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thatdeadaquarius · 1 year ago

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Harry Potter/Genshin Impact Crossover Fun🎉

for @kiraisastay my beta reader for the big fat Eldritch AU awhile back! :)

“…a genshin/Harry Potter crossover where reader (still fem) comes from genshin (so she has a vision) and tries to fit in at Hogwarts (would love for it to be set around the Goblet Of Fire so the hp characters in that age start maturing and actually understand what happens around them and aren't little kids , plus, y'know, YULE BALL), would also like for the reader to have a more stoic/emotionless personality with tragic past (so like having scars y'knowww) cuz it makes character building a lot more juicy ahah, but you can write it however you want tho!! (this can be funnier to write if you're feeling a lot creative)”

UGH sorry i took forever! im rlly bad at estimating time...

I hope this is a fun read at least, and thanks for much for taking on that eldritch monster fic awhile back lol

☆

Orbit: Long Headcanon/fic-thing (~2k words) - Harry Potter x Genshin Impact Crossover (4th Year)

Sun: Feminine Reader (she/her), Slytherin Reader, Reader is 15-16 year old.

Stars: Harry, Ron, Hermione, McGonagall, Dumbledore, Snape, Viktor Krum, mentions of others.

Comets & Meteors: Content Warnings: Reader has rough past, & Trigger Warnings: vague mentions of scars, Reader has bad relationship with parents.

☆

You’re so fucking happy your Cryo Vision came with you.

You knew you were in a different country, one you definitely had never been to before, but you couldn’t figure out for the life of you where it was at first

Your first guess was Fontaine, but the robes and strange overuse of catalyst weapons (actually, only catalyst weapons??) began to convince you otherwise real quick,

Fontaine was just the closest country you could compare it to

yeah so obviously by the time u realized you shouldn't be waving a sword around, it was too late lmao, u scared the shit out of the potions shopkeeper and had to make a hasty exit

bc for some reason any other weapon than a catalyst is shamed here?? which makes no sense to you, as it seems like their “magic” here could just as easily be channeled into different weapons/items??

u guess not having monsters to randomly fight everytime u just wanna take a walk outside makes for a pretty peaceful world, and specifically this country ”England” or the “United Kingdom”

u had taken a week or so to re-orient yourself to this new world, how only a certain society knew about their magic, how there were no gods here, at least not any u could easily interact with, and that most people your age would be in school still???

while u could choose to pursue higher education or specialize in Sumeru’s Akademiya, basic schooling was still provided in every country in Teyvat up until about 15 years old

but at this point u were willing to do what it took to blend into this world, and u didnt want anyone to be asking how old u were/why u werent in school when you wandered around, so u went to Hogwarts

It also proved to be a good way to acquaint urself with the world/its magic and give u a place to better excuse any social or magical mistakes

But needless to say, u struggled, u had to constantly find some workaround for “magic” from the wands/catalysts in classes

and luckily they took u being a transfer student pretty smoothly, as u were just in time for the “Triwizard Tournament” to be announced and other schools were coming to participate, u easily got accepted in

and the only one who batted an eye at it was the weird old Headmaster, who u already suspected knew more abt u than he was letting on (Dumbledore seemed to have eyes everywhere the more u learned, which made u more suspicious of him too)

you'd been sorted into Slytherin, along with the Russian magical students, (Durmstrang?)

of which you had absolutely no frame of reference for how bad that was, other than being accused of literally being from the Abyss 💀

while the rest of the student body treated u with the basic contempt u learned all Slytherins just seemed to kind of get all the time, ur own house was a little more confusing when it came to you

some were curious abt all the scars, the strange glowing snowflake gem that u concealed on ur hip, what ur country was like and what the magic school over there was like (thank fuck for ur poker face and insane lying skills that made it believable)

(there was absolutely a rumor abt u pulling a sword on Filch at some point, u neither denied nor supported it)

the other half of the slytherins were all uptight about u possibly being a “Muggleborn” and sneered at u every chance they got (some weird blond kid a year or 2 below you??)

or they outright ignored u

tbh u didn't really get much genuine favor between Slytherins just being Slytherins and ur own reputation/cold disposition until Professor Snape saw how good u were at potions a month into this insanity

(it was just basic alchemy? nearly everyone, especially Vision-users, knew how to do it back home? why was it so special here?? u had this kind of question a lot in this world over most things, like the “muggles dont know abt magic” thing, it seem like more trouble than its worth.)

U both got along in the same way a cold-demeanor father bonds with his carbon copy cold-demeanor daughter lol

in which he invited u for tea sometimes out of polite extra teaching for “ur future plans of being a potion master, like myself”

which okay?? u were better than most ur age at potions bc of alchemy (which u learned is taught at higher levels of potion mastery) and its not like you've figured out how to get back to ur world anytime soon

so u just roll with that being ur “future career” for now, it makes the old emo professor happy so u figure why not

And its the first scrap of favor you’ve found here so it works

Tho u did complain at Snape for picking on Gryffindors, saying “ur rlly not helping that Slytherin reputation for tall dark and evil here”

He proceeded to make u clean and reorganize his potion stores for that lol

(Tho he did start to lighten up the more u picked on him abt it, the poor kid with huge round glasses followed you with his huge green eyes for weeks, he seems to be the only one who's really realized ur the one convincing Snape to mellow out)

U begin researching information (thanks to Snape) in the forbidden part of the library abt different worlds/time travel, anything thatd put u close to possibly getting back home

Or, to be honest, a portal would be better, bc youd like to come back here sometimes,

Its not like u have family back home (not any who you'd want to visit), mostly just a few good friends who'd be worried abt u (Childe misses his sparring partner for sure)

Which then leads u to noticing that boy with the black hair and big round glasses (was it smth like,,, harold sculptor? Atp that seems like a feasible name to you bc in this world parents rlly were cruel abt naming their kid “feathery” or smth wild)

Harold and two others, one with fluffy long hair, and the other a redhead,

Were attempting to “spy” on u from behind bookshelves or at tables seated near the forbidden section

U saw them learn the times u came there and how they made sure to match them (tho it seems the redhead got bored easily and begged to eat instead)

You'd actually managed to make friends with some Durmstrang friends in the meantime too

And by that u mean Viktor Krum mostly

Ppl were constantly obsessed with him and he'd managed to escape up the astronomy tower to get some peace and quiet,

Only to run into u reading away, and he'd heard abt ur reputation, and wanted to befriend u

U two got along rlly well, lots of peaceful silences, and chill convos, esp since u guys had some stuff in common

Mostly how ur both foreign to Hogwarts/this country and adjusting still

Anyway that is to say, Viktor teased u abt the ducklings following u around everywhere thinking they were sneaky

And this was a routine u got used to, until it was time for the tournament

You hadnt bothered to put ur name in, u didnt feel like risking ur life for no reason afterall

So needless to say u were pissed when rumors went around abt u putting Harol- Harry's name in the goblet

(u finally learned his name, apparently he's famous for not dying? As a baby?? A powerful tyrant evil wizard wanted to kill him as a baby??? Just,, why)

Not only that but then he was obligated to be in the tournament???

U knew there was smth insane abt this school, bringing back this crazy tournament in the first place, somehow getting Harry's name in the goblet,

but u didn't think they were batshit crazy.

(Dumbledore is not helping his case in your eyes, esp as u suspect he’s got Snape involved in his BS too somehow…)

So needless to say you were going to fix this mess since these seasoned “wizard adults” weren't 😒

You snuck into the Great Hall using a high level alchemy invisibility amulet, and used ur Cryo vision to extinguish the Goblet of Fire 💀

It reset the game, and luckily they were able to resubmit the champions to the Triwizard Tournament and hide away the Goblet before it got tampered with again

Lol u got Harry out of it, and it wasnt until later in the library that u get cornered by the Gryffindor fourth year himself

He admits to seeing u under his invisibilty cloak that night and thanks you for getting him out of that hell, poor kid looks so grateful 😭

But regardless of that, he insists u tell him abt the ice spell u used, how u used it wandless, with no incantation, etc.

You just gave him a small smile (his big green eyes look even more shocked behind the glasses, what, was that old professor right? do u rlly not smile that much?) and tell him he owes u one

He agrees and u go on ur way to the forbidden section

(U dont explain the ice, afterall, who would believe him? You werent even that much older, and only “master wizards” could do what u did)

After that, Harry starts to follow u around a lot more,

much to the annoyance of his redhead friend (Rodrick? Rocky? smth with a R-) and the absolute admiration of the younger girl with big hair

the champions start the first trial, and u help Viktor out with a plan to defeat the dragon and get the egg in one piece (u had lots of experience with monsters after all, and Viktor and Snape, who couldn't keep his big nose out of your business, were simultaneously disturbed and yet not surprised by this information)

it works flawlessly, and that's when you notice the new DA teacher acting suspicious

as the champions gear up for the 2nd trial, u help Viktor try to figure out the egg’s secrets,

Both Harry and Hermione have taken to interrupting ur library research time (u finally learned her name, but not the redhead, he seemed a bit rude tbh so u don't care to know)

after brainstorming (well more like talking at the brick wall that was Snape) with the old potions professor over tea gossip time again, u finally figure out how to get the egg open without screaming, and tell Viktor

Who thanks u by taking u to the Yule Ball, but u only manage the first dance before u get absorbed in the food and the cool decor, and u also convince him to gossip with u in the corner too

(u do appreciate having a reason to dress up at least, as you attempt to imitate the Tsaritsa herself with this dress)

U notice further on into the night that Hermione ran out looking upset, and ur “girl’s girl” instinct kicks in, (regardless of ur neutrality for her, u lie to urself) and follow her outside to comfort her

u talk, and tho ur cold demanour did intimidate her a little, after she realized u were genuinely trying to help her, she took u up on the offer, and asked if u two could be friends since she’s “surrounded by stupid Gryffindor boys all the time”

u agreed amused, and convinced her to join Viktor and u in ur gossip session, which Harry (after humiliating himself on the dance floor), joined in later as well

(You may or may not have iced the floor secretly under the redhead’s and the equally annoying prissy Slytherin blonde’s feet, sending them sprawling on top of each other, so neither would come bother u four)

Over the next week you hear from Hermione’s researching/studying sessions with you that Ron did apologize to her, of which u advised her to get revenge on him anyway lmao

Harry at one point came groaning and complaining to you abt Cedric bothering him abt the egg problem, and u went ahead and gave it to him

Finally the next task was here, something abt rescuing smth underwater that mattered to each of the champions

u were immediately on ur guard when Dumbledore called u and 3 other seemingly random ppl to ur office (but u began to connect the dots after realizing one of them was the little sister of the Fontai- French Champion)

only to deflect the spell that would've knocked u out, and instead pretend to be knocked out

u obv kept ur Vision on u at all times, as always, and realized what was happening as the teachers levitated u all out to the lake

Snape snapped about being the one in charge of you, (and lowkey told u he knew u were awake, did he sound a little,, proud?? no, not Snape surely of all ppl)

Viktor did end up fishing you out, which he said u “looked like a very unhappy drenched old tom cat” while swimming to shore, (u awkwardly pat him on the back for thinking ur the best part of Hogwarts, and then smacked him for getting u kidnapped to go into a freezing lake)

and u also ended up helping Viktor rescue the other girl left behind, and froze some of the mermaids’ tails in the water for their trouble

Fleur was so grateful that she came to hunt you (and Viktor too at the time) for helping her and her sister that she came to thank u two again while at the library

which then led to her sometimes hanging around ur table at the library (everyone avoids it like the plague initially bc of you, but now youve got a gaggle of wizards rotating out all the time, like the younger years Harry/Hermione/Ron, Viktor, and now Fleur)

by the time the third trial rolls around, youve taken to bullying the prissy blonde brat a year below you to keep him from not only bothering Harry and Hermione, but also ur own peace and quiet

The other Slytherins are beginning to warm up to you, or at least not actively ignore you, since you’ve been hanging around Viktor Krum, along with gaining favor from Snape more obviously (he’d plopped a singular towel in ur lap after getting out of the lake, and u might as well have “Snape’s Favorite” written across ur forehead for all that means)

(also some of them may or may not find u roasting the annoying blonde bully kid amusing too)

it isn't until u see the creepy retired Aura (or whatever they call their knights) DA professor milling about the castle more, nearer the Gryffindor tower, that you begin to warn Harry to spread the word among his little lion club to not travel alone, esp in the evenings

(u don't like how his weird rolling blue eye looks thru you, it reminds u of Dumbledore)

by the time the third trial is finally announced, you have ur sights set on that weird old man, and end up following him to his classroom at one point,

in which he cracks open a rattling trunk, tosses some food in, and seems to have definitely stolen what you assume to be the Triwizard trophy

he casts a spell on it, and you put on that same invisibiltiy amulet from alchemy to better follow him, and watch him sneak into Dumbledore’s office to return the trophy

(You break the “portkey” spell you find on it)

(you also leave a note behind on the headmaster’s desk to look into a trunk in the new DA professor’s classroom storage, and to be more careful hiring the next one.)

Harry somehow gets sucked into the maze you find out, and you end up sneaking in to save him, using your sword and Cryo Vision to battle him out

(finally, Archons, you didnt realize how much you'd miss fighting monsters)

Aurors descend upon Hogwarts, only just after the trial ends, and Viktor wins (you trained him too well for him to not, and may or may not have viciously sparred with him a little too much for him to not be a little afraid of the consequences of losing after you helped him so much lol)

Just as Harry is taken in by Dumbledore for questioning of how he got trapped in the maze, he runs back to nearly squeeze the life out of you in a hug, he tells you thanks for helping him again (and forced u to promise to teach him sword fighting or “ice magic”)

Then, surprisingly, the entirety of Durmstrang (and some Slytherins??) haul you up into the air with Viktor to celebrate his victory

(You can see Snape snickering at ur misery in the air)

Viktor and Fleur stay penpals, and the “golden trio” (more like “gryffindor triplets”) sticks around your library table

and you think you could start to get used to this, and Harry, Hermione, and Snape had gotten you a Yule/winter gift

(what’s Christmas. and why is everyone obsessed with decorating trees??)

…that is until Hermione looks over your shoulder one day at your usual reading table, and points to a book you’ve chosen for research,

saying “if you need to make a portal somewhere, that’s the book you should be looking in.”

☆

i hope you liked it!! and that it wasn't too much of a clusterfuck/chaos that was barely readable 😅

again, thanks for being patient with me, and here's finally ur payment for dealing with my ass lmao

Happy late new year!!

Safe Travels Kirarisastay,

💀♒

If you wanna join a taglist, DM me what for! "Pspspsss, please tag me for [All SAGAU posts, Only SAGAU Language AUs, diff fandom, etc.]!"

(If you ever wanna drop, just DM me! "No more taglists/[specifically this AU/fandom] please!")

@karmawonders / @0rah-s / @randomnatics / @glxssynarvi / @nexylaza / @genshin-impacts-me / @wholesomey-artist / @thedevioussmirk / @the-dumber-scaramouche / @chocogi / @fallen-starr / @areaderofbooks / @devilangel657 / @esthelily / @justinsomniachild / @nanithefuck

If your tag didnt work, idk why!!

Maybe make sure your a "searchable blog", or make sure u didnt give me a side blog?

(Tumblr is against tagging/DMing side blogs, only main blogs usually can)

#genshin impact crossover #harry potter crossover #Genshin x Harry Potter crossover #Genshin x HP AU #genshin harry potter crossover #genshin isekai #genshin imagines #harry potter imagines #hp imagines #platonic #fem reader #happy late new year kiraisastay!! :)

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yanderes-galore · 4 months ago

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Hey! requesting some HCs for Ranni (Elden Ring). Thank you!

I watched her cutscenes, I watched her lore, and I'm still not entirely sure what's going on but that's normal for this kind of game. Pardon me if there's something wrong in this concept... I am trying. ALSO, the term "Elden Lord" is used, but it's gender neutral just like in the game.

Sorry if it isn't intense... I will appreciate feedback from the Elden Ring fans.

Yandere! Ranni the Witch Concept

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Possessive behavior, Violence, Isolation, Stalking, Dubious relationship.

I imagine Ranni's darling is the one who helps her achieve her Age of Stars.

You are her Tarnished who came to her at her call.

She needs someone to help her achieve her fate and destiny.

For most of her obsession, you may actually be a willing participant.

Right up until the end when you begin to realize something may be off.

Like most of Elden Ring's yanderes I feel, Ranni isn't all that intense.

She'd mostly watch her obsession through their journey to aid her.

She watches you closely, even if you may not know it.

She sees how you interact with her cohorts and how you fight in battle.

You are a promising Tarnished in her eyes... She can tell through the way you speak and fight.

Sooner or later, she'll deem you the perfect Elden Lord for her new age.

To Ranni, meeting her obsession was yet another destiny she was meant to meet.

To her, you two were always meant to be.

Her chosen Elden Lord.

Her obsession would span throughout her side quest to get the Age of Stars ending.

Since in that ending... Ranni and The Tarnished (you) marry as God and Elden Lord.

That would be the general story idea... Ranni obsessing over her most devoted helper.

At the beginning, she tries not to show much of her favoritism.

Although, by the time you defeat Radahn and unfreeze the stars, she shows her fondness more.

In terms of her overall behavior, I imagine she's mostly the observing type, watching you from a distance and praising your efforts when you meet her.

Ranni prefers to meet you as her larger life-sized doll form.

However, when you pick up her smaller form, she doesn't mind the idea of being held by you while you share a conversation.

Her obsession is unintentional.

She originally doesn't think you'll survive her requests.

Yet when you prove yourself by meeting her again... she thinks you'll prove to be useful to her for her plans.

Then from there... the moon witch begins to grow fond of you.

She's a subtle manipulation yandere, instructing her beloved to follow her every word like a divine command.

She watches over them through her dolls, often wondering when their next meeting will be.

Her obsession starts as curiosity.

As if she's wondering if you'll really be someone she can trust.

However, once you retrieve the lost treasure of Nokron...

She knows you're hers.

Before you even find the Dark Moon ring, Ranni has claimed you as her Tarnished.

You are not loyal to any other covenant, just hers.

Which must mean she has your heart, body, and soul as hers.

In a way, like other yandere covenant/religion leaders or deities, your loyalty makes her feel she has a claim over you.

To differ from canon a bit, maybe Ranni instructs you to find the Dark Moon ring.

She doesn't tell you for what, a subtle trick.

She just gives you small lies, deceiving you by saying it was a gift from her mother that she wants back.

Then she instructs you through her smaller doll to find her location.

Unlike in the game, where she's surprised you are choosing to be her Elden Lord...

She would deceive you into being hers once you slip the ring on one of her fingers.

This is a yandere story, after all, a dark romance.

Her deceiving her Tarnished, her obsession, into being hers in her new age would be something she'd do.

You aren't quite sure what you've done until Ranni appears, claiming you to be her Elden Lord.

There's a ghost of a smile on her face while she watches your shocked expression.

As if challenging you to rebel against her now that such a ritual has been done.

She doesn't think you'll refuse if you've gone this far to listen to her.

As her new consort, you are given the task of removing her old cohorts and defeating her Shadow, Blaidd.

Then after that, she oversees you defeating Queen Marika... Radagon... her traitorous parent of a dreaded Golden Order.

By the end of it, Ranni appears to greet you and the shattered corpse of Marika.

You can't help but feel a chill run down your spine.

Ranni merely greets you with a smile yet again, thanking you for helping her achieve her Age of Stars.

Unfortunately... You cannot part from her now.

Every God requires their Elden Lord.

Their consort.

It doesn't matter if you try to back out now or agree.

Your fate and destiny are sealed.

She may have tricked you, yes...

But she assures you she does it out of love, she only feels love for her beloved consort.

She takes your hand... and you just feel cold.

She grins teasingly, leaning closer as she congratulates you...

A cold kiss cooling your warm lips.

You two are meant to be together now... forever in her new age...

You'll be hers forever...

Just the two of you, overseeing the people in the Age of Stars... Together forever... Just as destiny told her.

You can't fight your destiny... no matter how hard you try... she'll always just tug you back with a kiss... She's as cold as the Dark Moon itself.

#yandere elden ring #yandere ranni #yandere ranni the witch #yandere elden ring ranni

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xinyuehui · 28 days ago

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归棹 The Way Home (2024)

So I've hear Youku is back at it with an original double male lead 'bromance' drama 👀

It's available on Youku's Youtube 👖

The drama is a coming-of-age series set against the backdrop of Lingnan's water village culture, told through the perspective of two non-biological cousins. It tells the story of how the elder brother and younger brother work together to break free from conservative clan traditions, overcome the pain of blood ties, and rediscover the meaning of family.

I'm sorry did you say gege/didi literature??? Lingnan water village culture I'll come back to that, but as for the 'conservative clan traditions'. This is set in Lingnan, specifically Guangdong region of China. It's known in in Guangdong that traditions are preserved very well even amongst the younger generation, whether it's the Dragon Boats (the main topic in the drama) or get married and birth a son(s)...Which is why there's a continuous emphasis on how Jiahao is the only son in the family. The fact that He Jiashu got banished from the family because they found out he's not blood-related shows how bad it is in some households.

The conservativeness regarding some traditions are no joke. The translation is a bit off here, she says "Didn't they say before that women aren't allowed on the boat?". Up until recent years, it was a taboo that women aren't allowed to be on the dragon boats.

It's interesting this is the background they chose for this drama, the contrast between traditions that should be kept and ones that should be demolished.

The story revolves around two cousins separated due to family unforeseen event. He Jiahao (played by Ma Boquan), the only son of the He family in Xiqiao Village, has always been an exemplary, obedient, and diligent. However, he holds a long-buried secret in his heart: the desire to find his cousin, He Jiashu (played by Zhang Kangle), who was banished from the family eight years ago due to the taboo surrounding his origins. Unexpectedly, on the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival race, He Jiashu returns to Xiqiao Village. Initially planning to sever ties with the He family once and for all, he gradually finds himself on the path of "coming home" through his interactions with He Jiahao. Under the heavy weight of traditional and conservative clan ideologies, the two "brothers," who share no blood relation, go through experiences and grow together. Ultimately, they overcome the prejudices of the older generation, rebuild bonds of family and friendship, and come to a deeper understanding of the true meaning of home.

Do I need to say anymore after that synopses? Look at these yearning eyes!!!!

This is He Jiahao, gege con, sniffing a cigarette his gege left behind. Good boy by Chinese family standards. Sad little meow meow on most days. Suffered a horrendous capsize in childhood which left him traumatised and is unable to participate in the dragon boat rowing. He lives in the deepest regrets over something he has done to He Jiashu 8 years ago (he hasn't done anything btw), to the point that the lanky noodle is willing to fight He Jiashu to ask for forgiveness.

Exhibit: soggy wet cat

This is He 'I do not care about my didi' Jiashu, 'cool' boy, champion Dragon Boat rower. Banished from the family, returned 8 years later. Says he doesn't care but secretly reads all the messages Haohao sends him, kept the lantern they made together from years ago.

Exhibit: 2 soggy wet cats

Another thing I appreciate a lot in this is the mentions of mental health amongst students. Not in a perfect world way, but rather the struggles of pursuing it. Teacher Qiu trying to convince the older teachers and parents to look out for the students' mental health is painfully realistic. And everyone's reaction to it is not how to help them get better mentally but always how to get better grades. Don't even get me started on the typical strict Chinese dad-

They also made him go see a psychiatrist! In a Chinese drama!!!

TW: there's mentions of anxiety, self-harm and su*cide with He Jiahao.

TL;DR Recommend!! (I've only watched up to EP6 so far)

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

This is actually the main body, I wanted to write this post to talk about the Lingnan background! Lingnan tumblr user represents!!!! Do I think this drama is better than it is because of the geographical location it's set in? 100% yes, I'm not even gonna deny it.

As soon as I saw this in EP1, my eyes went 😳 I couldn't believe it! I've been here!!!

Picture I took in 2017. The location is Changqi village, Lubao, Foshan.

The bridge place that appeared multiple times is Hongchao Power Station, Shunde, Foshan.

Xiqiao, Foshan, the location the family live at.

It's neat that the main theme is on dragon boats. The history dragon boat racing in Foshan can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty.

That said, the drama is slow, they haven't started any sort of rowing by ep6 😩 we only just hit the training arc.

I feel like the show overall has fairly good Lingnan vibes, apart from the fact that all of them speaks standard Mandarin, have you meet anyone from around here 😂 where's the botched Mandarin mixed with Cantonese?? Apart from this guy, he's definitely got the right accent.

Can't believe Raymond Wong is acting as [redacted]

#归棹 #gui zhao #the way home #cdrama #chinese drama #*4 #this post is all over the place there is no focus lmao i cannot write to save my life im just excited its set in the south #gifs will be coming if the words did not convince you to watch it

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olderthannetfic · 1 year ago

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Hi! A student working on their master's thesis on fandom and fan communities has been trying to get participants for their study on Reddit, but without much luck. I told them I'd pass on the link here and see if perhaps your audience might have some people in it willing to help someone out with their research. It's totally anonymous. Link is here: https://uva.fra1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ahpYNriNmvqfJT8

"Who would you say that you are a fan of? (We advise you to answer with only one specific media figure)"

LOL.

Well no wonder it isn't getting traction. This thing is designed for actor stans with a parasocial boner for said actor.

The questions aren't even phrased right if you pick a kpop group or something, never mind a tv show.

They briefly mention fic, but this really isn't a survey for fanfic fandom at all. It's at best about comfort characters, at worst about celebrity stanning and tabloid following. There are zero questions relating to interacting with other fans and fanworks, which is laughable because a lot of the actual mental health effects of "fandom" come from what the other fans are doing, not what the canon or celebrity is.

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thequietkid-moonie · 2 years ago

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S/O befriend Monokuma

[ HEADCANONS ] [ Makoto, Hajime, Kaede, Shuichi ]

[ Trigger Happy Havoc ] [ Goodbye Despair ] [ Killing Harmony ]

Imagine hold Monokuma while he tries to make fun/threaten them, or that just of nowhere they find you with Monokuma sitting on your lap 💀 hahaha so cute

Makoto Naegi

Even when Makoto had waken up in a place he didn't reconize he still tries to keep calm, and also, even when he feels a little ashame of it, you being there with him comfort him, at least a little

Once Monokuma revealed to everyone that he is the director of the school and everyone will have to participate on a killing game he gets really worried, just like everyone else, but then again he doesn't want to freak out (specially if you seem scare, he wants to be able of help you and panicing won't help)

As much as Makoto wants to not leave your side he understand that he can't just tie yourself to him, specially when everyone is looking for a way to get out, so he leave you alone if you ask

The first time Makoto see you talking to Monokuma he doesn't think much of it since him seems really willing to talk to everyone and even help in some things, even when he isn't the most kind person. Once you two say goodbye Makoto approach you and ask you if everything is alright, but if you don't say much about it he won't pry

However, the time pass and the killing game continue, as the time pass Monokuma gets more pushy with the killing game, making it more "appealing" and bringing more incentives, so with that new attitude of Monokuma he start to get more worried whenever he sees you talking to him

Even so, Makoto still doesn't want to pry so if you don't tell him directly it isn't much of a problem as long as you asure him that he isn't trying to threaten or take advantage of you, he just let you be (but still really worried about you). It isn't until the rest of the group suspect you or even accuse you of something when he ask you and insist on it

When you reveal that you are friends with Monokuma he is dombfounded, is really surprising but it doesn't sound imposible for him, Makoto isn't going to judge you for it, he find it weird but as long as you aren't in danger is fine for him (and he will try to stand up for you with the others if he has to)

He asks you about this strange friendship of you out of curiosity, he wants to know how is Monokuma as a friend and after what you had tell him he may even give him a chance, although it would be a little difficult since Makoto is the one giving hope to the group

Still both of you manage to be his friends at the end, and, aside for his egocentrism and self-flattery he is pretty inoffensive and funny to be around, although being his friend does not free you from falling in his tricks or even that he takes advantage of you (even so, is probably that his lucky will protect you)

Hajime Hinata

Since the start of the trip Hajime was pretty wary of everything, the fact that he doesn't remember where he was or how he gets there makes him really nervous. And when Monokuma revealed the whole thing about the killing game that just make things worst

Having you by his side make Hinata more comfortable since he loves you and trust you with his live, but at the same time makes him super worried, he will hate for something happening to you. It would take him some time to get used to all of this

He doesn't trust Monokuma nor Monomi and it makes him feel uneasy whenever you have to interact with one of them, specially if you do it alone, he tend to step in front of you protectively whenever one of them appears (sometimes he does it unconsciously)

As much as he prefer to keep you close Hajime doesn't force you to be by his side all the time, so is in one of those occasions that you end up talking to them. The first time he sees you talking with one of them he panics, even if you are doing it so normally he fears that they are trying to threat you or even give you an incentive

Reacting without thinking much he runs to your side, putting you behind him like trying to protect you and asking them what the hell they want, if is Monokuma he for sure will laugh at him, asking him teasingly if he thinks he will be capable of attack you like that, while if is Monomi she tries to calm him down and explain that you two were just talking, she is your teacher she will never do something to harm you!

In either case Hajime will get you away from them, once you two are far from them enough he ask you worringly if you are fine and what they wanted, even look all over you for posible injuries, but when you explain that they are your friends he imediatly stops and look at you astonished

Hajime doesn't feel comfortable with it and he tries to warn you about them but he won't stop you if you want to continue with the friendship, although he won't get fully used to it neither, always glaring at them like threating them

Also, he always makes sure to ask you if everything is alright and what you where doing/talking with them, he just want to make sure they won't try to put you on a trap or try to take advantage of you

Monomi will try to explain that she isn't there to harm them, she is just there to help them, still Hajime never fully believe her, not even when you insist on telling him that she isn't bad too. In the other hand, Monokuma find it funny and he mess with Hajime every time he has the chance, teasing him about your friendship (even when you aren't there), and you can't stop him from do so

Kaede Akamatsu

Even when everyone are on an unknown place or that none of you know how you ended there Kaede tries to stay optimistic and cheer everyone, or even when Monokuma force them to participate on the killing game she still tries to keep calm

Even when Monokuma is the one who organizate this game or that the Monokubs are his kids she never fully distrust them and even is willing to heard whatever they had to say (even when they just want to bother everyone)

She doesn't think much when she sees you talking with Monokuma or one of the Monokubs, non of them are rude to all of you for no reason and they are willing to talk, she may think that maybe you were asking something so she wait until you two stop talking to approach to you and she just ask if everything is alright

She is curious but she doesn't want to pry so she just let you be, although this doesn't stop, in fact just increase to the point that becomes pretty common to see you with Monokuma or playing around with the Monokubs, it is an strange view but Kaede wants to ask you first before getting weird ideas

She doesn't want to think that you are the mastermind (or anyone else thinking that), so one day she tell you that she has something important to discuss with you, when in privite she ask you about that strange relationship you have with Monokuma and with the Monokubs, she was so anxious about the whole thing that when you tell her that they are your friends she is shocked

It was pretty obvious but is still strange knowing the circumstances you where in, even so Kaede won't judge you for it, if they are your friends maybe they aren't too bad people, and since Monokuma is a father maybe he isn't too bad either

After that she tries to give them a chance, with Monokuma there is not much problem and they could talk so naturaly, he even act pretty polite, he isn't that bad as a friend. However with the Monokubs is whole different story, they are demanding, clingy and kinda possessive, once they accept you as their friend it would be difficult for them to let you alone, and even worst because at first they tended to bother Kaede a lot (you better put them an stop)

Aside from bad taste and cruel jokes during the investigation and the trials Monokuma let you be and do whatever you have to do in peace, while the Monokubs try to mess with you here an there, distract you or even cheat a little and give you information that "just they know" (but is better to don't trust them, you won't know if is real or not until the trial)

Shuichi Sahara

Since the start Shuichi tried to keep close attention to all the place, trying to get some clues, specially when at the start the Monokubs scares everyone by appearing in giant robots

You being there with him make him feel a little more comfortable but at the same time worried for your safety, he will prefer to stay by your side all the time but won't force you to, just asking you to be careful

When he sees you talking with one of them it would depend a little of who you are talking to, if is with Monokuma or Monophanie he won't think much about it since they are the most willing to talk to everyone, while if is another of the Monokubs (like Monotaro or Monokid) he will be more worried, although he tries not to get carried away by the anxiety and wait to ask you directly

Shuichi doesn't want to pry so if when he ask you what you were doing you don't say much or don't give the details he won't ask more, but still the thought of it get stuck on his head and don't stop bothering him, just making it worst the more he sees you talking with one of them

At the same time, the more time it pass with you hanging out with them without clarified your relationship with them the more he gets worried, he tries to get a conclusion (he is the ultimate detective after all) and at least once the idea of you being the mastermind crossed his mind but he just repeat himself that is imposible, he knows you for a while now and he would have figured it out before if that were the case

He probably gets the conclusion of you being their friend before confronting you about it, and when you confirm it he start to relax about the whole thing, he was worried that this would be something bad but is just a friendship (he is still troubled by it though)

He shyly ask you about the Monokubs and Monokuma and what you do with them mainly because he wants to make sure they aren't planning to use you or something, once confirming that they truly are just your friends he calms down

He doesn't really get used to your friendship for a while but won't stop you from hanging out with them. If you try to include him in whatever you do with them he will be really nervous and a little flustered, but won't say no, however it would take them a while to consider him a friend, specially Monotaro and Monokid who will messing with him a lot, please just help him and stop them (is more probably that they stop if you scold them)

Also Shuichi is quickly to stand up for you if someone begins to suspect you for your friendship with Monokuma and the Monokubs, making it clear that is just that, a friendship, and that they aren't going to benefit you in any way (and they probably say something too to clarify it insulting you in the process)

#danganronpa #danganronpa x reader #makoto naegi #makoto naegi x reader #makoto x reader #hajime hinata #hajime hinata x reader #hajime x reader #kaede akamatsu #kaede akamatsu x reader #kaede x reader #shuichi saihara #shuichi saihara x reader #shuichi x reader #anime x reader #video games x reader #x reader #x gn reader

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yanpoetry · 9 days ago

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Chapter 2: Part 10: Identifying the Type of Darling You Have

When you're in a relationship with a Yandere, it’s essential to understand the dynamics at play. Every Darling is unique, and identifying the type of Darling you have will help you understand how to approach and manage the relationship. Whether they are cooperative or rebellious, each type presents different challenges and rewards. Here’s a guide to help you pinpoint which Darling you're dealing with:

1. Willful and Cooperative Darling This type of Darling is the ideal partner. They are not only willing to submit to the Yandere’s control but actively participate in the relationship with loyalty and devotion. Though they maintain a strong sense of self, their cooperation leads to the best kind of affection and rewards from their Yandere. They are calm, patient, and obedient.

Challenge: The only issue here might be keeping them from becoming too complacent or neglected, but overall, they are the easiest to manage.

2. Broken Darling This type is the hardest to manage. A Broken Darling cannot be rehabilitated and will fight every step of the way. They do not accept rules or submission, constantly trying to escape. They are unyielding and require constant restraint.

Challenge: They’ll never fall in line, no matter how much effort you put in. Constant vigilance is required to keep them under control. They can break free if you aren't careful.

3. Brat Darling Brat Darlings love to test boundaries. They act rebellious for the thrill of it, enjoying the reactions they get from their Yandere. They might push buttons and break rules just to get attention but do so knowing they’ll eventually be controlled again.

Challenge: While they can be difficult, Brat Darlings are still manageable. Recognizing their need for power play helps restore balance.

4. Role Model Darling This Darling is the epitome of devotion. Not only do they serve as an example of perfect submission, but they also encourage others to follow suit. They may even look down on less cooperative Darlings and act as a model for ideal behavior.

Challenge: Their perfection can sometimes distance them emotionally from their Yandere, making the relationship feel more transactional than intimate. They may also become self-righteous if not properly guided.

5. Faker Darling The Faker Darling appears perfect on the surface but hides a deceitful agenda. They’ll play the part of the ideal Darling, pretending to love and obey, but in reality, they are only waiting for the right moment to escape. Their manipulation can be deceiving.

Challenge: You have to stay hyper-vigilant to avoid falling for their act. Trust is key here, but breaking it could cause them to reveal their true intentions.

6. Partner Darling This Darling is more traditional in nature. They are submissive but enjoy some autonomy and interaction with the outside world. They follow the basic rules but resist full captivity. While they may show affection, they are not fully under control at all times.

Challenge: Maintaining strict control can be difficult with a Partner Darling, as their need for freedom often leads to boundary-pushing behavior.

7. BloodLuster Darling BloodLuster Darlings are drawn to violence and brutality. They thrive on the darker aspects of the relationship, encouraging dangerous behavior from the Yandere. They might even find satisfaction in witnessing harm, creating a bond through shared darkness.

Challenge: They are unpredictable and may push the Yandere toward more risky behaviors. Controlling them may become more difficult if their craving for violence grows uncontrollable.

8. Empath Darling Empath Darlings are sensitive and emotionally driven. They empathize with the Yandere’s feelings and might even put themselves at risk to help or "fix" the situation. They want to soothe and heal but may also try to protect others from the Yandere.

Challenge: While an Empath Darling can be emotionally manipulative in their own right, their desire to help may put them at risk of rebellion. Balancing control while respecting their empathy is essential.

9. Suicidal Darling A Suicidal Darling is deeply troubled, often viewing death as an escape from the Yandere’s control. They may harm themselves or attempt suicide in an effort to break free, presenting a constant emotional and physical challenge.

Challenge: They pose a significant emotional burden, and constant vigilance is necessary. Creating a protective environment to ensure their well-being while still managing the relationship can be a delicate balance.

10. Escape Artist Darling This Darling is a master of escape. Whether through intelligence, manipulation, or sheer determination, they can find ways to break free, often more than once. Their ability to outsmart restraints and find weaknesses in control makes them particularly difficult to manage.

Challenge: Keeping them in control requires constant innovation and vigilance. They’re relentless in their attempts to regain freedom, and it's a challenge that can exhaust even the most dedicated Yandere.

11. Comforter Darling Comforter Darlings are emotionally supportive. They offer care and comfort to the Yandere, sacrificing their own needs to attend to the Yandere’s emotional state. They are sensitive to moods and offer soothing words and actions to calm their partner.

Challenge: Over time, this role can be emotionally draining. They may feel neglected or used if their own emotional needs aren’t met.

12. Abusive Darling An Abusive Darling actively resists and fights the Yandere. They may engage in physical or verbal confrontations, causing tension in the relationship. Despite their aggression, they may occasionally submit, creating a volatile and unpredictable dynamic.

Challenge: The Yandere must maintain dominance while not escalating the situation too much. Understanding the underlying causes of their aggression is crucial to preventing emotional fallout.

13. Masochistic Darling Masochistic Darlings find pleasure in pain, punishment, or degradation. They actively seek out and enjoy punishment, often to the point of making demands for more. This Darling thrives on the control and suffering that comes with the relationship.

Challenge: Managing their desire for punishment requires balance. The Yandere must ensure that they don’t push the boundaries of safety while still satisfying their Darling’s emotional needs.

14. Chaser (not a Darling) Chasers are not truly Darlings; they are thrill-seekers who fetishize the Yandere x Darling dynamic. They often cooperate initially but will quickly try to escape once they’ve satisfied their desire for excitement.

Challenge: The Yandere may struggle with the fleeting nature of the Chaser’s interest. These types are often more focused on fantasy than reality, leading to eventual disappointment.

15. Isolated Darling An Isolated Darling prefers solitude and is mostly compliant when they’re left alone. They don’t actively rebel but also aren’t interested in social interaction. They enjoy being in a controlled, solitary environment with minimal distractions.

Challenge: The lack of engagement might make the relationship feel emotionally hollow. They’re easy to control but might not provide the emotional fulfillment a Yandere desires.

16. Degrader Darling Degrader Darlings enjoy belittling and emotionally hurting their Yandere. They may cooperate in the end, but their interactions are often full of insults and taunts. They derive some twisted satisfaction from demeaning their partner.

Challenge: The Yandere must have strong emotional control to handle the constant negativity. However, the cooperation in the end ensures that the relationship remains.

17. Idealist Darling Idealist Darlings believe they should be confined to the most extreme extent possible. They want the Yandere’s control to be unyielding and may even become frustrated if they feel they aren’t locked away or isolated enough.

Challenge: The Yandere must constantly satisfy their Darling’s extreme expectations, pushing for stricter control and higher levels of confinement.

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scarlet--wiccan · 12 days ago

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Don't act dumb? Your account is literally nothing but Roma Virtue signalling. If marvel is such a racist company why interact with it? The information on your page is again incorrect. We are not a tool for you to make yourself feel better and feed your saviour complex. Just weird you really should stop speaking about and on behalf of Roma it's giving obsessed and just the most ignorant type of saviour complex and it's all in the name of marvel we truly exist outside of Marvel but idk if y'all can comprehend that.

This is really extreme and unfair. I don't want to continue this conversation, as it's clear that you're not willing to engage in good faith, and frankly, after years of being clear about my background, I don't feel like I owe anything to an anonymous user who could very well be the exact sort of troll I was just talking about. But I suppose it would be helpful to clarify some things, since nobody ever reads my old posts.

I am a second-generation American of Cale Romani descent. I identify as a white-presenting person of mixed race. I have been consistently clear about this and there are photos of me on this blog. I'm not hiding anything. I am a Marvel fan and a long-time comic book reader. This page started out as a general fandom blog, but because I happen to be gitano, I am particularly invested in Romani characters and speak often about issues of Roma representation. I don't think that's weird or hard to understand, and I do still post about other stuff. I'm not trying to be a savior or spokesperson, I'm just talking about what I know and what matters to me. I don't think that Marvel comics are wholly or irredeemably racist, nor do I think that's a productive way to approach critical consumption. This is a massive literary canon and a reflection of many different aspects of American pop culture, and I prefer to engage with it as such.

People are entitled to have different opinions and feelings about these characters, and I've acknowledged plenty of times that I don't speak for everybody-- I've even expressed anxiety about drawing too much attention to comics when I know there are Roma who're sick of hearing about it! But I don't think that it's uncommon for marginalized people to have complex relationships with flawed or problematic representation. I, personally, like these characters and see value in them, but more than that, I think it's important to initiate critical conversations about them because they're very popular now, and they're going to exist in perpetuity, whether we like it or not.

I often make it a priority to direct those conversations towards actual Romani history, because I want readers to learn more about that and to participate in allyship beyond Marvel fandom. In fact, I've repeatedly said that I think fans' tendency to tokenize these characters is detrimental on all sides, and I do post about Romani issues outside of comics, but again, this is specifically a fandom blog, so that's what I focus on. If that's not getting across to you, either you aren't actually reading my blog and you just decided to bother me unprovoked, or I'm a much worse writer than I thought.

If you don't always agree with me, that's fine, but everything I've said about Romani history and racialization is just verifiable fact. I don't think that I'm wrong to say that whitewashing and erasure are bad, and that if Marvel is going to continue making and adapting stories about Romani characters, we deserve to advocate for ourselves and demand better inclusion. I've never had to speak over or argue with other Romani people about this, because, honestly, the only people who disagree with me on this basic principle are belligerent anons like you! And I know other actual Roma who would agree with me. I have a life, and a relationship with community and culture outside of comics, but you don't see that because you don't know me, and again, this is a fandom-specific blog.

#robintext #I most likely will not respond to further and if this person continues harassing me in bad faith I will block them-- not that anon blocking #is particularly effective.

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xdreamie · 10 months ago

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I think with the vagueness of George's response + him saying he wouldn't reveal anything that Caiti hadn't said yet is making me think that he did touch her chest. But (and I say this fully empathizing with her discomfort) I don't think it changes much. Caiti herself said that she was willing to participate as "the price to pay" and showed signs of non-verbal reciprocation i.e consent. It could have been a light waist touch or a heavy-handed grope — either way, she chose to continue with the interaction.

(apologies for potential TMI, I just want to share my perspective)

I completely understand how Caiti would feel in this moment. Personally, I'm religiously celibate, a virgin, lowkey ace and have dealt with a long term relationship in which my sexual boundaries were continually disrespected. I totally get how it would be hard to say no, or how you might feel intimidated or uncomfortable with being touched intimately for the first time. There were some instances in which my ex pressured or guilted me into consent, but there were other times where I consented even though I was extremely uncomfortable and the interaction made me feel really dirty afterwards. It was my choice to participate in whatever my ex was trying to do to me, and while it haunts me to this day I still need to deal with the consequences of my actions like an adult. The feelings are valid, but demanding that someone respects your autonomy when you aren't willing to assert that autonomy is a choice only you can make.

With all of that, I personally don't see anything wrong with what George did. I hope he's more careful in the future, but I think he did the best he could with the cues he was given and the social bubble norms that Caiti unfortunately wasn't aware of. We can be empathetic to how shitty the situation is, but it's so important that everyone takes accountability for their actions. It's the only way George will grow, and it's the only way that Caiti can heal and use the experience to protect herself moving forward.

Sorry for the ramble + if some of those thoughts weren't connected well. I'm just frustrated as someone in a very similar position to Caiti who had to accept my role in what happened to me and the consequences of agreeing to things I didn't want.

The feelings are valid, but demanding that someone respects your autonomy when you aren't willing to assert that autonomy is a choice only you can make.

very well put anon and i’m very sorry that happened to you. you don’t need to apologize though, it was a good explanation of your thoughts

#ri asks #george situation

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rabbithaver · 3 months ago

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ok i know i didnt throw silver today here on tumblr but frankly i have been super busy, and now that i'm free, i'm totally exhausted. i'm gonna have to take a rain check on throwing him today, but rest assured that i DID throw him irl. and i'm holding him right now. so he's getting the love he deserves, i promise :)

i just hosted a 7 hour Bumblekast Server Movie Night since there was no recording today. it went so well!!! we watched Interstellar and The Martian, two of my all-time favorite films. i talked so much with so many people that now my throat hurts and i am absolutely exhausted... but oh my god, we had so much fun. i got to connect with a ton of friends in the server whose voices i'd never heard before. i got to infodump about my special interests to people who genuinely cared to hear what i had to say. we got to crack jokes and have fun during breaks. the very first ever Bumblekast Server Movie Night was, overall, a huge success!

in fact, it was such a successful event that i am going to have to host a second screening of Interstellar! like eight people really wanted to join us and see it, but couldn't due to their schedules. i've promised them that i'll ping them when i start planning the next screening so that way we can make sure everyone is able to participate. and Interstellar is one of those movies i will happily watch several times a week so it all works out.

everyone seemed to love the movies, and they even seemed to appreciate the fact that i had behind-the-scenes trivia and facts about the science in the movies. one of my huge worries is that people i watch movies with get annoyed when i share things like that, but if anything, folks seemed to appreciate the movies more because of it.

man, i know i keep saying it, but i really do love the Bumblekast community so much. i have never felt so at ease with so many people. i've never felt like a burden or an annoyance there... like, i truly think it's where i belong. everyone is so caring and supportive, especially the mod team and Kyle. hell, Kyle even set up an event in the server for me so that we could spread the word to people! it was such a kind gesture.

that place truly is something so special. i've been there since September 15, 2023, and i can count on one hand how many genuine fights and bigoted statements i've seen. the mod team is so exceptional at maintaining a positive and friendly atmosphere there. it helps that they nip heated conversations in the bud before they can become arguments. they're also very easy to talk to —they're all so incredibly funny and approachable. they're constantly interacting with the community, too. and they're also really willing to work with people.

for example, occasionally i've broken rules by accident or flown too close to the sun with a joke and they've had to DM me about it. and they know that i have severe anxiety, so when they broach these subjects with me, they know to say right off the bat, "hey, you're not in trouble or anything and we aren't mad, we just need to talk to you about something." it's a little thing, but it seriously means so much to me. the fact that they keep my struggles in mind when doing their jobs is proof to me that they care about the community they support.

a lot of discord servers have mods who are very... distant with their communities. like, they don't participate in conversation amongst members, or they take jokes way too seriously, or they throw their weight around just to intimidate users into submission. those discord server mods just don't bother interacting with their communities, either because they're too busy, or they're not interested in what their members are doing, or in the worst cases, they think they're better than everyone else. i've encountered a lot of these people before and they're always so unpleasant. it just highlights to me how unique the Bumbleserver is.

i'm so fucking glad i got into Sonic, man. if i hadn't watched the game grumps play Frontiers, i never would have picked up the comics. i never would have known how much fun they are. i never would have started listening to the Bumblekast. i never would have decided to create the clips blog. i never would've been reached out to by Puppy Bumblekast, who i now consider one of my closest friends. and of course, i never would have claimed Silver as my son, which lead to Seán reaching out to me. i never would have fallen so thoroughly in love with him, either. 💖

ok that was a WAY longer post than i meant it to be . im really really tired so im gonna go to bed. goodnight everybody

goodnight my friends!

#rabbit.txt

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deviantartdramahub · 4 months ago

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I recently lost a friend to the darkness, so amidst of all the chaos and the mess and because it's still self harm awareness month as it is every year, I want to share a short story.

Once upon a time, I had a friend named Kitty. Kitty was one of the best artist friends anyone can have around and was a pillar of the groups I've been in for years. She came from the island of Anuta and liked to form her individuality by artistically turning pictures of oddly shaped clouds into things that those clouds are shaped like, as a way of challenging herself while getting recognition.

After six years of recognition, she found herself in a conflict, being she was accused of wrongly snagging other peoples' cloud pictures in order to turn the clouds into other things. She fiercely defended herself for a few days but after six days relented after the person invited others to participate in the criticism of her. Regretful, she deleted her presence and then made a new one, which was fitting since she also had a lot of very very NSFW content.

Despite this, people still recognized her from her face. Having surrendered at that point, she wanted to fix her image, to earn forgiveness. To do that, she offered one or more of three things: A) to change her ways B) to make amends C) to win favor

This, however, changed nothing. She tried doing everything that was told of her and it didn't change her social standing. She tried fulfilling commissions for free and it wouldn't work. It was like a trading game, she established what she wanted (forgiveness) and gave everyone the name-your-price tool. They put the price at ∞ and it from then on seemed like she was chasing rainbows. She was forever without her crowd.

I witnessed something devastating as this was going on. Forgiveness is tied to hope. People hope to be forgiven and forgiveness leads to hope. She could never repair what was lost and I saw someone slowly spiritually implode and crumble. Her very last work of art was the following Crucible meme.

Ruined by the fact she could not repair what was lost, she realized she had nothing to lose and acted like a wreck for an additional few years, which was in stark contrast to her cheery, diplomatic self she was trying to be when she thought she could try to restore herself in her community. She reasoned, if someone could only be hated by those she cared about having good relations with when she's good and only hated when she's bad, why try to be anything aside from how she wants to be (as opposed to someone who strives based on what is fair)? It's how the ring of gyges works. This may be why some people were known to make friends specifically with the friendless, even when they were buttholes to other people, to be a new light for those in the dark, but alas, where are those lights now?

Her very few friends (two of us, but sometimes that feels empty when nothing happens) would later try to forget about it, saying we consider ourselves satisfied in the conflict, enough to "amount to winning", but her critics would say they won, having eventually chased her off after much destruction caused by her. This is, however, despite the fact those critics still rage about her, an aspect that, as a side note, I had an enlightening conversation with AI about yesterday, inspired by the trend.

Like I said, a trading game. If two sides believe they have won, which implies the two sides believe an interaction was worth it, how is that different from a regular trade of favors or goods? Except... exchanges like this aren't any where both sides act like it's worth it, if it's one where one side is genuinely striving for interpersonal tranquility while the other is willing to complain or throw stones or whatever you call it for years long after they claim the victory happened (for why send soldiers where there is no war), sometimes projecting while they're at it as if anyone in their audience doesn't see through the slandering or slurring for that reason, as if they're in mourning or can never be at peace based on their constant rambles. That's how you know they're, by definition, losers.

So this is what Hell is like, a group of people who sense they live a self-defeating way of living but are silenced from reaching their hand out by their habit of bragging about what's not worth bragging about while bringing everything down with them.

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fandom-space-princess · 6 months ago

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this is nothing but I was wondering today whether your personal ability to separate art from artist when, say, reading a book or watching a movie is partially a function of how you conceptualize what art means to you.

if your primary approach when interacting with art is engagement with culture—intellectual or personal curiosity, the desire to remain or become fluent in the ideas of the people around you, participation in a community—I think it's probably a lot easier for you to find something of value in even very bad art, or art created by people you personally find reprehensible. "the context of the artist and their life" is still a really valuable tool for critical analysis, obviously, but if it's not your primary motivator then it becomes easier to meaningfully engage with and interpret the work in other ways.

whereas if your primary approach to art is consumptive—that the act of engaging with art is a statement of support for the process that created it, that the work is a product the artist has provided you as a consumer and your enjoyment of it is, in some sense, a vote cast for the success of the artist—I can see it being much more difficult to process art outside the context of its origins. this will always have the effect of narrowing what art is enjoyable to you, I think, simply because the number of artists who are also kind of shitty people is high.

I don't think either one of these approaches is necessarily wrong, or that people usually do only one or the other. but idk. I like a lot of things that were created by certifiably awful people. those things are important to cultures and communities that I am part of, and they aren't going to go away even if I were willing or able to just stop interacting with them, and I wouldn't want them to.

#this isn't about anything in particular I'm just spinning my wheels #fsp speaks

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somedaylazysomeday · 2 years ago

Text

Winner Take All - Part One

Nathan Bateman x fem!reader (no use of y/n)

You're a biotechnology student at MIT. You aren't impressed by Nathan Bateman, especially when he shows up at your favorite trivia night.

Rating: Mature. Nothing too spicy in this chapter, but the next one will be. Minors, please do not interact!

Word Count: 4,600

Warnings: Mentions of bars and drinking, bad language and worse jokes, general antagonism.

Next | Masterlist

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You came back from the bar, juggling four drinks in your arms. Two of them were pressed up close and personal with your boobs, but that was the price your friends paid for not helping you.

As you handed them out to everyone, they continued their debate on teams. You raised your eyebrows. “Whose team am I on?”

“No one’s,” Frannie told you firmly. “You know the rules.”

“Come on,” you complained, though you were already smiling. “You’d win on my team.”

“That’s not the point.” Amber took a deep drink of her beer. “The point is that none of us would get to show off what we know.”

Your smile faded a little. You had a tendency to steamroll people when you were excited about something, and trivia always got you a little overzealous. “I’m sorry, guys-”

“Don’t be,” Talya assured you with a kind smile. “We all know what we’re getting into when we come here on trivia nights. We just want to give you a little competition.”

Her overdramatic wink cheered you up again. You settled into your comfortable armchair, taking a sip of your drink as you glanced happily around the room.

The Estuary was, in your less-than-objective opinion, the best bar in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In fact, it could hardly be called a bar. It was more like a spacious pub, or even a tavern, if you were feeling particularly medieval. The interior of the main room was all dark wood, with shaded lamps that threw just enough light over the low tables and leather armchairs to keep the atmosphere from feeling oppressive.

There were real books on the shelves that lined the walls, and the music was loud enough to fill the space without overpowering the conversations taking place around the room. It was a place that emphasized its guests rather than trying to control or overwhelm them. You enjoyed the occasional club or upscale bar, but the Estuary was somewhere you were willing to go every night.

You damn near did, actually. You and your friends were students at the nearby Massachusetts Institute of Technology, all pursuing your doctorate degrees in various subjects. This far into your schooling, MIT felt like home, but the Estuary was still a welcome escape.

It was a reasonably busy night at the bar. There were plenty of people huddled around, but if tonight were like every other trivia night, only a certain percentage would participate.

And, unless tonight was very unique indeed, you would beat all of them.

“C’mon, focus up,” Frannie ordered. “It’s starting in two minutes. What’s our name going to be?”

“I liked our old name,” Amber opined. “It always got a good laugh.”

“It’s outdated,” Frannie told her. “It stopped being funny three years ago.”

Amber pouted and Talya patted her consolingly on the shoulder. “It’s okay, Amber. PhDeez Nuts had a good run.”

You snorted into your drink and Frannie threw you a withering look. “Yeah, whatever. We all know what you’re playing under, Champ.”

“It’s short and sweet,” you said defensively. “Plus, no one has ever mispronounced it.”

‘Champ’ had been your go-to trivia name since the girls had kicked you off of their team. The reasons you had given for your attachment to the name were true, but there was one other reason you didn’t state aloud: the name made it clear that you were playing alone. It was a subtle show of authority, one of the few teams that was made up of a single person. You were certainly the only solo person to win trivia as often as you did.

So your ego liked the boost you got from winning bar trivia. So what? This was a harmless way to feed your need for appreciation. It was a need you refused to deny or downplay. After all, the desire to stand out from your peers had helped drive you to skip several grades in school and pursue a career in the sciences. It kept you on your toes at MIT and you were proud to say you were at the top of your class.

All things considered, a weakness for trivia at a local bar was so minor as to be considered an amusing quirk.

When the trivia session started, you studied the names that displayed on the various screens around the bar. There was a good mix of familiar names and new ones. It would be a good game.

When the Estuary had first switched to the automated trivia system, you had been hesitant. You didn’t come to the bar to spend an evening staring at your phone. But the system was cheaper than paying a moderator. Mira, the owner, had also told you that having people use their phones cut down on the number of players who tried to cheat.

You actually liked this form of trivia a little better. The system showed how many points each question was worth, and you could track your score in real time instead of hoping the moderator wasn’t getting too drunk to do basic arithmetic. Plus, this system could track simultaneous answers, so if you got the correct answer, it didn’t matter if a louder party or one sitting closer to the front got it at the same time. Points were given based on how quickly and accurately you answered a question.

The first five questions were simple: two were based on classic films, one was about geology, one concerned a French poet, and the fifth was over the Second Battle of the Somme.

“Looks like Champ is in the lead!” Frannie said, scoffing even as she winked at you. “Someone save us from her tyranny!”

“How can you remember all of that?” Talya asked. “I swear, some days, I can barely remember basic coding, but you’re over there rattling off the greatest works of Jean de La Fontaine.”

“You think that’s bad?” Amber asked, draining the last of her beer and standing to retrieve another one. “I’m in her classes! I know she’s been studying for a test over recurrent network models - which she aced, by the way - and she’s still trouncing all of us.”

“Shut up, Amber,” you told her, tossing a napkin in her direction.

“At least we have manners in the Oceanography Department,” Frannie said, shaking her head at you as she retrieved the napkin. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to make a mess?”

“Maybe,” you said, squinting playfully. “You know, I just can’t remember. My memory isn’t what it used to be…”

Their collective groan made you laugh openly. They truly were the smartest people you had ever met, but they were funny, too.

Talya was part of the Social and Engineering Systems Department at the Schwarzman College of Computing. She was a sweetheart and incredibly kind, but her pithy observations always managed to catch you off guard.

Frannie was getting her PhD in Physical Oceanography, and she had the driest sense of humor of anyone you had ever met. You had always thought that, if she lived in Shakespeare’s time, she could have been the inspiration for Much Ado About Nothing’s Beatrice.

Amber was pursuing the same degree as you: Computationally-Enabled Integrative Neuroscience. She liked to cut loose and have fun, but she was one of the most serious students you had ever met. You had seen Amber drag herself to class with the world’s worst hangover, take thorough notes on a lecture, ace a test, and go throw up… in that order. She was wickedly competent and working with her helped drive you to achieve more in your own studies.

You were all working toward earning your doctorate degrees, and getting toward the tail end of the process - one that took an average of five years. You were the youngest of the group, having skipped those years of elementary and middle school, but you were the closest to earning your degree. The others never treated you like you were any different than they were, which you appreciated. People had a tendency to talk down to you because you were young or act strange because you were highly intelligent. It was an exhausting duality, so you kept to your small social circle.

By the time the next round started, Amber had returned with a fresh beer. Mira was working behind the bar that night, and she always made sure you were all taken care of.

You tied with your friends - playing under the name ‘The Tipsy Scholars’ - on the next question, mostly because Talya was holding the phone and the question was over the process of a Turing Test.

“Hah!” Amber cheered. “Better watch it, Champ! We’re coming for you!”

“Hang on, someone else tied with us,” Frannie said, squinting at the closest trivia screen.

You followed her gaze. Frannie was right; there was another name beside Champ and The Tipsy Scholars. Someone playing under the username ‘The Conqueror’ had gotten the answer at almost the same time as you and your friends.

“Weird,” you said. “But I don’t remember seeing that name in the first round. Whoever they are, they have plenty of catching up to do.”

And they did.

It became a game you were playing beyond the trivia itself. You watched The Conqueror rise through the ranks of players over the standard ten rounds of questions. They continued to advance further and further until they were nipping at your heels.

“Who is this person?” Amber demanded. “I might have to buy them a drink.”

You pressed a hand to your chest, acting playfully outraged. “You would cheer for the person who dethrones your friend?”

“Absolutely!” she agreed, saluting you with her drink.

The others laughed and Talya began singing Coldplay’s Viva La Vida as you waited for the final round of trivia to begin. When it did, you were holding your phone so tightly that your fingers ached.

A question about the artwork of Katsushika Hokusai. A question about the Pythagorean Theorem. A question about major cities on the Silk Road. A question about lobes of the brain that was insultingly easy. And finally…

Name one of the three main uses of the ‘final’ keyword in Java programming.

You were distracted momentarily by the incredible noise that exploded from beside you. Talya was shouting triumphantly as she typed in her answer while Frannie and Amber cheered her on. You pulled your eyes back to your own phone and typed in your answer - to prevent inheritance - but you knew the lag had cost you some points. The real question was: were they points you could afford to lose?

That became even less certain as the question’s scoreboard flashed up on the screen. For the last question, you had come in below The Tipsy Scholars… and The Conqueror.

The system always took a moment to calculate up everyone’s final score, especially when the Estuary was as crowded as it was that night. But when it did, you frowned in displeasure.

The winner is… The Conqueror!

“Wow, Champ loses her undefeated title!” Talya said, acting astonished.

“I was never undefeated,” you corrected, feeling a little flat. “I lose occasionally.”

“Yeah, about once a year,” Amber shot back.

Frannie shrugged. “Maybe this is her yearly loss, then. You’ll get ‘em next time.”

You smiled at her, but you were more bothered by your loss than you should have been over something as minor as a game of trivia. So much of your identity was wrapped up in being ‘the smart one’, even among some of the brightest minds in the world. Was a trivia game an accurate measure of intelligence? Of course not. Were you okay with losing? Also of course not.

Still, you forced a light laugh and stood up from your comfortable armchair. “Well, as the newly deposed ruler of the Estuary, shall I get the next round? I wouldn’t want to be another guillotine statistic.”

Your friends called their orders to you - ones you already knew by heart - and you walked up to the bar.

Mira came over to you right away, ignoring the group of young students complaining on the other side of the horseshoe-shaped bar. “You doin’ okay, hun? I saw the way that played out.”

Her vague gesture toward the front of the bar encompassed everything, but you knew she was talking about the trivia. “Yeah, it’s just a game. You have to lose one every now and then, right? Makes the victories sweeter.”

“Mm hmm,” she hummed skeptically. “Another round of the usual, then?”

“Yeah, but make mine a rum and coke.”

You typically stuck to lighter drinks on trivia nights, mostly because they were always held on Thursdays, but you were going to treat yourself to something extra. It was a reward for a game well-played, even if you hadn’t ended up winning.

Mira’s eyebrows flew up, but she nodded. “Single or double?”

“Just a single,” you clarified. You were upset, but you weren’t that upset. “I have an early morning lecture tomorrow. We’ll be headed back soon.”

“Are you Champ?” an unfamiliar voice asked.

You glanced to your right, only then realizing that there was someone at your elbow. He was sitting at the bar, a beer resting neatly on a napkin in front of him. He didn’t look creepy or dangerous, so you nodded.

“Yeah, that’s me.”

He stuck out a hand and you accepted it automatically. His fingers wrapped around yours, unexpectedly warm for someone who had been holding a chilled mug. “I’m The Conqueror.”

“Nice to meet you,” you told him, trying to make it sound sincere. You didn’t entirely succeed, and amusement flashed in his dark eyes.

“Sure,” he agreed easily. “You said you have an early lecture tomorrow. MassArt?”

You frowned at him. The nearby Massachusetts College of Art and Design was supposed to be an excellent school, but nothing about you screamed ‘art student’. “MIT, actually.”

“Oh, cool. Same. I’m over at Schwarzman.”

“That’s great.” You turned back toward the bar, trying to signal an end to the conversation. Mira had been interrupted halfway through gathering your order when one of the patrons spilled a drink. She sent an apologetic look your way and you shook your head, silently telling her it was fine. Busy nights were what they were.

“You played a good game,” your new acquaintance told you. “If I’d come in a question or two later, you might have beaten me.”

You didn’t like this guy, but you consoled yourself with the knowledge that you probably wouldn’t have liked him even if he hadn’t just beaten you in trivia. He had a condescending sort of attitude you didn’t like. It wasn’t uncommon at MIT, but you carefully surrounded yourself with people who didn’t act that way.

Unfortunately, you couldn’t quite keep your silence. “And if there had been slightly different questions, I might have beaten you. Or if your phone glitched at the wrong time. Or if you’d had a second beer. There are too many variables to make such a shallow assessment.”

His mouth twisted in a smirk. “Honey, I’ve never made a shallow assessment in my life. I always consider all of the variables.”

The way he emphasized that made it sound like some kind of pick-up line, but it was one that made no sense. Part of you wondered if you were supposed to ask for an explanation in order to fully understand, but you were beyond caring.

Thankfully, Mira came back. You cut off her apology. “I changed my mind. I’ll take a double.”

She had your order ready quickly. The self-declared Conqueror moved as if to stand from his barstool. “Need some help carrying all of that?”

“Nope.” You wedged two drinks between your forearm and your ribs, carrying the others in your hands. “Thanks, Mira.”

If the guy said anything else, you didn’t hear it. Your full attention was on carrying all of the drinks back to your friends without spilling anything. That effort went unappreciated when you arrived.

“What took so long?” Amber asked, immediately gulping a third of her beer.

“Mira had to stop and take care of a spill,” you told her, flopping back down in your armchair. “I met The Conqueror, though.”

“Really? And we didn’t even hear any fighting.” Frannie shook her head. “That’s not how you’re supposed to treat a usurper.”

“Where are they?” Talya asked. You pointed the man out and her expression turned to one of recognition. “Oh, that’s Nathan Bateman.”

You frowned at her for a moment, but remembered something. “Yeah, he said he goes to Schwarzman, too.”

“Ooh, another MIT student?” Amber cooed. “Are you two gonna get together and make little trivia-genius babies?”

There was a loud snort, but it didn’t come from you. (At least, it didn’t only come from you.) Everyone turned to Talya, surprised to hear such a rude noise from the kind girl. “Sorry, but Bateman… Well, he isn’t the type of person anyone hits it off with. He’s brilliant, the smartest person you’ll ever meet, but he’s a total asshole. Very high opinion of himself, very low opinion of everyone else.”

Your mood, if possible, sunk lower. It sounded cocky and ridiculously petty, but you were used to being the smartest person people knew. The idea that you were losing that title was sending you into an odd, spiraling crisis of identity.

“Wow, I have to meet this guy,” Frannie said.

You shook your head. “Trust me, Fran. You really don’t want to do that. He’s bad enough as-is, but you’re not the most patient person in the world. It would end in bloodshed.”

“I’m just surprised Talya has run into him before,” Amber said. “He looks pretty young.”

“He is,” Talya confirmed. “Bateman graduated early and runs through degree programs like they’re nothing. He’s working on a PhD now. He’s a little behind us, but probably not for long.”

You finished your rum and coke. “I’m headed back now. Are you guys coming along, or are you gonna hang out here for a while longer?”

Everyone reluctantly agreed to leave, admitting that an early start the next morning would be easier with a reasonable amount of sleep.

To your irritation, you continued to run into Bateman at the Estuary over the next few months. The Conqueror won almost every time. The only exception were games with a higher-than-average number of questions about biological processes. He might be a genius, but Bateman didn’t know shit about ossification.

Unfortunately, he also seemed to take a savage pleasure in tormenting you. Every time you ended up at the Estuary on the same trivia nights, he came up to speak with you at least once. He had done his research after your first meeting. From that point on, he knew your name and your major, and made a habit of reading any papers you published. He wasn’t shy about offering his opinions on them, either.

“The idea of applying technological advances to medical treatment makes sense,” he told you one night, perched on the edge of the armchair next to yours. “But the idea of doing the opposite is ridiculous. Why would you ever inflict something like a biological process on a computer program? Take neural networks for example. Why are we trying to recreate our brains in a computer format? They’re capable of so much more. We can do better than that.”

You had managed to mostly ignore him up to that point, but the fact that you were alone didn’t make things easier. Frannie was doing a large-scale project that had taken her away from Cambridge, Amber was seeing a new girl, and Talya had taken up volunteering at a local nursing home.

That argument, however, drew your attention and made you engage more fully than you typically did.

“I’m sorry,” you bit out, turning toward him more fully. The gleam of triumph in his eyes warned that he had been poking you and hoping for a response, but you were beyond caring about that by that point. “Are you really suggesting that humanity is capable of inventing - with our human brains - something more effective than the same brains we’ve used to invent literally everything we’ve ever come up with?”

“Exactly,” Bateman confirmed. He peered over his glasses at you and pushed up the sleeves of his shirt. He had taken to working out lately, a fact you were bitter that you’d noticed and determined not to mention. “In fact, I’ve come up with several promising prototypes already.”

“Of course,” you snorted. “It’s not just that humanity can do better than our own, fairly miraculous brains. It’s that you in particular have managed to invent not one, but several examples of a better brain.”

“What did you expect, sweetheart?” Bateman asked, looking extraordinarily satisfied with himself. “I’m brilliant.”

“That’s what you keep telling me,” you replied, rolling your eyes. “And don’t call me that.”

He grinned, flashing white teeth against the stubble that shadowed his jaw. “I can’t help it. You’re so sweet with your whole… thing. You know, the whole ‘humanity will unlock its most profound potential when it learns not to compete with or seek to control the intertwined disciplines of computerization and robotics, but to learn as much from them as we hope to teach’.”

You gave him your best unimpressed look, though you knew the line had been lifted directly from your most recent paper. “Just because you’re a misanthropic egomaniac doesn’t mean you can infantilize my work.”

Bateman snorted, picking up your half-full glass and peering suspiciously inside. “However much you’ve had to drink, it wasn’t enough if you’re using words like ‘misanthropic’.”

The liquid in your glass threatened to spill over when you snatched it back from him, but you managed to keep it all inside. “And again with the condescension.”

He smiled, but protested when you stood up. “You’re not leaving, are you?”

“Why shouldn’t I?” you asked. “We’ve run through the entire Nathan Bateman conversational spectrum: gloating, patronization, and superiority. I’m not interested in starting over from the beginning.”

“You know me so well,” Nathan said, grinning.

You walked away, rolling your eyes. Unfortunately, he wasn’t wrong.

---

“I’ll get the next round!” Amber offered, speaking loudly enough to be heard over the crowd.

You called a thank-you after her, receiving only the wave of her hand for an answer. When she came back, she handed you your go-to drink, beaming at you.

“What? What’s with that smile?” you asked.

Amber shook her head, still grinning. “Nothing, I’m just proud of you.”

You narrowed your eyes at her, but smiled and accepted the drink anyway. “Thank you.”

“Attention, Estuary guests!” Mira announced, her voice emanating from the rarely used PA system. “In honor of our soon-to-be graduate, we’re having a special trivia game. Five minutes until the game begins!”

“You guys got Mira to hold a special trivia night?” you asked your friends, unreasonably touched by the gesture. “That’s so sweet!”

“We… didn’t,” Tayla admitted. “If we had thought of it, we would have, but that wasn’t us.”

“So, what?” you asked. “Mira just decided to do it?”

Amber shrugged. “Must have. You know no one can make her do anything she doesn’t want to.”

“It makes sense,” Frannie pointed out. “We’ve probably spent more time and money here than most of the Estuary’s patrons.”

Whatever the reason, you settled in to enjoy the game. Maybe it was only the graduation goggles kicking into overdrive, but even the username The Conqueror couldn’t kill your mood. Bateman could play if he wanted. You were feeling generous.

Questions passed by in a blur of knowledge requested and received. Your fingers flew over the screen of your phone, entering names and dates and places, satisfied with the simple pleasure of your favorite activity in your favorite place surrounded by your favorite people.

Your time at MIT was finally drawing to a close. You had taken all of your tests, successfully defended your thesis, and filed all of the appropriate paperwork. The blue-trimmed hood was waiting in your closet, along with your graduation gown. Your relatives were flying into town in the next few days to watch your ceremony.

Most importantly, you had received and accepted a job offer - a biotechnology corporation focusing on the treatment of autoimmune diseases. When your graduation was over, you would start the process of moving to the company’s headquarters in Texas.

Eventually, a discrepancy wove its way into your brain: you were winning.

Ordinarily, you would have no problem with that. It was the ideal situation. And yet… Bateman was here, and very few of the questions had anything to do with biological processes. Even if they were, he had gotten better at them over the past few months.

Since your attention had been drawn to the strange situation, you paid close attention. When a question about binary came up, you and The Tipsy Scholars tied for first place… but The Conqueror showed up as number four on the leaderboard.

That irked you so badly that you struggled to remain gracious when you won. You smiled at your friends, accepting their congratulations and remarking on tricky questions they had known the answers to, but you were constantly keeping an eye out for Bateman.

When he finally made an appearance, he had the nerve to offer you a shallow nod. “Congratulations on your victory, Champ.”

You stood up eagerly, close to stumbling with a killer combination of irritation and alcohol. “I need to talk to you. In private.”

Before he could give any sort of reaction, you had started walking away. Behind you, Frannie snapped, “Stop smiling, you idiot. That’s not a good thing. She’s gonna tear you apart.”

Rather than being apprehensive in the slightest, Bateman’s voice sounded intrigued and a little salacious. “Yeah? You promise?”

Despite his side conversation with your friend, Bateman was right behind you when you turned to face him.

“What the fuck was that, Bateman?” you demanded, folding your arms and glaring up at him.

His dark eyebrows shot upward, clearing the top frames of his glasses with ease. “What are you talking about? It was a fair game and you won. Am I not allowed to congratulate you for that?”

“You’re an asshole,” you informed him. When he opened his mouth, presumably to defend himself, you interrupted him. “But you’re an honest asshole. It’s your single redeeming quality. Don’t bullshit me. Just admit that you threw the game.”

Bateman was smiling, but made no other move to speak. You were too impatient to wait. “Well?”

“I think this is the first time you’ve admitted I have a redeeming quality.”

You sighed heavily. “One. You have one redeeming quality and you threw it away. I would rather have lost to an honest opponent than win against someone who let me beat them. Get it?”

“I think I can grasp the basics,” he said dryly.

“Good,” you said, giving him a firm nod as you took a step back. When had you gotten so close? Ah, well. It didn’t matter. “In that case, goodbye. I won’t say it was nice meeting you, but it was an experience.”

Bateman watched you closely, solemn until another smile dawned on his face. His teeth were bright against the short beard he had started to grow. “We’ll see each other again.”

“Probably not,” you told him, patting him twice on the arm before you toddled back to your friends.

---

Author's Note - I'll be posting the second part tomorrow! This is the first fic I've ever written for an Oscar Isaac character. I would love to know how you thought I did! Thanks for reading and have a great day!

I don't offer a taglist for explicit fics, but you can find other works on my masterlist!

#fanfic february 2023 #fanfic february #fanficfebruary #ex machina #ex machina (2015)#reader insert #reader insert fic #nathan bateman #nathan bateman x reader #nathan bateman x you #mature #not suitable for minors #minors dni

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