#it's neat to see its words though! :D

[britishchick09]

i'm watching a german movie called 'ruby red' and the font used here is just like the ag years! :o

[physicallyimprobable]

what's the 3-dimensional number thing?

Well I'm glad you asked! For those confused, this is referring to my claim that "my favorite multiplication equation is 3 × 5 = 15 because it's the reason you can't make a three-dimensional number system" from back in this post. Now, this is gonna be a bit of a journey, so buckle up.

Part One: Numbers in Space

First of all, what do I mean by a three-dimensional number system? We say that the complex numbers are two-dimensional, and that the quaternions are four-dimensional, but what do we mean by these things? There's a few potential answers to this question, but for our purposes we'll take the following narrative:

Complex numbers can be written in the form (a+bi), where a and b are real numbers. For the variable-averse, this just means we have things like (3+6i) and (5-2i) and (-8+3i). Some amount of "units" (that is, ones), and some amount of i's.

Most people are happy to stop here and say "well, there's two numbers that you're using, so that's two dimensions, ho hum". I think that's underselling it, though, since there's something nontrivial and super cool happening here. See, each complex number has an "absolute value", which is its distance from zero. If you imagine "3+6i" to mean "three meters East and six meters North", then the distance to that point will be 6.708 meters. We say the absolute value of (3+6i), which is written like |3+6i|, is equal to 6.708. Similarly, interpreting "5-2i" to mean "five meters East and two meters South" we get that |5-2i| = 5.385.

The neat thing about this is that absolute values multiply really nicely. For example, the two numbers above multiply to give (3+6i) × (5-2i) = (27+24i) which has a length of 36.124. What's impressive is that this length is the product of our original lengths: 36.124 = 6.708 × 5.385. (Okay technically this is not true due to rounding but for the full values it is true.)

This is what we're going to say is necessary to for a number system to accurately represent a space. You need the numbers to have lengths corresponding to actual lengths in space, and you need those lengths to be "multiplicative", which just means it does the thing we just saw. (That is, when you multiply two numbers, their lengths are multiplied as well.)

There's still of course the question of what "actual lengths in space" means, but we can just use the usual Euclidean method of measurement. So, |3+6i| = √(3²+6²) and |5-2i| = √(5²+2²). This extends directly to the quaternions, which are written as (a+bi+cj+dk) for real numbers a, b, c, d. (Don't worry about what j and k mean if you don't know; it turns out not to really matter here.) The length of the quaternion 4+3i-7j+4k can be calculated like |4+3i-7j+4k| = √(4²+3²+7²+4²) = 9.486 and similarly for other points in "four-dimensional space". These are the kinds of number systems we're looking for.

[To be explicit, for those who know the words: What we are looking for is a vector algebra over the real numbers with a prescribed basis under which the Euclidean norm is multiplicative and the integer lattice forms a subring.]

Part Two: Sums of Squares

Now for something completely different. Have you ever thought about which numbers are the sum of two perfect squares? Thirteen works, for example, since 13 = 3² + 2². So does thirty-two, since 32 = 4² + 4². The squares themselves also work, since zero exists: 49 = 7² + 0². But there are some numbers, like three and six, which can't be written as a sum of two squares no matter how hard you try. (It's pretty easy to check this yourself; there aren't too many possibilities.)

Are there any patterns to which numbers are a sum of two squares and which are not? Yeah, loads. We're going to look at a particularly interesting one: Let's say a number is "S2" if it's a sum of two squares. (This thing where you just kinda invent new terminology for your situation is common in math. "S2" should be thought of as an adjective, like "orange" or "alphabetical".) Then here's the neat thing: If two numbers are S2 then their product is S2 as well.

Let's see a few small examples. We have 2 = 1² + 1², so we say that 2 is S2. Similarly 4 = 2² + 0² is S2. Then 2 × 4, that is to say, 8, should be S2 as well. Indeed, 8 = 2² + 2².

Another, slightly less trivial example. We've seen that 13 and 32 are both S2. Then their product, 416, should also be S2. Lo and behold, 416 = 20² + 4², so indeed it is S2.

How do we know this will always work? The simplest way, as long as you've already internalized the bit from Part 1 about absolute values, is to think about the norms of complex numbers. A norm is, quite simply, the square of the corresponding distance. (Okay yes it can also mean different things in other contexts, but for our purposes that's what a norm is.) The norm is written with double bars, so ‖3+6i‖ = 45 and ‖5-2i‖ = 29 and ‖4+3i-7j+4k‖ = 90.

One thing to notice is that if your starting numbers are whole numbers then the norm will also be a whole number. In fact, because of how we've defined lengths, the norm is just the sum of the squares of the real-number bits. So, any S2 number can be turned into a norm of a complex number: 13 can be written as ‖3+2i‖, 32 can be written as ‖4+4i‖, and 49 can be written as ‖7+0i‖.

The other thing to notice is that, since the absolute value is multiplicative, the norm is also multiplicative. That is to say, for example, ‖(3+6i) × (5-2i)‖ = ‖3+6i‖ × ‖5-2i‖. It's pretty simple to prove that this will work with any numbers you choose.

But lo, gaze upon what happens when we combine these two facts together! Consider the two S2 values 13 and 32 from before. Because of the first fact, we can write the product 13 × 32 in terms of norms: 13 × 32 = ‖3+2i‖ × ‖4+4i‖. So far so good. Then, using the second fact, we can pull the product into the norms: ‖3+2i‖ × ‖4+4i‖ = ‖(3+2i) × (4+4i)‖. Huzzah! Now, if we write out the multiplication as (3+2i) × (4+4i) = (4+20i), we can get a more natural looking norm equation: ‖3+2i‖ × ‖4+4i‖ = ‖4+20i‖ and finally, all we need to do is evaluate the norms to get our product! (3² + 2²) × (4² + 4²) = (4² + 20²)

The cool thing is that this works no matter what your starting numbers are. 218 = 13² + 7² and 292 = 16² + 6², so we can follow the chain to get 218 × 292 = ‖13+7i‖ × ‖16+6i‖ = ‖(13+7i) × (16+6i)‖ = ‖166+190i‖ = 166² + 190² and indeed you can check that both extremes are equal to 63,656. No matter which two S2 numbers you start with, if you know the squares that make them up, you can use this process to find squares that add to their product. That is to say, the product of two S2 numbers is S2.

Part Four: Why do we skip three?

Now we have all the ingredients we need for our cute little proof soup! First, let's hop to the quaternions and their norm. As you should hopefully remember, quaternions have four terms (some number of units, some number of i's, some number of j's, and some number of k's), so a quaternion norm will be a sum of four squares. For example, ‖4+3i-7j+4k‖ = 90 means 90 = 4² + 3² + 7² + 4².

Since we referred to sums of two squares as S2, let's say the sums of four squares are S4. 90 is S4 because it can be written as we did above. Similarly, 7 is S4 because 7 = 2² + 1² + 1² + 1², and 22 is S4 because 22 = 4² + 2² + 1² + 1². We are of course still allowed to use zeros; 6 = 2² + 1² + 1² + 0² is S4, as is our friend 13 = 3² + 2² + 0² + 0².

The same fact from the S2 numbers still applies here: since 7 is S4 and 6 is S4, we know that 42 (the product of 7 and 6) is S4. Indeed, after a bit of fiddling I've found that 42 = 6² + 4² + 1² + 1². I don't need to do that fiddling, however, if I happen to be able to calculate quaternions! All I need to do is follow the chain, just like before: 7 × 6 = ‖2+i+j+k‖ × ‖2+i+j‖ = ‖(2+i+j+k) × (2+i+j)‖ = ‖2+3i+5j+2k‖ = 2² + 3² + 5² + 2². This is a different solution than the one I found earlier, but that's fine! As long as there's even one solution, 42 will be S4. Using the same logic, it should be clear that the product of any two S4 numbers is an S4 number.

Now, what goes wrong with three dimensions? Well, as you might have guessed, it has to do with S3 numbers, that is, numbers which can be written as a sum of three squares. If we had any three-dimensional number system, we'd be able to use the strategy we're now familiar with to prove that any product of S3 numbers is an S3 number. This would be fine, except, well…

3 × 5 = 15.

Why is this bad? See, 3 = 1² + 1² + 1² and 5 = 2² + 1² + 0², so both 3 and 5 are S3. However, you can check without too much trouble that 15 is not S3; no matter how hard you try, you can't write 15 as a sum of three squares.

And, well, that's it. The bucket has been kicked, the nails are in the coffin. You cannot make a three-dimensional number system with the kind of nice norm that the complex numbers and quaternions have. Even if someone comes to you excitedly, claiming to have figured it out, you can just toss them through these steps: • First, ask what the basis is. Complex numbers use 1 and i; quaternions use 1, i, j, and k. Let's say they answer with p, q, and r. • Second, ask them to multiply (p+q+r) by (2p+q). • Finally, well. If their system works, the resulting number should give you three numbers whose squares add to 15. Since that can't happen, you've shown that the norm is not actually multiplicative; their system doesn't capture the geometry of three dimensions.

[bedoballoons]

Oh wow fantastic I loved it!! now I kinda want a part two to the whole short post what did happen after finding out there darling likes tall guys how will they comfort there rival

I'm assuming you meant confront! I hope so at least cause that's what I wrote! If not I can totally write a second one! Thank you so much for your request!

─⊰⁠⊹ฺ✿𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕟𝕤⊰⁠⊹ฺ✿─

{༻~Yanderes confront their rivals~༺}

This is a Part 2! Part 1:

CW: Fighting, using their obsession to get information, a knife is mentioned, Freminet trains you to like him, descriptions of blood, slight gore, confronting, yandere themes, some angst, and Lyney call reader mon amour!

(Includes: Lyney, Tighnari, Venti, Freminet, and Aether!)

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𑁍༄Lyney:

You knew Lyney was the reason Neuvillette had gone missing, it was obvious and yet no one could arrest him because there wasn't enough evidence, not to mention without the Chief of Justice...how could you have a trial? The whole of Fontaine was now in disarray, searching for Neuvillette everywhere and anywhere Lyney could have taken him, but not a single place had any results.

You didn't even know if he was still alive...but you just couldn't give up, thats what led you to this moment, honeyed words slipping past your lips and your arms around Lyney, batting your eyes at him..."Lyney, I'm all yours, Neuvillette is no longer a threat to that I promise. Let him go..." The magician sighed softly, so tempted, so enraptured by you that he almost gave it away from your beautiful eyes alone, "You know as well as I do mon amour, if I do as you ask...I'll be taken away to Meropide. Away from you..."

You bit your lip, wandering how deep into this act you'd have to go in order to convince him, "Not if they don't catch you, we can run away together... just you and me..." You kissed his cheek and he caved...unable to resist you any longer, "I can't say no to that..."

He reached out his hand, a card between his fingers...but it wasn't like any of his others, it was blue with a a outline of Neuvillette. "Neat isn't it?" Lyney asked when he'd caught you staring and with a snap of his fingers the card began to change, blue smoke circling around a spot on the ground until it sudden disappeared, leaving Neuvillette in its place...

"Neuvillette!"

He seemed perfectly healthy, shaken to say the least, but otherwise fine. It felt like you could breath again like everything would be okay...he could save you...right?

𑁍༄Tighnari:

You hadn't heard from Tighnari in over a week and you felt so guilty...after how hard it must have been to confess his feelings, you shot him down without even a moment to think if you really wanted to,... just because he wasn't exactly your type. Now he was probably in his home, regretting his decision to ever tell you how he felt in the first place...ever be nice to you at all for that matter.

You sighed, opening the door to your humble abode, only to see one of the most terrifying things even your nightmares could have prepared you for, "T-tighnari?" The fennec fox looked up at you with a crazed smile, a small hunting knife tightly gripped in his hand...the blade of it against against what looked to be a drugged Alhaitham, "You're finally home! We've been waiting for you...sorry to barge in uninvited but I had to show you that I was better than him. Let you see that I can overpower him, even though he's stronger and...taller."

You felt your chest tighten with fear, your hands shaking uncontrollably, "What... d-did you do to him Tighnari?" Meanwhile Tighnari was acting as if this was a casual hangout between the two of you, his tail swaying behind him and his ears twitching in delight, he even chuckled when Alhaitham attempted to mutter something, "Don't worry, he's just poisoned. I asked if he wanted something for a headache he was having and then I gave him something, it just wasn't what he had in mind..."

"Tighnari...let him go. T-this is crazy!" You felt tears welling up in your eyes, your body screaming at you to run for help and yet you felt frozen, unable to move a muscle. "I'm not crazy, I'm dedicated,...to you. I want nothing more than to be with you and if I have to make sure the scribe isn't able to interfere to have that, then I will." His eyes sparkled at the mention of being with you...

"...just let him go. Give him a antidote and I'll s-stay with you. Please Tighnari, don't hurt anyone more than you already have, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shot down your confession so quickly, but I'll m-make it up to you" You reached your hand out and he wasted no time accepting it, wrapping his arms around you in a tight hug, all of it seeming so innocent..

"As long as you stay with me...no one else will ever get hurt."

𑁍༄Venti:

You'd never seen such a war before...archons battling against eachother, destroying the land with power far greater than you ever could have imagined, all of this...because you couldn't see yourself with someone short, what was Venti doing! By now there was a large crowd of people, some from Liyue, some from Mondstat and each of them cheering for their own Archon. There were even fights breaking out over who was better....

This had to stop. "Venti! Venti listen to me! I know you're angry and that's okay, but starting a war just because I said I wasn't into you isn't the way to feel better!" You shouted as loud as you could, but he wasn't able to hear you, the sound of large rocks crashing into the ground and highwinds ripping trees right out of the land impossible to talk over. Was it a lost cause...?

You shook your head, unable to give up at the thought of your friend getting hurt...even if he was stupid for starting it in the first place...you cared about him. You swallowed your fear and gathered up all of your courage, running into the danger zone, barely able to keep your footing while you continued to call to the anemo archon. "Venti! Vennntii!!"

Suddenly the part of land you'd been running on ripped away from the rest of the ground, flying upwards with you holding on for dear life, "Venti! Hellpp!!!" You felt your grasp slipping and then you were spinning, falling back down at such speed you'd die on impact, you shut your eyes tightly, praying for everything to be okay.

Then there was a gentle breeze surrounding you.. lifting you upwards, the entire battle out on pause when you came face to face with Venti, shocked to see him in his archon outfit, "Venti please, I'm sorry. Don't take this out on Zhongli, don't make such a big mess because of me. I'm... not worth it." You looked down at all the dilapidated area beneath you...all of this for you?

"You're worth more than every world or star in the entire universe...I'd fight to the end for you." The anemo archon touched your cheek softly.., making you feel something you never had before..

𑁍༄Freminet:

Freminet wouldn't leave your side, keeping you away from Neuvillette at any costs... pampering you with romaritime flowers and ocean shells, convincing you in ever way he could think of that he was better. He'd be there in the morning with warm breakfast and a nice hot beverage, he'd walk with you anywhere you needed to go so he could keep you safe and...people were noticing. Most thought you were dating. Even congratulating you two...but he always answered before you could, thanking them happily.

Truthfully...he was training you to only want to be around him and it was working...

𑁍༄Aether:

"ITTO!" You screamed, your skin paling at the sight of the Oni you had been crushing on so much, taken down to the ground with dark crimson blood dripping from his head onto grass beneath him, his face badly bruised and beaten up. You couldn't even tell if he was breathing, your heart racing as you looked to the culprit... his face speckled with deep red flecks of blood and sickening smile on his lips..

"W-why...Aether, you're supposed to be a hero why would you...he didn't...h-he didn't deserve this!" You rushed to Ittos side, holding his large hand in yours and staring at the damage someone you thought you could trust caused.

"I did it for you. Now he can't take you from me..., now there's only one hero for you and it's me." Aether grabbed your wrist harshly, pulling you close to him while you tried desperately to shove him away, "No! Let go of me! Help! Someone help!!" You screamed frantically, searching for any other signs of people...but nobody was around? How was that possible! It was the city?!

Aether smiled at you sadistically, "Being a famous hero and knowing important people means I can say there's a need to evacuate...and everyone will just leave. No one...can hear you now..."

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ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚*⁠.⁠✧

[viharbinger]

ahhhh!!! it’s so exciting finding writers to write for jin sakai <3

can we have jin sakai x reader ( married au ) in which the reader gets kidnapped and jin does everything in his power to get his partner back? it’s unlike the feeling of freeing his uncle bc jin becomes scary looking for them.

“where is my wife?!” kind of vibes ( though not necessarily have to be fem! reader )

+bonus points if he calls his partner “beloved” :3

a/n: I gotchu anon... i GOTCHUUUUU (I hope U like it :D )

pairings: (ghost of tsushima) husband!Jin Sakai x gn!reader (married au)

tags: ...erm fluff? It's definitely fluff at the end idk about the first part tho😹

warnings: married au, mentions of blood, starvation, reader is kidnapped, no pronouns are used, usage of the word y/n (I honestly felt the ick writing that but I had to)

Hero

It was terrifying. Getting caught in an ambush while you were out with Jin was not in your plans. You were captured before Jin could even turn to look at you, driven away on the back of a horse. You can't understand a single thing they're saying, but you keep hearing the same thing over and over, "Ghost". Was that what your husband was being called now?

You've been on the move for days ever since you've been captured, riding on a caged carriage behind a horse. Certainly an upgrade from a horse's back. It looks like they want to cover all of their tracks so he can't find you fast enough. Do they want to bring you to Khotun Khan? The thought just gives you goosebumps.

You've heard of all of the stories. Everything he's done. He's already killed more than a hundred samurai on Tsushima island without mercy, what could he do to you who's just the spouse of the ghost?

Your clothes were muddy from how much you've been tossed around on the ground lately, and your stomach was already digesting itself. Finally, they settle you into a new cage. To say it was filthy was an understatement. You don't want to admit it, but you're not used to this sort of life compared to the clean and neat home you worked so hard to keep back at Omi village with Jin.

Well, everything's got to change now, huh? You sat in silence for hours until you heard a familiar language you could finally understand. It was one of the straw hat ronins, oh you've heard of their betrayal to your husband, alright.

"—Seen him myself! He's tracking us down like a wolf to its prey! He's killed at least a few dozen of us already!" A ronin clearly afraid, exclaims to one of his fellow members.

"Oh shut up. You're just feeding into the rumours the peasants have been yammering about. What harm can one man do against an army of us right here?" He's right. It looked like one of the biggest camps you've ever seen so far into your abduction. There were enemies everywhere from top to bottom and archers from miles away watching for flanks.

"I'm serious. I'm sure he's coming for a certain someone." He points to you, to which the other ronin just glares at you. They walk away from your line of sight, continuing their conversation till they were out of earshot.

You could barely think about that right now, you were so hungry. The last thing you ate was a piece of pity bread given by a straw hat ronin and the only drink you'd have was rainwater. They've never beaten on you before but it was cruel enough they didn't bother feeding you anything.

Soon, the moon was in the sky, you could barely see a thing but the torches illuminating the faces of the invaders. Just as you were lost in your thoughts, loud terror screaming could be heard. Before you knew it, a lot of the men started investigating and picking up their sharpened weapons. One of them stood right in front of your door, guarding you.

Next thing you knew, there was so much chaos. Other fellow captured prisoners ran away to safety, screaming and explosions could be heard in all sorts of directions. Could this finally be the time for you to be saved?

"Where is Y/n?" You hear Jin. He sounded so angry and not his usual soft-spoken self. You peek through a hole to try to find him. If you yell, surely they'll finish you off before he gets to you. He's standing in front of the camp leader, in a stand off. "You killed my men. Destroy my territory. For that, you will pay!" The leader is prideful, intimidating yet your spouse shows no fear and draws his blade. They fight for a few moments and before you know it, the leader drops dead on the mud.

The man guarding your cage shudders in fear and opts to run away with the rest of the scared shitless army. Jin sheaths his sword seeing as nobody else dares to stand against him. He was definitely not one to mess with. You take this as an opportunity to call for your husband. "Jin!" You yell, your throat felt like it was being scratched. God, you were so parched.

He immediately looks for the source of your voice, running over to you. He wastes no time in opening your door. "Are you okay? What did they do to you?" He holds your cheeks gently, turning your face in different angles to look for injuries.

"Jin. I'm fine. I missed you so much." You teared up, hugging him. He hugs you back, tightly. Inhaling his scent which smells like blades of grass, you're content. You haven't felt like you were going to die every second you were in this god forsaken camp until this moment with your husband.

"I'm so glad you're here." It was your turn to cup his cheeks now, you pull him into a sweet kiss to which he returns. When you finally pull away you use whatever energy you have left peppering kisses all over his face which made him laugh and turn his face away. Hugging him again one last time again, he pets your hair lovingly.

"I'll get you home, my beloved." He whispers to you softly, tucking a stray hair away from your eyes. His once angry and frustrated voice at the standoff replaced with one of love. Clearly you've been through too much that you uncharacteristically gave him this much affection. You could care less he's killed hundreds just to get to you, you just want to love the hero who's just saved you.

Finally, you were on your way back home with Jin. Your hands were wrapped around his waist and head was pressed against his back as you rode back home. Boy, the thought of eating some rice just makes your mouth water. And of course, finally being home comfortably with your husband is great too.

[cherrywhite]

TSV Fan Favorite Survey Results

Last week I made a small TSV survey for the heck of it and ended up getting way more results than I originally expected!! Wanted to share the results.

When I'm in a "Who's your favorite TSV main character" competition and my opponent is Carpenter 🤯 (Okay but.. is anyone surprised?)

Fun fact: for a while Hayward had only one or two votes and idk why that surprised me so much. Though I'm shocked he got more than Faulkner overall

Top 5 minor characters, as voted: Val > Shrue > Sibling Rane > Gage > Sid Wright

Also unsurprising! Though I regret that I didn't word the question as "Pick up to 5" instead of top 5. Val almost got 100% of the votes in this category... off by 4.. I respect you but also who are you 4 I just want to know

Top 5 side characters, as voted: Acantha > Nana Glass / Greve > Charity / Elgin > The Homesick Corpse > Chuck Harm (though Cross came very close to tying!!)

Acantha at the top is also unsurprising! Though.. looking at the top one.. looks like we all have a thing for old ladies, huh? Definitely my mistake in that I didn't add Em and Vaughn in there to begin with💦 Shoutout to the one person who voted Helen. Also, we love to see that Daggler got 0 votes.

Favorite God, as voted: Th Cairn Maiden > The Many Below > The Trawlerman > The Watcher in the Wings > The Saint Electric

The Beast that Stalks in the Long Grass and The Last Word each got one vote. Also, The Chitterling got a vote. Henge, the god Hayward mentions in s1, the one that takes things people wish to lose, got two votes! :D Idk why, but it's such an unexpected pull to me, it makes me happy to see it was remembered!

Top 5 s1 episodes, as voted: Chapter 4 > Chapter 7 & Chapter 15 > Chapter 1 > Chapter 13 > Chapter 3, 8, 11, & 12 (tied with 3 votes)

Fun fact: of season 1 episodes, only 4/15 episodes weren't picked as someone's favorite!!

Top 5 s2 episodes, as voted: Chapter 24 > Chapter 29 > Chapter 19 > Chapter 17 > Chapter 23

Also not surprised because chapter 24 is also my favorite (probably my most relistened to episode and it still makes me cry). Though, I will say, I was surprised chapter 20 didn't have more votes since that one also seems to be a favorite writing wise!

Fun fact: of all s2 episodes, only 1 episode wasn't picked as someone's favorite! (okay, idk why it's important to me to point out, I just think it's interesting!! Though I can admit I could probably phrase it better. I think the fave episodes are spread out pretty evenly for each season though, which is really neat in my opinion.)

Top 5 s3 episodes, as voted: Chapter 46 > Chapter 38 > Chapter 37 > Chapter 36 (we are not immune to a good tragic love story, I see) & Chapter 43 > Chapter 44

For a while, Chapter 38 had the most votes which I thought was.. idk how to better phrase it, but.. sweet. Because Carpenter's returning home episode was the fave of s2 and if Faulkner's returning home episode had also been the fave... something something we sure do love these terrible siblings, huh? But! Unsurprisingly the finale is the big fave of the season. How many of us have recovered from it??

Fun fact: Of season 3, only 3 episodes weren't chosen!

Boooo I shouldn't have given y'all the option to abstain from picking!! "Don't make me choose," you cowards!! /lh

mandatory link to this recommendation

Favorite episode title:

Hi. So, um. I'm an idiot. And didn't realize that Google Form automatically turns short answers into a bar graph. So unfortunately, the results for this one is..well

And half of these are the exact same title with slightly different phrasing 🙃

BUT I'm nothing if not determined so I went through and organized everything though I didn't make a pie chart. Needless to say. I think we all know the favorite episode title (care to make a guess?)

Favorite episode title: But We'll Never Be Rid of Each Other (25%)

Its Wrath Shall Scald the Sun came second with only 9% of the vote. We sure do love our doomed siblings, huh?

[sweet-honey-tears]

Will you go to prom with me?

How they ask you to prom.

Characters: Shinso, Sero x GN!Reader

The poll and people have spoken! Here you guys go, I hope you like it!! And thank you all for your support and request! And as always request are open!

If you want another character done, feel free to ask! 🤍

Shinso

Shinso wouldn’t have a promposal sign, but he also wouldn’t just walk up to you and ask you out flatly. He would really only do that if he wanted to dance with you but you where both in public (not making a huge deal of it- that would be embarrassing)

“Care to dance darling?”

OR you guys were dating for many years or even married. But even in that instance, he comes home with a giant thing of flowers and asks if you wanted to go out to the hero’s Galla, or even chaperon the prom/dance at Eris school.

In late high school, you get ask by though Shinso’s cat( Aizawa cat but pretty much his- everyone in that household has a cat at this point). So Miku(Shinso let Eri name her- And Eri choose the name Hatsune Miku due to the blue hair at the time) comes running toward you, like every time you enter the house. Expect this time a dainty little flower and note are hanging from her bright blue collar.

“Hey there Miko, watch’s got there?” You question, kneeling to the sweet grey cat. Miku rubs against your knees, before all but throwing herself into your palms. She lets out a rather loud chirp as the small flower and notes get in her way.

“Let me get this for ya Miku-“ you whisper to her, scratching the white patch under her chin before grabbing the flower a note.

“Will you go to prom with me, kitty?”

You whisper out yourself, you’re fingers brushing over the laminated paper. The writing is neat, cursive and you tell Shinso spent time on it.

Miku chirps at you, angry at the lack of affection. Your fingers mindlessly comb the underside of her chin. Your heart is swelling, sending vibrations through your chest and causing the area to tighten.

A moment or two passes and you hear someone clear their throat. You peer up, seeing the man himself, his face reddened, and his eyes staring down at you. Shinso’s dressed in baggy sweatpants and a loose tank top. His hands are gauzed up, and his capture weapon is hanging unevenly off his neck. He must have been practicing when you came in, his chest still heavy breaths- but regardless he managed to stay quiet.

“So… what do you say?”

You slowly stand up, much to Miku's dismay. You start to walk before almost sprinting toward him. Hugging him tightly,

“Wait I’m all-“

“Yes” you speak to his shoulder, allowing yourself to be lifted slightly by him, “I would love to go with you, Shin!”

Sero

Sero goes a more creative route, finding someway to incorporate his tape into it. He does ask you straight up sometimes to go dancing with him. The days you’re swaddled in his hoodie, he can’t help it. Sero will engulf you in his arms, squeezing you as he hums lightly into your hair. “Care to dance.” And it’s just the two of you swaying to whatever music he puts on.

For prom tho- different story.

You walk into the training room and your jaw just falls open. Written in tape, something similar to charlottes web, the word “Prom?” is written out. Its sharp, the circles are like a triangles and there are many ‘strings’ of tape attached to each side. To a point that if you stood too close you'd probably get lost in all the stands.

“Oh! I didn't think you be up so early.” there's a light voice behind you. Seros's voice is surprised, but wavers near the end. “I was actually about to take it down-”

“Why?”

You asked, turning around to fully face him. Sero looked slightly tired- dark bags staring to form under his eyes. He wore a loose white shirt, it was one you had bought him. A giant bowl of Ramen being on the back, with the words “Heaven Noodles” circling around it. You had gotten it a size to big by accident- which didn’t stop the hero in practice from wearing. But due to the lardge size, he enjoyed it more so as asleep shirt (when he did ware one). Sero also had flip flops on and black sweatpants that had yellow triangles going up the legs. It was sleep ware- you saw him in it last night when you both went to your separate dorms. How long had he been awake doing this? Did he sleep at all?

“It was too messy, I was redoing it. Or honestly try something different.” Sero sleepily chuckled, his arms stretching on reflex. A nervous habit he seemed to get while in UA.

“Please don't,” you spoke, walking up to him. “And J would love to go with you.” Seeks tired eyes seem to widen a bit at your answer. His smile stretching wide as he reached out for you. Cupping your face.

“Mi Amor- I am the luckiest man alive” he smiles before kissing your forehead.

@call-me-copycat

[caubool]

Transformers One fic WIP:

Isn't it crazy how much work Sentinel's "The Truth is What I Make It" spiel would actually take to follow through on and how much stuff "he" did that would require many many many more bots to carry out? Isn't it wild that Orion was searching for answers Everywhere in that archive and never found a stray hair out of place in the story Sentinel spun?

I’ve started writing out my own answer to the questions I kept coming up with while thinking way too hard about this movie! The first bit below:

In his spark, Optimus Prime is a mech of action. But never without strategy. Contrary to popular belief, he did look before he leapt. He just tended to assume he would land flawlessly on the other side. He wasn't called Optimus because of his dedication to realism, after all. And if all else fails, he knew he was fraggin’ lucky.

In the wake of Sentinel’s execution, Iacon stands on shaking, new-build legs. In just 50 cycles Cybertron lost a war, lost all of its Primes, nearly starved, and went into hiding at the call of a charismatic mech who pulled cogs from freshly sparked chambers. In less than that, Optimus himself onlined. Now, he stands as the sole Prime of Cybertron. Primus’s chosen. He and Iacon reel in tandem. So much in so little time. His servos still buzz with the vibrations of splitting D- Megatron’s canon. As if it'd been mere kliks ago and not a several phases.

Elita helps in the aftermath. B, too, but the little bot seems more preoccupied with exploring these days. Optimus can’t blame him. Though he privately wishes he could get out of all these blasted meetings and go exploring with the minibot rather than just hearing about his adventures after the fact.

In his office, Elita pushes another neat tray of holowork into his servos and levels him with a look. Her optics narrowed and lip plates pressing together so tightly there’s the faintest scrape of metal.

Optimus lets her stare for a few nanokliks before restarting his voice box. “Can I help you, Elita?”

The scraping sound twists up sharply as her look intensifies. "You're no help to anyone right now, Optimus."

He blinks. The words take longer than he'd like to admit to fully process. When they do, he jumps to his pedes. "What do you mean? Have I missed something? Has there been a Quintesson attack?"

"Sit back down, Prime." She ex-vents sharply and walks around to the other side of his desk.

He slumps into his seat and turns tired optics out onto Iacon, vast and crumpled before him. He had tried so hard to deny this office. With its gold trimmed windows and grand desk and personal energon fountain. It was all too much. But he was the Prime and this was a Prime's seat, it's tradition it's- he shutters his optics and terminates that line of thought. "Elita, please tell me what I've done wrong."

Leaning against his desk she watches him out of the corner of her optics. "What do you see there?" She gestures to the windows.

"I see Iacon, in pain. Bots, still unsure of where they fit now. I see a Cybertron uncertain of itself." He says.

"Do you know what I see?" She asks and Optimus doesn't so she continues, "I see a very tired bot working himself to the wire." He startles, but she isn't done yet. "I see a mech spreading himself so thin that he can't actually step up where he's needed."

Optimus has to work hard to get his jaw struts to function correctly. "I- Elita, I can't turn away from Cybertron, even for a nanoklik. They need a leader and that's- Primus chose me to do this. I can't undermine Primus's will."

"You can't jump in front of every canon blast aimed at Cybertron. And frankly, I don't want you to. Primus knows doing it that first time has only made your recklessness worse." Elita says.

"It is not reckless to try to build a better future for all bots." He shoots back.

She rolls her optics and sends him another look. "No, but it is reckless to avoid self-maintenance in the name of being a good leader. You can't be the mech Cybertron needs if your processor is half fried."

He ex-vents and he knows she's right. She often is. "Still, what do you suggest I do? Everywhere I turn there are more bots who need me."

"Find someplace quiet, keep all the lights off, and take a fragging break." Elita knocks her pauldron against his as she says it.

Optimus can feel a smile coming on and he doesn't fight it. "Is that advice, Commander?"

Elita smirks back at him. "That's an order."

--

For as often as he visited the Hall of Records—or, more accurately, was chased out of the Hall of Records—Optimus Prime had never seen another bot actually wandering the stacks. Security bots, sure, but they only showed up if they got tipped off by a roaming drone.

It feels odd to walk through the front doors of the Archive, nobody on his heels. Walking among the shelves of holovids that used to dwarf him and now seeing all the dust caked on their tops. It feels forbidden.

When he had dismissed the security at the entrance he had asked them to leave the lights off. Something he appreciates, even as it adds to the uncanny feeling building in his core. He knows the paths in the dark, the way his headlights snake around corners and up walls. Keeping one thing the same, just one…it's helping.

He starts where he left off last time. The projector screen was still set up with the history of Cybertron queued up. He spins the cartridge tray idly as the holovid starts. It breezes through the history every bot knew forwards, backwards, and inside out. He can feel his actuators depressurizing as the narration continues. He can almost pretend he's still Orion Pax, trying to solve an epic mystery and prove himself as more than just some cogless miner.

"-The Matrix of Leadership. Lost, with the Primes, to the surface." This is where he'd gotten found out last time. Optimus watches as the Matrix fades out into the globe and shakes his head, almost fond. He's already reaching for a new holovid when the narration continues. His optics narrow, hadn't he gotten to the end already? "Cybertron's only hope rests with our final, tireless leader: Sentinel Prime. But he cannot protect us alone. That's why Sentinel needs every bot in Cybertron to do their part and pull their weight. Cybertron needs you, your Prime needs you." The holovid projects Sentinel smiling, waving to an unseen audience, with the light glinting off of his helm.

He looks regal.

Optimus feels his fuel lines twist.

As the holovid finishes, it flashes a few final lines of text. "The Modern History of Cybertron - by ID-A. Sponsored by the Cybertronian Well-Being Initiative."

"What?" the word flies out of him as he reads, then re-reads the text. The Cybertronian Well-Being Initiative? Out of all the branches of government he'd had to get acquainted with recently, he hadn't ever heard of something like that. Optimus ran an internal search of his memory just to be sure but, no, this was the first time he'd seen the name.

Frowning, he swaps out holovids and let the next one play. The screen glows with colour as each of the Primes getts introduced. It's a basic history of the rulers of Cybertron and is similarly scant on details. The holovid once again ends with a shot of Sentinel and a call to work hard for the mech. The credits read: "Who Are the Primes of Cybertron? A Summary - by Thundercracker. Edited for clarity of purpose by ID-A and sponsored by the Cybertronian Well-Being Initiative."

Optimus slides in another vid. "The Quintesson War - by Gearstrike. Edited for clarity of purpose by WR-N and sponsored by the Cybertronian Well-Being Initiative." Then another one. "Energon: Its Sources, Uses, and Necessity to the Cybertronian Ecosystem - by Quarkkey. Edited for clarity of purpose by ID-A and sponsored by the Cybertronian Well-Being Initiative." And another one. "Iacon's Sub-Levels and You: A Guide - by WR-N. Sponsored by the Cybertronian Well-Being initiative."

Optimus spends the rest of the chord looking through any and every holovid he can get his servos on in that archive. By the time Cybertron starts its hum again—the signal for recharge to end and for first shift to begin—he's an island among the piles of holovid cartidges. Each of them branded by the Cybertronian Well-Being Initiative. And none of them ever explaining just what that initiative is.

This bothers him, more than Optimus thinks was strictly logical. It's more than likely that it's just an educational branch that created basic informational holovids. Yet, just reading those four words fill him with a dread that has become all too familiar. On the edge of a cliff, searching brassy, yellow optics, and knowing that no matter how much he hoped for the best, the worst is already staring him in the face.

[rosesloveletters]

1971!Willy Wonka SFW Alphabet.

Pairing: 1971 Willy Wonka x Reader

Word Count: 2,319

Warnings: no major content warnings apply.

Summary: Filled out SFW alphabet template.

Author's Note: Just a little something-something since my next full fic won't be posted until Wednesday.

divider created by @/saradika on Tumblr.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Once he has settled into the relationship, the amount of affection his partner receives from him is boundless. He prefers private intimacy rather than PDA – casual touches, chaste kisses and quick hugs are alright, though. He also likes to kiss the back of your hand. 

When you are alone, you can expect a lot more from him. He will cuddle but prefers to do so in bed before you both fall asleep rather than at any other time. If you’re sitting by him, occasionally he’ll just drop his head onto your shoulder. 

He is casual and somewhat indifferent; he is comfortable with any kind of affection if his partner is as well. 

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Willy has not had a best friend since boyhood. He has been isolated inside his factory and therefore has not had the opportunity to make friends as an adult and, even if he had, he was far too busy and concerned with his business and inventions. That being said, it would take him some time to settle into having and/or being a best friend. 

Whether you had met him in your youth or were lucky enough to befriend the reclusive chocolatier later in his life, he would always be considerate of you and would do his best to make sure that you were comfortable and safe. He is a bit unpredictable, so you can expect some surprises along the way and it would take quite a bit of time for him to show you his true nature, but once you’ve achieved mutual trust in each other, being friends with Wonka is very rewarding and one of the most exciting and fun aspects of your life. 

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

In short, yes.

Willy Wonka is a very private person and would appreciate the intimacy of cuddling. He likes when his partner lays on top of or against him with their head on his chest. Sometimes he’ll spoon you, but when he does that he almost always falls asleep. 

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

I think settling down is something he never gave much thought to. If the right person came along, he would be open to it, but he does not prioritize finding a relationship. 

Since he has spent so much time alone inside his factory, he is responsible for his own meals and cleaning, even though he could easily hire someone else to do it or have the Oompa Loompas take care of him, he much prefers doing it himself. 

He is an excellent cook – his skills of making delicious confections extends to making proper meals. 

He keeps his living space very tidy. Despite the mess that is his Inventing Room, if his living area was that messy and disorganized it would drive him crazy. He keeps his person and his home very neat and clean. 

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Willy would take this very seriously. He values honesty at its core and he would want to be upfront about ending things.

If he chose to end things, you most likely would not see or hear from him again. 

When Wonka makes up his mind about something, especially something this serious, usually a tremendous amount of thought has gone into it. 

He won’t make this decision lightly.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Once Wonka trusts you implicitly (and it takes a long time to get to that point with him) you won’t be able to get rid of him. He holds fast to those he trusts because it is so rare that he finds someone who is not out to get him or make a profit off him or his ideas. 

However, the idea of getting married is somewhat daunting to him. As someone who does not trust easily at all, marriage would be a huge step and he would want to be absolutely certain it was what he and his partner both want. He would not want to rush and would take his time, but if and when he proposes, his partner would know without any doubt that he meant it. 

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Willy is very gentle. 

His natural speaking voice is very soft; he has always been tenderhearted, for the most part. 

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He adores hugs. 

Innocent acts of affection are his favorite. 

His hugs are usually warm, tight and all-encompassing. Sometimes you’ll get a brief, almost hesitant little hug or side hug if the two of you are in someone else’s company; the lingering hugs are saved for when it’s just the two of you. 

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It takes Willy a long time to say it, but when he does, there’s no regret or doubt behind his words. He never does something so serious on a whim; it takes him quite a while to build up trust in a person, but hearing him say “I love you”, no matter how long it takes to hear it, is proof that he feels comfortable and that his feelings run deep. 

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

A bit surprising, but Wonka is extremely territorial. 

What’s his is his and he is not sharing. 

He doesn’t mind if you have friends, even if they are the opposite gender. The only time he gets jealous is if he notices someone trying to flirt or showing romantic interest in you. If this happens, he never gets upset with you and is quick to put an arm around you or any other innocent touch to assert that you are taken. 

If it happens in front of him, expect him to make snarky little quips like he did throughout the factory tour. 

His voice is always so polite that there’s always a delayed reaction to his insults. 

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Willy is a little stingy with kisses, especially on the lips. 

Chaste pecks are okay, but he keeps the full-blooded make out sessions to a minimum. 

He prefers cheek kisses or to kiss the back of your hand. 

When he’s feeling especially affectionate, he’ll kiss you anywhere that you’ll let him. 

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Willy is good with children who are respectful, sweet and polite (i.e. how he treated Charlie at the end of the film.) 

He doesn’t mind being around kids, but if they are disrespectful and don’t heed his warnings or follow his instructions, he’s swift to deliver consequences. 

He knows how to speak to children and how to interact with them, but he does not have plans to have any of his own. The best part about being around children that aren’t his is that he can spend time with them and play with them, but they go home at the end of the day and he then has time to himself. 

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

You won’t usually see much of Wonka in the mornings. He is an early riser, sometimes even waking up before dawn. His mind is fresh early in the day and he does his best work when he’s wide awake. He’ll head down to the Inventing Room pretty early to get started, especially if he’s on the brink of some new creation. 

If you’re up early, you might catch him, but if you prefer to sleep in, you won’t see him unless he pops in to check on you or you go looking for him. 

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Willy’s schedule is practically nonexistent, so it really depends on whether he’s in a creative mood or not. On nights that he doesn’t stay up inventing till all hours, he’ll spend it in your company. 

He doesn’t like to watch television very much but will watch it if you’ve got it on. 

He loves reading and will sit for hours with a cup of tea and a good book (he might even read to you if that’s something you like.) 

He likes cuddling in bed with you at night until both of you fall asleep.

Sometimes he has a bit of trouble winding down, especially if he’s been tinkering or has ideas for new treats, so on those nights you might have to help him settle. Run him a bath, read to him, tell him about your day, etc. Anything helps, as long as it’s quiet and relaxing. 

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

You’ll get bits and pieces from him, but it takes a while to connect all the dots. 

Wonka is an enigma and never gives away all his secrets at once. It takes a very long time before you start to see his true personality shine through. He likes to keep people on their toes and trying to guess his next move. 

You can learn a lot about him if you listen, so pay close attention.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Patience is a virtue that Wonka has plenty of.

He is extremely patient; it takes a great deal to get him to the end of his rope. 

He can be pushed to his limits and he still won’t snap, but once that fuse is lit, he has quite a temper. 

When he does break, he shatters.  

He does not yell or shout very often, but when he does is almost frightening. At these times is he incredibly blunt and brutally honest, which can and has offended people in the past.

Once he calms down, though, he will be extremely apologetic. 

Fortunately, it is rare that his anger ever gets to that point.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Wonka’s mind is his greatest gift. 

He never forgets anything that you tell him, which is both a blessing and a curse. 

He might seem scatterbrained when he’s working, but that isn’t because he has forgotten. If his mind is preoccupied with other things, it might make him seem forgetful, but you best believe he remembers everything. 

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Willy does not pick favorites when it comes to the people he loves and trusts; there are not very many people allowed into his inner circle, so he considers every moment a gift. 

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Willy is very protective. 

Security is very important to him, not just for you, but for him too. 

You are safe inside his factory. No one gets in or out without his knowledge and direct approval. 

He does not leave the factory often because of his status; he would be swarmed by adoring fans, which would not offend him, but when he wants to spend time alone or with his partner, this would get tiresome. 

He’s at his most comfortable inside the world of his creation. 

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

When Wonka does something, he goes out of his way to take things to the extreme i.e. the construction of his Chocolate Room. 

He would put much effort into dates and anniversaries. His gifts would be thoughtful and considerate of your likes and interests. You can almost always expect some sweet treat of some kind. 

He is helpful with daily tasks, having been used to taking care of himself on his own and enjoying his own independence. 

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Willy has a bit of trouble being open, especially about himself. 

All things considered, it is understandable, given that he has been taken advantage of. So many people have tried to use him for their own gain and it is sometimes difficult for him to put things into perspective and understand that not everyone wants something from him. 

He is not very forthcoming with information about himself and this might lead to disagreements. He does his best to listen to you and communicate, even if it is hard for him to open up to you. He wants your relationship to be as healthy as it can be and that means learning to trust that you have his best interests at heart. 

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He is a bit vain. 

He cares about his appearance and his outfits, though eccentric and somewhat extravagant, are tasteful. He likes to match garments i.e. his shoes with his hat or he’ll pick accessories to match his eyes. 

Sometimes he tries to style his hair a little bit, but his curls are so unruly that most days he’ll just wear his hat and leaves his hair alone. 

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

I think that Wonka would not have realized how incomplete his life was until he met you. 

The irony is that his imagination has imprisoned him. He became so successful that his competitors tried to take advantage of him and he was betrayed by those whom he trusted. He can do absolutely anything that he wants and yet he will never be able to truly be free because he must isolate himself so that the world does not ruin him. 

Wonka could never be free in the sense that he might someday have a normal life. All his happiness and joy are manufactured; he does not know a life outside of the factory. 

Nothing is an impossibility for him and yet the one thing he cannot do is create love. 

Love is something that must be found and cultivated over time. 

A romantic partnership with him would take a while to grow, but with time, it would blossom into something beautiful and he would come to realize how much he had been missing. 

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Willy says in canon that his Chocolate Room is where his dreams become reality and some of his realities become dreams…

What if the boat ride scene are his nightmares?

It would make sense, considering that every room in the factory contains things that he has invented or dreamed up out of his own head. 

It would only be right to assume that the boat ride scene is something that has manifested from inside his mind. 

These are the things which frighten or torment him. He purges them and gets them out of his mind so that he can focus on more wholesome things. We all have troubling thoughts from time to time and we can either put them out of our head or bottle them up; Wonka chooses to store them away where he can confront them by healthy means and step away when it gets to be too much. 

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

In general, Wonka hates: bad manners, questions, untrustworthy people and people with no imagination, to name a few. 

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He doesn’t sleep very much.  He would be fine with seven hours of sleep at the most, but he’s capable of running on no less than five. 

[koivoid]

p:eg posting part 5: the finale! spoilers ofc!

this one is pretty long, since it covers the whole trial!

yep. I don't think grace did it. would be way too obvious. she's probably just mourning him, in her own way.

also damon, why can't you just reveal wolfgang's secret... you’re making yourself more suspicious girl come on...

Minor complaint: once again, p:eg falls into the canon dr's trap of making its truth bullets too vague. jett's statement about wolfgang being stabbed to death shouldn't be countered by the tozu tablet, which doesn't mention his cause of death at all, nor any injuries he sustained. we investigated wolfgang's body ourselves, why shouldn't there be a "wolfgang's body" truth bullet? again, this problem is present in canon dr so I don't blame the devs for this.

OH MY GOD THANK YOU ULYSSES AND INGRID. I was about to say, how would you know those marks on his hands were burn marks unless you knew about the lightning thing? eva and damon didn't know, so how could they just assume it was a burn mark? it doesn't look much like a burn mark, does it???

YIPPEE my theory about wolfgang dying from an electric shock is coming true :D this is just drdt chapter 1 all over again (joke)

REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN!! ohhh the animation is so cool (for both wenona's rebuttal and the actual 'rebuttal showdown' text)

WOAG DAMON POINTING SPRITE!!!! this is genuinely so exciting :D

"Skinny guys bruise easily? Ulysses, fall over!" LMAOOO

also, the fact that wolfgang keeps getting called essentially a twink is really funny

OHHH DIANA IS THE ONLY ONE WHO WEARS HEELS! that DOES make a lot of sense... it can't be her, though. there's way too much evidence that's unexplained, like the locked door and the suspicious metal (bobby pin?)

YAYYY SO IT ISNT HER!!!! THANK GOODNESS :D

poor diana though :( poor wolfgang too neither of them deserved that

btw, if you use the pathos argument while proving diana's innocence, you can skip grace's rebuttal showdown entirely! neat!

the battery was suspended over the generator? NOT ANOTHER MURDER CONTRAPTION I HAD ENOUGH OF THQT IN DRDT!!!

the vent was involved... don't tell me eva is the killer bro...! she knew about the vent from the beginning and she was in the dining hall, where she could have adjusted the vent...

STOPPPP ULYSSES'S ARGUMENT ARNAMENT PHRASE IS LITERALLY JUST "erm.... actually..." IM DEAD LMAOOOOOO

OH NOOO IT IS EVA. NOOOOO I WAS JUST BEGINNING TO LIKE YOU GIRLIE :(

I thought she was sussy at the time because like. who else would want to kill Wolfgang? and she literally woke up in the boiler room too. but I thought she was TOO suspicious to be the killer :(

EVA ACCUSING DAMON IS CRAZY. but it's genuinely nice seeing how damon's distrusting of others led to others suspecting him, even if it only was for a little while.

HOLY SHITTTT EVA BREAKDOWN??? I WASNT EXPECTING THAT AT ALL. HER SPRITES LOOK SO COOL BUT. HOLY

NEW MINIGAME!! the art is super beautiful, but like... I'm struggling :') how do you even dodge the stupid crow attack???? nerf when D: (i probably just have a skill issue)

WOOO I FINALLY BEAT THE ARGUMENT ARNAMENT OR WHATEVER ITS CALLED. time for closing argument

Ohh, it's interesting that everyone is narrating the closing argument instead of just damon, like in the prologue. idk if I like that actually...?

WOAH. the part after the battery falls into the water, and the entire panel just vanishes, and the music stops, that's a really cool way to present it!

again, really love the art for the closing argument! so cool!!!

oh man. eva is such a tragic character.... she could have changed, she was in a new environment where she could have had people who supported her, but she still refused to believe in her classmates. and diana only wanted to help her, but she was the one (other than wolfgang) who got hurt the most by eva's actions...

(um. I was going to write out my thoughts about the execution but I can't seem to find the words for it right now. Imagine a really expertly written analysis here or whatever.)

The execution also has a really... "fanganronpa" look to it. Not that that's a bad thing though, I don't think any fangans have managed to capture the og dr execution style (except maybe sdra2)

aw man damon is crying after the execution :( except after the cg, he doesn't seem to acknowledge that...? even though 2 other characters get new crying sprites, he doesn't get anything, not even the dialogue mentions it. unless I blacked out at that part and missed it? but I'm glad that he cried, actually, because despite him trying to stay distant from the rest of the class, despite him trying to keep a calm face, he ended up caring for eva and crying over her death.

and another note about damon, his doubts about himself seem to have started in this chapter: he expresses doubt about not revealing wolfgang's motive, and about not speaking up about the dangers of the pharmacy. this is kinda interesting, he seems to be starting his character development early. interested to see where he goes!

also, 2 new crying sprites for mark and desmond! that's really cool actually, normally calm characters showing strong emotions is always so awesome to see, especially in fangans, where characters might react really passively to their classmates' deaths.

oh... diana no... she says stuff about continuing wolfgang's legacy when she herself is clearly not okay. she always cares about others' feelings without acknowledging her own. I know this scene is supposed to be motivational, but it genuinely seemed concerning to me. like girllll you're gonna end up dying in chapter 5 after an inevitable breakdown I know it!!! ...actually, I can see an arc like this, where diana slowly descends into distrust and despair while damon slowly learns to work with others and pursue the truth. welp, I'll see if this prediction comes true after like, 6 years, lol.

also, a really really minor thing about the ending: I found it kinda weird that diana striaght up mentions her animal being a chameleon. i feel like thats kind of..... idk, meta? I didn't know the characters were supposed to be aware of their own animal motifs, it feels kinda weird that she mentioned that. just a minor thing :')

but all that aside, we're finally done! this was genuinely such a great game, the eden's garden team put so much effort into this project, and it was so fun to play through (especially without being spoilered beforehand!!) genuinely so awesome, I look forward to more, whenever that may be.

also, two of my favorites are dead. ulysses better not be next.... (it's inevitable his note-taking gimmick is too much to pass up on)

ok that's all from me for now. bye :D

[gumnut-logic]

Along the Way (Part 7 and The End)

Sweetapple | Dear Mr Tracy | Along the way - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

It's finished! ::runs around the room like a loon:: Though I have to say that I doubt this will be the last we see of Mr Sweetapple as there are several threads that need a good neat tie up :D

All the wonderful thanks to @onereyofstarlight for staying up extra late and answering my poke across the Tasman Sea for a last minute read. I hope Alex gives you some nice sleep ::hugs tight::

Also, special thanks to all of you for supporting my geeky fanboy Alex :D There will be more as someone sent me some OC asks about Alex and I've realised that the only way I can answer them is by writing fic. (some other OCs of mine might pop up in fic at some point,too, for that exact same reason) ::so many hugs to all of you for being so kind to me::

But anyway, I will stop my excited rambling and present you with the last chapter of this fic....which has taken so long to write - so many apologies. Though I am excited that I'm writing again :D

I hope you enjoy this :D

-o-o-o-

Alexander Sweetapple’s head was spinning.

Not so much from the concussion he had no doubt he had, thank you, Mr Holographic Scott Tracy, but more from the fact that Virgil had just kissed him.

Not Mr Virgil Tracy, Head of Research and Development at Tracy Industries, no….more ‘ohmigod, I finally found you and you’re alive, I want to hug and kiss your brains out’ Virgil Tracy.

The man was covered in concrete dust and grime, there was more grey than blue on his uniform bar the scratched patches where his now discarded exosuit had sat.

Alex had proof Virgil had hugged him via all the dusty patches on his damp clothes, on his arms, and in his hair.

Virgil Tracy had hugged and kissed him.

For real.

Alex stood beside his mum while Virgil assessed the condition of her ankle and she went about embarrassing her son every way possible.

To be honest, it had been such a day that she was welcome to show Virgil Alex’s naked baby pictures for all he cared. She was safe and that was all important.

A glance over at the remains of the museum building prompted his heart to add a few extra beats per minute to its routine.

Alex let his jaw drop as he watched the roof float away.

Oh god.

“Alex?”

Virgil’s voice was so rich and deep.

“Alex?” And then Virgil grabbed him. Was he trying to hug him again. That would be nice. “Whoa! I think you need to sit down.”

Okay.

He folded himself smoothly down onto the pavement beside his mum.

“Hey, honey, look at me.” Her fingers were suddenly in his hair. “Allie, how the hell did you do all that with a head injury?” She peered closely at him. “Virgil, what do your scanners say?”

And yes, Virgil was waving a yellow light over Alex. “Concussion, bruising…” He frowned. “You’re both wet. You’ve been in the river?”

“Nearly drowned. My foot got stuck and Allie pulled me out. Some water, possibly sewage, may have been inhaled. My recommendation is to watch for symptoms of infection. In both of us.” Dr Sweetapple was in the house.

He turned to Virgil only to find his friend’s eyebrows fully deployed.

They were very nice eyebrows.

Virgil caught his stare. “Thunderbird One, I need to leave the danger zone. Ten minutes there and back for patient transport.”

“FAB, Thunderbird Two. Make it quick, we need your help in the industrial sector.” A pause. “How’s Alex?”

“Concussion, but well enough…and safe.” Virgil still had his eyes.

“Good to hear. Thunderbird One out.”

“What are you doing, Virgil?” The words slipped out without thought.

Virgil looked down at his wrist control poking it. “You both need medical supervision. I’m providing it for you.”

A good hundred metres away, Thunderbird Two rose up on her struts and her module door slid smoothly open. Two hoverstretchers darted out across the road, gliding around obstacles until they reached Virgil’s side. He pulled out a control surface and reconfigured them into hoverchairs. “Sorry to rush this, but time is short. Alex, stay put while I help your mother.” He held up a gloved hand and Alex was forced to settle back and obey.

Besides, the world was spinning again, and after all, Virgil was technically his boss.

He let his head fall into his hand and closed his eyes, suddenly ever so tired.

So this was what an adrenalin drop felt like.

Ugh.

“Alex?” Virgil’s voice was soft and his gloved hand gentle on his arm. That was really nice. “Alex? You with me?”

He blinked. Oh. “Yeah.”

“Let’s get you up.” Virgil nudged him, both hands holding his arms to steady him.

The world wobbled, but a few steps and Virgil had him snug and safe, strapped into the hover stretcher…chair…whatever the hell it was.

Virgil was running, Alex and his mother beside him, until they were all swallowed by the green of Thunderbird Two.

At some point, Virgil must has triggered the chair back into a bed because Alex was lying down and Virgil hovering over him, once again with a scanner flickering yellow light. “You can go to sleep, Alex. You’re okay and you’re safe.” A gloved hand gently brushed away the hair from Alex’s forehead. He knew this should mean something, but he was so tired.

Thunderbird green danced as his eyelids drifted closed.

Somewhere something was roaring just like a Thunderbird launching, but he had no energy to care.

-o-o-o-

Jeff stepped into the elevator only to almost collide with his mother. “Mom?”

“I’m meeting Thunderbird Two.”

“Why?” Was Virgil hurt? Why hadn’t John told him?

A hand on his arm quelled the sudden panic. “Virgil is fine. We have visitors.”

“Who?” Did he have to draw the information out bit by bit?

“Do you remember Alexander Sweetapple?”

“Of course, I do. Gordon thinks Virgil might be…interested.”

“He is.” She held up a finger so close to Jeff’s face, his eyes crossed. “And you are not going to say a thing. Yes, he’s breaking protocol, but he has good reason.” She looked away and let her finger drop. “The poor boy has been terrified all day. Thank god, they finally found Alex. And I don’t blame him for not wanting to let him out of his sight.” His mother stared up at Jeff with all the fire he knew she possessed. “Your son is bringing home his first romantic interest ever and you are not going to spout security blather all over him. This is our house and we can have guests. Especially important guests.”

Jeff took a step back. “I wasn’t going to say anything!” Virgil was bringing home Alex? As a love interest? “What the hell happened?” He really needed to speak to John about keeping him updated. He knew his orbiting son was selective, but this was ridiculous.

The elevator doors opened and his mother glared at him. “Something good. Don’t ruin it.” She stomped off into Two’s hangar, detouring into the medical supply cupboard on the way, just as the hangar doors started their opening sequence.

Jeff stepped cautiously out of the elevator. He had no idea what warranted his mother’s ire. Okay, maybe he had had some words with his eldest at one point, but that was nearly a decade ago.

His priorities were a little different these days.

Two roared in, a little faster than the norm. Virgil was obviously in a hurry. She spun on her turntable and the moment she settled, her forward hatch was lowered, Virgil standing between two hoverchairs.

Jeff hurried after his mother, cursing his cane, as Virgil strode with the two chairs towards them.

“Grandma, this is Doctor Lolly Sweetapple. Doctor Sweetapple, this is my grandmother, Doctor Sally Tracy, she and my father will be taking over your care.”

The two doctors exchanged greetings and slipped into medical babble two seconds later.

“Dad?” Virgil gestured him over. “You remember Alex?” Why was there so much hesitation in his son’s voice?

“Certainly, the creator of Siliwrap.” The man was obviously asleep. “How is he?”

“Concussion, bruising, he and his mother need monitoring for possible lung infection. They were caught in contaminated water.” His son swallowed; his expression hesitant. “I wanted them here, Dad. Grandma has the skills and the tools.” He looked away. “I just couldn’t leave them to the system.” His eyes fell on Alex and Jeff’s heart clenched.

“We will look after them.” He dropped a consoling hand to his son’s shoulder.

Vulnerable eyes looked up at him. “Thanks, Dad.” His hand was squeezed and Virgil was again moving. This time running back to his ‘bird.

His mother immediately took over and bustled them all into the elevator before they could acquire new coiffures a’la rocket engine.

As the doors closed, Thunderbird Two accelerated out on to her runway and the elevator shaft roared as she took to the sky.

-o-o-o-

Alex rolled over in bed and sighed into his pillow. He was extremely comfortable. Temperature was perfect. Pillow was soft. “Mmmmm….”

“About time you woke up, Allie. You were starting to worry me.” His mother’s voice was always reassuring.

“He’s fine, Lolly. Concussion is healing and there is no sign of any lung infection. See, look at the scans.”

Alex frowned. That was a female voice he didn’t recognise. Also, why was his mum in his bedroom?

“You’re giving me equipment envy, Sally. My god, the science behind this is amazing.”

“Virgil has them in development, don’t you worry. A good percentage of our breakthroughs do get filtered down into the market. Unfortunately, there is a difference between the ability to make a device for International Rescue and making devices in efficient, ecological and economic mass production. Our teams do their best.” A snort. “And your boy is part of that team. His devotion to Siliwrap is all to his credit. Alex is saving lives as much, if not more, as any at Tracy industries. You should be proud.”

“Oh, that’s a given. He’s always been a little obsessive, especially regarding the Thunderbirds.”

Wha-?

Alex flung his eyes open to find his mother lying on a bed beside him, smiling. She had her ankle wrapped and raised and was obviously talking to the owner of the other voice, an older lady dressed in a purple jumpsuit.

Both were smiling at him.

“Where am I?”

Yes, that’s the first question out of any alien abductee’s mouth, no doubt about it.

“You’re on Tracy Island, Alex. You and your mother are safe and our guests.” When Alex didn’t respond as his brain automatically overloaded. “I’m Mrs Tracy, Virgil’s grandmother.”

“Watch it, Sally, he may combust on the spot.”

Thanks, mum.

His mother was grinning at him. “I swear he’s been looking for the location of this island since he discovered his first Thunderbird.”

“Mum!”

“Shhh! You’ll wake him up.” His mum was pointing behind him.

“Lolly, don’t worry, Virgil sleeps like the dead. Especially after a rescue like that.”

Virgil? What?

He twisted around and found a third bed behind him. Virgil lay sprawled face down on it, snoring softly into his pillow.

“Don’t worry, honey. He’s just tired. Our boys exhaust themselves and then wonder why their bodies shut down.”

It was only then all the events leading up to his current situation fully loaded into his brain.

Virgil.

Virgil had kissed him. His chocolate eyes held such relief and joy…

The scene played back in his head over and over, declaring that it had happened. That something Alex may have dreamed about but never really considered actually possible, had happened.

He stared at Virgil.

Gone was the uniform and in its place a simple black t-shirt outlining a lax bicep hanging off the edge of the bed. Alex’s eyes tracked down the length of Virgil’s arm to his hand.

Such strong hands.

The emergency responder had a blanket draped over him, obviously placed there after the advent of slumber, likely by his purple grandmother.

“Why is he here?”

Mrs Tracy walked around Alex’s bed so she could face him. “Now, don’t you start worrying your head off, young man. He is fine. He’s in the bed because otherwise he’d be asleep in a chair and that is not acceptable self-care. He wanted to stay here with you and it was the bed or out. Exhaustion did the rest.”

He stared at her a moment, his thoughts spinning.

“How are you feeling, Allie?”

Huh? He turned back to his mother. “Mum, your ankle…”

She waved him off. “Hon, I’ve done worse tripping over kids in the waiting room. Nothing to worry about.” She frowned at him. “How’s your head?”

How was his head? How was he in general?

There were aches, yes, now that attention had been drawn to them, but generally, considering that he’d just been through a major disaster, he felt okay. “I’m okay.”

His eyes drifted back to Virgil.

“Don’t you think of getting out of bed just so you can sit at his bedside, Alex. I know how you boys think, so don’t think you can pull one over on me.” Virgil’s grandmother was proving to be as bad as Alex’s mother.

“Don’t worry, Sally, he’s been very well trained from birth.”

“How did you manage that? I’ve been trying for nearly thirty years with the grandkids. Their father is just as bad.”

Alex’s eyes widened. Their father? Jeff Tracy. The Jeff Tracy who gave his name to Tracy Island. That Tracy Island that was ever so secret and Alex was currently resting his butt on. Well, the bed his was resting his butt on was on the Island. It was simple transference of molecular ownership.

Perhaps this was not the best moment to realise that he was wearing a black t-shirt very similar to Virgil’s and that it was not one he owned, nor was it one he was wearing the last time he was aware and conscious.

He pulled up the blanket and found black shorts. “Where are my clothes?” Perhaps the step up in octave was a little ridiculous on his part, but it had been a very stressful day.

“Your clothes were ruined, Allie. Jeff and Mrs Tracy were kind enough to supply and dress you in some replacements.” His mother was ever so matter-of-fact, as usual.

“Jeff Tracy saw me naked?!”

Okay, he had to admit, that was supposed to be inner voice and not shouted at the top of his lungs. In any case, it proved that it was possible to wake up Virgil Tracy, no matter what his grandmother said.

“Alex? What?”

He turned to find Virgil pushing himself up off the bed, hair sticking in all directions, obviously still half asleep.

“Honey, the man brought up five boys. One more is nothing new.” Mrs Tracy was as matter-of-fact as his mother.

Great. A team up.

“Virgil, go back to sleep.” Mrs Tracy bustled over to her grandson and attempted to get him to lie down.

But Virgil had caught sight of Alex. “Alex! You’re awake!”

Mrs Tracy actually rolled her eyes as Virgil threw off his covers and climbed out of bed. He closed the distance between them on bare feet. “Hey, how are you feeling?”

Alex couldn’t help it. “You look adorable.” Because he did. Big tough rescue operative with puffy eyes and hair sticking up all over the place, not to mention the black t-shirt and shorts that hid absolutely zero anatomical detail. And above all, he was smiling, as if ever so happy to see Alex…which was some kind of miracle and honestly how hard had he hit is head?

“You’re not bad yourself.” That smile turned to one of appreciation.

What?

His mother did mention a concussion…

“Okay, it’s obvious Virgil is not going to listen to his doctor’s advice, so Lolly and I will leave you two boys alone.” Mrs Tracy poked at his mum’s bed and it detached from the wall, hovering quite happily and easily nudged out of the room.

“Allie, take it easy, love. You are recovering from a concussion, after all.”

Yeah, yeah, mum, whatever. Virgil’s eyes were such a beautiful shade of brown.

Both women muttered to each other as they left the room, closing the door behind them.

Virgil was poking Alex’s bed controls with his fingers. “Good. You’ve rested.” His eyes were tracking over medical readouts. Alex’s medical readouts.

“I’m okay, Virgil.”

The man looked up at him again. “Good.”

Alex frowned as Virgil lifted a hand up and gently brushed Alex’s hair clear of his left temple and the abrasion there. “Grandma’s treated you well.”

Alex wanted to fall into that gentle touch. His eyes may have at least partially closed.

“Are we okay?”

Alex’s eyes snapped open.

“I mean…” Those eyes looked down and away. No, come back! “…we haven’t talked about-“

Alex was suddenly kissing Virgil. There had been space between them, but now it was gone, Alex had his arms around those truly magnificent biceps, and startled lips were pressed up against his, ever so warm, and god, Virgil was kissing him back…

There was a brain whiteout for a moment as Virgil’s arms returned Alex’s eager embrace…and then Virgil’s tongue was in his mouth and…

“Whoa! My bad.”

Alex pulled back.

“No! No, you two just keep doin’ what you were doin’ and I’ll just put this coffee down and-“

“Gordon, what do you want?” Virgil hadn’t let go of Alex, but his head did turn towards his brother.

Alex was busy dying on the spot. Why did he do that? Kiss Virgil? Him?

“I brought you coffee! You know, life blood and all that.” Coffee? “Uh, you might want to get back to that tonsil hockey you were playing. Alex looks like he’s might dump you for the coffee.”

“Go away, Gordon.”

“Going away, leaving, like a tree. Happy for both of you. ‘Bout time, Virg.”

“Gordon!”

“I’m gone!” And he was, the door sliding shut behind him.

Virgil turned back to Alex. “Sorry about that.” A slight shrug. “I have brothers.”

Alex blinked. “I have sisters.”

Virgil’s smile was a sight to behold. “So, we’re okay?”

Alex had had a very hard day, his head was a bit of a mess and there were several truths he was ignoring to keep his sanity. But right now?

He tugged Virgil closer. “More than okay.”

“You want some coffee?”

But Virgil’s lips were brushing his and… “No, I’m good.”

The coffee went cold.

-o-o-o-

FIN

[alicesadventuresinffxiv]

FFxivWrite2024 Prompt #29 (Free)

Title: Changing Tack

Wordcount: 1150

Spoilers through: Shadowbringers 5.4

Relationships & Characters: Merlwyb/Kan-E

Summary: When the Admiral receives a message from the Elder Seedseer taking her to task for her reckless actions, she knows how to read between the lines.

(I really enjoy the variety of women FFXIV has, and therefore the variety of relationships I’ve gotten a chance to write this month. There’s everything from innocent new crushes to complicated old tangles like where I went with this! :D)

.

“Letter for you, Admiral. From the Elder Seedseer.” The Grand Storm Marshal handed over the sealed envelope after knocking twice on the door to the command room.

The admiral of the great ship Limsa Lominsa raised an eyebrow at the neat, rounded script. A personal letter, then, not one dictated. “Already written, has she? News does travel fast these days.” Merlwyb gave a sharp nod. “Thank you, Marshal. I’ll read it at once. Can’t be too careful with those Garlean towers looming over the horizon.”

Her second in command tossed off a quick salute, then headed to the lift as the admiral prized the seal off with her knife and limped back to her desk. With a grimace, she sat back down and rubbed at her injured leg. She’d gotten lucky the other day with the kobolds. Very lucky indeed. A few gashes and bruises were a pittance to pay for a fresh start to negotiations between them.

Now then. The letter.

“My dearest Merlwyb,

Have you perchance taken leave of your senses?! Even I should not dare walk into a nest of tempered sylphs, and I count their elder amongst my closest allies. To wager one’s life upon the whims of an enemy with naught but a handful of adventurers at your back was a recklessness unbefitting of the steady hand with which you’ve steered your nation!

Did you not think to call upon Gridania’s conjurers? Full gladly would I have lent mine Adders’ assistance to the cause of peace. Had you but sent word more, our finest healers - in whose number I myself include - would have been at your prompt disposal.

Merlwyb let out a hearty chuckle. Despite her counterpart’s flowery language and excuses about responsible governance, the true message was clear: Kan-E, Navigator bless her adventurous heart, was hopping mad she’d missed all the fun and fireworks.

Nevertheless, though I must needs condemn your thoughtless methods, I do greatly applaud the results of your efforts. I had feared your determination to stay the course of violence would preclude any cessation of hostilities within our lifetimes. But I see now that the rock of your convictions may be weathered by the gentle river of my persistence…

Oho. Not so angry she couldn’t feel smug, then. Trust the girl to be too sweet and polite to say “I told you so,” in that many words, but aye, she was thinking it. And truth be told, Merlwyb deserved it! Many a night she’d argued with the seedseer until she’d been blue in the face that her calls for negotiation and compromise would never come to pass.

But here Merlwyb was, gambling her life and legacy to make Kan-E’s wish happen.

Mayhap, then, I have a chance to persuade you on the matter of our second longstanding disagreement. Thus do I remind you: my invitation remains ever-open, awaiting your reply. Should you find yourself in want of the succor and safety of Gridania’s bosom, the Twelveswood welcomes you with open arms.

And there it was. Merlwyb sighed ruefully and sat back. Kan-E chided her for her recklessness now, but in times long past, that accusation had held far more weight. 

In those times, Merlwyb had been a different woman. A woman who’d seen Gridania as merely another ship to be plundered, a target which had much vexed her with its impenetrable supernatural defenses. 

A woman who had, once the Elementals saw fit to appoint a new seedseer, made a point of stealing away with their treasured Hearer’s heart.

Or, should your mind be seized by yet another bold whim, you could do far worse than to counter mine invitation with a proposal of your own. You have taken the first steps towards mending relations between the peoples of your lands, but what of those beyond Vylbrand’s shores? A more permanent and stable arrangement between us, regardless how inelegantly advanced, could prove far more beneficial to our citizens and the Alliance than our wont to tiptoe around the buried rot left by our feckless histories.

And Kan-E had welcomed it. For all that the Elementals’ role for her shackled the girl to the Twelveswood, her letters never failed to overflow with a desperate wanderlust and longing for freedom. Their brief tryst had but heightened these waves of desire in Merlwyb’s wake.

Of course, Kan-E would never leave her woods, no matter how thinly she concealed her fantasies of being spirited away as a dashing admiral’s bride. But neither would Merlwyb leave her fleet. 

Indeed, the metaphors practically wrote themselves. The sea was in Merlwyb’s bones. Putting down roots simply wasn’t in her nature. She’d charted her voyage, and the seedseer hers, and apart from those fleeting nights of moonlit passion, their routes were not like to meet again.

All I ask is that you give mine suggestions the consideration they are due. As the Seventh Astral Era waxes and the long shadow of Garlemald’s empire wanes, we find ourselves with a bounty of opportunities to begin relations anew. Why should we let paths unwalked still define the contours of our futures, when we instead have this chance to forge a fresh path together?

Surely it couldn't work. As nice as Kan-E made the idea of quickening the embers of their old love sound, they were both mature women with bustling city states to run and interminable politics to navigate. It was one thing to speak of beginning relations anew, but in these days of calamity and war, when had they last had but a single moment to discuss aught beyond official Alliance business?

Given enough time, Kan-E would realize a youthful indiscretion did not the foundation of a fruitful relationship make. The healer would learn to mend her own heart. She had to know Merlwyb had taken many lovers since, some for the span of a night, some for the span of years. 

…Although it was true Kan-E was the singular soul who’d kept writing. Who had, as the seasons cycled again and again, never quite left Merlwyb’s thoughts.

A gentle river, eh? Compared to the stormy winds Merlwyb surrounded herself with, that soft pull should have held no bearing upon her heading. And yet… 

As such, when next you are unoccupied by urgent matters of state, I would much like to discuss the momentous developments of late in person. Or perhaps diplomatic topics of a more discreet nature, should you find yourself amenable to mine desire for a more enduring friendship between our nations.

May the Twelve keep you always,

Kan-E-Senna

A short visit couldn’t hurt, Merlwyb decided. Just a courtesy call, to ensure Gridania’s overtures to its neighbors were going as well as Limsa’s. 

And if she just so happened to make time afterwards indulge in Kan-E’s ideas of discreet diplomacy? Well, Limsa had changed its tack to fit the new wind blowing, so perhaps this old pirate could too.

[justavulcan]

COMING SOON: JUSTAVULCAN'S BIG BOOK OF DUNGEON PROMPTS

Well, folks, it's been a while since my last project. This is not accidental- after finishing Airmark's Guide to Planar Vegetables, I direly needed a break. Even though I spent much of the early stages of that project working on it before posting, I still wrote the majority of the posts with the monsters- detailing their habits, climate preferences, and danger levels- as I was putting the Tumblr posts together. Getting Airmark's more professional tone down was a neat challenge, and I can see a future where I put out another ecological project like that.

This, is not that.

I'm a long-time DM- I've been at it since 7th grade, which means my DMing career is old enough to drink this year, and as the years have gone by and editions and games have passed, I've wished time and again that the structure of a Dungeon would be more firmly defined- why they form, why they remain unclaimed, and what happens inside them outside of player character intervention. I considered writing an essay series on Dungeoncraft and may still do so, if the need truly strikes me. But for now, I'm just going to do this.

I have, for about the last six months, been pushing myself to create Dungeons. Not fully-fleshed out ones, I should add. I don't have the aptitude with mapping software to make a map like that as often as I would want one. No, just the concept work: their occupants, the leader or Dungeon "Master," the nature of the structure itself, any additional hazards, and the most noteworthy reward for conquering its challenges.

And now, as the new year draws closer and people need a pick-me-up, I'm giving them all to you.

I love writing, and I like to work in this medium, where there are rules to implement to handle the outcomes, but the imagination of players and DM come alive to create things I could never do alone. So this year, Every Day, I will be putting out a Dungeon one piece at a time, over the course of a week, from Wednesday to Tuesday. They're not comprehensive, they have no map, and most of them don't go into much more than the basics. They're written with no system in mind, although many of them are not traditional fantasy and as such won't work well with D&D, which has heretofore been this blog's bread and butter. But since I in real life have had the chance to play a more varied set of RPGs this past year, I didn't want to limit myself to something that would for-sure work for D&D every time. That's not to say they won't, but a good number of them are sci-fi centric affairs, and a few more are even less suited for the kind of heroic fantasy D&D usually runs with.

It amused me to play Spot the Reference with a bunch of these, so please do shout it out if you see it.

If you want to use them, my only price is to say how it went. I want to hear if any of this is useful to people, as a springboard into something like what I wrote- or Not! Giving inspiration is as important to me as people using what I made verbatim.

That all said, I used a few capitalized terms throughout the project while I was writing it, and they should be reproduced here: specifically the Dungeon, and the Master.

In the context of these prompts, the Dungeon means "the primary adventure site, where the majority of contact with the stuff is happening." They're not all monster-infested holes in the ground; they're not all Not monster-infested holes in the ground. A fair number are abandoned buildings, either short-term or long; at least one is a normal lake; and several are technically more a 'situation' than a 'place.' Still, Dungeon is the word.

The Master, by contrast, is pretty directly "the main actor among the things or people at the site." The Master is in charge of the largest and most dominant faction in the Dungeon. That's not to say the Dungeon can't be contested; in several, it very much is. But the Master runs the place in the most direct, overt sense of the word. If there's a main threat or climactic confrontation, it should be with the Master. It's not gendered, obviously; I used it interchangeably with a bunch of different individuals with different pronouns because of all of the things used to define the ruler of the structure, gender was the least important to me because ultimately it's the easiest to change without making a huge deal of it. So if you don't like the masculine or feminine term I used, swap it and don't worry about it.

And that's it! The posts will be coming Every Day in 2025, starting at about 7-7.30 AM EST on January 1st. I will group them with both the Big Book of Dungeon Prompts tag and a separate sub-tag for the Dungeon itself. At the end of the year I will likely make an index post or turn this post into an index and reblog it if I can figure out to do that. I hope this project can lighten what promises, unfortunately, to be quite a heavy year for many of us. I hope it does.

[oodlekode]

TRANSFORMERS ONE SPOILERS!!!

Spoilers and rambles under the cut!!!

So I saw the movie and I'm absolutely in love with it!!! My thoughts about it are scattered and possibly hard to read so excuse that.

First and foremost, I was a little surprised that they made Orion a miner along D-16. But it got me thinking that because of the way Orion is and all his chaos; it would make sense if he used to be an archivist and got demoted for being crazy. The implementation of Orion still having his name and not a miner name like D-16 was just a little confusing was all. Secondly I absolutely loved the word building and the Idea of Cybertron having organic life on the surface and animalistic beings. The little red lights on the horns of the deerlike animals was really neat. I liked being able to understand a bit more about Cybertron and its many surfaces, even if it was brief subtle implications of it.

I was really surprised to see Alpha Trion turn into a dinobot!! I don't know if anyone picked up on that but it was really interesting to see.

And even though I saw the betrayal coming, It absolutely broke my heart. The thought put into it, the last words from D-16 to Orion, the way he slipped out of his grasp. AGH!! Just every little bit of that was so good, the buildup to it was so well done.

And last little thought on it before I lose myself in words, I noticed the prime theme in the cave scene!!! That was SO AWESOME!!! As a heavy Prime continuity enjoyer that pulled at my heart so much. I love all the tiny callbacks to the universes and especially prime.

Thats all I have for now, even though theres so much more. Overall I loved it so much.

[boogiewoogieweeb]

4, 10, 19, 39, 55!

hello nonnie! thank you very much for the asks - i hope my answers will be satisfactory! 🌹🌹🌹

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

as cliched as it sounds, everywhere really. all it takes for a fic idea to form is for me to see or experience something interesting and apply it to whichever characters i'm currently obsessed with. a good example of this would be my joplittle sexsomnia au - it was born from reading an article posted to reddit about how extreme stress or emotional trauma can induce this condition, and what the partners of people who suffer from it have to deal with. my brain extrapolated on this by going, "neat! now let's apply that to edward little and see where it goes!". and so now i'm a quarter of the way through a wip about the first lieutenant of hms terror getting up to sexcapades in his sleep :D

10. Cltr+f "blinks" on your WIP & copy paste the first sentence/paragraph that comes up

you would not believe how many of my wips i actually had to dig through (eight, it was eight) before i actually found one where i've used the word "blinks". anyway, here's wonderwall the snippet:

“Then I should hope to always be fortunate enough to have a Second so steadfast in his dedication as you have proven yourself to be, Lieutenant Little.” The words settle over Edward like a warm weight; an anchor dropped in calm waters, and he blinks harshly to stem the prick of tears that burn suddenly at the back of his eyes.

19. What is the most-used tag on your ao3?

the filters on my works page tells me that apparently, it's #humor. followed in short order by #angst, #drama, and #drabble in combined second-place. which really tells you everything you need to know about me as a person, probably.

39. Share a snippet from a WIP

this is one i've been sitting on for more than a month now, following some conversation with two of my favourite people, lily and helen, on the topic of the parallels between little and crozier in the terror. it's a fic that's almost as close to my heart as my "ned quits the navy" au, and it's coincidentally also the same fic where i pulled the "blinks" snippet from:

He’s going to lose the fingers, at the very least.

What had started out as frostbite has grown into something far, far more insidious; the rigid blue-white of hardened flesh having first given way to purple bloating, then to leathery, blistered brown, and finally to black decay; variegated streaks of reddish-grey striating from the tips all the way down towards the line of his knuckles.

Worse yet is the smell whenever he peels the bandages off; a faint, nauseating, slightly sweet stench that reminds him of the time when, as boys, he and James had once come upon a dead fox while out riding one afternoon - flyblown and baking in the stifling summer heat, its noxious and festering body bloated with gas and rot.

The first time he’d seen – truly seen – how bad his hand had gotten, he’d rushed outside to empty his heaving stomach into the fine fresh dusting of snow that had settled over the outpost like a blanket.

It hurts to use, nowadays. He can’t properly make a fist anymore for how swollen his hand’s become, and every touch now is its own bright, stinging agony.

Edward stares dully at his left hand in mild disgust before wrapping it again, tight enough to send pain coursing down his wrist and all the way up to his elbow; rolling waves of needling fire that beat in time with his pulse. He’s taken to doing this alone in one of the woodsheds on the outskirts of the fort, though if pressed, he wouldn’t have been able to answer as to why.

He’s shaking by the time he finishes, trembling as if palsied, breathing hard as if he'd just run a mile. But his hand is bandaged once more, and the damage is hidden from sight. In time, Edward knows, he will need to see to the matter of its removal.

He will lose the fingers, sure enough; if not more. It doesn’t matter. There are worse things to lose in life than a hand.

55. Of the characters you write for, which is your favorite? Has that choice been swayed at all by your followers/readers’ reactions to certain ones?

oh, i'd have to say it's my best boy edward little. he's far and away the character i've come to empathize with and relate to the most - probably ever - and so that makes it easier for me to get into the headspace required to write things from his perspective. as for being swayed by the reactions of others to how i write him, i don't think i am, not really. i certainly greatly appreciate and enjoy reading comments that praise my characterization, but i like to think i have a pretty clear and well-defined enough grasp of my blorbo whenever i do manage to bang out a few words on the old keyboard that i'm quietly confident in my ability to portray him relatively faithfully and accurately.

and that about covers it! once again thank you so much for taking the time to get to know a bit more about me and my writing process, nonnie! it was a lot of fun coming up with answers to your questions!

[llycaons]

mtefil ch7-10

panels that make you wish you could read japanese....the author really must have read the whole bible huh

ohhh, gore!

oh I like that. when inequality so often exists/ is created and maintained to gratify the greed of a privileged class...yeah. but wouldn't all these changes just open up more potential sources of greed if everyone has the chance to get all this stuff and they all want in? oh, I'm overthinking it. also greed's whole thing is about men and violence - he's always siding with the ones who already have power and want more, unreasonably so

MY MAN!!!!

that creature looks sick. and I'm dying at her outfit here

oh fuck yes kill them all new woman

OHH gory!! imuri is neat - she's there on assignment but she's a dynamic character with her own feelings, and she could actually develop a real relationship with this boy. she already is!

hm!

yeah even though mammon's power derives from the power and privilege of oppressive systems like patriarchy and white supremacy (and presumably others), individuals who aren't men or who aren't white can still participate in/support those systems and hurt others for their own gain so they're complicit even if they're not the source

what's she going to do now, huh....

regardless of discussions of 'what is a man really' and 'what is masculinity, really' I'm w her on this one. I hate the word 'manly' and all its connotations of traditional masculinity and chauvinistic aggression

why does he look like a 6 yr old 😭 did he regress? the cutesy demon designs are really throwing me off

mother over here looking like a marine-themed plushie....

so true...

you know what he's always wearing that outfit and it's like a shield again the world or a barrier between him and others isn't it. he never takes it off except sometimes it gets blown up in fights or in that early chapter when he was attacked and they started to strip him.

oh I see. she's left-handed. and the chapter title is the left hand of darkness. very clever

oh help...his inner darkness

she IS marine themed :D

fucked up if true. I mean I don't know why it wouldn't be true, obviously the readers and the author both know the japanese language

[bonefall]

I translated some of my Warrior OCs a bit ago! Four of them are part of one family, and the other is my tabaxi ranger with a warrior's name! I don't know if they're correct, but I wanted to give it a shot!

Clovershine - Glemshem (Her name ended up super cute to say! She's the Mi of Cricket and Fawn!)

Alderpelt - Reykossaborrl (There wasn't a word specifically for Alder, so I combined red and tree! This guy is Clover's mate and the very involved Ba of Cricket and Fawn!)

Fawnfrost - Myaachiki (Myaa sounded cuter than Mween, so I used that instead! Fawny is my main girl I rped and invested a lot of trauma in! :D)

Cricketcall - ???ayeo (Sadly no word for cricket, and I couldn't find words to combine for it. Maybe bell and bug? Idk, I just think this guy is neat! He and his dad and Fawn's mentor all die in a terrible sickness, hence her trauma! :DD)

Emberstrike - Kipkubo (A bit of a stim of a name, tbh. She's the ranger, I love her so much and I wish her campaign didn't fall through...)

CRICKET TIME.

So the first thing to know here is that the Clan cat idea of crickets may be somewhat different to your own.

If you're American, you may have a distinction in your mind that a cricket is usually a singing, hopping bug with a more rounded head, where grasshoppers are longer and more locust-shaped. That isn't the case in this part of Britan/Albion. In fact, grasshoppers are the ones better known for their singing abilities.

See this?

This is a house cricket. They're very rare in this region, and mostly live in human houses, as the name implies. Clan cats do not have a word for these.

THIS is what they're imagining when they hear the word cricket;

This green, stout, long-legged insect is called a Speckled Bush-Cricket. They have three species of bush-cricket and five species of hopper.

Generic terms;

Bush-cricket (generic) = Pwoi Named for the sound they make while jumping, as opposed to how hoppers are named for the song. Sometimes gets applied to other rounded, hopping insects, like fleas.

Hopper (generic) = Chrriga Long, powerful insects with loud chirping wails that they make by rubbing their legs against themselves. Found on the ground and in grass, unlike bush-crickets which are usually arboreal.

Popper (a hopping insect suitable for eating) = Arroi Subjective, WindClan tends to use this as a generic for both hoppers and bush-crickets, ShadowClan applies it to all big ones, RiverClan and ThunderClan don't use it at all (except Sorreltail who uses it for any hoppers she's caught and plans to eat).

Hopper Poppers = Pwoi k'sirArroi A WindClan dish. Mashed, breaded-and-egged, deep fried cricket balls. Related to grubcakes, but these INCLUDE breadcrumbs for a crunch. Kind of unhealthy, but a good source of fat which is otherwise lacking in the WindClan diet.

Specific species;

For funsies I'm going to give them a culinary rating, maximum of four stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐. I'm being possessed by the spirit of BB!Sorreltail lmao.

Roesel's bush-cricket (Roeseliana roeselii) = I'ri'r THE undeniable sound of summer, buzzing long and loud when it gets hot. This animal is the most uncanny mix between a hopper and a bushcricket and has a distinctive sound, so it's rarely referred to with a generic title. ⭐⭐⭐ It is also large and meaty. Best of both worlds, right here. Most palatable bush-cricket.

Speckled bush-cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima) = Rr'ik Though its cry is delicate and high-pitched like a bat, it's noteworthy for being the only one in this family that sings mutually. Female crickets return a song to a male they like. ⭐⭐ They're small, but gooey. WindClan sometimes skips mashing them because they're SO leggy, they prefer to just pull the bits off and eat the body. Like a gusher. But that's so much effort, you know?

Drumming Katydid (Meconema thalassinum) = Kugr Has a low, almost threatening grinding noise, which is fitting because it is an active predator. The only one in this list. It kills and eats caterpillars and other invertebrates, but that's not all. It's also a host for a horrible parasite that forces it to run towards water at the end of its life, drowning the animal before bursting out of its body. ⭐ Tastes awful. Possessed by worms. All legs and no meat. Only ShadowClan would eat something like this.

Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus) = Gyig WindClan's bread-and-butter, one of the most common insects they need to eat to keep their coats healthy. Has a chirping song instead of a drawn-out one. HATES wetness and is best found where the gorse is dead and dry. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A favorite for a reason. It's abundant, it's meaty, it's large. It can even be purple.

Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus) = F'fir Green with thick black bars on its abdomen, with a harsh, fluttering song. Tends to find a high pedestal before playing its song, as if it's trying to get in front of an audience. ⭐⭐⭐ Has more crunch than meat, with big wings that can get in the way, but still a hopper which is pretty delicious.

Slender grouse locust (Tetrix subulata) = Sswoi Dull brown thing that doesn't even sing. Has a dumb little wiggle-dance instead. Loves streams and lidos and is the hopper that RiverClan cats see most often. ⭐ No wonder RiverClan doesn't eat bugs.

Meadow Grasshopper (Pseudochorthippus parallelus) = Shriga Some of them can look deceptively like a f'fir with the green bodies and barring, but listen. Listen. Its song is TOTALLY different, more of a shakey-shake kind of rattle. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ And Sorreltail will GO TO BAT for how delicious they are. Don't be fooled. This is grasshopper ambrosia. Tiny wings, lots of crunch, a nice flavor. ABSOLUTE delicacy.

Groundhopper (Tetrix undulata) = Wariga A plump, brown grasshopper that eats moss and algae, preferring wet environments with drier areas to retreat to. ⭐⭐⭐??? Data needed. ShadowClan cats kept SWEARING to Sorreltail that these are actually the best, most delicious poppers out there. But she's never had one so she can't attest to it... yet. It's hard to imagine anything can taste better than a honey-roasted shriga. She doubts it tbh.