#his processes of thought and general state of where he is now to people so that they may go Oh so that why you do the neurotic shit you do

[cameronsbabydoll]

FINDING OUT ♕ RAFE CAMERON ARRANGED MARRIAGE AU

WARNINGS: sexism, alcohol, and smoking

You and Rafe had known each other since childhood—not by choice, but by circumstance. Your father and Rafe’s father, Ward Cameron, were business partners—both powerful men who built their empires on power, money, secrecy, control, and manipulation. You knew very well that their business wasn���t built in a day; it had been passed down through generations, from their fathers and grandfathers, who had risen to power through corruption and dirty work, reaching a status other people could only dream of.

Growing up, you would walk downstairs in the princess gown your mother bought you, only to be met with hushed whispers and men in tailored suits huddled in deep conversation around the dining room table. And then there was Rafe Cameron—the Kook King, the golden boy of Figure Eight—who seemed to only speak in blunt truths. You and Rafe weren’t friends by any means, more like two spoiled children forced to be around each other while your fathers drank overpriced whiskey and discussed business deals. You knew his sister, though. The two of you weren’t best friends, but you were friendly. She was outgoing and fun, while you had always been more reserved and shy. Still, you often found yourself with her whenever your fathers were around.

Now, years later, you found yourself sitting at the same long, polished oak dining table in Tannyhill. Your mother had dressed you in a pale pink satin dress, which felt completely out of place as you sat beside her, the thick smoke of cigars floating above your head and creating a sense of dread in your stomach.

Ward Cameron sat at the head of the table, swirling the rim of his whiskey glass with his finger before finally pulling the attention to himself.

"Your father and I have been thinking for a while, and we’ve decided that the best way to strengthen our power and alliance is to bind our families together. Which is where you two come in," Ward said, his eyes darting between Rafe and your father, as if you weren’t even there. "So, we’ve arranged a marriage between the two of you. It’s the only way this can happen."

The swirling air of cigars felt heavier. Your chest tightened with his words. Marriage itself didn’t scare you, not at all. In fact, the idea had always sent you into a girlish state of planning every detail—from the exact cut of your ring to the names of your future children. But this was different. Instead of your dream man, it was Rafe Cameron—a man a few years older than you, a risk-taker, and, quite frankly, someone you could never have imagined marrying.

"You can’t be serious," Rafe said, his voice flat, void of emotion. "This has to be some sort of joke." He finished, slamming his bourbon glass onto the table.

"Your father and I never joke about business; you should know that by now," your father replied, pouring himself another glass of whiskey.

In your head, your thoughts raced. Why is this happening? Isn’t this outdated? Why am I not even part of this conversation? And why is everyone drinking bitter, old-fashioned alcohol but me?

But you already knew the answer to that—you had only just turned twenty, and it wouldn’t be ladylike, would it?

"And quite frankly, it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to do this," Ward continued. "We’ve already started the arrangements. The venue is booked, and the process is underway. I’d appreciate it if you learned a lesson from your future wife about not questioning your father."

The attention was suddenly on you. Lifting your eyes slightly from your lap, you felt the burning stares of the three men.

Your father looked at you with a sense of pride—not for who you were, but for your silence. Ward was watching you closely, as if expecting your compliance to influence Rafe’s resistance. And Rafe? He was looking at you like you were the mastermind behind this whole thing—as if you were the culprit of the situation.

"Well, that’s because she’s already playing into the compliant wife role, isn’t she?" Rafe scoffed, his knuckles turning white. "I’m not going to sit here, keep my eyes on my lap, and stay silent like some obedient puppy." Though his voice was sharp, there was something uncertain in his words—like a question buried beneath his frustration.

You knew better than to answer.

You had learned early on never to question your father—or any man who held power, for that matter. So, instead of speaking up like any normal woman might, you remained in your seat, forcing your mind to drift to something—anything—positive about this situation.

The only thing that came to mind was the wedding itself. The dresses. The dream ring. The excitement of planning.

You didn’t even notice your mother pulling your hand into hers, "How about the two of us girls leave and start talking about the more important things—dresses, color themes, and more wedding planning? You all can finish talking business," she suggested.

Your father nodded without sparing you so much as a glance.

Your mother led you to the living room, where Rose, Rafe’s stepmother, sat with a cup of tea, flipping through a wedding planner.

"Oh, I’m glad you two managed to escape that conversation; I’m sure it was dreadful," Rose said with a soft smile. "Please, sit. Your mother and I have already been going over some ideas for the wedding, but we figured you should have most of the control. It’s the least we can do, considering this whole... situation." She reached for your hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze before setting a baby blue binder on your lap.

"W-Wow... you guys really started planning," you muttered, your thumb tracing the engraved words Wedding Planner on the cover. "Is there some kind of order we should go in? L-Like, I know you all want the... wedding to happen soon...?" You trailed off, lifting your gaze from the binder to the two women.

Your mother let out a soft chuckle, placing her hands over yours. "Well, that’s one way to put it, sweetie. I figured we’d start with the ring and the dress, and we’d plan the colors and theme around that."

A small smile tugged at your lips. "Y-Yeah... that sounds good. When can we go?"

Rose and your mother exchanged glances before Rose beamed."How about tomorrow? And if we don’t find anything, we can always order some custom dresses or travel to find the perfect one!"

"That sounds amazing, actually," you giggled, closing the binder and setting it down on the glass coffee table.

Your mother squeezed your hand gently, her expression warm. "I’m glad, honey. We’ll make a day out of it—shopping, wedding planning, maybe even a spa visit."

Rose placed her tea cup on the table and nodded. "Perfect! We’ll leave tomorrow around ten. You two should get some rest now—I’ll let your father know."

You gave Rose a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, Rose. I’m excited for tomorrow."

As you and your mother left the Cameron estate, she drove home—a short trip filled with comfortable silence.

When you arrived, you bid her goodnight, thanking her before heading upstairs. You climbed the grand staircase, undressed from the upscale dress into a nightgown, and finally lay your head against your silk pillows.

With a deep breath, you let your thoughts drift to some far-off fantasy, whispering to yourself a quiet hope that maybe—just maybe—it would all be okay.

TAGLIST: @vanessa-rafesgirl @lolasangelz @malibuhearts @popou61

[spartancommander-2874]

Auri dipped her head, murmuring a quiet "Thank you" toward Fenix before stepping through the door. Hopefully they'll have something for us by the time we're done here, she thought before turning her attention toward Prescott at long last. The chairman had turned around at their approach, having already long since been notified of their impending arrival. A dingy looking desk plied with various bits of paperwork and maps covered its surface.

If he was surprised to see the super soldier standing before him, Prescott hid it well enough. Auri schooled her face into a mask of neutrality but could feel her skin crawling with the way his gaze combed over her suit. This was either going to be a very short conversation or one that would be, unfortunately, drawn out.

-

Oh, the suit practically called to him! He'd been given a brief overview of the newcomer and her capabilities but seeing the thing in person was a whole other beast. The design was sleek yet intimidatin. It was the perfect marriage of advanced technology and lethal precision. He briefly wondered if it was true the armor held its own shield generator.

Not to mention, the soldier herself. Reports stated she'd dropped in seemingly out of nowhere and dispatched the immediate hostiles trailing her with practiced efficiency. Perhaps he could see it all in action - sooner rather than later if possible.

Prescott studied her for a moment longer, the sniper meeting his gaze with a cool one of her own. She held herself well but he picked up on the uncertainty in her stance, the way her eyes flicked about the room after a beat. Seemed she was out of her element. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage.

"Chairman Richard Prescott. Pleasure to meet you. The boys weren't kidding when they said you weren't from around here," Prescott said. "There was even a request put in for star charts. A little far from home, I take it?"

The Spartan's mouth twitched ever so slightly. "Spartan Rachel Auri and it would appear that way, sir. As I explained to Sergeant Fenix, all I'm looking for is quick passage out of here as soon as I'm able to locate where exactly I am in relation to my last coordinates."

"And those would be?"

"A scientific expedition," Auri replied simply. Prescott winced internally. The fishing attempt was obvious, and he knew it. He had to play this carefully.

Hm, likely a classified mission. Interesting. "A scientific expedition, you say. You talk as if you're not from this planet, which wouldn't surprise me much considering that suit of yours. It's not like anything I've ever seen." He stepped out around his desk for a better look. "How exactly does it even work? I've witnessed some of our soldiers bolstered by the best tech we have at our disposal but that?" Prescott let out a brief laugh. "That's beyond anything we've got. If we were able to upgrade our gear with something that, I'm sure we'd be able to turn this war in our favor. I don't suppose you'd allow our R&D department a quick peek at it?"

"I'd have to respectfully decline that request, Chairman. The suit's schematics are classified and are not mine to hand out. Not to mention you'd have to go through a series of augmentations in order to use it."

"I'm sure that all could be arranged. You let our scientists poke around a bit, walk us through just what those augments entail, let us maybe scan that armor and we can get you on your way." There was a subtle, hardened edge to his voice now. "I'm not saying you hand over all your secrets, Spartan. But a little insight would go a long way. I know we have Control pulling star charts for your later perusal but if you help me understand that piece of tech you're wearing, I can speed the process up. I'm sure we can have on your way out sooner than you can say 'transport'." He held up his hand, palm forward cutting the woman off as she opened her mouth to reply.

"Now, before you answer, I know you don't trust us. I get it. But you want to get back to your people, yes? I'm merely offering the fastest way to do it. I'm not asking for everything you have to offer. Just a few details. A little cooperation. You and I both know there's no such thing as a free pass in this world. You want our help, then you'd better be willing to hand over something in return."

A muscle ticked in her jaw. It was quick but there. And this was why she loathed dealing with anyone just like this. Her temper threatened to rear its ugly head but she quickly tamped down on it.

"Chairman, I came here for one reason: find a way back home. I'm not here to barter with tech that isn't mine to give away. The suit stays with me."

The polite expression Prescott wore faltered but only for a moment. Her response didn't surprise him much though he'd hoped for a little more cooperation. He was well aware of her type - secretive, loyal to their orders and unwilling to bend when it came to sharing sensitive data. But he wasn't about to give up quite yet.

"All right," he answered, his mouth drawing thin. "It seems we're at an impasse now." Prescott let out a breath, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't play games, soldier. If you're aren't willing to cooperate, I'm sure there are other ways I can go about this. I'll get you those star charts but don't think for a second I won't find another way to get what I want."

The Spartan flashed him a less than pleasant smile. "I wish you the best of luck on that front, sir. I won't stay here too long for that to matter in the long run. In the meantime, I'll take a look at those charts. Thank you kindly."

@bigmouthgenius

This was supposed to be a simple smash and grab. Get the blueprints of the place, locate the objective, nab it and run.

In and out.

Easy enough, right?

Nope.

There was a security program that had been running passively in the background that not even the team’s AI had detected while pilfering the system and she had Forerunner code built directly into her matrix. Alarms began to blare loudly, alerting the Prometheans of offending intruders, once the data left its protective, holographic casing. Their fireteam leader quickly placed a hand on the terminal and green pixels flowed up her gauntleted arm and into a slot on the back of her helmet indicating their AI had come home. Without another word, the trio of Spartan IVs took off, wanting to be as far away from this place as physically possible.

Red blips began pinging off their motion trackers during their flight through the ancient complex and the digitized roars of anger echoed off down the halls. Their AI, Noesis, was still tapped into the local network and began to shut down the massive gray-white doors to cut off their pursuers or at the very least slow them down.

Evac was well on the other side of the facility in the form of a D79-TC Pelican dropship. Their pilot, Spartan Kent, had already activated the autopilot, calling the dropship in closer as the LZ was going to be hot by the time they got to it. A pair of beam turrets popped up in front of bulkhead doors at the end of one hall and began firing white-hot lasers at the fleeing super soldiers, forcing them off their current path and to take a hard right down another hallway to avoid being melted down to slag.

A Promethean Knight had sprung forward seemingly out of nowhere toward the Spartans as they attempted to dodge the turret fire and had nearly pinned their XO to the wall with its gun when it received a shotgun shell to the side of its head. With the creature down, they continued onward with their flight.

“Finally! We’re almost out of here!” came the Spartan to their XO’s left. Her IFF transponder marked her as Cordova, Caterina A.

“About time. I think we’ve really riled up the locals. Kent,” their fireteam leader replied then glanced to the right at their other squad mate. “Kent, once we get out, get that pelican ready for transport. We need to get the hell out of here ASAP before they call in for more reinforcements. Last thing we need is for the Storm Covies clogging up the air.”

“Way ahead of you, ma’am!” came her companion’s reply.

Just as they reached the last stretch, however, a Promethean had teleported meters away from the exit and brought an Incineration Cannon up to bear. The weapon began to charge, red light glowing like death. Right as the thing fired, their commander cried out, “Move it!”, before diving out of the way herself. The creature must’ve been in the local network as well as it was fighting for control over the doorways and cut the commander off from the other two. She rolled up onto her feet just in time to jerk to the side to avoid another blast.

“Commander?! Auri-?”

“Hey, you still-?”

“Get outside! I’ll meet you at the LZ. This place is going to be crawling with Knights shortly. I don���t want them bringing down our bird before we even get out of here,” she called back over their COMMs.

Spartan Kent paused briefly before responding so his counterpart took over. “Yes ma’am! Noesis is still feeding us a map of the area and there’s another exit out here. We’ll see you outside.”

“Copy!”

The Knight attempted to fire on the Spartan once more and just before it released the trigger, a well thrown grenade took it out of its misery. Reloading her weapons and taking a quick stock of what was leftover, Noesis, the team’s AI, wormed her way past the defenses the Knight had thrown up and unlocked one doorway, placing a waypoint that led to the exit on the Spartan’s HUD. The commander took off and was forced to double back twice due to an influx of hostiles. Out of nowhere, a brilliant flash of blue and black lit up a doorway to the Four’s left. Hovering there, of its own volition apparently, was a portal. She was really backed into a corner right now, with Prometheans encroaching on her location. The construct hiding within her helmet was already following her line of thought before the woman even voiced her plan.

“Commander, as much as I’d like to be out of here, we don’t know where that portal leads,” Noesis protested.

“Anywhere’s better than here. They’re already starting to wrest control from you and you’ve already transferred over the data to Roland, right?” Auri had already started to back up toward the swirling vortex. Sure enough, another entrance on the far side of the room had opened up, revealing a mass of very angry Promethean Knights who thought they had the human cornered.

“Yes but…” the AI said, her sentence petering off. Oh hell. Her Spartan had already made up her mind and there was no changing it. “I’m notifying the others and I don’t think these Knights are going to wait much longer!” Moments before the Forerunner constructs could pounce, the Spartan dove into the portal’s center and her world went black and the machine shut off.

---

She could feel her body being spun this way and that. Her skin being tugged hard off her bones as she fell end over end. Or so it seemed.

Auri’s shields flared up as an unknown source drained the batteries until they cracked and died for a few seconds, the annoying alarm blaring right in her ear. Her equilibrium was way off and it felt as though she remained within the portal network for far longer than before although she couldn’t tell how much time had passed since she had taken the plunge.

Without warning, a hole suddenly opened up and spat her out into the dirt rather unceremoniously. The Spartan rolled to a stop, head spinning violently and she swallowed down the urge to throw up. Any attempt at getting to her feet were met with major protest as her vision swam sickeningly. Shutting her eyes tightly against the light filtering through her faceplate, the commander took in a few slow, deep breaths before rising up to her knees carefully. Her stomach was still her throat and her head throbbed something awful but she was alive and surprisingly in one piece. A few meters away from her, the portal floated and seemed to shudder. Had the Spartan not been paying attention, she wouldn’t have caught that slight waver that indicated something was off.

“Okay, good. You’re alright,” came her AI’s soft voice. “We may have a tail. Prometheans may have followed us and… I don’t think that portal is going to last much longer. We need to get clear of the blast radius and into cover.” Noesis sounded almost distracted and for a second, the Four couldn’t pin down what had caught her attention.

“Great… You don’t have to tell me twice,” Auri replied, turned around to get moving and stopped.

Oh.

That’s why.

They weren’t on Requiem anymore.

[muu-kun]

[creepyscritches]

I read your post about open enrollment for the ACA and was hoping you might expand on why you believe it would take years to dismantle. I've been terrified that with a Republican house/senate, Trump could just snap his fingers and make it go away within months of taking office. I'd love some reassurance that that's not possible.

Hiya, sure I can share some thoughts on the matter! First, it's very important to understand the ACA is a huuuuuuuuuuuuge system with subject matter experts in dozens of places throughout the process. I'm one of those SMEs, but I am at the end of the process where the revenue is generated, so my insight is limited on the public facing pieces.

What this means is that I am professionally embedded in the ACA in a position that exists purely to show what conditions people are treated for and then generate that data into what's called a "risk score". There's about 6 pages I could write on it, but the takeaway is that the ACA is

1) intricately interwoven with the federal government

2) increasingly profitable, sustainable, and growing (it is STILL a for-profit system if you can believe it)

3) wholeheartedly invested in by the largest insurance companies in the country LARGELY due to the fact that they finally learned the rules of how to make the ACA a thriving center of business

4) since the big issuers are arm+leg invested in the ACA, there is a lot of resistance politically and on an industry level to leave it behind (think of the lobbyists, politicians, corporations that will fight tooth and nail to protect their profit + investment)

The process to calculate a risk score takes roughly 2 years. There is an audit for the concurrent year and then a vigorous retro audit for the prev year - - this is a rolling cycle every year. Medicare has a similar process. These are RVP + RADV audits if you would like the jargon.

Eliminating the ACA abruptly is as internally laughable as us finishing the RADV audit ahead of schedule. If Trump were to blow the ACA into smithereens on day 1, he would be drowning in issuer complaints and an economic health sector that is essentially bleeding out. You cut off the RVP early? We have half of next RADV stuck in the gears now. You cut off the RADV early? No issuer will get their "risk adjusted" payments for services rendered in the prev benefit year (to an extent, again very complex multi-process system).

The ACA is GREAT for the public and should be defended on that basis alone. However, the inner capitalistic nature of the ACA is a powerful armor that has conservatives + liberals defending it on a basis of capital + market growth. It's not sexy, but it makes too much money consistently for the system to be easily dismantled.

Or at least that's what I can tell you from the money center of the ACA. they don't bring us up in political conversation because we are confusing to seasoned professionals, boring to industry outsiders, and consistently we are anathema to the anti-ACA talking points.

I am already preparing for next year's RVP for this window of open enrollment. That RVP process will feed into the RADV in 2026. In 2025, we begin the RADV for 2024. If nothing else, the slow fucking gears of CMS will keep the ACA alive until we finish our work at the end of the process. I highly doubt that will be the only reason the ACA is safeguarded, but it is a powerful type of support to pair with people protecting the ACA for other reasons.

I work every day to show, defend, and educate on how many diagnoses are managed thru my company's ACA plans. My specialty is cancer and I see a lot of it. The revenue drive comes from the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) rule stating only 20% MAX of profit may go to the issuer + the 80% at a minimum must go back to the customer or be invested in expanding benefits. The more people on the plan using it, the higher that 20% becomes for the issuer and the more impactful that 80% becomes for the next year of benefit growth. It is remarkably profitable once issuers stop seeking out "healthy populations". The ACA is a functional method for issuers to tap into a stable customer base (sick/chronic ill customers) that turns a profit, grows, and builds strong consumer bases in each state.

The industry can never walk away from this overnight - - this is the preferred investment for many big players. Changing the direction of those businesses will be a monumental effort that takes years (at least 2 with the audits). In the meantime, you still have benefits, you still have care, and you still have reason to sign up. Let us deal with the bureaucracy bullshit, go get your care and know you have benefits thru 2025 and we will be working to keep it that way for 2026 and forward. This is a wing of the federal government, it is not a jenga tower like Trump wishes.

[cloudinthesky444]

At this point, it’s clear that Sauron is in love with Galadriel, and he knows it’s not one-sided. In the show, the feelings and interactions between the protagonists (specifically Sauron and Galadriel) are portrayed metaphorically, and it’s obvious that the directors do this on purpose to avoid angering the lorebros who seem to get upset at the idea of shipping Sauron and Galadriel and call the show an insult to Tolkien 😱😱

But anyway, that’s not what I wanted to talk about. When you watch the show and see the interactions between Sauron and Galadriel, you find yourself wondering, in the midst of all this chaos, why it seems to work so well and yet always ends up falling apart. If it’s not Sauron who ruins it, then it’s Galadriel. You know what I mean? The answer is that they attract and repel each other, and if there weren’t so many feelings and suppressed anger involved—stemming not just from past events in their lives (like Galadriel’s grief over her brother’s death or Adar’s betrayal of Sauron, which we know truly hurt him)—these past emotions mixed with their current ones create a brutal phenomenon of confusion. On one hand, Sauron doesn’t understand why Galadriel constantly rejects him. He says things like, “I see you; I know what you desire,” because he does know—but he doesn’t get why, despite their similarities, Galadriel keeps pushing him away. In the show, this is framed as a logical decision, with Galadriel rejecting him because Sauron sees her as a mere tool. And yes, in part, that’s true, but it’s also not the whole story. For me, the Sauron in the show and his desire to “use” Galadriel comes from the same trust and companionship I explained in a previous post. Sauron’s thought process about Galadriel is: “Nothing is free. You used me to achieve your redemption, so why can’t I use you now?” This extremist mindset, combined with his attachment and devotion to Galadriel, ends up manifesting in a VERY toxic way. And yes, maybe Sauron manipulates Galadriel and always feels the need to do so, but unlike his other victims, he shows a “human” side with her. Most of the times he acts passive or even affectionate in Season 2, it’s because he wants something. He can’t help but associate his surroundings with Galadriel and with people in general—he doesn’t like being touched, and when he does it voluntarily, you can tell how fake it is and that he’s only doing it because it’s the most convenient moment. This behavior, in my interpretation, breaks with Galadriel. With her, he lets his guard down, which we see in the fight scene where Galadriel attacks him, and he looks genuinely surprised (I even made a meme of that scene, LOL).

Then he tells her, “My desire is not to harm you,” and he’s right—he doesn’t want to hurt Galadriel. He dodges her blows for a long time, and that’s not like him. He’s usually ruthless and enjoys killing his victims when they least expect it 💩🙏🏼

Anyway, he dodged Galadriel’s strikes and turned a deaf ear until she brought up a topic she should’ve never touched: Sauron’s feelings. And well, that wasn’t a good idea, because her rejection drove the man back into satanism 💀

In the end, something they both share is self-deception. This self-deception is very persistent in Sauron and opportunistically manifests in Galadriel. But unlike him, she eventually accepts the consequences of her decisions, while Sauron doesn’t care at all.This same self-deception is what’s leading young Galadriel to ruin. Her inability to acknowledge the feelings and desires she once had for Halbrand surfaced when she realized he was Sauron, mixing with past emotions and events (her brother’s death and her hatred for Sauron). These two things combined altered Galadriel’s mental state, leaving her just as affected as Sauron and, as a result, expressing her hatred by trying to impale him with a sword. The reason for this? She no longer saw Halbrand in him. To her, he was now a completely different person in both body and soul. That’s why she doesn’t hesitate to attack him.

This shocks Sauron because he believes she still sees him the same way, but she doesn’t. He’s like, “Why did you do that, bestie? It’s me!!” This stops briefly when she sees an image of Halbrand. She immediately calms down, lowers her sword, and becomes passive—but then realizes the truth and attacks him again.

And well, you know, it’s sad.

The two are so similar, but they can’t understand each other when they face off. It’s terrible when two people deceive themselves—it always ends in destruction. Maybe in another reality, things could have been different, but I doubt it. They met at difficult times in their lives, which later manifested in pain and suffering, causing them frustration and confusion. But I believe this is simply part of destiny, and everything happens for a reason. This whole confrontation only serves to forge the Sauron and Galadriel we see in the future. By the time this is over, I’ll be devastated.

[hexhomos]

Hey man, I follow you on bluesky, but I’m too shy to interact openly 😔 Could you maybe share more about the state of the fandom before season 2? I was watching Arcane as it was coming out in 2021, but I never interacted with the fandom back then so a lot of things that you say come as a surprise… Even I knew that a lot of people disliked Jayce tho which was crazy to me because he was my favorite after Jinx and Silco and I always found him to very compellingly written. But I never thought that he was hated to such an extent! Was Jayvik really a crackship with a small fanbase as some people say? I knew it was much smaller than Caitvi which I thought was totally fair and understandable, but I’m pretty sure that I saw a decent amount of fan art on my Twitter TL back then…

Its very inaccurate to call jayvik a crackship during season 1 LOLLLL s1act1 had such a JV boom it was partially marketed by word of mouth as possible canon yaoi. And I say "marketed" with intent, netflix official pages and riot official pages made posts/memes with these two, including some sexual innuendo. Keep in mind, vikjayce was an old ship: from 2012 onwards there's already faint niches in the community and even fanfics.

I have some of those social media posts here.

The marketing yaoi memes became a problem after act2 came out and a lot of the audience felt rightfully betrayed/led on by corporate; i think on the netflix side they got confused on who the canon gay pair was but old time players were well acquainted with riot's HORRID handling of mlm couples - the disappointment wrt jayvik in season 1 was palpable and impossible to ignore, partially because their stories WERE well liked ingame as their lore selves, and in act1 as a potential couple.

for a little while back there "riot HATES gay men" became a whole memetic chorus repeated ad nauseam, and this did affect the decisionmaking process. In the following months they got lil nas X to collab on their yearly esports theme and collab on the new gay champion release (a man permanently separated from his ex partner because he was terrible in the relationship. no comment) and we also got the pride month reconfirmation that tfgraves are gay for eachother, though once again not in a relationship and not allowed to even confess, they were just posing in general proximity under the rainbow flag; an obvious step down from the pitch where they had Old Romantic History. Not even a kiss. You can sense the pattern on how riot approaches gay men here, and /why/ a lot of people on the fence have rallied behind jayvik after season 2. It would finally subvert the trend.

I would say post season 1 it was obviously caitvi city, with some other niches, biggest ones being timebomb and jayvik. Caitvi were Mega viral, successfully tricked general audiences into calling the game "league of lesbians" for a while back there, ascribing progressivity to the company where it was pinkmoneying at best. People's general hatred of jayce made it so he was underutilized, misread and mischaracterized at large, INCLUDING in caitvi or general fanworks. He was a republican trumpian dumbjock stocks guy, insert your least liked man here. It was not uncommon to click on a jayvik fic/fanart and see some sort of sentiment related to "oh jayce sucks but someone needs to kiss viktor", and this was mild ribbings when compared to people who DIDN'T ship it. On these other waters it was common to see "Viktor deserves much better!!!!!!" plastered on all the walls. hence the massive y/n stats on viktors page.

still, people who stuck by jayvik were generally doubly invested on it, and they even got a couple of zines made! Secret santa projects were also up and running for some years. There was fanmerch though not as much as we are seeing now, and also a recapture of league vikjayce content in much, much smaller numbers. Even back then and in the years before season 2 some rioters would already share and interact with these fanworks; people insisting that jayvik is "new" or was uncommon before are extremely wrong. In AO3 stats alone they were in the top 3 league ships of all time after season 1, and they are firmly #2 as of now, rapidly growing. The fanbase is cosmically larger now but the seed was always there.

[throwaway-yandere]

FLAWLESS (Yandere!Various Genshin/Reader)

A/n: This is a complete interactive fic w/ CGs! There’s an HP system and 4 possible endings (yandere!Scaramouche, Alhaitham, Kaveh, and Kazuha). This is my final fanfic and I really put my best effort into drawing and writing this. Have fun!!! Your choices matter so read the evidences properly and try not to get a bad ending hahaha. (Pls answer this poll after and feel free to send me memes about who you got hAHHAHA)

Unreliable Synopsis: (Danganronpa!Genshin AU) If this is your last dance as an idol, then you do not want it. No. You’ll make the real criminal sing instead.

CW: yandere themes, blood, murders (well duh ansy–), and brief mentions of suicide.

Kazuha frowned. "For (L/n) (Y/n), this whole ordeal must seem like a flawless crime."

"They don't know the murder weapon, the suspects— no nothing." Kaveh sighed.

Alhaitham interjected. "Indeed, but the real questions will begin in a moment."

Words punctured the air in nameless accusations. Each time people enter this room, only distrust looms acting both as a safety blanket and suffocating plastic. You stared at the people left. One, two, three, four, five... You clenched your fist, and all those fingers pointed back at you. 

The sixth. 

There are only six survivors left.

"Say, (L/n) (Y/n)." Your Akademiyan companions stared at you as Kunikuzushi’s smirk could practically be heard in his voice. "Where were you at the time of the murder?"

You gulped.

The Teyvat Akademiya. Home only to the most renowned student of their craft. The faculty carefully picks out select groups of students to be their new freshmen- and it can only be counted by hand how many had declined such a generous offer. It was a government state university, but it was also a golden ticket to knowing people from high places.  

Each student was known for contributing something in their fields of interest. In fact, both your adoptive siblings were alumni of this prestigious school. Your brother Aether was a famous "adventurer" (as he loved to call himself instead of an artifact-obsessed archeologist) whereas your sister Lumine was a remarkable swordswoman with a straight-edged track record. Even your older friends, Dainsleif, and a certain glasses-wearing individual you had forgotten the name of were graduates and now boast incredible resumes befitting of an Akademiyan. Each alumnus you've met wasn't someone any person with a head on their shoulders would dare disrespect. 

But that was not the reason for your schoolmates’ evident intimidation.

“Allow them a moment to process,” Alhaitham scoffed. “The Body Discovery Announcement was approximately 2 hours ago. It’s challenging for individuals from the entertainment industry such as them to comprehend complicated matters in a few seconds.”

“I would’ve fainted at your rare attempt at empathy if it wasn't obviously pointed,” Kaveh scoffed before turning to you with a soft stare. “(Y/n), don’t listen to these two, I’m sure we can find out if you’re innocent or not later.”

You gave a short nod of assent.

Tragically, murders had become the norm for college students like yourself. No one has flinched at Kaveh’s grim mention of a suspect lurking by and none had the insanity to deny what had occurred.

It began when you first woke up in one of the Akademiya's classrooms. You stirred awake on a desk near Shikanoin Heizou, the "Detective Prince". He was a famous figure, so you instantly believed him when he said you were both hauled into this location against your will. You were enthused by his infectious desire to uncover whatever was behind the “kidnapping” you found yourselves in. He told you not to worry, that despite the barred windows and inaccessible exits, you'd both "probably" find a way out.  As you both wandered around the area, you found fourteen other students (some familiar faces, some not as much). For a brief moment of hope, everyone thought escape was possible. 

That was until a certain cold-eyed puppet entered the scene.

A heartless puppet you’re sure was waiting for everyone just under that elevator.

“Is… Is this everyone?” You asked like a mouse, frightened as your eyes darted for any hints of twinned cyan hair. Nothing about your recent behavior had gone unnoticed.

Senior Faruzan is missing…

Yoimiya frowned, grabbing your hand for comfort. “(Y/n)…”

Kunikuzushi scoffed. “Enough of this dumb ohhh boohoo exhibit. Let’s go.”

The most mysterious of the bunch left for the stairs immediately, punching the button on the elevator to its ground floor. Yoimiya huffed, muttering complaints about Kuni’s behavior while the three other men followed her silently. No one took the stairs two at a time and walked at a snail’s pace. A clear indication that no one wanted this to occur. 

And just like in the previous cases, Kazuha’s eyes were on you the entire time but spoke nothing of this behavior.

The elevator door opened. You looked at the camera above it. If the Shogun's words are to be trusted, then the outside world is watching your every move like reality TV.

If that's the case, might as well give them a show.

Kunikuzushi stepped aside, royally ushering everyone— and specifically YOU— in.

“Idols first.”

Everyone entered the trial room. If the mood from earlier was tense, it is worse now that you’re inside. Stepping into the cold room makes the situation all the more real.

There is an execution waiting to happen, but without a hint if it’ll be “us” or “them”. Every bright person inside the room here had previously partaken in 4 of these court sessions by force. Since no one can exit the premises nor contact the outside world, the only key out was to kill and avoid getting caught. 5 people had attempted to commit murder, and considering how you’re still breathing, none of the “blackened” had succeeded in getting their way.

How… How did it come to this? 

You enrolled in the Akademiya in hopes that you'd also find the subtle clues as to why Aether went missing, this wasn't in your plan.

Getting roped into this killing “game” was on no one’s to-do list. You received an invitation to enroll in the Akademiya because of your stark idol career, although your siblings being famous alumni may have greatly increased your chances of receiving that privilege. You would’ve thrown that paper into the fire if you knew you’d get dizzy upon arriving in the Akademiya and will wake up in such a heartbreaking dilemma. Hearing from a grapevine, you discovered that Kaveh was invited for his architectural drafts, Kazuha for his poems and a bit of swordsmanship in his repertoire, Yoimiya for her firework shows, and Kunikuzushi?… You don’t know. But you are wholly aware as to why Alhaitham is here as your senior— you were there when he opened his letter after all.

The “mascot” is yet to make her entrance. So, as “obedient” students, you’ve uncomfortably shuffled to the places you were meant to stand. Bile rose inside your throat as you looked at the last five students excluding yourself circling the room— with Faruzan’s crossed-out portrait to your right while Kamisato Ayaka’s on your left. It would appear that most of the dead students were on your side and the closest breathing person next to you was Kunikuzushi, who was two photographs away.

Alhaitham, Amber, Tighnari, Ajax, Albedo, Kamisato Ayaka, You, Faruzan, Xiao, "Kunikuzushi", Kaveh, Cyno, Yoimiya, Layla, Yunjin, Kaedehara Kazuha, and Shikanoin Heizou.

The deceased faces had been crossed out in bright violet paint, a nauseatingly unsubtle reminder that only six remained. Yet, the one that was meant to sit towering above was missing.

“… Where’s The Shogun?” Kazuha asked.

“Ah, so you do have a voice. And here I was about to call you a cricket. I thought our poet lost his words, considering how the previous trial ended,” Kunikuzushi mocked, rolling his eyes. “Just wait and see.”

You sighed, hoping it was quiet enough for Kuni not to have heard it. 

The last trial broke everyone’s spirits and sense of camaraderie the most. Before trials, the puppet gives everyone an incentive to kill. In the Ayaka-Heizou murder case, each student was given a videotape that raised more questions than answers. Yours was a clip of Lumine, your fellow theater actors, and idol mates congratulating you for your enrollment before it cuts off to a scene of your home burned to cinders. As for Ayaka, hers was a short-lived message of her older brother asking her to come visit the clan for Thoma’s upcoming birthday— before it cuts to a gruesome scene of her brother fatally wounded on their living room floor. 

“Find out what happens once you graduate!”... and then the tape ends.

Whoever was the mastermind behind this killing, you had to admit, they were an expert in psychological torture. And unfortunately for everyone, Ayaka was a smart individual— killing the most trustworthy student, Heizou, to cover her tracks better. She put up quite the fight in manipulating everyone to think that you and Kaveh were possible culprits.

You even got into an argument with the calmest person around. Kazuha was “convinced” that Ayaka was right, which led to you two entering an incredibly heated argument that left him depressed with his rejected apology. You were on "good terms" with him before, that being he would always offer to cook food and accompany you often. 

… Perhaps that was a good thing. Discreetly, you thought he strangely knew you to a degree that makes you far from comfortable. It still bugs you how he knew you all too well and yet you know nothing about him other than his aspirations: traditional Inazuman poetry writing with a bit of karuta on the side.

Maybe he used to be a big fan of yours? Even so, the foundation of your music, choreography, and persona was weaved through a tapestry of feel-good lies. And yet, he was wise enough to speak your true thoughts before you even hesitated to voice them in your cheery idol tone. 

But that’s not the issue right now. 

The issue on your plate was that you had no evidence to prove your innocence except for the list of school rules on your E-Handbook because you were convinced someone will kill you during the investigation.

You laughed to yourself bitterly. Might as well review those rules now.

You opened the E-Handbook.

As per “school rules”, there are regulations to be had in a murder game, but none stick to you as these three. Rule #10 and #7: A class trial will commence after three or more students have discovered a corpse, and a Body Discovery Announcement will play as soon as it occurs. However, a trial will be held if and only if every survivor is present; failure to do so will result in class “expulsion.” 

And the last rule that never left your mind was Rule #8: If the guilty party is exposed during the class trial, they alone will be executed.

By the end of Trial #4, she did not receive a proper execution. Ayaka was compelled to restore her honor and raised her sword to…

…

… You couldn’t hate her for it. Even though you were close friends with Heizou, you couldn’t hate any of your fellow students. They all had family, hopes, and visions for the future. Each one here was "a fledgling barely out of the nest." You couldn’t deny that you would’ve done the same.

"Since the Shogun isn't here yet, let's get a headstart," Kaveh gripped the court fence, eyeing everyone with a nervous stare and stiff posture. "What's your alibis?"

Nobody raised their voice initially. You cast a pitying glance toward Kaveh. When it comes to your closest friendships, he comes in second only to Heizou. As someone who had seen the horrors of the media which is essentially a mirror of the world's social issues, Kaveh's one of the few decent individuals left on the planet, in your opinion. In moments of quiet, you, Kaveh, and Faruzan used to chat together, with Heizou periodically interrupting to share his findings regarding everyone's entrapment.

Considering how Kaveh is your last true friend left, you volunteered yourself.

"I never left my room," you spoke audibly depressed, no longer caring that you appeared un-idol-like. "And I refused entry as well. I heard a couple of angry knocks at 9:37 p.m., but I didn't open my door for anyone."

You looked at Kazuha, hurt and accusingly.

You'd never forget how Kazuha called you a murderer. That intense argument made up 30% of Heizou's class trial. He lost his composure and called you a "dishonorable monster". The whole back-and-forth was very much unlike him. After the trial, neither of you talked– and you never left your room unless it was to get something to eat without anyone in sight.

If he was the one who killed Faruzan because he can’t get to you, then you’ll…

"9:37 eh? You got a watch now?" Kunikuzushi pointed at your wrist.

You snapped out of your aggression and nodded, which made him break out in a fit of laughter. 

"HAHAHA!!!" Kunikuzushi grinned, wide. "Learned your lesson, huh?!"

You scoffed, but your ego was humbled and your heart sank at his harsh words. 

Everyone in the room nearly lost their lives because of your time-blindness. It's precisely what made Kazuha suspicious of your motives. You were always unsure of the time, hence, you didn't have the most watertight alibi compared to Ayaka. Before you entered your room to lock yourself, Alhaitham blocked the door with his shoe and handed you his spare wristwatch. He was the last person you saw before your self-isolation.

"Good," Alhaitham said. "And you, Kunikuzushi?"

"Are we going to ignore that angry knocking thing?" Kaveh rightfully asked.

"Let's complete the first task first," Alhaitham answered. "Let's follow the circle; it's (Y/n), then Kunikuzushi, Kaveh, Yoimiya, Kazuha, then I."

"Conveniently putting yourself last," Kunikuzushi snarled. "But whatever. I was napping in my dorm. Woke up when I heard footsteps outside and decided to investigate. The discovery alarm rang off when I entered the nurse's office the second time."

Kaveh fell silent, his face pale.

"I… never went to m dorm that night"

"Oh?" You and Yoimiya curiously said in unison.

"I-I was with Alhaitham, patrolling!!!" Kaveh defended; his arms in the air. "I swear on my life, I was with him! We're probably the footsteps Kuni heard."

He spoke as if it was a good thing with his mouth, but he was whispering that it wasn’t with his eyes.

"Can't be certain," Kunikuzushi threw in a quick grumble and snapped his fingers. “But I think that's probably the case.”

"That makes sense. I mean, if Kuni was telling the truth then that just means there's more chance it's just those two hopping around. Oh, and I was actually on the second floor at the time. I was in the recreational room cause I wanted to get tokens for the cute little Shogun Stall.'' If Kuni’s side comment lasted a month, then Yoimiya's would be a year– but her good cheer is just what everyone needed to alleviate the tension.

"I wasn't in my dorm room either," Kazuha said. "I was in the cafeteria. I couldn't sleep so I decided to fry fish."

"True, I think. When I checked the cafeteria a knife was missing from the shelf."

"We’ll keep your fact-checking in mind, Miss Naganohara." 

No soul was sure if Alhaitham was being genuine about it except for you. And the answer was yes, he was being warily appreciative. Admittedly, you don’t know any of these people before this killing game started, except for one person…

Alhaitham looked away, conscious of how you looked at him.

In all fairness, Alhaitham was closer to Lumine than you and Aether, and he wasn’t your favorite neighbor either. As a kid, he was the type who would leave in the middle of hide-and-seek simply because the ordeal wasn’t “stimulating” to his developing intellect. He had a habit of causing uncomfortable situations just to “observe” your reactions with an emotionless stare. Alhaitham had once given you a sumeru rose with a startling grasshopper to see how you would behave, and the worst part is that everyone knows he did these without malice. His grandmother had to force a sorry out of him for your tears to dry. “He probably has a crush on you, you know how boys are,” was the excuse the old lady tried, but your twin siblings were quick to shut that thought down. You and he were simply oil and water, nothing more, nothing less.

But there were times you two got along. When you aired out loud sentiments regarding how stuffy his room must be, you snatched the book he was reading and dashed up the nearest tree. Despite his grumbling reservations, he was thankful that you taught him how to climb that afternoon. That was the first you saw him smile wider than usual and offered to narrate the book you stole: The Little Prince. 

However, that version of Alhaitham you’ve come to love remains awol amidst this killing game.

"As for my whereabouts: Kaveh is correct. He and I were patrolling just the first floor and exchanging conversation. Neither of us could sleep. We started at 9:15 and ended abruptly at 11:05, when we, along with Kunikuzushi, found–"

"The body." Kunikuzushi finished.

"Yes," Alhaitham said.

Kunikuzushi smirked. From your perspective, the worst part about this was not Kunikuzushi’s inappropriate smugness, but the look in his eyes that mirrored what Heizou used to have— what your good friend used to be. The light in his eyes, his more forward demeanor, the way he crossed his arms and snapped his fingers– it was as if he was copying him. 

Mocking him.

You hate Kunikuzushi. You detest just how much you don’t know why he’s in the Akademiya or anything else about him other than his first name. You loathe how he had made it his job to be the antagonist of every damn class trial. You hate how he looks at you as though you’re beneath him. You despise how much he is willing to withhold vital information till the very end.

Kunikuzushi is like a commedia dell’arte stock character. A Scaramouche. An unreliable servant. You can’t trust a man who said he was moved by your acting in all your filmography only to act like he wants nothing more than to crush your spirits once lives were at stake.

After listening to everyone’s alibis, your intuition screamed from something deep within a place you had begun to trust after experiencing these trials:

Out of six survivors, FOUR of them are hiding something.

“Is everyone present?”

Before you could speak up, a low and refined woman’s voice stole everyone’s attention. All turned to gaze at the long synthetic-haired lady with a katana by her side. She returned the stares with an unfathomable coldness as she strutted to her throne, the silk of her grand kimono touching the floor. 

There she is. The lone audience and judge. The puppet: the Almighty Raiden Shogun. Undoubtedly made of metal and not flesh. Xiao had learned that firsthand when he sacrificed his life in an honorable duel against the captor— but seeking freedom by force was of no use when she herself is capable of the murders she wished to witness.

“Very well. We shall begin.”

“W-Wait, hold up, ma'am!”

The last vaguely extroverted cheerleader raised her hand; her bravery to interrupt the Shogun was acknowledged.

“... Can I share my E-Handbook data with (Y/n)?” She asked, high-pitched.

The medical and criminological technology of this era eluded everyone. Trapped inside the Akademiya with no phones or any signal to the outside world, each student only has their E-Handbook to rely on. It contains information the owner investigated regarding murders and records testimonies made by their peers. A handbook is only “handy” for both people who were hoping to survive and those who were hoping to twist the facts. 

And that offer is exactly what you need.

“You see– they didn’t leave their room during the investigation period– probably worried that the killer might be after them next and they kinda turned into a hikikomori for the past few days. I’m kinda worried they wouldn’t be able to defend themselves on this trial so… So, uh… Pretty please?” The blonde girl smiled nervously.

The Raiden Shogun stared, calculating.

“I shall allow it.”

“Thank you so much!” Yoimiya tapped her E-Handbook as fast as she could, more eager than you were in watching the loading screen fill up.

(SYSTEM: RECEIVING NAGANOHARA YOIMIYA’S E-HANDBOOK DATA…)

(SYSTEM: TRANSFER COMPLETE.)

You smiled at Yoimiya but it came out crooked and jaded. She didn’t complain that you weren’t at your top form today, but she did send you a loud “Do your best!” in her native tongue.

The Shogun walked to the throne and took her seat.

“Now then, let the class trial begin.”

Out like a bolt of lightning, the doors behind you were completely shut with metal bars in her flick of a wrist. In her twisted form of justice, she hammered the circular surface with her gavel.

“Court is now in session.”

(SYSTEM: TAP HERE TO CONTINUE)

[librarygarten]

#3 Chain x Isekai! Reader - You Play Their Games

Part 3 includes Twilight, Sky, and Warriors Part 1 ✿ Part 2 ✿ Part 3 (you are here)

When you first met the chain, it had quickly come to everyone’s attention that you already knew them. At first, they thought perhaps you had somehow heard tales of them, passed down through the generations. But you knew things about their adventures they hadn’t told anyone. You knew the names of people and places that surely wouldn’t have survived the thousands of years the stories would have taken to reach you.

You tried your best to explain to them how you knew what you did. Thankfully, you had your Switch, which made explaining what a video game was to them a bit easier.

Twilight

(Pretend his game is on the Switch. I think I heard it’s coming soon? At least people think it is)

He very quickly goes from slightly interested in your explanation to extremely worried. You know about his adventure. You know he can change into a wolf. He does not want the chain to find out about the wolf. He winds up so worried about you telling his secret (because you don’t really know it’s a secret) that he doesn’t really process the rest of what you’re saying. He’ll be concerned about his entire reality potentially being nothing but a children’s plaything later.

He takes you aside from the group the first chance he gets and basically begs you not to tell the others about his transformation into Wolfie. He’s grateful when you agree without question.

Because you can’t play Twilight Princess around the others without revealing his secret, Twilight never really gets a chance to watch you play his game. He doesn’t know how you view his adventure, so he can only go off of how you treat the chain now. He can see how much you care for each of them, so he never goes through the “are we merely playthings to them?” angst some of the others do.

Eventually, not being able to play your favorite LoZ game gets to you, and you sneak away from the group. You don’t think your presence will be missed terribly. It will only be for a few hours, there aren’t any monsters nearby, and the group has more or less settled down to camp for the night.

✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧

“What are you doing out here!?” You whip your head around to find a very out of breath Twilight behind you. You had found a nice, secluded spot of forest to play on your Switch in, figuring an hour or two alone while you played Twilight Princess would be a nice break from the normal camp shenanigans.

“Uhhh… playing a game?” You smile sheepishly, turning your Switch so that he could see the screen.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone where you were going!?” Twilight doesn’t look at the screen, instead focused on you.

“Because then someone would have asked to see the game, and we can’t have that.” You shrug. “Why? Is Time or Wars looking for me?”

“No, we just didn’t know where you had gone.” He flops down next to you, finally focusing on your game. “Did you come all the way out here just to play my game?”

“...Maybe.” He doesn’t miss the way your cheeks flush as you admit it. He tilts his head, confused.

“...Why?”

“It’s my favorite game.” You state matter-of-factly, turning your attention back to the puzzle you were trying to solve. On the screen, Wolfie and Midna moved around, jumping from platform to platform. “It kinda sucks I can’t play it around the others, though.”

Now, it’s Twilight’s turn to blush.

“Sorry… Thanks. For keeping the Wolf thing a secret.” He scratches the back of his neck, embarrassed.

“Why does it need to be a secret?” You raise an eyebrow. “I don’t like keeping secrets, especially when it means I can basically never play Twilight Princess.”

“It’s… complicated.” He frowns, remembering how Wild had freaked out upon learning about his transformation. And Legend’s… dislike for the “dark” magic that allowed his wolf form. “The others probably won’t react very well.”

“That’s dumb.” You roll your eyes, still focused on the game. “You’re dumb.”

Twilight smiles at your jab. He remembers this feeling. He looks out at the trees, the setting sun peeking through the leaves. He always did find this time of day beautiful, even before it became his namesake. She would have told him the same thing you did, wouldn’t she? And of course, he would respond in kind.

“Your mother.”

“Real mature, Twi.”

Sky

You know what? Not the weirdest thing he’s seen this week. Very little reaction. He killed a god. You think this would phase him?

He just assumes the people who made the games in your world had powers to see the past and/or future and created games based on their adventures. Some of the details don’t quite line up. Some of the things they went through don’t appear at all in your games. Sometimes, things are added to the games that never happened in real life. (He remembers Wind howling with laughter as he watched you use a giant Cucco to mow down enemy soldiers in Warrior’s game.)

That being said, he doesn’t really see a reason to watch you play. He already knows what happened. He lived through it. It’s rather flattering that you seem to like his game so much, though. He gets a bit flustered when you mention off-handedly that it’s your favorite.

✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧

“What… are you doing?” Sky asked from behind you. You paused, your arm mid-swing. You had been playing Skyward Sword using motion controls and the sight must have been incredibly entertaining if it was enough to get Sky to comment on. Your face flushed as you tried to answer him.

“Oh, you know! Just… playing a game.” You smile, motioning to the screen. He raised an eyebrow.

“What’s with the flailing?” He steps closer, inspecting the screen.

“I am not… flailing.” You grit your teeth. You loved Skyward Sword. You really did. But the motion controls made you look like a complete idiot most of the time. You’re just glad Sky wasn’t there to see the time you were playing at home and broke a vase during one of the Ghirahim fights.

“This game uses motion controls.” You explain, and swing your arm. The Link on the screen swings at the same time.

“Your form is… a bit off.” Sky snickers.

“Fine. You try it then.” You huff, putting the controller in his hand.

“Sure. Prepare to be amazed.” He moves his arm, as if he were really holding a sword and not a small controller. The Link on screen completely misses the enemy. Sky scowls and swings again. Another miss. He keeps swinging, eventually his expert swordsmanship form devolving into what some people would consider wild flailing.

“What is wrong with this thing?” He finally exclaims, stopping his movements to instead inspect the device in his hand. He turns towards you, looking perhaps for answers to this conundrum.

He instead sees Wild, Sheikah Slate aimed directly at him. You have a similar, though slightly smaller slate. Both of you are smirking. Sky groans.

“How many pictures did you take?” Wild asks you, completely ignoring Sky.

“Oh, I took a video of the whole thing.” Your grin widens as you turn to look at Sky. “Your form is a bit off.”

“I hate you both.”

Warriors

He’s getting flashbacks. He lived through a freaking WAR and you’re telling him it’s a kids game?????? Noooooo thank u. He’s concerned that it’s considered appropriate material for children. Is your world so numb to the idea of war and bloodshed that children treat the War of the Eras as a game? What is wrong with you???

(Don’t tell him about the World Wars or the Vietnam War. Trench warfare, agent orange, etc. will only traumatize him further. Also maybe don’t mention the French Revolution because uh. He kind of likes the monarchy where he’s from. Just don’t tell him about warfare in general.)

He understands that you don’t view them as playthings now. He can see how much you care for each of them. You scold Wild for being too reckless, keep Wind entertained to distract him from homesickness, among so many other things. In short, you’ve proven to be a valued member of the team. But you still play his game. At night, when getting settled into bed. On long hikes, when the trail is wide and you don’t need to watch your footing. Any time Wind asks.

Warriors can’t bear the thought of seeing you reenact the war through the game. He still feels tremendously guilty for being the reason Cia began opening the portals. He still remembers the names of the soldiers that didn’t make it.

✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧

Warriors finds you hunched over your Switch, a notebook open in your lap, muttering to yourself. Leaning over your shoulder, he can see his Hyrule on your screen. He grimaces.

“Are you just going to stand over me or are you going to sit down?” You ask. He blinks. How did you manage to hear him sneak up on you? He was being quiet!

“What are you up to? This looks a bit more involved than a simple night relaxing and playing video games.” He motions to the notebook and the furious scribbles of letters he doesn’t recognize. He does not acknowledge your invitation to sit. He does not watch your screen.

“Going over fighting stuff.” You cross something out on the page, then return your attention to your game. “I figured since I had this game, I could at least put it to good use, even if you hate it.”

“I don’t hate it.” He lies, mentally kicking himself for apparently being so obvious in his dislike of your hobby.  “It’s just weird watching the war again.”

“Uh huh.” You’re not convinced.

“What do you mean by ‘fighting stuff’?” Warriors quickly redirects, hoping to avoid an awkward conversation.

“I’m taking notes of enemy weaknesses and the best way to go about taking them down.” You chew on your thumb nail as a character on screen strikes an enemy. “If that lizard thing can shapeshift into anything, we need to be ready for anything.”

“That’s… actually quite a good idea. Thank you.” He’s surprised at how focused you seem. Isn’t the game just that to you? A game? It’s incredibly strategic to study it.

“Don’t thank me yet. I still have to present to the group.” You flip the page of your notebook, revealing a sketch of a monster Warriors had never seen before.

“Present?”

“Yeah, like, catch you guys up to speed on EVERY monster and their weaknesses. The few thousand years between ya’ll REALLY changes them.” You flip a few pages in your notebook and hand it to Warriors. “For instance, this is a Pols Voice. Sometimes, sound can stun them, sometimes, a couple arrows take them out, and sometimes, playing a musical instrument makes them straight up explode.”

“What.” He looked at the sketches of the monster. A weird blob with large ears and whiskers. It looked harmless, save for the rows of razor sharp teeth it apparently had under it.

“Yeah. They’re only in Legend’s and Wind’s adventures, though.” You shrug.

“How long have you been working on this?” He flips through the pages of the notebook. He can’t understand the words, but there are many sketches of various monsters. Some he recognizes. Most he doesn’t.

“Uhhh, like a week after I got here? You all fight different things, and if we get dropped in an unfamiliar Hyrule, it would be useful to know all the ways the others have dealt with any monsters we find, especially if we get separated.” You smile and motion to your Switch. “Like I said, figured I’d put this thing to use.”

Warriors can’t help but smile as you take back the notebook from his hands.

“Do you need help? This seems like a very worthwhile side project.” He asks. You pat the ground next to you, reminding him of your previous invitation. And this time, he takes it.

[ghostlyvoidbones]

Sonadow Lovebug AU - Pt. 2

a/n: Guy’s I don’t ship… I don’t ship sona… oh forget it.

summary: In which Shadow doesn't think he's delusional and Rouge is just trying to understand.

contains: Shadow's drug induced delusions, potential ooc (I'm not as familiar with Shadow and Rouge as I am the others, so I hope it came out ok).

wc: 2K

Rouge padded past the open door to Shadow’s room, clad in her cozy afternoon clothes while a coffee mug was raised to her lips in the middle of a sip. Although, after casting a brief glance inside she jolted to a stop, teeth clinking against the rim from the sudden, jerky motion. Lowering the mug, Rouge took a quiet moment to process exactly what it was she was looking at.

As a general rule, Shadow’s room had always been the most neat and organized out of all the members of Team Dark. His room was the definition of pristine, to the point that Rouge sometimes wondered if the hedgehog had an obsession with cleaning.

Which was why the state of it now was making her brain short circuit a little bit. From where she stood, Shadow’s oh-so-perfect room looked like a tornado ran through it. Twice.

Fabric and clothing items were scattered across the floor in rumpled clumps, coupled with books and the odd decoration here and there. The bed pressed against the far wall was unmade and everything on it was wadded up into a large ball, half falling off the mattress, a pillow already abandoned on the floor. All the furniture was skewed to some degree, an entire stool tipped over and forgotten in the corner.

Shadow himself was in the middle of the mess. Currently he had himself perched up on the top of his dresser, peering over one of the higher shelves drilled into the wall above it. She watched him scan the surface of it before dragging his entire arm across the empty space.

“What are you doing?”

At the sound of her voice, Shadow twisted his head around to look at her, looking her over briefly before turning back around and continuing his inspection of the shelf.

“I’m looking for pictures of Sonic.” Shadow answered promptly, unaware of the way Rouge squinted up at him in mild befuddlement.

“Right… Ok. I’m not sure if I want to know, but I guess I’ll ask. Why are you looking for pictures of Sonic?” Shadow didn’t even look at her when he responded.

“Why else? Don’t you have pictures of the echidna?”

Rouge bristled at the flatly delivered accusation, as if it were an obvious fact that everyone knew. Her shoulders hiked up and she brought the mug back up to her muzzle, partially to hide the blooming blush darkening her fur.

“I don’t have pictures of Knuckles! That would be…” She sent a pointed glare at the ground then shook her head clear of the thought. “Besides, any pictures I have are of people who I have a good relationship with. No offense, but I can’t really see that applying to you and big blue.”

Shadow huffed out a breath and hopped off the dresser. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Sonic and I are in a very committed relationship.”

“Committed to mindlessly competing, maybe.” She mumbled into her mug before taking a long sip.

“Every romantic partnership has its quirks.” 

Rouge sputtered, coffee spraying from her mouth and staining her shirt. She barely noticed, however, as gaped openly at Shadow. He hadn’t even twitched. Hadn’t even hesitated when he said that. And yes Shadow had a sense of humor, he knew how to crack a joke. But Rouge got the distinct feeling that that wasn’t one.

“Now I know I didn’t hear you wrong.” Large bat ears swiveled forward, as if to emphasize her point. “Shadow, what on Mobius is that supposed to mean???”

Shadow gave her a weird look, lingering on where her spit-take launched coffee over her clothes and, unfortunately, the floor. 

“Competition can be healthy. It keeps things interesting.” Shadow continued,redirecting his attention toward searching his desk that he’d already stripped of all its papers and writing utensils. “Anyway, if you find any pictures of Sonic and I, let me know. Despite being in a relationship, I can’t seem to find any pictures of us together anywhere.”

The more he talked, the less she understood. 

“No- ok- see, that’s the problem.” Rouge swiped her sleeve across her muzzle where a few stray droplets of coffee trickled from the corner of her lips and stepped over to Shadow, putting the mug down beside his searching hands. “Since when have you and Sonic been dating?”

Shadow paused in his movement, glancing over at her with furrowed brows. “A while?”

“Does Sonic know that?”

“He should.”

Rouge searched his face as they went back and forth. Nothing faltered or flinched. As far as she can tell, everything Shadow said, he believed was true. 

“Why are you only telling me this now? Does anyone else know? Am I the only one who didn’t know?” She pressed, leaning into his space. A million thoughts blitz through her head, although one does seem to stand out a bit more than the others. “Actually, how long have you two even been together? Did he ask you?... Did you ask him?”

There’s a beat of silence. Then Shadow sharply turned his head to the side, avoiding all eye contact. “The trivial details don’t matter.”

“Oh no, we’re talking about this.” She gave Shadow no time to respond, taking him by the arm and dragging him out into the living room. He went with little resistance and plopped down onto the couch as Rouge directed him.

From where she stood in front of him, Rouge took a second to analyze the dark hedgehog.

So far, there hadn’t seemed to be anything out of place. Shadow had been his usual, dark and mysterious self. Even just now, he spoke like he usually did. The only things that were out of place was the torn apart room and the fact that… he suddenly believed he was dating Sonic?

As far as Rouge knew, he had a solidly bitter opinion of Sonic up until yesterday morning. 

After breakfast Shadow had left for his mission, came back earlier than expected but no less successful, and turned in for the night without speaking much to either her or Omega. Which meant something clearly changed in the time between yesterday morning and when he returned from sending out his report to G.U.N.

She had two theories as to what it could be. Either Shadow was possessed or Sonic asked him out yesterday. Both very viable options, but something about it didn’t sit quite right.

“What happened yesterday?” She asked, crossing her arms and carefully observing the neutral expression on Shadow’s face.

“I already turned in my report. If you’re so curious you can just-” She was quick to cut him off with a hand held up to his face. He eyed it with clear irritation, not that his bad moods ever intimidated her in any way.

“That’s not what I meant.” Rouge massaged her temples before trying again. “I mean outside of the mission. Did anything out of the ordinary happen? It could be anything really, something new or unexpected.”

Shadow looked at her like she was the weird one. But regardless, he took a moment to consider. He tucked a closed, gloved fist against the underside of his chin as he mentally ran through the events from the day before.

“I’d been making good headway in the morning…” A pause, “Then when I’d finally found a lead, Sonic showed up.”

Rouge’s ear flicked at the mention of the hero’s name. Leaning forward in anticipation, she lightly urged him to continue. “Then what?”

“He distracted me.” The ensuing frown was comical. “Going on and on about wanting a race, because chaos forbid he can’t stay out of anyone’s business for more than a minute at a time. He claimed it was a tie but clearly I was ahead by-”

“That’s it?”

They both looked at eachother, Shadow minutely startled with himself when he realized his eyes had fallen shut at some point and a faint smile was teasing at his lips. Rouge zeroed in on the way he visibly shut away the emotions he’d accidentally let leak out.

“What do you mean?”

“So you just raced him? Nothing else happened?”

“Yes.” Shadow winced, curling in on himself, his hand shooting up to hold his head. It lasted for a second before he was pulling his hand away, casting a puzzled look down at his leg. “No… I think I got bitten by a mosquito. I remember Sonic annoying me about it. Then I got.. Dizzy. I assumed I’d been low on chaos energy, which was when I decided to leave and finish the mission before it proved to be a problem.”

For a moment, Rouge believed that he and Sonic got together yesterday, and Shadow was being all weird about it because he was shy about his new relationship. However, now it sounded like that wasn’t the case.

Not to mention that the lowkey overpowered hedgehog was low on chaos energy? That was suspicious in of itself, adding to the already weird shift in behavior. After all, Shadow had to have been using large amounts of chaos energy to feel any sort of repercussions, which didn’t make sense for something as small and low effort as a reconnaissance and tracking mission. And she knew that none of that energy went into racing Sonic. Those two had raced plenty of times in the past for her to know that certainly wasn’t the problem. So what was the problem?

“Clearly whatever happened that made you dizzy is connected to the-” she gestured vaguely at Shadow “you being slightly delusional and acting out of the ordinary.”

“I’m not delusional. My mental performance is perfect.” Shadow nearly growled out, leveling a heavy glare on Rouge.

“You think you’re dating Sonic. You know, the same Sonic who you greet with a fight nine out of the ten times you two bump into each other?”

“It’s banter. He knows there’s no hostility in it.” Shadow rocked to his feet, entering Rouge’s space. The tension was enough to make her unconsciously lean back, wings twitching behind her with the faint urge to fly away. “And I don’t think it. We are. I don’t appreciate you accusing otherwise.”

At this point Rouge couldn’t figure out what was going on. She’d love to believe the two are happily together, but her point wasn’t just superficial blabbering for arguments sake. Last week Sonic had passed by them while they were out and Shadow decked him in the face. His excuse was that he was paying back something the blue hedgehog did not too long before that, but said payback was still far too violent and angry to be ‘non-hostile banter.’

However, judging by whatever had gotten into Shadow right now, she wasn’t going to be able to delve into the subject anymore than this. So she forced herself to relax, trying to take the situation in stride. She held her hands up, making herself appear less of a threat while still holding her ground.

“Right. Sorry, it’s just hard to believe since you kept it a secret from me for so long. But I believe you.” Little white lies. “What I don’t believe is that whole thing about the chaos energy, it’s too weird to be a coincidence. I think we should go to where you felt dizzy and take a look around, just in case.”

Shadow doesn’t budge for a while. One would think she’d just threatened his entire family with the way he’s poised, coiled like spring ready to snap.

It took a bit of time for him to eventually calm down, shoulders dropping as he finally shuffled away. Rouge took the moment to breathe, surprised that she’d even been holding it in the first place.

“You’re right, I should have told you sooner.” Shadow looked down, opening and closing his fist experimentally. “And I agree. The whole situation does feel a little odd. It’d be worth it to check.”

“Okay, that’s good. Then I’ll get changed so we can head out.” She nodded, passing him to make her way down the hall to her room.

Her stride was steady and casual all the way to her bedroom door, which she opened and closed behind her. Once she heard the click of the lock slide into place, she dove for where her phone rested on the night stand beside her bed. She narrowly missed banging her shin on the frame but ignored it in favor of dialing a number.

As the phone rang, Rouge huddled into the corner of her room furthest from the door before crouching down. And when the call went through, she made sure that when she spoke, it was the quietest she’s ever been.

“Y’ello?”

“Sonic, are you and Shadow dating?”

“...What?”

<< PREV / NEXT >>

[uh-oh-its-bird]

Fuck ok, gather 'round it's time for another fic idea spinning off of a crumb from my last post ab time traveling team Ro into founders era:

Summary:

Fact 1; Kakashi is now 3 weeks the last living Hatake.

Fact 2; Tobirama Senju, according to dusty old scrolls Kakashi finds in his father's study, was apparently half Hatake himself.

Lonley and hurting, Kakashi grabs on to this fact with both hands and squeezes it so tight to his aching heart that his hands bleed.

Or, still processing his father's suicide, Konoha's favorite baby genius finds out he's distantly related to history's favorite baby genius and immediatly starts projecting to cope.

Digging through old journals, history books, Kakashi begins to try his own hand at the man's favorite past time; creating jutsu's. It's the both the hardest thing he's ever done and the most satisfying to date.

Ft.

1) Weirdly chill scene with Danzo (fuck that guy but hear me out) where he kinda looks at Kakashi and sees the hint of the shadow of the man who taught him. Not quite there yet, not fully, but crumbs of it. Enough to make him nostalgic, and enough to hand over an old journal that used to belong to Tobirama.

A calculated risk, he tells himself.

An unspoken challenge, both Danzo and Kakashi understand.

He wants to see how far Kakashi can go, finds himself almost eager to see how close he can come to the shadow of the man he seems so determined to chase.

(and if this side project temporarily distracts him for long enough that Orochimaru slips through his fingers, well, it's not like he knows it was this event specifically that caused that plan to fall through)

2) The fact that, both due to time and the Hatake clan's less than stellar reputation during the warring states era, Tobirama's Hatake ancestry got buried. Kakashi finding him on a dusty old family tree has ✨️political implications✨️ for Kakashi specifically. Ones he isn't all too interested in — unless it means he might be able to access things he otherwise wouldn't've.

Also just general fun surprised Pikachu faces from some people as an added bonus.

3) Kakashi becoming even more terrifying than he rightfully should be at that age !! Danzo pretty much handed him a missile and went "lmao good luck" with that journal! He should not have that! He's learning things! He is experimenting! Someone take the missile away from the baby before he learns how to make his own— oh fuck it's too late hes somehow made a nuke instead

4) Orochimaru poking Kakashi with a stick and vice versa. They are making baby genius <--> baby genius eye contact it's mildly concerning, Minato is concerned. Obito is jealous, he wishes the Snake Sannin would poke HIM with a stick

5) Kakashi bites someone. That's it that's the bullet point I just think he should get to bite someone is all.

And more !!! Im ngl I think I like Tobirama just existing in the fic as as an ever present shadow, super influential in just every single chapter but never actually present. But I won't lie if I'm giggling over the thought of Kakashi finding Edo Tensei and going ".... ok but what better way to figure out this new jutsu / seal than to ask the source directly."

Orochimaru would so help he's having too much fun with this to bother experimenting on children for Danzo. Don't talk to him rn he's having fun with corpses!! No not the corpses you asked him to have fun with, the other ones!

[opal-kitty333]

So, I like Horror Sans, and being a nerd, I've been thinking about him a lot during my recovery with brain damage. A lot of people treat his wounds like brain damage, giving him memory problems, chronic headaches/migraines, speaking difficulties, fugue states, just issues collecting his thoughts. All understandable and reasonable symptoms, but there's something about just what truly horrific, completely life altering, brain damage to such an extent can do to a person that hasn't been explored very much. Yes, he doesn’t technically have a brain, but considering someone with head trauma like him would be in a comatose like start for weeks to a month, we can choke up him taking that hit like he did and being able to walk and talk to that. Plus, we can take inspiration from real injury and science and have wiggle room for it to not be 100% accurate. Anyway-

This is Phineas Gage.

It is one of the earliest extreme cases of brain damage where the patient survived while psychology as a scientific practice was getting on it's feet. If you've taken a psychology class, you've heard of him. He was a railroad worker foreman who had a rod blown through his skull in an accident, destroy most of his frontal lobe.

If you don’t know what the frontal lobe is it's where your ability to reason and make decisions, the ability to control your muscles voluntarily, and your ability to process knew information and recall old information. It's well known for being the part of your brain that inputs logic, the part gives you the ability to remember what happened last time you picked a fight with someone, so instead you choose to walk away despite how much your want to punch them for being a prick.

As I stated before, this man was a foreman, well known for keeping a level head, being responsible, and hard working. After the injury, that completely changed. Everyone agreed he was barely recognizable as himself. He was impulsive, prone to extreme mood swings, impatient, making massive plans only to almost immediately abandon them, and generally seemed to have no control over his desires or ability to distinguish between a want or a need.

Now, let's look at Horror.

I'd say it's safe to say his frontal lobe but also part of his parietal lobe would be utterly fucked. Your parietal lobe controls your ability to process sensory information (mostly touch) and to understand not only where you and your body is, but to process the world around you. You see a massive enough tent, some clowns running around, the right music, and your parietal lobe is what does the work to label that as a circus.

To have these two structures damaged, or the closest equivalent in a monster, would radically alter Sans' personality, his ability to move, his understanding of the context around him, and connect with others.

He'd become rather self centered on his own desires and beliefs, struggling to even have the patients let alone the want to give other people the time of day. His actions would be impulsive, made on his emotions in the present moment and with little concerns other than the immediate consequences. He'd be prone to loud outbursts, not just rage, but any other emotions like sadness or glee with little ability to realize how he's acting may be overblown or inappropriate. Not only could his ability to put his thoughts into words be a struggle, but his ability to say those words could be affected as well. He'd be very present focused, with pass relations or responsibility mattering little as he keeps marching to the beat of his own drum.

That is, if he could march. He'd not only struggle to know where his limbs are or what he's touching, but his sense of balance would be awful. He'd likely have a constant wobble, having to go slowly and potentially hold onto or lean on things if he wanted to move quickly. God forbid how much he'd bump into furniture or trip and struggle actually grab onto something to catch himself. It's entirely possible he'd have difficulty reading and writing or confusing his left and right regularly. He'd need more time to process a situation and could very easily misidentify what's actually going on could likely lead to him acting even more unpredictable as the world around him is so much more dangerous and he's struggling to fully understand what everyone is doing and trying to keep two steps ahead of everyone around him.

But here's the thing. The brain is also incredibly adaptable in ways your wouldn't believe. Phineas Gage slowly recovered over time. He died twelve years after the incident from epilepsy but over time he slowly regaining his social skills and general functionality. He picked up a job as a stage coach four years after the indecent even. He was never quite the same person he was before, but he wasn't doomed to be what he first was after the indecent.

Imagine what this kind of thing could mean for Sans. Not only would the betrayal cut deep enough and the world falling apart put him through trauma that would shred the soul, but people he trust literally damaged his ability to think logically and control his impulses. Of course he's going to lash out, focus on doing anything he can to survive with little respect for what anyone else thinks. Even forcing his brother to do things and refusing to listen to him unless given no other option. All while he thinks the biggest problems after the indecent is how much his head hurts, how his memory is shot, that it's harder or even down right painful to think, and how he's struggling to cling to his independence while never having the patience or resources to give himself the ability to heal. He doesn't even realize how much he's changed. If you point it out Sans would likely get defensive and aggressive, or brush it off as everyone underground being awful people out to eat each other alive.

But then he gets out to the surface. He gets stable food, a safe place to live. His brother is recovering and as the years pass his mind can finally start pulling itself together and healing, finally. Sans begins to regain his ability to think critically on his own actions and others, his emotional outburst and vindictive behavior start to wind down and fade. He's able to think and start sifting through all the shit he remembers.

The guilt of what he did, the people he hurt for no reason other than pettiness. The stupid decisions he made that hurt himself and/or Papyrus in the long run. All the hindsight he has now. Imagine how much he would bury those memories and thoughts. Justifying everything he could and insisting he had reasons, or that it's just how it was and that everyone was as awful and cruel he was. Or just accepting that what Undyne had done to him and the famine after had ruined him, broken and rotted all the good he had and left him vile and malicious. That he'll never have a chance to truly be who he was before.

[accio-victuuri]

xiao zhan elle september issue cover story Q&A

ELLE: During this rest period, do you think about things that happened on the set?

Xiao Zhan: Of course, I remember a few days after the filming was finished, I had a dream that we were still filming, and the director and I were still discussing how to say that word? How to handle that scene?

ELLE: Do you actually miss the atmosphere on the set?

Xiao Zhan: I like it very much, because I like the feeling of everyone creating together and working together to get something done.

ELLE: When you first entered the entertainment industry and your popularity grew rapidly, you said that it felt a bit unreal and magical, but now you seem to be quite relaxed. How did this change happen?

Xiao Zhan: Rather than saying it’s unreal or magical, after so many years I feel that I haven’t had time to adapt to the fast pace at that time, so when I wake up from sleep, where am I today? What am I doing? I think it’s a process, just like when you first enter the workplace, everyone is very excited, "I’m here to work, please take good care of me", "I’m here, everyone get out of the way", "I can do it, I can do it". (Laughs) But after experiencing a lot of things, I feel that everything needs to be planned for the long term.

ELLE: In several interviews you mentioned that you like to play roles that "can convey energy". Why do you have such a preference?

Xiao Zhan: Because I think it is the life of the character. The kind of energy I am talking about is not just a single positive energy in the general sense. I mean the nutrition that can be subtle and silent. I believe that every character has a complete story line in his heart. This is what I like very much. As long as you dig deep, you can move people. I don’t like to call the villain a "villain", as if it is defined as a bad character from the beginning, but it is not. He may have his own difficulties.

ELLE: It sounds like “transmitting energy” is just a general term. Is it actually about understanding different people through performance?

Xiao Zhan: Yes, if we break it down to each character, they all convey different things. But if we say they are “good guys” or “bad guys”, I think that’s meaningless.

ELLE: So do you think acting is a form of communication?

Xiao Zhan: Yes, you can say that. I think it’s great to say that (acting) is a bridge to communicate with the audience. Just like when a play is broadcast, I will read some of the audience’s comments and impressions, and feel that they have a rich feeling about the work. When I see some comments that are exactly the same as my thoughts when filming, I feel very magical, as if this bridge is really connected. We don’t know each other in life, and we haven’t communicated, but he suddenly got my thoughts at the time, and I felt that, oh, acting is a very beautiful and magical thing.

ELLE: Do you watch some science fiction movies, TV shows, and literary works?

Xiao Zhan: Yes, I used to like watching "The Three-Body Problem". I have watched some science fiction movies recently, the American TV series "The Stars", and recently I am watching "The Replica". They are all about infinite flow and parallel time and space. Because I think there may really be parallel time and space. Every choice you make will split into a different parallel time and space.

ELLE: Do you imagine Xiao Zhan in a parallel universe?

Xiao Zhan: I really wonder, for example, is he still an actor? Maybe, is he still filming now? Is he still singing now? Or is he still a designer? Is he working for others or is he his own boss? (Laughs) Really, I really wonder.

ELLE: What do you think the future will be like?

Xiao Zhan: Wow, I think the world might return to its original state at that time, and the world might become a better place, and people would return to the most basic communication with each other.

ELLE: This is very interesting. Why do you think so?

Xiao Zhan: Anyway, at least now I am a little disgusted with the ubiquitous Internet. When we were young, when there were no mobile phones, we would chat while eating, and we would call our friends downstairs to play hide-and-seek and various games. I think that time was very precious.

ELLE: Will the profession of actor still exist by then?

Xiao Zhan: I think there will be. I believe that as long as life goes on, drama will continue. Because everyone needs an output, needs emotional resonance and sustenance, whether it is images or sounds. So I think that even if the world is destroyed, as long as there are still people, drama will definitely exist.

-END.

source

[ltwilliammowett]

Rachel Wall the mysterious pirate

A woman arrested and convicted of highway robbery, and the last to be executed like a pirate by the state of Massachusetts for stealing a bonnet.

Who are we talking about? Rachel Wall

According to legend she was born c. 1760 in Pennsylvania and ran away from home when she was 16 years old. As soon as she arrived on the coast, she met and married George Wall and moved to Boston. Her husband was a fisherman and so he is said to have left her quite quickly, leaving Rachel to earn a living as a maid. However, George returned one day in 1781 to see Rachel again and persuade her to become a pirate. She tells Sp in her confession. They are believed to have raided ships off the Isles of the Shoals on the New Hampshire coast, although there is no evidence of this and it is not mentioned in the confession. It is believed that Rachel stood on the deck of her ship after storms, pretending to be in distress and screaming for help; when sailors came to her rescue, George and his men killed them and plundered their ships. This did not last long, however after 12 ships it seems that George drowned 1782 during one of these raids, for even his wife did not know where exactly he was.

Rachel returned to Boston and worked as a maid, but never quite managed to become a law-abiding citizen. She continued to ‘plunder’ by sneaking aboard docked ships and taking what she could. She was caught and convicted of robbery twice. Now a third incident occurred in which she stole a 17-year-old girl's bonnet because she thought it was so pretty. As she had already been convicted in two cases of robbery, this third case was punished with death. Unable to deny her past, she listed numerous petty offences in her confession, being careful not to mention any that might be felonies. She was smart enough to know that she could not convince people of her innocence and instead presented herself as being under the influence of her terrible husband.

Attorney General Robert Treat Paine requested that the said Rachel Wall, the prisoner in the dock, be sentenced to death,’ and Governor John Hancock signed the execution order. One could perhaps speculate that she was convicted of far more serious crimes than the attempted robbery of a bonnet, accused of being a thief, but executed for piracy?

Unfortunately for her, Rachel's crime took place during the time of turmoil in the new nation, and the courts, which traditionally gave women lighter sentences than men, sentenced her as an equal, so piracy was not an issue here. The piracy case seems to have been a matter that was brought up at a later date after her death and was probably denied. She probably wasn't a pirate at all but just a thief who they wanted to give a good story.

On Thursday 8 October 1789, Rachel Wall was hanged on Boston Common along with William Smith and William Dunogan. Thousands of men, women and children came to watch the official procession as it wound its way through the streets. They listened to the execution sermon and Rachel Wall's last words as she stood at the gallows.

Her last words were‘...into the hands of Almighty God I commit my soul, trusting in his mercy...and die an unworthy member of the Presbyterian Church, in the 29th year of my age.’

Six years later, unarmed burglary was no longer punishable by death; the three were the last to be executed for robbery in Massachusetts.

Sources below

Massachusetts Historical Society. Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, (Boston: The Society 1905) Volume 39, March 1905 p.178-190

Rachel Wall, Pirate by the National Park Service (Accessed September 19, 2018)

http://www.cindyvallar.com/RachelWall.html (Accessed September 19, 2018)

[megsdoodletag]

Whats updated codex Lion doing and how is he handling that hi brothers are back

lion is rockin the dad bod if i’m bein honest

ah yes. lets talk about the championship warcrimes mcgee everyone forgets to rank with the other championship warcrime mcgees.

Lion is less concerned with his returned brothers than he is with the emperor and gman. Lion’s whole deal is loyalty, particularly to those above you (we’re still working on being loyal to those who rely on you but we’re getting there). To him, emps accepting magnus back into the palace isnt so different from him collecting the Risen, but emps’ refusal to take the reigns from guilliman despite his brother’s measured response to stuff like the ecclesiarchy is baffling to him. He’s mellowed out a Lot since imperium secundus, but his most basic thought process does not understand why they aren’t all just wiping planetary governments and starting from scratch now that dad’s back. Why go through the trouble of installing the triarchy when you leave all the rest of the stupid 40k imperial bureaucracy anyway? Why is dad allowing gman’s 20 stupid space books of space rules when the first one sucked anyway?? Why isn’t dad in charge???

I say most basic thought because, again, he’s had some time, he’s done some Introspection, he has admitted to himself banishing people for mistakes is not always the neat and tidy solution it’s made out to be in his head, and that his paranoia is a problem, it’s just hard for him to change that pattern of thinking. also he’s not entirely wrong i mean. gman is slow going because he’s got approximately the entire universe on his plate but like. some of this stuff feels like something that should have a ten-step removal plan. right??? point is it’s complicated, and he doesn’t have a clean solution and is actively restraining himself from enacting his own version of a ‘clean solution’ which he’s at least learned is maybe a bad idea without running it by dad first.

In the meantime dad said to continue gathering the Risen, so that’s fine he can put his energy into that. Dad also did not say shit about the risen being not codex compliant so take that gman. so lion currently is largely occupied with trying to get his legion in order, which is a bit like herding cats pun absolutely intended. lion is constantly fighting new fissures between what he and the risen envision and what the newer astartes of his geneline are used to expecting, issues that run hot enough that there are some days where it feels like they’re creating fallen instead of saving them. it’s a constant uphill battle even with the newfound self awareness. running back and forth to gather bits of his old legion means he’s mostly out of the way of his brothers, and that’s just fine as far as he’s concerned.

That said, him and his arc are more central to Updated Codex than one might expect. For one, lion is the one who tattles on gman to emps. He takes one look at juno and goes

'i'm telling dad!!' and runs off to do just that, forcing gman to introduce juno to the wider imperium. she’s about 4 at the time.

An older Juno, as stated in the snippet below, has been boots-on-the-ground for fallen retrieval missions; in fact they were probably some of her first joint campaigns outside of ultramar/ultra successors. Lion has seen her work as and with astartes, and generally is alright treating her the way he does his formerly wayward sons.

that doesn’t mean he trusts her. The paranoia didn’t magically disappear. when she gets her own little specialist squad consisting of some weird serf, the child of a traitor, and a xeno spawn, He manages to get a dark angel attached to their retinue, and instructs him to report on their actions regularly.

Juno isn’t impressed.

Melwas is a brand new Dark Angel looking to prove himself in a time when living legends, tarnished though they may be, walk amongst them and his primarch is personally watching every move he makes. Mel has a massive guilt complex, for both genuinely enjoying the oddball squad’s company (a betrayal of his mission) and for spying on them (a betrayal of his friends). It’s a lot of pressure, which isn’t helped when, upon reuniting with a former neophyte friend of his, he is promptly subjected to a barriss offee style turncoat plot where his friend tries to kill him (and the squad) in an effort to make a point about how the DAs are losing their way of life, yadda yadda, angst, yadda yadda etc. yaaaaay!!!

He gets a weird dog and some hugs from his friends and maybe his dad figures out how to tell him in words he was handpicked for the oddball squad because lion is actually quite impressed with his level head. maybe lion will go the extra mile and figure things out with luthor and mel can make out i mean up with that friend who tried to kill him or something. who knows.

but that’s what uncle lion is up to!

[zahri-melitor]

Thinking more about Tom King; I do wonder how much of how he’s viewed on tumblr is a result of the following two facts:-

The majority of the DC comics fandom on tumblr does not have personal memories of 2001

The majority of the DC comics fandom on tumblr is not prepared to give government security or intelligence the time of day as having a necessary purpose

It sounds a bit ‘you don’t know what you’re missing’ but fundamentally I think part of the problem is that you’re (generally) too young to appreciate many of King’s fundamental storytelling elements, because you’re too young to remember or care about the topics he keeps going back to interrogate.

And this is something that comes up in conversations I have with friends who are school teachers and university lecturers all the time, because September 11 for the majority of their students has now moved from category 1 here to category 3:

Core ‘where were you’ memory (people born early 90s or before)

Foundation of their childhood status quo (mid 90s to mid 2000s; maybe as late as 2007-2008)

History (late 2000s onwards)

They’re the ones at the forefront of talking about this with their students, and it’s moved from ‘default background for undergraduates’ now into ‘history that has an effect on the present’. They’re now too young to have soaked in the exhaustingly omnipresent US patriotism of the culture of the 2000s. And so the reaction of current students as a cohort to things heavily based or reflective on this period is fundamentally different to someone who lived through it.

A similar, earlier comparison would be writers who frame everything through the lens of the Cold War as an analogy for their writing. I’m a category 2 for the fall of the USSR, and I grew up with that dividing line; there was a lot of media made in the 90s that still premised the Soviets as existing into the future (very early 90s stuff that hadn’t been fixed in time) or that frantically had had a word find-replace for “Soviet” to “Russian” but the general attitude hadn’t changed (good comics example here is go read any of KGBeast’s appearances around Knightfall in DC comics; they’re really struggling with what to do about him). There was also even more media that still wanted to hammer Cold War themes but invented new fake countries to overlay it onto and to discuss as being the background of proxy wars, so they had the out of ‘this isn’t a real place, it’s Markovia/Kaznia/Pan Balgravia or Qurac/Kahndaq/Bialya’.

Many of these got further use for decades up until the present, partly because Central Asia has remained a hotspot for conflict for decades as a result of the fallout of the Cold War proxy conflicts, and partly because shoving extra expy states into Europe means you can play with the politics without having to be exact.

Because to me, this is what I see King doing to the present. And why it sticks out is that most people aren’t harping on the themes constantly anymore like they were 20 years ago. But for King it’s a well he keeps going back to because he was so heavily involved in it and didn’t really get the chance to start processing it until he left the CIA around 2010 and started working his feelings out in stories.

Because yes, at this point he’s beating a dead horse, but there are also incredibly successful writers of military thrillers who are STILL writing veiled ‘it’s the Soviets’ or ‘it’s the Arab Terrorists’ plots and selling. There’s clearly an audience for it. The audience just is an aging one.

And as someone who does remember the period, some of his work is extremely ‘oh god I remember’ and some of it is genuinely well thought through analogies interrogating the topic. Media and storytelling are frequently in conversation with the world and with themes the writer cares about. And I think we can all tell how large some of this loomed in Tom King’s life.

[whore-mel]

My draft got deleted. ☹️

But here’s what I was originally yapping about. So I’ve been thinking of a Horror Au. Or more like…expect everything to go wrong Au for DC. So I didn’t think of every character. But here’s what I thought of:

Bat Family

So, Bruce is crazy. The Batman who laughs, I’ve never read any comic about it or any game but yeah. So I think he like kills anyone who isn’t from Gotham, with the help of Nightwing and Robin.

Dick had no choice, either help Batman or Damian dies. So he had to help. Same goes for Damian.

They both patrol Gotham and kill any outsider or anyone who defies their orders

Steph and Cass are running around with Dinah and the birds of prey. They’re probably the only sane ones

Jason has killed the joker and went on a rampage killing tons of villains, and innocent people in the process.

Tim is the new joker. He’s batshit crazy.

Alfred is a spy, giving the speedsters Info.

Flash Fam

Barry Allen has died. 😨 (didn’t think of how, he just did)

The speedsters are trying to figure out where it all went wrong and fix it. So that why Alfred I giving info on Batman and what happened/ happening to him.

Themyscirans

If you watched Flash Point, yk what I’m talking about.

They’re at war with the Atlanteans.

Donna and Cassie are like..Captain and Lieutenant to Diana.

Diana is the Colonel, while her mother is the general. Like level of command

Atlanteans

At war with the Themyscirans.

Super fam.

Superman lost Lois, got angry, took over the government.

Now he’s the one controlling everything. Basically blood shed

Jon is by his side

Kon is with Tim, helping him.

Arrow Fam

Don’t. Trust. Any. Of. Them.

Literally, if you see anyone with a bow..RUN RUN RUN

They’re all cannibals. Star city is out of food, they had to resort to animalistic ways.

It took a lot of convincing, but eventually everyone got convinced…expect for Dinah (black canary)

And also, they hunt in packs. So..you see one, there are probably three more staring at you.

Oliver lost all his money, so they don’t have any equipment except to make their own. So their suits are all covered in blood..and their nails are probably cracked, and they’re all insane

Dinah refused and recruited Selina Kyle, Barbara Gordon, Ivy, and Harley.

They’re helping the homeless and the innocent, and they’re also helping the speedsters

Tamaraneans

They have their own problems off earth, but Kory is now against humanity and if she wants to help you have to give her an offer of some sort.

Also, she probably won’t take money. So you’ve gotta think.

The lanterns

They’re also trying to deal with the other worldly stuff.

But they take turns going to earth to see what’s going on. It’s not like they’re helpful though.

Magic users

They dipped.

They saw the state of the world and dipped. “I ain’t seen nothing.”

They didn’t want to deal with this shit.

well…Constantine convinced the rest to dip.

Others

Raven is all demon now, she’s taking control of earth slowly.

Beast boy got killed by raven.

Shazam got killed by supes.

The hawks are helping super man

So I guess that’s it 😨😨