#i can be clever at certain points of the day and in certain situations such as. you know face to face conversation

[lucanderie]

Still need to mull this over some more, but it's very intriguing how much player-defying Kris proves themselves physically capable of this chapter.

They maliciously comply with our exact wording when asked to turn a doorknob. They cover their mouth midway through a sentence. When asked to say Berdly's name, they repeat themselves loudly in shock. They do PLENTY of physical actions or gestures unprompted, such as kneeling down and touching Ralsei when only prompted to talk, pushing Susie out of harm's way for the second time, giving her their knife with a flourish, laughing or nodding to clarify a statement... as well as their unprompted hijinks at the church. They act by themselves both in the spur of the moment and premeditated, in both low-stakes interactions and highly emotional, instinctive reactions. It seems like they're capable of doing any emoting, physical gesturing, or creative prompt interpretations they so desire apart from a) speaking, b) when directly commanded to do something else and c) in many weird route sequences (will circle back to this). They know entire commands word for word before they execute them, and they are aware enough of the fact that we have goals and what those goals may be to actively conspire against us. Kris knows our "rules".

This is extremely interesting because we saw very little of this in the previous chapters- leading us to believe Kris had basically zero input on Dark-World happenings, and had less understanding of their own situation then say, Ralsei did. But here, Kris isn't just getting more clever about or more accustomed to defying us- they're proving progressively more capable of just doing things of their own volition that any possessed kid who was randomly dropped into this situation with no warning or context would not wait two days to try.

Combined with the fact that from the beginning, they defy us to limit what we see long before they defy what we actually force them to do, (even when they clearly don't like doing it!), and that there's precedent for a character's mindset determining the player's level of control with Susie, it's seeming more and more like Kris is purposefully limiting themselves in earlier chapters. They have a vested interest in "playing the part", coming across to either us or someone else like they have less agency than they do, and they get progressively more open about the amount of defiance that they are capable of.

This is just, a fascinating jump in Kris's amount of agency! At the very least, they may know a similar amount of meta-info to even Ralsei. It changes some of their earlier actions from purely-forced to compliant. And there's a lot of (non-evil, you guys) reasons they would do this- they're probably at least, (at this point), afraid of some kind of retribution from us or their co-conspirators. They want to stay ahead of us by hiding their agency, they may not be comfortable enough with themselves to show express in certain instances... And this changes their defiant actions from things that they are allowed to do into things they are willing to risk doing- saving Susie twice, not hurting Ralsei's feelings, comforting Noelle, slorking down those juice cups like they're NOTHING- all little risks they're willing to take.

This just leaves the weird route- which may either be a route where the player simply gains more control over Kris, or maybe the "proceed" commands could be more general and therefore more inclusive. Or Kris could be initially, willing to play along with freezing the Darkners in order to achieve their goal, to bide their time, and once they realize how fucked up we can get it's too late.

I don't know. I'm definitely missing things, but I just love how much more Kris we have and are eventually going to get.

[jamespotterismydaddy]

Spoil of War

dark!aegon x niece!reader

summary: aegon enjoys his time with his prisoner of war

A/N: my bad y'all, it took me forever to get this up

TW: MAJOR DUBCON, smut!!, bondage, incest, violence, kidnapping, degradation, body worship perhaps

word count: 2,245 words

You sit in your childhood bedroom, stewing with your thoughts. It was all so quick, the battle with Daeron, the demise of your dragon. You should be grateful; she spent her last moments cushioning your fall so you wouldn’t die on impact, but you can’t help thinking that you would be better off dead. There’s hardly anything worse than being a prisoner of war, except being Aegon’s prisoner of war.

Speak of the Devil, Aegon has the guards open your chamber doors and the smug bastard strolls in. “Ah, my sweet niece. I finally have the chance to lay my eyes on you.” He regards your nightgown with great interest. You haven’t had a chance to dress yourself for the day yet. “You’ve been quite the subject of controversy as of late.” He says with a light smirk.

“Which part is controversial, the fact that you’re keeping me prisoner, usurper?” You say back to him with spite.

“Oh, don’t be so melodramatic. It’s a temporary situation.” He says, unconcerned as he walks over to your dining table of untouched food and picks up an apple, taking a bite of it. “Once your mother bends the knee, i’ll return you to her. It’s as easy as that.”

“Or they’ll take control of King’s Landing and Daemon will slaughter you where you stand.” You’ve never heard your voice filled with such hate before as when you speak now.

“Come on, the threats are hardly necessary. You are safe with us - for the time being.” He makes a stupid joking cringe face at the second part of his sentence. “You could do with being more amicable.”

“Amicable? I’m your fucking prisoner and if her Grace the Queen doesn’t bend the knee to your spoiled, traitorus ass, you’ll execute me.”

“War doesn’t often give you many options. And you, my dear niece, are a very valuable bargaining chip.” As he speaks, you know he takes the utmost pleasure in you being in his control. You want to wipe the smug grin off his face.

You reach for the piece of glass you had hidden, ever so slowly. You feel your hand clutch it and your gaze is filled with rage as you launch yourself at him. “You traitor!” You aim for his throat with the sharp point but he catches your arm. The broken glass barely grazes him, leaving only the thinnest line of blood as proof of your attack. He twists your arm and the piece of glass clatters to the floor. Your uncle releases you only so he can backhand you so hard that you fall to the floor.

“Gods, you’re a feisty little thing, aren’t you?” He wipes the drip of the blood off his neck. “Clever girl, going for the throat.” He laughs at you. You just tried to kill him and he laughs at you.

You glare up at him, your face distraught and full of vengeance. You quickly reach for the glass that you had dropped but as soon as you manage to grip it again, Aegon kicks you in the stomach. You curl into yourself, whimpering.

“Okay that’s enough of that. Guards!” The guards immediately enter the room, ready to defend their king. “Restrain her. Use… rope.” He has a certain look on his face as he says the last word, seemingly pleased with himself as he struts out of the room.

You’re left on your knees, by the fireplace for an hour until Aegon returns. Your hands behind your back, the bindings keeping you in place. There is, what you consider to be, an unnecessary amount of rope tied around your body that is seemingly for decoration, for your uncle’s pleasure.

“Are you calm now?” He asks as he strides back into your chamber with arrogance. “I wasn’t sure what the cool down time was for Strong bastards.” His stare is hungry as he looks upon you. “What a pleasant sight, my combative niece tied up at my feet.” He almost mumbles the last part.

“I will be calm when I watch your body burn.” There is heat in your words, your threats.

“That is a lot of big talk for a girl who is kneeling for her king. You’re much more desirable like this… when you’re helpless beneath my gaze.” His fingertips graze under your chin, tilting it up so you have to look at him. You jerk your head away.

“Don’t touch me!” You spit at his feet.

“Silly to say such things when you’re at my mercy.” He kneels down to look at you better, his fingers run along your soft hair. “I’ve never been more tempted. And i’ve been tempted many, many times.” He leans in to whisper in your ear. “I had forgotten how divine you are.”

You know where he’s going with this, what he wants. His finger trails down your nightgown, to your breast, giving it a light squeeze. “You’ll burn in the Seven Hells for this!” You say as you fight against your restraints.

He ignores your words. “If I were a more brazen man, i’d ravish you right here and now… oh wait.” He chuckles at his own joke.

The fire burns bright behind you and his dagger gleams in the warm light as he unsheathes it. He cuts one of the cap sleeves of your nightgown. “You have no right.” Your eyes flare bolder than dragonflame as you speak.

“Oh, my lovely sweet niece, I absolutely have the right because you are under my protection. If I want to rip that nightgown off and ravage you, who’s going to stop me?” He says sadistically… lustfully as he cuts the other cap of your gown.

“It’s not a proper way to treat an important bargaining chip.” You say softly. To be truthful, younger you would be preening at the chance to be so close to Aegon. Up until now, you had thought that part of you had died with Luke. Now, he’s so close, so... alluring.

“It’s not, but when have I ever been known to behave properly?” He then cuts your nightgown off of you, down the middle and as swiftly as he can without cutting through your bonds, leaving you naked other than the smallclothes that barely cover your lower half.

His eyes darken as he takes in the sight of you almost completely naked. His hand falls to your thigh, rubbing the smooth soft skin. “You’ve always had such a lovely figure, niece.”

You flinch and squirm some more. And then you begin to scream bloody murder. Aegon winces before grabbing part of your torn nightgown and shoving it in your mouth. “Such a noisy girl. Now, that’s better. You shouldn’t scream so much. I only intend to show you a good time. I promise you’ll love it.”  He smirks again. “Well… i’ll love it.”

His other hand trails up your navel, to your breast, giving it another squeeze. He then pushes you back on the flocculent carpet and what a sight you make with your hair splayed around you and your pretty mouth gagged. The pillows are strewn about you, in place so you can sit as close to the crackling fire as you wish. Now, it has become the perfect scene for Aegon to take you. He looks at you as if you are the maiden herself, descended from the heavens to be gifted to him. To him, your fairness outmatches Psyche… it outmatches Aphrodite. 

“You don’t know how long I have waited for this, princess.” He then rips your remaining small clothes off, leaving you completely nude. His eyes just rake over you for a moment before he speaks.  “Ah, a sight I could get used to.” He leans down to kiss your breast, focusing on your nipple, focusing on making you feel good? He litters little marks all over before moving to the other and giving it the same attention. He then begins to methodically kiss down your chest, to your tummy, past your navel. You know what he intends his final destination to be. You keep your legs clamped firmly shut, not fully because you want him to stop, and partly because of the wetness that lies between your thighs.

“Hm, a little shy, are we? How sweet…” It isn’t difficult for him to pry your legs open and he grins at the sight of you dripping for him. “Naughty little girl, all wet for her uncle.” 

You turn your heat to the side so you don’t have to make eye contact with him. He grabs your chin and turns your head back. “No. You will watch as I fuck you with my tongue.” You try not to groan as he licks up between your legs, his eyes on yours as his pupils blow wide. He kisses, licks and nips at you, taking you to places in pleasure you’ve never been before. When his tongue pierces your entrance, you can’t stop the whimper that falls from your lips. You hope the gag muted the sound enough that he wouldn’t hear, but your hopes are dashed when he lifts his head.

“I think I want to hear all the pretty little sounds that you make. No more screaming though. Unless, they’re screams of gratification.” He pulls the torn cloth from your mouth but you keep your lips stubbornly sealed. He shakes his head and chuckles before he is between your thighs again. The man eats you like you’re his last meal but you don’t let a single sound out, much to his displeasure even if he can tell that you don’t do it with ease. 

“Why must you be so difficult?” He asks exasperatedly.

“I want you dead.” He rolls his eyes at the statement. “Perhaps you aren’t as good at pleasuring women as you believe.” That pisses him off.

“You’re such a little liar.” He flips you over so your ass is in the air and your chest and face are squished into a cushion, your hands unable to hold you up due to their bindings. “Perhaps I need to fuck that bratty behaviour out of you.” He says and you hear the rustling of clothes behind you. You know he’s undressing and you know there’s no way you can stop him from taking you now, not with how you have pissed him off, not with how your cunt is so deliciously presented to him. But it won’t stop you from trying.

“Aegon don’t you dare.” You say with all the confidence you can muster. You don’t fear your maidenhood being taken, you fear the possibility of a bastard being put in your belly.

“Don’t you ever presume to tell me what I can and cannot do, wench.” With that, he shoves himself inside of you, all the way to the hilt. You let out a strangled moan and he laughs. “No keeping your sounds to yourself now.” He then begins to piston himself into you, the head of him brushing your cervix with each thrust. You feel so full every time his hips meet yours. “Gods i’ve never felt a cunt so tight and wet.” His hands grip your hips roughly so he can bring them back with each thrust, making it feel like he’s hitting deeper inside of you. 

“Aegon…” You whine out and squeeze a little around him.

“You like it, don’t you? You like it when your uncle fucks you. I’ve taken you as a prisoner and now you’re moaning in pleasure as I use you. What would your brothers think, what would your mother think, if they saw you taking my cock so well?”

You just whine his name again in response, your head too cloudy to give him an answer.

“I want you to say it. Say how much you love having me inside you.” He fucks into you so deeply that all you want to do is obey.

“I l-ove it, uncle. I love it when you fuck me.” You whimper out again as he stretches you so perfectly.

“That’s what I fucking thought.” His finger comes between your legs to rub your clit and you almost scream. “God, you’re such a little cockslut. Am I your first, little niece?”

“Y-Yes…” You say softly and he grins.

“I thought so. Nobody gets so worked up like a maiden.” He rubs you harder, so fast that you see stars. You begin to squirm a little as your walls begin to squeeze around his thick cock.

He grasps your hair at the roots and pulls your head back so you have to look him in the eye. “That’s right, cum around my cock, baby. Do it.” You fully reach your peak with his command. He watches your face contort with pleasure as you finish around his cock, drawing out his own orgasm. He gives a few more hard thrusts before spilling his seed in you. “Good girl.”

You wince as he pulls out, feeling empty now. He easily manoeuvres you back to your knees and stands up with you at his feet. He tilts your chin up so you have to look him in the eye again.

“I’ll be visiting you much more often now. You don’t have the kind of cunt a man can handle only fucking once.” His thumb strokes your cheek. For the depravity he speaks, his voice is surprisingly soft

“I hate you.”

He smiles gently. “Hate me all you want. I can take it.”

taglist (comment to be added): General: @valeskafics @urmomsgirlfriend1 @girlwith-thepearlearring @darylandbethfanforever9 @lovellies @juhdoche @papichulo120627 @watercolorskyy @ophelialaufey

[kybelles]

Oh, thanks for that anon answer post, it was nice to see it from someone who abasolutely loves the book and can criticize in good faith. I have many thoughts on this, especially also coming from a colonized country, but I’ll not write long.

I die on this hill: Vere vs Akielos is NOT a one sided colonizer vs colonized situation, in this area there’s no much higher moral ground either way imo, YET: it’s unconfortable to see Akielos’ colonizing acts (like “initiating” an invasion of “foreign land”, confirmation they took veretian children as slaves, etc) get recognition in text, but not the colonizing acts of Vere under the same hard light. The lack of akielon culture signs or mentions of mixed people in Delpha is SUS AS HELL, if not a total giveaway, and there’s no recognition of the very possible genocide and other war crime Vere commited there on its conquest.

Although we know by book lines that Laurent went through his deconstruction view on dehumanizing akielons, a lot by proxy on his change of view on Damen himself (I LOVE his vows to Egeria statue also for that closure, he’ll give his life for akielon people, your honor!), BY FAR we don’t get the extended process, many and long paragraphs, we see in Damen’s POV. It’s unconfortable to watch it in details only from the very char who went through the most dehumanizing acts by that nation's court. ALSO YES, I wish we had seen Damen argue more against giving Delpha away, using strong arguments Theomedes surely had plenty; A superficial read can make it sound like “retaking a land that stopped being ours generations ago and veretians deserve to lose it because they suck”, simplifying Theomedes being a warmonger, and Vere a victim of unprovoked invasion.

(I will not even go into how maybe the whole thing influences some racist readers taking veretian racist views AS FACTS instead of the condemnable racism its meant to be taken as. Akielos as less developed barbarian land? I wish Damen had enquired after veretians sewage system too, if the aqueducts were not enough to open eyes.)

OK, i already yapped enough; No need to publish or answer in any way, I'm only nodding my hat at you, have a good day <3

hello lovely quel ❤️ thank you for this insightful and clever message because you make so many good points!

that's exactly the essence of what i was trying to say: "BY FAR we don’t get the extended process, many and long paragraphs, we see in Damen’s POV." SPOT ON! i get that these books are from damen's pov and naturally we're only intimate with his private thoughts but to me this doesn't change the fact there's a certain bias in the narrative. it's bizarre how little damen thinks about the whole "let's give delpha back" thing considering he fought in the war to win it back and is the heir prince and military commander. it's bizarre how even though prior to kr he was fiercely proud of his country and his culture, he has this endless internal shame about the "warmongering" views of akielos in kr as if vere wasn't literally hiring vaskian raiders to attack delpha. 🤨

i'm all for the message that war is something to be avoided as much as possible because it's alway the civillians who actually ends up getting hurt. but why is it always at the expense of akielos? why is the non-white nation always the core of the problem? because pg clearly shows there are some veretian lords who would be pleased by a meaningless war. we are explicitly told damen never thought about the veretian civilian perspective until marlas. fine. but at no point is the reverse applied. veretians never reckon with how their expansionism or aristocratic militarism destroyed akielon lives. the narrative doesn't bother sympathizing with akielons either.

nikandros for example: delpha was his home for the last six years. for him, delpha is more than a military post, it is legacy. a return. something symbolic, not strategic. its recovery is framed by damen himself as akielos’s greatest victory. it is not a conquest, but a reclamation. yet his grief over losing delpha is barely covered. damen doesn't feel a significant guilt over handing it to vere without an argument and even slowly comes to the "realization" that it was the right thing to do all along. if that's not a biased narrative, i don't know what is. 🫠

[xo-cuteplosion-xo]

A Light In The Dark | Telemachus x reader|

Link to Warnings/Both sfw and nsfw masterlists Click here

Chapter Seventeen ~Plans~

Telemachus sighed, staring out over the boat, watching the water sparkle from the sun. He stared off, dreamingly thinking about a certain woman. He turned around, leaning backwards over the railing. He knows that sending a letter out would be hard, but that’s what a pigeon is for. He even had one trained just to come back to him in case there was one written, but the clever bird returns empty-clawed every day.

“Keep leaning like that, and you’re gonna go overboard, captain.” Telemachus glances towards a crewmate and shrugs.

“I haven’t heard anything back… I send her letters daily and I know there is an ocean until the eye can see separating us, but… You would think I’d get at least one letter, right? It’s been months.” Telemachus sailed out without a word months ago. He’d left her a letter, a long and apologetic letter telling her he’d come home, be back to sweep her off her feet… Then he sent her updates every day, he’d sit and write, hand it off to a bird and then stare at the sky for hours when he wasn’t actively working on trying to uncover what he can about his father.

Letter after letter and not a single response.

He was beginning to think that… Perhaps she’d forgotten about him.

He spent the first few months staring out love in his eyes, mumbling about her.

The next few months after that, he wondered if his letters were getting lost, but then he got a letter from his mother and he began to sink into worry.

What if she wasn’t able to write back because of something? What if she’s being bothered by the suitors? There’s just far too much for him to worry about.

Eventually, that worry began to sink the longer he waited. He’d ask in his letter to his mother about her and sometimes he’d find a stroke of the ink that seemed off, but he was always told she was doing okay. Which only continues to sink his heart further and further… 

Perhaps she no longer wanted him or needed him… It’s alright… He’s coming home, he’ll be home in a few days. He’ll talk to her then…

~~~

It’s been a few days since Antinous last saw the Dove. Which is stressful. He had grown to expect seeing her on the nights he grew bored with the maids. She’d let him try anything he wanted. An easy and pleasurable experience, really.

He pauses in front of her door before he hears muffled sobbing. He groans, entering the room. “Sobbing over the prince still?” 

She sits up, rubbing the tears from her eyes. “I don’t want to fuck you right now…” Her voice is hoarse, cracked and split.

Antinous shrugs, leaning against the wall, cocky and uncaring. “That’s not from me.” his eyes zero in on the bruising around her throat, the bites on her shoulder. It’s not that he cares if she’s been whoring around… It’s more or less that he’d prefer it be him getting to push her under.

“I ran into a group… Eury didn’t do anything… Watched and then cleaned me up. Just… Pointed out the situation…” Her words are short and to the point. Antinous runs a hand through his hair.

He leaves the room, storming down the hall. He’s a bit surprised to find Eurymachus alone sitting at his desk sipping wine. “I was wondering when you would-” Antinous cuts the man off, tossing him out of the chair and to a wall.

The man narrows his eyes, getting to his feet, only for the larger of the two to grab his shoulders and pull him to his knee. A gasp leaves Eurymachus’ throat spit, forcing its way through his lips. He stumbles back, opening his mouth only for his head to swing to the side. He spits blood from his lips. He stumbles to lean against his bedroom’s wall. “Will you reign in your temper for a moment, Antinous? I haven’t touched your little fucktoy.” He runs a hand through his hair, emerald eyes narrowed into tight slits as he wipes blood from his lip.

Antinous pauses, giving him a second. “You have until I count to sixty.” He snarls, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I have been carefully organizing everything. Burning and altering letters, keeping an eye on the prince’s progress. He’ll be home soon.” Eurymachus coughs, trying to clear the taste of copper from his mouth. “We could kill him.”

“Now, why would I help you get the upper hand on the throne?” Antinous snarls, taking a step closer.

“You just want the power, the riches, the status. You’d be horrible as king, all that work, keeping the people happy, keeping enemies at bay. Do you truly want that?” Eurymachus straightens up, still pushing against the wall. Seeing Antinous shrug, he continues. “You can have the power, the wealth. I get Penelope’s hand and deal with all the responsibilities.”

“Still a disadvantage on my part if I go along with this.” Antinous stares down at Eurymachus.

The smaller man smirks, his eyes glinting with ideas. “My sister’s hand. You’d technically still be royalty. You would be considered my equal. Get to fuck her whenever you want.”

Antinous pauses, his hand coming up to run through his hair. “You are probably the world’s worst brother. She’ll hate you for this.” He couldn’t care less about how she feels about him, but he knows Eurymachus is a control freak.

“She’s played her role.” Eurymachus shrugs, lowering himself back to his desk. “And to remind you, I do not consider that thing my sister. I never have. We share a father, not a mother. She’s some whores child. She got this far because she was useful to me.”

Antinous scoffs, “and so you discard the tool when you’re done with it. Handing it to me. How generous.” 

“Don’t act as if you’re not hard just thinking about what you could do. It’s a miracle she’s never ended up pregnant with how often I had her fucking people.” Eurymachus shrugs, picking up his quill.

“One small condition, you’ll share at least once.” Antinous turns his head back to the man who grumbles under his breath before he replies.

“Sure, you can even have your run through her before I force her to marry me.” Satisfied, Antinous turns and leaves the room.

Chapter 16 Click here Chapter 18 SFW (Click here) NSFW (Click here)

[the-indigo-symphony]

Recently I've been wanting to talk more about the antisemitism I've seen but honestly it tends to just boil down to "can you people be normal about Jewish people for two seconds"

No, being concerned about hate crimes against one's community does not mean this person wants to kill children, or supports the killing of children. That is blood libel, which is an age-old accusation used to justify hate crimes like the very ones they're concerned about, and also an absolutely bonkers thing to conclude from an expression of fear for one's own safety. Please be normal about Jewish people for two seconds.

No, a person, or even multiple people, choosing to no longer speaking about certain political topics because they feel like no one's listening to them anyway or the particular space they were talking in turned out to be incredibly bigoted against them does not mean Jewish people are secretly gaining anything from a shitty political situation. That is what we in the business usually call "activist burnout" or "an understandable response to being under increased stress without community support for many years"; you are once again drawing nonsensical conclusions based on an age-old accusation used to justify bigotry, this time of the "Jews secretly control the world" variety. Please be normal about Jewish people for two seconds.

No, saying that Jewish people are giving their children "ridiculous" names to artificially inflate the numbers in studies on antisemitism so as to promote the "antisemitism agenda" is not reasonable at all! You haven't "made a point", you've just crossbred stock-standard queerphobia and stock-standard racism while trying to portray yourself as a clever underdog "exposing the truth". Please be normal about Jewish people for two seconds.

No, claiming that those of a marginalized ethnicity that regularly faces hate crimes on both minor and major scales are actually part of a privileged class does not make sense. I have no idea where people are getting this idea except that they really seem to want an excuse to hurt Jews, which is concerning in and of itself. Please be normal about Jewish people for two seconds.

No, deciding for yourself what Jewish concepts and the words for those concepts "actually mean", perverting those terms to fit age-old bigotry you've adapted to the modern day, and refusing to change even when properly educated, going so far as to call the folks who politely corrected you "liars" and "murderers", is not reasonable at all. You sound like those people who think feminism means hating and killing men, right down to the insults (and sometimes even slurs) in response to polite corrections. Please be normal about Jewish people FOR TWO SECONDS!

(Yes, btw, these are all examples I have seen personally. Sometimes even multiple times.)

I swear, it makes me feel like I've entered an episode of The Twilight Zone sometimes. Every time I turn around I see more absolutely ridiculous bullshit. Another person perverting a Jewish term for a Jewish concept into blood libel. Another person playing double standards, scrutinizing any mention of Judaism, responding to the mere presence of a Jewish person in their midst with implicit accusations and insults, if not outright hate. Another person turning Nazis into boogymen instead of people with a dangerous ideology that is inherently antisemitic; another person sharing slogans that are based in hatred – without care and without question – and then being shocked when the Jewish people around them don't feel safe, let alone welcome, in their community.

It is utterly ridiculous, and I am utterly disappointed in these people. I am utterly sickened by all this hate that I see.

This is not the point of this post, but I do want to point out that these people are absolutely missing out – there's a lot of great people to get to know and a lot of great stuff to be found when you treat Jewish folk like anyone else. One time I saw a pickup truck with a giant rainbow menorah in the back and that just about made my day. I get to see a lot of neat items, discussions, jokes, and photography on my dash. Our Jewish neighbors are kind and generous people, and it always puts a smile on my face to see their kids having fun in the neighborhood. You can learn a lot by learning about Judaism, too; I feel I've been able to grow and reflect on myself a lot just by learning about where Judaism differs from the Christian culture I'm used to, as well as through introductions to ideas that, while novel to me, have a lot of history and discussion and learning behind them to explore. It's pretty great; I think a lot of people would benefit from learning more about Judaism, to learn about a different cultural perspective (although you're likely to find several) and be introduced to new ideas. If nothing else, it's a good idea to learn more about antisemitism, so you can challenge biases you didn't know you had and keep an eye out for red flags in others.

Just. Be kind to Jewish folks, okay? People are performing the wildest mental gymnastics possible to blame Jews all over the world for anything and everything so they can justify incredible cruelty towards them, no matter how much of a stretch it is and no matter how little their Jewishness has to do with the topic. Just recently, on Passover of all days (although it probably wasn't a coincidence), a Jewish governor and his family had to flee their home due to an arsonist attack. It's horrific. Go wish a Jewish person a good day. They'll probably appreciate it.

(Also, I'm very tired of following a person only to later see them using slurs coined by the KKK and spreading blood libel. Please be fucking normal about Jewish people.)

[shamixlour]

The Newsreader - 1x06 _ The Looks

I was rewatching the show and could not help myself notice these looks, so I decided to make a small analysis of them and what they supposedly mean. Grab something to drink, a snack because despite my attempts to keep this relatively short, I just know it is going to be long.

Anyways, let’s get into it!

There is something about the art of looking in this scene that makes me absolutely devastated for each single one of those characters: Dale, Helen but also Tim. It is so interesting to me how through the gazes they are able to instantly paint the very specific and unique emotional turmoils they each are going through at that moment. It is so vivid, almost palpable the way their emotions get carried via their glances. They look and we watch and we directly know. 

But yeah, I just love how they used the looks to expand and highlight a certain aspect of each relationship. I adore how the gazes are a witness of that specific instant. I don’t know, it is such a human thing to look at people, it is instinctive, we do it even without thinking of it most of the time and yet I found the use of eyes in this scene quite genius. Like, imho, it is genuinely clever to employ something as inherent as eyes, as looking to human beings to express feelings that cannot be perceived, because they are there, the emotions, the feelings, we can see them in the actions of/their eyes. 

First, we have Tim and for some context, we learn in that scene that this is Tim’s last day at work and that he is leaving his job, partially, imho, because Helen discovered what had happened between him and Dale and because the whole situation had become too much for him to handle. The news drops like a bomb, and they all seem awkward, but then we catch Tim spare a quick glance in Dale’s direction after it is known that he has quit his job. It’s barely a look, so furtive and somewhat almost innocent. He wants to look at Dale so badly, he wants to look at his reaction upon the sudden news, he wants to see something but he refrains himself even before he has the chance to see it and averts his gaze which is a pity because we, the audience, see the something, because it is there, on Dale’s face but Tim misses it out. It feels like Tim believes that he does not have the right to look at Dale anymore, which makes this look even more morose. 

Then we have beautiful Helen. She is obviously distraught and emotionally overwhelmed by the revelations regarding her relationship with Dale but also the events in general, with the news they are trying to broadcast. She glances toward Dale at some point, and I read that look as a quiet cry for help, for peace. Dale is the one bringing peace to her. She is used to looking at him and falling under a serene calm wave, but it is not the case anymore. Her eyes are watering, her traits carry so much emotional turmoil and she looks at the man she loves, the man that betrayed her and Helen is stuck in the room with the source of what makes everything crumble down and she can’t find her peace anymore as she looks at Dale. It is all gone. She looks at him, and the anguish is still there. It torments her, and we know, with her eyes that something is broken. 

Speaking of broken. Dale. His look is horrendous. It is so painful for me to watch. It reeks longing. It is longing in its purest form. Longing for Tim, for who he is, for this man that embodies SO fucking much for Dale. It is yearning for something, a love, a life Dale refuses to let himself have. It is pining for a love story that could have been beautiful. Essentially, it is burning for Tim who is leaving Dale behind and looking at it again, it makes my stomach knot itself into a billion horrible ties. With just this look alone, Dale is able to show us, the viewers, how meaningful Tim is for him and not only as a love interest but merely as a human being entangled in his life. With this look, with these eyes on the verge of sharing tears, Dale silently paints his pain, his sorrow, his utmost surrender for us all to see. He is not going to fight for Tim regardless of the longing and oddly vicious eagerness for more. He has given up and Tim is leaving and it makes Dale sad but he is mostly defeated. His eyes yearn but he has given up. Dale’s gaze slides away and with it vanishes everything. 

I believe it is interesting to note that it echoes with Helen looking at Dale because Dale used to look at Tim for peace, too. Whenever they worked together, whenever he felt the anxiety crawl up his insides as he faced the camera, Tim was there, behind it, bringing peace to him, telling to relax but he can’t do that anymore. Dale can’t look at Tim and find comfort there. 

I just love what they did here, resting upon the looks for storytelling instead of actual dialogue. It is a charged scene but in a very subtle way which, again, I find genius and so in harmony with the show’s sensibility, AND it reminded me of a quote I like :

A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of the poet by Orson Welles. 

And here, not only the camera is an eye in the heart/head of our characters but we quite have this inception kinda silly theme where the camera on the eyes is literally the eye in the head of our stunning Helen, Tim and Dale.

Thank you so much if you read until here <3  

[windvexer]

Hey Chicken!

I have a question. In your opinion are there any fundamental differences in the way one would communicate and interact with a deity or with a spirit?

Also, do you have any tips for suspending disbelief when it comes to spirit work? I really want to believe, but my agnostic roots are making it hard sometimes.

Thanks! Fern

Hello, Fern.

I do not perceive any difference in communication between gods and spirits. The line between what constitutes a god and what constitutes a spirit is nebulous, and further shifts depending on culture and personal beliefs.

A fun, but perhaps intimidating, aspect of neopagan spirituality is that you are empowered to pick and choose your own beliefs. But, inasmuch as spirituality is an integral part of how you perceive the universe around you and your role within it, these beliefs shouldn't necessarily be picked up without a pretty good reason for wanting to do so.

Beliefs aren't all or nothing. You can take them out for test drives. Ask yourself what you are looking for in your own spirituality.

Beliefs about incorporeal beings are vast, contradictory, and sometimes mutually exclusive. You do not have to buy every single belief about spirits at the dealership.

I recommend starting with whichever one takes you from point A to point B. A nice reliable vehicle.

If your point A is, "spiritually I feel unfulfilled and I want there to be more to the world," then perhaps point B - where you would like to end up - is, "the universe is full of spiritual life, some of which is capable of awareness, and which I can connect with in a real and meaningful way."

If this is your point B, then a belief which may deliver you there is animism.

But you do not have to say, "okay, I'm an animist then." You can take it out for a test-drive.

You can say to yourself, you know what, I'm going to get in the driver's seat and take a cruise through my next couple weeks as if animism is real.

And see if you dig it. Do you like the way the vehicle drives? Do you like the view from the driver's seat? Does the suspension carry you across bumpy roads? Does it come with an early-alert system that helps you navigate life?

Maybe. Or maybe not. You can take that bad boy back to the dealership and give the keys back.

Maybe it's not animism. Maybe it's just one god. If one certain god was definitely real, what would that be like for you? Drive it around for a few days and see. Does that vehicle of belief challenge you to be a better person? Does it check your flaws, promote your virtues? Does it provide relief and comfort during stress, or empowerment during adversity?

I'm not really a proper pagan, or a pagan at all if you ask me, but I am a spiritual person. My witchcraft sometimes intersects with my spirituality, but sometimes it doesn't. I am currently finding there to be a pretty big difference between them, though.

I believe it is vital for us all to have agency in our own spiritual beliefs. Some are thrust upon us, like landslides that alter the face of our inner landscapes, which we must learn to navigate around, or build roads through.

But, if you are in a situation where you have the privilege of choosing your own beliefs, they should be those which make navigating your inner and outer landscapes peaceful, enjoyable, and fulfilling. They should be beliefs which help us to always feel at home, or to provide shelter from the storms of life.

This is apart from witchcraft, which is standing at the liminal boundary between the inner and the outer, pulling at the threads we find there. We spool up the yarn and we make something from it, which weaves both the inner and the outer together in something gestalt and more real than either thing on its own.

Witchcraft and sorcerous work demands more than just what is within. It spins yarn also from the threads of what is without, and demands a certain level of synchronicity between the two. A clever spinner may be able to make yarn from the most discordant threads, but nonetheless there must be compatibility.

This is a rigorous, demanding exercise. It is a skill which must be learned through learning, practice, and outright trials. It is where we hammer the ore we have found within ourselves and test it for brittle impurities.

It is not a drive through the landscape. It is not peaceful navigation of the Within.

And it is probably a bad idea to immediately apply the verification and proof required for successful sorcery, to spiritual beliefs themselves.

"This vehicle of belief sure does handle well on the highways of life, but I haven't yet been able to use it for applied sorcery, so it must be broken" is no way to go through life.

Spirit Work, as a skill, bunches up in wild skeins in that infinitesimal, infinite veil between what is within us and what is without us. When we draw on it, we tug at our inner beliefs and begin spinning them with our outer verification.

Here is the problem:

If your inner landscape only has budding, first-year sprouts, pulling on that yarn is just going to rip them up from their roots and knit them into a half-finished set of mittens that will stall out forever because there was never enough within you to finish it.

"I was never able to make a whole set of mittens, so this vehicle must be broken."

Or perhaps,

"I was never able to find a way to spin the Threads Within with the Threads Without, so this entire brand of wool must be a scam."

Sometimes, you've just got to let your inner landscape grow wild for a season or two before you try to harvest its bounty. Let what is within push against what is without. Build little spirit houses. Make shrines. Pray. Behave as if they are real.

Explore it. Get to know it. Learn all about it, without demanding it reveal to you how to spin it into yarn. Learn within yourself how it should best be handled and worked with, when the time comes.

Isn't it the tiniest bit thrilling, to let your beliefs push outwards without burdening them with work, to demand your beliefs do a job, to prove to you the spinner that the yarn is of high enough quality and quantity to pass muster?

Perhaps what is within needs a little confidence that it is free to grow without being uprooted and sacrificed to the spinning wheel. Maybe what is within is eyeing the threshing machine and the sharp spindle, and deciding that sprouting is the wrong way to go.

And, anyway. If that inner growth advances forwards in all the wrong ways, take the car back to the dealership. It was only ever a test drive to begin with.

[ask-the-denalis]

I got a curious question for the whole coven

You guys were turned in different time periods way back when, but you guys also went through a bunch of different time periods, just going through the centuries. As well as moving around at some points going through different languages and perhaps the ever changing slang/lingo/phrases

Did you guys ever have trouble with learning a new language? Or when different time periods came, and updating phrases and such? Like, do you guys ever slip back to maybe really old phrases some people might not use? Do you ever get frustrated when an old word that perfectly describes something no longer gets used and there isn't an equivalent in the modern day?

Like, do you guys ever slip back to maybe really old phrases some people might not use? Do you ever get frustrated when an old word that perfectly describes something no longer gets used and there isn't an equivalent in the modern day?

*cough* Tanya *cough*

Katrina...

Pay her no mind, Carmen. Any kind of recognition will only further encourage her.

Pfft.

Hello love,

as my sister so charmingly pointed out, I am indeed quite fond of maintaining a sophisticated manner of speech. There is a certain grace to it that, unfortunately, seems to have gotten lost somewhere along the way as the centuries progressed.

And thank God for that.

I agree with Tanya. It is truly a shame...

That being said, I aim to preserve this family´s linguistic heritage, as far as I can. With...varying degrees of success.

Bite me.

However, I think I speak for all of us when I say that adapting to any new language has been fairly uncomplicated. Our kind is quick to adjust, if needed.

Yup. We´re awesome. (I´m the best though.)

Sure.

Agreed!

Indeed.

Yours truly, 💋

- Tanya, leader of the Denali coven

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Sooo...

I think I can answer all of the above in one and the same way:

No.

...

I dunno what else you want me to say, honestly. It´s as simple as that. 🤷‍♀️

"Simple" describes it well...

Stay charged! ⚡

- Kate the Great

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Hello mortal,

as Tanya already mentioned, learning a new language (or any skill, for that matter) comes with little difficulty for us. One of the "perks" of our nature, I guess...

And the muscles.

As for "updating phrases:"

It's quite similar to the language matter, I'd say. We´re quick to adjust, if needed. In fact, I'd argue that most of us see it as a welcome change...

Hm...

Say it louder!

I myself don´t have a preference for any particular style of speech. I use of a variety of them, depending on the situation as well as my mood that day.

The mood in question: 💩

Do I ever get frustrated? Getting "frustrated" would imply caring enough to let it ruin my day. I can think of a million better ways to spend my time.

Her majesty doesn´t concern herself with common folk problems.

Busy Regards, 📖

- Irina Denali

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Hello dear!

And what a clever question! Or rather, questions. 🤭

First and foremost, I find that every time period I have experienced so far has had its own pleasures and deserves recognition. While I agree with Tanya that the older, more formal ways of speaking carry a certain charm, that doesn’t mean newer generations don’t offer something of equal value. They each have their own merit.

I suppose...

Well said, my love.

With that said, I never really minded adapting my vocabulary to current times. On the contrary, I found it quite exciting! When one lives for as long as we do, you take any chance at "staying sharp" that you can get. 🤭

I was just glad to see ppl finally getting that stick out their asses.

...However, I have to admit that I find myself "slipping back" from time to time. As they say, old habits are hard to break. 🙈

I cherish those moments. They´re quite fetching. ;3

With love, 🫶

- Carmen, passionate home stylist

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Greetings,

as you might have discerned from my previous remark, I myself practise a more...traditional form of speech. Although, I must admit, it is less a matter of preference and more a matter of...well...habit, for lack of a better word.

You are too precious, my heart. <3

Nevertheless, it was quite disheartening to see long-established linguistic customs disappear over the centuries.

Truly...

Now, as my coven members rightfully stated, our kind is quick to adapt to new circumstances. My penchant for a more formal manner of speaking is purely habitual, as mentioned beforehand.

Meaning: Your inner party animal´s just waiting to come out. B)

I also agree with my wife that there is value to be found throughout many stages of linguistic history. It would be rather presumptuous to assume that one era holds supremacy over the rest.

Yes...how presumptuous indeed...

<3

As for "getting frustrated:"

I think you will find that I am rather composed fellow. :)

This coven is truly blessed to have you, dear.

No shit.

"Composed" is one way of putting it. ;)

One of the countless reasons I fell for you, querido. <3

Best wishes, 🙏

- Eleazar, admirer of the written word

[marta-bee]

News of the Day 5/11/25: Ukraine and The Art of the Deal

Paywall-free.

This is the problem with running a country like a business. (One of, at least, but to my mind one of the biggest.) Businesses run on finding opportunities where they can produce a good or service worth buying for less than what the market will pay for it. The bigger the gap, the better the opportunities. So UPS might only deliver in certain high-population areas (meaning lower costs) and decide it doesn't make sense to deliver to people in the boonies. The post office doesn't get that option.

Here, Trump said he could make peace between Ukraine and Russia "on day one." Predictably, that's not happened. And even if he truly wanted a fair resolution for Ukraine, the businessman in Trump will ask if there's really a (peace) deal to be had with a reasonable outlay from and risk to the US. If not, the smarter move from that mindset would be to move on and find other opportunities.

Diplomacy and American national interests, on the other hand, mean recognizing we've got skin in the game, that this situation affects our long-term prospects and strategic alliances. It's also an important reflection of our national values, but set that aside. Disengaging when we can't get the result we want quickly enough may work for businesses where you're looking for high-return opportunities. But it's really no way to run a country, much less stand by someone else's.

Of course Ukraine needs to commit to the peace process, too, which may mean being realistic about what they can get at this point. I believe they are. But even if they weren't, there's a world of difference between doing the work to make true peace possible vs. giving up because that's not possible from where we are. Striking a face-savng deal that doesn't guarantee lasting peace for Ukraine, or stop Putin from going after the rest of Europe next.

I know I've shared John Oliver's "Putin" song before, but now more than ever it's worth listening to again.

More Stories About Ukraine, Russia, and Europe

US had proposed Ukraine give up rights to Crimea. Zelenskyy refused - in fact, legally he can’t accept those terms. The recent history of Russia’s seizing the region, and why it matters today.

The US also demanded Ukraine give up its push for NATO membership. (X)

Ukraine finally agreed to the US minerals deal. (X) France24 called the proposal “typical of Trump’s gangster-style diplomacy.” (X) Details of the deal; the Conversation describes it as “the result of clever bargaining on the part of Ukraine’s war-time president.”

While negotiating a ceasefire, Trump repeatedly tried to excuse Russia’s massacre of Ukrainian civilians (X) and blame Ukraine for the bombings. The proposed peace plan heavily favors Russia and would freeze territory along the current front line. (X)

MSNBC argues Trump’s pushing for a quick deal falls short of “diplomacy.” (X)

“Air Raids and Antidepressants: Sleep Deprivation Takes a Toll in Ukraine” (X)

Bizarrely, Trump described Russia not taking over all of Ukraine as a concession. 

The Telegraph: “Rewarding aggression and overturning rules-based order [by Russia] will simply trigger many more invasions” (X)

National Review asks: “Is This Ukraine Peace Deal Worth a Trans-Atlantic Schism?” (X)

72 US Senators, including Republicans, approve new sanctions on Russian energy and banking. (X) Trump still needs to sign the bill before it takes effect. 

Ukraine and several European allies are demanding a 30-day peacefire from Russia. (X) Russia had previously allowed a 3-day ceasefire, but Ukraine accused them of violating it.

The US also plans to send refurbished Patriot air defense system to Ukraine. (X) Europe is also trying to arm Ukraine, but running out of time. (X)

The European parliament passed a resolution demanding return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.

From the “Wait... What?” File: CIA Deputy Director’s Son Killed Fighting for Russia in Ukraine – IStories (X)

[a-n-conrad]

Distance (Kaname Date X Reader)

[Summary: Date treats you colder than your other coworkers, and despite how much you don’t want to admit it, it drove you insane. (Not necessarily romantic, but may get there in later parts)

Warnings: Mentions of pornography (this IS Date we’re talking about), AI:The Somnium Files spoilers, I’m ignoring the mask thing (That’s just his face to me), mentions of murder and violence, swearing, alcohol

Request: No request. Just me getting back into the fanfiction brainrot now that I’m not super sick anymore. Request here through my survey! (https://forms.gle/D9rsJtkERoBPaKvv8)]

You weren’t sure what to think of Kaname Date when you first started at ABIS. Boss told you that he was good at what he did, but… well, her exact words were “He’s got quite the personality”. Eventually, you were fairly certain that you had a decent handle on who he was. He was thorough and determined enough that you understood Ryuki’s admiration of him. He genuinely was a good detective with a strong sense of justice. Though, you couldn’t say that Mizuki and Aiba were wrong to call him a “pervert” and roll their eyes at some of his ridiculous behavior. Your own AI partner had informed you of his strange response to pornographic magazines. It had helped you out in a fight or two, but that didn’t mean you didn’t find it strange. 

But more than his cleverness and less than appropriate habits, you noticed that he was kind. You heard him reassure Ryuki when the rookie messed things up. You saw how he went out of his way to protect Iris and Mizuki. He really did treat Mizuki like his own kid. Something in their constant bickering just felt like familial love. The same could be said about his interactions with Aiba, though you only got to see one side of that bickering usually. 

Despite that, his kindness rarely seemed to be directed at you. In fact, he rarely spoke to you when he could avoid it. 

“Focus,” Tsuki, your AI partner, reminded you. Their voice sounded in your mind like it was your own. It was quite the adjustment when you had first started working for ABIS, but it was beginning to feel natural. “You’re here on a case. You can complain about Date later.”

“Shut up,” you responded in your own head, turning back to the crime scene that you and Date were meant to be investigating. We already had three bodies from a new serial killer, and Boss decided you needed some extra eyes. And who better than Date, right? 

“Have you figured out what they’re using?” Date asked, looking down at the body in front of him. They were clearly shot, it happened in broad daylight, but no one had seen any suspects when it happened. Normally that would point towards a long range rifle, but there weren't any rifling markings on the bullet. 

“I have Pewter seeing if he can figure out a way to design a long ranged rifle without any rifling. That’s the only thing that makes sense with the situation,” you respended, trying to hide your irritation. The same irritation that arose in your chest whenever Date spoke to you. Why did he treat you so coldly? What the fuck did he have against you?

“If he can figure that out it might help us track the weapon,” Date replied. If he had noticed the sharpness in your tone, he didn’t acknowledge it. “Any other leads?”

“Both of the earlier victims went to the same grocery store the day before. Tsuki confirmed that our newest victim’s phone location record puts her there yesterday, too. My guess is that’s where our killer is finding new victims. We can check it out, but it's a big place. I don’t have a ton of hope of finding something helpful there. I also want to talk to Mama and the Kumakura’s to see if they know anything about the weapon that we’re looking for. You have an in with the chairman of the Kumakura’s, right?”

Date nodded, agreeing that those were probably good places to start. The two of you decided to head out together, both riding in Date’s car. It was old fashioned, but you kind of liked it. It looked cool. Not that you would ever admit that to Date, willingly. The car ride was awkward and quiet, but you were used to it. It was always like this with you and Date.

- - - - -

By the end of the day, you hadn’t gotten much further. You had a list of grocery store employees with anger management problems to look over, but with former employees and regular customers added, even Aiba and Tsuki would take a while to look through that all. Moma and Mama had nothing new for you on the weapon, and Pewter was still figuring it out, though he was making progress. And both Aiba and Tsuki needed to charge, leaving just you and Date. There wasn’t much more you could do at that point until the AI-balls were done charging, and frankly both of you were getting a little annoyed with having nothing to go on. 

“At least with the New Cyclops case, everything was all connected,” Date muttered, pulling the eyepatch over his left eye. You opted for a non-AI prosthetic when Tsuki was out of commission. “This one just seems all over the place. I need a drink.”

“I can agree with you there,” you sighed. You were planning to go back to Marble and complain to Mama. She was a good listener and the drinks were good. And you needed a break. 

“Where am I dropping you off?” Date asked, getting back into his car after your stop.

“Ugh, just drop me at Marble. I’ll get myself a cab when I’m ready to go. I’m going to think myself to death if I try to just go home and sleep,” you said, shaking your head at the thought of trying to just relax. You supposed this was why Date, Ryuki, and Boss had all started to make a habit out of this.

“Might as well just go with then, since I was planning to do the same thing,” Date said, his voice still a little measured, like he was reluctant to grab a drink with you. Despite going out with just about all of your other coworkers. You weren’t crazy for taking it personally, you reassured yourself. But truthfully, you were too exhausted from digging around and finding nothing that you couldn’t bother being too annoyed. 

- - - - -

Mama greeted you again when you got to Marble, taking the chance to tease about just how many times in a day you’ve visited her. She gave you both the same drinks as usual without asking, knowing full well that neither of you were in the mood to try anything new. You never were when a case was going badly. Neither you nor Date said much, besides a little bit of chitchat with Mama. Despite not talking to each other, you couldn’t help but study Date a little. You wouldn’t admit this while you had Tsuki, but you didn’t hate him. You wanted to dislike him, but you just couldn’t. And that’s what made the distance that he puts between you all the more frustrating. You didn’t know why. You couldn’t think of anything that you did to offend him. Yet, he treats you with all of the distance of a stranger. 

He was deep in thought, but neither of you said anything as you downed a few drinks. Mama kept handing you more as you sat in silence, eyeing you like the tension between you was something entertaining. You supposed she always loved a little drama. It made sense that she could tell something was up, and you were sure she was plenty curious. She didn’t say anything as you drank in silence, though, and you were glad for that. 

It wasn’t long before your mind started to feel a bit fuzzy, though. A bit too fuzzy for you to keep up your mask of distance. Date seemed a bit better off than you, but you were sure that the drinks were getting to him too. 

“I know I’m good looking, but the staring could be a little subtler,” he said, snapping you out of the blurry fog that you had sunk into. You hadn’t even realized how blatantly you were staring. You looked away quickly, causing your head to spin a little. Hopefully the blush you could feel rising on your cheeks could believably be blamed on the drinking.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” you replied, trying to salvage your pride even a little, “I was just thinking and happened to space out in that direction.”

“About what?”

“Huh?”

“What were you thinking about?”

You sat for a minute, one that felt like an hour, trying to decide what you wanted to say. How much did you want to admit? Was now the time to ask? Was there ever going to be a time? 

“Did I do something?” You asked, eventually, deciding that if you ruined things, you could always just blame the drinks. Ryuki got away with saying a lot when he was drunk, so you supposed you could try the same excuse.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you treat me so differently than everyone else and I can't figure out why. I don’t remember doing something to make you keep me at an arm’s length, but there had to be something. So what am I missing? What did I do?”

Date looked surprised for a second, and for a moment you wondered if you were just imagining things. Maybe you just saw his regular behavior as rude because you wanted to be closer? Maybe it was all you after all? 

“You didn’t do anything,” he said, after a little thought, “... It’s just complicated. And I’m not sure you want to hear the whole explanation.”

“Try me.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. It took him a little bit before he spoke again, clearly mulling over how he wanted to say what he needed to say. He grabbed you hand before you realized it, pulling you along with him until you ended up somewhere quiet. Your head was still fuzzy enough that you weren’t sure how you got there. You were too focused on the hand gripping your own as he pulled you along. You assumed you had to have taken a cab, since you ended up far away from Marble. You weren’t sure where exactly you ended up, but it had to be Date’s apartment. You both sat on the couch, unsure what to say, until eventually he launched into an explanation.

He told you about who he was before he was Date. About Falco and the Kumakuras. About Hitomi and Iris and the little family that they started to build. He told you about Saito and Rohan and the bodyswapping that he was never supposed to talk about. You assumed that one was why he had dragged you away from Marble. It was stuff you had heard hinted at before around the office, but this was your first time hearing him lay it all out, and you hung on every word. This was the most Date had ever shared with you and you were not about to take that for granted.

He told you about his six years of amnesia, where he knew nothing about all of the things that he had just told you about. About the friends that he made. Taking in Mizuki after befriending Renju. And then he told you about the New Cyclops case. You knew the gist of the case, but the details were something you only really got to hear from Date, so you had never heard them before. 

“Why are you telling me all of this,” you asked eventually, unsure of why you were getting all of this background. Unsure of what that had to do with you.

“I’ll get there. Just trust me,” He said. “Hitomi and I couldn’t get back together after all of that. She wanted to, but I wasn’t really the same person anymore. And I couldn’t risk putting her in danger like that again. I didn’t want to risk putting anyone in danger like that again. Iris, Hitomi, and Mizuki all almost died because they were close to me. And Renju and Shoko did.”

“You can’t blame yourself for that,” You said.

“Why not? I was the one that got Saito Sojima involved. And it was all because of Falco. Because I got too caught up in my idea of ‘justice’ that I got myself into trouble. And then I brought that trouble home,” He sighed. You weren’t sure if you had ever seen him be this vulnerable with anyone. It seemed odd, seeing the strong, confident Agent Date talk about himself like that. “I won’t let that happen again.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t want you getting close to me. I’m not a good person. There’s nothing I can do about Mizuki anymore besides make sure that she can defend herself, and Ryuki is too much like me to just let him go off on his own, but you’re different. You don’t need to be involved in my mess, and I’m certainly not worth it.”

“God, you’re stupid,” you blurted out before you could stop yourself. “You don’t get to choose if people like you just because you think you don’t deserve it. If you genuinely didn’t deserve it, you wouldn’t have to push people away to get them to not be close to you.”

“That’s probably the nicest reason I’ve been called stupid,” He chuckled. “But I’m really not worth the trouble.”

“Isn’t that up to me?” You asked. “Maybe I like trouble.”

“Alright, you’re definitely drunk.”

“Because I’m flirting with you?”

“Uh-huh. You need sleep. Mizuki is staying with a friend, so you can crash on the couch if you want.”

“Fine…” You sighed, admitting to yourself that you were starting to feel a bit tired. “But we’re talking about this later.”

“Sure,” You could tell that Date was hoping you’d forget by the morning, and you two could go back to your awkward tension.

But you wouldn’t. Now that you’d seen a hint of the real Date, of the reason that he treated you so coldly, there was no way in hell you were letting that go. 

[kaesileigh]

479 Tri-type description

479s typically tone down their hyper-emotionality and suffering when around others. They don't want to be difficult, and they don't want to be drama queens. They find such a self-image embarrassing, and they are certain the future holds great promise and potential, so aren't they a little pathetic for focusing on their tragedy? They may self-dramatize and bring attention to themselves at times, but it's typically followed by a down-playing of the tragedy and a reframing of the situation- "All in all, it was probably worth it, and not really a big deal, anyway..."

479s view themselves as special, clever, elite, talented, and regrettably, ordinary. Attracted to the new, the known, and the emotionally intense, they can feel a bit of the will-o'-the-wisp, never quite knowing where their fancy will take them- will the day be mundane or exhilarating? Dramatic or comforting?

Intellectually and emotionally curious, yet liking balance, 479s tend not to push things 'too far'. They may play it safe in a lot of ways, getting their stimuli and emotional depth via books, film, music and other artistic media versus through gritty life experience or putting themselves on the line (although they likely swing through levels of mania or hyper-excitability and depression or listlessness). 479s are somewhat risk averse- the four may dive into dangerous waters but the seven wants to keep things pleasurable and light while the nine would really rather take it easy, so the 479 ends up swimming back to shore, reads a good book in a hammock and then falls asleep, all the while wondering when something big will happen in their life, when they will finally reach their full magnitude.

The 479s' tendency to take the easier road can quite likely lead to a regretful place where they find themselves mired with difficult questions: "Why do I fall so easily? When will I get my drive, determination and self-discipline? What will it take for me to stay committed to one thing, no matter how difficult it is? When is my life going to be how I expected it to be?" These questions (and the failings they acknowledge) may lead to depression and a loss of self-esteem, but that doesn't mean thinking about them and recognizing their flaws is going to get them anywhere. The only way 479s will truly have lives which please them is through sucking it up and getting down to business. This doesn't mean a life of drudgery, but rather acknowledging what matters to them and making it manifest- honestly expressing their emotional range vs sugar-coating it; recognizing that potential doesn't equate ability and experience (and then making a point of acquiring that experience and ability); and not getting tired and apathetic when life throws challenges their way.

With accomplishments and self-fulfillment, 479s can't help but recognize that they possess great worth. They are innovative and creative in an inspired and life-affirming way. They see beauty in all things and beings and recognize the necessity of both pleasure and pain. They are wholly aware that they are entirely unique yet simultaneously connected to every living being, and they are joyful to be living their life, with all its messiness, struggles, and simple pleasures.

Core Fours will have a harder edge and go deeper. They will be more emotionally expressive and darker than the 974 or 749.

Core Sevens will be lighter and more energetic. They will be more upbeat, fun, and enthusiastic/excitable than the 974 or 479.

Core Nines will be more gentle and accommodating. They will be more easy-going, relaxed, and have more of a healing presence than the 479 or 749.

Credit: https://www.personalitycafe.com/threads/4-7-9-tritype.117159/

[nextstop-fixationstation]

Personally I think that the temples were written in a very clever way with how obvious and yet cryptic they are, because there are multiple meanings to take from their lessons. You have humility and persistence from the temples of wit and strength, which are the only two lessons that are kept rather purposefully obscure (as Valeriana seems to only address Anne directly, for whatever reason).

(This got longer than i thought it would, so i'm putting it under a readmore)

Humility has strategic benefits, as knowing when to throw battles to win the war is often key. Marcy is actually already very good at that, as shown when they play their game, but this is not true humility. At first brush, the idea of being "humble enough to lose" sounds like it's referring to only losing a game, but it actually refers to being wrong in general. "Lose" can mean being willing to lose something of yourself in order to maintain the relationships you have or accept new viewpoints. Loss itself is not a bad thing in this situation, and avoiding it can actually have dire consequences. Marcy's real trial actually technically ends when they accept that they were wrong about Andrias and about, specifically, wanting to cling so much to Anne and Sasha that they'd hurt all of them in the process. They were also wrong to view their friendships with so little faith, which is technically the crux of their insecurity. Insecurity and fear are the way that Marcy and the Core act as foils for one another as well. In this case, Marcy basically loses their life and potentially their friendships to save them, and that seems to be the actual culmination of the temple's lesson. Insecurity and pride are closely linked as opposites and as things of the same basic nature.

When talking about persistence, we also already know that Sasha is already persistent. We see it with toad tower and with the fact he takes over Newtopia, and the statement, "End of discussion," denotes a certain amount of stubbornness. He forges forward with his plans regardless of what his conscience might tell him throughout the series, until something changes in Turning Point. In that sense, it's not the idea of relentless persistence towards a goal that the temple refers to. Rather, the temple here is referring to persistence in change or becoming someone different. People make mistakes while finding their way. Sasha constantly makes them on screen, and that's why he loses Braddock and Percy. He nearly loses Anne completely. When he finally does turn around, he's persistent in trying to make things right. Something that I wouldn't consider a mistake but rather just an instance of reasonable hesitation is that conversation with Anne about how he's not sure he can forgive Marcy after this. It's a small interaction, but it shows just how persistent and dedicated he is to change. A previous Sasha wouldn't have put down his front long enough to even have the conversation. There's a lot of growth that's very apparent by the end of the series, and this "true strength" is what allows him to say with confidence, by the end, that he's "not that person anymore."

It should then be noted that these double meanings come from the fact that the aspect of the Heart, Anne's aspect, is what links all three of these traits (Wit-Stength-Heart) together to form, essentially, the power of a hero. Anne is the only one of the three to have any tangible feedback from a character to detail what the point of the trial is, and what worthiness actually means. In the end, Anne is worthy because 1) she admits she's wrong and has flaws, and 2) also tries every single day to be better. If you take those two statements into consideration, she already fulfills the other two criteria from the temples of Wit and Strength -- humility and persistence. Thusly, Anne Boonchuy is the most worthy of all three of the Calamity Trio. Perfection and embodiment are not required -- such a requirement would be antithetical to the series' thesis. Instead, Anne embodies the idea of metamorphosis and change, and that makes her a hero to everyone who loves her.

[fipindustries]

my personal version of the trinity

im talking about the dc super heroes, batman superman and wonder woman, not the son the father and the holy spirit.

i've always had my own version of these characters is my head and i would like to put it here for you guys to see. im sure a lot of this is going to overlap what a lot of what's already been done, that is inevitable give these characters longevity.

in a general sense, before we get into specifics, the way i think of these three, and of dc heroes in general, is that wherever they are they are the adults in the room. they are the conception that a kid has of an adult. professional, mature, always in control, always knows what to do in any situation, nearly omnipotent capacity to make all problems go away.

for these three i think of them as first responders, as firemen or paramedics. they are the people who come into a diaster, assess the situation and have a plan and a script to tackle it in the appropiate manner.

they know how to evacuate civilians, how to administer first aid, what is the order of priorities, etc. when they come in to save the day they are doing a job and they are good at it, they are the best at it, they are the people you want handling whatever it is that is happening.

all of this implies a certain level of maturity and professionalism that i expect from them. im not a fan of whenever these heroes are shown as super emotional, wether it be driven by rage or brooding, we have marvel for that. like yes, things can obviously get to them and enemies can deploy psychological attacks but generally they are emotionally mature enough to handle most things thrown their way.

i also like to think of them as mainly problem solvers rather than fighters or combatants (with the exception perhaps of wonder woman, more on that later). them simply going with raw fists to punch problems away is an absolute last resort if there is no other way to solve the problem. otherwise they toolset is wide enough that they can find clever, efficient, practical ways to deal with threats. im sure there are few threats superman cant solve without making judicious and calculated use of his super speed and his laser. double and triple goes for batman.

also, if i were to have absolute dictatorial control over DC i would make it so that they are not necessarily fighting a monster of the week style threat but rather that they have overarching goals and every mission is a step closer to that goal. and once their respective cities are stable enough they are free to establish the justice league to protect the world of overzised threats like alien invasions or pandimentional attacks.

without further ado here we go

superman.

honestly not much new, the guy has been done flawlessly plenty of times. i am particularly fond of the superman from My adventures with superman. perhaps i would write him a lot less childish but otherwise it seems there are plenty of writers that get the guy. he is a decent, truly kind man from kansas, who was well raised by a loving family and who grew up in a stable enviroment surrounded by friends. probably one of the healthiest persons out there, also one of the most resilient, in more ways than one. a guy who is willing to lend his surplus of strength, both physical and personal for the sake of others since he understands not everyone can handle things all on their own and so he is happy to help wherever he can.

he is perhaps a little corny, a little too straight laced, almost to the point of coming off as naive. if you didnt know him well you'd think he is just a boring goodie two shoes boy scout, but once you get to know him you realize he is just disarmingly earnest and sincere in all he does. he is such a dad, too. he makes bad jokes and gets overly excited for big sales and wears shorts with socks and sandals and he insist that you get horrible matching sweaters on christmas. his clak kent persona is not a mask, he is genuenly a dork. also he is a true journalist, he actually cares a lot about his job at the daily planet and takes super seriously whenever he has to do investigative journalism or an interview of a high profile figure.

i dont think he hates lex luthor, he is just really frustrated that a man that brilliant would waste his gift in such petty sillyness. his biggest flaw is that he can be overcome by self doubts, maybe its is wrong that he shoud be having all this power, maybe he is becoming too authoritarian by trying to fix all the worlds problems, how does he know what the most responsible way to use his powers is? is it his right to interfere in affairs of humanity when he is technically an alien? oh god maybe luthor has a point, maybe he shouldnt be here, he doesnt know what he is doing! he is just a farmer from kansas!

his ultimate mission, his overall, overarching goal, would be to take lex luthor down, the main source of most villainy and evil happening in metropolis. but he insists on doing it the right way, getting proper evidence, writing actual news articles, showing through all legitimate channels that lex is a crook and a criminal, which is the reason it takes so long. of course he could capture luthor in ten seconds flat but then he would have to deal with attacking a private citizen, with the criminal system, with the trials and with the terrible hit that it would signify for superman's reputation.

he thinks bruce needs to relax a little, and honestly the whole bat thing is a little silly. but also he deeply profoundly respects the fact that bruce is doing all of it on his own, no kriptonian powers gifted from on high, and he genuenly thinks of him as a true friend. he sometimes even feels a little inadecuate next to bruce because bruce is obviously the smarter of the two and the guy who always seems to be most in control of the situation and who always has a plan, making clark feel like he is just making it up as he goes along and he is just wasting his time picking cats from trees and stopping petty theft.

as for diana he is downright intimidated by her and he is a bit put off by the fact that she is clearly way more comfortable with violence than the other two guys. but again, he can sense she has a kind heart and is also a true hero.

clark secretly feels like the lamest of the three because he is just a guy trying to help around and the other two are like parangons of righteousness and borderline demigods, he doesnt realize the other two basically idolize him.

batman.

he is a really intense dude.

again, im not interested in a batman that is too tortured. the batman from the 70's-80's hit a pretty good balance in my mind. he is still a person. a very obsessive, intense, dedicated and disciplined person but a person at the end of the day, none of that "there is only batman" nonesense here, at least not early on. yes he is a guy haunted by his demons and carrying a terrible turmoil on the inside, but he is generally good at keeping in check. this does manifest in issues on the long term though, on a macro level. on the way he keeps cycling robins, the way that as the years go by he never seems to be able to move on to something better and specially in the way that he ends up by the end of it all. batman of the future did this perfectly, a bitter lonely old man who pushed most people away.

but on a day to day basis, on a mission to mission rythm, he is well adjusted. he is a team player, he doesnt push his sidekicks or collaborators too far (but he does go out of his way to carry most of the weight of the mission, which makes many of his robins think he underestimates them or doesnt take them seriously, when in reality he is just trying to protect them) he knows how to dial down the whole dark knight persona when dealing with civilians, he keeps his strength firmly in check so as to never unnecesarily brutalize the criminals he fights against. he puts way more priority in stealth and trickery than face to face confrontations.

he is stoic and he is overtly serious and formal, but when its just him and clark and diana he does allow himself to make more casual commentary or maybe ever crack and incredibly wry, dry as pavement joke. whilst around most civilians he comes off as intense and brooding clark and diana can tell he is just a little awkward (and possibly autistic?) and his rigid behavior is just a shield he uses.

bruce wayne is just him masking, we all know his playboy millionaire persona and im not going to go too deep into that. he can be "normal", he can relax when he is at the manor with alphred and dick or todd or tim or damian. he is generally a quiet guy, very introspective. very ocassionally he will let out his more impish side (there is still inside of him a child who never got a chance to be a child) he is an adult who chose to dress up as a bat and build himself a bat cave and a batmobil. he is a little whimsical, and he will pull little pranks on robin or alphred or whatever. but when the cowl is on he is back to strictly bussiness

he doesnt hate the joker, honestly he has bigger problems in his plate, but he does find him incredibly annoying and aggravating, that someone would cause so much evil for basically no reason. his biggest flaw is that he can be a bit too cold and calculating and he has a tendency to be self destructive in how he insists carrying all the problems of the world and push himself too far

his overall cause would be to try and fix the fundamental rot in gotham that is making it so that it keeps producing nothing but corrupt politicians, brutal cops and deranged lunatics, where any attempt at reform or to inject money into the system to fix things keeps getting absorbed and redirected into the city's criminal underbelly. batman is there as a shock to the system, trying to surgically unclog and fix a broken machine so that the actual proper channels and institutions start doing their goddamn job and set the city on a better path. honestly the colorful supervillains are almost a distraction of his day to day work, they are just the symptoms of a deeper problem and not the disease he is desperatly trying to cure.

he doesnt for even a second think that clark is lame or naive or silly. bruce almost idolizes clark because he sees in him a shining resplandescent example of a healthy, kind, pure good man, something bruce is convinced he could never be due to his "inner darkness" (this is just bruce being silly). to bruce superman is what a hero should be and batman is what he has no option but to become since he is only a man. in time he will come to see clark as a person rather than an idol in a pedestal and finally as the one friend he can truly trust on and even be vulnerable around.

diana he also deeply respects because he sees in her a disciplined warrior ready to do whatever needs to be done in the name of justice. and again, his more whimsical side cant help but find it a bit cool that she is a true mythological figure who came from a mystical lost island. whever he is on a mission he feels she is the only person who speaks his language, except when they butt heads over her wanting to confront a problem head on and him trying to do more sneaky meanuvers.

wonder woman.

she is a woman of the world.

in my head she would be the most cosmopolitan of the trio, also she can be a bit of and outsider given that bruce and clark are ultimatly americans and she is a foreigner from a wildly different culture. but she finds enough things in common with the other two that she can make it work out.

in my head she is primarily a warrior from a warrior culture. she is a paladin, righteous, devoted, and perhaps a little single minded. but she is not just a fighter, she comes from themyschira as a diplomat, she is after all a princess, she is adroit at politics, at diplomacy, at negotiation, although she does tend to prefer to negotiate mainly by projecting strength. she is above all things honorable. she makes oaths and she will give her life for those oaths.

she is also incredibly kind and warm. of the three she is the one that loves humanity and all of its children with the most warmth. whereas superman can come off as too nice and batman too correct she is the one that can be genuenly comforting when she needs to. she loves to learn and interact with new cultures, after all there is a whole world out there to explore. she speaks like 30 languages, is very well verse in world history and she is familiar with world politics. she has shaken the hand of multiple kings, queens and presidents. of the three she is the easiest to talk to, even if she does come off as a bit old fashioned at times.

but once again, she is a warrior. of the three she is the fastest to go to the sword and the one who has the least issues with killing if necessary. superman absolutely never does it unless its like a kaiju or an eldritch abomination or an army of robots. batman doesnt do it *directly* but he is not going to go too out of his way to stop a villain from getting hoisted by his own petard. diana will just do it, with her own hands if she has to. she doesnt take glee on it and she doesnt rush to do it but she wont hesitate either.

she can be a little brusque and a little strongheaded. once she makes a desition is incredibly hard to make her change her mind or slow down. batman has learn to work with it and try his best to make plans that accomodate that. clark will protest a little and then throw his arm in the air and follow her in whatever she decided has to be done.

her overall mission is of a larger scope than the other two. again, she is a woman of themischyra but more than that she is a woman of the world. the threats she faces, gods, demigods and other mythological beings, tend to operate on a world stage and so she is flying to multiple countries trying to contain the capricious whims of the gods and protect mortals from their dangerous games.

she barely sees her enemies as people. to be fair most of her enemies are manticores, minotaurs, plagues, or gods. but also when she comes across people like max lord she just sees evil that has to be vanquished and that is the end of it. her biggest flaw is that she has a tendency towards black and white thinking.

she is the tallest of the three, by like a full head. also the bulkiest. batman is musuclar but lean, fibrous, he puts emphasis on stealth and cleverness than raw strength. superman is muscular but in a very sculptural way. his big muscles are more a battery of the power he absorbs from our sun. his strength doesnt come from how big his muscles actually are. diana is a tank, she has a big frame and is built like a lumberjack. she is not perfectly cut and shredded, she has body fat, she is beefy.

she sees clack as basically a god since is the primary frame of reference that she has for someone whit the kinds of powers he has. she doesnt have the highest opinion of gods given her greek upbringing, so she sees clark a bit as "one of the good ones". she finds his boy scout routine adorable and his refusal to kill a little childish, and sometimes she is a little patronizing with him, but ultimatly she loves him like a brother. she's so proud of him.

she sort of doesnt know what to make of bruce. he is obviously a formidable warrior, and for a mortal man, the things he can do are truly impressive, also he lives by a code of honor and has a higher calling, and she respects that a lot, but sometimes she doesnt get why he wastes so much time sneaking around and playing with his little toys. that is not the way a warrior is supposed to fight. but, well, he does get results, so ultimatly she trusts him

***

at the end of the day, they are friends. maybe coworkers at first but after a few years of putting their lives on the line for each other they have true loyalty. driven closer for their work but also for the fact that they are truly at the top of the hero game and it can be pretty lonely at the top and sometimes all they have is each other.

[tonireadstoniwrites]

The Calamitous Bob (Books 1-5)

Author: Alex Gilbert

Genre: Fantasy/isekai/LitRPG

Physical book/E-Book: E-book, Kindle

Date read: May '24

Overall rating: Solid 4/5 for the four books in the series I've read so far (Book 6 came out a couple of days after I finished reading 5. I'm planning on buying 6 soon!)

Viv is probably one of my favourite main characters in a book I've read this year. She's pragmatic and clever, and despite being dumped rather unceremoniously in a new world, she remains in relatively good spirits. I adore Solfis and Arthur, and the supporting cast of characters are fabulous - there are some isekai'd/taken-to-a-new-world novels I've read where the side characters can be just a tad too much.

The plot doesn't grind too long, there's plenty of action, and Viv's development (both in terms of character and her magic) takes just the right amount of time. She's suitably OP for certain things, and other times she needs to develop her skills to figure out her current situation.

All in all, a good read. Will probably end up purchasing Gilbert's other series at some point.

[beatricebidelaire]

f/b. implied nsfw //

"F," Bertrand says. "Why are they re-assigning a new volunteer for next week's 3M operation and switching me to theater role, at the last minute?"

"It's not literally the last minute," Frank replies. "Technically, there are still three days."

"I can tell J's been spending more time at the hotel," Bertrand says dryly. "My point is, I've already planned for the infiltration into Mulctuary Money Management, and now a new volunteer without experience at the Victorious Financial District is taking over, and I'm going on a mission at the theaters instead?"

Frank grimaces. "It's orders from above. Apparently it's come to light the details of what happened during your last operation at Mulctuary's, and therefore concerns have been raised, and they came to a decision." He pauses. "I'm not most pleased about it either."

Bertrand raises an eyebrow. His tone is deliberately polite with a faint hint of sarcasm underneath that Frank has come to recognize all too easily. "May I point out that those were situations outside of our control and would've turned out the same way even if it'd been someone else on the scene?"

Frank shrugs, business like. "I'm aware. But apparently this is standard protocol for these kinds of situations. It's written down somewhere in the headquarter manual. Once again, I don't like this either. But protocol is protocol."

Bertrand narrows his eyes slightly. Thoughtfully. "Part of your role at the hotel includes distributing missions and adjusting to scheduling and personnel changes as you see fit, if necessary, right? There's flexibility here and you have certain authority to override the decisions that came from above."

Frank looks back at him, evenly. "True. But a report needs to be submitted afterwards."

"I can take care of the report part, if that's what you're worried about," Bertrand says.

"It's not," Frank says, simply. "More like, I'm just wondering if this is all enough reason to convince me to go against the protocol."

They look at each other.

"Is it convincing you're looking for," Bertrand says slowly. "Or are you open to bribery as well?"

Frank's expression remains a carefully neutral and business like one. "Depends on what you're offering."

Bertrand arches an eyebrow.

Frank folds his arms across his chest, and leans back against the desk. The barest hint of amusement flashes across his face.

Bertrand's eyes turn calculative. Then, all of a sudden, he drops down to his knees with remarkable agility and grace. His hand lands on Frank's belt. "If you're not above accepting bribery, may I?" He enquires, tone ever so polite.

Frank sighs. "No." He says. "Get up." He stands straight again, nodding at the desk. "Bend over." He says.

Bertrand looks at him.

"If you're still interested in and not above offering bribery, that is," Frank adds.

Bertrand resists the urge to roll his eyes. He does stand up, though. "What about 'protocols'?"

Frank shrugs, easily. "Part of the organization tradition. How do you think we managed to operate in The City for this long?"

__

[later]

"You were going to override the order anyway, weren't you?"

"B, you're far too clever to ask questions you already know the answer to," Frank admonishes lightly. He's wearing his businesslike expression again, but there's a hint of slyness underneath.

Bertrand rolls his eyes.

"Anyway, I'll take care of the report, don't worry about it," Frank adds.

"Thanks," Bertrand says. "You know, if you're too busy, I could type it up."

"No need." Frank says. He gestures at the cabinet. "It's in the topmost one, if you want to read it."

"............ you wrote it already."

"Obviously," Frank says. "I like to be prepared."

[solhaechan]

as a fellow gemini who doesn't really know much about astrology what are the most common gemini traits? maybe the ones you see in yourself and other people you know irl

Okay disclaimer, not trying to stereotype here, but this is what I've observed in myself, gemini's I know and those I idolize

Adaptable/versatile/multifaced

Tendency to adapt themselves to situations and people around them; what would be acceptable in this situation/with this person? I have many different faces and very few people get to see all of them because I pick what I show you based on what you reflect back at me. If I seek to interact with you, I will mirror you where I find common ground. But then again, if I do not seek to do so, you will be met with a closed door and a sarcastic politeness at most. This is often the case when the social battery is empty or simply because I don't vibe with you. I can clearly see this with Haechan; we often see the bright bubbly personality, but there are some vids where you can see he's tired and speaks only out of duty or to make dry/sarcastic jokes.

Curious/inquisitive/noisy

Natural curiosity when it comes to my direct environment; I want to know everything from my direct circle and can even be noisy. What's the latest tea? What did you do the other day? Oh, you're doing something and I don't know what? I'll be looking over your shoulder to see for myself. On the other hand, true to the two faced nature of the gemini, there can also be an utter disinterest in matters that don't spark my curiosity. I can be completely uneducated on certain matters and not care in the slightest bit, nor can you change my mind because I'm stubborn. The change of my mind will occur from my own accord; usually by chance when I come accross something about the matter that suddenly does spark my interest. This is were gemini's can be considered fickle/volatile, because now I've suddenly changed my mind? If interest is necessary, e.g. adult responsibilities or school work, laziness is sparked and things will be explored at a snail's pace or procastinated. This whole paragraph is something I also saw in my ex, a fellow gemini, a lot.

Witty/cocky/smartass/clever/funny/no filter

I have grouped these all together because they often go hand-in-hand.

Quick with responses especially in arguments, to make a point myself or to immediately make yours invalid; the responses/reactions can come so quickly and unfiltered/with no thoughts behind them that it leaves others flabbergasted and often amused. Dry, sarcastic, witty responses, you name it. They come naturally and a gemini will be smug about it; you might experience a urge to punch them in the face (*cough* Haechan *cough*, my father's gemini bestfriend). I have heard so many times in my life that my irl reactions to things are hilarious and I am often a source of unadulturated laughter for my loved ones. A mood lifter if you will. This is also a key trait of gemini's; we can act unhinged, publicly and without shame, if we know for certain it will lead to a desired reaction. The desired reaction not always being laughter.

(Emotional) Intelligence/observant

Can read the room well; goes slightly hand-in-hand with the adaptability. Will observe first to decide how to interact. Quicker to read between the lines and recognize implicit meanings/thoughts; quick to reassure loved ones when these implicit thoughts are self-depreciating (I've seen Haechan do this and I do it myself too). Seeks intellectual matches in their relationships and the ability to have philosophical conversations as these are highly stimulating. These are the people I tend to be closest with. If these matches are found, I find that a gemini is extremely loyal. When this is not the case, for me personally, the popular stereotyped 'easily bored, quick to lose interest' gemini comes out.