#i can be trusted with advanced military technology

[chiffer178]

The feminine urge to pilot a war mech

[glassesntea]

Levi and female!reader developing a relationship (Canon Universe)

Part 2/2

How your foolish idealism land you into the Survey Corps

After your guard duty he invited you to a tavern where he has gathered some of your comrades. Sat on a bench with other soldiers you listened to Floch musing about the situation of the island.

"Commander Hanji shows too much trust in these outsiders. She is far too lenient and for what? A technological advancement? As if it can erase a century of being nothing else but meat for Titans."

The others grumbled an agreement. Many in the army were not happy about the government's plan: working with the Marleyans was challenging at best and you were wary about Hizuru's involvement.

Mikasa hadn't said a thing to you regarding her official meeting with Kyomi's delegation, but the somber shadows in her eyes suggested that they weren't the allies you all hoped for. In the end, the island was alone against the world. Pretending otherwise would have been stupid.

Was it really possible at this point to really trust anyone who didn't suffer as the people on the island?

Floch invited you out with his group several other times.

You hung around with them, exchanging the same worries, and it was during one of your convos that you first met Levi Ackerman.

You all were in the mess hall, finishing the supper before the afternoon drill. It seemed that the new recruits would've been training with the infamous Captain of the Survey Corps.

Up to this point you and the others have never met him. Floch and some other soldiers that followed him religiously knew him pretty well.

"He really is that strong?" You asked, and you saw Floch's face produce a tiny grimance "What?" You tilted your head but his expression turned neutral once again.

"He is." He said, drinking from his mug "But not enough, if you want my opinion."

You frowned "What do you mean?"

"I mean that letting your personal feelings play a role in life or death's situations could potentially waste other's sacrifices," he looked at you "and doom everyone else as a result. That's his weakness: he cares far too much. "

"But he effectively guided the soldiers through difficult times. And since he joined the military the percentage of death outside the Walls has decreased a lot. It seems to me that he knows what he's doing and he takes objective decisions."

Floch pressed his lips together, abruptly turning his head to the side "And yet a single foolish decision may have changed everything. And what are we gonna do at this point?"

It seemed something personal, this veiled distate tinged with anger, but you didn't have the time to pry further that a scuffle broke out at your table.

Two boys of your cadet's regiment that participate to Floch's little assemble have started to push one another after shotting up of their seats. You have heard their mumbled conversation getting progressivly more heated while speaking with Floch. One was your friend but the other you couldn't stand him since the training day.

"Oi!" snapped Floch "Quit it, already!"

You stand up, gripping your friend's arm and putting a hand on the other's chest "Stop it, you two, you want a squad leader to put you on stable duty?"

"This moron has the gall to feel pity for fucking Marleyans POW when you Wall Rose people looked down on us when these fuckers brought down Shiganshina. You left us starving in the street!" He pointed at your friend "And now you talk about pity?!"

You lightly pushed him when he tried to come closer "Cut it, Otto. He isn't guilty of what happened then. We shouldn't..."

"Mind your buisness, Y/N! Always getting in the way, alway flaunting your good nature bullshit act as if we don't see how much of a poser you actually are."

You rolled your eyes "Wow, straight for the throat? Tell me something you haven't already said to me in training."

"Gladly." He hissed, ignoring Floch's call for order "You and Franz pretend to be, oh so good, but you know nothing of real suffer. You are nothing more than a Sheena bitch" he shoved you "that grew tired of fucking rich boys and wanted to see misery like it's the next exciting thing before sweeping in and proclaim to have the solution for everything. We are not your fucking playground for you to feel pleased with yourself!" He shoved you harder and Franz shouted and bolted forward just for him to be hitted by a punch.

However you were able to intercept Otto's arm when he retracted it and you twisted your body to slam him on the table, back first.

Otto spranged to his feet, ready to retaliate. Your fist closing, your arm pushed back ready to collide with his smaug face, but someone clasped your wrist thightly and before you knew, Otto was sent tumbling on the floor by a swift kick in the stomach.

You turned around, startled. A short man with a dark undercut, dressed with the old Survey Corp uniform, was looking at Otto weezing in pain. The mess hall was eerily quite.

He lifted his eyes, letting go of your wrist "Care to explain why you three were bawling like lunatics?"

Levi Ackerman. You have seen his portrait on newspapers. He was a legend in the military. And you realized that he must have seen your three make a fool out of yourselves and throwing fists like foolish children.

"I asked you a question."

You composed yourself "My apologize, sir. I didn’t mean to cause a ruckus.”

You looked down at Otto, rolling on the floor and groaning, holding his stomach as if it threatened to spill out. You winced, bringing your eyes again on the Captain’s.

“He… uh… he started to insult me and my comrade. I…”

Levi crossed his arms “And you body slam him onto the table because of it?” He turned to Floch “What did he said?”

Floch was less than thrilled to be dragged into the mess and he shot you a dirty look before answering “He said Wall Sheena’s brats shouldn’t talk about how hard life is since the Fall of Maria.”

It was a pretty sanitized version of the truth, but the core was legitimate. You winced again, fuck I’m such an idiot.

“So you hit him because he badmouthed you,” his voice was dry as a leaf “that’s a pitiful excuse, if I’ve ever heard one.”

“Captain, I…”

“You three are soldiers now, not tugs ready to rip each other apart just because your pride got hurt.” He lowered his stare to the groaning figure “Get up. I fully expect you all to be this lively in today’s training as well.”

He called for everyone in the room “Everyone out. Start with ten laps around the perimeter.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Regarding you three, I hope you don’t mind the smell of horse shit, bacause you will shovel it around for two weeks.” He turned his back to you after your response and you ran outside the mess hall with your cheeks burning in hot shame.

That was humiliating, but served you right for not thinking things through.

Your first meet with Levi went on like this: as a mumbling brutish idiot who kept on smelling manure on the clothes for the following weeks.

To be continued...

[redpenship]

i had to write a 6k word research paper last semester in which i had to do hypothesis testing relating to any subject about WMDs. my idea was to test why states step away from the brink of developing nuclear weapons or get rid of them, with a focus on two explanations: domestic normative changes (so, attitudes regarding nuclear weapons) and security-based explanations (do nuclear weapons provide meaningful defence to the state in question?). this was done in tandem with my plotting for buzzsaw 2, which made me curious about the strategic utility of projecting "safety" or "neutrality" to potential aggressors. the core dilemma in the story is about whether or not aliens can be trusted, or more specifically if kindness is present throughout the universe. it's really all about perception--so, how an individual perceives aliens. to link this with my paper topic, i was specifically seeking to prove that perceptions of nuclear weapons had a greater influence on the lack of horizontal proliferation than security issues. my findings were kind of interesting.

basically, i was proven incorrect. i used congruence analysis (comparing various states and why they did or did not acquire nuclear weapons) to do my hypothesis testing. i feel like rambling a little bit, so here are some of my favourite cases:

Canada (Nuclear weapons capacity: HIGH -- large domestic sources of uranium, multiple research reactors that could be converted to uranium-enrichment facilities for weapons production, encouragement from US to create arsenal, and sufficient high-tech weaponry knowledge to develop an arsenal). Normative explanation: Canadians on average do not perceive military strength as being a source of national pride. It isn't very important in the national consciousness. Security Explanations: Proximity to US means that any nuclear strikes on Canadian territory will provoke US retaliation against the aggressor. Moreover, Canada's nuclear weapons policy at the time emphasized the avoidance of negative security externalities--leaders believed that acquiring nuclear weapons would provoke enemy states into doing the same, and so chose not to obtain them.

Sweden (Nuclear weapons capacity: MEDIUM -- domestic plutonium sources, advanced weapons systems) Normative Explanations: Public support for acquiring a nuclear arsenal reached a high of 57% in 1959. A successful anti-nuclear weapons campaign by the Social Democrat Party sought to make Swedish identity and the possession of nuclear weapons "incompatible" lowered public support to 31% by 1967. The nuclear weapons program lost public support entirely within a decade. Security Explanations: Sweden was most concerned about a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. Despite being a neutral state, their leaders came to the conclusion that the United States would defend any western European state from Soviet expansion to prevent its sphere of influence from growing further. As well, Sweden was worried about provoking the USSR and chose not to develop an arsenal for this reason as well.

Brazil (Nuclear weapons capacity: MEDIUM -- similar reasons to Sweden) Normative Explanations: Brazil's nuclear weapons program occurred under its military dictatorship. After its collapse, the civilian government ended all plans to develop an arsenal. I'm not taking into consideration how Brazilians felt about it because it was a secret program. Security Explanations: The military regime was primarily concerned by Argentina's head-start on enrichment methods and ballistic missile technology. President Geisel established a military nuclear energy research program that ran parallel to the civilian nuclear energy body, CNEN. By 1990, they were believed to be around two years away from testing a Hiroshima-type bomb (admittedly, a piece of shit by 90s standards). The program was terminated in 1990 by civilian President Mollo. Notably, Argentina had transitioned to democracy a few years prior, which contributed greatly to the end of its paranoia towards its neighbour. (Military regimes are prone to mirror paradoxes, in which they assume their rivals are as equally unstable and militaristic. This was definitely true of Argentina's military dictatorship in general though).

My primary case study was South Africa, whose apartheid government built six nuclear bombs beginning in the 1970s until the late 1980s. I chose it because it's the only state to have ever built and then dismantled its nuclear arsenal. At the time, the government was very concerned about the survival of its white state, since the rest of Africa was decolonizing and they were becoming a pariah on the global scene for their apartheid policies. Also, Soviet and Cuban troops were running around getting into conflicts in the continent and they were worried about getting invaded for being anti-communist and super racist. This made them desperate enough to build nuclear weapons.

They actually tried really, really hard to get security assurances from the United States, which led to them going as far as to sanction Rhodesia for being white supremacist (a hypocrisy equivalent only to Norway convincing itself that it meets climate targets). They failed to convince the US to help them (because South Africa was strategically worthless, so it was totally within the United States' comfort zone to ignore them and later condemn them) and were pretty much only friends with Israel, who helped them quite a bit with the nuclear weapons program. In one of the texts I read for the paper (page 287 of Will South Africa Survive? by R.W. Johnson), there's a translation of a section of South African Prime Minister Vorster's interview with Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv in 1976 in which he states that Israel and apartheid South Africa kind of have the same thing going on, with specific reference to their policies of occupation and racial/economic exclusion. So, if you ever need some additional evidence that Israel is an apartheid state for whatever reason, feel free to cite a literal leader of apartheid South Africa admitting that Israel does the same thing.

ANYWAYS, apartheid South Africa got rid of its nuclear weapons during two events/processes: the end of apartheid, and the fall of the Soviet Union. The cause of their disarmament doesn't require much thought since PM de Klerk admitted to parliament that they got rid of their nuclear weapons because their primary security threat (the USSR) no longer existed. Their weapons weren't even very good (could only be delivered by bombers) and their entire strategy for them was to just imply to the US that they possessed them, which would force the US to step up and protect them so South Africa wouldn't reveal they had them to the world and potentially trigger proliferation across Africa.

What I got out of all of this isn't that normative/perceptive explanations for disarmament are worthless, but rather that security concerns must be dealt with as a prerequisite to disarmament. Sweden and Canada fell under US extended deterrence and felt no need to develop weapons, while Brazil and South Africa's regional security concerns collapsed and they no longer had a reason to have nuclear weapons. Countries who are not threatened by nuclear powers or are protected by nuclear powers do not need nuclear weapons to guarantee their survival.

Taking into this account, I've altered the story of buzzsaw 2 to reflect my findings somewhat. A lot of it is the same, I've just put a bit more attention into addressing the security dilemma faced by Earth lol. More specifically, how a planet can minimize security externalities to avoid provoking aliens and how the necessity of doing so can challenge the status of imperial powers on said planet...

[noramoons]

renounced | x.dj

summary: your life as the eldest child in the royal family is simple: follow everything you’ve been told, without complaint. the game is easy—until you meet xiao dejun, who shows you that you may not have to play their game at all.

pairing: prince!xiaojun x gender neutral!royal reader

genre: angst with a happy ending (?)

wc: 4k

rating: T/15+

warnings: unspecified time period, historical inaccuracies, brief mention of religious analogies, implied suggestive content, language, not proofread (😧)

a/n: happy xiaojun day! :D (me, finishing a fic on time?? 🤯🤯) hope u enjoy this little one-shot. i’m sure there are MAJOR historical inaccuracies for the politics depictions in this - feel free to leave any feedback or concrit you might have!

This is the last time.

It's like a mantra. You repeat it to yourself, over and over, starting the sentence over with every other stairstep you reach.

This is the last time. It has to be.

Of course, you said that the last time, too.

Prince Dejun has been a fixture in your life for nearly as long as you can remember. And for a long time—you hated remembering.

His family's kingdom had brought yours to the brink of annihilation in war—a long, terrible, stupid war that your nation had been comically unprepared for. The Xiao family had industrialized their military years before your father's generals even began to think about the idea, studying and honing in their technological advances to the point that when they finally brought their army to your doorstep, your father had no choice but to kneel. Can it really be called war if the other side never even stands a chance?

You had hated Xiao Dejun, then. Hated the very idea of him and his entire family. Hated that they had been so generous as to allow your family to stay in their palace for a month while yours was being rebuilt, him and his brothers running through the halls with gleeful abandon while you and your younger siblings had to restrain yourselves at all times. You always had to be poised and patient, silent unless spoken to—the perfect guests for who you saw as little more than your captors.

It was several years later before your father's advisors began whispering again, hushed murmurs that gradually tumbled their way down to your eavesdropping ears—not of war this time, but of the future. Of building future alliances with the very nation that had nearly decimated your home.

And you, as the eldest child, were the perfect sacrificial lamb.

You had felt just as much, too, the night of your first outing with the prince. You would be supervised, of course, but you still found yourself unable to shake the feeling as the servants dressed you quietly, whispering to each other when they thought you couldn't hear. Like they were preparing a stuffed pig for a feast.

You'd dreaded every step down the main stairwell of your newly rebuilt home, clinging to the marble railing that you were sure was just as cold and unforgiving as the prince waiting for you at the bottom of the stairs (Completely unlike the way you are currently racing up a flight of stairs, heart growing lighter with each step).

You had been surprised, then, when Dejun had taken your gloved hand in his—it turned out he was warm flesh and blood, after all.

He'd engaged in perfectly polite, yet expected small talk all throughout the main entryway and into the gate outside. It wasn't until you reached that first step outside, the furthest you'd been away from home in months, that he had squeezed your hand and dropped his voice into an octave that sounded much more familiar to the Dejun you had seen briefly in his home.

"Do you trust me?"

You were taken aback by the question—but you certainly weren't a liar. "No."

He'd laughed at that—a light, airy sound escaping past his lips that you thought had no right to come from a devil. "I thought as much. I would've been surprised if you'd said so." Something glinted in his eyes. "Can you give me a chance to change your mind?"

What on Earth was he talking about? The two of you were only supposed to wander the gardens until dusk—that was what your governess had said. "Why would I do that?"

A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth—you thought, for an absentminded moment, how seemingly perfect his teeth were. What a strange thing to notice. "Because it'll get us away from the eyes of your governess." 

Your own eyes widened. "What are you talking about? I—" I hadn't even noticed she was out here, you'd wanted to say. You had spun around, looking intently for somewhere she must have been hiding—she couldn't have been that inconspicuous if Dejun had noticed her already.

He'd squeezed your hand again, warm fingers still intertwined with yours. "I spoke with the stablehand before coming to call on you. He said he would leave a horse tied just outside the gates." He paused. "It's up to you, of course. Your Highness." He dropped your hand only to cross it across his chest in a mock serene bow, and you had bit onto your own tongue, hard, to keep a laugh from escaping you at the sight.

You had tried to weigh the consequences in your mind, but the thought of freedom was just as alluring as it always had been under the watchful eye of seemingly everyone else in the palace you'd grown up with. Even if it came with a price of momentary companionship with Xiao Dejun.

"We..." you had started. "We have to be back by sunset. No later."

He had grinned and taken your hand, running with you close behind, helping you mount the horse when you did, in fact, find one tied just outside the palace gates—and giving you the first taste, if only for an hour, of what real freedom might feel like.

You were chased down by your governess and a slightly bruised stablehand before the sun had even begun to set, but you and Dejun had talked, lying on your backs in an empty field miles away from the palace, for what felt like hours. It was then that you learned he cared practically nothing for politics, that he had no plans to be king the way his father had ruled. You discovered, through a series of conversations, that he wanted so much more for his life—to not be tied to something he hadn't chosen for himself. You'd never forget for the rest of your life how his eyes shone that evening, how they sparkled as he listened to you, and how he talked about the life he wanted with such excitement. He wanted to learn how to walk across a trapeze, or become a traveling musician, to sail across the world with a band of pirates—he wanted to at least have options. To be able to choose something for himself, something that was only his.

That glass facade you had built in your head of him shattered. He was so, so much like you, in every way you had never imagined.

Your governess gave you an earful when you were dragged back to the palace that night, but you could barely find it in yourself to care. Dejun had planted a dangerous seed in your brain—the idea of getting to choose.

While your father wasn't entirely pleased with the events of your first outing with Prince Dejun, his advisors still believed it would be a beneficial match for the future of the kingdom—so you were allowed to continue your courtship with the prince.

With every meeting, you found your affection for the worldview he had given you growing. You were allowed to let yourself want for the first time. You wanted the ability to choose what you did with your life. You wanted to see what the rest of the world looked like outside of your room in the palace.

You wanted Dejun. And he wanted you, too.

But perhaps that grasp of freedom was something you didn't deserve. After all—at the end of the day, there wasn't truly any aspect of your life's path that you chose yourself. Even the idea of freedom was ludicrous. Everything was preordained for your life by the same gods (who you had been told since birth) that had put your father on the throne—to say or do otherwise was simply unthinkable. Heresy. A refusal of everything you had been put on this planet to do.

It had clearly been too long since you had any reminders of that fact—and so your father's advisors, moods changing like the tides of the ocean, provided you with one.

Your kingdom and the Xiaos found themselves in a trade standoff—the Xiao kingdom had the grain your kingdom so desperately needed after his soldiers had burned your farmlands down to the soil, but your father's advisors refused to pay what the Xiaos were demanding. They could get grain and cattle at a much lower price from the Qian kingdom to the south—not nearly as militarily advanced as the Xiaos, but a longtime ally of your father's, and a royal family with a son your age.

One too many insults were exchanged between families over tense negotiations—and so your courtship with Dejun was called off. Replaced with a hurried engagement to the prince of the Qian family, a man you'd never met.

And yet—you couldn't burn the roots of what Dejun had planted in you. Now more than ever, you wanted that freedom Dejun had promised you. You wanted the ability to lash out about this choice made for you, to scream at your uncaring father who only saw you as a political pawn to be used for the betterment of the nation.

But what could you do? You had been raised in a calculating way—everything you did was politics. Every choice you made was a stepping stone for your future—and not just yours. The future of your family, your lineage, your nation rested on your shoulders as the next in line for the throne. Who were you to just cast that aside? Run away with nothing but the hope Dejun would follow you? Would he follow you?

There was still a positive outcome, albeit a small one—you learned that while your relationship with Dejun had been broken for you, your kingdom's alliance with the Xiao family was not entirely lost. It was damaged enough to not want your families permanently intertwined, but not enough to go to war again—or more importantly to your circumstance, not damaged enough that their invitations to your family's yearly galas with the surrounding kingdoms had been rescinded.

A full year passed by the time your family hosted another gala, and it took all the self restraint you had mustered within you to not rush across the ballroom and hold him impossibly close to you when you finally, finally locked your gaze onto Dejun again for the first time in a year. You saw the way his eyes lit up when he saw you from the top of the staircase—the same way you had seen them shine all those years ago, when he had first introduced that damned idea of freedom into your stupidly impressionable mind. You wondered if anyone else in the ballroom could hear how loud your heart was pounding.

It took almost the entire evening, dancing with several other princes and high-ranking officials (the ones your advisors had informed you to charm for potential future alliances) before you were finally able to drag Dejun out of the ballroom, unnoticed, and into a nearby corridor.

You stared at each other for a moment. Then two.

Dejun whispered your name, as if saying it too loud would shatter the moment you've given him.

"I've missed you," you said. Ever the careful, political one—you'd ached with how much your mind and soul had missed Dejun, but you couldn't tell him that. What if he didn't feel the same? What if he didn't want to be seen with you, now that you were engaged to someone else? What if—

He leaned across, cupping your cheek in one hand and pressing his lips to yours in one singular, fluid motion.

Once again—Dejun had presented you with an opportunity you hadn't even thought of yourself. You had seen a door at the end of a hallway and thought it to be the only exit—and Dejun had shown you how to escape through a window.

The next two years of galas were the same—on one night a year, you'd entertain guests for hours, dancing until your feet were sore and mind swirling as you tried to remember everyone's name and affiliation and rank. None of it mattered once everyone retired to their guest suites, preparing for a long day of travel tomorrow, and you were free to slip away and spend the long hours of the night, unnoticed, with Dejun.

Each time, you heard a rock at your window as you were preparing for bed, and each time, you knew what it meant. You'd look outside to see a shining pair of eyes in the darkness, holding a single candle and beckoning you to follow. You'd end the evening as far away from the palace as you could get, tangled in Dejun's limbs underneath the moonlight, the two of you only pulling your cloaks back on and hurrying back in giggles when the first rays of morning sunlight were beginning to rise.

It's what you're doing now—heart racing as you ascend the final stair and make your way to the balcony before you. But this time will be different, you know. It has to be.

You're getting married next month to Prince Kun. You should have cut this tryst off before it even began—you know it will only continue to cause you and Dejun both heartache and suffering. And from what you hear, his own father's advisors have been hard at work finding an engagement for Dejun. It won't be long before you're both encumbered with marital duties.

All of this is at the tip of your tongue to tell him—and then he turns around from the balcony railing.

The moon frames his dark hair like a halo, a soft smile tugging at his lips as he sees you walking towards him—and oh, gods, how could you ever tell him anything of the sort? When he's running a soft hand through your hair and he's pulling your lips to his, when you're closing your eyes against him and letting him glide a hand down to the small of your back and press his chest to yours—when you're tasting freedom on his lips, how could you ever take that away? 

But the thought still haunts you when you're lying on your back beside him, miles away from the palace and watching the stars glitter in the sky above you. You know why neither of you have discussed the fact that you're engaged to Kun, that you'll be living in a palace in an entirely different kingdom after next month. Admitting that you need to have a discussion, after all, feels like admitting that this has to end.

Dejun stirs beside you—you had thought he was asleep. You turn on your side to look at him.

He smiles when he sees your face, and you can't fight a smile from tugging at your own lips. How can you give this up? "This is it," he says, suddenly, and you feel your stomach lurch—of course he'd be the one to acknowledge this. "Isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" you say, quietly—but the quiver in your voice betrays that you know his meaning all too well.

Dejun reaches across and intertwines his fingers with yours, bringing your connected hands up to his lips as he kisses each fingertip. "Did you want to never discuss it? To lie with me here, and then never see me again?"

You frown. "Of course not. But I don't exactly know how—"

"Run away with me," he says suddenly. "They'll never find us. We can go to the ends of the earth."

You laugh at how abrupt he is. "They'd find us, Dejun. Your father owns the greatest military in the world, and my father has spies on every inch of this continent. We'd never make it across either border."

He's insistent. "We have to try. I told you, all those years ago, that I want to be able to choose something for my life, something that's only mine. It's you, Y/N. I don't care where we are or what we're doing—I can't stand to be apart from you anymore."

His words strike your heart like daggers, but you still shake your head slowly—grabbing the hilt and driving the daggers in further yourself. "It's too late. Don't you see? It's not just my family that's depending on my choices now—the Qians are too. I can't turn my back on this anymore by just running away."

"And who decides that?" He shoots back. "None of this has been up to you. Don't you think you deserve a chance to choose a life for yourself?"

You don't know why it's never occurred to you before. It's a fantasy—all of this. Ever since the moment your courtship with Dejun was called off years ago, you've been in a child's delusion. The real world calls now, with all of its accompanying rules and responsibilities—you have no place allowing yourself to stay in this illusion anymore. There has to be another universe, a different life where the two of you were smart enough to never do anything this stupid, but it isn't this one. There's no substance to you and Dejun. "And in that life, I would do what? Continue to be a once-a-year tryst to you? Do you..." You take a sharp breath. "Do you love me, Dejun?"

He looks like you've stung him with your words—maybe you have. "You know how I feel about you, Y/N, I—"

"Can you say it?" Part of you is screaming internally for giving him an ultimatum like this, for probably ripping away the only respite you've ever had from your life in a cage—but you know that if you don't do it, it'll be done for you. Just like everything else.

"I..." he trails off, and you find yourself utterly afraid for what he might have said—because it might have convinced you.

And then he inhales again. Clenches his jaw. "Goodnight, Y/N."

Your heart sinks, but you swallow down the self-induced disappointment. "Goodnight, Dejun."

You don't think either of you sleep much that night. You watch the sun rise on the horizon hours later—beautiful, cheerful shades of pinks and oranges that are a perfect contrast to the knots of worry you can feel brewing in your stomach.

As you and Dejun hurry back (in silence) to the south side of the palace, you begin to slow at the gate behind the gardens. In the past, you've always stopped here to say your goodbyes before heading back into the palace on your own separate ways, as to not arouse suspicion.

Dejun never stops. He never even begins to slow down his walking pace. Instead, you watch him walk past you, through the gardens and into the side door into the scullery—and now you really can't shake this feeling that you've made a massive, unchangeable mistake.

You remember how much you once hated him—how to even hear the name Xiao Dejun made your stomach twist. Now, you think, you'd give anything to hear his name announced in the same room as you. And it may never happen again.

The month that follows your engagement with Qian Kun goes by in a blur. The wedding preparations, the attire, the food for the guests—it's all chosen for you, anyway, so why should you care? You silently mourn the loss of all things good and routine in your life that you'd come to cherish before—including Dejun.

The wedding itself is a different experience—mostly because you don't feel like you're even really there. Everything is just as you had rehearsed the day before; your father walks you down the aisle in full royal regalia. You stand beside Kun and recite your perfectly memorized vows. You touch your lips to his.

It’s a game, all of it—and you’ve been told every move to play.

You don't eat much at the reception, and your new husband seems to notice. He asks if you're not feeling well, if you need to leave early—and as much as you know you need to stay to keep up appearances, to maintain the alliances your father's advisors have so carefully crafted for you with this marriage—you can't help but nod yes.

Kun is too kind for his own good, you think. He briefly shows you around the royal wing of your new home, where you'll presumably be staying for the rest of your life, before opening the door to the bedroom at the end of the corridor. You expect him to follow you inside, so you're surprised when he moves to open the door again to leave.

He turns around, a small smile of understanding on his mouth. "I'll see you in the morning, Your Highness. When you're feeling better." He hesitates for only a brief moment before adding, "You don't have to keep up appearances around me. I hope you know that."

You don't know that, in all honesty—but you smile and nod gratefully anyway.

You let yourself sit in the silence of your room for a long while, comfortable with it in contrast to the loud reception you can still hear ongoing downstairs. You think about calling for help on undressing out of your royal wedding attire, but the thought of being alone is still far more appealing, even if it takes you an hour to get out of all these layers.

You've only undone two buttons when you hear a thump on the floor, right below the open window. It's a rock, you realize in disbelief as you bend down to take a closer look. You hold it under the candlelight, and you finally recognize the familiar scrawled ink across the surface.

I love you.

You lean over the window, heart pounding so loud you can hear it rushing in your ears—and you see him. He hasn't even dismounted from the horse he must have ridden to the castle on, one hand still clutching the reins, other hand waving in the air to catch your attention.

Dejun's face lights up when he sees you, and you suddenly feel that same lightness in your chest the instant you see it. Like you'd never even left his side.

You grab the candle on your nightstand and bring it by the window to see him better, and it's then that you begin to hear what he's been saying—not yelling, thankfully, to ensure any wedding goers won't hear. But you don't even think you'd mind now, as you lean further out of the window and finally hear it from his own lips.

I love you.

You think about what he said only a month ago, an echo of the things he'd said to you when you were younger. That you deserve to choose.

You think that while there is a lifetime where you were smart enough to never do anything this stupid, there must also be another where you are brave enough to run away—to be in love, to choose with your own mind to leave behind everything you've known for each other. For something that you both know would last.

Maybe there's a part of you that thinks that lifetime can be this one—that they're one and the same. That some part of you still longs to be that foolish, and that brave.

You cup your hands around your mouth and call down to him—your answer to tonight's unspoken question.

I love you too.

a/n: feedback is always welcome through reblogs, comments, and messages 💛 thank you sm for reading!

taglist: @petrichor-han @kangroo-chan @ot7lonelylover @lilacdreams-00 @mainexiii @awkwardnesshabitat @lotus-dly @elizabeth11moreno @nerdysl-t @seung-scrittore

[frangipanilove]

I don’t really understand how Beth would’ve ended up in all these different places. Is it because of the Commonwealths? The CRM? I’m confused and hate to say so cause it should be obvious but I’m feeling lost on it. I guess I should just trust “Beth is alive” and we’ll see her again. Just frustrating how long we’ve waited for her.

Hi friend, sorry it took me so long to get to this. I’ll try to answer, even though it might not be the kind of answer you had hoped for. I’m not really sure what you mean by “all these different places”. I personally don’t have any fixed opinion on exactly where she will show up, geographically. I expect there to be lots of hints and symbolism referring to her in Daryl Dixon season 2, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I believe she will literally show up. She might, but I’m not relying on it.

If your question is about the logistics of world travel, I don’t think that should be a problem. For starters, remember this is fiction. If tptb wants something specific to happen, they can just write it. We’ve seen that technology for world travel exists in this universe. We’ve seen advanced military technology like chinook helicopters, that were able to cross the North American continent without any issues. We’ve seen Daryl cross the Atlantic on a boat, we’ll see Carol do the same with a small plane. In FTWD we once saw Strand communicate with an astronaut on the International Space Station. Also in FTWD, we once saw them rehabilitate an old aeroplane and fly it out of a nuclear waste zone. We’ve also seen them travel by using a hot air balloon (shaped as a beer bottle, no less, and I’ve written about the incredible symbolism of that elsewhere)

For what it’s worth, people were crossing oceans centuries and millennia ago, and while I don’t think Beth’s on a viking ship or a balsa raft, humans have always migrated, and I don’t think a zombie apocalypse is enough to stop that drive. People will travel if they have a reason to, in real life, and certainly in fiction.

Tptb have also dropped hints of international trade throughout the seasons, with references to coffee (which only grows under very specific conditions), exotic fruits like pineapple, and also sugar cane. While none of that guarantees the presence of an international trade network, it does indicate the existence on one. At the very least, it renders it plausible that one COULD exist.

Also, Major General Beale from TOWL mentioned the CRM has spies everywhere, and I don’t remember his exact words, but I believe he mentioned overseas territories. So I wouldn’t worry about the logistics of travel. If TPTB want Beth to show up somewhere specific, they can just write it.

But there’s one thing we have no real insight into, and that’s the business part of the equation. Remember, TWD is ultimately a business, and if Beth is to come back, it will be because someone made the business decision to bring her back. And we can’t know what goes on behind closed doors at AMC. We can’t really know why she wasn’t brought back a long time ago, and we can’t know IF she’ll be back at all. We can’t really know for sure that EK even wants to come back. We can speculate, analyze interviews, social media posts etc, but it will still only be speculation and our subjective, biased interpretation.

And that’s what we do in TD, right? We watch the show and look for ways in which the symbolism tells us Beth is coming back. There’s an extensive symbolism framework present in TWDU that would help facilitate her return, and I like to believe it’s there for a reason. But ultimately no one can know for sure.

So I’m afraid I can’t guarantee that Beth 100% for certain will be coming back. I watch the show and I offer my interpretation of the symbolism, but you’ll never hear me make any promises, because I don’t think anyone can.

I understand the frustration, but for me, I’m a fan of the entire franchise, I love the main show and the spin offs and the entire TWDU, and I’ll continue to watch my favorite show regardless of whether or not Beth comes back, and that helps. I’d love for her to return, and I do believe that’s the story the symbolism is telling us, but I enjoy the show immensely regardless.

I hope this helps, but I’m sorry if it wasn’t the answer you were hoping for. Would love to hear more of your thoughts though 🥰

[discar]

HZD Terraforming Base-001 Text Communications Network

Chapter 21 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

HIMBO: HEY, ALVA. HOW MANY DIVINERS ARE THERE?

DIVINER: I'm sorry citizen, that is a state secret kept closely guarded for tactical and strategic reasons.

DIVINER: Sorry!!

DIVINER: They drum that into us before we even get our Focuses!! I really can't tell you, though!

FlameHairSavior: Where did this come from?

HIMBO: I WAS REMEMBERING HOW MANY PRIESTS AVAD HAS TO DEAL WITH EVERYTHING, AND WONDERING HOW THE QUEN HANDLE THINGS.

DIVINER: Oh!! I think I understand now!! But Diviners aren't the only priests and scholars. I think I mentioned we're mostly explorers, actually? We can do more administrative work, more easily, thanks to our Focuses, but we have plenty of people trained without them!

HIMBO: I GUESS THAT MAKES SENSE.

HIMBO: WHAT DO YOU DO, THEN? WITH ALL THE SLAG YOU LEARN, I MEAN.

DIVINER: Mostly, we teach! Most of the technology of the Ancestors is still beyond us, but there were enough hints that we were able to learn advanced metallurgy, agriculture, and of course military strategy.

DIVINER: I think most important of all, though, we teach our people the importance of the arts and sciences!

DIVINER: Some of the earliest tribes the Empire conquered were little better than hiding in caves because they refused to understand the importance of progress!

BoyNextDoor: There's value in tradition, though.

DIVINER: Well, yes, of course, but...

DIVINER: Oh, right, you're from a tribe like that.

BoyNextDoor: We're not that bad.

FlameHairSavior: All-Mother Mountain is literally a cave, Varl.

BoyNextDoor: And in the cave is the Cradle facility where you found all these Focuses. If the tribe hadn't been protecting it all this time, who knows what would have happened.

FlameHairSavior: [BenAffleckTiredSmoking.png]

DIVINER: No, he's right! Traditions are important, even if we don't always know why! Your people knew that cave was important, because they remembered they were born there and so stayed close!

DIVINER: My people aren't even sure where exactly we came from!

HIMBO: I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT YOU LOT WOULD KEEP CRAZY GOOD RECORDS. THE OSERAM DO, AND WE DON'T HAVE FANCY FOCUSES.

DIVINER: Yes, of course! But only AFTER we found the cache of Focuses in the Great Delta! We can't be entirely certain where we came from before that!

MARSHAL Kotallo: I am curious how broadly anyone spreads from any given Cradle. Are all of our tribes from different Cradles, or the same?

FlameHairSavior: I think the Carja come from the Nora Cradle. Can't be sure, though.

HIMBO: OH, YEAH, THEY CAME TO MERIDIAN FROM THE EAST. THEIR PRIESTS WILL TELL THAT STORY IF YOU MAKE THE MISTAKE OF SITTING STILL FOR FIVE MINUTES.

MARSHAL Kotallo: How many Cradles are there?

FlameHairSavior: At least nine, because the Nora one is ELEUTHIA-9. But I don't know how many were planned total.

FlameHairSavior: Or how many survived, for that matter. The Faro Plague caused construction and supply problems for Zero Dawn.

Zo: Yes, I read about some of the animal samples that were lost because of the Plague. I have to assume that at least some of the planned facilities failed.

BoyNextDoor: The Nora Cradle has a Metal Devil frozen in the process of trying to dig it out. I think the shutdown came in minutes before they would have breached.

FlameHairSavior: Ah yes. That.

DIVINER: I sense a story!

FlameHairSavior: The High Matriarchs confuse a sense of drama with wisdom.

DIVINER: ??

BoyNextDoor: If you try to get Aloy to explain it will take weeks.

BoyNextDoor: Trust me.

β: but you know dont you

BoyNextDoor: Yes, yes. Assuming Aloy doesn't mind.

FlameHairSavior: I don't care.

BoyNextDoor: Well, as a baby, Aloy was found right outside the Cradle door, where the robot left her. Also, right under the claw of the Metal Devil. High Matriarch Lansra thought this was a sign that she was the daughter of the Metal Devil.

DIVINER: ...and??

BoyNextDoor: And what? That's obviously a bad thing.

BoyNextDoor: It's not like there's any prophecies about children of the Metal Devil or anything, High Matriarch Lansra just jumped to a terrible confusion.

DIVINER: Oh. That story is a lot shorter than I was expecting.

β: a good typo though

FlameHairSavior: Well, it led to me being outcast from birth and I had to win the Proving just to be allowed into my own tribe.

BoyNextDoor: Technically you only had to COMPLETE the Proving. You're the one who insisted on going to extra mile.

HIMBO: OF COURSE SHE DID.

DIVINER: Erend, do your people have any history about where they came from?

HIMBO: NOTHING LIKE A SPECIFIC DIRECTION. WE MOSTLY FOCUS ON HOW WE DELVED INTO OLD ONES RUINS AND LEARNED WHAT WE COULD FROM THEIR MACHINES.

HIMBO: NO ONE WAS LUCKY TO FIND A WORKING FOCUS, THOUGH.

FlameHairSavior: Or maybe every one that was found was immediately broken.

HIMBO: HA HA. IT'S NOT MY FAULT THESE THINGS ARE DAINTY.

DIVINER: How did you find an intact Focus, Aloy? The Quen cache was protected and clearly labeled, and you mentioned the Cradle. Did you find it there?

FlameHairSavior: No, I just found it in a random ruin when I was a child. It was still attached to a skeleton.

β: ew

β: and you just put it right on your head

FlameHairSavior: I was a curious child and it made everything light up when I touched it. So, yes.

FlameHairSavior: These things are pretty much immune to environmental damage. Unless they're hit by something, they last basically forever.

HIMBO: NOW I'M WONDERING WHY THE QUEN NEVER FOUND NORMAL FOCUSES. THEY HAD TO HAVE BEEN LOOKING.

DIVINER: I don't have any answers there, I'm afraid!! Maybe we were just unlucky? It's a very damp region, prone to flooding!

β: or theres a conspiracy keeping all the good things away from the lower ranks because they know it would endanger their dogma

DIVINER: I really, really wish that theory wasn't entirely plausible.

FlameHairSavior: Beta, please stop making people question their entire worldview.

MARSHAL Kotallo: Why not? It appears to be a family tradition.

BoyNextDoor: Ha!

HIMBO: HE'S GOT YOU THERE!

Zo: They are right.

FlameHairSavior: I hate you all.

Chapter 21 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

[littlekohai77]

MINORS DNI 🔞🔞

This game is very much.... Uh... Steamy. At least 16+ for sure.

Anyway there is this new otome game out and it's called ✨What In HELL Is Bad✨

And I've had it on pre order (is that what you call it?) But didn't have the time to really open it up and explore the insides.

So let's do this together. Hopefully I can find it in myself to make fanfic on this cause I've been on the block for months.

*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*ﾟ:*:✼✿　　✿✼:*ﾟ:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*

That is an extraordinarily distinct shape each of these countries have. That's quite fun. :D

So little information that I got after clicking on them,

𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒐𝒏: This is a region that Asmodeus rules. It's a place where lewd and inappropriate things are quite the norm and you can see people doing the forbidden tango in a Walmart parking lot apparently. Just very normal you see? This is also the place where lunatic devils gather apparently. So... Psych ward here is top notch I guess.

𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕: This place is hell but not really (not sure what that means) and is ruled over by Lucifer but he isn't the king. Not really. He's more of... A person who just controls things... Dictator?? The description had a lot of yes but nos. And devils who gather here are apparently very hurt... Wounded. Emotionally maybe? Maybe this place has great therapy centers.

𝑵𝒊𝒇𝒍𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒎: This place is very military oriented and very much like a power house which is a surprise considering this place is ruled over by Belphegor, who btw is the demon of sloth. People of this place don't go anywhere alone and always move in groups (hopefully that's different when going to the bathroom) and they have great military power and a lot of the population is very physically stronge and... Solid.

𝑨𝒃𝒚𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒔: The most chill and fun place apparently. Full of casinos and entertainment shit. Didn't find this place too interesting. Apparently the people here get piercings from Beelzebub (the ruler here) to prove that they are a citizen? Which is kinda random but seems like a fun tradition, I would like to know the history behind that. And Beelzebub is apparently never around. Feels like bro doesn't wanna pay child support.

𝑮𝒆𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒂: Ruled by Satan. People here have a bicker gang type of aesthetic and they're the most kindeat demons you could encounter in hell but they do have a horrible temper and anger issues. Also this place is famous for having great sceneries. Which is great :)

𝑻𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒔: This place is by far the most advanced in terms of science and technology. And is also the richest country. (Like the country literally looks like a slab of gold, what did you expect?) And this place is ruled over by, you guessed it, Mammon! This place has the highest level of freedom and the people here trust Mammon a lot.

𝑯𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒔: Now... This place honestly sounded lowkey like a cult. Cause killing yourself to prove loyalty is pretty.. Um hardcore. Also this place is the most scary and terrifying place in hell.

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

When I hit that side of my screen, the one that has my front camera, is makes this bouing bouing sound. I'm not bothered by it but I'm intrigued for why that is happening. Is there a chance there are gonna be other countries on the other ends?

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

Ok that's very nice of them. To include both genders but it would've been even more great if they included a non binary option. Just a little more inclusivity for people who are non binary to feel more comfortable when playing. But again, this much of an option is a great improvement too, cause it's rare to see something like this, at least for me as most have she/her and the mcs tend to be female by default. (Unlike in Obey me)

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

I promise I chose the most non inappropriate options. And I'm not upset with this result. I've always liked the design of his eyes. I'll confirm though that their description of me couldn't be further from the truth.

*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*ﾟ:*:✼✿　　✿✼:*ﾟ:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*

Thank you for reading this :)

I hope you enjoyed it!

[striderincosmos]

Mass Effect Shower Headcanon

As time and technology has advanced on, medical aids of various kinds have advanced along with them. Joker's service in the Alliance military, despite what would otherwise be a crippling genetic defect, is the most shining example of this. However, consider:

The humble hearing aid has likely become both unobtrusive enough to be an otherwise invisible part of a person, and advanced enough to allow someone to hear in a range of frequencies (with some adjustment for the brain to recognize what it's hearing).

Hearing things just out of the range of regular human hearing... like turian subvocals. I trust you can do the rest of the math.

[what-if-nct]

Felix: Do you think we'll ever be able to get back to the moon.

Jeongin: We never went to the moon. It's a hoax

Han: Or the moon landing is real but what they saw on the moon is lie. The moon is inhabited by aliens. It's hollow and is a secret military base for extraterrestrials. We're never going back cause nasa knows not to fuck with what's on the moon.

Jeongin: If it's hollow then explain the moon's effect on the earth, like tides, magic and werewolves?

Seungmin: That was almost a logical question.

Han: Alien technology has the ability to control the earth duh.

Seungmin: That response was nowhere near logical.

Han: There's no such thing as logical, or real. Birds aren't real. They listen to us. We're just pawns in the hands of the elite and the aliens want to save us.

Seungmin: The scary part is I know you genuinely believe all of this.

Han: Did you know most mountains are just prehistoric trees that were cut down in the 1700s with advanced alien technology.

Seungmin: Where do you get this information?

Han: Psychics. Only psychics can be trusted.

Jeongin: That was the smartest thing you said.

Seungmin: Was it really?!

Felix: Look I drew Loonette the Clown. I didn't have a black crayon so I made her hair purple.

[sorrow-already-spoiled]

A Light Touch

The planet of Maliv was a shining beacon of light and technology across the vast galaxies, a crowning achievement of human advancement. A billion lights glowed across its surface, rivaling a small sun. Home to the Empire’s monarchy, and its central seat of power in the universe, Maliv was a utopia, casting its shadow long and far. 

The beating heart of the planet was undoubtedly Stellaris Academy, home to only the top 0.01% of candidates. Cadets move with precision, each step and breath calculated and practice-perfect. Neat black cut uniforms adorn their forms, boots and gold buttons polished to a shine. Three colors of arm bands were visible amongst the students. The carmine of sentinels, the azure of nulls, and the vastly outnumbered ivory of guides. The academy produced generals, politicians, cutting edge engineers, diplomats, pilots… Any alumni of the Academy was most assuredly worth something. 

Students of the Academy were hand picked at age 18 to spend the next four years preparing for the rest of their lives. Half of those students would not graduate from the program, the intensive demands of the curriculum leaving them husks of their former selves, dropping out in shame. 

Vellin was a special case. 

“We’re pleased to have you join our ranks Cadet Lawrynce. Please let me know anything I can do to help you adjust.” Dean Astin smiled. “I will do my best to see you succeed here.” Vellin only nodded in response. Dean Astin seemed like a nice woman, but he was not keen to trust her. Trust didn’t seem to go well for him. The freshly upgraded cybernetics in his arm ached on cue.

The non-lethal blaster pistol on his hip felt like a ridiculous toy after the reality of his previous few years. He hadn’t expected the engineer who did the preliminary work on his arm to send a video of his rehabilitation training to the Academy, and certainly hadn’t expected them to come to collect. He wouldn’t care at all, if the Academy couldn’t offer him what he wanted. 

A guide. 

Vellin’s battalion had one. A handsome, but chronically twitchy thing with deep set circles under his eyes. He had been a tall, muscular thing, good structure for a guide. It hadn’t saved him. Auxiliary guides were ineffective things, they died easily. Vellin wanted something more than that. He was going to need more than that. He had things he needed to do, and he couldn’t afford to lose himself to a powerful zone. He needed a bonded guide - a good match. Only the academys could provide that. 

Vellin was at a disadvantage already. He was 23, the last year of eligibility for Stellaris Academy. He lacked the educational basis that the rest of the students had, though he had not been recruited for his intellect. His schedule was full of specialized courses, ready to prime him for a military position on the front lines. His evenings were to be filled with one-on-one meetings with guides. He was going to need them all. He had no pre-existing connection to a guide, so any match would have to be strong without any chance of conditioning. 

He could feel eyes on him as they passed through the halls, the dean herself escorting him to his first class. He could hear every whisper. 

Who’s that?

A new student at this time of year?

He’s a sentinel. 

He looks strong. 

Vellin only cared about the ivory armbands. He would get what he came for. He squared his shoulders and followed Dean Astin. 

—-----------------------------------------------------------

After the seventh guide broke down sobbing, or became catatonic after trying to guide him out of a shallow zone, Vellin was beginning to become a bit disillusioned with the whole process. 

“The bombs… why are there bombs? It’s so loud…”

“It’s a mindscape, how can it be that dangerous?”

“I can’t, I’m sorry, I can’t.”

Vellin was not the typical sentinel. For one, his mindscape reflected the things he’d seen, and it wasn’t pretty. Second, he had absolutely no faith in guides. 

Vellin threw himself into guilt, and hauled himself out the the zone. Dean Astin raised an eyebrow, and he avoided her gaze. He knew sentinels couldn’t typically end a zone on their own, but he dismissed her curiosity with an excuse of the zone being shallow enough it ended on it’s own. 

In reality, it was a skill learned under fire, and one he didn’t care to discuss. 

—-----------------------------------------------------------

Vellin sat with his back against one of the massive birch trees in the courtyard. His arm was aching, a throbbing pain lancing through artificial veins. At least it numbed him to the noise of the academy. It was easier to ignore the hundreds of footsteps and conversations filling the air. He closed his eyes, and allowed himself to actually focus on the pain. He could feel where the oil and blood were mixing at his elbow joint, kept apart by only a thin carbon fiber sheet. He could feel the electric currents running through each individual copper wire, and where the wire was fraying and diffusing the current into his muscles to cause a twitch in his arm. 

A gentle warmth pressed unexpectedly against his shoulder, and it was warm, it was gentle, it was warm, it was gentle, it was warm, and Vellin descended into his own mind, spiraling into a true zone for the first time in over a year.

—-----------------------------------------------------------

This room was too familiar. Sterile. Only the small window at the top of the room, too tall to see out of, gave him any indication of the passage of time. Light came and went, day and night, again and again. The glow of bomb-light was brighter at night, turning the darkness to a red glow, as the foundations shook. Vellin stayed in the corner, knees pulled to his chest, the warmth on his shoulder burningly gentle. That couldn’t be right, he couldn’t be warm and safe here. He couldn’t be in anything but agony here. He didn’t know where this feeling went, where could it go?

Quiet steps echo from the hallway, somehow audible through the gray steel door. It was not the steps of the warden, not the steps of his brother, he did not know these steps. Soft but sure. The door swung open without a key, inviting the unknown guest in. 

He’d never seen this woman before. She wore the academy’s uniform, with an ivory armband around her bicep. Half her hair was dyed in a bright kaleidoscope of colors to create a purple holographic effect, and caring caramel eyes looked at him from the doorway. Her features were delicate and etched with concern. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause a zone. Honestly, I was checking to see if you were still alive. Your breathing was so slow, I was worried you’d fully died in the courtyard.” 

Vellin blinks as a bomb goes off in the distance. The girl does not flinch, or take her eyes off him. 

“What are you doing here?” His voice is hoarse.

“I was planning on helping you out of your zone, if that's alright? My name is Staziya.” Vellin blinks again, nodding slowly. 

“You aren’t supposed to be here.”

“No, I’m not. Where am I supposed to be?”

“Somewhere safe. Away from the war. Away from the compound.” 

“Take me there then.” Staiya reaches out her hand, and he takes it. He follows her down the hallway. “Look back for a moment?” He does, and the warmth on his shoulder becomes bearable. He blinks again and she slips out of his mind, dragging him to the surface with her.

—-----------------------------------------------------------

Her hand was still on his shoulder when he opened his eyes. She was crouched down in front of him with that same look of concern he’d seen in his mind. 

“Seriously, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s fine.” Her hand left his shoulder, and she stood up, preventing the sun from shining right in his eyes, creating a halo effect around her. 

“I guess I know you aren’t dead or dying then. What’s your name?” 

“Vellin Lawrynce.” 

“Oh, you’re the new student right? The mysterious fourth year?” 

“Yeah. Who are you?” 

“Anastaziya Kingsley.”

“You’re a guide.” The corner of her lip curved up as she tried to prevent a smile from taking over.

“How did you know?!” Vellin stared at her. He couldn’t be mad, it had been an obvious answer. “I’m more than just a guide though, for the record. I was extraordinary before I ever came to the academy.” Somehow her tone sounded more like she was rattling off a statistic than bragging of her abilities. “Not that it matters much now.” She shrugged. “Anyways, seeing as you aren’t dead, I should get back to the lab. Have a good rest of your afternoon, Vellin.” Vellin blinked. 

“I will?” Staziya smiled, warm enough to take his breath from him, and turned on a polished heel to head towards the labs.

She was a guide. A guide who did not cry, or go catatonic, or flinch at his mindscape. He hadn’t even felt her moving about, and the door to his cell had opened for her. The defenses that pushed out other guides had not only allowed her in. They had escorted her. She had pulled him from a true zone without any side effects, or trace of exertion on her part. 

Vellin didn’t know much about auras, or about guides in general, but he knew what a touch that light could mean. They were a match. A perfect match. 

[cienie-isengardu]

I mean, for our sake we should hope the Special Forces didn't use a live subject for Triborg because otherwise that means they sacrificed some poor intern to a cyber killing machine.

It's either they used a corpse which is still dubious or they used a living person who probably didn't consent given I only a few people would be willing to undergo something like this.

I think the main question is did Special Forces truly want to recreate C.I. Project and use it as a new kind of weapon for their own benefit or were they simply interested in advanced cybernetic technology that could revolutionize medicine & treating injuries or military equipment, as there is already at least one cybernetically-enhanced soldier in service of army and Jax got his cybernetical arms before Outworld Invasion and Netherrealm War happened. Which was something akin to 20 years before Mortal Kombat X's main story. I think it is very likely for Special Forces to develop this technology all this time, so finding such advanced data naturally prompted them to investigate[*]. 

Considering how the wars against the Outworld army and demons devastated cities and have left its mark on people's psyche, I can understand if Special Forces tried to find a way to create cybernetic bodies for their injured soldiers, so they could come back into military service. As Earthrealm was constantly threatened by Netherrealm and Outworld civil war(s), they were in need to keep a strong army in case the other realms attacked again. 

The Special Forces didn’t necessarily need to test the Lin Kuei technology on some poor alive subjects against their will. Such a possibility always exists of course, but so do people who willingly volunteer to test new technologies (for example, in hope to be healed from heavy injury) or decide to donate their bodies after death for scientific purposes. As we don’t have an idea what was the true purpose of Special Forces research - turning people in soulless machines or using data to create cybernetically-enhanced equipment for soldiers to give them better chance in fight with supernatural enemies, we can’t be sure if anyone was forced to undergo automation process the way Lin Kuei warriors were twenty years ago. 

For one, people like Sonya, Jax or Johnny wouldn’t allow for such a thing to happen as they first-hand experienced the terror of Cyber Lin Kuei during war and knew Kuai Liang who was forced into cybernetic enslavement. However since this is a matter of the Special Forces secret weapon laboratory (what still doesn’t mean S-F wanted to turn their soldiers into machines), our main heroes may have no clue what is happening until the Triborg broke free and became a threat to every living being.

I for one would love a storyline focusing on this plot, where there are no gods or supernatural beings threatening Earthrealm from outside and whose present demands from all heroes to unite against a common, oh-so-powerful enemy. Instead we could have a chance to see how each independent faction deals with the problem at hand, who ally with whom and how they mend the broken trust between Lin Kuei and Special Forces when some corrupted high-ranking member(s) of the government tries to create and use such technology to gain control over Outworld or any other realm rich in natural resources. Because I won’t believe that after two decades of constant threat no one in a high position of power didn’t consider invading Outworld and turning it into Earthrealm's colony to end the threat once and for good. General Blade is still a soldier and there are people who give the orders and wouldn’t it be interesting to see how the New Generation need to find a balance between orders and doing the right thing? Especially since we already have an intro dialogue about how the Special Forces wants Cyber Cyrax’s body to destroy all remains of C.I. Project, something Kuai Liang won’t allow to happen to his friend. 

[*] Alternatively, they were interested in data about Lin Kuei, as the games say Sub-Zero trained Special Forces and improved their skills but may not betray all his clan secrets, so they wanted to study Lin Kuei techniques without Grandmaster’s knowledge. Which sucks nonetheless.

[walkswithmyfather]

“You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.” (Psalm 18:28–29, NIV)

“God, Our Source” By Amy Boucher Pye:

“As David recounts the works of God, he acknowledges that everything comes from the Lord – oil for his lamp, military help, strength to climb a wall. His song rises out of the many years of trusting God and seeing him deliver, whether it was when David defeated Goliath with God’s help, five stones and a sling, or when the Lord gave him a hiding place from Saul.

These testing times provided David with a choice; he could trust God to take him through the difficulties or blame him because things weren’t going to plan. David wasn’t perfect, but he learned from his mistakes and sought after God. And after a lifetime of seeing God make good on his promises, he wants to attribute all the glory and honor to him.

Our Western world is so different from that of David’s. We have the conveniences of modern life such as travel, communication, and technology. With all of these things making our lives easier (but more complicated), we can be tempted to think that we control our lives. But if our hearts are tender towards God, we see that he is the source of all we have and do. Sometimes, however, we only turn to God as a last resort because of disaster, calamity, or sickness.

How can we follow David’s lead in attributing all the glory to the Lord? Perhaps it is in offering to God that misunderstanding with a friend. To seek his wisdom when our children go off the rails. To ask him to help us see that annoying person as he sees them. To say thank you when we complete a project, have a joyous time with a loved one, or make it to our destination safely.

God’s help is as present today as it was for David. As we trust in him moment by moment, we too will be able to say that he has provided for our needs and turned our darkness into light.

Prayer: “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours” (1 Chronicles 29:11).”

[mostlynotwork]

It’s a city eat city world out there. But what happens when something threatens to  upset the balance of the world order?

‘Mortal Engines’ is set in a dystopian future where giant ‘traction cities’ roam the wastelands attacking and consuming smaller cities and towns. Aboard the great predator city ‘London’, apprentice historian Tom is about to have his world turned upside down. After Tom foils an assassination attempt on the life of the chief historian, he finds himself separated from his home and unsure who he can trust. Things only get worse as he uncovers a plot involving ancient technology and the devastation of the ‘Sixty Minutes War’.  

This book seems to be aimed at younger teens. As such, it simplifies the themes it touches on such as class, social Darwinism, and the risk of technology falling into the wrong hands. If you’ve studied any of these topics at a level beyond junior high, be warned. You may find yourself going “but what about…” at some point, due to the way some of these things are dealt with.

Reeve’s worldbuilding is centered around creating an environment for adventure. At times, that requires some hefty suspension of disbelief. (Which I go into a bit more in the spoilers section). However the underlying story is enjoyable and well paced. If you let yourself ride with the characters, you can look past some of the inconsistencies of the world. 

As a book aimed at a teen audience, this may not be for everyone. But if you’re willing to just kick back and enjoy adventures in a different dystopian world, then ‘Mortal Engines’ is an easy read.

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Some aspects of the world building that didn't seem to make a lot of sense...

‘Mortal Engines’ has a fun, but impossible premise. Giant ‘traction cities’ are an awesome visual concept. Before I read this book, I assumed they were powered by some fantastical, futuristic energy source. But in the book it seems at least some of the engines are fuelled by burning stuff - mainly smaller cities. So straight up you need to accept that while giant steam powered cities are cool, they require a massive suspension of disbelief.

The tactics of city combat, especially in the early part of the novel, also require a certain suspension of disbelief. Chasing down and eating smaller cities is cool. But cities are huge and presumably hard to manoeuvre. They are essentially a giant mobile base, making them perhaps analogous to a battleship or aircraft carrier. Had the combat been modelled more closely around naval warfare, I think it would have made the world more believable. It would also have made some of the events later in the book (blowing up the enemy airships, anti-balloon rockets) make more sense.  

Finally - the engineers and scientists have managed to somehow reverse engineer some super advanced cyborg tech and a death ray - but all manner of simpler military technologies that would help them (fixed wing aircraft? artillery? radar? ) seem to have been missed. 

None of these really stopped me enjoying the novel, but I think it would have been better had the tech been a bit more thought through.

[viatagrinner]

Silvio Ricci. Chapter 20

The gazebo.

Rio confesses his feelings for MC, but accepts that she does not love him.

Rio: As you can see, right now he sees you as a "thing," so I wouldn't trust him with you.

Rio: But if only he really cared about you...

Rio: ... If only there was a moment when I could really think, "Oh, I've lost."

But if the heroine is happy, so is he.

The girl thinks about what she would do in his place. And these thoughts bring tears to her eyes.

The feeling of guilt does not disappear. But she is relieved.

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The Benitoite Embassy.

The prince sits, idly watching his father.

Silvio's incompetence is troubling the king. The next ruler of Rhodolite has not yet been chosen...

Silvio pretends not to know what he is talking about. But after all, one of Gilbert's tasks is not to allow Silvio to shirk his duties.

The King of Benitoite: Yes. This young man will report every act of treachery on your part.

Silvio: I'm not hiding anything.

_________________________________________

Silvio: I've talked to Gilbert several times, and this thing just hangs out in front of you like a tidbit.

Silvio: You go for the bait, and there's a hungry beast waiting for you. You're not going to go and be eaten by a hungry beast, are you?

The King of Benitoite: You don't understand anything. Even if the beast doesn't take the bait now, eventually it will make its move.

The King of Benitoite: You know as well as I do that Obsidian's military might is far greater than we can imagine.

The King of Benitoite: This monster has single-handedly advanced military technology by more than a century!

The King of Benitoite: You know what the scariest thing about this country is?

Silvio: Where "anyone can become a soldier"?

Silvio: It doesn't matter if the more powerful the weapon, the less skilled the user.

In general, Obsidian has more population, and therefore more troops. Technology is advanced, but Benitoite has a better economy.

If the king unites with the empire, the Rhodolite kingdom will disappear.

The King of B.: You know this, and yet you refuse to do your duties?

Silvio: Ha, you're weakening, geezer.

Silvio: You're trying to gain Obsidian favor and sell the country on the best possible terms, aren't you?

Silvio: If you're a defeated country, you have no choice but to do what they want.

An alliance with the empire threatens to break with Jade and Rhodolite.

And other countries will turn into enemies.

The King tells Silvio that there is no cause for concern, for the "young Obsidian" can unite the entire continent.

The King of B. tells him that more and more countries are surrendering to the power of Obsidian, we need to work together, then Benitoite will endure. It is better to let "everything be painted black".

Silvio shocked by his father's words....

Silvio: I think Valerio would disagree with you, old man.

The King of B.: Politics has nothing to do with personal feelings.

The King of Benitoite: But as a gesture of goodwill, I will at least protect the young lady in my own country.

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The king notices that something is wrong with his eldest son.

He sneers.

The King of Benitoite: The seed of the broken union was sown by myself. Soon it will sprout.

The King of Benitoite: You must cherish it to the end. The next time you make a mistake, you will know it.

Silvio:....

The King's plans:

Rio and MC go with him to Benitoite. And if the eldest son refuses to obey the king's "absolute" order, he will be forbidden to return home.

The King of Benitoite: ...If you are the son of this obnoxious woman, at least be useful.

The king is gone, Carlo, Silvio's squire, supports him.

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Carlo is angry at the king because Silvio has done so much for his country. The poor guy is even shaking with anger.

Silvio understood that sooner or later it would be like this, they "don't have time" to "kick thе geezer's ass".

Silvio:...... She's going to hate me, isn't she?

Carlo can't calm down:

1. The king is so good to his beloved son, but Silvio has to do the dirty work.

2. No one really cares about Rio more than Silvio.

Silvio threw a pillow at him and Carlo fell, making a sound.

Silvio: One more word and research costs will be cut.

Silvio: Playtime is over.

They walked out of the embassy.

Chapter 19

Silvio's Masterlist

[the-celestial-bitch]

Hey! I saw your tags in my post. Just curious about why you can't trust the Chinese government? What did they do to you?

Hello! ill try to give a comprehensive answer, but i apologize in advance if it feels like rambling and my sources are weird, bc im mostly used to following politics in my own language.

that being said, I'd like to first clarify that my apprehension and distrust in chinese government is different from the anti-chinese propaganda currently happening in america. from what ive seen, the fear of chinese government meddling in us politics and economy is fearmongering for the sake of increasing the military budget. china wouldnt start a war like this. china would, instead, join a war in middle east.

first id like to point out that im iranian, and so ill be talking about chinese government in relation to iran. i know some stuff about other countries, but ill leave the matter to people who know it better than me.

china has been known to sell arms to iranian military and aid them in using new technologies in war. this might seem like a positive matter to a leftist westerner at first glance, bc they are doing it under the guise of helping middle easterners defend themselves against us military's invasive actions, but in reality its not a good thing for several reasons—most obvious of them all: giving the military even more power will only lead to more tension in the region. currently most of the fights in middle east are bc of the sunni/shia dispute. on one hand, you have saudi arabia, advocating sunni, and on the other hand, iran is the one advocating shia. shia is significantly less popular than sunni, but iran has its way of appealing to marginalized shia groups in sunni-majority countries. bc of the iran-saudi proxy conflicts, and the power-hungry governments, saudi arabia and iran have been at war, but not in their own countries—in other countries such as syria, iraq, lebanon, etc. for more information on this, you can check out this source. china has sold arms to both saudi arabia, and iran, for many years. they have, indirectly, added fuel to the flame of wars happening here. (sources: 1, 2). china has also been helping iran in developing nuclear weapons (source), despite it being a bad idea (for obvious reasons, i dont think i need to explain why giving nuclear weapons to governments are bad. but if ur wondering just look at us government and the bombing of hiroshima and nagasaki).

i think i should point out a certain hypocrisy, and that is the issue of the genocide of the Uyghurs. if you dont know what exactly is happening, its basically like holocaust, with concentration camps, taking the children away from the families, and persecuting people for their religion and their race. for more on the matter, check this and this, but be warned, its pretty brutal. youd think that, considering that the current tension in the middle east is bc each branch of islam deems itself the true salvation of all muslims, their collective silence on this is deafening. yet its not really silence, is it? they have publicly defended chinese governments horrendous inhumane actions, as u can see it reported here. the real reason behind it is bc the chinese government has been supporting and aiding many of the governments who have yet to speak against the genocide happening right now. again, iranian government claims itself to be the true leader of the muslims, so why are they covering their eyes when they see uyghurs who have no one stand up for them?

thats bc the chinese government also does the same for these countries! for example, i dont know if you know about the protests happening in iran since last september. an innocent girl was murdered by the morality police, and since then hundreds have been murdered, thousands have been captured without even knowing where they are being kept, tortured, raped, abused. aside from that, the internet connection has been limited, often cutting off entirely when a huge protest has been happening. chinese government has not only aided iran in suppressing the protesters by granting them weapons and the technology of controlling the internet (for real, google is on safe-lock unless we use vpns. we cant use twitter, tiktok, instagram, whatsapp, twitch, and we dont have access to many websites such as bbc news, iran international, etc. they have also been controlling the vpns, killing them one after another. you'd be lucky if a vpn works for more than a month for you, and i cant stress this enough: u cant do anything without the vpns. its just the hell we're living in), they have also publicly defended irans rights to oppress the people, saying that the UN shouldnt interfere with a countrys affairs. (source) dont get me wrong, i dont believe that any of the western countries are trying to help us for the good of their hearts or whatever—they just want to omit a rival from the board, thats all. but siding with the oppressors leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, especially since i know they have also been brutally oppressing their own protesters, as we saw in the hong kong protests a few years ago.

aside from that our country has basically signed a contract with china that literally sells our everything to china to get arms and stuff (heres the whole contract shared in a propaganda website run by the iranian government and heres the wikipedia page for it breaking it down).

tldr: the chinese government has been actively aiding iran in the recent murdering of the protestors, and also the fact that they have been an indirect benefiting factor in the various middle eastern wars makes me suspicious of the sudden peacemaker mask theyre putting on.

[thedawningofthehour]

I think that's the worst part, even in his final moments Draxum won't realize he made a mistake, and all he ultimately did was change one bad situation to another bad situation only worse, all because Draxum doesn't understand people as much as he understands science and fails to realize that in essence, the Yōkai are still human. Not to mention that he will left Galois to deal with a situation he's not prepared for.

Galois will undoubtedly have it worse, as he will not be able to understand why on earth they are fighting each other, aren't they all the same now? This is not what his father said would happen.

I just have another question, where will Bella and Pax be in all this? Let me guess, Bella will die trying to stop Draxum.

Now I'm curious how it would be if Draxum had won in the timeline in which he managed to keep all four turtles from the beginning?

That is a really good analysis, A+. Draxum is fun to write because he's not so full of himself that he thinks he's infallible-he's just very stupid in certain situations. He might be willing to admit he was wrong, (eventually) but he wouldn't until he understood how he was wrong. And he'd have a very hard time understanding this.

It also sucks for Galois because he is absolutely not 'leader' material and Draxum is not training him for any sort of political office. He's grooming him to take over his science man position, not his military general and world leader one. But people would look to him for leadership once Draxum was gone, and without people like his brothers and April and everyone he wouldn't have the resources to break himself out of the mindset Draxum built him into. I can just imagine him wanting to work on some advanced space travel thing while everyone is asking him to address some racial conflict or run for World President or something, and he's like "leave me ALONE, I literally gave you the technology to make a utopia, do you want me to press the buttons for you?! What the fuck are the rest of you here for?!!" Ironically, Cass would make a decent political leader herself, but she wouldn't be viewed as Draxum's 'true' heir since she's not his legal daughter.

I actually had Bella die at first, lol. Way back when she was supposed to be a super minor character and only be physically present in about two scenes, she was supposed to die off-screen and it would fuel some later character development (or devolvement) of Draxum's. I feel like she's too popular now to kill her off in that manner though. If I did have her die I'd give her a very heroic death, probably while protecting Leo. (I'm not gonna have her die, don't worry. I might fuck her up though, and I'm wondering if Leo should lose his arm at some point)

If Draxum did get to his endgoal, yeah I expect Bella would end up dying trying to prevent it. She's incredibly intelligent but she's also hot-headed enough to throw herself at things with no regard for herself. Draxum would probably try to do the same thing as with the turtles and just move her to the other side of the world so she'll live out her life in peace, but I could see her just killing herself to make a point to her uncle.

Pax would probably end up getting killed as well, though by the resistance. His kindness and aversion to conflict makes him easy to manipulate, and he'd be an easy target. Ironically, he'd make a great political leader himself if it wasn't for his trauma-induced mutism and difficulty trusting people.

I mean, he would have lost so fucking hard if he had gone with his original plan. If anything, it might have ended up here anyway, with just Draxum and Donnie after the other boys are killed, because one squadron is not going to kill billions of people. But also I feel like Splinter would have killed Draxum himself and taken Donnie away after Draxum got his other kids killed. It would be really nice to imagine a 'everything is fine' AU where Draxum abandons his plans and marries Lou and they raise their children together, (with cool cousin Pax and vodka aunt Bella) but I truly don't think anything could have convinced Draxum that humans weren't the problem before he was forced to live with them.