#hes less trusting which tracks with what happened previously

[penderbend]

going back to s3 malevolent and good LORD this shit is so good. forgot how absolutely insane it is. easily my fav season (though i do love me my medieval jaunts) this just has something mixed in it thats so damn captivating

[itsonlybaby]

𐙚ᣟ݂﹒𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 - 𝐣. 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐲﹒

◜♡﹒﹒𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭﹒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭﹒𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

wasnt sure if you wanted smut so if you do just send another req and ill gladly make a pt 2, tysm for the request!

John Murphy - Dropship

꒰ ୨୧ ꒱ ⸝⸝ Murphy was always protective of you, so when he thought Jasper sparked an interest in you- he was quick to shut it down. ﹒ 　 ⊹ 　⤷ cw: sfw, kissing

Being an engineer meant I had to be around Monty and Jasper whether I liked it or not- and I did like it, they were my first two friends on the ground. Other than Murphy.

Murphy and I had been friends on the Ark before we got incriminated, he was my best friend. We always did everything together. Stealing, pranking, once even blasting music through the intercoms. I always smiled at the memories, they were the only good ones I made on the Ark.

I'd like to think Murphy was still my friend, but most of his old self had been glossed over with the new ego of being Bellamy's 'second in command' as they called it. I think Bellamy knows more than half of these people trust Murphy, or well they did. Bellamy could've been easily taken over without the title, now that people were more afraid of Murphy given his recent history.

What happened to 'whatever the hell we want'?

With Murphy playing leader, I was left with Monty and Jasper. I enjoyed their company greatly- as weird as they were. Out of the two, Jasper and I had been the closest, though, I knew nobody could take the 'best friend' title away from Monty. Not that I was shooting for it, anyway. I had my own things to worry about, things most people in this camp couldn't care less about; Murphy.

I was sitting by the campfire next to Jasper and Monty, it was a cold day, the sun was resting behind grey clouds and only peeking through every now and then. Jasper must've noticed how my nose turned color because he unraveled himself from the jacket that was previously hiding his lanky body and wrapped it around my shoulders.

I smiled at his gesture, not knowing a certain someone was looking, "Thanks, Jasp."

Jasper gave me a warm smile in return, "You need it more than me," While the gesture was sweet, he in fact needed it more. The fire didn't look like it was helping anybody.

"Have you guys seen Murphy?" I muttered. I had been meaning to talk with him and catch up on how he's been. I missed our small talks. With him playing leader he's been too 'busy'.

Monty's eyes began trailing something behind me, "Walking into the dropship, why?"

It took me a few seconds to get what he said, the coldness from before melting away as I hurriedly handed Jasper his jacket back and left- leaving them questioning.

My demeanor appeared nervous, I wasn't sure how he viewed me anymore with his new act. We hadn't sat down and talked since we landed, I was sure he had already forgotten about me. But you don't know until you try, right?

Moving past the red tarp we used as a door I saw no sight of Murphy, I was about to give up when I heard a loud slam from the level above. It had to of been Murphy.

I swiftly made my way up the ladder and pushed open the hatch with a loud grunt.

"Murphy?" I asked as I stood up and dusted my hands off.

"Look who it is." A voice came from behind me, his tone was full of annoyance. I wasn't sure if the annoyance was towards me.

"This was a bad idea." I said, heading towards the hatch.

Murphy sighed and threw his head back, "Bored of flirting with Jasper?"

His sentence made me stop in my tracks, no way he thought that, right? He couldn't possibly think me and Jasper were more than friends, no offense Jasper. I felt anger bubbling in my chest as my face conformed to one of confusion as I tried to think of how he could've possibly came to that conclusion.

He took my silence as a sign to explain, "Where's his jacket?" The dots seemed to finally connect, he was jealous of Jasper.

Murphy was jealous of Jasper?!

No offense Jasper.

A wave of relief hit my body as I let out an exaggerated exhale, which only seemed to annoy Murphy further. I was relieved that's the only thing he was frustrated with, I'd never expected to see Murphy jealous over somebody interacting with me. I knew he was protective but I didn't think he was that protective.

"Me and Jasper are just friends, Murph," I said, my shivering hands going unnoticed by me.

"Friends don't sit that close, I see you guys talking like all the time," Murphy expressed, his brows furrowing as his voice grew more stern. He started walking closer to me and I took a few steps back, my back hitting the cold metal wall which sent shivers down my body.

"What're you doing?" I ask, my voice wavering.

"What I should've done a long time ago," Murphy's hands reached for my cheeks, the warmth of his palms engulfing them as his lips met mine.

I was shocked but I wasn't planning on moving away, I swore Murphy could've heard how fast my heart was beating. After a few seconds, my eyes fluttered shut and I leaned into the kiss, bringing my arms up around his neck only pushing him in more.

His body was flat against mine, the closeness brought a nice warmth to my body. His lips felt rough against mine and his nose fit cozy next to my nose.

I didn't have any thoughts, my mind went blank, and the only thing I was thinking about was how good Murphy tasted. My hands ran through his hair and his fingers ran across my jawline. Murphy was the first to pull away, leaving me feeling a sense of loss and emptiness- already missing the way his lips felt.

Murphy smirked almost like he sensed how I felt, he leaned into my neck and began sucking, leaving traces of him all over my neck. I gasped out at the feeling, but I didn't complain, I wanted people to know I was Murphy's.

After a while, Murphy finally felt satisfied with the amount of markings he made, not that I could see.

"Now everyone will know who you belong to," He gave me his classic shit-eating grin, clearly feeling full of himself as he admired the hickeys he left.

"Shut up," I said with a smile.

"Make me," He said, shrugging off his jacket and placing it into my hands, "Next time, just ask."

His fingers trailed along my jawline again, stopping at my chin and swiftly pulling me into another quick kiss, causing me to form a blush on my cheeks.

I was his.

◜♡﹒﹒𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭﹒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭﹒𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

˖ㅤㅤ۫ㅤ ˚ ۪˓ @ taglist. ৎ ᐟ ۫

@yokolesbianism @itzdarling

[l0stfoster]

Hi same anon who asked abt paul (i love him so bad) what are the reactions from the others the first time paul (or marcia/cherry for that matter) gets jumped like, real bad .

Paul Anon (that's what I'm dubbing you now get fucked /silly) the beloved OKAY SO! Giving you some deets on their first jumping & how their closest friends (or in Cherry & Paul's case {Marcia's if you're a Marbit fan} how their partners react) Cherry:

- For Cherry (and Marcia) the initial reaction the gang has is absolute anger and fury. The fact that the girls were attacked just for merely being in/around the presence of the gang and or part of the population that holds power is so infuriating. They're girls, so they're not roughed up as bad as greasers usually are on account of general 60's shit, but it's still not great. - Cherry's is arguably worse between her and Marcia's on account of a psychological impact; she's got rope burns around her wrists due to them being tied to stunt her power and her hair was cut practically up to her ears- both to prevent any magic usage and just for raw humiliation. She's also bruised and beaten a good bit; god knows fights are horrendous. I wouldn't be surprised if they ripped her earrings out, as Bev's the one who leads their jumpings. - Ace loses her absolute fucking SHIT. The only thing restraining her from going nuclear and burning down soc territory in her rage is both the risk of prison and to an extent doing something that drastic would get innocent people hurt. That would make her no better than the socs. It sure as hell doesn't stop her from going wild on the ones she can find, probably gets herself a few nights in the slammer for it. - Recovery is rough all over. They get her a neater haircut but she's shaken for obvious reasons, it probably takes a while before she has the guts to walk around her side of the tracks again.

Marcia:

- Marcia's lack of power means that she's less of a target, but if she gets the sight of her, it's a rougher fight. She can't defend herself all too well, but her jumping is more on the physical aspect as they beat her pretty bad too. Lots of bruises and cuts and her earrings are ripped out too. She probably has a better chance of fighting back because she wasn't automatically restrained, but 1v4 (or more) doesn't go well. - The most impactful thing for her that happens during it is that they destroy the feather she was gifted by Two-Bit. That's quite literally one of the most cherished things she owns, as she values how Two's been willing to interact with her after she'd watched his jumping without trying to stop it. Bev burns it beyond salvaging and Marcia's absolutely destroyed. She could handle the beating, can overcome being sore and pained for days, but having the thing that resembled the trust she'd fought so hard to earn back was devastating. - Two was probably THE most pissed off of the entire gang for Marcia's jumping, not only at how she was hurt but the feather being destroyed is such a blow to him as a Harpy. If he weren't afraid of Bev under the risk of having his wings fucked with again, he'd hunt her down and give her a taste of her own medicine. Cherry and Ace are also super pissed, 'cause the girls gotta stick together, but they don't really match the fury that is a pissy harpy; especially since harpies gang together— Two could've easily had every other greaser harpy on his side if he prompted it. - Recover is obviously just as rough, I wouldn't be surprised if Marcia starts rooming with someone on the east side out of fear of returning to the west side; especially since it's fully known now by other socs that she's powerless despite her association.

Paul:

- Paul is, to put it simply, almost beaten into an early grave. Not only did he previously have the most notoriety of the socs— which made him hanging with greasers a complete slap to the face— but he is also cursed. Another really prominent reason behind his jumping is pretty simple; he’s gay. Society will look at Cherry and Marcia and the socs will go easier on them because they’re girls, but Paul? Paul’s a man, a guy who turned his back on the high society in favor of these pests. - His jumping Is rough all over. They're taunting him throughout, snarking about his sexuality, poking fun at how he can't even fend them off with his magic because not only is he weak, but he's a cursed who can't even do that right. They fuck him up bad; busted ribs, broken nose, and his arms are likely dislocated from them pulling him around hard to tie his hands together so he couldn't use his magic. He's got cuts and bruises galore. I'd go as far enough to say they probably broke an arm or something. I like to imagine they ripped his letterman jacket away from him because he didn't deserve something their kind wore when he was with those freaks now. Honestly, the only reason they stopped was because they couldn't see he was still breathing from the angle they were at, though they killed him, and booked it 💀. If they hadn't, though, they probably would've gone until he did stop. - The only reason he's found is because his familiar trails back to the house and grabs the attention of whoever’s there to get them to come with her, since Paul’s completely knocked out. It’s most likely Soda who finds him since he is arguably the one she likes most of the gang and she’ll gravitate towards him. He’ll follow easily too, since he likes her. It’s very similar to finding Johnny, practically that all over again - Darry is obviously the most pissed, probably the same level of anger he felt after his brother's jumpings and Two’s own. The same people who used to be on Paul’s side of things turning a switch so fast over what? A bit of magic and the fact that he likes dudes? Anger doesn’t even describe it in a way— the fae are territorial, and as far as he’s aware, Paul’s a part of that. He's out for blood; but Paul won't spill names so he's got no specific target. That sure as hell won't stop him from finding out, though. He's just got to behave enough to keep his brothers in his care. - The rest of the gang is a whole mixed bag. Dally doesn’t like Paul but his general response is “It’s deserved but only if I were the one doing it”, so take that as you will. Pony’s petty like Dally but since Darry cares he helps out with patching him up. The rest come to the conclusion that pretty boy here probably needs some watching eyes so he’s stuck with them for a bit. He does NOT know how to respond to it. Pretty much the idea for them is that only they're allowed to fuck with Paul, not the socs. - Paul probably has the easiest (mental) recovery for a few good reasons. It's certainly not his first fight/jumping, and it's not his first time being hurt that badly. There's a reason he's gravitated toward his mom despite her efforts to shove him away.

[greed-the-dorkalicious]

All the discussion around AI lately got me thinking about an incident recently in which a guy got his ass sorely beat by the vocal synth community

For those of you not familiar, “vocal synths” in the electronic music sense typically refers to programs like Vocaloid, SynthV, UTAU, Alter/Ego, DeepVocal, etc., digital instruments that allow composers to create, as the name implies, synthesized vocal tracks. The way they work is that they draw from libraries (referred to as “voicebanks” or VB for short) of special studio recorded* vocal samples from singers singing different syllables at a consistent pitch. The program then splices these together and adjusts the pitch to match whatever notes you put in- You want to do All Star, it’s gonna string together “[suh][m] [buh][di] [wuh][n][s] [tO][ld] [mi]” or something like that. Basically it’s an extremely complicated sampler.

(*unless you’re using UTAU or another build-your-own-vocal program in which the “studio” is only metaphorical, and is sometimes somebody’s basement with a Rockband mic plugged into a laptop.)

Now, there is no threat of vocal synths putting actual singers out of a job. Even the best vocal synths always have a bit of a robotic sound to them, and the voicebanks take hundreds of hours of recording time from you know, actual singers. Any piece made with vocal synths has to be worked by a human hand in a process called “tuning” in order to sound any good, whether you’re trying to make it sound human or leaning into the robotic sound. This isn’t something that’s being done on a corporate scale to cut costs- This is something pretty much exclusively being done by small scale indie music hobbyists because we fucking love Hatsune Miku and her weird buddies. Most folks are less interested in doing something that sounds 1:1 like a human voice and more in going beyond what humans can do to make shit like this

One of the leading vocal synths right now is Synthesizer V (SynthV), created by a company called Dreamtonics. SynthV offers fancier versions of some of its voicebanks, which are called “AI” voicebanks. These use machine learning trained on, again, professionally recorded and legally licensed vocal samples to help make songs sound a little bit more smooth, a little bit more in line with whatever singing style you’re aiming for. Everything else previously mentioned still applies: They’re still painstakingly recorded and programmed, you still need to tweak it yourself to get it to sound just right, and it’s still never going to sound 100% like a human. And that’s fine!

For this next bit y’all are gonna have to trust me because the tweets all got deleted, though if anyone wants I’m happy to pull up screencaps of talking shit about it with other vocal synth folks when it happened lmfao

So basically. Since ChatGPT type grifters have convinced people that “AI” means “magic plagiarism button”, back in April some dipshit NFT guy on Twitter started complaining on an official SynthV update post that SynthV (which he apparently believed to be called “Dreamtonics”, the name of the company that makes it) should allow people to make voicebanks from “their own voice”, insisting that it would be easy and PROFITABLE!™ to do so. He also clearly did not actually mean “their own voice” but rather “the voices of celebrity singers shamelessly lifted without their consent”, which was made extra obvious from a tweet on his own page that was like “Teehee people in monitored Twitter spaces don’t realize their voices are being recorded and fed into AI!” which he then deleted after I linked it on the thread about SynthV. lol.

Dude proceeded to get whupped by actual vocal synth people basically saying shit along the lines of “Yeah we can all tell you just want to commit cheap plagiarism, jackass” and “Dude why are you here when you clearly don’t understand the very very basics of what this software even is” and “Go make an UTAU voicebank if it’s so easy then”. (UTAU being a Japanese freeware program that hasn’t been updated since 2013. Creating an UTAU voicebank is complicated and takes a lot of time and technical knowledge.) He still refused to learn the basics of how vocal synths work, and proceeded to ask if “UTAU or Diff is most compatible with Dreamtonics”, a question absolutely no one could make any sense of? Lol.

Anyway, I don’t have anywhere in particular I’m going with this, I just think AI grifters are morons, and it’s obnoxious how the vague and misleading term “AI” has gotten nigh-mythologized by shady tech companies to the point that people can’t tell the difference between perfectly reasonable assistive technology and magic plagiarism.

Btw, fun fact for anyone who’s wondering, there do in fact exist legally/morally questionable UTAU voicebanks spliced from outside vocals. These are called “jinriki” voicebanks and not only do they take the same amount (if not more) of hard work as any other voicebank, they’re far from the insta-Beyoncé this dude was aiming for, and instead they sound um. like this

[dr-futbol-blog]

The Storm/The Eye, Pt. 2

They start prepping for the coming storm.

Sheppard continues to have perfect trust in McKay. Again note that he's masking it in flippancy; when ever he talks about McKay to other people (and he seems to do that a lot; when you have a crush on someone you naturally want to mention them by name all the time because you are thinking about them all the time, but you try to be smooth about it like it's no big deal), he's downplaying it, he gives off the impression that he both cares for and regards McKay as less than he actually does. He tells Weir: "You know McKay'll come up with something. He's just setting himself up to be a hero."

I discussed McKay's brand of heroism and Sheppard's view of McKay as a hero previously in connection with Hide and Seek (S01E03). Sheppard does actually view McKay as a Big Damn Hero, and while here, talking with Elizabeth, he's making it sound like he's ribbing on McKay and his big ego, he does actually honestly believe those two things: that McKay will save them, and that he is a hero.

The episode lampshades this later:

McKay is frustrated by the fact that everyone seems to be placing finding the solution to the problem squarely on his shoulders which is a lot of pressure to put on one person, no matter how brilliant they may be. He attempts to communicate this, and makes a reference to Superman.

Sheppard is a comic book geek. I mean, we actually see him reading comics in his room multiple times. He, of course, just has to comment on that. He flippantly questions McKay's comment and his tone of voice, again, indicates that he thinks McKay is about as far from Superman as one can be. This sentiment echoes around the room:

The thing is, not only does Sheppard not think that McKay is not a hero, McKay is very much a hero to him. He's just not Superman.

Later on, in Irresponsible (S03E13), an episode that hearkens back to this particular episode as this is where Kolya is introduced and that is where he is killed, the topic of heroes again comes up. Sheppard -- not McKay -- brings up the fact that McKay's hero is Batman:

Like, he brings this up completely unprompted, just throwing out another fact that he just happens to know about McKay. So clearly they've had a conversation about the superheroes of the DCEU at some point (and we do see them discuss Batman in particular a bunch of times). They have a lot of discussions about their shared geeky interests, so that tracks.

So. Sheppard isn't saying that McKay is not a hero here, he's saying that choosing Superman to describe him makes no sense. If he was a DCEU superhero, he'd be Batman. But Sheppard actually thinks that he's more like Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four from Marvel Comics.

Yes, in First Strike (S03E20) Sheppard describes himself as Mr. Fantastic but that is a classic case of projection. Nothing about him is Mr. Fantastic. He even says that McKay is not really like the Human Torch as Teyla complains that she's not invisible (it's actually Sheppard, the person who discovered the cloaking technology of the jumpers and is able to cloak a whole ass city, that is the Invisible Woman).

Mr. Fantastic is a scientist who holds multiple PhDs and frequently uses his mind to save the day, so even if McKay hadn't literally been wearing a Mr. Fantastic T-shirt (in the SG-1 episode Moebius), he would still resemble the character much better than Sheppard ever could. Also, they are having this discussion, initiated by Sheppard, during the bombardment of Atlantis so clearly "situations of certain doom" are exactly the kinds of times that Sheppard wants to debate comic book characters.

So, he's not saying McKay is not a hero, he's wanting to debate comic books because a Batman vs. Superman discussion would be a whole lot less stressful than what they're actually facing right then. He also very obviously noticed that McKay was upset when he first walked in the room, so the intent was probably to cheer him up and lighten the mood by playful teasing. And everyone else's reactions, including Rodney himself who takes offense at this because he has terrible self-esteem, just shows us how differently Sheppard views McKay from everyone else. This very thing is also lampshaded in the episode:

Granted, Zelenka does seem to be on the receiving end of a lot of the more charming sides of McKay's personality, deep down he does have a lot of respect for his colleague and is just airing out some frustration here. But this is not at all true of McKay, even if he actually agrees here that he can be a pretty horrible person.

He is not always like this. With Sheppard, in the past several episodes, we've seen him both want to and try to be a better man.

And it is not that Sheppard doesn't also see this side of him. Even by this episode, we've seen Sheppard hurt by things McKay has said multiple times, even if he didn't really mean it or do it on purpose. Sheppard just accepts the bad with the good.

Ever since Hide and Seek Sheppard has been observing McKay with such a keen eye that he has a pretty good idea of what he's like. It's just that... by this time, he's in love. With the guy that he fully believes should use his brain, not his brawn, to save the day.

Continued in Pt. 3

[whewchilly]

elle beloved do u have any fernando kimi lore. like. what am i missing

do u know what a loaded question this is oh boy buckle up

2014,,,two thousand and fourteen….

Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Scuderia Ferrari has just come out of a pretty hellish season-end, totally dominated by an unhinged blond german speaking red bull golden boy (am I ringing any bells?) their fourth successive failed title challenge despite the spaniard finishing 2nd, by less than 5 points, on 2 of those occasions.

So. 2014. Ferrari retain Fernando and drop Felipe, bringing their most recent WDC Kimi Raikkonen back into the famiglia. I do believe the re-signing of Kimi was a statement by the team and one which upset Fernando greatly, considering he was clear number one driver to Felipe at the time. like the pressure was turning up on nando

Now. on top of that, 2014 was the beginning of a huge sea change in f1, the mercedes domination turbo hybrid era, which introduced the V6 hybrid power units and lower-downforce aerodynamic regs.

so lights out and away we etc etc.

Kimi has an absolute stinker. Like its bad bestie. Across the 2014 season, Fernando outscored Kimi 161 points to 55. and YES, those numbers are tickling my brain too.

This led many upset kimi truthers to do what all good sleuths do. follow the money! and their nose for investigation sniffed them all the way to Santander’s door. the SPANISH (helloooo???!!!???) sponsor of the scuderia. case open and shut. SABOTAGE! clear as day.

((we pay no mind here to the fact that Kimi was adapting to a new team and new regulations, had previously been outscored at Ferrari by Felipe Massa in 2008, that his previous teammate and reference was grosjean, that the 2015 car was far superior to the F14-T, the bank was still a ferrari sponsor or that Kimi went on to be out scored by his next teammate, ze german, 278 points to Kimi’s 150, the following year also and all other consecutive years until 2019)) no matter. we’re wise to them now and if they EVER try that shit again-ANYWAY.

Despite all the background drama, the two drivers maintained a healthy respect for each other but with Fernando fed up of Ferrari and already planing his next move (and pining for Felipe 💔) and Kimi retrospectively… highly likely in the know re: the ink drying on zebastian fettel’s ferrari contract (that damn chatterbox). probably didn’t invest a lot of time into their teammate dynamic but will live forever in my brain as girlbestfriends who slayed those cavallino embalm blazers and, in Kimi’s own words had an “odd” chemistry. <3

“I think one thing you can notice is that you can race with him very closely, as it always was with him. You kind of know what’s going to happen or what was not going to happen so, in that way, yes, it’s different. You get what you expect and, with some other people, you are not so sure. With Alonso you can trust him” – Kimi Raikkonen said, about his on-track battles with the Spanish driver.

[spikemd]

The Blu-Ray Project: Aquaman

My wife and I are watching through every movie we own in alphabetical order, which is truly a weird experience that I've been tracking here. It feels like we've been trapped in the A section forever.

Disclaimer for this movie: I'm not generally a DCU person. I've seen a few of them (like both Wonder Woman films) but otherwise just know the movies through things I've read about them or seen here. All of which is to say that I'm absolutely missing some context from prior films, and there's a chance this would make more sense if I'd seen Justice League.

I was very thrown by the pacing and dialogue of this entire movie. The choice to give all of the backstory in flashbacks repeatedly ground everything to a halt and felt like someone was telling me "this is why that conversation from a minute ago was meaningful and emotional!" There were no moments when I felt the emotional payoff of feeling that something we had previously seen led to what I was now watching. Even Arthur's movement from "I will never be king, I'm just helping prevent war" to "I'm challenging you to be king" happened abruptly with zero explanation for why he changed his mind. And don't get me started on Mantis -- he already hated Aquaman in the first scene (which was hilariously one-sided since Aquaman had no idea who he was), and adding his dad's death just felt gratuitous. Also, less than zero chemistry between Aquaman and Mera. I could not care less about their interactions. In general the film just didn't trust the audience to tolerate any build up -- we went almost immediately from "we're going to fight the surface dwellers" to massive tidal waves, with no time to make it feel tense or ominous. It was so abrupt that I honestly thought it was a dream sequence for far too long.

Visuals were pretty fun for the underwater travel scenes and I was a big fan of the seahorse dragon mounts; the de-aging tech on Arthur's parents was a crime against humanity.

The funniest moment for me was when they traveled down into the trenches and emerged into the Hidden Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth-style. I greatly enjoy the armor aesthetic of "I made this from monsters I fought," but Brittany and I were just giggling because How to Train Your Dragon 2 did it so much better. Also don't show me tiny dinosaurs and then have that not be important.

I do think every movie should include Julie Andrews as a giant sea monster fucking shit up. And the moment the Brine King spoke I was like, "Gimli?!!!"

So many feelings about the mediocrity of this movie. There was so little believable human interaction among anyone that I couldn't even come up with a queer headcanon for anyone. I can't believe I'm going to voluntarily watch the second one.

[metaregress]

umineko noodling part 4

spoilers to the end of part 2 including tea parties

Ok, Episode 2 is in the books. It was interesting overall but yeah like the second tea party mentioned pretty damn one-sided unfortunately. It was interesting though that in quashing Battler so thoroughly she left herself open to Rosa’s doubts. I appreciate that they tried to soften Rosa a bit after her abrupt heel turn, but I don’t think there’s any real saving her. Not that I think that was their intent necessarily; I saw it more as adding context to why she was such a bad mother to Maria, but not necessarily having it offered as an excuse.

Speaking of the tea party, now that Lambdadelta has showed up it occurs to me that she, Bern and Beatrice fit the Timmy/Johnny/Spike rundown from Magic the Gathering surprisingly well. Lambdadelta is the Tammy, believing in her overwhelming power and being surprised when it gets turned against her. Beatrice is Jenny, making ‘incorrect’ moves in the name of winning her way, fixated on the acknowledgement of other people that she got them. Bern is Spike, able to read her opponents well and win with a single well-placed play.

I’m curious what the other witches’ intervention looks like, if it’s even directly acknowledged.

There were a few of the Battler/Beatrice interludes that made it feel like it was just a representation of his subconscious, but I think that was mostly just an illusion created from a mix of poor delineation/definition and Battler being able to follow his own thought process as he watches events play out. One thing that’s interesting to see though is that it seems like he can only see what happens to himself while he’s spectating. I guess Beatrice showing him the magic happening directly would defeat the purpose - and in fact might be impossible due to his complete denial. Early in episode 3 Beatrice’s teacher mentions that magic runs on belief - so his stubborn refusal might actually make him a wellspring of antimagic. And would explain the ‘magic on/off switch’ in Golden Fantasia.

Oh and since I forgot to mention it previously, I enjoyed the anime-ass fight scenes they managed to sneak into a horror/mystery game. Halo energy swords all around! And Genji ascending to his rightful station as battle butler was also fun to see. Maybe he can pop off more later on.

I’ve enjoyed having a few characters as a sub-focus each episode; we got some interesting looks into Natsuhi’s state of mind in the first one, and then got to see more about Jessica, Rosa and Shannon in the second episode.

Oh, also now that belief seems like it’s part of the equation as far as magic goes, I wonder if that ties into the idea of risk in magic. You can believe more strongly in something if it’s uncertain. Your belief has to be more powerful the less likely the outcome is. So if it does happen, it can be considered a miracle or a feat of magic. Which also makes sense for why Lambda’s power is so ridiculously strong since she can manipulate probability, which I assume means she can take huge risks and then cash out. True Timmy stuff.

Oh, Battler can see other stuff sometimes - like meeting Ronove. Guess it’s just a convenience then - makes sense.

Ah and now it’s being used to troll him by showing him the cool anime magic fights, that’s pretty funny. It does create an interesting line of attack for him though - since Beatrice is the one giving him the ability to see things from Purgatory, is the information she’s providing reliable? Or can only the red be trusted? In the same way she can’t just say “I am a witch” because it would create a stalemate, could she not assert “Kanon is a homunculus”?

Oh, I was on the right track. “Virgilia” had to step in and explain that when Battler ‘sees magic’ he’s just seeing Beato’s version of events. So he can fall back on the world’s actual state to make arguments from, regardless of what fever dream he witnesses.

Speaking of seeing magic, I really liked seeing Eva solve the riddle and ascend as Beatrice. I have no idea if there will be lasting consequences, but it was nice to see that arc fulfilled from the beginning of this episode. Like many of the characters, Eva is pretty dark gray on a good day, but her drive to overthrow the arbitrary order of the family succession was moving, and seeing it accomplished was gratifying. I’m curious what implications that has, if any, on the remainder of the episode. And enjoyed Battler and Beato putting their fight aside to appreciate Eva’s efforts.

I wonder what will happen to Beatrice now that she’s ascended to absolute power. If only there were some pithy saying that could predict the results.

This game has me so paranoid now that I think Beato staged her fall from grace to elicit sympathy from Battler based on the Sun and the Nothern Wind hint from Virgilia. So she intentionally provoked Battler after predicting the outcome of Eva receiving her powers. I assume this means she’s also banking on Beatrice not making it to full resurrection.

[olko71]

New Post has been published on All about business online

New Post has been published on https://yaroreviews.info/2023/09/uk-inflation-forecast-to-be-highest-of-advanced-economies

UK inflation forecast to be highest of advanced economies

Getty Images

By Michael Race

Business reporter, BBC News

Prices will rise faster in the UK than any other advanced economy this year, a forecast suggests.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said UK inflation would average 7.2% in 2023.

The think tank said this would be the highest rate in the G7 group, which includes the US, Germany, France, Japan, Canada and Italy.

The government said it was confident it was “on the right track to halve inflation” by the end of 2023.

It added that the OECD’s forecast “illustrates yet again why we need to stick to the plan that we have set out”.

What is the G7?

Why is UK inflation so high?

How much are prices rising for you? Try our calculator

The OECD, a globally recognised think tank, raised its forecast for UK inflation by 0.3 percentage points from its previous estimate for 2023.

At 7.2% it will be higher than in Germany and Italy, which are forecast to have rates of 6.1%, France (5.8%), the US (3.8%), Canada (3.6%) and Japan (3.1%).

The think tank predicts UK inflation will fall to 2.9% in 2024.

‘Bank right to raise interest rates’

The UK’s latest inflation data for August will be released on Wednesday and is predicted to rise from 6.8% to 7%, after falling steadily in recent months.

Clare Lombardelli, chief economist at the OECD, said the UK had “seen slightly higher inflation than previously expected” and that the Bank of England was “taking the right action in raising rates” to tackle it.

The Bank of England has put up rates 14 times since December 2021 and is expected to increase them again on Thursday, from 5.25% to 5.5%.

The economic theory behind this is that it makes it more expensive for people to borrow money, meaning they will have less excess cash to spend, households will buy fewer things and price rises will ease.

But it’s a balancing act as raising rates too aggressively could cause a recession.

The OECD’s economists also reduced their economic growth forecast for the UK for next year, due to pressure on households and businesses from higher interest rates.

The think tank added that economic activity had “already weakened” in the UK due to the “lagged effect on incomes from the large energy price shock in 2022”.

It predicts growth of 0.3% in 2023, the second-weakest among the G7, and growth of 0.8% next year.

Darren Jones, Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury said the OECD’s economic forecasts “show that the Tories are delivering more of the same”.

The prime minister’s official spokesman added that the government was “making significant progress” to slow prices but was “not complacent”.

He added that the OECD’s predictions on economic growth did not take into account recent revisions elsewhere suggesting Britain’s economy had recovered quicker than others from the Covid pandemic.

Forecasts aim to give a guide to what is most likely to happen in the future, but can be incorrect and do change. They are used by businesses to help plan investments, and by governments to guide policy decisions.

Related Topics

Inflation

OECD

GDP

UK economy

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More on this story

Can we trust economic forecasts?

19 November 2022

[commercialcontractorsposts]

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[corishadowfang]

Still thinking about Subject X.  Talking about spoiler stuff for Dark Road under the cut.

tl;dr, Given Nomura’s track record, the ‘Skuld is Subject X’ theory isn’t off the table yet.

So between the Dark Road finale and Nomura’s interview about it, the theory’s looking...pretty bleak.

The scene in Dark Road allows for some wiggle room, but the interview definitely has implications.  And from a story perspective, this would still make sense; Skuld’s pod could’ve easily not taken off, same as Ephemer’s, and Ava’s still a justifiable option for Subject X.

HOWEVER.  Let it be known that I Do Not Trust Nomura.  I have been stuck in Kingdom Hearts Hell since 2005 and have seen things.  And I know this could be exactly what Nomura’s making it sound like--because that’s happened before--but Nomura could still be misleading us--because that’s happened before too.

(I keep thinking about the interview--somewhere around when KHII came out, I think?--where someone was asking about Namine, and how Nomura had previously said there was no connection between her and Kairi, and why the change when KHII came out, and Nomura saying something along the lines of, “I needed to keep it a secret for the sake of the story.  That is to say, I lied.”  But I CANNOT FIND THE INTERVIEW EVER, so if someone CAN find it, please reblog with a link.)

Anyway.  Nomura has been surprisingly cagey about what happened to Skuld, given that we know where everyone else from the UX crew ended up.  Presumably, this is to keep up suspense about who is Subject X.  There are very few options overall for who it could be; those are:

Skuld.  Up until this point was probably the leading option for the theory.  Subject X was stated in the KH3 secret reports to be about 15--which would match up with Skuld’s presumed age--and in Lea’s character file to have black hair.  In addition, her memories amount to four friends and a key, and she says the familiar “May my heart be my guiding key” at the end of her own secret report.  All of this lines up pretty perfectly with Skuld.  In addition, there’s also the ‘sun-moon-stars’ motif she’d have going on with Lea and Isa--and notably, she’s the only one of the options that has that built-in trio connection.

Ava.  Still a viable option, even if there are some things that don’t line up quite as well.  Ava could easily have black hair, since we never see her without her mask and robes; 15 seems a bit young for her, but it’s still possible; and Subject X’s memories would still line up with Ava’s.  Like with Skuld, she’s also the only one of her respective group who we don’t know what happened to.  Luxu would also have a pretty personal motivation to free her (though considering that he also seemed to want to help the Dandelions pretty badly, there’s plenty of justification for him to free Skuld, too).

Strelitzia.  Shakier, given both her appearance in the KHIV trailer and the fact that not all the details line up, but still technically a possibility.  Nomura’s been known to retcon things before, and Subject X could’ve technically ended up in Quadratum after Luxu freed her.  That said, this one I feel like should probably be put aside for now, given that there are other options that work better.

A completely new character.  Not really an exciting option, but still a possible one.  I could see Nomura doing this just to throw people off--maybe it’d be a character from Quadratum!  (Or another Player reincarnation...)  Still, this is less fulfilling from a character standpoint, since the amount of mystery built up would imply this is a character we already know, so while possible, it feels less likely.

Basically, what all this means is that there are technically only four options available, and only really two that make a whole lot of sense.  Logically, Nomura would want to keep information about what happened to those two specifically hidden if he wanted to keep up suspense for the mystery.

Which kind of begs the question: why would we find out specifically what happens to Skuld in Missing-Link if we haven’t had the Subject X reveal yet?  That would defeat the whole point of keeping what happened to her a secret (unless, of course, there’s some weird twist--like more reincarnation nonsense).

Next thing: Nomura might be willing to lie to keep a plot twist a secret, but he doesn’t necessarily have to.  As a writer, you kind of learn how to misdirect people in order to keep a twist...well, a twist.  And the longer you do it, the better you get (theoretically) at handling that misdirection.  We’ve seen this misdirection quite a bit recently.  In UX, when Lauriam showed up, lots of people thought he was Strelitzia’s killer because of his past as Marluxia.  Then Brain had his virus speech, which lined up with what Luxu said in the KHIII secret reports about a virus infiltrating the program, leading everyone to think he was the killer.  And then Nomura tricked us all with Playernort; the scenes chosen still largely work, because the blue-robed figure was in most of the beginning ones, but given the context, it was easy to direct our eye to Xehanort instead.

So let’s talk a little about misdirection and Nomura’s quote up there.  The quote says:

“Xehanort appears with a figure who we assume to be his mother. Is that...Skuld?

Nomura: That is incorrect. However, she is related to Skuld in some way. The next title, Missing-Link, will have “bloodlines” as one of the story's main points.”

“But Cori,” you say, “this was obviously just written this way because he wants to avoid revealing too much about Missing-Link.  It’s clear from context that Skuld’s probably that woman’s great-grandma or predecessor of some sort.”  To which I say--yeah, that’s totally possible.  Nomura really could just be trying to answer the question in a way that avoids saying too much about the stuff in Missing-Link.

However.  I’m also looking at this from a writer’s perspective.  And I know that the main reason you’d do something like this is if the answer isn’t already obvious.  The obvious answer here is “Skuld is Xehanort’s ancestor,” but since when has Nomura ever liked using the obvious answer?  The obvious answer to “who killed Strelitzia?” really seemed like it was Brain for a while, both given his speech and his general suspiciousness, and look how that turned out.  While “bloodlines” obviously implies a blood relation, it could be a relation to a sibling or cousin--or Nomura could have Skuld’s heart connected with the woman/woman’s ancestor, given how much that technically pops up.  (Technically, the “bloodlines” stuff could be a non sequitur, but I wouldn’t really be willing to bet on that.)

The interview itself lends support both ways; Nomura pretty clearly answers that the blue robed figure is the Player, but he also holds back on talking about Eraqus’s blood relations (which also seems to have an obvious answer, which makes me...suspicious).

Anyway.  The strong evidence for Skuld being Subject X hasn’t really gone away, and this could easily be Nomura misdirecting us so that he could maybe catch us off guard later with a reveal.  That doesn’t discount the idea from being wrong; there’s plenty of evidence for Ava being Subject X, too, and the “Nomura doesn’t like going for the obvious choice” thing could easily work in reference to her.  But I don’t think I’m going to give up on the theory until I officially see Skuld onscreen again.

Anyway, this is me right now:

[bigskydreaming]

Part of why I harp on about Last Laugh all the time is because its not just about Dick killing the Joker which is what Jason always wanted someone to do for him, to know that he mattered enough for that......but also when you erase Last Laugh or discard it because it just doesn’t fit into your perception of the characters as fanon has dictated, like.......another huge factor of the Jason-Bruce-Dick dynamic falls by the wayside as well.

And that’s how Jason’s not only always been convinced that Bruce would kill to avenge Dick’s death.....but in ADDITION, Jason has always been convinced that Bruce would be more forgiving of the kinds of actions Jason has taken, aka murder, if Dick had been the one doing it.

Because see....the other thing Last Laugh showed aside from Dick’s feelings about Jason’s death......is that Bruce very much was NOT okay with what Dick had done. Bruce always said he brought back the Joker because he knew Dick wouldn’t be able to live with having done that, but IMO it was NEVER about what Dick could or couldn’t live with, it was about what BRUCE could live with Dick having done.

Because regardless of the Joker being resuscitated.....Dick was still keenly aware of the fact that he’d still beaten him to death first. Jason’s resurrection, Dick being revived after his own death, those never erased the impact of their actual deaths, rendered them moot, and neither did resuscitating the Joker. If Jason died and it matters? Coming back doesn’t make that unmatter. If Dick only was dead for a couple minutes tops, that doesn’t mean Luthor DIDN’T kill him and he wasn’t still dead; he’d still actually died.

The same is true of the Joker’s death, no matter how short-lived it was. Dick still DID it. Dick was still very cognizant of that. Dick actually struggled with this for a number of issues, though I don’t think that really was about regretting what he’d done so much as that he’d let the Joker ‘win’.....AND it was ALSO about how Bruce saw him now.

And IMO you can’t argue that Bruce only resuscitated the Joker for DICK’S sake and because DICK couldn’t live with that.....when Bruce notably, distinctly, NEVER EVER EVER actually....engaged Dick on the topic of what he’d done there. 

Ever. 

He went back to Gotham and never made a single appearance to help Dick process things, even when others like Wally showed up in Bludhaven while Dick was holing himself away from the world. Bruce and Dick literally NEVER spoke of it again. Because Bruce wasn’t okay with what Dick had done. He didn’t know how to forgive him or look past it, so he basically did everything in his power to make it so it basically never happened. 

And the difference with UTRH is....when Jason showed up, by the time Bruce knew it was him, pretending Jason hadn’t done the things that Jason wasn’t the least bit ashamed of was never actually even an option.

So I don’t actually think Bruce is any more inclined to forgive Dick of things like murder because its Dick.....I think Bruce had to force+quit all thoughts of Dick actually killing, in order to preserve his relationship with Dick. 

(Even though his relationship with Dick still suffered, because Dick was still keenly aware that Bruce was not okay with what he’d done, and like, not trying to understand WHY Dick had done it or that he was actually maybe okay with having done it albeit outside of the context of it having played into what the Joker wanted him to do. Like, Dick after Last Laugh still very much angsted about Bruce’s assessment of him after it, and did need that reassurance that Bruce still loved him and forgave him....and what Bruce actually gave him is “I’ll agree to never reference it as having happened and look past it for the sake of our relationship” which is very much NOT the same thing. And with, as I’ve also gone into before, this no doubt being HUGELY central to why Dick was so lost and shaken by his fears of having let Bruce down AGAIN by letting Blockbuster die. These things are absolutely connected.)

The flip side of this is that......I don’t think Bruce was any LESS inclined to ‘forgive’ Jason of murder just because he was Jason and not Dick. In that case, it was just more about the fact that there was no way for Bruce to even TRY to force+quit out of his awareness of what Jason had done. Denial wasn’t going to cut it in the same way it had with Dick, because Dick’s ‘crime’ had been one and done.

But THEN, the flip side of THAT - or maybe we’re just on a tangent now, oh hell, who can keep track, let’s all just agree that flips were flipped and tangents were...tangented - like, the other interesting facet of this for me is if Bruce HADN’T been so intent on forcibly ignoring or forgetting that Dick had killed the Joker, for the sake of their relationship or whatever, or if someone else had brought it up - not only could this have improved Dick and Jason’s relationship, it also could have forced Bruce to confront the logical fallacy inherent in like...his MAIN ARGUMENT for why he was so deadset against Jason’s choices. 

And that all goes back to how Bruce has a tendency to project his own worst flaws onto his children, and be paranoid that they’re going to go down the same dark paths he constantly is trying to keep himself from straying down - ironically in part due to how he uses his childrens’ similarities to him in order to build common ground and see a place and purpose for himself in their lives in the first place. He sees himself in his children, that’s what draws him to them in the first place, and makes him act to bring them into his own life and build a home for them....but there’s a double-edged sword element to this too, as Bruce I think often perceives his worst fears for HIMSELF in his childrens’ actions and choices....and acts based on that. Rather than keeping centered his awareness that for all that they are LIKE him in various ways, they are their own people. As different from him as they are alike.

See, because like....Bruce’s primary reason for why he can’t ever allow himself to kill, even someone like the Joker....is because he KNOWS himself, and knows that if he ever allowed himself to cite precedent by doing it even just once.....he’d open up the door and progress through it past a point of no return, whereupon he’d never STOP being able to come up with justifications for why he should also kill this villain and this one and this one. Its the slippery slope argument. He can’t ever start down that slope, because he doesn’t trust himself to ever stop.

And he projects this same logic onto his children, who he seems so much of himself in....the good AND the bad. And so his fears AND his judgment, for both Jason AND Dick when they kill, even just in one special case....is that it sets them both on the same slippery slope. Because they are after all just like him, right?

But also they’re not....as evidenced by the fact that Dick DOESN’T KEEP KILLING. The Last Laugh is basically an outlier (assuming we don’t count Creighton, which I don’t rate the same because while I think Dick definitely did kill him, it was a clear cut case of self-defense and thus a totally different ballgame). Its significant that Dick killed, not just because he did it, and not just because Bruce didn’t actually ever forgive him for it....but also because...despite Bruce being afraid to face or acknowledge it because of how it played into his own fears for his own worst self and choices.....Bruce facing it is exactly what needs to happen in order for Bruce to ever acknowledge that his actual fears of the slippery slope....DID NOT HAPPEN, with Dick. Dick’s never used what happened with the Joker to cite a precedent, to justify to himself the choice to do that again with another villain he had just as much reason to hate.

And from THERE....once you connect all these dots and all these parallels and contrasts and intersections......its notable not just that Jason has killed, and with intent and without regret....but also that there IS no rationale for taking it for granted that Bruce acts differently with Jason’s crimes than he would if Dick committed them, just because its Jason and not Dick.....because the key difference is not WHICH of them did it, its the CIRCUMSTANCES of them doing it....and Jason’s circumstances not affording Bruce the same luxury of denial.

And then from THERE, finally, the coup de grace at the end of it all:

Is it also makes it equally notable that....just as Dick’s lack of killing again after the Joker, like, establishes a counter argument for Bruce’s fears that such a thing is inevitable once Dick killed even once....and with this fear being WHY he comes down so hard on the topic of even his children killing villains guilty of heinous crimes....

Dick’s lack of killing others after the Joker ALSO establishes a PRECEDENT....for the fact that no, killing someone does not make it IMPOSSIBLE to ever step BACK from that ledge if one so chooses. ‘Pulling the trigger’ as it were, even just once, initially....does not doom one of Bruce’s children to a lifetime of never being anything BUT a remorseless killer who can never choose a different path.

And of course, the fact that Jason killing certain people DOESN’T mean that he can’t ever stop, like....this is actually central to the entire Batfam’s dynamics as a whole?

Because after all.....literally every canon story, continuity or fanfic that has Jason reunite with the family to ANY degree, after having killed....which is like, basically all of them.....

These all take it as a given that....Jason is absolutely fully capable of choosing not to kill. He is not LOCKED into anything, beyond the possibility of having any kind of relationship with his family whatsoever, just because he’s killed....with the proof being like....literally all the stories where he still has a relationship with his family despite having killed previously or even still killing in some circumstances in the present!

The slippery slope does not rule all, is the thing. And the proof that Bruce’s fears of the slippery slope once slipped upon, being a one way street straight the fuck to hell, like.....the proof that that’s more a HIM problem than a hard and fast rule that can only ever play out one way for everybody Bruce see himself reflected in?

That proof literally begins with Last Laugh. With Dick. Paving the way for Jason there, rather than making a case for how actually things with Jason and Bruce would look totally different if it had just been Dick and Bruce there instead.

The second you acknowledge that the comics and most fanfics ALREADY take it as a given that Bruce’s projection of his own fears of the slippery murder slope is like....NOT actually any more of an inevitable death knell for Jason’s relationship with his family than Jason’s own actual death knell meant shit about his own longterm survival.....

Then Dick’s killing of the Joker in Last Laugh becomes extremely relevant not just because of what it reveals about how Bruce’s views on murder and his sons doing the murder is NOT actually conditional, based just on which son it is that does the deed most dirty....

It also becomes extremely relevant because of the precedent it establishes in countering the very argument/view that is central to keeping Jason from having any real relationship with his family until Bruce gets the fuck out of his own and everyone else’s way on this front.

[rockingrobin69]

Heat Exhaustion

Almost a reblog, but not quite. 1.1K, less fluff, more pining. LOTS of pining.

Languid movements in the sun had his brain halfway melted. He stared, dazed, at the hand that was previously sheltering bright eyes – not lowering but dripping, bit by bit, onto criminally-bare skin. There was something decidedly wrong about the picture. Malfoy shouldn’t even be here, clad only in a jade-colored bathing suit and popping every eye on the beach out its socket. He should be – somewhere posh, somewhere cold, where his pallor suits the weather and he’s properly covered, Jesus. He made even sweltering look expensive; drops of sweat glimmered on his skin like condensation on a bottle of Dom Perignon. Harry wanted to lick him clean. He was out of his damn mind.

“I think it’s time for a dip,” Malfoy said, even his drawl lazy. Sunlight shimmered on his skin, a dazzling display of long limbs attacking Harry’s eyes as he stretched into a stand. “Coming, Potter?”

As if he could stand watching him walk away. Harry tottered behind because he simply couldn’t help it, head dizzy, hands aching to grab. God, Malfoy’s arse would fit so perfectly in his palm. It’s like it was meant for it. It’s like he was meant for –

Harry stopped the thought right there, before it got too dangerous. He’s been down this path for far too long not to recognize the alarm bells. Malfoy doesn’t feel the same way. Beautiful, charming, devilishly clever Malfoy doesn’t feel the same way. That’s why he slipped away after Harry kissed him – accosted him, more like. And that’s why he’s keeping at arm’s length now. Harry needed to fucking learn that already, it wasn’t funny anymore. It was too hot for his heart to ache this much.

The water was a godsend, cooling the fire to a tolerable sizzle. Harry didn’t wait a second before he submerged, desperately hoping it would help. He’d take whatever assistance he can get. He had no more energy to fight it, and their friends all ditched him here. Alone. With Malfoy. Fucking Malfoy. No, not fucking Malfoy, no matter how much he might like to – a nudge to his shoulder made him raise his head, startled.

“You all right?” Malfoy asked, far too near. “Scared me a little there. Thought you were trying to drown yourself.”

“What? No. Yes. I mean – I’m fine.” Which was a lie, because he wasn’t, he was never less fine in his life. Malfoy looked even better up close, some bloody how. His hair was pulled back, smoothed, similar and very much different to how he used to wear it. Back then he looked like a prat, and now… now he just looked perfect. With his jaw, and that tiny little scar on his temple, and his lips. His lips. And his eyes, fuck, not only reflecting the light but emitting it, Harry would swear on it. Fuck. He was so fucked. He couldn’t stop for one bloody minute.

“Are you sure about that?” Malfoy’s very voice was enough to drive Harry to ruins. How many times had he listened reverently, not even grasping whatever it was Malfoy was trying to explain? Not caring about not grasping it, either, because it meant he could ask him again? So Malfoy would talk again? And maybe get that little exasperated smile too, the crinkle at the corner of his eyes which Harry used to believe meant fondness? “Hey. Harry.”

“Huh?” there was a drop of water at the top of Malfoy’s neck, making its slow and torturous way down his throat, and Harry was a goner.  

“Harry.” Something was happening, a huge shift of tectonic plates, a tsunami starting deep within the ocean – oh, no, it’s just Malfoy’s hands on him, grabbing both his shoulders. Far more terrifying. “Whatever is wrong, you’re going to tell me right now, Potter. I’m not kidding.”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Harry said, which meant everything’s wrong, because you don’t want me the way I want you, and my love for you is no longer only pathetic, but now actually tragic.

“You’d think,” Malfoy’s tone altered to annoyance, and Harry’s heart beat sickeningly fast in his chest, “that after all this time, you’d be better at telling a bloody lie. I thought I was meant to be a good influence on you.”

“You are,” Harry blurted, stunned and a lot panicked to discover Malfoy’s hands still on him. “You so are.”

“Evidently,” Malfoy shook his head. “What is it, then? Still don’t trust me?”

“What?” Harry’s voice softened immediately, the traitor. “Of course I do.”

“Then why won’t you tell me what’s wrong with you?”

“There’s nothing – “

The earth shook again, this time nauseating, because Malfoy’s hands slid off him and he floated a step back. “Come off it, Potter. There’s obviously something. I thought we had put the past behind us, but if you still hate me so much that merely looking at me causes you grief, then – “

“Malfoy,” Harry cut him off, shocked, and then at his hurt look, “Draco. I don’t hate you. Of course I don’t hate you.”

“No?” the dirty bastard had the nerve to look shy, and Harry couldn’t take it anymore.

“Draco – fuck, for such a brilliant bloke, you sure are an idiot sometimes. You know I don’t hate you. You know that for years now.” Draco’s insecurity was the fastest way to break his heart, he’d checked.

“Is it… about the kiss?” Malfoy asked, quiet all of a sudden. He looked away, and then quickly back at Harry like it was punishment. “I can explain. I didn’t mean to – it wasn’t something – I didn’t plan – “

“It’s okay,” Harry said, because it wasn’t, and Malfoy looked like a scared rabbit. His bottom lip was actually twitching. It actually really fucking hurt.

He came nearer again, and was the sea air always so thin? “I thought I knew what you – I’m sorry, Harry. For some reason I thought what you were saying meant that you felt like I… but I didn’t mean to presume, all right? I’m your friend, I know that. I’m happy even just being your friend. I don’t need anything more.”

“Good,” Harry spewed, crushed, far too frazzled for an actual thought. Although it sounded a bit like…

“Back out, then? I think I left my book in the room.”

Harry tilted his head, checking, but no water came out of his ears. He must have heard right. He caught the sight of a jade-colored bathing suit and his heart stopped dead in its track. Just? He’s happy even just being his friend? He thought Harry felt the way he – fuck. Fuck.

Harry was suddenly very happy he agreed to go on this vacation.

“Draco! Wait!”

[fanficshiddles]

My Sweet Rose, Chapter 3 (Last Part)

It took Loki a few days before he was able to get a chance to speak to Rosie again. She kept running from him whenever she saw him, not giving him a chance at all.

In the end, he got fed up of her running from him. So he teleported into her room when he knew she was there, to sort it out.

She looked a bit fearful when he suddenly appeared in her room.

Loki put his hands out to the side. ‘Please, Rose… Rosie. I just want to talk, that’s all.’ He said softly.

Rosie slipped off her bed and moved to the side, a little further away from him.

‘I want, no, I need you to know that I never meant to hurt you. Truly. And you were not just a play toy, I give you my word. You meant, and still do mean, the world to me. It broke my heart every single day that I didn’t return to you.’ Loki said honestly.

Rosie wrapped her arms around herself, she couldn’t look at Loki properly. So kept her eyes on the floor on front of him while she listened.

‘I thought it would be for the best, not coming back to you.’

‘Why… Why didn’t you come back or tell me?’ Rosie asked, being brave and raising her eyes up to look into his for a moment, tears in her eyes again. But she was a little confused to see his eyes looked a little bit teary too.

Perhaps he really wasn’t lying.

‘I found out on that trip back to Asgard that I am… that I am a frost giant, a monster. I was told I was adopted, that I had no idea about previously. I suddenly felt myself spiralling out of control, there was no way I was going to put you in danger. I thought it was best, safest for you that I didn’t return… I see now that it was a mistake, that I should have spoken to you about the situation. Told you who I was. I thought I was doing the right thing by you, Rosie. I truly thought I was.’

Rosie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

‘Why… Why should I believe you? I was… I was in love with you, I trusted you. And you broke that.’ Her lower lip was quivering as she spoke.

Loki nodded and looked down. ‘I am truly sorry. It is breaking me to see you so upset, knowing what I did to you. I never meant to…’ He turned to the door, to leave her alone. ‘I want you to know, there wasn’t a day that went by where I didn’t think of you… Rose.’ He said softly before leaving.

Rosie felt her heart breaking all over again.

-

Later that day, Rosie bumped into Thor on her way to the lab.

‘Rosie… If I may have a word, I only need a minute of your time.’ He said politely.

She nodded and stopped in her tracks to see what he wanted to say. Thor could see how upset she was, it was evident on her face that she had barely slept since Loki appeared at the tower.

‘Loki spoke about you so fondly, he was madly in love with you… He still does love you. He never stopped. He really did think he was saving you, from himself. He went down a dark path, one that I didn’t think we could pull him from.’ Thor said regretfully.

Rosie shifted nervously on her feet.

‘He isn’t lying to you now, I promise you that. He is beating himself up about it, knowing what pain and harm he caused you for not just speaking to you. He thought it was best to stay away, but he realises now how wrong that was.’

She looked down with a sigh, she knew Thor wouldn’t lie. It wasn’t in his nature. But realising that Loki was telling the truth, she wasn’t really sure what to make of that information.

Thor let her carry on to the lab to do her work, she didn’t bump into Loki at all that day. Which she was rather glad of, because it gave her time to think.

The following day, she went to the kitchen in the morning to find Loki.

His face lit up a little when she approached him, actually seeking him out.

‘I… I believe you. I believe that you thought you were doing what you thought was best for me… Like you always did, you always looked out for me and did what was best. But you did get it wrong this time.’ She looked down and she nervously fiddled with her hands. ‘I don’t know if I will be able to forgive you for it, but I don’t… I don’t hate you. I never could. I understand why, though it doesn’t make it any less hurtful.’

Loki nodded and he wanted nothing more than to grab her hands in his, but he refrained from touching her. Knowing it probably wasn’t the best thing to do.

‘Thank you, Rose. That’s all I can ask for, I know. Though I do hope we can maybe be friends, in time? But I don’t want you to be uncomfortable here, it’s your home and work. I can leave, if that’s what you would prefer.’ Loki offered, surprising her slightly.

‘No… No, it’s ok… I did think I would need to leave, but I… I think it will be ok.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I’ll see you around… Loki.’ She gave him a very small smile, which made Loki smile a bit too.

It was a step in the right direction.

-

Over the following weeks, Rosie felt a bit better about everything. Herself included. Learning that a God had truly been in love with her was quite the confidence boost, even if it had gone wrong in the end. She understood now though.

She was still a bit nervous and anxious around him, but she wasn’t sure why really. Though their interactions were brief at first. Just hello’s or good morning’s. Then Loki started making her hot chocolate in the mornings, just the way she used to like it. With a marshmallow on top.

‘Thanks.’ She said shyly when he handed her a mug in the morning with a smile.

‘You’re welcome, darling.’ He smiled at her brightly.

He was glad to see she was looking better too, not tired or as scared of him. Though he could tell she was tired in another way, tired of being an adult and looking after herself. He had seen it before, when she was busy with work and hadn’t been able to go into little space for a while…

He wished he could allow her that relief, to go into little space with him. But he knew that would likely never happen again. Which broke his heart.

Over time, he couldn’t help himself from getting a bit protective over her. Old habits appearing.

She was cooking dinner one night, had offered to for everyone. She was using a sharp knife to cut up some vegetables when Loki walked in and saw her.

‘Let me do that for you.’ He said swiftly and rushed over to take the knife from her before she could argue. She tried to ignore the tingling she felt when his fingers had brushed against hers.

Another time, it was almost midnight and Loki had gone to get a snack from the kitchen when he spotted a light on in one of the offices. Popping his head round the door, he saw Rosie was still up doing some work.

He walked in and with a firm voice started telling her off. ‘You should be in bed, it’s way past your…’ He trailed off, eyes widening as he realised he had no right to be telling her what to do.  

She looked surprised and a little sheepish. Part of her wanted him to finish, to put her to bed. But she tried to push that feeling way down.

‘Sorry…’ Loki shook his head and rushed out of the room quickly.

-

One afternoon, there was a mad rush in the tower when Bruce had turned into the Hulk by accident, causing destruction and chaos as everyone ran around screaming trying to get out of the way, while Natasha tried to calm him down.

Rosie had gotten caught up with some SHIELD officers charging past her, knocking her to the floor.

‘ROSE!’ Loki shouted and rushed over to her, he had been looking for her during the panic to make sure she was safe. Seeing her being knocked to the floor panicked him.

‘I’m ok.’ She said as she sat up. But before she could get herself up, Loki had already put his arms around her and lifted her up to her feet.

‘You’re bleeding.’ He commented as he picked up her hand, she had a cut on the side of her wrist.

‘It’s just a scratch, it’s ok.’ She said quietly.

Loki put his arm around her waist and led her into the nearest room, away from the hustle and bustle. He sat her down on a chair and knelt on front of her, inspecting her wrist.

‘Honestly, it’s fine. Just a scratch.’ She said again, trying to pull her hand away, but Loki wouldn’t let her.

He conjured up a plaster and some soothing cream. Her heart started beating a little faster when he applied the cream gently and then put the plaster on.

‘Any other injuries? Are you sore anywhere else, that was quite a fall?’ He asked, concern etched all over his face as he inspected her arms and hands closely, then looked into her eyes.

‘I’m… I’m fine… Thank you… Loki.’ She stammered out, her skittish eyes never quite landing on his.

Once he was sure she was ok, he let her go and walked her back to her room safely. She was shaking when she got inside, not because of Hulk or being knocked over, but because of how close she felt to falling into little space with Loki.

There was the deep longing within her, just wanting him to look after her again, like he used to. His natural Daddy instincts was bursting out, though she could tell he was trying to contain it.

Though she was terrified of being left again

-

That night, Loki was sitting up in bed reading. It was getting late, but he just couldn’t sleep. He was really antsy because there was thunder and lightning outside, he knew how scared Rosie was of thunderstorms. And this was a particularly bad one.

He wanted nothing more than to go to her room and comfort her, or just make sure she was ok. But he knew he had no right to do that anymore.

Though he was confused when there was a timid knock on his door.

Slipping out of bed, he had some leather trousers materialise onto him as he crossed the room, so he wasn’t answering naked. When he opened the door, his heart utterly collapsed at the sight.

It was Rosie. Rose. His sweet Rose. She was wearing cute kitten pyjamas that he had gifted her before, and she was clutching a stuffed toy dog to her chest tightly. She looked scared, and he knew instantly that she was in little space. Her eyes were watery, she had been crying.

‘I… I’m… scared…’ She said shakily.

Loki had barely opened his arms to her when she rushed forward into him. He put his arms around her and held her tightly to his body, then he lifted her up and squeezed her even harder as he pressed his face into her hair, breathing in deeply.

She wrapped her legs around him and hid her face into the crook of his neck. She was trembling a bit, but it was slowly easing as he carried her over to his bed.

‘It’s ok, my little one. You’re safe with me, I promise.’ He said softly and got into bed, curling her up on his lap safely.

She kept hugging into him, jumping whenever there was a rumble of thunder.

‘Shhh, shhh. It’s ok, my sweet Rose.’ He hummed gently and slid his hand under her top to stroke her back soothingly, making her melt and feel safe.

‘You’re safe with Daddy. And I promise, I am never going to let you down again.’

[cazzyvintage]

Born to be wild - Chapter 4

Synopsis: Joining F1 as one of the first female drivers you knew was going to be a challenge but you weren’t prepared to deal with one particular asshole on the tracks. With the urge to win so strong within each racer, will romance pave the way? Or will it destroy everything?

Word count: 1.7k

Author’s note: To make up for the lack of Niki last chapter, I'm hoping to get these chapters out more regularly!

Warnings: Swearing

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You twirled your spanner in your hand, feeling the harsh metal catch on your skin as it grazed over it. You were eyeing up the car before you, determining all the ways you might improve the machine to your liking. You wore your blue jumpsuit which had already obtained oil stains without even getting near the car yet. Today the garage was empty, most of the crew having the common sense to take a day off unlike you. You knew from driving it that the car needed to be improved and instead of telling your team and risking offending them, you took matters into your own hands. Plus you were just itching to get your hands dirty.

You climbed down onto your knees and then onto your back, pushing yourself under the car to observe the underside. The thing needed a clean, rust and grime underneath it making you grimace but at the moment that wasn’t what you were focused on. You started to loosen a few of the screws in order to access some of the wiring. If you were able to get to the inner part of the engine, you might be able to rewire some of the boosters improving your speed.

As you got to work you were humming to yourself a tune you had heard on the radio this morning and so you didn’t hear the sound of footsteps approaching you. As the top half of your body was under the car, you didn’t notice the man approaching and then leaning on the wall beside you, observing your movements.

“You’re just wrecking the engine.”

A groan left your lips as you heard that Austrian accent ring out across the room, sending a wave of irritation straight through your body. Of course, if anyone would be here during the off day, it would be Niki Lauda and seemingly he was still pissed about the other day and had come over deliberately to test your patience even further.

You grasped a hold of the panelling and thrusted yourself out from under the car to glare up Niki who was looking down at you.

“You really have nothing better to do than come and ruin my day?” you spat out to him.

Niki tilted his head as he observed you, his eyes narrowing for a moment in a way that always made you feel self-conscious as you wanted to know what he was thinking about you.

“I am merely doing you a favour and correcting your mistakes,” he finally revealed, raising his voice in a light hearted manner though you knew it was really cover for his mocking tone. Knowing this, in response you snort, shaking your head at the man as your lips twitch into a smirk.

“Yeah right, like I’d believe that.”

“You don’t trust the word of one of the best drivers?” he asked, his lips dipping down into a frown.

You placed your hands down on the concrete floor and steadily pushed yourself up to your feet so Niki was no longer standing over you, instead you stood face to face with the man.

“I don’t trust the fact that an asshole would want to help me at all, especially with how rude you were to me previously.”

“I was justified in my actions. You made a stupid move,” he stated as if it was obvious.

You groaned again in amazement, throwing up your hands, shaking your head as you spun away from him for a moment, not wanting to even look at him but the pressure to get the last word made you turn back around.

“There it is again, your arrogance is astounding.”

“I am merely stating what happened, I can’t help the fact that you can’t accept the truth.”

“You speak about accepting the truth.” Niki scoffed, looking away in thought, looking perplexed by the mere idea of it. His angry eyes quickly snapped back to your own though when you say the next words. “You can’t accept that there are better drivers than you.”

“What, like you?”

“I could beat you in a race!” you exclaimed without thinking. All you could feel was the anger towards Niki creeping up in your veins again, making you be irrational.

“You didn’t last time.”

“Yeah well, why don’t we test it out again? Just me and you on the track.”

Niki rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his body. “Why would I waste the tires, fuel and risk my life for a petty race?”

“Fine if you want to be a pussy and back out of it...”

You turned your back to Niki to polish the front of the car but you knew that the remark would make him frown at you, his ego damaged. You could feel his eyes burn into your back, his gaze apparently unwavering until after a few minutes of thoughts racing through his mind he came to a decision.

“Fine, if you really want me to prove to you again that I am the better driver,” he states as he quickly turns and walks out of the garage. You run after him to shout out and get the last word,

“You’ll be eating my ass!”

He turned around again at you, briefly a smirk appearing on his thin lips.

“We’ll see.” he shouts back and then saunters into his garage, once again taking the last word.

You weren’t prepared to take the car out and you knew the team would not be happy with you for doing so but Niki made you so mad you had no control over your own decisions. You were irrational and hot-headed around him and now that led to you driving the car out onto the track and waiting for Niki to pull the car up beside you.

Niki sent you one last sarcastic look with a raised eyebrow through his helmet. Driving over to the starting line, the two of you agreed on a count down. When ready the two of you started to count down from three and as you both hit zero, the two of you shot forward, speeding side by side as you started the race along the straight line of the first part of the track.

Soon however the two of you reached the first turn of the track. Niki once again took the underside and pushed forward on the accelerator he took the lead. As he turned the corner he slammed the break making the car drift as he made a sharp turn, quickly getting around the corner. He ensured the car took up most of the track however to make sure you wouldn’t try and get past him again like last time.

You quickly pushed around the corner as well but you weren’t able to pull off as sharp of a move, therefore not being as quick as him and subsequently finding yourself stuck behind him. Pushing down on the clutch and turning the wheel, you were able to reach back up to Niki’s side, who had been driving at a leisurely pace, his arrogance already believing he would stay in front. So when he saw your car drive past his left side, his head quickly snapped to you in surprise and then back to the road, clutching the gear tighter.

He caught up to you again, and this time he started to drift slowly left cutting you off the track. You instantly had to pump the brakes to slow down and avoid a potential collision as he pushed over. It was a dirty move on his part, from someone who was mad at you for less and the thought of it had you fuming.

Once again you pushed forward in the car, attempting to catch up with Niki but he was able to push the car further, keeping the distance between the two of you. Another turn came up and Niki was able to make a smoother and more closed in turn whereas you had to go wide which cost you a few more seconds of time.

Still putting everything you got in the car, you slammed the accelerator and rushed forward again to get side by side with Niki as the two of you turned another corner together. Now it was the final straight strip of track and the two of you were neck in neck. Both of you were pushing on the accelerator trying to get the car to go faster, however, Niki had obviously worked on his car improving it’s speed as he shot forward and past the finish line first.

He pulled up ahead of you as you slowed down and stopped on the track, hitting your head against the steering wheel to let out your frustration. You had been so certain you could beat Niki and yet once again he won against you and you knew he would be holding it against you. As you looked up now you could see the very man had taken off his helmet and was strutting towards you with a very self-serving smirk.

You knew you couldn’t hide away from it, that would just be cowardly and something he certainly wouldn’t forget so instead, you gathered the strength to pull yourself out of the car, yanking your helmet off and turning to Niki.

“I told you-” he began and instantly made you roll your eyes.

“Yes, go on and brag about it. I know you will be for the rest of the year.”

Niki chuckled and looked away for a moment, flicking his tongue over his lip then glancing back at you.

“I don’t need to brag, you will always remember how I beat you fair and square today.”

“You’re such an asshole” you murmur, starting to turn away from the man but still he continued to talk to you.

“Can you think of any other insult apart from an asshole?”

You shot back around to him, your eyes glaring.

“Yes, motherfucker, wanker, jerk, twat, pain in my ass,” you paused for a second, “Rat.”

Niki just crossed his arms, his eyes gazing over you as his tongue flickers out again. “Not creative enough, James already calls me all of those.”

“Are you just determined to criticize everything I do?”

“You’re angry, that’s good. Use your anger to focus your driving.”

“Why would you want to help me?”

“I don’t, the worse you are the better for me. However, if your driving improves, you are less likely to cause an accident next time.”

Heat flared up inside of you realising his alter motives but before you could shout any words at him, he had already turned around and was walking away from you without looking back once.

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[ruby-whistler]

I feel like if we really want to take a closer look at the topic of c!Dream’s obsession with c!Tommy, we have to look into both his reasons for it, and the tactics he employs to achieve his goals concerning it.

[ /dsmp /roleplay I did not tag this that way but this entire analysis is hugely c!Dream critical and focuses on the various facets of his manipulation, so if you’re not in the mood to read that, you have been warned not to. ]

Interestingly enough, before the SMP was actual heavy roleplay, back during the original disc war, the reason c!Dream listed for keeping the discs was to use them as bargaining chips, because he knew c!Tommy wanted them back, as they were hard items to get at the time, and knew he could use them for that purpose.

He had just gotten mugged and repeatedly killed by c!Tommy, who had also participated in a conflict beforehand, and only gave a half-hearted apology in the end. He had also seen him cause problems on the server before that. The discs were meant to be something he would threaten to destroy if c!Tommy started acting out of line, because he didn’t trust him to keep his word and wanted a guarantee. That was the reason he insisted on keeping the discs after getting his armor back, which is why he originally stole them.

And I feel like c!Dream’s train of thought, while skewed and twisted with irrational mindsets, is rather straightforward in essence. Conflict is what he actively stands against and what stops him from having a united server, hence in his mind, he needs to destroy things that bring conflict, and control what he can’t or doesn’t want to destroy. He thinks c!Tommy brings conflict, so he feels like he needs to find ways to control him.

Sure, we all know about the systematic abuse and isolation he employed to make c!Tommy believe he was his friend, but one of his major tactics since the beginning has also been intimidation, or a particular type of manipulation that leads to people fearing him or thinking that he has more power than he actually does. In his mind, if people are scared of him, they’re much more likely to listen to him. And the most fascinating thing is that it works.

During the initial exile conflict, despite him being just a single person with no official political power, he assures victory by aggressively, and very intelligently, threatening his way through the negotiations. c!Tubbo is scared of him, and that is not a coincidence. It’s purposeful.

Seeing as he planned to give L’Manberg technical independence either way - he said that there was no real way for him to stop them from pursuing that anyways, so that wasn’t the intention - even the war seems like a very likely ploy to make the revolutionaries fear him enough so that they wouldn’t start conflict after seceding. c!Wilbur is careful not to start anything with the Greater Dream SMP after this, because c!Dream has shown that he can and will ruin them if they do. c!Tubbo also knows exactly the lengths c!Dream will go to if he promises war thanks to this, and that if he says he’ll build a wall and keep them from leaving it with force, he’s going to do it. When c!Tubbo is faced with an ultimatum, seeing as his goal is to keep New L’Manberg safe and peaceful, he knows he has no option but to give in.

Another variation of this tactic is making himself seem more dangerous and unpredictable than he actually is and obscuring his motivation. If people don’t know what he wants, they are less able to devise effective tactics to stop him from getting it. The element of surprise is something that he utilizes constantly throughout warfare, and psychological battling is no different. For instance, during Doomsday he begins talking about how the server will “be at peace now” thanks to L’Manberg being gone, before c!Tommy barges in, and begins implying he did this all because he hates him.

DREAM Tommy… Look. In all destruction *looks at the falling TNT* there is a new beginning.

TOMMY You- you did this…! To all of us! Not just to me, but to everyone here…!

DREAM Beautiful. You know… the unfinished symphony, right?

…

TOMMY Why…?

DREAM The server will be at peace now.

TOMMY Why, Dream…?

DREAM Because I didn’t-

TOMMY Couldn’t you just- couldn’t you just burn the discs…? Couldn’t you just do it to me? Why did you have to…?

DREAM This is much more fun.

[ credits to @dsmptranscripts on twitter ]

Although c!Dream’s motivation for destroying L’Manberg was actually that, much like with c!Tommy, he thought that it bred conflict and division, he picks up on this and switches to saying how he did indeed do this all to hurt c!Tommy because he finds it fun.

He talks very inconsistently plenty of times, but it’s rather easy to spot a pattern of him being honest about his motives with his allies but straight up lying to his enemies. This makes sense, and it is usually employed as a deliberate tactic.

Intimidation is something he also uses to manipulate people during his time in prison. Ever since he got locked up, it became a mental fight. If people fully realized that he was powerless to stop them from hurting or killing him, his life only hanging by a thin strand on the concept of the revive book, he would’ve lost the control he needed to assure his survival.

The difference is that before then, c!Dream had actual physical power, however the manipulation gets harder to pull off when he has none, even with people he finds naive enough to fall for it. He still risks it because he’s desperate, and has nothing but his own life to lose, which is something he believes to be protected by his possession of the revival book. He had never been big on self-preservation besides staying alive to reach his goals.

He first tries this on c!Sam, who, rather unpredictably, begins to get morally corrupted by the power he has over c!Dream, on top of other factors. c!Dream talks to c!Sam about exile and about c!Tommy because logically, if he’s afraid of him, he’s less likely to try to hurt or kill him. This backfires because this new, unexpected version of c!Sam begins to fiercely hate c!Dream instead, hurting him further.

The same thing happens with c!Tommy - when he realizes that he can’t influence him through repeated visits anymore, he attempts to scare him into obedience again. He establishes himself as someone dangerous who has the power to escape and hurt c!Tommy as well as his friends, which he hopes will subconsciously sway him to not do things that he would disagree with. We can see him pretending to be the one in control throughout the stream after c!Tommy first got revived.

He also tells him that he can bring back the person who he’s afraid of the most and get him on his side, which is precisely the bit that ends up backfiring, but it doesn’t really matter, and trying was still the best thing he could’ve logically done.

If he hadn’t, at some point people would realize he actually has no power at all, and pay back the fear he’d instilled in them previously. This happens with c!Quackity, who began to take advantage of c!Dream’s lack of control as soon as he realized how easy it was to strip away the last bit of power he has, which is also keeping him alive.

Getting back on track, c!Dream essentially tries to control c!Tommy first by manipulating him into believing he is his friend, then believing he is a threat to him when that fails. We can see this from the way the Finale is prepared to be somewhat of a final showdown between the two, and also by him actually revealing the tactics he used to employ during exile, for example talking about taking away the invites to the party and not actually being his friend. This also proves he knew exactly what he was doing during that time, and he could easily switch between tactics because the end goal of controlling c!Tommy was more important to him than what c!Tommy thought of him.

And that’s it.

It’s all just a ploy to control him because he finds him one of the hardest people to stop from causing conflict.

Controlling him is as important to c!Dream as destroying L’Manberg and dethroning c!George and collecting people’s attachments, because what is important to him is achieving his goals through whatever means necessary, not the means themselves.

As for people, while he has no desire to actually kill them - or feels he cannot, because they could still be useful to his plans in the future - he treats them as either tools or obstacles he needs to deal with, especially if they ever get in the way of his plans, and he isn’t particularly attached to them. He does this to himself as well, and doesn’t seem to care about his own well-being or reputation as long as he achieves what he wants. While he’s focused on the ends to his means, that is the only thing that is important to him.

You could argue this does stem from thinking of the people he wants the server to be united for as important, since cc!Dream said his goals are for “everyone to get along”, but that doesn’t change the fact that the ways in which he works towards that goal doesn’t treat others’ or his own feelings as consequential at all. In the case of people who stand against him, their entire well-being is put to the side until what needs to be done in his mind gets done.

c!Dream isn’t “scared” of c!Tommy per se, nor does he seem to be obsessed with the guy himself, but he finds him something necessary to get out of the way to accomplish his goals, and he does so, ruthlessly as ever.

And even though the goal of eradicating conflict and uniting the server is something that he is so focused on that it could definitely be called an obsession, c!Tommy really isn’t that important within the equation at all.

This wasn’t a post to excuse or downplay any of his actions, nor do I agree with the “logical” thoughts I mentioned. There is a reason why I used phrases like “he finds” “in his eyes” “he thinks” “in his mind” “he feels like” a whole lot throughout this essay.

The character has an extremely flawed worldview that I in no way agree with (and although that should probably be pretty obvious, you really don’t know with this fandom). All this post is for is to analyse certain traits that are assigned to him, and figure out through logical reasoning whether they’re a mischaracterization or not.

And as far as the evidence goes; c!Dream isn't obsessed with c!Tommy, he is obsessed with his goal, and he sees Tommy as a big obstacle to achieving it, which makes him focus on him. These feelings he puts on display are an illusion to distract people from his real goal so they don't know how to get in his way - because, just like cc!Dream said, he “likes to withhold information; withhold plans; and withhold feelings” from everyone else.