#i think an article about her is the only gaming article i've read the comments on

[madegeeky]

Epic Free Game (til 26 Dec 2023, 10am ct)

Lost in transit while on a colonist ship bound for the edge of the galaxy, you awake decades later only to find yourself in the midst of a deep conspiracy threatening to destroy the colony. Explore the various planets and locations of Halcyon, including the mysterious Gorgon Asteroid and delightful distilleries of Eridanos. As you encounter various factions, all vying for power, the character you decide to become will determine how this player-driven story unfolds. (Includes all dlc.)

(Geeky note: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. This game isn't for everyone but considering that this is free, you should definitely grab it if you're interested. It's made by the people who did Fallout New Vegas (which was not Bethesda) and it's got a quirky sense of humor. While overall I think it's a great game, I think it's real strength is in the character-work for the npcs.)

[fromtenthousandfeet]

HYBE Financials and Media Play Part 3

The more I think about it, the more I've come to the conclusion that everything I read about HYBE in the media is a lie. The company may not be particularly good at turning a profit, but they are masters at spinning a tale.

Here's an oldie but a goodie. Jungkook is given credit for HYBE's 4th quarter 2023 operational profit of $71.4 million USD. Operational profit is revenue - operational expenses, but not including interest or taxes. Notice how they highlight operational profit rather than net profit. Once interest and taxes were deducted, the net profit for 4Q23 was -$39.8 million dollars. That's just so insane.

Here's a recent shameless media play article crediting the firing of Min Hee Jin for the bump in HYBE's stock price this past week - on Billboard of all places. Ugh. Lazy journalism abounds. I was glad to see so many people pointing out in the comments that the stock price rose due to the stock buy back and not MHJ being fired, but too many BTS fans are still clueless. When will Army stop being company lackeys? Aargh! Grow up already!

In the next few weeks to months, I think it's going to become quite clear that HYBE does not have the money to pay out MHJ's put options in November, which is the real reason why they are desperate to get rid of her. I also think the company is up to its eyeballs in debt, and it's playing the game of taking on new debt, likely at higher interest rates, in order to pay off existing, maturing debt, quite a bit of which comes due in September. It's a ponzi scheme of borrowing. The finance team at HYBE probably isn't sleeping well these days.

At the end of the day, I feel really bad for the members of BTS, and frankly all the artists under HYBE, as well as the support staff who have worked so hard to put out quality music and performances over the years, only to watch Bang Si Hyuk spend all that money on worthless ventures, mansions, and cam girls.

[1moreff-creator]

So it's no question that Despair Time can be really dark when it wants to be. Of course, this could be said for any mainline game or fangan, but I think Despair Time is a special case, especially seeing how everyone has a troubled past of some sort and how nearly all of them have had breakdowns and/or outbursts of rage. I've had a stressful end of semester while balancing watching videos and playing games to stay positive and cheerful...which is what led to this idea popping into my mind. What would it take to make each of them laugh? What's their sense of humor like? By "laugh," I mean a genuine, heartfelt, happy laugh. Not crazy/evil/maniacal laughter. Given all the doom and gloom that goes around throughout this wonderfully chaotic story, I thought this would be a nice one to ponder on.

This is a really nice question! Sorry to hear about your end of semester, hope things get better! Anyways, let's try to make this very depressing series a little bit lighter, and make these guys laugh! Though, fair warning, I struggled with a lot of these for one reason or another, hope none of this feels too out of character. I tried :p

Teruko: She enjoys teasing her friends, and always gets a chuckle from it. Think of the "cactus lover" comment to Charles from the prologue, or talking about imagining Min sneakily reading Wikipedia articles in CH1. Nothing mean spirited, just fun jabbing between friends. As long as it isn't anything serious, other people's misfortune makes her feel less alone in her struggles, so she enjoys laughing with her friends at said misfortune.

Xander: Surprisingly dark sense of humor, like when he shows off his eye injury to Teruko and Eden. It makes him feel better to laugh about certain tragedies. On the other hand, he also enjoys very wholesome fun with friends, because other people's smiles easily bring a smile out of him. Basically, he enjoys humor on either extreme of the wholesomeness spectrum.

Charles: Like Teruko, he enjoys teasing others (see: his interactions with Whit), even though he gets easily embarrassed if he is teased himself; and sarcasm. Secretly loves advanced chemistry puns, but he'd rather die than letting Whit find out.

Ace: For Ace to genuinely laugh, he needs to feel safe and calm, which doesn't happen often. That means he only really laughs around very specific people that can give him that sense of security, like Taylor or Levi before Trial 1. But when he is around this people, he can get quite giggly, and even pretty dumb jokes can get a chuckle out of him.

Arei: Beyond laughing at people making fools of themselves (in a bit of a mean spirited way), she's sorta like Ace in that she needs to feel very comfortable with someone to show enough genuine emotion to laugh like you described. So, laughs around Eden post CH2 apology, for example. Once that happens, her sense of humor consists of silly and wholesome fun, like throwing toilet paper at Whit.

Rose: Likes deadpan, "straight man" type of humor, so she gets a lot of chuckles out of pairs like Whit and Charles. However, she's usually too eepy to really laugh out loud. That said, she really loves anything that brings up happy memories of her friends' laughter, so inside jokes are her jam.

Hu: The most wholesome sense of humor imaginable. She enjoys it when she can giggle at a comment just because of how nice it is, and likes making those sort of comments herself.

Eden: Surprisingly silly and absurdist sense of humor; always tries to make others laugh with her capital S Silliness because she laughs when other people laugh.

Levi: Very odd and oftentimes awkward sense of humor on his own, but it's easy to get him to chuckle in big groups where he can feel included by laughing along. If someone matches his tempo, though, they can have very wholesome laughs together.

Arturo: He finds any joke told by "beautiful people" funny, but in general terms, sarcasm is his usual go to for humor. He's also a big fan of slapstick, but he'd never admit it.

Min: The biggest nerd ever in terms of humor. She laughs easily when she feels smart for understanding a joke, though she can also be reduced to mad giggling by really absurd and ironic humor.

David: Xander What who said that. Jokes aside, it's hard to make David laugh if you're not close to him, but he'll laugh at practically anything people he likes do. Xander is actually a good example; after becoming friends, any joke Xander makes lands easily with David.

Veronika: High energy humor, where there's a funny every other sentence. Also loves dark humor common to the horror genre, and highly appreciates horror references in general.

J: Loves sarcasm and irony, as well as referential humor. In my heart, she's a massive nerd when it comes to theater plays, so any clever joke that plays off of those is funnier to her than she'd like to admit.

Whit: Well, you probably know his style. Lots of bad jokes and puns, teasing people, getting others to laugh because it makes him laugh when others are enjoying themselves, etc.

Nico: Although their laughs are quiet, they like blunt and deadpan humor. Especially appreciates any humor related to animals, and will laugh readily when faced with a funny animal video.

MonoTV: Human suffering and really bad puns :D

Mai: Pretty much anything that makes her friends happy will make her happy as well, though she prefers her humor more wholesome than dark.

I hope that was good enough! And sorry this took a bit to answer, I swear I'm getting less busy :p Anyways, thanks for the ask, this was fun to think about!

[valle-de-sombra-de-muerte]

Homestuck Reread: Act 1

I'm gonna strap in and do a Homestuck reread. I first read the comic when I was 17, and now I'm gonna be 31 in a month. During that time, my opinions on it have varied heavily, so let's see if I can properly collate my thoughts about this comic that has dominated a good chunk of my life.

I actually did give it a reread back in 2021, but I never wrote down any notes about it. Time to correct that mistake.

Right away we're introduced to John Egbert, a character that I've also held differing opinions about during my time in the fandom. I've gone from thinking he's boring, to one of the strongest characters in the story, and back to boring again several times. I hope I can get a more coherent grasp on our ostensible protagonist.

Well, I think it's noteworthy that his introduction page doesn't mention pranks or comedy as one of his interests. Being a goofy prankster is one of his defining character traits, yet the closest thing to that is this mention that he aspires to be a magician.

John's "magic chest" is full of novelty items, so it's easy to see why this dream of being a magician was supplanted with a love of pranks so early on. Hussie conflates close-up magic with practical jokes, and while superficially similar, they're definitely not the same thing.

I think John's "passion for really terrible movies" is the one consistent trait he carries throughout the comic. (And yeah, Mac and Me, Con Air, and Deep Impact all suck shit. John really does have atrocious taste). I don't believe we see any further references to programming, paranormal stuff, magic, or games after this act. Both this and the love of pranks are what solidify John's enduring characteristic of being a light-hearted cornball.

The beauty of user-suggested commands leads to this funny juxtaposition. This also establishes early on that John is easily suggestible; even an absurd command like this is able to tempt him just a tiny bit. This trait (for better or for worse) is one I'd argue is also a key part of John's character, as we'll see later on.

A joke like this was only really possible during these initial months of Obama's presidency. It's funny how it retroactively dates this comic.

John (and I suppose the rest of the kids as well) only has three friends added on his chat client. That's depressing. I wasn't a very sociable kid myself at his age, but I definitely had more than three friends on MSN back in the day. All of whom I met online.

Dave is introduced in the very first pesterlog and already we can see that John is a very annoying person to talk to. Even though he opens the conversation by bringing up Little Monsters, he feels the need to name drop the movie a second time just in case Dave didn't get the reference the first time (which he obviously did, given his response). He's very eager to talk about his special interests, I guess.

This is the first time Rose (TT) is mentioned. Very interesting that the first thing we learn about her is that she apparently has been "mackin on" Dave and asking him to play Sburb with her. Even though Dave is likely embellishing for comedic effect, it tells us that they have a very close relationship, given that he's the first person she asks to play the game with. Also DaveRose Nation has been eating since Page 35 lol.

In the same pesterlog, we get this line where Dave mentions how impractical the strife specibus is, since people obviously aren't regularly engaging in combat. These video game mechanics that seemingly everyone abides by have no practical function in their everyday lives. Clearly world building was not Hussie's first priority when writing this comic.

Correct, John. It really doesn't matter what the characters select as their strife specibus, since combat becomes increasingly irrelevant going forward. Ironically prescient comment.

The GameBro article is hilarious. I love you Dennis, you huge useless tool. Did you know that Dennis from GameBro has his own tag on AO3? I encourage everyone to go read the handful of stories on there because they're all super good.

John has the audacity to call his dad a cornball for liking harlequins, all while he's standing there wearing Groucho Marx glasses and a wizard hat. It's telling of his lack of self-awareness and disdain for other forms of humor that don't align with his own (i.e. lowbrow) tastes.

Here Hussie take a Shakespeare quote and misattributes it to Mark Twain. It's kind of a whatever joke, not really that funny. But then he does it again.

And then again!

Is this gag really that funny that it warrants being done three times in the same act? I think it's fucking lame.

Rose's first pesterlog. From the context here, it seems she and Dave had an off-screen conversation where he told her about John's gift. Her incessant flirting with Dave is also so well known in their friend group that John feels the need to bring it up right away. Jeez DaveRosers can't stop winning.

Note that Rose says "John" here while in the earlier log, Dave refers to Rose as "TT". John also calls her "TT" in a later log. As we later find out, all the kids already know each other's names. The only reason they refer to each other by their screen names is because their intro pages had yet to be released and the audience doesn't know their names yet. I get it, but it does read a little silly in-universe.

Awesome advert. God bless you, GameBro Magazine. BROBLERONE

This page is funny if only because I doubt the majority of Homestuck readers realize that the last paragraph is basically describing a lazy black man. How many of them will read "tawny gent" and "listless octoroon" and think they're just nonsense words?

"Caret Cake" hah okay that's a good one.

Wouldn't it have been crazy if John's missing chunk of hair remained that way until he got a command to fix it or something? But I guess that would've been too much effort for Hussie.

After a bunch of sylladex shenanigans (which I haven't mentioned because I don't find them very amusing. They make up a huge chunk of this act too, which is annoying.) John has finally installed the Sburb Beta. We're not told anything about this game except what is told in the spotty GameBro review, which describes it as some kind of game similar to The Sims where you "play house." And yes, it does resemble The Sims build mode, but this video game affects real life! Rose sets about manipulating objects in John's room and even alters the dimensions of his own house.

John's reaction is... well...

He's not at all fazed that Rose is manipulating reality before his eyes? Are all video games in Homestuck's world like this? I mean, if every character has an inventory system with built-in combat mechanics, it might make sense? This is never properly conveyed though, and it comes across as rather off-putting.

I think this is where the flaws in John's character become really apparent. He's very... underwhelming. He's almost always in this weird neutral state and rarely expresses any strong emotions. When he's frustrated, it's more of a mild annoyance or a temporary freakout before springing back to this basic... I don't even want to call it a "positive outlook" it really does feel like he's in this perpetually neutral state of mind until an external stimulus forces him to act. No thoughts are going on in this boy's head.

Hell, even when he's excited about something, it's only sort of temporary before he moves on to the next thing. He comes across as very emotionally stunted and it's hard to connect with him.

Is there a reason Rose is fucking around with the bathtub? It's not in response to a command, she just does it. She doesn't explain what she was trying to do with it, and only apologizes for dropping it in the middle of the hall since she was intending to move it to the driveway before her connection was interrupted. (The driveway bit was actually a command, but initially clicking on the tub wasn't.)

This insanely out of pocket quote has to be a top 10 Rose moment for sure. John's uncomfortable reaction seals this exchange.

Here's where John calls Rose "TT" as I mentioned earlier. Also, no Dave, you did not tell him to steer clear of the game. In fact, you were the one who suggested he play it with Rose. So why are you acting all weird and telling him to avoid her altogether? My guy, are you jealous or something?

Planet Fucking Jupiter is a top 10 Dave moment for sure.

We get to properly meet Rose. The fact that she hides stuff from the reader and doesn't fully obey some commands tells us that she's definitely not as suggestible as John. It's also funny how she refuses to use her arms at all in response to "Retrieve arms," instead using her legs to hide the box.

Man what's up with this Sims-ass architecture? An outdoor walkway with no railing? And with the weather outside, it's a wonder she didn't slip and fall to her death.

The first "End of Act Flash" is okay. John is faced with the final seconds of the countdown while a suspenseful track by Mark Hadley plays in the background. It's okay, I don't have anything else to say about it.

Overall Act 1 is kinda dull. I know there are people who swear by it, who claim that this is "peak Homestuck," but it's not for me. There are funny moments to be sure, but I can only put up with sylladex shenanigans for so long before things go stale. The biggest issue is that John is not at all an engaging protagonist. He has no agency and feels more like a prop for both Rose and the reader to boss around.

I think this Act suffers from Hussie trying to re-implement the same kind of adventure game format and jokes he used in Problem Sleuth, but it doesn't really work in Homestuck. The characters in Homestuck have actual dialogue and are supposed to be more fleshed out, unlike the comparatively flat characters that comprise the roster of PS.

Don't get me wrong, I adore PS and I don't think the lack of character depth is a detriment. Rather, it helps to put more emphasis on the overarching plot and wacky puzzle solving. It's established that Problem Sleuth is "hard-boiled detective", Ace Dick is "dumb muscle", and Pickle Inspector is "meek and fragile" and the reader doesn't expect them to act outside of their tropes. They truly feel like video game characters that the reader is supposed to control, using their different strengths to progress through the story.

John's problem is that he is ostensibly supposed to read like a 13 year old boy with hobbies and aspirations, but his suggestible nature makes him read more like a robot that blindly follows orders. Homestuck Act 1 wants to have both the wacky adventure game story and more fleshed out characters, but the end result isn't nearly as impressive. Either commit to making another PS-style story where the characters are vessels for the reader's control, or a plot where the characters have actual agency. Taking half-measures like this only creates bad results.

Hoo man this reread is getting off on the wrong foot. Hopefully the next Act is able to salvage things!

Read the next post here.

[snugglesquiggle]

tag reference:

#mini squiggles (for shitposts) #my thoughts (for serious posts), #my writing (for prose),

#maintenance & disassembly (reblogging robot erotica), #robot stuff (reblogging robot art), #my recs (reblogging things people should check out)

the main thing i've been working on lately is Hostile Takeover, a longform murder drones fanfic about a lesbian killer robot torn between her directives and her own needs.

my most extensive work, though, is the many writing about Black Nerve, a dark fantasy setting with giant insects wield magic that dissolves life and matter, mutant bat-blood and of course esoteric fungi. there's a couple of novels and LOT of lore posts

i have a website which is probably the best place to see all of my stuff:

but to get a taste of what you can find on that site, keep reading

most people are probably following me for my murder drones stuff.

as mentioned, i write the critically acclaimed J/Uzi fic, Hostile Takeover:

it's a beyond-novel-length enemies to lovers slowburn, and distinguishes itself by pulling it all off without heavy alteration to canon characterization.

most people are probably put off by the tagged ship, but i've received numerous comments to the effect of "i never liked this ship" or "i didn't think it could be done" followed by "but you somehow pulled it off".

give it a shot!

besides that, i've read a lot of murder drones fanfic, and maintain a page on my website dedicated to indexing and reviewing fics that i'd recommend

several of the people following me are writers, who may be interested in know that i've written several essays on the craft of writing. people tend to find them pretty insightful!

i've written many stories other than Hostile Takeover. you can find them on my site; there's too many to list, but in general, i write nonhuman character near-exclusively. (my friends were only so surprised when i became obsessed with murder drones)

still, HT is my most successful work for a reason, and i'm not certain fans of that will enjoy my earlier writing; i have reservations about recommending most of them. A Chimerical Hope is still cool, i think, though its issues are undeniable

the majority of my site is dedicated its overarching setting: Black Nerve, a dark fantasy world of giant sapient insect ninjas and corrupting fungus and gruesome mutagenic blood magic. there's so much going on there that i just cant get into all of it here. not even sure where you should begin reading

lore posts like "In Dialogue With Plagues", or "Lardsuckers and (What Were) Grubsuckers" give you a taste of just how freaky the setting is, and i think "The Duality of Mantis" is a great look at the weird psychology of the dominant species. but there's so many articles i can't list them all

writing is probably what i've done the most of, but i have other skills :3

i've released four albums of electronic music on bandcamp:

and there's more!

i'm sometimes an artist, and there's gallery on my site with over three hundred pieces i've drawn over the years. i mostly draw these weird alien dudes i invented, plus a lot of praying mantises and dragons and pokemon. quality varies a lot and i'm bad about staying in practice, but here are some pieces i think turned out rather well

ok, now is that it?

well, mostly. i have some poetry that's neat, and i recently produced a game demo that's shaping up into something interesting:

but now, that's probably everything of serious note.

if you read through all of that, i love you. thank you for your time and i hope there's something here you appreciated

[deathsweetblossoms]

Elain, like Elide, Uses Appearance to Make People See What She Wants them to See

I've been playing with this idea for awhile and as soon as I started reading TOG for Elide & Lorcan, it really pulled the whole theory together. Elide is able to borrow the personas of people she knows to get people to do what she wants. Similarly, she knows how to change her appearance (and even Lorcan's) to get people to give her information or do what she needs them to. She knows how to play a role. And Elain? "Elain can convince anyone to do anything with a few smiles".

In Feyre’s bonus chapter in ACOSF, Rhys suggests Elain “felt she had to be (sweet and innocent) or else she’d disappoint (everyone).” My personal headcanon is that almost every article of clothing she wears plays exactly into this sentiment. In my theory, she is very similar to Elide, in a way that guarantees a future in espionage. For Elide this was a survival tactic, for Elain she was almost compelled to play into the roles expected of her so as not to disappoint those she cares about. Both motivations for their manipulations play into each woman's journey to self empowerment. It's not seen as "evil" or "bad", it's simply a tool in their arsenal.

The infamous black dress in Hewn City. "Both sisters wore black. Both walked behind Rhys and Feyre...they'd planned it that way, wanting Eris to see for himself how valuable Nesta was." "Elain in black was ridiculous....the color of her long-sleeved, modest gown leeched the brightness from her face....Elain had let her golden-brown hair down tonight*, and pinned it back with twin combs of pearl." Elain is canonically the most beautiful sister. Knowing that, she and everyone knew the political game required all curious eyes to avoid her and to gravitate towards Nesta. The best way to do this is to dress so far down that none of the members of Hewn City would even look twice at her -- which she achieved. Cassian mentions that "he knew the cruelty of the Hewn City troubled (Elain)", but that she'd squared her shoulders and insisted she was a part of the Night Court anyway. That she would do what needed to be done. Knowing that, I think Cassian played right into how she intentionally dressed herself for this event. When Elain wants to feel beautiful, she braids her hair or adds adornments to her body (*see my next point to further prove this), but she purposefully avoided doing that to the extreme. Cassian played right into what she wanted him to see, in the same way that Lorcan played right into Elide's ploy to come across as a naive girl. (Until she isn't anymore and he starts to see who she truly is).

In ACOWAR, when Feyre returns from the Spring Court and comments: “Her hair was down — not even braided. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen it unbound. She wore a moon-white silk dressing gown.” Elain was obviously in crisis mode here, but it says a lot that Feyre can’t remember seeing Elain’s hair unbound — so even when they were starving, even when she had visited her in ACOTAR and ACOMAF, Elain always puts some effort into her hair. * Furthermore, in ACOFAS when Elain sees Azriel in the potato scene, she immediately excuses herself to remove her apron and "rebraid her hair". Canonically, she returned with her hair rebraided. For Azriel. Because she wanted to look pretty for him. Only when Elain was in basically a deep depression was she unable to care enough about her appearance to leave her hair completely unbound. Keeping this into consideration, it casts the scene in Hewn City in a different, curious light in that she put very minimal effort into making her hair look presentable (unbound and simply pinned back with the pearl clips? The girl didn't want ANYONE to notice her).

In ACOTAR, Feyre says this about Elain: “my sister was beaming, content — prettier than I’d ever seen her, even in her simple muslin gardening dress. Her cheeks were flushed beneath her large, floppy hat.” This quote is what inspired this whole theory. I have always wondered if this was Elain's "natural" state, when she felt most comfortable, when she was happy, when she wasn't putting on a show was when she was wearing her simple, muslin gardening dress. In this scene, she was talking about her passions and showing Feyre the garden she grew with her own efforts. She didn't need to put on a show for queens, or neighbors, etc. She was simply with her sisters.

So, what does this all mean? Personally, I think we will see the inner workings of Elain's penchant for intentional fashion in her upcoming POV and we will finally see what it looks like when she isn't playing into the "sweet and innocent" role. Like Elide, I believe she will continue to use appearances and charm as a tool to protect herself and to assist the IC. I also wouldn't be surprised if it assisted with a particular skill set required for gleaning information from rival courts to bring down the bad guys. A few people have expressed that they wish to see Elain wear THE SLUTTIEST DRESS OF ALL TIME when she revisits the Hewn City, and I fully believe she will. It will play into her journey of self discovery and self empowerment; a way to express herself that is still her but with a little more kick to it.

[my-little-safe-corner]

Why I didn't like Hocus Pocus 2 (spoilers obviously)

Seriously, I've got totally tired of "redemption arcs"! It's so overused! Let villains stay villains! I wanted to have a "Big Bad" showoff in classic Disney-style! Winnie could always reunite with her sisters and ask for forgiveness after her defeat by the girls!

Winnie got the book from the devil himself, so why would it prevent her from using a forbidden spell, and then switch allegiance to a good witch???

I hate "retconning"!!! The 3 sisters can't have the same father!!! They are too different from each other!!! Also, the whole "Mother Witch" idea, that I think was copied from a comic I've just read called "The Last Witch", in which there are 5 sisters adopted by the Cailleach, a very strong witch. It seems the scriptwriters for the sequel lacked ideas, so they had to search for them in similar media, and didn't at least consult the extra and cut material during the writing process...

Also, the book always opens on the spell the sisters need at the same moment, so they don't actually know all its contents! If the "Mother Witch" hadn't told them about the powerful spell, they wouldn't have known it even existed, so why warn them against it (unless she secretly did want them to use it...)?

So casting a spell to maximize your magic power is too dark, but sucking the lives of little children to stay young is not???

And a few comments:

There's a book that came out several years prior to the movie sequel, called "Hocus Pocus and the All New Sequel", with a totally different plot. I ordered the book, so after I read its version, I'll be able to post about which of them I personally prefer. (BTW, it reminds me of what Disney did and still does with The Lion King, really annoying IMO)

Not directly related, but when the 1st movie came out, it didn't do well at the cinemas, and gained its popularity only during the following years. I really hope it happens to Wish, too! Not sure I want a sequel, but more appreciation, merch, and inclusion in video games (such as Disney Dreamlight Valley) will be amazing!

And even though the Hocus Pocus sequel wasn't good, I still feel happy for Bette Midler, since she finally got to reprise her favorite role! And I hope we'll get a 3rd movie soon, with a much better plot than the 2nd one had!

Edit: Here's an article that I agree with most of its points! And another one!

[chaewberry]

hi! i was the previous anon. i’m glad that you’re happy about the message! i was honestly overthinking it like “uh oh did i say too much…” and i might just have that worry again.

i will read the article when i have the time! (roland barthes has actually been on my back log for a bit…) for now, when you mention “when words fail, how will they reach out with touch instead” gets me even more psyched about future chapters. of course, no pressure. i feel there’s so much potential when it comes to plotting and what not. the concept of touch has a lot of ground to cover, especially when it’s one of the human senses, and it can have various effects on a person, as touch can corner, discomfort, soothe…things like that!

also, yay =3 “first phase of the fic” was what i was thinking about when commenting on the mc, because i genuinely DO want to come to love her. i already enjoy her interactions with the others; the dialogue is so immersive. (off topic-ish, this sort of thing reminds me of the mobile game “death palette” where this girl can be irritating in the beginning with how picky she can get but the player’s perspective of her changes by the end as the story progresses… at least that’s how it was for me, anyway. and that very sequence i’ve had may apply here.)

about diluc, relatable. we have so little of young diluc, from the webtoon to in-game character stories…we have a glimpse of him from merchandise and events as well. and depictions of him in fanworks can be so different from each other. regardless, i want to know more about him from your perspective. or the mc’s. either one fits.

FINALLY, in regards to style, i wanted to mention jane austen before. i got that impression because there was a time i was reading sense and sensibility and reading the art of touching reminded me of that time when i was wrapped up in every word (fondly of course). but it would’ve been embarrassing if i got it wrong 🥹 so i too am pleased to know i was on the mark ^_^

OKAY I’M MORE THAN A LITTLE SHY NOW. with this, i really hope you have a good time writing the art of touching!!!!!! (๑>◡<๑) i’ll show my support however i can~

you can never say to much lmao every chance i get to talk about this fic i grasp it! it's the only story i've poured so much passion into to be honest, i have written down the plot on paper and expanded upon it even. 'tis truly an accomplishment for a lazy person like moi.

as for the mc -- it's kind of a mixed bag concerning her personality and whether you come to like her or not lmao. i don't know if people will truly like her, hate her, or if it will be somthing in between. time will tell, however, and i can't wait hehehehehehe. i definitely want to see how i come to understant young diluc, what can i do to play with his character etc, etc. i know for certain the mc will enjoy tormernting young diluc and even later on when they're adults. though there will be a difference <3

jane austen's and virginia woolf's writing style hmm i need to consume them both.

once again, thank you for your support dear reader, and i hope you keep enjoying this story as it progresses!

[hard-core-super-star]

as a DC/Marvel fan you should know that there is no correct timeline, everything happens at the same time, that is, there is no “first” conversation. fax.

why would I be bored? you're so cool wtf 🤨 and okay, so if we were to talk about them I would follow your encouragement... which is definitely not what's happening here, definitely.

the therapy thing caught me off guard- but yeah, things are getting so fucked up it's kind of sad actually. I have nothing to add since you're literally taking the words out of my mouth here. I'm not particularly a football fan, not that kind at least, so I didn't even know about the existence of this team and these fans before. I was definitely happier when I didn't know they existed to tell the truth and you're right about them being disgusting, I only got a glimpse with some fans who commented on Hailee's pics in the game (mostly made by men. not trying to generalize but wow, how shocking) the urge to throw up was real.

It seems that now it's time to sit back and hope for the bare minimum. that's it, let's focus on the good things, meaning: Kate's so-called quirks. (yeah, sometimes it can be hard not to see Hailee herself in her characters-)

– 🌟

you know what? that's a very good point and i could probably make a very cool reference or joke to expand on it but my brain is tired so...my bad

first i'm mysterious and now i'm cool? my ego is going to end up being massive at this rate. i'm very glad we're definitely not talking about them because this article does a great job at explaining a lot of things but it's also kind of a long read. and i definitely wouldn't like to point out the similarities between michelangelo and emily dickinson or the fact that said similarities in their poetry is what sent me down a bunch of rabbit holes, not all.

you have no idea how refreshing it is to find someone who understands what i mean and feels the same way. it's hard to explain how tired yet worried i am. it's all just an endless loop that ends in me getting more and more annoyed each day. i've never liked football and i'm so pissed hailee is the reason i've learned so much about it. everything i know about JA and the buffalo bills has been against my will but my insta explore page doesn't care and keeps making me see it. [AND YES, i second that. i know "not all men" and whatever but every comment i've seen from his fans is disgusting. and it only furthers my belief that she cannot be happy or okay because on what earth would someone like hailee be okay with those misogynistic assholes]

yes, please, i kept saying how much i didn't want to think about the situation and ended up writing a bunch of really long rants 😶 i would 119% prefer to talk about kate and all the thoughts i have floating around in my brain about her. [i'd also love to hear some of yours because i can't help but wonder how universal my way of understanding kate's personality is. last point about hailee, the fact that all her characters are queer/queer-coded in some way is incredibly telling hence my constant 'the closet is glass' comments because...come on]

[oraclekleo]

All the Information You Need

Hello!

This is a basic pinned post where you can find links to Master Posts for both K-Pop and Personal Readings and other additional info. It will be updated. Stay tuned!

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About Kleo:

I'm she/her, born and living in Czech Republic, fluent in Czech and English language, born 15.04.1991, tarot reader since 2006. I love dogs, tea, Scandinavian thriller books, British crime and sketch shows. I cook, bake, love Excel. I enjoy listening to audio erotica. I'm scared of spiders, heights and clowns. I've travelled a good portion of Europe + Egypt and Tunisia back in my teens. I'm not very emotional but I have excellent analytical skills. Many of my tarot readings here are NSFW, minors do not interact.

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Brief Introduction to Kleo’s Approach to Cartomancy

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Celebrity Tarot Readings Master Post - List of Competed Readings

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Tarot Articles

Personal Readings Master Post

2023 Completed Personal Tarot Readings

All-In-One Universal Personal Reading Spread

Idols After Dark Master Post

Kleo's Tarot Decks [01]

Kleo's Oracle Decks [01]

Kleo's Oracle Decks [02]

Kleo's 18+ Tarot and Oracle Decks

Random Non-Tarot Content

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KLEO IS ON HIATUS NOW AND TAKES NO REQUESTS FOR READINGS!

Thank you for understanding!

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ALL TAROT READING REQUESTS ARE CLOSED!

I DON'T TAKE REQUESTS THROUGH COMMENTS.

I can't tell you how many words the reading is going to have as I can only give as much information as the cards will allow me to interpret from them.

Feedback is mandatory. If you want to request again, you have to give your feedback to the reading I have completed for you. The easy readings still take me about an hour to complete, the more complex ones can take me several hours. You can surely take 2 minutes to write a short feedback.

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Please consider tipping me on ko-fi. All tips, donations and revenues go to animal rescue private organisation.

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Requests status:

Free Readings - CLOSED

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Paid Readings - CLOSED

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Exchange Readings - CLOSED

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Idols After Dark - CLOSED

(21+ celebrities ONLY)

(Isn't based in Tarot reading!!!)

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Suggestions - CLOSED

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Readings I don't do

Aura Readings

Questions where there's only one correct answer (is someone dating, etc.)

What someone unknown to me thinks

Emergency readings (tarot is about long-term self-development and growth, it's not an emergency solution to your issues)

Readings about a relationship in between two people, when the querent isn't one of them

Time of death

Mental disorders, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, abuse

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SUGGESTIONS - CLOSED

What is a suggestion? It's like request only you don't expect it to be completed. It's merely a suggestion and I may or may not complete it.

If you want to send a SUGGESTION, you can regardless the request status. Send your suggestion in my Tumblr inbox with a STRAWBERRY EMOJI

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You can suggest anything that's not a personal type of reading - PACs, Idols After Dark, MTLs, Celebrity readings, Fics, Games.

Remember, I don't promise to complete any of these but there is a chance your suggestion will fit my mood, taste, calling to do a reading.

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[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

THE GLORIOUS SIGHT OF MC SHOUTING *WORDS* + A BIT MORE(?)

...This part honestly deserves a separate post LOL ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

→(Left from Right) It's the chronological order of her rapid changes in mood, and by the time we reached the 5th image, she's already tired. :< However, the 6th image => we're again back to her "most angry" sprite-- cause.... (｡•́︿•̀｡)

-

⌚ SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2 UNDER THE CUT. DON'T CONTINUE IF YOU DON'T WANNA BE SPOILED! ⌚

For the context (Long Story Short):  Victor does whole lot of crazy things to ensure the safety of the people of the city. Which however, not only constantly puts his life in danger, but also makes him a needle in the public’s eyes. In order to take things one step further- within 2 weeks he acquires all the pharmaceutical companies producing the “Small Syringes,” (an illicit and fatal drug) - which leads to the shortage of “Small Syringes” used in the Hunter Game- with no way to re-product.

With MC’s insistence of not letting him do anything alone- she publishes the news that LFG has maliciously acquired the pharmaceutical industries. This rises up the heats even more than ever.

The part below is two weeks after the incident: At MC’s office, while MC is thinking about how Victor thought of everything while taking this huge risk, she notices a news.

-

News: Next, let's take a look at today's economic news. In response to LFG's malicious acquisition of the Pharmaceutical Companies--

I subconsciously stop the work in my hands, and prick up my ears to listen. I didn't use to pay much attention to the economic news, but recently I've been taking notes of the relevant reports everyday.

Even though the price of medicines haven't increased at all like those "experts" have predicted, public still continue to treat LFG as the target of condemning in speech and writing.

MC: Victor clearly didn't do anything. He just borrowed people to cuss here!

MC: Completely lacking vision! Prejudiced, unilateral!

I stare at the screen very fiercely, as if in this way, my inner voice can be conveyed across the internet, and I can get these people to apologize to LFG right now.

News: In addition, Fāngliú Group has also issued a formal declaration today, stating that they will stop most of their trading projects with LFG.

MC: ....Kicking someone when they're down!!

I take a few deep breaths in extreme anger, calm myself down, and look at the news again.

MC: (reading an article) "A number of business enterprises are collectively rising in revolt, and LFG is facing unceasing internal trouble and outside aggression. Can we boldly predict that LFG is running out of steam?"

I look at the webpage, and enormously roll my eyes.

MC: Don't bother. LFG will be fine!

As Victor "expected," those groups that invested in "Small Syringes" related industries, their spearheads have been pointing at LFG after their interests were damaged.

News: ....And [MC's Company Name], the company that brought the complete picture to the attention of the public, has also progressively stopped their business dealings with LFG.

MC: What do you guys know!

I squint my eyes resentfully, wishing I could take out my keyboard right now, and battle it out with the crowd in the comments.

However, before I have the time to do anything else, a text message with a crisp beep leaps on my screen.

Victor’s message: “When will your proposal arrive?”

MC’s message: “I'm writing, I'm writing.”

On the surface, [MC's Company Name]'s contact with LFG is progressively diminishing. Victor and I also no longer have personal relationships.

But in reality, Victor still thoroughly inspects my program plans and proposals. He is still that “evil capitalist” who “squeezes” me.

It's only that, in this moment when the wind and waves are the fiercest, our communication can only be done by means of the mobile phones, progressing silently.

I look at the screen of my phone, and finally raise the corners of my mouth.

Victor’s message:  “Remember to be on time.”

Victor’s message:  “Also, I can't really tell what exactly you took in the picture you sent me this morning.”

MC’s message: “Ahh Kitten! Although it chose to run away the moment I pressed the shutter.... still it's possible to judge, right?”

Apart from work, I also share all the big and small, all kinds of trivial things in my life with him, without leaving anything out.

It seems that, this alone can make his life a little more relaxed and leisurely.

And I don't know if it's my illusion, but recently Victor's replies have been more frequent than usual, and the contents seem to be a little more tender.

Victor’s message:  “....Your standards of judgement is truly different from ordinary people.”

Victor’s message:  “Are you sure it's not a strangely shaped pumpkin?”

MC: ....

Okay, it's my illusion.

The days of having no choice but to keep in touch almost only with mobile phone, continue smoothly for a while.

-

✧ Translation of this chapter in details: Part 1 || Part 2

✧ More Season 2 contents: Here!

[papirouge]

I'll never sign up for reddit but I like fds too! since it's the only place on reddit where women can only comment. On posts that highlight lvm and misogyny it's nice not to read male opinions that will always favor the abuser and ignore the women victimized by them. Or they vaguely say under an article about rapists getting no jail "wow people suck :(" like no. Name the problem. Lvm dont just suck. They're a danger. And it's a nice place to read how to you should never lower your standards while dating because having a baby with the wrong person (like a guy who thinks it's so funny to play video games and ignore you while you're in labor) is worse than having no baby. And I love how critical they are of porn, porn use in males, anti sex work as its exploitative, and overall critical of hookup culture that has never benefited women. I hope more women wake up, raise their standards and live like a queen by making their own money. Financial independence should never be sacrificed. It's what keeps you safe from abusers who want to trap you. Is fds perfect? Nothing is but it sure is nicer than the sludge of reddit's other subs 🤷🏾‍♀️

"it's a nice place to read how to you should never lower your standards while dating because having a baby with the wrong person (like a guy who thinks it's so funny to play video games and ignore you while you're in labor) is worse than having no baby"

GIIIIRL The horror stories I've read on this sub, I- Deadbeat fathering x1000000

Yeah I'm not ashamed I've been browsing on this sub regularly and I don't see where the hate is coming from (mostly from tradfem). It's very sad to see that whenever women are unapologetic to set their boundaries, standards or preference, they almost automatically get labelled as "gold digger" "manipulative" "bossy".... when they're just minding their business and don't abuse anyone.

Not every woman wants to be married to leave her familial home, so yes, I think it's a good thing there is a scene for this category of women who want to learn to manage their budget and optimize their celibate lifestyle. Contrary to the popular belief, FDS isn't only for rich or wanting to be rich women lol Learning to be savvy in social/romantic relationships is useful for ALL women.

And yes, even Christian women. We have to be mindful on how to choose one for marriage. As I always said, having standards is not a bad thing. I'm not going to marry someone just because he's just a nice Christian man. Not all Christians men are equal (i.e regarding their worth for marriage). Do I have to remind you who Ruth married? Boaz was no dusty broke man💀 This girl knew what she was doing👑 (by definition, Ruth did an hypergamy move)

It legitimately pains me to see how low the bar for Christian men has become....

[dutchdread]

"The promised land, I think I can meet her there".

This article argues that it's unreasonable to see the line as a romantic gesture from Cloud, and that an alternative interpretation of the line as a comment concerning the impending doom is more likely. __________________________________________________

People try to use this to prove that Cloud wants Aerith ever since 1997. Now lets be clear here, this interpretation is patently absurd as soon as you think about it for more than 2 seconds. Do you really think for a second that Square would end the game with Cloud randomly telling Tifa as they're about to die, "you know what I want to tell you before we die? I don't love you and I'm glad I'm dying so I can be with another woman in the afterlife"? They wouldn't, this is the most unreasonable story interpretation I've ever heard, whatever that line is meant to mean, it wouldn't be that. Let's be clear here, the only people who think that this line is a genuine argument in favor of Clerith, are people who are already Cleriths. They see the line, and find it to be in line with their beliefs, and it is. The problem is that that's not how science is done. The question isn't whether or not a piece of evidence is in line with your point of view, it's whether it disproves the opposite point of view, which in this case it doesn't. (Also see: "The Wittgenstein test") It should be noted that arguments like these do not do Cleriths any favors, because in addition to proving nothing, they show something fundamentally problematic about the Clerith view of the story. In order to believe that this line in incompatible with a Cloti interpretation of the story, there are a number of tangentially related positions that you'd have to defend. 1: It's impossible to want to be reunited with anyone except if you love them romantically. 2: Cloud is an absolute asshole who would dump a woman he just had sex with, just as they're about to die. 3: Tifa is the worlds biggest simp. 4: This is how SE wants you to see their characters. In one fell swoop of a bad story interpretation you've undermined the importance of all other forms of love, you've undermined the importance of Clouds character arc concerning guilt. You've basically trampled on those who suffer from mental health issues by simplifying their issues into love cliches, you've made a villain of Clouds character, made a mockery of Tifas character, and revealed that you don't understand basic storytelling.

This is the fundamental problem with these arguments that cause many of us to develop a distinct distaste for Clerith as a ship, because when Cleriths attempt to argue in favor of it, it often comes in the form insults towards all characters and stories involved. You could have a story about Cloud loving Aerith, but if defending said story requires you to argue that Cloud would leave a girl with two children, one of which is dying, for no other reason besides being lovesick, then that does a disservice to the characters, the story, and the franchise in general. In a sense, by trying to defend Clerith like this you're insulting the entirety of Final Fantasy. Are there people who are assholes? Yes, are there people who get straight up "pumped and dumped"? Yes. Is that the sort of hero that SE is trying to show us? Obviously not. (for more information regarding this I advise you read: Insane hobbits article where he touches on the differences between clean and messy narratives) If SE wanted to end the game with Cloud proclaiming his love to Aerith in some way, they wouldn't have Tifa hanging on his side while he's doing it, and she wouldn't respond with "yeah, lets go meet her" like the universe biggest simp. So what is actually said? Well, I am not a translator, but as far as I can tell Japanese doesn't have pronouns and the line generally refers to meeting people in the promised land, which includes Tifa in the people going, and it's not specifically about Aerith. Is Aerith included? Of course, she's probably even the main person to meet there, she's certainly singled out as the person talked about by certain supplementary materials, but it's not a romantic sentiment, it's a tragic "we're about to die" sentiment, meant to convey a more generally positive message about being "reunited" with those who have died. The more likely paraphrasing for this scene is: "Cloud asks for an answer from the planet, the planet reveals the lifestream, Cloud and Tifa realize they're about to die. Cloud muses that he thinks he gets it now, they're all going to die and be reunited in the lifestream, both with each other, as well as those who have died, with Aerith being the most obvious and recent example." So is there any evidence for this? Well, for one there is the storyboard for the scene:

c「帰るぞティファ」 t「え？」 c「俺達も帰ってからやることがあった。まだ…あの山の向こうを見てない」 t「うん…帰ろう」

Cloud: "I'm going home Tifa" Tifa: "What?" Cloud "We had something to do after we got home. We haven't seen the other side of the mountain yet ..." Tifa: "Yeah ... let's go home"

"the other side of the mountain" is a reference to the mountains of Nibleheim, where Tifa believed the dead went. In other words, this is either a reference to them going home because they have stuff to do, which ties into the general idea that Cloud and Co had to live in order for their sins to be forgiven, as is evidenced by:

“I’m going to live. I think that’s the only way I can be forgiven. All sorts of things… happened.” ~Cloud in case of Tifa.

Or more likely it's be a reference to how they're about to die. Neither interpretation says anything about this scene being intended to be a romantic sign towards Aerith. Now, of course, the line was changed, and intentions can change during development. But if we're unsure on what the meaning of a line is, then going back to the storyboard is a pretty good way to get context.

Page 27 of the FFVII Ultimania omega:

"They're talking about", confirming that this is a mutual discussion, and not Cloud in isolation.

Page 203 of the FFVII Ultimania omega:

Provides context for the intended ideas the line is meant to convey. It calls back to earlier concepts concerning death not being the end, and is something Cloud and Tifa talk about together.

From: Final Fantasy Art Museum movie card ( https://twitter.com/dorobbongie )

These are not prescriptive canon, but descriptively they can give us some indication of how we're supposed to interpret the line.

Also reinforces the idea that the final line is meant as a more inclusive statement concerning reunions after death. Taking these points into consideration it becomes unreasonable to take the "I think I can meet her there" as a shipping line between Cloud and Aerith. If it were:

SE wouldn't have hung Tifa from Clouds hips.

Wouldn't have had Tifa agree with the idea.

Wouldn't have done it as the two were about to die.

Wouldn't have the storyboard refer to a shared journey beyond the mountains.

And most importantly, SE wouldn't have followed it up with Cloud commenting moments later that he's going to live in order to atone for his sins, and that things would be different now that he has Tifa. Clearly meeting again in the afterlife was more of an immediate danger rather than an immediate goal:

As Tifa looked away from the sky towards the ground, she was fearful of the future. However, Cloud beside her chose to smile gently. It was a smile that she hadn’t seen before during their journey. Cloud noticed her gaze and asked, “What’s wrong?” “Cloud, you’re smiling.” “I am?” “Yeah.” “It all starts now. A new…” Cloud looked for the right words. “A new life.” “I’m going to live. I think that’s the only way I can be forgiven. All sorts of things… happened.” “That’s right…” “But when I think about how many times I’ve thought about how I was going to start a new life, it’s funny.” “Why?” “Because I’ve always failed everything.” “That’s not funny.” “After this … I think I’ll be okay.” Cloud was silent for a long time before he spoke again. “Because I have you this time.” “You’ve always had me.” “What I mean is kind of different,” Cloud answered with another smile. -Case of Tifa; revised; released with ACC.

__________________________________________ thank you "thelifestream.net" for some of this information, as well as Kagesakura (https://otp-oasis-heavenxearth.tumblr.com).

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

I don't remember if I've sent this ask before and just forgot, so sorry if I have, but: in your opinion, what are some early indicators of Marco's strategic mind/ruthlessness? When I read the series I didn't really notice it until mid-series when the characters start commenting on it, at which point it's already a fairly developed trait.

So I’m going to split this out by the two traits — strategizing and being an ice-cold mamakiller — because I do think that they’re closely related, but they’re also two slightly different tendencies that Marco displays even early on.

Early signs of Marco’s strategic mind:

Spotting the pattern in third-page newspaper articles about oceanographers and sudden yacht races in #4 and successfully putting together that that means the yeerks are also sending expeditions after Ax

Insisting the Animorphs show up to meetings separately (#3) and never talk where they can be overheard (#2) because he puts the most consideration into making sure they don’t suddenly start hanging out as a group

Putting the “smart” into “smart aleck” pretty much any time there’s a near-death situation going on because he’s the only one who remains articulate and snappy even while literally bleeding to death 

Keeping everyone calm before the battles through blurting out lots of silly observations about how weird their lives are these days

Helping the team unwind after battles by complaining about everything but the actual horribleness of the situation

Generally thinking on his feet a lot faster to recast the situation, in contrast to Cassie tending to get stuck in “must feel our feelings” mode or Rachel and Tobias charging into situations because they’re emotionally invested

Being so good at strategic thinking that the first thing Jake says about him in #1 is “Marco has this amazing ability to analyze games and figure out all the littletricks, so sometimes he beats me” even though Jake himself gets 4x as much practice thanks to having a Sega at home

Demanding that everyone think things through before going forward with the plan to attack a ship the size of Delaware (#3) or to chase dreams at the bottom of the ocean (#4)

But also: forcing the issue of “shut up and do something” when Jake’s at risk of overthinking everything in the middle of a situation

In #4, it’s turning into a dolphin mid-conversation so that everyone else has no choice but to go with the “shove him overboard mid-morph” plan

In #3, it’s him yelling “let’s do it” ahead of Rachel to stop Jake from going around in circles about the fish plan for all eternity

Knowing the speed of light (#5) and the percent-to-elapsed-time conversion (#4) off the top of his head

Figuring out how to work Chapman’s yeerk-tech computer even faster than Ax does through educated guesses (#5)

Making everyone get on the floor before demorphing from bugs for the first time so that they don’t fall off the wall and get injured — something even Cassie didn’t figure out in spite of her insect expertise (#5)

Early signs of Marco’s ruthlessness:

Not quite being willing to let Ax die (#4) or be stranded on Earth forever (#5), BUT also being a lot more willing to consider either outcome if it’ll keep his friends safe

Jumping very quickly, far more quickly than anyone else, from “Jake’s acting weird” => “Jake might be a controller” => “Jake needs to be tied up in the woods for the next three days either way” => “let’s send Ax to Jake’s house while the rest of us prepare to murder Jake if necessary” (#6)

Demonstrating a certain lack of compassion for Peter, especially when contrasted to Cassie (who has to deal with a lot less of the impact of Peter’s inability to parent, but still) in a way that pushes into brutal pragmatism at times (#4, #5)

Having his reasons, but also definitely starting the war with a “look out for myself and my own first, everyone else in the world as a distant second” attitude, and only committing to the war when it turns out that it’s his mom at stake

Using a bomb threat to clear a supermarket so that witnesses won’t see Ax (#5) — not the worst thing the kids ever do, but an interesting contrast to Jake’s unwillingness to steal even necessities

Knowing way better than any of the others that one or more of them is going to die, and that they’re all already traumatized as of #5

That’s not an exhaustive list, and I agree that he develops those traits more throughout the war until eventually it’s him pushing for Jake to flush the Pool ship (#53) and manipulating the entire Andalite Electorate with one hand while he puppetmasters the Yeerk Empire with the other (#54).  But I also agree that the foundations are there, even early on in the war.

[beetlegoose01]

stolen whispers: chapter 1

AN: this fic isn’t a request, it’s a story i’ve been preparing for a lil while and I’m so excited to share this with you all <3

I’ll link it on my Archive if you prefer to read it there. Also warning, there’s quite a few OCs.

Time: 2028 (Scorbus have been married for two years)

Summary: When a new generation of Death Eaters kidnap Scorpius, Albus and Rose put aside their differences to rescue him.

TW: Kidnapping/Language/minor violence

~~~~

Two witches wearing shadowy black robes entered the tavern, finding a table near the back. They ordered their mead, waiting for their third partner impatiently. It was a crowded area, so thankfully there was a small chance they would be overheard.

"We don't want more mead." The first woman growled, tapping her long nails at the table. The bartender, a tall man with a mustache put the drinks down.

"I didn't think so." He lips curled into a grin as he morphed into a younger man with wild dusty brown hair, wearing matching robes. He was handsome, but had an eerie presence to him. Any reasonable person would have at least flinched at the transformation, though neither witch did. "Hello ladies." He grinned cheekily.

"Soren, enough playing games." The second woman said, though she was smirking.

Soren barked out a laugh. "It was funny, Mara. And you know it."

The first woman, Lilith narrowed her eyes. She pulled down her hood, revealing cascading inky black hair down her shoulders. A scar that showed no sign of mending was down her cheek. "Your skills are impressive, but useless if you don't use them for our own gain. Don't forget that." She pulled her hood back.

"Understood." He murmured, taking a seat.

"We have much to discuss," She continued, flicking her wand idly. "Our current plan in action. Our...act of revenge. It's been thirty years since The Tenebris was wrongfully killed. I am sick and tired of his name being tossed around in history like he was some monster. He was on the right side."

"Are you certain we want to call the Dark Lord that?" Mara asked suspiciously.

"Shh! You know if anyone hears us, they'll lock us up for good. For speaking our minds." Lilith said. "It's safer we call him by his code name."

Her companions nodded.

"Because of his loss, we have mudbloods in positions of power. Our siblings that fought for his cause are locked up. Or worse, dead."

Mara and Soren looked grim.

"If we had more allies, perhaps we would have had a chance." Soren noted. "We weren't even alive then but...I have a feeling if we were..."

"Just because we weren't alive then, doesn't mean we don't have opinions over the lives stolen!" Mara argued. "That damn Harry Potter."

"Correct. And Soren is right too. For once. If we had more allies, or better yet...certain allies didn't betray us. The Malfoys for instance." She took a sip of her drink.

"Are you suggesting something?" Mara asked.

"Of course I am, don't be so daft." Lilian said, deadly calm. "I want to make that family suffer for what they did. My uncle Vincent Crabbe died for their selfishness. Draco Malfoy had a chance to save him, and he refused like the coward he is. His mother Narcissa lied to Tenebris' face. They are backstabbing filth that besmirched the Sacred 28. No, it isn't just about their betrayal or avenging those we lost in the war. Think of the big picture. They have the capabilities to join our side. To...respawn a new generation of Death Eaters. But that's not all...

"The Malfoys have lots of gold." She drawled. "Surely, they'll spare a few for us in exchange for something important. Or rather...someone."

"Someone?" Soren paused. "What are you suggesting?"

"Regretfully, Astoria Malfoy has passed on." Mara didn't sound the least bit sympathetic, instead stated it blandly. "So using her as a ransom for Draco is a no go."

"Ah, but there is still someone left." Lillian said, removing a small photograph from her cloak, she slid it across the table.

A young man with platinum hair was pictured, beaming brightly in Healer Robes.

"Scorpius Malfoy."

Soren and Mara exchanged a look of satisfaction.

"Bring him to me."

~~~~~~~~~~

The best thing about mornings, at least to Albus, was waking up beside his husband. The sun's bright rays peaked through the window of their cream colored bedroom, slowly stirring them both awake. If it was up to him, he would stay in their warm bed, arms wrapped around Scorpius until noon.

Scorpius rolled over, so that they were facing each other. His eyes fluttered open, and Albus felt his heart melt at his sapphire eyes.

"Hi." He yawned. His voice was slightly croaky, no doubt from the morning.

Albus replied by nuzzling his nose, then kissed his cheek. "Hi honey."

Scorpius laughed lightly. "Let's get up then. Start the day? It's a Saturday. We have the whole weekend to spend together."

"I'd rather spend it here with you."

Bathilda mewed from the kitchen.

"But our child is hungry." Scorpius teased, stretching as he slid out of bed. Albus begrudgingly slumped after him, not eager to wake up before ten am. But his own stomach was growling too.

"Speaking of children," Albus said, starting to work on their breakfast as Scorpius poured Bathilda's food. "Iris is pregnant again. James told me through a Howler yesterday."

"Really?" Scorpius' eyes widened. "That's great news!"

"Yeah, not for my ears." He commented dryly, still traumatized by James' excited screeching in his ear. "Baby number three." He whistled. "Do you think they're trying to make an entire quidditch team? With Teddy and Vic's lot included, they're on their way."

Though he was joking, Scorpius noticed that Albus was glowing, happy for his brother and sister in law. That was one of the many reasons he loved Albus. His love for his siblings.

"Perhaps. When are they due?"

"September. Which means...that's where they scurried off to last Christmas party." Albus quipped. "To have a little fun."

"Albus!" Scorpius scolded. "Honestly, only you would make a beautiful moment gross."

"It's life, Scorp!" He chuckled. "You're a Healer, you should know these things."

"We'll have to visit. Maybe bring a gift basket to congratulate them." He mused, smiling fondly. "I can't wait to meet our new niece or nephew." There was a wistful look in his eye that Albus caught.

"You've got that look on your face." He noted, amused. He served the plates of bacon sandwiches on the table.

"What do you mean?"

"That Scorpius 'I want something but I'm not going to spell it out for you' face."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh." Albus said, forest green eyes brightening in amusement. "What's up?" He took a seat, tucking into breakfast.

"Well," Scorpius started, staring at his food. "I was thinking..." He stopped himself, hesitant to continue his train of thoughts.

"Yeah?" Albus nudged him gently.

"I want a child." He said, his voice quiet, but firm. "I love my nieces and nephews so much, but they aren't...ours. I want to start a family with you, Albus. Raise a little one of our own to be bright and wonderful and brave and..."

Albus' expression softened. "I do too. You know I do, Scorpius. It's just...difficult right now." He stared at his wedding band. "You know it's harder for us than any hetero couple." He waved his hand vaguely. "Adoption is hard, surrogacy is expensive. Maybe once we settled into our careers more, we can talk about it."

"I think we're ready to go beyond just talking about it, Al."

"We're still young. We've still got time. But...I definitely want to work it out. Somehow, we will. We always do."

Scorpius beamed, reaching to kiss Albus' knuckle. "Thank you." He sat up abruptly. "Oh, I almost forgot- it's the farmer's market today."

Albus snorted. "You're exactly like your dad, you know?"

"Yes yes yes, but we should go!" Scorpius said, levitating the plates to the sink and it automatically was clean due to the floating sponges.

"We? I've got some work to do. I'm not very fond of small talk with old people selling fruit."

"Al, it's really good fruit." Scorpius said seriously. "And it's not all old people. I've seen some of our old schoolmates there."

Albus cringed. "That's even worse."

"Don't be so dramatic. Are you still coming?"

"Mm, but I should really finish this article. Go on without me."

"If you're sure...do you want me to bring anything back?"

Albus thought for a moment. "Those strawberries Ms. Beaker sells. Please? Strawberries and cream sounds so good right now."

"Brilliant, I'm on it." Scorpius did a mock salute.

"Have fun." Al waved as Scorpius appatered, leaving the kitchen empty. Albus went straight to work on his article.

~•~

The market was lively and merry, despite the early hour. Scorpius had stopped by the strawberry stand first, in case he forgot.

Ever since they had moved two years ago, Scorpius had found himself drawn to the quaint farmer's market. Not because of the delicious, fresh food, but to socialize. He made quite a few friends with the muggles who lived around there...mostly old ladies. The early days of their marriage, Albus would join him. Before life got in the way, and work had to be done.

Not that he wasn't busy himself. He only had two days off as a Healer, sometimes less. He didn't know how they would manage childcare, but like Al had said, it was best not to dwell on the future.

"Scorpius? Is that you?"

He turned around, following the voice from behind him. "Polly ...Chapman?" He uttered blandly, praying he wasn't mistaken. He didn't have the best memory- even with old schoolmates who bullied him.

"Yep." Polly said, laughing lightly. "It's me. Been a while."

"It has." Scorpius shifted his weight. "How are things?"

"Great!" She smiled, swishing her blonde ponytail, the same air of confidence from when she was a teenager. "Yann and I are engaged."

"Oh! That's wonderful." Scorpius said, pretending to sound pleased. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you. I proposed to them last month. It was just as I had dreamed."

"How is...Yann?" Scorpius did not actually care how Yann was.

"They're good! Brilliant actually, since they passed Auror training." Polly looked genuinely proud of them, which he had to admit was adorable. "Are you and Albus still..."

"Yes, yes. We um, er- we've been married almost two years actually." He added.

"Aw, that's very sweet. You two were always very close, yeah?" Polly looked at him, and Scorpius nearly walked backwards, intimidated by her stance. She still was extremely scary, like a lioness but with a great sense of fashion. "I know...Yann, Karl and I weren't the best to you two but perhaps we could..." She trailed off. "I'd like you both to come. To the wedding. If you'd like."

That...wasn't what he was expecting. He half expected her to invite him to another Blood Ball.

"Pardon?" Scorpius asked, dumbfounded. "I mean- yeah, that sounds great! Fun! Yes. That sounds nice. I'll bring it up to Al."

Polly was glowing. "Brill! I've got to go, but we should all hang out sometime. Like old times."

Like old times? Scorpius thought. When did they ever hang out?

Nodding mutely, he walked away from Polly with a puzzled, but cheerful expression. He hadn't completely fucked up the conversation, which was always a plus. It still felt odd that Polly Chapman of all people was talking to him, let alone inviting him to her wedding. It was bizarre.

He passed the final vendor, and was surprised and amused to see a tiny girl, no more than seven standing behind it. She had a Brownie uniform on, bright rosy cheeks and pigtails included.

"Would you like a biscuit?" She squealed.

It had taken him a moment to respond, he was still thinking of Polly being kind to him "Oh erm- of course." It was impossible to say no to an adorable small child. He reached for some muggle money, handing her the pound notes. "Just the one box please."

"Okie dokie!" She said, handing him the box. She waited a moment, pouting. "Go on, try it." She urged.

"I really shouldn't I-"

"Please?" The little girl gave him the most pitiful expression. "It's for a good cause, mister. We're helping orphaned puppies find homes."

"Well, alright. For the puppies." He fumbled open the box, taking a polite bite out of the cookie. It was a classic lemon cookie with powdered sugar, one of his favorites. But the second he swallowed, he felt dizzy all of a sudden. "What..." He stumbled back. "Oh my," He gulped, the entire market swirling around him. Something wasn’t right. "is there something in..." 

He would be damned if he let this happen without some sort of fight. Throwing his basket aside, he collapsed, slipping into unconsciousness.

"We've got him."

[emma-what-son]

(Echee post) Emma Watson has stalkers and a bodyguard

Posted on March 23 2014

From dailymail.co.uk March 2014, "Harry Potter star Emma Watson has hired a former NYPD officer as  a bodyguard to protect her from obsessed stalkers. The actress – thought to be worth £23  million – is believed to be paying the female officer £90,000 a year after a number of incidents of threatening behaviour towards her. The latest came as Emma, 23, right, was working on her new movie Noah, when an over-zealous ‘fan’ duped studio security staff and got on to the set. Emma, was left screaming, believing she was in danger, and filming had to stop. The British actress, who played Hermione Granger in the Potter films, is now constantly shadowed by blonde former New York Police Department officer Denise Morrone. A source said: ‘The  one person Emma is never without is Denise. 'Emma has had problems with stalkers in the past and, because of her wealth, there is always the threat of kidnap. 'She pays for her bodyguard out of her own pocket and Denise accompanies her everywhere, even when Emma is out for dinner. Denise is always there, making sure she is safe.’ Another source said: ‘Denise is on high alert for one particular stalker who tracked Emma down on the set of her latest film. ‘She is very discreet and very good at her job. She is always there looking after Emma, but you wouldn’t know. ‘She makes sure Emma has plenty of space and freedom. If they are at dinner, Denise is part of the gathering, but is always on duty.’ The new arrangement marks a departure for Emma, who has seemed determined to try to live a low-key, normal private life unencumbered by a security detail. Post-Potter she went to Brown University in Rhode Island, New England, and Worcester College, Oxford, to study for a degree. When she has appeared in public she has had no visible entourage. A spokesman for Miss Watson, who has homes in  London and New York, declined to comment." ^That's what the dailymail says but here below is what Emma said at the time.

From fansshare.com October 2012, "There was a lot of fuss made recently about the fact that a man who has been stalking Emma Watson managed to get onto her set before being chased off into the woods. It was claimed that Emma was terrified by the incident and feared for her safety.  However, it appears that the claims were not true, as Emma has spoken out about the “incident” stating that nothing of the sort happened. Emma felt that she needed to let everybody know what’s what and hoped to clear up any confusion about the stalker situation. Watson took to her official Twitter account to say, “Ok. Few things to clear up. I was not terrified by a stalker in the woods. And he was not fought off by martial arts experts.#whowrotethisstory”. I don't get this DM article because Emma has had this bodyguard for ten years. I think this might be a great big dose of media sensationalism or maybe a planted story so everyone will go, "Aww poor Emma" because she has said some really dumb things lately. I've seen photos of Denise (the older blonde lady we always see her with) with Emma as far back as 2005 Here they are outside the Regis and Kelly show (USA) in 2005 and to the right currently in 2014

^She still looks 15 doesn't she? I've seen one or two candids of Denise with Emma at Brown. I've read an article from a Brown website (thank anonymous for tipping me off) where they were talking about her bodyguards on campus that followed her around. Here's Emma, some guy and Denise at Brown in the fall of 2010 (I can't find the others)

Here she is talking about stalkers in her GQ interview from last year From gq-magazine.co.uk May 2013, "Did you have stalkers? 'Yes. I do have people who show up from time to time in different parts of the world. I've never really known how to respond; I've never really known if I should be afraid or not. This is how I put it into perspective: thousands of women all over the world have to deal with feeling afraid when they walk home from the Tube, on their way to work, when they go out for a drink. Feeling not safe isn't something that is singular to me or my experience as a woman, and I don't think any of these people mean me any harm. They just tend to be people caught up, who don't really realise what they are doing, and I think it is very important that I don't allow it to isolate me further, to be another reason why I shouldn't go out and meet people or walk down the street. Weird guys sometimes take it too far, and that is it. I just keep a friend with me. I don't have a full-time security guard or anything like that. Even at university I went everywhere completely alone, which looking back was probably a pretty ambitious thing that I tried to do there, but somehow I got away with it. There were times when I did feel stressed and anxious and could probably have done with a bit more support. At the same time I would rather make my own mistakes and learn what I need. I think it is so easy when you get famous to just disengage from having a life and that can make some things really dangerous.'" Remember she told rookie magazine she used to lie about walking to places but had a car waiting for her? She was trying to make it seem she has this normal life. I reckon this could be another little white lie about not having a full-time guard because we've seen Denise with her for years. She's the woman that pushes people away and pulls her from signing autographs and even refuses people. How about other instances like Glastonbury where that big muscular man tailed her everywhere. At airports when Denise is not there she has men which looks to be bodyguards to me. When she went to the Box Night Club she had a bodyguard. They're rare shots because most candids are just of Emma and Denise or Emma and a friend or boyfriend. You really think Emma travels alone? For example

Last photo from 2011: Check this out and seethe altercation You rarely catch her bodyguards photographed other than Denise who looks more than just a bodyguard. I think she's more like a bodyguard/assistant. I bet they are always around but you wouldn't know it. I'd go as far as saying they probably follow her from a distance to make it seem like she's really by herself. Here's something she said in 2009 and it was really stupid From wonderwall.msn.com July 2009 (interview with Dan, Rupert and Emma. she started brown in Sept 09) In this film, Ron has sort of a stalker girlfriend. Has it ever gotten strange where you're dating people who are more interested in dating Harry, Ron or Hermione rather than yourselves? Emma Watson: "I'm dating my stalker, actually." It's dumb to even give a stalker the time or day in a magazine discussing them. It will probably embolden them by fueling whatever twisted fantasies they have in their head. If it were me I would not even mention it. In 2010 she said this From digitalspy.com November 2010, "Emma Watson has revealed that she and her Harry Potter co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint used to hide from their security guards. The actress admitted that she "hates" having bodyguards and prefers to deal with the attention she receives on her own. Watson explained: "I hate having bodyguards and when we were younger, Dan, Rupert and I used to try to hide from the people trying to keep an eye on us." The 20-year-old went on to say that she now feels comfortable traveling on public transport by herself. She added: "Now it's like, 'Really, I'm fine'. I take the train and the bus and, if I don't dress up too much, I'm usually fine. Occasionally people stop me but I'd rather deal with that than not go out at all. That'd be really tragic." In her most recent interview for Elle she said this From snitchseeker.com March 2014, “So while Radcliffe reportedly rarely leaves his house without a bodyguard, Watson memorably began her college career by moving into the freshman dorm-the very definition of exposed. She lopped off her hair, appeared in a student production of Chekhov. There were moment, she says, when she thought, “I don’t know if I can do this. Or if this is sensible anymore.” But she held firm, turning down high-profile work that would interfere with her studies. “I just don’t want a life where I can’t have a life, “she says. “And so I’ve been just unbelievably stubborn about it.” ^Peculiar and then this article comes out about her hired bodyguard. Could it have been Radcliffe's people saying, "Hey, wait a minute" and then ratted Emma out? That last quote, the newer one, is of course a total contradiction from what she said about Brown before. I don't know it's that's the truth or this is some rouse to plant the idea she was heckled out of college life. I don't know but one thing is for sure I don't believe most of what comes out of this girls mouth. I'm like those towns people that had it with the games of the little boy that cried wolf. As for the stalking it's the only thing I'll give her sympathy for. I think it would suck. If it's an over zealous stan or a weirdo I don't think it's cool. If you like or even dislike her there are still lines you should never cross and that includes invading her space. She's just one fake ass actress that lives in her own head that plays make believe and makes millions off it. Then of course she complains about it and manipulates the media and her fan base to cover up "the real Emma Watson". She's a prettily weaved illusion designed to trick you. There is no such thing as the perfect person and just because she is pretty it does not make her perfect girlfriend material. Stans and weirdos please understand this.