#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

[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.

[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.

[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)

[leonardhoee]

William Rex MBTI Analysis

I just finished William’s route for the 4th time and wanted to write this since I see a ton of people on the personality database website mistyping him.

William is a classic Entj 8w7 tbh and I think the reason people aren’t clocking it is because of the stereotypes surrounding that personality type. Not every entj 8w7 is a demon war criminal with no feelings or morals. As one myself I saw a lot of myself in William with the way he thinks and operates and his values. He also reminds me a lot of Sylus from Love and Deepspace and that’s what made me start questioning the typing they have for him right now. Both him and Sylus are “healthier”representations of that personality type and are more in touch with their Fi.

If this makes sense to you guys please go to the PDB website and vote ENTJ 8w7 for Will so we can get it corrected.

Analysis under the cut.

1. Extraverted Thinking (Te):

Te is the primary way TeNi’s interact with the world around them. Te is all about efficiency and getting things done. It is the TeNi’s primary decision-making process, which means that if a decision is needed in the moment, they will rely on what makes the most sense logically.

William’s Te is at the forefront of his personality. Most of the info about him comes from the full love bonus story from reading both endings. In that story something that really stuck out to me was his statement, “I will make this power obey my will, control it, and tame it,”. He’s saying this in response to his moral dilemma about his power being able to take away people’s freedom. Rather than lament his ability to control others, which he considers a contradiction to his core values, he chooses to impose order on this chaos. A true monarch. His immediate response is to take control with no hesitation. His fate should’ve been a threat to him so his response is to become the master of his own curse.

On top of that, his sense of justice is incredibly firm but at the same time he believes in the ends justifying the means. He uses his powers as a tool for punishing those he deems to be oppressors, stating that those who trample on freedom are “unforgivably evil.” Furthermore, his Te ensures that his sense of justice is actionable. He doesn’t just hold abstract ideals; he transforms them into concrete systems, and actively uses his powers to enforce justice for those who violate his moral code.

Basically, all his decisions and values are rooted in clear, rational frameworks, where he sees himself as the ultimate arbiter of morality. This efficient, results-driven perspective is absolutely Te dominant.

2. Introverted Intuition (Ni):

Ni is the way that a TeNi perceives their inner world, it dictates the way they store information and how they perceive that information. It also heavily dictates the path that their train of thought will take.

William’s Ni is interesting because it shows up in his fixation on the concept of destiny and freedom. He recognizes the irony of his existence: born to value freedom above all else, yet cursed with powers that inherently strip others of theirs. But because of his age dominance, this contradiction doesn’ paralyze him but instead motivates him to enforce his moral philosophy with conviction and to use the hand date has dealt him to do so. His Ni allows him to create a unified vision of justice and morality, framing his powers not as a curse but as an opportunity to shape the world according to his ideals. His long-term perspective is evident in his acceptance of his role as a “villain,” choosing to happily shoulder the consequences of his actions rather than compromising his vision. This is evident throughout his whole route when he asks MC to record his sins as an irredeemable villain to make sure that the legend of the self righteous monarch lives on for generations even after he’s met his end.

3. Extraverted Sensing (Se):

Se helps the TeNi use their senses to understand the world around them. They enjoy living in the moment and are capable when it comes to dealing with things that they can experience and touch in addition the purely hypothetical. This is because their Ni and Se fall in the middle as far as preferences go, so they’re able to flip back and forth to use each one as it’s needed. Se is also what drives them to search out playful new sensory experiences.

William is shown to take pleasure and satisfaction in the way he delivers his punishments. The route makes a point of describing his eyes and the way William takes pleasure in his own ferocity during these punishments. He doesn’t just want to “get it over with” he wants to have the full experience of commiting the sin. His ability to focus on the tactile and sensory aspects—the sights, sounds, and even the emotions evoked—demonstrates a strong tertiary Se. And this tertiary Se doesn’t only manifest in his violent acts—it also shows in his appreciation for beauty, art, music and even sex (Ex: the scene of him eating strawberries in the cafe with MC, his passion for music, his interest in connecting with people from all walks of life). He’s the type of person to savor physical pleasures and immerse himself in the present moment of those things.

4. Inferior Introverted Feeling (Fi):

Fi is the ENTJ’s last function. Fi helps them to assess situations to see how things match up to their values and beliefs. They may think of their Fi as their “gut instinct”. It helps them learn to be sensitive to the values and feelings of those around them. It can act as a warning system when they think a decision makes sense logically, but somewhere inside, Fi is the alarm saying it’s a bad idea. However, because Fi is the TeNi’s weakest function, they will often act with the swift decisiveness of Te first, before considering how their actions might affect the feelings of others or taking time to think about whether their decision lines up with their values.

So there’s 2 points that can be made regarding this. The first part is about his morals.

Despite his rational exterior, William’s deep internal conflict over his powers points to his inferior Fi. He considers his ability to control others a profound moral contradiction, as it conflicts with his core belief in freedom. However, instead of sitting and agonizing over this emotional struggle openly, he rationalizes it through his Te-dominant framework, and to simply become its master. Also his repeated acknowledgment of contradictions in his existence shows the tension between his powers and his values. He says in the bonus story, “I gave them freedom and found joy in watching them love that freedom, yet I would be the one to take it away again.” This self-awareness highlights his internal struggle, but his default response—to let people go for the sake of their freedom—reflects his Te- dominance rather than an emotionally motivated decision. He will let them go even if it breaks their heart.

This leads me to my second point about this. When falling in love with MC, William was faced with a dilemma. Being with her would, in his point of view take away her freedom which is a sin he refused to commit. However instead of spending the time unpacking that he immediately jumped to his ate function and did what he deemed rational in that moment which was to decide to leave as he always does. It’s interesting because his inferior Fi shows up in both ways, staying true to his values, but also having a massive oversight on MC’s feelings and desires in that moment and causes her a lot of pain. And that oversight remains until she (in ch 18) almost takes control of the situation even above him and shows him what she wants through a very blunt display (getting stabbed).

Enneagram Analysis: 8w7

William’s need for freedom and disdain for oppression are hallmarks of Type 8. He refuses to let fate, his powers, or external forces define him, asserting instead, “I couldn’t let something like fate deny me of being my own master.” This fierce independence drives his actions, from punishing oppressors to letting others go to protect their freedom. However, his control is not limited to himself; as an 8, he extends his authority outward, enforcing his moral vision on those he deems unjust and encourages everyone around him to become their own masters as well.

Between 8w7 and 8w9, William would be a 7 because of his Se. His boldness and ability to captivate others with his convictions make him a natural leader. This wing also amplifies his avoidance of emotional vulnerability, as seen in his tendency to rationalize rather than process his internal contradictions.

Why William Is Not an ENFJ or INFJ because those are the other 2 I’ve heard people saying.

Both ENFJs and INFJs are defined by their reliance on Extraverted Feeling (Fe) and a focus on interpersonal harmony. William, by contrast, prioritizes efficiency and justice over emotional connection, ruling out both types.

• Not ENFJ: ENFJs are people-oriented leaders who seek to unite and inspire others. While William’s charisma might seem ENFJ-like, his approach to supporting others is far more authoritarian and pragmatic. He enforces his ideals unilaterally, without the Fe-driven need to create collective harmony or prioritize the feelings of others. He says so himself in the bonus story that the things he does are out of self righteousness only. Entjs and enfjs can often get confused but the differentiation is that he helps others because he’s honoring HIS desires. He’s not doing it because of some grand desire to help others.

• Not INFJ: While William grapples with moral contradictions, his struggles are rooted in rational frameworks, not emotional exploration. Furthermore, INFJs tend to avoid direct confrontation, whereas William thrives in it. Additionally INFJs are Se inferior which is the main reason it’s ruled out. William is not Se inferior at all.

Why William Is Not a 7w8 or 1w9

• Not 7w8: While William’s charisma and love for freedom might align with 7w8, his motivations do not fit this type. 7w8s are driven by a desire to avoid pain and seek enjoyment, whereas William’s actions are rooted in a need for control and justice. His moral philosophy is too rigid for a 7w8, which would prioritize adaptability and personal pleasure.

• Not 1w9: Type 1s are perfectionists who pursue moral ideals through discipline and self-restraint. William is the opposite of self restraint. While he has a strong moral code, it is not driven by a desire for perfection or self-discipline but by a a self righteous desire. He says many times throughout the route that if MC thinks he is evil she is free to punish him how she wishes. He has never said he is a good or moral person and in fact says the opposite. He’s a villain doing what he values. His willingness to accept his role as a “villain” further supports his ENTJ 8w7 classification. He views himself as a necessary force of justice, even if it means being seen as cruel or self-righteous. His statement, “I followed my heart and chose to commit sins as a villain,” reveals his willingness to embrace moral ambiguity in pursuit of his ideals.

So in conclusion he’s an obvious ENTJ 8w7

Here are some screenshots I used as evidence

[seraphsfire]

///ARCANE s2 finale SPOILERS ///

LONG POST

SO. THAT VIKTOR ARCANE LEAGUEOFLEGENDS GUY HUH.

some observations that are my personal opinion and/or interpretation of viktor's transformation and physical state. (my screenshots, idc if u repost them or whatever just don't say they're yours, etc)

minor edit: added a sentence i could've sworn i'd written that i hadn't and so my paragraph made no sense lol

love love love the aspects of body horror and character design going on with viktor's post-sourdough-starter cyborg body here, so i was trying to get a better look at it to maybe sort of figure out how his body was transformed, and what it's made of now (metal, magic, a third secret thing, idk)

so it looks like, in general, his skeletal structure and the metal parts in his back brace and his leg brace were fused together and then fused *into* his musculoskeletal structure, not just sort of copied by the hexcore. You can see here he has actual bolts in his spine before he got robot-ified, and to me it seems like this could have been a way for his brace to hook or snap onto his spine more securely to give him extra support.

I think the circles in the middle of the brace over his sternum might have also snapped into bolts in his chest, and you can see them better here

the cloth and leather parts of the brace have either dissolved or been turned into metal.

--I just want to take a side note here to note what im sure other ppl have mentioned but I haven't seen talked much about at least recently, is that viktor's disability wasn't just his mobility issues and bad respiratory health, that he must have been in terrible pain to have a procedure as extreme as bolts being put into his spine and/or chest deemed necessary / beneficial to his quality of life.

In the scene where he tries to destroy the hexcore, he can barely push himself up, and it takes all of his strength to lift a stool over his head that's only a few pounds :(

He later asks jayce to destroy the hexcore because he can't, and ive seen most people interpret that as him not wanting to destroy his life's work, but i always viewed it as him not physically being able to--the hexcore was too strong, and it snapped out at him and knocked him over just at the threat of him destroying it.

That circles over to another thing i thought was interesting, is that when he comes out of the goop he still seems very weak and unstable, even though he now has his back brace and leg brace fused to his skeleton. He still has to use his crutch to walk toward jayce and make effort to straighten his legs, because they're still twisted. It makes me wonder if the hexcore didn't so much heal him as dull his sense of pain so he couldn't feel it, and its energy forced him to move.

That's something i thought was interesting, and it made me think of his line about not feeling cold--he then says he feels something that is exactly how I'd describe coldness to somebody who's never felt it before, it just seems like now, his nervous system doesn't process it in the same way as he used to recognize the sensation of coldness. Interestingly, he still describes it as "unpleasant"

back to the design of viktor's body: what exactly is it made of? Here's where the body horror aspect of it comes in, because i think there's a possibility that's still mostly his body and what we're seeing here is exposed, preserved muscle fiber, because the hexcore either burned or melted off his skin or it literally rotted away while he was in the goop. There's a few artsy little flourishes from the hexcore magic peeking through, but except for the slightly darker color, it looks eerily like how muscle fiber on preserved cadavers looks, down to the way the little filamenty veins are. Granted it could just be a metallic structure the hexcore created, visually mimicking human muscle structure. Or the sourdough starter could have been something super gross like magic sentient cosmic energy formaldehyde--that also makes sense to me because of how when his hair grew out some of the tips had lost color, like they'd been bleached.

anyway the visual aspect of his resurrected hexcore appearance that makes me think of a reanimated cadaver most was how strange and unsettling i found it that he's completely gray and glowing with purple sparks, is that for some reason he's still got a bellybutton and almost a normal skin-like surace to that part of his stomach.

On the other hand, his hip socket and the rest of his pelvis is bony and skeletal. You can kind of see his pelvis not being attached with muscle fiber to his hip socket in that lower corner, it looks the same atp as when he's in his cosmic form.

the jokes about "jayce hugged him with his whole ______ out!!!!" just make me sad bc obviously any extraneous soft tissue was completely obliterated, (I say obviously but idk how many ppl literally believe they were censoring human body parts here.)

Like, he doesn't even have fingernails anymore. The only reason he has a stomach still is because abdominal muscles are a skeletal support structure.

That gives the he heebie jeebies so good, honestly, and what an fascinating choice by the design team instead of giving him idk, age of ultron steel robot shaped abs, which i've seen a lot in like human--robot transformations, he's this horrifying mix of petrified/preserved cadaver tissue, magic metal, and sentient cosmic energy. (Even more tragic and sad if you think about it that way and that jayce might have been hugging his dead friend's preserved, skinned corpse)

the "reanimated corpse" idea fits into the interpretation that viktor's emotions and thoughts are still his, but they've been very dulled by the power of the hexcore, because a reanimated cadaver body isn't going to be able to work as effeciently that way anymore.

or idk maybe the idea that he was still sort-of there, faintly is one i like because it makes me feel better, i can at least pretend some part of him felt comforted being held in such a horrific situation. had to post this screenshot bc that sad little face when hes getting hugged is destroying me

Anyway. many thoughts, many feelings, many possibilities and interpretations. Do with this what you will. I, for instance, will be walking into the sea and never returning probably

[willlic]

My fiance and I were blabbing about potential one piece movie ideas last night and I'm obsessed with this one idea and I know it will never happen but FUCK I wish it would. So basically the premise is its a normal fantastical high stakes adventure for the strawhats, that doesn't change. Plot beats don't change either. But, the twist is its all from usopps perspective. Not like literal looking theough his eyes, but focused on him, and his experience. Generally as a character he notices everything, it's his job to be the sniper, and that paired with anxiety makes usopp hyper aware of his surroundings, the crew members, and where they're at. Idk if you guys have noticed, but unless he's super into a hobby or something he's doing for fun, he's super aware of everyone and their emotional state, safety, his environment etc. That's part of why he's scared all the time, he's very risk aware. So the movie would be showcasing that basically. You would see his strategy options he debates and why, the things he notices about crew members, and get a good look at his internal workings and his perspective of his crew members and their capabilities. And because he values them highly, it will end up having these moments of appreciation when he's observing their strengths. But the story would be his perspective, his experience as he's running around, his thought process and concerns for others that motivate his behavior etc. It wouldn't jump to other characters, just show his story. And after my fiance was done describing the opening scene and its cool details(I won't even try, he did it so beautifully and I can't recreate it) I was like "wait, so are we basically describing 'the zeppo' buffy episode but just usopp instead of Xander as a premise?" And he was like, "oh my God, yes. That's the one where the world is ending but we just follow Xander around and see his highjinx and emotional journey of recognizing his value right?" "Yes, and by the end he doesn't need other people to see his value, or know his experience because he sees it himself and that's good enough." Anyways I'm obsessed with this idea now and desperately wish it would be a real movie. Usopp is such an undervalued character and his scenes are framed as comedic even when he's really cool. This could break that form(slightly, it would still be fun but he wouldn't be comedic releif) and also could showcase characters like nami and chopper as well. Usopp sees their value as well and I don't think namis fights in this would be reduced to just using thunderbolt tempo etc.

[jylesthejester]

With how things are going in TEAPS right now, I wouldn't be surprised if Eclipse left with Puppet, Foxy, and FC if they do leave.

Reasons being

A) He probably won't be able to stand being there without the three people he knows well (Puppet, Foxy, FC), B) Puppet and Foxy might drag him along to deter him from doing something drastic, and C) Just because he can't stand everyone here because of how their views are.

Also, I wonder, maybe when Lefty and the others try to force Puppet out if she doesn't leave, what if Moons killcode acts up? He seems to hold a lot of resentment towards the people who want Puppet to leave (Which would also mean taking FC and Foxy away), and I wonder if it'll Kickstart his killcode just seeing it go down?

And Lefty, I don't think this is... Lefty? If that makes any sense. I made a comment on the first video where this whole Puppet leaving thing was first mentioned, speculating that this isn't Lefty, but a mimic. I didn't watch all the videos of TEAPS from the beginning (I kinda stopped watching all the shows right after the TEAPS introduction premiere) but I've seen people say Lefty was a Crybaby, and rather quiet. So this seems out of character, like extremely so, or it also seems like, maybe, another Lefty? An old model maybe? I don't know.

Also I feel like if Puppet, Eclipse, Foxy, and FC leave, Frank and Francis are following, so are Jake, Andy, and Andrew probably.

Here's some other sorta unrelated theories.

I wonder if Eclipse has his own killcode? He seems to hold a lot of resentment, which might be why he is always rude or just generally ready to do extremely drastic things. It's not like Moon's killcode in that aspect, of course, as Moon would black out for moments at a time(IIRC?) But Eclipse is fully aware, I feel like it just severely affects his thought process or actions, and he also holds resentment towards Killcodes, likely because he came from one after being abandoned by Moon, so it makes sense for him to have his own.

I think Dark sun might appear in TEAPS, maybe to get Eclipse? Maybe Ruin? I'm unsure. I really think what Dark sun put in Eclipses body that made his systems run slower wasn't temporary, it just faded out eventually when Dark sun didn't need it to do anything anymore. I have a feeling he can reactivate it and or put it into overdrive, sending Eclipse either into his own head, or just in a paralyzed/limp state. And I think Dark sun might just genuinely be after Ruin for something, not too sure, but it seems like something he'd do, after all, maybe he'd do the same thing to ruin that he did to Eclipse?

I feel like Frank has more knowledge on genuinely good positivity then Francis does, I feel like they were supposed to look into what good negativity to help/feed off of(Misery, Grief, confrontations, sadness, death(not that its a good thing.), fear) and bad negativity to help/feed off of(Abuse, suicide, assault, other worse things I don't want to say.) [What I mean by help/feed off of is - Help, would mean supporting it, helping someone through it, maybe even promoting it to be good in certian circumstances. Feed off would be, watch and take it in.] As well as good positivity to help/feed off of(Childlike wonder, happiness, joy, celebrations, ceremonies, accomplishment, acceptance) and bad positivity to help/feed off of(Adrenaline from crimes, enjoyment out of hurting others, sadism, other things that very sick people enjoy doing.). Basically what I'm getting at is, I don't think Francis understands the difference between good and bad positivity in situations, Frank understands good and bad negativity and knows when something is fucked up, but Francis doesn't seem to.

Yeah, just- more rambling.

[justchelleing]

Rainfall and Tears

TW! Pure angst, explicit Language, Dazai

Pairing: Dazai x Reader

Type: Oneshot

Genre: Pure Angst

Synopsis: When fate arranges the meetings of two broken hearts, it will be a nice reunion. Right? Except it went downhill from both people..

This happened after Dazai left the Mafia leaving reader behind.

Not proofread (I suck at synopsis')

You held the umbrella in your hand as sobs can be heard. An executive died, and your boss was generous enough to hold a funeral so his family could at least mourn. You bit your lip as his wife fell to her knees and cried. You didn't want to attend, not wanting to hear the pitiful cries of others, yet Chuuya insisted to at least pay respects in which you agreed to. What an unfortunate day it was, the death of an executive, a rainy day, and a year after he left the organization. You clutched your umbrella as you slowly walked out of the graveyard. Chuuya was comforting the woman and her child while you walked out, your boots clacking to the wet road. You sighed, today was supposed to be your anniversary on when you first met; now it's the date where he left you in that shitty hellhole called the Mafia. You sighed wanting to grab some coffee before heading back to the Port Mafia. You walked straight sighing, you always hated rainy days; it reminded you of the day you cried when you were left alone. You snapped out of your thoughts when you bumped into somebody. You stumbled and quickly bowed as a sign of apology, while the man apologize and muttered something when he saw you.

"Y/n..?" He muttered as you quickly raised your head to look at him. Your eyes widened, that voice was all too familiar; especially for you.

"Osamu...?" You whispered in shock. Never could you have suspected that the man who left you a year ago would be here. Right in your face, looking at you with teary eyes; eyes that was full of guilt and sorry.

Tears started to prick the corners of your eyes as you looked at him longer. It was really him, THE Dazai Osamu; the Demon Prodigy, traitor of the Mafia and... Your lover, the man who left you behind. In his eyes you were still the very Y/n he loved. He felt a gentle smile escape his lips, one that was genuine.

You two stared at each other, admiring each other's face; the face that both of you hadn't seen in person after a year. You snapped and realized what you were doing; you were happy to see him, alive and well. It was very different from the outcome you expected, one where you would be angry at him and curse him; perhaps you still love him after he left you. You turned your back at him, clutching your umbrella in hand, burying your nail to your palm to suppress your feelings. As you turned away his eyes widened and realized what you were trying to do. He tries to grab your hand but he halted at your words.

"Dazai..I- I won't let the Port Mafia about this encounter..but." You stuttered.

"today, from now on... We're strangers" you bit your inner cheek trying not to cry. He was shaking his head in the middle of your sentence. As you took a step, water splashes are heard. He grabbed your arms to his, making you turn back to him; you dropped your umbrella in the process. Now you were on his arm embrace, both of you are soaked from the rain. Burying his head on the crook of your neck he whispered:

"I'm s-sorry.. please.. I can't lose you again.. i- I miss you please.." he whispered between sobs, a tear escaped your eyes as you rested your head on his shoulder.

"Osamu... Please..." You pleaded, voice cracking.

"I want you back.. please" he cried. You pushed him back and as you took in his form, your eyes could only widen in his state. You looked at him with watery eyes and it made him guilty. The eyes he used to love staring at because of happiness was now replaced with eyes filled of numbness and sorrowful tears; worse is that it was because of him.. and he knew that.

You turned your back on him once again as he turned his back on you in the past. When you wanted to leave him, he only held your arm to get you back in his embrace. The rain worsen and you tried to leave but he hugged you tightly. He knew he was wrong and he misses you so bad, times came where he would stare at your picture wishing you were there. He sometimes wondered "was his friend really right or was his decision leaving the Port Mafia behind really right? Or was his decision to leave you really correct"?

You snapped, tired on why he would pull you back to his embrace to begin with; after all he was the one that left you, the one that pushed you away.

"Osamu! Please! Please.. just... Push me away! Like you used to" Dazai knew that anything he would say would fail. He knew that the only way to make you stay was the three words he never said to anyone, even you. He knew he missed you, more than Oda; he never cried when his dearest friend died on his arms, yet the thought of you leaving him is a scenario he could never imagine to happen. So.. He held no response to your breakdown,

"Perhaps he didn't care anymore" you thought to yourself.

You smiled to yourself, hiding the pain. You picked up the fallen umbrella and handed it to him.

"You'll get sick.." you muttered before walking away. He was there speechless

"I love you..." He whispered, his voice cracking yet it was no use, you already left; only leaving the umbrella in his hand. When he finally said the three words he was afraid to say because of how 'human' he will be; there was nobody to say it to. He gained the courage to say it when you're not there, when you finally left. Again, he has to handle the loneliness he hated feeling because of his own decisions. He was left alone in the rain, with an umbrella in your hand as you walked away.

[lyca-universal]

The Beacon : the curse of Hope

Since I got updated on Castle Swimmer, I got back into it to see if I could find elements to theorize on. And I got a mindblowing revelation on the VERY first chapter of Castle Swimmer ! That's what I wanted to share here ^^

At this moment the God of the Surface is talking about Kappa's role as the Beacon. But when you pay close attention to what he's actually saying : "There are many prophecies in this world, you will have a key role to play in each one."

A "key role" to play in the prophecies ! It is NEVER stated that his role was to FUFILL them ! Him having a KEY ROLE in the prophecies isn't the same as him having to FUFILL the prophecies.

Later this episode, Kappa was pulled to a Castle, and that's where he got to know that people expected him to fufill a prophecy. And then It's fair to guess he assumed that it was what expected from the Surface God aswell.

Sure, that was what the prophecy states.

But now we know with our current informations that the prophecies are actually created by the will of the people. They're not to take at face value at all. (At least when it comes to discuss God's will)

That also got me thinking about the actual title of "Beacon", because what is a "Beacon" to begin with ?

"A light that shines for other". That's all, a light that can guide people. People can follow it in order to find their way, but in the end they have to make the way THEMSELVES.

The Beacon isn't SUPPOSED to actually DEAL with the prophecies, but to be a light that would help to make it true. Symbolically, I see it as a light of hope to keep people going.

In time of despair, the "Beacon" is something they can rely on to keep up on hope. Especially since a lot of despair came from the minigods and Labbu.

Maybe that was why the Surface God created the Beacon, as a way to oppose Labbu's destruction and help people bellow.

I think in general tho, the comic also show how "hope" can become a curse, how people tend to entirely rely on "The Beacon" instead of taking care of the problems on their own. Because it's way easier than doing the hard work ourselves.

I find this aspect deeply human, the need to rely on something which would be a symbol of hope in order to not confront our problems. It's understandable, but not viable. As reality end up being way more complex and the process end up taking way more time and effort than what we would hope.

In my opinion, this is what the flyfins represents in its most extreme and cruel form.

It is implied that the flyfins don't feel safe and like they belong where they are. That would explain why they rely so hard on the Beacon in hope for a better future. But instead of finding a way to accomplish that on their own, they make it Kappa's burden.

(Yeah between you'll never find me defend this Fizz of shit. In a character/meta perspective find him really well written and fascinating, but as an individual I deeply DESPISE him)

I'll finish up by going back to speak about the Surface God. If everything I said is true, why didn't they make it clear to Kappa much earlier ?

Well, it seems like they were not able to speak to him soon after he was born.

But interestingly enough, Kappa is called the "child of the Surface God" by the minigods, and this title makes him much more important in the eyes of God.

But I think it also imply that the Surface God would care for Kappa, as a parent would care for their child.

And my last thought was : What if the bubbles are actually a manifestation of the Surface God looking for Kappa as much as they can in their current state ?

Yes, I'm wondering if this was even deeper foreshadowing than we thought. Especially since we know now that Wendy can make REALLY EARLY foreshadowing xD

And as a final argument, there was this moment when Kappa reached the blue empty water while he tried to reach the surface. Then the bubbles appeared and guided towards the surface God. As if it was God's way to "speak" to him, quoting Selkie.

That's all I wanted to share so far ! Thanks for reading until the end ! <3

[mantarobin]

Mm, that it's all for the best (of course it is)

(lots of yapping below)

So, Petro and childhood trauma. Woohoo! (episode 16 & petro character analysis)

I find his relationship with the Wisp very interesting, with how she treats him and his responses to it. There’s a lot of little details with childhood trauma and motherhood that I find very interesting. I’m mainly gonna be discussing their dynamic, then symptoms of childhood trauma and emotional abuse.

In EP16, Wisp has a lot of traits similar to a controlling or abusive parent. She blames Mark’s death on Petro, despite none of it being his fault. She states things along the lines of, “look what you made me do.” and, “I’m sorry for breaking your toy.”

The toy line really sticks out to me. It’s both dehumanizing Mark, and dismissing Petro’s grief. It’s equating Mark to a toy, and makes his sadness sound silly and overdramatic. Of course, there’s obviously the parallels of a mother breaking a toy, then brushing it off.

Generally, the Wisp has a lot of moments that feel like a mother belittling their child. One example is how she mentions disappointments- a lot. She explains how she doesn’t approve of them, doesn’t tolerate them, and projects these expectations onto Petro. She expects him to do perfect work, and when he does, all is well.

However, if he messes up, if he disobeys in the slightest, she switches up instantly. She becomes cold, begins to demean him and remind him of his place. It’s abusive, and keeps Petro constantly worried about her. He can’t afford to mess up because he can’t deal with her punishments, her threats, her switchups and anger.

It’s also worth noting she looks similar to Allay’s, which we saw in EP15, and they look fairly cute and, well, child-friendly. Even now, the Wisp doesn’t necessarily look scary at first glance. Ironically, when she was first spotted, a lot of the fandom thought she was just a little buddy or creature. Take that how you will.

Now, moving onto Petro’s responses to this. Not just in the situations where she’s mad, but how he reacts in general.

In general, he has a very brash, blunt attitude. Something interesting is that he seems to always want the upper hand on people. Now, this could just be explained as “well he’s evil of course” but I’m delving deeper. His urges to constantly want control could be explained by how helpless he feels when around the Wisp. It’s the only way he can have the illusion that he has a choice; he can manipulate people, he can make his own relationships and distractions from the cruel situation he’s stuck in.

While it’s not really the most serious scene, I do keep it in mind. Alux is joking about holding Petro’s hand while they escape, and Petro’s first response is “I’m not a child.”. Interesting to keep in mind.

Now!!! Delving into symptoms. Obligatory reminder I am not a therapist or psychiatrist so I apologize if the info is off.

For starters, childhood trauma. Common symptoms of lingering childhood trauma are: difficulty controlling emotions, impulsiveness, an increased response to stress, relationship instability, dissociation, avoidance, and heightened anger.

I’ll go over these. Not all of them apply to Petro, or have no proof that it applies, so I’ll go over the clear ones I can prove and discuss.

Impulsiveness: While Petro comes off as calculated at first, he does have quite a few moments where he does things without thinking. This is shown more when his emotions are heightened, either for good or bad. The first scenario I can think of is when he finds the scroll, and his first instinct is to just immediately climb the bookshelf instead of just… looking for a ladder.

He also demonstrates this a few more times when he’s hanging out with Mark. He does the majority of the ritual without really thinking about his own well-being, brings the stone guards to life before Mark can even process anything, and his behavior in the first few minutes of the recent episode comes off as him not thinking much. He’s put off about being ordered to kill Mark, and isn’t thinking clearly.

Oh yeah also in the very first episode when he defends Alux from the guard!

Relationship Instability: Pretty much all his relationships have some form of risk, at least in Petro’s perspective. Becoming friends with anyone is already a risk of his identity. Pretty much all the relationships he has or had are risky for his safety or hostile. I don't have as much to say about this segment, the unstable connections he makes are made very clear by the series.

Dissociation and Avoidance: I’m putting these two together because I don’t have too much to say for either, and I can link them both together. The main example is at the end of EP16, where Petro’s eyes go blank. Other than that, there’s not many examples of him dissociating. The same can apply to avoidance, the best example is the most recent episode when it comes to Mark.

Heightened anger: Petro gets annoyed quickly. It’s a pretty notable part of his character. He faces almost everyone with annoyance, anger and irritation. Almost everytime something goes wrong in the slightest, he ends up irritated and frustrated (unless it’s the wisp). I don’t really need to explain this one a lot, he… he’s a pretty angry guy yeah.

NOW!! Before getting into all this, I also want to go over signs of psychological abuse.

- Helplessness.

- Hesitation to talk openly.

- Implausible stories.

- Anger without apparent cause.

- Sudden change in behavior.

- Emotionally upset or agitated.

- Unusual behavior

- Unexplained fear.

- Denial of a situation.

- Extremely withdrawn and non-communicative or non-responsive.

​Now. Like. Most of this applies to him. Mainly in the recent episode when we see him at his most vulnerable.

Hesitation to talk openly, unexplained fear, unusual behavior, denial of a situation and helplessness are all traits that are very explicitly shown in EP16. He tries to dance around his mood change, and refuses to tell Mark anything. When Mark keeps pushing, he is incredibly hesitant and scared to talk about his life and what’s going on.

The helplessness kicks in the moment the Wisp begins messing with Petro’s head. Once that happens, he’s completely vulnerable to anything that happens. Everything that happens from that point forward is entirely out of his control. Near the end of it, he becomes unresponsive and withdrawn, as stated in the list.

The anger is like what I stated before. He’s just generally someone filled with anger, not gonna repeat myself.

Implausible stories could be seen as him just. Well. Generally being a liar. 😭

With all this said, there’s a lot of signs and symbolism of Petro and childhood trauma. I didn’t even mention that he explicitly mentions his mother dying in a fire. Considering she died when he was young, leaving him alone in an anti-magic kingdom… yeah.

I'm super curious to see how his relationship with the Wisp develops, and where his character will go. Anyways uhm yapyap yap Petro is for the trans fans with parental issues fr

I'm so sleepy thanks for reading gang

[the-raven-lady]

Astartes blood making a person infertile is (from what I can recall) kind of old lore that might not be fully accurate to the current canon. And I think that an ink-infused-with-blood tattoo would function differently than a full on blood transfusion, since the blood is supposed to stay in one specific place acting as a kind of human microchip rather than as a means of actually replacing blood.

Also space marines are notoriously poisonous (like have you seen those guys??) their bodies contain all kinds of fucked up chemicals that get carried around their body via the bloodstream. So if a human got a direct blood transfusion from a marine I think they’d just straight up die. But a blood tattoo could be less lethal, of course it would still be injecting poison into your body, but it would be in smaller amounts and also a more gradual process. People can die from that too if they’re in poor health or have conditions that severely weaken the immune system. But for an average person it’s pretty survivable, though it would leave them ill for a week or so while their body gets used to having the blood of someone who can eat solid rocks inside it.

So imagine getting the tattoo and feeling the aftermath of it nearly immediately. You’re sick, you have a fever, and at this point you’re not even aware of your surroundings. Your Night Lord owner moves you to his quarters, letting you rest on his bed while you get better. He keeps an eye on you the entire time, trying his hardest to take care of a fragile mortal like you.

Soon enough he can’t help it, he takes off his gauntlet and (very gently) runs his fingers through your hair. And you (in your unknowing state) lean into his touch. You’ve thanked him before, yes, but always through words. And at times he wondered if you were just putting up an act, if you did all of this just to rise up through the ranks of serfdom. But now he knows how foolish those thoughts were. Right now you’re nothing but a small and frightened animal, you don’t even know where you are, and yet you’re holding on to his hand and looking at him with such trusting eyes.

He wonders if this is how his cousins feel when they rescue a baseline from a battlefield, if this is what it’s like when they describe their eyes lighting up at the sight of the astartes. Awestruck and relieved at their heroes protecting them.

You shift a little bit, your other arm tries to wrap around his shoulder, trying to hold him closer to you. And he obliges, but then tries to suppress a whine when you press the side of your face against his. Mumbling something incoherent into his ear. Showing him such genuine affection.

He wonders if this is how the serfs feel when they talk about falling in love.

Between you and Misty's most recent drop, I'm making a Night Lord OC for this immediately.

I am someone who will often ignore certain aspects of canon that I find to be either stupid or unfun, I am absolutely willing to shuck off the 'infertile' part of Astartes blood.

But! To be able to take canon and twist it, the Astartes that have canonically given blood to humans only shot a vial's worth into them, which is not an incredibly significant amount. I was literally just talking with someone about how the human lymphatic system would easily be able to break down small amounts of blood around the tattoo ink generally, but I also am a huge fan of Astartes blood just being like "no <3" and staying right where its put.

I think I am personally of the volition that an Astartes blood-ink tattoo would be more like getting a powerful stimulant than a powerful poison because I actually liked that part of canon, but I also think that it would be so much more accurate to human biology to say that everyone just has a different reaction to it. Some people react like they've just been given a shot of morphine, some react like it's pure cocaine, others straight up die, and some just get violently ill.

Poor little serf being of the group that gets delirious with fever, needing their Astartes to take care of them?? Please, won't you touch me? Please, I just need you here. My light in the dark.

UGH that fills me with such strong emotions. Jaded old night lord learns how to love (colorized), circa 31st millennium. You wrote that so beautifully and I am inspired.