#it's probably so removed from the source they dont even know

[vonlipvig]

FRIEND JUST SAID SHE SAW MY ART ON A YOUTUBE VIDEO THUMBNAIL. LOL. LMAO EVEN.

[lizaluvsthis]

Self aware SMG3 theory?????????

Again back to my thoughts on SMG3...

But in the PuzzleVision Theory thing- (you can reread it again if ya want)

What if it's Three's turn to be self aware? What if after all of this time he knows something is wrong and he doesn't show it?

What if SMG3 has seen through the simulation, right after he'd seen the weird keyboard? Like right after Tari brings back everyone into their senses during Western Spaghetti- SMG3 remembering each and every part of what happened including the igbp and wotfi 2023?

And this may have been the first but he was the FIRST on the list than SMG4 (this is either alphabetical or not- )

Call me stupid or skeptical- but what if Three has seen the keyboard somewhere from before? (Not the part he's seen it with four)

We all know that Three goes through the dark web to sell and buy some stuff off there, and the keyboard pretty sure does belong from something obvious. "Dark Web"

So maybe- PuzzleVision had it coming to him and mightve removed that part of his mind to prevent his plans from happening in the future.

Either Three dies in the future or not. (Not even sure what would happen if a Meme Guardian dies- cuz mainly if an avatar or aka Mario dies then the source from the whole would is gonna have alot of consequences and might lead it into destroying the whole thing)

Maybe Three has met PuzzleVision before? No one knows- maybe, maybe not, probably, I guess...?

I just made him self aware from the theory so- cough.

I dont know anymore :)

[meianslo]

Diaries of Her Life

George Karim x Fem!reader

summary: george helps the reader around the house after a bunch of injuries and wounds on the legs caused from a case. while the reader is going through some struggle that is making her vurnerable, george's curiosity take over him and made him invade some privacy and take a little peek into his 'beloved's' colleague diary.

theres a bit of locklyle as well!

word count: 2.7k

disclaimer: last time i wrote anything this long is probably 2 years ago so pls uhh dont expect too much.

<3

George had try to warn the team of traps lying around after his research on the case but he warned (name) much more than the others because he knows of her clumsiness.

But that didn't work. For (name), at least.

The others have almost fall for the traps but (name). She has fall for almost every single trap that's in front of her. They sometimes wonder why they hired her at Lockwood & Co.

This is what happens if you go on a case in the house of a hunter. Fortunately, all of the traps are not the ones that kill you but just the ones that scares intruders away and injure you not severely.

They're finally done with the mission. They are all sitting at the front porch of the hunter's house. Taking a few breaths. Well, except for George. He's pacing back and forth, his pointer finger and thumb stroking his chin, eyebrows furrowed. Anthony, Lucy, and (name) just stares at him as he paces.

"What's wrong, George?" Anthony finally asked, "Something is off." George finally stops in his track, facing the three that is now Infront of him. Rolling her eyes at his answer, (name) rests her elbow on her thigh that is painfully sore then bending a bit lower and places her chin on the palm of her hand.

"Clearly," Lucy stated with a sarcastic smile. "No! I mean, I'm pretty sure the forensics would have the traps removed after the guy died, right? Also, didn't you guys see the ghost earlier? He looked much younger than my research says. It said that the owner of the house is like what, 50 years old? How did I not notice this?" As George starts asking questions to them instead of answering Lockwood's question, (name) scoffs, leaning back and fold her arms under her chest.

"Well, old guy or not, this guy surely wants me to stop walking, Karim." (name) grumble and George's face soured.

"I'm sorry you were too busy being clumsy to notice that something is clearly wrong here." He bite back.

"But anyways, first of all, the ghost that we fought was not the old man the neighbors thought was. Second of all, someone surely didn't want us to be in there. I know that it's a bit stupid but I'm not stupid! He lives alone, literally no relatives, no friends. Even if he does have friends, it's probably that bear rug or the hanging tiger by his probably a century old fireplace!" He throws his arms in the air as if he was pushing the thoughts aside. He turned around, his back now facing the three.

"So who could be placing those traps? Who is trying to get us out of here?" George places his hand on his waists and turned around again, facing them for the second time.

All four of them looked at each other, waiting for a guess. But everyone was silence, no clue of who could be behind this. Well, that was until they heard someone clearing their throat and it was none of them but someone who is walking behind George. It was Quill Kipps. "That would be me, Karim. I hope you didn't mind," Kipps smiles mockingly innocent. All of them turned to him.

Lockwood's demeanor changed. He stand up, straightening his back up. "Kipps."

"This case was my team's until you and your so-called team took it. Luckily for us, we were able to secure the source of the old man's." Claimed Kipps, "After your arrival here has made my team realize that there was another visitor."

"Then why would you lay traps around?" George sneered at him, folding his arms. "Some precious treasure, I presume." He added.

"Can't say, Karim. Confidential." Kipps said sternly, "So I suggest you all to leave before my team comes, I'm feeling kind today." He glances at (name) who has bruises all around their legs.

So they did. They couldn't risk (name) getting more injury and since the walk from the house of the hunter to the street are a bit far, Lockwood has offered to give (name) a piggyback. She accepted even though she'd rather walk but knowing the pain in her legs wouldn't even be able to endure more than four steps.

"Gee, It's freezing out here." She complained as she climbed on Lockwood's back. Hearing that, Lockwood glanced at George and nod his head towards her, signaling him to give the girl his puffer.

"What? No!" George exaggerated.

"Oh come on, just for tonight." Lockwood nagged.

George sighed as he rolls his eyes and took off his puffer and gave it to her, "You better give it back the second we reach our front door, (name)." He's now left with only his flannel and orange shirt.

<3

(name) didn't realize that her ear was damaged as well until they reached the pavement of the street. The sound of steps on the concrete and wind that passes by is ringing in her ear. It was probably caused by the flares that almost caught her earlier. The gush of the wind from behind them brought the scent of George's puffer to her nose. It smelled like old parchment and biscuits. It smelled like 35 portland row.

They called a cab because surely, Lockwood wouldn't want to piggyback (name) all the way home. George sat by the left-side window, Lucy in the middle, and you by the window as well. Lockwood took the front seat. Lucy and George are having a small conversation about the case and Kipps while (name) is just taking in the scent that is wrapping her. The scent that smelled like her home. And with home in mind, she fell asleep.

They finally arrived at their house. This time they didn't have to piggyback (name) but she just hanged by Lockwood and Lucy.

George walks in front so he can open the door for them. Lockwood had to let go of the girl as they walk in so all of them can go through. By the time they reached the living room, (name) let herself fall into the couch along with Lucy. And Lucy chuckled at this.

All of them let out a big sigh, finally able to rest. Lucy let go of her and goes into the bathroom while (name) took off the puffer and placed it by the arm of the couch and Lockwood and George goes into the kitchen.

(name)'s eyes are drooping. Feeling sleepy, she let herself drift off. The last thing she saw was Lucy walking towards her with something that she thinks is bandages, alcohol, and a few more stuff from the first aid kit.

<3

(name) woke up with a blanket wrapping her body, her legs still sore and now covered in bandages and band aids. She's still on the couch from last night. She sit up and tries to stand up but fails miserably and sits back down. She glances around the room for a minute trying to wake up for a second time. She rub her eyes with the back of her right hand.

As she look to her left, there's pancakes and still hot-and-steaming tea on top of the end table. The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs made her peeked from the living to the hall. "Good morning, (name). How's your leg?" It's Lucy with a small smile on her face as she walks into the living room.

"Uhm, a bit sore but I think I'll manage." she pursed her lips. "By the way thanks for.." she pointed toward her legs that are covered in bandages.

"Oh no worries, George did most of the work. I just dab on some alcohol to make sure you didn't get an infection," Lucy sits down on the arm chair by the couch and took a biscuit from the coffee table in front of them. (name) had confused look on her face. George? Out of everyone, George was the last person she thought would help her. Guess she thought wrong. "He's the one who wraps the bandages and places the band aids. I guess he's always done that for Lockwood as well, you know? Before either of us came, I mean." The brown haired girl shrugged at the thought.

(name) thought he'd be to prestigious to even help a bit.

Her stomach suddenly grumbles. And It was loud enough for Lucy to hear. She chuckled and pats (name) lightly on the shoulder. "Eat up, George made them for you." She stood up and went into the library.

George. Again? She quickly look around the floor, looking for her bag. When she did, she reach in and shuffle around. Finally, she found a pencil and a small thick book. It's her diary. Where she writes little poem, tells about her day, or just spills her feelings. She starts writing in the book, biting her lips, eyebrows furrowed.

She was so focused writing that she didn't notice George standing in front of her until he spoke up, "Eat your food, It'll get cold." She quickly close the book. "What's that?" George asked, head tilting in curiousity.

"Nothing." She responded and stuffed her face with the warm pancake to avoid answering anymore questions.

"Uhm, okay.." George looks at her suspiciously then turned around and walk into the library and greeted Lucy who is in there as well.

(name) sighed out of relief. She puts the utensils that she pick up out of panic down and puts her little book down on the end table.

This time, the front door opened and Lockwood appeared. "Morning, (name)! Feeling better?" She just nodded with a thin smile. "Uhm, ya know where Lucy is?" He suddenly whispered. (name) raises an eyebrow at his hushed tone.

"In the library…" She whispered back, "Why are we whispering again?"

"You'll see, (name). You'll see.." He smirked and gave her a small fist bump on her shoulder before he walks towards the library.

(name) just watched him walk away in confusion. Then, she looked down on her bag again and take her diary and write something again. She didn't write much because she suddenly had the urge to go to the bathroom. Fortunately, George just got kicked out of the library by Lockwood and (name) has the chance to ask for help. Even if it's from George. "George! Uhm, can you help me?" The boy close door to the library before he walks towards her. "What is it?" George popped out from the hall.

Chuckling, (name) put her book into the pockets of her pants that barely fits the book. "Bathroom." She smiled awkwardly, her eyes begging for help. The boy scoffed and pick her left arm up. Her arm hung by his neck while George's right hand holds her waist to keep her balanced and his left holds her arm from falling. The girl just limped with the boy.

They finally reached the bathroom upstairs. It felt like they went through a battle when going up the stairs. George let go of her arm and now both of his hand are on her waist trying to guide (name) to the toilet. When she was in front of the toilet, George left and waited in front of the bathroom to assist her after whatever business she's doing in there.

Glancing around, George saw something on the floor. It was (name)'s little book that he saw earlier. It must've fallen when they were going in and she probably didn't hear anything fall because it landed just on the rug that is infront of the bathroom so it didn't make a sound for any one of them to notice.

And remembering how secretive you were about the book just this morning made George curious and so he lets curiosity takes over and picks up the book.

He opened a random page, it was just (name) telling about her day. Nothing much.

He then, skipped a few pages. Lucy was mentioned, just describing her personality. This was probably the day Lucy joined, just right after (name).

He skip a few more pages and catch a glimpse of his name. Under his name, theres something that seems like poems. Lots of poems. It's romantic poems.

He stared at one part a bit too long than he thought he would.

My chest tightened as he walks by

My chest twists itself over a thousand time when he looks at me

He can feel heat rising up to his cheeks. He was about to turn to another page when (name) shouted. "George, help me. I'm done!" He quickly close the book and stuff it in the pockets of his flannel. He opened the door. The girl's hands holds onto the counter, supporting herself from falling. He pursed his lips and help her wash her hand.

After she's done washing her hand, George clears his throat and asks "Do you want to go to your room? Or go back downstairs?"

"I think I'll just go downstairs, I haven't eat all of my pancakes anyway." She smiled, quite happy that George is helping her.

<3

Getting down the stairs is easier than getting up the stairs. They barely struggle. They finally reach the living room. George sat (name) down on the couch. She thanked him and start eating her pancakes again but George didn't go away and (name) only notice this when she had to stop stuffing food down her throat before it exploded.

"What?" She managed to make out with all the food in her mouth.

George was having a battle in his head on whether or not to give her book back until she talked. Or almost talked. He takes out the book out of his pocket and gives it to the girl with the full mouth. "Ahem, you dropped this earlier."

If it wasn't for the food in her mouth, her jaw would fall to the core of the earth. Dropping the fork and spoon, her eyes widen. She takes the book slowly, eyeing George. She finally swallow the pancake

"You didn't read it, right?" She stares at him sternly. The curly haired boy smacked his lips and opened his mouth to answer but Lockwood and Lucy came into the room, interrupting him.

"What's up, guys?" Lockwood asked nervously. "Hello, dear friend!" Lucy exclaimed.

(name) turn her head towards the other two and looked a bit lower to see that Lucy and Lockwood's fingers intertwines. (name) scoffs at the sight, holding back a laugh. Seeing (name)'s expression, Lucy and Lockwood look down to their hands which made George to look at it as well. The boy fixes his glasses with wide eyes. The two suddenly let go of each other's hand. Lucy folding her arms under her chest, tucking her hands between her arms and chest while Lockwood tucks his hand into the pocket of his pants.

"Ha! What's up with you two?" (name) teases "Nothing, nothing!" Lucy stated. (name) looks at Lockwood and raises her eyebrow at him like she did last time as if asking him this is the reason he was whispering this morning. Lockwood understand what she meant and nods and smirks at her.

"We uh.. We gotta go!" Lucy stammers and pulls Lockwood by the arm, leading him to the front door.

The two got out of the house. Leaving the two speechless but not that much because both (name) and George already kind of called it. They've always tease the two about the other.

Realizing the peace of the house is back, (name) looks back at George and lean back into the couch and ask him again if he read the book.

The boy sits down beside her, then nods. "Sorry, (name). I didn't mean to look at it. Well, I did but you know-"

"What did you read?" She interrupts.

"I saw the one about me." George admits.

This time, (name)'s jaw is able to fall to the core of the earth but she resists and try to stay calm. "And...?"

George gulped "And what?"

"Come on, Karim. You're smart I'm pretty sure you know what I mean in that book and if you do, what are your thoughts towards it? Towards me. Honestly." (name) looks at him with eyes full of hope.

"Well, I like you too, (name) but I thought you hated me-"

"Oh shut up, Karim." She leans towards and closes the gap between the two. Their lips embracing one another but then she pulled away for a few seconds.

She looks into his eyes while his are studying her face like she's a treasure.

Then they pulled each other to another kiss, much more passionate than before.

[miiilowo]

I've never really watched anything about Security Breach's cut content so I'm don't know much about it. Any specific things or moments that you wish the most were actually used?

And/or, could you tell us about your interpretation of Vanny :3c, I don't have any less vague questions off the top of my head so just in general I guess-

SHATTERED. FREDDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCKING HELL SHATTERED FREDDY!

YOU SEE THIS ASSHOLE ?? ^^^^

there are voice lines and unused art for glamrock freddy that show vanny commanded to other glamrocks to disassemble him, and it would have turned him against gregory. Having your one failsafe source of protection and guidance (well. if you dont include him getting stuck on walls and railings) ripped out from underneath you, now hunting you? can you imagine how effective that would have been for most people?

this was the intention for the game. it wasnt an idea that was scrapped, it was cut because they didn't have enough time. this was SUPPOSED to happen. even if it wasnt scary, (which it might not have been accounting for how MONSTROUSLY BRIGHT THE PIZZAPLEX IS), it would've made the game much more memorable, the characters have more stakes, and made the game feel less empty. and can you IMAGINE the sexyman potential? Hot bear dad turns fucked up and evil??? you know the fandom would be all over this freak

like all silliness aside, one of my major complaints w SB is how empty it feels. It's fundamentally broken, and not just from a bugs perspective; The story does not work like it should, because most of the story was removed. You experience the most barebones version of the plot. The meat used to be there, but they hid it in the files never to be seen again. It's stuff LIKE shattered freddy that would've made this game more than it is, would've fleshed out the characters, the plot, and motivations. It injects some EMOTION in there, god forbid. Among the lines for shattered freddy related cut content is one of gregory crying!!!! come on man!!

They'll probably bring him back for Ruin, but it won't be the same, nor have the same plot or characterization. Just a skin slapped onto him, I imagine.

Before I get to vanny, i wanna touch on glamrock bonnie. I do think we were supposed to get more of him in general, seeing as a whole bonnie bowl minigame was cut out, but we really only got scraps hinting at a larger mystery. I'm not sure what all was cut, but it feels like it was building up to something much bigger and it simply never had the chance to be executed, which is a shame.

Moving away from him though, theres a bunch of stuff about Vanny/Vanessa (most of which i will not cover here). vanny my sweet lovely girl who was done so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO dirty

First of all, they completely made Vanessas personality do a 180 degree turn right before release. The version of her that we got is very mean, short tempered and cruel, whereas the version of her before actually cared about Gregory and helping him out of the pizzaplex; The reason Gregory wouldn't trust her, being that he knows she is also Vanny, but I'll get into that in a second. She seemed just as confused and scared as Gregory is, and while, yeah, having every female character be motherly and sweet is BAD i do have a point as to why that would have been better for her character, especially if it was a ruse she was putting on:

It makes the player want to trust her. Since Gregory never explains WHY we shouldn't trust Vanessa, it would make sense that we would want to doubt him, wouldn't it? There's cut lines that show Freddy didnt believe Gregory for a while either until he proves that something is up. The game was originally supposed to have a sort of "vanny meter"; I'm not sure how this would deplete, but whenever it did, Vanessas model itself would turn INTO Vanny, at which point she would start hunting you. Having the player witness one of these transitions after being led to believe that Vanessa has been genuinely trying to help us this whole time would be 1. scary in the same sense shattered freddy wouldve been 2. would explain why gregory doesn't trust her (he's seen this happen before, presumably) 3. would give freddy an actual reason to protect you instead of just doing it for the sake of protecting you, continuously going against his programming in rather inconsistent fashions

You can see how this was likely going to be incorporated through the trailers, (the line where shes saying she didnt want to hurt gregory, and it was 'just a glitch'), and it would also explain why shes NEVER IN THE FUCKING GAME DESPITE BEING ADVERTISED AS A MAIN CHARACTER AND VILLAIN

While I do think steel wool wouldn't have made her full evil (as much as i would love her to be) and would've made her genuinely a helpless wet rag whos scared and being puppeted around by afton, I do think this wouldve been better, because she wouldve been an effective threat and more sympathetic as a character. In the end game she still is just a helpless wet rag being puppeted around by afton but without any of the emotional impact. what fucking ever i guess

i still stand by the fact she should've been a copycat killer and afton's "i always come back" line would mean his INFLUENCE is eternal, not that HE HIMSELF is eternal, as we both know this would have been better in one thousand hundred million billion trillion ways forever

[narwhalandchill]

wait aint no fucking way an actual genshin loretuber even jokingly acknowledged the rabbit hole insanity that is childe 3rd descender theories what the fuck.

is it finally legal for me to break my self imposed silence on the subject without publicly and shamefully removing all my credibility on genshin lore. please please . this is a super fucking vulnerable moment for me guysssss

(under read more bc full disclosure 100% i Will embarrass myself here. this is NOT on my top of the line Childe Theories And Analysis That I Will Defend In Court Under My Legal Name if Questioned list please understand. this is way more self indulgent and wildly speculative for me as much as i do Genuinely see there being a ground for the theory to stand on. ik when im off to the deep end JKWDKJJKWDJKWD)

like seriously be Aware this WILL be a complete mess btw you have all been warned so like no refunds accepted. if youd like to keep an image of me in your head where i am even slightly respectable and realistic when it comes to my theories please stay there. in the light. where the sun shines.

......

...

so. you have chosen death. o7

ok firstly. YES i KNOWW childe 3rd descender theory is batshit stuff thats Why i havent said shit abt it all this time bc i do Not trust myself to be truly objective on the subject bc i Want the theory to be real so bad so its like of course ill readily disregard all other possible candidates for 3rd descender bc bias. and also see it as more plausible that ajax has sth to do w that and make connections more readily. than any lore enthused person existing without his continued rent free existence in their brain for the last 3+ years. so like. yes. listen. i Know i know its prolly not real. but also i must # speak my truth .

anyway the vid didnt even fully touch on all the like. shady fucking shit when it comes to the Curious coincidences. bc like. so firstly the star thing and connections w childe

so wei did bring up the whole . ajax is released on patch 1.1 called "a new star approaches" (and also polar star is his sig) . except like Theres More bc while i was researching random childe brain rot stuff (sadly dont remember/have a link to where i first saw it) . that title in CN is even more pointedly About ajax bc apparently its about a "guest star". and a guest star again according to that post at least is specifically considered an omen of bad luck in chinese astrology. a guest star approaching = a disaster approaching. like mayhaps a ginger guy resurrecting osial or something . huh . maybe ajax Is the guestpilled starmaxxer in that title. the approacherrrrrr, even

secondly. there are some well hidden references to ajax As A Star in the fontaine AQ too. bc the act III where we go looking for him after he goes missing is called "to the stars shining in the depths" except again i have found a source (yes no link to it saved once again my bad) that its titled "to the morning star in the deep water" in chinese. which is again star singular. curious

then theres the act III official description. that goes "the moment it seized its destiny, the star quietly fell from its lofty perch". and like idk abt yall but if its fontaine AQ act III and you ask me WHOS out there seizing their destiny of all things. It Seems Somewhat Plausible To Argue that its PROBABLY referring to the guy thats out there getting teleported to the primordial sea to face the creature thats Literally etched into the stars as his constellation. like . i have a very Difficult time trying to see the star that is seizing its destiny at this moment as Anyone but him reuniting w the narwhal for the first time in a decade and his 1st thought is to throw hands JKJKWDJKWDJKWDJK

(also. "fell from its lofty perch". fell from where. falling towards where. mayhaps even................ descending?????? if Seizing your destiny is taking your fate into your own hands.... a star that Falls from its perch.... that Descends after seizing its destiny....... Curious is all i will say. hey guys do you think your vision would mayhaps begin rejecting you if you start seizing ur own destiny and thus failing to follow the "duty" of predestined fate that same vision had bestowed upon you. guys do you think a star that seizes its destiny and falls from its lofty perch would get vision error 404. guys----)

also this is a smaller thing bc i think ascension mat theories are largely fringe and not that reliable (ning guizhong reincarnation "theories" ThoseWhoKnow) but i do think it can be acknowledged as a sort of. Extension to all these curious references to stars and being A Star when it comes to childe. he does use Star Conches for ascension . so like it can be a little extra on top of the other more serious more Professionally Certified star things hoyo is curiously attaching to him

so like . a star. a star also being a thing the traveler is repeatedly called. its so quirky that this pattern continues. so thats one thing

oh and also. if childes the non-descender (bc he clearly hasnt regained that status Yet) reincarnated soul of the 3rd descender.

you know what. a dead star. if its massive enough. like perhaps massive enough in some genshin metaphysical fantasy way. to be a star that counts as a descender with a will that rivals a world. if a heavy enough. star. dies. you know. you know what they turn into---

[THERE IS A MAD GLEAM IN MY EYES. YOU HEAR BOSS MUSIC.]

Anyway Hello Dear Reader Of Mine Humble Blog Would You Like To Spare A Moment To Discuss How The All-Devouring Narwhal That Consumes Any And All Stellar Object Coming Into Its Orbit Also Known As Ajax' Reflection In Teyvat's Skies Is Essentially A Sentient Living Black Hole And How A Black Hole Is Formed When A Star Dies? No? Okay.

like wouldnt it be super fucking funny if the constellation of the dead descenders reincarnated soul is a creature that for all intents and purposes is a black hole. like. a dead star. wouldnt that be funny

and before you ask. yes i have thoughts that would make ajax & narwhal are soulmates slash halves of the same entity that remains fully compatible with the 3rd descender brainrot but i. will Not subject you people to that. theres "respectably self aware insane theory i indulge in but know the limitations of" and then theres "jens top 10 personal jenshin impact plot twist wishlist please fulfill mr dawei pwease i swear itll be peak" like ffs. it might seem otherwise given the words i am saying right now but i do have Some propriety

the divine halberd was shattered into NINE piece---- (GUNSHOT)

whoa. what a loser high on her own hopium i wonder who that was. good thing the snipers got her ass there

back to your regularly scheduled programming. obviously theres other things that would very conveniently be explained by this 3rd descender shit as well like. dead eyes. soul of a dead descender thats in Literal Pieces body wise. the dead star that carries a curse above ground upon first making contact with the truth of his being aka post abyss training camp post meeting his mirror imaged destiny in his narwhal. a curse like mayhaps bringing chaos whenever he goes. an incompatibility with the world. drawing everything into his orbit being the eye of the storm or perhaps... the Singularity???? the event horizon??? a source of endless unrest and disaster........ just like the curse of a gnosis TEE HEE .

anyway super funny how that goes. and then another thing wei didnt really. fully go into is naturally the

(DEEP BREATH)

3rd son of his family with 3 older siblings and 3 younger siblings 3rd limited character ever released with 3 names and the 3rd weekly boss with 3 phases each representing 3 unique sources of power (vision, delusion and foul legacy) a 3 petaled symbol aka the triquetra of riptide and six in-game constellations divided into 3 subgroups with 3 unique prefixes (foul legacy, abyssal mayhem, havoc in eng) 3 days missing from teyvat and 3 months spent in abyss is 3rd to wield foul legacy after surtalogi and skirk

also the first character to receive a 3rd rateup banner ANYWAY (also the possible. is the 3rd reincarnation of the original ajax thing. but yeas)

[Me When I'm In A Be Suspiciously Associated With The Number 3 Competition And My Opponent Is Childe Ajax Tartaglia]

isnt it just silly. how many times it comes up. Nobody talk to meeeee its so over

theres prolly some other things too that i have driven myself to madness with when thinking abt this but idr em right now and like . not like this is any manner of serious respectable theory anyway sooooooooo

anyway ill stop embarrassing myself now. like as i said i have been legally forcing myself into silence on this bc listen. i KNOW this is bullshit i KNOW im a deranged biased childe main who will do Anything just to cook up a fantasy version of genshins endgame lore where My Dude is at the center stage and gets to be a massive fucking deal yes 100% deserve to be disqualified on account of terminal stage blorbo bias when it comes to theories on the subject i just. the fact that this is the FIRST time i see Any loretuber person acknowledge the theory. i just had to come in here and let it be known that. Yes. ive been seeing this shit and thinking abt it SINCE 4.2 dropped since that stupid fucking note about forsaking the self and being reborn in the abyss as a holy infant or a primordial human or a descender and that somehow Thats called Ajax. of all things. its horribleeee it eats me alive

[sophieinwonderland]

https://www.reddit.com/r/SystemsCringe/s/MXrwyBfjJk

Anti endos really dont know how to read huh???

They really dont understand that plurality =/= only did/osdd/other dissoiative ones i may be forgetting

This! It's genuinely mind-boggling how people can have such strong opinions with absolutely zero understanding of anything they're talking about.

I'm gonna dive right into this post, because it's just so terrible!

I'm endogenic. I'm a tulpa. We do not have DID or OSDD or any other dissociative disorder. We have never claimed to.

I believe that DID is almost always caused by trauma. And that more research needs to be done on different presentations of OSDD to determine how strong its association with trauma is.

I can't understand why these facts are so hard for their brains to process.

I'm not a huge fan of insulting people's intelligence but gods, these people just make it really difficult not to.

I have literally always said I was endogenic!

This hasn't changed!

I'm also not saying that only trauma can cause DID. I think there definitely is a possibility that there could be rare non-traumagenic forms of DID. But being open to this possibility is VERY different from claiming, as the Satanic Temple's Grey Faction has, that DID is typically iatrogenic.

The Grey Faction does not believe DID is caused by trauma.

And this hate subreddit is using them as a source for their anti-RAMCOA rhetoric!

On the topic of gaslighting, Grace is correct that Grace did not say the words "religious alters only existed after Hazbin Hotel." (I didn't say they said those words either.)

Here is what Grace has said though!

Remember in the below screenshots that the black at the top are the posts Grace is responding to and the light grey at the bottom are Grace's words.

Grace assuming that Hell in headspace is from Hazbin Hotel:

Grace saying there wasn't a slew of religious alters before Hazbin Hotel:

(Anyone who has been in the system community knows that religious headmates were very common since long before Hazing Hotel was a released.)

Grace assuming a biblical angel alter is from Hazbin Hotel:

Grace assuming ANOTHER angel is from Hazbin Hotel:

This is despite the fact that this person is obviously confused about why they have an angel there and probably wouldn't be confused if they had an introject from Hazbin Hotel.

Grace assuming a God alter is from Hazing Hotel:

And as a reminder GOD ISN'T even in the show!!!!!!!!

This doesn't even make sense!

There's a very consistent theme in these posts. You know, since I'm already reusing the screenshots, might as well reuse the meme as well.

Back to this post though...

Oh...

Yeah, I'm just going to refer back to everything above!

Grace!

Where does this post mention DID???

Even though I do believe it is theoretically possible to have DID without trauma, this post doesn't say that!!!

How is this whole subreddit this bad at basic reading comprehension???

Right... You guys just have a mod-approved hit list of acceptable targets to name to focus attacks on said targets. A list that I'm on, by the way.

Why would I censor usernames of people on your subreddit if you don't censor mine, and have me on your list of approved targets?

Now in fairness, I screenshotted users from this subreddit without censoring names before they put me on their hit list, and I will continue to do so even if I'm removed from that list because yes, it's an ableist hate sub and I have no desire to hide the names of people participating in spreading hate against systems.

But I still want to call out the hypocrisy of a post that names my blog complaining about me not censoring the names of the people I respond to.

[rjalker]

its certainly not everyone but like the insistence of using those designs specifically when sphere and square can look however you want its a public domain book. nothing wrong with enjoying shipping but idk i think some of the personalities they attribute to sphere and square are far removed from the source material, perhaps because its filtered through the movie idk. like everything aside i dont get why youd limit yourself to those designs when its not necessary. i love drawing square and sphere but i have my own design i go with

yes. A lot of people thankfully have gotten the memo that the creator of those designs is a bigot and have done the right *AND FUN* thing of creating their own designs. But then a lot of them are still using the exact designs from the films, and defending people who do so.

I'm really tired of fandoms always being filled with bigots who don't actually care about the harm they do to real minorities. How can you prioritize fanart for a known Conservative bigot after you find out how horrible of person he is? When the characters are public domain and can look like literally everything?

I understand a lot of people simply do not know that Ladd Ehlinger is a Conservative. That's why I've made so many PSAs about it and made so many of my own original designs for the characters public domain, and why I've been asking people to stop fucking recommending his shitty film.

But so many people are aware and they just don't care. They'll admit it's a bad adaptation but insist it's still a good film and still something they should encourage people to watch. And not even for the purpose of disecting and analysis, they literally just want more people to join the fandom for the bigoted film on purpose.

More people need to make PSAs about the creator of the 2007 film than just me. More people need to push back against the idea that Ladd Ehlinger's designs for the characters are more important than actual real minorities.

The Gravity Falls fandom at least took my post aimed at them and helped spread the word. But not enough people are aware. And part of that is because of so many stans of the movie refuse to drop it even after they find out how horrible of a person the creator is.

If you're reading this post and you care about minorities in real life, stop supporting Ladd Ehlinger by creating fanart for the 2007 Flatland film. You are doing free advertising for him. He makes his money from youtube. He is literally a Conservative. You can google "Ladd Ehlinger" racism. He thinks that all trans people are pedophiles, and that if anyone respects a trans kids' pronouns, that makes them a pedophile too. He thinks Black people are all violent killers who HAVE to be jailed a disproportionate rates to keep white people safe. He thinks that taxes paying for free school lunches for children is the same thing as slavery.

The actual book Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, and the translation into 2024 English to make it easier to understand, are both completely and utterly free to read literally everywhere.

There's literally so many public domain designs for the narrator and the sphere. And you can literally create any design you want for them that you can imagine.

Here's a post of public domain designs for the narrator

Here's another one of designs for the narrator and the sphere. And another

And another one with a public domain design for the narrator and sphere

Here's another public domain design for the sphere. And another. And another (1). And another (2). And another (3). And another (4). And another (5).

Here's another group of public domain designs for the sphere. And another (1). And another (2).

And there's probably more I'm forgetting to link because I've made so many of them. There are literally infinite options for designs for these characters that don't do free advertising for a Conservative bigot who gets his money and attention from Youtube.

Here's an Internet Archive compilation of all the public domain designs.

[help-an-alter]

this may not be the right place bc I’m not an alter myself, but I figured it was worth a shot!

My good friend has recently discovered they seem to have DID, and I want to make a good first impression on the only current alter to have shown up(though there is another we’re pretty sure)

Any tips?

Honestly a lot of tips can be right for one system and completely wrong for another. I'd check with them if they want you to do anything on this list or not. But, here's some generally appreciated things.

- Front checks (eg. "Who am I talking to right now, Who's in front, (more humerous who's home one of my favs))

- Offering grounding if you notice them dissociating (Temperature, music, just talking, or removing them from a trigger that may have caused it, 5-4-3-2-1 method, etc.)

- Either treating the alters as if they're different people or as if they're the same, this one varies a lot in responses so you should have a convo abt it

- Don't be judgemental if they tell you they have fictives, persecutors, or any alter type you think is "weird" most often there's a reason and it's most likely rooted in helping them live

- Don't only speak to the host, fact is, you've probably spoken to some other alters you just didn't know it

- Mod Cel

- a VERY good thing to keep in mind is that the host is not “the original” or “the body” unless they specify otherwise. it can be very hard to be referred to as not being an alter same as everyone else in a system, we are all equally important.

- be patient, if they have only recently discovered their system and the disorder then they are likely still learning, same as you. be supportive, if they don’t know stuff be patient and maybe even help with research, if they have a memory issue be understanding.

- you are allowed to make mistakes, everything can be pretty confusing at first, just do what you can to be supportive, and if you slip up, apologize. it is okay.

- honestly, in the end, it’s best to ask the specific system, they will have their own personal boundaries for everything.

good luck, i am sure everything will be just fine.

- mod G

Ask them for system updates (ex: do you have any new alters? will they front often? how should i refer to them as?)

Dont force anything

ask them how you can support them. being a system is difficult and it looks different for each one, so this is definitely something that you should do.

Ask how you should treat their introjects. certain introjects enjoy being referred to as their source, however others despise it.

-55.here

[pool-floatie]

Dead by Twilight- Pt 5

Thirsty for a sadistic bastard and a pathetic Lil guy?!? Well have I got just the story for you! (after like 4 months of waiting but shhhhhh)

Here well discover what it's like to have fucking anxiety ! (Wait you already do??) Well go ahead and cope with the horrors by reading about, you guessed it, worse horrors!

I Luh u guys sm for putting up with me, please enjoy:

Wren sat, silent for a while, still shuddering and disdraught as they tried to think of anything they could do to help themself.

Escape was impossible, this trap was made to hold much stronger animals, they 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 want to talk to the vampire, but perhaps if they did, they could gain some kind of trust... Definitely not sympathy, thats for sure, but they could build a rapport and maybe convince him to .... Well it seemed for now he wasnt going to kill them, would they be fed? Perhaps they could ask for food, but, fuck, maybe he was just going to torture them, use anything they said against them in some sick, cruel way, maybe they would only be given enough food to survive watching them wither as they slowly starved- maybe he would cut them open more, forcing them to bleed so he could fucking- 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦 - they almost heaved at the thought-

Then- he- he would heal them over and over again forever, testing the limits until he 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮-

Wren felt a hot tear hit their arm. they hadn't even noticed that they'd started crying again-

The vampire had left, Wren didnt want to wonder where to, only that for now, he wasnt there to torment them.. They cried openly, their pathetic sobs dying in the air as their breath hitched. They tumbled forward, trying to lay down so the tears wouldnt soak their face or clothes, and continued the pitiable display.

After a minute, Wren felt a little better, being able to let out their frustrations had helped and their mind was less clouded

They took shaky breaths, attempting to regain their composure, when they heard dreaded, clomping steps coming up the stairwell.

God no....

Lazarus entered the room quietly, unlike before.

Walking over to wrens enclosure he silently placed a ceramic dish filled with what wren supposed was water right outside it.

He scrutinized the cage, his sight lingering on the shaking borrower.

He walked over to his own bed, selected a small blanket and folded it up

"...... you probably aren't in the mood for this, but I'm going to have to remove you from your.... confinement.. momentarily to make your space more comfortable"

Wren whimpered quietly, looking away from Lazarus.

The vampire took their lack of screaming as consent and opened the enclosure

He again wrapped his clawed digits around wrens shaking form, they didnt struggle this time, understanding that this was inevitable and they would probably be removed eventually for one reason or another.

Soon enough it was over and the borrower found themself on a soft plush material, and oh, oh god water.

They leaned themself over the ceramic dish, drinking in heavy gulps, god the day had been so long they hadnt realised how much moisture they had lost.

When they finished they sheepishly looked around, a bit embarrassed at the desperate display.

"Hm, I didn't realise you would need so much water..." the vampire observed, mostly talking to himself.

".... thank you..." Wren muttered quietly.

Lazarus quirked an eyebrow at them.

"For what, Dear?"

"The... water?" Wren answered

Lazarus seemed a bit taken aback

" well of course, don't want you dying on me."

Wren jolted slightly

" you d-dont?"

Lazarus chuckled

"I certainly don't think so, little one.

You did catch me in quite a percarious position, and, seeing as you are quite close to humans, I can't risk my... habits...being revealed. But still, you are quite valuable, I know many who would pay high prices for something like you, such a potent source of magic just to keep you alive...." he trailed " not that id particularly want to pawn you off right away, no, there are plenty of reasons to keep you around, Darling."

He sure does like to talk.. Wren thought. Though they were still concerned at what he meant by 'valuable', being sold to another being could be even more dangerous than this one since he didn't seem to want to kill them... wait ... magic? They weren't magical?!

"What magic??"

" Ah, right. It's in your nature, little one, you can't tap into it because it's what keeps you alive, though it's also what makes borrower blood so valuable, according to my research book here." He tapped the book resting on the table.

Wren paled hearing the mention of their blood.... God, was that what he wanted with them?! To drain them until they were a dry husk?

Their heart began to pound again..

" a-re you going t-to... " Wren gulped "take my b-blood?" They questioned shakily.

"Mmmm..." lazarus hummed in thought.

" I'm not sure just yet.... I'll have to consult a friend on that. I'm afraid you'll have to wait for that answer till tomorrow~"

That was... not the answer Wren wanted to hear.. their chest felt tight again and they winced, staring terrified up at the malicious creature before them.

Lazarus leans in closer to the cage, causing welren to stumble back on the blanket, He chuckles at them.

" You are just too precious..."

With that, he turns back to his bed, drawing the curtains closed as hints of the sunrise peek through the trees.

As Lazarus settles himself in bed, Wren shakily stands and, after a while to ensure lazarus was asleep, they undress, they wash their torn up clothes in the ceramic basin, hoping to scrub away the saliva residue, though most of it had dried.

Wren rinses their hair and uses their wet clothes to scrub their skin, not wanting to climb into the basin and topple it over. They wring out their clothes and hair the best they can into the water before laying everything out to dry.

Feeling far less disgusting, they take a corner of the plush blanket and pull it completely over themself, making a little cave to sleep in.

Feeling more secure now that they are hidden away, Wren grabs up a chunk of blanket, cuddling it close to them. They try and sleep, knowing they would need it, but their eyes refuse to close... still anxious and terrified of their undecided fate...

They squeeze the blanket mound closer to them, evening out their shaky breaths, they slowly tumble into sweet unconciousness.

[nerdyneko265]

In honour of the last dungeon meshi Thursday (I know it’s Wednesday, shut up)

Minecraft cooking!

Where I go through the mob bestiary and treat it like a cook book.

Chicken, cow, pig, goat, rabbit, horse, wolf, sheep, cat, cod, salmon, tropical fish, llama- you know what these are, you don’t need me to explain. Both Laios and I are bored, moving on.

Villagers, pillagers, piglins- don’t eat people. I know piglins are half pig but listen. DONT EAT PEOPLE! You know the orcs? This is the same thing.

All zombies ever- technically edible. We’ve all eaten rotten flesh. Senshi would not be proud of us, it’s not very nutritious. Also, cannibalism.

Skeletons- I guess you could make a soup stock. But they’re better for fertilizer.

Vex and allays- ghosts. I don’t think we can make sorbet here either. I don’t think they work like that.

Bats- very small, not much meat. Hard to find and catch. But if you’re in a cave and in a pinch or just curious, sure why not

Puffer fish- cook very carefully. Probably just better for potions. But you can eat puffer fish, your chef just needs to be trained in how to cook it.

Mooshroom- now we’re talking. Beef, but with mushrooms. Comes with mushroom soup too. Usually raised for soup rather than meat, but still a good source of meat that’s pre seasoned.

Squid- mmmmm calamari… Laios enemy… also good for squid ink. I hear it goes well with pasta.

Cave Spider- venomous, could technically remove the poison like with puffer fish and boil the spider but I dont know. Small but have spawners, so you’ve have a steady supply

Spider- not venomous, and bigger. So I guess you could. Probably taste like giant scorpion since they’re both arachnids.

*dont eat spider eyes, they’re poisonous

Endermen- for personal reasons, I will not be eating endermen. They don’t even want to fight unless you antagonize them. More importantly, don’t eat endermen, it’ll probably fuck you up. They’re built for the end and full of chorus fruit. They’re also so skinny, not much to eat there. Ender pearls have a chance of giving you a parasite. And will probably teleport your stomach out of your body. You could try but it’s probably like jerky and you’ll see god.

Incidentally, I think chorus fruit tastes like vanilla

Polar bear- probably very tough meat. Very gamey. Beware though, they eat people too

Iron golem- that’s a robot. Don’t eat metal. DONT EAT REDSTONE! ITS RADIO ACTIVE.

Snow golem- probably makes good ice cream. Don’t eat it. Let it make ice cream. It’s just snow after all. It would just taste like water.

Blaze- it’s more of a spirit than an animal. Good for potion making, probably not tasty. A central core surrounded by rods, maybe that core has some meat on it, probably tastes a little spicy.

Striders- why? Why would you eat these poor babies? What did they ever do to you? They’re probably reptiles, so you could definitely eat them but could you live with that knowledge?

Elder guardian- really old puffer fish. Cut carefully for good sushi. But it’s such a hassel, you’re better off having a puffer fish. Plus, they’re endangered, so like, come on.

Guardian- jokes on you, it’s hollow on the inside. Check the mob bestiary, they have no internal organs. Could probably get some meat from the outer flesh but that’s also the spikes, so beware.

Ender mite- remember those parasites from ender pearls? This is them. Could def cook them though. They’re fair sized and full on meat. You’re probably be tripping balls though.

Ghast- like a squid, but balloon. They are filled with gas, to allow them to fly. So much like a dragon, likely have a gas sac that could contain gases that could ignite, be careful. But sky octopus. Lots of meat.

Magma cube- slime but spicy. Magma cream is probably yummy. We know it’s ok to ingest because it’s in potions, so I think it should be ok to eat. Just wait got it to cool a little

Slime- senshi has recipes for these buggers.

Shulker- I can only assume it tastes like living armour. It’s definitely a mussel

Silverfish- it’s a bug, it’s big, enjoy.

Wither skeleton and the wither- please, for the love of all that is holy, DO NOT EAT THE WITHER! THIS IS HOW WE GET THE PLAGUE! YOURE GOING TO GET WITHERING AND DIE!

Sniffer- I know they’re really big, I know they’re probably full of meat and they have eggs, but look at their little faces. Could you really eat them?

The Ender dragon- I mean, you beat her, might as well I guess. Apparently dragon is delicious. But also, probably full of the end, probably going to fuck yup up a bit

And now, for the big one

Creeper- as we all know, creeper skin feels like dry, crunchy leaves. It’s a moss monster with a tnt block inside. So, if you carefully cut around the explosive, you now have a very dangerous vegetable. Thick “meat”, might make a good salad.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk

[neutron-stars-collision]

Waiting for the Night

Bruce Wayne x F!Reader

Chapter 18 - Speak To Me

Masterlist; Chapter 17 Summary: Loose ends are tied up as your curiosity brings you somewhere, you should have never went. Warnings: Swearing, angst and acres of pining. They're stupid, your honor. Author's Notes: Whew, this time it's been just a month. And another 6.7k words. I've absolutely no clue how I thought this and the previous chapter could have been just one instalment. Alas he we are though, with more stupidity, pining, and POV changes that make little sense... 👀 (I did enjoy writing them, however). It's probably two more chapters (if these two allow), but for now hope you enjoy the ride. My faithful readers - this is for you! 💕 Tag list: @thecraziestcrayon, @kookiewastolen, @imimsy, @tuskens-mando, @sugarcoated-lame, @blue-aconite, @hypnoash, @rabbitdictionary, @nicklet94, @mcrmarvelloki, @shimmeringgrim, @ttae-yong, @freyadruid, @siriuslydestiny, @ms-dont-care, @raphaelaisabella, @itsmytimetoodream, @brightjimini, @castellandiangelo, @grunge-n-roses5 (let me know if you wanted to be removed/added).

(gif source: @djandthesix)

It did not take long for you to understand that things would be different. Not bad different, nor good different. Just different. Undoubtedly, the national guard on the streets and the sea wall rendered nonexistent were bound to have some consequences. As did the fact that during the days following the election night, you have partway moved into the Wayne Tower and slowly learnt what it meant to coexist with Bruce in the same space. It also meant pleasant mornings and afternoons spent with Dory in the kitchen, sipping the coffee and doing your best to avoid thinking about reality.

The reality, which seemed as oppressive as a heavy cloud hanging over your conscience, hardly ever went away. On day two of the new world order, you decided to do something about it and fired up the laptop to check for the nearest crisis centres and the list of what they needed. Once a significant pile of necessities had been assembled with Dory’s help, you waded through the remains of the murky waters to deliver the goods in person. And then, you stayed to help, doing whatever odd jobs were in shortage, feeling a little lighter once you stepped back outside. You returned in the morning, armed with yet another box of items the Wayne heir did not need. Or so he told you.

Bruce Wayne was another revelation during those days. Or, rather, it was that despite your countless doubts and worries, he seemed to want you there, sharing the space. Every evening, if you did not return to the Tower before he left for the patrol, Bruce would text you and check in. Other times, he would call at random hours of the night, in theory, to discuss the developments in the city. You knew that was only the excuse for a quick chat, a conversation he seemed to crave no matter the time or the moment.

After that first night, you tried to put some distance, unable to keep using the same old pretext of needing a comforting hug after the traumatic evening. In effect, you used the spare bedroom, given to you by Alfred, what felt like aeons ago. Yet you kept indulging in the occasional kiss offered in exchange for a morning greeting. Continued greedily accepting the invitations to crash in Bruce’s bed, curling around his body when he returned. Choking on the unspeakable confessions whenever he asked about your day or the past. And it worked. For a time.

Until it stopped being enough, a familiar ache settling anew in your heart where it belonged. A worry that it was all that you would ever receive from him. That all it could ever be was a maybe, an almost. That the best you could hope for was all you already got. It did not take long for you to accept it as a fact. Try your hardest to distance yourself to minimize the pain. Knowing it was futile because you could hardly leave without a word of explanation. And neither could you tell him the reason why. Judging by the questioning glances and awkward silence, Bruce already knew something was wrong.

The call from the hospital on day five was like a blessing you did not know you needed. The signal had been given either you or Bruce could visit Alfred now that the water levels had fallen significantly. You had been so sure Bruce would jump on the chance to see his guardian that when he extended the invitation for you to do it instead, you asked for clarification. Twice. Then you accepted the offer, happily picking up a bouquet on the way and entering the ward with a smile that almost seemed out of place. As soon as you crossed the threshold of Alfred’s room, you knew you had made a good choice in deciding to come in.

He looked better, the bandages fewer and bruises lighter. At first, he did not notice you lingering, too occupied with a book in his hands, the familiar glasses pushed up the nose. Your smile widened as you rapped your knuckles on the doorframe and spoke:

“Hello, hope I’m not interrupting anything?” taking the hesitant step inside, you watched as Alfred raised his head in surprise.

A millisecond later, his mouth stretched into a smile, and the book was placed on the bedside table.

“Oh! Come in, darling,” he waved you inside, adjusting his position to reach out a hand as soon as you were within touching distance, “I’m so happy to see you” tightening his palm around yours in a comforting handshake, Alfred motioned towards the chair.

You did not need to be asked twice. Silently, you placed the bouquet in the empty vase and collapsed into the chair with a grateful sigh.

“Likewise, Pennyworth,” your lips quirked into a smile upon his delighted grin, and you asked, “How are you?”

“Much better. The doctor said they might release me soon. At least once everything settles in the city,” he pointedly glanced towards the window, overlooking the heavy grey skies.

The news made the fondness in your chest manifest with another pang of ache. Everything ached like that these days. Sometimes you wondered whether your heart could even take so many emotions. Whether it wouldn’t one day just break from feeling too much.

“That’s what I like to hear” ignoring the chaos in your head, you chose to drop in another crucial bit of information, “Bruce will come to see you soon too. He’s just busy with everything” Alfred nodded curtly, clearly not surprised by the news, giving you the momentum to add, “Sorry for the expletive, but it’s a fucking mess on the streets, as you can probably imagine” the weary sigh escaped your mouth as you met his searching gaze with a tired look.

You knew that the past few days were visible on your face. The weight was unshakeable. Alfred took a deeper breath, gathering words to ask what seemed to be on his mind:

“Could you… tell me what happened? I know the facts, and I’m not asking for a GC1 report” he accompanied the final comment with a pointed look.

Your shoulders sagged on their own accord, mind already bracing itself for the pain of having to recount the events. But you knew you should do it one more time. Alfred was owed that much.

“I can try…” leaning back in the chair, seeking any comfort you could get you started the tale.

The older man was quiet throughout the half-hour it took you to trudge through the uncensored version. Only occasionally, he would sigh deeper or glance at you with a seriousness that almost made you stutter. You spared no truths, admitting to the stupidity you exhibited that night and what happened after.

Once you closed your mouth shut, done and tired, Alfred wordlessly pointed towards the bottled water on the bedside table. He waited until you drained half a glass, and then he asked:

“How are you?” something in his eyes, and the used tone told you a lie would not cut it.

So, you swallowed the excuse always ready on the tip of your tongue and tried to piece together anything that would make sense.

“I’m… I’m not sure, honestly” a mirthless chuckle took the stage as your eyes roamed over the pale green walls and the popcorn ceiling, “I mean… it’s nice to be treated as a partner by him and to be invited into his life without having to fight for every bit of attention, but… I can’t help feeling like I’m getting ahead of myself” only then you could meet Alfred’s gaze, shrugging as the unshed tears welled in your eyes; it hurt to say what had been driving you mad for days “He could never want me. It just doesn’t make sense” feeling the foretold slip down your cheeks, you slumped forward; face hidden behind your hands as a silent sob wrecked your frame.

It was never supposed to happen. Any of it. You had half the mind to get up and run outside to hide the moment of weakness when a warm, heavy hand rested on your shoulder. Reluctantly, you raised your head. Only to see the aching sympathy in the older man’s eyes, which almost made you burst into tears. But that’s not what he wanted; you could tell.

Instead, Alfred offered you a warm smile and quickly found the right words to reply:

“I think you’re too harsh on yourself. You’re wonderful, and despite how thick that young man can be, Bruce appreciates you” you opened your lips to protest what sounded like a total load of wishful thinking, but Alfred was one step ahead as he raised a hand to silence you and added, “Dare I say, cares about you” there was a finality in his eyes that rendered you speechless.

Suddenly the countless objections seemed too weak to pass through your mouth. Only Bruce knew whether either of you was correct. And you were not going to ask him. It would not do.

***

The exercise in telling the story of that fateful election night came in handy a day later when your phone started ringing. The unknown number made you raise an eyebrow, but you picked up the call anyway.

“Hello?” trailing off, hoping the caller would fill in the gaps, you waited for an answer.

All the while, your fingers drummed out a chaotic rhythm on the tabletop. You were increasingly glad the study was quiet at this time.

“Good afternoon, Lieutenant James Gordon speaking. Is this-” with the suspicions confirmed, you could not hold back a pained sigh as you interrupted the cop with a fake chipper tone.

“Your accomplice from the Gotham Square Garden? Yeah, it is” hearing Gordon sigh in turn made the uncertain smirk on your face stay for good “I’d ask how come you have my number, but I suppose I should be smarter than that,” you mused out loud.

With some anxiety now rendered useless, you leaned back in the armchair. The embers in the fireplace were slowly burning out, leaving the room chilly and vacant. But at least it was safe.

“That would save us some time, for sure” you could hear the impatience in Gordon’s voice as he steered the conversation where he needed it to go, “I’m calling to remind you about the meeting I was hoping we could have…”

Of course. You knew that would never go away on its own, no matter how much you wanted it to.

“The not-an-interrogation? Is it time?” the quip, for sure, made the cop sigh with even greater annoyance.

You knew he would get used to it, eventually. If you had to do this, you might as well find any possible way to make the experience amusing.

“If you’d be so inclined,” the raised eyebrow in the statement was audible through the phone.

You snorted, shoulders shaking in a quiet bout of laughter. For the sake of it, you countered him with another question:

“Do I have a choice?”

“Not really,” Gordon replied without a beat wasted.

Despite logic, a smile broke out on your face as you rose from the chair with finality to your tone:

“Well, then… See you tomorrow, officer” ending the call before the man could say another word felt like a power play.

It was the least you could have. At once, your head was flooded with anxiety to go over the events and create a coherent story that was close to the truth but did not reveal anything about Vengeance. One that made sense to the third party but did not incriminate you. That is how you spent the rest of that afternoon and the evening, consulting the resulting version with Bruce so there would be no discrepancies. An idea formed in your head as you tried to fall asleep that night. A request you wanted to make and that only GCPD could grant you. It felt risky, but… it was worth a shot.

The next day, you showed up at the precinct with a takeaway coffee and an umbrella, the raindrops dripping onto the slabs on the floor. James Gordon was waiting for you by the reception desk next to the entrance. After a curt greeting, he led you through the maze of corridors to an unmarked office. You were glad it was not an interrogation room. At first, the conversation flowed the way you expected it to. The questions were all conventional: What do you usually do? How did you meet Vengeance? What have you two worked on together? How did you learn about The Riddler? About his plan?

You had all the answers, faultlessly navigating through the truths to present a tale Gordon wanted to hear. Omitting Bruce from the equation required control and presence of mind, but it worked out. He had no more questions.

“Well… thank you for the cooperation” Gordon closed the file and his notepad, the surprised lilt to the statement made you smile despite the adrenaline still leaving your system.

You took a sip of the lukewarm coffee and measured him with a pointed look.

“You didn’t expect it from me? I don’t blame you” shrugging upon his searching gaze, you shifted in the uncomfortable chair and asked, “So… why did you need this conversation?”

It was the best preamble to your request you could find. Although you expected Gordon to tell you to fuck off (maybe not quite in those exact words), he replied without a hesitation, his eyes never leaving your face:

“The investigation is still ongoing. Any facts we can get count” it was his turn to shrug as he added, “And seeing who your father was… Let’s say your statement can be of importance” the tentative word choice did not escape your notice.

You had been debating whether give him the full background knowledge on your family for hours the evening before. While you would rarely willingly share it with whoever, unable to deal with the never-ending pitying looks and suspicions, this time, it was better to bite the bullet before it could strike you. It was an easy lie to find, should Gordon check it with the city records. If he had any observations regarding your late father’s role in what happened twenty years before, he did not show it.

“Is he going to get a life sentence? In Arkham?” there was no need to specify who you had meant, nor was there a point concealing the curiosity in your voice.

It would make sense to him soon enough.

“It’s too early to say” the veil of secrecy had fallen upon his face.

Not that you expected anything else. You took a deep breath, steeling your nerves for the ordeal. The reason why you had to go through the questioning in the first place. Once you met Gordon’s gaze again, you knew he could see the resolution there. Its fortitude poured from your words as you spoke:

“I want to meet him” the moment your request hit the quiet space of the office, Gordon’s eyes widened.

He knew what you were asking for.

“I’m sorry?” the question was only preliminary.

A silent plea to change your mind and stop the madness this instant. A way out. You were not going to take it.

“I want to meet Nashton. Interview him. To ask him why…” despair crept into your voice, forcing you to shut up.

Before you could say too much. Judging how his face changed, you had to be very careful.

“No, there’s no chance I could let you-” Gordon leaned forward, his gaze hard and tone imposing.

The chances were low, so you never let him finish that sentence. Immediately put on the best puppy-eyed look you could muster and adopted the pleading tone:

“Please?” ignoring how Gordon rolled his eyes at your antics, you stumbled onwards, risking the vulnerability to appeal to his goodwill, “It’s the only thing I’ll ever ask for. It can stay between us,”

You meant it. Bruce had no clue those were your plans. For if he knew, he would have something to say about it. That is the last thing you wanted.

“But that’s… Jesus, are you sure?” Gordon’s resolve was breaking as he huffed out what sounded like a curse, damning your persuasion, “This guy makes no sense. It’s impossible to interrogate him” it felt like a last resort.

“I want to try. If it all goes to shit, I’ll leave” it should be easy, right? “So?”

The defeated sigh was all you needed to know you had won. Mentally, you punched the air. Physically – you cracked a smile.

“When?” the pained look in the cop’s eyes almost made you laugh.

“No time like now” instead, you met it straight on and glanced at the door in a simple suggestion.

***

Having never stepped inside the prison ward of the Arkham State Hospital, you felt an immediate shiver run down your spine, immersed in the drafty spaces and disjointed screams all around. Gordon was quiet on the way there, clearly unhappy with the decision you had made him take. He did not speak while he directed you through the checks and lied to the guards. But it was alright. It gave you time to adjust, take a deep breath and tune out the chaos of the place, doing your best to ignore that one persistent thought that was nearly impossible to escape. Your mother was somewhere here, in a different wing, on a different floor, but here. And you doubted you would be strong enough to see her anytime soon.

Before you could go on a tangent, likely bringing yourself to tears and effectively dismantling any sense of confidence you hoped to have, Gordon stopped by yet another non-descript metal door and turned to you with a stern look:

“That’s your stop” Gordon raised his hand to the pad next to the door, but before he started keying the code, he added, “The cameras are recording everything, but I’ll ask to have it deleted after. If shit goes south, just knock on the door. I’ll be waiting here” despite the harsh tone, you could tell he cared.

That he was not indifferent towards your safety. It was enough to light a tiny spark of gratitude in your heart.

“I’ll keep that in mind” you flashed him a thin smile and stepped closer to the door, your hands tightening into fists at your sides, “Watch out for the We Will Rock You beat” with that, you nodded at him to open the cell.

The last thing you saw before it opened was Gordon’s barely concealed eye roll. Then it was only the yellow clinical light of the cell and the glass window separating you from the man you had seen on the TV constantly the last few days. The door closed. You took a hesitant step inside as Nashton turned towards you. His wrists and neck were bound with a heavy chain, the non-assuming figure clad in an orange jumpsuit, complete with a prisoner number. Until you met his gaze, you could hardly fathom this was the orchestrator of it all. The killer and the brain behind so much chaos. Then his cold green eyes settled on you, and lips stretched into an amused smirk:

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” he strolled to the chair and sat down, never letting his gaze stray from you.

You suppressed a shudder and perched on the chair provided on your side of the window. It was best to get over the initial shock by using the chance you had received. Talk to him since you were able to.

“Curiosity, mostly” shrugging to mask the discomfort, you asked, “You know who I am?”

The lack of surprise in his eyes told you Nashton did know you. That the direct message he had sent you in that one video was not just a bluff or a throwaway line. But it was best to be sure.

His smile stretched even wider. He already was having fun with this.

“Of course I do. I take my research seriously” the vicious flash in his eyes should have been the warning, yet you never saw it coming, “Almost like your poor father” flinching as the words hit, your eyes widened while the Riddler drove his point forward mercilessly “It’s what got him in the end, isn’t it?”

You tightened your clammy palms into fists, letting the nails dig into your flesh. Hoping the pain would help you take another breath and find a response to something like that. You could hear your heart pounding in your ears as you murmured:

“Seems like you know more about it than I do,” the wavering in your voice was unmistakable.

Now Nashton knew he had struck the vein, and you had no doubts whether he would keep going. You could only sit there and try to gain back any sense of control over the conversation.

“Perhaps I do…” it was Riddler’s turn to shrug; his green eyes shone as his voice took a manic timbre you had never detected before, “I know that your father took his craft seriously. So much so that when he got the right scoop, getting the story was more important than the people it concerned. That’s what happened to Thomas and Martha Wayne” with each word he spoke, you could feel the control slipping, leaving you dizzy and overwhelmed, unable to comprehend the words spoken, “He was a ruthless reporter” Nashton raised his eyebrow as if to challenge you with the statement.

Despite knowing that it was precisely the reaction he had been hoping for, you lurched forward in your seat and interjected:

“You can’t-” your voice shrill and foreign in your ears, saturated with pain and despair to prove him wrong.

“Oh, but it happened,” he raised his voice to match your tone, the madness in his face finally coming to light at its finest “Your daddy might not be one of the people I want to destroy, but he was no hero” he took pleasure from the deepening horror on your face, from how your hands shook in your lap “Once he realised the Wayne’s were hiding something regarding Martha’s sanity, he dove right in” unable to look at him anymore, you squeezed your eyes shut as the words kept on striking, each feeling like a slap to your face “Dug so far deep, Mrs Wayne had another psychotic episode because she couldn’t handle her life ripped apart on the frontpages” what if he was right? You could not handle it if this were the truth, “But your father didn’t care. He wanted more” the harsh edge to the statement made you open your eyes with a quiet gasp.

Your whole body was aching with the weight of what was happening. Each insinuation tore through the carefully created image of your father that you always maintained in your head. This idea you would never think could be false. But what if it was?

“Why?” a lone tear trailed down your cheek as you asked.

The fight to seem collected was long lost.

“Same reason you’ve begun working on my case” Nashton’s tone suggested he found it amusing.

Little riddle you should already have an answer to.

“Enlighten me” you did not feel like playing; your voice was overpowered with tiredness.

“Fame. And fortune,” you winced as the answer filled the space.

“I don’t care about those” the automatic reaction was to scoff and deny, and it was the one you reached for when at a loss.

He did not care. You could see a flash of irritation on his face as Riddler shifted the topic:

“You also want to continue your father’s legacy” the sarcastic inflexion on the word did not escape your notice, but it hardly mattered when the next line of the attack fell, “When are you going to finish his job and tear into Bruce Wayne? He sure deserves it” the sickly satisfaction in his mad gaze made you shiver.

The question felt like a knife driven through your chest, piercing the heart and scraping the bones. You could barely keep yourself from wailing as the pain tore at your soul, tears filling in your eyes in a display you could no longer keep at bay. You could never do that. Not to Bruce, not-

“I’m not like that. I’d never-” the words poured out your mouth with a desperate tinge, your voice breaking and breath hitching, unable to piece together anything that could make sense.

He was not looking for it. Nashton jumped up to standing, his hands shaking in the heavy chains:

“Oh, but you already did. All I had to do was look through your articles, and I knew you’re just like your father” the instinct to cover your ears from his insults came a second too late; nothing prevented you from hearing the final taunt whispered with icy calculation, “Cold and ruthless. No wonder your mother couldn’t stand being around you,”

A sob ripped from your heart as you turned away from his cruel face. This time, your instincts were fast enough. Before you could remember Gordon’s instructions, your fist tapped out the beat on the steel door. You counted to five, and it opened. No glance behind was spared as you stepped out from the cell, and took a greedy bout of air.

Once you felt a hesitant touch on the shoulder, you remembered Gordon’s presence. His dark eyes peered into your face with concern, undoubtedly seeing the damage from the conversation. You could not bear to explain it or repeat the words and accusations. All you felt capable of doing was to meet Gordon’s gaze and whisper:

“I can’t stay here any longer” for once, the pleading for help did not hurt.

It was better than any alternative you could conceive then and there. Gordon understood. All traces of annoyance vanished from his face as he nodded and glanced towards the direction of the exit:

“I’ll drop you off at home. Come on” he checked whether the cell had been locked one last time and started down the hallway.

You did not waste a second following him.

***

Until the very last moment, Bruce considered not going to the meeting. Since the morning when Selina sent him the message with time and place, saying that she was going away and would like to see him one last time, he had been debating on the matter. Restless mind ran through the pros and cons until he could make up his mind. For a moment, Bruce had also considered sharing the dilemma with someone, wanting nothing more, but to get Her point of view on it. But then, considering her previous reactions to anything that had to do with Selina Kyle, he decided against it. His heart was still heavy, nonetheless.

An hour before the meeting, Bruce decided to leave early for the patrol and to swing by the Gotham Cemetery. In the end, the winning voice belonged to that inexplicable desire to close the chapter for good. To, at least once in his life, have closure. With Riddler captured and the city rebuilt from the ruins, the only thing left unresolved was his relationship with Selina. Or, rather, their partnership, which was as beneficial as it was problematic. Above all, she deserved a thank you. That much was beyond doubt.

As soon as that decision had been made, Bruce made another one. He texted the most important woman in his life (or just Her, as his brain tended to refer to the journalist, that he did not seem able or be willing to let go of) with the usual chit-chat, aware that she would read it after the meeting with Gordon. That was alright. He would tell her later about Selina and everything else.

It was one of the few changes he had started to try to implement in his life now that he was no longer alone. Or at least now he was willing to believe that he did not have to do it all on his own. It was still strange to get used to sometimes. Home seemed a little livelier with the sounds of her presence, the empty rooms less daunting and terrifying with their vastness. Bruce certainly surprised himself when all it took was one question concerning things to give to the charities after the flooding for him to unlock his parents’ bedroom and give her access to everything. It seemed like an obvious thing to do, yet something he had never even considered before. It was impossible to explain how it made him feel to see her wearing his mother’s clothes. It felt almost like hope. If Bruce still believed in such a thing.

Another attempt had been made to talk to her more, tell her his plans and why he did what he did. Communicate, as Alfred put it many times before, begging his young protégé to try harder. To open up before people that wanted the best for him. It always seemed infeasible. A feat too close to a vulnerability that could blow in his face. So, he did not do it. Until she came along, with her beautiful eyes and the ability to get under his skin like nobody else. Now he could hardly say no, constantly occupying his head with the things he could not wait to tell her once he returned. To share his thoughts and theories, knowing that she would listen and offer feedback. Knowing that he was heard.

It was almost as good as the sudden capacity to touch her. To kiss her lips whenever he felt like it and not need to find excuses for it. Because the wants were getting stronger. For the first time in his life, he did not always try to control them and smother them so they would never resurface. No, this time, Bruce gave in to that pull, to the desire to hold her, touch her and make her his. Because that was the end goal, wasn’t it? To call her his, to repeat that one night endlessly, and never, ever let go. The only trouble was that he did not know how to get there. How to express it without triggering her desire to run. Something he noticed early on but never dared address. Till it became yet another one of those unspeakable subjects. Like his feelings for her and the fact that he sometimes thought she felt the same. Could she, though? Was he even lovable like that, or was it just another fable he had fallen for?

Groaning with frustration, Bruce slowed down the motorcycle as he changed the lane and began the ascend towards the cemetery hill. The surprising lack of rain made for a pleasant evening, the clouds giving way to the warm, pinkish glow of the setting sun. Despite the painful connotations, he always enjoyed the view from up there. The grassy hill towered over the cityscape; the old stone tombstones spread over the space only added to the strange atmosphere. He parked the vehicle close to the Columbarium and started up the path as quietly as possible. Before long, he spotted Selina where she said she would be, staring at one of the plaques on the wall. Her bike was parked nearby, one of the faithful cats in her arms. For a spare second, Bruce was struck with an idiotic thought – how nice it would be to have a cat, or better, a dog at home. Then he shook his head at the ridiculousness of the idea and took a decisive step forward.

“You’re leaving,” Selina gasped at his softly spoken statement.

It was always difficult to judge the reaction when a simple greeting seemed stupid or awkward. Clearly, this time, Bruce messed it up.

“Jesus,” she muttered the curse as she turned towards him with the familiar exasperation on her face “Don’t you ever just say hello?”

And there it was. Bruce ignored the sudden desire to berate himself for missing the social queue and asked:

“Where will you go?” he watched as she carefully deposited the cat into the compartment on her motorcycle and closed it to keep the pet warm.

Selina shrugged, suddenly strangely bashful. It was hard to read her. A fact Bruce had come to accept, albeit begrudgingly.

“I don’t know. Upstate,” she seemed to decide there and then, meeting his gaze with that well-known fierceness “Bludhaven, maybe” she cocked her head, the insightful look back on her face, “Why? You asking me to stay? You know this place is never gonna change” throwing a glance at the Gotham skyline, Selina’s tone dripped with tiredness “With Carmine gone, it’s only gonna get worse for you. There’s gonna be a power grab. It’ll be bloody” the hint of a warning was surprising, but not unwelcome.

It was nothing new. Every day, Bruce battled with thoughts like those, urging him to stop the madness and give up being Batman. To cease hoping he could change anything in the city. To quit playing the hero because he was not one. Every day he encountered them and won.

“I know. But the city can change” repeating the belief like a mantra, he refused to give in to the doubts.

“It won’t” Selina stared at him sceptically.

It was evident he could not sway her. Not that it mattered. While Selina was important, and an essential partner that probably saved his life, her view on it was not that influential. It did not make Bruce change his mind.

“I have to try” he could hear hints of resentment in his voice, a sign he could not conceal despite the keen wishes to do so.

Selina only sighed quietly and met his gaze with tired resolution.

“It’s gonna kill you eventually. You know that” she did not wait for an answer before changing the topic to ask, “What about your friend?” the curious glint in her eyes was enough to suggest she did care about the answer.

For a split second, Bruce considered playing dumb. To pretend he had no clue who she had meant. But that seemed both futile and wrong. Mostly wrong towards the woman in question. And he could not have that. Not anymore.

“What about her?” feigning nonchalance, he chose to stare at the skyline.

The peach-coloured sunset spread over the horizon. It almost seemed like the night could bring a respite from the rain.

Neither of those observations stopped the mild heart rate pick up upon a thought regarding the journalist. That seemed inevitable these days.

“How is she doing?” he did not need to look at Selina to know she was smiling, the knowing gleam in her dark eyes, “That was a nasty blow to the head, back at the Garden,”

The reminder alone was enough to make Bruce wince. The image of her struck down by the thug was burned into his mind for eternity. As was the gripping fear he thought was beyond him. It wasn’t. Not when it concerned people he cared about.

“She’s alright” fighting the urge to smile, Bruce was suddenly grateful for the cover the cowl provided.

Hopefully, it was enough to prevent Selina from knowing too much.

“Good. You’ve seemed… close” the perceptive tone told him he was already too transparent.

Although, after Selina witnessed the conversation at Falcone’s, Bruce had no idea what he had been hoping for. Back then, only the sheer sense of self-preservation kept him from stepping out of the role. From dropping the act of Vengeance and becoming the Bruce Wayne She knew and needed. A role he long thought forgotten, yet one that recently became his reality. Someone he wanted to be, even if just for her.

“That’s a question?” getting rid of the sentimental thoughts was getting trickier each time he gave in to them.

So, he went back to pretending. Like always.

Which was a mistake this time. One glance at Selina told him she saw right through it.

“No. More like an observation” she scanned his face intently, finding whatever she had been looking for quickly, “But you’re not denying it, so… I’m sorry if I ever made things difficult for her and you,” the sombre tone had been the real surprise.

One that made Bruce stop, freezing all runaway thoughts for a beat. While there was a reason to apologise, Selina did not need to know it. He was quite sure his partner would not want him to drag out their dirty laundry in front of anybody else. Plus, hopefully, the kiss and everything else had been forgiven. Maybe, one day, he would tell Her how, at the time, she was already the only woman he had in sight. The only one he could not get out of his head. How that had not changed for weeks by now.

Not that he was keeping tabs.

“You didn’t know” the answer for Selina was simple.

“Still,” she shrugged, a tint of guilt quickly overridden by curiosity, “Does she share your blind devotion to this shithole?”

It was another question that kept him up whenever he went to sleep. Because the truth was, he didn’t know. And the fear was there. The fear that, one day, he would wake up, and she would be gone. Without a goodbye or an explanation. Because she hardly had a reason to stay other than the same stubborn sense of duty.

“She’s still here. If that’s what you’re asking” ignoring the rising anxiety, Bruce kept the cards as close as possible to his chest.

Selina was leaving. That was the takeaway. He was here to say goodbye, not to indulge in private conversation with someone who did not even know him. Not really.

“She cares then” Selina smirked as her gaze softened, yet again taking him by surprise; it was strange to see her so focused on something that related purely to him, “But that’s good. I’m glad you have someone around to keep you in check” this sentiment was even more of a shock, only just preparing him for what she had in mind “Just make sure you’re not waiting too long. Time passes quicker than we think” she hesitated, a certain weight to her gaze that made Bruce stop and stare, withholding his breath for whatever might come next “And I might not know her, but she seems worth so much more than this city and your sense of duty. Don’t ever forget that” she met his eyes, looking for a sign that he understood and would take it to heart.

Bruce could hardly offer her anything but a dumbfounded stare as her words sunk in and made his heart race. Because as much as it was terrifying to admit – she was probably right. That woman was worth more than Gotham and the Wayne fortune combined. He had no doubts about it. But it was one thing to know, even allow himself to feel, and another to say it to the woman in question. That seemed almost too risky.

But what if he never got the chance again? The answer to that question was even scarier.

Ignoring the internal meltdown, he only nodded, praying Selina would drop the topic. But it was fate that decided for them both. One glance at the horizon was all he needed to spot the signal, burning bright on the sunset skies. Someone needed him.

“You should go,” Selina’s whisper came at the perfect moment, offering him an out and easing the conscience.

He did what he had to do. He said goodbye, and now it was alright to leave. Selina took the cue herself, picking up the helmet and preparing to start the motorcycle. There was just one last thing left to say…

“Selina… Take care of yourself” it was not a challenge to let the mask slip away and show her that he meant it.

“Always, bat boy,” the answering confident grin was all the assurance he needed.

Neither of them had spoken again as they started up the bikes and began the descent from the cemetery hill. Now and then, Bruce would glance in the rearview mirror to check up on Selina. Until she disappeared from view, taking with her any sense of uncertainty. All that was left was one persistent thought – he had to confess. Soon. Just this once, Bruce had to use what chance got him and never let Her go.

[dearweirdme]

https://www.tumblr.com/dearweirdme/750934620143583232/im-not-sure-if-i-would-take-his-lack-of-reaction?source=share

Overall, I tend to believe that Bangtan could've pushed the "normal people" narrative a little more, but they never tried to do it, on the contrary, they all fed some level of delusions among their fans (either by feeding y/n, best friends, saying that they didnt need gf because they had army..) and played the parasocial rs card pretty well. But I also think that, although this toxic rs that they helped to create exists, part of it is armys believing and following everything they say, so if he asked people to not harass his gf, armys would also try to protect her even if some people would still bully her.

I think part of the bullying now is those that think she's using him for clout and is just a crazy person looking for attention. If he confirm they were dating, I'm pretty sure many would start to see her posts as cute, because they are, if you remove the uncertainty from it. She just shows how much she misses him and the fact that she's staying at his place (considering that this is all true).

And I understand each one of them wanting to keep what they got at all costs, but it's still a choice and every choice entails losing something and priorities.

To the anon saying it's juvenile, for me juvenile is making excuses about your choices. I dont think it's bad that they all chose their careers and I understand their point BUT it's still their choice.

Hi anon!

This is an interesting take. While I agree that members have leaned into it at times (many times probably) I’m of the opinion that fandom itself has a responsibility to recognize that it’s not serious. I have no trouble making that distinction, I think many among us have no trouble making that distinction, but yes.. a huge portion of army probably finds this difficult. From a business perspective, it’s something that’s probably been required from them. Boybands are traditionally marketed as boyfriend material. What is interesting though is that even with boybands that do not lean into this as much (and artists that do publicly date) these para-social relationships still develop. So I don’t know if BTS’s behavior in particular is the cause of the existence of fandom’s feelings of ownership over them or that it is something that just occurs within fandoms in general.

I think a strong factor in why there’s especially harsh reactions about dating in Kpop is how it’s imbedded in the culture. Media reports about it as ‘scandals’ and therefore it’s immediately seen as a negative thing, which is ridiculous when it’s something that has to do with love. It’s also the idea that a fandom’s love should be enough for idols, almost as though they aren’t humble enough when they want love as well. One the one side I think idols not dating in public grants them well needed privacy, but on the other hand it sets them up for undeserved criticism.

I don’t think that it’s a given that army will embrace a member’s partner when an official statement is made. I think a huge part of army will respect it, but I think there will always be parts of fandom that do not know how to behave. Even members themselves aren’t free from extreme hate, their partners will be easy targets for people who want to do harm.

I agree that it’s their choice, I just think it’s way more nuanced than saying it’s because they love their fans/career more than they possibly do a partner.

[tenaciouschronicler]

December 2 2024 2009

Time for timeline trickery!

Further left of the pink furniture is an arcade machine fitted with Appearifier tech. Its unclear which was created first but this one has the ability to see exactly what you would be appearifying. In this case its locked on to Jaspers. Im kinda surprised he was not put into the suit specifically for his funeral but that this seemed to be par for the course for him.

The timestamp shows 3140 days before 'today', April 13, 2009 making it September 7, 2000. Yes I did the math. It was actually very unecessary since I could have just googled it but Im always creating more work for myself.

On this day Jaspers and Rose were having a therapy session wherein Rose learned a Secret of Jaspers. How you could understand him is astonishing, Rose. Rose knows removing Jaspers from the timeline at this point would cause a parodox, the secret was not shared yet, but tries anyway in the name of Science. Much like when WV paradoxified a pumpkin, Jaspers is nothing but green sludge. Next to the Appearifier platform is another machine. This one processes the sludge to form a clone cat which would sadly not be viable outside of the containment unit.

Whoever was operating this machine in the past may have been making unsuccessful attempts to perfect the science of ECTOBIOLOGY.

I need this here for two reasons. First, the added emphasis on ectobiology by making the text color green. Second, which ties into the first a bit, who have we met so far that makes a reference to ectobiology?

Our main protagonist himself, John Egbert. Not only is it his chumhandle, his shirt has a green slime ghost. While we normally associate blue as his color, I feel like that plus this hints that somehow, someway, John WILL perform ectobiology. The only question is, given his track record, will he be successful?

Shortly after telling Rose his Secret, at 4:13:14, Jasper is appearified by an unknown person. Where/whenever he goes, Jaspers ends up visually untraceable for two weeks ending up back on the beach September 21st. Since the apperifier is still locked on Jaspers, Rose fast forwards to the present to find where he had gone after landing on that other platform. The music that plays genuinely unsettles me, probably because of the meowing.

For a very brief moment, in the lower right hand corner an upsidedown pink horseshoe flashes before fading away. I learned my lesson since that one Dave flash so Im constantly looking there to see if i miss any play buttons. Now, I thought you had to click when the horseshoe was visible, but no the hitbox remains active even after it fades away. Once you click on it a western version of Jaspers piano song, done by whistling, plays while Rose finally rides the pony as the scarf flutters in the wind. There are three cymbal crashes that flash a poorly drawn photo, one where Rose hugs the pony, one where she feeds the pony an apple, and one of John dressed in western wear infront of a saloon.

I genuinely dont get the purpose of this aside from an easter egg but its hilarious none the less.

Back to the story, since Rose was able to track Jaspers to his new location, she appearifies him back to her. With thirteen seconds on the clock she jumps on the Transportalizer, kitten in hand and hightails it out of there.

We switch to Jade who is out looking for Becquerel. A difficult task since for some reason he is immune to Jades precognitive powers. We get to see Bec appear in the background with a flash of lightning, which may be the source of the lightning PM dealt with earlier, as he looms behind Jade.

And just as quickly, disappears when Jade turns around. Jade being Jade, she pays no mind to the ominous aura her pet excudes and moseys on down to Johns package that 'arrived months late. And yet, right on time.'

Today we find John in his dads room. Prepared for Clowns and Secrets John finds...

Wait a minute. These are just boring business documents and spreadsheets.

In a hilarious upset, absolutely nothing!

'Kind of a boring room' is an understatement. Here the only flash of color comes from the cake mix in the left corner. While Dad is still into magic, there is no sign of harlequins anywhere amidst the polished shoes, black ties and fedora hats. The whole flash is just John having a breakdown as all his preconceived notions shatter under the ralization Dad is just a normal man. This begs the question, why all the harlequin decor? Did he think John was into it, even if Johns stated otherwise? Or is this his inheritance from Nanna, who I can 100% see being into clowns? Ive got a feeling that this moment for John will become the norm for us. Building up ideas for our characters and then 'shocking' us as what we thought we knew gets turned on it head.

[6kuros]

As a fellow creator who is also disturbed and upset by the revelation of pizza tower being a product of 4chan type people, I'm wondering how you handle it? I still want to draw fan art but Im struggling to not get uncomfortable. Basically, I have both love and hate for the game now, and you seem like a cool person so Im wondering how you deal with that. Love your pizza tower fan art sm btw!

im really glad that you enjoy my art, and also am flattered you think im cool!!!

first of all, id like to mention that the art i posted just now was art that i had finished last night, before everything about mcpig came to light and i just wanted to post it since i already had it done…still unsure if im going to draw consistent pizza tower in the future honestly, id like to because its a lot of fun and i really do love a lot about the game. ideally, the current situation would change somehow so i can do that without any discomfort for myself or others, but the only way i foresee that happening is if the devs actually remove the racist shit from the game

what makes me feel (kind of) okay about producing fanart for the game despite what emerged is mostly the fact that as long as i am not reproducing the harmful contents of the game, nor directly supporting the people behind it, im not putting any harm into the world or perpetuating the 4chan stuff i guess? the only thing im really worried about is possibly getting people to want to buy the game by putting my fanart out there, but considering the games popularity from streaming and youtube videos i dont see my own art as contributing to that much. that makes it easier for me not to feel unsettled when i draw fanart for it, but i think that depends on how you view the relationship between fanart and source material, especially in an interactive space like the internet. if you think your art risks sending the message that you approve of negative aspects of a piece of media then its probably better not to share that art

theres also the fact that from the messages that were revealed i get the impression that at some point mcpig had a sort of disdain for "cringe leftists" being fans of the game i guess, and i would consider myself someone who he would/would have found cringe at one point lol. so by being into the game its kind of a fuck you idc that you hate me, this thing you made is being enjoyed by cringe leftists. considering the tone of some of the messages was "if people get mad at me im just going to be edgy in response" i dont even think disengaging with the game would even bother him at all. but all of that is really just speculation and i dont want to insinuate that engaging with bigoted media is proactive just because you are a marginalized person or have progressive politics. its important to actually weigh the harm of your actions and what effect you have with your consumption of said media i dont really know if thats a good answer though, and if it holds up to any sort of moral judgement. i do think its possible to enjoy problematic media, but considering how new the game is its not the kind of thing i can look at and be like "this piece of media is from x years ago and doesnt do real harm now". my worst fear is that there are pizza tower fans who are going to see the awful shit in the game and replicate it, bc the game somehow makes them thinks theres nothing wrong with it or that they can do so without consequence. just from a scope of the fandom there seem to be a lot of young teenagers so Yeah. im concerned in that regard and id like to beam a message into kids' brains thats just like Hey this character design/behavior fucking sucks Dont do this

so, by posting my art anyway i hope i can contribute to a portion of the fanbase that is outwardly against the bigoted content in the game, as an alternative to mcpig dick riders/defenders. and if there are any fans out there involved in the community who dont know better, hopefully they can learn, and avoid perpetuating bigotry

all that being said, your feelings on the matter may be very different, and you dont have to abide to any of this thinking. if a piece of media is upsetting you, its okay to step away from it as long as you need. maybe see how you feel when you come back to it and if the hateful feelings are still there, there is no obligation to engage further

(and as a bottom line if anybody reading this is considering playing pizza tower i suggest you pirate it instead of paying for it)

[theghostbunnie]

hi, i saw your post answering nick deactivating all their profiles and i want to admit this since i feel kinda responsible but i think i mightve been the reason why they deactivated, you dont need to post this if you dont want to but consider this an admission of guilt of some sort

because nick had all xyr profiles still up even after the alligations happened for a good month or so, i spontaiously remembered their existance one night and realised that, by locking their profile on twt (i didnt follow xem back) and noticing that most of their art wasnt on there ment that alot of people wouldnt get to enjoy their art, and me being big on archiving content i like i decided to start up a blog on archiving their art since they were semi-big in the fairly oddparents fandom on twitter

since ive ran two previous art archive blogs before i made sure to check that nick had been completely inactive and not on any other account, making sure not to post any of their art already on tumblr since the blog was still up at the time and i had planned on saving those as drafts if something happened, and i had set up a small queue on whatever art i could find searching their username on google, and most importantly i let them know in the pinned post that if they wanted this archive taken down then i will 100% take it down

the next day after i made that blog ive noticed i had recieved two dms from nick telling me to take this down, i didnt actually read them fully, all i saw was "may you take this archive down?" and sprinted to deactivate the entire blog (i would be lying if i said i wasnt curious to know how exactly they found the blog, but thats me being nosey someone probably told xem, not very relevant to the conversation)

it wasnt untill i was scrolling through my main blogs post on a tag that ive noticed that they deactivated, and at first i thought that maybe it just showed them as deactivated despite changing their url or something since ive noticed it would sometimes happen, but nope, fully deactivated

i personally, as ive mentioned, wasnt mutuals with xem nor would i have really considered us accuaintences, more of a 'people who happened to be in the same soup isle in the same store' shtick, but they would sometimes send funny replies, i wasnt very big into the ship they were posting at the moment but i liked their art and they had shared some wc crossover art that made me happy since that was my special interest and it was sorta stuck in my head as a special little conversation ive had, and while digging i admitibly got sorta fascinated by masha / sasha in general inspite of the fact ive never watched camp camp before (trying to fight the demons rn)

i hold absoloutly no grudge against nick for telling me i should take it down as they have a right to and i explicitly said in the pinned that i would , i just feel very bad about the fact that ive made them extremely uncomfortable to the point where xe felt like xe had to remove their two only platforms they were active on in general, and again i feel very strongly about preservation of media for others to enjoy and it backfired and now no one gets to enjoy it, including the fact that they had made alot of fanart for a rarepair

(since the blog didnt really exist for more then 2 days and if you do want proof of the blogs existance heres a link to a reblog i happened to notice from someone i know -> https://www.tumblr.com/coolmika745/765034471884029952?source=share)

I'm gonna be so honest Idk how Twitter or archiving or alot of the stuff you just said works but maybe this information will be important to somebody so up it goes/gen

I still think it looks suspicious being accused of what they are they just go radio silent but everything is still just allegations at the moment

[skullbowz]

pretend i dont know anything about mitch (because i actually dont and was too scared to ask in dms) and please share everything you have about that man ?!

Ohmahat gawd I’m gonna OOGLE u

Okayokayokayokayokagokag.

Starting off canonically (typing this after hand — there was barely any canon it was just us yapping)

Mitch doesn’t have much lore to him in all honesty

Just the dude that got terrorized by eyeless Jack (nawt Jack Nyras whatever the fuck La mishi mishi named their twink ass version of EJ)

But like. . . Maybe it’s just me being an EJ irl or just how much Mitchell fascinates me for no reason at all, hands down one of my favorite “background” CRP characters to a popular/mainstream one.

To sum up the eyeless Jack story told in Mitch’s point of view

—> (quote)

"I was staring face to face with a creature with a black hoodie and a dark blue mask with no nose or mouth staring down at me. The thing that scared me the most was that it had no eyes. Just empty, black sockets. The creature also had some black substance dripping from its sockets."

Actual thing —>

In the original story, a man named Mitch moves in with his brother Edwin after his house is foreclosed. A week later, Mitch wakes up with a large gash on his cheek. After going to the hospital, the doctor reveals that Mitch's left kidney had been surgically removed overnight. Around midnight that night, Mitch wakes to see Eyeless Jack over his bed, wearing a blue mask with black liquid dripping from empty eye sockets behind the mask.

Mitch manages to grab his camera and take a picture before Jack attacks, clawing at his chest. Mitch escapes and flees into the woods, where he trips and is knocked unconscious. When Mitch awakens in the hospital, it is revealed to him that Edwin had been killed the previous night. His parents drive him to the house to collect his belongings. When he enters, Mitch sees Edwin's corpse and a small object lying next to it. He observes it find that it is his kidney with a bite taken out of it, covered in a black substance.

(Copy and pasted for accuracy)

——————

There is very little media of Mitch becuz the OG (the rake-like eyeless Jack / aka the “OG”) isn’t as popular as all the remakes (the most popular being the cult-sacrificed — Slavic son of Chernobog: and WW2 eyeless Jack)

But the ones that do (or even just barely hint at his existence) I EAT THE EFF UP

(Links) —>

(This one is so silly cuz the art tbh)

(The little dude doll is supposedly Mitch. . . Also I heavily think this has Hannibal references ?!!??!!??? Maybe I’m a little too autistic)

This I ESPECIALLY love omfg

And there are probably more out there but these r just some examples

—————

I guess I really like the fact that unlike other victims of different EJ stories (or just any slasher / CRP story) Mitch isn’t a complete dumbass and he fights and flights against EJ. Whether EJ psychologically tortured Mitch (as some alternate versions go) or not idrc I still find him so silly. . . AND HE DOESNT DIE ?? WOO HOO YOU GO BITCH QUEEN !!!!!

The media of Mitch that is out there indicates the man has either blonde or black hair , blue eyes , and pale skin.

My guy is most definitely in his 20’s (assuming he is mid - late 20’s) and while not having a canonical full name (that I know of) I’ve seen multiple sources saying it’s Mitch(ell) Harlan’s / start w a H?? Idk. EJ’s story is left to be a mysterious one that is easily bended to fit anybody’s creative imaginary. That goes the same way for Mitch as well.

I ALSO SEE ALOT OF PEOPLE SAY THAT MITCH IS EYELESS JACK WHICH I FIND VERY VERY COOL

if EJ doesn’t kill its victims, or they manage to escape, they fall under a certain illness that basically mutilates their appearances. ( not canon at all plz I just wanted to mention this )

(And yes I will be using it/its for ej cuz not only do I use it/its but EJ is canonically referred to as a masculine thing, “it” and creature 😒)

There is this sooper dooped cool artist on toyhouse, and while their eyeless Jack isn’t the victim (aka Mitch) and just happened 2 have the same night I still I love their interpretation of EJ.

Uhhh that’s basically it for “canon” wise and additional information. Dudes basically as much as a mystery as eyeless Jack itself andddd yeah I still love him and I think we can do just as much to his character just liek what was done w EJ

(I probably sound insane to anything reading this:) what is bro yapping about? Mitch was just a victim—— SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH let me live in my own littol world of mitches 😞

(Also had 2 hold back on yapping about my memories w Mitch bc I’d actually drive the tumbers on here insane)

K

Kay

Kaayzie

Im done

Errr

:33