#mass effect domestic moments

[strawberrykidneystone]

brief moments of intimacy with mass effect companions

the commander shepard showing affection to their lover <3

a/n: i kinda like this format bc i need more practice writing for the other companions besides garrus😭 some of these are set in ME2 and some are set in ME3 oopsies

gn!shepard x mass effect companions

ao3 version

garrus:

-during missions, shepard is always at the front and center of her companions, guiding them through even the worst circumstances

-however, the way back is a different story

-with the rest of the crew in front of them and walking back to the normandy, shepard hangs back and walks next to garrus, giving him a small nod

-he nodded back and flickered his mandible, looking straight forward as he felt their hand lace with his, giving him a reassuring squeeze as if to say “it’s okay, we’re both okay”

-garrus squeezed back and leaned down to their height, pressing his plate lips against their forehead very briefly as they finally arrived back at the ship they both called home

liara:

-she was holed up in her room, combing through all of the information they had on the protheans for the umpteenth time as if she would magically see something new

-unsurprisingly, she didn’t

-what did surprise her, however, was a pair of arms wrapping around her waist and a nose burying into her neck

-thankfully, she could recognize her lover's embrace anywhere

-by the goddess, she was so wrapped up in her research that she didn’t even hear the doors open

-and what better time to take a break than with her favorite person in the galaxy?

tali:

-she was busy tweaking the core reactor in the engineering room to run at full capacity

-apparently, more time had passed than she thought because the next thing she knew, there was a tap on her shoulder

-she looked over the shoulder that was tapped, but no one was there

-a tap came on her other shoulder so she looked, and the same thing

-she finally completely turned around and found a smiling shepard holding up a picnic basket

-tali apologized for losing track of time but they stopped her, taking her hand and leading her to the cat walk where the core shined above them

-shepard laid out a blanket, setting up tali’s sanitized food and their own human food

-they sat directly across front each other, each sacrificing a hand to hold the other as they ate their respective foods

-a picnic in the stars, at least a very warm one

kaidan:

-kaidan woke up to shepard’s side of the bed being barely warm anymore, they were always up before him

-he yawned and stretched his arms up, sitting up and tossing his legs over the side of the bed to get the day started

-the door suddenly opened and there was shepard with two steaming cups of hot coffee in their hands

-kaidan couldn’t help but smile, they even indulged his “ridiculous” moose head mug (he brought it from home)

-shepard yawned and walked over to him, gently handing him his cup before pecking his lips

-as they turned to walk away, kaidan caught their hand and pulled them down into a deeper kiss, tasting stale coffee on their lips from an earlier cup

-shepard withdrew with a smile and shook their head playfully, ruffling his already messy bedhead hair

-what a nice way to start the day

ashley:

-it had been a long day in the war room and ashley was more frustrated than ever, feeling helpless in this war

-shepard caught up with her walking back to the elevator and snaked their hand around her waist, pulling her closer to them

-she couldn’t help but smile, leaning into their touch and leaning her head on their shoulder

-she may not be able to do much in negotiations, but she knew humankind was in good hands with her fearless leader

jack:

-after narrowly saving grissom academy, the kids were set up in the common area as they waited for another shuttle

-jack was still heated from the entire situation and was currently ripping shepard a new one

-at the end of her spiel, she slapped them and pointed at their chest “that’s for cooperating with cerberus in the first place”

-then, she grabbed them by their collar and pulled them into a rough kiss, their teeth clacking at the first pull in

-jack pulled back for air and looked at shepard with a blush on her cheeks “and that’s for saving my kids… it might be nice to see you again too.”

-shepard chuckled and pulled her close by her waist, so close that their noses were almost touching, “it’s nice to see you too jack.”

miranda:

-meeting miranda on the citadel after hearing about her sister was hard, especially when miranda insisted she needed to do it alone

-but if anyone would understand wanting to do something by yourself, it was shepard

-so they did what they could, pulling her into a tight hug that she returned with full enthusiasm, their rib cages crushing against each other

-a small sob escaped miranda and shepard cupped the back of her head, turning their head to the side and kissed the top of her hair, shielding her from the world so she could compose herself

-miranda took a deep breath, taking in their familiar scent and calming down in their arms

-everything would be alright as long as she had shepard by her side

thane:

-he was sitting in his usual seat in the hospital at the citadel, he was here more than her liked

-a small coughing fit started and his chest heaved, a dizzy feeling going straight to his head

-suddenly, he felt grounded when he felt a familiar hand rubbing circles on his back

-he didn’t even have to turn to know who it was, shepard sat down next to him and he comfortably leaned into their embrace, resting his head on their shoulder

-this place wasn’t so lonely with them, he would embrace death once again knowing that they would join him across the sea

jacob:

-jacob was doing his daily crunches in the weapons room (unsurprisingly)

-shepard initially came in to switch out her shotgun for another she found on the field, but this was even better

-jacob acknowledged then with a small wave, staying committed to his usual workout routine

-that was fine, shepard smirked and walked over to him, kneeling down in front of his legs

-he was a little confused at first, but they had perfectly timed it to when he started his full-sit ups, kissing him every time he made it all the way up

-he did way more sets than he was expecting to that day and could barely move his torso the next day

-worth it though

a/n: if a request is made for more characters i would be happy to add them in!!

[glitchyrobo]

Deneb's Dawn

Animation of the Terran Battlecruiser CNS Deneb's Dawn being ensnared by Affini capture vines (Audio warning!)

Whoops apparently I haven't posted this one here yet! I'm still very happy with it!

From early 2023

As always, description, fiction, and attribution under the break! (It's a long one this time, you might want to open this in a new tab)

Video Description

A stylized animation of a terran warship being exhibited; then later ensnared by vines from an unseen affini ship

The video is composed of 3 sections

The 1st features slow camera motions showcasing the ship, the CNS Deneb's Dawn, with associated text about its characteristics appearing on screen. The cut to the next section is abrupt and snappy with the music intensifying & a glitchy effect

The 2nd section is some years later, and the now battle-scarred ship fires lasers vainly in an attempt to ward off incoming vines, some of which hold the ship steady while another pierces through the ship, disabling it as the music reaches its peak. After numerous smaller vines burst from the hull of the ship, the screen glitches to dark blue

After a moment, white glitchy text reading "Signal Lost" appears, along with a Terran Icon above it. Within a few seconds, the text has changed to "Signal Found" in deep pink, along with an affini icon above it

Video Fiction

Excerpt from History of pre-Domestication Terran Warships, §672.3, Late Terran Accord & Pacification Program Era Battlecruisers, authored in 2570 by Eltrin Yne, 47th Bloom, xe/xem, Elly Yne, 26th Floret, et al {Click here to view all}.

Design of the Koncerz-class began in 2533CE, largely at the behest of the heads of the Altair Conglomerate, seeking a vanity warship class to commemorate their would-be heirs; most ships of this class would be named after their many offspring. Indeed, the practice of gigacorporations ‘sponsoring’ Cosmic Navy vessels was fairly common during this period of time.

In the nearly 12 years between its initial conception as a long range heavy artillery cruiser and the first of its class being laid down in 2545, its development quickly spiraled out of control & budget (a common occurrence with Terran military projects). Originally designed to supplement battleships or siege barges as required, the Koncerz-class’ already substantial spaceframe was lengthened to 500 meters with increased armor, medium range weaponry, and point defense lasers systems added alongside the extant superheavy mass drivers.

The frustrated engineers allegedly in charge of the project lodged formal complaints at the sullying of their efficient design but were overruled by the military bronze.

Much to their dismay, various interests in both the The Office of Naval Research, private contractors, and the Altair Conglomerate continued to ‘suggest’ changes to the design, including a ‘luxury’ hab ring, several redesigns of the class’ profile to appear ‘more intimidating’, and most significantly, the removal of ventral superheavy weaponry to be replaced with a semi-modular equipment rack.

Due to the first vessels of this class having already having been laid down by the time this final major modification came in, the engineers had no choice but to strip much of the ventral armor on the forward hull to accommodate this rack.

Capable of holding a variety of payloads, including cargo/fuel, guided weaponry, sensor equipment, or even corvettes & small frigates, the rack finalized the transformation of the Koncerz-class from a specialized heavy cruiser to an overgeneralized battlecruiser.

Outgunned in direct ship-to-ship warfare by most vessels its displacement or bigger, yet still vulnerable on its ventral surface to even medium warships, and only capable of bringing its full firepower to bare in optimal situations, the Koncerz-class had all the makings of a massive naval embarrassment.

However, with the arrival of the Affini Compact in 2551, the vessels of this class found a new lease on life as makeshift mobile bases. The modular rack, previously a liability in ship-to-ship combat, became a valuable method for feralist forces to ferry valuable equipment, ships, and even cargo with military-grade precision. As even the strongest Terran Accord armor schemes had little value against Compact boarding vines and weaponry, the ventral weakness was no more vulnerable than the rest of the vessel.

The first Koncerz-class vessel was the CNS Deneb’s Dawn, which was formerly ordered in 2543, laid down in 2545, launched in 2548, commissioned in 2549, and finally captured by an Affini armada in 2555.

Its slightly unusual naming scheme was the result of its original namesake falling out of favor with the Altair family. (Luckily, her exile had her in the right time & place to be rescued as part of the Terran Cotyledon program, and she now lives under the care of her two loving owners!)

The Deneb’s Dawn began its military service in 2549, spending most of its time relegated to serving as a transport for various dignitaries & corporate spokespeople. However, with the arrival of the Affini Compact in 2551, it was reassigned to the 8th Battlefleet.

It was present for numerous battles against various Compact armadas, avoiding capture often only by virtue of the caution that Compact vessels display in order to avoid feral vessels panicking and behaving even more self destructively.

Following the signing of the Terran Domestication Treaty & subsequent armistice in 2554, the Deneb’s Dawn refused the stand-down order, and aligned itself with the feralist Terran Sovereignty Pact. Following the splintering of that faction later that year, the vessel aligned itself with at least 3 other feralist groups, including the Free Terranist Coalition™, Sol Restoration Force, and the Alderamin Militia.

Infighting, as is common among post-domestication militant feralist factions, resulted in the Deneb’s Dawn receiving various battle damage prior to its capture by Compact forces in 2555. The warship was found alone, unescorted. It was speculated at the time that this may’ve been a diversionary tactic to allow their compatriots time to flee, but examination of the ship, as well as testimony from crew members later indicated that it was, in fact, that the captain of the vessel had been scorned by the leadership of the Alderamin Militia for being insufficiently hard-line. This was confirmed when said leadership was found several days later, alongside their notes of sabotaging the Deneb’s Dawn’s hyperspace drive.

Today, the Deneb’s Dawn has been disarmed, and is now part of the museum fleet in the former Luna orbital shipyards in Sol.

Attribution

Music: Lifelike by AlexiAction

Romanesco font by Astigmatic

Minimal5x7 font by kheftel

Achieve font by Isosceles

My friends, for their support & encouragement 💜

[super-ultra-mega-deluxe]

Simply believing in ML, or joining an ML org, will not help when the lights go out or food runs out. How can we contend with that?

Marxism-Leninism isn't an arbitrary set of beliefs for one to adopt on a whim, it is a political theory and specifically action, part of which is in fact to "help when the lights go out" or even better, to make sure they don't! communist politics- and really any politic- are what those politics do. Marx explicitly frames it as such, as an ideological formulation that is a tool for practical application. taken outside of its context and application, Marxism is an absurd nothing, as again are all politics. i could provide examples of how communists facilitate the production and distribution of goods, or otherwise manage economics at variable scale and locale, which is rather what i assume you mean to be getting at with your question. your framing is rather nonspecific however: in what economic and political context is there a communist party contending with failures in energy infrastructure and food production and distribution?

the "help when the lights go out" strikes a particular chord, as somewhat recently the socialist nation of Cuba has been forced to contend with fuel shortages; their domestic oil production can't meet the needs of the general populace, and oil imports are inconsistent due to the US embargo. the people of Cuba are, thankfully, not becoming grossly immiserated or dying en masse despite such being the intention of the embargo. they have instituted fuel rationing and rolling blackouts to further conserve fuel and maintain essential services, such as their healthcare system. this of itself is obviously only a reactive policy; the state has also been rebuilding and expanding its oil storage facilities to better handle fluctuations in supply, and more recently they have agreed to a bilateral development agreement with China to substantially expand Cuba's nascent solar power generation. paired with their newfound partnership with BRICS- a move which undermines the aforementioned embargo in a much more material way than a UN vote- Cuba is on a path to fully meet the energy needs of its people and even expand access over the next decade.

that all said, i doubt you specifically care much for Marxist-Leninist experiments as they exist, and are more concerned with the prefiguration of politics before anything like achieving state power, and more specifically within the imperial core, where denying the possibility of effecting revolutionary politics is the most prominent. there are not presently many Marxist-Leninist parties of note in the US, the imperial core, but even less principled communist parties nonetheless consider the economic realities of the workers they represent first and foremost. the old Black Panthers were perhaps the closest to a truly revolutionary socialist movement in the US, and one of the policies they are most famous for is the free breakfast program and the broader Survival Programs they ran. these programs provided food and medical care and education and transportation for many who were subject to economic insecurity; the failure of these programs was a failure of militancy and counterintelligence and scope. the modernly popular if unfortunately less coherent and less principled PSL also runs health and wellness programs, such as kitchens and exercise classes and vocational programs and so on, which is their attempt at replicating such formulations.

it is rather specifically a concern of communists to organize the proletariat to provide for their own needs outside the purview of a capitalist state, and every revolutionary of note before, during, and after seizing power emphasizes such. the ability to do so pending a revolutionary moment is necessarily limited however; you cannot build an administration of economy parallel to an extant state without coming into conflict with that state. even non-communist organizations attempt to build up community programs, but they are either dissolved or incorporated into the state apparatus or otherwise operate under its purview. the ultimate goal is then as always the destruction of the bourgeois state machine and the building of a proletarian state machine, the armies of people organized in enforcing the will of the proletariat as a class, which allows for the more concrete and pointed organization of the economy broadly.

[serpentface]

Hibrides at the annual Rites to Anaemache on the Brilla River, checking to make sure she's doing this right. (Feat. a rather docile captive-bred leucistic hespaean, which has no fucking idea that it's a valuable offering and is about to die).

The hand position here is one of three key gestures against evil, a basic method of self-purification that can dispel minor evils, in this case being used to purify oneself before entering the sanctified riverbank.

Under normal conditions, yearly festivals are held during the peak of the dry season throughout Imperial Wardin, taking place at one or more temples to Anaemache that can be found on the banks of each major river. Anaemache is the Face of God that looks upon fresh water, rivers, rains, seasonal flooding, cyclic fertility, fertility of wild plants, the fertility of crops, female fertility, and pregnancies.

The rites have a set date at each temple (which may differ across the region due to variance in the average timing of the wet season), and take place over a full day, from one sunrise to the next.

The rites have a dual function. It takes place at the height of the dry season to encourage the return of the rains and the health of the river via the mass offerings that occur, and to impart Anaemache's blessings onto attendants. Most attendees are women, though farmers and other agricultural laborers will often attend regardless of gender. It is considered ideal for all women of marriageable age (a category which includes young girls who have reached menarche) to attend yearly to ensure their fertility, but this often lengthy journey is impractical for the average person to take every year, and in practice most women who attend for personal fertility matters are those who are pregnant or actively seeking pregnancy.

Most bring offerings to the river, the most basic of which can be grains, fruits, spices, or flowers (it must be a seasonal growth, ideally one that requires the rains to occur), and the best of which are sacred animals to Anaemache such as the reed duck or hespaean. Sacrificial stock vendors will often set up camp near the river temples (though are banned from temple grounds) at this time of year to hawk live animals to pilgrims, which can be a very lucrative job when done correctly. Other vendors will sell dried flowers, grains, spices and fruit for the same purposes (a less lucrative but often more stable job).

Offerings of plant matter are cast into the river directly by the pilgrims, while animal offerings are brought to a temple priest (usually set up downriver to the rest of the crowd, they must remain in the river from the start of the rites to the end) to be properly sacrificed. The animal must first be blessed and invoked as Anaemache Itself (as it is replicating God's sacrifice in creation and becomes It at the moment of death). The act is done with a quick and deep slice across the throat, allowing all of the blood to flow directly into the river. A priest will anoint the offerer's tongue with a single droplet- the animal has become the River Face of God and its blood imparts a strong blessing, taken into the body for the effects to become physical and binding.

Important parts of the sanctified body are removed for use among the temple priesthood (in this case, mostly feathers), and the rest of the corpse is placed on a continuously maintained pyre to be burned. The ashes will be collected and scattered into the river after sunrise to mark the end of the rite.

Sacrificial river animals are liable to escape into the river when brought en-masse, and one that does is considered to have been spared and blessed by Anaemache and will be left alone. Populations of water birds around these temples will often display striking and unusual coloration due to genetic input from escaped domestic/captive bred animals.

Regardless of what one offers, the offering must be made before the offerer touches the water. The participant will then remove some or most of their clothing (the minimum is shoes, the maximum is everything BUT underwear- full genital-baring nudity is socially problematic and metaphysically vulnerable when in public, and thus avoided) and enter the water. One should ideally fully submerge themself, but touching the silt with bare feet is adequate. It is then that the participants say their prayers and ask for any specific blessings- a pregnancy, the safe delivery of a child, a bountiful harvest, fruitful trees, clean drinking water, plentiful grazing, a good stock of fish, etc.

After one says their prayers and leaves the water, their part in the rite is over and they are free to go home, or alternatively stop by the celebrations that frequently crop up along the roads. In a good year, food and drink vendors, traders, the mass of pilgrims, and other opportunists will amass and form temporary mini-towns along the roadsides (or temporarily invade nearby villages), which can be excellent places to eat, drink and/or hook up.

Hibrides has shelled out a significant amount of money to a street sacrifice vendor for a near-perfect offering, to pray that she will be blessed with a healthy pregnancy and bear a boy, mostly so that she can be done having children. The rains have been inadequate (or have outright failed) for five years at this point, and the Brilla river is scarcely more than mud. God doesn't seem to be here at all. She doesn't have her hopes up.

[writeforfandoms]

In Dreams

Find my Simon masterlist

My first entry for the Ghost Challenge hosted by @glitterypirateduck I used #'s 28, 80, and 99.

A moment of peaceful domestic bliss and flirting between you and Simon.

Simon Riley x f!reader

Warnings: Open ending, ambiguous ending, flirting, banter, teasing, established relationship, kissing.

Word count: 619

Dappled sunlight warmed your cheeks and shoulders where you sat, legs stretched out across the bench. Your book lay forgotten in your lap, gaze unfocused so the green in front of you blurred to a mass of color. 

A hand on your shoulder jolted you out of your thoughts, and you blinked as you looked up and back at Simon. He smiled at you, small but no less sincere for it. 

“Looked like you were far away,” he murmured, hand moving from your shoulder to your cheek, scarred fingers caressing your skin gently. “Where'd you go?”

“Nowhere, really.” You smiled, tipping your head into his hand, the easy act of affection making your heart swell. “Just thinking.”

Simon nodded, fingertips trailing over your skin as he walked around the bench to crouch in front of you instead. “Anything important?”

“Nope. Just how nice today is.” Your smile widened as he leaned in to kiss you, soft and sweet. 

“Anything in particular nice about it?” There was a playful lilt to his voice now, one you knew well. 

“Mmhm.” You swung your legs off the bench to one side of him, well aware of the effect your next words would have. “You're mine.” 

Immediately, his eyes darkened, and he leaned in to kiss you again, this time with a hint of teeth. You shivered in delight at the hand on the back of your neck, holding you where he wanted you. 

“My sweet girl,” he murmured when he finally pulled back. “Tryin’ to tempt me?”

“No more than usual.” You grinned, both hands landing on his shoulders, taking a moment to admire the strength and warmth of him before you got to your feet. This put your belly at eye level for him, and he took advantage by nuzzling into the fabric of your shirt before tugging at it with his teeth. You laughed, one hand scratching through his short hair. “Not outside, darling. Race you in.” 

Not giving him a chance to reply, you took off, giggling to yourself. You had a head start on him, but barely. You knew he'd be right behind you. 

You made it inside before he caught up to you, his fingers catching briefly on the back of your shirt. A silent, playful warning to keep going, that he was letting you go, letting the game continue. So you didn't stop, heading straight back to your shared bedroom, breathless with giggling and want. 

This time, Simon didn't let you escape. Firm hands closed around your waist, holding you steady even as he pulled you back against him. You oofed softly, still grinning, warm with excitement. 

“Caught you.” His lips tickled the shell of your ear, the rumble of his voice both soothing and exciting against your back. 

“So you did.” Your hands landed over his, a little thrill running down your spine at the size of his hands under yours. “And what do you plan to do with me now?” 

“I have a few ideas.” Teeth nipped the shell of your ear, just enough to make you gasp, before he urged you forward with his hands on your hips and his legs behind yours. Your heart raced in your chest at the anticipation building in your stomach, and lower.

Simon tipped you onto the bed, and you squeaked as you fell.

You woke, eyes opening to a dark, silent room. For a moment you were disoriented - everything felt wrong. 

But your seeking hand found only cold bed next to you, mussed only by your own movements in bed. 

You rolled onto your front to hide your face in your pillow, so you wouldn't have to acknowledge the tears leaving hot trails against your skin. 

[crisiscutie]

This random Sephthought about baby Jenova just hit me suddenly.

Considering the genetics of both the pregnant darling and Sephiroth, baby Jenova already has better compatibility with JENOVA cells than most. But what truly makes her exceptional was receiving the raw DNA material of her alien progenitor when she was just a mass of cells herself, much earlier than when her father Sephiroth received his dose.

Her father inadvertently followed in the steps of the mad scientist Hojo in a desperate attempt to save his pregnant darling from her degradation. Of course, if Sephiroth could, he would've used his own cells to directly inject his darling with, but his cells can't be copied. So, following from Hojo's own suggestion, he made the decision to have another child with his darling and inject the unborn child with Jenova's cells as soon as it is feasible.

It's rather interesting, since this strange pregnancy created a mutualistic relationship between the pregnant darling and baby Jenova.

I'm not entirely sure if zygotes can have material micro-injected into them, but embryos definitely can. I think Sephiroth would want to give his darling DNA as soon as possible before she succumbs to the degradation. This means baby JENOVA could've received her progenitor cells as early as the zygote stage, but the embryonic stage would work just as well, since that is when the body starts to form. Sephiroth's appearance already tells us that Jenova cells can alter phenotypes, so if baby Jenova got them earlier than him, it would have a greater effect on how she looks. Though, that stage is still so incredibly early and there is a higher risk of complications. But that's a risk Sephiroth will take since time is so crucial to darling...

And I love the idea of Sephiroth secretly feeling guilty about experimenting on his unborn child, despite his disgust for Hojo and Shinra doing the same. But his feelings for the darling overtook any morals he had...

I would seriously love it if anyone with a scientific understanding of both prenatal development and the Jenova project to add in their two cents on this post!

| Yandere Domestic AU chronology |

Christmas Kids | The Reunion is Nothing to Fear | Wait for me | A Quiet Time | Homecoming | The Crowning Moment

[littlejuicebox]

this is random, but a prompt idea that made me giggle is what if Tav wasn’t very interested in Astarion, maybe she’s from a more stoic or conservative country/realm/plane, so his flirting either went over her head or pushed her away… until she sees him sewing. Him acting ‘domestic’ immediately attracts her. Him secretly fixing Karlach’s bear, or later maybe fixing up Yenna’s clothes, makes her give him heart eyes.

Astarion, who already gave up after his flirting failed, is very confused by her sudden attention and requests for sewing lessons. For extra fun, what if post-brain she requests for lessons on sewing tiny clothes, not even realizing she’s asking how to make baby clothes—their baby’s.

Olive Branch

This is a bit different from my other work so I thought I'd give it a go! Not 100% satisfied with it, but I hope you still enjoy, anon!

Word count: 1.3K

Tags/warnings: All fluff, Astarion being Astarion lol

-----

Astarion finally gave up on seducing Tav . He’d originally pegged her as a naive, and therefore easily charmed and manipulated, cleric. Unfortunately, two weeks of wasted effort proved him wrong. She’d barely spoken or paid attention to him and his overt advances at all. 

Any attempts to entrance her with aggressive flirtation or the allure of his sexual wiles seemed to have an opposite effect. In fact, Tav would always gravitate more towards Wyll and Gale and preferred to avoid him almost entirely.

He couldn’t be the issue, of course. He was gorgeous, witty, and made it quite clear he was experienced in bed. He was the man of anyone’s dreams; he knows because he’d manufactured himself to be practically undeniable to the masses. 

So then it was obviously her… she was certainly the problem. Something about that – admittedly attractive – cleric was strange; she was oddly secretive about her goddess. The rogue couldn’t even be sure which goddess it was; Tav never referred to the deity by name.

Her apparent distaste for him was concerning, however. Just a few days back, the monster-hunter had outed him as a vampire. The entire group seemed ready to cast him aside after that, save their cleric leader. She’d granted him a moment of mercy and had been able to convince the others that he wasn’t a danger, though he felt he was on thin ice with her and everyone else. 

Astarion did not know how he was going to charm his way out of this one. And as the rogue sits in front of his tent, mulling over his options for ensuring his own security, he begins to consider that perhaps he should just suck it up and proposition Lae’zel or Gale. One of them would be sufficient, too. 

The elf is ripped from his scheming by a sudden groan of dismay from Karlach just a few tents over. When he turns to survey the scene, he sees the slouched tiefling grasping onto that stuffed bear she slept with every night, muttering something to a concerned Tav.

“Perhaps we can find a new bear, Karlach,” Tav says, frowning as she gently takes the stuffed animal from her friend and spins it around in her hand. The toy’s back seam is split apart; tufts of white stuffing spill from the opening.

Astarion instantly recognizes the issue. And the opportunity. Karlach is easily Tav’s favorite campmate – they were two sappy peas in a pod. It was likely that by offering his aid, he’d be able to win points with both the strongest member in camp and their illustrious leader, all without much effort on his part. Perfect.

“I can fix that for you, Karlach, if you’d prefer!” The rogue calls, snapping shut the book he’d been half-reading before taking a few strides toward his campmate, “It looks simple enough, wouldn’t take me more than an hour or so.”

Karlach, always the easily excitable, affable campmate, is grinning as she responds, “Really, Fangs?! You can do that?”

The silver-haired elf chuckles and then nods, taking the bear from a suspicious Tav before briefly examining it,  “Certainly. It’s nothing a simple whipstitch won’t fix.” 

And then he returns to his tent and quickly sets to work. As promised, the bear is good as new in just over an hour. 

*

Later that evening, the vampire sits close to the campfire, warming his icy skin. Apart from Tav, all his campmates had returned to their tents and since gone to sleep. The cleric was perhaps the only person that loved the fire almost as much as he did; she would often stare at it for long periods of time as if in prayer or meditation.

These nightly moments between the two of them typically passed in relative silence until one or the other dismissed themselves from the strained situation. Sometimes it felt as if they were fighting for a claim over the fire.

But tonight, Tav turns her head to stare at Astarion for a moment too long, prompting him to face in her direction with an arched eyebrow. 

“You’re quite talented at sewing,” She says, her eyes flickering across his face, examining it as if it’s brand new and not a visage she’s already known for weeks. Astarion thinks he sees her skin reddening, but then, she’s sitting remarkably close to the flames.

This olive branch is unexpected.

“Is that an actual compliment?” Astarion retorts, feigning shock and cocking his head just slightly, “I suppose I’ll take it, darling. I have to admit it’s preferable to the eye rolls and sighs you normally send my way.” 

Tav shrugs, not really refuting any of the rogue’s claims, before continuing on, “I suppose I didn’t think you had a domestic bone in your body. I misjudged you.” 

“Domestic?” Astarion asks, his tone betraying his displeasure at being called such a thing. He thinks she means to call him weak and is about to spew an insult in the cleric’s direction before she interrupts.

“I don’t mean offense,” She starts, throwing her hands up in surrender, “I apologize, I forget that isn’t always viewed as a compliment. But where I come from, domesticity is a highly favored attribute.” 

The rogue’s vitriol dies in his mouth as he assesses the woman in front of him. He can’t help it, he’s curious, so he asks, “And where do you come from, exactly?”

There is a long moment of silence. Tav heavily considers her response. And then she sighs and shrugs, “I’m from a hamlet in the Dalelands… it’s quite small, made up of no more than a few hundred. Most of us worship Hestia, the goddess of hearth and home.” 

Astarion’s eyebrows furrow as he tries to recall this goddess, but he doesn’t recognize the name.

Tav realizes Astarion has no clue what she’s talking about and visibly relaxes, “She is the goddess of hearth and home in our beliefs. Most inhabitants of the Dalelands worship Chauntea… Hestia worship is not widely accepted. It’s generally considered savagery.” 

The rogue shrugs. He really didn’t care who worshiped which god. In his eyes, all gods and goddesses were essentially the same and none of them seemed to respond anyway. Everyone was free to beg whatever deity for whatever handouts they wanted; he preferred to abstain from the practice entirely. 

“Good for you, darling, go on and worship whoever tickles your fancy,” The elf responds, turning once again to watch the fire.

Another stretch of silence, this one a bit more comfortable than any moments previous. Astarion doesn’t notice as the cleric quietly admires his profile, her eyes filled with a yearning that hadn’t ever been directed towards the vampire until now. 

After a while, Tav stands and briefly stretches her muscles. She walks a few steps toward her tent but then abruptly spins around to look at the rogue.

“Astarion?” She murmurs, her tone almost hesitant, as if she’s unsure of herself.

“Yes?” He replies, ripping his eyes away from the fire and dismissing his own thoughts to acknowledge the woman.

“Do you think you’d be able to show me how to sew like you? I only know the basics. I thought you could give me sewing lessons and I could teach you something in return… crochet or how to play the lyre, perhaps?” She asks, her hands twisting together in an anxious knot as she speaks.

The rogue nods almost imperceptibly, subtly cocking his head as he processes Tav’s sudden change in attitude toward him before responding, “Certainly, darling.”

Tav grins, and it appears almost childlike. Astarion feels the briefest flicker of affection toward the woman at her relative innocence, which is such a stark contrast to his own jaded nature.

“Okay, then. How about starting lessons tomorrow night?” She asks, still smiling, her eyes shimmering with excitement.

“Sounds like a plan,” The elf responds, and then watches with idle curiosity as Tav bids goodnight and walks away.

Astarion smiles as he returns his attention to the fire. He thinks this is a nice, simple plan; an easy way to keep himself safe in the wilds. Surely a plan as simple as this couldn't fall apart.

Right? 

[metamatar]

need your thoughts on csm and particularly part 1 now that you're caught up

I think my immediate reaction on finishing part 1 was like

loved the art, loved the characters def feel like the story has a lot further to go thematically, only really picked up for me with the reveal of the gun devil

I now think CSM's strength in the early arcs is the patience of the construction of Denji as an everyman resisting the reality that the promised capitalist horizon he imagines is a lie.

now that you can tell the horrible direction my thoughts are going in I will continue under the cut, this is so long oh god. cw: canon typical violence, sexual assault etc.

Initially the repeated invocation of wanting to kiss a girl and eat a good meal as ultimate dreams and Denji being presented as an idiot for it felt like a cheap way for readers to get to root for him in a very Naruto sort of way yk? Poor orphan boy wants a basic life. This is disrupted right from the start ofc, starting with the Himeno's assault and Makima's whole deal. I think this construction becomes more valuable in part 2 when with Nayuta there is a very intentional attempt to construct a family, where the horizon is a normality that includes saving up for college. Nayuta's resistance to some of it becomes more interesting than just jealousy or protection imo.

I think the complications of the "workplace" as it functions for Denji in part 1, living quite literally under Aki's supervision with Power invokes the very familiar team as family stuff under threat. The explicit knowledge of how he has exchanged one debtor for another is v effective especially when they take care of Power. You have him and the readers being forced to confront that purpotedly transactional relationships do not exclude the sort for the simple honesty of care we idealise. And that the care will be weaponised anyway. Aki's abortive attempt to opt out is chef's kiss.

The reveal of the use of the gun devil by nation states might functionally be the first moment Denji is forced to acknowledge the complicated incentives of the Bureau. You get to link the exploitation of people to the more obvious rot in liberal institutions. Part 2 then ratchets this up with the discourses on propaganda and mass participation.

I thought the "Killing of Makima" involving the use of the Bureau insiders led by the old man leaned a little too much on their heroism, vibes wise but I also get why narratively that needs to be done. Which is why Kobeni is so important to me lol. The art and creativity on display at the end of Part 1 was like gorging yourself on one of those early pictures of Paradise. The apartment scene could get read as Makima's personal cruelty but I think it's just making explicit the cruel seductions of modernity etc etc. As a violation of Denji esp. it is almost complete, structurally taking the form of kink and the parody of care after. Mwah.

With that, the reconciliation of Denji's past and present when his past in debt bondage is also constructed with the societal complicity about domestic violence becomes delicious. Nayuta is reborn out of a cannibalism not really done in the service of personal survival and def not out of a commitment to self sacrificing heroism.

I'm excited for Part 2, Asa esp lets you get at some of the same neuroses Denji has as a teenager but from a gendered perspective. Her relationship with Yuko is some of the strongest bit of writing about bullying and justice I have read in a while. I've enjoyed the lead up to Fami and War's apocalypse so far, but their motivations are still a little inscrutable and fallback on devils, wyd? despite their sisterhood. I think Fujimoto's focus seems to be the public discourses around devils in this arc, so thats probably why it feels like that but I'm personally always interested in all of it.

[howtofightwrite]

How big would an army of conscripts, armed with Dragunov pattern marksman rifles and iron sights, with between 1 and 3 magazines each, a radio headset that allows them to take orders on a platoon level (50 troops to be specific), and a single platoon artilleryman armed with an RPG-7 with 5 rockets, with assistance from a Mitsubishi Type 89 IFV (35mm autocannon, 7,62mm M240 pattern coaxial machine gun, tracked) and an aerial command/reconnaisance/attack/close air support aircraft, need to be to deal with an army of 1000 heavy pikemen, 50 elite knights, 200 heavy cavalry, 100 light cavalry and 200 longbowmen? The pikemen are armed with a pike and wear breastplates, pauldrons, gauntlets, a helm and chainmail. The heavy cavalry are armed with a heavy lance, a sword, cuirass and helm. Longbowmen use English yew bows and wear gambesons and a chainmail on the head. Light cavalry are armed with a spear, a short bow, and a small sword. The elite knights are armed with a heavy lance and a sword, and armoured in a full body suit of plate and horse barding, and they will move with the heavy cavalry.

Okay, so, for the record, you're not really supposed to use an SVD's iron sights. (SVD is short for “Dragunov Sniper Rifle,” so, these are formally called, “sniper rifles,” rather than just DMRs.) They were (supposed to be) issued with PSO-1 scopes. This can be a little amusing, because once you know what a PSO-1's range finder looks like, it's absolutely unmistakable, and you will see films and TV shows use them on other scopes. I bring this up, because the SVD has an effective range over 600 meters. (Specifications say it's good to almost 1.3km, but, that's very hopeful.)

However, with optics, those SVDs are going to massive out range any archer.

Your infantry have somewhere between 1k-3k packed rounds. So, if they were the only participants, they would need to be a little careful about ammo conservation. But, when you start factoring in the IFV, it doesn't matter.

This scenario isn't extraordinarily different from early battles in WWI. Where cavalry and infantry charged entrenched heavy machine gun fire, and were annihilated.

This is also a moment when the whole, “elite knight,” bit really doesn't matter. You have a minor noble, who spent almost their entire life training to be a better melee combatant. You put them in the best armor you've ever seen. And, then a bullet fired from a mass-produced sniper rifle, designed to be easily fabricated by anyone with a basic machine shop, and simple enough to be maintained by a barely literate conscript will drop them in less time than it takes to read this paragraph, before the knight even knows that someone is aiming at them.

I will say, this is a little bit of a weird combination, the Type 89 IFV, is a Japanese vehicle. The JSDF (to the best of my knowledge) has never used SVDs. These days, I think their DMR is the H&K 417. Until a few years ago, their primary infantry rifle was the Howa Type 89, which is basically a redesigned AR-18. Prior to that, they used the Howa Type 64, which was a 7.62mm battle rifle. (As far as I know, the Type 64 was domestically designed.)

The Russian/Soviet equivalent to the Type 89 IFV would be the BTR-80. As with the SVD, because it's a Romanized translation, BTR stands for, “armored carrier.” Somewhat obviously, these don't work particularly well if they're not maintained, or if the motor pool Sargent is stripping them for spare parts and siphoning gas to sell on the black market, because the government hasn't paid any of you in six months, but it's still going to have a fairly similar effect on those elite knights from the 11thcentury.

The 50 SVD rifles is weird. Full stop. It's a specialist weapon, not a general infantry weapon. In a situation like that, you'd expect to see conscripts armed with AKMs or AK74s, maybe a few SVDs and RPKs.

Now, if you were looking at a contemporary NATO unit from the 60s or 70s, then, yes, you would likely see battle rifles like the M14, FN FAL, or H&K G3. And, when you're describing using an SVD's iron sights, that's more how you have used one of those cold war era battle rifles. Also, while those rifles do have automatic settings, they're intended for semi-automatic fire.

If you're wondering why I'm not even addressing things like the areal support or the RPG, it's because they really don't matter that much. Areal reconnaissance means never having to wonder where the enemy forces are, but basically anything on this list except the RPG, could probably deal with all of the enemy forces on their own. Stacking them together would be absolutely devastating.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think you could use pretty much any modern IFV as a one-size-fits-all siege breaker if they're dealing with medieval forces.

When you're looking at modern military forces time traveling into the past, the biggest logistical issue is long term depletion of supplies. There isn't really a question of, “who's going to win? A guy with a rifle that's effective at a range of over a 1km, or 10 guys with pointy sticks. The issue is what happens in six months, or a year, when there's only three or four rounds left for that rifle on the planet, and, there won't be any more for another six hundred years.

-Starke

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[justinspoliticalcorner]

Alex Nowrasteh at The UnPopulist:

Donald Trump’s first mention of illegal immigration in his speech accepting the Republican Party’s nomination for president was how he turned to look at a chart of border chaos at the exact right moment to avoid a bullet fired by would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks that grazed his ear instead of killing him. Other than his account of surviving an attempt on his life—the most serious one against a sitting president or candidate since John Hinckley Jr. shot President Reagan in 1981—his acceptance speech was pure Trump: Part rambling, funny, boring, and focused on his favorite subject: complaining about illegal immigration and crime. [...]

Trump’s speech focused on some heinous crimes committed by illegal immigrants, like the murders of Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston, Rachel Morin in Maryland, and Laken Riley in Georgia. These criminals should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, just like all criminals should be. But they offer no justification for Trump’s plan to launch the “largest deportation operation in the history of our country” if reelected.

Such a brutal domestic campaign would likely raise—not lower—crime rates. Why?

For starters, undocumented immigrants are less likely to be criminals than native-born Americans. The best data on this comes from the conservative border state of Texas, which is the only state that keeps decent statistics on criminality by immigration status. Undocumented immigrants were 37% less likely to be convicted of homicide in Texas than native-born Americans in 2022, the last year for which reliable data are available. Legal immigrants are 63% less likely to be convicted of homicide. Those patterns are similar for all crimes in the state, but those are less reliable. Immigrants are coming to the U.S., and some of them are criminals, but they are bringing less crime than if they behaved like native-born Americans.

One counterargument is that illegal immigrants commit many crimes, but they aren't convicted because they flee back across the border. This is unlikely because police clearance rates, the percentage of crimes solved by police resulting in an arrest, are no lower in states with many undocumented immigrants for homicide and other violent or property crimes. If illegal immigrants were committing many more crimes than they were being convicted of, police clearance rates would be lower in states with many illegal immigrants—but they’re not. But there are two other ways that a mass deportation campaign would backfire and likely raise crime rates.

One: It would redirect state, local, and federal law enforcement toward identifying and removing illegal immigrants rather than solving or deterring real crimes. Locations that aggressively enforce federal immigration laws don’t experience a lower crime (but most of those areas have small populations of illegal immigrants, so the negative effects on other criminal law enforcement wouldn't necessarily show up because massive resources don’t have to be diverted away from prosecuting other crimes). Two: Simply by removing undocumented immigrants who, as a population, are less crime-prone than native-born Americans, the nationwide crime rate would be higher than it otherwise would be. The deportation campaign wouldn’t necessarily expose any individual residing in the U.S. to a greater risk of being a victim of a crime, but, the point is, it wouldn't Make America Safe Again.

Donald Trump’s mass deportation proposals are not only fascistic and immoral, but it also won’t make America any safer and also waste finite police resources.

Such proposals are based on the myth that undocumented immigrants commit crimes at rates higher than US citizens. The opposite is true.

In fact, these proposals are lunacy in leagues with the internment of the Japanese-Americans during WWII.

[gravity-barbie]

Christmas with the Sparrows HCs

Request

The Sparrows getting you for secret Santa

Masterlist

Marcus Hargreeves

-Marcus doesn’t have much interest in Christmas, he’s publicly partaken in a few of its traditions to pay lip service to the masses, but he doesn’t have a personal attachment to it and wouldn’t be celebrating if it wasn’t for you

-But he’s more than willing to humor you, and with all that practice he can play the part pretty well, he’s the dream plus-one for any activity you have lined up (assuming it’s not one so public that you’ll be swarmed by fans), genuinely trying to have fun and enjoy your time togethe

-He actually really enjoys some of the more private moments, helping you decorate around the academy, cozying up with Christmas cookies and a movie to match, he could really get used to the domesticity of it all

-By the end of the day he isn’t smitten with the holiday by any stretch, but for the first time he sees how someone could be, he doesn’t say anything but he’s looking forward to whatever you have in store next year

Ben Hargreeves

-Ben’s done a few Christmas bar crawls, but other than that he’s a grinch through and through, all the things the holiday supposedly stands for like ‘family & joy’ just touch on a deep resentment inside of him

-But never let it be said that he doesn’t do anything for you, because though he complains every step of the way, he will indulge your festive whims, be it accompanying you to some of the city’s various Christmas displays or letting you decorate his room

-Despite his issues with every other part of Christmas, he goes gift shopping willingly and he splurges, to him this Christmas is a failure if he doesn’t give you the best gift you���ve ever gotten

-The longer the celebration goes on (and the more he drinks) he can’t help but have some fun, it might not be the Christmas spirit that he has, but it’s always a miracle to see that uninhibited side of Ben

Fei Hargreeves

-Fei doesn’t really dislike Christmas but she doesn’t get the big deal either, so if anything the fact that you celebrate it intrigues her, and she’d like to learn more from you

-Because of that she’s like the little helper to your Santa, if you want to decorate or bake something festive than she’s your right hand man, and it’s a blessing to have someone as competent as her help you, she makes your little seasonal hobbies look professional quality

-She loves your enthusiasm for the holiday, she’s generally bogged down with a lot of cynicism and negativity in her daily life so all your joy and positivity is a wonderful break from that

-By the end you think you’ve really won her over on Christmas, as she’s arguably becoming more invested than you, but really you could be doing anything you’re excited about together and have the same effect

Alphonso Hargreeves

-Alphonso is pretty half-hearted about Christmas, having never properly celebrated it before, but he’s easy enough to win over

-More of a homebody, he can only handle so many holiday outings, but indoors he’s down for whatever, you can dress him up in a Santa hat and tinsel scarf if you want

-Kind of like a kid, he really only focuses on the the material aspects of the holiday like presents and decorations, which he has more fun with than he thought he would, especially when he’s with you

-He isn’t the best at choosing presents so any help you could lend him there is much appreciated (and for your own sake that help should extend to his gift for you too), you could even make a fun day of it

Sloane Hargreeves

-Sloane is so excited to finally have someone to enjoy Christmas with, she wants to hear all about your experiences with the holiday, and start celebrating as soon as December starts

-She packs in as many activities into the month as possible, you name it, she’s planned it, looking at Christmas lights, ice skating, baking… and doing it all in matching ugly Christmas sweaters

-While not high maintenance per se, she does have high expectations for the holiday and your role in it, and while she tries to brush it off if anything falls short, her disappointment seeps through and is absolutely heart wrenching

-But when it comes to Christmas Day she’s still the best person alive to spend it with, a shining Ray of joy and love that could melt even the coldest Grinch’s heart

Jayme Hargreeves

-Jayme’s not into Christmas, or most holidays really, but she especially dislikes the way everyone obsesses over this one, if it was anyone but you trying to get her to celebrate she’d hiss at them at best

-She sets some ground rules, like no silly outfits or around the clock Christmas music, and so on before she agrees, but if you really wanted to you could eventually talk her into any of those things

-She’s helpful enough despite her disinterest, she goes out and gets (steals) you as much supplies like decorations or baking ingredients as you need, and speaking of baking she’s always down to be your taste tester

-The thing she most dreads is some kind of festive social gathering, so to meet her half way, you decide to stay in for a Christmas movie marathon, which she actually really enjoys, she doesn’t like the entertainment (spare a couple of campy Christmas-horror movies you threw in to humor her) but the rest of the evening is perfect

Christopher Hargreeves

-Christopher got mistaken for a Christmas light one year and his heart shrank three sizes

-Actually he’s a good sport about celebrating, eager to explore experiences he missed out on being raised the way he was, he suggests just as many (if not more) activities and traditions to try as you do

-He’s quite thoughtful when it comes to gift giving, he has a lot of affection that he can often struggle to express, so he wants to choose something that really conveys how much you mean to him, likewise he also dutifully gets all his siblings something they’ll love

-He would rather stay in on Christmas Day, and really focus on the love and togetherness that it’s meant to stand for, honestly he’d like his whole family to be present but he knows better than to push his luck there, besides you’re more than enough for him

[minggukieology]

I'm curious about what the perception is of Jimin in S.K. I find him to be different type of idol that would be more appealing to a broader fanbase because of his modern dance and his brand appeal. Specifically talking about those who are not really into the kpop scene and wouldn't identify as army. What was the reaction to the fandance? the mma solo I need you? jimin being the one lifted for black swan with JK? or is it maybe another member that the general public(outside the fanbase) in s.k. talk about the most

Hi, thanks a lot for your message!

I am fairly certain Jimin has the most consistent brand awareness stats out of all the members. Not only internationally, he became one of the elites of the idol world already a few years back among Koreans too. His uniquely doll like face, his overall physique and breathtaking stages he put on over the years that made him go viral have definitely been building up his name and reputation among broader masses. His fan dance had a ripple effect not only in the entertainment world but also among Korean governmental institutions, which they even ended up awarding him for. His MMA I need you stage was another viral, worldwide moment and the amount of views on the fancams only proves how magical of a performance it was. The Black Swan moment became another hot topic, where lots of netizens praised them, their artistry and chemistry, commenting on how unique and beautiful this move was. And each time he goes viral on different Korean forums, he of course gets in the spotlight of a wider and wider audience than just the fanbase, effectively building up a reputation of an exceptional idol. Plus the amount of new gen idols that mention him as their inspiration can also tell you just how well beloved he is in the industry and in general.

((I would personally add also Jimin and Hobi's stage from MAMA 2016. It was such an iconic performance a few years later I found myself at a k-pop concert of a quite famous group (not gonna specify further but they are internationally well known), and one of their stages was a literal copy paste of that dance 😅))

My personal experience from Korea is that Jimin's birthday was by far the busiest I have ever seen. The amount of people visiting the cafe events and all the other amazing projects was mindblowing and in my opinion the most intense out of all the members. I never had any doubt because I'd watched Jimin go viral almost every second day for years but that just reassured me in my perception.

Jimin is the face of k-pop both domestically and internationally. I urge you to not give in to falsehoods of some losers on Twitter that are trying to weaken the perception of others of just how impactful his name really is. I say this almost every time but remember Twitter ≠ real world. And even more so, it is not representative of Korean internet or Korean general public at all.

[notwiselybuttoowell]

...The disillusionment is all the keener because Biden defied expectations early in his White House term, signing landmark legislation to alleviate poverty and tackle the climate crisis that thrilled his progressive wing. But with an election looming, critics say, he is gravitating back towards his comfort zone in the centre ground, and his refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza has caused particular fury.

“Progressives in the movement were pleasantly surprised to see President Biden push on a lot of domestic progressive priorities that we have been calling for,” said Usamah Andrabi, communications director of the progressive group Justice Democrats. “But without question he has erased much of that progress with his continued support for a genocide that’s happening at the hands of a far-right Israeli government.”

Biden, 81, was long perceived as a middle-of-the-road moderate, representing Delaware for 36 years in the Senate before serving as Barack Obama’s vice-president. He came under scrutiny for a cosy relationship with the banking sector, his role in drawing up a 1994 crime bill that ushered in an era of mass incarceration and his failure to protect witness Anita Hill during Clarence Thomas’s supreme court confirmation hearing.

Yet once Biden reached the White House in 2021, he proved more ambitious than many expected. He appointed progressives to his administration, the most diverse in history, and the first Black woman – Ketanji Brown Jackson – to the supreme court, along with numerous judges of colour. He gained further credit on the anti-war left by pulling US troops out of Afghanistan after two decades.

The coronavirus pandemic invited him to turn a crisis into an opportunity. Biden delivered trillions of dollars to boost domestic manufacturing, invest in infrastructure and combat the climate crisis. His lifelong support of trade unions came to the fore. A Wall Street Journal column, arguing that he would effectively run for a re-election in 2024 as a democratic socialist, offered the headline: “Joe Biden Is Bernie Sanders.”

But there were seeds of discontent. Some observers felt Biden could have used different tools to fulfill his promise of widespread student loan forgiveness, a plan ultimately struck down by the supreme court. There was disappointment that he did not use his bully pulpit more effectively to push Congress to pass police reform and voting rights legislation. Biden also received criticism for fist-bumping the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who approved the 2018 assassination of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Even on climate, critics say, his record remains decidedly mixed. The Inflation Reduction Act directs $394bn to clean energy, the biggest such investment in history, and just last month the president ordered a pause on exports of liquefied natural gas, hailed as “a watershed moment” by activist and author Bill McKibben.

Yet Biden also approved the Willow oil-drilling project in a remote part of northern Alaska. Indeed, he has rubber stamped more oil and gas drilling permits on federal land than Donald Trump at the same stage of his presidency. US oil production reached an all-time high last year.

Stevie O’Hanlon, spokesperson for climate-focused youth group Sunrise Movement, said: “The way that Joe Biden is acting right now, if it continues for the next nine months, is a recipe for him losing millions of votes from young people and losing the election.

“So many young people have been frustrated with Biden for approving new fossil fuel projects. His administration has made some important shifts around Fema [Federal Emergency Management Agency] rules, for instance, around air pollution. But while he’s making these steps forward, he’s also taking these really loud steps back that honestly made many young people more disillusioned with him than less.”

Last month progressives condemned Biden’s decision to launch retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. They argued that he violated the constitution by not seeking congressional approval first and was breaking his promise to keep America out of intractable wars in the Middle East.

Meanwhile the president threw his weight behind a bipartisan Senate bill to tighten border security – and send military aid to Israel and Ukraine – which would severely curtail migration and limit asylum in a way that broke a campaign promise. Biden even adopted Republican language, saying he would “shut down the border” when he was given the authority to do so.

Andrabi of Justice Democrats said of the bill, which failed in the Senate: “We saw Biden work with mostly Republicans and Kyrsten Sinema, who has left the Democratic party, zero Hispanic caucus members, zero border state Democrats to craft a Trump-like Republican anti-immigration bill that Republicans were never going to vote for.

“To prove what? Maybe that he’s willing to treat migrant families like Trump did, as long as it comes with funding for war. That’s not sufficient. That is not progressive. That is not even core Democratic.”

But nothing has done more to drive a wedge between Biden and the left than the war in Gaza triggered by Hamas’s attacks in Israel on 7 October that left 1,200 people dead and more than 240 taken hostage. He championed Israel’s right to defend itself and only gradually voiced concerns about its rightwing government’s destructive military campaign that has killed more than 27,000 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory.

A recent NBC News poll found 15% of voters under 35 approve of Biden’s handling of the war while 70% disapprove. Protesters disrupted his speech at Mother Emanuel AME Church in South Carolina as the president spoke out against racism, at a United Auto Workers gathering in Washington and at a political event in Columbia, South Carolina. It is a vivid schism as the president, already facing concerns over his age, gears up for a hard fought race for the White House.

Norman Solomon, national director of RootsAction.org, said: “A lot of independents and Democrats are sickened in a gut punch sort of a way. Biden is so out of touch with the base that he absolutely will need this fall to be re-elected. Young people are more politicised and more energised than ever before and some of these Gaza demonstrations are propelled by young people turning out. They’re just disgusted with Biden and it didn’t have to be this way.”

The backlash threatens Biden’s chances of re-election, not because progressives will switch from him to likely opponent Trump in decisive numbers, but because a sliver might choose to sit out the election or turn to a third party candidate such as Cornel West – potentially enough to make all the difference in Michigan and other swing states in the electoral college.

Jeremy Varon, a history professor at the the New School for Social Research in New York, said: “Part of me thinks that Biden has basically given up on reassembling on the Obama coalition and decided that the number that they lose among progressives and the young they will make up with [Nikki] Haley Republicans, moderates and independents.

“Since there’s no meaningful primary, he doesn’t have to appeal to the base. All of that makes for a campaign where he’s going to run to the centre and progressives are going to feel very much in the wilderness.”

For the third election in a row, progressives are confronted with the argument that a vote for anyone but the Democratic nominee is effectively a vote for Trump, a man who has demonised immigrants, vowed to shut down the border immediately and resume construction of a border wall. There is no reason to believe that he would urge Israel to exercise restraint in Gaza.

A dulling of the early optimism about Biden’s progressivism may have been inevitable as the presidential election loomed. When Republicans won the House in the 2022 midterm elections, the window of opportunity for sweeping legislation slammed shut. The war in Ukraine has consumed huge time and resources. The cracks between Biden and a younger generation over Israel were always there but it took the Hamas attack to bring them to the surface.

Matt Bennett, an executive vice-president of the centrist thinktank Third Way, describes Biden as a moderate by disposition who believes in compromise. “He’s governed the way he promised he would when he ran for president, the way he has always portrayed himself, which is somebody who’s at the centre of the Democratic electorate,” he said.

“He’s not on the liberal fringe; he is not a conservative Democrat. He’s always navigated to about the middle point of where the party is. That’s why he got there before Obama did on marriage equality, famously, because he saw where the party was headed and that’s where he has steered quite successfully as president. No one’s going to be happy with him all the time but most Democrats should appreciate that he’s done an extraordinarily good job.”

But Andrabi of Justice Democrats is less sanguine. He warns that Biden is failing to follow the will of the voters who elected him – and could pay a price.

He said: “It’s imperative that the Biden administration and Democratic leadership listen to those voters who are screaming at the top of their lungs in rallies, in meetings, everywhere they go that the current state of the Biden administration’s policies in Gaza, on immigration, on climate change is insufficient for core bases of their voters that got President Biden elected, that got Democrats a majority in the Senate and that is going to be crucial to getting Democrats to flip the House.

“But they’re not listening and lip service is not going to convince anyone when what we are seeing on the other side is nearly 30,000 dead Palestinians, let alone the ongoing existential crisis of climate change or an immigration system that is broken and their solution is to criminalise more folks. None of these are what the core base of the Democratic voters support.”

[miraculous-rewrite]

Miraculous World - Tokyo

Alright guys, let's return-

To the world of Miraculous Rewrite

We start on the watery light of morning, filtered through a paned window. Little dust motes reflecting the dim sunlight and sliding to the side until we see a mass of black hair. Two young women looking very much like young adults, college students at a guess, are tangled up in a nice looking (but not overly fancy) bed. One has short hair mussed with sleep, the other has even shorter in a rumpled undercut. They’re both still asleep. A bit of rummaging breaks the relative silence and we pan over to see a young man with long, tangled blonde hair buttoning up a dress shirt. The silver ring glints on his finger, thinner and less blocky than we remember the old one looking. A flash of black catches his eye and he focuses on the little cat Kwami floating down to sit on his shoulder, yawning. “Morning already?” Plagg yawned. “I was just having the most wonderful dream of swimming in a sea of melted camembert.” Adrien rolls his eyes with a small grin. “Geez, discorperated and recorperated for the first time in centuries and you never once changed your tune about cheese, huh?”

“Cheese is eternal.” Plagg huffed. But Adrien continues to get ready. “You know I don’t even know why you’re getting ready, don’t you wanna be in there with the loves of your life?”

“If you wanna go back to your nest with Tikki and go back to sleep with her you can just do that.” Adrien responds patiently. “It’s just breakfast, you can join me later.”

Plagg doesn’t even wait; he's immediately darted back over toward the Kwami nests and snuggling back up to Tikki.

Adrien looks back at Marinette and Kagami, both still sleeping soundly and smiles, he places a hand on the side of the bed and gives them both a couple of gentle smooches before leaving. 

We follow Adrien through the halls and come to see that this is a pretty big house, assumedly a new Agreste Manor. 

Sure enough when he ends up in the kitchen area, Emilie is sitting on the countertop, legs crossed and nursing a mug of coffee. She’s still in her pajamas but she’s wearing Nooroo’s broach like a pendant. The Kwami in question has a shot glass also full of coffee he’s working on. 

“Morning Maman.” Adrien walks up and gives his mom a peck on the cheek, before opening the fridge and getting started on breakfast. “Is Father still asleep?”

“You know he is. That man is a night owl to his core.” she shook her head and peeked over Adrien’s shoulder to see what he was making. "So remind me how it works again?"

Adrien shrugged. "Tell me one thing Hawkmoth did that wasn't solved within a few hours that he could be tried for legally in court? The legal definition of terrorism includes that it's used for political gains, so the emotional effect of being Hawkmoth not having a political leaning makes that negligable, any harm to person or property was undone by Miraculous Ladybug, and the only lasting damages done were done at the hands of the Old Order in the final battle, in the fight of which Father was on our side. There's no legal precedent for supervillains. And..." Adrien shrugged.

"I dunno, it would feel wrong at that point 'civic duty' or not. it was a battle of Miraculouses, so Among Miraculous wielders it should stay."

"You know in a way it doesn't feel real... how much different things have been since... everything... My husband was a supervillain my boy was a superhero, and i started all of it for using a broken Miraculous..."

"Maman, it's not your fault, you didn't know. we all made out decisions. Father made his choices, I made mine, and we chose to mend what happened. And let me tell you- it feels MUCH different now that it's over. Now that we can- you know... have a chance at being REAL..."

The domestic scene continues just a moment longer as we get caught up on where everyone is at in life. 

Adrien is actually working at the Bakery with the Dupain-Chengs, though today he was going with Sabine to look over a new deal with one of their suppliers, Marinette was getting her label off the ground and had been up to her eyeballs recently in commissions, to the point where Gabriel had been ‘lightly advising’ that she might want to consider forming a team to keep up with demand, and how hard it was to listen to him despite his actual professional experience. Kagami was practically physically fighting her mother over not having to go to university in Tokyo. Kenji wanted to stay in France and there was some weird thing about her grandparents wanting one of their grandkids to be nearby soon, and since he was older Kenji had seniority on decisions over his own life. 

But before too long they’re joined by Marinette and Kagami shuffling out down the hallway, Kagami more bleary eyed and annoyed than Marinette, who looks strikingly perky. 

“Let me tell you, life as Marinette got way easier the SECOND it wasn’t just me and Adrien doing patrols.” Marinette says in lieu of greeting, sitting on the place at the counter that Emilie vacated earlier. She yawns and stretches, and right when Kagami sits at the kitchen table, thunking her head down she hops off the counter to grab the coffee maker. She pours a mug, and then retrieves a glass of juice. Marinette offers Kagami the coffee and sips at the juice herself. “Hey Adrien, you know I know you’re excited about working for Maman and Baba but you don’t HAVE to do all the cooking, you can just wake me up with you sometimes.” Adrien shrugs, finishing the breakfast spread right as Gabriel eventually comes in, rolling up in a wheelchair with a tablet on his lap. 

Breakfast is served and Adrien shrugs. “I’m still figuring myself out Mari, Come on, I spent most of my childhood in a job I kinda hated and being a superhero too, I need some time for self expression! Besides, I love providing for my most favoritest people in the world… and Father too I guess.” Gabriel shoots him a dry look over his own coffee.

A beeping noise interrupts the quiet breakfast and Kagami groans, pulling out her phone and checking the email. “Ugh… this stupid reunion…” 

“It’s an excuse to go to Japan and check out that thing-” Marinette chimes in and Kagami doesn’t look any less upset about it, even as she digs back into her food. 

“I know, But the last time my family had a reunion my mother was so stressed out she became a giant spider monster.” Gabriel cringes, but Kagami plows on. “And I KNOW my grandparents are gonna try and get me to go to Uni in Tokyo, and I can’t exactly explain to them that just having my relationship in France isn’t the only reason I want to stay here. I can’t just say that I’m a superhero. Not to them at least.”

“You know, I was wielding a magic item before any of you-” Emilie brings up “and I’d never seen anything quite like the amount of magical phenomena that’s been cropping up ever since I woke up, Miraculous or no.”

“Alya has a theory-” Marinette responds. “Something about the Final battle might have caused a lot of supernatural things to get a bit of a ‘soft reset’ so weird shit is gonna start popping up because of it. The Combination of Total Destruction puts a lot of strain on the magic balance of the universe.”

“It couldn’t have helped that a Miraculous Wish was used right after.” Adrien added on, and Gabriel cringes again. “We still doing that team meeting today to divvy up what we’ve found?”

“Yeah, Chloe and Amber seem really confident about that one in the states, and Alya’s agreed to not bring up that ‘Maybe’ that's in New York until she’s got confirmation, so the others need to be up to date on what might be going on there.”

“Try not to get punched in the face by the flour guy again,” Kagami added on “if one of the illustrious leaders shows up with a black eye from something stupid again they’ll never let you live it down.”

“Hey if I didn’t tank it for Marinette’s mom last time Sabine would have actually killed him before he could land the blow.”

“I’m thankful Maman didn’t have to actually commit murder last time, yes.” Marinette agreed with a sort of playful eye roll. “It’d look bad if a superhero’s parent got put in prison.” “I’m sitting right here.” Gabriel adds on with another dry look

“We know.” All three young adults answer in unison. 

Emilie laughs. 

“Good thing you weren’t Hawkmoth, right? Just heroically aided the team when the Ram Miraculous was left nearby and Hawkmoth and Monarcha ran off with the Old Order.” Adrien added in. Though Gabriel looks more generally uncomfortable, and for a moment the mood goes a bit somber at the reminder of everything that had happened at the end of the war expanded in audience beyond what was before. 

But then Kagami stands. “Well, that’s enough reminiscing I think. Time to focus on more important matters, namely all of these phenomena that HAVE been popping up regardless of HOW they’ve been. The others should all be filing into the base soon. I say we should get dressed and head them off.”

She begins to walk off gesturing for her partners to follow her and Adrien digs into the rest of his breakfast while Marinette downs the last of her juice. “Fair enough” Emilie shrugs as the kids all begin to rush to get ready.

We see a few clips of the three of them getting ready bobbing and weaving around each other during morning routines as the Kwamis buzz around to help or do their own morning rituals. Tikki, Plagg, and Lonng eventually settling on their respective wielder’s shoulders each as once clothes are straightened out and such, Adrien rushes forward and shouts “race ya!” to which Marinette takes up with a playful laugh. And Kagami huffs and grins too, but doesn’t seem immediately to go with. Adrien tears past a couple of other bedrooms in this mansion, a door opening and Felix and Bridgitte both poking their heads out, Felix’s hair still rumpled with sleep and a sour look on his face. When Adrien turns to the stairs Max is just walking out of a room, tapping something on a laptop and looking like he didn’t sleep at all. 

A couple more heads poke out of rooms as Adrien tears through with Marinette at his heels, showing that while maybe everyone doesn’t LIVE together, they all do have rooms here when they’re wanted/needed, and some will drop in to spend the night at times. Especially with early morning meetings such as these. 

Marinette barely pulls the lead when they both cram into a storage room and slams her hand onto a hidden panel. It scans HER hand first and she grins triumphantly at him. Adrien pouts for a moment but when the false wall opens to reveal an elevator behind it Kagami is already waiting inside said elevator for the both of them. 

“Frankly that was a little insulting to challenge me so…” she’s looking at her nails as if in one of those ‘so bored nothing else to do’ type things. 

Marinette laughs, Adrien pouts even further. “Hey! You cheated! You totally turned into wind to get in here faster!”

“Don’t be silly, Lonng doesn’t allow for such misuse of his power…” 

“She bribed me.” Lonng responds without missing a beat, and sure enough her Kwami was already snacking again, now on what looks to be some sort of hard candy. 

The two leaders of the team stare at Kagami for a moment, before she leans forward and pecks both of them on the cheeks. “Forgiven?”

“For now.” Adrien responds immediately, while Marinette adopts a more mischievous expression, and the blonde steps out of the way. 

Kagami only has a moment to brace herself before her girlfriend lunges at her and the doors of the elevator shut. When they open again, it’s in the basement of the new mansion, revealing their base of operations and another door nearby. The wielder of the Dragon Miraculous is currently taking breaths in between a barrage of tickling from the designer, while Adrien whistles in the background, keeping his hands up as he exits the elevator. 

As he does so, the door opens, revealing wine bottles lining shelves; a secret door, and out steps Chloe, who raises one eyebrow at the scene in the elevator and looks to her childhood friend. He, in response, mouths “don’t ask.” 

Now it’s Chloe’s turn to roll her eyes. But still she passes by the scene with little commentary. 

The new base, far less conspicuous than at the bottom of a hotel where many employees could possibly stumble into, is clearly state of the art. The Agreste fortune put to good use, as much like the base before it’s a meeting place slash training room slash kitchen area. But now without the back room for temporary sleeping location. Still comfortable, and Max’s super computer setup is still cozy in the corner, but more… ‘this is a base for SUPERHEROES’ instead of ‘this is a really cool clubhouse for a bunch of scared teenagers’

Also there’s an entire wall that’s just lined with little areas for the Kwamis to hang out, a more put together version of the old Kwami hideaway that used to be in the rafters of the old base. 

In the center of a small ring of chairs and couches is at the moment a large map with various thumbtacks in various places, clearly a sort of color coded system to mark strange happenings.

Slowly people start to trickle in, varying levels of sleep deprivation, chief among them being Alya, who’s balancing two coffee cups on top of her laptop as she walks in, and Nino is walking just behind her in case of an emergency. 

Amber is seen in the kitchenette area getting a couple of coffee’s ready for others as she makes her own caffeinated monstrosity. Chloe making a disgusted face and pointedly taking from a different pot, clearly the decaffeinated one, and ends up settling down in a loveseat, when Luka joins her she throws her legs over his lap and leans in, clearly they’re still a couple.

As Marinette scans around the space, waiting until the last person trickles in, she counts heads. “Well with Sun Min and all of them still in Shanghai, that's... basically everyone” 

Despite the Kwamis having a wall for their hangout space, there were still rafters, it was a familiar thing for everyone, and it felt right to keep them, especially for how they could be useful in training. Or, in this instance…

“Shouldn’t you have more spacial awareness, Miss Ladybug?” The former member of the Old Order drops down from above, hanging by his legs until he’s in front of Marinette’s face; she trips over her feet and flops directly on top of both Adrien and Kagami, before glaring at the man. “A-Fei and Eun-ji wanted to stay behind in Shanghai, keep an eye on things, but updates are updates.”

Kim grins slightly and raises a hand for a high five, to which Sun Min heartily provides. 

But eventually everyone’s here, or everyone that CAN be here is here and Marinette calls the meeting into order. 

Basically, what we learn is an extrapolation on what we already knew. That the world has had a sort of ‘magical reset’ of a kind after Tsering Wan’s Total Destruction Combination and Gabriel’s Wish back to back. Essentially all dormant magical energies are beginning to resurface. And- as we all know, the Old Older were many in number, and from what little they’d figured out from the old masters there were undiscovered Miraculous in the western world that the Old Order had been explicitly planning on getting hold of.

Alix raises a hand and asks if they’re going to basically be globe trotting to keep an eye on things then, and Adrien makes a sort of ‘kind of’ gesture with his hand. “We’re going to have to start out small at first, there are a few magical phenomena we can fully confirm are Miraculouses and we’re definitely going to make sure we can get hold of those before the Old Order can start some sort of ‘second war’ or something, or at least make allies with those who found them first, but we don’t want to like- send someone all the way to Mexico and find out it’s just a chupacabra or something…”

So Marinette breaks down what they’ve found so far and can confirm. Turns out, not a lot. They only have two fully confirmed Miraculous. A superhero line that seemed to be passed on along generations in the United States, a city on the west coast called San Francisco, and strange sightings of an animal themed magic user in Tokyo.

Alya looks about to physically restrain herself from mentioning New York, though someone (Rose) points out the green thumbtack on the east coast of the US and Alya has to grab Nino’s shoulder and lightly scream into it to keep herself in order. 

“Green is for maybe, and Alya doesn’t have enough to work with beyond hearsay.” Marinette answered easily. 

“Sun Min, how’s Shanghai doing?”

“Not well.” He answers simply and while he was standing before he hops to sit on the arm of the couch. “We’re basically safeguarding the temple that the others left when they went to invade here and there’s only so many times A-Fei can put someone to sleep with Tranquii before it’s clear we need a new strategy. I’m… pretty sure they want to bring Miss Sancour into the old training grounds to try and get her into Tsering Wan’s old position, or at least fast track her into a higher ranked Warrior.”

“So she’s the one you think they gave the Scorpion to after Misso vanished with the others?”

“It wouldn’t surprise me. Either her or Master Lian.”

“Yeah, not exactly ideal…” Chloe huffed and Luka makes a small noise of agreement. 

A few things are decided there. Sun Min, Yun Eun-Ji and Wu Fei were going to need some backup eventually. And others were going to be sent toward investigations. Chloe and Amber were being assigned to San Francisco, Alya and Nino were to be on standby in case New York turns up anything, Adrien Marinette and Kagami would be investigating Tokyo, and Felix and Bridgitte would be heading back to Shanghai with Sun Min. Alix, Max, Kim, Rose, Juleka and Luka were all staying in Paris for sure to hold the fort, Luka in specific put in charge of the rest of them.

The group splits off into the usual smaller cliques, discussing their plans. Kitty Section has some recording work to do, a lot of the group are starting to consider university, and Alya is practically begging Max to let her use his computer to see if she can find any information on his system that her crummy laptop can’t (“Alya that’s not how it works” “She’s running on negative sleep, dude, she can’t hear you.”).

Watching everyone begin to make plans, Chloe on the phone with her father, Amber on the phone with an airport, and all of that good stuff, Kagami turns to the other two in ‘her party’ and asks if they’re both okay with this. She knows that she’s the only one of the three of them that speaks Japanese so…

Adrien lets out an excited “YES!” and while Marinette HAD been about to give a more measured response both her and Kagami jump and look at him. 

“Our first time trying out being a couple was with Marinette’s family in Shanghai! Now we get to be an established couple for YOUR family reunion! This is gonna be WILD!”

“More like One of you will be Kagami’s significant other and you’ll have to figure out some other excuse for the third one to be there too because a traditional family like Kagami’s won’t be down for polyamory-” Kim chimed in near immediately, only to get smacked once by Alix. “What? It’s true! I’ve got traditional family back in Ha Noi, they can be real fucking awful… Most still aren’t down for same sex relationships at ALL let alone ‘both of them at the same time’ relationships…”

“No Kim’s right, as much as that stings to say.” Kagami huffed. “We’re going to have to figure something out to tell my family if you two want to come with me…” 

“Well, would they be more pleased with a French boyfriend, or a French-Chinese girlfriend?” Marinette asks, and all three know the answer. 

“This is Adrien, my boyfriend and our mutual friend Marinette don’t ask any questions.” Kagami huffed through gritted teeth. “I already hate this.”

“Uggghhhh!” Adrien groaned and folded his arms. “How am I supposed to be allowed to be as lovey Dovey with Kagami as I please and not be allowed to show Marinette any love? This feels illegal.”

Marinette is already about as red as a tomato. Adrien’s playful pout becomes a wicked grin. “Though- you know what that might mean Kagami?” Kagami narrows her eyes and Adrien glances significantly at Marinette and she realizes what he’s getting at. 

“Perhaps I do… tell me anyway though…?”

“It just means that we’re gonna have to love Marinette EXTRA hard to make up for the time we’re gonna lose!”

“If you three are about to make out I would kindly ask that you get a goddamn room before we all have to vacate on our respective missions as soon as possible.” Chloe chimes out.

“Yeah I’m gonna puke” Alix agrees. 

It’s here that the cold open ends and the Miraculous World Theme begins. 

When the theme song ends and the episode resumes, we’ve skipped ahead to an airport, specifically the arrival bay of a Tokyo airport. Kenji and Tomoe are taking the lead, while the three heroes are in the back. Adrien and Marinette are both a bit more distracted, glancing out the windows at what they can gleam of the city from beyond them, while Kagami is keeping a firm grip on both their hands to keep them from falling behind. 

A car is waiting for the family outside, though a limo would be more accurate.

“I don’t understand how you two have so much energy after THAT much flying….” She mutters tiredly, to which Adrien responds first with a sort of ‘well duh’ tone “I’ve never been to JAPAN Kagami! This is crazy! Ooohhh how much free time do you think we’ll get? I wanna go to a ramen shop!”

“Honestly I really hope we can hit up Harajuku” Marinette agrees “I’ve always been fascinated by the fashion epicenter of the country…”

She blinks, looking between the two, before sighing. “After we’ve spoken to my grandparents, we can go sightseeing for a bit. Hopefully it won’t take too long.” 

Kenji takes that moment to swoop in, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “It’s our grandparents. You know how this is going to go.” She winces. “Might want to rain check playing tour guide for tomorrow, Kagami.”

“That bad huh?” Marinette hummed. “Is it better or worse than hanging with my paternal grandpa?” and when Kagami AND Kenji both shoot her a ‘yikes’ sort of look she hummed. “Yeah That bad. Thought so.”

Adrien glances at the three of them, and then out the window. “I’m suddenly worried for whenever I meet my grandparents.” Sheltered boy is sheltered. 

But eventually the car pulls into a long line of traditional manors, walled off estates and such. And Marinette jokes that her maternal grandad would have a lot to say about all of THIS…

Soon they come to a stop in front of one. The Tsurugi family crest emblazoned on the door. And Kagami looks up to the front seat to see her mother tense up for a long moment, as if trying not to shudder. 

“We’re here, aren’t we?” she murmured and Kenji placed a hand on her shoulder. “Yeah. we’re here. Do you need me to stick nearby, Kaa-san?” 

Tomoe sighs, and from here on will be speaking exclusively in Japanese and subtitled. “I will be alright Kenji. Kagami! Get your friends ready. Leave the speaking to myself and your brother unless directly addressed.”

“Yes mother.” Kagami stiffens, and noticeably, her Japanese is a little more rough than her mother’s. After spending so long in France the language is eroding a bit. 

Marinette and Adrien both take a moment to squeeze her hands, and she relaxes, if only a little, taking in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. A faint smile is on her face as the three get out and follow the elder Tsurugis into the manor. 

As the doors open, Marinette looks a little pained, but drops her hand from Kagami’s, and folds her arms behind her back. The area is large and auspicious, a clearly perfectly manicured front area in the estate, perfect rock garden in the front. Tomoe is notably without her walking stick and is clutching to Kenji’s arm to lead her properly. 

Then they enter the estate and much like the outside it’s very traditionally put together, if ornate. Fancy vases and tapestries and the most perfectly put together tatami that Marinette notes that she feels inadequate just putting her shoes in the cubby…

Adrien laughs softly and says it’s the price of being rich… 

A maid of some kind greets the lot of them in the doorway, very stoic and serious and when Kenji offers his arm again for Tomoe she turns him down. “I still remember where everything is… assuming they haven’t changed things just to watch me bump into them…” the way Tomoe says this makes it sound like that was something her parents have done to her before.

Everyone notices when Kenji gently takes Tomoe and guides her away from a side table that she’d been about to walk into. 

As the lot of them move through the area they eventually come to the doors of a big room. Kenji takes a breath, smiles crookedly at the host of characters and murmurs a small “Follow me~” 

The door is slid open and Kenji’s grin dies immediately. Looking like an entirely different person as he does so. He, Tomoe, and Kagami all walk inside and greet the family patriarch in a traditional style. And Marinette and Adrien have to clumsily follow behind. 

The two, dressed almost like it was centuries earlier than present day, are unshaken. And much like before as they speak in japanese do so with subtitles.

“It’s wonderful to see you again, daughter. Kenji, Kagami, you’re both looking well.” Says Grandmother

“Though you may want to have your son relay to you the amount of people in your little group, Tomoe. It seems you have two stowaways with you.” States Grandfather

Kenji speaks up instead “Kagami’s boyfriend, Adrien Agreste, was requested to come, and as chaperone their mutual friend Cheng Xiuying was invited to join. The three of them were in the fencing club together in highschool, and all had top marks, though Kagami of course was in first place.”

The grandparents seem unmoved at the explanation but do accept it as good enough. Though grandma does notably raise a brow at Marientte’s fully Chinese name being laid out as such. 

“Chinese?”

“She was born in France but her mother is from Shanghai, Grandmother.”

“I see.”

Kenji presses on, though, while things seem amicable. “I assure you, the two only wished to see what Kagami’s home was like, and promised to remain upstairs during the reunion. Until the rest of the family arrives, would it be alright for her to show them around the local sights?” 

After some silent hemming and hawwing, Grandfather eventually raises a hand and sighs. “Children are rowdy. It’s best that they get their jitters out now.” 

Kenji sighs “thank you so much, I swear we’ll be VERY careful-”

“Kenji, you will stay here and assist your mother.” Grandmother responded, clipped. “You know how clumsy she can be.”

Tomoe grits her teeth, and Kenji’s brows furrow but he responds with a soft “yes grandmother.”

He looks back at Kagami and nods and she stands and gives one more bow and a “I will see you both this evening.” to her grandparents before all but rushing out the door with Marinette and Adrien at her heels.

No one speaks until they’ve left the house and are on the streets. And it’s Adrien that speaks up first before anyone else, resting a hand on Kagami’s shoulder and squeezing it gently. “You going to be alright, Kagami?”

Marinette, her eyes darting back at the manor as if expecting to see one of grandparents stepping through it at any moment, settles for standing close by to her partners, hands clenched into fists behind her back. “Do you want to go back?” 

“Not at all,” Kagami responds immediately in Japanese, and both of her partners blink, and she speaks in French this time. “That… I’m not alright, and I don’t want to go back there, even though I’m worried about Kenji. There is a reason neither of us were that thrilled at coming here.”

Adrien and Marinette share a glance, before the latter speaks up. “Well, then let’s go on that tour! I still want to see some of the stores and look at the different clothes they offer, and we should grab something to eat before Adrien wastes away.” 

“Hey!” 

Her joke has the intended effect, though. Even as Adrien pouts, Kagami smiles; it’s faint, but it’s still there. And she gestures for the two to follow her as they head down the street. 

We see a quick montage of general ‘exploring Tokyo’ vibes, the lot of them getting food, Adrien seen absolutely HORKING down a tonkotsu ramen bowl, Marinette exploding with excitement at the mannequins in the shop windows. Kagami is translating things for either of them, and while she’s clearly a little off still, by the time the lot of them have done enough general ‘things we wanted to do’ things, and they transform, Kagami is feeling MUCH more comfortable. 

The lot of them take to the sky, swinging and pole vaulting and riding the wind as the three of them would. 

“So remind me how we’re supposed to be tracking this supposed Miraculous wielder down?” Chat Noir wonders, then adds on “and remind me why we’re so sure they ARE a miraculous wielder and not just a bug themed supervillain?”

“The bug themed villain is seen only for brief windows of about five minutes, implying they hide until they use their power and then clean up their mess in the time they’ve got left.”Ladybug reads off her Yoyo

“So we’re looking for a teenager.” Ryuko surmises.

“Or someone who just hasn’t grown into their power yet, Remember what Sun Min said about magical maturity not being directly proportional to age.” Chat Noir points out. “And these sightings line up with disappearances?”

“Yup. Last one reported was in…” Ladybug points in a certain direction and the lot of them follow. 

There’s a sort of noir vibe as the investigating begins, certain ways of gathering information such as searching for fingerprints not quite as viable since the last spotted disappearance was in a public park, but still the heroes try their best, even running into a police officer and finding out that they have very little to work on. 

The cop recognizes them for their work in Paris and allows the three to come back to the police station to help investigate a little upon their shared suspicions that this serial kidnapper was using one of their magical items, likely stolen. 

Kagami is of course taking point since while the Miraculouses CAN translate easier while transformed, she IS the native speaker and is more familiar with cultural norms. When the team reaches the police station and are given a talk with the chief, he hands over the incident reports and witness accounts with little fuss.

The cop apparently said there was little to no hope for this whole thing and they were going to simply stamp it as supervillain activity and store it away with other supervillain things, but if some heroes can get on it maybe it won’t be a blemish on their precinct. 

Paging through the reports it’s clear that eyewitnesses have a very strange through line, that the person being kidnapped, very CLEARLY kidnapped at that, was always elated to see their kidnapper, one even saying something about ‘true love’ as they were swept away, wandering about until they were grabbed as if drugged or in a daze. 

But before they can investigate much further an alarm beeps on Kagami’s sword and she swears softly, it seems they’re out of time. 

The lot of them nod between each other and thank the chief for the time and information before taking off. 

The three eventually arrive back at Tsurugi estates just in time for the last of the relatives to arrive, And Marinette pointedly takes a step back away from the others as one of Kagami’s Aunties greets her at the gates. Though she looks between the girl and her ‘friends’ before sniffing. 

“Bit of a Wild Child Tomoe’s raised…” she hums idly. “But i hope your friends enjoy their stay as well.”

Kagami sighs. “Nice to see you again too auntie.” she responds.

As we cut inside, it seems dinner is being made, and Marinette raises a brow when an uncle in stumbling french asks if she should be out of the kitchen right now and Kagami all but grits out that Xiuying is their GUEST, uncle, where’s your hospitality?

An auntie says that Adrien is pretty cute for a European boy, but Kenji have YOU had any luck so far? If they had to give his plus one to Adrien and Kagami’s Chaperone, then clearly HE didn’t have a date-

Kenji coughs into his tea and apologizes softly- we slide him over to the side to see in flashback Kenji all but begging Gavroche to NOT come with him. 

“My partner had other obligations to attend to. I’d never get between them and their passions.” 

The tension in the room begins to get more and more cloying as the relatives alternate between Kenji and Kagami, that they’re both not ACTING right anymore and Tomoe was moving away really the right decision for how your children are turning out?

Perhaps it would be best for the two of them to come to Japan so they can be straightened out.

And it was here, that one of Kagami’s partners decided to cut in. 

Marinette leans forward and, while her voice still remains polite and cheerful, begins a massive tirade about how Kagami is turning out WONDERFULLY thank you very much. And so is Kenji. Tomoe’s done a WONDERFUL job with them and she’s HONORED to have Kgami in her life actually. Just because Kagami wants to stay in Paris, and not study in japan, and she’s a FENCING master instead of an eastern style and she’s dating a white boy instead of a Japanese boy doesn’t mean that she’s FAILING just because she doesn’t meet THEIR standards of success!

“I don’t see any of YOU with kids in this little ‘family reunion’ anyway so who are all of you to judge?”

Marinette of course was speaking French for all of this. So other than catching a few names it was clear most people didn’t really understand WHAT she was saying until-

“Kagami if your Chinese friend can’t behave in a civilized manner would you mind escorting her to the courtyard?” Grandma speaks up and Kagami is a little busy staring at Marinette with hearts in her eyes to do so so Adrien gets up and gently takes Marinette’s arm and starts to guide her out. 

Kagami does in fact stumble to her feet as well and while Marinette is clearly regretting absolutely nothing, Adrien does look a little nervous. And it shows because as they walk the more it seems Kagami comes back to herself and realizes what a NOT cool thing that actually was. By the time they actually make it outside she’s pinching her temples and wondering how Marinette even KNEW what they were talking about detransformed. Tikki sheepishly pokes her head out from Marinette’s hair and guiltily admits that it was… probably her.

As if to prevent Tikki from taking all the blame, Plagg also peeks out from his own hiding place on Adrien’s person to say he’d been helping his charge not get too lost in the discussions as well. 

Longg from his own place within the folds of Kagami’s kimono peeks out and huffs that they’re both FAR too sentimental.

The three of them begin to wander passing through the estate and gardens until they’re eventually chilling just barely outside of the property lines. And Marinette finally says that she just-... she’s not allowed to BE Kagami’s partner here, and it’s clear that her family has ‘expectations’ for her since she’s… you know… ‘not the right kind of east asian’ or something, and- and time and again Kagami has shown her loyalty, her bravery and skill and how she’d move MOUNTAINS for either of them, how could Marinette NOT want to sing her praises until the sun rose?

“She’s right, I was about this close-” Adrien pinches his fingers very close together “to fighting an old man myself.”

Then after a moment of looking at the two girls adds on “do you… want me to give you guys some alone time? I still feel really bad for the whole ‘can’t be with Marinette around them’ thing… maybe it’ll help…?”

And after a moment of the two girls glancing at each other then back to Adrien he adds on “I can try and recover whatever face we just lost with Kenji as interpreter…?”

“I’d appreciate that, thanks.” Kagami agreed softly. And after a moment Marinette grins a bit wanly. 

“Good luck, meow mix.”

Adiren gives both of them a couple of good luck smooches before waving and vanishing back through the gate. 

“...I will admit this is both going better and worse than I expected it to…” Kagami observes softly and Marinette snorts. 

“What? Did you think I’d be perfectly behaved and Adrien would be the trouble maker?” Kagami looked at her for a very long moment and Marinette realized she really did. A small ‘ah’ coming out at that discovery. 

“I….appreciate your defense Marinette, I really, truly do. But- this isn’t Paris. You can’t just threaten to fight my grandfather like you did Adrien’s father. He won’t find your gumption charming. He’s very much from the old world, he’ll be VERY upset at the very idea.And with his influence he could ruin any chances you’d have of an international label…”

“You’re going to need to apologize. And… not mention being a fashion designer around them anymore. Let their stereotypes work for you so you won’t have to reveal anything. Your family is… absolutely wonderful from what I spent with them, but they’re very much different from mine.”

Marinette sighs. “I just want to protect you…” But after another long pause eventually nods her head. 

Kagami places her hand on Marinette’s shoulder and pulls her in close. Though just as they’re both about to head back inside there’s a flash of black.

And Plagg floating alone with his ring. 

“There’s been a kitten-napping!”

We cut back to the inside of the Tsurugi estate, things had settled into an awkward silence as everyone sips at tea and nibbles on snacks. Kenji looks into his tea for a long moment. 

“May I ask why?” “You seem to be doing alright for yourself Kenji.” Grandma huffs around her own cup. “But that girl is a wild child and she needs to be tamed. It’s clear our Tomoe isn’t up for the task.” Tomoe clenches her fists into her kimono. “So it’s up to your grandfather and I. The Tsurugi family needs a PROPER heir. And if you insist on staying in France then the girl is our only hope.”

But just before either Kenji or Tomoe could maybe say something about it, the door bursts open, this time with a frantic Kagami. 

“Adrien has been kidnapped and we have reason to believe it was by the person that’s BEEN kidnapping people in town recently.”

Marinette is still speaking French of course, but as she does so Kagami translates. 

“Xiuying says she saw what looked like a dart go through the air and it hit Adrien in the back. Before she could even ask if he was alright a figure in what looked to be-” she looked to Marinette. “You said a firefly themed outfit?” At Marinette’s nod Kagami translates that as well “A firefly outfit swooped in and stole him away. We have reason to believe-”

“That’s impossible!” One of the uncles calls out “Tsurugi estate has been one of the most protected estates in all of Japan for Centuries. Girl, your friend has clearly run her mouth. Typical Chinese behavior.” The uncle can barely get the insult from his mouth before a fencing saber zips through the air and pins his sleeve to the table. 

“Where were you keeping that…?” Marinette mumbles in shock before Kagami hisses out 

“You will keep your prejudice against my girlfriend to yourself, uncle. Or I will MAKE you silent. Time and Again my brother, mother and I have done everything in our power to win your approval. An approval that clearly we will never receive if your abysmal behavior is indicative of anything.”

Already there was whispering, hushed voices from all of the extended family at the display from the youngest of Tomoe’s kids. The patriarch and matriarch both were looking at each other and then at Tomoe with a clear look of ‘we told you so,’ though it was, of course, lost on their daughter. Before anything further could be said, Kenji rose to his feet. All of the whispering stopped, and the grandparents were looking pleased, as if he were going to prove their point of him doing the best of the youngest generation. 

The uncle in question had almost managed to get the fencing saber out of the table, and Kenji approached, giving the man his best smile as he knelt down, gripped the saber by the hilt, and dug it even deeper into the table. 

Everyone stared as he stood back up and joined his sister and her girlfriend by the entrance, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. “Where did you last see him?” 

Kagami, after a moment of watching in the shock that was the lot of them ‘acting up’ as it were, spoke again. “He was in the courtyard, he- he said that he was going to help you with the whole… ‘handling everything’ business.” After a moment, Kagami raises her hand, her fingers gripped around something tightly. “Will you help us?”

Kenji’s eyes widen for a moment but he smiles, and takes his hand off of Kagami’s shoulder to place it over her hand. And with the deftness of a million card tricks, takes the offered ring and slips it on his finger, Plagg zipping between them and burying into Kenji’s yukata. “Of course I will, little sister, let’s go.”

But just as he’s about to herd the girls to the door a loud BANG comes as grandfather’s hand slams down onto the table. 

“If you value your branch of this family at all, boy, you’ll stay right here. You too, girl.”

“Actually-” Tomoe cuts in. “I believe my son and daughter are about to go look for someone that’s been kidnapped by a supervillain. If they manage it they’d be heroes since the police haven’t had any leads on the source of these kidnappings since they began. And because said kidnapping this time happened on OUR family’s property, not taking care of it ourselves would make it seem like not just A Tsurugi, but ALL Tsurugis are helpless. Something I’m sure you wouldn’t want people to think about beyond your… shamefully blind daughter, would it, father?”

Grandfather hesitates, and Tomoe stands carefully, after a moment, reaching out a hand which Kagami takes to gently guide her. “Your grandchildren have both accomplished FAR more than you’ll ever know father. If requiring aid makes one weak, then there isn’t a strong person in this room.” The lot of them are uncontested as they head for the doors. 

Until Tomoe stops them right before exiting. “And her name is Kagami. Call her ‘girl’ again and you’ll see how well I can still navigate the world, father.”

When the four figures are standing in the courtyard again Tomoe sighs softly. “Thank you, Marinette. I’ll admit after a certain point in my life it became far harder to stand against them… You’re a good match for my daughter. Just as Adrien is.” Marinette blushes but thanks Tomoe for her words right back. And Kagami is pointedly NOT blushing but also not looking at her mother at all no siree not even a little bit. Tomoe’s grin turns serious quickly. “But now it’s time for you all to be listening to me. As our situation isn’t one that can easily be corrected. If I heard you all speaking so pointedly yet vaguely correctly, you were able to Secure Adrien’s magical object?”

“Yes ma’am. Plagg is safe.”

“Good.” she nods. “Now, I’m going to inform the police, you all should leave now. Track his whereabouts. And take this kidnapper down before he can do anything to your boy.”

Kagami smiles softly. “Yes ma’am. And… thank you mother.” 

Tomoe smiles and then pulls out her phone. “Alright Sirena, call the police.” 

Kenji pauses for a moment as he looks down at the ring, and Plagg gives him a nervous glance. But he nods. “Alright Let’s do this.”

The three hurry away from the manor before any of the family can come out and try and “talk sense” into them, and once it seems safe enough, the three transform, and take to the rooftops. With a birds-eye view now accessible, it’s more obvious to see a strange glow in the direction that Plagg had claimed Adrien had been taken away in. 

Upon a closer inspection, the glow was from a goo-like substance, giving off a bioluminescence, and it went on for a good long while. With a shared nod between the girls, Ryuuko shifts to wind form and shoots off after the trail, Ladybug and Kenji returning to the rooftops to keep an eye out for the mysterious figure dressed like a firefly as they followed after her. 

For a while, that’s how it goes, following the trail that the Miraculous user seemed to leave, likely by accident, until they finally spot a head of blond hair. He’s moving sluggishly, with stumbling footsteps, almost like he’s in a trance. Ladybug jumps down as Ryuuko returns to a human form. Each of them grab him by one shoulder to try and halt his marching. From this close, they can see an odd glassiness in his eyes, and they share a look of concern. 

“Adrien!” Ryuuko calls out, keeping her grip firm on his shoulder, but he continues to try and walk, pushing against the girls. “Do you remember where you are right now?” 

“Huh…?” The blonde turns to the girls, and blinks sluggishly, like he’s sleepwalking and hasn’t quite woken up yet. Still his face contorts into a sort of frustration. “Leave me alone…” he murmurs and tries to shake off Ryuuko’s hand. But she keeps a firm grip. “I gotta go…”

“Where are you going, Adrien.” Ryuuko demands in a short, clipped voice. 

Adrien scoffs, strangely coldy, even for the fact that he’s clearly being controlled right now. “I just gotta Go… Leave me alone we’re breaking up.”

Kagami blinks, the sudden declaration hitting her off guard.

Ladybug glances at Kagami’s shocked expression, and tightens her own grip on Adrien’s other shoulder. “Adrien, you know you don’t mean that. You need to snap out of this.” She takes a moment to look over his shoulder at Kenji, and mouths a quick ‘search for anything that looks out of place.’ before slipping her free hand into her girlfriend’s and squeezing it. 

Adrien is properly glaring now, though the hazy look in his eye still makes it feel duller. “No I do! I found my true love and I gotta break up with you guys! Don’t be bitter, Marinette let me go…!” 

Ladybug clenches her jaw a little. Clearly upset but also clearly handling it decently okay, Kagami looks… none too hot chief. Her gaze had darted away and she looked like she did earlier when her grandparents were berating her.

The blonde makes one more attempt to brute force past them, and this time, with the state of discomfort Kagami is in, she does stumble back. Before anything else can happen, a gloved and clawed hand deftly plucks a dart out of Adrien’s neck, initially hidden by his hair, and his eyes snap wide open, wider than before, then shut. He drops forward like a sack of potatoes into the girls’ arms. 

“Found it!” Kenji chirps, inspecting the dart in his hand. “Guess we know what the weapon is for this Miraculous, huh?” 

Kagami still looks pale and a bit distant, but her eyes clenched shut and she murmurs. “Just mind control, just mind control.” a couple of times to herself. 

And around there Adrien begins to wake up. He doesn’t quite get his legs under him at first, but he’s pressed up against Ladybug and Ryuuko and he’s clearly aware of this. After a beat murmuring. “Did I die and go to heaven?”

“He’s fine.” Ladybug says succinctly, and steps to the side, nudging Ryuuko further to the other side, and the blonde crashes to the ground. “Does that feel like heaven, Adrien?” 

“Nooooo” he moans from the ground, face smooshed against the road.

With a roll of her eyes, she helps Adrien get back to his feet properly, and he at least has the decency to blush a little. “What do you remember from when you were out of it?” 

Adrien grips a hand to his head and pinches his eyes shut as he thinks about it. “I mean… kinda..? I felt like I was in a dream. I think I WAS half dreaming because I could have sworn I saw a black haired Chat Noir-”

“Heyo” Kenji leans in. “If it makes you feel better, I haven’t picked out a name, but I don’t plan on using yours.” 

“I’m going back to sleep.” 

“NO.” Both girls state in unison, and Adrien holds up his hands. “Kidding, kidding. But… Yeah I remember it, kind of. But like in a ‘it's a dream you go along with anything when you’re dreaming’ type way…” He thought for a second and his eyes went wide. “....I didn’t mean it! I SUPER didn’t mean it! Whatever that dart did I DID NOT MEAN IT KAGAMI MARINETTE I’D NEVER BREAK UP WITH YOU GUYS LIKE EVER!” He immediately properly threw his arms around either of their necks and Kagami looked away with a small grin. “ESPECIALLY SINCE I KNOW HOW SCARED YOU ARE OF REJECTION KAGAMI”

“Nevermind, I’m breaking up with you specifically, actually. Come on Marinette we’re leaving.”

She does not, however, make any move to pull away from Adrien’s sudden hug. 

Then, after a beat Kenji looks over the dart, then back to Adrien, and sticks him with it again. “OW!” “KENJI WHAT THE HELL?”

“You still feel like you’re in a dream?” Adrien blinks, and takes stock of himself. 

“...no… actually I don't… I guess it’s a one time thing..?”

Ladybug holds a hand to her mouth in thought. “...I can work with this.” She answered after a beat. 

From here we follow the kids, as Adrien tries to get back into character as the sleepwalking lovestruck thing he was before. He distantly remembered the directions he was given and thankfully is able to stumble in the general right direction

He’s welcomed by someone else, a random young woman about Adrien’s age, a dart sticking out of her arm as she gestures for him to come in. and be quiet. She looks Adrien over and says that he’s still ‘cooking’ that it’s alright. If he keeps their beloved’s sweetest gift within his system it’ll become decorative soon enough. 

Adrien of course doesn’t speak Japanese, so we’re only finding this out through subtitles as he’s escorted in. 

Thankfully, they’ve got ears inside the walls as Adrien had been slipped the staff and it’s currently on in a call, the other end playing out through Ladybug’s Yoyo, the magic of the transformation acting as a translator for her right now. 

As the woman shows Adrien around ‘his new home’ she extolls about the virtues of being ‘their beloved’s loves’ and how it’s a constant state of euphoria when their beloved’s truth sets in. How their beloved he’ll find is just so so easy to listen to and devote one’s self to, you might even forget your name by the time it’s nice and set in for how distant the rest of the world becomes! It’s okay if you do forget though, their beloved is absolutely wonderful with coming up with names!

Adrien is REALLY glad that he does not have the magic transformation translations right now because the cheerful way the lady is talking combined with the estate’s sort of ‘communal living’ setup, combined with the people all around him looking half dazed half blissed out… It's pretty obvious what this is.

This guy’s made a cult.

The others seemed to realize, too, given the way that Ladybug’s gripping the yo-yo maybe a bit too tightly, and Kenji’s got a firm grip on Ryuuko’s arm as if he’d be able to keep her from jumping into the building even if she shifted into wind form. But they remain in their hiding spot, waiting for the Miraculous user to arrive before making their own appearance. 

Adrien sluggishly, as if he’s still in trance asks in halting, barely accurate sounding japanese “where is he?”

The woman informs him that their beloved is due to return home soon, now, asks Adrien to sit down where she can properly explain the tale of their beloved. She calls out, and several others spring into motion to sort of herd Adrien into a sitting group with the rest of them, and the woman begins a spiel. Says that their beloved was unlucky in love for the longest time, rejected by all of society for his intelligence and individuality were deemed socially inferior. Called a friendless otaku he was cast aside by the world. 

But then one day, he was visited by a god. The god of love. No, not the one you know. A better one. A new one. And with the abilities granted to him by the true love god, he was able to spread the love to everyone around him. And they all each and every one of them love him in turn for the truth he has given them. 

For he has ascended his mortal binds, he is love itself and how could one do anything but adore such a thing? Going on to explain that she herself was once a classmate of his. One of the first he showed the truth of. She’d been blind to his divinity before, and had foolishly turned him down when he’d asked her out, but she was so deeply thankful that he had shown her the truth, allowed her the chance of redemption. And she served that redemption by taking all those that drew their beloved’s eye into the truth with them. So they may all show their love and be happy.

And just as she begins to finish up, a voice calls out “Telling stories Hiromi-chan?” the girl, Hiromi apparently, sighs dreamily and the entire cult begins to swarm for the door. 

A tall lanky boy about Adrien’s age stood there, as expected, in a firefly themed hero costume. His face is riddled with acne scars and he’s at the point where he shouldn’t be growing facial hair but is trying anyway. An all around awkward young adult that hadn’t really hit his stride yet.

As everyone fawns over the guy Adrien lingers near the back. He DID remember this guy, as we can see in a hazy ‘from a trance’ flashback he DID remember being swept up by the firefly after getting hit with a dart and thinking himself in love with the punk, and how he’d whispered instructions into his ear, and Adrien’s very shaky grasp on Japanese had barely been enough to understand the directions he’d been given but he had. “I DO have another lover on the way my dear sweet ones!” the firefly coos out, caressing someone’s cheek, booping another’s nose. 

“He’s already here Beloved!” Hiromi announces. “He’s still cooking!”

“No not him Hiromi-chan you stupid little thing…” Firefly sighs and Hiromi giggles as if he was flirting with him. “A bank teller. It’s not easy keeping so many beautiful little things afloat without anyone working, but our new lover Yuki will have us arranged for a NICE long while~”

As the Firefly goes through the others he gives sometimes personalized compliments, sometimes clear insults, and the people there were giggling and sighing as if some of the vile things out of his mouth were the most romantic. When he finally reaches Adrien the Firefly reaches down and grabs his chin so he was looking at him. 

“A foreign beauty… I’ve seen your commercials. Back when you would do them. Your brand did well in Kyoto for a while when I was growing up… Adrien, right?”

Adrien (as seen in a little ‘inner adrien’ bubble behind him) is SUPER grossed out by the hold but nods when he hears his name. “I don’t understand what you’re saying you creepy son of a bitch~” he sighs out in French. 

But the Miraculouses translate, as we know.

“Excuse me?”

“GUYS NOW!” Adrien yanks away and kicks at the firefly’s hand to knock him off him.

The ceiling crashes down, and Ryuuko is directly in front of Adrien, her sword drawn and aimed at the Firefly’s neck, just under his chin. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t hurt you for messing with my boyfriend’s head.”

Ladybug lands down beside Adrien, her yo-yo spinning around at her side as she looks Adrien over. “He didn’t hurt you or anything, right?” 

“No, I’m fine.” He answers, passing the baton to Kenji as he lands behind them. “Keep him busy, I’ll get the others out of here.” 

Kenji nods and twists the baton, it lightens to about the length of a kendo sword and he grins at the Firefly wildly. 

From here we see in quick flashes of a fight. As Firefly calls on his cult to defend him, Kenji is able to disarm several easily, Ladybug able to restrain more, and Adrien is readily following behind them taking darts out of body parts.

And then you hear a loud ‘thump’ and a cry.

And Kagami has just punched Firefly square in the face. And he’d gone down immediately.

“Release them!” she grabs him by the collar of his outfit. “Release them or I’ll blacken the other eye.”

“OKAY OKAY!”

“We’re giving her extra cuddles when we get home, yeah?” “Oh definitely.” “GOD she looks good doing that” “It’s truly the act of evil to have convinced me to try and leave a woman like that.”

After the… hilariously anticlimactic battle, and one of the kids calling Tomoe to get the cops sent in, Kagami was able to yank off the miraculous, revealing it to be a small broach that while hidden appears as a heart, but when active unfolds into a clover.

The Kwami that arises from it is, of course, a firefly themed Kwami.

"Hiya! I'm Amooru!"

She is the aspect of love, and you can tell that she is because she’s IMMEDIATELY cozying up to the other heroes. Happily settling into Kenji’s hand as she spoke about her powers with minimum prompting. 

Her power ‘Infatuation’ can do exactly as stated and create a feeling of infatuation that can either be granted to a pair of people, or on one person toward the ‘next person they saw’ and her old wielder, her dear Masashi, was just SO bereaved of love that he went too far, and- well she couldn’t DENY him anything! She loved him so so much! So she sort of… was straining herself a bit past her limits to let him keep the transformation up and getting multiple people at once and… making the effects last longer…

He had such a sweet face she couldn’t help herself! Amooru admits that she’d been straining herself to such a degree that her Miraculous nearly broke… so she supposed it’s for the best that they found her but… she’d miss her Masashi…

All four adults look at each other and immediately think “we cannot let the Order get her.”

Kenji, since she was in his hand, gently reached up and nudges the kwami’s face with a finger. “Hey little one… you should probably take a break, huh? I know you were fond of Masashi,” 

“Even though he was a sexist creep that love potioned a small army worth of people because he felt entitled to a relationship and didn’t think to realize it was because he was an extremely unpleasant person to be around not because of his physical state” Marinette flatly cuts in

“-BUT he wasn’t treating you very well if he was working to make you feel so strained that you almost got hurt…”

“No no- I'm fine.” Amooru broke her words with a yawn, as she stopped floating and settled into Kenji’s palm to take a nap. “I’ll be fine… I just need… do you have any watermelon…?”

“We’re gonna need to make a stop at a corner store before we head back home..” Kenji observed with the little god in his hand before offering her to Marinette, who gently takes the pin and the Kwami and tucks her in close and the broach onto her lapel. It turns into a simple broach upon doing so, flower shaped like the design on her shirt

Kenji properly returns Plagg to Adiren whom begins rapidly apologizing for ditching his little guy, Plagg huffs and puffs but bops himself onto Adrien’s forehead saying he’s glad his dumbest stinkiest kitten ever is okay.

On the walk home, corner store watermelon in hand Kenji states very idly that he’s glad that there’s a corner store nearby the estates. 

“For trips later in the week?” Adrien wonders.

“For… when I have to stay here..” he responds. After a long silence Kagami shouts a “WHAT?!”

“Yeah- ahaha-” Kenji’s clearly trying to keep it light. And even more clearly failing. “So Grandma and Grandpa want me to stay so they can train a real heir out of me, they said you’re a lost cause and all and so they don’t want to bother but there’s time worth saving in me or whatever so it’d just be the better option to just go with it, you know? I’m an adult. I can probably just get an apartment near whatever university I convince them to let me go to…”

“Kenji what are you talking about-” Kagami darts from her place in the group to stand between Kenji and the rest of them. “Why would you just GO with that? What about Gavroche?!”

“Gavroche can deal- he knows my family is important. But- the Old Order knows most of you guys are still based in Paris. They’re going to come back. You guys need to have as many STAYING there to meet them as you can. I know a bunch of you guys are off and on missions and junk, but you gotta have enough people staying where they expect or they’ll just start gunning it for Shanghai again, right? And those three probably can’t hold the temple like they are with full concentrated force on them.”

Kagami is pissed, she super doesn’t buy this. But she huffs and marches back to the others and angrily latches onto Marinette’s arm.

“They threatened to send me here. He’s doing that stupid older sibling thing where he’s an unending martyr for no good reason. I’m going to kill him.”

Adrien reaches over and gives Kagami a gentle head pap. “‘S okay ‘gami, me and Bugaboo were talking while you were yelling and we’ve got an idea.”

But soon enough they were back at the estates, Kenji waits until the others file in, only to stumble on his own step inside behind the rest. 

“What…?” he feels around in the pocket of one of his yukata sleeves and pulls out Amooru and the broach she comes with. He looks back up at the group and they’re all grinning cheekily back at him. “Call it a parting gift!” Marinette chirps. 

“Maybe get your family to actually start caring about each other!” Adrien adds on. 

“Come on Kenji, we have more relatives to ruin our reputation in front of.” 

Kenji rolls his eyes and laughs, catching up with the lot of them. 

Fin

[thoughtportal]

The U.S. Wants to Ban TikTok for the Sins of Every Social Media Company

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives will likely vote to force ByteDance to divest from TikTok, which sets the stage for a possible full ban of the platform in the United States (Update: it did). The move will come after a slow but steady drumbeat from politicians on both sides of the aisle to ban the platform for some combination of potential and real societal harms algorithmically inflicted upon American teens by a Chinese-owned company. 

The situation is an untenable mess. A TikTok ban will have the effect of further entrenching and empowering gigantic, monopolistic American social media companies that have nearly all of the same problems that TikTok does. A ban would highlight, again, that people who use mainstream social media platforms run by corporations do not actually own their followers or their audiences, and that any businesses/jobs/livelihoods created on these platforms can be stripped away at any moment by the platforms or, in this case, by the United States government. 

Bytedance and TikTok itself have been put into an essentially impossible situation that is perhaps most exemplified in a 60 Minutes clip from 2022 that went viral this weekend, in which Tristan Harris, a big tech whistleblower who has turned the attention he got from the documentary The Social Dilemma into a self-serving career as a guy who talks about how social media is bad, explains that China is exporting the “opium” version of TikTok to American children. 

In [the Chinese] version of TikTok, if you’re under 14 years old, they show you science experiments you can do at home, museum exhibits, patriotism videos, and educational videos,” Harris said. “And they also limit it to only 40 minutes per day. They don’t ship that version of TikTok to the rest of the world. So it’s almost like they recognize TikTok is influencing kids’ development, and they make their domestic version a spinach version of TikTok, while they ship the opium version to the rest of the world.” FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr quote tweeted this and said “In America, TikTok pushes videos to kids that promote self-harm, eating disorders, and suicide.” 

Put simply: Every social media platform pushes awful shit to users of all ages. This is not a defense of TikTok, but a simple fact that has made up a huge portion of tech reporting for the last decade. Mere weeks ago, the New York Times published an exposé on underage girls being pushed into “child influencing,” a world which is full of pedophiles. Instagram’s effects on teens has been widely documented by Meta’s own employees, and without really trying we have been able to document the sale of guns and drugs, hacking services, and counterfeit services in ads displayed on the platform. Discord is full of communities used for organizing by Neo Nazis and paramilitaries, criminal hackers, crypto scammers, deepfake peddlers, teens who kidnap each other, etc. Facebook is full of AI-generated bullshit that people think is real, was used by foreign adversaries to attempt to influence an election, was credibly accused of being abused to facilitate a genocide in Myanmar, and has had innumerable scandals over the years. Twitter is full of malware and has essentially gotten rid of all of its rules. YouTube is a place that has been used by ISIS terrorists, white supremacists, mass shooters, and child brainwashers. Telegram was founded by Russians, is now based in the United Arab Emirates, and is full of criminals, hackers, and Russian disinformation. We have reported endlessly that all of these platforms are monitored by governments, militaries, surveillance agencies, and commercial interests around the world using "social listening," "social media monitoring," and OSINT tools.

Meta, Google, and Twitter have all moved resources away from content moderation in recent years, and have laid off huge numbers of employees as Republicans have cried “social media censorship.” As Elon Musk’s Twitter has become more of a cesspool in the absence of good content moderation, Google and Meta have realized that they can keep advertisers as long as their platforms are ever so slightly less toxic than Twitter. I am unaware of any political pushes to ban Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter, and efforts to meaningfully regulate them to be less harmful seemingly have no political will. The only actual regulation of these platforms have been laws passed by conservatives in Florida and Texas which give them even less ability to moderate their platforms and which is the subject of a Supreme Court case. 

This is just to say that TikTok and the specter of China’s control of it has become a blank canvas for which anyone who has any complaint about social media to paint their argument on, and has become a punching bag receiving scrutiny we should also be applying to every other social media giant. 

When Uber, Airbnb, DoorDash and Bird ignore local laws or face the specter of bans or regulation, they use push notifications, email, and popups within their apps asking customers to complain to legislators. When these American apps do this, they are simply leveraging their popularity to “mobilize users.” When TikTok does the same, it is Chinese interference in American politics. When American TikTok users use their platform to share their progressive or leftist politics and TikTok’s algorithms allow them to go viral, that’s Chinese interference. When TikTok deletes content that violates its terms of service, that’s Chinese censorship. When Facebook and Google allow advertisers to create psychographic, biographic, and behavioral-based profiles of their users to target ads to them, that’s “personalized advertising.” When TikTok does ads, it’s Chinese spying. When TikTok users see content that promotes suicide, eating disorders, and makes people feel bad about themselves, it’s China brainwashing our children, undermining America, and threatening our existence. When Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube users see the same, it’s inconvenient and unfortunate, but can be solved with a blasé spokesperson statement that these platforms care about safety and will strive to do better.

In the clip above, Harris explains that polls show American children want to be “social media influencers” and that Chinese children want to be “astronauts,” the subtext being that it is like this because bad stuff is not allowed on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. Banning TikTok is not going to change this (and Harris does not mention that China has tons of social media influencers as well). Harris says this with some derision, the subtext being that we should not want our children to grow up to be social media influencers. 

This should not need to be explained, but because Harris and 60 Minutes did not explain it: Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) is not actually a sterile place that consists only of people doing science experiments and math equations, just as TikTok and all social media in America is not only an unmitigated shithole devoid of intellectual value. But Harris has this idea of Douyin being a safe place for kids because China does not have a free internet. The internet is widely and famously censored by the Chinese government, and ByteDance is complying with Chinese law in China. It is possible to argue (though I would not), that this makes the internet “safer,” and it is possible to argue (though I would not) that a “safer” internet is “better.” If Harris wants Chinese-style censorship of the internet in the United States, then he should argue for that. But in the United States, we have the First Amendment and a host of other regulations that have fostered something resembling an open internet. That open internet allowed for the rise of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. 

This general principle of not censoring the global internet also allowed for the rise of TikTok, which has millions of users in the United States because people like using it. TikTok is not perfect—in fact, I believe lots of the things on TikTok are very bad. Despite what I have just written, I understand that Chinese interference via algorithmic warfare or spying or any other tactic is a possible threat. China has been accused of using accounts on TikTok to spread influence, in the exact same way as the U.S. government has been caught spreading pro-U.S. influence abroad on Facebook and Twitter. 

Like I mentioned, I think that this entire situation is actually very complicated, and is in fact a huge mess. I can understand why some people want to ban TikTok, but I am not sure how the government can do so without violating the free speech rights of millions of Americans and setting us on a path where a relatively open, global internet becomes one that is increasingly geographically siloed. I don’t think we should ban a platform because it competed too hard and became popular, especially when the direct beneficiaries of a ban are companies that are doing most of the same apparent algorithmic poisoning of America, just from within America’s borders. I also do not think it is constitutional, ethical, or good for the government to decide to unilaterally cut millions of Americans off from one of the largest social media platforms in the world and to effectively force its users and more importantly the people who make a living on TikTok to use a balkanized internet dominated by American megacorporations. 

[paperbunny]

S2, E1: The Arrival, Pt. 2

Not a meta, just a tribute.

[Starting at 22:22] Ep 1, Pt. 1

('Allo 'Allo 'Allo) Muriel is perfect and I am so happy that everyone instantly loved her.

(General Omens) The matchbox says "Out of his mouth go burning lamps and sparks of fire leap out." Job 41:19 This is interesting because it doesn't seem like it applies to Gabe or Jim, unless the sparks are the prophesies that he says, which seems redundant since those were pretty clearly prophetic and don't need any extra hints. Crowley as Aziraphale did shoot flames from his mouth, though. The extended passage is all about the Leviathan which could be a reference to Crowley the Serpent but I hope it's a more interesting forewarning of Guardian!Aziraphale when he gets to work upstairs. It could just as easily be a warning about the power of God as wielded by the Metatron though. Important but not clear to me where to point it.

(General Omens) The coffee cup on the wall of the shop outside (above the outdoor seats, near the "or") has orange flame-like whisps instead of white or light grey that one would expect to signify steam. Ominous coffee business. The coffee shop is blue whilst the record shop is orange. Opposing colors.

(Nina the Mirror) Interesting that the coffee shop is called Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death, considering the lack of liberty Nina clearly has in her personal life. Nina and Aziraphale both taking up for others whilst trapped themselves. Sure, Az is technically unemployed, but he's certainly not free.

(General Omens) Not sure if there will be more to the story about the coffee shop being essentially USA-themed, such as a Greasy Johnson tie-in, but for now it just seems like another little UK joke about things getting set in the US or otherwise America-coded for the sake of mass marketing.

(Aziraphale the Comfy) He wants Crowley to be calm, he wants himself to be calm. He's also not familiar with the effects of espresso. And neither he nor Crowley are acting like it's at all unusual to be hanging out together, though they've not been together in this shop it seems. Eccles cakes? *pointed look at Crowley* Some eccles cakes please. He's just as nervous to show Crowley as he is about the problem itself, but not telling Crowley isn't even on the table. Because Crowley is there allll the timmmeeee and is an integral part of his world, too, of course.

(Nina The Shit Stirrer) How's your naked man friend? NINA. You know that this little book man has never brought this slinky goth fellow into your shop and you have no idea what their business is. But you just HAD to mention the naked man in front of Aziraphale's man-shaped friend. And she was so happy to do it. Has she seen the Bentley and Crowley coming and going? How much does she suspect? Is she poking that situation because of the volatility of her own?

(General Omens) "You're a dark horse Mr. Fell" First Dark Horse mentioned, of at least three.

(Aziraphale the Comfy) Immediate embarassment! Where was that embarrassment when it was the WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD? But no, in front of Crowley suddenly you're shy.

(Domestic Moments) The tone of "go back a long time" is so sweet. They really aren't trying to hide much at this point, despite aggressively refusing to Address The Situation. And how nice that Crowley gets to be introduced. No "friends" no obfuscation. No labels, either, but there's a real tide change even so. And Nina does a cute little curtsy-ish move in response. Maybe she has a sense about how long "a long time" could be.

(Crowley With A Purpose) He's so happy that he has actual news. Is he happy that there's something to do, or that something bad might be happening to Gabriel? Both? The IMMEDIATE interest in getting into the bookshop. I can't imagine that he thinks Aziraphale would be harboring a recreational naked man for sexy reasons, but he certainly isn't laughing about it either. He asks Aziraphale if he can help, and poor Az seems to have had whatever his plan for a soft launch of the problem was completely obliterated by Nina's bomb dropping. Also that coffee cup was SO EMPTY.

(Domestic Moments) Despite Az clearly getting his plan for easing Crowley into the problem messed up, they are off to the shop. Whole plate of eccles cakes in hand, and no "after you" needed at the door. This is a well oiled partnership opening doors and holding things as needed. Nina watches them steal her plate. Why is the closed sign stuck on with tape? It's like he's not even trying to pretend he is ever open.

(Maggie the Strange) She stops Mr. Fell to thank him, while he's clearly in a rush, and he tries to give her eccles cakes. No intro for Crowley this time. Was her purpose just to make sure we noticed the Eccles Cakes? Because we did. Everyone is upset that he just stole the whole plate. People need to slow down on the "not going to parties" and "not being that kind of teenager" meaning that she's some inhuman being, because some of us were also not that teenager. More talk of names. Maggie gives her a record because it's the same name, Nina hasn't accepted Maggie giving her name yet. She's still Skinny Latte.

(Aziraphale the Comfy) (Domestic Moments) Why are you closing all the blinds, sir? Jim!Gabe has been in here for awhile with the blinds open, so maybe it's more about the reaction of Crowley that's concerning? Crowley who has his own place for his glasses, who seems entirely at ease in the shop, and who says "Do we know a Jim?" we! I love that we. And the casual conversation. Go on and guess. I know a storm comes later, but we really did get so many soft, romantic moments.

(Heavenly Scandal) (Domestic Moments) So much of the Jim!Gabe is scandal but also tied up in the sweet domesticity. Crowley is pissed and scared but neither lashes out at the other in a real way. Aziraphale isn't scared of him, just worried about the whole mess. Jim!Gabe already trusts Az enough that he looks to make sure there's nothing wrong when Crowley first confronts him.

(Domestic Moments) The warm yellow-ochre walls. I thought people were exaggerating the yellow thread through the story but no. That's pretty intentional looking. I don't know if it's Az's favorite colour, but it certainly seems to be a color that makes him feel at home. Is there more than one room up here? Is this the room that Jim!Gabe ends up staying in? No bed up here it seems, though I don't know if our collective hearts could have handled A&C standing alone in a room near a bed. Az doesn't seem against the idea of getting rid of Jim!Gabe at first, just unsure of what to do. Crowley immediately is ready to dump him in Dartmoor. Az can't bring himself to not help. Would he go to Gabe to help him? Likely not. But once the person-shaped-being is in your care, is it your fault if harm comes to them?

(Husbands at War) This fight is well-trod soil. Neither seems legitimately angry at the other, but rather they fall immediately into defending their side in well-worn territory. Az wants to stay and help/fight/fix, Crowley wants to not make themselves a target/save their peace/refuse to get involved. There's strong arguments for both sides and we have our seeds of future conflict. Az tells him if he wants to leave he can, and that reaction from Crowley, "Is this how you want to do this?" as though this is one of a few versions that the argument takes.

(Bookshop Omens) The eccles cakes. Four of them. Next to a horse. Four horsemen? What are the cakes about!?

(Existential Crisis Crowley) His peaceful existence is at risk. He's so mad he's recognizing his own lack of control and tries to self-regulate. Did you learn that from a Richard Curtis film, Crowley? Or does Az have a self-help section?

(Nina the Observant) She sees Crowley smoking before the people on the street seem to. Everyone stops and watches though. There's no way that there isn't some kind of low grade miracle on this street that prevents these strange events from sticking in the brains of the passersby. Man smokes and yells and then is hit by lightning. Everyone watches and no one seems to retain it except Maggie and Nina. Also Nina I'm pretty sure those aren't auto locks. There's no sign of anything auto about the regular looking deadbolt.

(Heavenly Scandal) Why do I like Uriel so much? Michael does have the best claim to be Supreme Archangel Pro Tempore, as Duty Officer. I love the bureaucracy. It's great. Micheal is basically pulling a Dwight Schrute move. Saraquel is the one Muriel went to. Is Saraquel not an Archangel? Or are they just a more approachable one? It doesn't seem like they have a dog in the fight over who is the next SAAPT.

('Allo 'Allo 'Allo) Muriel is a scrivener, which immediately makes me think of Bartleby the Scrivener. I've been told that the job of scrivener comes up in games and stuff enough that it might not be a direct reference but it seems pretty pointed to me? Maybe it's just English Nerd Brain. The story tracks though, potentially, for where Muriel could be headed. From google, about the meaning of Bartleby: "...as the narrator is forced to admit, “Nothing so aggravates an earnest person as a passive resistance.” Refusing to kow-tow to the demands of his employer, and working to his own individual rule, Bartleby represents a challenge to capitalist, corporatist ideologies." Part of Bartleby's problem, from what I remember, is living in a place with no joy or interaction, and realizing that he can actually say no. Isn't that eerily similar to Muriel?

(Heavenly Scandal) Uriel looks at Micheal like, you want to be in charge so you get to touch the Material Object. Michael is not thrilled.

(Existential Crisis Crowley) He's sitting in that street, in his car, looking like the Saddest Boy-Shaped Husband. He's not having a good time, and now his little corner of peace is in high danger. He looks SO SAD. I didn't notice how sad he looked on previous watches. It's interesting to me that C always uses the honorific for Beeze. Lord Beelzebub. He also slides riiiiight into being cool and collected as soon as he realizes he's not actively in trouble. It's not a kidnapping, it's an offer. Watching him squirm immediately when he realizes this is about Gabriel is pretty fun. Crowley the suave, chill snake is just a flimsy cover for Crowley the clingy movie dork who uses affected disinterest as a defense mechanism. He's still one of Hell's best (ex)employees though. He's not suprised that Beeze wants to use his talents, but he is surprised that it's coming with an offer of a reward. "Doesn't seem like the kind of thing you're likely to say". Neither of them actually say anything solid. Hell is clearly better with contractual language.

(General Omens) Crowley says Extreme Sanctions don't exist. Beeze says they do. This remains to be seen.

(Nina The Mirror) More being mean to Maggie for no reason, then trying to make it up.

(Maggie The Strange) Maggie doesn't drink. That isn't weird. The "No Judgement" that feels awkward is a little strange. Especially since she waits til Nina is in the middle of a sip to say it.

(Maggie/Nina) They have a *moment*. It's a nice little conversation but doesn't seem very weighty. Not what you'd expect from a meet-cute.

(Husbands at War) I liked the use of Loverboy here. I seem to be in the minority. I hope it comes back again in S3, but I thought it was sweet. He's hauling ass to get back to his Angel. When it comes down to it, he's a good old fashioned loverboy. He always comes back.

(Eldritch Tendancies) I know things were a bit different in S1 but there seems to be NO concern about hiding from the human folk. Just explode on the street and then magically power-on the whole cafe. No big.

(Maggie The Strange) (Nina The Observant) Why doesn't Maggie seem to have the same level of awareness that Nina has? Also, one of Lindsay's texts says "I'm a real person. I Matter. Why don't you care about me?" Is someone not real? When the text is on the screen, the camera is on Maggie. [38:53]

(Domestic Moments) Aziraphale you petty bitch. He is just sitting in the chair waiting. Crowley sails in (does he have a key or did Az leave it unlocked for him?) and then suddenly Az puts on his glasses and starts pretending to look at his random papers. Our stage is set for the Dance of the Repressed and Afraid. This scene is so much funnier now that I've noticed that Az is clearly being a bitch on purpose. And that he is possibly delighted to have the chance to make Crowley do the dance, since Az clearly has done all the Dances lately.

(Husbands at War) The dance erases the tension and lets them move on without actually resolving the fight, but that's not really an issue here because Crowley has new intel. They immediately shift into planning and figuring things out. When it comes down to it they are both always on eachother's side. Az is nervous about doing a miracle, and it does sound like they've never done one together. Why they do it together this time isn't totally clear upfront but I guess it keeps the power used smaller on each side and shielding him from the other side helps prevent red flags being raised.

(Jim!Gabriel) He and Crowley don't like eachother, in this moment. Crowley is being "nice"-ish. But they make great faces at eachother.

(Husbands at War) Az suggests splitting the miracle and Crowley listens. Later we see Crowley not listen and steamroll Az. Unfortunately this isn't a great argument for listening to Az, since the teeny tiny miracle does NOT fly under the radar. There's a lot of wide angle or fisheye lens used here. And the chair Jim!Gabe is sitting in is on top of the portal. That might be a red herring, might not. Portal isn't active, but it could explain why alarms went off in heaven but not hell.

(Good For Me) I noticed the portal being under the chair. Also note that the rug is currently a general faded beige-y rug. Also Jim!Gabriel offers his hands crossed, left offered to Az and right to Crowley. They look distasteful (?) about it and awkwardly reach across to take the "correct" hand.

(Husbands At War) Crowley tests the waters, so to speak, and pokes at the air to feel the miracle. Az is happy that things seem to have worked. He reassures Jim!Gabriel and Crowley is still only in the fight to protect the Oasis, not Jim!Gabe.

(Heavenly Scandal) Michael seems to be ignoring the klaxon alarm on purpose? And Uriel is like, if you want to be Assistant To The Regional Manager, then you need to fix this. The miracle shows up as pink, and Saraquel is the one operating the globe thing. They refer to Aziraphale as a former angel, and there's no reference to Crowley. I really don't think that heaven or hell knows or understands much about the Az-Crowley situation. They clearly know there's something odd there, but I don't know what their impression of it is.

End Ep 1.

Ep 1, Pt. 1