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savanir · 5 months ago

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DP x DC ficlet

is it even a ficlet anymore, this thing has gotten incredibly out of hand...

So a while back I saw this

and I picked the Green Lantern one and then just kinda wrote a full fic so...

It had been a good party, official yes but despite that still festive enough and with just a bittersweet hint. as all good meaningful parties should be like, unless you’re looking to get absolutely shitfaced.

But hey Rowan deserved a proper sendoff for making it to this point and not dying in the process. Hal is going to miss the old pilot though.

"Hal, I got something for you, before I forget"

"Hm, what is it"

The old man puts a small intricate glass model of a f16 fighter in his hand.

"Back when I started I was given this for good luck and protection"

Rowan presses it down firmly and stands there all official like "may it grant you both as it did for me"

They both stand there for a second before laughing.

“Feel free to shelf the whole luck thing, what’s really important is skill and experience. Still, knowing you, you can definitely use the protection ”

Hal grins, "Thanks, I'll keep close"

"You better, the sentimental value is sky high" Rowan slaps his shoulder with another laugh.

Good lord what a dork.

The old retiring pilot wasn't paying attention, too caught up in everything else but Hal saw the faint and brief green hue coming from his hand.

In a panic he slammed his other hand over top. Completely missing the quietly whispered "protect"

Too busy cussing out his ring in his head, he swears that thing is trying to out him on purpose sometimes.

This time it wasn't the ring though, so it's a good thing it's an inanimate object and can't be upset at how wrong Hal is being right now.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah! Let's get back to the others"

The evening ends uneventfully.

---

It's really only until quite a bit later that things start to happen.

"Green lantern" its batman's business voice.

Both Hal and John look up.

"Jordan" ah shit.

"I'll catch you up later" and he leaves Hal behind, traitor.

"What's up spooky"

"You need to update your file, it is missing critical information, and on that note I wasn’t aware that the lantern suits grant you intangibility now"

"I... what..? It doesn't? What are you talking about spooks"

"Hrn" Batman pulls up a screen and shows him footage of the latest fight, in it you can clearly see something was supposed to hit Hal but went right through him "You're telling me you didn't know or notice this?"

Hal just looks kinda sick. That would have been a bad hit and he just straight up didn't even notice.

Batman just kind of silently looks at him and he must have come to some conclusion because the next thing Hal knows this comes out of his mouth.

"I've already ran your blood through the lab, it's not a sudden emergence of a meta gene so it's either from the lantern corps or you've otherwise externally been affected by something that's causing this"

Hal closes his eyes and internally counts to ten, it doesn't help.

Batman takes his silence to mean he can keep talking. The man is on an unusual roll. Hal would have been ecstatic if he didn't hate the topic quite so much.

"It would have been best if it had something to do with your ring however you seem to be completely unaware and I've also noted that the green of your ring and the green glow that comes with the density shifting are different"

He has examples with corresponding color codes, Hal is so tired.

“let's set a time frame…” Batman pulls up some documents and graph on the screen “seeing as you are unaware of this development I will set the starting point of this potential change as of now to right after the last time you have been known to be hit in a fight and before the first known instance of you being able to density shift, that leaves us with a full month.”

Hal really, really does not want to be here anymore.

“In this month you have not gone off planet so whatever caused this is on Earth” Batman pauses for a moment, “has anything significant happened during that time that springs to mind now?”

“no, nothing significant has happened during that time, frankly it’s been a very pleasant uneventful four weeks in which I finally managed to catch a break and it figures something crazy has apparently happened anyway”

Hal rubs his face with both hands, “but right now I couldn’t tell you what, anyway, does this have to be a bad thing? I for one am very glad that hit didn’t actually land”

“So far only Superman has had the privilege of having sudden emergence of new powers work out for him” Batman huffs, “it would be best to monitor this carefully, if anything springs to mind do not hesitate to inform me, the sooner this is figured out the better”

“awww you do care” Hal is using humor cope, sadly it’s Batman, so it’s not very effective.

“Jordan” now Batman sounds tired, he’s not the one with random surprise density shifting, Hal understand that Spooky’s crippling chronic paranoia must be exhausting but right now he’s the one freaking out considering this is apparently not a meta gene related development, it would have been so much easier if it was, oh and about that, just how and when did Batman get his blood exactly? he would like to know now.

---

sadly he does not get to know now. or anytime soon (or ever). it’s chaos right after, because of course it is.

knocked out of the sky and lying amongst the rubble, if their enemy spots him he’s in bigger shit than he already is, but he can’t fucking move and the next thing he knows he’s invisible.

and there is just nothing enjoyable about it.

Barry doesn’t know that though, “that was something else, just one moment and schwup and you were just gone, some sort of green lantern light bending? he looked right through you, thank god he did too”

shit shit, “no that was..." it was like he just ceased to exist, movies and books and whatever other media always depicts it as such a cool thing but frankly it was terrifying. And he would prefer things that are terrifying not to happen to him, for obvious reasons, “honestly actually it’s complicated, stealth tech” Grade A bullshit.

“well it’s awesome”

“it was useful just now but not really my style you know”

Barry slings his arm over Hal’s shoulder and gives him a one armed hug, “everything worked out” Hal can feel some tension flow out of his friend, “well! better get busy cleaning this mess up” and with a blink he’s gone.

Hal does not want to talk about this with Batman, but knowing him, he probably already knows anyway, it would be less of a headache to go to him than have him go to Hal.

Hal wants to enjoy whatever this is, he really does, but he doesn’t know what caused this, he doesn’t know what triggers the new abilities or whatever they are, he doesn’t know what effects this shit is going to have in the future, he just doesn’t know anything, normally he doesn’t mind not knowing some things, he’s fine leaving the knowing to the people better suited for the more complicated knowing, but he would very much like to know more about this please.

---

Then they face off against an enemy and in the process Hal drains his ring completely and the next hit is going to be bad, so what will happen? Will he somehow go intangible again? Turn invisible and use the confusion to evade and attack?

Apparently this time he just gets a glowing green dome shield. Something very normal for him to have and use, if only it came out of his ring that is.

Nobody notices that something is wrong, nobody besides Batman that is.

"That's three new abilities that only appear during life threatening situations"

Hal has actually seriously gone over that month by now, but nothing, no answers. He's physically fine, mentally a little damaged but nothing new there, they all are. Every test he begrudgingly went through answered nothing. He was fine. Whatever was going on actually had nothing to do with him.

And at the same time it had everything to do with him because this is only happening to him.

As usual (by now) he takes out his little glass fighter jet and runs his thumb over the wings. It is soothing strangely enough. Like a stim toy.

"The last thing to try is a thorough examination by someone from the justice league dark"

Hal groans, magic, ok then, "Alright let's get this over with. Who knows maybe I'm just haunted"

It turns out he’s not haunted, this is a good thing... supposedly, Well let’s just say that Hal would have not minded being haunted or something if that meant it could be fixed, or just explained.

It doesn’t really need to be fixed, whatever this is has been very helpful after all, but he would do basically anything for an explanation right about now.

“you are not haunted or otherwise magically compromised, but I do sense faint traces of energy from the infinite realms” Zatanna is a godsent, finally something to work with.

“from the who whats?” Hal is worried, the occult field is definitely not his area of expertise. He's a space cop, not a space demonhunter… oh that would be pretty cool though, with like a hood and twin cyber crossbows, maybe he should incorporate that somehow.

“the infinite realms… have you recently been in touch with any death related realities?”

Well there was that time when he got booted to the death universe and he died and then he was a black lantern but he got better, that’s all very much very behind him.

She better not be about to tell him that stuff still has lingering consequences.

oh god dammit that’s exactly what is going on isn’t it?

"How recently?"

"In the past week?"

"Oh, no" Hal would have known if that was the case, death stuff tends to be hard to ignore.

Zatanna frowns, that's probably not a good sign.

"But you said I'm not compromised right?" Right now what Hal wants to know the most is if this is changing him. Cause it tends to be bad for him when that's the case.

"No this is just lingering traces of something or someone else using their powers near you"

???!!??!?

"What are the infinite realms?" oh hey there Batman, was wondering when you would show up again.

"It's the afterlife, or... more like a collection of all afterlives. The infinite realms is very literal in their naming. It is home to powerful dead entities. As a general rule magic users are discouraged from interacting with it.

"Hrn"

"What did you say happened to you so far Hal?"

"Uhm, density shifting, invisibility and then a green dome-like shield, a lot like my own energy constructs"

"that sounds like pretty standard stuff for a realms being"

"Soooo what, did one leave the afterlife and decide to follow me around or something?"

"I cannot conclusively say, I can only say that you've been close to one using its abilities"

Batman folds his arms over his chest, "We shouldn’t form theories on these findings alone, Zatanna are these realm beings dangerous?"

"Hard to say, they come in all manner of forms, some small and harmless and others on the level of world destroying gods."

Great great great, awesome, well it’s probably safe to say that whatever decided to stick around Hal isn’t small and harmless, cause small and harmless doesn’t sound strong enough to casually turn him intangible or invisible… he could be wrong though.

“I do advise caution, beings from the infinite realms also have the ability to possess someone, they call it overshadowing”

Batman’s lips thin and Hal tenses up, mind control of any kind is always awful.

“I’ll place a ward on you, as a precaution” energy starts to gather in her hands.

Batman moves for the door, “we might need to look into a way to force this being to reveal itself, it would be best if we could convince it to return to their realm”

“Well I mean-” Hal starts, “like I get that, but they have been a great help so far”

“they are a security risk”

“I’m just saying, I am grateful that they kept me from being confined to the medical wing for who even knows how long, who knows they might just be shy, wouldn’t it be better to convince them to become our ally, like Deadman. instead of telling them to leave. just cause we don’t understand how they work yet doesn’t mean they are bad and should be booted out of our reality”

Batman narrows his eyes at Hal and turns to Zatanna who is finished with placing the ward on Hal, “Zatanna please send me all you have on the infinite realms, I will do my own research” and with that he sweeps out of the room, very dramatic.

“Ass” Hal whispers under his breath.

“He’s worried”

“well he’s being a dick about it, as usual” Hal’s fingers find his little plane once again “... hey do you think they could communicate through one of those oejah boards?”

Zatanna snorts, “it’s Ouija- and please don’t”

---

No information from the JLD has been useful so far in coaxing the realms being to reveal themselves and for the most part things just go on as usual.

“Whoever they are, they followed me when I went off planet and it might just be my imagination but I had a feeling that their stuff was a lot more… potent? out there? I don’t know it was kinda strange, it just felt stronger”

“but they didn’t reveal themselves to you?”

“nope, they must know that I know now too, so they have decided to just… go on as they always have I guess”

“hrn” Batman is leafing through files, because of this whole mess he’s uncovered hidden government organizations targeting occult entities as well as inhumane laws that stand directly opposed to the meta protection acts.

Why is he working with paper regarding this matter? Well it turns out there is a infinite realms being that can possess electronica and it was only because of the protections the JLD had put in place on the Watchtower that the entity didn’t overtake it in its entirety.

Watching Constantine freak out had been mildly entertaining but Zatanna had once again reminded Batman to be very careful, Batman had begrudgingly admitted he had made a slight misstep while digging for answers… in his head, not out loud, god forbid.

“this whole thing is turning out a lot bigger than we thought huh, good thing we are dealing with it now” Hal stretches his arms above his head, “anyway I am going to go grab something to eat”

“the rapport-” Batman doesn’t bother looking at him.

“yeah yeah” Hal doesn’t either while walking out of the room, dismissively flicking his hand, “don’t worry about it spooky”

Hal takes his little plane out on the way to the cafeteria and fiddles with it in his hand, once there he puts it on the table next to Barry before getting himself something to eat.

They catch up, Hal complains (bitches) about Batman, others come and go, Zatanna quickly checks up on the ward she placed which makes Barry raise an eyebrow at Hal, “Ghost protection”

“... no such thing”

Zatanna glares.

Hal can see them both gearing up to start the magic is just science we haven’t fully scienced out yet argument again, “alright! I’m full” he stands up, “if you need me I’ll be writing that rapport, later” and gets the hell out of there.

It’s when he has just reached his preferred spot to work on the boring paperwork stuff when the alarms go off throughout what he can only imagine must probably be the entire Watchtower.

It seems like something triggered all of the JLD’s defenses in one go.

Impressive, but also very worrying.

The rapport is going to have to wait.

People are gathering in the meeting room and Batman is already taking the lead, “status”

“as of a couple minutes ago there was a build up of as of yet unknown energy which then burst in the cafeteria knocking out Flash” Martian Manhunter says, “Zatanna says we are most likely dealing with another being from the infinite realms”

Superman groans, this means he’s out.

It’s a good thing they now have defenses against overshadowing though. Being effectively trapped in a space station (because currently the thing is on lockdown) where literally anyone could suddenly actually be the enemy is the kind of situation a whole slew of horror movies like to be about.

“We will need to be extremely careful while finding and then dealing with this entity”

It has certainly been quite some time since the Watchtower got directly hit like this.

Hal pulls out his little plane.

or, he would, if he still had it.

thoroughly distracted now he suddenly realizes it’s no longer on his person.

Spooky is probably not going to like it if during the infinite realms attacker hunt he takes the opportunity to look around for his missing little fighter jet.

well what he doesn’t know won’t harm him.

His plan of looking for the plane while looking for the ghost is working out well enough.

In fact it is working out so good that he finds both at the same time.

At that point Hal had started wondering if maybe Barry had picked it up for him at the cafeteria before the attack happened and that the little thing was now in the medical wing with him.

That turned out to clearly not be the case once he found the tiny thing glowing green and floating in the middle of the hallway.

“alright ghosty, that’s really important to me and I would like it back undamaged”

the tiny plane turned to now point directly at him, hmm, yeah that's not creepy at all.

“... please don’t launch yourself at me” he foolishly says which of course means that’s exactly what it does next.

He uses his ring to construct a net with a pillow inside to catch the tiny jet, completely forgetting that it’s overshadowed and can thus easily just go intangible and right through his creations.

Instead it hits him square in the chest, rather painfully he might add and then just stops glowing and drops, making Hal scramble to not have it fall and shatter in a million tiny pieces on the ground.

immediately all the sensors stop detecting the presence of a realms being and the alarms die down.

Whatever was in the Watchtower has left the building.

or…

Hal looks down at the tiny plane in his hands, his talisman of protection and has a sinking feeling in his gut.

“Hey there little guy, might want to explain yourself?” he says to the tiny jet.

It vibrates in his hands.

“... yeah I figured, shit”

---

“I say just smash the bloody thing and be done with it, preferably that takes care of it once and for all” Constantine glares down at the tiny jet.

Hal is almost halfway over the table to shield the little thing, covering it from Constantine’s sight with his hand, “don’t you dare” he growls.

“it would be best for everyone involved, for all we known you could have gone full liminal what with how long you’ve been carrying the blasted thing around”

Zatanna is going over the little thing with her own magic, “it’s trapped”

“In that case just straight up trying to murder it would be the worst thing to do” Hal glares at Constantine some more. Who clearly doesn’t give a shit, figures, all stressed out about dealing with things from the infinite realms but whenever he feels he has the upper hand he’s more than happy to go full nuclear.

“it would be best if we had a way of figuring out their intentions” Batman looks down at the tiny jet impassively.

“Well, another reason to just carefully release this creature instead” Hal responds.

Zatanna’s magic fades away, “I would say that the fact it’s been protecting Hal for as long as he has it is a positive sign”

“hrn, but now it has gone and knocked Flash out, so what does that say” Batman huffs, “it’s too risky”

“Constantine and I will set up everything we can so it won’t be able to escape or try anything dangerous” Zatanna stops looking at Batman and turns back to the tiny plane, “if it turns out to be malicious we could simply banish it back to the realms, killing it would be rather stupid, we do not know what kind of connections it might have within the realms, we might accidentally anger something far worse with such a rash act”

Constantine groans but accepts Zatanna’s reasoning, Batman nods as well.

It’s only then that Hal moves out of the way.

Any plans of attack or banishment fly right out of the window once the two magic users are done and a young boy manifests from the tiny fighter jet.

Hal pushes Constantine aside to get to the boy’s side.

“Jordan, are you insane! Get back here!”

“Hey, kid, can you hear me? please open your eyes, slowly, take your time”

Batman has also moved forward much to Constantine’s frustration. Don't these two morons get that their protections won’t do shit if you just casually stroll into the circle?

Batman is mostly concerned in being able to step in should the boy prove to be a hostile entity anyway, but at the same time… well, that’s a child.

The boy kind of dazedly opens his eyes, looks at Hal and then seems to become aware of his own arms and hands, after opening and closing those a couple times he looks back at Hal and lets out a breath that can only be described as relieved and promptly passes out into him.

Well, Hal figures that settles it then. He doesn’t know shit about looking after a kid, and definitely not one who is probably quite dead, but this one is his, back off Batman.

they all startle rather violently when rings of blinding white light pass over the boy and suddenly the kid in Hal’s arms is a bit warmer and seems to have a sluggish pulse and also his clothes are different and his hair is now black and-

Hal is up and moving towards the medical wing before his mind catches back up with him. He can hear Batman behind him, it seems like Constantine and Zatanna aren’t moving after him as fast.

Well anyway his life is already so goddamn weird, this might as well happen.

#dpxdc #dcxdp #danny fenton #danny phantom #hal jordan #green lantern #phanfic #batman #zatanna #dp x dc crossover #dp x dc fanfic #so this is sure a thing I made #should I put this on ao3 as well? I might #3800 + words #savwrites

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fursasaida · 1 year ago

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Hi! Just wanted to ask. How can I give my students assignments that are chat-gpt proof? Or that they won't just copy the answer without at least doing some editing?

Hi! So, I don't think anything is ChatGPT-proof. You fundamentally cannot stop people from using it to take a shortcut. You can't even stop them from copying the answer without editing it. However, I think you can work with this reality. So, you can do three things:

Don't be a cop about it.

If you make your objective "stop the children from using the thing to cheat," you are focusing on the wrong thing. You will be constantly scrutinizing every submission with suspicion, you will be accusing people of cheating--and some of them will not have cheated, and they will remember this forever--and you will be aiming at enforcement (which is trying to hold back the sea) instead of on inviting and supporting learning whenever and wherever possible. (I'll come back to this under item 2.)

Regarding why enforcement is holding back the sea: It is fundamentally rational for them to do this. We, who "love learning" (i.e. are good at what our academic system sees as learning, for various reasons have built our lives around that, happen to enjoy these activities), see everything they might cheat themselves of by doing it, because we know what we got out of doing this type of work. Many students, however--especially at the kind of school I teach at--are there to get the piece of paper that might, if they're lucky, allow them access to a relatively livable and stable income. The things that are wrong with this fact are structural and nothing to do with students' failings as people, or (tfuh) laziness, or whatever. We cannot make this not true (we can certainly try to push against it in certain ways, but that only goes so far). More pragmatically, chatgpt and similar are going to keep getting better, and detecting them is going to get harder, and your relationships with your students will be further and further damaged as you are forced to hound them more, suspect them more, falsely accuse more people, while also looking like an idiot because plenty of them will get away with it. A productive classroom requires trust. The trust goes both ways. Being a cop about this will destroy it in both directions.

So the first thing you have to do is really, truly accept that some of them are going to use it and you are not always going to know when they do. And when I say accept this, I mean you actually need to be ok with it. I find it helps to remember that the fact that a bot can produce writing to a standard that makes teachers worry means we have been teaching people to be shitty writers. I don't know that so much is lost if we devalue the 5-paragraph SAT essay and its brethren.

So the reason my policy is to say it's ok to use chatgpt or similar as long as you tell me so and give me some thinking about what you got from using it is that a) I am dropping the charade that we don't all know what's going on and thereby making it (pedagogical term) chill; b) I am modeling/suggesting that if you use it, it's a good idea to be critical about what it tells you (which I desperately want everyone to know in general, not just my students in a classroom); c) I am providing an invitation to learn from using chatgpt, rather than avoid learning by using it. Plenty of them won't take me up on that. That's fine (see item 3 below).

So ok, we have at least established the goal of coming at it from acceptance. Then what do you do at that point?

Think about what is unique to your class and your students and build assignments around that.

Assignments, of course, don't have to be simply "what did Author mean by Term" or "list the significant thingies." A prof I used to TA under gave students the option of interviewing a family member or friend about their experiences with public housing in the week we taught public housing. Someone I know who teaches a college biology class has an illustration-based assignment to draw in the artsier students who are in her class against their will. I used to have an extra-credit question that asked them to pick anything in the city that they thought might be some kind of clue about the past in that place, do some research about it, and tell me what they found out and how. (And that's how I learned how Canal St. got its name! Learning something you didn't know from a student's work is one of the greatest feelings there is.) One prompt I intend to use in this class will be something to the effect of, "Do you own anything--a t-shirt, a mug, a phone case--that has the outline of your city, state, or country on it? Why? How did you get it, and what does having this item with this symbol on it mean to you? Whether you personally have one or not, why do you think so many people own items like this?" (This is for political geography week, if anyone's wondering.)

These are all things that target students' personal interests and capabilities, the environments they live in, and their relationships within their communities. Chatgpt can fake that stuff, but not very well. My advisor intends to use prompts that refer directly to things he said in class or conversations that were had in class, rather than to a given reading, in hopes that that will also make it harder for chatgpt to fake well because it won't have the context. The more your class is designed around the specific institution you teach at and student body you serve, the easier that is to do. (Obviously, how possible that is is going to vary based on what you're teaching. When I taught Urban Studies using the city we all lived in as the example all through the semester, it was so easy to make everything very tailored to the students I had in that class that semester. That's not the same--or it doesn't work the same way--if you're teaching Shakespeare. But I know someone who performs monologues from the plays in class and has his students direct him and give him notes as a way of drawing them into the speech and its niceties of meaning. Chatgpt is never going to know what stage directions were given in that room. There are possibilities.) This is all, I guess, a long way of saying that you'll have a better time constructing assignments chatgpt will be bad at if you view your class as a particular situation, occurring only once (these people, this year), which is a situation that has the purpose of encouraging thought--rather than as an information-transfer mechanism. Of course information transfer happens, but that is not what I and my students are doing together here.

Now, they absolutely can plug this type of prompt into chatgpt. I've tried it myself. I asked it to give me a personal essay about the political geography prompt and a critical personal essay about the same thing. (I recommend doing this with your own prospective assignments! See what they'd get and whether it's something you'd grade highly. If it is, then change either the goal of the assignment or at least the prompt.) Both of them were decent if you are grading the miserable 5-paragraph essay. Both of them were garbage if you are looking for evidence of a person turning their attention for the first time to something they have taken for granted all their lives. Chatgpt has neither personality nor experiences, so it makes incredibly vague, general statements in the first person that are dull as dishwater and simply do not engage with what the prompt is really asking for. I already graded on "tell me what you think of this/how this relates to your life" in addition to "did you understand the reading," because what I care about is whether they're thinking. So students absolutely can and will plug that prompt into chatgpt and simply c/p the output. They just won't get high marks for it.

If they're fine with not getting high marks, then okay. For a lot of them this is an elective they're taking essentially at random to get that piece of paper; I'm not gonna knock the hustle, and (see item 1) I couldn't stop them if I wanted to. What I can do is try to make class time engaging, build relationships with them that make them feel good about telling me their thoughts, and present them with a variety of assignments that create opportunities for different strengths, points of interest, and ways into the material, in hopes of hooking as many different people in as many different ways as I can.

This brings me back to what I said about inviting learning. Because I have never yet in my life taught a course that was for people majoring in the subject, I long ago accepted that I cannot get everyone to engage with every concept, subject, or idea (or even most of them). All I can do is invite them to get interested in the thing at hand in every class, in every assignment, in every choice of reading, in every question I ask them. How frequently each person accepts these invitations (and which ones) is going to vary hugely. But I also accept that people often need to be invited more than once, and even if they don't want to go through the door I'm holding open for them right now, the fact that they were invited this time might make it more likely for them to go through it the next time it comes up, or the time after that. I'll never know what will come of all of these invitations, and that's great, actually. I don't want to make them care about everything I care about, or know everything I know. All I want is to offer them new ways to be curious.

Therefore: if they use chatgpt to refuse an invitation this week, fine. That would probably have happened anyway in a lot of cases even without chatgpt. But, just as before, I can snag some of those people's attention on one part of this module in class tomorrow. Some of them I'll get next time with a different type of assignment. Some of them I'll hook for a moment with a joke. I don't take the times that doesn't happen as failures. But the times that it does are all wins that are not diminished by the times it doesn't.

Actually try to think of ways to use chatgpt to promote learning.

I DREAM of the day I'm teaching something where it makes sense to have students edit an AI-written text. Editing is an incredible way to get better at writing. I could generate one in class and we could do it all together. I could give them a prompt, ask them to feed it into chatgpt, and ask them to turn in both what they got and some notes on how they think it could be better. I could give them a pretty traditional "In Text, Author says Thing. What did Author mean by that?" prompt, have them get an answer from chatgpt, and then ask them to fact-check it. Etc. All of these get them thinking about written communication and, incidentally, demonstrate the tool's limitations.

I'm sure there are and will be tons of much more creative ideas for how to incorporate chatgpt rather than fight it. (Once upon a time, the idea of letting students use calculators in math class was also scandalous to many teachers.) I have some geography-specific ideas for how to use image generation as well. When it comes specifically to teaching, I think it's a waste of time for us to be handwringing instead of applying ourselves to this question. I am well aware of the political and ethical problems with chatgpt, and that's something to discuss with, probably, more advanced students in a seminar setting. But we won't (per item 1) get very far simply insisting that Thing Bad and Thing Stupid. So how do we use it to invite learning? That's the question I'm interested in.

Finally, because tangential to your question: I think there's nothing wrong with bringing back more in-class writing and even oral exams (along with take-home assignments that appeal to strengths and interests other than expository writing as mentioned above). These assessments play to different strengths than written take-homes. For some students, that means they'll be harder or scarier; by the same token, for other students they'll be easier and more confidence-building. (Plus, "being able to think on your feet" is also a very good ~real-world skill~ to teach.) In the spirit of trying to offer as many ways in as possible, I think that kind of diversification in assignments is a perfectly good idea.

#teaching #chatgpt #posting this on my first teaching day of the semester!#this is probably a lot longer than what you asked for but it is the answer i know how to give. hope something in it helps!

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cassiusfen · 1 year ago

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This isn't my art, (it's made by @ TheHearthFox over on Twitter) but I wanted to make a long post about why this work in particular speaks to me so goddamn much. I think such a massive part of the queer experience -- and also the furry experience -- is about the abstract. This can be seen in so many different aspects of furry "culture," from the concept of fursonas to kink and and other fetish content. You and I will never know what it's like to be a werewolf and transform under the full moon into the form of a big hulking furry beast. However, us furries create art and other works about the idea of it anyway. We never will be able to be our fursonas -- our often idealized and "perfect" versions of ourselves -- and part of that really hurts. It hurts so bad honestly, to the point where I can't quite put it into words. In terms of queer culture, I will never know what it is like to be a cis woman, and that also messes with me a lot. Yet, I'm still trans, my identity can change, I can perceive myself as whatever I damn well please. Identity allows you to shape yourself and the world around you in your own image, even if not everyone can see its beauty.

We have ways to get at least somewhat close to how we feel in our abstraction. VRChat allows you to make an avatar of what ever you want, whether it's your fursona or just an ideal version of you. Hell, it doesn't even have to be you, it could be anyone or anything really. We have a whole industry based around creating big ass costumes that allow people to at least look something like their desired character. But it's not enough. It's never enough. I ain't religious, but sometimes I feel like I've bitten the apple, been kicked out of the garden, and now I'm left to fend for myself with an identity that my physicality will never match. When I made my fursona using an avatar base in vrchat and configured it to match my real world body scales and looked down, I honestly started crying. I take the headset off, and I'm still me. Everyone takes the headset or fursuit off and they're still the body they were given, not what they would choose. Our reality is objective, and there's no way to really change that. We can act like animal people online all day, but the moment that screen shuts off, the moment we walk away, that warm, fuzzy feeling (hehe) fades.

To think abstract is to think beyond what you can normally sense. You will never get to brush the knots out of your fur in the morning, or play with your antennae while anxious (I see you bug people). We can still have those ideas, however. I know I'm on the third goddamn paragraph and I'm just now talking about the artwork I linked but this is an important concept to me. Usually, when I think of the abstract, it feels unreal, "fuzzy" so to speak. However, in HearthFox's piece, the objective reality appears out of focus and pixelated. It feels like even if we are unable to fully embrace the abstract, we can still embrace what we can of it, and bring some sort of color to a world that doesn't feel like it is made for us. The colors being outside of the lines could suggest that our abstract perception is maybe just "painted on" to the world around us, but is that a bad thing? Is it bad to take things in from the world around you, but still look at it all in your own unique way? I think not. This also isn't only about therian identity, or furry identity, or even queer identity -- it's also about neurodivergence. You are never in the wrong for thinking about the world in a way that is viewed as "non-standard" by the rest of the world. If you see yourself as a wolf, bee, fox, bear, raccoon, a fucking plane, it's not a bad thing. We can still identify however we want, and this modern way of looking at identity is the best way for us to embrace the abstract.

Go wild, go fucking stupid. Love yourself, if you're a fox, be a fox, there are ways you can feel that way, even if it's not all of the time. We can fight, we can love, we can still find ways to elation, even if sometimes existence itself feels wrong to you. This work is but one side of abstract thinking. Look at the color the fox has compared to the objective. Look how the fur drapes, how it runs down the body, or how the snout expresses emotion. Sometimes it feels melancholic, but you cannot tell me that trying your absolute damnedest to live your identity doesn't at least bring some color to your otherwise dreary and unfocused world.

Stay safe, love yourself no matter what.

#furry #aptophilia #therian

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bblovetarot · 11 months ago

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{༉} What is your soul craving?

ʚ ═══･୨ꕤ୧･═══ ɞ Pick a Pile ʚ ═══･୨ꕤ୧･═══ ɞ

. ༄ . paid readings . ༄

。°⚠︎°。follow your intuition when choosing a pile. if you're drawn to more than one pile, that's okay! you may have messages in more than one.

。°⚠︎°。tarot readings are not 100% accurate, and do not dictate your future. please keep in mind that you have free will. these readings are also general and aren't specific to one person, so please take what resonates and leave what doesn't!

Pile 1

Pile 1, your soul is urging you to stop blocking your own path. There's a message echoing to "do the right thing," and this could mean various things for everyone. It suggests a need to ease up on self-criticism and avoid placing blame externally. Taking accountability for your actions is crucial, recognizing that every choice has consequences, whether positive or negative. Your soul craves for you to take a leap of faith, listen to the deep call within your heart, and follow your intuition when making decisions. It seeks novelty and growth, urging you to break free from repetitive cycles by making conscious choices. Look at yourself objectively and understand that while past hurtful events may not be your fault, you do have the power of free will. Reflect on where your free will comes into play in your life and how you can avoid situations that leave you feeling wronged. Your soul sees these experiences as lessons, prompting you to learn from them and apply those lessons to start a new beginning. Embrace change, let go of the old, and welcome the new. Now is the time to align with your true path, one that excites and possibly scares you—a path leading to genuine happiness. Start doing what makes you happy, whether it's learning something new or pursuing a business idea. The path to your true calling is already laid out; all you need to do is accept the call, Pile 1.

Pile 2

Pile 2, it seems that many of you are undergoing a spiritual awakening, but there's resistance to embracing the new path that's calling you. Your soul is urging you to surrender to this transformative process, releasing old belief systems that no longer serve you. This period is a rebirth for you, and while it can be intimidating, your soul is encouraging you to flow with it rather than resist. Fear of the unknown may be holding you back, unsure if you're ready for what's to come. However, your soul is asking you to let go, to allow the universe to guide you through this transition. Surrender control and trust the process, Pile 2. For many of you, overthinking and wanting to predict outcomes can be a common tendency. Your soul is calling for a more relaxed approach and a return to the joy of your inner child. Life doesn't always require serious contemplation; sometimes, you just need to live. Your soul is craving for more fun and playfulness. It wants you to listen to its subtle whispers, guiding you to the path that's right for you. Don't take life too seriously; let go of the need to know every outcome in advance. As changes occur and things leave your life, your soul advises you not to get too caught up in the departing elements. Take them for what they are and embrace the new opportunities that are emerging. Transformation can be scary because it's uncertain, but just like a little bird learning to fly, it might be scary at first, but it leads to growth and freedom. Embrace the new, Pile 2.

Pile 3

Pile 3, your soul is urging you to surround yourself with things, people, and situations that align with your true happiness. It seems like you may be caught in a routine, and the joy in life has diminished for some of you. Perhaps something you've longed for has arrived, but its unfolding isn't bringing the happiness you expected. Some of you might be feeling frustrated with the slow progress, even though there is movement, albeit at a pace slower than desired. You appear to be someone deeply committed to your pursuits, taking a steady rather than rushed approach. Your soul encourages you to stay true to yourself and not let others dictate your actions or methods. What matters is what you believe and envision for yourself. Many of you are dedicated to something significant, and your soul is advising you to clear out anything that doesn't belong in your life right now—habits or people that don't align with your path. It's crucial to eliminate anything that drains you emotionally and doesn't bring motivation, inspiration, or happiness into your life. Your soul wants you to protect yourself and reclaim your energy from past situations that may have left scars. If you're dealing with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) or flashbacks from the past, there's a need to prioritize healing. Don't let the past dictate your future. Your soul is also emphasizing the importance of connecting with others. Stop isolating yourself and reach out to new people or those already in your life who resonate with you. Enjoy the small things in life, and don't let the past repeat itself. The universe is supporting you, bringing you to people who are part of your soul tribe. Take that first step, whether big or small, and trust that the universe has your back, Pile 3.

#tarot pac #tarot reading #intuitive reading #pick a card #pick a pile #pac #tarot

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star-anise · 11 months ago

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now, hold still—

I'd kill for some resources on body image in the context of disability, chronic pain, and having grown up with a complicated and intense medical history. I think I've exhausted my local library's offerings. Yes, I'm seeing a counsellor who focuses on this, and he's probably got recs, but I'm pacing my cage and lashing my tail in between sessions.

"Body image" has a particular connotation most of the time, because it comes out of the field that deals with eating disorders. Which is great and I'm glad for the people it works for, but its basic principles and assumptions are for completely different problems than the one I have.

I can't track down who said it first, but in my reading I keep coming across this narrative of, "I saw my body as something to be disciplined and controlled, an object only seen by external eyes. Now I've learned to take joy in what my body can do and experience, and to see it as a site of pleasure."

...Sounds fake, but okay.

My body is a site of pain. It cannot do or bear the experience of many things. I have to exercise a huge amount of discipline and control just to get out of bed every day. I can't imagine my body being a visible object that other people might find pleasing; it's incredibly hard to look up from my continual tooth-and-nail fight getting my body to let me live to imagine what someone who doesn't live with all this shit might see.

When I was a child, I learned to hold myself very still. For a hairdresser, or photographer, or a dentist, or someone who wanted to measure my height, or an injection, or a doctor who wanted a demonstration of how one of my joints looked, or an X-ray, or an IV inserted, or a CAT scan, or to have a cast taken off, or a PET scan, or to have a wound treated, or an MRI, or to have a pin pulled out.

And you know, I got proud of that. I felt like a brave warrior in a fantasy novel. I learned to take deep breaths, and take myself in my mind away from the anxiety and unpleasantness, until I could shut down my reaction to it. So that I didn't flinch or scream or cry. Because there was something wrong with my body, and doctors knew how to fix it.

When I was getting assessed for fibromyalgia, this new doctor told me he was going palpate areas in my back, arms, and knees. I get a lot of massage; I knew what was coming. I slowed my breathing, concentrating on the long outbreath. I took myself away from my reactions and thought continually, obsessively, about letting my body droop, weightless, like the moment when your aching limbs meet a solid surface and fresh cool sheets.

"Hm, I dunno," he said. "A lot of this checks out, but your trigger point exam was totally negative. Most people, when I touch those points, they have a big reaction. Some people even scream and jump off the table."

"Well, no," I think I said. "If I'd done that, it would have hurt way more, for like, hours." And I was polite about it, because you have to be polite to doctors; doctors know how to make you feel better. But what I felt at the time, and still feel today, is a kind of outrage I labelled was unreasonable the moment it was born: You wanted to hurt me, and it's my fault for not letting you?

How do you learn how to ask for things, when you've taught yourself to lie still and cry quietly because the nurse who said they'd be right back is helping someone who suddenly needs the help more? How do you express yourself, when you've spent your whole life gritting your teeth?

The problems I have about my body are not about being attractive or thin. They are, however, about being small. Learning to cry less, scream less, and ask for less. About feeling like my body is a burden to anyone who comes to know it, and like that's a burden I can't ask other people to take on unless I'm staggering under the weight of it.

Right now, what I've got is this:

Remember, you weren’t the one who made you ashamed, but you are the one who can make you proud. Just practice, practice until you get proud, and once you are proud, keep practicing so you won’t forget. You get proud by practicing.

#staranise original #chronic pain lyfe #gore tw

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shinjisdone · 10 months ago

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Two Humans in the Demon Realm - Fantasy And Nightmare

What if by the time Luz Noceda the human emerged into the demon realm...some other human did, too? However, instead of being joyful of being surrounded by all they love and taken in by a kind and openhearted witch...they are terrified of this place, taken in by the ruler of the realm?

[Basically I watched TOH again and dammit HUNTER SHALL HAVE A FRIEND I SAY NOT UNTIL S2 but NOW I SAY NOW]

BECOMING THE GOLDEN GUARD'S/HUNTER'S HUMAN FRIEND BECAUSE I SAID SO

The ground was red.

You swore you heard something akin to a growl from the plants.

The sea seems to be boiling and there is no way out, no matter how much you twist and turn.

There is no escape.

And as your fears turn into reality as raindrops hit your skin and burn your flesh away as you read in the book back home, you run and cry.

This is a nightmare.

This isn't earth. Nowhere this place could be, could be earth!

And if what that book said was true...

There are no humans but just one. From decades ago.

Perhaps you heard of the demon realm - through stories, gossip, theories, relatives that are aware of magic and witchcraft.

Maybe you believed in it, or maybe you thought it'd be humbug. The few magical instances in your life you witnessed - those were just show, right? A trick of the mind?

Or real magic after all.

But it did not matter. The moment you opened your eyes, you were stuck here.

On a rotting, red, boiling island that seemed far, far too familiar in that book you've read. Either out of interest or boredom. Maybe someone wanted to prove it to be real or you wanted to know if it was really fake.

Yet here you are and the smell, touch, sight and taste you sense were accurate to that stupid book.

And if that were the case, then certainly the rest of demons, magic and curses was real, too.

Being all alone in a strange place, stuck in it, is definitely going to be hard for you. No friends, allies or family around with only this stupid, stupid book in your hands that got you trapped here in the first place. As much as you hated it, it did give insight of the many qualities of the isles and therefore saving your skin a dozen times.

"The rain seems to be toxic. I have seen none indulge in its coolness but rather, hide from it. Witch and demon alike."

"The ground is very...solid. Almost bone-like...I do fear the entire island may be nothing but a macabre graveyard."

"I was not quite welcome here...nothing and no one hunted me down but I presume if my curiousity pushes for it, they will begin to."

The impressed yet depressing writing of the author did not help but they always managed to decribe things objectively with great detail that saved you again and again. Especially the pages including magic spells.

The many complicated and confusing glyphs written in it daunted you at first. Magic, you believe, is what got you in this mess in the first place but after careful thinking, procrastination, blocking it all out and finding yourself in a situation that forced you to cast magic - such one that could cost you your life - you've grown to be a bit more accepting of the concept of these...glyphs. Little by little, though.

So after some time, you finally, finally gained enough courage to...enter their society.

The market seemed to be fine for now. Hiding your ears behind a cape and hood YOU HAD TO MAKE YOURSELF USING THIS STUPID BOOK (which actually turned out quite impressive even when you did have to use magic) you entered. Turning into the wrong directions though you ended up in a even sketchier part of the night market.

The constant bellowing of...demons wanting to sell you things was familiar enough from earth (even when their...four eyes and gills decorated from their chin down to their chest where you can...see their heart beating...was a not so familiar sight) but the constant showing off of magic was not. You did not know everything and this (stupid) book did not detail everything either so you did your best to avoid anything magical. Which was harder than imagined considering this is a market for amplifiers and potions and whatnot.

Avoiding it all let you to an dead end of an alley...and right in the middle of a criminal act!

'Wild witches' as they were called and a red light engulfed all of you quickly from above. Figures clad in dark and masks that you recognized as that of guards of this realm appeared, those that you often had to run away from as well. Desperately tugging the book under your cloak you hoped you could use th scuffle to get out of there as fast and quietly as possible. These 'wild witches' and guards could thrash each other as much as they like, you won't stop them!

Yet from above, a cold gale with a flash of gold swept up from behind you, shoving a staff into your face.

"I wouldn't do anything stupid now if I were you."

Damnit!

Fine, the potion you begrudgingly needed three days to make had to come in handy now!

Whisking a flask to the ground, you made a run for it. You could hear coughing and cursing as the vapor ingulfed them, followed soon by another echoing sound before the same golden mask appeared in front of you again.

In a mere blink of an eye, they swung their staff and a biting wind knocked you to the ground. You quickly clung onto your book as the guard rose their staff above their head.

"One more of that trick and you're ash." They lowly let out, "Can't believe there are still wannabees out there that-"

They halt and you freeze, a shiver running up your spine. Even when all they did was stand still as a statue, the very fact that they were clad and gold and white with real, heavy armor and with a staff compared to the local guards around the isles was enough to leave you frightened.

This one means business. It must be.

But what are they? Nowhere are these people ever talked about in the book!

"...Human..."

You jerked up. Even their whispers were threatening.

Slowly but surely, the guard lowered their weapon. Though their face remained hidden by the mask resembling an owl, there was just a feeling, and underlying but undeniable feeling that made your stomach churn that whatever expression they might be having, their intentions are not in your interest.

"You're a human."

Your breath hitches. The cloak had fallen off from their spell, leaving it damp and abandoned further down in the alley. You didn't this would happen, you followed the instructions bit by bit. It felt like time stood still as the person before you hummed.

Finally, they raised their head again. "...You don't want trouble. Surely you don't?"

You shook your head.

"Then you're lucky you ran into me. Either you come with me or its the Conformatorium for you." They pointed the glowing tip of their weapon at you before playfully swinging it around, "And then, you know, zapped to dust, thrown into the sea to boil alive or petrified - there isn't much use for humans here."

Finally, you manage to speak. "You're not serious, are you?"

They sigh and motion for you to get up, doing so more threateningly when you did not obey the first time. "I'm not known for playing around." The red glow of the staff zapped towards your body, slung around your wrists like a snake before they jabbed you to keep walking out of the night market. "The Golden Guard can't afford to play around."

The next events were something you could only describe as hectic. Put on some kind of zeppelin (though it looked like a ship with wings) with magical...ropes(?) on you and head off to somewhere. Somewhere this guy claimed to be better than the 'Conformatorium'.

You had asked him what the point of taking you was but he was a bit too nonchalant for your taste.

"Oh, you'll see", He let out, "The Conformatorium is for witches and demons useless for the covens. But lucky for you, you might end up being useful, human."

It's all he said as he turned his back to you, controlling the ship with an carefree tune.

"I have a name, you know."

You spat out, couldn't take his attitude anymore. What is wrong with people in this realm?

The Golden Guard halted for a moment, stopping his melody abruptly. He waved his hand. "And?"

In turn, you scoffed out your name and telling him he might as well use it instead.

"What, does everyone also go around avoiding your name and calling you 'Golden Guard' instead or whatever?"

Once again he halted, longer than you anticipated. It was one request, a mere question but it left this guard guy guessing. He tilted his head absent-mindedly. You wondered what he'd need to ponder about for so long.

"...I do my job well," He started softly, "Well enough to be the only one worthy to be called the Golden Guard."

The trip was short and you did not know what to think of it. Glad to not bear this guy's attitude any longer or fearing for your life as a mere human in a place full of witches.

And covens? Use? Use for what? What is this...giant building, seeming more grande than anything else you've seen on the isles?

The rest followed by command. The Golden Guard shooed you to an different entrance than what you assumed tha main one was. The staff pressed against your back as you had no choice but to obey. With what could you defend yourself anyhow? An ancient book and bound hands?

The interior was akin to a palace of the medieval times, you noted. Individuals masked and clad in similiar white and gold worked routinely like soldiers in the hallways though your Golden Guard guy made sure nobody saw you. None of this was written in the book and though you have heard a few mumble in fear of the 'Emperor's Coven' you thought none of it. As long as you stayed away from it, you'd be safe. Yet here you were.

With a jab to the back, your oh so sweet companion ushered you up hidden stairs. Once entered the door behind you closed shut (with magic. Of course. Even in movies you never liked it when doors unexplainedly closed) and you went up ahead. The guard seemed to speed up more and more - along with getting ever so closer to a bright light ahead, you grew more anxious. This was it, wasn't it? You were going to die.

This would be your end, thrown into an hellscape away from family and friends. Treated like something worse than trash before your inevitable death.

Your companion rushed ahead of you, stepping into the room and immediately kneeling down. He moved his staff, causing you to tumble next to him, the magic ropes around your wrists tightening. "My Emperor," He let out in the most reverant voice you've heard him speak, "I apololgize for the sudden intervention but I have found something that might be of great interest to you regarding...the plan."

Looking up the dimly lit room, following the golden floor and walls, clad in immaculate red carpets and a set of stairs lied a throne. Tall and towering and on it, a man even more frightening.

He leaned his masked head against his armored hand, comfortably sitting on gold. His pale blue eyes glowed like that of a predator, you swore it at first sight.

"Your little friend will help accomplish our plan?"

"It is not anyone, sir." The Golden Guard pushed you forward and exposed your ears, "It is a human."

The exchange was scarier than anything else you'd seen on the isles.

The man on the throne was as swift as the wind as he stood up and approached you. He'd examine you, ask you question on who and what you are.

"Where do you come from, child, and when was that?"

He'd tilt his head and hum at your answers but did not make it known that he noticed your shaking and stuttering. However, his eyes lit up even more when he saw that book tightly hidden in your bag.

"Oh? What's this now?" With a flick of his finger, the book floated up to his eye level, pages after pages turned as he read them ever so quietly.

He'd definitely would ask you from where you got this book.

In the end it did not matter. Found it at a library, abandoned at a bus stop, given by clerk or friend. However, the man would raise a brow if you said that this book had been in your family for years.

Only if that were the case, though.

"Interesting. Well, welcome to the Emperor's Castle. Do make yourself at home."

...Wh-what?

The Golden Guard was just as confused as you. Stammering, he got up. "U- Emperor, what, here? Wh-what do you mean 'make yourself at home'?"

"It is what I said. Have you never had any guests, Golden Guard? You don't keep them prisoner," The man lifted his hand and the ropes around you vanished, "and you certainly take care of them. Like preparing a room for example." He put his arms behind his back, staring down at the younger man expectantly. He in turn, bowed and helped you up.

The...king of this castle you presumed, waved you goodbye. "We'll see what we can do for now. I'll gladly keep you here in my castle, safe and sound from the wilderness outside as long you can help me, little human."

Your companion excused the both of you and hurried you out of the throne room. Discreetly leading you inside an unused room, he shut the door.

"You're really lucky." He sighed, "...Anyone else wouldn't get...this treatment."

He sounded surprised and slightly melancholic but you didn't care - instead you can bombard him with any questions you like but he won't answer. Instead he shook his head and rose his open palm. "Listen, human. We're going to see how much of use you're going to be to the Emperor. But right here and now, the two of us are going to make some rules that he doesn't need to know of."

You can complain as much as you like but here you are in no position to refuse.

The Golden Guard listed each rule he abided to you.

'Do not leave the the castle, let alone the room. No one but him and the Emperor can know of your existence.'

'Tell each and every little secret you have to him first.'

'Don't cause trouble. He can get permission to stop treating you like a guest if you do'.

And lastly: 'Obey the Emperor.'

Your expression sours. This isn't what you wanted.

None of this was supposed to happen.

"Well, you'll get by. After all, as long as the Emperor allows it, you'll be kept safe. It's, ugh, my duty now too, to protect you. But be sure to stay in line because I can easily withdraw that priviledge."

Here you were. In this room.

It did have a bed, closet and desk with a chair. Much better than taking shelter in the rain under a firm bone or illegally breaking into someone's basement or shed. However, it was much more barren than any shed you broke into.

The Golden Guard would come in two to three times a day (WITHOUT KNOCKING) and bring you food and water. Either sternly ordering you around or playfully degrading you with a tap on the head with his staff. "Don't worry, the food is digestible for your human organs!" His enthusiasm didn't make the food taste any better though.

Aside from this, he'd ask you questions which you could only refuse or answer vaguely. He'd remind you of the safety the Emperor is providing you...but you can't admit that this 'Emperor' man felt sketchy to you. The book you always had with you was something you kept only for your eyes to see. It was your key in getting out of the demon realm and not matter what, you swore to yourself you wouldn't give it away or lose sight of it.

However, one day you had a request of your own.

"You remember our rules, don't you, human? No leaving this room."

"You can't expect to keep me here - thats keeping me prisoner, not as a guest!"

"I can tell you all about the great Emperor's Coven here. Besides, the Emperor plans to have a talk with you again."

You sigh. What's the point of escaping the room and getting lost in this giant castle right after? As well as risking being kicked out into the deadly outside of the isles?

But staying here would make you mad. Stuck in a system that you know nothing about...and you're supposed to just obey and take it?

"Can't you at least...show me around? I'd leave the room, yes, but you'd be with me. We wouldn't leave the castle and you can just keep an eye on me if you must. It's just...tiring to be here and not know what the rest of everything looks like." You looked out the window you were prohibited from opening. At least light went through, something akin to what you could deem a sun. "I still don't like this realm...but knowing nothing of it doesn't put me at ease even when I'm safe here."

Looking back you reckoned the Golden Guard was pondering about your request even behind the mask. You couldn't believe you were about to beg.

"Please, Golden Guard?"

Something about that look on your face felt too familiar.

With a heavy sigh he looks away - yet quickly regained his usual vigor. "Well, it would be a shame to be stuck in the great Emperor's Castle with the Golden Guard as your host and not see any of it."

He waved you over his shoulder to follow before swiftly spinning around with a stern voice. "But don't stray out of my sight. Disobey once and you're back in your room, human."

Hoooh boy, it worked.

Although a cloak and a mask was shoved into your hands, you gladly wore it if it meant getting out of the barren, same old room. As he said, the Golden Guard did not let you out of his sight but did insist on leading you. After all, you are pretending to be a newbie covenmember and the Golden Guard can't be seen walking side-by-side with someone beneath his status, hah!

He blabbered on and on about the many sights and objects you face with every turn of the hallways, some more interesting than the other. Your guard however, explained in great detail and with much vigor himself. "To the right we have the Healing Hat and if our guest were to turn to the left, they can admire the Oracle Sphere..."

He continued on with great detail as he waved his hand around as if that information was swimming carefreely in his brain. "Uhm, Golden Guard?" "Yes, newbie?" You ignored the sarcasm, "You witches can do magic because of that heart-addition-gall-thing-" "A sac connected to the heart filled with magical bile, which you lack." "Right. Then why do you need these magical items?"

He sighed. "They can be seen as amplifiers. They're made out of ingredients from the isles which can exceed magical abilities far greater than of any witch, besides Emperor Belos of course. It's easier than to train forever in a coven, so a short cut in a way." He shrugged.

You pondered about his answer, pursing your lips as you somewhat hesitated to ask again.

"...What are covens?"

In an blink of an eye the Golden Guard spun around and you could just imagine his dropped jaw. He let out something of a chortle. "Are you serious? You don't know anything of the Boiling Isles, do you, human?"

You sure were sick of his insults.

"If you were thrown into my realm, you wouldn't know a thing about my home either, would you, witch?"

Taking a step back, your companion hummed. "Hmph, fine. Then I'd better teach you about things here you should and shouldn't do before you get yourself killed. Can't afford to have you walk off and do something stupid, that'd be getting in the way of the plan...so follow my lead, human! I can show you the ropes."

So here you were, taking a longer patroul than planned as your teacher told you all there was to know - which was already a flood of information to take in and remember and you only started with the Emperor's Coven.

As witty his remarks were and how much he loved to throw them at you, the Golden Guard was truly a great teacher. He had a way to inprint each little trivia into your brain and even when you struggled to understand something, he managed to teach it to you in a way that you could grasp. The guy was quite knowledgable himself and it seemed his thirst for magical knowledge couldn't be easily quenched. He had an high opinion on both the Emperor's Coven and magic itself.

At the end of each day you made sure to write each new knowledge down in your book. It brings a smile on your face to see the book continued on from the detailed drawings and pretty, cursive writing to your little doodles and quick notes. It weirdly felt like being back in school and studying and while the change of environment and subjects weredaunting, the familiar routine brought you a bit of comfort.

The instances that brought no comfort were the 'meetings' with the 'king man'.

The Golden Guard drilled it into your head that he shall be adressed as 'Emperor Belos' yet no title could cease his suspicious aura. The man in question never seemed to take offense however.

He began with easy questions. Name, age, where you're from specifically and your time here in the demon realm. Often he found interest in your book but you hesitated to share its contents. The ruler always backed off when you refused.

It was also always very strange when the powerful witch emperor used your name and the Golden Guard didn't.

"Thanks for your time. It's always interesting to hear your perspective from your realm and how you perceive ours. You're really lucky you ended up here in my castle."

Belos also always reminded you of how safe you are in his domain.

If you show any disdain for the demon realm he surprisingly understands. A poor human like you couldn't survive out there for any longer...he can imagine the struggle.

He'd also be interested how far the human realm is on it's moderness. Is it the same as in the demon realm?

His number one question is how you got here in the first place though. You genuinely do not know nor remember but you do keep the secret that it had something to do with the book. Even when you did not know how.

Nevertheless, no matter how much Belos tries to win your favor and trust to look into the book and how you got here, you cannot bring yourself to trust him. The mannerism, the way he talks and walks and knowing he is an emperor just did not sit right with you.

It was never pleasant to meet with him even when he pretends it is.

So the routine stayed the same for a while until something happened.

How it happened is up to you. You snuck onto the airship to finally get out of that castle, the book or some magical item led you to it, you needed to see the Golden Guard for whatever reason or you accidentally got on it. The how doesn't matter, the fact that you are here is what would drive Belos' right-hand man mad.

"What- are you doing here?!" He squeaks out but no explanation would actually calm him. This is an mission he's on and no matter what he cannot let Belos' guest get involved in it! Think about the danger! "Oh, no, no, this isn't good. I already wasn't supposed to show you around the castle but this - this is inexcusable! No, I can't...you aren't supposed to be here, human!"

You back off. This is the first time you've seen the Golden Guard so...anxious.

As quick as it came however, he was able to shake it off and put on the mask again.

"No, it's fine. I can fix this before it even becomes a problem. But you, "He grabs your wrist, "You're staying by my side, got it?"

The outside was dangerous.

You landed in a part of the isles that was unfamilair to you. A few plants and forages were drawn in the book but that was all there was to it. Trotting after him, danger was quick to follow. It took him first and with the book always on your person, you swiftly drew a glyph in the ground. Creating a few more and dragging the guard back to the ship, he panted out his panic. And what you actually did.

"That...that was magic. I think. Picto - Picture - I don't know that part is hard to distinguish in the book." "That...that was kinda amazing...how did you-!"

Another wave of danger came and you drew another glyph onto ground. The guard steered the damaged ship to safety while you threw every trick you had up your sleeve. Finally arriving close to the castle in safety, your companion caught his breath and approached you.

"How...how did you do that? I thought humans can't put any spells on anything! I've never seen magic casted like that before!"

You can't help but smile slightly, seeing him genuinely flustered. Seems like he wasn't really this all-knowing teacher.

"I just copied what was in the book...it's easier than you think." Yet at that moment, your heart dropped. Someone as inquisitive as the Golden Guard who is still your captor even if he doesn't see himself in that way, would then want nothing more than to look into your book. You caught him reaching out for it before he stopped.

"Wait...those were various magic spells used from all kinds of covens...wild magic. You can't use that." You raised a brow and pressed the book further into you and away from him. "Why not? It's just usual magic, isn't it?" "You don't understand," He sounded serious despite being roughed up, "Of course you human wouldn't understand. You could get hurt if you aren't careful. Wild magic can..."

Retracting his hand, a sigh escaped him and he halted for a few moments. You weren't sure what he'd do next.

"...I am not giving you the book."

"You should! In fact, you gotta if you don't want to end up hurt!"

"These spells saved us! I saved you!"

Your glare soured again into a small frown. You took a step back and looked up at him, lips pressed into a thin line. You didn't really wanted to have him as an enemy.

You didn't want anyone to be an enemy. You didn't want to be here.

"I'm not fond of this magic either, Golden Guard, but I've got to use them. If I don't, I won't survive. If I didn't use this book back when I first got here and just now, I wouldn't have survived this place at all."

The guy was unusually silent. Only the flat breaths hitting his mask filling the silence.

Finally, he spoke up just as soft as you.

"...Why did you save me anyway?"

You rose a brow. You could understand where he came from with that question...but it still came out of nowhere. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you have no reason to. I...I am your host and you are welcome in the castle but you...you still didn't have a reason..." He trailed off for a second before starting again, "You could have steered the ship and got yourself back to safety. You could've left me behind."

Again, you only looked at him puzzled. "...Why would I?"

You stared at each other in silence.

- Before you broke it with nervous laughter. "I don't know how it is with you but from where I come from we...don't usually do that. You needed help and I could help you with these glyphs," You pointed at the book, "So, I helped you. I...couldn't just abandon you, Golden Guard."

The second wave of silence that ensued truly made your nervousness rocket.

A breath was taken, as if he had held it the entire time he was staring at you, and with it let out mumbles under his breath. "That's...so weird." With an unsure gait he passed by you, grabbed your wrist and lead the both of you to the castle.

Without looking back he adressed you with his usual stern voice. "I will not be confiscating the book. But I want to know what other forms of wild magic you can do...for research and safety. I won't tell Emperor Belos anything of what happened today."

The days grew less mundane at least, beside the one misadventure.

The Golden Guard visited you more often with more interesting intentions. You shared with what you were comfortable with and though it did annoy him at times, he found this new information more than helpful. You discussed many variants of magic and his excitment of the topic was quite infectious (but you'd never tell him that). In turn, he showed more around the castle and introduced you to many things but would not take you with him outside the castle barriers.

He still did not thank you for saving his life. It seemed he did not know how.

But you've come to grown to his company and vice versa.

#the owl house #the owl house hunter #the owl house x reader #toh #toh hunter #x reader #platonic relationships #hunter the golden guard #the golden guard #toh hunter x reader #but its kinda more platonic #i just need him a friend #YOU #YOU WILL BE HIS FRIEND #ACCEPT YOUR FATE HUMAN #the golden guard x reader

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harmonysanreads · 2 years ago

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Since you have requests open: I love the way you write Venti, but I don’t think I’ve seen a yan!venti written by you. I’d love you see your take with him!

Hiraeth

yandere!venti x reader

cw: yandere, venti needs therapy probably, old writing style.

I've wanted to write Yandere Venti for the longest time actually! But the reason why I stalled on writing him is because I had the nagging feeling that Venti was different from the classic yandere, however, I just couldn't pinpoint what exactly. Thankfully, I had an epiphany prior to this ask and in its honor, here's a proper oneshot for everyone's favourite drunkard :)

Venti had let you go.

Morax and Beelzebul were baffled when the news reached them ; what went through the wind-wisp's archaic, intoxicated head were never apparent to the other archons to begin with, but this, this really might've been the most befuddling decision the anemo archon had made — by their logic, at least.

After all, they wouldn't be so careless, unclipping the wings of the object of their unbridled affections and letting them soar, watch as it pranced around the beautiful world and unto the cage of another even so — the other archons are not so rid of paranoia, they are not so selfless. Hardened by the passage of time, they merely know how to own and chain what they deem precious. Such was their simple rationale ; to hold onto the one thing keeping them sane and by doing so, rob them of their freedom.

But by what logicality, what justice, can Venti deprive you of the same freedom he preached? He might instead just steal away your ability to breathe. The anemo archon digresses, it's not like this was another one of his drunken whims, no, no. He'd already made peace with himself, as the patron of the winds, he understood the vitality of his decision and neither did he care for who it baffled or who put effort to understand.

After all, when you love a bird too much, you let it go.

Such was Venti's simple logic and when he came into terms with the same conflict that currently plagued the other archons, when the sight of your grateful and elated smile reflected on his cerulean orbs along with the unhesitant promise of returning to the City of Freedom soon — Venti knew he'd made the right choice.

For he knew this just as well, when an overly attached bird finally tastes true freedom, by its own gratitude to the owner, it'll one day fly back to its previous cage.

Therefore, the wind-wisp was worry-less ; further adding to this was the fact that despite not technically being within arms reach, you actually always are for him. Because, even the all grounding earth must stop to let the water take reigns, no thunder crackles forever, snow and fire extinguish each other and flora and fauna cannot grow in the air — but the wind, it flows to every crevice of the waking world, forever cradling it and keeping its pace to the marching of time. The winds are limitless, so there is not a single moment where Venti cannot feel your presence or hear your breath and voice. There is not a single instance where he has you out of his sight, not a single time where the same winds hadn't coerced those who'd meant you harm.

Though, it's also true that a chief characteristic of the wind is mischief. As it protects, so does it nudge towards danger. But the fun part is actually this : you'll never be able to accuse it because of its ever fleeting nature. So then, who else do you blame when everything in your life seems to go wrong in all the unfortunate times, when every turn and stride has you plunging deeper, deeper, deeper in failure and you're left beaten, broken and never having wished to leave your safe home — why, you blame the entire world and the heavens alongside it, of course.

But you can never blame the one who'd unclipped your wings, not when they'd already given their warnings but still allowed you to fly because they love you so. The blame can only be shifted to you, yourself for not listening, for being so desperate. Never to the one who'd opened the gates for you to fall victim to the world's cruelty, the same freedom's cruelty ; even if the person happened to be the patron of it.

Wandering the world, uncovering its secrets and witnessing all the events it had to offer was your wish. To not be bound to Mondstadt solely and to have the freedom of traversing the entirety of Teyvat was your one desire. The wish your ever so benevolent archon had granted you, chaining you with the shackles of gratitude. But when you finally see the world's true colours, would you wish for that same freedom again? Mondstadt is the sole nation capable of bestowing true freedom, this, Venti had told you before. But since you're so insistent, so curious, so suspecting of him — he wouldn't mind letting you see it for yourself. After all, time is something he never lacked.

Venti had let you go, yes. But it's also true that he wouldn't have done so, if he wasn't certain you'd crawl back to his arms in the first place.

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yanderes-galore · 7 months ago

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Eee, prompt number 5, 8, 15 for Cassidy

p.s I'm so normal about that cowboy

🍀 anon

Of course! I hope you like this :) Sorry it took so long! I managed to get plot help from ♠️ Anon, so I hope you like what we both came up with.

Yandere! Cole Cassidy Prompts 5, 8, 15

"Manipulation? No, dear, I'm just encouraging you!"

"I could look into those eyes forever...."

"Please smile for me... don't make me force you...."

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Isolation, Kidnapping (Technically), Possessive behavior, Toxic relationship, Consensual turned Forced relationship.

"Come on, darlin'... you look like you could need a few days to rest."

That's how this started, isn't it? Cole Cassidy, your charming cowboy boyfriend, had offered to take you on an isolated vacation to his cabin. The offer was thoughtful enough... The cowboy had seen how hard you've been working since Overwatch began its recall.

Not liking the idea of his dearest overworking themselves he wanted to make sure you could relax and smile for once. Seeing the offer as nothing sinister... you accepted. Completely unaware of any ulterior motives your boyfriend could've had.

Honestly, at first your vacation is wonderful. You promised your boyfriend you'd take a few days off from work and enjoy nature instead of the bustling city. Cole loved to see the smile on your face as he took you on walks and sat beside you at the lake.

The cowboy couldn't imagine a better date... watching in awe as your eye sprung to life and glittered in joy.

The vacation contained flirting, relaxing nights, and just the two of you. However, the looming thought of work always managed to creep into your mind. Something that annoyed your boyfriend to no end.

Cole never liked the idea of you going back to Overwatch. Perhaps it's because he's had... bad experiences... but he just wished you'd sit back and let him care for you. That was one of the reasons for the vacation.

To convince you to get away from it all... you rely on him from now on....

But you never listened to his thoughts on the matter.

No matter how much Cole showered you in gifts and attention, you always said you needed to work. As the vacation time trickled down... Cole was determined to change your mind. Can't you see working for Overwatch makes you unhappy?

"Why not stay a bit longer, darlin'? The city's just so... loud, isn't it? Do you really have to go back?" Cole continues, stepping closer to your packing form.

"Working for Overwatch pays well, Cole. The vacation was lovely though...." You sigh, the cowboy staring for a moment as he clenches his fist in silence.

"Baby... you're miserable there. Just call in sick..." Cole hums, strolling closer to hold your waist and put his head on your shoulder. "Or even better, quit and stay here with me... I can provide for you and you can be happy."

Cole's words drip with saccharine, a sweet and honeyed feeling bubbles within you but you know better. He wants to trap you with him using his words. Treating you as if you're a fly stuck in a sweet but sticky trap....

"Don't try to bribe and manipulate me, Cole." You hiss, prying his arms off you the best you can. "You know I have to work, like it or not."

"Manipulation? No, dear, I'm just encouraging you!" Cole hums, turning you so he can cup your face gently. "What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't want to see you happy...?"

You stare at Cole for a moment, his eyes are sharp and dark. He waits for you to object and you sigh. For now... you'll play along.

"Fine... one more night, okay?" You admit, causing Cole to smile.

"Of course, darlin'." Cole whispers, kissing your lips softly.

"Just one more night."

----

One more night was long enough for him to make sure things were perfect. By the time you woke up in the morning, Cole had prepared breakfast. It was only after that when you realized something was... wrong.

When you went to put your stuff in the truck, you noticed the door was locked. Not just that but the windows were too. Upon further inspection through said windows, the truck was gone... and Cole acted as though this was fine.

Everything was locked tight... the truck Cole had was gone... and you were stuck. Cole eventually forced a grin as he stalked closer. To him... your vacation was still going smoothly.

"You care about that job more than me, honey... I had to do something, didn't I?" Cole hums, eyes never leaving yours as he leans in front of you. He sighs in a happy tone as he reaches out to touch your face. "I could look into those eyes forever... y'know that?"

You respond by smacking his hand away, breathing picking up as though you were a cornered rabbit. Cole looks annoyed, but doesn't make any sudden movements as of yet. Why won't you just enjoy yourself?

"You locked me in here!?" You panic, the cowboy frowning as you glare at him. You're pressed against the locked door as Cole traps you in place. He gave up on hiding his true nature.

"It's for your own good, can't you see that?" Cole hisses, keeping you in place. "With me, you're happy. With me, you're safe. Out in Overwatch you have to deal with Talon. Look...I want my domestic little darlin' to listen to me and let me provide for you. Let us enjoy a vacation where there's no one else!"

"That isn't for you to decide!" You shout back, only for Cole to cover your mouth with his bionic hand.

"Yet I did it anyway, hm~?" Cole purrs, moving his hand to tilt your chin up. "Look at us... bickering like we're married."

You merely glare at him as Cole plays with your lips. His gaze holds a possessive kind of adoration... grinning to himself as if he's won a petty argument. This was when you learned your boyfriend was sick.

"Now... let's not let out little argument ruin our vacation." Cole whispers, a subtle hint of a threat in his tone. "Won't you please smile for me... don't make me force you...."

You feel his grip tighten on your chin and decide it's best to play his game until an opportunity presents itself. Reluctantly, you smile for your twisted boyfriend. The cowboy smiles back happily... leaning and kissing your lips quickly.

"My little darlin' deserves to be spoiled, don't you~?" Cole hums, holding your hands

You nod once again...

Internally plotting how to escape this wooden prison.

#yandere overwatch #yandere cole cassidy #yandere overwatch x reader

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vanessalocke · 1 month ago

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As I see england will always be obsessed with France, if not hopelessly in love with him. He doesn't let go of things easily and France keeps throwing small bones to keep him interested. I am not sure why France doesn't just admit his mutual interest, maybe defense mechanism of sorts because the perfidious English will fool him once again, or maybe fear of losing the only one who truly sees him under his flamboyant careless act (which is scary and probably will only hurt him in the end) but he keeps going and coming to the English trying to close distance and running in the last moment. Like kids pulling tails and wanting the other kid attention but refusing to admit they kind of like the lil dude

I totally agree with you. It's been a long time since I've seen someone whose description matches my thoughts like this.

Actually, both France and England are full of red flags. People often say that England is a tsundere, but I think he's only a tsundere when he has a slight crush on the other person. In his relationship with France, I think England has "evolved" to yandere status.

About England's obsession with France, I mentioned it in this post.

TL;DR: basically, England always wants France to depend on him, at the same time, the only person England agrees to share power with in Europe is France. Therefore, England always deliberately weakens France so that when France is in trouble, France can only rely on England.

The British obsession with France was also shown through the American Revolutionary War. In the American Revolutionary War, from the American perspective, this was a heroic war for justice, but from the British perspective, what they saw in this war was that they were competing with France, and even called the American Revolutionary War the Second Hundred Years War. When they lost, in their eyes, they were losing to France, not to the 13 colonies (which were very poor) in America.

In the article I read about historians calling the American War for Independence the Second Hundred Years War, they called it that not necessarily because the war took place in America but also in other places. That is, besides providing soldiers, money, and weapons to the Americans, the French army also fought the British in their colonies scattered around the world so that the British would let go of the Americans and turn to keep their lands in other places. At that time, if England did not give up America, England would lose all its colonies in the world. That is why England saw that they lost to France in the American Revolutionary War, that is, from their perspective (please note that from their perspective), they were capable of defeating America even though America had a very strong European support team, but because they had to disperse their forces to keep other colonies from France, they had to withdraw their troops from America.

And recently I learned that only British historians consider the American Revolutionary War as the Hundred Years War version 2 between England and France, but French historians don't feel that way because at that time France was busy competing with the Hasburgs 🥲 haizzz why did they fight in America continent but everywhere they looked they saw France?

So to be exact, during American Revolutionary War, England was indeed angry. But the object of their anger was not America, but France. They was angry because they had been "one step behind France". Their scolding America was just "venting their anger on the wrong person".

However, even when England was angry with France, he also changed from anger to anxiety when the French monarchy collapsed and many French nobles were executed. I think you also know that during that time, many English people took care of and rescued French nobles.

If I had to explain why France always seemed to avoid a relationship with England despite the fact that he really liked and cared about England, it would be because of this conflicting mentality of England. France himself has his own psychological problems. He has a savior complex, he feels like a sinner, he always thinks that anyone who is too close and intimate with him will have a bad ending. I think even if France doesn't love England, he also wouldn't dare to be in a relationship with anyone else (meaning he rejected England not because he doesn't love England. He rejected him because he love him so much) because he's afraid that they will suffer a lot of "bad fate" because of being in a relationship with him. I think France is well aware that both of them have problems, so if he and England move towards a relationship, they will most likely lose each other. England is too important to him for him to risk. Therefore, he always tries to maintain a strange relationship, a hybrid of best friend, fwb, crush, soulmate, rival. They have all the actions of a married couple, but they dare not admit that they are a couple.

Here is my personal opinion, that this situation will change when their relationship is surrounded by close friends who can help and motivate them. Especially girls. I am referring to Emma (Belgium) and Angelique (Seychelles). Dover sees Emma as their sister and Angelique as their daughter, so they easily open up to girls. It is time for these angels to show their feminine power and make two useless men open their eyes to their toxicity.

#fruk #ukfr #aph fruk #aph ukfr #hws fruk #hws ukfr #aph france #aph england #hws france #hws england

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skzstoryvault · 2 months ago

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Into the Earth (Hyunjin, we'll see if spicy)

Hyunjin x f!reader

multi-chapter fic

happens a few years in the future

Hyunjin is in his post-idol era. Working as an artist and fashion icon.

Warnings: mentions of scamming, dishonesty, abusive people and various kinds of abuse, parasites (and not the Bong Joon Ho clever kind), misogyny (but not Hyunjin!), ageism. More to be added with later chapters.

This is in no way meant as a commentary on the real persons depicted here. They all deserve the world.

Please be kind.

Please do not report this post. If it's not your thing, just scroll away.

If you're underage, please scroll on, there is nothing for you here.

If you enjoy this story and are reading along, I would love to hear your comments in the replies, reblogs or DMs - however you feel most comfortable.

Like I mentioned, this story is finished, but I will slightly change its course based on the way the chapters are received.

Story title is inspired by a Lorna Shore song I saw this on @jeonginsleftcheek 's series "The Sun to Me" and it seemed like a fun idea. I hope my choices of music won't scare people away so here is a song that goes with this chapter.

Part 1 - Escape

Detox. That shit isn’t real and never works the way they advertise it, but looking at his life, Hyunjin knows he’s overdue for a massive one. His work and the life he built around it brought him here, to this point - which means it was his choices, one by one, made impulsively, independent from one another, that, in turn, led him along the way so…

He won’t blame himself. That’s the first step. Guilt is not productive. Responsibility is, and Hyunjin feels he’s neglected himself too much lately. Looking around, anyone would say he is where he wants to be, with a degree of freedom enviable to most people. He has an apartment in Paris, in a beautiful arrondissement, far removed from the more mundane realities of the City of Lights. He is a working, successful, sought-after artist with weekly events and his paintings sell for hundreds of thousands of euro. Still, on the inside, he feels abandoned and cold. After completing his mandatory military service in Korea, he returned to idol life, but something was missing. His spark was somehow extinguished while away. Being made to crawl and toil, being stripped of his identifying features to be made to conform to the army codes and regulations left an ugly mark on Hyunjin’s soul and he realised he could not shake it off or heal it over. Some people are simply not designed for violence and war, nor are they made to bend the knee before institutional brainwashing and conformism culture. When the industry didn’t want him back, he had art to fall back on. And fashion too, although that was largely depending on his idol status. He’s still a Versace and Cartier house ambassador, but the other brands he had deals with backed out. In fairness, he did age, objectively, and to some, that is the biggest flaw anyone can have, no matter how iconic they are. It stung to receive the polite missives informing him his contracts would not be removed. Although Hyunjin felt it was wholly unfair, since the only way he could prevent ageing was to die young (in which case he would be of much less use to the brands), he noticed he did not take the rejections as hard as he expected. The older he got, the more he liked himself and the man he woke up to being every day. Away from other people’s ideals and expectations, Hyunjin liked how his mature self was shaping up. There was a time when the life of partying, drugs and sex with famous and attractive people tried to pull him into its vortex, but Hyunjin’s natural shyness and sensitivity made him stay away, genuinely afraid that he would lose himself and make some colossal mistakes for his life - like become an addict, get an STD, get someone pregnant or fall in love with the wrong person for him. Staying home in Korea was not an option, since his parents were bugging him to get married and have kids because he was at the age when most people back home were welcoming their second child. But nothing felt right. That hurt, because he felt like Korea was his home, but the people around him were doing their darndest to prove him otherwise.

So Hyunjin fled and sought refuge in Paris. Sometimes, the city had Felix in it, and the short days spent with his favourite human in the whole world made his loneliness more bearable. Felix was writing, producing and performing all over the world, modelling and appearing in fashion edits for the biggest magazines, and he seemed to be doing alright, although he too had taken his hyungs’ leaving for the military service extremely hard.

And while he was able to recognise and stay away from life’s most frequent traps, Hyunjin still managed to back himself into a corner - his art began to feel like work, routine intervened, people he met on the daily didn’t want to know him for him, just for his fame and aura.

This morning, while still in bed and scrolling on Instagram, he clicked on an ad from the firm he buys his fresh fruit from. It’s a neat system, a monthly subscription of whatever bio fruit, veg and other, homemade products are in season at the small farms that are members of this website.

CrowdFarming.com - Hyunjin has been a subscriber for two years now; he has a few adopted olive, mango, clementine and pomegranate trees he regularly gets sent fruit from, aside from his monthly subscription box. And now, thanks to the ad, he learned that he can go and visit his trees because some farms allow the tree parents to do so. There’s also a pop-up with “we’re hiring” and Hyunjin had a look there too, but they are looking for farm hands. Still, it stayed with him and the idea gnaws at his subconscious even now.

The more he thinks about it, the more he loves it. He can run away. Ask his concierge to take his mail and that’s about it. He doesn’t even have plants in his apartment, since he travels so much, so there’s not much to think about if he wants to be spontaneous. He also doesn’t like to think about the fact that he has no roots anywhere and he has no idea how to put that emptiness into words in order to share it with other humans and maybe ask for help. So fleeing makes sense again. He at least made sure that dropping off the radar won’t come back to bite him in the ass later, so he can’t be accused of making dumb decisions. Impulsive? Yes. But not lacking foresight.

He leaves his Cartier necklaces and rings on the bathroom shelf above the sink. When he sees himself in the mirror, he avoids his own eyes and he sighs before grabbing scissors and cutting his wolf cut shorter. It still covers his eyes artistically, but it won’t bother him or get in the way for a while.

Rummaging through his wardrobe, he has to dig a lot until he finds something that’s not designer and super expensive or flashy-looking. He can barely put together an outfit. Hyunjin sighs again, shaking his head at how shallow his life looks under closer inspection. He ends up going to Miniprix and buying a few flannel shirts, undershirts and briefs, ratty jeans, a good pair of boots and a trucker hat. This should last him until he arrives at his destination. Plus, he wants to travel light.

He has only a few things to take care of, so that the people who make money off of him don’t panic and send out search parties or get the Interpol involved. Then, in the morning, at 5, he catches a plane to Spain. Part 2

#hyunjin fic #hyunjin x reader #f!reader #hwang hyunjin #skz hyunjin #skz angst #skz fluff #skz smut #hyunjin fluff #hyunjin smut #fic #by me #into the earth #skz fic #hyunjin x you

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lych33dragoncookie · 3 months ago

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alright so the main reason i wanted to make this blog; those new Wind Archer trailers.

I already had a lot to say about the first one, for... One big reason.

The fact we're going to the laboratorium is pretty exciting, but I did not expect for us to already catch a glimpse of the Ultimate Cookie. In fact, I had almost forgotten about that; I thought Matcha making MyCookie was more of a byproduct of the Beast cookies needing bodies to inhabit, but...

Well, I guess Dark Enchantress's original ambitions haven't left her. And she's really, really close to realizing her dreams; the dreams she carries on from White Lily Cookie.

It really makes me wonder how White Lily would react to these developments. To see her dreams realized, every bit as horrifying as she most likely knew they'd be, carried on by a part of herself. I really, really wanna see where they go with this.

On another note...

sorry, i just much prefer his Japanese VA HE'S BAAAAAAAACKKKKK~

You have... No idea how frustrated I was to see that the first Beast cookie to release was Mystic Flour and not him. And while it's not guaranteed we'll get him this time, either (even if i really hope we do)... Come on, it's just nice to have him back. He's a really, really fun antagonist. Sometimes, when all your antagonists have complex motives, believing that despite everything they've done, ultimately they're the ones in the right (with even Dark Enchantress only committing as much harm as she has as a response to the revelation that the world, on a fundamental level, was seemingly much more cruel, uncaring and pointless than she had ever thought; a desperate need to make a difference, no matter how many lives and pain it takes), it's incredibly nice to have that one villain, that one villain who doesn't try to find an excuse for what they do, having fun, not believing that they're doing everything that they do for some greater motive, but just to have fun, to make the entire world one big, brightly burning play area for them to toy with as long as they want, however they want. I love Shadow Milk, because he perfectly offsets the usual monologuing, self-righteous villainy we tend to see (And often enjoy, don't get me wrong, both Dark Enchantress and Mystic Flour have grown one me) with just pure, uncaring, show-stopping villainy for the sake of villainy.

He's manipulative, playful, silly, over the top, more concerned with putting on a show first and foremost than actually accomplishing his objectives; because you and I both know that he knows that he could probably just brute force his way into getting his soul jam back, into taking down the heroes without any opportunity for them to do anything about it. If he wanted to, he could very, very easily create an unwinnable scenario. But he doesn't. Because that's no fun.

And I absolutely adore him for it. Every single scene he's in is an absolute delight.

... Right, uh. Wind Archer.

I'm excited for him! It's been a while since we've gotten any Ovenbreak legendaries, and with Wind Archer in the game, it means we're likely very close to seeing Fire Spirit and Millennial Tree (Both pretty big faves for me, though Millie is the one that does unholy things to my brain just from looking at him). And honestly, this feels like a really, really good use for him! No beating around the bush, no overcomplicating anything, just going straight to the point and trying to stop the current threat at its root. He's going to fail, obviously. Even if he takes out the ultimate cookie, chances are it can just be rebuilt, and the beasts on an individual level would be way too much for him to handle. And with Shadow Milk having awoken... Yeah, he stands just about no chance. But, it will be very fun to see, methinks. It's also just a pretty natural fit; a protector of nature that hunts down anything that may disturb or corrupt said nature being sent to strike down what's pretty much a threat that's entirely artificial, unnatural, bodies made through forbidden, arcane magic and ethically dubious means, stumbling upon the culmination of someone's ambitions to create perfect life by artificial means. It works out really, really well, methinks.

But yeah that's my thoughts so far on the 2 Wind Archer update trailers, I'm actually really excited for where they're gonna take this, we've actually got some good plot progression going on and a lot of interesting writing ideas that while I don't fully trust the devs to execute perfectly, I do still really like and feel pretty hopeful for!

... Now just give me Shadow Milk and Millennial Tree and my life is yours. And Lychee, maybe. That one might take a bit. how are they even gonna do Longan in Kingdom. that's... quite a lot to try to adapt without either rehashing content or completely hijacking the plot. god i hope this doesn't mean they'll just stop at Lotus. I miss my dragons. Except not really because OB has been doing some good stuff with them.

Sorry for the really long post, but I wanted to dump some thoughts and have a sort of primer for the kinda stuff I wanna make for this blog.

Oh, and expect some shitposts along the way, too.

#jester ramblings #cookie run #cookie run kingdom #wind archer cookie #shadow milk cookie

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onceuponalegendbg-rwby · 5 months ago

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I think it's because people just see an easy designated punching bag online and view it's supposed "shittiness" as carte blanche to mistreat anyone who dares to not be part of that mob. We've seen it happen many times over the years.

Star Wars. Sonic the Hedgehog. RWBY. If there's a punching bag available, people will do everything they can to justify punching it.

A lot of people enjoy being cruel, but they hate being seen as cruel. So when an opportunity pops up where they can be as awful as possible because "the person/group/thing deserves it"? They just jump on it like hyenas to bloody carcasses. And then they get to pretend it's all justified to be an asshole because they're "on the right side", and will get protected and praised for their cruelty until it's not the socially acceptable thing to do anymore, or they just jumped onto the next bandwagon/fad for them to be an asshole about. Then they'll just go "Oh I'm so sorry, it wasn't that bad, can you just ignore and pretend I wasn't an absolute asshole that probably hurt you immensely? KTHXBAI. Oh and if you dare to call me out, I'll call you thin-skinned and sensitive but I'm just a victim UwU"

And the reality is that even IF this thing or media had a deserved bad reputation, more often than not that STILL doesn't justify being cruel about it. But a lot of people WANT to be cruel about it.

You are definitely not wrong. And it's gets so exhausting after a while, especially if you engage with that group, but even if you don't just seeing all the hate can wear you down after so long of seeing the same complaint (valid or not) over and over and over. Whether the piece of media deserves it or not, it just becomes redundant after a certain point.

It's hard to fight the urge to fight back, to not defend something you cherish so deeply, because you know the other person wants to get you riled up, they want act like they've got some make believe moral high ground because they're "objectively" right about how this piece of media should be perceived.

As I said in my original post, it's okay to not like something but that doesn't mean you have to make that vitriolic disdain your entire personality. More people need to figure out the ancient and therapeutic art of "Disengage if You Don't Like."

Now this also isn't to say we can't criticize media. As much as I love RWBY and will always defend it from its haters, I have my fair share of complaints about how certain elements were handled, mostly in the first four Volumes and especially in V4 itself. However, do those criticisms I have derail my overall feelings toward this show? No. Not at all. But I've already spoken at length about my feelings so I'm not going to repeat myself again here.

#enigma2meagain #asks #rwby #save rwby #greenlight volume 10 #greenlightvolume10

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rea-grimm · 1 year ago

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Android Mihawk

Mihawk has been by your side since you were born. Your father wanted you to guarantee protection against anyone who would harm his only child. At the time, Mihawk was the only android of his kind. An android swordsman with the ability to evolve and have his personality and emotions.

Robotics was at a turning point at the time, and even though it has now advanced tremendously, no other has been produced to surpass it in its direction.

In addition, he was the only one of his kind, because while trying to create other models of him, something went wrong, or some of his plans were lost, and it was no longer possible to create more copies of him.

He was unique and made the perfect guardian. Which he was. When he was by your side, no one would dare to touch you. And those daredevils who tried their luck and wanted to rob you or harm you in some way soon felt the extent of their mistake.

Sometimes a single stern look was enough, which gave the chills. If he couldn't look, his hand turned into a longsword made of black steel that was incredibly rare and could cut through anything that stood in its way.

You have been in competitions with Mihawk since you were little. From a mere exhibition to a robot fencing tournament. He also received his title as The strongest robot swordsman in the world. No human or robot could match him in swordsmanship.

To you, however, he wasn't just an ordinary machine fulfilling the role of bodyguard assigned to him by your family. He was so much more to you. As he has accompanied you since time immemorial, you have developed a bond with him.

He was your closest friend, and confessor and was there for you in the most difficult moments, such as changing schools or the death of your mother. He was there for you when everyone left you. Over the years, as you grew up, you developed a crush on him and secretly hoped it could be something more.

Although Mihawk was a robot that could show and feel emotions, it sometimes seemed like an older model that didn't have this feature yet. He didn't show much emotion on the outside and seemed cold, but you knew how to read his expressions.

They were subtle and fleeting expressions and gestures that the untrained eye did not notice. Then in private, when it was just the two of you, he showed them even more.

Over the past few days, you were getting the impression that one of his eyes was shining brighter than the other. As if it was gradually losing its strength. At first, you kept it to yourself because you didn't want to make a camel out of a mosquito and maybe it was just the bad light in the room or your imagination.

You stared at him so long and intensely that even he didn't miss it. That's why you decided it would be better if you told him about it. However, Android only waved hands that it was nothing. You trusted him, after all, he would know if there was a problem with him.

Despite that, however, you had your concerns, as his eye glowed less and less until it finally went out completely. Although it still had its yellow colour, it was so faint that it looked blind.

It didn't even seem like it because you noticed Mihawk was looking around a lot more. This was not his habit. Before you even wanted to ask him if he could see that eye, you decided to see if you had his eye in the spare parts store somewhere.

You were sorting things in the warehouse and found out. How you had few spare parts from him. What if something else broke on it? You didn't want to jinx it, but you started to fear the worst.

“You don't have to worry so much about one eye. I can see well without it and I can still protect you,” Mihawk said as he entered the room.

“But…” you wanted to object, but he walked over to you and overtook you.

"It's just an eye. It's nothing an android can't handle. Don't worry about it unnecessarily," he said calmly as if it was nothing.

"This is not useless. I care about you and I like your eyes,” you admitted. How could he say such a thing? You surprised him a little with that. Mihawk moved closer to you but before he could convince you otherwise, you hugged him. You wanted him to know how important he was to you.

“Just so you know, I won't just let you fall apart,” you added with determination.

“I know,” he smiled weakly, hugging you too and kissing your hair. He was well aware of your feelings for him, but even though they were androids almost like humans, there was still a huge gap between them. Therefore, he did not want to expose you to unnecessary stress and pain from those around you.

You looked for his eye in every shop around. You tried looking in factories where they had a lot of spare parts, in pawnshops... Simply everywhere you could. Unfortunately for you, they didn't have the right eye or at least one that was compatible with it.

Every time you found a place where they could have his eye, you were lured in and looked forward to the ultimate success, only to have the disappointment of failure bring you to your knees.

You were bursting with positive energy from the beginning, but with each passing failure, your smile was fading, replaced by worry. Still, you keep trying. This was also noticed by Mihawk, who was very well aware of his situation and how it weighed on you. He decided on his plan to ensure your safety in the event of the worst.

You returned from another failed hunt for his eye when Mihawk took you aside saying he wanted to show you something. The android took you to a room with a holographic projector. He turned it on and several androids appeared in the room. They all belonged to the newer models.

"While you're looking for replacement parts for me, I've taken the liberty of finding you a new protector in case I suffer other, much more serious malfunctions," he said quite calmly. He blew you away with that.

"There are several models that look decent. I would recommend the model named Zoro the most. I see potential in him,” he turned to you and showed you an android model with green hair and three swords. How could he do this to you? You refused to admit such a thing.

"But he doesn't have a GPS and has zero orientation, he'd get lost before he could save me," you replied irritably. This did not escape the swordsman, but he chose to ignore it. Instead, he showed you another model that had a single longsword, had circles under his eyes and sideburns with a short beard.

"This model is a passable swordsman and his advantage is knowledge and ability to apply medicine," he said and you had the impression as if you were somewhere at an auction or in a shop where they were trying to force something on you for a bargain price.

Mihawk showed you a few more androids, including one in a female version, but you didn't want any of them. You rejected all his proposals and found an excuse for them all. It wasn't that you didn't like them, but you simply didn't want anyone else. In addition, with each subsequent model, it angered you more and more.

"I don't want anyone else!" you blew up at the next model. You couldn't take it anymore. "Can't you see that I don't want anyone else? I care about you… I love you,” you barely managed the last two words.

It was too much for you. Tears welled up in your eyes and you weren't going to wait for his answer. Instead, you wiped away the forming tears and ran to your room.

Mihawk stood there for a long time with the controller, which was crushed to a pulp. He didn't like that he was looking for new protectors for you either. He also had deep feelings for you, but you should keep it to yourself. Not for android.

You lay in bed letting your tears flow. Why didn't anything go the way you wanted? You knew there would come a time when you would have to get a new protector, but you didn't want it to be this soon.

Plus, the way he was giving it to you hurt your heart. How could he take it so calmly and coolly? Even so, your heart still pulled you towards him.

You finally stopped crying and were just lying on the bed resting when there was a knock. You lazily lifted your head to see Mihawk walk in along with a bottle of your favourite wine and two glasses. Even after all these years, you didn't understand how he was able to turn alcohol into energy.

"I know it wasn't unpleasant for you, I'm sorry for that, but understand that I want the best for you," he said and poured you a glass. You took it from him and made room for him on the bed, so he sat beside you. You leaned against him and rested your head on his shoulder.

"I also want to apologize. I know you're right. I shouldn't have slammed like that,” you said weakly.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” he said softly, leaning down and placing a soft kiss on your cheek, tickling your beard lightly. After that, you didn't talk about it anymore and instead, you just relaxed.

Even though you knew you might never find a replacement eye for Mihawk, you didn't give up. You did take into account his request when he was looking for a new guard android for you, but only in case of the worst.

You wrote to all possible shops and private collectors to see if luck would smile on you. You were slowly coming to terms with the fact that you would never find his eye when one of the merchants finally spoke to you.

He had a few spare parts from Mihawk in his collection and helped sell them to you. You weren't going to leave anything to chance and decided to buy everything.

You were very happy about it. You almost dropped the phone you received the email from. A huge smile spread across your face and you immediately had to tell him the great news.

He was happy about the new news, but he was even happier that you were smiling again. You hadn't laughed heartily for so long that he was starting to worry.

Since then, you've been impatiently waiting every day for the said parts to finally arrive. The first thing that came to you was a small box in which you knew exactly what would be in it. It was the part you wanted the most right now.

You carefully opened the box and took out an eye with a golden iris from inside wearing gloves. It was just the right colour with a black stripe down the middle. You carefully put the eye back so it wouldn't break.

You immediately started looking for a specialist who would install the eye correctly and you managed to book it for the same day. You were so excited that you didn't want to wait another minute.

You were with him the entire time of the exchange and it was surreal to see both of his eyes now glow the same. You paid the specialist for the replacement and went to the car.

As soon as the door closed behind you, you looked at him with a big smile. You stood on your tiptoes and kissed him on the lips. You've wanted to do this for so long, but you never got around to it.

It wasn't a long kiss and when you pulled away, your cheeks were red. You didn't pull away for long though, as it was Mihawk who pulled you back.

He grabbed the back of your head with one hand and the other around your waist and captured your lips in a kiss. He was much more dominant and lustful than you. Also, his lips were so hot that you completely forgot that he was an android and that unlike you, he didn't need to breathe.

When he finally released you so you could take a deep breath, you were a red-lipped mess.

"I don't know if it's the new eye, but I can't stop looking at you. I can't resist you looking at me like that,” he said while still holding you close.

“Then you don't have to,” you breathed.

"Wait home," he smiled contentedly and pecked your lips.

"Is that a promise?" you asked with a smile. The android chuckled at that before escorting you to the car. You had something to look forward to because of that.

Mihawk Masterlist

#one piece #one piece x reader #dracule mihawk #mihawk x reader #android mihawk #android #robot #Monster Piece

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