#ll or trial or both.

[geometricalien]

15 people, 15 questions

Tagged by @ultfreakme thank you!! 💕💕

1.) Are you named after anyone?

My first name is biblical and since my parents are Christian and my sibling also has a biblical name, I always presumed it was bc of that. My middle name though is actually a last name from my lineage

2.) When was the last time you cried?

Yesterday! It was day 2 of being home alone since my roommate left for the week and I was feeling particularly lonely since another friend wasn't able to hang out with me the last couple of days in addition to feeling isolated from family during the holiday season Plus being on my period --- yeahhh

3.) Do you have kids?

No. Nope. Nuh uh. Ask me again in 10 years

4.) What sports do you play/have played?

I did volleyball and basketball a lot in my youth, did soccer in elementary school

5.) Do you use sarcasm?

Sometimes. Mostly only with friends when we know we are being sarcastic and are playing it up? Otherwise, I'm just such a literal person I hardly use it elsewhere (even when my friends and I are joking/using sarcasm we often say "just kidding" afterwards)

6.) What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Honestly height and hair. I have such bad face blindness, and I've had it forever. But I'll remember if someone was taller/shorter than me and their hair color

7.) What’s your eye colour?

Grayish blue. They were described like ice before if that helps

8.) Scary movies or happy endings?

Depends on my mood. I like horror movies and there are just so many different kinds- I haven't found a movie that genuinely scares me in a long time though... The last one I remember was Nope. I walked out of the theater and was just watching all the clouds in the sky fkdlsajf

9.) Any talents?

Nothing is really coming to mind... I guess I'm crafty? And it shows itself in different ways. I enjoy the process of creating. Be it in writing or drawing or baking and decorating or following steps- I enjoy having a vision and creating it

10.) Where were you born?

Usa

11.) What are your hobbies?

I read books and fanfiction, I write fanfiction, watch anime and shows, cook, bake, play genshin impact. I've been playing wordle every day for almost a year now. I like tactical stuff with instructions- like legos or putting together furniture- I got this DIY book nook last week and spent like 8 hours putting it together. In school as part of the STEM program we learned how to draft both by hand and on the computer through CAD and Solidworks- those were fun. I miss that. Again it uses that same part of the brain as legos. I also like playing with cards. I have solitaire and pinocle on my phone. I was also learning how to play chess (like the strategy part)

12.) Do you have any pets?

My family home has the cat I got my 8th birthday (barn cat, brown tabby with four white socks on his paws). In the apartment though there is my roommate's black lab, half ragdoll half Siamese cat, and who knows how many fish that keep having babies

13.) How tall are you?

5'10'' (on a good day sshhh)

14.) Favourite subject in school?

MATH HELLO! (......... but also the drafting classes damn i miss those)

15.) Dream job?

Can there be such a thing as having extreme trivia knowledge on my fandoms? I'd like that alot but otherwise.... I'd like to work at one of those cat [Blank] things. Be it a café or a bar or a bookstore (that'd be awesome!!) I think that would be fun

Tagging @alienjack @szivtalan @glitt-erm @amnestyaubrey @farklelucas @brazilian-whalien52 @bloodyspade0000 @traditionalartist @illbebuyingallofthoseflowers and anyone else who sees this and wants to hop in ☺️

[lord-squiggletits]

Saw someone say "Megatron and Optimus barely interact in IDW1" and that feels like a very has-only-read-MTMTE thing to say kskdodndd because like sure they didn't co-star in the same long running series for 50+ issues like other characters did (like MTMTE characters interacting with each other or exRID or WB/TAAO) but to say they BARELY interact??? They interact a lot both in superficial "blah we're fighting a war" ways and in super lore important moments/series and also in incredibly homosexual there-is-no-straight-explanation-for-this moments like

Off the top of my head these are some series/storylines/issues where they interact directly. Defining interaction as anything from "the whole story is about them" to "their interaction is a plot element but not necessarily the main focus" to "they interact but only for a few lines":

The Autocracy trilogy (Autocracy, Monstrosity, Primacy)

Stormbringer

All Hail Megatron

The Transformers ongoing 2009 (with emphasis on Chaos Theory and Police Action for the most gay moments)

That one issue where Megatron grabs OP's spark through his chest Mortal Kombat style

Dark Cybertron

MTMTE (past OP in Elegant Chaos, Functionist Universe OP, and current day OP during Dark Cybetron and Megatron's trial)

And then there's other times where IDW1 Megatron and Optimus aren't in front of each other interacting/speaking with each other but are still thinking of each other:

The prelude to Dying of the Light where OP hears the LL distress signal and is afraid (not explicitly for Megatron but like he put Megatron on that ship)

MTMTE, Megatron tells Ravage that something he said to Optimus was the turning point of how he viewed himself

MTMTE again, Megatron all but says aloud that he made Tarn into Tarn to spite Optimus

One of the GI Joe crossovers where Optimus symathizes with a Joe over what it feels like 'to believe in someone who everyone else sees as past redemption' while an image of Megatron is literally behind him in his thoughts

So like, IDW MegOP has plenty of canon interactions and even if not all of them are very long moments (i.e. are only a few lines alluding to each other) there's still plenty of interactions between them. Plus I would say that it's pretty powerful how even the small, blink-and-you-miss-it dialogue moments actually indicate that Megatron and Optimus view each other as focal points where different decisions/beliefs they had revolved in some way around the other person. I think it's cool and compelling that IDW Megatron and Optimus express so often (even if only in thought) that the other person shaped who they became, or THEY did something specifically in reaction/spite towards the other, or where something they did to the other troubles them and lingers in their minds.

[elfelt-valentine]

i don't really get simpatico but i would love to understand it more bc its such a big part of transformers now. if you're willing, you can do that big post on simpatico here?? if you wanna??? i'd really appreciate the help 🥺👉👈

The thing with Simpatico is that i didn't exactly Get it at first too, most of my exposure was through fan content and reading the thing i was just Yeah it Makes Sense people ship this, but then it kind of bestowed on me more how these two people are just two parts fitting together perfectly in a way they wouldn't with others, and it's not even inherently Romantic to me, even if i see them as very much in love and conjunxed post MTMTE/LL story.

Their relationship is quite silly in the context at first. Brainstorm's profile calls him a conflicted Perceptor fanboy. The only thing we get, up to this point, is his Annoyance with how his genius is overshadowed by Perceptor. While Perceptor doesn't seem to give him his time of day at all, more concerned with his work and what Rodimus wants from him than what Brainstorm is up to.

It's honestly just my personal interpretation of either characters, but Perceptor is finally allowed to fullly get back to science again, he's not expected to be holding his sniper rifle (even though he was never expected to! He had himself believe that holding a weapon will make him of more value!), while Brainstorm is there with his own super secret super important agenda.

Brainstorm is, apparently, an MTO, while we don't know what for, but MTOs have a very sad track record and usually have a lot of baggage as they're usually "born" and then kicked into the heat of battle, barely having any chance to learn who they are, just what they're for. Yet Brainstorm has never killed anyone - and despite that, he's still LIED about being an MTO.

Here they're talking about the concept of Constructed Cold, but there were TWO waves of them - pre-war and post-war. What Brainstorm is talking about he was not even born to witness yet.

They're both people who, one way or the other, "defying" what they are. It's a common theme with tf ships for me, but in case with this, it's Perceptor believing that he has to be more, and at the point of MTMTE, perhaps, not feeling entirely whole, and Brainstorm WANTING to be someone He actually Wants to Be.

Brainstorm feels threatened when his intellect is belittled by people calling Perceptor the genius. Brainstorm is quite egotistical and selfish, but it all ends up being just a facade, just as much Perceptor's cold and perfect exterior he cultivated throughout years during the war, of someone he thought his side needed.

Up until Brainstorm's time travel shenanigans, we saw them interacting sometimes, and a lot of the time, it was Brainstorm trying to impress Perceptor somehow, or just being himself that draws attention of Percy nevertheless.

And then we see Percy smiling the most he's ever smiled throughout the comic, calling Brainstorm a genius himself, impressed by the intricate work of Brainstorm.

Perceptor gets up to clap for Brainstorm at his trial, and i think it's the moment that sold Perceptor for his respect to Brainstorm. Everything he ever knew about Brainstorm - the careless egotistical and cowardly scientist - turned out to be nothing but means to an end, making way to a dedicated, caring, kind and brilliant person into his mind.

I think their finale just says it all regarding these two, honestly.

"I always wanted recognition for what I am."

"Me too."

Brainstorm spent his life on science and to be recognized. He didn't hide the fact he's an MTO just because. He wants to be seen for his achievements. Perceptor's war trauma had him feel useless to his comrades, who's "purpose", who's Genius, was ultimately the thing people saw in him, brushing off his personal achievements, maybe even the fact he could be more, his person, the way he feels Brainstorm could understand, too.

They're simpatico for a reason, and its just one of them, but pretty crucial and at the very core of why they're so compatible.

While i understand simply thinking of them as "science duo" they're so so much more than that.

[mrinafria]

Wander in you nightmares.

Not my moots vocalizing my worst fears because when this scene happened, literally my first thought was "Wait that's it? That's not a nightmare though?" and then I brushed it off thinking maybe some of Satan's powers were affected when he escaped hell, hence the spell didn't work. Because remember how it worked the moment Paimon cast it? But if Satan's spell did indeed work, then everything that followed afterward were all part of Bitna's nightmare? Daon choosing not to k!ll J, police apprehending J, Bael's impromptu visit to Bitna before the trial- ALL of that? Or was his spell removed when he was stabbed by Bitna and dragged back to hell?

A part of me is positive this is too detailed of an Inception-like twist and we don't have time to do all that in the last two episodes *cries* but then this show has managed to keep me on my toes since day 1 so idk what else they are capable of doing. If this is a nightmare--Bitna's nightmare--I think something happening to Daon and her failing to protect him might be it. And if what happened with Paimon's spell is the norm, then whatever happens in your nightmare happens in reality as well--meaning if someone d!es in your nightmare, that person will d!e in reality as well (kind of like Matrix), which is why Daon had to scream Bitna's name out loud back then to bring her back to reality, seconds before Paimon could stab her. By this rule, if this is all Bitna's nightmare, and either Daon or Bitna d!es in it (or both if we're super lucky yay), they'll d!e for real?

There's also the fact that Bael's appearance seemed quite out of place and I agree with others that the ambience seemed different than his usual one too.

Maybe I'm just overthinking. But they've given us an imaginary wedding maybe because we won't get anything close to a real one *shatters* There's death looming over our heads in the finale week, and I don't think we'll get our happy endings as easily, IF at all.

p.s. On a different note, let us not forget what Satan said: don't trust Bael, he is the demon of all demons. Idk what to do with this information.

[sunenjoyswriting]

Muu Kusunoki with a reader who she had bullied.

Writers note: I’m back to getting two notes every writing piece its so muuover… Anyways this is platonic and reader’s reason for mvrder is being bullied. Who did reader k!ll? Idk, maybe one of Muu’s lackeys?? It couldn’t be Muu for obvious reasons…

Possible warnings: Uhhh nothing I think! But I think T2 Muu might be a warning itself…

T1:

- When you first met her in MILGRAM, something felt so familiar… but she seemed so much like you, so you brushed off those feelings. How naive.

- You two managed to become friends fairly quickly (after Muu realized you had no plans to hurt her), sharing stories of being made fun of and being an outcast. Her stories felt like lies.

- It was nice, having someone who understood you! If only you knew.

- You two had similar feelings towards the other prisoners, feelings of mistrust. You shouldn’t had trusted her, and rather trusted the others.

- You were glad that she got voted innocent even if she deserved guilty, that would mean you would be innocent as well, right?

- If you were voted innocent, she would be happy for you!! You both would be innocent next trial as well, hopefully!! You both wouldn’t, thankfully.

- If you were voted guilty, she would tell you how she believes Es is wrong. I mean, you both had the same reason for the crime, what makes her innocent and you guilty? Your verdicts should’ve been switched.

T2:

- You should’ve trusted your feelings.

- She’s not like you, she’s the one who made you like this! The one who practically ruined your life!!

- If in T1 you were voted innocent, you wished you didn’t share a verdict with her.’

- If in T1 you were voted guilty, you were annoyed. How come she got innocent, yet you got guilty? She’s the wrong one, she’s the guilty one!!

- She would try to convince you to stay friends, probably through guilt tripping. But she’s likely used that on you before, back before MILGRAM. Tricking someone the same way twice is quite difficult.

- After the failed attempt at convincing you two to stay friends… she just avoids you.

- It was quite pleasing when she got voted guilty. She deserved it.

————————————

[panda-wearing-pants]

Best Life Series episode #5

S1E5: Martyn kills Ren with an axe named "RED WINTER IS COMING", Skizz, Joel and Etho join the red army, Jimmy turns down the offer, afraid that Ren will ask him to sacrifice Scott, Tango is killed for wearing a helmet in the previous session, and Etho is killed for not calling out Tango, Cleo sets fire to Joel's house, causing him to die, Grian and Scar make an alliance with Scott and Jimmy, Grian gives then a pufferfish in a bucket, which Jimmy names the "Pufferish of Peace," Scar and Grian steal Skizz's banner, leading to the red army attacking the desert and killing Pizza

Solidarity: THE SECRET RED LIFE ROOM..

S2E5: BigB is replaced by Terry, Jimmy runs away with Martyn's life, but ends up giving it back and getting exiled from the southlands, Cleo tries to lure people to Bdub's trapped enchanter, Martyn, Ren, Lizzie and Terry form the Shadow Alliance, all the reds get a life from Scar at some point, the Southlanders vote to let Jimmy back in, Impulse gives Scott Grian's wither skull, and Scott gives it to the shadow alliance, Scar dies in the trap at the entrance to the Southlands and becomes red

Inthelittlewood: The Trial Of Timmy

S3E5: The divorce quartet teams up, Scar and Grian hide from the reds in Pearl's tower, Scar and Grian leave and hide underground, but Scar falls into a horde of zombies that were supposed to be released at the pool party and dies, Jimmy is eliminated by an enderman, Scar activates a sculk sensor trap, setting off TNT and blowing up, Scott burns the Relation Ship, causing Etho and Joel to go around the server burning everything, Grian drops a stalactite on Ren's head, eliminating him and BigB

Grian: UH OH!

S4E5: Etho babysits Bdubs and brings him to the T.I.E.S meeting, where they plot to blow up bread bridge, and then they do, Pearl accidentally kills Judge Judy, the Bad Boys go into mourning for Bread Bridge, Scar gives the Bad Boys a doormat to solidify their alliance, Impulse lures Bdubs into the nether where Tango blows him up with TNT minecarts, Etho and the Clockers have a family dinner, Etho plays catch with Bdubs and Scar, but they both die, Scar becomes the first red and just leaves, Skizz becomes red and takes off most of his clothes

Ethoslab: Awkward Family Supper

S5E5: Cleo and Gem race to collect other players' front doors, Cleo wins, Scar trades from seeds to a golden apple, Scott, Tango, Bdubs and Impulse play tag, BigB lures Skizz into a meeting with Jimmy, where Jimmy does enough damage to complete his task, Lizzie attempts to get the server to go to the end so she can sleep and skip the night, but no one shows up, she then tries to get everyone to have a sleepover at her house, but Joel is the only one there, Scar arrives later and eats the cake, Grian and Etho rig the Heart Foundation raffle, Pearl's task is to not have her book in her inventory at the end of the session, Mumbo and Gem have a tower-building contest, Lizzie rides around invisible on a skeleton horse, but is killed by Jimmy, Mumbo and Grian have a diving competition at Gem's diving board

LDShadowlady: IMPOSSIBLE TASK

[transingthoseformers]

I had an IWD thought with Strikenut. Imagine the chaos if Tarn discovered Megatron's defection because the Peaceful Tyranny and Strika's flag ship were at the same station. He hears Lugnut comeing unglued, wailing and weaping " NO! LORD MEGATRON! IT CAN'T BE!" Tarn rushes towards the news fearing Megatron's dead and he sees the mesage. Cue Megatron's fanboi club having histrionics togeather in solidarity for the first time in ever.

Tarn doesn't get a chance to "take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing, end them," because Strika ends up including him in her kick starting her conjux's brain module. "Stop it both of you! Before the pair of you bring the roof down! The stament was likely coerced. We need to find the Supreme Comander, rescue him and check for signs of meneosurgery!"

I have no idea how it would end, or effect the Lost Light's voyage but I'm certian Nickel and Strika would get on famously.

Okay temporarily, Tarn and Luggy would have the most unbearable sobfest yes yes. It would be so fucking funny.

Strika being the braincell yet again🥰

I'm trying to remember if Strika is already in IDWG1 or not. Because her design has gotta be good in the full IDWG1 style

While we the audience know he wasn't shadowplayed, it makes perfect fucking sense to suspect mnemosurgery. How fucked up would it have been if mnemosurgery was involved in his trial or his sentence? (Him on the LL post shadowplay??)

I think they find Nickel somewhere between their first appearance in MTMTE and their second, but yes. They'd have the best goddamn dynamic, but I'm imagining if they get into arguments those arguments have to be so fucking nuclear. But also they (usually) back each other's decisions up because typically "sOMEBODY HAS TO BE THE SMART ONES ON BOARD, and Primus knows it isn't you."

The idea of Lugnut and Strika chilling with the DJD for a while has to be so interesting

[avastrasposts]

The British Connection - ch. 6

Summary: Grace Mallory makes a reluctant Billy Butcher and The Boys team up with an MI6 operative sent over from London to track down a dangerous supe killing people on both sides of the pond. Billy is being his usual arsehole self but maybe opposites attract?

It's 14 chapters and complete and 'll be posting a new chapter every day

Warnings: canon typical violence, smut, fluff, Butcher being his usual grumpy and unreasonable self, nasty supes, guns etc.

The traffic is light and Butcher makes good time into the city, but the January evening is already getting dark outside the car as he pulls up at the address she gave him. 

She buzzes him in when he hits the button for her apartment and he takes the lift up to the 6th floor. When she opens the door for him she’s on the phone, and holds up a finger to silence him before he says anything. He walks inside and sits down on the sofa in the small room while she walks over to the window and leans against the windowsill. Butcher can see that she’s been crying, her eyes are red and she sniffles like she has a cold. He hears a man talking but can’t make out what he’s saying. Whoever he is, he’s doing all the talking. Eve’s face is drawn and serious, her puffy eyes on the floor as she listens with her ear pressed to her phone.

At last the voice on the other end goes quiet. 

“Of course it’s been difficult for us all but I won’t pretend to understand what you’re going through,” she says, eyes still on the floor, “I wish I could be there but the company needs me over here or this deal will fall through.” Butcher can hear her voice tremble slightly, like she’s on the verge of tears again.

The man says something again and Eve turns to the window, “No, no, of course I don’t think my job is more important than, than..this, but I just can’t right now. You know what my boss is like, end of the world if the right deal for this new drug trial isn’t set in stone.”

The man starts to speak but Eve interrupts him, “Listen, I’m really sorry, I have to go. Someone’s here to see me, it’s work. Try to get some sleep, use those pills you got, numb your brain for a few hours.”

Butcher catches a few more mumbles from the phone before Eve says goodbye, “Love you too, yes, I’ll ring her tomorrow, promise, talk soon, get some sleep, ok, bye.”

She slips the phone in her back pocket and Butcher can see how she furtively wipes her eyes before she turns to face him. She looks older now, her brow is knotted and her jaw clenched, like she’s biting back on something.  

“Sorry about that, we had a bit of an emergency back home just before I left.”

“Family?” Butcher asks. 

“Yes, there was an accident a few days ago, my brother’s daughter, that was him on the phone, was hit by a bus. She didn’t make it.” 

“I’m sorry, must be rough being called away on assignment with that going on back home,” Butcher replies.

Eve sighs deeply and sinks down on the sofa next to Butcher. “It hasn’t been easy, and of course, my family doesn’t know what I really do so I have to make up excuses that can never cover for not being with my family at a time like this.”

She puts her head in her hands, her elbow on her knees and hides her face.

”Fuck,” she sighs in a wobbly voice. 

Butcher’s not quite sure how to respond to Eve’s hunched back next to him on the sofa, it’s caught him by surprise to see her so emotional, awkwardly he puts his hand out and pats her on the back.

“You’re alright, luv, just breathe.” 

The patting feels like he’s patting his old dog Terror so he starts stroking her back instead, maybe that’s a more comforting feeling. Her knitted jumper is soft and he can feel the bony parts of her spine under her curved back. Slowly her breathing seems to calm so he keeps stroking her, trying to figure out how the hell he’s going to get out of this. But after a few minutes Eve sits back up and runs her fingers through her hair and he lets his hand fall down to his side. 

“Thanks, Butcher,” she says and pushes herself to her feet, “I’m usually not such a mess but..you know…” 

She goes over to the bathroom and he hears the water run and when she comes out again her eyes are still red but less puffy. 

“You wanted to go over the CCTV footage for the two incidents in the UK,” Eve says, “Cochran sent it over a couple of hours ago using our secure server.” “Ye, we’d better get on that,” Butcher replies and makes room on the coffee table for the laptop Eve has pulled out of her bag. He hasn’t forgotten about her file and the redacted surname, but best to get this information first and Eve seems to want to get down to business. 

She boots up the laptop and logs in to the server, making sure Butcher can’t see the password.  

“This is the first one, Sarah Crawford attacking the PM. There are no cameras in the PM’s office where the attack happened but Cochran said most of the events took place in the hall outside where there’s CCTV.”

She full-screens the video player and a view of a very British looking hallway can be seen in colour on screen. 

The hallway is empty at first but then the British PM comes down the hall and enters the office. A woman in her 30’s comes closely after him, holding a folder in her arms. She stops abruptly a few steps from the office door and seems to freeze. A few seconds pass without her moving and a security officer, a man in a dark suit, can be seen approaching her, coming into frame from further down the hallway. Before he reaches her she launches herself through the open office door and at the PM, presumably just on the other side. The camera can’t see what happens in the office but the security officer immediately calls for back-up and runs into the room. Two more men in suits come running down the hall and into the room and after a few seconds they can be seen pulling the woman out of the room. She has blood on her hands and is scrambling to get loose but her face is calm. Suddenly she stops moving and stands still, letting herself be dragged away from the door. As one of the officers lets go of her briefly to pull out his handcuffs she launches herself against them and manages to break free, rushing through the door again. The first security officer pulls his gun and rapid fires into her back. The camera sees only her feet as she falls. 

“Where’s the cunt who’s controllin’ her then?” Butcher says, searching the screen for any other suspect. 

“I don’t know,” Eve bends forward, looking at the corners of the hallway, “Maybe there’s a room just out of view from the camera, or another landing on the other side.” She points to the top of the staircase that can be seen in the bottom right corner. 

“I’ve asked Cochran for a list of all employees in Number 10 on the day. He’s sending it over first thing tomorrow, UK time. So we’ll have it at some point during the night.”

“Alright, let’s see the other one,” Butcher says and sits back up, creating some distance between himself and Eve. He was trying to remember that he couldn’t trust her but her vulnerability and grief on the sofa had brought out that fucking overprotective trait that had got him in to so much trouble over the years. 

Eve full-screens the second video and it shows four different camera feeds, all on a stretch of busy three lane expressway in London. 

“That looks like the A13, down by East Ham,” Butcher grins. “More my part of town than yours, luv”. 

“I’ll take your word for it,” Eve says, “Look,” She points to a black sedan travelling in one of the west bound lanes, “There’s the Ministry car.” 

The black car seems to be driving normally for a few seconds before starting to wobble across the lane, forcing cars in the other lanes to swerve out of its way. It bounces against the barrier in the middle and back against a van in the inside lane. A bus ahead of it slows down and the Ministry car disappears from view for a few seconds while the bus driver tries to get out of its way. It emerges ahead of the bus at an angle, starting to spin out of control now, its front end against the oncoming traffic. It grazes the middle barrier again and jerks sideways into the outside lane and is hit by a large lorry across the midsection. The lorry’s wheels lock up as the driver hammers the brakes but the big 18-wheeler is slow to stop and it pushes the Ministry car ahead of it, smashing it into the back of a van that bounces into another lorry. The traffic grinds to a halt. 

Eve and Butcher lean forwards towards the screen, both scanning the carnage for signs of the supe. People are getting out of their cars, phones in hands, moving towards the wreckage. 

“Anyone of them could be the person we’re after,” Eve says, “we don’t even know if we’re looking for a man or a woman.” 

“Go back to the beginning, can you run it in slow motion?” Butcher asks. 

“Yes, that’s a good idea.” 

Eve starts the video from the beginning and changes the playback speed. Now the traffic is moving at half the speed. At the point where the Ministry car starts to wobble, Eve pauses the video and they both lean in to scan the four video feeds for anything out of the ordinary. 

“You can see the driver tryin’ to get at the bloke in the back here,” Butcher points at the window of the Ministry car. Through the window they can see the outline of the driver as he’s trying to climb back over the seats in the front. 

“Huh…look at that taxi,” Eve points at a London Black Cab in the lane next to the Ministry car. From one of the windows someone is staring at the Ministry car. 

“Back up the video a few seconds,” Butcher says. When the video pauses again the black cab is in frame and the person is staring at the Ministry car already. 

“I bet ya, that’s the supe, looks like a man, pretty tall I reckon.”

Eve leans in closer, straining her eyes at the screen. “I think you’re right about it being a man, but the video is too grainy to make out any details.” 

“He’s already starin’’ at the car before it starts to wobble.”

“You’re thinking he needs to have eyes on the person he’s controlling?”

“Keep playin’ it in slow-mo and let’s see.”

Eve lets the video run again and they both keep watching the black cab this time. The man in the window never seems to take his eyes off the Ministry car. 

The video slowly moves forward, showing how the black cab stays behind the Ministry car but in the next lane, the whole time as the Ministry car starts drifting into other cars. 

“I think the supe is either driving the black cab, or he’s controlling the driver too. Anyone seeing a car drifting like that would try to avoid it, not stay on its tail,” Eve says and Butcher nods in agreement, eyes still on the screen, brow furrowed. 

When the Ministry car disappears from view behind the bus, the taxi cab is forced to change to the outside lane and loses contact with the other car. It seems to speed up to get past the bus and is still in the outside lane when the Ministry car appears again. Eve pauses the video and they study the frame. 

“There,” Butcher says, “The driver is trying to get back to the steering wheel.” 

Eve hits play again and the video slowly moves forward. The driver reaches the wheel and they watch him try to control the car but it spins out of control. Suddenly his hands drop and he freezes in his seat. The car hits the barrier and a few seconds later it's hit by the lorry. The black cab speeds up, swerves past a couple of cars and disappears out of view while the traffic behind the lorry comes to a halt. 

“So, you seeing the same thing I am then?” Butcher asks as the video ends. “A supe who needs eye contact with their target but seemingly can control at least two people at once?” 

“Ye, that’s what I thought too,” Butcher sighs and scratches his beard. 

“But he wasn’t looking at the taxi driver while controlling the driver of the Ministry car? Maybe eye contact or physical contact? Holding on to the taxi driver while keeping eyes on the Ministry driver?” 

“Maybe. But however he’s doing it, it means fuckin’ of trouble for us.” 

Chapter 7

[hawkzeyes]

what is daredevil and Hawkeye relationship

Gay.

Just kidding

Despite what tumblr might have you believe they are not the cutsie duo team “eyes and ears” thing I see often referring to them.

Actually, their very first interaction was them throwing hands over Nat because they were both like “what if we bother this woman with our emotions at the same exact time.” And they broke her beautiful bay window!! Rude of them if you ask me. It kind of ends with Clint just storming off because he thinks Nat tattle tailed on him to other Avengers (at the time he had left the avengers)

suuuuper melodramatic but what did you expect with the combination of Clint Barton and Matt Murdock in the room.

Later on Matt actually ends up being the prosecutor against Clint during the whole Civil War ll mess. At the beginning he straight up is like “my job is to ensure you get the needle” however Clint’s lawyer points out how suspicious the trial proceedings are going and that obviously bothers Matt so he does his own digging. This doesn’t seem to be because he cares about Clint, but more so cares about Justice. In fact he doesn’t seem to have any specific afflictions or affections for Clint, just that he wants to ensure Clint gets a fair trial due to the corruption and the Superhero Registration Act being a motivating factor for the courts to tamper with the case. They have a talk after the trail and it seems pretty sanitary and professional. With it only getting slightly personal when Clint asks Matt if he thinks they gave the right verdict and Matt just kind of goes quiet and says he doesn’t know. Point being there doesn’t seem to be any hate or fondness to me at least.

I’m sure they’ve interacted in between but... He runs into him again in Freefall I believe and isn’t even aware that Matt is blind. He thinks he has been caught dressed as Ronin but seeing as how Matt couldn’t see it, he wasn’t. So obviously they’re not THAT close.

DISCLAIMER: If I’m forgetting interactions you’ll have to forgive me. These guys have been around A LONG time and I’m simply not going to remember it all 💀

Now MIND YOU this is my opinion based off the comics I can remember right now. Maybe there is a whole other time period I’m completely spacing that would make them deeper.

TLDR: To me I see work colleagues at best maybe acquaintances. They know each other, they have experiences together, they’ll work together if necessary, but they’re certainly not phoning each other up and they’re not itching to team up together (though I think it would be fun)

[michaelgruberfan]

"Broadway song-and-dance man hits PCPA"

Quintin Cushner / Life & Times Writer Jun 15, 2003 (X)

Before Michael Gruber sang on Broadway, he was an NCAA All-American diver at the University of Michigan.

"I was diving during the Greg Louganis era," said Gruber, 38, referring to the prolific American athlete who medaled in three separate Olympics. "There was really only one more space after his on the team. After the 1984 Olympic trials came and went, I needed to make a choice about whether I wanted to train another four years (for the Olympics)."

Gruber, who performed in high-school musicals, opted to leave competitive diving to focus on becoming a song-and-dance man. He transferred to the College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, where he honed his performance skills.

He then moved to New York City and earned roles in the musicals "A Chorus Line," "Miss Saigon," "Kiss Me, Kate" and "Swing." His most prominent Broadway role to date was as Munkustrap in "Cats."

Through July 20, Gruber is starring as Bobby Child in PCPA/s revival of the comic musical "Crazy for You." When not belting out a classic Gershwin brother/s tune, Gruber (as Child) spends most of the play trying to win the hand of local beauty Polly Baker (Melinda Ann Parrett). Guess whether he gets her.

Audience and media reactions to Gruber/s performance indicate that competitive diving/s loss has become the Central Coast/s gain.

A Times review of the play raved that Gruber "gives a performance that recalls musical idols of the Silver Screen, who literally swept their ladies off their feet with graceful dancing."

Starting Friday, Gruber and the "Crazy for You" cast will move south to Solvang to perform in that town/s open air Festival Theater.

"Michael is one of the rare breed of triple-threat performers who sing, dance and act 77 all first-rate quality," said Craig Shafer, PCPA spokesman. "His presence strengthens an already strong cast of resident and guest professional artists and interns on and off stage."

Recently the Times caught up with Gruber via telephone to talk about his life in the arts.

Times: So, do you miss New York?

Michael Gruber: We had two weeks off after the Santa Maria shows and before we moved down to Solvang, so I went home to New York. To be honest, it was like major culture shock. I was used to this mellow environment (on the Central Coast), so I was a little fried when I went to Manhattan. I was very happy to get out here again.

Times: Have you seen much of the Central Coast?

MG: I/m living in Santa Maria right now. I/ve also gone to Pismo Beach and the Avila Valley Hot Springs. They/re great. I/ve gone up to San Luis Obispo and down to Santa Barbara. I/ll have Mondays and Tuesdays off soon, so I hope to do more traveling. It/s so beautiful out here.

Times: Do you mind doing shows outside of New York?

MG: I/m happy to fill in the gaps between Broadway shows by going out of town. I like to get a break from the manicness of New York. Regional theater often has more interesting projects.

Times: After performing in melodramatic Andrew Lloyd Webber shows like "Cats," how do you approach something lighter like the Gershwin-inspired "Crazy for You?"

MG: The audience really informs you of what you can get away with in something like "Crazy for You." They sort of construct your performance by their reactions.

You really have to extend yourself when you/re doing farce, and take some chances. There/s a lot of slapstick, tripping and falling. The audience sort of constructs your performance. A show like this is so fun, but you have to be brave. And so far the audiences have been great. Everybody/s really enjoying themselves.

Times: Do you see any parallels between diving and theater?

MG: I guess being in the zone, and having that kind of concentration is very similar. And both are a kind of performing.

Both diving and acting involve judging. There/s a lot of bias and politics to both. If you/re competing against Louganis, and you did a dive comparable to one he did, he would still likely get the higher score. In theater, it/s the same way 77 a lot of it is mystique.

Times: Do you still have to audition for shows?

MG: Sometimes I/m just offered parts; that/s really what I prefer. Sometimes, if they don/t know you, you have to audition, but I never have to go to cattle calls anymore. They do what are called agent-submissions, where you/ll go to a private audition. Each show is something slightly different.

Times: Do you have any interest in doing television or movies?

MG: They/re such different industries. So much of (filmed) work is by who you know and who knows you. I don/t have any kind of network in the industry. And I/m much more broadly skilled in theater craft.

Times: Is it difficult to have relationships when you/re on the road so much?

MG: I/m not a big relationship person. I have my friends, but I/ve never really dated that much. It/s very hard to pursue relationships in this business. I/ve actually sort of been dealing with that right now, because as I get older I/m starting to want a more serious relationship.

Times: What would you do if you didn/t make your living as an actor?

MG: I/ve been working with a partner on composing some (musical theater) pieces. We/ve done three pieces together and we/re writing the fourth one right now. It takes place in 1975 and it/s called "Vegas Organic."

I/m totally addicted to The Beach (a Central Coast radio station), because that/s the era of music we/re writing for. I love Heart, Steve Perry from Journey, Freddie Mercury and Queen, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith … classic hard rock.

Times: So, I read that you were into psychotherapy? Are we talking Freud?

MG: No, classical analysis didn/t really work for me. I found it too one-sided. And from what I/ve read, classical therapy has not been that successful. It/s not necessarily practical.

The therapist I have now uses gestalt therapy. It/s great. He collaborates with me. We have a dialogue. It involves more problem-solving and is more immediate. But when I/m on the road, I take a break. I don/t want to become too obsessive about it.

Times: What kind of foods have you been eating in Santa Maria?

MG: It/s total In-N-Out and Taco Bell. When I/m late for rehearsal it/s McDonald/s drive-through. It/s bad because my metabolism isn/t as fast as it once was.

Times: What have you been doing for fun around here?

MG: I went out last night to a friend/s house. We watched TV and laughed and talked, drank a few beers and ate a pizza. College student-type stuff. It was a lot of fun.

Times: What/s the future of the Broadway musical?

MG: It/s tough to say, because the economy isn/t so great right now, and people are more careful about how they spend their money. In this type of an economy, and when a Broadway ticket is ,90, people are gonna want to see "The Producers" or "Phantom (of the Opera)." Or maybe they/ll see "Chicago" because the movie was so successful. Those shows will always make a killing.

Producers want a market value. Unless you/re Stephen Sondheim, it/s very hard to get a different kind of musical produced. And even his shows don/t have longevity because they/re not going to bring in tourists.

"Long Day/s Journey into Night," by Eugene O/Neill, would never be produced on Broadway now if it didn/t have Brian Dennehy, Vanessa Redgrave, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Robert Sean Leonard, who are all movie actors. It/s all about the economy. Once the economy improves and rich people start spending more money again, there might be more risky productions.

Times: What role do you really want to play?

MG: I/d like to play George in "Sunday in the Park with George." It/s beautifully written and I relate to its themes, which involve the isolation of an artist.

Times: Are you looking forward to moving down to Solvang?

MG: It/ll be cool. We/re doing five shows a week with no matinees. It/s a cool town and it/s always great to work outside.

Times: What/s your favorite part of doing the show?

MG: I enjoy the contrast of doing the romantic side of Bobby Child and the wacky silliness of Bela Zangler 77 that whole level of being in disguise.

(For part of the play, Child disguises himself as the wealthy Bela Zangler)

There/s a song in the show, "Embraceable You," and it/s the first time Bobby realizes that Polly/s falling in love with him and not Bella. It/s the turning point. He doesn/t tell her who he is because he doesn/t want to lose her.

And he/s realizing where the journey is going, and he doesn/t know how to handle it.

[ageofpiracyrp]

PLOT DROP 33: BOUND

April 22, 2024.

Daphne Rux's 43rd birthday would not be one of her favorites. It had been nice to have so many birthdays on the ship in succession, but Daphne rarely wanted attention drawn to herself on the date, so she had been spending much of the day holed up in the captain's quarters doing research.

A tap on the door.

She ignores it, absorbed in what she was doing.

Two more taps.

"Yes, come in," she sighs, not looking up.

The door opens to reveal Muffy and Hero, both looking grim. Daphne gestures at them with concern, and offers them something to drink by gesturing to the grape-like soda cans currently sitting on her desk. Hero accepts one, but Muffy shakes her head.

"It isn't good news," Hero said, much quieter than usual.

"How... not good of news?" Daphne asked, curt in tone but still concerned. "Did someone get hurt? Did we leave HJ or Greg somewhere? Tell me. Please."

"Not anyone on our ship. Our crew is well. It's The Bat Ray." Muffy pressed her lips together, not sure how to continue.

"What do you mean it's The Bat Ray? Did Julia do something stupid and get all of those people hurt or- Muffy, what happened to Julia!?" Daphne wasn't completely unhinged, but her pitch was starting to raise.

Muffy waved her wing around carefully. "Everyone is alive. A couple of the crew may have gotten injured but- Those galx that we all thought were so foolish managed to capture their ship."

Hero cut in. "We spent all day together decoding the weird video message that we got. It was from Kenna."

Pursing her lips, Daphne said, "Show me. Please."

Hero placed a screen tablet in front of Daphne.

"We thought we could evade them, but it was like a game to them- trying to capture us. They looked so pleased with themselves. Officers Yrgus, Gekro, and Imontz. The Romoquele- Imontz- was the most dangerous. Not because of how he looked, but how he didn't seem to comprehend that he had just apprehended a bunch of people that had others who cared about them. I know I may not look like it, but there are a fair amount of people who are valuable to me. Most of them are on that ship, with me now, or on your ship. I'm the only one who managed to get away. We put it to a fast vote. We were so pressed for time. Who would make sure the kids would get away safe? I voted for Seetha. Everyone else voted for me. They said they all knew the captain would never give it up. Julia said it was only right to- make sure the kids had a parent with them who would love and protect them. Everyone agreed that I was the only choice. I couldn't argue with them. I had to be there for my kids. I'm making my way toward Kraysha. Very slowly. I need you to send a message to Julia's family. I don't know how to reach them. You're the only ones that I know how to contact that can notify them. I don't think you'll be able to respond to this message but... The Bat Ray's crew lives. I expect they''ll go on trial by the end of the year. They might call some of your crew as character witnesses. I don't know what's going to happen, but you may want to prepare."

The camera panned to Jenn and Jack sleeping- with Jack napping on his sister's shoulder.

"Tell Rebecca that I wouldn't dare let anything bad happen to them. We'll reach out once I'm on Kraysha."

Daphne pursed her lips. "We show Robin first. Then we show the whole crew. There's nothing we can do now except tell the Derringers carefully, but we can't keep this from the crew."

[the-travelling-bitch]

but they are minor

i was honestly waiting to see when i'd get an ask like this; looks like i can cross it off my list for 2022

anyway, since i'm in a good mood and you've not been overtly rude, i.e. no slurs or death threats, i'll humour you

[i believe you’re talking about my bllk fic bc i don’t have anything else on here yet]

first of all, i'd like to stress that if we were talking about real life people, then i'm right there with you

but we are talking about fictional characters, not people but characters; both the defintion of fiction ("something invented by the imagination or feigned", merriam-webster) and of character ("one of the persons of a drama or novel", merriam-webster) support the idea that we are talking about made-up stories which are meant to be seen as a different entitiy or aspect from real life

the way i see it, fictional characters are merely a more defined blank slate with certain characteristics already set in place (although even those characteristics get thrown out of the window by some); they're a canvas the consumer of that medium can project thoughts or ideals or headcanons onto; that's why every character imaginable has been dragged into a hogwarts or soulmate au, characters who are canonically dead are suddenly alive and kicking again, etc.

i'd argue that authors are doing just the same with their characters as well; they create one and than just put them through all sorts of trials and tribulations like e.g. a post-timeskip era

take haikyuu!! for example (because it's also a sports manga/anime): the first 369 chapters were about the highschool volleyball team, so canonically speaking they were minors; but the second chapter 370 drops they are suddenly not anymore and that fic where 28 year old business man kuroo testsuro comes home to his partner and they decide to have kids is suddenly more appropriate than before? because the person with the magic pen drew the character at an age people already imagined them before? (also idk if such a fic exists, i'm making things up as i go... look at me using my imagination to expand upon a character /lh)

i think it's plausible blue lock will have a similar post-timeskip era some day, for all we know muneyuki kaneshiro might already have the characters’ futures planned out but we're just not at that part of the story yet

also, to bring this back to my content, when i say the characters are aged up in both my mind and the fic, then i mean it; and, i'd like to think you can also see that in my works, for example characters who own their own house, drive a car, move in with someone or have successfull careers... all things that are generally speaking adult things to do (because that is more appealing to me)

but that is just my opinion; fictional characters are canvases for people to project onto and if i want to live in our shared house with my professional striker boyfriend who loves me very much and occasionally rails me into the next year, then i will... here in my mind, on this page but unfortunately not in real life (the most unrealistic thing about this is being able to afford a house in this economy but i digress)

tl;dr characters are like schrödinger’s cat dead and alive at the same time /j

if you don't share that opinion, that's fine, we can both go our seprate ways and coexist; i just can't support people who throw slurs at others, mostly creators, or tell them to k*ll themselves over a piece of fictional literature written in their free time with no profit whatsoever (i'm not saying you are that kind of person anon, this is just a general statement because i've seen other writers receive much nastier asks)

if you are the kind of person who does that... i don't think i'm the problem here

to close this off, i'm willing to have a conversation about this as long as everyone remains civil and open for arguments from the other side; if you just come in my inbox to argue without even wanting to hear the other side out, i'm sorry but this is not the place for you

toodles ッ

[emgoesmed]

Hi , i love your blog. Everything always looks so perfect. So i wanted to ask you for some advice, i am an IMG , and have recently done my residency(medicine) back in my home country In south east Asia. So my background knowledge is not so bad. Life happened (some not so good events) and i needed to move to US. I dont think am in for studying for step 1 right now but i think i ll be able to study for step 2 CK. I wanted to ask you if one can do well on step 2 ck by doing uworld. I am worried the most about pedes gyne surgery, cuz its been a while i have studied these subjects. Could you please recommend what extra sources should i use for pedes gyn surgery. And if those are as heavily tested on ck as medicine. Any advice on sources , timeline or anything really would be helpful. This is the only social media platform i av right now and i dont know who else to ask. I would be really grateful for any advice.

Hi!

UWorld is the main question bank that US med students use to study for USMLE step 2 CK. It is a great learning tool because the question/answer explanations are very thorough.

Medicine is about 50-60% of the exam, Surgery is 25-30%, Pediatrics is 20-25%, OB Gyn is 10-20%, and Psychiatry is 10-15%.

For surgery, I recommend De Virgilio's case book; the surgery portion of the exam is less about the actual surgeries and more about medical management of pre- and post-op, and indications for surgery.

I didn't have a very good resource to study for Pediatrics or OB Gyn, but recommend looking on Reddit for ideas. You don't need an account to do so. Search for posts about what helped people succeed on their shelf exams during third year, since those are specialty-specific resources.

One IMG I know who is in Internal Medicine residency in the US told me his study strategy was to complete UWorld and then do the entire Amboss question bank over several days prior to his exam because he just used a free trial period lol. I know other US students who did both question banks and got great scores (260+) as well.

I hope this is helpful! Best of luck in studying for your Step exams and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions, I'll try my best to answer or point you towards helpful resources. :)

[wordacrosstime]

A Diamond In The Dust

["A Diamond in the Dust - The Stuarts: Love, Art, War" by Michael Dean. 24 November 2022. Holland Park Press Ltd. Paperback. 225 pages. ISBN: 9781907320965]

The brutal murder of King Charles I was followed by the establishment of the Commonwealth of England, a brief republic. Reinstatement of the monarchy with his son Charles ll was accompanied by the execution of the judges - the Regicide Judges - who had condemned Charles I to death. Ten of them were hanged, nine of whom were hanged, drawn and quartered. The ringmaster Oliver Cromwell died naturally. His corpse was exhumed, hanged at Tyburn (in London, now Marble Arch), beheaded, and its head mounted above the building where Charles I had been tried.

They knew how to do things in those days.

Michael Dean's A Diamond in the Dust starts and ends with the show trial and execution of Charles I, with a second book - The King's Art - scheduled to take the story forward.

Shortly before his death, Charles I wrote a (very long and frankly dreadful, but yes, execution was going too far) poem titled (with capitals as written) Majesty in Misery, Or an Imploration to the KING OF KINGS. It's not known if God has read it yet, it could take a while. Mercifully Michael Dean only quotes three lines and then solely to explain the title of the book:

With my own Power my Majesty they wound, In the King's name the King himself's uncrown'd, So doth the dust destroy the Diamond.

Watch those capitals Charles. Upper Class OK, Upper Case seldom.

Michael Dean's delightful A Diamond In The Dust is a very exact account of many of the painters artists soldiers and male prostitutes who flourished around the courts of Europe. Charles emerges as worried about what he felt was his mis-shapen body until he finds he is good at something. That something, in what was perhaps his own language was f__king. And to give it context, music, sculpture, f__king, religious wars, wars, f__king, spending money he didn't have, f__king, and when at a loss for something to while away his sybaritic hours, not-surprisingly, more f__king.

This should not suggest that Charles I was promiscuous. On the contrary he and his wife Henrietta Maria seem, after a difficult start (there was a lot of religion, catholic and protestant, involved - all across Europe and all across their lives) to have been not simply in love, but profoundly in love. Charles I does emerge at times as a bit of a pr__k, but, as the English public of the time might well have said, 'at least he's our pr__k).

Art, politics, religion, shipwrecks. Michael Dean knows his controversies and A Diamond In The Dust is crammed to the gunwales with them. George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham is a superbly-drawn (he's real - all the people in the book are, and there are tons of them) character, sexually versatile on both sides, bold, generally courageous, a kind of World-War-II-We'll-Fight-Them-On-The-Beaches lad (he might well have turned up there for a cameo), hated, unfortunately by Queen Henrietta, and in the end murdered. The narrative does slump a bit when he exits, but it's coming to the end (for Charles I) when he leaves the story, and Charles is only going one way.

Michael Dean is expert with history and characters. His novel about the painter Marc Chagall, The White Crucifixion (2018) as well as being a fine novel is a smart piece of work, coming across - like A Diamond in the Dust - with the feel of historical accuracy (only God knows if it's extremely true, but He's tied up with Charles I's Majesty in Misery, possibly for eternity).

A Diamond in the Dust may be one for (1) history experts who long to pick holes in other historians' work while gloating at their superiority; (2) fanatical puritans (OK, Americans), protestants, catholics (it's got lots of all of them, entangled, not always religiously) (3) Republicans (4) Royalists (5) fans of art (yards and yards of art in 225 pages, lots of named works, very detailed biographies of big (and interestingly obscure) artists and patrons. And others who hate being categorised but read The Guardian flagrantly, with a fixed expression of disapproval.

[Image credit: book cover, with thanks to the copyright holders]

John Park

Words Across Time

19 May 2023

wordsacrosstime

[me-gusta]

Fate is funny sometimes Part 2

Over the next few weeks, Ayumi made an effort to be part of Asuna`s life. She attended family gatherings, joined in on occasional outings, and tried to bridge the gap that had formed between them. Despite her efforts, her underlying hostility was palpable, and her presence was a constant reminder of the unresolved tension.

Asuna and Kirito tried to navigate the situation with patience, but the strain was evident. Ayumi seemed to delight in creating subtle disruptions, often making snide comments or undermining Asuna`s confidence. Kirito remained steadfast in his support for Asuna, but the situation was beginning to wear on both of them.

One evening, as they were preparing dinner, Kirito pulled Asuna aside. "We need to talk."

Asuna looked at him, worry etched on her face. "What`s wrong?"

Kirito took a deep breath. "I`ve been thinking about Ayumi`s behavior. I can`t shake the feeling that she`s not being completely honest with us. I think we need to confront her about her real intentions."

Asuna nodded, her heart heavy. "I agree. We need to get to the bottom of this. Let`s set up another meeting."

They arranged to meet Ayumi at a quiet park, hoping for a candid conversation away from distractions. As they arrived, they found Ayumi already waiting, her expression a mix of curiosity and defiance.

"Here we are," Ayumi said with a smirk. "What`s the issue now?"

Kirito stepped forward. "We need to understand why you`re really here. We`ve tried to be patient, but your actions suggest there`s more going on than you`re letting on."

Ayumi`s smile faded, replaced by a defensive glare. "I`m here because I wanted to get to know my sister, but it`s clear you both have made up your minds about me. If you don`t trust me, then what am I supposed to do?"

Asuna took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "We want to trust you, Ayumi, but your behavior has been problematic. We need to know if you`re here to build a relationship or if you have another agenda."

Ayumi`s eyes flashed with anger. "Fine. I`ll be honest. I wanted to disrupt your life. I thought it would be fun to test how secure your relationship is."

Kirito`s face turned red with anger. "That`s despicable. You have no right to interfere in our lives."

Ayumi`s expression softened slightly. "I was hurt and jealous. I thought maybe if I caused trouble, it would make me feel better about my own life. But maybe I was wrong."

Asuna`s heart ached as she looked at her twin sister. "It`s not too late to change, Ayumi. If you genuinely want to be part of our lives, you need to start by respecting our relationship."

Ayumi nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. "I`m sorry. I`ll try to make amends."

The following months were a period of slow reconciliation. Ayumi made genuine efforts to mend her relationship with Asuna and Kirito, proving herself to be sincere in her intentions. Though the road was rocky, and trust had to be rebuilt, there were signs of progress.

Asuna and Kirito remained vigilant but hopeful. They learned to appreciate Ayumi`s efforts and gradually accepted her presence in their lives. Their relationship was tested, but it emerged stronger, solidified by their commitment to each other and their newfound understanding of family dynamics.

One evening, as Asuna and Kirito walked hand in hand through the same park where they had first encountered Ayumi, Asuna spoke softly. "I`m glad we were able to work things out. It wasn`t easy, but I think it made us stronger."

Kirito smiled, his eyes reflecting the warmth of their bond. "It definitely wasn`t easy, but we faced it together. That`s what matters."

Asuna leaned in, resting her head on Kirito`s shoulder. "Thank you for standing by me. I couldn`t have done it without you."

Kirito kissed her forehead gently. "And I wouldn`t have it any other way."

They continued their walk, the park bathed in the soft glow of twilight. Despite the trials they had faced, their love for each other remained unwavering, a testament to their resilience and the strength of their relationship. As they walked into the sunset, hand in hand, they knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together, their bond unbreakable and their hearts full of hope.

[kozykricket]

yknow maybei ll write more about this in a big vent post (oops, this post ITSELF turned into the big vent post.

honestly i feel like im having a sort of Creativity Crisis

like. ehngv theres so many things to make but i also just. cant be bothered. and. for some things, it seems they've been done before for other things? they havent been done but they're very daunting and. overwhelm me and... i should probably just like, actually plan things out.. and not scope things so high i really wanna be able to say "heres a clean nice youtube video i have where i explain the concept behind what i think pokemon swsh had going for it and how i'd take some of its existing elements, change a few themes, and make it awesom!!"

i want to... make tons of cool builds in minecraft and terraria i want to.. make mods for minecraft! that do subtle lil things.. and tweak lots of aspects of the game! or maybe even sometimes big things! i. want to. but i also, really dont . because theres just so much

i think im just... really scared that i wont be able to ever get all of or even any of my best ideas out there in the world, and. im also desperate to try and prove that im not just an ideas person. that i am someone who can create things and i mean i LIKE creating things! i LIKE the trial and error process! i like... when i get really into something, and have to try and like. troubleshoot what problems may arise but sometimes theres certain types of troubles where they just push me away because im uncomfortable about having to learn how to deal with them and. shit. i dunno. woe is me i guess. despite this id like to clarify im in a p decent mood overall, i certainly havent had a bad day. its really just uh, past midnight thoughts that have suddenly happened. i had a nice day.

but GOD i . i want ot be someone do soemthing and . yet im so convinced that im someone who just WONT. whos just a little whiny person who wont be able to do anything because... im just unmotivasted or whatever and. im also just , genuinely like. i find it almost hard to care sometimes. about the things that i know i desire. because i just Cannot be Bothered. ill just wait until someone else makes the thing... or ill just, write it down as an idea and itll forever be a WIP i want to build stuff in terraria and minecraft at the VERY least right now and like. i have ideas for both of them. but GOD it just. seems... so.. i dont CARE. they're cool Little Ideas but i donT CAREEee waaah whatever its like 3am rn my mind is . not worth listening to