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thequietkid-moonie · 5 months ago

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Darling wants to leave the Astral Express

[ HEADCANONS ] [ Himeko, Welt, March 7th, Dan Heng ] [ Honkai Star Rail ]

⚠️ Yandere, I don't support nor try to romanticize this toxic behaivor, is just for entretaiment

Penacony has done so bad to me!! Broooo, even when I know everything is alright im still crying for all that happened 💀

anywaaaas this idea has being in my mind for a while and im finally writing it!! Yaaaay!!! ❤️

Himeko

Himeko is incredibly sweet and caring towards her darling, for her you are like a beautiful and unique treasure so she of course will care for you, but she is also quite possesive over you, she is a greedy woman so she want you all for herself

Himeko is really carismatic and beautiful, she is well known across the universe and she knows it, she uses that same virtues that she poses to be able to lull you into trusting her blindly, she knows whats best for you and she only wants the best for you, so why don't just trust and follow her? Do what she told you and you will always be safe and will never lack of anything

As much as Himeko loves being with the nameless and traveling in the astral express her real reason to be there is a bigger one, a greedy wish she keeps to herself close to her heart, and now that you are in her life she wants nothing more than sharing her wish with you, she want you to be with her as she wins more and more

Himeko is incredibly smart and perceptive, and since you are her focus of attention right now she can easily find out your little secrets (something she is actually proud of and wouldn't be ashame to use against you with sweet words), so it wouldn't take her long to find out that you are thinking on leaving the astral express

A news that is not well taken, yes, everyone is free to join the nameless and leave whenever they feel like it, but Himeko doesn't like the fact that you are even thinking about it, he panics for a moment when finding out, why would you want to leave? You two still have a lot of to achive so why give up half way on your journey?

Himeko isn't normally afraid of speaking her mind off and she is really good with words, but right now she is out of words, she tries to calm her mind to make a plan to make you give up on your silly little plan and stay with her in here, her panic slowly scale to become anger, she feels a little betrayed by your only thought of wanting to leave, but no matter what she feels she will try to confront you with a smile and sweet words, she has done a lot of work to make you follow her to just lose you for something like this

Once she is ready she will sit down with you to take a cup of coffee (like many times before) and just brought out the topic out of the blue, waiting to see your reaction at being uncovered before trying to guilt-trip you by saying how everyone in the crew will miss you too much if you go, how bad Pom Pom will feel if you left him, how you'll miss all the following destinations of the astral express, and how improbable will be for you to see any of them again if you take in consideration how many planets are on the universe. She has her way around with words and it wouldn't be dificult for her to convince you, even if you are stubborn Himeko will be more and more pushy, pressuring you more and more with diferent arguments until you feel so bad of even thinking on leaving them behind, even make you feel selfish if it is need it

At the end, despite being quite proud of what she have did she will still offer you some comfort about the regret of the bad decision you almost did, and even if you seem completely convinced to dont even think about it again she will keep an eye on you from the next days just to make sure

Welt Yang

Welt is incredibly protective over his darling, he has a past story of fighting to protect but still losing a lot, and even if he had grown and become more mature that doesn't stop him from being worried about you, his feelings for you are so intense that he just can't help himself, however he is pretty subtle with his feeling and how he express them, after all he just wants to you to love him and be happy at his side

Welt doesn't even try to be manipulative but is thanks to his protectiveness and love that he end up taking advantage of his strenght and wisdom to lull you into a blind trust, he somehow just manage to make you follow his lead because he is the perfect one for you, gently taking you in his arms with the silent promise of keeping you safe

Welt came to the astral express by simple chance when searching for something but he decided to stay and is a choise he will never regret, he not only met people he can easily consider his family and have some adventures that make him feel alive but also could find someone to love and protect

Welt tent to pay close attention to you, between the adoration and the protectiveness his gaze is constantly on you, watching every one of your movés with adoration and slowly unmasking your secrets, he doesn't really mean to pry on your privacy but he just stare at you so much that he just find out. Thats why, when you think about the idea of leaving the astral express it doesn't take him long to find out, making him have mixed feeling about the situation

Before starting to overthink and even panic Welt want to watch you a little longer and see how convinced you are about this, Welt love you and want to share the rest of his days with you, to be able to be there to protect you and make you happy, he is willing to walk with you to the end of the world (although, he hopes that this is not necesary), he doesn't want this to be a test of his loyalty and love because if he has to chose, as much as it will hurt him, he will definetly choose you

Despite looking calm Welt is pretty worried about this whole situation, he doesn't want to leave the express, he cares so deeply about the crew, for him they are his family, but he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he just let you go like that, he just can't lose you! So he waits and studies you carefully, watching you with close attention to try to see if you are being serious on this

Welt won't be able to bring the topic himself, if you don't say anything he doesn't want to be the one bringing up this bitter topic, besides, if you don't seem too serious or convinced about leaving the express then it would only create problems where there aren't any (even when he can feel his anxiety slowly consuming him), but if you seem serious about actually leaving the express he wil just swallow the bitter feeling and have a serious conversation with you

If you really want to leave the express it would be quite saddening for him, he doesn't want this journey to end for him, not so soon, but he doesn't want you to force you to stay if you have found somewhere else you want to be. However, Welt isn't going to leave you alone, even if you insist that he doesn't have to come with you he will be with you, even if he has to leave the express too he will do it in he name of the love he has for you

March 7th

Since March doesn't really remember her past her darling is her future, once she falls in love with her darling she becomes incredibly clingy and affectionate, not really taking a no as an answer (and yet she isn't too pushy or forceful, she want you to love her), March likes to think that you two are meant to be with each other and you two will never get separated

March enjoy a lot being a nameless, she feels like she belogs at the astral express and that she owe them one since they were the one who found her, and since she firmly believing that you are destinsted to each other then she thinka that your journey on the astral express will last for a long long time

As much as she feels a little overwhelmed by all the problems the nameless have to encounter in the expeditions she is happy that you are at her side, always taking you from the arm and dragging you around to whatever she is up to, she feels like living a dream life at your side so getting to know that you are even just thinking about leaving the astral express it breaks her ilusion

In all honesty she will not find out by her own that you are thinking on it, she isn't that perceptive and even if she does notice she will imediatly deny it, not wanting to believe you are even thinking on something like that, but when she finally gets to hear it from you (either by you telling her or even overhearing you when you were talking towards someone else) she will imediatly protest, even interrupting you before you could finish your sentence by imediatly saying how leaving the astral express is a really bad idea, you two are having fun and the crew definetly love the two of you! she just doesn't understand why would you like to leave that behind!

Where you go she goes, and where she goes you go, thats how things work in March's mind, so if you ever leave the express she will definetly follow you, but she doesn't want to leave the express so you can't leave it neither! March still wants to keep visisting other worlds and she still haven't found out about her past, besides she love her friends from the astral express and she just can't leave them! she even acuse you of being incredibly selfish for wanting to leave the express

March is going to be in a really bad mood since she have heard that you want to leave, in her mind you two are now one and destinsted to be together forever but your little desire feels like a betrayal and she will even demand and apology form your part for even thinking in something like that

At the end you'll have no other option than even apologize for even thinking on leaving her and the rest, making sure you'll never think on that again before she holds you in her arms and thanking you for not leaving her, making sure you don't notice that she was manipulating you and just mask it as sadness for your choise, and promising to herself that she will find a way for you to dont even think on something like this ever again. Still, March will not calm down nor accept the apology until you swear in your life that you will never think in something like this again

Honeslty, this has put her in a really bad state of mind, she is in the verge of tears by the only thought and the more time you spend without apologizing and retracting your words the worst she feels, it feels like every moment you spend without apologizing you just get more convinced of leaving her wich lead her to be even more heart broken and even a little paranoid

Even after you apologized and promised to never even think on leaving her, March will take some time until she manage to calm down, scare that you would leave her behind to the point where she even have some nightmares about you leaving her all alone, making her be in tears more than once and indirectly demanding for you to not leave her alone even when being in the astral express

Dan Heng

For Dan Heng his darling is where he truly belogs to, with you he is just Dan Heng and not the shadow of his last reincarnation. Finding the Astral Express and being able to be a nameless is like a bless for him, but you is what gives his life a purpose and a meaning, you are where he truly belogs and what matters

Dan Heng is quite dependent of his darling, even when he is incredibly subtle with his affection and display of his obsesion he is clear with his clinginess and worry over you, if you are alright he is alright, if you aren't then he isn't neither, honestly he wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happen to you

Being really caring and even dependent of his darling lead him to watch over you at all times, wanting to be there for you for anything you could need, he is really smart but he is not so good about reading you, so it has to be that you give clear hints that you are thinking on leaving the nameless for him to actually see it

Dan Heng knows that his journey with the nameless one day will came to the end, but he wished it wouldn't be soon, however, you thinking on leaving the astral express is a great hit for him, he doesn't want to leave them just yet but he would be crazy if he continue without you, he tries really hard to don't show how truly paniced he is the moment he finally understand you have being considerating leave the express

Even if you aren't too serious about it Dan Heng take it as if you were already leaving, leading him the be over the edge, unable to sleep at night nor even take his eyes away from you, his mind is going back and forth of the fear of leaving the nameless behind and losing you, it take a while until the fear start to consume him and become obvious how bad he is right now and yet he is unable to explain his feelings to anyone, no matter how much the others ask he just say that he is fine and he doesn't want to talk about it

It isn't until he gains the courage to talk to you about it (and it has to be you who goes to talk to you because he doesn't feel the strength to bring out the topic), Dan Heng won't be able to say much but leave clear that he doesn't want you to leave the express, if you go then he will go with you but he doesn't want to leave the rest, all of them have done so much for him that leaving leaving them behind would be just unfair, he just doesn't know what to do, he doesn't want to leave any of you

At the end he is in such poor state that you probably just give up on your leaving the astral express for pity of him, he is in so much distress, no one has seen him like this before that is even heart-breaking (he even seem even worst than how he gets for his nightmares). If at the end you decide to stay he will try really hard to make it up for you and make sure you are happy so you don't think on leaving again, but if you decide to leave he will go with you but it will become more dependent of you, getting worst of how he already was

#honkai star rail x reader #hsr x reader #himeko #himeko x reader #welt yang #welt yang x reader #welt x reader #march 7th #march 7th x reader #dan heng #dan heng x reader #yandere himeko #yandere welt yang #yandere march 7th #yandere dan heng #x reader #x gn reader #video game x reader

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himasgod · 3 months ago

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ANGST Kamisato Ayato x Reader II

Where you will never be his priority, and you will continue to not be.

PART I

The sound of cherry blossoms swaying in the wind filled the stillness of the garden. Ayato sat on the tatami mat in his office, surrounded by scrolls and letters that demanded his attention. His posture, always impeccable. But you knew that behind that facade was a man trapped in his own dilemmas.

You had arrived early that morning, as you always did when Ayato's absence in your days became too heavy. You had grown accustomed to waiting patiently while he attended to matters that would never end. You loved him, but that love was like a flower growing in the shade of an imposing tree: beautiful, but doomed to lack of light.

When he finally looked up, his eyes found you. The soft curve of his lips when he saw you was one of the few signs that you were not invisible to him.

"I'm sorry for the delay," he said in that calm voice he always used with you, as if he could dispel frustration with words.

“It doesn’t matter,” you replied, though you both knew it did.

The time you spent with him was fleeting, stolen between meetings, letters, and political strategies. Every moment with you seemed to be one more commitment on his endless list of duties. And yet, you never dared to complain. Not to him.

“How have you been?” he asked as he poured tea for the both of you.

The question was simple, but loaded with a politeness that hurt. As if you were just another guest in his life. You sat down in front of him, taking the cup with trembling hands.

“I’m fine. And you… have you rested?”

Ayato let out a soft laugh, as if the idea of rest was a luxury he couldn’t afford.

“I’ve done what I can. There are many things to take care of before the next meeting with the allied clans. And then there’s the Crane Festival ceremony, where Ayaka must be as elegant as always, in this way, we will strengthen the relationship of trust with the people and we will benefit from good public opinion.…”

His words trailed off as he listed more responsibilities, each one a chain that kept him bound. You watched him intently, studying the lines of his face, the shadows under his eyes. That mole under his pink lips that you once liked to kiss. When he had time for you. You loved his dedication, his intelligence, his tireless commitment to Inazuma. But at the same time, you hated him for how those same virtues relegated you to the background.

“Ayato,” you interrupted, your voice barely a whisper.

He looked up, surprised by the interruption. You weren’t one to talk much when you were with him; you had grown accustomed to keeping quiet so as not to be another burden. But this time you couldn’t help yourself.

“Will this ever change?” you asked.

The silence that followed was worse than any answer. Ayato carefully placed the cup on the table, as if he were afraid of breaking it. His normally serene eyes held a glint of something you couldn’t identify.

“You know how much you mean to me,” he finally said.

But he didn’t answer your question.

The pain settled in your chest like a thorn in your side. You didn’t want him to tell you how much he loved you. You wanted him to show it. You wanted to be more than just a break in his busy schedule, more than just company he enjoyed between responsibilities.

“I know, but… sometimes I feel like I’ll always be waiting. I am waiting. I've been waiting. Waiting for you to finish your duties, waiting for you to see me as more than just a respite between your obligations.”

Your words hung in the air, fragile but forceful. Ayato leaned forward, taking your hands in his. His touch was warm, comforting, but it wasn’t enough to fill the void.

“My duty to the Kamisato Clan is something I can’t ignore. If I fail, everything we’ve built could crumble. You understand that, right?”

You understood.

You always had.

But understanding didn’t make it hurt any less.

“What about us?” you asked, your eyes searching his.

Ayato squeezed your hands lightly before letting go. It was as if that action summed up everything: he had you, but never completely.

“We… are here, now. That’s what matters.”

The “now” was a lie you both pretended to believe. Because you knew that when you left, he would return to his desk, to his scrolls, to his endless duty. And you would return to waiting.

The tea grew cold between you, but neither of you made a move to get up. Outside, the leaves continued to fall, carried by a wind that could not be stopped,

like the fate that ruled Kamisato Ayato’s life.

Here is my masterlist, in case you are interested in any more of my work or want to send me a request <3

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dvrylgal · 13 days ago

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⋆༺𓆩 kehetu: chapter one 𓆪༻⋆

synopsis: you get spooked on your way back to camp... and ed learns a valuable lesson.

cw: canon typical violence, gore, profanity, mature themes, cannibalism (zombies), zombies (obviously), racism (Merle), reader is black, reader is from jersey, reader is a mechanic, reader was raised native (ish), reader's a bit of an atheist

a/n: this'll all make sense trust

When the sisters at St. Eloise's School for Wayward Girls preached about the end times, you always thought it was bullshit.

Talk of earthquakes, and pestilences, and false prophets, as if those things didn't already exist.

It was stupid.

And you thought all the other girls who believed in that shit were stupid, too.

In fact, you found the whole Catholic thing to be utterly stupid.

There was no being up above, surveilling the world and providing wisdom and comfort to his followers.

There was no sunshine-and-rainbows afterlife, where you'd spend the rest of eternity in living it up in luxury.

There was no greater purpose or higher calling, or reward for living a life of virtue and righteousness.

The whole Catholic thing was nothing but a mass of death-fearing assholes wanting a way out of paying for their crimes by "confessing their sins".

It was all bullshit.

And you had the cane scars to prove it.

But... if there was one thing they got right—of all things—it was the resurrection of the dead.

You let out a silent chuckle, carefully peering down the shaft of your arrow as you set your sights on a nice, fat goose.

If there was a God, he had a fucked up sense of humor.

Narrowing your eyes, you watched as the bird ruffled its feathers, dipping its wings in the pond before brushing them over its head, cleaning itself as it waded through the water.

"That's right..." you muttered, allowing it to drift closer. "Line up, duckie."

You held steady, lying in wait as you crouched among the tweeds and the tall grass.

Until it finally lined up just right.

Without hesitation, you released your arrow, the snap of the bowstring punctuating the goose's life as you shot it dead in the cheek, killing it instantly.

"Thank you, Kehetu," you sighed, standing to your full height.

Your foster father.

He was native—Comanche—and never had the privilege of having his own children.

But he loved and cared for you all the same, and taught you everything he and his forefathers had ever learned.

How to live off the land...

How to hunt for your food...

Complex wilderness survival...

Typical teen girl stuff.

Trudging through the mud, you crossed the bank and stepped into the shallow end of the pond, snatching up your kill by the neck and yanking the arrow out its head with a sick squelch.

'Better start headin' back... m'gonna lose the light soon.'

You hummed to yourself, glancing up at the sky as you used the rope slung over your shoulder to attach your bird to the three other geese you hunted.

Letting out a soft grunt, you slung your bow across your back, starting off back toward camp.

If you were being honest, you didn't have the slightest idea as to why you were holing up with a bunch of strangers.

It wasn't like you needed protection.

Or assistance...

Or comfort...

With your survival skills, you had gotten along the first two weeks of the apocalypse perfectly fine.

Almost eerily so.

But to you, there wasn't much difference from your routine pre-outbreak.

Snag a Honey Bun from the corner store, show up late to your old man's car shop, start working, and then return to his cabin in the sticks for a rabbit dinner and a beer.

Only change now was that Honey Buns were practically nonexistent.

But you'd stumbled across these people about two weeks ago, and quickly realized that a great many of them weren't going to last a month.

They were too cushy... too accustomed to the luxuries that came with modern life... too attached to the normalcy they'd been living in for so long.

Hell, you were sure that if you dropped any number of them out in the woods on their own, they wouldn't last a single day.

You sighed, tightening your grip on the rope as you trekked up a small hill.

Call it pity... call it empathy... hell, call it the charity Sister Margaret wouldn't shut the hell up about.

But something in the pit of your chest couldn't leave these people to fend for themselves.

Not like this.

Not with the world as it was now.

Nearing the clearing, you took notice of some rustling, instantly snapping yourself out of your thoughts and focusing up.

With practiced ease, you readied your bow, quietly pulling an arrow out of your otter-skin quiver.

You lowered your stance, stalking carefully as you slowly approached the edge of the trees.

'No way it's a biter... they never come this far up the mountain...'

Inhaling a sharp, silent breath, you lunged into the clearing, drawing your arrow on the first thing that moved.

Only to find it was Dale and the others, weapons ready as they stood around a half-eaten deer.

"Fuckin' Christ," you groaned, lowering your bow with an annoyed snarl. "Hell's the matter with you assholes? I almost shot Dale."

Quickly surveying the group, you realized there was a new face among the bunch.

A man... with scruffy stubble, a white tee, and an authoritative air about him

"Who the hell is he?"

"I—"

"Son of a bitch," a familiar voice spat, emerging from the woods to the right of you.

'Fuck me...'

"Thas' mah deer!" Daryl exclaimed, trudging toward where it lay, right next to a dead walker. "Look at it. All gnawed on by this..."

His brows furrowed as he dealt swift kicks to the corpse's stomach.

"Filthy... disease-bearin'... motherless... poxy bastard!"

"Calm down, son. That's not helping," Dale sighed, resting his hands on his hips.

"What do you know about it, old man?" Darly scoffed, stepping around the carcass to get in his face. "Why donchu take that stupid hat and go back to On Golden Pond?"

"Ay, watch your fuckin' mouth, trailer park," you spat, sizing the man up with a sharp glare.

"Fuck you," he scoffed, turning around to tug his bolts out of the deer. "I been trackin' this deer for miles... was gonna drag it back to camp... cook us up some venison."

Leaning down, he traced the area where the walker had eaten its lunch.

"Whaddya think? You think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?"

"I would not risk that," Shane denied, hanging his arms on the shotgun resting around his neck.

"Thas' a damn shame," Daryl sighed. "Well, I got some squirrel—'bout a dozen or so. That'll havtah do."

"I picked up about four geese," you chimed, holding up your rope. "Should be more than enough."

Glancing over in your direction, Daryl's eyes narrowed slightly, not very appreciative of the one-up.

But you flashed him a small smirk, pleased.

'Serves you right, asshole...'

You and your fellow hunter had been at odds since the moment you met—mostly because of his racist-ass brother... but odds nonetheless.

Merle was not quiet whatsoever about his distaste for "your kind", and you took quite a great deal of offense to that given you were one of the main members feeding the damn group, as well as making sure all the vehicles were in shape for a speedy getaway.

But anyone who had beef with Merle, had beef with Daryl, no matter how well-founded.

Just then, the head of the decapitated walker groaned back to life, blinking its cloudy eyes with a harsh snarl.

"C'mon, people. What the hell?" Daryl scolded, stepping forward and shooting it in the head. "It's gotta be the brain."

He scoffed, roughly tugging his bolt out its eye before walking off.

"Don't chu know nothin'?"

"Can someone explain to me how the women wound up doin' all the Hattie McDaniel work" Jacqui grumbled, plopping down a hamper of dirty clothes next to the creek.

"The world ended. Didn't you get the memo?" Amy chuckled, dryly.

Carol paused a moment, glancing back at her husband, Ed, who leaned idly against one of the truck beds.

"It's just the way it is," she sighed, setting aside a clean shirt.

"Not how it should be," you scoffed, muffled by the knife between your teeth as you plucked your third goose.

"Well, I do miss my Maytag."

"I miss my Benz... my Satnav," Andrea agreed.

"I miss my coffee maker with that dual-drip filter and built-in grinder, honey," Jacqui groaned, wistfully.

"My computer... and texting," Amy huffed.

You paused a moment, wondering on what pleasure you missed that wasn't readily available.

"Cold beer... maybe my truck," you stated, pulling out another tail feather.

"I miss my vibrator," Andrea blurted, making you snort.

"Oh!" Jacqui smirked, turning to the woman with a knowing look.

"Oh, my God!"

Making sure the coast was clear, Carol looked around, before turning back to the group.

"Me, too."

At that, the lot of women burst into laughter, you included.

Out of all of you—besides Lori and Miranda—Carol was the only one with an actual husband or partner to speak of.

It was a surprise to see she hadn't gotten much recently.

'Never thought people would have trouble puttin' out in the apocalypse...'

"What's so funny?" Ed suddenly chimed, appearing out of nowhere.

"Just swappin' war stories, Ed," Andrea chuckled, riding out her laughter.

But Carol was less amused.

In fact, her face immediately fell the moment she set sights on her husband.

The action sent a spike of anger coursing through your veins, and introduced a certain furrow to your brow.

Ed was a do-nothing, abusive asshole, who was known for putting his hands on Carol, and their young girl, Sophia.

You'd seen the bruises before, and their fearful silence, and you offered more than once to handle the situation for them.

With society collapsed there was no law, and with no law, there was no murder.

And whether it was Ed or goddamn goose made no difference to you.

A carcass was a carcass.

But Carol insisted you stay out if it, and you respected her wishes.

Though... that didn't mean you had to like it.

"There a problem, Ed?" you asked, sharply, as you drew the knife from your mouth, turning to glance at him with an annoyed glare.

"Nothin' that concerns you," he fired back, taking a puff of his cigarette. "And you ought to focus on your work. This ain't no comedy club."

"Oh, yeah? 'Cause I'm lookin' at somethin' real funny right now," you spat, staring him down.

"(y/n)," Carol whispered, sharply.

"Nah, he don't like how his laundry's done, he can do it his damn self."

Rising to your feet, you snatched up a wet pair of pants, tossing it into his chest.

"Go 'head. Feel free to pitch in."

Roughly, he threw it right back, hitting you square in the neck.

"Ain't my job, missy."

You scoffed, eyes widening at his audacity.

"(y/n), don't—"

"What is your job, asshole? Bum around smokin' cigarettes?" you barked, cutting Amy off.

"Well, it sure as hell ain't listenin' to some smart mouth bitch. I tell you that."

"This bitch is makin' sure that yo' fatass fuckin' eats tonight."

"C'mon. Let's go," he ignored you, his orders directed toward Carol.

"Nah, she ain't gotta go anywhere witchu," you denied.

"It's none of your business. Come on, now. You heard me."

Whipping around, you turned to the woman, your eyes softening.

"Carol."

"(y/n), please. It doesn't matter."

"Hey," Ed stepped forward, getting into your face. "Don't think I won't knock you on your ass 'cause you some city-born cooze, all right?"

"Knock who? You wanna settle this, we can settle this right here."

"You don't wanna keep proddin' the bull here, okay? Now I am done talkin'. C'mon."

Lunging forward, he snatched up Carol's arm, getting ready to pull her off.

"No, Carol," Andrea stepped up, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to—"

"She don't havtah what?! I tell you what!"

Ed's hand suddenly whipped up, striking his wife across the face with a harsh slap.

And you took that as the a-okay.

As the women screamed, you flipped around your knife, slashing him across the cheek before shoving him to the ground with the heel of your boot.

"You don't fuckin' touch her!" you shouted, holding your weapon at the ready in case he got back up.

"Cmere!" Shane suddenly appeared, stepping over Ed's body and grabbing him by the shirt before landing a harsh punch on the man's eye.

Gasps echoed throughout the group as he beat on the man mercilessly, slamming hit after hit after hit after hit into his face meat.

Shoulders sinking slightly, you let out a quiet huff, sheathing your knife in the belt loop next to your crowbar as you stepped back to watch the show.

You weren't remorseful in the slightest.

Shane was doing what you'd been dreaming about for the longest.

Though, you could tell that things were going downhill fast as he kept his pace, not letting up as a minute went by.

'Shit.'

"Shane, stop!"

"Stop it!"

"Just stop!"

"Ed!" Carol sobbed, having to be held up by Jacqui and Amy.

"He's limp, man," you sighed, crossing your arms over your chest. "Don't kill 'im in front of his wife."

Pausing a moment, Shane grabbed Ed by the face, leaning in nice and close.

"You put your hands on your wife, your little girl, or anybody else in this camp one more time, I will not stop next time. Do you hear me? Do you hear me?!"

"Yesh..." Ed slurred, barely able to see.

"I'll beat you to death, Ed."

With that, Shane landed one final blow, before finally rising to his feet, sending a swift kick to Ed's stomach before storming off.

"Oh, Ed!" Carol cried, running to her husband's side with tears in her eyes. "Ed, I'm sorry!"

With a sharp huff, you turned to head back to the creek, plopping yourself back down on your rock and picking up your goose.

Shoulders tight, you glared down at the bird, roughly slicing off its down feathers.

'Charity... what a load of bullshit...'

#twd #the walking dead #twd x reder #the walking dead x reader #daryl dixon #daryl #dixon #daryl dixon x reader #daryl x reader #dixon x reader #dvrylgal

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sumicchin · 9 months ago

Text

CHIMES OF THE HEART

❃ a windbreaker (satori nii) reader insert.

CHAPTER 1

Rumor has it that a violent ghost has been plaguing the streets of Makochi. (2.6k words)

content warnings: female reader, mentions of prostitution, let's pretend nothing bad happens after roppo ichiza arc, original characters, swearing, it gets wholesome i swear

"Are you ready to go now, dear?" I feel my caretaker's hands touch my shoulders, light and caring. In front of me was my reflection in the mirror, clad in a white kimono and flower pieces adorning my hair. In the 16 years I've lived, this is the first time I saw myself all dressed up.

It's unfortunate that it had to be for an undesirable occasion.

I let out a small hum, face somber. Hayami, my caretaker since being born into this world, snakes her arms around me while I remain quiet. "If you're worried about us, then there's no need to. We have everything under control," I hear her mutter on my ear. She grasps my shoulders, giving me an earnest smile, "I trust that, you look out for your own."

"You deserve to live an earnest and free life, child."

Footsteps soon pollute the room as men clad in black arrive to escort me. I was to wait in a room alone, soon to meet my 'husband'.

"I wish you all the best. Farewell, my dear."

❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋

My head hung low as I followed them to the banquet hall as was discussed to us a few days ago.

"He'll arrive in a few minutes, stay put."

Unbeknownst to them, we had no plans of actually going through the ceremony.

As soon as the footsteps disappeared, I immediately dashed towards the back exit of the room. Having lived in this shrine for all my life made me aware of the secret passages around, and I wouldn't dare want to know why those were around.

The passage leads to the nearby river where a boat near the docks was placed by Hayami. I rushed towards it, not looking back.

I paddled fast, my mind in a haze, thinking of what could have become of everyone after knowing I escaped.

I can't let their sacrifice go to waste...

Hours passed, my arms tired from paddling nonstop as I couldn't waste a single moment. I just know that they're hot on my trail, I couldn't risk stopping.

Clouds started forming, and soon waves started accumulating. Just my luck.

We didn't anticipate a huge storm today. All I could do is hold my breath as I see a huge wave coming towards my boat.

Images of Hayami's smile before I was escorted flooded my mind.

❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋

It was a rainy day in the neighborhood, but that didn't stop the boys of Bofurin to patrol the town.

The representative first years, except Sugishita who decided to help Umemiya with his saplings, all brought their umbrellas as they walk around town while talking about the most mundane things.

"Who in the hell would even go out in this weather," Sakura groans. As much as he wanted to do something exciting (street brawl, for example), the weather warrants a day for rest.

"We just need to do one more round and we can call it a day," Nirei says with a huff. "I really wanted to take notes about the stuff you guys said earlier, but I don't want to risk getting my notebook wet."

"That would cause great trouble for you, Nirei," Suo agrees. He himself has been quiet the whole trip, too absorbed in the rain's ambience. The five of them have been walking around town for a good hour now, with nothing out of the sort. The most exciting part of the endeavor was probably Kiryu almost breaking Tsugeura's neck after the tall lad sneezed in front of him, Suo thinks.

"If we aren't gonna do something fun, then let's at least talk about something interesting while we finish up!" Tsugeura exclaims. Kiryu on his phone doesn't bother to look up at said buff male, "At least talk about something other than your protein shakes and virtues."

"I agree with Kiryu," Suo says with a hint of distaste.

Tsugeoka laughs, "I'll save those for another day! Right now, I'm feeling pumped to hear scary stories! Doesn't the rainy weather feel gloomy and stuff? Perfect vibe!"

"But didn't you say you're scared shitless of ghosts? You're just gonna make yourself piss," Sakura scoffs.

Tsugeura moves past his group and blocks their path with a determined face, "You guys gotta hear me out for this one!!! My friends from the other street have been talking about this 'White Lady' recently, and apparently, they spotted it just earlier!" He shudders visibly.

Kiryu looks at him disinterested, "Wasn't there a similar incident at the rooftop? It was only a black cloth all along."

"You should stop scaring yourself, Tsugeura. It's bad for the heart," Suo laughs, however, the boy next to him is visibly bothered by the story.

"So it is real...!" Nirei, with bloodshot eyes, starts shaking uncontrollably.

"What's real? And why are you shaking?!" Sakura exclaims. The blonde looks at his peers, face pale as he recalls the rumors, "It's said that the ghost had long hair and was wearing a white kimono. Get close to it and it'll attack, they say!"

A manly scream erupts out of Tsugeura.

"And since it's a ghost, you can't fight back!!! Four men apparently were injured ever since the sightings started!"

Another scream erupts from Tsugeura.

Suo's eyes lit up upon hearing the four men mention, "Oh, you meant the wanted traffickers in the red light district? The Roppo Ichiza would be glad to hear about that."

"At least the women can be at ease now. This ghost might be of help to us," Kiryu adds.

The other three boys in the group all just stared at each other for a moment, but Sakura's interest was piqued as soon as he heard 'fight'. The ghost must be tough to beat up four grown men!

Suo hums with concern, "How did the men come across the ghost anyway?"

"Apparently, if you hear the clanks of wooden sandals—"

Clank. Clank.

"Exactly like that one, it's a telltale sign that the ghost is nearby."

Nirei's train of thoughts stop as he looks towards where his group is gazing at.

Long hair with a white kimono.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Nirei and Tsugeura cry as they hug each other.

"Well, if it isn't the star of the show," Suo says, eyes wide at what he's seeing.

Sakura and Kiryu look at the figure with curiosity, seemingly wanting to approach it.

"Can we be sure that this isn't a real person," Kiryu trails, "That looks awfully...real."

Sakura steps forward, "Only one way to find out."

❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋

Apparently, I survived that storm.

The weather remains gloomy like before, and I assume it's around midnight.

My body feels heavy, my mind is fuzzy, but I had to ignore these and get moving.

I walked until I saw signs of civilization. I was never allowed to go outside of the shrine other than the market, so all I could rely on right now was my intuition and fists.

All the shops were closed, but the street lamps were all lit—they looked beautiful. If I weren't running for my life, I would've basked in this moment for a bit longer.

I needed to get some sustenance and shelter soon, my body has been giving me signs of malfunction.

I walked around a corner and was greeted by four armed men, all huddled together smoking cigarettes.

"That new catch you got is pretty experienced. Exactly the boss' type," I hear one of them say with the rest of the men laughing, saying more vulgar and inappropriate acts.

The mainland has it worse than I thought.

The group of men drop their cigarettes upon looking at the glowing machine in their hands. Apparently, it's past midnight by 10 minutes. Hayami would get angry at me if she knew I stayed up this late.

"Break's over. Let's head back to the bar," a hooded figure says and soon the three other men follow. They walk in my direction and noticed my presence, immediately turning their attention towards me.

"Oh, you there, pretty lady. You tryna catch some guys around this time of the night?"

They laugh.

I just kept walking, ignoring their catcalling. As soon as our paths cross, one of the men grabs my arm and flings me towards them.

His other hand grabs my chin and lifts my face, almost as if inspecting it. A pleased hum erupts from his nicotine reeking face.

"You could make for a fine prostitute."

With all my remaining energy, I send a kick to his abdomen, the man falling to the ground as he clutched his stomach.

"What the—hey! Get this bitch tied up!" All three men charge at me, but they all crumble like a tower of cards.

Four piles of unconscious bodies around me.

"G-ghost!!!"

I heard a woman scream as she runs away, dropping the bag she's carrying from panic.

The people back at the shrine would shun me for stealing, but I'm too starved to think straight. Rummaging through the bag, I come across some leftovers. I nabbed the food and went back to the unconscious bodies, searching for anything useful.

A few coins that can hopefully buy bread or water.

My kimono feels too heavy from all the moisture, but I'd rather endure it than wear clothing that smells like smoke and alcohol.

I ran away as soon as I looted whatever's useful, searching for a place to hide and rest.

Hopefully, tomorrow treats me better.

❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋

"Don't do it, Sakura!" Nirei frets, finger pointing at the white figure. "Who knows what that ghost will do to you!"

"I'm not buying the ghost crap, if I get a hold of that thing, then it ain't a ghost!" Sakura exclaims as he approached the finger, dropping his umbrella in the progress.

"Ah Sakura, didn't you just recover from a cold?" Suo says as he picks up the boy's forgotten umbrella.

"I won't be able to fight with one hand."

'That's cringe,' Kiryu grimaces.

Tsugeura, trembling profusely, can only bid his captain all the luck in the world. "I can't watch this!!!"

"So, you're the ghost everyone's been talking about."

He doesn't get a response.

"Those four men aren't part of our territory, but I can't let you running around our town free," Sakura clenches his fist and runs towards the figure. He strikes a fast punch, only for the figure to step aside and appear behind him. He goes for a kick, but the ghost avoided him once more. This goes on for a while, Sakura barraging the ghost with powerful punches and swift kicks, only for naught.

"Why aren't you fighting back?!"

"Maybe it's because it is a ghost!" Suo replies playfully.

Tsugeura, pale as paper, could only look through his fingers, "Tell me when it's all over!"

"Suo, Kiryu, don't you guys think you could help out Sakura? This is getting nowhere!" Nirei says.

"I want to but, I don't really want to get my clothes wet," Kiryu nonchalantly says, "Plus it's fun to watch from here."

"Same here." Suo chirps.

"Why are you guys so chill about this?! There's some paranormal activity going around and you guys are just treating this like it's some circus act—"

A loud thunk was heard, the boys turned their heads over to Sakura who was now on the floor. While the boys were engaging in playful banter, Sakura was suddenly hit by a powerful kick to the back of his head. The force of it almost resembles Togame's punch, he thinks.

The rest of the boys come to his aid, with Nirei acting as his clutch as he catches his breath.

Sakura heaves, "That's no ghost, it's human just like us."

"Fuck, I thought I could handle it myself, but I'll be needing your guy's help. The only objective right now is to capture that thing so it doesn't cause trouble for the town." He's not exactly sure if he's supposed to make a villain out of the mysterious person, but it's better safe than sorry. Before his face got plummeted to the ground, he swore to himself that he was able to clutch the figure's right ankle, cold to the touch.

Everyone nods in agreement, understanding the assignment. By this point, their umbrellas all dance on the floor as they prepare to catch their target.

"I'll overcome my fear for the townspeople's sake!" Tsugeura roars, taking his stance.

He charges towards the figure and tries to go in for a grab, but he ends up catching air.

Suo and Kiryu now taking the whole situation seriously follow suit and try to get near the figure with haste. Kiryu tries to corner the figure, but it starts to use the wall as leverage and makes a run to escape. Suo notices this and was able to predict the person's landing, only for his shoulder to be stepped on.

Their target soon makes its escape, not even allowing the boys to regain their composure.

Nirei, who was watching by the sidelines, was able to discern which direction the figure went and relayed this information to his Bofurin peers. They decided to assimilate it in their group chat as well to make the task easier.

Highschoolers hunting for a 'ghost' in the middle of a downpour made headlines that day.

❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋

The students of Bofurin all get word of the hunt. Needless to say, everyone was joining for the hell of it.

"So you're telling me, this ghost is not actually a ghost?" Umemiya says, slightly disappointed. His hope of meeting the occult, shattered. Everyone sweats a drop at their leader's statement, except Sugishita who reflected the same feeling of disappointment. Students who were available that day all gathered at Furin's rooftop, to which the crops and seedlings all glistened at having been watered by mother nature. All grade captains and the four kings were present, indicating the severity of the situation.

Or that they didn't really have anything going on for the day.

"Anything else we need to know about the target?" Hiragi asks the first year boys, to which Nirei perks up.

"U-uhm, I was watching the whole time so I think I got a good look at them. Other than the long hair and tattered white kimono, height-wise I think they're about my size," he nervously says, flipping pages of his notebook. "Sakura also said that the skin was cold as ice due to being exposed to the rain for days. I don't think the target could've gone far after our encounter with it since they might've been suffering from hypothermia by now!"

'So he was jotting down details the entire time...how diligent,' Suo thought to himself, acting like a proud father.

Everyone takes in the information and is about to head downstairs until Kiryuu's voice reaches everyone, halting their steps. "I don't want to get ahead of myself, but are we sure the target isn't a girl or something? I mean, I know a girl when I see one. Don't you agree, Suo?"

Leonardo DiCaprio nodded his head with a smile, "I thought so as well, but I was afraid Sakura would hold back once he heard about it."

Cueu steam coming out of said boy's ears.

"If that's the case, then let's proceed with caution everyone! Don't act like savages if you come across the girl," Tsubaki suggests with Umeyama agreeing. "Make sure to keep communication open once she's on sight so that everyone can close down the area."

Needless to say, Tsubaki was worried ever since Kiryuu and Suo suggested that they were to capture a girl.

"Are y'all done with the chitchat? If we don't move our asses then we can kiss goodbye to the whole thing," Kaji interrupts, already looking impatient and raring to go.

"Welp, you heard the man. Bofurin, roll out!"

winbre brainrot real ;-;

#windbreaker x reader #wind breaker x reader #wind breaker

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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 year ago

Text

Stellantis wants to make scabbing woke

I'm coming to Minneapolis! Oct 15: Presenting The Internet Con at Moon Palace Books. Oct 16: Keynoting the 26th ACM Conference On Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing.

I know, I know, it's weird when the worst people you know are right, even when they're right for the wrong reasons: like, the "Intelligence Community" is genuinely terrible, pharma companies are murderous crooks, and Big Tech really does have a dangerous grip on public debate. The swivel-eyed loons have a point, is what I'm saying:

https://locusmag.com/2023/05/commentary-cory-doctorow-the-swivel-eyed-loons-have-a-point/

When conspiratorialists and reactionaries holler about how the FBI are dirty-tricking creeps who are framing Trump, it's tempting to say, "well, if Trumpists hate the FBI, then I will love the FBI. Who cares about COINTELPRO and what they did to Martin Luther King?"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI%E2%80%93King_suicide_letter

It's a process called "schizmogenesis": forming new group identity beliefs based on saying the opposite of what your enemies say, and as tempting as that is, it's extraordinarily foolish and dangerous:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/12/18/schizmogenesis/

It means that canny reactionaries like Steve Bannon can trick you into taking any position merely by taking the opposite one. Bannon's followers are even more easily led, so it's easy for him to convince them that we have always been at war with Oceania. The right has created an entire mirror world of "I know you are but what am I?" politics.

Anti-vax co-opts "bodily autonomy." Climate denial becomes environmentalism ("wind turbines kill birds"). Transphobia becomes feminism ("keep women-only spaces for real women"). Support for strongmen becomes anti-imperialism ("don't feed the war machine in Ukraine"). These are the doppelgangers Naomi Klein warns us against:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/05/not-that-naomi/#if-the-naomi-be-klein-youre-doing-just-fine

The far right has even managed to co-opt anti-corporate rhetoric. Culture warriors rail against "woke capitalism," insisting that when big businesses take socially progressive positions, it's just empty "virtue signalling." And you know what? They've got a point. Partially.

As with all mirror-world politics, the anti-woke-capitalism shuck is designed to convince low-information right-wing pismires into buying "anti-woke pillows" and demanding the right to pay junk fees to "own the libs":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/04/owning-the-libs/#swiper-no-swiping

But woke capitalism is bullshit. Corporations – profit-maximizing immortal transhuman colony organisms that view workers and customers as inconvenient gut-flora – do not care about social justice. They don't care about anything, except for minimizing compensation for workers while maximizing the risk those workers bear; and locking in and gouging customers for products that are as low-quality as can be profitably sold.

Take DEI, a favored target of the right. It's undoubtably true that diversity, inclusion and equity initiatives have made some inroads on correcting bias in hiring decisions, with the result that companies get better employees who would have been excluded without this explicit corrective.

However, corporations don't value DEI because they abhor their history of hiring bias. Instead, DEI is how corporate management demonstrates to workers that their grievances are best addressed by trusting corporate leadership to correct their error of their ways – and not by forming a union.

Before the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935, corporations would create fake "Company Unions" whose leadership were beholden to the company executives. These were decoy unions: they looked and sounded like unions, but when they negotiated with management, they were actually working for the bosses, not the workers.

This is more mirror-world tactics. They're the labor equivalent of the "crisis pregnancy centers" that masquerade as abortion clinics in order to fool pregnant people and trap them with endless delays until it's too late to terminate their pregnancies. Company unions get workers to trust in negotiators who are secretly working for the bosses, who emerge from the bargaining table with one-sided, abusive contracts and insist that this is the best deal workers can hope for.

Company unions were outlawed 90 years ago, and for decades, labor had a seat at the table, with wages tracking productivity gains and workers getting protection for discrimination, unsafe labor conditions, and wage-theft. Then came the neoliberal turn, and 40 years of wage stagnation, increased inequality, and corporate rule.

Anything that can't go on forever will eventually stop. Finally, finally, we have reached a turning point in labor, with public approval for unions at levels not seen since the Carter administration and thousands of strikes and protests breaking out across the country:

https://striketracker.ilr.cornell.edu/

It's not just the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA, either. For the first time in history, the UAW is striking against all the major automakers, and they are winning:

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/10/striking-uaw-workers-win-key-battery-plant-concession-from-general-motors/

The automakers are getting desperate. Stellantis – Chrysler's latest alias, reflecting the company's absorbtion into corporate-human-centipede of global carmakers – has mobilized its DEI programs, trying to get marginalized people to believe that scabbing is a liberatory activity:

https://theintercept.com/2023/10/10/uaw-auto-strike-stellantis/

Stellantis calls each of its DEI silos a "Business Resource Group" (BRG): there's a "Working Parents Network," an "African Ancestry Network," "Asians Connected Together," a "DiverseAbilities Network," a "Gay & Lesbian Alliance" and more:

https://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com/2021/07/20/business-resource-groups-drive-inclusion-and-diversity/

The corporate managers who lead these BRGs have established a scab rotation for each subgroup, calling on members to cross a UAW picket-line at a Michigan Parts Distribution Center run by Stellantis subsidiary Mopar:

Each BRG will pick a specific day of the week/weekend to volunteer as a team. Help continue to be the RESOURCE the BUSINESS can count on! Stellantis needs your help in running the Parts Distribution Centers (PDC) to ensure a steady supply of parts to our customers while negotiations continue. Working Parents Network has identified Friday, October 13 as WPN’s BRG Day at the PDCs!"

Now, these BRGs weren't invented by marginalized workers facing discrimination in the workplace. They come from literal union-busting playbooks produced by giant "union avoidance" firms that charge bosses millions for advice on skirting – or breaking – the law to keep workplace democracy at bay. All the biggest anti-union consultancies love BRGs, from Littler Mendelson to Jackson Lewis. IRI Strategies touts BRGs as a way to "union-proof" a business by absorbing workers' grievances in a decoy committee that will let them feel listened to.

BRGs, in other words, are the Crisis Pregnancy Centers of workplace discrimination. They're a Big Store Con, a company union dressed up as corporate social responsibility.

Now, let's not pretend that unions have a sterling record on race and gender issues. Giant labor organizations like the AFL had to be dragged into racial integration, and trade unions have sometimes been on the wrong side of anti-immigration panics:

https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1997/summer/american-labor-movement.html

But unions have also been the most reliable way for people of color and women to win better workplace treatment. The struggle for racial and gender justice was fought through labor organizing. Remember that MLK's "I've Been To the Mountaintop" speech was given in support of striking sanitation workers in Memphis:

https://www.afscme.org/about/history/mlk/mountaintop

Black organizers have always been militant labor organizers. Labor Day commemorates the victory of the long, hard-fought Pullman strike, where Black workers brought one of the most powerful companies in America to its knees:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pullman_Strike

And women have always fought for gender justice through the labor movement: the New York shirtwaist strike is the Ur-example, when women-led unions fought thugs and scabs on icy New York streets:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_shirtwaist_strike_of_1909

It's no surprise that labor activism, anti-racism and feminism go together. Since the earliest days, the labor justice struggle was also a social justice struggle. To learn more check out Kim Kelly's Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Fight-Like-Hell/Kim-Kelly/9781982171063

The most exploited, underpaid, and abused workers in America are also the most marginalized (duh).

From nurses:

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/kaiser-healthcare-union-says-week-long-strike-possible-early-next-month-2023-10-09/

To teachers:

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-04-18/l-a-teachers-win-21-wage-increase-in-new-lausd-contract

To Amazon warehouse workers:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Labor_Union

To publishing assistants:

https://apnews.com/article/harpercollins-union-strike-ends-0a94238718879066d9b21af6266be526

To baristas:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/29/business/starbucks-union-wages/index.html

To fast-food workers:

https://www.ufcw.org/about/

The vanguard of today's labor surge is Black, brown, female and queer. Without a union, workers who face discrimination are on their own, hoping that their bosses will voluntarily do something about it. Black workers in Tesla's rabidly anti-union shops face vicious racism, from slurs to threats to violence. Without a union, they have to rely on the shifting whims of an Apartheid emerald mine space-Karen for relief, or hope for help from the NLRB or a class-action lawyer:

https://apnews.com/article/tesla-racism-black-lawsuit-class-action-21c88bddf60eca702560be58429495de

The far right isn't wrong when they holler that woke capitalism is bullshit. As with so many of their mirror-world causes, they've got a point, but only a limited one. The problem with woke capitalism is that it's no substitute for a union. The problem with relying on Business Resource Groups to fight racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia is that these struggles are all class struggles, and a BRG is never going to fight against the company that created it.

To understand how bankrupt woke capitalism is, conside this: Stellantis is calling on its "Working Parents Network" to scab this Friday. Stellantis is also being sanctioned by the Department Of Labor for discriminating against nursing mothers – the same "working parents" that the BRG is meant to protect:

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/02/08/investigation-finds-stellantis-violated-rights-of-nursing-mothers-at-sterling-heights-plant/

Woke capitalism is just another kind of "predatory inclusion," like Intuit's campaign defending its "Free File" tax-prep scam, where they're claiming that ending this ripoff is racist because it denies Black families the right to be tricked into paying for something they are entitled to get for free:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/27/predatory-inclusion/#equal-opportunity-scammers

When I learned about Intuit's wokewashing, I thought I'd found woke capitalism's rock bottom, but I was wrong. Stellantis's call for woke scabbing is a new low.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/11/equal-opportunity-class-war/#inclusive-scabbing

My next novel is The Lost Cause, a hopeful novel of the climate emergency. Amazon won't sell the audiobook, so I made my own and I'm pre-selling it on Kickstarter!

#pluralistic #race #gender #uaw #stellantis #gm #general motors #woke capitalism #wokewashing #strikes #labor #liberalism #company unions

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notmorbid · 4 months ago

Text

kaikeyi.

dialogue prompts from kaikeyi: a novel by vaishnavi patel.

a girl needs her mother.

if the gods are good, how could they lie?

the gods do what they must.

i doubt that my mother even likes me.

would you like to hear a story? i have a new one for you.

____ didn't even say goodbye.

so long as nobody learns the truth, it does not matter.

anything in this room is yours to know.

what are you doing up?

you can come and find me, if you would like. if you are ever lonely.

the stories were not frightening enough.

i am so glad you were with me.

i want to be able to protect myself.

does it always feel this way?

it is laudable that you want to help.

i want to have power over myself.

you do not need to prove yourself to anyone.

there are other ways to be strong.

can i not be strong in many ways?

shall we race?

you're too serious all the time.

you don't have to notice everything on your own. that's why you have me.

what will you give me if i win?

you always try to shrink into the shadows.

false vows are worse than worrisome truths.

i don't want anyone else to know.

i always assumed i would have more time to prepare.

you cannot stay here forever.

you have a fine head on your shoulders.

none of us have a real choice.

if you want power, you have to take it.

you are no ____ of mine.

my choices were my own.

your happiness is one of the most important matters i can think of.

everything i say comes out completely wrong.

there's something alive about this place.

where did you learn to _____ like that?

you are very kind, and not at all what i expected.

if you can't fight, run.

between you and me, there should be no secrets.

are you afraid of me? is that why you lied?

i hope you learn to answer my questions directly one day.

it would be in your best interest to trust me.

i didn't realize i had company.

it seems i cannot escape you.

you should have helped me.

why are you laughing?

anybody would have done the same.

this is my burden to bear.

you need not worry any longer.

you did not deserve to suffer.

why would such a great god care about such a small thing?

are you a witch?

you don't have a wicked bone in your body.

i won't always be here to protect you.

i hope you are taking care of yourself.

i think i understand a bit, now. how you must have felt.

i just want to make sure my family is safe.

looking out for one's family is a virtue.

who can you trust, if not your mother?

whatever you tell me will stay between us alone.

i always knew the gods disliked me particularly.

my piety is in short supply, these days.

you must learn to listen and decide for yourself.

what would i do without you?

war is not something to wish for. it destroys people.

rulers have to be wise, as well as strong.

it would be very boring for you to know every detail of my life.

we were not as stealthy as we hoped.

have you nowhere more important to be?

nobody will be angry for anything you say here.

the future cannot be taught by the past.

no one person can know everything. not even you.

i've heard all the names that people call me.

we all must learn to accept what we do not like.

i need to hear you say it.

have we grown dull with age?

i'm not angry with you. i'm angry with myself for letting you think that.

you can be someone beyond your loyalty, and you should be.

if you want more, you should not be afraid to ask.

i see you looking at me. i am not blind.

if you leave me here, i will follow, so you might as well just bring me now.

what happened? i had the strangest dream.

you have exceeded my wildest dreams for you.

what other choice do i have?

if it makes you sad, we don't have to go.

i suppose this is all very new for you.

are you still in pain?

i would like to tell you my side of it, if you wish to hear it.

i thought about you every day.

why would you be sorry? none of this was your fault.

have you the strength to stand?

you should not worry about old stories.

you are so young. you have so much time ahead of you.

if possible, you look lovelier than ever.

i tried my hardest to be like you.

i know much less about ____ than i thought.

i only wanted to show you the truth of this world.

you are not infallible. nobody is.

i have hope, not certainty.

why do you mistrust me so?

you cannot frighten me anymore.

you have grown used to getting your way, but that does not make your way right.

____ has a lot of interesting stories about you.

it is time, and i am ready. do not be alarmed.

i will always love you more and seek to protect you first.

hear me when i say you are not protecting me.

it is not weak to avoid war. it is the strongest thing you could do, to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.

i think i will never be enough for you.

how has so much changed in the span of one night?

you can say anything you want to me.

would you love me if i did something terrible?

you threaten people because you feel a lack of control.

you see only what you wish to see, in order to keep your life comfortable.

no matter what is said about you, remember that you did the right thing.

those who are good question themselves. those who are good always wonder if there was a better way, that would have helped more and hurt less.

this will be terrible, but you are strong. you can make it through.

i do not need them to like me any longer.

you are no ____ of mine.

i do not deserve friends like you.

you truly are the best of us.

my mind is my own. that is all i have left.

everyone else was right about you, and i was a fool.

there is no need to be a martyr.

not everything is about you.

you did your best. i know you did.

everyone i care for, i hurt. every time i try to help, i make things worse.

i have a strange sense that this has happened before.

i thought i would never hear your voice again.

i should have listened to you.

i promise i will make you proud.

#rp meme #rp memes #sentence starters #ask memes #inbox memes #ask meme #fantasy meme #historical meme #families #action

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spireofdeceit · 11 days ago

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I'll just make a half coherent post so I don't have to haunted by it for another week. I'll reiterate ideas about beasts I've been saying here and there, in it's own post.

As of now, the story with the beasts and ancients is nearly the best Devsisters have worked with. Weirdly, they took a very popular trope of a good guy having an evil version of them, and then. Understood the assignment. With some misses, but mostly hits, Beast Yeast has been an absolute banger, and I've got a lot of excitement for the story I didn't think I'd ever have for cookie run again.

So. As of right now, with Shadow Milk's chapter conclusion, we have a quite solid pattern of writing Beasts and the conflict with the Ancients. Instead of dancing around it, I'll just bullet point what seems to be the main themes:

Mortality and immortality: Beasts were made into immortality, ancients were not. That leads to fundamentally different experience that either party had. Unlike ancients, who earned their immortality (then godhood), Beasts ARE gods who were unable to understand cookies they were made to serve.

Nihilism and hopefullness: Beasts had lost their hope in cookiekind, falling into bitterness, hatred and despair. It is a sign of being unable to cope with very human, mortal experiences (loss, conflict, desires, greed, love), unlike Ancients who had lived, loved, lost, grew, and who will not lose their hope for people and the better future and will keep fighting for it.

From the above comes out the point I'm gonna call I WAS DESTINED TO LOVEHATE YOU: Beasts believe that Ancients genuinely stole part of their power, instead of being punished for going rogue on their purpose from the witches. BUT. Beasts believe the Ancients are just foolish for standing with their beliefs, as Beasts have seen the truth, the reality of things, they """understand""" that Ancients virtues are futile - and they WANT to change their mind, get them on their side or destroy them in the process, prove them wrong. Whether you want to admit it or not, they're factory made narrative foils who were destined to understand each other like nobody else, but never going along on the same path, see ⬆️.

I HATE MY FOLLOWERS: Beasts do not care for their followers as much as followers care/worship their beasts. Re: Nutmeg Tiger is a general upholding a status quo based on strength and authority, believing in Burning Spice representing her worldview; however, Burning Spice does not care for neither her, nor the wild spices, or the showmanship of power; Candy Apple and Black Sapphire find entertainment in trickery, rumors, lies that hurt people, for which Shadow Milk, actually, doesn't care that much - what Shadow Milk wants ultimately is a perfect world where lies and truths cannot be told apart, BECAUSE cookies lie, because truth hurts, because he hates Knowing; as far as his henchmen can entertain him, they are the kinds of people that made him "open his eyes" to the cookies "true" nature.

Friendship: Beasts, I don't think, actually were ever friends. Part of a pantheon, sure, but not comrades the way you imagine friends to be. Ancients met, got to know each other, care for each other, and that care is being used against them (especially in case of White Lily and Dark Enchantress being used as a mockery of their friendship). Beasts who may have cared for something before, have not actually experienced actual real friendship.

As of right now these are the main things that seem to be consistent with the Beasts, and I'm looking forward to how true it stands in the future.

I'll put my Silent Salt and Eternal Sugar speculations and ramblings below.

So, most of us agree Eternal Sugar is the next beast, right?

ES had a virtue of Happiness that turned into Sloth, and Hollyberry will be opposing her, with her Passion. It's very interesting concept to play around, her unyielding love and trust in people, her protectiveness.

In one of my nuked forever to be lost posts I've considered the idea of Eternal Sugar being based on Dionysus, and as of rn I still Sorta stand by it, telling what Exact inspiration for her is is hard. She kinda looks like a Muse to me, too.

Possibility is, Happiness is very often borderlining with exhaustion, overexposure to things that make you happy Can ruin your life, whether it's food, hobbies, people, too much of it will hurt you in one way or another if it's all you focus your life on - no good thing can be eternal. But what if you just keep trying anyway? Never stop the happiness? Turn it into a fatigue?

Keep getting sweets until you can no longer take it. You can have as much sugar as you like, never ever ever stop it, be happy, stay, don't move.

It can come to the point of not bothering at all. Happiness is in sloth.

Why would you bother with saving anyone, Hollyberry cookie? Don't you see they're happy in their fatigue? If they stay, no danger comes to them. Stop trying. Give up. Just rest.

As for ES followers, we can get a cookie themed around hedonism, not saying no to your wishes, persuading our heros to give in to their desires. Maybe some cookie based off of greek myth, a Titan, that would be neat. The point I expect is for them to be unapologetically unbothered and enabling ES's spiral like the rest of the followers do.

As for Silent Salt, I had my assumption on some myth but I don't remember what it was. I remember it was a nordic god. Their virtue of Solidarity was turned into Silence, which is incredibly scary and exciting. They oppose White Lily's Freedom.

I have high hope for them to have a connection to Shadow Milk in a bit of a more meaningful way than the rest of the beasts do with each other. The matching theme of a knight and a jester generally just kind of tracks.

I think it's interesting the way Solidarity and Freedom seems to often correlate, but that's not the case.

My assumption is that Silent Salt was a warrior that stood for the interests of the people, for peace and righteousness and justice, solving conflicts among cookies that couldn't solve them on their own. Why it turned into Silence, I wonder.

Could be the fact that you will never please everyone, there will be betrayals, back stabbers, liars. Can you truly stand along with someone for a common goal, can you truly find a common ground with someone when you feel like your needs are going ignored.

How it could tie into Shadow Milk - is Silent Salt, perhaps, realizing the futility of their purpose, perhaps they know the ultimate purpose of cookies, and found it too overbearing to ever care for the cookiekind wellbeing. To Shadow Milk speaking too much, Silent Salt prefers to not at all.

Can't tell exactly what their perfect world could be. Probably a barren wasteland, or cookies hiding and never coming out - not to be eaten by witches, or be stroke by Silent Salts sword.

White Lily cookie found the truth that turned her into a grieving, bitter, furious monster. You could argue Dark Enchatress is White Lily's own beast form, separated from her. There could be speculation on how full White Lily feels as a person without that hatred and grief that Dark Enchantress took. But White Lily ends up being the bearer of guilt, overbearing, eldritch horror of Knowing - and how really free is she now, and if she dares to speak, how many people will stand with her in Solidarity? How many are standing with Dark Enchatress? And what that Freedom her half is fighting for has brought? Pain. Loss. Bitterness.

You are fighting for a world unachievable. Your beliefs are futile, and you have done nothing but bring misery to the cookiekind you claim to love by fighting.

Stay quiet. Let the knowledge be your own burden to bear.

Silent Salt I reallyyyyy struggle to imagine having any followers. Any epics we get on that event could probably be on the side of the heroes. Maybe ONE of them who knows their ways around the land of Silent Salt, but that's all.

#cr posting #cookie run #this got super rambly im eepyyyyy

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pinescent-and-gingerbread · 6 months ago

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This is just a question, not counting oc's, who do you think would be the best girlfriend for Arthur? Do you think it could be Mary Linton, Mary-Beth, Sadie or Charlotte Balfour? You can also mention Charles ^^

In my opinion, I love the story Arthur had with Mary, but with Charlotte he was so sweet; I don't see him with Sadie (especially since she still has Jake very much in mind) and I think Mary-Beth looks better with Kieran (although I feel that she did have a crush on Arthur but he respected her because of the age difference, I mean he was 36 and she was 21.)

But what do you think about all this? Who do you think could have been the perfect pair for Arthur in canon? <3

Hi Crystal! Sorry I didn't answer your question sooner! Here is my very long rambling about this.

My reasoning is as follows; Arthur needs someone who can see the best in him as he usually can't see it in himself. Someone who could bring him up and find virtues in him he can't see. I think he would also need some physical affection and someone able to calm him down when his bitterness or angriness wins the better of him. Most of all, I think he expects loyalty from his s/o, and if not unconditional love, a serious relationship at least, maybe a deeper connection at best.

With all this in mind, my first choice would be Charles. I know Arthur isn't canonically bi but you said I could mention him so here we are. There is a reason why this ship is so popular in the fandom: Arthur and Charles definitely have a deep chemistry. The thing that struck me the most about them was the immaculate respect they have for each other, and their trust is beyond any level! Never once does Arthur suspects Charles to be the rat, never once does his opinion of him flattens; Arthur cares about him, is interested in his story, in his wellbeing... Charles definitely is one of the few who sees the good man Arthur can be, who sees beyond his tough facade and "dumb brute enforcer" role. Charles is also a quiet and very calm man; I think his natural demeanor could really match Arthur's more anxious way of thinking and heated actions.

Mary-Beth is a very sweet girl, I like her character but she doesn't strike me as the perfect match for our outlaw. We know she doesn't believe Arthur is a cold-hearted killer and he takes the time to talk with him at camp, so it's a plus, but it ends there imo.

Same goes for Sadie; her loyalty and the trust they share is very meaningful for Arthur. What bothers me is that we don't see Sadie before her loss. During the game, she's a changed woman; even in the epilogue. Losing her husband clearly has impacted her and I think she wasn't that cruel/impulsive before. To me she's really good in the role of Arthur's best friend/sister. She's a bit too much like him, more as a reflection of himself (both share losses from loved ones, both are very action-based and brave, both can be impulsive and brutal).

Charlotte is an interesting one to think about. I love her missions and how Arthur is helping her without judging her life choices (you want to live on your own in the middle of nowhere knowing you would probably die from starvation to honor your dead husband? Okay, I'll show ya how to hunt). I think she could fit pretty well considering her loyalty, her determination, courage, and sweet personality; but we don't have a lot of material to work with, sadly.

Finally, I know Mary has a lot of haters around the fandom but I'm definitely not one of them. She, like Charles, is one of the only ones who saw the good in Arthur, and probably one of the first ones in his life, ever. From what we can see in the missions and understand from their relationship, I see her as a caring and devoted lover even though she had to end their relationship. Arthur is a criminal but she didn't see him as just that. Until the very end, she wanted to believe in his better self, and to me it's one of the most important things: Mary was there to bring out the good in Arthur and lead him to a better path. We sadly know he chose not to follow it, but Mary was still there after all this time, trying to make a better version of him, and save him from this circle of violence he's stuck in. Mary will remain imo, even though their story is tragic, one of the best choices for Arthur.

NB. These are my personal opinions! I'm not claiming that it's absolutely true, feel free to disagree and argue with me!

#charthur fan here #also mary supporter here #arthur morgan #ask #pine ask #pine is talking way too much once again

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trans-bastard-dude · 22 days ago

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the other day i had an interesting conversation with my trans gal friend. i had a dysphoria breakdown on a call while she was doing something to feel euphoric. and those were likely connected. but in the weirdest way possible imo.

when you are raised as a girl, there will always be a constant: the idea that men are lustful trash who only want your body. whether you were called a temptress for wearing a sundress that was a bit to short for your mother’s liking or you were told by every man and woman you were related to that men are gross and bad and to stay away from them, you kinda had a way to connect those dots. and when you realize you’re a guy, shit gets a lil weird.

i will say i’m speaking for myself here and from what i’ve learned to see stuff as, but since no experience is original this has probably been felt by others. sometimes i think about all the times ive been told men are bad, not to trust them, not to date, that they’re smelly and awful and all those types of things in one way or another and i think that im going to turn into that. whether or not i do, idk, but still. it feels like femininity, despite all the baggage that comes with it is seen as a more positive quality. caring, nurturing, friendly, clean, beautiful, emotionally intelligent these are all things i’ve learned to associate with femininity and things i see the idea of that perpetuated.

but masculinity, even the traits men are “supposed to have” i just… i see them and i can’t help but feel like there’s no way to win. on the bad end we have violent, angry, overly lustful, emotionally unavailable, messy, kinda helpless in terms of chores, so on and so fourth, but the thing is, kinda unlike femininity where the bads mismatch with the goods (ie, gold digging, vindictive, crazy, etc), the goods of masculinity kinda follow the same pattern as the bads almost. like, men are supposed to be assertive, not show much emotion, have the wife do the chores, initiate and dominate someone for sexual stuff, etc. and then we get into other stuff like the high extremes, men want people for their bodies, men want someone else to do the chores, men suck, men are unhygienic, we what i’m getting at?

it feels like i, as a trans dude have 2 options, i can suffer with the angelic, caring halo femininity is made out to be, or i can live freely as the demon anyone with an ounce of masculinity has been told to be.

i am stuck in the weirdest possible place of thinking i can either be a horrible dude by virtue of being a dude or a girl and hate my life.

#trans #transgender #transmasc #trans men

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citrinekay · 10 months ago

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hi this is very random, but i was wondering if you're up for sharing any recs (regarding kdramas)? i am an absolute blank canvas, you can influence me into any direction you desire!

Hi, anon! I'm ALWAYS happy to chat about kdramas, so not random at all 💖 I will preface this rec list by saying that, in my opinion, there are two types of kdrama-enjoyers: people like me who love crime/thriller/mystery dramas, and people who like the romance/comedy dramas that most people think of when they imagine kdramas. I will also say that I'm fairly dedicated to particular actors, and since I'm a busy person, I usually only watch dramas based on actors I know I like or recommendations from trusted friends. There's so many that I haven't watched that I'm sure a superb! With that being said, here are my top favorites:

Beyond Evil: My gateway drug to kdramas. This show grabbed a hold of me and wouldn't let go for almost 2 years. It's a mystery/thriller set in a smalltown where a serial killer has been on the loose for 20 years. Rookie detective (and nepotism hire by virtue of his father being highly ranked in the KNPA) Han Joowon arrives in town with strong conviction that he knows who the real killer is - Lee Dongsik, also a cop, who was accused of killing his sister 20 years ago but was released due to lack of evidence. A shining example of "opposites attract" and an evolving relationship arc that is almost unparalleled

The Worst of Evil: My gateway drug to Ji Changwook. A crime noir drama set in the 90s. In order to infiltrate a 3-way drug trade involving China, Japan, and Korea, rural cop Park Junmo goes undercover as the cousin of gangleader Jung Gicheul's deceased best friend. Crisis immediately strikes when it's revealed that Junmo's wife, Euijeong (also a cop), was the childhood sweetheart of Jung Gicheul. The married couple become further and further entangled in the gang's operations and with the enigmatic Gicheul as the undercover operation veers from one crisis to the next, until by the end, they are both asking themselves, "Can we go back to who we were before?"

D.P. (Deserter Pursuit): This drama follows An Junho through his enlistment in Korea's mandatory military service, his introduction to the D.P. unit, which tracks down military deserters, and his fight to expose the corruption, hazing, and abuse within the military. By his side is his partner, Han Hoyeol, a much more reluctant hero who is nevertheless dedicated to protecting Junho at all costs. Another great example of "opposites attract"! But be forewarned, as adorable as this pair is at the start, this series will force you to look at some very uncomfortable aspects of human nature and society and ask you some tough questions that might make you shed more than a few tears

If You Wish Upon Me: My second favorite drama from Ji Changwook and completely underrated, if you ask me. A lonely and suicidal ex-convict is sent to a hospice care facility in order to complete community service. The employees of the hospice operate a program that tries to fulfill the last wishes of their dying patients. To Gyeore's surprise, he finds a group of people who welcome him despite his flaws and slowly but surely make him a part of their little family. Another series that will definitely make you cry more than once! One of my favorite parts of this drama was the romance. Unlike a lot of kdramas, it depicts a man who appears to be tough and willing to fight on the surface but is actually traumatized, powerless, and trapped in an abusive relationship that the FL helps him to escape.

Bad and Crazy: How to describe this drama?? It's a quirky, wild ride that will have you asking "what the fuck?" while also keeping you glued to the screen wanting to know what happens next. Under most circumstances, my suspension of disbelief would have collapsed after the first episode but somehow this drama kept me engaged from start to finish. In simple terms, it's a story about corrupt cop Ryu Suyeol, who has a split personality, K, that is determined to kick his ass until he becomes the righteous hero he dreamed of growing up to be as a child.

Hotel Del Luna: A fantasy drama about a 1,000's year old immortal being, Jang Manwol, who runs a "hotel" for the dead. It's her responsibility to resolve the unfulfilled desires of those who have passed so that they can continue onto the afterlife in peace without becoming vengeful spirits. Young hotelier Koo Chansung is drafted against his will to serve as the hotel's mortal manager when the former manager passes away. While it's Manwol's job to resolve grudges for the dead, she herself holds the biggest grudge of all that's keeping her tied to the hotel indefinitely. Neither she nor Chansung know it at the beginning, but Chansung will be instrumental in helping her move on from her painful past. 10/10 will also make you cry (are you sensing a pattern here?)

Empress Ki: Don't let the whopping 51 episode count of this epic period drama deter you! I watched most of it within 2 weeks and could not pull myself away. It's loosely based on the true story of Ki Seungnyang, a palace slave from Koryo turned empress, who captures the heart of Emperor Toghon of the Yuan Dynasty, which has control over Koryo during this time period. Toghon as been a puppet king abused by the regent for most of his life until Nyang empowers him to reclaim his authority, and in turn, claims a great deal of influence for herself. I've seen a good deal of dissent from other viewers over Toghon and Nyang's relationship, but for me, it was the most compelling thing about the show. No matter how toxic, co-dependent, and fucked up things get between them, they just can't leave each other to the wolves.

Bloodhounds: Set during the COVID-19 pandemic, this drama criticizes the government's response to the economic crisis and the resulting explosion of debt capitalized on by the loansharking business in Korea. Boxers and former Marines Kim Gunwoo and Hong Woojin meet during a match and quickly become fast friends. When Gunwoo's mother is tricked into signing an exploitative contract by a loanshark in order to save her struggling cafe, the pair team up with Mr. Choi, a former loanshark himself who has turned his business around to helping victims of loansharking get out of debt. (The last 2 episodes of this show weren't up to par in my opinion, due to a last-minute rewrite for reasons you can look up online, but overall, I enjoyed the hell out of this drama and adored Gunwoo and Woojin from start to finish. Oh and good news, it's just been renewed for season 2!)

The Guest: A priest, a psychic, and a cop team up to stop a powerful demon called Park Il-do, which has visited tragedy on each of them in different ways. I'm wary of the over-used "linked in childhood" trope that comes up often in kdramas but this drama did it in such a believable and satisfying way. I loved the main trio and their dedication to protecting and helping each other and never letting any one of their group go into danger alone Not to mention that this drama will keep your adrenaline pumping from beginning to end! (You might not believe this but ........ this final episode of this drama made me sob like a baby)

Honorable Mentions include:

Strangers From Hell (Lee Dongwook and Im Siwan), Link: Eat, Love Kill (Yeo Jingoo and Moon Gayoung), Welcome to Samdalri (Ji Changwook and Shin Hyesun), The Devil Judge (Ji Sung and Jinyoung), Unicorn (Shin Hakyun), and The Sound of Magic (Ji Changwook and Choi Sungeun)

#ask #kdrama #kdrama recommendations #beyond evil #the worst of evil #d.p. netflix #empress ki #bad and crazy #bloodhounds #hotel del luna

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star--nymph · 2 months ago

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Eurydice isn't a good person. Eurydice isn't a good leader either. Eurydice doesn't believe in serving the people because the people didn't put her in this position for any other reason than to use her. It is a slightly worse position for her to be in than Keeper but at least if she had become the Keeper, she would have worked for the benefit of her clan.

Eurydice never liked being the First but she did it out a sense of duty and her love for the people, even if the people didn't trust her to be in that position of power.

But being the Inquisitor is different because Eurydice's personhood doesn't matter in this sense. The inner circle can talk about her virtues all that went but when it comes down to it, Eurydice is an authoritarian in her approach--she is strict, she works through fear and punishment, she makes herself unknowable and untouchable to her subjects. Her greatest asset is the anchor and if they could cut it off, and follow that, then they would. Eurydice isn't anything, she's just a figure head but at least a pretty enough figure head for them to follow

and Eury makes her judgements based purely on survivable and necessity. She let Alexius live because he was logically more useful than dead. She killed Erimond because he was annoying to keep alive. She let Ruth live because it was pointless to kill her or send her away, so here have public humiliation to sate your self flagellation and leave me alone. She put Samson in the deepest hole she could find because he carved her face and took her eye and wanted him to suffer as long as possible before he died.

Eurydice conscripted the mages because they proved to her they couldn't be trusted to make their own decisions. She did the same for the Grey Wardens. What others have decided was kindness is mistaken; Eurydice rules by chaining their fractions to her and yanking hard when they fall out of line.

She picks Briala because 1. Elf. and 2. Because logically who would be more likely to answer her call: the shems who murder her people or one of her own, no matter how shen culture has separated them?

Eurydice tortures. She measures her agents in their logical usefulness.

The choice for Divine was probably the most emotional of her choices: she gave it to Vivienne because she loves Vivienne. She doesn't care about shemling politics otherwise.

Eurydice's not a good person. She's a survivalist first; she's repeatedly thinking of ways to abandoned the Inquisition. You think the Exalted Council was the first time she tried to disband it? No, it was just the first time it worked.

I really can not express enough that the choices Eurydice might make on paper sounds like the "good" choices, the lawful nice choices but her reasoning and how she uses them isn't for the greater good. Eurydice mourns the lives lost at the Western Approach but only for Inquisition soldiers and even then there's a level of 'well they decided to do that'.

It's just interesting to watch out play out because yes they work, they work well and for a lot of people that's enough but Eurydice doesn't value life for a long time. She doesn't care about until Trespasser where she says she'll save the world but she's mostly doing that for the survival of HER people, HER family, HER children, HER lover, HER friends, and the world and animals she loves. If she didn't have those things, would she have cared to stop Solas?

I don't think so. I think she would have become an audience to the end of the world. A ambiguous hag who watched the history of the world play out from her cave in the forest, and only asked Solas why he was taking such a long time to do it.

#eurydice lavellan #writing #Eurydice is interesting and fun and empathic but she's just not a good person #she loves who she loves #she feels them so intensely #and she's kind when she wants to be #mostly to animals and children #but beside that what does it matter #why should she care

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marvelstars · 1 year ago

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Nuance in Star Wars

There is some tendency in a lot of fandoms but also the SW fandom in particular that holds this belief that you can´t support "morally wrong characters because they reflect on your own morality" something I believe is really absurd not just because you can´t judge a person by the cartoons/movies/series they like but also because fiction itself doesn´t work that way, in fiction characters ARE supposed to have virtues and flaws, no matter if their actions are morally wrong or right and in a story like the prequel trilogy of star wars, which is supposed to be a tragedy and tragedies are all about fatal flaws, is practically a requeriment for the characters to be flawed, because something seriously went wrong to get the story to the way things were in A New Hope.

The Jedi Order was well meaning, were loyal to strong principles and tried their best during the prequel trilogy but they also grew arrogant in their possition of power after being unchallanged for centuries to the point they believed their own counsel that the sith were erradicated over evidence staring right at them in TPM and often they were compromised by senate politics, something the Sith used agaisn´t them to get their revenge on them and manipulated things in a way that made the Jedi complicit in supporting slave soldiers, the fact they didn´t even notice they did this says volumes because the soldiers were needed so it was neccesary and they were the "guardians of peace and justice" after all.

Obi-Wan was a model Jedi of the old jedi order, he genuinely loved being a Jedi, help people, follow the code and he is a great warrior but this fact also assured he didn´t know how to handle a student like Anakin, a former slave not raised at the temple, who believed in doing something out of compassion not just an abstract idea of good which Obi-Wan mistakenly took to meant Anakin didn´t care for justice or abstract concepts, he did, "he believed the biggest problem in the galaxy was that no one helps each other" so he was convinced he could be the one who could help but given Anakin grew up a slave on Tatooine, Anakin learned you can have the best principles in the world like the republic or Jedi did and yet not put them in practice to a real effect, see the republic ignoring slavery in the outer rim or leaving his mother behind because he was supposed to become a jedi without "attachments"

So principles don´t matter much if they don´t help to make the life of those subjected to them better in a real way, not just an abstract one and he called this compassion- unlimited love. Obi-Wan then teached Anakin to follow orders even or especially if they went agaisn´t Anakin´s povs because Obi-Wan thought Anakin´s main beliefs were wrong just like later he believed Luke´s beliefs were wrong, the difference being that he no longer had a hold over Luke like he did with Anakin. The result was that Anakin went from being someone sure of himself, strong willed and compassionate to become someone constantly doubting himself, expecting direction, becoming angry for not getting things done, Obi-Wan didn´t train Anakin to develop his own discerniment of right and wrong like Yoda did with Luke, this is why Obi-Wan said in the OT he didn´t train Anakin as well as Yoda did.

Vader and Anakin are the same person, they drive star wars as a narrative but they are the same person on very different mental spaces, ultimately Anakin is the person who believed he could change the system, save everyone else affected negatively by it and do so in a virtuos heroic manner if he was strong enough and had enough compassion and love in himself but he progressively not only stopped trusting his own sense of right and good, he believed power was more neccesary than love because power could get things done, he allowed others to tell him what he was supposed to think or do and began developing a growing anger over his apparent betrayal of everything good he ever wanted to do for those dear to him(leaving his mother which resulted in her death) but also the galaxy(Not being able to free the slaves and later slaving himself to Palpatine).

Vader is the pessimist, nihilist Anakin who got convinced in the end there is no changing the system, jedi and sith are equally corrupt, the end justifies the means, he will never stop being a slave, you only can join the system and control it to do your own thing, you can´t save anyone, just try to keep them alive a little bit more and ironically Vader in his distant and cold judment with no apparent attachments, see him attacking Ahsoka and Luke out of duty or emotions driving his character, resembles way more the Jedi the old order expected Anakin to be than Anakin himself ever did because the Jedi never appreciated the honest good, compassion and love Anakin had within himself, the good Padme and Luke saw in him that saved the galaxy or the Jedi saw it as the incorrect way to do things so Anakin broke himself into trying to fit their mold until he became an emotionally distant half machine sith who destroyed the Jedi Order for the greater good of keeping his love alive and the republic/empire in one piece and the Jedi were acceptable sacrifices. This on itself is a tragedy.

The main difference between the good guys of the PT anf the OT is that OT character are not blind to their own flaws but they approach them in a day to day basis and don´t allow those flaws to change the person they were, always having hope they can get a better tomorrow with love and sacrifice. Luke and Leia didn´t love Han because he was flawless but because he showed them they could trust him to keep them safe and care for more than his own interest.

Star wars indeed is a story for kids with puppets but this doesnt mean it didn´t have nuances in their characters and we truly can´t call any character there flawless but that´s the point of the story. It isn´t about being flawless it´s about trying to do the good thing despite all the mistakes you have made along the way and all the flaws you may have and that never is too late to come back if you truly want to.

#anakin skywalker #star wars #obi wan kenobi critical #jedi order critical #darth vader #fandom critical #sw meta

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vatyrie-avaris · 11 months ago

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OC background

tagged by @thetavolution and finally getting around to it lol

art by @darpart

B A S I C S

Full name: Vatyrie Viceroy Avaris

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Pansexual

Pronouns: He/Him

O T H E R

Family: -> Father: Orias Avaris -> Mother: Ishtar Glasyus Avaris -> Older Brother: Darius -> Older Sister: Bedelia

Birthplace: Demi-devil citystate of Azaroth just south of the Firesteap Mountains in the Shaaran Desert

Job: currently - Ranger/Sellsword; past - courtesan; noble

Phobias: Thalassophobia

Guilty pleasures: Indulging in an occasional smoke, preferably of an Infernal variety. Tobacco/drugs of that variety are difficult to come by outside of hell-influenced areas, so he saves what he finds for rare occasions. Also he loves good strong coffee.

Hobbies: Alchemy and herbalism, climbing and acrobatics, petty theft, music (listening mostly, playing/singing on rare occasions), archery

M O R A L S

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral, usually good leaning

Sins: Greed, so lots of theft and stinginess. Growing up a noble made him very haughty and manipulative, but that has toned down now. He is still cocky and sarcastic. Disingenuous and distrusting due to past trauma. Oh, also murder.

Virtues: He is protective and encouraging of those few he does get close to. He is witty, charming, and playful at his best, and his skills make him insightful, meticulous (when he can focus), and discreet.

T H I S O R T H A T

Introvert / Extrovert

Organized / Disorganized

Close-minded / Open-minded

Calm / Anxious / Restless

Disagreeable / Agreeable / In between

Cautious / Reckless / In between

Patient / Impatient / In between

Outspoken / Reserved / In between

Leader / Follower / Flexible

Empathetic / Unempathetic / In between

Optimist / Pessimist / Realist

Traditional / Modern / In between

Hard-working / Lazy

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

OTP: Vatyrie/Astarion. Playing through bg3, I was shocked at how well their stories foil each other. Both have a core desire for freedom and want to be loved/cared for but fear suffering for it. I could go on all day with the two of them

Acceptable Ships: I think he could bond well with Wyll as well, if Wyll was willing (or wylling) to put in the work to build his trust and show him the benefits of selfless heroicness. Other people's OCs are also cool with me, if you think he's a good match!

Brotp: -> Karlach reminds him of his sister and once they get close, they get along like a house on fire (a bit too apt of a metaphor lol). -> He also loves gossiping with Shadowheart, and appreciates her private yet sometimes goofy nature. -> And of course, Astarion is a best friend who he finds fun, relatable, and talented.

Notp: He might not work in a relationship with everyone (very few actually) but he could comfortably have a sexual relationship with just about anyone. At heart, he is a very tactile and affectionate person, and sex is more of a hobby/fun pass-time to him (love making/emotional intimacy is more sacred to him). Only thing I can think would be The Emperor, because there is so much suspicion and distrust and anger at the manipulation and of being someone's tool again.

Tagging: @soundofcomets, @mellybaggins, @foxtrickster13 If yall would like to do so (no pressure of course)

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selunesdreams · 11 months ago

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Forms of Imprisonment: Godless

“There’s no mandatory waiting period between suffering and enjoying yourself.”

Smut excerpt from Ch. 17 of Forms of Imprisonment. Full chapter/story on AO3.

Pairing: Astarion x OFC (post-tadpole)

Word count: ~2k

Warnings: 18+, smut, piv, oral, religious shame?, sacrilege kink (if you squint), rough-ish, dirty talk, cumplay, Astarion keeps his clothes (mostly) on during sex, slight fluff?/preexisting relationship stuff, brief mentions of violence, part of a series (but readable without context)

Astarion reaches for her, tilting her chin to meet his gaze. “Are you alright?”

She averts her eyes. “I’m fine.”

“The question was a courtesy. You’re obviously not.” He says. “You’ve been betrayed by someone you once cared for…” he pauses. “And I think you would have enjoyed watching me rip him to shreds. Does that scare you? Are you ashamed of yourself?”

“I said I wanted to go-”

Astarion draws her face closer and she can see his jaw tense, his stare unwavering. “Because you shouldn’t be.”

She glances around them through her peripheral, his touch still lingering under her chin. People pass them on the road, but no one seems to notice. Down the street, the lights of Sharess’ Caress illuminate the area in a faint yellow glow.

“If I’ve learned anything, it’s that there are no rewards for good behavior, my dear.” He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and cups her cheek with his hand. “Don’t be ashamed of the darkest parts of you. You owe no penance here. Not with me.”

She pulls back, appraising him. “How do you do it? You’re not tormented by the pains of virtue.”

He holds her face in his hands. “Even if that were true, I would never want that for you. Your damned virtue, annoying as it may be, is what makes someone like me have a sliver of hope they could ever trust another soul.”

“I don’t want to be good. I didn’t ask for any of this - to be Selûne’s granddaughter, to lose my family, a religion I didn’t choose. My identity will never be my own.” Tears brim along her waterline and Astarion frowns, moving to stroke her cheek. She swallows hard and forces herself to regain composure. “I’m tired.” She croaks.

He casts her a rare, sympathetic look and entwines his fingers in hers. “I know, my dear. I know.”

Wordlessly, they weave through the streets of Rivington back to the Elfsong. Celeste is relieved their friends haven’t caught up - she doesn’t want to explain herself to anyone right now. They fall into step near Wyrm’s Rock before Astarion speaks again.

“You’re not all innocence and purity, you know.” Astarion says. Her hand drops from his and she wraps her arms around herself. “You told me of your little Sharran assassinations and I saw all the carrion you left at the cloister. If it’s a dangerous reputation you’re after, you’re doing alright.” Astarion notices her shiver and shrugs off his cloak, wrapping it around her as they walk. “I shouldn’t have underestimated you.”

Celeste draws the cloak around herself tightly. “What you saw at the House of Grief was sheer luck. I didn’t do that on my own.” She absentmindedly toys with her necklace.

Astarion’s attention follows her movement and lingers at the base of her throat, the pulse of her neck beating visibly. His throat burns with want and he clears it to displace his thirst. “Lucky we found that family heirloom, then.”

Celeste snorts bitterly and lets the pendant fall from her fingers. “You have no idea.”

Astarion cocks his head. “Well, regardless of where the credit is due, I was quite taken with your work.”

“Now is hardly the time, Astarion.”

“Because you’re not in the mood, or because you’d feel bad about it? There’s no mandatory waiting period between suffering and enjoying yourself.” His tone is empathetic, but there’s a seductive edge to it.

Celeste makes a small hum of appreciation. “Not the worst advice you’ve given.”

Astarion leans down to whisper in her ear. “Didn’t you just say you don’t want to be good anymore?”

She considers his words as they step inside the Elfsong. The tavern is lively tonight, a bard’s lute ringing across the room as patrons dance and drink and stumble into corners, pressed against temporary lovers. Astarion appreciates the debauchery for a moment before offering his hand. “Come, darling.” She places her fingers into his palm and he leads her up the stairs. The music from the tavern pounds rhythmically into the wooden floors. It reverberates through her, a satisfying thud echoing each beat of her heart.

Their rooms are empty, though Astarion isn’t sure how much distance is between them and their friends. “Not here.” He guides her to the private room down the hall. A single candle burns on the bedside table, the balcony is wide open, curtains catching in the breeze. “Surely it’s our turn in the rotation.” He shuts the door behind him and pins her to the wall, looking down at her as if he were hunting prey.

“I’ll be the devil, if that suits you, darling...” He murmurs into her neck. “Let me show you what it is to be godless.”

His lips catch hers hungrily. She presses her hips against him in response and a whine betrays his controlled demeanor. He tugs at the straps of her clothes, bringing the entirety of her leather one-piece to the floor. Astarion leads her across the room and shoves her on the bed, removing her undergarments in a fluid, impatient motion.

Bracing himself, he stares at her naked form appreciatively before sliding two fingers into her wet cunt, curling them upwards and bending down to let his tongue explore her in a languid stroke, never taking his eyes from her. She arches her back in surprise, grinding herself against him as he begins to lap at her and fuck her with his fingers.

“Greedy.” He teases, before his mouth returns to her.

She rests her lips against her forearm, burying a cry of pleasure in her throat. Astarion tracks every movement with his red irises, letting a moan reverberate against her to coax a stronger reaction. His imposing, fully clothed figure arches towards her as he drops to his knees and throws one of her legs over his shoulder. Her breath catches and she looks down at him, the faint portrait of his satisfaction gently illuminated.

Celeste’s will crumbles in minutes and the borders of her vision begin to darken and pulsate as she climaxes. Astarion doesn’t stop until she whimpers, pushing against him as if trying to escape. He sucks on his fingers after removing them, still gazing at her from his knees before standing.

“We’re not finished. Not yet.” His fangs glimmer in the light as he smiles, his hands moving to his trousers. His gaze is locked with hers as he undoes the clasp. They fall to his thighs, letting her see all of his intent.

Her breath hitches in anticipation and he drags her closer by her hips, lining himself up with her. Celeste clings to the fabric of his shirt, burying her face in his neck as he drives himself to the hilt of her, teasing at first, then progressively becoming more rough. Astarion lets one hand wander to palm her breast, kissing her reverently.

“I think I might have been made to ruin you, Celeste.” He purrs as he thrusts in and out of her, fucking her roughly with eyes full of sinister devotion. Her stomach throbs with anticipation and she whines for him to keep going. An impatient knock at the door morphs Astarion’s groan of pleasure into one of frustration.

“There’s over a dozen other beds in the next room that will suit you just fine!” He snarls at the door before clamping a hand against Celeste’s mouth as he ruts into her, using his free hand to draw circles around her clit.

“Pardon the interruption.” He pants into her open mouth with a smirk, feeling the slick of her seep from his cock onto his fingers as he thrusts. “Gods, look at you. You don’t have to worry one bit about a good reputation with me, love.”

She tightens around him in response to his taunting, her muffled cries reverberating against his palm. Astarion’s speech becomes less and less coherent, replacing his hand on her mouth with a frenzied kiss, a deep growl escaping his throat.

Celeste whimpers, clawing at his shirt as he sends her over the edge. Astarion grits his teeth, sucking in air before releasing a hum of pleasure against her lips as he spills himself in her. He continues working in slow strokes long past their orgasms until neither of them can bear it. She goes still on the sheets and he finally halts, shuddering against her.

“Hells.” He braces himself against the mattress, panting against her shoulder as he pulls himself out of her. His fingers drift to where his spill mixes with her own arousal, teasing the mess he’s made until she whimpers a surrender. “I don’t think anyone else will want the bed tonight.” He devours a look of feigned disapproval from her face with a long, rough kiss before pushing off of her and readjusting himself inside of his trousers.

Astarion walks towards the balcony overlooking the street. He leans over the railing on his forearms, hands clasped together loosely. One ankle crosses over the other behind him, a delicate balance, his form like a painting. His features are neutral, contemplative. To anyone else, he might seem at ease, but Celeste can almost see him turning over something in his mind. She gives him a moment before tentatively reaching for his cloak near her pile of discarded clothes, drawing it around her naked body and padding across the room to join him.

Sensing her approach, the corners of his mouth twitch upwards and he whirls and brings her close, a thumb brushing against her cheek. He presses his forehead against hers and releases a slow exhale before he meets her gaze under lowered eyelids.

“Now who’s overthinking?” She asks. In response, his lips crush against her in a lingering kiss, smiling against her mouth when he pulls away, assessing with amusement.

Astarion hums a bit and his lip twitches. “Well, aren’t you cheeky?” He opens his arms invitingly, and she lays her head on his chest, looking off in the distance.

“You’re very important to me, Astarion.”

“I do like it when you say things like that.” He wraps his arms possessively around her waist as he speaks.

“Careful, or you might give me the impression you’re in love.”

“Would that be so terrible?” He releases her, but doesn’t move away.

“I didn’t mean it that way. I didn’t think-”

“What did you think?” His tone is suddenly cold, almost challenging. “What went through that pretty head of yours when you said that?”

“Astarion, not tonight.” She pleads.

“When is a more convenient time for you, Celeste? Would it really come as a shock if I were in love with you? Because I am…” He searches her eyes, hesitant. “…in love. With you.”

Celeste takes a step back, the emotions swirling within her.

“What, did you think I was just using you for sex?” He asks bitterly.

“So much has happened, I just thought...” She trails off, filled with a mix of regret and confusion.

“Thought I was just using you,” he finishes, his voice going quiet again.

“What of the night on the boat? When you said we were two people enjoying one another’s company? What was I supposed to take away from that?”

“And we did, enjoy it. That’s... the truth, but...” he sighs, and takes her hand, letting his fingers trail against her thumb. “Maybe that was just me trying to convince myself that’s all it was. But…things have changed. This is more than that now…for me.”

“Astarion… I just need a moment to process…”

“Take all the time you need,” Astarion replies, dropping her hand. “Keep the room for the night. I’ll see myself out.”

“Astarion - wait, please,” Celeste pleads, as he stumbles out of the room. The door slams shut, leaving her stunned and alone. The events of the evening overwhelming her thoughts, Celeste curls into a ball on top of the sheets with his cloak draped over her, a single sob escaping her before she forbids herself to cry another second about any of it. The candle on the nightstand fizzles out, leaving her with nothing but darkness.

Leaning with his back against the other side of the door, Astarion runs a hand through his hair. “Damnit,” he mutters under his breath.

Hope you enjoyed! Please like/reblog/kudos/follow/whatever if you did? Full chapter/story on AO3!

#astarion smut #Astarion #astarion fic #astarion fanfic #bg3 astarion #baldurs gate oc #smut #baldurs gate astarion #forms of imprisonment #formsofimprisonment

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