying one. Snow and Sejanus could've easily outran him with some adrenaline boosting them (that shit makes moms lift whole cars to save their kids, come on now), nevermind the millions of other solutions that aren't "beat a child to death with a wooden plank until they're unrecognizable". More importantly though, they're not stuck in the arena. The peacekeepers didn't actively protect them, but they opened the fence for them. Snow could leave the arena. He could've dodged Bobbin and ran, and he'd have been able to leave the arena without murdering a kid. He was pressed, but he was not cornered. Not only does this theory have the most pathetic "proof" of any scientific theory since Andrew Wakefield's vaccine scam, the incident that confirmed it in Snow's mind isn't even a situation where the theory is applicable in the first place. It doesn't prove that people who are cornered lose their humanity. You know what it does prove, though?

People who have power lose their sense of humanity

Snow was not entirely cornered, but he did have power. As mentioned before, Bobbin is a starving child with nothing but a large knife. Snow might not be well-fed by Capitol standards, but he was certainly doing amazing by district standards. He had a wooden plank and a child at his mercy. What did he do? He maimed and murdered the kid. And throughout the entire book, stuff like this happens. Gaul showed him how the snakes work because he's her favorite prodigy. What did he do? He used it to cheat and help Lucy Gray win. When he had that recording of Sejanus admitting to rebellion, he had power over Sejanus' life. What did he do? He got the guy executed. When he had a gun and Mayfair became a possible problem, he shot her. When he became president, he kept the games going and poisoned anyone in his way because he had the power to do so. Mayfair has the power to influence who gets reaped, and uses it to try and get Lucy Gray killed. It happens on a larger scale too. It's the whole point of the series. The Capitol has all the power, and they use it by abusing and murdering the people from the districts, either to keep them in line or just because they want to. For entertainment. Because they can, and there's nothing the districts can do about it. Coin has power, and what does she do with it? She gets Prim killed to break Katniss into her pawn and suggests to put more innocent children through the Hunger Games because she can. Just like the Capitol did, 75 years before that. They can, so they do it. Who's gonna stop them? It's all over the series. And they all try to justify their actions by blaming it on people. Mayfair’s excuse is getting rid of “competition”, the Capitol claims the districts are getting what’s coming to them for the rebellion, Coin claims this new version of the games is what the rebellion wants. Snow has all his mental gymnastics.

It's not desperation that turns people into monsters, it's power.

And those with power will always convince themselves it's not the power, it's the people.

[bucksboobs]

Eddie CAN be read as queer but the issue comes when people insist that's the only reading that makes sense and it is not.

And I know it wasn't what Adrienne Rich intended when she invented the term but...comphet is definitely a thing for straight people. I know so many straight people who got married and/or had kids because "that's just what you do" or they "might as well." What is that if not compulsory performance of heternormativity? Pressure to conform to the straight amatonormative assumptions isn't limited to queer people.

Funny you should mention amatonormativity and Original Intents in the same paragraph because when Dr Elizabeth Brake coined the term “amatonormativity” she was actually talking about the way in which marriage is prioritized and even given special social privileges (it has since been expanded in the popular discourse to mean the way romance is socially privileged). So I would argue that a straight person experiencing what we would call comphet if it was a gay person is actually experiencing amatonormativity but that’s just quibbling definitions and the kind of academic debate best left to people getting paid for it.

But that does get at a point I was making: the way Eddie’s story has gone, one could read him as many different sexualities because the pressures that shaped him converge in similar behaviors. A straight man getting married too early because that’s what he’s supposed to do and a gay (or asexual) man marrying the first woman he dates to “fix himself” both manifest as an inadvisably early marriage, etc.

[violntfemme]

Post-war redcoat trio lore....

tw // death, overdose(sorry guys)

This is mainly William & Henry focused. I fear theyre more tragic than Charles.

Starting with Charles(the least depressing one I fear) he goes back to Pennsylvania to live with his wife, Charlotte, by 1781. He goes to law school late, but eventually becomes a lawyer, which out of the three, means he stays in touch with Hamilton the easiest. He stays a loyalist despite the wars end, but he doesnt hold it against the colonies or anything. He stays in contact with Henry and William the best he can, but the letter-sending is a hassle and he rarely receives response.(Whether that be because letters are lost or the two are just plain ignoring him who knows.) He eventually has two kids; Charles Gray II and Marceline Gray ^_^! Overall his life post-war is fine and he lives a fulfilling life, which brings us to 1825 when he dies at the age of 72 due to scarlet fever. He was happy overall and he loved life idk what to say, yay charles!

Onto William! He moves to South Carolina with Henry around the same time Charles leaves to go with his wife. They own a small plantation which in truth is closer to a farm if anything; by no means are they rich but theyre not struggling or anything. He attempted to court some women the first couple years back but ultimately gave up and decided it was too much of a hassle and that either way Henry is better company than any women could possibly be. William keeps in contact with Charles the best he can, Hamilton not so much. Though, during the war he'd been shot numerous times, most wounds being left untreated so hes stuck with chronic pain and a weakened immune system. This means for post-war William, his health is kind of shitty and he gets sick more often, leaving him bed ridden for days to weeks at a time. William mostly keeps to himself if he ever has to go out and leaves Henry to do most of the talking because god knows that even if hes "crude," Henry isnt nervous to talk. By late-1794, William catches influenza. His immune system is already awful, but not awful enough he dies quickly. Henry tries his best to care for him but its not enough, and by 1995, at the age of 40, he ends up passing from the illness.

Yeah okay, Henry! This is where the TW comes in. So, I mentioned a lot of his post-war situation in williams paragraph. They move in together, they have a plantation, theyre happy yeah! Woo! Okay, now he does get in a few relationships - the longest being two years from 1785 to 1787 - but none of them last longer. He falls in and out of depression with his constant worrying over Williams health, but its hidden well enough. Speaking of, he becomes rather talented medically-wise with how often hes tasked with caring for the other. He keeps in touch with Hamilton better than William, and he also still speaks with Charles, as is customary. Im just gonna jump to 1794, when williams health starts declining. Obviously, its a stressful period for Henry and he does his hardest to help him but clearly, it doesnt work. He has near run-ins with death for months after Williams death, hes being overall impulsive and acting erratically(as is expected, I suppose.) He drinks, does dumb shit, etc. Eventually, 6 months after William, he dies from an opium overdose at 38 in which is never confirmed if it was suicide or simply an accident. Neither Charles or Hamilton hear of either deaths until months later, when Henrys dad reaches out.

[mydearestbeloved]

chapter 7!! another delightful one! i can feel your inner geek coming out when reading this /pos 🤭. i really really appreciate how you break down what reader can do and how she does it. me and jinwoo were def paying attention 👀. and i found it really nice how you explained things and interwoven into each paragraph the relationship process between reader and jinwoo and the end really just ties everything together that is reader shows of trust to jinwoo. without that, this chapter would just be a biology lesson. not that i complain about it 😆. authors putting efforts and thoughts in their characters' skillset and power tickle my brain sm <3 . also, I like that you make small changes like allowing jinwoo access to c-rank dungeons without jinho’s help to show that even without her direct intervention, reader’s mere presence has already changed things (bc yk he was supposed to solo leveling here hehe), just like a butterfly effect (Ik the system makes the changes happen but SYMBOLISM). SL’s storyline is very simple and straightforward so even small yet significant adjustments can potentially leave plot holes behind. glad to know that the system got that covered.

?System¿:

[ Review has been submitted . . .

We thank you for your feedback, Reader.

System will now connect you you to 《AUTHOR》 ]

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Thank you for sending your review! My apologies for the very late response (again)! 🙏🥹

Thank you for your kind words! 💕

I kept revising the explanations while writing this chapter. One second, I was like, “Oh! That’s it!” and the next, “Wait, this is too complicated…”—and repeat. I also debated whether to put the explanation in a separate section, maybe formatted like it’s part of the system’s database, but I eventually scrapped the idea because it would’ve made the chapter too long and dull. This could work if there wasn’t much information to explain, but Chapter 7 already had too much.

Plus, I quite like how this chapter turned out, so I’m glad you enjoyed the flow as well. 🥰

It’s exactly because SL’s storyline is straightforward that I was able to fit Trial Player AU in the first place. The events before the timeline reset took place over around three years, right? Trial Player AU needed much more time than that—especially for the romance development. I have trouble imagining Jinwoo trusting TP!Reader within under a month after everything he’s been through. And that’s not even mentioning the fact that he's aware she’s connected to the system and knows what he has done all this time. He would have taken even longer to trust her if TP!Reader hadn’t extended her hand first—but she also needed time to decide and adjust. After years of being a hermit, and then she had to tread the most carefully with Jinwoo out of all people.

Even Cha Hae-in implied that TP!Reader is still closed off in a way, years into their friendship, despite being the first person whose scent doesn’t bother her. So, while Hae-in still have trouble connecting to other people, she was doing much better because TP!Reader is there compared to canon. Hae-in became the more open one between the two.

That’s just one stage of the relationship development—imagine the rest, all within under three years, when most of that time is spent in battle. 🫠

I get that sometimes a deeper bond is forged through dangerous situations—TP!Reader and Jinwoo were also affected by this—but I didn’t want that to be all there was to it. So I needed to make time. And since the manhwa already cut out so many moments from the novel, I’m having an easier time making alterations.

So if readers notice that a timeline is stretched—like an event that originally happened within days in canon is one or two weeks in Trial Player AU—that’s probably because I expanded it to add more original events in between. I’ll leave the timeline a bit vague, and I apologize if it might put off some readers. 🙏

Plot holes are a given with the directions I decided to take for this story, hence I'll try to fill them as best as I can.

In the end, this is an AU, so things are bound to change even if the story still revolves around canon. I hope it can still be enjoyed regardless. 💕

[sparklecarefreshbloodau]

Finally Being Open (+ Urgent Announcement) (PLEASE READ)

Sorry, this is gonna be a real lengthy read, I just want to finally get it out of my chest. Hey, I'm @kyodentporc, and I am the creator of the psychological horror fan project 'Sparklecare: Fresh Blood.' So I think that it's about time I find myself opening up, especially seeing the announcement that was posted by @sparklecarehospital , I personally believe it is the best time to speak on my fan project, and the reason this was made in the first place, and honestly.. it's the same reason behind the official webcomic. Sparklecare: Fresh Blood was, for almost the entirety, my idea, of what initially was just me and my best friend @mooniestarrcat creating OCs since he was the one that got me into Sparklecare in the first place last year in September, before I then had the idea of creating a video game, thus beginning production for Fresh Blood on November. Yea, Fresh Blood was initially supposed to be a video game for people to play, but after a while of thinking I even had the SKILLS to create a game, ultimately it was decided that Fresh Blood would remain a comic UNTIL I've learned the skills to make the decision of a Sparklecare fangame. Truth be told, the reason as to why it exists is to actually cope with trauma of my own, I initially didn't want to speak on that yet, especially since it's early in release and I feel like I've only had this community not that long ago and I don't want to scare anyone off with speaking on shit I've been through, however, at the same time, I don't want to hide anymore, and Sparklecare as well as the creator showed that to me, gave me the push needed to not have to hide anymore, to finally tell the truth, and for a good portion of my life, it sucked. Despite Fresh Blood being a psychological horror fan comic with more disturbing elements and graphic imagery, is how I've viewed things all my life. And the reason why I added Cry of Fear as an inspiration to this fan comic(I also got inspired off of the Silent Hill franchise but I'm solely speaking on Cry of Fear) is because that game assisted in helping me pull through, which also inspired the gameplay and soundtracks for when Fresh Blood was initially a game. I might even keep the soundtracks for when I'm ready to go back on it. And even though a few things MAY be overexaggerated and even changed up a bit, the majority of things that have happened in the comic and will be happening in the comic are what basically happened to me in real time. Syco is essentially me, kinda, and as stated last paragraph, the majority of things in the comic, especially big things that happen to and affect Syco(as well as a few characters in the comic that I'll introduce at some point), have also affected me, and had me become who I was, and possibly still am today. Here's an example, since the first portion of the comic has been released, Syco's deadbeat mother is my deadbeat father. I think now that Kneeby has made the decision to bump the age limit to read Sparklecare and Cometcare from 16+ to 18+, I think this actually would help me further express myself and write my story by portraying it in a fan comic as to pay tribute/homage to the official Sparklecare webcomic. To showcase how Sparklecare, thanks to @mooniestarrcat introducing me, has essentially saved my fucking life. And not to mention Uni Cornelius becoming my BIGGEST comfort character now, and still is, I'd like to think that Uni and I would be real good bros if I existed in spinch! lol So what does this mean for Fresh Blood? Well, it's going to follow in Kneeby's footsteps, meaning that Fresh Blood will also be 18+. I also wanted to state as it was also mentioned in the official announcement, NO, the project being 18+ DOES NOT mean that it will include.. that kind of material. The reason why it's 18+ is not only for Kneeby's sake, as it involves personal trauma, disturbing imagery and A LOT of improper humor, but for my own as well, as I don't want any minor to end up in a similar situation as I had ended up. I hope you guys can understand that.

--- @sparklecarehospital, Kneeby, this segment goes out to you specifically, I hope it's alright, and I hope you are alright too. Thank you so much for basically teaching me not to hide, to cope differently and in a better way, and for inspiring me to create a story out of it, even if I am doing it as a fan project of your creation. I'm so happy to still be able to check out the comic and interact whenever I can, and you won't have to worry about searching for my age, and I'll explain it to you here too, as in my account @kyodentporc's bio it says ''04' meaning that's the year I was born in(I am 20 lol). Also Moonie turned 18 a day ago. Happy birthday @mooniestarrcat!!! :DDDDD During my most desperate times of need, something to hyperfixate on what could also help me finally understand everything and finally begin healing from my trauma, I took one step into Sparklecare, then everything slowly changed, I finally figured it all out, everything that happened, and I'm finally- er.. I've finally been ready to tell my story as well. That is why Fresh Blood exists, that is why I am telling it through a fan project, a fan-made story, to express the most sincerest thanks that I could ever give you, words on it's own wouldn't work, especially with no visuals, so this is my gift instead. Thank you so much for creating Sparklecare, and for helping me lead a better life, and here is to the future! ---

Thank you to everyone so much for taking the time to read this, I know it's a massive ramble session and I'm probably covering a lot of Sparklecare art and projects and I'm really REALLY sorry for that, I've been looking at all of them myself and I love them all. Sorry for covering it up with this school essay of a post, but I thank you regardless. For those who are unable to join us at the moment, we'll see you in the future, and we will welcome you with open arms. Just like Sparklecare, there will be enough for you to catch up on.

See you guys then. :) - @kyodentporc

[mostly-imagines]

"There’s a beat as you both freeze upon the implication, the unsettling realization dropping in on you. You barely have a moment to process it before Jason’s pushing up from the couch and heading towards the bathroom.

“Close the window,” he grumbles."

Jason, nooo🥹🥹. The fact that he's already up and moving, knowing what this means and who's at fault? My heart hurts for him and we're only 2 paragraphs in.

"You watch him, waiting for a reaction. You don’t mean to, but you know you’re looking at him like he’s a loaded spring. You try not to, you know how much he hates how his family does that to him, but fuck, it’s hard not to worry about him.

When Joker incidents have come up, they’ve usually been something you’re able to ignore or even get ahead of and drive out of the city. But this is raucous and chaotic, clearly enough to shut down the city from the inside. Besides, Jason would be booking it out of here if he thought there was any chance of a clean getaway in this."

I feel like I've mentioned this 100 and one times but I have to keep saying it because its so true, the way you set scenes is so incredibly done, I love the way you do it. A huge part of your writing is 'show, don't tell' and it always works so well. Especially when you then follow it on with...

"While you know Jason’s family cares about him, of course they do, but you’ve noticed they sometimes put Gotham’s needs first and his second."

You know who your audience is, so it would be easy to simply say that he has rocky relationship with his family and move on, but taking the extra time to paint the background and establish the characters is a trait that's super consistent in your writing and it does wonders in elevating it. You always know just how to take a scene and make it that much better, it's a skill on its own that you use in just the right way.

"And even for someone who hasn’t been through what Jason has, the ringing repetitions of laughter are maddening. You wonder if this is what the Joker hears in his head. You wonder if this is what Jason heard."

Just take my heart and stomp on it, why don't you. I love absolutely everything about this paragraph, but the last line alone is such a punch-in-the-gut sentence all I can do is applaud, honestly.

"He thumps his head against the drywall again, hands clenching at his sides. It takes one more forceful thud for you to move over to him, cradling your hand to the side of his head, holding him still. He lets you, though he still doesn’t open his eyes."

Morgan what am I even supposed to say to this? This is 100% one of those times where you know exactly what your strengths are as a writer and you play into them perfectly. You manage to take something as simple as a character thumping their head and write it so strikingly beautiful that it becomes hauntingly sad. It is just so so amazing on so many levels. Again, nothing but applause.

"You turn to him in time to catch him pulling his shirt up harshly, movements jerked and impatient.

You place a gentle hand on his forearm, “Hey.”

He pauses his actions, eyes on the floor.

You don’t say anything else, but he understands your objection regardless. You remove your touch and he peels his shirt off slower, kinder to himself."

How do you manage to capture and write something so grand as love in such a small and silent gesture? The gentleness, the simple "Hey.", the pause, and the kindness that follows? It's like you manage to capture everything and write it into something so much more compact, but you say everything in the few words that you do use, really delivering what's needed to your audience.

"It’s not until you trace down his wrist that you realize his head is angled down. You don’t need to be standing in front of him to know that his focus is zeroed in on his scar and you’re not sure how long it's been that way. Too long, in any case."

I really love the way you brought attention to the scar here. It's not the first thing you wrote about and it's not the last, but you still let it have an impact in your story. I think it would be easy to take the scar and make it the elephant in the room, but the way you've written it definitely gives it a much more realistic perspective, if that makes sense?

"He does turn to you, slowly, but he doesn’t look up.

...

He says your name painfully, like he’s begging you to stop. You’ll give him partial reprieve, taking his hands in yours and kissing his scarred knuckles. It’s his instinct to push affection away, you know that, but you also know that he needs it. That’s why he doesn’t stop you now—he knows he needs it—it’s just a lot for him all at once, emotionally. Which is why he gives no warning before he picks you up by your thighs and pulls you close."

The scar is one of, if not the biggest, reminders of what has happened to Jason, of everything he's been through and the single most defining moment in his life and yet, he looks up. Despite everything that's happened to him, he's still here so the scar can't be everything then. You've taken this moment in his life and you've written about it in a way that shows the reader its significance, but also shown that while it's still in his life and does affect him, it's not everything. Jason is still there.

"He can’t always look after himself the way he should—he disregards his own needs and has trouble even thinking of what could help him. You’ve developed a mind for it though—for him—and you know that being exposed and vulnerable like this isn’t going to help him calm down. He prefers being covered up when he’s stressed, it gives him more security, you think."

Have I mentioned how you write relationships too? I think it's easy to fall into the trap of labeling two characters a couple and moving on, but it's so clear that you put so much depth and work into really fleshing out your characters, understanding who they are, and then using what you've learnt to allow your audience to let them get to know them as well.

We don't just learn about the characters you write from their own thoughts, or through the voice of a narrator. We learn about your characters from the way you write about the people that love them, the relationships that they have, and how others respond to them. You have this great ability at being able to take a concept and really bring it to life with your descriptions, your settings, the actions involved and so much more. You not only manage to put words on a screen, but you take countless time, effort, and energy to really bring it all together to tell such amazing stories that really bring it all together in the most amazing ways. You are such an incredible author.

"There’s a harsh spike in the hysterics outside, mixed with what sounds like screams, and it has Jason flinching hard. You think you can see tears welled in his eyes as he fumbles to get the headphones in his ears. He takes the phone from you and picks the first song he sees and turns the volume up, up, up."

Aaaaaaaand we're back to stomping on hearts. But seriously, I genuinly can't comment on how well written this is. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is all so incredibly written and I really do hope you take the time to really see that. Every miniscule detail you write is always so unique and critical to the final big picture, I have no idea how you do it and I can only continue to read in awe as you do.

"He falls asleep before the problem outside gets wrapped up, and you turn down the music. Not all the way, just enough that he can rest in peace."

This is how you write love. No more, no less, just the little gestures that all add up to this monumental feeling that you've captured so incredibly well here. No notes or comments from me, just a complete fascination with your writing and constant ability to elevate something that was already spectacular to the next level.

"Nightwing gives you a silent, if not awkward, wave and scans over Jason. Even in the dark can see the worry in his eyes. He looks back up at you and throws up a questioning thumbs up with a tilt of his head.

You nod and he nods back slowly as he takes one more look at his brother before hopping out the window.

You peer down at Jason and brush his curls back gently. His hold on you tightens just a bit as he turns in his sleep."

I feel like this sounds dramatic, but I hand on heart cannot express all of the emotions your writing is able to make me feel. You deserve all the praise and more, Morgan. All the words. All the compliments. Just everything. If I could write like you I would literally never shut up about it so I hope you don't either. Thank you for choosing to share your work with us, I can't imagine the time and effort you put into it all so I'm hoping that at least this way, I can show how much it is appreciated.

-💝

i think im in love with you

[venture-through-the-mist]

Songs of Solitude

A song—and the Cavia’s reaction towards it—drags a slightly dismayed Loid from his work. He certainly didn’t expect the voice to belong to her.

TW: Hi there! Before we get into this fic, I have a bit of a trigger warning to mention to y’all.

There is a very brief moment in the last paragraph of the fic that, depending on how you read it, could be interpreted as a mention of potential suicide. Nothing happens, this is fully just Loid being worried about Lotus (he doesn’t really know her, after all, and the situation is definitely odd), and that isn’t really how I’d intended for it to be read anyhow, but figured I’d put up a warning in case.

Anyways, with that out of the way, the fic begins under the cut.

The singing begins on a day not too dissimilar from any other, by his account, at least. At first, he wonders if it’s simply yet another of his Albrecht’s ‘surprises’. It certainly wouldn’t shock him if that is the case, Albrecht always did enjoy concealing his inventions until their revelation suited him. It doesn’t bother him, not until he hears a shrill, questioning voice.

“Mister Loid! Mister Loid? Hey!” He sighs, turning to the brightly colored creature.

“Yes, Bird 3? What is it?” He’s known that the bird in question has been able to ‘escape’ that cage for…a while now. Granted, it isn’t entirely a cage, more of a large resting area, so this should not be surprising. His eye twitches slightly as the bird squawks again. Gods, why couldn’t Albrecht have chosen some other creature fo—he interrupts his own mind, scolding himself for the thought instantly. The Cavia have been through quite enough in their time. 

“What’s that sound? I thought it was the voices, but it doesn’t sound like ‘em. Rark.” Loid sighs once more. It seems he’s likely going to have to investigate what is certainly another one of Albrecht’s many projects. Strange that it seems to have decided to start working again now, but he supposes he cannot fault a machine. 

“I do not know. I suspect it’s something of Albrecht’s. Would you like me t—“ He’s interrupted rather abruptly as another voice shouts, the words punctuated with sharp hoof-beats, and he notices Tagfer nearly sprinting over.

“LOID. There’s someone over at the edge of the cliff. Not a Tenno. How the hell did it get here?” He frowns, adjusting his glasses—a nervous habit, he supposes—, before trying to appease the anxious Cervulite. Surely he’s mistaken?

“Are you quite certain that whoever it is isn’t a Tenno? I haven’t seen anyone else come through here.” The Cavia lowers his head, shaking it. He stomps a hoof on the ground, clearly agitated.

“Yes, I’m sure. Go see for yourself.” The animal’s nerves are, admittedly, not pairing well with his own curiosity, and Loid sighs. None of them will get any answers if he doesn’t investigate, will they? 

“Fine. Show me where they are.” He follows the Cervulite across the dunes, leaving Bird to his own devices for the moment. He will not cause…too much trouble, Loid hopes. As they near the edges of the dunes, where sand begins to meet the stony outcrops which fall away into the misty nothingness below, he does catch sight of a figure. He cannot discern the details from this distance, but the silhouette doesn’t seem too dissimilar from the average Tenno’s. He almost misses Tagfer’s abrupt stop, and he very nearly crashes into the creature. The animal’s thin tail thrashes in the air, his head shaking from side to side. Tagfer stomps a hoof down, though the sound is muffled by the sand.

“I’m not going any further. Something’s not right.” Loid rolls his eyes, but, given the Cervulite’s state, thinks it wise to refrain from arguing. 

“Alright. I’m sure it is only a Tenno. You needn’t be so concerned.” Tagfer glares, his tail flicking, the movement calmed now that he knows he doesn’t have to continue the trek. He turns, though mutters a parting comment to the man.

“Don’t die.” Loid huffs, amused. He continues his approach, noticing that the singing seems to get louder as he nears the figure. Well, that gives him one less thing to worry about, and one less invention of Albrecht’s to keep up with. Now closer, he finds that he can discern the tone of the singer properly. She—it is a woman, he realizes—sounds…distracted. The notes are sharp, disconnected. Lonely. He wonders which of the Tenno could possibly be in such a state. He frowns as he begins to see her properly through the fog. Why does she stand so close to the edge? What is she looking at? His curiosity is piqued as he notices the garments she wears, the crested helmet that adorns her head. This is certainly not a configuration of Warframe that he has seen yet. Perhaps Tagfer was correct. She must hear him, and the singing halts abruptly. She does not speak, however, so Loid takes it upon himself to take the first step towards conversation.

“I apologize if I have disturbed you. Might I ask what you are doing out here?” She turns, and as she does so, a memory flashes in his mind. A description, one given to him by many Tenno, eager to tell the stories of the world outside the Sanctum. The crested helmet, the flowing robes…these belong to a creature that he has only heard tales of. The Lotus. The leader—the mother—of the Tenno. The being who many have held partially responsible for the near-fall of the Origin System, and the being who was ultimately responsible for saving it regardless. She speaks, her voice poised, as would befit a leader.

“Do not apologize. It is I who have caused a disturbance. I am…answering a call. One that seems to have led me here.” That is…woefully cryptic, even by his standards. He cannot see her eyes, cannot see much of her face for that matter, which puts him ill at-ease. He has little way of reading her. 

“It has led you to the edge of the cliff?” His skeptical question causes her head to turn slightly, perhaps glancing back into the near-empty Void below. He notices something in her hand, an odd rectangular object.

“What is that?” Her attention is directed back to the object, away from the nothingness that is mere footsteps away from her—Loid finds himself relieved by that, though he is unsure why—and she hums softly.

“I am not sure. But it is calling to me, trying to influence my thoughts. Can you hear its voice?” No, he finds he cannot. Even as she shifts, holding it slightly in front of herself so that he can get a better look, Loid finds himself unable to determine what exactly the device is. He certainly does not hear any sound from it. But, something she had said sticks in his mind like a thorn, sending a spike of unease through his bones. Surely It is not…He shakes his head, both ridding himself of the thought and serving as a reply to the Lotus. He hears the being sigh, notices her shoulders lower slightly, almost as if she’s discouraged by the fact that only she seems to hear whatever is calling her.

“It wants the Tenno. I am not sure what for, but It…makes promises. Things that can be granted if I allow It to take them. Memories that can be…altered.” Loid groans softly. If he had any hope that the Indifference was not the one behind this, it has been squandered, dashed to shreds. 

“The Indifference is known to do…strange things in order to get what It wants. And what It wants, It cannot have.” He notices the Lotus shift, tilting her head slightly. Her tone is rather curious, if guarded—understandably so, of course.

“The Indifference. Some of the Tenno have mentioned It in passing, but never enough for me to be properly aware of what they are speaking about. I…” She trails off, and Loid notices her form tense slightly. He has no way of knowing what exactly It is showing her, but it cannot be pleasant. Perhaps that is why he’s rather surprised when she begins to address him again.

“I cannot—no, I will not let It harm them. It seems that I am a distraction, keeping Its attention off of my children. I will endure.” She sounds only slightly distant, something in her tone indicating that she isn’t entirely focused on the conversation right in front of her. Yet, he notices a firm determination in her voice, something that proves its existence further by the set of her jaw, the rigidity of her back. It seems that he and the Cavia have another mind to work with, someone else who can understand the destructive capability of the Indifference. If she wishes to endure Its torment to keep the Tenno out of Its clutches for just a while longer, well, Loid finds that he won’t stop her. It will only prove beneficial to his efforts anyhow. In her solitary vigil, she gives him more time to prepare, more time to ensure that their next move is successful. 

“Then welcome to the Sanctum. If you find yourself needing anything, I will do my best to aid you.” Her only response is a firm nod as she turns to face the fog once more, turning to look towards the massive expanse of floating rubble and the screaming maw. As he too turns his back, Loid hears the song begin anew. The sharp, determined notes sound only slightly less lonely than before. He makes his way back to the Sanctum, his shoes nearly sinking in the sand. He scoffs quietly. Of course. As two figures become clear, he realizes that the Cavia remain nearby his workspace. Two voices speak at once, one shrill, curious, the other sharp, still agitated.

“Soooo? What happened, Mister Loid? Did’ja find whoever’s making that sound too?”

“I told you it wasn’t a damn Tenno. At least you didn’t die. That would’ve been a mess.” Loid narrows his eyes at the Cervulite. Any response he would’ve given, however, is cut off by a third a voice. The fish.

“Have you discovered what is causing Tagfer to be in such a state of distress? Is this yet another conundrum that we must work out how to solve?” ‘We’? Loid nearly laughs at the absurdity of that. Yes, he has grown fond of the Cavia, but make no mistake. He is the one solving—or, attempting to solve—the vast expanse of ‘conundrums’ that seem to be lurking around every corner. He tempers his response, however. It will do no one any good for him to be upset with the fish. He’s done nothing wrong. Not really. Besides cheating at Komi, at least.

“Yes, Fibonacci, I did. Now, may I explain, or would you all prefer to speak over me once again?” He’s met with a somewhat remorseful silence. Blissful silence. Which…is about to be broken when he reveals what he has to tell. He exhales sharply. Might as well get it over with.

“Fantastic. Now, yes Tagfer, you were correct in that she is not a Tenno. However, I will also tell you that you needn’t be afraid of her. She is the Lotus, the Daughter of Hunhow, the leader of the Tenno. The Indifference seems to be targeting her in order to get to them. She will be spending some time here to distract It, which should buy us enough time to prepare for our next steps.” He grits his teeth as Bird 3 interrupts.

“So is she making the sound?” He nods, but before he can get a word in, the bird continues. Sometimes…sometimes this creature is insufferable. 

“She sounds sad. Is she sad? Can we cheer her up? Maybe she’d want some of the shinies that I have lying around! Rark.” Well, he might not be the most…obviously intelligent of the animals, but even Loid has to admit that the bird has more emotional intelligence than possibly any of the others, himself included. He adjusts his glasses, wondering how exactly to word this. He settles for simplicity.

“She seems fine, if a tad lonely.” Once again, he isn’t allowed to continue speaking, and he has to hold back a groan of annoyance.

“We should go say hi to her then, right Mister Tagfer? Mister Fish-O-nacci, we can say hi from you too!” It’s the Cervulite who replies, stomping his hoof in annoyance.

“No, Bird. If she wants to mess with It, she can do it on her own. I don’t trust her.” Now, that seems uncalled for, and Loid finally manages to enter the conversation once more.

“She’s trustworthy, Tagfer. She isn’t someone you need to be worried about. She’s actively trying to help. However, I do think she wishes to do this alone.” Whatever ‘this’ is, he supposes. Not that he thinks that’s necessarily a great idea, but it’s a better plan than he’s got at the moment. Somehow, that appeases them, at least enough that they don’t continue to discuss the matter. Tagfer snorts, his hooves clicking against the floor as he returns to his spot by the entrance to the laboratories. Bird 3 seems to understand, and begins his trek back to his gilded ‘cage’. Only Fibonacci remains nearby, and he keeps silent. Thus, a new era begins. The Lotus never ventures into the Sanctum, always remaining at the cliff’s edge, as if she’s physically repelling the Indifference from leaving its position in the Void. Her song continues, day in and day out, hardly—if ever—pausing. She does not eat, she hardly sleeps—and Loid is still unclear as to if that hour of silence truly meant that she was asleep—, she simply sings. He keeps watch, telling himself that it’s only for the Tenno, but he knows he is lying. Despite everything, the Lotus might very well find a sort of family in the Sanctum, if she so wishes to. As the days pass, her tone changes. Sometimes, it is firmer, more determined. Others, she’s lonely, saddened, desperate. It’s always distracted, the notes sharp as if she must take a moment between them in order to recall which will come next. He can tell that this takes a great toll on her, but Loid is unsure what he or the others could possibly do to lessen her discomfort. So, he keeps watch, venturing away from his workbench when he can, or when the sound becomes too uncomfortable to listen to—though, her voice is always beautifully melodic—, venturing quietly to the edges of the dunes. He watches from afar, eying her for signs. Signs that this is simply too much. Signs that, gods forbid, the edge of the cliff, the call of the Void, is too tempting. Yet, despite everything, her form remains steady. Stiff, yes, but she does not waver. Her resolve does not falter. It must not. So, day in and day out, she sings. Day in and day out, she drowns out the incessant voice of the Indifference whilst Loid throws himself into his work. He finds that he too is missing out on sleep in order to find the missing piece of the puzzle. Two sides of the same coin, each tasked with their own unique tragedy. Each both waiting for and dreading the day the call is answered. Not by the Tenno, no. By someone else, though he’s unsure of who. But one day, for better or for worse, the call will be answered. The Lotus’s melody will cease. His work will be finished. But not yet. No. He won’t be late this time.

[bluvlet]

hi ted!!

can you please talk about your opinion/thoughts on the relationship between robbie and drew bc you've mentioned it a few times in your posts and I'd like to know more about it 💕

Hi!! Thank you for the ask!! I’m afraid I can't offer a very well thought out analysis for you. But I’m happy to just ramble for a few paragraphs about some of my most steadfast thoughts about Drew and Robbie!

I really like the dynamic between Drew and Robbie; I think its significance can easily go overlooked compared to the other relationships in the episode. I suppose that my thesis statement is that it’s a parallel to Blake and Ellie’s relationship. Of course you have the general narrative parallels between Ellie and Robbie: the faceless children. And the parallels between Blake and Drew as fathers, which all work to naturally create a peculiar sort of four way mirror of reflection - where everybody's relationships are comparative. In that sense, Drew and Robbie mirror Blake and Ellie by virtue of what the narrative puts them through.

But I also understand this to be how Drew himself views his relationship with Robbie. I’ve talked about this a few times before - I think Drew purposefully recreates the circumstances surrounding Ellie’s death with what he does to Robbie. ‘I want you to know what it’s like to be me.’ he tells Blake, rather solemnly. If we take Drew as telling the truth (which I do here) then he’s admitting what he’s doing is supposed to represent Ellie’s death. I don’t mean this in a literal sense (that whatever Drew imagines happened between Blake and Ellie he recreates with Robbie) but more as a lens through which Drew constructs and executes his plan.

To Drew, Robbie is Ellie. Robbie represents this precious thing that Drew has lost, his daughter he is prepared to die for to avenge. He wants Blake to know what it's like, so he will try his best to replicate the circumstances he lost Ellie in with Blake’s son. But for Blake to know how it feels to be Drew, Drew has to assume Blake’s role. Drew has to be Robbie’s abuser in order for his plan to work. As a consequence, Robbie takes on two juxtaposing identities to Drew - something precious Blake should sacrifice everything to keep safe, and a pawn Drew can bury in a box underground to punish Blake.

There’s a sequence in the first half of the episode, before Drew drops his act, where I think these two roles merge into one in Drew’s mind. I’ve said all this before. Drew knows what he’s done to Robbie is killing him. I interpret Drew’s ‘I think I might’ve killed somebody’ and the outburst that follows as a genuine slip of his composure. I’m struggling to find the right way to word this but I think that in that moment Drew views (if not entirely then at least partially) what he’s done to Robbie as how he views Ellie’s death. He recognises that he’s buried Blake’s son alive, outside of the game he’s playing. That despairing recognition turns into anger, and he snaps at Blake. He then composes himself in the bathroom, and channels that rage back into acting on his plan. It’s hard to say how guilty Drew feels over what he does to Robbie. As a father who has lost his child he knows the pain he’s inflicting on Blake, and is willing to put him through that regardless. But he also formulates his plan so that if Robbie dies he dies, meaning he would not have to live with the guilt.

We never find out how Drew got Robbie into that box underground. In the same way we never know exactly what Blake was doing at the hotel room. The only thing we know for certain is that Drew spoke to Robbie at some point. During his phone call to Blake, Robbie tells him: ‘He said you’d come get me. He said everything would be fine. He said you’d do the right thing.’ I’m sort of obsessed with this. I just think it’s such a choice, that this is the only thing we find out about what Drew did to Robbie. I fluctuate between interpretations of this but in general I think Drew is comforting Robbie - whether insincerely or genuinely is debatable. You could interpret this as Drew imitating Blake. Again I struggle to articulate this; that reassurance that everything will be fine whilst you’re twisting the knife - it’s twin with Blake and Ellie. If that’s the case then it feels almost spiteful, that Drew knows Blake isn’t coming. He’s almost indulging in replicating Blake’s cruelty. Or, you could understand Drew as genuinely comforting Robbie that his dad will save him - perhaps instead indulging in that precious aspect of Robbie I mentioned earlier. It all depends on how much faith you think Drew has in Blake to ‘do the right thing.’

Robbie’s phone call itself acts as a sort of imitation of Ellie’s audio recordings. Drew had to listen to Blake prey on his daughter, knowing she was already dead and he could do nothing about it. Now Blake has to listen to his son cry and suffocate, knowing he doesn’t know where he is to save him.

Drew also acts as a surrogate for Robbie. How Drew is treated by Blake directly influences Robbie’s fate. Drew dies, Robbie dies. Drew’s identity in the episode is one of my favourite things to rack my brain about. He is Robbie and Ellie.

I hope these were the kind of thoughts you were looking for! I have a few more thoughts about Drew and Robbie but they’re more like little fragments than real points. I'm always concerned that what I’m thinking doesn’t translate well to written words when it comes to this episode. Do let me know what you think!

[castlebyersafterdark]

If they were going to kill El, Hopper should have stayed dead.

Very good point! Although...

Byler is together, certainly, but now they are facing the world as adults.

Hmm, I'm not sure about this one Vin! I can just as easily see a lover's lake moment where they come together as I can a s5 that keeps us guessing about mike and will until the very end. But most engaging of all would be where they do sleep together/confess/kiss/anything romantic, but then Mike still pulls back or has doubts. Or even Will! Suddenly worried that Vecna will exploit their closeness to each other. They can stick physically together all while trying to keep their emotional guards up to protect each other (and likely failing, which would make for excellent tension).

Then the epilogue: Mike terrified of living without [the safety net of] El, and all she represents, as he proclaimed in his monologue. Those fears felt like the truest parts of his speech. His confessions about himself, not El, were the core of the monologue.

So I wonder if it could be that this leaked scene is where he perhaps doesnt even realise the depth of Will's devotion. Heck, he might not even know that two men can build a life together! It's just not done in Hawkins (or so he thinks) and certainly wouldn't have been taught in his family.

If they built the season emotionally and devastatingly, and if the writing was well done, I wouldn't be unhappy with Mike having his Realisation about a future with Will being worth fighting for in the very last moments of the series. Imagine him finally going to Will, who is steady and patient as always, doe-eyed and waiting, low expectations but the highest hopes when it comes to Mike. Mike goes to him and they finally understand each other fully.

It would be epic on the scale of Pierre and Natasha from War and Peace; it would be sweeping as any of the Great Romances. I mean, they mentioned Dr Zhivago so there's a little part of the duffers who appreciates a good epic romance with high stakes until the very end. It wouldnt be the season we have all hoped for exactly, but it still could be epic and emotional.

(And yes, I do agree that one of the Wheelers is in danger. Nancy would be a killer choice considering how the audience has come to see her as an invincible badass. I like the symmetry of her seeing her whole family dead and then it ends up being her. Gut-wrenching.)

I see this making a lot of sense and definitely is a worthy way to tell the story, but maybe there's this stubborn part of me that's weary about the delay to the very end for the absolute culmination and acceptance because there's a big part of me that appreciates stories that allow for something different than the big get together saved for that close to the end, preferring instead where the story gets to play a bit and show some of the after, where we get to have that relationship and then see it explore a bit before the story on screen is all over. But I mean, this is, I suppose still allowing for that? In a different way?

I just would find a confession right at the end so unsatisfying, where we don't get to experience much of them together. Maybe it's me, not the sake of the story, who personally can't handle it. Confession and acknowledgement and understanding of feelings between Will and Mike, their moment, the tension of now dealing with it as the bigger picture plot forces them back into the action. I do though, see a get together, then a draw back because of what they're facing, but then they need each other at the fullest to emotionally succeed in whatever form this final struggle/fight entails. I don't know. Maybe it seems cliche. But in your first paragraph there, I'm kinda in mostly agreement reading it back again. That all seems likely. That's accurate towards their emotional complexities I hope we'd get. Satisfying. Not melodrama, where some of the rest honestly to me, doesn't feel as satisfying?

If the triumph over all that happens, and then there's to be all that time between fall 1987 and spring 1989 and Mike/Will are still not in a place of understanding together, despite knowing their feelings for each other, I just don't know. It's almost too much of a frustrated ache to consider as I try to ponder what will happen. I get it, it's a show, where sometimes the literal is glossed over for a suspension of disbelief, but what would they have been doing being in each other's lives that whole time otherwise? I guess I can't really wrap my brain around the concept of all that occurring, confessions and even physical moments, and Mike still struggling to not be caught up with and shielding with El. I'd really hope they'd have resolved that before The Big Final Fight, not energy I'd want either of them to carry into that situation?

How would he and Will exist in each other’s orbits for all of senior year? That's I guess a big emotional hang up with these specific scenarios presented, even if maybe I am being too literal, it's more about the emotion, maybe it does make sense and I limit storytelling possibilities for those that genuinely are treating them with the agency of real people and lives lived. That giant year plus gap we won't see is too much of a hurdle to jump for some of that.

I'm really leaning towards moments with Mike here at this epilogue era not being so fixated on relationship, more over life path, grief, etc. That of reflection and uncertainty of everything else in his life, but the one thing he's been certain about for a while would be Will, though the future for them together is the big scary final monster to face. I don't know.

Both are worthy visions, my more obvious approach and this alternate read on possibility. It depends on what the show's gonna be, how it uses moments to build other moments. It's tough for me, I'll admit it's really tough to commit to a firm This Is What I Think Will Happen read, been my struggle for 2 years and will continue to struggle for all of the next.

Always enjoy a good brainstorm and engaging insight, I appreciate you!! 😁 A vast array of considerations and perspectives for the repertoire, forcing me beyond places I might simply consider safer to emotionally explore...

[davekat-sucks]

Hi, where the fuck is the evidence that Dave is abusive towards Karkat I find that idea absolutely ridiculous.

But if there is legitimate evidence or a legitimate perspective I'm interested in hearing it.

Something about this line of 'talking about the top six hundred stupid things Karkat saw earlier that day because he made his intrepid decision to go outside' feels off to me. In Epilogues here on Meat route, it says there that Karkat rarely goes out, being a nocturnal alien that even after years living on Earth C, he struggles to follow normal human cycles (rise in the morning, sleep at night). There's also the fact his relationship with Dave is complicated since they live together, but aren't like matesprites fully. The word intrepid too in that paragraph, could also be read sarcastically as 'Karkat fearlessly chooses to go outside for once'. Keep in mind as well, this is all before Ultimate Dirk happens. So the narrative is not his to control. If it was Alt Calliope, why would she describe Karkat in this manner if she supposedly likes him or represents the good side of the fandom, that has him as the fan favorite? Second, there is also the fact Dave pushed Karkat into Presidency, when he was reluctant in the first place.

If Karkat's whole arc from the original webcomic was suppose to be about him not following the Signless and not being the leader anymore, which the fandom is proud of for some dumb fucking reason for such a shitty writing, then why should he take the mantle of being a leader of the whole world? Of course, Karkat mentioning that he's trying to get used to democracy means there was NEVER DEMOCRACY in Earth C and that Karkat & Dave, basically shat on WAYWARD VAGABOND's grave when they supposedly have liked the Carapacian and believed in his political ideals. Wayward Vagabond hates kings and yet they still exist now! HOW PROUD HE WOULD BE AT THESE TWO RETARDS!!! Dave also supporting Karkat is not because he genuinely cares about the troll population being controlled, it's because he just wants someone to be Jane. Remember too, WhatPumpkin made Jane Crocker in this as an allegory for DONALD TRUMP, who was still around at the time. They hate Trump just cause, so the Andrew Hussie and WP think it should be the same as well for Jane. Huge bitch, bluh bluh. Nothing deeper. Most of the presidential campaign was being controlled by Dave. Not even as an advisor or PR manager, like Dave was present to go over Karkat's speech to make sure he doesn't validate Jane's objections about trollkind overpopulating. Karkat can't say anything as his own kind of thing.

Some could say this is taken as a joke, that Karkat wasn't serious that he rehearsed this 10 or 20 times, but at the same time, the next paragraph has the elbow gesture read as intimate, not out of anger like 'you douchebag' kind of thing.

If it's taken literal, then does it mean that Dave was making sure Karkat does as told and only gave a positive response if he did it right? 10-20 times to go over is a bit excessive, don't you think? Maybe imply that even with the questionable treatment, Karkat 'believes' it is the right thing if it makes Dave h appy. Throughout Meat, Dave is indecisive since he is not sure whether to stick with Jade or Karkat alone. He had the two stay around his home for long just to play pretend poly relationship, despite neither of them even had fucking sex.

[wh33zy]

Uhh I dunno if you still accepts asks atm, but I’ve been reading your fanfic for Kotetsu and I LOVE WHAT YOU DONE FOR HIM!!! Honestly thought S2 was gonna give him focus since I was sure from seeing the opening as he was seen closing his locker and that left me to believe (oh there’s gonna be a huge arc for Kotetsu?) but fast-forward to the end, THAT NEVER HAPPENED 😭

So I’m glad this fic exists so I pretend this was actually Season 2. Also, if you had to make a visual for Kotetsu’s Invisible Crusader costume (+ his and Barnaby’s stealth suit) what it would look like?

HOWDY! I do accept asks! Thank you so much for sending me one!!

I'M SO GLAD YOU LIKE IT!!! THANK YOU!! I'm also so nervous every time I post another chapter lol. My intention with No Good Deed was to give myself the series 2 that I wanted. I treat it like American comics where this is canon but it's just my universe. If I had the drawing talent, I would LOVE to make this into a comic book!

But DO NOT GET ME STARTED ON HOW BADLY THE WRITERS FUMBLED S2 OR I WILL RANT FOR PARAGRAPHS. I was also hoping that it would be focused on Kotetsu (expected it actually because the focus is always flipflopping between him and Barnaby). There's SO MUCH about Kotetsu and Ouroboros that we still don't know about!

I also wanted a specific focus where Barnaby was the support this time BUT could give crucial insight as someone who spent a good portion of his life doing investigations/getting obsessed with getting justice. Like WHY have that be a main part of his backstory and then be like "oh, well, he's done with that now, who cares?", especially when he STILL doesn't have answers about Ouroboros?

It just felt like if S2 decided to not add in three new random unlikeable characters, an entire Ryan backstory, all the casual friendship episodes in the first season, fiercely not letting Kotetsu and Barnaby stand no less than five feet away from each other 90% of the time, and making L.L. Audun a random adversary (and not even connect to ANY of the heroes by making him a past villain of Kotetsu's or SOMETHING), then the show would have made far more sense to be called TIGER & Bunny.

We also probably would have had less cringey and cooler fight scenes but I digress.

Suit Inspiration:

My vision for Wild Tiger's crusader suit was VERY much inspired by some of the early versions of Marvel and DC costume designs. Considering that Kotetsu would have been a crusader in the 60s very early 70s.

I was thinking something like Wildcat (DC) and Black Panther (Marvel) but with green tiger stripes, green claws, and a cape added like this:

BUT add the overall shape of Wild Tiger's cowl of his first suit so it comes across like more of a Tiger than a panther:

^^^Like this! I don't know WHY they got rid of the ears OR the cape!!! Not to mention I theorize the reason WHY Kotetsu is so clumsy in the Apollon suit is because it's BIG, HEAVY, CLUNKY ARMOR and he's used to lightweight, skin-tight, and having a full range of motion. AND I have the wildly unpopular opinion of preferring his first suit over Saito's.

NOW for the stealth suits for Wild Tiger and Barnaby:

SO I don't have the clearest vision here for them, but this is what they're supposed to be giving a mix of-

The Batman Beyond suit

and The Arkham Knight's suit:

BUT in their individual colours of course.

Kotetsu's helmet has the same ears that his first suit does and has claws, Barnaby's helmet has ears too but they look like the ones his regular Apollon armor has already.

Again, thanks SO much for the message and the ask! Please don't be shy to send asks my way as I very much welcome them!